Your Favorite Warhammer/40k Novel?

[Smolderin]

I know all to well that Warhammer fans abound by the masses here at the Escapist, and for good reason, the world of Warhammer is a fascinating one, which is probably why there are absolutely TONS of novels fleshing out the world of both Warhammer and Warhammer 40k.

So obviously, this question is for those of you who have actually read any of the novels. What is your favorite Warhammer or Warhammer 40k novel and why?

For me, my favorite Warhammer series is the Gotrek and Felix saga. Gotrek ranks up their as the most badass dwarf next to Gimli himself, and I absolutely love the character devlopment Felix goes through...starting out as just sort of a regular dude like you and me, and then because of all the crazy situations he is put through, turns into a bona-fide bad-ass. Not only that, but William King does an absolutely fantastic job of detailing battle sequences, you really get a sense of how brutal the battles are.

As far as Warhammer 40k, that is a difficult one. It is a tie between Dan Abnett's The Founding, which is part of the Gaunt's Ghosts novels, and Space Wolfs saga also written by William King. Each are fantastic series and each author does a great job with the battles. However as much as I like Gaunt, I find reading about Ragnar much more enjoyable. I don't know why though, Gaunt seems to be a more multi-layered individual. Oh well, it is still a tie in my book.

Now it your turn Escapist Community.

 

[Fudj]

Soul Drinkers series is pretty good.....also a huge sucker for the Horus Heresy series too.

 

[iwinatlife]

For me its really hard to decide which Dan Abnett book i love the most, Titanicus, Legion, Xenos, Traitor General and Ravenor Returned would be my top 5

 

[M K Ultra]

I like the WHFRP book, that counts right? Actually I've been wanting to check out the novels, what's a good book to start off with? Also are there any novels that focus on the non human factions like the Tau or Necrons?

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Not a whole novel, but Graham McNeil's short story "Apostle's Creed" is my favorite piece of Black Library Fluff ever.

 

[Smolderin]

I like the WHFRP book, that counts right? Actually I've been wanting to check out the novels, what's a good book to start off with? Also are there any novels that focus on the non human factions like the Tau or Necrons?

I'm not really sure about the Tau, but there are a few books on the Necrons. There are also many books on the Eldar as well, as well as one or two of them focusing specifically on the Dark Eldar.

 

[Tahaneira]

COMMISSAR CIAPHAS CAIN

Hero of the Imperium.

Seriously, those books are the only real reason I stick with Warhammer. They are frickin' hilarious.

 

[Elader]

Fifteen Hours by Mitchel Scanlon. I asked a friend what is so awesome about Warhammer 40k, he handed me this book and I've been hooked ever since.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

Ciaphas Cain

The humour and main plot point of the novels (a cowardly commissar) combined with the 40k universe really works.

 

[Ieyke]

The Eisenhorn Trilogy, no contest. It just blows everything else out of the water.

 

[unLucky500]

The Eisenhorn trilogy, straight up! I dream of a KOTOR style game where I can be an Inquisitor like Eisenhorn and travel the sector ganking daemons, wyches and xenos. Plus his core group of characters just came alive for me.

Also, the Last Chancers series.

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

Skaven Slayer. Thanquol the Grey Seer is the greatest comedy creation of all time...OF ALL TIME!!

40K wise Ciaphas Cain books. Not sure I could pick a favourite, however there is a bit in The Emperor's finest when Cain politely requests that the governor's daughter that he's banging treats Jurgen with the respect he deserves as a member of the Emperor's Imperial guard, and not as one of her servants. For me,this understated moment of bro-ship is about the most memorable thing from any GW novel.

 

[Thaluikhain]

For me, my favorite Warhammer series is the Gotrek and Felix saga. Gotrek ranks up their as the most badass dwarf next to Gimli himself, and I absolutely love the character devlopment Felix goes through...starting out as just sort of a regular dude like you and me, and then because of all the crazy situations he is put through, turns into a bona-fide bad-ass. Not only that, but William King does an absolutely fantastic job of detailing battle sequences, you really get a sense of how brutal the battles are.

As far as Warhammer 40k, that is a difficult one. It is a tie between Dan Abnett's The Founding, which is part of the Gaunt's Ghosts novels, and Space Wolfs saga also written by William King. Each are fantastic series and each author does a great job with the battles. However as much as I like Gaunt, I find reading about Ragnar much more enjoyable. I don't know why though, Gaunt seems to be a more multi-layered individual. Oh well, it is still a tie in my book.

Yeah, big William King fan as well. Not an Abentt fan, he's very good at writing bits, but not good at sticking them together in a cohesive whole at all, and all his heroes tend to be ridiculously overpowered. First and Only was quite decent, everything since then has gone downhill, IIRC.

William King doesn't spend so much time on the main characters, he concentrates on the world they live in, and making it believable.

...

But for Warhammer, I'd say Beasts in Velvet, by Jack Yeovil. Class of its own, (well, that and Drachenfels, by the same author).

IMHO, the Horus Heresy books were pretty dire. Lord of the Night and Angels of Darkness did the Heresy much better, despite only mentioning it in passing.

As a general rule, if the author has never written anything before writing a GW novel, they are likely to be rather forgettable (Matthew Farrer and C.L. Werner are exceptions to this). If they've never written anything but rulebooks for GW before writing GW books, also not likely to be great (Gav Thorpe did Angels of Darkness, mind).

 

[VeneratedWulfen93]

The Eldar Path series by Gav Thorpe. It is a fantastic trilogy that shows a great perspective on how differantly each Eldar lives their lives and the problems they encounter upon the Path.

 

[ironkex]

If for IG its definatly comisar gaunt
For SM Cold and fast Soul Drinkers
As for inqusition both ravenor and eisenhorn are amazing and entertwined
As For non loyalists...
BURN HERETIC!

 

[Lord Kloo]

'ny book wid da Orks iz da BEST...

Bu seriously I really love most of the Horus Heresy series, the first 3 books are pure gold and then theres gems here and there for the rest of the series, the stories about SM get old but the portrayals of non Space marine characters in the series are absolutely great especially Dan Abnett's Imperial Army troopers.

My favourite book so far is probably Legion, Mechanicum or Know no Fear

 

[Sonicron]

It's becoming ever more difficult to choose with all the quality novels being published in recent years. Flight of the Eisenstein by James Swallow, the 4th entry to the Horus Heresy series, used to be my favourite, but then the Black Library welcomed a new author to its ranks, and he keeps blowing me away.
I think at this time my favourite W40k story is the Night Lords trilogy by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, comprised of Soul Hunter, Blood Reaver and Void Stalker. Dembski-Bowden's style is wonderful, finding just the right balance between action and characterization to create enormously entertaining stories packed with characters you genuinely care about. (Void Stalker may just contain the single saddest death scene I've ever come across.)

 

[BiscuitTrouser]

Eisenhorn and Ravenor for sure. Definitely my favourites. Cephias Cain is very entertaining and i REALLY like the night lords trilogy. The marines actually personality and interact with eachother as well as septimus and octavia in a real and convincing way. Its not just "LET US KILL MANY BROTHER FOR TEH CHAOS!!!!" or "PUNY MORTAL!!!!!". Theres real characterisation of spacemarines which is VERY impressive. My favourite for making character out of marines that isnt just "Honor for teh empora nd shit".