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Space Marine Conquests #1
The Devastation of Baal
The Blood Angels Chapter and their successors mount a desperate defence of their home world of Baal from the predations of the tyranid hive fleet Leviathan.
After a brutal campaign in the Cryptus System fighting the alien tyranids, Lord Dante returns to Baal to marshal the entire Blood Angels Chapter and their Successors against Hive Fleet Leviathan. Thus begins the greatest conflict in the history of the sons of Sanguinius. Despite a valiant battle in the void around Baal, the Blood Angels are unable to stop the tyranids drawing ever closer, but their petitions for reinforcements are met with dread news. The Cadian Gate, the Imperium’s most stalwart bastion against Chaos, has fallen. In their darkest hour, no help will reach the beleaguered Dante and his warriors. Is this truly then the Time of Ending?
After a brutal campaign in the Cryptus System fighting the alien tyranids, Lord Dante returns to Baal to marshal the entire Blood Angels Chapter and their Successors against Hive Fleet Leviathan. Thus begins the greatest conflict in the history of the sons of Sanguinius. Despite a valiant battle in the void around Baal, the Blood Angels are unable to stop the tyranids drawing ever closer, but their petitions for reinforcements are met with dread news. The Cadian Gate, the Imperium’s most stalwart bastion against Chaos, has fallen. In their darkest hour, no help will reach the beleaguered Dante and his warriors. Is this truly then the Time of Ending?
512 pages, Paperback
First published November 28, 2017
280 people are currently reading
1,433 people want to read
About the author
Guy Haley
274books663followersGuy Haley is the author of over 50 novels and novellas. His original fiction includes Crash, Champion of Mars, and the Richards and Klein, Dreaming Cities, and the Gates of the World series (as K M McKinley). However, he is best known as a prolific contributor to Games Workshop's Black Library imprint, and has sold over 2 million books set in their Warhammer universes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
February 25, 2018
The Devastation of Baal was a very exciting tale. It also has some momentous events occur that help to explain some of the things happening "now"in the 40K universe.
Baal is the homeworld of the Blood Angels chapter. The Sons of Sanguinius are path of Hive Fleet Leviathan. The Tyranid swarm numbers in the trillions and Blood Angels call upon all the Chapters of the Blood to converge (this means all chapters with a gene tie to the Blood Angels) on Baal and its moons. Not since the days of the Horus Heresy have there been such numbers of Space Marines gathered. Fully 30,000 Astartes converge to defend Baal.
But beyond this overwhelming tide of xenos, this takes place during Abbadon's 13th Black Crusade. That means the Cadian Gates will fall and an ancient enemy of the Order will rise. This also gives us the reasons behind the Primaris Marines being deployed. I shall not give away any spoilers but this was a great and fun read. Exciting and full of information about the Blood Angels and the successor chapters.
Baal is the homeworld of the Blood Angels chapter. The Sons of Sanguinius are path of Hive Fleet Leviathan. The Tyranid swarm numbers in the trillions and Blood Angels call upon all the Chapters of the Blood to converge (this means all chapters with a gene tie to the Blood Angels) on Baal and its moons. Not since the days of the Horus Heresy have there been such numbers of Space Marines gathered. Fully 30,000 Astartes converge to defend Baal.
But beyond this overwhelming tide of xenos, this takes place during Abbadon's 13th Black Crusade. That means the Cadian Gates will fall and an ancient enemy of the Order will rise. This also gives us the reasons behind the Primaris Marines being deployed. I shall not give away any spoilers but this was a great and fun read. Exciting and full of information about the Blood Angels and the successor chapters.
February 25, 2018
Synopsis
Following the battles of the past several years, the Tyranids have been flooding the galaxy with ever greater numbers. While the Imperium has performed victories both pyrrhic and triumphant against them, this has served only to enrage the seemingly thoughtless swarm. A massive tendril of the inbound Hive Fleets is heading to the Blood Angels' homeworld of Baal, stripping planet after planet of life as it advanced upon the desert world.
With several of his companies dispatched to counter the growing crisis surrounding the Cadian Gate, Lord Commander Dante dispatches messengers to gather as many sons of Sanginuius who can be assembled. While a multitude of ships work to delay the Tyranid advance he negotiates with a multitude of Chapter Masters as almost thirty thousand astartes assemble on the red worlds. Yet, even as this is dealt with, another threat is arising. Withdrawing himself from the politics of the outside world, Mephiston looks into the Warp and comes to a horrifying conclusion. Ka'Bandha is coming, determined to claim the souls of the Blood Angels once and for all...
The Good
While James Swallow has repeatedly proven himself a capable writer with certain Blood Angels aspects, and David Annandale has worked great tales with their darker aspects, this book has left the impression that Guy Haley is the master of writing this chapter. Many older or otherwise ignored depictions of this army show up once more here, and he offers a remarkably balanced version of the Blood Angels compared with prior outings. While a certain Fifth Edition codex re-wrote them as Emperor's Children vampires occasionally going "We are cursed! Woe is we!" there was more to them than this. Specifically a previous determined stoicism, willingness to fight their curse to the end and more of a monastic attitude. They were less the pseudo-Greek warrior artists fighting bloodthirst and more Templars afflicted with an ancient plague. Haley re-introduces a great deal of the latter without sacrificing much of the latter, and it's a definite move for the better.
