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  What is the Black Library? Black Library is the publishing arm of Games Workshop Ltd., producing genre fiction in the Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Fantasy universes. BL’s output consists of novels, short stories, audio dramas, art books, background supplements, anthologies, and more. What is Warhammer 40k? A Starcraft ripoff, basically. You can read more about it in the excellent Warhammer 40k tabletop thread OP here. Another fantastic resource for learning more about Warhammer (both fantasy and 40k) is the Lexicanum wiki. Genre fiction is terrible. Why should I care? Genre fiction is indeed terrible, for the most part. However, BL happens to have a few very talented writers pumping out their adolescent power fantasies (and quite a few not-so-talented ones). If you’re already familiar with 40k or WH Fantasy through any of the tabletop games or from playing the 40k video games such as Dawn of War or Space Marine, delving into the related backstory can be very rewarding. I don’t know much about Warhammer/I know far too much about Warhammer. Where should I begin? The short answer is “start with Eisenhorn by Dan Abnett.” The slightly longer answer is that there is a guide to most of the worthwhile BL books on this very page, ranked by both quality and suitability to Warhammer newbies! The Authors Dan Abnett is the most beloved of all BL authors, and has been around forever. He’s responsible for the Eisenhorn and Ravenor trilogies of Inquisition novels, the Gaunt’s Ghosts series, and a slew of other stories that range from good to great. Excels at writing large-scale action and developing interesting characters, who he then kills off at an alarming rate. Aaron Dembski-Bowden, or ADB, is a relative newcomer, but has quickly established himself as being one of the Black Library’s best writers (alongside Dan Abnett) with his consistently excellent work. Best known for the recently-finished and fantastic Night Lords trilogy. Probably writes the best dialogue in the BL, and is great at taking whatever subject he is given -- be it Chaos Space Marines, Grey Knights, what have you -- and presenting it in a new and interesting light. Graham McNeill is the head honcho of BL, and has been around forever. He is occasionally excellent but incredibly inconsistent, and most of his recent offerings have been mediocre. However, he’s also responsible for some of the best novels to come out of the Black Library, such as Storm of Iron. Chris Wraight is another newcomer, and while he isn’t on quite the same level as Abnett and ADB, he writes really solid, entertaining, well-paced stories with strong characters. William King is an able writer of pulpy adventure stories, but don’t expect much more than that out of him. Wrote the well-regarded Gotrek and Felix and Space Wolves series, and has just recently begun writing for BL again after a long hiatus. There’s a long list of other authors who have at least one thing worth reading, but it’s easier to talk about them on a book-by-book basis. Stay away from anything by C.S. Goto or Henry Zou. Far, far away. Where to buy You can find pretty much everything on Amazon, and Black Library has a store as well. A lot of titles are being released in ebook and audiobook formats, too. Mechafunkzilla fucked around with this message at 08:22 on Aug 6, 2012 |
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Jul 7, 2012 00:21
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The Books I’ve written up a brief synopsis and review for some of the most popular Black Library titles below, and given them two scores, each out of five: the first is for the quality of the book itself, and the second is for how accessible it is to someone who isn’t already familiar with Warhammer backstory. Keep in mind these are just my opinion, and should by no means be taken as authoritative. Eisenhorn trilogy, by Dan Abnett A great starting point for getting into the 40k universe, and widely regarded as the best BL novels ever produced. Follows an Imperial Inquisitor as he pursues several investigations across the galaxy. If you’re interested in Warhammer fiction at all, just stop here and go buy this book. Quality: 5/5 Accessibility: 5/5 Ravenor trilogy, by Dan Abnett Follows a minor character from the Eisenhorn books, now himself an Inquisitor. Comparable to Eisenhorn in a lot of ways, just not quite as strong as that series. You'll get a lot more out of it if you read Eisenhorn first. Quality: 4/5 Accessibility: 4/5 Gaunt’s Ghosts series, by Dan Abnett Over a dozen books in and still going strong, this series follows an elite Imperial Guard regiment who constantly find themselves up against horrifying odds. You will develop a strong affection for many of the characters, and then they will get killed. Every time. Overall an excellent series, though it doesn’t really get going until Necropolis. Quality: 5/5 Accessibility: 5/5 Night Lords trilogy, by Aaron Dembski-Bowden Chaos Space Marines are bastards, but goddamn if ADB doesn’t make you like them and maybe even empathise a little with them. The protagonist, Talos, is one of the best and most interesting characters to come out of 40k fiction since Gregor Eisenhorn. Not a great choice for those new to 40k. Quality: 5/5 Accessibility: 2/5 Space Wolf books 1-4, by William King Vikings in space! Follows a member of the Space Wolves space marine chapter from