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'Spear of the Emperor' by ADB is a pretty good one and done effort. Well worth a look.

Anybody recommended the Night Lords trilogy yet? Also holds up OK, imo.

Day of Ascension

Marine free and an interesting look at cults, quick read and pretty much a one off

 Turnip Jedi wrote:
Day of Ascension

Marine free and an interesting look at cults, quick read and pretty much a one off

Yeah, it was a good read. Recommended.

Can second Eisenhorn as a great starting point. Also thoroughly enjoyed Helsreach.

The Last Chancers books are a good place to see a more down-to-earth perspective in a similar style to Eisenhorn. The POV character is a psychopathic criminal rather than a distinguished Inquisitor...

 Nerak wrote:

Edit: I think I’ll shoehorn in a book question myself. Does anyone have a recommendation on books featuring primaris? I don’t really find the primaris appealing but I’d like to give them a good fiction chance.

Throne of Light: Dawn of Fire. Couldn't resist so I'm going to read this on the side.

The Night Lords trilogy and The two Black Legion books, both by ADB are very good Chaos Space Marine book series.

If only there were more hours to the day.

Another recommendation for the Night Lords Trilogy if you're looking for some Traitor Astartes goodness (well, ok, more like badness ). Also: Chris Wraite's The Lords of Silence, for a look at the inner workings of a Death Guard warband. Highly recommended.

I do need to learn more about the enemy. I can appreciate the autonomous nature of the Night Lords.

Alright so I pretty much enjoy everything from Black Library. But I'm going to go out on a limb here and vouch for Warhammer Crime, mainly because its NOT advertising your favorite models.

I particularly enjoyed Grim Repast because it is the most over the top cliched murder mystery you could ever read...but its Warhammer.

I even got my wife (who tolerates but IS NOT interested in SCI FI at all) to read a short story from Warhammer Crime. Her reaction: "This is what the Amazon show should be...then maybe normal people would actually watch it." LOL

If interested in traitor stories, the Fabius Bile series has been (reading the 3rd book Manflayer now) an extremely intriguing look into how non loyalists operate and has surpassed the also excellent Night Lords trilogy in my list of favorite traitor books.

My favorite BL series of Eisenhorn has already been brought to your attention, so see no need to expound upon that, but I would like to second the mention of the upcoming Robert Rath's books that have come out recently. I found both The Infinite and The Divine (fascinating look at Necron pov and culture) and Assassinorum: Kingmaker (great insight into both the Assassinorum and Knight Houses) to be extremely interesting reads and will be keeping an eye out for that author's books in the future alongside my usual favorites of Abnett and ADB.

This is a good clarification of what books you are looking for. Of those I have read and enjoyed a lot, Eisenhorn, Double Eagle, Ciaphas Cain and Angel Exterminatus could fit the bill.

Many of my own favourites will not fit: Enforcer trilogy and everything written by Matthew Farrer. Ian Watson's bonkers Space Marine novel. Xenology and the like.

I've recently given a list of 40k book recommendations to a friend, and I tried to home in on what he might enjoy the most, not just for subject but also for writing. Your specifications would have been a useful starting point.

Cheers

Thanks again for the continued responses everyone. I don't mind if others use this thread to gains some recs. I know there's a Black Library thread going on as we speak as well.

@Karak Norn Clansman, I didn't have any specifications per sae (if you were responding to my OP) I put in the *appended OP just wanted to get a broadened sample of the community likes.

As for myself specifically I am under going continuous training in BT lore, so that's not so much a requirement here.

I just need to broaden my perspectives beyond my lost legion in the far reaches of the Dark Imperium, to better understand my allegiances, and those external threats, and to identify heresy.

So a year ago when I finally decided to stop being a causal observer, and began taking in all the lore commentary my free time could support, I stumbled upon an audio-tale while doing chores that I recall thinking "that was kinda interesting"; though I had failed to bookmark, having to cut it short around half way through.

Yesterday I was searching what I could find freely available on youtube (as in user readings), and to my surprise ended up stumbling upon the very tale that formerly escaped me, titled The Last Church by Graham McNeill, of the Horsus Heresy anthology of stories.

So, finished it up and glad I did because it gave me a much better sense of things beyond people's personal opinions. I would definitely point new people getting into 40k to this one first. Particularly recommended to those interested in lore, lost with all the different directions one could take, but in need of foundational answers. It's features a relatable discussion most of us have considered for ourselves if not debated with our coming of age. It also points out how our modern history is actually the past for the 41st millennium and not a parallel or alternate version.

There's unofficial screen adaptation I'll have to check out too I see.

Interesting points. It is wise to know whether a person is looking for
-the best writing
-inspiring Battle stories
-Faction Lore
-the less explored areas of the 40k universe.

Does anyone have a successful time budget made for reading traditional or digital books? How many do you read at once? How many per year?

I had the crazy a idea I could get a lot more books in if I read fewer pages each day, but allotted time for notes on each in a period of 60 minutes.

