Your favorite works, by author

[deathspectersgt7]

RobMac - The last Hunt

Rob Sanders - Legion of the Damned

Steve Parker  - Death Watch

L J Goulding - Scythes of the Emperor

Dan Abnett - Brotherhood of the Snake

[Manchu warlord]

I am happy to see Steve Parker's Deathwatch receiving a lot of loves, as it should .

[Roomsky]

For so famously controversial a book, Prospero Burns sure is earning a lot of spots. Speaking of which:

 

Dan Abnett: Prospero Burns

Preconceived notions rarely hinder my enjoyment of something, and Prospero Burns` perhaps unfortunate marketing did nothing to dampen my admiration for the book. I occasionally nurture the heretical thought "what if only Abnett had written the Heresy?" His heresy era is distinct but familiar, his characters deep and memorable, and he really captures the larger-than-life nature of the conflict. Prospero Burns especially is one of the most well plotted works I've read, and on a specific note, I loved the sheer menace of the Eye of Horus reveal, even so deep in the series.

 

James Swallow: Flight of the Eisenstein

While I've not the dislike for the man others seem to foster, this was an easy, if predictable, choice. My still-budding interest in 40k's world at the time of reading was only kindled by this book, on one occasion it even led me to miss a rather important appointment, so engrossed was I. Well-plotted, and somehow still enjoyable despite the first half retelling the immediately previous book, Garro's first outing is a great introduction to one of the series true "heroes".

 

Rob Sanders: Shadow of Ullanor

Unpopular opinion here, this book was a breeze to get through, and a great example of tight plotting. Nothing overstayed it's welcome, for so dense a plot (for the page count) I never got the impression it was rushed, and there was ample time for not only character work, but world building as well. The action was quick, brutal, and easy to follow. A simple book, perhaps, but there's wit in its brevity that I can't help but appreciate.

[mc warhammer]

it was actually painful not being able to list shorts for this, because i think some authors really shine in that format and there’s a couple of short stories that had a deeper impact for me than full novels

 

but my list:

 

abnett. toss up between horus rising and prospero burns. there are moments in those books i still think about years later as just...beautiful

 

adb. i honestly can’t remember each novel in the night lords trilogy distinctly, but if i can’t have them all then whichever one had the the exalted/vandred’s final battle. though the first heretic probably made me cry more

 

mcneil. thousand sons. no surprises here

 

wraight. scars. also no surprise

 

haley. perturabo. amazing character piece. i didn’t think an author could go that deep into a primarch’s psyche without ruining the majesty. wrong.

 

thorpe. lorgar

 

reynolds. the purge. no, haven’t read anything else by him but i like this! nice character piece. let me have it?

[Perrin]

I'm sure I'll be forgetting either an author or a book, but here goes.

 

Dan Abnett ​- Prospero Burns (Only In Death is a close second)

 

​ADB ​- The Emperor's Gift 

 

Guy Haley ​- The Devastation of Baal

 

Chris Wraight ​- Watchers of the Throne: The Emperor's Legion

 

​Graham McNeill ​- Angel Exterminatus

 

​James Swallow ​- Flight of the Eisenstein

 

 

I don't read much Black Library anymore so I'm sure there are plenty of books that other fraters consider better than some of the above that I've missed. Any recommendations are appreciated!

[Brother Lunkhead]

Wow..... so many authors I love  with so many great books and so many authors I don't love with great books too..... hard to choose, but here I gooooo........

