Angels of Caliban

The Horus Heresy #38

by Gav Thorpe

The First Legion go to war, and their primarch's brutal actions threaten to tear apart the fragile alliance of Imperium Secundus.

With the Dark Angels spread across a hundred systems, primarch Lion El’Jonson stands as Lord Protector of Ultramar – though his true motives are known to few indeed, and old rivalries on the home world threaten to tear the Legion in half. But when word comes of the Night Lords’ attack on Sotha, the Lion’s brutal actions bring Imperium Secundus once again to the brink of civil war. Not even the most fearsome warriors of the Dreadwing, nor any arcane secret of the Order, can guarantee victory if he sets himself against his loyal brothers.

There was no way Imperium Secundus was going to last (or we'd know about it in the 41st millennium, wouldn't we?) and this is the beginning of the end…

Audiobook running time 10 hours and 57 minutes. Narrated by John Banks

Genres: Science Fiction, 40k, Fiction, Audiobook, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Novels

Audiobook

First published June 18, 2016

About the author

Gav spent 14 years as a developer for Games Workshop, and started writing novels and short stories in the worlds of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 when the Black Library imprint was launched in 1997.

He continues to write for Black Library, and his first 'homegrown' novel series The Crown of the Blood has been released via Angry Robot.

Currently living in Nottingham, Gav shares his home with his loving and very understanding partner - Kez, and their beautiful little boy - Sammy.

Reviews

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Datos sobre varios secretos de la primera legión y de las razones para ello.-


Género. Ciencia ficción.

Lo que nos cuenta. El libro Ángeles de Caliban (publicación original: Angels of Caliban, 2017), con el curioso subtítulo de Emperadores y esclavos, nos lleva hasta el Imperium Secundus donde, sin noticias de Terra, Guilliman, Sanguinus y El’Jonson tratan de recomponerse frente a los combates de la guerra civil. El líder de los Ángeles Oscuros trata de cumplir con su labor mientras busca la manera de dar caza a Curze, pero no sabe que algunas de sus decisiones han hecho que muy lejos de allí, en Caliban, se esté forjando una traición basada en ideas supuestamente nobles que, quizá, estén siendo manipuladas por intereses oscuros. Trigésimo octavo volumen la serie La herejía de Horus.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well this was just a blast of a read, like reading "Horus Heresy saga meets A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones": the banquet in Aldurukh echoes the "Red Wedding" one so much that I could hear playing "Rains of Castamere" song in my mind while reading it..
An awesome origin story of the "Fallen", and Zahariel's role in it was a real shock for me, but also the best novel about the Imperium Secundus storyline.



Gav Thorpe made an excellent job here with four Primarchs, the Macragge Triumvirate and the Night Haunter, playing the "Game of Thrones" and fleshing them for good: the Lion with his obsessive hunt for Kurze and his ambition to became the Imperium Secundus' Warmaster; Guilliman political mastermind and power behind the throne; Sanguinius, shining full of doubts Emperor to-be and avenging Blood Angel (when he's unsleashed in the end I was almost afraid Kurze's death by an Emperor's Assassin in the future was going to be ret-conned...); Konrad Kurze, a broken monster just waiting to be relieved by death; four demi-gods so different but so similar in their heritage... Kurze was so right saying that Roboute could have been the hand killing his adoptive father if he was fallen in rebel Illyrium instead of Macragge Civitas, like his fate was sealed when he opened eyes in midnight-clad Nostramo.



Loved Sar Luther characterization and development, and his speech at the banquet was a real great one, embracing almost all the main events of the saga, enflaming the audience with a simple word: Prospero.
Loved all the informations about the past of the First Legion, the Only Legion, before they were a real Legion and how it is based on The Six Hosts of the Angels of Death fighting for the Emperor in the Unification Wars on Terra.



And the Dreadwing is just the most badass of the Dark Angels' battle formations: deployed to bring total annihilation upon enemy employing advanced weaponry of mass destruction.



"We have come. We are Death."

An excellent novel full of great moments and unexpected twists moving forward the storyline for good: you can really feel that the Siege of Terra and the end of the Horus Heresy saga are coming soon.
I guess Sanguinius is going to use Tuchulcha to arrive just in time for his appointment with fate...

[Javir11 · Rating 4 out of 5]

7,5/10

Novela centrada en los Ángeles Oscuros, la primera legión de la gran cruzada y cuyos soldados servían directamente al emperador hasta la llegada del León.

La historia se divide en dos partes, una de ellas nos sitúa en el propio Caliban donde hay un buen número de legionarios molestos por el trato recibido por su primarca y vemos como se comienza a crear un clima en contra de este y sus acciones, que podría llegar a llevarles a tomar una decisión radical.

Por otro lado tenemos al León en primera persona, uno de los mejores estrategas militares entre sus hermanos, pero que por sus ansias de venganza pondrá en jaque al Imperius Secundus y el triunvirato que formaba con Sanguinius y Guilliman.

Destacaría que habiendo acción, que la hay y bastante, no es el eje principal de la historia, de hecho la parte de Caliban es mucho más calmada y el desarrollo es más que interesante y es la parte que más me ha gustado.

Como sigo enganchado a la saga, seguiré con ella, de hecho a estas alturas ya me he leído 3 o 4 libros más 🤣

[Ogbaoghene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Angels of Caliban feels like the latest in a string of unsatisfying side dishes while awaiting a main course that never arrives.

A wonderful WH40 fluff piece with lots of Dark Angel tit bits—at least the Dark Angels according to Gav Thorpe. But IMHO it's not a great addition to the Horus Heresy series. Especially coming after Chris Wraight's The Path of Heaven.

It seems like Angels of Caliban is meant to conclude the Imperium Secundus arc. Sadly, it doesn't feel that way. Vulkan Lives, The Unremembered Empire,Deathfire,Pharos, and Angels of Caliban don't feel tight in the way Horus Rising, False Gods, and Galaxy in Flames did. And that's my main problem with the Horus Heresy series as whole. It has turned into a rambling mess.

Black Library, please give us well-developed, cohesive narrative arcs that move the overall plot forward. I stopped feeling like this was a race towards Terra at Mechanicum. Feel free to further develop these arcs with novellas and short stories. Matter of fact, go crazy with it, I don't mind. The main titles don't have to be on a yearly schedule even. Fill the time in between with anthologies and collections packed with details and the tangents. But I beg you, give the Horus Heresy series back it's direction.

Back to Angels of Caliban, the writing is good and I think Gav Thorpe is doing a nice job with the Dark Angels. He's really able to bring their scheming nature to life. I hope he can make Zahariel turning to chaos work, cause right now that twist feels forced. I enjoyed this, don't get me wrong, but BL could do a lot better.

[Dylan Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh the Angels of Caliban. Normally, I’m quite disinterested in the Dark Angels. They’ve been a more bland/annoying Legion in the Horus Heresy thus far, with a few exceptions of course, but I think it is more that even in their own dedicated novels thus far it has been more focused on the events rather than fleshing out the Legion. The Descent of Angels was a fun read in that we got to see Caliban pre-Imperium, the growth of The Order, and the coming of the Emperor. I can barely even remember Fallen Angels outside of Luthar and co. being banished, Lion killing Nemiel, and Perturabo getting some very cool gifts. None of them really focused on delving into the military culture of the Dark Angels beyond the “Secretive Knights” cliché that bores me to death. We didn’t really get to see any kind of military organization, or what made the Dark Angels different from the more bland Legion (Namely the Ultramarines and Imperial Fists in my eyes). This novel comes a long way in improving that. We’re introduced to the Dreadwing and Deathwing factions of the Dark Angels, and given a pretty awesome glimpse into how exactly they operated on the battlefield. While a good number of the Dark Angels are stilling annoyingly secretive knight caricatures, Holguin and Redloss were both flushed out and given infinitely more character than in previous novels, and it was extremely well done.

The actual story of this one was probably my second favourite of the whole Imperium Secondus story arc. Being much more interesting and well done than both Unremembered Empire and Deathfire. Seeing the politics of the Imperium Secondus was probably one of my favourite aspects of the novel. The debating between the Imperial Triumvirate (?), Sanguinius ruling an empire (with surprisingly few Blood Angels mentioned throughout this whole IS arc), and seeing how the entirety of Macragge reacts to the actions of the demi-gods ruling over them. The Lion’s continued hunt for Curze was extremely fun to watch in this installment of the Horus Heresy, namely because he got to play at being the Emperor’s Lapdog and kill innumerable civilians in his hunt for the Night Haunter and try and justify it to the authority over him, which was great. The scenes that actually had the Night Lord were easily my favourite of the novel. He’s still that insane force of nature, but here we get to see a little more of how his premonitions affect his sanity and sense of reality. The fight between the Lion and Curze was a little one sided I feel, but with a massive bias against almost every Loyalist Legion and Primarch, that is probably to be expected at this point in the Heresy where loose ends are being tied up and the real march to Terra begins.
The half of the novel taking place on Caliban was just as enjoyable, if not more so, than the rest of the novel set on the other side of the Ruinstorm. We get to see Luthar really shine again (I think Gav does a phenomenal job of making these really huge characters have a sort of “stage presence” where they really take up the whole page and shine), as well as we got some great REAL plot development towards the inevitable civil war for Caliban. The origins of the Fallen has really interested me since I got into Warhammer, and literally seeing their origin story play out is an absolute blast. The Dark Angels on Caliban are even more secretive and dubious than their crusading counter-parts, but with much less action and much more focus on character I think it plays out very nicely.

All in all, the novel was a very fun read. It definitely made me more interested in reading some of the Dark Angels 40k fiction to see the ties to the HH that Gav has been threading for years, as well as it really makes some solid headway in the meta-plot of the Horus Heresy, the likes of which we haven’t seen in years. I’m in no rush to get to the End, but at the same time, seeing these huge events play out written by some of the best folks in the business is definitely thrilling. I do love the Heresy though guys, so here’s hoping nothing is rushed!

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will admit that the confrontation between the lion and night-haunter is thrilling but if it weren't for that, I would have been tempted to give one star.

The book is boring, there I said it. All the parts on Caliban are boring as hell and I feel that a lot of them could have been condensed in at least half of the chapters and pages used now. Then there is the Lion's obsessional hunt, Guilliman's decision paralysis and Sanguinius who has lost the will to live or something. To top it off, the Space marines in their entourage don't stand out and blend in with each other. If anything if this book is supposed to make me feel sympathetic to Luther and the fallen angels, it does but for a large part because the lion is an unbearable character and with little to make him interesting let alone intriguing. I would have preferred to have been made sympathetic due to stronger emotional or philosophical reasons then that.

[Chris Berko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing!!! There were times I could HEAR the cymbals crashing and the drums pounding because the story was so epic! The Lion is an awesome character. Period. He’s the shit. He does some serious hunting in this and it’s twenty pages of straight adrenaline. The last thirty pages were Shakespearean AF and I loved it all!!!

[Doug · Rating 2 out of 5]

After the masterpiece of Know No Fear and the plot driver that was Unremembered Empire, Angels of Caliban is a very disappointing novel. Thorpe's depiction of the characters is jarring, poorly continuing the storyline. I found this a struggle, and whole chapters felt completely irrelevant. The portrayal of all three Primarchs was especially lacking, and this is possibly the worst Black Library book I've read to date.

[Richard Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This HH novel made Guilliman seem like a sniveling, petty, bureaucrat. It made The Lion look like an incompetent hunter and sloppy bodyguard. And, somehow, it made Sanguinius seem inconsequential and impotent. Only Konrad Curze, The Night Haunter remained true to his nature, wreaking havoc with the Imperium Secundus until it was eclipsed by fear, folly, and shame.

WTH?

[DarkChaplain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review also published here

Angels of Caliban continues the trend of reinvigorating the Horus Heresy by wrapping up story arcs and progressing characters and Legions in a satisfying way. It juggles two quite different plotlines, Imperium Secundus and the growing revolt on Caliban, and does so well.

I've always defended Descent of Angels . A lot of people online seem to dislike it, with the biggest complaints being that it doesn't have much to do with the Heresy itself, and instead plays out more like a fantasy novel than science fiction. To me, that always seemed more appealing, and learning more about the Dark Angels on Caliban, their culture and the seeds of doubt that would lead Luther to turn on the Lion, was great. In Angels of Caliban, those aspects are picked back up at long last, and there are a lot of additions and expansions to the Dark Angels' background and characterization.

