Barby007 Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Hi everyone! I absolutely love my Blood Angels army. If I want to know about them & their background story, what books should I read? Of course I know they deal with other armies but I mostly want to focus on them. Where did they come from, why do they fight, what do they stand for, etc. Where should I start or what's a good overall couple of good reads about them? Thank you, Barby Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/304695-blood-angels-what-to-read/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaeron Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 You've got quite a few in the Blood Angels series by James Swallow and his heresy novel 'Fear to Tread', which may also be of interest depending on your knowledge of the series thus far. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/304695-blood-angels-what-to-read/#findComment-3978575 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucien Eilam Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 The Shield of Baal tie-ins and the short reads BL released with the Codex are all pretty good. The Space Hulk tie-ins are decent bolter porn, although Guy Haley's Death of Integrity is the best Space Hulk/Terminators story by miles. That does at least have a BA Successor in. I enjoyed Eclipse of Hope, a Mephiston story by David Annandale. I'd leave the James Swallow stuff till last. No problem with him as a writer, but they're from the era when every Loyalist Chapter BL published a book about had to be riven with betrayal from within. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/304695-blood-angels-what-to-read/#findComment-3979263 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolchiate Remembrancer Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I liked the BA omnibuses by swallow and loved fear to tread even having read no other heresy era book. That one seems to be the consensus winner so start there! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/304695-blood-angels-what-to-read/#findComment-3979314 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barby007 Posted March 17, 2015 Author Share Posted March 17, 2015 Thanks everyone for your suggestions & input. It seems "Fear to Tread" is the overall starting point so I'll start there. Keep on suggesting! :) Also, should I read the books in any particular order? Is there a timeline of events? Will I be lost if I skip around books? If so, can someone please suggest a reading order? Thank you, Barby Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/304695-blood-angels-what-to-read/#findComment-3979321 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaeron Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Black Library has a suggested reading order for the Heresy series, or you can read them in order of publication - either works. Although given that's quite a way in, you may have some catching up to do if you wanted to get to that point :p Other than that, aside from 'in order of publication' - you'll be fine on any other BA release basically. Lucien's outlined some other good options too! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/304695-blood-angels-what-to-read/#findComment-3979724 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barby007 Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 The Shield of Baal tie-ins and the short reads BL released with the Codex are all pretty good. The Space Hulk tie-ins are decent bolter porn, although Guy Haley's Death of Integrity is the best Space Hulk/Terminators story by miles. That does at least have a BA Successor in. I enjoyed Eclipse of Hope, a Mephiston story by David Annandale. I'd leave the James Swallow stuff till last. No problem with him as a writer, but they're from the era when every Loyalist Chapter BL published a book about had to be riven with betrayal from within. Black Library has a suggested reading order for the Heresy series, or you can read them in order of publication - either works. Although given that's quite a way in, you may have some catching up to do if you wanted to get to that point Other than that, aside from 'in order of publication' - you'll be fine on any other BA release basically. Lucien's outlined some other good options too! Yes, Chaeron, I will be reading those suggested by Lucien 1st (now) & then most likely read the James Swallow books in the Summer when I have more time. I just wanted to make sure that the order of the books wouldn't spoil info in another book per say or that I wouldn't understand something in 1 book because I didn't read the preceding one. Thanks everyone for your help!! Barby Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/304695-blood-angels-what-to-read/#findComment-3980223 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blood Angel Scout Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Barby007, Recommend you check out the pinned topic/list of all BA related published works in the Blood Angels sub-forum, but key thing to read is the codex, all the ethos/core values/principles from your first question are in there, the Flaw/The Thirst that links each and all chapters created from BA gene-seed, links every single marine to the Angel's final sacrifice/his death at the hand's of Horus, and the daily battle of will each Son of Sanguinius faces to avoid becoming one of the lost, the Death Company and all named characters backgrounds, know there were the shorts that had Dante as a central character in one, Seth of the Flesh Tearers and Astorath feature in others. (Plus there pretty much a core plot device in any BA work, especially those with Mephiston as he overcame them both and is often referred to) Although a lot of previous posters are recommending Fear to Tread first, I suggest starting with the 40K based writings first because of the above,-the omnibus is take or leave it in my opinion- then Fear to Tread/Horus Heresy series as there are also several appearances by BA throughout. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/304695-blood-angels-what-to-read/#findComment-3980695 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddywarcrimes Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Read the prologue of Fear to Tread. Throw the rest of the book away. Read Horus Rising for its portrayal (albeit brief) of Sanguinus. Read David Annandale's Mephiston novella and his and Andy Smilie's Flesh Tearer stuff, and the Shield of Baal novellas. Check out Flesh of Cretecia. Beyond that, the rest is pretty terrible James Swallow spew. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/304695-blood-angels-what-to-read/#findComment-3982647 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urauloth Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Read the prologue of Fear to Tread. Throw the rest of the book away. I snorted tea up my nose when I read this and I hate you. You need the short story Eclipse of Hope before Mephiston because the latter is a direct sequel, but yeah, they're both very good and I came here to recommend them. If you do stick with Fear to Tread you'll get some cool stuff with Amit eventually as a consolation prize, but ironically the cameo Space Wolves in the novel have more flavour and character than a lot of the Blood Angels and the plot is a drag. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/304695-blood-angels-what-to-read/#findComment-3983219 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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