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Instead of just a general reading thread, this one focuses on the vast Black Library of Games Workshop. Hopefully it can encourage people to try out some new books and stories from them as well as other things such as audiobooks and comics. Over the years a lot has been put out and some is still in print, some is in digital and some is currently only found through secondhand.


Myself I'm currently flitting between Status: Deadzone, which is a collection of classic Necromunda short stories; and Inferno Classic Issue 2 (just read one of the first stories of the mighty Sigmar and how he found is mighty Hammer Ghal Maraz. Hoping to finish at least one if not both by the end of the week in readiness for the new novella releases at the weekend (I'm thinking on getting them in digital - mostly because I'm very short on space where I am and it leaves room for the new print run of the classic Inferno issues in the new year)



Note as this sort of covers all of GW productions in general I figured general Dakka was the best place for it as it doesn't fit into any one of the other specific game segments. However if mods feel there's a better home please do move

I just finished Master of Mankind today. Pretty dope read. I wasn't sure where it was going for a minute, but ADB always brings the thunder in the end. His ability to write a really strong ending is a rare skill in the writing world.

Reading City of Secrets right now. Have Skarsnik and Van Horstmann lined up to read as I work on those armies.

Going through the old Inferno! reprints, on #4 right now. I'm also re-reading Execution and A Company Of Shadows after that.

Hoping to get the Ork audio drama today, as the last week I've been listening to way too much Titan's Bane, Face of the Void and Agent of the Throne. I need some new audio dramas.

Gone to an older one in my library this time. I'm about halfway through Sandy Mitchell's 'Scourge The Heretic'. It's doing a big buildup that's for sure, not a great deal has happened so far.

I just read Nemesis... and it was very "okay"

This is coming from finishing a few fantasy books and a reread of Gaunts Ghosts and Brothers of the Snake

Reading the Chaos Champions book right now. I’ve got about 30 pages left of the Sigvald story (which is honestly fairly tame for the suggested debauchery of Slaanesh champions), and will soon start the Valkia story.

Finished Scourge the Heretic, and it became abundantly clear about two thirds of the way through that there is a sequel I’ll need to pick up. Not having it i’ve started Dark Imperium and picked up Plague Wars and Lords of Silence today.

Still going through the Inferno! reprints, but also listening to a load of audio dramas courtesy of the Humble Audio Bundle. Mixed bag, but some good stuff in there at least.

Also got the ork audio drama and it's not a good one.

I'm on the horus heresy books, annoyed because I've found out how many there are. Currently I'm on the word bearers train, having just finished first heretic, and got know no fear and betrayer to go.

The novella collection arrived earlier this week, so working my way through that in no real particular order.

So far I've read Fury Steel Daemon, which was meh, the Bloodied Rose, which was great and Wanted: Dead, which was okay. Right now going through Auric Gods which is okay so far.

On the audio front, listened to Scions of Elysia for the first time, can't even remember from what audio / reading bundle I got that one, but good enough for me personally that I've decided to order it's sequels upon coming home.

I said this over in the Why Aren't You Playing AoS thread, but I really enjoyed the new Gotrek audiodrama. It's basically an ongoing conversation between a WHFB veteran and an Age of Sigmar player:

Gotrek, looking at Age of Sigmar thing: What nonesense is this?!
AoS character accompanying Gotrek: That is *insert AoS name of person/place/thing*, which has-
Gotrek: *Brian Blessed Noises* The Old World was better!

I'm working through the Horus Heresy audiobooks. Have just finished Fallen Angels.

I'm starting A Thousand Sons today. Just listening to and from work on my commute, so get 1 to 2 hours a day listening.

I really enjoyed Legion and Flight of the Eisenstein, but I really disliked Battle for (of?) the Abyss... even to the point that I accidentally skipped the last but one chapter, didn't notice for a litlte bit and then didn't care and was happy for it to be over.

Finished Dark Imperium and taking a step back into the past and reading 'The Last Ditch' (Ciaphas Cain) by Sandy Mitchell. So far, so good. The last Cain one I read (The Emperor's Finest) was a bit of a slog, so it'd be nice to see a return to form.

I'm currently reading Wolfblade, which deals with Ragnar Blackmane spending time on Holy Terra as a bodyguard for a Navigator House. It's a good read so far.

