Sanguinius - The Great Angel Book review spoiler free...ish

 

Sanguinius - the Great Angel by Chris Wraight.

Sanguinius is defined by a profound duality that sits at the heart of Sanguinius: The Great Angel. To the Imperium, he appears almost divine, a being of serenity, compassion, and effortless charisma, whose very presence lifts the spirits of warriors and civilians alike. His wings and radiant demeanour make him the living embodiment of hope in an age built on conquest. Yet the story never lets us forget the other side of him: the doomed visionary who carries the weight of his own prophesied death, and the terrifying, near‑apocalyptic force he becomes when battle demands it. Beneath his gentleness lies a predator forged for war, capable of unleashing a fury that even his brothers fear. This tension, between healer and destroyer, saint and executioner, shapes every choice he makes. It’s this balance, this constant negotiation between the light he strives to embody and the darkness he must wield, that makes Sanguinius one of the most compelling figures in the Primarchs series. This short story captures him at his most human and most mythic, revealing a hero who knows he is destined to fall, yet chooses to shine all the brighter because of it.

Here we have another strong addition to the Primarchs series, and unlike the others I’ve reviewed so far, this story is told through the eyes of a baseline human remembrancer. Sanguinius’s compassion toward his sons is a constant thread throughout the narrative, especially in how he confronts the inherent flaws within their gene‑seed. The duality of his nature emerges repeatedly in the battles witnessed by the mortal observer. Through those eyes, we see Sanguinius shift from noble, artistic, almost ethereal angel to the living embodiment of the Emperor’s wrath. Viewing him from a remembrancer’s perspective gives us a rare angle, one uncoloured by the instinctive loyalty of his Legion, and all the more revealing because of it. With all of this in mind, the story offers far more than a simple character vignette it becomes a study of how Sanguinius is perceived by those who stand outside his Legion’s reverence. That perspective shapes the entire narrative, and it’s what really stood out to me as I read. Due to the length of the book the plot develops quickly and yet doesn't suffer because of this speed. There aren't many parts of the story that are from the Primarch or his legion, so the remembrancer becomes well-rounded and defined as we go along. The final section of the plot leads nicely into the first Horus Heresy book - Horus Rising, with the legions' combat on the planet nicknamed Murder.