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Space Marine Conquests #1
The Devastation of Baal
The Blood Angels Chapter of Space Marines is under threat. Having obliterated all human life in the Red Scar region of space, the largest tendril of Hivefleet Leviathan ever seen in the Imperium has converged and is making relentlessly for Baal.
To face this awesome foe, Commander Dante has called upon the Successor Chapters of the ancient Ninth Legion. The Sons of Sanguinius gather in numbers not seen since the dark days of the Horus Heresy. Thirty thousand Space Marines stand ready to thwart the Great Devourer, save the homeworld of their primarch, and prevent the consumption of billions in the Ultima Segmentum beyond.
But the tyranid swarm numbers in the trillions, and they are not the only danger to the Chapter’s future. As the galaxy slides toward a terrifying new era, events far away threaten to unleash a greater evil. A further enemy must also be overcome, that of the Black Rage that lurks in the souls of all Sanguinius’s bloodline.
Read it Because
It's one of the key events in the build-up to the new Warhammer 40,000 background (and it's been years in the making!) and it's an epic tale of triumph and tragedy, heroism and sacrifice, and sets the scene for the future of the Blood Angels – if they have one.
360 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 28, 2017
About the author
Guy Haley
289 books743 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 231 reviews
February 25, 2018
The Devastation of Baal was a very exciting tale. It also has some momentous events occur that help to explain some of the things happening "now"in the 40K universe.
Baal is the homeworld of the Blood Angels chapter. The Sons of Sanguinius are path of Hive Fleet Leviathan. The Tyranid swarm numbers in the trillions and Blood Angels call upon all the Chapters of the Blood to converge (this means all chapters with a gene tie to the Blood Angels) on Baal and its moons. Not since the days of the Horus Heresy have there been such numbers of Space Marines gathered. Fully 30,000 Astartes converge to defend Baal.
But beyond this overwhelming tide of xenos, this takes place during Abbadon's 13th Black Crusade. That means the Cadian Gates will fall and an ancient enemy of the Order will rise. This also gives us the reasons behind the Primaris Marines being deployed. I shall not give away any spoilers but this was a great and fun read. Exciting and full of information about the Blood Angels and the successor chapters.
Baal is the homeworld of the Blood Angels chapter. The Sons of Sanguinius are path of Hive Fleet Leviathan. The Tyranid swarm numbers in the trillions and Blood Angels call upon all the Chapters of the Blood to converge (this means all chapters with a gene tie to the Blood Angels) on Baal and its moons. Not since the days of the Horus Heresy have there been such numbers of Space Marines gathered. Fully 30,000 Astartes converge to defend Baal.
But beyond this overwhelming tide of xenos, this takes place during Abbadon's 13th Black Crusade. That means the Cadian Gates will fall and an ancient enemy of the Order will rise. This also gives us the reasons behind the Primaris Marines being deployed. I shall not give away any spoilers but this was a great and fun read. Exciting and full of information about the Blood Angels and the successor chapters.
July 8, 2021
I simply could not get through this, I got to page 219 and gave up.
Dante is annoying, Mephiston is edgy, Erwin is generic, Asante is generic and if I read the words Blood, Angel, Vitae or Angelic one more time I am going to murder someone.
219 Pages. 219 pages of talking about how many Space Marines were at Baal, how humbled Dante was by their presence, how he doubted his skills, how they all look similar, how they don't see Dante but when they look at him they see their Father/Primarch. All of this repeated for 219 pages.
Do you want to know what the inside of the Blood Angels fortress looks like? Don't worry, you get countless pages talking about everything being red and black, covered in angels and how the angels are red and black.
Want to read about Mephiston trying to solve a problem we all know isn't a damn threat? Well this is the book for you.
Oh Ka'Bandha is coming back? It's not like he's been beat more times than a man can count or anything!
AVOID. THIS. BOOK!
I wasted money on this, it actually makes me angry to think that.
Dante is annoying, Mephiston is edgy, Erwin is generic, Asante is generic and if I read the words Blood, Angel, Vitae or Angelic one more time I am going to murder someone.
219 Pages. 219 pages of talking about how many Space Marines were at Baal, how humbled Dante was by their presence, how he doubted his skills, how they all look similar, how they don't see Dante but when they look at him they see their Father/Primarch. All of this repeated for 219 pages.
Do you want to know what the inside of the Blood Angels fortress looks like? Don't worry, you get countless pages talking about everything being red and black, covered in angels and how the angels are red and black.
Want to read about Mephiston trying to solve a problem we all know isn't a damn threat? Well this is the book for you.
Oh Ka'Bandha is coming back? It's not like he's been beat more times than a man can count or anything!
AVOID. THIS. BOOK!
I wasted money on this, it actually makes me angry to think that.
February 25, 2018
Back before the events of Cadia, one of the big criticisms I cited in moving the timeline forward was its end-game events. With authors building up more and more seemingly hopeless battles and conflicts which would annihilate whole factions, it seemed that the writing team had tied themselves in knots. One way or another, most of these have now been dealt with. Some via minor retcons (or push-backs, as we'll get to with tomorrow's codex review) or even writing around them in a few ways. However, those which were directly dealt with were only covered in brief. As such, we now have the Space Marine Conquests series which is being kicked off with a big one: The three-way war between most of the Blood Angels chapters, a massive Hive Fleet and an all too familiar daemonic threat.
Synopsis
Following the battles of the past several years, the Tyranids have been flooding the galaxy with ever greater numbers. While the Imperium has performed victories both pyrrhic and triumphant against them, this has served only to enrage the seemingly thoughtless swarm. A massive tendril of the inbound Hive Fleets is heading to the Blood Angels' homeworld of Baal, stripping planet after planet of life as it advanced upon the desert world.
With several of his companies dispatched to counter the growing crisis surrounding the Cadian Gate, Lord Commander Dante dispatches messengers to gather as many sons of Sanginuius who can be assembled. While a multitude of ships work to delay the Tyranid advance he negotiates with a multitude of Chapter Masters as almost thirty thousand astartes assemble on the red worlds. Yet, even as this is dealt with, another threat is arising. Withdrawing himself from the politics of the outside world, Mephiston looks into the Warp and comes to a horrifying conclusion. Ka'Bandha is coming, determined to claim the souls of the Blood Angels once and for all...
The Good
While James Swallow has repeatedly proven himself a capable writer with certain Blood Angels aspects, and David Annandale has worked great tales with their darker aspects, this book has left the impression that Guy Haley is the master of writing this chapter. Many older or otherwise ignored depictions of this army show up once more here, and he offers a remarkably balanced version of the Blood Angels compared with prior outings. While a certain Fifth Edition codex re-wrote them as Emperor's Children vampires occasionally going "We are cursed! Woe is we!" there was more to them than this. Specifically a previous determined stoicism, willingness to fight their curse to the end and more of a monastic attitude. They were less the pseudo-Greek warrior artists fighting bloodthirst and more Templars afflicted with an ancient plague. Haley re-introduces a great deal of the latter without sacrificing much of the latter, and it's a definite move for the better.
The most obvious improvement is that, while the talk of blood, Black Rage and Sanginuius himself are dominant, it never feels as if it's there sole focus. Each is a matter which defines and is definitely important in distinguishing one group from the next, but even when it is being discussed there's always a definite sense of identity beyond it. For example, many chapters introduced in the Fifth Edition or underwent retcons have had considerable depth added to their few scenes. Moments with the Flesh Tearers, Blood Swords or even new characters such as the Angels Excelsis offer some much-needed variety to the force. Even when the subject of the Red Thirst does arise, there's enough variety in how the subject has been individually confronted to give much more of a sense of identity.
