Picked up a new Codex and a new Army, or revisiting an old force in a new edition? Welcome to Start Reading 40k, our guide to the best novels of the Black Library for each faction slugging it out in the Grim Dark Far Future. Each article will cover our top picks for reading about the armies you’re putting down on the table, so whether it’s inspiration, background or the deepest darkest lore secrets you’re after, we’ve got you covered. Let’s get reading!
The Adeptus Custodes are the pinnacle of the Emperor’s bio-alchemical achievements made manifest. These towering creations have acted as his dedicated bodyguards, his wardens and his confidants since the Unification wars began, long before the Heresy and all that came after. With portrayals in the past ranging from stoic guardians, to gleaming warrior poets, to greased up pillar-men, there are a good deal of tales out there that feature these venerable heroes as side-acts, but only a handful of Black Library novels are actually focused entirely on these mythic heroes. Luckily for fans of the Ten Thousand, the books that do exist are extremely good reads and are all relatively fresh.
With the recent updates to the lore not only laying out the existence of female custodians and destroying the minds of sightseers, but also providing the community with some really spectacular new protagonists to consider, now is the perfect time to pick up one or more of these novels and get to know just how engaging this faction really is.
Table of Contents
Book #1: The Master of Mankind
Author: Aaron Dembski-Bowden
Published: 2016
Horus is marching towards Terra and those still loyal to the Emperor have begun to array themselves against the Warmaster, but where are the fabled Ten Thousand? Journey into the depths of the webway and what is left of the Emperor’s great plan for humanity, as the Adeptus Custodes, Sisters of Silence, and Mechanicum take on the chaotic infestation beneath the palace caused by Magnus’s untimely intervention. Told through the eyes of the Custodian guard tasked with protecting the gate to the city, of Zephon the Blood Angel, of Arkhan Land, and many more, we dig deep into a desperate secret war that almost ended Terra before Horus could even try. See the Emperor as never seen before and hear his own thoughts on humanity’s ascension to the stars.
Why You Should Read It: This is Aaron Dembski-Bowden at his finest. There should be no doubt that ADB is one of the Black Library’s upper echelon of authors and he brings all of that talent to bear to deliver the first story that focuses directly on the Emperor himself, and the first one whose primary protagonists are the Golden Host. Dembski-Bowden is really in his element here, telling a story of determination, growth, and personal sacrifice in front of a wave hopelessness and defeat. The primary characters of the tale are all given their moment to make a choice in the face of inevitability and their individual character arcs beautifully mimic the overarching plot itself. It is a tale of overcoming odds and remaking oneself in the process. And that’s the selling point for me. The character work in this novel is stunning and the way the author highlights the parallels of their lives is a cherry on top. Just compare this interaction between the custodian Ra and an acolyte of the silent sisterhood:
For the first time, Melpomanei spoke without her mistress signing. ‘You look monstrous when you pretend to be human,’ said the little girl.
Ra kept smiling. ‘As do you, soulless one.’
With Ra’s own interaction with the Emperor later in the novel:
The Emperor smiled, and it was by far the most unpleasant sight Ra had ever witnessed. Emotion painted across a human face, as false as the grotesques at any masquerade.
Whether it is the knights of House Viridyon, the members of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the sisters of silence, or the custodes themselves, they all act in stark contrast too each other in a way that is really engaging. Every scene sets a stage for something greater with subtle nods to everything that is to come.
As a side note, I highly recommend the audiobook for this one if you are into them. Jonathan Keeble absolutely wrings every last ounce of feeling out of the characters and his delivery in the last chapters is astounding.
Why It Is a Good Custodes Book: This is the book that fundamentally laid out what being a Custodian really is. The depictions of the myriad members of the Emperor’s bodyguard are dynamic in a way that wasn’t given to the Custodes before. Diocletian, Ra, Sagittarus and others are intriguing characters that are truly fleshed out beyond being nigh-indestructible warriors. These aren’t just auric guardians; they have walked with the Emperor in a way that not even his primarchs truly experienced and ADB does a remarkable job of giving them just enough humanity without taking away from their apparent majesty. The flashbacks of Ra Endymion’s interactions with the Emperor are particularly poetic, especially when juxtaposed against other characters’ tales of their time with Big E. This is not to say that the book is without action; there are still plenty of superlative physical feats — these are the finest the imperium has to offer after all. Bowden makes sure the reader is drip-fed just enough murder to make even the echo of the first one proud, regardless of its protestations about the ‘Anathema’.
What Inspirations Can You Take to the Table: Master of Mankind was probably the first novel I created a narrative army over. Back in 7th edition, when the first 40k Custodes box set came out, I put together a list of House Viridyon Knights, Admech, and the new Custodes and Sisters of Silence models to try to mimic some of what this book had to offer, and since then I have consistently wanted to go back and redo that early attempt. There are all sorts of inspirations in here, whether it be recreating some of the Dynastes, modeling larger than life characters like Ra, Arkhan Land or the Dreadnought Sagittarus, or decking out your own representatives of House Viridyon. There are even some particularly intriguing options for the more Chaos-aligned player if you’re so inclined.
Book #2: Watchers of the Throne: The Emperor’s Legion
Author: Chris Wraight
Published: 2017
When Chaos begins to make itself known on Terra itself and the High Lords become too enamored with their own machinations, it is up to the Ten Thousand to doff their cloaks of mourning, leave the palace, and return to their homeworld’s protection. Learn about the slow decay of the Sisters of Silence in the millennia following the Heresy, stand behind the High Lords as they pull strings that decide the fate of the Imperium, and walk shoulder to shoulder with the Adeptus Custodes while they balance their duties to the Emperor with the needs of the galaxy as a whole. Most importantly, fall in love with Valerian and Aleya as they try to navigate an empire that is alive in spite of itself.
We were His companions, once. We were the ones in whom He confided. We were His counsellors, we were His artisans. We were the first glimpse at what the species could become, if shepherded aright and unshackled from its vicious weaknesses. – Valerian
Why You Should Read It: Chris Wraight. He’s real good at this. He does a stellar job of painting such a bleak picture of where the galaxy is compared to what it could have been and yet still lines it with hope throughout. This is a story of finding reason to go on in the face of apathy. Valerian struggles with doubt, his place, and the place of the custodian guard in the galaxy, only to be reminded of the greatness that can be found in belief by his compatriots. Aleya’s journey in particular is a compelling one as you follow her on her lonely hunt for cultists and see just how quickly the Imperium abandoned whole swathes of the sisterhood when the custodes closed shop. Hers is an angry existence and the ways in which Wraight handles her scenes absolutely elevates the plot to new levels. The third protagonist, Chancellor Tieron, grounds the novel, providing us with a picture of the bureaucracy involved with running the human machine. His monologue on the High Lords of Terra is a favorite of mine in a book filled with beautiful reflections.
And yet – here’s the thing – they were all quite superlative. You doubt this? You wish to believe that the masters of the Imperium are men and women of grasping inadequacy, forever squabbling over their own ambitions? Believe away. You’re a fool. There are twelve of them. Twelve. Consider what that means. More human souls now live than have ever lived. In the absence of the active guidance of He who sits on the Throne – may His name be blessed – it is those twelve alone who have guided our ravenously fecund species through ten thousand years of survival, within a universe that most assuredly desires to chew on our collective souls and spit the gristle out. – Tieron on the High Lords of Terra
Why It Is a Good Custodes Book: Where Master of Mankind showed us the Ten Thousand at the height of their power, Watchers takes us into their chambers and halls at what might be their lowest. We get an intimate portrayal of their mindsets ten thousand years after their greatest failure and learn exactly what they’ve been up to all this time. Valerian is a very engaging character, whose foibles make him extremely relatable despite being a veritable demi-god. As I mentioned before, however, I think the better part of this book can be found in the scenes with Aleya. Prior to Watchers of the Throne, we had only ever had a handful of short stories devoted to the Sisters of Silence and never did they go into such detail in describing the world from the point of view of a null. Emperor’s Legion, and its sequel both set you inside the heads of these giants in such a profound way that I challenge your ability to fight the urge to buy a rattle can of Retributor armor spray once you’ve put the books down.
What Inspirations Can You Take to the Table: Valerian and Aleya are noteworthy heroes with their own kit available to purchase from GW and it is very hard not to take some inspiration from their tales and slap them both on the tabletop. I’m not a particular fan of the Aleya sculpt and actually purchased the much more dynamic Jenetia Kroll from Forgeworld to use in its stead for my own games prior to her getting her own model because I enjoyed this book so much. There are some vibrant battle scenes in this novel featuring the titular duo alongside Valerian’s trusted companions that make for great storytelling material on table.
Book #3: Valdor: Birth of the Imperium
Author: Chris Wraight
Published: 2019
Constantin Valdor, first amongst the Golden Host, the original Captain-General of the Adeptus Custodes, a name that has struck fear into the hearts of the Emperor’s greatest foes and sparked respect in even the Primarchs themselves. Head back in time for a unique look into the nascent days of the Imperium itself, long before Horus changed it all, as the Unification Wars draw to a close, and follow this legend as he and his comrades navigate the end of one era and the beginning of a new one. Witness the rarely seen Thunder Warriors in action, walk with the first High Lords as they try to understand the new Emperors will, and delve into the mind of a champion grappling with duty and inevitability.
Why Should You Read It: Chris Wraight is set with the heavy task of crafting the tale of one of the most important moments in the history of Warhammer 40k from the ground up, and doing so through the eyes of a character with an intense amount of gravitas. What follows is a truly incredible story that does a wonderful job of blending the threads of the past with what we know is to come in the future. There are two things I love about Wraight’s storytelling: his ability to write a piercing internal monologue, and how he sets a scene in vivid detail. Both of which can give you chills.
‘It is not enough to conquer as others have conquered,’ Malcador had told Valdor, right at the start, just after the agonies of ascension had started to fade. ‘You are the heirs of our dreams. You are the bringer of the new age, and the warden of the old. You are the destroyer, but also the preserver.’
As an off-shoot of the Primarchs series of books, which I had found hit-or-miss, I went into my reading of Valdor with a bit of trepidation that turned out to be unfounded. This is a sprawling tale that gets you right into the heads of key players in the early Imperium and teases all sorts of stories for the future.
Why It Is a Good Custodes Book: Valdor’s retelling of the early battles of the Custodian Guard and Thunder Warriors are great pieces of lore that had not really been explore much prior to this novel. More importantly, we get to see the mindset (and eternal grindset) of the first of the Custodian Guard and his earliest compatriots in earnest. This isn’t just “bolter porn” far from it, this is a book where the conflict is more replete with political intrigue and the butting of philosophies than physical violence, mimicking the nature of the Custodes themselves.
What Inspirations Can You Take to the Table: The descriptions of the Thunder Warriors here are beautiful and make for excellent conversion potential. Ushotan, one of the first primarchs, is referred to Valdor at one point as looking like ‘the ghost of all murders’ and that line stuck with me long after I had put the book down. Outside of this, there is Valdor himself, who has one of my favorite Horus Heresy models. His grim determination, the light of the Apollonian spear, his bearing, its all here. Rereading the book for this review made me want to take him out of the case immediately and slip him into my next 40k list. Lastly, if you are into narrative battles, there is a particular fight near the end of this book that would be amazing to see enacted on the tabletop.
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