Where does one start?

[Grey Knight Purifier]

Within the Heresy Series, is it nessecary to read every book, or can I pick and choose based on what characters I want to read about? Also, are the books one continuous series, or do they have smaller series's, within the core Horus Heresy?

[Sviox]

It's a series made up of books that make up a connected story as well as single books. As a whole, it also progresses somewhat chronologically from book to book but there are exceptions. You should definitely start with the first 3 books (first being the Horus Rising) as they make up a trilogy the whole series is based on, and then continue with books #4 and #5 as they take place immediately after the trilogy.

 

Some other connected books that you should read in order:

-Descent of Angels and Fallen Angels (Dark Angel books, somewhat separate from the main series)

-Legion, Battle for the Abyss, The First Heretic, Deliverence Lost and Know no Fear (World bearer, Ultramarine, Alpha legion and Raven Guard books, these form one package as they all either resolve around UM/WB rivalries or the Cabal / Perpetuals. You might want to start with First Heretic as that that is chronologically first.)

-Mechanicum, Nemesis and The Outcast Dead are all quite independent books (and very good ones!)

-Tales of Heresy, Age of Darkness and The Primarchs are collections of smaller stories, pretty poor if you ask me, though there are a few okay stories and some of them are connected with the other books (for example, one short story takes place between the DA books), but nothing too important story-wise.

-A Thousand Sons and Prospero Burns should be read together as they tell the same story from different angles

 

That list leaves Fear to Tread out, since I haven't read that one yet. But I think it's pretty independent too.

 

I wish there was a comprehensive timeline for the books but there isn't... It's best to either read all in the order they have been published or in the groups I listed.

[KaiserTJ1860]

I read them in the order they were published ( threes a list on Wikipedia if you Google Black Library)

I agree with some of Sviox's recommendations, my choice for a starting point would also be the Sons of Horus trilogy (Horus Rising, False Gods, Galaxy in Flames) as they deal with the tipping point for the whole heresy. the books that are written after it (in the series) then build on what happened there, or provide information as to how it got to that point which I enjoyed.

Its a matter of personal preference really, but the books that are in a series really do need to be read in the right order otherwise you'll spoil an earlier book by reading the one that followed it first

 

As an aside, some of the best books for me are ones written from non Astartes PoV... It allows for a little more humor, fear and general emotion other than rage an loyalty (exaggeration intended)

 

TJ

[Captain Hwarang]

I read them in order of publication, although I skipped some of the ones that I thought were bad. I don't want to single out any authors or books, because art is art and all that, but some of them were a real struggle to get through. Skipping some did not impact the story for me, if that helps at all.

[Quixus]

I also suggest you read them in order. While not necessary, I think it will give you a better overall experience. Especially start with the first four, they are great and cover the initial betrayal (I will tell you who it was), Isstvan III and V and getting news of Horus's rebellion to the Emperor (or at least the Imperial Fists).

 

The rest are more like flashes in the time between Isstvan and the inevitable confrontation between Horus and the Emperor. While some are connected to each other (Descent of Angels/Fallen Angels and Thousand Sons/Prospero Burns) I don't see as much need anymore to read them in order.

 

As for the quality of the works - it varies. Mostly with the more popular authors you can't go wrong. Dan Abnett, Aaron Dembski-Bowden and Graham McNeill did great jobs.