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A review by mcsheehan222
The Greater Good by Sandy Mitchell
3.0
Review by Han Solo
The Greater Good (Ciaphas Cain #9) is another solid entry in the ongoing saga of everyone’s favorite reluctant hero. Cain’s still doing what he does best—trying to survive the horrors of the 41st millennium with a stiff drink in one hand and a bolt pistol in the other. And once again, he ends up looking like a legend while running from certain death. Classic.
This time, he’s stuck between Imperial bureaucracy and the ever-murky intentions of the Tau. The setup’s promising, and the banter between Cain and Jurgen still hits the mark—grimy charm, deadpan delivery, and enough battlefield chaos to keep things moving. The action’s there. The wit is there. But something feels… a bit by the numbers.
It doesn’t quite hit the highs of earlier installments. The stakes never feel fully gripping, and the Tau, while conceptually interesting, don’t bring quite the same punch as the Imperium’s usual nightmares. It’s more of a “shuffle the pieces” story than a game-changer. Fun, sure—but a little too safe.
3 out of 5 stars. Entertaining, familiar, and good for a few laughs—but Cain’s danced this dance before, and this time it’s a little short on rhythm.
The Greater Good (Ciaphas Cain #9) is another solid entry in the ongoing saga of everyone’s favorite reluctant hero. Cain’s still doing what he does best—trying to survive the horrors of the 41st millennium with a stiff drink in one hand and a bolt pistol in the other. And once again, he ends up looking like a legend while running from certain death. Classic.
This time, he’s stuck between Imperial bureaucracy and the ever-murky intentions of the Tau. The setup’s promising, and the banter between Cain and Jurgen still hits the mark—grimy charm, deadpan delivery, and enough battlefield chaos to keep things moving. The action’s there. The wit is there. But something feels… a bit by the numbers.
It doesn’t quite hit the highs of earlier installments. The stakes never feel fully gripping, and the Tau, while conceptually interesting, don’t bring quite the same punch as the Imperium’s usual nightmares. It’s more of a “shuffle the pieces” story than a game-changer. Fun, sure—but a little too safe.
3 out of 5 stars. Entertaining, familiar, and good for a few laughs—but Cain’s danced this dance before, and this time it’s a little short on rhythm.