XENOSđĄïž(Warhammer 40k) REVIEW
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 23. 08. 2024
- My review of the first book in the Eisenhorn series of Warhammer 40k, Xenos!
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Just in case you werenât aware Daniel, the term âGrimdarkâ actually comes from Warhammer 40K! Itâs a quote from the classic tagline âin the grim darkness of the far future there is only warâ
I came here to mock this comment but I googled it first and, by PezzaTheFlezza, it's true. Crazy. I guess we are all learning lessons about assumptions today.
Overly Sarcastic Productions had a video on Grim Dark genre and their predominant source for examples was Warhammer 40k. Do not remember whether they mentioned this fact about the origin of the word.
@@Litera_Trotter I seem to remember they did mention it because they then turned around and went 'Yeah but 40k is not grimdark'
Trope namer as well.
@Corvidae That's true, I don't disagree.
Welcome, Daniel, to the Imperium of Man...
Hail the Emperor
Too bad he doesn't have text to speech
@@pickyourpoison3658 Or any well oiled Custodes...
@@xHierrox they're in the Slabnasium with Valdor
Well welcome to Dan Abbnett. He is the only Author I read from 40K.
For another taste, in another medium, of 40K, watch the Astartes short films. They are amazing, especially when you consider they were done by one guy because he loves the source material.
His films were so good I heard they actually brought him on to work with them too.
@@lelandvaughan4429 yeah they did :) i just hope they dont mess it up!
It should be noted that originally Astartes was a fan film, arguably the most famous on CZcams. Recently (like a month or so) the creator of Astartes was hired by Games Workshop so his short film is now official and moved to the Warhammer Community site.
But because of this the original videos on CZcams were taken down and the ones on Warhammer Community have several changes, most notably the music/sound used in the video.
If anyone wants to see how the video's were originally you can luckily still see it on CZcams thanks to fans who edited the original videos into one long movie (Granted its only 13 minutes)
Came here just to recommend these. Theyâre so amazing! Plus, combined theyâre only like 15 minutes
Dan Abnett is easily the best author for 40k, you can't go wrong with any of his books. Glad you enjoyed it đ
I like Aaron Dembski-Bowden a little bit more, but Abnett is always consistently good.
@@hafor2846 yeah, "easily" was probably a little too harsh tbh. There is some amazing 40k novels written by other authors, but Dan is definitely the most consistent.
I think top tier are Abnett, ADB, John French and Guy Hayley, but I also enjoy Graham McNeill's work, though I've not read very much of it.
@@hafor2846 Yeah, I'm mostly Horus Heresy reader and Aaron's book are most complex and deep for me. He really tries to squeez something more from this universe just having fun (nothing bad with just having fun, but I think that grim darkness of this setting is giving a lot of space for authors to explore more deep topics and non-black-and-white characters)
@@KalNertea
Yeah, ADB is always between good and great. His worst novels are still a good read, but his best works are better than any other 40k books.
He writes beautifully, his stories are deep and his characters very interesting. Even his action scenes are entertaining.
So Abnett also has another series that is highly recommended - Gaunts ghosts, it goes into the politics of the military and does satisfy that war aspect of the genre more. A light-hearted more comedic (blackadder esque) series is the Ciaphas Cain books which are just fun. The Horus heresy (set 10,000 years previous) is probably what people think of as the massive military wars the series is famous for. Horus rising, and the first few books would give a really good understanding of the general lore of the universe before its decay into the current Imperium of man.
The Horus heresy books that cover up to flight of the eisenhorn (1-4 I think?) are honestly some of my favorite from the heresy. After that it gets a lot more muddy when it comes to quality.
@@babadook1283 for real. Been trying to go through it on audible and boy does it become a slog. There are some gems in there for sure, but I think I finally gave up when I hit battle for the abyss. That book is word vomit put to page.
Edit: I think it's battle for the abyss anyway. It's the one where the word bearers are launching there attack on ultramar with one suped up flag ship and ultramarines are trying to catch it before it gets there.
I would not recommend Horus heresy for new readers. That series is full of filler and really does rely on you already knowing who most of these characters are.
â@@AnIdiotsLantern Thank you. So many people seem to think the Horus Heresy is _the_ thing to introduce people to, but it's really just a lore dump for people who are already well down the rabbit hole. It'd be like going 'Oh you want to read Tolkien? Well go read this wildly inconsistently written version of the Silmarillion before you even think about the Hobbit. I can't begin to imagine how many people have been alienated before they could even begin thanks to the HH books.
Of course I am also of the opinion that they should never have done 30k in the first place. But that's 'cause I'm a stuffy gamer from 3rd ed who preferred when all of that was half-remembered myth and unreliable tales from a lost bygone age.
