The Horus Heresy is one of the largest series in modern fantasy and sci-fi, stretching across a staggering 64 volumes as of writing this. The Horus Heresy series follows not just the titular character, but a swathe of other characters that are involved in his story. The only issue is, how does someone find the best novels out of a group that’s nearly fivedozenlong?
Naturally, the best place to start is with book one and work your way up, but that isn’t always an option we want to take. If you’re looking for some of the best novels in the Horus Heresy franchise, we’re here to offer our assistance. Here are our recommendations for the best Horus Heresy novels for fans of the franchise.
Another point to note is thatthis list is not in reading orderand merely features the best books about the Horus Heresy.
Updated May 26, 2025 by Kenny Kimberly:We’re back to this piece to verify we’re giving you the most accurate information we have available - as well as to add to our list. We’ve added Angel Exterminatus, The Primarchs, and Born of Flame to this list to help you get into the Horus Heresy vibe. Enjoy!
As we’ll be discussing books further into the series, the simple description of some will constitute as spoilers. If you don’t want any spoilers, we strongly suggest you pick up the books in chronological order. If you don’t mind them, read on!
Horus Rising: Anniversary Edition (Horus Heresy)
See where it began
Horus Rising is the first novel in the Horus Heresy series and is a must-read to understand the basis of the franchise. We recommend starting with this book no matter where you go in the series.
Horus Rising is the first story in the franchise and the natural starting point for anyone attempting to get into the Horus Heresy. This story lays the groundwork for Warmaster Horus, his rise to power, and how he begins to find himself embroiled in the battles to come.
No matter where you intend to go in the franchise, we strongly recommend starting with this novel so that you have an understanding of who Horus is and why his trials are important. Afterward, you’re free to move forward chronologically or hop around.
Graham McNeill’s Warhammer 40K: Flesh and Iron
Political unrest makes a Primarch stronger
Graham McNeill’s novel Angel Exterminatus: Flesh and Iron is the 23rd novel in the Horus Heresy arc. This story introduces Delete Perturabo, an Iron Warrior Primarch, to our world.
The 23rd book will take some reading to get to - 22 books, if we’re keeping count - but we don’t think you’ll be too upset about that journey. If you feel tempted to jump straight to it, Angel Exterminatus: Flesh and Iron is a somewhat self-contained novel, making it an alright novel if you’re looking for a one-off.
Flesh and Iron focuses on the story of Delete Perturabo, a Primarch tired of being stuck with boring duties. Seeing an opportunity to rise above this situation through the machinations of Fulgrim, we get a great look at how a Primarch earns the honor they hold so dearly.
David Annandale’s Roboute Guilliman: Lord Of Ultramar
A series within a series
Looking to learn as much about the Horus Heresy as possible? David Annandale’s Roboute Guilliman: Lord of Ultramar is the first of the Primarchs subseries, showing the Primarchs of the Horus Heresy in all their glory.
Horus Heresy is alongseries - more than 60 volumes depending on what we’re considering. Part of this is because of sub-series within it, counting this series, the Primarchs.
David Annandale’s Roboute Guilliman: Lord of Ultramar is the first of the Horus Heresey Primarch novels. This story shows the life of Roboute Guilliman and the glory he would solidify for generations, helping to flesh out the world’s lore.
Nick Kyme’s Born Of Flame: The Hammer And The Anvil
Novel, novellas, and short stories!
Nick Kyme’s novel Born of Flame: The Hammer and the Anvil, serves more as a collection of stories placed into an official Horus Heresy volume. This book contains a novel, two novellas, and two short stories.
It’ll take some reading to get to the 50th, but don’t worry - this is a story you can jump to if you’d like. Mostly, that’s because this is an anthology rather than a single story.
Born of Flame contains five stories written by Nick Kyme. These include a full novel, two novellas, and two short stories. Each one is focused on the Salamanders, making it great for fans of that specific group.
The First Heretic (Horus Heresy)
Follow the Word Bearers
As the 14th novel, The First Heretic is quite a ways into the series. This story follows Lorgar and his Word Bearers as they travel to the edge of the material universe.
