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Looking for a few more opinions on some more novels. I only really want to read the good stuff am happy to miss the filler.

Also i try to save up any planned trilogy books so if Ive listed any of those would appreciate you lot letting me know. Thanks in advance


Fire Caste

Death of Antagonis

Wrath of iron
Masque of Vyle, The



Architect of Fate (eBook)


Angel of Fire


Pariah

Great Betrayal, The


Path of the Renegade

Commissar Andy hoare
Neferata

Space Wolves: Blood of Asaheim
Shadowsun: The Last of Kiru's Line


Relentless

Any of the path of (dark or normal Eldar)

I can do the eldar ones.

The craftworld eldar path series, im afraid to say is quite bad. Its boring and repetitive with little characterisation or development. The gist of one of the stories is ''Hey, im a sculptor, you dont like my statue, i am angry. I am now an aspect warrior and meet people who dont develop, im now an exarch (it REALLY happens that quick) and the person you have been reading about is dead. Now the humans attack us for some reason not explained. Then you become a pheonix lord, so the person you where then reading about for the last half a book is now pointless.'' Yeah...im not to happy with the path books.

WHICH IS WHY THE DARK ELDAR ONES ARE SOOOOOO GOOOD!!!! They have great stories, complicated plots and interweveing stories all with characters you like that develope. The figh scenes are suitably gory and it is well-paced. Path of the incubus was amazing, you really grow on the characters and even though i though the ending ws rushed, when i re-read it, it made a lot more sense and was better. Masque de vyle was...Meh. For lack of a better word, it was an enjoyable book, but im not sure it was worth it vs other things i could buy. It was also painfully short, while i would of read a path book twice at least, i have not been tempted to re-read that book, no matter how much i love Motley.

I'd also love to recommend the Commissar Cain books, they are very good (as long as read with gaps between them, then you can tell the recycled lines) and very entertaining against the seriousness of other books. I can attest to reading all of his books at least 2 times and oving it both ways, apart from the newest which i have yet to buy. Lets make it hard back, use less pages and triple the price! A great idea(!)

I can offer some advice on the SM battle novels.

Wrath of Iron is only so so. It does give some insight into the Iron Hands and loyalists in a Chaos rebellion, but overall its not that great. It depends on what you enjoy in the battle novels. Its decent, but not great like for example the Siege of Castellax or the Gildar Rift.

Architect of Fate, its 4 novels in one book. They all follow the same beginning more or less. Its a bit different than the 'normal' novels, its an insight to the workings of a greater deamon of Tzeentch. It can feel a bit repetitive at times, but it leaves you wondering at the end at what really happens (which is imo quite intriguing).

Death of Antigonus is enjoyable at the start. The first chapters are great but about halfway in you can already see what is going to happen in the rest of the book. It takes time before the plot reaches that stage, but its almost painfully clear its going to happen. It feels like going trough the motions (of reading) just to get to the part you already know will happen.

Thanks for all the replies am considereing the dark eldar ones Do they take place entirely on Commargh?Ive read all the cain novels and loved them.

Also wondering about these
Shira Calpurnia i have found some of matthew farrer short stories to struggle to read?
Xenos Hunters
Ravenwing
Atlas infernal
Storm of Magic books
How good is endeavour of will?

Havent read the soul drinkers books but considered Phalanx or do i need to read the previous novels?

You also NEED to read:

Night Lords Trilogy
Helsreach
Titanicus
All the Cain novels

They are all excellent novels with good characters and plenty of action, intrigue and a bit of romance thrown in.

of your stated choices - my own views to take on baord or ignore :

Wrath of iron
I enjoyed this - partly for the sheer uncomprimising nature of the Iron Hands and what and who they are willing to sarcfice. And it has Ad Mech / Titans in it

Architect of Fate (eBook)
Was not as impressed by this but its not a bad read

Path of the Renegade
Really enjoyed this - lots of good stuff,

Neferata
Probably my favourite BL novel recently - it helps if you have read Nagash trilogy but not at all essential and it feeds into Sigmar trilogy as well but its a great stand alone novel

Relentless
Really good read

Legion of the damned is a fine read. Stay away from James swallow's blood angel books.

Titanticus is an excellent book and really helps give you the sheer scale that most battles in 40k are fought on. Well written, but it kinda ends without ending, as is Abnett's flaw.

I have read Ravenwing and its my favourite Dark angels book at the moment. Before reading Ravenwing though read -

The Purging Of Kadillus (Space Marine Battles)

Angels Of Darkness (I think its a BL exclusive)

Ravenwing

They follow on to one another. Following Interrogator Chaplain Boreas who is absolutely awesome.

 dreamakuma wrote:
Legion of the damned is a fine read. Stay away from James swallow's blood angel books.

Just out of curiosity, what bugs you the most ???
(*waiting to see if you gonna match my observation*)

Atlas Infernal is a good book I think. I like the short stories with that Inquisitor too.

Battle of the Fang was awesome. Tons of fighting.

I am biased because I love books and I don't have griefs with certain writers or story lines.

I would suggest Flesh and Iron, vietnam style guard that isn't so over the top as the catachan jungle fighters.

I'm reading the 2nd dark eldar book right now it is awesome and it does take place on Commargh. So you get all the back stabbing and evil. Like a poster above me stated it's what makes them so much better then the eldar books which are as bland as dry toast.

It's difficult to go wrong with anything written by Aaron Dembski-Bowden or Dan Abnett.

Cadian Blood
Titanicus
Helsreach
Gaunt's Ghosts
Double Eagle
Night Lords Trilogy
Eisenhorn Omnibus
Ravenor Omnibus

Read 'em all. You won't be sorry.

OP, the Pariah book is really awesome, but I would recommend reading the Eisenhorn and Ravenor trilogies first (both out in omnibus editions for easy to get awesomeness), as there are a number of references to both series throughout the book.... Plus, its a bit of a wait til the next part of the Pariah story (part 2 isn't due out til next year)

And the Xenos Hunter book is a collection of short stories about the Deathwatch.... And much like most collections of short stories, some are good, some are bad, some are meh.... But overall I would say avoid it, coz it wasn't that great overall IMO

Anything by Dan Abnett is worth reading. Highly recommend his Inquisitor novels, & gaunts ghosts.

Do not miss:

1. Dan Abnett's Inquisitor series. (Begins with Xenos, goes through three trilogies, the third of which is still in production.)
2. Sandy Mitchell's Ciaphas Cain. (Begins with For the Emperor! and also goes through a trilogy of trilogies, the last of which is complete.)
3. The Night Lords series by Aaron Dembski-Bowden. Personally my favorite author in the Black Library. A single trilogy, beginning with Soul Hunter.
4. Let the Galaxy Burn! Not the Horus Heresy novel, but the collection of short stories edited by Christian Dunn and Marc Gascoigne. Best investment in the Black Library you'll ever make. With such a huge collection of short stories, covering such a wide range of topics, it will be able to help you find out which authors you do and don't enjoy, as well as showing you which factions you like reading about, and which you'd rather avoid. This book led me to several of the authors I like so much now.

Avoid:

1. The Soul Drinkers books. I couldn't finish them.
2. The Horus Heresy. (As a series.) With the pacing, theme, and artistic style so haphazard (due to the rotating author idea they're going with) it makes it really hard to be assured of enjoying them all. Personal opinion, you're better served just picking up the ones by the authors you know you like.

I think that part of the problem with making these recommendations is that people have such widely varying tastes. Personally, I find military fiction to be drab and uninteresting. I prefer character driven drama with compelling narratives and subtle, unifying themes. (Which is why I like Bowden and Abnett so much.) Failing that, I want to be entertained. (And then I turn to Mitchell.) If you like hard-boiled military action (and there's nothing wrong with that; it's a huge part of the feast that is 40k) then you are going to like completely different stories than I will.

In any event, I hope that helps.

 DarthMarko wrote:

 dreamakuma wrote:
Legion of the damned is a fine read. Stay away from James swallow's blood angel books.

Just out of curiosity, what bugs you the most ???
(*waiting to see if you gonna match my observation*)

Rafen is made sooooo bloody fething important, Characters act out of character (The inquisitor and dante.....), and events are too huge for a 40k fiction. With how it's written, I compare James Swallow's BA books to fething poor fanfiction.