Reading the Dan Abnett Books in Order

If you want to read the Dan Abnett books in order, you have to decide which is your favorite genre: comic books or science-fiction. For example, he is not only well-known for his popular comic books revolving around Marvel Comics, but also for the Dan Abnett Warhammer tie-in stories like Horus Rising and Legion, which are part of the Horus Heresy. The reading order for this particular series is listed below.

As an MMO gamer who plays the Warhammer set of games, you would be familiar with Dan Abnett as well. There is a reason why he is also called a gaming fiction author. Many people say that Dan Abnett has written some of the best Warhammer 40k books of all times.

Here are the Dan Abnett books in order of reading and publication order for his sci-fi novels and comic series. In case of series with multiple authors, I am listing here only the Dan Abnett novels.

New Dan Abnett Books

Sons of the Emperor, (Horus Heresy Anthology), 2019

Lord of the Dark Millennium, (40K short stories), 2020

Gaunt’s Ghosts Books in Order

Part of the Warhammer 40k Books

First and Only (#1), 1999
Ghostmaker #2), 2000
Necropolis (#3), 2000
In Remembrance (short story), 2013
Honour Guard (#4), 2001
The Guns of Tanith (#5), 2002
Straight Silver (#6), 2002
Sabbat Martyr (#7), 2003
Traitor General (#8), 2004
His Last Command (#9), 2005
The Armour of Contempt (#10), 2006
Only In Death (#11), 2008
The Iron Star (#11.5), 2008
Blood Pact (#12), 2009
Salvation’s Reach (#13), 2010
Forgotten (short story), 2014
The Warmaster (#14), 2017
The Anarch (#15), 2019
Lord of the Dark Millennium (short story collection), 2020

Eisenhorn Books in Order

Part of the Warhammer 40k Books

Xenos (#1), 2001
Missing in Action (#1.5), 2011
Malleus (#2), 2001
Backcloth for a Crown Additional (#2.5), 2011
Hereticus (#3), 2002
Born to Us (short story), 2012
The Strange Demise of Titus Endor (short story), 2013
The Keeler Image (short story), 2016
The Magos (#4), 2018

Ravenor Books in Order

Part of the Warhammer 40k Books

Ravenor (#1), 2004
Ravenor Returned (#2), 2005
Ravenor Rogue #3), 2007

Bequin Books in Order

Part of the Warhammer 40k Books

Pariah (Bequin #1), 2012
Penitent (Bequin #2), TBA
Pandemonium (Bequin #3), TBA

The Horus Heresy Books in Order

Part of the Warhammer 40 000 Books

Horus Rising (Horus Heresy #1), 2006
Legion (Horus Heresy #7), 2008
Prospero Burns (Horus Heresy #15), 2009
Know No Fear (Horus Heresy #19), 2012
The Unremembered Empire (Horus Heresy #27), 2013
Sons of the Emperor (Horus Heresy: Primarchs Anthology), 2019
Saturnine (Horus Heresy: Siege of Terra #4), 2020

The Beast Arises

Takes place 1500 years after Horus Heresy; part of the Warhammer 40 000 Books

I Am Slaughter (The Beast Arises #1), 2015

Tales of Malus Darkblade Books in Order

Co-authored with Mike Lee; part of the Warhammer Fantasy Universe

The Daemon’s Curse (#1), 2005
Bloodstorm (#2), 2005
Reaper of Souls (#3), 2006
Warpsword (#4), 2007
Lord of Ruin (#5), 2007

Doctor Who Books in Order

The Story of Martha (Doctor Who #28), 2008
The Silent Stars Go By (Doctor Who #50), 2011

Torchwood Books in Order

Border Princes (Torchwood #2), 2007

Primeval Books in Order

Primeval: Extinction Event (Primeval #7), 2009

Avengers Series

Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Avengers novel), 2018

Other Dan Abnett Books

Double Eagle, 2004 (part of the Warhammer 40 000)
The Sabbat Worlds Crusade, 2005 (part of the Warhammer 40 000)
Brothers of the Snake, 2007 (part of the Warhammer 40 000)
Titanicus, 2008 (part of the Warhammer 40 000 Universe)
Gilead’s Blood, 2000 (part of the Warhammer Fantasy)
Hammers of Ulric, 2001 (part of the Warhammer Fantasy)
Riders of the Dead, 2003 (part of the Warhammer Fantasy)
Fell Cargo, 2006 (part of the Warhammer Fantasy)
Triumff: Her Majesty’s Hero, 2009
Embedded, 2011
Dragon Frontier, 2013
Fiefdom, 2014
Tomb Raider: The Ten Thousand Immortals, 2014 (tie-in to the Tomb Raider series)
The Wield, 2016

Dan Abnett Biography

Photo by Luigi Novi

Dan Abnett was born in 1965 in Lancashire, Rochdale, in the UK and is currently living in Maidstone, Kent. As a very young child, he developed Perthes’ disease, a childhood hip disorder that made walking for him very difficult. Thus, he remained a lot in the house where he had a ton of time at his disposal for reading books, writing stories and painting.

While he enjoyed reading books in several genres, his favorite genre was always sci-fi. Ray Bradbury was one of his childhood favorite authors.

A few years later, as he was going to a new school, he became friends with a student who loved reading Marvel comics. His friend gave Dan his overflowing collection of comics to read, and Dan was hooked. He continued reading comics throughout his teen years as well, while also keeping up with his drawing as a hobby. Initially, he wanted to enroll at an art school, but was dissuaded and instead he went to study English. So he enrolled at St Edmund Hall, Oxford in 1984 and graduated three years later, in 1987. After college, he started working as an editor for comic books and children’s book, after which he began writing books full time.

Over the years, some of his writing took him across numerous popular characters including Conan the Barbarian, Doctor Who, Johnny Bravo, Scooby-Doo, Postman Pat, Thunderbirds, the X-MenBatman, Rupert the Bear, The Terminator, and Mr. Men.

While working for the Black Library, which is a publisher of novels set in the Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40k fictional universes, Dan Abnett wrote the Gaunt’s Ghosts novels (of which the book First and Only became wildly popular) Inquisitor Eisenhorn trilogy, and the Ravenor spin-off novels. Many of his earlier novels suffered from rushed endings. Basically, they would end with a huge bang, following by a very short (1-2 page) conclusion.

The writer’s characters are always well developed, and they are quite original who often act in an unexpected way. Some of the action scenes he wrote are truly amazing. Many readers say that Dan Abnett is the best author the Black Library ever had. With some 25 books written for them so far, he is certainly a noticeable writer.

Dan Abnett is certainly one of the most prominent Warhammer 40,000 (also called 40k) writers for the original tabletop games, along with authors such as Guy Haley, Sandy Mitchell, and Graham McNeil. Having played Warhammer 40,000, I certainly am drawn towards the fictionalized universe that the author has created his books in. With Guy Haley he collaborated on Sons of the Emperor.

Btw, if you love Torchwood novels based on Doctor Who, he also wrote a novel Border Princes. In fact, this was the very book that brought me into contact with the author. For me, reading the Dan Abnett novels in order started this very book.

As for comics, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning were partly responsible for the revival of the Marvel cosmic universe, of which the Guardians of the Galaxy play such an important part. With regards to comic books, he is mostly writing for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Wildstorm, and 2000AD, while occasionally also writing stories for some smaller publishing houses. The author duo no longer works together since 2013. The only thing they still did together was finishing earlier commitments that were still outstanding.

Some of the comic characters the author created over the years are Abyss, Elsa Bloodstone, Body Doubles, Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt, Force Works, Gideon Ravenor, Moonraker, Resurrection Man, Gregor Eisenhorn, the 2008 team of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Shikari and Sinister Dexter.

So far the author Dan Abnett has written over 40 comic, sci-fi, and games novels, as well as screenplays, showing that he is a talented author across many mediums and IPs. In 2019, he began working on a new Dejah Thoris comic with artist Vasco Georgiev, featuring the princess of Mars. In the first book, Dejah is a scientist who is trying to find out why her world is freezing, and who knows the secret to this global catastrophe. The first book was released in December 2019. Another comic book released the same year is Fallen World, a mini-series in 5 books.

I am, personally, loved the Black Library book by Dan Abnett called The Warmaster, which came out December 2017. It is book #14 in his ongoing Gaunt’s Ghost series. And then I can’t wait to read his next book which has been published in 2019 Anarch. It is the 15th book in the world-famous Gaunt’s Ghost series. Saturnine, the fourth book in the Horus Heresy: Siege of Terra is out July 2020.

Eisenhorn released by Black Library is being developed for the TV as a new show developed by Big Light Productions. Frank Spotnitz worked previously on shows such as Man in the High Castle and The X-Files.

Frank mentioned this about the new show:

We are delighted to collaborate with Games Workshop to develop the beloved visionary world of Warhammer 40,000 into a TV series. Warhammer 40,000 is steeped in rich and complex lore, with a myriad of traditions and stories that have accumulated over time in this thrilling and complex world, making it one of the most exciting properties to adapt for television audiences and the franchise’s loyal global fanbase. There is nothing else like it on television, and we are incredibly excited to tap into our own experience creating imaginative, complex and compelling worlds to bring this incredible saga to the screen.

In addition, I am also keeping my eye out for Dan Abnett Penitent, the second Bequin book, which is also part of the Warhammer 40k series. Sadly, so far this book has no publication date.

Praise for Dan Abnett

The concept is clever and creative, and magic, treason, and Spanish grandees make for an entertaining read. (Publishers Weekly on Triumff)
Abnett truly is the master of future war. (Scifi.com)
a highly cinematic read, in which Abnett delivers a convincing, intricately constructed future, filled with interesting characters, and the promise of much more to come. (SFSite on Ravenor)
Dan Abnett does not disappoint with his story telling skills. Not only does he write some believable characters, but he can get a battle pictured in your mind with astonishing ease.” (Walker of Worlds)

References