Research from the Black Library, The Horus Heresy

‘I was there,’ he would say afterwards, until afterwards became a time quite devoid of laughter. ‘I was there, the day Horus slew the Emperor.’

This is the opening line to Horus Rising by Dan Abnett, the first in the Horus Heresy series, telling the story of the founding and near destruction of the human Imperium in the grim darkness of the far future where there is only war and the galaxy is in flames and you can never find a parking spot and the toast always lands butter side down.

Despite the relentless "grimdark" of the setting, the Horus Heresy takes place in a very different time, a golden age of progress and rediscovery in which a united humankind led by the Emperor, looks outward and towards the future, conquering the galaxy in the name of the Imperial Truth. But of course things can't remain all smiles and happiness and after being betrayed and wounded nearly fatally by his favorite son Horus, is restricted to a near corpse like state encased in the life sustaining technology of the Golden Throne, the previous optimistic and rational outlook of humanity replaced by fear and ignorance.

The above is perhaps the briefest possible overview of the events that form this setting, but let us return to those opening lines: "I was there the day Horus slew the Emperor." This begins Horus Rising on a foreboding note, though it is quickly clear that this is a joke and reference to another emperor who seems to have deserved what he got.

Horus Rising is an excellent novel and the perfect start to this series, the first 4 novels: Horus Rising, False Gods, Galaxy in Flames, and Flight of the Eisenstien form a cohesive narrative that can and should be read in order. We are introduced to our characters at the height of their powers and innocence, we see Horus in all his original glory, powerful, honorable, and beloved by all, we see the relationship of Captain Garviel Loken and his brothers of the Luna Wolves at their best, even the notorious Abaddon (later known as The Despoiler) here is a character you would not mind getting drunk with, assuming Space Marines could get drunk of course.

But there is always a melancholy here, the seeds of the heresy are planted with skill, we see Horus' ego at work, his skill at political manipulation, and his resentment against his father The Emperor. We see Abaddon's nascent bloodlust and independence, we see the beginnings of the clashes between other legions. There is an atmosphere of inevitability to what we all know is coming that pervades the novels until events come to a head during Galaxy in Flames.

These novels are not really critically acclaimed due to the setting, but what we are reading here are tales of chivalry with a heavy dose of Christian and Egyptian symbology, though technically a science fiction series, these are really reminiscent of the tales of King Arthur's Court, with knights on epic and perhaps impossible quests, a golden age of civilization brought down by betrayal and treachery from those who should have been the closest of friends and loved ones, as well as by the very human failings of those in power.

The descent into rebellion is told in a very realistic (if that means anything in a universe where genetically modified superhumans kill aliens with chainsaws) manner, every step in Horus' fall is described and makes sense in the context given. Garviel Loken is a true knight, sticking to his beliefs and oaths of service to the Emperor even as his conflicting Oaths to Horus and his brothers attempt to draw him into the Heresy, and as all heroes in this style of story, he pays dearly for his loyalty.

These books have all been out for a couple years now and are fairly readily available in used form, I recommend them highly for both Warhammer 40K fans as well as anyone who likes a surprisingly traditional story of chivalry and doesn't mind it taking place in space.