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This is for the people that want to get as much out of the books, both as enjoyable stories and as expansions of their understanding of the larger Warhammer 40K universe. The First book(s): “The Space Wolf Omnibus” by William King.
Getting into the world of Warhammer 40,000 can be a daunting challenge, no matter where you choose to start. Whether you are buying the starter set to try the table-top or you stumbled across a random piece of lore that made you curious... the question most people come to is, “Where do I even begin to learn about this stuff?” With the release of a few decent games, and a couple more coming out soon... this question is being asked more and more often.
Fear not, for I have a recommended list of books that will help you get a basic understanding of the Warhammer 40K universe without having to buy every last book that the Black Library has put out... though if you want to do that, I'm sure they won't mind at all. This is for the people that want to get as much out of the books, both as enjoyable stories and as expansions of their understanding of the larger Warhammer 40K universe.
The First book(s): “The Space Wolf Omnibus” by William King. Simply put, there is no better introduction to the Warhammer 40K universe for the uninitiated than this collection of novels. It uses the classic “fish out of water” framing device for the main character, so that the reader ends up learning along with him as he develops from a fairly normal human being on a back-water planet into a full-fledged SPACE MARINE! The story moves all around the Imperium and examines some very interesting ideas through the course of the three novels, and there is a 4th one in the series by the same author I also recommend... but stop after the 4th book; the writer who takes over for King isn't really able to capture the spirit of the characters.
What comes next:
“The Night Lords Omnibus” By Aaron Dembski-Bowde. This book examines the lives of members of a renegade band of Space Marines that (mostly) refuse to give into the temptations of Chaos. It excels at space combat and it does a very decent job of “humanizing” the main cast of characters. If you ever wondered what goes on in the mind of a traitor marine, give this one a read. The one caveat I will give with my recommendation is that this book is really, REALLY dark. It is so much so, that I actually find it an unpleasant read in places... and I think that is done on purpose. The book is almost utterly joyless, with the brief moments of levity created by sarcasm and snark rather than a break in the angst.
Or...
“Gaunt's Ghosts: The Founding Omnibus” By Dan Abnett. This series is one of the classics put out by the Black Library (the company exclusively responsible for publishing the WHFB/WH40K fluff books) and it has earned that place. The first omnibus in particular, is very good. I feel like this is where the most story happens, where as the second omnibus gets to feeling somewhat “samey” if you attempt to read it in one solid block. It's about the life and times of a company of rather eclectic members of the Imperial Guard who are sent into some of the worst battles in the Imperium and manage to come back somewhat whole... though don't get too attached as there isn't enough plot armor to go around.
Deepening your understanding:
“Storm of Iron” by Graham McNiell. When you ask people what “The Best” Warhammer 40K novel is, this one will inevitably appear near or at the top of almost everyone's list... and the reason for that is the compelling characters, vicious sense of pacing, and a truly interesting ending that left me wondering what was going to happen until the very end of it. This novel does benefit from having a good understanding of the lore and the larger world, so I would not, in anyway, suggest this as a place to begin... however, it takes the notion of the “Grim Darkness of the 41st millennium” and uses that to it's utmost advantage. Once you have a few other novels under your belt, I suggest checking out this one.
“Titanicus” by Dan Abnett. The Titans are Gods of Death on the battlefield. For the most part, they are giant stompy robots that kill anything and everything that get in their way. This book seeks to make them more then that and looks at HOW one of these machines tend to operate by focusing on the crew that man one. The moments they realize they are not invincible are some of the best moments in Warhammer 40K lore. The descriptons of the interactions with the machine spirit I found to be of particular interest and were fleshed out quite well. If you find the idea of giant robots blowing things up fun, you'll like this one.
When you have decided you are all in:
“Ciaphas Kain (any/all of them)” by Sandy Mitchell. These books are a lot of fun, but it REALLY helps to have read some of the lore in other places so that the jokes all make sense. It's in this series that all the ridiculous elements of the lore get poked with a stick... and then usually shot with a plasma pistol for good measure. You can enjoy these novels with those various asides and observations going over your head, as their will be plenty that you'll get; but these are books that really shine when you have got your mind around just how confused and even silly a place the Warhammer 40K universe is.
“Eisenhorn: The Omnibus” by Dan Abnett. This is for those that want to examine the Imperial underbelly, so to speak. This isn't a light read compared to some others, but it is compelling all the same. There is a lot of depth and lore to consume in this one. I recommend taking your time with these books more than you might some of the others, as there is some subtlety here that I missed on my first read. It's about an interesting character living in interesting times doing what he thinks is right. As the reader, we are left wondering if we agree or not... without the author telling us how we should feel about it.
“The Horus Heresy” by Multiple Authors. This is not for the weak or the uninitiated. Many people recommend this is as a place to start with the Warhammer 40K lore but I disagree. These novels are not the same style as the others because the very nature of the stories differs. We already know the inevitable outcome of all of the large scale battles, so it takes a step back from the action and looks at the characters in all their tragically flawed glory. Knowing what happens after, there are moments in the books that evoke powerful emotions in the reader... because we have formed a connection with the lore. That is something a new reader wouldn't have the joy to experience and I think these novels are better read once you've gotten yourself decently immersed. You don't need to read all of the books in the series, but do read the first three, as they set the stage for a grand epic saga.
There are tons more series that have been written, but these are recommendations that almost every fan agrees on. If your favorite chapter of Astartes has a series of books, check the reviews BEFORE you pick it up... otherwise they might not be your favorites when you are finished. The Warhammer 40K lore has been building for well over 20 years now... and that means there will be a few sub-par reads, but it also means that there is some truly enjoyable stories to be found as well. One of the things I love about the lore is how much of it there is to dig into...I hope this helps you get started!
Also, if anyone should have any thoughts about really good books/stories that people should read, share them! This list is not really for lore-hounds who want to know how many tentacles a Blue Horror has, but for people who go, 'What the hell is a Blue Horror and how do I kill it and/or tame it?'
I also wondered anyone knows if the books 'Rogue Star' and '13th Legion' actually contain Tau?
Books with Tau main characters
Fire Warrior
Simon Spurrier
ISBN-10: 1844160106
ISBN-13: 978-1844160105
ISBN 9780857874696 (ebook)
A novelisation of the game with the same name. Follows a fire warrior during an assault.
Shadowsun: The last of Kiru's line
Braden Campbell
ISBN 9781849704748
ISBN 9780857879677 (ebook)
The story of Shadowsun
Unity (short story)
James Gilmer
ISBN 9780857873576 (ebook)
Space Marines and Imperial Guard versus tau. (Featured in Fear the alien by Christian Dunn, ISBN 9781844168941)
The Patient Hunter (short story)
Joe Parrino
ISBN 9781782510628
Riptide suit pilot blasts tanks.
Sanctuary of Wyrms (short story)
Peter Fehervari
ISBN 9780857879691
A tau ambassador explores an abandoned Imperial facility.
Out Caste (short story)
Peter Fehervari
ISBN 9780857878984
A pathfinder looks back on her life. Prequel to Fire Caste.
Books with Tau as enemies
Fire Caste
Peter Fehervari
ISBN-10: 1849703086
ISBN-13: 978-1849703086
Imperial Guard fight deserters and tau.
For The Emperor: A Ciaphas Cain Novel
Sandy Mitchell
ISBN-10: 1844160505
ISBN-13: 978-1844160501
Commissar tries to keep his regiments from killing each other and fighting tau instead.
The Greater Good: A Ciaphas Cain Novel
Sandy Mitchell
ISBN-10: 184970287X
ISBN-13: 978-1849702874
Commissar diplomats between tau and Imperial forces against tyranids.
Courage and Honour
Graham McNeill
ISBN-10: 1844167232
ISBN-13: 978-1844167234
Ultramarines kill tau.
13th Legion (The Last Chancers)
Gav Thorpe
ISBN-10: 1841541397
ISBN-13: 978-1841541396
I don't actually know if this particular book contains tau.
Kill Team (The Last Chancers)
Gav Thorpe
ISBN-10: 1841541559
ISBN-13: 978-1841541556
Imperial Guard regiment assasinate attempt at a tau commander.
The Damocles Crusade trilogy:
Rogue Star
Andy Hoarde
ISBN-10: 184416375X
ISBN-13: 978-1844163755
I don't actually know if this particular book contains tau.
Star of Damocles
Andy Hoarde
ISBN-10: 1844164780
ISBN-13: 978-1844164783
A rogue trader fights with tau in space battles.
Savage Scars
Andy Hoarde
ISBN-10: 1844165647
ISBN-13: 978-1844165643
White Scars assault a tau planet.
Books that mention Tau
Black Tide
James Swallow
ISBN-10: 1844168042
ISBN-13: 978-1844168040
Blood Angels fighting Chaos.
Non-novel books with Tau in them
Xenology
Simon Spurrier
ISBN 9781844162826
An inquisitor researches the aliens of the warhammer world.
The Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer
Matthew Ralphs
ISBN-10: 1844164845
ISBN-13: 978-1844164844
A book given to all Imperial Guardsmen. Note that this is the old book, not the new one.
Rulebooks
While they aren't novels either, the Tau Codexes and the Imperial Armour book do describe Tau lore and tactics.
Codex: Tau Empire (6th Edition)
Jeremy Vetock
Codex: Tau Empire (4th Edition)
Andy Hoare
ISBN 1-84154-712-3
Codex: Tau (3rd Edition)
Andy Chambers, Pete Haines, Graham McNeill
ISBN-10: 1841540986
ISBN-13: 978-1841540986
Imperial Armour Volume 3 The Taros Campaign (Second Edition)
ISBN 1841547085 (first edition)
Warwick Kinrade, Tony Cottrell