40k Reading Order: Ultramarines and Iron Warriors – Graham McNeill

Welcome to this 40k Reading Order article, where today I’m actually looking at two series which intersect and overlap, both by Graham McNeill, as part of an ongoing set of articles in which I’m providing recommended orders for various Black Library series. The Ultramarines series – (mostly) featuring Uriel Ventris – and the Iron Warriors series – featuring Warsmith Honsou – can be read separately, but fit together brilliantly to form one larger whole, and between them they include almost 30 stories. Graham has kindly provided his suggested (in-universe chronological) reading order for the whole lot, so if you’ve ever wanted to read these series but haven’t known where to start, look no further than this article!

As well as the recommended reading order, I’ve also included a breakdown of each story with the publisher’s synopsis, suggestions of the best way to get hold of each one, and links out to my reviews where they’re available.

Who are Uriel Ventris and Warsmith Honsou?

Ventris and Honsou have been respectively defending and destroying the Imperium since 2001 (Ventris) and 2002 (Honsou), and feature in some of the most enduringly popular Black Library stories. I imagine most 40k fans will be at least reasonably familiar with these characters, but here’s a quick excerpt from a previous interview I ran with Graham McNeill in which he gives a brief overview of what to expect.

Uriel Ventris as portrayed on the cover of The Swords of Calth (by Anna Lakisova)

Graham McNeill: These books follow the exploits of Captain Uriel Ventris of the 4th Company of the Ultramarines Chapter who, in his first novel, Nightbringer, had been newly-promoted to that role with the death of his former captain. From his first foray into command on a planet suffering an attempted coup, through tyranid invasions, exile into the Eye of Terror (and subsequent voyage home) and, ultimately, the desperate defence of Ultramar from an invasion by the forces of Chaos led by the Iron Warrior, Honsou, he’s certainly had plenty of adventures.

In those adventures, he’s fought shoulder to shoulder with his oldest companion, Veteran Sergeant Pasanius, and the by-the-book Sergeant Learchus. Since the invasion of Ultramar, Uriel’s been accompanied by his command squad, the Swords of Calth. As to what you can expect from the Ultramarines books, well there’s stonking great action scenes involving some of the biggest bads of the 40k universe, together with some reflections on what it means to be a hero and a warrior potentially facing half a dozen potentially world-ending threats before lunch!

Warsmith Honsou as portrayed on the cover of Iron Warriors: The Anthology (by Lie Setiawan)

Reading order

To begin with, here’s Graham’s recommended reading order for the entirety of both series. It’s worth noting that this includes all of Graham’s Ultramarines stories. most of which are Ventris stories but a few feature characters like Torias Telion and Marneus Calgar.

Some stories focus on just Ultramarines/Iron Warriors while others feature both, so here’s a key to how the list is colour coded:

Blue for Ventris/Ultramarines only
Red for Honsou only
Black for both appearing

• Black Bone Road
• Chains of Command
• Nightbringer
• Leviathan
• Storm of Iron
• Warriors of Ultramar
• Consequences
• The Enemy of My Enemy
• Dead Sky, Black Sun
• Defenders of Ultramar
• The Killing Ground
• Courage and Honour
• The Heraclitus Effect
• The Skull Harvest
• Iron Warrior
• The Chapter’s Due
• The Iron Without (this happens during the events of The Chapter’s Due)
• The Beast of Calth
• The Corpse Road
• Eye of Vengeance
• Codex
• Marneus Calgar: Lord of Ultramar
• Torias Telion: The Eye of Vengeance
• Two Kinds of Fool
• Do Eagles Still Circle the Mountain?
• Halfbreed/Warbreed
• The Death of Uriel Ventris
• The Labyrinth of Lost Souls
• The Swords of Calth

As you might expect from Black Library, there’s a considerable variety of stories here in terms of length and format, from micro-shorts (i.e. about 1,000 words) to novels, and even a couple of comic/graphic novel stories. They also span 20 years and counting, from 2001’s Chains of Command to 2021’s The Swords of Calth!

Many of these stories have been released in multiple editions – as standalone releases, in anthologies, even in BL’s now-defunct monthly Hammer and Bolter magazine – and while many are no longer available in print (other than within omnibuses) they are almost all available as ebooks.

