In defense of the wizard frogs, the skeletons weren't skeletons yet and they were conquering the galaxy and being just a-holes in general. The wizard frogs were hoping they'd just die off and go away but instead the skeletons turned themselves into skeletons so they could continue to give the wizard frogs and the rest of the galaxy the middle finger.
@@pedanticperson1149 It is heavily implied several times that the Hive Tyrants and the Hive Mind do have something of a "child pulling the legs off a spider" attitude towards their prey, so I'd say there's some sincere malice there.
“My patience is limited… unlike my authority”. Most bad ass line ever. Like “hey… how bout you don’t piss off the guy who can literally blow up your planet with a phone call”. Lol
After finishing Eisenhorn, if you want a bit of a tone shift, I highly highly reocmmend Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium by Sandy Mitchel. Follow the exploits and misadventures of an Imperial Guard Commissar named Ciaphas Cain, who would rather be anywhere than in battle. Not only is it hilarious, it's also an incredibly compelling story with some great complex characters. Would really love to hear your thoughts on it!
And who is legally never allowed to be declared dead since hes "died" multiple times only to survive and the Administratum got fed up with having to update records all the time.
I've actually written a few short stories for the Black Library, and all I can say (regarding the question of whether it all feels disconnected), is that I think many of the authors try very hard to delve into the lore and make references to other works out there, regarding the factions/settings/subsettings they are writing about. I know it's something I did with the short pieces I wrote, and I see it in a lot of what I read. I think most people will end up choosing a particular part of the setting, regardless, and will generally read the books/short stories that focus on their favorite factions/characters, but I also feel like there are a few authors that are generally considered the big guns of the Black Library, that can be recommended to anyone (aka Dan Abnett, Aaron Dembski-Bowden, and a few others).
How did you get to write for them? Is it a thing where you have to send them a pitch for a story and then build it up from there? Or were you specifically recruited to write a short story?
Damn that's awesome. What short stories did you write. Also Guy Haley is another very solid choice when it comes to Black library and the Dark Imperium trilogy is another phenomenal series
@@Kakimech89 Yes, exactly through the manner you described. Started back in 2012 after two failed prior attempts in 2011 and 2010. Got a short story contract out of it, and then proceeded to write 7 short stories for them over the next couple of years. So the next time they have open submissions, and you're interested, jump on it. And if at first you don't succeed, try try again.
@@thebaron2277 Indeed, Guy Haley, Gav Thorpe, John French and Graham McNeil are also very good. I wrote the Flesh Tithe and What Wakes in the Dark for 40k (both centered around the Death Spectres space marines), and Soul Warden, The Harrowing Deep, Ghosts of Khaphtar, Red Knight, and Claws of Famine for Age of Sigmar (all centered around either the Idoneth Deepkin or other underrepresented factions).
I really hope you'll read and review "For the Emperor" in the future (which is book 1 in Ciaphas Cain sub-series). Maybe it's not the best place to be introduced to 40k, but definitely the one that would show you this world from another angle. It is still 40k-ish grimdark, but also has comedy and satire elements as well. If you want to read just a few 40k books to see, what this grander series can offer, "For the Emperor" should be among them. And btw, don't be scared of size of Cain series. It has 10 books, but they all are their own adventures with pleasing but minor interconnections. It's fine to read just book one.
I think Cain's stories are good, but aren't a good intro to the setting. You need at least enough grounding that you can tell when he's being ironic, openly lying, or dropping an unexpected moment of emotional honesty.
@Matt Sinz and even then the ethereals mind control the populace. Farsight and his enclaves are probably the closest we have to a lawful good faction. I always say there are good people on 40k but no faction (aside from Farsight) are 100% good
@@MattSinz Are you still acting like it's 2002? This is what happens when you guys live only in memes and not reality. The Tau have been in the top 5 most popular factions, statistically, for the last few years. It's been 20 years since they've been added and they are far from the least popular or the least played. Get over it.
That last bit with the action scene with “a small price to pay for the emperor” one liner at the end is scarily accurate vibe for someone who’s only read one book. Also we most definitely are all the baddies, like, no question.
I love this book. I would argue it is THE BEST intro to 40K lore. My vote for Cavill's project would be adapting the Eisenhorn trilogy (Xenos, Hereticus, Malleus) with one book per season. So much of the 40k-verse is touched upon within the stories beyond just the Inquisition itself. BTW, the "EiseLhorn" thing was making me nuts." 😀
There are some moments in the Eisenhorn books that read like a Hayao Miyazaki film, where the narrator takes time to show you what’s going on, like the canals where Eisenhorn and the gang are going through to meet with that one merchant, and there are all these soldiers celebrating the Founding and people just strolling along and going to coffee houses and stuff. It’s those little moments that flesh out the story in ways that I appreciate. Also the terrifying introduction to a Chaos Space Marine was so well done…
I agree. There’s this beautiful scene in Horus Rising where this journalist is just walking around this war torn city, getting progressively drunk and realizing that the empire will eventually fall and nothing is forever.
I started to read 40k a year ago, with Xenos as my entry point. I own about 26 books now and I am lost in the sea of grim dark awesomness, that is the world of Warhammer. I love the huge scope and the variation of all those stories within. I highly recommend the fairly new 'Warhammer Crime' imprint - these are detective stories in the hive world of Varangantua. Cyberpunk - Blade Runner esque feeling, awesome characters, cool stories and no further knowledge needed. And there is. So. Much. More. Like the Warhammer Horror imprint. I literally eat up the book 'House of Night and Chain' by David Annadale. Warhammer is way more than just Military Sci Fantasy. I am deeply in love. And I despise Games Workshops book printing strategy.
The Eisenhorn series is a great entry point. Gaunts Ghosts has great character development too. The Infinite and the Divine and Brutal Kunnin, give good alternatives to the "bolter porn" of the space marine novels.
Gaunts Ghosts series books are among my favourites for military science fiction. Also double eagle by the same author is my absolute favourite in 40 setting.
Hey Daniel! I'm glad you liked Xenos overall, and even though it'd be a ways off in terms of you reading or doing a breakdown of them, I'd highly recommend the Ciaphus Cain books and the Night Lords Trilogy. Ciaphus Cain is in a lot of ways the more light-hearted and fun little brother of the Eisenhorn and Gaunts Ghosts books, being less grimdark overall with a more comedic protagonist. The Night Lords trilogy is full grimdark though. Like, the protagonist's are just straight evil, and do evil things... But you almost forget that they are the bad guys because of how well Aaron Dempski-Bowden gets you invested in them!
Recently “finished” the Horus Heresy series. I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed it, not being a fan of war stories and mecha. Something about how grand the universe is really grabbed me.
Eisenhorn is amongst the best 40K stuff that Black Library has published, it's also probably the best series Dan Annett has written for Black Library. As the omnibus blurb describes it 'Part detective story, part interplanetary epic'. Abnett has also written the long running series 'Gaunts Ghosts' which you might want to check out. Warhammer 40K is so dense and vast as a setting it's hard to really know how they're going to introduce it to people completely new to it.
I absolutely love the whole side-cast of supporting characters that surround Gregor Eisenhorn. Bequin, Aemos, Fischig, I can't wait to see on the big screen some day ♡
The Night Lords books are a good reading partner for Eisenhorn, because where the latter is someone willing to make regretful sacrifices to achieve what is absolutely necessary until he is so deep he can't quite see clearly any more, the former is about a group of characters who are just the absolute worst in the chain of atrocities they commit around the galaxy, led by a perspective character who, in the face of absolute and total evidence to the contrary, still insists on believing that there is somehow any nobility left to his actions. They work well in retrospect, almost as the beginning and the end of the same, centuries-long character arc. And if you can get through the quite shocking violence and cruelty of Eisenhorn's books you're more likely to be able to stomach Night Lords following characters who are walking war crimes.
As a longtime fan of 40k it's awesome to see you dipping your toes into this grimdark universe. It may sound strange, but the best primer for the 40k universe as a whole would probably be one of the recent Core Rulebooks for the tabletop game (any from 5th edition to the current 9th edition rulebook should work fine though more recent ones will have more recent information as the tabletop story does move the setting forward). While about half of the content in these rulebooks are rules for that edition of the tabletop game, the other half is all in regards to the lore of the setting. Things like an introduction to the setting, a timeline of different major events and an overview of who the main factions at play in the setting are. You'd likely get an idea of this information as you read through different books in the setting though it may help with some information/concepts those stories assume the reader is aware of. For book recommendations, Brutal Kunning and The Infinite & The Divine are both great books in their own right and give a look into the Orks and Necrons respectively.
Xenos and tge eisenhorn trilogy are amazing. The spin off ravenos trilogy is also good but a bit harder to get through… definitely worth it though when the 2 trilogies come together and carry on in the bequin trilogy (of which only 2 books are finished…. Desperately waiting on the third) But eisenhorn is so vivid and awesome. A detective noir… with space, psychics, and where the detective has the unlimited funds and authority of an authoritarian empire that will blow up whatever planet the detective is on if he thinks it’s necessary. …. That’s a fun time lol
The thing about the 40k universe is that its so big and diverse in what stories can be told and in what tone that there is something for everyone I would recommend maybe watching/reading the wiki on the wider universe to get how it's divided (2 videos by Bricky explaining every faction is really good for a quick guide into everyone)
Second bricky. I felt like I could never get into warhammer, now I kinda of have a decent understanding of the world and factions that makes it much easier to digest material.
I’m just starting Eisenhorn because the omnibus got released. After this i think Hellsreach, the Infinite & the Divine and Storm of Iron are good stand alones to get more familiar with the setting
To answer your question at 8:03, it's 100% a recurring theme of 40K. You see it happen more in the other books in the series. Remember that "chaos" and "heresy" aren't buzzwords in Warhammer. They're a tangible, objective thing.
I've found that with 40k novels the best ways to go about picking what to read is to stick to a core of reliable authors who's style suits me and then pick the more novel ones that experiment with the setting. Outside of the Abnettverse I'm a big fan of aaron dembski-bowden, his talent is making monstrous characters understandable, letting him walk the grimdark line more than most without it becoming parody. On the side of novelty I recently picked up "The infinite and the divine" essentially two grumpy old academics fighting over a relic, but they're both ancient androids competing over thousands of years.
DanAbnetts Inquisitor series is the best series I have ever read. You are right thow, the only weakness of the book was a bit too many shoot outs that didn’t really need to be there. Almost like a episode of Sons of Anarchy(every episode features a punch up/shoot out/car chase with a bunch of extras). Bar that the book great and the series only gets better.
Dan's a fantastic writer and he writes action in a very fun way. It's an even more action heavy series but I'd love to hear your thoughts on the first three (they're short bite sized books) Gaunts Ghosts books. I say three cause reading they kinda work as one arch of this MASSIVE series. It's full of interesting characters and makes you car about these soldiers and their trials really well
Love that he picked up on the 'unreliable narrator' part of the book and 40k in general. In my opinion it is one of the more important and often forgot parts about 40k lore.
The Eisenhorn and Ravenor Trilogies are some of my favorite Warhammer 40k Books, I consistently go back to them every couple years for a re-read. I can't wait for the third trilogy of trilogies to finish!
@@Fabierien I did, though it was less of a book 4 and just a collection of short stories that fill in some gaps around the trilogy. Regardless, I enjoyed Magos as well. This is one series I always go to when I want some solid sci-fi action. It is just a bonus that it is also set in the 40k Universe which I'm a long time fan of.
I'm not a 40k guy, but Abnett is a great author. He was part of a writing team that created the modern take on Guardians of the Galaxy. His run of Marvel cosmic is just great sci-fantasy
Watching a million lore videos before reading any 40k books, really helped me a lot. I honestly have no idea which book would be best for people to start with. It really depends on their personal tastes and what gebres they already like. Then finding a 40k book that's in that genre
You're a brave dude going into this without any context or knowledge of the world setting, my hat is off to you. That said a good portion of the books almost require a metaknowledge of the setting and story up till now in order for everything to hit right. That said been in the community for well over a decade and always say welcome to people getting their feet wet. Emperor protects!
I'd love to hear your opinions on the first book in Dan Abnett's other 40K series, Gaunt's Ghosts. It's also one of the books often recommended to newcomers. In fact, I think most books recommended to new readers happen to be written by Dan Abnett (even if he didn't write the rest of those series)
I think you absolutely need to read "The Infinite and the Divine" as one of your Warhammer books, it should absolutely fit in with your love of Terry Pratchett style humour and also does some good worlbuilding for those unfamiliar with the Necrons.
Pretty excited that you’re dabbling in the 41st Millenium cause its a setting and a hobby I have loved for years. One of my favourite novels is cult of the Warmason. Its a standalone book that starts as a typical Imperium vs Xenos mystery story that basically just becomes OG Predator towards the end, very fun. Looking forward to more hopefully!
Wow you reminded me of all the reasons why i fell in love with Dan Abnett's writing. And Xenos is one of his earlier books, so his writing definitely gets better as the series goes on. (And also, welcome to grim darkness of 41st millennium Daniel!)
Hi Daniel. I think you were spot on with the narrative perspectives. A lot of the way Warhammer 40k presents itself in writing is almost like propaganda a lot of the time, constantly expressing how these things are perfectly valid and justifiable whilst leaving things to interpretation and relying on other perspectives. Ie the idea of Space Marines being these noble heroes of supreme selflessness that chose duty over all else, but in other perspectives, whether xenos or a poor human, they can be bullies, genocidal maniacs, and an icon of the worst aspects of human zealotry. Or even on a matter of scale where say a space marine novel is an action packed power fantasy, compared to one focused on an Imperial guardsmen which focuses a lot more on the horrors of war and the 40,000 universe
Dan Abnett basically made 40K’s book series. He also did the first three books of the Horus Heresy which are a definite read (later ones not so much because it just becomes Daddy Issues the series). As well as the Guants Ghosts series, think of it like Sharpe in Space.
Yeah, in 40k, everyone are the baddies. But also, Eisenhorn does get better. And I love it's sequel series too. Ravenor trilogy leans more into the action and goes all Xmen meets hollywood mission impossible agent triller. While Bequin instead is a full blown mystery novel series where Dan is just flexing his writing skills. The upcoming third Bequin novel is probably my most anticipated 40k novel, or novel of any genre right now.
Yeah, Eisenhorn was good. Ravenor was, in my opinion, better, and more intriguing, given its more personable characters. But Bequin has just been outstanding. The mystery and world-building has been superb and I cannot wait to see how the whole Yellow King thing pans out.
I have a very peripheral following of Warhammer as folks I know or follow get into it and share information. My absolute favorite snippet I've seen is this quote from Inquisitor Bronislaw Czevak, "There is a cancer eating at the Imperium. With each decade it advances deeper, leaving drained, dead worlds in its wake. This horror, this abomination, has thought and purpose which functions on an unimaginable, galactic scale and all we can do is try to stop the swarms of bio-engineered monsters it unleashes upon us by instinct. We have given the horror a name to salve our fears; we call it the Tyranid race, but if it is aware of us at all it must know us only as Prey." Which dovetails nicely into my favorite detail about the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Which is how the Tyranids (Psychic space-faring swarms of self-evolution-determining insects) are an outside force, they come from the depths of unexplored space and try to beeline to Holy Terra (Known in antiquity as 'Earth') due to the alluring draw of the psychic beacon that is The Emperor's barely living corpse. Invasions like this have happened multiple times. Each time they have come from a different direction. For all the inhabitants of the Milky Way know, the rest of the universe is already overrun by Tyranids, and they're the last holdout. Completely. Surrounded.
I was surprised to hear this described as military fantasy. It is in a sense, but by contrast to something like Gaunt's Ghosts (same universe, same author, also excellent) I've always thought of the Eisenhorn trilogy as "just fantasy." As more general advice for future 40k reading, there are three distinct categories of novels in the Black Library lineup: gritty military fantasy (mostly Abnett, sometimes Graham McNeill, if you want the good stuff), grimdark satire (exclusively Sandy Mitchel's Ciaphas Cain series, which works brilliantly if and only if you have the context of the universe for contrast), and pulp fantasy (pretty much all the rest, with highly variable quality). My advice? Read Abnett, then read Mitchel, then call it a day unless you get sucked into the setting because most of the rest suffers from the exact problem described at the end of the video here.
I really want to get into Warhammer but to call it daunting would be an understatement. This looks like a great place to dip my toe in so I really appreciate the video and the recommendation. Thanks Daniel!
