Mostly bolter porn but still a cut above thanks to Cain, Jurgen and Vail. ( )

A very enjoyable, well-paced Ciaphas Cain novel, this one throws in a curveball as Cain joins forces with the Xenos race Tau to defend Fecundia from a mass tyranid invasion straight from the depths of the the warp itself. Straight up, this novel would have been very readable on its own, but throw in the background comedy and heroic reluctance Cain is so well known for, not to mention a lot of extremely good fortune, and this book really delivers. The plot element that really cemented this book for me was Cain's involvement with the Adeptus Mechanicus on the wasteworld Fecundia. Cain discovers a nefarious plot involving the Mechanicus and the tyranids (trying to avoid spoilers here) and from that point on the novel really sails. I am caught up now with Cain novels and I hope Mitchell pens another one soon. ( )