GW novels?

[CMSheats]

Hello all, as I have been looking at GW's website alot, (Finding retail prices) I can't help but notice all the novels at the bottom of each page of each army. Are any of these a good read? I have never read any of them and aren't really even sure what they are. (So excuse me if novels isn't the right name What has your experience been with these books? Thanks!

[Gaijin18]

I would suggest the gaunts ghost series.

[CMSheats]

Are they just like a bunch of guys blowing stuff up? Or does it actually have a good story line? I don't have the slightest idea what to expect. Thanks!

[s_o_r_r_o_w]

CMSheats,

Maybe you could do a little research--you know, using the internet--instead of relentlessly posting with little or no content added.

To help you along, here is a link to the wikipedia page on Gaunt's Ghosts. Don't read too far, or you'll get spoiled.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaunt%27s_Ghosts

[aurak_merc]

The ones I have read certainly have a story, but they were not what I would call high-drama or anything. The Ciaphas Cain series is pretty humorous and probably the grouping of 40k novels that I liked the most from what I have read so far. Some of these I read quite a while ago, so my reviews are not really very good, but:

Space Wolves Omnibus - I am not a Space Wolf fan really, so these were a bit of a trudge for me. The first novel was my favorite of the series. I think that if you like SW's at all, you would enjoy them.
Space Wolves Omnibus 2 - I am 1/2 way through the 3rd book of this, and it is taking me forever. I just don't care for it for some reason. Perhaps it is the large amount of Chaos Marine inclusion, which I have a hard time enjoying.
Ultramarines Omnibus - I actually like the Ultramarines, so this was a fun series for me. Really basic storyline. If you have read any generic high school sci-fi, just insert "Space Marines" as the heroes and there you have it.
Grey Knights Omnibus - decent, not super great, but something a little different in that there are battles with deamons and such.

Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium - So far, these are my favorite in the 40k line. They concern the exploits of a Commissar and his sidekick. It is not an over the top comedy series, but is pretty funny at times.
Ciaphas Cain: Defender of the Imperium - The continuing adventures of Cain and company.

Legends of the Space Marines - a compilation of short stories. It was ok, especially if you are looking for a quick read and lots of shooting.
Victories of the Space Marines - more short stories. This was not as good as "Legends" to me.
Words of Blood - Yet more short stories. Lots of Chaos focus if I recall correctly.
Fear the Alien - Hey, more short stories. Xenos play a larger role.

Next on my list is Titanicus, followed by the Enforcer Omnibus.

I have heard that the Gaunt's Ghosts series is really well done, as is Eisenhorn, Ravenor, and some of the Horus Heresy novels. I would suggest getting Omnibus editions when possible, as they are a better deal for the money.

As for "bad" 40k novels, I have not read them but have been warned against anything by C.S. Goto, as well as Flight of the Eisenstein (Horus Heresy series). Maybe the warnings have merit, maybe not. I will be saving those for last though, just in case.

[spiralingcadaver]

The only ones I remember are the Eisenhorn and Gaunt's Ghosts series, which I read some time ago. In short, I'd say that GW books are way better than average gaming reads, and on par to a bit above most pulp sci-fi… Meaning I wouldn't personally recommend many, but if you like pulp sci-fi, then you'll probably be happy with your choice, especially if you buy them used.

[reegsk]

Anything by Dan Abnett is pretty solid. He wrote all of the Gaunt's Ghosts books, Eisenhorn and Ravenor, as well as Brotherhood of the Snake and some of the Horus Heresy (HH) novels.

Gaunt's Ghosts follows an Imperial Guard regiment that definitely has a lot of flavor and character development. Eisenhorn is about an inquisitor, and does a very good job of blurring the line between good and evil, and that very fine line between radical and heretic. Ravenor is about one of Eisenhorn's proteges, and while it's not as solid (IMO), it's still rather entertaining.

Outside of that, I would highly recommend "Hellsreach" by Aaron Dembski-Bowden. It had me wanting to play a Black Templars army. "Fifteen Hours" was a nice, little story. If you like Catachans, "Deathworld" was entertaining, though not overly great. The Ciaphas Cain novels are VERY entertaining. Cain is an Imperial Guard commissar who's really a coward at heart, but gets thrust into these survival scenarios where he comes out on top, and gets a very (in his opinion) undeserved reputation as a hero which, of course, lands him in even hairier situations.

As far as the Warhammer Fantasy books, I haven't delved into nearly as many as those (which is odd, because WHFB is my preferred game). The Gotrek & Felix novels are a decent read. If you're unfamiliar, Gotrek is a dwarf slayer who was sworn to die in battle against a horrific monster to regain lost honor. Felix Jaeger is a bad Imperial poet who, in a moment of drunkenness, swore to follow Gotrek in order to write an epic poem about his final battle. Some of the phrasing and behaviors are extremely repetitive (which bugs the Hell out of me) but the story itself is good, and it also contains one of my favorite characters of all time, Snorri, another slayer who, instead of the traditional dyed crest of hair, has three painted nails hammered into his skull (and he also refers to himself in the third person and constantly hits on women).

[CMSheats]

Well, Guants Ghosts sounds like a pretty popular series. Thanks for all the input guys, you have helped me alot. I am going to find where to buy these books and buy them. Thanks!

[aurak_merc]

There is a trader who has the Ghosts series, plus some others for sale. I have not traded with this person before, so I cannot vouch for them at all, but here is a link to their thread:

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=146758&p=291192&hil ... ts#p291192

Aside from trading, Amazon(dot)com has had good prices, and they offer free shipping if the purchase is over $25 I believe. The omnibus editions retail for around $15, and Amazon sells them for 10-11ish. Just cross-check your prices and you should get a decent deal.

[CMSheats]

Ok great! I will shoot him a PM. Thanks for the link!