The most obvious improvement is that, while the talk of blood, Black Rage and Sanginuius himself are dominant, it never feels as if it's there sole focus. Each is a matter which defines and is definitely important in distinguishing one group from the next, but even when it is being discussed there's always a definite sense of identity beyond it. For example, many chapters introduced in the Fifth Edition or underwent retcons have had considerable depth added to their few scenes. Moments with the Flesh Tearers, Blood Swords or even new characters such as the Angels Excelsis offer some much-needed variety to the force. Even when the subject of the Red Thirst does arise, there's enough variety in how the subject has been individually confronted to give much more of a sense of identity.
The use of such a varied depiction benefits the book considerably. It makes the Blood Angels' successors read much more like a group of very identifiable forces over simply making it one legion with a few general changes. Yes, that will be the last dig I make at the previous codex, but given the subject matter this was essential. The conclave scenes and gatherings give a real sense of varied forces uniting against a common threat, and the range of personalities, figures and attitudes further support this. Even when you do only see a minor scene or two involving a chapter, they are extremely distinct from those surrounding them.
It helps that Haley gives a great sense of tension as the war moves slowly toward Baal and works through a large ensemble of identifiable characters. This is easily the largest group of naamed figures you will find outside of an Abnett or Dembski-Bowden book, but the vast majority easily stand out from the pages. As such, you never risk mistaking one figure for another among the pages, or confusing one of a multitude of large storylines. More than a few also benefit from the scenes depicted surrounding the chapter, and its legacy. The book takes time to delve into a few events surrounding the chapter's long history and hidden secrets. Thanks to this, we are offered far more insight into Baal itself and the Blood Angels' presence there than in many other novels. A particularly tasty element surrounds Mephiston's personal quest, especially once he begins delving deep into their hidden secrets.
However, perhaps the most beneficial element of the entire book is its treatment of Dante. The Lord Commander might be among the most iconic of the astartes leaders, but that doesn't change the fact that he's all too often overlooked or underwritten. In this case, there's a clear sense of his role within the setting. The thousand years of service he has performed weighs heavily on his shoulders, and there's a clear emphasis placed upon that age above all else. Yet, while it makes him world weary and many react with surprise to his true face, it's always evident just why he is their leader. His tactical capacity, diplomatic talents and steadfast nature mark him out as head and shoulders above all others. It's clear to see why the likes of Seth would respect him despite their contrasting natures, and even why he ends up with the role he was offered at the end of the book.
Through Dante, and through the elements of their past, there's a real sense of closure of older ideas and a press forward to something new. It's a Viking funeral to some previous ideas, and while it's not discarding them or even torching their entire history, it makes it clear that life is changing. That the galaxy they have long fought for has undergone a massive alteration and they need to change or die to adapt to it.
The Bad
You might have noted that little of the above spoke about the villains of this book. There are two reasons for that. The first is simple spoilers, which cannot be delved into for risk of undermining a few solid ideas. The second is that they, unfortunately, leave little impact. The Tyranids are certainly a horde army, and a major part of their appeal is that faceless nature. Even when Haley opts to attribute a few more human elements to the Hive Mind it's handled deftly enough that it doesn't undermine the book. The problem is that the war itself nevertheless fails to convey the immensity of the swarm or the stages required to confront it.
Whether you enjoyed Uriel's actions in it or not, there's no denying that Warriors of Ultramar did spend a considerable amount of time working toward a massive threat. The fleets repeatedly launched delaying actions, leading to a multitude of spaceborne conflicts. There were large-scale efforts on the ground and months of work leading up to the defensive efforts. You were given vast descriptions of what seemed like a huge campaign with all the logistics, supply problems and planning that involved. That really isn't present here. While it shows up on occasion, it's largely paid lip service. At the most, it exists to support the character drama elements over the conflict in question.
The actual battles feel extremely small thanks to this unwillingness to focus on the war, to the point where it rushes through many essential details. The orbital battle is effectively skipped after the first few moments, with a number of characters dying between chapters after supposedly putting up a heroic effort we barely see. Equally, the Tyranid assaults as they are written lack the sheer emphasis on scale they truly need. The action in question feels extremely small, with minor responses and counters. This is most evident when you have two assembled chapters engaging a supposedly vast force of Tyranids in amassed close combat without being overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Or, as a better example, when a huge force is stalled by a moat.
Even the more strategic actions such as a raid on a generatorum is a questionable benefit, as it moves so quickly that little time is spent emphasising its essential benefit to the war effort. Combined with the sheer speed of events and the lack of time to pause or moments to describe how horrific the scars of the war will be on Baal itself, the invasion simply lacks the punch it needs to stand out. This is, admittedly, also not helped by a few problems surrounding the daemons of the book. Little can be talked of this but, for what is supposedly the arch-foe of the whole chapter, his presence proves to be frustratingly underwhelming.
This creates a much weaker second half of what had previously been a very strong book, and few opportunities are present to truly build upon the foundations established there. With a threat like Chaos, the Ork WAAAAGH!s or even the Tau Empire, this might have been a far better tale. Given what the Hive Fleets are best known for doing, it just makes a notably inferior follow-up to a fantastic first part.
The Verdict
This is definitely a book of two halves with strong lore building, character depictions, politics and a careful cultivation of chapter cultures on one side. On the other there's a surprisingly rushed and relatively weak war which the book seems to want to be over and done with. While it certainly ends on a high note and the war itself does serve to benefit the chapter in the long run, it makes its strengths and weaknesses very easy to pick out.
While this is definitely a book worth looking into - especially for Blood Angels fans - there's no denying that it could have been much stronger if given the opportunity. If you are interested in some DIY chapter creation inspirations or even a more detailed depiction of a major world-altering event from modern 40,000 then it's worth picking up. It's not essential reading if you're happy just reading off of the timeline though.
July 8, 2021
I simply could not get through this, I got to page 219 and gave up.
