The Book of Martyrs, a review.
This book is a trio of stories by three authors of the Black library. Each one looks at the events surrounding the martyrdom of the respective Sisters of Battle. The Sisters of Battle are interesting figures in the Warhammer 40k universe. They are fierce warriors, utterly devoted to the divine figure of the God-Emperor. This is always ironic considering what the Emperor had strode towards in the years before Horus' betrayal. These stories look at the martyrdom of Sister Ishani, Sister Anarchia, and Sister Laurelyn. Each story is well told, and they show different examples of how a Sister can reach such martyrdom in the 40k universe. These stories are varied stylistically and in their messages of faith. Especially in regards to their particular belief in the Emperor. Of the three, The Martyrdom of Laurelyn is my personal favorite, though I enjoyed all of them.
The Martyrdom of Sister Ishane is the first of the three. Sister Ishane is a Hospitaller, a healer as much as she is a warrior. She has taken on the responsibilities of the previous Hospitaller, on a moon amid a meteor field in a region of space known as Segmentum Obscurus. She has joined her Sisters of the Valorous Heart in the agri-bunker, Persepia Solitaris. Whilst there, not able to contact anyone amid the debris field, they discover that something has come to the moon, something foul and alien. It is a desperate fight to keep the creatures from attaining their goal. It is a fight that rapidly turns against them. Sister Ishane sets on a desperate course of action, a course of action that is destined to bring about her ending regardless of the outcome. The fighting is well written and the story reveals a unique look at a familiar enemy. The Tyranids are impeccable foes, relentless and unknowable. Sister Ishane is a torn figure, holding onto her belief in the Emperor but angry at the sudden turn of events. Sister Ishane finds herself at odds with how different things are from how she had come to believe her life would play out. That conflict does not shake her from what she knows must be done in the face of this attack.
The Martyrdom of Sister Anarchia is a simpler tale. Captured by the Tau, the story unfolds with the sister held by the Xenos. Her captors seek to turn one of the famed Sisters of Battle to their side. No Sister of Battle has been turned before and they plan for her to be the first. Through the use of familiar tactics, they are seeking to discover the source of her faith. The Tau believe that they can discover how her faith works and discover at what point her faith can be turned against her. The Tau are hoping to turn that knowledge to their advantage in the conflict with the Imperium moving forward. As a people they have little use for religion, they find the idea strange but are willing to use it to further their message of the Greater Good. Sister Anarchia endures weeks of torture, unable to ever get a moment of sleep as they seek to keep her awake until exhaustion overwhelms her. It is a useful technique and one that gives the impression that they are treating her well by most standards. They even let her keep her power armour. That choice is predicated on the belief that the armour is not a weapon, and may provide her some comfort. As she endures her capture, the reader is shown moments of her time on the planet with her squad. The events that led to her capture by the Tau are shown in flashbacks. I enjoyed how the story showed her enduring such treatment yet remaining vigilant for the moment to seek a way to hurt her captors, to turn a momentary lax to her advantage.
The Martyrdom of Sister Laurelyn is a siege tale. A single squad from the Order of the Bloody Rose stands on a world besieged by Chaos, led by the newly appointed Sister Superior. Of them all, this felt like the most familiar of the trio. A single squad of warriors is set against innumerable foes with a mission to complete. Her squad has come to a world that has worshipped the Emperor as the God-in-the mountain returning to guide them back to the religion of the greater Imperium. These faithful face an army of Chaos, people, and things that worship Grandfather Nurgle. The people of Bellepheron face the army of the Vanaar and find themselves pushed back. Pushed back to a bastion that has weathered such storms before. The Sister Superior has her squad in place, attempting to advise the leaders of the Keep as the siege approaches but finding her warnings shot down by their long-serving general. As a new arrival to the planet, an obvious outsider, they are reluctant to heed her advice, but she remains determined to carry out her duties. It is obvious from the beginning of the siege that no allies are coming, no sanctuary to retreat to, and all they have are those within the city walls. Against the legions of the Chaos forces, there is little chance of survival here. That does not daunt Laurelyn or her Sisters.
Each story is set against the backdrop of the Indomitus Crusade, and the changes wrought to the galaxy by the fell ambitions of Chaos. It is interesting to see how the timeline influences these stories and how this new 'normal' has impacted those throughout the galaxy. The book does a good job of expanding the lore surrounding the Sisters of Battle, and those that they fight.
I would recommend this book to any fan of the Warhammer 40k universe. It is an easy read, with each story novella sized. They are easy to digest quickly in this format. The action is well written, but each one works best when focusing on the characters. The struggles of the Sisters are what really drive each story. Thankfully, each author has a distinctive authorial voice and utilizes that to give each story its own feel.
I'd give this book a seven out of ten stars. It is a solid read that I enjoyed. It might not be for everyone, it depends on your view on the Sisters of Battle. It does a great job of expanding the lore on the Sisters of Battle. I would recommend it to fans of sci-fi and grim-dark.
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