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The Horusian Wars #2
The Horusian Wars: Incarnation
Inquisitor Covenant’s quest to stop a sect of renegade Inquisitors continues as he battles to deny their sinister design on an Imperial shrine world wreathed in darkness. As his foes seek to raise a Living Saint, Covenant must do the unthinkable…
Darkness approaches Dominicus Prime, a literal Season of Night that brings with it portents, madness and strange happenings. Standing alone as a beacon against the darkness is the Monastery of the Last Candle, a temple to the holy light of the Emperor.
As the bishops and the cardinals vie for power and influence, a crisis looms among the pilgrim drift who are starving in their droves. Discord is rife and there are whispers of a rising cult, one committed to blood and horror.
Into this political powder keg comes Inquisitor Covenant and his followers. Drawn to the shrineworld by the prescience of the Emperor's Tarot, they come seeking the agents of the Triumverate, a sect of Horusians bent on power themselves. It is the belief of Covenant that these radicals seek an incarnation, nothing less than a divine vessel, a living saint. To what end, he can only surmise, but Covenant knows it cannot bode well. He must deny the Horusians at any cost. The fate of the very sector may be determined by it.
Darkness approaches Dominicus Prime, a literal Season of Night that brings with it portents, madness and strange happenings. Standing alone as a beacon against the darkness is the Monastery of the Last Candle, a temple to the holy light of the Emperor.
As the bishops and the cardinals vie for power and influence, a crisis looms among the pilgrim drift who are starving in their droves. Discord is rife and there are whispers of a rising cult, one committed to blood and horror.
Into this political powder keg comes Inquisitor Covenant and his followers. Drawn to the shrineworld by the prescience of the Emperor's Tarot, they come seeking the agents of the Triumverate, a sect of Horusians bent on power themselves. It is the belief of Covenant that these radicals seek an incarnation, nothing less than a divine vessel, a living saint. To what end, he can only surmise, but Covenant knows it cannot bode well. He must deny the Horusians at any cost. The fate of the very sector may be determined by it.
368 pages, Paperback
First published July 21, 2018
26 people are currently reading
189 people want to read
About the author
John French
154 books293 followersJohn French is a writer and freelance game designer from Nottingham, England. His novels include the Ahriman series from Black Library, and The Lord of Nightmares trilogy for Fantasy Flight. The rest of his work can be seen scattered through a number of other books, including the New York Times bestselling anthology Age of Darkness. When he is not thinking of ways that dark and corrupting beings could destroy reality and space, John enjoys talking about why it would be a good idea... that and drinking good wine.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 6, 2025
agonizing !!! 0/5
August 1, 2024
Excellent second book in the series. I can only say I hope there is book number three otherwise too many elements are left open.
Story wise this is yet one another excellent cloak and dagger story about Inquisition's internal strife and constant vigil to prevent one section's [of Inquisiton] good intentions to engulf the entire humanity into next Age of Strife that may last like forever. As they say road to hell is paved by good intentions.
For story itself I have to admit it is very well written, lots of twists and Jason Bourne programming like situations. Everything seems to be taking place within a day or two (with some flashbacks) on a very devout world dedicated fully to Emperor and his Saints worship. Overall it is a very chilling story about cultivating horrendous potentials throughout Imperium for a [very questionable] "good cause".
Some of the reviews where that story was convoluted and that Covenant did not play much of a role. Plot wise story is not straight forward, but then again I do not think it was any more complex when compared to your average techno thriller or spy novel. Horror elements were well timed, flashbacks and Covenant's [and his team's] investigation findings are also well intertwined. Story kept me turning pages and trying to figure out what happens next (as you can see I approach these types of stories as adventure "junkie" :), I dont try to second guess the author, it would just ruin things for me).
As for the Covenant, he is present, not all the time - usually he is pursuing more .... complex paths of investigation shall we say (?) but he is present throughout the story itself. It is visible he has some very different means of figuring out things but since these means would be sort of a thrill-killers or deus-ex-machina solutions, author gives us more exciting approach to investigation done by Covenant's team. One example of deus-ex-machina plot device is the way Covenant acts at the end - if we were to follow just him entire novel could be about 20 pages long :)
I would like to go into the story but that would be full of spoilers so I am barely controlling myself not to allow anything to slip. I have to admit ending was a surprise. I truly hope there will be book number three sometime in the future. Otherwise...... arrrrghhhh :)
In any case, very interestingly told cloak and dagger story, highly recommended to everyone interested in Warhammer 40K and Inquisition in particular.
Highly recommended.
Story wise this is yet one another excellent cloak and dagger story about Inquisition's internal strife and constant vigil to prevent one section's [of Inquisiton] good intentions to engulf the entire humanity into next Age of Strife that may last like forever. As they say road to hell is paved by good intentions.
For story itself I have to admit it is very well written, lots of twists and Jason Bourne programming like situations. Everything seems to be taking place within a day or two (with some flashbacks) on a very devout world dedicated fully to Emperor and his Saints worship. Overall it is a very chilling story about cultivating horrendous potentials throughout Imperium for a [very questionable] "good cause".
