For the Emperor

Ciaphas Cain #1

by Sandy Mitchell

Commisar Ciaphas Cain - hero of the Imperium and renowned across the sector for his bravery and valour - is sent to help maintain order on an outpost world on the borders of Tau space. But when the alien ambassador is murdered and the situation quickly spirals out of control, Cain and his regiment of Valhallans find themselves in the middle of a war. As the Imperial Guard struggle to contain worldwide civil insurrection, can the wily Commisar Cain identify the real villian before the planet is lost to the Imperium forever ?

Genres: Science Fiction, 40k, Fiction, Fantasy, Audiobook, Military Fiction, War

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 23, 2003

About the author

Sandy Mitchell is a pseudonym of Alex Stewart, who has been a full-time writer since the mid nineteen eighties. The majority of his work as Sandy has been tie-in fiction for Games Workshop's Warhammer fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 science fiction lines. The exceptions have been a novelisation of episodes from the high tech thriller series Bugs, for which he also worked as a scriptwriter under his own name, some Warhammer roleplaying game material, and a scattering of short stories and magazine articles.

His hobbies include the martial arts of Aikido and Iaido, miniature wargaming, role-playing games, and pottering about on the family allotment.

He lives in the North Essex village of Earls Colne, with his wife Judith and daughter Hester.

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is the 41st Millennium. For more than a hundred centuries The Emperor has sat immobile on the Golden Throne of Earth. He is the Master of Mankind by the will of the gods, and master of a million worlds by the might of his inexhaustible armies. He is a rotting carcass writhing invisibly with power from the Dark Age of Technology. He is the Carrion Lord of the Imperium for whom a thousand souls are sacrificed every day, so that he may never truly die.

Yet even in his deathless state, the Emperor continues his eternal vigilance. Mighty battlefleets cross the daemon-infested miasma of the Warp, the only route between distant stars, their way lit by the Astronomican, the psychic manifestation of the Emperor's will. Vast armies give battle in his name on uncounted worlds. Greatest amongst his soldiers are the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines, bio-engineered super-warriors. Their comrades in arms are legion: the Imperial Guard and countless planetary defence forces, the ever vigilant Inquisition and the tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus to name only a few. But for all their multitudes, they are barely enough to hold off the ever-present threat from aliens, heretics, mutants - and worse.

To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruelest and most bloody regime imaginable. These are the tales of those times. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be re-learned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grim dark future there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods.

This is my first Warhammer experience, and the intro listed above gives one a much different feeling than what would follow (and yes Warhammer fans, I know the Cain series is an oddity in that regard). Those looking for something truly grim need not apply… though those looking for a total light hearted read should possibly avoid as well.

As I mentioned above, this is my first Warhammer experience. While I am familiar with the game, I was never able to afford getting into it as a hobby in my younger days (I was strictly a D&D player who used friends' "community" books for character creation and rules). My knowledge of the universe is thus very limited. I bring this up because people in the same situation as me may like to know that several alien races are introduced with little to no description. Knowledge of the universe is very much assumed. If you are wanting to read this, I suggest bookmarking the Warhammer wiki... if you're like me you will be checking it frequently.

So, some may ask after reading the above, why should I bother with a book that I'm going to be frequently checking references to understand? Well, because it is damn fun for one reason. The plot follows Commissar Ciaphas Cain, well known hero of several campaigns; he's become a legend in his own time and his name opens doors throughout the universe... but his heroic status is a bit exaggerated to say the least. The book takes the form of his memoirs, in which he reveals that his heroic acts are mostly being in the right place (or wrong place from his point of view) at the right time. For example, the heroic act of going back for a fallen soldier seems a lot less heroic when you find out that from his view point, he saw something horrible ahead, retreated and decided a human shield was the appropriate way of keeping himself alive. He is happy to use his status as hero to get what he wants, but as he says early on (setting up his character wonderfully) “The trouble with everybody thinking you’re a hero is that they tend to assume you like being in mortal danger and go out of their way to provide some.” Cain is a hero in name only, as he'll be happy to inform you repeatedly. He is a coward, a combination of Blackadder and Flashman, placed in a grim military science fiction setting, who is supposedly know for his heroic acts; through this Mitchell is able to deconstruct the entire Warhammer setting, playing it completely tongue in cheek.

Though very humorous, it doesn't completely take away the darker aspects of its setting. People die, sometimes abruptly and in rather terrifying ways. Some of the aliens presented are the things of nightmares and there are a few moral decisions that make even Cain rather shellshocked. While this is not the grim dark novel that one may expect from the series, it is still very much in its setting and doesn't dismiss that to keep its humorous tone.

One of the most interesting aspects of the novel is that we can't actually trust Cain entirely about how he presents himself. We are told at the beginning that these are his own personal journals found and footnoted by an inquisitor after his death. Through footnotes and chapter breaks from "historic sources" we are given a view about how people perceived Cain and how others saw his actions, sometimes outright conflicting with his report. He is caught in lies throughout the footnotes, making it seem that Cain may perhaps be exaggerating his own cowardliness... or are the inquisitors trying to rewrite his story to create a more propaganda appropriate Cain? That, at least in the first novel, is not resolved, but it creates a character that you are constantly given two alternate interpretations. Through these two extreme interpretations we are given a shockingly 3-dimensional character, who most likely falls somewhere between to two takes.

