I read my first Warhammer 40k and loved it
I am very late to the Warhammer 40,000 universe, but that means I have a lot of great stuff to read. I knew it was hugely popular. I have a friend who is massively into every aspect of Warhammer (who gave me advice on how to get started).
Also, in the UK at least, Games Workshop shops are common and full of the most incredible figures. I have spent many a happy few minutes ogling the window displays.
I even own Games Workshop shares. This is partly because I used to play a lot of D&D, Call of Cthulu, and other such games. I know the fanbase of these kinds of things are healthily rabid and loyal.
Another thing that got me to invest and also want to join the party, was that there are a lot of highly rated Warhammer books. More are being written every week, and the figures sell well.
In fact, there are so many books, it was daunting. Anything with a lot of lore and history can be hard for a newb to get into. The fact that you’re reading this implies you’re a scifi fan, and probably a fantasy one too. So you’ll understand the issues.
My first Warhammer 40,000 book
Based on recommendations online and through friends, I chose to read the First and Only (Gaunt’s Ghosts Book 1) by Dan Abnett. I knew the author from other things and the consensus was that this was a nice intro to it all. I also bought Ravenor and Eisnehorn.
I wanted to ease my way in. Read a sample, to see if there was a particular aspect of the Warhammer universe I particularly liked. One thing that really appealed to me was that – like D&D, Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel, and DC – multiple genres can be enjoyed. There can be military scifi, horror, romance, adventure, and even humour, all in a universe you know and love.
So, how was Gaunt’s Ghosts?
You can probably guess from the title of this post that I loved it. I like military scifi books and Gaunt’s Ghosts is fun and full of action. In some ways, it is a few stories linked by an overarching tale, but they are all good and all serve as an introduction to a wider idea.
It depends on the version you get, but the one I bought has an intro by Abnett. In it, he mentions that he started writing about frontline troops because they were more straightforward and easy to get into.
This is certainly true, but it’s not just limited to frontline troops. There are other aspects of the Warhammer world that are introduced like the Inquisition, the Chaos Force, Dreadnaught Pilots, etc. It is a pretty cool world, and I look forward to reading more.
If you’re a Warhammer veteran you’ll know just how deep and involved the whole thing is. Or at least that’s how it seems to me and others thinking of taking the plunge.
If you are a science fiction fan and have been curious about the whole thing, I recommend Gaunt’s Ghosts as a good entry point. There are probably others that are just as good.
I’ve only read one book so far, but I really like the universe and will be reading a lot more.