Captain Morgan here, with my latest Blood Angels novel review -The Herald of Sanguinius
Today were taking a look at The Herald of Sanguinius by Andy Smillie, and For those on a time budget, look for the bolded TLDR Verdicts.
**Warning! Some Spoilers Ahead!**
The General Information:
The Herald of Sanguinius is an audio drama that takes place during the events of the Horus Heresy. I would be remiss if I didn’t warn any readers of this review that while I endeavor to avoid giving too many spoilers in these reviews, in this case there will definitely be some spoilers for anyone who hasn’t read any of the Horus Heresy book series. With that in mind, anyone that hasn’t read at least up until The Unremembered Empire in the Horus Heresy should likely hold off on reading this until at least that point. It clocks in at just less than 20 minutes, and despite being on such a short timetable, the depth of information presented in this audio drama was surprising. Of course, audio dramas are great for learning how to pronounce some of the names of these characters, as long as you don’t mind some British accents and distinguished rrrolling of “r’s.”
Where this is an audiobook, I will skip my “Presentation” section, and comment only that as of yet this has only been available as an MP3 download from the Black Library’s website, and so far I have not seen it show up on iTunes or from any other source.
The Novel:
This novel is told from the perspective of Azkaellon, the head of the Sanguinary Guard, whose chief responsibility is to act as the newly-crowned Emperor Sanguinius’ bodyguard and head of security. Azkaellon is both protagonist and narrator for this tale, and while that can at times make for confusing listening as the voice is the same, the use of echoes and sound effects do well to indicate the difference between the dialogue between characters and Azkaellon’s narration. No two characters are noticeably voiced by the same voice actor, so there is no confusion on who else is speaking and when. The main players in this story, aside from Azkaellon, are Lion El’Johnson and Sanguinius, as well as a number of Azkaellon’s Sanguinary guardsmen.
Chronologically, this takes place roughly three weeks after the events at the end of The Unremembered Empire, where Roboute Guilliman has named Sanguinius as the Emperor and commander of the loyalist forces cut off from Terra, since they have no way of knowing whether or not Terra has fallen and the Emperor dead at Horus’ hands. All is not well in Imperium Secundus since Sanguinius’ crowning as Emperor-Regent. The legions gathered on Macragge are restless, and everyone is anxious to meet with the new Regent, however Azkaellon does not trust anyone (including the Lion) enough to allow them direct access to Sanguinius, and the new Imperium is at the edge of upheaval only weeks since its creation. Azkaellon must find a way to serve the needs of the Legions gathered at Macragge, while still providing his Lord and father with adequate protection.
The book itself jumps between two different settings, one in the more recent past, and one in the present. This is accomplished well, and the distinction between the two settings is well executed and does not leave the reader trying to guess too much where or when the narrator is at any given point in the story. These two story threads dance around each other during the course of the story, and the full understanding of where these two arcs connect does not come until the very last scene.
The opening is very cryptic, beginning with the line “It takes two deaths to keep a secret…,” followed sharply by the sound of a blade unsheathing. Indeed, “Cryptic” is really the best word to describe the entire opening sequence as it sets the stage for the ending in such a way that leaves the reader extremely curious as to what is happening, and why. As a rule, keeping your reader’s interest is always a good thing, and this opening and the story itself does a good job of keeping the readers grasping and thinking all the way until the ending. Best of all, the beginning is only enhanced by the ending of the story, so it isn’t purposelessly vague.
Azkaellon is a character first introduced in Fear to Tread, by James Swallow, and he has only appeared briefly or been referenced vaguely in other novels since then. Having him tell the story did much to expand his character and develop it well. His utter devotion to his duty as Sanguinius’ bodyguard is already known at this point as demonstrated in the prior novel, however his internal struggles and motivations hardly come across in the other book, which paints his character very one dimensionally. In Fear to Tread, nobody finishes the book liking Azkaellon.
The illusions of a one-dimensional character are shattered in the telling of this story, however, as he is confronted with a situation that forces him to make sacrifices that he doesn’t realize will have a resounding impact on the future of his Legion. Where before he was just an arrogant and insufferable (yet capable) prick, here he retains the rigidity of a character tasked with the most important of duties without sacrificing character traits that disconnect him from the reader. At the same time, the author (and actors) manage to show very subtly the traits that are often associated with the Blood Angels legion in previously established backstory, namely their humility and bravery in the face of destiny. You may not end this story liking Azkaellon or thinking he’s your favorite character ever, but he is no longer so transparent that you as a reader do not take him seriously.
The literary mechanics in this audio drama are at times both obvious and subtle, which gives juicy content to both the curious reader and the devoted one. Writing in the 30k universe provides ample opportunities for foreshadowing, considering that the ultimate ending of the story is already known, and this story does not waste any of those opportunities. It also provides some flavor, giving the reader/listener a glimpse into some of the rituals and customs of a largely silent and unexplored legion in the Heresy. The Lion takes the role of the Antagonist, and watching Azkaellon’s exchanges with the Primarch of the 1st Legion Astartes are entertaining to say the least. One of the best examples of foreshadowing occurs between the Lion and Azkaellon in Sanguinius’ throne chamber, and despite having listened to it upwards of 10 times in preparation for this review; I enjoyed this exchange between the characters immensely each time. It is not until the end of the story, however, that you realize that in addition to setting the stage for the next act of the Heresy, at its heart this is an origin story that ties beautifully into one of the 40k universe’s questions about the Blood Angels themselves.
That being said, this story does not ultimately move the story of the Heresy along very far. Of course, that can’t really be expected from a 19 minute audio drama. In the end, while a flavorful and fan-servicy addition to the series, this does not stand out as an essential read for the Horus Heresy Series, and that is possibly the only real big criticism that I have for the story itself. Blood Angels fans will definitely not be disappointed; however everyone else could probably skip over it and not really feel like they are missing any crucial content.
TLDR The Novel Verdict: Very Good – A well written, mechanically sound, and interesting story that adds depth to Azkaellon’s character and provides Blood Angels fans some fanservice, but everyone else really isn’t missing out on anything by skipping over it.
Bang For Your Buck: Clocking in at 19 minutes 29 seconds, downloading the book from the Black Library for $10.00 might seem a bit steep to the casual “reader,” especially considering how this story is not exactly a key turning point in the series itself. It is not unusual for these dramas to show up in a book format down the road, likely for only $3.00 to $4.00 USD, or part of an anthology with other stories. For the “baller on a budget” who doesn’t desperately need to know what happens, you could safely get away with waiting.
How this affected my hobby: For me, the idea of a Blood Angels Legion collection is a foregone conclusion, but I certainly don’t feel any less like collecting one. One of the nice things about this was how this ties into my 40k hobby, but I risk getting too spoilerific by saying how.
Favorite Passage:
<Azkaellon>“I do not fear death, Lord, by your hand or any other. Duty demands I do far worse than hurl myself at oblivion.”
<Lion El’Johnson> “Were it only that my brother understood duty so clearly.”
Until next time, may the Blood keep you.
-Captain Morgan
