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Hi guys

I was browsing a local charity shop this morning and was lucky enough to find a load of brand new Black Library books. There were 3 omnibus books (Space Wolves, Iron Warriors and Word Bearers) and 7 Horus Heresy books:

Battle for the Abyss
Descent of Angels
Tales of Heresy
The Primarchs
Fallen Angels
Fulgrim
False Gods

All for £2 each!

I haven't read any of the Horus Heresy saga yet, so what other books do I need to take me through the 'core' of the saga, as opposed to the tangential stories, and what order should i read the books I have and the books I need please?

Well Descent of Angels should be read before Fallen Angels, as Fallen Angels continues on pretty much directly from where Decent of Angels ends. The events of those two novels spread from before The Lion and Caliban are discovered during the great crusade to the beginning of the Heresy. There's also a short story in Tales of Heresy that occurs between the two.


Of those you have there I'd probably go:
1. False Gods
2. Fulgrim
3. Battle of the Abyss
4. Descent of Angels
5. Tales of Heresy
6. Fallen Angels
7. The Primarchs



Other books you should probably pick up are Horus Rising and Galaxy in Flames and I'd argue The First Heretic. Along with False Gods, Horus Rising and Galaxy in Flames form what some would call the 'core' of the series.

In which case the order for me would be:
1. Horus Rising
2. False Gods
3. Galaxy in Flames
4. Fulgrim
5. The First Heretic
6. Battle for the Abyss
7. Descent of Angels
8. Tales of Heresy
9. Fallen Angels
10. The Primarchs


Also it's probably a bit much for your purposes... but this guide may help with read order in the future.

Brilliant. Thanks for your help

You paid 2 moon dollars for Battle for the Abyss? You got scammed, my friend.

Save yourself some pain and burn that filth.

As far as the bare bones core reading order, I'd say:

Horus Rising
False Gods
Galaxy in Flames
Fulgrim
The First Heretic
Know no Fear
Betrayer
Angel Exterminatus
Vengeful Spirit
Master of Mankind