The Horus Heresy novel series is Black Library’s sprawling, multi-author saga about the civil war that broke the Imperium 10,000 years before Warhammer 40k’s main era. It’s the backbone of the setting’s backstory, and it’s still shaping the game today.
What it is
It’s a science fantasy series set during the Horus Heresy, the galaxy-wide civil war in the 31st millennium. The story follows the Emperor’s 18 gene-forged sons, the Primarchs, and the Legiones Astartes they command, as the Warmaster Horus turns on his father and splits the Imperium into loyalist and traitor camps.
Different authors write different books, but they share one meta-plot. The publishing order isn’t chronological: stories jump around the timeline, gradually lighting up the whole war from different angles. Some books are tightly linked (the opening three form a trilogy, and a few later pairs are deliberate duologies), while others stand alone.
Black Library, Games Workshop’s publishing arm, puts the books out. The first, Horus Rising by Dan Abnett, landed in April 2006. The main series ran to 54 novels, 16 of which are anthologies of novellas, short stories and audio dramas. Then came the Siege of Terra follow-up series, and the whole thing wrapped with The End and the Death in three volumes, the last arriving in January 2024. A sequel series, The Scouring, began in December 2025.
Why it matters
The Heresy is the cornerstone event of Warhammer 40k. It explains why the Imperium is a decaying, paranoid theocracy, why Chaos has a foothold in realspace, and why Space Marine chapters exist the way they do. The novels turned that background into a definitive, readable narrative.
They’ve also been a commercial success, regularly hitting bestseller lists and earning critical praise despite some reservations. The line became its own Horus Heresy sub-brand for Games Workshop, and it’s treated as authoritative source material for the wider 40k universe.
How it connects to the games
The novels’ popularity pushed Games Workshop’s Forge World studio to launch a Horus Heresy tabletop game in 2012, starting as a specialist system with campaign books and resin miniatures. It grew into a standalone ruleset and was relaunched as Warhammer: The Horus Heresy in 2022.
There’s also a tabletop RPG on the way: Cubicle 7 has announced The Horus Heresy Tabletop Roleplaying Game for 2026. So the series isn’t just fiction, it’s the seed for a whole product family.
Where to start
You don’t have to read all 65 volumes in order. The first three novels are the cleanest entry point, and plenty of fans jump to specific legions or characters after that. If you want the climax, the Siege of Terra books cover the final assault on Terra.
One odd in-universe note: the Heresy itself is said to have inspired popular romances in the 33rd millennium, which later got adapted with help from Kyril Sindermann’s private notes. So the setting has its own dramatised versions of the war.
Key facts
- Published by Black Library, Games Workshop’s publishing division
- First novel, Horus Rising, released in April 2006
- Main series: 54 novels, 16 of which are anthologies
- Overall run totals 65 volumes, ending with The End and the Death: Volume III in January 2024
- Set in the 31st millennium, about 10,000 years before the main 40k era
- Sparked the Horus Heresy tabletop game (2012), relaunched as Warhammer: The Horus Heresy in 2022
FAQ
How many books are in the Horus Heresy novel series?
The main series ran to 54 novels (16 of them anthologies), followed by the Siege of Terra series. Counting the full run including The End and the Death’s three volumes, the overall total is 65 books.
Do I need to read them in order?
Not strictly. The publishing order isn’t chronological, and the stories jump around the timeline. The first three novels form a tight trilogy and are the usual starting point, then you can follow the legions or characters you like.
Who wrote the Horus Heresy books?
Several authors, including Dan Abnett, Graham McNeill, Ben Counter, James Swallow, Aaron Dembski-Bowden and Gav Thorpe. Black Library publishes them all.
Is there a sequel series?
Yes. The Scouring began publication in December 2025, picking up after the Heresy’s conclusion.