Horus Rising (Horus Heresy Series) Book

"Perhaps we are cursed to crave something which does not exist. There are no gods, no spirits, no daemons. So we make them up, to comfort ourselves."

After centuries spent fighting to bring mankind out of its dark ages and campaigning to eradicate religion, the Emperor returns to Terra, leaving command of the Great Crusade to his loyal Warmaster, Horus. But the struggles are nowhere near done, as the threat of nefarious corruption lurks in the background.

Horus Rising is a remarkably good book. Surprisingly so, even. The reader can happily throw all predispositions aside and relish in the fact that this a spectacular story with intriguing characters, excellently written and filled with well thought out philosophical background. Not only is it a tale of space marines conquering world for the Emperor and the cause, it also sparks deep questions on religion, race, freedom, warfare and enlightenment.

The introduction to the Horus Heresy provides a brilliant background framing for the defining event of what is eventually to become the occult, twisted and Grimdark with a capital G Warhammer 40K universe. It truly is a seed-sowing book, as the description hammers in, although in addition to sowing the seeds of heresy, it sows the seeds of excellent worldbuilding and a unique and fascinating narrative.

More so than anything I have read from the Black Library, this book does not read like a tie-in novel. It reads like the first dip into an intelligent and captivating science fiction series. Possibly the best military science fiction series ever written.

Horus Heresy reviews:
#1 Horus Rising
#2 False Gods
#3 Galaxy in Flames
#4 The Flight of the Eisenstein
#5 Fulgrim
#6 Descent of Angels
#7 Legion