Genre: science fiction
Subgenre: military scifi, Warhammer 40,000
Format: paperback omnibus
Source: I own this one.
The novella "Red and Black" had some good pacing, and it presented an ethical dilemma (the sentient clones) for Miriya and the other sisters as they realize all is not as it seems in a newly rediscovered imperial world. In the end, the taint of Chaos cannot prevail, but is the cost worth it? Miriya may be sure, but the readers not so much. It is a tale that offers a small element of horror to it.
The first full novel in this omnibus is Faith and Fire. Miriya and her team head out to Neva. The story starts with her team escorting a prisoner that, for some strange reason her superiors want to keep alive, a psyker witch. The prisoner manages to escape, and it falls to Miriya to capture him again. However, the witch is the least of her concerns as her superiors often make things difficult for her, and if that was not bad enough, the local ecclesiarchy authorities have a whole other agenda of their own, an agenda that involves Vaun the witch. Vaun also has an agenda of his own. Miriya needs to work around all of this to succeed. The novel starts a bit slow, but it does pick up the pace, especially after Sister Verity arrives. As the plot thickens, the story gets more interesting, leading to the inevitable confrontation of opposing forces. To be honest, I was not too happy with the ending for Miriya, but it does set things up for the second novel in the series: Hammer and Anvil. Sister Miriya is a strong, independent woman who does not always see eye to eye with her superiors in the Ecclesiarchy, but she does remain loyal and devoted to the Emperor.
The second novel of the series, Hammer and Anvil, is included in this volume. I had read it previously in paperback from my local public library. It is a work I enjoyed, and it provides a good continuation of Miriya' and Verity's tales. I had read this novel previously, and I reviewed the book previously here on my blog.
The omnibus ends with the short story "Heart and Soul." Sister Miriya and her squad are at the end of a battle campaign at Meseda Quintus. They are about to launch their final offensive when another squad from another Sororitas order comes in wanting to take their work and glory away. What seems like petty political bickering soon acquires depth as the new squad has ulterior motives for their arrival. Miriya and her team soon find themselves in a fierce battle against Chaos forces, and they are confronted with a secret that could lead to major scandals. Overall, the tale was a nice way to close out this volume.
Overall, I really liked this volume. We do not get a lot of works featuring the Sisters of Battle, so this will give you a good set of tales.
4 out of 5 stars.
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