Eisenhorn: The Omnibus (Warhammer 40,000)

Eisenhorn: The Omnibus is an outstanding read for anyone who enjoys Warhammer 40,000 lore or gripping science fiction in general. The stories are rich and immersive, with Gregor Eisenhorn as a central character who feels complex, intelligent, and morally compelling. The blend of detective-style mystery with the dark, expansive Warhammer setting keeps you hooked from start to finish. I was particularly impressed by the depth of the world-building. The various factions, technologies, and political intrigues feel detailed and believable, and the author does a great job of balancing action with character development. Each book in the omnibus flows seamlessly into the next, making it easy to binge-read while still appreciating the nuances of the story. Overall, this is one of the best Warhammer novels I have read. The writing is engaging, the plot is well-paced, and it brings the universe to life in a way that both long-time fans and newcomers can enjoy. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating and intelligent sci-fi experience.

A gret book even for those unfammiliar with WH40k setting. A James Bond/Mission Impossible in a dark grim future that offers not only great action, good pace, memorable chracters, exciting plot, but also a philosophical exploration of such topics as friendship, loyalty, faith, and morally ambiguous choices that (had to)/(shouldn't have to) be made.

I should begin by saying I'm an old git in my late 30s. I have never played the miniatures game or any of the computer games but I am a roleplayer and so with the arrival of the Warhammer 40K RPG I thought I'd try a book set in the WH40K universe to give me a bit of flavour. I must admit I had very low expectations. I had always assumed Warhammer books were aimed at spotty teenagers who obsessed about every detail of the miniatures game and could reel off endless statistics about troop carriers, space marine deployment and the relative merits of different weapons (yawn!). That being the case I also assumed that the books, therefore, would be a load of puerile rubbish that in no way could be published by a 'serious' publishing company... ...I WAS WRONG! I thoroughly enjoyed the book as an epic sci-fi saga very much a la Iain M Banks. In fact, I'd say it stands up with the best of modern sci-fi. I can't speak for the rest of Warhammer fiction but Eisenhorn is a damn good read and I shall certainly be checking out more Dan Abnett. *Apologies to all spotty Warhammer obsessed teenagers.

Great place to start with Warhammer lore.

From start to finish hectic and emotionally taxing. Characters and adventures galore. Great adventure fast paced and often deadly .

Honestly, I never thought I'd get into 40K as much as I have, but stories like this just grab you and drag you in, and the depth of 40K lore is truly oceanic. It's fast paced while still building an incredibly rich world and narrative, separating it from 40K it's just a masterfully-written book, and for this price you really can't argue with the value. Highly recommend if you either want an excellent starting point to get into Warhammer or if you just want to read a really fun and compelling story.

40k detective novel, about equal mix of detective, social, and action, has real character development unlike most 40K novels

The Eisenhorn novels were the very first Warhammer 40k novels I read about twenty years ago now. Since then, I’ve read many more and, rather improbably, even written some. So I decided to go back to my original door to the 40k galaxy to see how they would read coming at them with the eyes of a writer of these stories as well as a reader. The answer, of course, is very well. Dan Abnett is a very, very, very good writer, with an unmatched ability to coin words that not just fit into the 40k universe but with a single word engage the reader more fully into that universe. But now, working from a 40k writer perspective, I’m pretty sure I know how Dan pitched the idea of these novels originally: this was James Bond in 40k. But James Bond with a 40k twist – which means that there’s no sex but even bigger guns. What the Eisenhorn novels and the Bond films share is a breakneck pace with a huge range of exotic locations: unusually for 40k, the stories escape the usual round of polluted hive cities to take in a far wider range of planets, some of which seem like they actually might be quite pleasant to live on (so long as you have money). In another Bond trope, there’s an unusual emphasis on fine food and drink, with many meals described in loving detail. As an Inquisitor, Eisenhorn unfortunately couldn’t really have an interest in gambling, which is a shame as I’d have loved to have read Abnett’s take on a 40k casino. As the stories progress, the tie to Bond lessens as the story and characters grow into themselves, but, yes, I still think that’s how they began, when Dan emailed the editors at Black Library and said, “Let’s do Bond in space!”

An excellent first step for anyone who is looking as to how to enter the vast 40k universe. Thank you angryjoe show for the recommendation

güzel

Great Series, great Book! Book arrived with minor damages on the Cover.

I loved reading every second of this. I'm just a mom who would normally turn my nose at something Warhammer, but was convinced to try and enjoy the complex and rich lore by a family member. I couldn't put the Eisenhorn omnibus down, cover to cover I read the entire thing in less than a week, and then read it again. This and Space Wolves were fantastic gateways into the Warhammer universe. I've since bought several more Warhammer book series and am devouring them. This particular work was excellent and Abnett is a great writer, he avoided the sloppy, lazy, low vocabulary writing I've seen littering most modern "literature". The pace is excellent, the surprises and character developments were great, the story arcs were well done. I really really loved this series and look forward to the Ravenor books.

This compilation was the 'last chance' read for dan abnett in my book, after what I considered contrived or overt insertion of coincidences to introduce plot items or devices/resolutions in First and Only and Fell Cargo. I particularly felt first and only was entirely too contrived in the introduction of elements of gaunt's background, each as needed for the plot. Maybe he was limited in space or had strict outlines there, but in any event.... this series had none of those flaws. First-person narrative read well, and usually quickly, with no sense of contrived coincidences just to move the plot along, and few if any of the cliche plot turns that I disliked in the books i mentioned above. Furthermore, Abnett shows his tremendous ability to describe enviroments, worlds, cities, through language. When he describes a Hive-city, a small village, a trans-alpine railway, you feel like you are seeing it. Another great strength of this story, particularly Hereticus, is the development of his ability to write very competent antagonists. A major defect in much sci-fi, BL and not, is the use of cardboard-cutout antagonists, who leave you wondering how they ever rose to their position in the first place. The major antagonist in this trilogy, Pontius Glaw, shows early signs of the extreme competence without omnipotence that some villains from his later Ravenor series show. Edit - 4th re-read, 08.2008 - Having read everything else by Abnett, and gained a lot of familiarity with W40k in general, I would like to offer that this is a great trilogy. One thing that caught my eye this time was an aspect of Ravenor that was apparently dropped in the Ravenor novels - His Lord Seer eldar that he referred to in the last part of this trilogy. The implication was that Ravenor was subservient or at the very least allied with the Eldar, something Abnett seems to have just dropped in the follow-up series.