While you wait for the show

Where to start with Warhammer 40,000 before the Amazon series

Last updated 30 June 2026

Amazon, Games Workshop and Henry Cavill are building a Warhammer 40,000 screen universe. It is still early — there is no release date, and a realistic first arrival is 2027–2028 at the soonest. The good news: you have plenty of time to read in, and you don’t need to read much to be ready.

What follows is an honest, unofficial guide to the best entry points — including the series widely reported as the likely starting point. We mark rumour as rumour, so you know what’s confirmed and what isn’t.

The rumoured starting point: Eisenhorn

Multiple outlets have reported that the Eisenhorn novels are a likely basis for the first project, and Cavill is a known long-time fan. Nothing is officially confirmed — but Eisenhorn is also genuinely one of the best places for any newcomer to begin: a self-contained Inquisitor detective trilogy that introduces the Imperium through one man’s investigations. Start with Xenos.

The safest beginner starts (show or no show)

If you’d rather not bet on rumours, pick any self-contained series. These three need no background and are the community’s usual first recommendations:

• Eisenhorn — Inquisitor noir; the most-recommended entry point.
• Gaunt’s Ghosts — ground-level Imperial Guard war stories.
• Ciaphas Cain — witty, fast, self-aware; the easiest tonal on-ramp.

If you want the big saga

The Horus Heresy is the galaxy-spanning civil war at the setting’s origin — the story most likely to underpin the wider screen universe over time. It’s long (50+ books), so many readers do a short self-contained series first and come to the Heresy later.

Common questions

When does the Amazon Warhammer 40,000 series come out?

There is no release date. Amazon, Games Workshop and Henry Cavill have confirmed a screen project is in development, but as of mid-2026 it is still early — a realistic first release is 2027–2028 at the soonest. Treat any specific date you see as rumour until Amazon announces one.

Is the show confirmed to be about Eisenhorn?

No. Several outlets have reported that the Eisenhorn novels are a likely starting point, and Henry Cavill is a long-time fan, but no plot or central character has been officially confirmed. We flag Eisenhorn as the reported front-runner, not a certainty.

What should I read first to get ready?

If you want the safest on-ramp, start with a self-contained series: the Eisenhorn trilogy (begins with Xenos), Gaunt's Ghosts, or Ciaphas Cain. All three need zero prior knowledge of the setting and make excellent first reads whether or not the show ever adapts them.

Do I need to read Warhammer 40,000 in order?

No. The fiction spans hundreds of books and there is no single required order. Pick one self-contained series, finish it, then branch out using the reading orders and the timeline atlas.