Descent of Angels (The Horus Heresy)
by Mitchell Scanlon
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Book Summary Information
Author: Mitchell ScanlonEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Published: 2007-10-30
ISBN: 1844165086
Number of pages: 416
Publisher: Games Workshop
Book Reviews of Descent of Angels (The Horus Heresy)
Book Review: A poor "Heresy" entry, but good standalone tale.
Summary: 3 Stars
With Warhammer 40K popularity at an all time high, finding new fans beyond the tabletop battle fields amongst PC gamers and sci-fi novel enthusiasts alike, the Horus Heresy books have been in full swing now for little over 2 years. Many have voiced their disappointment that the Heresy seems to have astrayed from the primary storyline in favor of Legion-specific tales. Personally, I happen to like the Legion-specific entries (most specifically Fulgrim), but the Dark Angels entry into the Horus Heresy series was overall a weak one.
While this novel would have been fine as a standalone tale, chronicling the era of the Dark Angels just before the coming of the Emperor, it fails to capture the tension and fear that the Heresy series has thus far presented. While it is not poorly written, the pacing of the story just doesn't match up. Furthermore, the book doesn't actually tie-in to the Heresy other than hints and foreshadowing of chaotic taint upon the Dark Angels. The ending, which may or may not scream "sequel"(very unlikely) depending on how you look at it, leaves the reader with many questions and even fewer answers.
As a Dark Angels tale however, this is an intriguing book. Following the story of one up-and-coming knight on the world of Caliban, Descent tells the tale of the young warrior's trials to achieve knighthood on the harsh and terrifying world of Caliban. Within its deep jungles and foreboding darkness, Caliban hides many Great Beasts. To embark on a quest to slay such a beast would be one of the final steps to achieve knighthood. We find that our protagonist shares many traits in common with Lion El'Jonson, soon to be Primarch of the Dark Angels. But an encounter with mysterious beings in the darkest region of the world foreshadows an impending doom not only upon Caliban, but upon the rest of the human race as well.
Following the young boy from apprentice to knighthood and eventually to the ascension of Astartes, the book is rather compelling in its delivery but fails to capture that same magic that has made the Heresy series so pulse-pounding. If this book wasn't titled under the Horus Heresy line, it would have been excellent. As it stands, it was an overall weak Heresy offering that was disappointing for many. Being that the release dates between the Heresy entries are so long, Descent succeeded only in fueling readers' impatience and thirst for more Heresy. When compared to Fulgrim (The Horus Heresy) and Horus Heresy: Legion (Horus Heresy), Descent of Angels doesn't stand up to par with the rest. I would recommend saving Descent of Angels as a side read rather than an entry into the Horus Heresy.
Summary of Descent of Angels (The Horus Heresy)
The next novel in the ground-breaking, bestselling series that tells the story of the Horus Heresy ? the civil war that nearly tore the human Imperium apart, ten thousand years ago. This novel explores the early history of the Dark Angels Legion and their Primarch Lion El'Johnson. When news of Horus's treachery reaches Caliban, the loyalties of this proud and mysterious Legion are tested to the limit, wth tragic consequences.
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