Question on Heresy novels

[Wayniac]

Just a quick question, I know there are like... 30 (?) or so novels in the Heresy series, plus umpteen novellas and the like.  My question is are the novels self-contained, or do they each follow the other?  For example if I wanted to learn more about the Iron Warriors, and wanted to read Angel Exterminatus would I be lost if I didn't read the other 22+ books preceding it?

 

If they do follow chronologically then it seems like I have quite a bit of reading ahead of me since I am only just about finished with Horus Rising :)

[Morovir]

Probably not, but in this case, you may want to read the 40k Iron Warriors/Ultramarines novels first.

[Corswain]

I'd say you're fine. I've read a lot out of order and there is very little if anything that you can't peice together.

We already know how it ends.

 

That being said, I am currently reading them in (publishing) order and am finding it quite rewarding.

[NoLifeKing]

Probably not, but in this case, you may want to read the 40k Iron Warriors/Ultramarines novels first.

Care to clarify why would you read the sequels before the prequels? 

 

 

But the answer the original question:

 

Unless you are completely new to the story and the world, you don't have any actual need to read them all if you are interested in any one specific novel. 

Some of them are followups on the previous ones, like the first three Horus Rising, False Gods and Galaxy in Flames are like a trilogy among themselves and tell the story of how the civil war begun. 

 

So the novels don't absolutely demand you to read all the previous ones because the stories contained within are not written in rigid order considering the actual timeline of the events. But to better understand the places, characters or events that may be mentioned in the Angel Exterminatus novel, you may wish to read certain other novels before it. The Horus Heresy: Fulgrim, for example, is a book that would shed a lot of light on whats going on in the Emperors Children legion and their Primarch Fulgrim, and this i personally see as important information since they are half of the story contained in the Angel Exterminatus. 

 

But if you are not that interested in learning the wider world and its lore, and wish to only find a deeper understanding on the inner workings of the Iron Warriors legion and their culture, not to mention Perturabo himself... Then dont worry about the rest of the books and dive right into Angel Exterminatus, its one of the better books in the series and imo does good job in portraying the legion and its Primarch.

[Kol Saresk]

Just a quick question, I know there are like... 30 (?) or so novels in the Heresy series, plus umpteen novellas and the like. My question is are the novels self-contained, or do they each follow the other? For example if I wanted to learn more about the Iron Warriors, and wanted to read Angel Exterminatus would I be lost if I didn't read the other 22+ books preceding it?

 

If they do follow chronologically then it seems like I have quite a bit of reading ahead of me since I am only just about finished with Horus Rising :)

Some of them do and some of them don't. Typically if the noves have the same author, there is a chance of following continuity, but it won't be drastically impossible to follow.

 

The only real "miniseries" would be the first three books, and then the three Dark Angels novels. Everything else is either isolated, or just kind of a loose following.