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So I'm reading my way through the HH and a few other Black Library novels, and I've got to tell you, I find they have written themselves out of an interesting story. When you read a book and one faction, especially the protagonist faction, is so superior to everything they fight it takes any compelling story right out, and comes to feel like something your neighbors 15 year old son wrote. I'm working my way through Fulgrim currently, and I'm at the point where


I mean really? Not only is that stupid, it devalues the story, an entire established race, it's greatest farseer, and pretty much any credibility I might give the author for having the ability to tell a good story.

I generally enjoy 40k novels. There are a few that are just awful like everything by C.S. Goto and that one HH book about Dark Angels.

Then there's the totally awesome stuff like Damnation Crusade and the Ciaphas Cain series.

I havn't tried any of the IG variety books yet. I feel they may be better, because unlike the precious space marines, IG allow room for possibly losing now and then. I can't tell you how tired I am of going through this description of hard fought battle and terrible conditions with all hell being unleashed... and then after victory is had we find out that all of three losses of life were suffered

HH are decent at the worst times, and have some surprisingly good fragments every now and then.

The IG books are decent, and usually a lot more grim than anything involving SM.

Then there are the simply brilliant books, such as Ciaphas Cain, which don't really fit anywhere else.

Oh, and stay away from See Ess Goto.

I can recommend Henry Zou, Emperor's Mercy, unreservedly. Most of the HH material is crap.

I've only read Sons of Dorn and one Ciphas Cain novel, but I've enjoyed both.

I try to read them with the same lens I would read propaganda, SM books in particular. I can almost imagine the books we read as books people in-universe would read. The Space Marine novels are supposed to portray them as crazy hardcore, so that the common man's morale is boosted, knowing the Astartes are on his side. The IG books are less insane so that the commoner can relate to the down-trodden feeling of the Guradsman, yet they are sprinkled with enough action that an imperial citizen might have fantasies of grandeur, and join up.

GW novels are very hit or miss. Some are just horrible with no fluff consistency and with plot holes you can drive a space hulk through. Others are ok with the heresy novels being some of the better ones but even they are only moderately good.

I've enjoyed a few.

The only HH book I really honestly liked was Horus Rising, as it gave a look into the Astartes Pre-Heresy. (Ya know, not during the Heresy...)

I've also read Hammer of Daemons, which was a decent novel, though a tad strange.

That's a cool idea Endova!
What a good vein to read the books in, that'll make the slower parts of HH more tolerable. I'm currently stuck on descent of angels...

I've enjoyed the Horus Heresy series for the most part, with the exception of the firat DA book. I also loved the hell out of the Eisenhorn trilogy, but much of the rest of it has been very hit or miss. I like the short story anthologies, as they give a variety of authors and if you get a clunker of a story you can always skip to the next one.

Generally, it seems like Dan Abnett or Graham McNeill (or however it's spelled) are head & shoulders above everybody else.

I'm also working on reading my first WHFB novel since the original Konad series way back in the day, and it's bloody hard going, but there's a good plot underthe writing style, so I persevere.

As a rule when i read something from the BL i dont exspect to much from it aside from adding to the fluff of the 40K universe or conversly, Warhammer. It has entertaining stuff, but not anything special. if your disenchated (as many are) by the BL stuff, see if you can borrow from others so your pocket book isnt feeling like its been raped without a kiss first. that way you get to read it and not pay for it. or you could try e-bay and get them cheeper. there isnt much to complain about a 2 € novel to read.
who knows, you might find something you like. but as i said, dont exspect much, your not going to get Herbert or Tolkien type quality. the tallent and imagination just isnt there.

I personally enjoy the soul drinkers novels and groteck and felix

Some are good like Mechanicum. None are really overpowered in that one. Except the Emperor, but it's the Emperor




Second spoiler was really the only overpowered part of the book.



What about C.S. Goto though, I was considering finding one of his books for the laughs. Which one is the one with the Land Razor, some kids take out a Falcon with rocks and sticks? I'd also include Multilasers in the question, but they're probably in every one of his books anyway

EDIT: The Inquisition War Omnibus is good as well.

Mechanicum.. is hands down the worst BL I have read. It was painful to turn the pages. I didnt even finish it.

I haven't read Cs goto though.

Also Endova has the right idea.. I mean in one IA (black Legion) the emperor was nearly killed by a warboss, which is poor or perhaps more realistic showing on his behalf.

HH books suffer from being mythic.. and the prowess of primarchs is much exaggerated.. its like 10k years of chinese whispers IMO.

My fav books would be gaunts ghost books, their not perfect though.

Cain books are very good, and the Ultramarine series isn't all that bad

Back in the day I read Drachenfels and Wolf Riders, Drachenfels remains a favourite book of mine, many years later. (which reminds me, must sort out getting the anthology of the Genevieve stories sorted). I also read the Ian Watson books Space Marine and the Inquisitor trilogy (which were interesting and often quirky).

I have recently read the first trilogy of Gaunt's Ghosts, the third story of which is frankly amazing. I am now reading the second combined trilogy (in Sabbat Martyr atm and getting a wee bit bogged down by it). Abnett is a highly competent author.

I am somewhat reluctant to read the space marine ones since I'm not a fan of them in the game and I have a preconception they will be aimed at a younger audience. I read a bit about the 'soul drinkers' on this site, about 'how, like, they are this bunch of marines who are kinda like choas marines but they still serve the empera and their leader has spider leg mutations and...' Hmmm, it didn't appeal for some reason.

I really liked the Gotrek and Felix short story in Wolf Riders, so I may pick them up also. I am keen to read Eisenhorn and Ravager as well.

I have to agree. The Cain novels are fantastic for the simple fact that the logic of the main character runs contrary to the general them of WH40K.

I have read numerous books. With the exception of Let the Galaxy Burn (which was just short stories), I liked all of the omninbuses (correct plural form?) I have read - Ultramarines, Space Wolves, Sould Drinkers, the first two of the Blood Angels, and Eisenhorn. Although the Eisenhorn were probably my least favorite of the group.

I also enjoyed Storm of Iron (?). It was just a nice twist to have the story written from the Chaos point of view. Interesting change.

The Horus Heresy has been OK at best. I could not finish Fulgrim.

And, in like all novels, I think a lot of it just comes down to the ability of the author to tell a story. Dan Abnett, Sandy Mitchell, Graham McNeill, Gav Thorpe, and Ben Counter are all good. C.S. Goto. Well...... someone has to suck I guess.

I love the Gaunts Ghosts series. I feel that the author (Dan Abnett) does a good job of making the protagonist (IG) seem a little better than in game without making them super-powerful who always win. There are fights between the ranks, casualties are frequent and to quote one of the characters there's almost always something going "awry".

So while yes he does tend to polish the ghosts a bit more than they might deserve in game, he does it without making them seems like uber-Bad - A's

Shaman wrote:Mechanicum.. is hands down the worst BL I have read. It was painful to turn the pages. I didnt even finish it.

Have to disagree here (though Kid Kyoto is with you on this one!)

I liked that one quite a bit...

And:

Shaman wrote:

I haven't read Cs goto though.

This just might disqualify you from making calls on 'worst BL book ever' calls!

The new "Rynn's World" novel is pretty good.

I like the 40K novels though they're writen like an action movie so theres not much simbolism or huge statments made but they make up with buckets of gore and awesome battle scenes.
Like crank, gamer and all those movies they're entertaining but your not learning anything from em

I like them, mostly because I'm not looking for first-class literature. Of course, I was pleasantly surprised reading Dan Abnett's stuff, however.

Currently working through Soul Hunter & It's a good read. I think it really captures the Night Lords spirit. Though if you're looking for a "BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD" go go chaos gods & daemons novel this is not what you want.

As I scrolled down the replies I had alot of comments on everything, so i'll make a comment or six.

1. Yes I do like 40k Novels, even the grossest of the HH stuff, and ive finished them all because, if nothing else, then they reveal some tid bit of lore I didnt know about beforehand somewhere in the book! Which is like half the reason I read them.

2. the Soul Drinkers books are great, I love the renegade but not chaos Idea. Currently on my toes as I wait for the next one, damned exciting ending to Hellforged. Ciaphas Cain is a great series too.

3. Mechanicum sucked, luckily for it Descent of Angels and battle for the Abyss exists so I cant call it the worst HH book.

4. C.S Goto is a bad Author, we all live with it, I also thought that the Author of Sons of Dorn wasnt that great, the book could easily of been shrunk down into a short story amongst many others in a book and would of been better for it.

5. Sadly alot of the authors dont compare notes about how strong a space marine is, ive read books where one can take on 50 chaos space marines on his own, easy. And others where the marines all acted way too much like Jerks that were basicly half-chaos marines (thinking of half of the space marines in Rynns world, way violent), or acting like it anyway and then went on to fight and had a hard time taking down a single orc in close combat, it's weird but we live with it.

6. Alot of the newer authors are hit and miss, Sons of Dorn was bad, Rynns world was good, though I have my misgivings and the ending happened so fast I was wondering if some of my pages were glued together and the time skip never happened.

Shas'O Dorian wrote:Currently working through Soul Hunter & It's a good read. I think it really captures the Night Lords spirit. Though if you're looking for a "BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD" go go chaos gods & daemons novel this is not what you want.

Spoiler:

Night Lords are shown to distrust chaos & daemons. They feel that they are their own masters & need not serve nor worship the ruinous powers. [spoiler]Kinda hard to describe but they are potrayed less as CHAOS space marines & more as just TRAITOR space marines

That's how they've been for quite a while now. It says alot of that in the 3.5 dex.

Fortunately for the authors concerned not everyone is looking for the same thing in a book. I just can't get excited about a chapter led by a half spider mutant, it's just too weird in an age where limbs can be chopped off and replaced with augmetics.

I thought the Blood Ravens books an enjoyable read too. I'm not sure about 'Battle for the Abyss', was that just a badly written book or is it bad because it it really says nothing about the events of the heresy except that the dark mechanicum built a really big ship?
I hope there will be a story that actually covers the battle of Calth and the Ultramarines during the rest of the war as little is currently known about what they did.

I'm a fan of the HH series. Just finished Galaxy In Flames and I sorta started reading Flight of the Eisenstein.

I don't know about any of the other books further down the line but I'm a fan so far.

Some are bad,while other are good to read.

I know they're older books, but I really liked the two BFG books, Execution Hour and Shadow Point.

Maxim Boursa is definitely an anti-hero.

ZF-

I can count the number of Black Library books I enjoyed on one hand, 'cause it's zero. I've not read a single one that wouldn't have been out of place on fanfiction.net.

I've read every HH book up to Fallen Angels, the first Caiphas Cain book, and Dawn of War by Goto (this is my favourite BL book by virtue of being so unintentionally funny. He surfs a Razorback! Down a river of blood!). I tried reading the first Soul Drinkers book, but after a couple of chapters I had an aneurysm and started coughing up blood, so I stopped.