his recruitment to his exploits as a full battle brother. Great introduction to 40k, though somewhat lighter in tone than most BL books. It’s unabashed fluff, but it’s also good unabashed fluff. Book 5 and on were written by a different, inferior author, and shall not be spoken of here. Quality: 3/5 Accessibility: 5/5 Ciaphas Cain series, by Sandy Mitchell If you've read the Flashman books by George MacDonald Frasier, the idea is the same -- a hero of the Imperium who is actually a coward whose every move is with an eye towards self-preservation (nevermind that Cain isn't actually a coward). These are a lighter and more comedic take on the 40k universe, and are entertaining if not particularly substantive. They do get repetitive after a while. Quality: 3/5 Accessibility: 3/5 Other titles: Great Brotherhood of the Snake - Dan Abnett. Follows a squad of Space Marines, good introductory book. The Emperor’s Gift - ADB. Grey Knights book leading up to and following the events of the first war for Armageddon. Helsreach - ADB. First-person take on a Black Templar Chaplain during the third war for Armageddon. Titanicus - Dan Abnett. Titans! The best Titan book. Storm of Iron - Graham McNeill. Iron Warriors assault an IG encampment. McNeill's best book by a mile, go buy it. Pariah - Dan Abnett. First book of a new Inquisition trilogy. Don't even think about reading this until you've finished both the Eisenhorn and Ravenor trilogies. If you read those and enjoyed them, read Pariah. Good Double Eagle - Dan Abnett. Planes. Battle of Britain, 40k style. Imperial Glory - Richard Williams. Zulu in space! Forget about the problematic corollaries between Orks and Africans! Gunheads - Steve Parker. Men in tanks. Get it if you like tanks. 15 Hours - Mitchel Scanlon. The title refers to the average lifespan of an Imperial Guardsman. It's pretty grim. Cadian Blood - ADB. ADB's first go at 40k fiction, and not quite as good as his later work but still really solid. Cadians are hardasses. Shira Calpurnia quadrilogy - Matthew Farrer. Follows the Arbites, who are the police of the Imperium. Think more Judge Dredd than NYPD Blue. Lord of the Night - Simon Spurrier. A Night Lords captain from the Heresy seeks an artifact that could reunite his legion. Grimdark as heck, and his some minor tie-ins to ADB's Night Lords trilogy. Atlas Infernal - Rob Sanders. An renegade Inquisitor contends with the Eldar, hostile Imperial agents and Ahzek Ahriman while trying to prevent Real Bad poo poo from going down. Real Bad poo poo goes down anyway. Weird, but fun. Battle of the Fang - Chris Wraight. Covers the Thousand Sons invasion of Fenris, has some big fluff reveals. Great action, but don't read it until you're familiar with the relevant backstory. Wrath of Iron - Chris Wraight. Iron Hands fight alongside Imperial Guard against a Chaos incursion. Dark, dark, dark. It's good, but don't go in expecting a feel-good story. Legion of the Damned - Rob Sanders. Mostly a book about an Imperial Fists successor chapter. Don't expect any big reveals about the LotD, but goddamn this book just oozes atmosphere. Blood of Asaheim - Chris Wraight. Another Space Wolves story, this time a small group of veterans going up against a planetary invasion of Nurgle-worshipers. Everything else: ask here first. Horus Heresy The Horus Heresy is a series that follows mythical characters and foundational events in the 40k universe, taking place 10,000 years before the regular setting (around the year 30,000). Don’t read them until you’re familiar with 40k, and can understand just who all these characters are and why they’re so important. Unlike regular 40k books, it helps to read them more or less in chronological order. You can see the order here. The first trilogy - Horus Rising, False Gods, and Galaxy in Flames aren’t all great, but they’re basically required reading for the rest of the series. Good Legion - Dan Abnett The First Heretic - ADB Fulgrim - Graham McNeill A Thousand Sons - Graham McNeill Prospero Burns - Dan Abnett Know No Fear - Dan Abnett Betrayer - ADB Decent Flight of the Eisenstein - James Swallow Mechanicum - Graham McNeill Angel Exterminatus - Graham McNeill Unremembered Empire - Dan Abnett Warhammer Fantasy WHF is much less popular than 40k, and there are fewer books out to reflect this. Still, there are some great stories out there. The cream of the crop includes: Sword of Justice and Sword of Vengeance duology, by Chris Wraight. If I could only recommend one thing from WHF fiction, it would be this. Great story about two rival heroes in the Empire. Gotrek and Felix books 1-7, by William King. Super-fun, funny, and action-packed adventure series. Fell Cargo, by Dan Abnett. Pirates take on monsters, magic, the undead, and other pirates. Swashbuckly as heck. Honourkeeper, by Nick Kyme. Dwarves beat the poo poo out of everything. Malus Darkblade series, by Mike Lee. Interesting character, interesting books. Gives a cool look at Dark Elf society. Mechafunkzilla fucked around with this message at 13:09 on Aug 19, 2014 |
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Jul 7, 2012 00:21
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Twanki posted:Lovely OP, but I really think that, outdated as they may be, mention should be made of Ian Watson's work. I've actually never read Space Marine or the Inquisition War books, but if anyone wants to do a write-up I'll gladly add it to the OP. I hear they're...strange.
