The primarchs are some of the most fascinating characters in the Warhammer 40,000 mythos. Sons of the Emperor and commanders of the Space Marine Legions, each is a pivotal character in the early days of the Imperium. The Horus Heresy novels showcase their actions in that great war, and you can delve deeper into each of them in their very own series – Primarchs.
Each novel focuses on one of the primarchs, telling a tale from their life that sheds light on who they are. The majority of these are set during the Great Crusade, when the primarchs led their Legions into the galaxy, shaping an Imperium that half of them would later try to tear down. The stories range from the legendary – showing how the rivalry between Leman Russ and the Lion came to be – to the revelatory – like Angron’s earliest days amongst his World Eaters.
 |  |
In each novel, you’ll find echoes of the futures that await the primarchs, and see the events that developed them into the warriors, leaders, and heroes (or traitors) that they became. Twelve of the eighteen* primarchs have been detailed so far, with the rest to come.
The thirteenth instalment of the series, available next month in hardback, eBook, and MP3 formats, is Lion El’Jonson: Lord of the First by David Guymer.
Playing on the secretive nature of the First Legion, this novel delves into some of the secrets they had even before the revelation of the Fallen. It’s set in the later stages of the Great Crusade, at the same time as the Emperor names Horus Warmaster at the Ullanor Triumph. Far from the heartworlds of the Imperium, the Lion leads his Dark Angels into battle on a rebellious world in the Ghoul Stars. Is this war a matter of pride, or the result of a dark secret? You’ll be able to pre-order the novel from the 10th of October and find out.
While you’re waiting for the Lion to arrive (always late to the party…), you can pick up the other novels in the series, along with a pair of short story anthologies – Sons of the Emperor and Scions of the Emperor – which each feature eight tales focusing on various primarchs and showing their skills, heroism, and flaws in various ways.
 |  |
What’s next for the series after the Lion, you may be asking? Well, we can’t reveal too much, but there’s just one Space Marine Legion better at keeping secrets than the Dark Angels, and their primarch (or should that be primarchs?) might just be next in the spotlight…