Ahriman: Undying is the fifth novel in John French’s series focusing on the infamous Thousand Sons sorcerer Ahzek Ahriman.
In this installment, Ahriman finally attains the mysterious Necron artefact he has long sought, hoping it will allow him to undo his past sins. What follows is a warp-fueled journey balancing cosmic action with introspective drama, as the once-proud sorcerer confronts both external enemies and the ghosts of his own failures.
Plot Overview
Without major spoilers, the story finds Ahriman at his lowest point. Betrayed at the brink of victory, he becomes stranded in a bizarre limbo outside normal space and time. Armed with the Key of Infinity, an ancient Necron device, Ahriman seeks to rewrite fate and redeem his Legion – but the path is fraught with peril. A relentless Necron foe hounds his every step, and reality itself begins to unravel due to his temporal meddling.
Characters
The novel centers on Ahriman as a complex, tragic anti-hero. John French portrays him as immensely powerful yet haunted by regret. With most of his followers gone or turned against him, Ahriman is now largely alone – a state that forces introspection about his motives and doubts. A few key figures still orbit his story (a vengeful Necron lord offers a cold counterpoint to Ahriman’s ambition), but ultimately Undying is about its protagonist facing the consequences of his own actions.
Narrative Tone and Style
The tone is dark and brooding, befitting Warhammer 40K’s grim atmosphere. There’s a palpable sense of loss and irony: Ahriman has achieved great power, but “at the cost of everything he once fought for”. French’s prose vividly depicts surreal warp landscapes and arcane battles, balanced by quieter moments of reflection; the pacing alternates between explosive confrontations and contemplative lulls. The plot’s time-bending structure can make the story feel complex and dreamlike, but it adds a layer of mystery and inevitability to Ahriman’s journey.
Series Continuity
Undying directly continues the Ahriman series and serves as a culmination of Ahriman’s quest to undo the Rubric that turned his Legion to dust millennia ago . Long-time readers will appreciate how it brings his arc full circle. Newcomers with basic 40K knowledge can still follow along thanks to brief backstory context. However, the emotional payoff is greater for those who have followed Ahriman’s journey from the beginning. It also serves as a bridge between Ahriman’s past motivations in the series and his current fixations in the Warhammer 40k universe.
Verdict
Undying doesn’t radically reinvent Ahriman’s saga, but it sharpens its focus: the cost of one sorcerer’s pride on a galactic scale. If you enjoy morally gray protagonists, labyrinthine sorcery, and that uniquely 40K mix of awe and despair, this installment delivers. The ending sets the hook for future misadventures while making it painfully clear that, for Ahriman, victory and damnation may be the same thing.
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