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.

So I'm a long-time painter and gamer but recently started listening to 40k podcasts that discuss 40k lore.

It opened my eyes to how much of the hobby I am missing out on.

Can anyone interested please let me know:

(1) Your favourite book/series

(2) The best books showcasing the Dark Eldar

(3) The order of books in the Horus Heresy for me to start reading!

Thanks heaps

Okay, so in order:

1) Gaunt's Ghosts - all books, Night Lords trilogy, Ciaphas Cane books (more of a humorous slant on 40K), Black Legion books for starters. Primogenitor and Kharn, Eater of Worlds are also notable.

2) Path of the Archon. Other than that there hasn't been a great deal focusing on Drukhari to my knowledge.

3) Horus Rising onwards. Have a look in the front of one of the more recent books for the specific order. Warning, there are some good books in that series but it is interspersed with absolute trash at times - which is why I stopped reading the series.

Black library is fantastic. It is a another aspect of the hobby that really gives you a different spin on things. I hope you enjoy your reading!

For me however, in order
1) fulgrim (book five of HH), kharn eater of world's and the red path are my favourites.
2) no idea
3) Horus rising, false gods and galaxy in flames are the first three of the HH and are all great. They follow the fall of Horus and isstvan III. Books 1-7 are all great but avoid 8 and 9. That's as far as I've gotten so far!

Hope this helps a lttle

I started off with the Ultramarines (first and second), Blood Angels (first and second) and Grey Knights omnibuses. Then to get back into WH40K for 8th Edition I bought the Dark Imperium hardback.

My personal favourites were the Space Marines omnibuses. Great writing by Graham McNeil, James Swallow and Ben Counter, and great value too.

I don't know about 2, and 3 has already been answered, but for #1 - Eisenhorn series by Dan Abnett. It's a popular answer, but for good reason. They're a cracking good read, and being about the Inquisition you get more behind the scenes in the Imperium which makes a change from the frontlines war stories you get in a lot of the books.

All of Dan Abnett's Inquisition novels: Eisenhorn Trilogy, Ravenor Trilogy, assorted shorts. His other novels are good too-- I liked Titanicus and the one about the naval bomber squadron. I think he's the best of the Black Library's regulars.

I'll add a meek caution against the Horus Heresy... there were some good books in there, but it's a massive commitment to a sprawling series in the hands of dozens of authors, so there are both hits and misses.

I really want to get into BL so I bought some E books... They kinda put me off... It just felt like I was listing to a hormone fulled teenagers interpretation of Lord of The Rings but only the battle scenes. Like men who think they know what's it's like to be manly but they have actually never been a manly. XD Maybe it was just that series. XD I should try some more some time and see if it is any different.

Black Library has a reading order list - it looks like they mostly go by number : https://www.blacklibrary.com/horus-heresy-reading-order.html

Personally, I tend to prioritize good reading over finishing a series, so I frequently consult Goodreads to get some ratings: https://www.goodreads.com/series/40983-the-horus-heresy

 lolman1c wrote:
I really want to get into BL so I bought some E books... They kinda put me off... It just felt like I was listing to a hormone fulled teenagers interpretation of Lord of The Rings but only the battle scenes. Like men who think they know what's it's like to be manly but they have actually never been a manly. XD Maybe it was just that series. XD I should try some more some time and see if it is any different.

What did you read? I've found sticking to the popular books has produced some great reads, start to stray into the more obscure though and there's a few stinkers out there.

Edit: on topic, my favourite series' are Gaunts Ghosts, Ciaphas Cain, Eisenhorn. All are good places to start with Black Library, although all are 40k if HH is your thing.

Thank you everyone for such great replies! Time for me to get started

Can't see it mentioned, but Humble Bundle have a Black Library ebook bundle on now. It's pretty good value.

Only thing with it, is that its the first book from many series. But at least you can read the first book cheaply before deciding to get the rest of them.

1 the first heretic the iron warriors omnibus the purge and talon of Horus as well as black legion are my favorite's
2) ove not read any books on dark eldar
3) start from Horus rising

Try audible they have a large selection of the black library books including the awesome eisenhorn
The path of the dark eldar books by Andy chambers are good

hummus wrote:
Try audible they have a large selection of the black library books including the awesome eisenhorn
The path of the dark eldar books by Andy chambers are good

I gave Audible a go. I'm hooked! Thanks for the suggestion