The entire 40k setting happens because wizard frogs didn't want to give skeletons chemotherapy

@rkj5480

Жыл бұрын

😂that is scarily accurate

@SGT_STOIC

Жыл бұрын

All hail TOAD

@Gigasius

Жыл бұрын

I, I, umm, yeah, it's true.

@Jeff_McIntyre

Жыл бұрын

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.

@LV99guy

Жыл бұрын

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.

@XraynPR

Жыл бұрын

"Yes" says every faction, except for the Dark Eldar who just laugh maniacally

@pedanticperson1149

Жыл бұрын

@@XraynPR Tyranids aren't the bad guys, they're just animals looking for food when you get right down to it.

@CattraKell

Жыл бұрын

@@pedanticperson1149 And Orks are just plants lookin' for the good fights.

@mycaleb8

Жыл бұрын

@@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.

@XraynPR

Жыл бұрын

@@pedanticperson1149 true, but then again they do eat entire worlds and leave them completely dead

I really hope this means you're covering the entire Eisenhorn saga.

@Fabierien

Жыл бұрын

Oh man I hope he gets to the Bequin trilogy. So much so.

@johnd3421

Жыл бұрын

@@Fabierien There might be too many 40k references in the Bequin trilogy that Daniel might not understand.

@Fabierien

Жыл бұрын

@@johnd3421 tbh I had to look up the maybe possible reveal. So I get ya.

“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!

@gholamdapantaloonsniffer8218

Жыл бұрын

Plus who doesn't love Orks,Nids,Genestealers and Necrons haha

@dragonmaulful

Жыл бұрын

Ci ci Ciaphas Cain! Hero of the imperium! Ci ci Ciaphas Cain! Hero of the imperium!

@snipersougo13

Жыл бұрын

He's here to kick ass and drink Tana and Tana is on the other side of the Planet

@placantile8520

Жыл бұрын

The Mat of 40k lmao

@charlienoble7862

Жыл бұрын

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 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.

@theraptor2715

Жыл бұрын

He has the Hardback of "For the Emperor" on his shelfs so hopefully he will eventually read it.

@FirstLast-wk3kc

Жыл бұрын

Cain is no grimdark what are you saying?

@Gigasius

Жыл бұрын

Cain is Blackadder in space. It's a great series, although I haven't read anything after the sixth book.

@UnreasonableOpinions

Жыл бұрын

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.

@37thgungrunts

Жыл бұрын

@@UnreasonableOpinions that was my first foray into 40k and most of my friends group. It's very obvious even to a newbie

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

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.

@MattSinz

Жыл бұрын

It's funny that the closest thing to "good guys" in 40K are the Tau, the least liked least played faction.

@thebaron2277

Жыл бұрын

@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

@ANunes06

Жыл бұрын

Persson's pretty aight.

@hollow8136

Жыл бұрын

@@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.

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).

@light-wolfred741

Жыл бұрын

You wrote for Black Library?! That is awesome! :D

@Kakimech89

Жыл бұрын

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?

@thebaron2277

Жыл бұрын

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

@TheAshHeritor

Жыл бұрын

@@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.

@TheAshHeritor

Жыл бұрын

@@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).

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…

@TheMoFauxs

Жыл бұрын

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.

@gholamdapantaloonsniffer8218

Жыл бұрын

Abnett is an amazing author tbh

@GreyingBadger

Жыл бұрын

POTENTIAL SPOILER FOR BEQUIN. I really love the introduction of the "Children" Chaos Space Marine in the Bequin novels.

Helsreach is an a great entry as well. ADB does a great job at writing the disconnect between superhumans and the rest of humanity.

@pantherjoseph

Жыл бұрын

Grimaldus is such a great character, at the Helsreach animated series that used the audiobooks is so good.

@Black-Re4per

Жыл бұрын

Helsreach is superb I've not read it yet, but I've seen the animation movie which uses the audiobooks dialogue.

@cubaj8723

Жыл бұрын

The Hero of Helsreach they called me, as if there was only one.

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." 😀

I've read a hefty fucking chunk of 40k at this point, and I'd say it does pretty much maintain its overall connective tissue between authors. I will say though, the prose quality varies WILDLY, and teeing you up with Abnett first is probably setting your expectations on that front a little high. I'd recommend 'The Infinite and the Divine' for something outside of Abnett. "Are we all the baddies" Yes.

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.

@gholamdapantaloonsniffer8218

Жыл бұрын

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

@Freyveley

Жыл бұрын

@@gholamdapantaloonsniffer8218 thanks for the rec! I didnt know about that story. Will check it out!

@gholamdapantaloonsniffer8218

Жыл бұрын

@@Freyveley that's all good! Glad to be of service haha

I love the part where Daniel auditions for the upcoming show

@sonofrivadin3684

Жыл бұрын

As a random guardsman in the background who gets blown to peaces.

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.

@bloubthebloub2314

Жыл бұрын

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.

@jaxsondenton8252

Жыл бұрын

I think Daniel would love the Infinite and the Divine. I just see Daniel loving Necrons

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.

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.

@auspicious6554

Жыл бұрын

Only one book left.

@blackouthorus1519

Жыл бұрын

Read the infinite and the divine

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!

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.

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 ♡

@gholamdapantaloonsniffer8218

Жыл бұрын

Apparently that is what the Cavill 40k initial films/shows will be

Yes!! didn't think 40k was on your radar, hope u give the Ciaphas Cain series a read I think you'd like it

@Gameking40

Жыл бұрын

This!!! Best series in the whole 40K universe.

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)

@JB-iz8tf

Жыл бұрын

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.

@tateroberts9297

Жыл бұрын

Luetin09 has some great longer videos if you want a deep dive into the lore

@anonamos2358

Жыл бұрын

@@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

My personal favorite 40k series is the nightlords omnibus. If you finish the Eisenhorn trilogy I’d recommend it if you want more 40k

@WildWolfGod

Жыл бұрын

It's what got me into 40k and made the Night Lords my favorite legion. Fantastic trilogy.

@Paul_McSeol

Жыл бұрын

Thanks! I know nothing about warhammer so I’ll check out night lords next.

@UnreasonableOpinions

Жыл бұрын

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.

@EricMcLuen

Жыл бұрын

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.

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

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

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.

I'm so glad that you are covering Warhammer books again :) keep them coming!

That action sequence was amazing XD

Just wanted to mention the colours are really popping in your videos. Looks great!

Yes, every narrator is unreliable in 40k. It's one of the best things about the Universe in my opinion.

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.

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 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.

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

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.

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.

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

@jeffdauscha1436

Жыл бұрын

The infinite and the divine was awesome, and has some great characters

@thebaron2277

Жыл бұрын

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

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

Good timing. This is my first 40k book, and I'm currently reading it. I assume a lot of people will be checking out the universe now.

@Paul_McSeol

Жыл бұрын

How is it? I’m looking to get into warhammer and this seems like the right place to start.

@rascaille3792

Жыл бұрын

@Paul McAllister I got the audio book and I'm liking it more than I thought I would. I thought it would be a bunch of technobabble, but it's actually a cool story so far. Toby Longworth is a great narrator.

@WAanik

Жыл бұрын

@@Paul_McSeol Well, well, well. You're up for a few sleepless nights and a lot of existential crises. :)

@robertgronewold3326

Жыл бұрын

@@Paul_McSeol Best place to initially get into Warhammer is KZread lore videos. I strongly suggest Weshammer and Templin Institute channels. This is a universe you really can't get into the books of very easily unless you at least have a basic understanding of the universe beforehand.

@Paul_McSeol

Жыл бұрын

@@robertgronewold3326 thanks! I’ll look into that

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!

Oh hell yeah Big Daddy Goblin. Recently got into warhammer myself so I hope ya keep this stuff coming

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

Жыл бұрын

Did you read Eisenhorn 4 The Magos?

@TheReaperXIII

Жыл бұрын

@@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.

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

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.

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!

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!)

That bit took a turn at the 10 minute mark and I love it.

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.

@Florfilm

Жыл бұрын

Same. I’m so hyped for the last Bequin book.

@TheAshHeritor

Жыл бұрын

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.

@stormneedstroopers24

Жыл бұрын

Yeah can't wait for the next one, especially with the revelation of certain person's identity.

@Eddieo9999

Жыл бұрын

Dude that last reveal in Bequin was jaw dropping if you know the lore! So excited for his next one!

Great video! As a 40k fan I’m excited to see you pick up the Eisenhorn series again, and am looking forward to the review of the next book 😊 40k is one of my favorite settings in all of fantasy/sci fi, but I agree with you that there is a little too much action at times. There are lots of unreliable narrators among the books, and most people in the universe only know about a bit about the whole setting. It’s incredibly fleshed out and reading different books in the setting lets you peel of layer after layer of the 40k setting, which is very rewarding. The imperium aren’t exactly the good guys, and it’s very compelling to read about in regards to moral and ethics in the fallen husk that the imperium is in the 42nd millenium. This is the setting that coined the term grimdark after all.

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!

Can't wait for this!!

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.

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 just got this for Christmas so this is coming out at a perfect time.

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.

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

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.

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.

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. 👍🏻

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.

Being a 40k fan is largely about learning more about the 40k universe. Most of the individual narratives are going to be amazing in an of themselves. Dan Abnetts stuff is the great in that in can stan on its own. Ciaphas Cain is also really good. I get the grand narrative and lore explorations from the youtube videos. A strange as it is to say fanmade lore videos are a core part of a franchise, thtats whate I would recommend to people wanting to engage with the 40k universe. Try the Templin Institue videos and maybe a few of Baldimorts grand narrative videos on Rogul Dorn, and the War in Heaven stuff.

@Tel_e_gr_me_KDH_guitarTV

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I've read about 4 black library books and I've VORACIOUSLY enjoyed them all, including a re read of 3

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!

