Switch Theme:

Which Horus Heresy novel?  [RSS] Share on facebook Share on Twitter Submit to Reddit
»
Author Message
Advert


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.




Made in gb
Space Marine Scout with Sniper Rifle




Braintree, Essex - Init bruv

So I've just finished reading Betrayer, thoroughly enjoyed it and I would recommend it as starting point to anyone who hasn't read any of the novels yet as it's one of those hard to put down books. But where to go next? There are a lot of novels in the series and as they are written by an number of different authors, I suspect that they're not all as well written as Betrayer is.
Any suggestions?


 
   
Made in gr
Perfect Shot Ultramarine Predator Pilot




Having read them all till Shadows of threachery, i would say that by far the best are (in no particular order):
Galaxy in Flames
Know no Fear
Thousand Sons
The First Heretic
Fulgrim
   
Made in gb
Space Marine Scout with Sniper Rifle




Braintree, Essex - Init bruv

Thank you kindly.

I was intrigued by the relationship between Lorgar and Erebus in Betrayer, so the First heretic seems a good next step. That will give me another couple of days reading material anyway lol.

 
   
Made in es
Morphing Obliterator




Elsewhere

I suggest you to read The First Heretic.

It is written by the same author, it is even better than Betrayer and it describes the starting point of the Heresy.

‘Your warriors will stand down and withdraw, Curze. That is an order, not a request. (…) When this campaign is won, you and I will have words’
Rogal Dorn, just before taking the beating of his life.
from The Dark King, by Graham McNeill.
 
   
Made in gb
Space Marine Scout with Sniper Rifle




Braintree, Essex - Init bruv

First Heretic it is then. Are any of the novels not worth bothering with?

 
   
Made in us
Huge Hierodule





land of 10k taxes

Legion and anything written by Mcneil/Abbnet

was censored by the ministry of truth 
   
Made in es
Morphing Obliterator




Elsewhere

@Unforgiven656 I think FeindusMaximus is not talking about what to avoid. McNeill/Abbnet are usually regarded as very good. And people who berate Legion usually say why.

Most people point out Battle for the Abyss as the worst book in the series. The rest of them have admirers and detractors.

My take on it:
Amazing: I favor Chaos and "Origins of... " books. "The First Heretic" (about the Word Bearers) comes here too.
1: Horus Rising, False Gods, Galaxy in Flames. The opening trilogy. It is a single story in three volumes.
2: Fulgrim. About the Emperor´s Children.
3: A Thousand Sons. About the Thousand Sons.
4: Many short stories.

Avoid at all costs!: senseless plots, lack of knowledge of the background, internal contradictions, bolter porn, brutal retcons...
1: Promethean Sun
2: Vulcan Lives!
3: Fear to Tread
4: Many short stories.

Mixed bag:
The rest of them

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2013/10/24 12:44:59


‘Your warriors will stand down and withdraw, Curze. That is an order, not a request. (…) When this campaign is won, you and I will have words’
Rogal Dorn, just before taking the beating of his life.
from The Dark King, by Graham McNeill.
 
   
Made in gb
Space Marine Scout with Sniper Rifle




Braintree, Essex - Init bruv

 da001 wrote:
@Unforgiven656 I think FeindusMaximus is not talking about what to avoid. McNeill/Abbnet are usually regarded as very good. And people who berate Legion usually say why.

Most people point out Battle for the Abyss as the worst book in the series. The rest of them have admirers and detractors.

My take on it:
Amazing: I favor Chaos and "Origins of... " books. "The First Heretic" (about the Word Bearers) comes here too.
1: Horus Rising, False Gods, Galaxy in Flames. The opening trilogy. It is a single story in three volumes.
2: Fulgrim. About the Emperor´s Children.
3: A Thousand Sons. About the Thousand Sons.
4: Many short stories.

Avoid at all costs!: senseless plots, lack of knowledge of the background, internal contradictions, bolter porn, brutal retcons...
1: Promethean Sun
2: Vulcan Lives!
3: Fear to Tread
4: Many short stories.

Mixed bag:
The rest of them


Thanks for the clarification. I did wonder as I'd heard Abbnet was one of the better authors. And thanks for the suggestions. The First Heretic and the opening trilogy have now been ordered.

Thanks guys.

 
   
Made in gb
Jealous that Horus is Warmaster




all over the world

some of the individual short stories are pretty good. The discovery of angron is decent and the one when the emperor abolishes religion and unifies man on terra was pretty cool too.

if a dolphin will jump out of water for fish, just imagine what it would do for chips? 
   
