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A review by siderealex
Mark of Faith by Rachel Harrison
4.0
Really great novel that doesn't concern itself with the boring superhuman space marines (I say this as a space marines player) but rather with the flawed psyches of two of my favorite factions in the Warhammer 40,000 universe - the Inquisition and the Sisters of Battle. They are part of the militant arm of the Imperium of Man; religious zealots that seek out and destroy heretics for a human empire which essentially practices clerical fascism in worship of the God-Emperor of Mankind. It's horrible and insane and badass and satirical all at the same time.
The book is written from the first-person PoV of an Inquisitor and a Sister of Battle. This structure allows the reader a glimpse into the minds of humans thrust into extraordinary circumstances and for us to put a little bit of ourselves in their shoes, making the book all the more visceral. This is Warhammer 40,000 at its best. Personal, human; an epic juxtaposition between the frailty and strength of an individual human coming up against the existential and realized horror of a universe out to murder them. It's difficult to relate to superman space marines or space elves or whatever other fantastical species many 40k novels are written from.
Indeed, the plot plays second fiddle to the cacophony going on inside the main characters' heads. It's OK as a vehicle to drive character development, but features a stereotypical McGuffin and enemy, although the scenes during warp travel were pretty cool. Mark of Faith is primarily about psychological struggle and the tug-of-war between faith and duty and self-interest that affects every human, whether here on Terra or out in the galaxy. The novel does feature some of the oft-derided "bolter porn" so common in Warhammer 40,000, but it's relatively well-done and serves as a vehicle to both externalize and contest the aforementioned psychological struggles the characters are dealing with.
The writing is solid, although I noticed everyone tends to "frown" a lot. I guess that's just the default facial expression in the grim darkness of the future in which there is only war.
There's also a lot of "shallow breathing" and singing during battle, which gets a little corny and repetitive towards the end.
Also check out Requiem Infernal by Peter Fehervari if you're interested in more Sisters.
The book is written from the first-person PoV of an Inquisitor and a Sister of Battle. This structure allows the reader a glimpse into the minds of humans thrust into extraordinary circumstances and for us to put a little bit of ourselves in their shoes, making the book all the more visceral. This is Warhammer 40,000 at its best. Personal, human; an epic juxtaposition between the frailty and strength of an individual human coming up against the existential and realized horror of a universe out to murder them. It's difficult to relate to superman space marines or space elves or whatever other fantastical species many 40k novels are written from.
Indeed, the plot plays second fiddle to the cacophony going on inside the main characters' heads. It's OK as a vehicle to drive character development, but features a stereotypical McGuffin and enemy, although the scenes during warp travel were pretty cool. Mark of Faith is primarily about psychological struggle and the tug-of-war between faith and duty and self-interest that affects every human, whether here on Terra or out in the galaxy. The novel does feature some of the oft-derided "bolter porn" so common in Warhammer 40,000, but it's relatively well-done and serves as a vehicle to both externalize and contest the aforementioned psychological struggles the characters are dealing with.
The writing is solid, although I noticed everyone tends to "frown" a lot. I guess that's just the default facial expression in the grim darkness of the future in which there is only war.
There's also a lot of "shallow breathing" and singing during battle, which gets a little corny and repetitive towards the end.
Also check out Requiem Infernal by Peter Fehervari if you're interested in more Sisters.