Dante is annoying, Mephiston is edgy, Erwin is generic, Asante is generic and if I read the words Blood, Angel, Vitae or Angelic one more time I am going to murder someone.
219 Pages. 219 pages of talking about how many Space Marines were at Baal, how humbled Dante was by their presence, how he doubted his skills, how they all look similar, how they don't see Dante but when they look at him they see their Father/Primarch. All of this repeated for 219 pages.
Do you want to know what the inside of the Blood Angels fortress looks like? Don't worry, you get countless pages talking about everything being red and black, covered in angels and how the angels are red and black.
Want to read about Mephiston trying to solve a problem we all know isn't a damn threat? Well this is the book for you.
Oh Ka'Bandha is coming back? It's not like he's been beat more times than a man can count or anything!
AVOID. THIS. BOOK!
I wasted money on this, it actually makes me angry to think that.
Dante is annoying, Mephiston is edgy, Erwin is generic, Asante is generic and if I read the words Blood, Angel, Vitae or Angelic one more time I am going to murder someone.
219 Pages. 219 pages of talking about how many Space Marines were at Baal, how humbled Dante was by their presence, how he doubted his skills, how they all look similar, how they don't see Dante but when they look at him they see their Father/Primarch. All of this repeated for 219 pages.
Do you want to know what the inside of the Blood Angels fortress looks like? Don't worry, you get countless pages talking about everything being red and black, covered in angels and how the angels are red and black.
Want to read about Mephiston trying to solve a problem we all know isn't a damn threat? Well this is the book for you.
Oh Ka'Bandha is coming back? It's not like he's been beat more times than a man can count or anything!
AVOID. THIS. BOOK!
I wasted money on this, it actually makes me angry to think that.
November 25, 2017
The Devastation of Baal effectively updates the Blood Angels and their successor chapters into the new 8th edition Warhammer setting. Herein, Commander Dante leads a force not seen since the days of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy in the defense of Baal against the trillions of organisms of Hivefleet Leviathan. I was surprised by the deaths of so many named characters and it was poignant reading about the bittersweet vignettes of mortal heroism. The status quo is definitely changing and I greatly look forward to seeing the setting change.
June 3, 2019
This was so boring.
It had it’s moments, such as when it finally got around to describing tyranids, and some of the characters were gripping, such as Seth, but on the whole...just utterly boring.
I’m finding with books on Astartes that the narrative is always the same, it’s just the battles that get swapped. They’re all self serving narratives about how their belief in the Emperor keeps them going, blah, blah, blah, they protect humanity while despising it and being held apart, blah, blah. Why should I care about any of them when thousands of them die a paragraph and the humans drop at an even faster rate? It always devolved into ‘oh aren’t the sons of the Emperor so fearless and brave willing to die for literally nothing�.
It doesn’t help that the narrator, while being good at different voices, was just boring to listen to. Too noble and weirdly classical.
It had it’s moments, such as when it finally got around to describing tyranids, and some of the characters were gripping, such as Seth, but on the whole...just utterly boring.
I’m finding with books on Astartes that the narrative is always the same, it’s just the battles that get swapped. They’re all self serving narratives about how their belief in the Emperor keeps them going, blah, blah, blah, they protect humanity while despising it and being held apart, blah, blah. Why should I care about any of them when thousands of them die a paragraph and the humans drop at an even faster rate? It always devolved into ‘oh aren’t the sons of the Emperor so fearless and brave willing to die for literally nothing�.
It doesn’t help that the narrator, while being good at different voices, was just boring to listen to. Too noble and weirdly classical.
August 20, 2018
If you're asking what happen to your beloved sons of angels during the galaxy shattering event of the Gathering Storm and 8th Edition story. This books flesh you out.
Review in progress....
Review in progress....
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April 3, 2022Da vecchio appassionato degli universi di Warhammer della Games Workshop quando ho scoperto la nascita di Alanera edizioni ho fatto festa. Questo editore, nato con il dichiarato fine di portare in Italia l’infinita serie di romanzi incentrati sui mondi di Warhammer è subito entrato nel mio cuore e ho deciso di assaporare un loro prodotto, iniziando da La Devastazione di Baal di Guy Haley.
Che dire, un romanzo potente, così come impone l’oscuro universo di Warhammer 40.000. Per chi non conoscesse questa ambientazione, vastissima a livelli inimmaginabili, non c’� miglior sintesi di quella fatta dai creatori stessi di questa realtà: “nella tetra oscurità del lontano futuro c’� solo guerra.� Punto. Semplice e conciso, una promessa che non si smentisce. Vi lascio questo trailer a dir poco spettacolare, come ulteriore chiarimento della situazione nella quale verremo catapultati.
Guerra senza confini e senza tempo, e di guerra parla anche La Devastazione di Baal. Uno scontro che vede l’intero sistema di Baal, pianeta nativo di uno dei capitoli più rinomati dell’Impero, quello dei Blood Angels, messo sotto assedio dalla Leviathan, il più grande tentacolo della Flotta Alveare.
Lo sciame, composto di migliaia di miliardi di tiranidi, guidati da una mente collettiva inconosibile per l’umanità, è una minaccia che non prevede esito differente dalla sconfitta per le legioni radunate dal Comandante Dante. Recensione completa su:
Che dire, un romanzo potente, così come impone l’oscuro universo di Warhammer 40.000. Per chi non conoscesse questa ambientazione, vastissima a livelli inimmaginabili, non c’� miglior sintesi di quella fatta dai creatori stessi di questa realtà: “nella tetra oscurità del lontano futuro c’� solo guerra.� Punto. Semplice e conciso, una promessa che non si smentisce. Vi lascio questo trailer a dir poco spettacolare, come ulteriore chiarimento della situazione nella quale verremo catapultati.
Guerra senza confini e senza tempo, e di guerra parla anche La Devastazione di Baal. Uno scontro che vede l’intero sistema di Baal, pianeta nativo di uno dei capitoli più rinomati dell’Impero, quello dei Blood Angels, messo sotto assedio dalla Leviathan, il più grande tentacolo della Flotta Alveare.
Lo sciame, composto di migliaia di miliardi di tiranidi, guidati da una mente collettiva inconosibile per l’umanità, è una minaccia che non prevede esito differente dalla sconfitta per le legioni radunate dal Comandante Dante. Recensione completa su:
April 6, 2019
The timing was bad on this one, I started reading it back in February and had to take a rather long pause, which for sure impacted the experience. It's a very decent read, probably not as strong as Dante, but Guy Haley keeps impressing. Just bad timing for me, unfortunately.
February 11, 2023
È il secondo libro scritto da Guy Haley che leggo, il primo è stato Il Figlio vendicatore, e già quel suo primo libro mi aveva colpito in positivo.
Mi sono approcciato a questo volume in maniera un poco prevenuta, amo la lore dei Blood Angels, angeli, vampiri maledetti sia dalla sete rossa per il sangue che dalla rabbia nera che li riporta ad avere continue visioni sulla morte di Sanguinius ucciso da suo fratello Horus. Ma allo stesso tempo non amo i tiranidi, li avevo sempre visti come un antagonista con cui si poteva sviluppare ben poca empatia. Cosa che resta vera, ma in questo libro la loro descrizione non è sterile fine a se stessa, si sente tutto il sovverchiante orrore della mente collettiva dell alveare.
Ma la parte veramente appassionante è tutta la parte relativa ai capitoli maledetti come i Flesh Tearers e i knights of blood, qui si vede tutta la sapienza dello scrittore,che dopo un inizio abbastanza lineare trascina il lettore verso una parte centrale del romanzo avvincente e un finale assolutamente esplosivo. E sto omettendo tantissimo per non rovinare la sorpresa.
È decisamente un romanzo maturo un Grimdark fantascientifico(anche se warhammer 40k non può essere ridotto al solo genere fantascientifico) assolutamente imperdibile.
Mi sono approcciato a questo volume in maniera un poco prevenuta, amo la lore dei Blood Angels, angeli, vampiri maledetti sia dalla sete rossa per il sangue che dalla rabbia nera che li riporta ad avere continue visioni sulla morte di Sanguinius ucciso da suo fratello Horus. Ma allo stesso tempo non amo i tiranidi, li avevo sempre visti come un antagonista con cui si poteva sviluppare ben poca empatia. Cosa che resta vera, ma in questo libro la loro descrizione non è sterile fine a se stessa, si sente tutto il sovverchiante orrore della mente collettiva dell alveare.
Ma la parte veramente appassionante è tutta la parte relativa ai capitoli maledetti come i Flesh Tearers e i knights of blood, qui si vede tutta la sapienza dello scrittore,che dopo un inizio abbastanza lineare trascina il lettore verso una parte centrale del romanzo avvincente e un finale assolutamente esplosivo. E sto omettendo tantissimo per non rovinare la sorpresa.
È decisamente un romanzo maturo un Grimdark fantascientifico(anche se warhammer 40k non può essere ridotto al solo genere fantascientifico) assolutamente imperdibile.
September 19, 2018
Guy Haley is a really really weird fish, but in a good way
He is a decent writer of the fluff, and honestly stick to Bolter Porn a bit too much. But then he writes some excellent character scene that want to make you shed a tear, which honestly fools me why he sticks to fluff more than he should.
His endings are not so great but this one was bettter.
And the epilogue, 8th edition brings more change than I thought so.
"Everything is changing."
"The old days are over, the days of the Space Marines are done."
========Audiobook notes========
As I said in my last review of an audiobook from Guy Haley, I'm pretty sure that somehow John Banks hurts the book with his narration(Which is again, nothing wrong. I am still boomozleed of why I have problems with it, it's nothing but solid). And I stand corrected, as almost no one of the problems I depicted in Dark Imperium were in Devastation of Baal, and if they were, not at the same magnitude.
He is a decent writer of the fluff, and honestly stick to Bolter Porn a bit too much. But then he writes some excellent character scene that want to make you shed a tear, which honestly fools me why he sticks to fluff more than he should.
His endings are not so great but this one was bettter.
And the epilogue, 8th edition brings more change than I thought so.
"Everything is changing."
"The old days are over, the days of the Space Marines are done."
========Audiobook notes========
As I said in my last review of an audiobook from Guy Haley, I'm pretty sure that somehow John Banks hurts the book with his narration(Which is again, nothing wrong. I am still boomozleed of why I have problems with it, it's nothing but solid). And I stand corrected, as almost no one of the problems I depicted in Dark Imperium were in Devastation of Baal, and if they were, not at the same magnitude.
December 24, 2022
4,5/5 ⭐️
Episch, Actiongeladen, Wütend!
Episch, Actiongeladen, Wütend!
February 19, 2024
Very slow read but entertaining. As someone who knows nothing of Warhammer, this was a good starter and a book I actually enjoyed reading. Now I will understand more of what my friend talks about.
June 21, 2023
Final Rating: 5/5
I need some time to recover from this. This is exactly one of those books where you read about a character and boom! In the next scene, he's dead, suddenly! Sometimes it can hit you right where it hurts. And then there are some scenes when you just laugh because... you know, isn't it fun to laugh at hypocrisy, or at the irony of things or at humor in general?
But mostly, I loved it because compared to book about Dante, this one didn't suffer too much from too much details. Let's say there were a lot of details involved, so prepare for paragraphs upon paragraphs of descriptions but it just enriches the storytelling. Don't you just love it when you can imagine what's happening inside the book because there is just right amount of words and descriptions are sufficient?
I also listened to audiobook on audible narrated by Gareth Armstrong (while also reading the book itself) - and he did well - but in general, I don't feel like being big fan of his when it comes to narration.
This review might contain some slight spoilers that are not even maybe spoilers, so I don't even know if weather they should be marked, but don't worry, it will not ruin your experience!
Devastation of Baal and its moons Baalind and Baalfora:
Attacking force Hivefleet Leviathan (Tyranids) counting millions vs approx. 29000 Blood Angels, commanding officer Dante.
Do you like space battles? Well, you have some of them here. Even though at some point the space battle scenes get cut short in favor of the ground attack force, it is still cut short, but it was also done well. This part of the story is mostly narrated through Second Captain Erwin of the Angels Excelsis. Through him we also see relationships between other chapter masters, mostly Asante.
Then you have present Flesh Tearers and of course Gabriel Seth as their chapter master and their similar but not so similar chapter Knights of Blood led by Santor Jool. Their similarities yet opposite look on the way they handle things and how they deal with black rage and civilians in path and with the enemies they have in common was interesting.
And finally, we have Dante, who is chosen to be leader of now once again completed Legion of Blood Angels, whose goal is only to preserve the home world of their Primarch Sanguinius and defend until their last dying breath. Finally, he and others (notable one being Mephiston) had to deal with some very hard decisions, including who to save, what to save, what to do, how to deal with it, how to organize, and all the while, they never realized there was a threat inside... Not to mention an old enemy is rising as another threat to their legacy. And Emperor damn it, Dante really reaaaaaaaaally just wants to retire, you know... but apparently being 1500 years old and being too good at what he does apparently makes him too good to be laid off from work. Sorry, no rest for you Dante!
There is a lot going on. A lot of perspectives, but I also feel like they all got enough time to shine. Even the kid and his father Uigui had a purpose.
And finally, one thing to remember and that I love being reminded of, is that no one is good person here. They will always, always choose lesser evil first.
And finally the ending. I want to talk about the ending so much because... There's just so much going on in it as much as
So i'll write about those here:
And one quote that made me laugh a lot:
Loved it. There are some flaws, but I loved everyone in it, they are complex enough, and a lot of scenes hurt me :) If you love Blood Angels I am sure you will love this. if you are just discovering WH books, then I recommend reading The Word of the Silent King, then Dante and finally this.
� Dante
I need some time to recover from this. This is exactly one of those books where you read about a character and boom! In the next scene, he's dead, suddenly! Sometimes it can hit you right where it hurts. And then there are some scenes when you just laugh because... you know, isn't it fun to laugh at hypocrisy, or at the irony of things or at humor in general?
‘The probability of your survival alone is higher than our survival together,� said Hennan.
‘Where is your fighting spirit, sergeant?�
‘Under control,� said Hennan.
But mostly, I loved it because compared to book about Dante, this one didn't suffer too much from too much details. Let's say there were a lot of details involved, so prepare for paragraphs upon paragraphs of descriptions but it just enriches the storytelling. Don't you just love it when you can imagine what's happening inside the book because there is just right amount of words and descriptions are sufficient?
‘Your savagery is your strength as much as your curse.�
‘Savage? Here I am, obedient.�
I also listened to audiobook on audible narrated by Gareth Armstrong (while also reading the book itself) - and he did well - but in general, I don't feel like being big fan of his when it comes to narration.
This review might contain some slight spoilers that are not even maybe spoilers, so I don't even know if weather they should be marked, but don't worry, it will not ruin your experience!
►►� STORY & CHARACTERS:
Devastation of Baal and its moons Baalind and Baalfora:
Attacking force Hivefleet Leviathan (Tyranids) counting millions vs approx. 29000 Blood Angels, commanding officer Dante.
Do you like space battles? Well, you have some of them here. Even though at some point the space battle scenes get cut short in favor of the ground attack force, it is still cut short, but it was also done well. This part of the story is mostly narrated through Second Captain Erwin of the Angels Excelsis. Through him we also see relationships between other chapter masters, mostly Asante.
Asante looked back into his hololith imager. ‘Asante out.�
‘Friendly,� said Erwin.
‘He is preoccupied,� said Achemen.
‘You know, when the Emperor’s gifts were implanted into your body, Achemen, I think they left out the organ responsible for a sense of humour. Where is your joy? We go into battle!�
‘There is only room for duty in my heart.�
‘You have two,� Erwin reminded him.
‘The other is full of sorrow for the people of our Imperium,� said Achemen.
Then you have present Flesh Tearers and of course Gabriel Seth as their chapter master and their similar but not so similar chapter Knights of Blood led by Santor Jool. Their similarities yet opposite look on the way they handle things and how they deal with black rage and civilians in path and with the enemies they have in common was interesting.
‘You are a lesson to us all in hope.�
‘We are all damned,� said Seth.
And finally, we have Dante, who is chosen to be leader of now once again completed Legion of Blood Angels, whose goal is only to preserve the home world of their Primarch Sanguinius and defend until their last dying breath. Finally, he and others (notable one being Mephiston) had to deal with some very hard decisions, including who to save, what to save, what to do, how to deal with it, how to organize, and all the while, they never realized there was a threat inside... Not to mention an old enemy is rising as another threat to their legacy. And Emperor damn it, Dante really reaaaaaaaaally just wants to retire, you know... but apparently being 1500 years old and being too good at what he does apparently makes him too good to be laid off from work. Sorry, no rest for you Dante!