Some of this is down to ForgeWorld's plans for the Legion in the Horus Heresy tabletop game, which added more info about the different Wings (we knew about some, the Ravenwing and Deathwing most prominently, but now there are six total), and new armaments for the First in general. But there is also plenty about Caliban, and Luther's life specifically, that comes to light here. Before, Luther has always been a bit of an enigma. We saw him through the eyes of Zahariel and Nemiel, for example, but this time he has scenes of his own, contemplating and weighing options.

There is a lot more depth to Sar Luther, Grand Master of the Order, thanks to this book. It sets the mood for him as a character in the wider Legion history, giving a sense of tragedy and good intentions, an idealist whose hand is ultimately forced by an ever-increasing web of schemes all around Caliban. As the book ended, I still found myself feeling sympathy for the Lion's adoptive father-brother, rather than see him as the arch traitor he is considered in the 41st Millennium. He is as layered as the Legion/Chapter itself, and for that I salute Gav.

The bigger surprise was Zahariel's role in it all. He shifted in tone and motivation quite drastically since we last saw him. Once more we see the good intentions of the Calibanites, while also seeing the tragedy their actions summon to their world. Considering that Zahariel was the protagonist of the previous two Legion novels, his change to antagonist left me somewhat gutted, but I loved the execution and am eagerly waiting for the resolution of that can of worms (see what I did there? No? Read the book!).

Gav also weaved in events from his scattered short stories, like The Lion , which introduced us to Tuchulcha (who obviously appears again, and is creepy as ever, with some dialogue parallels to The Unforgiven ), but also saw the execution of Nemiel, Zahariel's friend and cousin. This stokes a lot of fires on Caliban, once Zahariel learns of it from Chapter Master Belath, who we've seen initially in contest with Astelan in Call of the Lion , and later alongside Corswain (who, sadly, only gets mentioned here).

Everything is tied together in Angels of Caliban, so you'd better read those stories first. Thankfully, they are all part of the numbered series by now, and not exclusive to audio formats or event exclusive anthologies anymore. On top of that, the Legacy of Caliban trilogy, and Gav's debut Dark Angels novel Angels of Darkness , which set the tone for the Legion ever since, are all connecting to this installment in one way or another.

While this book does reveal a few things that fans were wondering and theorizing about for years, it also opens up more questions. My big disappointment in that regard was the lack of Lord Cypher reveal - but at least that might yet come to pass in a follow up, retroactively. Many things are implied, few are outright stated, and a lot of them are pulled directly into question again.

A big reason for that is Merir Astelan. Everything he says or does has to be taken with caution. He is unreliable as a narrator, as has been shown many times since Angels of Darkness, but also blatantly lying to his supposed brethren, always gambling for his own advancement and willing to drop all loyalties for personal gain and glory. If anything, he might be the biggest architect of the fall from grace the Unforgiven experienced, by playing all sides at once. If you haven't come to hate him so far, chances are you will with this book. But then, he is also superbly intriguing and has a lot of knowledge to reveal - if you dare trust any of his words.

It is that sort of ambiguity and lies wrapped in truths that make the Dark Angels so appealing to read about. They are honorable, but also untrustworthy. They are proud, but also insanely fickle and paranoid. They might invite you to a glorious feast in one moment but already be planning your execution behind your back. Angels of Caliban has the potential to be very divisive for the Legion's fans - which is as well, looking back at the legacy of Gav's original story, and the eternal discussions about the Fallen themselves.

On the other hand of the galaxy, we have the Lion still hunting for Konrad Curze in Ultramar. The plotline kicks off parallel to Guy Haley's Pharos , and shows the Lion's purge of leftover World Eaters/Word Bearers fragments across the 500 Worlds, and how he and his commanders deal with the regular folk.

These early chapters also provide a stage for the Dreadwing, who are the bad boys of the Legion. Chemical warfare and utter annihilation of the enemy are their bread and butter. "We have come. We are death" isn't just some idle mantra to them.
Originally, Dreadwing was announced as a novel by Dan Abnett, but for various reasons, that was scrapped and rolled into Gav Thorpe's Angels of Caliban. As a matter of fact, I am glad this happened, as Gav's take on the Dreadwing was interesting and noticeably different from the Ravenwing or Deathwing action from his 40k novels, or even the Raven Guard.
It provided him with ways to explore the Legion's nature, and the Lion's unrelenting hunt, which stood in stark contrast to Guilliman's diplomacy, which obviously led to the two brethren butting heads.

In general, the tension in Imperium Secundus is rising. The Triumvirate is barely holding together, but the Primarch dynamics are out of balance. The Lion goes out of his way to subvert direct orders and rulings, feeling slighted where no insult was intended, and it all spirals out of control from there.

The Lion himself seemed both less and more likeable in this installment than in previous stories. I have a big antipathy for him. He is twisted by nature, arrogant and disconnected from his own Legion and his brothers. His social skills are that of an iron mace, and his pride and paranoia are constantly getting the better of him. But then, he is also using those aspects to achieve his goals in the hunt for Curze, which ended with a very cool showdown that feels like a natural conclusion to their rivalry that has been going on for far too long now.

But then the Lion also surprises with some very genuine moments of introspection and regret for his own being and decisions. He is aware of his failings, but also alone in bearing them, with no one to trust or turn to in earnest. He has no real equal. His brothers are rivals in some ways, and his gene-sons are wary of upsetting him, especially after learning of Nemiel's fate. In one moment he will encourage one of his officers to disagree and speak plainly, the next he will grow furious about it.
The Lion is broken in many ways, and the end of the book symbolizes that marvelously.

Guilliman, Sanguinius and Curze are all competently written - as was Horus during the prologue. In fact, that prologue was an excellent way to set the scene which filled in blanks and made new connections for the future, and set the Lion's and Luther's relationship front and center. It is full of foreboding, but also gave a glimpse of the Horus-that-was, beloved by all (but the Lion).
All things considered, I think Gav's grip on the Primarchs involved was very solid and satisfying, taking all the right cues from previous depictions.

That is what it comes down to: Angels of Caliban managed to pull together many disparate strings of story and weave them into an exciting and layered book that offered a lot of insight into the big players involved, while introducing new characters with potential. It solved some problems while creating numerous others for the Legion, and hammers home the sense of tragedy and misunderstandings that is so central to the Dark Angels. It shows that the road to hell is paved with good intentions - I loved it.

