Atlas Infernal (Novel)

Atlas Infernal, subtitled "An Inquisitor Czevak novel", is a book by Rob Sanders published in 2011 by the Black Library (company). Its main character is High Inquisitor Bronislaw Czevak of the Ordo Xenos, who had been previously mentioned in Games Workshop literature only briefly and fragmentarily. The novel describes about 4 decades of his life. The action for the most part takes place in or around the Eye of Terror, and covers from about 990.M41 to 030.M42 in Warhammer 40K chronology. The title refers to an ancient and valuable book, the Atlas Infernal, which comes to Czevak's possession and has a central role in the story. Other characters are various Imperial operatives, the Chaos Sorcerer Ahzek Ahriman and Thousand Sons Traitor Marines, and a number of Eldar, including several Harlequins.

The book has an unusual format: it is organized in a series of acts and scenes as in a theatrical play or as the libretto (book) of an opera, and includes related terminology (outside of the text proper) - a scene for instance may include a Canto or may end with a character exiting in a so-called Flourish. It has a non-linear narrative, with several jumps and flashbacks. Written in this format, the novel has similarities to a Harlequin troupe's performance. In-universe, Eldar Harlequins are artist-warriors who "act out" in elaborate performances that include dance and theater, "stories" related to Eldars' past, present and future, often without clear distnction between time periods. The book therefore is a blending of in-universe and out-of-universe writing.