The (unexpected) fourth book in Dan Abnett’s classic Eisenhorn trilogy, The Magos is an unusual book for a few reasons. Firstly, while it’s a (relatively short) novel in its own right it’s presented in a hefty volume with the full title of The Magos & the Definitive Casebook of Gregor Eisenhorn, alongside a dozen of Dan Abnett’s short stories which sit alongside his Eisenhorn, Ravenor and Bequin trilogies. More on these later. Secondly, it’s definitely part of the Eisenhorn series yet it’s a very different kind of story to Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus, told as it is in third person from the viewpoint of magos biologis Valentin Drusher, rather than in Eisenhorn’s own first person perspective. Thirdly, while it was published after Pariah, it works as an effective prequel to that novel, providing a natural evolution of Eisenhorn’s character between the end of Hereticus and the start of the Bequin trilogy.
For the purpose of this review I’ll focus mostly on the novel rather than the short stories, but suffice to say it’s absolutely not essential to read them if you just want to read the novel. There is, however, a lot of satisfaction to be had in reading the entire series in order and seeing how the short stories complement the novels – and there’s a handy chronological order provided. Two of the short stories – The Curiosity and The Gardens of Tycho – feature the aforementioned Magos Drusher, and are particularly worth reading before you tackle The Magos, but one of the fascinating things about this novel is the way it ties together an incredible number of these stories, lightly touching on characters or events from all sorts of places. You can read more about the short stories, with links to my reviews for almost all of them, in my Guide to Dan Abnett’s Inquisition Series.
Decades after arriving on Gershom, tasked with creating a full taxonomy of the planet’s flora and fauna, Magos Drusher’s life has slowed to a crawl – his work completed long ago but without the means to get off-world, he’s living on his own in a dingy roadside property along the Bone Coast. Drusher’s quiet, sad life is interrupted by terrifying agents of the Inquisition, who appear at his door having been directed there by his ex-wife, Magistratum marshal Germaine Macks, and are in need of his expertise as a magos biologis. Despite his considerable reservations, Drusher finds himself dragged into yet another of Macks’ “insane adventures”, but this time it’s in service of Gregor Eisenhorn and his single-minded quest to hunt down and destroy the heretical Cognitae. For all his natural timidity and oft-proclaimed dislike of danger and excitement, it’s not long before Drusher is caught up in a life-threatening mystery that sees his entire worldview challenged.
This definitely has a tone and feel all of its own, a little different to any of Abnett’s other Inquisition novels, but it makes for a tremendously entertaining addition to the Eisenhorn trilogy. He may not be part of the Inquisition, but Drusher proves to be a compelling protagonist, his unusually naive viewpoint offering a fascinating external view on Eisenhorn and his companions, the work they do and the way in which they do it. Despite his nervousness he has an amazing way of standing up to Eisenhorn, and as he comes to terms with what’s happening we get a sense of where the inquisitor is on his path, what he’s become and what he’s willing to do to succeed. As Drusher reveals Eisenhorn’s flaws and faults, so too does he recognise his own, as he’s forced back into contact with Macks and looks back on his life – and their life together – in a new light.
At times it feels very gentle, almost calming, full of Drusher’s observations on the natural world which populate the story with vivid details and a real human touch (as does Drusher’s relationship with Macks). It’s typical of Abnett’s approach, and a valuable reminder that his skills don’t just lie in creating great characters and action-packed plots. Of course this is still a 40k novel so there’s action and excitement aplenty, and if the first half is a slow-burn mystery, the second half is pretty much one massive, escalating set-piece with rapidly rising stakes for Drusher, Eisenhorn and the whole gang. I don’t want to give any details away, but it really sets things up for the events of Pariah – both in terms of Eisenhorn’s motivations and mindset, and the overall context of what he’s trying to do and who stands in his way. Not only that, but it’s just a fantastic story in its own right – fresh, characterful and a lot of fun.
See also: RAPID FIRE: Dan Abnett Talks The Magos
See also: A Guide to Dan Abnett’s Inquisition Series
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