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So I've been reading the Horus Heresy books. I've finished Horus Rising and False Gods, and I'm just starting Galaxy in Flames.

I had been told that after the first three, the order you read them in does not really matter. Is this true?

The main reason I ask is I really want to read Thousand Sons but don't want to ruin anything by jumping to that next.

They do build on each other, but it is not crucial. I think that the best way to do it is in order of release, but you'll be fine if you don't. There are two exceptions:

You should read the two DA ones in order and I think that 1k Sons and Prospero burns should be read in order.

You likely wont ruin anything if you read the thousand sons book, and then come back and read the rest in order..

Yeah, after Eisenstein they jump around in time quite a lot. I'd read Fulgrim before the rest though, as it provides some background to a couple of the others. There are a few references in later books to earlier ones, though. None of them are game-changing, but it might be best to try and read them in vague order.

Definitely read the two DA ones in order - the second one is pretty awful, but I'm assuming there will be a third, so it's best to have read it.

But don't even bother reading Battle for the Abyss. Nobody should ever suggest you put yourself through THAT...

BftA isn't that bad.

pretre wrote:BftA isn't that bad.

No. but it isn't that good eiither.

KamikazeCanuck wrote:

pretre wrote:BftA isn't that bad.

No. but it isn't that good eiither.

Okay, to be clear, it isn't so bad that you should avoid reading it. It is still part of the series and provides a good deal of background.

People just give it a bad rep.

I agree.

pretre wrote:

KamikazeCanuck wrote:

pretre wrote:BftA isn't that bad.

No. but it isn't that good eiither.

Okay, to be clear, it isn't so bad that you should avoid reading it. It is still part of the series and provides a good deal of background.

People just give it a bad rep.

Of all the books, it's the one with the least HH-era-specific background. In fact, I reckon I could sum up all the stuff you NEED to know in....oh....four lines of a spoiler box...

If the OP decides not to read it, of course...

All I remember from that book is a certain axe, and it might not even have been in that book =/ Was pretty forgeteble, may have been more exciting if you had read The First Heretic first

The order doesn't matter so much after the first three but there are a couple of books which naturally follow. Somoene has mentioned the two DA ones as well as Thosuand Sons and Prospero Burns.

BftA was pretty gash for the 'first' UM based HH book. Can't say I was a fan of Legion either.

Flight of the Eisenstein, Fulgrim and First Heretic were brill. Thousand Sons following them closely

FIRST HERETIC IS AWESOME! READ IT NOW!

I've been reading the Heresy books backwards as I prefer tales of redemption and success.

Hrrrmmm, I only read the stuff that people rave about. I like pulp, but too much of BL stuff is BAD pulp for me to read it all.
From what I've read, I don't feel I've missed any important story.
I've read:
Horus Rising
Galaxy in Flames (bleh)
Flight of the Eisenstien (Crap!)
Fulgrim
First Heretic
Thousand Sons
Prospero Burns.

On my list is Legion and maybe Mechanicus, but I don't like Graham McNiell that much.

NiallCampbell wrote:The order doesn't matter so much after the first three but there are a couple of books which naturally follow. Somoene has mentioned the two DA ones as well as Thosuand Sons and Prospero Burns.

BftA was pretty gash for the 'first' UM based HH book. Can't say I was a fan of Legion either.

Flight of the Eisenstein, Fulgrim and First Heretic were brill. Thousand Sons following them closely

Legion was one of the best books in the HH

1. Mechanicum
2. Fulgrim
3. Legion

Overall yes, what you have heard is true, but with a couple exceptions. Horus Rising, False Gods, Galaxy in Flames, Flight of Eisenstein, and Nemesis should be read in their respective order. The books which revolve around a specific legion can be read out of order though. Some books do go together though. The Dark Angel books go in order, as do the Thousand Sons and Prospero Burns novels.

It would be best to just read them in order to avoid any confusion.

Legion was fantastic. Abnett did so much with the Alpha Legion by not putting them front and center.

For the Emperor indeed.

After the first three, it kind of gone into the warp for a coherent thought so to speak, I guess is's also because of the different authors's differing styles of storytelling and take on the 40K universe. But there are books worthy of mention
The first three combined are good
Flight of the Eisenstein
Mechanicum
Legion
Nemesis
Thousand Sons
First Heretic

I too am reading it form the beginning. I just finished flight of the einstien, and was left wondering about Captain Garro and Euphrati Keeler. What is the next book where these two are characters. I plan on reading the whole series in order, but I really want to kow what happens to them.

lost_soul wrote:I too am reading it form the beginning. I just finished flight of the einstien, and was left wondering about Captain Garro and Euphrati Keeler. What is the next book where these two are characters. I plan on reading the whole series in order, but I really want to kow what happens to them.

There isn't a new book for these 2 characters as of yet.

The nearest fluff that is told of Garro is that he had become one of the first Inquisitors. No word about Keeler.