Some of the reviews where that story was convoluted and that Covenant did not play much of a role. Plot wise story is not straight forward, but then again I do not think it was any more complex when compared to your average techno thriller or spy novel. Horror elements were well timed, flashbacks and Covenant's [and his team's] investigation findings are also well intertwined. Story kept me turning pages and trying to figure out what happens next (as you can see I approach these types of stories as adventure "junkie" :), I dont try to second guess the author, it would just ruin things for me).
As for the Covenant, he is present, not all the time - usually he is pursuing more .... complex paths of investigation shall we say (?) but he is present throughout the story itself. It is visible he has some very different means of figuring out things but since these means would be sort of a thrill-killers or deus-ex-machina solutions, author gives us more exciting approach to investigation done by Covenant's team. One example of deus-ex-machina plot device is the way Covenant acts at the end - if we were to follow just him entire novel could be about 20 pages long :)
I would like to go into the story but that would be full of spoilers so I am barely controlling myself not to allow anything to slip. I have to admit ending was a surprise. I truly hope there will be book number three sometime in the future. Otherwise...... arrrrghhhh :)
In any case, very interestingly told cloak and dagger story, highly recommended to everyone interested in Warhammer 40K and Inquisition in particular.
Highly recommended.
December 6, 2020
This follows up directly from the ending of the previous book where Anna was made prisoner of Inquisitor Covenant after the reveal that Inquisitor Ingrid was part of the triumvirate that orchestrated the massacre of the inquisitors on the Caradryad Sector.
To find out what the Triumvirate which is of the Horusian Sect is after, Covenant turns to the divine for the next logical step which brought him to Dominicus Prime which housed the Monastery of the Last Candle (not sure is it the same as the Last Candle mentioned by Requiem Infernal). A member of the Triumvirate - the Wanderer is heading there as well to eliminate him and Anna to prevent their operations from leaking out.
The planet has a unique setting where once every now and then (I forgot the period), they'll have a long period of night (think the long nights in Scandanavia). The citizens and pilgrims would try to scramble into the Holy Monastery during this period. But this time around there is an uprising that were seemed to be part Chaos called The Pilgrims of Hate/Red Pilgrims. Covenant's gang need to navigate through all this perils and get to the bottom of the triumvirate amidst all the bureaucracy of the Ecclesiarchy, the Pilgrims of Hate and the Triumvirate.
I find this to be better than the last installment as there are much more characters and plot despite still having some intrigue in the background. I feel that the reveal and the conceal is balance just right and leaving much more to be sorted out in the next book, especially when those whose death can be undone. One character that particularly left an impression with me was the Proctor Gald of the Adeptus Arbites similarly to how Lord Inquisitor Vult. The description of various drift and especially of the uprising could be an installment itself in the Warhammer Horror imprint with the pilgrims distorted and the level of body modification.
All in all, cannot wait for the next installment where they conclude or make it into a longer series.
To find out what the Triumvirate which is of the Horusian Sect is after, Covenant turns to the divine for the next logical step which brought him to Dominicus Prime which housed the Monastery of the Last Candle (not sure is it the same as the Last Candle mentioned by Requiem Infernal). A member of the Triumvirate - the Wanderer is heading there as well to eliminate him and Anna to prevent their operations from leaking out.
The planet has a unique setting where once every now and then (I forgot the period), they'll have a long period of night (think the long nights in Scandanavia). The citizens and pilgrims would try to scramble into the Holy Monastery during this period. But this time around there is an uprising that were seemed to be part Chaos called The Pilgrims of Hate/Red Pilgrims. Covenant's gang need to navigate through all this perils and get to the bottom of the triumvirate amidst all the bureaucracy of the Ecclesiarchy, the Pilgrims of Hate and the Triumvirate.
I find this to be better than the last installment as there are much more characters and plot despite still having some intrigue in the background. I feel that the reveal and the conceal is balance just right and leaving much more to be sorted out in the next book, especially when those whose death can be undone. One character that particularly left an impression with me was the Proctor Gald of the Adeptus Arbites similarly to how Lord Inquisitor Vult. The description of various drift and especially of the uprising could be an installment itself in the Warhammer Horror imprint with the pilgrims distorted and the level of body modification.
All in all, cannot wait for the next installment where they conclude or make it into a longer series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2022
Incarnation is a weak follow-up in the Horusian Wars series. It's possible to read this novel without reading the former -- there are perhaps two or three subplots that carried over but hardly any of the details matter. That is my greatest complaint about Incarnation - one expects the build-up to be complete, and we launch into a complex web of story threads that will climax in the third novel. You... don't really get that in this novel.
As well, Incarnation exaggerates the flaws of its predecessor: the story arc is really too small scale to be considered 'Horusian Wars'. The plot itself is very short -- honestly the book is just about the events of a single day. Somehow we are introduced to two chapters worth of new characters before picking up the plot from Resurrection, so again the novel starts off on a rocky footing.