5 books, 10 minutes reading time, with 2 minutes for notes on each. After a year I'd have 5 approximately 360ish page (plus or minus) books finished and absorbed.

I just read when I want to.

Yeah that's a good plan. My math was off, depending on how many pages I read in 10 minutes could be a lot more finished. But then I Could just spend all my time on one, but I'm always reading multiple.

Just trying to see if I can get caught up on the last few decades.

You'll never be able to catch up on everything and IMO it's best not to make a chore of it. Find some things you really like and take your time to enjoy it all.

 Gert wrote:
You'll never be able to catch up on everything and IMO it's best not to make a chore of it. Find some things you really like and take your time to enjoy it all.

The First Lord of the Imperium got me leaning towards the Horus Hersey, but just looking at the list. You're right. I'll probably never get through it let alone everything else.

But I've just finished another couple shorts Templar and The Board is Set, and wow! It sure feels like I'm cheating.

The Plague Wars trilogy is a great introductory saga.

 Adeptekon wrote:
Does anyone have a successful time budget made for reading traditional or digital books? How many do you read at once? How many per year?

I had the crazy a idea I could get a lot more books in if I read fewer pages each day, but allotted time for notes on each in a period of 60 minutes.

5 books, 10 minutes reading time, with 2 minutes for notes on each. After a year I'd have 5 approximately 360ish page (plus or minus) books finished and absorbed.

Damn! That’s some planning haha. I don’t think about it so much. Usually just read about 30-60 min before sleeping and sometimes for a few hours in the weekends. I’ve tried reading in transit, like on the bus and such, but I have a hard time getting into the novel then. You do you but it shouldn’t feel like a chore.

ArcaneHorror wrote:The Plague Wars trilogy is a great introductory saga.

Is that 40k though?

Nerak wrote:

 Adeptekon wrote:
Does anyone have a successful time budget made for reading traditional or digital books? How many do you read at once? How many per year?

I had the crazy a idea I could get a lot more books in if I read fewer pages each day, but allotted time for notes on each in a period of 60 minutes.

5 books, 10 minutes reading time, with 2 minutes for notes on each. After a year I'd have 5 approximately 360ish page (plus or minus) books finished and absorbed.

Damn! That’s some planning haha. I don’t think about it so much. Usually just read about 30-60 min before sleeping and sometimes for a few hours in the weekends. I’ve tried reading in transit, like on the bus and such, but I have a hard time getting into the novel then. You do you but it shouldn’t feel like a chore.

Yeah while I have upped my reading game over the last 5 years, I haven't put that strategy into place yet. Audiobooks have been a God-send for me, and I'm finding the 40k dramas to be enjoyable. I started an unofficial ambient reading of the Horus Hersey which I'm at chapter 4 with now.

I'm having a hard time describing it. It's not bad, but it feels a tad young adult at times, which is not really my thing and I can't imagine 60 more books that are YAish. I later found a 35 minute tactical summary of the first part of book1 after which I felt far more informed; and I believe it may have taken me further than chapter 4, but I'm planning to finish the audio reading anyway as it's pretty good.

 Adeptekon wrote:

ArcaneHorror wrote:The Plague Wars trilogy is a great introductory saga.

Is that 40k though?

It' Dark Imperium 1-3 iirc, the battles between Mortarion and Guilliman, Dark Imperium, Plague War, Godblight.

Tsagualsa wrote:

 Adeptekon wrote:

ArcaneHorror wrote:The Plague Wars trilogy is a great introductory saga.

Is that 40k though?

It' Dark Imperium 1-3 iirc, the battles between Mortarion and Guilliman, Dark Imperium, Plague War, Godblight.

An thanks for the clarification, I searched it up and what I got didn't look like warhammer

I really enjoyed the Plague Wars trilogy. I read them because I wanted to get up to date on the latest lore and I was glad of it. Nicely written and the Nurgle bits were very enjoyable, some of it was pleasantly creepy, especially on Iax.

I was off to such a good start. I grabbed Helbretch Knight of the Throne after Valrak's great review on it ...and I'm bored.

2nd case were the reviews or analysis were more interesting than the lit itself.

Though I remain committed and hope to be surprised.

 Olthannon wrote:
I really enjoyed the Plague Wars trilogy. I read them because I wanted to get up to date on the latest lore and I was glad of it. Nicely written and the Nurgle bits were very enjoyable, some of it was pleasantly creepy, especially on Iax.

It’s funny. I tried to read it for the same reason, and the Nurgle bits are what kept me from finishing it. If a reader doesn’t have any interest in Nurgle, it’s a slog.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:

 Olthannon wrote:
I really enjoyed the Plague Wars trilogy. I read them because I wanted to get up to date on the latest lore and I was glad of it. Nicely written and the Nurgle bits were very enjoyable, some of it was pleasantly creepy, especially on Iax.

It’s funny. I tried to read it for the same reason, and the Nurgle bits are what kept me from finishing it. If a reader doesn’t have any interest in Nurgle, it’s a slog.