While the novel suffers from some pacing issues, and newcomers to Warhammer will no doubt need references to the material, For The Emperor is a constantly entertaining read with a shockingly fascinating lead. Recommended for Warhammer fans and those looking for a grim but humorous read. A solid three out of five.

[Mikhail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this book and I adore this series, and I keep coming back to it time and time and time again. I first read it about a decade ago, when I was in college, and I just reread it for at least the seventh or eighth time, and still love it.

The basic premise is that Commissar Ciaphas Cain is a renowned far and wide as a great and noble hero... while secretly being a cynic, a rogue, and a (self-professed) coward. It's basically a sci-fi version of Flashman, which is a deserved classic, except I actually think Mitchell one-ups the originals in certain ways.

The setting is that of Games Workshop's Warhammer 40k, and yes, this is a tie-in novel. At the same time, deep setting information is *not* required, and if anything this series is far more comprehensible than, say, some of Max Gladstone's work (and I say this as someone who adores Gladstone to bits). Mitchell also avoids the excesses that plague some of Warhammer 40k's less subtle works.

Within the context of the story, this is mostly an adventure story, with plenty of military-style action and an enormous amount of comedy derived from Cain's constant flim-flam. For the Emperor, unlike most of the series, also has an element of mystery and intrigue, with a Sinister Conspiracy trying to pit our heroes and some aliens against each other in a war -- for this reason, For the Emperor is one of my favorites of all of Mitchell's work. So, action, comedy, intrigue, mystery, gorgeous sci-fi settings, a dash of amusingly sweet romance...

I might further add that while this is a very *light* book, it's also a rather smart one. There's a lot of wit in the writing, but more subtly, there's a lot of depth to the character descriptions -- Cain himself is particularly fascinating, a lifelong dissembler who claims to be a fraud and not a hero, but might be more heroic than he realizes (it's always interesting to note what Cain *does* as opposed to how he justifies it). To be fair, most other characters are fairly static in comparison.

It's also interesting that Mitchell is, in his own quiet way, one of the more feminist authors to work in what is technically Military-SF. Inquisitor Amberley Vail, Lt. Jenit Sulla, and Colonel Regina Kasteen are all wonderful characters, massively different from each other, and a joy to read about.

The sum result is that these are wonderful books to read when you want something fun, and exciting, and funny, with maybe a touch of genuine drama for spice. For the Emperor is probably my absolute favorite, but I'd say all of the first six books are quite good (Books 3 and 5 have the same elements of intrigue, Book 4 has the best adventure aspect, Book 6 the best drama). Afterwards I think Mitchell gets tired of writing them and they get weaker, so I tend to think of Book 6 as the grand finale.

Highly recommended to all and sundry.

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ciaphas Cain is generally lauded as the second part of the great Imperial Guard Commissar book series duo, along with Gaunt's Ghosts, but it never hit quite as well to me. The humor felt forced, and the main character's self-impression as an incompetent coward never really rang at all true, since he actually is pretty badass. Would have been funnier if he wasn't.

Never got around to the rest of the books. I heard they tend to repeat the same stuff a lot.

[Fabiano]

DNF pag. 233/337 dell'edizione italiana.

[[Name Redacted] · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was recommended as a great intro. to the Warhammer 40K universe...but it was almost TOO accessible, y'know?

Where were the psychic Cockney plant-orcs?
Where were the planet-extinguishing Latin weapons?
Where were the ravenous Chaos cultists?

It was fine enough for a sci-fi book, and I really enjoyed the first 1/3 on the ship, but everything I've heard about the setting was so much grander & darker & weirder than this!

[Henrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read if you like military sci-fi, Black adder and dry britsh humor

[vonblubba · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 40k novel you don't expect. Or, better, the main character you don't expect. If you're familiar with Black Library novels, you know that they are filled with great warriors, heroic acts made in the emperor's name, bla bla bla. Cain Is simply just the opposite. He's basically a scoundrel, only interested in saving his own skin. Well, that's refreshing, and a very funny read indeed. I will definitely read the other books in this saga.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the grim darkness of the far future, etc. etc. Superbly fun for the Warhammer 40k universe, probably a great entry point.

Cain's humour and complexity is a welcome counterpoint to the brutal cynicism of the 40th millennium. That's not to say he's not cynical, he really, really is, but the atmosphere is surprisingly light and breezy despite everything. In parts he was a little repetitive (yes, I know you grew up in a hive, get on with it), but his chemistry with the Valhallans and the Inquisitor in particular is really solid. The only parts I didn't quite enjoy and skimmed were the excerpts detailing the broader conflict. Mostly because I'm not so much into large troop movements and Sulla's overblown patriotism (neither was the Inquisitor, apparently).

