Review of The First Heretic by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

If you were like me, then you read the second book in the Horus Heresy series, False Gods by Graham McNeill, asking yourself: who is this Erebus guy, where did he come from, and what is his agenda? And while information is revealed the further the reader gets into that novel, a number of questions still remain. The First Heretic by Aaron Dembski Bowden (2010), fourteenth book in the Horus Heresy series, blows the doors off all questions.

And so where the first three books published in the Horus Heresy series describe how Horus started his rebellion, its origins lie beforehand in The First Heretic. The novel opens on the Word Bearer's planet Khur where the Ultramarines have been sent to raze it by the Emperor's command for reasons of heresy. The boys in blue allow one communication to leave the planet, describing their actions and why, then destroy it. Feeling wronged, Lorgar and his fellow Word Bearers set their sights on understanding why the Emperor has betrayed them and getting revenge. And when you want to get revenge on a larger, stronger opponent, desperate tactics are needed. Just what effect said tactics will have in the long term, however, not even the Word Bearers can foresee.

The architects behind the Horus Heresy series have been deft at complementing symbolism and plot. In The First Heretic this continues: how the Imperium becomes touched by Chaos is unlocked through the Word Bearers. The legion most concerned with history and the value of recorded knowledge, Dembski-Bowden effectively exploits the holes in their proverbial armor to lead Lorgar and his fellow Word Bearers on the path toward darkness. For this, the series produces yet another finely gray primarch. Flawed yet relatable, the reader is drawn to learn how Lorgar's (understandable) interests play out in the larger milieu of Horus' rebellion.

In terms of Horus Heresy cosmology, The First Heretic is figuratively one of the most important novels in the series. And there are arguments to be made it is literally the most important—the source of all the trouble. Temporally, the book begins a significant chunk of time before Horus Rising, and proceeds to describe a series of events that lead up to and beyond the treacherous events of Isstvan III. Detailing the influence of Chaos on the universe, it tells a dark tale that extends far beyond infected swords and gullible primarchs.

There are readers online who put The First Heretic on the list of the best novels the Horus Heresy series produced. And the reasons are clear. On top of explaining the most important bits of backstory, it likewise tells a dark tale that sees primarchs clash, Isstvan III fall (from another, intersting p.o.v.), and overall offers irreplaceable nuance to the series. And if anything, it adds what might be the series' most prominent symbol: the Eye of Chaos.

In the end, The First Heretic adds a big piece to the Horus Heresy story puzzle. For readers sticking to a “golden path” through the series (i.e. not reading every book published), this is a book that must be considered vital to the experience. For many reasons, it should not be skipped, if not for sheer storytelling alone.