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Warhammer 40,000
Da Gobbo's Revenge
An Orks Novella
An origin story unlike any other, Da Gobbo’s Revenge plumbs the very depths of the ork psyche to show you just what happens when you kick the wrong grot one too many times.
READ IT BECAUSE
Mike Brooks proves once again he’s the master of ork kultur. You’ll witness the rise of one of the most enduring and, dare we say it, lovable legends in all of orkdom.
THE STORY
Fingwit is a grot.
Food, riches, prestige, some form of personal safety – all of these are alien concepts to him, stuck firmly as he is at the bottom of the high, kunnin', and brutally violent heap that constitutes ork society, where to be a grot is to suffer endless torment.
However, when the Mek whom Fingwit unwillingly serves leads him and his fellow grots in a boarding action of an Imperial vessel as part of a vast void war, Fingwit is presented with an opportunity to become not just a hero but a legend... Da Red Gobbo.
An origin story unlike any other, Da Gobbo’s Revenge plumbs the very depths of the ork psyche to show you just what happens when you kick the wrong grot one too many times.
READ IT BECAUSE
Mike Brooks proves once again he’s the master of ork kultur. You’ll witness the rise of one of the most enduring and, dare we say it, lovable legends in all of orkdom.
THE STORY
Fingwit is a grot.
Food, riches, prestige, some form of personal safety – all of these are alien concepts to him, stuck firmly as he is at the bottom of the high, kunnin', and brutally violent heap that constitutes ork society, where to be a grot is to suffer endless torment.
However, when the Mek whom Fingwit unwillingly serves leads him and his fellow grots in a boarding action of an Imperial vessel as part of a vast void war, Fingwit is presented with an opportunity to become not just a hero but a legend... Da Red Gobbo.
109 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 13, 2021
38 people are currently reading
341 people want to read
About the author
Mike Brooks
79 books559 followersMike Brooks was born in Ipswich, Suffolk and moved to Nottingham when he was 18 to go to university. He’s stayed there ever since, and now lives with his wife, two cats, two snakes and a collection of tropical fish. When not working for a homelessness charity he plays guitar and sings in a punk band, watches football (soccer), MMA and nature/science documentaries, goes walking in the Peak District or other areas of splendid scenery, and DJs wherever anyone will tolerate him.
And, y’know, writes.
And, y’know, writes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
April 27, 2022
Zogging.good book dat dis was!
March 11, 2025
I enjoyed this book. It's a funny small novella about the life of Grot's. Sometimes it's a bit hard to follow the characters conversations because it's written as they talk (or we expect them to talk) I believe it's a comic way of a drunkard englishman
"Wot Woz Dat?"
"I fink dey've got him with a couple o' stabbas. Look, dere's one in 'is leg."
Yeah it's quite funny and really portrays how I envision them (in a way). To be fair I've read several novels depicting Orks. This is one more. It doesn't mean that this is "correct". I believe it's a way that this writer envision them on a comic relief. I will read other novels by him and see how he portray them in a more "realistic", "real" book. There are other Gobbo's novels (4 now). Let us see how different they fill..
But I have to point out something. I know the political stuff this author adheres and making a red "revolushun". the all down with Orks and Masters it's totally his image. I don't think this influence my opinion but I found it funny that. Let's be real, he is the writer that made Lelith lesbian... OH well. I would rate 80/100 because at times as I've said it was hard to follow stuff.
"Wot Woz Dat?"
"I fink dey've got him with a couple o' stabbas. Look, dere's one in 'is leg."
Yeah it's quite funny and really portrays how I envision them (in a way). To be fair I've read several novels depicting Orks. This is one more. It doesn't mean that this is "correct". I believe it's a way that this writer envision them on a comic relief. I will read other novels by him and see how he portray them in a more "realistic", "real" book. There are other Gobbo's novels (4 now). Let us see how different they fill..
But I have to point out something. I know the political stuff this author adheres and making a red "revolushun". the all down with Orks and Masters it's totally his image. I don't think this influence my opinion but I found it funny that. Let's be real, he is the writer that made Lelith lesbian... OH well. I would rate 80/100 because at times as I've said it was hard to follow stuff.
April 1, 2022
Took a little while for me to get into this, but once it got going, I really started to love it. One of the best things to come out of recent WH40k books is all the xenos focused stuff Black Library is putting out. This is another great one to add to the growing list of such titles. I really hope Brooks continues
Fingwit's story sometime.
Fingwit's story sometime.
December 8, 2024
Zoggin good time!
February 18, 2022
Como en Brutal Kunnin, Mike Brooks consigue retratar el pensamiento pielverde sin tener que usar un exceso de diálogos (es un coñazo tener que estar mirando en internet que significan las expresiones orkas). Además este libro crea un puente entre el clásico trasfondo de Gorkamorka y el actual trasfondo de 40k.
September 19, 2022
Mike Brooks is the king of writing orks and related greenskins (squigs too).
May he write many, many books.
May he write many, many books.
January 31, 2022
You have to love Gobbos!
Following around a bunch of goblins on a humie spaceship, getting kicked by Orcs and humies alike, all the while being hilarious!
I love the bits where reality clashes with the goblins's self-ascribed acts and motivations. "clinically making sure of the kill" vs. "frantically stabbing the throat 17 times"
I was disappointed a bit that it was only a short story, I wanted more of that!
Following around a bunch of goblins on a humie spaceship, getting kicked by Orcs and humies alike, all the while being hilarious!
I love the bits where reality clashes with the goblins's self-ascribed acts and motivations. "clinically making sure of the kill" vs. "frantically stabbing the throat 17 times"
I was disappointed a bit that it was only a short story, I wanted more of that!
November 16, 2021
Red Gobbo?
No, I think this was Alpaharius, did the grits not state "we are all the red gobbo?" Classic Alpha Legion tactics. therefore I too am the Red Gobbo 😈
No, I think this was Alpaharius, did the grits not state "we are all the red gobbo?" Classic Alpha Legion tactics. therefore I too am the Red Gobbo 😈
November 27, 2021
What a fun romp!
March 8, 2024
This was great fun. I knew Orks and grots from video games and a few shorts, but it was amazing to read about them in more detail, specially grots. I got the impression they are far more intelligent than Orks could ever imagine.
We follow Fingwit in this first book and how he starts getting ideas of being free of Orks telling him what to do and treating him badly. The whole plot happens during an attack made at a human ship and how ‘Da Red Gobbo’ idea fills the grot’s mind. It’s a very short story and generally speaking very little happens, tue plot probably covers about 2-3 hours of the attack, but you have tons of action at every turn of the page. I loved tue whole concept of grots finding hope of a better life in an idea, because you can’t kill an idea. It reminded me a lot of Pratchett as well.
And remember, Da Red Gobbo could be anyone… it could even be you.
We follow Fingwit in this first book and how he starts getting ideas of being free of Orks telling him what to do and treating him badly. The whole plot happens during an attack made at a human ship and how ‘Da Red Gobbo’ idea fills the grot’s mind. It’s a very short story and generally speaking very little happens, tue plot probably covers about 2-3 hours of the attack, but you have tons of action at every turn of the page. I loved tue whole concept of grots finding hope of a better life in an idea, because you can’t kill an idea. It reminded me a lot of Pratchett as well.
And remember, Da Red Gobbo could be anyone… it could even be you.
November 13, 2021
Really very fun.
A grots-eye-view of a boarding action against an Imperial ship, this novella is a very welcome addition to the growing canon of Xenos focused 40k stories and makes a welcome companion piece to the author’s own Brutal Kunnin’, with nice overlaps of characters and events with that, and Nate Crowley’s Ghazghkull novel. Like Makari, Fingwit is an amiable companion and guide to Orkish Kultur who also periodically shines a light on the absurdity of the Imperium of Man. The novella has the frantic pace that Brooks does so well, as well as great action (blasta porn?) and an appropriate level of knowing humour undercut with horrific brutality. As much a story about the power of ideas as anything else this covers some relatively serious themes that perfectly suits the novella format.
Long live the glorious revaluashun.
