Teaser

Morvenn Vahl sits atop the complex hierarchy of the Adepta Sororitas, but even she has her moments of doubt. When a Chaos warband besieges a holy world, Vahl must face not only the warriors outside, but the demons within . . .

Review

Way back in the day (by which I mean the early 2000s), author James Swallow was the first to place the Sisters of Battle front-and-centre in a novel of their own. The novels Faith and Fire and Hammer and Anvil proved to be something of a rebuttal to those who saw Warhammer as a boys-only club, but it was some time before the Adepta Sororitas made a bigger impact on bookshelves. In the past few years, however, we’ve had Mark of Faith from Rachel Harrison, a series of novellas, short stories, and a novel from Danie Ware chronicling the saga of Sister Augusta of the Bloody Rose, and the start of a new Adepta Sororitas series of unconnected novels by several authors. It is perhaps not a coincidence that the surge in fully-fleshed dfemale protagonists has been accompanied by a rise in the number of female authors writing for Black Library. Coincidence or not, the results have been spectacular, and now Jude Reid (author of last year’s Creed: Ashes of Cadia) has joined the ranks of the Sororitas authors with Morvenn Vahl: Spear of Faith. Though its title bears the pattern of Warhammer’s Character novels, this is a full-length offering that takes us into the psyche and history of the Sisters of Battle.

Right off the bat I’ll say that this is a novel that could have been longer. This is a common thought I have with Warhammer books. Everything flows nicely, the action is solid, and the plot unfolds very well, but I could have done with some more depth. It’s not that what we get is bad, only that I wish it could be better. A few more chapters could have added a lot of richness. That being said, the constraints and deadlines associated with tie-in fiction are radically different to other corners of publishing, and being left wanting more is generally a better fate than being overwhelmed with too much.

Most Sisters of Battle novels, by dint of who they’re about, tackle the issue of faith in some capacity. It’s a common thread that I will never get tired of, and Reid does a good job of showing the doubts that crop up in even the highest-ranking members of the Sororitas. I particularly like the questions of duty that arise during this novel. Vahl is, at heart, a crusader, but has attained a rank where she must also play politician. The conflict between these two roles drives much of her self-doubt, with the demand of the Imperium and those of its God-Emperor not always in perfect alignment. Her clashes with those who share only one of these duties are illuminating, with these external conflicts never braking into open violence, but contrition and debate. In particular, the interplay between the Sororitas and the Black Templars I something I’d love to see more of.

If Sororitas and Astartes are joined by duty, then the Night Lords pose a darkness to their light. ‘The Death of Saints’ is possibly the best title ever given to a Warhammer villain, and he certainly live sup to that name. Yes, we see the usual cavalcade of mutants, traitors, and daemons, but its the Death of Saints who rules the roost when it comes to chaos. Even though he’s a one-off villain for this book alone, he gets a backstory to rival any of Warhammer’s more famous heroes or villains. It’s a tangled tale which parallels the story of the Sororitas in so many ways, and the ancient links between the two are pulled off to perfection.

Between this and Ashes of Cadia, readers will get a good feel for Reid’s writing. One thing I particularly admire is her willingness to kill characters. Sure, all Warhammer books have a high death toll. It’s the name of the game. But in Reid’s books, no one is safe. Rich backstory? You’re dead. Important mission to complete? Hope you’ve got a friend to do it for you. PoV character? Haha, still getting bumped off next chapter. It’s as brilliantly bloodthirsty as a Warhammer book should be.

Morvenn Vahl: Spear of Faith had a touch group of books to run alongside, but it’s safe to say that the Sisters of Battle have scored another victory here.

Book Stats

• A Standalone Novel
• Focuses on the Adepta Sororitas
• Published by Black Library in 2024
• 313 Pages