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Eisenhorn #1-3
Eisenhorn
Inquisitor Eisenhorn is one on the most senior members of the Imperial Inquisition. With his warband he scourges the galaxy in order to root out heresy. When that heresy is found to infiltrate the hierarchy of the Imperium and the Inquisition itself, he must rely on himself alone to deal with it - even if it means making deals with the enemy. All three books of the Eisenhorn trilogy along with two short stories and Eisenhorn's case book and compendium are included in one big volume
768 pages, Paperback
First published December 16, 2004
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February 5, 2012
Fantasy Review Barn.
This is my first run of the Warhammer Universe, something I didn't think I was interested in. But Abnett was fairly consistently named as a good writer of fun sci-fi, so I gave this a go. I am happy I did.
Luckily you need no knowledge of the WH4K world to start, what little background that is needed is dropped in ways that didn't piss me off. All three books contained(and the two short stories) were a first person narrative of Eisenhorn, a inquisitor who searchers for influences of Chaos though the galaxy.
Let me assure you that the praise I will be giving this series is in respect to other tie in novels(looking at you Star Wars), I know full well that this is not going to appeal to literature snobs.
First of all, the world works. With the exception of a ill placedlightsabre energy sword, most of the tech in the world didn't seem out of line. Also, unlike the SW universe, we see planets and travel between them that makes sense. No pure ice worlds here, nor planets with twenty alien species speaking one language. While dark, there is evidence that in most places, life is going on as it always have. Also, no instant travel. Sometimes things happen while the team is traveling.
Second, Abnett keeps up the pace. He knows he is writing a fast paced action novel, and doesn't disappoint. At no point did I get bored.
Third, however, Abnett is not a silly writer, and despite the pace it is a smart set of novels. No Dues ex machina type endings, not a lot of coincidences that drive me nuts. And Eisenhorn is at some points almost unstoppable, but at other points makes serious mistakes that cost him. When ever he verges on Gary Stu, you realize he is human and his actions matter. In the end, they matter ALOT.
Lastly, let me say the second short story included is the reason I often feel sorry for tie-in writers(though I know they choose the world they write in). Even when they write something borderline amazing, it will be diminished by the fact that you have to know the world, and the knowledge that "hey, its a tie-in, how good can it be." The second short story was a great piece of fiction, a creepy little psuedo-horror idea that I really enjoyed.
Well, there it is, possibly my longest review ever on Goodreads, and it is for something that almost no one else I know would ever read.
This is my first run of the Warhammer Universe, something I didn't think I was interested in. But Abnett was fairly consistently named as a good writer of fun sci-fi, so I gave this a go. I am happy I did.
Luckily you need no knowledge of the WH4K world to start, what little background that is needed is dropped in ways that didn't piss me off. All three books contained(and the two short stories) were a first person narrative of Eisenhorn, a inquisitor who searchers for influences of Chaos though the galaxy.
Let me assure you that the praise I will be giving this series is in respect to other tie in novels(looking at you Star Wars), I know full well that this is not going to appeal to literature snobs.
First of all, the world works. With the exception of a ill placed
Second, Abnett keeps up the pace. He knows he is writing a fast paced action novel, and doesn't disappoint. At no point did I get bored.
Third, however, Abnett is not a silly writer, and despite the pace it is a smart set of novels. No Dues ex machina type endings, not a lot of coincidences that drive me nuts. And Eisenhorn is at some points almost unstoppable, but at other points makes serious mistakes that cost him. When ever he verges on Gary Stu, you realize he is human and his actions matter. In the end, they matter ALOT.
Lastly, let me say the second short story included is the reason I often feel sorry for tie-in writers(though I know they choose the world they write in). Even when they write something borderline amazing, it will be diminished by the fact that you have to know the world, and the knowledge that "hey, its a tie-in, how good can it be." The second short story was a great piece of fiction, a creepy little psuedo-horror idea that I really enjoyed.
Well, there it is, possibly my longest review ever on Goodreads, and it is for something that almost no one else I know would ever read.
May 31, 2016
Well...that was fun.
It was actually better than I thought. I had never read a Warhammer book before, let alone played any of the games. This was kind of an experiment.
I'll tell ya, had 12 year old me read this book he woulda lost his shit! Like...mind blown level of awesomeness.
But, instead, 40 year old me read this book, and while still entertained, my mind wasn't blown.
That said - this book was good enough that, down the road, I won't be so hesitant to pick up a Warhammer novel. Not every story has to feel significant and earth shattering. Sometimes you just want to sit down and get lost in a crazy adventure.
And that's what this novel was. A fun, light, action-packed sci-fi romp that definitely made me fist-pump the air a few times as I read it.
Great history and lore. Which I kind of expected as it's a very in-depth game world, but I was really surprised at how awesome a lot of the stuff was. I mean seriously, Astromancers? That's fucking cooooooool!
And I have to admit....there were quite a few times as I read this where some new character or concept was introduced and I just had to sit there and take it all in for a second. So many crazy ideas. And I guess that's why the book sold me. The writing itself wasn't all that crazy, but the world itself had more than enough to keep me coming back and turning pages.
And that's all I need or expect from these books.
Fuck yeah!
It was actually better than I thought. I had never read a Warhammer book before, let alone played any of the games. This was kind of an experiment.
I'll tell ya, had 12 year old me read this book he woulda lost his shit! Like...mind blown level of awesomeness.
But, instead, 40 year old me read this book, and while still entertained, my mind wasn't blown.
That said - this book was good enough that, down the road, I won't be so hesitant to pick up a Warhammer novel. Not every story has to feel significant and earth shattering. Sometimes you just want to sit down and get lost in a crazy adventure.
And that's what this novel was. A fun, light, action-packed sci-fi romp that definitely made me fist-pump the air a few times as I read it.
Great history and lore. Which I kind of expected as it's a very in-depth game world, but I was really surprised at how awesome a lot of the stuff was. I mean seriously, Astromancers? That's fucking cooooooool!
And I have to admit....there were quite a few times as I read this where some new character or concept was introduced and I just had to sit there and take it all in for a second. So many crazy ideas. And I guess that's why the book sold me. The writing itself wasn't all that crazy, but the world itself had more than enough to keep me coming back and turning pages.
And that's all I need or expect from these books.
Fuck yeah!
April 22, 2017
Mistery, azione, thriller, fantasy ed horror in un oscuro futuro distopico da incubo. Basato sull'ambientazione di un famoso gioco di miniature, non é necessaria alcuna conoscenza del suddetto per apprezzarlo. Letto per la seconda volta dopo qualche anno e tanta voglia di rileggerlo ancora. Da evitare la vecchia edizione della Hobby & work tradotta con i piedi.. molto meglio l'omnibus in inglese contenente 2 racconti brevi oltre alla trilogia originale. Personaggi molto ben strutturati, ognuno di essi esprime humour, emozioni e fragilità che li rendono reali. Dan Abnett é anche scrittore di fumetti e si vede: gli Arbites strizzano l'occhio ai Giudici di Judge Dredd e molte scene d'azione hanno un taglio fumettistico/cinematografico.
Chi ha letto Lovecraft sorriderà alle citazioni di tomi maledetti che fanno impazzire chi li legge, "strani eoni" e culti di folli adoranti creature abominevoli. Allo stesso modo i poteri del Caos citati, possono essere annoverati tra i Grandi Antichi creati dal solitario di Providence e dai suoi epigoni nel cosiddetto ciclo dei Miti di Cthulhu.
La Black Library ha pubblicato molte opere di qualità altalenante negli anni, ma questa é la migliore di tutte. Qualcuno lo ha definito una sorta di "Il nome della Rosa" ambientato nel futuro con tanta azione.
Decisamente consigliato per chi adora la letteratura fantastica.
Con un po' d'immaginazione, le avventure di Gregor Eisenhorn ed i suoi compagni, raccontate dal punto di vista dell'Inquisitore, possono dare al lettore ore ed ore di divertimento ed emozioni.
Eisenhorn é infatti uno di quei libri che si possono leggere e rileggere ed apprezzare ogni volta.
October 8, 2025
I was going to review each of the Eisenhorn novels separately, but thought I would just review the omnibus instead as that is what I actually read. Eisenhorn includes three novels (Xenos, Malleus, and Hereticus), plus two very good short stories (Missing in Action and Backcloth for a Crown Additional). They all read as one long story highlighting various episodes in Eisenhorn's life, who is an Imperial Inquisitor, from his beginnings to basically the end.
Unlike most of the 40K novels, Abnett does not give us simply an action fest with little plot. While his character is perhaps not the richest in the world, Abnett does a good job developing him and his various minions/team members attached to him. Eisenhorn starts with just a few 'aides', but gradually, as he ages and becomes more experienced, these aides number in the several dozens. Further, some of the first villains (if you will) keep popping up throughout the trilogy. While not quite an action fest, Abnett does give us plenty of action, especially as Eisenhorn at times is being sought out by rival inquisitor factions for being a heretic himself.
The tale starts with Eisenhorn travelling to Hubris, a planet with an eclectic orbit where for several months, most of the population goes voluntarily into deep freeze. There, the 'facilitator' he as been chasing for years has some evil plan that Eisenhorn thwarts (at some cost). The Glaw family, old and established, possessed a dark side at one point, flirting with the forces of chaos and warp power. We soon find out the primary villain of this, long thought dead, in fact resides in a crystal; the plan on Hubris was to steal the life-force of the sleepers to reanimate the guy. Long story short, Eisenhorn ends up with the crystal and the 'coffin' made to communicate with him.
The primary 'baddy', however, is a daemonhost named Cherubael (Cherubael comes from the void, but typically resides in a human host). Eisenhorn has dreamed of him for ages, and only later in the tale actually meets him. Somehow, Cherubael seems to know Eisenhorn, and even acts a bit friendly toward him! Needless, he (or it) will play a major role as the stories unfold.
I loved the world building and Abnett creates them with a minimal amount of infodumps and fuss. Each novel is relatively self-contained, consisting of a major adventure (the short stories are simply short adventures). The primary theme, however, concerns how even a 'Puritan' inquisitor may become corrupted by the warp. As Eisenhorn's career unfolds, he increasingly finds ways to use the warp to fight cults and other heretics. Is he becoming a radical? We do encounter other inquisitors who have 'crossed the line'; perhaps Eisenhorn may do so as well, if only for the best intentions.
Fun reads that are not too mentally tasking, but also a good introduction to the 40K world. 3.5 for the series, rounding up!
Unlike most of the 40K novels, Abnett does not give us simply an action fest with little plot. While his character is perhaps not the richest in the world, Abnett does a good job developing him and his various minions/team members attached to him. Eisenhorn starts with just a few 'aides', but gradually, as he ages and becomes more experienced, these aides number in the several dozens. Further, some of the first villains (if you will) keep popping up throughout the trilogy. While not quite an action fest, Abnett does give us plenty of action, especially as Eisenhorn at times is being sought out by rival inquisitor factions for being a heretic himself.
The tale starts with Eisenhorn travelling to Hubris, a planet with an eclectic orbit where for several months, most of the population goes voluntarily into deep freeze. There, the 'facilitator' he as been chasing for years has some evil plan that Eisenhorn thwarts (at some cost). The Glaw family, old and established, possessed a dark side at one point, flirting with the forces of chaos and warp power. We soon find out the primary villain of this, long thought dead, in fact resides in a crystal; the plan on Hubris was to steal the life-force of the sleepers to reanimate the guy. Long story short, Eisenhorn ends up with the crystal and the 'coffin' made to communicate with him.
The primary 'baddy', however, is a daemonhost named Cherubael (Cherubael comes from the void, but typically resides in a human host). Eisenhorn has dreamed of him for ages, and only later in the tale actually meets him. Somehow, Cherubael seems to know Eisenhorn, and even acts a bit friendly toward him! Needless, he (or it) will play a major role as the stories unfold.
I loved the world building and Abnett creates them with a minimal amount of infodumps and fuss. Each novel is relatively self-contained, consisting of a major adventure (the short stories are simply short adventures). The primary theme, however, concerns how even a 'Puritan' inquisitor may become corrupted by the warp. As Eisenhorn's career unfolds, he increasingly finds ways to use the warp to fight cults and other heretics. Is he becoming a radical? We do encounter other inquisitors who have 'crossed the line'; perhaps Eisenhorn may do so as well, if only for the best intentions.
