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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A very nice continuation of the previous character study. Honestly, this duo raised my interest in the Blood Angels Legion.
adventurous
fast-paced
April 2024 Re-Read using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project Reading Order Omnibus XIII Imperium Secondus I Hope's Kindling (https://www.heresyomnibus.com/omnibus/xiii-imperium-secundus-i-hopes-kindling) as part of my Oath of Moment to complete the Horus series and extras.
I stand by my previous review. This is a wonderful sibling to The Virtue of the Sons and I commend the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project for sandwiching The Unremembered Empire between them for chronological and thematic acuity.
There are two sides to Sanguinius, angelic hope and bloody fury. These are weaknesses within him, wrought by his own rather's genetic and etheric manipulations, that he passes to his sons. Sons, in the blackest depths of his warpforged hearts, he harbours a secret hatred and despair for, even in his enduring adoration for them and their veneration of him. This hopelessness that endures in the core of such a golden beacon of hope and newly laurelled Emperor of Imperium Secondus is an element of the phlegmatic and maudlin depression that acts as a necessary balance of the Primarch's humours. The thing the makes his hearts break is his belief that it does not exist within his sons as he is haunted by premonitions of the knife's edge and desperate falls that awaits their eternity without him.
Through the narrative and Sanguinius' visions, Smillie ties a beautiful bow on the journey of Blood Angels from skirting damnation at Khorne's red hands in James Swallow's brilliant Fear to Tread to Dan Abnett's great The Unremembered Empire, and casts a bleak look into the future of the Grey Angel and his closest sons.
Anyone familiar with Warhammer 40K and the Horus Heresy will likely have seen one or more of Adrian Smith's iconic works of the Emperor and Horus facing off on the Vengeful Spirit with the Sanguinius lying broken at Horus' feet. Getting a glimpse of the aftermath of this moment long before the Siege of Terra books is a powerful treat and the quality of the writing and Imagery, along with the stellar cast, many of which take up roles of Blood Angels in the brilliant Angels of Death on Warhammer+ (#NotAnAd but I genuinely think it's awesome and generally enjoy all the animations over there, which I thoroughly recommend paying for a month or twos subscription for to watch them), elevate this into a seriously effecting and awesome work.
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 23.41 Horus Heresy novels, 14 novellas (including 1 repeat), 74 short stories/ audio dramas (including 5 repeats), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 13 Primarchs novels, 4 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
***
Initial Review
What an incredible chaser to Virtue of the Sons!
Following directly on from the end of the previous audio drama, with Azkaellon and Amit locked in ritual combat over their Primarch, Sanguinius sees the tragedies that lay in wait for the three of them. There is a glimpse of the aftermath of that fateful moment on the bridge of Vengeful Spirit and a vision of suffocating blood and powdered bone in a warped realm.
This is a very short audio drama, but the quality of the writing and performances, as well as the weight and sheer Horus Heresy-ness packed into it is phenomenal.
Is this narratively essential listening? No.
Is anyone going to turn down a look at that black, furious moment? Nope.
I absolutely recommend this and its companion piece.
I stand by my previous review. This is a wonderful sibling to The Virtue of the Sons and I commend the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project for sandwiching The Unremembered Empire between them for chronological and thematic acuity.
There are two sides to Sanguinius, angelic hope and bloody fury. These are weaknesses within him, wrought by his own rather's genetic and etheric manipulations, that he passes to his sons. Sons, in the blackest depths of his warpforged hearts, he harbours a secret hatred and despair for, even in his enduring adoration for them and their veneration of him. This hopelessness that endures in the core of such a golden beacon of hope and newly laurelled Emperor of Imperium Secondus is an element of the phlegmatic and maudlin depression that acts as a necessary balance of the Primarch's humours. The thing the makes his hearts break is his belief that it does not exist within his sons as he is haunted by premonitions of the knife's edge and desperate falls that awaits their eternity without him.
Through the narrative and Sanguinius' visions, Smillie ties a beautiful bow on the journey of Blood Angels from skirting damnation at Khorne's red hands in James Swallow's brilliant Fear to Tread to Dan Abnett's great The Unremembered Empire, and casts a bleak look into the future of the Grey Angel and his closest sons.
Anyone familiar with Warhammer 40K and the Horus Heresy will likely have seen one or more of Adrian Smith's iconic works of the Emperor and Horus facing off on the Vengeful Spirit with the Sanguinius lying broken at Horus' feet. Getting a glimpse of the aftermath of this moment long before the Siege of Terra books is a powerful treat and the quality of the writing and Imagery, along with the stellar cast, many of which take up roles of Blood Angels in the brilliant Angels of Death on Warhammer+ (#NotAnAd but I genuinely think it's awesome and generally enjoy all the animations over there, which I thoroughly recommend paying for a month or twos subscription for to watch them), elevate this into a seriously effecting and awesome work.
Through using the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project (www.heresyomnibus.com) and my own choices, I have currently read 23.41 Horus Heresy novels, 14 novellas (including 1 repeat), 74 short stories/ audio dramas (including 5 repeats), as well as the Macragge's Honour graphic novel, 13 Primarchs novels, 4 Primarchs short stories/ audio dramas, and 2 Warhammer 40K further reading novels...this run. I can't say enough good about the way the Horus Heresy Omnibus Project suggestions. I'm loving it! Especially after originally reading to the releases and being so frustrated at having to wait so long for a narrative to continue.
***
Initial Review
What an incredible chaser to Virtue of the Sons!
Following directly on from the end of the previous audio drama, with Azkaellon and Amit locked in ritual combat over their Primarch, Sanguinius sees the tragedies that lay in wait for the three of them. There is a glimpse of the aftermath of that fateful moment on the bridge of Vengeful Spirit and a vision of suffocating blood and powdered bone in a warped realm.
This is a very short audio drama, but the quality of the writing and performances, as well as the weight and sheer Horus Heresy-ness packed into it is phenomenal.
Is this narratively essential listening? No.
Is anyone going to turn down a look at that black, furious moment? Nope.
I absolutely recommend this and its companion piece.
The go-to guy for Flesh Tearers in 40k, Andy Smillie has recently turned his attention to their founding chapter, the Blood Angels, as part of the Horus Heresy series. A prequel to Virtues of the Sons (from the Death and Defiance anthology), his ‘quick read’ story Sins of the Father sees the primarch Sanguinius in a dark mood, reflecting on his future and that of his sons.
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/2015/02/03/quick-review-sins-of-the-father-andy-smillie/
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/2015/02/03/quick-review-sins-of-the-father-andy-smillie/