Xenos

Eisenhorn: Warhammer 40,000, Book 1

By: Dan Abnett

Narrated by: Toby Longworth

Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's Summary

Book 1 in the Eisenhorn series

Inquisitor Eisenhorn faces a vast interstellar cabal and the dark power of daemons, all racing to recover an arcane text of abominable power - an ancient tome known as the Necroteuch.

Listen to It Because:

The classic novel returns in a brand new edition. Inquisitor Eisenhorn gathers allies to unravel a conspiracy and hunt an alien threat. Relive the adventures of some of Warhammer 40,000's most beloved characters, or experience the beginning of Eisenhorn's remarkable adventures for the first time.

The Story:

The Inquisition moves amongst mankind like an avenging shadow, striking down the enemies of humanity with uncompromising ruthlessness. When he finally corners an old foe, Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn is drawn into a sinister conspiracy. As events unfold and he gathers allies - and enemies - Eisenhorn faces a vast interstellar cabal and the dark power of daemons, all racing to recover an arcane text of abominable power: an ancient tome known as the Necroteuch.

©2001 Games Workshop Ltd. (P)2016 Games Workshop Limited

No one expects the Imperial Inquisition!

I've always been a fan of 40k books and Dan Abnett's "Gaunt's Ghosts" are some of the best out there. Naturally, I was very excited to try out anything else he's written. The Eisenhorn series is a fascinating step back from the never ending war of the 41st Millennium and into the guts of the Imperium. The book reads more as an investigation than a war story and really lets you appreciate the parts of the universe that aren't actively on fire all the time. It works incredibly well as an audiobook because it reads like Inquisitor Eisenhorn's personal account of what happened.
AUDIBLE 20 REVIEW SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY

Thank the Emperor!!!!

Black Library books have finally come to Audible, and this is one of the greatest. I see many, many credits being spent for the foreseeable future.

And the Eisenhorn Trilogy is a fantastic introduction for audible users with no experience in the Warhammer universe.

A great listen even for a warhammer 40K novice.

I've never read any Warhammer 40K books and have little knowledge of the universe but I ended up loving this book.

I was hesitant at the beginning thinking I wouldn't understand what was going on but the book delivers the listener just enough information to understand the universe without it being overwhelming, the story itself was far more interesting and rich than I initially thought and I got really involved with it by the end.

Great voice acting from the cast.

I would recommend this book to any who likes scf-fi.

Reads like a regular action movie

Really cannot agree with the overwhelmingly positive reviews for this title. While I have great respect for Abnett, and credit him with more or less single-handedly keeping the Horus Heresy series afloat for the first twenty volumes or so, I also recognize that he has several turkeys - and this is one of them.

This reads like a regular Black Library publication, that is, shallow plot and loads of action (the so-called bolter porn). The story follows a tedious and recognizeable pattern of short dialogue and exposition parts separated by long segments of action. Add to that a dreary black-and-white plot and cast, with villains having no other motivation for being bad than being evil, and a world view of guns being the only way to get ahead and settle things, and you have a reicpe for a totally bland, forgettable and boring story that does not hold a candle to any properly written science fiction story. Really, it is even too boring and repetitive to be used as a pallet cleaner between more substantial books.

Even giving it an extra hour to get somewhere due to my previous experiece with Abnett and a very good performance by the reader could not make this work. That being said, friends have encouraged me to try the later books in this series and I might well do so - though for now I need a break.

Good if one loves bolter porn, I suppose. Otherwise, my advice is to stay well clear.

First foray into Warhammer 40k universe...Awesome

After knowing of the WH40K universe for quite some time but never exploring it, I decided to take in a few youtube videos about the overall storyline.

After that, i decided to try one of the many books on Audible and decided based on reviews and ratings this was a good place to start.

It is. The book is an interesting and exciting listen. The narrator does an amazing job and his voice suits the characters and universe perfectly. Especially when he goes extra deep for the terrifying and commanding voices of a chaos marine, or to deliver an especially powerful psychic command.

Ill be continuing immediately onto books 2 and 3 and look forward to hear and learn more about this dark, gritty and morbidly terrifying universe.

Annette at his harrowing best!

