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Black Library Celebration 2021 #5
The Bigger They Are
A Ciaphas Cain story
A mysterious comet draws Commissar Ciaphas Cain into a dangerous mission, as he faces a foe bigger than any he has ever seen.
READ IT BECAUSE
Enjoy the usual mix of humour, excitement and outrageous, over-the-top action in a new tale of the Imperium's greatest hero (from a certain perspective).
THE STORY
Commissar Ciaphas Cain and the Valhallan 597th are enjoying a rest after dealing with a failed uprising on a peaceful world. Of course, fate intervenes, and a mysterious comet causes catastrophe on a distant island chain. Accompanying the planet's governor as she investigates, Cain find destruction – and danger.
A mysterious comet draws Commissar Ciaphas Cain into a dangerous mission, as he faces a foe bigger than any he has ever seen.
READ IT BECAUSE
Enjoy the usual mix of humour, excitement and outrageous, over-the-top action in a new tale of the Imperium's greatest hero (from a certain perspective).
THE STORY
Commissar Ciaphas Cain and the Valhallan 597th are enjoying a rest after dealing with a failed uprising on a peaceful world. Of course, fate intervenes, and a mysterious comet causes catastrophe on a distant island chain. Accompanying the planet's governor as she investigates, Cain find destruction – and danger.
37 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2021
23 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Sandy Mitchell
103 books423 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 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 31, 2023
Another gripping Ciaphas Cain short story... A relatively mundane assignment for the Valhallan 597th becomes a desperate battle for survival when a random comet drops a Tyranid bio-titan onto an Imperial backwater world in the middle of their equivalent of the World Cup. With the monster bearing down on a stadium full of panicking civilians (which equals an all you can eat buffet to a Tyranid), Cain and company must think fast to find a way to neutralise the monster before it can dig in... (Reading this, I couldn't help but imagine a Tyranid Hierophant - look it up! - looming over Wembley Stadium...)
February 27, 2021
Cain is the hero the Imperium needs, even if most of it is accidental... or the only way out. Sandy Mitchell returns to the well loved character for this short story as Cain enjoys what is almost a short holiday on a remote world which has not seen any danger for 200 years..
Of course, that's about to change, and with the help of the Governor and the PDF Cain must stop the destruction of a city and all it's inhabitants - including himself.
Of course, that's about to change, and with the help of the Governor and the PDF Cain must stop the destruction of a city and all it's inhabitants - including himself.
October 1, 2025
40k in 40 words: “The Bigger They Are” is classic Ciaphas Cain: dry humor, reluctant heroics, and chaos unfolding around a commissar who wants none of it. Mitchell delivers a tight tale where cowardice and luck masquerade as brilliance against overwhelming, monstrous foes.
January 11, 2022
It's not bad, but it's also absolutely nothing new or innovative for the series. Mostly just feels like an excuse to go wave at old friends and chat, pleasant but not really interesting.
March 16, 2022
Good action as always
Cain and Jurgen and a Nid Bio-Titan, what more can you ask for, throw in some solid humor, a win all around.
Cain and Jurgen and a Nid Bio-Titan, what more can you ask for, throw in some solid humor, a win all around.
October 3, 2022
Cain and the 'Nids have a long relationship and pleased Sandy brought them back in a kaiju-sized helping.
September 3, 2023
Read as part of the Ciaphas Cain Omnibus
August 4, 2024
Decent short story
Decent short story. Nothing special.but entertaining quick read. Usual Cain hijinks. Narrowly save the day, flirt with the ladies sort of thing.
Decent short story. Nothing special.but entertaining quick read. Usual Cain hijinks. Narrowly save the day, flirt with the ladies sort of thing.
January 15, 2025
A fun read.
August 7, 2025
Very fun.
February 22, 2022
My guilty pleasure series has added a story so short that the ‘sample’ bundled with it is fully 48% of the pages. Also managed to ditch most of Cain’s character - they’re now the bright honourable guy who has the good idea and saves the day. Could literally be in any sci-fi setting with a couple of names changed.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews