What do you think?
Rate this book
Space Marine Battles #Audio Drama
Bloodspire
On the world of Axonar, a squad of Blood Angels Scouts scale the dizzying heights of a mighty hive city as their battle-brothers fight far below. Their objective: to open the way for a daring aerial assault that will crack open the city and ensure victory.
A Warhammer 40,000 audio drama by C Z Dunn. Narrated by Seán Barrett. Performed by Rupert Degas, Chris Fairbank & David Timson.
A Warhammer 40,000 audio drama by C Z Dunn. Narrated by Seán Barrett. Performed by Rupert Degas, Chris Fairbank & David Timson.
1 pages, Audiobook
First published May 25, 2012
97 people want to read
About the author
Christian Z. Dunn
140 books63 followersChristian Dunn, sometimes credited as C.Z. Dunn, is a senior editor for Black Library.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 2, 2020
“It’s time for a spot of tea and tiffin as the Blood Angels make war en-mass”
The Blood Angels makes war on the world of Axonar, a squad of Blood Angel scouts scale the dizzying heights of a mighty hive city as their battle brothers fight far below. Their objective; to open the way for a daring aerial assault that will blow open the city and ensure victory. I believe this engagement comes from the Axonar Spire-war, you can find this in a Blood Angels codex – I forget the edition, 4th or 5th mayhaps. The war begun because the aristocracy didn’t want to pay psyker tithes to the Imperium – a tad stupid of them I feel.
Bloodspire is a fairly decent audio drama, which is part of a duology including Deathwolf. The voice acting is terrible however, it’s the elephant in the room that I needed to get out of the way now – you’ve got a very posh English accent for all of the Blood Angels – I feel scouse (Liverpudlian i.e. from Liverpool) would have been better (joke). I mean when a hunter-killer missile hits a tank, all I hear Metraen saying is something like this “Tis only a trifling missile – balderdash and botheration to the blighters who fired that. What a piffling mess that missile has caused” *the captain goes back to sipping some earl grey tea*. I got past the voice acting, it was an issue but then I really begun to enjoy this audio drama.
Captain Metraen leads the assault, with his sub-officers First-Sergeant Tycho and Brother-Sergeant Cadula showing just how utterly ruthless and unforgiving the Blood Angels are. The opening scene basically starts with the Blood Angels deploying two companies and the scout squads of Tycho and Cadula are ordered to scale the verge and open up the front door to let the 200+ marines into party (basically). I did have a fangasm with the ease with which Blood Angels tackle this task – it does help (in my opinion) that C Z Dunn (especially after Malediction) is one of the better audio drama writers BL have to offer – I ended up getting wrapped up in the details of the story, which flows so smoothly. This is partially due to the length of the audio drama; I think it’s shy of 30 minutes.
Overall Bloodspire is a fun, albeit short, audio drama. The full-on posh British accents are off-putting, but if you can see past it and engage with the story – then there’s an enjoyable jaunt here. Narration by Sean Barrett is excellent however. Let me know how you get on with this Blood Angel story.
The Blood Angels makes war on the world of Axonar, a squad of Blood Angel scouts scale the dizzying heights of a mighty hive city as their battle brothers fight far below. Their objective; to open the way for a daring aerial assault that will blow open the city and ensure victory. I believe this engagement comes from the Axonar Spire-war, you can find this in a Blood Angels codex – I forget the edition, 4th or 5th mayhaps. The war begun because the aristocracy didn’t want to pay psyker tithes to the Imperium – a tad stupid of them I feel.
Bloodspire is a fairly decent audio drama, which is part of a duology including Deathwolf. The voice acting is terrible however, it’s the elephant in the room that I needed to get out of the way now – you’ve got a very posh English accent for all of the Blood Angels – I feel scouse (Liverpudlian i.e. from Liverpool) would have been better (joke). I mean when a hunter-killer missile hits a tank, all I hear Metraen saying is something like this “Tis only a trifling missile – balderdash and botheration to the blighters who fired that. What a piffling mess that missile has caused” *the captain goes back to sipping some earl grey tea*. I got past the voice acting, it was an issue but then I really begun to enjoy this audio drama.
Captain Metraen leads the assault, with his sub-officers First-Sergeant Tycho and Brother-Sergeant Cadula showing just how utterly ruthless and unforgiving the Blood Angels are. The opening scene basically starts with the Blood Angels deploying two companies and the scout squads of Tycho and Cadula are ordered to scale the verge and open up the front door to let the 200+ marines into party (basically). I did have a fangasm with the ease with which Blood Angels tackle this task – it does help (in my opinion) that C Z Dunn (especially after Malediction) is one of the better audio drama writers BL have to offer – I ended up getting wrapped up in the details of the story, which flows so smoothly. This is partially due to the length of the audio drama; I think it’s shy of 30 minutes.
Overall Bloodspire is a fun, albeit short, audio drama. The full-on posh British accents are off-putting, but if you can see past it and engage with the story – then there’s an enjoyable jaunt here. Narration by Sean Barrett is excellent however. Let me know how you get on with this Blood Angel story.
February 27, 2015
Bloodspire is about 30 minutes of audio drama that realistically is more of audio reading a self contained action scene involving some Blood Ravens leading a siege on a Hive city.
The premise is great. The Nobles of a hive city are fed up with the Imperial Black Ships taking all of the cities psykers and have gone rogue, holing themselves up from intruders. It's up to the Blood Angels to break through and put an end to the filthy Hivers' shenanigans.
Sounds so fraught with potential, right? Larger than life Blood Angel space marines walking amongst the filth and squalor of the outer/lower edges of a hive city. The intense principles of a Blood Raven captain butting heads with the compromised loyalties of city/planetary governors between serving the Imperium and protecting their people. Guerilla combat between noble Blood Angels and brutally ruthless hiver, Necromunda style. Lots of things that would lend themselves well to an audio DRAMA, right? Things that would utilize the variety of voice actors to full dramatic effect, perhaps?
Obviously, you know where I'm going with this. What you're treated to instead is a fairly straightforward half hour of a single narrator describing the technical aspects of a military siege in fairly unremarkable prose. I realize there isn't much to work with in the time constraints, but it felt so uninspired given the possibilities.
I realize my views here could be treating this apple of a story as if it should have been an orange, but.....it kind of should have been an orange. If you're VERY into straightforward space marine battle stories or are a hardcore Space Angels fan, then maybe give it a shot. Otherwise, it's not really worth your time. Or maybe it is, considering how much 30 minutes is worth to you.
The premise is great. The Nobles of a hive city are fed up with the Imperial Black Ships taking all of the cities psykers and have gone rogue, holing themselves up from intruders. It's up to the Blood Angels to break through and put an end to the filthy Hivers' shenanigans.
Sounds so fraught with potential, right? Larger than life Blood Angel space marines walking amongst the filth and squalor of the outer/lower edges of a hive city. The intense principles of a Blood Raven captain butting heads with the compromised loyalties of city/planetary governors between serving the Imperium and protecting their people. Guerilla combat between noble Blood Angels and brutally ruthless hiver, Necromunda style. Lots of things that would lend themselves well to an audio DRAMA, right? Things that would utilize the variety of voice actors to full dramatic effect, perhaps?
Obviously, you know where I'm going with this. What you're treated to instead is a fairly straightforward half hour of a single narrator describing the technical aspects of a military siege in fairly unremarkable prose. I realize there isn't much to work with in the time constraints, but it felt so uninspired given the possibilities.
I realize my views here could be treating this apple of a story as if it should have been an orange, but.....it kind of should have been an orange. If you're VERY into straightforward space marine battle stories or are a hardcore Space Angels fan, then maybe give it a shot. Otherwise, it's not really worth your time. Or maybe it is, considering how much 30 minutes is worth to you.
January 25, 2022
A fun read.
September 11, 2023
Well, that was certainly a "Space Marine Battle". I can't fault it for doing what it says on the tin. Feels like a promo for the tabletop more than some of the other Black Library fare.
February 24, 2024
Some buddies work together to get a tough job accomplished.
April 19, 2022
Bloodspire is epic! The presentation puts you into the hard of the action of a story that is brillianlty deliverd from the start! A Space Marine strike told in a brilliant way! As ever you are really wonder as to who the good guys actually are in the actual story- a certain case of Kenobi a certain point of view! The characterisation is spot on with all the characters feeling different and having their own agendas! Humour is worked in the story as well as this adds into the tones of daring do and adventure from the start and throughout! Bloodspire is full of adventure, action etc and will you up to see what happens! Brace yourself for a epic grand sleigh ride!
Bloodspire is epic and brilliant from the start! Crisp High Five! Brilliant and Highly Recommended! Get it when you can!
Bloodspire is epic and brilliant from the start! Crisp High Five! Brilliant and Highly Recommended! Get it when you can!
September 16, 2012
The Blood Angels are sent on a mission to climb up an enormous hive city, and the action is split as two of their squads are coming in from different points. The Space Marines attacking the city on ground level are led by Captain Metreion of the 3rd Company whereas those climbing the heights are following Scout Sergeant Cardulla.
This is one of those "Space Marines vs. Impenetrable Fortress" stories, and it does have a good pace to the action, but little inputs in terms of the characters' development.
Action-packed, short and sweet - an OK read during the morning commute.
This is one of those "Space Marines vs. Impenetrable Fortress" stories, and it does have a good pace to the action, but little inputs in terms of the characters' development.
Action-packed, short and sweet - an OK read during the morning commute.
February 28, 2015
Released back in 2012, CZ Dunn’s Bloodspire was the very first Space Marine Battles audio drama that Black Library published, two years after the series began with the novel Rynn’s World. Based on a short paragraph in an old codex, it follows the Blood Angels’ assault on the hive world of Axonar; stymied by the hives’ defences, they turn to less conventional methods in order to gain entry and quell the insurrection, using scouts to infiltrate ahead of a massed drop assault.
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...
April 24, 2013
Part of the Space Marines Battles series, this short audio drama covers the siege of a hive city by the Blood Angels chapter.
With the reduced length, there's not really any time to get into character development, which is a shame, but part makes up for it in the action portrayed in their tactical attack on this impenetrable fortress.
Good thrilling fun, though at half an hour don't go expecting anything too deep.
With the reduced length, there's not really any time to get into character development, which is a shame, but part makes up for it in the action portrayed in their tactical attack on this impenetrable fortress.
Good thrilling fun, though at half an hour don't go expecting anything too deep.
September 29, 2012
A nice little story. Well produced and a lot of fun to listen too. The Blood Angels in action, nothing can stand before them... as it should be. Just makes you want to hear more Space Marines battle action.
March 27, 2014
I liked this one a lot. Short, but well done. Also from the perspective of Necromunda player, it was fun to see what an assault on a spire might look like. The final discussion on where the honorable fight actually took place sealed it well.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews