Eisenhorn Trilogy

What's it about?

Gregor Eisenhorn is an imperial inquisitor. It's up to him and his employees (and friends) to hunt down the great threats to the Imperium. These threats are well-categorized into three Ordos, each associated with an eponymous book:

• Ordo Xenos: Nobles who are a bit too confident make deals with aliens tainted by the warp, in order to recover an artifact as powerful as it is unholy.
• Ordo Malleus: What happens when powerful psykers have their own ambitions? Eisenhorn and his team face enemies with the same strengths.
• Ordo Hereticus: Does an inquisitor always end up studying the warp? Succumbing to it? Eisenhorn faces an old enemy who shows why this unanswered question is a central theme of this universe.

What I appreciated

• For once, Gregor Eisenhorn is written in the first person. We clearly don't live the same life, and I don't share his values. However, he remains interesting and manages to surprise us while allowing us to discover his interpretation of reality.
• It's definitely a perfect entry point into the Warhammer 40K universe. The subjective point of view allows for the introduction of many elements without it feeling like overwhelming exposition dumps. The role of inquisitor allows exploration of many aspects of the universe, one at a time. The plot has a human scale, making it easier to immerse oneself in this world.
• The characters are desperately consistent! This makes them very credible and often ties back to the central theme. We gradually learn what Grimdark really means, constantly being disappointed by certain characters.
• The first book could be read on its own. No need to commit to 1000 pages right away.
• Some events take place "off-screen." Some might find this disappointing, but I appreciate this choice, which gives the trilogy a very good pace.

What I disliked

• The last book was hard to read: Eisenhorn faces the price of his mistakes. I don't want to spoil what he has to pay, nor his conclusions and actions. However, I remain disappointed by his behavior. It's exactly what the author intended, but it made certain passages quite difficult for me to read.
• Xenos had a lot of descriptions, mainly concerning the aliens. However, I feel like the descriptions become more emotional than anything else as the series progresses. I would have liked more vivid scenes, a slightly more exotic landscape. I imagine that can be found in other WH40K novels.

Some gems

Abandon all hope, for there is no peace among the stars, only an eternity of carnage and the mocking laughter of bloodthirsty gods.

Hawthorn from Aegis, above and… good lord, above by the grace of the Emperor! Damn this glossia nonsense! Move it!

Please, he begged. Renounce all this. Repent for your sins and accept the Emperor for the salvation of your soul. It's not too late.