Adepta Sororitas

[Felix Antipodes]

Took me a while to get to these eshorts from the recent subscription.

 

First up Infernal Motives by Jude Reid

 

This was a bit of a strange one.  I assume it features the title character for the upcoming Daemonbreaker novel, as the protagonist is called that by her companions.

 

To be honest, I thought it read like a bit of a rough draft, especially considering Reid’s usual standard.  The story itself was okay but nothing revelatory or mind blowing (probably saving those for the novel) about the character or how they became the Daemonbreaker.  I did like the rapport she had with her skitarii offsider.  I hope he returns in the upcoming novel.  I also thought the villain was fairly novel.

 

Overall, I warmed up to the story in the end and look forward to the upcoming novel.

 

[The Scorpion]

I wasn't really impressed by "infernal motives" for the reasons you mentionned earlier,  to the point I don't have much hope in the new Demonbreaker novel.

 

Especially when compared to other shorts in this series, this story ends up coming up short.

[Felix Antipodes]

Next up Joy of the Martyr by Ness Brown…

 

This is your standard crisis of faith story married to the ‘my new boss sucks’ trope.  I must admit I didn’t hold out much hope for it, which probably explains why I had trouble getting into it at first.  It didn’t help that every other character bar the man one came across as more well rounded and interesting that the protagonist.

Despite this, I found myself becoming invested in the story as it unfolded and wanting to see when the revelation would strike our heroine that she had got it wrong.

Not a bad effort from a new author.  Will be interesting to see where she goes in future stories.

 

[The Scorpion]

 

 

 

I agree with this assessment. It was okay. The problem, in my opinion, is that "The fires of our Faith" does this theme much better imho. Though I did appreciate how the theme of this short story harkens back to a phrase from Cult of the Spiral Dawn which sums up the faction pretty well:

"The Imperium's deepest foundation is not glory, but sacrifice."

[Felix Antipodes]

Redemption Through Blood by John Sollitto

 

I liked this one a lot.  Sollitto has crafted a solid story which quickly introduces the reader to the main character, Sister Marcella of The Order of the Bloody Rose, her strengths, and foibles.  The supporting characters are also given more personality than ‘standard stock character #3’ for the most part (stock hard-arsed Sister Superior the most notable exception).  Not bad considering the story is one big battle scene from start to end.

 

On the downside, I’m not sure I was convinced by the hinted at saintly possession at the end.  There has been a few too many Celestine-like characters introduced of late for my tastes.

 

[Felix Antipodes]

Our Lady of the Voyage by Kate Flack

 

Another enjoyable one (imho) from a new (to BL) author.  In this we meet Sister Wulfryth of the Order of the Ebon Chalice, your standard snobbish and prideful member of the Adepta Sororitas.  Full of herself and disdainful of the ‘ordinary’ soldiers around her.  To provide her a lesson in humility, Wulfryth is sent off on a mission to recover a missing priest.  As an extra jab she has to pair up with a grizzled guardsman.  Needless to say she completes the mission, while gaining a newfound respect for those around her.

Importantly (for me) I really enjoyed Flack’s writing style.  You can have the best plot lines ever, but they matter little if your writing style drags and hinders the flow.

 

 

[The Scorpion]

 

Redemption Through Blood by John Sollitto

 

I liked this one a lot.  Sollitto has crafted a solid story which quickly introduces the reader to the main character, Sister Marcella of The Order of the Bloody Rose, her strengths, and foibles.  The supporting characters are also given more personality than ‘standard stock character #3’ for the most part (stock hard-arsed Sister Superior the most notable exception).  Not bad considering the story is one big battle scene from start to end.

 

On the downside, I’m not sure I was convinced by the hinted at saintly possession at the end.  There has been a few too many Celestine-like characters introduced of late for my tastes.

 

I do not remember much about this one, unfortunately. Something about the prose didn't vibe with me. Maybe it was that we've seen too many sisters vs cultists, maybe it was because the story was mostly action. I dunno.

 

 

Our Lady of the Voyage by Kate Flack

 

Another enjoyable one (imho) from a new (to BL) author.  In this we meet Sister Wulfryth of the Order of the Ebon Chalice, your standard snobbish and prideful member of the Adepta Sororitas.  Full of herself and disdainful of the ‘ordinary’ soldiers around her.  To provide her a lesson in humility, Wulfryth is sent off on a mission to recover a missing priest.  As an extra jab she has to pair up with a grizzled guardsman.  Needless to say she completes the mission, while gaining a newfound respect for those around her.

Importantly (for me) I really enjoyed Flack’s writing style.  You can have the best plot lines ever, but they matter little if your writing style drags and hinders the flow.

 

 

This on the other hand, was very enjoyable afterall. It is a very well-crafted short story, characters are fleshed out at the right pace and interact neatly with one another, the story wraps up thematically very neatly as well. There is a lot of "writing advice" meticulously applied behind the lines of this story.

[The Scorpion]

The Fires of Our Faith Voyage by Kate FlackNicholas Werner

 

This, I might argue is the best of the bunch. It really delves into the religious mindset that makes a Sororita what she is, the religious mindset, the fanatical, and the self-chastising. It's hard to explain why this short is so good, so I shall leave an exerpt from the short story instead:

 

 

The Emperor, all-loving.
A god who loved all He surveyed, or, at the least, all the faithful ones. He loved the faithful for their foibles, He loved them for their pettiness, He loved them even for their weaknesses. And He could forgive those who faltered and even failed, so long as they returned His love with their own.

For this heresy, the defenders of the temple had been extinguished, like flames snuffed out by soil and smothered of all possibility.

 

Florelia, caked in the blood of heretics and Sisters alike, blackened with soot, bowed her smeared face and prayed. She prayed to the God-Emperor, the true God-Emperor, whose hatred was both sword and shield over all humanity, whose hatred never faltered and never failed. The God-Emperor who hated the witch, the mutant, and the alien; the God-Emperor who hated the foul spawn of the warp and all those who worshipped them instead of Him. The God-Emperor who hated anyone who served Him with anything less than the fullness of their being.
 

Stuff like this is, in my opinion, not just peak sisters but also peak 40k.

Edited September 17 by The Scorpion

[DukeLeto69]

 

Our Lady of the Voyage by Kate Flack

 

Another enjoyable one (imho) from a new (to BL) author.  In this we meet Sister Wulfryth of the Order of the Ebon Chalice, your standard snobbish and prideful member of the Adepta Sororitas.  Full of herself and disdainful of the ‘ordinary’ soldiers around her.  To provide her a lesson in humility, Wulfryth is sent off on a mission to recover a missing priest.  As an extra jab she has to pair up with a grizzled guardsman.  Needless to say she completes the mission, while gaining a newfound respect for those around her.

Importantly (for me) I really enjoyed Flack’s writing style.  You can have the best plot lines ever, but they matter little if your writing style drags and hinders the flow.

 

 

Didn’t Kate Flack write material for FFG’s W40k RPG range?

[The Scorpion]

 

Didn’t Kate Flack write material for FFG’s W40k RPG range?

If so, it would explain a lot. The lore of Roleplaying games is usually great.