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Ahriman #4
Ahriman: Eternal
Book Four in the Ahriman Series
Follow Ahriman in his quest to lift the curse that plagues his Legion, lest all turn to dust before he can find salvation.
READ IT BECAUSE
Ahriman's great quest is far from over. In the fourth instalment of John French's series, Ahriman - one of the 41st Millennium's most notorious villains and compelling characters - attempts to bend time itself to his will in order to undo the curse that shattered his Legion.
THE STORY
Doom has come upon the Thousand Sons. Born from the Rubric, a curse of fire and dust stalks them across time and space. The spirits of the Rubricae are vanishing from the prisons of their armour, and one by one, living sorcerers take their place. Driven by the need to save his Legion and find redemption, Ahzek Ahriman seeks the time-altering technology of the forgotten necrons to overwrite the past. Shadowed by aeldari harlequins, and with secrets and divisions spreading through his forces, he must find a new path to salvation - before all becomes dust.
Follow Ahriman in his quest to lift the curse that plagues his Legion, lest all turn to dust before he can find salvation.
READ IT BECAUSE
Ahriman's great quest is far from over. In the fourth instalment of John French's series, Ahriman - one of the 41st Millennium's most notorious villains and compelling characters - attempts to bend time itself to his will in order to undo the curse that shattered his Legion.
THE STORY
Doom has come upon the Thousand Sons. Born from the Rubric, a curse of fire and dust stalks them across time and space. The spirits of the Rubricae are vanishing from the prisons of their armour, and one by one, living sorcerers take their place. Driven by the need to save his Legion and find redemption, Ahzek Ahriman seeks the time-altering technology of the forgotten necrons to overwrite the past. Shadowed by aeldari harlequins, and with secrets and divisions spreading through his forces, he must find a new path to salvation - before all becomes dust.
329 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 19, 2022
46 people are currently reading
277 people want to read
About the author
John French
154 books294 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 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 21, 2024
In the aftermath of the failed Second Rubric, Ahriman and his Exiles find themselves pursued by the Pyrodomon, a force released by the Rubric which reaches out from the warp to consume the Thousand Sons, sorcerers and Rubricae alike. With cracks widening in the alliance of his followers and the Pyrodomon on their heels, Ahriman looks to techno-arcane xenos abilities – via a captured Necron called Setekh – for the power to control time itself. As the Exiles seek out this power, the Harlequins intervene in their unique fashion, determined to shape events to their own ends and avoid a tragedy only they can foresee.
It’s really a story about the price of memories, about time running out and consequences catching up, wrapped up in the classic Thousand Sons theme of good intentions coming into conflict with sheer, absolute arrogance. Like so much of French’s work it’s richly layered, dealing with plans within plans, hidden patterns and dangerous pacts, and it’s the sort of book that really rewards multiple readings. As the start of a new series, it’s a delight to not just return to these characters but to see them continue to develop. Where Ahriman goes next remains to be seen, but it promises to be another fascinating journey.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2022/05/...
It’s really a story about the price of memories, about time running out and consequences catching up, wrapped up in the classic Thousand Sons theme of good intentions coming into conflict with sheer, absolute arrogance. Like so much of French’s work it’s richly layered, dealing with plans within plans, hidden patterns and dangerous pacts, and it’s the sort of book that really rewards multiple readings. As the start of a new series, it’s a delight to not just return to these characters but to see them continue to develop. Where Ahriman goes next remains to be seen, but it promises to be another fascinating journey.
Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2022/05/...
July 19, 2022
Ahriman achieves his deepest, darkest desire... A set of massive tits.
May 25, 2023
Another fantastic story of the Ahriman saga, now in battle against the most exotic kind of xenos and forever haunted by his past deeds (in a very literal sense).
I think the reading was on a par with the other Ahriman books, while introducing new concepts of warp magic and reality bending technology. Personally, I still struggle with the topic of betrayal and lies, since Ctesias still acts as the voice of conscience but really is just a self-loathing old cynic who doesn't care to look beyond surface values. On the other hand, this is the 40k universe, where trying to survive in and of itself is considered an act of heresy and betrayal - in the eyes of some, not all human kind. From the book "Fury of Magnus":
Plot wise, the story connects directly to the consequences of Ahriman: Unchanged, driving the protagonist ever onward and against the chains of fate. We learn a lot about the nature of the Thousand Sons and the Rubric, and by the end are left with the outset of what could be the start of another trilogy. Very promising indeed.
