The End and the Death: Volume I

The Siege of Terra #8

by Dan Abnett

Siege of Terra Book 8, Part 1

The arch-traitor Horus Lupercal's forces have bombarded Terra and the Imperial Palace lies in ruins. With the Emperor's dream in tatters, he seeks only to rob Chaos of its ultimate victory…

READ IT BECAUSE
It's the beginning of the ultimate conclusion to the Horus Heresy, and hope still remains for the Loyalists! The Emperor plans a gambit that could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat – but at what cost?

THE STORY
There is no way out.

The walls have fallen, the gates are breached, and the defenders are slain. It is the end and the death. After seven brutal years of civil war, the Warmaster stands on the verge of victory. Horus Lupercal, once beloved son, has come to murder his father. The Emperor, a shining beacon of hope to many, an unscrupulous tyrant to others, must die. The lives of uncountable numbers have been extinguished and even primarchs, once thought immortal, have been laid low. The Emperor's dream lies in tatters, but there remains a sliver of hope.

Now, at the final hour of the final day, the Emperor rises. With him come his Angel, his Praetorian, and his Captain, all determined to enact terrible vengeance. Yet the hope is slim, for the Warmaster sees all and knows all, and the ultimate victory of Chaos is at hand.

Genres: 40k, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Audiobook, Military Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

659 pages, Hardcover

First published February 25, 2023

Reviews

[Patrick Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book as sprawling labyrinthine and deranged as the Imperial Palace itself. I enjoyed reading most of this, I will probably never think about it again and I am glad that it is over.

Abnett essentially doubles down on all the peak-Abnett stuff that no-one but him really likes.

John Fucking Grammaticus - absolutely central role, thank god because we all want to know what happens with that guy.

Thank God the Basilio Fo sub-plot is still going, that vitally interesting character.

Well it is what it is, lots of wonderful details, extremely purple prose, several extended sections where Abnett is very insistent on showing his English degree and a whole mess of strands-ov-fate bullshit, collapsing-dimensions last minute character transport and Quite Dumb acts of _subtle manipulation_.

This did not need to be two books but at least every part of the model range was mentioned so thats good. PEACE.

Its nearly over! Soon we will be FREEEEE!

[Gergely · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Dan Abnett is a competent writer, I feel that this book could have used an editor to cut out at least around 200-250 pages of it - that way, maybe we could have gotten a single 7-800 page final book, instead of two.
Then again, based on the writing here, I get the feeling that either Mr. Abnett follows the footsteps of Zola and Dickens, getting paid by the word - or GW is a small, struggling company that desperately needs any income it can get.

Anyway, the book has quite a number of basically superfluous battle scenes that do nothing to advance any plotlines, only show that Choas is bad and evil - which might be ok if we haven't had to muddle through 60+ books establishing that fact. Also, Lovecraft and Clark Ashton Smith would be proud with the sheer amount of mind-breaking, sanity-blasting eldritch vocabulary thrown at us readers. Especially when it comes to Choas, which faction, it bears repeating, is Eeeeevil.

The POVs of Malcador and the Primarchs are somewhat interesting (no mean feat after 60+ books), and at least we do not get any new out-of-character revelations or derailings on that front.
The Emperor and Horus may be somewhat exceptions, but the Big E has always been controversial. Here, He seems to harken back to the ruthless, well-intentioned extremist Abnett seemed to favor in earlier books - and we get a bit more insight into his motivations, and those make slightly more sense.

Unfortunately, the Oll Persson subplot is decaying in quality, mainly due to John Grammaticus' pestiferous presence.

Overall, it is a book that feels unfinished and not in a good way. I still think the closing duology should have been given a thorough editorial cutting, and published as a single, larger volume, instead of a bloated, messy cashgrab.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

With these books, I often come back to a single question. Is it interesting?

So much of the series is disposable bloat. Explosions and gore. This isn't. It's written in a fascinating way. It's told like a Viking saga or an epic poem. For the first time in 50 od books, this feels like the mythological epic the series was sold as.

It raises a few questions too. Pressingly, can it stick the landing?

[Luis Tortosa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Certainly, there are some interesting bits in this book, but It should have been at least 300 hundreds pages shorter. I understood the situation was really fucked the first 20 times i read it from slightly different angles that contribute absolutely nothing to the plot (that, or being this long and end the fucking story instead of splitting it in THREE more books)
Talking about plots, so glad we still have such thrilling sub-stories like Basilio Fo's or the fight for survival of high commander Icaro, among many (many) others
Also, i can appreciate that Abnett has a really high prose and like to show off, and i would have liked it if the vast amount of superfluos stuff of this book didnt backfired It, making the book extremely tiring to read
We all knew why we were here after 60 books, so i would have liked it if we could get a bit to the point.
Honestly really disapointing, and i actually payed for this book

[Ollie Lau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I finished this book in one day. Partially because I was on a long flight, and mostly because it was great.

