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Hero of the Imperium (Ciaphas Cain Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Sandy Mitchell (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 1,324 ratings
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The first Ciaphas Cain omnibus

In the 41st millennium Commissar Ciaphas Cain, hero of the Imperium, is an inspiration to his men – at least that’s what the propaganda would have you believe…

READ IT BECAUSE
Enjoy tall tales of adventure and derring-do in Commissar Cain’s memoirs (annotated by a sarcastic inquisitor). T'au, necrons and Chaos cultists all fall before the self-proclaimed hero of the Imperium…

DESCRIPTION
In the war-torn future of the 41st Millennium Commissar Ciaphas Cain, hero of the Imperium, is respected by his peers and an inspiration to his men – at least that’s what the propaganda would have you believe. The reality is very different, for Ciaphas is simply looking for an easy life and a way to stay out of peril. However, fate has a habit of throwing him into the deadliest situations, and luck (mixed with self preservation) always manages to pull him through and onto the loftiest of pedestals. To survive Commissar Cain must dodge, bluff and trick his way out of trouble, even if it increases his status beyond his control!

Written by Sandy Mitchell.

CONTENTS
For the Emperor (eBook)
Caves of Ice (eBook)
The Traitor's Hand (eBook)
Fight or Flight (eShort)
Echoes of the Tomb (eShort)
The Beguiling (eShort)

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  1. Print length
    772 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Black Library
  5. Publication date
    July 27, 2019
  6. File size
    2930 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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  1. ‘Paranoia is a very comforting state of mind. If you think they’re out to get you, it means you think you matter.’
    Highlighted by 221 Kindle readers
  2. If you let people feel superior to you, they’re childishly easy to manipulate.
    Highlighted by 195 Kindle readers
  3. ‘When in deadly danger, When beset by doubt, Run in little circles, Wave your arms and shout.’
    Highlighted by 167 Kindle readers
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sandy Mitchell is the author of a long-running series of Warhammer 40,000 novels about the hero of the Imperium, Commssar Ciaphas Cain. The most recent book in that series is The Greater Good, and there is also the audio drama Dead In The Water. He has also written a plethora of short stories, including 'The Last Man' in the Sabbat Worlds anthology, along with several novels set in the Warhammer World. He lives and works in Cambridge.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07TY1L5X9
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Black Library (July 27, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 27, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2930 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 772 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 1,324 ratings

About the author

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Sandy Mitchell

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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
1,324 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Ski Squaw
5.0 out of 5 stars I'm glad I read this during my Winter Break
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2024
Verified Purchase
In the grim darkness of the far future, there is more than war. These were the most fun set of stories I got to enjoy in all of 2023. I'm happier for having read them, and if that's what you're after then these books would probably be good for you. It's a nice character study into the most unlikely tea enjoying goofball of the setting that coined the term Grim Dark. And I'd say that it's worth reading even if you don't care even slightly for the franchise this was spawned from.

One warning though is that I do not recommend binging though the entire omnibus, its stories are very clearly not meant to read right after each other. There's some recapping at the beginnings of each novel, so I'd suggest reading a short story and the following novel and then waiting a week or so before continuing on.
2 people found this helpful
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James R. Laurita
5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction into 40k
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2023
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Not only a great introduction into the lore and universe of 40k but also incredibly well written and engaging. Far more humerus then I expected and, while on occasion retreads it's own ground, Commissar Cain's honesty and brevity keeps the story flowing at an entertaining and enjoyable pace. Can't wait to start book 2.
One person found this helpful
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Robert Korsakas
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely amazing.
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2024
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I do not regret buying this book. Had great fun with every story in it.

Already bought the next one.
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KSABER
4.0 out of 5 stars 41st Millennium Can Be Funny At Times
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2009
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Ciaphas Cain:Hero of the Imperium is a collection of novels and short stories written by Sandy Mitchell (real name: Alex Stewart), and set in the dark science fiction universe of Warhammer 40 000. It contains three novels (For the Emperor, Caves of Ice, and The Traitor's Hand) and three short stories (Fight or Flight, Echoes of the Tomb, and The Beguiling).

The protagonist of these tales is Ciaphas Cain, a cowardly commissar. The novels and stories are presented as excerpts from his secret memoirs, written long after his retirement. Cain explains how his many heroic deeds were either lucky coincidences, products of Imperial propaganda, or were meant to insure his own survival. In truth, all he ever wanted was to lead a peaceful life - as far from the front lines as possible.

This creates a lot of subtle humor, as we watch Cain do all sorts of things that everyone except him thinks are the feats of heroism, while in truth they're motivated by selfishness and cowardice (exactly the opposite of what an Imperial commissar is supposed to be). Sandy Mitchell is an expert when it comes to finding hilarity in the outwardly serious. For example, we get a lot of excerpts from imaginary books, and although all of these are written in humorless tones, they're invariably funny because of their innate irony, purple prose, or the sheer idiocy of the writer.

Despite all this, the stories never degenerate into outright comedy. The atmosphere remains serious and realistic, although the books are still nowhere near as grimdark as Warhammer 40k novels should be (but we can blame that on Cain's own Blackadderesque writing style, which, given his sardonic personality, isn't out of place in the story).

