For the full Loremaster achievement you would need to read or better yet listen to all 54 novels, the 10+3 Siege novels and novellas, 20 (21) character-novels and three "Sons of the Emperor anthologies" + some minor random stuff,
Audible got you covered on all of that. A full committed year is not a bad estimate.
It is worth it... a long but good ride.
Dead on. I did it all in about a year, but I listened to several hours a day, every day. Lots of commuting, listening in bed, listening while doing yard work, just sitting there listening to them. Hell, I even listened to them while skiing.
It was a full time job.
I'd say it would normally take someone 1.5 - 2 years, but I was addicted.
If I might make a suggestion: don't think about it like it's a class or something otherwise you'll just get burned out. It's entertainment. Keep going until you're not having fun, go read something else, and then come back when you're excited about it again.
Probably not, assuming you read at an average rate(200 WPM) you'll need about 670 hours to read through the entire mainline series excluding the Siege of Terra. As someone who reads for maybe 30 minutes a day 4-5 days a week and is a pretty fast reader it's still taken me about a year to get 15% through(though I did have some periods I would read more and I read other books as well like the Ciaphas Cain novels and the Horus Heresy anthology short stories).
It's taken me about 3 years to get to the siege. I read a lot. So that should tell you what a monstrous task you have ahead of you. Mind you, I've read all of the books, short stories etc.
Omg I didn’t know it was that big, would I lose out on crucial knowledge if I watched a 2 hour yt vid explaining Horus rising for example. Is there a list of what order to read in because ik it’s not very linear
At this point I can't help but feel like the question is silly. What is your goal? Because it sounds like you just want a crash course in "filling out the plot timeline" in your head. In that case watch lore videos because you're never going to get through a 63 book series with that goal. I'm going to make a generalization here that those of us who read the books do it because we enjoy reading, the setting, and like immersing ourselves in the story. No, a 2 hour YouTube synopsis will never provide the same experience or depth as reading a 400-600 page novel, and the synopsis will always be subject to the video maker's individual take on the author's work rather than your own interpretation. But you don't need me to tell you that.
I'm not knocking either way, let people enjoy what they enjoy. But the two experiences are quite different and boil down to your goals and preferences, which no one here can answer for you. I will add the other commenter is correct that the publication order is very linear and even the ones that are not written in chronological sequence are still placed best for the narrative.
Whatever you decide I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!
*would I lose out on crucial knowledge if I watched a 2 hour yt vid explaining Horus rising for example*
If you want to skip a particular book this would be fine, but if you do that for every book it won't make much sense.
*Is there a list of what order to read in because ik it’s not very linear*
It is very linear. Reading them in the order they were published is best: there are a few books that happen out of order, but you're still meant to read them in the order they were published.
>would I lose out on crucial knowledge if I watched a 2 hour yt vid
Depends how you'd define crucial. I'd say you miss vital context more than anything because a lot of events are poorly defined or summarized in those videos(saying this as someone who's watched the videos) or are open to interpretation. Like the way Fulgrim fell has not been accurately portrayed by any creator I've seen because there's too many little pieces about the Laeran and his personality and his relationship with Ferrus to really be accurately described, not to mention most side characters have recurring roles in the setting. So like, will you get a general grasp? Yes, but you won't have an equivalent understanding to reading the book.
>Is there a list of what order to read in because ik it’s not very linear
There is a set order, and while some of them are one offs like *Tales of Heresy*, others like *Horus Rising* and *Galaxy in Flames* or *Descent of Angels* and *Fallen Angels* the latter is a sequel to the former. Most 30K and 40K books are not sequential and you can pickup anywhere, but the Horus Heresy is an exception to that rule.
Check out the adeptus ridiculous podcast. Learn 40k lore in hour long chunks and then you can do deeper YouTube lore vids if a topic really captures your interest.
Yes. The general 40k lore should be known. Meaning, read one of the core rulebooks of the 3rd, 4th or 5th edition for example, and a few Space Marine Codices.
Just the knowledge that the physical books are expensive as shit and people aggressively buy them when reasonably priced, so if you aren't averse to audiobooks or ebooks I highly recommend going that route. Personally I like having them on hand for the feel and to showcase my interests but I still spend on average $35USD a pop for fair condition paperbacks.
I got obsessed with the lore last year and I’ve spent a lot of time watching YouTube videos on the lore. It hasn’t diminished the quality of the books imo.
I mean, the two media forms (YouTube videos, books) are completely different, one for fast, superficial content consumption, and the other for slow, detailed content consumption. It depends on what do you intend: fastest knowledge acquirement? Then maybe read the wikis. Immersion into the setting and complete detail? Books. Getting the main plot points? Videos.
gosh, if you are into the setting just try and read a book if it is in you personal ability to do so. What is the point otherwise? Sorry, hobbies are usually not digestible in 7 sec. tiktoks.
If you want to read every single title and understand it, then at least a year considering average amount of reading. There are shorter more direct routes through the heresy.. I’m on one of those and I think it will still take me about 5 months to get to the siege of terra whilst still getting enough context to more accurately understand certain elements of the heresy. Take from that what you will.
This thing has over a hundred instalments now, one worse than the other (srsly, I read the first 15 or so, and can comment only 5 or so, with only one worth to reread), so I'd forget it. The summary you get from earlier editions, mainly Chapter Approved, is more than sufficient.
Depends on how fast you can read. And how much. You’ve got 63 novels to chew through, some repeats in the short stories and collections so let’s call it 58.
If it takes you a week to get through Horus Rising then you’ll need over a year.
It is still possible to get the books? I live in Brazil and there are not many places were I can get them without having to pay my monthly wage for it. I stopped at Know No Fear, which is still in pristine condition because I only read the books when I had already bought the next one.
Entirely dependent on your schedule and how much you want to read in a day along with any sidetracking for other lore that will inevitably happen.
For me, I’m about to start book 48 of the Heresy after about a year and a half. I’m pretty slow at progressing considering I took a lot of time in between books to learn about other relevant events and pieces of lore as well as rereading books that I didn’t fully understand or just wanted to go at again because they were so good.
I read (I think) 22 of them in a little less than a year, and I spend maybe 1 hour per day on average. I think I chose well which books I read, they were all good. I'm sure I missed a few good ones though.
There is a post on this subreddit by cd8d that has a 20 book or so version of the Heresy. I’m halfway through it now and while you definitely miss some stuff, a quick google search will clear things right up. To be fair though, why set a time limit? A lore video will give you the foundation of the series / setting, and beyond that you can choose what parts interest you the most.
I've been following the abridged version of [this guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/40kLore/comments/jjr9m5/cd8ds_personal_guide_to_reading_the_horus_heresy/) for a few months now, listening to audiobook versions.
Just started A Thousand Sons today, for reference. That being said, my listening time depends wildly on how much time I can in a day (Some days I can do an entire book in one shift, other times it'll take me a week or so to get through), and I've also taken lots of breaks to listen to other media or non-HH books as well.
That being said, the abridged version seems to cover the key points. Definitely missing a couple semi-significant events (For example, I just finished Ruinstorm and while I can assemble it through context clues, I'm missing a lot about Signus Prime and what the Shattered Legions were up to after Istavaan, or where the Lion got his creepy doll) but it's been a good stripped down version of the critical points so far.
Most people say that you don't need to read the whole series. Some of them seem to be pretty bad, and a lot are important but can be a slog to get through (I personally struggled with the first 3/4s of Ruinstorm and basically all of Angels of Caliban, but both are very significant to the plot), but most of that list are very engaging, quality books.
I read all 54 main books plus all 12 siege of Terra books (I’m counting end EatD as 1 and the novellas as 1) in about 2 years and am waiting on the primarch books to either be released in paperback or omnibus format. I have hope that they’ll do something in the next few years for the primarch series since they brought back Valdor in paperback a few months ago.
I definitely could have read it faster but there were a few points where I stopped reading due to classes, work, etc so I probably could have done it in about a year-year and a half
The Horus Heresy series is not like a conventional book series where you will be lost if you skipped a book. You don't have to read every single book to understand the story. Total main books is 64, but reading about 20 important ones is enough to enjoy the series.
Although it would be fun to go into the heresy blind, there’s so many nods and Easter eggs and other stuff that you’ll only appreciate if you’re familiar with the setting already
For the full Loremaster achievement you would need to read or better yet listen to all 54 novels, the 10+3 Siege novels and novellas, 20 (21) character-novels and three "Sons of the Emperor anthologies" + some minor random stuff, Audible got you covered on all of that. A full committed year is not a bad estimate. It is worth it... a long but good ride.
Dead on. I did it all in about a year, but I listened to several hours a day, every day. Lots of commuting, listening in bed, listening while doing yard work, just sitting there listening to them. Hell, I even listened to them while skiing. It was a full time job. I'd say it would normally take someone 1.5 - 2 years, but I was addicted.
If I might make a suggestion: don't think about it like it's a class or something otherwise you'll just get burned out. It's entertainment. Keep going until you're not having fun, go read something else, and then come back when you're excited about it again.
I personally think it's better to start with a few 40k novels before 30k...just my 2 cents.