Fun reads that are not too mentally tasking, but also a good introduction to the 40K world. 3.5 for the series, rounding up!
January 21, 2014
Let's be honest, worshipping a dead idol is holding back the Imperium
Eisenhorn, Warhammer 40,000s answer to Sherlock Holmes and Judge Dredd rolled into one. In this omnibus edition we're presented with three full length novels, those being; Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus. Ironically the name of the various Ordos (or Orders) within the Inquisition. There are also two very short stories, which sort of link in with the main storyline, somewhere. What can you expect? Plenty of problem solving and a plot that has you thinking about those many detective programs you've watched on the BBC.
So I read this many years ago, whenever it was released. I recall enjoying the various stories, but did it set my world on fire? Not really. What held it together for me was the dystopian plot that 40K brings (it's a Emo's paradise out there), the varied characters within Eisenhorn's employee and a lovely little daemonic character named Cheurbal. So no lacklustre characters here, the dialogue is fairly sharp and very descriptive, which can deflect from the plot line at times - yes I found myself yawning at points. It's really nice though to step away from the grandiose battles which are plaguing Black Library's releases (especially lately). This is such a plot driven story, rather than bolt-porn, it's, well a relief and a joy to read in parts.
I'm not going to dissect individual stories or start cutting into the 'fluff' or lore of 40K. Eisenhorn novels are known to have set a precedents when introducing certain fluff into the universe, this is something Dan Abnett excels at. Xenos is a great read and one I recommend to readers, especially if they are looking to introduce themselves into Warhammer 40K. It's not overloaded with too much detail, but balances that with a nice pace-y plot that allows time for a descriptive narrative.
Characters jump off the page, such as Aemos, the old savant from a Eisenhorn's past mentor. A academic for life if you will, he is a character I can relate to in the sense of seeking complex problems and solving them. Alizabeth Bequin, a blank (which is essentially someone who is unaffected by magic/psychic powers), is essentially the second character to come into Eisenhorn's employee - to be close to her is a anathema for the Imperial Inquisitor, but read on dear friends, as opposites do attract! The last individual/thing I want to talk about is Cherubal! I mentioned him above. This little fellow is the bane of Eisenhorn's life, in many ways! Gleefully 'it' is a major player in influencing Eisenhorn - who is known as a traditionalist of sorts, helps turn him to a more radical mindset. That being toying with the unknown, employing questionable skills and techniques. Essentially what is viewed as BAD by those who are sporting moustaches and drinking cups of whatever the staunch Imperial brew is!
As you may have noticed, this took me over a month to read; Christmas, New Years, studying and life admin. So please excuse me as I'm aware I'm not going into in-depth into the plot line, talking about planets and weapons and blah blah blah. I've just not got the time to go back and pick that up, sorry :S
Anyway, this omnibus was like eating into a rich layered cake. To begin with it was really enjoyable, then after the next layer it was becoming sickly and a bit same-y. By the third, I was forcing myself to finish up and not throw it in the bin. So yes, the ending in Hereticus is a bit same-y and rushed, much like that last gutful of baked goodness. I'd suggest not covering this tome in cream by the way, it won't make it any more, digestible.
Eisenhorn, Warhammer 40,000s answer to Sherlock Holmes and Judge Dredd rolled into one. In this omnibus edition we're presented with three full length novels, those being; Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus. Ironically the name of the various Ordos (or Orders) within the Inquisition. There are also two very short stories, which sort of link in with the main storyline, somewhere. What can you expect? Plenty of problem solving and a plot that has you thinking about those many detective programs you've watched on the BBC.
So I read this many years ago, whenever it was released. I recall enjoying the various stories, but did it set my world on fire? Not really. What held it together for me was the dystopian plot that 40K brings (it's a Emo's paradise out there), the varied characters within Eisenhorn's employee and a lovely little daemonic character named Cheurbal. So no lacklustre characters here, the dialogue is fairly sharp and very descriptive, which can deflect from the plot line at times - yes I found myself yawning at points. It's really nice though to step away from the grandiose battles which are plaguing Black Library's releases (especially lately). This is such a plot driven story, rather than bolt-porn, it's, well a relief and a joy to read in parts.
I'm not going to dissect individual stories or start cutting into the 'fluff' or lore of 40K. Eisenhorn novels are known to have set a precedents when introducing certain fluff into the universe, this is something Dan Abnett excels at. Xenos is a great read and one I recommend to readers, especially if they are looking to introduce themselves into Warhammer 40K. It's not overloaded with too much detail, but balances that with a nice pace-y plot that allows time for a descriptive narrative.
Characters jump off the page, such as Aemos, the old savant from a Eisenhorn's past mentor. A academic for life if you will, he is a character I can relate to in the sense of seeking complex problems and solving them. Alizabeth Bequin, a blank (which is essentially someone who is unaffected by magic/psychic powers), is essentially the second character to come into Eisenhorn's employee - to be close to her is a anathema for the Imperial Inquisitor, but read on dear friends, as opposites do attract! The last individual/thing I want to talk about is Cherubal! I mentioned him above. This little fellow is the bane of Eisenhorn's life, in many ways! Gleefully 'it' is a major player in influencing Eisenhorn - who is known as a traditionalist of sorts, helps turn him to a more radical mindset. That being toying with the unknown, employing questionable skills and techniques. Essentially what is viewed as BAD by those who are sporting moustaches and drinking cups of whatever the staunch Imperial brew is!
As you may have noticed, this took me over a month to read; Christmas, New Years, studying and life admin. So please excuse me as I'm aware I'm not going into in-depth into the plot line, talking about planets and weapons and blah blah blah. I've just not got the time to go back and pick that up, sorry :S
Anyway, this omnibus was like eating into a rich layered cake. To begin with it was really enjoyable, then after the next layer it was becoming sickly and a bit same-y. By the third, I was forcing myself to finish up and not throw it in the bin. So yes, the ending in Hereticus is a bit same-y and rushed, much like that last gutful of baked goodness. I'd suggest not covering this tome in cream by the way, it won't make it any more, digestible.
February 24, 2023
3.5
Compuesto por una trilogía ("Xenos", "Malleus" y "Hereticus") y dos relatos protagonizados por el mismo personaje principal que las novelas ("Perdida en combate" y "Telón de fondo por una corona").
Este recopilatorio nos narra la vida de Gregor Eisenhorn, Inquisidor que dedica su vida a perseguir a todo aquel que amenace la estabilidad del Imperio del Dios-Emperador, gobernante supremo de la Humanidad.
Empecé esta trilogía sin tener mucha idea del Universo de Warhammer. Tuve algo de contacto a través de algún videojuego de la franquicia, pero realmente este es mi primer contacto con algo que se adentre un poco más en todo el lore. Y la verdad es que la experiencia ha sido muy positiva.
Si bien es cierto que son libros que se centran mucho (quizá a veces demasiado) en la acción y he echado de menos algún momento más pausado y de desarrollo... También puedo entender que serán libros dirigidos a personas que ya controlan de este Universo, y por tanto no necesiten que la trama se detenga para explicarles conceptos y trasfondos que ellos ya conocen.
Quitando esto, me he encontrado con una space opera muy ágil ambientada en un Universo oscuro, rodeado de corrupción y elementos siniestros. Eisenhorn es un personaje carismático con una evolución interesante, lo que hace que la narración en primera persona esté muy bien aprovechada. Todo esto añadido a que prácticamente no dejen de suceder cosas en todo momento y ese toque de terror cósmico que envuelve a la trama hace que sea una historia muy disfrutable para cualquier persona que disfrute de estos elementos, conozca ya el Universo de Warhammer o no.
Tengo que decir que destaco especialmente el segundo relato y el tercer libro, que han sido mis favoritos. Además, al terminar con ellos, el buen sabor de boca ha sido aún mayor.
Como persona iniciada (pero no mucho) en Warhammer puedo decir que esta me parece una buena forma de entrada por la que ir asomándose. Y si os gustan las space opera llenas de acción, y encima disfrutáis del terror lovecraftiano... Aquí tenéis una historia que os puede llamar la atención.
Compuesto por una trilogía ("Xenos", "Malleus" y "Hereticus") y dos relatos protagonizados por el mismo personaje principal que las novelas ("Perdida en combate" y "Telón de fondo por una corona").
Este recopilatorio nos narra la vida de Gregor Eisenhorn, Inquisidor que dedica su vida a perseguir a todo aquel que amenace la estabilidad del Imperio del Dios-Emperador, gobernante supremo de la Humanidad.
Empecé esta trilogía sin tener mucha idea del Universo de Warhammer. Tuve algo de contacto a través de algún videojuego de la franquicia, pero realmente este es mi primer contacto con algo que se adentre un poco más en todo el lore. Y la verdad es que la experiencia ha sido muy positiva.
Si bien es cierto que son libros que se centran mucho (quizá a veces demasiado) en la acción y he echado de menos algún momento más pausado y de desarrollo... También puedo entender que serán libros dirigidos a personas que ya controlan de este Universo, y por tanto no necesiten que la trama se detenga para explicarles conceptos y trasfondos que ellos ya conocen.
Quitando esto, me he encontrado con una space opera muy ágil ambientada en un Universo oscuro, rodeado de corrupción y elementos siniestros. Eisenhorn es un personaje carismático con una evolución interesante, lo que hace que la narración en primera persona esté muy bien aprovechada. Todo esto añadido a que prácticamente no dejen de suceder cosas en todo momento y ese toque de terror cósmico que envuelve a la trama hace que sea una historia muy disfrutable para cualquier persona que disfrute de estos elementos, conozca ya el Universo de Warhammer o no.
Tengo que decir que destaco especialmente el segundo relato y el tercer libro, que han sido mis favoritos. Además, al terminar con ellos, el buen sabor de boca ha sido aún mayor.
Como persona iniciada (pero no mucho) en Warhammer puedo decir que esta me parece una buena forma de entrada por la que ir asomándose. Y si os gustan las space opera llenas de acción, y encima disfrutáis del terror lovecraftiano... Aquí tenéis una historia que os puede llamar la atención.
February 3, 2009
I love the Warhammer 40,000 universe. It's dark, it's grim, it's brutal, and there are space marines tearing aliens to pieces with their bare hands. The Eisenhorn trilogy by Dan Abnett shows a more intellectual side of this futuristic Dark Age, where man has forgotten more about technology than he will ever learn again.
The trilogy tracks the established career of Gregor Eisenhorn, Inquisitor to the Imperium of Mankind. The story starts by portraying Eisenhorn as something of a progressive Inquisitor, but a zealous one none the less, who puts his faith in the Emperor of Mankind and does his duty. He's crafty and ruthless when he must be, but he's also a great leader and puts his people high on his list of priorities. The books continue on as he tracks down an agent of Chaos(the realm of dark gods and daemons) and has to resort to increasingly heretical methods to make progress. The developing theme is one of compromise taken too far. At what point does using the tactics of the enemy cause him to become that which he is sworn to destroy?
Abnett's portrayal of the grim darkness of the far future sets an excellent backdrop for a morality play that's as old as literature itself. If you like science fiction, particularly with technology blended with mysticism and religion, I can't recommend this one highly enough.
The trilogy tracks the established career of Gregor Eisenhorn, Inquisitor to the Imperium of Mankind. The story starts by portraying Eisenhorn as something of a progressive Inquisitor, but a zealous one none the less, who puts his faith in the Emperor of Mankind and does his duty. He's crafty and ruthless when he must be, but he's also a great leader and puts his people high on his list of priorities. The books continue on as he tracks down an agent of Chaos(the realm of dark gods and daemons) and has to resort to increasingly heretical methods to make progress. The developing theme is one of compromise taken too far. At what point does using the tactics of the enemy cause him to become that which he is sworn to destroy?
Abnett's portrayal of the grim darkness of the far future sets an excellent backdrop for a morality play that's as old as literature itself. If you like science fiction, particularly with technology blended with mysticism and religion, I can't recommend this one highly enough.
January 30, 2014
This is the first book published by Black Library that I ever read. I knew almost nothing about the Warhammer 40k world, so there was a large learning curve. But this book hooked me on the 40k books. I have gone back and read several times and am preparing to do it again, before I read Pariah by Dan Abnett.
