Scourge the Heretic

Dark Heresy #1

by Sandy Mitchell

An Inquisition novel

When an Ordo Hereticus warband is sent to investigate an inter-planetary people-trafficking operation, they soon find something much more sinister than people being smuggled…

READ IT BECAUSE
The author of the Ciaphas Cain novels turns his talents to an altogether darker tale, pitting the servants of the Inquisition against sinister forces.

THE STORY
The human Imperium is a dark, dangerous place. While Space Marines and the Imperial Guard battle aliens among the stars, it is the job of the Inquisition to hunt down the heretics who corrupt society from within. When an Ordo Hereticus warband is sent to investigate an inter-planetary people-trafficking operation, they soon find something much more sinister than people being smuggled and suddenly they are up against some very dangerous enemies indeed.

Genres: Science Fiction, 40k, Fiction, Fantasy, War, Military Fiction, Adventure

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 26, 2008

About the author

Sandy Mitchell is a pseudonym of Alex Stewart, who has been a full-time writer since the mid nineteen eighties. The majority of his work as Sandy has been tie-in fiction for Games Workshop's Warhammer fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 science fiction lines. The exceptions have been a novelisation of episodes from the high tech thriller series Bugs, for which he also worked as a scriptwriter under his own name, some Warhammer roleplaying game material, and a scattering of short stories and magazine articles.

His hobbies include the martial arts of Aikido and Iaido, miniature wargaming, role-playing games, and pottering about on the family allotment.

He lives in the North Essex village of Earls Colne, with his wife Judith and daughter Hester.

Reviews

[Patrick]

I was excited to read an Inquisition novel set in the Calixis Sector of the Dark Heresy RPG - ended up disappointed in the juvenile feeling throughout - it lacks almost everything I've come to relish about 40K novels: deep characters, woven history, intense combat, military scifi, clever plots, engaging ideas...

A 40K novel with a homicidally insane, zealous young assassin who has a strange, junior highish, scared-to-tell-him-so-I'll-flirt-awkwardly crush on a stuffy old arbitrator who, turns out, actually IS thinking about her bodysuit during mission briefings? Not the kind of people I'd expect to be working for the Holy Imperial Inquisition.

Honestly, I can't believe I actually fell for one of the oldest known marketing tricks, "The novel that goes with the game!" I guess I would've probably gotten "Scourge the Heretic" underoos, too, if they made them...

It should be in the children's section, or just not published.

[Jacob Stiver]

So well done I could forgive Mitchell for writing a Warhammer 40K novel that didn't feature Ciaphas Cain.

[Adrian Dumitru]

I like it ...

[Paul]

a 40k book about the Inquisition, that is not up to standard to Eisenhorn. Though I think that was the point of this book. This book was to show more of what the Dark Heresy RPG is supposed to be about. The Inquisitors have teams of agents who sniff out leads and handle minor issues, and the Inquisitor handles the tougher jobs. This story is about one such Inquisitor's team handling three seemingly unrelated issues but as the plot progresses it gets more devient than they know. Overall an okay read that can lead you to a lot of fun playing Dark Heresy of which I've played a few times.

[Marc]

A bit disappointing. It did not grip me as other inquisitor stories have, and took a bit to trudge through-about 2 weeks! (Usually, I burn through a black library book in 2 days to a week). Very anticlimatic for the monotonous build up.

[Taddow]

This book wasn't up to the Ravenor and Eisenhorn Inquisitor novels but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I thought the story did offer some twists that made it entertaining plus it gives a little insight into some of the setting for those who play the game.

[Thomas]

A pleasant story in the 40k universe. Sandy Mitchell is a competent word smith without stylistic flourishes. He Creates an ensemble cast all of whom grow and evolve as the story continues. Character rather than plot driven. The plot is fine but the characters are what elevate it above most writing in this meta series. Wish more 40k was like this.

[stuart wilson]

Smooth transition and characters

5 star because every character was well written and expanded upon in detail, good arcs and plot which flowed nicely and the subtleties of the descriptive writing poured out a well rounded book.

[Joe Reddington]

Read, quite enjoyed, and then found it was an unfinished trilogy. :(

It was fine, the characters were fairly distinct, the romantic subplot was given far too much signposting, which might be just the thing you need when few other books in this setting involve any romance at all.

[ドミネーター トライアンベイト]

ive read this ... but not eisenhorn like imho

[Wagnaard]

Good as always

A change from Ciaphas Cain but a fun book all the same. I’d recommend it for any other fan of the author.

[Ihor Kolesnyk]

Нічого особливого, але можна трохи відпочити, читаючи.

[Ulzeta]

Quite boring.

[Ville]

It's a sci-fi novel with a 40k skin slapped on

[Stephen]

Weird to read a non-Cain novel by Sandy Mitchell but Scourge the Heretic is well written and a quite enjoyable read.

[Marius I]

While I usually do not expect very much from most 40K novels in terms of writing, the geek in me still enjoys them because I am so fascinated with the universe. This one however is one of the exceptions. The characters are flat. The plot is basically a detective story, which would be a nice change from the usual action-SF if it wasn't, even by warhammer standards, very predictable. But the icing on the cake has to be the addition of a romantic element between two characters. Usually I would say well done, given that the emotional life of most 40k characters revolves around martial themes exclusively. This however would fit better in a 80s highschool TV series than the 40k universe.

[Richard Mann]

This was a pretty decent introductory novel to the world of Dark Heresy, the WH40K role playing game created around the Emperors Inquisition. Its in the style of Eisenhorn and Ravenor series, but follows the team of investigators which make up the entourage.

[Adán Tejada]

I thought the writing was sub-standard for Black Library. It was overly predictable and we get it! He thought she was hot... stop it with the silly "chemistry" scenes.

[Danny]

Excellent read