Where it really goes wrong is that the intricate politicking and complex Imperium machinations of the former book is lost. Instead, we get Inquisitor lands to save a planet, fighting occurs, the end.
What a disappointment.
As well, Incarnation exaggerates the flaws of its predecessor: the story arc is really too small scale to be considered 'Horusian Wars'. The plot itself is very short -- honestly the book is just about the events of a single day. Somehow we are introduced to two chapters worth of new characters before picking up the plot from Resurrection, so again the novel starts off on a rocky footing.
Where it really goes wrong is that the intricate politicking and complex Imperium machinations of the former book is lost. Instead, we get Inquisitor lands to save a planet, fighting occurs, the end.
What a disappointment.
September 20, 2018
The second instalment of John French’s brilliant The Horusian Wars series, Incarnation follows on pretty directly from Resurrection to continue the story of Inquisitor Covenant and his pursuit of the shadowy cabal known as the Triumvirate. Guided by the Imperial Tarot, Covenant and his warband journey to the shrine world of Dominicus Prime where, amidst the secrets and machinations of the sprawling Monastery of the Last Candle, a terrifying power is about to manifest.
It’s as pacy as you’d expect from Black Library, with inventive (and often just really cool) action scenes aplenty, but the real implications of what’s going on are only slowly revealed and require some thought to properly process. Put the effort in, however, and you’ll be rewarded with another fascinating story that builds on what’s gone before, raising the stakes and delivering a powerful example of what the 40k universe really has to offer.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2018/07/...
It’s as pacy as you’d expect from Black Library, with inventive (and often just really cool) action scenes aplenty, but the real implications of what’s going on are only slowly revealed and require some thought to properly process. Put the effort in, however, and you’ll be rewarded with another fascinating story that builds on what’s gone before, raising the stakes and delivering a powerful example of what the 40k universe really has to offer.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2018/07/...
April 21, 2020
Hmmm... I didn't enjoy this as much as I did with book #1 in the series, Resurrection. For a start, Inquisitor Covenant is absent for a huge chunk of the story. He shows his face at the start, sets things in motion before disappearing until the fight at the end.
This leaves the story on the shoulders of multiple secondary characters. I'm not saying I dislike Covenant's retinue, but with so much going on, just as you start getting into one of these secondary characters, the story moves off onto another character and their dire situation. Rinse and repeat.
It still contains lashings of fantastic Inquisition action. I just wished Covenant was more prominent. The shock reveal at the very end was a nice surprise.
This leaves the story on the shoulders of multiple secondary characters. I'm not saying I dislike Covenant's retinue, but with so much going on, just as you start getting into one of these secondary characters, the story moves off onto another character and their dire situation. Rinse and repeat.
It still contains lashings of fantastic Inquisition action. I just wished Covenant was more prominent. The shock reveal at the very end was a nice surprise.
January 15, 2019
Wow, this is really good. I gave it four stars at the moment but this might be a five-star book after I completely process everything that was going on. There are many sudden changes in character points of view that can be hard to follow in audio format, but there is also an element of the reader not supposed to know what is really going on through most of the first part of the book. I can't wait for the third book!
March 15, 2020
Maybe it was just the audio version but I couldn't follow what was going on. The story jumped around from characters, scenes and times with little indication that the story was shifting. By halfway through I didn't know where people were or how they got there. John Banks narrated so it seems unlikely it was a problem with his reading. I really liked the first book in the series so I might try to read the book itself and see if that helps.
April 11, 2019
I have no idea what happened in this book. It flipped from group to group to group that I had no idea who was doing what when and where. All I can think is that if I had a gaming group this fragmented I would shoot myself.
April 19, 2022
When's book 3?
It drew me in. I like inquisitors stories. I was biased with just reading Abnet. This story and the others published kept my interest and now I need a conclusion. When will that be Mr French?
It drew me in. I like inquisitors stories. I was biased with just reading Abnet. This story and the others published kept my interest and now I need a conclusion. When will that be Mr French?
January 3, 2024
Uncertainty and deception. Usual Inquisition
Who is who, who is on what side, what even are the sides? A great read, with fascinating characters and I will be onto the next in the series, because I really want to know what is going to happen!
Who is who, who is on what side, what even are the sides? A great read, with fascinating characters and I will be onto the next in the series, because I really want to know what is going to happen!
June 29, 2019
Both full sized novels and the accompanying short stories were a
pleasure to read.
pleasure to read.
January 6, 2021
Usually a blood-soaked Chaos Cult uprising makes for a very entertaining 40K novel. This one however is somewhat hard to follow and needed more of Inquisitor Covenant of the Ordo Malleus.
Read
February 3, 2021A Great Sequel
A Good book, well written with an interesting and twisting plotline. Good action but with some heretical thinking! Whatever next!
A Good book, well written with an interesting and twisting plotline. Good action but with some heretical thinking! Whatever next!
October 17, 2024
fantastic series
Really enjoying this one, seems like there is enough material for many more books. Wondering why the series hasn’t been finished.
Really enjoying this one, seems like there is enough material for many more books. Wondering why the series hasn’t been finished.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews