Product Description

Epic conclusion to the story of the Blood Angel Space Marines Rafen and Arkio, started in Blood Angels: Deus Encarmine where a battle brother emerges as the re-incarnation of the Patriach of the Blood Angels.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #164141 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 256 pages

About the Author
James Swallow has written several books, including Star Trek: Terok Nor: Day of the Vipers and Seeds of Dissent (from Star Trek: Myriad Universes: Infinity's Prism); the Sundowners quartet of ?steampunk' science fiction Westerns (Ghost Town, Underworld, Iron Dragon and Showdown); the best-selling novelization of The Butterfly Effect; The Flight of the Eisenstein, Faith and Fire and Jade Dragon; the 2000AD tie-ins Eclipse, Blood Relative and Whiteout; Stargate Atlantis: Halcyon; and the Blood Angels duology Deus Encarmine and Deus Sanguinius.

In addition, Swallow's short fiction has appeared in Inferno! and Stargate magazine, the anthologies Star Trek Voyager: Distant Shores, the Doctor Who Short Trips collections Dalek Empire and Destination Prague, Something Changed, Collected Works, What Price Victory and Silent Night.

His non-fiction includes Dark Eye: The Films of David Fincher and books on writing, genre television and animation; he has also written for Star Trek: Voyager, Doctor Who and Space 1889, along with several scripts for audio and videogames.

Customer Reviews

Predictable conclusion to Deus Encarmine
This novel was short, predictable and conclusive.
Anyone who's read the first novel can already guess with
90% accuracy what will happen in this one:
Blood Angel vs Blood Angel and what will happen in the end.

I rated this 3 stars, exactly the same as the first novel
since this novel should have been the second half of the
first novel. My review of the first novel still applies
to this one as well.
The overall feel of this novel is the same as the first since
it continues off exactly where Deus Encarmine left off.
The one good thing I will give it is that the action is
fast and the story progresses at a good rate thus making
it a very quick read.

One thing that still irks me to no end is that the
author should have been more familiar with Blood Angels and the
Adeptus Astartes in general. When an imperial inquisitor has
the authority to promote Blood Angels to leadership positions
in the official ranks even before they are corrupted, something is seriously off kewter with the authors knowledge.
The only time this might actually work is inquisitors
and the Grey Knights.

Another thing to note if the readers have read recent space
marines novels, every single novel seems to end with Exterminatus. Check out Crimson Tears, Lord of Night,
Iron Hands, etc. I had predicted before reading this novel
that some poor planet would need to be exterminated in order
to keep some kind of "space marines love to blow up planets
theme".

My next prediction: in a year or so, these two novels will
be released in a single novel edition.
If you must read this novel and you haven't read the first,
wait until it comes out in a single novel format.

A Comic Book in Words
The bottom line is that if you enjoyed the first book, you will most likely find the conclusion fun as well.

However, that out of the way, those who are looking for more than just comic-bookish situations, a comment which I will explain below, might want to pass.

The heroes are VERY heroic, the villains VERY evil, and the ambiguous characters are very conflicted. There is no room for the reader to figure things out; if the author wants you to notice something, you'll get bludgeoned with it.

The plot is melodramatic, given to extremes and deus ex machina. Why talk to someone you can fight, dominate, or control. When things seem hopeless, there's always a deific hand to show the way.

While the book certainly succeeds in its efforts to be "bigger than life," it does so at a level that fails to impress more discerning readers.

Deus Sanguinius was...
Excelent. A great read and good plot. Great follow up on Deus Encarmine.