[40k] Book Question

Aasharu · Post by **Aasharu** » 2008-02-28 12:37pm

For a while now, I've been wanting to get into the Warhammer 40000 book series. However, I've had trouble choosing which book to read first - there's just so many of them. So, I decided to ask people who would know better then I which book to start on. Out of all the Warhammer 40k books published to date, which book would you recommend for a first-time Warhammer reader, like me?

The Grim Squeaker · Post by **The Grim Squeaker** » 2008-02-28 01:13pm

This has been posted many, many times over. Do a search next time, Kay

.

Start with the following omnibuses: Eisenhorn. "Let the Galaxy Burn" (Awesome short fiction collection). The Gaunt's shosts series. (Also By Dan Abnett).

After that, if you want something a little different but excellent, get "Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium" by Sandy Mitchell.

Connor MacLeod · Post by **Connor MacLeod** » 2008-02-28 02:16pm

Damn, posted this in the wrong place.

Anyhow, if you can't do a search for book suggestions, just pm me and I'll make a few recommendations. Anything Ciaphas Cain or Gaunt's Ghosts will be definite winners.

Aasharu · Post by **Aasharu** » 2008-02-28 03:01pm

Sorry about that.

I did run a search, and didn't find anything. Obviously, I didn't search smart enough.

Are most of the books arranged in series, similar to the Star Wars books, or are most of them stand alone? Also, I'll look into the books already suggested.

Bob the Gunslinger · Post by **Bob the Gunslinger** » 2008-02-28 10:43pm

Most of them are stand alone books, but there are a lot of series, and many of the others are often interconnected in very tangential ways via backstory. One of the real strengths of the WH40k universe is the backstory, which the better writers use to great effect. Basically, you want to get to know the backstory, the "fluff", so that you can enjoy the stories.

Therefore, I recommend that you start with a collection of short stories, such as Let the Galaxy Burn or Dark Imperium.

After that, Eisenhorn is a very good read and gives you good introduction to the Inquisition and the Imperium. Execution Hour, if you can find it or borrow it, gives a great overview of all the Imperium's forces while also being a fantastic story. After that, I'd recommend something like Space Wolf or Brothers of the Snake for an intro to Space Marines, if you're interested.

Of course, my favorite WH40k novels are the Ciaphas Cain books. Once you've read some of the other stuff and are familiar with its tropes and cliches, you should definitely read Ciaphas Cain.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2008-02-29 06:13am

A good primer for the Cain books is The Last Chancers, that omnibus shows just how shitty things can be for the Guard and what a hardass Commissar is like.

The Grim Squeaker · Post by **The Grim Squeaker** » 2008-02-29 06:45am

Cpl Kendall wrote:A good primer for the Cain books is The Last Chancers, that omnibus shows just how shitty things can be for the Guard and what a hardass Commissar is like.

Colonel Schaeffer isn't a Commissiar

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2008-02-29 07:09am

DEATH wrote:
Cpl Kendall wrote:A good primer for the Cain books is The Last Chancers, that omnibus shows just how shitty things can be for the Guard and what a hardass Commissar is like.
Colonel Schaeffer isn't a Commissiar

Than what is he? He states in Annihilation Squad that he has the authority of the Commissariat.

During the court martial of the Ork hunter Lt.

Post by **Kuja** » 2008-02-29 11:23am

Cpl Kendall wrote:
DEATH wrote:
Cpl Kendall wrote:A good primer for the Cain books is The Last Chancers, that omnibus shows just how shitty things can be for the Guard and what a hardass Commissar is like.
Colonel Schaeffer isn't a Commissiar
Than what is he? He states in Annihilation Squad that he has the authority of the Commissariat.

During the court martial of the Ork hunter Lt.

He's a Captain in the guard, but one granted a great deal more authority than the usual guard commander by the Inquisition.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2008-02-29 12:32pm

I think you'll find he's a Colonel.

As an officer in a penal legion, it is likely he is part of the Commissariat, if not a commissar.

Post by **Kuja** » 2008-02-29 12:36pm

NecronLord wrote:I think you'll find he's a Colonel.

*bonks self* My bad.

Dartzap · Post by **Dartzap** » 2008-02-29 01:23pm

Kuja wrote:
NecronLord wrote:I think you'll find he's a Colonel.
*bonks self* My bad.

I'm not sure that's physically possible......

What about the Ultramarines omnibus? It was my first one certainly and didn't make me want to give up the rest.

Lord Pounder · Post by **Lord Pounder** » 2008-02-29 06:59pm

I started of with the Horus Heresy books and as very much a newbie to the Warhammer 40K universe I found most of them very easy to get in to.

Atavarius · Post by **Atavarius** » 2008-02-29 09:01pm

I started reading the novels without any real introduction to the universe at all, and found the Ciaphas Cain series to be a pretty good introduction to the setting. The Gaunt's Ghost stuff would also do pretty well, though I've only read the first omnibus. One thing to remember while you are reading is that Wikipedia is an okay source to find answers to any question you have, I used it and the search function here a few times to find answers to questions I had. Failing that, I am sure any of the 40k fans here would be glad to answer any questions you have in a thread or by PM.

Dartzap wrote:What about the Ultramarines omnibus? It was my first one certainly and didn't make me want to give up the rest.

I didn't care much for the Ultramarines stuff or Storm of Iron. I can't really peg what turned me off, just didn't enjoy it as much as the other 40k I've read.

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2008-03-01 12:05am

I've bought the Eisenhorn omnibus and the Cain omnibus. I shall be getting it by next week. HOORAY FOR ME!

Meest · Post by **Meest** » 2008-03-01 05:37pm

Maybe Minor Spoilers for Ultramarines Omnibus and Storm of Iron.

I just started getting into it myself, what's the general consensus on Graham McNeill compared to other authors? Most of the books sites recommend him but I found William King's 40k versions better. I wouldn't recommend reading King's stuff before McNeill because of the contrast in power/style in the characters and universe. I liked how King's versions had people and especially Space Marines more fragile instead of charging through heavy bolter fire and barely getting scratched.

Also McNeill's versions feel more like World War 1 style and I guess I expected it more to resemble at least WW2 style tactics and technology. Storm of Iron seemed horribly contrived to me after reading the Space Wolves omnibus. Though my complaints about both the authors is their repeated use of staring into a fire ruins nightvision and people biting their tongue/lip and tasting metallic blood. Are the Imperial Guard books people keep mentioning good in the respects that the Guard aren't just masses of cannon fodder and have some competence?

Peptuck · Post by **Peptuck** » 2008-03-01 06:01pm

Meest wrote: Are the Imperial Guard books people keep mentioning good in the respects that the Guard aren't just masses of cannon fodder and have some competence?

Very much so. Both the Gaunt's Ghost books and the Cain books are focused on mobile, highly-competent Guard regiments that are at least comparable to modern militaries in terms of training and expertise. Some of the Ghost books actually mock the notion of the Guard being massed cannon fodder; Straight Silver has them being dropped into a PDF - Chaos cultist war that's straight out of WWI, and the general consensus among the Guard officers is that the locals are idiots without the sligthest hint of real tactics.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2008-03-01 07:25pm

The Last Chancers (think the Penal Guard unit version of the Dirty Dozen) are also portrayed as highly competent. The number of tau they kill in the second book warmed my heart.

Lord Relvenous · Post by **Lord Relvenous** » 2008-03-02 11:12pm

Dartzap wrote: What about the Ultramarines omnibus? It was my first one certainly and didn't make me want to give up the rest.

Same here. I heartily enjoyed the books, so i'll suggest them to anyone. Really just grabbing any of the omnibuses works for getting into the books.

Connor MacLeod · Post by **Connor MacLeod** » 2008-03-02 11:35pm

GRaham McNeill isn't a bad writer per se, and I do enjoy his works, but his characters are such that some of them - generally the "main" character, who will drive you nuts at some point. Uriel ventris (Ultramarines protagonist) can get on your nerves, and Honsou is despisable even in STorm of Iron.

I do like Graham McNeill's portrayal of most space marines, and his portrayal of other arms of the Imperium, but some of his tehcnical stuff can be absurd (his refusla to give the guard comm beads consistently, or his screwing up Titan sizes.)

andrewgpaul · Post by **andrewgpaul** » 2008-03-03 03:15pm

"(his refusla to give the guard comm beads consistently,"

is that the same Guard units on different occasions, or different regiments? The latter I can understand.

Bob the Gunslinger · Post by **Bob the Gunslinger** » 2008-03-03 11:25pm

I'm pretty sure that Graham MacNeil owns a copy of a Barnes and Noble bargain book on sieges, because almost all of his books have some kind of siege in them, and they all play out in a similar manner, regardless of the combatants. That's not to say he's a bad writer, but his tactics and his dwarf titans leave something to be desired (or tolerated).

Now, I do like most of Graham's work, and his WHF novels have been terrific, but after Dead Sky Black Sun I just can't consider him to be in the top tier at Black Library.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2008-03-03 11:36pm

GW has fucked with Titan sizes so often that I forgive author's getting those wrong. What I don't forgive is the morons who forget they have void shields (Dark Adeptus).

Bob the Gunslinger · Post by **Bob the Gunslinger** » 2008-03-03 11:47pm

I think the common problem we are seeing is a lack of continuity editing. There should be at least a couple of editors at BL who can keep the technical details if not completely in line, then at least in the same ballpark. Oh, and those same editors should really be forced to do their jobs, because much of what sucks in DSBS and other BL novels could easily be caught and changed (or sent back for revision) by a competent editor.

Stephen King described the process of editing: "sometimes you have to kill your babies." Well, the editors at BL should be screaming at Graham MacNeil and Ben Counter and Jonathon Green "Babies for the Baby God! Tiny little skulls for the adorable Skull Cradle!" Seriously, do they want to be publishing 500 page books with 400 pages of good writing in them? Does it not cost them money? And I'm saying this as a fan of their work...

The fanboy in me would like to mention that anything Sandy Mitchel writes is pure gold sprinkled with platinum and that 1000 pages is not too long.

Connor MacLeod · Post by **Connor MacLeod** » 2008-03-04 01:39am

andrewgpaul wrote:"(his refusla to give the guard comm beads consistently,"

is that the same Guard units on different occasions, or different regiments? The latter I can understand.

I dont remember for sure if they're in Warriors of Ultramar (but I didn't recall seeing much about comm beads) and he had a few regiments including the Kriegers in there. The Jourans didn't.

The real indicator was from the Munitorum manual (and I covered it in that same thread.) he wrote comm beads as being "rare pieces of kit" issued only to "small elite units that require stealth and cunning." setting aside the Cain and Ghosts novels, micro beads have shown up in all the standalone guard novels short of Death world. I believe the Elysians had them in Dark Apostle. i know Cadians had them in "Iron Hands". Hell, Fifteen hours had comm beads given to recruits from a frigging agri world. Agri worlds aren't exactly that high up on military tech last I checked.

Instead he treats a 3 kg "vox set" with a 200 meter range as standard, like he does in Storm of Iron. Of course in SoI they had far greater range, but hey... I should note the ONLY forces I have ever seen ouftitted with those things standard were penal legions in some short story from "Let the Galaxy burn"