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2014 unabridged audiobook:<br>ISBN 9781782518709
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'''Galaxy In Flames''' is a novel by [[Ben Counter]] and a third book in the [[Horus Heresy Series]]. The third installment of the trilogy showing [[Horus]]'s fall to [[Chaos]], focuses on the tragic events on [[Isstvan III]], where the loyalist factions of the [[Traitor Legions]] were slaughtered with the use of [[Virus bomb]]s deployed by Horus's fleet. It is the announcement to the galaxy of the fall of Horus and the beginning of the Horus Heresy.
The novel was first published in October 2006. Each print run has a different colour for the titles: First was gold, second in silver and third in bronze. It was later included in "The Novels: Volume 1" eBook collection, and it was included as part of the ''Crusade's End'' omnibus, released in paperback on March 8, 2016.
==Cover Description==
Having recovered from his grievous injuries, Warmaster [[Horus]] leads the triumphant Imperial forces against the rebel world of [[Isstvan III]]. Though the rebels are swiftly crushed, Horus's treachery is finally revealed when the planet is razed by virus bombs and Space Marines turn on their battle-brothers in the most bitter struggle imaginable.
== Plot Summary ==
Suspicious at the hand-picked nature of the assault force, Tarvitz talks his way into remaining in the fleet when the assault force deploys and investigates the gun decks, where he discovers the ship's crew loading lethal [[virus bombs]] into the ship's guns. Realizing that the marines deployed to the surface are about to be betrayed and wiped out, Tarvitz steals a [[Thunderhawk]] and flies for the surface to warn them. He is pursued by members of his own legion who are part of the betrayal and in desperation puts himself at the mercy of [[Nathaniel Garro]], who is excluded from the assault force and relegated to commanding the frigate ''[[Eisenstein]]'' due to his injuries. Garro, an old friend of Tarvitz's, believes him when he tells him of the imminent betrayal and orders the ''Eisenstein'' to fire on the Thunderhawks pursuing Tarvitz. The resulting cloud of debris hides Tarvitz from the fleet's sensors as he lands on Isstvan, Garro reporting that Tarvitz is dead before preparing to jump to the [[Warp]] and bring warning of Horus's betrayal to the Emperor.
On the surface the [[Sons of Horus]], World Eaters, Emperor's Children and Death Guard whom their primarchs deemed too loyal to the Emperor to rebel against him battle the rebel Isstvanians. The Sons of Horus' [[Drop Pods|drop pods]] scatter throughout the target area and they struggle to link up and capture their objective, the Sirenhold. Lucius leads the Emperor's Children half of the attack on the Precentor's Palace while the World Eaters under Captain [[Ehrlen]] become bogged down massacring fanatical citizens in a plaza to the north and the Death Guard advance through the city's defensive trenchworks. Lucius succeeds in killing the rebel governor [[Vardus Praal]] and the Emperor's Children capture the palace. Tarvitz then arrives and warns them of their imminent betrayal, tasking Lucius with transmitting a warning to the Sons of Horus and Death Guard while he goes to warn the World Eaters. Awakened screaming by a premonition of the virus strike, Euphrati Keeler transmits the vision to Sindermann and [[Mersadie Oliton]], who realise the betrayal that is about to take place. The majority of the Emperor's Children and Sons of Horus are able to take shelter beneath the palace in time, but few of the World Eaters or Death Guard reach the shelter of bunkers and more are killed when Horus follows up the virus-bombs with an orbital strike that ignites all the gas in the atmosphere, burning the entire planet. Crewing the ''Dies Irae'' in support of the Death Guard Jonah Aruken and Titus Cassar hear the command to power down and seal their machine, their princeps [[Esau Turnet]] being loyal to Horus and so having received warning. Cassar realizes the truth after they ride out the virus strike and firestorm and attacks Turnet, pleading with Aruken to help him, but his insistence that the Emperor is a god alienates Aruken who does not believe and chooses ambition over friendship, shooting Cassar dead. In the fleet Horus gathers the remembrancers from the ''Vengeful Spirit'' and shows them the bombing before ordering his men to open fire, massacring them. Kyril Sindermann and Mersadie Oliton escape alongside Euphrati Keeler when she leads them to [[Iacton Qruze]], the Sons of Horus' elderly and often dismissed third captain, who leads them away from the massacre. The four arrive at the ''Vengeful Spirit'''s hangar and plan to steal a Thunderhawk but are intercepted by Maggard. Qruze and Maggard fight but are evenly matched until Sindermann picks up Maggard's dropped pistol and shoots him in the side, allowing Qruze to finish him off. The four steal a Thunderhawk and flee, guided by Keeler to the ''Eisenstein'' where Nathaniel Garro takes them aboard.
=== Part Three: Brothers ===
== Notable Characters ==
'''[[Primarchs]]'''
* [[Horus]] - — [[Primarch]] of the [[Sons of Horus]], [[Warmaster]] of the [[Great Crusade]]* [[Angron]] - — Primarch of the [[World Eaters]]* [[Fulgrim]] - — Primarch of the [[Emperor's Children]]* [[Mortarion]] - — Primarch of the [[Death Guard]]
'''[[Sons of Horus]]'''
* [[Maloghurst]] - — Equerry to the Warmaster* [[Ezekyle Abaddon]] - — First Captain* [[Tarik Torgaddon]] - — Captain, 2nd Company* [[Iacton Qruze|Iacton "the Half-heard" Qruze]] - — Captain, 3rd Company* [[Horus Aximand|" Little Horus" Aximand]] - — Captain, 5th Company* [[Garviel Loken]] - — Captain, 10th Company
'''[[Death Guard]]'''
* [[Nathaniel Garro]] - — Battle-Captain of the 7th Company
'''[[Emperor's Children]]'''
* [[Eidolon (Emperor's Children)|Eidolon]] - — [[Lord Commander]]* [[Saul Tarvitz]] - — Captain of the 10th Company* [[Lucius (Emperor's Children)|Lucius]] - — Captain of the 13th Company
'''[[Word Bearers]]'''
* [[Erebus]] - — First [[Chaplain]]
'''[[World Eaters]]'''
* [[Kharn the Betrayer|Kharn]] - — Captain, 8th Assault Company, equerry to Angron
'''[[Collegia Titanica]]'''
* [[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
'''[[Martian Mechanicum]]'''
* [[Regulus (Dark Mechanicum)|Regulus]] - — Representative to the [[63rd Expedition]]
'''[[Remembrancer]]s'''
* [[Kyril Sindermann]] - — Primary [[Iterator]]* [[Euphrati Keeler]] - — Imagist* [[Mersadie Oliton]] - — Documentarist
'''Other Non-Astartes Imperials'''
* [[Maggard]] - — Enforcer
==Related PublicationsSources==*[[Black Library (BL Publishing)|https://www.blacklibrary.com/the-horus-heresy/novels/galaxy-in-flames-ebook.html Black Library]] ==Related Articles==
*[[Horus Heresy Series]]
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[[Category:Novels]]