A grots-eye-view of a boarding action against an Imperial ship, this novella is a very welcome addition to the growing canon of Xenos focused 40k stories and makes a welcome companion piece to the author’s own Brutal Kunnin’, with nice overlaps of characters and events with that, and Nate Crowley’s Ghazghkull novel. Like Makari, Fingwit is an amiable companion and guide to Orkish Kultur who also periodically shines a light on the absurdity of the Imperium of Man. The novella has the frantic pace that Brooks does so well, as well as great action (blasta porn?) and an appropriate level of knowing humour undercut with horrific brutality. As much a story about the power of ideas as anything else this covers some relatively serious themes that perfectly suits the novella format.
Long live the glorious revaluashun.
June 30, 2022
I loved every page of this book. Exactly what I wanted to read. Hope they do more books like this!
May 1, 2022
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is my second green-skinned offering as far as reading goes and, much like Brutal Kunnin' (although not quite as much) I really enjoyed this. Anything orcish, from the mind of Mike Brooks, is going to fun. Lots of fun.
Our story follows Fingwit, part of a grot gang known as 'Da Fingers'. Much like the rest of grot kind, Fingwit, and his band of grottish companions, live in the hope of getting through their day not being eaten, tortured or just flat out killed by their orc overlords. It's not a big ask for all of the above, but a grot that makes it through any given day without any/all of the above things happening to them can consider themselves richer than most.
Sadly, for Fingwit and his crew, their mission takes them deep inside a human warship. So violence, pain and bowel-loosening fear are things they'll have to get used to.
Brooks has a certain rough beauty that goes into his orcy works and it was on full show here. He uses the orc lingo and mannerisms perfectly to get across the fact you're reading a book from an alien perspective rather than a book with alien pov written as though it could have just been a human race. So bravo for the continued attention to detail that goes into these.
As much as I loved this book, I did feel certain parts of it got a bit samey. I liked it a little less when Da Red Gobbo appeared, and perhaps felt it could have done with a dash more orc throughout. Although, saying that, seeing the way a grot's mind works things out and puzzles through the way we humans do things was a lot of fun.
Overall, buying this, or any orc book written by Brooks, is well worth your time and money. I just hope he's got the creative juices flowing at full-speed. Need more orc in my life!
This is my second green-skinned offering as far as reading goes and, much like Brutal Kunnin' (although not quite as much) I really enjoyed this. Anything orcish, from the mind of Mike Brooks, is going to fun. Lots of fun.
Our story follows Fingwit, part of a grot gang known as 'Da Fingers'. Much like the rest of grot kind, Fingwit, and his band of grottish companions, live in the hope of getting through their day not being eaten, tortured or just flat out killed by their orc overlords. It's not a big ask for all of the above, but a grot that makes it through any given day without any/all of the above things happening to them can consider themselves richer than most.
Sadly, for Fingwit and his crew, their mission takes them deep inside a human warship. So violence, pain and bowel-loosening fear are things they'll have to get used to.
Brooks has a certain rough beauty that goes into his orcy works and it was on full show here. He uses the orc lingo and mannerisms perfectly to get across the fact you're reading a book from an alien perspective rather than a book with alien pov written as though it could have just been a human race. So bravo for the continued attention to detail that goes into these.
As much as I loved this book, I did feel certain parts of it got a bit samey. I liked it a little less when Da Red Gobbo appeared, and perhaps felt it could have done with a dash more orc throughout. Although, saying that, seeing the way a grot's mind works things out and puzzles through the way we humans do things was a lot of fun.
Overall, buying this, or any orc book written by Brooks, is well worth your time and money. I just hope he's got the creative juices flowing at full-speed. Need more orc in my life!
February 20, 2022
Oi!! Listn up! cos I gots somesthing to tells ya! Da gobbo's revegens's a proper readie not onuver orky stuff but grot stuff proper! Da big red grot an da revolushon! So steals one today or whensever yous can!
yeah it is fun but it ain't easy to write the mixture of cockny English and new york/ Chicago working class slang of the 1920ties with goblins as your protagonists. Mike Brooks nails the accent, the feel and dynamic that a grot book as if it where a tale told by one of them. It's short, fun and stupid but hey what where you expecting to find if fun and stupid was't it? But it is something a bit more then that though.
It is not easy though to write a greenskin novel from their perspective in warhammer 40k because well they are alien and have been established as unhuman as possible. I genuinely love greenskins in the warhammer 40k setting because of their boundless energy, their get to it! mentality and their creative problem solving that is brutally kunning or is it kunningly Brutal? Hmmm Mork or Gork?
