40K novels recommedations

[wautd]

I'm feeling satisfied with fantasy novels right now and I'm in the mood for trying something new. I know some basic background of the 40K universe and it seems interesting enough to give it a try . Which novels are to be recommended for a beginner?

[Darth Tanner]

Start with Abnett, especially the Eisenhorn omnibus but the Ghost saga is also great. I'd also recommend the Cain books but would recommend not reading these until you have read several others as they are best used to contrast the grim dark of the setting. The Space Wolves series is also great, and a good introduction if you haven’t read much before of the setting.

There’s also the Horus series, Ultramarines and a growing number of Imperial Guard novels that are worth a read.

I do not suggest reading Soul Drinkers or Grey Knights books, their kind of dry and boring.

[Eleas]

I'm feeling satisfied with fantasy novels right now and I'm in the mood for trying something new. I know some basic background of the 40K universe and it seems interesting enough to give it a try . Which novels are to be recommended for a beginner?

As a one-off introduction to Dan Abnett, Double Eagle is a good bet. WW2 - style fighter ace combat done right.

[Black Admiral]

As a general starting point (since it covers virtually everything), I agree with the Eisenhorn trilogy; after that, it depends what part of the 'verse you're interested in. Particular recommendations, though - for Space Marines, my recommendation would be Brothers of the Snake (one of the Black Library's best SM novels IMO, and certainly among Abnett's best recent work), the Space Wolf series - Space Wolf, Ragnar's Claw, Grey Hunter (first omnibus), Wolfblade, Sons of Fenris, Wolf's Honour (second omnibus) (at least, the four books by William King; I've not had a chance to read the Lee Lightner ones yet, but from what I've heard they're a drop in quality) - and Graham McNeill's Ultramarines novels (Nightbringer, Warriors of Ultramar, Dead Sky Black Sun (omnibus), The Killing Ground, Courage and Honour, and The Chapter's Due (only out in hardcover as yet)).

(and no, I'm not merely recommending the Ultrasmurfs novels because the Raven Guard turn up in TCD and are awesome )

As for the Imperial Guard - Cadian Blood (Aaron Dembski-Bowden), definitely. Easily the best recent Guard novel, and better than the more recent Ghosts ones. The Gaunt's Ghosts series - eh, the first two omnibuses (The Founding and The Saint) are worth getting, I think, but I didn't care much for The Lost; it felt like Abnett didn't really have any clear plans for the series with that sequence.

Others - I second the discommending of the Soul Drinkers series, unless you A) want to laugh at how big a gullible retard Sarpedon is, or B) are interested in the side characters more than the SDs themselves. Soul Hunter (Dembski-Bowden again) and the Word Bearers trilogy by Anthony Reynolds (Dark Apostle, Dark Disciple, Dark Creed) are worth reading, if only for Chaos Space Marines who're actually interesting.

[Aaron]

The Last Chancers, follows a group of penal troops, dirty dozen in space.

Gunheads, follows a regiment of Cadian tankers.

Pretty much everything else thats been recommended. As a rule you can't usually go wrong with either Abnett or Thorpe.

Oh and Brothers of the Snake, follows a squad of SM's from the Iron Snakes chapter (possibly descended from the smurfs). SM's that are actually relate able. Similiar to how King did the Space Wolves.

[Balrog]

Unfortunately the later Space Wolf books after King leaves are rather disappointing. Still shouldn't stop you from getting the first books, it'd be a crime to simplify them as "Vikings in Space" but that is essentially what the Chapter is about, and King makes the concept work.

Will also second the recommendation for the Ultramarines books, and follow up the Eisenhorn recommendation to include its "sequel" the Ravenor trilogy. It's a slightly different style than the first, but both get into the down-and-dirty underbelly of the Imperium and what it means to be an Inquisitor.

[Stravo]

I cannot agree more with recommendations concerning the Eisenhorn trilogy - those books completely sold me on the 40k verse and I have not looked back. It's also a great place to start for someone completely unfamiliar with that setting as it lays things out simply and explains how and why things work the way that they do. It just oozes atmosphere and the writing is superb.

[Agent Sorchus]

Do not read the Cain novels first. It makes reading allot of the other Works harder if you do. Sandy Mitchel has a mastery of the tongue that I believe is missing for most 40k works. I would recommend grabbing an anthology first and work your way into the more famous novels.

Suggested Reading order as an Introduction
Heroes of the Space Marines
Space Wolf (Omnibus)
Eisenhorn (Omnibus)
Hero of the Imperium (Omnibus)

I read the Cain stuff first and have found it real hard to get into anything written by Abnett.

[Bob the Gunslinger]

The thing to remember about Abnett is that he pretty much loses interest in all of his series at some point (or else he just starts to suck). The Gaunt's Ghosts novels are really good from Necropolis through to Sabbat Martyr, and then everything after that is just complete self parody. Eisenhorn is brilliant, but Ravenor just feels tired and aimless after it. His stand alone novels are great, though.

For a good, introductory collection of short stories, try Let The Galaxy Burn. It has a little bit of everything (except for Ciaphas Cain stories).

For a good, enjoyable first novel, Eisenhorn can't be beat. However, if you like more space in your space opera, try the Gothic War books, Execution Hour and Shadow Point. They introduce you to several parts of the Imperium, as well as Chaos and the Eldar, while at the same trime providing for some spectacular space battles. The only negatives for the Gothic War are that it's only available online, and it's expensive.

If you like Imperial Guard novels, try reading Gunheads, Last Chancers or the Gaunt's Ghosts novels (the good ones, anyway) before you read Ciaphas Cain. If you prefer Space Marines, Space Wolf or Brothers of the Snake are both good introductions before you read Ciaphas Cain. (There are no Space Marines in Ciaphas Cain, but it is so good you really should read it, anyway.) For Tyranids, Warriors of Ultramar is excellent, as well as Ciaphas Cain. (You get the idea.)

Is there a particular faction or area of interest you are interested in above the others?

[Talk738kno]

I just finished Path of the Warrior by Gav Thrope, and it has a lot of good insights into Eldar culture and society, as well a excellent read overall.

[wautd]

Thanks for the tips guys. Quite a lot to choose from appearantly, but I think I'll start with Eisenhorn first.

[andrewgpaul]

(There are no Space Marines in Ciaphas Cain, but it is so good you really should read it, anyway.)

Supposedly, the next novel will rectify that shortcoming.

[Commander Xillian]

I fully recomend you do NOT touch the Ultramarines, and suggest you try reading Fifteen Hours.

[The Yosemite Bear]

(There are no Space Marines in Ciaphas Cain, but it is so good you really should read it, anyway.)

Supposedly, the next novel will rectify that shortcoming.

short commigns, who needs Space Marines when we have Amberly's Bum, PS there are SMs in an earlier story, namely a single scene in the short story proceeding Caves of Ice, where the AM clusterfuck waking up a necron tomb ends with Cain in a ship full of Space Marines.

[Highlord Laan]

I'm rather fond of Faith and Fire, myself. For some odd reason, I find the Soritas to be strangely compelling.

[Bob the Gunslinger]

I fully recomend you do NOT touch the Ultramarines, and suggest you try reading Fifteen Hours.

I have a somewhat different opinion. The first two Ultramarines (I assume you mean the Uriel Ventris novels) novels are quite good and some of the few Space Marine novels where the protagonists are not total douchebags. Nightbringer gives some good, if brief, exposure to the Necrons and the C'Tan, while the Dark Eldar plot is disturbing. Warriors of Ultramar is a nicely executed Tyranids story with only a few pacing problems near the end. There are certainly better Space Marine novels out there, such as Brother of the Snake or Space Wolf, but I wouldn't call the Ultramarines novels bad...until the third one.

I couldn't force myself to finish Fifteen Hours. It was poorly written, a little too hamfisted, and just did not feel like a 40k book. But lots of other people enjoyed it, so it could just be me.

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

I'm rather fond of Faith and Fire, myself. For some odd reason, I find the Soritas to be strangely compelling.

Yeah, Faith and Fire is good (except for Ms Pacifist "waah how does i use gun??", what the fuck? Every Sororitas goes through the fucking Progenium for fuck's sake and is drilled in just about every firearm under the sun and 37 ways to annihilate xenos with each), but you probably need to be a fan of the Sororitas to get much out of it. Swallow's material tends to be pretty niche.

[Black Admiral]

I fully recomend you do NOT touch the Ultramarines, and suggest you try reading Fifteen Hours.

If you're going to read Fifteen Hours (which is boring and preachy at best), get the Imperial Guard omnibus. Then you'll have a good novel (Rebel Winter) to read after Fifteen Hours.

As for the Ultramarines novels, overall I found them good, although Dead Sky Black Sun is easily the weakest. The two most recent (Courage and Honour & The Chapter's Due) are my favourites, personally (CaH because the Tau finally get an on-screen booting, and TCD because a squad from the Raven Guard show up and are awesome throughout).

[Imperial Overlord]

Kill Team has great scenes of Tau getting killed horribly. The Last Chancers trilogy is pretty good, although the third book is the weakest.

[Aaron]

Kill Team has great scenes of Tau getting killed horribly. The Last Chancers trilogy is pretty good, although the third book is the weakest.

I find the third one excellent up until:
Spoiler

The possession crap. Kage was already psycho enough and had demonstrated on more then one occasion that he was willing to desert. If Thorpe had left out that bit and instead had him go AWOL on his own and come to redemption on his own, the story would have been stronger.

[Zinegata]

Always get the Omnibuses. They're cheaper and better value for money.

Abnett is one of the best authors for 40K, largely because he knows how to take advantage of the wide possibilities of the setting.

Eisenhorn is a great introduction to 40K as it depicts how Imperial society works as opposed to the mindless grimdark in the Codex fluff. Haven't read the follow up series, Ravenor, albeit most agree it's inferior to Eisenhorn anyway.

Gaunt's Ghosts is very good if you like military sci-fi. Abnett has managed to depict everything from guerilla warfare, to tank battles, to paradrops, to Stalingrad in Space very well in this series. Although other Imperial Guard novels are also pretty good (I like Fifteen Hours especially, but Double Eagle is also good for its unique theme), none have the same level of continuity as Gaunt's Ghosts.

I'm kinda surprised at how few people like Titanicus though. It's basically like a really good documentary on a military unit... except this military unit is a legion of 40+ walking giant mecha that are as tall as skyscrapers and armed with capital ship weapons.

Grey Knights is honestly the only Space Marines novel series I've liked, but I've personally never really liked Space Marines.

For a view of how the "bad guys" works (specifically Chaos), pick up Storm of Iron. It's a very good novel that covers both sides of an extended siege.

[Falkenhayn]

Helsreach is pretty good. Grimaldus is quite a multi-dimensional character, which is a welcome break for the portrayal of an SM chaplain. Dembski-Bowden also takes on the life of IoM civilians and soldiers in a besieged Hive City, which I liked for putting the Astartes in a context rather than reveling in their superhuman abilities and setting up a predictable chain of heroic deeds.

[Nuts!]

I second Cadian Blood by Aaron Dembski-Bowden (and i thought my name was hard to say!) - great story, all around. Basically, Lasgun Beats Demon (sort of), with all the GRIMDARK of 40k and no Hollywood Tactics for a change! Plus i think he also wrote Helsreach - OMIGODSOAWESOME!

[Coalition]

Lord of the Night is another good book to enjoy. An original Space Marine, stuck in stasis, has to recover an object. He is countered by an obstructionist Inquisitor, and the Inquisitor's apprentice has to figure out what is going on. A very good book, in my opinion.

[The Grim Squeaker]

I just finished "A Thousand Sons" (Horus Heresy) by Graham McNeill - It's SUPERB. You might want to leave it off for a bit thouggh, as it's relatively advanced 40k reading fluff wise