Book Review 103 // Dante by Guy Haley

I'm sticking with the themes of Angels for my next book review. Last week was the Dark Angels and their new Primaris brethren, whilst this week I turn to the noble and slightly tragic Blood Angels. I really haven't experience much of the Blood Angels so being able to delve into their chapter masters past is going to be a real treat! As always hit the subscribe button and give me follow, also say hi in the comments below.

Dante: Warhammer 40,000 by Guy Haley

Published as always by Black Library and clocking in at a weighty 304 pages, I am glad to have this as an e-book. Here is the official view point on the book:

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.

Feels like a week for Chapter Masters on the blog, first Marneus of the Ultramarines and now Dante of the Blood Angels. As mentioned I was really going into this book blind, I know of Dante from the tabletop war game and I know a little of their gene curse but I have never sat down and read about them. The reasoning for me was the whole idea of space vampires, seemed a bit meh. So tragic, so noble, so blurg!

Turns out I had done them a disservice. Maybe it is more Guy's writing but what ever it is, I am now finding the Blood Angels a lot interesting. This novel is a great example of a character driven story. Split in two, the novel follows Luis as he completes the trails to become a Space Marine and how these moments have form the modern times Dante (Luis' Angel name). I found myself enjoying the Luis arc more as it was so interesting to discover what the Baal population are like and how it plays into the Blood Angel chapter. Also the whole section about Angel's Leap was stress inducing, whilst also thrilling! I found the modern arc of Dante a bit more slower paced and less intriguing but this maybe more to do with me being a bit more up to date on that lore?

Overall a great read and has me looking for the Devastation of Baal Book which I believe this Dante book was building to.

Fan of the Blood Angels? Let me know below, want to hear what the chapters fans think of this novel.