Story breakdown

In this section I’ve gone through each story, adding in the synopsis from the Black Library website (where available) and offering my own suggestions on the best way(s) of picking up each story.

Black Bone Road (comic)
It should have been a routine mission to make planetfall and extract a rogue psyker. But when you are at the mercy of the Warp, things are seldom routine.

Script by Graham McNeill, art by Jonathan Standing.

A short black and white comic strip featuring both Ventirs and his predecessor Captain Idaeus, this was first published in Inferno! Magazine issue 44 and then included in Ultramarines: The Second Omnibus. From what I can tell, it’s now available in The Uriel Ventris Chronicles: Volume 2.

Chains of Command (short story)
Uriel Ventris is a warrior who fights every battle according to the Codex Astartes. When a mission to destroy a vital bridge goes wrong, he must quickly learn to work outside of the codes and rely on his own initiative.

As far as I’m aware this is the first ever Ventris story written, featured originally in Inferno! Magazine issue 26. You’ve got various options for getting hold of it now – as a standalone e-short, included in The Uriel Ventris Chronicles Volume 1, or included in the mixed 40k/AoS anthology The Hammer and the Eagle.

Nightbringer (novel)
Newly promoted to the captaincy of the Ultramarines Fourth Company, Uriel Ventris leads his warriors to the world of Pavonis, where vicious alien raiders are bringing death and destruction. As Pavonis descends into political turmoil, Uriel and his warriors must battle the xenos as they unravel a plot to unleash an ancient evil buried deep beneath the world – the mysterious and deadly Nightbringer.

The first Ventris novel (and McNeill’s debut novel), this is available as an ebook and an audiobook (the individual paperback is long out of print, I think) or within The Uriel Ventris Chronicles Volume 1.

Leviathan (short story)
Uriel Ventris returns to action after his adventures on Pavonis. He and his company have been charged to destroy a Space Hulk that may carry an Ork warband. But there is another, deadlier foe to face in those dark corridors

Available as a standalone e-short or within The Uriel Ventris Chronicles Volume 1.

Storm of Iron (novel)
On the nightmare battlefields of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, few foes spark more fear and dread than the Chaos Space Marines. Nurturing a hatred that is millennia-old, they attack without mercy, spreading terror and destruction in their wake. Now hell has come to Hydra Cordatus, for a massive force of terrifying Iron Warriors, brutal assault troops of Chaos, have invaded the planet and laid siege to its mighty imperial citadel. But what prize could possibly be worth so much savage bloodshed and destruction and how long can the defenders possibly hold out?

Released the year after Nightbringer, this is still widely held as one of the seminal 40k novels. Crazily, it still hasn’t been released in audio format (although that’s surely only a matter of time), but you can pick it up as an ebook or within Iron Warriors: The Anthology – if you’re going to read all of the Honsou stories, the anthology is absolutely your best bet.

Check out my review of Storm of Iron.

Warriors of Ultramar (novel)
The Great Devourer is descending on the world of Tarsis Ultra, a world under the protection of the Ultramarines. Captain Uriel Ventris and his warriors – allied with their barbaric cousins from the Mortifactors Chapter – rally the forces of the planet to defend against the tyranids. But to defeat the xenos horrors, Uriel may have to turn his back on the Ultramarines’ teachings and embark upon a dangerous and unorthodox mission.

Available as an ebook or within The Uriel Ventris Chronicles Volume 1. This one isn’t yet available in audio, but I would think that will change soonish (Nightbringer was released in audio in October 2020, so sometime in 2021 – Covid permitting – isn’t too much of a stretch to imagine).

Consequences (short story)
Uriel Ventris of the Ultramarines has saved the world of Tarsis Ultra from the monstrous tyranids, but at the cost of his honour. He has broken faith with the holy tome of the Codex Astartes, the worst crime an Ultramarine can commit. The masters of the Chapter call for his death, but there may be one last chance for Uriel to reclaim his honour and save his life.

First published in Inferno! Magazine issue 44, this is now available as a standalone e-short, within The Uriel Ventris Chronicles Volume 1, or within the Legends of the Space Marines anthology.