[Paulo "paper books only" · Rating 4 out of 5]

or the Emperor by Sandy Mitchell is the first novel in the new Warhammer 40K series starring the (somewhat)amusing, irreverent and, ultimately, heroic Commissar Ciaphas Cain of the Imperial Guard. This new series recounts the adventures and exploits of Ciaphas Cain as he tries to fake and smooth talk his way out of what he thinks are dangerous and life-threatening situations. This sort of behavior is very unusual for a man of his rank and resposibility since as a Commissar of the Imperial Guard he's suppose to be represent a symbol of bravery in the face of danger, especially insurmountable ones. Cain does so through all his adventures, but usually due to his actions of self-preservation actually putting him in danger. And when he gets out of it he's hailed a hero of the Imperium.
The reluctant hero is sent to a Valhallan regiment. Problems occur from the instant he sets foot on the hangar bay of the Righteous Wrath. Two Valhallan regiments have been consolidated from the survivors of 301st and 296th. One is a female regiment, one is a male regiment, and each believe themselves better than the other. Cain has his hands full keeping them from each other's throats and eventually welding them into a single cooperating regiment (597th Valhallan). This is barely accomplished before they are sent to help maintain order on an outpost world on the borders of Tau space. But when the alien ambassador is murdered and the situation quickly spirals out of control, Cain and his new regiment find themselves in the middle of a war. Accompanying him is his ever-present and ever-loyal aide Jurgen whose personal appearance and hygiene doesn't conform to the most minimum of standards of what a soldier is suppose to look. But Jurgen's administrative talent makes him a valuable sidekick to Cain, and whose more secret talent Cain later finds out through another companion makes him even more invaluable in keeping him alive.

Jurgen has a skin disease (psiorasis). As Cain works to make the newly formed 597th Valhallan become a well-drilled and proper Imperial Guard force he and his men soon become part of a diplomatic delegation between Imperium diplomats negotiating with Tau counterparts in the Damocles Gulf sector. One thing leads to another and soon Cain and his men must solve the mystery that is putting the Imperium and the Tau Empire in the path to war. It is through his investigation that Cain first meets Amberley Vail. A woman who seems to be nothing more than a political hanger-on and courtesan, but whose outward appearance hides a much more dangerous personality. It is actually through Vail's recollection and annotations throughout the novel that Cain's exploits are told. From the get go there's a mutual respect and attraction between Cain and Vail. This is a new one in the series of novels released about the Warhammer 40K universe. Though the romance is minimal it is hinted at early on and given mention as something that both pursue as they get to know each other throughout their lives. The whole novel is a very good start to a new character for the Warhammer 40K and at times the pacing of the story shows this. There's less of the intense battle scenes that makes another series about a Commissar very good and intense. But the unveiling of Cain, Jurgen, Vail and the 597th more than makes up for the smaller amount of action. The foundation laid down in For the Emperor by Sandy Mitchell shows that bigger and better things await those who have the patience to stick with Ciaphas Cain. Here's to hoping that Amberley Vail picks the right volume from Cain's memoirs for us readers to read through.

As I said before this is the first of a series reporting the archived memories of Commissar Cain. Each is told as written by Cain, after his retirement. It also describes the first time Cain meets Amberley Vail, an agent of the Ordo Xenos, and the Valhallan regiment he spends most of his career with. Vail is the one putting Cain's archives together for her fellow inquisitors to read if they so wish. She has annotated several sections to fill in Cain's gaps. As the reader, I found many of these footnotes interesting, as they made Cain's campaign seem more realistic; however, some of these footnotes are pointless. This novel covers the Gravalax campaign and will be referred to often in the upcoming books of the series. All-in-all, I believe this novel to have succeeded in creating a solid foundation for the Cain series to build upon.

[Daffo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me estaba planteando si darle cuatro o cinco estrellas, pero mira. Teniendo en cuenta que la gran mayoría de libros de 40k deben de ser grimdark a tope y ya otro que me había empezado comenzaba a tomar carrerilla con Desgracias y Nihilismos Varios, a mi que me den a mi comisario cobarde al que le acaban saliendo las cosas de chiripa. El ritmo es un poco igual a lo largo del libro y el final llega de golpe, pero me lo he pasado bien y todo se perdona. Ale.

[Chris Del · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blackadder in 40k! Awesome. Would give it 4.5 if I could.

[Ubiquitousbastard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Obviously, this did not work for me. (In truth, if I hadn't read the Gaunt's Ghosts series I NEVER would have even given this a chance.) It didn't have the "spark" of the aforementioned series; there were many similar elements but thrown together in a way that did not please me, as the reader. I liked the whole secretly-cowardly-war hero thing, but how it was proven, by thoughts rather than any discernible actions, got old pretty fast. "Okay, I get it, you're sooo cowardly while doing brave stuff. Yup. Keep telling me about it." That's basically my feelings on that. Then there was Amberley-who-ugh. There, that is all. Nothing else I say will precisely explain my feelings except a simple and whole-hearted "ugh."

