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Looking for opinions on the Black Library Space Wolf books...

Good, bad or ugly?

(Eventually looking to start up a Space Wolf army, looking for some good background, inspiration, etc.)

Thanks!

As novels go, they are pretty good.

The only flaw I find in them is that each book opens with Ragnar recollecting the past, and then they present you with the story. Kind of kills the suspense of whether or not he survives the escapades they are writing about.

Obviously though, with a series about a character, you don't expect him to get killed off, but it does make it difficult to suspend disbelief if you already know he survives to tell the tale.

They are pretty good, if not predictable at times.

I didn't like them. I tend not to like anything by Bill King apart from some of his classic shorts (Siege of Terra, Grom the Paunch etc). I can't stand Gotrek and Felix.

The first SW one was the first BL book I bought. It had it's moments, certainly not as bad as a lot of the crap that BL poops out. I didn't like the second at all, stopped reading them after that.

Personally, I thought they were crap....kinda comic like....it completely breaks down by (either) the third or fourth(?) book, where Space Wolves and Dark Angels start killing each other....ahem....I mean, I know the two legions are not best buddies, and I know the Dark Angels will go to any length to hide the fact they are hunting the fallen, but an all out war with another Imperial Chapter...come on....

Crap!

that was the fifth book and it was not written by King the original athor of the first 4 books. If you want to collect SW then it a must to read them.

And yes the DA would go to war with another chapter to hide thier shame. they are treacherous like that. Friggin dress wearing fairies.

Read the BT codex where they encounter some DA and the BT startship is never heard from again.

How dare ye such things of the DA!?!? Shame?

Theres no proof that the BT ship was lost due to DA intervention.....

Whats more wild, is the thought that SW could best DA in combat....what rubbish.

I haven't read the most recent of the books, but I've read the rest of the series and I thought it was great.

Without really giving away anything...

It starts with ragnar as a "regular" human in his Viking-like culture. Very fantasy / Viking type barbarian book. NO references to ANYTHING sci-fi (that is obvious, anyway).
As the story goes on, you follow him through being chosen to be a Space Wolf, to his indoctrination, to his training and the challenges he faces on the way.
Not only is it a decent read, but the series makes a WONDERFUL pathway for educating non-40K gamers about the 40K universe. As Ragnar learns what something is, so does the reader.

4 Stars (of 5)


Eric

@ Delophont
your joking right?? Of course SW can kick DA butt. Ragnar against a normal DA captain?? No contest,

as for the BT ship, yes thier is no proof but he they were last seen refusing to hand over a fallen to the DA

@Beef

Your lovey dovy SW against the martial discipline of the DA, come on, theres no contest....The DA captain you talk about was a member of the Deathwing....so if the pleb writing the book had any sense, Ragnor would have had his arse handed to him!

Don't take it too hard, just repaint your army DA green, and you'll be in with a chance.

If i wanted to play with men with dresses i would go to a bar with drag queens.

Beef, beef, beef.....men with dresses?!? So how would you describe SW? "Men" with tails between their legs....little fluffy ones, woof woof!

Seriously, though...I think you realise I'm only joking. I would have loved to create a Space Wolf army, but allas time and money only allow me to concentrate on a few. Maybe in the future!......

I still think the books did the Space Wolves a massive injustice, I came away fromt he books feeling as though I'd watched a cheap Saturday morning kids cartoon.....in my opinion, the books should have been much darker and gothic, and the text should have played to the viking quality the SW have.

Still no clear "yes" or "no" here, but I think I'll give them a try anyway!

Thanks for all of the input!

thats the spirit give them a go.

@delephont I know your joking, so was I , SW and DA rivalry and all that

If you could take out the fact that in the beginning of each book they ask how Ragnar became a Wolf-Lord and he agrees to tell the tale, then he just tells part of the grand scheme you feel like yelling "For Gods sake just tell us how it happened!!!" And some of the suspense isn't there since you are reading about a young Ragnar Blackmane, you more worry if his comrades make it since some of them help make the stories very enjoyable. All in all though I love the books and cant wait for the next one to come out, and like what MagickalMemories said it does make a very good intro to the WH40k universe since you learn all about it as Ragnar learns, it really helped me get a grasp of how things worked in this universe and all.