The Primarchs novels are Black Library’s character series about the Emperor’s twenty sons, each book following one primarch in the years before the Horus Heresy kicked off. They’re the deep-dive companion to the main Heresy line, and for a lot of fans they’re the best way to actually understand why these demigods turned out the way they did.
What the primarchs novels actually are
Each novel takes one primarch and tells a self-contained story set before the Heresy. You don’t need to read all eighteen in order, though the series rewards you if you do, since the books quietly set up loyalties and grudges that pay off later.
They’re published by Black Library, Games Workshop’s fiction imprint, and they sit alongside the numbered Horus Heresy series rather than replacing it. Think of them as spotlight volumes: shorter, tighter, and focused on a single character’s psychology and early campaigns.
The primarch books, in release order
The series covers a good spread of loyalists and traitors, and a few primarchs have yet to get their own novel. Authors rotate between books, so the voice shifts from title to title.
| Primarch | Novel | Author |
|---|---|---|
| Roboute Guilliman | Lord of Ultramar | David Annandale |
| Leman Russ | The Great Wolf | Chris Wraight |
| Magnus the Red | Master of Prospero | Graham McNeill |
| Perturabo | The Hammer of Olympia | Guy Haley |
| Lorgar | Bearer of the Word | Gav Thorpe |
| Fulgrim | The Palatine Phoenix | Josh Reynolds |
| Ferrus Manus | The Gorgon of Medusa | David Guymer |
| Jaghatai Khan | Warhawk of Chogoris | Chris Wraight |
| Vulkan | Lord of Drakes | David Annandale |
| Corax | Lord of Shadows | Guy Haley |
| Angron | Slave of Nuceria | Ian St. Martin |
| Konrad Curze | The Night Haunter | Guy Haley |
| Lion El’Jonson | Lord of the First | David Guymer |
| Alpharius | Head of the Hydra | Mike Brooks |
| Mortarion | The Pale King | David Annandale |
| Rogal Dorn | The Emperor’s Crusader | Gav Thorpe |
| Sanguinius | The Great Angel | Chris Wraight |
Anthologies, short stories and audio dramas
Alongside the solo novels there’s a run of anthologies collecting primarch-focused shorts from multiple authors: Sons of the Emperor, Scions of the Emperor, Blood of the Emperor, Heirs of the Emperor and Traitorous Scions. If you want the widest spread of primarch material, these are the efficient pick.
There are also standalone short stories and audio dramas, including Perturabo: Stone and Iron, Konrad Curze: A Lesson in Darkness and Malcador: First Lord of the Imperium. These tend to fill gaps the novels leave rather than carry the main arc.
Don’t confuse it with The Primarchs (2012)
There’s a naming trap here. The Primarchs is also the title of the twentieth book in the main Horus Heresy series, an anthology edited by Christian Dunn and released in May 2012. It collects four novellas: The Reflection Crack’d by Graham McNeill, Feat of Iron by Nick Kyme, The Lion by Gav Thorpe and The Serpent Beneath by Rob Sanders.
That book hit the New York Times bestseller list, the seventh Heresy volume to do so. It’s a different thing from the ongoing Primarchs novel line, even though they share a name and a subject. If you see “The Primarchs” on a shelf, check the author credits to work out which one you’ve got.
Key facts
- The Primarchs novels are a Black Library series, each book covering one primarch before the Horus Heresy.
- Seventeen solo novels exist so far, from Roboute Guilliman: Lord of Ultramar to Sanguinius: The Great Angel.
- Five primarch anthologies collect short fiction: Sons of the Emperor, Scions of the Emperor, Blood of the Emperor, Heirs of the Emperor and Traitorous Scions.
- The Primarchs (2012) is a separate Horus Heresy anthology, book twenty in the main series, edited by Christian Dunn.
- Authors rotate across the line, including Chris Wraight, Guy Haley, David Annandale and Graham McNeill.
FAQ
Do I need to read the Horus Heresy series first?
No. The primarchs novels are designed to work on their own, and plenty of readers start here. That said, knowing the broad strokes of the Heresy makes the foreshadowing land harder.
Which primarchs haven’t had a novel yet?
The line is still incomplete. Several primarchs are covered mainly through the anthologies and short stories rather than a dedicated solo book.
Is The Primarchs anthology part of this series?
No, that’s book twenty of the main Horus Heresy series. It shares a name but collects four novellas by different authors.