Blood Reaver [Mass Market Paperback]

I am becoming the one thing I set out not to be. An Aaron Dembski-Bowden fanboy. I have to admit this with grudging respect because at first I did not care for Mr. Dembski-Bowden one bit. I thought Helsreach was rubbish, an opinion not shared by most 40K fans. I didn't much care for Cadian Blood either. Up until I read Soul Hunter I was confused with all the hype surrounding ADB. And then I got a taste of Talos, First Claw, and the Long War and I had to eat my own pride.

Blood Reaver continues the story of Talos, the Night Lords prophet and a never ending quest for revenge. For too long the 10th Company of the Night Lords legion have focused solely on survival. As a result the revenge they so crave has been neglected while the traitor marines are forced to scrape by on meager supplies and hollow victories. Vicious infighting and corruption have tainted the once proud company and there are some who yearn for a glorious past that may have never really existed. In Soul Hunter readers met First Claw and were introduced to the constant struggle and bleak existence they endure. In Blood Reaver readers get to see the 10th Company take action in an attempt to resurrect some of its former glory and guarantee a future for the dwindling numbers. Blood Reaver brings some new characters, including the infamous Tyrant of Badab himself, Lord Lugft Huron and his Red Corsairs renegade marines.

There is plenty of action, betrayal, scheming, and plot development to be had but Mr. Dembski-Bowden's strongest ability, as ever, is to craft wonderfully vivid characters. Talos for one is probably one of the best characters ever written in any 40K lore. Talos is not a nice person but he has this nostalgic vision of what the Night Lords legion used to be that makes him extremely sympathetic. We learn through fellow marines that his memories may not be all that genuine and there are definitely conflicting opinions even within his own squad. This creates a very interesting dynamic that paints Chaos marines as something deeper than the usual "Blood for the Blood God" breed of mindless zealots they are usually seen as. Another aspect that lends depth to this book is the inclusion of the legion's slaves, who lead lives within the bowels of the condemned ship they call home. These slaves offer a human perspective in the midst of all this Astartes drama that really adds another dimension to a shared universe too often derided as "bolter porn."

Despite my new found love affair with ADB there was one small bone I had to pick with the book. Though there are certainly some dangerous situations I never felt that there was any real dire threat to any of the main characters. I don't feel like this is a huge detractor because Blood Reaver was so well written but I feel like the last third of the book could have done with some more development.

Regardless of my complaint Blood Reaver is an awesome book and a must buy for any fan of Chaos. Mr. Dembski-Bowden only seems to get better with every passing book and I can't wait to see what his future with the Black Library holds in store.

Blood Reaver is the sequel to 'Soul Hunter' and follows the same characters from the Night Lords Chaos Marine Legion. As far as Black Library books go, I would say this is among the best. The title, Blood Reaver, refers to Lord Huron Blackheart of the Red Corsairs, a powerful group of renegades who the Night Lords are forced to deal with.

Aaron Dembski-Bowden's writing is very natural and easy to read. Unlike many of the other Black Library authors, he has a diverse and evocative vocabulary, so he can tell his story without the language or plot getting repetitive. His characters are also a bit more subtle and have more depth than most, and he succeeds in making aspects of several characters, including the 'post-human' Space Marines, relateable.

In short, if you find the villains of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe interesting, you will probably enjoy this book.

I actually enjoyed it more than Soul Hunter, since the characters seemed to me to be less morose. Granted, the characters were basically already introduced in Soul Hunter, so there is less exposition required.

Stop reading here to avoid any details about the plot.

My one big complaint about many of the Black Library books is the characters' motivation, which is often just assumed or glossed over very quickly. Dembski-Bowden does an excellent job with his human characters (and did a great job in 'the First Heretic' with the Word Bearers) but it is hard at times to figure out what the Night Lords are trying to accomplish.

I appreciate that part of their struggle is finding purpose after their Legion was shattered by their Primarch. However, Talos and the other key characters have been living for more than 10,000 years by the time this story is being told and it's unclear what exactly they are fighting for at times. Consequently, it is hard to judge whether they are succeeding or failing.

I think I feel this way in part because I am not sure how I feel about the ending of Blood Reaver. There are certainly several dramatic events in the middle of the book, but the net effect on the principle characters is unclear at the end. Even so, a very fun read.

I love the Night Lords. They are Chaos Space Marines, but they make sense. This writer knows what he's doing. He can write villains who are sympathetic without being silly or overly melodramatic. I absolutely loved this book and I can't wait to read more of the series.

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