Dante laughed in wild despair. Gathered together, all the sons of Sanguinius could accomplish was to slow the consumption of a single world.
There is a lot going on. A lot of perspectives, but I also feel like they all got enough time to shine. Even the kid and his father Uigui had a purpose.
And finally, one thing to remember and that I love being reminded of, is that no one is good person here. They will always, always choose lesser evil first.
And finally the ending. I want to talk about the ending so much because... There's just so much going on in it as much as
So i'll write about those here:
And one quote that made me laugh a lot:
►►� OVERALL:
Loved it. There are some flaws, but I loved everyone in it, they are complex enough, and a lot of scenes hurt me :) If you love Blood Angels I am sure you will love this. if you are just discovering WH books, then I recommend reading The Word of the Silent King, then Dante and finally this.
►►� REVIEW(S) RELATED TO THIS BOOK:
� Dante
June 5, 2023
I gave up on The Devastation of Baal around 40% in. I really liked Guy Haley's work in the Dark Imperium Trilogy, espeically the latter two entires, but The Devestation of Baal just bored me throughout. Uninteresting characters, poor action scenes, overlong introductions and a narrative that feels like it's being torn in two different directions - the standalone Blood Angel struggle against the Tyranid threat, and the overall situation in the wider 40K universe. There were only so many times I could listen to introductions about Dante - I -never- cared about whatever the hell Mephiston was going on about. I wouldn't say it was outright bad, but it just didn't grab me throughout my listen of the audiobook. I may read the book, as it's in the most recent Humble Bundle for Warhammer to see if I can push through, but ultimately, this is the first 40K novel I've outright disliked so far.
June 15, 2018
The first half of this book is pure set up what with rituals and interactions between all of the Blood Angels related chapters. It is mostly interesting but holy shit does it drag on and on and on AND ON AND ON!!! Then the action starts. It becomes amazing after that. This does take place in the Dark Imperium Times so Guilliman does make an appearance and that was cool. Dunno. I totally recommend this book but I just expect a lil bit more from my Guy Haley books. It’s a forgettable Haley book, which is to say it’s great, but it’s no Pharos.
August 22, 2022
Was an excellent story, had a lot more emotion that I would have expected.
February 22, 2021
This book was such a mixed bag for me. On one hand it was an exciting tale full of rich lpre, high stakes and an interesting introduction to the blood angels chapter. However on the other hand this book lacked likable and interesting characters which made it hard to become fully invested in the novel. Characters like Seth and the other chapter masters came across as obnoxious and needlessly edgy in some places. Characters like Dante did stand out however but they were bogged down by often weak characters. Although the lore was interesting, it seemed a bit too heavy handed at some points and ended being a bit confusing which also took me out of the book. Thid is a gopd tale worth reading but it does have some slow chapters and annoyances to stop it from being as good as I believe it could have been.
September 11, 2024
4.5
The Baal system faces annihilation by the Tyranid horde. The Astartes chapters of the Blood Angels stand as an (almost) united front against certain doom to defend the home world of their angelic gene father Sanguinius.
This is my favorite 40k book of those I’ve read so far. It’s action-packed to the brim, the characters are entertaining to follow, it’s well written, dramatic and tense until the very end. The scale of the Warhammer 40k world is insane, and hard to beat when it comes to epicness.
My only criticism of this book is that you won’t understand everything 100% without having read certain other books that I didn’t know about; so I was forced to read up some stuff in the wiki. But for a universe as massive as 40k, that is to be expected if you’re not up-to-date with the >400 novels it contains.
The Baal system faces annihilation by the Tyranid horde. The Astartes chapters of the Blood Angels stand as an (almost) united front against certain doom to defend the home world of their angelic gene father Sanguinius.
This is my favorite 40k book of those I’ve read so far. It’s action-packed to the brim, the characters are entertaining to follow, it’s well written, dramatic and tense until the very end. The scale of the Warhammer 40k world is insane, and hard to beat when it comes to epicness.
My only criticism of this book is that you won’t understand everything 100% without having read certain other books that I didn’t know about; so I was forced to read up some stuff in the wiki. But for a universe as massive as 40k, that is to be expected if you’re not up-to-date with the >400 novels it contains.
May 6, 2022
Badly written book whose only purpose seems to be to mostly wipe out the old Blood Angels chapter and replace it with the new Primaris model. The whole world felt like an unironical, cheap theatre stage with cringely epic characters. Here, I gave you the important points away in the first sentence, you can skip reading the book. (And they are not spoilers but the current stage of 40K lore that appears in many other sources as well.)
February 17, 2023
Good but not great. I still prefer the Night Lords
June 30, 2023
Just great battle porn. Big icky smart bugs smushing and getting smushed by big roided vampire soldiers who get some unexpected help!
January 3, 2024
Essential reading for any blood angels fan
February 9, 2024
“Be not rage, lest rage become all you are�
February 25, 2024
one of the best books i ever read, the speeches were incredible and i have the urge to find a beautiful death, for the emperor, for sanguinius, for Baal!
December 13, 2022
Audiobook.
Had moments that were great but we're overshadowed by overwrought detail and dialogue. It did end very well with some truly epic moments.
Read if you want to know why the primaris blood angels now outnumber the first born. That's essentially what this novel is about.
