This book was my introduction to the warhammer 40k universe and I enjoyed it . ( )

This is my first book taking place in the 40k universe, and I was pleasantly surprised. Part of the reason I started here was the announcement of an Eisenhorn TV show. The first part of the Eisenhorn trilogy mixes sci-fi action with a bit of mystery as Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn hunts down a old foe, and stumbles on a conspiracy involving a Chaos cult and a powerful artifact. I'm not a 40k diehard, but had no problem understanding what was going on.

It's been awhile since I've read anything in first-person perspective, but it worked well here. The action and Gregor's observations are well done, helping the reader know whats going through his mind as events unfold and laser beams fly. More time could have spent on the characters, but it is enough to see Gregor's recent recruits grow accustomed to life in an inquisitor's retinue.

This is overall a quick, fun read. The plot is paced well, and the time between action scenes still serves the plot and unveils the mystery Gregor is caught up in. Maybe it was nothing, but one event hints at cracks forming in Gregor's Puritan beliefs. This combined with a meeting at the ending pulls me into book 2, Malleus. ( )

To be honest I didn't expect much from this. I figured it was a quick-ready, guilty pleasure type book. It was a quick read, but it was really well written. Dan Abnett is fantastic. I've been searching for an author that grabs me since finishing the 5th Game of Thrones book, Abnett is the first to do so. ( )

To be honest I didn't expect much from this. I figured it was a quick-ready, guilty pleasure type book. It was a quick read, but it was really well written. Dan Abnett is fantastic. I've been searching for an author that grabs me since finishing the 5th Game of Thrones book, Abnett is the first to do so. ( )

The stage is set masterfully for the events unfolding within the Eisenhorn cycle with the first book - Xenos. Gregor Eisenhorn, a hard-line member of the God-Emperor's Inquisition, makes it his duty in life to track down those tainted by Chaos - wherever they may reside - and crush them with the weight of his stubborn resolve and gilded Naval pistol. Part future warfare science fiction yarn / part gritty noir detective story, Xenos follows his investigations across the galaxy as he hunts down the conspirators responsible for a mass genocide on the Imperial outpost of Hubris.

Abnett has a remarkable talent for creating vibrant characters from the bleak, apocalyptic environments inhabiting the Warhammer 40K universe. Whereas the majority of the official 40K source books are filled to the rafters with the lore and history of formidable Space Marine chapters, bizarre alien races, or the inherently obscene Chaos races; Abnett prefers to focus on the plight of the human condition in these times. While, admittedly, Xenos can feel like a half-dollar science fiction pulp novel at times, Abnett frequently includes insights or expositions in the midst of the backdrop of exaggerated violence that lends an air of realism to the whole affair.

Overall, Xenos is a strong first novel in the Eisenhorn series and I look forward to reading the rest. ( )