Tag Archives: Blood Angels

Darkness in the Blood – Guy Haley

The third of Guy Haley’s 40k Blood Angels novels, Darkness in the Blood is a bleak tale of duty and necessity which explores both Commander Dante’s new role as Warden of Imperium Nihilus, and the unsettling growth of Chief Librarian Mephiston’s psychic might. In the wake of Hive Fleet Leviathan’s defeat at Baal, and the arrival of Roboute Guilliman with Primaris Space Marine reinforcements for the Chapters of the Blood, Dante plans his campaign to purge the remaining Tyranids and begin retaking Imperium Nihilus. Before that can happen, however, Mephiston’s burgeoning powers appear to herald a new danger for the sons of Sanguinius, as the Flaw rises in even the new Primaris Marines. Meanwhile, an agent of Belisarius Cawl travels to Baal bearing gifts of science and technology that might just offer a little hope.

Continue reading →

RAPID FIRE: Guy Haley Talks Darkness in the Blood and Astorath: Angel of Mercy

Welcome to this instalment of my Rapid Fire series of quick author interviews, in which I’m talking to the incredibly hard-working and prolific Guy Haley about not one but two new books – Darkness in the Blood and Astorath: Angel of Mercy! Fans of Guy’s Warhammer 40,000 Blood Angels stories – primarily Dante and The Devastation of Baal – have got lots to look forward to with a pair of new additions, and seeing as both new books are due out within a few weeks of each other I’ve asked Guy to give us the lowdown on what we can expect, and how they fit in with the existing books.

Continue reading →

Blood Rite – Rachel Harrison

Rachel Harrison’s novella Blood Rite, the second in Black Library’s Space Marine Heroes series (after Phil Kelly’s entertaining Death Knell), is a mournful, characterful exploration of the Blood Angels’ twin flaws and what it takes to resist them. Luminata, an Imperial world protecting a chalice said to have been crafted by Sanguinius himself, has fallen to the corruption of the Word Bearers and their warp magic. Captain Donato leads his Archangels in a lightning assault to destroy the heretics and retrieve the chalice, but to succeed they’ll have to battle their own flawed nature as well as the Word Bearers and their tainted allies.

Keep reading…

QUICK REVIEW: Redeemer – Guy Haley

A short story examining one of the core aspects of the Blood Angels’ character in Warhammer 40,000, Guy Haley’s Redeemer sees High Chaplain Astorath the Grim on a mission to find a brother lost to the Black Rage, and end his suffering. Following a call that only he can hear, Astorath seeks out his lost brother on a world plagued by strange xenos creatures, where he finds the surviving Blood Angels, Primaris Marines who appear unaffected by the flaw yet troubled by what they’ve seen. Astorath’s duty is an onerous one, to preserve his Chapter’s secrets and save his brothers’ souls.

Keep reading…

QUICK REVIEW: Sanguis Irae – Gav Thorpe

First published in 2014, Gav Thorpe’s Blood Angels short story Sanguis Irae acts as a companion piece to the novella Sin of Damnation, and is available either bundled with the novella or as a standalone e-short. It follows the exploits of Librarian Calistarius as, many years after the Sin of Damnation mission, he boards another space hulk and uses his powers to search for answers within the mind of a dying Blood Angel. What he finds there, amongst the fractured recollections of Sanguinius brought on by the Black Rage, shows him the grave danger he and his brothers are in.

Keep reading…

Sin of Damnation – Gav Thorpe

Gav Thorpe’s classic Space Hulk novella was first published in 2009 under the (ever so slightly misleading) title Space Hulk: The Novel, before being re-released in 2014 as Sin of Damnation, bundled with the short story Sanguis Irae. It’s the story of the Space Hulk game played through to its conclusion, detailing the Blood Angels 1st Company’s perilous mission to board the titular Space Hulk and cleanse it of the genestealer menace. Sergeants Lorenzo and Gideon lead their Terminator squads into battle in the claustrophobic confines of the Hulk, desperate to atone in alien blood for the shame of a six hundred year-old tragedy.

Keep reading…

RAPID FIRE: Darius Hinks Talks Mephiston: Revenant Crusade

Welcome to this instalment of Rapid Fire, my ongoing series of quick interviews with Black Library authors talking about their new releases. These are short and sweet interviews, with the idea being that each author will answer (more or less) the same questions – by the end of each interview I hope you will have a good idea of what the new book (or audio drama) is about, what inspired it and why you might want to read or listen to it.

In this instalment I spoke to Darius Hinks about his latest 40k novel Mephiston: Revenant Crusade, his second to feature the Blood Angels Chief Librarian. It’s available to order right now!

Keep reading…

QUICK REVIEW: The Passing of Angels – John French

A typically thoughtful and evocative John French short story, The Passing of Angels – included in the Primarchs anthology Sons of the Emperor – takes a close look at Sanguinius’ understanding of the role he was created to play. Leading the Blood Angels’ Destroyer Host into battle against a human world which deployed proscribed weaponry against the Imperium, he takes upon himself the burden of unleashing such devastation, while allowing his sons to absolve themselves of the deaths they cause. Across a non-linear story we get a few glimpses of what Sanguinius and those around him think of the nature of angels.

Keep reading…

The Devastation of Baal – Guy Haley

The first novel in the brand new Space Marine Conquests series, Guy Haley’s The Devastation of Baal continues the story set out in Dante and brings the Blood Angels bang up to date with the new 40k background. As Hive Fleet Leviathan heads inexorably towards Baal, Commander Dante calls to the Chapters of the Blood, and the Blood Angels successor Chapters answer in force. Tens of thousands of Space Marines stand in defence of Baal against the untold trillions of the Leviathan. In context of the wider galaxy, however, Leviathan isn’t the only threat that the sons of Sanguinius face.

Keep reading…

RAPID FIRE: Guy Haley Talks The Devastation of Baal

Welcome to this instalment of Rapid Fire, my ongoing series of quick interviews with Black Library authors talking about their releases. These are short and sweet interviews, with the idea being that each author will answer (more or less) the same questions – by the end of each interview I hope you will have a good idea of what the new book (or audio drama) is about, what inspired it and why you might want to read it.

In this instalment I spoke to Guy Haley about his new novel The Devastation of Baal, the first instalment in the brand new Space Marine Conquests series, which is available to buy right now.

Keep reading…