Sadly, Sandy Mitchell's technical skills are far from perfect. His need to repeat what we already know gets annoying very fast. We're told a thousand times how Jurgen smells bad, how Cain was born on a hive world and hence feels at home in enclosed spaces, how he prefers a salamander to a chimera, etc. Even worse are the really long, really convoluted sentences - some of which I had to read four or five times before I understood what the writer was trying to say. There are also some writing conventions that are funny the first couple of times, but get old fast and end up making the story predictable. For example; whenever Cain says something along the lines of "so far so good", it's a sure sign that all hell is going to break lose in the following paragraph.

Despite the subpar writing, Ciaphas Cain:Hero of the Imperium is a very enjoyable collection. If you're a fan of the 41st millennium, then you absolutely mustn't pass on this book. If, on the other hand, you had no prior experience with Warhammer 40 000, I recommend you read other novels (Soul Drinkers or Ultramarines omnibuses, as well as the 5th edition rulebook and army codexes, are great places to get familiar with the universe) before you buy Hero of the Imperium.
11 people found this helpful
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Sam
5.0 out of 5 stars I never knew Grimdark could be so FUN
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2020
Verified Purchase
Note: I bought this on Kindle and had no issue with the printing or readability of the e-book

I couldn't put this omnibus down once I started on it! This has a much lighter tone than the any of the other BL novels I've read and the back-and-forth at times between the main character (Ciaphas) and the "editor" (another character from the Inquisition) is positively delightful. It's almost like a riff on the traditional 40k tropes and is greatly refreshing. Although the writing at times can have its issues (if you read it all in one go you'll notice that the narrator's internal monologue can become tiring toward the end), it's still among the best prose you'll find from the BL catalog and overall is still quite well-written.

Because of it's light tone and it's decent survey of 40k archetypes (to varying degrees it covers Commissars, Guards, Astartes, Necrons, Chaos, Tyranids, Genestealers, Tau and Orks) it also represents a great introduction to the 40k universe for anyone wanting a first step into the lore. Worth a read for new and old fans alike
5 people found this helpful
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Alessandro mattioli
5.0 out of 5 stars A damn fine book
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2023
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The fact that you don’t miss a thing when it comes to the content and just the sheer enjoyment obtained is well worth the price, especially since it’s simultaneously brutal yet funny.
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Good for light reading
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2023
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Great book. Had a lot of fun reading it. It is a bit long at times but the writing brings you back in.
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RetroCrate
5.0 out of 5 stars Great 3-book series of the operations of a peculiar Commissar on the frontlines
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2018
Verified Purchase
Each book is an excellent introduction to the various enemies of the Imperium. Tau, Necron, Orcs, Tyranids, and Chaos factions (Slaanesh and Khorne). Recommended first book for newcomers into the Warhammer 40k Universe. Ciaphas Cain's actions are very reasonable for his goal of trying to survive, and much so to gain the support of his squad mates and maintain his reputation as a frontlines Commissar. Many characters remain throughout the three books and are very relatable. Get to know the characters as you read and the roles they play (and secrets they hold); Jurgen as his trusty aide, Broklaw and Kasteen as leaders of the 597th Valhallan company, and Amberley. The short stories are a nice intermission between books. Although being grimdark with vividly horrendous battles and aftermath, there are a lot of really funny situations that you will enjoy.
6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for newcomers into the lore. Ciaphas is a Gigachad
Reviewed in Canada on August 13, 2023
Verified Purchase
Just buy it
One person found this helpful
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Lolach444
5.0 out of 5 stars very good gift
Reviewed in Sweden on April 10, 2024
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Hubby loved this gift! I knew he was a big fan of this character but didnt know if he had this one!
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Frank Müller
5.0 out of 5 stars Pflichtkauf.
Reviewed in Germany on January 17, 2023
Verified Purchase
Selten ein so spannendes und zugleich amüsantes Buch (also eigentlich drei, da ein Sammelband) gelesen. Für Freunde des Genres (düstere SciFi) und treue Anhänger des Imperators von daher ein Pflichtkauf. :)
Halbwegs gute Englischkenntnisse vorausgesetzt, ein echtes Leseschmankerl.
2 people found this helpful
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Margherita Dolcevita
5.0 out of 5 stars Precio genial (versión en inglés)
Reviewed in Spain on January 6, 2023
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Era para un regalo y como la persona que lo recibía es practicamente bilingüe al comprarlo en inglés me ahorré casi 30 euros. Es un libro casi imposible de encontrar en librerías físicas así que estoy muy satisfecha con la compra.
One person found this helpful
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Tealicious
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny with solid action
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 15, 2022
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My first warhammer 40k book. Watching warrior tier on youtube got me try the universe. Mentioning blackadder like humour in the synposis got me to start reading here.

I'm glad I did. It is of course not a carbon copy of blackadder. But, it has that strain of dark humour. Getting in awful situations and getting out by wit and the loyalty of your stalward friend.

Overall, a funny and fun read. More drama and action than humour. But the humour is there and I appreicate it.

A great introduction to 40k books as well. A little lighter than the more depressing books. Cain at least in thr books I have read so far always wins. How he wins is often the fun part. Part luck and part skill driven by his unique personality.

40k is dark. More dark than I sometimes realasied with the signifance and horror of sevitors passing me by for imstance. Late stage I feel like some of the horror and satire of thr imperium is lost when we are supposed to root for Cain.

He is great, but also awful. Of that makes sense. As is the imperium.

Anyway Cain's impostors syndrom is reltable. Nothing like facing the worst horrors on your first day, running them becoming a hero. Grow into that hero image becoming a living legend only to be dogged down by guilt and doubt. So, human. Just well written.
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