But that does mean that a greenskin story is difficult because well whats motivates an ork? Get bigger gun, stomp on the humies, get flashy stuff, stomp on other orks, take their stuff and make them listen to you. the bigger and stronger orcs in charge of the lot don't think that much more different only on a larger scale. So you have to write about the unusual. unusual such as da red gobbo which started off as a weird joke ages ago but has like his lore counterpart not died out. Its an abstract concept in a species that has so few of them that they count them on their fingers and have some left to spare.
Will they take it to something further? I don't expect them too, but it would be fun if they did.
yeah it is fun but it ain't easy to write the mixture of cockny English and new york/ Chicago working class slang of the 1920ties with goblins as your protagonists. Mike Brooks nails the accent, the feel and dynamic that a grot book as if it where a tale told by one of them. It's short, fun and stupid but hey what where you expecting to find if fun and stupid was't it? But it is something a bit more then that though.
It is not easy though to write a greenskin novel from their perspective in warhammer 40k because well they are alien and have been established as unhuman as possible. I genuinely love greenskins in the warhammer 40k setting because of their boundless energy, their get to it! mentality and their creative problem solving that is brutally kunning or is it kunningly Brutal? Hmmm Mork or Gork?
But that does mean that a greenskin story is difficult because well whats motivates an ork? Get bigger gun, stomp on the humies, get flashy stuff, stomp on other orks, take their stuff and make them listen to you. the bigger and stronger orcs in charge of the lot don't think that much more different only on a larger scale. So you have to write about the unusual. unusual such as da red gobbo which started off as a weird joke ages ago but has like his lore counterpart not died out. Its an abstract concept in a species that has so few of them that they count them on their fingers and have some left to spare.
Will they take it to something further? I don't expect them too, but it would be fun if they did.
May 18, 2022
Just to start I’ll say I’ve never played table top, but I love the lord of the world that games workshop has created with Warhammer 40k, and because of that, I’ve read many of the books based in the 40k universe. Having done that I’ll be the first to admit some are good, and some are bad. But there are many talented writers that I’ve contributed wonderful stories to the black library collection. Mike Brooks has become one of my new favorites with this book.
The story is fast paced, filled with humor, and believe it or not, has pretty great character development for a book based on what are usually considered very minor characters in the 40k universe. The story focuses on one Grot character who through a weird, and often hilarious set of circumstances, finds himself assuming a mantle of leadership among his small band of Grotz. While telling us this story Brooks does a great job of showing us the inner thought processes of such a creature, and it’s about what you’d expect.
The story flows well, and it never feels boring. You could blaze through this one in an afternoon if you wanted, but either way it’s really fun. I really hope brooks puts out more like this. It doesn’t take itself seriously, is loyal to the source material, and is a fun, light story set in a universe where many writers have focused on the dark, grim, world that 40k usually is described as. If your a fan of 40k, and orks specifically, it’s worth a read.
The story is fast paced, filled with humor, and believe it or not, has pretty great character development for a book based on what are usually considered very minor characters in the 40k universe. The story focuses on one Grot character who through a weird, and often hilarious set of circumstances, finds himself assuming a mantle of leadership among his small band of Grotz. While telling us this story Brooks does a great job of showing us the inner thought processes of such a creature, and it’s about what you’d expect.
The story flows well, and it never feels boring. You could blaze through this one in an afternoon if you wanted, but either way it’s really fun. I really hope brooks puts out more like this. It doesn’t take itself seriously, is loyal to the source material, and is a fun, light story set in a universe where many writers have focused on the dark, grim, world that 40k usually is described as. If your a fan of 40k, and orks specifically, it’s worth a read.
July 17, 2022
This was a fantastic read. I loved every single second of it. It was definitely a page turner. I definitely had to read it in one sitting. If you don't know about warhammer 40k this short novel is a perfect read to get you in the mood for more fantasy books by black library.
The book was wrote in a fantastic and humorous style with plenty of action too.
I really miss playing warhammer 40k but these book definitely never let me forget about it. I think it's great having these books as it gives the table top game even more life. It could even inspire you to create the scenes from this story.
