Bequin Trilogy
science fiction
Series · science fiction
Forges of Mars
The Forges of Mars series by Graham McNeill has 3 known books (3 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Priests of Mars (2012).
- Books
- 3 known books (3 novels)
- Published
- 3
- First published
- 2012
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Science Fiction
- Last checked
Start here: Priests of Mars (2012) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Priests of Mars
Priests of Mars is the first book in Graham McNeill's Forges of Mars trilogy, published in 2012 at 416 pages. It's followed by Lords of Mars, the second of three novels that would complete the series by 2014.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Priests of Mars - Book 2:
Lords of Mars
Lords of Mars is the second book in Graham McNeill's Forges of Mars trilogy, published in 2013 at 314 pages. It follows Priests of Mars and precedes Gods of Mars, the trilogy's closing volume.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Lords of Mars - Book 3:
Gods of Mars
Gods of Mars is the third and final book in Graham McNeill's Forges of Mars trilogy, published in 2014 at 320 pages. It follows Lords of Mars and closes out the series.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Gods of Mars
About the Forges of Mars series
The Forges of Mars trilogy sends Archmagos Explorator Lexell Kotov and a vast expedition fleet of the Adeptus Mechanicus -- the tech-priest faction of Warhammer 40,000 -- out across the Halo Scar, a lawless, dangerous fringe of the galaxy, in search of forbidden and forgotten technology. Priests of Mars establishes the fleet, its rival factions of tech-priests, and the mysterious world of Katen Venia at the expedition's heart; Lords of Mars and Gods of Mars escalate into war against a splinter Space Marine legion, ancient AI horrors, and the expedition's own internal betrayals as the true nature of what Kotov is searching for becomes clear.
Where McNeill's Ultramarines books are Space Marine action and the Legend of Sigmar trilogy is myth-scale fantasy, Forges of Mars leans into 40K's stranger, more cosmic-horror-adjacent corners: rogue artificial intelligence, the unsettling theology of the Machine God, and factions willing to sacrifice entire fleets for forbidden knowledge. It was originally planned as a duology before McNeill and Black Library expanded it back out to a full trilogy mid-series.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Forges of Mars trilogy?
Three: Priests of Mars (2012), Lords of Mars (2013), and Gods of Mars (2014).
What order should I read Forges of Mars in?
Publication order, which is the only order -- it's one continuous expedition story following the same fleet and characters throughout.
Is Forges of Mars connected to Graham McNeill's other Warhammer 40,000 books?
It's set in the same 40K galaxy but follows an entirely separate cast (an Adeptus Mechanicus tech-priest expedition) with no direct character overlap with the Ultramarines or Horus Heresy novels.
Was Forges of Mars always planned as a trilogy?
No -- it was originally announced as a two-book series before being expanded back out to three novels during its run.
If you like the Forges of Mars series
Reading order last verified .