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Jul 7, 2012 01:08
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Therion posted:There is a good book by Nick loving Kyme? Wow, I really need to read this. You know how his books kind of drag because his protagonists are all surly assholes? Well, with dwarves, it actually works!
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Jul 7, 2012 01:57
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bunnyofdoom posted:I think the Ciaphas Cain stuff should be in the op too Ah, right. Putting it in now.
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Jul 7, 2012 01:59
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Lord of the Night, Battle of the Fang and Atlas Infernal added to the "good" list in the OP.
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Jul 7, 2012 22:01
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drkhrs2020 posted:I did not know CS Goto was that bad. In "Let the Galaxy Burn" short story collection his contribution was one of the few I actually remembered any detail about. Most of them were just some variation of poo poo falling apart for someone. The first Grey Knights book is alright, the second less so and the third is awful. I think the Imperial Guard omnibus is kinda okay?
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Jul 8, 2012 23:54
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Yeah, False Gods was pretty bad. I thought Galaxy in Flames was significantly better.
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Jul 9, 2012 00:24
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I think Abnett's issues with endings aren't because of page constraints, he just has trouble wrapping up loose plot threads organically. Half the time it works anyway, and just makes for a really frenzied and exciting conclusion.
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Jul 9, 2012 19:51
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Mikojan posted:Just bought the primarchs and I was wondering what stories are worth reading. The Alpha Legion story by Rob Sanders is good, and has the biggest reveal of any of the stories (the Fulgrim "reveal" is really more of a retcon). Rob Sanders is really growing on me, he's not the greatest author in the world but everything he writes is just fun. The other three range from horrid, to just mediocre and boring. Mechafunkzilla fucked around with this message at 14:48 on Jul 10, 2012 |
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Jul 10, 2012 14:44
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ed balls balls man posted:His Inquisitor Czevak novel, Atlas Infernal wasn't terrible, had some nice moments. I really liked it, as well as Legion of the Damned, which I'm going to throw up on the "good" list. He writes the weird and arcane very well and has some skills that a lot of BL authors lack, like the ability to write dialogue that doesn't give you second-hand embarrassment.
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Jul 10, 2012 15:31
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Mowglis Haircut posted:Can you clarify what the reveal was in the Sander's Alpha Legion story? I read it but totally missed the big reveal at the end. I got that Omegon was just the other Captain the whole time, and that the Primarch's didn't really have much of an idea what was going on but I can't really be sure. That's not the reveal, just a small plot twist. The reveal comes early on, it's that Omegon has betrayed Alpharius and is destroying the installation so that the Emperor will be able to summon the White Scars.
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Jul 10, 2012 18:11
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Arquinsiel posted:Black Templars don't have companies, they have "crusades". Technically they do -- in lieu of the regular squad/company organization, the Black Templars have "fighting companies". A crusade will split into a number of fighting companies (each led by a Castellan) depending on the strategy being employed.
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Jul 10, 2012 20:17
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Baron Porkface posted:I think Cain should get more points in accessibility, being a important "life in the Imperium" dealie. It's not that the books would be inscrutable to a newcomer, it's more that a lot of the humor that comes from the tonal shift would be lost on someone who didn't have any preconceptions of 40k.
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Jul 11, 2012 14:39
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uXs posted:I've started reading Eisenhorn, but I don't really like it so far. Eisenhorn is too full of himself, too "Oooh, I'm an inquisitor, look at me!" That combined with the first-person viewpoint makes it read like a self-insert fanfic type of thing. If that makes sense. There's this thing called hubris, it's kind of a big theme in Eisenhorn...
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Jul 16, 2012 16:46
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The ending to Wrath of Iron is so grimdark I actually laughed out loud. Easily the bleakest, most nihilistic 40k book I've read.
