Tales of Heresy

As the Horus Heresy series continues to sprawl across the Warhammer 40,000 literary landscape like the vast Imperium it seeks to chronicle, Tales of Heresy arrives not as a narrative juggernaut, but as a patchwork collection; one whose individual pieces vary in both tone and quality. Devoted readers may approach it hoping for revelations about the early days of the Imperium, but they’ll need to sift through uneven terrain to find the few gems buried within.

Comprised of seven short stories, Tales of Heresy bills itself as a multifaceted look at the seeds of the galactic civil war that would one day sunder humanity’s empire. In practice, however, the anthology struggles under the weight of its own ambition. Several entries feel forgettable, derivative, or worse, like footnotes rather than stories in their own right. Fortunately, a handful rise above.

Chief among them is "After Desh’ea", a taut and character-rich examination of Angron, the Primarch of the World Eaters. Told with brutal intimacy and striking emotional texture, it paints a portrait of a man broken by slavery, rage, and the impossible expectations of empire. For a franchise so often consumed with battles and bolters, this is a rare moment of raw psychological insight.

Following close behind is "Blood Games", a clever and atmospheric tale about the Custodes, the Emperor’s personal guard. Part spy thriller, part existential meditation on duty, it deftly expands a corner of the mythos that is often shrouded in gold and mystery. "Scions of the Storm" also earns its place, offering a compelling early look at the Word Bearers Legion before their descent into heresy, laced with ominous foreshadowing.

Then there is "The Last Church", a philosophical rumination in the form of a Socratic dialogue between the last priest on Terra and a mysterious visitor. It is less a story than a staged debate, but it succeeds in raising provocative questions about faith, reason, and the cost of progress.

The remaining stories, unfortunately, fade into the warp. Competent but uninspired, lacking the thematic weight or narrative craft to leave a lasting impression. Readers unfamiliar with the broader series may find themselves unmoored, while even longtime fans may struggle to justify the entire volume for the sake of a few strong entries.

In the end, Tales of Heresy is less a cohesive book than a curated exhibit. Some works worthy of close inspection, others best passed over. For those invested in the mythos, After Desh’ea alone may be worth the price of admission. But for anyone else, this volume may read more like apocrypha than scripture.

Horus Heresy Bolter or Bin Rating: Bolter - After Desh'ea, Blood Games, The Last Church, Scions of the Storm. Bin everything else.

Blood Games by Dan Abnett - 5 Stars
Wolf at the Door by Mike Lee - 4 Stars
Scions of the Storm by Anthony Reynolds - 4.5 Stars
The Voice by James Swallow - 4 Stars
Call of the Lion by Gav Thorpe - 3.5 Stars
The Last Church by Graham McNeill - 4.5 Stars
After Desh'ea by Matthew Farrer - 4 Stars