Hidden Depths

Ciaphas Cain #Short Story

by Sandy Mitchell

Inquisitor Amberley Vail, best known for chronicling the escapades of Commissar Ciaphas Cain, follows the trail of smugglers of alien technology, and finds herself in the middle of something much bigger. An artefact of an ancient race leads Inquisitor Vail and her warband into the depths of an underhive, where more than just mutants and gangers lurk in the darkness. Will Vail survive to tell Commissar Cain about this adventure?

Read it because
Inquisitor Vail has been a supporting character in loads of Ciaphas Cain tales (in fact, she’s the one who adds the sarcastic footnotes), but this is your first chance to see her in action as the star of the story.

Genres: Science Fiction, 40k, Fiction, Fantasy, Short Stories

34 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2014

About the author

Sandy Mitchell is a pseudonym of Alex Stewart, who has been a full-time writer since the mid nineteen eighties. The majority of his work as Sandy has been tie-in fiction for Games Workshop's Warhammer fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 science fiction lines. The exceptions have been a novelisation of episodes from the high tech thriller series Bugs, for which he also worked as a scriptwriter under his own name, some Warhammer roleplaying game material, and a scattering of short stories and magazine articles.

His hobbies include the martial arts of Aikido and Iaido, miniature wargaming, role-playing games, and pottering about on the family allotment.

He lives in the North Essex village of Earls Colne, with his wife Judith and daughter Hester.

Reviews

[Stephan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's nice to once again get to read a short story from Sandy Mitchell. It's by no means something that stands out, but still worth its time. If not for the plot, then at least for the smile it occasionally brings.

‘We wasn’t expecting the Holy Inquisition,’ a faintly accusing voice said, its owner sidling out from behind the crate Zemelda had been peppering with las burns. A handful of others followed his lead, emerging from whatever bolt holes they’d found for themselves, blinking like rodents emerging from hibernation to find the predators already in residence. Dockyard dregs to a man or woman – in a couple of cases it was hard to be sure.

‘No one ever does,’ Pelton said’

The story is quite straight forward: Inquisitor Amberley Vail(known from Mitchells Ciaphas Cain series) stumbles upon forbidden xenos artefacts during a raid on smugglers and tries to track it to its origin.
There's a lot of action, quite a few memorable characters and of course humour (wouldn't be Mitchell otherwise).
The claustrophobic hive cityscape, especially the underhive, reminds me of Necromunda crossed with a detective story.

The only thing I can complain about is that we never really feel that the main characters are in any danger, wearing heavy plot armour. And that the Eldar that appear feel far to aggressive than they should in these circumstances. The inquisitor doesn't appear threatening and tries her best to talk to them. That they still attack and we get an action ending didn't sit well with me. But the ending screams for a sequel and I'm looking forward to it, if it ever gets written.

[Michael Dodd · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the hunt for smugglers in xenos technology on the hive world of Ironfound, Inquisitor Amberley Vail and her warband find a trail leading from the spire top to the deepest underhive. As their search takes them ever deeper they’re forced to contend with the many indigenous peoples and perils of the underhive, as a secret of Ironfound’s past is gradually revealed.

Perhaps not as characterful as the Cain stories, this maybe carries more mainstream appeal with its Inquisition stylings and slightly more serious tone. Vail is nicely engaging as a character, and while her warband are a touch derivatory (a data-obsessed savant sound familiar?) there’s a lot to enjoy with their familiar banter and the overall sense of action and adventure in the pacy, entertaining narrative.

Read the full review at https://www.trackofwords.com/2018/09/...

[Ulzeta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite fun.

[sean luehmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good but wtf ending

I hope this short story is the prelude to full fledged books of inquisitor Vail. That would be a very fitting start .

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope a full novel is coming

Really like Vail's Inquisitor's crew, good group of characters, and good action. These guys need their own book, with Cain making an appearance.