BOOKS FOR THE BOOK GOD!! A 40K thread

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Some time ago a friend of mine got me into Warhammer 40k, via Dawn of War. Since then I've become more and more interested in the universe. Unfortunately there's only so many times you can read the wiki on everything, so I've decided to start reading some of the novels. From what I'd heard from various sources was that anything by Dan Abnet was pretty good, so I recently got myself copies of The Founding, The Saint and The Lost.

My sources were right. I've only just gotten through the first 200 pages or so of The Founding but the whole thing has been pretty fucking awesome so far, and I'm spending hour after hour reading through. However, there are quite a lot of other 40k books out there and I'm not sure what others are as great as these ones. Can anyone recommend any others to get once I've finished these 3?

Also I suppose you can use this thread for any other 40k novel discussion if you want.

[krogothwolf]

Yes, Gaunt's Ghost is pretty damn Sweet. So is The Eisenhorn Trilogy and Ravenor Trilogy.

Other good series are the Space Wolf, the Ultramarine's and the Grey Knight's ones.

Soul Drinker's, The Blood Angel and the Ciaphas Cain series aren't to bad either.

Felix and Gotrek from the Warhammer Fantasy Universe is another good read.

The Horus Heresy Series has great books and crappy books thanks to a multitude of writers working on it.

There are a few pretty good One shot books as well to look for, Like Brother's of the Snake and Titanic us. That's all I can think of right now though.

[Flarecobra]

One HIGHLY reccomnded series: Ciaphas Cain. You wouldn't regret it.

Also, the Horus Heracy series. Basically talks about how the whole deal regarding Chaos and the Imperium started.

Another good one, "Double Eagle." Imperial Guard vs Chaos, in air-to-air combat.

Finally, pretty much the only novel I've found with my favorite faction, "Faith and Fire."

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Yeah I saw some of the Horus Heresy books in the couple of bookshops I checked out, but the series was kind of incomplete and began at like book 5 or something.

I think after I get through the ones I have now that I might like a change of pace from the Guard, so I'll probably look into some of the Space Marine titles first.

Oh and I should point out that I'm not really interested in the Warhammer Fantasy stuff. I know that 40k was based on Fantasy so they share some similarities, but I'm more of a sci-fi guy. Plus 40k is balls out crazy awesome.

Another question though; Are most of the novels based around the Imperium? Anything from the other races points of view?

[krogothwolf]

Storm of Iron is from Chaos and Imperial Guard POV, Dark Apsotle/Dark Creed are as well.

Farseer by William King is about the Eldar. Not sure if there are any Ork, Tyranid or Tau books where they are the focal point aside from being Enemies of the Imperium.

Tau/Tyranids/Dark Eldar in the Ultramarine series. Ork's in the Space Wolf series and a few others.

There are a couple books, 1 in the Ultramarine series and 1 In the Grey Knight series that involve the Main Characters on a World in the Eye of Terror.

Edit: There is the Novelization of the Game Fire Warrior(Tau) Not sure how good it is though.
Edit 2: Compilation of Short Stories might have a few stories from Xenos point of views.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Yeah well I'm kinda guessing there there isn't anything from the Tyranid or Necron POV, that would be kinda hard. Well, you could write a Nid novel, but it would probably just consist of "OM NOMNOM NOM BLARRRGHH! OM NOM NOM NOM RAAWWWRR OM NOM NOM *ACID BLAST!!* BLAAAEEUGHGHDFDHD OM NOM NOM NOM NOM *STAB STAB STAB* OM NOM!!"

Which, while an interesting take on the mind of an all consuming horde of giant super killing bugs, would make for a dificult read. I'll certainly look into some of the others though, and I really hope there is something featuring Orks as the main characters, because that would be really quite funny.

Also, it's official; The Ghosts are the most badass group of soldiers in the Imperium, including the Space Marines. Anyone who argues otherwise is a fool and a liar.

[Flarecobra]

Originally Posted by Hawk

Yeah well I'm kinda guessing there there isn't anything from the Tyranid or Necron POV, that would be kinda hard. Well, you could write a Nid novel, but it would probably just consist of "OM NOMNOM NOM BLARRRGHH! OM NOM NOM NOM RAAWWWRR OM NOM NOM *ACID BLAST!!* BLAAAEEUGHGHDFDHD OM NOM NOM NOM NOM *STAB STAB STAB* OM NOM!!"

Which, while an interesting take on the mind of an all consuming horde of giant super killing bugs, would make for a dificult read. I'll certainly look into some of the others though, and I really hope there is something featuring Orks as the main characters, because that would be really quite funny.

Also, it's official; The Ghosts are the most badass group of soldiers in the Imperium, including the Space Marines. Anyone who argues otherwise is a fool and a liar.

Yeah, not too many of those around...

[Fifthfiend]

Warhammer fiction was incredibly disappointing after reading series cruft.

And by disappointing I mean I got several dozen pages in and nobody got shot in the back or had their throats stomped or was cut open with a chainsaw because the Imperium just couldn't think of a reason not to do these things.