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Hi people ! Having started to delve in the Black Library novels thanks to their pdf.s, I decided to make a top 5 list of my favorite pieces of fiction so far and see what were the ones of other people. So, let's jump right in. Also, spoilers warning : while explaining what I liked or disliked about these stories, I might reveal some key plot points. Oh, and sorry about my grammar, English is my second language.

1-The World Engine.

Where to begin with this one ? Probably with the beginning : a space marine chapter aboard a battle barge crashing on purpose their spaceship on a necron artificial world / superweapon and then waging a suicide battle in the hope of bringing down their enemies with them. If this isn't badass, then I don't know what is. Besides the overall plot, I like the atmosphere and fatalistic mood of the story : you know from the beginning that none of the characters is getting out of it alive, yet I couldn't help but getting attached to each of them (even thought most of them were alive for just one chapter). I was also pleased with how Space Marines were realistically portrayed : stronger than mere men, but not invincible. Even the almighty Chapter Master Amhrad made me think he could die at any moment. It was also an interesting story in regards of the inner politics of the various necron dynasties and their power struggles, and how they perceived themselves and their place in the galaxy. One thing that surprised me : necrons do take living being as slaves. I thought they mostly used canoptek cobstructs for their labour, but visibly, they also brainwash humans to serve a a workforce of sort.


2-Damnos (Fall of Damnos and Spear of Macragge).

Another story where the necrons are the bad guys. These xenos are interesting because they are capable of showing to the Astartes that they are not the hottest stuff around. These two stories made me feel the despair of the imperial citizen of Damnos, Especially when the necrons just obliterated a major battle barge that was in orbit and when their canoptek constructs simply phased throught the imperial guard bunkers and slaughtered the soldiers inside. These two stories show ho the necrons, with their alien and arcane technology, are a threat that is difficult to counter for the Imperium. I also like the three main Space Marines of these stories, Scipio, Iulus and Praxor. Scipio was the marine who felt he failed in the past and was now trying to redeem himself. Iulus was surprised on how he formed bonds with a human named Falka from what remained of the Damnosian forces, and Praxor went from a Sicarius fanboy to a more brooding and skeptic character as the war progressed.
Also, it's always cool when Sicarius gets wrecked (and he really gets it in the first story).

3-Blood of Asaheim (Blood of Asaheim and Stormcaller).

Two interesting stories, mistly because of the characters and of the tension between them. Ingvar, the main character, returns to his wolf pack after his service with the Deathwatch. Not only is he seen as an outsider, he feels like one since now he realize that the ways of his chapter are not always the best. The second story shows us how the Ecclesiarchy is really scummy in the relationship with the Space Wolves and even with members of its organization. One problem I had with these two stories is how the Astartes are more in line with the Movie Marines than what you would expect from a game on the tabletop. Hell, there is a part in the first story where a young bloodclaw is teaining by veing chased by a thunderhawk who's shooting at him with its heavy bolters. Also, a single wolf pack is deployed to help deal with an insurrection, and at one point they go full commando on a tank line at night. Had they been Wolf Guards veterans, I might have suspended my disbelief, but it's almost as if Matt Ward had become a space wolves fanboy and written a novel about it. Still, the rest of the stories is okay.

4-Silver Skulls : Portents

An interesting story about a minor chapter who doesn't get much exposure. The real gem of this book is how it explores the tensions that can exist within a single space marine chapter when its marines come from different cultural background. The relationship between Djul and Gileas was an interesting one, but it ended flat in my opinion. Also, the main antagonists and their goal were kinda generic : chaos space marines wanting to turn a world into a daemon world. A surprising change in this book was that the Astartes were realistic, while the chaos astartes were way stronger than them (which is okay in my opinion, considering the gifts of chaos they had). However, the battles are kinda bland, with the marines suffering little to no casualty while searching for the hidden lair of the antagonists (which was hidden at an extremely obvious place of you ask me). I did enjoy the bit where a human sanctioned psyker saves the lives of three astartes. It was a nice and original idea.

5-Carcharodons :(The red tithe and The outer dark).

While the first was a-ok, the second one is vastly superior. The main problem of the first one : Carcharodons marines are kinda bland because of the brainwashing they undergo during their transformation. It's kinda hard to make an interesting story when your main roster of characters have only vague and subtle differences
Ironically, the second book is more interesting because there are more characters that aren't Carcharodons. It was also interesting to see them interact with a non-chaos renegade chapter and the battles were described in a visceral way. What I found hilarious in both novels was how Te Kahurangi and Khauri, both librarians of the chapter, one-shoted singlehandedly the main antagonist of both novels. The main appeal about these two books is the mystery surrounding the Carcharodons and their origins as a chapter. Even if these two stories are at the end of my list, I'd gladly read a new novel revealing more about this strange and brooding chapter.


So, what are your favorite 40k stories and why ?

1. Ciaphas Cain series. They are humorous and exciting.

2. Execution Hour and Shadow Point (The Gothic War). Space battles well done.

3. Eisenhorn and Gaunt’s Ghosts. Just the original trilogy and Gg through Sabbat Martyr.

4. The Eldar books by Thorpe. It’s nice to see some aliens’ perspective.

5. Nightbringer, Warriors of Ultramar. Good intros to the C’Tan and Tyranids.

Special Mention: all the short stories from the Deathwing-era collections up until and including Let the Galaxy Burn. A great source of original WH40k flavor.

Disclaimer - as a follower of the Ruinous Powers not a lot of my reading is from the Imperial side.

1. The Night Lords Omnibus - I know some people don't like the author, but I love these stories because they really show the Night lords and their serfs as being very human: they're weary, run down, emotional at times. It's the way a person really would feel in that sort of endless, pointless war.

2. Storm of Iron - I'd include the whole Iron Warriors omnibus, but in their wisdom the bridging middle story of Honsou's career as Warsmith is tied up in a separate Ultramrines novel. Storm of Iron again shows Chaos as being ruthless and evil, but each of the Iron Warriors captains is fleshed out, with their own agendas, rivalry etc. And it's nice to see a story where Chaos isn't the punching bag.

3. Lord of the Night - I wasn't expecting this to be as good as it turned out. The interweaving narrative of a stranded Night Lord marine and a member of an Inquisitor's retinue really works. There's a lot of tension as each side is betrayed from within, as the two main characters become disillusioned and the twist ending was really good (no spoilers).

4. the Fabius Bile books - these flesh out (heh) Bile as a character and add some really enjoyable secondary characters. I'm definitely look forward to the third book.

5. Forges of Mars - surprise Imperium focused pick! It's a good omnibus that makes the Mechanicum adepts actual characters (which is not something I expect with the AM). The only flaw is that like a lot of BL looks it suffers from overlong climax syndrome, the ending just seems to go on and on in an endless fight. It stops being tense after a while and just becomes tedious.

But aside from that one flaw it is a good series with good character arcs. Bonus points because it also features Guardsman Hawke, the lone Imperial survivor from Storm of Iron.

Note in any particular order…

Gaunt's Ghosts. Dan Abnett is just so good.

The Eldar Path trilogy. I really enjoyed the detailed look at life on the craftworlds. The way Gav Thorpe fleshed out Aspect Warrior training and the exarchs was a highlight.

The Night Lords trilogy. For me this was the best of the chaos story lines.

Ciaphas Cain. The first omnibus is what got me to make the jump into 40k. The cowardly commissar schtick got old by the end, however.

Ravenor series.

Honorable mention:

Brothers of the Snake. Abnett, again.

Fabius Bile series (Josh Reynolds)
Night Lords trilogy (Aaron Dembski-Bowden)
Isha's Lament (Thomas Parrott)
Ciaphas Cain (Sandy Mitchell)
Ravenor (Dan Abnett)

Eisenhorn Trilogy - The first BL novels I read, and still think they're really good. I still recommend them as a good introduction to the setting.

Horus Heresy Trilogy (Horus Rising, False Gods, Galaxy in Flames) - I've read all the novels in the HH series, but the quality is inconsistent to put it mildly, but the first 3 work well as a trilogy.

So that's 6 novels, as for the rest, I've not really read much BL because I was working through the HH series, and I read other stuff too.

1-Caiaphas Cain series
Remembers to have a sense of fun.
2- Know no Fear
"It then started to rain battle tanks" that is all.