Customer Reviews

Defender of the Imperium (Warhammer 40000)

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

 

 

The combination of the next three books in the Ciaphas Cain series does not disappoint, and is a worthy successor to the first three. This book keeps the same Ciaphas and everything we love about him, such as his cynical humor in the face of great danger. The series is very well written, with a solid cast of supporting characters and convincingly written battles.

The series also adds something new, with a single plot device reaching through all 3 books, which greatly adds to the scope of the series. The books also add alot of variety. Where the first ones mostly consisted of "Ciaphas goes into cave, finds bad guys, and runs away", in these books Cain is put in 3 very different circumstances that he needs to fight his way out of.

Overall a great continuation to the series, with amazing plots that put the reader right into the thick of the action, but because the action is seen through the eyes of Cain, it isn't too grim and dark and doesn't take itself too seriously.

A collection of three Caiphas Cain novels, Defender of the Imperium contains the novels Death or Glory, Duty Calls and Cain's Last Stand, plus the short story Traitor's Gambit and a new introduction from author Sandy Mitchell (Alex Stewart).

As always, the footnotes by Inquisitor Amberly Vail are funny and instructive about the details of the 40k setting. All in all, an excellent buy. The short story is well-written and enjoyable to read though the connecting short stories in the previous omnibus, Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium do connect the novels better (and there are more of them) but like all of his Cain fiction, Sandy Mitchell (Alex Stewart) doesn't disappoint the reader.

If you like the tales of the ever-pragmatic Commissar Cain, you will enjoy this omnibus - a definite must have for the Cain aficionado

I hope I don't get him in trouble, but Sandy Mitchell is the one shining star in the Warhammer series. His tongue in cheek style, reminiscent of P.G. Woodhouse, constantly busts me up. I mean, speaking frankly, the whole universe is just a little pompous, and humor is just what the doctor ordered. I, and my son, have read these books over and over again. And I think you probably will too.

I am a big fan of the Ciaphas Cain novels and I greatly enjoyed his further (or in between in some cases) adventures a great deal. I'm not a super book critic and in lower quality novels I often find myself skipping dialogue or extra crazy detail paragraphs in order to get on with the action. In this omnibus I almost never did that and it took quite a while to get through, entertaining every step of the way.

The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I honestly liked the first set of novels better. Maybe the shine has worn off, but I feel like some of the "Ciaphas moments" (those scenes where by attempting to flee he ends up in the right place at the right time to fix everything) were more forced and he was required to attend certain things. In the previous novels he spent more time trying to get out of things and still saving the planet/army/ship/etc. In this set it felt like the author went with the "I really wanted to run away but that would blow my cover, so I readily accepted the duty" approach a whole lot, and I feel that cheats Ciaphas of his cunning.

All in all though, great reading and still my absolute favorite book set from the Black Library. Dark Space Marine treachery and Iniquisitor madness have nothing on Cain!

This is my second chance to read about the heroic acts of Ciaphas Cain and much like the stories in Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium Sandy Mitchell manages combine edge of your seat science fiction and humor into a winning combination. More Ciaphas Cain please.

comedy with a body count
make sure to by both of ciaphas's ominbuses or is it omnibi, just get both books