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Lazarus: Enmity's Edge
A Warhammer 40,000 NovelAcross the warp storms of the Great Rift, a distress beacon calls for aid. The Rock is listening, for the Dark Angels have only their oaths to remind them of who they are.READ IT BECAUSESee what happens when the Dark Angels encounter a planet that might have even more secrets than they do! Can Master Lazarus cope with discovering what it really means to be defined by your oaths?THE STORYSupreme Grand Master Azrael summons Lazarus and his Fifth Company to honour an old debt on the Knight world of Reis – a planet upon which the warp has set its hungry gaze.But Lazarus is not so sure Reis wants to be saved – its Knights are long lost, its governance is dogged by political strife, and internecine conflict hampers the world’s defence against an ancient evil. An evil which, like Lazarus himself, refuses to die.
368 pages, Paperback
First published March 9, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
February 25, 2025
This is exactly what you want both from a sci-fi novel and from a Warhammer novel. Wildly compelling, overtly grim, but tinged with so much heroism and hope.
March 14, 2024
Made the space marines into humans and the humans into space marines!
March 12, 2024
A Rousing Chapter in the History of the Dark Angels
Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge collects its elements from disparate corners of the 40k universe. Starring Lazarus, my fave Dark Angel, it is an excellent tale that mixes mystery and mayhem both grim and dark. The mortal POV character was likable and I thoroughly enjoyed Kloster’s exploration of a new world peppered with familiar elements that had unique flairs. Highly recommended!
Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge collects its elements from disparate corners of the 40k universe. Starring Lazarus, my fave Dark Angel, it is an excellent tale that mixes mystery and mayhem both grim and dark. The mortal POV character was likable and I thoroughly enjoyed Kloster’s exploration of a new world peppered with familiar elements that had unique flairs. Highly recommended!
June 9, 2026
‘Are you recovered?’ he asked. He didn’t speak loudly, but everything these giants said came out like a monstrous growl through their power armour.
I... I just...’ she started, then shrugged, What use was it trying to save face to a man like this? ‘I needed a minute to not throw up!
‘Are you recovered?’ he said again.
They’ll keep writing them, and I’ll keep reading them.
Repeat after me
‘What the Learned has done to you she did on her own, using her own strengths,’ he said, walking slowly closer. ‘There is a power in having allies, gris. In helping others, so that they may someday help you. Power greater than that which comes from slaving others to your will.’
The hardass Chaplain. The otherwise weak female character who has some esoteric skill that upends the villain’s plan. The little pump-fake as to who the traitor will be. There is also commonality amongst scenes, like the pre-briefing from an inscrutable senior commander, the reflection in the private chambers punctuated by debates over the planned course of action.
There’s different layers to these conventions and repetitions, e.g. novels have a limited set of ways to explain the story, military science fiction needs you to create a dangerous enemy, there are particular locations for particular tasks within the Warhammer 40K universe, Space Marines are at a remove from normal humans, Dark Angels have to have a weirdness about “the Fallen” and are generally unfriendly… …etc etc. I have sympathy for authors working within these constraints, but they do butt up against Black Library’s desire to publish literally dozens of these novels each year – there’s a choice being made to churn these out.
So Lazarus is a very paint by numbers book in terms of plot and character and is so in such a way that I would bank on even a neophyte to the Warhammer 40K – i.e. the broader elements seem so standard that a reader would deduce that the more specific ones are relatively rote.
However… …Kloster does put those elements together for a solidly told and clear story. Beyond this, and I am sure I have mentioned it before but certain character tropes are tropes because they do work, especially if you can imbue those characters with a little bit of depth. Demetrius isn’t a deeply drawn character (as you can guess from the title) but he is given enough range between hardass and touching for a reader to put muscle on the bones. Avoiding single tone characters is critical for enjoyment and why this novel is a cut above the Dark Angel focused War of Secrets which ended up in the cul-de-sac of dull exposition deliverers.
Lazarus also benefits from being at the longer end, which gives space for these character precises that were lacking in the singularly focused (in multiple ways), Helbrecht.
Carefully… …shoot ‘em up
The Regent Prime looked at Lazarus with orange, static-filled eyes. ‘You must get him back!’
‘I must?’ Lazarus leaned forward, making sure the hard features of his face were clear to the mortal, no matter how bad their equipment was. ‘There is an issue with your transmission, Regent Prime. I feel am hearing things that I would not were I standing before you.’
One term I’ve tried avoiding is “bolter porn.” However, it’s hard to avoid it when I’ve described Lazarus as being a stock standard Warhammer 40K book. I do have a slight twist on this.
Compared to Guilliman, Kloster cares about the construction of his set piece battles. Ignore whether the tactics or strategies described are good ones from an out-of-universe perspective. Instead view them as tools for pacing the scenes, with Kloster speeding up or slowing things down through splitting the battle into stages, with different elements (heavy weapons, armour, air power, jet-packs) being introduced in thoughtful ways to suggest they form a key part of a battle rather than narrative devices to add variety.
At the higher level, Kloster creates urgency for our protagonists by giving the enemy a clear strategy that yields results for them while allowing for misdirection (e.g. around the daemonic seal). The last gasp defences then feel a less like a forced result of the enemy simply having overwhelming numerical superiority. It’s not quite perfectly done, in that the sudden mass of enemy forces is explained but not overly convincing (I don’t think you manufacture an army by suborning isolated patrols), yet I can let it slide as we get to a reasonably exciting conclusion.
The Interrogator-Chaplain shook his head. ‘My arm will be replaced, as my eye was. But how do we replace you, Ancient? Or you, Apothecary? The pain of our wounds already fades, but the pain of what we had to do is still keen.’ Demetrius breathed deep. ‘I was meaning to counsel you, Brother Lazarus. But in a few words I am turned back to my own suffering.’
So I would call Lazarus a well constructed piece of bolter porn. It’s not transcendent, but it is a pleasant warm bath. On an enjoyment level I would give it five, but I do want to maintain certain levels of distinction between the very good and the great.
I... I just...’ she started, then shrugged, What use was it trying to save face to a man like this? ‘I needed a minute to not throw up!
‘Are you recovered?’ he said again.
They’ll keep writing them, and I’ll keep reading them.
Repeat after me
‘What the Learned has done to you she did on her own, using her own strengths,’ he said, walking slowly closer. ‘There is a power in having allies, gris. In helping others, so that they may someday help you. Power greater than that which comes from slaving others to your will.’
The hardass Chaplain. The otherwise weak female character who has some esoteric skill that upends the villain’s plan. The little pump-fake as to who the traitor will be. There is also commonality amongst scenes, like the pre-briefing from an inscrutable senior commander, the reflection in the private chambers punctuated by debates over the planned course of action.
There’s different layers to these conventions and repetitions, e.g. novels have a limited set of ways to explain the story, military science fiction needs you to create a dangerous enemy, there are particular locations for particular tasks within the Warhammer 40K universe, Space Marines are at a remove from normal humans, Dark Angels have to have a weirdness about “the Fallen” and are generally unfriendly… …etc etc. I have sympathy for authors working within these constraints, but they do butt up against Black Library’s desire to publish literally dozens of these novels each year – there’s a choice being made to churn these out.
So Lazarus is a very paint by numbers book in terms of plot and character and is so in such a way that I would bank on even a neophyte to the Warhammer 40K – i.e. the broader elements seem so standard that a reader would deduce that the more specific ones are relatively rote.
However… …Kloster does put those elements together for a solidly told and clear story. Beyond this, and I am sure I have mentioned it before but certain character tropes are tropes because they do work, especially if you can imbue those characters with a little bit of depth. Demetrius isn’t a deeply drawn character (as you can guess from the title) but he is given enough range between hardass and touching for a reader to put muscle on the bones. Avoiding single tone characters is critical for enjoyment and why this novel is a cut above the Dark Angel focused War of Secrets which ended up in the cul-de-sac of dull exposition deliverers.
Lazarus also benefits from being at the longer end, which gives space for these character precises that were lacking in the singularly focused (in multiple ways), Helbrecht.
Carefully… …shoot ‘em up
The Regent Prime looked at Lazarus with orange, static-filled eyes. ‘You must get him back!’
‘I must?’ Lazarus leaned forward, making sure the hard features of his face were clear to the mortal, no matter how bad their equipment was. ‘There is an issue with your transmission, Regent Prime. I feel am hearing things that I would not were I standing before you.’
One term I’ve tried avoiding is “bolter porn.” However, it’s hard to avoid it when I’ve described Lazarus as being a stock standard Warhammer 40K book. I do have a slight twist on this.
Compared to Guilliman, Kloster cares about the construction of his set piece battles. Ignore whether the tactics or strategies described are good ones from an out-of-universe perspective. Instead view them as tools for pacing the scenes, with Kloster speeding up or slowing things down through splitting the battle into stages, with different elements (heavy weapons, armour, air power, jet-packs) being introduced in thoughtful ways to suggest they form a key part of a battle rather than narrative devices to add variety.
At the higher level, Kloster creates urgency for our protagonists by giving the enemy a clear strategy that yields results for them while allowing for misdirection (e.g. around the daemonic seal). The last gasp defences then feel a less like a forced result of the enemy simply having overwhelming numerical superiority. It’s not quite perfectly done, in that the sudden mass of enemy forces is explained but not overly convincing (I don’t think you manufacture an army by suborning isolated patrols), yet I can let it slide as we get to a reasonably exciting conclusion.
The Interrogator-Chaplain shook his head. ‘My arm will be replaced, as my eye was. But how do we replace you, Ancient? Or you, Apothecary? The pain of our wounds already fades, but the pain of what we had to do is still keen.’ Demetrius breathed deep. ‘I was meaning to counsel you, Brother Lazarus. But in a few words I am turned back to my own suffering.’
So I would call Lazarus a well constructed piece of bolter porn. It’s not transcendent, but it is a pleasant warm bath. On an enjoyment level I would give it five, but I do want to maintain certain levels of distinction between the very good and the great.
April 13, 2024
Great book for dark Angel fans, excellent book to start reading Warhammer 40,000.
March 29, 2024
Inicialmente no tenía muchas expectativas. El autor es nuevo, o al menos no lo conocía dentro de BL. Sin embargo, y a pesar de unas cuantas repeticiones en los diálogos, la trama es muy buena y la historia se disfruta mucho. Muy recomendado.
January 16, 2026
I need these ripped from my hands. I can't stop.
August 10, 2026
Book Review: Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge by Gary Kloster
I’ll start by saying that I’m probably not the most knowledgeable Warhammer 40,000 fan out there. I’m not someone who can tell you the exact rules for every Space Marine chapter, remember every Primarch’s family tree, or identify every piece of Imperial military equipment by sight. Most of my experience with Warhammer 40K comes from reading the novels, watching lore videos, and generally enjoying the setting as a huge, ridiculous, incredibly dark science-fiction universe.
And honestly, that probably makes Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge by Gary Kloster a pretty good book for someone like me.
The novel focuses on Lazarus, a Dark Angels successor Chapter Master, and throws him and his forces into a conflict that gives us plenty of what I personally look for in a 40K novel: Space Marines being terrifyingly competent, enormous battles, Imperial politics, alien enemies, grim moral decisions, and that wonderfully bleak atmosphere where even a victory usually comes with a price.
What I particularly appreciated about the book is that it doesn’t require me to have encyclopedic knowledge of the Dark Angels to enjoy it.
There is obviously a lot of background surrounding Lazarus and the Dark Angels, and longtime fans will probably get more out of certain references and character details than I did. But the story itself gives enough context that I never felt completely lost. I could approach it primarily as a military science-fiction story about a Space Marine commander trying to accomplish his mission while dealing with an increasingly complicated situation.
And that’s where the book works best for me.
Lazarus Himself
Lazarus is an interesting protagonist because he isn’t written as some completely unstoppable superhero who simply walks onto the battlefield and kills everything in sight.
Well… he does kill a lot of things.
He is still a Space Marine in Warhammer 40K, after all.
But what makes him interesting is the sense of responsibility surrounding his position. He’s not merely fighting because he enjoys fighting. He’s a commander, and the decisions he makes affect entire armies and populations.
That’s something I always enjoy about Space Marine novels.
The best ones remind you that the Space Marines are not just gigantic super-soldiers. They’re military leaders operating in a universe where entire worlds can become battlefields.
Lazarus has to think beyond the immediate fight, and that makes his perspective more interesting than simply following another genetically engineered killing machine from one action sequence to another.
I also liked the way his personality fits the Dark Angels.
Even as someone who isn’t deeply familiar with every piece of Dark Angels lore, I could recognize that there is something secretive and almost obsessive about them. They have their own priorities and their own baggage, and Lazarus feels like someone carrying the weight of that history around with him.
He isn’t necessarily the most emotionally expressive character, but honestly, I don’t think that would fit the setting.
This is Warhammer 40K.
People aren’t generally sitting around having healthy conversations about their feelings.
They’re usually standing in a command center while someone reports that another thousand soldiers have died.
The Dark Angels
One of the biggest reasons I enjoyed the novel was getting more exposure to the Dark Angels.
I’m familiar with the basic concept of them, obviously: mysterious First Legion, incredibly secretive, obsessed with hunting the Fallen, robes, plasma weapons, giant gothic spaceships, and enough internal secrets to fill several novels.
But reading about them in a novel gives the Chapter a different feel than simply reading a lore summary.
You get to see how they actually operate.
There is a certain atmosphere surrounding them that I really enjoyed. They’re not portrayed as just another group of Space Marines painted green. There’s a sense that there are layers underneath everything they do.
Characters may be talking about one problem while clearly having another problem in the back of their minds.
As someone who mostly reads 40K novels, this is exactly the sort of thing I want from a faction-focused story.
Give me enough lore to understand what’s happening, but let me experience the faction through the characters rather than dumping a giant encyclopedia entry on me.
Enmity’s Edge does a good job of that.
The Action
Obviously, we have to talk about the violence.
It’s Warhammer 40K.
There is going to be violence.
And thankfully, the battles are some of the most enjoyable parts of the novel.
The scale is one of the things I love about 40K books. You can go from following a handful of characters fighting for their lives to suddenly remembering that they’re just one tiny part of an enormous war.
Space Marines crash into enemy formations.
Weapons that would be considered strategic-level weapons in another science-fiction setting get used like standard battlefield equipment.
People die horribly.
Buildings get destroyed.
Armies collide.
And somehow the Imperium still manages to make everything look like a cathedral.
That’s 40K.
What I especially appreciated was that the battles generally felt like they had consequences. The fighting isn’t simply there so Lazarus can demonstrate how powerful he is.
There are objectives.
There are tactical considerations.
There are things that can go wrong.
And there are situations where even Space Marines can’t simply solve everything by shooting harder.
That’s important because one of the easiest problems with Space Marine fiction is making the protagonist so powerful that there is no real tension.
If your main character is a genetically engineered superhuman wearing several tons of armor and carrying weapons capable of killing almost anything, you need to give him problems that brute force can’t necessarily solve.
The novel understands that.
The Grimdark Atmosphere
The other thing that stood out to me was the atmosphere.
This feels like Warhammer 40K.
And I mean that as a compliment.
The Imperium isn’t portrayed as some heroic federation fighting for justice and democracy.
It’s a brutal authoritarian empire that survives through religious fanaticism, military force, bureaucracy, and sheer stubbornness.
But at the same time, the people living inside that system aren’t necessarily evil individuals.
That’s one of the things I like about 40K novels.
The setting can be completely horrible while still allowing individual characters to demonstrate courage, loyalty, compassion, or genuine heroism.
That’s what makes the darkness work.
If everyone is evil and everything is awful all the time, eventually you stop caring.
But when you have characters who genuinely believe they’re protecting humanity, even while participating in an incredibly brutal system, things become much more interesting.
Lazarus fits nicely into that kind of story.
He’s not operating in a universe where there are easy answers.
He’s operating in a universe where sometimes the choice is between something terrible and something even worse.
The 40K Lore
This is probably where my perspective differs from that of a hardcore Warhammer fan.
I’m sure there are things in this book that longtime Dark Angels fans will notice that went completely over my head.
And that’s okay.
One thing I’ve learned from reading 40K novels is that you don’t actually need to know everything.
Warhammer 40,000 is simply too big.
There are decades of novels, codices, campaigns, characters, factions, wars, alternate versions of events, and enough terminology to make a newcomer feel like they’ve accidentally opened a textbook written in another language.
But I think Enmity’s Edge works reasonably well if you’re coming at it primarily as a reader.
You don’t need to know every single detail about the Dark Angels to understand that they are an extremely powerful Space Marine force with a complicated history and a lot of secrets.
You don’t need to understand every Imperial institution to appreciate the political tensions.
And you don’t need to know every piece of technology to understand that when someone pulls out an enormous plasma weapon, something is probably about to have a very bad day.
For me, that’s enough.
Where the Book Isn’t Perfect
That doesn’t mean I think the book is flawless.
One issue I had is that there are moments when the sheer amount of Warhammer terminology can become a little overwhelming.
This is probably more noticeable because I’m a casual fan.
Someone who has been reading Black Library novels for twenty years probably won’t have this problem.
I’ll occasionally encounter a name, organization, rank, piece of technology, or bit of Dark Angels terminology and think:
“Okay… I’m going to assume that’s important and keep reading.”
Fortunately, the actual story usually provides enough context to keep going.
Another minor issue is that some characters don’t leave as strong an impression on me as Lazarus himself.
That’s not necessarily a major problem because the book is fundamentally his story, but there were times when I wished certain supporting characters had been developed a little more.
I also think readers looking for a deeply philosophical examination of the Imperium might find the novel somewhat less satisfying.
This is primarily a military science-fiction story.
It’s about war.
It’s about Space Marines.
It’s about missions, enemies, battles, loyalty, and survival.
And honestly, that’s perfectly fine with me.
Sometimes I don’t need Warhammer 40K to make me contemplate the nature of human civilization.
Sometimes I just want a Space Marine to shoot something with a gun that looks like it could destroy a small building.
My Favorite Thing About the Novel
Probably my favorite thing about Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge is how well it captures the feeling of being a small person looking into the enormous 40K universe.
Obviously, Lazarus isn’t literally a small person.
He’s a Space Marine.
But as a reader, I constantly had the feeling that there was a much larger galaxy surrounding the events of the book.
There are factions, wars, ancient grudges, political conflicts, religious beliefs, alien civilizations, and thousands of years of history operating in the background.
You get enough of that larger universe to make the story feel connected to something enormous without the novel becoming completely dependent on explaining everything.
That’s one of the reasons I prefer experiencing Warhammer through novels rather than trying to memorize the entire setting.
The books let me experience the universe through individual stories.
And Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge works well in that regard.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I enjoyed Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge.
As a hardcore Dark Angels expert, I probably wouldn’t be able to tell you how it compares to every previous depiction of the Chapter or Lazarus himself.
But as someone who mostly reads Warhammer 40K novels because I enjoy military science fiction, gothic horror, giant battles, Space Marines, and the ridiculous scale of the setting, I thought it was a good time.
The biggest compliment I can give it is that it made me want to read more about Lazarus and the Dark Angels.
That’s usually what I want from a Warhammer novel.
I don’t necessarily need the book to explain the entire universe to me.
I want it to tell me an interesting story inside that universe and leave me thinking:
“Okay, I want to know what these guys were doing before this, and what happens to them afterward.”
Enmity’s Edge does that.
It’s dark, violent, military-focused, and unapologetically Warhammer 40,000.
If you’re a longtime Dark Angels fan, you’ll probably get considerably more out of the lore and character connections than I did.
If you’re like me and you’re mostly a casual 40K fan who reads the novels without keeping up with every codex and tabletop development, I think it’s still an enjoyable entry into Lazarus’s corner of the setting.
My rating: 8/10
Not necessarily the definitive Warhammer 40K novel, but a very enjoyable military sci-fi story that reminded me why I keep coming back to this bizarre, brutal, gloriously over-the-top universe.
And honestly, sometimes that’s all I want from Warhammer.
Give me Space Marines.
Give me gothic spaceships.
Give me impossible odds.
Give me an unnecessarily complicated Imperial military operation.
And then give me several hundred pages of things going horribly wrong.
That’s 40K.
September 7, 2024
I love this. You get to see Lazarus struggle with doubt, and his own nightmares returning it, and yet find strength when his men need him to. Also Ysentrud might be my favourite 40k non-Space Marine character for a while (at least in a book anyway).
Also also, I really need that epic takedown of the possessed Knight in animated form already.
Also also also, I did not expect Lazarus to produce one of my favourite quotes about death ever.
Also also, I really need that epic takedown of the possessed Knight in animated form already.
Also also also, I did not expect Lazarus to produce one of my favourite quotes about death ever.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2025
Basic bolter-porn with a mildly entertaining story.
A story centered around the culture of the Dark Angels, which, of course, almost revolves around the idea of hunting down the goddamn Fallen. Starts like that, but then decides to take a different direction in a more subtle way, criticizing this overly repeated plot-point and focusing on a more subtle yet interesting story about the danger of secrets. This started pretty well, but after a while, the story starts becoming redundant, the mystery loses its flavor, and we end up with a rather lackluster, emotionless tale that doesn't offer any interesting new perspectives.
The problem with Lazarus is a common problem with most 40k novels. It focuses on a certain aspect of culture, but seeing from an outsider perspective. The first chapters are centered around Lazarus, and there's an interesting intersection of views and conflicts between the Dark Angels. But after a while, the novel shifts in perspective and we start seeing the world from the views of a mortal human. Sure, I understand this can work to ground the narrative and help the reader feel more in touch with the story, but it sacrifices the more personal introspection shown at the start of the novel.
The author wastes a lot of time with overly detailed descriptions that seem to go on and on. After a while, the descriptions get lost in a haze of technical babble that offers no real depth. Exposition is done a lot in this way too, sometimes I particularly dislike.
The Space Marines are exceptionally dull with a few moments here and there that could have made then standout more. The problem is that the author focuses too much on the action and lore dumps, leaving dialogue as behind as possible, and probably the worst offender is the villain who even goes to monologue like a mustache-twirling character.
I had high hopes for Lazarus but was ultimately disappointed. If you enjoy overly descriptive action than this one works for you, but it doesn't offer much else.
A story centered around the culture of the Dark Angels, which, of course, almost revolves around the idea of hunting down the goddamn Fallen. Starts like that, but then decides to take a different direction in a more subtle way, criticizing this overly repeated plot-point and focusing on a more subtle yet interesting story about the danger of secrets. This started pretty well, but after a while, the story starts becoming redundant, the mystery loses its flavor, and we end up with a rather lackluster, emotionless tale that doesn't offer any interesting new perspectives.
The problem with Lazarus is a common problem with most 40k novels. It focuses on a certain aspect of culture, but seeing from an outsider perspective. The first chapters are centered around Lazarus, and there's an interesting intersection of views and conflicts between the Dark Angels. But after a while, the novel shifts in perspective and we start seeing the world from the views of a mortal human. Sure, I understand this can work to ground the narrative and help the reader feel more in touch with the story, but it sacrifices the more personal introspection shown at the start of the novel.
The author wastes a lot of time with overly detailed descriptions that seem to go on and on. After a while, the descriptions get lost in a haze of technical babble that offers no real depth. Exposition is done a lot in this way too, sometimes I particularly dislike.
The Space Marines are exceptionally dull with a few moments here and there that could have made then standout more. The problem is that the author focuses too much on the action and lore dumps, leaving dialogue as behind as possible, and probably the worst offender is the villain who even goes to monologue like a mustache-twirling character.
I had high hopes for Lazarus but was ultimately disappointed. If you enjoy overly descriptive action than this one works for you, but it doesn't offer much else.
March 15, 2024
It’s a shame this book was not released prior to the lions return because it is not a bad book but it is superfluous in the current lore, I listened on Audible and John Banks narration was as alway superb and lifted the story but BL need to think before acting
February 4, 2026
Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge opens with Lazarus executing a solid and intelligent plan against an Ork invasion. One particularly interesting element is the way the commander of the 5th Company can access real-time visual feeds from all Astartes via their vid-links, allowing for highly dynamic tactical decision-making. Unfortunately, the plan is severely compromised when orbital artillery support is withdrawn after the strike cruiser is urgently recalled, badly hampering the Dark Angels’ battlefield disposition. Lazarus ultimately secures victory—but it is a highly costly one, paid in lots of blood.
The narrative then shifts to Reis, where the local Knight House Halven no longer possess their war machines and live in deep animosity with the Adeptus Mechanicus of the northern continent. Both sides believe the other to be responsible for past failures. Old wars against warp creatures have left deep scars on the land and its people, despite the Dark Angels having sealed the rift in the past, leaving a beacon to be used in dire situations.
A growing revolution by the “Gris” near the rift, makes the heir of House Halven to activate the ancient beacon and summon the Dark Angels; against the explicit wishes of his father.
Enter the real GOAT of the novel. No, not Lazarus or even the Dark Angels, but Ysentrud the Learned. Effectively a human servo-skull, Ysentrud carries an immense quantity of knowledge etched directly into her mind. The hostile relationship with the Adeptus Mechanicus has driven House Halven to develop technological replacements of their own, with the Learned being the most fascinating example. Ysentrud is easily the strongest character in the book: brave but feeling fear, brilliant but doubting herself, and decisive action although fearing the consequences; she wants to be someone who's relevant and she manage to impress even demigods. She saves the day more than once, constantly reminding Lazarus of his duty to humanity rather than dogma. Her evolving relationship with Inquisitor-Chaplain Demetrius is particularly compelling and adds real emotional depth.
One thing right at the start of the book was less than perfect in my opinion. Lazarus is eventually recalled to the Rock, where he is summoned before Azrael and it is revealed that the strike cruiser was withdrawn in pursuit of a possible lead on the Fallen. This decision is unsettling and frankly out of character. Sacrificing dozens of Astartes for a mere hint does not align with chapter master Azrael as he has been consistently portrayed in the lore. This version of Azrael feels closer to other more fanatical and inflexible Dark Angels. Given the nature of warp travel, a delay of a few hours would be almost meaningless, and the Dark Angels already possess specialized units dedicated to hunting the Fallen. For a normally pragmatic Supreme Grand Master, this course of action simply makes little sense.
That said, what begins as a fairly average opening grows into an increasingly engaging story. Gary Kloster delivers an antagonist with believable motivations and a genuinely clever plan. The dialogue isn’t always outstanding, but the cast is distinctive and memorable: Fabricator Locum Gretin Lan, Ysentrud,Rafiel and Demetrius among many others stand out. Because of this, the losses feel real and impactful.
For a debut novel with Black Library, Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge is a strong and promising entry. Despite some questionable lore choices, it delivers solid warhammer sci-fi, excellent secondary characters, foes with efficient plans and a growing narrative confidence that makes the book well worth reading.
The narrative then shifts to Reis, where the local Knight House Halven no longer possess their war machines and live in deep animosity with the Adeptus Mechanicus of the northern continent. Both sides believe the other to be responsible for past failures. Old wars against warp creatures have left deep scars on the land and its people, despite the Dark Angels having sealed the rift in the past, leaving a beacon to be used in dire situations.
A growing revolution by the “Gris” near the rift, makes the heir of House Halven to activate the ancient beacon and summon the Dark Angels; against the explicit wishes of his father.
Enter the real GOAT of the novel. No, not Lazarus or even the Dark Angels, but Ysentrud the Learned. Effectively a human servo-skull, Ysentrud carries an immense quantity of knowledge etched directly into her mind. The hostile relationship with the Adeptus Mechanicus has driven House Halven to develop technological replacements of their own, with the Learned being the most fascinating example. Ysentrud is easily the strongest character in the book: brave but feeling fear, brilliant but doubting herself, and decisive action although fearing the consequences; she wants to be someone who's relevant and she manage to impress even demigods. She saves the day more than once, constantly reminding Lazarus of his duty to humanity rather than dogma. Her evolving relationship with Inquisitor-Chaplain Demetrius is particularly compelling and adds real emotional depth.
One thing right at the start of the book was less than perfect in my opinion. Lazarus is eventually recalled to the Rock, where he is summoned before Azrael and it is revealed that the strike cruiser was withdrawn in pursuit of a possible lead on the Fallen. This decision is unsettling and frankly out of character. Sacrificing dozens of Astartes for a mere hint does not align with chapter master Azrael as he has been consistently portrayed in the lore. This version of Azrael feels closer to other more fanatical and inflexible Dark Angels. Given the nature of warp travel, a delay of a few hours would be almost meaningless, and the Dark Angels already possess specialized units dedicated to hunting the Fallen. For a normally pragmatic Supreme Grand Master, this course of action simply makes little sense.
That said, what begins as a fairly average opening grows into an increasingly engaging story. Gary Kloster delivers an antagonist with believable motivations and a genuinely clever plan. The dialogue isn’t always outstanding, but the cast is distinctive and memorable: Fabricator Locum Gretin Lan, Ysentrud,Rafiel and Demetrius among many others stand out. Because of this, the losses feel real and impactful.
For a debut novel with Black Library, Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge is a strong and promising entry. Despite some questionable lore choices, it delivers solid warhammer sci-fi, excellent secondary characters, foes with efficient plans and a growing narrative confidence that makes the book well worth reading.
November 10, 2024
Secrets, lies and devils from the past converge around the Dark Angels in this exceptional Warhammer 40,000 novel from Gary Kloster, Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge.
For over 10,000 years the Space Marines of the Dark Angels chapter have defended the Imperium of Man from all manner of insidious threats, all while keeping their own terrible secrets hidden. Maintaining watch for fallen members of their order, the Dark Angels are forced to balance their Chapter’s need for secrecy and revenge with their solemn duty to keep humanity safe from the monsters and heretics stalking the stars. But not every member of the Dark Angel’s inner circle believes that the battles of the past should impact the Chapter’s future.
Lazarus, Master of the Dark Angels Fifth Company, knows the burden that history can have on the soul. The first Primaris Marine to hold rank within the chapter’s inner circle, Lazarus finds himself haunted by the battle that killed him and forced him to undergo the Rubicon surgery. Determined to rid the universe of all psykers and the foul forces of Chaos behind them, Lazarus is a dedicated warrior, although one that questions the secrets that impact his ability to fulfill his duty. That is why, when an ancient beacon located on the planet Reis is activated, the Supreme Grand Master of the Dark Angels, Azrael, summons Lazarus and his Fifth Company to fulfill an old debt of honour.
A thousand years before, the Imperial Knight world of Reis was nearly overwhelmed by a rampaging army of daemons, resulting in the destruction of the planet’s war machine guardians, and only through the intervention of the Dark Angels was Reis saved. But now, after years of peace, Reis finds itself under attack from a new foe, one that may cause another daemonic incursion. Determined to ensure the daemons stay in the warp, Lazarus arrives to assess the situation on Reis, but soon discover that not everything is as it seems. The planet is a hotbed of sinister politics, ancient grudges, and long-buried secrets, all of which conspire to drag Reis closer to destruction. Forced to navigate the planet’s complex history, Lazarus discovers a terrible enemy hiding deep within the planet’s jungles, one that, like Lazarus, refuses to die. To save Reis and his brothers, Lazarus must uncover the true hidden past of the planet and understand the origin of the grudge that could turn the Dark Angels against the Imperium they are sworn to protect.
Wow, Warhammer 40,000 fiction is in peak form in 2024 as Gary Kloster deeply impressed me with Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge. Featuring a particularly complex and captivating narrative that blended awesome action and great characters with a clever and well-written plot, Enmity’s Edge proved to be extremely addictive, and I found myself irreversibly hooked. Exciting, intense and loaded with all manner of intrigue, Enmity’s Edge is one of the best Warhammer books of 2024 and gets a full five-star rating from me.
To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2024/11/10/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
For over 10,000 years the Space Marines of the Dark Angels chapter have defended the Imperium of Man from all manner of insidious threats, all while keeping their own terrible secrets hidden. Maintaining watch for fallen members of their order, the Dark Angels are forced to balance their Chapter’s need for secrecy and revenge with their solemn duty to keep humanity safe from the monsters and heretics stalking the stars. But not every member of the Dark Angel’s inner circle believes that the battles of the past should impact the Chapter’s future.
Lazarus, Master of the Dark Angels Fifth Company, knows the burden that history can have on the soul. The first Primaris Marine to hold rank within the chapter’s inner circle, Lazarus finds himself haunted by the battle that killed him and forced him to undergo the Rubicon surgery. Determined to rid the universe of all psykers and the foul forces of Chaos behind them, Lazarus is a dedicated warrior, although one that questions the secrets that impact his ability to fulfill his duty. That is why, when an ancient beacon located on the planet Reis is activated, the Supreme Grand Master of the Dark Angels, Azrael, summons Lazarus and his Fifth Company to fulfill an old debt of honour.
A thousand years before, the Imperial Knight world of Reis was nearly overwhelmed by a rampaging army of daemons, resulting in the destruction of the planet’s war machine guardians, and only through the intervention of the Dark Angels was Reis saved. But now, after years of peace, Reis finds itself under attack from a new foe, one that may cause another daemonic incursion. Determined to ensure the daemons stay in the warp, Lazarus arrives to assess the situation on Reis, but soon discover that not everything is as it seems. The planet is a hotbed of sinister politics, ancient grudges, and long-buried secrets, all of which conspire to drag Reis closer to destruction. Forced to navigate the planet’s complex history, Lazarus discovers a terrible enemy hiding deep within the planet’s jungles, one that, like Lazarus, refuses to die. To save Reis and his brothers, Lazarus must uncover the true hidden past of the planet and understand the origin of the grudge that could turn the Dark Angels against the Imperium they are sworn to protect.
Wow, Warhammer 40,000 fiction is in peak form in 2024 as Gary Kloster deeply impressed me with Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge. Featuring a particularly complex and captivating narrative that blended awesome action and great characters with a clever and well-written plot, Enmity’s Edge proved to be extremely addictive, and I found myself irreversibly hooked. Exciting, intense and loaded with all manner of intrigue, Enmity’s Edge is one of the best Warhammer books of 2024 and gets a full five-star rating from me.
