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Incase anyone is wanting to read the heresy and put off by 54 books to churn through, I have condensed the list for a friend to start and this is my recommended reading order:

Main story 1. Horus Rising 2. False Gods 3. Galaxy in flames 4. Flight of the Eisenstein 5. Fulgrim

Prospero story arc 12. A Thousand Sons 15. Prospero Burns 44. The Crimson King 28. Scars (end of prospero -> white scars story arc) 36. The Path of Heaven

Can be read in any order 41. The Master of Mankind 23. Angel Exterminatus 42. Garro 29. Vengeful Spirit (read Garro first) 7. Legion 39. Praetorian of Dorn (read Legion first) 14. The First Heretic

Imperium Secundus story arc 8. Battle for the Abyss 19. Know No Fear 25. Mark of Calth 24. Betrayer 16. Savage Weapons (part of Age of Darkness anthology) 22. Shadows of Treachery 21. Fear to Tread 26. Vulkan Lives (lol) 27. The Unremembered Empire 16. The Iron Within (part of Age of Darkness anthology) 34. Pharos 38. Angels of Caliban 32. Deathfire 46. Ruinstorm

Main story continued 47. Old Earth 49. Wolfsbane 45. Tallarn 51. Slaves to Darkness 52. Hearalds of the Siege (another anthology could be skipped) 53. Titandeath 54. The Buried Dagger

You did it! Yay!

Seige of Terra

I know it's still a massive list (38/54 lol) but it cuts out a bunch of unnecessary shit.

Incase anyone is wanting to read the heresy and put off by 54 books to churn through, I have condensed the list for a friend to start and this is my recommended reading order: **Main story** 1. Horus Rising 2. False Gods 3. Galaxy in flames 4. Flight of the Eisenstein 5. Fulgrim **Prospero story arc** 12. A Thousand Sons 15. Prospero Burns 44. The Crimson King 28. Scars *(end of prospero -> white scars story arc)* 36. The Path of Heaven **Can be read in any order** 41. The Master of Mankind 23. Angel Exterminatus 42. Garro 29. Vengeful Spirit *(read Garro first)* 7. Legion 39. Praetorian of Dorn *(read Legion first)* 14. The First Heretic **Imperium Secundus story arc** 8. Battle for the Abyss 19. Know No Fear 25. Mark of Calth 24. Betrayer 16. Savage Weapons *(part of Age of Darkness anthology)* 22. Shadows of Treachery 21. Fear to Tread 26. [Vulkan Lives (lol)](#spoiler) 27. The Unremembered Empire 16. The Iron Within *(part of Age of Darkness anthology)* 34. Pharos 38. Angels of Caliban 32. Deathfire 46. Ruinstorm **Main story continued** 47. Old Earth 49. Wolfsbane 45. Tallarn 51. Slaves to Darkness 52. Hearalds of the Siege *(another anthology could be skipped)* 53. Titandeath 54. The Buried Dagger *You did it! Yay!* **Seige of Terra** I know it's still a massive list (38/54 lol) but it cuts out a bunch of unnecessary shit.

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[–] • 1 pt

40k fans who don't delve into the Horus Heresy are missing out!

There are some stinkers among the novels, and there is some really dumb shit (or absurdly convenient) that happens, but largely, it's a far more interesting time period IMO. It's more focused, but it still feels epic as the Legions scour the galaxy in their Great Crusade. The Eldar make an appearance, as do the Orks, but they are rather insignificant on the whole at the time. Again, this was the end of mankind's last golden age, where they were at the peak of their power, minus the horrific technology of the Dark Age of Technology.

It's such a great setting, and knowing more about it makes me appreciate the 40k setting even more. I really suggest reading at least one of the novels...

If I had to pick one, it'd be Galaxy in Flames. This novel has the Istvaan lll Atrocity in it, one of the coolest moments in all of WH IMO. It's also great to see the infighting among the traitor legions- I have an affinity for Space Marines who remained loyalist, even in the face of their own Primarch turning against the Emperor. Saul Tarvitz, a fucking Emperor's Children Captain, is probably the most noble, righteous character in the entire setting. Emperor's Children! You also get to see Ancient Rylanor, an Emperor's Children venerable Dreadnought who remained loyalist after Fulgrim's betrayal- I hope you already know the story of him, because he is the coolest Dreadnought to ever live, and his final stand is legendary. It's amazing that the dreadnought was able to support the weight of his enormous balls.

[–] • 1 pt

I'm just not really a huge fan of Space Marines as a whole. I really enjoyed Helsreach (the audio book is absolutely 11/10) and some other Space Marine shorts, but by and large I'm much more of a fan of the regular Joe's keeping the Imperium together. The IG, the Inquisition etc.

Their courage in the face of the horrors of the setting is that much more impressive because they're just regular people.

I tried Horus Rising about a year ago and couldn't get into it. Partly the content, partly a badly formatted e-book. That said I'll probably give it another go as I'm running out of 40k books that peak my interest.

[–] • 0 pt

There's the new mark of omen books which is advancing the story and some primarchs come back

Gaunts ghost I hear is amazing. And Eisenhorn (ravenor and bequin series included )which you mentioned are fantastic

[–] • 1 pt

Can confirm - Gaunt's Ghosts is great.

[–] • 0 pt

Most of the 30k novels do have human characters with many chapters devoted to them.

Fulgrim was great, to see the gradual fall to Slaaneshi corruption in both the Space Marines... but more fascinatingly, watching it slowly happen to the Remembrancers (if you don't know who they were: They were human photographers, artists, writers, etc. who were sent with all of the Legions during the Great Crusade to document everything) was... disturbing.

And as you said, it was cool to see the other human characters who witnessed this corruption setting in, witnessed the horrors of Chaos, but still pressed on.

You'd probably really like the Gaunt's Ghosts series. Gaunt is an unusual Commissar, who leads his own unit of Guardsmen against a variety of threats.

If you're in for something a little more lighthearted, often funny- any book with Commissar Ciaphas Cain. He's great, he's essentially like... if you took a normal guy from year 2023, and put him in the position of a Commissar, that's him (but he is a really, really good fighter). He gets into all kinds of ridiculous situations which he somehow escapes and looks like a hero, consistently, while thinking "I should be dead after that" every single fucking time, it's hilarious.