By Sandy Mitchell For the Emperor (Warhammer 40,000) Paperback – 18 Nov. 2003

Ciaphas Cain was the first character beyond the emperor, Chaos gods or primarchs I learnt about when I started learning about the setting which prior to this was more or less limited or the factions and general knowledge about the setting such as Hives, the various human Ordos etc. I’ve finally taken the plunge into WH40K proper recently and while it’s breadth is daunting, stories such as these I feel are a fantastic way to sink deeper into the setting.As a story this is well written with solid characterisation, what I realise now was clever foreshadowing, exciting action and solid world building to introduce an uninitiated or the setting without ignoring its wider scale for the veteran WH40K fans. Cain is very well written, his mental failings are apparent from the get go but in spite of it I still find myself rooting for him. I’m glad to know there’s at least a dozen more of his adventures for me to sink my teeth into.

Brilliant space opera/comedy with action and thrills galore

First of all, let me say I really enjoyed this book. It's the first Ciaphas Cain novel I've read, and I blasted through it in a couple of days, pretty much picking it up whenever I had a spare moment.So why not five stars? Well, like a lot of other readers I came to this series looking for a Flashman-esque novel and there are certainly similarities but it just didn't quite have the same level of humour I was looking for. Cain just isn't such a self-serving scoundrel and for that reason it's not quite as entertaining. I'm not a huge fan of 40K either. I played when I was younger and so at least have an understanding of what a "Tau Shas'la" is but, although efforts are made to explain each of the terms used in the book, if you're unfamiliar with the 40K universe I imagine it could quickly get confusing.Overall, my recommendation would be that if you're into 40k and looking for a more light-hearted read than typical grim, dark, unrelenting misery this is a good place to start. However, if you're looking for a novel with a villainous, cowardly antihero you'd be better off searching for the Flashman books.

The way the story is written is intriguing. The action is typical 40k stuff so it's never dull and its refreshing to read about a character who is happy to admit chaos/necrons/orks or tyranids would be pretty scary

Arrived on time - and a ripping read! Commssar Cain, the "Flashman of the 40th millennium" rides again! Hopefully out of danger .. if he can manage it. Funny, how that never works out...

Cain is an amazing example of a well written anti-hero and the story has fantastic pacing well worth anyone's time to read.

Quite a fun story. Not too heavy on lore and the characters are down too earth. I'll be reading the rest of the series soon.

Well read by all three actors. Really brought the book to life, I hope the rest of the Cain archive will follow.

This is the first 40k-based book I've read. It was great! I'm familiar with the 40k universe from the game, and I never searched for any of the books until now because I assumed they'd be TOO much of a bummer for my taste, with all the grim darkness and such. But this was a surprisingly upbeat and funny little book. The character development and writing keeps the tone fun and adventurous while still staying true to the grimdatk setting.

excellant

Hilarious and grim dark at the same time. A perfect book of starters of the 41 millennium. Enjoyed it a lot

Excellent book, equal parts fighting, fun, plot twists and a solid introduction into 40k for those who haven't read much or any of the books! Definitely a must for all 40k fans!

A good book, though I have to say that I'm not a fan of the copious amounts of repetition and foreshadowing. There's a certain irony in the author writing the narrator as this discerning reader, by criticising prose, but then writes in a way that is just shoddy in its own flavour.The writing isn't bad per say, but the foreshadowing really spoils any sort of reveal, as, even as a novitiate 40k reader, I knew every twist way in advance of its actual reveal.Also, how often do we need Cain to write that he's a coward? Even self-conscious cowards don't repeat themselves this often.However, ultimately this book is entertaining, and that's all that matters, snobby critique aside.