False Gods (Novel)
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False Gods is the second novel in the Horus Heresy series, and was written by Graham McNeill. A direct continuation of the plot of Horus Rising, False Gods details Horus's fall to Chaos.
The novel was first published in June 2006, and has been reprinted three times. Each print run is distinguished by a different colour for the titles: the first edition was gold, the second in silver and the third in bronze.
Plot Summary
Garviel Loken, newest member of the Luna Wolves elite Mournival council, is troubled by recent events on the Great Crusade. After annihilating the Interex, Horus orders the 63rd Expeditionary Fleet to crush a rebellion on the conquered world of Davin at the suggestion of his secretive advisor Chaplain Erebus of the Word Bearers Legion. Finding that the rebel forces have retreated to the planet's moon and have been corrupted by ancient evil forces from the Warp, Horus leads a desperate assault on the traitors' grounded ship, 'Glory of Terra', where he confronts Eugen Temba, the former Governor of Davin. During his battle with Temba, Horus is mortally wounded by Temba's weapon, the anatheme stolen from the Interex by Erebus. When his apothecaries can do nothing for him, Erebus convinces Mournival members Ezekyle Abaddon and 'Little' Horus Aximand to entrust the Warmaster's life to the humanoid priests of Davin, who secretly worship Chaos. The Mournival is split in half as Garviel Loken and Tarik Torgaddon oppose this, the latter quitting his membership of the warrior lodge over it. By using ancient rituals learned from agents of Chaos, Erebus invades Horus' mind and attempts to persuade him that the Emperor plans to betray him to pursue his own glory after the crusade is won. Magnus the Red uses his powerful psyker abilities to intervene and strips Erebus of his disguise as Hastur Sejanus, but despite his efforts Horus chooses to ally with Chaos. Following his miraculous recovery, Horus leads his legions to war against a newly-discovered peaceful human civilisation alongside the World Eaters Legion led by their Primarch Angron and then begins to hatch his own daring plans of rebellion. In the Vengeful Spirit's archives Kyril Sindermann accidentally summons a daemon which destroys the archives and nearly kills him before he is saved by Euphrati Keeler who channels the power of the Emperor to banish the daemon before collapsing unconscious, proving to the formerly secular Sindermann that gods do exist. In his first act of treachery Horus orders the murder of the troublesome remembrancers Petronella Vivar and Ignace Karkasy, before calling his generals to make war on the traitor world Isstvan III.
Notable Characters
- Horus - Primarch of the Sons of Horus, Warmaster of the Great Crusade
- Magnus the Red - Primarch of the Thousand Sons.
- Maloghurst - Equerry to the Warmaster
- Ezekyle Abaddon - First Captain
- Tarik Torgaddon - Captain, 2nd Company
- Iacton "the Half-heard" Qruze - Captain, 3rd Company
- " Little Horus" Aximand - Captain, 5th Company
- Garviel Loken - Captain, 10th Company
- Esau Turnet - Princeps of the Dies Irae, Legio Mortis
- Titus Cassar - Moderati Primus of the Dies Irae, Legio Mortis
- Jonah Aruken - Moderati Primus of the Dies Irae, Legio Mortis
- Hektor Varvarus - Lord Commander
- Regulus - Representative to the 63rd Expedition
- Kyril Sindermann - Primary Iterator
- Ignace Karkasy - Poet
- Euphrati Keeler - Imagist
- Mersadie Oliton - Documentarist
- Petronella Vivar - Writer
Other Non-Astartes Imperials
- Eugen Temba - Imperial Governor of Davin
- Maggard - Bodyguard to Petronella Vivar
