Recommendations for 40k books

[Grinrow]

Hello over the past 3 months I've gotten into the 40k lore and I was wondering, what are the best 40k books to pick up? The only 40k book I've read so far was the Fabious bile novel that was very good with interesting characters and philosophy.

 

[BoingoTango]

Oh boy, I've been wanting to know where to start with 40k books. This should be good.

 

[eldri]

Horus Heresy (Recommended reading orders #1 and #2)
Eisenhorn Series
Ravenhorn Series (Sequel to Eisenhorn)

I just finished Wrath of Iron (involves Slaanesh), a self-contained story, and just started Fulgrim. Wrath of Iron was great because it blurs the line of morality on the part of humans.

 

[Y2K Baby]

That's a whole lot of books!

 

[Grinrow]

Horus Heresy (Recommended reading orders #1 and #2)
Eisenhorn Series
Ravenhorn Series (Sequel to Eisenhorn)

I just finished Wrath of Iron (involves Slaanesh), a self-contained story, and just started Fulgrim.

God damn I've got some reading to do it will be the actual 41st millennium by the time I'm done

 

[CamelCursive]

Gaunt's Ghosts is a great introduction. It keeps the "ruinous powers" kinda vague, so if you don't know much about the setting it is still just as immersive.

Helsreach is, IMHO, the one book I've read where a Space Marine is a relatable character with emotions. And if you haven't watched the series on Youtube, DO IT.

 

[((CH3)2Hg)]

If you like the space marines in particular I always enjoy Helsreach by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, which is book 2 in the space marines battles series.
You can find the list of all of them here: https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Space_Marine_Battles_(Novel_Series)#Novels_in_the_series

 

[Grinrow]

Gaunt's Ghosts is a great introduction. It keeps the "ruinous powers" kinda vague, so if you don't know much about the setting it is still just as immersive.

Helsreach is, IMHO, the one book I've read where a Space Marine is a relatable character with emotions. And if you haven't watched the series on Youtube, DO IT.

Cheers, I'll check it out. The best stories imo aren't the massive battles and glorious victories its the Half unstoppable super soldier half-human with emotions and thoughts. One of the most memorable things in 40k (idk how to do Spoilers) is in the Space Marine game where Titus falls down exhausted and the Lieutenant realises that the space marines are still human and Titus says more than you know. That was a really memorable and heartfelt line.

 

[eldri]

Cheers, I'll check it out. The best stories imo aren't the massive battles and glorious victories its the Half unstoppable super soldier half-human with emotions and thoughts. One of the most memorable things in 40k (idk how to do Spoilers) is in the Space Marine game where Titus falls down exhausted and the Lieutenant realises that the space marines are still human and Titus says more than you know. That was a really memorable and heartfelt line.

Also, if you can't spare the cash to buy the books, /tg/ usually has a Warhammer 40k thread with mega links to most of the books.

 

[Grinrow]

Also, if you can't spare the cash to buy the books, /tg/ usually has a Warhammer 40k thread with mega links to most of the books.

Thanks I'll keep that in mind. Even though gw can be pretty big jews its still good to support the writers that make great stories

 

[CamelCursive]

Cheers, I'll check it out. The best stories imo aren't the massive battles and glorious victories its the Half unstoppable super soldier half-human with emotions and thoughts. One of the most memorable things in 40k (idk how to do Spoilers) is in the Space Marine game where Titus falls down exhausted and the Lieutenant realises that the space marines are still human and Titus says more than you know. That was a really memorable and heartfelt line.

Then you'll love how Chaplain Grimaldus is portrayed in Helsreach.

You see a more human side than you would expect.

Out of not just a fucking Space Marine- but a Black Templar Recclusiarch (Senior Chaplain). AKA "A fuckmad killing machine that is even more fuckmad that most fuckmad killing machines, and just so happens to be so fuckmad that he is the guy that makes all the other fuckmad killing machines even more fuckmad"

 

[Sīn the Moon Daddy]

Ciaphas Cain.
HERO OF THE IMPERIUM

 

[TerribleIdeas™]

The Shira Calpurnia trilogy looked promising, but I haven't got to it, yet. Ciaphus Cain books are good if you want something with a little humour in them, but Gaunt's Ghosts has a really deep story, and Ravenor and Eisenhorn are both great series. Some of the stand alone books about the Successor Chapters can be alright, like the various books that go into the Flesh Tearers, or the double trilogy about the Soul Drinkers. The Ahriman books were actually surprisingly good, if your only knowledge of him is from the DoW RTS games, where he's just batshit crazy; the trilogy actually tries to explain his motivations. Oh, and if you want to go insane, try reading anything with the Alpha Legion, and see if you can figure out if they're deluding themselves, the Imperium, or absolutely everyone.

