# The next BA HH novel: Which authour would you prefer?



## MontytheMighty (Jul 21, 2009)

I was reading ADB's blog and I noticed this: "_I love the Blood Angels, as it happens. I’ve refrained from admitting it in the past, but I’m getting braver about it these days, especially in all my interviews and panels where I flat-out admit they’re the one Heresy Legion I’d love to write about above any other._" 

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who thinks that the BA should be liberated from James Swallow after the utterly underwhelming _Fear to Tread_. I have nothing against the bloke personally, but I simply can't stand the man's writing. I had a few gripes with how ADB treated the BA in the combat scenes of his NL series, but I think he'd do an excellent job with them as protagonists in their own novel, a much better job, at any rate, than Swallow. 

Abnett's doing Ultramarines. It looks White Scars, Space Wolves, and Iron Hands are in the capable hands of Chris Wraight. I don't get why BL would entrust the BA to a writer as mediocre as Swallow. I'm very glad that BL didn't let McNeill do 30K Ultramarines. 

I understand that ADB has a lot on his plate already. The chances of him taking over from Swallow are slim to put it mildly. If you like James Swallow's BA, that's fine. I respect everyone's taste. If you don't, who do you think would be a much better job?


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## ckcrawford (Feb 4, 2009)

ADB. no question. I want to see the true nature of blood angels. There's too much mainstream space marine crap going on with the Blood Angels. I wonder how ADB feels about how they were written. Seriously, so far from what i've seen, with every faction their is pessimistic realism in their character.


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

I like Swallow`s Blood Angels, and would like to see him continue them. ADB can keep his Night Lords, and give him the Dark Angels as well and this should all go fine.


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## Marcoos (Sep 26, 2010)

Blood Angels look as though they will figure heavily in Unremembered Empire. Dan Abnett is writing this.


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## Angel of Blood (Aug 18, 2010)

Abnett, ADB or Wraight. Would be more than happy for either of the three to take the reigns from Swallow, he did very well with Flight of the Eisenstien, but that's it, Fear to Tread was imply awful, without a shadow of a doubt the biggest let down of the Heresy series, if not the biggest let down or any novel I've ever read.


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## MontytheMighty (Jul 21, 2009)

Angel of Blood said:


> Abnett, ADB or Wraight. Would be more than happy for either of the three to take the reigns from Swallow, he did very well with Flight of the Eisenstien, but that's it, Fear to Tread was imply awful, without a shadow of a doubt the biggest let down of the Heresy series, if not the biggest let down or any novel I've ever read.


Yes, especially after reading all the ridiculously glowing reviews. The Blood Angels deserve better than Swallow (who again, isn't terrible but is certainly far from good). I hope Abnett does them justice in Unremembered Empire if indeed the Blood Angels are major players in the upcoming book


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## Angel of Blood (Aug 18, 2010)

Indeed, I know everyones got different opinions and all that jazz, but it truly, incredibly baffles me on a mind boggling scale as to how quite a few people have rated FtT so high. I'm actually going to go right out and say this, and I know there will be outcry on this, but I genuinely rate Fear to Tread lower than Battle of the Abyss, BftA was crap, no doubt about it, but hell at least I liked Mhotep and Skraal, hell I more than liked them, I genuinely think they were good characters. Something FtT lacks entirely for me.

So yeah, I've said it. Fear to Tread, for me, is the worst book in the Heresy series.


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## MontytheMighty (Jul 21, 2009)

Angel of Blood said:


> I more than liked them, I genuinely think they were good characters. Something FtT lacks entirely for me.


I was stunned at how boring Swallow's Raldoran and Azkaellon were

I also kept confusing Meros with Kano...there was literally almost nothing differentiating their personalities


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## ckcrawford (Feb 4, 2009)

Angel of Blood said:


> Indeed, I know everyones got different opinions and all that jazz, but it truly, incredibly baffles me on a mind boggling scale as to how quite a few people have rated FtT so high. I'm actually going to go right out and say this, and I know there will be outcry on this, but I genuinely rate Fear to Tread lower than Battle of the Abyss, BftA was crap, no doubt about it, but hell at least I liked Mhotep and Skraal, hell I more than liked them, I genuinely think they were good characters. Something FtT lacks entirely for me.
> 
> So yeah, I've said it. Fear to Tread, for me, is the worst book in the Heresy series.


I am going to agree with you here. I felt the same when my legion novel was written. Whats worse for me, is the fact that _Battle for the Abyss_ even written well didn't contribute to the Heresy very much. These novels like _Fear to Tread_ for example are actual legion novels. They are supposed to be the best novels in the Heresy, and they just aren't. 

It goes back to theme I've been talking about which is blah, right into the action and no development. 

Again, I am very unsure about the next novels in the Heresy.


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

I like Swallow's Blood Angels. So Swallow.

The only thing of his I want someone else to handle is the Death Guard. Swallow did a good job in FotE, but Rob Sanders's Death Guard are even better. Chaplain Murnau and his Destroyers in _Echoes of Old Night_ were excellent and i'd love to see that Death Guard return.


LotN


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## bobss (May 18, 2008)

Thread has been done literally a billion times before, just with more recent context this time.

Regardless of writing style, ADB's lore seems more on-point and feels like an extension of canon, as opposed to an adaptation.

Never been a fan of this de facto logic of an author ''owning'' a Chapter, Legion or race.


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## MontytheMighty (Jul 21, 2009)

bobss said:


> Thread has been done literally a billion times before


Links?


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

bobss said:


> Never been a fan of this de facto logic of an author ''owning'' a Chapter, Legion or race.


Nor am I, but you misunderstand my point.

I mean that I prefer the interpretation that Swallow has when he writes the Blood Angels, as I prefer Rob Sanders' interpretation of the Death Guard, and so on and so on. I don't believe in an author owning a Chapter/Legion/Race/etc but I do believe that they all have different interpretations of how those things should be portrayed, that is what I want when I say I want Swallow to keep writing the Blood Angels and Sanders to take over the Death Guard.


LotN


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## Hellados (Sep 16, 2009)

I think it was a very hard book to write as about 1/3 of the way through they all went bat shit crazy and there minds changed massively.

I think Kano and Meros were left a little thin, I didn't feel as upset as Abnet makes me about many of the Ghosts but that maybe because of how many characters we were introduced to in FtT.