 

Dan Abnett - Titanicus

This is the guy who sucked me into the 40Kverse with the power of a Force 5 tornado. Even his bad stuff is good. This was really difficult as he's created so many great characters and books. But, I always find myself coming back to this book. Titanicus reads like a fast paced epic war movie. It has memorable characters and riveting plot threads that tie up very nicely in the end. When I finished reading this book for the first time I found myself about a hundred pages in before I realized I was starting over again. It was that good

 

Graham McMeill - Mechanicum

If Dan Abnett sucked me in, Graham McNeill locked the door and nailed it shut. I love this guy's work..... okay, not everything. Nightbringer made me love the Ultramarines (they are BLUE), but The Chapter's Due almost made me hate them. Once again, a difficult choice between Mechanicum and Storm of Iron (Graham IS the Iron Warriors tome master) but the Horus Heresy novel won out. Graham paints a steam punkish land of Oz that is Mars. We get great insight into the political workings of the Martian Mechanicum and we see the origins of the Dark Mechanicum. This has everything you could want in an epic tragedy, Imperial Fists, the gallant last stand of a noble Knight house, the fall of an evil Titan warlord, and the destruction of a shinning Mechanicum city, signaling the death of knowledge. Homer would be proud to tell this tale

 

Aaron Dembski-Bowden - The Night Lords Omnibus

I may be cheating a bit with this since it is technically three books and additional stuff..... I don't care A D-B really has a gift for bringing sympathy to the most despicable characters and he tells a pretty good yarn too. A found myself rooting for Talos and his crazy band of terror marines. Fortunately they would do something vile from time to time to remind me.... oh yeah.... chaos.... they must die. Really good stuff.

 

James Swallow - Flight of the Eisenstein

This is probably a controversial choice as I've seen a lot of negative comments about this book, and James Swallow has more than his fair share of haters (Yeah... you know who you are). It's true that Swallow's prose is so thick you can stick a fork in it But, coupled with a good story it's a rich dessert. For me, Flight of the Eisenstein is the perfect end cap to part one of the Horus Heresy. It decompresses you from the bolter mayhem of the first three books with a more intimate adventure of personal integrity and courage. A worthy read.

 

Nick Kyme - Fall of Damnos

I HATE EVERYTHING Nick Kyme writes .......  ....... Wait a minute there pilgrim, them's mighty strong words..... do you really mean that?....... ....... weeeelll okaaay..... There is EVERYTHING he's written about the Ultramarines (they are BLUE you know). I may not like his take on the Salamanders, but he is spot on with the Ultramarines and Fall of Damnos is at the top of that list.

 

Chris Wraight - Scars

Finally, a worthy writer for a worthy Legion .... I need say no more.

 

Robbie MacNiven - Carcharodons: Outer Dark

For my final entry I give you RobMac, a young new scribe in the Black Librarius. I just finished this book and while not perfect it is a great read and worth your time. Especially if you are a fan of the Space Sharks .... I mean the Carcharodon Astra. RobMac gives us some memorable characters, good insight, as well as added mystery to one of my favorite Space Marine Chapters. It's a good story too I think RobMac is going to be one of the BL's star writers.

 

Let me make this perfectly clear...... I HATE GAME FICTION...... HATE IT Since the dawn of time I've never been able to read a single game related novel front to back.... that is until Black Library came along with it's fine list of authors. We are truly blessed with so many fine writers.

 

[Manchu warlord]

Brother Lunkhead, you sure love smileys.  

[Red_Shift]

At one point a couple of years ago I owned literally every 40k book that had been released since black library started. When my daughter was born and I moved house I had a purge. I kept my faves

 

Eisenhorn trilogy

Gaunts ghosts

Execution hour/shadowpoint

Relentless

Edit - and Cain, obviously

 

I think relentless is the surprise favourite but then I love bfg. I also loved some Marienburg short stories but I'm not allowed to mention that here!

 

I do have a slight soft spot for space wolves books but I think that is because they tend to be written in a more light hearted way.

[Manchu warlord]

A few more I didn't mention:

 

Sandy Mitchell: CC: The Traitor's Hand.  

 

John French:  Praetorian of Dorn (the only one I've read from him).

 

ADB: Prince of Crows.

 

Anthony Reynolds:  Dark Disciple.

 

Ben Counter:  Galaxy in Flames.

 

​James Swallow:  Fear to Tread.

 

​​Rob Sanders:  The Iron Within.

