Hello 40k fans! Chris Morgan, Chief Librarian of the Forge the Narrative Podcast, is here again with the next weekly segment of Tomes of the Librarius. Also, check the Tactics Corner for more great articles!
Just as a reminder, in this series we will explore facets of the history and legends of the Grimdark. This is meant to be an easy summary and introduction geared towards new players or people unfamiliar with the setting, but should still be an interesting read or fun refresher for those already familiar. There’s so much detail in this lore that a bare summary seems so inadequate, but for new people this should be the right portion to get a feel for the history of the universe we enjoy our games in.
This week I wanted to switch things up a bit, and focus on some recommended reading for people interested in 40k fiction. There are a bevy of books in the Black Library to choose from, so this will be the first of many lists to follow on a variety of topics. To start out, I wanted to list five of my own favorite books. In later lists, I will sort them by topic or theme. With that in mind and in no particular order, let’s begin!
Warhammer 40,000: Vaults of Terra Book 1 – The Carrion Throne
Chris Wraight is fast becoming a favorite Black Library author for me, and this book is one of the chief reasons. This book is set during a time prior to the return of Roboute Guilliman to the 40k universe. The Throneworld is preparing for the biggest holiday of the year – Sanguinala – and the Inquisition is on the move. Inquisitor Erasmus Crowl is hunting for heretics on the crown jewel of the Imperium, and finds himself stuck in a grand conspiracy with wide-reaching implications.
Aside from a well-driven narrative, a nice array of set pieces and significant locales, and interesting Terran culture building (I may have started saying ‘This is Terra’ whenever someone was confused by my behavior), the characters are what I find most compelling about this novel. I think my favorite would have to be the smart and sassy servo skull who speaks only in high gothic, but only by a narrow margin. This is a great candidate for audiobook listening, for those inclined. John Banks does a great job narrating and doing the voice work.
The Horus Heresy Book 41: The Master of Mankind
The Horus Heresy series is daunting for a new reader, considering that this is just book 41 and it goes well beyond that number. The great thing, however, is that among Horus Heresy novels, this book does one of the best jobs of standing on its own two feet than many of the others. Aaron Dembski-Bowden is a great author for explaining complex mysteries and motivations while still leaving the requisite mystery needed to leave you just unsure enough about what happened to determine how things really are. With a character like the Emperor to tackle – always from an outside perspective – the reader is treated to a previously unexplored depth of insight into what the final goals of the Imperium and the legions are, and broadens the understanding of just what has been lost as the result of Horus’ great betrayal.
Dante
Guy Haley had an excellent opportunity with Dante to fill in some glaring gaps in Blood Angel lore. As a decades-long Blood Angel fan, his respect for the chapter’s existing lore and the efforts he made to expand beyond it were obvious in the care and attention to detail. A lot of little things add up to a great thing, and the same is true for this novel. Details such as the name of the Blood Angels Fortress Monastery, the process of raising initiates into full Astartes, and the culture and ideals of the chapter were fleshed out wonderfully. Guy Haley is an excellent author, and my opportunity to speak with him about this book only solidified how much he cared about this book. If you are even slightly interested in the Blood Angels, then this book is a must on your reading list.
The Talon of Horus
I read this book with the thought ‘know your enemy’ first, because Aaron Dembski-Bowden was the author second, and the wholehearted recommendations of many others in the community. Listening to the protagonist – a Thousand Sons sorcerer named Iskandar Khayon – search for Abaddon in the years after the scouring was very compelling. If anything is more unknowable than the Emperor and his intentions, then it would have to be the forces of chaos. Even so, you leave this novel feeling like you ‘get’ how it is for the traitor legions and the capricious powers they serve a lot more than you did before. The sheer shark-jumping nature of what authors can and have done with the reality-defying nature of Chaos is served out in manageable chunks, and you find yourself quietly cheering for who are by any definition murderers, defilers, traitors, and evil people. Its kind of like seeing your two most hated sports teams play against each other, because no matter who loses you will win. Definitely give this one a chance.
Death of Integrity
I got my start in 40k over 20 years ago with the Space Hulk game, and out of all the books that I have read that feature space hulks (not a small number) this one is by far my favorite. It is also a contender for my all-time favorite 40k book, and with over 100 Black Library novels under my belt that’s saying something. The menace of the genestealers, the culture building of two successor founding chapters, the machinations of the Mechanicus, and the tease of ancient Terran technology all mix together for a literary flavor of wonderful depth, complexity, and deliciousness. In my mind, this is a must-read.
Words. So Many Words.
What are your favorite 40k books? Feel free to let me know in the comments below! I will make sure and add them to my list if I haven’t read them yet.
Cheers,
Captain Morgan
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