[an0n]

Since the beginning of the year, I've read:

Eisenhorn (as an Omnibus)
 - Xenos
 - Malleus
 - Hereticus

Horus Heresy
Horus Rising
False Gods
Galaxy In Flames
The Flight Of The Eisenstein
Fulgrim
Descent Of Angels
Legion

I've also purchased, but have yet to read....

Rogue Trader
Rogue Star (reading now)
Star of Damocles

Ciaphas Cain
Hero Of The Imperium (Omnibus)
 - For The Emperor
 - Caves Of Ice
 - Traitor's Hand
Death Or Glory
Duty Calls

Deathwatch
Warrior Brood
Warrior Coven

Gaunt's Ghost
The Founding (Omnibus)
 - First and Only
 - Ghostmaker
 - Necropolis
The Saint (Omnibus)
 - Honor Guard
 - The Guns of Tanith
 - Straight Silver
 - Sabbat Martyr

Blood Ravens
 - Dawn Of War
 - Dawn Of War: Ascension
 - Dawn Of War: Tempest

Miscellaneous
Eldar Prophecy
Relentless
Lord Of The Night
Dark Apostle

Not too shabby, if I do say so myself.

And of it all, Eisenhorn is far and away the best of the bunch. It's just pure brilliance. More detective novel than scifi/fantasy warfare. The only bad thing I can think to say about it is that the first-act battles are generally more impressive than the grand-finale battles.

But that's kinda the point. The grand arc of the books seems to be that there's no winning or losing. Things simply happen and Eisenhorn defends the Imperium as best he can or will die trying - without end or overall goal. There's always another evil around the corner, so no grand victory can ever finish his work.

But the Horus Heresy overall - while admittedly padded out like a mother****er for effect (and profit) - is shaping up to be pretty damn impressive. Like I say, it's needlessly long, but it's a huge conflict within the WH40k universe and they're detailing events in minute detail because they're fundamental to the nature of not only the books, but the lore of the tabletop game and the subsequent choices and motivations of the people who play it.

Anyways, read Eisenhorn. If you like it, read the first three books of the Horus Heresy series.

[Inquisitor]

I have actually really enjoyed the 40k novels I have read.

[an0n]

Eisenhorn and the Horus Heresy were great, as I said.

But Rogue Star is very iffy. Simple and not especially brilliant writing. Kinda hamfisted in ways.

Still good, but.... *shrugs*

There's a lot of trashy crap. Especially in the earlier books and short-run series. I'm trying to go by Amazon ratings and reviews.

[Goober5000]

I have actually really enjoyed the 40k novels I have read.

You, my friend, are extremely well-read.  I salute your outstanding example of literacy.

Yes, I know what 40k is.

[Sarafan]

I've been meaning to pick up a 40k novel and since I was introduced to the universe by the Dawn of War games, are the Dawn of War novels any good? What others do you people recommend?

[an0n]

Eisenhorn, near as I can tell, is simply the best WH40k book ever.

And like the list says, I've got the Gaunt's Ghost, Ciaphas Cain and Dawn Of War books, but I've yet to get around to reading them. But they all get pretty universally good write-ups.

[Polpolion]

I have actually really enjoyed the 40k novels I have read.

You, my friend, are extremely well-read.  I salute your outstanding example of literacy.

Yes, I know what 40k is.

[BloodEagle]

I have actually really enjoyed the 40k novels I have read.

You, my friend, are extremely well-read.  I salute your outstanding example of literacy.

Yes, I know what 40k is.

[Grizzly]

I have actually really enjoyed the 40k novels I have read.

You, my friend, are extremely well-read.  I salute your outstanding example of literacy.

Yes, I know what 40k is.

[Fearless Leader]

someone answer me this question, a s someone who has read only wikipedia articles and play the RTS games, to me the human race is messed up in the future. Who are the good guys?

[Mefustae]

someone answer me this question, a s someone who has read only wikipedia articles and play the RTS games, to me the human race is messed up in the future. Who are the good guys?

There aren't any.

That's why it's awesome.

[NGTM-1R]

The closest to actual good guys are Tau...and there is some incredibly little known faction that reads like good guys described too.

40k fiction has never really impressed me much. Much like the universe itself it reaches for a level of sophisication it can't really claim if it were being honest. It's definitely overly wordy. And oftentimes it gives me the same feeling as reading Hemmingway; that these people come from an attitude I can't comprehend and don't want to.

[an0n]

The overall concept of WH40k is "In the future, there is only war."

No race is truly 'good'. The Eldar at least have a noble purpose, but then they're also self-righteous assholes.

And while humanity as a whole is a decadent, ****ed-up rabble of criminals and deviants - individuals are capable of being good. But even then, it's always left murky.

Like Eisenhorn. He saves the entire human race at least 3 times, yet there's always that lingering doubt as to whether he's truly a good guy. He certainly not pure, as he dabbles in warpcraft to achieve his goals.

Basically, the whole universe is trying to figure out if the ends justify the means.

The Emperor's Great Crusade took the form of the xenophobic conquest and annihilation of thousands of races - but then he was doing what was best for mankind.

And everything is tainted by chaos. Even the Emperor. Since it's heavily implied that he used dangerous warp powers to create the Primarchs - and several human servants of Chaos have stated that he made a pact with the Chaos Gods to do so. Which would kinda fit, since the ascension of Chaos coincided with the end of the Great Crusade and the Horus Heresy.

Chaos rose with the rebellion, but never achieved true victory - and as the Cabal (and alliance of old races against Chaos) have stated, if Horus had won then his self-loathing and wrath would've annihilated mankind and Chaos would've burned itself out. But even with farseeing and time travel and all kinds of other ****ed-up stuff, the Emperor still managed to achieve a dark future, but one where mankind endures forever - even if under the constant threat of Chaos.

[an0n]

Oh and the Tau are.... iffy.

They're largely cut off from the Warp, and they're a conglomeration of various races, so they lack mankind's lust for xenocide.

But there's also been hints of them being a little bit ****ed-up. And there were references to a 'dark crop' planted by the Necrons on the edge of the galaxy. And the Tau's advanced technology, rapid ascent to galactic power and their limited connection to the Warp seem to indicate it's them.

So they might yet turn out to be soldiers of the C'tan.