@@RaptorShadow thatâs why Eisenhorn is such a good on-ramp - you may not know a Tau from a Titan, but you recognize a hard-boiled Space Detective solving mysteries in space. Heâs a very familiar character archetype and he does a pretty good explaining things like psykers, the warp, chaos, how the Imperium is set up and the like.
And really I think 30k has been a victim of its own success. It does not need to be as long or as convoluted as it is. And really with the state of canon being so full of retcons already, I think they really might as well still be legends, haha!
That's cuz Dan Abnett is awesome. Be SUPER careful with the authors you pick up. AND JOIN US WITH THE MINIATURES
No! Don't buy the miniatures! Pick a cheaper hobby, like a cocaine addiction.
@@Saavryn HAHAHAHAHA I feel this. As a DJ though who has partied more than my fair share, Warhammer is at least productive, you won't see anyone with "powder sugar" all around their face, chewing on their lip like it's laffy taffy lmaaaao
I went thousands of dollars in credit card debt years ago for my 40k and kill team armies
@@crestfallenwarrior6996 I don't suggest doing cocaine then lol
@@Saavryn If only I had someone to tell this to me before I started the addiction...
So glad you enjoyed it! Abnett also has a series called Gauntâs Ghosts, about general infantry in this universe. No magical powers, no genetic enhancements, just ordinary soldiers trying to survive. Abnettâs best novel is Titanicus, but itâs denser, lore-wise.
Aaron Dembski-Bowden is my favorite. He excels in anti-heroes and sympathetic villains. Spears of the Emperor is excellent, his Night Lords trilogy is masterful, and The First Heretic is a fantastic prologue to the whole setting.
The Ciaphus Cain deserves a mention, too, because itâs so damn funny. Itâs the comedy series about a cowardly officer who keeps failing upwards.
Thereâs obviously so much more - some brilliant, some junk - and the more you learn about the setting, the easier itâll be to see what books youâll enjoy.
I enjoy some 40K novels, but usually label them as âfunâ rather than impactful. Which is great, nothing wrong with that.
Then I read Helsreach by ADB. Blew my mind.
A Ciaphas Cain movie done by Quentin Tarantino would be a dream come true
I think the best takeaway from Xenos is to be a fan of Dan Abnet and look for other things that he's done. Your anxiety is well founded, and I think you'll find lots of other authors who write for Black Library don't bring the thunder like Dan do
I agree. I am a massive black library fan, but if you go in expected Dan Abnet level writing, you are gonna be disappointed a lot of the time. For example the horus heresy series has some great books but also a lot of meh.
@@galacticironmike4516 so true, I remember watching a video where Daniel was saying he was going to give 40k a try and there was one comment saying he needs to read the Horus heresy. That would be such a bad starting point, one thing in my opinion for every book in that series that is great Iâd say thereâs an equal amount that are bad. And also thatâs a series to read when you get whatâs going on in the setting. First time readers would be so lost and youâd probably lose them when you tell them itâs a 50 book series đ
100% this. I feel like for every Xenos there are at least 5 other 40K books that I would NEVER recommend to someone who wasn't already a big fan of the universe. Another example of a series I feel could potentially stand on its own outside of the fandom is (maybe) Caiphas Caine.
@@matthewstringer5675 exactly! Oh you wanna start into this universe, bam! Here is a 50 book series of wildly varied quality!
@@galacticironmike4516 so many men. Lol Agreed though.
If you want a good introduction to 40K try The Infinite and The Divine. It gives a introduction to nearly every faction in 40K.
Or The Night Lord's books.
Those Night Lords books... Turned me into a Chaos player.
@@keeganbutler316 Shame the Night Lords are so terrible in game. I do rock a Black Legion, Emperor's Children, and Alpha Legion force though...
Those books made me want to be a chaos and necron player
Unfortunately I already had my factions
"Tell me Orikan, do you have a statue about yourself? "
this is the best 40k book
One year from now Daniel will be showing us his newly painted space goblin army, I know it
Orks. They're called Orks.
@@ThinkyPain there are no orcs in the Eisenhorn books!
Excuse me everyone starts with Chaos Space Marines, someone get this man a box of Emperorâs Children
@@ThinkyPain there be grots as well
@@Aconspiracyofravens1 That's it, I'm making a grot army now. 2000 points worth of grots. Maybe some squigs.
"That's good! You've taken your first step into a larger world."
Totally applies.
Long post coming up, but aww yeah! Iâm really glad you like it! And no worries, Eisenhorn will have a character arc over the trilogy, and beyond.
After those, you may want to read these at some point: The "Ravenor" trilogy, a sequel of sorts. And the ongoing "Bequin" trilogy, which just recently got itâs second installment.
Now for something different and Iâm going to have to repeat what many others here have said. For war, I highly recommend Danâs other series: âGauntâs Ghostsâ. It follows a regiment of the Imperial Guard as they try to survive the galaxy. And as just normal humans, it gives a good look at the realities of the battlefield in the 41st millenium. "Necropolis" especially is still one of the most intense reading experiences Iâve had.
Then for your grimdark experience, the âNightlordsâ trilogy is a must, with "Soul Hunter" being the first novel. It follows a group of traitor space marines murdering and backstabbing their way through the galaxy. And boy does it get dark, gruesome and often just horrifying in the best possible way. Iâve never rooted for murdeous super soldiers like that before, yet Aaron Dembski-Bowden somehow manages to bring humanity to the worst people possible.
For something lighter, Iâll recommend Sandy Mitchellâs âCiaphas Cainâ novels. It follows a regiment of the IG, but from a different angle. Ciaphas Cain novels are a bit like Blackadder in space and itâs pretty great! The first book in the series is called "For The Emperor"
Another is âThe Infinite and The Divineâ by Robert Rath. It follows the adventures of two Necron lords forced to work together. (Necrons are like soulless 65 million-years old super terminators.) And that book is hilarious. The characters are great. You get a good look at the galaxy and itâs inhabitants. And itâs just a bloody great read!
I know people here are recommending the âHorus Heresyâ series and itâs first book âHorus Risingâ and honestly, itâs one of my favorite series, in any media, ever. Itâs a rollercoaster ride of over 50 books (yup), thatâs still ongoing! But because itâs a prequel and it takes place over 10,000 years before the 40k series proper, Iâd say that wait for while and go for it when you are more accustomed to the universe.
Aside from Dan, look for Aaron Dembski-Bowden and Graham McNeill.
Update: Alright I just finished Penitent, the second Bequin novel. Dan, you crazy man, I love you. Because that was amazing! That series is going to places I was not expecting.
And more than ever, that series must be read AFTER the Eisenhorn and Ravenor books.
This exactly! Abnett and Dembski-Bowden are my favorites from Black Library, McNeill is a close 3rd. I always recommend the Night Lords trilogy to everyone who likes anti-hero stories, because I've rarely seen another author who writes anti-heroes/ villainous characters like ADB. I also love the Horus Heresy but I find it's too much, in a lot of aspects, for an intro to the universe.
@@cloversmart Yeah, I've read HH since it started, I can't imagine how it would feel for newcomer. Trying to recommend a ~60 book series is like saying- "Here is your new hobby for the next few years". :D
As someone who used to read a ton of Black Library novels, this post is spot on. I remember when the Horus Heresy books first came out and they blew my mushy teenager brain all over the pages.
Does the chronology of events between series matter much in your view, or are they mostly barely connected stories in a galaxy too vast to matter? Does the overall progress of "the war" (assuming it's just one ever present war), or the galactic politics benefit from some sequential reading, or is following that more trouble then it's worth?
@@Gigasius HH was my introduction to Warhammer. I have read books 1 to 43 in a little over 2 months, and I loved the whole experience. I slowly started dipping into 40k after that, but I think that HH is actually a really good introduction to the universe...
Just wait till you get to the third book, Hereticus. Definition of Grimdark done well.
I've always been of the opinion that you can't call a story grimdark until you get to see its end - and the end of the Eisenhorn Trilogy is about as grimdark as you can get.
@@ericduey9556 OH YES
Fact. Very tough...but man, really well done.
almost spat my beer out when you stabbed that bloody whiteboard.......... Beautiful
That innocent white board, cut down in its prime.
Bricky does an excellent "explain all factions" lore/comedic video 2 parter... if you are interested in the 40k universe, that is a basically great start!
afreemanornot gets that done in about 15mins.
Bricky also is one half of a podcast called âAdeptus rediculousâ where the premise is he explains Warhammer to his friend who knows nothing. Itâs pretty fun.
Aaron Dembski-Bowden's Night Lord's series is excellent and one of the best in the 40k universe. Pretty much all of his books are always going to be a good read.
I highly recommend you dive into the Night Lords trilogy after finishing the Eisenhorn series, or just continue on with Dan Abnett's other inquisition books.
I'm surprised someone is reviewing these books. I always thought they were under most people's radar. You gonna review the nagash trilogy next đ
After you finish the Eisenhorn series you should read the Gaunt's Ghosts series (First and Only is the first novel) Also by Dan Abnett. While Eisenhorn is a large part solving a mystery Gaunt's Ghosts is more of a classic war story which pulls you into one of the grand planet spanning wars that most of Warhammer fiction is all about.
SECONDED! Having finished the first omnibus offered and starting the second one I can handily admit that Gaunts Ghost is amazing.
I agree, these were my entry point to 40k. while the first two are a bit meh due to the way they were originally released, from necropolis onward I love them. The audio books that they have done so far are great as well.
Yesssssssssssss. This. 500 million % THIS. Gaunt's Ghosts and Eisenhorn are the absolute best writing 40k has ever seen.
Gauntâs Ghosts are the best war stories Iâve read. Agreed.
@@pete111ize Necropolis is AMAZING, and yes, the first 2 GG books are somewhat jarring, the rest are my go-to for infantry war stories - so good
Been waiting for you to get a 40k review out man and I think I speak on behalf of the entire 40k community when I say Aaron Dembski Bowden is one of the best authors alongside Dan and Guy Haley. Helsreach is probably one a standalone I would recommend.
As many people said, Abnett is -the- author of 40k. He is quite literally responsible for creating many of concepts we (the fans) take for granted today and shaped the way we saw the universe outside of 'Eternal War'.
And yeah, the universe has a -very- swingy quality level.
Very happy you enjoyed the book :)
The interesting part of abnett is that not only does he get much better with his writing but he also gets very creative with setting and character.
abnett is a consistent author, hes never had a bad book
@@kevinmorrice heâs had a few slogs in guants ghosts but I havenât read them yet heâs really a good writer Cried on ghostmaker and Necropolis
@@andrewramsdale yeah, even his worse books are still enjoyable enough to read
@@kevinmorrice ya heâs pretty good
Daniel: Rock bottom expectations for the story and world
Me:Oh my sweet summer child its time for a wake up call
To be fair, there are alot of mediocre to out right bad books
@@Ultr4l0f
Yeah.
But the Black Library is at ~650 books right now. Let's be pessimistic and say most are bad, that still leaves 100+ books that are good.
It's reputation is way worse than it deserves.
@@hafor2846 haha. A one in six chance of a good book isnt a good defence :D
But yeah. You need to check around before buying. My Sorry self bought 2 books about The Sisters of Battle. Jeeeesh. So bad.
And even in The same series. Read almost all The Slayer books. Some are just fantastic. Some are at best 2 out of 5 stars.
@@Ultr4l0f Agreed. Feast or famine with black library... When its bad its terrible but when its good its damn good.
Welcome aboard! The next two Eisenhorn books are just excellent. Dan Abnett books tend to be excellent. (His runs at Marvel comics are legendary.) if I could recommend a few titles: âTitanicusâ and âFirst and Onlyâ by Dan Abnett would be excellent follow-ups to the Eisenhorn books. âRynnâs Worldâ by Steve Parker is the absolutely best introductory novel to Space Marines, followed by âBrothers of the Snakeâ by Dan Abnett, âSpace Wolfâ by William King and âNightbringerâ by Graham McNeil. If youâre interested in Chaos, give âThe Siege of Castellaxâ by C.L. Werner and âSoul Hunterâ by Aaron Dembski-Bowden a try. I would avoid starting the Horus Heresy books until youâre more grounded on 40k for the same reason I donât advise people to start watching the Phantom Menace before doing the original trilogy.
The entire Night Lords Omnibus is a fantastic series, hard agree on that one. Would add Gaunts Ghosts to this list as well.
You can't go wrong with just looking at Dan Abnett and Aron demski Bowden.
Also Abnett is the sole writer for Eisenhorn I think.
Yes he is plus itâs two follow up series
I sat here, the entire time, waiting for an "April Fools" joke that never came. Buying this for my kindle right now, thanks man.
Follow it with Malleus and then Hereticus! The character arc of Eisenhorn from where he starts to where he ends up is one of the most compelling in sci-fi.
Read a novella about the Space Wolves because my husband is obsessed with Warhammer lore and I thought the writing was great
That actually might refer to more books than it may seem. I think you mean Space Wolf by William King? I loved that book as a teenager
@@TaRatTinCan no it was the novella Ragnar Blackmane by Aaron Dembski- Bowden in Sagas of the Space Wolves the Omnibus
Oh if you like Space Wolves then you will greatly love the story Lukas the Trickster.
@@martinaanne2709 Oh, right, ADB is great.
The space wolves have such silly names. I both love and hate it đ
Read this at the same time. And couldn't agree more. Complete 40k novice and adored this book. Can't wait to read the rest of the series
The only thing I know about Warhammer 40k is the infamous "BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE" and something about Heretics and a throneridden Emperor
Inquisitor, this comment over there.
