Eisenhorn Trilogy

[Doria Vilcan]

Eisenhornis a trilogy of science fantasy / crime[1] novels by the British writer Dan Abnett, set in the fictional universe of the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game. It is the first in a series of trilogies and separate novels by Abnett, which are some of the most popular works of Warhammer 40,000 tie-in fiction.[2]

In July 2019, the producer Frank Spotnitz announced that he was developing a TV adaptation of the Eisenhorn series as the showrunner, together with Emily Feller as an executive producer.[5] A broadcaster or platform, cast and staff have not yet been made public.[1]

Eisenhorn is a series of novels and short stories by Dan Abnett, following the adventures of Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn. It originally debuted in 2001 alongside the release of Games Workshop's 54 millimetre model specialty tabletop miniatures wargame, Inquisitor.

Eisenhorn was a named character in the game with his own model, as was his antagonist and ally, the Daemonhost Cherubael. No other characters from the game appear, but the types of characters in the game -- Arbiters, Rogue Traders, Deathwatch Space Marines, savants, Adeptus Mechanicus magi and so on, are featured as key characters in the series. Inspired by these and the content of the game, Abnett wrote the initial trilogy, with Xenos, the first novel, released at the same time as the game.

The series is predominantly written in the first person, resulting in an unreliable narrator: at certain points in his career, Eisenhorn sets down accounts of his life. It is not clear if the novels and stories are written in the same period, after Hereticus, or are, as may be more likely, written intermittently during and after the events of the series.

Despite his protestations, arguably the primary story arc of the series is Eisenhorn's fall from maintaining a strictly Puritan outlook to that of a Radical and rogue element of the Inquisition. Over the course of the novels, Eisenhorn loses almost all his friends and allies by not only using the tools of Chaos to fight and defeat the forces of Chaos, but by becoming blind to the dangers of this use -- seen in the change of his relationship to and ultimate dependence upon the Daemonhost Cherubael.

The series was pitched by Abnett when he was given material from the game in-development as inspiration for his Gaunt's Ghosts series of novels. As he explained in February 2016 to the Backwards Compatible podcast:

The series was intially released as three novels with intermediary short stories; however the series is internally dated, and the following list puts the Eisenhorn texts in chronological order (all dates are drawn from the texts themselves):

The thing I found most useful about this story at the time was a story dwelling in a world whose morality was very different from my own. (Zvi did not have this experience. I think you'll most have this experience if you were raised by atheists/hippies and have not only acquired their underlying values but some random patchwork beliefs that you haven't finished re-examining).

The world of Inquisitor is set in a "Medieval Church controls the entire human future." Morality comes from an extreme, puritanical version of the church (something I'd acquired an aesthetic distaste for), with the caveat that demons are real, so you have to cut them some slack. But just because demons are real doesn't mean I'm opting into the entire rest of their frame and politico-socio-paradigm.

I didn't pitch Zvi very hard on the sequel trilogy (it's good, but didn't have much more to offer philosophically than the first trilogy). But I recently read the first (and so far only book) of the third trilogy in the Eisenhorn meta-trilogy, and a) that book was good, b) it reminded me of a few neat things about the second trilogy.

2. The Eisenhorn trilogy is told from the first person. The second trilogy, Ravenor, is told from the POV of an extremely powerful psychic... which means it is also mostly told from first person, but often through the POV of other people which was neat.

To help clarify all this, this book offers a chronology and (thanks to the relevant novel titles being slipped into the table of contents to show where they fit) suggested reading order for the entire Inquisitor Cycle, making it a sort of keystone to the whole thing. The short stories here begin prior to the first novel in the Cycle and conclude with a few stories developing the state of affairs after the end of the Ravenor trilogy, whilst The Magos itself slides in immediately before Pariah, the beginning of the Bequin trilogy.

I have this on my shelf awaiting time for me to get to reading it. My first 40K and Abnett book was the Ravenor omnibus. Loved it and only got to Eisenhorn years later. Even read Pariah before the Eisenhorn trilogy. Great post.