[Arsh Mohite · Rating 2 out of 5]

I understand why this book is important for the lore, but why is it just so boring. I am reading this story for grim dark war not politics. Otherwise I couldn’t really complain. A book I needed to read but didn’t enjoy, onto the next.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author Gav Thorpe has been quietly assembling a nice bibliography of solid entries into the Horus Heresy series. In doing so, he's become one of the most solid and dependable authors in the Black Library stable of writers, as evidenced by his inclusion in the team tasked with concluding the Horus Heresy series with the long anticipated Siege of Terra series.

Angels of Caliban is the next step in the Imperium Secundus story arc. It is not at all uncommon to see words associated with recent Horus Heresy series releases such as "directionless", "rambling", "filler" and "inconsequential". The Imperium Secundus story arc has been one of the bright spots in a series which should probably have reached it's conclusion already.

Thorpe does a great job of characterising the all important Primarchs; one of the best aspects of the book. Whilst almost all Warhammer 40,000 novels are at their core, military science fiction, the better entries tend to be the more character driven plotlines.

Angels of Caliban represents a change in the trajectory of the Horus Heresy series. The plot is advanced, characters' fates altered and the series takes a giant leap towards the inevitable denouement.

[Milo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic game of cat and mouse between Primarchs living with the consequences of Imperium Secundus. Gav Thorpe writes the thriller aspect really well; the plotting and politicking of it all works wonders.

[Thomas Ogley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really loved the almost Game of Thrones-esque drama full of politics, deceit and secrets during the Caliban side of the story, and was great to finally get to the inevitable collapse of the fragile foundations of Imperium Secundus to bring the story closer to the impending siege of Terra.

[RatGrrrl · Rating 5 out of 5]

April 2024 Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order Omnibus XVI Imperium Secondus II Gate's Ashes (https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus...) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus Heresy saga and extras.

I may have wavered along the journey and could, perhaps, beg for a few more tastier morsels en route, but this is an absolute masterwork of slowburn and managing some of the biggest threads and characters in long and newly established lore, all the while telling an engaging and original tale.

Honestly, I'm in awe.

The Imperium Secondus got off to a rocky start, which only got rockier with the whole Pharos incident and the new throneworld having a serious case of Nighthaunter. Surprisingly, it only gets worse with the nominal Lord Protector far more interested in doing Thramas Crusade 2: Ultramar Boogaloo than anything as part of the Triumvirate of the new Imperium. When he actually is present, his martial law and resulting civil unrest and the population being deemed enemies (the only thing martial law has a 100% rate at achieving), which causes more tension everywhere. To make matters worse, Curze is still around to fan the phosphex with which Macragge applying like a salve...

On Caliban things are also extremely tense, after the unfortunate events of Cypher: Guardian of the Order have come between the master of secrets and the old guard Librarian, and the events of Master of the First have created an ordered chaos of bewildering webs of overlapping loyalty that lay a mysterious foundation on the enigmatic bedrock of origin of the Cypher who became a Dark Angel that makes up the paranoid and duplicitous mien of the First Legion that become the Chapter branded the Unforgiven. Confused? You should be. That keeps on simmering nicely.

All this disorganised military mayhem culminates in a cluster of explosive and fascinating finales that Thorpe deftly orchestrates like a Navigator in high-vis with the glowing airport batons waving and third eye set to main beam!

I need to learn patience and that stories can be great without me getting my emotional hooks in early. Every time I read a slowburn or a meticulously orchestrated narrative that comes good at the end it's like the first time and I go from being not as enthused as I would want to be to luminescent with joy when it all comes good, and baybee! It all comes good in this one!

Splitting the narrative between Macragge and Caliban was a good choice. They would work as separate novellas of told differently, but the way the two stories play off each other as one builds up to kerfuffle and the other kerfuffles down to fall apart works really well.

The tiny glimpse we get of Luther and co away from home and getting scolded for it is awesome and the way Thorpe writes Typhon/us is incredible! It's such a fascinating and humanising perspective and I need more! Honestly, having finished this now, this is the only thing I could ask more of, despite knowing that's not what this book is. I just loved it and hope to see more on the future.

I have had some mixed feelings about the Dark Angels stories with me generally having a great time with the novels, but some real up and downs with the shorts. I am starting to realise that this is more of a me problem and the more austere and clinical tone that often pervades them is just their vibe and the various stories are all part of the colossal fortress of cards that is the the story of the First Legion. Having consumed so much of it now and being able to step back and see the parts connect and the intricacies play out, I have a new found respect and appreciation for how much the various players had to go through to be who and where they are when they are needed to be.

Ultimately, the Dark Angels are one of the Legions/ Chapters that simultaneously the most and the least is known about them and, especially since sixth edition of Warhammer 40K, they are one of the most prominent and hallmark factions. This means their story has to be good, has to hit certain beats, and has so much of it that it has to thread and accomplish by the end, as well as being original and entertaining along the way. That's a colossal ask and Thorpe really steps up to the plate or maybe wicket as GW/BL is British and hits a homer for six!

I go back and forth about how much the authors truly understand what they are doing in the details and situations they have play out within the Imperium and how the stories expose and autopsy the Imperium, and by extension, authoritarianism, and even the concept of states and justice systems. I've absolutely read this wrong and held my hands up and pulled a full 180 on Thorpe's brilliant Honour to the Dead, which a one point I misread as being more uhrah and Marvel than it actually is. The general handling and advertising of things relating to the Imperium, particularly around Guilliman, by Games Workshop, and the let's just say *interesting* perspective put forth by Darius Hinks' Elyrium, not to mention the handling of a certain subset of the fanbase and some accusations of GW staff, are all things that do give me pause about how much GW and BL understand the founding principles of 40K being a parody and the Imperium not being 'good guys'. However, reading this, much like I have said about John French, I think Thorpe *gets* it!

The way he shows Imperium Secondus and Caliban variously falling apart and orgiansing themselves into one thing, while proclaiming many others is incredible. There's too much to go into in detail, but, and I desperately want to believe this was the point of this, a situation in which someone who has unquestionably done bad things is brought to a court of law, but no-one practicing law will represent them because they are bad, does not reflect poorly on the person, but ethos and practices of that justice system. The whole court sequence in many ways is a huge critique of the way justice and law are administered, especially in authoritarian dictatorships, but in any place where a state has power. I'll not get too far into by anarcho-socialist nonsense if you don't try to tell me this incredibly obviously political from the start story and setting isn't political. OK?