Next suggested step:
Look up the general summary of what the Horus Heresy was and how Chaos works (the "Lexicanum" Wiki works for the general overview, but never trust Fandom) then read Talon of Horus if you want a good non-Imperium story. Be warned, in a universe where everyone is at best moderately evil Talon of Horus follows arguably the most evil group (debatably second to the Dark Eldar,) so keep that in mind. But it's also the best way to understand Chaos I can think of, which you'll want for the next two Eisenhorn books.
Avoid the actual Horus Heresy series until you're more familiar with the world. And if you're looking to dive into the absolute MOUNTAIN of lore that is 40k, your best bet is to glance over the factions, find one that sounds interesting to you in its brief summary, and dig into them first. Then expand from there.
Also remember that no one expects you to know everything unless you've been in this hobby since the 80s and 90s. Most people into 40k use the approach I mentioned above, and thus are experts on one or two factions and know just enough about the others to have context for interactions with their main faction.
Another 40k author to check out is Chris Wraight. He has a great series about the White Scars within the larger Horus Heresy series as well as a stand-alone novel about the Chaos Marines of Nurgle called Lords of Silence and two ongoing series about the internal politics of Terra called Watchers of the Throne and Vaults of Terra
Really liked Watchers of the Throne and Vaults of Terra, been surpriced to not see Chris Wraight mentioned more
The audiobook, for me, is the best way to experience this trilogy. Sure, you're not reading, but holy crap the storyteller makes the story come to life. Like, BRUH. The narrator did a really great job at giving each character a very distinct personality, and by the time you're a few chapters in and have heard all characters, you'll know who they are straight from the dialogue itself without having to be told who's speaking.
I'd read Malleus and Hereticus - wrap up the trilogy before moving onto anything else WH40K, but Abnett also wrote the Gaunt's Ghosts series, which is awesome. You could read a lot of 40K without having to read books by other authors, but there are other great authors contributing to the Black Library.
As someone who has been collecting Warhammer 40k minis for most of my life but have never read any of the books for similar reasons to Daniel here, this is a pleasant surprise. I may have to check them out now
Yes do at least the Dan Abnett books are awsome.
If youre invested in the world id recommend the first three Horus Heresy books.
Some of the series are pretty mediocre but the first few are very good.
Some of the Heresy books(you can probably find guides on which), all of Abnett's series(the multiple inquisitor ones, Gaunt's Ghosts), and the Ciaphas Cain(Hero of the Imperium!) books are all pretty good.
I'm so glad to see you getting I to the series, Daniel! I've been a huge fan for a good while, so it's always a joy to see new people join the fandom! As for recommendations for where to go after the Eisenhorn books, I have a few. You could look into Gaunt's Ghosts for a series told from the perspective of normal humans on the front lines of the Imperium. Know no Fear is a great look into some of the history of the 40k setting, going back to the time of 30k to show one of the most defining moments for the Horus Heresy. Finally, I will recommend Brothers of the Snake, a standalone book following the exploits of the Iron Snakes space marine chapter. It'll provide some insight into life as a space marine and should help flesh them out a bit for you. I' e made sure to recommend books written by Dan Abnett as well, considering your enjoyment of his writings. Anyways, I just wanted to throw my two cents in, and I hope you continue reading more of the universe! Remember, the Emperor protects!
Please watch the astartes CZcams film, I know you mostly do books, but this fan-made video series is soooo worthwhile.
"SUPRISE MOTHA- GoBlIn!"
That caught me off guard but I loved it đ
Welcome to the train son! It's all downhill from here!
I still think Chris Wraight is the most underrated author in 40k. Not because he's the best, but because he's really good and never gets mentioned.
That was the best, most concise and on point break down of the Warhammer universe ever put to video. Beautiful!
Okay, now I'm curious as to how Daniel will handle Gotrek and Felix/any other of the Warhammer Fantasy books.
And/Or the Ragnar books. I love William King, I think it falls more in line with his original high-end expectations of knowing what it is and not being afraid to be a bit silly and pulpy but that's okay, they're great books and fun reads!
As other commenters pointed out, the horus heresy series is both absolutely amazing as a series of books, while also being a great entry in the most important events that shaped the 40k universe as it is in the in-universe present.
I dont agree. Thats a bit like saying silmarillion is great entry becouse its events are before lotr. Better to get generaĆ feel for 40k before getting into 30k
@@oskarpalus2846 I can see both arguments. Having prior knowledge of 40k adds to the tragedy of the Horus Heresy because you see the heights the Imperium fell from but walking into the HH let's you experience that fall without prior knowledge.
Read:
1) The Night Lords trilogy by Aaron Dembski Bowden
2) The Gaunt's Ghosts series by Dan Abnett
3) The next three books in the Eisenhorn series
4) The Uriel Ventris Chronicles by Graham McNeil
5) The Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell
6) Honourbound by Rachel Harrison
7) The Space Wolf books by William King
These books are great starting points for people unfamiliar with the 40k universe. After you've become more familiar with it, you could also try the Horus Heresy series. It takes place ten thousand years earlier and details the events which lead up to the 40k universe. The first book, Horus Rising, is by Dan Abnett, so I doubt it would disappoint you.