I am nothing if not an unabashed fan of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. It has a deep, complex lore that is well-seeded in more than twenty years of rulebooks and codexes, all of which is wonderfully explored in various novels from Black Library. The question I receive most often from those unfamiliar is, "Where do I start?" Admittedly, while there are plenty of amazing novels and stories in the Black Library's catalog, there are also a few that are best avoided.

I present the order in which I recommend experiencing the world of Warhammer 40,000. Having read the majority of the catalog and creating several converts along the way, this is the approach I always find best.

What it's about: An Inquisitor named Gregor Eisenhorn and his kill team. The omnibus includes stories which span xenos, heretic and daemon enemies and full of political intrigue and good old fashioned action.

Why you should read it: This is, without question, the finest introduction to the world. Not only is this one of the best collections in the entire Black Library catalog, the stories are compelling and intriguing and the characters will resonate with you for years. There are certain moments in Eisenhorn that still pop into my mind for a variety of reasons, and Alizabeth Bequin maybe one of the greatest female characters in the WH40k universe.

Additional Reading: Need more Inquisition? Of course you do. Abnett's Ravenor Omnibus follows the story of Gideon Ravenor who appears in the second Eisenhorn book. Numerous other characters return and the story is equally full of WH40k politics.

What it's about: Much as with Eisenhorn, Ultramarines Omnibus contains three books which follow the adventures of Uriel Ventris, captain of the 4th company of the Ultramarines. Ventris' exploits take him across three very different campaigns.

Why you should read it: These stories provide one of the best introductions and primers for the concept and basis of the Space Marines which can be a foreign concept to newcomers of the universe. Also similar to Eisenhorn, Ultramarines Omnibus introduces you to three different types of enemies, including the horrid Traitor Marines.

Additional reading: If you find yourself in love with the Space Marines (how could you not be?), Dan Abnett's "Brothers of the Snake" is a wonderful next step. It's a shorter book and while the characters and story are great, it's not as much of an introduction as is the Ultramarines book. Also, McNeill's Ultramarines: The Second Omnibus is great if you want to finish the story of Ventris and Honsou.

Why you should read it: The story features the most intense, fast-paced descriptions of air combat in the Black Library's catalog. The book reads super quick because the action forces you to keep turning the pages at a breakneck pace. Also, Double Eagle features two of the best female characters in Abnett's Sabbat Worlds.

Additional reading: If you really like the Imperial Guard, Mitchel Scanlon's 15 Hours is a quick read that shows the truly gritty side of Imperial Guard life. It's very much in the vein of All Quiet on the Western Front. For more about the main Guard series starring Ibram Gaunt, see below.

Why you should read it: Rare is the book which follows a Chaos Space Marine's tale. There are plenty of short stories and Horus Heresy books (see below), but stories which seek to paint a flattering picture of the traitor legions are practically non-existent. The story is brilliant for its ability to make you feel invested in someone as evil as Talos and his band (especially Xarl), and Dembski-Bowden knows his way around space combat. This one is the first book in a trilogy, and I'm guessing it'll be an omnibus soon enough.

Additional reading: As mentioned, Chaos stories are pretty rare. But if you find yourself digging the traitor legions, Graham McNeill's Iron Warriors Omnibus is an excellent next step.

Why you should read it: Of the factions in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, the Adeptus Mechanicus is one of the neatest. Priests who worship technology, moving war engines the size of skyscrapers -- Titanicus shows it all in wonderful detail.

Why you should read it: It's funny as hell. Sure, it tells an interesting, compelling story with complex characters, but most importantly it's clever and funny. Something which is rather rare in the WH40k universe. Plus, it introduced me to my favorite phrase ever, "ploin-shaped," and taught me the dangers of rogue traders.

What it's about: A group of Black Templars are sent to defend the hive city of Helsreach from invading orks. As the fight gets ever more desperate, the Black Templars eventually have a showdown in an Imperial temple.

Why you should read it: All of the Space Marine Battles books are a bloody good time, but this one stands out among them. It focuses on a seldom seen chapter and is non-stop action from start to finish.

Why you should read it: While short in length, Yarrick: Chains of Golgotha packs a lot of punch. Not only does it show one of the most famous Commissars in WH40k lore, the build up and confrontation with Thraka is truly the stuff of legend -- both fun and unnerving.

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