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Jul 17, 2012 04:42
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The Rat posted:I dunno, I thought Dead Men Walking was worse for the grimdark factor. Wrath of Iron just left me thinking the Iron Hands are a bunch of insecure douchebags. It's not even close. Dead Men Walking has the protagonists lose, but Wrath of Iron has every character who displays even a shred of humanity (Nethata, Lopi, Marivo, Khadi) not just die, but also have their worldview refuted entirely by the events of the story. The one Space Marine who was capable of empathy completes his transition into a remorseless, hatred-fueled killing machine, and executes one of the humans who had even made their victory possible in the first place. The narrator practically says, through her, that if these are the kinds of monsters that are required to save the Imperium -- and the plot demonstrates clearly that they are -- then the Imperium isn't worth saving. That's a lot darker than any "oh no the enemy was too strong now we're dead" narrative. Though, I do like that Chris Wraight understands that the Imperium is not the "good" faction.
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Jul 17, 2012 15:34
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Nephilm posted:None of the major factions are good; everyone's out to look for their continued survival first and foremost. The Salamanders are pretty righteous dudes.
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Jul 17, 2012 16:21
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Nephilm posted:They aren't a major faction. They're a small part of the armed forced of the Imperium... and don't even have their own codex. You're quite the literal person aren't you? Take it easy, man. In any case, the Salamanders should have their own codex 
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Jul 17, 2012 20:39
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isoprenaline posted:It is that really what was going on? I didn't get that at all from the story I really don't get how people are missing that. Do they think it was just a story about Omegon having a bunch of Alpha Legionnaires killed and and hiding it from his brother with no ramifications for the Heresy? poo poo, he even lets Ranko drink his blood to show him the real reason why they're performing the mission. If the situation was like he had been claiming, that it was because there was a "leak" in the legion, there would have been no reason to do that.
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Jul 19, 2012 14:22
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Baron Bifford posted:So they're very serious about protecting information. It's still just a matter of information. 10,000 years is plenty of time for the Inquisition or the Mechanicum to crack the Eldar's veil of secrecy (then again, this is hardly the only absurdity in W40K, so maybe I'm nitpicky). Humans don't know it exists, lack the technology to enter it, wouldn't be able to navigate it, and would be hunted down and destroyed if they somehow made their way in. Plus, the entirety of the webway exists in between real space and the warp; it's not just a matter of finding a hidden door somewhere. Even the Emperor, the greatest scientist and psyker in the history of the galaxy, struggled to unlock its secrets. And it's not like the Eldar created the webway, it was an invention of the Old Ones. The Eldar are just the only ones with the technology, knowledge, and psychic ability to access it. It's also fairly reasonable to assume that if the mechanicum was getting close to being able to reliably access the webway, that research would be be wiped out considering farseers can literally predict and alter the future. Mechafunkzilla fucked around with this message at 00:13 on Jul 22, 2012 |
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Jul 22, 2012 00:10
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Baron Bifford posted:So how does the Imperium figure the Eldar move around? All they'd have to do is capture an Eldar outcast with a grudge against his people or who is so utterly selfish (every society has these types) that he would sell out his people in exchange for riches. I think you're about 25 years behind on the fluff. It's not Rogue Trader 1st edition anymore.
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Jul 23, 2012 04:59
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Arquinsiel posted:
That wasn't the webway, and Warhammer Fantasy does not take place in the same universe as 40k. Also Teclis is not a farseer 
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Jul 23, 2012 05:02
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Arquinsiel posted:It was when Bill King started writing for them and damned if he's giving up on it just because he's been told to. The magical network in Giantslayer is analogous to the webway (the same way that WHF elves are similar to 40k Eldar), but saying they're the same thing will only serve to confuse people who are new to the settings. Anyways, I'm about a third of the way through Luthor Huss and so far, it's very, very good -- Chris Wraight obviously enjoys writing in the Old World setting. It helps too that the book is more focused than some of his more recent works -- off the top of my head, Wrath of Iron was told from something like eight different perspectives and suffered for it. Luthor Huss basically sticks to Luthor and his companions, a witch hunter and his companions, and some flashbacks to Luthor's childhood and it is so much stronger for it. Speaking of Chris Wraight, Sword of Justice and Sword of Vengeance are being released in September as an omnibus called Swords of the Emperor. If you haven't read those books yet and haven't preordered the omnibus then you are a bad person. Mechafunkzilla fucked around with this message at 16:57 on Jul 23, 2012 |
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Jul 23, 2012 16:43
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Zhent posted:I'm starting Luthor Huss on Friday when I finish the bar, so this is encouraging, thanks. I don't think I ever read Wrath of Iron - is it worth the read or hurts so badly it's a pass? It's worth reading, and above average for Black Library simply because Wraight is a very capable writer. It's just a bit unfocused, and doesn't take advantage of a lot of the themes it introduces early on. In a way, it's refreshing to have a Battles book that doesn't try to show you how the featured chapter is "cool", but it's a really, really grim book.
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Jul 24, 2012 15:47
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Aziraphale posted:How is 40K a Dune rip off? There is an Emperor, AI is prohibited, etc. The influence is definitely there, whether or not you want to call it a "ripoff" is on you I guess.
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Jul 24, 2012 15:49
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I think a lot of these more general fluff questions that aren't related to a particular story might be better answered over in the 40k thread in TG, and we should try to keep this thread focused on Black Library content. Otherwise it will just turn into a 40k A/T thread.
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Jul 24, 2012 20:40
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Arquinsiel posted:Also the AI/Butlerian Jihad thing. They never *really* go into why AI is bad in 40k, but basically that's why. Yep. If anyone's interested, there's quite a bit of discussion on the AI issue in the Horus Heresy book Mechanicum, which is itself a very solid read.
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Jul 25, 2012 06:33
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Yeah, the height of mankind's power is roughly the year 20,000, at which point psykers appeared and everything got all hosed up. Anyway, can we please keep fluff discussion related to specific BL books? I don't think this is really the thread for people's inane theories on which Manhattan Project scientist was secretly the Emperor.
Mechafunkzilla fucked around with this message at 20:27 on Jul 25, 2012 |
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Jul 25, 2012 20:19
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Baron Bifford posted:Which ended 10,000 years ago. Why hasn't humanity picked itself up? Because all the STC's were lost or destroyed. One of the "end game" scenarios for the Imperium crushing everyone else is the discovery of a fully-functional STC.
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Jul 25, 2012 22:18
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yaboonabi posted:Has anyone given The Last Chancers by Gav Thorpe a leaf-thru? I've only just learned of their existence, and I'm wondering if they're worth tracking down. People seem to like them, but on the other hand, Gav Thorpe is a lovely writer. So uh...your mileage may vary. (I haven't read them)
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Jul 26, 2012 06:18
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Baron Bifford posted:I noticed the opening blurb in the 40K books states that the Emperor rules over humanity "by the will of the gods". Is this a Rogue Trader leftover? Because the Emperor is supposed to be the one and only god, who will himself onto the throne. It's just an idiom. The opening blurb wasn't written by an Ecclesiarch or anything.
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Jul 26, 2012 21:00
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mdemone posted:I love it. Like, I don't even understand 75% of what you guys are saying but I'm totally on board. Read the OP 
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Jul 27, 2012 14:01
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Any message worth sending from one planet to another would be sent by astropath, generally speaking. 99.9999999% of Imperial citizens will never leave their home planet, much less have a reason to communicate with someone from another planet. Astropaths are also pretty common.
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Jul 27, 2012 21:21
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jadebullet posted:Anyway, does anyone know if "Sons of Dorn" is good or not? I found it at a yard sale for 15 cents and decided to pick it up. You overpaid.
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Jul 30, 2012 13:51
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Arquinsiel posted:A bolter does 1D10+5 and is only semi-auto 2. And has tearing, and has pen 4, and that's just the human version. So I don't think that shotgun is particularly crazy.
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Jul 30, 2012 22:37
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Baron Bifford posted:In Nemesis, the Black Pariah known as Spear is bound to a daemon. How is this possible? If pariahs block out the Warp, how could a sorcerer have worked his powers on Spear? Nemesis reads like fan-fiction, I wouldn't think about it too hard. Keep in mind that is the same book that features an Eversor Assassin as the comic relief. So the answer is "stop reading James Swallow books", basically. Mechafunkzilla fucked around with this message at 14:42 on Jul 31, 2012 |
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Jul 31, 2012 14:39
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Baron Bifford posted:Do Space Marines ever take off their armor? Is there a painting of a Space Marine just chilling in a bath robe or something? Generally speaking, yes they take their armor off pretty often for things like repair, training, meditation, general downtime, what have you. In some cases Marines become unable to remove their armor, like Iron Hands that are 80% robot or Chaos Space Marines whose flesh has become fused to a set of demonic power armor.
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Jul 31, 2012 16:47
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The Outcast Dead is honestly pretty lovely but it's basically the only time Thunder Warriors have ever appeared in the fluff so I still say it's worth reading.
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Aug 1, 2012 02:47
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Therion posted:I'm halfway through the last Enforcer book (Blind) and while I enjoy the premise, Farrer's books drag on a lot. I mean, the beginning of Blind is just Shira wandering around the ship and talking to random people while new characters get introduced every other page. So you're saying she has a wet leopard growl?
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Aug 2, 2012 02:19
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