DF: I love the cover! Though I think the tone is a little more WW1. I say that because, by WW2, I think most people considered the war a necessary sacrifice to oppose the Axis powers. But in WW1 there remained a romanticised view of war, an expectation that glorious victory would come any day and life would return to normal by Christmas. Only those who had seen frontline combat knew what was really happening. I read a lot on the train. All sorts of genres and authors; whatever I could find. One day I ran out of books but had some paper in my bag. I decided to try writing a story, which soon became a novel, and then became a completely different novel. I experimented with a variety of genres and formats and was wildly unsuccessfully, but kept trying. Denny Flowers: I was born in Kent and never moved. I’m still in walking distance from the house I grew up in. I did go to University in Brighton and then spent a few years commuting to London where I worked in a children’s hospital. My job was collecting and analysing the morbidity and mortality data for children in intensive care, something an acquaintance once cheerfully referred to as ‘The Most Metal Job Ever’. Bleak as it sounds, it was really rewarding (and sometimes heartbreaking) work, but the commute was four hours a day and it slowly killed me. DF: I always feel like I’m still learning my craft, but I have been praised for my characters and dialogue, as well as my handling of plot, pace and structure. I also have an unpleasantly active imagination. Or perhaps it’s just unpleasant. Either way, directing it towards world building is probably for the best. I wouldn’t like to leave it unoccupied for too long.

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Though Simlex is the semi-reliable narrator of the novel, the hero and star of Outgunned is Flight Commander Lucille von Shard. A fighter ace of consummate ability, Shard’s skills are matched only by her disdain for her foes, peers, superiors, acquaintances, and virtually everyone and everything else she encounters. In fact, were she a less capable warrior, she would have long since been consigned to a penal colony. Or more likely an executioner.

Iktomi, Caleb’s stoic partner, is of ratskin heritage and has little time for the inhabitants of the Hive. Cold, insular and amoral, Iktomi is nevertheless bound to Caleb by their shared history. A nihilist a heart, she has made her choice to stand with Caleb and therefore will do so to her dying breath, despite the annoyance of his company. Without him, she would probably be far richer, but her life would then be without purpose. And this is probably one of the few prospects that actually scares her. ToW Do you have anything else in the works (whether for BL or otherwise) that you can talk about at all?

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Simlex’s cynicism develops interestingly; but his creeping horror as it dawns on him that the simple caricature of orks he has been raised to expect is a dangerous lie is excellently portrayed. Likewise the slow peeling away of Shard’s protective(?) personality and the uncovering of the cause of Bacchus’ decay and blight. His trio of servo skulls help progress the plot unobtrusively and I *really* appreciate the way that their use as translation devices is gradually introduced- the Xenos in this book, unlike several recent titles, aren’t conveniently fluent in Gothic. DF: Most of my stories are set on the planet of Necromunda, a Hive World that long since squandered its natural resources and subsists by harvesting its own toxic heritage. I have played the game ever since the original plastic box set was released when I was a kid and I’ve always loved the setting with its 80’s punk/horror/sci-fi vibe. The lore has undergone revision and expansion in the new edition and there is an awful lot to play with. I’ve particularly enjoyed exploring the world beyond the violence in the Underhive (though naturally that comes up quite a lot anyway!). With his second novel, Outgunned, Denny Flowers really showed the world what he is capable of as a Warhammer 40,000 author. With its outstanding and captivating narrative, Outgunned rose above the author’s previous novel and was one of the better Warhammer 40,000 novels of 2022 so far. The author wove some brilliant layers into this impressive read, and I loved the incredible characters, memorable setting and fascinating Warhammer elements that enhanced the clever story. A must-read for all Warhammer 40,000 fans, Outgunned was an absolute pleasure to read and I can’t wait to find out what Flowers has planned next.

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ToW: What can you tell us about the role of an Imperial propagandist, and the inspirations for the character of Simlex?

Outgunned (Warhammer 40,000) [Paperback] Flowers, Denny

But these skills may prove the only hope of survival, for something vast and terrible lurks within the clouds. The Green Storm approaches. DF: The story is told from the perspective of Simlex. He is a protégée, having produced numerous acclaimed picts employing a rather unorthodox approach. For Simlex strives to capture the true face of Imperium, rather than the tightly controlled facsimile favoured by his peers. He believes the God-Emperor is the custodian of truth, and a propagandist’s duty is to reveal it. This naivety blinds him to the political ramifications of his work; many of the Imperium’s servants strive to shroud the truth and will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure his work does not expose their own misdeeds. I play various games depending on my time constraints. Currently I’m in my third Blood Bowl league; it’s such a well-designed game and it fits neatly into my gaming time constraints. I’m also painting up some Death Guard that have only been sitting on my painting table for a couple of years, an impressive turnaround for me.Flight Commander Lucille Von Shard is an ace pilot in the Aeronautica Imperialis, with a bit of a chip on her shoulder. Follow her as she faces off against the aerial forces of the orks. ToW: What appealed to you about writing an Aeronautica Imperialis story? Are you a particular fan of planes and/or aerial combat stories? ToW: The (brilliant) cover has a real WWII war movie vibe – was that the sort of tone you were going for with the book? Can you talk a bit about some of the influences you drew upon while writing this?

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Thanks SO MUCH to Denny Flowers for sending me a copy of Outgunned in exchange for my honest review. ToW: Without spoiling anything, who are the main characters and what do we need to know about them?

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In the far future, the soldiers of the Imperium of Man fight monsters and aliens on many battlefields and there is always a need for fresh bodies to fill the gaps in the ranks. That is where Kile Simlex comes in. A talented propagandist, Simlex excels at creating moving cinematic picts to inspire the people and increase recruitment to the Astra Militarum. However, Simlex desires greater realism and seeks to travel to a battlefield to gain real footage for his greatest pict yet. High-flying dogfights unfold in the skies above Bacchus, as the Imperium clash with orks, and an arrogant hotshot uncovers a secret that could doom the entire planet.