# The best book series?



## kentner (Mar 30, 2009)

so i've finally decided to start reading something other than rules and was wondering where to start? What do you think is the best series and why? 

thanks


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## inquisitoryorei (Nov 25, 2007)

Try Blood Angels Omnibus + Red Fury By James Swallow. Great Series.

The Horus Heresy series is very good, too.


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## Bolshavic (Dec 8, 2008)

Are you looking to go into black library books or something else? 
If black library warhammer or 40k?


For WH I really enjoyed the konrad series as he started out as a piss ant and became a hero. the Guienvee ( sorry cant remember the name ) series was a great series for a darker side looking at life as a vamp. Of coarse you cant go past The slayer series, for following the life of gotrex is interesting.
40k the inq wars was alright being dark and brooding or any of your omnibuses for marines are fun I really did enjoy Ragnar series. And mechanicus was a cool book hard to get into but when you did hard to put the book down.


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## Exitus Acta Probat (Apr 23, 2009)

Horus Heresy (do yourself a favor and skip 'battle for the abyss', and unless you are willing to take a hit to common sense and lovely old fluff 'descent of angels')
Eisenhorne (xenos/malleus/hereticus) series

Those give you a real feel for the setup of WHY in the 40k universe. 
the fall, and then the paranoia.


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## JokerGod (Jan 21, 2009)

Commissar Cain books are awesome. Hero of the Imperium and Duty Calls are great books. Also the Soul Drinkers Omnibus is a good book as well.


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## kentner (Mar 30, 2009)

i want to stick to 40k, as i don't want to get addicted to a new universe.  glad to hear the heresy books are generally good and the blood angels omnibus, as that was what i wanted to start with. and thanks for the warning about the abyss, will skip that one.


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## Sarcasm (Nov 23, 2008)

Try the Eisenhorn omnibus and the Gaunts Ghosts series. Both are brilliant books some of the best I have ever read so you might want to give them a try. As others have said the Horus Heresy series is good too, with my personal favourite being Legion.


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## lostprophet (Jun 8, 2008)

definitely Gaunts Ghosts, and Last Chancers, both are great


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## space cowboy (Apr 3, 2009)

I would recommend that if you are going to do the Heresy series that you do all of the Heresy series. Some books are clearly inferior to others, but with the sequel to _Descent of Angels_ coming this summer, I think it is handy to read everything. I must admit, _Battle for the Abyss_ has been the most stand-alone of all of the stories, but I thought it was worth a read and to have in my collection.

Thanks,
Howard


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## The Sullen One (Nov 9, 2008)

Storm of Iron, Double Eagle, Daemon World, and the two Word Bearers books by Anthony Reynolds are all worth reading.


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## Calamari (Feb 13, 2009)

I've been looking at getting into the Black Library aswell, do the horus heresey books go in any particular order?


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## space cowboy (Apr 3, 2009)

Calamari said:


> I've been looking at getting into the Black Library aswell, do the horus heresey books go in any particular order?


Horus Rising
False Gods
Galaxy in Flames
Flight of the Eisenstein
Fulgrim
Descent of Angels
Legion
Battle for the Abyss
Mechanicum
Tales of Heresy

If you are really ambitious, somewhere in there is an audio collection of two short stories that was released in a chapbook prior to the start of the Heresy series being released. The book is out of print, but I believe the audio book is still available.

Thanks,
Howard


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## when in doubt shoot! (Oct 19, 2008)

I really enjoyed the Gaunts ghosts novels. There's just so many of them, enough to keep anyone going for a good amount of time. Excellent soryline as well.


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## KarlFranz40k (Jan 30, 2009)

I would recommend the HH series.
Thing is its HUGE!

For more managable reading any omnibus will do. Heartily recommend The Last Chancers or Space Wolf. Heresy novels are great but are frustrating to finish, realising that there is still alot more to read about.

Just dont buy Goto novels, they're rubbish.


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## bon_jovi (Nov 16, 2008)

I second the Caphias Cain novels. It adds a but of humour to the universe while still being good stories. Its hard not to like the charecters after reading a few of these.

Also like everyone else has said, the Horus Heresy books are great, although i would also sugest reading all of them so as not to miss anything. Hammer of daemons (i think thats the right title) is a great story too. Failing that, the short story collections are a great place to start.


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## kentner (Mar 30, 2009)

Sounds like I have quite a lot of reading to do! Thanks for all the input! At least most of the books have been well received, not too many bad ones it seems.


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## Lash Machine (Nov 28, 2008)

Having read alot of sci fi from philip K Dick to richard morgan, (altered carbon is an excellent book and concept), I have found alot of the books released by games workshop as sub standard to what is on the shelf generally. 

However, any book by dan abnett is a good read and the Eisenhorn trilogy is by far the best 4ok fiction writing and is equal and better than other sci fi writing. The heresy series is good but some of the books and writers are a bit duff.

What I like about Abnett is that you could give his books to some one who is not into 40K or has no knowledge what so ever of it and they could get into it. I think alot of the other GW books are essentailly linked battles written a bit like a fighting fantasy book.


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## NoiseMarine (Jun 8, 2008)

Heresy books, Dark Apostle and Dark Disciple amazing.

just dont get any of Counters shit... Hate it especially Battle for The Abyss, common sense took a vacation for that one.


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## Graf Spee (Apr 29, 2009)

i own 40+ wh40k novels. i'm kinda addicted to that stuff. 
if you're in for an exciting story, good writing style and some really decent ideas and background flair go for dan abnetts novels. he is black libraries best writer by far. and he has written much. including many aforementioned titles such as the eisenhorn trilogy, ravenor trilogy, horus rising (hh), legion (hh), double eagle, the gaunts ghost series and quite a few other titles. he is great. 
next writer on my list is sandy mitchell. he has written the also aforementioned commissar ciaphas cain (my avatar  ) series. and those are awesome. made me laugh out more than once. trust me, they simply kick ass and are well written too. ian watson used to be good as well.

most other writers (not all) mainly focus on battle, bloodshed and carnage side after side, with sometimes quite horrible narrative style and lame story. but most of them also have at least published one book or shortstory that is if not exactly great at least readable.

i havent read gav thorpe yet. is there someone who could give me some insight?


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## Graf Spee (Apr 29, 2009)

NoiseMarine said:


> just dont get any of Counters shit... Hate it especially Battle for The Abyss, common sense took a vacation for that one.


yes!!! this sucks big time!!! and mechanicum was extremly lousy too!


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## SoL Berzerker (May 5, 2009)

Horus Heresy. It is a long series, it is referenced to a lot of other books so it is good to know what has happened. Cain Chronicals are also very good.


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## Brother Subtle (May 24, 2009)

i started with the ragnar blackmain saga, then went onto the the HH series, the blood angels omnibus is also great! and of course the soul drinkers omnibus!


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## Guilliman_40k (May 28, 2009)

The Dawn of War series is also very good in my opinion


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## jebbowatts (Jun 2, 2009)

*my favorite series*

Howdy, 

since you've mentioned you wanna stay in 40K i'll give you my favorite list of books

Gaunts Ghosts hands down best imperial guard series ever
for space marines i'd suggest starting with the Ragnar Blackmane series as it begins with him outside of the chapter 
also look into Execution Hour and Relentless as they are my choice picks for space warfare,
Inquisition would have to be eisenhorn and Ravenor obviously
Double Eagle is great for aerial combat

i could keep going but i'll just leave you at that to get you started


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