Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I have a few questions about the 40k novels.
What are the best ones as far as well written and on sticking to canon?
Is there a preferred order to read Prospero Burns and A Thousand Sons?
Finally, which ones to steer clear of.

I'm pretty sure that this thread is an invitation to lots of advertising and bashing based primarily on personal preferences which won't be much help to you. At the end of the day, other people don't know what you like. For example, lots of people like the Cain books, yet they're nothing for me personally because they violate some background stuff that makes the end result less "attractive" for me. Doesn't make them less popular, though! Tastes simply differ.

Maybe if you could list your favorite factions/armies (or rather those you'd like to read about) and writing style (i.e. "gritty/realistic" or "epic/heroic" or even "funny"), people could offer better feedback?

I'd advise reading Prospero Burns after A Thousand Sons, if you do read them, since that's the order they were published in. I haven't read them, but since they're in the same series, there might be some spoilers in PB for TS.

I would avoid reading anything by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, because it will make everything that isn't Aaron Dembski-Bowden look terrible. I read Soul Hunter and Blood Reaver last month and nothing I've read since has been able to compare. His work is the best in the Black Library as far as I'm concerned.

Brother SRM deserve a cigar for that. Exalted.

Lynata's on the money with personal preference. My first thought is "read Aaron Dembski-Bowden and Cain" because they're my favourites. Read Horus Heresy in publishing order.

If you love the IG, read IG novels. If you love SMs, read SM novels. If you love your Orks, read the books withe IG and SM vs Orks (loved Imperial Glory for telling things from Ork pov, too).

But our opinions are too subjective to what we want unless you are far more specific.

Personally, I read lots and lots of BL. I now have a separate bookshelf for 40k.

Find one of the short story compilations (Fear the Alien, Legends of the Space Marines, etc) and read that. It will give you a good idea of which authors you like and which ones you don't. I recommend Let the Galaxy Burn, since it's huge, and has many different authors and story styles to pick from. That way you can not only suss out which writers top pursue, but which groups you like reading about.

Jimsolo wrote:Find one of the short story compilations (Fear the Alien, Legends of the Space Marines, etc) and read that. It will give you a good idea of which authors you like and which ones you don't.

Of course! Why didn't I think of adding that? Compilations are a good idea to get to know what one likes - invest a few bucks, and in return you get a collection of different short stories from different authors, mostly about a variety of topics (allowing you to better see what kind of story or which author you'd prefer when you get your first "full" novel). For example, where "Legends of the Space Marines" sounds a lot like Astartes-only, I think "Fear the Alien" covers a wider ranges of species, and then there's "Dark Imperium" which gives you a glimpse at about every aspect the IoM has to offer. There's probably more; a stroll through the Black Library website or this list on Lexicanum might help. If you don't find one that looks interesting, don't hesitate looking on amazon or ebay or whatever.

If you can grab it get Let the Galaxy Burn. Some very good short stories in that and it's a big book.

Author wise I would recommend ADB, as has been mentioned before, Abnett and McNeill, although I find the later has lost it a bit. Daemonworld by Ben Counter is a must read in my opinion but a lot of his other works are avoidable.

Brother SRM wrote:I would avoid reading anything by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, because it will make everything that isn't Aaron Dembski-Bowden look terrible. I read Soul Hunter and Blood Reaver last month and nothing I've read since has been able to compare. His work is the best in the Black Library as far as I'm concerned.

I totally agree with this

Abnett and Dembski-Bowden are who I always recommend. I haven't disliked any of Abnett's work, save the one book he wrote that actually focuses on Space Marines. The Eisenhorn and Ravenor omnibuses are top-notch, as is Double Eagle. The Gaunt's Ghosts series is pretty much required reading for 40K fans, though some are better than others.

As far as ADB goes...I'm not sure where to start. I'm not a huge Chaos fan, but his two Night Lords novels are amazingly good. Helsreach is also a very good read, and of course his entries to the Horus Heresy series shouldn't be overlooked.

Speaking of the Horus Heresy series, definitely worth reading as well. You'll find books within it you want to skip, and that's perfectly fine - I skipped the Dark Angels books, as well as the Battle of the Abyss - but even the writers I wouldn't recommend outside of the HH books have really brought their A-game.