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I'd like to start getting some additional 40k literature that isn't a $50 codex (much as I love them), but there's so many choices and it's my understanding that the quality varies drastically. So anyone have any suggestions? I'd especially like recommendations on books about either Chaos or AdMech.

For chaos, and I'm assuming you want black library stuff here, not too many people have anything bad to say about the night lords trilogy, I thought it was a good read personally if not quite how I imagined the night lords, and while I haven't read the word bearer trilogy, I have heard it's decent. If you want more sorcery, the recent Ahriman series was excellent and of course you can read any of the various horus heresy novels with chaos guys involved.

Talon of horus was ok, but don't get too excited if you actually expected to hear about horus. Would have made an excellent story except for the part where they find the kooky old warmaster IMHO. Some great ideas gone to waste there for sure.

Any or all of those should be enough to get you started.

Blood Gorgons I thought was a pretty cool little book about Chaos. Not the greatest thing I have ever read but was fun. It's been a while since I read it last though so can't remember much of the details.

You should absolutely check out the Horus Heresy novel, Legion by Dan Abnett. Another good one is Storm Of Iron.

All of the ciaphas Cain books

 Runic wrote:
You should absolutely check out the Horus Heresy novel, Legion by Dan Abnett. Another good one is Storm Of Iron.

Oh man, how could I forget about honsou, yeah, definitely get a hold of the iron warriors omnibus too, it's pretty damn rad.

Went ahead and ordered the Iron Warriors Omnibus and Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium to get what should be some nice variety. Any other books with major Commissar characters?

 Steinwand wrote:
Went ahead and ordered the Iron Warriors Omnibus and Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium to get what should be some nice variety. Any other books with major Commissar characters?

The Gaunts Ghost omnibuses are all good choices

The Eisenhorn trilogy may be told from an Imperial perspective, but it's still some of the best fluff out there, and Chaos plays in heavily as the big bad. I'll also second the Night Lords trilogy as a great series of books, and a really good take on a traitor warband.

Ahriman: The First Prince is a pretty good audiobook, detailing the meeting of Ahriman with the first daemon prince of chaos.

 Steinwand wrote:
Went ahead and ordered the Iron Warriors Omnibus and Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium to get what should be some nice variety. Any other books with major Commissar characters?

Gaunt's Ghosts, as recommended above.

Yarrick has a large series of ebooks and books, starting from his early career.

Do yourself a favour and avoid the book "Commissar" unless you can get it very cheaply. It reads like someone had read all of the above and wanted to make their own.

I Fully stand by my belief that everyone that has ever played 40k should read the Ultramarines Omnibus(es) and the Iron Warriors Omnibus. You really need both(well all three) to fully get the story from both perspectives and it's probably one of the best stories in the whole BL library.

Storm of Iron was what convinced me to sell my Tau and start Iron Warriors.

The HH series is another great one if you're looking for more Chaos Backstory. Some of the stories (to me anyways) just feel like they drag on forever, but it's written by multiple people, and not everyone writes the same way.

I've not read it, but I've heard Soul Drinkers is pretty good.

The Blood Angels Series touches on Chaos pretty well and is a decent read.

Don't read Warrior of Ultramar if you like the Death Korps, the author butchered their fluff in order to put the Ultra higher on their pedestal

Daemonworld is a fun read if nothing else. Best part is that it's all chaos, no filthy carrion worshipper to be seen in the book. It's one of the few decent books Ben Counter wrote.

If you can get your hands on it, Simon Spurrier's Lord of the Night was a pretty good read.

http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/mechanicum-hardback-edition.html

This book is great and it features admech, titans, knights and chaos