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James Swallow
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Faith and Fire (Sisters of Battle) Mass Market Paperback – March 28, 2006

by James Swallow (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars 104 ratings
In the nightmarish world of the forty-first millennium, in which the witch-hunting zealots of the Sisters of Battle are the only thing standing between humankind and the evil around them, Torris Vaun, a dangerous psychic heretic, escapes from custody, disgracing Serapahim Miriya, in the eyes of her colleagues. Original.
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  1. Book 1 of 2
    Sisters of Battle
  2. Print length
    416 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Games Workshop
  5. Publication date
    March 28, 2006
  6. Dimensions
    4.25 x 1 x 6.75 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1844162893
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1844162895
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James Swallow has written several books, including Star Trek: Terok Nor: Day of the Vipers and Seeds of Dissent (from Star Trek: Myriad Universes: Infinity's Prism); the Sundowners quartet of ‘steampunk’ science fiction Westerns (Ghost Town, Underworld, Iron Dragon and Showdown); the best-selling novelization of The Butterfly Effect; The Flight of the Eisenstein, Faith and Fire and Jade Dragon; the 2000AD tie-ins Eclipse, Blood Relative and Whiteout; Stargate Atlantis: Halcyon; and the Blood Angels duology Deus Encarmine and Deus Sanguinius.

In addition, Swallow’s short fiction has appeared in Inferno! and Stargate magazine, the anthologies Star Trek Voyager: Distant Shores, the Doctor Who Short Trips collections Dalek Empire and Destination Prague, Something Changed, Collected Works, What Price Victory and Silent Night.

His non-fiction includes Dark Eye: The Films of David Fincher and books on writing, genre television and animation; he has also written for Star Trek: Voyager, Doctor Who and Space 1889, along with several scripts for audio and videogames.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Games Workshop
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 28, 2006
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1844162893
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1844162895
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.25 x 1 x 6.75 inches
  • Book 1 of 2 ‏ : ‎ Sisters of Battle
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 104 ratings

About the author

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James Swallow

James Swallow

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James Swallow is a New York Times, Sunday Times and Amazon bestselling author, a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) nominee, a former journalist and the award-winning writer of over sixty books, along with numerous scripts for video games, radio and television.

His Marc Dane novels are fast-paced action thrillers featuring a former MI6 field officer turned private security operative; NOMAD is the first in the series, published in the US by Forge. DARK HORIZON, his new stand-alone thriller, is out now from Welbeck; OUTLAW, the 6th Marc Dane novel, is published by Bonnier, and the 4th book in the series - SHADOW - is available in the USA from Forge.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
104 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book readable, appreciating its entertaining storyline and sci-fi action scenes. They like the character development, with one customer specifically noting the inclusion of female protagonists.

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10 customers mention "Readability"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable and readable, appreciating the sprinkling of heresy that makes it fun.

"...This one was nice to read, with a good twist to it and showing nicely the dystopian issues with the 40k universe...." Read more

"...These Sisters are devout, determined, and Tough-As-Nails. Great characters...." Read more

"awsome read.would recomend for any battel nun players.now im off to read the next one!hope this helps with anyone debateing to buy these books." Read more

"...Though I've been quite critical above, the book is not completely without merit, but those problems make suspension of disbelief virtually..." Read more

10 customers mention "Story quality"10 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, describing it as solid and entertaining with sci-fi action elements, and one customer notes it stays true to the lore.

"...This one was nice to read, with a good twist to it and showing nicely the dystopian issues with the 40k universe...." Read more

"...Lots of good ole sci-fi action with these Battle Sisters. A great plot and a pretty darn good evil cold-hearted villain..." Read more

"An excellent work of fiction. For one a BL authors who cares about getting the details of cannon right and treats the Sisters with respect...." Read more

"...The plot is fairly standard action adventure fair, linear with little in the way of additional twists or turns...." Read more

4 customers mention "Character development"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, with one mentioning it features female protagonists.