Had moments that were great but we're overshadowed by overwrought detail and dialogue. It did end very well with some truly epic moments.
Read if you want to know why the primaris blood angels now outnumber the first born. That's essentially what this novel is about.
January 20, 2018
Great book !
(Mild spoilers ahead).
Book has a nice built up. Not rushing into action, but showing the opening engagements, then the gathering of the chapters of blood (with some very nice scenes of a feast, contest of honour and skill, discussing command and strategy). Captain Erwin is a character you can love to hate, but sometimes this guy has a point. Nice scenes with the space battle, Erwin's decisions, the tension afterward with Asante, the duel. These are very cool scenes.
The book keeps up with great scenes, scenes with great tension, scenes that really add something to the story, keeps the reader fully entertained and interested. For example: Mephiston's dreams, the diurnal vaults, Ka'Bandha, the confrontation Seth-Jool, the black rage arriving in force, the librarians in the cave.
And then, my only complaint. When the whole book has a very nice built up, with very interesting scenes and everything getting the right attention, once the fight against the tyranids has fully started, the story goes too fast. Not that we need endless fights scenes, but suddenly we move forward into the story fast, and we hear about the deaths of so many chapter masters and captains, rather than SEE them die. With one jump, we are near the end of the book and the end of the whole battle, into the final fight scenes. I would have liked to see these heroes in the fight and see them die, because these are such terrible losses. With just hearing about them in the strategium, makes you feel their deaths and sacrifices less. This is really my only complaint, my only disappointment.
The end is solid, with the Guilliman scenes, although I would have liked a few more pages about the Guilliman reforms and politics. The beast arises series and the wraight custodian and inquisition books, show that fans like politics scenes. Also, they add to the story advancement, so more about this please. Thanks for having the Guilliman character done well, the way he is and should be (he's my favorite w40k character).
Conclusion: Very entertaining book, surely for the first 350 pages, which went from very interesting scene to very interesting scene. That isn't an easy feat for an author. Even with my 1 complaint (the sudden jump in the battle towards the end), surely a 5 out of 5 stars book. Well done. Really looking forward to Wolfsbane, having full confidence you will make this one great also.
August 13, 2020
After finishing Dante I was left at an all time Space Marine high. I was excited to see what happened next to my new favourite Chapter Master and what was going to happen with the Tyranid invasion. And I wasn’t let down. Devastation of Baal is an excellent continuation of Dante’s story, the Blood Angels and the defence of their home system. It continues to prove that while 40k novels aren’t going to win the Booker Prize, they still have a lot of interesting character moments and provide awesome sci-fi romps.
As I’ve already said, Devastation of Baal picks up from the end of Dante as the Blood Angels rally all their successor chapters to their home to defend against an enormous Tyranid invasion. We spend a lot of time with Dante but he isn’t the all-consuming focus like in his book. The book is split into preparing for the Tyranids and battling them. The build-up to the confrontation gives the reader (or listener) the time to become invested and care about the characters on the front lines. It means that when they are in danger or fall, then their struggle and death mean something.
And there is a lot of death. The scale of these battles are huge as Dante amasses a force the likes of which haven’t been seen since The Horus Heresy. This isn’t a blow for blow battle but a sweeping conflict with different fronts, tactics and everything driving home the desperation and struggle to stop the overwhelming numbers of Tyranids pouring onto Baal. After the initial build-up and gather of force, the book shifts gear and the pace ramps up its intensity. Devastation of Baal is one of the most intense, exciting reads where you are never sure which side is going to win with plenty of twists and turns that keep you turning pages (or listening to pages turn) throughout.
For the full review please visit Bits & Pieces -
As I’ve already said, Devastation of Baal picks up from the end of Dante as the Blood Angels rally all their successor chapters to their home to defend against an enormous Tyranid invasion. We spend a lot of time with Dante but he isn’t the all-consuming focus like in his book. The book is split into preparing for the Tyranids and battling them. The build-up to the confrontation gives the reader (or listener) the time to become invested and care about the characters on the front lines. It means that when they are in danger or fall, then their struggle and death mean something.
And there is a lot of death. The scale of these battles are huge as Dante amasses a force the likes of which haven’t been seen since The Horus Heresy. This isn’t a blow for blow battle but a sweeping conflict with different fronts, tactics and everything driving home the desperation and struggle to stop the overwhelming numbers of Tyranids pouring onto Baal. After the initial build-up and gather of force, the book shifts gear and the pace ramps up its intensity. Devastation of Baal is one of the most intense, exciting reads where you are never sure which side is going to win with plenty of twists and turns that keep you turning pages (or listening to pages turn) throughout.
For the full review please visit Bits & Pieces -
September 19, 2021
The Devastation of Baal by Guy Haley is a book from the Black Library that continues the new narrative that has occurred in Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 series. The Imperium has been split in half, the forces of Chaos have spilled forth from the Eye of Terror and Primachs (genetically created men who are close to being demi gods) walk among us again, for both the Imperium and Chaos.
In this, the first book of a new series we focus on the Blood Angels and their many successor chapters, marshaling to defeat the Tyranids (alien creatures who in essence are part of a hive mind, a collective consciousness whose sole purpose is to consume all matter to feet themselves and to bring new abilities to the hive mind) of hive fleet Leviathan, Leviathan is made up of billions of Tyranids and looks to be unstoppable, yet not since the war of the Beast (see Black Library's excellent 12 novel series The Beast Arises for this story) have so many Space Marines been under the control of one man, Commander Dante, who has a plan to stop them.
I will not spoil the story, for this is truly one of the best works that Black Library have put out there. We have two very strongly written characters, Gabriel Seth, Chapter master of the Flesh Tearers, a chapter that is looked on as dangerously close to being heretical as they have embraced the rage that is the genetic curse of the Blood angels successor chapters. The other strongly written character is Commander Dante, the leader of the Blood Angels and a man who is over 1500 years old, old by even Space Marine standards.
As expected from a Warhammer/Guy Haley book, the action is well written and fast paced. What makes this book stand out though is the two well written characters, the unpredictable ending and the fact that we have a moment of genuine emotion between two minor human characters who recurred during the story.
I can't recommend this novel highly enough.
In this, the first book of a new series we focus on the Blood Angels and their many successor chapters, marshaling to defeat the Tyranids (alien creatures who in essence are part of a hive mind, a collective consciousness whose sole purpose is to consume all matter to feet themselves and to bring new abilities to the hive mind) of hive fleet Leviathan, Leviathan is made up of billions of Tyranids and looks to be unstoppable, yet not since the war of the Beast (see Black Library's excellent 12 novel series The Beast Arises for this story) have so many Space Marines been under the control of one man, Commander Dante, who has a plan to stop them.
I will not spoil the story, for this is truly one of the best works that Black Library have put out there. We have two very strongly written characters, Gabriel Seth, Chapter master of the Flesh Tearers, a chapter that is looked on as dangerously close to being heretical as they have embraced the rage that is the genetic curse of the Blood angels successor chapters. The other strongly written character is Commander Dante, the leader of the Blood Angels and a man who is over 1500 years old, old by even Space Marine standards.
As expected from a Warhammer/Guy Haley book, the action is well written and fast paced. What makes this book stand out though is the two well written characters, the unpredictable ending and the fact that we have a moment of genuine emotion between two minor human characters who recurred during the story.
I can't recommend this novel highly enough.
January 1, 2024
La devastazione di Baal è il primo romanzo ambientato nell'universo gotico e fantascientifico di Warhammer 40'000 che leggo. Nato come wargame a fine anni '80 e successivamente sviluppatosi con libri, fumetti e videogiochi, ha dato origine al termine grimdark con la frase: "In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war".
Ci troviamo sul sistema planetario di Baal, patria natale dei Blood Angels, discendenti del Primarca Sanguinius ed élite tra gli Space Marines, supersoldati modificati geneticamente con lo scopo di difendere l'Impero dell’Umanità. Il Comandante Dante chiama a raccolta la Nona Legione per contrastare l'inesorabile avanzata dello Sciame, antico orrore cosmico divoratore di mondi. L'adunata coinvolge decine di migliaia di Space Marines, l'ultimo baluardo prima della fine. La Nona Legione di Sanguinius è riunita, tutti i suoi Figli pronti.
Guy Haley è tanto bravo a scrivere le scene d'azione quanto a sviluppare e approfondire la lore di Warhammer 40'000. Ho apprezzato l'equilibrio iniziale tra i due elementi, utile al lettore per comprendere lo scenario e appassionarsi a esso. Davvero interessante il background culturale riservato ai Blood Angels, una stirpe guerriera i cui riti e tradizioni affondano nella sacralità della battaglia e del sacrificio.
Punto forte del libro è sicuramente l'aspetto military: la preparazione, l'attesa del nemico, gli scontri, l'assedio, la resistenza e la vita al fronte sono all'altezza della miglior sci-fi di stampo militare. Diventa difficile staccarsi dal romanzo, il cocktail di azione, adrenalina e violenza si scola tutto d'un fiato. Le pagine trasudano sangue, eroismo e tragedia, viviamo gli avvenimenti attraverso occhi di soldati pronti a tutto per difendere ogni millimetro di terra.
Mi sento di consigliare questo libro a tutti i lettori curiosi di esplorare l'universo di Warhammer 40'000, ai fan della fantascienza militare e del grimdark. Vi divertirete!
Ci troviamo sul sistema planetario di Baal, patria natale dei Blood Angels, discendenti del Primarca Sanguinius ed élite tra gli Space Marines, supersoldati modificati geneticamente con lo scopo di difendere l'Impero dell’Umanità. Il Comandante Dante chiama a raccolta la Nona Legione per contrastare l'inesorabile avanzata dello Sciame, antico orrore cosmico divoratore di mondi. L'adunata coinvolge decine di migliaia di Space Marines, l'ultimo baluardo prima della fine. La Nona Legione di Sanguinius è riunita, tutti i suoi Figli pronti.
Guy Haley è tanto bravo a scrivere le scene d'azione quanto a sviluppare e approfondire la lore di Warhammer 40'000. Ho apprezzato l'equilibrio iniziale tra i due elementi, utile al lettore per comprendere lo scenario e appassionarsi a esso. Davvero interessante il background culturale riservato ai Blood Angels, una stirpe guerriera i cui riti e tradizioni affondano nella sacralità della battaglia e del sacrificio.
Punto forte del libro è sicuramente l'aspetto military: la preparazione, l'attesa del nemico, gli scontri, l'assedio, la resistenza e la vita al fronte sono all'altezza della miglior sci-fi di stampo militare. Diventa difficile staccarsi dal romanzo, il cocktail di azione, adrenalina e violenza si scola tutto d'un fiato. Le pagine trasudano sangue, eroismo e tragedia, viviamo gli avvenimenti attraverso occhi di soldati pronti a tutto per difendere ogni millimetro di terra.
Mi sento di consigliare questo libro a tutti i lettori curiosi di esplorare l'universo di Warhammer 40'000, ai fan della fantascienza militare e del grimdark. Vi divertirete!
October 26, 2023
Disappointing book.
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