Darkness in the blood is a masterpiece

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

I won’t post spoilers to any major plot points but general spoiler warning regardless I guess. I’m about half way through, and really feel I need to commend guy Haley.

his depiction of the admiral’s PTSD is haunting, it’s absolutely terrifying to be honest.

not just the depiction, but Dante’s response and understanding upon the man finally spilling his heart about the subject.

im a veteran who luckily never acquired that particular curse(thinking about it now of course the sons of sanguinius would be the most likely to understand how a trauma can haunt a man…)but have heard stories of what it’s like from many others, and when you imagine the scale of 40k’s warfare the PTSD that would result would have to be of the worst severity in pretty much everyone who experiences it.

any way, guy Haley did an amazing job in that aspect of the book. Overall it’s a good book, but his depiction of the admiral’s PTSD elevates the entire book beyond just good imho, and is worth reading for those bits alone.

Edited September 28, 2022 by Inquisitor_Lensoven

[Orange Knight]

It's a great novel. I maintain that too many people are missing out on the best 40k related fiction by focusing so much on the bloated Heresy storyline.

Darkness in the Blood was very interesting and I hope more is planned in the future to follow on from it.

[Xenith]

I hadn't appreciated that aspect of it, so thanks for highlighting it. I tended to focus more on the Blood Angels, however it did show Dante's Empathy, and also a human cost to endless warfare. 

Guy's writing has improved a lot over the years, though personally they're still not to the point of "I have to paint some of these guys" that I got with Abnett, McNeill, ADB, Smillie and Wraight (Storm of Iron, Horus Rising, Legion, First Heretic FLesh Tearer Omnibus and Scars) Maybe I'm just older and more jaded. That said, I've finished two of his back to back almost, Pharos and Lost and the Damned, and they're both pretty good reads. Pharos got a bit torture-porny, but Lost and the Damned had some genuine badass moments, and both featured a good, although moustache twirling, Skraivok. 

I recall the final Mephiston book is set after Darkness in the Blood, so that may be a good next read. The first 2 meph books are set before the great rift, then we have Dante, DoB, DitB and then the last Meph book. 

Edited September 28, 2022 by Xenith

[Dosjetka]

=][= Thread moved to the appropriate subforum. =][=

[phandaal]

Darkness in the Blood was not bad. The book feels like more of an epilogue to Devastation of Baal and a setup for later stories than a proper story in its own right though.

Mephiston's portrayal is just over-the-top. Too much OP Space Magic in this one.

Also:

Spoiler

Haley already did a much better version of Mephiston's encounter with the warp entity - the Blood Drinkers in Death of Integrity. His new version of "everyone falls if you fail" does not hit quite the same, because it is expansive enough to almost be meaningless.

It was cool to see Teus again. Hope we get to see more of him in future books.

[cheywood]

I think Darkness in the Blood is Haley’s worst Blood Angels novel. It feels scattered, like he threaded together a few different important moments for the post-rift BA and called it a day. His depiction of the Admiral, on the other hand, might be his most nuanced character portrait. It was the highlight of the book hands down.

[Lord Nord in Gravis Armour]

5 hours ago, Xenith said:

I recall the final Mephiston book is set after Darkness in the Blood, so that may be a good next read. The first 2 meph books are set before the great rift, then we have Dante, DoB, DitB and then the last Meph book. 

Revenant Crusade (Book 2) is actually set between Devastation of Baal and Darkness. The Blood Angels have Primaris Marines, but Mephiston himself hasn't made the big leap.

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

19 minutes ago, cheywood said:

I think Darkness in the Blood is Haley’s worst Blood Angels novel. It feels scattered, like he threaded together a few different important moments for the post-rift BA and called it a day. His depiction of the Admiral, on the other hand, might be his most nuanced character portrait. It was the highlight of the book hands down.

I don’t mind the conglomeration of stories doesn’t bother me. One of the things I’ve dislikes about marine focused books has been there’s been a lot of really boring uninteresting things in them, and in the case of the astorath book marines portrayed in a very un-astartes manner imho.

so far this book simply goes from good interesting point to interesting point.

I can’t wait to see how danakan turns out.

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

32 minutes ago, phandaal said:

Darkness in the Blood was not bad. The book feels like more of an epilogue to Devastation of Baal and a setup for later stories than a proper story in its own right though.

Mephiston's portrayal is just over-the-top. Too much OP Space Magic in this one.

Also:

  Reveal hidden contents

Haley already did a much better version of Mephiston's encounter with the warp entity - the Blood Drinkers in Death of Integrity. His new version of "everyone falls if you fail" does not hit quite the same, because it is expansive enough to almost be meaningless.

It was cool to see Teus again. Hope we get to see more of him in future books.

Considering this book apparently sets Mephiston up for becoming a demi-primarch, idk if it’s necessarily over the top.

I don’t know how I feel about mephy taking the full burden of the rage though.

[Scribe]

3 hours ago, Inquisitor_Lensoven said:

Considering this book apparently sets Mephiston up for becoming a demi-primarch, idk if it’s necessarily over the top.

I don’t know how I feel about mephy taking the full burden of the rage though.

So hes the BA Jesus, taking on the sin's of the Legion? lol

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

On 9/28/2022 at 1:05 PM, Scribe said:

So hes the BA Jesus, taking on the sin's of the Legion? lol

Basically he did literally die and come back lol

Edited October 1, 2022 by Inquisitor_Lensoven

[Scribe]

And this is a Haley work isnt it?

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

1 hour ago, Scribe said:

And this is a Haley work isnt it?

Yep 

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

Finished the book a few days ago, and yeah admiral danakan’s story line was the highlight of the whole book imho.

without him or that arc it would have been worth reading for any BA fan. 

[Nagashsnee]

I remember reading this on release, the Admiral/Dante/Imperium Nihilus bits were great, but felt the mephiston storyline should have been in his book trilogy, always felt it stuck out being in the final Dante book. Still a great read tho. 

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

9 hours ago, Nagashsnee said:

I remember reading this on release, the Admiral/Dante/Imperium Nihilus bits were great, but felt the mephiston storyline should have been in his book trilogy, always felt it stuck out being in the final Dante book. Still a great read tho. 

Yeah the Mephiston parts were probably the low parts for me.