''The Horus Heresy'' is an ongoing
series
Series may refer to:
People with the name
* Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series
* George Series (1920–1995), English physicist
Arts, entertainment, and media
Music
* Series, the ordered sets used i ...
of
science fantasy
Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction that simultaneously draws upon or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and fantasy. In a conventional science fiction story, the world is presented as being scientif ...
set in the fictional ''
Warhammer 40,000
''Warhammer 40,000'' is a miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop. It is the most popular miniature wargame in the world, and is particularly popular in the United Kingdom. The first edition of the rulebook was published in September 1987, ...
''
setting
Setting may refer to:
* A location (geography) where something is set
* Set construction in theatrical scenery
* Setting (narrative), the place and time in a work of narrative, especially fiction
* Setting up to fail a manipulative technique to eng ...
of tabletop
miniatures wargame
Miniature wargaming is a form of wargaming in which military units are represented by miniature physical models on a model battlefield. The use of physical models to represent military units is in contrast to other tabletop wargames that use ...
company
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are ''Warhammer Age of Sigmar'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''.
Founded in 1975 by John Peake (gam ...
. Penned by several authors, the series takes place during the Horus Heresy, a fictional galaxy-spanning civil war occurring 10,000 years before the far future of Warhammer 40,000. The war is described as a major contributing factor to the game's
dystopia
A dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ- "bad, hard" and τόπος "place"; alternatively cacotopiaCacotopia (from κακός ''kakos'' "bad") was the term used by Jeremy Bentham in his 1818 Plan of Parliamentary Reform (Works, vol. 3, p. 493). ...
n environment.
The books are published in
several media by the
Black Library
The Black Library is a division of Games Workshop (formerly a part of BL Publishing) which is devoted to publishing List of Black Library novels, novels and audiobooks (and has previously produced art books, background books, and graphic novels) ...
, a Games Workshop division, with the first title released in April 2006; the series consists of 61
published volumes; the concluding story, ''The End and the Death'', will be released in two volumes, with the first slated for release in February 2023.
The series has developed into a distinct and successful product line for the Black Library; titles
have often appeared in
bestseller
A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, cookb ...
lists, and overall the work has received
critical approval despite reservations. It is an established, definitive component of Games Workshop's ''Horus Heresy''
sub-brand, and authoritative source material for the entire Warhammer
shared universe
A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where more than one writer (or other artist) independently contributes a work that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, chara ...
and its continuing development.
Overview
''The Horus Heresy'' is a dark, far future
military space opera concerning an intergalactic civil war within the nascent
Imperium of Man
''Warhammer 40,000'' is a miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop. It is the most popular miniature wargame in the world, and is particularly popular in the United Kingdom. The first edition of the rulebook was published in September 1987, ...
, and which constitutes a cornerstone event of the
dystopia
A dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ- "bad, hard" and τόπος "place"; alternatively cacotopiaCacotopia (from κακός ''kakos'' "bad") was the term used by Jeremy Bentham in his 1818 Plan of Parliamentary Reform (Works, vol. 3, p. 493). ...
n
science fantasy
Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction that simultaneously draws upon or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and fantasy. In a conventional science fiction story, the world is presented as being scientif ...
''Warhammer 40,000'' universe. The Horus Heresy is presented as a major chapter of conflict in the ''Warhammer 40,000'' lore: it is caused by a Chaos plot to foil the Imperium's leader and founder, the mysterious Emperor of Man, by fomenting rebellion and internecine warfare in the expanding Imperium of Man. The story focuses on the Emperor's 18 genetically engineered sons, the Primarchs, and the legions of genetically enhanced superhuman soldiers that they lead, the
Legiones Astartes, which find themselves divided into loyalist and traitor factions as they struggle for religious hegemony.
[.]
The
shared universe
A shared universe or shared world is a fictional universe from a set of creative works where more than one writer (or other artist) independently contributes a work that can stand alone but fits into the joint development of the storyline, chara ...
was originally created in 1987 by
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are ''Warhammer Age of Sigmar'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''.
Founded in 1975 by John Peake (gam ...
, parent company of series publisher
Black Library
The Black Library is a division of Games Workshop (formerly a part of BL Publishing) which is devoted to publishing List of Black Library novels, novels and audiobooks (and has previously produced art books, background books, and graphic novels) ...
, as the
campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A ''campaign'' is a series of individual adventures, and a ''campaign setting'' is the world in which such adventures and ca ...
for the ''
Warhammer 40,000
''Warhammer 40,000'' is a miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop. It is the most popular miniature wargame in the world, and is particularly popular in the United Kingdom. The first edition of the rulebook was published in September 1987, ...
'' tabletop
miniatures wargame
Miniature wargaming is a form of wargaming in which military units are represented by miniature physical models on a model battlefield. The use of physical models to represent military units is in contrast to other tabletop wargames that use ...
and in 2006
Black Library
The Black Library is a division of Games Workshop (formerly a part of BL Publishing) which is devoted to publishing List of Black Library novels, novels and audiobooks (and has previously produced art books, background books, and graphic novels) ...
began publishing ''The Horus Heresy'' series. The series consists of full-length novels, and novel-length
compilations of
novellas
A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...
or
short stories
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...
, written by
a number of authors. The series includes new characters as well as establishing the background of previously established ''Warhammer 40,000'' characters who play an important role in the post-Heresy fictional universe.
The first three novels in ''The Horus Heresy'' are an
opening book trilogy. This trilogy presents some of the background and causes of the Heresy, and describes the start of the conflict. The
arc
ARC may refer to:
Business
* Aircraft Radio Corporation, a major avionics manufacturer from the 1920s to the '50s
* Airlines Reporting Corporation, an airline-owned company that provides ticket distribution, reporting, and settlement services
* ...
's focus is on
Warmaster Horus, the principal
antagonist
An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist.
Etymology
The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...
, and covers about two years in the overall Heresy timeline; most of this period elapses before the rebellion begins. Following the trilogy, the narrative is not strictly sequential and is often presented in
nonlinear fashion from book to book.
Apart from the initial trilogy, the stories often concern events that happen earlier or later than their position in the series would suggest, or may include time periods already covered in other series titles.
The majority of stories in ''The Horus Heresy'' are set around the start of the fictional universe's 31st millennium, in contrast to most ''Warhammer 40,000'' material, which takes place in the 41st millennium.
The stories in ''The Horus Heresy'' routinely cover the conflict's background, with some going back centuries before the war (and the 31st millennium) begins. In narrower scope, the entire conflict (including the Heresy proper and its proximate formative period), is depicted as having lasted for seven years.
[Back cover blurb of ''The Solar War'' by John French, Book I of ''The Horus Heresy: Siege of Terra''] With few exceptions, the sequence and dating of Heresy events is implied rather than stated in ''The Horus Heresy'' stories.
Titles
The following lists pertain to regular or general-availability
UK first editions. For
special
Special or specials may refer to:
Policing
* Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force
* Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer
Literature
* ''Specia ...
and other editions, and additional information, see §
Media and editions.
Contributors
Contributors of the series include artists, audiobook narrators, and compilation or abridgement editors. Each may have contributed in stories that utilise different forms; where applicable, the number of (multiple) contributions per form or other pertinent information is indicated in parentheses.
Artists
* Karl Richardson Internal illustrations (
"premium" editions)
* Neil Roberts Cover art, front matter illustration; main series artist (all titles except where
cited
A citation is a reference to a source. More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated alphanumeric expression embedded in the body of an intellectual work that denotes an entry in the bibliographic references section of the work for the purpose of ...
otherwise)
* Philip Sibbering Cover art, front matter illustration
* Adrian Wood Front matter map
Audiobook narrators
*
Gareth Armstrong
Gareth S. Armstrong (born 25 June 1948) is a British actor, director, teacher and writer.
Career
Armstrong began his career by acting in school plays at the Bishop Gore School, Swansea. At the age of 16 he joined the National Youth Theatre; ...
Unabridged
An abridgement (or abridgment) is a condensing or reduction of a book or other creative work into a shorter form while maintaining the unity of the source. The abridgement can be true to the original work in terms of mood and tone (literature), t ...
novel (4), novella (2), short story (4)
*
Sean Barrett Novella
* Martyn Ellis Abridged (3) and unabridged (1) novel, short story (3)
* Jonathan Keeble Unabridged novel (3), novella, short story (6)
* David Timpson Unabridged novel (2), novella, short story (3)
Editors
* Christian Dunn Novel abridgement (3); mixed-form compilation, novella compilation, short story compilation
* Laurie Goulding Mixed-form compilation
* Nick Kyme Mixed-form compilation, short story compilation
* Lindsey Priestley Short story compilation
Synopsis
Story setting
Early in the 31st millennium, the
Galaxy
A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, dark matter, bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek ' (), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar System. ...
is in the throes of the Great Crusade. Originating from Terra (
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
), it is an interstellar
crusade
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were i ...
that claims the galaxy as the rightful domain of Humankind, and aims to reunite the multitude of scattered human
colonies
In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the '' metropolitan state'' ...
remaining from earlier space exploration under the domain of an "Imperium of Man". Organised in numerous expeditions, the Crusade fields huge fleets and vast armies; at its forefront, led by the Primarchs, are Legions of
Space Marines
The space marine, an archetype of military science fiction, is a kind of soldier who operates in outer space or on alien worlds. Historical marines fulfill multiple roles: ship defence, boarding actions, landing parties, and general-purpose hi ...
genetically enhanced supersoldiers numbering in the millions. Over the course of two Terran centuries, the Crusade has reached
star system
A star system or stellar system is a small number of stars that orbit each other, bound by gravitational attraction. A large group of stars bound by gravitation is generally called a '' star cluster'' or '' galaxy'', although, broadly speak ...
s more than 50,000
light year
A light-year, alternatively spelled light year, is a large unit of length used to express astronomical distances and is equivalent to about 9.46 trillion kilometers (), or 5.88 trillion miles ().One trillion here is taken to be 1012 ...
s away from its original staging point in the Sol (
Solar) System, has assimilated millions of worlds into the Imperium, and has given Humankind a dominant position among the galaxy's species. Its grand mastermind is the "Emperor of Mankind", a mysterious
superhuman
The term superhuman refers to humans or human-like beings with enhanced qualities and abilities that exceed those naturally found in humans. These qualities may be acquired through natural ability, self-actualization or technological aids. Th ...
of unknown origin.
The Emperor, founder and head of the Imperium, is a being of towering
charisma
Charisma () is a personal quality of presence or charm that compels its subjects.
Scholars in sociology, political science, psychology, and management reserve the term for a type of leadership seen as extraordinary; in these fields, the term "ch ...
, prowess, conviction, and ability. He has declared an
agnostic
Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable. (page 56 in 1967 edition) Another definition provided is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficient ...
worldview
A worldview or world-view or ''Weltanschauung'' is the fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or society encompassing the whole of the individual's or society's knowledge, culture, and point of view. A worldview can include natural p ...
, the "Imperial Truth", which promotes science,
rationalism
In philosophy, rationalism is the epistemological view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge" or "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification".Lacey, A.R. (1996), ''A Dictionary of Philosophy' ...
, and human primacy.
Unknown to the common citizenry, he is also the most powerful human (or humanlike) psychic, referred to as
psyker
''Warhammer 40,000'' is a miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop. It is the most popular miniature wargame in the world, and is particularly popular in the United Kingdom. The first edition of the rulebook was published in September 1987, ...
s, and is overall one of the most formidable psychics in the galaxy. Officially, the Imperium denies the existence of psychic phenomena, including its manifestations as
witchcraft
Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...
and
sorcery
Sorcery may refer to:
* Magic (supernatural), the application of beliefs, rituals or actions employed to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces
** Witchcraft, the practice of magical skills and abilities
* Magic in fiction, ...
, and punishes its belief as ignorant and superstitious; yet the Imperium is also dependent on psychic activity in order to achieve faster-than-light travel between its scattered dominions. The Emperor knows that psychic phenomena originate in The Warp, a
parallel dimension reflecting the events of the material world at its most emotional. Within the Warp exist Daemons, sentient vortices of concentrated feeling that are chiefly malignant. The Daemons are themselves in service to the Chaos Gods, also known as the Ruinous Powers, titanic collectives of dark will whose rulership over the parallel dimension is supreme. These malign
immaterial entities forever seek to breach the material universe and subject all life within it to foul and debased whims. Awareness and perception of the
Chaos
Chaos or CHAOS may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional elements
* Chaos (''Kinnikuman'')
* Chaos (''Sailor Moon'')
* Chaos (''Sesame Park'')
* Chaos (''Warhammer'')
* Chaos, in ''Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy''
* Cha ...
Gods and their Daemons serves as the basis of numerous faiths and religions in the setting, both human and
alien
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...
in origin. Knowing followers of the Chaos Gods, though rare, refer to their faith as the Primordial Truth, or the Primordial Annihilator.
Humankind's continuing
biological
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary in ...
and
psycho-spiritual evolution includes the gradual development of widespread Warp-related psychic abilities that will make the species far more susceptible to Chaotic influence; united under the Imperium of Man, the Emperor seeks to protect all of mankind by using faith in the Imperial Truth as a shield. The powers of Chaos desire change and conflict by nature, and seek to destabilise and subvert the Imperium's order over the galaxy from within.
Book 1 to Book 10
1. Horus Rising: The seeds of heresy are sown
''Horus Rising'', the series opener, starts in the early years of the 31st millennium, during the 203rd year of the Great Crusade. It describes the rise to power of Horus Lupercal, Primarch of the "Luna Wolves" Legion of Space Marines, and the most versatile and favoured "son" of the Emperor. The Emperor has recently appointed him Warmaster, overall commander of Imperial military forces, while also leaving him in charge of the rest of the Crusade; the Emperor meanwhile returns to Terra, where in relative isolation he undertakes a secret project to which not even Horus is privy. The focus and perspective of the novel centres on a Space Marine Captain, Garviel Loken, leader of the Luna Wolves' 10th Company. He becomes a member of the Mournival, an informal advisory body to Horus, and participates in Crusade campaigns against anti-Imperial human populations and aliens, referred to in the series as "xenos". The story also hints at tensions in the nascent Imperium, exacerbated by the Emperor's absence and contentious actions and inactions these are common themes in following books.
2. False Gods: The heresy takes root
''False Gods'' picks up a few weeks after the conclusion of ''Horus Rising'' in the series timeline, and tells the story of Horus' fall. In a complicated conspiracy implemented by followers of Chaos, Horus is mortally wounded during a Crusade mission by a Chaos-tainted xenos weapon. In a desperate action by his lieutenants to ensure his survival one taken in strict contradiction to
Imperial doctrine Horus is brought to a local
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
with a reputation for healing. The temple is the seat of a powerful Chaos cult, and both Horus' wound and its supposed healing makes him susceptible to Chaos' influence. He ultimately turns against his "father", the Emperor, and sets in motion the entire Heresy. This novel further highlights the institutional and personal tensions that accompany the Imperium's maturity into the preeminent power of the galaxy; they include rifts among the Primarchs, as well as both between and within their Space Marine Legions. Conflicts and characters flaws are repeatedly and effectively manipulated by Chaos in pursuit of their agenda throughout the series. A parallel storyline, also present in several other books, involves the growing influence both within the Crusade Expeditionary forces and across the wider Imperium of a forbidden
religious cult
In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This s ...
, whose members, while loyal to the Emperor and Imperium, defy the Imperial Truth by worshipping the Emperor as a god.
3. Galaxy in Flames: The heresy revealed
''Galaxy in Flames'' starts shortly after the end of ''
False Gods''. It outlines the corrupted Warmaster's descent into madness, which leads to the fomentation of his plot to betray the Imperium. Horus pursues his secret planning of the rebellion in earnest, seeking and finding allies among his disgruntled fellow Primarchs, their Legions, and the Imperium's other organisations and key personalities. The novel details the first open move of the Heresy, the "Betrayal of Istvaan III", wherein factions of four Astartes Legions who were deemed unconvertible by their traitor brethren are ambushed during a planetary invasion of the
fictional star system. The novel marks the first distinguishment of the "Loyalists" and "Traitor" factions within the Legions and other rebel forces, including the unmodified soldiers of the
Imperial Army.
4. The Flight of the Eisenstein: The heresy unfolds
''The Flight of the Eisenstein'' follows the eponymous ''Eisenstein'', a space
frigate
A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat.
The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...
of the "Death Guard" 14th Legion of Space Marines. The story follows the ship's escape from the Betrayal of Istvaan III, crewed by surviving loyalists of the four Legions present at the battle and commanded by Battle‑Captain
Nathaniel Garro of the Death Guard 7th Company and one of the few Commanders in the Traitor Legions that remain loyal to the Emperor followed by the perilous voyage the vessel must take across the galaxy in an effort to reach Terra and raise the alarm over the developing rebellion. Garro and the others on board the vessel face suspicion and incredulity from Imperial authorities; apart from the inconceivable news of Horus' betrayal, the situation is complicated by the fact that many of the travellers on the ''Eisenstein'' now openly proclaim their belief in the Emperor's divinity, itself a
heresy
Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...
.
5. Fulgrim: Visions of Treachery
''Fulgrim'' centers on the
eponymous
An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Usage of the word
The term ''epon ...
Primarch of the "Emperor's Children". Characterised as flamboyant perfectionists, the novel tracks the descent of Fulgrim and his Legion into the service of Chaos roughly simultaneously with that of time Horus in (
Book 2
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many page (paper), pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bookbinding, bound together and protected by a book cover, cover. Th ...
). Fulgrim is delivered a warning about Horus' imminent betrayal and the disaster that may follow
by the alien Eldar race, but he and his staff dismiss it. The Emperor's Children eventually become the "Chosen" of Slaanesh, one of the four Gods of Chaos, with which
Fulgrim is slowly and unwittingly drawn into grotesque communion. Primarch
Ferrus Manus and his "Iron Hands" Space Marines (the 10th Legion) also play a prominent role in the novel as Fulgrim attempts to lure them into betrayal, and several other Primarchs and Legions make appearances. Described in passing is the pivotal Battle of Isstvaan V, also known as the , where several entirely Loyalist Legions are slaughtered in another Traitor ambush in the
Isstvan star system. The battle fully reveals the scale and ferocity of the rebellion.
6. Descent of Angels: Loyalty and honour
''Descent of Angels'' is a pre-Heresy story that concludes about 50 years before the start of that conflict. It introduces the "Dark Angels", first of the Space Marine Legions, and their Primarch
Lion El'Jonson. The story is mainly told from the
viewpoint of
Zahariel El'Zurias, a native of the fictional planet . Caliban is an isolated, low-technology world that resembles a
feudal
Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a wa ...
medieval fantasy
Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic (fantasy), magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those ...
setting. Zahariel is introduced in the story as an Aspirant of the Order, an organisation of techno-
barbarian
A barbarian (or savage) is someone who is perceived to be either Civilization, uncivilized or primitive. The designation is usually applied as a generalization based on a popular stereotype; barbarians can be members of any nation judged by som ...
knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
s. The first half of the novel is set on Caliban and covers the final battles of the Order under the leadership of Jonson, the future Primarch. The book's second half describes Caliban's unification with the Imperium of Man as well as the actions of the Dark Angels during the early years of the Great Crusade. In this part of the story, Zahariel, selected as a candidate Space Marine, is accepted as a Dark Angel
. A future
schism
A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...
within the Legion is intimated towards the end of the book.
7. Legion: Secrets and lies
''Legion'' focuses on the "Alpha Legion", the of the Space Marine Legions. Characterised in earlier publications as clandestine and inscrutable, the book constitutes a major development of the entire canon of the setting with the revelation that the Legion's Primarch is actually a pair of twins,
Alpharius and Omegon. The book also features the Imperial Army, the regular unmodified human fighting force of the Imperium, covering several officers and their units. Lastly, the novel introduces a new organisation to the setting, the enigmatic and ancient an interspecies organisation opposed to Chaos. The human
John Grammaticus is introduced as a prominent Cabal member. The story takes place over roughly a 6‑month period, about two years before the Heresy starts; it describes the events that eventually lead Alpharius and Omegon (publicly a single figure named Alpharius Omegon) to support Horus.
8. Battle for the Abyss: My brother, my enemy
''Battle for the Abyss'' concerns the lead‑up to a Traitor invasion of , a remote star system and the home base of the unshakeably-Loyalist 13th Legion, the "Ultramarines" (Book
19 and
24). Early in the Heresy, the Traitor Word Bearers Legion is tasked with organising and leading the invasion; they plan to use an immense, secretly commissioned warship, the , to spearhead the surprise attack. The vessel, commanded by Fleet Captain
Zadkiel
Zadkiel ( he, צִדְקִיאֵל , 'God is my Righteousness'), also known as Hasdiel, is the archangel of freedom, benevolence, kindness and mercy, and the patron angel of all who forgive.
Names
Zadkiel is also known by a variety of ot ...
,
launches from shipyards near
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but ...
around the time of the events on Isstvan III (
Book 3
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many page (paper), pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bookbinding, bound together and protected by a book cover, cover. Th ...
), and sets course for Macragge, Ultramar's capital world. Leading the cast of Loyalist protagonists is
Cestus
Cestus ( grc, Kεστός), in a general sense meant, for ancient Greeks and Romans, any band or tie.
However, it was more frequently used to refer to:
* The Girdle of Aphrodite
The magical Girdle of Aphrodite or Venus (Greek: ἱμάς, '' ...
, Fleet Commander and Captain of the 7th Company of the Ultramarines. They become aware of the powerful
capital ship
The capital ships of a navy are its most important warships; they are generally the larger ships when compared to other warships in their respective fleet. A capital ship is generally a leading or a primary ship in a naval fleet.
Strategic im ...
's true purpose, and engage in long pursuit; they will seek to prevent the ''Furious Abyss'' from participating in the invasion and from reaching Macragge.
9. Mechanicum: Knowledge is power
''Mechanicum'' is the first book in the series not to focus on either the Primarchs or their Space Marines Legions. The novel centres on the eponymous "Mechanicum", a cult of machine-worshipping technologists based on the real-life planet Mars and which serves as the chief engineering authority in the nascent Imperium. The machinations of Horus and the Chaos-worshipping Traitors affects the Martian cult as much as every other Imperial organisation, leading to a civil war on
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury (planet), Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Mars (mythology), Roman god of war. Mars is a terr ...
itself.
Kelbor-Hal, Fabricator General of Mars and the technocracy's supreme leader, declares for Horus, and together they carry out a
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...
to eliminate Techpriest and Magos adherents of the Cult who are loyal to Terra and the Emperor. As the Mechanicum is the sole power responsible for all civil and military technology in the Imperium, the conflict has vast implications for whichever side of the broader intergalactic civil war receives Mars' crucial support.
10. Tales of Heresy
''Tales of Heresy'' is a collection of short stories introducing and expanding upon numerous threads within the greater happenings of the Heresy. Various stories centre on the , the elite
Praetorian Guard
The Praetorian Guard (Latin: ''cohortēs praetōriae'') was a unit of the Imperial Roman army that served as personal bodyguards and intelligence agents for the Roman emperors. During the Roman Republic, the Praetorian Guard were an escort fo ...
-esque retinue of the Emperor, and the , a
classified Imperial organisation of anti-psychic warrior‑nuns originally introduced in
Book 4
''Magick, Liber ABA, Book 4'' is widely considered to be the ''magnum opus'' of 20th-century occultist Aleister Crowley, the founder of Thelema. It is a lengthy treatise on magick, his system of Western occult practice, synthesised from many s ...
. Most stories are concurrent with the Heresy, with some occurring in the years prior. It includes two stories that take place on Terra, one of which occurs long before the Heresy and adds to the background regarding the
Imperial Truth; another entry in the compilation is a Primarch origin story, covering the contentious circumstances under which the gladiatorial Primarch
Angron takes command of the , which he renames from the "Warhounds" to the "World Eaters". The book contains seven stories by various authors; several stories relate to full-length novels in the series.
This anthology contains the following stories: Blood Games by Dan Abnett, Wolf at the Door by Mike Lee, Scions of the Storm by Anthony Reynolds, The Voice by James Swallow, Call of the Lion by Gav Thorpe, The Last Church by Graham McNeill and After Desh'ea by Matthew Farrer.
Book 11 to Book 20
11. Fallen Angels: Deceit and betrayal
''Fallen Angels'' continues the Dark Angels tale begun in Book 6, ''
Descent of Angels''. The novel starts around the time of Book 6's conclusion, about 50 years before the Heresy, but forwards to just about the time of the Heresy's beginning in the opening chapters. It tells two stories: one concerns the effort of Primarch Lion El'Jonson and a small group of Dark Angels to deny a (a planet devoted to manufacturing, especially of weapons) to Horus' forces; the other is the story of Luther (Lion El'Jonson's
second
The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...
),
Zahariel El'Zurias (by now a full Space Marine), and a Dark Angels contingent sent back to
Caliban
Caliban ( ), son of the witch Sycorax, is an important character in William Shakespeare's play '' The Tempest''.
His character is one of the few Shakespearean figures to take on a life of its own "outside" Shakespeare's own work: as Russell ...
, the Dark Angels Legion home world. They get involved in the fight against a growing
insurgency
An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion against authority waged by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare from primarily rural base areas. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric nature: small irregu ...
that seeks to free the planet from under the Imperium's thumb.
12. A Thousand Sons: All is dust...
''A Thousand Sons'' is the story of Primarch
Magnus
Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...
and the "Thousand Sons" Space Marines, the 15th Legion; it mainly takes place before the Heresy begins. Following a reprimand by the
Emperor
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
for dabbling in
sorcery
Sorcery may refer to:
* Magic (supernatural), the application of beliefs, rituals or actions employed to subdue or manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces
** Witchcraft, the practice of magical skills and abilities
* Magic in fiction, ...
, Magnus and his Legion secretly continue to study the forbidden subjects. Then, around the time of Horus' corruption (
Book 2
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many page (paper), pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bookbinding, bound together and protected by a book cover, cover. Th ...
), Magnus learns through sorcery of his brother's impending betrayal. He tries again through sorcery to warn the Emperor, believing that the gravity of the news justifies his disobedience. However, he overreaches with his powers and damages the vital and secret project the Emperor is undertaking (
Book 1 Book one or book 1 can refer to:
*'' Book One: Water'', the first season of the animated television series ''Avatar: The Last Airbender''
*'' Book One: Air'', the first season of the animated television series ''The Legend of Korra''
* "Book One," ...
), endangering the safety of Terra itself in the process. The Emperor is enraged and orders
Leman Russ, Primarch of the 6th Legion (the "Space Wolves"), to , the Thousand Sons Legion's in‑series home world. The Space Wolves, accompanied by other Imperial forces, are to bring Magnus and his Legion to Terra to account for themselves.
13. Nemesis: War within the shadows
''Nemesis'' is set about two years after the events on Isstvan V described in Book 5, ''
Fulgrim''. It is a look at the war behind the war, the
covert operation
A covert operation is a military operation intended to conceal the identity of (or allow plausible deniability by) the party that instigated the operation. Covert operations should not be confused with clandestine operations, which are performe ...
s undertaken by the opposing sides in order to influence the visible conflict. Specifically, it deals with a plan by a secret Imperial organisation, the , to eliminate Horus; an "Execution Force" consisting of operatives from all of the Officio's disciplines, and led by top-rated
sniper
A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...
Eristede Kell, is tasked with the mission. There have been several previous unsuccessful attempts against Horus' life, and this gives
a high-ranking officer of the Traitor Word Bearers Legion the idea to field a
nemesis
In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view.
Etymology
The n ...
weapon of his own: a highly specialised assassin, who is to be used in an audacious scheme to kill the Emperor.
14. The First Heretic: Fall to Chaos
''The First Heretic'' details the fall to
Chaos
Chaos or CHAOS may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional elements
* Chaos (''Kinnikuman'')
* Chaos (''Sailor Moon'')
* Chaos (''Sesame Park'')
* Chaos (''Warhammer'')
* Chaos, in ''Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy''
* Cha ...
of Primarch
Lorgar and the the "Word Bearers". Decades before the start of the rebellion they become
heretics
Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...
relative to the
Imperial Truth by introducing
religious worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. It may involve one or more of activities such as veneration, adoration, praise, and praying. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognition ...
. This results in public and humiliating censure of Lorgar and the entire assembled Legion, by the Emperor himself. The despairing Lorgar is subsequently swayed by two of his most trusted lieutenants, who are in secret allegiance with Chaos; eventually both Primarch and Legion covertly embrace (and promote) the
Primordial Truth, many years before Horus' corruption. The story is largely told from the point of view of
Argel Tal, a Captain of the Word Bearers, who becomes commander of a Chaos-
possessed
Possessed may refer to:
Possession
* Possession (disambiguation), having some degree of control over something else
** Spirit possession, whereby gods, demons, animas, or other disincarnate entities may temporarily take control of a human body
*** ...
elite Legion unit. It spans several decades, starting 43 years before the events on Isstvan V (
Book 5
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many page (paper), pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bookbinding, bound together and protected by a book cover, cover. Th ...
) and concluding around the time the Word Bearers are on their way to assault Calth (
Book 19).
15. Prospero Burns: The Wolves unleashed
''Prospero Burns'' is part of the story arc of
Book 12, however it follows a different but related timeline. The story begins more than a century before the Space Wolves-led mission to
Prospero
Prospero ( ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of William Shakespeare's play '' The Tempest''.
Prospero is the rightful Duke of Milan, whose usurping brother, Antonio, had put him (with his three-year-old daughter, Miranda) to sea ...
, and the concurrent start of the Heresy. It is presented from the point of view of
Kasper Hawser, formerly a noted Terran academic who becomes a
Crusade Remembrancer, and then the
Oral Historian
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people wh ...
or of the 3rd Company of the Space Wolves Legion. On the surface it is his story; the important understory concerns the long-term machinations of Chaos, whose aim is the destruction of both Space Wolves and Thousand Sons. Chaos attempts to exploit the weaknesses of the Primarchs and their Legions in order to pit them against each other the ultimate result is the confrontation on Prospero. While this confrontation is taking place, Horus' previously covert rebellion becomes visible (
Book 3
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many page (paper), pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bookbinding, bound together and protected by a book cover, cover. Th ...
). The novel also adds background to Horus' fall and to the planning of the Heresy campaign by Chaos and its forces.
16. Age of Darkness
''Age of Darkness'' is a compilation of nine short stories by various authors. They take place during the seven‑year period between the Dropsite Massacre on Isstvan V (
Book 5
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many page (paper), pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bookbinding, bound together and protected by a book cover, cover. Th ...
), and the conclusion of Horus' campaign. The stories present various facets of the unfolding conflict, as suspicion, insecurity, and paranoia spread through the galaxy on the wake of the Warmaster's betrayal. Subjects include:
a Primarch prepares for the end of the Imperium; a Traitor
PSYOP topples an Imperial planet; an unusual diplomatic contest will decide which side will be chosen by a world on the fence; a non-combatant may be a rebel agent or a herald of unpalatable truths for the Imperium; a Loyalist Space Marine in a Traitor Legion holds his own against his erstwhile brothers. Several of the included stories are linked through continuity; some are also prequels or sequels to stories in other series books.
This anthology contains the following stories: Rules of Engagement by Graham McNeill, Liar's Due by James Swallow, Forgotten Sons by Nick Kyme, The Last Remembrancer by John French, Rebirth by Chris Wraight, The Face of Treachery by Gav Thorpe, Little Horus by Dan Abnett, The Iron Within by Rob Sanders, Savage Weapons by Aaron Dembski-Bowden.
17. The Outcast Dead: The truth lies within
''The Outcast Dead'' is the first novel-length story in the series to take place almost entirely on Terra. It covers a relatively short period, starting several months before
Magnus
Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...
' catastrophic psychic visit at the Imperial Palace (
Book 12), and concluding several months after this event. The unauthorised visit is central to the story: apart from damaging the Emperor's top secret project (
Book 1 Book one or book 1 can refer to:
*'' Book One: Water'', the first season of the animated television series ''Avatar: The Last Airbender''
*'' Book One: Air'', the first season of the animated television series ''The Legend of Korra''
* "Book One," ...
) and the planet's defense, it massively disrupts Terra's long-range communications infrastructure. The ensuing isolation and confusion cause indecision and delays for the Loyalist side. The story's main character is
Kai Zulane, previously a gifted Imperial
attached to the Ultramarines Legion. He unwittingly becomes the keeper of a secret that could decide the victor in the developing galactic civil war. The secret has additional implications regarding the Heresy's conclusion and the future course of the Imperium of Man. "The Outcast Dead" are other protagonists: a small, disparate group of Space Marines suspected as traitors, with whom Zulane falls in during the second half of the book.
18. Deliverance Lost: Ghosts of Terra
''Deliverance Lost'' is mainly concerned with the actions of Primarch
Corvus Corax
The common raven (''Corvus corax'') is a large all-black passerine bird. It is the most widely distributed of all corvids, found across the Northern Hemisphere. It is a raven known by many names at the subspecies level; there are at least ei ...
and his Space Marine Command, or "Raven Guard", during the year following the
Dropsite Massacre (
Book 5
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many page (paper), pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bookbinding, bound together and protected by a book cover, cover. Th ...
). However, operatives and the
Primarch of the Alpha Legion play a prominent role. The story starts about 3 months after the Dropsite Massacre, with the unexpected rescue of Corax and the remnants of his Legion (at less than 5% strength due to casualties in that battle). Arriving at Terra a few months after the events described in ''
The Outcast Dead'' take place, Corax convinces the Emperor to impart to him the knowledge and material that may accelerate the rebuilding of his Legion. The second part of the novel describes the effort to reconstitute the Raven Guard, undertaken on (its home world in ''Warhammer 40,000'' fiction), and the pursuit of opposite objectives by the Alpha Legion. The novel features the reappearance of
The Cabal (
Book 7), and of other well-known characters; it also adds information about the developing strategies and subterfuge applied by the opposing sides, including reasons for Horus' timetable and for the Emperor's actions during the initial stages of the Heresy.
19. Know No Fear: The battle of Calth
''Know No Fear'' documents the rebels' surprise assault on Calth, an ascendant
Ultramar system world. It is planned and led by the Traitor Word Bearers Legion, now fully and openly committed to the spread of the
Primordial Truth. The narrative starts close to where the timelines of
Book 8 and
Book 14
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this physical arra ...
converge (in their respective conclusions), with the invasion force en route to, or near the planet. The rebel mission
has aims beyond just delivering a crippling blow to the Ultramarines Legion and their home system; its objectives may affect the entire Heresy campaign. The story tracks the Calth assault from its opening covert phases, and the actions of several characters. Unaware of the developing rebellion and the Word Bearers' true role and allegiance, Primarch
Roboute Guilliman and his Ultramarines are unprepared for the underhand invasion: it is total, bloody war, with
ritual
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, b ...
istic undertones,
scorched earth
A scorched-earth policy is a military strategy that aims to destroy anything that might be useful to the enemy. Any assets that could be used by the enemy may be targeted, which usually includes obvious weapons, transport vehicles, communi ...
tactics, decisive use of technology, and the considerable involvement of
Chaos
Chaos or CHAOS may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional elements
* Chaos (''Kinnikuman'')
* Chaos (''Sailor Moon'')
* Chaos (''Sesame Park'')
* Chaos (''Warhammer'')
* Chaos, in ''Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy''
* Cha ...
; the inconceivable treachery and its implications forever change the Loyalists' view of reality.
20. The Primarchs
''The Primarchs'' is a compilation of four novellas by different authors, each story starring one of the
"sons" of the Emperor. The novellas further
develop
Develop or DEVELOP may refer to:
* ''Develop'' (magazine), a trade publication for the video game industry
* ''Develop'' (Apple magazine), a technical magazine formerly published by Apple Computer
*Develop (chess), moving a piece from its original ...
these characters, who make multiple appearances in the series: following the Dropsite Massacre (
Book 5
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many page (paper), pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bookbinding, bound together and protected by a book cover, cover. Th ...
),
Fulgrim, perversely empowered by his own corruption, reveals his true nature and future plans to top officers of his compromised Legion; during a Great Crusade campaign against the enigmatic Eldar,
Ferrus Manus, already beset by unsettling dreams, is subjected by alien sorcerers to stark, portentous visions and warnings about his future and role in the soon to be revealed Heresy; with Horus' rebellion in full swing after
the events of Isstvan V, a suspicious and isolated
Lion El'Jonson accepts the newly revealed realities of the
Warp
Warp, warped or warping may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Books and comics
* WaRP Graphics, an alternative comics publisher
* ''Warp'' (First Comics), comic book series published by First Comics based on the play ''Warp!''
* Warp (comics), a ...
and decides on an independent course of action for the Dark Angels in the unfolding conflict; around the same time, and plotting a typically indecipherable course in the expanding war,
the twinned Primarch of the Alpha Legion is involved in a unique
counterintelligence
Counterintelligence is an activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting activities to prevent espionage, sabotage, assassinations or ot ...
operation that extends the Legion's customary deceptions inwards.
This anthology contains the following stories: The Reflection Crack'd by Graham McNeill, Feat of Iron by Nick Kyme, The Lion by Gav Thorpe and The Serpent Beneath by Rob Sanders.
Book 21 to Book 30
21. Fear to Tread: The angel falls
''Fear to Tread'' describes an operation by the forces of Chaos that is supposed to turn Primarch
Sanguinius and the the "Blood Angels", to their cause. To succeed, Chaos plans to take advantage of a
genetic flaw in Sanguinius' and the Legion's
DNA. As the Heresy is getting under way, the outwardly still loyal
Warmaster
''Warmaster'' is a ruleset for tabletop wargames written by Rick Priestley, published by Specialist Games (a division of Games Workshop), and set in the ''Warhammer Fantasy'' setting. It is different from ''Warhammer Fantasy Battles'' in bot ...
orders the entire 9th Legion and their unsuspecting Primarch to a remote star system. There they find themselves isolated and ambushed, fighting a new kind of war against
Chaos entities and daemons designed to trigger the Legion's flaw. The plan almost succeeds; yet conflicting agendas among anti-Imperial protagonists, as well as the fortitude and unorthodox tactics of quick-to-adapt Blood Angels, narrowly result in Loyalist victory. In the meantime Horus' rebellion erupts openly and the Loyalists suffer catastrophic losses in the Dropsite Massacre (
Book 5
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many page (paper), pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bookbinding, bound together and protected by a book cover, cover. Th ...
). Sanguinius and his Legion, now fully aware of the great betrayal and the reality of Chaos, race to the defense of Terra and the Emperor while buffeted by unprecedented navigational difficulties; it is hinted that these are related to the action in the Ultramar system of Calth (Books
19 and
24).
22. Shadows of Treachery
''Shadows of Treachery'' is a compilation that collects five short stories previously published in
limited editions,
art book
Artists' books (or book arts or book objects) are works of art that utilize the form of the book. They are often published in small editions, though they are sometimes produced as one-of-a-kind objects.
Overview
Artists' books have employed a ...
s, or other formats, and also contains two new novellas. Most of the stories involve the respectively the Loyalist "Imperial Fists" and Traitor "Night Lords", and their Primarchs
Rogal Dorn and
Konrad Curze. Other Legions and Primarchs are also featured, while one short story takes place on Mars and illuminates an aspect of the
Traitor Mechanicum's conspiracy. One of the novellas is mainly about an all-out close-quarters space battle, between a Loyalist sent to punish Horus following the events of Isstvan III (
Book 3
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many page (paper), pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bookbinding, bound together and protected by a book cover, cover. Th ...
) and the Traitor fleet that ambushes it; the other new novella deals with the aftermath of another naval engagement in space that cripples the Night Lords Legion. The narratives of all stories fill gaps in the series or add further details about the Heresy and its actors; they cover periods that range from several decades before the conflict to around the time frame of
Book 18 (one short story is a prequel to that novel).
This anthology contains the following stories: The Crimson Fist by John French, The Dark King by Graham McNeill, The Lightning Tower by Dan Abnett, The Kaban Project by Graham McNeill, Raven's Flight by Gav Thorpe, Death of a Silversmith by Graham McNeill and Prince of Crows by Aaron Dembski-Bowden.
23. Angel Exterminatus: Flesh and iron
''Angel Exterminatus'' covers a Traitor operation in uncharted and dangerous galactic space, that may purportedly decide the war in favour of the rebels. The story provides further glimpses of disparate motivations and conflicting objectives among traitor factions as the Heresy campaign continues. It is taking place some time after the Dropsite Massacre (
Book 5
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many page (paper), pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bookbinding, bound together and protected by a book cover, cover. Th ...
), shortly following the events described by two novellas (Books
20 and
22). Featured are the 4th Legion of Space Marines, the "Iron Warriors", renowned
siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...
masters of the Great Crusade, and their Primarch
Perturabo. However the core plot is set in motion by
Fulgrim and the Emperor's Children, who share the spotlight. The embittered Iron Warriors have aligned with Horus out of frustration with the ignominious and unheralded role assigned them by the Imperium; before the story begins, they lash out in unforgivable
genocide
Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Latin ...
. In the story, they are invited to the freelance operation (which is unknown to
the Warmaster) by Fulgrim and his Legion, who have their own agenda. The operation's true goal is kept secret from Perturabo and his Space Marines, who come to realise that not all fellow rebels can be trusted. A side thread involves
Fabius Bile, the chief medical officer of the Emperor's Children, and the Traitors' top
geneticist
A geneticist is a biologist or physician who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a scientist or a lecturer. Geneticists may perform general research on genetic processe ...
; he is on a no-holds-barred quest to exceed the Emperor's genetic achievements.
24. Betrayer: Blood for the Blood God
''Betrayer'' returns the series to the action in the
Ultramar theatre; it starts around the time the events of
Book 19 begin to unfold. Unlike that story, ''Betrayer'' is presented from the perspective of the rebels, in this case the World Eaters and Word Bearers Legions, and often through the particular viewpoint of
Khârn, Captain of the 8th Company of the World Eaters and
Equerry
An equerry (; from French ' stable', and related to 'squire') is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually up ...
to Primarch
Angron. In tenuous and fragile cooperation, the two very different Traitor Legions lay waste to worlds across Ultramar; it is a "Shadow Crusade" meticulously planned by Primarch
Lorgar of the Word Bearers, who deploys ''
Abyss
Abyss may refer to:
* Abyss (religion), a bottomless pit, or a passage to the underworld
Film and television
* ''The Abyss'' (1910 film), a Danish silent film starring Asta Nielsen
* ''The Abyss'' (1988 film) (''L'Œuvre au noir''), a French- ...
''-class spaceships. The campaign's
strategic goal is the destruction or isolation of the powerful Ultramarines Legion, its home star system, and the system's considerable resources; removing Ultramar as a factor in the war is one of Horus' primary objectives. The scheming Primarch of the Word Bearers orchestrates genocide in unprecedented scale, as a way to
summon
Evocation is the act of evoking, calling upon, or summoning a spirit, demon, deity or other supernatural agents, in the Western mystery tradition. Comparable practices exist in many religions and magical traditions and may employ the use of m ...
the powers of Chaos. With their help, he hopes to generate the so-called , an immense interdimensional disturbance that will create an impenetrable veil around Ultramar. As the final piece of his plan, Lorgar engineers the "ascension" into daemonhood of the increasingly unstable Angron: the event is to act as the conduit for the unnatural storm.
25. Mark of Calth
''Mark of Calth'' is the fifth compilation to appear in the series; it contains seven short stories and one novella, each by a different author. The stories further describe aspects of the rebels' Ultramar campaign, as close prequels or sequels of Books
19 and
24. "Premium" editions and the e‑audiobook version were released April 2013; text-based general release editions were expected mid-to-late 2013.
This anthology contains the following stories: The Shards of Erebus by
Guy Haley
Guy Haley (born June 6, 1973) is an English writer of speculative fiction, predominantly known for his ''Richards & Klein Investigations'' series, as well as numerous fiction contributions to various Warhammer 40,000 series.
Bibliography
War ...
, Calth That Was by Graham McNeill, Dark Heart by Anthony Reynolds, The Traveller by
David Annandale
David Annandale (1967) is a Canadian speculative fiction author. He received a BA (1990) and an MA (1992) from the University of Manitoba, and took a PhD from the University of Alberta; he currently teaches at the University of Manitoba. Annand ...
, A Deeper Darkness by Rob Sanders, The Underworld War by Aaron Dembski-Bowden and Unmarked by Dan Abnett.
26. Vulkan Lives: Unto the Anvil
'' Vulkan Lives'' is the first book where the story of Vulkan is shown with a significant background. His memories coming back to him after his capture by his brother Konrad Curze aboard his ship modified by Perturabo himself. He learns more about his immortality, which seems to be a gift and a curse, one he preferred not to bear at all. The book adds more background concerning the battle at Istvaan V, at the same time showing the drama of a squad of his surviving sons and the shattered legions while they fight to retrieve an unknown artifact that will change the course of history in the coming days of the rebellion.
27. The Unremembered Empire: A light in the darkness
''Unremembered Empire'' happens after the events of the Battle of Phall, the Lion's capture of Konrad Curze, the return of Guilliman to Maccragge after the battle for Armatura and the Blood Angels trial at the battle for Signus Prime. An ancient device has been found on Sotha, one which could guide the mighty warships out of the impenetrable veil that cut off Ultramar from the rest of the Imperium. Strange events start to happen after the arrival of members of the Cabal organization; a Word Bearer Legionnaire seeking redemption for his Legion and the Night Lords' Primarch begin their search for an unknown "object" that fell from orbit straight to the hands of Guilliman. Secrecy between him and the Lion might bring undesired conflict between the brothers in this time of treachery, while Sanguinius manage to come back from his trial on Signus Cluster to learn from Guilliman's plan for a new Empire.
28. Scars: A Legion divided
''Scars'' is the first book that centers on the White Scars. The White Scars have not yet received news of the civil war waging across the Imperium. For the past two years, the legion has been cleansing the Chondax System of an Ork infestation. Because of the artificial warp storms created by the Alpha Legion, the Chondax system has been completely cut off from all communication. With the destruction of the device responsible for maintaining the warp storms (as detailed in the short story, The Serpent Beneath, found in
Book 20), the White Scars begin to receive a flood of conflicting information. Some reports say that Leman Russ has turned traitor and killed Magnus on Prospero. Other reports indicate that Horus has turned against the Emperor. Perhaps most consequentially, the White Scars receive a distress call from the Space Wolves, who are under attack from the Alpha Legion. Not knowing what to believe, the Khan orders the White Scars to Prospero in a search for answers, leaving the Space Wolves to fend for themselves. Meanwhile, the warrior lodges embedded within the White Scars activate, intending to force the Khan into declaring for Horus. The book centers around the Khan's decision of which side to join: his traitor friend and brother, or his lying, tyrant father.
29. ''Vengeful Spirit'': The Battle of Molech
Sometime after the creation of the Ruinstorm (
Book 24), Horus conquers the world of Dwell. There, he learns a secret about the Emperor: long ago, at the start of humanity's great diaspora to the stars, the Emperor travelled to a planet called Molech. There, the Emperor made a bargain with the Chaos Gods for power and knowledge. With this power, the Emperor became a god; with this knowledge, he created the primarchs. After obtaining this power and knowledge from the Gods, however, the Emperor broke the bargains he made with them. Seeking this power for himself, Horus enlists Mortarion (after facing Jaghatai in
Book 28) and Fulgrim (after his ascension to deamonhood in
Book 23) to help him retrace the Emperor's steps on Molech. Meanwhile, Gavriel Loken is charged by Malcador to infiltrate Horus’ flagship, the ''Vengeful Spirit'', to prepare the way for an assassination attempt on Horus by Leman Russ. Loken leads a band of Malcador's Knights Errant to the ship and reconnoiters the interior, marking the passageways in futharc, the Space Wolves' runes, for Russ’ eventual assassination attempt. Ultimately, the Knights Errants are discovered and confronted by the Sons of Horus. Many of the Knights Errants are slain but some escape and survive, including Loken. Molech is eventually conquered with the aid of the treacherous Knight House Devine, which has pledged itself to Slaanesh. While campaigning, Horus learns of a gateway to the Warp that was created and used by the Emperor to meet with the Chaos Gods in their own domain. As Horus searches for the gateway, a perpetual named Alivia Sureka races to seal it shut forever. Ultimately, she fails and Horus breaches the gateway. Although he is gone from the material realm for mere moments, centuries pass for Horus in the immaterium. In those centuries, Horus won a thousand kingdoms in the empyrean, defied the gods, slayed monsters, and denied every prize offered to him. He claimed the power that the Emperor had claimed, but without deception, without bargaining, and without any promise to honour. Returning to the material realm, Horus is now a god of his own making, beholden to no one. Ready at last to face the Emperor, he issues the order to march on Terra itself.
30. The Damnation of Pythos: Thinning the veil
''The Damnation of Pythos'' occurs shortly after the Dropsite Massacre on Isstvan V. Remnants of the Shattered Legions (Iron Hands, Raven Guard, Salamanders) escape Isstvan and stumble upon the Pandorax System. One of the system's worlds, the death world of Pythos, is the source of a warp anomaly of great significance. The Shattered Legions decide to use it to strike back at the Traitor Legions. To do so, they must navigate the treacherous death world itself, the Ruinstorm trapping them in Pandorax, and their responsibility to the colonists and refugees that find their way to Pythos. Ultimately, the powerful daemon Madail manifests. In turn, Madail summons armies of deamons to the material realm. The planet falls to the daemons, who construct daemon starships from the remnants of the Shattered Legions' vessels. Although the Shattered Legions were able to send a one-word message to Terra as a warning before they were wiped out, the message is ignored by the Administratum.
Book 31 to Book 40
31. Legacies of Betrayal: Let the galaxy burn
''Legacies of Betrayal'' is an anthology of short stories.
* Brotherhood of the Storm is a precursor to ''Scars'' (
Book 28). It focuses first on the budding friendship of Shiban and Torghun featured in ''Scars'', as they wrap up the Chondax campaign. It also sheds light on Targutai Yesugei's psychic awakening on Chogoris and how he joined Jagahtai's khaganate. Finally, it records how Ilya Ravallion, the logistician from the Departmento Munitorum, came to join the White Scars.
* The Serpent features a Davinite priest, Thoros, who overthrows a nascent Chaos cult, presumably on Davin itself in preparation for the coming age of darkness.
* Hunter's Moon reveals the fate of the small pack of Space Wolves assigned by Malcador to guard Alpharius—or to slay him if he proved false.
* ''Veritas Ferrum'' is a precursor to ''The Damnation of Pythos'' (
Book 30), in which the ''Ferrum'' arrives at Istvaan while the battle is raging and then retreats in the face of certain annihilation.
* Riven centers on the Iron Hand representative to the Crusader Host, Crius, who is tasked by Rogal Dorn with finding the remnants of the Iron Hands and bringing them back to defend Terra. Ultimately, Crius stumbles upon a band of Iron Hands who have employed cybernetic resurrection to bring back dead, near-mindless Iron Hands to fight in machine bodies. Joining them, Crius pledges to return to Terra when summoned.
* Strike and Fade features four Salamander survivors fighting a guerrilla war on Istvaan V in the wake of the Dropsite Massacre.
* Honour to the Dead depicts Titan warfare on Calth in the moments immediately following the Word Bearers’ treachery.
* Butcher's Nails coincides/is a precursor to ''Betrayer''(
Book 24). It follows Angron and Lorgar's actions immediately prior to the launching of the Shadow Crusade. Notably, an Eldar assassination force attempts to kill Angron before he can become a Daemon Prince of Khorne.
* Warmaster is a soliloquy given by Horus to the skull of Ferrus Manus.
* Kryptos follows Nykona Sharrowkyn and Sabik Wayland as they conduct a mission on Cavor Sarta to capture a Kryptos, a bio-engineered coding device that will allow the Loyalists to intercept and decrypt Traitor communications.
* Wolf's Claw sees Bjorn One-Handed (soon to be Fell-handed) commandeer Terminator armor from the Legion armory during the fighting in Alaxxes against the Alpha Legion.
* Thief of Revelations sees Ahriman attempting to unravel the mystery behind the flesh-change of the Thousand Sons. Magnus refuses to help Ahriman in his pursuits, instead taking Ahriman on a journey through space and time. Magnus shows Ahriman the final battle of the Thramas Crusade, the Blood Angels' battle against the demons in the Signus Cluster, and the burning of Calth. Magnus says the time will come when the Thousand Sons must choose a side.
* The Divine Word takes place two and a half years after the Raven Guard assault of the Perfect Fortress. Imperial Commander Marcus Valerion is having dreams again, this time of a hydra. His dreams lead him to victory in battle on Eusa. Feeling the emptiness of the war engulfing him, he finds solace in the Lectitio Divinitatus.
* Lucius the Eternal Blade finds Lucius inexplicably alive after being killed on Iydris by Nykona Sharrokyn of the Raven Guard. In search of answers, he travels to the Planet of Sorcerers to face Sanakht, the best swordsman of the Thousand Sons. Just before Lucius lands the killing blow, however, Ahzek Ahriman intervenes.
* The Eightfold Path references the World Eaters turning from the Crimson Path to a darker path. The Daemon Primarch Angron's howls trigger a killing frenzy in Kharne during what should have a been a duel only to first blood.
* Guardian of Order centers on Zahariel as he revisits the Northwilds Arcology with Lord Cypher years after the events of Fallen Angels (
Book 11) to determine whether the area is a suitable location for a new fortress. However, something stirs deep within the once-purged tunnels. Fleeing the tunnel, Zahriel must raise the alarm: The Ouroboros is returning.
* Heart of the Conqueror features the sacrifice of Nisha Andrasta, Navigator of the World Eater's flagship, Conqueror. On board, the Daemon Primarch Angron warps the machine spirit of Conqueror and infects the entire ship. While connected to the ship and sailing through the warp, Nisha ends her own life, tearing the Conqueror from the warp in a cascade of screaming, tortured metal.
* Censure follows Aeonid Theil's guerrilla war on Calth and his attempt to escape the dead planet and return to the war at large.
* Lone Wolf previews Bjorn the Fel-handed's climactic duel against his daemon nemesis, Arvax.
32. Deathfire: Into the Ruinstorm
After a seemingly miraculous rescue by the Ultramarines, Artellus Numeon, once captain of the Pyre Guard, urges the Salamanders on Macragge to depart Imperium Secundus and return their primarch's (seemingly deceased) body to the home world of Nocturne — there to attempt his resurrection in the fires of Mount Deathfire. But to do so they must brave the madness of the Ruinstorm, and Numeon has to decide what has to be done to bring Vulkan back from the grave...
33. War Without End: Heresy begets retribution
''War Without End'' is an anthology of short stories.
* The Devine Adoratice expands on the backstory of the Knight House of Devine on Molech, focussing on how the Knights of the Imperium work, and how they were so easily corrupted by Fulgrim during the Battle of Molech.
* Howl of the Hearthworld focuses on a pack of Space Wolves that are assigned to watch over Rogal Dorn on Terra. But they're not the only ones watching...
* Lord of the Red Sands: Angron has a heart-to-heart with one of his World Eater captains on Istvaan III (a Loyalist one), where his past and his reasons joining Horus is given detail.
* Artefacts: Set before the Dropsite Massacre, Vulkan and his Master of the forge discuss the nature of the Primarchs, how he tried to save Konrad Curze following the destruction of Nostramo, and how with Horus' betrayal now plain to all, he's going to deal with his secret vault of unique weaponry (hint: only seven will survive)
* Hands of the Emperor: The Imperial Fists and the Legio Custodes clash over the responsibilities of securing Terra in preparation to Horus' inevitable attack.
* The Phoenician: through the viewpoint of Iron Hand's First Captain Gabriel Santar's dying moments after his duel with Julius Kaeseron at the Dropsite Massacre, the death of Ferrus Manus and what immediately follows is observed.
* Sermon of Exodus: Across the desert wastelands of Davin, the followers of Chaos prepare to depart the planet. Prequel to The Damnation of Pythos.
* By The Lion's Command: Continuing his hunt for the infamous Typhon of the Death Guard following Perditus, Seneschal Corswain must decide the fate of an independent planet in a war where there can be no innocent bystanders.
* The Harrowing: A textbook Alpha Legion assault is conducted upon Callistra Mundi (which is anything but textbook).
* All That Remains: A group of shell-shocked/warp-shocked soldiers of the Imperial Army are given an offer by a grey-armoured giant that they simply can't refuse...
* Gunsight: Following the events of ''Nemesis'', a surviving Imperial Assassin hunts down the Warmaster within the bowels of the Vengful Spirit. Unfortunately, he's not the only hunter inside the ship, and not all of them are flesh and blood...
* Allegiance: Following his rescue by the White Scars in ''Scars'' (
Book 28), Revuel Arvida of the Thousand Sons Corvidae must decide his allegiance in the unfolding civil war, admist the trails of those Khans who were part of the Lodges.
* Daemonology: Following his disastrous mission to persuade Jagathai to join Horus, a weak and scared Mortarion of the Death Guard rampages across the remnants of Magnus' domain. On the library-world of Terathalion, he interrogates an archivist called Lermenta, but the ensuing discussion forces Mortarion to confront his history with father and Malcador, his own suppressed psychic potential, and his position of having to accept his place among the Lost and the Damned.
* Black Oculus: Serving as the connective between ''Angel Exterminatus'' and ''Tallarn'', this short story is told through the view point of the navigators of the Iron Blood, and what changes on the physical, mental and metaphysical level they undergo on their journey out of the Eye of Terror.
* Virtues of the Sons: Before the Heresy begins, a concerned Sanguinius organises educational duels for Captains Azkellon and Amit to understand the twin aspects of their nature, so that they will be ready for the coming trials of their Legion.
* The Laurel of Defiance: With the Shadow Crusade scattered and Imperium Secundus on the rise, an Ultramarines Captain reflects on his nature on and off the battlefield, and what might have been had the Heresy not happened.
* A Safe and Shadowed Place: Following the catastrophe of the Thramas Crusade, and with the Night Haunter and First Captain Sevatar missing, Gendor Skraivok plots his next course of action against the Imperium, with his gaze falling upon Sotha as a suitable target.
* Imperfect: Fulgrim with the aid of Fabius tries to find the possibility of Ferrus Manus joining Horus, involving regicide, metal gauntlets, clones, an increasing number of homicidal rages, and a secret sequestered in the depths of the Traitor Apothecary's laboratory...
* Chirurgeon: While conducting a confidential surgery, Fabius of the Emperor's Children reflects on the time before Fulgrim, when the Gene-Blight ravaged the IIIrd Legion, and of a deadly secret that the apothecary has tried very hard to keep buried...
* Twisted: A closer look at the Maloghurst, emissary of the Warmaster Horus as he navigates the changing nature of the XVI Legion where rivalry and personal ambition run rampant, and to contend with a daemonic plot thrown into the bargain, the Twisted is going to have to make alliances with factions more twisted in soul than in body...
* Wolf Mother: Following their escape from Horus' conquest of Molech, the Perpetual Alivia Sureka must ally with Knight-Errant Severian to finish off the malicious Serpent Cult once and for all to save her daughter.
34. Pharos: The dying of the light
With the Ruinstorm unabating, Imperium Secundus stands as a lone beacon of hope for the Eastern Fringe even as Horus's galactic war continues to rage. At the centre of this endeavour, the mysterious Mount Pharos on Sotha holds the key to Secundus' success. But the cruel and slowly-changing Night Lords make ready to launch their long-planned attack on the Pharos itself, and the tormented Konrad Curze makes moves to confront his brother the Emperor Sanguinius. The resulting battles could lead to dark consequences for all life in the galaxy...
35. Eye of Terra: I am the Emperor's vigilance
''Eye of Terra'' is an anthology of short stories.
* The Wolf Of Ash And Fire: At the height of the Great Crusade, Horus Lupercal and the Emperor attack the ork-held planetoid of Gorro. If they win, Ullanor awaits...
* Aurelian: During the first complete gathering of the Traitor Primarchs while the ashes of the Dropsite Massacre are still cooling, Lorgar confronts Horus about the forceful possession of Fulgrim. Lorgar also gets into an argument with Magnus, where the events of Lorgar's Pilgrimage into the Eye of Terror are told.
* The Long Night: Following his capture by the Dark Angels, Jago Sevetarion languishes in the gaol cell in the depths of the Invincible Reason. Suffering from delibitating headaches and talking to ghosts in his cell, the Night Lord has finally had enough of Horus, the Emperor, and his own Primarch, desiring to become an agent of justice once more. But in order to start on that path, he's going to use his 'talent'...
* Massacre: the Dropsite Massacre, as seen through the eyes of Talos and First Claw.
* Brotherhood of the Moon: On trail by his Legion, Torghun Khan must account for the events that lead him to the Lodges and the rebellion that nearly consumed the White Scars Legion.
* Inheritor: Torquil Elphias of the Word Bearers attacks the Ultramar world of Kronus with the World Eaters at the height of the Shadow Crusade, seeking to harness the power of the warp.
* Vorax: a quick read that details the blockade of Mars following the Schisim, and where a traitor ad-mech is hunted by the Vorax Battle-Automata.
* Ironfire: Following his failed siege at Schadenhold, a broken Idriss Krendl attempts to redeem himself by conducting a prototype strategy against another fortress on Euphorus, but with the Emperor's Children as his targets.
* Red-Marked: Aeonid Thiel leads a squad of rogue Ultramarines in defending the borders of Imperium Secundus, and against internal plots to bring the XIII Legion down from within.
* Master of the First: The disgraced Chapter Master Astelan of the Dark Angels begins to maneuver his way back into a position of power again on Caliban. One way or another, Luther is going to have to carve out more cells...
* Stratagem: Aeonid Thiel and Roboute Guilliman discuss a new treatise of war following the Battle of Calth, the Underworld War and the Shadow Crusade.
* Sins of the Father: During the Tempest of Angels, Sanguinius considers the possible destinies of Azkaellon and Amit.
* Herald of Sanguinius: With Sanguinius crowned Emperor of the Imperium Secundus and the threat of assassination everywhere, Azkaellon has to contend with having to protect his primarch. Even if it means putting one of his own into the line of fire both literally and symbolically.
* The Eagle's Talon: Imperial Fists storm a warship in Tallarn's orbit, resorting to unthinkable tactics to achieve victory.
* Iron Corpses: Amidst the destruction of the Eagle's Talon, Warsmith Koparnos turns to the Titans to survive, all the while feeling overwhelmed by the futility of the campaign and the greater civil war.
* The Final Compliance of Sixty-Three Fourteen: an Imperial Governor of a compliant world must decide whether to follow the primarch which conquered his world years before, or to defy him.
36. The Path of Heaven: Riding Out from the Storm
Following the events of ''Scars'' (
Book 28), four years have passed and the White Scars are fully committed to fighting the Traitor Legions as they begin their march to Terra. But they have been slowly and surely hemmed in by burgeoning Warp Storms and the might of four legions deep in the galactic north. Caught betweens this opposition and the internal psychological damages his legion is suffering from attrition warfare, Jagathai Khan and his allies turn their efforts to uncovering another path to Terra, one that unearths secrets of the divided Navis Nobilite and the Emperor Himself. But the much-changed Emperor's Children under a resurrected & mutated Eidolon and the growing darkness of the Death Guard under Mortarion are hot on their heels, and to open the Path of Heaven not all will see the Heresy to the end...
37. The Silent War: Chosen of the Sigillite
38. Angels of Caliban: Emperors and slaves
''Angels of Caliban'' tells the story of The Lion's hunt to find his brother Primarch of the Night Lords Conrad Curze across the 500 worlds of Ultramar whilst juggling the responsibilities of being the Lord Protector of Imperium Secundus. Simultaneously, the ever-deepening divide of Luther from the first legion takes shape in the book, with definitive decisions being made that will permanently shape the future of The Order and life on Caliban, outside of the watchful eye of Terra and The Lion.
39. Praetorian of Dorn: Alpha to omega
Rogal Dorn and the VIIth Legion have been stationed on Terra since the beginning of Horus' betrayal, tasked with securing a fractious Solar System and Terra in preparation for the inevitable assault. Now, the Solar System comes under attack for the first time since the war began by the Alpha Legion, and many of the seemingly impregnable defences wrought by the Imperial Fists prove inadequate. With all eyes fixed firmly upon this new threat beyond the gates of Terra, Dorn must prepare for a fight that will test him to the limit, and force him to confront the prices that will need to be paid and the allies he needs if he is to hold Terra unto the end.
40. Corax: Nevermore
A collection of short stories and novellas that document and detail Corax's bitter guerilla war against the Traitors following the Dropsite Massacre and the Battle of Ravendelve, and his desperate attempts to hold his legion together. But none shall emerge from the Heresy unscathed, and for the Raptors a tragic fate awaits...
Book 41 to Book 54
41. The Master of Mankind: War in the webway
While Horus’ rebellion burns across the galaxy, a very different kind of war rages beneath the Imperial Palace. The Emperor of Mankind, alongside the ‘Ten Thousand’ Custodian Guard, the Sisters of Silence and the Mechanicum forces of Fabricator General Kane, fight to control the nexus points of the ancient eldar webway that lie closest to Terra, now infested by daemonic entities after Magnus the Red's intrusion. But with traitor legionaries and corrupted Battle Titans now counted among the forces of Chaos, and a malevolent entity of the Warp circling the field, the noose around the Throneworld is slowly tightening. And for the Emperor, He must confront His enigmatic past and ultimately decide whether to hold onto His failing dream, or accept the Age of Darkness that He had a hand in bringing forth to the Imperium.
42. Garro: Weapon of fate
A connected anthology of short stories that focuses on Garro following the Flight of the Eisenstein (Book 4) during the Silent War. Now a Knight Errant and Agentia Primus of Malcador the Sigillite, Garro is sent on a number of clandestine missions from the desolations of Calth and Isstvan to the halls of the Imperial Palace itself. Incidentally, Garro is also walking a path of his own, one that leads him to both the secrets of Malcador's 'Othrys' project and the growing Lecticio Divinitatus cult, and to question his own place in the Imperium both in the current civil war and what might emerge when it is over.
43. Shattered Legions
44. The Crimson King: A soul divided
Following the razing of Prospero, Magnus the Red now refuges on the aptly unnamed Planet of the Sorcerers, deep within the Eye of Terror. the remnants of the Thousand Sons Legion realise that Magnus was effectively shattered following his fight with Russ – his mind and memories are slipping away into the tumult of the warp. In desperation, Ahzek and Amon (and a very unwilling Lucius) travel to the scenes of Magnus' greatest triumphs and tragedies in hope to restore him once more. But to do so, they must confront hunters of both the Space Wolves and the Knights Errant, along with their own internal strife of the returning flesh change and the decision of whether to join Horus to besiege Terra.
45. Tallarn: War for a dead world
Following their escape from the Eye of Terror (as detailed in ''Angel Exterminatus'' and ''Black Oculus''), Perturabo and the Iron Warriors Legion unleash hell on the verdant world of Tallarn, reducing it to a wasteland even as the largest armoured conflict in the Heresy is enacted on its surface. But Perturabo has more in mind than simple punitive destruction – and his growing curiosity into the powers that enacted Fulgrim's ascencion will draw ire from both his adversaries on the stricken planet, and his allies in the Host of the Warmaster...
This book is a collected Anthology of Short Stories and Novellas released over the course of the series:
* Tallarn: Witness Follows the internal musings of the new governor-militant of Tallarn following the campaign, surveying the graveyard left behind and the price paid for victory on the planet.
* Tallarn: Executioner Features the initial bombardment and opening stages of the Battle, through the eyes of a once-mighty armoured regiment stationed planetside.
* Tallarn: Siren Focuses on Loyalist forces enacting a desperate mission to locate the last astropath on the planet following the extraction of the Iron Warriors.
* Tallarn: Ironclad follows Argonis, emissary of the Sons of Horus as he is dispatched to Tallarn alongside a member of the new Dark Mechanicum to bring the wayward Iron Warriors to heel, with the duplicit aid of Alpha Legion operatives and an agent of the Officio Assassinorium.
46. Ruinstorm: Destiny unwritten...
Roboute Guilliman, Lion'El Johnson, and Sanguinius have abandoned the Imperium Secundus and make for Terra, bringing the prisoner Konrad Curze along. Doing so, however, requires them to traverse the Ruinstorm, a raging warp storm which makes passage all but impossible. The three primarchs each face their own temptations and trials throughout the journey through warp, both physical and spiritual. Epic, solar-system sized obstacles situated in both realspace and warpspace prevent their passage, and the three legions must work together to overcome each one. The story's climax centers on Chaos Undivided's attempt to turn Sanguinius to their will. The demon lord Madail presents an unthinkable ultimatum to the Angel. In the throes of his temptation, Sanguinius is burdened with foreknowledge which obscures the righteous path, and the final fate of Konrad Curze.
47. Old Earth: To the Gates of Terra
''Old Earth'' tells the story of the newly resurrected Vulkan, who is compelled to leave his homeworld and his legion behind and return to fulfill his destiny at Terra. To break through the ruinstorm, which is keeping the throneworld inaccessible via the warp, he must make use of ancient Eldar pathways, where humans are not welcome. En route he seeks aid from Shadrak Meduson and the Iron Tenth, who continue to harass the traitorous Sons of Horus with guerrilla tactics. But Shadrak is facing internal resistance to his attempts to revitalise the Iron Hands, while at the same time seeking a showdown with his nemesis Tybalt Marr.
48. The Burden of Loyalty
49. Wolfsbane: The wyrd spear cast
Leman Russ, following the disasters of Prospero and the Allaaxes Nebula, departs Terra (just as Sanguinius arrives following the events of Ruinstorm) in order to punish his traitorous brother Horus. But in order to be ready to confront his much-changed brother, Leman needs to journey into the depths of his homeworld, and come to terms with the burdens of his duty as the Emperors' Executioner, his Spear that never wants to leave his side, and the realities of his nature as a Primarch. Following that, a death-or-glory assault on Horus' vanguard fleet at the gates of the Segmentum Solar awaits, and for the Lord of Winter and War, a faint, fleeting hope that not all of Horus Lupercal is lost to Chaos...
50. Born of Flame: The Hammer and the Anvil
51. Slaves to Darkness: Chaos undivided
With the conquest of the Beta Garmon system, the traitors are at last close upon Terra. However, Horus' injury back in Wolfsbane reopens, leaving the internal divisions of the now-barbaric Sons of Horus to yawn wide. While Mortarion is sent on ahead as the fleet's vanguard, it falls to Lorgar and Perturabo to marshal Fulgrim and Angron, both now elevated to daemonhood and beyond even the will of the Warmaster to command. With Guilliman and the Lion returning with all haste, and with Chaos working against them, Maloghurst has to find the means to hold his fractious Legion together and wrench Horus himself from the edge of oblivion by any means necessary. For the greatest battle the galaxy has ever known looms, and hosts of the Warmaster must unite at Ullanor, for only together can the Siege of Terra truly begin.
52. Heralds of the Siege
53. Titandeath: The God Machines cometh
Set between ''Wolfsbane'' and ''Slaves to Darkness'', Titandeath expands on the epic struggles of the Titan Legions in the Beta-Garmon Cluster, the so-called Gate of Terra. With the Ruinstorm fading, With Horus leading the campaign, it's only a matter of time until the system falls, despite the presence of Sanguinius and Jagathai Khan. But the Traitor Titan Legions are becoming corrupted by Chaos, and it soon becomes apparent that even Horus is not immune to its malignant predations. Also expands on the nature of the Titan Legions, the princeps and their beliefs in the Omnissah.
54. Buried Dagger: Doom of the Death Guard
''The Buried Dagger'' is set immediately before the events of the Siege of Terra, and follows the Perspective of the "Death Guard" Legion. The book is divided into three distinct parts, the first is the narration of Mortarion, Primarch of the Death Guard, about his childhood on Barbarus, a planet with a toxic atmosphere and ruled by tyrannical warlords, and his attempt to liberate its people, culminating with meeting the Emperor, who kills the last Warlord, as Mortarion risks finally succumbing to the poisonous atmosphere. The second part, however, is set prior to the Siege of Terra, and follows Mortarion and the Death Guard slowly succumbing to debilitating diseases as their ships malfunction in a journey through the Warp. It is revealed at the end that Typhus, who Mortarion had known since Barbarus, had sabotaged the systems to become favoured of the Plague God Nurgle. This part of the story ends with a mirror of the first, as Mortarion swears loyalty to Nurgle, before he succumbs to the diseases that would otherwise condemn him to undeath. The third part of the story is largely unrelated to the Death Guard, and follows Garviel Loken and Nathaniel Garro, alongside several other characters, as they form the Grey Knights Chapter of Space Marines upon the eve of the Siege of Terra.
Book 55 Onwards: ''Siege of Terra''
55. The Solar War
The Siege of Terra commences with the colossal void war between the Traitors and the Loyalists in the Solar System, and to break through Dorn's walls across the planets and moons Horus will have to conduct strategies both standard and soul-churning to reach Terra on time. Admist the fighting, former remembrancer Mersadie Oliton desperately searches for a way back to Terra, a disgraced Sigismund seeks atonement through battle, Abaddon cleaves out a path laid out for him by both his primarch and darker powers, and Ahriman prepares a ritual that might determine the success of the Traitors. And above all these stories and struggles, in the plane of the Warp, an old man looks at the fading fire of his dream as wolves and worse begin to circle...
56. The Lost and the Damned
With the Solar System now in Horus' clutches, the bombardment of Terra begins. But in order to reach the walls, Horus must contend with the ground defences and bastions outside the Palace, as well as the self-sustaining void-shield of the Aegis. An immense ground war follows, where the front lines quickly devolve into a hellish nightmare and the daemonic abilities of the ascended Mortarion and Angron slowly grind away at the defences. But more than the Walls and the Loyalist Primarchs are needed to be tackled to gain entry, and Abaddon has to contend with the divisions to the Traitor forces while Horus continues his psychic assault upon the Emperor even as his body is being slowly consumed by Chaos. On the other side of the Walls, the Loyalists are confronted by the issues of refugees, embattled defences, the malefic use of the Warp and having to prepare to make hard choices in the ensuing Siege. Thankfully, Guilliman is coming, but is he going to make it in time?
57. The First Wall
With the outer defences now fallen, Horus has two new tasks: claim the Lion's Gate Spaceport from the Imperial Fists, and get the Daemonic Neverborn of Chaos on Terra. The former task he orders Perturabo and the Iron Warriors to complete, the latter to his personal Dark Apostle Zardu Layak. But neither task is going to be easy to complete for either, and both will have to make hard choices to overcome the First Wall. But Dorn has a plan to counter the Traitors if that happens. Unfortunately, so does Horus...
58. Saturnine
With battle now joined in earnest, the Traitors under the command of Perturabo begin to look for ways to breach the outer wall of the Imperial Palace. Rogal Dorn on the other hand must begin to make hard choices to keep the palace secure until Roboute arrives, and in opposition to his growing desperation creates an order of scholars to document (and conceal if necessary) the history of the civil war. A multi-dimensional chess game between both side ensues for a weakened section of the wall (designated Saturnine) that will decide whether the palace will continue to hold, or fall with a single stroke. But not all is bound to the Siege, and in the depths of the Palace and far beyond it, secrets and lies are brought to light...
59. Mortis
The Palace holds, but with the Lion's Gate & Eternity Gate Spaceports in his hands, Horus unleashes the Legio Mortis Titans upon Terra. The continued fighting also allows the powers of Chaos to wax, dragging defenders into a quagmire of despair and desperately seek out false paradises that are far worse than death. With the Traitor Titans and the Loyalist Legio Ignatum set on a collision course at Mercury Wall and a sealed order from the Emperor given to Rogal, outside the Palace Paladin Corswain of the Dark Angels must make a desperate ploy that might change the course of the Siege, and the Perpetual Ollanius Persson must journey through the tortured insanity of the warp and his own memories if he and his allies are to reach Terra and his unknown future...
60. Warhawk
As the Palace defenses continue to weaken both physically and metaphysically, Jaghatai Khan makes a dangerous gambit to retake the Lion's Gate spaceport from a mutated Mortarion and the now-fully corrupted Death Guard. Meanwhile, those inside the walls face their own set of challenges – Dorn struggles with the continued burden of strategy, Sigismund finds the path that will herald a new breed of warriors, Keeler finds a new (and much darker) perspective for the hope of the Imperium, and an internally conflicted Valdor goes on the hunt.
61. Echoes of Eternity
Lion's Gate Spaceport is retaken, but the majority of the Palace and Terra has now fallen to the Traitors. Angron, Daemon Primarch of the World Eaters and now-Herald of Horus following Mortarion spearheads the carnage though the fire and ash of Terra's dying breaths. In the wake of the Red Angel and the armies of the damned, Chaos is preparing to change Terra into an image more to its liking (and less to the Loyalists' sanity). With the Khan on the edge of death, Dorn beleaguered at Bhab Bastion, and Guilliman (seemingly) not going to make it in time, it falls to Sanguinius – fated-to-die Angel of the Ninth Legion – to rally the defenders and refugees for one more stand at the Delphic Battlement, the very walls of the Sanctum Imperialis, and paint the golden Eternity Gate blood red if he must if it means the Traitors shall not pass.
62. The End and the Death, Volume I (scheduled for February 2023)
The Emperor and his remaining protectors prepare to confront the Warmaster in the final battle to determine the fate of Terra and all Mankind.
Media and editions
Series titles are released in multiple versions: in print as
paperback
A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with adhesive, glue rather than stitch (textile arts), stitches or Staple (fastener), staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) book ...
s and
hardcover
A hardcover, hard cover, or hardback (also known as hardbound, and sometimes as case-bound) book is one bound with rigid protective covers (typically of binder's board or heavy paperboard covered with buckram or other cloth, heavy paper, or occa ...
s (with paperback editions printed in
mass-market
The term "mass market" refers to a market for goods produced on a large scale for a significant number of end consumers. The mass market differs from the niche market in that the former focuses on consumers with a wide variety of backgrounds with ...
and
trade
Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market.
An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct excha ...
formats); as
e-books
An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Alt ...
; and as either
abridged
An abridgement (or abridgment) is a condensing or reduction of a book or other creative work into a shorter form while maintaining the unity of the source. The abridgement can be true to the original work in terms of mood and tone, capturing the ...
or unabridged
audiobook
An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements.
Spoken audio has been available in sc ...
s and e‑audiobooks (respectively, in
compact disc
The compact disc (CD) is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then rele ...
and
audio file
An audio file format is a file format for storing digital audio data on a computer system. The bit layout of the audio data (excluding metadata) is called the audio coding format and can be uncompressed, or compressed to reduce the file size, ofte ...
formats the Black Library has partnered with specialist UK company Heavy Entertainment for audio production).
, print editions were generally though some
mass market
The term "mass market" refers to a market for goods produced on a large scale for a significant number of end consumers. The mass market differs from the niche market in that the former focuses on consumers with a wide variety of backgrounds with ...
versions have rendered in more; total series length in first paperback edition was about (24 titles). Digital editions ranged in size from less than a
megabyte
The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. Its recommended unit symbol is MB. The unit prefix ''mega'' is a multiplier of (106) in the International System of Units (SI). Therefore, one megabyte is one million bytes o ...
(some e‑book releases) to over a
gigabyte
The gigabyte () is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. The prefix ''giga'' means 109 in the International System of Units (SI). Therefore, one gigabyte is one billion bytes. The unit symbol for the gigabyte is GB.
This defini ...
(some e‑audiobook releases); the totals run from a low of about 10 MB (for titles, in
EPUB
EPUB is an e-book file format that uses the ".epub" file extension. The term is short for ''electronic publication'' and is sometimes styled ''ePub''. EPUB is supported by many e-readers, and compatible software is available for most smartphones ...
format) to a high of about 11 GB (for 13 unabridged titles, in
MP3
MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany, with support from other digital scientists in the United States and elsewhere. Origin ...
format). Durations of audio versions spread from about 6 hours for the abridged editions to anywhere between for the unabridged editions; the total length of the unabridged edition was about 168 hours, divided among 13 titles. CD audiobooks were published in packages of 5 discs per abridged title; two unabridged titles were available on CD, with the longest packaged in 13 discs.
Outside the UK, series titles are published in several countries and languages by Black Library divisions or as
co-editions with local associates. , other-language renditions lagged the English-language series in the number of released titles, and had followed distinct publication schedules and release sequences. Also , editions in other languages were published in paperback and e‑book formats.
Starting November 2010, new titles have often been released simultaneously in multiple media; occasionally since then, new titles' digital or audio releases have preceded the print versions, in reverse of previous practice (see table "Published"
above). Stories in series compilations have also been published individually, as e‑books, and as MP3 or
CD "audio shorts".
Series stories have appeared in whole or in part in other Black Library publications, sometimes before the corresponding series books have become generally available; prepublications have included stand-alone releases of compilation stories. "Prerelease" copies of series volumes have been regularly offered months before official publication, in Games Workshop- and Black Library‑sponsored events such as the various
Games Day
Games Day is a yearly run gaming convention sponsored by Games Workshop. It was started in 1975, after another games convention scheduled for August that year cancelled. Games Workshop decided to fill the resulting gap by running a gaming day of ...
s.
There have been a number of special editions and
bundles published in a variety of media; bundles have included the "Horus Heresy Collections", which mix editions and media of the same or different titles. Certain special editions are available in limited distribution months before the release of the corresponding regular, or wider-release, versions.
The books' cover art has been separately released, in
poster
A poster is a large sheet that is placed either on a public space to promote something or on a wall as decoration. Typically, posters include both typography, textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or w ...
and other formats. Series bundles and special offers have also contained the separate artwork releases of the included titles.
"Premium" editions
English-language series releases include publishing of the titles in special "premium" editions: "Premium Hardback" (print) and "Enhanced Ebook" (digital). These versions contain additional material and artwork, and are published several months before their general-availability or regular edition counterparts. The first title to appear in "premium" editions, in October 2012, was ''
Angel Exterminatus'' (Book 23). The earlier catalogue of the series is also republished in these editions, again beginning October 2012 with the series-opening
novel trilogy.
Other special editions (selections)
* ''
Horus Rising'' Dan Abnett. "5th Anniversary Edition" to mark the 5‑year publishing history of the series. With titanium blue' foil treatment on the cover" and it includes "an exclusive new introduction by author Dan Abnett" April 2011
* ''Limited Edition Horus Heresy Audio Boxset'' Dan Abnett, Ben Counter, Graham McNeill. Contains the abridged CD‑audio versions of the series opening trilogy narrated by Martyn Ellis. Abridged by Christian Dunn. Includes an exclusive bonus CD containing the short story "Little Horus" by Abnett, from the ''
Age of Darkness'' compilation, also read by Ellis. Total duration is about 18 hours, contained in 16 discs. Edition limited to 2,000 copies worldwide November 2011
* ''Xmas 2011 Horus Heresy eBundle''
Series authors. E‑book edition of the first 17 Books in the series. One of several series bundles, this was offered as a November 2011
Reception
Several novels in ''The Horus Heresy'' series have appeared in UK and US
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
charts, have occupied high positions in
Nielsen BookScan
BookScan is a data provider for the book publishing industry that compiles point of sale data for book sales, owned by The NPD Group in the United States and the Nielsen Company in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, South ...
genre lists, and since early 2010 have often charted in
The New York Times Bestseller List
''The New York Times'' Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. John Bear, ''The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times ...
for mass-market paperbacks.
Critical reception of individual titles has been mixed, yet the general tone of reviews has been mostly positive. Although the series overall has been viewed favourably, there have been complaints about its length, the multitude of characters and narrative threads, and the timeline jumps or repetitions caused by the nonlinear storytelling. The evolving series is said to have gradually acquired a backstory and terminology of its own; this has led reviewers to question the accessibility of individual stories to new or casual readers.
Early in its publishing history, the series became a sales success in its category. ''
Horus Rising'' by Dan Abnett, the opening title, set the pace shortly after its release, topping ''
Locus
Locus (plural loci) is Latin for "place". It may refer to:
Entertainment
* Locus (comics), a Marvel Comics mutant villainess, a member of the Mutant Liberation Front
* ''Locus'' (magazine), science fiction and fantasy magazine
** ''Locus Award' ...
'' magazine's "Locus Bestsellers: Gaming-Related" list of August 2006; practically every title in the series had achieved the same or similar performance on this chart. ''Horus Rising''s January 2011
CD audiobook release also appeared in ranked sales lists: the (abridged) edition was number 15 in a related chart published by ''
The Bookseller
''The Bookseller'' is a British magazine reporting news on the publishing industry. Philip Jones is editor-in-chief of the weekly print edition of the magazine and the website. The magazine is home to the ''Bookseller''/Diagram Prize for Oddest ...
'', covering 2011 UK sales up to September.
''
Legion
Legion may refer to:
Military
* Roman legion, the basic military unit of the ancient Roman army
* Spanish Legion, an elite military unit within the Spanish Army
* Legion of the United States, a reorganization of the United States Army from 179 ...
'' by Abnett, and ''
Battle for the Abyss'' by Ben Counter, were listed in Nielsen BookScan's list of top‑20 fictional works by small publishers for the year ending 23 August 2008; the books appeared in eighth and sixteenth place respectively. The next published title, ''
Mechanicum'' by Graham McNeill, entered ''The Bookseller''s "Top 20 Fiction Heatseekers" chart of 5 December 2008, shortly after its release, at number 10; series titles have consistently appeared in this list.
''
A Thousand Sons'' by McNeill was released in February 2010 and arrived at number 22 on The New York Times Bestseller List, the first ever novel on the Black Library imprint to do so. ''
Nemesis
In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view.
Etymology
The n ...
'' by James Swallow followed, reaching number 26 on the List in August 2010. ''
The First Heretic'', by Aaron Dembski‑Bowden, reached number 28 in the weekly chart in November 2010 and stayed on the List for a second week, at number 33. Abnett's ''
Prospero Burns'' was next, reaching number 16 in January 2011; this title also topped a science fiction and fantasy book chart published by ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' (London) in March of the same year.
The compilation ''
Age of Darkness'', edited by Christian Dunn, also entered The New York Times Best Sellers List, in May 2011, at number 31. Book 19, ''
Know No Fear'', again by Abnett, continued the trend: it appeared at number 21 in March 2012. It was followed on the List by the next series title, ''
The Primarchs'', a compilation edited by Dunn, which occupied position 29 during the week of 17 June 2012; in addition, ''The Primarchs'' had placed first in ''
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
'' science fiction bestsellers listing for the week of 28 May 2012. In September 2012 ''
Fear to Tread'' by Swallow entered The New York Times Best Sellers List at number 13, at the time the highest entry on that chart for a series novel; the book remained on the List the week after (week of September 23), at number 33.
Related works
Between the late–1980s introduction of the Horus Heresy and the start of this series publication in 2006, Games Workshop and affiliates released -branded products that expanded the concept's standing as ''Warhammer 40,000'' background material. The release of such works, which include literature independent of this series, continued ; the works may relate to it as prequels, sequels, or expansions of its stories.
Pre-series Horus Heresy literature and other related works may have been
superseded or rendered obsolete, while other similar material may no longer be authoritative even as it remains in Horus Heresy and ''Warhammer 40,000'' canons; still other non-series Horus Heresy material has been eventually incorporated into the work.
A significant development was the 2012 initial release of the ''Horus Heresy'' miniatures wargame expansion, which repositioned the concept as a foreground element within the ''Warhammer 40,000'' gaming system while highlighting the importance of the Horus Heresy to Games Workshop's product lineup and the related universe. The expansion is reputedly developed in coordination with the book series, and includes new material and information about the Horus Heresy and the fictional universe; it joins the series and other works as an authoritative source of Heresy material and ''Warhammer 40,000'' background.
The Black Library and Games Workshop have released novels, game rulebooks, and other products not branded or classified as ''Horus Heresy'', yet directly relating to story arcs or events described in the series. An example is listed in the
section below.
Selections
* ''Collected Visions: Iconic Images of the Imperium, Betrayal and War'' Alan Merrett (writer),
John Blanche
John Blanche is a British fantasy and science fiction illustrator and modeler who worked on Games Workshop's ''White Dwarf'' magazine, ''Warhammer Fantasy Battle'', ''Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay'' and ''Warhammer 40,000'' games and was the art d ...
(conceptual art), Nick Kyme and Matt Ralphs (editors), and many additional contributors.
Omnibus edition
An omnibus edition or omnibus is a creative work containing one or more works by the same or, more rarely, different authors. Commonly two or more components have been previously published as books but a collection of shorter works, or shorter wor ...
of the four-volume ''Horus Heresy'' art book series (2004–06); it outlines the entire Horus Heresy in art and prose. it was partially superseded, amended, or expanded by the continuing book series and the newer ''Horus Heresy'' rulebook series (see
below
Below may refer to:
*Earth
*Ground (disambiguation)
*Soil
*Floor
*Bottom (disambiguation)
Bottom may refer to:
Anatomy and sex
* Bottom (BDSM), the partner in a BDSM who takes the passive, receiving, or obedient role, to that of the top or ...
). As of the same month it remained the most comprehensive official roadmap for the complete Heresy storyline June 2007
* ''Battle of the Fang'' Chris Wraight. ''Warhammer 40,000'' novel in the ''
Space Marine Battles series''. The story takes place a thousand years after the Horus Heresy, and is a continuation of the arc presented in Books 12 (''
A Thousand Sons''), and 15 (''
Prospero Burns'') June 2011
* ''Aurelian'' Aaron Dembski‑Bowden. Subtitled ''The Eye stares back'', this "Horus Heresy novella" is part of a story arc along with ''
The First Heretic'', Book 14 in the series October 2011
* ''Betrayal'' Alan Bligh (writer), and
Forge World
Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are ''Warhammer Age of Sigmar'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''.
Founded in 1975 by John Peake, Ia ...
artists and designers. "Volume One" in the ''Horus Heresy'' rulebook series. This series is part of the stand-alone ''Horus Heresy'' expansion for the ''Warhammer 40,000'' game system; the expansion is produced by Games Workshop
modelling subsidiary Forge World. ''Betrayal'' is centered on the events of
Isstvan III, also described in ''Galaxy in Flames'',
Book 3
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many page (paper), pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bookbinding, bound together and protected by a book cover, cover. Th ...
of the book series September 2012
See also
*
List of Warhammer 40,000 novels
Following the 1987 initial release of Games Workshop's ''Warhammer 40,000'' wargame, set in a far future military science fantasy universe, the company began publishing background literature that expands previous material, adds new material, ...
Notes
[.]
[The audience has a partially ]omniscient point-of-view
Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to storytelling, convey a narrative, story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deli ...
, since a number of significant events, the general outline, and the ending of the Horus Heresy are known in advance. Story elements have been published by Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group (often abbreviated as GW) is a British manufacturer of miniature wargames, based in Nottingham, England. Its best-known products are ''Warhammer Age of Sigmar'' and ''Warhammer 40,000''.
Founded in 1975 by John Peake (gam ...
starting 1988 ; a comprehensive outline, including the conclusion, was published in the four-volume ''Horus Heresy'' art book series between May 2004 and July 2006. This series was republished in a 2007 omnibus edition
An omnibus edition or omnibus is a creative work containing one or more works by the same or, more rarely, different authors. Commonly two or more components have been previously published as books but a collection of shorter works, or shorter wor ...
, see ''Collected Visions'' (in § Related works: Selections).
[. Originally offered as a "Collectors Edition" web exclusive.]
Mass-market paperback
A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) books are bound with cardboard covered with cloth, lea ...
approx. ; trade paperback Trade paperback may refer to:
* Trade paperback, a higher-quality softcover version of a book
* Trade paperback (comics)
In comics in the United States, a trade paperback (shortened: TPB or trade) is a collection of stories originally published ...
approx. . Sources: Amazon UK
Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...
; British National Bibliography
The British National Bibliography (BNB) was established at the British Museum in 1949 to publish a list of the books, journals and serials that are published in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. It also includes information on forthcoming ...
; digital media size range reflects decompressed readable/listenable formats. "Enhanced e‑book" editions not included in the indicated values (such versions may be substantially larger). Range values are extrapolated approximations, see ; for audio edition information, see individual title listings under
[ . Limited-time offer expired 2012, see . ]
[.]
[.]
[Review of ''Horus Rising'' "5th Anniversary Edition": ; and of the "Premium Hardback Edition": . (Both positive).]
["Blood Games" by Dan Abnett; "Wolf at the Door" by Mike Lee; "Scions of the Storm" by Anthony Reynolds; "The Voice" by James Swallow; "Call of the Lion" by Gav Thorpe; "The Last Church" by Graham McNeill; and "After Desh’ea" by Matt Farrer ]
[Review: (mostly positive).]
[Combined review of ''A Thousand Sons'' and ''Prospero Burns'' CD-audio editions: (positive).]
[Review: (mixed).]
[Review: (positive).]
[.]
[Review: (positive).]
["Rules of Engagement" by Graham McNeill; "Liar's Due" by James Swallow; "Forgotten Sons" by Nick Kyme; "The Last Remembrancer" by John French; "Rebirth" by Chris Wraight; "The Face of Treachery" by Gav Thorpe; "Little Horus" by Dan Abnett; "The Iron Within" by Rob Sanders; and "Savage Weapons" by Aaron Dembski‑Bowden . One story, "The Iron Within", was prepublished in ''Hammer and Bolter'', a Black Library e‑magazine, in February 2011 ; "The Last Remembrancer" was included in the same magazine's May 2011 issue, published simultaneously with the series book .]
[Reputed continuity problems introduced in the series by story elements in '' The Outcast Dead'' have been the subject of discussion among the Warhammer 40,000 ]fan community
A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of empathy and camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significant ...
; see also
[Review of the e‑audio edition: (mixed).]
[Review: (positive).]
[Review: (negative).]
["The Reflection Crack'd" by Graham McNeill; "Feat of Iron" by Nick Kyme; "The Lion" by Gav Thorpe; and "The Serpent Beneath" by Rob Sanders . "Feat of Iron" complements a non-series Horus Heresy novella by the same author ; "The Lion" was prepublished in digital format, as a ''Hammer and Bolter'' serial .]
[Review: (positive).]
[Review: (positive).]
[Short stories: "The Dark King", "The Kaban Project", and "Death of a Silversmith" by Graham McNeil; "The Lightning Tower" by Dan Abnett; "Raven's Flight" by Gav Thorpe (these stories were previously published; "Raven's Flight", a prequel to Book 18, is an adaptation of an original "Horus Heresy Audio Drama", the first such entry in this series). Novellas: "The Crimson Fist" by John French (prepublished as stand-alone e‑book, see ); "The Prince of Crows", an original story by Aaron Dembski‑Bowden. .]
["The Reflection Crack'd" by Graham McNeil , and "The Crimson Fist" by John French .]
[Review: (positive).]
[Review of the "Premium Hardback" edition: (positive).]
[The subtitle ''Blood for the Blood God'' is also the title of an unrelated 2008 '']Warhammer Fantasy Warhammer Fantasy can mean:
* ''Warhammer Fantasy'' (setting), the fictional setting of the various games and media
* ''Warhammer'' (game), a table-top fantasy miniature wargame, and origin of the franchise
*''Warhammer Age of Sigmar'', the success ...
'' novel. See .
["The Shards of Erebus" by Guy Haley; "Calth that Was" (novella) by Graham McNeill; "Dark Heart" by Anthony Reynolds; "The Traveller" by David Annandale; "A Deeper Darkness" by Rob Sanders; "The Underworld War" by Aaron Dembski‑Bowden; "Athame" by John French; and "Unmarked" by Dan Abnett . "Dark Heart" was previously published in text, as an "e‑short" in January 2013 .]
[Brief review of the abridged CD-audio edition: (positive).]
[Review: (mostly positive).]
[In some editions, ]Book 5
A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many page (paper), pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bookbinding, bound together and protected by a book cover, cover. Th ...
is subtitled ''The last Phoenix'', see . the subtitle ''Visions of treachery'' is also the title of Book 3 in the ''Horus Heresy'' art book series.
[Review: (neutral).]
[Review: (positive).]
[In some editions, Book 9 is subtitled ''Knowledge is power'', see . ]
[ (publisher webpage).]
[.]
[. Two related works from the Horus Heresy ]audio drama
Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine t ...
series ''Garro'' appeared in the same list: the ''Legion of One'' CD (''Garro'' vol. 1) was in the top position; the CD for volume 2, ''Oath of Moment'' was at number 9.
[; ]
[Critics' praise: and critics' complaint: ; ; ; ]
[Postulated creative constraints: ; ; fans vs. casual readers: ; .]
[. From an interview with series author Dan Abnett; . Interview with Neil Roberts, the series main artist; . From a reviewer's essay; for a creator's perspective on working within the overall Warhammer environment see .]
[, all digital media editions, the books' art, and the majority of special editions and bundles were offered exclusively through the publisher's online or physical outlets ; this included the "Horus Heresy Collections" , and the titles' "Premium Hardback Edition" (; "premium" editions are offered at a substantially higher price compared to regular versions, see for price information); ]
[ (from a Games Workshop monthly publication).]
[Book 23 "premium" editions: . Book 1 republished in same: ]
[. }.]
[; for more information, see cited works under § ]References
Reference is a relationship between objects in which one object designates, or acts as a means by which to connect to or link to, another object. The first object in this relation is said to ''refer to'' the second object. It is called a ''name'' ...
.
[.]
[At the New York Times Bestseller List :
]
[Prepublication examples: . Short story from the '' Age of Darkness'' compilation which was simultaneously published (in text and audio) in Black Library's ''Hammer and Bolter'' e‑magazine; . A novella republished in '' The Primarchs'' compilation. It was serialized in ''Hammer and Bolter'' from February to April 2012; . Novella from the '' Shadows of Treachery'' compilation prepublished as an e‑book in July 2012; . Information about a Games Workshop event, with prerelease versions of series titles on offer]
[ (although published before Book 19, '' Know No Fear'', it mainly deals with that novel's aftermath); (sequel to '' Prospero Burns''); (prequel to '' Deliverance Lost'').]
[; .]
[.]
References
References may include multiple versions of cited works, published in alternate formats or media: these versions appear consecutively, are separated by a double semicolon , and are listed by full date of release in ascending order (displayed date may be truncated); where applicable they are sub-listed by media type, in alphabetical order. In such references, information common to listed versions may appear in a single instance only.
Where "originally published" appears in entries for standalone or self-contained works (including compilations), it refers to the work's first release in the indicated media type.
Audio sources are listed by author(s).
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Horus Heresy (Novels)
British science fiction
Science fiction novel series
Warhammer 40,000 novels