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I've just read and enjoyed Helsreach.

I have previously read and enjoyed the 3 Gaunt's Ghosts trilogies, Eisenhorn, Ravenor, Drachenfels, Wolf Riders, the Inquisitor trilogy and Space Marine.

I'd like to read either WHFB or 40k but am keen for it to be more about the average joes of those realities more than the space marines or mightiest heroes.

Let me know your recommendations.

The Von Carstein Trilogy was really good.

Well, after the 2nd novel it started to dip. But I enjoyed the first one immensely. Granted, I read it a while back and my taste has changed. Not sure if I'd still like it. I think the first one is called Inheritance.

I'd advocate anything by Sandy Mitchell.

The Cain stuff is hilarious.
The Inquisition stuff is just fun and solid adventure/intrigue.

Seems to fit your bill either way.

They're space marines MGS but honestly, The First Heretic is probably the best Black Library novel I've read.

Hmm...I've heard 15 Hours is good; though I havent read it. The only other book I've read that isn't on your list is Grey Knights Omnibus and its fairly good.

(Though not black library books...if you want good sci-fi reading I advise the Dune series of books. Very very good. Not space mariney; more like Inquisition/Political type)

I liked 15 Hours.

Fulgrim and The First Heretic are my favorites though. I know they're about Space Marines, but they are really good books.

http://www.blacklibrary.com/Warhammer-40000/Flesh-and-Iron.html



Im about about half way through it and its a great book also.

I've heard the Sigmar trilogy is really good too. McNeil won an award for it.

Fifteen hours is a pretty solid read, albeit with minimal action. I read it a long time ago, but the Space Wolf stuff was pretty good as well.

IN BEFORE SALVAGE!

Demon World

evil vs. even more evil, with some evil on top of it.

Monster Rain wrote:I liked 15 Hours.

Fulgrim and The First Heretic are my favorites though. I know they're about Space Marines, but they are really good books.

15 Hours is a great little undiscovered gem I think, everyone I know who has read it has enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed a lot of the HH series, as you say Fulgrim and The First Heretic were great, I would add Prospero Burns and A Thousand Sons to that list.

Within 40k, Ian Watson's Space Marine (now available on POD, if you haven't read this book I can't recommend it enough), ADB's Night Lord book 'Soul Hunter' (he writes 'bad guys' so well), or the Inquisitor Series by Dan Abnett, which pads out the 40k universe wonderfully while providing some truly page-turning story lines (really the important bit! )

Legion from the Horus Heresy. First book in the series I read and I was hooked. Has a some space marines but a lot of pdf and civilian interactions.

MeanGreenStompa wrote:I've just read and enjoyed Helsreach.

I have previously read and enjoyed the 3 Gaunt's Ghosts trilogies, Eisenhorn, Ravenor, Drachenfels, Wolf Riders, the Inquisitor trilogy and Space Marine.

I'd like to read either WHFB or 40k but am keen for it to be more about the average joes of those realities more than the space marines or mightiest heroes.

Let me know your recommendations.

Fifteen Hours, or the IG Omnibus.

THAT is the one you want.

Prospero Burns.

Yeah, it's got Space Marines. But it's told from the perspective of one of their skjalds (bards, storytellers).

The entire guard series is pretty good for average joe stuff. 15 hours is the perfect 'average joe' 40k book except that one of my non-gaming friends pointed out that it's basically the movie Gallipoli but in space and now I can't stop making that comparison.

If you wanna try fantasy then I'd recommend Bloodborn, Its fething awesome and is more or less the vampire equivalent of an average joe (plus it doesn't really require much knowledge of the fantasy world which I found helpful when I read it).

For 40k Avg Jims, any of the IG books are a good choice. I personally recommend Dead Men Walking. For Fantasy, I've heard the Empire series is not bad (equivalent of the IG series), but I was rather taken by The Ambassador Chronicles. Quite an interesting and intriguing read.

Travis

I really liked the GK Omnibus, and as they were just released it could be a cool to get a little back story on them.

For Fantasy I enjoyed the Malus Darkblade books, I thought they were quite entertaining.

infinite_array wrote:Prospero Burns.

Yeah, it's got Space Marines. But it's told from the perspective of one of their skjalds (bards, storytellers).

I'd also put my vote in for this one. It makes the Wolves seem less "silly drinking vikings" and much more alien and chilling.

MeanGreenStompa wrote:I've just read and enjoyed Helsreach.

I have previously read and enjoyed the 3 Gaunt's Ghosts trilogies, Eisenhorn, Ravenor, Drachenfels, Wolf Riders, the Inquisitor trilogy and Space Marine.

I'd like to read either WHFB or 40k but am keen for it to be more about the average joes of those realities more than the space marines or mightiest heroes.

Let me know your recommendations.

Pick up the "Sabbat Crusade" anthology. There's some great short-stories in there. Of particular note is Aaron Dembski-Bowden getting to tell the story of Slaydo's death. Knocked it right out of the ballpark, I thought.

I'm about half-way through the third book in the Horus Heresy series, and I gotta say, this IS one of the best stories ever put down on paper. Get the first one and you'll be hooked.

Cadian Bloods great, warhammer 40K + zombies = great read!

'Only In Death' is great.

My suggestions are Fifteen Hours, Faith and Fire, and Lord of the Night.

Any of the Times of Legend novels are good, the Ravenor trilogy, Reiksguard, Wulfrik, the Witch Hunter trilogy, Cadian Blood and any Cain novel, though with the last, read some stuff in between as Mitchell likes to format-write a lot.

Dead Men Walking was fantastic, The Death Corp stuff made me wish I would build a forgeworld army.

Anything by Henry Zou is good.

Soul Hunter is possibly the best 40k book out there.

Double Eagle for some awesome air battles.

The three books which came in "Hammer of the Emperor" are pretty good: Gunheads, Ice Warriors and Desert Raiders, I'd really recommend them.

You seem to have read most of my favorites. I would second the recommendation of Double Eagle, which is really solid and does have the common man angle.

Also, the Malus Darkblade series is a very different kettle of fish, but very intriguing at the same time. I can almost guarantee you have'nt read a book like those ones.

Just started Horus Rising and i am hooked already so i would have to say read the horus heresy books for sure

I'd say any of the three Bastion war novels by Henry Zou - the last one dealing mostly with Chaos Marines, features, a lot of dark eldar and human antics too.

Flesh and Iron is the weakest of the three, wears it's influences far too heavily on it's sleeve.

I'd advise against Henry Zou's stuff.

He's a good enough writer, but he's just...kinda boring.