Cannot wait for Volume II. A satisfying beginning if an ending to a series that deserves it.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, here it is: The beginning of the end. The End and the Death.

The End and the Death is an interesting read overall in that it tackles the seemingly endless final day (Quite literally as the warp unwraps time itself on Terra.) of the Siege while moving all of the important pieces into place to make sure they are where they need to be when the fateful moments come to pass. Much like Abnett's Saturnine, the individual moments are where this book shines. While there are a few, small subplots that felt a tad stretched (Keeler's felt really dragged out...) all of the stories are interesting on their own even if they only serve to provide a snapshot of what is happening on that final day. Others still are hugely important and having the Emperor himself alongside the Primarchs, Valdor, and the Sigilite share scenes is fantastic. Also, for once, the Perpetual stuff is pretty cool! I was quite invested in that part of the plot where I struggled with it in previous books and I'm actually looking forward to seeing where it goes.

That said, for as much as I enjoyed pretty much every aspect of this book from a story perspective, I do think the decision to have such short chapters undercut the momentum of the book in several places. I think thematically that works given the focus on time in the story, but that still doesn't take the bite out of reading a really cool chapter following, say, Corswain only to jump to a totally different scene in the middle of something quite important to talk about crucified Titans and beheaded tanks just to set the scene. Are both scenes amazing? Yes! Is it jarring. Still, yes, unfortunately. Despite that issue, it is a credit to how engaging Abnett has made all of these plots that I could always find a way to be drawn back in when I felt the tonal whiplash from the stories jumping around.

So, how does it do as the first part of the finale? Well, if the second volume is anywhere near as long as this I'm sure there's still a great deal to cover, but it does feel the story is right on the edge of the precipice before the final fights. Despite clearly being only a first part, I also think it ends in a place that makes the whole experience of reading the book fulfilling while leaving everything set to be finished in volume 2.

Overall, what a book. Looking back at my Saturnine review, I'm glad I mostly stuck with things to see it through to the end and I'm glad Abnett's the one writing it out. I can't wait to see what is in store in Volume 2.

[Frank · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know those scenes in movies where someone gives a big speech before the battle or cavalry charge? Well this book has a ton of them! Major characters, minor characters, Primarchs, soldiers, even demons all get speeches, some more than one! The plot moves at a SNAIL'S pace. It's ridiculously padded, every conversation goes on FAR longer than it should, you're reading the literal smartest people in the galaxy miss conclusions you saw immediately. Some sub plots go NOWHERE, but surprise there's a volume 2, this book is simply padding the plot. When stuff happens (finally) it's cool, Abnett works very hard on the feeling and atmosphere which is great, but there's not enough actual stuff *happening*. It all becomes so tedious and the Warp is a total deus ex machina (how do I get these characters together---the Warp does it!) Could have easily been both volumes in one book, barely anything happens in this one.
Oh and I'm pretty sure Abnett is just making up words now. That, or he wrote this one with a dictionary from 1894 open on the table beside him.

[Error898789 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is it possible to justify a 60+ book series?

No.

But damn does Dan try hard.

The first half of the book is genuinely amazing, a mood piece, seeing 60+ books of main characters all reduced to essentially Dark souls NPC's in a world that has well and truly fallen apart.

In the second half though, in a pretty Abnett fashion a more conventional structure picks up and the story starts moving towards a more avengers-esque conclusion. That being said the writing remains good, effective (the 2nd person section especially) so this isn't much of a criticism.

[sivel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starts off promising. Hope it stays like this. Not many books handle the details of Terra! so I'm really looking forward to it. But he does a great job and gives the right feeling already for fans of the whole 40k books in the start.

Was a great read. Really enjoyed it. Looking forward to the 2nd and 3rd.
Few minor details in the start gave me high hopes for epic dan abnett detail love BUT they were mentioned and either he will resolve these issues in the next book or the one after because he didnt resolve them in this book...

[RatGrrrl · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the famous saying goes, it was the largely the best of times, it was some the almost best of times, it was a little bit the okayest of times.

So, my reviews have really fallen off since I got covid a while back and my brain has been an AuDHD (and the rest) scrambled mess, so this is another one I will have to come back to, but I genuinely loved this to pieces and got that same swell of pride for and good feeling from this beginning of the end of what has been, increasingly, a tumultuous and wildly variable (but generally decreasing in quality) journey as I did with James Swallow's The Buried Dagger, which so perfectly ended the main Horus Heresy series.

This absolutely isn't my favourite, but it is absolutely in a good spot in the A(aron Dembski-Bowden) Tier with large parts, especially of the beginning and whenever it's the Mal' & 'Cal show, being S(amus. Samus is my name. That is the only name you’ll hear. I am the one who walks behind you. I am the footsteps at your back. I am the man beside you. Look out! I am all around you. Samus! I am the end and the death) Tier.

Also, I genuinely think Jonathan Keeble reads good Dan Abnett unlike any other writing.

[M O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible. This doesn't just tie up every loose end and get the pieces in to their final places, but introduces an entirely new and brilliantly executed concept that takes the stakes to maximum. Cannot wait for the last one now.

[Felix Delong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not ready.
Sigillite the hero.
Sanquinius.
Sympathetic magic...
This book is all the finale of the Horus Heresy should be and more.

[Chris Bowley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The End and the Death: Volume I is a reward for fans who have slogged on, persevering through the marathon that is the Horus Heresy series. The book follows numerous story arcs, each of which are interesting in their own right. Once a chapter begins that isn't the primary arc (boarding the Vengeful Spirit) the reader does not become frustrated, even with the very short nature of most chapters. Whilst secondary arcs do not seem to progress the story anywhere near as much as the primary, Dan Abnett - in true Dan Abnett style - makes up for this with exceptional writing that conjures up all sorts of scenes in the reader's mind. The End and the Death: Volume I is without doubt the best of the Siege of Terra novels to date and arguably the best Dan Abnett novel in the overall series.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun. Initially a slow start to the final 3-4 books. They can’t show everything so early.

There were some characters I would have liked some longer chapters with. But ultimately the escalation of stakes at the end made the slow burn so so worth it.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a fun story under all the bloat and fluff. Definitely a cash grab to drag this last part out into 3 extremely long books.

[Chris The Lizard from Planet X · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: The End and the Death: Volume I by Dan Abnett

When I first picked up The End and the Death: Volume I, I wasn’t sure I was ready for it. I’ve been following the Siege of Terra books with a mix of fascination and confusion—fascination because the story is undeniably huge and full of weight, and confusion because, well, Warhammer lore is dense. I’m not a lifelong fan who’s read all sixty-plus Horus Heresy novels, but I’ve been along for this last arc, and I wanted to see how it all ends.

Dan Abnett’s name alone was enough to convince me. He’s one of those authors who somehow makes even the most sprawling, gothic, lore-heavy setting feel intimate and human. And with this book, the first part of the massive finale to the Horus Heresy, he really doubles down on that approach.

⸻

The Story and Style

Right from the start, The End and the Death feels different. The earlier Siege of Terra volumes—by Abnett, Aaron Dembski-Bowden, Chris Wraight, and others—were massive war epics. This one is that too, but it’s also stranger, more introspective, and written with a literary edge you don’t always expect in Warhammer.

Abnett tells the story through a fractured lens: dozens of viewpoints, snippets of moments across the dying world of Terra, and a lot of shifting tone. Sometimes it’s cinematic, describing the last desperate battles of the Imperial Palace. Other times it’s deeply personal, quiet, and philosophical. Then, suddenly, you’re inside a character’s head in second person — especially Horus. Those second-person chapters were weird at first. They break the usual distance between reader and character, making you become the Warmaster for a while, to feel his descent, his certainty, his madness. It’s unsettling but kind of brilliant.

That fractured style is both the book’s strength and its challenge. As a newer reader, I sometimes felt lost—names, places, and references fly by, and Abnett doesn’t pause to explain. But the writing is so confident and evocative that I was carried along anyway. The structure mirrors the chaos of the moment: the Imperium collapsing, reality itself fraying, and the line between human and myth starting to blur.

⸻

Tone and Themes

There’s a heaviness to this book that’s hard to shake. Everything feels final. The title, The End and the Death, isn’t just about the fall of the Emperor’s empire—it’s about the end of meaning, of order, of faith. Abnett captures that sense of apocalypse perfectly. Every page feels like the closing minutes of a dying age.

But despite that, it’s not all grim despair. What makes it powerful are the small sparks of light: courage, love, sacrifice, loyalty. Characters keep going even though they know they can’t win. That’s a theme that runs through all of Siege of Terra, but here it hits hardest.

Malcador, the Emperor’s right hand, gets some of the most compelling moments. His scenes feel almost spiritual—he’s a man holding the crumbling weight of a god’s dream, trying to keep the fire alive for just one more day. Sanguinius, meanwhile, embodies doomed heroism. Even if you’re only casually familiar with Warhammer, you probably know where his story is going, but Abnett still finds a way to make it heartbreaking.

And then there’s Horus. His portrayal is fascinating. You feel his rage, his pride, his clarity twisted into something dark. Abnett doesn’t just make him a villain; he makes him human, and that makes his fall all the more tragic.

⸻

For Newer Readers

As someone still finding my footing in this universe, I appreciated how emotionally grounded the book is. Sure, there are moments that left me thinking, “Wait, who’s that again?” or “What’s this Legion doing here?” but that didn’t ruin the experience. The emotional throughline—this massive empire tearing itself apart from the inside out—comes across loud and clear.

That said, I wouldn’t recommend this as anyone’s first Warhammer book. It assumes you’ve read at least the previous Siege of Terra volumes, because it doesn’t waste time recapping. The story picks up right in the chaos, and Abnett trusts you to keep up. If you’ve come this far, though, it’s absolutely worth it.

One thing I loved was how Abnett writes scale. This isn’t just the fall of a city—it’s the end of a civilization that spans galaxies. Yet he constantly zooms in to show individuals: soldiers fighting hopeless battles, civilians praying in the rubble, warriors facing death with grim acceptance. Those human details make the cosmic scope believable.

⸻

Pacing and Structure

If you’re expecting a nonstop action-fest, this might surprise you. The pacing is slow and deliberate. There are big, intense battles—some incredibly written—but Abnett spends as much time exploring thoughts and emotions as he does describing explosions. The book feels meditative, even poetic at times.

Some readers might find it dense or meandering. I did at points, but then I realized that was kind of the point. The world is unraveling, time and causality are breaking down, and the story mirrors that chaos. It’s disorienting, but it feels intentional.

⸻

Writing and Prose

Even if you’re new to Warhammer, it’s impossible not to admire Abnett’s craft. He writes with a weight and rhythm that feels mythic but still readable. His descriptions of the dying Palace, of light and shadow, of gods walking among mortals—all of it feels biblical. You can tell he’s been building toward this for years, and there’s an emotional intensity behind every line.

There’s also something almost mournful about the way he writes the Emperor and Horus now. The whole book feels like watching a tragedy that’s already been written, but you can’t look away.

⸻

Final Thoughts

As a newer Warhammer fan, The End and the Death: Volume I was both overwhelming and unforgettable. It’s not an easy read—there’s no hand-holding, and it demands your full attention—but the payoff is immense. It’s the kind of book that makes you sit in silence when you finish a chapter, just absorbing what you read.

Dan Abnett isn’t just closing out a storyline; he’s closing a myth. And somehow, he makes it feel deeply human. For all the talk of gods and primarchs, it’s really a story about people—flawed, scared, determined people trying to find meaning at the end of everything.

If you’ve read the earlier Siege of Terra books, even casually, this is an absolute must. It’s the darkest and most ambitious volume yet, but also the most emotionally powerful. It reminds you why this series has lasted so long—and why its ending actually matters.

⸻

Final Verdict:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (4.5/5) — Dense but brilliant. A haunting, poetic beginning to the end of one of sci-fi’s greatest epics

[Nik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dan Abnett waffles too much. It's just a constant diatribe to ensure his own relevance in the 40K lore.

I want to say I enjoyed this penultimate book, but it's just such an arcane tome of utter boring. Yes, Grammticus and Co are back doing their thing. Talking about the past. Talking about the future. Talking about... Well, anything as long as it isn't about the man behind the curtain.

The sheer density of prose in this book makes it boring and awkward to read. Lots and nothing happens because of it. It could comfortably be half as long and still make perfect sense.

Also, you'll have to read about how the clocks have stopped about seven times by the time you finish this. Time freezing on Terra due to the warp? More like never finishing this damn book because of the impenetrable language.

These final novels should have gone to writers who don't feel the need to pad things out die to their ego. Dembski-Bowden or Thorpe would have at least remained concise.

[Lachlan Babbage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I finish this in essentially a day? Yes. Am l upset about the inevitable cliffhanger? No. Will I be preordering the second part as soon as I can? Yes.

I don’t feel this one made as much progress as it could have but I’m glad it’s left certain parts until the second book. I feel like we’re going to learn a lot in the second part.

[Xavier Virsu · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best

Totally worth the wait. One of the best warhammer books. You will enjoy it. The audiobook is top notch, the performance is always great. Many secrets are revealed. Great read and listen.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The black shell cracks, thus he ascends, in the timeless time, and is elevated to the gods, to reign as a dark-crowned king.

[Horus Lupercal Online · Rating 5 out of 5]

So….this is it then: the end of the journey. Well, not completely yet of course, but with this book the story really does begin to near it’s conclusion. I’ve mentioned this before, I feel sad it’s all about to end, but at the same time I’m also reaching the point where I’m feeling that it really is time to end this.
At a page count of 650+ pages this massive book explores many characters that we’ve been introduced to over the course of the Horus Heresy, as they set upon all of their final journeys. A valid question is if this book doesn’t try to tell too much, and is drawing the story out. I certainly did not feel that way with this first volume. The book moves along at a brisk pace, has plenty of action and surprises, and I certainly could not put it down for long over the course of the week that I read this. It ends of course on a cliffhanger. With the words “ to be concluded in volume 2”, which as we know now isn’t the truth. As we get two more books Volume 2 and 3. I do have to admit that fills me a little bit with worry as I honestly for the life of me don’t really know how this has enough story left to cover two more whole books. But I guess that question will be answered soon enough. If this first volume is anything to go by though, I definitely think we hopefully will be in for a very satisfying conclusion. And let’s be honest, we all deserve that right?

[Matt Tyrrell-Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5!)
Another suitably epic entry into the series, wonderfully written by the master.

I was surprised at certain events happening so soon in this book; literally thought one thing would be the closing line and (minor spoiler) it happened on something like page 335.

Massive fan of the break up chapters which glance over snippets of the horror of the galactic civil wars culmination (several chapters titled “Fragments”).

Emotive writing driving the escalation of the Siege and very well done.

My main drawback is the (my opinion) overuse of seemingly invented words, a few and it’s ���yay go scifi” but after dozens on one descriptive page it was just a headache…
and one particular phrase which while fitting it seems jarring seeing as it’s never been used in the other 65 books!

[Milo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The End, and the Death.

Sets up the conclusion for the 60+ book series perfectly with an aura of grand pulp fiction that only Abnett can. Epic, grand and I love the switch to make Horus' brief appereances through his POV. Contrasts with the Emperor/Sanguinius dynamic nicely. Feels more epic than any in the Siege of Terra before it due to its nature as the start of the end - I would've liked more Loken considering he's been there since Day One, and I still need to get around to reading the Garro/Magnus novellas, but to see Abaddon's reaction to what he's been up to and a lot of the Sons of Horus realising they've thrown their lot in with chaos for a victory that's not theirs really fleshes out these characters marvellously.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know how this story ends. Everyone who read this book does. But somehow, Abnett almost convinces you that it'll turn out differently.

I can understand some critics saying that its too long and has too much fluff, but I loved every word. John Grammaticus is only slightly annoying, and next to Oll, Leetu and the rest of the long companions I can put up with him.

Also this book is nothing but fan service and I love it. Bravo Dan.

[Alessandra Di Giovanni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penserò a Rogal Dorn ogni singolo giorno fino all’uscita dell’ultimo libro.

[L.L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, despues de 3 años leyendo esta saga, llegamos al final. "La epica conclusion de la guerra" todas las traiciones desveladas, todos los personajes importantes ya puestos en el tablero. Este es el fin y la muerte para todos. Con el autor que empezó esto hace mas 10 años; Dan Abnett, no es mi autor favorito de la black Library, pero sí que supo juntar a muchos personajes y darles una cohercion a todos, las luchas de cada uno por un objetivo particular. Multiples batallas ocurriendo, perdiendo y estancandose, todos queriendo ser la "mano del destino".
Quien tenga el truco final para ganar la guerra, para entrar al palacio o para salir del mismo.
Por lo mismo esperaba mas muertes, no de personajes anonimos, carne de cañon. Sino de los importantes.
Supongo que se guardo todo para la segunda parte.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Abnett continues to impress as he brings the Siege to it's end. I must say, this does not feel like it needs to be three books - there are many somewhat irrelevant storylines throughout, but nonetheless this is engaging and action-fuelled.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection. Hard to believe it’s coming down to the last few books.

[Luke Costin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll be honest, I expected a 600 page part 1 of 3 to be a bit of a slog to read but this was captivating. The story of the end of the siege of terra is told at such a fast and frantic pace it really does convey the feeling of utter chaos (In both the usual sense and the very Warhammery sense). Still 2 books to go but so far so good on the ending of this series.

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lets just say things awe stawting to sewiously heat up 🥴