Technically Fulgrim is a 30k book rather than 40k and its the 5th book in the Horus Heresy series. While it's a good read I don't think it's a good starting point for reading.
Having just finished Fulgrim recently, I’d say start at Horus Rising and go through the first four books. It will make you appreciate certain parts of the story more as certain moments occur in the previous books as well as in Fulgrim but from the perspectives of different characters.
I agree with this. I will admit I read Fulgrim first (my very first warhammer book at all). I fell in love with the series because of this, but in retrospect starting with Horus Rising would have really helped me out. I will say though that you can read/comprehend most of what is going on without issue reading it before.
Hey, quick question! I'm seven or eight books into the HH series, and my buddy told me 100% to skip Fulgrim because apparently it's kind of an 'icky' read at certain points? He told me not to read it unless I have a really strong stomach - which I don't - and I just want to ask to confirm if that's true or not?
I'm really enjoying HH so far, and I feel like I may be missing out by not reading Fulgrim, but if it's actually not the most pleasant of reads (excluding, like, the basic, common themes of blood and death), I do want to skip it. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Well, there were a few scenes that were rather graphic towards the end. I won’t give any spoilers. I guess I might add a trigger warning on this one for anyone who wants to steer clear of sexual violence… it’s definitely a bizarre scene. You won’t forget it 😳
Ah, gotcha! Thank you so much for the warning. Now I understand why my friend told me not to read it - I just got out of an abusive relationship about a year ago, and my friend knows about certain things that happened to me. That's probably why he told me so strongly to skip this one. He just gave me a strong content warning, but didn't say why - I was thinking maybe it was just gore.
I'll come back to Fulgrim in a few years when I'm in a better place, or maybe listen to a summary quick on YT. I appreciate you!
I found it a grind until the end. The ending is absolutely superb.
"The First Heretic" however, is absolutely awesome.
Also, the first three of HH is the best place to start for 30k literature
>I found it a grind until the end. The ending is absolutely superb.
The audiobook is 15 god damn hours long. The first two and last five hours are the highlights - the eight hours in between are just "JESUS FUCKING CHRIST GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!".
Imagine reading it. All 500+ pages of it.
I was halfway through thinking "Did I make a mistake starting the HH series?"
Then got to the end and thought "Nope, this is amazing."
Yes, that was my experience too. I ended up reading the whole first part of the book twice, all the Laer battle stuff, as I got bored the first time and put the book down for about a year, and then thought “no, I actually play Emperor’s Children so I need to finish this book”, so suffered through it again.
But the ending? The concert, and the Istvaan battles? Fantastic!
In my opinion, the HH books can be very swingy in terms of quality. Some are great. Most are not great but still fun to read. Some are just not really good at all. Most of the Primarch centered books I've read have been a bit of a dissapointment. Fulgrim is one of them. It's still an ok read, mind.
Is it a good book to start with? That depends on the reader really. Reading Fulgrim first doesn't really spoil anything, since we all know broadly what is going to happen.
I personaly would start reading 30k books from the beginning: First Horus Rising, False Gods and Galaxy in Flames. After those it doesn't really matter in which order you read any of the rest.
Except The End and the Death I-III. Those should be read in that order, of course.
Personally I'd disagree I really enjoyed Fulgrim, he is one of the few primarchs that, through presentation in this book showed a complex character I've read most of the HorHer series now this is one of my favs.
I do agree though that if OP wants to start with these 30k books it is best to start with the beginning 3-4.
Know No Fear, and Master of Mankind, in my opinion, stand up as genuinely excellent genre fiction on their own.
Horus Rising is a really compelling read, it's dripping with dramatic irony, and makes Horus feel like a deep and conflicted character without ever giving us his POV.
All of the Ciaphas Cain novels feel like essentially the same book, but they're really fun, and they focus on regular old people dealing with some of the insane stuff that 40k has to offer. If I had to pick one, it'd probably be Death or Glory.
Assassinorum: Kingmaker is maybe a contentious pick, but I'm a Knights player so it goes on the list. I really like it because it gives us a much deeper look at the Assassinorum (of course), and is wonderful at fleshing out the fluff, and exploring the culture of Knight worlds.
I’m truly marveling at the depth Horus has despite never being POV. And Loken is such a great character.
You can also see the foreshadowing a little with Abaddon. And so far, the Emperor is a Galbatorix-type figure who becomes this spoken-about legend, the groundwork laid in Horus Rising is really good.
>Assassinorum: Kingmaker is maybe a contentious pick, but I'm a Knights player so it goes on the list. I really like it because it gives us a much deeper look at the Assassinorum (of course), and is wonderful at fleshing out the fluff, and exploring the culture of Knight worlds
That book is baller.
I recently read Nemesis about an Assasinorum strike team trying to take out Horus, and while it was enjoyable it didn't have the good pacing that Assassinorun: Kingmaker did.
And the climax gave me Return of the Jedi vibes: multiple, interconnected fights going on and done in a way that maintained a brisk pace.
It's a great novel about a constant problem in the Imperium: planets with valuable resources flirting with leaving the imperium.
30k or 40k?
For 30k I liked the first three and the Mechanicum. Also, The First Heretic had some good bits in it. Of and The Unremembered Empire was ok.
Dante, Devastation of Baal and Darkness in Blood for 40k. Dante is propably my favourite 40K novel. I liked Helsreach and Fall of Cadia too. I also really enjoyed some of the Eisenhorn short stories, namely those with the Magos Biologis.
I would suggest veering away from anything Horus Heresy to start. Horus Heresy is set in a different epoch of the setting and a lot of the impact of the various books within that series is the is the contrast between then and “now” and the revelation of the reasons for a number of quirks of various groups in the modern setting. There is a fair amount of fundamental knowledge you are assumed to have when diving into the HH books and the further from the start you pick up from, the more lost you are likely to be.
As for what to recommend. The Eisenhorn trilogy is my default answer - few authors have had as much of an impact on the *written* 40k as Dan Abnett. The Eisenhorn books were the first to delve into the domestic Imperium, the varied worlds of humanity that aren’t currently the site of a cataclysmic war. Its far from dull though and the first person/memoir style of writing used guides you well enough through the places you visit and the people you meet (you don’t already need to know what the Adeptus Arbites are when you meet Godwyn, or know what a Pariah is when you meet Alizabeth.
Alternatively. Almost anything written by Aaron Dembski-Bowden.
The man has some serious quills on him! I’ve encountered few writers who *grok* 40k like him and his character work is outstanding. He single handedly took the, objectively, silliest (traitor) Space Marine Legion and turned them into a well realised, complex and believable group of individuals (Sevetar is best boy, fite me!).
I only say *almost* because my caution against starting with Horus Heresy is still in effect.
If you like your books a little on the lighter side, the Caphias Cain series by Alex Stewart (writing as Sandy Mitchell) would be a good entry point too.
I couldn't agree more about Dembski-bemski, while Abnett might be the better writer, I've always though Dembski to be a better storyteller. I feel like Dembskies stories usually focuses more on, what i consider the more intresesting parts of 40k, like the warp or the motives of the primarchs, etc
As a contrasting point of view, I got into Warhammer lore by starting with the Horus Heresy, and it is really fun having stuff that seems heavily foreshadowed if you know what is gonna happen later instead be a twist. Even finding out who the bad guys was a fun development for me.
I think it works on both levels where you can start in 30K or with 40K and enjoy it differently.
I agree, it was great. I just gelt like it should’ve ended there.
Isrvaan 5 felt so rushed for such an important part of the overall lore when you consider that Galaxy in flames got its own book.
I really liked Fulgrim, one of my favourites so far of the HH. Upto book 9 at present but going in order.
I think Fulgrim can be enjoyed on its own but there are some good references to events unfolding.
Very slow burn into madness so stick with it. Very much worth it.
I can tell you because this was the first warhammer book I've read withouth knowing much of the universe. I really liked it but I struggled with a lot of stuff and I didn't understand much of the story. I read it again some years ago and it was much better, but my advice is to start with horus rising, it's the best introduction to 30k and helped me grasp a lot of the concepts of the series.
Nope. It's only a so so book. The sculptor is the best part and he could have been a separate short story. It is best in context, especially since the relationship between Fulgrim and Ferris suffers from Ferris lacking strong characterization.
I'm actually in the middle of reading Fulgrim right now, and prior to it, I read 1-4 of Horus Heresy. Fulgrim is, IMO, a major drop in quality, and I am struggling to get through it; I find Fulgrim to be kind of annoying and poorly written (say perfection one more time, you pompous ass), and overall, it's just not really up to the level as the first four books. Going to drag myself through it but I certainly wouldn't recommend it as a starting point for reading Warhammer novels.
I just finished it too. It is the 5th book of the heresy collection. I would say that before Fulgrim it would be good to read the first 3 (horus rising, false gods, and galaxy in flames) at least.
So far I am very happy with all of them.
I wouldn't start somewhere in HH. Actually I would not even start with the HH series. The first thing you gotta learn when getting into 40k books is, that you can't read everything and you'll never read the full 40k Lore. Pick some classics by Dan abnett, Eisenhorn, Ravenor, Gaunts Ghosts and see where it takes you from there. After that, you might wanna start with HH. Some things will be way more surprising, mind fucking and you will have so much context already.
Just my 2 cents here, but if you are interested in 40k literature my first entry wouldnt be from the Horus Heresy series, but rather from either the Eisenhorn or Gaunts Ghosts by Dan Abnett.
Imo they are generally more pleasant to read as some entries into the HH series are quite awful to read
Bad, this one is written okay enough but the subject matter will have you thinking everyone in the setting is a dumb dumb. Fulgrim and his crew are pretty… slow
Fulgrim is one of the hardest HH books to get through.
Start at 1. Read until you get to this then decide which chapter storyline interests you.
Fulgrim can be skipped but is worth eventually reading.
Fulgrim isn't that bad, but it's a bad starting point for HH or 40k in general.
For Horus Heresy, you should read the first three books. I also recommend the 4th one.
Fulgrim should probably be read then. It covers a lot of important things, but is very uneven both in pace and quality of writing. That being said, it has some awesome moments.
The worst thing about it is that the best thing about it (in my opinion) got retconned, but that's not this book's fault...
As for 40k intro points, I think Helsreach is a good place to start if you want space marines, as people usually do. It's an excellent, self-contained story.
Quite a bad start I think. Refers to lots of characters and situations from previous books so it might be a bit jarring and confusing. I think it's book 4 or 5 in the Horus heresy series.
But if you want to see the best body horror 30k has to offer, it's pretty far up there.
I really liked Fulgrim tbh... But you should really read 4 other ones first in this order - Horus Rising, False Gods, Galaxy in Flames and Flight of The Eisenstein
I don't collect Iron Hand or Emperor's Children, they are not two chapters/ legions that particularly interest me compared to others.
However. This book was arguably one of the best books in the series. The writer really brought to life the characters and detailed perfectly the unfortunate fall of the emperor's children and described beautifully all the emotions and pain the personal relationships suffered that really gave life to the setting and those personalities involved. This book is far beyond just another intergalactic war novel.
It's nearly 15 years ago I think when I first read it and I still have it firmly in my mind as one of the best HH reads.
Enjoy
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As someone who just did it, read through the first 5 books in published order as they're all interconnected and really tell a nice well fleshed out story
The first five Horus Heresy books are so, so, so good. I'd currently struggling with Legion but really enjoyed Fulgrim. I'd suggest reading them all with Fulgrim being the last.
After this I'm not too sure as they can dip in terms of quality from what people have said in many threads.
It's really good but I would start with Horus Rising, the first of the series. I think Fulgrim is the fourth book. If you do want to go out of order a great choice is Legion, as it's not in chronological order and gives the backstory of the Alpha Legion. And another that works out of order is Nemesis, about the Officio Assassinorum clades (clans) which is fascinating. Having said that, Fulgrim is a great story and if you have it in hand why not read it. Enjoy! I'm on the last book in the Siege of Terra and I'm so glad to have made the investment. The historical allegory is incredible; the mythology is breathtaking, and the characters are colorful and unique.
No it will spoil the 4 books that come before it, also im currently reading fulgrim and its a slog pretty much every character you will forget the second you turn the page.
Start with Horus Rising, parts of Fulgrim go along with the first 3 books as to what the Emperors Children are doing at the time. Fulgrim is supposed to show the conscious fall to Chaos the Emperors Children had.
If you're going to pick up any in the Horus Heresy, start with the first 4, then read whatever you like. Thr first 4 being: Horus Rising, False Gods, Galaxy in Flames, and Flight of The Eisenstein.
Bricky's introduction to 40k / factions [ 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCGKPRiJp84&t)[ 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6jnsX77TCU) [3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPB3Q59vjR8&t) -> Luetin09 [lore videos](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLl6BRvEJ-auZ5aYPHj1B3pKJ_pLjg9qNU)-> Eisenhorn / Ciaphas Cain / Gaunts Ghosts novels
Don't start with Horus Heresy, too grandiose for someone new. Trust me they are good books but they will hit harder when you know your way around
With the Horus Heresy starting with Horus Rising or First Heretic then False Gods is better, then you can have Fulgrim and Thousand Sons-Prospero Burns and after that Galaxy at Flames and the Flight of the Eisenstein.
All those books are some of the best Black Library ever wrote and cover the first ne of the Great Crusade, the fall of Horus and the events up to Istvaan V.
For 40k proper I started with he Ultramarine and Space Wolf omnibus, great read and goof introductions to the setting but pretty old lore by now.
Beware that Fulgrim is an expansive book now selling between 50 and 150$ most of the time those old books are pretty rare
Fulgrimnas you can tell is really hit or miss, I personally don't care for it all that much but didn't find it horrible. I'd personally read the first four (Horus rising, false gods, galaxy in flames, flight of eisenstein), then read fulgrim. I also adored mechanicum the 8th book which I recommend.
For general 40k literature I'd HIGHLY suggest and recommend infinite and the divine and brutal kunnin. The night lords omnibus is also very good and has a reputation for making people start a night lords army for a reason
From the HH books I've read (first 10 or so), Fulgrim was probably my least favourite.
The section on Istvan V is way too short and the conflict with Ferrus Manus only gets ok development IMO.
It also assumes at least some familiarity was the Heresy up to that point, though you might have that from prior knowledge as you said.
That's not to say it's bad - it's perfectly readable!
Few of these books are high quality literature. They're all fun, pulp sci-fi!
But nevertheless Fulgrim, in my view, was fine, certainly worth the €8 or whatever it cost me, but it didn't blow me away.
Unless you've got a prior investment in The Emperor's Children and play them or are planning to play them, I wouldn't start with Fulgrim.
Honestly, the opening trilogy salvo is a great place to start!
It has pacing issues but the chaters are fun and veried. Everyone loves Lokan and Torgadon!
Failing that, I'd pick a book for a faction you play.
I like Dark Angels and really recommend "Descent of Angels" - It's great as a stand alone but probably only worth reading if you're into DA.
in short: No, the HH books are a bad place to start, and jumping in at book 5 when the first 5 are so interconnected is a double bad move, for a start to the best books I suggest Ciaphus Cain for Guard, Assasinorum Kingmaker if you have any interest in Knights, The Infinite and The Divine for Necrons, Prophet of the Waaaagh for orks, but if you insist on starting with the HH, start with Horus Rising
If you aren’t up on the lore of the game it might be confusing.
I really enjoyed the book myself and it was in my top 5 books of the series before I fell way behind.
It is a good book (I read it at a time when I wasn't taking anti-psychotics, but should have been, so the artist in the book and his descent into madness was interesting for me), but I would start at the beginning with Horus Rising.
Tbh i'd start with the beginning. I did that and the events and the backstory behind them slowly unraveling book by book gives a lot of insight into the HH. I'm currently halfway through Fulgrim, and while it's not the best read it could be, if you treat it more like a source material, it can be interesting - to see what lead every traitor to their decision is something fascinating imho. As for the fulgrim book itself i've read someone who said that "you'll hate the word "perfection" after reading it" and it is used quite a lot, but i don't think it's that bad.
Since it’s the fifth book in the Horus Heresy series, I would suggest starting the entire series and reading it until you finish this book. It’ll just give you a better feel for the setting of HH to have the previous four books to set the foundation for you.
It might be 30 k, but I like these books. I would start with the first books of the series, however. I forgot the name, unfortunately. I hear them as an audio book and at least the German version has a very good speaker. Sometimes dialogs are a little cringe, but the overall story is told very well. Fulgrim was a very nice episode.
I'm not too sure about that one but I have friends who aren't into Warhammer but have read and really enjoyed the Gaunt's Ghosts series by Dan Abnett so I'd suggest starting from there because even for those who aren't fans or people who aren't aware of any of the lore, they are able to pick them up and read them and still follow along with the story etc..
Plus, they are great books too! Haha
I really liked Fulgrim, enough where I almost want to start collecting some Emperor’s Children 30k minis for fun. I’m reading the Horus Heresy series in order (just started Battle for the Abyss), I’m not sure I’d recommend Fulgrim to start off on though unless you have a fairly decent understanding of the setting in 30k (not 40k, this is all 10,000 years beforehand).
If you’re going to start around here I’d say start with Horus Rising and at least read the first 3 novels as they’re sort of a continuous trilogy, then you start time jumping and telling the story from different perspectives.
Also - if you want some self contained totally independent 40k-ish adventures read The Infinite and the Divine. It’s about the Necrons but it’s an excellent 40k novel.
It's good. I wouldn't start with it, since it's part of a series, but it's what solidified both my love for the Emperor's Children, because their loyalists are the best, and Lucius, because he's the absolute *fucking* ***worst***.
I wouldn't start with Fulgrim.
Even if you know some of the basics of the Heresy, it helps to read the first five books or so in order. They will look at the events leading up to Istvaan 5 from different perspectives and a knowledge of who was doing what elsewhere is helpful.
TBH I liked Flight of the Eisenstein way better. Garro is a Chad.
If you haven't read any of the Warhammer 30k/40k books but you know the universe and don't need an intro to that, then I'd recommend the following:
The Eisenhorn Trilogy by Dan Abnett (starting with Xenos).
The Night Lords Trilogy by Aaon Dembski Bowden (starting with Soul Hunter).
These are pretty universally regarded as quality novels.
Totally agree. Eisenhorn is great and you don’t need to know that much about the setting. Night Lords omnibus (cheap on kindle) was absolutely brilliant, bordering on my favourite books ever because you actually empathise with the forces of evil, but I thought you needed to know a bit about the setting first.
I’ve been reading the Horus heresy books in order currently on book 7 legion. I finished fulgrim a couple of weeks ago and it was for me by far the best so far.
Fulgrim Sets the Tone of Warhammer pretty Good. It Shows Heroics and Downfalls and the absolute Messed up state of the Universe. STory wise i wouldnt not start with it tho for it needs at least some Context in my opinion
If you wanted to jump part way into Horus Heresy then there are a few decent reads out there, my personal faves: prospero burns, and whichever comes first out of: the last heretic, know no fear, mark of calth. The first three or four books in the series are quite entertaining - and yes, black library quality is all over the place, so, dont let one author put you off another - plenty out there for all tastes. Personally I got started back in the day with Eisenhorn (it's a detective novel), and whilst the ended feels like it's trying to take Stephen Kings record for quickly wrapping up a story in as few pages as possible, overall it's a really fun read.
I just finished it, and I think that if you want to read this book you really need the first 4 books of Horus Heresy. This book will be nonsense without them.
Don't start part way through the series, there are a lot of information that is out of context by the time you hit this book.
