History Literature / Eisenhorn

* WouldNotShootAGoodGuy Brutally averted in ''Malleus'' where Eisenhorn is forced to kill Arbites and Inquisitors who believe him to be a heretic.

* {{Badass}}: Several. Harlon Nayl, both Betancores, Eisenhorn himself has moments (to the point where a ''SpaceMarine'' is scared of him), Cherubael, Commodus Voke, Brother Guilar [[TookALevelInBadass takes a level]], and Librarian Bryntoth (implied).
** For non-40k familiar tropers, a "Librarian" in 40k is a genetically engineered super-soldier with the power to tap into a primal chaotic force in battle. "Librarian" is their day job.

* {{Spinoff}}: Interrogator Ravenor, a supporting character in the ''Eisenhorn'' books who was pretty much developed from a [[ChekhovsGunman namedrop]] in the ''GauntsGhosts'' series, later became the protagonist of his own novel series. ''Eisenhorn'' itself is a spinoff of the ''TabletopGame/{{Inquisitor}}'' GaidenGame to ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', and the first novel was released concurrently with the game itself.

* ContinuityNod: Inquisitors Heldane and Literature/{{Ravenor}} both appear in Abnett's earlier ''GauntsGhosts'' novels. Titan Princeps Hekate (from the Graphic Novel series ''Titan'') is also mentioned in ''Malleus'', albeit as an old man near retirement, which was a pleasant surprise for fans, as his own series by that point seemed to have ended in a HeroicSacrifice.

The first book, ''Xenos'', starts with Gregor Eisenhorn and his crew pursuing a heretic in a seemingly routine task when they uncover a mysterious artifact bearing the preserved mind of the heretic Pontius Glaw. In the subsequent investigation, Eisenhorn and crew find themselves embroiled in a heretic group's plan to contact aliens for a demonic text.

* TheChessmaster: Both {{Big Bad}}s fall handily into this. Eisenhorn himself flirts with the trope; in many ways, he is like a Cold War spymaster, only with PsychicPowers and a [[ImplausibleFencingPowers way with a sword]].

** Also, Aemos twice mentions Tyranids in passing, while {{Ravenor}} would reveal that both stories took place before they were named or (officially) encountered.

* ContinuityNod: Inquisitors Heldane and {{Ravenor}} both appear in Abnett's earlier ''GauntsGhosts'' novels. Titan Princeps Hekate (from the Graphic Novel series ''Titan'') is also mentioned in ''Malleus'', albeit as an old man near retirement, which was a pleasant surprise for fans, as his own series by that point seemed to have ended in a HeroicSacrifice.

* ItIsDehumanizing: Eisenhorn refers to Cherubael as an "it" while others identify him as a male. As daemons are made from the psychic manifestations of sapient beings, they can develop a dominate gender identity. However, being buddy buddy with demons is a good way to let your guard down and have your soul consumed so the trope is justified. When Eisenhorn starts referring to to Cherubael as a "he" in the [i]Ravenor[/i] series, the titular character starts to get a little leery. Eisenhorn claims that Cherubael and he came to an understanding leaving it ambiguous to whether or not Eisenhorn has fallen or not.

* ObviouslyEvil: Discussed in-story with regards to the Necroteuch and Malus Codicum. The Necroteuch is obviously dangerous from the get-go, overtly attempting to take control of its user's mind and force their submission to Chaos. The Malus Codicum, on the other hand, is just a small black book. [[ParanoiaFuel A nondescript, unremarkable book that one might find anywhere]]. Naturally the latter is much more dangerous.

* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: Eisenhorn's retinue. Included in their number: a gunslinging pilot, an aging scholar who's literally addicted to knowledge, an ex-cop, an anti-psychic prostitute, and a flamboyant [[spoiler:cyborg]] starship captain. And that's just the ''first'' novel.

*** Could also merely be another inquisitor by that name. It is, after all, a vast organisation.

* WouldNotShootAGoodGuy

* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:Ravenor, as a result of the Thracian Gate massacre in ''Malleus''. He's basically the main character in ''JohnnyGotHisGun'', except that his psyker ability allows him to function through his force chair]].
** [[spoiler: Also, Pontius Glaw until Eisenhorn [[HonorBeforeReason (perhaps foolishly)]] has a body built for him.]]

* {{Spinoff}}: Interrogator Ravenor, a supporting character in the ''Eisenhorn'' books who was pretty much developed from a [[ChekhovsGunman namedrop]] in the ''GauntsGhosts'' series, later became the protagonist of his own novel series. ''Eisenhorn'' itself is a spinoff of the ''{{Inquisitor}}'' GaidenGame to ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', and the first novel was released concurrently with the game itself.

* TheSmartGuy: [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]] with Aemos' meme-virus, which leads him to [[spoiler:memorize the whole of the ''Malus Codicum'']].

-->''Most perturbatory.''
-->-'''Uber Aemos'''

* ShoutOut: Eisenhorn lost his virginity to a maid in his boarding school, at the age of sixteen. Like a certain other notable [[JamesBond intelligence agent]]...

* CombatPragmatist: Semi-subverted, Eisenhorn starts a pointless swordfight, then shoots his opponent when he starts to lose.

*** Not only are psykers very uncommon but the reason that the Imperium sends Black Ships to collect them in the first place is because they're literally necessary for space ships [[spoiler: and the Emperor]] to continue to function. They're distinctly worth rescuing for all sorts of warm and cold hearted reasons.
** Considering how dangerous a psyker can be, executing a potential rather than potentially brining a trojan tyke bomb into a secure location may be the smarter move. And while said witchhunter was (arguably) mistaken at the time, it is hard to deny that Eisenhorn became exactly what he feared by the end of the series.

* ContinuityDrift: At one point Eisenhorn mentions the "Primarch" of the White Consols, by which he clearly means the "Chapter Master", but the distinction was less well established in canon back when ''Malleus'' was written, or possibly Eisenhorn just didn't know better in character.

* AnticlimaxBoss: A relatively minor villain in ''Xenos'' is shown to be an ungodly powerful psyker. Not only could he force the submission of a Chaos Space Marine, he was able to tear a cipher for the [[spoiler: Necroteuch from the walls of the saruthi tetrascape. He ''forced a wall'' to divulge its secrets with the power of his mind. It left him largely burned out, though, too weak to stop Heldane from just shooting him.]]
** At the end of Hereticus, a Daemonhost [[spoiler:that belongs to Glaw]] was thought to be stronger than Cherubael by dint of being less stringently bound. Cherubael was apparently strong enough that he wiped the floor with it anyway, [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome though we don't get to see it]]. He does make a note about being nastier than Eisenhorn ever imagined.

''{{Eisenhorn}}'' is a trilogy of novels by DanAbnett set in the ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' universe, following the adventures of the titular [[StateSec Inquisitor]] and his [[TrueCompanions retinue]] as they combat the enemies of the [[TheEmpire Imperium of]] [[HumansAreBastards Man]]. Throughout the books, Eisenhorn finds himself having to use increasingly desperate and dangerous means against his foes.

There are also two short stories available, both of which can be found in the [[{{Doorstopper}} doorstopping]] [[{{Anthology}} omnibus]] edition. A spin-off trilogy, {{Ravenor}}, has been published and DanAbnett has begun a third "Bequin trilogy", described by him as Literature/RavenorVsEisenhorn. The first volume of new trilogy is titled "Pariah".

* Badass: Several. Harlon Nayl, both Betancores, Eisenhorn himself has moments (to the point where a ''SpaceMarine'' is scared of him), Cherubael, Commodus Voke, Brother Guilar [[TookALevelInBadass takes a level]], and Librarian Bryntoth (implied).

** At the end of Hereticus, a Daemonhost [[spoiler:that belongs to Glaw]] was thought to be stronger than Cherubael by dint of being less bound. Cherubael was apparently strong enough that, although more bound than its counterpart, still wiped the floor with it anyway, [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome though we don't get to see it]]. He does make a note about being nastier than Eisenhorn ever imagined.