This is the first book in long series. The main characters are genetically enhanced human soldiers, called Astartes. They are for the most part immortal. They will not grow old or get sick but can be killed in battle. The Emperor has left Horus "the Warmaster" with the task of uniting mankind throughout the stars under one belief, which is that their are no God's or spirits and religion is bad. Their are a lot of good battle scenes in this book with memorable characters. I thought the second quarter of the book was a bit slow but the second half made me eager to read the next book. A lot of this book I think is setting up the rest of the story. ( )

This was the first W40K book I read. Entire W40K universe always seemed too grim and ... negative is the word I guess because you just could not find a character or race to identify with - they all act with extreme brutality and have very short tempers. In my opinion you must have a protagonist (or protagonists in this case) to identify with (with his/hers/theirs actions at least), but how can someone identify oneself with super-strong, near immortal super soldiers of Empire of Man that are outright genocidal to everyone/everything [including their own] that do not fit into their view of the world without a thought. I am aware of dangerous things lurking in this universe but common, they wipe out planets for reasons that are completely weird.

Then [out of curiosity] I took this novel and got hooked up in W40K universe at once. Space Marines presented here are not dogma-driven and so-thoroughly-indoctrinated soldiers but men that use their head when they follow their leaders, they do not treat machinery and technology as something that cannot be understood unless you are a "miracle-worker and holy". They are men that have come from savage societies created during the Age of Strife (period I truly hope will find it's way in future novels) but they do know about factories, automatons etc etc. Renaissance takes place everywhere and science tries to establish itself once more as a main instrument that will further propel humankind into the stars.
Taking this into consideration one can understand how did humanity end up from that point into the new dark age society that was described so much in the original W40K novels.

Humanity is again in expansion (in W40K that can be translated that it is on a warpath) and is making place for itself among stars. After leading numerous Space Marines Legions and Imperial Guard troops Emperor puts his confidant, the most praised Primarch, Horus on a position of a Warmaster and leaves all war and frontier expansion matters into Horus's capable hands. Although Primarchs are super-human even by Space Marine standards they have same (inner) flaws as any other humans ..... this may bring the downfall of the Great Crusade and maybe the entire human race... ( )

I have said it before and I'll say it again, Dan Abnett is one of the greatest Sci-fi writers working. This book is the beginning of the Warhammer 40,000 series. This is the story of Horus's rise as the emperors favorite to become War Master, as well as the beginnings of his doubt about the teachings of the emperor. Abnett makes you care about the characters and every character he creates is unique. We also, as humans, get our first taste of the warp and the effects of chaos. ( )

They might as well have called this Horus Heresy: The Bait, having the best author in the Black Library pen the first book in a multi-author series. That said, it is a pretty good piece of fiction. I particularly enjoyed the war on Murder, Abnett's descriptions of purely alien places are always my favorite. The bar is set with this book and many authors of the subsequent books spend time aping this style but don't quite come close. ( )

Up to now, my only exposure to the Warhammer 40,000 series has been via science fiction bookstores and games shops where you can purchase the miniatures. I know it's hugely popular but I've never dipped in before.I also have a feeling that the local factory, Prince August, where I worked as a teenager also was involved in the manufacture of miniatures. But until now, I had dismissed novels like this as pulp fiction. I'm glad to say that I was wrong.

This book, the first in the Horus Heresy series, is set prior to the universe portrayed in the Warhammer 40k universe and the series promises fans the chance to learn the history behind the game. The book tells us how the Emperor of Man has retired from everyday life for a chance to persue his studies, and appoints Horus to act as Warmaster in his stead. The Imperium of Man is on a crusade throughout the universe, destroying cultures, alien and human alike, that refuse to accept their teachings. The Imperium have removed religion and superstition from their existence.

Horus acts in the Emperor's stead, assisted by his Astartes warriors, genetically enhanced superhumans. The Astaertes warrior Loken, one of the inner circle who advises Horus, fights a strange battle where a fellow soldier changes form. This begins to point the way towards the story for the remainder of the series.

The battles scenes are graphic, there is not doubting that, but the book is surprisingly rich in content. The leading Astartes warriors, especially Loken, are used to add human feelings and touches to the story and the scene is cleverly laid for the next in the series. All in all it's a surprising good read. ( )