Death or Glory

The Martian meets Blackadder!

This is my favourite of the series so far. Ciaphas Cain reprises his role as a Blackadder-esque reluctant hero having to survive against all odds when he and his malodorous aide, Jurgen (think Baldrick), crash land on an enemy planet following a space battle. The only way out is to traverse an inhospitable landscape inhabited by a host of orks.

The events are described from the perspective of Cain, a reluctant hero whose singular talent appears to be ending up in the most dangerous of situations despite his efforts to avoid danger at all costs. His character is well-fleshed out with sarcastic humour, verbose prose, obvious intellect and a very healthy ego. The footnotes and occasional interludes by his show more colleagues suggest that Cain may not be a reliable narrator, and this adds considerably to the enjoyment of this series. He is either a cowardly bull-shit artist or a humble hero. The plot is fast-paced and includes numerous (fairly gory) battle sequences. It’s a quick read despite its verbosity, and is ultimately a jolly good romp. show less

Not quite as humorous as the first three, but no less intelligently written, this novel takes Cain from a crippled transport ship down to the surface of Perlia in a series of death-defying circumstances. Cain (again, reluctantly) finds himself heroically leading a ragtag group of dishevelled Imperial troops and native Perlians against masses of invading and conquering Korbul orks. Pleasurable reading ensues as the reader is once again treated to some golden moments of Cain battling and succeeding against all odds, all the while trying to avoid conflict and get the heck out of Dodge. This one does seem to have more of a straightforward, serious tone, but it's no less enjoyable.

Another entertaining tale of the adventures of Commissar Cain. This tale is interesting because it goes back to an earlier period of his career. He is starting out, but he is still the rascal and hero (sure, it may at times be mistaken heroics, but the guy always does the right thing. I think that definitely defines a hero). This time, Cain falls behind enemy lines, and he pretty much has to fight his way back to the Imperial forces. The novel has the good amounts of humor to go with the military science fiction action, making this an entertaining read. I personally enjoy the Cain novels also because they are written as memoirs, so the editor of the memoirs comes into the narrative with comments, observations, so on that I find show more interesting and entertaining as well. This series is definitely very good, and it is one I recommend. I am already looking forward to the next novel in the series. show less