Customer Reviews

Caves of Ice: A Ciaphas Cain Novel (Warhammer 40,000)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ciaphas Cain is one of the most gripping characters I've encountered, not just in the Warhammer genre, but in literature. Sandy Duncan should be commended for his achievement. For the most part, authors create protagonist who, regardless of their flaws, remains oblivious to them. Cain, in contrast, embraces his flawed character and Duncan gives him license to roam. Most of the Warhammer character's end up being multi-dimensional, that is, they exhibit different personality traits, but they all have a certain grim fanaticism at heart. Cain, in contrast, drinks, smokes, gambles, and womanizes.
The results are excellent. I'm very impressed with this work and that's saying something, since I read around 10 books a week, and most of them are forgettable.

It says alot about the Black Library that they've managed to get me to not only read their books, but to re-read them and not throw them out. At the risk of getting off-track I wish larger publishers would follow the example of BL, because I'm pretty disappointed with the mainstream press.

I can't wait for more adventures of Cain to be published. This is well worth your reading.

"Caves of Ice," is the second novel with Commissar Ciphias Cain and once again Sandy Mitchell writes one hell of a story. The novel starts off with the Valhallan Regiments landing on a iceworld to battle the battle-hungry orcs. Little does Cain know the planet is also infested with a power greater than the orcs. This leads Cain into much trouble, more in-which he was hoping for.

After reading, "For the Emperor," I couldn't wait to get my hands on, "Caves of ice," I needed more of Cain! I was a little taken back by how small the book was, it only 254 pages long! But don't let this get to you like it got to me because, "Caves of Ice," is a great novel and a great story, filled with action, suspense, and humor. I really enjoyed it, but eventhough Cain is an round character, Mitchell doesn't bother with Development and change with his character in this story, which makes the it kind of predictable, and one-dimensional. It didn't bother me that much, but then again I enjoy the character; also if you have read, "For the Emperor," or any other story with Cain (some short stories in Inferno) you know he has been through hell and is already well-developed, so keep that in mind. I am just talking about, "Caves of Ice."

If your into 40k or black library books, check this one out.

another ciaphas cain novel that is a very exciting read. ciaphas, jurgen, and the 597th finally journey to an ice world to face off against an ork army that is threatening a promethium production facility. ciaphas discovers the 'chilling' secret that caused the facility to be placed in it's precise location. this book is one of the best of the series.

Caves of Ice, Sandy Mitchell's second novel in the Ciaphas Cain series, was a very good read. Mitchell does a great job in putting the reader right in the middle of Cain and his Valhallan regiment's latest adventure without backtracking too much to explain the events of the previous book. Mitchell's handle on his main character is much stronger and he continues to make Commissar Ciaphas Cain believable both as a rogue whose self-preservation is first and foremost, but also as a true heroic figure in the Imperium. It's amusing to read through his attempt at self-preservation which backfires to making him very heroic in front of his regiment and thus feeding the accidental legend that he's become.

Even though the story was being told chosen passages from Cain's memoirs, Inquisitor Amberley Vail still continues to make her presence known through amusing and insightive footnotes scattered amongst the pages. Her footnotes makes Cain a much more complicated character than his memoirs would tell about the man. Her footnotes also reinforce the fact that Cain and herself shared more than professional courtesies throughout their time together.

Caves of Ice was a very good follow-up to For The Emperor for seemlessly continuing the growing characters of Cain and his Valhallans. The action still doesn't compare to Abnett's Gaunt novels, but they're well-done when needed to propel the story along. I'm glad to put the Cain series on my list of must-read novels rom the Black Library.

What a cool book. The action is great and the story never looses its pace. A must read for people who love interesting characters. Ciaphas is one of the most entertaining characters out there. I hope that Sandy Michaels keep writing novels about Ciaphas.

CAVES OF ICE is the second in the Ciaphas Cain series. I feel that it is another worthy addition to both the 40K Universe and the Ciaphas Cain lore.

In this outing, the self-deprecating Commissar Cain & the 597th are fighting both Orks and a surprise. I won't say who, read the book & find out.

I'm currently reading the 3rd volume: Traitor's Hand and I have volume 4, Death or Glory waiting in the wings. I just recently ordered 3 more Black Library books, all anthologies: What Price Victory?; Crucible of War; and Bringers of Death. All three have short stories featuring Ciaphas Cain.

I made a mistake rating For the Emperor 5 (4 1/2 really), Well this should be to 6, it's much better then his first book, and way more captivating, if you even liked the first one a little, read this one, I'm telling you, it's only better.

Commissar Ciaphas Cain and his regiment of Valhallan Guardsmen are deployed to the ice world of Simia Orichalcae. The orks intend to overtake the precious promethium plant and use the current mine workers as slaves. When Cain arrives, he has only a single day to set up the defenses before the orks reach the plant.

As Cain well knows, if it sounds too easy it normally means chaos follows. Five mine workers have mysteriously disappeared in the underground tunnels. Cain, having been a born and bred tunnel rat, is best suited to investigate (even though he wishes otherwise). The creature he finds is worse than the ork problem. Unfortunately, something worse than either of those is dormant in the ice caves and it is beginning to stir.

**** The only thing I hate is the fact that there are footnotes on most of the pages. The story is supposed to be an extract from the Cain archive that Amberley Vail has prepared and annotated for her fellow inquisitors. The author does this in order to insert comments from others present at the plant, so readers know what is happening elsewhere from Cain. Those inserts from other characters are great. They are often as exciting as Cain's archives. But I could do without the many interruptions that tell only where a certain word originated and such. As for the adventures of Commissar Cain, his gunner, Jurgen, and his people have - FANTASTIC! I look forward to the rest of the Ciaphas Cain series! ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.