Abnett is an amazing writer. Even without knowing anything about the 40k universe (based on humanity in the 41,000st century), I couldn't put this book down. The characters are so real, even the supporting characters. You really care about what happens. There is tons of action. This is one of those books where you say you'll just read one more chapter before bed and next thing you know it is 3 am.
If you are not familiar with the 40k universe, I might not start with this book. I had my boyfriend to constantly pester with questions, which made things easier. I have suggested the Ciaphas Cain books by Sandy Mitchell for 40k newbies. But if you really want to start with Eisenhorn, be prepared to Google frequently. There are psykers, blanks, Chaos, Inquisitors...so many things that are specific to Warhammer 40k. But this book is worth it!
Abnett is an amazing writer. Even without knowing anything about the 40k universe (based on humanity in the 41,000st century), I couldn't put this book down. The characters are so real, even the supporting characters. You really care about what happens. There is tons of action. This is one of those books where you say you'll just read one more chapter before bed and next thing you know it is 3 am.
If you are not familiar with the 40k universe, I might not start with this book. I had my boyfriend to constantly pester with questions, which made things easier. I have suggested the Ciaphas Cain books by Sandy Mitchell for 40k newbies. But if you really want to start with Eisenhorn, be prepared to Google frequently. There are psykers, blanks, Chaos, Inquisitors...so many things that are specific to Warhammer 40k. But this book is worth it!
November 1, 2018
¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
- Xenos: http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
- Perdida en combate: https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
- Malleus: http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
- Telón de fondo por una corona: https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
- Hereticus: http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
- Xenos: http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
- Perdida en combate: https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
- Malleus: http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
- Telón de fondo por una corona: https://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com...
- Hereticus: http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
January 11, 2013
**Spoiler-ish**
I saved my review of Eisenhorn for after I completed Ravenor, since, before reading Ravenor I kind of figured they were all part of the same story. Now that I am done with it all I can really say is, "I kind of hate Dan Abnett." Dude wrecks my life. Wrecks it. The Gaunt's series is amazing, if you have read those and not been pissed off every time DA kills off a character you are not reading it right. The Inquisitor series is pretty much the same thing, only there are a lot fewer characters, and your heart breaks just a little bit more when one of them, well I wont say dies because that would be too easy. What can you say when characters you love, oh I don't know, are locked up in prison with no resolution to their fate, or perhaps turned into a host for a daemon (this has happened MORE THAN ONCE), or perhaps in order to combat the evil and darkness they hate they have to give in to its power and use it becoming the very thing they hate? you can say nothing. You can just accept it, and come to the realization that you hate hate hate Dan Abnett, because he makes you care so damn much.
I know I am late to the party, the Inquisitor novels are old as publication standards go, but after suffering through some pretty crap Black Library novels, when you read the good stuff it is like finding Sting in a pile of rusted shit. Seriously, the Inquisitor trilogies are awesome, do yourself a favor...f-ing read them. Read Eisenhorn, then wipe your tears and read Ravenor. If you can, pick your jaw up and dive into the new ones. I have not moved into the Bequin trilogy yet or the Ravenor vs. Eisenhorn books...mainly because he is not done with them and I kind of want to read them all at once. If I had gotten to the end of Ravenor and not be assured there was more to come I may have ordered an Exterminatus on Nottingham. That is it. They are awesome, what did you expect? Stop being weird and start turning the pages.
I saved my review of Eisenhorn for after I completed Ravenor, since, before reading Ravenor I kind of figured they were all part of the same story. Now that I am done with it all I can really say is, "I kind of hate Dan Abnett." Dude wrecks my life. Wrecks it. The Gaunt's series is amazing, if you have read those and not been pissed off every time DA kills off a character you are not reading it right. The Inquisitor series is pretty much the same thing, only there are a lot fewer characters, and your heart breaks just a little bit more when one of them, well I wont say dies because that would be too easy. What can you say when characters you love, oh I don't know, are locked up in prison with no resolution to their fate, or perhaps turned into a host for a daemon (this has happened MORE THAN ONCE), or perhaps in order to combat the evil and darkness they hate they have to give in to its power and use it becoming the very thing they hate? you can say nothing. You can just accept it, and come to the realization that you hate hate hate Dan Abnett, because he makes you care so damn much.
I know I am late to the party, the Inquisitor novels are old as publication standards go, but after suffering through some pretty crap Black Library novels, when you read the good stuff it is like finding Sting in a pile of rusted shit. Seriously, the Inquisitor trilogies are awesome, do yourself a favor...f-ing read them. Read Eisenhorn, then wipe your tears and read Ravenor. If you can, pick your jaw up and dive into the new ones. I have not moved into the Bequin trilogy yet or the Ravenor vs. Eisenhorn books...mainly because he is not done with them and I kind of want to read them all at once. If I had gotten to the end of Ravenor and not be assured there was more to come I may have ordered an Exterminatus on Nottingham. That is it. They are awesome, what did you expect? Stop being weird and start turning the pages.
July 25, 2018
EISENHORN is a series I kind of regret I bought in omnibus edition because it's all blurred into one story for me and I can't really review it as a single work. I don't regret buying the actual book, however, because it was very entertaining. It's the story of an Inquisitor of the Order Xenos (despite never really going after Xenos) who finds himself going down the slippery slope from a conservative to a radical.
Inquisitor Eisenhorn is a great character because he really manages to convince you he has everything under control for the entirety of the series while increasingly losing his grip. No man can control the power of Chaos, after all, but he's willing to get on the back of a bucking bronco in order to resolve the current problems he has. This despite the fact his enemies are Inquisitors who, themselves, have fallen from the path of grace due to their desire to use the power of Chaos against itself.
This is the kind of story which involves a massive treasure hunt with a severed head, the battle against a much revered Inquisitor who believes he can end the war against chaos (but is clearly insane), and how a righteous man who believes in the Emperor over the use of evil powers is probably the worst person you can have on your team. Of the supporting characters, I most enjoyed Bequin as she serves as a nice contrast even as I wonder how a Null can end up as a high class prostitute since the psyker field suppression causes anyone inside it to hate the person involved or at least be disgusted by them (NERD TRIVIA!).
There's a couple of extra short stories in the omnibus version as well.
8/10
Inquisitor Eisenhorn is a great character because he really manages to convince you he has everything under control for the entirety of the series while increasingly losing his grip. No man can control the power of Chaos, after all, but he's willing to get on the back of a bucking bronco in order to resolve the current problems he has. This despite the fact his enemies are Inquisitors who, themselves, have fallen from the path of grace due to their desire to use the power of Chaos against itself.
This is the kind of story which involves a massive treasure hunt with a severed head, the battle against a much revered Inquisitor who believes he can end the war against chaos (but is clearly insane), and how a righteous man who believes in the Emperor over the use of evil powers is probably the worst person you can have on your team. Of the supporting characters, I most enjoyed Bequin as she serves as a nice contrast even as I wonder how a Null can end up as a high class prostitute since the psyker field suppression causes anyone inside it to hate the person involved or at least be disgusted by them (NERD TRIVIA!).
There's a couple of extra short stories in the omnibus version as well.
8/10
October 3, 2020
Hace como treinta años empecé a estudiar en la universidad y al mudarme a Caracas descubrí una librería que tenía lo que para mi era una asombrosa cantidad de libros de fantasía y ciencia ficción: Suma.
Eran por lo menos TRES estantes completos (si, TRES, al fondo a la derecha, como los baños) dedicados al tema, llenos de Martínez Roca Super Fantasy y Super Ficción, Anaya con Última Thule, Ultramar con aquellas bellas portadas de Antoni Garcés, Minotauro (incluso esos bellos tomos en tapa dura) y, entre la sección de fantasía, una editorial que desconocía llamada Timun Mas que venía con unas coloridas portadas llenas de dragones, guerreros, brujos y una cosa extraña llamada Warhammer 40K que parecía una curiosa ciencia ficción rococó decadente.
De estos últimos nunca compré ninguno, eran libros costosos, series largas de tres, cuatro o más tomos (mi obsesión completista de la época me provocaba temblores sólo de pensarlo) y al parecer basados en juegos de mesa, lo que me daba mala espina.
Después de 30 años, y gracias a la recomendación de mi amigo Vladimir Vasquez, intenté re encontrarme con este universo 40 mil años en el futuro, con bastantes dudas, a través de lo que él piensa que es lo mejorcito de un producto comercial que sacó libros como quien saca churros.
Y debo decir que he quedado gratamente sorprendido.
Esta edición de Einsenhorn, tres novelas y dos novelas cortas reunidas en un único tomo, me hizo regresar a mi adolescencia y a la emoción de la space opera de aventuras, disparos, espadas, naves espaciales, malvados demonios extraterrestres y fantásticas tecnologías, pero con un toque bastante oscuro, macabro, ambiguo, gris. Sus protagonistas cambian, evolucionan y muchos mueren. Eisenhorn es un inquisidor, un agente del imperio para defender a la humanidad de la Disformidad (extraño universo paralelo origen de perversidades). Demonios, extraterrestres y herejes son sus enemigos, pero poco a poco establecerá dudosas alianzas y tendrá que aprender oscuras artes que lo harán caminar por la difusa frontera que separa a un radical de un hereje.
Y bueno, debí leerlos hace 20 años, los hubiera gozado mucho más.
¿Y qué pasó con la otra historia? Suma cerró en el 2018, como el resto de las librerías en Venezuela, su dueño murió unos años antes, su hija intentó seguir pero no hubo nada que hacer. No se que pasó con la señora mal encarada de la caja que un día me asombró contándome que se había leído casi todos los libros de Ultramar de su primera época, aquel gordito dependiente que me buscaba los saldos guardados en el depósito ni aquel chamo con cara de nerd que distribuía los Timun Mas y que, al verme curioseando en la sección de ciencia ficción, me invitó a una reunión de un cierto grupo Alfa de ciencia ficción en un café que nunca encontré (eran los años en que no existía internet).
Eran por lo menos TRES estantes completos (si, TRES, al fondo a la derecha, como los baños) dedicados al tema, llenos de Martínez Roca Super Fantasy y Super Ficción, Anaya con Última Thule, Ultramar con aquellas bellas portadas de Antoni Garcés, Minotauro (incluso esos bellos tomos en tapa dura) y, entre la sección de fantasía, una editorial que desconocía llamada Timun Mas que venía con unas coloridas portadas llenas de dragones, guerreros, brujos y una cosa extraña llamada Warhammer 40K que parecía una curiosa ciencia ficción rococó decadente.
De estos últimos nunca compré ninguno, eran libros costosos, series largas de tres, cuatro o más tomos (mi obsesión completista de la época me provocaba temblores sólo de pensarlo) y al parecer basados en juegos de mesa, lo que me daba mala espina.
Después de 30 años, y gracias a la recomendación de mi amigo Vladimir Vasquez, intenté re encontrarme con este universo 40 mil años en el futuro, con bastantes dudas, a través de lo que él piensa que es lo mejorcito de un producto comercial que sacó libros como quien saca churros.
Y debo decir que he quedado gratamente sorprendido.
Esta edición de Einsenhorn, tres novelas y dos novelas cortas reunidas en un único tomo, me hizo regresar a mi adolescencia y a la emoción de la space opera de aventuras, disparos, espadas, naves espaciales, malvados demonios extraterrestres y fantásticas tecnologías, pero con un toque bastante oscuro, macabro, ambiguo, gris. Sus protagonistas cambian, evolucionan y muchos mueren. Eisenhorn es un inquisidor, un agente del imperio para defender a la humanidad de la Disformidad (extraño universo paralelo origen de perversidades). Demonios, extraterrestres y herejes son sus enemigos, pero poco a poco establecerá dudosas alianzas y tendrá que aprender oscuras artes que lo harán caminar por la difusa frontera que separa a un radical de un hereje.
Y bueno, debí leerlos hace 20 años, los hubiera gozado mucho más.
¿Y qué pasó con la otra historia? Suma cerró en el 2018, como el resto de las librerías en Venezuela, su dueño murió unos años antes, su hija intentó seguir pero no hubo nada que hacer. No se que pasó con la señora mal encarada de la caja que un día me asombró contándome que se había leído casi todos los libros de Ultramar de su primera época, aquel gordito dependiente que me buscaba los saldos guardados en el depósito ni aquel chamo con cara de nerd que distribuía los Timun Mas y que, al verme curioseando en la sección de ciencia ficción, me invitó a una reunión de un cierto grupo Alfa de ciencia ficción en un café que nunca encontré (eran los años en que no existía internet).