Just finished Heart of Winter and before that I've read Warqueen, The Bloodied Rose and Wanted: DEAD. The new Novella series is a great read!

The longer format than a short story lets the writers have more room to develop themes and the story, whilst the shorter length than a novel makes them an ideal one or two evening read.

I've done a bit of a review in my blog (link in signature); but upshot is that I'd strongly recommend them!

Finished Realmslayer - great last line

Enjoyed all the Novella so far

Bone Desert - fun with Gotrek his companion, a bit more world building including unpleasent K Overlords pirates.

Heart of Winter: More Corsair fun and loads of intersting stuff

Red Hours; Read a bit like a murder mystery or a rpg session interesting characters

Wanted Dead: Good solid necromunda story.

Oh and Overeread - enjoyed your blog reviews thanks

Thanks Morden!
I've held off on reading Bone Desert because I want to catch up with Gotrek from the beginning. So that means steadily reading of shorts in Inferno Reprints and getting the two Omnibus editions that BL has made (well is making as the second isn't out yet).

I must say whilst BL is messing around a lot with putting the same short stories into multiple different Age of Sigmar collected books; they are doing great at putting stories together for the Classic Warhammer fiction.

I finally caught up with the last two Gaunts Ghosts books - Salvation’s Reach and Warmaster, and that prompted me to go back and re-read some of the older ones again. I can’t believe I was two books behind.

Reading them again, it’s amazing how well they stand up. I know they get a lot of comparisons to Sharpe, but really, after the first few books, I think they’re far superior in exploring a world and filling that world with interesting, complex characters (Sharpe tends to always be a daring adventure story with the same few). Dan Abnett always does such a good job of making the 40k universe believable and in this he does a really good job of showing how the Guard actually function - from examining how Commissars actually have to function for that concept to work (hint: shooting everyone all the time doesn’t really work) to examining the intra-agency issues the Imperium has, to the way in which Ghosts’ personal issues (age, family, mixed gender regiments) play into the stories. Really good stuff.

Of course, I might be thinking a lot of this because I’d read some of the Macharius books beforehand which were.....a bit lacking. Despite being about the best general ever, we never really see that. Instead, each books is basically a gung-ho adventure story with Macharius (personally) fighting the Dark Eldar or a Greater Daemon or something. Lasgun porn.

Just finished ‘The Last Ditch’. Another solid Cain novel about his misadventures. Undecided on what to read next. Either one of the new novellas, Lords of Silence or Plague War I think.

Just finished Slaves to Darkness. My goodness - great stuff.

I think James Swallow is my favourite chaos writer - he clearly enjoys the subject and gives it much more depth than just spikes and skulls.

I ended up reading ‘Wanted: Dead’ last night. I enjoyed it for my first taste of Necromunda lore. It name dropped quite a few of the major houses, and showed me it’s not necessarily kill on sight amongst the rival gangs.

Still reading I.W’s Spacemarine

Working my way through the two Horus Heresy novellas, they're a bit of a chore for me personally to go through, but once done with those I can move onto the Age of Sigmar segment of the series.

Hoping to pick up the two Elysian audio dramas tomorrow, really looking forward to those after reading the prequel short story about the tower earlier this week.

Picked up Renegades of Elysia and Martyrs of Elysia today, gave them both a listen as soon as I was home. Renegades suffers a bit from being the middle of a trilogy, though Martyrs has a nice, if somewhat awfully predictable plot twist that I felt was coming the first time I listened to Scions of Elysia.

Also got the novelisation for Blackstone Fortress, will dig into that as soon as I'm done with those novellas.

Started back on the Night Lords omnibus. Read the short, Throne of Lies, and am now into Blood Reaver. ADB really nails it with these. Picked up a bunch more books today as well, more added to the pile of ‘to read’.

Just finished Ghost Warrior by Gav Thorpe.

Just started the Shira Calpurnia omnibus. Classic read that I've never gotten around to.

I’ve just finished Blood Reaver. I enjoyed it almost as much as Soul Hunter. Need to decide what to read next. I have quite a few options so i’ll just see what mood I’m in tomorrow.

I ended up starting reading Plague War. Almost halfway through already. I’m absolutely loving it.

I finished Plague War this morning, that must be a new personal best for me. It's up there with the best Black Library books I've ever read.

Just been to my local Warhammer store as I was passing by and picked up Talon of Horus, so I may make a start on that later.