Horus Rising (Novel)
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Horus Rising, written by Dan Abnett, is the first novel in the Horus Heresy Series. A number of authors contribute to the series, but all the novels tell parts of the same storyline; the fall of Warmaster Horus and his campaign of treachery to usurp the Emperor as ruler of the Imperium. This novel, as well as being the first released in the series, is the first part of a narrative trilogy. This trilogy, each part by a different author, focuses directly on Horus' descent into Chaos.
The novel was first published in April 2006, and as of July 2006 is in its third print run. An anniversary edition will be released in April 20111. Each print run has a different colour for the titles: First was gold, second in silver, third in bronze, and the anniversary edition in platinum1.
Plot summary
Garviel Loken, captain of the Luna Wolves Astartes Legion 10th Company, is asked to join First Captain Ezekyle Abaddon, Captain 'Little' Horus Aximand of the 5th Company and Captain Tarik Torgaddon of the 2nd Company into the Mournival council following the pacification of Sixty-Three-Nineteen. This council is to speak it's mind, give advice in all aspects of warfare and diplomacy and to provide political posturing when Warmaster Horus required it. Loken's predecessor Hastur Sejanus, Captain 4th Company, was killed when he was sent by Horus to make diplomatic contact with Sixty-Three-Nineteen... the reason the planet had to be pacified.
Loken, before accepting the offered position on the Mournival, confers with iterator Kyril Sindermann. Sindermann and Loken often talk as they have bonded as Sindermann is mentoring Loken in the history of ancient Terra, and often gives the young Astartes warrior great tomes to read as part of his education in the 'Imperial Truth'. Sindermann reassures Garviel to take the position as the Primarch of the Imperial Fists, Rogal Dorn, expressed he felt that Loken would be a good addition to the Mournival.
A final pocket of resistance in Sixty-Three-Nineteen remained in what is called the Whisperheads. Garviel Loken is sent in to eliminate the remaining rebels who refuse to accept the Imperial Truth. In their approach to the mountain stronghold, squads of Astartes receive strange whispers saying "Samus. That's the only name you'll hear. I'm Samus. Samus is all around you. Samus is the man beside you. Samus will gnaw upon your bones". The Astartes dismiss it as useless scare-tactics by the rebels.
However at the conclusion of the battle, Loken is contacted by Sergeant Jubal of one of his squads, claiming he sees Samus. Together with a squad of marines, Lokens proceeds to Jubal's location to discover that Jubal isn't himself, talking non-sense. When trying to apprehend Jubal, Jubal kills the accompanying marines and claims to be Samus. He attacks Loken and is killed in the subsequent fight.
Meanwhile a small group of remembrancers is finally allowed on the surface right after an Astartes action to record the real truth about war. Iterator Kyril Sindermann and Euphrati Keeler amongst them. Sindermann is called to meet with Loken at the location where Loken killed Jubal. With the unthinkable having happened, an Astartes killing a fellow Astartes, Loken requests guidance from Sindermann telling him about Jubal killing fellow Astartes and claiming to be possessed. As Sindermann tries to find a rational explanation to what happened, as ghosts, deamons and spirits are things from legends, Jubal rises again. The dead marine knocks Loken out of his way while he grows and breaks out of his armour, his body bloated, swollen and deformed. The remaining marines fire their bolters at the former marine but it has no effect. It moves away into a corridor where it runs into Euphrati Keeler and two other rememberancers. Euphrati is the only survivor of the three thanks to Loken's intervention.
The encounter with Jubal at the Whisperheads has Loken digging further into old legends about ghosts, deamons, spirits and gods. Sindermann tries to help Loken and does some of his own research in the old tomes available to him. Loken also talks to Horus about what happened and learns more of the Warp. Keeler, however, is worse off. She becomes depressed and doubting the Imperial Truth, she does not leave her room for a long time.
As the Great Crusade rolls on through the sector, a distress call is received from the Blood Angels, who had landed on the planet and been decimated by the Megarachnids who lived there. The Emperor's Children, under the command of Lord Commander Eidolon, are dispatched to the planet which is granted the grim nickname of "Murder". Here two companies of Emperor's Children commanded by Captain Saul Tarvitz and Lucius fight a grim battle till they are re-enforced by the Luna Wolves 2nd Company. Eidolon claims the credit for holding out while in fact the actions of Captin Tarvitz were the reason they hold out as long as they did. Tarik Torgaddon gets the real account of events from Tarvitz and almost instantly becomes good friends with him.
Meanwhile the fleet tries to decrypt a strange signal that is broadcasted around Murder. Finally, the Interex make contact with the fleet, reprimanding them for disturbing the captive Megarachnids and not heading to the broadcast around the planet. They however inviting Horus to open diplomatic negotiations for peaceful co-existence. The Warmaster is pleased to accept their terms. First Captain Abaddon does not agree and argues that they should wage war on them for not accepting the light of the Emperor but Horus made up his mind and starts diplomatic relations with the Interex. During a diplomatic meeting where Garviel Loken acts as a bodyguard for Horus, the Interex accuse Horus of the theft of a treasured anathame sword and attack the diplomatic party. This sparks a brutal battle between the Interex and the Imperium even though Horus claims not to know anything of the theft.
Eventually it is revealed that Chaplain Erebus of the Word Bearers committed the theft without the knowledge of the Warmaster and intends to use the weapon for some secretive plot in the near future.
Notable Characters
- Horus - Primarch of the Luna Wolves, Warmaster of the Great Crusade
- Rogal Dorn - Primarch of the Imperial Fists
- Sanguinius - Primarch of the Blood Angels
- 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
- Eidolon - Lord Commander
- Saul Tarvitz - Captain of the 10th Company
- Lucius - Captain of the 13th Company
- Hektor Varvarus - Lord Commander
- Regulus - Representative to the 63rd Expedition
- Kyril Sindermann - Primary Iterator
- Ignace Karkasy - Poet
- Euphrati Keeler - Imagist
- Mersadie Oliton - Documentarist
Related Publications
Sources