Review: The Traitor's Hand
The Traitor's Hand by Sandy MitchellMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Summary
Commissar Caiphas Cain, hero of the Imperium, returns; this time to face the vile heretics who worship the ruinous powers of chaos. Assigned to the Imperial planet Adumbria, with no gravitational spin, and thus each hemisphere is stagnant in its orientation. Where one side is always facing the sun and is scorched, but habitable. While the side, facing the darkness of space, is perpetual Winterland.
The caveat being, a narrow stretch of land in between, in the equatorial region, called the shadow belt, where the climate is barely habitable, and where most of the populace resides. It’s quite a unique geography this planet has, reminiscent of some of the wackier islands from One piece. I bet there is some point in the shadow belt, some mountain, where you could stand on, and see the contrasting land masses; the desert on one hand, and a frozen tundra on the other.
Suspected heretical activity in the planet, leads to Cain and his ever-trusted aide Jurgen, not to mention his faithful Valhallan 597th regimen to make themselves busy, investigating the possible threat, and fortifying themselves against any possible traitor incursions from space.
Over the course of which, he (view spoiler)
Personally, I found ‘The Traitor’s Hand’ to be more engaging than the previous book, ‘The Caves of Ice’. You get much more gags, comical misunderstandings, and more instances of Paradoxical heroism, which make Cain such an engaging character to follow.
Also on display, are his immensely personable nature, a rarity amongst commissars, his rapport with the Valhallan Regiment, his gifted tactical mind, astute deductions when unraveling mysteries, not in the least the ungodly amount of luck which in his case, is a double-edged sword. His perilous fortune often makes day to day happenings go in his favor. But like a karmic balance, in turn puts him front and center when shit hits the fan, and then turns all the way back, giving him regular deus ex machina to get out of that jam. Truly something hilarious to observe.
Someone who finds himself on the other side of Cain’s phenomenal luck, is Tomas Beije, fellow Commissar, and a jealous rival, who is constantly consternated with Cain’s popularity and achievements. Trying his level best, to be a fly in the ointment, to undermine Cain at every possible juncture; often with hilarious blowback.
Characters & their interaction
What the story does exceptionally well, is developing several of the supporting characters, some of whom were introduced back in Book 1. In particular, Cain’s rapport with members of his regiment, from the top leaders Colonel Katheen, Major Broklaw, all the way to the rank-and-file troopers, many of whom idolize him to a pathological decree. Especially future General Sulla, who seems to have a bit of hero worship which comes to the Commissar, while being oblivious to how irritating said hero finds her reckless tactics.
Then there is the ever-present, taciturn, capable aide and right-hand man to the Commissar, Ferik Jurgen. His loyalty to Cain is unquestioned, and is always ready as his shadow, whether it be to deal with day-to-day paperwork, or to save his skin for the 10th time with his trusty Melta, and his concealed ability of being a blank.
It is said that the measure of a person can be gauged based on how they treat those below them. Cain has immense power over Jurgen, partly due to being his superior, and partly because Jurgen is quite literal-minded. A trait desirable for a soldier, but not when it comes to social interactions. There is also his, (quite literal, no insult intended) ungodly odor, which makes most people uncomfortable in his presence. Now, this may just be a manifestation of his effect as a blank, but this does tend to leave Jurgen with few friends.
Despite him asserting to keep Jurgen around for his usefulness, through the stories, we can see how Cain treats Jurgen well and doesn’t outwardly insult or treat him with revulsion. He is keenly aware of how valuable Jurgen’s loyalty is and treats it with respect. It’s some of the small things really, how Cain thanks Jurgen each time he brings the commissar his preferred drink, or when he shares his nightmares with the aide, without having to put up a front.
As well as some of the body language he exhibited when interacting with the Valhallens in general. Cain accepts constructive feedback, and in turn his soldiers defer to his skills and expertise. There is trust there, one which runs both ways.
Negatives and Criticism
One concerning thing I’ve noted is how, other than well written characters, the plot itself has become quite repetitive. It goes something like this:
1. Cain & Co arrive on a hostile planet.
2. They encounter hostile enemy faction #1, engage in minor skirmishes, while Cain gains favors.
3. Things Escalate, as they encounter hostile enemy faction #2
4. #1 & #2 are then pitted against one another, while the imperials take advantage of the chaos (pun intended).
5. Cain & a smaller co, end up going underground, crawling through tunnels (Did I mention for the nth time how Cain is a tunnel rat?), encounter the final boss/ conflict
6. Jurgen; Blank; Melta. Nuff Said.
With healthy doses of Amberley Vail repeating the same comments about Cain not caring about any engagements but the one he participated in. At the same time throwing shade at an overzealous Sulla.
For the most part, I understand the encounters and plot serve as backdrops for building the ‘hero of the imperium’. And this is Warhammer 40000 we’re talking about. Almost every story is a war or invasion of some kind. Nonetheless, some variety would be appreciated. Seeing as how there are like 6-7 or more entries in this series, I’m really hoping there is something more as the legend progresses.
This didn’t of course reduce my enjoyment as I was chewing through pages trying to reach the end though. So, the reading value is there; but it could be improved.
View all my reviews
Comments
Post a Comment