The Enemy of My Enemy (short story)
Within the Eye of Terror the Iron Warriors homeworld has become a living hell for many brave warriors of the Imperium. But their lifetime of slavery may be about to end, thanks to the unlikeliest of saviours.

Also published originally in Inferno! Magazine issue 44, you can now get hold of this as a standalone e-short or within Iron Warriors: The Anthology. If you’re looking for the e-short, I’ve found that a search on the BL site unhelpfully results in over 400 listings…so try this direct link.

Dead Sky, Black Sun (novel)
Exiled from the Ultramarines Chapter by Marneus Calgar, Captain Uriel Ventris ventures deep into the dreaded Eye of Terror to atone for his disgrace. There, Uriel must unleash the Emperor’s vengeance upon the followers of the Dark Gods and bring His divine light to this area of darkness. But a far more terrible foe dwells within these worlds of insanity: the ancient Chaos Space Marine Legions! With dishonour behind him and certain death ahead, Uriel must gather every ounce of courage if he is to survive and regain his honour!

Available as an ebook or within The Uriel Ventris Chronicles Volume 1. No audio edition as yet.

Defenders of Ultramar (graphic novel)
Sergeant Learchus must take twenty-five newly recruited Battle Brotherson their first engagement, as they embark on an investigation of the lost patrol ship Guilliman’s Honour. What was a routine mission becomes much more when 4th Company encounters one of the Imperim’s deadliest enemies!

The only one of these stories not actually published by Black Library, this was in fact a Boom! Studios graphic novel. As far as I’m aware it’s no longer in print, so the only way to get hold of it is second hand. Hopefully it will get a reprint one day…

The Killing Ground (novel)
Returning to the Imperium after completing a deadly mission in the heart of the Eye of Terror, Ultramarines exiles Uriel Ventris and Pasanius find themselves on a war-torn world where warp-tainted rebels hold the balance of power. As the pair of Space Marines try to save the planet from the Ruinous Powers, they find that they themselves are suspected of being in league with the Dark Gods, and their chances of a triumphant return to their Chapter look bleak…

Available as an ebook or within The Uriel Ventris Chronicles Volume 2. No audio edition as yet.

Courage and Honour (novel)
Newly reinstated as Captain of the Ultramarines Fourth Company, Uriel Ventris leads his warriors in battle once again on the world of Pavonis, now a target of invasion by the upstart Tau Empire. With the eyes of the Chapter upon him, Uriel must win this war by following completely the wisdom of the Codex Astartes, lest he be exiled once more. But no plan survives contact with the enemy, and the tau are a dangerous and unpredictable foe…

Available as an ebook or within The Uriel Ventris Chronicles Volume 2. No audio edition as yet.

The Heraclitus Effect (short story)
Fresh from his humiliation at the hands of Ultramarines Captain Uriel Ventris, Warsmith Honsou of the Iron Warriors takes the first steps on his road to revenge against Ventris and his brother Ultramarines. Gathering his allies – renegade Space Marines, a traitorous magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus and a sinister clone of Ventris himself – Honsou engineers the destruction of an entire world…

From what I can tell this was originally published in the (excellent) Planetkill anthology, which is still available as an ebook. Alternatively, you can get hold of this as a standalone e-short or within Iron Warriors: The Anthology.

The Skull Harvest (short story)
Honsou, Warsmith of the Iron Warriors, has sworn revenge on the Ultramarines Captain Uriel Ventris, but he needs warriors. In the shadow of the Maelstrom, on the world of New Badab, he finds the chance, as the mighty Huron Blackheart holds the Skull Harvest. An army of renegades, mutants and aliens is Honsou’s to command – if he can survive.

This is available as a standalone e-short, within the Heroes of the Space Marines anthology, or within Iron Warriors: The Anthology.

Iron Warrior (novella)
Of all the enemies Warmaster Honsou has made in his artificially prolonged lifetime, one stands above all others – Uriel Ventris. Honsou’s hatred for the Ultramarine captain burns so brightly that he will stop at nothing to extract his revenge, even attempting the nigh on impossible task of capturing the most heavily defended of the Ultramarines star forts, one that holds a secret at its very core.

