The Horus Heresy: A Speculative Reading Order
Absolutely everything on this page is a spoiler.
First Published: 2025-02-05| Last Updated: 2024-12-05
Status: in progress| Audience: chapter librarians| Confidence: aficionado
This reading order assumes that you are both a pathological completionist and mostly wedded to the idea of chronology. There are a few typographical conventions in use to help you out:
1) All main sequence novels are in bold type and have their publication order in parentheses after the title.
2) All short stories are in italic type and are folowed by the omnibus or collection name in bold type (again with publication order)
3) Where possible, book and story titles are links to their entries in the Lexicanum.
There are as many ways to read the Horus Heresy novels as there are fans of the Warhammer 40k universe. This is my particular stab at the thorny problem of how to organize a hilariously large number of novels into a semi-coherent, mostly chronological, reading order.
The Dark Age of Technology
Otherwise known as ‘Old Night’, the period spanning the centuries from M15 to M25
The Age of Strife
from M25 to M29, this is the WH40K version of the ‘Dark Ages’
The Unification Wars
The campaign by the Emperor to unify all of Terra from M29 to 712.M30
| Date | Order | Volume | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 675.M30 | 0.1 | The Last Church - Tales of Heresy (10) | Massacre of Gaduare |
Great Crusade era stories are mostly contained in the Primarchs novel series, and are noted by a publication order starting with “P”. I have given them negative reading order numbers to account for the fact that they stretch back in time to before the traditional beginning of the Heresy story.
The Great Crusade
Covering the years 712.M30 to 001.M31, these are stories that take place before the moment Horus pledges to overthrow the Emperor. Covering the origins of the Primarchs, the Great Crusade that began in 798.M30, and the immediate lead up to Horus’ betrayal.
The Fall of Horus & Open Rebellion
From the beginning of Horus’ path to rebellion to the massacre of Isstvan V.
| Date | Order | Volume | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 000.M31 | 1 | A Thousand Sons (12) | |
| 001.M31 | 2 | Horus Rising (1) | |
| 001.M31 | 2.1 | Feat of Iron - The Primarchs (20) | |
| 004.M31 | 3 | False Gods (2) | |
| 004.M31 | 4 | Galaxy in Flames (3) | |
| 004.M31 | 4.1 | The Wolf at the Door - Tales of Heresy (10) | Prospero prequel |
| 004.M31 | 5 | A Thousand Sons (12) | Battle of Prospero |
| 004.M31 | 6 | Prospero Burns (15) | Battle of Prospero |
| 004.M31 | 6.1 | Hunter’s Moon - Legacies of Betrayal (31) | Battle of Prospero |
| 004.M31 | 6.2 | Thief of Revelation - Legacies of Betrayal (31) | Battle of Prospero |
| 005.M31 | 6.3 | Rebirth - Age of Darkness (16) | |
| 005.M31 | 7 | The Flight of the Eisenstein (4) | first appearance of Nathaniel Garro |
| 005.M31 | 7.1 | Blood Games - Tales of Heresy (10) | First look at Terra |
| 005.M31 | 8 | Mechanicum (9) | The Schism of Mars |
| 005.M31 | 9 | Fear to Tread (21) | |
| 005.M31 | 10 | Fallen Angels (11) | |
| 006.M31 | 11 | Fulgrim (5) | Isstvan V - Drop Site Massacre |
| 006.M31 | 11.1 | Veritas Ferrum - Legacies of Betrayal (31) | Isstvan V - Dropsite Massacre 2nd part |
| 006.M31 | 12 | Vulkan Lives (26) | |
| 006.M31 | 12.1 | The Face of Treachery - Age of Darkness (16) |
The Later Heresy and The Second Empire
the fallout from Isstvan V, the Shadow Crusade, and the heresy becomes a galaxy-wide civil war
| Date | Order | Volume | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 006.M31 | 12.2 | Forgotten Sons - Age of Darkness (16) | |
| 006.M31 | 12.3 | The Iron Within - Age of Darkness (16) | |
| 006.M31 | 13 | The Damnation of Pythos (30) | |
| 006.M31 | 13.1 | The Crimson Fist - Shadows of Treachery (22) | |
| 006.M31 | 13.2 | The Reflection Crack’d - The Primarchs (20) | |
| 006.M31 | 14 | The Outcast Dead (17) | |
| 006.M31 | 14.1 | Brotherhood of the Storm - Legacies of Betrayal (31) | |
| 006.M31 | 14.2 | The Lightning Tower - Age of Darkness (16) | |
| 006.M31 | 14.3 | Strike and Fade - Legacies of Betrayal (31) | |
| 006.M31 | 15 | Scars (28) | |
| 007.M31 | 15.1 | Riven - Legacies of Betrayal (31) | Crius searches for Ferrus Manus |
| 007.M31 | 16 | Angel Exterminatus (23) | |
| 007.M31 | 17 | Battle for the Abyss (8) | |
| 007.M31 | 17.1 | Butcher’s Nails - Legacies of Betrayal (31) | |
| 007.M31 | 18 | Deliverance Lost (18) | |
| 007.M31 | 19 | The Crimson King (44) | |
| 007.M31 | 19.1 | Liar’s Due - Age of Darkness (16) | |
| 007.M31 | 19.2 | The Serpent Beneath - The Primarchs (20) | |
| 007.M31 | 19.3 | The Last Remembrancer - Age of Darkness (16) | |
| 007.M31 | 19.4 | The Shards of Erebus - Mark of Calth | before Battle of Calth |
| 007.M31 | 20 | Know No Fear (19) | Battle of Calth |
| 007.M31 | 20.1 | Calth That Was - Mark of Calth | Battle of Calth |
| 007.M31 | 20.2 | The Traveler - Mark of Calth | Battle of Calth |
| 007.M31 | 20.3 | Honour to the Dead - Legacies of Betrayal (31) | Battle of Calth |
| 007.M31 | 20.4 | Dark Heart - Mark of Calth | after Battle of Calth |
| 007.M31 | 20.5 | A Deeper Darkness - Mark of Calth | after Battle of Calth |
| 007.M31 | 20.6 | Athame - Mark of Calth | after Battle of Calth / Introduces Oll Persson |
| 007.M31 | 20.7 | Unmarked - Mark of Calth | Oll Persson through time and space |
| 007.M31 | 21 | Betrayer (24) | Shadow Crusade begins |
| 008.M31 | 22 | Nemesis (13) | |
| 008.M31 | 22.1 | The Lion - The Primarchs (20) | |
| 008.M31 | 22.2 | Savage Weapons - Age of Darkness (16) | The Thramas Crusade |
| 009.M31 | 22.3 | Prince of Crows - Shadows of Treachery (22) | The Thramas Crusade |
| 009.M31 | 23 | The Unremembered Empire (27) | Imperium Secundus |
| 009.M31 | 23.1 | Little Horus - Age of Darkness (16) | |
| 009.M31 | 24 | Vengeful Spirit (29) | Battle of Molech |
| 009.M31 | 25 | Pharos (34) | |
| 010.M31 | 26 | Deathfire (32) | |
| 010.M31 | 27 | Tallarn (45) |
The Road To Terra and the Solar War
Horus begins gathering his forces for the final assault on Terra, and the loyalist remnants retreat to plan their defense
| Date | Order | Volume | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 010.M31 | 28 | Praetorian of Dorn (39) | |
| 011.M31 | 29 | The Path of Heaven (36) | |
| 011.M31 | 30 | Angels of Caliban (38) | |
| 011.M31 | 31 | Old Earth (47) | |
| 011.M31 | 32 | Ruinstorm (46) | |
| 012.M31 | 33 | Wolfsbane (49) | |
| 013.M31 | 34 | Slaves to Darkness (51) | |
| 013.M31 | 35 | Titandeath (53) | |
| 013.M31 | 36 | The Buried Dagger (54) | |
| 014.M31 | 37 | The Master of Mankind (41) | |
| 014.M31 | 37.1 | The Underworld War - Mark of Calth | aftermath of the Battle of Calth |
| 014.M31 | 38 | Sons of Selenar (ST4) |
The Siege of Terra
Horus’ army lays siege to the Emperor’s Palace for fifty-five days.
| Date | Order | Volume | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 014.M31 | 38.1 | Rules of Engagement - Age of Darkness (16) | |
| 014.M31 | 39 | The Solar War *(ST1) | |
| 014.M31 | 40 | The Lost and the Damned (ST2) | |
| 014.M31 | 41 | The First Wall (ST3) | |
| 014.M31 | 42 | Saturnine (ST5) | |
| 014.M31 | 43 | The Fury of Magnus (ST6) | |
| 014.M31 | 44 | Mortis (ST7) | |
| 014.M31 | 45 | Warhawk (ST8) | |
| 014.M31 | 46 | Echoes of Eternity (ST9) | |
| 014.M31 | 47 | Garro: Knight of Grey (ST10) | |
| 014.M31 | 48 | The End and the Death 1 (ST11) | |
| 014.M31 | 49 | The End and the Death 2 (ST12) | |
| 014.M31 | 50 | The End and the Death 3 (ST13) |
The Great Scouring
The Imperium’s counter-offensive after the defeat of Horus
| Date | Volume | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 017.M31 | Konrad Curze: The Night Haunter (P12) |
Unplaced
- “The Voice” by James Swallow
- [https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Call_of_the_Lion_(Short_Story)]
- The Abyssal Edge - Sons of the Emperor
- The Wolf of Ash and Fire - Eye of Terra (35)
- Brotherhood of the Storm - Legacies of Betrayal (31)
- The Final Compliance of Sixty-Three Fourteen - Eye of Terra (35)
- The Wolf of Fire and Ash Eye of Terra (35)
- Warmaster Legacies of Betrayal (31)
- Little Horus Age of Darkness (16)
- Twisted War Without End (33)
- The Ancient Awaits - Sons of the Emperor
- Sanguinius: The Great Angel (P17)
- Serpent - Legacies of Betrayal (31)
- Roboute Guilliman: Lord of Ultramar (Novel)