Like all of the predominant Space Marine Chapters, the Blood Angels have a unique identity, and this is felt most keenly in the cast of characters that lead them – from the peerless expertise of Commander Dante to the solemn rectitude of Astorath the Grim.
Four of these characters are represented on the tabletop by incredible miniatures, and you can learn all about them in Codex Supplement: Blood Angels, but to really get to know them, you’ll need to turn to Black Library, who have shelves stacked with fiction about these superlative sons of Sanguinius.
Commander Dante
Lord of the Host, Warden of the Imperium Nihilus, Bringer of Sanguinius’ Light, Hero of the Red Scar, the Living Embodiment of the Five Angelic Graces, and one of the oldest living Space Marines, Dante’s reputation precedes him in a way befitting a legend.
A whole library could be filled with tales of his countless deeds, but most people don’t have room for that many books, so Dante by Guy Haley will have to suffice. A breathless retelling of this hero’s storied existence, it covers all manner of conflicts that Commander Dante has been involved in – both external and internal. This novel also marks the start of the Lords of Blood series, which continues with The Devastation of Baal, Darkness in the Blood, the short story Redeemer, and Astorath: Angel of Mercy – more on this sullen figure later.
Chief Librarian Mephiston
The Black Rage threatens all Blood Angels, no matter how promising they may seem as recruits. For the Librarian Calistarius, this genetic flaw awoke during the Second War for Armageddon. During the fighting, he became trapped under tons of fallen masonry and locked in a battle against his own psyche. By sheer strength of will, he did what was thought impossible, overcoming the Black Rage and becoming reborn as Mephiston, Lord of Death.
Blessed with abilities far above and beyond his fellow Librarians, Mephiston has become one the most fascinating figures in the Blood Angels. He has his own book series by Darius Hinks, with Mephiston: Blood of Sanguinius, Revenant Crusade, and City of Light, tracking some of this warrior’s greatest challenges, and he even joins up with Dante in Darkness in the Blood if you’re after some potent Blood Angels buddy cop action.
High Chaplain Astorath
Though he sports the same style of eerie, flayed muscle armour as Mephiston, Astorath the Grim is a markedly different figure. The Redeemer of the Lost holds a position that is simultaneously held in high esteem and reviled due to his sombre task – seeking out those consumed so completely by the Black Rage that not even death in battle can redeem them.
Frequently accompanying the Death Company with his brother-in-arms Lemartes, Astorath is a veteran of innumerable battles and has had the dubious honour of bringing peace to his most troubled comrades. In Guy Haley’s Astorath: Angel of Mercy, this redeeming angel is drawn to the planet Dulcis, where the Red Wings successor Chapter stands on the brink of doom – when faced with challenges like this, the Lord High Chaplain is at his best.
Chaplain Lemartes
Lemartes once found himself at the sharp end of Astorath’s blade, and surprised the Redeemer of the Lost by cogently rejecting his fate. Whilst fully gripped by the physical effects of the Black Rage, Lemartes is somehow able to keep the worst psychological symptoms at bay, making him a potent leader for the Death Company.
When not in service, Lemartes is held in stasis as his brothers fear that prolonged periods of activity may cause him to succumb to the flaw of his genetic inheritance. David Annandale’s Lemartes: Guardian of the Lost covers one of his periods of Death Company leadership, commanding them on the war-wracked world of Phlegethon, and gives a rare look at this dark side of the sons of Sanguinius.
This is just the crimson tip of the spear when it comes to fiction focused on the Blood Angels. Sate your thirst even further with a great well of Black Library books to choose from, and even take a detour into the savage ranks of their most famous successor chapter – the Flesh Tearers – in Wrath of the Lost by Chris Forrester.