Book Review // Fear to Tread - Horus Heresy
Here we are at book 21 of the Horus Heresy series, and we finally get the Blood Angels' long-overdue arrival. I've always been a fan of Blood Angels since I saw the box artwork for the second edition of the 40k game at the age of 10. I finally get to read some lore about them and see how the Crusade has affected them.
The book is 508 pages long and is a true novel beast. Written by James Swallow, here is the official Black Library write-up:
Title: Fear to Tread
Author: James Swallow
Page Count: 508
Format: Paperback (Get a copy via Amazon and support the blog)
Fluff: Since the earliest days of the Great Crusade, Sanguinius – angelic primarch of the IXth Legion – was ever among the closest and most loyal of Horus’s brothers. But the Blood Angels have long kept their true nature hidden from the rest of the Imperium, and when the Warmaster hints that the key to their salvation may lie in the ruins of a conquered world, the sons of Sanguinius race to claim it. Now, as the revelation of their betrayal dawns and the traitors’ hand is revealed, the Blood Angels must face all the warp-spawned armies of Chaos, as well their own personal daemons, upon the blasted plains of Signus Prime...
Review
Straight away, I discovered this book was going to rewrite my knowledge of the Blood Angels. For a while, I had been led to believe, like many, that the Black Rage was a curse brought on by the death of their Primarch. In fact, it was a genetic error in the Blood Angel's makeup. It is this secret that Horus discovers and decides to use against his brother.
In the story, the original plan is to send the Blood Angels to the Signus Cluster, where they would face off against a combined force of Khorne and Slaanesh daemons. Their goal is to tempt out the Black Rage within the Blood Angel’s Primarch and convert him into a champion of Chaos. Unfortunately, Horus fears that if Sanguinius falls to the lure of chaos, the Gods may start to favour him instead, so Horus sets in motion a plan to kill Sanguinius instead. This indecisive and cloak-and-dagger action leads to the plan ultimately failing. This novel has a lot to enjoy, but it is a hard title to write about without spoilers. It describes the warp in great detail and makes the Blood Angels come across as true heroes, and some of the Black Rage moments are just mind-blowing.
Fear to Tread did a fantastic job showcasing the Blood Angel Legion's strengths and weaknesses. It also finally introduced the Red Angel (not Angron), a character I had seen multiple times in artwork. It turns out he is even cooler than expected, but I can't tell you much without causing spoiler issues beyond repair.
The Horus Heresy series seems to be on a high at the moment. These titles have really invigorated my reading, and I am excited to dive into the next title, Shadows of Treachery. If it is your first time here welcome! Thank you for stopping by and be sure you have a look around.
