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arthurbdd's review
4.0
Noteworthy effort to expand the range of Warhammer 40,000 novels so they're not just a big ol' boys' club; using an Arbites (think Judge Dredd in space) as the main character also adds a dimension rarely seen previously in Black Library novels. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/2011/01/15/she-is-the-law/
mattressy's review
I've played Dark Heresy several times now, but I've always struggled to get into the Black Library. This book was a breath of fresh air in many ways.
For a start, we have a sci-fi/fantasy book featuring a woman on the front cover. A woman who is fully clothed, and above all clearly capable of handling herself and putting others in their place. Shira Calpurnia is a really enjoyable character to read; she's strong, driven, and her religious fervour (in terms of the 40k setting) is admirable.
This is a fairly comfortable detective-style romp, with Shira the new-cop-in-town trying to learn the ropes, avoid offending all the local dignitaries, and at the same time discover who's wreaking havoc with the religious celebrations and trying to murder her. It's a good set-up, and the plot plays out well.
What makes this novel really enjoyable is that Farrer's action sequences are frequent and above all, well-written. Shira is a character who responds to action incredibly well, and Farrer is to be congratulated for this. She is also fairly unusual in being a female detective, complete with Sam Vimes-style nose for trouble. With previous Black Library novels I've found them over the top, flowery, unbelievable; in contrast, Farrer's writing is grounded and compelling. What he also does well is to represent the bureaucracy that is rife within the Imperium. Shira is constantly clashing with the Ministorum, the Mechanicus, the Inquisition and even the Adeptus Sororitas in the simple course of doing her job as an Arbitor. It’s brilliant.
I think this book has its downsides, but overall it’s well worth a read. It takes a while to get going, but it builds up inexorably so the second half of the book crashes into the climax, which is well-timed and exciting to read. The dialogue is strong, the main characters vivid and interesting, and the Arbites are awesome. Strongly recommend this for any sci-fi/detective fan, and especially 40k lovers. Not to mention, the series just gets better and better as it goes on.
For a start, we have a sci-fi/fantasy book featuring a woman on the front cover. A woman who is fully clothed, and above all clearly capable of handling herself and putting others in their place. Shira Calpurnia is a really enjoyable character to read; she's strong, driven, and her religious fervour (in terms of the 40k setting) is admirable.
This is a fairly comfortable detective-style romp, with Shira the new-cop-in-town trying to learn the ropes, avoid offending all the local dignitaries, and at the same time discover who's wreaking havoc with the religious celebrations and trying to murder her. It's a good set-up, and the plot plays out well.
What makes this novel really enjoyable is that Farrer's action sequences are frequent and above all, well-written. Shira is a character who responds to action incredibly well, and Farrer is to be congratulated for this. She is also fairly unusual in being a female detective, complete with Sam Vimes-style nose for trouble. With previous Black Library novels I've found them over the top, flowery, unbelievable; in contrast, Farrer's writing is grounded and compelling. What he also does well is to represent the bureaucracy that is rife within the Imperium. Shira is constantly clashing with the Ministorum, the Mechanicus, the Inquisition and even the Adeptus Sororitas in the simple course of doing her job as an Arbitor. It’s brilliant.
I think this book has its downsides, but overall it’s well worth a read. It takes a while to get going, but it builds up inexorably so the second half of the book crashes into the climax, which is well-timed and exciting to read. The dialogue is strong, the main characters vivid and interesting, and the Arbites are awesome. Strongly recommend this for any sci-fi/detective fan, and especially 40k lovers. Not to mention, the series just gets better and better as it goes on.
nooker's review
4.0
Pay no attention to how long it took me to read this, cuz I did actually like it, I just listen far quicker than I read now-a-days.
punkgodofthestraightrazor's review
5.0
Great addition to the 40k lore. I love the adeptus arbites and I love bad bitches so this is the perfect read for me.
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