All of this to say, it takes some time to get cooking, but it absolutely is worth the wait and I am incredibly satisfied and over the moon with how this Imperium Secondus and Dark Angels storyline is going. Thorpe has done a smashing job here! I absolutely cannot wait for more!

Honestly, there's so many awesome moments from the final act I would love to just gush about and I was genuinely open-mouthed and beyond excited a few times, but I don't want to spoil anything.

Bloody marvellous!

Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 30 Horus Heresy novels, 16 novellas (including 2 repeats), 101 short stories/ audio dramas (including 6 repeats), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 15 Primarchs novels, 4 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels and a short story...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.

[Nickolas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A long, long time ago in a galaxy…here…I read ANGELS OF DARKNESS by Gav Thorpe. I’d been reading Warhammer 40,000 tie-in fiction for a short while but this was my first exposure to the Dark Angels. It was more thoughtful and considerate than I was accustomed to for a 40k novel. Don’t get me wrong, ANGELS OF DARKNESS stills packs the heavy hitting action the war-game is known for, but it also delves deeply into the history of one of 40k’s most mysterious factions. It’s been a long time since I read that book but it remains one of my all time favorites set in the grim darkness of the future. ANGELS OF CALIBAN takes place 10,000 years before ANGELS OF DARKNESS, during the Horus Heresy, and fills in more of the details of the I legion’s shameful past. It is also the third novel in the Imperium Secundus subplot of the larger Horus Heresy series, following Dan Abnett’s THE UNREMEMBERED EMPIRE and Guy Haley’s PHAROS.

If you’ve read my PHAROS review you’re aware that I’m a big fan of the Imperium Secundus subplot and ANGELS OF CALIBAN is (probably) the end of that specific era of the Horus Heresy. Unfortunately I feel as though the concept wasn’t explored nearly as fully as it deserved but it’s still a satisfying diversion from the main conflict of the galactic-spanning civil war and ANGELS OF CALIBAN is a powerful (likely) finale to the arc.

Here’s the Amazon synopsis of ANGELS OF CALIBAN…

Two infamous Space Marine Primarch rivals clash for the final time.

With the Dark Angels spread across a hundred systems, primarch Lion El’Jonson stands as Lord Protector of Ultramar – though his true motives are known to few indeed, and old rivalries on the home world threaten to tear the Legion in half. But when word comes of the Night Lords’ attack on Sotha, the Lion’s brutal actions bring Imperium Secundus once again to the brink of civil war. Not even the most fearsome warriors of the Dreadwing, nor any arcane secret of the Order, can guarantee victory if he sets himself against his loyal brothers.

ANGELS OF CALIBAN follows two storylines. The first thread takes place within the borders of Imperium Secundus as Lion El’Jonson continues to hunt his traitorous maniac of a brother, Konrad Curze. After the events of PHAROS, Lion is called back to secure the world of Ultramar where it appears Curze has been hiding the whole time. Here the primarch of the Dark Angels decides to flush out the Night Haunter by cracking down on the civilian populace and imposing martial law.The Dark Angels’ draconian security measures fan the flames of discontent and ignite civil unrest. Meanwhile back on Caliban the Lion’s adopted father Luther seeks to cast off the chains of the Imperium and the Dark Angels. To accomplish this Luther will have to navigate the questionable motives of his inner council, suppress any Space Marines loyal to Lion El’Jonson, and deal with the fleet of ships that have arrived unannounced in the solar system.

Apart from being the third book in the Imperium Secundus subplot, ANGELS OF CALIBAN is also the sequel to DESCENT OF ANGELS (Book 6 of the Horus Heresy) and FALLEN ANGELS (Book 11 of the Horus Heresy). It also references a number of events featured in short stories set in the series…needless to say ANGELS OF CALIBAN is not a standalone story and it is really not the place to jump into the series. I’ll include a similar disclaimer to the ones I’ve used for the last two Horus Heresy reviews I’ve posted: There exist some Horus Heresy novels that can be read out of their numerical publishing order but if you haven’t been following along with the series I would not recommend starting with ANGELS OF CALIBAN. It’s got even more sequel-ception going on than PHAROS. That said, I’ll try not to reveal too much about the book in case you’re intrigued by the Horus Heresy but uncertain about jumping into a series that is currently 38 books long.

ANGELS OF CALIBAN starts off very strong with a prologue set during the Great Crusade to reunite the galaxy under the Emperor’s rule. Horus holds a ceremony to congratulate the forces of a disparate coalition he cobbled together in order to quash a rebellion on a planet previously brought to compliance. Here Horus gives credit to all of the units who contributed to the hard fought victory and among those assembled is Luther and a few Dark Angels. Then Lion El’Jonson crashes the party, upset that Luther has disobeyed orders by heeding the Warmaster’s call and abandoning his duties on Caliban. The scene is powerful on multiple levels. Horus’s appreciation for the efforts of even the least consequential mortal auxiliaries is a firm reminder of why people are so willing and eager to follow his lead. On another level we come to further understand the frustration and hurt of Luther, kept from the glories of the Great Crusade and shamed by his adopted son in front of his allies for answering the Warmaster’s call to arms. It’s hard not to see Lion as an utter bully and this is a theme that continues throughout the story. And then there’s Lion’s sheer audacity to interrupt Horus’s celebration. Generally interactions between Horus and his brothers have been far less contemptuous, at least in the lead up to the actual Heresy.

ANGELS OF CALIBAN is full of affecting moments like this. There’s some thrilling bolter porn for the action junkies but like ANGELS OF DARKNESS, this novel is a much more considerate and thoughtful read. The interactions between the characters, especially the interactions between the primarchs, make for a memorable read. The conflict between Lion and Roboute Guilliman as Lion exerts his authority as Lord Protector of Imperium Secundus is great. As mentioned earlier Lion El’Jonson really can be a bully and while I can’t agree with his methods I find it easy to appreciate him as a character. In contrast to the practicality of Lion, Roboute comes across as naive. They pose a good foil for each other and it’s a shame that their brother Sanguinius has had so little to do in the Imperium Secundus subplot. Sanguinius shows up at the very end of THE UNREMEMBERED EMPIRE and is crowned emperor. Then there’s a brief bit in PHAROS where he’s nearly assassinated and in ANGELS OF CALIBAN he’s too preoccupied with his visions of the future to do much more than intervene when Lion and Roboute come to a an impasse. Otherwise Sanguinius is pretty inconsequential to the whole arc.