Dan Abnett starts his Eisenhorn trilogy off with a blistering fireball! The performance was absolutely superb, with the variety of voices and dialects clear and entertaining.

Not for the uninitiated.

This book was my first exposure to 40K. An enjoyable read, though I'm sure 40K enthusiasts will appreciate it more than I did. The book avoids descriptions of common vehicles, equipment, and world building which assumes a level of familiarity I did not posses. At best it made the story difficult to visualize, at worst there were segments of the story that devolved into word salad.

I would not recommend this book to 40K noobs like me.

Great Warhammer Starter

This is a great story to listen to if you’re a fan of science fiction or the Warhammer universe. I just started Warhammer 40k and this book really gave me a good intro into the lore.

The imperium, space marines, chaos cabals, chaos marines, and a sliver of xenos (it’s in the name of the book so you think there would be more, but the xenos race only comes into play in the last few chapters of the book). The story is great, Eisenhorn following bread crumbs it seems like and investigating where/how he can (often getting himself into a bind) to uncover a greater threat.

Great read, worth your time. Finished in a week and a half (to and from my work commutes).

An epic battle across the stars

Warhammer 40K novel with a fantastic performance. I own these books but it was great to hear it read out loud.

Fantastic Novel and Narrator

Well written and wonderfully performed! I enjoyed it throughout, and will be reading the rest of the series. The emperor protects!

Exciting and well developed sf classic

Abnett demonstrates why he will always be the most respected warhammer author. All the extreme violence aside Abnett excels at painting rich and fascinatingly detailed worlds and that's exactly what you get along with engrossing characters and an exciting plot. Can't wait for number 2.

First Warhammer Book.

This is the first time I've ever had something to do with Warhammer, and I am completely in love. The story was fun, deep and wildly interesting. Scenes were described brilliantly, and it left me wanting more. The main characters were lovable and you soon felt a bond between them all. 10/10

Fantastic story, imagination stretched to 11

I would have given this book a 5 star, if I had read it first. I struggled with forming an image in my mind of what was being described, there are a lot of abstract descriptions of abstract locations and settings that require time to form in your head, a sharper mind wouldn't have any problems I'm sure, but I believe this is a book to read first. To combat my own inadequate imagination I listened to it twice and managed to get through it enjoying the story and amazing performance of Toby Longworth (My personal favourite voice actor of the black library)

This is my first dip Into The inquisition of 40K and I find it a shame that our protagonist wasn't a little darker, but this is only the first of the eisenhorns, I will comment on his development after book 2

Sci-Fi at its best

Having read and re-read the trilogy over the years I was apprehensive about hearing it. After one chapter I was hooked and sucked in to the exploits of Gregor Eisenhorn once again. If you like the grim dark 40k universe this is a must have addition. But if you’re only into sci-fi or even just something a little different then take a punt with this. The storyline mixes crime noir with action and intrigue. It sucks you in and transports you to the 41st millennium in its gritty, realistic darkness. Pure excellence

Stunning Narration

This was the first 40k book I've come across and it captivated me. The narrator is perfect for the text, strong and dramatic. The story has some strange beats but engaged me to the the end. I always wanted to listen to the next part.

Opens up the world of 40k

This book offers an insight into the 40k galaxy, it isn't just about self righteous Space Marines, down trodden Imperial Guardsmen, evil fanatics, and nasty aliens having a big punch up(all these things are in it) which to be fair gets tedious after a while. It takes place away from the battlefields allowing you an insight into the goings on of the broader 40k galaxy. Also having a hero who isn't afraid of being afraid is quite refreshing too.

A good book

A book about a member of the 40k imperial inquisition. It reads like a sci-fi detective/cop story with lots of gun fights set in the 40k universe.

Fantastic book and narrator!

Listening to the characters come to life with Toby longworth was better than reading!

Just wow!

So pleased that black library have opened access to their audio book collection to audible. Such well produced product and a skilled author to boot. A very Immersive story. Thank you.

Fine.

You don't need to be familiar with the warhammer universe to follow along with this book, but the story and characters are also fairly bland so I wouldn't recommend this unless you are particular keen on the franchise. I lost the plot a bit toward the end, but it was more apathy than confusion.