The Inquisitor Eisenhorn trilogy by Dan Abnett, has proven to be one of the most popular series of books Black Library's 40K range. Friday 25th February, sees for the first time, the individual release of the short story Missing in Action.

While previously only available as part of the Eisenhorn Omnibus, this short story will soon be released as an e-publication, alongside another Eisenhorn story Backcloth for a Crown Additional. We've managed to get our hands on the stories to let you know what you can expect from this new format.

Set shortly after the events of the first book in the series Xenos, Missing in Action sees Inquisitor Eisenhorn and his retinue investigating the activities of what appears to be a Chaos cult, at work within one of the polluted industrial cities of the Empire. With mutilated bodies being found hidden in rivers, behind walls and inside ceilings, the Inquisitor must find the perpetrators before they can kill any more Imperial citizens... or even him.

What ensues is a fantastic detective story that delves deep into the life and minds of the deizens of the Imperium, in a world where your superiors tell you that even your closest neighbour might be guilty of heresy or sedition.

The plot focuses on the detective nature of the Inquisitor's work, but it does not lack for action, with Eisenhorn evading assassination, struggling to survive intense fire fights and dodging the perils of the society's underbelly... the story culminates in a brilliantly executed plot twist.

With a tasty cover price of £1.50, this may short story is a perfect way for someone new to the series to get a tast of 40K's gothic future, before deciding if they would like to buy the full books.

New comers to Eisenhorn could be a bit confused, as the characters are presented in a way which seems to suggest that you will already know their individual traits, but this does not detract from flow of the story.

If you're completely new to the 40K universe, be warned! There's no explaination for the canon 40K terms... so if you don't know your Adeptus Arbites from your elbow, you might want to hit Wikipedia before dving in head first.

So, if you're new to Eisenhorn or just looking to revisit the stories. With such a low price this is definitely not an opportunity to be passed up  and the e-publication format means that you can get your hands on it pretty much instantly and far cheaper than you might otherwise.

Click here, for a complete list  of Black Library's e-publications

BoW Sam

Stay tuned for a review of the follow up tale

... Backcloth for a Crown Additional ...