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What to read next?


Chesh

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While I’d dispute which of the two Cadia books are stronger, I can heartily recommend Honour.

 

From a chronological/narrative perspective, I might have rather read the Carrion Throne and Vaults of Terra books before I read Dark Imperium, but they’re all great read in quick succession

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Is that the first 40k book you've read, or are there others?

 

If you enjoyed Cadia Stands, Cadian Honour is a logical next read, as many of the folks here have already pointed out. If you haven't yet begun a pilgrimage into the Horus Heresy-era novels, Horus Rising is an absolute must-read. If you enjoy the Guard-centric stories, Gaunt's Chosts is one of my favorite series. The Talon of Horus and Black Legion are excellent novels depicting the rise of the Black Legion. The Night Lords trilogy is a personal favorite of mine, and features some of the most compelling anti-heroes you'll ever read about... lots of different routes to take! :biggrin.:

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While I’d dispute which of the two Cadia books are stronger, I can heartily recommend Honour.

 

I know a lot of people really liked Cadia Stands. I thought it was ok but not great. The Dunkirk vibe was cool but IMO it switched POV characters too much. It also appeared to set up the main character for a few chapters only for them to disappear for most of the rest of book! Just found it lacked focus and confused me.

 

However, that is not to say Justin D Hill is not a good author because I really enjoyed Terminal Velocity and Cadian Honour which were both brilliantly written and well structured.

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So if you're looking for the bare minimum 8th ed. rundown, Dark Imperium and Plague War are your best bets.

 

If you find you like Haley's writing, check out his Blood Angels novels and The Great Work for some big events happening on the other side of the galaxy.

 

If you're just looking for good 8th ed. novels, check out:

 

Cadian Honour

The Emperor's Legion

The Regent's Shadow

Spear of the Emperor

The Carrion Throne

The Hollow Mountain

The Horusian Wars

Apocalypse

The Lords of Silence

 

And holy :cuss is Black Library killing it with the setting's new status quo.

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So if you're looking for the bare minimum 8th ed. rundown, Dark Imperium and Plague War are your best bets.

 

If you find you like Haley's writing, check out his Blood Angels novels and The Great Work for some big events happening on the other side of the galaxy.

 

If you're just looking for good 8th ed. novels, check out:

 

Cadian Honour

The Emperor's Legion

The Regent's Shadow

Spear of the Emperor

The Carrion Throne

The Hollow Mountain

The Horusian Wars

Apocalypse

The Lords of Silence

 

And holy :cuss is Black Library killing it with the setting's new status quo.

Agreed.

 

This might merit its own thread but...

 

Has anyone ever put together a chronology of all the Gathering Storm and Dark Imperium BL books/audios we have had so far (inc those Gav Thorpe audios whose titles I can’t remember right now)?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hope it's okay I'm going to hijack this thread. Didn't want to create a new thread just to ask one question and this one seems to be the closest.

 

As someone who's read only the first four HH books (aages ago and gave up after FotE; let's just say I didn't like that book). I feel like I'm super behind and missing on all the fun people are having with Siege of Terra books. My question is, can I jump straight into it and start the Solar War? I believe I have a decent understanding of what happened and who the main characters are.

 

Has anyone done the same?

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You certainly could. You would miss out on a lot of the side plots obviously, its over 50 bloody novels of content you cant help that, but you could certainly jump in and get to the general notes of what is going on.

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Hope it's okay I'm going to hijack this thread. Didn't want to create a new thread just to ask one question and this one seems to be the closest.

 

As someone who's read only the first four HH books (aages ago and gave up after FotE; let's just say I didn't like that book). I feel like I'm super behind and missing on all the fun people are having with Siege of Terra books. My question is, can I jump straight into it and start the Solar War? I believe I have a decent understanding of what happened and who the main characters are.

 

Has anyone done the same?

 

Quite an interesting conundrum, just what would be the 'essential' novels to read before Terra? I would guess the original trilogy > (Little Horus) > Vengeful Spirit > (Wolfsbane?) > Slaves to Darkness. That would broadly be the SoH arc at least, that would get you from Istvaan, through the mid-Heresy and to Terra with a decent idea of how everything panned out from their perspective. Everything else looks pretty skippable in the grand scheme of things.

Edited by Qkhitai
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I don't think I would recommend Gaunt's Ghosts for people starting out nowadays. Necropolis is probably the first 'modern' book in the series in how it feels, but First and Only and Ghostmaker are all over the place, don't feel like modern 40k (or even 10-years-ago-40k) and don't really gel with where people will be coming from or even where they will be going afterwards. That's not to say they are bad books (Ghostmaker is though) but 'start here' stuff? I'm not feeling it, mangs. Gaunt's Ghosts and Dan Abnett's Inquisition work have drifted into the same time-capsule as Ian Watson's stuff did. Yes, recent Gaunt's Ghosts and Inquisition entries are up to snuff, but going from Eisenhorn to, say, Vaults of Terra or Horusian Wars is going to be one giant culture shock (I appreciate Eisenhorn/Ravenor laid the foundations for a lot of the urban 40k Wraight and French pull on, but I digress). IMO these series are more appropriate for fans who want to specifically dig into ye olde days, like Billy King's Ragnar stuff, than 'yo here's how the Inquisition functions.' In fact The Emperor's Gift gives you a 101 on the Inquisition's what, why, when, where and how in one book with a big tiddy Inquisitor, Grey Knights and the best Demon Primarch portrayal to date

 

I've been pretty reluctant to pick up Honourbound, but if and when I give it a shot I might recommend that as the ideal 'start here' for Guard/Imperial mortals. There's a few other good books out there like Fifteen Hours, Cadian Blood and people hype up Guy Haley's tank books, but finding them in print and not slapped into omnibuses isn't easy - and I would never recommend multiple-author omnibuses because it's more disappointing than a tub of Quality Street at Christmas

Edited by Bobss
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I don't think I would recommend Gaunt's Ghosts for people starting out nowadays. Necropolis is probably the first 'modern' book in the series in how it feels, but First and Only and Ghostmaker are all over the place, don't feel like modern 40k (or even 10-years-ago-40k) and don't really gel with where people will be coming from or even where they will be going afterwards. That's not to say they are bad books (Ghostmaker is though) but 'start here' stuff? I'm not feeling it, mangs. Gaunt's Ghosts and Dan Abnett's Inquisition work have drifted into the same time-capsule as Ian Watson's stuff did. Yes, recent Gaunt's Ghosts and Inquisition entries are up to snuff, but going from Eisenhorn to, say, Vaults of Terra or Horusian Wars is going to be one giant culture shock (I appreciate Eisenhorn/Ravenor laid the foundations for a lot of the urban 40k Wraight and French pull on, but I digress). IMO these series are more appropriate for fans who want to specifically dig into ye olde days, like Billy King's Ragnar stuff, than 'yo here's how the Inquisition functions.' In fact The Emperor's Gift gives you a 101 on the Inquisition's what, why, when, where and how in one book with a big tiddy Inquisitor, Grey Knights and the best Demon Primarch portrayal to date

I agree that the first two Ghosts books are outdated (and among Abnett’s lesser works), but Eisenhorn still holds up to me as a decent introduction. One of the big challenges with getting invested in the setting is the sheer mass of information to wade through. The Eisenhorn trilogy is one of the few 40k series that someone can pick up and enjoy without much pre-existing knowledge or a tab open to Lexicanum. And while it’s a little long in the tooth, it still presents the central concepts of the setting and the Inquisition accurately enough that one can transition to 40k proper.

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I've been pretty reluctant to pick up Honourbound, but if and when I give it a shot I might recommend that as the ideal 'start here' for Guard/Imperial mortals. There's a few other good books out there like Fifteen Hours, Cadian Blood and people hype up Guy Haley's tank books, but finding them in print and not slapped into omnibuses isn't easy - and I would never recommend multiple-author omnibuses because it's more disappointing than a tub of Quality Street at Christmas

I'll go to bat for Honourbound. It's a solid story, self-contained, and gives a great first impression of the IG. Severina Raine is a much more traditional commissar than any of the other famous ones, but I feel that serves the story well. The 11th Antari rifles, while a standard line regiment, bring plenty of their home culture, which feels vaguely Irish. If you want to full experience, I recommend the short stories featuring Raine first, as they're all prequels and will flesh out a number of relationships. None of them are essential, but they will have you going, "Hmm... Why is <spoiler> so important?" whereas Honourbound answers that question.
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I don't think I would recommend Gaunt's Ghosts for people starting out nowadays. Necropolis is probably the first 'modern' book in the series in how it feels, but First and Only and Ghostmaker are all over the place, don't feel like modern 40k (or even 10-years-ago-40k) and don't really gel with where people will be coming from or even where they will be going afterwards. That's not to say they are bad books (Ghostmaker is though) but 'start here' stuff? I'm not feeling it, mangs. Gaunt's Ghosts and Dan Abnett's Inquisition work have drifted into the same time-capsule as Ian Watson's stuff did. Yes, recent Gaunt's Ghosts and Inquisition entries are up to snuff, but going from Eisenhorn to, say, Vaults of Terra or Horusian Wars is going to be one giant culture shock (I appreciate Eisenhorn/Ravenor laid the foundations for a lot of the urban 40k Wraight and French pull on, but I digress). IMO these series are more appropriate for fans who want to specifically dig into ye olde days, like Billy King's Ragnar stuff, than 'yo here's how the Inquisition functions.' In fact The Emperor's Gift gives you a 101 on the Inquisition's what, why, when, where and how in one book with a big tiddy Inquisitor, Grey Knights and the best Demon Primarch portrayal to date

I agree that the first two Ghosts books are outdated (and among Abnett’s lesser works), but Eisenhorn still holds up to me as a decent introduction. One of the big challenges with getting invested in the setting is the sheer mass of information to wade through. The Eisenhorn trilogy is one of the few 40k series that someone can pick up and enjoy without much pre-existing knowledge or a tab open to Lexicanum. And while it’s a little long in the tooth, it still presents the central concepts of the setting and the Inquisition accurately enough that one can transition to 40k proper.

 

I don't know if I agree that a book like Xenos is the best way for someone to start in 40k or with the Inquisition. The book felt like an characteristically un-40k-like roadtrip replete with made-up aliens and their funky warp gates that Eisenhorn and a bunch of stormtroopers tag along with to foil the plot of some bad guys with a few Emperor's Children in there? That's all I can remember, and it was honestly one of the worst Black Library books I've ever read. Malleus and Hereticus (never mind Ravenor and the Bequin stuff) were an improvement, but colour me thoroughly unimpressed for a 'legendary series.' Another legendary series in the form of Night Lords (which isn't a perfect series by any stretch) still kicks ass and serves its purpose 10 years on, and will continue to do so 10 years from now as well

 

Different strokes for different folks I guess

 

 

I've been pretty reluctant to pick up Honourbound, but if and when I give it a shot I might recommend that as the ideal 'start here' for Guard/Imperial mortals. There's a few other good books out there like Fifteen Hours, Cadian Blood and people hype up Guy Haley's tank books, but finding them in print and not slapped into omnibuses isn't easy - and I would never recommend multiple-author omnibuses because it's more disappointing than a tub of Quality Street at Christmas

I'll go to bat for Honourbound. It's a solid story, self-contained, and gives a great first impression of the IG. Severina Raine is a much more traditional commissar than any of the other famous ones, but I feel that serves the story well. The 11th Antari rifles, while a standard line regiment, bring plenty of their home culture, which feels vaguely Irish. If you want to full experience, I recommend the short stories featuring Raine first, as they're all prequels and will flesh out a number of relationships. None of them are essential, but they will have you going, "Hmm... Why is <spoiler> so important?" whereas Honourbound answers that question.

 

 

I might give it a shot. I usually avoid authors that people hugely praise and hype up (fun fact: I wasn't too happy when people were tripping over themselves to praise ADB in 2010 and I was unhappy Anthony Reynolds wasn't getting to write Lorgar's fall!) but I feel like a good, new Guard series is my cup of tea right now. Answer me this: is Severina Raine a pun on Ciaphas Cain?

Edited by Bobss
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I don't think I would recommend Gaunt's Ghosts for people starting out nowadays. Necropolis is probably the first 'modern' book in the series in how it feels, but First and Only and Ghostmaker are all over the place, don't feel like modern 40k (or even 10-years-ago-40k) and don't really gel with where people will be coming from or even where they will be going afterwards. That's not to say they are bad books (Ghostmaker is though) but 'start here' stuff? I'm not feeling it, mangs. Gaunt's Ghosts and Dan Abnett's Inquisition work have drifted into the same time-capsule as Ian Watson's stuff did. Yes, recent Gaunt's Ghosts and Inquisition entries are up to snuff, but going from Eisenhorn to, say, Vaults of Terra or Horusian Wars is going to be one giant culture shock (I appreciate Eisenhorn/Ravenor laid the foundations for a lot of the urban 40k Wraight and French pull on, but I digress). IMO these series are more appropriate for fans who want to specifically dig into ye olde days, like Billy King's Ragnar stuff, than 'yo here's how the Inquisition functions.' In fact The Emperor's Gift gives you a 101 on the Inquisition's what, why, when, where and how in one book with a big tiddy Inquisitor, Grey Knights and the best Demon Primarch portrayal to date

I agree that the first two Ghosts books are outdated (and among Abnett’s lesser works), but Eisenhorn still holds up to me as a decent introduction. One of the big challenges with getting invested in the setting is the sheer mass of information to wade through. The Eisenhorn trilogy is one of the few 40k series that someone can pick up and enjoy without much pre-existing knowledge or a tab open to Lexicanum. And while it’s a little long in the tooth, it still presents the central concepts of the setting and the Inquisition accurately enough that one can transition to 40k proper.

I don't know if I agree that a book like Xenos is the best way for someone to start in 40k or with the Inquisition. The book felt like an characteristically un-40k-like roadtrip replete with made-up aliens and their funky warp gates that Eisenhorn and a bunch of stormtroopers tag along with to foil the plot of some bad guys with a few Emperor's Children in there? That's all I can remember, and it was honestly one of the worst Black Library books I've ever read. Malleus and Hereticus (never mind Ravenor and the Bequin stuff) were an improvement, but colour me thoroughly unimpressed for a 'legendary series.' Another legendary series in the form of Night Lords (which isn't a perfect series by any stretch) still kicks ass and serves its purpose 10 years on, and will continue to do so 10 years from now as well

 

Different strokes for different folks I guess

 

I've been pretty reluctant to pick up Honourbound, but if and when I give it a shot I might recommend that as the ideal 'start here' for Guard/Imperial mortals. There's a few other good books out there like Fifteen Hours, Cadian Blood and people hype up Guy Haley's tank books, but finding them in print and not slapped into omnibuses isn't easy - and I would never recommend multiple-author omnibuses because it's more disappointing than a tub of Quality Street at Christmas

I'll go to bat for Honourbound. It's a solid story, self-contained, and gives a great first impression of the IG. Severina Raine is a much more traditional commissar than any of the other famous ones, but I feel that serves the story well. The 11th Antari rifles, while a standard line regiment, bring plenty of their home culture, which feels vaguely Irish. If you want to full experience, I recommend the short stories featuring Raine first, as they're all prequels and will flesh out a number of relationships. None of them are essential, but they will have you going, "Hmm... Why is <spoiler> so important?" whereas Honourbound answers that question.

I might give it a shot. I usually avoid authors that people hugely praise and hype up (fun fact: I wasn't too happy when people were tripping over themselves to praise ADB in 2010 and I was unhappy Anthony Reynolds wasn't getting to write Lorgar's fall!) but I feel like a good, new Guard series is my cup of tea right now. Answer me this: is Severina Raine a pun on Ciaphas Cain?
She doesn't have anything at all to do with Ciaphas Cain. I'm not sure I even get what the pun is.

 

Yeah, I wouldn't call Rachel Harrison the absolute best new BL author. She's good, and the story and pacing are definitely different from most other stuff out there. My girlfriend read it with me and said it featured a lot of tropes that are really common in love stories, but which she's rarely, if ever, seen in a 40k novel.

Edited by Jareddm
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Yeah, I wouldn't call Rachel Harrison the absolute best new BL author. She's good, and the story and pacing are definitely different from most other stuff out there. My girlfriend read it with me and said it featured a lot of tropes that are really common in love stories, but which she's rarely, if ever, seen in a 40k novel.

 

 

That's one of the things I found so compelling about Honourbound. Romance used right can strengthen a readers bond to a character tremendously, and just because a position doesn't allow it doesn;t mean those feelings don't exist. It's a nice extra layer of human adversity rarely seen in a 40k cast.

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