And a few other curious, read-worthy bits I won't spoil.
I think the reading was on a par with the other Ahriman books, while introducing new concepts of warp magic and reality bending technology. Personally, I still struggle with the topic of betrayal and lies, since Ctesias still acts as the voice of conscience but really is just a self-loathing old cynic who doesn't care to look beyond surface values. On the other hand, this is the 40k universe, where trying to survive in and of itself is considered an act of heresy and betrayal - in the eyes of some, not all human kind. From the book "Fury of Magnus":
Plot wise, the story connects directly to the consequences of Ahriman: Unchanged, driving the protagonist ever onward and against the chains of fate. We learn a lot about the nature of the Thousand Sons and the Rubric, and by the end are left with the outset of what could be the start of another trilogy. Very promising indeed.
And a few other curious, read-worthy bits I won't spoil.
September 17, 2023
At this stage of Ahriman's story it's impressive that he has any followers at all. He's neither particularly successful nor much of a team player, yet power counts for a lot and Ahriman is plenty powerful.
To his credit he is also prepelared to shoulder responsibility. This time around our hero is once again trying to mould himself as the saviour of his legion, using new and ever more outlandish schemes to do so. The Necrons (vaguely Egyptian-themed Terminators) and Harlequins (terrifying murder-clowns) each play a role, leading to theology, grand plots, and cool moments. French's writing is well-layered and creative, but once again the whole somehow feels less than the sum of the parts. It's clear that we're setting up future adventures here, but at this stage of the story the threat level is too low, not helped by the lack of a clear antagonist.
So, not the best entry. But lots of cool moments and promise of greater things to come.
To his credit he is also prepelared to shoulder responsibility. This time around our hero is once again trying to mould himself as the saviour of his legion, using new and ever more outlandish schemes to do so. The Necrons (vaguely Egyptian-themed Terminators) and Harlequins (terrifying murder-clowns) each play a role, leading to theology, grand plots, and cool moments. French's writing is well-layered and creative, but once again the whole somehow feels less than the sum of the parts. It's clear that we're setting up future adventures here, but at this stage of the story the threat level is too low, not helped by the lack of a clear antagonist.
So, not the best entry. But lots of cool moments and promise of greater things to come.
June 12, 2023
Pretty good read but it didn’t get me as engaged as books 1-3. I’m left wondering if it’s part 1 of another trilogy? A few open ends and felt like nothing significant happened unlike the previous books.
Might just be that I hold the trilogy on such a high pedestal that I wasn’t going to be happy anyway!
Might just be that I hold the trilogy on such a high pedestal that I wasn’t going to be happy anyway!
December 12, 2024
Really good story, but feels rushed at several points.
December 17, 2022
As the fourth book in a series, you’d think that we’d have some great returning characters, perhaps a constant villain lurking in the background, and a host of folks to love that surround our plot-armored main character in Ahriman. I can say that this book has left me superbly disappointed.
To be perfectly honest… nothing much happens in this book. Yes you get your classic battles, lots of bolters getting fired and Rubicae acting like nothing you’ve ever seen thanks to the peerless direction of Ahriman. The Circle’s mastery over the warp is almost from a different universe; they aren’t ever challenged by corruption the same way most WH40K novels go. But in terms of plot progression? The introduction of the Necrons is just that: an introduction.
To summarize, the novel feels like a lame middle act. I don’t think it’s a particularly good book, and certainly not worthy of the fourth of this series. Ahriman deserves better, as does the incredibly complex psychology of the Thousand Sons.
To be perfectly honest… nothing much happens in this book. Yes you get your classic battles, lots of bolters getting fired and Rubicae acting like nothing you’ve ever seen thanks to the peerless direction of Ahriman. The Circle’s mastery over the warp is almost from a different universe; they aren’t ever challenged by corruption the same way most WH40K novels go. But in terms of plot progression? The introduction of the Necrons is just that: an introduction.
To summarize, the novel feels like a lame middle act. I don’t think it’s a particularly good book, and certainly not worthy of the fourth of this series. Ahriman deserves better, as does the incredibly complex psychology of the Thousand Sons.
June 13, 2023
One step forward, one step back.
Ahriman served as my first introduction to the world of Warhammer. The original trilogy was unlike anything else I was reading at the time, and I found myself loving the dark and sorcerous world presented to me. Ahriman himself, a driven man willing to do evil to accomplish what he considers to be right, was exactly the kind of bad guy I enjoyed. To this day, Ahriman remains one of the best bad guys in Warhammer to read about.
