Best Warhammer 40k Books to Start Reading
Warhammer 40k has been around since the late 80s, and since its inception, has inspired hundreds of Codexes, books, video games, and videos. While the franchise has its roots deeply entrenched in tabletop gaming, many of the important story moments can be found in books available on Black Library. New Warhammer 40k fans looking to start reading may be spoiled for choice when choosing the best primer to the lore and setting.
When picking a Warhammer book to read, the best starters are the ones that personally catch your interest and feature your favorite faction without requiring any prior knowledge of the setting. These novels are just some of the best primers to help fans sink their teeth into the galactic setting of 40k. Without further ado, here are our recommendations of the greatest standalone and starter novels you can read.
Table of Contents
The Horus Heresy series
Dan Abnett’s Horus Heresy novels are not only the most well-written ones in the 40k franchise but also the best for really learning the setting, particularly the rise and fall of Horus Lupercal and the Imperium of Man. Much of the modern-day story is derived from the infamous Horus Heresy event that kicks off the entire setting, and the aptly-named books give you the earliest chronological start. Specifically, Horus Rising, False Gods, and Galaxy in Flames have more than enough material to help fans understand how and why the Heresy took place.
The Eisenhorn Trilogy
Another series from Abnett, this one takes place midway into the 40k timeline. It’s a great standalone series with a really engaging storyline. Here, readers get to see the exploits of the Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn during his time at the Ordo Xenos branch of the Inquisition. Like many other books by Abnett, first-time 40k fans can read these without needing any prior knowledge or context. Currently, the Eisenhorn Omnibus trilogy includes Xenos, Malleus, and Hereticus, as well as the short stories Missing in Action and Backcloth for a Crown.
Space Wolves series
If you’re just fresh off a Space Marine 2 campaign run and want more stories about the Adeptus Astartes fighting off the horrors of the galaxy, the Space Wolves series is right for you. The novels give Ragnar Blackmane’s backstory from his time as an unaugmented feral warrior to his induction into the Space Wolves Legion. These books are a fun hack-and-slash adventure with a space-viking theme that many first-time readers will enjoy. If you wish to start the series, read the books in the following order:
- Space Wolf
- Ragnar’s Claw
- Grey Hunter
The Infinite and the Divine
Readers who want to see the 40k setting beyond the Imperium of Man’s perspective will enjoy the Infinite and the Divine by Robert Rath. The novel takes the perspective of the Necron faction, which is the oldest race in Warhammer 40k. Shown from the point of view of Trazyn the Infinite and Orikan the Diviner, the novel does a great job of introducing some of the core concepts of 40k without needing readers to have any prior knowledge. It’s a great standalone novel that delivers an entertaining character-driven story between Trazyzn and Orikan’s millennia-old beef, wrapped in Necron lore.
Ciaphas Cain novels
Taking a bit of a break from the usual grimdark tone of 40k, the Ciaphas Cain novels are also a nice beginner-friendly series that introduces some of the more ridiculous aspects of the 40k lore. Much of the books are centered around the adventures of Commissar Ciaphas Cain and the different Imperial Guard regiments he commands. Like all the others listed, this series primes beginners for the Imperium of Man and the setting at large but takes a more comedic approach. Read this series in the following order:
- For the Emperor
- Caves of Ice
- The Traitor’s Hand.
The rest you can read at your own pace, but the first three novels are important for setting up Ciaphas Cain as the comedic relief of 40k.
The Night Lords Trilogy
For readers wanting to see 40k from the perspective of the Chaos Traitor Legions, Aaron Dembski-Bowden’s Night Lord trilogy is one of the best when it comes to Chaos Space Marines. Specifically, these focus on the Night Lords legion, giving them more depth and characterization beyond the typical evil Traitor Marine character that other 40k stories use. The reading order for this series is as follows:
- Soul Hunter
- Blood Reaver
- Void Stalker
These are some proper grimdark stories and are best read after any novel dealing with the Chaos Space Marines. Although, starting off with this trilogy is still a classic read for fans.