Interestingly, this was the first story to be released by BL as a limited edition novella, back in 2010. A copy of that hardback will set you back a fair bit on eBay these days, but luckily it’s still available as an ebook (at 10% of the hardback’s original price) or within Iron Warriors: The Anthology.

The Chapter’s Due (novel)
After defeating tau forces, Captain Uriel Ventris of the Ultramarines has returned to the Chapter’s homeworld of Macragge, but there is little respite. The Ultramarines are thrust back into battle, and this time the enemy is the Chapter’s greatest nemesis. The traitorous Iron Warriors, led by renegade Warsmith Honsou, have gathered together a massive and brutal warband. Their target is the realm of Ultramar. Their objective is total annihilation. It is a final showdown between legendary Space Marines, and Uriel Ventris must take on the might of Honsou if he is to save his Chapter’s homeworld.

Available as an ebook or within The Uriel Ventris Chronicles Volume 2. No audio edition as yet.

The Iron Without (short story)
As the Iron Warriors fall upon the world of Calth, Soltarn Vull Bronn is tasked with an important mission by the warsmith, one that could decide the result of the entire war.

First published in Hammer & Bolter issue 17, this takes place at the same time as The Chapter’s Due. You can still pick up that H&B issue in ebook if you’d like, but this story is also available as a standalone ebook or within three different anthologies – Iron Warriors: The Anthology, Hammer and Bolter Year Two, and There Is Only War.

The Beast of Calth (short story)
Calth has been saved and the Iron Warriors defeated, but rumours spread of a vicious beast haunting the tunnel-cities, a beast that may still have the power to destroy the world. The Ultramarines investigate, and find that the truth is far worse than they could possibly have imagined…

Available as a standalone e-short or within Iron Warriors: The Omnibus – as far as I can tell, it was first published in the 2012 edition of this omnibus.

The Corpse Road (short story)
Plying the slow, ponderous void-routes through the backways of Ultramar, the funeral ship Shendao heads for a cemetery world with its cargo of the dead. Recent wars have left the warp in an eerily calm state and yet, inexplicably, an intruder emerges from the shadows of the vessel’s undercroft. What could a renegade Iron Warrior like Warsmith Honsou want from the Shendao, enough to face the Space Marines of the Ultramarines Chapter alone?

This was originally published in an anthology called Renegades of the Dark Millennium, which was first released at the 2014 Black Library Live! Event (as a free gift, which was amazing!). These days it’s available (yep, you guessed it) as a standalone e-short or within Iron Warriors: The Omnibus.

Check out my review of The Corpse Road.

Eye of Vengeance (audio drama/short story)
When the twisted Dark Mechanicus priests of the Bloodborn descend upon Quintarn, the Ultramarines are quick to move in defence of their prized agri-world. However, it soon becomes apparent that the planet’s fate will not be decided by the massed battle companies of the Space Marines, but by the actions of just one lowly sergeant – Torias Telion. A master marksman and Scout with a long history of service to the Chapter, Telion must now face the worst of the Bloodborn’s technological terrors and secure the city of Idrisia from the enemy advance, if the Ultramarines are to have any hope of prevailing against an enemy whose numbers swell with every victory.

Not to be confused with Torias Telion: The Eye of Vengeance, this was originally released as an audio drama and then subsequently as a short story. You can still buy the audio drama as an MP3, while the short story is available as a standalone e-short, within the Legends of the Dark Millennium: Ultramarines anthology, or within The Uriel Ventris Chronicles Volume 2 (despite the fact that BL’s website doesn’t mention it on the product page).

Codex (short story)
On the world of Sycorax, the Ultramarines muster to liberate the world from ork invaders. Attempting a rescue of important prisoners, Captain Uriel Ventris and his warriors enact a daring plan. The risks are great, but Ventris knows no fear, for he trusts in the wisdom of his primarch and the tenets of the Codex.

This was originally released in an anthology called Space Marines: Angels of Death containing nearly 30 different 1,000 word (ish) short stories, but I think that was a limited release. You can still pick this up as a standalone e-short though, or within The Uriel Ventris Chronicles Volume 2.

Marneus Calgar: Lord of Ultramar (short story)
In the aftermath of the Bloodborn invasion of Ultramar, Marneus Calgar meets with his Chief Librarian in the shadow of their primarch’s stasis-tomb. As they reflect upon the hardships of the past year and contemplate the future, both Tigurius and his Chapter Master realise that difficult decisions must be made – and a powerful enemy must be faced, lest Ultramar suffer greater losses still.

One of two (very) short Ultramarines stories first released as part of Black Library’s Advent Calendar series in 2013, this is available as a standalone e-short or within the Legends of the Dark Millennium: Ultramarines anthology.

Torias Telion: The Eye of Vengeance (short story)
As the daemon lord M’Kar and his forces assault Ultramar itself, the warriors of the Ultramarines muster for war. As the Third Company prepare to take the battle to the enemy, a threat is revealed upon Macragge itself and only the renowned sniper Torias Telion can stop the devastation that will ensue if the foe’s plan comes to fruition.

The second of the 2013 Advent Calendar short stories, this is also available as a standalone e-short or within the Legends of the Dark Millennium: Ultramarines anthology. It’s a totally different story to Eye of Vengeance, despite the nearly identical titles!

Two Kinds of Fool (short story)
Captain Cato Sicarius leads his Ultramarines brothers into the space hulk Final Absolution to destroy the alien genestealers lurking within. Vowing to follow the dictates of the Codex Astartes and shed his reputation as a maverick, Sicarius executes his mission perfectly – until the unexpected arises and First Captain Severus Agemman does something unthinkable that may endanger them all.

Available as a standalone e-short, within the digital anthology Space Marines: Terminators, or within the Legends of the Dark Millennium: Ultramarines anthology.

Do Eagles Still Circle the Mountain? (short story)
Captain Uriel Ventris and his battle-brothers descend on the world of Sycorax to cleanse it of the ork menace that has plagued it for centuries. But when the battle goes awry and all contact is lost with his fellow captain, Fabian, Ventris and his warriors are pushed into a fighting retreat. As the greenskins slowly overrun the Ultramarines positions, hope of survival rests on Mount Shokereth. But a mystery surrounds this ancient edifice, a secret lain dormant for millennia.

First published in Honour of the Space Marines, an anthology released exclusively at the Black Library Weekender in 2014, this is now available as a standalone e-short or within The Uriel Ventris Chronicles Volume 2.

Check out my review of Do Eagles Still Circle the Mountain?

Halfbreed/Warbreed (short stories)

These two short stories were included in the recent Storm of Iron special edition, so as far as I’m aware BL haven’t released synopses for them. I didn’t buy the SE so I haven’t read them myself, but I’m including them here for completion’s sake.

The Death of Uriel Ventris (short story)
Lying close to death, Uriel Ventris experiences visions of a life led in courage and honour. In his delirium, old ghosts from the past visit him and he beholds vistas of worlds that he yearns for, but which could never be. As Uriel struggles to comprehend the meaning in which he experiences, he wonders: is this the afterlife, a reward for his loyalty and service, or something else?

I’m surprised that BL haven’t yet released this as an e-short – it was first published in the Black Library Events Anthology 2018/19, and then reprinted in the Warriors And Warlords anthology,

Check out my review of The Death of Uriel Ventris.

The Labyrinth of Lost Souls (short story)
A warrior awakens in pain, Tortured and broken, he seeks escape from those who have harmed him, and determines to fight his way to freedom. With no memory of who, or what, he is, he can rely only on instincts. But how far can he trust those instincts? Is what he sees true, or is his mind playing tricks? Where is he, why has he been cut open, and most importantly of all… who could he possibly be?

Released as a standalone e-short in February 2021 as part of the Black Library Celebration, this has not yet been made available in print.

The Swords of Calth (novel)
Uriel Ventris, newly ascended to the ranks of the Primaris, leads warriors of the Fourth Company from the Indomitus Crusade of Roboute Guilliman to a world on the frontiers of Ultramar. Once a battleground against the orks, Sycorax is now under furious assault from an enemy of ancient times – the necrons. The Ultramarines have faced these baleful xenos before, but Uriel senses the hand of a foe from his past at work on Sycorax, a tally unfinished and a debt to the Imperium finally come due. Trapped deep in a devastated city, Uriel leads the Swords of Calth into battle, and must adapt to his new incarnation as one of the Primaris – a challenge that will test his soul as much as it will test him as a warrior.

The latest Ventris novel, coming over a decade since The Chapter’s Due, this is available in hardback (at the time of writing, at least), ebook and audiobook editions. Note that it’s one of BL’s ‘short novels’, so the hardback is the same size/format as the Primarchs series or the hardback Warhammer Horror novels.

Check out my interview with Graham McNeill talking about The Swords of Calth.

Further reading

That’s the full series as it stands, although I’ll update this article if and when any additional stories are published. In the meantime, if you’ve read all of these stories and are still looking for more (which is impressive after so many stories!) then I’ve got a few suggestions for you…

More Ultramarines
The Ultramarines have featured in plenty of Black Library stories over the years, from individual stories up to broader series. There are lots to choose from, but here are a few of my favourites:

• From Guy Haley: check out the Dark Imperium series (currently at two novels, with another due soonish, and various short stories) for tales of the reborn Roboute Guilliman and the Indomitus Crusade.
• From Nick Kyme: Nick has written a range of stories featuring Cato Sicarius, from the early stages of his career to his role in the Indomitus Crusade.
• From Paul Kearney: both Calgar’s Siege and Calgar’s Fury are great reads, and well worth checking out.

More Iron Warriors
In contrast, the Iron Warriors haven’t had a lot of attention in 40k as protagonists, mostly having been relegated to fairly unmemorable antagonists. There are a few options though:

• From CL Werner: The Siege of Castellax is a rare Space Marine Battles novel with Traitor Marines as protagonists, in this case the Iron Warriors defending against an ork invasion.
• From David Guymer: Echoes of the Long War is book 6 in The Beast Arises, and while the Iron Warriors aren’t its main protagonists they do feature heavily, and have an important part to play.
• The Horus Heresy: if you look beyond 40k to the Heresy, the Iron Warriors feature much more heavily – you could try Guy Haley’s Perturabo: The Hammer of Olympia, John French’s Tallarn or Graham McNeill’s own Angel Exterminatus.

More from Graham McNeill
Graham has written A LOT of Black Library stories over the years. He has an author page on the Black Library website with 90 listings (at the time of writing), but here are just a few of my personal recommendations:

• The Legend of Sigmar: a classic trilogy from the Warhammer Old World exploring one of its most iconic characters. Read my interview with Graham about this.
• Luna Mendax: a quiet, peaceful Horus Heresy short story that’s one of my favourites from the whole series. Check out my review.
• The Colonel’s Monograph: a Warhammer Horror novella that offers a quiet, sinister portrayal of the slow road to corruption. Check out my review.

I’m told, as well, that one of the characters from Storm of Iron – Guardsman Julius Hawke – features in Graham’s Forges of Mars trilogy, so that might be one to check out as well!

Outside of Black Library Graham has written for a range of different IPs, including:

• League of Legends: check out the League of Legends Universe website for all sorts of amazing content (short fiction, concept art, comics, audio dramas and more) exploring the world of Runeterra, including loads of stories from Graham.
• Arkham Horror: if you like a bit of 1920’s-set cosmic horror, check out The Dark Waters Trilogy (all three of which are still available as ebooks).
• Starcraft: if you prefer sci-fi to fantasy/horror, Graham has also written I, Mengsk for the Starcraft universe, which is available in ebook, audiobook and paperback.

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I hope this is useful, for anyone keen to check out Graham’s Ultramarines and Iron Warriors stories! If you haven’t already, do take a look at my reviews of these stories where I’ve linked out to them, and remember that you can always check out the samples on the BL website if you want to try before you buy.

See also: 40k Reading Order: Silver Skulls – Sarah Cawkwell AND 40k Reading Order: Sister Augusta – Danie Ware.

Keep an eye out for more Reading Order articles as well, and please do let me know if there are any series that you would like me to cover! Feel free to leave a comment below, or come and find me on Twitter.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to support Track of Words, you can leave a tip on my Ko-Fi page.