Review of The Emperor's Finest by Sandy Mitchell

Author:  Sandy Mitchell.
Title:  The Emperor's Finest.
Publisher:  The Black Library.
Copyright:  2010.
Pages:  316.
Price:  $24.99 (US).

Overview:
This is a Warhammer 40K novel told by Commissar Ciaphas Cain about his exploits as an Imperial Guard liaison to the Reclaimer Space Marines.  Cain and the Reclaimers come to the Fidelis star system to deal with a planetary rebellion.  It turns out to be a genestealer infestation.

The space marines make short work of the stealers and infected Planetary Defense Force.  Cain becomes involved the planetary governor's daughter, who has eyes for him.  Cain's underling, Jurgen, catches up to his old boss.  But the Reclaimers and their techmarines have unfinished business for a drifting space hulk, called The Spawn of Damnation.  Cain, his lover, and Jurgen get carted away by the Space Marines who are in pursuit of the genestealers.

Along the way, the Marines accidently run into a huge Ork fleet.  After barely escaping, they arrive in the Serendipita star system.  Cain learns the techmarines want to board the hulk for rare Dark Age technology.  He advises against it.  But Cain is overruled.  The hulk then appears at the outskirts of Serendipita.  But the boarding parts are repulsed.

Left trapped on the hulk, Cain and Jurgen survive by their wits as they find there are two competing armies of xenos on The Spawn of Damnation, namely genestealers and Orks.  Both men avoid patrols of Orks and Gretchin before running into a brood of sleeping stealers.  They finally make it to the center of the hulk as the genestealers close in.  But Cain and Jurgen are saved when they are teleported back to the Reclaimer's battle cruiser.

The meantime, Cain's former lover turns her attention to the local planetary governor.  She politely asks Cain to leave the planet in the time of her wedding day...

Good book.  Entertaining.  Recommended.