Board Thread:Warhammer 40k General Discussion/@comment-8894489-20130429062300/@comment-7123746-20130514053340

I absolutely recommend the Eisenhorn series as a good starting point. It's well written and introduces a lot of Warhammer 40k's themes and gives a good overall impression of the "GrimDark" Universe.

Also, the Gaunt's Ghosts series can be a good jumping off point as it highlights The Imperium's constant struggle with Chaos. It also gives a nice non-Space Marine viewpoint to things.

If you're more into Space Marines, the easiest way is to simply pick one of the major chapters that sounds the most appealing and pick up one of the novels involving them. (Strangely, my favorite to date are the traitor legions Black Library stuff- I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Night Lords series.)