The disparate splinters of the Emperor’s Children eke out a violent, hedonistic existence between the stars, raiding and ravaging worlds according to their appetites. Seeking sensation above all else, life is vicious and short-lived for the sons of the III Legion. But for proud Xantine, leader of the Adored and a true son of Fulgrim, pillaging backwater worlds is simply not enough. He wants more, and soon finds what he has been searching for. Serrine – a planet festering under misrule, cut off from the Imperium by warp storms. It is a world characterised by cruelty and inequality, and one that sits upon a stockpile of rejuvenat treatments destined for the Imperium’s most rich and powerful. Too tantalising a prize to ignore, the Adored set out to bring perfection to Serrine. But perfection is an elusive concept, and threats soon make themselves known as they begin to expose the rot at the heart of Xantine’s perfect rule.

Once a united Legion, the disparate splinters of the Emperor's Children now eke out a violent, hedonistic existence between the stars, raiding and ravaging worlds to indulge their fathomless appetites.Xantine, proud leader of the Adored and a true son of Fulgrim, wants more than simply pillaging backwater worlds. He soon finds what he has been searching for – Serrine, a wealthy but cruel planet festering under misrule and inequality, cut off from the Imperium by warp storms. It is too tantalising a prize to ignore, and Xantine sets out to bring perfection to his new world.But perfection is an elusive concept, and as threats creep from the depths of Serrine and the ranks of the Adored, the rot at the heart of Xantine's perfect rule is laid bare...