40K and Horus Heresy Books

[Ordo]

The Emperor's Gift was pretty good, and covered the events leading up to and then the fallout from the first battle of Armageddon. So the book is Grey Knight/Space Wolf heavy with a short but entertaining Cameo from a famous Space Wolf.

Also in the Process of reading "Fear to Tread' and will talk more about it later.

 

[Ordo]

Fear to Tread is a good book. It's not Bolter porn like other works in the series and gives us a real good look at the Emperor's Angel. Sanguinius is pretty much everything we've been told up to this point. I'll let you all read it or yourselves, but I'd recommendit easily.

Edit: I will say this, Sanguinius gets a few scenes where we learn just what happens when he unchains his fury.

My reaction..

Me: Looking at the bad guy' "Congratulations, you done goofed and pissed him off. God save you because nothing else in the universe will."

 

[thermopyle2]

I've read the Cain books (Actually I think I have one left) and the Eisenhorn trilogy. I think I read the first Gaunt book, too. That's it. What should I read next? There's so much that it's hard to tell where to go.

 

[Ordo]

Wow, been awhile...anyways I'm about half-way through 'Betrayer' and have been enjoying the ride.

Sometime after the ending of 'The First Heretic' and this book Logar found a set of balls. The weak sniveling prat of that previous book has been replaced by someone that actual ACTS like a freaking Primarch. It's a jarring transformation but not unwelcome

Angron and his legion are broken, and have been every since the Butcher's Nails were jammed into their heads. I'd argue that the Emperor meant for them to be like Russ and his Wolves but that hope was FOREVER lost with the nails. A valid AU story would explore how things would've gone without 'The Nails' being jammed into their heads, or what would've happened if the Emperor had let Angron die as he wished. They still may have turned on the Emperor (Angron viewed his father as another Tyrant slaver forcing his will on the universe) but then again perhaps not.

Still it's interesting to see a Legion that loathes their Primarch....I mean they really do not like him, what he's becoming, and what they did to themselves to be like him.

 

[Ordo]

Upcoming books

The Unremembered Empire - Dan Abnett
Believing Terra has already fallen to the Warmaster, Primarch Roboute Guilliman founds the Imperium Secundus.

The unthinkable has happened – Terra has fallen to the traitor forces of Warmaster Horus! Nothing else could explain the sudden disappearance of the Astronomican’s guiding light at the heart of the Imperium, or so Roboute Guilliman would believe. Ever the pragmatist, he has drawn all his forces to Ultramar and begun construction of the new empire known as Imperium Secundus. Even with many of his primarch brothers at his side, he still faces war from without and intrigue from within – with the best of intentions, were the full truth to be known it would likely damn them all as traitors for all eternity.

You hear that Matt Ward, you're 'Liege Lord' made a Terrible Mistake that likely cost the Emperor the War.

 

[QE1]

Wow, been awhile...anyways I'm about half-way through 'Betrayer' and have been enjoying the ride.

Sometime after the ending of 'The First Heretic' and this book Logar found a set of balls. The weak sniveling prat of that previous book has been replaced by someone that actual ACTS like a freaking Primarch. It's a jarring transformation but not unwelcome

Angron and his legion are broken, and have been every since the Butcher's Nails were jammed into their heads. I'd argue that the Emperor meant for them to be like Russ and his Wolves but that hope was FOREVER lost with the nails. A valid AU story would explore how things would've gone without 'The Nails' being jammed into their heads, or what would've happened if the Emperor had let Angron die as he wished. They still may have turned on the Emperor (Angron viewed his father as another Tyrant slaver forcing his will on the universe) but then again perhaps not.

Still it's interesting to see a Legion that loathes their Primarch....I mean they really do not like him, what he's becoming, and what they did to themselves to be like him.

Yeah, I just recently read Betrayer myself and I really liked it. Is there anything else about the World Eaters out? There were never a very interesting Legion to me until now.

 

[pacifist]

Just finished Fire Caste. Excellent read. It keeps the tension and questions going the whole time. Hell you aren't even certain who the big bad is till the end.

 

[QE1]

Any recommendations for a nurgle-centered novel? I've been sick recently with a cough I just can't shake, and now I'm in the mood to see what my eventual fate will be.

 

[pacifist]

I've heard Cadian Blood is good.

 

[AJ_Katon]

Since this is the 40k line, I would like to talk about Ciaphas Cain novels. I learned a bit about them from a RWBY fanfic:

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9994783/1/Jaune-Arc-Hero-of-Vytal

Pretty good read. And with this my interest in the Original Cain and his books. Is it alright to just dive into the novels or do I need to read some of the more roundabout books to really enjoy it?

 

[pacifist]

Starting with the Cain novels is actually recommended. It allows you to ease into the grimdark of 40k.
The books aren't all written in chronological order but are best read in the order that they were published.

Be warned as it might bias you towards thinking the Imperium are the good guys.

 

[Ordo]

Been reading "The Master of Mankind: War in the webway" by Aaron Dembski-Bowden. This is probably our clearest look at the Emperor yet.

Spoilers ahead.















Here we learn that the Emperor does not consider the Primarchs his sons, they are tools to him. In fact when speaking about them to his Custodians or other Martian Scientist...he refers to the Primarchs by their Number not their name. At one point there's a flashback to the Emperor examining Angron, and with the help of that Martian Scientist he confirms that the Butcher's nails have not only impaired his Primarchs higher brain functions, but cause Angron constant agony that can only be alleviated by aggression and violence. To remove them would kill Angron so the Emperor leaves them in, deciding that he's still a useful tool as is, and making no effort to alleviate Angrons constant suffering.

In fact he only allows them to call him 'Father' because he knows they wish to see themselves as more than the constructed warlords they are.

Then we learn the reason for the Primarchs, the legion, the Imperial Truth, the great crusade, really everything he has done going back to the conquest of Terra. The Emperor sees mankind is becoming a Psychic race, one with more potential than the elder at their height. So the only way to prevent mankind from having an even greater fall, is to rule it all and guide it. There can be NO enclave of hidden humans, that follow a path other than that of the Emperors because they would be a threat to the safety of all humanity. The Webway was meant to end mankinds need for Navigators and Astro paths and once that was done, the Emperor planned to sever humanities connection to the warp.

Some quotes the help you understand the Emperor:

"When the Imperium shields the entire species withing the laws of my Pax Imperialis, when humanit is freed from the warp and united beneath my vision, I can at last Shepard mankind's growth into a psychi race."

"Control, Tyranny is not the end, [Custodian]. Absolute control is but the means to an end."

"Humans need rulers."

-In response to why he held a celebrations at Ullanor-

"To honor the creatures that call themselves my sons. My necessary tools."

So...make of this what you will...but as far as I'm concerned "The Emperor is a Bastard"

 

[Antimatter]

Roburte comments on that himself after his meeting with dear old dad. While the Emperor is an incredibly powerful being in 40k, 10,000 years of near death have removed any tact or subtlety to his words.

Rob ain't too happy about it, and retakes up his old rank and takes charge of the whole Imperium.

 

[Ordo]

In what books is Roburte healed?

 

[Antimatter]

It's part of the gathering storm series. Tied into new rules, new figure lines, and some radical changes to the imperium.

Note that it's a campaign series, not a novel. I think there are novels set post storm though.