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Post by CyberShadow on Feb 28, 2002 8:31:17 GMT -5
I have just finished reading both Nightbringer and Pawns of Chaos, and this got me thinking - what do people think of the books, what are the good ones and which ones are best avoided?
Personally, I only really read a few of the 40K books, Fantasy has never really been my thing.
The Gaunts Ghost books are great. I think that everyone knows that. Dan Abnet has a flawed style in some of the scenes and the terminology is a bit off, but you can watch this get better through the series.
The Ian Watson books, I must admit that I didnt like. They are very ethreal, and this style only really works well in the scenes involving Eldar. Since the story centers on Imperial characters, these dont feature much. Added to this, the final ending of the last book was such a let down that I almost laughed.
The Inquisitor books, and I have only read the first, is great. I am waiting to borrow the next one off a friend!
Nightbringer I liked, and I was surprised about. It seems a standard book, but it is well written and very well paced. Fairly normal for GW books, it is very action based, and while that is great most of the time, I got a bit tired of the dramatic sequencies and the description of battles. And Marines and possibly the most boring people to read about, ever. Anyway, I still liked this book a lot and it is better than most of this type.
Both Eye of Terror and Pawns of Chaos are similar in the fact that they are different - from most of the other 40K books. There is no endless sequencies of battles and smoke and gunfire. Eye of Terror I liked a lot, but I seemed to be in the minority here. Most people found it tiresome. It is a lot more descriptive and plot based, but I can see why others didnt like it. Pawns of Chaos does go on a bit, but it is written from the perspective of a backwards Chaos planet, with the Imperium as the invaders. This alone makes me like it a lot. Anyone with an interest in Chaos, and specifically Tzeentch, should read this book.
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Post by Blacksnotling on Apr 29, 2002 6:25:55 GMT -5
Out of the old GW books I have olny read the Original Deathwing and Space Marine one by Ian Watson (i think, i have forgotten the name it has been so long, and i don't own the books any more ) I liked reading the books back then and i wish i could read them again now. I bought the re-release of Deathwing and it felt diffrent with some of the characters being replaced and that last new story did not fit in with the others although the story Deathwing was still as good as i renembered after all there years. ;D Out of the newer GW books, i have only read 2 so far. Nightbringer and Exicution Hour. I found Nightbringer to be too slow in some places and the space Marines were too boaring but it was still a good book! Now Exicution Hour, That was a book to read. It was exciting, fast and even though the ending was known from the beginning of the book it still managed to be full of suspence and drama.
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Post by Blacksnotling on Apr 29, 2002 6:27:46 GMT -5
I forgot to reccomend that EVERYONE should read Exicution Hour and let me know what you think ;D I look forward to your views.
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Post by CyberShadow on Apr 30, 2002 8:31:15 GMT -5
Out of the old GW books I have olny read the Original Deathwing and Space Marine one by Ian Watson (i think, i have forgotten the name it has been so long, and i don't own the books any more ) I liked reading the books back then and i wish i could read them again now. I have it on the best authority that these three books are due to for a reprint very soon now.
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Post by Blacksnotling on Apr 30, 2002 12:28:18 GMT -5
I have it on the best authority that these three books are due to for a reprint very soon now. That is great news, i look forward to buying the (proberly re-edited ) newer versions of the book ;D
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Post by Shadow_Hunter on Jun 24, 2002 4:37:14 GMT -5
I just read Nightbringer the weekend. The main reason I read it was because of a thread on Portent talking about the Necrons, and describing its appearance in this book. So I thought it would have a lot of insight into where these beings are from etc. But was dissappointed in it being predominantly about the Ultramarine Captain Uriel, and the adept. There was very little information of the Necrons/C'tan to gather, and what I did, I already knew.
Saying this though, the book was okay if your prepared for it being about marines. I see your points about marines being a bit dull, but it means that most of the book is action based as its the only interesting parts.
When I went to last years Games day, I got talking to a guy running the BFG stall with the (then) new Necrons. I got talking to him about the future races, and he mentioned the Dark Eldar ability to cloak themselves and look like a friendly ship. The Dark Eldar in Nightbringer had this ability, and makes me believe that there was some truth in what he said. (i dont usually believe it until I see it). So that could be something to look forward to for BFG. He also mentioned that Tau would have 'special torpedoes' and rely on ordanance. So if he's right about DE he maybe right about that too.
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Post by CyberShadow on Jun 24, 2002 6:11:55 GMT -5
This Dark Eldar ability came up in a few places a while ago, and it looks like it is at least being considered. However, I really hope that they dont do this (although I dont think that I will collect DE anyway). This kind of thing is just really difficult to pull off on a tabletop game. You end with scenarios such as 'this is my DE ship, but you have to pretend that you dont know when you move your fleet', or putting lots of ships down one of which is real.
It is just really difficult to do in a situation when you are looking down on the battle and can see everything. In GW run games, it is easier.
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Post by Swoop109 on Jul 18, 2002 15:21:16 GMT -5
William King's Space Wolves series while starting off a little slow has, in my opinion, Become one of the better reads in the 40K setting. His Farseer proves that he just gets better with every new work. At this time I am looking forward to Graham McNeils, " The Iron Storm", as far as I know, the first 40K novel to written largely from the veiw of Choas Marines.
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Post by Blacksnotling on Jul 18, 2002 15:42:25 GMT -5
I think the Dark Elder ability could be represented by the attacking ship having to pass a LD test to shoot on a "friendly" vessel. or maybe one of your ships in your fleet is actually a dark eldar vessel? This needs some thought!!
Swoop109: I am also looking forward to reading the iron storm, It appears to be a good read.
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Post by stormking on Jul 19, 2002 5:01:44 GMT -5
from the old gw novels i have read deathwing, space marine and i trhink it was called storm warriors (about some shipwrecked dark elves), i thought they were great from the new batch of novels i have read the gaunt's ghosts series and apart from a couple of problems within the books i think they're great, i just hope after reading the guns of tanith that the murderer gets his comeuppance in the next book (if there is a next) i have also read 13th legion and kill team, liked the first but thought the second was an almost exact copy of the dirty dozen series, i could actually replay the movies in my head as i read the book (no offence intended)
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Post by CyberShadow on Jul 19, 2002 6:09:34 GMT -5
William King's Space Wolves series while starting off a little slow has, in my opinion, Become one of the better reads in the 40K setting. His Farseer proves that he just gets better with every new work. At this time I am looking forward to Graham McNeils, " The Iron Storm", as far as I know, the first 40K novel to written largely from the veiw of Choas Marines. I actually bought the first Space Wolf novel, and really hated it. It was not particularly badly written, but it was written from the perspective of someone being introduced into the 40K Marines. Everything was a surprise while anyone who knows any of the background was just reading old stuff. As it was also written in the very GW way of 'unbeatable Marines striding through the smoke killing all the bad guys' I had to force myself to finish it. After that, I never looked at the others. The Iron Storm does look cool though, even if I am not Kings biggest fan.
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Post by Swoop109 on Jul 19, 2002 14:56:32 GMT -5
CyberShadow; Yes, King's first novel was almost impossible to read through. yet, if you read his second and third Space Wolves works you can see where his style and pacing do improve. If you want to skip straight to his best work I still recommend Farseer to everyone. At this time I do belive that Dan Abbnet is the best 40K novel writer. Anyone disagree with me?
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Post by CyberShadow on Jul 20, 2002 7:02:44 GMT -5
No disagreements from me. I am currently borrowing most of Abnets books from a friend of mine, and I have read more than he has. I have got through the first three Ghosts books and the first Inquisitor in the series. Abnets style was a little shakey to begin with, and the first Ghost book was great but a little patchy and the second (which was actually a compilation of stories written first) lacked a lot of coherency and feel. My friend believes that Abnet loses a little when he has to concentrate on more than a couple of characters, so his Inquisitor series is even better.
I am such a fan of the Eldar that I also bought Farseer. I must admit that it was a whole lot better than Space Wolf.
And, Blacksnotling, in the new WD there is an advert for Dracos - which is the reprint of the first of the three Inquisitor books. The other two should follow. If anyone reads these, let me know if the Squat still exists or if he has been edited out! ;D
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Post by Swoop109 on Jul 21, 2002 15:26:40 GMT -5
It seems I need to revise my favorite 40K book.
As much as I hate to admit it, I just finished reading, Execution Hour for the first time. Yes, as a long time BFG player I am ashamed to have never gotten aroung to reading it untill this weekend.
This now heads my list as best 40K novels. Has anyone heared if Rennie plans on producing an others in this line?
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Post by CyberShadow on Jul 23, 2002 11:45:57 GMT -5
I think that I saw him on a list somewhere and he stated that it was the first in a series. It would not surprise me as Black Library do like their series.
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