To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2024/11/10/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
August 10, 2025
Finally a book in which we see multiple dimensions of the Space Marines, through the lens of no other than the most schizophrenic legion of all - Dark Angels.
Through the adventures and tribulations of the Fifth Company we see how ever present secrets, while a very effective tool, are also sort of a double edge sword. When enemy appears who can do the unimaginable and even break the unbreakable, access to the secrets and their impact finally takes priority and can even compromise or even completely destroy the entire war effort.
It was hard reading about sacrifices of entire platoons because of changed conditions, anger because of the unnecessary losses and eventually coming to peace (of sorts) with the outcome due to higher goals.
If you ask me Lion will have his hands full :)
One other element that made this novel have more impact to me is the interaction between the Dark Angels and Adaptus Mechanicus, as post-humans, with mere human mortals. These interactions show how basic humanity is present in everyone, even in those who seem to be outside of it. I like this, and it is refreshing to see this type of dynamic set in the story-line after the pre-Heresy novels (like Valdor and Primarch books).
Great book, lots of action (some very realistic combat scenes that would not be out of place in the moder day action thrillers), and great characters. I hope we get more books on Dark Angels soon.
Highly recommended.
Through the adventures and tribulations of the Fifth Company we see how ever present secrets, while a very effective tool, are also sort of a double edge sword. When enemy appears who can do the unimaginable and even break the unbreakable, access to the secrets and their impact finally takes priority and can even compromise or even completely destroy the entire war effort.
It was hard reading about sacrifices of entire platoons because of changed conditions, anger because of the unnecessary losses and eventually coming to peace (of sorts) with the outcome due to higher goals.
If you ask me Lion will have his hands full :)
One other element that made this novel have more impact to me is the interaction between the Dark Angels and Adaptus Mechanicus, as post-humans, with mere human mortals. These interactions show how basic humanity is present in everyone, even in those who seem to be outside of it. I like this, and it is refreshing to see this type of dynamic set in the story-line after the pre-Heresy novels (like Valdor and Primarch books).
Great book, lots of action (some very realistic combat scenes that would not be out of place in the moder day action thrillers), and great characters. I hope we get more books on Dark Angels soon.
Highly recommended.
January 17, 2026
First I'd like to mention that this is a very good book for someone that wants to read their first spacemarine book. Everything gets explained and there is no previous knowledge required.
I was afraid that when Ive gone through the first segment of the book that this would be an other "master of rites" where I would have to read nothing but "this new model from the latest box-set fired its canon", but I'm happy to say that this was only for the first area of the book, and almost feels like something that was put in there in post by some editor, making sure that the reader is informed that these models are available to buy in their local store.
Once that was out of the way and we moved to the area that has the meat of the book, the pacing is better, The book is equivalent to what I would call the marvel movie experience, the good guys are good, the bad guys are bad, and the plot is not too complicated or deep.
The book didn't leave me with any long lasting thoughts or emotions, but that also means that there wasn't anything I was particularly mad about either.
Do not read this if you are looking explore the human conditions through the lens of 40k, read it if you want to read a book about a group of likeable character using swords and guns to kill things.
I was afraid that when Ive gone through the first segment of the book that this would be an other "master of rites" where I would have to read nothing but "this new model from the latest box-set fired its canon", but I'm happy to say that this was only for the first area of the book, and almost feels like something that was put in there in post by some editor, making sure that the reader is informed that these models are available to buy in their local store.
Once that was out of the way and we moved to the area that has the meat of the book, the pacing is better, The book is equivalent to what I would call the marvel movie experience, the good guys are good, the bad guys are bad, and the plot is not too complicated or deep.
The book didn't leave me with any long lasting thoughts or emotions, but that also means that there wasn't anything I was particularly mad about either.
Do not read this if you are looking explore the human conditions through the lens of 40k, read it if you want to read a book about a group of likeable character using swords and guns to kill things.
April 4, 2024
A cut above the general rank and file of 40K mulch, but doesn’t soar high enough to hit the bracket of ‘must read’.
Without getting into spoilers, Lazarus will be a new comer to most people who in the lore through books only. Characteristically, he doesn’t break the mold for contemporary Astartes that much; aside from his dislike of the DA’s trademark conspiratorial attitude to everything. It’s refreshing to see a DA actually push back against their backwards thinking, to the chapter master no less.
Plot wise, it’s a semi departure from the usual 40k one off plots. It’s still chaos, but it’s not the usual chaos fluff you’re used to. The baddie is boring, but it’s ’gimmick’ isn’t.
The best bit of the book by far! Is the inclusion of the human character Ysintrude. Turns out it isn’t particularly good for your health to get conscripted to helping Space marines do their day-job.
Definitely worth a read.
Without getting into spoilers, Lazarus will be a new comer to most people who in the lore through books only. Characteristically, he doesn’t break the mold for contemporary Astartes that much; aside from his dislike of the DA’s trademark conspiratorial attitude to everything. It’s refreshing to see a DA actually push back against their backwards thinking, to the chapter master no less.
Plot wise, it’s a semi departure from the usual 40k one off plots. It’s still chaos, but it’s not the usual chaos fluff you’re used to. The baddie is boring, but it’s ’gimmick’ isn’t.
The best bit of the book by far! Is the inclusion of the human character Ysintrude. Turns out it isn’t particularly good for your health to get conscripted to helping Space marines do their day-job.
Definitely worth a read.
March 24, 2025
Compelling action in the 41st Century.
The Dark Angels carry with them a heavy burden, secrets of the past that cannot come to light.
Lazarus lived and died fighting for the Imperium. But by crossing the Primaris Rubicon, he was revived. Now he finds himself on a planet divided, with a dark history full of secrets.