December 25, 2008
First off, this particular omnibus book is a compilations of three other books: Xenos, Hereticus, and Malleus, as well as two more short stories.
Now, while I know that this might be "sci-fi fluffiness", that's why it has it's own shelf.
Overall, I really like the Eisenhorn series. Part detective story, part supernatural struggle against forces that threaten humanity, part horror, and some other stuff, all rolled into one. It's as if you took the private dick elements of Raymond Chandler, lighter horror from H.P. Lovecraft, sword and sorcery/action from Robert E. Howard, mixed it in with some space opera elements, and added a healthy dash of science-becomes-religion, such as found in Dune, shook it all up together, and then had it simmer on a stovetop for a few hours. This is what would rise to the top.
I think one of the best aspects of the Eisenhorn series is the pace. It never seems to bog down unnecessarily, and when Eisenhorn, an Inquisitor in the Holy Orders of the Emperor's Inquisition, decides to stick around somewhere (as he does on numerous occasions), he's always busy doing something. Planning ahead, investigating, researching, and so on. The fact that it is written in the first person, I think, makes it a bit more accessible, and a little more intense, such as when Eisenhorn is tortured (more than once, mind you).
The characters are what make this whole series for me. All of them are well fleshed out, and those that aren't are not for a good reason. Even Pontius Glaw, a major villain who can't really DO much until the third book is given a strong sense of character when he converses with Eisenhorn. Sadly, we don't get to see much of Ravenor (at least not now), but all the other characters we see develop somewhat over time, in particular Eisenhorn. He goes from being a staunch advocate of destroying anything used by the enemy (a purist, if you will) to, in the end, due to his exposure, circumstances, and needs, using the very tools and techniques that he has been trained and tasked with exposing and eradicating.
Talk about doing a 180.
If you are looking for thoughtful, provocative sci-fi that somehow makes you think about your present day world, then move on to something like Starship Troopers or Stranger in a Strange Land. If you're looking, however, for something to pass the time, a good adventure in a different time and place, that requires little mental investment on your part, then this would be a good bet.
Now, while I know that this might be "sci-fi fluffiness", that's why it has it's own shelf.
Overall, I really like the Eisenhorn series. Part detective story, part supernatural struggle against forces that threaten humanity, part horror, and some other stuff, all rolled into one. It's as if you took the private dick elements of Raymond Chandler, lighter horror from H.P. Lovecraft, sword and sorcery/action from Robert E. Howard, mixed it in with some space opera elements, and added a healthy dash of science-becomes-religion, such as found in Dune, shook it all up together, and then had it simmer on a stovetop for a few hours. This is what would rise to the top.
I think one of the best aspects of the Eisenhorn series is the pace. It never seems to bog down unnecessarily, and when Eisenhorn, an Inquisitor in the Holy Orders of the Emperor's Inquisition, decides to stick around somewhere (as he does on numerous occasions), he's always busy doing something. Planning ahead, investigating, researching, and so on. The fact that it is written in the first person, I think, makes it a bit more accessible, and a little more intense, such as when Eisenhorn is tortured (more than once, mind you).
The characters are what make this whole series for me. All of them are well fleshed out, and those that aren't are not for a good reason. Even Pontius Glaw, a major villain who can't really DO much until the third book is given a strong sense of character when he converses with Eisenhorn. Sadly, we don't get to see much of Ravenor (at least not now), but all the other characters we see develop somewhat over time, in particular Eisenhorn. He goes from being a staunch advocate of destroying anything used by the enemy (a purist, if you will) to, in the end, due to his exposure, circumstances, and needs, using the very tools and techniques that he has been trained and tasked with exposing and eradicating.
Talk about doing a 180.
If you are looking for thoughtful, provocative sci-fi that somehow makes you think about your present day world, then move on to something like Starship Troopers or Stranger in a Strange Land. If you're looking, however, for something to pass the time, a good adventure in a different time and place, that requires little mental investment on your part, then this would be a good bet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 7, 2012
I'm full of so many conflicted emotions at this moment, and in many ways, that's the mark of a great work of fiction. I've been a fan of Dan Abnett's comic book work for years now, and had heard many grand things about Eisenhorn, the book many consider his crowning achievement, before having myself the opportunity to read it. Often times in situations such as this, a book's impact is lessened by having such lofty expectations placed upon it. Not so, in this case.
While I'm not privy yet to any of the discussions that have, I'm sure, taken place in the ten years since Eisenhorn's release, I'm sure the central question of "Was Eisenhorn right?" has come up often. The easy answer is to say that no one was right - they're all flawed human beings simply making the best decisions they could, and it's only a work of fiction, so get over yourself. But in this case, I feel the question is deserving of further reflection. Are the tools of one's enemy viable weapons in the waging of war? If they are, where then does the delineation lie between opposing forces? These are questions that have plagued scholars and military leaders for as long as scholars and military leaders have existed, but they're still worth exploring, and Abnett does so brilliantly. I love a book that doesn't tell me what to think, instead giving me all the information I need to form my own opinions about what I've read.
Do I think Eisenhorn was right? (Slightly spoiler-y below) In short, no. I've always felt that in order to truly defeat an enemy, you must do so without ever resorting to their methods, lest you invite the same wrath you bring upon them someday onto yourself. I do feel that Osma and Fischig took this policy too far in the end, but Eisenhorn crossed a line (I won't say where, in case people have ignored spoiler warnings) that I would not have crossed in his place. That being said, though, a definite argument could be made for the truth in Ravenor's words - "We all become radicals eventually as we appreciate that we must know our enemy in order to defeat him. ... That's not to suggest the path of the Radical is easy. Eventually, even the most careful and responsible Radical will be overwhelmed by the warp. The real judge of character is what good a man can do before he is drawn too far." There is a certain logic to this, a sureness of purpose that I find appealing. It relies, though, upon a fundamental faith in mankind, and if there's one thing that the fiction of the Warhammer 40,000 universe has taught me, it's that faith in your fellow man can be a truly dangerous thing to have.
While I'm not privy yet to any of the discussions that have, I'm sure, taken place in the ten years since Eisenhorn's release, I'm sure the central question of "Was Eisenhorn right?" has come up often. The easy answer is to say that no one was right - they're all flawed human beings simply making the best decisions they could, and it's only a work of fiction, so get over yourself. But in this case, I feel the question is deserving of further reflection. Are the tools of one's enemy viable weapons in the waging of war? If they are, where then does the delineation lie between opposing forces? These are questions that have plagued scholars and military leaders for as long as scholars and military leaders have existed, but they're still worth exploring, and Abnett does so brilliantly. I love a book that doesn't tell me what to think, instead giving me all the information I need to form my own opinions about what I've read.
Do I think Eisenhorn was right? (Slightly spoiler-y below) In short, no. I've always felt that in order to truly defeat an enemy, you must do so without ever resorting to their methods, lest you invite the same wrath you bring upon them someday onto yourself. I do feel that Osma and Fischig took this policy too far in the end, but Eisenhorn crossed a line (I won't say where, in case people have ignored spoiler warnings) that I would not have crossed in his place. That being said, though, a definite argument could be made for the truth in Ravenor's words - "We all become radicals eventually as we appreciate that we must know our enemy in order to defeat him. ... That's not to suggest the path of the Radical is easy. Eventually, even the most careful and responsible Radical will be overwhelmed by the warp. The real judge of character is what good a man can do before he is drawn too far." There is a certain logic to this, a sureness of purpose that I find appealing. It relies, though, upon a fundamental faith in mankind, and if there's one thing that the fiction of the Warhammer 40,000 universe has taught me, it's that faith in your fellow man can be a truly dangerous thing to have.
February 2, 2012
I hated giving this three stars, but I felt that I had to. Here's why:
I've always been fascinated by Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 as games, and especially as settings. Part of what I really enjoy is the way in which it was founded as a grim satire of the utopian sci-fi of the early-mid 1980s. Nowadays, it seems to me that many players don't realize how much of the hyperbole which is typically employed by Games Workshop's writers is (or was, at any rate) a joke. Many players who are now introduced to the game seem to think that the sky really is falling. There's no doubt that the Imperium of Man is doomed, but do we all have to take it so seriously? Dan Abnett seems to change his mind about this frequently, which I found refreshing.
Additionally, I love getting a chance to see the elements of the 40k universe which are not typically depicted in the game; it's nice to see what Imperial planets look like before they are invaded by Orks and burned to a crisp. It's also interesting to see more of the bureaucracy behind the Imperial Navy, Inquisition, and Imperial Guard.
All of this is to the good, so why the 3 stars? Mostly, it comes down to Dan Abnett's writing. He's no hack, but there are a few elements of his style that drove me bonkers. His language varies from purple to sparse and back, often in the course of a single paragraph. His narrative plotting and character arcs become easy to predict, and he loves to write really short sentences to add drama to a scene when something is about to go wrong. The first few times it happens, it's an enjoyable idiosyncrasy. The next hundred times, not so much. Here's an example:
"I commanded, using my will. No reaction. They were psy-shielded.
Someone had prepared." (Eisenhorn, p. 611)
Still and all, for what amounts to a pulp novel, this is some pretty well written stuff, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to go beyond Space Marines having their umpteenth valiant last stand against a sky-darkening mob of Tyranids.
I've always been fascinated by Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 as games, and especially as settings. Part of what I really enjoy is the way in which it was founded as a grim satire of the utopian sci-fi of the early-mid 1980s. Nowadays, it seems to me that many players don't realize how much of the hyperbole which is typically employed by Games Workshop's writers is (or was, at any rate) a joke. Many players who are now introduced to the game seem to think that the sky really is falling. There's no doubt that the Imperium of Man is doomed, but do we all have to take it so seriously? Dan Abnett seems to change his mind about this frequently, which I found refreshing.
Additionally, I love getting a chance to see the elements of the 40k universe which are not typically depicted in the game; it's nice to see what Imperial planets look like before they are invaded by Orks and burned to a crisp. It's also interesting to see more of the bureaucracy behind the Imperial Navy, Inquisition, and Imperial Guard.
All of this is to the good, so why the 3 stars? Mostly, it comes down to Dan Abnett's writing. He's no hack, but there are a few elements of his style that drove me bonkers. His language varies from purple to sparse and back, often in the course of a single paragraph. His narrative plotting and character arcs become easy to predict, and he loves to write really short sentences to add drama to a scene when something is about to go wrong. The first few times it happens, it's an enjoyable idiosyncrasy. The next hundred times, not so much. Here's an example:
"I commanded, using my will. No reaction. They were psy-shielded.
Someone had prepared." (Eisenhorn, p. 611)
Still and all, for what amounts to a pulp novel, this is some pretty well written stuff, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to go beyond Space Marines having their umpteenth valiant last stand against a sky-darkening mob of Tyranids.
May 15, 2025
So I read this trilogy 20yrs ago, re-read it a while back and picked up this copy because I had given my original copy away. The book that I first had was a trilogy, but this 2022 version has 4 stories. The tale ended with Cherubeal killing everyone in a structure while Eisenhorn stands back and watches. This current edition has "The Magos" which you can tell right form the beginning has a very different Dan Abnett writing style. Overall the last story didn't work for me and I hate read the last 30pages.
Page 712: Cherabael is in Amos not Godwyn, right?
"The air quality was changing, as if the atmosphere itself was stiffening and drawing tight like some great force gathering it's breath."
Page 712: Cherabael is in Amos not Godwyn, right?
"The air quality was changing, as if the atmosphere itself was stiffening and drawing tight like some great force gathering it's breath."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2008
This was actually my first WH40k novel to ever read, and I went into it expecting very little. So you can imagine how surprised I was to be confronted with the quality of this work. Some may have some gripes about it, like the flat female characters, the slow spots that are encountered, but all-in-all this is a hugely entertaining read. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys sci-fi in general. A great read!
January 11, 2017
Swooped through the last third of the book in one evening, unable to put it aside until it is done. I can say that even if you are not a fan of Warhammer universe, the book is an outstanding example of science fiction and a well-structured, rounded plot. The author provides astonishing level of background detail into the workings of Imperium of Manking of the 41 millennium. In the grim future of mankind there is only war and I've enjoyed it immensely.
August 19, 2014
As a wargamer I have read the fluff in the army codexes and enjoyed it and used it in games.
but this book is one of the few novels in either 40k or warhammer fantasy I have read.
I did enjoy it as it came highly recommended from my wargame club members.
but this book is one of the few novels in either 40k or warhammer fantasy I have read.
I did enjoy it as it came highly recommended from my wargame club members.
March 5, 2012
For those who don't know already, the Eisenhorn Omnibus is about the exploits of Gregor Eisenhorn, Imperial Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos. Eisenhorn was originally just a character in Games Workshop's Inquisitor game but Dan Abnett found the concept artworks and liked them so much that he decided he must write the backstories for the character.
The omnibus consists of three books and two short stories. The books are all named after the three major orders of the Inquisition, Ordo Xenos; Ordo Malleus and Ordo Hereticus and the general theme of each book echoes its title.
Before I get into the details of each story, I must say that this omnibus is an absolutely amazing and exciting piece of work. I don't know why I waited so long before I picked up this series. There are explosions, plenty of deaths and battles with Chaos Marines, daemons and even a Titan! I can see why it is held in such high regards by the fans.
After giving some time to reflect on these stories, I came to the conclusion that Eisenhorn is the Jack Bauer of the 41st millennium. Eisenhorn and Bauer are alike in that they have both given their lives to serve a greater purpose, which is to protect the lives and stability of those around them. They both have to make morally ambiguous choices and plenty of people die along the way but everything they do is for the greater good. Also they both suffer a fair amount of brutal injuries but still manage to pull through in the end.
Coincidentally, Eisenhorn's retinue is like the CTU. He always has someone with the right skills close-by and the members rotate like clockwork. If they die, Eisenhorn will just pick someone else to do the job and continue with his mission. So as a word of warning, don't get too attached to Eisenhorn's crew.
The pacing of the entire omnibus is excellent, fast and action-packed, and never a moment that left you feeling bored. All three books begin with a scene that leaves thousands dead and the stories follow Eisenhorn's journey as he gathers the clues and searches for the masterminds behind each of the mass destructions.
In Xenos, we are introduced to Inquisitor Eisenhorn, young and in his prime. During his investigation on Gudrun, Eisenhorn is captured and the torture leaves him permanently expressionless. The subsequent chase leads Eisenhorn to an alien world where he realises that there's more at stake than he imagined and even Chaos Marines are involved.
I think it's an excellent touch to add Chaos Marines in this story. Reading about the fear induced by the Chaos Marine on Alizebeth Bequin reminds me just how truly fearsome and terrifying these creatures of Chaos are.
In Missing in Action, the short story that follows, Eisenhorn investigates a series of ritual murders on Sameter. The story again is wonderfully written and tells the horrors of war and the lasting effects it can have on you.
After this we come to Malleus, the Inquisition thinks that Eisenhorn is consorting with daemons and declares him Heretic and Extremis Diabolus. Eisenhorn decides to go rogue in order to gather the evidence needed to prove his innocence.
This story surprised me in a few ways. First the story begins ninety eight years after the events of Xenos, which is a pretty big time jump and somewhere in the middle one of the crew members have died but not much is said of that particular event. Second, in this book we also meet Eisenhorn's protégé, Interrogator Gideon Ravenor. I know there is another set of trilogy featuring Ravenor and thought he would play a bigger part in the story but didn't expect him to be taken out so quickly. Maybe it was done on purpose but I felt there wasn't enough time to become familiar with him and the other new characters and their dismissal doesn't have that much of an impact on the story.
My overall thoughts for Malleus is that it's a little too predictable and the ending wrapped up too perfectly but it's still a satisfying and exciting story.
Afterwards we have another short story, this one titled Backcloth for a Crown Additional. Eisenhorn investigates the mysterious death of an old friend which appears to be a simple open and shut case. However with further inspection, Eisenhorn and his retinue finds that there is a certain pattern leading to the death. This is another entertaining short story, one with a little less action but more than makes up for it with its eeriness.
Last but not least, we have Hereticus. In this book we witness Eisenhorn's change to radicalism, almost crossing over to becoming heretical as he goes against the very thoughts he once believed in and uses the power of the Warp against agents of the Warp. We see him struggle with his choices and the decisions over the use of the tainted knowledge. His organisation is destroyed and is hunted by a man know as Khanjar the Sharp. To make things worse, Eisenhorn is once again declared as a Heretic by the Inquisition for his involvement with the Malus Codicium.
There is great emotion in this book, we see a man who is pushed too far and finally breaks because of it. Eisenhorn finally gets his revenge but at what costs? His former friends and allies are now gone or dying and he no longer has a place he can call home. A sad but satisfying ending that fits well with the grim dark future setting of the 40k universe.
This omnibus is really a great solid piece of work and once again shows why Abnett is considered one of the best writers at Black Library.
(Repost from http://www.paperlessreading.com/2012/...)
The omnibus consists of three books and two short stories. The books are all named after the three major orders of the Inquisition, Ordo Xenos; Ordo Malleus and Ordo Hereticus and the general theme of each book echoes its title.
Before I get into the details of each story, I must say that this omnibus is an absolutely amazing and exciting piece of work. I don't know why I waited so long before I picked up this series. There are explosions, plenty of deaths and battles with Chaos Marines, daemons and even a Titan! I can see why it is held in such high regards by the fans.
After giving some time to reflect on these stories, I came to the conclusion that Eisenhorn is the Jack Bauer of the 41st millennium. Eisenhorn and Bauer are alike in that they have both given their lives to serve a greater purpose, which is to protect the lives and stability of those around them. They both have to make morally ambiguous choices and plenty of people die along the way but everything they do is for the greater good. Also they both suffer a fair amount of brutal injuries but still manage to pull through in the end.
Coincidentally, Eisenhorn's retinue is like the CTU. He always has someone with the right skills close-by and the members rotate like clockwork. If they die, Eisenhorn will just pick someone else to do the job and continue with his mission. So as a word of warning, don't get too attached to Eisenhorn's crew.
The pacing of the entire omnibus is excellent, fast and action-packed, and never a moment that left you feeling bored. All three books begin with a scene that leaves thousands dead and the stories follow Eisenhorn's journey as he gathers the clues and searches for the masterminds behind each of the mass destructions.
In Xenos, we are introduced to Inquisitor Eisenhorn, young and in his prime. During his investigation on Gudrun, Eisenhorn is captured and the torture leaves him permanently expressionless. The subsequent chase leads Eisenhorn to an alien world where he realises that there's more at stake than he imagined and even Chaos Marines are involved.
I think it's an excellent touch to add Chaos Marines in this story. Reading about the fear induced by the Chaos Marine on Alizebeth Bequin reminds me just how truly fearsome and terrifying these creatures of Chaos are.
In Missing in Action, the short story that follows, Eisenhorn investigates a series of ritual murders on Sameter. The story again is wonderfully written and tells the horrors of war and the lasting effects it can have on you.
After this we come to Malleus, the Inquisition thinks that Eisenhorn is consorting with daemons and declares him Heretic and Extremis Diabolus. Eisenhorn decides to go rogue in order to gather the evidence needed to prove his innocence.
This story surprised me in a few ways. First the story begins ninety eight years after the events of Xenos, which is a pretty big time jump and somewhere in the middle one of the crew members have died but not much is said of that particular event. Second, in this book we also meet Eisenhorn's protégé, Interrogator Gideon Ravenor. I know there is another set of trilogy featuring Ravenor and thought he would play a bigger part in the story but didn't expect him to be taken out so quickly. Maybe it was done on purpose but I felt there wasn't enough time to become familiar with him and the other new characters and their dismissal doesn't have that much of an impact on the story.
My overall thoughts for Malleus is that it's a little too predictable and the ending wrapped up too perfectly but it's still a satisfying and exciting story.
Afterwards we have another short story, this one titled Backcloth for a Crown Additional. Eisenhorn investigates the mysterious death of an old friend which appears to be a simple open and shut case. However with further inspection, Eisenhorn and his retinue finds that there is a certain pattern leading to the death. This is another entertaining short story, one with a little less action but more than makes up for it with its eeriness.
Last but not least, we have Hereticus. In this book we witness Eisenhorn's change to radicalism, almost crossing over to becoming heretical as he goes against the very thoughts he once believed in and uses the power of the Warp against agents of the Warp. We see him struggle with his choices and the decisions over the use of the tainted knowledge. His organisation is destroyed and is hunted by a man know as Khanjar the Sharp. To make things worse, Eisenhorn is once again declared as a Heretic by the Inquisition for his involvement with the Malus Codicium.
There is great emotion in this book, we see a man who is pushed too far and finally breaks because of it. Eisenhorn finally gets his revenge but at what costs? His former friends and allies are now gone or dying and he no longer has a place he can call home. A sad but satisfying ending that fits well with the grim dark future setting of the 40k universe.
This omnibus is really a great solid piece of work and once again shows why Abnett is considered one of the best writers at Black Library.
(Repost from http://www.paperlessreading.com/2012/...)
November 18, 2012
I have a vague memory of hanging out with some friends in elementary school as they rolled some dice and moved around some painted science fiction themed miniatures on a pool table. Watching them was interesting, but not super exciting. So that memory made me sort of set aside the concepts of Games Workshop’s “Warhammer 40,000” as not really my thing. Recently though I took another look at the concept and was blown away. Here was a world that mixed Lovecraftian horror, with fantasy, and the sci-fi elements of properties like “Dune,” “Starship Troopers,” and “Star Wars.” It then gave everything a noirish gray hued twist and added a heavy metal-Frank Frazetta visual aesthetic for spice. It’s inventive and very cool. I don’t think it would look as cool played out on my dining room table with little pained metal figures, but I thought the right writer could tell some really awesome and really fun stories.
So with that in mind I decided to give the novels of the Black Library, the publishing arm of Games Workshop, a chance. I looked for a good place to start and came across the “Eisenhorn” trilogy of novels by Dan Abnett. The trilogy was described as part detective story and part interplanetary epic, which was music to this crime fiction fan’s ears. Plus, I was fan ofAbnett’s comic book work especially on the Marvel cosmic titles he co-wrote with Andy Lanning, like “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Nova.” So I picked up the “Eisenhorn” Omnibus which is composed of a trilogy of novels “Xenos,” “Malleus,” and “Hereticus” and two short stories that bridge the gaps between the novels. I’m glad I did too, because all three books were incredibly fun reads.
The “Eisenhorn” novels unfold in the world of “Warhammer 40,000” which is a grim dark future reality, “where there is only war.” That’s because in Warhammer 40K humanity is now a xenophobic interstellar empire that’s at war with several intergalactic cultures and four interdimensional chaos gods and the cults and demons that worship them. The title character, Gregor Eisenhorn, is an Inquisitor, an officer of the Empire of Humanity that’s one part detective one part super spy. Inquisitors are given absolute authority to root out and destroy any and all threats to humanity.
Eisenhorn is a pretty cool character too, and we get to know him intimately over the course of the stories in the omnibus because Abnett makes Eisenhorn a first person narrator in all the stories in the book. When we first meet him Eisenhorn is a veteran Inquisitor; dogged, determined, and ultra professional. You admire his devotion. Then over the course of the three books he starts to change and grow. He becomes less rigid and more inclined to bend the rules and laws of the Empire to destroy threats. It’s an interesting change because it makes Eisenhorn flexible, multifaceted and flawed. He’s an ultra cool psychic, detective, and warrior, but even he makes poor choices. Sometimes they’ll be selfish, sometimes they’ll be irrational and some times he’s forced to make hard choices where no one benefits. So he’s a hero, but he’s a very human character that cares about the well being of humanity and his friends.
He has plenty of friends too because Inquisitors don’t battle evil alone. They do it with a whole retinue of assistants. So over the course of the “Eisenhorn” trilogy you get to meet the title character’s friends and staff. They’re a diverse, well rounded bunch each with their own specialties and perspectives. Working with an Inquisitor is dangerous business though so not all of them survive from book to book, but the ones that do grow. Plus a strong bond of friendship forms between Eisenhorn and his staff members that do survive. It’s that cool band of friends bond that you see in some of the best sci-fi stories and concepts like Joss Whedon’s “Firefly” and “Serenity” and of course “Star Wars.”