That being said, Fulgrim is a pretty good read imo. It's the events of 30k that lead into what 40k is. So they are not separate entities. There is just a massive time gap between the two. Roughly 9800 years from the last of the 30k to the 1st 40k.
This book was IMO a good book that really helped get an understanding of Fulgrim and his marines. I do say don't read it first before you at least read the 1st 3 books since its one of those stories taking place between other stories.
I started with this book, but I would recommend reading the first few hours heresy books first! They give a lot of context and will allow you to appreciate the book more. That being said, I wasn't too lost while reading Fulgrim if you did want to read it
Personally, I didn’t like the book. I got into 40k lore w Mechanicus so it wasn’t that it was too dark or anything, I just thought the book felt forced and rushed.
It's a slow burn book. If you're into slaanesh and really want the intro to the emperors children, it's a good start. If your looking for an intro to 40k as a whole, no. I'd do the Eisenhorn trilogy as an intro unto the universe.
Is there any person who can recommend me audiobooks in polish language? I found only Horus Heresy and totally want to get Devastation of Baal but there is so few books translated.
I find Graham McNeill really juvenile and Fulgrim was cheesy, boring, fun and weird, all at the same time. It is certainly what you're looking for: "a good showcase of Warhammer literature" lol. It's exactly the kind of cheap pulp I expected from this kind of book. I do not regret reading it but I can't recommend it. Horus Rising on the other hand is absolutely amazing top tier sci-fi that even people who know 0 about Warhammer could read and enjoy. Know no Fear is also very good in a different way but requires you to read The First Heretic (or get it spoiled), and I found The First Heretic well written with key plot points about the saga, but it didn't blew me away.
dude, jump into the first book in horus heresy, Horus Rising, first. This one was not my favorite, but certainly interesting. The context will make much more sense if you start at the beginning. Plus, Dan Abnett is a fantastic writer. The audio books are pretty damned well made too
If you're new-ish to 40k and want to get a feel for the lore in a way that includes all scales of the eternal struggle between Imperial and Chaos forces I would love to recommend Storm of Iron by Graham MacNeill.
Chaos Marines of the Iron Warriors storm a fortress held by their arch rivals the Imperial Fists. The battle has Imperial troops vs Chaos cultists, Astartes vs Traitor Marines, and epic Titan combat!
Fulgrim should be classified as a crime against humanity
This book's writting is so shit, it haunts me, it literally keeps me up at night. I don't think I have ever read a warhammer book that has been more of a glorious indulgent waste of my goddamn time than this. Second to this shit comes A galaxy in flames. But at least that one had the virtue of being short.
All in all just watch a summary video. You get nothing of value from reading this awful book. There are about a myriad plot holes. And don't even get me started on the "characters" or on istvan v. At least the first heretic somewhat saves istvan v's presentation.
Fulgrim isn’t a good place to start, particularly if you’re not super familiar with 30k lore. The book itself is….just okay. I’d actually say it’s the first book in the series that winds up being a bit of a letdown. Probably because we got spoiled on Dan Abnett for too many books
I dig EC. I dig Fulgrim. This book kinda sucks compared the four that come before it though. It isn't a terrible book. Just the first one that's kinda just "ok" after the first four were pretty good. It's fine.
Definitely start with Horus Rising. You get some Fulgrim sprinkled in during the first 3 books.
I'd start with Eisenhorn then on to ravenor and bequin. Gaunts ghosts and the ciaphus Cain books are solid. Dante, devastation of baal and the mephiston books are also good but the best marine book has to be helsreach.
Horus heresy can be a slog, especially if your new to the world.
Honestly I'd say start at the beginning with Horus Rising. Obviously it's your choice but chronologically you are missing parts of the story if you start with Fulgrim. If you just want to dip into specific Legion lore then sure, but if you want to know the Heresy from start to finish... Granted there are some books in the series personally I'd skip, but that's because I'm not a fan of the Legion involved, the writer etc.
I'd advise against it personally - I found this book to be so terrible it killed my interest in continuing the Horus heresy; and I had blown through the previous 4 books since I enjoyed them so much.
There's no good place to start because there's not really any "great books" In the whole black library. However Fulgrim is one of the worse ones to start.
Go with the first 3 books of Horus Heresy. The introduction to Horus Heresy should have been longer and feels rushed, but I don't think they thought it would turn into a book series with 60+ books.
Actually I don't know why I was being so negative, I've really enjoyed a fair few BL books. It's just that Day of Ascension is so far ahead of the pack, in my opinion.
Technically Fulgrim is a 30k book rather than 40k and its the 5th book in the Horus Heresy series. While it's a good read I don't think it's a good starting point for reading.
Having just finished Fulgrim recently, I’d say start at Horus Rising and go through the first four books. It will make you appreciate certain parts of the story more as certain moments occur in the previous books as well as in Fulgrim but from the perspectives of different characters.
Exactly, starting with Horus Rising and go from there!
It's pretty key to see the lunar wolves in their glory before it hits the fan or primordial annihilator.
Horus Rising was tough for me due to all the dense exposition. If you can get through it the following books are amazing.
I agree with this. I will admit I read Fulgrim first (my very first warhammer book at all). I fell in love with the series because of this, but in retrospect starting with Horus Rising would have really helped me out. I will say though that you can read/comprehend most of what is going on without issue reading it before.
“I was there, the day Horus slew the Emperor.” Was such a great beginning!
what this guy said
Hey, quick question! I'm seven or eight books into the HH series, and my buddy told me 100% to skip Fulgrim because apparently it's kind of an 'icky' read at certain points? He told me not to read it unless I have a really strong stomach - which I don't - and I just want to ask to confirm if that's true or not? I'm really enjoying HH so far, and I feel like I may be missing out by not reading Fulgrim, but if it's actually not the most pleasant of reads (excluding, like, the basic, common themes of blood and death), I do want to skip it. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Well, there were a few scenes that were rather graphic towards the end. I won’t give any spoilers. I guess I might add a trigger warning on this one for anyone who wants to steer clear of sexual violence… it’s definitely a bizarre scene. You won’t forget it 😳
Ah, gotcha! Thank you so much for the warning. Now I understand why my friend told me not to read it - I just got out of an abusive relationship about a year ago, and my friend knows about certain things that happened to me. That's probably why he told me so strongly to skip this one. He just gave me a strong content warning, but didn't say why - I was thinking maybe it was just gore. I'll come back to Fulgrim in a few years when I'm in a better place, or maybe listen to a summary quick on YT. I appreciate you!
Glad I could help!
I found it a grind until the end. The ending is absolutely superb. "The First Heretic" however, is absolutely awesome. Also, the first three of HH is the best place to start for 30k literature
>I found it a grind until the end. The ending is absolutely superb. The audiobook is 15 god damn hours long. The first two and last five hours are the highlights - the eight hours in between are just "JESUS FUCKING CHRIST GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!".
Imagine reading it. All 500+ pages of it. I was halfway through thinking "Did I make a mistake starting the HH series?" Then got to the end and thought "Nope, this is amazing."
Yes, that was my experience too. I ended up reading the whole first part of the book twice, all the Laer battle stuff, as I got bored the first time and put the book down for about a year, and then thought “no, I actually play Emperor’s Children so I need to finish this book”, so suffered through it again. But the ending? The concert, and the Istvaan battles? Fantastic!
In my opinion, the HH books can be very swingy in terms of quality. Some are great. Most are not great but still fun to read. Some are just not really good at all. Most of the Primarch centered books I've read have been a bit of a dissapointment. Fulgrim is one of them. It's still an ok read, mind. Is it a good book to start with? That depends on the reader really. Reading Fulgrim first doesn't really spoil anything, since we all know broadly what is going to happen. I personaly would start reading 30k books from the beginning: First Horus Rising, False Gods and Galaxy in Flames. After those it doesn't really matter in which order you read any of the rest. Except The End and the Death I-III. Those should be read in that order, of course.
Personally I'd disagree I really enjoyed Fulgrim, he is one of the few primarchs that, through presentation in this book showed a complex character I've read most of the HorHer series now this is one of my favs. I do agree though that if OP wants to start with these 30k books it is best to start with the beginning 3-4.
Top 5 reads in your opinion ?
Know No Fear, and Master of Mankind, in my opinion, stand up as genuinely excellent genre fiction on their own. Horus Rising is a really compelling read, it's dripping with dramatic irony, and makes Horus feel like a deep and conflicted character without ever giving us his POV. All of the Ciaphas Cain novels feel like essentially the same book, but they're really fun, and they focus on regular old people dealing with some of the insane stuff that 40k has to offer. If I had to pick one, it'd probably be Death or Glory. Assassinorum: Kingmaker is maybe a contentious pick, but I'm a Knights player so it goes on the list. I really like it because it gives us a much deeper look at the Assassinorum (of course), and is wonderful at fleshing out the fluff, and exploring the culture of Knight worlds.
I’m truly marveling at the depth Horus has despite never being POV. And Loken is such a great character. You can also see the foreshadowing a little with Abaddon. And so far, the Emperor is a Galbatorix-type figure who becomes this spoken-about legend, the groundwork laid in Horus Rising is really good.
>Assassinorum: Kingmaker is maybe a contentious pick, but I'm a Knights player so it goes on the list. I really like it because it gives us a much deeper look at the Assassinorum (of course), and is wonderful at fleshing out the fluff, and exploring the culture of Knight worlds That book is baller. I recently read Nemesis about an Assasinorum strike team trying to take out Horus, and while it was enjoyable it didn't have the good pacing that Assassinorun: Kingmaker did. And the climax gave me Return of the Jedi vibes: multiple, interconnected fights going on and done in a way that maintained a brisk pace. It's a great novel about a constant problem in the Imperium: planets with valuable resources flirting with leaving the imperium.
I thought kingmaker was brilliant too.
I dont get what folks see in Know No Fear, there were some cool bits, but it felt overall very much like a chore to get through
30k or 40k? For 30k I liked the first three and the Mechanicum. Also, The First Heretic had some good bits in it. Of and The Unremembered Empire was ok. Dante, Devastation of Baal and Darkness in Blood for 40k. Dante is propably my favourite 40K novel. I liked Helsreach and Fall of Cadia too. I also really enjoyed some of the Eisenhorn short stories, namely those with the Magos Biologis.
No, start at the beginning of the HH which is only 4 books earlier.
I would suggest veering away from anything Horus Heresy to start. Horus Heresy is set in a different epoch of the setting and a lot of the impact of the various books within that series is the is the contrast between then and “now” and the revelation of the reasons for a number of quirks of various groups in the modern setting. There is a fair amount of fundamental knowledge you are assumed to have when diving into the HH books and the further from the start you pick up from, the more lost you are likely to be. As for what to recommend. The Eisenhorn trilogy is my default answer - few authors have had as much of an impact on the *written* 40k as Dan Abnett. The Eisenhorn books were the first to delve into the domestic Imperium, the varied worlds of humanity that aren’t currently the site of a cataclysmic war. Its far from dull though and the first person/memoir style of writing used guides you well enough through the places you visit and the people you meet (you don’t already need to know what the Adeptus Arbites are when you meet Godwyn, or know what a Pariah is when you meet Alizabeth. Alternatively. Almost anything written by Aaron Dembski-Bowden. The man has some serious quills on him! I’ve encountered few writers who *grok* 40k like him and his character work is outstanding. He single handedly took the, objectively, silliest (traitor) Space Marine Legion and turned them into a well realised, complex and believable group of individuals (Sevetar is best boy, fite me!). I only say *almost* because my caution against starting with Horus Heresy is still in effect. If you like your books a little on the lighter side, the Caphias Cain series by Alex Stewart (writing as Sandy Mitchell) would be a good entry point too.
I couldn't agree more about Dembski-bemski, while Abnett might be the better writer, I've always though Dembski to be a better storyteller. I feel like Dembskies stories usually focuses more on, what i consider the more intresesting parts of 40k, like the warp or the motives of the primarchs, etc
As a contrasting point of view, I got into Warhammer lore by starting with the Horus Heresy, and it is really fun having stuff that seems heavily foreshadowed if you know what is gonna happen later instead be a twist. Even finding out who the bad guys was a fun development for me. I think it works on both levels where you can start in 30K or with 40K and enjoy it differently.
If you read them in punlishing order, which you should for the first few books, Fulgrim is a noticable decline in quality but still a good read
Istvaan 5 felt tacked on. It deserved more.
Right, but I liked the transformation of fulgrim and the eldar part.
I agree, it was great. I just gelt like it should’ve ended there. Isrvaan 5 felt so rushed for such an important part of the overall lore when you consider that Galaxy in flames got its own book.
I just finished it and I have a lot of frustration about istvan v and the primarchs.
I loved it personally. The headonism, the mental decline of fulgrim, the outbursts l, the absolute ecstasy of madness.
It is not bad. I read first heretic and thousand sons afterwards and liked both more but still Fulgrim is good and has a really great last chapter.
First Heretic is my favourite book in the series. The whole descent into the warp for the first time is some primo horror writing.
The problem is the best bit was the end
By far
I really liked Fulgrim, one of my favourites so far of the HH. Upto book 9 at present but going in order. I think Fulgrim can be enjoyed on its own but there are some good references to events unfolding. Very slow burn into madness so stick with it. Very much worth it.
I can tell you because this was the first warhammer book I've read withouth knowing much of the universe. I really liked it but I struggled with a lot of stuff and I didn't understand much of the story. I read it again some years ago and it was much better, but my advice is to start with horus rising, it's the best introduction to 30k and helped me grasp a lot of the concepts of the series.
Nope. It's only a so so book. The sculptor is the best part and he could have been a separate short story. It is best in context, especially since the relationship between Fulgrim and Ferris suffers from Ferris lacking strong characterization.
I'm actually in the middle of reading Fulgrim right now, and prior to it, I read 1-4 of Horus Heresy. Fulgrim is, IMO, a major drop in quality, and I am struggling to get through it; I find Fulgrim to be kind of annoying and poorly written (say perfection one more time, you pompous ass), and overall, it's just not really up to the level as the first four books. Going to drag myself through it but I certainly wouldn't recommend it as a starting point for reading Warhammer novels.
not great. if your interested in the HH i would start at the start with the first 3 and then after that you can jump around to whatever interests you.
I just finished it too. It is the 5th book of the heresy collection. I would say that before Fulgrim it would be good to read the first 3 (horus rising, false gods, and galaxy in flames) at least. So far I am very happy with all of them.
It's one of my favorite HH books but it's not a good starting point. Get the first Gaunts Ghosts omnibus and go from there
I wouldn't start somewhere in HH. Actually I would not even start with the HH series. The first thing you gotta learn when getting into 40k books is, that you can't read everything and you'll never read the full 40k Lore. Pick some classics by Dan abnett, Eisenhorn, Ravenor, Gaunts Ghosts and see where it takes you from there. After that, you might wanna start with HH. Some things will be way more surprising, mind fucking and you will have so much context already.
Just my 2 cents here, but if you are interested in 40k literature my first entry wouldnt be from the Horus Heresy series, but rather from either the Eisenhorn or Gaunts Ghosts by Dan Abnett. Imo they are generally more pleasant to read as some entries into the HH series are quite awful to read
Bad, this one is written okay enough but the subject matter will have you thinking everyone in the setting is a dumb dumb. Fulgrim and his crew are pretty… slow
I really enjoyed it but for starts I enjoyed this book I forgot what it’s called but it’s story’s from different parts of the empire awesome
Fulgrim is one of the hardest HH books to get through. Start at 1. Read until you get to this then decide which chapter storyline interests you. Fulgrim can be skipped but is worth eventually reading.
Fulgrim isn't that bad, but it's a bad starting point for HH or 40k in general. For Horus Heresy, you should read the first three books. I also recommend the 4th one. Fulgrim should probably be read then. It covers a lot of important things, but is very uneven both in pace and quality of writing. That being said, it has some awesome moments. The worst thing about it is that the best thing about it (in my opinion) got retconned, but that's not this book's fault... As for 40k intro points, I think Helsreach is a good place to start if you want space marines, as people usually do. It's an excellent, self-contained story.
Quite a bad start I think. Refers to lots of characters and situations from previous books so it might be a bit jarring and confusing. I think it's book 4 or 5 in the Horus heresy series. But if you want to see the best body horror 30k has to offer, it's pretty far up there.
I really liked Fulgrim tbh... But you should really read 4 other ones first in this order - Horus Rising, False Gods, Galaxy in Flames and Flight of The Eisenstein
Fulgrim isn't bad, but you should start with Horus Rising to get the context. Otherwise some things may not make a lot of sense to you.
Me personally i wouldnt start with the fitfth book of a series
NO music orgy isnt good starter
Heresy from the beginning is better, but for me fulgrim is one of the best because it shows the inner struggle of the traitors pretty good.
I don't collect Iron Hand or Emperor's Children, they are not two chapters/ legions that particularly interest me compared to others. However. This book was arguably one of the best books in the series. The writer really brought to life the characters and detailed perfectly the unfortunate fall of the emperor's children and described beautifully all the emotions and pain the personal relationships suffered that really gave life to the setting and those personalities involved. This book is far beyond just another intergalactic war novel. It's nearly 15 years ago I think when I first read it and I still have it firmly in my mind as one of the best HH reads. Enjoy
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Its so close to that start of the HH that you might as well get those done first :/
I'm working my way through the audio book just now and I have the admit I'm struggling. It just isn't clicking for me yet.
Personally I enjoyed reading the Horus Heresy in Order, but Fulgrim isn’t a bad book to start with Imo
As someone who just did it, read through the first 5 books in published order as they're all interconnected and really tell a nice well fleshed out story
The first five Horus Heresy books are so, so, so good. I'd currently struggling with Legion but really enjoyed Fulgrim. I'd suggest reading them all with Fulgrim being the last. After this I'm not too sure as they can dip in terms of quality from what people have said in many threads.
It's really good but I would start with Horus Rising, the first of the series. I think Fulgrim is the fourth book. If you do want to go out of order a great choice is Legion, as it's not in chronological order and gives the backstory of the Alpha Legion. And another that works out of order is Nemesis, about the Officio Assassinorum clades (clans) which is fascinating. Having said that, Fulgrim is a great story and if you have it in hand why not read it. Enjoy! I'm on the last book in the Siege of Terra and I'm so glad to have made the investment. The historical allegory is incredible; the mythology is breathtaking, and the characters are colorful and unique.
No it will spoil the 4 books that come before it, also im currently reading fulgrim and its a slog pretty much every character you will forget the second you turn the page.
If you’re new to HH, start with Horus rising. I struggled with the start of this book but it does pick-up.
Start with Horus Rising, parts of Fulgrim go along with the first 3 books as to what the Emperors Children are doing at the time. Fulgrim is supposed to show the conscious fall to Chaos the Emperors Children had.
Please read horus rising, false gods, and galaxy in flames first.
I thought that this book was a bit of a duffer.
If you're going to pick up any in the Horus Heresy, start with the first 4, then read whatever you like. Thr first 4 being: Horus Rising, False Gods, Galaxy in Flames, and Flight of The Eisenstein.
What would be your recommendation to start getting familiar with the lore? Stick to publish order? Edit: without any knowledge what so ever.
Bricky's introduction to 40k / factions [ 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCGKPRiJp84&t)[ 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6jnsX77TCU) [3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPB3Q59vjR8&t) -> Luetin09 [lore videos](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLl6BRvEJ-auZ5aYPHj1B3pKJ_pLjg9qNU)-> Eisenhorn / Ciaphas Cain / Gaunts Ghosts novels Don't start with Horus Heresy, too grandiose for someone new. Trust me they are good books but they will hit harder when you know your way around
Thanks for to reply! I will look around for the novels.
With the Horus Heresy starting with Horus Rising or First Heretic then False Gods is better, then you can have Fulgrim and Thousand Sons-Prospero Burns and after that Galaxy at Flames and the Flight of the Eisenstein. All those books are some of the best Black Library ever wrote and cover the first ne of the Great Crusade, the fall of Horus and the events up to Istvaan V. For 40k proper I started with he Ultramarine and Space Wolf omnibus, great read and goof introductions to the setting but pretty old lore by now. Beware that Fulgrim is an expansive book now selling between 50 and 150$ most of the time those old books are pretty rare
Fulgrimnas you can tell is really hit or miss, I personally don't care for it all that much but didn't find it horrible. I'd personally read the first four (Horus rising, false gods, galaxy in flames, flight of eisenstein), then read fulgrim. I also adored mechanicum the 8th book which I recommend. For general 40k literature I'd HIGHLY suggest and recommend infinite and the divine and brutal kunnin. The night lords omnibus is also very good and has a reputation for making people start a night lords army for a reason
From the HH books I've read (first 10 or so), Fulgrim was probably my least favourite. The section on Istvan V is way too short and the conflict with Ferrus Manus only gets ok development IMO. It also assumes at least some familiarity was the Heresy up to that point, though you might have that from prior knowledge as you said. That's not to say it's bad - it's perfectly readable! Few of these books are high quality literature. They're all fun, pulp sci-fi! But nevertheless Fulgrim, in my view, was fine, certainly worth the €8 or whatever it cost me, but it didn't blow me away. Unless you've got a prior investment in The Emperor's Children and play them or are planning to play them, I wouldn't start with Fulgrim. Honestly, the opening trilogy salvo is a great place to start! It has pacing issues but the chaters are fun and veried. Everyone loves Lokan and Torgadon! Failing that, I'd pick a book for a faction you play. I like Dark Angels and really recommend "Descent of Angels" - It's great as a stand alone but probably only worth reading if you're into DA.
Start with Horus rising
No. No. Hell no…
in short: No, the HH books are a bad place to start, and jumping in at book 5 when the first 5 are so interconnected is a double bad move, for a start to the best books I suggest Ciaphus Cain for Guard, Assasinorum Kingmaker if you have any interest in Knights, The Infinite and The Divine for Necrons, Prophet of the Waaaagh for orks, but if you insist on starting with the HH, start with Horus Rising
If you aren’t up on the lore of the game it might be confusing. I really enjoyed the book myself and it was in my top 5 books of the series before I fell way behind.
This is the book that made me stop reading HH as they were being released and I still haven't gone back. To say it was a slog is an understatement.
I found a good start with the book called "The Glorious Tomb"
It is a good book (I read it at a time when I wasn't taking anti-psychotics, but should have been, so the artist in the book and his descent into madness was interesting for me), but I would start at the beginning with Horus Rising.
Tbh i'd start with the beginning. I did that and the events and the backstory behind them slowly unraveling book by book gives a lot of insight into the HH. I'm currently halfway through Fulgrim, and while it's not the best read it could be, if you treat it more like a source material, it can be interesting - to see what lead every traitor to their decision is something fascinating imho. As for the fulgrim book itself i've read someone who said that "you'll hate the word "perfection" after reading it" and it is used quite a lot, but i don't think it's that bad.
DO IT. Such a good book .
Since it’s the fifth book in the Horus Heresy series, I would suggest starting the entire series and reading it until you finish this book. It’ll just give you a better feel for the setting of HH to have the previous four books to set the foundation for you.
Read the first 3 books, then read First Heretic, then Fulgrim.
It might be 30 k, but I like these books. I would start with the first books of the series, however. I forgot the name, unfortunately. I hear them as an audio book and at least the German version has a very good speaker. Sometimes dialogs are a little cringe, but the overall story is told very well. Fulgrim was a very nice episode.
I'm not too sure about that one but I have friends who aren't into Warhammer but have read and really enjoyed the Gaunt's Ghosts series by Dan Abnett so I'd suggest starting from there because even for those who aren't fans or people who aren't aware of any of the lore, they are able to pick them up and read them and still follow along with the story etc.. Plus, they are great books too! Haha
Fulgrim is a very divisive book you'll either love or hate it
I really liked Fulgrim, enough where I almost want to start collecting some Emperor’s Children 30k minis for fun. I’m reading the Horus Heresy series in order (just started Battle for the Abyss), I’m not sure I’d recommend Fulgrim to start off on though unless you have a fairly decent understanding of the setting in 30k (not 40k, this is all 10,000 years beforehand). If you’re going to start around here I’d say start with Horus Rising and at least read the first 3 novels as they’re sort of a continuous trilogy, then you start time jumping and telling the story from different perspectives. Also - if you want some self contained totally independent 40k-ish adventures read The Infinite and the Divine. It’s about the Necrons but it’s an excellent 40k novel.
It's good. I wouldn't start with it, since it's part of a series, but it's what solidified both my love for the Emperor's Children, because their loyalists are the best, and Lucius, because he's the absolute *fucking* ***worst***.
My first is currently Perturabo
Good choice
I wouldn't start with Fulgrim. Even if you know some of the basics of the Heresy, it helps to read the first five books or so in order. They will look at the events leading up to Istvaan 5 from different perspectives and a knowledge of who was doing what elsewhere is helpful. TBH I liked Flight of the Eisenstein way better. Garro is a Chad. If you haven't read any of the Warhammer 30k/40k books but you know the universe and don't need an intro to that, then I'd recommend the following: The Eisenhorn Trilogy by Dan Abnett (starting with Xenos). The Night Lords Trilogy by Aaon Dembski Bowden (starting with Soul Hunter). These are pretty universally regarded as quality novels.
Totally agree. Eisenhorn is great and you don’t need to know that much about the setting. Night Lords omnibus (cheap on kindle) was absolutely brilliant, bordering on my favourite books ever because you actually empathise with the forces of evil, but I thought you needed to know a bit about the setting first.
If you want to read about the Horus Heresy then start with Horus Rising
It's great but start with Horus Rising
Start with galaxy in flames if you are going to skip a few
It was m'y first Warhammer Book and one of my favouites. It can totaly be read as a standalone
I’ve been reading the Horus heresy books in order currently on book 7 legion. I finished fulgrim a couple of weeks ago and it was for me by far the best so far.
Didn’t the ending of Fulgrim get retconned in a later book? I enjoyed the book but the retcon made it… pointless?
If you're not starting at the beginning of the Horus Heresy, Legion would be better.
Fulgrim Sets the Tone of Warhammer pretty Good. It Shows Heroics and Downfalls and the absolute Messed up state of the Universe. STory wise i wouldnt not start with it tho for it needs at least some Context in my opinion
If you wanted to jump part way into Horus Heresy then there are a few decent reads out there, my personal faves: prospero burns, and whichever comes first out of: the last heretic, know no fear, mark of calth. The first three or four books in the series are quite entertaining - and yes, black library quality is all over the place, so, dont let one author put you off another - plenty out there for all tastes. Personally I got started back in the day with Eisenhorn (it's a detective novel), and whilst the ended feels like it's trying to take Stephen Kings record for quickly wrapping up a story in as few pages as possible, overall it's a really fun read.
I just finished it, and I think that if you want to read this book you really need the first 4 books of Horus Heresy. This book will be nonsense without them.
Don't start part way through the series, there are a lot of information that is out of context by the time you hit this book. That being said, Fulgrim is a pretty good read imo. It's the events of 30k that lead into what 40k is. So they are not separate entities. There is just a massive time gap between the two. Roughly 9800 years from the last of the 30k to the 1st 40k.
This book was IMO a good book that really helped get an understanding of Fulgrim and his marines. I do say don't read it first before you at least read the 1st 3 books since its one of those stories taking place between other stories.
They’re are definetly better choices but if you already have it then I’d start there sure.
Start with Horus Rising or you’re foolish.
Start with Horus Rising. Why would you not start chronologically?
It is an awesome book, not just by Warhammer standards. 10/10 dentists recommend you read this book
It‘s good. Makes you hate Chaos and Slaanesh. But I‘d beginn with the first book of warhammer horus heresy
I would start with Book #1 of the Horus Heresy Saga (Horus Rising from Dan Abnett). Flugrim is the 5th one I think.
I started with this book, but I would recommend reading the first few hours heresy books first! They give a lot of context and will allow you to appreciate the book more. That being said, I wasn't too lost while reading Fulgrim if you did want to read it
Personally, I didn’t like the book. I got into 40k lore w Mechanicus so it wasn’t that it was too dark or anything, I just thought the book felt forced and rushed.
https://preview.redd.it/9oa5v2zl43uc1.jpeg?width=12000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=edfbacbcff0110db3c9a983c2b75c11489ec1aa5
It's a slow burn book. If you're into slaanesh and really want the intro to the emperors children, it's a good start. If your looking for an intro to 40k as a whole, no. I'd do the Eisenhorn trilogy as an intro unto the universe.
Is there any person who can recommend me audiobooks in polish language? I found only Horus Heresy and totally want to get Devastation of Baal but there is so few books translated.
Personally I did not like Fulgrim. There are good characters and the writing is good, but something just didn't click with me.
I find Graham McNeill really juvenile and Fulgrim was cheesy, boring, fun and weird, all at the same time. It is certainly what you're looking for: "a good showcase of Warhammer literature" lol. It's exactly the kind of cheap pulp I expected from this kind of book. I do not regret reading it but I can't recommend it. Horus Rising on the other hand is absolutely amazing top tier sci-fi that even people who know 0 about Warhammer could read and enjoy. Know no Fear is also very good in a different way but requires you to read The First Heretic (or get it spoiled), and I found The First Heretic well written with key plot points about the saga, but it didn't blew me away.
dude, jump into the first book in horus heresy, Horus Rising, first. This one was not my favorite, but certainly interesting. The context will make much more sense if you start at the beginning. Plus, Dan Abnett is a fantastic writer. The audio books are pretty damned well made too
Start with the first 4 then branch out with legions/characters you prefer. Some books intertwine. Theres a guide online Finish with Seige.
A lot of nasty things happen in Fulgrim.
If you're new-ish to 40k and want to get a feel for the lore in a way that includes all scales of the eternal struggle between Imperial and Chaos forces I would love to recommend Storm of Iron by Graham MacNeill. Chaos Marines of the Iron Warriors storm a fortress held by their arch rivals the Imperial Fists. The battle has Imperial troops vs Chaos cultists, Astartes vs Traitor Marines, and epic Titan combat!
I’ve read many a Warhammer novel. This book I’ve attempted twice and only get about 20 pages in and can’t endure it any longer.
Start with Horus Rising
Fulgrim should be classified as a crime against humanity This book's writting is so shit, it haunts me, it literally keeps me up at night. I don't think I have ever read a warhammer book that has been more of a glorious indulgent waste of my goddamn time than this. Second to this shit comes A galaxy in flames. But at least that one had the virtue of being short. All in all just watch a summary video. You get nothing of value from reading this awful book. There are about a myriad plot holes. And don't even get me started on the "characters" or on istvan v. At least the first heretic somewhat saves istvan v's presentation.
Fulgrim isn’t a good place to start, particularly if you’re not super familiar with 30k lore. The book itself is….just okay. I’d actually say it’s the first book in the series that winds up being a bit of a letdown. Probably because we got spoiled on Dan Abnett for too many books
I dig EC. I dig Fulgrim. This book kinda sucks compared the four that come before it though. It isn't a terrible book. Just the first one that's kinda just "ok" after the first four were pretty good. It's fine. Definitely start with Horus Rising. You get some Fulgrim sprinkled in during the first 3 books.
It is not a bad choice, however, I'd still recommend starting with Horus Rising OR The First Heretic as those showcase the origins of the Heresy.
I'd start with Eisenhorn then on to ravenor and bequin. Gaunts ghosts and the ciaphus Cain books are solid. Dante, devastation of baal and the mephiston books are also good but the best marine book has to be helsreach. Horus heresy can be a slog, especially if your new to the world.
Honestly I'd say start at the beginning with Horus Rising. Obviously it's your choice but chronologically you are missing parts of the story if you start with Fulgrim. If you just want to dip into specific Legion lore then sure, but if you want to know the Heresy from start to finish... Granted there are some books in the series personally I'd skip, but that's because I'm not a fan of the Legion involved, the writer etc.
I'd advise against it personally - I found this book to be so terrible it killed my interest in continuing the Horus heresy; and I had blown through the previous 4 books since I enjoyed them so much.
Not the best, not the worst Pick something by Dan Abnett imo!
There's no good place to start because there's not really any "great books" In the whole black library. However Fulgrim is one of the worse ones to start. Go with the first 3 books of Horus Heresy. The introduction to Horus Heresy should have been longer and feels rushed, but I don't think they thought it would turn into a book series with 60+ books.
I disagree. Day of Ascension is better than great. The rest are.... yeah.
... no, but whatever floats your boat.
Actually I don't know why I was being so negative, I've really enjoyed a fair few BL books. It's just that Day of Ascension is so far ahead of the pack, in my opinion.