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Hey guys,

I'm interested in reading the WH40K novels, particularly about the Horus Heresy.

Which books would you recommend, where do I start?

Are they available as e-books?

Cheers =]

I just started reading the HH and bought the paperbacks I am in the fourth book of the series. I would highly recommend them. Horus Rising is the first book. Check out the black library website for ebooks. I think they are available but not positive.

For the Heresy, Horus Rising. It's the first book in the series and very good. I don't know about e-books because I like actual paper, so I can't answer the second question.

Thanks for the info guys.

One more question, are there any novels that feature Tyranids?

Some of the earlier Heresy books are available as audio books.

I don't know if they are offering e-books or not.


Some of my personal favorites,

Titanicus

the Space Wolf Omnibus, and the second one.

the Grey Knight Omnibus

the Ultramarine Omnibus

the Tome of Fire trilogy(salamanders)

The Ravenor and Eisinhorn omnibuses.

I have the first 14 novels in paperback,... then i stumbled upon a torrent with 29 horus heresy books...

Horus rising is where to start... Every novel is good... but some are very hard to go through like legion... though the end was hell yeah baby and made my efforts worthwile XD

I've enjoyed a lot of the 40k novels through Black Library. The Horus Heresy series is pretty good. The authors do a fairly good job keeping facts between novels consistent, at least that I've seen.

Other series are good as well. Abnett's 'Gaunt's Ghosts' are a popular one. Sandy Mitchell's Caiphas Cain series is a fun read as well.

I think most, if not all of the novels are available for ebook.

 Huda wrote:
Thanks for the info guys.

One more question, are there any novels that feature Tyranids?

The Ciaphas Cain series features Tyranids in a few of its books.

The Ciaphas Cain novels probably feature the 'Nids more than any of the other books.

I've heard that an Iron Warriors novel details the Nids attacking an IW fortress- don't know the book name though.

 PrinceRaven wrote:

 Huda wrote:
Thanks for the info guys.

One more question, are there any novels that feature Tyranids?

The Ciaphas Cain series features Tyranids in a few of its books.

This is true. I don't believe any of the books focus on the tyranids and their point of view, but they are the antagonists in quite a number of stories.

Horus Rising, False Gods and Galaxy in Flames (the story of Garvi) are the best if you ask me. The others are good sure but not as good, im up to book 11 now in HH and none have been as enjoyable as the first 3

Cheers guys.

I might get those HH audio books, I'm driving a hell of a lot at the moment.

start with rising

A lot of the books are available as e-books on the Black Library website. It's the only place to get them as far as I know.

I love the flavor of the older stories. The Deathwing anthology is quite entertaining, if dated by 40K standards.

Horus Heresy is hit and miss. Some of the books are really good, others are obviously just being churned out to keep the series running and generate revenue.

I just started reading my first HH book, A Thousand Sons. Pretty good read thus far.

'Warriors of Ultramar' is a decent book for Tyranids. It's a very non-stop fighting book that isn't laced with political intrigue and conspiracies that a lot of 40K novels are to bulk up the story. Warriors is just lots of face bashing and gut-ripping.

And the Tyranids are eating face too

I went back to some Space Marine Battles book I hadn't read yet. Legion of the Damned is an excellent, excellent book.

I finished that up and started Rynn's World. So far it seems pretty interesting, but I'm only 67 pgs in. Steve Parker wrote it and I've loved everything I've read of his so far.

The UM, IW, and WB omnibuses are all great. Firstborn is a good book (the one about the Vostroyans in the first IG omnibus). For the HH the first five books are basically in chronological order after that it doesn't really matter what order you read them in, some good ones are:
A Thousand Sons
Angel Exterminatus
Betrayer
Know No Fear
Shadows Of Treachery

If you like meeting relatable characters, with a unique personality and very human strengths and weaknesses, seeing their personalities and view of the world explored, having them grow close to you like beloved comrades, sharing their darkest moments and being relieved at seeing them emerge from danger, triumphantly....only to have them killed unexpectedly, brutally and in the most depressingly unfair way possible, Dan Abnetts your man. For feth's sake, every fething time.
But seriously, "world building" is a big strength of his writing, and usually his characters (at least human ones) are well written, too. I know the OP was mainly about the HH, but do give Gaunt's Ghosts a try, too, if you can Apart from Abnett, you will hear Graham McNeill and Aaron Dembski-Bowden lauded a lot, and rightfully so, as far as i can say.
From the HH, the first three books are mandatory, imho, and well written, especially in terms of relations between the main characters, as well as "The First Heretic". You can decide from there if this advice was good (seeing as it includes all three authors). I prefer reading all novels, in order, so I don't miss any piece of fluff that i can quote to someone later , but in terms of understanding the heresy as a whole, yo ucan disregard a few books, like the (for me) underwhelming "Battle for the Abyss".

Flight of the Eisenstein was the fourth HH book, and I consider it to be as good as the first three, if not better. Garro is a great character. I thoroughly enjoyed that book.

Thanks for your opinions guys!

I'm currently on the 4th HH book. I've written down almost all of the books you've recommended, definitely going to strain the wallet a bit.

 Valhalla130 wrote:
Flight of the Eisenstein was the fourth HH book, and I consider it to be as good as the first three, if not better. Garro is a great character. I thoroughly enjoyed that book.

Too me first part of the book was "YAWN"...Second part was pretty damn good....

The first four books, Mechanicum, Battle of the Abyss(i really liked that one), Thousand Sons, First Heretic and my absolute favorite Know no Fear. For non-heresy era, the Word Bearers Omnibus, Double Eagle, Titanicus and Storm of Iron are also awesome.

Dude, you liked Battle of the Abyss ? May I ask what did you liked ? I hated portrayal of the UM (OTT) and SW (who were described like a drunken dwarves on steroids)...IMHO ofc

 DarthMarko wrote:
Dude, you liked Battle of the Abyss ? May I ask what did you liked ? I hated portrayal of the UM (OTT) and SW (who were described like a drunken dwarves on steroids)...IMHO ofc

My first thoughts, exactly but people have different tastes or might even see a completely different thing in a story. Maybe musashi comes up with an interpretation that blows your mind .
The SW are the old “whacky viking “ kind, which seemed kind of valid at the time. Then I read “Prospero burns “ where their depiction makes a lot more sense, and looked back with disbelief

My absolute favorite book is Titanicus. I also liked Double Eagle. and the Gaunt's Ghosts and Commissar Cain books I've read so far.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Oh, and Baneblade, Gunheads, Legion of the Damned, and I'm sure I'm missing a few others.

Does anyone know if there are any 40k Novels told from the perspective of a Librarian at all? Or where a Librarian is at least a fairly central character?

liamnicholson wrote:
Does anyone know if there are any 40k Novels told from the perspective of a Librarian at all? Or where a Librarian is at least a fairly central character?

"A Thousand Sons" .... Ahriman - coolest dude ever.....Although he was a bit more than a librarian....