Good Blood Angels Books

[dusara217]

Ok, so I just finished Red Fury and I have completely lost my drive to play Blood Angels. James Swallow sucks and should be burned at the stake for the heresies he has committed against the Blood Angel name. WHY THE :cuss CAN'T BLACK LIBRARY JUST COMMISSION GOOD WRITERS?!?!?!?!!?!?

 

Anyways, does anybody know any good Blood Angel books? The :cussty omnibus has me turned off to BA and i'm considering switching to 30k just so Blood Angels aren't compete idiots and :cussheads in my mind. Please, somebody give me a good BA book, i've already invested something like 200$ into the BA!

[Njjesters4]

That horus heresy blood angels book is the best one for the chapter unfortunately

[Shaezus]

Fear to Tread is an amazing book. It tells the story of how Horus betrayed Sanguinius and tried to lure the Blood Angels to their doom. It's amazing because it lays the foundation of our chapter's history and thus there is a lot going on. Many good and noble characters, and we get a glimpse into the thoughts and emotions of our primarch, besides experiencing his pure nobility and his total fury on the battlefield.

 

No true BA fan should go without reading it. Personally, I've read it four times now.

[t4play]

Maybe try a Smillie book - and some darker red for your mini's ;-)

[Jorre]

I have read really good books by James swallow so he can write! However he hasn't written a awsome blood angel book. I think he just doesn't get blood angels.

 

Unfortunately gw seem to stick with the same writer once they start, which is unfortunate because I am sure there are others who could do them justice

[Urauloth]

Fear to Tread really owns for characterization of Sanguinius and the legion in general, imo, and it's what really sold me on Blood Angels in the first place (it also has a couple of great Space Wolf characters in passing). I haven't really liked anything BA-related I've read by Swallow since, though. For 40k-era Blood Angels I've enjoyed Annandale's work, but he hasn't done anything novel length so far.

 

Maybe there's just a pattern of Heresy-era fiction being better than its modern counterparts, idk. I can't stand the Dark X Word Bearer trilogy, but Know No Fear, The First Heretic etc are some of the best- oh, that's the authors, isn't it.

 

Yeah, I can't help you much - give Eclipse of Hope/Lord of Death a shot if you haven't already, but besides that, I'm afraid Black Library's trend of assigning chapters to authors in M41 means Swallow is going to be doing 90% of BA stuff for the forseeable future unless it's a direct tie-in to a product launch.

[Shaezus]

I think Fear to Tread was more successful because Swallow had to stick to within a certain frame of plot, and didn't have too much room to unleash his...own...er...creativity.

[Xenith]

The Book of Blood, collecting the Bloodquest series among some other stuff is good.

 

Fear to Tread is also good.

 

I guess we have to wait until the Siege of Terra before we get more 30k books.

 

I'd go back through the 2nd ed army list book and 3rd ed codex.

 

While there arent novels, per say, the small fluff tit bits are great. The one in the back of the 3rd ed codex is incredible.

[Father Mapple]

The shield of Baal campaign books are pretty good. More just retellings of battles and such, but they have good action and "woah, look at that" type of moments.

 

But the most space marine thing I ever read a space marine do is in Flesh of Cretacia, when Amit jumps off the Thunderhawk to attack this big beast with a melta bomb in combination with a dreadnought. It's pretty ridiculous, but cool. And all Andy Smile's writing is like that, which is fun.

 

And his stuff shows the rec thirsty and black rage in the most interesting way too.

[Helias_Tancred]

The audio drama "Herald of Sanguinius" is good. Short but good. I'm an Azkaellon fan ;)

You can buy it and download it from the Black Library site.

[Nicodemus Doloroso]

I've read lots of complaints about the Swallow Blood Angel books. What about the books is bad? Are they just not well written, or does he get the fluff wrong? Both?

[Jorre]

I've read lots of complaints about the Swallow Blood Angel books. What about the books is bad? Are they just not well written, or does he get the fluff wrong? Both?

Basically he made the characters in the book whingey winey little kids instead of awsome space marines. Most the characters in the book spend so much time bickering amongst them selves you would completely forget they are ment to be battle brothers.

 

Slight spoiler alert

 

Don't get me started on a whole company blindly following a heretical inquisitor into heresy, and convincing them all that Sanguinius has returned!!

[Helias_Tancred]

 

I've read lots of complaints about the Swallow Blood Angel books. What about the books is bad? Are they just not well written, or does he get the fluff wrong? Both?

Basically he made the characters in the book whingey winey little kids instead of awsome space marines. Most the characters in the book spend so much time bickering amongst them selves you would completely forget they are ment to be battle brothers.