The “Eisenhorn” novels don’t just have great heroes they also have an assortment of interesting villains. In the stories Inquisitor Eisenhorn and his friends do battle with a whole host of foes like a powerful and wealthy cult that feels almost like a futuristic version of a James Bond villain’s organization, strange and terrifying aliens, demons, corrupted and evil psychics, rogue and puritanical Inquisitors, and even a genetic super soldier that had been corrupted by the gods of chaos.
The heroes and Villains of “Eisenhorn”match wits in perfectly paced, and exciting action stories that mix and match elements from other genres as well. For instance in the first story “Xenos” readers are treated to twisted alien landscapes that feel like something you might see in the movie “Prometheus” and several chapters later you get an epic space battle as Eisenhorn, his retinue, and an army of soldiers land on a planet to do battle with a villainous cult and their alien allies. In the second novel “Malleus” you get more action and you start to experience the power and lure of the dark arcane arts. Then in the third and final novel, “Hereticus” Abnett brings things full circle in a story that mixes ancient horror, with high adventure and features plenty of narrow escapes including a sword fight on top of a train car in a blizzard. Yes it’s as fun as it sounds.
In fact the entire book, all three novels and two stories, are extremely fun books.. So if you like action packed science fiction epics that expertly incorporate elements from horror, fantasy, and , detective ficton pick up Dan Abnett’s “Eisenhorn” Omnibus. You’ll be glad you did.
So with that in mind I decided to give the novels of the Black Library, the publishing arm of Games Workshop, a chance. I looked for a good place to start and came across the “Eisenhorn” trilogy of novels by Dan Abnett. The trilogy was described as part detective story and part interplanetary epic, which was music to this crime fiction fan’s ears. Plus, I was fan ofAbnett’s comic book work especially on the Marvel cosmic titles he co-wrote with Andy Lanning, like “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Nova.” So I picked up the “Eisenhorn” Omnibus which is composed of a trilogy of novels “Xenos,” “Malleus,” and “Hereticus” and two short stories that bridge the gaps between the novels. I’m glad I did too, because all three books were incredibly fun reads.
The “Eisenhorn” novels unfold in the world of “Warhammer 40,000” which is a grim dark future reality, “where there is only war.” That’s because in Warhammer 40K humanity is now a xenophobic interstellar empire that’s at war with several intergalactic cultures and four interdimensional chaos gods and the cults and demons that worship them. The title character, Gregor Eisenhorn, is an Inquisitor, an officer of the Empire of Humanity that’s one part detective one part super spy. Inquisitors are given absolute authority to root out and destroy any and all threats to humanity.
Eisenhorn is a pretty cool character too, and we get to know him intimately over the course of the stories in the omnibus because Abnett makes Eisenhorn a first person narrator in all the stories in the book. When we first meet him Eisenhorn is a veteran Inquisitor; dogged, determined, and ultra professional. You admire his devotion. Then over the course of the three books he starts to change and grow. He becomes less rigid and more inclined to bend the rules and laws of the Empire to destroy threats. It’s an interesting change because it makes Eisenhorn flexible, multifaceted and flawed. He’s an ultra cool psychic, detective, and warrior, but even he makes poor choices. Sometimes they’ll be selfish, sometimes they’ll be irrational and some times he’s forced to make hard choices where no one benefits. So he’s a hero, but he’s a very human character that cares about the well being of humanity and his friends.
He has plenty of friends too because Inquisitors don’t battle evil alone. They do it with a whole retinue of assistants. So over the course of the “Eisenhorn” trilogy you get to meet the title character’s friends and staff. They’re a diverse, well rounded bunch each with their own specialties and perspectives. Working with an Inquisitor is dangerous business though so not all of them survive from book to book, but the ones that do grow. Plus a strong bond of friendship forms between Eisenhorn and his staff members that do survive. It’s that cool band of friends bond that you see in some of the best sci-fi stories and concepts like Joss Whedon’s “Firefly” and “Serenity” and of course “Star Wars.”
The “Eisenhorn” novels don’t just have great heroes they also have an assortment of interesting villains. In the stories Inquisitor Eisenhorn and his friends do battle with a whole host of foes like a powerful and wealthy cult that feels almost like a futuristic version of a James Bond villain’s organization, strange and terrifying aliens, demons, corrupted and evil psychics, rogue and puritanical Inquisitors, and even a genetic super soldier that had been corrupted by the gods of chaos.
The heroes and Villains of “Eisenhorn”match wits in perfectly paced, and exciting action stories that mix and match elements from other genres as well. For instance in the first story “Xenos” readers are treated to twisted alien landscapes that feel like something you might see in the movie “Prometheus” and several chapters later you get an epic space battle as Eisenhorn, his retinue, and an army of soldiers land on a planet to do battle with a villainous cult and their alien allies. In the second novel “Malleus” you get more action and you start to experience the power and lure of the dark arcane arts. Then in the third and final novel, “Hereticus” Abnett brings things full circle in a story that mixes ancient horror, with high adventure and features plenty of narrow escapes including a sword fight on top of a train car in a blizzard. Yes it’s as fun as it sounds.
In fact the entire book, all three novels and two stories, are extremely fun books.. So if you like action packed science fiction epics that expertly incorporate elements from horror, fantasy, and , detective ficton pick up Dan Abnett’s “Eisenhorn” Omnibus. You’ll be glad you did.
September 8, 2024
Tengo conflicto con la nota porque he disfrutado la historia, los personajes, el mundo y el lore de Warhammer, pero es verdad que los libros cojean en varios aspectos. Los finales siempre me parecen muy apurados. Están durante todo el libro yendo de un lado para otro haciendo cosas y averiguando tramas heréticas, para que el malo maloso final pierda por un emperador ex machina en 2 párrafos.
Pero bueno, mi primer acercamiento al mundo de Warhammer y bastante contento.
Pero bueno, mi primer acercamiento al mundo de Warhammer y bastante contento.
April 26, 2018
I am excited. I’m reviewing Eisenhorn by Dan Abnett. The first Warhammer 40k book on this site. Partly I’m excited because I’m a fan of Warhammer, and whenever someone asks the question “I’m interested in Warhammer, where should I start reading?” I also give this as their first book. Partly I’m excited because Warhammer is so filled with terrible tropes and grimdank meme material that it should be easy to rip apart from a literary standpoint, yet still have enjoyed it.
For more totally unjustified snark, check out my review blog here!
But let’s take a step back. What am I actually reviewing? Because if you try and find what I’m actually reviewing, the first book in the trilogy, you probably won’t find it. For some reason, the Eisenhorn trilogy is only available as an omnibus edition at this point, and contains the three books: Xenos, Malleus, and Hereticus.
Unless, like me, you purchase the audible edition, in which case you have to buy the three book separately. I debated for a while about whether to review the omnibus or the individual books, as most people will be buying the omnibus, so why review them individually blah blah blah, long story short, I’m reviewing each book as its own work.
That said, I’m actually listening to the audiobook. Now, for those that haven’t listened to a Black Library audiobook before… treat yo self.
No, really. I have a lot of issues with Black Library, but their audiobook quality is not one of them. They always choose brilliant narrators, and Toby Longworth does a brilliant job. If you like deep, resonant, and British AF, then you’ll love any 40K audiobook. In my mind, they have the real voices of grimdark, and anything else is a let down.
So, we now know that I am reviewing Eisenhorn: Xenos. Good stuff. Let’s get into it with a super quick brief of what Warhammer 40k is:
Warhammer is a tabletop miniatures skirmish game. You paint little men and then roll dice to see how much damage their little guns do to the other army of little painted men. Warhammer originated in the 80s as a fantastical spin off from other tabletop miniature games that are typically called historical miniature games (think Napoleon or the world wars). Games Workshop (the company that makes the Warhammer miniatures and rules) took those historical rule sets, and threw a large amount of Dungeons & Dragons at them. That gave us Warhammer Fantasy Battle. A few years later, we got Warhammer 40,000, the sci-fi version. Fast forward thirty plus years, and Games Workshop now has a publishing arm of the company called Black Library, which posts a whole load of fiction. Some of their fiction has even hit best seller lists, which is pretty impressive for such a niche!
It also has to be noted that Warhammer novels have a reputation for… badness. Quality has not been a strong point for a few decades. They focused more on “bolter porn” (a “bolter” being the main gun used in 40K), and an inability to write the most iconic characters of the setting with any sort of believability or interest (space marines). Now, this reputation is mostly left over from darker days, but it does mean that there’s still a legacy, and the quality is still a touch hit and miss. Also, canonically the entire thing is a minefield. Some of the books, even now, are little more than advertisements for the latest little plastic men that Games Workshop has produced. Caution is required!
And a quick note on theme. The main tagline for Warhammer 40K is “In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war”. Are you enjoying the current spate of grimdark that fantasy is going through? Well, you probably have Warhammer to thank for that. They love them some grittiness! There are stories of Inquisitors (in-universe secret agents that have ultimate authority over pretty much everything) wiping out entire sectors of planets (no time to evacuate them, so dozens of billions killed) just to deter their enemy from heading that way (because their enemy wanted the biomass of the people living there. If they’re all dead, then no reason to go!). It is, for lack of a better word, stupid. It’s SO over the top, that it’s funny. Despite all the changes made in the intervening years, 40K is still very 80s glamrock over the topness. But, if you simply accept everything that happens, and how ridiculous everything is, then it’s all equally ridiculous, that it makes sense. Why have they built a gun the size of a planet? Because there is a giant alien bug-like space armada that legitimately needs a caliber of gun that size.
But this isn’t a discussion on Warhammer or grimdark (clearly I have a full essay in me on both of those), so let’s go!
The Actual Review
Well, that was a long spiel of background. Let’s dive in!
We join Gregor Eisenhorn just as he’s caught up with a chaos worshipper after six years of chasing. Eisenhorn has tracked Eyclone to the planet of Hubris… wait, is the planet really called… yeah, it is. All righty then. 40K doesn’t know what being “too on the nose” is. Hubris is an ice planet, and it’s explained very nicely just how cold everything is, and how the suits that protect them from the cold work. All very fake-science, and good stuff. The team enters a giant warehouse of cryo-frozen nobles.
Stylistically, Gregor is directly talking to the reader. He explains that he’s 42, which is someone in their prime, but considered very young for an Inquisitor. He tells us of the difference between a puritan inquisitor (him) and a radical. He gives us a little background on his Scipio pattern las-pistol, with ivory handgrips, engraved by his bodyguard. Who just died. Gregor is not particularly thrilled by this turn of events.
He relates the death of his female henchman to his other, still living, henchman, by using a secret language called glossia that he had created. It’s called glossia… It includes things like “thorn wishes aegis”... an Inquisitor, the highest authority in the universe, renowned for their intelligence, came up with that? Well sign me up to the Schola, call the black ships, I could be an Inquisitor because I think I can decipher that code. I’m a regular Alan Turing, over here…
As Gregor is running through this complex, thousands of people waking from cryosleep and stumbling around haphazardly, “thousands waking up in agony”, the bad guy spots him and takes a few shots. He misses, but only thanks to the mass of people between them. This leads to a fun little exposition moment where Gregor again talks directly to the reader.
One of the shots left a woman near dead, twitching in agony. As Gregor runs past, he considers a mercy killing for the woman, but decides he doesn’t have time. Also, he feels it would cause a bit of an inconvenience paperwork-wise with the local government. Knowing what I know about inquisitors, this rang a bit false, as inquisitors area law unto themselves, but this is brought up later, so I’ll let it slide.
Gregor asks the reader if we hate him for not putting the woman out of her misery, didn’t relieve her of her suffering. If we do, then good for us, we should, but at the same time, it tells him that we, the reader, clearly wouldn’t have what it took to become an inquisitor. This also leads to what I think is a pretty great quote:
“Perhaps arrogance is therefore a virtue of the Inquisition. I would gladly ignore one life in agony if I could save a hundred, a thousand, more. Mankind must suffer so that mankind can survive. It’s that simple.”
Now, if “Mankind must suffer so that mankind can survive” isn’t the epitome of grimdark, then I really don’t know what is! It’s fucking encapsulating! Stick all of grimdark into a crucible, and you end up with those eight words.
“Mankind must suffer so that mankind can survive.”
Ridiculous. Over the top. Fundamentally flawed. Beautiful. But this review isn’t an ode to grimdark, so let’s keep going.
Gregor kills some dudes, talks in more horrendous glossia, and then surprises this bad guy that he’s been tracking for years. He jams his fallen henchman’s pistol in the guy’s mouth and pulls the trigger.