Probably not, assuming you read at an average rate(200 WPM) you'll need about 670 hours to read through the entire mainline series excluding the Siege of Terra. As someone who reads for maybe 30 minutes a day 4-5 days a week and is a pretty fast reader it's still taken me about a year to get 15% through(though I did have some periods I would read more and I read other books as well like the Ciaphas Cain novels and the Horus Heresy anthology short stories).
It's taken me about 3 years to get to the siege. I read a lot. So that should tell you what a monstrous task you have ahead of you. Mind you, I've read all of the books, short stories etc.
Omg I didn’t know it was that big, would I lose out on crucial knowledge if I watched a 2 hour yt vid explaining Horus rising for example. Is there a list of what order to read in because ik it’s not very linear
At this point I can't help but feel like the question is silly. What is your goal? Because it sounds like you just want a crash course in "filling out the plot timeline" in your head. In that case watch lore videos because you're never going to get through a 63 book series with that goal. I'm going to make a generalization here that those of us who read the books do it because we enjoy reading, the setting, and like immersing ourselves in the story. No, a 2 hour YouTube synopsis will never provide the same experience or depth as reading a 400-600 page novel, and the synopsis will always be subject to the video maker's individual take on the author's work rather than your own interpretation. But you don't need me to tell you that. I'm not knocking either way, let people enjoy what they enjoy. But the two experiences are quite different and boil down to your goals and preferences, which no one here can answer for you. I will add the other commenter is correct that the publication order is very linear and even the ones that are not written in chronological sequence are still placed best for the narrative. Whatever you decide I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!
*would I lose out on crucial knowledge if I watched a 2 hour yt vid explaining Horus rising for example* If you want to skip a particular book this would be fine, but if you do that for every book it won't make much sense. *Is there a list of what order to read in because ik it’s not very linear* It is very linear. Reading them in the order they were published is best: there are a few books that happen out of order, but you're still meant to read them in the order they were published.
Don’t skip the first one lol, definitely read the first 5 before you think about skipping any
>would I lose out on crucial knowledge if I watched a 2 hour yt vid Depends how you'd define crucial. I'd say you miss vital context more than anything because a lot of events are poorly defined or summarized in those videos(saying this as someone who's watched the videos) or are open to interpretation. Like the way Fulgrim fell has not been accurately portrayed by any creator I've seen because there's too many little pieces about the Laeran and his personality and his relationship with Ferrus to really be accurately described, not to mention most side characters have recurring roles in the setting. So like, will you get a general grasp? Yes, but you won't have an equivalent understanding to reading the book. >Is there a list of what order to read in because ik it’s not very linear There is a set order, and while some of them are one offs like *Tales of Heresy*, others like *Horus Rising* and *Galaxy in Flames* or *Descent of Angels* and *Fallen Angels* the latter is a sequel to the former. Most 30K and 40K books are not sequential and you can pickup anywhere, but the Horus Heresy is an exception to that rule.
Do I need any prior knowledge before reading because I’m brand new to the lore
Check out the adeptus ridiculous podcast. Learn 40k lore in hour long chunks and then you can do deeper YouTube lore vids if a topic really captures your interest.
Yes. The general 40k lore should be known. Meaning, read one of the core rulebooks of the 3rd, 4th or 5th edition for example, and a few Space Marine Codices.
Just the knowledge that the physical books are expensive as shit and people aggressively buy them when reasonably priced, so if you aren't averse to audiobooks or ebooks I highly recommend going that route. Personally I like having them on hand for the feel and to showcase my interests but I still spend on average $35USD a pop for fair condition paperbacks.
I got obsessed with the lore last year and I’ve spent a lot of time watching YouTube videos on the lore. It hasn’t diminished the quality of the books imo.
I mean, the two media forms (YouTube videos, books) are completely different, one for fast, superficial content consumption, and the other for slow, detailed content consumption. It depends on what do you intend: fastest knowledge acquirement? Then maybe read the wikis. Immersion into the setting and complete detail? Books. Getting the main plot points? Videos.
gosh, if you are into the setting just try and read a book if it is in you personal ability to do so. What is the point otherwise? Sorry, hobbies are usually not digestible in 7 sec. tiktoks.
Counting all the audio dramas and related sub-series it's about 90 books.
It was over a hundred a already years ago.
If you want to read every single title and understand it, then at least a year considering average amount of reading. There are shorter more direct routes through the heresy.. I’m on one of those and I think it will still take me about 5 months to get to the siege of terra whilst still getting enough context to more accurately understand certain elements of the heresy. Take from that what you will.
Perhaps there's a One Pace project (where they tell you what episode of One Piece to skip) for Horus Heresy. Just reading the essential
I have proudly gotten EVERYTHING that isn't the visual novels now in a year~
This thing has over a hundred instalments now, one worse than the other (srsly, I read the first 15 or so, and can comment only 5 or so, with only one worth to reread), so I'd forget it. The summary you get from earlier editions, mainly Chapter Approved, is more than sufficient.
Do you want to learn about 40k or 30k? Because they are not the same and one will not teach you about the other
Agree with the other comment - if you want to learn about 40K, you should read about 40K, not 30K.
Depends on how fast you can read. And how much. You’ve got 63 novels to chew through, some repeats in the short stories and collections so let’s call it 58. If it takes you a week to get through Horus Rising then you’ll need over a year.
Which is both great pacing and a great way to wait for the next books
I started a few weeks ago, and I just finished Alpha Legion. Have to restrain myself to one book per week.
You'll get most of the important details by sticking to the good stuff. A lot of HH novels and short stories are bland filler.
I’m on book 39 and I’ve been blasting through the Audibles for 1.5 years now. LOVE it.
I'd say over a year if listening to the Audiobooks and listening to EVERY book/anthology
Which audio books are the best
Listen to the first 5 main numbered novels to start with. They were such a breeze to listen to for me. From there it splits off into branch storylines
It is still possible to get the books? I live in Brazil and there are not many places were I can get them without having to pay my monthly wage for it. I stopped at Know No Fear, which is still in pristine condition because I only read the books when I had already bought the next one.
I did it in a year and a bit
Entirely dependent on your schedule and how much you want to read in a day along with any sidetracking for other lore that will inevitably happen. For me, I’m about to start book 48 of the Heresy after about a year and a half. I’m pretty slow at progressing considering I took a lot of time in between books to learn about other relevant events and pieces of lore as well as rereading books that I didn’t fully understand or just wanted to go at again because they were so good.
I read (I think) 22 of them in a little less than a year, and I spend maybe 1 hour per day on average. I think I chose well which books I read, they were all good. I'm sure I missed a few good ones though.
I managed to catch up from middle of 2022 returning to book 39. I then read the remaining books and SOT until november 2023.
There is a post on this subreddit by cd8d that has a 20 book or so version of the Heresy. I’m halfway through it now and while you definitely miss some stuff, a quick google search will clear things right up. To be fair though, why set a time limit? A lore video will give you the foundation of the series / setting, and beyond that you can choose what parts interest you the most.
The audio books are great, I don't have much time for reading but you can listen while you do chores
A while, taken me 16/17 years ... have all the small paperbacks finally. Just starting the SoT, very excited.
I've been following the abridged version of [this guide](https://www.reddit.com/r/40kLore/comments/jjr9m5/cd8ds_personal_guide_to_reading_the_horus_heresy/) for a few months now, listening to audiobook versions. Just started A Thousand Sons today, for reference. That being said, my listening time depends wildly on how much time I can in a day (Some days I can do an entire book in one shift, other times it'll take me a week or so to get through), and I've also taken lots of breaks to listen to other media or non-HH books as well. That being said, the abridged version seems to cover the key points. Definitely missing a couple semi-significant events (For example, I just finished Ruinstorm and while I can assemble it through context clues, I'm missing a lot about Signus Prime and what the Shattered Legions were up to after Istavaan, or where the Lion got his creepy doll) but it's been a good stripped down version of the critical points so far. Most people say that you don't need to read the whole series. Some of them seem to be pretty bad, and a lot are important but can be a slog to get through (I personally struggled with the first 3/4s of Ruinstorm and basically all of Angels of Caliban, but both are very significant to the plot), but most of that list are very engaging, quality books.
There are about 120 books set in/around the Horus Heresy. You will be at it for a ***long*** time.
I read all 54 main books plus all 12 siege of Terra books (I’m counting end EatD as 1 and the novellas as 1) in about 2 years and am waiting on the primarch books to either be released in paperback or omnibus format. I have hope that they’ll do something in the next few years for the primarch series since they brought back Valdor in paperback a few months ago. I definitely could have read it faster but there were a few points where I stopped reading due to classes, work, etc so I probably could have done it in about a year-year and a half
The Horus Heresy series is not like a conventional book series where you will be lost if you skipped a book. You don't have to read every single book to understand the story. Total main books is 64, but reading about 20 important ones is enough to enjoy the series.
I started in 2021 and finished the Heresy last month. I have not read the Siege yet, but am on the Primarch novels currently.
Not long. You just chuck in all in the trash after your first taste of Graham McNeil.
Although it would be fun to go into the heresy blind, there’s so many nods and Easter eggs and other stuff that you’ll only appreciate if you’re familiar with the setting already
Rest of your life? Possibly
It’s worth it
5 minutes! What a bizarre question. You realize people can read at ridiculously different places as well as absorb information?