Horus Rising (The Horus Heresy)

English language

Published Jan. 30, 2014 by The Black Library.

ISBN:: 978-1-84970-617-9

(1 review)

A Horus Heresy Novel - Book 1

After thousands of years of expansion and conquest, the human Imperium is at its height. His dream for humanity accomplished, the Emperor hands over the reins of power to his Warmaster, Horus, and heads back to Terra.

It is the 31st millennium. Under the benevolent leadership of the Immortal Emperor, the Imperium of Man has stretched out across the galaxy. It is a golden age of discovery and conquest. But now, on the eve of victory, the Emperor leaves the front lines, entrusting the great crusade to his favourite son, Horus. Promoted to Warmaster, can the idealistic Horus carry out the Emperor's grand plan, or will this promotion sow the seeds of heresy amongst his brothers? Horus Rising is the first chapter in the epic tale of the Horus Heresy, a galactic civil war that threatened to bring about the extinction of humanity.

2 editions

Barbarius reviewed Horus Rising (The Horus Heresy) by Dan Abnett

The beginning? Of what, I'm not sure...

3 stars

I know this is nothing revelatory to say of the first book in a 50-something volume series, but it felt like it was just the start of a bigger story, without a lot of resolution. Which is fine, and I guess I expected.

Having NO prior knowledge of the Warhammer 40k universe, I felt like a lot was going over my head. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I didn't like the story, I just felt that a lot of it was referencing things the significance of which I wasn't aware of.

I've read that the first 3-5 stories should be read together as one arc. They're cheap and short enough that I will probably get the second one at some point soon.