Fulgrim by Graham McNeill

Fulgrim is, without question, one of the most controversial entries in the Horus Heresy series — and arguably one of the most tragic. Graham McNeill delivers a story that’s both beautiful and horrifying in equal measure, dragging you down step by step as a Legion of perfectionists loses everything they once stood for.

At its heart, Fulgrim is a tragedy in the classical sense — not just of a man, but of an entire culture built on the pursuit of excellence. What makes it so devastating is that you believe in Fulgrim at the beginning. You want to stand with him. You understand his obsession with perfection, his pride in his sons, his love of beauty and art. And then you watch, helpless, as all of that gets twisted by Chaos into something grotesque and monstrous.

The fall doesn’t happen all at once. It’s slow. Seductive. Fulgrim doesn’t wake up one day and decide to be evil — he’s manipulated, corrupted, whispered to. The Laer blade isn’t just a weapon; it’s a symbol of everything he can’t control. His descent feels real, and worse, it feels inevitable.

By the time the final act arrives — the confrontation with Ferrus Manus — you can feel the weight of everything that’s been lost. It’s not just a betrayal of brotherhood; it’s the murder of everything noble in Fulgrim’s soul. The final moments between them are some of the most gut-wrenching in the entire series. If you don’t feel hollow after reading that scene, check your pulse.

But let’s be honest — this book isn’t for everyone. Some scenes are hard to stomach. The descent into Slaanesh worship gets intense, and for some readers, it goes too far. Others argue that’s what makes it powerful — it should be disturbing. This is a Legion falling into damnation, not a parade of action scenes.

🔥 Why This Book Divides the Community:

• Too much? Some say the excess and corruption are overdone — others say it’s the most honest portrayal of Chaos in the series.

• Pacing and tone: It swings wildly from artistic introspection to violent horror. For some, that contrast is jarring — for others, it’s exactly what the story demands.

• Fulgrim himself: Is he a victim? A coward? A tragic hero? Or just another arrogant monster in the making?

My score (4.5/5)

For me, this book had me hooked from start to finish.

Even though I knew how it ended, a part of me still held out hope that things might go differently. That’s the power of Fulgrim — it drags you into a beautiful nightmare and doesn’t let go.

A beautiful nightmare. Fulgrim doesn’t just show us how far a Primarch can fall — it dares to ask if they were ever truly pure to begin with. It’s poetic, uncomfortable, and unforgettable. And whether you love it or hate it, it will stay with you.