40k Reading Order: The Horusian Wars – John French

Hello and welcome to another 40k Reading Order article, where this time I’m offering a recommended reading order for the various stories that make up John French’s excellent Horusian Wars series. If you’ve ever wanted to read these dark tales exploring the warring factions within the Holy Orders of the Emperor’s Inquisition, but haven’t known where to start, then look no further than this article! With John’s very kind assistance I’ve put together a comprehensive list of all of the Horusian Wars stories to date – which include novels, short stories and audio dramas – based on their in-universe chronological order.

As well as the recommended reading order, I’ve also included a breakdown of each story with the publisher’s synopsis, and links out to my reviews (and a few interviews) where they’re available.

What are the Horusian Wars?

The Horusian Wars is a series of Inquisition stories featuring many characters who originally appeared (in some form) back in the classic 2001 game Inquisitor, including the stern, determined Inquisitor Covenant. Unlike, say, Dan Abnett’s Eisenhorn and Ravenor books though, the Horusian Wars series portrays the Inquisition as a fractured organisation full of hugely powerful individuals whose specific politics and beliefs are split along varying lines of belief.

As John put it in my 2017 interview with him, it’s about “a war between ideologies. Between Thorianism, as represented by Covenant, and Horusianism, as represented by…several other characters.” More specifically, it’s a “war between two factions who are, essentially, two sides of the same coin. They both believe that mankind can be saved by an incredibly powerful individual.

“Thorians believe that the reincarnated Emperor, or at least an incarnation of the Emperor’s power, can become a saviour figure, so they’ve become obsessed with saints, psykers and miracles, and all these kinds of things. Horusianism is the literal reverse of that – they look at the Warmaster and say ‘well yes, he wielded the power of Chaos but the problem was he was ruled by it. If we could construct, or find, a dark messiah who can wield the power of Chaos but who isn’t overwhelmed by it, we could destroy Chaos’.

“What that means is they’re actually chasing a lot of the same things. These people are looking for potential messiahs, saints, dark champions, avatars of gods and so on…they kind of believe the same thing, just totally the other way up.”

So that’s a very brief introduction to the sort of themes that this series tackles. If you’d like to know more about John’s inspirations and experiences working on this series, have a read of this interview.

Reading order

There are various ways in which you could approach the Horusian Wars series, but for the purpose of this article I’m focusing on a chronological order for the stories. Generally speaking, the novels provide the main narrative thrust of the series, while the short stories either provide interesting little connections between the novels or explore individual characters in detail, and the audio dramas follow the exploits of one particular character at a slight tangent to the rest of the series.

You’ll notice that I haven’t included the short story anthology Divination in this list, but rather the individual short stories instead. When I previously asked John about how he settled on the order of stories within the anthology he said “I did a few different arrangements of the story order in Divination, and you get slightly different effects from different juxtapositions. I settled on one that I thought gave the most interesting contrasts between characters.”

So that’s interesting in its own right, and as these stories are so full of detail and texture there’s a lot of satisfaction to be found in rereading them, so you could certainly read them in one order the first time around and then a different order next time!

As I said though, this particular reading order is arranged chronologically:

• The Blessing of Saints
• The Spirit of Cogs
• The Circle of the Sword
• The Son of Sorrows
• The Knave of Stars
• The Maiden of the Dream
• The Purity of Ignorance
• Agent of the Throne: Blood and Lies
• The Mistress of Threads
• Agent of the Throne: Truth and Dreams
• The Absolution of Swords
• Resurrection
• The Father of Faith
• Agent of the Throne: Ashes and Oaths
• The Thief of Chalices
• Incarnation

John also had this to add, on the subject of links between the various stories and what they depict:

“While it’s not crucial you can, if you read very closely, see some lines of connection between events – The Blessing of Saints and The Father of Faith, for example, both have illusions to ‘The Desolate City’ and similar revelatory visions. Also, the reason that Ianthe gets a very direct and urgent command from Covenant to get hold of the info-dealer Aristarcha [in Ashes and Oaths] is because he needs urgent information on the where to get more information on the Horusian texts that they then go after in The Thief of Chalices. Ianthe is not involved in that bigger endeavour directly but feels its effects.”

For more of John’s thoughts on Divination and the stories within it, have a read of this interview.

Story breakdown

In this section I’ve gone through each story, adding in the synopsis from the Black Library website (where available). Normally in these articles I also talk a bit about the best way of getting hold of each story, but in this case it’s pretty simple – the two novels are available as ebooks and audiobooks (physical copies are long out of print, sadly), the three audio dramas are available as MP3s, and while quite a lot of the short stories are available as individual e-shorts, the best option is definitely to pick up the Divination anthology (ebook and, at the time of writing, paperback editions are available).

The Blessing of Saints (short story)
One of several short stories currently only available within Divination (although it was included in the SE hardback of Resurrection), this doesn’t yet have an official BL synopsis. In a nutshell I would describe it as a tale of Covenant and Idris in their younger days, alongside their mentor Argento, hunting through the cog-yards on Frell for a cult and the saint it plans to manifest. It’s told from Idris’ point of view, and is short but action-packed.

Check out my review of The Blessing of Saints.

The Spirit of Cogs (short story)
Tech-Priest Glavius-4-Rho is in the service of Inquisitor Covenant – but he wasn’t always so. Long ago, he was a member of the Martian priesthood assigned to a secret project – awakening a machine beneath the forge world of Zhao-Arkkad. With a pair of odd companions, he discovers the secret of the device… and that it is so immeasurably ancient that it may be haunted by ghosts beyond the logical understanding of any tech-priest.

Note that John has included this here because it’s where the main bulk of the story fits, although the framing device – i.e. Glavius-4-Rho telling his story to Severita – happens after the events of Resurrection.

Check out my review of The Spirit of Cogs.

The Circle of the Sword (short story)
Another short story currently only available in Divination, this is the tale of Severita’s fall from grace, her expulsion from the Adepta Sororitas and the events that led to her becoming part of Inquisitor Covenant’s retinue. There’s a lot of ground to cover here, so it’s told in episodic fashion which provides glimpses of Severita’s past and just enough detail for it all to make sense. I haven’t reviewed this one, but I can confirm that it’s excellent!

The Son of Sorrows (short story)
Koleg is a killer. A stone-cold slaughterer, he puts his terrifying talents to use in the service of mankind, exercising his murderous abilities on behalf of Inquisitor Covenant. But what past darkness, what horrific deeds, can lead a man to become such a creature and devote his life to dealing death? As he prepares for a new mission, Koleg remembers his past and the events that brought him to where he is now…

Check out my review of The Son of Sorrows.

The Knave of Stars (short story)
Another of the stories without official synopses and only available within the pages of Divination, this is a tale of the Rogue Trader Duke Cleander von Castellan. It sees Cleander infiltrating a cult on Covenant’s orders and potentially finding himself somewhat out of his depth, and it explores a little of the Rogue Trader’s chequered history along the way. I rather like Cleander, and this does a good job of illustrating his ambiguous nature.

Check out my review of The Knave of Stars.

The Maiden of the Dream (short story)
Mylasa Yaygus is an enigma, her origins a mystery even to her master, Covenant. Of all of the inquisitor’s acolytes, Mylasa is the least known and arguably the most dangerous. A powerful Primaris psyker, the truth about her past is as byzantine as her abilities. As Ilk, she is a hive-born wretch bound for the Black Ships, as Verrun, she is the daughter of a rich merchant clan… but if these are false memories, who really is Mylasa? She is the Maiden of the Dream, a psychic torturer and manipulator of consummate skill, and amongst her many lives and histories might there be a mote of truth that reveals who she really is?

Check out my review of The Maiden of the Dream.

The Purity of Ignorance (short story)
While the Space Marines and the Imperial Guard fight the myriad alien enemies that seek to overwhelm mankind, the Inquisition pursues a different kind of war. For theirs is a war fought in the dark places of man’s soul – a battle against the corruption of Chaos, a battle for the survival of humanity. Inquisitor Covenant must hunt down the daemon at the heart of a planetary conspiracy, but how high a price will he and his team pay to defeat the evil, and are they even aware what the cost of success will be?

Check out my review of The Purity of Ignorance.

Agent of the Throne: Blood and Lies (audio drama)
For Ianthe, war is all too familiar. A former soldier in the Astra Militarum, she now serves Inquisitor Covenant as an agent of the Throne. Her first mission sees her investigating a cult called the Children of Eternity. Falling foul of the local Enforcers, Ianthe soon learns that war in the shadows is seldom straightforward and that the local, angry law-keepers are the least of her troubles.

Check out my review of Blood and Lies.

The Mistress of Threads (short story)
Among the companions of Inquisitor Covenant are scions of the famed von Castellan dynasty, a mercantile clan with links to many other such families throughout the Imperium. When a member of one such family reaches out to Viola von Castellan with a tale of woe that began with the dawning of the Great Rift, an investigation begins into the mysterious Cytos Cartel, an organisation that has wormed its way into the heart of the Imperium – but to what sinister purpose?

Check out my review of The Mistress of Threads.

Agent of the Throne: Truth and Dreams (audio drama)
On the hunt for the rogue psyker Silas Norn, Ianthe and her associates run afoul of the Imperial authorities and are imprisoned. Norn too is captured and incarcerated, but with the ability to manipulate the minds of his victims he is far from easy quarry. To stop him, Ianthe must not only find him, she must overcome the buried ghosts of her hidden past.

Check out my review of Truth and Dreams.

Check out my interview with John French discussing Truth and Dreams.

The Absolution of Swords (short story)
Heresy lurks within the Ecclesiarchy world of Dominicus Prime. In the sprawling temples and cloisters of the Crow Complex, once-pious priests have turned from the Emperor’s light and embraced the darkness of the Tenth Path. But no longer, for Inquisitor Covenant and his hand-picked retinue of warriors, rogues and savants – heroes all – have come to cleanse Dominicus Prime of the taint that infects it. But as they enter the sprawling complex in search of the leaders of the insidious cult, danger closes in around them…

Check out my review of The Absolution of Swords.

Resurrection (novel)
War rages in the Caradryad Sector. Worlds are falling to madness and rebellion, and the great war machine of the Imperium is moving to counter the threat. Amongst its agents is Inquisitor Covenant. Puritan, psyker, expert swordsman, he reserves an especial hatred for those of his order who would seek to harness the power of Ruin as a weapon. Summoned to an inquisitorial conclave, Covenant believes he has uncovered such a misguided agent and prepares to denounce the heretic Talicto before his fellows. But when the gathering is attacked and many left dead in its wake, Covenant vows to hunt down Talicto and discover the truth behind the mysterious cult apparently at the heart of the massacre, the Unseen. In the murky plot into which he is drawn, Covenant knows only one thing for certain: trust no one.

Check out my review of Resurrection.

The Father of Faith (short story)
Another short story not (yet) available outside of Divination, this one sees Preacher Josef in reflective mood and nicely ties his backstory into the ongoing narrative of the series. It’s a story about what can make and break someone’s faith, about father figures and growing old and the consequences of seeing the world the way an Inquisitor does. And it’s bloomin’ brilliant.

Agent of the Throne: Ashes and Oaths (audio drama)
Subterfuge and compromise walk hand-in-hand for an agent of the Throne. On the blighted world of Dustcorn, an assault on an Inquisitorial target goes badly awry forcing Ianthe and her associates into a pact with an unscrupulous ally, the mysterious Zand. With her mission in tatters, Ianthe has little choice but to agree to Zand’s terms, the assassination of a perfidious traitor. But nothing is simple where Zand is concerned and Ianthe soon finds herself in a situation that will have far-reaching consequences for her and her team.

Check out my review of Ashes and Oaths.

The Thief of Chalices (short story)
One final short story exclusive to Divination, this is – on the surface at least – a sort of archaeological adventure story in which Covenant, Severita and Viola delve into the vast depths of an ancient archive in search of knowledge, while Cleander and Josef take a different approach. It’s classic John French, thoughtful and ambiguous and carefully constructed to entertain while leaving as many questions as answers.

Incarnation (novel)
Darkness approaches Dominicus Prime, a literal Season of Night that brings with it portents, madness and strange happenings. Standing alone as a beacon against the darkness is the Monastery of the Last Candle, a temple to the holy light of the Emperor. As the bishops and the cardinals vie for power and influence, a crisis looms among the Pilgrim Drift who are starving in their droves. Discord is rife and there are whispers of a rising cult, one committed to blood and horror. Into this political powder keg comes Inquisitor Covenant and his followers. Drawn to the shrineworld by the prescience of the Emperor’s Tarot, they come seeking the agents of the Triumverate, a sect of Horusians bent on power themselves. It is the belief of Covenant that these radicals seek an incarnation, nothing less than a divine vessel, a living saint. To what end, he can only surmise, but Covenant knows it cannot bode well. He must deny the Horusians at any cost. The fate of the very sector may be determined by it.

Check out my review of Incarnation.

Check out my interview with John French discussing Incarnation.

Further reading

That’s the full series as it stands, although I’ll update this article if and when any additional stories are published. In the meantime, if you’ve read all of these stories and are still looking for more then I’ve got a few suggestions for you…

More Inquisition stories
Black Library has quite a history of publishing Inquisition stories – it’s obviously a part of the 40k universe that a lot of people enjoy reading about. Here are a few suggestions for where to look next, if you’re keen to read more about the Inquisition.

• The Inquisitor Cycle by Dan Abnett: these three linked trilogies – Eisenhorn, Ravenor and Bequin – are some of the best-loved Black Library stories of all times, and deservedly so. Check out my guide to the Inquisitor Cycle.
• The Vaults of Terra by Chris Wraight: this series covering the exploits of Inquisitor Crowl and Interrogator Spinoza is fast becoming a modern classic, with its great characters and evocative depiction of Holy Terra itself. Check out all my reviews and interviews for this series.
• The Inquisition War by Watson: if you want to go back to where it all began, this is the original series of Inquisition novels, batshit crazy and very much not canon any more but representative of 40k fiction in its formative years.

More from John French
If you’ve read all the Horusian Wars stories and you’re still hungry for more John French stories, you’re in luck! John has quite an extensive back catalogue of 40k and Horus Heresy fiction, so you’ve got plenty to choose from. Here are a few of my personal favourites:

• The Ahriman series: one of my all-time favourite BL series, John’s Ahriman trilogy plus accompanying short stories makes for a darkly fascinating read, especially if you’re already familiar with Ahriman in the time of the Horus Heresy. Check out my guide to this series.
• The Horus Heresy – Tallarn: John’s four Heresy/Siege of Terra novels are all excellent, but I’m also a big fan of his stories exploring the events on Tallarn, released individually then compiled into one volume. Check out this interview where I chatted to John about Tallarn.
• Audio drama – Templar: if you enjoyed the Agent of the Throne audios and are looking for more audio dramas, there are several Heresy stories to choose from but I would recommend Templar. Sigismund is a great character, and John captures him brilliantly here. Check out my review.

While most of John’s fiction writing – as far as I’m aware – has been for Black Library, he has worked on a trilogy of Arkham Horror novels (for Fantasy Flight Games) with Alan Bligh called The Lord of Nightmares. I haven’t read them myself, but they sound pretty great. Here are the titles, if you’re interested in checking them out:

• Dance of the Damned by Alan Bligh
• The Lies of Solace by John French
• The Hungering God by Alan Bligh and John French

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So there you go – I hope this is useful for anyone keen to check out John’s Horusian Wars stories! If you haven’t already, do take a look at my reviews of these stories where I’ve linked out to them, and remember that you can always check out the samples on the BL website if you want to try before you buy.

See also: all my other 40k Reading Order articles.

Keep an eye out for more Reading Order articles as well, and please do let me know if there are any series that you would like me to cover! Feel free to leave a comment below, or come and find me on Twitter.

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