Horus is great, and we’re all big fans of his heresy, but it’s not always about him. The Horus Heresy has large scale implications for the lore, and if you want to know how it affects humanity, a good option is to hop to Book 14 in the series, The First Heretic.
This novel follows a character named Lorgar and his journey with his Word Bearers as they travel to the edge of the known universe. There, they intend to investigate on a mission for truth. This is a great story for people who love the Horus Heresy as a setting, but would prefer to see more varied stories in the franchise.
Betrayer (Horus Heresy)
Follow the Shadow Crusade
Betrayer is the 24th book in the Horus Heresy series and follows Lorgar’s journey with his Word Bearers. This story highlights the Shadow Crusade, Lorgar’s path on Ultramar, and more.
We just can’t get enough Lorgar, partially due to how fun his name is to say aloud. Book 24 continues to follow Lorgar on his journey, still following along with his Word Bearers.
There’s not much we can say about this story without deeply spoiling a great deal of both the novel and the series as a whole, so we’ll keep this short. This is a good story for fans of the Shadow Crusade or anyone interested in the events of Ultramar.
Horus Heresy: A Thousand Sons
The Great Crusade marches on
Serving as the 12th book in the franchise, A Thousand Sons follows Magnus the Red and his legions. Still reeling from the betrayal of Horus, this novel explores the fallout of Horus' actions.
Swapping to another commander, The Thousand Sons follows Magnus the Red and his legion of soldiers by the same name. This novel focuses on the betrayal of Horus in previous novels and the impact that had on the legions across the universe.
If you’ve ever been curious to know more about how Warmaster Horus’s actions affected those around him, this is a good novel to explore that thread.
Horus Heresy: Galaxy In Flames
Strange alliances and rebellion
Third in the series, Galaxy in Flames follows Horus’s journey after his trials on Davin. Now leading his Imperial forces against rebels, Horus finds himself with some unlikely allies in his battles.
Jumping back to one of the earlier novels, Galaxy in Flames is the third novel inthe franchise. This novel takes place shortly after Horus’s harrowing experiences on Davin, now healed from his nearly fatal wounds.
In this novel, the Warmaster finds himself amassing an interesting and unexpected group of allies to deal with a rebellion that threatens to unravel his Imperial forces.
Horus Heresy: False Gods
Enemies among your allies
Injured in combat on Davin, Horus' battle turns spiritual as well as physical. While the Great Crusade marches on, Warmaster Horus finds himself in conflict with his fellow Primarchs.
The second novel in the franchise isn’t just great because it’s early on. False Gods is one of the most humanizing and intense stories on Horus' life, following his experiences on Davin. Severely wounded and struggling both with his internal demons and the struggle of holding his forces together, we see the growing displeasure of the Primarchs.
This novel sets the stage for much of the rest of the franchise. We recommend this book no matter what reading order you’ve chosen.
Conclusion: Where to Start?
Ultimately, you may’t go wrong with reading these stories in order. Doing so can cut down heavily on conclusion.
If you don’t want to do that, consider what storyline you’re most interested in. you may also research which novels are more “standalone” stories so you can read them without fear. Just expect to be confused a little if you hop right into the middle of the arcs.
FAQ
Is The Horus Heresy All The Warhammer Books?
Not at all! There are dozens and dozens of Warhammer books. The Horus Heresy franchise is a large chunk of them, but you’ll have a muchlarger reading listif you intend to find them all. Here’s a brief listing of some of our favoriteWarhammer 40K books.
Where Can I Find Horus Heresy Books?
Some of these books have gone out of print and are much harder to find in a physical copy. Because of that, we’ve listed many of these as audiobooks, as that’s simply the most reliable way to find them. Check online retailers and publishers to see if you can find a copy of your chosen novel.
Are These Books Available As Audiobooks?
Yes, and we’ve linked quite a few of them here! Audiobooks are a more reliable way to find many of the older novels due to them being out of print. It also helps you avoid scalpers that are charging five times the price of the book.