 

 

David Annandale:  Ruinstorm. 

 

Andy Chambers:  Path of the Renegade.

[Brother Lunkhead]

Brother Lunkhead, you sure love smileys.  

 

Yeah..... I was having pc problems.... had to rewrite this post 3x so was in a rather obnoxious mood. Smileys made me happy

 

That reminds me.....

 

Gav Thorpe - Angels of Darkness

I HATE EVERYTHING HE DOES........JUST KIDDING...... where was I?...... oh yeah.... Angels of Darkness..... an oldie but a goody. This is a Dark Angel novel where everything that can go wrong does. Gav really has the DA down. No one can write them like he does.

[Manchu warlord]

 

Brother Lunkhead, you sure love smileys.  

 

Yeah..... I was having pc problems.... had to rewrite this post 3x so was in a rather obnoxious mood. Smileys made me happy

 

That reminds me.....

 

Gav Thorpe - Angels of Darkness

I HATE EVERYTHING HE DOES........JUST KIDDING...... where was I?...... oh yeah.... Angels of Darkness..... an oldie but a goody. This is a Dark Angel novel where everything that can go wrong does. Gav really has the DA down. No one can write them like he does.

 

Smileys... are... are... I don't want to say.

 

Angels of Darkness was a classic.  And-  Brother, you wound me.  ... It is not nice to speak like this of Sar Thorpe, he is a good a teacher on the same level with out father, Sar Mac.  As for no-one-being-able-to-handle-the-Dark-Angels-well, I would say C Z Duun's Pandorax was an absolute blast.   

[mc warhammer]

smileys are fine.

[Xisor]

At one point a couple of years ago I owned literally every 40k book that had been released since black library started. When my daughter was born and I moved house I had a purge. I kept my faves

 

Eisenhorn trilogy

Gaunts ghosts

Execution hour/shadowpoint

Relentless

Edit - and Cain, obviously

 

I think relentless is the surprise favourite but then I love bfg.

I'd forgotten Richard Williams. He's ace! Also did "Mortal Fuel" which is a hell of an idea. Loved Relentless too, but would add:

 

Richard Williams- "Imperial Glory". What an awesome book. It's dense, but easy reading. Characterful, but grim and bleak. Riveting, but also simple and claustrophobic. Also one of the finest Ork depictions going.

 

James Swallow - "Nemesis". Part super-spy thriller, part police procedural, part horror apocalypse. It's overwhelmingly well done. The writing is simple and zippy, very easy reading, but also massively characterful and really masters the suspense. I can totally see why "Nomad" became a mainstream hit for him, he's got skills in buckets here. "Flight of the Eisenstein" does similar, being perhaps the best and most revisitable page-turner of the entire Heresy, but I think Jim managed to put a lot more meat on the bones with Nem. Vivid, civilian, but also treading new waters. An excellent slice of life 30k.

[DukeLeto69]

@xisor - re Nemesis. Yeah I enjoyed that too but if I recall it got a lot of flack when it came out. I think it doesn't "feel" particularly HH/40k as it seems to have touches of Manga/Anime to me.

 

I couldn't include Richard Williams' Relentless because it is only book by him I have read but yeah, that is a fine fine book (more void war which is always good). May have to get hold of Imperial Glory. He hasn't done anything for BL for ages now right?

[Xisor]

I could see that, Duke, but I'd be quite happy to write off all those bad opinions about "Nemesis" purely in the basis of folks unwittingly hating it because it didn't centrally revolve around Marines or Primarchs.

 

Then again, I get that anime vibe being a Bad Thing too. It's part of what I dislike about Sharrowkyn's nonsense. But this ain't the thread for that, and it has been said a bazillion times before.

 

----

 

Re:Richard Williams, he hasn't, sadly. But Imperial Glory is hugely worth it. Dovetails brilliantly with Peter Fehervari's work in being the sort of thing that's surely praiseworthy and accessible even beyond "mere" game fiction.

