Dark Vengeance by C Z Dunn

[Kol Saresk]

Okay, so in a desire to learn about the Crimson Slaughter, I have to say that I scarred my eyeballs. I can't be nice about this review. At all. In the slightest. I view this book as worse than Vulkan Lives and Deliverance Lost and I'm pretty sure my thoughts on those pieces are well-known.

 

So basically, they hook you in with:

 

"In the grim darkness of the far future, mankind fights a desperate battle for survival amongst the stars. Foremost among its protectors are the Space Marines, genetically engineered superhumans, trained to be the ultimate warriors.

 

The Dark Angels are among the foremost Space Marines, the First Legion of old. Devastated millennia ago by a dreadful schism, the Dark Angels are constantly on the hunt for the mysterious Fallen, former brothers who have turned from the light of the immortal God-Emperor and embraced the dread powers of Chaos.

 

Newly ordained Company Master Balthasar of the Dark Angels leads his forces to the world of Bane’s Landing, the resting place of the ancient and powerful Hellfire Stone, in pursuit of the Chaos Space Marines of the Crimson Slaughter. Kranon the Relentless, the evil lord of the Crimson Slaughter, seeks to use the stone to summon forth his daemonic masters and usher in an age of darkness. As the Dark Angels race to stop him, the scene is set for a mighty conflict between the loyal Balthasar and the traitor Kranon."

 

And then the book is one, giant, stupid long fight scene that is lengthened by the multiple POVs and the fact that each character gives a short little bio about himself in their first POV. There is no sense of transition whatsoever. The only "new" background is you learn that the voices belong to neither everyone they've killed, nor the innocent as they belong to a people called the Balethu(unknown if humans or xenos) who were slaughtered for trying to summon a daemon and they were praying to Khorne for aid and instead Khorne used their death screams to drive the Imperial Astartes insane. Oh, and the Hellfire Stone have been either to summon a daemon or remove the curse. Or both. Don't really know and you don't really find out.

 

Also, you don't even see the fight between Balthasar and Kranon. Instead you see it being predicted at the end of the book. And its not even a fight scene. It's "Balthasar went down to the moon. He came back with Kranon's head in a box."

 

The whole novella did nothing to spark interest. I mean seriously, it took me like a week to read this. I reread Prince of Crows four times in a week. And that was when I had school from 5pm-11pm and drove about fours round trip because of I-4 traffic.

 

I would not recommend reading this book. There is no new fluff, not really. There is no real story. Just "We've encountered the Crimson Slaughter. Following. Following. Brother Joe has been kidnapped. Brother Bob just got sliced in two. Brother Joe committed suicide and prevented the ritual from being completed. We won!"

[Son of Carnelian]

There is no real story. Just "We've encountered the Crimson Slaughter. Following. Following. Brother Joe has been kidnapped. Brother Bob just got sliced in two. Brother Joe committed suicide and prevented the ritual from being completed. We won!"

 

I think Black Library should put this on the back of the book as flavor text. 

[Kol Saresk]

 

 

There is no real story. Just "We've encountered the Crimson Slaughter. Following. Following. Brother Joe has been kidnapped. Brother Bob just got sliced in two. Brother Joe committed suicide and prevented the ritual from being completed. We won!"

 

I think Black Library should put this on the back of the book as flavor text.

 

 

Definitely would have saved BL the costs of publishing. IMO.

[Kilofix]

Crimson Sabers any better if anyone knows?

[Kol Saresk]

Not yet and I'm hesitant buying it. Should know in a week or so.

[Dark Disciple]

Finished Crimson Dawn last night, its ok. Not ADB quality and verges on bolter porn at a few points but has a nice don't blame me moment at the end.

The author was trying to make them tragic, but the short story format means they go from praise the emperor to must kill to silence the voices a bit too quickly.

Its inferred that the psycosis builds up over the course of the campaign but its not alluded to until the end, which for the sake of an extra sentence is a shame.

If your interested in the Crimson Sabres and their fall this seems like a nice extra rather than a must buy.

It does however, name each of the 10 Captains, 1 Chaplain and 1 of the Librarians at the time of the fall.

[Son of Carnelian]

The problem for me is that these negative reviews might not be enough to keep me away. I'm seriously considering Crimson Slaughter as my next (eventual) army if this codex fixes possessed like the rumors say. Is there at least a description of their tactics and organization after their fall in these books? 

[Kol Saresk]

Finished Crimson Dawn last night, its ok. Not ADB quality and verges on bolter porn at a few points but has a nice don't blame me moment at the end.

The author was trying to make them tragic, but the short story format means they go from praise the emperor to must kill to silence the voices a bit too quickly.

Its inferred that the psycosis builds up over the course of the campaign but its not alluded to until the end, which for the sake of an extra sentence is a shame.

If your interested in the Crimson Sabres and their fall this seems like a nice extra rather than a must buy.

It does however, name each of the 10 Captains, 1 Chaplain and 1 of the Librarians at the time of the fall.

Dark Vengeance says that they slaughtered the Balethu during a ritual ceremony meant to summon a daemon of Khorne and they were used to haunt the Crimson Slaughter afterwards.

 

From what I've heard, Crimson Dawn changes it to Imperial citizens. Is this explained in any way?

 

The problem for me is that these negative reviews might not be enough to keep me away. I'm seriously considering Crimson Slaughter as my next (eventual) army if this codex fixes possessed like the rumors say. Is there at least a description of their tactics and organization after their fall in these books?

This is one situation where I'd say "screw the novels, go for the Codex." Which coming from me, is probably a once in a lifetime statement.

[Dark Disciple]

Without giving it away, everyone gets involved. I wasn't hugely taken by the explanation of how but the ending was nice.

As for chapter tactics pre-chaos, there isnt much apart from they all use swords and keep trophies. Some do use other weapons and a reason is given for that but on the whole the codex has more good stuff in it.

I'll defiantly be getting a copy of the Codex on sat.

[Kol Saresk]

Okay, same drill as before. Do not expect spoiler blocks.

 

So I'm still reading Crimson Dawn, but I am already more than halfway through and it is leaps and bounds better than Dark Vengeance.

 

Now, earlier I brought up a question of conflicting origin theories and how it all went together or what not.

 

There is no conflicting origin theory. The Crimson sabres did wipe out a cult known as the Balethu. They also wiped out every man, woman and child who was not a cultist. What had happened was that the cultists, like any cult, were hiding amongst the loyal population. And using a Lord of Change, they had summoned the Crimson Sabres to Umidia, where the daemon then used illusions to convine the Sabres the entire population was part of the cult.

 

Of course, since it was on a jungle world and the cultists, and the rest of the citizens went into hiding, it was no time at all before the entire Chapter was involved in hunting them down while also looking for the daemon that had mysteriously disappeared.

 

Part way through the campaign, two of the captains realize that they were slaughtering civilians, they start burning the evidence in an effort to hide everything and protect the Chapter.

 

At this point, we start seeing that the rest of te Chapter is reaching the conclusion they have been deceived as well.

 

Unfortunately, the idea to hide the evidence with fire had the unintended result of speeding up the slaughter as the other company captains began requesting flamers to burn down the jungle to smoke out the "heretics".

 

Wanting to keep anymore unnecessary deaths from his conscience, we see the scout captain go to the Librarian to request aid in hunting down the daemon. It is at this scene we find out the true form of the Balethu, how they survived a purge by the Ecclesiarchy much earlier by going to hiding, and how it follows the usual Undivided faction by having mono-god factions but with the unique trait that the factions work together for the good of the cult. Very pantheon-esque.

 

So then we get to the Tenth Company avoiding the civilians as much as possible while hunting down the daemon that is causing everything.

 

In short, there is a fight scene and the daemon disappears in a flash of light that leaves everyone blacked out. When the Scout-Captain comes to, he finds the Librarian standing near where the daemon last was. He asks the linrarian if it was over, to which the reply is "The daemon is where it is supposed to be."

 

That's where I left off.

 

Compared to Dark Vengeance, I am heavily impressed. This short story feels more like a novella than the novella did and at $4.99, I'd say its a steal. Between the two, I'd recommend this one and say forget about Dark Vengeance.

[Kol Saresk]

Ok, I've finished it up. All in all, it gets kind of shaky towards the end as we start to see a very political side of the Chapter as well as a wholesale embracing of covering up the murder of innocents and a quick attempt to explain this embracing as the Crimson Sabres have always been on the border of "loyal" and "Renegade", even to the point that pretty much every branch of the Imperium keeps arms length away from them and has for a few centuries.

 

And when it ends, it ends rather abruptly. Basically, the daemon possessed the Librarian in order to put itself closer to the Chapter to help push it along the path to becoming Renegades. But the protagonist, the Scout-Captain only finds out towards the end when the Librarian challenges him to a "practice duel" with live blades just after he[the Scout-Captain] found one of his scouts murdered, highly believed to have been committed by one of the First Company.

 

Suffice to say, the duel ends with the Scout-Captain getting his rear handed to him with a sliced through calf and shoulder. He then gets a lecture about how great change is coming to the Chapter and if he is smart, he will embrace it and be waiting for the daemon's call.

 

And then he tells the scouts who were with him that they are going to embrace the change because it is too late to stop it already but they are going to do so on their terms. And end. I wasn't kidding when I said it was abrupt.

 

But its still a sight better than Dark Vengeance.

 

I still stand by my earlier statement that this is actually worth the price. It might be short, but you actually feel like you're reading a novel.

[maverike_prime]

as a supplement to the Dark Vengeance box set I rather enjoyed the added character this novella brought to the characters. As a stand alone story... yeah it's pretty weak. But that's also the difference. If you're looking to know who the cultist champion with the bladed axe is, here is the story to tell you. If you're curious what the Biker sergeant's name, here's where you find that out.

[Kol Saresk]

Yeah, but Crimson Dawn is just a supplement release to show where the Crimson Sabres began their slippery slope and it is leagues better than Dark Vengeance.

 

Dark Vengeance seems more like a play-by-play than anything else.

[maverike_prime]

Yeah, but Crimson Dawn is just a supplement release to show where the Crimson Sabres began their slippery slope and it is leagues better than Dark Vengeance.

 

Dark Vengeance seems more like a play-by-play than anything else.

well yeah... but that's what it is. So what's the problem?

[Kol Saresk]

 

 

Yeah, but Crimson Dawn is just a supplement release to show where the Crimson Sabres began their slippery slope and it is leagues better than Dark Vengeance.

 

Dark Vengeance seems more like a play-by-play than anything else.

well yeah... but that's what it is. So what's the problem?

 

 

The ebook worth US$4.99 had more value, story and background in it than the novella priced US$8.99. Call it "I like getting my money's worth" or whatever but I have the personal belief if it hits paper it should be worth reading. And a novella that is being sold as standalone material should have value as standalone material.

[maverike_prime]

 

 

Yeah, but Crimson Dawn is just a supplement release to show where the Crimson Sabres began their slippery slope and it is leagues better than Dark Vengeance.

 

Dark Vengeance seems more like a play-by-play than anything else.

well yeah... but that's what it is. So what's the problem?

 

The ebook worth US$4.99 had more value, story and background in it than the novella priced US$8.99. Call it "I like getting my money's worth" or whatever but I have the personal belief if it hits paper it should be worth reading. And a novella that is being sold as standalone material should have value as standalone material.

$8.99!?! crap I bought my copy for $1.99! Yeah it's not worth $8.99.

[*Furyou Miko]

Worse, I paid £10 for the hardcopy of Dark Vengeance.

 

It had precisely one memorable scene, that being a Ravenwing biker doing a drive-by stabbing and killing a cultist with a teleport homer.

[Kol Saresk]

Worse, I paid £10 for the hardcopy of Dark Vengeance.

It had precisely one memorable scene, that being a Ravenwing biker doing a drive-by stabbing and killing a cultist with a teleport homer.

lol, yeah I think it was US$10 if I had bought the Dark Vengeance set that had it. Funnily enough, the reason I didn't get it was because I didn't have the extra ten bucks. If only I knew how grateful I should have been.

[Toxichobbit]

Worse, I paid £10 for the hardcopy of Dark Vengeance.

 

It had precisely one memorable scene, that being a Ravenwing biker doing a drive-by stabbing and killing a cultist with a teleport homer.

 

Telefragging  in 40k?

 

Guess CZ Dunn used to play Unreal :p.

[HamsterExAstris]

Telefragging in 40k?

Guess CZ Dunn used to play Unreal .

Or Doom.

(Actually, I don't think that Doom/Unreal-style telefragging would happen in 40K - you'd probably end up with both people dead, or wishing they were dead, much like when someone teleports into a wall/floor. None of this "pop goes the victim" stuff.)

[Augustus]

I thought Dark Vengence was bad till I read Pandorax. I then found out what bad truly was.

 

Dark Vengence does give some new fluff regarding the Dark Angels and the recruitment practices for the Deaghwing and Ravenwing. Not necessarily good. But it is new.

[Chaeron]

I thought Dark Vengence was bad till I read Pandorax. I then found out what bad truly was.

 

Dark Vengence does give some new fluff regarding the Dark Angels and the recruitment practices for the Deaghwing and Ravenwing. Not necessarily good. But it is new.

 

Oh, something to look forward to then.