First and Only (Novel)

First and Only is the first volume in the Gaunt's Ghosts series of novels by Dan Abnett. First and Only has the distinction of being the first Warhammer 40,000 novel published under Games Workshop's Black Library label; all previous publications, such as Ian Watson's Inquisition War trilogy and the novel Space Marine, were first published under the Heretic Tomes label.

Synopsis
For a thousand years, the Sabbat Worlds have been lost to the Imperium, claimed by the dread powers of Chaos. Now, a mighty crusade seeks to return the sector to Imperial rule. And at the forefront of that crusade are Colonel-Commissar Ibram Gaunt and the Tanith First-and-Only -- better known as "Gaunt's Ghosts." Trapped in the grinding trench warfare of Fortis Binary, the Ghosts find themselves drawn into a conspiracy to assassinate the crusade’s leader, Warmaster Macaroth. With enemies all around them and no one to trust, Gaunt and his men must find a way to save the Warmaster and prevent the Sabbat Worlds Crusade from falling into anarchy – even if it means waging war on their supposed allies.