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So I'm a fantasy and sci-fi writer, and have loved the 40k verse since I was a kid. I'm currently entering a stage of my life where I'm feeling ready to take the leap to becoming a published author, and once that's happened I have a story I want to pitch to Black Library.

It focuses on the Blood Angels and their successors, with a special place for the Flesh Tearers, with other factions involved being the Sisters of Battle, the Alpha Legion and the World Eaters. I know the general lore on these factions, but I want to learn some of the nitty-gritty of these guys so I don't mangle the lore accidentally. What are some books I should read to learn about the blood Angels and the Flesh Tearers in-depth, and particularly to learn how to write from their perspective? Anything you'd like to add in terms of tips, facts etc?

Just FYI, my protagonist is a Flesh Tearer who has come to loath his own chapter after serving with more-reasonable marines in a many-decades-long Vigil with the Deathwatch, and has now been brought back to command a company of people he now views as frothing savages. One of the central conflicts is the protagonist grappling with the need to understand and lead his battle-brothers on one hand, which is undermined by hating them, and his revulsion towards The Flaw on the other.

DontEatRawHagis wrote:

Xis wrote:

BrianDavion wrote:
A good first stop might be "Devestation of Baal"

 TechnoWitch wrote:
Dante is a good book for learning about the blood angels. It shows you their recruiting process and what the culture of being a space marine in their chapter is like.

It’s worth noting these are both by the same author - Guy Haley.

Devastation of Baal is primarily about the Blood Angels, but the Flesh Tearers get a fair bit of coverage.

Devastation of Baal covers both Blood Angels with a secondary storyline about Flesh Tearers. It also covers various successor chapters and how they operate differently from the Blood Angels. For instance there is one that actively drinks human blood, like they have a convince an Imperium Citizen to get too close tear off his head and drink his blood levels of WTF, even the Blood Angels are like yah you guys stay far away from everybody.

One cool takeaway from the book was that Baal's Imperial Guard and Navy all were Blood Angels themed as well. Kind of like how Ultramar's military is setup.

My headcanon chapter would just declare anti-Khornate crusade on those guys if they ever stopped getting trolled by the Alpha legion XD