The use of such a varied depiction benefits the book considerably. It makes the Blood Angels' successors read much more like a group of very identifiable forces over simply making it one legion with a few general changes. Yes, that will be the last dig I make at the previous codex, but given the subject matter this was essential. The conclave scenes and gatherings give a real sense of varied forces uniting against a common threat, and the range of personalities, figures and attitudes further support this. Even when you do only see a minor scene or two involving a chapter, they are extremely distinct from those surrounding them.
It helps that Haley gives a great sense of tension as the war moves slowly toward Baal and works through a large ensemble of identifiable characters. This is easily the largest group of naamed figures you will find outside of an Abnett or Dembski-Bowden book, but the vast majority easily stand out from the pages. As such, you never risk mistaking one figure for another among the pages, or confusing one of a multitude of large storylines. More than a few also benefit from the scenes depicted surrounding the chapter, and its legacy. The book takes time to delve into a few events surrounding the chapter's long history and hidden secrets. Thanks to this, we are offered far more insight into Baal itself and the Blood Angels' presence there than in many other novels. A particularly tasty element surrounds Mephiston's personal quest, especially once he begins delving deep into their hidden secrets.
However, perhaps the most beneficial element of the entire book is its treatment of Dante. The Lord Commander might be among the most iconic of the astartes leaders, but that doesn't change the fact that he's all too often overlooked or underwritten. In this case, there's a clear sense of his role within the setting. The thousand years of service he has performed weighs heavily on his shoulders, and there's a clear emphasis placed upon that age above all else. Yet, while it makes him world weary and many react with surprise to his true face, it's always evident just why he is their leader. His tactical capacity, diplomatic talents and steadfast nature mark him out as head and shoulders above all others. It's clear to see why the likes of Seth would respect him despite their contrasting natures, and even why he ends up with the role he was offered at the end of the book.
Through Dante, and through the elements of their past, there's a real sense of closure of older ideas and a press forward to something new. It's a Viking funeral to some previous ideas, and while it's not discarding them or even torching their entire history, it makes it clear that life is changing. That the galaxy they have long fought for has undergone a massive alteration and they need to change or die to adapt to it.
The Bad
You might have noted that little of the above spoke about the villains of this book. There are two reasons for that. The first is simple spoilers, which cannot be delved into for risk of undermining a few solid ideas. The second is that they, unfortunately, leave little impact. The Tyranids are certainly a horde army, and a major part of their appeal is that faceless nature. Even when Haley opts to attribute a few more human elements to the Hive Mind it's handled deftly enough that it doesn't undermine the book. The problem is that the war itself nevertheless fails to convey the immensity of the swarm or the stages required to confront it.
Whether you enjoyed Uriel's actions in it or not, there's no denying that Warriors of Ultramar did spend a considerable amount of time working toward a massive threat. The fleets repeatedly launched delaying actions, leading to a multitude of spaceborne conflicts. There were large-scale efforts on the ground and months of work leading up to the defensive efforts. You were given vast descriptions of what seemed like a huge campaign with all the logistics, supply problems and planning that involved. That really isn't present here. While it shows up on occasion, it's largely paid lip service. At the most, it exists to support the character drama elements over the conflict in question.
The actual battles feel extremely small thanks to this unwillingness to focus on the war, to the point where it rushes through many essential details. The orbital battle is effectively skipped after the first few moments, with a number of characters dying between chapters after supposedly putting up a heroic effort we barely see. Equally, the Tyranid assaults as they are written lack the sheer emphasis on scale they truly need. The action in question feels extremely small, with minor responses and counters. This is most evident when you have two assembled chapters engaging a supposedly vast force of Tyranids in amassed close combat without being overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Or, as a better example, when a huge force is stalled by a moat.
Even the more strategic actions such as a raid on a generatorum is a questionable benefit, as it moves so quickly that little time is spent emphasising its essential benefit to the war effort. Combined with the sheer speed of events and the lack of time to pause or moments to describe how horrific the scars of the war will be on Baal itself, the invasion simply lacks the punch it needs to stand out. This is, admittedly, also not helped by a few problems surrounding the daemons of the book. Little can be talked of this but, for what is supposedly the arch-foe of the whole chapter, his presence proves to be frustratingly underwhelming.
This creates a much weaker second half of what had previously been a very strong book, and few opportunities are present to truly build upon the foundations established there. With a threat like Chaos, the Ork WAAAAGH!s or even the Tau Empire, this might have been a far better tale. Given what the Hive Fleets are best known for doing, it just makes a notably inferior follow-up to a fantastic first part.
The Verdict
This is definitely a book of two halves with strong lore building, character depictions, politics and a careful cultivation of chapter cultures on one side. On the other there's a surprisingly rushed and relatively weak war which the book seems to want to be over and done with. While it certainly ends on a high note and the war itself does serve to benefit the chapter in the long run, it makes its strengths and weaknesses very easy to pick out.
While this is definitely a book worth looking into - especially for Blood Angels fans - there's no denying that it could have been much stronger if given the opportunity. If you are interested in some DIY chapter creation inspirations or even a more detailed depiction of a major world-altering event from modern 40,000 then it's worth picking up. It's not essential reading if you're happy just reading off of the timeline though.
Synopsis
Following the battles of the past several years, the Tyranids have been flooding the galaxy with ever greater numbers. While the Imperium has performed victories both pyrrhic and triumphant against them, this has served only to enrage the seemingly thoughtless swarm. A massive tendril of the inbound Hive Fleets is heading to the Blood Angels' homeworld of Baal, stripping planet after planet of life as it advanced upon the desert world.
With several of his companies dispatched to counter the growing crisis surrounding the Cadian Gate, Lord Commander Dante dispatches messengers to gather as many sons of Sanginuius who can be assembled. While a multitude of ships work to delay the Tyranid advance he negotiates with a multitude of Chapter Masters as almost thirty thousand astartes assemble on the red worlds. Yet, even as this is dealt with, another threat is arising. Withdrawing himself from the politics of the outside world, Mephiston looks into the Warp and comes to a horrifying conclusion. Ka'Bandha is coming, determined to claim the souls of the Blood Angels once and for all...
The Good
While James Swallow has repeatedly proven himself a capable writer with certain Blood Angels aspects, and David Annandale has worked great tales with their darker aspects, this book has left the impression that Guy Haley is the master of writing this chapter. Many older or otherwise ignored depictions of this army show up once more here, and he offers a remarkably balanced version of the Blood Angels compared with prior outings. While a certain Fifth Edition codex re-wrote them as Emperor's Children vampires occasionally going "We are cursed! Woe is we!" there was more to them than this. Specifically a previous determined stoicism, willingness to fight their curse to the end and more of a monastic attitude. They were less the pseudo-Greek warrior artists fighting bloodthirst and more Templars afflicted with an ancient plague. Haley re-introduces a great deal of the latter without sacrificing much of the latter, and it's a definite move for the better.
The most obvious improvement is that, while the talk of blood, Black Rage and Sanginuius himself are dominant, it never feels as if it's there sole focus. Each is a matter which defines and is definitely important in distinguishing one group from the next, but even when it is being discussed there's always a definite sense of identity beyond it. For example, many chapters introduced in the Fifth Edition or underwent retcons have had considerable depth added to their few scenes. Moments with the Flesh Tearers, Blood Swords or even new characters such as the Angels Excelsis offer some much-needed variety to the force. Even when the subject of the Red Thirst does arise, there's enough variety in how the subject has been individually confronted to give much more of a sense of identity.
The use of such a varied depiction benefits the book considerably. It makes the Blood Angels' successors read much more like a group of very identifiable forces over simply making it one legion with a few general changes. Yes, that will be the last dig I make at the previous codex, but given the subject matter this was essential. The conclave scenes and gatherings give a real sense of varied forces uniting against a common threat, and the range of personalities, figures and attitudes further support this. Even when you do only see a minor scene or two involving a chapter, they are extremely distinct from those surrounding them.
It helps that Haley gives a great sense of tension as the war moves slowly toward Baal and works through a large ensemble of identifiable characters. This is easily the largest group of naamed figures you will find outside of an Abnett or Dembski-Bowden book, but the vast majority easily stand out from the pages. As such, you never risk mistaking one figure for another among the pages, or confusing one of a multitude of large storylines. More than a few also benefit from the scenes depicted surrounding the chapter, and its legacy. The book takes time to delve into a few events surrounding the chapter's long history and hidden secrets. Thanks to this, we are offered far more insight into Baal itself and the Blood Angels' presence there than in many other novels. A particularly tasty element surrounds Mephiston's personal quest, especially once he begins delving deep into their hidden secrets.
However, perhaps the most beneficial element of the entire book is its treatment of Dante. The Lord Commander might be among the most iconic of the astartes leaders, but that doesn't change the fact that he's all too often overlooked or underwritten. In this case, there's a clear sense of his role within the setting. The thousand years of service he has performed weighs heavily on his shoulders, and there's a clear emphasis placed upon that age above all else. Yet, while it makes him world weary and many react with surprise to his true face, it's always evident just why he is their leader. His tactical capacity, diplomatic talents and steadfast nature mark him out as head and shoulders above all others. It's clear to see why the likes of Seth would respect him despite their contrasting natures, and even why he ends up with the role he was offered at the end of the book.
Through Dante, and through the elements of their past, there's a real sense of closure of older ideas and a press forward to something new. It's a Viking funeral to some previous ideas, and while it's not discarding them or even torching their entire history, it makes it clear that life is changing. That the galaxy they have long fought for has undergone a massive alteration and they need to change or die to adapt to it.
The Bad
You might have noted that little of the above spoke about the villains of this book. There are two reasons for that. The first is simple spoilers, which cannot be delved into for risk of undermining a few solid ideas. The second is that they, unfortunately, leave little impact. The Tyranids are certainly a horde army, and a major part of their appeal is that faceless nature. Even when Haley opts to attribute a few more human elements to the Hive Mind it's handled deftly enough that it doesn't undermine the book. The problem is that the war itself nevertheless fails to convey the immensity of the swarm or the stages required to confront it.
Whether you enjoyed Uriel's actions in it or not, there's no denying that Warriors of Ultramar did spend a considerable amount of time working toward a massive threat. The fleets repeatedly launched delaying actions, leading to a multitude of spaceborne conflicts. There were large-scale efforts on the ground and months of work leading up to the defensive efforts. You were given vast descriptions of what seemed like a huge campaign with all the logistics, supply problems and planning that involved. That really isn't present here. While it shows up on occasion, it's largely paid lip service. At the most, it exists to support the character drama elements over the conflict in question.
The actual battles feel extremely small thanks to this unwillingness to focus on the war, to the point where it rushes through many essential details. The orbital battle is effectively skipped after the first few moments, with a number of characters dying between chapters after supposedly putting up a heroic effort we barely see. Equally, the Tyranid assaults as they are written lack the sheer emphasis on scale they truly need. The action in question feels extremely small, with minor responses and counters. This is most evident when you have two assembled chapters engaging a supposedly vast force of Tyranids in amassed close combat without being overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Or, as a better example, when a huge force is stalled by a moat.
Even the more strategic actions such as a raid on a generatorum is a questionable benefit, as it moves so quickly that little time is spent emphasising its essential benefit to the war effort. Combined with the sheer speed of events and the lack of time to pause or moments to describe how horrific the scars of the war will be on Baal itself, the invasion simply lacks the punch it needs to stand out. This is, admittedly, also not helped by a few problems surrounding the daemons of the book. Little can be talked of this but, for what is supposedly the arch-foe of the whole chapter, his presence proves to be frustratingly underwhelming.
This creates a much weaker second half of what had previously been a very strong book, and few opportunities are present to truly build upon the foundations established there. With a threat like Chaos, the Ork WAAAAGH!s or even the Tau Empire, this might have been a far better tale. Given what the Hive Fleets are best known for doing, it just makes a notably inferior follow-up to a fantastic first part.
The Verdict
This is definitely a book of two halves with strong lore building, character depictions, politics and a careful cultivation of chapter cultures on one side. On the other there's a surprisingly rushed and relatively weak war which the book seems to want to be over and done with. While it certainly ends on a high note and the war itself does serve to benefit the chapter in the long run, it makes its strengths and weaknesses very easy to pick out.
While this is definitely a book worth looking into - especially for Blood Angels fans - there's no denying that it could have been much stronger if given the opportunity. If you are interested in some DIY chapter creation inspirations or even a more detailed depiction of a major world-altering event from modern 40,000 then it's worth picking up. It's not essential reading if you're happy just reading off of the timeline though.
June 3, 2019
This was so boring.
It had it’s moments, such as when it finally got around to describing tyranids, and some of the characters were gripping, such as Seth, but on the whole...just utterly boring.
I’m finding with books on Astartes that the narrative is always the same, it’s just the battles that get swapped. They’re all self serving narratives about how their belief in the Emperor keeps them going, blah, blah, blah, they protect humanity while despising it and being held apart, blah, blah. Why should I care about any of them when thousands of them die a paragraph and the humans drop at an even faster rate? It always devolved into ‘oh aren’t the sons of the Emperor so fearless and brave willing to die for literally nothing’.
It doesn’t help that the narrator, while being good at different voices, was just boring to listen to. Too noble and weirdly classical.
It had it’s moments, such as when it finally got around to describing tyranids, and some of the characters were gripping, such as Seth, but on the whole...just utterly boring.
I’m finding with books on Astartes that the narrative is always the same, it’s just the battles that get swapped. They’re all self serving narratives about how their belief in the Emperor keeps them going, blah, blah, blah, they protect humanity while despising it and being held apart, blah, blah. Why should I care about any of them when thousands of them die a paragraph and the humans drop at an even faster rate? It always devolved into ‘oh aren’t the sons of the Emperor so fearless and brave willing to die for literally nothing’.
It doesn’t help that the narrator, while being good at different voices, was just boring to listen to. Too noble and weirdly classical.
November 25, 2017
The Devastation of Baal effectively updates the Blood Angels and their successor chapters into the new 8th edition Warhammer setting. Herein, Commander Dante leads a force not seen since the days of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy in the defense of Baal against the trillions of organisms of Hivefleet Leviathan. I was surprised by the deaths of so many named characters and it was poignant reading about the bittersweet vignettes of mortal heroism. The status quo is definitely changing and I greatly look forward to seeing the setting change.
August 20, 2018
If you're asking what happen to your beloved sons of angels during the galaxy shattering event of the Gathering Storm and 8th Edition story. This books flesh you out.
Review in progress....
Review in progress....
October 27, 2025
The Devastation of Baal!
More like the devastation of expectations!
Thought by all metrics this would be the best 40k book I would read. Blood angels? Plenty. Dante? Plenty. Mephiston? Plenty Blood, guts and battle? Plennnnnty
So what went wrong, so wrong that it got a 2!
The style:
75%(Note the 75%) of the time it was like reading a wiki page, instead of heartfelt moments and surging emotions I was given plain descriptions that were written with as much love a gay man has for a woman. So many battle scenes felt pointless and didn't go anyway and I felt like the author was just reporting to me filler moments.
Moments like Mephiston trying to stop Ka'Banha should have been really hype but the author did not execute these well in my opinion. It read like a slop, it felt empty and everything about it was boring. I think if the author took a more personal approach to all the moments of the battle, the entire book would be fixed for me.
The worst part? Remember the 75% I mentioned, well I meant that, although 75% is very generous. Instead of generic descriptions and boring battles written without any emotion, the author rarely wrote a good scene, which shows me the skill is there but the vison was not...
Picture this A man who lives on Baal is trying to sell water to survive with his son, who is mentally a vegetable. His son was a initiate to the Blood Angels but during the final test banged his head on a mountain and damaged his brain so now he has the mental capacities of a 5 year old. The father is called Luigi and hates his son now for he used to be a smart and capable man who WOULD have become a blood angel but instead is brain dead, so now he must care for him for his entire life like a child.
He spits insults at the boy 24/7, can't stand to look at him and when Spacemarines ask whether it's his son, he hesitates greatly when answering. He also refuses to ever say his name. The disdain he feels for his son is immense, infact he does not even see him as a son anymore, he felt that his real son died the day his head hit the mountain. The amount of hate he spews throughout the book really forces you to feel bad while also empathetic.
So when the battle begins they are forced to help out on the frontline by firing guns and being bait at one point. Many times his son saves him and he cannot muster the courage to ever thank him. He has intense internal battles just thinking about his son, thinking about how he cannot muster the courage to even say thank you and how he hates that about himself.
When the book ends they are still alive and a tech marine checks the brain of his son and tells him that he can still be a Blood Angel because now they need recruits after losing 95% of the chapter :c
So imagine how Luigi reacts knowing that he will finally get his son back and that the brain damage can be healed if he becomes a Angel. He battles with the regret of how poorly he treated his son, knowing he will be fixed and normal again, be able to be the man he was once proud to call his son, a space marine none the less.
Now imagine the scene unfolding when not even a second later he finds out he has a tyranid disease and will 100% die, either by a Angel's mercy or long painful death. For the first time in the entire book he pays his son a compliment and says hes proud of him, then the marine kills him (with consent of course, he asks if he wants the mercy and he agrees). His son, who is too stupid to understand watches it transpire, sees his dead dad and just asks why the marine killed him, he is horrified. Because after all the bad words he still loved his dad like a dog, no matter what was said.
You see that? It's emotional, it's impactful and it's got a arc. It's everything a character should be and it showed me that the author is extremely capable of good writing.
Everything about that was severely missing from the rest of the book.
If you took a shot every time something was named angelic or described as so, you would be dead.
If you took a shot every time a space marine was said to 'He felt the thirst/ black rage', you would be dead.
If you took a shot anytime Sanguinis was mentioned? You would probably kill a entire fucking eco system when your body decomposes with all that alcohol.
The descriptions was THE SAME EVERY TIME FOR EVERYTHING, I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW REPTITIVE THE WRITING WAS. WE GET IT. IT'S FOR SANGUINIUS, I DO NOT NEED TO LISTEN TO IT 2000000 TIMES IN ONE CHAPTER.
All the buildings sound the same cause they've got angelicum or something next to it. I was just so sick of it man.
Until the very last chapter Dante was so boring. For every character except the ones i gave a indepth view on just there, their emotions are told plainly and rarely shown.
Once Kh'Bundha arrived it says that people felt really violent cause of khorne.
So instead of hearing about how he felt violent, word for word, it would be better to... IDK? Describe a character attacking one of his brethren and then snapping out of it. Sure i think that might happen for someone, but that was not a POV. The point is, the style of the book does not work for me in any way.
I cannot stress the writing style enough.
One last example will be of Mephiston( who was written to be ultra boring, don't get me started) was walking through a vault to meet with a alien prisoner.
We spent half the chapter describing each vault room leading to the prisoner which bore no relevance to the story and were never revisited. Okay mate. Why are we spending half a chapter describing irrelevant rooms?
To end my complaining and to highlight some badass moments for you lads I'll just name some moments that stood out.
- The battle looks to be over and then the skies turn red and the entire tyranid hivemind is stunned for the first time ever. It was said that for once in their lifetimes, they lost connection to the hivemind and became beasts. Then out of no where a fucking meteor DROPS DOWN FROM THE SKY AND LANDS ON THEM. WHAT IS IT? FUCKING KH'BANDHA AND HE'S THERE TO WRECK SHIT. LITERALLY STARTS SLAUGHTERING EVERYTHING.
-Dante solo killing a swarm lord right at the end of the battle while he was completely exhausted. BRO SOLO'D HIM, ONE OF THE STRONGEST NIDS TAKEN OUT BY A RETIREMENT SPACE MARINE WHO IS SUPER EXHAUSTED AND BATTERED.
-Guilliman meeting Dante was sick and you really got the sense of hope from the old man.
-Sanguinius coming to Dante's vision and telling him there's still a mission for him to completely, refusing to let him die( Because Will, Dante is one of the oldest if not oldest space marine and desperately wishes to die and be at peace at last. What makes this funnier is that he is burdened by responsibility and then Guilliman makes him the warden of half the Imperium)
Mephiston meeting a forbidden Alien and controlling it's mind to see visions of Khorne.
Biggest shock? How much I liked Seth the leader of the Flesh Bearers, he is a great character and props on that, same with a guy called Erwin but he died and doesn't even have a fucking wiki lol.
- The fact that i'm sitting here trying to think of highlights speaks to my opinions on this book.
The best part for me is that my favorite 40k youtuber dropped a video about the devastation of Baal and i've been wanting to finish this before watching it, so now, I am free.
More like the devastation of expectations!
Thought by all metrics this would be the best 40k book I would read. Blood angels? Plenty. Dante? Plenty. Mephiston? Plenty Blood, guts and battle? Plennnnnty
So what went wrong, so wrong that it got a 2!
The style:
75%(Note the 75%) of the time it was like reading a wiki page, instead of heartfelt moments and surging emotions I was given plain descriptions that were written with as much love a gay man has for a woman. So many battle scenes felt pointless and didn't go anyway and I felt like the author was just reporting to me filler moments.
Moments like Mephiston trying to stop Ka'Banha should have been really hype but the author did not execute these well in my opinion. It read like a slop, it felt empty and everything about it was boring. I think if the author took a more personal approach to all the moments of the battle, the entire book would be fixed for me.
The worst part? Remember the 75% I mentioned, well I meant that, although 75% is very generous. Instead of generic descriptions and boring battles written without any emotion, the author rarely wrote a good scene, which shows me the skill is there but the vison was not...
Picture this A man who lives on Baal is trying to sell water to survive with his son, who is mentally a vegetable. His son was a initiate to the Blood Angels but during the final test banged his head on a mountain and damaged his brain so now he has the mental capacities of a 5 year old. The father is called Luigi and hates his son now for he used to be a smart and capable man who WOULD have become a blood angel but instead is brain dead, so now he must care for him for his entire life like a child.
He spits insults at the boy 24/7, can't stand to look at him and when Spacemarines ask whether it's his son, he hesitates greatly when answering. He also refuses to ever say his name. The disdain he feels for his son is immense, infact he does not even see him as a son anymore, he felt that his real son died the day his head hit the mountain. The amount of hate he spews throughout the book really forces you to feel bad while also empathetic.
So when the battle begins they are forced to help out on the frontline by firing guns and being bait at one point. Many times his son saves him and he cannot muster the courage to ever thank him. He has intense internal battles just thinking about his son, thinking about how he cannot muster the courage to even say thank you and how he hates that about himself.
When the book ends they are still alive and a tech marine checks the brain of his son and tells him that he can still be a Blood Angel because now they need recruits after losing 95% of the chapter :c
So imagine how Luigi reacts knowing that he will finally get his son back and that the brain damage can be healed if he becomes a Angel. He battles with the regret of how poorly he treated his son, knowing he will be fixed and normal again, be able to be the man he was once proud to call his son, a space marine none the less.
Now imagine the scene unfolding when not even a second later he finds out he has a tyranid disease and will 100% die, either by a Angel's mercy or long painful death. For the first time in the entire book he pays his son a compliment and says hes proud of him, then the marine kills him (with consent of course, he asks if he wants the mercy and he agrees). His son, who is too stupid to understand watches it transpire, sees his dead dad and just asks why the marine killed him, he is horrified. Because after all the bad words he still loved his dad like a dog, no matter what was said.
You see that? It's emotional, it's impactful and it's got a arc. It's everything a character should be and it showed me that the author is extremely capable of good writing.
Everything about that was severely missing from the rest of the book.
If you took a shot every time something was named angelic or described as so, you would be dead.
If you took a shot every time a space marine was said to 'He felt the thirst/ black rage', you would be dead.
If you took a shot anytime Sanguinis was mentioned? You would probably kill a entire fucking eco system when your body decomposes with all that alcohol.
The descriptions was THE SAME EVERY TIME FOR EVERYTHING, I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW REPTITIVE THE WRITING WAS. WE GET IT. IT'S FOR SANGUINIUS, I DO NOT NEED TO LISTEN TO IT 2000000 TIMES IN ONE CHAPTER.
All the buildings sound the same cause they've got angelicum or something next to it. I was just so sick of it man.
Until the very last chapter Dante was so boring. For every character except the ones i gave a indepth view on just there, their emotions are told plainly and rarely shown.
Once Kh'Bundha arrived it says that people felt really violent cause of khorne.
So instead of hearing about how he felt violent, word for word, it would be better to... IDK? Describe a character attacking one of his brethren and then snapping out of it. Sure i think that might happen for someone, but that was not a POV. The point is, the style of the book does not work for me in any way.
I cannot stress the writing style enough.
One last example will be of Mephiston( who was written to be ultra boring, don't get me started) was walking through a vault to meet with a alien prisoner.
We spent half the chapter describing each vault room leading to the prisoner which bore no relevance to the story and were never revisited. Okay mate. Why are we spending half a chapter describing irrelevant rooms?
To end my complaining and to highlight some badass moments for you lads I'll just name some moments that stood out.
- The battle looks to be over and then the skies turn red and the entire tyranid hivemind is stunned for the first time ever. It was said that for once in their lifetimes, they lost connection to the hivemind and became beasts. Then out of no where a fucking meteor DROPS DOWN FROM THE SKY AND LANDS ON THEM. WHAT IS IT? FUCKING KH'BANDHA AND HE'S THERE TO WRECK SHIT. LITERALLY STARTS SLAUGHTERING EVERYTHING.
-Dante solo killing a swarm lord right at the end of the battle while he was completely exhausted. BRO SOLO'D HIM, ONE OF THE STRONGEST NIDS TAKEN OUT BY A RETIREMENT SPACE MARINE WHO IS SUPER EXHAUSTED AND BATTERED.
-Guilliman meeting Dante was sick and you really got the sense of hope from the old man.
-Sanguinius coming to Dante's vision and telling him there's still a mission for him to completely, refusing to let him die( Because Will, Dante is one of the oldest if not oldest space marine and desperately wishes to die and be at peace at last. What makes this funnier is that he is burdened by responsibility and then Guilliman makes him the warden of half the Imperium)
Mephiston meeting a forbidden Alien and controlling it's mind to see visions of Khorne.
Biggest shock? How much I liked Seth the leader of the Flesh Bearers, he is a great character and props on that, same with a guy called Erwin but he died and doesn't even have a fucking wiki lol.
- The fact that i'm sitting here trying to think of highlights speaks to my opinions on this book.
The best part for me is that my favorite 40k youtuber dropped a video about the devastation of Baal and i've been wanting to finish this before watching it, so now, I am free.
Read
April 3, 2022Da vecchio appassionato degli universi di Warhammer della Games Workshop quando ho scoperto la nascita di Alanera edizioni ho fatto festa. Questo editore, nato con il dichiarato fine di portare in Italia l’infinita serie di romanzi incentrati sui mondi di Warhammer è subito entrato nel mio cuore e ho deciso di assaporare un loro prodotto, iniziando da La Devastazione di Baal di Guy Haley.
Che dire, un romanzo potente, così come impone l’oscuro universo di Warhammer 40.000. Per chi non conoscesse questa ambientazione, vastissima a livelli inimmaginabili, non c’è miglior sintesi di quella fatta dai creatori stessi di questa realtà: “nella tetra oscurità del lontano futuro c’è solo guerra.” Punto. Semplice e conciso, una promessa che non si smentisce. Vi lascio questo trailer a dir poco spettacolare, come ulteriore chiarimento della situazione nella quale verremo catapultati.
Guerra senza confini e senza tempo, e di guerra parla anche La Devastazione di Baal. Uno scontro che vede l’intero sistema di Baal, pianeta nativo di uno dei capitoli più rinomati dell’Impero, quello dei Blood Angels, messo sotto assedio dalla Leviathan, il più grande tentacolo della Flotta Alveare.
Lo sciame, composto di migliaia di miliardi di tiranidi, guidati da una mente collettiva inconosibile per l’umanità, è una minaccia che non prevede esito differente dalla sconfitta per le legioni radunate dal Comandante Dante. Recensione completa su: https://www.scrittorindipendenti.com/...
Che dire, un romanzo potente, così come impone l’oscuro universo di Warhammer 40.000. Per chi non conoscesse questa ambientazione, vastissima a livelli inimmaginabili, non c’è miglior sintesi di quella fatta dai creatori stessi di questa realtà: “nella tetra oscurità del lontano futuro c’è solo guerra.” Punto. Semplice e conciso, una promessa che non si smentisce. Vi lascio questo trailer a dir poco spettacolare, come ulteriore chiarimento della situazione nella quale verremo catapultati.
Guerra senza confini e senza tempo, e di guerra parla anche La Devastazione di Baal. Uno scontro che vede l’intero sistema di Baal, pianeta nativo di uno dei capitoli più rinomati dell’Impero, quello dei Blood Angels, messo sotto assedio dalla Leviathan, il più grande tentacolo della Flotta Alveare.
Lo sciame, composto di migliaia di miliardi di tiranidi, guidati da una mente collettiva inconosibile per l’umanità, è una minaccia che non prevede esito differente dalla sconfitta per le legioni radunate dal Comandante Dante. Recensione completa su: https://www.scrittorindipendenti.com/...
April 6, 2019
The timing was bad on this one, I started reading it back in February and had to take a rather long pause, which for sure impacted the experience. It's a very decent read, probably not as strong as Dante, but Guy Haley keeps impressing. Just bad timing for me, unfortunately.
January 11, 2026
‘You killed my da!’ said the boy.
The angel looked down at the boy. ‘This was mercy, not murder. He would have died in pain, and would have wished for a swifter end before the poison killed him. He was brave and wise, at the end, at least. He took kindness when it was offered over agony.’
I liked it. It's good. I like to complain.
Black Library's style with the Warhammer universe is to produce a mix of short stories, novellas and novels, with combinations into series, omnibuses or anthologies. While there is a substantial stable of authors to call upon, and a pre-existing universe to “plug in and play", you do see the strain in parts. There's at least two ways this plays out in The Devastation of Baal. Firstly, a certain amount of prior knowledge of the main characters and organisations is presumed, or at least helpful (lucky a novel on Dante came out that same year!). To an extent this is what it is, and churlish of me to criticise success, but do keep it in mind.
