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Hey folks,
So I have read the first 3 Horus Heresy books, Master of Mankind, and Dark Imperium.

I am trying to read the books that cover "pivotal" moments in HH lore to get ready for Siege of Terra stuff, or stuff that brings me up to date (dark imperium: plague war).

(Are the gathering storm books worth the price?)

I have been told to read the nightlords trilogy and first heretic, since they are just good stories (not sure if they cover plot points etc.)

Any thoughts or suggestions for titles?
Thanks!

I’ve only read the first of the Nightlords trilogy, but it really is excellent. Nothing particularly important happens in the grand scheme of things though.

Cadia Stands is a good read with the destruction of Cadia covered.

Depends on which Primarchs/chapters you want to know about.
I’d chase anything revolving around Horus, Lorgar, Dorn and Sanguinius, as far as your major plot points are concerned they’re the meat of the Heresy.
The others just add flavour.

I posted this previously so may be of some help:

Caveat - these are mostly "later" books in the series.

Core books imo

The Silent War: Chosen of the Sigillite (anthology)
The Unremembered Empire
Praetorian of Dorn: Alpha to omega
The Master of Mankind: War in the webway
Tallarn: War for a dead world
Ruinstorm: Destiny unwritten
The Burden of Loyalty

You'll note I've skipped quite a lot and in the other books there are some great stories, sub plots and arcs. However those 7 above imo drive the main story towards the actual battle for Terra.
The others are either continuation of sub plots (Vulkas arc, Khans arc, Maggys arc or are stand alone-ish novels - such as pharos dying light).

First Heretic is pretty good and definitely pivotal, given it's the description of the Word Bearer's fall to Chaos. Prospero Burns and Thousand Sons are also pretty good and relatively pivotal too.

Other than that, I'm actually struggling to think of what other HH novels are truly important in the grand scheme of things (admittedly I've not read them all).

 Ratius wrote:
I posted this previously so may be of some help:

Caveat - these are mostly "later" books in the series.

Core books imo

The Silent War: Chosen of the Sigillite (anthology)
The Unremembered Empire
Praetorian of Dorn: Alpha to omega
The Master of Mankind: War in the webway
Tallarn: War for a dead world
Ruinstorm: Destiny unwritten
The Burden of Loyalty

You'll note I've skipped quite a lot and in the other books there are some great stories, sub plots and arcs. However those 7 above imo drive the main story towards the actual battle for Terra.
The others are either continuation of sub plots (Vulkas arc, Khans arc, Maggys arc or are stand alone-ish novels - such as pharos dying light).

you missed Vengeful Spirit which I think is a pretty major book, if you want to focus on the sons of Horus and their puish to Terra I'd say you can proably list the core books as the inital trilogy, vengeful spirit and Slaves to Darkness.

Strig wrote:

I am trying to read the books that cover "pivotal" moments in HH lore to get ready for Siege of Terra stuff, or stuff that brings me up to date (dark imperium: plague war).

I have been told to read the nightlords trilogy and first heretic, since they are just good stories (not sure if they cover plot points etc.)

It’s so completely odd that there’s a plot to warhammer. You fight really hard to save the a planet from destruction, your closest allies turn to chaos, you chase them across the sector to excorcise them, and then after you win the Imperium reinforcements show up and kill you with virus bombs. That’s the plot, repeat xInfinity.



Their comrades in arms are legion: the Imperial Guard and countless planetary defence forces, the ever vigilant Inquisition and the tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus to name only a few. But for all their multitudes, they are barely enough to hold off the ever-present threat from aliens, heretics, mutants - and worse.

To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruelest and most bloody regime imaginable. These are the tales of those times. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be re-learned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grim dark future there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods.

In Wolfsbane appears young techprest Cawl.

First Heretic is a very good book and is a first step of the Heresy itself.

I'm not sure I'd class Wolfsbane as "Alpha level" importance but it's definatly Beta level and IMHO climbs to Alpha level if you're a space wovles fan

This is a tricky question to answer. Many parts of the Heresy are not necessarily essential to the outcome of the Heresy, but are important within the story of the Heresy. Equally within 40k, there are events that help explain/clarify why certain factions feel the way they do towards each other.
For example;
Thousand Sons/Prospero Burns is key to understanding the Wolves/Sons relationship, but many people know the outcome so it might not be that revelatory. Plus both legions are different by 40k.
The Unremembered Empire story is an arc that covers several books, and arguably starts in Know No Fear when the Word Bearers begin the assault on Calth.
The Leman Russ primarch novel covers the fight between Russ and the Lion.
Without knowing how they carry arcs through to Terra it might be tricky to define the moments that you need to know.
I would agree that as the chaos primarchs are going to be there, then books/story arcs that focus on them will be good. As would ones that deal with the Blood Angels (Fear to Tread, parts of the Imperium Secundus arc) the White Scars (Scars, Ruinstorm) ANd Imperial Fists (Praetorian of Dorn and the novella Crimson Fist) are probably good points to help understand the mindset of the Primarchs and their legions who are likely to be key players in the Siege.

There are many good stories in the 50+ Heresy books that are worth reading if thats of more interest?
Black Library have said that part of the reason for splitting it off is so that people who want to read the Siege of Terra arent put off thinking they need to read the 50+ HH novels first, suggesting that no prior knowledge is needed.

Thank you everyone for the insights!

I am now about half way through First Heretic and I have soo many questions about that "divinity" truely means in 40k! Very interesting.
Thank you for pointing out that Solar War was meant to be started without have 50+ plus books under your belt, that is very helpful!

As I am reading more, I am starting to identify certain chains of events that I would like to read more on, or at least read first. Like tracking the Heresy as it expands and how certain fallen Legions became associated with 1 Chaos god or other

I also have to curb my self from making threads with questions I have, hah! Need to attempt to find the answers before asking.

Thanks!

Betrayer is a must read. Absolutely fantastic book. I wouldnt say its pivotal to the plot line of the heresy but it does concern the actions of 3 primarchs and covers the events that set the world eater legion on their current path.