Book Club #58: For the Emperor by Sandy Mitchell

Every two weeks we read a new book in the WH40k universe and discuss it on our podcast. We invite you to read along with us and join in on our conversation via comments, Twitter, email, or vox cast.

For this episode we’re diving into the first Ciaphas Cain book, For the Emperor by Sandy Mitchell. You can purchase on Amazon, or Black Library. Sorry, audio fans, this one is not available in audio format.

From the back of the book:

On an Imperial outpost world on the fringes of t’au space, the renowned Commissar Ciaphas Cain and his fractious regiment of Valhallan Guard, newly created from the remnants of two devastated units, find themselves in the middle of a war. As the Astra Militarum struggle to contain worldwide civil insurrection, can the wily Commissar Cain identify the real villain before the planet is lost to the Imperium forever?

Questions to ponder after reading For the Emperor: 

• Did you like the book?
• What parts stood out?
• The style and tone of this book is unlike anything else we’ve read. Did you like the humor? What were some of your favorite gags?
• What do you think about Ciaphas Cain, in general? How does he compare to other commissars we’ve read?
• Did the narrative structure work for you? Who is the “worst” narrator? Cain, Logar, or Sulla?
• This is a new way of seeing the T’au. What did you think of the political situation in general?
• Did you see Grice’s angle? Were you surprised by the reveal?