In the Warhammer 40,000 franchise, the Horus Heresy represents a monumental event. A galaxy-spanning civil war led by the Warmaster Horus, sundered and nearly destroyed the Imperium of Man 10,000 years ago. Horus, formerly primarch of the Luna Wolves, was appointed by the Emperor to command all Imperial forces. Flight of the Eisenstein by James Swallow, is the fourth book in the series, following Horus Rising by Dan Abnett, False Gods by Graham McNeill, and Galaxy in Flames by Ben Counter.
A brief summary of the previous volumes is important in contextualizing the action. Horus, now Warmaster of all Imperial forces, still feels jealous of his fellow primarchs. Wounded on the planet Davin, his vigilance slackens, providing an opportunity for the forces of Chaos to exploit his weakness. He forsakes the Emperor and embraces the evil corruption of Chaos. Galaxy in Flames details the spread of this treason as it infects fellow Space Marine legions, leading to the inevitable fight of brother against brother. On Istvaan III, Horus prepares for an act so shocking and so brutal, Garro struggles to find words to explain it. But he must explain it, since the fate of the Universe is in his hands.
Flight of the Eisenstein picks up where Galaxy in Flames left off. It traces the initial military exploits of the XIV Legion, the Death Guard, as they fight to exterminate an alien space station. The Imperium of Man’s policy is to exterminate the alien and the psyker, rogue elements that pollute the purity of humanity. The “secular truth” of the Imperium is to establish race-purity and to crusade against those who do not recognize the political supremacy of the Emperor. Shades of the Roman Empire and the British Empire extend throughout this U.K.-based role-playing franchise. And we haven’t even gotten to the bad guys yet...
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