Warhammer 40,000 has an absurdly extensive lore with many branches and sometimes even contradictions. Just because of its size, the world attracts millions of fans. But where should one start if they want to get involved? MeinMMO provides you with 15 points of approach – depending on your area of interest.
What kind of books are these? Here we only present novels and stories that deal with the world of Warhammer 40,000 – no established lore like that of the codices published by Games Workshop itself.
Since Warhammer was created in the 1980s, over 1,300 stories have emerged in the world, including books, comics, short stories, and more. The majority of these are stories set in the world of Warhammer 40,000.
Many of the novels are written from the perspective of characters in the universe, which means that the information there does not necessarily have to be “true.” Hard facts can only be found in the rulebooks, which do not necessarily help to understand the world.
This is how we selected: The selection is based on several factors. We researched the community, asked fans directly, and even had artificial intelligences analyze dozens of discussions from the internet. In the end, we sorted by content again.
The goal was to find the three novels for various “thematic areas” in Warhammer that are best suited to help a complete newcomer understand the subject matter.
By the way, there are also numerous series related to Warhammer, like the newly released Kill Lupercal:
Warhammer 30,000: The best books on the prehistory of Warhammer 40,000
A lot of what you know today about Warhammer 40,000 originated much earlier – sometimes over 10,000 years ago or more. From that time comes, for example, the decree that artificial intelligence is prohibited in the Imperium.
Even for this time, there are dozens of books and stories that explain to you why certain things are the way they are today.
1. Valdor: The Birth of the Imperium
Before the Imperium even came into being, the Emperor had to first unite the scattered humanity under one banner in the Unification Wars.
Valdor: The Birth of the Imperium by Chris Wraight starts here and tells the story of Constantin Valdor, the leader of the famous Custodes, the Emperor’s bodyguards. You will learn a bit more about the Thunder Warriors, the super-soldiers who existed before the Space Marines.
2. The Horus Heresy: The Rise of Horus
The Great Brother War, or the Horus Heresy, is one of the greatest tragedies in the history of the Imperium. Under Warmaster Horus, numerous Space Marine legions have dedicated themselves to Chaos and aim to overthrow the Emperor.
Horus’ betrayal triggers the greatest internal war the Imperium has ever faced and nearly destroys it. The 54-volume book series tells this story. The first volume, “The Rise of Horus” by Dan Abnett, begins the saga.
3. Siege of Terra: The War for the Sol System
Since the Imperium still exists in Warhammer 40,000, Horus was apparently not (entirely) successful. Nonetheless, his actions have serious consequences, and the Imperium remained on the verge of extinction for a long time after the Brother War.
With Siege of Terra, John French, Guy Haley, and other authors tell what has become of the Imperium after the Horus Heresy. The series, consisting of a total of 14 books, begins directly after the events of the Brother War. The War for the Sol System is the first volume.
By the way: There is almost no information available about one of the most important epochs in the world of Warhammer 40,000, the Dark Age of Technology – just small bits of information scattered everywhere. If you’re interested in this time, you should check out the story of the Conglomerates of Votann.
