Hereticus – Dan Abnett

The third instalment of Dan Abnett’s classic Eisenhorn trilogy, Hereticus shows us Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn in his darkest moments. Tasked with conducting a tedious series of hearings, Eisenhorn envisages endless weeks of boredom, but when evidence arises that an old enemy is nearby he drops everything and races off to a confrontation that will have horrifying consequences. Thus begins a journey that sees Eisenhorn and a handful of companions reeling and on the back foot, desperately calling on a few remaining contacts and all their determination in order to get back on track and seek out the culprit behind all their woes.

Assuming you’ve followed the series this far, this is the natural conclusion (sort of) of Eisenhorn’s journey across this trilogy, which began with pursuit of Pontius Glaw and his first confrontation with the daemonhost Cherubael. It’s the story of a puritan inquisitor at his lowest ebb, of what he’s prepared to do and how far he can stretch his beliefs in order to achieve his goals…and the consequences therein. It’s a very personal tale, emphasised as always by its first person perspective, demonstrating the paradox of a man who’s incredibly devoted to his friends and companions, yet also willing to sacrifice absolutely anything to achieve his goals. We’ve seen glimpses of that before, but it’s really hammered home here as the hardships Eisenhorn suffers force him into darker choices and deeper reflection than he’s used to.

As you might have gathered, tonally it’s the darkest of the trilogy in terms of both Eisenhorn’s actions and their consequences. Be warned – this is Abnett at his most ruthless. All of the usual trademarks are present and correct, as Abnett’s writing is instantly familiar and eminently readable, while the characters are pleasingly familiar from the previous instalments. Where it differs is that right from the outset there’s a sense of doom hanging over proceedings, that not everyone is getting out of this alive. It makes for a powerful ending to the trilogy, not to mention a great story in its own right, with some brilliant set pieces (watch out for the train section, which is a joy) balancing out the fascinating character development taking place, and Abnett effortlessly bringing familiar names and faces back and weaving them into the story.

If there’s a criticism to be levelled it’s perhaps that the epic finale of the book, though full of bombast and drama, is over a little too soon. It’s a fine balance, as you don’t want an ending to overstay its welcome, but this time it would maybe have benefited from a bit more time and detail, at the end of a story that for the most part is paced beautifully. That’s a minor blemish, however, in an otherwise gripping and hugely entertaining book, which manages that Abnett trademark of being both an easy, unputdownable read and an insightful, character-led story. That it also reflects the brutal reality of life as an inquisitor is a bonus, really. Interestingly, reading it these days in the knowledge that The Magos – the unexpected fourth book of the trilogy – exists (not to mention Pariah) means that we know this isn’t the last we’ll see of Gregor…which can only be a good thing.

Click here to see how this fits into the wider Eisenhorn/Ravenor/Bequin arc.

Click here to buy Hereticus.