Besides nit-picking, the story itself was not at all difficult to piece together in the first hundred pages. And from there, each twist was easily anticipated. They weren't even good easily anticipated twists, I could have forgiven that. Instead they were stock scifi plot twists, I would have preferred something that would have been a little funnier, since that would have relieved the tedium and resulting boredom.

So, I highly doubt I'll have an interest in the next book, because really I don't want to read Warhammer books if I can help it, and here I think I can help it.

[Cant Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein überraschender und angenehmer Protagonist für das 40k Universum.
Liebe seine Gedankengänge und seinen Erzählstil, er ist vollkommen ehrlich gegenüber den Lesenden aber ansonsten Niemandem, und die Randnotizen sind ähnlich unterhaltsam wie bei Bartimäus.

Unsicher wie viele Bände mich dieses Prinzip noch unterhält, aber die Kurzgeschichten waren ebenso gut.

[Γιώργος Μπελαούρης · Rating 3 out of 5]

first 40k read ever
i really enjoyed it
i loved caiphas and his voice
i expected more action
i m still a little disoriented with the lore
but i really really liked it and had a good time

[Aksel Henrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dummeste shittet jeg har lest.

[PJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leuke hapsnap voor tussendoor. Luchtige pulp en tevens een prima introductie in het 40k universum.

[Lance kozel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about how cowardice and apathy come second to paranoia and keeping up your image

[Swords & Spectres · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun to read. The blend of serious and comedy is done very well and is never in your face. 

Commissar Ciaphas Cain, as he mentions himself frequently throughout the series of his memoirs, is a coward with more luck than any hundred people put together. If you have read the Flashman Papers then you'll have a good idea of what to expect coming into the Ciaphas Cain books.

Ciaphas, along with his trusty aide, Jurgen, and the newly formed, mixed gender regiment of the Valhallan 597th are sent to the planet of Gravalax to deal with insurrection caused by the Tau (a race of blue-skinned, technologically advanced humanoid aliens).

Personally, although I enjoyed this very much, I felt this featured far too much talking, world-building and political back and forth to ever reach the five star rating I desperately wanted to give it. That being said, it's not dull, just not as explosive as I know the Cain books can be.

When the author puts their foot down on the accelerator, though, it gets very exciting, very fast. Almost like that plodding ascent up a roller coaster before the downward rush when you reach the peak.

The character/world building done is essential, I just feel there was too much of it. You certainly get a much better knowledge of the Warhammer 40k universe as a whole from this book/series than you do others and, for that reason alone I'd say it's hands down one of the best places to start.

As is usually the case with 40k novels, the action is fast-paced, dark, painful and hellishly exciting. Cain is one of the most endearing characters for me as far as Warhammer universe goes as he is the sort of hero that I love to read about. The kind that hates being thought of as a hero and is only their by a mixture of luck, fluke and skill. With every passing victory, his fame grows and he finds himself thrust into more and more deadly situations. Makes for the perfect character. You just can't help but feel sorry for the sort of chap who does everything within his power to avoid danger but inadvertently finds himself rushing towards it instead.

It's told in first person narrative and features footnotes explaining certain aspects that your unknowledgeable 40k reader would not know. Another reason for it being a perfect starting point in the Warhammer universe.

All in all it's a great blend of styles that makes for a wonderful opener in a wonderful series.

[Benjamin Alig · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war. War and a little bit of lighter humor given to us by ciaphas cain.
This first book introduces us to the character, a higher ranking military official who's sole goal is to survive. Through this goal he finds himself in several instances where his self serving purpose turns him into a hero. A hero he doesn't believe he is.

It's quite a different read than what I'm used to but I welcome a little lighter and humorous tale in this universe.

I'd give it a 4.5/5 if I could. Felt a little short but great read all in all.

[Bobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

First Warhammer novel and it was OK... I wanted to get in to the 40k lore and was put off by the Horus Heresy collection due to its size and was told this was a good place to start.

I liked the style of it being told as a memoir which went some way to paper over the cracks of bad writing as you can't fully blame the author but instead the character writing the memoir. However, this wasn't the novel I thought it would be. It was a very vanilla story in the world of 40k that I was expecting. A lot of knowledge of the 40k universe and other races is assumed which made it hard to follow what's going on or really get immersed.

The writing style was repetitive at points with the same statements/idioms/jokes being repeated. Cian is a great protagonist but the way he tries so hard to describe himself as a coward is a bit cringe and feels very incencere at times.

On the whole it's worth a read but I've started Horus Heresy and already have a far better feel for the universe in the first few chapters and it's far darker/philosophical.

[Eithan Arellius · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

Being my first 40K book I was good, I liked the world building and monster names used here and I dearly love our Protagonist Caine too.

It is written in an account like a memoir with anecdote's scattered here an thier , the writing style is quite good to it flows very well.

[Antonio López Sousa · Rating 4 out of 5]

El mundo de Warhammer 40.000 es inmenso, tan grande que es difícil decidir por dónde empezar, salvo que te lances a seguir una de esas muchas guias de lectura que pululan por las redes. Y, aun así, sigue siendo una tarea complicada dada la vastedad de obras de este mundo enrevesado, caótico, salvaje y cruel.

Pero bueno, después de haber leído un pequeño relato de los Ultramarines el año pasado, me decidí por comenzar la serie dedicada al Comisario del Imperio Ciaphas Caín, un tipo especialmente particular que no deja indiferente. Y si bien esperaba el típico tono bélico y agresivo de los Ultramarines, me he encontrado con un libro divertido, con un tono marcadamente sarcástico y un personaje principal caracterizado por ser aquello que precisamente no quiere ser.

Y es que el afamado Comisario del Imperio Ciaphas Caín es un personaje de esos que carga sobre sus hombros todo el peso de la narración, no solo porque está escrita en primera persona, sino porque es la luz más brillante entre todo el elenco de personajes, algo que no es de extrañar, ya que es él mismo quien escribe sus memorias y porque, además, tiene una marcada tendencia al egoncentrismo. Él es el eje alrededor del cual gira toda la trama y, por qué no decirlo, el resto de personajes. Él es el centro, es el elemento principal, es el alfa y el omega del libro y, no lo voy a negar, soporta el peso con sobrada dignidad.

Porque Ciaphas es todo aquello que no quiere ser pero que termina siendo porque el destino, la suerte y las habladurías de esas que oyen campanas pero no saben dónde, han hecho de él un gran héroe del Imperio, que es, precismente, lo que ni es ni pretende ser. Porque Ciaphas es solo apariencias, un tipo que tiene como principal objetivo en la vida sobrevivir y salvar su pellejo a toda costa, cueste lo que cueste y caiga quien caiga.

Y fíjate tú que la vida siempre le pone en el camino una multitud de piedras que le hacen verse inmerso en situaciones peligrosas de las que por pura chiripa o combinaciones rocambolescas sale siempre airoso. Él quiere huir, o esconderse detrás de otros, o simplemente escaquearse de alguna misión o situación poco recomendable, pero siempre cae en el riesgo y siempre se salva sin que él mismo sepa cómo. Y así, las habladurías corren y sus «hazañas» cobran renombre, y por arte de magia se convierte en el gran héroe que no es. Y eso, obviamente, le obliga a mantener ante los demás una imagen que dista mucho de ser la real.

En definitiva, que Ciaphas es un personaje sobresaliente, que narra sus historias con un marcado tono sarcástico y en cierto modo resignado, y que no esconde lo que es ni lo poco espabilados que son los demás cuando creen ver heroísmo donde solo hay supervivencia... y casi nunca buscada de forma honrosa.

En esta primera de sus historias, se verá al frente de dos unidades diezmadas por la guerra que deberá refundir en una nueva (costumbre muy romana, por cierto), tarea que no será fácil. Esta nueva unidad será destinada al planeta Gravalax donde un enfrentamiento con los Tau puede estallar en cualquier momento. Allí deberá descubrir quién está detrás de ciertas acciones que parecen querer dar inicio a una guerra, y entre huidas y escaqueos que serán vistos como heroicidades, Cipahas logrará descubrir al culpable y poner así una medallita más en su «magnífico» currículum. Un crack.

Una lectura muy entretenida, que no te exigirá una atención máxima y que te sacará muchas sonrisas con su tono desenfadado y cargado de ironía.
Y sí, claro, también hay disparos, batallitas, sangre y muertos. Faltaría más.

[Evione · Rating 4 out of 5]

Egy ideje vágytam már egy jó W40k történetre, és bár belekezdtem Dan Abnett Eisenhorn-trilógiájába most kicsit mást szerettem volna, így esett a választásom erre a könyvre. Jó döntés volt, mert épp egy ilyen laza, humoros, itt-ott enyhén darkos olvasmányra vágytam. Ciaphas Cain komisszár rögtön az elején a szívembe lopta magát, mert igaz, hogy nagyon gyáva, de azt legalább szórakoztató módon teszi. Cain a Birodalom hőse - szerinte dicstelenül, aminek eleinte hitelt is lehet adni -, ahogy veszélyforrást észlel azonnal megpróbál mindent és mindenkit fedezéknek használni, illetve amint lehet, szép óvatosan elsunnyogni. Persze minél inkább kerülni akarja a veszélyt, annál nagyobb bajba keveredik, amelyekből általában csak a szerencséjének köszönhetően sikerül megmenekülnie. Közben hőstetteket hajt végre - mondanom sem kell, hogy teljesen véletlenül -, és minden egyes ilyen cselekedetével csak még nagyobb hírnévre tesz szert. Emiatt persze folyamatosan olyan helyre küldik, ahol igencsak nehéz elkerülni bármiféle veszedelmet.
Szintén megkedveltem Cain hű szárnysegédjét, Jurgent, akinek a testszaga előbb érkezik meg, mint ő maga és aki végletekig hűséges a komisszárhoz. Valamint a történet folyamán később becsatlakozó szereplő is nagy kedvencem lett, de róla csak spoileresen lehetne írni, azt meg nem szeretném. Remélem ez a hármas változatlan formában jelen lesz a folytatásokban is, amire abszolút vevő vagyok.
Negatívumként annyit tudok csak felhozni, hogy szerintem több leírás alkalmazása nagyobb hasznára vált volna a könyvnek, hogy ezt a sötét, grimdarkos hangulatot, ami a W40k sajátja, minél jobban át tudja adni. Ez sajnos nem mindig sikerült.