The good thing here is that we know this guy was evil. 40K doesn’t mess around with shades of grey. There’s good and there’s bad. Except the good isn’t really good. It’s not black and white. It’s black and slightly off-black. Still, this guy worshipped chaos, and he’s now dead. Job well done. Also, he had a goatee, so evil is confirmed.
With this particular bad guy dead, Gregor dreams of something other than him for the first time in six years. Yeah, that’s right… dream sequence. I’m sure you can imagine how much I love those…
Except, actually, it wasn’t some terribly done dream sequence. It was just Gregor telling the reader “I saw a light that was dark. Doesn’t sound right, I know, but there ya go” (paraphrased). Abnett dodged that scathing bullet from me with grace and aplomb. He’s almost got me riled up enough to have a rant about why I don’t like dream sequences in books, but this review is getting WORDY, so I’ll move on.
Gregor then has to deal with some angry nobles, in which we find out that yes, Inquisitors don’t have to care about local law at all if they don’t want to, but it would inconvenience Gregor because, ultimately, he’s one of the good inquisitors, willing to play nice as long as local law doesn’t go too far.
He killed twelve thousand people, by the way. That’s how many cryopods were awoken without proper care in the previous scene. Not a single one of them survived. This isn’t some space opera where cryosleep is safe. Oh no. This is Warhammer, where a light gust of wind probably has ork spores on it, and they will grow inside you and an ork boy will rip you in half from the inside.
Next, Gregor and his crew go along to the autopsy of the deceased bad guy. They then storm a hab block of a local city. We see Gregor use his psychic will on people, and basically it sums up to “He can tell people to do things and they do”. He and a henchman have a psychic seance with some of the bad guy’s belongings, which gives them a word.
Now, the blurb for Xenos is rather generic, and I could easily use that excuse to go through the entire book. But then there’s no point reading the book, and let’s be honest, Abnett tells the story better than this. Why stop here? I consider the discovery of that word to be the start of what leads them to, as the blurb says “the arcane text of abominable power”.
A few things that come up in the next parts of the book are trade negotiations, impersonating a noble couple, pit fighting, torture, clashing with other inquisitors, and the leader of the local imperial navy going into a fit of rage so great he has to be sedated.
Oh, and one minor issue towards the end. An enemy gets shot in the hand when it would have been just as easy to shoot them in the head, killing them then and there. If you’re precise enough to make a hand shot to stop them reaching something, you’re precise enough to make a headshot. Minor deus ex machina there (something I’m super hot on pointing out!).
Is this book worth your time?
Do you already like Warhammer 40K and want to jump into some 40K fiction? Then this is a no-brainer, jump right in, you’ll love it.
Are you only vaguely aware of 40K, but have heard good things about this book? Well, you need to know a few things before you can make a decision.
Firstly, you’re dealing with grimdark fantasy in a sci-fi setting.
Every death here is dwelled upon. A random enemy doesn’t just fall, or get dispatched, no. He’s eviscerated in a shower of gore, or his entrails make the railing slick. Every kill is revelled in. Every detail of the surrounding cryopods is turned into some sick dream. They aren’t just groggily waking up from their sleep, they are clawing at the glass in a panicked frenzy.
Also, there’s magic. For 40K it’s pretty subtle here. Gregor can influence other people to do his will simply by injecting some of his psychic power into his words and then giving them orders. They feel compelled to do what he says.
There’s demons. Ugh, sorry, “Daemons”.
There is still a lot of things in the universe, that if you’re not already familiar with, don’t really get explained. Several times I noticed that servitors were mentioned, but not really defined. Now, I personally happen to know that a servitor is a grotesque melding of human brain in a vegetative state, hooked up to machines, and given very basic and routine tasks with certain parameters. Why? Because artificial intelligence has been outlawed as an abomination against the God Emperor, and so these Geiger-esque machine men are the answer.
However, you are getting a “relatable” story. Gregor is, effectively, a private detective. The beginning of this book really is little more than a fantasy detective noir novel. The concepts aren’t crazy and wild. It’s a guy in authority chasing a criminal, who quickly finds out that what he thought was a single criminal, turns out to be a much larger and more intricate problem. Effectively, a policeman arrests one guy, and it turns out that one guy works for the mob. Except, in this case, the mob are demons.
It escalates from there, but it doesn’t really do anything outlandish. The ending is a bit “out there” but if you followed the book until that point, I really don’t think it’s any harder to grasp for a non-40K person than one steeped in the lore.
All things considered… yeah. You know what? Yeah. This is a good book. Ignoring Warhammer, Eisenhorn: Xenos is a good read and well worth your time. It might lead you into wanting more 40K or it might not, but the book itself is really good.
The next question will be: is it the best book to introduce someone to 40K with? But we’ll have to wait until my next 40K book review to find that out!
Rating: 4 / 5 (75%)
Favourite character: Bequin (It’s Gregor OBVIOUSLY, but as the only PoV, he is disqualified)
Favourite quote: “Mankind must suffer so that mankind can survive”
---------------------Andrew-------------------
Enjoy the review? Check out my review blog here!
For more totally unjustified snark, check out my review blog here!
But let’s take a step back. What am I actually reviewing? Because if you try and find what I’m actually reviewing, the first book in the trilogy, you probably won’t find it. For some reason, the Eisenhorn trilogy is only available as an omnibus edition at this point, and contains the three books: Xenos, Malleus, and Hereticus.
Unless, like me, you purchase the audible edition, in which case you have to buy the three book separately. I debated for a while about whether to review the omnibus or the individual books, as most people will be buying the omnibus, so why review them individually blah blah blah, long story short, I’m reviewing each book as its own work.
That said, I’m actually listening to the audiobook. Now, for those that haven’t listened to a Black Library audiobook before… treat yo self.
No, really. I have a lot of issues with Black Library, but their audiobook quality is not one of them. They always choose brilliant narrators, and Toby Longworth does a brilliant job. If you like deep, resonant, and British AF, then you’ll love any 40K audiobook. In my mind, they have the real voices of grimdark, and anything else is a let down.
So, we now know that I am reviewing Eisenhorn: Xenos. Good stuff. Let’s get into it with a super quick brief of what Warhammer 40k is:
Warhammer is a tabletop miniatures skirmish game. You paint little men and then roll dice to see how much damage their little guns do to the other army of little painted men. Warhammer originated in the 80s as a fantastical spin off from other tabletop miniature games that are typically called historical miniature games (think Napoleon or the world wars). Games Workshop (the company that makes the Warhammer miniatures and rules) took those historical rule sets, and threw a large amount of Dungeons & Dragons at them. That gave us Warhammer Fantasy Battle. A few years later, we got Warhammer 40,000, the sci-fi version. Fast forward thirty plus years, and Games Workshop now has a publishing arm of the company called Black Library, which posts a whole load of fiction. Some of their fiction has even hit best seller lists, which is pretty impressive for such a niche!
It also has to be noted that Warhammer novels have a reputation for… badness. Quality has not been a strong point for a few decades. They focused more on “bolter porn” (a “bolter” being the main gun used in 40K), and an inability to write the most iconic characters of the setting with any sort of believability or interest (space marines). Now, this reputation is mostly left over from darker days, but it does mean that there’s still a legacy, and the quality is still a touch hit and miss. Also, canonically the entire thing is a minefield. Some of the books, even now, are little more than advertisements for the latest little plastic men that Games Workshop has produced. Caution is required!
And a quick note on theme. The main tagline for Warhammer 40K is “In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war”. Are you enjoying the current spate of grimdark that fantasy is going through? Well, you probably have Warhammer to thank for that. They love them some grittiness! There are stories of Inquisitors (in-universe secret agents that have ultimate authority over pretty much everything) wiping out entire sectors of planets (no time to evacuate them, so dozens of billions killed) just to deter their enemy from heading that way (because their enemy wanted the biomass of the people living there. If they’re all dead, then no reason to go!). It is, for lack of a better word, stupid. It’s SO over the top, that it’s funny. Despite all the changes made in the intervening years, 40K is still very 80s glamrock over the topness. But, if you simply accept everything that happens, and how ridiculous everything is, then it’s all equally ridiculous, that it makes sense. Why have they built a gun the size of a planet? Because there is a giant alien bug-like space armada that legitimately needs a caliber of gun that size.
But this isn’t a discussion on Warhammer or grimdark (clearly I have a full essay in me on both of those), so let’s go!
The Actual Review
Well, that was a long spiel of background. Let’s dive in!
We join Gregor Eisenhorn just as he’s caught up with a chaos worshipper after six years of chasing. Eisenhorn has tracked Eyclone to the planet of Hubris… wait, is the planet really called… yeah, it is. All righty then. 40K doesn’t know what being “too on the nose” is. Hubris is an ice planet, and it’s explained very nicely just how cold everything is, and how the suits that protect them from the cold work. All very fake-science, and good stuff. The team enters a giant warehouse of cryo-frozen nobles.
Stylistically, Gregor is directly talking to the reader. He explains that he’s 42, which is someone in their prime, but considered very young for an Inquisitor. He tells us of the difference between a puritan inquisitor (him) and a radical. He gives us a little background on his Scipio pattern las-pistol, with ivory handgrips, engraved by his bodyguard. Who just died. Gregor is not particularly thrilled by this turn of events.
He relates the death of his female henchman to his other, still living, henchman, by using a secret language called glossia that he had created. It’s called glossia… It includes things like “thorn wishes aegis”... an Inquisitor, the highest authority in the universe, renowned for their intelligence, came up with that? Well sign me up to the Schola, call the black ships, I could be an Inquisitor because I think I can decipher that code. I’m a regular Alan Turing, over here…
As Gregor is running through this complex, thousands of people waking from cryosleep and stumbling around haphazardly, “thousands waking up in agony”, the bad guy spots him and takes a few shots. He misses, but only thanks to the mass of people between them. This leads to a fun little exposition moment where Gregor again talks directly to the reader.
One of the shots left a woman near dead, twitching in agony. As Gregor runs past, he considers a mercy killing for the woman, but decides he doesn’t have time. Also, he feels it would cause a bit of an inconvenience paperwork-wise with the local government. Knowing what I know about inquisitors, this rang a bit false, as inquisitors area law unto themselves, but this is brought up later, so I’ll let it slide.
Gregor asks the reader if we hate him for not putting the woman out of her misery, didn’t relieve her of her suffering. If we do, then good for us, we should, but at the same time, it tells him that we, the reader, clearly wouldn’t have what it took to become an inquisitor. This also leads to what I think is a pretty great quote:
“Perhaps arrogance is therefore a virtue of the Inquisition. I would gladly ignore one life in agony if I could save a hundred, a thousand, more. Mankind must suffer so that mankind can survive. It’s that simple.”
Now, if “Mankind must suffer so that mankind can survive” isn’t the epitome of grimdark, then I really don’t know what is! It’s fucking encapsulating! Stick all of grimdark into a crucible, and you end up with those eight words.
“Mankind must suffer so that mankind can survive.”
Ridiculous. Over the top. Fundamentally flawed. Beautiful. But this review isn’t an ode to grimdark, so let’s keep going.
Gregor kills some dudes, talks in more horrendous glossia, and then surprises this bad guy that he’s been tracking for years. He jams his fallen henchman’s pistol in the guy’s mouth and pulls the trigger.
The good thing here is that we know this guy was evil. 40K doesn’t mess around with shades of grey. There’s good and there’s bad. Except the good isn’t really good. It’s not black and white. It’s black and slightly off-black. Still, this guy worshipped chaos, and he’s now dead. Job well done. Also, he had a goatee, so evil is confirmed.
With this particular bad guy dead, Gregor dreams of something other than him for the first time in six years. Yeah, that’s right… dream sequence. I’m sure you can imagine how much I love those…
Except, actually, it wasn’t some terribly done dream sequence. It was just Gregor telling the reader “I saw a light that was dark. Doesn’t sound right, I know, but there ya go” (paraphrased). Abnett dodged that scathing bullet from me with grace and aplomb. He’s almost got me riled up enough to have a rant about why I don’t like dream sequences in books, but this review is getting WORDY, so I’ll move on.
Gregor then has to deal with some angry nobles, in which we find out that yes, Inquisitors don’t have to care about local law at all if they don’t want to, but it would inconvenience Gregor because, ultimately, he’s one of the good inquisitors, willing to play nice as long as local law doesn’t go too far.
He killed twelve thousand people, by the way. That’s how many cryopods were awoken without proper care in the previous scene. Not a single one of them survived. This isn’t some space opera where cryosleep is safe. Oh no. This is Warhammer, where a light gust of wind probably has ork spores on it, and they will grow inside you and an ork boy will rip you in half from the inside.
Next, Gregor and his crew go along to the autopsy of the deceased bad guy. They then storm a hab block of a local city. We see Gregor use his psychic will on people, and basically it sums up to “He can tell people to do things and they do”. He and a henchman have a psychic seance with some of the bad guy’s belongings, which gives them a word.
Now, the blurb for Xenos is rather generic, and I could easily use that excuse to go through the entire book. But then there’s no point reading the book, and let’s be honest, Abnett tells the story better than this. Why stop here? I consider the discovery of that word to be the start of what leads them to, as the blurb says “the arcane text of abominable power”.
A few things that come up in the next parts of the book are trade negotiations, impersonating a noble couple, pit fighting, torture, clashing with other inquisitors, and the leader of the local imperial navy going into a fit of rage so great he has to be sedated.
Oh, and one minor issue towards the end. An enemy gets shot in the hand when it would have been just as easy to shoot them in the head, killing them then and there. If you’re precise enough to make a hand shot to stop them reaching something, you’re precise enough to make a headshot. Minor deus ex machina there (something I’m super hot on pointing out!).
Is this book worth your time?
Do you already like Warhammer 40K and want to jump into some 40K fiction? Then this is a no-brainer, jump right in, you’ll love it.
Are you only vaguely aware of 40K, but have heard good things about this book? Well, you need to know a few things before you can make a decision.
Firstly, you’re dealing with grimdark fantasy in a sci-fi setting.
Every death here is dwelled upon. A random enemy doesn’t just fall, or get dispatched, no. He’s eviscerated in a shower of gore, or his entrails make the railing slick. Every kill is revelled in. Every detail of the surrounding cryopods is turned into some sick dream. They aren’t just groggily waking up from their sleep, they are clawing at the glass in a panicked frenzy.
Also, there’s magic. For 40K it’s pretty subtle here. Gregor can influence other people to do his will simply by injecting some of his psychic power into his words and then giving them orders. They feel compelled to do what he says.
There’s demons. Ugh, sorry, “Daemons”.
There is still a lot of things in the universe, that if you’re not already familiar with, don’t really get explained. Several times I noticed that servitors were mentioned, but not really defined. Now, I personally happen to know that a servitor is a grotesque melding of human brain in a vegetative state, hooked up to machines, and given very basic and routine tasks with certain parameters. Why? Because artificial intelligence has been outlawed as an abomination against the God Emperor, and so these Geiger-esque machine men are the answer.
However, you are getting a “relatable” story. Gregor is, effectively, a private detective. The beginning of this book really is little more than a fantasy detective noir novel. The concepts aren’t crazy and wild. It’s a guy in authority chasing a criminal, who quickly finds out that what he thought was a single criminal, turns out to be a much larger and more intricate problem. Effectively, a policeman arrests one guy, and it turns out that one guy works for the mob. Except, in this case, the mob are demons.
It escalates from there, but it doesn’t really do anything outlandish. The ending is a bit “out there” but if you followed the book until that point, I really don’t think it’s any harder to grasp for a non-40K person than one steeped in the lore.
All things considered… yeah. You know what? Yeah. This is a good book. Ignoring Warhammer, Eisenhorn: Xenos is a good read and well worth your time. It might lead you into wanting more 40K or it might not, but the book itself is really good.
The next question will be: is it the best book to introduce someone to 40K with? But we’ll have to wait until my next 40K book review to find that out!
Rating: 4 / 5 (75%)
Favourite character: Bequin (It’s Gregor OBVIOUSLY, but as the only PoV, he is disqualified)
Favourite quote: “Mankind must suffer so that mankind can survive”
---------------------Andrew-------------------
Enjoy the review? Check out my review blog here!
March 29, 2015
I finished the first book in this three-book omnibus. It's a gothic, space opera fantasy with intricate yet effective descriptions and compelling prose. Abnet is definitely good at putting words down on paper. The story rocks along from one intense action scene to the next, each occurring in an imaginative, well-described setting. But the book has no theme or message to speak of. It's simply a well written, entertaining story (although it is rather dark--lots of gore and violence and evil). And sometimes, all I want from a book is an entertaining story. But reading too many books that focus only
The second book in this omnibus was not as good as the first -- too much telling and not enough showing, and Abnett summarized in a few paragraphs some of the most interesting parts of the story.
But the third book made up for the mediocre second book. And, unlike the first book, which was devoid of anything but a rollicking plot and exciting action sequences, the third book had a theme. Like the other books, this book's story rocked along very quickly with a snappy plot and excellent descriptions of settings, costumes, and characters (Abnett's strong point, by far).
*** spoilers below ***
Eisenhorn's descent into heresy is a compelling story, and I loved the final battle in the third book. Unfortunately, the story ends abruptly with the end of that final battle. I felt that the book had explored very well the significant cost of fighting evil with evil's own tactics, but I expected a more significant resolution of that theme. What happened to Eisenhor's standing in the Inquisitor community? Did Eisenhorn's loyal friends and followers continue to follow him, after the crisis of the book ended? Or did Eisenhor's radicalization drive off those he loved? Without an answer to those questions, the book felt incomplete -- its theme not fully developed or resolved.
The second book in this omnibus was not as good as the first -- too much telling and not enough showing, and Abnett summarized in a few paragraphs some of the most interesting parts of the story.
But the third book made up for the mediocre second book. And, unlike the first book, which was devoid of anything but a rollicking plot and exciting action sequences, the third book had a theme. Like the other books, this book's story rocked along very quickly with a snappy plot and excellent descriptions of settings, costumes, and characters (Abnett's strong point, by far).
*** spoilers below ***
Eisenhorn's descent into heresy is a compelling story, and I loved the final battle in the third book. Unfortunately, the story ends abruptly with the end of that final battle. I felt that the book had explored very well the significant cost of fighting evil with evil's own tactics, but I expected a more significant resolution of that theme. What happened to Eisenhor's standing in the Inquisitor community? Did Eisenhorn's loyal friends and followers continue to follow him, after the crisis of the book ended? Or did Eisenhor's radicalization drive off those he loved? Without an answer to those questions, the book felt incomplete -- its theme not fully developed or resolved.
March 1, 2013
This book was sweet. I have always been a fan of Warhammer 40K. Books, figurines, videos games, anything, I love them all. This book however really stands out on its own. I've read the Horus Hersey and don't get me wrong, I loved it. Good versus evil, Space Marine versus Chaos Space Marine. But this book takes first prize. The main character is, you guessed it, Eisenhorn. He is a Inquisitor that is more or less a puritan at his own discipline. No using chaos powers to hunt chaos. Simple enough, right? Wrong. The trilogy is a first-person struggle for Gregor Eisenhorn. Him and his Space Marine Chapter hunt down chaos. But eventually, because of desperation, Eisenhorn has to use the very powers of chaos to destroy a Chaos Titan. He uses the demon Cherubael, who i think is one of the most interesting characters in the book. Besides Eisenhorn of course. So in the end Eisenhorn does a complete one 180 and becomes something that he originally was set on destroying. I loved the book, sci-fi, mystery, horror, science and religion. What else do you need?? Obviously, I would recommend this book to anyone who has a lot of time on their hands and is looking for a great book to fill that time up with.
November 22, 2013
First of all, forget that this is a "Warhammer 40k" novel. I will go as far as saying that this is the best sci-fi book I have read to date. This is man fuel. A superior authored tale of the 41st millenium. The one page introduction of the universe at the beginning of the book will suffice as all the knowledge you need to tear into this one. Consider this quote from the intro:
"To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruellest and most bloody regime imaginable. These are the tales of those times. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be re-learned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grim dark future there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods."
Not all "Warhammer 40k" books are created equal. This is one that stands out in it's own right and deserves a place among the best of sci-fi. The character Eisenhorn is very well done. I read this about five years ago and it's going to be read by me again soon, and the only other book I ever read twice was Lord of the Rings.
Expect plenty of intrigue, weird technology, carnage, supernatural mayhem, and grit.
"To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruellest and most bloody regime imaginable. These are the tales of those times. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be re-learned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grim dark future there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods."
Not all "Warhammer 40k" books are created equal. This is one that stands out in it's own right and deserves a place among the best of sci-fi. The character Eisenhorn is very well done. I read this about five years ago and it's going to be read by me again soon, and the only other book I ever read twice was Lord of the Rings.
Expect plenty of intrigue, weird technology, carnage, supernatural mayhem, and grit.
May 17, 2012
There are many good books in the world of science fiction. Some will open new worlds, characters or themes. If you get the chance to read Eisenhorn it will do all three. Based in the worlds of Warhammer 40,000, Eisenhorn centers around the Imperial Inquisitor, Gregor Eisenhorn. Inquisitors are part Soviet Commissars, part church sanctioned detectives who root out heresy, daemons and treachery across the universe. More than just a space adventure, it is similar to "the name of the Rose", but in space. This book is actually three books - Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus - which make up a story arc of the Inquisitor and his staff.
Abnett is the master of SF writing. His characters show depth, humor and frailties which make them believable. Eisenhorn has an ensemble cast of characters, each who bring something different to the table for and against the ability to succeed in their missions. Take the time to read this volume if you like science fiction, mystery, adventure and military fiction. This will be one of those books that you might read more than once and enjoy each time.
Abnett is the master of SF writing. His characters show depth, humor and frailties which make them believable. Eisenhorn has an ensemble cast of characters, each who bring something different to the table for and against the ability to succeed in their missions. Take the time to read this volume if you like science fiction, mystery, adventure and military fiction. This will be one of those books that you might read more than once and enjoy each time.
January 7, 2015
Don't let the Warhammer connection put you off, this is a great scifi novel - one of my all-time favourites; lovely distopias, great characterisation, a dose of politics, and a solid plot. The poignancy of the story arc in the final chapters is beautiful. No prior knowledge required. Okay, so the writing can be ever so slightly ropey in places, but it's more than made up for as the vocabulary and intelligence of the book shines through.
For 40k fans, what a treat! Live through the politics of the Imperium, experience interstellar travel to diverse planetary locations, and stride into battle in the name of the Emperor, yet all with such nuance that fighting Chaos no longer seems as cut and dried as it once was...
For 40k fans, what a treat! Live through the politics of the Imperium, experience interstellar travel to diverse planetary locations, and stride into battle in the name of the Emperor, yet all with such nuance that fighting Chaos no longer seems as cut and dried as it once was...
December 12, 2017
I confess. Although I am a Warhammer 40k fan, I do not deem most of the novels concerning this lore to be literary masterpieces. Most of them are average at best, if so. But this book... oh, for the love of the God-Emperor, this book is amazing.
Dan Abnett has unfanthomably vast vocabulary and the way he composes the sentences just made my spine tingle with joy.
I confess. I've read the book in the deep voice that in my mind belongs to Eisenhorn. I wondered about the uniqueness of his so well thought-out companions. I watched him as he stepped off the path of the puritan and became a radical. So gradually that you don't even notice the change until it's just there.
I confess. I love this book.
Dan Abnett has unfanthomably vast vocabulary and the way he composes the sentences just made my spine tingle with joy.
I confess. I've read the book in the deep voice that in my mind belongs to Eisenhorn. I wondered about the uniqueness of his so well thought-out companions. I watched him as he stepped off the path of the puritan and became a radical. So gradually that you don't even notice the change until it's just there.
I confess. I love this book.
March 24, 2013
I wish I found this series earlier!
It is one of my favorites to date and I loved being drawn into the dirty underbelly of the Imperium. This isn't a series if you want your 'bolter porn' as there is very little space marine action but don't let that take anything away as the story is awesome and it is great seeing the 'shades of grey' development over time with the main himself, Eisenhorn.
It is one of my favorites to date and I loved being drawn into the dirty underbelly of the Imperium. This isn't a series if you want your 'bolter porn' as there is very little space marine action but don't let that take anything away as the story is awesome and it is great seeing the 'shades of grey' development over time with the main himself, Eisenhorn.
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