Is Brutal Kunnin worth reading? Yes — it’s one of the funniest and most purely enjoyable Warhammer 40,000 novels in ages, and the perfect companion to the new Orks codex. Mike Brooks writes the greenskins from the inside — their logic, their humour, their glorious lack of a plan — as a Big Mek and a Warboss lead a Waaagh! against an Adeptus Mechanicus forge world. If you want to understand why Orks are so beloved, this is the book.
This review is spoiler-light. For more picks, see our best Warhammer books guide.
What is Brutal Kunnin about?
A Waaagh! descends on the forge world of Hephaesto, and the Orks want its war-machines and salvage. Standing in their way are the tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus, who see the greenskins as vermin to be exterminated. What follows is a fast, funny war story told largely from the Orks’ point of view — chiefly the scheming Big Mek Uz Wazbad and the blunt Warboss Gorgrok, whose “kunnin'” plans keep colliding in gloriously destructive ways.
Brooks nails the trick most Ork fiction misses: the greenskins are hilarious and genuinely threatening. You laugh at their logic right up until they flatten everything in their path.
Why it works
- The Ork voice is perfect. Their internal logic — where believing a plan will work basically makes it work — is played for huge laughs without ever making them harmless.
- The Mechanicus foil is great. The cold, calculating tech-priests are the ideal straight man to the Orks’ chaos.
- It’s genuinely funny. Not just quippy — the humour comes from character and worldview, and it lands.
- The action delivers. Beneath the comedy is a proper, escalating war story with real stakes.
The good
- The definitive modern Ork read — and a perfect lore companion to the new codex.
- Accessible and fast — no prior lore needed, and a brisk, propulsive plot.
- A rare tonal win — funny 40k that still respects the setting.
The not-so-good
- Lighter in tone. If you want bleak, philosophical grimdark, this isn’t that (and doesn’t try to be).
- Comedy is subjective. A small number of readers find the Ork humour wears thin over a full novel.
- Lower emotional stakes than the Heresy heavy-hitters — it’s a romp, and a great one.
Who should read it?
- Ork players — especially anyone diving into the new codex.
- Readers who want 40k’s sense of humour without sacrificing action.
- Newcomers after an easy, entertaining entry point.
For more of 40k’s lighter side, pair it with our Ciaphas Cain review and The Infinite and the Divine review.
Verdict
Brutal Kunnin is a joy — clever, brutal, and very funny, with the best-written Orks in modern Black Library. It captures exactly what makes the greenskins great, and there’s no better time to read it than alongside their new codex.
Our rating: 8 / 10 — the best Ork novel in years and a perfect codex companion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to know Ork lore before reading Brutal Kunnin?
No — it’s a great introduction to how the Orks think, and requires no prior reading. For more background, see our Orks army guide.
Is Brutal Kunnin actually funny?
Yes — it’s one of Black Library’s genuinely comedic novels, driven by the Orks’ hilarious internal logic, while still delivering a real war story.
Is there a sequel?
Yes — Mike Brooks continued with further Ork-focused stories, and the greenskins remain a favourite subject of his.
Who wrote Brutal Kunnin?
Mike Brooks, a Black Library author widely praised for capturing the Orks’ voice better than almost anyone.