The interactions between Luther and the Dark Angels on Caliban also propel the novel along with the velocity of a Thunderhawk gunship. Luther has allies of circumstance but it becomes increasingly clear as the story progresses that while they may have similar goals, none of them are perfectly in alignment. Luther wants to free Caliban from any who might seek to rule over it, Zahariel wants to release the Ouroboros which he believes to be the spirit of Caliban, Astelan wants to do what’s best for Astelan, and who the hell knows what Lord Cypher wants. I’ve had friends say it’s the Horus Heresy equivalent of GAME OF THRONES. I can’t disagree with that assessment and I wish I could take credit for making it. There’s even a banquet scene that would make George R.R. Martin proud…

Switching between the politicking on pseudo-Medieval Europe Caliban and the Lion’s heavy handed policing of pseudo-Roman Empire Macragge keeps things interesting. Through Astelan we learn more about the I legion’s history dating back to the Emperor’s Six Hosts of Angels. Through voted-lieutenant Farith Redloss we learn about the previously unknown Dreadwing of the Dark Angels and readers are treated to watching the relentless way they do battle. Dark Angels fans are going to love all these tasty little morsels that Thorpe bakes into the plot and those who aren’t currently fans of the I legion may come away with a new appreciation for them. ANGELS OF CALIBAN serves as a hearty reminder of what separates the Dark Angels from other Space Marines.

Thorpe’s greatest triumph in writing ANGELS OF CALIBAN may very well be writing Konrad Curze in a way that doesn’t make me want to rage quit the book. Despite my adoration of Aaron Dembski Bowden’s NIGHTLORDS series, I have no love for Konrad Curze. The Night Haunter was the worst part of THE UNREMEMBERED EMPIRE and PHAROS. Fortunately Thorpe manages to write him in a way that’s sinister and insane without crossing the line into cartoony. The encounter between Lion and Curze is exhilarating in a way that the majority of the primarch duels have so far failed to grip me.

All of this leads to what I consider the best part of the novel but be warned, spoilers follow so you might want to skip the next paragraph…

The trial of Curze is short-lived but AWESOME. I never would have considered it possible for one of the traitors to mount a feasible defense of their crimes in court but Curze doesn’t do too badly for himself in exposing Lion’s war crimes. Better yet Thorpe delivers an acceptable reason for not executing Curze and that was always going to be the hardest part to swallow, at least for me. Anyone with background knowledge of Warhammer 40,000 knows the circumstances surrounding Curze’s death so it should come as no surprise that he is not executed at the hands of Sanguinius, Roboute, and Lion. Still, it’s aggravating that they have a traitor primarch in their grasp and fail to kill him but Thorpe manages to make the pill far less bitter and bring Imperium Secundus to a satisfying conclusion. Watching the dissolution of Imperium Secundus and seeing the realization of what they’ve done dawn on Roboute is distinctly poignant.

Spoilers end here.

There are so many great titles in the Horus Heresy so far so it feels disingenuous to say that ANGELS OF CALIBAN is “one of the best” so instead I’ll say that I expect it to live on for a long time in my memory in much the same way as ANGELS OF DARKNESS. I love Thorpe writing the Dark Angels and I cannot wait to see the eventual cataclysmic confrontation between Lion El’Jonson and Luther.

Recommended Age: 16+
Profanity: Nothing too severe
Violence: Some bloody combat but less than might be expected.
Sex: None

Nick Sharps
Elitist Book Reviews

[Callum Shephard · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a difficult thing to predict when a nightmare tale will truly end. At every twist and turn, every new flip of a coin, the narrative might take pause to put a far darker spin upon things, or unveil some new horror no one could have predicted. That said, of late there has been an apparent push to start edging towards the Horus Heresy's end and the climactic Siege of Terra. After the White Scars finally returned to humanity's cradle and so many short stories were collected into single volumes, plots are slowly being tied up and ended. Now it seems the biggest of them is being closed off - The Unremembered Empire. Already reeling from the pyrrhic events of Sotha, Guilliman's Imperium Secundus is hard pressed thanks to distrust among brothers and enemies within their walls. Its days are numbered, and with events on Caliban spiraling out of control, a reckoning between old foes may be the war which finally shatters the kingdom once and for all.

Like many of the recent books, Angels of Caliban is less the tale of a single legion than it is several heroes spread across the Legiones Astartes. As such, it takes the time to give greater insight into the Death Guard, Ultramarines, Blood Angels and the humans serving the Imperium during this era. Even when it does place its focus upon the Dark Angels themselves, time is taken to cover the divides and smaller cultures present within the legions. This not only offers the book the sort of scale such a massive event truly needs, but encapsulates a real sense of legacy among its forces. Rather than merely having certain warriors reflecting nostalgically about the early days of the Great Crusade, we're given flashes of insight and brief moments to emphasise how different that era truly was. It's easy to forget just how much the galaxy has changed since this series started; but when older warriors discuss the reasons for the First Legion lacking so many Tech-Priests, the formations of the Orders or old friendships among the primarchs, it enhances that sense of age far more than many a novel from this series.

Flashbacks to earlier days do arise from time to time, only further enhancing this sense of age. After almost thirty books, a brief glimpse back into the days where Horus was loyal is practically surreal. Seeing him behaving in his boisterous, jovial and bellowing manner is almost shocking after all this time, and Thorpe goes out of his way to emphasise the elements the primarch has lost since that age. Equally, many figures picked out for such sections tend to be those reshaped by the war, with an extended segment within Typhon's head offering some much needed insight into the future host of the Destroyer Hive. While certainly praiseworthy, what makes these segments stand out is how well each is always tied back into the core plot rather than being left to meander for most of the book. While they offer a welcome glimpse into a more hopeful past, their ultimate role is to emphasise the long standing divide between Luthor and the Lion. Like many elements within the story, such moments are short but very satisfying, serving as effective reminders without ever feeling overly repetitive or out of place.

Where the book truly tends to shine, however, is when the primarchs are gathered in one place. For someone whose works have involved little of their rivalries or relationships, Thrope handles their actions with a deft hand. While they're certainly verbose and oddly blunt at times, there's always an element of humanity to their actions through the larger-than-life behaviour. We were given a brief glimpse of this in one of Deliverance Lost's better moments, the brief reunion between Corax and Dorn, and here it truly shines. This is especially clear during the closing chapter of the book, which still hits the reader like a hammer despite knowing the revelation the loyalists uncover long before they were even aware of it.

