Betrayer is a novel set in the midst of the massive battle between the Ultramarines and Word Bearers after the events of Know No Fear. Lorgar asks the World Eaters for assistance subduing the Ultramarine world of Armatura, and Angron, battle axes in hand and blood in his eyes, gladly accepts. Behind the scenes, Argel Tal, Erebrus, and other Chaos-infected Word Bearers play games with the knowledge they've gained from the Warp, all the while while Ultramarine ship captains look to position the fleet to absorb the Word Bearer and World Eater's attack. It's a savage fight, both between enemies and among supposed allies, and by the end major characters have fallen and a new phase in Horus' rebellion has been reached.
The majority of Betrayer takes place from the perspective of one or more Word Bearers. But as mentioned in the intro, Angron is the character whose arc undergoes the greatest focus and transformation. On top of the events which shift the underlying battleground of Horus' rebellion, it's Angron' story and backstory which propel the book, and series, furthest forward. In prior books Angron has most often been mentioned in the background, or referred to as a fearsome, bloodthirsty warrior. In Betrayer the reader experiences his bezerker behavior, and the influence it has on his Legion, first hand. His situation nicely complemented by the pain nails pounded into his and his brothers' heads, the reader comes away from the novel with both a sympathetic and fearful understanding of the violent man.
In the end, Betrayer is a Horus Heresy novel you don't want to miss. Fiery and revelatory, it digs into one of the series' most divisive primarchs, Angron, while peeling back additional layers of what Horus' deal with the devil/Chaos truly means. Holding a couple surprises up its sleeve, a couple of the ending scenes pack immense punch. For readers hopping, skipping, and jumping their way through the Horus Heresy series, don't skip this one.
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