The Ascension of Balthasar

Space Marine Battles #Audio Drama

by Christian Z. Dunn, Sean Barett (Narrator), Tim Bentinck (Narrator)

When the world of Stern's Remembrance comes under attack by the forces of Chaos, Dark Angels Master Zadakiel leads a squad of Terminator armour-clad Deathwing to purge the traitors and their dark master.

Genres: Science Fiction, 40k, Military Fiction, Audiobook

1 pages, Audible Audio

First published October 1, 2012

About the author

Christian 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.

Reviews

[Terrible Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

“How far would you go to keep a secret? I mean I’d go pretty far… maybe withhold someone’s tea or something dastardly horrible as that.”

In a previous review (Malediction) I mentioned how the Dark Angels are obsessed with finding members of the Fallen. The Ascension of Balthasar continues this theme with their secretive and vengeful Deathwing take over this dark tale. The deception, lies and violence towards innocents is (to me) heretical. How the Deathwing commit to keep these secrets are shown throughout this audio drama. They find their ancient foe, known as ‘Fallen Angels’, but what the Dark Angels don’t realise is this is a trap and one baited to perfection (the Emperor’s Children would be jealous). I mean who better to tempt Dark Angels in than one of the Fallen. It’s all rather deliciously… deceitful.

Master Zadakiel, the 5th Companies Master onboard the strike cruiser The Pride of Caliban along with a squad of Deathwing terminators led by Sergeant Balthasar lead this story. The opening is rather spectacular - when an astropath is delivered a message through the warp, which in turn almost burns her alive. The message is both a forewarning – a throne-world – many deaths – a black angel – you won’t live. We get to see just how far the Dark Angels are willing to go to keep their secret by killing an innocent. All rather… Alpha Legion of them. Zadakiel decides to go to find Attias the Untamed, a member of the Fallen and a traitor who sided with Luther during the Fall of Caliban during the Horus Heresy.

Once on the planet named Stern’s Rememberance, the Dark Angels land on a deserted city, but one that shows no signs of battle initially. There’s religious significance that seems to get lost in the plot – that being two billion souls are missing from this Ecclesiarcy world. They move inside a cathedral that shows unimaginable piles of dead bodies, from floor to the ceiling. The Dark Angel’s company master sees a body haloed in some kind of unholy energy field and soon enough finds a way to release the now identified Attias the Untamed of the Fallen. His first words uttered are a warning that this is a trap – and how deliciously this unfolds. The Crimson Slaughter warband have laid this trap. Zadakiel, Balthasar are outgunned and have been outmanoeuvred by their single-minded focus on finding members of the Fallen. Something I think is rather fitting, given the sacrifice that takes place throughout the story.

I will say the narrative is brilliant. The rather witty Attias is really amusing and feels like a ‘wrong-place-wrong-time’ in regards to him actually being a traitor. The fight between Zadakiel and the forthcoming Hellbrute adds to some of the best action I’ve experienced in audio format from Black Library. The ending is both surprising and fitting – sorry I won’t spoil it. The AD signs off with the Dark Angels returning to the Rock with their prisoner in-toe – however Kranon master of the Crimson Slaughter (a Chaos warband) mocks the Dark Angels and seems to know more about ‘their’ secret than one should. This they cannot tolerate. I feel there’s more to the story coming in the future.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Ascension of Balthasar it’s one of the better audio dramas out there. The voice acting is excellent and I particularly enjoyed Attias rather dry humour. I’m looking forward to seeing if there’s more to the story here – as the way it is left leaves it wide open for more.

[RatGrrrl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another offering from the Dark Angels Audio collection and another time I can't really tell if I rather enjoyed it or if my enjoyment has become markedly scaled after finding the first two offerings so weak.

It's a decent outing and for what is essentially the setup for 6th Edition (I think) with the Dark Vengeance box set actually containing a bunch of these characters it is far better than I would expect for a direct tabletop tie-in.

The Dangels are a little bland in this, but they aren't just the grumpy edgelords that it's not enjoyable to follow, and the machinations of various renegades, Dangels, and the forever quest for the Fallen has at least a little more going for it in this.

I wish good reads did half stars as this is 3.5/5, but 3 would be unfair.

[Ulzeta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite fun.

[Alexander W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool deathwing / dark angels adventure.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

That opening was worth 5 stars. Really well produced, too. The rest of the story was competent but pedestrian, however, so I'm giving this one a low four stars.

[Paulo "paper books only" · Rating 5 out of 5]

As every book I read spoilers ahead... you've been warned.

What an interesting tale about the Dark Angels.
This is an audiobook by Christian Z Dunn about the hunt of a fallen dark angel.

I really was impressed by the quality of the narration and audio effects throughout the tale. Fortunally in the second disc there was a PDF with the script which I read while listening. This in my humble opinion should be the procedure in every audiobook. I enjoy it more than the other audiobooks I read.

The story is simple... A message arrives at the Pride of Caliban and tells the Dark Angels where a fallen is. Of course they know it's a trap but being of Deathwing they know that nothing is more important that to capture all fallen angels. As Zadakiel stats "the capture of any Fallen took precedence over everything..."
Five terminators plus the the Master of the Fifth Company and Guardian of the Inner Sanctum go on a hunt throughout a planety of Stern's Remembrance.

There they find the all place intact but devoid of people. Within a cathedra they find the fallen dark angel Attias the Untamed that warn them that it's a trap set by Krannon of the Crimson Slaugter.

As they escape the now attacked city Zadakiel and Balthasar, with the unwanted help of Attias, face cultists and a Hellbrute called Mortis Metallikus.

The "three" dark angels are unable to kill the hellbrute and Zadakiel sacrifices himself so the fallen angel can be brought to The Rock to repent.

In the end Balthasar receives a message telling him that they know their secret and now they must hunt and destroy the Crimson Slaughter warband.

Characters
ZADAKIEL- Master of the Fifth Company - Guardian of the Inner Sanctum,
BALTHASAR - Sergeant (Deathwing)
DARDARIEL - Terminator (Deathwing)
MENDRION - Terminator (Deathwing)
BARACHIEL - Terminator (Deathwing)
NARCARIEL - Terminator (Deathwing)

JOLINA: Astropath
SELENAZ: Captain of Pride of Caliban

ATTIAS, the Untamed = Fallen Dark Angel
KRANNON the Relentless - Leader of Crimson Slaughter
MORTIS METALIKUS- Hellbrute

Cons
- Too Short for the price
- It felt like a prologue to a bigger picture (One that is going to be told in Dark Vengeance
- Again the Price
Audiobook The Ascension of Balthasar €20.00
Dark Vengeance Novella €17.50
Both won't make 200 pages if published in a novel. Shame on you Black Library and Games Workshop.

Pros
- The Narration.
- The Diversity of the voices.
- The Sound Effects
- The simple plot but with lot of information about the Dark Angels Chapter and the Imperium so anyone can start reading about 40K here.
- The Extras in the second disc, even if few.

[Fabian Scherschel · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I've never really been a fan of audio books, this might have changed everything for me. At least where stuff from the Black Library is concerned. Listening to this was really a lot of fun. The production quality is excellent and the story is in a nice and short, bite sized format that can be easily listened to in one sitting. I listened to it while assembling some miniatures from the Dark Vengeance set. Add some tea in the mix and it really is one of the most enjoyable evenings you could have.

The story itself is a brief account of how the Deathwing squad from the Dark Vengeance box set comes to happen across a Fallen, one of the Dark Angels that joined Chaos back in the Heresy days. It's a fun story and adds the Crimson Slaughter (also from the new box set) to the mix for good measure. All in all well done all around. Especially the voice acting lifted this above a "liked it" to a "really liked it" for me.

[Phil Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the Space Marines Battles series of books, this story focuses on the Dark Angel chapter in their continued fight for vengeance against those who almost wiped them out millennia ago.

Picking up a mysterious psychic message leads them to one of their oldest foes, and the introduction of the Hell Brute, a towering killing machine.

Fast paced and action packed, this is a great introduction to the Dark Angels, and to the world of Warhammer 40k, leaving me eager to find a copy of the follow up (and basis for the latest Warhammer 40k starter box) 'Dark Vengeance'. Characterisation is excellent, providing the reader with enough background/personality to the lead characters whilst not detracting from the fact that this series of books is all about the action!

Highly recommended for fans of sci-fi action.

Note: version reviewed was the audiobook produced by Black Library.

[Patt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short story, shit sound effects and can understand why they charge so much.

[nooker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to see some insight into Dark Angels.