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beppolicious's review
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
phane's review against another edition
5.0
Fun read. Cain is a badass even though he only wants to save his own skin most of the time.
astator's review
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A funny and exhilarating read. Cain is the perfect reluctant hero, who keeps making things worse for himself by being the perfect posterboy for the imperium and thus getting himself caught up in exceedingly more dangerous situations. The series is funny, fast paced, full of suspension, rich cast of characters and a good solid plotline with mysteries that you want to discover, yet none of the plot is convoluted or far fetched. A very good read!!
gaoruko's review
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
wildeaboutoscar's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a difficult but rewarding read. Written in a style completely alien to me it took a bit of getting used to, but I thought the diary/history journal extracts were a nice touch. It's good to read a novel with such a morally a ambiguous character. Worth reading if you want a taste of the 40K universe.
nraptor's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
hopeevey's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
Started reading because my nephew plays 40k, kept reading for the goofy fun of it.
As Warhammer 40k fiction, it's full of (mostly cartoonist) violence, and the dehumanization of the antagonists. This is a core feature of the genre. In that context this author makes some interesting, though more implied than stated, comments on the genre. Mostly the author makes lots of action scenes heavily leavened with humor, and plots with more depth than I expected.
As Warhammer 40k fiction, it's full of (mostly cartoonist) violence, and the dehumanization of the antagonists. This is a core feature of the genre. In that context this author makes some interesting, though more implied than stated, comments on the genre. Mostly the author makes lots of action scenes heavily leavened with humor, and plots with more depth than I expected.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Xenophobia
Minor: Sexism
As Warhammer 40k fiction, it's full of (mostly cartoonist) violence, and the dehumanization of the antagonists. This is a core feature of the genre. In that context this author makes some interesting, though more implied than stated, comments on the genre. Mostly the author makes lots of action scenes heavily leavened with humor, and plots with more depth than I expected.aquantumofgravitas's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty much “Flashman in Spaaace”. I have no interest in WH40K generally, but Cain is an inveterate liar, a cheat, utterly selfish and self-serving, and in a setting as sincerely fascist and edgelord as this it’s a lot of fun to read about someone like him conniving to survive.
It’s pulpy, clever, fun with good prose and recommend it as a pleasant diversion or peccadillo during the Inside Times.
It’s pulpy, clever, fun with good prose and recommend it as a pleasant diversion or peccadillo during the Inside Times.
bloodravenlib's review against another edition
5.0
This was a pleasant discovery, and it will go down for me as one of the best reads for 2008. In fact, it was the last book read for 2008 for me. I had never read any Warhammer 40K books before this one. I was familiar with the strategy game. I just happened to pick this volume up in a bookstore out of curiosity. The description for Ciaphas Cain as a sly rogue looking for an easy life, yet ends up the hero who does the right thing, seemed like the perfect thing for my mood at the time. I am very glad I picked it up after reading the first chapter. I was hooked. Commissar Cain has become one of my favorite literary characters. This series blends military scifi in a pretty grim far future with humor. Cain's adventures, always with his malodorous sidekick Jurgen, are filled with humor, adventure, and the search for the easy life. He may not want to be a hero, but the galaxy needs a hero, and he is it whether he wants the job or not.
Another appeal factor, and this may work for librarians like me, is that the Cain novels are written from his own point of view, then an archivist is putting together Cain's narrative. So, there are footnotes, "editorial" asides, so on, which make the tale entertaining, and can be as amusing as Cain's own words. For people who may not have read any Warhammer 40K stories before, this may be a pretty good introduction. I know it worked for me, as I will be looking for other titles. I will definitely be looking for other Cain novels. I highly recommend this.
If you like characters like Lazarus Long, you may like this as well. This volume collects the first three Ciaphas Cain novels, plus three short stories, which makes the volume a pretty good value overall.
Another appeal factor, and this may work for librarians like me, is that the Cain novels are written from his own point of view, then an archivist is putting together Cain's narrative. So, there are footnotes, "editorial" asides, so on, which make the tale entertaining, and can be as amusing as Cain's own words. For people who may not have read any Warhammer 40K stories before, this may be a pretty good introduction. I know it worked for me, as I will be looking for other titles. I will definitely be looking for other Cain novels. I highly recommend this.
If you like characters like Lazarus Long, you may like this as well. This volume collects the first three Ciaphas Cain novels, plus three short stories, which makes the volume a pretty good value overall.
lord_petros's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I enjoy Grimdark as much as the next 40k fan, but Mitchell proves even in a crapsack future there's room for some laughs.