If you’re trying to figure out how many Warhammer books there are, the short answer is: a lot more than most readers expect. Because Warhammer is a shared universe rather than a single series, its fiction spans many sub-lines, authors, and decades of publication.
That means the total depends on what you count—novels, short-story collections, audio dramas, rulebook fiction, and tie-ins. The best way to approach it is by setting a reading goal first: Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, or a specific faction, character, or series.
How many Warhammer books are there, exactly?
There is no single fixed total for all Warhammer books, because the franchise includes multiple settings and hundreds of novels, novellas, anthologies, and tie-in releases. If you count only major fiction titles, the number is already in the hundreds; if you include every related publication, the total becomes much larger and keeps growing.
Why the number is hard to pin down
Warhammer is not organized like one author’s bibliography or one closed novel sequence. It is a long-running transmedia setting built by Games Workshop and expanded by many writers over time.
Different things people mean by “Warhammer books”
- Novels set in the Warhammer 40,000 or Age of Sigmar universes
- Novellas and short-story collections
- Anthologies featuring multiple authors and characters
- Audio dramas and audio fiction tied to the setting
- Faction-focused series such as Space Marines, Chaos, Eldar, or the forces of Sigmar
- Older Warhammer Fantasy fiction, including books from the pre-Age of Sigmar era
Because those categories overlap, any “exact” count can be misleading unless the scope is defined first.
Two major universes matter most
Most readers asking this question are usually referring to one of two main branches: Warhammer 40,000, the grimdark science-fantasy future, or Warhammer Age of Sigmar, the newer fantasy setting that followed the end of the old Warhammer Fantasy world.
There is also older Warhammer Fantasy fiction, which remains important for readers who want the earlier version of the setting and its classic characters.
Quick reading guide: where to start
If your goal is to read Warhammer without feeling overwhelmed, start with the setting that interests you most. The books are expansive, but they are also modular, so you do not need to read everything to enjoy one corner of the universe.
If you want Warhammer 40,000
- Begin with a well-known entry point from a major series or a standalone novel.
- Choose a faction you already like, such as Space Marines, Inquisition, Astra Militarum, or Chaos.
- Read a few connected books before moving into broader lore-heavy titles.
Warhammer 40,000 fiction often blends military science fiction, gothic horror, and epic tragedy. That makes it a good fit for readers who enjoy large-scale conflict and morally complicated worlds.
If you want Age of Sigmar
- Start with novels tied to the Stormcast Eternals or another faction that interests you.
- Look for books that introduce the Mortal Realms without assuming deep background knowledge.
- Use faction guides and anthologies to sample the tone before committing to a long series.
Age of Sigmar tends to be more mythic in feel than 40,000, though it still carries war, loss, and apocalyptic stakes.
If you want classic Warhammer Fantasy
- Explore older novels if you prefer swords-and-sorcery atmosphere.
- Focus on iconic factions such as the Empire, Chaos, or the undead.
- Expect a different continuity from Age of Sigmar, even when themes echo each other.
How the Warhammer books are usually organized
Warhammer fiction is easiest to understand as a library of linked sub-series rather than one linear saga. Some books are highly interconnected, while others work as self-contained stories.
Series, standalones, and shared continuity
Many Warhammer books belong to named series with recurring protagonists or campaigns. Others are standalones that deepen the lore of a faction, planet, or conflict without requiring prior reading.
This structure is one reason the franchise has lasted so long: readers can enter at many points, and the setting rewards both casual browsing and deep immersion.
What makes the reading experience distinctive
- World-building density: the setting often carries as much weight as the plot
- Faction perspective: stories are frequently shaped by one group’s worldview
- Serialized depth: recurring events and characters may appear across multiple books
- Varied tones: some books are military adventure, others are horror, political drama, or mythic fantasy
What themes show up most often?
Although the settings differ, Warhammer fiction repeatedly returns to a few core themes. These themes help explain why the books feel so unified despite being written by many authors.
Common themes across Warhammer fiction
- War and endurance: survival in a hostile universe is often the central struggle
- Faith and fanaticism: belief can inspire heroism or destruction
- Corruption and decay: power is often shown as dangerous, costly, or unstable
- Duty versus humanity: characters may sacrifice personal morality for a larger cause
- Empire and collapse: civilizations are constantly threatened by external and internal ruin
These recurring ideas give the books a recognizable identity even when the plots and protagonists change dramatically.
How to choose the right Warhammer books for your taste
The best Warhammer reading path depends less on chronology and more on what kind of story you enjoy. A reader looking for battlefield strategy will want something different from someone who prefers grim atmosphere or character-driven drama.
Pick by genre preference
- Military science fiction: Warhammer 40,000 is the strongest fit
- Dark fantasy: older Warhammer Fantasy and Age of Sigmar both offer this, in different styles
- Horror: many 40,000 novels lean into dread, mutation, and cosmic menace
- Epic adventure: faction-led series can provide a more traditional quest structure
Pick by entry difficulty
If you are new, choose books that introduce their world clearly rather than those that assume deep prior knowledge. Anthologies and faction-focused standalones can be especially helpful because they let you sample the setting without committing to a massive sequence.
Reading order: do you need one?
For many Warhammer books, a strict reading order is helpful but not essential. You can often start with the first book in a series, or with a standalone novel, and still understand the main conflict.
When reading order matters most
- Long-running series with recurring characters
- Event-driven storylines that build across multiple books
- Books that assume familiarity with prior faction lore
When in doubt, begin with the opening title of a series or with a widely recommended introduction to the faction you care about. That approach keeps the experience manageable and avoids unnecessary confusion.
Why Warhammer has so many books
The sheer size of the Warhammer library reflects the franchise’s design. The setting has been built to support ongoing stories, multiple perspectives, and constant expansion across games, art, and fiction.
That also means new books continue to appear, so any count is only a snapshot. For readers, that is less a problem than an opportunity: there is always another corner of the universe to explore.
Bottom line for readers
If you came here wondering how many Warhammer books there are, the most honest answer is that the total is large, varied, and continually changing. Instead of chasing a single number, it is usually more useful to choose the sub-series or setting that matches your interests and start there.
For more reading guides in the same spirit, you may also like How Many Warhammer 40K Books Are There? and How Many Stephen King Books Are There?.