Raining Wolf King
So I'm once again hung up on the whole Warhammer 40k thing, was taking a look at the Dark Heresy tabletop they have out for it now, but I return to the problem of what books to read.
I'd rather not go into the whole Space Marine thing, though, which seems to be the opopular choice.
So whats a series or omnibus that does a good introduction for the universe?
They all start on generally the same foot, but I recommend you don't read the Space Marine books. Mostly because Space Marines have all the personality of a brick.
I recommend the Ciaphas Cain series (starting with the Hero of the Imperium omnibus). It's the memoirs of the title character and is somewhat more comical than the other series. Basically, Cain is a commissar in the Imperial Guard. He does everything he can to stay out of harm and the limelight but, no matter what he does, somehow he saves the day and become the big hero, much to his chagrin.
Gaunt's Ghosts is another Imperial Guard series (starting with The Founding omnibus) which centers around Colonel-Commiser Ibram Gaunt and his regiment in the Sabbat Systems Crusade, a war against the forces of Chaos that are attempting to conquer the Sabbat System. I haven't read this series personally, but I've heard good things about it.
I just started reading Scourge the Heretic, written by the same author that wrote the Ciaphas Cain series. The series doesn't have a name, but I know there's a sequel. Anyway, it follows the exploits of Inquisitor Carolus Finurbi of the Ordo Herecticus (the order of the Inquisition that deals with internal daemon influences) and his retinue. I don't have much of an opinion of it so far.
Another series is Eisenhorn (in a single omnibus of the same title), written by the same author that wrote the Gaunt's Ghosts series. I haven't read this series either, but it also follows an Inquisitor and his retinue, namely Gregor Eisenhorn.
Finally, there's the Deathwatch series. I know I said that I recommend not reading a Space Marine book, but this series seemed different to me. It centers around the Space Marine Deathwatch, a chapter that belongs to the Ordo Xenos (Inquisition order that deals with aliens). It starts with Warrior Brood, then its sequel, Warrior Coven. So far in the series (I'm unsure if there will be more), the central characters have been Brother-Sergeant Octavius and the Librarian Ashok. I actually liked those two, unlike most Space Marine characters I've read about so far.
Unfortunately, since Games Workshop is so obsessed with the Imperium, there aren't many non-human novels. However, Warrior Coven provides several Eldar points of view.
Anyway, it really depends on your personal tastes. If you want a realistic military perspective, choose an Imperial Guard-related series. If you want nonstop action, choose a Space Marine-related series. If you want more "out there" novels, choose an Inquisition series.
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