The First Heretic: The Horus Heresy, Book 14
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The First Heretic: The Horus Heresy, Book 14 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Aaron Dembski-Bowden (Author), Gareth Armstrong (Narrator), Black Library (Publisher)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,384 ratings
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Amidst the galaxy-wide war of the Great Crusade, the Emperor castigates the Word Bearers for their worship.

Distraught at this judgement, Lorgar and his Legion seek another path while devastating world after world, venting their fury and fervour on the battlefield. Their search for a new purpose leads them to the edge of the material universe, where they meet ancient forces far more powerful than they could have imagined.

Having set out to illuminate the Imperium, the corruption of Chaos takes hold, and their path to damnation begins. Unbeknownst to the Word Bearers, their quest for truth contains the very roots of heresy.

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  1. Listening Length
    14 hours and 19 minutes
  2. Author
    Aaron Dembski-Bowden
  3. Narrator
    Gareth Armstrong
  4. Audible release date
    October 3, 2017
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Black Library
  7. ASIN
    B076473Z82
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 14 hours and 19 minutes
Author Aaron Dembski-Bowden
Narrator Gareth Armstrong
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date October 03, 2017
Publisher Black Library
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B076473Z82
Best Sellers Rank #3,626 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#388 in Science Fiction (Audible Books & Originals)
#924 in Science Fiction (Books)

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
1,384 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Robert
5.0 out of 5 stars A++ Horus Heresy Story about the Censure and subsequent betrayal of the Wordbearers
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2024
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This novel is a bit unique, up to this point, in the Horus Heresy. The primary protagonist is a Wordbearer Captain by the Name of Argel Tal (Which Means Last Angel). Argel is the first protagonist in the Horus Heresy, in a Traitor Marine Legion, who stays loyal to his legion, that readers are given the perspective of. Boys and Girls, buckle up because this is a tragic story.

I went into this novel with no particular reverence for the Word Bearers, but I came out with a better understanding of their motivations and a little pity for them. ADB proves his power as a writer by presenting the youngest captain in Wordbearer history (so someone who's star is ascendant) as someone you can root for. Then the rug gets pulled from under your feet as you bear witness to the changing loyalty of all the characters over years.

This novel is wonderful and only further cements that ADB is a master at this. On to the next one.
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Cliente Kindle
5.0 out of 5 stars Great insight into the XIII Legion
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2024
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Loved the downfall of the Wordbearers and it's rise into Chaos. Argel Tal is a great character and can show how the corruption spoils even the greatest warriors.
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40k guy
4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing. Highly recommend
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2021
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Really really good. I'm giving it 4 cuz they're only like 2 fights in the novel. If you want to know the origins of pretty much everything this the book for you. If you want to know about the Word Bearers this book is all about them. Great read.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book about an evil legion.
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2024
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I used to kinda dislike the Word Bearers, now I absolutely despise Lorgar and the WB. The ultimate is treacherous scum.
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HenshinHero
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely magnetic.
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2017
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Aaron Dembski-Bowden has done what I had believed to be impossible: he made me sympathize with religious zealots.

The First Heretic is one of the finest books Black Library has to offer, and is also conveniently one of the first books in the chronology of the Horus Heresy. The novel follows the Word Bearers Legion, the 17th Legion of the Emperor's Space Marines, and their driven and devoted Primarch, Lorgar. When their religious worship of the Emperor is rebuked after a century of devotion, Lorgar and his Legion are driven into an impossible choice: abandon their entire identity as a Legion to appease the Master of Mankind, or reject all that he stands for in the pursuit of something worthy of worship? Dark forces within the Legion stir, seeking to drive Lorgar towards a horrible conclusion and spark a terrible galaxy-spanning civil war...

The novel follows several primary perspectives. In terms of time spent, this is beyond a doubt Argel Tal's book. Captain of the Seventh Assault Company of the Serrated Suns Chapter, Argel Tal is a devoted Word Bearer Space Marine who is thrust into the center of the battle for the soul of the Legion. However, the novel also spends a significant amount of time focusing on Lorgar, a passionate yet deeply troubled figure who stands apart from his Primarch brothers. Ever at his side are Erebus, the Legion's First Chaplain, and Kor Phaeron, Lorgar's foster father. All are important figures within the storyline of Warhammer 40k, and this novel explores their behind-the-scenes machinations, schemes, and conflicts. In addition, several regular humans have their perspectives shown, providing an interesting contrast between the post-human Space Marines and the humbler experiences of mankind.

In all, if you had to read only one Horus Heresy book, I would say that this is the one... but why would you do that? The storyline ties into several other novels; Betrayer follows on directly after this novel, and several of the events contained or referenced within are shown from different perspectives in Fulgrim and Know No Fear. In addition, the first 3 novels of the Horus Heresy series (Horus Rising, False Gods, and Galaxy in Flames) are good for rounding out the storyline.
8 people found this helpful
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Vincent Vega
5.0 out of 5 stars I didn't know I wanted to read this book, until I read it
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2021
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If you've come this far into the Horus Heresy series, then this book is a huge eye opener, and I'm not talking about the Eye of Horus. Unlike some of the more ponderous and useless novels in this series, I would shunt this one into the Must Read category without a second thought.

This book did something that most books never even come close to doing which is to utterly shock me. There were moments where I sat there with my mouth open like, "Did I just read that?" Now, in order to be as shocked as I was, it's better to have a pretty decent knowledge of the 40k universe... or at least think you have a good grasp of the 40k universe. The pictures that this book painted of the Imperium of Man were quite different than what I grew up believing it was while pushing my little Space Marines around plastic scenery destroying the enemies of the Imperium.

My only disappointment in this book was that it followed a newly introduced character through the Chapter's downfall, when what I was really hoping to read was the story of Erebus. He was on the edges of some of the other novels, but not really delved into and I was hoping this book would tell his story. It does NOT.

Although he occasionally appears in this novel, it's not his story.
3 people found this helpful
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bxrxtx
5.0 out of 5 stars The Lorgar you've been waiting for.
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2022
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This book effortlessly layers together the things I would want and expect from the HH series. Horror and demons that were actually disturbing. Brewing rebellion with actual motivation behind it. Passionate but flawed characters. Lorgar was portrayed in a flavorless manner in another book about his upbringing, here he is in his full glory showing all that is right and wrong with "faith". Of the worlds he conquers he spends longer than any other legion because he instills faith there, a faith that brings happiness rather than resentment to the newly imperialized peoples. The Emperor disapproves. But Lorgar's inability to compromise turns him to dark side of faith. His rage that others kept secrets from him is just puritanical. His demand that others adopt his worldview in the name of truth is just tyranny.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent addition to the Horus Heresy saga
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2019
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4 stars only because this story took about 200 pages to get the plot rolling, otherwise and technically very well written story that lays out the drama that became the impetus to the Heresy. A MUST read book from the series
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chris b
5.0 out of 5 stars must read for warhammer 40k fans
Reviewed in Canada on April 18, 2023
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Fantastically written book, with powerful incites into the story arc of the warhammer 40k series !
Very highly recommended. :)
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Cliente Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!
Reviewed in Italy on July 14, 2022
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One of the best title in the Horus Heresy saga. I just couldn't stop reading! It is the first novel ever that allowed you to put yourself in the shoes of a space marine traitor (no, not Erebus.. )
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Joan
5.0 out of 5 stars Ha situado a Aaron-Demski Bowden como mi segundo autor de Black Library favorito.
Reviewed in Spain on July 26, 2019
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Solo tengo cosas buenas que decir sobre esta novela. Te hará odiar a Lorgar y Erebus con pasión mientras te cuenta uno de los movimientos pivotales en la historia de la Herejía. Una de las novelas esenciales de HH.
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Sverdlovsk
5.0 out of 5 stars ADB met le cran supérieur!
Reviewed in France on February 9, 2014
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First Heretic explique comment les primarques furent volés à l'Empereur aux origines et décrit la chute fatale des Word Bearers.

L'histoire est étonnante! Aaron Dembski-Bowden s'est surpassé. Avec toute l'action habituelle des romans de la Black Library, nous avons ici un vrai conte philosophique! Que se passe-t-il lorsque le dieu auquel on a cru toute sa vie se révèle faux? Que doit-on faire lorsque sa quête de vérité amène à franchir des limites interdites? Les respecter ou les outrepasser? Les intuitions et décisions du primarque Lorgar vont se révéler décisifs pour l'humanité. ADB mène sa narration du point de vue du capitaine d'une compagnie des Word Bearers et en fait un personnage exceptionnel, avec une personnalité si riche et complexe qu'il écrase tous les héros habituels de la BL. Férocement loyal à son primarque, il lui obéit à la lettre mais à contre-coeur, et joue ainsi un rôle essentiel dans le destin des Word Bearers et des primarques. C'est là le meilleur récit de Space Marines que j'ai lu à ce jour.
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Robin G. Symons
5.0 out of 5 stars This is an essential purchase if you love 40k.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 14, 2012
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I do not hand out 5 stars often. 5 stars is perfect for me at that time. It is amazing, wounderful and totally jaw droppingly good. I much prefer imperial guard as you can relate more to the un enhanced ground pounders than someone decked in power armour. After reading the first three books in the horus trilogy i was left very much on the fence. Horus rising painted a good picture but then the story became plain. I returned later and jumped to 'Know no fear' in the series as i love the ultramarines books and cant get enough of the honourable little smurfs. That book was good but the series really wasnt doing anything for me so back to the guard i went. After reading aaron's lovely 'The emperors gift' about the grey knights some time later i decided to look for more of his stuff. A reviewer on amazon marked 'The first heretic' as essential and he was absolutely right. You see i strongly believe that horus in the first trilogy would have taken much more of a shove to turn traitor than a view hallucinations and a frankly ridiculous wound from an evil sword. I was left un impressed but in the first heratic you can plainly see how a primarch and a legion can fall and quite frankly after just finishing this book and being along for the ride I would have fallen with them too. I dont want to give away too much but you can feel the uncertainty and anger from lorgar and his word bearers after being punished ,stripped of pride and ridiculed by others and yes after doing what they thought was right most people would try to seek the answers they sought after. I actually felt for lorgar and felt quite torn when the ultra marine primarch Guilliman did what he did...being a fan of the ultramarines i suddenly turned traitor on them myself.....the book is in my mind that GOOD!!!
I really couldnt put this book down.If your reading this and thinking who are the word bearers and what is 40k then please dont buy this as a standalone book. Some background to the heresy of the 31k universe is needed and the first three books in the horus trilogy are a must before reading this god like effort from aaron. This is book 4 in the series make no mistake as its essential essential ESSENTIAL.Full of excellent story...charecters who are superhuman but who you can relate to and a totally plausible,sensible and heart wrenching justification in turning to chaos. BUY IT NOW>
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