@Florfilm

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It’s a great place to start. Xenos works as a standalone book just as well, as a start to a series.

@XraynPR

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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

@lettuceman9439

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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.

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.

@RecklessFables

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Cain was the last vestige of 40K being fun. Grimdark takes itself too seriously now.

I would love to see a video with your comments on the world and lore of Warhammer 40k from the books. I find it really interesting how it is uniquely impacted by needing to act both as an interesting sci Fi world to write about like other series, but also a framework for the game. GW makes gradual progression in the overall lore every few years (new galaxy-wide events or campaigns or villains etc) whilst ensuring there is so much vastness in the galaxy and so much continual there is always scope for players to invent their own regiments, planets, characters and of course to give plausible reasons why all these armies are always fighting each other all the time! They also have to make sure every faction sounds impressive and powerful and cool to give reasons to collect them, so they don’t want any faction to be portrayed as constant losers in the lore, but somehow manage to make that work quite well IMO.

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.

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.

Regardless of where you move from the Eisenhorn trilogy (like a lot of other people here, I heartily recommend the Ciaphas Cain books) lore videos are a pretty good accompaniment if you want to get sucked into the setting itself. I recommend Oculus Imperia both for the quality of his videos and for those videos playing with that perspective warping perception that you mentioned enjoying. The channel's videos are from the perspective of an Imperial historian, and you really get the sense of the indoctrination that historian grew up with and the fear they hold of the many organizations that would kill them for (or with) the knowledge they spread.

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.

The setting is called Grimdark for a reason. It's channeling Judge Dredd, and similar OTT 80's crazy.

Great jumping in point. It absolutely will seem disconnected but there are so many amazing stories that you can just jump in and out of. The world is so massively big and time spanning that it’s perfectly fine to find something you like or that you hear is good and jump around from there. I will say that the entire Horus Heresy series is not right for DG because of the size and time commitment. But he should absolutely read the Luna Wolves Saga (aka HH books 1-3). Absolutely phenomenal trilogy. Tons of other good standalone stuff but you would usually have to pick a faction or event that seems very interesting which would require more time investment into the IP. But hey. I’m all for this channel becoming an exclusively Warhammer channel. Bring it on.

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.

I finished the series earlier this summer and we really liked it. I am listening to the Ciaphas Cain series right now.

Appreciate you dipping into 40K. I'd recommend Dante by Guy Haley. Really surprised me.

Perfect! I literally just bought this trilogy as audiobooks 3 days ago and am about to start listening :)

@Tel_e_gr_me_KDH_guitarTV

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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'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)

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.

Great vid! I read this as a teenager and wonder if I too would find my experience quite different now 15 years on. I didn’t remember it being so much more action-packed than other fantasy but it makes sense. I seem to remember enjoying the second and third books more. Ps I’m pleased you corrected yourself and removed the L from Eisenhorn 😅

@griffglowen5555

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EDIT - I have re-read a Gaunts Ghosts book by the same author and it’s good but it’s like the guy has a post-it note on his computer monitor “Add action every other page”. The opening chapter had scenes most authors would spent half a book building up to!

I've been into the 40k universe since the late 80s. My personal favorite is the Horus Heresy series. It gives you a good idea of the starting point of where the universe was and the fall to the darkness of the 40k universe.

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 highly recommend the priests of mars trilogy for 40k books give a look in on one of the weirder factions being the adeptus mechanicus as well as a pov of the average citizen in the Imperium

@gwb97.

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That or Ciaphas Cain fucking gold they are

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

I read quite a few 40k books in the past and while I like my Spacemarine Books (which are VERY action heavy), my favorite series is the Gaunts Ghost Series by Dan Abnett. This series has the most human characters in 40k, as it follows a standard infantry regiment taking part in a large scale military Campaign. They are no super humans, but just normal Imperial Guardsman and they hve to survive in the Trenchwarfare. over time you get a whole cast of (comparably) fleshed out characters, as they have multiple books, where they have no active large cale conflicts, but smaller recon missions.

Huge 40k fan here. Honestly there are so many good books within the 40k universe, and they're even starting to bring out some great non-military fiction novels. Check out the warhammer horror and crime book series, I've only been pleasantly surprised there. Crime specifically is great, it's set in a Hive City, with warring factions and things, but mostly focusses on the crime side of things. There is also the Horus Heresy and Seige of Terra series which is very military focused, but honestly has some really great character development moments in there, and shows you the fall of the imperium and the rise of Chaos.

I recommend watcher in the rain. It's very unique for the warhammer setting. Not nearly as grand in scale as others try to be

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Another great recommendation if you're looking for a conflict of ideas and narratives across factions is the Farsight trilogy (which follows the exploits of a Tau military leader, while also dealing with clashes in the core ideology of his own race and humanity), as well as The Infinite and the Divine (a story from the perspectives of two different necron lords and how they view a changing galaxy, while also being best frenemies.)

Yay, a book review video! Must comment so the algorithm gods encourage more.

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.

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)