Thomas Parrott’s first foray into tales of the Adeptus Astartes, The Test of Faith is a Dark Angels story exploring the strained relationship between two generations of Space Marines. Interrogator-Chaplain Raguel and the younger, second-generation Chaplain Hadariel lead a squad of Primaris Marines into battle aboard a vast, mobile mining vehicle, sweeping through its aged corridors and crushing the resistance of its mortal defenders. As they approach the heart of the vehicle and the nature of its crew is revealed, the bonds between the Dark Angels are tested in the heat of battle and Raguel’s true purpose is challenged.
It’s a straightforward (albeit very cool) assault mission which throws the reader into the thick of the fighting and only gradually reveals the wider context of exactly why the Dark Angels are in action, and as you’d expect things aren’t quite as they seem with the secretive Space Marines. Parrott’s stripped-back, matter of fact prose keeps the plot moving forward and paints a cold picture of a Chapter torn by the secrets it hides, and while the typically formal dialogue between the Astartes feels a little stilted at times, it actually ties in nicely with the theme of exploring how the two generations of Marines interact. All told, this suitably reflects the nature of the Dark Angels – there’s more going on beneath the surface than initial appearances suggest.
This was released as part of the 2019 Black Library Advent Calendar – click here to see the main page for the Advent Calendar on Track of Words, with links to all of the reviews.