Secondly, and more importantly, however, The Devastation of Baal reads as a composite of certain ideas and setpieces – most obviously as a couple of novellas and short stories stitched together. This impacts both the characters and the setting.
The revolving door cast
‘That was Erwin’s ship,’ said Asante. ‘He died better than he lived.’
The clue to the composition of the Devastation of Baal is its length, which is unusually long for a Black Library novel. To make it work, the book has a clear (and relatively lengthy) prelude before getting into the main battle. That is fine but the characters are the connective tissue, and in some cases they are lacking. The Angels Excelsis Erwin and Hennan are criminally misused in the second half considering their front loading in the early chapters. Other characters at varying ranks are weakly integrated into the plotline (which is also an issue with the setting).
It does work for Haley where he uses the multitude of characters to create more layered shades of the Imperium of Man than his earlier books in 2017. The Knights of the Blood stand in as the dark(er) side of the Flesh Tearers, and the Baal citizenry get to form a semi-interesting framing device around the novel. Yet I forget what the Sanguinor did, and barely remember Dante's service other than as a front line superer soldier, as there's a lack of dynamism to his strategy.
Where? Why?
Most of the battle portion of The Devastation of Baal focuses around a battle for a single fortress. Compared to the anthology style War for Armageddon (where the explicit jumps in scene are more permissible), it is a little lacking. For a shorter novel it would be fine, but considering the significant build-up, Haley umms and ahhs his way through narrowing it down to a few dozen square miles (with an honourable exception for the Flesh Tearers).
...but it can't just be a small battle because to get access to a certain deus ex machina, Haley works in the fall of Cadia, along with the unleashing of the Great Rift and the return of the progenitor of the Black Rage, but only for a limited time because...
...god I am exhausted. I mean, it’s Warhammer 40K which is, at most, pitched at an adolescent level intellectually. You can work it all out. It’s more a confession that the themes in The Devastation of Baal did get confusing for me, because it is a composite.
Cool fight though, and fair go at the Tyranid mentality. Haley also brings a distinctiveness to the Blood Angels. So yeah, really like it.
The angel looked down at the boy. ‘This was mercy, not murder. He would have died in pain, and would have wished for a swifter end before the poison killed him. He was brave and wise, at the end, at least. He took kindness when it was offered over agony.’
I liked it. It's good. I like to complain.
Black Library's style with the Warhammer universe is to produce a mix of short stories, novellas and novels, with combinations into series, omnibuses or anthologies. While there is a substantial stable of authors to call upon, and a pre-existing universe to “plug in and play", you do see the strain in parts. There's at least two ways this plays out in The Devastation of Baal. Firstly, a certain amount of prior knowledge of the main characters and organisations is presumed, or at least helpful (lucky a novel on Dante came out that same year!). To an extent this is what it is, and churlish of me to criticise success, but do keep it in mind.
Secondly, and more importantly, however, The Devastation of Baal reads as a composite of certain ideas and setpieces – most obviously as a couple of novellas and short stories stitched together. This impacts both the characters and the setting.
The revolving door cast
‘That was Erwin’s ship,’ said Asante. ‘He died better than he lived.’
The clue to the composition of the Devastation of Baal is its length, which is unusually long for a Black Library novel. To make it work, the book has a clear (and relatively lengthy) prelude before getting into the main battle. That is fine but the characters are the connective tissue, and in some cases they are lacking. The Angels Excelsis Erwin and Hennan are criminally misused in the second half considering their front loading in the early chapters. Other characters at varying ranks are weakly integrated into the plotline (which is also an issue with the setting).
It does work for Haley where he uses the multitude of characters to create more layered shades of the Imperium of Man than his earlier books in 2017. The Knights of the Blood stand in as the dark(er) side of the Flesh Tearers, and the Baal citizenry get to form a semi-interesting framing device around the novel. Yet I forget what the Sanguinor did, and barely remember Dante's service other than as a front line superer soldier, as there's a lack of dynamism to his strategy.
Where? Why?
Most of the battle portion of The Devastation of Baal focuses around a battle for a single fortress. Compared to the anthology style War for Armageddon (where the explicit jumps in scene are more permissible), it is a little lacking. For a shorter novel it would be fine, but considering the significant build-up, Haley umms and ahhs his way through narrowing it down to a few dozen square miles (with an honourable exception for the Flesh Tearers).
...but it can't just be a small battle because to get access to a certain deus ex machina, Haley works in the fall of Cadia, along with the unleashing of the Great Rift and the return of the progenitor of the Black Rage, but only for a limited time because...
...god I am exhausted. I mean, it’s Warhammer 40K which is, at most, pitched at an adolescent level intellectually. You can work it all out. It’s more a confession that the themes in The Devastation of Baal did get confusing for me, because it is a composite.
Cool fight though, and fair go at the Tyranid mentality. Haley also brings a distinctiveness to the Blood Angels. So yeah, really like it.
April 15, 2026
It's a fun listen. I can best describe it as "aggressively Black Library."
May 10, 2025
Dante to literalnie ja (jest on bohaterem tragicznym zmęczonym życiem, ale zmuszonym przez okoliczności prowadzić niekończącą się bitwę przeciwko złu) (hivemind to literalnie demiurg)
February 11, 2023
È il secondo libro scritto da Guy Haley che leggo, il primo è stato Il Figlio vendicatore, e già quel suo primo libro mi aveva colpito in positivo.
Mi sono approcciato a questo volume in maniera un poco prevenuta, amo la lore dei Blood Angels, angeli, vampiri maledetti sia dalla sete rossa per il sangue che dalla rabbia nera che li riporta ad avere continue visioni sulla morte di Sanguinius ucciso da suo fratello Horus. Ma allo stesso tempo non amo i tiranidi, li avevo sempre visti come un antagonista con cui si poteva sviluppare ben poca empatia. Cosa che resta vera, ma in questo libro la loro descrizione non è sterile fine a se stessa, si sente tutto il sovverchiante orrore della mente collettiva dell alveare.
Ma la parte veramente appassionante è tutta la parte relativa ai capitoli maledetti come i Flesh Tearers e i knights of blood, qui si vede tutta la sapienza dello scrittore,che dopo un inizio abbastanza lineare trascina il lettore verso una parte centrale del romanzo avvincente e un finale assolutamente esplosivo. E sto omettendo tantissimo per non rovinare la sorpresa.
È decisamente un romanzo maturo un Grimdark fantascientifico(anche se warhammer 40k non può essere ridotto al solo genere fantascientifico) assolutamente imperdibile.
Mi sono approcciato a questo volume in maniera un poco prevenuta, amo la lore dei Blood Angels, angeli, vampiri maledetti sia dalla sete rossa per il sangue che dalla rabbia nera che li riporta ad avere continue visioni sulla morte di Sanguinius ucciso da suo fratello Horus. Ma allo stesso tempo non amo i tiranidi, li avevo sempre visti come un antagonista con cui si poteva sviluppare ben poca empatia. Cosa che resta vera, ma in questo libro la loro descrizione non è sterile fine a se stessa, si sente tutto il sovverchiante orrore della mente collettiva dell alveare.
Ma la parte veramente appassionante è tutta la parte relativa ai capitoli maledetti come i Flesh Tearers e i knights of blood, qui si vede tutta la sapienza dello scrittore,che dopo un inizio abbastanza lineare trascina il lettore verso una parte centrale del romanzo avvincente e un finale assolutamente esplosivo. E sto omettendo tantissimo per non rovinare la sorpresa.
È decisamente un romanzo maturo un Grimdark fantascientifico(anche se warhammer 40k non può essere ridotto al solo genere fantascientifico) assolutamente imperdibile.
