Mark of Faith (Warhammer 40,000)

by Rachel Harrison

At long last - the Adepta Sororitas are back!
 

With the birth of the Cicatrix Maledictum the Imperium of Mankind suffers as never before. Conflict and corruption is rife on every front and precious little hope remains, save for those who hold to their faith when faced with destruction...

Denied a martyr’s death during the battle for Ophelia VII, Sister Evangeline of the Order of Our Martyred Lady is blessed with a new and grave duty; to embark on a pilgrimage beyond the Great Rift to recover a precious and powerful artefact – the Shield of Saint Katherine. Accompanied by the enigmatic Inquisitor Ravara, who seeks her own closure in the veiled regions beyond the Rift, Evangeline must find a way to bear the weight of this unaskedfor destiny if she and her Sisters are to succeed in restoring a fragment of light to this new dark Imperium.
 

• ISBN10: 1789990866
• ISBN13: 9781789990867
• Publish Date: 23 July 2020
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 21 June 2022
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Games Workshop
• Imprint: The Black Library
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

I received a copy of Mark of Faith in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Mark of Faith is one of the latest additions to the lore of Warhammer 40,000. Written by Rachel Harrison, this piece of work focuses specifically on the Adepta Sororitas and a new legend being born.

Sister Evangeline was there the day Ophelia VII was attacked. She watched her sisters, her mentors fall, that day. But she kept standing. Now she's about to embark on a journey like she never expected. One she never wanted.

The Shield of Saint Katherine has been missing for years until the path was illuminated to Sister Evangeline. Thus, she and her sisters are going to be sent through the Rift to find and retrieve it. No matter the cost.

“Before me, Ophelia VII burns. The grand, gothic buildings of the Convent Sanctorum and its surrounding city-state are fractured and aflame.”

Mark of Faith is such a chilling and beautiful read. The Adepta Sororitas are, to put it simply, to amazingly intense. Their quotes alone are enough to send chills down spines. That being said, this tale is arguably one of the most powerful and moving yet.

Sister Evangeline's story is...beautiful. It's also deeply sad. She lost everything on Ophelia VII, including the opportunity to become a martyr alongside her sisters. One can imagine how much that would hurt her heart. How it would leave her scarred, a perfect match to the wings now placed on her face.

This was a heavy tale, of that there is no doubt. But it was also a story of infinite complexity. There were multiple layers to what was actually happening here, and it took a while to work through it all. I love that added depth. It does justice to the Adepta Sororitas, and to Sister Evangeline herself.

“'Fight,' she says. 'Suffer. Strand, until you cannot.'”

Honestly, I really, truly loved every single part of this story. The plot, the characters, the action, the conflict. It was all there, and it was amazing. This is a story that made me fall in love with the Adepta Sororitas all over again. But really, can you blame me?

I'll confess that I have not been reading enough about the Adepta Sororitas as I should. I need to add all of their novels and novellas to my TBR list, because frankly, I've loved every single one of them. I also need to add Rachel Harrison to my watchlist as well, because I was supremely impressed with her writing style here. I cannot wait to see more.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks