A review by bogdanbalostin
For the Emperor by Sandy Mitchell
5.0
I started reading this because it was hyped as a funny Warhammer 40K book/series.
Let me tell you that it's not as funny as I expected. Yes, it's more humorous and witty than the standard W40K but then again, almost everything has more personality than run-of-the-mill military SF in a grimdark universe.
For one, Ciaphas Cain, the famous coward is actually a self-deprecating hero who always makes the right choices. So he's not the character to make fun of. What about the other characters? Well, truth be told, they are the standard Warhammer 40K stereotypes, all either very abled or making stupid decisions due to the bureaucratic process.
If not funny, then what? By trying to make a humorous story in a grimdark universe but still relying on hero tropes, Sandy Mitchel managed to create characters that sound and act human but still heroic. It definitely feels different than a Warhammer 40K novel, but in some ways, not so much. It's hard to pinpoint the exact feeling these novels evoke. I'm sure some will hate it, some will love it, some will be confused about it. Nevertheless, I recommend it.
Let me tell you that it's not as funny as I expected. Yes, it's more humorous and witty than the standard W40K but then again, almost everything has more personality than run-of-the-mill military SF in a grimdark universe.
For one, Ciaphas Cain, the famous coward is actually a self-deprecating hero who always makes the right choices. So he's not the character to make fun of. What about the other characters? Well, truth be told, they are the standard Warhammer 40K stereotypes, all either very abled or making stupid decisions due to the bureaucratic process.
If not funny, then what? By trying to make a humorous story in a grimdark universe but still relying on hero tropes, Sandy Mitchel managed to create characters that sound and act human but still heroic. It definitely feels different than a Warhammer 40K novel, but in some ways, not so much. It's hard to pinpoint the exact feeling these novels evoke. I'm sure some will hate it, some will love it, some will be confused about it. Nevertheless, I recommend it.