What makes the story so enjoyable was the great protagonists. Lazarus is conflicted about his role, carrying doubts within him. Ysentrud is a Mutant strain native to her planet, but is relatively baseline human. She has been trained to member vast quantities of information but must serve a man who cares nothing for the past.
Ysentrud is a great character to have in the book. Her inexperience to Space Marines gives the audience a great perspective to better understand the nature and behaviour of Lazarus and co.
Great action scenes, cool characters and interesting world-building that had me intrigued throughout.
The Dark Angels carry with them a heavy burden, secrets of the past that cannot come to light.
Lazarus lived and died fighting for the Imperium. But by crossing the Primaris Rubicon, he was revived. Now he finds himself on a planet divided, with a dark history full of secrets.
What makes the story so enjoyable was the great protagonists. Lazarus is conflicted about his role, carrying doubts within him. Ysentrud is a Mutant strain native to her planet, but is relatively baseline human. She has been trained to member vast quantities of information but must serve a man who cares nothing for the past.
Ysentrud is a great character to have in the book. Her inexperience to Space Marines gives the audience a great perspective to better understand the nature and behaviour of Lazarus and co.
Great action scenes, cool characters and interesting world-building that had me intrigued throughout.
May 27, 2024
13 Chapters too long, if I never see the word gris again in my life again it will be too soon. Repeating the same idea four times on one page does not make that idea better in a story. There’s no need to give a character his full Chapter title every single time he occurs in the book - like Interrogator-Chaplain. As for the story Dark Angels vs Zombies that are somehow infected by a demon we never find out about? Possibly the worst 40k novel I’ve read in decades. I honestly can’t think of a positive thing about it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2024
A good enough Warhammer book, sitting nicely in the ‘fun’ pile of bolter heavy reads.
The best part of this book is the cool alternative to servitors.
The Dark Angel stuff mostly avoids the classic tropes, but they are a little too adjacent to Ultramarines for me in their speech. Their actions are fine, but they didn’t quite scratch the itch for dark and brooding.
Plot and set pieces are exactly what you’d expect from a space marines book. Good enough for some light entertainment, but definitely not in the same league as other series.
The best part of this book is the cool alternative to servitors.
The Dark Angel stuff mostly avoids the classic tropes, but they are a little too adjacent to Ultramarines for me in their speech. Their actions are fine, but they didn’t quite scratch the itch for dark and brooding.
Plot and set pieces are exactly what you’d expect from a space marines book. Good enough for some light entertainment, but definitely not in the same league as other series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2025
While there is good character work being done it is depressingly buried under mediocre bolter porn. Gary goes in some new and intersting directions for a 40k novels characters but the battles are boring and repetitive which destroys the flow of the narrative. This has the feel of having been edited by Nick Kyme. Overall it's on par with your average 40k novel but is disappointing for anyone who's already read extensively in the setting.
August 12, 2026
Me gusto mucho el final, es un buen libro algo medianamente corto, y como era de esperarse hasta ahora ha sido el mejor libro de los ángeles oscuros que he leído, por lo que entiendo es el único donde centra en el maestro de la 5° Lazarus que ya cruzo el Rubicón primaris, salen personajes del Adeptus Mechanicum y del planeta de Reis, Orkos asi como Legio Titanica, el Caos y otros personajes como Azrael.
March 16, 2024
Kloster starts this book off strong. We get to know the main character, his motivations, and feelings. Then get to explore a unique world in the imperium of man.
My only critique is that with how strong the book starts. And with it having a satisfying ending. The middle was simply good.
It definitely was not bad, but not as enthralling as the first third of the book I found I could not tear myself away from.
My only critique is that with how strong the book starts. And with it having a satisfying ending. The middle was simply good.
It definitely was not bad, but not as enthralling as the first third of the book I found I could not tear myself away from.
April 1, 2024
Very solid book. We are finally given the full back story on Lazarus and his leading of the 5th. Dark Angels are finally not make to look like docks and shadowy bad guys. I’d give it a 4.5 instead of an outright 4 but the current timeline doesn’t get touch much at all other than the last line in the book. All in all, solid listen for Dark Angels fans.
April 2, 2025
As a Space Wolf fan, the Dark Angels are frienemies and not to be bothered with. Primaris Marines are also not well trusted. Gary Kloster wrote an amazing story that has me raving about both! It is a Dark Angels story that focused on being a Space Marine, and not hunting the Fallen. I enjoyed Lazarus and highly recommend it for a different view of Dark Angels.
August 10, 2025
One of the Best to Come From the Black Library
Easily some of the best fiction in the 40k universe. Great characters that are easy to root for, and a baddie worth hating. I loves the extensive exposition between characters as well. Cant wait to see where Lazarus, and the 5th end up next. For the Lion!
Easily some of the best fiction in the 40k universe. Great characters that are easy to root for, and a baddie worth hating. I loves the extensive exposition between characters as well. Cant wait to see where Lazarus, and the 5th end up next. For the Lion!
April 4, 2025
Lazarus: Enmity’s Edge was a fun read with some solid action, but the title character’s questionable tactics held it back. While the battles were entertaining, Lazarus’s decisions often felt unstrategic, which undercut the tension. A decent addition to the setting, but not a standout.
October 22, 2025
2.5 stars. It was... Okay? The Chaplain was interesting as was the learned. The plot was decent, I guess, but kind of straight forward run of the mill 40k books. Didn't care for the baddies. Overall, a pretty forgettable book.
March 3, 2026
The book is completely all over the place and really can't decide what it wants to be. Whether it wants to be a Warhammer 40K military novel or a weird mystery novel. The action scenes, uh, I guess all right, but other than that it's kind of a mess.
February 21, 2025
Really enjoyed this one, Gary will be a black library writer to watch! Cannot wait for another 5th company adventure.
Glory to the Lion!
Glory to the Lion!
April 3, 2025
Excellent book about the Dark Angels 5th Company!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews