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The Horus Heresy #14
The First Heretic
Amidst the galaxy-wide war of the Great Crusade, the Emperor castigates the Word Bearers for their worship. Distraught at this judgement, Lorgar and his Legion seek another path while devastating world after world, venting their fury and fervour on the battlefield. Their search for a new purpose leads them to the edge of the material universe, where they meet ancient forces far more powerful than they could have imagined. Having set out to illuminate the Imperium, the corruption of Chaos takes hold and their path to damnation begins. Unbeknownst to the Word Bearers, their quest for truth contains the very roots of heresy…
503 pages, Paperback
First published October 26, 2010
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August 25, 2012
Well all the other teenage girls where worshiping Twilight, I was on a Pilgrimage with the Word Bearers to find the true gods.
My first experience with Aaron Dembski-Bowden was Helsreach. By far not his best book and also...I've lately come to realize I really hate the Black Templers. So to say I was excited when I found out Aaron was the writer for this book would be a lie, I was mad. The story really interested me however and I bought the book.
I am sorry I judged Aaron D-B on Helsreach, The First Heretic was amazing. Honestly, it is one of the best heresy books. I'd put it aside Horus Rising, (which takes a lot for me to say) the tale of the Word Bearers was sotragic.
It is really cool to see that the first heretic wasn't actually the Horus and the Luna Wolves. It was Lorgar and the Word Bearers, who had to wait for the time to be right because no one but me likes them enough to follow them into heresy.
The opening of the book is the discipline of the Word Bearers for there over zealous nature. Well actually they weren't over zealous they flat out worshiped the Emperor as a god. (Which they need to wait about 60 years before its accepted as normal to worship him.)
So the Emperor of Mankind didn't like this, so instead of manning up and acting like a parent and going to spend sometime with his son and explain to him that he never should worship him he decided using his amazing intellect to set his sons against each other and ordered the Ultramorons and Robert Girlyman to totally destroy Lorgar's favorite city on his home world, Monarchia.
The Emperor is so brilliant. Really, what kind of dipwad does that and expects his kid to be a better guy from it? *facepalm*
This book was filled with wonderful details of Lorgar's character, it was a very unique experience to get into a primarchs mind and see how he thinks. Also personally this was one of the most creepy Horus Heresy novels I've read.
All the demon stuff and the extensive lies that had to be told, the double crossing and betrayals. By the end you almost begin to like Custodians. Almost.
A must read for anyone who likes heresy.
My first experience with Aaron Dembski-Bowden was Helsreach. By far not his best book and also...I've lately come to realize I really hate the Black Templers. So to say I was excited when I found out Aaron was the writer for this book would be a lie, I was mad. The story really interested me however and I bought the book.
I am sorry I judged Aaron D-B on Helsreach, The First Heretic was amazing. Honestly, it is one of the best heresy books. I'd put it aside Horus Rising, (which takes a lot for me to say) the tale of the Word Bearers was sotragic.
It is really cool to see that the first heretic wasn't actually the Horus and the Luna Wolves. It was Lorgar and the Word Bearers, who had to wait for the time to be right because no one but me likes them enough to follow them into heresy.
The opening of the book is the discipline of the Word Bearers for there over zealous nature. Well actually they weren't over zealous they flat out worshiped the Emperor as a god. (Which they need to wait about 60 years before its accepted as normal to worship him.)
So the Emperor of Mankind didn't like this, so instead of manning up and acting like a parent and going to spend sometime with his son and explain to him that he never should worship him he decided using his amazing intellect to set his sons against each other and ordered the Ultramorons and Robert Girlyman to totally destroy Lorgar's favorite city on his home world, Monarchia.
The Emperor is so brilliant. Really, what kind of dipwad does that and expects his kid to be a better guy from it? *facepalm*
This book was filled with wonderful details of Lorgar's character, it was a very unique experience to get into a primarchs mind and see how he thinks. Also personally this was one of the most creepy Horus Heresy novels I've read.
All the demon stuff and the extensive lies that had to be told, the double crossing and betrayals. By the end you almost begin to like Custodians. Almost.
A must read for anyone who likes heresy.
February 8, 2020
You get not only an excellent and tragic story from ADB here, but also a lot of insight and straight-up explanations into the hows and whys Chaos does what it does. Dembski-Bowden is obviously a mature and self-assured writer and this shows in the way he structures and presents his story lines, never resorting to the generic, formulaic, three-act, ABC, here ya go style. He jumps all over time-wise, he gives you tons of info then walks you back filling in how you got there, his dialogue is heroic without being melodramatic, and he never skimps on action. Five, I'm-running-out-pf-superlatives-with-this-series, stars.
April 24, 2022
Arguably the best Horus Heresy book I've encountered thus far, but I still withhold the five star rating as it still doesn't quite feel up to the highest standards. Maybe I've just become too demanding...
I do wish though, that we had gotten some more screentime for Cyrene. It is so rare to see a central female character in Warhammer 40K, let alone one who is perhaps the most interesting character in the book.
I do wish though, that we had gotten some more screentime for Cyrene. It is so rare to see a central female character in Warhammer 40K, let alone one who is perhaps the most interesting character in the book.
March 26, 2013
Like Fulgrim, A Thousand Sons, and the short story Butcher's Nails in Tales of Heresy, this book largely follows one of the traitor primarchs and his fall into Chaos. This time Lorgar Aurelian the Word Bearer: Most devoted son of the Emperor, first convert to Chaos.
The result is... Mixed. What you realize after a couple of books is that The Emperor is a shitty dad. And just about all problems in the Heresy stems out of his inability to consider the emotional and psychological needs of his gaggle of genetically engineered supersons. Lorgar for instance, loves his father, and initially instructed his Word Bearers (and the planets he conquered) to worship him as a God. Something daddy emperor does not approve off, and let's just say he overreacts in a way only the Emperor of Mankind can do.
Thus far it works very well, Lorgar's hurt and feelings of betrayal feel real, and not unjustified. As does his wish to be something other than a conquering warlord. It's when the entire human sacrifice and having your subordinates possessed by daemons thing starts that I'm kind of losing track here. Now, there's always been this feeling of "Why on earth would anyone actually worship Chaos?" thing going on in WH40K (although "Because you'll die anyway and at least you'll get a spiffy new pair of tentacles." has always been the go-to answer) but Lorgar's decision feels particularly weak, now, partially that might be because the bit where his actual "conversion" takes place is a separate novella, Aurelian which I haven't read. But that still leaves this book. Which is... Mixed.
Some bits are very strong, but they're not very well-connected, simple as that. Now, I've always been the kind of guy who can forgive relatively large flaws as long as they deliver on some point, but I know others are more discerning, so I hesitate to actually recommend it as anything more than an average 40K novel.
The result is... Mixed. What you realize after a couple of books is that The Emperor is a shitty dad. And just about all problems in the Heresy stems out of his inability to consider the emotional and psychological needs of his gaggle of genetically engineered supersons. Lorgar for instance, loves his father, and initially instructed his Word Bearers (and the planets he conquered) to worship him as a God. Something daddy emperor does not approve off, and let's just say he overreacts in a way only the Emperor of Mankind can do.
Thus far it works very well, Lorgar's hurt and feelings of betrayal feel real, and not unjustified. As does his wish to be something other than a conquering warlord. It's when the entire human sacrifice and having your subordinates possessed by daemons thing starts that I'm kind of losing track here. Now, there's always been this feeling of "Why on earth would anyone actually worship Chaos?" thing going on in WH40K (although "Because you'll die anyway and at least you'll get a spiffy new pair of tentacles." has always been the go-to answer) but Lorgar's decision feels particularly weak, now, partially that might be because the bit where his actual "conversion" takes place is a separate novella, Aurelian which I haven't read. But that still leaves this book. Which is... Mixed.
Some bits are very strong, but they're not very well-connected, simple as that. Now, I've always been the kind of guy who can forgive relatively large flaws as long as they deliver on some point, but I know others are more discerning, so I hesitate to actually recommend it as anything more than an average 40K novel.
September 3, 2023
There were a few moments where this dragged a bit or was otherwise slow to get to the point but overall this story was sensational. I didn't see the revelation at the end coming at all, and I'm not convinced that it isn't a lie intended to cause the very chaos it claims to predict, but I love that it's now a possibility.
The Emperor himself gets a great scene in this one.
The Emperor himself gets a great scene in this one.
March 14, 2018
I’ve been reading the books in the official ‘suggested reading order,’ and it was very hard not to skip ahead and read this one because I wanted to know more about the machinations of Erebus, Kor Phaeron, and of course, Lorgar. It did not disappoint. (And was worth waiting for). I am truly addicted to this massive series; I remember reading all the ‘bits of fluff’ I could in the rulebooks and Codices when I was a teen. This series is the long-awaited culmination of those snippets.
April 12, 2023
Procitao i potvrdjujem, jedna od najznacajnijih Warhammer knjiga! Dobro napisana i bez praznog hoda. Znacajni dogadjaji i informacije se redjaju a citalac pored toga dobija i novu prosirenu perspektivu na pocetak Horuseve Heresi. Koju cenu placaju oni koji ocajnicki zele nesto, vidite na primeru sedamnaeste legije i njenog prajmarha Loagr Aurelijana.
August 4, 2011
Where to start with my review of this book? I guess, the first stop will be the author. I have not read anything by Aaron Dembski-Bowden yet, neither in the 40K universe or in any other alternate universe of fiction that he has written in. Wait, scratch that, rewind, yes, I belong to his blog, and remember very distincly his amazing blog about pitching an idea to Dan Abnett and the other 40K mucky-mucks. It was hilarious. That besides the point. Aaron is legit. This was out of the norm for me. Normally the Heresy series has painted pictures of fallen and faithful in equal measure, usually giving you at least ONE faithful main character to hang your hat on. This book...had none. The main Word Bearer marine was fallen until the end. And although I applaud the author for this stance and by doing this he holds a light up to the question, who IS the bad guy...REALLY? Which is amazing, but I was left sad all I had was Aquillon and his hated Custodes. As for the story, it was amazing. Aaron fleshes out parts of the heresy that have always been glossed over in all the 40K back story, and for that I am really grateful. I very much enjoyed his story telling style, the way that every part of the book was interesting and with its own unique mood. Part 1 to me was just so sad, the fall of Lorgar would not have happened in the 40K universe where the Emperor IS revered as a God. Part 2 was horrifying. And Part 3 was heart wrenching. Kudos to Mr. Dembski-Bowden for bowing into this series with his first excellent entry. Part 14 of the Heresy takes you back to its roots with a bang, and a twist in your heart. I am hoping the story begins to propel itself to the final confrontation after Age of Darkness and Prospero Burns...and moves onto a similar Trilogy style ending mirroring its amazing opening. My dream team for the final three books, where it happen this way? Abnett, MacNeill, and now Dembsi-Bowden.
June 27, 2016
Fascinating novel, which trascends the genre with metaphysical discussion about the role of religion in a supposedly enlightened society and the perception of Heaven and Hell in the mind of the believer, all of this interwoven into an enthralling and epic space opera with gargantuan battles and level of gore, which is not for the squeamish. Detailed review in Bulgarian here:
http://citadelata.com/the-first-heretic/
http://citadelata.com/the-first-heretic/
March 2, 2022
This is a great Horus Heresy novel. It tells the story of the 17th legion, the Word Bearers, and their Primarch, Lorgar, his shameful censuring by the Emperor of Man, and his fall to chaos. Like a lot of Horus Heresy novels, this captures an epic and even mythic spirit. At this point in the series the overall structure of the heresy has been established. Each novel is a microscopic glance into a vast saga of galactic unwinding/entropy. Central to this novel, the character of Argel Tal is really compelling. Dembski-Bowden is able to create a character who is heroic and who, in their attempt to be faithful and true, descends into evil. It's truly tragic. Even near the end you are questioning whether Tal is evil or good. This sort of character dynamism pulls you through the 500+ page story. Another great feature is Dembski-Bowden's depictions of chaos and evil in this novel. The daemons of chaos and their influence on humanity just reek with brimstone here. Tal's slow physical transformation is one of the most terrifying parts of the Horus Heresy so far.
August 21, 2019
About the only thing holding this back from 5 stars is a not-insignificant number of typos and editing oversights. Otherwise, this entry is the best in the series so far.
It's hard to go into all of the reasons why I think this is the best entry, because so many of them require the context of other books, or at least context of the setting. Put simply, this entry is more tragic, more self-aware, more nuanced, and more honest than most. All too often, the Horus Heresy gets boiled down to a simple "tragic fall," and worse, Warhammer fiction gets boiled down to "good vs. evil." It's disappointing watching so much of the depth of the setting cast aside, with a simple "Here, don't think too hard... there's plenty of people shooting each other!"
Every entry prior has depicted the Word Bearers as mustache-twirling villains, but The First Heretic makes them almost sympathetic. Not an easy feat.
It's hard to go into all of the reasons why I think this is the best entry, because so many of them require the context of other books, or at least context of the setting. Put simply, this entry is more tragic, more self-aware, more nuanced, and more honest than most. All too often, the Horus Heresy gets boiled down to a simple "tragic fall," and worse, Warhammer fiction gets boiled down to "good vs. evil." It's disappointing watching so much of the depth of the setting cast aside, with a simple "Here, don't think too hard... there's plenty of people shooting each other!"
Every entry prior has depicted the Word Bearers as mustache-twirling villains, but The First Heretic makes them almost sympathetic. Not an easy feat.
July 3, 2018
Fascinating explanation of how the seeds of Chaos were planted in the Word Bearer's legion and their Primarch Lorgar decades before the Horus Heresy began. Narrative begins at the humiliation and reprimanding of Lorgar at the hands of the Emperor for enforcing worship of the Emperor as God, and culminates in the drop site massacre of Isstvan 5.
June 29, 2025
*** 4.44
As dark and Chaotic as always!
As dark and Chaotic as always!
November 7, 2019
Definitely one of the most vital of the HH saga so far.
The First Heretic takes a large step back from the current events of the Horus Heresy. I've been quite adamant that I'd like the books to actually make some progress rather than stall out at the battle of Istvan, replaying it over and over again from different perspectives... And this book is most definitely one of those in the stalled holding pattern. However, I really enjoyed it... for the most part.
In this novel we get to learn about Lorgar and the Word Bearers legion. What they're all about, how they fell from grace, and how they essentially started the whole damned heretical rebellion. It is a vital part of the lore behind the Horus Heresy and is told extremely well with a host of interesting characters, development both subtle and bombastic, and roaring action sequences.
Honestly for the most part it's really well told and both fun and interesting, with a lot of good drama. However, it's a bit of a jumble at times. We get a few point of view characters that really serve no other purpose than to die horribly, and toward the end Lorgar (the driving point of the whole tale) is just kind of... forgotten about. Also, as I have pointed out, it doesn't actually move the story of the Horus Heresy along any further. It's basically a prequel.
I'm giving this one 3.5 and rounding it up to 4. A good book, very enjoyable. But we're 14 books in and it feels like the HH saga has made no actual progress since book 5.
The First Heretic takes a large step back from the current events of the Horus Heresy. I've been quite adamant that I'd like the books to actually make some progress rather than stall out at the battle of Istvan, replaying it over and over again from different perspectives... And this book is most definitely one of those in the stalled holding pattern. However, I really enjoyed it... for the most part.
In this novel we get to learn about Lorgar and the Word Bearers legion. What they're all about, how they fell from grace, and how they essentially started the whole damned heretical rebellion. It is a vital part of the lore behind the Horus Heresy and is told extremely well with a host of interesting characters, development both subtle and bombastic, and roaring action sequences.
Honestly for the most part it's really well told and both fun and interesting, with a lot of good drama. However, it's a bit of a jumble at times. We get a few point of view characters that really serve no other purpose than to die horribly, and toward the end Lorgar (the driving point of the whole tale) is just kind of... forgotten about. Also, as I have pointed out, it doesn't actually move the story of the Horus Heresy along any further. It's basically a prequel.
I'm giving this one 3.5 and rounding it up to 4. A good book, very enjoyable. But we're 14 books in and it feels like the HH saga has made no actual progress since book 5.
December 27, 2017
This is solid science fiction, worthwhile even if you've never been into Warhammer 40k before. It's the story of Lorgar and his failure to live up to the warlike expectations set by his father and brothers. Instead he dreams of being a philosopher and priest and after being castigated for his work tries to find new divine inspiration, potentially leading to the damnation of humankind across the galaxy.
It's mostly told through the perspective of other warriors and people variously under Lorgar but this doesn't hamper the book in any way, if anything it helps outline the figures of Lorgar, the Emperor, and his brother Primarchs as larger than life gods in their own right.
One of my favourite aspects of the book is knowing how so much of what is unfolding is horrible and will scar the galaxy forever but also being able to understand the motivation and identify with Lorgar, the unloved child who worshipped his father.
If you are a fan of WH40k and want to get an amazing look at some of the great turning points in the Horus Heresy then you cannot miss this book.
It's mostly told through the perspective of other warriors and people variously under Lorgar but this doesn't hamper the book in any way, if anything it helps outline the figures of Lorgar, the Emperor, and his brother Primarchs as larger than life gods in their own right.
One of my favourite aspects of the book is knowing how so much of what is unfolding is horrible and will scar the galaxy forever but also being able to understand the motivation and identify with Lorgar, the unloved child who worshipped his father.
If you are a fan of WH40k and want to get an amazing look at some of the great turning points in the Horus Heresy then you cannot miss this book.
March 29, 2021
My first Dembski novel and what a novel it was! I have no idea what i will be writing for my review blog review yet...
November 5, 2024
Kopš Imperators teju kā Dievs uzradās uz Word Bearers (WB) leģiona dzimtās planētas Colhis, to primarks Lorgars no sirds nodevies šīs vienīgās patiesības un ideāla, ja uzdrīkstas teikt arī ticības, izplatīšanai, piedaloties diženajā Krusta karā un atgūstot cilvēces kolonizētās planētas, iekļaujot tās un vēlams, bet ne vienmēr, arī to populācijas Impērijas sastāvā. Varbūt ne vienmēr WB šo procesu piepilda tikpat veikli, kā citi leģioni, bet tad iekļaušanas procesa beigās var būt drošs, ka vēlāk nevajadzēs atgriezties pie nemieru plosītas pasaules, kurā kāds izdomājis tomēr sacelties.
https://poseidons99.com/2024/11/05/aa...
https://poseidons99.com/2024/11/05/aa...
June 12, 2024
This is an incredibly nerdy book series, and I don’t expect my normal goodreads fanbase to every pick up this series so I will keep the review short. God dang this book had some intense imagery. Warhammer is sick, love the universe. Thank you bye.
August 7, 2024
Friends betrayed. Demons praised. Idiots raised.
August 25, 2025
Just incredible. ADB has this unique ability to take on characters that are truly disgusting and villainous and makes you care about them by the end of the book. It's becoming his "thing" to look at traitor legions and explore their history and motivation and every time he does it, I wonder if he can pull it off and make us care. And every time, he does.
Probably the best book I've read in this series (only fighting for contention with Horus Rising).
Probably the best book I've read in this series (only fighting for contention with Horus Rising).
January 3, 2017
Almost 50 years before the Dropsite Massacre, the XIII legion (Ultramarines) forcibly evacuated the city of Monarchia, capital of Khur. The XVII Legion (Word Bearers) respond to Monarchia's distress call, and are ordered to descend to the planet's surface. There, the Emperor of Mankind orders Lorgar and his children to kneel. Lorgar is guilty of the heinous crime of worshipping the Emperor as a god, which is contrary to the Imperial Truth. As the Word Bearers prepare to leave Khur forever, Argel Tal, captain of the seventh assault company, rescues Cyrene Valantion, a young priestess who was blinded when she witnessed the city being destroyed from orbit.
Lorgar is beside himself as his foster father, Kor Phaeron, master of the faith, and First Chaplain Erebus argue that perhaps the Emperor doesn't deserve their worship. But if the Emperor is a false god, does this mean there are real gods? Of course, there must be, all Lorgar has to do is seek them out! As the Word Bearers blur the line between right and wrong, and then shatter them forever, Cyrene is there, always there, to hear them confess their sins and grant them absolution. In the same way that Euphrati Keeler laid the foundations of the Imperial Cult that would dominate the Imperium post-heresy, Cyrene made the rebellion possible. There is no Horus Heresy without her. The Word Bearers would've split torn themselves apart, loyalists vs traitors, and the story would've ended there.
I can't tell if Argel Tal is tragic or contemptible. He knows what's happening is wrong, but nowhere does he act with courage and honour. No, he's not a friggin' Ultramarine, but neither was Nathaniel Garro or Saul Tarvitz! All Argel Tal does is waddle along like he has no choice. But isn't the whole point of being a space marine that you can force a way forward when the situation looks impossible?
The scene where Lorgar realizes Ferrus Manus, primarch of the X legion (Iron Hands), is about to die is heart-breaking. It didn't occur to him to reflect on his personal connections to his brothers before putting into motion plans to kill them all? Also too, how can Lorgar say he's no fighter when he fought like a daemon in Aurelian? Maybe I'm a little confused by the timeline and I need to re-read both.
One of the recurring themes of the Horus Heresy is that it didn't have to be this way. All the Emperor had to do was find a way to discipline his wayward son without humiliating Lorgar in front of his sons. This book reveals a horrible truth behind the Horus Heresy: The Emperor was a terrible father, meaning this tragedy wasn't as avoidable as it seemed.
Lorgar is beside himself as his foster father, Kor Phaeron, master of the faith, and First Chaplain Erebus argue that perhaps the Emperor doesn't deserve their worship. But if the Emperor is a false god, does this mean there are real gods? Of course, there must be, all Lorgar has to do is seek them out! As the Word Bearers blur the line between right and wrong, and then shatter them forever, Cyrene is there, always there, to hear them confess their sins and grant them absolution. In the same way that Euphrati Keeler laid the foundations of the Imperial Cult that would dominate the Imperium post-heresy, Cyrene made the rebellion possible. There is no Horus Heresy without her. The Word Bearers would've split torn themselves apart, loyalists vs traitors, and the story would've ended there.
I can't tell if Argel Tal is tragic or contemptible. He knows what's happening is wrong, but nowhere does he act with courage and honour. No, he's not a friggin' Ultramarine, but neither was Nathaniel Garro or Saul Tarvitz! All Argel Tal does is waddle along like he has no choice. But isn't the whole point of being a space marine that you can force a way forward when the situation looks impossible?
The scene where Lorgar realizes Ferrus Manus, primarch of the X legion (Iron Hands), is about to die is heart-breaking. It didn't occur to him to reflect on his personal connections to his brothers before putting into motion plans to kill them all? Also too, how can Lorgar say he's no fighter when he fought like a daemon in Aurelian? Maybe I'm a little confused by the timeline and I need to re-read both.
One of the recurring themes of the Horus Heresy is that it didn't have to be this way. All the Emperor had to do was find a way to discipline his wayward son without humiliating Lorgar in front of his sons. This book reveals a horrible truth behind the Horus Heresy: The Emperor was a terrible father, meaning this tragedy wasn't as avoidable as it seemed.
February 7, 2025
4.25/5
A smashing debut from Aaron Dembski-Bowden, detailing the revelations and subsequent betrayals of the Word Bearers Legion. Dembski-Bowden’s deliciously dark and prosaic writing style is a match made in primordial heaven for any and all traitor legion POVs, so it’s no surprise here that it shined as well as it did.
Once again getting perspectives from both the primarch and his trusted sons only serves to enhance the overarching narrative, showing us the religious complexity and zealotry of the legion that is often referred to as grimdark evangelists. Suffice it to say, that for the most part, they did not disappoint.
Every chapter had immense value, and the short nature of all these books lend themselves to tight narratives, this book being no exception. We jump around the timeline quite a bit, but if you’ve ready any of the previous books, you won’t be confused, Dembski-Bowden makes sure of that.
The characterization of all our POVs is also superbly done. Argel Tal’s inner conflict is equally complex as it is dark, and is certainly the highlight of the book. From devout follower to agent of chaos, his journey is what makes this book shine.
Now I’ll touch on my two nitpicks:
First off, the Custodes and how easily they’re taken down. In Warhammer’s lore, the Custodes battle prowess are lorded as some of the best ever. 1 Custodes is worth 10 space marines, and I did not feel that in this book at all. 1 is reduced to fodder by a few marines in the early part of the story, and then in the final act, the death of a very important Custodes is essentially glossed over. I don’t have a problem with them dying, but I wish that I would’ve seen a little more care or detail go into their respective deaths.
My last nitpick is the audiobook narrator. I despise him. I listened to roughly 50% of this novel while at work, and I have to say that this narrator has slowly become one of my least favorites of all time. He constantly sounds like he has un-swallowed spit in his mouth, and many of the voices he does are just beyond obnoxious. I realize this complaint isn’t with the writing itself, which holds up on its own very well, but it is a facet of the book and my experience, one that I cannot ignore.
Overall great book, can’t wait to experience more of Dembski-Bowden’s writing.
September 18, 2012
There are two characters in this entry into the Horus Heresy series that can be labeled tragic. First is the primarch (general/son of the Emperor of Mankind [EOM]) Lorgar (Space Jesus...and later Space Judas), who, after 200 years (just go with it) has just now been chastised for promoting the religious worship of the EOM (who espouses an atheistic world/galaxy/universal view). This chastisement takes the form of the EOM sending an army and destroying one of Lorgar's best examples of ability and mental recondition of a population, using the forces of the primarch Guilliman (Julius/Augustus Caesar...in SPACE!). The rest of Lorgar's time in the book is him refusing to give up the idea that mankind needs religion and seeking proof of god(s) at the edge of known space. All the while he has two two underlings whispering in his ears - Erebus (again, just go with this) the Chaplin and Kor Phaeron, his second in command. And along for the ride is...
Argel Tal, the second tragic character who acts as point man to Lorgar's Pilgrimage, and who's humanity really depends on his devotion to (and protection of) Cyrene, one of the survivors from Guilliman/EOM's destruction of Monarchia. For my money, Argel Tal is the better character, but his story compliments/completes Lorgar's so completely, allowing the reader a glimpse at the EOM's process of creation - not only of the Primarchs but of the Empire - and focuses on the drive to be...not liked. Beloved.
Dembski-Bowden clearly had alot of fun fleshing out his corner of the Warhammer 40k universe - characters from the "Night Lords" series show up, as does Cadia - land of badasses who gave us half the cast of the Guard v. Zombies novel "Cadian Blood". I recommend reading "Deliverance Lost" right after you finish "The First Heretic" - which is a different take on the theme of fatherhood, and the sins incurred and passed on to the children.
Argel Tal, the second tragic character who acts as point man to Lorgar's Pilgrimage, and who's humanity really depends on his devotion to (and protection of) Cyrene, one of the survivors from Guilliman/EOM's destruction of Monarchia. For my money, Argel Tal is the better character, but his story compliments/completes Lorgar's so completely, allowing the reader a glimpse at the EOM's process of creation - not only of the Primarchs but of the Empire - and focuses on the drive to be...not liked. Beloved.
Dembski-Bowden clearly had alot of fun fleshing out his corner of the Warhammer 40k universe - characters from the "Night Lords" series show up, as does Cadia - land of badasses who gave us half the cast of the Guard v. Zombies novel "Cadian Blood". I recommend reading "Deliverance Lost" right after you finish "The First Heretic" - which is a different take on the theme of fatherhood, and the sins incurred and passed on to the children.
February 26, 2011
I was really looking forward to this book, as the Word Bearers were one of the original legions that I know very little about. My only previous experiance was with The Battle For the Abyss, and that wasn't really a Word Bearer book.
I enjoyed this book a great deal. It was different from many of the other Horus books in that we have a main character that isn't a stand out against the fall of his legion like Garro from the Death Guard, or even someone who is convinced he is doing what is good for the Imerium as Ahriman is in A Thousands Sons. Here we have a main characer and a whole legion that are sure that the Emperor is wrong, and they are hell bent on finding the true gods that the Emperor denies, even if those gods are the Chaos Gods that we all know and love.
The only part of this story I really didn't like was one scene where Erebus and Kor Phadon convince Lorgar to abandon the way of the Imperium and that the legion should seek out the old gods. It all takes place in the space of about 10 or 15 pages. It seemed way to fast.
I did, however like the back story behind the fall of the Word Bearers. Especially the scenes with the Emperor. I believe this is the first time where we've had the Emperor in one of the stories (except for the short story in Tales of Heresy). It was awesome to see a whole legion including their primarch humbled by the Emperor.
We also got to see a bit more of the Custodes and their bad-ass-itude. Those guys rock!
In the end, as with all Horus books, we know what is going to happen, but it is the path that leads us to the end that is worth the trip.
I am very tempted to give this five possessed Space Marines out of five, but it doesn't quite make it. If I were to give "half points" I'd do that, but we'll have to settle for four out of five.
I enjoyed this book a great deal. It was different from many of the other Horus books in that we have a main character that isn't a stand out against the fall of his legion like Garro from the Death Guard, or even someone who is convinced he is doing what is good for the Imerium as Ahriman is in A Thousands Sons. Here we have a main characer and a whole legion that are sure that the Emperor is wrong, and they are hell bent on finding the true gods that the Emperor denies, even if those gods are the Chaos Gods that we all know and love.
The only part of this story I really didn't like was one scene where Erebus and Kor Phadon convince Lorgar to abandon the way of the Imperium and that the legion should seek out the old gods. It all takes place in the space of about 10 or 15 pages. It seemed way to fast.
I did, however like the back story behind the fall of the Word Bearers. Especially the scenes with the Emperor. I believe this is the first time where we've had the Emperor in one of the stories (except for the short story in Tales of Heresy). It was awesome to see a whole legion including their primarch humbled by the Emperor.
We also got to see a bit more of the Custodes and their bad-ass-itude. Those guys rock!
In the end, as with all Horus books, we know what is going to happen, but it is the path that leads us to the end that is worth the trip.
I am very tempted to give this five possessed Space Marines out of five, but it doesn't quite make it. If I were to give "half points" I'd do that, but we'll have to settle for four out of five.
October 6, 2012
OK, this is THE book that makes EVERYTHING, the whole heresy deal and Chaos, make sense! It's the one that tells you everything you need to go on with pretty much any heresy book now. You thought you had "The Aether" all figured out in "Thousand Sons" eh? Whateva! This takes the Empyrean to a whole new level on a different scale! I LOVED all the deamons in this one!(even if it might have been "too gory" for your weak, lesser mortal minds.) Creep me out all you want I LOVE THIS!!!
I'm glad it didn't leave me so depressed in the end, even though I probably should have been,... I mean, everybody's still screwed in every impossible way they can't fix,... Khaos's viewpoint on things does that I guess.
The Author's (yes I can spell his full name fine without the book, I just choose to respect his hard earned, awesomeness title) choice of words made things so interesting... my vocabulary has boosted by the thousands I swear(even though I probably don't demonstrate it well in this instance but I wrote all the odd words down for dictionary "look up" later, and punctuation is the real issue here)... Many times I nearly busted up laughing over something as stupid as an arrangement of prose. Ah that dry sarcasm kills me, Tarik did it the worst though:)
I find no fault in the writing that any idiot can't deal with. An amazing ride, back to front. So in the "words of Wyrdmake"(no pun intended) I'll stop "wasting my time with fancy words"....
It was flat out A.W.E.S.O.M.E.! Read it!
I'm glad it didn't leave me so depressed in the end, even though I probably should have been,... I mean, everybody's still screwed in every impossible way they can't fix,... Khaos's viewpoint on things does that I guess.
The Author's (yes I can spell his full name fine without the book, I just choose to respect his hard earned, awesomeness title) choice of words made things so interesting... my vocabulary has boosted by the thousands I swear(even though I probably don't demonstrate it well in this instance but I wrote all the odd words down for dictionary "look up" later, and punctuation is the real issue here)... Many times I nearly busted up laughing over something as stupid as an arrangement of prose. Ah that dry sarcasm kills me, Tarik did it the worst though:)
I find no fault in the writing that any idiot can't deal with. An amazing ride, back to front. So in the "words of Wyrdmake"(no pun intended) I'll stop "wasting my time with fancy words"....
It was flat out A.W.E.S.O.M.E.! Read it!
May 21, 2020
Great story. As someone who was new to the Warhammer 40k universe before reading this, it was a great introduction. I'm reading another book set in the universe now by a different author and it just doesn't have the same reverence for the world. The way Aaron describes the Primarch in the first few chapters is amazing, the story of the Blessed Lady is gripping, the transformation of Argal-Tal is heartbreaking, but also captivating. The combat scenes are full of action and described in gritty, gorey detail, with nuances in strategic forms of combat between different units. The individualist methods of the custodes contrasted against the word-bearers was a memorable theme; I still think of the Lion vs Wolf mentalities of strategy and use them both in my personal life to determine how to tackle different situations. The themes on religion, existentialism, hypocrisy and corruption are very powerful and made me see both the Chaos Gods and the Emperor as morally grey entities. I find myself rooting for the Word Bearers, even while reading the other books in which they are clearly intended to be the enemies of humanity. I was not expecting such a great novel to come from a game-world book, after having read Arthas, and Drizzt novels from the WoW and D&D game-worlds and being very underwhelmed by them. This book was a refreshing surprise that has sparked my interest in an entirely new universe and set of characters. Will be looking to read all of Dembski's 40k novels in the future!
February 12, 2023
(Some spoilers)
This was the first Warhammer novel I've read and it did an excellent job of setting the scene for the start of the Horus heresy. I'd known bits of lore from various sources but knew little about characters.
This is the story of how the Word Bearers, a legion of warrior monks who consider themselves most devoted to the Emperor of Humanity fall from grace and into heresy.
It tells of how the Primarch (a demigod leader figure) of the Word Bearers, desperate to fill the void after having his worship of the Emperor rebuked goes on a pilgrimage that was a part of the ancient religion (that he had replaced with worship of the Emperor) on his homeworld, this pilgrimage would give him his answers and lead him to the divinity he craved to worship.
The story follows a warrior known as Argel Tal and his squadmates as they come to terms with their treatment by the Emperor and adapt to the new truths brought to them. It involves betrayal, possession and setting the stage for great upheaval.
Being a fan of the Word Bearers, both in their loyalist and heretic stages this book was a great read for me and I recommend it for those who want to get a gist of what Chaos is and the role it plays in the Warhammer universe.
This was the first Warhammer novel I've read and it did an excellent job of setting the scene for the start of the Horus heresy. I'd known bits of lore from various sources but knew little about characters.
This is the story of how the Word Bearers, a legion of warrior monks who consider themselves most devoted to the Emperor of Humanity fall from grace and into heresy.
It tells of how the Primarch (a demigod leader figure) of the Word Bearers, desperate to fill the void after having his worship of the Emperor rebuked goes on a pilgrimage that was a part of the ancient religion (that he had replaced with worship of the Emperor) on his homeworld, this pilgrimage would give him his answers and lead him to the divinity he craved to worship.
The story follows a warrior known as Argel Tal and his squadmates as they come to terms with their treatment by the Emperor and adapt to the new truths brought to them. It involves betrayal, possession and setting the stage for great upheaval.
Being a fan of the Word Bearers, both in their loyalist and heretic stages this book was a great read for me and I recommend it for those who want to get a gist of what Chaos is and the role it plays in the Warhammer universe.
June 4, 2011
An incredibly compelling look into why it could be argued humanity NEEDS religion and is hardwired for belief in the spiritual. It's a tragic and heart breaking drama that asks the questions: What do you do when you find out that God is really the devil? And do you preach and hope for heaven even if you know your place is in hell?
May 26, 2022
The First Heretic covers the Word Bearers legion getting an unsatisfactory job review from the EMPEROR OF MANKIND…
+Yet your conquests are the slowest, and your victories ring hollow.+
…and how the Word Bearer’s Primarch Lorgar dealt with it.
The most salient point of The First Heretic is Dembski Bowden manages the most accurate portrayal of the EMPEROR OF MANKIND so far.
He’s a dick.
The First Heretic is a complicated book in that Lorgar may have his flaw, but he’s in genuine danger. He knows that two Primarchs stepped far enough out of line to be ethered from existence. The EMPEROR OF MANKIND genocided one of Lorgar’s conquests just because its inhabitants did what Lorgar told them to do. Stuff is grim, so we need a grim Space Marine to get us through it.
The First Villain
Generally, our major space marine characters in the Horus Heresy have been bros. Loken, Tarvitz, and Garro are your archetypes. Ahiriman a complicated psyker variant but still mostly so. Lucius and Zaheriel are exceptions but one’s a Johnny-come-lately opportunist, and the other is on a complicated path that will have limited interaction with the main insurrection.
Enter Argel Tal.
‘So, at last, comes the Crimson Lord.’ Aquillon’s voice was biting in its insincerity. ‘Revealing his true self to those he has betrayed.’
Now there’s some “bro-ness” to Tal, which is ironically the weakest part. I’m not sure why anyone particularly likes him. Why the Custodes trust him over any other Word Bearer is inexplicable.
There are also some similarities between his relationship with Cyrene and Loken’s with Euphrati Keeler in Horus Rising, but that is not my main point of interest.
What does interest me is that Argel Tal is evil.
We have seen it happen, as it happened before. The cycle of life in a galaxy owned by laughing, thirsting gods.
Yes, there’s a whole bunch of complications. Tal ends up sharing his body with a daemon. There’s uncertainty over what motivates his loyalty to his Primarch Lorgar, and whether it would be right to go against the EMPEROR OF MANKIND. But he is evil. He volunteers for the Eye of Terror, he willingly condemns a ship’s crew to death and he drinks the blood of other Word Bearers he has murdered.
It’s also worth comparing his journey with Lorgar’s post daemonic awakening. Lorgar needs to be pushed along by his subordinates as “Indecision gripped him for months” whereas Argel Tal spends decades getting on with what he is meant to, including horrific torture of astropaths.
There are plenty of sympathetic aspects to Argel Tal’s character and actions. He’s a fully fledged character. But his evil is believable – even with his doubts – which explains why he betrays those willing to trust him.
Crafted Coolness
While it is “grimdark”, Dembski-Bowden gets a few clever bits in. I mentioned in Nemesis that Swallow liked to create “cool” moments. So does Dembski-Bowden, but I want to credit a bit more craft here with some of the minor characters.
Xi-Nu 73’s pride warred with his unfading irritation. Praise to the Omnissiah for the blessing of his own Conqueror Primus being accepted into an Astartes Legion’s ranks, but curse the influence such a loyalty was having on its cortex.
It’s one thing to have a team of elite Custodes walk into a booby trap. It’s another thing to have threaded that booby trap’s eccentric form of sentience through the main plot. He’s respected by the Word Bearers and accepted into their ranks. He may be on the side of “evil” but when he starts blasting, you cheer for him. He’s been trusted with an essential role – the booby trap.
Sythran had smiled as the other five descended upon him. He considered his vow of silence complete given the circumstances, and he laughed at the warrior he’d killed. ‘I always hated you, Xaphen.’
In the climatic engagement, the last Custodes, who’s vow of silence has featured multiple times, deliberately chooses to throw away his weapon to kill the guy he hated, a guy we know to be an extra flavour of evil to Argel Tal. Sythran speaks that feeling for the reader, and The First Heretic ends on that.
Neither example is original (the guy who’s been loudly silent speaking something at the last moment being a particularly well worn trope), but I’ve mentioned before that Dembski-Bowden has a way with cliches, fitting them into the story to make even minor characters have moments of nobility.
The Word Bearers didn’t get their full due in Battle for the Abyss. To me The First Heretic does not conflict with their earlier portrayal (they are zealots), but it adds critical context and a rationale for adopting Chaos. A must read to me.
+Yet your conquests are the slowest, and your victories ring hollow.+
…and how the Word Bearer’s Primarch Lorgar dealt with it.
The most salient point of The First Heretic is Dembski Bowden manages the most accurate portrayal of the EMPEROR OF MANKIND so far.
He’s a dick.
The First Heretic is a complicated book in that Lorgar may have his flaw, but he’s in genuine danger. He knows that two Primarchs stepped far enough out of line to be ethered from existence. The EMPEROR OF MANKIND genocided one of Lorgar’s conquests just because its inhabitants did what Lorgar told them to do. Stuff is grim, so we need a grim Space Marine to get us through it.
The First Villain
Generally, our major space marine characters in the Horus Heresy have been bros. Loken, Tarvitz, and Garro are your archetypes. Ahiriman a complicated psyker variant but still mostly so. Lucius and Zaheriel are exceptions but one’s a Johnny-come-lately opportunist, and the other is on a complicated path that will have limited interaction with the main insurrection.
Enter Argel Tal.
‘So, at last, comes the Crimson Lord.’ Aquillon’s voice was biting in its insincerity. ‘Revealing his true self to those he has betrayed.’
Now there’s some “bro-ness” to Tal, which is ironically the weakest part. I’m not sure why anyone particularly likes him. Why the Custodes trust him over any other Word Bearer is inexplicable.
There are also some similarities between his relationship with Cyrene and Loken’s with Euphrati Keeler in Horus Rising, but that is not my main point of interest.
What does interest me is that Argel Tal is evil.
We have seen it happen, as it happened before. The cycle of life in a galaxy owned by laughing, thirsting gods.
Yes, there’s a whole bunch of complications. Tal ends up sharing his body with a daemon. There’s uncertainty over what motivates his loyalty to his Primarch Lorgar, and whether it would be right to go against the EMPEROR OF MANKIND. But he is evil. He volunteers for the Eye of Terror, he willingly condemns a ship’s crew to death and he drinks the blood of other Word Bearers he has murdered.
It’s also worth comparing his journey with Lorgar’s post daemonic awakening. Lorgar needs to be pushed along by his subordinates as “Indecision gripped him for months” whereas Argel Tal spends decades getting on with what he is meant to, including horrific torture of astropaths.
There are plenty of sympathetic aspects to Argel Tal’s character and actions. He’s a fully fledged character. But his evil is believable – even with his doubts – which explains why he betrays those willing to trust him.
Crafted Coolness
While it is “grimdark”, Dembski-Bowden gets a few clever bits in. I mentioned in Nemesis that Swallow liked to create “cool” moments. So does Dembski-Bowden, but I want to credit a bit more craft here with some of the minor characters.
Xi-Nu 73’s pride warred with his unfading irritation. Praise to the Omnissiah for the blessing of his own Conqueror Primus being accepted into an Astartes Legion’s ranks, but curse the influence such a loyalty was having on its cortex.
It’s one thing to have a team of elite Custodes walk into a booby trap. It’s another thing to have threaded that booby trap’s eccentric form of sentience through the main plot. He’s respected by the Word Bearers and accepted into their ranks. He may be on the side of “evil” but when he starts blasting, you cheer for him. He’s been trusted with an essential role – the booby trap.
Sythran had smiled as the other five descended upon him. He considered his vow of silence complete given the circumstances, and he laughed at the warrior he’d killed. ‘I always hated you, Xaphen.’
In the climatic engagement, the last Custodes, who’s vow of silence has featured multiple times, deliberately chooses to throw away his weapon to kill the guy he hated, a guy we know to be an extra flavour of evil to Argel Tal. Sythran speaks that feeling for the reader, and The First Heretic ends on that.
Neither example is original (the guy who’s been loudly silent speaking something at the last moment being a particularly well worn trope), but I’ve mentioned before that Dembski-Bowden has a way with cliches, fitting them into the story to make even minor characters have moments of nobility.
The Word Bearers didn’t get their full due in Battle for the Abyss. To me The First Heretic does not conflict with their earlier portrayal (they are zealots), but it adds critical context and a rationale for adopting Chaos. A must read to me.
May 31, 2025
This was without a doubt the biggest struggle to finish. I don’t know why I should care about any of this. Lorgar is both incompetent, uncharismatic and I hold no empathy for. This was so upsetting to read I have needed to hard pivot out of HH and cleanse my mouth. This was a confused mess.
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