 

[Grinrow]

Then you'll love how Chaplain Grimaldus is portrayed in Helsreach.

You see a more human side than you would expect.

Out of not just a fucking Space Marine- but a Black Templar Recclusiarch (Senior Chaplain). AKA "A fuckmad killing machine that is even more fuckmad that most fuckmad killing machines, and just so happens to be so fuckmad that he is the guy that makes all the other fuckmad killing machines even more fuckmad"

Just shows that he is Human. No human can stay calm when theres disgusting xeno scum around

 

[CamelCursive]

Just shows that he is Human. No human can stay calm when theres disgusting xeno scum around

Any human that is calm, isn't killing the xenos, and therefore is a goddamned heretic and should be given the Emperor's Peace.

In front of the others, so they will be more motivated to kill the xenos.

...try reading anything with the Alpha Legion, and see if you can figure out if they're deluding themselves, the Imperium, or absolutely everyone.

The answer to that is

Spoiler

Yes.

 

[TerribleIdeas™]

Any human that is calm, isn't killing the xenos, and therefore is a goddamned heretic and should be given the Emperor's Peace.

In front of the others, so they will be more motivated to kill the xenos.

One of the best background characters from the Ciaphas Cain books was the disgraced commissar working for Amberly that was on the battle-drug cocktail... just a raged out fuckup that started cleansing his own men, survived, was thrown into a penal battalion, survived repeatedly, and then Amberly found out about him, and got his dosages adjusted enough to make him semi-useful as an Inquisitor's Agent.

 

[Grinrow]

The Shira Calpurnia trilogy looked promising, but I haven't got to it, yet. Ciaphus Cain books are good if you want something with a little humour in them, but Gaunt's Ghosts has a really deep story, and Ravenor and Eisenhorn are both great series. Some of the stand alone books about the Successor Chapters can be alright, like the various books that go into the Flesh Tearers, or the double trilogy about the Soul Drinkers. The Ahriman books were actually surprisingly good, if your only knowledge of him is from the DoW RTS games, where he's just batshit crazy; the trilogy actually tries to explain his motivations. Oh, and if you want to go insane, try reading anything with the Alpha Legion, and see if you can figure out if they're deluding themselves, the Imperium, or absolutely everyone.

Going off of how Alpharius is I think they're definitely going to realize that they're all insane and not just completely go off the deep end and hate everyone and anything that moves

 

[CamelCursive]

Going off of how Alpharius is I think they're definitely going to realize that they're all insane and not just completely go off the deep end and hate everyone and anything that moves

Or, the Alpha Legion is Alpharius.

And I don't mean, "I am Alpharius" like when they introduce themselves.

I mean, they are all literally a shared consciousness or aspect of their Primarch. In one of the books it was talking about swapping consciousness by consuming blood and some other nonsense. Therefore, it is entirely plausible that Alpharius is, in fact, his entire Legion.

 

[Grinrow]

Or, the Alpha Legion is Alpharius.

And I don't mean, "I am Alpharius" like when they introduce themselves.

I mean, they are all literally a shared consciousness or aspect of their Primarch. In one of the books it was talking about swapping consciousness by consuming blood and some other nonsense. Therefore, it is entirely plausible that Alpharius is, in fact, his entire Legion.

What if they're so FUCKING ANGRY! that they've ascended past mortal anger and have evolved to have a hive mind of complete hatred I guess that proves that hatred brings everyone together in unity and we should all just hate everything that isn't us

 

[Sīn the Moon Daddy]

Or, the Alpha Legion is Alpharius.

And I don't mean, "I am Alpharius" like when they introduce themselves.

I mean, they are all literally a shared consciousness or aspect of their Primarch. In one of the books it was talking about swapping consciousness by consuming blood and some other nonsense. Therefore, it is entirely plausible that Alpharius is, in fact, his entire Legion.

That was the best short story ever. Notable for an appearance by the Sisters of Silence