In general, when it comes to 40k books, anything written by Dan Abnett, Aaron Dembski Bowden, Graham McNeil, Chris Wraight, Guy Haley, Peter Fehervari, Sandy Mitchell, Josh Reynolds, Rachel Harrison, John French, Rachel Harrison, or William King is almost guaranteed to be of high quality. Other authors, like Gav Thorpe, Nick Kyme, Ben Counter, David Annandale, or James Swallow, are hit or miss. You may like or hate their work depending on what kind of fiction you enjoy.
The only terrible 40k author is C.S. Goto. His work is trash of the highest order.
the Black Library, which is Games Workshops' own Publishing Company, which only publishes Games Workshop property Novels, is as big as most of the major Publishing Houses. the 40K universe is so bloody huge that just a background lore summary would be the same length or greater than the book itself.
Try "For the Emperor" by Sandy Mitchell. Also a great audiobook.
If Daniel knew what he was getting into then, he would have ran in the opposite direction like Abaddon himself was behind him!
@@martinconway8174 When in deadly danger, when beset by doubt; run in little circles, wave your arms and shout
Daniel, you must read the Horus Heresy series. They are outstanding!
And 45 books long
I thought Horus Heresy series was the essential W40k series as well! đ
That is a lot of commitment. Also the series is a little spotty. Some books are awesome some are meh
@@galacticironmike4516 I read the first three as a trilogy and they delivered and wrapped up very nicely. Let's just have him do that. I'm sure he'll be fine. If he had a favorite faction or particular interest in something like Berserkers, then maybe he could read some more, but I feel like he'll get the crux of the story within the first 3.
Barely half of them are good.
Just got your book and i think thatâs the fastest book Iâve ever read and the ending was so good I think I almost cried đđ I was so attached to those charecters in just 134 pages and you better release the second book tomorrow with that cliffhanger you left me on
Nice! I also just started with 40k books coming from malazan and not knowing anything about Warhammer. Iâm doing the Helsreach audiobook and it is so good. The quality of the narrator is insane. I was already planning on Xenos next.
Thus far I've only read some of the Ciaphas Cain (HERO OF THE IMPERIUM) books, but I've really enjoyed those. Perhaps you should check those out :D
Totally came here to make this same post...
Hi from Spain! Your videos are trully awesome!
Hello from Argentina too
Germany checking in.
Hi from Switzerland.
Dan Abnett is fantastic in world building, especially during his time on Aquaman back 2016
âBlessed is the mind too small for doubtâ
I would highly recommend the Gaunt's Ghost's series. It is also by Dan Abnett and the first 2 books aren't my favourite but his writing style evolves over the series.
I second that. Gaunts Ghosts is an awesome series.
Personally. The first two are among my favorites. But Iâm one of those nostalgic types that absolutely loves re reading the first parts of series after finishing it completely to see where they came from. But Only in Death is without doubt my favorite. So many of my favorite tropes in there. Closely followed by Traitor General. That whole omnibus was a treat.
Now you have to read all 7 billion Horus Heresy and Siege of Terra books
Bolter porn is hit or miss but the Eisenhorn/Ravenor series are a great place to start and probably the best. Dan Abnett, Aaron Dembski-Bowen and Chris Wraight are good bets and you can usually find really good non space marine novels written by them.
I've read lots and lots of stuff, but I have to say, the 40k books have been by far the most enjoyable and addicting books to read. The stories are interesting and have so many different perspectives that it never gets tiring. And the world is just so vast, complex, and well fleshed out at this point that its among the easiest worlds to get lost in.
Check out the Gaunt's Ghosts series as well! Dan Abnett is probably the best author, but a lot of them are great: Graham McNeil, Aaron Demski-Bowden, Guy Haley, Gav Thorpe, Nick Kyme, etc...
I agree about Abnett and Dempski-Bowden. But Gav Thorpe is one of the worst Black Library authors imo.
@@Florfilm He's not my favorite, but I think he's ok. Definitely not on Abnett's level, though.
You should try reading "we are one" it's a very quick read but it is my favorite 40k story of all time
So happy to see this! Dan Abnett has widely been considered the best author of the "Black Library" (Warhammer's collection of Fantasy and 40k books) for a long time now. Aaron Dembski-Bowden is probably a close 2nd. Ravenor is a continuation trilogy of Eisenhorn that is also by Abnett and very much worth reading. The third trilogy Bequin is WIP. As for non-Abnett, I'd recommend the Night Lords trilogy from Dembski Bowden that gets a bit deeper into 40k lore, but is very well written imo. The first 3-4 Horus Heresy books are also very worth reading in my opinion and will give you a great idea of building up some of the lore while being great character driven books as well. Finally, for more Abnett, the first Gaunt's Ghosts trilogy is also very worth looking into.
As the next step in the W40K universe, I recommend reading Dan Abnett "Gaunt's Ghosts" series, or "
Horus Rising". I also started my adventure with the Warhammer 40000 universe from "Xenos" and my next step was "First and Only"
first book from Gaunt's Ghosts novel series. And I recommend it to you
"I'll explain Warhammer real quick"
*nearly draws a pee-pee then stabs it*
There are certainly 40k novels that absolutely live down to your expectations
I love that you got around to 40k! I'm so happy it's turned out well for you. Please finish this trilogy, and its connected trilogies (Ravenor and Bequin)!
My favourite thing about 40k is that it is big enough to allow almost any story or type of story to be told without feeling shoehorned!
Other good starting points: Book 1 of the Horus Heresy, the Ciaphas Cain series, Gaunt's Ghosts
Oh never thought you would do a Warhammer book. What a good surprise.
And another thing they are multiple Warhammer settings like Fantasy and age of sigmar and I think you maybe would like to experience their worlds too? If you want to read stories from the settings I would highly recommend fantasy before age of sigmar and a books series I and many would highly recommend would be Gotrek and Felix to start with.
Sorry for my bad English.
Amazing video as always! You should review attack on titan season 4 part 1 since it just ended
I feel like this is more a praise for Dan Abnett rather than for 40k books in general. Not all 40k novels are equal
I donât know what GW pays Dan Abnett for his work but itâs not what heâs worth.
@@AnIdiotsLantern So with you there.
@@AnIdiotsLantern gw doesnât pay him bl dose and I hear itâs quite good if he didnât have his exclusive writing clause in his contract with dc he would have done sob comics and the Ultramarine one
Funny, I added this to my 2021 reading list also having no Warhammer 40k experience. Now lo and behold, Daniel decides to read and review this. I like to think you made this review just for me.
Thank you Daniel. This review made me so happy. Dan Abnett is one of my favorite authors and Xenos is one of his best books. I only like the Bequin books more. Your fear that other Warhammer authors arenât as good as Abnett is not unfounded. For me he is the best. But there are other good authors who write in this world like Aaron Dempski Bowden and Chris Wraight.
Iâm really hoping you read Horus Rising now haha the emperor protects
I literally finished this book last night, thatâs so weird haha
So, crazy idea. Daniel Green, Dusty Wheel and friends play the WoT RPG. Rpg shows are all the rage right now and I'm sure loads of fans would love to see an original story set in the world we all love. It could work around the books without interfering with the story and I cant think of anyone else on the planet that could weave this story as well as the two of you!
You need to make a short for your " Explanation of the 40k Universe". Because you nailed it!!
Start with Horus Rising, the Heresy is a long ass series but is fantastic. Other than that, some of the smaller stories like Armageddon or the Night Lords Trilogy are excellent as well.
Welcome to the Imperium, enjoy your stay, may the Light of the Emperor guide you.
Nope.
Seriously, don't!
That's like telling someone to start with the Silmarillion.
HH has a lot of inconsequential sidestories, bad books that go nowhere and not a single good cut-off to stop to pause the series for a while.
Starting with HH is just a bad idea.
I would not recommend anyone to start with Horus Rising. Thatâs like telling people to start Star Wars with The Phantom Menace.
@@hafor2846 hence why I said horus rising, not the Heresy its self. Personally I pick and choose which Heresy books I read, I would never suggest someone read the entire heresy start to finish unless they really love 40K.
I love the Night Lords Trilogy, Talos definitely didn't inspire a warforged character in a DnD one shot....
@@ilyana1126 ikr, who would ever want to start with episode 1 and have a coherent story from start to finish
The Horus Heresy (40k prequel series) is FUCKING awesome
I just finished ''The Fury of Magnus''. The Horus Heresy rocks
Hmm, theres like 50+ books in that series and 90% of them not that great. However the remaining 10% are awesome. There's no way Daniel is going to read all of them, but hopefully he could read the first 3 or 4. And then move onto the Siege of terra series since that has a way more constructed storyline to it as a whole.
@@Syko1985 Yeah, the HH series is the embodiment of quantity over quality for me. I noped out after 14/15 books, because there seemed to be no editorial direction for the series. It was like the Oprah of book deals, "you get a book, and you get a book, and you get a book" ad nauseam.
The night lords omnibus is a must read, and seeing it on your channel one day would make my year
Another Warhammer series that you should look at by the same author is the Gaunt's Ghosts series starting with First and Only. Much more traditional war story.
40k has lots of interesting and great books, but it also has some which are just goofy amd not all that good lol
If you wanna get through the whole Warhammer universe, it's really gonna cost you 40k...
Ciaohas Cain: For the Emperor. So good. Turns alot of the serious troupes of 40k on its head while still be cannon and great.
So happy to hear you're getting into this. I's also recommend the Eisenhorn audiobooks for anyone who's more into those.
Good, now read more One Piece
So glad you liked it. This was my first 40k book and it sucked me into the universe.
really enjoy the content! would love to see what you think of other 40k books, games, etc. It's an incredibly dense world to grasp in my experience but I really can't think of much else that really scales like it does.
For almost a year i've been trying to find a good spot to start Warhammer 40k.
Imma start from this now. Thanks for the review
Daniels style of thumbnails made it impossible for me to tell whether this was an April fool's joke or not
Dan Abnett has another series called Gaunt's Ghosts that follows a light infantry regiment. The Ciaphis Cain novels by Sandy Mitchell offer a more lighthearted/humorous view and are some of my personal favorite novels in the whole setting. Anything by Aaron Dembski-Bowden is a pretty safe bet for a good book as well.
I should also mention the novel Helsreach by Aaron Dembski-Bowden specifically. One of the novels I return to again and again.
I agree completely, the Gaunt's Ghosts and Ciaphis Cain series are two of my favorites in the Warhammer 40k universe.
Dan Abnett is a great writer. By far my favorite within the Warhammer worlds (Fantasy, 40k, 30k). Iâd recommend you read some of his Warhammer fantasy books as well.
your low expectation are absolutely understandable, really happy you liked it
Honestly the Horus Herasy is LOOONG but incredibly rewarding and is started bey Dan Abnett, Anything with Crimson Fists is a good read, HELLSREACH(you'll understand if you read it) etc. Any of the primarch books but especially Fulgrim. For non space marine books Ciaphus Cain, Jain Zar, Gaunt's Ghosts, Titanicus, James Swallow's: Sisters of Battle books are all great reads.
Daniel getting into 40K? đ Oh, I hope it continues. Definitely repeating people's Horus Heresy recommendations, and also The Carrion Throne and Ciaphas Cain for more modern stuff.
Yes. I really saw the parallel to Breach of Peace.
My intro into 40k books was Helsreach by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, would recommend if you're looking for more of a 40k "this is war, everything is bad" type standalone, also some of the audiobook narrators for 40k are top class, especially Toby Longworth and Jonathan Keeble (who narrates Helreach) if you would prefer that route.
I am also seeing a lot of people say the Horus Heresy is something not to start off with, but I jumped into it after Helsreach I think it does a really good job in the first few books of setting up the universe and how it works, up to about book 5 is the "origin story" for the current state of things in 40k and after that its more of a somewhat collection of interconnected stories during the Horus Heresy, some are literally just collections of short stories that are there for the purpose of fleshing out some of the ramifications of the literally galaxy splitting war that is happening about individual characters that are so far detached from the main conflict but it shows what's happening outside of it.
Finally I think the Siege of Terra is a very good continuation of the series as it is supposed to round it off in the unreleased books. This is all coming from someone who's never played 40k, I just heard about it and it sounded cool :)
Your brief universe breakdown is one of the greatest things ever recorded on video.
Daniel should do a reaction to the Bricky - Every faction in 40k to get the full context
I'm glad you liked the book. The worldbuilding of the whole setting is insane. While there might not be tons in individual books such as this one. But the universe has lore on the level of Tolkien and Star Wars
"Surprise mother goblin" lmao
If you want great characters, you really have to try the Night Lords Trilogy. Aaron-Demski Brown will make you fall in love with literal sadistic terrorists and murders.
Good lad Daniel. Welcome to the club. I'll vouch anything Dan Abnett, Graham McNeill and Chris Wraight. Abnetts "Gaunts Ghosts" series has much of the same goodness from a frontline infantry point of view and he of course starts and (often contributes to) the horus heresy series with "Horus Rising". Also Sandy Mitchells "Ciaphas Cain" is well worth a mention (and should pleasantly surprise again).
The Horus Heresy series is written by numerous authors, Dan Abnet being one of them. I think he is one of the better authors of that series. I have only read about the first 15 or so books in that particular series (there are many more to date), but if you really want to know about the 40k universe, read some of those. The first three are sequential and then it kind of jumps around from there. You also get some interaction with the Emperor of Mankind, which is cool.
Horus Rising is another great one By Abnett. It opens up the Horus heresy, and does a really good job explaining the lore of the behind the Imperium of Man.