Warning: there may be spoilers in this review, and the story itself, if you haven’t read Ruinstorm.
Originally available only in the Black Library Events Anthology 2017/18, David Annandale’s An Atonement in Fire is billed as a Primarchs short story, although it’s a pretty direct follow-on from Ruinstorm. With the Blood Angels making for Terra, Guilliman launches an all-out attack on a World Eaters fleet threatening both Sanguinius’ path and a loyal Imperial system. Never one to make it easy on himself, Guilliman is determined to protect Diavanos, allow the Blood Angels safe passage, and atone for the sin he feels he committed in creating Imperium Secundus.
After quickly and efficiently setting up the stakes for Guilliman and the Ultramarines, Annandale hurls us into first a grand space battle and then a grinding, brutal boarding sequence as the XIIIth take out their anger on the World Eaters in an unexpectedly ferocious story. Underneath his usual veneer of precision and logic, Guilliman is boiling with fury, and it’s hugely enjoyable to see him and his legion let loose a bit. It’s a natural progression for his character and feels entirely appropriate, nicely balancing the emotional and psychological impact of what’s happening with bucketloads of cool action and excitement. Carefully constructed and well written, it’s very satisfying and shows a slightly different side to the Ultramarines.
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