Product Description

After over 3 years of being out of print one of our most requested books returns with a brand new look. The secrets of the Dark Angels are revealed in this much-loved classic Warhammer 40,000 novel.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1159450 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 288 pages

About the Author
Gav Thorpe works for Games Workshop in his capacity as Senior Games Developer, overseeing and contributing to the Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 worlds. He has a dozen or so short stories to his name, and over half a dozen novels. He lives in Nottingham, UK.

Customer Reviews

Richly crafted.
A surprisingly cerebral and complexly crafted story from an author whose other offerings tend to entertain primarily through fast-paced, graphic action scenes rather than by way of thoughtful character development and mature dialogue. This book is much slower and deliberate than its predecessors but is far richer for it.

The book primarily centers around the interrogation of a captured "Fallen Angel" traitor by his erstwhile brothers in arms, the loyalist space marines of the Dark Angels chapter. For the first time that I'm aware of, the long hidden secret which torments the Dark Angels chapter is revealed and afficionados of the Warhammer 40K universe are treated to an in-depth examination of the tragic schism which nearly destroyed the Dark Angels during the height of the Horus Heresy.

Far too often, chaos space marines and other foes of the Imperium are portrayed as mindless lunatics hellbent on destruction. Not so here. Thorpe's "antagonist" is lucid, articulate and just as convinced of the righteousness of his cause as are the Dark Angels of theirs. Through such a character, Thorpe admirably manages to capture all of the depth and nuance that the 40K setting has to offer. Highly recommended for all Dark Angel devotees and anyone who finds the backdrop of the 40K universe as entertaining and compelling as the game itself.

Like the Dark Angels? You'll like this...
Cast forward in time 10,000 years, force commander Astelan of the Dark Angels has been branded a heretic and condemned to death by torture. Switching back and forth between Astelan and his torturer, chaplain-inquisitor Boreas, this novel describes the history of the Dark Angels chapter back to the days before the Primarchs were rediscovered. The events taking place in Angels of Darkness are of secondary importance. What is interesting here is the conflicting points of view of the two main characters, Astelan and Boreas, as they argue in the interrogation chamber. These two marines showcase the change in attitude and psychology of the Dark Angels following the cataclysmic Horus Heresy. Also revealed is the terrible secret which the Dark Angels chapter has kept hidden from the Imperium for 10,000 years. The story keeps good pace, and delivers its intrigue at a measured rate which keeps things interesting.
This is a good book for 40k fans who are looking for a decent story with great background information. BUT if you haven't read all of Dan Abnett's books, definitely go read those first. The Eisenhorn trilogy and Gaunt's Ghosts series are the Black Library's best stuff! In comparison, Angels of Darkness is a bit clunky, and the space marines act like emotionally-disturbed teenage boys.

A bit slow but definately not bad
Though this book is a bit slow, I did enjoy it. It is a fascinating glimpse into the almost mythological times of the Empire's founding and the tale of one man from that time period who returns to the 41st century to carry on his Lutherite campaign to cleanse the Empire of corruption --- thus being branded heretic by his contemporaries. Though low on action (until the end), it is heavy on brooding atmospherics and raises the question, is Astelan a heretic or the last true follower of the Emperor?