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Blood Angels: Rafen

by James Swallow

The Blood Angels: Rafen series by James Swallow has 4 known books (4 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Deus Encarmine (2004).

Books
4 known books (4 novels)
Published
4
First published
2004
Status
completed
Shelved under
Science Fiction
Last checked

Start here: Deus Encarmine (2004) — then read straight through in publication order.

Book one

Cover of Deus Encarmine

Deus Encarmine (2004)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. Deus Encarmine

    Novel

    Deus Encarmine (2004) opens the Rafen quartet at 256 pages, with Rafen's brother Arkio apparently manifesting miracles that convince the Blood Angels Chapter he's the reincarnated primarch Sanguinius -- a claim only Rafen doubts.

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  2. Deus Sanguinius

    Novel

    Deus Sanguinius (2005) pushes that doubt into open schism, an Inquisitor's hidden agenda threatening to tear the Chapter apart; it runs 256 pages, the same length as the opener.

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  3. Red Fury

    Novel

    Red Fury (2008), 256 pages, picks up after the Encarmine/Sanguinius duology's fallout, sending Rafen after the renegade Chaos scientist Fabius Bile to recover stolen relics of Sanguinius's own blood.

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  4. Black Tide

    Novel

    At 409 pages, Black Tide (2010) is the longest of the four Rafen novels, closing out James Swallow's quartet by bringing Rafen's crisis of faith and the Chapter's Red Thirst and Black Rage to a head after Red Fury's hunt for Fabius Bile.

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About the Blood Angels: Rafen series

James Swallow's Blood Angels quartet follows Rafen, a battle-brother of the Blood Angels Space Marine Chapter, through a Chapter-defining crisis of faith and blood. Deus Encarmine (2004) opens with Rafen's own brother, Arkio, apparently manifesting miracles that convince the wider Chapter he is the reincarnation of Sanguinius, their revered primarch -- a claim only Rafen, who has watched Arkio change in ways the others haven't noticed, is willing to doubt. Deus Sanguinius (2005) pushes that doubt into open schism, with an Inquisitor's hidden agenda threatening to tear the entire Chapter apart from within.

Red Fury (2008) and Black Tide (2010) continue Rafen's story after the Encarmine/Sanguinius duology's fallout, rebuilding a Chapter left dangerously weakened and sending Rafen after the renegade Chaos scientist Fabius Bile to recover stolen relics of Sanguinius's own blood. Read together, the four novels are one of Black Library's earliest deep character studies of a Space Marine Chapter's internal culture and psychology -- the Blood Angels' particular curse, the Red Thirst and Black Rage that shadow every battle-brother -- told from inside the ranks rather than as background lore.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in James Swallow's Blood Angels series?

Four novels centred on Rafen: Deus Encarmine (2004), Deus Sanguinius (2005), Red Fury (2008) and Black Tide (2010).

What order should I read the Blood Angels Rafen novels in?

Publication order. Deus Encarmine and Deus Sanguinius are a direct two-part story; Red Fury and Black Tide continue Rafen's arc afterward.

Is this the same as Blood Angels: The Omnibus?

Blood Angels: The Omnibus collects just Deus Encarmine and Deus Sanguinius. All four novels together, plus short fiction, are collected separately as Blood Angels: The Complete Rafen Omnibus.

Is the Rafen quartet complete?

Yes, it's a complete four-book arc. James Swallow later wrote further, separate Blood Angels short fiction (including Dante: Lord of the Host, 2013), not tracked in this file.

Reading order last verified .