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Warhammer 40,000
Dante (Blood Angels)
Dante est le Seigneur de l’un des plus anciens mais des plus troublés des chapitres space marines: les Blood Angels. Dès son enfance dans les déserts radioactifs de Baal Secundus, il était destiné à une vie de gloire et de conflits. Depuis sa sélection jusqu’aux cités ruches d’Armageddon, et la menace alien du système Cryptus, Dante a affronté tous les ennemis de l’Imperium. Il a rencontré le divin et a lutté chaque jour contre le sombre secret qu’est le fardeau de tous les fils de Sanguinius. Plus âgé que n’importe quel autre maître de chapitre, ceci est l’histoire de sa vie... L’histoire de sa légende.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2017
148 people are currently reading
1162 people want to read
About the author
Guy Haley
288 books725 followersGuy Haley is the author of over 50 novels and novellas. His original fiction includes Crash, Champion of Mars, and the Richards and Klein, Dreaming Cities, and the Gates of the World series (as K M McKinley). However, he is best known as a prolific contributor to Games Workshop's Black Library imprint.
When not writing, he'll be out doing something dangerous in the wild, learning languages or gaming.
When not writing, he'll be out doing something dangerous in the wild, learning languages or gaming.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
February 1, 2019
This was absolutely wonderful. Guy keeps impressing me with each new book I get to live through. This one is a truly mesmerizing character driven tale. I loved the way two stories were presented to us, the development of young Luis and the struggles or ancient Dante, being so different and yet the same. Home planet lore must be one of my favorite things I find in 40k literature, as much as I appreciate a good old battle scene. This was well thought out, atmospheric, almost real. I appreciated the great amount of insight on the ways a boy becomes an Angel. I loved the dynamic between the protagonist and his loyal equerry, it really did touch my heart. I had only one slight issue with this book. Sometimes it felt like things were being explained far too much. A couple of times I found myself thinking "Come on, Guy, I get it. This is what it means. This is why he did that thing. It's been obvious at least two paragraphs ago." But I am definitely nitpicking, because I loved it overall and I recommend it to every 40k fan, no matter how you feel about the sons of Sanguinius. After this story Dante very well might join a short list of my most beloved Space Marines, and this says a lot. Now I'm going to start The Devastation of Baal, I NEED MORE!
March 22, 2017
I had been waiting with bated breath for the release of this book: finally, a full length novel about the leader of my favorite Adeptus Astartes Chapter, the Blood Angels! I am happy to report, this book did not disappoint in the least. Dante is a character that has been around for a very long time in the background lore of Warhammer 40k, but was (unfortunately) not terribly detailed, aside from a nebulous depiction as a moral paragon in grimdark universe. Guy Haley proved to be very much up to the challenge of breathing life into this legend, and making Dante both sympathetic and, refreshingly, flawed. Haley also goes into great detail about the workings of the Blood Angels, very pleasing for me as a reader because so many lore-nerd questions are given satisfying answers. While I was a fan of the older James Swallow-written Blood Angels books, I feel that Haley's descriptive (but less flowery) writing style may do them greater justice.
I would recommend this book to any 40k fan, and to fans of the Blood Angels in particular of course. Knowledge of the expanded lore is not required for entry, because Haley does an excellent job of detailing the background universe in a way that would bring any reader up to speed quickly. I give this book 5 stars out of 5 with no reservations. My Blood Angels are in capable hands.
I would recommend this book to any 40k fan, and to fans of the Blood Angels in particular of course. Knowledge of the expanded lore is not required for entry, because Haley does an excellent job of detailing the background universe in a way that would bring any reader up to speed quickly. I give this book 5 stars out of 5 with no reservations. My Blood Angels are in capable hands.
May 22, 2019
"Do you swear to protect the weak and smite down their oppressors, to resist the thirst and the rage so long as you are able?"
"I do so swear".
I suppose this is one of the several purely 'biographical' stories in the entire Black Library history - and that's what drew me in from the start, even though obviously there must be many other tales about one of the oldest of Imperium's commanders waiting to be shared...
While in this novel Dante is often portrayed at what is surely the very height of his long, splendid career - when he prepares to counter the direst threat to his Chapter's homeworld - a sufficiently large part of the book is devoted instead to his earliest years as the brave Baalite boy intent on making it as a warrior of the fabled Adeptus Astartes.
For me, the chronicle of rigorous trials and tribulations of young Dante's journey through the arid salt plains and rad-polluted ridges for his chance to behold the near-mythical Angels' domain, and then the first years after his inductment into their glorious ranks, were the very best episodes in the whole story. Because they all serve to show that entering one of the Imperium's greatest warrior brotherhoods is never about one's background, wealth or privilege. No, it was his own virtues, dedication and perseverance that allowed an ordinary desert boy to attain - after many, many war-filled years - the greatest rank in a Chapter of the mankind's finest defenders. And that's why I instantly liked this novel by one of my favourite BL authors. After all, the Space Marines are forged not just from the strongest of candidates, but from the most virtuous, devout and selfless...
Among the rest of the First Founding chapters, Blood Angels have always been renowned for their talents in fine arts. Thus, one of the subjectively best scenes in the novel shows the newly-reborn Dante and his comrades first learn about this particular aspect of their Primarch's legacy. I'd say it was one of Sanguinius's greatest lessons - that pursuing various arts should help a Blood Angel retain his own humanity and serve as a living inspiration for the common mortals - while, at the same time, try to keep subdued the Chapter's darker, more unsavoury side...
P.S. Alas, much as I like it that beautifully made books are in such high demand, when the limited edition of 'Dante' was published, I still knew nothing about Warhammer, and even less of the Black Library!
"I do so swear".
I suppose this is one of the several purely 'biographical' stories in the entire Black Library history - and that's what drew me in from the start, even though obviously there must be many other tales about one of the oldest of Imperium's commanders waiting to be shared...
While in this novel Dante is often portrayed at what is surely the very height of his long, splendid career - when he prepares to counter the direst threat to his Chapter's homeworld - a sufficiently large part of the book is devoted instead to his earliest years as the brave Baalite boy intent on making it as a warrior of the fabled Adeptus Astartes.
For me, the chronicle of rigorous trials and tribulations of young Dante's journey through the arid salt plains and rad-polluted ridges for his chance to behold the near-mythical Angels' domain, and then the first years after his inductment into their glorious ranks, were the very best episodes in the whole story. Because they all serve to show that entering one of the Imperium's greatest warrior brotherhoods is never about one's background, wealth or privilege. No, it was his own virtues, dedication and perseverance that allowed an ordinary desert boy to attain - after many, many war-filled years - the greatest rank in a Chapter of the mankind's finest defenders. And that's why I instantly liked this novel by one of my favourite BL authors. After all, the Space Marines are forged not just from the strongest of candidates, but from the most virtuous, devout and selfless...
Among the rest of the First Founding chapters, Blood Angels have always been renowned for their talents in fine arts. Thus, one of the subjectively best scenes in the novel shows the newly-reborn Dante and his comrades first learn about this particular aspect of their Primarch's legacy. I'd say it was one of Sanguinius's greatest lessons - that pursuing various arts should help a Blood Angel retain his own humanity and serve as a living inspiration for the common mortals - while, at the same time, try to keep subdued the Chapter's darker, more unsavoury side...
P.S. Alas, much as I like it that beautifully made books are in such high demand, when the limited edition of 'Dante' was published, I still knew nothing about Warhammer, and even less of the Black Library!
January 5, 2024
The relief death would bring to him… How he anticipated it more eagerly every year. He must wait. He must fight. Dante would never allow himself to give up to any enemy, least of all despair.
Dante would love to die. But he just can’t! So he’s just going to keep on doing his best for us.
Good
In a similar vein to Descent of Angels , Dante engages in the more fantasy aspects of Warhammer 40K, with Baal System’s low tech nature providing the backdrop to setpieces involving facing nature with limited resources. The Angel’s Leap scene is particularly evocative:
A long, winding stair went up to the pinnacle of Angel’s Leap. Many of the youths had roused themselves already and thronged the way. Knots of parents packed the base of the stairs, expressions prideful yet pale with fear for their sons who passed by, their wing poles over their shoulders and packs on their backs. The stone spine was black and glassy, the steps carved into it slippery and their edges still sharp from their carving, though it had been done unimaginably far back in time.
It is open to a reader to list off all the tropes that knit the story together (the final test being noticeably cringe worthy). However, I do like Dante’s journey to a “straight-man” character. Dante is a good guy with a clear character development path. The additional page length compared to the Primarchs series suits Haley – Dante is a well constructed story that can serve as a basis for explaining Dante’s actions in the current setting.
Maybe.
Too Good
‘Brothers, will you fight with me one final time upon these blood -slick streets? Will you fight with me, not for glory or for Baal, but for common humanity and the lives of these worthy soldiers?’
The first question on my mind upon finishing Dante? The original publication date:
March 2017
The second question on my mind? The original publication date for Haley’s novel Dark Imperium, where we get to see the shiny new Primaris Marines in action:
June 2017
And I consider that this is more than a coincidence, and possibly part of the issue where Games Workshop occasionally has to put out press releases reminding people that the official stance is that there are no “good guys” in Warhammer 40K.
I assume this position applies in a faction wide sense, and I do not see a contradiction with writing “good” characters such as Gaunt acting within the constraints of an uncaring and often evil Imperium of Mankind. However, Dante is a major player here, capable of dooming or saving vast numbers of worlds by his command, which he exercises in Dante. Dante is an übermensch, the superhero making the “hard” calls that feel too abstract to meaningfully convey moral weight to the reader. Dante’s portion of the explicitly fascistic coded Imperium of Mankind ends up being implicitly morally good because its leading figure is good.
So why is Dante “good” ? Because Haley sets him up as the straight-man in Dante! Very rarely does Dante kill “innocents”, and more than once the decision and act is pushed onto others. Dante swears to supresses his vampiric nature, but conveniently gets to break that oath in a way that doesn’t carry moral guilt. Yes, there is a scene with the orreti that contradicts this portrayal, and it is up to you to decide it adds enough layers to Dante’s relatively clean-cut presentation. My thought it is meant to act as a corrective to Dante, to push him towards the later alliances of convenience with necrons and the eldar, rather than reflective of a harsh deeper nature.
It is my position that, in 2017, Haley went in a certain direction with Dante and Dark Imperium that left it open to fans to conclude: “Hmmm, maybe humans are the good guys.” I suspect I was not the only one who thought this might be an issue. I am aware that the tone did get more grimdark in the Dark Imperium series, with Space Marines that previously saw themselves as humbly serving humanity suddenly becoming very comfortable with committing atrocities.
Still, he had a task to perform. He would see it done.
As I have not yet moved onto to later stories involving Dante, I will have to see how much the characterisation in Dante remains a guide to his later actions. The evidence suggests he will become much harsher. So yes, Dante is an enjoyable book, but it is somewhat problematic within the literary universe it is set.
Dante would love to die. But he just can’t! So he’s just going to keep on doing his best for us.
Good
In a similar vein to Descent of Angels , Dante engages in the more fantasy aspects of Warhammer 40K, with Baal System’s low tech nature providing the backdrop to setpieces involving facing nature with limited resources. The Angel’s Leap scene is particularly evocative:
A long, winding stair went up to the pinnacle of Angel’s Leap. Many of the youths had roused themselves already and thronged the way. Knots of parents packed the base of the stairs, expressions prideful yet pale with fear for their sons who passed by, their wing poles over their shoulders and packs on their backs. The stone spine was black and glassy, the steps carved into it slippery and their edges still sharp from their carving, though it had been done unimaginably far back in time.
It is open to a reader to list off all the tropes that knit the story together (the final test being noticeably cringe worthy). However, I do like Dante’s journey to a “straight-man” character. Dante is a good guy with a clear character development path. The additional page length compared to the Primarchs series suits Haley – Dante is a well constructed story that can serve as a basis for explaining Dante’s actions in the current setting.
Maybe.
Too Good
‘Brothers, will you fight with me one final time upon these blood -slick streets? Will you fight with me, not for glory or for Baal, but for common humanity and the lives of these worthy soldiers?’
The first question on my mind upon finishing Dante? The original publication date:
March 2017
The second question on my mind? The original publication date for Haley’s novel Dark Imperium, where we get to see the shiny new Primaris Marines in action:
June 2017
And I consider that this is more than a coincidence, and possibly part of the issue where Games Workshop occasionally has to put out press releases reminding people that the official stance is that there are no “good guys” in Warhammer 40K.
I assume this position applies in a faction wide sense, and I do not see a contradiction with writing “good” characters such as Gaunt acting within the constraints of an uncaring and often evil Imperium of Mankind. However, Dante is a major player here, capable of dooming or saving vast numbers of worlds by his command, which he exercises in Dante. Dante is an übermensch, the superhero making the “hard” calls that feel too abstract to meaningfully convey moral weight to the reader. Dante’s portion of the explicitly fascistic coded Imperium of Mankind ends up being implicitly morally good because its leading figure is good.
So why is Dante “good” ? Because Haley sets him up as the straight-man in Dante! Very rarely does Dante kill “innocents”, and more than once the decision and act is pushed onto others. Dante swears to supresses his vampiric nature, but conveniently gets to break that oath in a way that doesn’t carry moral guilt. Yes, there is a scene with the orreti that contradicts this portrayal, and it is up to you to decide it adds enough layers to Dante’s relatively clean-cut presentation. My thought it is meant to act as a corrective to Dante, to push him towards the later alliances of convenience with necrons and the eldar, rather than reflective of a harsh deeper nature.
It is my position that, in 2017, Haley went in a certain direction with Dante and Dark Imperium that left it open to fans to conclude: “Hmmm, maybe humans are the good guys.” I suspect I was not the only one who thought this might be an issue. I am aware that the tone did get more grimdark in the Dark Imperium series, with Space Marines that previously saw themselves as humbly serving humanity suddenly becoming very comfortable with committing atrocities.
Still, he had a task to perform. He would see it done.
As I have not yet moved onto to later stories involving Dante, I will have to see how much the characterisation in Dante remains a guide to his later actions. The evidence suggests he will become much harsher. So yes, Dante is an enjoyable book, but it is somewhat problematic within the literary universe it is set.
June 12, 2023
Final Rating: 4.5/5
No matter how much I love Dante, how much I love Blood Angels, this book had everything I wanted, and then maybe just a bit too much information I didn't really need to know...? I'll explain shortly.
If you are interested in how one, especially a Blood Angel is recruited to become an Astartes, what exactly their lifestyle on Baal, Baal Primus and Secundus are like, then this is for you. It's also a good intro into WH40k in general if you are interested into Astartes/Space Marines, what they go through to become one. And if you are into survival stuff, well... This is what I call the Too much information part moment - maybe it was a bit too much. Yes, I understand certain needs. Yes, I understand it was necessary to do. But why repeat the same thing 5 times in book? When you read it, you will understand.
The plot of this one is happening in two timelines:
1. When Dante went to get recruited by Blood Angels - describes from his early life, what he heard of angels, what he knew of Sanguinius, what he saw, what he felt, his family, his fears, regrets, his passion for saving people, his love for the world he lives on. And yet he's constantly facing trials just to reach the place that someone else who lived closer could get to easily just because they were born there. But he remained unchanged. He strictly believed that what he was doing was right, that even though he might be wrong it could be still be alright and that situation could be salvaged and saved and he met more boys going for the trial that he bonded with. This part shows his eventual path to leadership, his bonds with others, and what he and others had to do in order to survive to become Angels. But most importantly, it shows his encounters with Sanguinor, and he questions what it might mean.
2. Secondary storyline is set during Abaddon's 13th Black crusade, Hive Fleet Leviathan is approaching near Baal and finally they are already in semi alliance with necrons, following short story The Word of the Silent King. Dante once again sees Sanguinor, but this time, Sanguinor speaks to him of Hope. But is there hope when the difficult decisions have to be made, when there is only despair, when he doesn't know where to turn to or what to do anymore. He was alive for over 1000 of years, longer than any living Astartes and yet, he cannot die. At this point, it feels like this is all that he wants, and finally, his servant Arafeo, tries to help him.
Blood Angels are equivalent of Space Vampires - but also very "civilized" cultured, artistic space vampires, so expect some stuff from that too. As a blood angels fan, I was very satisfied.
Great book, but sometimes too many details. Both storylines are good, but his past storyline is the more important one, and the present one is not as important as it is set up for the other story.
It will also make you laugh. And maybe make you cry? i don't know, but I did, in the end.
This book can also serve as an introduction to Devastation of Baal, so i recommend you to read Dante first then DoB.
No matter how much I love Dante, how much I love Blood Angels, this book had everything I wanted, and then maybe just a bit too much information I didn't really need to know...? I'll explain shortly.
If you are interested in how one, especially a Blood Angel is recruited to become an Astartes, what exactly their lifestyle on Baal, Baal Primus and Secundus are like, then this is for you. It's also a good intro into WH40k in general if you are interested into Astartes/Space Marines, what they go through to become one. And if you are into survival stuff, well... This is what I call the Too much information part moment - maybe it was a bit too much. Yes, I understand certain needs. Yes, I understand it was necessary to do. But why repeat the same thing 5 times in book? When you read it, you will understand.
The plot of this one is happening in two timelines:
1. When Dante went to get recruited by Blood Angels - describes from his early life, what he heard of angels, what he knew of Sanguinius, what he saw, what he felt, his family, his fears, regrets, his passion for saving people, his love for the world he lives on. And yet he's constantly facing trials just to reach the place that someone else who lived closer could get to easily just because they were born there. But he remained unchanged. He strictly believed that what he was doing was right, that even though he might be wrong it could be still be alright and that situation could be salvaged and saved and he met more boys going for the trial that he bonded with. This part shows his eventual path to leadership, his bonds with others, and what he and others had to do in order to survive to become Angels. But most importantly, it shows his encounters with Sanguinor, and he questions what it might mean.
2. Secondary storyline is set during Abaddon's 13th Black crusade, Hive Fleet Leviathan is approaching near Baal and finally they are already in semi alliance with necrons, following short story The Word of the Silent King. Dante once again sees Sanguinor, but this time, Sanguinor speaks to him of Hope. But is there hope when the difficult decisions have to be made, when there is only despair, when he doesn't know where to turn to or what to do anymore. He was alive for over 1000 of years, longer than any living Astartes and yet, he cannot die. At this point, it feels like this is all that he wants, and finally, his servant Arafeo, tries to help him.
‘I understand, Arafeo, that I must be a hero for humanity. They must look on the golden mask of Sanguinius and know he is there with them as they die or worse in the name of Terra. This is my role in life – to pretend to be something I am not. I allow my legend to grow beyond all measure of truthfulness. I allow men to think me infallible and potent beyond my means. I embrace it gladly for the service it gives mankind. But although I am mighty and wise, and of the Adeptus Astartes, I am just a man. Under my armour beats a human heart alongside the one gifted me by the Emperor. No man is isolate – all need company and companionship. This is why I share my thoughts with you. I apologise for my indiscretion, but I cannot keep my own concerns hidden from everyone. They will crush me.’
‘I understand,’ he said softly. ‘I am sorry to have raised these fears in you while you are at rest, but know you are never alone.’
‘I am never at rest,’ said Dante bitterly. ‘And I am forever alone.’
Cowed, Arafeo departed. Dante barely noticed him leave.
►►► OVERALL:
Blood Angels are equivalent of Space Vampires - but also very "civilized" cultured, artistic space vampires, so expect some stuff from that too. As a blood angels fan, I was very satisfied.
Great book, but sometimes too many details. Both storylines are good, but his past storyline is the more important one, and the present one is not as important as it is set up for the other story.
It will also make you laugh. And maybe make you cry? i don't know, but I did, in the end.
This book can also serve as an introduction to Devastation of Baal, so i recommend you to read Dante first then DoB.
December 16, 2025
It's fine, and it's exactly what I tend to expect from franchise genre fiction. For fans, it's a cool origin story for a cool character and that's really it. The writing and plotting is decent, but nothing to recommend it so someone who doesn't have an existing interest in the titular character.
The book is called Dante. It's about Dante. Read it if you want to know more about Dante (and the Blood Angels).
The book is called Dante. It's about Dante. Read it if you want to know more about Dante (and the Blood Angels).
May 21, 2024
Needs More Devastation
As of 2024, Commander Dante is the Lord Regent of Imperium Nihilus, the grimdarker half of a grimdark galaxy. His authority over half the Imperium and a historic streak of heretical Xenos alliances demand a character study into the ancient Chapter Master’s past. And yet, the novel Dante is… boring. It’s a devastating opinion. Perhaps his chronicle is great and his story legend, but this book doesn’t deliver anything of the sort.
Much of the novel concerns the self-selection of the peasantry into Space Marine scouts. Given the focus, I expected that journey to be critical in shaping the Dante of the future: empathetic and caring of baseline humans. He’s possibly a good person. He’s certainly practical enough to flirt with heresy. These qualities are rare amongst Space Marines, but little of his past is relevant. Instead, the tale is a tame version of Space Wolf by William King. Baal is nowhere as deadly or fantastical as Fenris, and there’s something banal about the lethality of training. It’s very paint-by-numbers: there’s little creativity, and the end product is predictable.
The other half of Dante is the prologue of Devastation of Baal. We witness snippets of the Chapter Master’s war-making brilliance strategically and tactically. There are also enjoyable scenes showcasing his surprising view of the Imperial Guard. Again, it’s adequate. You’ll turn the page. But there’s not much meat to the meal. The epic showdown with the Tyranids is in another novel. There’s not even a primary antagonist. The present timeline exists to inject excitement via bolter porn, presumably to break up the challenging past where he faced deadly villains that pushed him to his limits, challenged the ideals he holds dear, and forced him to make hard decisions that define the hero he is today. Regrettably, that’s a tale for another novel.
Recommended, with many reservations, for WH40K fans.
As of 2024, Commander Dante is the Lord Regent of Imperium Nihilus, the grimdarker half of a grimdark galaxy. His authority over half the Imperium and a historic streak of heretical Xenos alliances demand a character study into the ancient Chapter Master’s past. And yet, the novel Dante is… boring. It’s a devastating opinion. Perhaps his chronicle is great and his story legend, but this book doesn’t deliver anything of the sort.
Much of the novel concerns the self-selection of the peasantry into Space Marine scouts. Given the focus, I expected that journey to be critical in shaping the Dante of the future: empathetic and caring of baseline humans. He’s possibly a good person. He’s certainly practical enough to flirt with heresy. These qualities are rare amongst Space Marines, but little of his past is relevant. Instead, the tale is a tame version of Space Wolf by William King. Baal is nowhere as deadly or fantastical as Fenris, and there’s something banal about the lethality of training. It’s very paint-by-numbers: there’s little creativity, and the end product is predictable.
The other half of Dante is the prologue of Devastation of Baal. We witness snippets of the Chapter Master’s war-making brilliance strategically and tactically. There are also enjoyable scenes showcasing his surprising view of the Imperial Guard. Again, it’s adequate. You’ll turn the page. But there’s not much meat to the meal. The epic showdown with the Tyranids is in another novel. There’s not even a primary antagonist. The present timeline exists to inject excitement via bolter porn, presumably to break up the challenging past where he faced deadly villains that pushed him to his limits, challenged the ideals he holds dear, and forced him to make hard decisions that define the hero he is today. Regrettably, that’s a tale for another novel.
Recommended, with many reservations, for WH40K fans.
March 27, 2017
auribus teneo lupum
(Holding the wolf by the ears) or how to do justice to poor sods of Blood Angels Legion.
Guy Haley one of the now oldest BL authors. He has done justice to a lot of poor sods of W40K/AoS in his career line of a BL author. From brave tankers of Astra Militarum (in their time of being old Imperial Guard to the new incarnation) to Space Hulk clearance duty. This time through via his pen for the first time, we discover the history of the glorious Blood Angels Commander Dante and his many centuries serving the Imperium.
Carpe noctem - Guy Haley seizing the night again with his amazing flick of Blade Runner meet Aliens meet SMB novel. And it was long past time that author of his caliber do justice to poor sods of Blood Angels Legion/Chapter. Blood Angels are one of the most famous Legions/Chapters in W40K history, which strangely has the minimal amount of written stuff for them. So it was long past time for someone to fix that mistake.
And thus Dante was born. Despite being one of the greatest figureheads in Warhammer40k, Dante is the first time the BA chapter master of legendary status has been given a proper written treatment from Black Library. At long last Guy Haley has corrected that oversight.
Plot and character
As the synopsis says - even among the hallowed ranks of Space Marine Chapter Masters, Commander Dante of the Blood Angels is a legend. With over a thousand years of service, he has defended both the Imperium and his cursed brothers with every breath. This is his story.
Dante is Chapter Master of one of the noblest but most troubled Chapters of Space Marines in the Imperium: the Blood Angels. From the time of his birth in the rad-scarred wastes of Baal Secundus, he was destined for glory and strife. From his apotheosis to Scout, to the hive cities of Armageddon and the alien menace of the Cryptus system, Dante has waged war against all the enemies of the Imperium. He has witnessed the divine, and struggled against the darkness within all sons of Sanguinius. Longer lived than any other Chapter Master, this is his chronicle, his great and storied legend.
And thus the story is structured into 2 narrative lines. One of the young Dante - baalist human colonist on his childhood to a neophyte/ and Dante as a commander of the mighty BA chapter after massacre at Cryptus system which is depicted profoundly in 'Shield of Baal' campaign book from GW and novel from Joshua Reynolds.
Combining interesting and unique to Guy Haley writing style - author weaves a story which began as a story with a Blade Runner/Aliens vibe (Gareth Armstrong as always did great justice to that part in an 9 hour run of 'Dante' audio) - then a young Luis is tutored by his Father on the universe and it's disparity.
Being a story of a character building up to his legendary status - novel do good to show the humility and sincerity of a small boy who always have been a 'true human' person. We saw the 'real' him, the boy who was destined for greatness. We saw his fears, his achievements, his friendship and most of all his 'humility'. Maybe I'am wrong - but I do believe that Guy Haley write simply 'human' characters the best. It is not a story of a superhero 'creation' - it is a story of human evolution into one. By this author is also able to show and explore the Baalite society life. How the poor, fearful tribes exist in Baal system.
Also he continued to create an epic character by showing his 'older' true self after the debacle at Cryptus system. He is fearful of his choices, tired, hollowed and most of all exhausted. Exhausted of leading, exhausted of failures, exhausted of deaths, exhausted by the Universe he is struggling against and most of all exhausted of his self-struggle versus Black Rage and Red Thirst.
His agonising choices that led to the death of systems and to the extinction of the trillions of human souls lay heavily on his conscience and honour. How he live with that, how he struggle against all the dark Galaxy throw against him, how he overcome the odds - physical and mental. That's what 'older' Dante narrative is about.
And Guy Haley wrote it admirably and brilliantly.
Prose and cons.
This is a dark story, a 'character building' novel - thus it is written in 2 different ways. One to show the naivety/humility/respect/honor of the cheerful youth to the grim and inspiring image of an old Dante, the one who went through his trials and agonies and emerged triumphant again.
Prose gives us good dialogs, imagination is always running wild, action scene are good from the 'bolter-porn' view. But most of all - Guy Haley always do best 'descriptive' context to everything he writes. His depiction of Chapter, human, planets, environments, the void are brilliant. Going with all that author was able to show the deepest exploration Blood Angels’ flaw and the ways they tried to control both of them.
And one of the most glories moments of all - is the revelations Dante sees for himself. Revelations that with the 'Gathering Storm' setting running would have had a bitter repercussions for the fans, if author himself hadn't told that they are just a fiction of his own imagination.
Direct quote of Guy Haley prophecy to come. It is written by Sanguinius himself during the Siege of Imperial Palace and read by Dante during his crisis of faith and despair:
The hunger came for my father. The puppets of the Dark Gods clashed with the hunger for the pleasure of killing him. There was a warrior in gold before the throne, surrounded by my father's Custodians and other heroes who, mighty through they were, paled next to the lords of our days. There they fought, and there they died. The vision ended as the devourer of flesh and the devourers of souls closed in on my lord and creator. There was despair only, despair and more despair. But before I woke something more. I sensed stirring in the warp, and the touch of my father, His mind made anew, and the knowledge that all might be well. As I am fated to, so did this golden warrior lay down his life to protect my father. The precious seconds he bought with his blood could change everything, or they could change nothing... I do not know who this golden warrior was. He appeared similar to my Herald, and saw my own face depicted upon his mask, but he was not me, and he wore a form off armour I do not know...
As for the cons - there are several:
First - a little bit to much of Sanguinor and religious zeal. If to take Sanguinor appearances to Dante at different moments of his life and the point He did said that to Chaplaincy - it is strange BA leadership did not make him a figurehead much earlier.
Second - period between neophyte and Chapter Master is too sketchy and patched up with 'mediocre' bolter porn stuff. Through it has a little bit of foreshadowing for BA war at Armageddon.
Third - at times (in 990-s of M40K) author overdo Dante despair and self-doubt. It is too much even by pessimistic standards. But usually the story moves quickly from that point.
Score
For the great story and grim darkness of the W40K universe and Blood Angels Chapter in it's best this novel deserve the best praise I could give it. But at the same time due to the several cons and 'being an character creation' story I will give it 4 out of 5 stars.
Strangely the best part - is the one about young Luis. Sometimes it even does not look like a Warhammer 40000 novel :)
In a universe of grim darkness, destruction on Galactic scale and suffering in epic proportions that is a jewel BA fans was waiting for with lot of hints of worse to come.
It is a story that gives us a bridge between the end of the 'Shield of Baal' campaign and Massive tyranid Leviathan arrival into Baal system. Which we would have as our pleasure to read this lovely autumn in Guy Haley The Devastation of Baal.
I don't know about you - but I definitely gonna read. Well done Guy Haley.
(Holding the wolf by the ears) or how to do justice to poor sods of Blood Angels Legion.
Guy Haley one of the now oldest BL authors. He has done justice to a lot of poor sods of W40K/AoS in his career line of a BL author. From brave tankers of Astra Militarum (in their time of being old Imperial Guard to the new incarnation) to Space Hulk clearance duty. This time through via his pen for the first time, we discover the history of the glorious Blood Angels Commander Dante and his many centuries serving the Imperium.
Carpe noctem - Guy Haley seizing the night again with his amazing flick of Blade Runner meet Aliens meet SMB novel. And it was long past time that author of his caliber do justice to poor sods of Blood Angels Legion/Chapter. Blood Angels are one of the most famous Legions/Chapters in W40K history, which strangely has the minimal amount of written stuff for them. So it was long past time for someone to fix that mistake.
And thus Dante was born. Despite being one of the greatest figureheads in Warhammer40k, Dante is the first time the BA chapter master of legendary status has been given a proper written treatment from Black Library. At long last Guy Haley has corrected that oversight.
Plot and character
As the synopsis says - even among the hallowed ranks of Space Marine Chapter Masters, Commander Dante of the Blood Angels is a legend. With over a thousand years of service, he has defended both the Imperium and his cursed brothers with every breath. This is his story.
Dante is Chapter Master of one of the noblest but most troubled Chapters of Space Marines in the Imperium: the Blood Angels. From the time of his birth in the rad-scarred wastes of Baal Secundus, he was destined for glory and strife. From his apotheosis to Scout, to the hive cities of Armageddon and the alien menace of the Cryptus system, Dante has waged war against all the enemies of the Imperium. He has witnessed the divine, and struggled against the darkness within all sons of Sanguinius. Longer lived than any other Chapter Master, this is his chronicle, his great and storied legend.
And thus the story is structured into 2 narrative lines. One of the young Dante - baalist human colonist on his childhood to a neophyte/ and Dante as a commander of the mighty BA chapter after massacre at Cryptus system which is depicted profoundly in 'Shield of Baal' campaign book from GW and novel from Joshua Reynolds.
Combining interesting and unique to Guy Haley writing style - author weaves a story which began as a story with a Blade Runner/Aliens vibe (Gareth Armstrong as always did great justice to that part in an 9 hour run of 'Dante' audio) - then a young Luis is tutored by his Father on the universe and it's disparity.
Being a story of a character building up to his legendary status - novel do good to show the humility and sincerity of a small boy who always have been a 'true human' person. We saw the 'real' him, the boy who was destined for greatness. We saw his fears, his achievements, his friendship and most of all his 'humility'. Maybe I'am wrong - but I do believe that Guy Haley write simply 'human' characters the best. It is not a story of a superhero 'creation' - it is a story of human evolution into one. By this author is also able to show and explore the Baalite society life. How the poor, fearful tribes exist in Baal system.
Also he continued to create an epic character by showing his 'older' true self after the debacle at Cryptus system. He is fearful of his choices, tired, hollowed and most of all exhausted. Exhausted of leading, exhausted of failures, exhausted of deaths, exhausted by the Universe he is struggling against and most of all exhausted of his self-struggle versus Black Rage and Red Thirst.
His agonising choices that led to the death of systems and to the extinction of the trillions of human souls lay heavily on his conscience and honour. How he live with that, how he struggle against all the dark Galaxy throw against him, how he overcome the odds - physical and mental. That's what 'older' Dante narrative is about.
And Guy Haley wrote it admirably and brilliantly.
Prose and cons.
This is a dark story, a 'character building' novel - thus it is written in 2 different ways. One to show the naivety/humility/respect/honor of the cheerful youth to the grim and inspiring image of an old Dante, the one who went through his trials and agonies and emerged triumphant again.
Prose gives us good dialogs, imagination is always running wild, action scene are good from the 'bolter-porn' view. But most of all - Guy Haley always do best 'descriptive' context to everything he writes. His depiction of Chapter, human, planets, environments, the void are brilliant. Going with all that author was able to show the deepest exploration Blood Angels’ flaw and the ways they tried to control both of them.
And one of the most glories moments of all - is the revelations Dante sees for himself. Revelations that with the 'Gathering Storm' setting running would have had a bitter repercussions for the fans, if author himself hadn't told that they are just a fiction of his own imagination.
Direct quote of Guy Haley prophecy to come. It is written by Sanguinius himself during the Siege of Imperial Palace and read by Dante during his crisis of faith and despair:
The hunger came for my father. The puppets of the Dark Gods clashed with the hunger for the pleasure of killing him. There was a warrior in gold before the throne, surrounded by my father's Custodians and other heroes who, mighty through they were, paled next to the lords of our days. There they fought, and there they died. The vision ended as the devourer of flesh and the devourers of souls closed in on my lord and creator. There was despair only, despair and more despair. But before I woke something more. I sensed stirring in the warp, and the touch of my father, His mind made anew, and the knowledge that all might be well. As I am fated to, so did this golden warrior lay down his life to protect my father. The precious seconds he bought with his blood could change everything, or they could change nothing... I do not know who this golden warrior was. He appeared similar to my Herald, and saw my own face depicted upon his mask, but he was not me, and he wore a form off armour I do not know...
As for the cons - there are several:
First - a little bit to much of Sanguinor and religious zeal. If to take Sanguinor appearances to Dante at different moments of his life and the point He did said that to Chaplaincy - it is strange BA leadership did not make him a figurehead much earlier.
Second - period between neophyte and Chapter Master is too sketchy and patched up with 'mediocre' bolter porn stuff. Through it has a little bit of foreshadowing for BA war at Armageddon.
Third - at times (in 990-s of M40K) author overdo Dante despair and self-doubt. It is too much even by pessimistic standards. But usually the story moves quickly from that point.
Score
For the great story and grim darkness of the W40K universe and Blood Angels Chapter in it's best this novel deserve the best praise I could give it. But at the same time due to the several cons and 'being an character creation' story I will give it 4 out of 5 stars.
Strangely the best part - is the one about young Luis. Sometimes it even does not look like a Warhammer 40000 novel :)
In a universe of grim darkness, destruction on Galactic scale and suffering in epic proportions that is a jewel BA fans was waiting for with lot of hints of worse to come.
It is a story that gives us a bridge between the end of the 'Shield of Baal' campaign and Massive tyranid Leviathan arrival into Baal system. Which we would have as our pleasure to read this lovely autumn in Guy Haley The Devastation of Baal.
I don't know about you - but I definitely gonna read. Well done Guy Haley.
October 20, 2025
Great world building. Great Pacing. Jumping back and forth in time over a milennia but still following the same semi-immortal character is cool.
May 1, 2025
Fajne, biją się i strzelają z kosmitami, statki robią piff paff, kosmici umierają
July 16, 2017
Well folks, I finished up Dante a little while back and completely forgot to do a review! So here goes:
I really enjoyed Guy Haley’s new Blood Angels novel focusing on Lord Commander Dante, the oldest non-dreadnought Space Marine Chapter Master in the Imperium, and found his origin story to be both extremely exciting and immensely compelling! While some of the Blood Angels recruitment is covered in James Swallow’s old Blood Angels omnibuses, here we get to really see the humble beginnings to arguably one of the most important and concrete characters the entire Adeptus Astartes has to offer. In fact, I found the entire journey to Angel’s Fall/recruitment part of the story to be the strongest in terms of actual story writing. From the talks with his father on the salt flats to nail biting flight to become an Angel, the story was intense, heartfelt, and you couldn’t help but root for little Luis.
From there, we are given snippets of Dante’s life as a Space Marine. Ranging anywhere from his time in the scouts up to the trials and rituals to becoming a captain, though I do wish we got to see exactly how the Blood Angels elect/promote a new Chapter Master!
The flip side of this story is more of the “current events” that the Blood Angels and Dante have gone through/accomplished and provides an excellent contrast to the young doubtful hero. It takes place at the close of the Shield of Baal Campaign that Games Workshop released some time ago involving the Tyranids falling onto the Shieldworlds of Baal. There are some major events and plans put forth in this part of the story, and it really did an excellent job of tying this story from the distant past (Dante’s Childhood/ascension) to the near future (Abaddon’s Black Legion breaking through the Gate, Baal’s Shieldworlds being broken) and can only lead to what I expect to be one of the most exciting times for the 41st/42nd Millennium that us readers will likely ever get to experience.
Overall, I think Mr. Haley did a fantastic job of telling these two stories and tying them together. While Warhammer 40,000 is chocked FULL of larger than life characters, there are very few in this setting that hold a candle to Lord Commander Dante of the Blood Angels, and I really can’t wait to see where his story goes from here!
I really enjoyed Guy Haley’s new Blood Angels novel focusing on Lord Commander Dante, the oldest non-dreadnought Space Marine Chapter Master in the Imperium, and found his origin story to be both extremely exciting and immensely compelling! While some of the Blood Angels recruitment is covered in James Swallow’s old Blood Angels omnibuses, here we get to really see the humble beginnings to arguably one of the most important and concrete characters the entire Adeptus Astartes has to offer. In fact, I found the entire journey to Angel’s Fall/recruitment part of the story to be the strongest in terms of actual story writing. From the talks with his father on the salt flats to nail biting flight to become an Angel, the story was intense, heartfelt, and you couldn’t help but root for little Luis.
From there, we are given snippets of Dante’s life as a Space Marine. Ranging anywhere from his time in the scouts up to the trials and rituals to becoming a captain, though I do wish we got to see exactly how the Blood Angels elect/promote a new Chapter Master!
The flip side of this story is more of the “current events” that the Blood Angels and Dante have gone through/accomplished and provides an excellent contrast to the young doubtful hero. It takes place at the close of the Shield of Baal Campaign that Games Workshop released some time ago involving the Tyranids falling onto the Shieldworlds of Baal. There are some major events and plans put forth in this part of the story, and it really did an excellent job of tying this story from the distant past (Dante’s Childhood/ascension) to the near future (Abaddon’s Black Legion breaking through the Gate, Baal’s Shieldworlds being broken) and can only lead to what I expect to be one of the most exciting times for the 41st/42nd Millennium that us readers will likely ever get to experience.
Overall, I think Mr. Haley did a fantastic job of telling these two stories and tying them together. While Warhammer 40,000 is chocked FULL of larger than life characters, there are very few in this setting that hold a candle to Lord Commander Dante of the Blood Angels, and I really can’t wait to see where his story goes from here!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2020
Here is the story of the greatest man to ever inhabit the Imperium, a surprisingly human story that follows Dante's first steps to becoming a Blood Angel in parallel with his preparations for the greatest crisis they would ever face in the Great Devourer.
This is an emotional tale that gives a great deal of perspective to the legends that surround Space Marines in the 40k universe, Dante's viewpoint as a child is especially interesting to follow. How he is altered over time into the great hero we know is showcased through examining key moments in his life, all have purpose and are expertly told.
Guy Haley seems to crank out excellent books at an incredible rate, but this is my personal favourite. It would not shock me if the author held the Blood Angels in special regard, the care given to the characters and culture of the Chapter is extensive. This serves to elevate the book from an informative story about its titular character to an emotional tale we can all get invested in, despite knowing Dante's eventual and current role as master of the Chapter.
This is an emotional tale that gives a great deal of perspective to the legends that surround Space Marines in the 40k universe, Dante's viewpoint as a child is especially interesting to follow. How he is altered over time into the great hero we know is showcased through examining key moments in his life, all have purpose and are expertly told.
Guy Haley seems to crank out excellent books at an incredible rate, but this is my personal favourite. It would not shock me if the author held the Blood Angels in special regard, the care given to the characters and culture of the Chapter is extensive. This serves to elevate the book from an informative story about its titular character to an emotional tale we can all get invested in, despite knowing Dante's eventual and current role as master of the Chapter.
March 26, 2017
Despite being one of the great heroes in Warhammer 40,000, Guy Haley’s novel Dante is the first time the Blood Angels chapter master has been the subject of a Black Library book. Correcting that oversight in spectacular fashion, Haley weaves two narratives together to tell both an origin story and a contemporary tale, which picks up at the end of the Shield of Baal arc.
A stepping stone in the Blood Angels’ arc between Shield of Baal and whatever fate awaits them in Haley’s upcoming The Devastation of Baal, Haley has managed to somehow combine elements of that earlier story, a nuanced and powerful character study, an incredibly vivid depiction of Baal and the Blood Angels, and an effective lead-in to what’s coming next, all in a single coherent piece.
Outstanding.
Read the full review at http://www.trackofwords.com/dante-guy...
A stepping stone in the Blood Angels’ arc between Shield of Baal and whatever fate awaits them in Haley’s upcoming The Devastation of Baal, Haley has managed to somehow combine elements of that earlier story, a nuanced and powerful character study, an incredibly vivid depiction of Baal and the Blood Angels, and an effective lead-in to what’s coming next, all in a single coherent piece.
Outstanding.
Read the full review at http://www.trackofwords.com/dante-guy...
December 22, 2017
I hesitate to give it 5 stars, on the basis that it is a lead-in to the Devastation of Baal event/novel and the present day timeline ended a bit abruptly because of it. I was also a little disappointed that Dante's ascension to de-facto Chapter Master wasn't shown. Aside from that, this book was spot on and expanded the Blood Angels greatly. For the first time, I actually care about Dante.
January 8, 2024
Dante! Dante! Dante! This book has called to me since I finished the Devistation of Baal. It rang through the empty halls of my brain until I Decided to crush through it after finishing The Knights of Macragge. I put it off for so long since, with I think Mephiston specifically, people say that the authors sort of forget who they are writing about and it turns into just a meandering tale. Going into this though I was pleasantly surprised! Combing through the book I will be using the VCR system. Vibes. Character. Romance. Oh yeah, didn't expect that one I'm sure, but there are some very tender scenes. Now I know what you're thinking, these acronyms just keep getting better and better! And they are, but something that also just gets better and better is my understanding of the world through these very good books!
The Vibes, as I've said before, are very important for Warhammer books. In Dante I'm very pleased to say they are on point! As you follow Lewis, angel name Dante, through being a salt miner to eventual angel-hood, you get to see a ton of different environments! Deserts of Baal, the jungles of some half colonized worlds, the innards of a classic castle overtaken by Eldar, a section of a hive world being onset by plague marines! With those environments come situations and emotions that I think really help to build on vibes of the world everyone is stuck in. The reactions of colonists, the inner thoughts of Dante on his journey, the relationships between brothers and the blood thralls. It's all really interesting and enhances the story.
Moving to Characters, this one has a fair amount of them. Obviously you follow Dante through out, but there are a few characters in both time lines that are reoccurring. When I say both time lines, this book has Dante when he is Dante of the Blood Angels, and Lewis of the salt wastes. I liked them all a lot, Dante of course is the stand out. He has a lot of thoughts I like, and is so old that there's plenty of things he's learned through out. Like he admits to not outright hating the alien like most space marines do. He's seen humility in them and real bonds, very human traits and that leads to him seeing them as of course enemies of the imperium, but not in a blood thirsty they must all die way, mostly in just like general disdain. He also is like the ultimate heart of gold character, not only by being clad in it, but also for having two of them. Not only that, but I'm also a real sucker for a good leader, so when he does things like stand up for Gabriel Seth at the big leader meeting or makes sure a commissar of the imperial guard is treated with respect I really dig it. I love it, he's great! An easy choice for a lead of a book and really an easy choice for someone looking to get into the world of 40K I'd say.
Romance, the unexpected R of VCR. This is a bit of a joke category, I just wanted to talk about what happened. There's a scene I wont spoil, but Dante swears off drinking live blood. Until his blood thrall, who has been serving with him a long time so they have a very nice relationship. As much as you can have with your servant anyways, but Dante confides in him some super stressful stuff. His blood thrall, knowing his time in this world is not much longer as he is a normal human, he lets Dante drink his blood. There's this whole back and fourth, but in the end Dante grants him his final wish. The book talks about how his heart flutters under Dante's touch and then patters out, there's a moan as his fangs drink the blood. I was like wow. Now this, this is some spice let me tell ya. At least 5 peppers out of 2.
All in all a great story! I will for sure be telling people to read this if there is even a slight bit of interest. It has human stuff, it explains things that can be difficult to just have dropped on you. I really really liked it!
TL;DR Very good, read it as an intro, read it if you like space vampire, just read it!
The Vibes, as I've said before, are very important for Warhammer books. In Dante I'm very pleased to say they are on point! As you follow Lewis, angel name Dante, through being a salt miner to eventual angel-hood, you get to see a ton of different environments! Deserts of Baal, the jungles of some half colonized worlds, the innards of a classic castle overtaken by Eldar, a section of a hive world being onset by plague marines! With those environments come situations and emotions that I think really help to build on vibes of the world everyone is stuck in. The reactions of colonists, the inner thoughts of Dante on his journey, the relationships between brothers and the blood thralls. It's all really interesting and enhances the story.
Moving to Characters, this one has a fair amount of them. Obviously you follow Dante through out, but there are a few characters in both time lines that are reoccurring. When I say both time lines, this book has Dante when he is Dante of the Blood Angels, and Lewis of the salt wastes. I liked them all a lot, Dante of course is the stand out. He has a lot of thoughts I like, and is so old that there's plenty of things he's learned through out. Like he admits to not outright hating the alien like most space marines do. He's seen humility in them and real bonds, very human traits and that leads to him seeing them as of course enemies of the imperium, but not in a blood thirsty they must all die way, mostly in just like general disdain. He also is like the ultimate heart of gold character, not only by being clad in it, but also for having two of them. Not only that, but I'm also a real sucker for a good leader, so when he does things like stand up for Gabriel Seth at the big leader meeting or makes sure a commissar of the imperial guard is treated with respect I really dig it. I love it, he's great! An easy choice for a lead of a book and really an easy choice for someone looking to get into the world of 40K I'd say.
Romance, the unexpected R of VCR. This is a bit of a joke category, I just wanted to talk about what happened. There's a scene I wont spoil, but Dante swears off drinking live blood. Until his blood thrall, who has been serving with him a long time so they have a very nice relationship. As much as you can have with your servant anyways, but Dante confides in him some super stressful stuff. His blood thrall, knowing his time in this world is not much longer as he is a normal human, he lets Dante drink his blood. There's this whole back and fourth, but in the end Dante grants him his final wish. The book talks about how his heart flutters under Dante's touch and then patters out, there's a moan as his fangs drink the blood. I was like wow. Now this, this is some spice let me tell ya. At least 5 peppers out of 2.
All in all a great story! I will for sure be telling people to read this if there is even a slight bit of interest. It has human stuff, it explains things that can be difficult to just have dropped on you. I really really liked it!
TL;DR Very good, read it as an intro, read it if you like space vampire, just read it!
May 4, 2023
Despite being one of the most popular human factions, I knew the bare minimum about the Blood Angels before diving into Dante.
I was recommended to start here to read up on the whole Devastation Baal conflict, but what I got was a fairly successful character study from within one of the most compelling takes on vampires in space I've had the pleasure of learning about.
Dante is, for the most part, a coming of age story for the man who would one day lead the Blood Angels against the neverending onslaught of the Tyranids--and who is also possibly the oldest living loyal Space Marine. The story flips between "present" day with the now ancient Dante fighting for Baal Secundus, and flashbacks to his youth as he goes from ambitious sand wastrel to Blood Angel recruit.
I will admit that my own expectations going in soured me to the earlier chapters, as attention to the Tyranid threat fell away to long speeches and lamentations of their loss; but going back and rereading them I have a better insight of how difficult it must have been for Dante to let go of his home world and the stakes at play. Black Library books often have expectations that you already know what is going on, and much of the events involving the Sanguinor fell flat as I didn't fully understand their mystery or importance of their encounters until later.
It was then that I found myself invested more in the noble plight of a young Dante before he was Dante, making friends with other prospective Space Marines as they journey across the dangerous deserts of Baal Secundus. It takes some time travelling across the desert (and with that time, my interest waned) but once Dante arrived at the Trials and the culture of the Blood Angel initiation rites took center stage the entire book blasted into focus.
His friendships are tested through obtuse and often cruel tests that try everything he has learned, and even after passing and being accepted into their ranks the strangeness of the Blood Angels is highlighted with each step; for each holy ritual a horrible curse lurked to consume every single one. Not that vampire knights are an all too common trope, but the way in which Haley explores the fine line the Blood Angels walk between noble and monstrous are no better captured in Dante himself, who's jubilation at his "knight"-hood giving way to the horror he's become.
There is a particular sequence of events involving some weak scavenger aliens that comes to define the present day Dante that stands out in the crisis of faith and ultimate resolution he comes to. It is from his will alone that he has bent the Blood Angels to be better than they were in his youth, but his unwillingness to sate his thirst for blood has come at great cost to himself.
A noble, ancient man who defies the odds in a chapter rife with those who lose their minds to bloodlust from no fault of their own; a struggle of necessary evil when trying to be good no better captured than in the reality of Dante how he became the hero he is. As I have said, I knew little about the Blood Angels but I have a much greater appreciation for them and their chapter master who strives to be the best he can be.
While I hope there will be more focus on the Tyranids in later books, I was glad to get a healthier perspective on the faction most associated with fighting them. I have tried my best to avoid spoilers but suffice to say that once the book picks up, it delivers on some incredible emotional beats that I certainly wasn't expecting going in.
Unfortunately the sometimes plodding pacing and occasional dropped threads (i.e; "Dante didn't find out what their fates were until much later." We never find out their fates) makes this for an uneven read but ultimately worthwhile. Despite it's rather short length I still found myself glazing over in some of the more overwrought sections, the beginning in particular. I also could not get invested with any of the characters outside of Dante who journey along side him in the first half nor the encounters they had along the way, which didn't help the exhaustion I had before getting to the Blood Angel bits.
Your enjoyment of this book will be entirely determined by how interesting you find Dante and the idea of Space Vampire Knights are. It's a great introduction to the chapter and the character itself, but it isn't the strongest of Haley's prose and not one I see myself revisiting despite how valuable I found the information within and how solid the second half is.
If I could, I would rate this more as a 3.5/5, but my feelings are definitely closer to a 3 than a 4. Far better than reading a Wiki on the guy, that's for sure.
I was recommended to start here to read up on the whole Devastation Baal conflict, but what I got was a fairly successful character study from within one of the most compelling takes on vampires in space I've had the pleasure of learning about.
Dante is, for the most part, a coming of age story for the man who would one day lead the Blood Angels against the neverending onslaught of the Tyranids--and who is also possibly the oldest living loyal Space Marine. The story flips between "present" day with the now ancient Dante fighting for Baal Secundus, and flashbacks to his youth as he goes from ambitious sand wastrel to Blood Angel recruit.
I will admit that my own expectations going in soured me to the earlier chapters, as attention to the Tyranid threat fell away to long speeches and lamentations of their loss; but going back and rereading them I have a better insight of how difficult it must have been for Dante to let go of his home world and the stakes at play. Black Library books often have expectations that you already know what is going on, and much of the events involving the Sanguinor fell flat as I didn't fully understand their mystery or importance of their encounters until later.
It was then that I found myself invested more in the noble plight of a young Dante before he was Dante, making friends with other prospective Space Marines as they journey across the dangerous deserts of Baal Secundus. It takes some time travelling across the desert (and with that time, my interest waned) but once Dante arrived at the Trials and the culture of the Blood Angel initiation rites took center stage the entire book blasted into focus.
His friendships are tested through obtuse and often cruel tests that try everything he has learned, and even after passing and being accepted into their ranks the strangeness of the Blood Angels is highlighted with each step; for each holy ritual a horrible curse lurked to consume every single one. Not that vampire knights are an all too common trope, but the way in which Haley explores the fine line the Blood Angels walk between noble and monstrous are no better captured in Dante himself, who's jubilation at his "knight"-hood giving way to the horror he's become.
There is a particular sequence of events involving some weak scavenger aliens that comes to define the present day Dante that stands out in the crisis of faith and ultimate resolution he comes to. It is from his will alone that he has bent the Blood Angels to be better than they were in his youth, but his unwillingness to sate his thirst for blood has come at great cost to himself.
A noble, ancient man who defies the odds in a chapter rife with those who lose their minds to bloodlust from no fault of their own; a struggle of necessary evil when trying to be good no better captured than in the reality of Dante how he became the hero he is. As I have said, I knew little about the Blood Angels but I have a much greater appreciation for them and their chapter master who strives to be the best he can be.
While I hope there will be more focus on the Tyranids in later books, I was glad to get a healthier perspective on the faction most associated with fighting them. I have tried my best to avoid spoilers but suffice to say that once the book picks up, it delivers on some incredible emotional beats that I certainly wasn't expecting going in.
Unfortunately the sometimes plodding pacing and occasional dropped threads (i.e; "Dante didn't find out what their fates were until much later." We never find out their fates) makes this for an uneven read but ultimately worthwhile. Despite it's rather short length I still found myself glazing over in some of the more overwrought sections, the beginning in particular. I also could not get invested with any of the characters outside of Dante who journey along side him in the first half nor the encounters they had along the way, which didn't help the exhaustion I had before getting to the Blood Angel bits.
Your enjoyment of this book will be entirely determined by how interesting you find Dante and the idea of Space Vampire Knights are. It's a great introduction to the chapter and the character itself, but it isn't the strongest of Haley's prose and not one I see myself revisiting despite how valuable I found the information within and how solid the second half is.
If I could, I would rate this more as a 3.5/5, but my feelings are definitely closer to a 3 than a 4. Far better than reading a Wiki on the guy, that's for sure.
September 14, 2025
good character origin for Dante that's a bit typical for your standard hero origin story of a Space Marine; and did appreciate the flashback between his birth as a warrior of the Imperium; the recruitment process of the Blood Angels; his relationship with his father and the myth made man. Haley is one of the stronger writers in black library's stable.
December 18, 2024
This is what we expected picking it up, some good origin stories of dante and his early years. Were some really cool interesting scenes regarding the black rage which is cool to see.
January 21, 2024
Big guys with guns - but also feelings :(
November 1, 2023
Had to mark this hidden as the reason I liked this book is just one big spoiler. The book tells the story of becoming a Space Marine (a Blood Angel to be more exact) and it is an interesting insight after reading a dozen or so books with Space Marines traveling around the Imperium doing this and that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2020
For a while, I’ve found space marines to be the least interesting faction in Warhammer 40k. They are quite often reduced to big men with guns and swords that bash up the rest of the galaxy. There’s a lot of ‘my brother!’ and their chapter specific lore is quite dense for a newcomer. This meant that while I’ve enjoyed space marine heavy books like Dark Imperium and The Horus Heresy series, they have rarely been for the space marine-y bits. Dark Imperium for the Death Guard and Nurgle and The Horus Heresy for this ever expanding conflict that shows the fall of the Primarchs. Both have interesting characters but never has a space marine story grabbed me and made me pay attention. And then there was Dante, which completely changed my opinion of space marines, especially the Blood Angels.
Dante is the story of the man who would go on to become the Chapter Master of the Blood Angels and one of the oldest most revered Astartes of all time. We follow his journey from boyhood and flash forward to the present as he rallies his chapter and other sons of Sanguinius to fight off the Tyranid horde invading their home planets. Swapping between the two timelines works excellently as it shows the distance and years Dante has travelled. This makes the struggles he goes through in his youth all the more important as you see each adding towards the man he will become.
So far so glowing, but before I go on I want to get my criticism out of the way. Firstly, we start this book with the Blood Angels working with the Necrons, which is very confusing. There is a short story, Word of the Silent King, that explains why this truce happened but none of that is explained in this book. This means that the start of the story is a bit off putting as you aren’t given context for the events that are happening. However, it isn’t a major part of the book and doesn’t last very long so make sure to push past this section.
For the full review please visit Bits & Pieces - https://bitsandpieces.games/2020/07/2...
Dante is the story of the man who would go on to become the Chapter Master of the Blood Angels and one of the oldest most revered Astartes of all time. We follow his journey from boyhood and flash forward to the present as he rallies his chapter and other sons of Sanguinius to fight off the Tyranid horde invading their home planets. Swapping between the two timelines works excellently as it shows the distance and years Dante has travelled. This makes the struggles he goes through in his youth all the more important as you see each adding towards the man he will become.
So far so glowing, but before I go on I want to get my criticism out of the way. Firstly, we start this book with the Blood Angels working with the Necrons, which is very confusing. There is a short story, Word of the Silent King, that explains why this truce happened but none of that is explained in this book. This means that the start of the story is a bit off putting as you aren’t given context for the events that are happening. However, it isn’t a major part of the book and doesn’t last very long so make sure to push past this section.
For the full review please visit Bits & Pieces - https://bitsandpieces.games/2020/07/2...
July 13, 2023
“Dante” by Guy Haley is the story about legendary chapter master, Dante of the Blood Angels. We have a split timeline story one that follows Dante in the modern setting of 40k and one that takes place a thousand years in the past, before Dante was even an Astartes. We see the trials of the past that Dante went through to become the famous hero he is now, while also seeing him in charge of his own chapter.
Now for me, this was just a middle of the road book. Dante is very cool, but everything was pretty bland. If this was told as a story about Dante in the future and they didn’t specify that the past was the past, and when the reveal comes that Luis is actually Dante in the past I think it would have been cool. However it’s pretty clear early on that Luis is Dante. The book just felt like it never had any stakes. It really is just if you like Dante and want to know more about him and his past, then check out this book.
Now for me, this was just a middle of the road book. Dante is very cool, but everything was pretty bland. If this was told as a story about Dante in the future and they didn’t specify that the past was the past, and when the reveal comes that Luis is actually Dante in the past I think it would have been cool. However it’s pretty clear early on that Luis is Dante. The book just felt like it never had any stakes. It really is just if you like Dante and want to know more about him and his past, then check out this book.
May 6, 2018
Half a story of how Dante began his journey through the trials of the Blood Angels, half a story that eventually connects to another story called The Devastation of Baal.
Having never before read a book from Guy Haley, I kinda saw the whole purchase as a shot-in-the-dark. But, good god (in the warp), this book was something else. Totally recommend it to both someone new to the universe of 40K and to us "veterans".
Having never before read a book from Guy Haley, I kinda saw the whole purchase as a shot-in-the-dark. But, good god (in the warp), this book was something else. Totally recommend it to both someone new to the universe of 40K and to us "veterans".
May 10, 2017
Bookworm Speaks!
Dante
by Guy Haley
****
Acquired: Black Library
Series: Blood Angels
Har: 304 Pages
Publisher: Games Workshop (March 21, 2017)
Language: English
Subject: Fiction
****
The Story: The untold origin story of Chapter Master Dante of the Blood Angels, one of the Imperium's greatest heroes.
Dante is Chapter Master of one of the noblest but most troubled Chapters of Space Marines in the Imperium: the Blood Angels. From the time of his birth in the rad-scarred wastes of Baal Secundus, he was destined for glory and strife. From his apotheosis to Scout, to the hive cities of Armageddon and the alien menace of the Cryptas system, Dante has waged war against all the enemies of the Imperium. He has witnessed the divine, and struggled against the darkness within all sons of Sanguinius. Longer lived than any other Chapter Master, this is his chronicle, his great and storied legend.
The Review: For starters, the Lore Geek has to put something to rest: This book pretty much settles a small debate that has been drifting through the Warhammer 40k fandom for sometime. That being, Lord Commander Dante first name, if he even has one. It was thought to be ‘Cervan’ but that name appears nowhere in this book. It appears his name was actually Luis. So that’s done.
The structure of this book is actually a fairly common archetype in Warhammer 40K Fiction. It depicts the story of one particular Space Marine and his journey from normal, human child to a hero of the Adeptus Astartes. This is familiar ground to any disciple of the Black Library. Thankfully, the story of Luis is actually one of the best parts of the book. The world building in this book is top notch and readers of post-apocalyptic fiction would be wise to add this book to their collections. The reason for this is that Baal and its moons really are post-apocalyptic settings, with the worlds previous civilizations been destroyed in a nuclear war many millennia ago. In previous stories, Baal was usually on described as a desert and not much else. Over the course of Luis’ journey, we are treated to a living, breathing, and outright dangerous world. We feel every step of the journey and the author does this by describing his pain, his doubts, and his struggles against the hostile landscape of his homeworld. When Luis becomes Dante, the reader feels as relieved as he does.
To be a Blood Angel is to be a contradiction. They care deeply for the defense of Imperial Citizens but want to drink their blood and feast on their flesh. They value beauty in both body and surroundings but they are constantly on verge of going to into a bezerker rage that will turn them into monsters. Lord Commander Dante is the epitome of this and he knows this. He knows that the Blood Angels and countless souls up and down the Imperium of Man
He feels the weight of his long years upon him and the author paints wonderful word pictures conveying this to us. One passage in particular, tells the reader that he desires to become a museum piece. He wants be obsolete, have no more reason to fight.
He will never give up, never surrender. He will fight for the Imperium. Still, he wonders if it will mean anything in the end. Dante is on the verge of losing his hope, he feels that the end is near. For every one planet he manages to save, two more burn. Dante is supposed to be the great and glorious leader of the Blood Angels and High Hero of the Imperium and he constantly feel the Red Thirst and the Black Rage grinning at him from the corner of his mind, just waiting for the chance to utterly consume him, like all Blood Angels in the end.
The struggles that trouble Dante are unlike anything anyone ever experienced and yet they are what makes the character so human. His despair is something that we have all gone through in one way or another, where the obstacles and seemingly endless grind makes us wonder if the journey is even worth it. In spite of all his inner doubts and struggles, Dante still retains his humanity are there are several instances that perfectly exemplify this fact. No spoilers but there is a scene near the ending with Dante and his human servant, whom we have seen multiple interactions with. It is a rather small moment, yet it rekindles hope within Dante. Up until that point there has been a overarching theme that Dante has been visited multiple times by the Sanquinor, an ancient spirit said to contain the spirit of the Blood Angels Primarch Sanquinius. This plot threat is very interesting, make no mistake, but it is not an ancient spirit who makes Dante hope again, it is an old man who brings him tea. That is what make’s Warhammer 40k such an enchanting setting. It is a galaxy filled with war machines the size of skyscrapers, wars that engulf worlds, and malevolent beings with the power of gods and yet even the most lowly person has role to play. One man can still make a difference.
Such was the story of the man who served Dante.
Such is the story of Dante
Final Verdict: When Bookworm finished this book, he thought his brain was going to melt. There is just so much here! This is an ultimately melancholy book. Dante’s path has been one of sacrifice and pain with little time for friends and yet Dante stands triumphant above all. He is a hero of the Imperium and nothing will stand in his way.
A Rare Ranking of:
Five Blood Angels Crests out of Five!
Get Yourself A Copy!
thecultureworm.blogspot.com
Dante
by Guy Haley
****
Acquired: Black Library
Series: Blood Angels
Har: 304 Pages
Publisher: Games Workshop (March 21, 2017)
Language: English
Subject: Fiction
****
The Story: The untold origin story of Chapter Master Dante of the Blood Angels, one of the Imperium's greatest heroes.
Dante is Chapter Master of one of the noblest but most troubled Chapters of Space Marines in the Imperium: the Blood Angels. From the time of his birth in the rad-scarred wastes of Baal Secundus, he was destined for glory and strife. From his apotheosis to Scout, to the hive cities of Armageddon and the alien menace of the Cryptas system, Dante has waged war against all the enemies of the Imperium. He has witnessed the divine, and struggled against the darkness within all sons of Sanguinius. Longer lived than any other Chapter Master, this is his chronicle, his great and storied legend.
The Review: For starters, the Lore Geek has to put something to rest: This book pretty much settles a small debate that has been drifting through the Warhammer 40k fandom for sometime. That being, Lord Commander Dante first name, if he even has one. It was thought to be ‘Cervan’ but that name appears nowhere in this book. It appears his name was actually Luis. So that’s done.
The structure of this book is actually a fairly common archetype in Warhammer 40K Fiction. It depicts the story of one particular Space Marine and his journey from normal, human child to a hero of the Adeptus Astartes. This is familiar ground to any disciple of the Black Library. Thankfully, the story of Luis is actually one of the best parts of the book. The world building in this book is top notch and readers of post-apocalyptic fiction would be wise to add this book to their collections. The reason for this is that Baal and its moons really are post-apocalyptic settings, with the worlds previous civilizations been destroyed in a nuclear war many millennia ago. In previous stories, Baal was usually on described as a desert and not much else. Over the course of Luis’ journey, we are treated to a living, breathing, and outright dangerous world. We feel every step of the journey and the author does this by describing his pain, his doubts, and his struggles against the hostile landscape of his homeworld. When Luis becomes Dante, the reader feels as relieved as he does.
To be a Blood Angel is to be a contradiction. They care deeply for the defense of Imperial Citizens but want to drink their blood and feast on their flesh. They value beauty in both body and surroundings but they are constantly on verge of going to into a bezerker rage that will turn them into monsters. Lord Commander Dante is the epitome of this and he knows this. He knows that the Blood Angels and countless souls up and down the Imperium of Man
He feels the weight of his long years upon him and the author paints wonderful word pictures conveying this to us. One passage in particular, tells the reader that he desires to become a museum piece. He wants be obsolete, have no more reason to fight.
He will never give up, never surrender. He will fight for the Imperium. Still, he wonders if it will mean anything in the end. Dante is on the verge of losing his hope, he feels that the end is near. For every one planet he manages to save, two more burn. Dante is supposed to be the great and glorious leader of the Blood Angels and High Hero of the Imperium and he constantly feel the Red Thirst and the Black Rage grinning at him from the corner of his mind, just waiting for the chance to utterly consume him, like all Blood Angels in the end.
The struggles that trouble Dante are unlike anything anyone ever experienced and yet they are what makes the character so human. His despair is something that we have all gone through in one way or another, where the obstacles and seemingly endless grind makes us wonder if the journey is even worth it. In spite of all his inner doubts and struggles, Dante still retains his humanity are there are several instances that perfectly exemplify this fact. No spoilers but there is a scene near the ending with Dante and his human servant, whom we have seen multiple interactions with. It is a rather small moment, yet it rekindles hope within Dante. Up until that point there has been a overarching theme that Dante has been visited multiple times by the Sanquinor, an ancient spirit said to contain the spirit of the Blood Angels Primarch Sanquinius. This plot threat is very interesting, make no mistake, but it is not an ancient spirit who makes Dante hope again, it is an old man who brings him tea. That is what make’s Warhammer 40k such an enchanting setting. It is a galaxy filled with war machines the size of skyscrapers, wars that engulf worlds, and malevolent beings with the power of gods and yet even the most lowly person has role to play. One man can still make a difference.
Such was the story of the man who served Dante.
Such is the story of Dante
Final Verdict: When Bookworm finished this book, he thought his brain was going to melt. There is just so much here! This is an ultimately melancholy book. Dante’s path has been one of sacrifice and pain with little time for friends and yet Dante stands triumphant above all. He is a hero of the Imperium and nothing will stand in his way.
A Rare Ranking of:
Five Blood Angels Crests out of Five!
Get Yourself A Copy!
thecultureworm.blogspot.com
August 17, 2018
Going into this book, the limit of my knowledge of Warhammer 40K was that it's ostensibly science fiction, has a devoted tabletop RPG following, and that there are space marines with Roman trappings.
So essentially, I didn't know much at all.
Regardless, this book was a fantastic introduction to the universe at large; whether or not my feelings about the universe are accurate remains to be seen -- if I continue reading books in this universe, it might turn out that my first impression is completely off.
If Star Trek is a humanist look at the future and the unlimited potential of human beings to be better, then Warhammer 40k is a look at the future and what mankind will do to simply survive. Where the people of Star Trek understand science and trust in their ability to produce technological solutions, the people of Warhammer 40k don't really know anything about their technology or science -- to them, it's simply the means to an end: survival.
The universe is horrific. Everything wants to kill mankind and mankind wants to kill everything. Technology and reason seem to have been lost in an extended dark age where man is born, lives, and dies only to support the cycle of warfare built up on a foundation of barely understood technology and magic from generations past. As the introduction says, mankind in the year 40,000 is rulled by an emperor who consists of a rotting carcass writhing invisibly with power from the Dark Age of Technology.
That sentence is so descriptive and really prepared me for what was to come.
Common man lives barely a level above savagery and dies early due to the effects of wars fought, won, and lost thousands of years before. Where we would hope for science, there is dark magic. Where we pursue reason, there is blind faith. Where people should help each other, there is only the survival of the fittest.
Luis is a boy in this era. I immediately clung to his character as a bit of sanity in this hellscape set 38,000 years in the future. Where others would kill or abandon their fellows, Luis seems a bit more like us -- willing to help and forgive.
The structure of this book is such that we see Luis follow his quest to "become an angel" and also the eponymous Dante, well over a thousand years in the future, fighting the seemingly invincible, never-ending threat of the invasion of an alien swarm controlled by a hive mind.
Luis's story shows us the raw brutality of the world that he and most of mankind apparently live on. He is imperfect, but suffers and believes. His character could easily be transplanted to England during the First Crusade: an honest, hard-working boy driven by determination, faith, and the belief that he has been chosen by God.
Dante's story is that of a man facing his demons, both within and without. He shows us that the hell of Luis's existence pales in comparison to what all of mankind as a whole faces in the fight for survival.
I don't know that I could read multiple books in this universe at a single go, but it's an interesting look at a universe gone mad, where seemingly everything has gone wrong and yet mankind still struggles to survive. How far can people go in the fight to survive? What's justified?
What kind of atrocities will these characters do that we, as readers, can cheer on or grimly accept because we too want mankind to survive?
If a dim ray of hope shows up in this universe, do we dare to believe in it?
For me, that ray of hope was Luis, and his story was strong enough in this book to drive me on to read The Devastation of Baal, the next chapter in his story.
So essentially, I didn't know much at all.
Regardless, this book was a fantastic introduction to the universe at large; whether or not my feelings about the universe are accurate remains to be seen -- if I continue reading books in this universe, it might turn out that my first impression is completely off.
If Star Trek is a humanist look at the future and the unlimited potential of human beings to be better, then Warhammer 40k is a look at the future and what mankind will do to simply survive. Where the people of Star Trek understand science and trust in their ability to produce technological solutions, the people of Warhammer 40k don't really know anything about their technology or science -- to them, it's simply the means to an end: survival.
The universe is horrific. Everything wants to kill mankind and mankind wants to kill everything. Technology and reason seem to have been lost in an extended dark age where man is born, lives, and dies only to support the cycle of warfare built up on a foundation of barely understood technology and magic from generations past. As the introduction says, mankind in the year 40,000 is rulled by an emperor who consists of a rotting carcass writhing invisibly with power from the Dark Age of Technology.
That sentence is so descriptive and really prepared me for what was to come.
Common man lives barely a level above savagery and dies early due to the effects of wars fought, won, and lost thousands of years before. Where we would hope for science, there is dark magic. Where we pursue reason, there is blind faith. Where people should help each other, there is only the survival of the fittest.
Luis is a boy in this era. I immediately clung to his character as a bit of sanity in this hellscape set 38,000 years in the future. Where others would kill or abandon their fellows, Luis seems a bit more like us -- willing to help and forgive.
The structure of this book is such that we see Luis follow his quest to "become an angel" and also the eponymous Dante, well over a thousand years in the future, fighting the seemingly invincible, never-ending threat of the invasion of an alien swarm controlled by a hive mind.
Luis's story shows us the raw brutality of the world that he and most of mankind apparently live on. He is imperfect, but suffers and believes. His character could easily be transplanted to England during the First Crusade: an honest, hard-working boy driven by determination, faith, and the belief that he has been chosen by God.
Dante's story is that of a man facing his demons, both within and without. He shows us that the hell of Luis's existence pales in comparison to what all of mankind as a whole faces in the fight for survival.
I don't know that I could read multiple books in this universe at a single go, but it's an interesting look at a universe gone mad, where seemingly everything has gone wrong and yet mankind still struggles to survive. How far can people go in the fight to survive? What's justified?
What kind of atrocities will these characters do that we, as readers, can cheer on or grimly accept because we too want mankind to survive?
If a dim ray of hope shows up in this universe, do we dare to believe in it?
For me, that ray of hope was Luis, and his story was strong enough in this book to drive me on to read The Devastation of Baal, the next chapter in his story.
January 1, 2024
I technically finished this after midnight, but I'm counting this for 2023.
"Billions of vote shells await their targets. The Sanguinor itself told us that there is hope. The Sanginor spoke," he said emphatically. "Hope is only candle flame. It must be fanned by action into a blaze."
---
His face was like a ruined cathedral, a glorious building shattered by war that preserved some vestige of its beauty, but those metal teeth tipped the balance in favor of hideousness.
"You will fight and kill men and women. You will slaughter whole worlds at the command of our chapter master and you will do so willingly. You may come to wish to kill everything you see in the end. You must learn when to stay your hand. But you're right my boy, No one who defies the emperor of mankind deserves our forgiveness," he said.
"Then I ask you again, why should we forgive our enemies?"
Caphiel made a dismisive noise.
"You are callow and arrogant with youth. You see with certainty the answer to the wrong question. Forgiveness is not for our enemies. Forgiveness is for ourselves."
---
"Shadows swirled and parted and The vision lost its disguise of metaphor, and I looked upon a scene that may be the true echo of the future. I saw my father, ruined, broken. I knew it was him, though his body was little more than a corpse, for I could feel his mind. His power was much reduced in potency and I could feel no sense of consciousness there, merely raging, ungoverned power that threatened to obliterate my sleeping mind. This living corpse of my father was trapped in machinery that fed his soul the essence of others. I do not know if I should commit this to paper even in my private writings. He cannot ever know of this fate if he does not already. Or is he aware, and makes this choice between that life in death and the utter destruction of mankind? If so my respect for my father grows. As the guns of the warmaster pound at the walls of the palace, perhaps this miserable reality is the best that can be hoped for. Perhaps this is what I must die to ensure."
"Billions of vote shells await their targets. The Sanguinor itself told us that there is hope. The Sanginor spoke," he said emphatically. "Hope is only candle flame. It must be fanned by action into a blaze."
---
His face was like a ruined cathedral, a glorious building shattered by war that preserved some vestige of its beauty, but those metal teeth tipped the balance in favor of hideousness.
"You will fight and kill men and women. You will slaughter whole worlds at the command of our chapter master and you will do so willingly. You may come to wish to kill everything you see in the end. You must learn when to stay your hand. But you're right my boy, No one who defies the emperor of mankind deserves our forgiveness," he said.
"Then I ask you again, why should we forgive our enemies?"
Caphiel made a dismisive noise.
"You are callow and arrogant with youth. You see with certainty the answer to the wrong question. Forgiveness is not for our enemies. Forgiveness is for ourselves."
---
"Shadows swirled and parted and The vision lost its disguise of metaphor, and I looked upon a scene that may be the true echo of the future. I saw my father, ruined, broken. I knew it was him, though his body was little more than a corpse, for I could feel his mind. His power was much reduced in potency and I could feel no sense of consciousness there, merely raging, ungoverned power that threatened to obliterate my sleeping mind. This living corpse of my father was trapped in machinery that fed his soul the essence of others. I do not know if I should commit this to paper even in my private writings. He cannot ever know of this fate if he does not already. Or is he aware, and makes this choice between that life in death and the utter destruction of mankind? If so my respect for my father grows. As the guns of the warmaster pound at the walls of the palace, perhaps this miserable reality is the best that can be hoped for. Perhaps this is what I must die to ensure."
September 25, 2023
Well, I've decided I need a return to Sci-fi in my reading. Having been gifted 2 previous entries into Warhammer 40K by a friend I'm going to keep reading this line. But where to start? I figured to select a marine corps and go from there. I picked The Blood Angels. Why? A facebook quiz identified them as MY corps. Good enough. And it seems as though Guy Haley has a lock on them. Where do I begin? With their leader: Dante. Following him from a child to the Imperium's longest serving chapter master.
I wanted to learn about the Blood Angels and I did. This book doesn't have a plot per se. We join Dante in the middle of a bloody campaign against the Tyrranids in "Modern" Warhammer 40k aka the Indomitous era. From here, through Dante, I learn about the Blood Angels and their dead progenitor, Sanguinius. I meet the chapter's literal Guardian Angel: The Sanguinor. I learn about the Red Thirst and the Black rage. There are some very deep and personal moments for Dante. Leaving behind Family and Friends all for a small chance at joining the Blood Angels. The constant desire to be good vs his bloody duty in enforcing the Emperor's will AND keeping his chapter's secrets. His duty to fulfill his word against a vow he has upheld for thousands of years. We see Dante as a young idealist boy and end with him a tired, beaten old man with no hope for the future but still a need to uphold his oaths and lead his brothers. This book is a character study of one of the few true forces of Good in the Warhammer universe and the toll he's paid to be this force of righteous fury. From here I'll follow the Blood Angels onto THE DEVESTATION OF BA'AL, but I think that's next year after I've gotten some other 40K books under my belt.
Again, this is a good piece that explores Dante and explains just who or what the Blood Angels are. Not all questions are answered and there really is no plot to resolve, per se, but it is an excellent introductory read for Warhammer 40k.
I wanted to learn about the Blood Angels and I did. This book doesn't have a plot per se. We join Dante in the middle of a bloody campaign against the Tyrranids in "Modern" Warhammer 40k aka the Indomitous era. From here, through Dante, I learn about the Blood Angels and their dead progenitor, Sanguinius. I meet the chapter's literal Guardian Angel: The Sanguinor. I learn about the Red Thirst and the Black rage. There are some very deep and personal moments for Dante. Leaving behind Family and Friends all for a small chance at joining the Blood Angels. The constant desire to be good vs his bloody duty in enforcing the Emperor's will AND keeping his chapter's secrets. His duty to fulfill his word against a vow he has upheld for thousands of years. We see Dante as a young idealist boy and end with him a tired, beaten old man with no hope for the future but still a need to uphold his oaths and lead his brothers. This book is a character study of one of the few true forces of Good in the Warhammer universe and the toll he's paid to be this force of righteous fury. From here I'll follow the Blood Angels onto THE DEVESTATION OF BA'AL, but I think that's next year after I've gotten some other 40K books under my belt.
Again, this is a good piece that explores Dante and explains just who or what the Blood Angels are. Not all questions are answered and there really is no plot to resolve, per se, but it is an excellent introductory read for Warhammer 40k.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2023
Dante" is the first book in the "Lords of Blood" omnibus by Guy Haley. If you are a fan of huge battles and people being turned into meat paste then this might not be for you but if you enjoy the deep lore of the setting I think you'll love it.
The book is literally the journey of the legendary chapter master of the Blood Angels from a small weak boy on Baal secundus to one of the emperors angels of death.
I have read and listened to alot of lore where it talks about the trials for becoming an adeptus astartes being so difficult and gruelling and that many die trying but I've always wanted details and that is exactly what this book gives you. You are shown the entire journey from the boy running away from his home in the desert to some insane glider race through a canyon to emerging from the sarcophagus as a neophyte and everything inbetween.
We get to see significant moments in Dantes time as a Blood angel as he proves what a capable warrior and then leader he is, moving up through the companies of the chapter until he is a captain.
There are some genuinely emotional moments in the story where the brutality of the training really hits home whether its a battle between trainees where they are killing a person they have none for sometime or a friend being told that they shall progress no further and Dante must leave them behind.
This book really makes you love the character of Dante and I think it made the next book "The Devastation of Baal" better because you knew what he had gone through to get where he was and who he had lost on the way.
Really really enjoyed this book and I think if you are a fan of space marines in general you will get alot out of it.
The book is literally the journey of the legendary chapter master of the Blood Angels from a small weak boy on Baal secundus to one of the emperors angels of death.
I have read and listened to alot of lore where it talks about the trials for becoming an adeptus astartes being so difficult and gruelling and that many die trying but I've always wanted details and that is exactly what this book gives you. You are shown the entire journey from the boy running away from his home in the desert to some insane glider race through a canyon to emerging from the sarcophagus as a neophyte and everything inbetween.
We get to see significant moments in Dantes time as a Blood angel as he proves what a capable warrior and then leader he is, moving up through the companies of the chapter until he is a captain.
There are some genuinely emotional moments in the story where the brutality of the training really hits home whether its a battle between trainees where they are killing a person they have none for sometime or a friend being told that they shall progress no further and Dante must leave them behind.
This book really makes you love the character of Dante and I think it made the next book "The Devastation of Baal" better because you knew what he had gone through to get where he was and who he had lost on the way.
Really really enjoyed this book and I think if you are a fan of space marines in general you will get alot out of it.
August 24, 2025
This is a very solid book and, in spite of my general apathy for Space Marines, I really enjoyed Dante and the Blood Angels in this book. There was very little "bolter porn," which I found refreshing. Instead, the focus is put on Dante's origins, with a good portion centered on simply his journey off of Baal Secundus. This proved to be my favorite part of the book, a bit of survival horror as child Dante makes his way across an irradiated wasteland just to make it to Astartes try-outs. The try-outs themselves were good as well, along with the process of becoming a Blood Angel. I was a but worried after that that the book would descend into the aforementioned bolter porn, but thankfully it was mostly used to delve into Blood Angels lore and peculiarities. As an introduction to the Blood Angels, I'd say this was a fantastic book.
However, this is not the best as an introductory book to 40K as a whole. The secondary story, the lead up to Devastation of Baal, were definitely the weaker chapters of the book. There were portions that I did enjoy, like the Sanguinor and the fate of Dante's enquiry, as well as some of Dante's inner musings. Yet, this mostly feels like filler in a broader narrative. It's fine, I just feel like a tighter narrative focused on Dante's origins would have worked better.
All in all if you know a bit of 40k lore and are interested in Blood Angels/Dante, this is a great book that doesn't get dragged down too much by it's little filler section.
However, this is not the best as an introductory book to 40K as a whole. The secondary story, the lead up to Devastation of Baal, were definitely the weaker chapters of the book. There were portions that I did enjoy, like the Sanguinor and the fate of Dante's enquiry, as well as some of Dante's inner musings. Yet, this mostly feels like filler in a broader narrative. It's fine, I just feel like a tighter narrative focused on Dante's origins would have worked better.
All in all if you know a bit of 40k lore and are interested in Blood Angels/Dante, this is a great book that doesn't get dragged down too much by it's little filler section.
December 25, 2017
Unusually for Warhammer 40k books, Dante is something of a bildungsroman. The early chapters that follow Luis during his childhood and recruitment process read like a YA dystopia, complete with a Hunger Games-style death battle at the climax. Now a member of the Blood Angels chapter of the fabled Space Marines, Dante matures from an idealistic youth to a grand old master weary of his own legend. In the forty-first millennium there is only war, and the bleak irony is that even a super-soldier enhanced to the status of a raging demigod sickens of it. The Blood Angels are also basically space vampires, so a certain level of angst is to be expected ("Oh, what a monster am I!"), but Guy Haley is no Anne Rice and gracefully avoids overdoing it. Dante struggles to find hope in the face of annihilation (from both demonic hordes on a Black Crusade and giant bugs from another galaxy that want to eat everything - damn I love 40k) yet stubbornly fights on because that is what a Space Marine does.
The Sanguinor was kind of deus ex machina at times but that is also literally its role.
The Sanguinor was kind of deus ex machina at times but that is also literally its role.
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