It's a neat series that dips into quite a few important topics to the universe If you'd like a broad oversight, Bricky's all 40k factions is quite good for that
Tbh if you want to get in any setting based on a ttrpg, The Rulebook is often the best source and primer for a setting, if your less inclined maybe the more proven novels like Hero of the imperium for 40k, Gotrek and felix for fantasy.
Loved the Action sequence and the review! as some one whose started actually pursuing my interest in 40k this year (reading horus heresy books, building an army, and playing more 40k games) i found a few books i really loved and characters i wanted to follow then let some of the rest drop off. My thirst for good 40k stories though is still very present though!
The Warhammer Crime books are great for a more micro view of the 40k universe. A lot the military issues are far away, and the Crime novels focus more on a specific city and its issues. Bloodlines by Chris Wraight and Grim Repast by Marc Collins are both excellent and deal with a lot of social commentary that isn't always apparent in 40k novels. Still quite a few action sequences, though.
Book review, book review!!! This and a deep dive in one week makes me happy. I hope they do well. Have you considered making a channel for book reviews since they tend to not do as well? Maybe some of the other content you enjoy making but the algorithm limits you on? Maybe it could be worthwhile, I would certainly enjoy it. Either way, I wish you the best and am grateful for the entertainment you've provided us over the years
HUGE 40k fan here, I actually did it the other way around where I got really into the world/setting and from there getting into the books. Extremely excited to hear your takes on the wider 40k universe
The Black Library has all types of genres in it. They have action, horror, crime noir, character studies, humor, etc. There is sure to be something that matches someone's tastes.
One bit of hopefully interesting context for Eisenhorn specifically, is that it is one of the first and only (pun intended) books that isn't literally set on an actual battlefield. With these books, Dan Abnett had to codify/invent a lot of the civilian side of the Imperium, that hadn't really existed in the fluff up until that point. I think it's also useful to be aware of how much the setting is satirical. The Imperium is very much the bad guys (and so is everyone else), but because they are almost exclusively the perspective characters, we do see a lot of heroics etc. I hope you enjoy the rest of the series, and that you'll pick up Ravenor afterwards!
I don't know if you went onto read the rest of the series, but something I love about this series is that much of what you say about the character is intentional and Abnett grows the character, challenges the character and changes the character throughout the series as we is hit with knocks or new information or experiences. I love that in book one he's all routine but how he grows and matures beyond that throughout the books, its some of the best implicit character growth I've read in a book.
I haven't read any of the books but I love the lore videos as the universe is just so massive. From what I've heard and get the sense of basically no story is completely told as if it was just straight up facts but more like all lore is give through the lens of someone in that world so they could miss remember or miss understand something but that is the story that gets spread allowing them some easy retconning room and discovering new "facts" about events we didn't know before if another person wants to add onto a story. Which is pretty neat for world building something so massive.
If you are interested in more 40k novels Adrian Tchaikovsky (of Children of Time fame) has written a great little novella set in the 40k universe following one of my favourite factions; the Genestealer Cult :)
Definitely think you would love the Ciaphas Caine series. It follows "A Hero of the Imperium" from his perspective, pointing out how cowardly and self serving he is while falling ass backwards into game and glory (and more and more dangerous assignments). There's is also the framing device of this biography his being edited by an Inquisitor (who also appears in the novels events) providing context of other events Ciaphas had no knowledge of, and outside perspectives of people who adore and admire him, contrasting with his cynical perspective. It's one of the most popular 40k series for a reason.
Regarding the unreliable narrator: that is imo quite spot on. As a very minor spoiler, the leader of humanity, the God Emperor was often see differently by different people. Some saw him as a great politician, others as an inventor, war leader, humble man or literal god - all due to the Emperors very nature and his abilities.
One suggestion for you Daniel, from a long time Warhammer 40k Book & especially Lore fan (because sadly there are a lot of bad 40k Writers/Books out there). If you want to get into the lore of 40k or just want to get an overview of who is who and what is what: There are two content creators I would recommend, Luetin09 and Bricky. Bricky has this fantastic series called "Every single Warhammer 40k Faction Explained". It's more on the fun/meme side of things, but does an incredible job at introducing you to the main factions and giving you and overview what they are, how they function and most importantly what they believe in. And you'll probably get some good laughs out of it. It's pretty long but it's seperated into chapters, so you don't have to watch it all at once. It's the perfect entry point in my opinion. :) And then there's Luetin. The man I would consider the Loremaster of the 40k universe. His videos are a LOT more dense and might be hard to get into as a newbie. But I think no one presents the feeling of Warhammer 40k better then he does. He goes deep and gets almost borderline philosophical about things. But the way he narrates and edits his videos perfectly delivers this "feeling" of 40k. And he also has one of the nicest RUclipsr-Voices I've ever heard. He also has an Introduction Video (FULL BEGINNER'S GUIDE + EVERY MAJOR FACTION) and a full playlist of the main history and events of the galaxy. While reading Eisenhorn I would highly recommend watching his Inquisition Videos (THE INQUISITION OF MANKIND) and his Videos about the Emperor (THE EMPEROR OF MAN). The Emperor videos go pretty dang deep, but I think they brilliantly show how mystical this universe can be. And they also touch heavily on your point made about unrealiable narrators. The Emperor and his history are a prime example of this. You can trust nothing and no one who is telling you about the Emperor - not even or maybe mostly the Emperor himself. All in all Luetins Videos really capture the Epicness and Vastness of this universe, where the life of billions and billions of people are worth nothing, as long as their deaths mean the Empire can survive for another day. Which sounds bad but in this universe your more like "honestly yeah, I kinda get it". And one last point: I think as someone who likes Dune, the story about the "God" Emperor, his origins, his plans and the grandious failures that led to him being this rotting, living carcass thats worshipped as a God, would be something to enjoy. It takes a lot from the idea of Dunes God Emperor but twists them in super interesting ways. After years and years of reading about him, I'm still not sure if the Emperor is the greatest human who ever lived, a loving father to the races of Humanity and his godlike sons, who ultimately failed after trying to bring mankind salvation and doomed his whole race to a future of zealous religious barbarism and damnation without without any real hope of redemption - or if he is straight up the worst and most murderous, uncaring, ignorant, delusional dictator/murderer/egomaniac who ever walked the stars. And I think Luetins videos portray this better then most of the books can. Anyway, I hope you enjoy your stay in this weird universe so many of us all over the world love, however long it may be! :) And always remember: The Emperor protects!
Abnett’s other series Gaunt’s Ghosts is a amazing, he can let all the military writing shine and he still manages to make solid plots and characters to hold everything up. Even though the series is like a dozen books by now there’s still enough variety to make things interesting I think only in death is the eighth book and it becomes a horror mystery novel with the characters losing their minds in a millennia old abandoned alien fortress, or the third novel necropolis which is about a massive city being besieged by an army with crab and spider mechs tearing down its walls. He’s also able to do some really nice character arcs and plot arcs throughout all the books and usually every four or so books becomes an arc like in manga. Plus since it was one of the first series written for black library it’s a great starting point since half the settings terms like vox caster come out of the early books.
Big fan of 40k. It's nice to see you giving it another shot, what with the potential of 40k coming to amazon. Read xenos years ago, so can't comment on parts exactly, but agree it would be a series that could be read in isolation to the wider lore. 👍🏻
So, Daniel, the best way I can discribe 40k in answer to your last question is with a story: My favourite faction are the Adeptus Custodes. The emperor's golden bodyguards. At the end of the recent duology of books about them, a major character from the lore turns up at the end in a really cool way. What was really awesome is that my friend had read the books that covered that character's return. He got to find out where he went and I got to find out where he came from and if you don't wanna read, you can still feel like you're following characters YOU love that still have context elsewhere in the Imperium of man. Much love as always
Dan Abnett was, for a long time, the only 40k author of note. Telling because he created the original run of Guardians of the Galaxy's current incarnation in 08. He's also a TV writer.
Stealth is also purple. Also yes, there is a lot of concrete lore that is completely obscured by bias and the fact that the Universe takes place over thousands of years and things get lost and misunderstood. Its really fun.
As a long term 40k fan ive read the whole Eisenhorn saga recently for the first time and i really enjoyed it especially the later to be finished triology. My advice for people trying to get into the lore either start with the Horus Heresy ironically enough started off by Dan Abnett (His writing is excellent here) or something like Caiphas Cain where you get introduced into the 40k world well and it takes time to explain complicated elements in 40k. Another entry point is looking at the factions checking out a lore video online. To be fair to Abnett with Xenos this book was basically a tie in to a failed game product by GW called Inquisitor (funnily enough) and what he achieved was just a small amount of his talent. The serious improves massively over the next couple of books and His Gaunts Ghost run is legendary. But glad to see you tackling this Universe Dan! keep it up!
I am a black library fan, although more Age of Sigmar then 40k. But the Ork books of 40k are incredible, at least brutal kunnin (the story of a Ork invasion on a mechanicus world with multiple view points) and Ghazghkull mag uruk thraka: prophet of the WAAAAGH! (The story of THE Ork character of 40k told from the eyes of somebody hearing the story from a goblin guy)
I just read the books, listen to them...got into it because of that guy who animated "Helsreach" and I eventually decided it was taking too long I'm gonna just get Audible. It's gonna be so interesting seeing this whole huge story just made up to sell model toys, the origin of the term 'grimdark,' becoming or at least trying to become the next MCU? Fascinating times.
My fav ones are the background books such as Liber Xenologis, Liber Chaotica, Xenology, The Sabbat Worlds Crusade, The Battle for Armageddon, The 13th Black Crusade and The Inquisition. I absolutely love the worldbuilding in both 40k and WFB.
Played Vermintide about a year ago, buddy got me into Darktide two months ago, and now I've ordered my first Combat Patrol and set of paints. Warhammer seems to be absolutely everywhere I look right now and I love it.
The only problem with Warhammer books is that if you don't know the universe lot of things can go over your head. For example, in the second Eisenhorn book, they mention that even the most loyal can become a traitor and they say a few names, and to make a point they mention Horus. Now if you know nothing of the universe it doesn't even register in your mind. But the Horus Heresy has 60+ books.
As someone who has been dipping their toe into Warhammer recently I do have to recommend @Bricky breakdown videos of all the factions in 40k. He does very well to make everything simple enough to understand for a universe that is so complex.
I grew up being heavily involved with 40k stuff and the Eisenhorn trilogy was one of my absolute favorite series. The Gaunt's Ghosts series is also absolutely fantastic, but more heavily into the military sci fi aspects but has some pretty solid commentary on warfare throughout.
As a 40k fan, there isn't any specific characters or events ending that would pull me out of the setting, I am attracted to it BECAUSE it's so huge and BECAUSE of the massive amount of characters and sub-factions. If one thing ends, than I can move to the next
A few good read suggestions in the Warhammer 40k Universe: The Ciaphas Cain series (My personal favorite alongside Eisenhorn) Gaunts Ghosts series(A bit more on the militaristic side, but with a very nuanced point of view.) Black Fortress series (A more typical Party on an adventure style of series like The Hobbit or D&D campaigns)
I started with the largest of the subseries which is called the Horus heresy which is set 10k years before and is how the god emperor sorta became "god" and how one of the main factions came to be. It has it's ups and downs and the community is large and can point you in the right direction of what books are worthwhile and what is skip worthy. Like if you like inquisitors there is an series right after this Called Ravenor etc. But if you want to know more about necrons there is infinite and the Divine etc. There is a lot of fluff but there is also a lot of just purely fantastic stories. I have read probably over 120 books in this universe and like you said it is addicting.
If you're looking for something more comedic (I know that seems unlikely in 40k) you should give Sandy Mitchell's Ciaphas Cain series a try. The first one is called For The Emperor. Regarding your thoughts about if the Eisenhorn trilogy doing well if it were divorced from from the 40k setting, I actually agree. Though depending on the backdrop it may seem too much like other hard-boiled detective fiction. As to what you said regarding your impressions of the characters' mindset skewing things so their point of view seems correct is kind of a notable aspect of the Eisenhorn series. As for the series and the world overall, it depends on the author and the story, but like others have commented, everyone is various depths of bad.
There are a lot of standout series like Gaunt's Ghosts, and Horus Heresy. Both are a pretty significant time investment. You will run into the fact that there is a lot of clunkily placed action and question alot on who are the good guys (everything is pretty grey). The lore does suffer a bit from too many cooks in the kitchen, but there are so many cool stories from the Age of Apostacy, or War for Armageddon. With Helsreach being one of my favorites. Wish you the best, looking forward to your journey.
The problem is the Black Library goes for volume over quality all too often. Plot and character development of a lot of books could be covered in a pamphlet and then the rest is padded with war porn. I mean it's fine if that's what you're into, which is of course part of the hobby in general since the books are there too inspire you to buy an army to recreate battles. But treating it like literature is where it becomes challenging.
Dan when it comes to rereading books do you prefer your second read do be done immediately? Or do prefer to come back after a certain passage of time and rereading with a clean slate?
I suppose Eiselhorn is better than Eiselhole... Abnett is good. Yes, 40k do tend to be formulaic with a story in between action scenes. This is especially true of a lot of the Space Marines books where you are constantly reminded they are inhuman, fearless and get a checklist of all their glands and upgrades several times. Part of this might be because a lot of the same background is put in the books for first time readers unfamiliar with the setting and powers involved.
If you'd like a well written 40k story that doesn't lean too heavily into action I would highly recommend The infinite and the divine. It focuses on the necrons instead of humanity, you would probably enjoy it a LOT more
The entire 40k setting happens because wizard frogs didn't want to give skeletons chemotherapy
😂that is scarily accurate
All hail TOAD
I, I, umm, yeah, it's true.
In defense of the wizard frogs, the skeletons weren't skeletons yet and they were conquering the galaxy and being just a-holes in general. The wizard frogs were hoping they'd just die off and go away but instead the skeletons turned themselves into skeletons so they could continue to give the wizard frogs and the rest of the galaxy the middle finger.
As someone who knows very little about warhammer 40k. I so need this to be true
“Are we all the bad guys?” Should be the unofficial tag line for the entire Warhammer universe.
"Yes" says every faction, except for the Dark Eldar who just laugh maniacally
@@XraynPR Tyranids aren't the bad guys, they're just animals looking for food when you get right down to it.
@@pedanticperson1149 And Orks are just plants lookin' for the good fights.
@@pedanticperson1149 It is heavily implied several times that the Hive Tyrants and the Hive Mind do have something of a "child pulling the legs off a spider" attitude towards their prey, so I'd say there's some sincere malice there.
@@pedanticperson1149 true, but then again they do eat entire worlds and leave them completely dead
“My patience is limited… unlike my authority”. Most bad ass line ever.
Like “hey… how bout you don’t piss off the guy who can literally blow up your planet with a phone call”. Lol
After finishing Eisenhorn, if you want a bit of a tone shift, I highly highly reocmmend Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium by Sandy Mitchel. Follow the exploits and misadventures of an Imperial Guard Commissar named Ciaphas Cain, who would rather be anywhere than in battle. Not only is it hilarious, it's also an incredibly compelling story with some great complex characters. Would really love to hear your thoughts on it!
Plus who doesn't love Orks,Nids,Genestealers and Necrons haha
Ci ci Ciaphas Cain! Hero of the imperium! Ci ci Ciaphas Cain! Hero of the imperium!
He's here to kick ass and drink Tana and Tana is on the other side of the Planet
The Mat of 40k lmao
And who is legally never allowed to be declared dead since hes "died" multiple times only to survive and the Administratum got fed up with having to update records all the time.
I really hope this means you're covering the entire Eisenhorn saga.
Oh man I hope he gets to the Bequin trilogy. So much so.
@@Fabierien There might be too many 40k references in the Bequin trilogy that Daniel might not understand.
@@johnd3421 tbh I had to look up the maybe possible reveal. So I get ya.
I've actually written a few short stories for the Black Library, and all I can say (regarding the question of whether it all feels disconnected), is that I think many of the authors try very hard to delve into the lore and make references to other works out there, regarding the factions/settings/subsettings they are writing about. I know it's something I did with the short pieces I wrote, and I see it in a lot of what I read.
I think most people will end up choosing a particular part of the setting, regardless, and will generally read the books/short stories that focus on their favorite factions/characters, but I also feel like there are a few authors that are generally considered the big guns of the Black Library, that can be recommended to anyone (aka Dan Abnett, Aaron Dembski-Bowden, and a few others).
You wrote for Black Library?! That is awesome! :D
How did you get to write for them? Is it a thing where you have to send them a pitch for a story and then build it up from there? Or were you specifically recruited to write a short story?
Damn that's awesome. What short stories did you write.
Also Guy Haley is another very solid choice when it comes to Black library and the Dark Imperium trilogy is another phenomenal series
@@Kakimech89 Yes, exactly through the manner you described. Started back in 2012 after two failed prior attempts in 2011 and 2010. Got a short story contract out of it, and then proceeded to write 7 short stories for them over the next couple of years.
So the next time they have open submissions, and you're interested, jump on it. And if at first you don't succeed, try try again.
@@thebaron2277 Indeed, Guy Haley, Gav Thorpe, John French and Graham McNeil are also very good.
I wrote the Flesh Tithe and What Wakes in the Dark for 40k (both centered around the Death Spectres space marines), and Soul Warden, The Harrowing Deep, Ghosts of Khaphtar, Red Knight, and Claws of Famine for Age of Sigmar (all centered around either the Idoneth Deepkin or other underrepresented factions).
I really hope you'll read and review "For the Emperor" in the future (which is book 1 in Ciaphas Cain sub-series). Maybe it's not the best place to be introduced to 40k, but definitely the one that would show you this world from another angle. It is still 40k-ish grimdark, but also has comedy and satire elements as well. If you want to read just a few 40k books to see, what this grander series can offer, "For the Emperor" should be among them.
And btw, don't be scared of size of Cain series. It has 10 books, but they all are their own adventures with pleasing but minor interconnections. It's fine to read just book one.
He has the Hardback of "For the Emperor" on his shelfs so hopefully he will eventually read it.
Cain is no grimdark what are you saying?
Cain is Blackadder in space.
It's a great series, although I haven't read anything after the sixth book.
I think Cain's stories are good, but aren't a good intro to the setting. You need at least enough grounding that you can tell when he's being ironic, openly lying, or dropping an unexpected moment of emotional honesty.
@@UnreasonableOpinions that was my first foray into 40k and most of my friends group.
It's very obvious even to a newbie
In the 40K universe, if you are looking for “good guys” you are in wrong place. That’s almost like looking for a happy ending reading Orwell.
It's funny that the closest thing to "good guys" in 40K are the Tau, the least liked least played faction.
@Matt Sinz and even then the ethereals mind control the populace.
Farsight and his enclaves are probably the closest we have to a lawful good faction.
I always say there are good people on 40k but no faction (aside from Farsight) are 100% good
Persson's pretty aight.
@@MattSinz Are you still acting like it's 2002? This is what happens when you guys live only in memes and not reality. The Tau have been in the top 5 most popular factions, statistically, for the last few years. It's been 20 years since they've been added and they are far from the least popular or the least played. Get over it.
That last bit with the action scene with “a small price to pay for the emperor” one liner at the end is scarily accurate vibe for someone who’s only read one book.
Also we most definitely are all the baddies, like, no question.
Best part of this review: "Are we all the baddies?" yes, nailed it in 40k everyone is a different shade of baddie
I love this book. I would argue it is THE BEST intro to 40K lore. My vote for Cavill's project would be adapting the Eisenhorn trilogy (Xenos, Hereticus, Malleus) with one book per season. So much of the 40k-verse is touched upon within the stories beyond just the Inquisition itself. BTW, the "EiseLhorn" thing was making me nuts." 😀
Helsreach is an a great entry as well. ADB does a great job at writing the disconnect between superhumans and the rest of humanity.
Grimaldus is such a great character, at the Helsreach animated series that used the audiobooks is so good.
Helsreach is superb I've not read it yet, but I've seen the animation movie which uses the audiobooks dialogue.
The Hero of Helsreach they called me, as if there was only one.
There are some moments in the Eisenhorn books that read like a Hayao Miyazaki film, where the narrator takes time to show you what’s going on, like the canals where Eisenhorn and the gang are going through to meet with that one merchant, and there are all these soldiers celebrating the Founding and people just strolling along and going to coffee houses and stuff. It’s those little moments that flesh out the story in ways that I appreciate. Also the terrifying introduction to a Chaos Space Marine was so well done…
I agree. There’s this beautiful scene in Horus Rising where this journalist is just walking around this war torn city, getting progressively drunk and realizing that the empire will eventually fall and nothing is forever.
Abnett is an amazing author tbh
POTENTIAL SPOILER FOR BEQUIN.
I really love the introduction of the "Children" Chaos Space Marine in the Bequin novels.
I started to read 40k a year ago, with Xenos as my entry point. I own about 26 books now and I am lost in the sea of grim dark awesomness, that is the world of Warhammer. I love the huge scope and the variation of all those stories within. I highly recommend the fairly new 'Warhammer Crime' imprint - these are detective stories in the hive world of Varangantua. Cyberpunk - Blade Runner esque feeling, awesome characters, cool stories and no further knowledge needed. And there is. So. Much. More. Like the Warhammer Horror imprint. I literally eat up the book 'House of Night and Chain' by David Annadale. Warhammer is way more than just Military Sci Fantasy. I am deeply in love. And I despise Games Workshops book printing strategy.
Dude listen to the watcher in the rain!! It's an amazingly good short story from the horror series 👌🏼 real cosmic horror Tzeentch vibes tbh
@@gholamdapantaloonsniffer8218 thanks for the rec! I didnt know about that story. Will check it out!
@@Freyveley that's all good! Glad to be of service haha
The Eisenhorn series is a great entry point. Gaunts Ghosts has great character development too.
The Infinite and the Divine and Brutal Kunnin, give good alternatives to the "bolter porn" of the space marine novels.
Gaunts Ghosts series books are among my favourites for military science fiction. Also double eagle by the same author is my absolute favourite in 40 setting.
I think Daniel would love the Infinite and the Divine. I just see Daniel loving Necrons
Hey Daniel! I'm glad you liked Xenos overall, and even though it'd be a ways off in terms of you reading or doing a breakdown of them, I'd highly recommend the Ciaphus Cain books and the Night Lords Trilogy.
Ciaphus Cain is in a lot of ways the more light-hearted and fun little brother of the Eisenhorn and Gaunts Ghosts books, being less grimdark overall with a more comedic protagonist.
The Night Lords trilogy is full grimdark though. Like, the protagonist's are just straight evil, and do evil things... But you almost forget that they are the bad guys because of how well Aaron Dempski-Bowden gets you invested in them!
Recently “finished” the Horus Heresy series. I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed it, not being a fan of war stories and mecha.
Something about how grand the universe is really grabbed me.
Only one book left.
Read the infinite and the divine
Man if only you knew how crazy this series gets by the time you get to Magos, Penitent and Pariah :). Xenos just scratches the surface.
Yes!! didn't think 40k was on your radar, hope u give the Ciaphas Cain series a read I think you'd like it
This!!! Best series in the whole 40K universe.
Eisenhorn is amongst the best 40K stuff that Black Library has published, it's also probably the best series Dan Annett has written for Black Library. As the omnibus blurb describes it 'Part detective story, part interplanetary epic'.
Abnett has also written the long running series 'Gaunts Ghosts' which you might want to check out.
Warhammer 40K is so dense and vast as a setting it's hard to really know how they're going to introduce it to people completely new to it.
I absolutely love the whole side-cast of supporting characters that surround Gregor Eisenhorn. Bequin, Aemos, Fischig, I can't wait to see on the big screen some day ♡
Apparently that is what the Cavill 40k initial films/shows will be
My personal favorite 40k series is the nightlords omnibus. If you finish the Eisenhorn trilogy I’d recommend it if you want more 40k
It's what got me into 40k and made the Night Lords my favorite legion. Fantastic trilogy.
Thanks! I know nothing about warhammer so I’ll check out night lords next.
The Night Lords books are a good reading partner for Eisenhorn, because where the latter is someone willing to make regretful sacrifices to achieve what is absolutely necessary until he is so deep he can't quite see clearly any more, the former is about a group of characters who are just the absolute worst in the chain of atrocities they commit around the galaxy, led by a perspective character who, in the face of absolute and total evidence to the contrary, still insists on believing that there is somehow any nobility left to his actions. They work well in retrospect, almost as the beginning and the end of the same, centuries-long character arc. And if you can get through the quite shocking violence and cruelty of Eisenhorn's books you're more likely to be able to stomach Night Lords following characters who are walking war crimes.
Have not read that I dont think. They blur together after a while.
I really liked the Soul Drinkers for a different take on marines.
As a longtime fan of 40k it's awesome to see you dipping your toes into this grimdark universe.
It may sound strange, but the best primer for the 40k universe as a whole would probably be one of the recent Core Rulebooks for the tabletop game (any from 5th edition to the current 9th edition rulebook should work fine though more recent ones will have more recent information as the tabletop story does move the setting forward).
While about half of the content in these rulebooks are rules for that edition of the tabletop game, the other half is all in regards to the lore of the setting. Things like an introduction to the setting, a timeline of different major events and an overview of who the main factions at play in the setting are.
You'd likely get an idea of this information as you read through different books in the setting though it may help with some information/concepts those stories assume the reader is aware of.
For book recommendations, Brutal Kunning and The Infinite & The Divine are both great books in their own right and give a look into the Orks and Necrons respectively.
Xenos and tge eisenhorn trilogy are amazing. The spin off ravenos trilogy is also good but a bit harder to get through… definitely worth it though when the 2 trilogies come together and carry on in the bequin trilogy (of which only 2 books are finished…. Desperately waiting on the third)
But eisenhorn is so vivid and awesome. A detective noir… with space, psychics, and where the detective has the unlimited funds and authority of an authoritarian empire that will blow up whatever planet the detective is on if he thinks it’s necessary.
…. That’s a fun time lol
The thing about the 40k universe is that its so big and diverse in what stories can be told and in what tone that there is something for everyone
I would recommend maybe watching/reading the wiki on the wider universe to get how it's divided (2 videos by Bricky explaining every faction is really good for a quick guide into everyone)
Second bricky. I felt like I could never get into warhammer, now I kinda of have a decent understanding of the world and factions that makes it much easier to digest material.
Luetin09 has some great longer videos if you want a deep dive into the lore
@@tateroberts9297 i love him! He attacks the lore like an actual historian. It's a testiment to the setting that he can even do that
I’m just starting Eisenhorn because the omnibus got released.
After this i think Hellsreach, the Infinite & the Divine and Storm of Iron are good stand alones to get more familiar with the setting
The infinite and the divine was awesome, and has some great characters
The Dark imperium trilogy by Guy Haley is also amazing but you have to know a bit about the setting first because it has some big characters
To answer your question at 8:03, it's 100% a recurring theme of 40K. You see it happen more in the other books in the series. Remember that "chaos" and "heresy" aren't buzzwords in Warhammer. They're a tangible, objective thing.
I've found that with 40k novels the best ways to go about picking what to read is to stick to a core of reliable authors who's style suits me and then pick the more novel ones that experiment with the setting. Outside of the Abnettverse I'm a big fan of aaron dembski-bowden, his talent is making monstrous characters understandable, letting him walk the grimdark line more than most without it becoming parody. On the side of novelty I recently picked up "The infinite and the divine" essentially two grumpy old academics fighting over a relic, but they're both ancient androids competing over thousands of years.
Im just curious how deep the rabbit hole goes... and its 40k .... ok Daniel will turn into a 40k channel. Not that im complaining
DanAbnetts Inquisitor series is the best series I have ever read.
You are right thow, the only weakness of the book was a bit too many shoot outs that didn’t really need to be there. Almost like a episode of Sons of Anarchy(every episode features a punch up/shoot out/car chase with a bunch of extras).
Bar that the book great and the series only gets better.
Dan's a fantastic writer and he writes action in a very fun way.
It's an even more action heavy series but I'd love to hear your thoughts on the first three (they're short bite sized books) Gaunts Ghosts books. I say three cause reading they kinda work as one arch of this MASSIVE series. It's full of interesting characters and makes you car about these soldiers and their trials really well
Love that he picked up on the 'unreliable narrator' part of the book and 40k in general. In my opinion it is one of the more important and often forgot parts about 40k lore.
The Eisenhorn and Ravenor Trilogies are some of my favorite Warhammer 40k Books, I consistently go back to them every couple years for a re-read. I can't wait for the third trilogy of trilogies to finish!
Did you read Eisenhorn 4 The Magos?
@@Fabierien I did, though it was less of a book 4 and just a collection of short stories that fill in some gaps around the trilogy. Regardless, I enjoyed Magos as well. This is one series I always go to when I want some solid sci-fi action. It is just a bonus that it is also set in the 40k Universe which I'm a long time fan of.
I'm not a 40k guy, but Abnett is a great author. He was part of a writing team that created the modern take on Guardians of the Galaxy. His run of Marvel cosmic is just great sci-fantasy
For more on this topic I would strongly recommend Brickys all 40k factions explained video and The Watcher in the Rain
Watching a million lore videos before reading any 40k books, really helped me a lot. I honestly have no idea which book would be best for people to start with. It really depends on their personal tastes and what gebres they already like. Then finding a 40k book that's in that genre
You're a brave dude going into this without any context or knowledge of the world setting, my hat is off to you. That said a good portion of the books almost require a metaknowledge of the setting and story up till now in order for everything to hit right. That said been in the community for well over a decade and always say welcome to people getting their feet wet. Emperor protects!
I'd love to hear your opinions on the first book in Dan Abnett's other 40K series, Gaunt's Ghosts. It's also one of the books often recommended to newcomers. In fact, I think most books recommended to new readers happen to be written by Dan Abnett (even if he didn't write the rest of those series)
I think you absolutely need to read "The Infinite and the Divine" as one of your Warhammer books, it should absolutely fit in with your love of Terry Pratchett style humour and also does some good worlbuilding for those unfamiliar with the Necrons.
Pretty excited that you’re dabbling in the 41st Millenium cause its a setting and a hobby I have loved for years. One of my favourite novels is cult of the Warmason. Its a standalone book that starts as a typical Imperium vs Xenos mystery story that basically just becomes OG Predator towards the end, very fun. Looking forward to more hopefully!
Wow you reminded me of all the reasons why i fell in love with Dan Abnett's writing. And Xenos is one of his earlier books, so his writing definitely gets better as the series goes on.
(And also, welcome to grim darkness of 41st millennium Daniel!)
Hi Daniel. I think you were spot on with the narrative perspectives. A lot of the way Warhammer 40k presents itself in writing is almost like propaganda a lot of the time, constantly expressing how these things are perfectly valid and justifiable whilst leaving things to interpretation and relying on other perspectives. Ie the idea of Space Marines being these noble heroes of supreme selflessness that chose duty over all else, but in other perspectives, whether xenos or a poor human, they can be bullies, genocidal maniacs, and an icon of the worst aspects of human zealotry. Or even on a matter of scale where say a space marine novel is an action packed power fantasy, compared to one focused on an Imperial guardsmen which focuses a lot more on the horrors of war and the 40,000 universe
Dan Abnett basically made 40K’s book series. He also did the first three books of the Horus Heresy which are a definite read (later ones not so much because it just becomes Daddy Issues the series). As well as the Guants Ghosts series, think of it like Sharpe in Space.
Yeah, in 40k, everyone are the baddies.
But also, Eisenhorn does get better. And I love it's sequel series too. Ravenor trilogy leans more into the action and goes all Xmen meets hollywood mission impossible agent triller.
While Bequin instead is a full blown mystery novel series where Dan is just flexing his writing skills. The upcoming third Bequin novel is probably my most anticipated 40k novel, or novel of any genre right now.
Same. I’m so hyped for the last Bequin book.
Yeah, Eisenhorn was good. Ravenor was, in my opinion, better, and more intriguing, given its more personable characters. But Bequin has just been outstanding. The mystery and world-building has been superb and I cannot wait to see how the whole Yellow King thing pans out.
Yeah can't wait for the next one, especially with the revelation of certain person's identity.
Dude that last reveal in Bequin was jaw dropping if you know the lore! So excited for his next one!
Well the book does follow the Inquisition who’s motto is literally “Innocence Proves Nothing.”
That action sequence was amazing XD
I have a very peripheral following of Warhammer as folks I know or follow get into it and share information. My absolute favorite snippet I've seen is this quote from Inquisitor Bronislaw Czevak,
"There is a cancer eating at the Imperium. With each decade it advances deeper, leaving drained, dead worlds in its wake. This horror, this abomination, has thought and purpose which functions on an unimaginable, galactic scale and all we can do is try to stop the swarms of bio-engineered monsters it unleashes upon us by instinct. We have given the horror a name to salve our fears; we call it the Tyranid race, but if it is aware of us at all it must know us only as Prey."
Which dovetails nicely into my favorite detail about the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Which is how the Tyranids (Psychic space-faring swarms of self-evolution-determining insects) are an outside force, they come from the depths of unexplored space and try to beeline to Holy Terra (Known in antiquity as 'Earth') due to the alluring draw of the psychic beacon that is The Emperor's barely living corpse. Invasions like this have happened multiple times.
Each time they have come from a different direction.
For all the inhabitants of the Milky Way know, the rest of the universe is already overrun by Tyranids, and they're the last holdout. Completely. Surrounded.
I was surprised to hear this described as military fantasy. It is in a sense, but by contrast to something like Gaunt's Ghosts (same universe, same author, also excellent) I've always thought of the Eisenhorn trilogy as "just fantasy."
As more general advice for future 40k reading, there are three distinct categories of novels in the Black Library lineup: gritty military fantasy (mostly Abnett, sometimes Graham McNeill, if you want the good stuff), grimdark satire (exclusively Sandy Mitchel's Ciaphas Cain series, which works brilliantly if and only if you have the context of the universe for contrast), and pulp fantasy (pretty much all the rest, with highly variable quality).
My advice? Read Abnett, then read Mitchel, then call it a day unless you get sucked into the setting because most of the rest suffers from the exact problem described at the end of the video here.
I really want to get into Warhammer but to call it daunting would be an understatement. This looks like a great place to dip my toe in so I really appreciate the video and the recommendation. Thanks Daniel!
It’s a great place to start. Xenos works as a standalone book just as well, as a start to a series.
It's a neat series that dips into quite a few important topics to the universe
If you'd like a broad oversight, Bricky's all 40k factions is quite good for that
Tbh if you want to get in any setting based on a ttrpg, The Rulebook is often the best source and primer for a setting, if your less inclined maybe the more proven novels like Hero of the imperium for 40k, Gotrek and felix for fantasy.
The setting is called Grimdark for a reason.
It's channeling Judge Dredd, and similar OTT 80's crazy.
Loved the Action sequence and the review! as some one whose started actually pursuing my interest in 40k this year (reading horus heresy books, building an army, and playing more 40k games) i found a few books i really loved and characters i wanted to follow then let some of the rest drop off. My thirst for good 40k stories though is still very present though!
The Warhammer Crime books are great for a more micro view of the 40k universe. A lot the military issues are far away, and the Crime novels focus more on a specific city and its issues. Bloodlines by Chris Wraight and Grim Repast by Marc Collins are both excellent and deal with a lot of social commentary that isn't always apparent in 40k novels. Still quite a few action sequences, though.
Book review, book review!!! This and a deep dive in one week makes me happy. I hope they do well. Have you considered making a channel for book reviews since they tend to not do as well? Maybe some of the other content you enjoy making but the algorithm limits you on? Maybe it could be worthwhile, I would certainly enjoy it. Either way, I wish you the best and am grateful for the entertainment you've provided us over the years
The least evil faction is the bug monsters aka tyranids
HUGE 40k fan here, I actually did it the other way around where I got really into the world/setting and from there getting into the books. Extremely excited to hear your takes on the wider 40k universe
The Black Library has all types of genres in it. They have action, horror, crime noir, character studies, humor, etc. There is sure to be something that matches someone's tastes.
One bit of hopefully interesting context for Eisenhorn specifically, is that it is one of the first and only (pun intended) books that isn't literally set on an actual battlefield. With these books, Dan Abnett had to codify/invent a lot of the civilian side of the Imperium, that hadn't really existed in the fluff up until that point.
I think it's also useful to be aware of how much the setting is satirical. The Imperium is very much the bad guys (and so is everyone else), but because they are almost exclusively the perspective characters, we do see a lot of heroics etc.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the series, and that you'll pick up Ravenor afterwards!
I've read about 4 black library books and I've VORACIOUSLY enjoyed them all, including a re read of 3
Would be funny if Daniel will check out whole Horus Heresy...
All 50+ books.
(Demonic laugh)
Just wanted to mention the colours are really popping in your videos. Looks great!
I don't know if you went onto read the rest of the series, but something I love about this series is that much of what you say about the character is intentional and Abnett grows the character, challenges the character and changes the character throughout the series as we is hit with knocks or new information or experiences. I love that in book one he's all routine but how he grows and matures beyond that throughout the books, its some of the best implicit character growth I've read in a book.
0:06 ‘Eiselhorn’?!
I started with the Horus Heresy years ago and fell in love with the universe. Now I have 200+ warhammer books and desperatly need more shelfs.
I haven't read any of the books but I love the lore videos as the universe is just so massive. From what I've heard and get the sense of basically no story is completely told as if it was just straight up facts but more like all lore is give through the lens of someone in that world so they could miss remember or miss understand something but that is the story that gets spread allowing them some easy retconning room and discovering new "facts" about events we didn't know before if another person wants to add onto a story. Which is pretty neat for world building something so massive.
If you are interested in more 40k novels Adrian Tchaikovsky (of Children of Time fame) has written a great little novella set in the 40k universe following one of my favourite factions; the Genestealer Cult :)
Definitely think you would love the Ciaphas Caine series. It follows "A Hero of the Imperium" from his perspective, pointing out how cowardly and self serving he is while falling ass backwards into game and glory (and more and more dangerous assignments). There's is also the framing device of this biography his being edited by an Inquisitor (who also appears in the novels events) providing context of other events Ciaphas had no knowledge of, and outside perspectives of people who adore and admire him, contrasting with his cynical perspective. It's one of the most popular 40k series for a reason.
Regarding the unreliable narrator: that is imo quite spot on. As a very minor spoiler, the leader of humanity, the God Emperor was often see differently by different people.
Some saw him as a great politician, others as an inventor, war leader, humble man or literal god - all due to the Emperors very nature and his abilities.
One suggestion for you Daniel, from a long time Warhammer 40k Book & especially Lore fan (because sadly there are a lot of bad 40k Writers/Books out there). If you want to get into the lore of 40k or just want to get an overview of who is who and what is what: There are two content creators I would recommend, Luetin09 and Bricky.
Bricky has this fantastic series called "Every single Warhammer 40k Faction Explained". It's more on the fun/meme side of things, but does an incredible job at introducing you to the main factions and giving you and overview what they are, how they function and most importantly what they believe in. And you'll probably get some good laughs out of it. It's pretty long but it's seperated into chapters, so you don't have to watch it all at once. It's the perfect entry point in my opinion. :)
And then there's Luetin. The man I would consider the Loremaster of the 40k universe. His videos are a LOT more dense and might be hard to get into as a newbie. But I think no one presents the feeling of Warhammer 40k better then he does. He goes deep and gets almost borderline philosophical about things. But the way he narrates and edits his videos perfectly delivers this "feeling" of 40k. And he also has one of the nicest RUclipsr-Voices I've ever heard. He also has an Introduction Video (FULL BEGINNER'S GUIDE + EVERY MAJOR FACTION) and a full playlist of the main history and events of the galaxy. While reading Eisenhorn I would highly recommend watching his Inquisition Videos (THE INQUISITION OF MANKIND) and his Videos about the Emperor (THE EMPEROR OF MAN). The Emperor videos go pretty dang deep, but I think they brilliantly show how mystical this universe can be. And they also touch heavily on your point made about unrealiable narrators. The Emperor and his history are a prime example of this. You can trust nothing and no one who is telling you about the Emperor - not even or maybe mostly the Emperor himself. All in all Luetins Videos really capture the Epicness and Vastness of this universe, where the life of billions and billions of people are worth nothing, as long as their deaths mean the Empire can survive for another day. Which sounds bad but in this universe your more like "honestly yeah, I kinda get it".
And one last point: I think as someone who likes Dune, the story about the "God" Emperor, his origins, his plans and the grandious failures that led to him being this rotting, living carcass thats worshipped as a God, would be something to enjoy. It takes a lot from the idea of Dunes God Emperor but twists them in super interesting ways. After years and years of reading about him, I'm still not sure if the Emperor is the greatest human who ever lived, a loving father to the races of Humanity and his godlike sons, who ultimately failed after trying to bring mankind salvation and doomed his whole race to a future of zealous religious barbarism and damnation without without any real hope of redemption - or if he is straight up the worst and most murderous, uncaring, ignorant, delusional dictator/murderer/egomaniac who ever walked the stars. And I think Luetins videos portray this better then most of the books can.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy your stay in this weird universe so many of us all over the world love, however long it may be! :) And always remember: The Emperor protects!
Abnett’s other series Gaunt’s Ghosts is a amazing, he can let all the military writing shine and he still manages to make solid plots and characters to hold everything up. Even though the series is like a dozen books by now there’s still enough variety to make things interesting I think only in death is the eighth book and it becomes a horror mystery novel with the characters losing their minds in a millennia old abandoned alien fortress, or the third novel necropolis which is about a massive city being besieged by an army with crab and spider mechs tearing down its walls. He’s also able to do some really nice character arcs and plot arcs throughout all the books and usually every four or so books becomes an arc like in manga. Plus since it was one of the first series written for black library it’s a great starting point since half the settings terms like vox caster come out of the early books.
Big fan of 40k. It's nice to see you giving it another shot, what with the potential of 40k coming to amazon. Read xenos years ago, so can't comment on parts exactly, but agree it would be a series that could be read in isolation to the wider lore. 👍🏻
When you get done with Eisenhorn I highly suggest the Ahriman series. From the point of view of chaos and really high philosophy low to medium action.
I'm so glad that you are covering Warhammer books again :) keep them coming!
Daniel reads 40k:
"One of us! One of us!"
So, Daniel, the best way I can discribe 40k in answer to your last question is with a story: My favourite faction are the Adeptus Custodes. The emperor's golden bodyguards. At the end of the recent duology of books about them, a major character from the lore turns up at the end in a really cool way. What was really awesome is that my friend had read the books that covered that character's return. He got to find out where he went and I got to find out where he came from and if you don't wanna read, you can still feel like you're following characters YOU love that still have context elsewhere in the Imperium of man. Much love as always
I recommend Ciaphas Cain books as an entry point into the universe. Brutal kunnin can also be a fun introduction to orks, but is not for everyone.
Cain was the last vestige of 40K being fun. Grimdark takes itself too seriously now.
Dan Abnett was, for a long time, the only 40k author of note. Telling because he created the original run of Guardians of the Galaxy's current incarnation in 08. He's also a TV writer.
"There's a lot of action in this book"
"In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war"
Stealth is also purple. Also yes, there is a lot of concrete lore that is completely obscured by bias and the fact that the Universe takes place over thousands of years and things get lost and misunderstood. Its really fun.
As a long term 40k fan ive read the whole Eisenhorn saga recently for the first time and i really enjoyed it especially the later to be finished triology. My advice for people trying to get into the lore either start with the Horus Heresy ironically enough started off by Dan Abnett (His writing is excellent here) or something like Caiphas Cain where you get introduced into the 40k world well and it takes time to explain complicated elements in 40k. Another entry point is looking at the factions checking out a lore video online.
To be fair to Abnett with Xenos this book was basically a tie in to a failed game product by GW called Inquisitor (funnily enough) and what he achieved was just a small amount of his talent. The serious improves massively over the next couple of books and His Gaunts Ghost run is legendary. But glad to see you tackling this Universe Dan! keep it up!
I am a black library fan, although more Age of Sigmar then 40k.
But the Ork books of 40k are incredible, at least brutal kunnin (the story of a Ork invasion on a mechanicus world with multiple view points) and Ghazghkull mag uruk thraka: prophet of the WAAAAGH! (The story of THE Ork character of 40k told from the eyes of somebody hearing the story from a goblin guy)
ʜɪᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀᴍ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ 🎁🎁🎊🎊
I just read the books, listen to them...got into it because of that guy who animated "Helsreach" and I eventually decided it was taking too long I'm gonna just get Audible. It's gonna be so interesting seeing this whole huge story just made up to sell model toys, the origin of the term 'grimdark,' becoming or at least trying to become the next MCU? Fascinating times.
Just Hoping you get to the other Eisenhorn Books soon.
Oh hell yeah Big Daddy Goblin. Recently got into warhammer myself so I hope ya keep this stuff coming
My fav ones are the background books such as Liber Xenologis, Liber Chaotica, Xenology, The Sabbat Worlds Crusade, The Battle for Armageddon, The 13th Black Crusade and The Inquisition. I absolutely love the worldbuilding in both 40k and WFB.
Played Vermintide about a year ago, buddy got me into Darktide two months ago, and now I've ordered my first Combat Patrol and set of paints. Warhammer seems to be absolutely everywhere I look right now and I love it.
The only problem with Warhammer books is that if you don't know the universe lot of things can go over your head. For example, in the second Eisenhorn book, they mention that even the most loyal can become a traitor and they say a few names, and to make a point they mention Horus. Now if you know nothing of the universe it doesn't even register in your mind. But the Horus Heresy has 60+ books.
As someone who has been dipping their toe into Warhammer recently I do have to recommend @Bricky breakdown videos of all the factions in 40k. He does very well to make everything simple enough to understand for a universe that is so complex.
I grew up being heavily involved with 40k stuff and the Eisenhorn trilogy was one of my absolute favorite series. The Gaunt's Ghosts series is also absolutely fantastic, but more heavily into the military sci fi aspects but has some pretty solid commentary on warfare throughout.
As a 40k fan, there isn't any specific characters or events ending that would pull me out of the setting, I am attracted to it BECAUSE it's so huge and BECAUSE of the massive amount of characters and sub-factions. If one thing ends, than I can move to the next
One thing that is said about the 40K Lore is that each story is propaganda from that factions POV. The entirety of the Lore is "Flawed Narrator".
A few good read suggestions in the Warhammer 40k Universe:
The Ciaphas Cain series (My personal favorite alongside Eisenhorn)
Gaunts Ghosts series(A bit more on the militaristic side, but with a very nuanced point of view.)
Black Fortress series (A more typical Party on an adventure style of series like The Hobbit or D&D campaigns)
Ciaphas Cain is also a great introduction. Grimm Dark Comedy.
I started with the largest of the subseries which is called the Horus heresy which is set 10k years before and is how the god emperor sorta became "god" and how one of the main factions came to be. It has it's ups and downs and the community is large and can point you in the right direction of what books are worthwhile and what is skip worthy. Like if you like inquisitors there is an series right after this Called Ravenor etc. But if you want to know more about necrons there is infinite and the Divine etc. There is a lot of fluff but there is also a lot of just purely fantastic stories. I have read probably over 120 books in this universe and like you said it is addicting.
If you're looking for something more comedic (I know that seems unlikely in 40k) you should give Sandy Mitchell's Ciaphas Cain series a try. The first one is called For The Emperor.
Regarding your thoughts about if the Eisenhorn trilogy doing well if it were divorced from from the 40k setting, I actually agree. Though depending on the backdrop it may seem too much like other hard-boiled detective fiction. As to what you said regarding your impressions of the characters' mindset skewing things so their point of view seems correct is kind of a notable aspect of the Eisenhorn series. As for the series and the world overall, it depends on the author and the story, but like others have commented, everyone is various depths of bad.
There are a lot of standout series like Gaunt's Ghosts, and Horus Heresy. Both are a pretty significant time investment. You will run into the fact that there is a lot of clunkily placed action and question alot on who are the good guys (everything is pretty grey). The lore does suffer a bit from too many cooks in the kitchen, but there are so many cool stories from the Age of Apostacy, or War for Armageddon. With Helsreach being one of my favorites. Wish you the best, looking forward to your journey.
The problem is the Black Library goes for volume over quality all too often. Plot and character development of a lot of books could be covered in a pamphlet and then the rest is padded with war porn. I mean it's fine if that's what you're into, which is of course part of the hobby in general since the books are there too inspire you to buy an army to recreate battles. But treating it like literature is where it becomes challenging.
Dan when it comes to rereading books do you prefer your second read do be done immediately? Or do prefer to come back after a certain passage of time and rereading with a clean slate?
I suppose Eiselhorn is better than Eiselhole...
Abnett is good.
Yes, 40k do tend to be formulaic with a story in between action scenes. This is especially true of a lot of the Space Marines books where you are constantly reminded they are inhuman, fearless and get a checklist of all their glands and upgrades several times.
Part of this might be because a lot of the same background is put in the books for first time readers unfamiliar with the setting and powers involved.
That bit took a turn at the 10 minute mark and I love it.
The Eisenhorn trilogy was superb - and motivated me to run the Dark Heresy 40K tabletop RPG back in the day.
If you'd like a well written 40k story that doesn't lean too heavily into action I would highly recommend The infinite and the divine. It focuses on the necrons instead of humanity, you would probably enjoy it a LOT more