Raldoran and Azkaellon I can justify more as they are stoic stalwart and there thoughts and feelings are inflexible so I can see how they wouldn't change there mines much. Amit aswell, could of been better but I reckon it was a good attempt.

I maybe biased as I love BAs and no matter if it was the worst book in the world I would of loved it anyway but such is life


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## Sequere_me_in_Tenebras (Nov 11, 2012)

James Swallow has always been a engaging guy when I've met him. Having said that, _Fear to Tread_ is one of those marmite novels (for me anyway). I really enjoyed Amit's characterisation, but wasn't so much keen on Sanguinius's portrayal. 

*POSSIBLE SPOILER* 
The scene when the fleet enters the Signus System, involving planets 'changing' is over cooked and doesn't fit at all right for me. All that for some Chaos form of banter haha.

Does _Fear to Tread_ sit in anyone's top 5?

Anyway on topic. Who else is there beyond ADB, Dan Abnett and Graham McNeill currently?


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## Stephen_Newman (Jul 14, 2009)

Sequere_me_in_Tenebras said:


> Anyway on topic. Who else is there beyond ADB, Dan Abnett and Graham McNeill currently?


After reading _The Crimson Fist_, _The Last Remembrancer_ and _Ahriman: Exile_ I would be thrilled to see John French writing more for the Heresy. Same goes to Chris Wraight after the beautiful job done in _Brotherhood of the Storm_. I get bored of people just offering those 3 writers time and time again and then moaning that the series is getting boring. Any series with over 2 dozen books is going to get boring without adding some new blood every now and again. Not to mention I like Swallow and Gav Thorpe as writers as well (Thorpe's depiction of the Dark Angels in _The Lion_ as well as their portrayals in _Ravenwing_ and _Angels of Darkness_ is the best I have seen).

As for on topic I thought _Fear to Tread_ was great. I love the deliberate slow build up and the machinations of Chaos flowing subtly in the face of the Angels (not to mention the traffic signs and subway network "daemons" was a joy to imagine and a great touch for me). My only complaints being the little difference between Kanos and Meros and that I did not see Sanguinius to be as compassionate as I thought he would be.


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## JAMOB (Dec 30, 2010)

Me.

...

Oh god, no. Have you seen my writing? No? Keep it that way.

On a more serious note, I liked swallow in his 40k books, havent read the HH one(s) yet but will be getting to that as funds allow. Based on the rafen chronicles (or whatever the hell they're supposed to be called) I have no problem with him writing the new ones - he did a decent job of showing the inner struggle, his DC was pretty good, and his references to Sanguineous seemed not-so-out of place.


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## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

Angel of Blood said:


> Indeed, I know everyones got different opinions and all that jazz, but it truly, incredibly baffles me on a mind boggling scale as to how quite a few people have rated FtT so high. I'm actually going to go right out and say this, and I know there will be outcry on this, but I genuinely rate Fear to Tread lower than Battle of the Abyss, BftA was crap, no doubt about it, but hell at least I liked Mhotep and Skraal, hell I more than liked them, I genuinely think they were good characters. Something FtT lacks entirely for me.
> 
> So yeah, I've said it. Fear to Tread, for me, is the worst book in the Heresy series.


I stopped reading FtT when I reached the part about tire irons and sign posts coming to life.

Thank goodness for Lexicanum spoilers otherwise I would not know what happened next in the story or what the big reveals were.

In regards to ADB taking on the BA, I'm a bit worried he might make them sound too similar to the Black Templars or in some ways the Night Lords. I didn't get a feel for the World Eaters or a sense of who they were as a legion in his _Betrayer_. They didn't seem as reinvented as we were led to believe but as I've stated before, GW's lore department are 99% at fault for placing such restrictions on the World Eaters ages ago. 

I kind of believe certain legions fit certain authors and for them to deviate and try writing about other legions tends to not work out that much. 

In summary, I think fresh blood is needed. John French perhaps? He hasn't tried his hand at a HH novel or been given a legion to write about.


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## Unknown Primarch (Feb 25, 2008)

Blood Angels are seriously badass after signus so need a badass author to give us that. swallows angels were awful in 40k and just plain sad in 30k so a change of direction is definatly needed. lets see what abnett does with them in unremembered empire but i think it is probably time for ADB to step in and prep BA for the siege of terra because they are gonna have to be super apeshit when taking on traitor legions, daemons and such like.


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## ckcrawford (Feb 4, 2009)

I was thinking French but I also thought about Reynolds. What happened to him? Gav Thorpe really dissapointed me. I hated his Heresy Novel. 

I think its going to be a while before we get an exciting plot. Too many of the important plots have already been written very mediocrely. So prepare for the milking to begin. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but it seems that even with better writing performances theres not going to be promising novels until the siege unless they make up stuff on Horus' journey to Terra. Theres just so much they can do now.


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## Khorne's Fist (Jul 18, 2008)

While I do enjoy Swallow's work in general, and FotE is one of my favourite HH novels, I will admit that Fear to Thread was a massive let down, especially as it was my most anticipated novel of the series after Prospero Burns. 

Personally I'd only have Abnett, McNeill and ADB writing the series, with ADB getting the lion's share of the work, but that's not feasible.


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## Brother Subtle (May 24, 2009)

I'd be excited to see John French given his own HH novel. His other stuff this far has been very good. There's a few decent writers starting to emerge now. They just need a HH novel to prove themselves.


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## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

I'd be happy for anyone to give it a go after the total hash that Swallow made of _Fear to Tread_.

Everything I have read/listened to from John French has seemed promising...


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## kaptin wazgob (Dec 31, 2012)

Whilst not being completely poorly written, FTT was a huge let down for me. It read exactly like Swallow's 40k Blood Angels novels, so much so that if it wasn't for the fact it had Sanguinius in it I could have been forgiven for thinking this was in fact another of his 40k BA offerings. Recycled plot devices and even characters! (fabius bile), As already mentioned, kano and meros were interchangeable, and depictions of raldoron and azkaellon were plain and uninspired.

This was for me probably _the_ most anticipated HH novel, especially as I loved Swallow's first 2 BA novels (the last 2 not so much). I really don't want him writing any more HH BA novels and hope Black Library lets ADB or one of the really good new guys (French, Sanders) give the BA's the treatment they deserve.


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## Sequere_me_in_Tenebras (Nov 11, 2012)

Just throwing a name in the proverbial hat here. How about Sandy Mitchell?


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## Unknown Primarch (Feb 25, 2008)

Sequere_me_in_Tenebras said:


> Just throwing a name in the proverbial hat here. How about Sandy Mitchell?


good call, quality author!


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## Words_of_Truth (Sep 20, 2007)

Well I don't want ADB to do it, I'd much prefer he focused on the lesser fleshed out legions.


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## TRU3 CHAOS (May 21, 2010)

Fear to Tread was a complete waste of time and demented the depiction of the Blood Angels forever. I must prefer their short story in Collected Visions. Why they gave such an important assignment to an author that has yet to prove himself is beyond me. It's almost like the Heresy series letting Ben Counter write Galaxy in Flames to close out Horus' story. Is it me, or is the Heresy Team trying to screw up their legacy?


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## Stephen_Newman (Jul 14, 2009)

Or Bill King? I think he is the best writer BL have going for them so I am surprised he has not written a heresy novel or any kind of input at all (maybe they have offered it to him and he declined. The guy does only write a few novels for BL after all).

Matthew Farrer as well is another I would like to see more heresy input from as well as giving C.L.Werner a try at a short story or 2.

They only authors I do not want to see touch the series right now would be Lee Lightner and Nick Kyme. Can't stant their work although apparently Kyme is going to be writing more for the Heresy soon.


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## TRU3 CHAOS (May 21, 2010)

Kyme was extremely hard to get through. Why are they doing this? It maybe they just don't have enough good writers to write novels. Even their good writers have been creating questionable works.


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## Duke_Leto (Dec 11, 2010)

Slightly off topic but...

If BL had been really brave I think they should have had a deliberate policy of having a different author having principle responsibility for a legion that was DIFFERENT to who they write about in 40k.

This is not a reflection on ANY author. I just think this would bring something fresh to the table and make 30k sufficiently different to 40k (saying that it is happening a bit what with Abnett having UMs rather than McNeil - good thing too).


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## Duke_Leto (Dec 11, 2010)

Angel of Blood said:


> Fear to Tread was imply awful, without a shadow of a doubt the biggest let down of the Heresy series, if not the biggest let down or any novel I've ever read.


Wow really? I thought FTT was fine (not outstanding but good solid entertainment). Was this really worse than Descent of Angels or Fallen Angels or Battle for the Abyss? Personally I think not. It was leagues above all three of them!


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## Lord of Ruin (Jul 22, 2012)

Personally i think BL should let some other authors in on HH, Andie Smillie has done well with the flesh tearers maybe BA would not be so different. John French is one to watch considering how good Crimson Fist was.


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## Sequere_me_in_Tenebras (Nov 11, 2012)

Duke_Leto said:


> Wow really? I thought FTT was fine (not outstanding but good solid entertainment). Was this really worse than Descent of Angels or Fallen Angels or Battle for the Abyss? Personally I think not. It was leagues above all three of them!


As I've said elsewhere, I didn't find Descent of Angels and Fallen Angels as bad as some. Fear to Tread wasn't awful either, but then I've not read any of the other Blood Angels novels. 

It did amuse me when Amit got a slap from a demi-god for being 'naughty'.


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## VulkansNodosaurus (Dec 3, 2010)

Duke_Leto said:


> Slightly off topic but...
> 
> If BL had been really brave I think they should have had a deliberate policy of having a different author having principle responsibility for a legion that was DIFFERENT to who they write about in 40k.
> 
> This is not a reflection on ANY author. I just think this would bring something fresh to the table and make 30k sufficiently different to 40k (saying that it is happening a bit what with Abnett having UMs rather than McNeil - good thing too).


*This.* I don't mind Swallow overall, and I think ADB is slightly overrated (though still one of BL's best authors); besides, Dembski-Bowden can't write the entire Heresy. But for Loyalist Legions especially, 30K and 40K should be different, so I'd rather have ADB in this case.

Besides, I'm not a great fan of one author "owning" a Legion anyhow. It makes some sense in 30K, but in 40K, I think we should get multiple authors' perspectives on a Chapter or (even more so) a CSM Legion.


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## Stephen74 (Oct 1, 2010)

I'd like to see new authors. I'm not a great fan of Swallow or McNeill as they both flesh out their books with drivel, which is a shame because once the action gets going they are both great at it. Abnett and ADB are generally good, Gav Thorpe, umm, has improved... Richard Knaak would get my vote. 

I am in favour of one Author 'owning' a legion. Its far easier to build something with real depth if one person is doing it. I'm also in favour of someone overseeing all the authors so that there are no, or at least fewer, conflicts of lore.


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## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

The huge and rich setting that 3(4)0k is deserves to have numerous different visions and perceptions attached to it by different authors. It does become _very_ frustrating though when one author's portrayal of Legion X is objectively better and more accurate than another author's portrayal of Legion X. Ben Counter's portrayal of the Word Bearers in _Battle for the Abyss_ for example was just shocking, so much so that his main antagonist had to be passed off as a deluded lamb to the slaughter by a later author and his main plot-arc (the _Furious Abyss_) was cheapened by the revelation of the existence of the _Blessed Lady_ and _Trisagion_. 

That's my take on it anyway. The setting deserves to be looked at from different angles and perceptions, but it does get frustrating when there is such a gulf in talent between certain authors.


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## gridge (Feb 11, 2012)

I would much like to have ADB writing the Blood Angels...even the little appearances they have made in his Night Lords series has done them more justice than Swallow's work. I couldn't even finish FtT...it was simply too boring. I rate Swallow on the same level of Thorpe, which is at the bottom of the heap and writers who I will no longer waste money on. This is a particular shame with Swallow because I love the Blood Angels.


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

wouldn't mind seeing Anthony Reynolds or Chris Wriaght (Sp) do one, i liked the Word Bearers Trilogy Reynolds did and i loved Battle for the Fang


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## piemelke (Oct 13, 2010)

ADB is writing a BA short story , we will see


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## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

piemelke said:


> ADB is writing a BA short story , we will see


Just read about that, and as a prequel to _Master of Mankind_... Interesting.


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## maelstrom48 (Sep 5, 2012)

Oh good, ADB to the rescue of BA fluff. James Swallow, please stop, for the love of God. Thanks to his talentless dickery, I've lost basically all interest in collecting a pre-heresy BA army. Way to chase me toward Imperial Fists instead.


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## piemelke (Oct 13, 2010)

we will see 
so far his loyalist description has been rather 2-dimensional brainwashed stupid naive cunts (which is probably what they are )


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## MontytheMighty (Jul 21, 2009)

Child-of-the-Emperor said:


> Just read about that, and as a prequel to _Master of Mankind_... Interesting.


So the BA short story is a prequel to Master of Mankind?


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## Child-of-the-Emperor (Feb 22, 2009)

MontytheMighty said:


> So the BA short story is a prequel to Master of Mankind?


Apparently so.


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## Angel of Blood (Aug 18, 2010)

piemelke said:


> we will see
> so far his loyalist description has been rather 2-dimensional brainwashed stupid naive cunts (which is probably what they are )


Huh? Who are you referring too?


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## DjdaForce (Nov 20, 2012)

Angel of Blood said:


> Huh? Who are you referring too?


Probably Hellsreach and/or The Emperors Gift. As for Hellsreach, yes Grimmaldus was really 2-Dimensional, but 2D-Awesome imo! Also ADB has given the Dark Angels more depth in 2 Novellas (in which they weren't even always the main characters) than other Autors in 2 full length books. I'm pretty sure he can write about the good guys, only that Grey Knights novel was strange....

@Topic:
That new Guy, David Arrandale knows how to write, both the Yarrick Novella and Death of Antagonis were enjoyable. Please replace Gav Thrope with him!


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## Angel of Blood (Aug 18, 2010)

Indeed Grimaldus was a bit two dimensional, but that was pretty much the point of his character. 

The Grey Knights were all pretty awesome imo.

The Dark Angels should be all the proof anyone needs as to how well ADB can write loyalists. As you said, the amount of character they got from short stories alone was beyond good.


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## piemelke (Oct 13, 2010)

The black templars in in hellsreach indeed but that is prob how they are.
The BA in the night lords series and short stories
the genesis champion on the NL series, (the way they where ranting,...)
the sals in the NL short story (although he wrote this together with Nick)
the marines errant in the NL series,


I liked the GK better, but the emperor's gift was certainly not his best book,

just tell me of one loyalist SM which he described which is half as cool as Talos or Garviel Tal ?


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## Angel of Blood (Aug 18, 2010)

piemelke said:


> just tell me of one loyalist SM which he described which is half as cool as Talos or Garviel Tal ?


I'm actually a pretty massive fan of Corswain and really hope to see him in quite a few more novels. Also, whilst not technically a SM, Aquillon and the Custodians in general were all good characters imo. And granted it was a very small part, but I instantly took a liking to Orfeo Cassander in _Betrayer_.

I assume you meant Argel Tal as well.


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## piemelke (Oct 13, 2010)

yeah Argel
I have not read Betrayer yet,
to throw in another one
sevatar ?
I mean how cool is he, he can even go toe to toe with sigismund and piggy back starships, whilst a bunch of experienced BA get killed by one shot because they are carrying a plasma gun (shoot the plasma coil), 
Xarl ? darn the entire squad outcools all loyalists he described including the SW and GK,
nah just let ADB write chaos perspective books like the abadon series he is planning to write,


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## Vitarus (Apr 9, 2012)

When did Sigismund and Sevatar fight??


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## piemelke (Oct 13, 2010)

(prince of crows)


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## Vitarus (Apr 9, 2012)

Cool! Gotta read that!

Just looked it up. Sequel to Savage Weapons?

Oh crap. Audio only??? God I hate them sometimes. (Oh. Never mind. Shadows of Treachery. Gotcha.)


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## DjdaForce (Nov 20, 2012)

Uhm don't expect too much.....


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## MontytheMighty (Jul 21, 2009)

piemelke said:


> I mean how cool is he, he can even go toe to toe with sigismund


Yeah...IMO Sevatar is skirting "Wolverine" territory 

I don't want to call him a Gary Stu/Mary Sue because he's less of a traditional hero and more of a badass anti-hero whose every scene is meant to make him look even more badass and cool...whether it's decapitating one of the DA's best swordsman (after slicing off his face earlier), chopping up hapless DA paladins, piggy-backing a starship, [likely] escaping from his prison aboard the DA flagship, Sevatar follows the rule of cool 

I definitely think ADB exhibits greater flare when writing traitors/Chaos. His GK characterisation was...decent but didn't strike me as exceptional. _The Emperor's Gift_ felt more like a tribute to the SW (esp. Logan Grimnar and Bjorn) than like a proper GK novel. His BT and Crimson Fists were rather boring IMO. I am however a fan of how he handles Flesh Tearers and Dark Angels.


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## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

MontytheMighty said:


> I definitely think ADB exhibits greater flare when writing traitors/Chaos. His GK characterisation was...decent but didn't strike me as exceptional.


I disagree to an extent. The protagonist didn't really click with me but 

the death of one of the twin brothers was really captivating. 

Especially how the protagonist felt a spark of fear in the twin's soul, a Grey Knight (the pinnacle of human science and directly infused with the Emperor's blood), as it left his body. It struck me as a very moving and powerful scene, dare I say I think I shed a tear or two even. It was a strong reminder that no matter how tough or powerful an Astartes is, they still are human at the core and that there really is no being other than the Emperor who can stand a chance against the Chaos powers.


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## Angel of Blood (Aug 18, 2010)

Hang on, when does Sevetar fight Sigismund in _Prince of Crows_? Is it another of his off hand comments as It certainly doesn't happen in the story itself. But I agree, Sevetar is bordering dangerously on Mary-Sue territory.


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## Vitarus (Apr 9, 2012)

Never heard of Mary-Sue before the last couple posts. Had to google. Lol.


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## Dead.Blue.Clown (Nov 27, 2009)

Take *any* First Captain's deeds, and at least half of them wildly, wildly eclipse what little Sevatar has done. Ahriman damns an entire Legion with a single spell, and his own primarch can't kill him. Sigismund is named The Emperor's Champion, and kills countless Traitor Champions in the Siege of Terra. Kharn is the immortal champion of a literal god. 

Perspective, guys. Perspective. If you honestly think Sevatar being good with a spear and being able to hang on to a spaceship while it flies is somehow an authorial self-insert (that's what Mary Sue means) or that I love the character too much to have anything bad happen to him, I'd suggest you need some wider perspective on what First Captains actually do in the setting. Any new First Captain character coming even close to competing with other characters of his competency level is going to have outlandish feats. Saying Sevatar is pushing some mythical boundary of credibility is a stretch, I'm sorry to say.