Made in gb
Been Around the Block





I do like Abnett as a writer, but I wasn't keen on Legion. It's told mainly through the eyes of guys in the Imperial Army, not Astartes. It is a very interesting book, but probably my least favourite so far.

The opening trilogy is great, so I'm glad you've ordered them. In my opinion, Flight of the Eisenstein and Fulgrim, which follow straight on, are just as good, Fulgrim in particular. The sixth book, Descent of Angels, is another one of the less popular titles, but I quite liked it.
   
Made in gb
Courageous Space Marine Captain






Glasgow, Scotland

I'd oppose that notion on Fear to Tread! I found it very good! I'd likewise recommend Horus Rising, First Heretic and Fulgrim, best I've read after Betrayer.

I'm celebrating 8 years on Dakka Dakka!
I started an Instagram! Follow me at Deadshot Miniatures!
DR:90+S++G+++M+B+IPw40k08#-D+++A+++/cwd363R+++T(Ot)DM+
Check out my Deathwatch story, Aftermath in the fiction section!

Credit to Castiel for banner. Thanks Cas!
 
   
Made in es
Morphing Obliterator




Elsewhere

badgermeister wrote:
some of the individual short stories are pretty good. The discovery of angron is decent and the one when the emperor abolishes religion and unifies man on terra was pretty cool too.

Both (brilliant) shorties are from Tales of Heresy, in my opinion the best collection of short stories so far.
 Deadshot wrote:
I'd oppose that notion on Fear to Tread! I found it very good!

Subjective.
For me it was the changes the author did in the story. That fight is a classic and part of a bigger picture. He changed it all. Why? Oh, why?
Spoiler:
In the original story the Blood Angels were thoroughly defeated. It was their darkest moment but they managed to survived and, later, had their epic revenge during the final battle on Terra. It is one of the most epic stories I have ever read. But the writer of Fear to Tread didn´t like it, so it is lost.
Imagine someone rewrites Star Wars with Obi Wan defeating Darth Vader, and doing the same for The Empire...

‘Your warriors will stand down and withdraw, Curze. That is an order, not a request. (…) When this campaign is won, you and I will have words’
Rogal Dorn, just before taking the beating of his life.
from The Dark King, by Graham McNeill.
 
   
Made in gb
Courageous Space Marine Captain






Glasgow, Scotland

Well I haven't read the original version but I found Fear to Tread's depiction most enjoyable. First he loses big style, then he comes back is all "Bitches gonna die tonight $$$"

I'm celebrating 8 years on Dakka Dakka!
I started an Instagram! Follow me at Deadshot Miniatures!
DR:90+S++G+++M+B+IPw40k08#-D+++A+++/cwd363R+++T(Ot)DM+
Check out my Deathwatch story, Aftermath in the fiction section!

Credit to Castiel for banner. Thanks Cas!
 
   
Made in es
Morphing Obliterator




Elsewhere

Have you seen Star Wars?

Imagine someone rewrites it like this.
First movie: the good guys win! They kick ass!
Second movie: the good guys win again! Boy that Vader sucks.
Third movie: the good guys totally destroy the baddies!! Everyone is happy forever!

Precuels:
First movie: the good guys wins! They kick ass!
Second movie: the good guys win again! Boy the bad guys sucks.
Third movie: the good guys wins! They kick ass! The Republic is save! Wait... this is not making sense at all...

That is what the writer did there. Perhaps you find it OK because you do not know all the incredible stuff that have gone out of the window. And, eventually, I think there is a point when anyone get tired of the "good guys always win forever!!!" too, and start to appreciate some epicness and drama. Let alone character development (like Sanguinius in the first version).

And most of the book is just bolter porn. Space Marines kicking asses for hundreds of pages. No real challenge, no real fight.

Disclaimer: however, this is just my opinion, of course. This is completely subjective, and I know of people who liked Fear to Tread.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/10/24 20:56:46


‘Your warriors will stand down and withdraw, Curze. That is an order, not a request. (…) When this campaign is won, you and I will have words’
Rogal Dorn, just before taking the beating of his life.
from The Dark King, by Graham McNeill.
 
   
Made in us
Frenzied Berserker Terminator




Hatfield, PA

 Unforgiven656 wrote:
First Heretic it is then. Are any of the novels not worth bothering with?


The one book I would say anything negative about is Nemesis. I just couldn't get into it or garner even the slightest bit of interest in the characters in the story and I've tried to read it multiple times now. The rest have all be entertaining reads, though, they are fiction based on a game universe so YMMV when it comes to quality in specific volumes. Starting at the beginning is a good place. First Heretic is good, but does give a very specific look at the Word Bearers from early on to right in the middle of the heresy and the background in the original trilogy might be useful to you before you get to that point.

Skriker


Automatically Appended Next Post:
 Robbiedbee wrote:
I do like Abnett as a writer, but I wasn't keen on Legion. It's told mainly through the eyes of guys in the Imperial Army, not Astartes. It is a very interesting book, but probably my least favourite so far.

The opening trilogy is great, so I'm glad you've ordered them. In my opinion, Flight of the Eisenstein and Fulgrim, which follow straight on, are just as good, Fulgrim in particular. The sixth book, Descent of Angels, is another one of the less popular titles, but I quite liked it.


My primary complaint with Descent of Angels was that it was more like reading a WFB novel because it wasn't until 2/3s+ way through the book that the Dark Angels get formed and it becomes about space marines instead of a bunch of knights. :\

Skriker

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/10/24 21:12:47


CSM 6k points CSM 4k points
CSM 4.5k points CSM 3.5k points
and Daemons 4k points each
Renegades 4k points
SM 4k points
SM 2.5k Points
3K 2.3k
EW, MW and LW British in Flames of War 
   
Made in at
Slashing Veteran Sword Bretheren






You guys are seriously missing out on Flight of the Eisenstein.

It was tenfold better than Galaxy in Flames; technically you can skip Galaxy in Flames as a lot of it is retold in Eisenstein anyway, but Eisenstein actually brings the "trilogy" to a satisfactory conclusion, whereafter reading Horus Rising, False Gods and Flight you can say "okay so that's how the Horus Heresy started, great read" and never have to buy another of the 20+ HH books unless you want to start finding out how each invidivual Legion fared from beginning till end of the HH.

This message was edited 4 times. Last update was at 2013/10/24 22:04:43


2000 l 2000 l 2000 l 1500 l 1000 l 1000 l Blood Ravens (using Ravenguard CT) 1500 l 1500 l
Eldar tactica l Black Templars tactica l Tau tactica l Astra Militarum codex summary l 7th ed summary l Tutorial: Hinged Land Raider doors (easy!) l My blog: High Gothic Musings
 Ravenous D wrote:
40K is like a beloved grandparent that is slowly falling into dementia and the rest of the family is in denial about how bad it is.
squidhills wrote:
GW is scared of girls. Why do you think they have so much trouble sculpting attractive female models? Because girls have cooties and the staff at GW don't like looking at them for too long because it makes them feel funny in their naughty place.
 
   
Made in ca
Fixture of Dakka





Ottawa Ontario Canada

Legion is my favourite so far, very intestesting stuff in there.

Do you play 30k? It'd be a lot cooler if you did.  
   
Made in us
Regular Dakkanaut





I really like Prospero Burns. Other than some overuse of "wet Leopard griwl" I thought it was fantastic.

Definitely read Thousand Sons and then follow with Prospero Burns to get the opposite view.
   
Made in gb
Courageous Space Marine Captain






Glasgow, Scotland

I also liked Prospero Burns, it did give a very good look into VI Legion's culture. The Vlka Fenryka did not like the name Space Wolves. Its a very interesting book but I thought it was slow in places, not a lot of action between the few battles.

I'm celebrating 8 years on Dakka Dakka!
I started an Instagram! Follow me at Deadshot Miniatures!
DR:90+S++G+++M+B+IPw40k08#-D+++A+++/cwd363R+++T(Ot)DM+
Check out my Deathwatch story, Aftermath in the fiction section!

Credit to Castiel for banner. Thanks Cas!
 
   
Made in us
Frenzied Berserker Terminator




Hatfield, PA

stewy37 wrote:
I really like Prospero Burns. Other than some overuse of "wet Leopard griwl" I thought it was fantastic.

Definitely read Thousand Sons and then follow with Prospero Burns to get the opposite view.


I've got the same complaint with Prospero Burns....hahaha...I was ready to scream by the end of that book whenever I would hit the "wet leopard growl" again.

Skriker

CSM 6k points CSM 4k points
CSM 4.5k points CSM 3.5k points
and Daemons 4k points each
Renegades 4k points
SM 4k points
SM 2.5k Points
3K 2.3k
EW, MW and LW British in Flames of War 
   
Made in gb
Sinister Chaos Marine




Which short story would people rate up as their favourite, then? I quite liked the Crows one, but am looking for more quick reads..

Also OP in case there was any doubt, TFH all the way...and Unremembered Empire too, that was a fun read.
   
 
Forum Index » 40K General Discussion
Go to: