Board Thread:Warhammer 40k Novels/@comment-26231440-20150322005131/@comment-8881468-20150322104357

I would say that you can read several series that are published by black library but have fairly little relation in terms of influence.

Even if you start, let's say the "Horus Heresy" series, you will find out that later books will actually take place before the first releases (as is the case with Mechanicus,The Burning of Prospero or Descent of Angels)

If we take the "Space Marine Battles" series, you will have books that take place in m40 or m41 as well as books that happen in m31 (Flesh of Cretacia).

Even if we look at the Sabbath Worlds Crusade /Daniverse of Dan Abnett with the Ghost Novels, Titanicus, Double Eagle and the anthology, The Ghost novels should be read in succession, the other 2 books are standalone ones. They merely mention a name or 2 but it will not matter if you have read the Ghosts novels because you can only say yay i have come across them once in book 4 but that was not really a character then...)

imo: pick a series and simply start reading.