Besides, some characters are set up high, for a fall to come. Maybe trust the author, instead of assuming he has no integrity and loves a character too much to have anything bad happen to him. It's a novella and a short story. Wait until he's a main character in a novel, or just look at the other First Captains and take a moment of actual reflection.

While I'd refute (with clear evidence) any accusations that Sevatar is a Mary Sue character (he's provably not), the Wolverine comparisons are more apt. However, Wolverine is one of the most popular genre characters ever created (and Sevatar is similarly popular in the HH fandom, easily being one of the most asked-about characters in my inbox). The flip side to that coin is that I can't stand Wolverine, and my characters have a habit of losing when it comes to the crunch. 

Sevatar's had his moment in the sun, where he was favourably on the same level as other First Captains - at least, some of them. He's captured now, because he was an idiot, and the last time we saw him, he was bleeding from the nose and ears, coming unravelled, trying to be cocky but with absolutely no hope of escape. The smile will soon be wiped off his face.

Of course, once he gets his comeuppance, then it'll be "ADB saw a few people in 2 years say Sevatar was too cool, so he made him a loser", but there's really nothing you can do against that level of fandom self-deception. No one trusts character development. Luke wasn't a Jedi halfway when he saved Leia from the Death Star. Good characters take time to evolve. That's why it's an arc, not a summary.


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## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> Wait until he's a main character in a novel


Yes. Please. Also if you ever get bored of writing about very combative chapters/legions, please consider the Alpha Legion.



Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> However, Wolverine is one of the most popular genre characters ever created (and Sevatar is similarly popular in the HH fandom, easily being one of the most asked-about characters in my inbox).


I was not aware your email address was made public and that you answered questions there. Prepare to be spammed.

Before you leave, can you reveal any info about the Master of Mankind? Apparently your BA short story will be a prequel? I'm not seeing a connection between the two unless you're entering Siege of Terra territory. I don't like visiting your blog because I get too excited but if my questions are answered there I'll check it out.


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## Dead.Blue.Clown (Nov 27, 2009)

Vitarus said:


> When did Sigismund and Sevatar fight??


It's an offhand mention in Prince of Crows. Sevatar is tired, so he cheats at the end by headbutting Sigismund and disqualifying himself from the weapon-fight. 

'Prince of Crows' being, of course, the story where the Night Lords Legion is buttfucked_ twice_ by the Dark Angels, their entire fleet is scattered across the galaxy, their primarch is badly wounded by the Lion, and their command structure is captured after putting a rare moment of pride and loyalty before good sense.



piemelke said:


> The BA in the night lords series and short stories


The ones that kill several hundred crew with only a handful of troops? Or the squad that corners the main characters so completely that First Claw has to beg for help?



piemelke said:


> the genesis champion on the NL series, (the way they where ranting,...)


The same Genesis Champion that solidly beats the whole protagonist squad to pieces and kills a main character on his own, smacking them all around like they're children? If you think Space Marines don't speak like that, you may be a fan of the wrong setting. Bombastic speeches are practically a requirement for Marine leaders.



piemelke said:


> the sals in the NL short story (although he wrote this together with Nick)


The Salamanders that I wrote nothing about, except that they inflicted heavy casualties on the Night Lords' Raptor Squad, killing almost all of them, at a cost of almost no losses at all? It was also Nick's idea to have the Night Lords funnel the genestealers against the Salamanders, incidentally, because I said a single Raptor Squad and a five-man Chaos Marine squad had nothing that could kill Terminators, so the Night Lords would run away rather than fight.



piemelke said:


> the marines errant in the NL series,


The ones that First Claw are too scared to even fight properly, and hide rather than confront? Or the ones that even Talos and First Claw admire, and are jealous of, because of how Codex Marines fight so well, protecting each other and knowing what "loyalty" means?

Perspective is everything. The full picture means a lot, too.


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## Dead.Blue.Clown (Nov 27, 2009)

Malus Darkblade said:


> Yes. Please. Also if you ever get bored of writing about very combative chapters/legions, please consider the Alpha Legion.


Um. They've been taken so far in a direction I'd not have taken them, that I'd not be sure what to write about them, now. I don't mean that in a negative way, but they're not really my thing in their current incarnation. _Legion_ is still my fave HH novel, though. By a billion miles.



Malus Darkblade said:


> I was not aware your email address was made public and that you answered questions there. Prepare to be spammed.


Kinda. My Facebook inbox / Facebook wall / Twitter feed / Twitter inbox / Gmail inbox / forum threads / forum PM inboxes all combine to a gestalt "my inbox" entity.



Malus Darkblade said:


> Before you leave, can you reveal any info about the Master of Mankind? Apparently your BA short story will be a prequel? I'm not seeing a connection between the two unless you're entering Siege of Terra territory. I don't like visiting your blog because I get too excited but if my questions are answered there I'll check it out.


Can't say too much. 

It's called _Master of Mankind_, or maybe _The Master of Mankind_. Not sure which.

The main characters will largely involved in the War in the Webway. It's good to finally get the chance to do loyalists. 

As for the Legions involved, the Legions aren't really as "together" as some of the books have previously assumed. They can't be - the whole point of the Great Crusade was that the Legions split up and conquered the galaxy. I've tried to show that with the Legions I've dealt with, in that the Night Lords are hugely scattered only 2 years into the war; the Word Bearers' fleets can spend whole decades in the Great Crusade without seeing their primarch and are now scattered in the Heresy; and the World Eaters tend to go wherever they want, whenever they want.

Suffice to say, yeah, Blood in the Water sets up a major Blood Angel character for _The Master of Mankind_.


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## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> Can't say too much.
> 
> It's called _Master of Mankind_, or maybe _The Master of Mankind_. Not sure which.
> 
> ...


Epic. Epic. Epic. Epic.

Sisters of Silence/Mechanicus/Custodes vs Chaos Daemons. Really looking forward to that moment when it all falls apart and the carnage begins.

Ooo. So Space Marines were involved as well, will be interesting to see how.


LotN


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## Angel of Blood (Aug 18, 2010)

Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> It's an offhand mention in Prince of Crows. Sevatar is tired, so he cheats at the end by headbutting Sigismund and disqualifying himself from the weapon-fight.


Ahhh gotcha, vaguely recall that now, odd as I've re-read _Prince of Crows_ several times. Anyways, aye I trust you, I'm not saying he is a Mary-Sue, just I can see why some would see him as becoming a bit too epic, but hell I like him and already know he's 

not going to survive the Heresy. Well, unless Mercutian is right and he is alive...I doubt it, but you never know.


