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Ciaphas Cain #2
Caves of Ice
On the ice world of Simia Orichalcae a spate of mysterious disappearances is causing unrest amongst the mine-workers, and, as senior officer, Cain is nominated to investigate. Unbeknownst to him, the planet is right in the path of a major ork incursion and, as the savage greenskins attack, a malevolent evil begins to stir deep in the ice caves.
Read it because
While his Valhallan regiment are happy on an ice world, Cain's biggest concern is freezing to death... until orks start attacking, and then an ancient threat emerges from the depths. Stuck between two enemies, Cain needs to stop playing the hero and actually be one.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2004
121 people are currently reading
817 people want to read
About the author
Sandy Mitchell
75 books424 followersSandy 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
May 24, 2021
Having tackled a bunch of short stories in the interim, I've decided that I prefer Cain in smaller doses rather than these big novels. They feel a little repetitive, like they had a harder time filling up a whole book's worth of his exploits: too much time needed for plot development, too little for personal goof-ups and accidents leading to glory.
November 24, 2016
WH 40K's favorite cowardly hero, Commissar Cain, is back in the second book of his series, this time accompanying the 597th Valhallan infantry regiment on their mission to protect an important refinery on an icy world. As the Orkish horde approaches across the frozen plains, Cain comes up with a cunning plan to personally lead a small patrol of soldiers underground, to bravely prevent any infiltration by the enemy in this dark (and much warmer and presumably safer) environment. Unfortunately, the caves of ice are filled not only with nasty random monsters, but they also contain a functional warp gate operated by the terrible race of Necrons...
"Caves of ice" is a very lightweight novel, super easy to read, but often quite predictable and simplified to almost cringing level. Thankfully, it does a good job of describing the Orks, and introducing the Necron threat (as far as I know, they are supposed to play a major role in later WH 40K events), so even if the novel itself is kind of underwhelming, it does lay some solid foundation for the sequels. As usual, Cain and his faithful aide Jurgen make for a funny and dynamic duo, so there is a good balance of action, humor and world building throughout the novel.
Special thumbs up goes for the fact that the Necrons seemed to be quite influenced by the works of H.P.Lovecraft. With their vast underground chamber, filled with sickly green lights, dead corridors, rows of monstrous soldiers in stasis, and incomprehensible technology, the Necrons almost felt like a drop from the pages of "At the mountains of madness". And Sandy Mitchell actually using the word "eldritch" to describe the atmosphere in their base just completely sealed the deal of fanboyism for me.
So overall, despite really not being anything special in its own right, "Caves of ice" still managed to entertain me quite a bit, and I'm looking forward to future WH 40K novels.
Current score: 49/100
Current ranking: 391st on my all time novels list, 112th on my list of SF novels, 4th out of 4 on my list of WH 40k novels.
"Caves of ice" is a very lightweight novel, super easy to read, but often quite predictable and simplified to almost cringing level. Thankfully, it does a good job of describing the Orks, and introducing the Necron threat (as far as I know, they are supposed to play a major role in later WH 40K events), so even if the novel itself is kind of underwhelming, it does lay some solid foundation for the sequels. As usual, Cain and his faithful aide Jurgen make for a funny and dynamic duo, so there is a good balance of action, humor and world building throughout the novel.
Special thumbs up goes for the fact that the Necrons seemed to be quite influenced by the works of H.P.Lovecraft. With their vast underground chamber, filled with sickly green lights, dead corridors, rows of monstrous soldiers in stasis, and incomprehensible technology, the Necrons almost felt like a drop from the pages of "At the mountains of madness". And Sandy Mitchell actually using the word "eldritch" to describe the atmosphere in their base just completely sealed the deal of fanboyism for me.
So overall, despite really not being anything special in its own right, "Caves of ice" still managed to entertain me quite a bit, and I'm looking forward to future WH 40K novels.
Current score: 49/100
Current ranking: 391st on my all time novels list, 112th on my list of SF novels, 4th out of 4 on my list of WH 40k novels.
July 23, 2020
For me, Caves of Ice was a good deal better than 'For The Emperor'. Where the prior book focused more on politics, this had far more action (something you look for in Warhammer 40k fiction).
Another thing that delighted me was the good representation of the Necrons. They are one of my favourite factions (I actually had a Necron army back in the day) so seeing them handled so well brought a smile to my face.
The story was good and the imagery was very vivid. You could just imagine a dozen or so luckless Orks firing wildly before getting cut down. Or the strong mental image of unfeeling, skeletal warriors made from self-healing metal on the march.
The witty writing style mixed with the 1st person narrative makes for incredibly easy reading/listening. This is a re-read for me and Ciaphas Cain's very casual storytelling adds to the re-readability of this book) and of the series in general).
The dynamic between the cowardly hero, Ciaphas Cain, and his brave, unshakeable aide, Jurgen, is an enjoyable one. Jurgen really feels like the kind of guy whom, with him at your back, you could get through anything ... so long as you can put up with his overpowering body odour or piercing halitosis.
The fact that the Cain novels are told 'by the character' rather than simply from their point of view, gives a deeper connection to both him, and the rest of the characters within the regiment as a whole. It's certainly one of the main reasons (along with the comedic and cowardly aspects) that make this one of the most enjoyable series in the 40k universe.
These books are also a wonderful way into the setting for anyone unfamiliar with the 40k genre. Cain not only uses military slang, but in the first two books he's encountered the Tau, the Orks and the Necrons. Add onto that the imperium factions you learn about (Adeptus Administratum, Adeptus Mechanicum, The Inquisition & the Imperial Guard) it's the sort of series that is devised to give the reader a complete overview of the universe and the factions that inhabit it.
Not to mention, all of the above is further expanded on by Inquisitor Amberley Vale's footnotes. So a new reader will never feel too out of their depth.
Another thing that delighted me was the good representation of the Necrons. They are one of my favourite factions (I actually had a Necron army back in the day) so seeing them handled so well brought a smile to my face.
The story was good and the imagery was very vivid. You could just imagine a dozen or so luckless Orks firing wildly before getting cut down. Or the strong mental image of unfeeling, skeletal warriors made from self-healing metal on the march.
The witty writing style mixed with the 1st person narrative makes for incredibly easy reading/listening. This is a re-read for me and Ciaphas Cain's very casual storytelling adds to the re-readability of this book) and of the series in general).
The dynamic between the cowardly hero, Ciaphas Cain, and his brave, unshakeable aide, Jurgen, is an enjoyable one. Jurgen really feels like the kind of guy whom, with him at your back, you could get through anything ... so long as you can put up with his overpowering body odour or piercing halitosis.
The fact that the Cain novels are told 'by the character' rather than simply from their point of view, gives a deeper connection to both him, and the rest of the characters within the regiment as a whole. It's certainly one of the main reasons (along with the comedic and cowardly aspects) that make this one of the most enjoyable series in the 40k universe.
These books are also a wonderful way into the setting for anyone unfamiliar with the 40k genre. Cain not only uses military slang, but in the first two books he's encountered the Tau, the Orks and the Necrons. Add onto that the imperium factions you learn about (Adeptus Administratum, Adeptus Mechanicum, The Inquisition & the Imperial Guard) it's the sort of series that is devised to give the reader a complete overview of the universe and the factions that inhabit it.
Not to mention, all of the above is further expanded on by Inquisitor Amberley Vale's footnotes. So a new reader will never feel too out of their depth.
June 18, 2020
Originally published over at The Fantasy Hive.
Another one of The Ciaphas Cain series of Warhammer 40k novels has been translated to audiobook format and after enjoying For the Emperor to no end, I just knew I had to get it. Once more narrated by Stephen Perring, with additional work done by Penelope Rawlins and Emma Gregory, the series about the not at all courageous hero of the Imperium continues to be a source of entertainment, despite it lacking as memorable a climax as the first novel in the series.
As far as blurbs go, that of Caves of Ice is certainly among the more frugal ones I’ve read: “Still attached to the Valhallans, Commissar Ciaphas Cain fights orcs and necrons on the ice world of Frigidia.” It’s a short novel, and I suppose if you’re familiar with the Empire’s most selfish—yet competent–Commisar, you need little more in the way of convincing.
The strongest selling point of this series is that unlike the vast majority of Warhammer 40k novels out there, it is hardly grimdark. Yes, monstrous creatures, brutish hordes of orcs, metallic horrors beneath the depths of the earth are all to be found in Mitchell’s Caves of Ice, but the tone the novel embraces, a humour only slightly less dry than in For the Emperor, makes of the grim future of the 40th millennium something with a little more joie de vivre. With orcs and metallic hordes that shoot laser beams which melt organic flesh, granted, but it still counts for something!
Everything Ciaphas Cain does is calculated to increase his chances of survival. As a Commissar, that is saying a lot—the members of the Commissariat are not particularly popular with the rank and file, and have a tendency of getting shot in the back when a situation gets heated…and with the Imperial Guard, any given situation getting heated is just a matter of time. How does Cain make sure he doesn’t share in the fate of so many other Imperials of his rank? He’s friendly with the troops, and does his best to sell the illusion that he cares for them. Whether he actually does is for the reader to decide; his own words point to the contrary, but his actions…well, Cain is a mystery. One wrapped in self-deprecating humour, and always looking out for his best survival. The fact that his instinct for self-preservation leads Cain into danger time and again shouldn’t convince you of his heroism. It’s all measured in such a way as to avoid greater peril to his person – though whether it succeeds, that’s another question entirely.
The cast of Mitchell’s first Cain novel returns in this one, and they’re as clueless about the good Commissar’s self-described true nature as ever; whatever the man does, they lap it up with barely a question. Colonel Castine, the boisterous General Sulla and her small sections of purple prose, several others – Amusing as always is Cain’s man-servant, Jurgen. Cain calls him aide, I think, but let’s not kid ourselves, I know a man-servant when I hear one, and you can smell it on Jurgen from a mile away.*
Perring continues to do impressive work with Cain’s internal monologue—the book is told in the first-person, and the narrator always delivers on the irony so rich in Sandy Mitchell’s text, and I would argue, his performance elevates the story, injects a little extra something to the narrative that I’m not certain I would’ve found otherwise. This is true about many of the Black Library narrators; Games Workshop has a fine track record with the folks they get to read Penelope Rawlins is, similarly, brilliant as Inquisitor Amberly Veil, whose footnotes are a great way to inject both humour and interesting information outside of Cain’s very self-centred perspective.
Caves of Ice is a fun book – it lacks something of a climax, or rather, doesn’t take the time necessary to develop it in full. Pity – there’s always a little something that keeps me from giving this particular chapter in the darling Commissar’s journey my full recommendation.
As it is, this will scratch a certain itch, if that itch has anything to do with pulpy space adventures with a helping of humour, or with a protagonist whose desire to live outweighs all else. Or, the God-Emperor forbid, with the slaughter of many thousands of orcs.
*For those who have neither read nor listened to any of the Ciaphas Cain books, Jurgen’s odor is the topic of many a paragraph in Sandy Mitchell’s novels.
Another one of The Ciaphas Cain series of Warhammer 40k novels has been translated to audiobook format and after enjoying For the Emperor to no end, I just knew I had to get it. Once more narrated by Stephen Perring, with additional work done by Penelope Rawlins and Emma Gregory, the series about the not at all courageous hero of the Imperium continues to be a source of entertainment, despite it lacking as memorable a climax as the first novel in the series.
As far as blurbs go, that of Caves of Ice is certainly among the more frugal ones I’ve read: “Still attached to the Valhallans, Commissar Ciaphas Cain fights orcs and necrons on the ice world of Frigidia.” It’s a short novel, and I suppose if you’re familiar with the Empire’s most selfish—yet competent–Commisar, you need little more in the way of convincing.
The strongest selling point of this series is that unlike the vast majority of Warhammer 40k novels out there, it is hardly grimdark. Yes, monstrous creatures, brutish hordes of orcs, metallic horrors beneath the depths of the earth are all to be found in Mitchell’s Caves of Ice, but the tone the novel embraces, a humour only slightly less dry than in For the Emperor, makes of the grim future of the 40th millennium something with a little more joie de vivre. With orcs and metallic hordes that shoot laser beams which melt organic flesh, granted, but it still counts for something!
Everything Ciaphas Cain does is calculated to increase his chances of survival. As a Commissar, that is saying a lot—the members of the Commissariat are not particularly popular with the rank and file, and have a tendency of getting shot in the back when a situation gets heated…and with the Imperial Guard, any given situation getting heated is just a matter of time. How does Cain make sure he doesn’t share in the fate of so many other Imperials of his rank? He’s friendly with the troops, and does his best to sell the illusion that he cares for them. Whether he actually does is for the reader to decide; his own words point to the contrary, but his actions…well, Cain is a mystery. One wrapped in self-deprecating humour, and always looking out for his best survival. The fact that his instinct for self-preservation leads Cain into danger time and again shouldn’t convince you of his heroism. It’s all measured in such a way as to avoid greater peril to his person – though whether it succeeds, that’s another question entirely.
The cast of Mitchell’s first Cain novel returns in this one, and they’re as clueless about the good Commissar’s self-described true nature as ever; whatever the man does, they lap it up with barely a question. Colonel Castine, the boisterous General Sulla and her small sections of purple prose, several others – Amusing as always is Cain’s man-servant, Jurgen. Cain calls him aide, I think, but let’s not kid ourselves, I know a man-servant when I hear one, and you can smell it on Jurgen from a mile away.*
Perring continues to do impressive work with Cain’s internal monologue—the book is told in the first-person, and the narrator always delivers on the irony so rich in Sandy Mitchell’s text, and I would argue, his performance elevates the story, injects a little extra something to the narrative that I’m not certain I would’ve found otherwise. This is true about many of the Black Library narrators; Games Workshop has a fine track record with the folks they get to read Penelope Rawlins is, similarly, brilliant as Inquisitor Amberly Veil, whose footnotes are a great way to inject both humour and interesting information outside of Cain’s very self-centred perspective.
Caves of Ice is a fun book – it lacks something of a climax, or rather, doesn’t take the time necessary to develop it in full. Pity – there’s always a little something that keeps me from giving this particular chapter in the darling Commissar’s journey my full recommendation.
As it is, this will scratch a certain itch, if that itch has anything to do with pulpy space adventures with a helping of humour, or with a protagonist whose desire to live outweighs all else. Or, the God-Emperor forbid, with the slaughter of many thousands of orcs.
*For those who have neither read nor listened to any of the Ciaphas Cain books, Jurgen’s odor is the topic of many a paragraph in Sandy Mitchell’s novels.
October 10, 2025
Aðal-karakterinn ennþá skemmtilegur en finnst þessi bók ekki bæta neinu við seríuna, bara verri útgáfa af fyrstu bókinni.
September 29, 2021
El mismo rollo que el anterior, pero más previsible y menos entretenido. El chiste pierde gracia cuando se estira.
October 19, 2025
Somehow, Ciaphas Cain is even funnier the second time around. The comedy leans more into proper roasts, and now that it's clear that our dear commissar is not a pathetic coward (despite his own protests to the fact), but a rather qualified military man, he stops being the butt of most jokes, instead laughing at the ridiculousness of everyone else around him. I find this works even better, because the cast of characters is charming enough to make this work: they're likeable, but so quirky every jab is extremely warranted. I just love these books.
Also, Logash is an absolute sweetheart and must be protected at all costs.
