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The Horusian Wars #Short Story
The Purity of Ignorance
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?
Read it because
Though he was introduced to the Warhammer 40,000 universe at the same time as Eisenhorn, there's never been fiction about Inquisitor Covenant... until now!
21 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 20, 2016
3 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
John French
154 books309 followersJohn French is a writer and freelance game designer from Nottingham, England. His novels include the Ahriman series from Black Library, and The Lord of Nightmares trilogy for Fantasy Flight. The rest of his work can be seen scattered through a number of other books, including the New York Times bestselling anthology Age of Darkness. When he is not thinking of ways that dark and corrupting beings could destroy reality and space, John enjoys talking about why it would be a good idea... that and drinking good wine.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 29, 2016
Review also published here
The Purity of Ignorance 's subtitle as "A story of the Horusian Wars" is a misnomer in my eyes. There really is nothing about the Horusians here, or even inter-factional conflict within the Inquisition. I am a bit disappointed with that, since this seemed like a start to a new trilogy, or even series, focusing on Inquisitors. However, I am still pleased with how the story itself turned out, besides the cover's marketing.
This is the first story of hopefully many to feature Inquisitor Covenant, an old character from the Inquisitor specialist game. It doesn't exactly put him into the spotlight, but it is an impressive introduction to the man and his retainers. There's a preacher, a warrior-woman with ties to the Adepta Sororitas, and an array of stormtroopers in service of the big man. The squad leader, lieutenant Ianthe, is the primary focus here. She is being recruited for her first job with the Inquisition, and initially interrogated, before we get to see her and her squad in action. From this basic premise arises a very cool story that is conceptually great and well executed.
The antagonists are well written too, and while fans of the IP will know the twist right from the start, it is well handled and shows the core of corruption in an exciting way. Nobody plays the villain in their own mind, and French plays well with that idea here.
More than anything though, this type of story with all its twists and clever ideas is what I have been missing from Black Library in recent years. If this is the stuff we can expect more of going forward, then I am all in again. Let John write more about Covenant and co, because this was a highly promising start to something that grow into Eisenhorn/Ravenor-levels of Inquisitorial goodness.
The Purity of Ignorance 's subtitle as "A story of the Horusian Wars" is a misnomer in my eyes. There really is nothing about the Horusians here, or even inter-factional conflict within the Inquisition. I am a bit disappointed with that, since this seemed like a start to a new trilogy, or even series, focusing on Inquisitors. However, I am still pleased with how the story itself turned out, besides the cover's marketing.
This is the first story of hopefully many to feature Inquisitor Covenant, an old character from the Inquisitor specialist game. It doesn't exactly put him into the spotlight, but it is an impressive introduction to the man and his retainers. There's a preacher, a warrior-woman with ties to the Adepta Sororitas, and an array of stormtroopers in service of the big man. The squad leader, lieutenant Ianthe, is the primary focus here. She is being recruited for her first job with the Inquisition, and initially interrogated, before we get to see her and her squad in action. From this basic premise arises a very cool story that is conceptually great and well executed.
The antagonists are well written too, and while fans of the IP will know the twist right from the start, it is well handled and shows the core of corruption in an exciting way. Nobody plays the villain in their own mind, and French plays well with that idea here.
More than anything though, this type of story with all its twists and clever ideas is what I have been missing from Black Library in recent years. If this is the stuff we can expect more of going forward, then I am all in again. Let John write more about Covenant and co, because this was a highly promising start to something that grow into Eisenhorn/Ravenor-levels of Inquisitorial goodness.
April 20, 2020
“To know that daemons exist is to invite corruption. To face them is to risk your own soul. To face them and live is to risk the souls of billions.”
It’s true that I’ve highly appreciated every short story in the Divination anthology by John French, but The Purity of Ignorance remains my most favourite one.
This rather brief but no less exciting (enticing) tale is made up of two subplots which interlace in a clever and utterly believable manner. The first is that of Lieutenant Ianthe of the Agathian Sky Sharks (more about her in John’s audio drama series) on her – apparently – very first Inquisitorial mission with the strike force under the command of the stern Inquisitor Covenant, ordered to bring a swift end to a dangerous heretic’s rule over a hive world. The second, meanwhile, follows the very last day of a certain Spire Mistress, one Sul Nereid, whose greed and ambition (and surely some help from a loyal servant) had seen her assassinate her own father and take his place of power in the hopes of creating an entirely new and radiant domain of her own – which, turns out, is actually not what she believes…
In the course of this little tale Mr. French aptly demonstrates both the unique way that a highly specialised airborne squad – led by a fearsome medieval-style inquisitor and accompanied by a fanatic preacher, a penitent cloistress & a sanctioned witch – fights in the grim dark future, and exactly how a devoted of one particular Chaos God might see the world around them. And of course, the exact price that the agents of the Holy Orders, especially the Ordo Malleus, must pay for the privilege of serving the Imperium of Man – and those oh-so-difficult choices they face on a daily basis as they struggle to retain the purity of spirit in a galaxy where such thing is constantly and ruthlessly challenged.
It’s true that I’ve highly appreciated every short story in the Divination anthology by John French, but The Purity of Ignorance remains my most favourite one.
This rather brief but no less exciting (enticing) tale is made up of two subplots which interlace in a clever and utterly believable manner. The first is that of Lieutenant Ianthe of the Agathian Sky Sharks (more about her in John’s audio drama series) on her – apparently – very first Inquisitorial mission with the strike force under the command of the stern Inquisitor Covenant, ordered to bring a swift end to a dangerous heretic’s rule over a hive world. The second, meanwhile, follows the very last day of a certain Spire Mistress, one Sul Nereid, whose greed and ambition (and surely some help from a loyal servant) had seen her assassinate her own father and take his place of power in the hopes of creating an entirely new and radiant domain of her own – which, turns out, is actually not what she believes…
In the course of this little tale Mr. French aptly demonstrates both the unique way that a highly specialised airborne squad – led by a fearsome medieval-style inquisitor and accompanied by a fanatic preacher, a penitent cloistress & a sanctioned witch – fights in the grim dark future, and exactly how a devoted of one particular Chaos God might see the world around them. And of course, the exact price that the agents of the Holy Orders, especially the Ordo Malleus, must pay for the privilege of serving the Imperium of Man – and those oh-so-difficult choices they face on a daily basis as they struggle to retain the purity of spirit in a galaxy where such thing is constantly and ruthlessly challenged.
October 23, 2016
A supremely interesting and well written tale that lets us see from both side of the mortal war between Chaos and the Inquisition. While the twist and the end was insanely great to read, especially for such a short story, it was the alternating realities of Chaos and Order that really made this one of the best stories I've read to date.
If this is anything like Mr. French's upcoming Inquisition novel(s), I think our books are in great hands!
If this is anything like Mr. French's upcoming Inquisition novel(s), I think our books are in great hands!
May 8, 2020
Terrific, terrific story. Only problem—not long enough to fully developed the characters. Deep background on the characters in John French’s Horusian Wars trilogy. Chock-filled with daemons, violence, and introspection. Two thumbs straight up!
September 10, 2020
Very enjoyable. We witness perspectives of a guardwoman sergeant in service to the inquisition and that of a planetary governor who may see things as they truly are. There is mystery, and a bitter truth that captivated my interest and has convinced me to look further into the series of the Horusian wars.
February 7, 2025
Good addition to the lore, but too short. Really looking forward to further full novels in this series.
September 24, 2025
Not the best short I've read, but a nicely well-contained story, and enough to make me curious about this series (though Eisenhorn has set the bar pretty high - we shall have to see!)
August 22, 2016
Black Library’s 2016 Summer of Reading campaign hits day six with a blast from the past with The Purity of Ignorance by John French, featuring Inquisitor Covenant from 2001’s Inquisitor game. Leading his warband in an airborne insertion, Covenant is joined by Lieutenant Ianthe of the Agathian Sky Sharks, seconded to Inquisitorial duty. Discussing her military record with Preacher Josef, one of Covenant’s companions, life with the Inquisition appears somewhat irregular. Meanwhile Spire Mistress Nereid lounges in her throne room, surrounded by the trappings of luxury…
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...
Read the rest of the review at https://trackofwords.wordpress.com/20...
June 28, 2023
“‘If we fail, so does the Imperium,’ she said. ‘True, but not the whole truth. We fail and there will be no humanity to be called an Imperium. Not here, not on distant Terra, nowhere. There will just be a thing that was once called mankind, weeping as it eats itself and the darkness laughs. You understand me, Ianthe?’ “
This short story stands on its own and serves as a great prequel to the “Agent of the Throne” audio drama trilogy.
This short story stands on its own and serves as a great prequel to the “Agent of the Throne” audio drama trilogy.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews