num_pages: 897
description: In the 41st millennium Commissar Ciaphas Cain, hero of the Imperium, is an inspiration to his men – at least that’s what the propaganda would have you believe…Recruited in their millions from planets all over the Imperium, the human soldiers of the Astra Militarum fight tirelessly to protect mankind from its many enemies. To back up the command structure of the massive regiments, commissars ere employed to maintain discipline and inspire faith. Brave, ferocious and determined, they are true heroes of the Imperium. The roll call of famous commissars is long, but few have achieved the notoriety of Ciaphas Cain. Whether faced with orks, tyranids, or the forces of Chaos, he always somehow manages to emerge triumphant and covered in glory.This stunning slipcase boxed set contains the first three volumes in the eternally popular Ciaphas Cain series – For the Emperor, Caves of Ice and The Traitor’s Hand, together with extra content in the form of additional short stories and editorial introductions.Words from the AuthorThe funny thing about Cain is that I never expected anyone else to like him. Way back in the dim and distant past, so long ago that Black Library published short stories on chunks of dead tree instead of ecologically sound pixels, I was invited to pitch some ideas for Inferno!, the magazine of stories and comic strips set in the Games Workshop universes. And the standard was intimidatingly high. Gotrek and Felix had adventures there. Gaunt’s Ghosts, too.So, rather hesitantly, I suggested this idea I’d had, about a Commissar who, in complete contrast to the archetype, was concerned entirely with his own safety. Only to be told, in no uncertain terms, that humour just didn’t work in the Warhammer 40,000 setting, and to come up with something else. But by that time it was too late. Cain, and his narrative voice, had become embedded in my head, and the only way I could get it out was by writing the story. And, once written, I sent it in anyway, expecting an instant rejection. To my surprise, though, the story sold. And the readers loved it. Almost as soon as the issue hit the shops, the fan mail started coming in. They wanted more. So did the editors. More short stories followed, during which I really began to get to know Cain. Jurgen, too, was beginning to become a character in his own right, more than just the comedy sidekick.Inevitably, the next request was for a novel, which presented a whole new set of challenges. The short stories worked because of Cain’s first person narration, but a Warhammer 40,000 novel is, by definition, a widescreen blockbuster, crammed with incident and really cool explosions. Clearly, I couldn’t keep the focus entirely on Cain, because a lot of the story elements would depend on a much wider context he really wouldn’t care about. The solution was to interpolate an editorial voice, adding footnotes and additional material to fill in the gaps in the narrative. Which, in turn, went a long way towards making the books distinctive. And here I am, a decade and a half later, introducing the first hardcover edition of For the Emperor! and the two books which followed it. Looking back on them, I can see myself developing as a writer from volume to volume, growing in confidence with the longer medium, to the point where, after nine Cain books and a handful of others, I now consider myself primarily a novelist.Which probably accounts for my fondness for a body of work of which I continue to be proud. Without the redoubtable Commissar, and the characters who surround him, I wouldn’t be the writer I am today. Working for Black Library, and with its exceptionally fine editors, developed my craft and my confidence in a way all authors should experience, and which far too few do. I’m getting the itch to return to his adventures, and looking forward to hearing what he’s got to say for himself when he starts to dictate the next portion of his memoirs.
language: English
title: Ciaphas Cain Trilogy Box Set
publisher: Black Library