Jokes do start to get repetitive about 2/3rds of the way through, and despite what I think are still some of the funniest ones so far, they do overstay their welcome a little.
Also, Logash is an absolute sweetheart and must be protected at all costs.
Jokes do start to get repetitive about 2/3rds of the way through, and despite what I think are still some of the funniest ones so far, they do overstay their welcome a little.
October 24, 2019
Stephen Perring hits it out of the park this time as well, reprising his role as Ciaphas Cain, Hero of the Imperium and so forth.
While the adventure itself can be a little repetitive and limited in scope, by nature of its premise, the audiobook version has been thoroughly entertaining from start to finish, and I'd love to hear Perring adapting the entirety of the Cain series in the future, as he's got the tone down to a t.
While the adventure itself can be a little repetitive and limited in scope, by nature of its premise, the audiobook version has been thoroughly entertaining from start to finish, and I'd love to hear Perring adapting the entirety of the Cain series in the future, as he's got the tone down to a t.
September 22, 2024
Really felt like I was on this frosty planet during the story, great job with detailing and immersive lore. Some great scenes of necrons and orks so if your a fan of those races then you will enjoy this.
February 21, 2025
This was a nice ride. It made some cool turns.
January 8, 2024
A great read. Had a lot of fun listening to the adventure and was laughing on how Cain responded to his predicaments
December 28, 2020
Second Reading.
I think I enjoy even more this book the second time, now that I understand a bit more of Warhammer 40k World. As a 256 pages book it's quite easy to read and quick as hell. As most Cain novels the antagonists are orks. But as other posterior novel the Necrons are also there.
Commissar Cain is a good character but Jurgen, in my opinion, is even better. Nevertheless Sandy Mitchell really done it. Of all books I read this was undoubtably my favourite.
This book just got 5 stars.
_____________
Caves of Ice is the second novel in the Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell. 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. If you haven't read the first book it is not important for the story. But would increase the level of understanding of the characters. In this episode, Commissar Ciaphas Cain, Jurgen is sidekick, 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 arrives he must deal with another problem. 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. I have to say that the creature they had to face is one of my favourite of the W40k universe, the Necrons. As all books that Cain features there are footnotes, some of them are intereresting and there are a prelude in each chapter that tells us what is happening elsewhere. Most people don't like the prelude or/and the footnotes but Ilike it. If you read it straightway you wouldn't miss it and you would still enjoy the book. With the footnotes and preludes you enrich the enviroment and gives a depth to other characters. In the end I liked the book. I was eagearly waiting the progress of Jurgen even above the Commissar, and I was not dissapointed. This book as a serie of good fortunes and gives just to the phrase, being on the right spot and the right time, things will be allright.
I think I enjoy even more this book the second time, now that I understand a bit more of Warhammer 40k World. As a 256 pages book it's quite easy to read and quick as hell. As most Cain novels the antagonists are orks. But as other posterior novel the Necrons are also there.
Commissar Cain is a good character but Jurgen, in my opinion, is even better. Nevertheless Sandy Mitchell really done it. Of all books I read this was undoubtably my favourite.
This book just got 5 stars.
_____________
Caves of Ice is the second novel in the Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell. 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. If you haven't read the first book it is not important for the story. But would increase the level of understanding of the characters. In this episode, Commissar Ciaphas Cain, Jurgen is sidekick, 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 arrives he must deal with another problem. 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. I have to say that the creature they had to face is one of my favourite of the W40k universe, the Necrons. As all books that Cain features there are footnotes, some of them are intereresting and there are a prelude in each chapter that tells us what is happening elsewhere. Most people don't like the prelude or/and the footnotes but Ilike it. If you read it straightway you wouldn't miss it and you would still enjoy the book. With the footnotes and preludes you enrich the enviroment and gives a depth to other characters. In the end I liked the book. I was eagearly waiting the progress of Jurgen even above the Commissar, and I was not dissapointed. This book as a serie of good fortunes and gives just to the phrase, being on the right spot and the right time, things will be allright.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2023
Still an entertaining book. I was entertained. It had a couple of good scenes and settings, and commisar Cain is a likable character that I like to spend time with.
But
Already in book two it gets very formulaic. Change place and enemies but other then that it is pretty much the same book as nr 1. Book 3 does it again. Luckily I liked the formula of the first book so it worked here again. But I read the third directly after this one, and it was pretty much the same again. So now I will probably wait a year or so until I read nr 4, then it might be a bit fresh again.
But
Already in book two it gets very formulaic. Change place and enemies but other then that it is pretty much the same book as nr 1. Book 3 does it again. Luckily I liked the formula of the first book so it worked here again. But I read the third directly after this one, and it was pretty much the same again. So now I will probably wait a year or so until I read nr 4, then it might be a bit fresh again.
April 18, 2023
Having really enjoyed the previous Cain novel I moved onto the second. It was still fun but a bit of a step down.
The narration by Cain was still fun and interesting but I found the plot to be fairly bare bones, and a significant portion of the description was just Cain and his men making their way through the caves. It was interesting at first but got old after awhile.
I still had a good time but didn’t get as much out of it as I wanted, though more experienced Warhammer fans may enjoy it a lot more.
The narration by Cain was still fun and interesting but I found the plot to be fairly bare bones, and a significant portion of the description was just Cain and his men making their way through the caves. It was interesting at first but got old after awhile.
I still had a good time but didn’t get as much out of it as I wanted, though more experienced Warhammer fans may enjoy it a lot more.
November 3, 2021
Cool and fun enough to power through in a few days, but what really earns four stars from me is that it's the first book I've read that references both Predator AND Father Ted. Yeah that's shallow but I just don't care.
October 28, 2023
The Cain books are enjoyable as they are formulaic- if you’ve read another in the series, you pretty much know exactly what’s going on here. The audiobook is excellent, and perhaps the very best way to enjoy it.
November 2, 2024
You know that joke, where the punchline is 'I slipped and fell into it'? That's Caiphas Cain when it comes to his accomplishments. The man has the collective compendium of common sense that most Imperials, including Space Marines seem to lack. Plus, has luck of the gods, not the chaos ones, that would be heresy.
Another observation which came to mind after being regaled by the second in his series of adventures is that, if you're not the phlegmatic Jurgen or Amberly Vail, the last place you want to be, in the same squad as Cain when he's sent out on a dangerous assignment. This time around, it's two different squads that were either decimated or completely obliterated, while acting as his meat shields. If his previous history is any indication, that is a regular occurrence.
But on the other hand, this is 40k, and the Imperial guard, who're sacrificed by the millions, just to engage in archaic 19th century regimental warfare, while wielding literal superweapons which in this world are dubbed nightlights, in face of the horrors that the galaxy has to offer. So, there's that.
I read some reviews which mentioned how they like this story compared to For the Emperor, because this had more action. Which is ironically the reason which I was not in love with it. Don't get me wrong, Caves of ice is a solid story. But, if I wanted to read about pitched gory battles, I'd pick up one of the 100 different iterations of missions featuring space marines.
No, the reason why I was so enamored with Caiphas Cain as a character, was that he was a closeted, self-proclaimed coward, although several of his actions might bely this assessment. He is someone who is supremely anxious about his own skin and uses his considerable talent and military acumen to essentially hedge his bets when shit eventually hits the fan. Which, again, seeing as how this is 40k is a regular occurrence.
In fact, one of the reasons why he is so adored and idolized by his guard regiment is the way he treats them with respect and fairness, which in turn is motivated by him not wanting to be equal parts end up getting shot by a disgruntled grunt, and other to use them as unwitting bullet vests to stand between him and whatever is out to kill them.
In that light, a lot of his tactics, machinations and entertaining mental conflict always stemmed from him trying to keep himself alive in volatile situations.
But his preternatural luck seems to dry out when it comes to the greater plot, as he tends to get vaulted feet first into the next major threat in the horizon; always managing to survive due to the instincts of a tunnel rat and providence.
Side Note: This is the consecutive second story where Cain and a group of unfortunates are sent on a mission deep underground to root out some Xenos threat. Hoping that doesn't end up being a recurring theme.
Otherwise, this story didn't give us many instances where he uses his characteristic wit and charisma to charm friend and foe alike leading to several happy misunderstandings which always end up being to his benefit.
This time, we see Cain face off against the Orks and a surprise appearance from a dormant Necron tomb world, on a frozen refinery planet filled with promethium. Which would be the 40k definition of a powder keg waiting to explode.
While I complained about the increased action, it was nonetheless entertaining. His assigned regimen, the Valhallans with recurring characters from book 1, are supremely at ease in a frozen planet. If it weren't for the formidable enemies arrayed against them (a regular occurrence for most IG regimens), they'd have utterly dominated the confrontation. But this time around, caught between the Orks and Necrons, it's all they could do not to get curb stomped. Which forms much of the narrative.
On another note, when in the first half, it's mentioned that the refinery they're stationed at holds a nearly topped up consignment of Promethium, it was obvious what the ultimate fate of all that fuel would be. A Big-ass planet shaking explosion.
That straightforward narrative also dimmed my excitement for a bit.
Although one thing was how absolutely horrifying their portrayal of necrons were. Including appearances from not just the rank-and-file automatons, but also the body horror-inducing appearance by the Flayed ones. if you don't know what that is, be careful when you google it.
Here's hoping that Book 3 would prove to be a return to form for this often-witty outlier in a grimdark world.
Another observation which came to mind after being regaled by the second in his series of adventures is that, if you're not the phlegmatic Jurgen or Amberly Vail, the last place you want to be, in the same squad as Cain when he's sent out on a dangerous assignment. This time around, it's two different squads that were either decimated or completely obliterated, while acting as his meat shields. If his previous history is any indication, that is a regular occurrence.
But on the other hand, this is 40k, and the Imperial guard, who're sacrificed by the millions, just to engage in archaic 19th century regimental warfare, while wielding literal superweapons which in this world are dubbed nightlights, in face of the horrors that the galaxy has to offer. So, there's that.
I read some reviews which mentioned how they like this story compared to For the Emperor, because this had more action. Which is ironically the reason which I was not in love with it. Don't get me wrong, Caves of ice is a solid story. But, if I wanted to read about pitched gory battles, I'd pick up one of the 100 different iterations of missions featuring space marines.
No, the reason why I was so enamored with Caiphas Cain as a character, was that he was a closeted, self-proclaimed coward, although several of his actions might bely this assessment. He is someone who is supremely anxious about his own skin and uses his considerable talent and military acumen to essentially hedge his bets when shit eventually hits the fan. Which, again, seeing as how this is 40k is a regular occurrence.
In fact, one of the reasons why he is so adored and idolized by his guard regiment is the way he treats them with respect and fairness, which in turn is motivated by him not wanting to be equal parts end up getting shot by a disgruntled grunt, and other to use them as unwitting bullet vests to stand between him and whatever is out to kill them.
In that light, a lot of his tactics, machinations and entertaining mental conflict always stemmed from him trying to keep himself alive in volatile situations.
But his preternatural luck seems to dry out when it comes to the greater plot, as he tends to get vaulted feet first into the next major threat in the horizon; always managing to survive due to the instincts of a tunnel rat and providence.
Side Note: This is the consecutive second story where Cain and a group of unfortunates are sent on a mission deep underground to root out some Xenos threat. Hoping that doesn't end up being a recurring theme.
Otherwise, this story didn't give us many instances where he uses his characteristic wit and charisma to charm friend and foe alike leading to several happy misunderstandings which always end up being to his benefit.
This time, we see Cain face off against the Orks and a surprise appearance from a dormant Necron tomb world, on a frozen refinery planet filled with promethium. Which would be the 40k definition of a powder keg waiting to explode.
While I complained about the increased action, it was nonetheless entertaining. His assigned regimen, the Valhallans with recurring characters from book 1, are supremely at ease in a frozen planet. If it weren't for the formidable enemies arrayed against them (a regular occurrence for most IG regimens), they'd have utterly dominated the confrontation. But this time around, caught between the Orks and Necrons, it's all they could do not to get curb stomped. Which forms much of the narrative.
On another note, when in the first half, it's mentioned that the refinery they're stationed at holds a nearly topped up consignment of Promethium, it was obvious what the ultimate fate of all that fuel would be. A Big-ass planet shaking explosion.
That straightforward narrative also dimmed my excitement for a bit.
Although one thing was how absolutely horrifying their portrayal of necrons were. Including appearances from not just the rank-and-file automatons, but also the body horror-inducing appearance by the Flayed ones. if you don't know what that is, be careful when you google it.
Here's hoping that Book 3 would prove to be a return to form for this often-witty outlier in a grimdark world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2024
I think i might have too high of expectations here, I'm not really clouded by being a super fan of warhammer to just accept anything in the universe as being good as apparently a lot of people are doing because objectively this is a very bland book.
The world this takes place in is very very zoomed in to a cave for the vast majority of the book. This creates a lack of world building needs as there just isn't a lot to expand on because by the nature of it being a cave, it clearly is something we can just imagine for ourselves what it's like. So right away world building is already something this book decided to cut off.
Character building, just... Where are there any character building moments? It felt like a puppet show and everyone was just really playing a role in a play, it felt extremely wooden. Even the MC who we are here for in this book just doesn't get a lot of stand out moments. It feels like a straight line that we are just tagging along to see him walk it because it's a freaking cave and of course there is only so much that can happen in there. He's written out to be extremely one dimensional here.
Even the races like Orcs and Necrons get laughably glazed over as nearly non existent. I mean there was so much potential to do something fun but you literally get these moments where the characters are all in place and there is such a good opportunity to blow up a cool and scenic moment but it just gets passed by as an afterthought or extremely under developed. The Orcs and Necrons are written into the background and never entirely get featured, it felt so low stakes.
Big moments get talked about and not shown all the way to the end of the book. I was constantly waiting for the big moment, the apex of the story where we will finally get the pay off and get to experience something exciting with this character, it never happens, the book just ends and the narrator just plops a blurb saying in essence 'and that's all' plop, books done. What in the world? Youre even told how well the defense is going, and here I'm thinking, cool I get to see what they means right? No, no you don't, you're just vaguely told it and the book just ends haha.
The humor also was lacking, I know this series is apparently known for being on the lighter end with some funny antics, but like, ok? What exactly was so funny about anything going on or any moments the MC did that could be interpretted as funny? Again we are just told and not shown what is funny. Like 'and I'm known for being a coward and avoiding danger' as a little funny moment, but.... Ok? Be a coward then so I can laugh at what you mean by that, don't just tell me what's funny without showing because in my point of view I'm just getting to see you be not a coward by chasing through these tunnels and making smart choices to save lives and care for people who are injured...
When do I laugh?
It's like the author so desperately wanted there to be a joke but can't really deliver a punchline so we are just told what's funny but can't be delivered the exact funny moment. It's incredibly strange.
I don't know how this would just not get noticed by an editor unless it never saw an editor with no intention of it being anything but some junk food. It wasn't the worst book I've experienced, i mean I was able to get to the end after all. And the hope and mystery on if something would happen kept me going. Wow though what a just overall terrible amount of choices here. This book could have maybe been a little tiny short story or a paragraph reference referred to in another book because absolutely nothing of significance happens and no growth is seen.
If this book was never released I can imagine the series as a whole would likely not be effected.
I really need to quit books immediately after recognizing the trend of authors telling and not showing. It's ok occasionally maybe during a monalog or for some exposition, but sparingly, as it's not fun to run into for nearly the entire book and should never be done to glaze over critical moments or as a set up for humor that just can't be delivered.
The world this takes place in is very very zoomed in to a cave for the vast majority of the book. This creates a lack of world building needs as there just isn't a lot to expand on because by the nature of it being a cave, it clearly is something we can just imagine for ourselves what it's like. So right away world building is already something this book decided to cut off.
Character building, just... Where are there any character building moments? It felt like a puppet show and everyone was just really playing a role in a play, it felt extremely wooden. Even the MC who we are here for in this book just doesn't get a lot of stand out moments. It feels like a straight line that we are just tagging along to see him walk it because it's a freaking cave and of course there is only so much that can happen in there. He's written out to be extremely one dimensional here.
Even the races like Orcs and Necrons get laughably glazed over as nearly non existent. I mean there was so much potential to do something fun but you literally get these moments where the characters are all in place and there is such a good opportunity to blow up a cool and scenic moment but it just gets passed by as an afterthought or extremely under developed. The Orcs and Necrons are written into the background and never entirely get featured, it felt so low stakes.
Big moments get talked about and not shown all the way to the end of the book. I was constantly waiting for the big moment, the apex of the story where we will finally get the pay off and get to experience something exciting with this character, it never happens, the book just ends and the narrator just plops a blurb saying in essence 'and that's all' plop, books done. What in the world? Youre even told how well the defense is going, and here I'm thinking, cool I get to see what they means right? No, no you don't, you're just vaguely told it and the book just ends haha.
The humor also was lacking, I know this series is apparently known for being on the lighter end with some funny antics, but like, ok? What exactly was so funny about anything going on or any moments the MC did that could be interpretted as funny? Again we are just told and not shown what is funny. Like 'and I'm known for being a coward and avoiding danger' as a little funny moment, but.... Ok? Be a coward then so I can laugh at what you mean by that, don't just tell me what's funny without showing because in my point of view I'm just getting to see you be not a coward by chasing through these tunnels and making smart choices to save lives and care for people who are injured...
When do I laugh?
It's like the author so desperately wanted there to be a joke but can't really deliver a punchline so we are just told what's funny but can't be delivered the exact funny moment. It's incredibly strange.
I don't know how this would just not get noticed by an editor unless it never saw an editor with no intention of it being anything but some junk food. It wasn't the worst book I've experienced, i mean I was able to get to the end after all. And the hope and mystery on if something would happen kept me going. Wow though what a just overall terrible amount of choices here. This book could have maybe been a little tiny short story or a paragraph reference referred to in another book because absolutely nothing of significance happens and no growth is seen.
If this book was never released I can imagine the series as a whole would likely not be effected.
I really need to quit books immediately after recognizing the trend of authors telling and not showing. It's ok occasionally maybe during a monalog or for some exposition, but sparingly, as it's not fun to run into for nearly the entire book and should never be done to glaze over critical moments or as a set up for humor that just can't be delivered.
December 12, 2017
Commissar Ciaphas Cain continues to relate his honest, self-deprecating memoirs to an appreciative audience (albeit only of a few high-ranking Inquisitors who have the necessary security clearance to read it). In this episode, he relates the deployment of the Valhallan 597th to the frigid (and nonsensically-named) iceworld of Simia Orichalcae, which is an important source of promethium to the Imperium. An ork raiding force has arrived on the planet and the Imperial Guard must mount a defence of the primary mining installation. But, in the caves underneath the complex, another threat is stirring...
Caves of Ice is the second Ciaphas Cain novel (of seven so far published) and is, once again, a comedic book in the vein of George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman novels (with an added pinch of Blackadder), though Mitchell adds enough flourishes to avoid being derivative. In this book Cain's troops must defend a vital installation from enemy attack. Trying to find somewhere safe to ride out the battle, Cain volunteers to accompany a scouting party into the caves under the installation to ensure there isn't a way behind their lines, only to encounter some pretty horrific events and end up, once again, in the thick of the action.
It's fair to say that Caves of Ice isn't quite as successful as the first novel. The most limited, isolated location means a much smaller cast of characters and a fair bit of wheel-spinning. Cain has to mount no less than three separate incursions into the caves, and by the end the reader is as sick as Cain is of the icy, claustraphobic surroundings. It's a tribute to Mitchell's writing skill that he manages to retain reader interest despite the repetitive nature of these missions, as he raises the ante each time.
Once again, we get excerpts from other books (most notably from Lt. Sulla's ludicrously hyperbolic memoirs, but also a hilarious children's primer called Our Friend Promethium, plus the droll minutes of the tedious meetings the 597th's command staff take part in) that efficiently flesh out important bits of action where Cain is not present, whilst copious footnotes by Cain's erstwhile ally Inquisitor Veil establish the context of Cain's actions. But the focus is obviously closely on Cain and his fragrant aide Jurgen as they battle the enemies of the Imperium.
As usual, Mitchell's writing flows well and mixes effective moments of action and horror with characterisation (Logash is particularly well-handled, with the reader's irritation with his single-minded obsession with alien tech rising in step with Cain's) and his usual humour. Here he brings in some references to other books and series, with Aliens, Father Ted and possibly Babylon 5 all getting nods, and spotting these minor tips of the hat is fun.
Caves of Ice (***½) continues the story of Ciaphas Cain pretty well, although Mitchell arguably doesn't make the most of the isolated setting and the limited scope of the novel leads to some repetition. The book is available now as part of the Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium omnibus in the UK and USA.
Caves of Ice is the second Ciaphas Cain novel (of seven so far published) and is, once again, a comedic book in the vein of George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman novels (with an added pinch of Blackadder), though Mitchell adds enough flourishes to avoid being derivative. In this book Cain's troops must defend a vital installation from enemy attack. Trying to find somewhere safe to ride out the battle, Cain volunteers to accompany a scouting party into the caves under the installation to ensure there isn't a way behind their lines, only to encounter some pretty horrific events and end up, once again, in the thick of the action.
It's fair to say that Caves of Ice isn't quite as successful as the first novel. The most limited, isolated location means a much smaller cast of characters and a fair bit of wheel-spinning. Cain has to mount no less than three separate incursions into the caves, and by the end the reader is as sick as Cain is of the icy, claustraphobic surroundings. It's a tribute to Mitchell's writing skill that he manages to retain reader interest despite the repetitive nature of these missions, as he raises the ante each time.
Once again, we get excerpts from other books (most notably from Lt. Sulla's ludicrously hyperbolic memoirs, but also a hilarious children's primer called Our Friend Promethium, plus the droll minutes of the tedious meetings the 597th's command staff take part in) that efficiently flesh out important bits of action where Cain is not present, whilst copious footnotes by Cain's erstwhile ally Inquisitor Veil establish the context of Cain's actions. But the focus is obviously closely on Cain and his fragrant aide Jurgen as they battle the enemies of the Imperium.
As usual, Mitchell's writing flows well and mixes effective moments of action and horror with characterisation (Logash is particularly well-handled, with the reader's irritation with his single-minded obsession with alien tech rising in step with Cain's) and his usual humour. Here he brings in some references to other books and series, with Aliens, Father Ted and possibly Babylon 5 all getting nods, and spotting these minor tips of the hat is fun.
Caves of Ice (***½) continues the story of Ciaphas Cain pretty well, although Mitchell arguably doesn't make the most of the isolated setting and the limited scope of the novel leads to some repetition. The book is available now as part of the Ciaphas Cain: Hero of the Imperium omnibus in the UK and USA.
January 20, 2024
Et bien, on peut dire que le commissaire Ciaphas Cain n'a pas une minute de répit et de repos pour lui. Dans ce second tome, Ciaphas Cain se voit encore plonger dans de sordides situations où la mort et la désolation sont présentes.
Cain et son régiment sont donc envoyés sur le monde glaciaire de Simia Orichalcae, ce qui convient mieux aux hommes et femmes de son régiment, étant déjà habitués (et préférant) aux climats froids. Alors qu'ils arrivent sur cette planète, voilà qu'ils voient une brèche dans l'espace et des space hulk orks débarquent. Voulant à tout pris protéger les installations de la mine précieuse présente, Cain se précipite avec son régiment et installe des protections tout autour. Jusque-là, une waagh est déjà largement suffisant et aura de quoi occuper Cain et ses hommes. Sur place, nous retrouvons également deux membres de l'Adeptus Mechanicum, qui sont très chiants tout au long de l'histoire.
Ciaphas Cain fait connaissance avec les membres du personnel ainsi qu'avec les autorités du coin et le chef de la mine. Alors que les Orks se rapprochent de plus en plus, le chef de la mine a un souci : cinq ouvriers ont disparu. Il montre au commissaire où certaines marques et disparitions ont eu lieu et Cain se charge de les retrouver avec deux pelotons de Valhalla. Néanmoins, cela va l'emmener vers deux dangers qu'il aurait aimer éviter, dont un qu'il a déjà affronté dans le passé, qu'il redoute plus que tout et qu'il ne souhaite pas re-combattre.
L'atmosphère est un peu plus sombre dans ce tome-ci par rapport au premier, sans doute à cause des bestioles qui ont creusé les galeries qu'ils vont découvrir. L'autre faction qu'ils vont rencontrer est une faction que je ne connais que très peu mais que je trouve néanmoins intéressante. Je ne vous citerai pas la faction en question pour ne pas vous spoiler l'histoire. On retrouve plusieurs personnages croisés dans le premier tome, certains faisant une petite apparition mais sans plus comme l'Inquisitrice, d'autres font leur route avec Cain tout au long de l'histoire comme Jurgen, toujours vivant et toujours aussi utile (vers la fin de l'histoire, lorsque Cain fait ses recherches, Jurgen l'a suivi et a apporté un sandwich et un thermo du thé préféré de Cain pour éviter qu'il ait faim et/ou soif sur le chemin).
En conclusion, ce fut un très bon tome, même s'il (me) manque tout de même certaines scènes d'action mais c'est le seul petit point personnel que j'ai relevé mais comme je l'ai dit, cela est un très bon tome, un peu mieux que le premier même et j'ai hâte de voir les prochaines aventures du commissaire et dans quoi il va encore s'aventurer avec Jurgen et son régiment.
Cain et son régiment sont donc envoyés sur le monde glaciaire de Simia Orichalcae, ce qui convient mieux aux hommes et femmes de son régiment, étant déjà habitués (et préférant) aux climats froids. Alors qu'ils arrivent sur cette planète, voilà qu'ils voient une brèche dans l'espace et des space hulk orks débarquent. Voulant à tout pris protéger les installations de la mine précieuse présente, Cain se précipite avec son régiment et installe des protections tout autour. Jusque-là, une waagh est déjà largement suffisant et aura de quoi occuper Cain et ses hommes. Sur place, nous retrouvons également deux membres de l'Adeptus Mechanicum, qui sont très chiants tout au long de l'histoire.
Ciaphas Cain fait connaissance avec les membres du personnel ainsi qu'avec les autorités du coin et le chef de la mine. Alors que les Orks se rapprochent de plus en plus, le chef de la mine a un souci : cinq ouvriers ont disparu. Il montre au commissaire où certaines marques et disparitions ont eu lieu et Cain se charge de les retrouver avec deux pelotons de Valhalla. Néanmoins, cela va l'emmener vers deux dangers qu'il aurait aimer éviter, dont un qu'il a déjà affronté dans le passé, qu'il redoute plus que tout et qu'il ne souhaite pas re-combattre.
L'atmosphère est un peu plus sombre dans ce tome-ci par rapport au premier, sans doute à cause des bestioles qui ont creusé les galeries qu'ils vont découvrir. L'autre faction qu'ils vont rencontrer est une faction que je ne connais que très peu mais que je trouve néanmoins intéressante. Je ne vous citerai pas la faction en question pour ne pas vous spoiler l'histoire. On retrouve plusieurs personnages croisés dans le premier tome, certains faisant une petite apparition mais sans plus comme l'Inquisitrice, d'autres font leur route avec Cain tout au long de l'histoire comme Jurgen, toujours vivant et toujours aussi utile (vers la fin de l'histoire, lorsque Cain fait ses recherches, Jurgen l'a suivi et a apporté un sandwich et un thermo du thé préféré de Cain pour éviter qu'il ait faim et/ou soif sur le chemin).
En conclusion, ce fut un très bon tome, même s'il (me) manque tout de même certaines scènes d'action mais c'est le seul petit point personnel que j'ai relevé mais comme je l'ai dit, cela est un très bon tome, un peu mieux que le premier même et j'ai hâte de voir les prochaines aventures du commissaire et dans quoi il va encore s'aventurer avec Jurgen et son régiment.
May 27, 2021
The second Ciaphas Cain book follows the same "more adventures with the protagonist" formula that a lot of episodic adventure stories use. If you like Cain and/or the world of 40K, you'll want to read this. If previous books you've read in the series, you won't. It's very enjoyable and a neat little adventure with interesting characters and Commissar Cain is always a delight to have around. However, there's nothing that improves on or stands out from other books in the series.
The same general disclaimer of previous WH40K books apply here; I'm completely convinced at this point that the books series are just not a good starting point for people trying to get into the franchise and I feel like that's intentional. Games Workshop wants people to start with the tabletop game so a lot of lore elements of the series presented in the book presume the audience is already familiar with them.
The big draw of this is the same as the first. Ciaphas Cain as a character is great. He has this strange mix of self-serving egotism built on a facade of being a great hero to the point where making sure he's preserving that image causes him to actually be the hero he insists he's not. Again. His sardonic and pessimistic tone is fitting for the setting of 40K but not in a way that robs it of any sense of morality or humanity like other aspects of the franchise can. There's not a lot more I can say about Cain I didn't in my last review since he stays effectively the same. The story itself is pretty standard 40K fare. It's enjoyable for what it is but it's not exactly memorable outside of "that time Cain fought X" which at this rate seems standard for the series. It's competently put together with a decent twist in the last section but the ending doesn't feel as explosive as the first book did. I'm also starting to notice Mitchell's repeated use of specific phrases and sentence structures that can make the prose feel a bit repetitive. In shorter books it's a lot easier to notice.
If you're a 40K fan, read it. That's my basic takeaway from the Cain series in general at this point and I'll be happy to check out more later on.
The same general disclaimer of previous WH40K books apply here; I'm completely convinced at this point that the books series are just not a good starting point for people trying to get into the franchise and I feel like that's intentional. Games Workshop wants people to start with the tabletop game so a lot of lore elements of the series presented in the book presume the audience is already familiar with them.
The big draw of this is the same as the first. Ciaphas Cain as a character is great. He has this strange mix of self-serving egotism built on a facade of being a great hero to the point where making sure he's preserving that image causes him to actually be the hero he insists he's not. Again. His sardonic and pessimistic tone is fitting for the setting of 40K but not in a way that robs it of any sense of morality or humanity like other aspects of the franchise can. There's not a lot more I can say about Cain I didn't in my last review since he stays effectively the same. The story itself is pretty standard 40K fare. It's enjoyable for what it is but it's not exactly memorable outside of "that time Cain fought X" which at this rate seems standard for the series. It's competently put together with a decent twist in the last section but the ending doesn't feel as explosive as the first book did. I'm also starting to notice Mitchell's repeated use of specific phrases and sentence structures that can make the prose feel a bit repetitive. In shorter books it's a lot easier to notice.
If you're a 40K fan, read it. That's my basic takeaway from the Cain series in general at this point and I'll be happy to check out more later on.
March 17, 2023
Rating of 4.5.
For my latest Throwback Thursday I look at another highly entertaining entry in the hilarious Ciaphas Cain Warhammer 40,000 series with the second book, Caves of Ice.
After unravelling a diabolical conspiracy on Gravalax, the legendary Commissar Ciaphas Cain and the troops of the Valhallan 597th have been redeployed to a new battlefront, the ice planet of Simia Orichalcae. Empty except for a vital promethium refinery, Simia Orichalcae has recently received a group of unwelcome guests, a warband of orks who crash landed on the planet and are making their destructive way towards the refinery with ill intent.
Happy to be facing a more conventional enemy on their preferred icy terrain, the Valhallan men and women eagerly prepare for battle. However, Cain, in his usual pragmatic approach to life and war, is less enthusiastic about the violent battle to come and searches for any way to avoid the fighting. Several mysterious disappearances in the tunnels beneath the refinery offer a potential escape for Cain as he leads a small squad underground to map the tunnels and discover the reasons behind the missing miners.
Cain, with his typical bad luck, finds far more than he bargained for beneath the ice. Not only are several ferocious monsters lurking in the vast underground labyrinth, but a far more sinister foe lies there undisturbed, one that Cain has good reason to fear. When the war and Cain’s explorations awaken this enemy, the entire planet is put at risk as this new, unrelenting danger attempts to destroy both the orks and the humans. It once again falls to the reluctant Cain to face impossible odds and try to find a way to save his men. But can even this legendary hero of the Imperium stop the flood of evil that is to come?
To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2023/03/17/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
For my latest Throwback Thursday I look at another highly entertaining entry in the hilarious Ciaphas Cain Warhammer 40,000 series with the second book, Caves of Ice.
After unravelling a diabolical conspiracy on Gravalax, the legendary Commissar Ciaphas Cain and the troops of the Valhallan 597th have been redeployed to a new battlefront, the ice planet of Simia Orichalcae. Empty except for a vital promethium refinery, Simia Orichalcae has recently received a group of unwelcome guests, a warband of orks who crash landed on the planet and are making their destructive way towards the refinery with ill intent.
Happy to be facing a more conventional enemy on their preferred icy terrain, the Valhallan men and women eagerly prepare for battle. However, Cain, in his usual pragmatic approach to life and war, is less enthusiastic about the violent battle to come and searches for any way to avoid the fighting. Several mysterious disappearances in the tunnels beneath the refinery offer a potential escape for Cain as he leads a small squad underground to map the tunnels and discover the reasons behind the missing miners.
Cain, with his typical bad luck, finds far more than he bargained for beneath the ice. Not only are several ferocious monsters lurking in the vast underground labyrinth, but a far more sinister foe lies there undisturbed, one that Cain has good reason to fear. When the war and Cain’s explorations awaken this enemy, the entire planet is put at risk as this new, unrelenting danger attempts to destroy both the orks and the humans. It once again falls to the reluctant Cain to face impossible odds and try to find a way to save his men. But can even this legendary hero of the Imperium stop the flood of evil that is to come?
To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2023/03/17/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
August 29, 2022
Significantly better than the previous book in the omnibus (see my review here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...). Less political intrigue, more fast-paced action adventure, which is certainly more my style. The story could be a Gaunts' Ghosts tale (I would love to see a setting and enemies like this written by Dan Abnett).
The writing and narrative voice are more confident here. There is less wink-wink forced attempt to be funny, and both the prose and general tone feels more natural, including the footnotes (although I still think some of them are less than necessary). Honestly I feel the less humour in this series the better, even though I acknowledge the more light-hearted tone is kinda the point.
The story was very favourable to my personal biases. I love ice caves, they're one of my favourite settings (I can't wait to write my own), and I definitely enjoy seeing non-Imperial Guard/Space Marine/Chaos factions written about in the 40k universe. That we got not one but two fun types of enemy, one of which I hadn't read as an antagonist in any previous story, made it far more interesting than if it'd been another generic Chaos enemy. Setting them in these aforementioned ice caves, and giving a somewhat Lovecraftian At the Mountains of Madness feel to the atmosphere, made this book more enjoyable than I might have found it otherwise. It's a shame some of the other reviews are spoiling the second enemy, as finding it out is part of the fun (admittedly the impact is rather lessened as the same enemy appears in the short story proceeding this novel in the omnibus).
With these added biases, maybe a 4.5?
Hopefully the third and last novel in the omnibus will be at least as good as this one, even without the ice caves.
The writing and narrative voice are more confident here. There is less wink-wink forced attempt to be funny, and both the prose and general tone feels more natural, including the footnotes (although I still think some of them are less than necessary). Honestly I feel the less humour in this series the better, even though I acknowledge the more light-hearted tone is kinda the point.
The story was very favourable to my personal biases. I love ice caves, they're one of my favourite settings (I can't wait to write my own), and I definitely enjoy seeing non-Imperial Guard/Space Marine/Chaos factions written about in the 40k universe. That we got not one but two fun types of enemy, one of which I hadn't read as an antagonist in any previous story, made it far more interesting than if it'd been another generic Chaos enemy. Setting them in these aforementioned ice caves, and giving a somewhat Lovecraftian At the Mountains of Madness feel to the atmosphere, made this book more enjoyable than I might have found it otherwise. It's a shame some of the other reviews are spoiling the second enemy, as finding it out is part of the fun (admittedly the impact is rather lessened as the same enemy appears in the short story proceeding this novel in the omnibus).
With these added biases, maybe a 4.5?
Hopefully the third and last novel in the omnibus will be at least as good as this one, even without the ice caves.
March 27, 2025
Segunda novela del Comisario Cain, mucho más irregular que la anterior. Incluye los mismos ingredientes ya conocidos, combinando un tono muy fresco e irónico con la épica habitual en las novelas ambientadas en 40.000. Sin embargo, en esta entrega el primer ingrediente está menos presente, tomando el protagonismo la acción a raudales, escaramuzas y batallas casi desde principio a fin de la novela. Para mi, esto hace que la obra resulte mucho menos interesante, ya que hay menos espacio para los diálogos, apenas se introducen personajes nuevos y los que hay tienen un desarrollo prácticamente nulo.
El comisario Ciaphas Cain sigue siendo el protagonista indiscutible, siempre con su fiel ayudante Jurgen. La trama se centra en un mundo helado, asediado por los orkos. Además de esa amenaza, también se cierne otra mucho más siniestra, ya que en las entrañas del planeta está hibernando una colonia necrona, que comienza a despertar.
La mayor parte de la trama se desarrolla en los túneles del mundo helado. Tiroteos, emboscadas, persecuciones, escenas de tensión... todo ello muy en la línea de lo visto en el tramo final de la anterior novela (Por el Emperador) y que acaba resultando algo un tanto repetitivo y monótono.
Sigue habiendo momentos épicos interesantes, situaciones irónicas o cómicas aquí y allá, pero en general es un libro plano, sin demasiada chicha. Creo que hay opciones mejores, dentro de esta misma serie de novelas.
El comisario Ciaphas Cain sigue siendo el protagonista indiscutible, siempre con su fiel ayudante Jurgen. La trama se centra en un mundo helado, asediado por los orkos. Además de esa amenaza, también se cierne otra mucho más siniestra, ya que en las entrañas del planeta está hibernando una colonia necrona, que comienza a despertar.
La mayor parte de la trama se desarrolla en los túneles del mundo helado. Tiroteos, emboscadas, persecuciones, escenas de tensión... todo ello muy en la línea de lo visto en el tramo final de la anterior novela (Por el Emperador) y que acaba resultando algo un tanto repetitivo y monótono.
Sigue habiendo momentos épicos interesantes, situaciones irónicas o cómicas aquí y allá, pero en general es un libro plano, sin demasiada chicha. Creo que hay opciones mejores, dentro de esta misma serie de novelas.
February 13, 2022
Caves of Ice kicks off with his gang of Rico's Roughnecks the Valhalla 597th! The situation that they find themselves in on Frigidia takes a hard right as in addition to the Orks that they find they run in countless sleeping Necron! This gives the tale twists that you will not see coming! Cain's portrayal is hilarious as he schemes away to get the best possible result of of the situation for himself! At the same time his aide Jurgen who provides the backup for Cain!
Caves of Ice is full of humour and the POV style with the Amberly going through Cains text is hilarious and the dipping out to other biographies works brilliantly and really shows the different takes on the the events and really expands on the characters and the situation they find themselves in! Caves of Ice works brilliantly on every level full of humour and and world building, it ties into old plots while at the same time creating new ones! This style works brilliantly creating a fast paced edged of the seat book that will keep you on your toes and up late seeing what happens!
Caves of Ice is roller coaster brilliant ride from the beginning! Full of plot twist, Necrons, Orks and turns from the start! Caves of Ice is full of world building, heroics, epic vistas, rip breaking humour adventure and action from the start! Crisp High Five! Brilliant and highly recommended! Get it when you can! :D
Caves of Ice is full of humour and the POV style with the Amberly going through Cains text is hilarious and the dipping out to other biographies works brilliantly and really shows the different takes on the the events and really expands on the characters and the situation they find themselves in! Caves of Ice works brilliantly on every level full of humour and and world building, it ties into old plots while at the same time creating new ones! This style works brilliantly creating a fast paced edged of the seat book that will keep you on your toes and up late seeing what happens!
Caves of Ice is roller coaster brilliant ride from the beginning! Full of plot twist, Necrons, Orks and turns from the start! Caves of Ice is full of world building, heroics, epic vistas, rip breaking humour adventure and action from the start! Crisp High Five! Brilliant and highly recommended! Get it when you can! :D
September 10, 2023
The Warhammer 40K universe is the perfect setting for almost any sci-fi story. It has so many factions , it’s lore is so vast that almost any story can be told in it and not sound far fetched. Caves of Ice is a book that takes full advantage of this universe.
The book starts off on one path of a war versus the Orks but then quickly switches to a much smaller scale story of exploring caves. Personally , I almost wish the book had gone for a full blown war story with the Orks as the inclusion of the Necrons felt forced and almost pointless.
The majority of the book is spent just exploring caves with very little happening and then the ending feels rushed and cheap as Cain is just lucky enough to have the tech priest and end up in the promethium pipe that leads directly to a control centre. This made the Necron threat feel cheap as there is never a direct conflict between the Valhallans and them or outwitting them , they just get lucky which takes away all the stakes of the books
The one thing I can compliment this book on, is that when things do pick up and there is action , the action is wrote perfectly , it feels tense and visceral almost like you are there staring down the terrifying view of a squad of flayed one’s with nowhere to run.
This book is a lot weaker compared to the first, however it is still a pleasant time killer for any Warhammer fan.
The book starts off on one path of a war versus the Orks but then quickly switches to a much smaller scale story of exploring caves. Personally , I almost wish the book had gone for a full blown war story with the Orks as the inclusion of the Necrons felt forced and almost pointless.
The majority of the book is spent just exploring caves with very little happening and then the ending feels rushed and cheap as Cain is just lucky enough to have the tech priest and end up in the promethium pipe that leads directly to a control centre. This made the Necron threat feel cheap as there is never a direct conflict between the Valhallans and them or outwitting them , they just get lucky which takes away all the stakes of the books
The one thing I can compliment this book on, is that when things do pick up and there is action , the action is wrote perfectly , it feels tense and visceral almost like you are there staring down the terrifying view of a squad of flayed one’s with nowhere to run.
This book is a lot weaker compared to the first, however it is still a pleasant time killer for any Warhammer fan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2021
This is the second book in the Ciaphas Cain series and follows *For the Emperor.* It is stand alone and doesn't require knowledge of the first novel's events. It is similar in structure to the first book: Cain visits a marginal planet in crisis and undercovers a deeper and more dangerous conspiracy than the initial crisis (in this case it is an Ork assault on an imperial promethium refinery on the ice world of Simia Orichalcae). There are some interesting world-building touches. I particularly enjoyed the character of the Junior Mechanicum Tech Priest, Logash. There are other cool Warhammer 40k cameos but I don't want to spoil them. Although this was fun, I preferred the first novel to this one. The first novel was really enjoyable for the atmosphere and the witty dialog. You get to experience the setting and the characters in a low stakes way. In this novel, however, because it is an ongoing battle, there is a sustained state of crisis that gets tiring after a while. Still, a great "picaresque" view of the 40k world.
March 6, 2021
Ciaphas Cain returns for what looks like a straight forward assignment—protecting a promethium refinery from marauding orcs—but turns out to be anything but. Orcs begin to look like a peewee football team compared to the real threat that Cain and his people uncover. This one gets into the divisions within imperial forces as well as the very real dangers the galaxy holds for them. But perhaps the most interesting part was the lengths that Cain went to to try and convince the reader that he is actually a self-serving coward cornered into his heroic actions when in fact he is clearly an actual hero doing his duty and doing it very well.
There are a couple of nice surprises in the novel that continually increase the threat to the refinery. The outcome—indeed the stratagem that ultimately leads to victory—is never in doubt. Still, the journey is well worth taking and will leave you ready for me.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
There are a couple of nice surprises in the novel that continually increase the threat to the refinery. The outcome—indeed the stratagem that ultimately leads to victory—is never in doubt. Still, the journey is well worth taking and will leave you ready for me.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
April 12, 2021
Caiaphas Cain, reluctant hero of the Imperium, is back and this time he's got a planet full of Orks and Necrons to deal with - and he's not happy about it. One of the joys of this series are the footnotes provided to Cain's unreliable and unpublished (within its 40k milieu) memoirs by Inquisitor Amberley Vail, a frequent associate and sparring partner for Cain and one of the stronger female characters within 40k. It's a trope borrowed from the Flashman books, where Macdonald Fraser posed as the editor of the long-lost papers of Harry Flashman, but Mitchell takes the idea further by having Vail be a protagonist within some of the stories as well as a sardonic commentator, via a series of footnotes, to Cain's adventures as well. It's a great ploy that plays with all sorts of ideas of metafiction and helps put the Caiaphas Cain books into a different category from almost all other 40k fiction.
October 31, 2023
As with the first audio book in this series, the narration is heads and tails above some of the other books I have listened to. The use of multiple voice talents really lends a nice feel to the story and helps to really enhance the story.
The overall story itself is quite well done. I will say that by the end of it, I was surprised at how... short(?) it felt. The story concentrates on Cain a lot, unlike some other 40k books, so you don't get a sense of the larger conflict other than side notes placed into the text. Because of this, the story feels must smaller than it actually is, and far shorter than it could have been.
This isn't a bad thing, but if you are used to, say Abnett's sweeping sagas, it can be a bit jarring.
Overall though, I really enjoyed this one. There were some good horror elements to the story, the inclusion of xenos lifeforms which was nice to see, and it was a joy to see Cain's regiment in their natural environment.
All in all, a pretty darn good story!
The overall story itself is quite well done. I will say that by the end of it, I was surprised at how... short(?) it felt. The story concentrates on Cain a lot, unlike some other 40k books, so you don't get a sense of the larger conflict other than side notes placed into the text. Because of this, the story feels must smaller than it actually is, and far shorter than it could have been.
This isn't a bad thing, but if you are used to, say Abnett's sweeping sagas, it can be a bit jarring.
Overall though, I really enjoyed this one. There were some good horror elements to the story, the inclusion of xenos lifeforms which was nice to see, and it was a joy to see Cain's regiment in their natural environment.
All in all, a pretty darn good story!
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