That's what I was leery of, lore new interests me, but the Nurgle stuff gives me the itch.

As someone who has read some 40K books (a good number, but probably less than most of the respondents here) and has had up and down experiences with them, this has been a really interesting thread to read. I may need to check out that Fabius Bile series myself.

Recommendation-wise, I still love the Horus Heresy's opening trilogy. Dan Abnett's opening book is excellent, but Graham MacNeill's second book in the trilogy is equally good, maybe even better. I need to reread the third book to weigh that against the other two, but all three are strong, solid reads. If only every book that had followed these three had been as good, we'd be living in a perfect world. Ah well.

Two that followed that were as good were "A Thousand Sons" by Graham MacNeill and Dan Abnett's follow-up sequel, "Prospero Burns." I'm a Tzeentch / Thousand Sons fan who's not generally interested in the Space Wolves, but Abnett does the Space Wolves so well, bringing out the interesting aspects of their Viking-influenced lore and practices and bonds of brotherhood, that I loved his book all the same. Just be warned that "A Thousand Sons" will leave you starving for a direct continuation of the story, but Abnett takes full artistic license and seizes the creative reigns in "Prospero Burns," and doesn't so much continue the story as tell another overlapping story around some of the same events from the perspective of the other side. I still thought both books were great, but many people weren't happy with the shift in "Prospero Burns," and I can see why.

I haven't found a 40K book yet that I like as well as the above-mentioned Horus Heresy stories. My favorite 40K / non-Heresy tales so far have been a graphic novel and an audio drama. That's not exactly what you asked for, but if you enjoy either format, the stories in question take very little time to consume. Both are short stories that stand up on their own. The audio drama is about one hour long, and the graphic novel takes about a half hour to finish max, unless you like to linger over the illustrations.

"Perfection" audio drama by Nick Kyme

"Perfection" is a short take on the Slaaneshi "self-improvement" ethos of the Emperor's Children, and a great self-contained 40K Chaos / Traitor story. It's micro-focused on a handful of traitor marines in a small war band with nary a good guy in sight, and is presented a bit like a murder mystery, but it's not really that so much as a flavorful tale of what makes the Children tick. (Unlike a pure murder mystery, if you can spot the "whodunnit twist" coming long before the end, it doesn't ruin this story.) Slaanesh isn't my Chaos god of choice, but for what it is and aims to do, this tightly written and characterful short tale comes very close to fulfilling the promise of its title. Not bad for 60 minutes of listening time.

You can buy the mp3 for Perfection at Black Library. If you want the original release on CD, that is out-of-print now and only available from places like eBay, etc. I don't know what it goes for nowadays. Prices on out-of-print Black Library CDs seem to range from the absolutely ridiculous to about the same price as their original release, depending on the title. In my opinion, that wide range of pricing isn't correlated to the quality of the titles in question. Some excellent out-of-print stories on CD can still be had for their original release price, and you will find scalpers trying to sell other mediocre audio BL CDs for laughably inflated prices. Don't let yourself be taken advantage of.

"Lone Wolves" graphic novel

In the same "Abnett does Space Wolves so well that I actually like them" vein, I still really enjoy revisiting Dan Abnett's 40K "Lone Wolves" comic from time to time. "Lone Wolves" is Abnett doing tightly scripted, fast-flowing, action packed, short episodic graphic storytelling. I'm the kind of reader who generally gets extremely bored during long passages of "Bolter porn" - lore and character development are what I love most - but even though "Lone Wolves" is action oriented and not at all 40K at its most thought-provoking, for what it is, I still love it. I believe you can still get the original hard cover / "widescreen" large pages / European band Desiree' style edition of "Space Wolves" (a story of the Wolves and Imperial Guard trying desperately to survive on a Tyranid-dominated Arctic planet) at a reasonable price, but I haven't checked its out-of-print price in years and could be dead wrong. I'm pretty sure there's also a paperback collected edition, and that edition might even have additional content not in the original hardcover, namely a very short story of what happens after the Tyranid encounter, when the Guard and Wolves get into space and encounter some Orks, portraying the Greenskins at their least humorous and most brutal. The Orks are more monsters than characters in that story and have zero depth, but if you generally don't find Orks anything but comical, they do come off as a credible and nightmarish threat in the few pages they have. (It's a very short story.)

Note that the original "Lone Wolves" hardcover comes with one of the worst introductions I've ever read, a terrible "Hey Girly-man, Space Wolves are BADASS MACHO MEN WITH REAL CHEST HAIR OUT THERE KICKING REAL ENEMY BUTT!!" blurb written by some Black Library editor. The story isn't nearly as stupid as the introduction makes it sound, but it is basically an action movie on paper, just a really good one.
As a graphic "novel" (it's short and more of a novella,) "Lone Wolves" is fully illustrated, so if you don't like the illustrator's work like I did, you probably won't enjoy it. Look at some preview pages online before committing.

Fenrys Hjolda!