What Warhammer 40k books should I read first?

[ALV]

I've watched a bunch of 40k lore videos and played some of the games so I wanna actually read the books but I don't know where to really start, any suggestions?

[Electric Cupcake]

Battletech > Warhammer

And the full Dune saga.

[ṼṏẌṏḭḊ]

The Eisenhorn series by Dan Abnett. Then everything else by Abnett.

[ALV]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από ṼṏẌṏḭḊ:

The Eisenhorn series by Dan Abnett. Then everything else by Abnett.

does the Eisenhorn series happen before the Horus Hersey?

[ṼṏẌṏḭḊ]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από ALV:

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από ṼṏẌṏḭḊ:

The Eisenhorn series by Dan Abnett. Then everything else by Abnett.

does the Eisenhorn series happen before the Horus Hersey?

Nah, the Horus Heresy is basically the establishing story that leads to everything else. It's all set in the 31st Millenium.

[kharille]

Warhammer rogue trader, the first book that started it all. Lots of rules, fluff and stuff.

[[ T h e B o s s ]]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από Mattmoo:

Battletech

https://youtu.be/X8RqsMA3XvI
Lance Leader do you read?

[Psychlapse]

Αναρτήθηκε αρχικά από ṼṏẌṏḭḊ:

The Eisenhorn series by Dan Abnett. Then everything else by Abnett.

+1
Eisenhorn, then Ravenor.

The opening to Eisenhorn sets the gritty scene brilliantly.

On chasing a suspect through what is a cryogenic facility, the bad guy starts dumping people out of their pods (who happen to be royalty, or adjacent) in order to slow him down. Eisenhorn notes that one of the people dumped out of their pod is a member of the Royal family. If he ignored them and carries on, this person will die to shock which will take agonising hours. However, if he puts a shot in their head to mercy kill them, he'll be wrapped up in paperwork and beaurocracy for years.

He states that if its even a question to leave them to die slowly, then you haven't got what it takes to be an imperial inquisitor.

It only gets darker and grittier from there.