I thought the story line was so much fun and very exciting. Loved how dumb some of the characters were. This really made me enjoy the story even more. I felt like a was reading Orks : a history lol a short intriguing story into there lives. I definitely recommend this book to all fantasy fans. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this amazing author.
So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating this wonderful and very imaginative short story.
The book was wrote in a fantastic and humorous style with plenty of action too.
I really miss playing warhammer 40k but these book definitely never let me forget about it. I think it's great having these books as it gives the table top game even more life. It could even inspire you to create the scenes from this story.
I thought the story line was so much fun and very exciting. Loved how dumb some of the characters were. This really made me enjoy the story even more. I felt like a was reading Orks : a history lol a short intriguing story into there lives. I definitely recommend this book to all fantasy fans. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this amazing author.
So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating this wonderful and very imaginative short story.
December 17, 2021
I really wanted to like this one, but it was my first ork centric read and I might not have realised what I got myself into. The ork way of speaking, while amusing in short bouts, turned out to be really draining to read longer conversations in, possibly not aided by the fact English is not my native language. This really took away from my enjoyment of this read, and I really struggled to get through the first half of it.
Credit where credit is due, though, when the story picked up in the second half there was some amazing character development and an amazingly narrative that somehow gives a glimmer of light to the grimdarkness. It was fun following the little guys, too, where a lot of warhammer books focusses on the big hitters.
all in all, not a bad book, perhaps just not for me.
Credit where credit is due, though, when the story picked up in the second half there was some amazing character development and an amazingly narrative that somehow gives a glimmer of light to the grimdarkness. It was fun following the little guys, too, where a lot of warhammer books focusses on the big hitters.
all in all, not a bad book, perhaps just not for me.
November 27, 2021
The Gobbo's Revenge follows a group of grots involved in a boarding action upon an Imperial warship. The story was lighthearted, funny, and easy to follow. Viewing the galaxy from a grot's perspective was quite a treat. Brooks did an excellent job of breaking down their role in the ork hierarchy, and their interactions with both orks and humans were engaging and often comedic.
November 4, 2025
It was very funny to see the Grimdark from the perspective of the Orks and Grots, and how they perceive "Humies".. How humies have "a nasty habit of aiming" their guns, or how they like to make things complicated by having a bunch of buttons and levers in their vehicles instead of a nice stick with "up, down, left, right" and good old trigger for shutting the weapons..
November 20, 2021
Mike Brooks writes another krackin', propa Orky story. Well, it follows a lot o' Grots and dey ain't really Orky, but it's still a ton of fun and tells a simple story that doesn't wear out it's welcome.
For da Revolushun!
For da Revolushun!
March 25, 2024
An’ just remember, Da Red Gobbo could be anywhere. He could be anyone.
‘He could be yoo…’
Fingwit is a grot, one of the smallest of the Orks, and he's tired of being picked on, and it's now probably one of the best Warhammer40k books I've ever enjoyed.
‘He could be yoo…’
Fingwit is a grot, one of the smallest of the Orks, and he's tired of being picked on, and it's now probably one of the best Warhammer40k books I've ever enjoyed.
November 28, 2024
I was happy to get my hands on a hard copy of this, the original Red Gobbo story. So much fun to read, as always. These are still some of my favorites. And remember, Da Red Gobbo could be anyone… it could even be you!
April 25, 2025
It’s more Mike Brooks! It’s more Ork/grot shenanigans. Don’t know what more you need to be convinced. So start readin’ ya git! It was a lovely little novella and an ideal pallet cleanser. My only complaint is that it was too short. Bring on da revolushion!
November 22, 2021
Another good Ork (grot) book by Mike. Small book, great read
November 28, 2021
masterpiece
I generally don't like xenos books but this one was funny as hell and it made me think these grots were real.
I generally don't like xenos books but this one was funny as hell and it made me think these grots were real.
December 5, 2021
Great little story. Amazing how Brooks can sustain a gobbos voice/perspective and not only avoid the novelty wearing off but actually make it genuinely characterful and humorous.
December 28, 2021
A bit outside my usual read. Very fun, quick and easy to read, and overall cute story.
December 29, 2021
Quick and fun little read :)
January 9, 2022
Was a really funny read.
January 19, 2022
Mike Brooks really seems to have mastered making Orks and Grots into compelling characters the reader actually cares about. A fun read with my son.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews