Black Library, £7.99. Out in paperback on March 4.

IT is unlikely that anybody who hasn't already picked up one of the 11 preceding books in the Horus Heresy series will want to dive straight in to A Thousand Sons.

But avid readers will find that their faith in the series is rewarded in spades as the tale of the Thousand Sons and their leader Magnus is unveiled.

This beautifully written sci-fi epic, set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, takes place about 30,000 years into the future. The Emperor of Mankind has embarked on a grand crusade to reunite humanity – after human colonies established thousands of years before were cut off from Earth.

At the forefront of the crusade are 18 'chapters' of futuristic warrior monks – space marines. The Thousand Sons are among them. But far from being bloodthirsty conquerors, the Thousand Sons are warrior sages – fervently hoping to better humanity through learning and knowledge. But their use of psychic powers and other forces makes them a target of suspicion and even hatred among their brothers.

A Thousand Sons is a story about how the best intentions can have unforeseen consequences which threaten the very future of mankind.