 

Slight spoiler alert

 

Don't get me started on a whole company blindly following a heretical inquisitor into heresy, and convincing them all that Sanguinius has returned!!

 

 

Yeah the first book was a bit rough to get through. Didn't like the root of the plot, felt it really made the Blood Angels look like chumps. I like most of James Swallow's works but his first Blood Angels omnibus was mediocre at best, for many of the reasons stated above. However I feel in the second omnibus he redeemed himself. The second one was good, it was a big improvement over the first one, more in line with other Warhammer 40k omnibuses that I've read (Space Wolves, Ultramarines, Salamanders, Grey Knights, etc).

 

... and his Fear to Tread was very good! On twitter James Swallow answered one of my questions stating that Raphen will be coming back. So lets hope its another Blood Angels novel that builds on the quality of the second omnibus or even better is on the level of Fear to Tread!

 

Again, the audio drama Herald of Sanguinius is short (19 mins?) but its good. Gives the origin of the Sanguinor.

[Arkangilos]

If you can, get the Blood Quest graphic novels. 

 

I used to have the actual graphic novels, like the real comics, but when I was younger I left it with my mom, and my mom's sister threw them all away when she kicked my mom out... Those were so hard for my dad to get too :(

 

If you can't get the actual graphic novels, get the Book of Blood, it has them in it.

 

 

 

Personally, I don't have much of a problem with James Swallow's works, but I hated the stuff with Arkio.

[Jorre]

 

 

I've read lots of complaints about the Swallow Blood Angel books. What about the books is bad? Are they just not well written, or does he get the fluff wrong? Both?

 

Basically he made the characters in the book whingey winey little kids instead of awsome space marines. Most the characters in the book spend so much time bickering amongst them selves you would completely forget they are ment to be battle brothers.

Slight spoiler alert

Don't get me started on a whole company blindly following a heretical inquisitor into heresy, and convincing them all that Sanguinius has returned!!

 

Yeah the first book was a bit rough to get through. Didn't like the root of the plot, felt it really made the Blood Angels look like chumps. I like most of James Swallow's works but his first Blood Angels omnibus was mediocre at best, for many of the reasons stated above. However I feel in the second omnibus he redeemed himself. The second one was good, it was a big improvement over the first one, more in line with other Warhammer 40k omnibuses that I've read (Space Wolves, Ultramarines, Salamanders, Grey Knights, etc).

 

... and his Fear to Tread was very good! On twitter James Swallow answered one of my questions stating that Raphen will be coming back. So lets hope its another Blood Angels novel that builds on the quality of the second omnibus or even better is on the level of Fear to Tread!

 

Again, the audio drama Herald of Sanguinius is short (19 mins?) but its good. Gives the origin of the Sanguinor.

Not sure I quite agree with you. While the books do get better I still did not feel they where better enough to be considered good. Maybe I'm being to fussy as a long term BA fanboy.

 

Warning More spoilers ahead

 

I hated the book where fabius bile infiltrated Baal. It wasn't terrible but it made the whole chapter out as gullible and stupid. It also had several chore character interactions that just didn't impress me. Dante, mephiston and Corbulo all get air time. They didn't make them out as awsome characters. The fact that a bunch of mutants could run around unstoppable in the Baal fortress monestery is redonkulas.

 

There where no heroics from characters we have played with for years. I think I cried a little when one of the mutants used Mephiston as a club to knock Corbulo out! Mephiston!!!! Arguably the most powerful space marine of the current era!

 

Oh and don't get me started on the desecration of Sanguinius's remains despite the fact it was being defended by multiple chapter masters, Dante, Seth, Mephiston, Corbulo, rafen, a Dreadnought and I forget the rest! A pack of genetically enhanced no name mutants got the best of us. By best of us I mean the best of the very top characters in our codex! Unimpressed to say the least was my reaction

 

I still have hopes for the next rafen book tho. Maybe swallow has learnt a thing or two since those early BA books. Fear to tread was most certainly an improvement

[Crimson Devil]

The mutants never touch Sanguinius' remains, they were stopped in the inner tomb.

[Jorre]

I may have gotten confused with the dread pilot being eaten, either way it was a terrible peace of writing!

[Karhedron]

I have to say that even Fear to Tread did not hugely impress me. As a long time BA fan (since WD 139 ;) ) I was really looking forward to this one but I felt it was not especially good, even by the modest standards of the HH writing.

 

It is odd, Flight of the Eisenstein is a great book yet most of the rest of Swallow's writing is mediocre at best.

[Helias_Tancred]

 

 

 

I've read lots of complaints about the Swallow Blood Angel books. What about the books is bad? Are they just not well written, or does he get the fluff wrong? Both?

Basically he made the characters in the book whingey winey little kids instead of awsome space marines. Most the characters in the book spend so much time bickering amongst them selves you would completely forget they are ment to be battle brothers.

Slight spoiler alert

Don't get me started on a whole company blindly following a heretical inquisitor into heresy, and convincing them all that Sanguinius has returned!!

 

Yeah the first book was a bit rough to get through. Didn't like the root of the plot, felt it really made the Blood Angels look like chumps. I like most of James Swallow's works but his first Blood Angels omnibus was mediocre at best, for many of the reasons stated above. However I feel in the second omnibus he redeemed himself. The second one was good, it was a big improvement over the first one, more in line with other Warhammer 40k omnibuses that I've read (Space Wolves, Ultramarines, Salamanders, Grey Knights, etc).

 

... and his Fear to Tread was very good! On twitter James Swallow answered one of my questions stating that Raphen will be coming back. So lets hope its another Blood Angels novel that builds on the quality of the second omnibus or even better is on the level of Fear to Tread!

 

Again, the audio drama Herald of Sanguinius is short (19 mins?) but its good. Gives the origin of the Sanguinor.

Not sure I quite agree with you. While the books do get better I still did not feel they where better enough to be considered good. Maybe I'm being to fussy as a long term BA fanboy.

 

Warning More spoilers ahead

 

I hated the book where fabius bile infiltrated Baal. It wasn't terrible but it made the whole chapter out as gullible and stupid. It also had several chore character interactions that just didn't impress me. Dante, mephiston and Corbulo all get air time. They didn't make them out as awsome characters. The fact that a bunch of mutants could run around unstoppable in the Baal fortress monestery is redonkulas.

 

There where no heroics from characters we have played with for years. I think I cried a little when one of the mutants used Mephiston as a club to knock Corbulo out! Mephiston!!!! Arguably the most powerful space marine of the current era!

 

Oh and don't get me started on the desecration of Sanguinius's remains despite the fact it was being defended by multiple chapter masters, Dante, Seth, Mephiston, Corbulo, rafen, a Dreadnought and I forget the rest! A pack of genetically enhanced no name mutants got the best of us. By best of us I mean the best of the very top characters in our codex! Unimpressed to say the least was my reaction

 

I still have hopes for the next rafen book tho. Maybe swallow has learnt a thing or two since those early BA books. Fear to tread was most certainly an improvement

 

 

As the other poster said his remains were untouched. But you do make some good points about the flaws in that story and the overall feel to it. Maybe I overstated when I said "good"? LOL. 

[Terminus]

The Omnibus truly is an abomination. So awful. So damn awful. The more recent HH stuff is better.

[dusara217]

The Book of Blood, collecting the Bloodquest series among some other stuff is good.

 

Fear to Tread is also good.

 

I guess we have to wait until the Siege of Terra before we get more 30k books.

 

I'd go back through the 2nd ed army list book and 3rd ed codex.

 

While there arent novels, per say, the small fluff tit bits are great. The one in the back of the 3rd ed codex is incredible.

Thanks, I think I might try to get my hands on the 3rd ed codex so I can read an actually well-written codex and maybe get my drive back.

 

I have read really good books by James swallow so he can write! However he hasn't written a awsome blood angel book. I think he just doesn't get blood angels.

 

Unfortunately gw seem to stick with the same writer once they start, which is unfortunate because I am sure there are others who could do them justice

I will tie this in with my next response.

 

I've read lots of complaints about the Swallow Blood Angel books. What about the books is bad? Are they just not well written, or does he get the fluff wrong? Both?

The books themselves are written by an author who said he had been into the hobby for decades, and yet only had rudimentary understanding of the fluff. Things like MASS-REACTIVE EXPLOSIVE BOLTS NOT EXPLODING. I mean, seriously, that's 80% of the power in a Bolt is its explosive, and yet Swallow thinks they're regular bullets. I've only been into 40k for like 3 years (into the fluff), and even I have a better understanding of it than Swallow did after 20. I mean, seriously, is he retarded?

 

Another big one was a Dreadnought being cut open like a tin can. A Dreadnought is literally surrounded by something like a meter of ceramite and adamantium ON ALL SIDES, and uses a swivelling turret scanner-thingey to see (kinda like a high-tech security camera, only mounted on a Dreadnought). And yet, Swallow was like "lawlzeez, da big mootant cut through the several inches of armorglass and just totally chomped da poor bastard!" I mean, seriously, he just went way off base and used his :cussING SHATTY KNOWLEDGE OF THE LORE to write a story that would have been mediocre at best, even if it had had a decent writer.

 

 

 

I've read lots of complaints about the Swallow Blood Angel books. What about the books is bad? Are they just not well written, or does he get the fluff wrong? Both?

Basically he made the characters in the book whingey winey little kids instead of awsome space marines. Most the characters in the book spend so much time bickering amongst them selves you would completely forget they are ment to be battle brothers.

 

Slight spoiler alert

 

Don't get me started on a whole company blindly following a heretical inquisitor into heresy, and convincing them all that Sanguinius has returned!!

 

 

Yeah the first book was a bit rough to get through. Didn't like the root of the plot, felt it really made the Blood Angels look like chumps. I like most of James Swallow's works but his first Blood Angels omnibus was mediocre at best, for many of the reasons stated above. However I feel in the second omnibus he redeemed himself. The second one was good, it was a big improvement over the first one, more in line with other Warhammer 40k omnibuses that I've read (Space Wolves, Ultramarines, Salamanders, Grey Knights, etc).

 

... and his Fear to Tread was very good! On twitter James Swallow answered one of my questions stating that Raphen will be coming back. So lets hope its another Blood Angels novel that builds on the quality of the second omnibus or even better is on the level of Fear to Tread!

 

Again, the audio drama Herald of Sanguinius is short (19 mins?) but its good. Gives the origin of the Sanguinor.

 

See my previous rant.

 

Thanks, I'll be sure to check that out - although, I'll be a bit miffed if they outright give the origin of the Sanguinor; the mystery helped contribute to the Blood Angels persona. 

 

After having read Fear to Tread, I have to say that James Swallow has really learned a lot about the Blood Angels and about 40k in general, and MIGHT do a good job, though a meh job is what i'm expecting. Fear to Tread was awesome, though there are a few inconsistencies that bugged me when I read it. I'll have to reread it, see if that helps me any to get a refresher on the lore. I think the biggest issue I had with Fear to Tread was that Sanguinius was supposed to have this amazing Emperor-crafted Spear of Telesto capable of shooting a bigass laserbeam, and he decides to go with an ordinary (by comparison) broadsword for absolutely no stated reason. I mean,seriously, you can't make the Bangels look like total idiots and not even take advantage of the shatty fluff you created and now you have a gaping :cussing plothole.

 

Sorry for all the swearing, Swallow really pisses me off. I wouldn't mind him so much if he would have beat a second-founding Chapter's Lore for his first Omnibus, that way he wouldn't have to worry about actually portraying people correctly. I mean, seriously, the Blood Angels Omnibus was HIS FIRST NOVEL. That isn't the kind of project you take on for your first novel, that's gotta be at least your fifth novel, and you NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE :cussING FLUFF!!!

[Xenith]

 

The Book of Blood, collecting the Bloodquest series among some other stuff is good.

 

Fear to Tread is also good.

 

I guess we have to wait until the Siege of Terra before we get more 30k books.

 

I'd go back through the 2nd ed army list book and 3rd ed codex.

 

While there arent novels, per say, the small fluff tit bits are great. The one in the back of the 3rd ed codex is incredible.

Thanks, I think I might try to get my hands on the 3rd ed codex so I can read an actually well-written codex and maybe get my drive back.

 

The 2nd ed wargear book has an awesome story about guardsmen who cannot crack a defended position ge some help from BA assault marines. The battle is over very shortly, shows the ferocity of the BA, but the best bit is the guardsmen's reaction to the marines, kind of...horrified.

 

Another shows the sanguine nature of the BA as sergeant Raphael calmly awaits the IG regiment to mobilise.

 

You may be able to find a scan online.

[Arkangilos]

 

The Book of Blood, collecting the Bloodquest series among some other stuff is good.

 

Fear to Tread is also good.

 

I guess we have to wait until the Siege of Terra before we get more 30k books.

 

I'd go back through the 2nd ed army list book and 3rd ed codex.

 

While there arent novels, per say, the small fluff tit bits are great. The one in the back of the 3rd ed codex is incredible.

Thanks, I think I might try to get my hands on the 3rd ed codex so I can read an actually well-written codex and maybe get my drive back.

 

 

Lol, 3rd Ed Codex barely has any fluff in it at all. 7th Edition has everything 3rd had, plus some. 

 

If you want fluff from 3rd edition time, it's not in the codex, it will be in the Index Astartes. 

 

Otherwise, as Xenith said, go second. Or keep with 7th, it's not bad. 

[Inquisitor Eisenhorn]

Yeah. They gave the reigns of a founding chapter to someone who had never written a novel before. It's about as good as you'd expect.

 

Hey black library--I've never written before but I have a great idea about a book on the lost legions. I don't want to give too much away but let's just say there is a forbidden romance. I've said too much.

 

Call me!