Cain's Last Stand

Another fun adventure for the wily commissar. Ciaphas Cain is finally enjoying retirement. I bet he was thinking he was safe, that he made it to retirement in one piece. Plus, nice cushy job in a schola teaching cadet commissars. Life is good. But trouble and mayhem just have a way to find him. So, when a Dark Crusade threatens Perlia, Cain and his cadets along with every able-bodied person have to rise to the defense of the planet. He will have to use all his guile and skill to make it through once more. And if that were not enough, the Inquisition has given him a secret task that is crucial to the survival of the galaxy (ain't that always the case?).

What I enjoy about this series is the nice combination of light humor with the dark, show more grim military scifi of Warhammer 40K. For this novel, there is a nice element of comfort for Ciaphas is returning the setting of a previous adventure. Years have passed, and after the previous invasion, Cain is now seen as The Liberator and a hero, much to his chagrin given his preference for the quiet life. At any rate, it was a very entertaining and enjoyable book. Fans of the series will enjoy it, but some may find a bit of a feeling of going back through previously trod ground. For me, that was just fine. Seeing Cain now as military academy teacher was an interesting take.

In the end, I will note that though many like to compare Cain to Flashman, Cain is not really a coward. I do not think the comparison is fair. The man is more the sort of guy who just wants an easy life and minimal attention and spotlight. But he certainly is a skilled warrior, duelist, and in the end, always does the right thing. He is a pragmatic fellow. And maybe that is why I enjoy these books so much. I will certainly be looking for the next one in the series. show less

Not as engaging or humorous as previous Cain novels by Mitchell, this one finds the reluctant hero retired on his "home" world of Perlia spending his time as an instructor at a local schola. His reputation from a previous battle on Perlia precedes him as the local PDF and other known officers of previous skirmishes seek his counsel and Hero status as a plot is uncovered of Chaos forces planning a raid on the planet in search of an artifact of immeasurable power. This object, the Shadowlight, was used in a previous Cain book, and Cain figures it must be protected at all costs. What he ultimately discovers is a Xenos plot that could lead to even greater disaster in future Cain books. Mitchell spends an inordinate amount of time on set up show more and bureaucracy in this one, and the reader needs a certain amount of discipline to get to the better parts near the end. show less

‘Cain’s Last Stand’ is a book by Sandy Mitchell based in the war hammer 40k universe. In this novel we return to one of the most popular series of this franchise. In this instalment we discover that the unlikely hero has retired after a long distinguished career. This is a novel with the familiar twists and turns with our lovable hero again in action with a few new faces it is a novel filled with suspense and action. I could not put it down from start to finish. I recommend to any avid reader and fans of the series hope you enjoy it.