Eisenhorn books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Eisenhorn series?"

"There are eight books in the Eisenhorn series, published between 2001 and 2018."

Q: "What is the first book in the Eisenhorn series?"

"The first book in the Eisenhorn series is Born Unto Us, published in 2012."

Q: "Is Eisenhorn a hero or a villain in Warhammer 40,000?"

"Eisenhorn starts as a loyal Imperial Inquisitor who hunts enemies of the Imperium, but his story is one of gradual moral compromise. Over the trilogy and its later additions, he makes increasingly difficult choices and uses methods his peers would condemn. By the end of the series, his alignment is genuinely ambiguous. Abnett wrote him as a character who believes he is always acting for the greater good, but the reader is left to judge whether his methods justify his ends."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	Born Unto Us	2012	Dan Abnett	N/A
2	Xenos	2001	Dan Abnett	Buy
3	Missing in Action	2001	Dan Abnett	N/A
4	Malleus	2001	Dan Abnett	Buy
5	Backcloth for a Crown Additional	2002	Dan Abnett	N/A
6	Hereticus	2002	Dan Abnett	Buy
7	The Magos	2018	Dan Abnett	Buy
8	The Keeler Image	2016	Dan Abnett	N/A

The Eisenhorn series is one of Dan Abnett’s most acclaimed works in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. The core trilogy, consisting of Xenos (2001), Malleus (2001), and Hereticus (2002), follows Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn of the Ordo Xenos over decades of service to the Imperium. Each novel focuses on a major investigation that tests Eisenhorn’s convictions and forces him closer to the very forces he hunts. The Magos (2018) is a later addition that continues the story.

Xenos introduces Eisenhorn and his warband as they investigate a heretical text and a conspiracy stretching across several worlds. Malleus moves into the politics of the Inquisition itself and introduces daemons. Hereticus brings the trilogy to a climax that fundamentally changes Eisenhorn’s position. The series also includes shorter fiction: Born Unto Us, The Keeler Image, Missing in Action, and Backcloth for a Crown Additional are stories that fill in events between the novels. The Eisenhorn series is widely recommended as an entry point to Warhammer 40,000 fiction for readers unfamiliar with the setting.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Eisenhorn series?

There are eight books in the Eisenhorn series, published between 2001 and 2018.

What is the first book in the Eisenhorn series?

The first book in the Eisenhorn series is Born Unto Us, published in 2012.

Is Eisenhorn a hero or a villain in Warhammer 40,000?

Eisenhorn starts as a loyal Imperial Inquisitor who hunts enemies of the Imperium, but his story is one of gradual moral compromise. Over the trilogy and its later additions, he makes increasingly difficult choices and uses methods his peers would condemn. By the end of the series, his alignment is genuinely ambiguous. Abnett wrote him as a character who believes he is always acting for the greater good, but the reader is left to judge whether his methods justify his ends.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order