Cheers for the info on _Master of Mankind_, can't wait for some more Custodes action, but if your still kicking about, do you have any plan or desire to write a full Dark Angels heresy novel? As I'm sure many would agree that your depictions of the I Legion and the Lion are by far the most popular.


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## Vitarus (Apr 9, 2012)

Where is the best place to fine release info? I never heard of Blood in the Water until just now, and have no idea when Master of Mankind is coming out.


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## Khyzer (Dec 22, 2012)

I know it was a crazy stretch, but there was a thread here a couple months ago that attempted to link Sevatar to the founding eight of the Grey Knights. That always stuck with me as a cool twist, especially given the fact that the "evidence" comes from all the work you have written your self personally.

Quote from _The Emperor's Gift_ pg. 153


> The statue on the eighth plinth showed a warrior in the same armor of blood jade as his brothers, one boot lifted to rest on a sculpted boulder. He carried a nemesis halberd, the spearpoint thrust into the plinth intself, letting him lean upon it with casual indifference. Whatever features he possessed in life were hidden beneath his helm, which in turn was weathered to near smoothness by times touch
> 
> *Khyron*
> Grand Master of the Eighth Brotherhood
> ...


Now we have the eighth plinth (man that number comes up a lot in the 40k-verse lol) with a nemesis halberd, now I get that many Grey Knights carry these, but it seems a bit like he is the only one of the original eight holding one. Maybe that's just me reading what I want and not taking it as chance it wasn't just mentioned. 

But the fact that he is specifically leaning on it with "indifference" just makes me question. Were talking the original eight lords of the Grey Knights, men through all the stories are made out to be the best of humanity, the most noble, and stalwart of the Astartes. And here the original lord of the eighth is leaning with indifference for his statue which will be remembered for all time.

Now on the page before, on pg. 152, Enceladus mentions the servitors who build the statues are psychic on a basic level, able to lay their hands on the fallen and perceive their life through echoes, and sculpt their image from there. So it wasn't artist interpretation to make him slouching and not giving a fuck, but his inner character that determined the pose.

Now this quote always gets me convinced lol, maybe I am just to much of a fanboy. But _"Already, you exalt me for my triumphs."_ That was already happening in 30k, everyone knew the name of Sevatar. Hell it is even happening here on this forum lol, ADB himself had to come out of hiding to post to attempt to reveal his shortcomings. 

The line _"When I ask only that you remember me for my treacheries."_ I mean that is pretty self explanatory. Not only was the word treacheries used for the title of another book which ADB wrote in, but the fact that Sevatar betrayed the Emperor, and hes a pragmatist type of guy, he wants fools to see the world as the truth, not deluded lies.

_"Victory is nothing more than survival"_ I can think of no better line that sums up Sevatar then this... He dosent give two flying fucks for honour as long as he wins the battle. His headbutt against Sigismund during their honorable weapons duel. His attacks on Corswain during the meetings of their Primarchs, and the entirety of his actions during the "Prince of Crows" story lol.

I know he is famous for first saying "Death to the False Emperor!!!" lol but how cool would it be for the guy who coined that phrase, now leads a company of Grey Knights lol. He was just captured by Dark Angels, and hes a Psyker, kinda a pre-req to being a Grey Knight... And remember his reaction to the Gal Vorbak? He has a hatred and disgust with chaos, he just has his own ideals that maybe "temporarily" turned him from the Emperor. Hell by the end of "Prince of Crows" he dosent even seem to fond of following Curze.

And how about that play on words at the end? _"our records were sequestered by knight-lords"_. Your such a tease ADB lol.

But hell, I have been wrong about a ton of things and directions of this universe, and I almost feel like this is too obvious for something ADB would do. So feel free to shut this rumor down lol.


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## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

Holy shit Sevatar being one of the founding GK's? 

The quote makes me want to believe. 

Hopefully ADB will come back and gives us a clue.


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## Doelago (Nov 29, 2009)

I so want the above theory to be true...


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## Angel of Blood (Aug 18, 2010)

I like the theory, it's fun and one of the cooler theories I've read. But ultimately I don't think there is a chance in hell that the Imperium would take Sevetar back.


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## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

Angel of Blood said:


> I like the theory, it's fun and one of the cooler theories I've read. But ultimately I don't think there is a chance in hell that the Imperium would take Sevetar back.


It would be the Emperor's decision not the Imperium's. 

In any case he has done much that went against his own Imperial Creed.


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## Angel of Blood (Aug 18, 2010)

By the Imperium, I'm including the Emperors as well. The Emperor has gone against his creed before yes, but accepting a traitor like Sevetar back is a completely different thing. And even if he did, he would have to make damn sure some of the loyalist Primarchs didn't find out, as I wouldn't see the likes of Russ or Dorn not making every effort to kill Sevetar. Then you've got to get Garro, Loken, Varren, Rubio, Qruze and whoever else they recruit to accept him. 

Again, it's a fun theory, but no way.


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## Khyzer (Dec 22, 2012)

Im drinking, so my search didn't go quite as successfully as I wanted lol. But I swear on my grave, James Swallow has said several times that Garro and Co. will not be Grey Knights. Which is beyond confusing giving all the iconography of their armor, and the Malcador's Seal on their armor which is suspiciously like the Inquisition symbol. I will admit that my Garro experience goes no further the FotE and the two dramas published in the Script Book (as I detest listening to audio dramas, whats wrong with a good ole book?). But I swear that by Mr. Swallow's word, they won't be Grey Knights. So in the end their opinion shouldn't matter as to if Sevatar becomes a Grey Knight or not. They seem to be nothing more then a means to an end for Malcador, an end we aren't yet privy to.

And with the War of the Webway going poorly (thnx Magnus...) and the assault on Terra, the rise of Chaos, etc, I could totally see them taking extreme measures (accepting Sevatar) to combat it all and ensure Humanities survival.

After all the Psycho-Indoctrination and other things Grey Knights have to go through prior to becoming a member, wouldn't surprise me to see a Darth Revan(http://www.nowgamer.com/features/top50gamesmoments/1153079/16_learning_who_revan_is_in_star_wars_knights_of_the_old_republic.html) style plot twist here.


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## piemelke (Oct 13, 2010)

they don't call it the emperor's gift for nothing,

this suggest (confirms) a direct link to the emperor (in the emperor's gift this has been suggested several times) , to me this would also mean that non of garro's friends will be GK,
the idea of Sevatar becoming a GK, sorry but that sounds (is) too stretched ?
It would be a Bobby Ewing royal (with cheese)


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## Malus Darkblade (Jan 8, 2010)

Angel of Blood said:


> By the Imperium, I'm including the Emperors as well. The Emperor has gone against his creed before yes, but accepting a traitor like Sevetar back is a completely different thing. And even if he did, he would have to make damn sure some of the loyalist Primarchs didn't find out, as I wouldn't see the likes of Russ or Dorn not making every effort to kill Sevetar. Then you've got to get Garro, Loken, Varren, Rubio, Qruze and whoever else they recruit to accept him.
> 
> Again, it's a fun theory, but no way.


The Emperor never gave a damn about what his sons thought of him or his plans which was arguably a major catalyst for the Heresy. He could easily of commanded the Primarchs to shake hands with the traitors if he wanted to, especially Russ and Dorn who both adored him.

I don't see how you think the Emperor would never accept a _traitor _back in (imo in many cases most of the traitors were simply following their Primarch out of loyalty and love not because they genuinely thought the Imperium was a joke). For the majority of their duel, he was willing to forgive Horus as long as he repented even with half his limbs missing. 

He could easily of seen Sevatar's soul and determine if he was genuinely pure or not.


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## Angel of Blood (Aug 18, 2010)

I think your being very naive if you think some(or any for that matter) of the loyalist Primarchs would ever shake hands, forgive or stop fighting the traitor Primarchs, even if the Emperor commanded it. 

Trying to turn Horus back and accepting Sevetar back are two completely different things. Horus is/was his favourite son, the one he was closest to above all others. Sevetar is a traitor from a Legion that was already on the verge of being declared traitors before the Heresy, he is one of the worst of them and already slaughtered a lto of loyalists. Yes Horus has of course killed more and done worse, but Horus is, well Horus, again the Emperor showed more love(using that word _very_ loosely) for him than any other being in the galaxy. Frankly I doubt he would give two shits about Sevetar. Nor would I see Sevetar even wanting to rejoin the Imperium, no matter what doubts and problems he has with his own Primarch, Legion and the powers of Chaos.


As for Garro and co. not becoming Grey Knights because of the 'Emperors Gift'. The fluff states that Malcador brought to the Emperor eight Astartes from both the Loyalist and Traitor legions, and that they went on to form the Grey Knights.


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## DjdaForce (Nov 20, 2012)

Khyzer said:


> But I swear on my grave, James Swallow has said several times that Garro and Co. will not be Grey Knights.


Yeah maybe there's a difference beetween "becoming a Grey Knight" und "overseeing their creation". Perhaps Garro and his buddies were the ones who worked to create the GK, but never became a "real" ones. I mean their missing that super-psycho-inductrition and, with one exception, no one is a psyker!


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## Angel of Blood (Aug 18, 2010)

It's not as if it would be the first time an Author or creator denies something that's going to happen when the fans question it. Take the Dark Knight Rises for example. Most fans were convinced that Marion Cotillards character Miranda Tate, would in fact turn out to be Talia al Ghul. Nolan, Cotillard and the rest of the cast and crew all denied this and said she was not Talia and that Miranda was a stand alone and separate character. Look how that turned out.


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## Vitarus (Apr 9, 2012)

Yeah, I was gonna say the fluff says those who went to Titan were given the geneseed crap, but they were already Space Marines. So those who founded the GKs weren't GKs themselves.

Gotta say, the Sevatar (Hey, let's spell it right!!! Heh) theory is extremely cool.


> The two Night Lords had no need to introduce themselves, for their identities were known throughout the million-strong ranks of the Legiones Astartes.
> ...
> One of them leaned on the haft of a long halberd, a weapon he was renowned for.


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## Xisor (Oct 1, 2011)

Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> The main characters will largely involved in the War in the Webway. It's good to finally get the chance to do loyalists.
> 
> As for the Legions involved, the Legions aren't really as "together" as some of the books have previously assumed. They can't be - the whole point of the Great Crusade was that the Legions split up and conquered the galaxy. I've tried to show that with the Legions I've dealt with, in that the Night Lords are hugely scattered only 2 years into the war; the Word Bearers' fleets can spend whole decades in the Great Crusade without seeing their primarch and are now scattered in the Heresy; and the World Eaters tend to go wherever they want, whenever they want.


On both points: *about bloody time*!

Horus & co. running about with their whole legions bugged me. So seeing Argel Tal et al cavorting about on their (300+ strong) lonesome in _The First Heretic_ was a welcome aside. Unfortunately that fell out of fashion pretty immediately with... everyone else's authored Legions still running around as nearly-whole legions. (Or rather: no indication of the high command having to coordinate and worry beyond the confines of the story.)

Also, Webway. *Dances (without end)*

----

In defence of First Captains - let's not forget that every Legion's First Captain isn't necessarily as prestigious as everyone else's. Azhek Ahriman is a Terran, so he's been there all along and has a good full-crusade of experience. (Admittedly experience in _wizarding not fighting_ a lot of the time.) Kharn, on the otherhand, he had to bugger about with dealing with his rapid ascent after Angron butchered... everyone senior to him. I always thought that variation of detail and background in the non-protagonist captains (and, indeed, every character) was sorely missed after a while. Even notable chiefs like Saul Tarvitz & Iacton Qruze got their backgrounds juggled with little enthusiasm. Where're the Chemosians, the ones who were promoted only lately (like Loken), the ones who'd spend centuries fighting beside other legions waiting for their own Primarchs?

It's almost as bad as the lack of detail on how long each Primarch lived on his homeworld for, and whether it matched up to the time they'd been missing from the Emperor. All that sorcerous warp travel and nobody gained/lost notable decades or centuries? Humbug!


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## Vitarus (Apr 9, 2012)

Can anyone tell me what _Blood in the Water_ is? Or will be? I assume a short story written by some clown? (Get it? Clown?)


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## piemelke (Oct 13, 2010)

Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> The ones that kill several hundred crew with only a handful of troops? Or the squad that corners the main characters so completely that First Claw has to beg for help?


great to see someone his testerone level is up again,
indeed the same ones that have >10K battle experience and do not know that if someone hits the coil of your plasma gun it explodes, especially when standing in group. 



Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> The same Genesis Champion that solidly beats the whole protagonist squad to pieces and kills a main character on his own, smacking them all around like they're children? If you think Space Marines don't speak like that, you may be a fan of the wrong setting. Bombastic speeches are practically a requirement for Marine leaders.


with a thunder hammer and in termi armour, the same one that gets almost beaten to death by the bare faced xarl, 
I tend to agree on the ranting however I fail to see why a brainwashed dogmatic moron should be the standard for a loyalist marine. 




Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> The Salamanders that I wrote nothing about, except that they inflicted heavy casualties on the Night Lords' Raptor Squad, killing almost all of them, at a cost of almost no losses at all? It was also Nick's idea to have the Night Lords funnel the genestealers against the Salamanders, incidentally, because I said a single Raptor Squad and a five-man Chaos Marine squad had nothing that could kill Terminators, so the Night Lords would run away rather than fight.


again in extremely precious termi armour, the mightiest of battle armours mankind has ever made, of which they lost 6 (I think ), the NL did not come accross as winnesr, rather the loyalists as losers. Since you did not write just imagine this has been written for Nick




Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> The ones that First Claw are too scared to even fight properly, and hide rather than confront? Or the ones that even Talos and First Claw admire, and are jealous of, because of how Codex Marines fight so well, protecting each other and knowing what "loyalty" means?


the ones cannot chose and split up their fist company and get massacred,
the ones where one of their mighty marines attacks Huron with a (thunder ?) hammer and really impresses everyone, again it is not that the NL came accross as the chuck norris of the SM, rather the loyalists are total cunts


do not get me wrong, I really appriate your writing and your integrity and all (was that overdone ?), you set a new level for the SM books (the discussion between Talos and Abaddon was about the best I read) and especially giving them maturaty, I am just jealous that none of the loyalist chapers gets a similar treatment in your books (although Dan balances this a little with the wolves and the UM), I realise there are plenty of books where loyalists are depicted as super heroes, but in > 90 % of all cases these books are utter crap, the chaos SM you write about are just a lot lot lot more likable and reachable compared to your loyalists.


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## Dead.Blue.Clown (Nov 27, 2009)

piemelke said:


> great to see someone his testerone level is up again,


Dude, I _still_ love you for that reference a year ago. And I still owe you a beer for it.


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## Angel of Blood (Aug 18, 2010)

Going back to the Blood Angels and who writes them next. My only real concern is who writes about the IX Legion during the Siege of Terra. In particular, the moment where they arrive onto the walls. I really hope it remains mostly along the lines of the story from way back(by William King) as seen here:


> For a moment all was silence, then Angron strode forth. In his brazen voice he demanded that the loyalists surrender. He told them that their cause was hopeless, as they faced a foe which could not be defeated. They were cut off, outnumbered, and defending a ruler too weak to be worthy of their loyalty. In that moment the men on the walls felt their resolve weaken. Looking at the transformed face of the Primarch who had once been one of the Emperor's finest warriors, they saw an invincible, relentless foe backed by a numberless horde and all the daemonic might of Chaos.
> 
> There was a clamour on the walls as Sanguinius and the Blood Angels arrived. Standing on the wall, the angel-winged Primarch glared on Angron with angry contempt. For long moments their gazes locked, each Primarch seemed to be measuring the other, searching for ****** in the armour, for any sign of weakness and lack of resolve. Who knows what they saw there? Perhaps they communicated telepathically, brother Primarch to brother Primarch. The truth will never be known. Eventually Angron turned and walked back to his lines. He told his troops that there would be no surrender; they should kill everyone they found within the palace. No stone should be left upon stone.


In my head that's a absurdly epic scene, and in some alternate reality where 40k is massively mainstream, It's one of those scenes I would love to see in a big budget live action film(again, in some alternate reality sadly). 

And more importantly, when Sanguinius is holding the Ultimate Gate alone as all remaining loyalists who can pull back, followed of course by the legendary second duel with Ka'Bandha.

Ideally I'd like to see it written by ADB, in large due to the small, yet excellent glimpse in _Aurellian_. I'd also be more than happy with Abnett or failing that Chris Wraight. They are the three who I personally see as the best writers so far for the Heresy series and BL in large. Mcneill would also be a strong choice, I know a lot of people aren't fond of him, but so far he's written three Primarch vs Primarch duels and they've all been pretty damn good, so I think he could also do the Sanguinius vs Ka'Bandha fight very well.


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## piemelke (Oct 13, 2010)

Dead.Blue.Clown said:


> Dude, I _still_ love you for that reference a year ago. And I still owe you a beer for it.


whenever you are in the 'bucolic' Belgium let us know and we will submerge you in beer that will give Grimnar a delirium


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## MontytheMighty (Jul 21, 2009)

piemelke said:


> with a thunder hammer and in termi armour, the same one that gets almost beaten to death by the bare faced xarl,
> I tend to agree on the ranting however I fail to see why a brainwashed dogmatic moron should be the standard for a loyalist marine.


Actually, the Genesis champion was wearing regular power armour. He simply had a crux terminatus on his shoulder pad (signifying that he had the privilege to wear terminator armour). 

What annoyed me about that fight was that yes, the Genesis champion dominated, but he ended up killing only one NL: Xarl. Yes, he knocked his enemies onto the ground while spouting dogma, but he never finished any of them. Instead, he got headbutted into submission by a bareheaded Xarl before being brutally eviscerated. It wasn't even a satisfying mutual kill because Xarl only died later of his wounds (probably self-inflicted while headbutting the champion's helmet with his bare head). 



Angel of Blood said:


> Ideally I'd like to see it written by ADB, in large due to the small, yet excellent glimpse in _Aurellian_. I'd also be more than happy with Abnett or failing that Chris Wraight. They are the three who I personally see as the best writers so far for the Heresy series and BL in large. Mcneill would also be a strong choice


Agreed except for McNeill. He's really hit or miss in my opinion...and I only say hit or miss because of A Thousand Sons. Everything else written by him has been a major miss so far. I hope to the Emperor that James Swallow doesn't get the job. Nothing against the bloke personally, but I just can't stand his style of writing. 

After reading Brotherhood of the Storm, I think Wraight might do an even better job than Abnett. Abnett's writing seems to have more grit than grandeur. Sanguinius at the Eternity Gate should read like an epic scene out of the Iliad. I feel that Abnett's style would be to modern.


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