Unfortunately, the larger-than-life aspects of the tale are a hindrance as much as an asset. While he can write astartes, primarchs, daemons and the like with ease, Thorpe seems to have difficulty writing normal humans when they're about, or sticking to simpler plot devices. The few human characters here never sound as if they're normal folks among giants, and even the astartes themselves push suspension of disbelief a little too hard with their overtly clipped exchanges at times. This is only further hurt by the fact that several key events within the story can only work thanks to supreme idiocy upon the part of one character or another, especially on Caliban. We literally have a warrior forget that he is speaking to a turncoat who murdered several of his closest brothers and betrayed him in the space of five seconds, before hanging onto his every word. Moments like this are so jarring they break the cloak-and-dagger atmosphere the book so expertly sets up, and bring it to near ruin more than once.

A further failing is that there is very little in the way of explanations or updates from smaller works. A number of audio dramas and short tales helped to explore the Dark Angels' role in this war, and without reading all of them you'll be completely lost as to what is going on. Both Zahariel and Astelan suffer badly from this thanks to a very abrupt introduction; meaning even completion may want to take a refresher course on the lore before getting into this latest book. Even if you were to do so however, you might notice that certain personality quirks don't quite line up with prior depictions, and that several characters seem to have jumped over a few steps on the road to treachery.

There is also the matter of combat to be considered and how it is presented here. While certainly not bad by any means, more than a few eagle eyed readers might quickly pick up on the fact that it only works in certain bits. For example, the opening chapters in the Imperium Secundus feature some fantastically overt battles, including a full scale planetary assault by the Deathwing. It's certainly entertaining and will quickly get you hooked, but you might also notice that much of it follows only a single character. Many of the best moments are reserved for one-on-one duels and there are few points where the characters wade fully into multi-man-melees. There's also rarely a point where the book truly emphasises the scale or pressing conflict of two armies wading into battle against one another, and it often relies purely upon statistics or numbers to back this up. Compared with the likes of Armatura and the prior two novels, this is a definite step down in terms of big scale combat, and this can leave readers understandably disappointed.

For all these flaws however, there's no denying that Angels of Caliban is still a worthwhile read. Thanks to both its strong character driven moments and broad scope, there's no denying that the bad is well worth stomaching for the good and its importance in the series as a whole is undeniable. This said, those who have had difficulty with Thorpe's prose in the past will likely be left tearing their hair out at this one, so take the time to read a few extracts before grabbing it.

[Matthew Hipsher · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 38th book in the Horus Heresy series is a very good story based around the Imperium Secundous, the interplay between 3 loyal Primarchs and their traitor brother. Add in the drama of a world left unattended by it's Primarch ruler, we see the reasons for the Heresy play out in a smaller scale, leading to similar endings.
The best thing about this book though might just be how the ending follows the course of the rest of the book and makes sense, as opposed to other books in the series when the endings seemed to be thrown in just to help continue the story and link it to the next, rather than bring the book to a close.

Great book and should be added to the "must read" section for those working through the story of the Heresy.

[Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one. It is starting to frustrate me a little how much the loyal primarchs bicker and fight amongst each other. I feel like the traitor and chaos infected primarchs work better with each other then the loyalist do. I'd just love to see some good team ups a bit more with out so much tension between them. In a universe where half their brothers have turned on and want to kill them, I would like to think what ever remaining loyal brothers I had I would want to keep close to and be thankful some didn't turn.

[Arnis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nezinot par Zemes/Terra likteni, vai Cilvēces Imperators sakauts un kritis no nodevēja Horusa rokas, vai Impērija vēl eksistē, Ultramarines (UM) primarks Roboute Guilliman kopā ar Dark Angels (DA) primarku Lauvu El’Džonsonu un Blood Angels (BA) primarku Sangviniusu dibina savu Imperium Secundus. Lai, ja gadījumā otrpus naidnieku radītās warp Ruinstorm vētras aizsega un blokādes ir noticis ļaunākais, cilvēcei būtu vēl cerība nekrist Horusa nešķīsto spēku korumpētajās ķetnās.

https://poseidons99.com/2025/08/17/ga...

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really much better, and more philosophical than it has any right to be. Asks a lot of questions about nature versus nurture, about the extent to which we are made by our situations versus our power to exert our control over them in the case of Conrad Kurze versus the Lion, for instance. Shows how the Lion is not so different from Kurze as he would like to believe, and how unfit for stewardship (almost all) of the Emperor’s sons are, with perhaps the exception of Guilliman. (But really, they are all tyrants). And that doesn’t even touch on what is happening on Caliban. What a great addition to the Horus Heresy series.

[Joshua · Rating 2 out of 5]

The actual story is pretty interesting. Unfortunately Thorpe’s efforts at making the characters interesting fails, and they are all mostly caricatures. The writing itself is pretty clunky with a lot of awkward attempts at figurative language (eg the “dust swirled like smoke, parting to form a clear path…”). I had higher hopes coming into this from Pharos.

[Matej Houdek · Rating 5 out of 5]

King in the castle, king in the castle. Have a chair, I have a chair.

[Richard Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the story a little disjointed in regard to how the knight’s of Kaliban reformed and the hunt for Konrad.

[Rhys Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this one much more enjoyable than the previous two Horus Heresy Dark Angels novels. It’s more complex in its composition, I’d recommend it especially if you like A Song of Ice and Fire

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I deeply enjoyed one of the two stories in this book, and appreciated the other. The problem for me here is the Lion. I dislike him and feel he has greatly misled his Legion, so while I can appreciate stories about him, I don’t enjoy reading them.

[La Criatura]

Before I started reading I took a look at this and went "Oh, by the person who wrote Lorgar's primarch novel, which I read multiple times and which made me feel genuinely ill. Wonder if that'll hold here". Glad to say it does!

I've said it before, I'll say it a hundred times-- I won't say "no" to a good honest battle scene in a 40K novel, nor do I go into them in general not expecting them, but generally I do prefer when they're batshit insane family dramas. In that regard, this book is excellent. The other two books I read ostensibly about the Lion/the Ist warmed me to him a bit but this one succeeds in making me genuinely love him, through one very simple method: making him seem like a complete asshole. He sucks SO bad in this book he looks like the bad guy next to the guy who talks about eating children. It's astounding, and fantastic. I LOVE that he sucks. I love that he is a dickhead. I love that he's winning the "most autistic man alive" competition in a universe where this is actually a hotly contested title. He's jumped up several points in the "favorite primarch" ranks by sheer virtue of the fact that he sucks and is awful.

It's especially great to see when contrasted with Luther's whole arc in this one, when he's the one who is in greater scope unambiguously cast as the villain. Obviously things go south from here, both because the fate of everyone involved in this is a foregone conclusion and also because Chaos is one hell of a drug, but it's so fascinating to in the Caliban chapters listen to Luther speak and say things that are just unambiguously correct. It's addressed in the other Dark Angels books prior to this one a little too, but what the Imperium does to Caliban is kind of just awful. He's right about the natural ecology of the world being despoiled, and about their history and tradition being erased, and about the way the extraction of resources from the people include the extraction and permanent mutilation of their children. He's right about how the Great Crusade was genocide and slaughter on a mass scale. He's right about how they're an afterthought to their liege(s) even after they've given all they can give. And if there's any speculation that he's not pretty much 100% right about everything the book cuts frequently from the rebellion on Caliban to "here's the war crime du jour the Lion is doing right now".

They hated Sar Luther because he spoke the truth 😔

My micro-rant about how the traitors were right aside, every single new bit of information I get about it also confirms to me that the Lion and Luther also have one of the most insane interpersonal relationships in this entire setting, which is saying a LOT, but there aren't many other characters in this universe who have a guy who went from being their kid to their sibling to kind of their parent/definitely their liege-lord. The few other primarchs who had positive-ish relationships with their fathers still to some degree seem to see their fathers as just that. Guilliman is still very much defined by his relationship to Konor being parent-child, what with the whole "Avenging Son" moniker. Vulkan loved his father as father and mentor even as a grown man. Lorgar's whole Everything with Kor Phaeron is... sure something, but all of that aside he does clearly seek the guy out specifically as a father figure even after outgrowing him in most meaningful ways. Not so with the Lion, who very obviously does not see Luther as a mentor, and seems to barely consider him a peer most of the time. A not insignificant portion of Luther's motivation in this novel and onwards is that he feels neglected and spurned by someone who he would have willingly given his life for, and he talks + thinks about it constantly, where Lion barely seems to remember Luther exists until the very last, at which point he's like, well, that'll have to wait, I have more important things going on.

It's crazy that somehow Lion is the neglectful father in his relationship with his dad. No one is doing it like him, truly. Also the brief passage where Luther mentions he was married before he met the Lion as a child and both his wife and daughter died in childbirth was put in specifically to make me feel light-headed. The implication that the Lion, by existing and by growing up at the rate at which he did, fills the emotional void in Luther's life left there by both daughter AND wife is... I have to think about this more. I will be thinking about this more.

Man, all of Imperium Secundus bangs so far. Excited for Ruinstorm too :)

[Aaro Huttunen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite average Horus Heresy book. Worst of the Imperium Secondus and Dark Angels Books. Moves the story forward which is nice, but is hard to follow thanks to the two different plot lines. A very dramatic and sudden change in the way the Dark Angels act and conduct themself. I found it to be clumsy and forced, without a real reason behind the change from the Dark Angels in Fallen Angels book.

[Bastiaan Vergoossen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review to Gav on facebook :

Finished angels of caliban some time ago but still didn't give my thoughts on it (shame on me). For me the most anticipated book of the year. So expectations were high. Well, here they are. Just some thoughts collected. Possibly spoilers for the ones one haven't read it.

- Zaramund chapter. Great chapter. Such a feel good climate, with an imperial victory and Luther in good spirits, only for the Lion to ruin it. When he entered, well, that was some tension. Even Horus didn't say much at that moment. Great scene.
- Great line by the Lion about hitting Guilliman theoretically and practically. Nice one.
- Good scenes between the Triumvirate, about how to handle Illyrium. Very nice how Guilliman was prepared to destroy it all, Imperium secundus and the triumvirate because he won't take THAT measures against his own people. THAT'S MY GUILLIMAN. He's my favorite character in HH, and you wrote a good one. Thanks !
- Cool stuff on Caliban too. Read a review where it was called game of thrones in 30k. Indeed it is a bit : Astelan, Zahariel, Luther, Lord Cypher : they all have their own agendas. As a reader you need to stay focused to keep this in mind all the time. Built up was perhaps a bit slow, in Ultramar also. But I think the story needed this to get the most profit in the ending chapters, so I agree.
- The scene with the silver cups was great also. What a speech by Luther : THAT'S the true Luther. That's what made him so strong, so good, so beloved. Luther built's up such a case, with such arguments that it is believable to turn against the Lion and the Emperor. You combined several old things for the HH series and used them for Luther's speech. Nemiel, Luther send back, Space wolves vs thousand sons, knights errants, the Lion in Ultramar, the Emperor in absentia. That's also great research / knowledge of your work. Perhaps one of the best scenes you have ever written. My compliments.
- Then, at some points, great shifts and surprises. Some things go very different than expected as a reader.
- Whole Lion - Curze scene was cool, with the Mountain, the snow, the tension, the Lion using all his senses to track Curze. The fight was a bit different also. Not just sword against lightning claws. But that was nice.
- I would have liked to have a bit more Luther in the story, about his inner thoughts a bit more, about his disappointment in being sent back and not fighting in the Great Crusade. Him being sidelined as the great warrior and man he is, was always a favorite theme of mine. It is there, but I would have liked to have more about it.

During the story I was wondering. 4 out of 5 stars or 5 out of 5 ? Well, the last fourth of the book was so strong, with such good scenes, tension and development, that I go for 5 out of 5. The built up was needed for the second half of the book to REALLY shine. A great read and a very worthy addition to the HH series. Keep on the good work. Cheers !

[Father Aaron Lynch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Man, I really wish that I liked the Dark Angels, but I just... don't. They are so theoretically cool, but reading about them having their super convoluted infighting was just boring. I felt this was a necessary read because it's part of the Imperium Secundus arc, and it kinda is necessary, but I wish it weren't. Go read the spoilers instead or watch a YouTube video synopsis