[Vladislav Okishev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Щойно перегорнув останню сторінку першої книги з циклу про Кайафаса Каїна — серії, що знову занурює у світ безкінечних воєн (немов би у всесвіті 40K буває інакше) та знайомить із видатним, але водночас геть не таким, як про нього говорять, комісаром.

Його ім'я оспівують як символ доблесті, легенду, справжнього героя Імперіуму. Але сам Каїн дивиться на це з гіркою та насмішливою іронією. Він не шукає слави, не прагне подвигів — радше навпаки, волів би тихо перечекати бурю в затінку. Та доля має на нього інші плани: слава, що тягнеться за ним, раз за разом закидає його у самий вир подій.

Спершу — в безладний, майже розрізнений полк, де дисципліна давно стала пустим звуком, а взаємна ворожнеча міцно вкоренилася серед солдатів. Його завдання — відновити лад, згуртувати їх, перетворити з розрізнених бійців на єдиний бойовий механізм. А згодом його шлях веде на прикордонний світ, де людство встигло надто зблизитися з інопланетною расою. Завдання комісара — повернути цей світ у лоно Імперії, вирвати його з кігтів чужої культури та знову поставити під владний погляд Золотого Трону.

Що ж, на папері — все просто. Але коли ти Кайафас Каїн, кожне завдання неодмінно перетворюється на смертельно небезпечну пригоду…

Мені прям сподобалось) Нотка комедійності, іронії та сарказму добре переплітається з вичурною, заплутаною та добре написаною історією. Тут і детектив, і політика, і мілітаризм, і моя улюблена інквізиція і, як завжди, щось таке, що ти взагалі не очікуєш. Лайк

[BKC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 2.5/5

I read this book as a buddy-read with my husband. It was not my usual genre (I'm not a fan of grimdark stories so avoid 40k books) but it was alright. It was funny and showed the Warhammer world through a more positive lens. I was bored at times because there was a lot of information about a world I didn't care about, but I liked the main character.

Having said that, I did have some difficulty with the writing style. It was not complex but it was not straightforward either, so I had to pay attention when reading the book. The structuring was a bit repetitive at times, and I didn't know a lot of the words used (a mix between unknown Warhammer terminology and heavy thesaurus usage). This made the pacing a bit slower for me, so I switched to Audiobook early on. It noticeably improved my experience.

As I mentioned, I liked Cain. His honesty was refreshing and his heart was in the right place, despite his cowardly tendencies. The way the book followed his musings and was edited by a member of the inquisition (Amberley was a good match for Cain) was awesome and necessary, since Cain was an unreliable narrator. I especially liked his interactions with other characters (e.g. the real hero, Jurgen), but didn't care for the battles or world building.

For me, the book was a standard read and didn't evoke any emotions, so I gave it an average rating. There was nothing wrong with - it just didn't excite me. It was more of a character study than a book with a solid plot. However, I do think that fans of Warhammer would thoroughly enjoy the book.

Side note: I read this alongside The Shadowhunter's Codex (Cassandra Clare, Joshua Lewis) and it had a similar vibe; there was a lot of world building with sporadic humour. The reason I loved that book but not this one was that I was invested in the Shadowhunter world, but not in the Warhammer world.

[Filip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have so much fun with books in the Warhammer 40k setting. There are hundreds upon hundreds of them and they range from the utterly ridiculous to the downright tragic; from grimmer than grimdark to…uh, kids’ books narrated by David Tennant and Billie Piper *squints*. All sorts of brilliant writers have contributed to the colossal body of works that is the lore of this universe – my absolute favourite so far has been Dan Abnett – and through its sheer amount, there is something for everyone. Granted, this is licensed tie-in fiction and I don’t think I’ll be doing anyone a disservice when I say that a lot of it isn’t particularly good. I’m not pointing any fingers!

That said, like with Abnett’s Eisenhorn series, every once in a while I come across something exciting and really, really good! In this particular case, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to the one, the only, Commissar Ciaphas Cain! Say hello, Commissar, don’t be shy, I know how you love the spotlight. Who is Commissar Cain? If you ask any high-ranking officer in the Imperial Army, he is a man of undeniable moral fibre, unquestioning loyalty to the Emperor and bravery in the face of unspeakable horror. If you ask Cain, he’ll gladly corroborate all these…while reflecting in the deep recesses of his mind that he is in fact an opportunist who has spent nearly two centuries surviving through quick thinking, exemplary bluffing and no small amount of luck.

For The Emperor is presented as the archived diary of this amusing Commissar, with footnotes and editorial comments penned by an Inquisitor who plays no small role in the untangling story of an Imperial frontier world that has erred away from the Emperor’s light. If a lot of what I said doesn’t make much sense to you, let me explain – in the fortieth millennium of the grim future, a very xenophobic humanity is barely surviving thanks to the will of a god-like entity entombed alive in a golden throne, holding together thousands of worlds and trillions of human lives through strength of will alone. This doesn’t play a factor, really, but you might as well know it if you’re still with me so far. This book doesn’t exactly get into any of this ‘bigger picture’ stuff but it’ll expect you to know certain backdrop information like this, or a few species of xenos (aliens) that aren’t explained in-depth. Certainly a minus for newcomers, I have to note, much as I adore this book.

Why do I like it so much? It’s humorous; hell, it’s laugh out loud funny, thanks to Cain (and, I suppose, Mitchell’s) acerbic wit, displayed time and again whenever the Commissar is forced to deal with life-threatening or otherwise harmful to himself situations. Or social functions. But in Cain’s case, they usually end up being one and the same, and the man has so much of that razor-sharp humour to spare for friends and enemies alike that it’s hardly a factor we need worry about. Inquisitor Veil’s footnotes are alike tongue-in-cheek, poking fun at much of what Cain has to say. Oh, you want an example? Fine, you’ve twisted my hand, here you go!

Cain: "Bribery and threats are popular methods for getting what you want, but the Inquisition is better at both and tend to resent other people using them."
Amberley: Entirely untrue. The Inquisition is most definitely above such petty emotions as resentment.

With the aid of his smelly adjutant Jurgen, Ciaphas Cain is damn near a force of nature, and a ridiculous caricature of your average Commissar to boot. I hear he’s also the antithesis of Dan Abnett’s famous Commissar Gaunt…No way of telling really, since I have yet to touch those novels but it sounds believable enough. I adore Cain. It was refreshing to read about a character who, despite all outward appearances, is a self-centred rogue looking out for himself. Or is he? That’s the catch, the big question – is Ciaphas Cain the self-serving ass he sees himself as, or is he more a hero than he could ever admit?

I’ll let you decide for yourself, dear reader. Ciaphas Cain is much like Schrodinger’s cat; instead of wondering whether he’s alive or dead, though, we wonder which interpretation of Cain is the one closer to reality; others, or his own. As for me, I am happy to give For the Emperor a score of 4/5 stars on Goodreads! I had an immensely good time with the audiobook version of this novel; it was released just last year, eighteen years after the paperback release. Stephen Perring’s narration adds so much to the character, gives him a remarkable voice that reminded me so much of actor Tony Curran (Defiance, Doctor Who) that I could’ve sworn when I first began listening that it was indeed Curran narrating it. What I want more than anything is for Perring to narrate the rest of the novels in the series – come on, Black Library, you can do it!

You’ll enjoy this if:
• You like Warhammer 40k but are tired of the mixture of heroics and melodrama;
• You really enjoy well-written tongue-in-cheek humour that somehow manages to deconstruct much of what’s iffy with the Warhammer 40k universe without taking away any of the fun of it;
• You’re into excellent characters, there are plenty of those;
• and more! Prob’ly.

Before I wrap this up, I want to give a shout-out to a really enjoyable cast of supporting characters – a likable, newly-promoted colonel, a bunch of convicted soldiers, a general with a high opinion of the Commissar, among others. I can’t wait to read more about them, about Cain’s regiment, the 597th Valhallan, as a whole, and about what comes next for the good Commissar. I just want Stephen Perring to narrate it all! Oh, and I don’t suppose I ever told you about the Inquisitor. Let’s just say…Amberley Vail is a ruthless badass, one of the very few who see through Cain’s carefully crafted mask. An Inquisitor (I really like Inquisitors), Vail is an efficient operative who drags Cain into danger for the first of many times to come!

[Lisi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
An interesting introduction to the Warhammer 40k universe - i must confess that I didn’t have any knowledge about its lore prior to reading this first instalment of a series. I still liked it in the end and it even made me curious enough to dive further into the universe.

Due to the nature of the narration (a report), the descriptions are often left out which sometimes make it hard for a ‘first time reader’ to follow (there are some objects, events or basic rules of the worldbuilding that are never touched upon; a lot of terms are just being used without any further explanation, which makes it challenging for someone who is not familiar with the universe). It also took me about 250 pages to even grow accustomed to the style of narration - Commissioner Cain is a typical gray type of character and sometimes not very likeable, which I don’t mind, but I didn’t get this type of humor. I also wasn’t a fan of the writing style itself: it relied heavily on snarky dialogue, which is just not my style, while not making use of descriptions / the showing instead of telling-concept.

[Thuradin · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're wondering whether the people recommending this (and there are a lot of people who do) are speaking words of truth or just have their mouths filled with dung: rest assured, it's a good one.
For a universe that's as comically awful as the 41st millennium, the antics of Ciaphas and his bestest buddy Jurgen offer a nice, semi-unserious break from all the usual melodrama. There's still plenty of mystery and tension to be had, but this mix makes it a lot more digestible and because of that can serve as a pretty decent introduction for those who aren't willing to jump headfirst into the setting's trademark grimdarkness but want to wade around in the kiddypool a bit first.

5/5. Absolute classic.

[NephriteON · Rating 5 out of 5]

The following review was originally published in the online newspaper The Orkney News in 2019. Link here. https://theorkneynews.scot/2019/06/04...

Ciaphas Cain: For The Emperor: Warhammer 40,000 by Sandy Mitchell

I wasn’t expecting to return to the world of Warhammer – be it Age Of Sigmar, Horus Heresy or 40,000 – quite so soon. But after I heard the first instalment of the ‘Cain Archive’ – as the series refers to Cain’s memoirs – I knew I’d have to review it. To be completely honest with my readers this series is definitely something of an outlier from my experience of Warhammer’s 40,000 or 40K setting. It’s absolutely hysterical!

The easiest way to give a synopsis is this: Ciaphas Cain is a famous hero of the Imperial Guard. A Commissar. A man whose reputation proceeds him at every turn. So as befits a hero of the Imperium he wrote a set of memoirs in his older years...but they aren’t exactly flattering! The Imperial Inquisition – through the person of Inquisitor Amberley Vail – has left a series of notes and ‘corrections’ that line up more with the full historical record of ‘preferred history’ and between the combination of Cain’s narrative and the editorial notes, the story turns into what I would term a rather entertaining mix of comedy and action.

Ciaphas has asked to be assigned to a regiment and has ended up with a regiment of Valhallan soldiers previously from two different groups – the 296th and 301st – and shall we say...things don’t go smoothly? And that’s not even counting the involvement of the Tau. This is one of those instances where I can’t give away too much of the plot because I think it lessens the appeal of the story. Please trust me on this one. It’s worth it!

However I can say that Cain is considered one of the favourite characters among fans of the Black Library for a good reason. He’s so damn likeable! He’s very much the self-seeking rogue and scoundrel type (by his own admission!) but there’s quite possibly a braver core there than even he believes and unlike most other Commissars he seems to genuinely respect those under his command. He is a very well written character courtesy of Sandy Mitchell and in my case I was caught up in the audio version within minutes. And Cain isn’t the only positive. Other characters like Colonel Regina Kasteen and Major Ruput Broklaw are equally engaging with Kasteen in particular becoming a personal favourite. I especially appreciated her no- nonsense attitude to all forms of bureaucracy.

Inquisitor Amberley Vail however? She’s something of a special case. I find her very intriguing – especially her editorial notes and additions that make the story feel like a politically edited historical document – but I don’t quite know how to feel about her. Is she genuine with her actions? With what she tells Cain? Is she trustworthy? I have to give the story credit for making her so intentionally questionable. I’m curious to hear what any other listeners might think of her. I also have to credit Sandy Mitchell for some truly engrossing action scenes throughout the book. There was more than one point where I questioned how I would act in that situation. Despite the book being very comedic at moments usually through comments from Cain or asides from Vail when it counts it knows how to pull you into the mindset of a soldier be it high ranking or rank-and-file. Not a lot of other stories I’ve read have pulled off both quite so effectively.

The narration for this audio release comes from Stephen Perring who provides the voices for Cain, his personal adjunct Jurgen and all the other characters in the actual story being told by Cain in the archive. The other voices in the audiobook are used to enhance the editorial notes. Penelope Rawlins plays the part of Amberley Vail in the notes – with just the right mix of playful sarcasm at points and serious professionalism. The final voice is that of Emma Gregory who acts as the voice for an autobiography of another survivor of the events being discussed. Perring as Cain and Rawlins as Vail play their parts excellently with noticeable enthusiasm at points. They are both able to pull you into the character’s mindset with ease. I believe they deserve all the praise they could possibly receive. Emma Gregory acquits herself well in her role in the editorial notes with just the right tone that befits a somewhat self-aggrandising autobiography or piece of Imperial propaganda.

I really hope we get more audio versions of the Ciaphas Cain novels soon. The original novel which this is an audio version of was first published in 2003 and this audio version was produced in 2018. The Cain series has a few audio original stories but I’d love to hear an audio version of Caves of Ice, The Traitor’s Hand or other stories in the series. This first book can be quite a dark comedy at times but it’s a very entertaining action-adventure. Long story short if this sounds at all interesting to you? Buy it now! I can safely say that Cain has joined Gotrek from Realmslayer – which I previously reviewed – on my personal list of favourite Warhammer characters.

What’s this? Oh I’m going to have to run! See you next time!

Sayonara!

Nephrite


Nephrite is currently under official review by the Inquisition and it is yet to be determined if this review of The Cain Archive is heretical. Combined with allegations of association with Daemons, any Imperial citizen that has seen Nephrite is to contact their nearest Imperial officer immediately.
By Official Decree of the Ordo Hereticus. For the God-Emperor!

[Lucy Batson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had heard of the Ciaphis Cain series long before Warhammer 40k was on my radar, and I was intrigued by what I had heard told about it. While there's a good amount of action here, this series shines with its self-interested hero, who's forced into taking risks he's really rather not to maintain his facade as "hero of the Imperium". The glib banter between characters and dry humor make this one to definitely check out.