However, the total collection includes:
When people search for , they often expect a simple numbered list. The reality is far richer. As of 2025, the main series consists of 64 numbered novels , beginning with Horus Rising (Book 1) and concluding with The End and the Death (Volumes I, II, and III).
When the series launched in 2006 with Dan Abnett’s Horus Rising , the plan was modest—perhaps a trilogy. It exploded. As of 2024, the series has concluded its initial run and branched into a sequel series. the horus heresy book collection
, it serves as the "foundation myth" for the Warhammer 40,000 universe, detailing a galactic civil war 10,000 years before the main game setting. The series is essentially a space opera on the scale of a Greek tragedy
The collection is not a single linear narrative but a sprawling web of sub-arcs and perspective shifts. Death is a Whale However, the total collection includes: When people search
Around book 6, the series expands. While there are "main plot" books, the collection introduces "anthology" books—collections of short stories that flesh out the universe. A collector must decide: do you read every short story, or focus on the novels?
| Book Number | Title | Author | Why It’s Essential | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 | Horus Rising | Dan Abnett | The beautiful beginning. | | 3 | Galaxy in Flames | Ben Counter | The betrayal. The massacre. | | 4 | The Flight of the Eisenstein | James Swallow | The chase to warn Terra. | | 14 | The First Heretic | Aaron Dembski-Bowden | The corruption of faith. | | 19 | Know No Fear | Dan Abnett | The ultimate revenge battle. | | 29 | Vengeful Spirit | Graham McNeill | The Warmaster’s dark ascension. | | 41 | The Master of Mankind | Aaron Dembski-Bowden | Inside the Emperor’s mind. | | Siege 4 | Saturnine | Dan Abnett | The high water mark of the Siege. | | Siege 8/9 | The End and the Death | Dan Abnett | The conclusion. The death. The legend. | When the series launched in 2006 with Dan
Mid-series, the quality dips occasionally, but gems emerge.
Given the physical scarcity, most fans experience the collection via or the Black Library E-book store .