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I am new to the Warhammer 40k universe and I want your guys opinion on what books I should pick up and read and what books I should stay away from?

Most people like Flight of the Eisenhorn, and Rynn's World.

stay away from cs goto

The Eisenhorn omnibus by Dan Abnett is a great primer for Imperial culture from a more cosmopolitan point of view. The specific titles are Xenos, Malleus, and Hereticus.

The Gaunt's Ghosts series, also by Dan Abnett, is a good intro into the life and times of an Imperial Guardsman.

Graham Mcneill's Storm of Iron is a good Chaos-centric novel.

The Horus Heresy series is almost entirely space marine centric (including their supporting cast of non-space marine plebs), and most of the books are very well done. Start with the first three in the series and then pick through the rest at your leisure.

In general, anything done by Dan Abnett is fine. Aaron Dembski-Bowden and Henry Zhou is also a pretty good read. James Swallow and Ben Counter both seem to be love em or hate em so be cautious, and avoid C.S. Goto like the plague.

Rynn's World chronicles the Crimson Fists' as their homeworld is beseiged by an Orc Waagh. This is a stand-alone book.

Another decent stand alone book is Helsreach, which follows the newly promoted Reclusiarch of the Black Templars (Grimaldus) during the Third War for Armageddon.

The first 3 Horus Heresy books are excellent. My favorites so far.

I've also read First and Only and The Nightbringer. They were OK, in my book.

My favourite has been Titanicus by Dan Abnett.

Cadian Blood is a really fun one, with Guardsmen fighting zombies, mutants, cultists and such. Flesh and Iron is space Vietnam, and it's totally sweet.

The whole Space Wolves Omnibus was a blast, but I can be biased :p

I'm currently reading the Horus Heresy saga, starting Fulgrim, and until now, I liked what I've been reading.

I've been having a blast reading through the I-guard novels. They're self contained stories that don't have any major characters in them, leaving no one with plot armor. It makes for a real fun book that makes sure No one is safe. I'll also mention that Dead Men Walking piqued my interests in the DKoK to potential purchasing peaks.

I'll second Helsreach as a good read. Very entertaining, with memorable characters. Of all the 40K stuff I've read (which is somewhat limited) it feels the most "realistic."

Dark wrote:The whole Space Wolves Omnibus was a blast, but I can be biased :p

I'm currently reading the Horus Heresy saga, starting Fulgrim, and until now, I liked what I've been reading.

The Omnibus is good, yeah. The books after, like Wolfblade, not so much.

Eisenhorn is considered to be the best 40k novel trilogy (the omnibus).

That's an understatement.

I'm reading The Founding (A Gaunt's Ghosts Omnibus), it's quite good.