The problem was that Ahriman always seemed to be spinning in place. Each book was the same. He was attempting to save his brothers from the fate he led them to, came up with a plan, and then fell just a bit short and had to start back from the beginning. The Thousand Sons didn't change, not in any meaningful way, and this book is more of the same.
Which is a pity, because this is probably my favorite book in the series. Especially after you get past the first hundred pages and start getting into the sorcery and time weirdness that the story is built around. There were several times that I had to stop, look around, and wrap my mind around how cool a scene or concept was. It's just a shame that Ahriman is never able to move forward in his goals.
Ahriman served as my first introduction to the world of Warhammer. The original trilogy was unlike anything else I was reading at the time, and I found myself loving the dark and sorcerous world presented to me. Ahriman himself, a driven man willing to do evil to accomplish what he considers to be right, was exactly the kind of bad guy I enjoyed. To this day, Ahriman remains one of the best bad guys in Warhammer to read about.
The problem was that Ahriman always seemed to be spinning in place. Each book was the same. He was attempting to save his brothers from the fate he led them to, came up with a plan, and then fell just a bit short and had to start back from the beginning. The Thousand Sons didn't change, not in any meaningful way, and this book is more of the same.
Which is a pity, because this is probably my favorite book in the series. Especially after you get past the first hundred pages and start getting into the sorcery and time weirdness that the story is built around. There were several times that I had to stop, look around, and wrap my mind around how cool a scene or concept was. It's just a shame that Ahriman is never able to move forward in his goals.
March 1, 2025
Review by Doctor Strange
“As a sorcerer who has spent a lifetime studying the mystic arts—and dealing with those who seek forbidden power—I found Ahriman: Eternal to be a frustrating tale of hubris without the depth to make it truly compelling.
Ahriman, once one of the most brilliant minds of his order, remains trapped in his endless cycle of arrogance and failure. This should be fascinating—a tragic, self-destructive quest for redemption or, at the very least, understanding. Instead, what we get is an overcomplicated journey that mistakes convoluted plotting for depth. The prose is dense, the pacing uneven, and Ahriman himself lacks enough evolution to make his struggles feel meaningful.
There are moments of brilliance—flashes of grand cosmic horror and intriguing philosophical dilemmas—but they are buried under layers of exposition and excessive brooding. A story like this should leave you questioning fate, free will, and the cost of knowledge. Instead, it mostly left me questioning how much longer the book was.
2 out of 5 stars. A tale that, like its protagonist, is lost in its own labyrinth, searching for something it never quite finds.”
“As a sorcerer who has spent a lifetime studying the mystic arts—and dealing with those who seek forbidden power—I found Ahriman: Eternal to be a frustrating tale of hubris without the depth to make it truly compelling.
Ahriman, once one of the most brilliant minds of his order, remains trapped in his endless cycle of arrogance and failure. This should be fascinating—a tragic, self-destructive quest for redemption or, at the very least, understanding. Instead, what we get is an overcomplicated journey that mistakes convoluted plotting for depth. The prose is dense, the pacing uneven, and Ahriman himself lacks enough evolution to make his struggles feel meaningful.
There are moments of brilliance—flashes of grand cosmic horror and intriguing philosophical dilemmas—but they are buried under layers of exposition and excessive brooding. A story like this should leave you questioning fate, free will, and the cost of knowledge. Instead, it mostly left me questioning how much longer the book was.
2 out of 5 stars. A tale that, like its protagonist, is lost in its own labyrinth, searching for something it never quite finds.”
July 11, 2022
“The Great Powers of the warp, the might of Ahriman and his Legion, the Master of Mankind: all were the same. The God-Emperor’s light was the light of the warp, His protection the blessing of change. His work and His angels were not the edifices of a failing empire; they were the miracles of the warp. The armour of contempt was not against the touch of the warp, but against mundane reality. The warp was illumination. It was the prime reality, the physical realm its imperfect shadow. Once Silvanus understood that, all had fallen into place. He knew he had found both salvation and revelation. He understood what no others did. There was no war between Chaos and the Emperor. They were the same, beams of light shining through different windows of the same, great lantern.”
- Navigator Silvanus Yeshar in Ahriman: Eternal by John French
- Navigator Silvanus Yeshar in Ahriman: Eternal by John French
August 4, 2022
I was expecting some form of redemption after the first 3 sad novels, but this one again ends in a sad note(I understand that can just be me hoping). The story was well paced and characters were well fleshed out. All the previous characters from inner circle were given more depth. Although the story felt streched a bit during the midway of the story. This novel and it's events are a set up for the things to come and I suspect there would be 2 more novels to follow it up. However there is no mention of 13th black crusade, Gilliman awakening or primaris, all of the substantial changes happening in the galaxy and I hope John French has not forgotten about the Space wolf company chasing Ahriman. But I hope in the next novel some of this points would be mentioned or touched upon properly. This novel was still a joy to read and I can't wait to see how the story progresses further.
June 10, 2024
A classic Ahriman story. For me these stories are hard to read, because they are so complicated with intricate plots weaving from one to another, but they are always a joy to think about in hindsight.
Overall the story is really epic and unlike anything I've read except these other Ahriman books. One thing to note in this novel is I finally understand that this story does not have any good characters.
Everyone is very flawed and probably would have some medical psychiatric diagnosis in the real world.
Still, the story is interesting, although a little lacking in the middle (that was for all Ahriman books aswell, though). The characters are very detailed. The Book provides tons of mysteries to think about.
Overall the story is really epic and unlike anything I've read except these other Ahriman books. One thing to note in this novel is I finally understand that this story does not have any good characters.
Everyone is very flawed and probably would have some medical psychiatric diagnosis in the real world.
Still, the story is interesting, although a little lacking in the middle (that was for all Ahriman books aswell, though). The characters are very detailed. The Book provides tons of mysteries to think about.
April 24, 2024
I am not sure if I forgot something since it had been a while since reading the Ahriman omnibus or if I missed some kind of event but I feel like Ahriman is now too powerful. One of the things I liked about him was he was human despite being a super soldier. He was powerful but not so powerful that he wasn't infallible. Now when he makes a mistake or chooses poorly his vast psychic power or magic can practically rewrite that choice. He is still one of my favorite characters though but I think they need to reign him in a little bit.
September 28, 2022
An explosive return of a fan favourite character and legion
A very succinct and well paced story. Great characters throughout all with their own agendas and schemes. The author very clearly understands the thousand sons by this point and he is a master of bringing in new characters for us to get invested in. Can't wait to see what comes next.
A very succinct and well paced story. Great characters throughout all with their own agendas and schemes. The author very clearly understands the thousand sons by this point and he is a master of bringing in new characters for us to get invested in. Can't wait to see what comes next.
December 5, 2025
"What is life, if not memories?"
Absolutely phenomenal novel. I actually got lost in this book, I didnt even notice it was 4am... I haven't read like that since I was younger, and my excitement and connection to a story was wonderful, to say the least.
Absolutely phenomenal novel. I actually got lost in this book, I didnt even notice it was 4am... I haven't read like that since I was younger, and my excitement and connection to a story was wonderful, to say the least.
August 4, 2022
Ahriman will always make me happy.
August 8, 2022
Very much similar fare to the previous additions.
January 25, 2023
It's ok I guess since it leads into nothing
February 11, 2023
Review
If you have read the other books you will obviously continue here. Great story and sprinkles alot of anticipation. Thank you.
If you have read the other books you will obviously continue here. Great story and sprinkles alot of anticipation. Thank you.
May 19, 2023
Loved it
February 18, 2024
I wanted to enjoy it, but man… it felt like a daggum slog to get through. Last thirty or so pages were good, the rest was just slow.
April 26, 2024
3 stars.
A pretty stolid offering from French, missing a lot of the action you'd expect from a Space Opera/ 40k novel - although in fairness, this was probably not helped by started with the fourth in a series. Whilst reading I felt little fear of the existential threat purported to the Thousand Sons - which is fine, but the process of overcoming the curse was radically unexciting, as they move from set piece to set piece, with everyone scheming against each other. The final arcana ex machine was predictable and such a stretch.
An extra half star for Ignis - a real one.
A pretty stolid offering from French, missing a lot of the action you'd expect from a Space Opera/ 40k novel - although in fairness, this was probably not helped by started with the fourth in a series. Whilst reading I felt little fear of the existential threat purported to the Thousand Sons - which is fine, but the process of overcoming the curse was radically unexciting, as they move from set piece to set piece, with everyone scheming against each other. The final arcana ex machine was predictable and such a stretch.
An extra half star for Ignis - a real one.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews