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So... The title says it all.

The title is a little hard to read. Would you expand for us all? Plus what interests you the most?

Start with Gaunt's Ghosts or Eisenhorn. Then make sure never to read anything not by Dan Abnett.

What i mean is that i never read a WH40k novel and would like to begin. What would be a good choice for my first read in your opinion?

BTW, i play Eldar, but that doesn't mean i HAVE to read Eldar novels. I like the Empire too (I hope my fellow eldar don't read this post).

Seaward - if I agreed with that I'd never had read Deff Skwardon.

the_ferrett wrote:Seaward - if I agreed with that I'd never had read Deff Skwardon.

I can't tell if that's an argument against my suggestion or for it.

Seriously, OP, you can start pretty much anywhere. Either read Dan Abnett last or read nothing BUT Dan Abnett. Whatever you do, do not read a Dan Abnett book and then pick up, say, the Soul Drinkers omnibus. Or anything else. Abnett'll spoil you.

I think he means he's played 40k on the table, but never read any of the novels, and would like to know a good series to pick up.

It depends on what you like, but I'd highly suggest the Gaunt's Ghost novels. You can find pretty much all of them in 13 dollar omnibuses, which contain at least 3 full novels and one or two short stories, and they're generally available at any major bookstore (Barnes and Noble, Borders, etc) in the sci-fi section.

I think The hourus heresy is the best bunch of novels written, simply because it fleshes out the biggest part of the history even if you don't care about marines generally its a really good story and eldar are involved a lil bit too. It is a lot of "space marines are awesome at EATFE" (everything all the time forever)

Seaward wrote:Start with Gaunt's Ghosts or Eisenhorn. Then make sure never to read anything not by Dan Abnett.

This. I would go with the Eisenhorn Trilogy specifically.

DiscoVader wrote:I think he means he's played 40k on the table, but never read any of the novels, and would like to know a good series to pick up.

It depends on what you like, but I'd highly suggest the Gaunt's Ghost novels. You can find pretty much all of them in 13 dollar omnibuses, which contain at least 3 full novels and one or two short stories, and they're generally available at any major bookstore (Barnes and Noble, Borders, etc) in the sci-fi section.

That's exactly what i meant. Sorry if i wasn't clear. English is not my native tongue.

Any particular army or imperium group you like? I'd start with books on those.

Mr Nobody wrote:Any particular army or imperium group you like? I'd start with books on those.

I like the Space Marines,hard for me to choose a favorite chapter, the Imperial Guard and the Adeptus Mechanus (as you can see in my avatar). I'm not a fan of the inquisition, but that maybe because i don't know much about them.

I'm not the kind of guy that will read everything (short attention span), so i think i should not try to begin with the "not so good" novels and them go to the better ones. I think i'll try Gaunt's Ghost, because of how everybody seems to like suggest the author and the focus on the Imperial Guard.

But i would like to know what i can read concerning Space Marines and Eldar.

Also, is the Horus Heresy series good? I like the idea of novels set at that time.

Finally. Eisenhorn is also on the to-buy list so i can learn more about the other aspects of the empire i don't know much about.

Yet again, i would like to say sorry about the post being vague. I'm impressed because i never thought that my english was bad to the point of not being understood. Oh the Hubris!

If you can find a copy, read Eye of Terror by Barrington J. Bayley

Tabris_ wrote:What i mean is that i never read a WH40k novel and would like to begin. What would be a good choice for my first read in your opinion?

BTW, i play Eldar, but that doesn't mean i HAVE to read Eldar novels. I like the Empire too (I hope my fellow eldar don't read this post).

as sickining as it sounds, the Ultramarine omnibus is a decent place to start.

The books within are well written, have good action/story line, and introduce pretty much all the major factions present in the 40k universe.


after that i would reccomend the SW omnibus(both of them)

the Grey Knight omnibus is a great read too.

Some people didn't like it, and it is slightly confusing at times, but Titanicus is a great novel and Titan on Titan action is always worth it.




What ever you do, don't read any of the DoW books. or anything with the name C.S. Goto on the cover.

Grey Templar wrote:as sickining as it sounds, the Ultramarine omnibus is a decent place to start.

How is it sickening if the books inside are written well? (I didn't like Nightbringer, but we all have our own tastes)

Necroman wrote:

Grey Templar wrote:as sickining as it sounds, the Ultramarine omnibus is a decent place to start.

How is it sickening if the books inside are written well? (I didn't like Nightbringer, but we all have our own tastes)

sickining that i am supporting the Smurfs. who, aside from the main characters and Calgar, are made to look like a bunch of D-bags in the Omnibus.


Spoiler as to why UMs are D-bags

I started with Titanicus and I really enjoyed it. I think it is a great place to start because it is epic and keeps going, and shows the battle from a lot of different views, so it really lets you see the imperium from a different way.

The Horus Heresy books are prettyy good. I'm on book 8 (Battle for the abyss), and aside from Descent of Angels, the books have been good so far. Definitely flushes out backstory for all the chaos/SM chapters. Really depends if your reading for "storyline" or reading for a specific army.

Grey Templar wrote:

Necroman wrote:

Grey Templar wrote:as sickining as it sounds, the Ultramarine omnibus is a decent place to start.

How is it sickening if the books inside are written well? (I didn't like Nightbringer, but we all have our own tastes)

sickining that i am supporting the Smurfs. who, aside from the main characters and Calgar, are made to look like a bunch of D-bags in the Omnibus.

Spoiler as to why UMs are D-bags

Spoiler:

Uriel, the main character, basically breaks step with the Codex to complete a mission and gets punished for it by getting sent on a suicide mission to the Eye of Terror.

I've read the books. I just didn't get what you meant by sickening.

Yeah,

I liked all the ones mentioned so far. I gotta add I really enjoyed the Ciphias Cain series as well. They put a slightly different spin on the whole grim dark thing very amusing.

Just two more questions.

1 - Where i can get some of the older books on the web? I live in Brazil so i can only buy WH40k stuff form other countries.
2 - Is there anything good about the Eldar? I'm going to play them and would like to get more deep into both the feeling and the fluffy of the race.

Sadly, the Eldar only recieved attention as main characters by C.S. Goto who portrayed them in a very disturbing, and unfluffy, way





Many book stores carry BL books. Borders and Barnes'n'Noble will be good places. and there is always E-bay

there's a whole novel that is written by eldar POV
so you are not exactly correct

it's name is "Path of the Warrior"

Retrias wrote:there's a whole novel that is written by eldar POV
so you are not exactly correct

it's name is "Path of the Warrior"

I saw it for sell at Maelstrom, i'm tempted to buy it after my shippings "in transit" (I mean, lost in brazilian postal service's limbo) arrive.

BTW, i didn't knew the novels were so cheap or i would already have bought some of them.

And about Path of the Warrior. Somebody has read it and can say if it's good?

Seaward wrote:Start with Gaunt's Ghosts or Eisenhorn. Then make sure never to read anything not by Dan Abnett.

seriously, i read the gaunts ghosts book then tried reading the ultrasmurfs omnibus and it was a snorefest for me :S

If you like mechanicum and titans, read titanicus, one of my favorites.

I'd personally start with either the Gaunt's Ghost's series, the Ultramarines series, or even the Blood Angels series by James Swallow. As aforementioned Dan Abnett is clearly head and shoulders above the crowd, just finished reading the 11th book in the Gaunt's Ghost's series and TBH it's the first 40k book that's ever brought me close to tears, you get a powerful attachment to his characters for sure. But don't write off other writers of 40k, there are plenty of good authors out there and contrary to what many others say I actually enjoyed the Soul Drinkers series (despite the fact that I play Imperial Fists) the one thing I can say is STAY AWAY FROM CS GOTO! or any book series written to fluff out a 40k video game. Don't get me wrong DOW is a great series of games, but leave the storyline of the game TO the game. Oh and Additionally the Horus Heresy novels are great reading, I just recently got a friend into 40k and started hiim out on the HH novels and he's been loving it so far.

Path of the Warrior is very good, Based on the Aliotic Craftworld it gives a ton of insight into the craftworlds, the first part of the book is a bit slow as it follows the main character Korlandril (sp) who is not yet on an aspect path.

It delves into the mentalities of the Eldar mind a lot more than any of the other books do and it also doesn't paint them as sissies either, which I have seen by most of the other writers which annoys the hell out of me.

It's also cool that you get glimpses of some of the phoenix lords as well.

It is being pushed into a Trilogy the 2nd book I'm not sure when it's due. But I hope it's as good as the first.

The Dawn of War books have Eldar in them

Seaward wrote:Start with Gaunt's Ghosts or Eisenhorn. Then make sure never to read anything not by Dan Abnett.

What he said.