**Warning, this review may contain some spoilers**
'You are charged as a traitor to the Emperor and Lion El'Jonson, and I, as an Interrogator Chaplain of the Dark Angles Chapter, am here to administer your salvation,' Boreas intoned. Astelan laughed harshly at the man's overly sombre tone, the sound echoing off the bare stone walls.
'You shall be my saviour?' snarled Astelan. ' And what right do you have to judge me?'
'Repent the sins of your, past accept the error of your Lutherite ways, and your salvation shall be swift,' Boreas said, ignoring Astelan's scorn.
'And if i dont?' asked Astelan.
'Then your salvation shall be long and arduous,' Boreas replied, pointedly glancing at the blades, tongs and brands on the shelf.
'Has the glory of the Dark Angels been so forgotten that you are reduced to barbarian torturers?' Astelan spat. ' The Dark Angels are warriors, shining knights of battle. And yet, here you skulk, turning upon your own.
'Do you not repent your actions?' Boreale asked again. His face was intent and his voice was tinged with anger.
' I have committed no wrong.' Astelan replied. ' I refuse your charges, and I refuse your right to acknowledge me thus.'
'Very well then, we shall endeavour to relieve you of the burden upon your soul,' Boreas stated with another glance at his torturers instruments. ' If you will not repent freely and earn a swift death, then we must excorcise the sin from your soul with pain and misery. The choice is yours.'
Anyone who knows me knows I am a huge fan of the Dark Angels. The Space Marines of the First Legion are an enigma. They are one of the most famous and noble of the Space Marine Chapters, but they are a secretive brotherhood, shrouded in mystery. Some believe they are harboring a dark secret, but no one knows what that secret may be. They follow their own agenda on the battlefield, which often causes friction between their allies. For those of us who have read the codex, we know what they are hiding, that they are hunting down the Fallen, their own brothers, who turned their backs on Emperor and Primarch during the Horus Heresy. It is a stain that must be removed before anyone finds out. Their actions in finding these fallen brothers and what they do to them once they are captured is what makes the Dark Angels so interesting to me.
Angels of Darkness was one of the first novels written about the Dark Angels. It is considered a classic Black Library novel. The story has recently gotten a reboot with the Legacy of Caliban series, which will expand upon the plot points revealed in Angels of Darkness. Ravenwing was the first book and was released a couple of years ago and Master of Sanctity, the second book in the series, was released last month. I will review the whole series, but I decided to start with the Angels of Darkness, since what happens in this book, sets in motion the events that take place in the rest of the series.
The story follows Interrogator-Chaplain Boreas, and his small squad stationed on Piscina IV. They are posted there to select recruits for the Chapter from the feral worlds of the Piscina system, as well as to contain the few remaining Orks left from Gazghkull's invasion. Problems arise when the orks attacks begin to increase, and evidence that the Fallen have infiltrated and are carrying out a sinister plot in the Piscina system.
The book also has several flashback scenes, where Boreas is interrogating the Fallen Astelan, a former Chapter Master during the Crusade, who was found ruling a backwater Imperial world. The depiction of the"interrogation" techniques of the Dark Angels, as well as the interactions between Astelan and Boreas are some of the best scenes in the book and I think Gav's writing talent really shines here. These flashbacks become relevant when Boreas finds out that the Fallen operating in Piscina may be the same Fallen that Astelan worked with for a short period of time. The actions of the Fallen reveal several secrets that not even Boreas was aware of. Coupled with his talks with Astelan, his faith in his Chapter is shaken to it's core, until he takes an action that might change the Dark Angels forever.
This book truly is a Black Library classic. It is a very cerebral book, with much more plot and intrigue than most of the "bolter porn" that you find in Black Library books. If you are a Dark Angels fan, this book is a must read. For those who are not, I would still recommend giving it a read. Let me know what you guys think in the comments!
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