 

----

 

Anyway, some more.

 

CS Goto - his "Salvation" is genuinely a fine read. The Necromunda setting lends itself to low-key wackiness put right alongside punk Western attitudes and semi-plausible grittiness. He does a fine read. It's not my favourite of the Necro stories (hooray, "Junktion"), but it's a surprisingly enjoyable read. Especially for someone who is roundly derided as an author. Which is a shame - I enjoyed the character stuff in the Deathwatch duo,but I think the mad wackiness was just a bit too mad to not keep having me throwing the books about the room. But "Salvation"was a genuinely decent read. Worth a shot!

[Brother Lunkhead]

 

 

Brother Lunkhead, you sure love smileys.  

 

Yeah..... I was having pc problems.... had to rewrite this post 3x so was in a rather obnoxious mood. Smileys made me happy

 

That reminds me.....

 

Gav Thorpe - Angels of Darkness

I HATE EVERYTHING HE DOES........JUST KIDDING...... where was I?...... oh yeah.... Angels of Darkness..... an oldie but a goody. This is a Dark Angel novel where everything that can go wrong does. Gav really has the DA down. No one can write them like he does.

 

Smileys... are... are... I don't want to say.

 

Angels of Darkness was a classic.  And-  Brother, you wound me.  ... It is not nice to speak like this of Sar Thorpe, he is a good a teacher on the same level with out father, Sar Mac.  As for no-one-being-able-to-handle-the-Dark-Angels-well, I would say C Z Duun's Pandorax was an absolute blast.   

 

 

Peace Brother Manchu, Peeeeaace.

I don't hate Brother Gav (mostly not)..... and others have done a fine job with the Dark Angels. It's just that imho no one has a pulse on them like Sar Thorpe.

As far as Sar Mac goes, while he may be your father he'd have to be a time traveler to be mine  

 

...... and to get back on track....

 

CS Goto - Warrior Brood/Warrior Coven

Xisor, good call on CS Goto. I don't know why Cassern Sebastion generates so much animocity (maybe they are jealous of his cool name). 

 

Once again I cheat by naming two books. I couldn't choose as they are so integrated. This was my introduction to the Deathwatch and their bada$$ery and those space marine-fu wielding Mantis Warriors. CS Goto instantly made me love all of these guys. I have to say there have been a few of Goto's books that were a chore to get through. But not these..... when he is spot on, he is SPOT ON.

 

.... and speaking of Deathwatch....

 

Steve Parker - Deathwatch

If you only have time to read one book about the Deathwatch this is it. How do you bring six very independent Space Marine veterans who know all there is to know about space marining (new verb.... I just made it up) teach them something new, turn them into a cohesive elite kill team and turn them loose on a galaxy full of xeno scum? Read this book and find out. You won't be disappointed.

[Manchu warlord]

 

 

 

Brother Lunkhead, you sure love smileys.  

 

Yeah..... I was having pc problems.... had to rewrite this post 3x so was in a rather obnoxious mood. Smileys made me happy

 

That reminds me.....

 

Gav Thorpe - Angels of Darkness

I HATE EVERYTHING HE DOES........JUST KIDDING...... where was I?...... oh yeah.... Angels of Darkness..... an oldie but a goody. This is a Dark Angel novel where everything that can go wrong does. Gav really has the DA down. No one can write them like he does.

 

Smileys... are... are... I don't want to say.

 

Angels of Darkness was a classic.  And-  Brother, you wound me.  ... It is not nice to speak like this of Sar Thorpe, he is a good a teacher on the same level with out father, Sar Mac.  As for no-one-being-able-to-handle-the-Dark-Angels-well, I would say C Z Duun's Pandorax was an absolute blast.   

 

 

Peace Brother Manchu, Peeeeaace.

I don't hate Brother Gav (mostly not)..... and others have done a fine job with the Dark Angels. It's just that imho no one has a pulse on them like Sar Thorpe.

As far as Sar Mac goes, while he may be your father he'd have to be a time traveler to be mine 

 

...... and to get back on track....

 

==============================

 

.... and speaking of Deathwatch....

 

Steve Parker - Deathwatch

If you only have time to read one book about the Deathwatch this is it. How do you bring six very independent Space Marine veterans who know all there is to know about space marining (new verb.... I just made it up) teach them something new, turn them into a cohesive elite kill team and turn them loose on a galaxy full of xeno scum? Read this book and find out. You won't be disappointed.

 

 

Brother Lunkhead...  I was jesting.  Speak ill of Sar Thorpe as you se fit , he may be the primary author of the Dark Angels, and though he does them pretty well, others could certainly do better. 

And about Sar Mac being my father...  That must've been very very (very  ) awkward, wasn't it? 

 

And Speaking of Deathwatch.  Judging by how often that book appears on this thread, would it be safe to assume that it is one of the best BL book ever? 

Literally, it's the only Deathwatch book you'll ever need.  I've read it twice, and plan to make it a thrice...  

And also, it may be one of the few books (if not the only) that talk about the very enigmatic Exorcists chapter; Darrion Rauth is my favorite character of the Kill-Team.

 

The smiley is in me today.

[Roomsky]

Now that's the spirit. If some of our esteemed members can praise a Goto book, we're on the right track.

 

Graham Mcneill: A Thousand Sons

Yeah yeah, terribly unoriginal I know. Like 99% of the book is just masterful, and Magnus is genuinely charismatic. It never once feels like everything you hear about him is empty hype, he demonstrates both a magnetic personality and ludicrous abilities. As I've mentioned before, I also prefer the books that have straightforward battles, no tactics needed in the bouts of wizardry on display here.

 

Guy Haley: Perturabo: Hammer of Olympia

The ending of this book is incredible. I'm going to break my own rule here and say I thought the first two thirds were just middle-of-the-road fare, with a few bright spots. That should demonstrate just HOW GOOD the ending is. Probably the most powerful moment in all of BL, and I can't bare to see that undersold. Overall, a very strong package.

 

Ben Counter: Galaxy in Flames

I'll admit to not reading Daemon World, but Galaxy in Flames is hard to beat. Ben's got a reputation, but none of it sours my memories of this book, nothing dampens the tragedy of Loken's "death", the glory of Tarvitz smacking Lucius around, or or the sheer grotesquery of the series' first virus bomb. And atop all the doom and gloom, it still manages to be fun and wall-to-wall with awesome.

[Xisor]

Steve Parker - "Deathwatch", but Gunheads was grand too. It's a fine novel, and he managed tremendous characterisation and depth with it. The Glass Throne is helluva creepy.

 

Of Ian St Martin I've only read his "Deathwatch" too (not Deathwatch 2 or B), but it was grand, so I don't mind.

[Brother Lunkhead]

.....aaannd round three....

 

Ian Watson - Inquisitor

Difficult choice this one as I also really liked Space Marine, which was a more coherent book (as far as Ian Watson 40K novels can be called coherent). Inquisitor isn't so much a great read as it is a great trip. This book quickly punts it's main plot of a conspiracy against the Emperor within the Inquisition in favor of a trippy and zany ride through the 2nd Edition 40Kverse. I picked this imperfect novel as the best of Ian Watson's lot for one reason only..... Jaq Draco's audience with the Emperor. This is such marvelously creepy scene with an atmosphere just filled with wonder and menace. Lovecraft could not have done better.

 

A salute to Brother DukeLeto69 for mentioning this book first.

 

Neeext......

 

Rob Sanders - Atlas Infernal

This book really is a Doctor Who novel set in the 40Kverse. Now I love a well written Doctor Who novel, and one set in this universe sits quite nicely with me. If you are not a Who fan you may not like this book, or you may even loath it (DukeLeto69?)..... and I respect that. Just as a reference, Inquisitor Bronislaw Czavek is not the eccentric but loveable Tom Baker Doctor but more the equally eccentric but ruthless Peter Capaldi Doctor type. This yarn is full of mysterious Eldar, Evil Chaos Space Marines,  incredible worlds and magical star systems. There's even a confrontation with Ahriman that is just a little bit heartbreaking. I liked it a LOT 

[carlisimo]

The only one where I have a different answer from most posters here is that my favorite Chris Wraight book - and my favorite Black Library book - is The Path of Heaven.

 

Structurally, it worked well for me. Good pacing, careful integration between the different points of view (I thought the Space Wolves' section in Scars stuck out too much), and some of the most interesting and multi-dimensional antagonists in the series. Emotionally, it conveyed a sense of despair and dying rage on the part of the White Scars, and at the end, manly tears were shed. It also added a lot to the lore, though the subsequent release of The Master of Mankind made a lot of that redundant. Anyway, I loved it.

 

Guy Haley - Shadowsword. His good guys may be a little too good for the setting, but that's the only thing I could possibly complain about in this book. It was probably the more interesting bad guys that raised it above Baneblade for me, though I also liked that one.

 

John French - Tallarn: Executioner. As Roomsky says, it's a (very) good war book.

 

Dan Abnett - tough one here. I want to say Titanicus for worldbuilding and emotional impact, but he clearly ran out of pages at the end so I'll say Know no Fear. Great experiment, writing in the present tense.

 

Gav Thorpe - Path of the Warrior. I think he captured the psyche of a self-absorbed Eldar artist perfectly, to the point that it was annoying to the reader. The character changes, though. I don't know if it's the very zoomed-in style or if Gav Thorpe just writes Eldar well, but it was some of his best prose.

[Manchu warlord]

I am really the only one that thinks the Iron Within is not only the best work of Rob Sanders, but was a pretty darn epic story itself?  

 

Common, it was the introduction of Barabas Dantioch himself.   

[Indefragable]

The only one where I have a different answer from most posters here is that my favorite Chris Wraight book - and my favorite Black Library book - is The Path of Heaven.

 

Structurally, it worked well for me. Good pacing, careful integration between the different points of view (I thought the Space Wolves' section in Scars stuck out too much), and some of the most interesting and multi-dimensional antagonists in the series. Emotionally, it conveyed a sense of despair and dying rage on the part of the White Scars, and at the end, manly tears were shed. It also added a lot to the lore, though the subsequent release of The Master of Mankind made a lot of that redundant. Anyway, I loved it.

 

 

I'm with you on that one. IMHO, Path of Heaven is the single best book in the entire HH setting. <mic drop>

 

 

 

Guy Haley: Perturabo: Hammer of Olympia

The ending of this book is incredible. I'm going to break my own rule here and say I thought the first two thirds were just middle-of-the-road fare, with a few bright spots. That should demonstrate just HOW GOOD the ending is. Probably the most powerful moment in all of BL, and I can't bare to see that undersold. Overall, a very strong package.

 

I wholeheartedly agree and would say this Haley's primarch novella on Pert is top 3, simply because of the ending. I know it's not the most popular opinion, but I thought most of it was meh-kay (besides the effect Hrud time weaponry has on people...that was delightfully goose-bump inducing)...until you get to the end. Oh man is that a stop-in-the-middle-of-the-road-while-reading-and-not-even-hear-the-cars-honking-at-you type of finale.

[Jareddm]

I am really the only one that thinks the Iron Within is not only the best work of Rob Sanders, but was a pretty darn epic story itself?

 

Common, it was the introduction of Barabas Dantioch himself.

Not at all. In fact I would agree with you entirely. But it is a short story, not a novel or novella ;)

[Manchu warlord]

Well, many Forumites/Forumettes (assuming their are women here) decided that short stories and novellas are their favorite works by certain authors. And also, the thread said "works", and didn't specify that it only had to be novels.

 

So, I, as a Forumite decided that "The Iron Within" is my favorite work of Rob Sanders.