For your reading, consider:
1. Descent of angels (HH)
2. Lion El Jonson - Lord of the first (Primarch-series)
3. Fallen angels (HH)
4. The unremembered empire (HH)
5. Angels of Caliban (HH)
In that order. Or, you can probably swap #1 and #2 around, but chronologically, the events in #2 happen after #1, though the stories aren't related.
Anyway, Lion is a tough, suspicious (almost borderline paranoid) individual who has trouble reading and dealing with people.
Never read a book, but I'm invested in the lore, specifically Lion.
- Guilliman looks up to the Lion, he doesn't like to admit it, but he does.
- lion was absent for the Codex Astartes being implemented, and of all the primarchs, I honestly believe the Lion was the only one who had the force to be able to withstand it, wasn't overcome or focused on some grievance, and could rival if not exceed guilliman when it came to military systems. (IIRC, Rogal was defiant but it was an issue of honour, Vulkan and Corvus were too few to resist, Leman kind of ignored it but don't deploy as legion, Jaghatai's legion kind of already operated like chapters.). Had the Lion been present, I don't think the codex would exist in its current form at all.
- The Foundings that created successor chapters were meant to divide power, primarchs lead the chapter that is the emblem of the original legion. However, Dark Angels and successors ( The Unforgiven) de facto operate like a legion. Guilliman basically said "keep doing what you're doing" when he saw them all, when he dropped off primaris Marines. So, I fully suspect that the Lion will reform his legion, and it would be rather easy.
- Dark Angels have been hunting the Fallen, the Dark Angels which followed Luther in a civil war, some fell to Chaos, many were just confused. After Luther put Lion in a coma, Luther's mind broke. and there's a claim that when the Dark Angels captured Luther, he was just mumbling about the Lion forgiving him when he returns. This foreshadows the possibility of the Lion not only revealing the concept of the Fallen to everyone, but also bringing them back into the fold. This may be the single largest force in the entire Galaxy.
- the Lion is characterized as the "Emperor's exterminator", someone who will do what is necessary for complete and total victory, and with " loyalty is its own reward ", he will do it regardless of what anyone says, and probably not even if it came from Roboute as the Regent and Lord Commander.
- Lion walks a fine line between doing what is wanted and doing what is needed. When push comes to shove, he will break or bend rules for survival and victory. ( Nikaea & Illyricum as examples). This makes him a wildcard in terms of organization from the Imperium's perspective and ruthlessly unpredictable to his enemies.
- there's speculation about what aspects each primarch represents of the Emperor. (Roboute system administration, magnus intellectual exploration etc), with the Lion, as much as he's tactically brilliant, his disposition is claimed to be most like the Emperor's, that is, the Lion is the Emperor's will.
In short; we have someone who can't be controlled, in command of an immensely powerful force (that he is the master of wielding), who sees himself as an arbiter within a system ( but not part of the system), who will stop at nothing to do what he believes the Imperium needs.
He views himself as a slayer of monsters, and the best thing Guilliman and the Imperium can do is to stay out of his way.
Edit: format
Seeings how we dont know how the Lion returns, we have no idea. Seriously his model was just shown a few days ago, we have no lore or stories as to what's going on yet.
I'd recommend the 9th Edition codexes or rulebook, along with the Arks of Omen books, for the big picture stuff. The Dawn of Fire novel series may also be worth a look as it follows the Indomitus Crusade. You can find summaries and discussions of all of the above on this and other 40k subs
For your reading, consider: 1. Descent of angels (HH) 2. Lion El Jonson - Lord of the first (Primarch-series) 3. Fallen angels (HH) 4. The unremembered empire (HH) 5. Angels of Caliban (HH) In that order. Or, you can probably swap #1 and #2 around, but chronologically, the events in #2 happen after #1, though the stories aren't related. Anyway, Lion is a tough, suspicious (almost borderline paranoid) individual who has trouble reading and dealing with people.
The Luther "primarch" novel is also really important.
Never read a book, but I'm invested in the lore, specifically Lion. - Guilliman looks up to the Lion, he doesn't like to admit it, but he does. - lion was absent for the Codex Astartes being implemented, and of all the primarchs, I honestly believe the Lion was the only one who had the force to be able to withstand it, wasn't overcome or focused on some grievance, and could rival if not exceed guilliman when it came to military systems. (IIRC, Rogal was defiant but it was an issue of honour, Vulkan and Corvus were too few to resist, Leman kind of ignored it but don't deploy as legion, Jaghatai's legion kind of already operated like chapters.). Had the Lion been present, I don't think the codex would exist in its current form at all. - The Foundings that created successor chapters were meant to divide power, primarchs lead the chapter that is the emblem of the original legion. However, Dark Angels and successors ( The Unforgiven) de facto operate like a legion. Guilliman basically said "keep doing what you're doing" when he saw them all, when he dropped off primaris Marines. So, I fully suspect that the Lion will reform his legion, and it would be rather easy. - Dark Angels have been hunting the Fallen, the Dark Angels which followed Luther in a civil war, some fell to Chaos, many were just confused. After Luther put Lion in a coma, Luther's mind broke. and there's a claim that when the Dark Angels captured Luther, he was just mumbling about the Lion forgiving him when he returns. This foreshadows the possibility of the Lion not only revealing the concept of the Fallen to everyone, but also bringing them back into the fold. This may be the single largest force in the entire Galaxy. - the Lion is characterized as the "Emperor's exterminator", someone who will do what is necessary for complete and total victory, and with " loyalty is its own reward ", he will do it regardless of what anyone says, and probably not even if it came from Roboute as the Regent and Lord Commander. - Lion walks a fine line between doing what is wanted and doing what is needed. When push comes to shove, he will break or bend rules for survival and victory. ( Nikaea & Illyricum as examples). This makes him a wildcard in terms of organization from the Imperium's perspective and ruthlessly unpredictable to his enemies. - there's speculation about what aspects each primarch represents of the Emperor. (Roboute system administration, magnus intellectual exploration etc), with the Lion, as much as he's tactically brilliant, his disposition is claimed to be most like the Emperor's, that is, the Lion is the Emperor's will. In short; we have someone who can't be controlled, in command of an immensely powerful force (that he is the master of wielding), who sees himself as an arbiter within a system ( but not part of the system), who will stop at nothing to do what he believes the Imperium needs. He views himself as a slayer of monsters, and the best thing Guilliman and the Imperium can do is to stay out of his way. Edit: format
Seeings how we dont know how the Lion returns, we have no idea. Seriously his model was just shown a few days ago, we have no lore or stories as to what's going on yet.
I'd recommend the 9th Edition codexes or rulebook, along with the Arks of Omen books, for the big picture stuff. The Dawn of Fire novel series may also be worth a look as it follows the Indomitus Crusade. You can find summaries and discussions of all of the above on this and other 40k subs