September 19, 2018
Guy Haley is a really really weird fish, but in a good way
He is a decent writer of the fluff, and honestly stick to Bolter Porn a bit too much. But then he writes some excellent character scene that want to make you shed a tear, which honestly fools me why he sticks to fluff more than he should.
His endings are not so great but this one was bettter.
And the epilogue, 8th edition brings more change than I thought so.
"Everything is changing."
"The old days are over, the days of the Space Marines are done."
========Audiobook notes========
As I said in my last review of an audiobook from Guy Haley, I'm pretty sure that somehow John Banks hurts the book with his narration(Which is again, nothing wrong. I am still boomozleed of why I have problems with it, it's nothing but solid). And I stand corrected, as almost no one of the problems I depicted in Dark Imperium were in Devastation of Baal, and if they were, not at the same magnitude.
He is a decent writer of the fluff, and honestly stick to Bolter Porn a bit too much. But then he writes some excellent character scene that want to make you shed a tear, which honestly fools me why he sticks to fluff more than he should.
His endings are not so great but this one was bettter.
And the epilogue, 8th edition brings more change than I thought so.
"Everything is changing."
"The old days are over, the days of the Space Marines are done."
========Audiobook notes========
As I said in my last review of an audiobook from Guy Haley, I'm pretty sure that somehow John Banks hurts the book with his narration(Which is again, nothing wrong. I am still boomozleed of why I have problems with it, it's nothing but solid). And I stand corrected, as almost no one of the problems I depicted in Dark Imperium were in Devastation of Baal, and if they were, not at the same magnitude.
December 24, 2022
4,5/5 ⭐️
Episch, Actiongeladen, Wütend!
Episch, Actiongeladen, Wütend!
February 19, 2024
Very slow read but entertaining. As someone who knows nothing of Warhammer, this was a good starter and a book I actually enjoyed reading. Now I will understand more of what my friend talks about.
June 21, 2023
Final Rating: 5/5
I need some time to recover from this. This is exactly one of those books where you read about a character and boom! In the next scene, he's dead, suddenly! Sometimes it can hit you right where it hurts. And then there are some scenes when you just laugh because... you know, isn't it fun to laugh at hypocrisy, or at the irony of things or at humor in general?
But mostly, I loved it because compared to book about Dante, this one didn't suffer too much from too much details. Let's say there were a lot of details involved, so prepare for paragraphs upon paragraphs of descriptions but it just enriches the storytelling. Don't you just love it when you can imagine what's happening inside the book because there is just right amount of words and descriptions are sufficient?
I also listened to audiobook on audible narrated by Gareth Armstrong (while also reading the book itself) - and he did well - but in general, I don't feel like being big fan of his when it comes to narration.
This review might contain some slight spoilers that are not even maybe spoilers, so I don't even know if weather they should be marked, but don't worry, it will not ruin your experience!
Devastation of Baal and its moons Baalind and Baalfora:
Attacking force Hivefleet Leviathan (Tyranids) counting millions vs approx. 29000 Blood Angels, commanding officer Dante.
Do you like space battles? Well, you have some of them here. Even though at some point the space battle scenes get cut short in favor of the ground attack force, it is still cut short, but it was also done well. This part of the story is mostly narrated through Second Captain Erwin of the Angels Excelsis. Through him we also see relationships between other chapter masters, mostly Asante.
Then you have present Flesh Tearers and of course Gabriel Seth as their chapter master and their similar but not so similar chapter Knights of Blood led by Santor Jool. Their similarities yet opposite look on the way they handle things and how they deal with black rage and civilians in path and with the enemies they have in common was interesting.
And finally, we have Dante, who is chosen to be leader of now once again completed Legion of Blood Angels, whose goal is only to preserve the home world of their Primarch Sanguinius and defend until their last dying breath. Finally, he and others (notable one being Mephiston) had to deal with some very hard decisions, including who to save, what to save, what to do, how to deal with it, how to organize, and all the while, they never realized there was a threat inside... Not to mention an old enemy is rising as another threat to their legacy. And Emperor damn it, Dante really reaaaaaaaaally just wants to retire, you know... but apparently being 1500 years old and being too good at what he does apparently makes him too good to be laid off from work. Sorry, no rest for you Dante!
There is a lot going on. A lot of perspectives, but I also feel like they all got enough time to shine. Even the kid and his father Uigui had a purpose.
And finally, one thing to remember and that I love being reminded of, is that no one is good person here. They will always, always choose lesser evil first.
And finally the ending. I want to talk about the ending so much because... There's just so much going on in it as much as
So i'll write about those here:
And one quote that made me laugh a lot:
Loved it. There are some flaws, but I loved everyone in it, they are complex enough, and a lot of scenes hurt me :) If you love Blood Angels I am sure you will love this. if you are just discovering WH books, then I recommend reading The Word of the Silent King, then Dante and finally this.
◈ Dante
I need some time to recover from this. This is exactly one of those books where you read about a character and boom! In the next scene, he's dead, suddenly! Sometimes it can hit you right where it hurts. And then there are some scenes when you just laugh because... you know, isn't it fun to laugh at hypocrisy, or at the irony of things or at humor in general?
‘The probability of your survival alone is higher than our survival together,’ said Hennan.
‘Where is your fighting spirit, sergeant?’
‘Under control,’ said Hennan.
But mostly, I loved it because compared to book about Dante, this one didn't suffer too much from too much details. Let's say there were a lot of details involved, so prepare for paragraphs upon paragraphs of descriptions but it just enriches the storytelling. Don't you just love it when you can imagine what's happening inside the book because there is just right amount of words and descriptions are sufficient?
‘Your savagery is your strength as much as your curse.’
‘Savage? Here I am, obedient.’
I also listened to audiobook on audible narrated by Gareth Armstrong (while also reading the book itself) - and he did well - but in general, I don't feel like being big fan of his when it comes to narration.
This review might contain some slight spoilers that are not even maybe spoilers, so I don't even know if weather they should be marked, but don't worry, it will not ruin your experience!
►►► STORY & CHARACTERS:
Devastation of Baal and its moons Baalind and Baalfora:
Attacking force Hivefleet Leviathan (Tyranids) counting millions vs approx. 29000 Blood Angels, commanding officer Dante.
Do you like space battles? Well, you have some of them here. Even though at some point the space battle scenes get cut short in favor of the ground attack force, it is still cut short, but it was also done well. This part of the story is mostly narrated through Second Captain Erwin of the Angels Excelsis. Through him we also see relationships between other chapter masters, mostly Asante.
Asante looked back into his hololith imager. ‘Asante out.’
‘Friendly,’ said Erwin.
‘He is preoccupied,’ said Achemen.
‘You know, when the Emperor’s gifts were implanted into your body, Achemen, I think they left out the organ responsible for a sense of humour. Where is your joy? We go into battle!’
‘There is only room for duty in my heart.’
‘You have two,’ Erwin reminded him.
‘The other is full of sorrow for the people of our Imperium,’ said Achemen.
Then you have present Flesh Tearers and of course Gabriel Seth as their chapter master and their similar but not so similar chapter Knights of Blood led by Santor Jool. Their similarities yet opposite look on the way they handle things and how they deal with black rage and civilians in path and with the enemies they have in common was interesting.
‘You are a lesson to us all in hope.’
‘We are all damned,’ said Seth.
And finally, we have Dante, who is chosen to be leader of now once again completed Legion of Blood Angels, whose goal is only to preserve the home world of their Primarch Sanguinius and defend until their last dying breath. Finally, he and others (notable one being Mephiston) had to deal with some very hard decisions, including who to save, what to save, what to do, how to deal with it, how to organize, and all the while, they never realized there was a threat inside... Not to mention an old enemy is rising as another threat to their legacy. And Emperor damn it, Dante really reaaaaaaaaally just wants to retire, you know... but apparently being 1500 years old and being too good at what he does apparently makes him too good to be laid off from work. Sorry, no rest for you Dante!
Dante laughed in wild despair. Gathered together, all the sons of Sanguinius could accomplish was to slow the consumption of a single world.
There is a lot going on. A lot of perspectives, but I also feel like they all got enough time to shine. Even the kid and his father Uigui had a purpose.
And finally, one thing to remember and that I love being reminded of, is that no one is good person here. They will always, always choose lesser evil first.
And finally the ending. I want to talk about the ending so much because... There's just so much going on in it as much as
So i'll write about those here:
And one quote that made me laugh a lot:
►►► OVERALL:
Loved it. There are some flaws, but I loved everyone in it, they are complex enough, and a lot of scenes hurt me :) If you love Blood Angels I am sure you will love this. if you are just discovering WH books, then I recommend reading The Word of the Silent King, then Dante and finally this.
►►► REVIEW(S) RELATED TO THIS BOOK:
◈ Dante
May 1, 2023
Third Person Omniscient to Limited depending on the chapter.
Heavy on exposition.
Feels very "gamey".
Tyranids are explored a bit here and get some perspective focus.
Not one of Guy Hayley's best deliveries in this setting. The first half of the novel feels very dry and info dump heavy. Loaded with exposition and descriptions of material that has no need to be funnel stuffed down your throat. The character perspective shifts through an array of characters but never builds enough character on any of them for there to be any emotional attachment or payoff when something eventually does happen. Pretty heavy handed with the blatant page count stuffing.
There are some interesting chapters that involve tyranid perspectives. Unfortunately Tyranids aren't much for feelings and thinking for themselves, so these aren't much more than glimpses at something unusual and different. It does help to break the monotony, though.
The battles are delivered in one of two formats. Neither of which are particularly strong and entertaining.
Dialogue about how bad the battle is going and how doomed they are.
Or
Floating perspective of everything exploding, dying, and being eradicated. Very little of which you have any reason to care about.
Overall the book, feels very much like it was padded out from a raw story context. This battle happened. Write a book about it.
A lot of focus on the Blood Angels and their thirst/hunger/black rage. But never in such a way that makes for good story telling.
Definitely in the lower half of the quality standings of WH40k novels.
Heavy on exposition.
Feels very "gamey".
Tyranids are explored a bit here and get some perspective focus.
Not one of Guy Hayley's best deliveries in this setting. The first half of the novel feels very dry and info dump heavy. Loaded with exposition and descriptions of material that has no need to be funnel stuffed down your throat. The character perspective shifts through an array of characters but never builds enough character on any of them for there to be any emotional attachment or payoff when something eventually does happen. Pretty heavy handed with the blatant page count stuffing.
There are some interesting chapters that involve tyranid perspectives. Unfortunately Tyranids aren't much for feelings and thinking for themselves, so these aren't much more than glimpses at something unusual and different. It does help to break the monotony, though.
The battles are delivered in one of two formats. Neither of which are particularly strong and entertaining.
Dialogue about how bad the battle is going and how doomed they are.
Or
Floating perspective of everything exploding, dying, and being eradicated. Very little of which you have any reason to care about.
Overall the book, feels very much like it was padded out from a raw story context. This battle happened. Write a book about it.
A lot of focus on the Blood Angels and their thirst/hunger/black rage. But never in such a way that makes for good story telling.
Definitely in the lower half of the quality standings of WH40k novels.
June 5, 2023
I gave up on The Devastation of Baal around 40% in. I really liked Guy Haley's work in the Dark Imperium Trilogy, espeically the latter two entires, but The Devestation of Baal just bored me throughout. Uninteresting characters, poor action scenes, overlong introductions and a narrative that feels like it's being torn in two different directions - the standalone Blood Angel struggle against the Tyranid threat, and the overall situation in the wider 40K universe. There were only so many times I could listen to introductions about Dante - I -never- cared about whatever the hell Mephiston was going on about. I wouldn't say it was outright bad, but it just didn't grab me throughout my listen of the audiobook. I may read the book, as it's in the most recent Humble Bundle for Warhammer to see if I can push through, but ultimately, this is the first 40K novel I've outright disliked so far.
June 15, 2018
The first half of this book is pure set up what with rituals and interactions between all of the Blood Angels related chapters. It is mostly interesting but holy shit does it drag on and on and on AND ON AND ON!!! Then the action starts. It becomes amazing after that. This does take place in the Dark Imperium Times so Guilliman does make an appearance and that was cool. Dunno. I totally recommend this book but I just expect a lil bit more from my Guy Haley books. It’s a forgettable Haley book, which is to say it’s great, but it’s no Pharos.
May 6, 2022
Badly written book whose only purpose seems to be to mostly wipe out the old Blood Angels chapter and replace it with the new Primaris model. The whole world felt like an unironical, cheap theatre stage with cringely epic characters. Here, I gave you the important points away in the first sentence, you can skip reading the book. (And they are not spoilers but the current stage of 40K lore that appears in many other sources as well.)
August 22, 2022
Was an excellent story, had a lot more emotion that I would have expected.
October 26, 2023
Disappointing book.
February 22, 2021
This book was such a mixed bag for me. On one hand it was an exciting tale full of rich lpre, high stakes and an interesting introduction to the blood angels chapter. However on the other hand this book lacked likable and interesting characters which made it hard to become fully invested in the novel. Characters like Seth and the other chapter masters came across as obnoxious and needlessly edgy in some places. Characters like Dante did stand out however but they were bogged down by often weak characters. Although the lore was interesting, it seemed a bit too heavy handed at some points and ended being a bit confusing which also took me out of the book. Thid is a gopd tale worth reading but it does have some slow chapters and annoyances to stop it from being as good as I believe it could have been.
September 11, 2024
4.5
The Baal system faces annihilation by the Tyranid horde. The Astartes chapters of the Blood Angels stand as an (almost) united front against certain doom to defend the home world of their angelic gene father Sanguinius.
This is my favorite 40k book of those I’ve read so far. It’s action-packed to the brim, the characters are entertaining to follow, it’s well written, dramatic and tense until the very end. The scale of the Warhammer 40k world is insane, and hard to beat when it comes to epicness.
My only criticism of this book is that you won’t understand everything 100% without having read certain other books that I didn’t know about; so I was forced to read up some stuff in the wiki. But for a universe as massive as 40k, that is to be expected if you’re not up-to-date with the >400 novels it contains.
The Baal system faces annihilation by the Tyranid horde. The Astartes chapters of the Blood Angels stand as an (almost) united front against certain doom to defend the home world of their angelic gene father Sanguinius.
This is my favorite 40k book of those I’ve read so far. It’s action-packed to the brim, the characters are entertaining to follow, it’s well written, dramatic and tense until the very end. The scale of the Warhammer 40k world is insane, and hard to beat when it comes to epicness.
My only criticism of this book is that you won’t understand everything 100% without having read certain other books that I didn’t know about; so I was forced to read up some stuff in the wiki. But for a universe as massive as 40k, that is to be expected if you’re not up-to-date with the >400 novels it contains.
February 17, 2023
Good but not great. I still prefer the Night Lords
June 30, 2023
Just great battle porn. Big icky smart bugs smushing and getting smushed by big roided vampire soldiers who get some unexpected help!
January 3, 2024
Essential reading for any blood angels fan
February 9, 2024
“Be not rage, lest rage become all you are”
February 25, 2024
one of the best books i ever read, the speeches were incredible and i have the urge to find a beautiful death, for the emperor, for sanguinius, for Baal!
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