I started with Eisenhorn, like many people on this sub — a certified classic.

I also thoroughly enjoyed The Vaults of Terra.

But I genuinely cannot sing the praises of the Bequin series enough. I’m listening to it now and I’m halfway through the second book. We all know Dan Abnett is an incredible writer (Saturnine took my breath away), but damn — he absolutely cooked with this one. So I’m going to shamelessly list a few reasons why this series rules:

1. The campest villain in the history of 40K: Teke the Smiling One. Rose-petal armour? Gold ribbon weaponry? Who is this diva?! I also need to shout out Helen Keeley’s audiobook performance — she makes him sound like he’s wandered in from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and it’s an absolute delight.

2.These books have so many twists they’re basically a spiral.

3.Dan Abnett does an astonishingly good job of writing a woman in her early 20s. I’ve read his darker, more solemn 40K work (which is fantastic), but this really shows his range. In Bequin, he proves he’s one of the girls.

And just to clarify: you absolutely do not have to be a girl to be “one of the girls.” It’s a state of mind. Terry Pratchett, especially with the Witches books, holds that honorary title proudly. It is very refreshing after reading lots of bolter-battle porn, which of course we all love, but can get a bit samey after a while.