"...These Sisters are devout, determined, and Tough-As-Nails. Great characters...." Read more

"...The characters are two dimensional, and all but Miriya's motivations, which seem limited to the "faith and fire" of the title, seem inconsistent,..." Read more

"...it's got female protagonists, it's a look into a faction that's hinted at in a lot of other material but never seems to be the star...." Read more

"...Characters are decently assembled and avoid the mary-sue sentence of many space marine characters...." Read more

Stellar novel!
5 out of 5 stars
Stellar novel!
Sister Superior Miriya of the Adepta Sororitas and her Battle Sisters are part of the Order of our Martyred Lady. Miriya's group is a Celestian squad. They are usually deployed for front line combat operations. Even though they are used to fighting at the heart of heretic confrontations and mutant uprisings, they do not balk when they are given a simple duty such as this one, a prisoner escort. Miriya's elite squad is the deliver Torris Vaun, a dangerous psychic heretic, to Lord Viktor LaHayn on the planet Neva. Vaun had been locked up tight, sealed up, automatic gun mounts at ready, and guards placed around him, yet he still managed to escape. Seraphim Miriya is disgraced in the eyes of her fellow sisters and superiors. Miriya and her sisters follow Vaun to Neva with thoughts of capturing him and perhaps wreck a bit of vengeance. They end up uncovering a dark and horrible plot that could very well destroy the Imperium. ***** This is the only novel I have found that stars the Sisters of Battle. I certainly hope there will be more forthcoming. Battle is joined and blood has spilled before I even reached the second chapter. It remained full of action until the very end. Author James Swallow paints a vivid picture that pulled me in quickly and brought the story to life. Stellar novel! ***** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Algesan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Nicely done
    Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    This is a good novel, mainly because the focus is on the Sisters as a distinct unit. In the vast majority of the Black Library tales, Sisters are used for a variety of purposes ranging from semi-villains as righteous warriors of the Emperor to dupes as righteous warriors of the Emperor to inspiring and deadly fighters as righteous warriors of the Emperor.

    This one was nice to read, with a good twist to it and showing nicely the dystopian issues with the 40k universe.

    There are the usual Black Library "oopsies" in translating from the tabletop game, namely:
    That somehow powered armor allows troops to walk through entire regiments of troops firing small arms and light heavy weapons with only the occasional "unlucky" powered armor troop getting knocked out of combat.
    That Storm Bolters somehow hit harder or are more deadly at close range than regular Bolters when they are exactly the same.
    That straight Rhino chassis armored vehicles like Immolators can somehow drive through hails of fire and survive, when even lighter support weapons have the potential to damage and eventually kill them. It would actually be a toss up in some of the battles as to whether the heaviest armored vehicles could bunch through some of that firepower.
    That non-Imperial Guard units, despite supposedly being just as disciplined in fire combat as the best IG units, somehow have less ability to put fire down range than IG. This one is for game balance.

    Those just have to be expected though, because it would really kill the plot line of most of these novels to actually have the squad riding to the assault in a transport end up walking or taking casualties from it exploding and then getting cut down by a torrent of small arms fire as they charge forward shooting.
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  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good ole sci-fi action, these Battle Sisters are Tough!
    Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This could go easily to 4 1/2 stars, if not 5. But whatever the rating I enjoyed this book a lot. I read it in paperback form, which is a big deal to me, as I have been a Kindle junkie for over 5 years now. But I picked up this book for less than $5 and it was worth it to me to read it in PB.

    Lots of good ole sci-fi action with these Battle Sisters. A great plot and a pretty darn good evil cold-hearted villain (with a mysterious backstory that fits into the plot). These Sisters are devout, determined, and Tough-As-Nails. Great characters.

    I will for sure read the 2nd Battle Sisters book written by this author: Hammer and Anvil. I will also be on the hunt for anymore Black Library books featuring the Warrior Nuns.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Josh
    5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent work of fiction
    Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    An excellent work of fiction. For one a BL authors who cares about getting the details of cannon right and treats the Sisters with respect. Does a very good job of treating the powers of their faith in a way consistent with fluf regarding how sentient minds interact with the warp and how that allows the Emperor to help them.
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  • 31rls31
    5.0 out of 5 stars awsome read
    Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    awsome read.would recomend for any battel nun players.now im off to read the next one!hope this helps with anyone debateing to buy these books.
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  • Sean B. Schoonmaker
    3.0 out of 5 stars Too Divine By Far...
    Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2006
    Verified Purchase
    In his third Black Library novel set in Games Workshop's Warhammer 40K universe, M. Swallow uses female heroines of the Adepta Sororitas: Sister Miriya, an elite Celestian Superior and Sister Verity, a non-militant Hospitalier. The story is a rather standard action plot, with no additional personal journeys or significant character development to get in the way.

    The characters are two dimensional, and all but Miriya's motivations, which seem limited to the "faith and fire" of the title, seem inconsistent, particularly in Sister Verity. She alternates between capable and cowering, proficient and pacifist. The supporting cast is stereotypical: the stern but fair Canoness, aggressive Seraphim, and steadfast Sisters, reading like the entries of their Codex for the 40K wargame.

    The villains are similarly single-minded and would be familiar to any fan of the older James Bond films. They monologue (to borrow the term from The Incredibles) and say things to the effect of, "Before I leave you here to die, let me explain my fiendish plan..."

    The plot is fairly standard action adventure fair, linear with little in the way of additional twists or turns. The combat scenes read a little like a battle report from the tabletop game, which is interesting if you like a top-down viewpoint, but less so if you prefer your action more immediate and personal. There is little foreshadowing and plot devices sometimes literally fall from the sky. Our heroines emerge unscathed from clearly fatal situations, or vital pieces of their kit conveniently happen to be in the hands of the low-level thugs they just killed. If you like your protagonists to overcome climactic confrontations by divine intervention, in somewhat Homeric tradition, along the lines of "Our faith in the Emperor saved us," then you'll enjoy the finale. If you prefer characters that get by on their own strengths and skills, then perhaps you won't.

    The plot would be more forgivable if M. Swallow accurately captured the feel the 40K universe. Unfortunately, his descriptions feel a bit to contemporary, such as specifically calling a meltagun a microwave, and the anachronistic language common to the setting is just a bit off, such as calling an auspex a "sense-taker." He also takes a liberty or two for the sake of the story, such as the somewhat unlikely situation that every psyker on the planet ended up a pyrokinetic.

    Though I've been quite critical above, the book is not completely without merit, but those problems make suspension of disbelief virtually impossible for a significant length of time. In short: those 40K readers who aren't completists might want to let this "soon to be series" pass them by.
    13 people found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Women in power armor.
    Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    A fun story filled with purging heretics and watching women in power armour get killed cause they can't seem to wear their helmets.
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  • iknowiknow
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good Story, rushed ending
    Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    My favorite faction in Warhammer is the Sisters of Battle, so you can imagine how disappointed i was when i only saw few books for them. I bought this as my first Warhammer book ever actually and i enjoyed it. It kept me entertained and seemed true to the lore that i was familiar with and it portrayed the Sisters as i would have expected. Zealous. It also did a good job of showing the bond between sisters. My only issue is that the end seemed very rushed.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • LawsonPI
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on January 5, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Good story for a faction light in fiction
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  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great book.
    Reviewed in Germany on December 3, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I really enjoyed the story and actually got caught short at the climax. A fair amount of suspense. Good read.
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  • Pointman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    This book is simply fantastic, it gets better and better as the book goes on. More action, more twists and even some moments that made me laugh. This book has got it all. The way the lore and stories from the table top game about the sisters is put in the novel is great as well, fans of the sisters will be pleased.

    One of the best books i have read.

    Hope this series continues!!
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  • Jan S.
    2.0 out of 5 stars Seinen Preis gerade so wert, leider aber nicht mehr.
    Reviewed in Germany on May 27, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Das Buch hat einen gewissen, wenn auch recht geringen Unterhaltungswert. Die Hintergrundgeschichte ist in den Grundzügen sehr kalter Kaffee (Fanatiker jagen einen Verbrecher, der eigentlich für die Guten kämpft und finden darüber Stück für Stück ihr eigenes Gewissen wieder) und literarisch wenig geschickt verpackt. Will heißen: Die Sprache ist zwar flüssig lesbar, verglichen mit Größen wie Dan Abnett (zumindest im Bereich W40K) aber ungelenk und hölzern. Die Charaktere sind eindimensional und seltsam zwischen Klischee und Anti-Klischee hin- und hergerissen, Handlungen vorhersehbar, einzelne heroische Momente wirken aufgesetzt. Die große Grauzone, die W40K darstellt, wurde ebenfalls schon wesentlich eindringlicher dargestellt. Alles in allem seinen Preis gerade so wert, leider aber nicht mehr.
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  • JPS
    4.0 out of 5 stars The first book centered on the Sisters of Battle
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 28, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    Written in 2006, this is the story of Sister Superior Miriya and her squad of elite Celestians as they hunt down a terrorist psyker that has escaped their custody and wants revenge. But all is not as it seems...

    The plot is fast-paced and interesting. Some of the scenes are particularly good, such as Torris Vaun's escape from prison, the attack of the city or the attempted murder of Sister Verity in the library. Some scenes felt a bit "overdone", at least to me, particularly towards the end of the book where almost everything seems to go up in flames at the same time (and this is why it gets four stars).

    Having said that, I agree with one of the other reviewer: this book is far better than the author's two previous ones on the Blood Angels, although the latter have always been among my favorites, and I much prefer them to the Sisters of Battle. But then I'm a yob, so what else would you expect?

    Definitely worth reading, even if not quite as good as Hammer & Anvil
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