Cold Awakening
science fiction
Series · science fiction
Sisters of Battle
The Sisters of Battle series by James Swallow has 2 known books (2 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with Faith and Fire (2006).
- Books
- 2 known books (2 novels)
- Published
- 2
- First published
- 2006
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Science Fiction
- Last checked
Start here: Faith and Fire (2006) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
Faith and Fire
James Swallow's Faith and Fire (2006), running 416 pages, sends Sister Miriya's squad to investigate a suspiciously quiet world and uncovers a conspiracy involving a heretical scientist and forbidden xenos technology, one of the primary prose showcases for the Adepta Sororitas.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Faith and Fire - Book 2:
Hammer and Anvil
Hammer and Anvil reunites the same two leads five years later, in 2011, at 410 pages, on a different, necron-haunted world where a mission to reconsecrate a lost Ecclesiarchy outpost wakes something that should have stayed buried.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hammer and Anvil
About the Sisters of Battle series
James Swallow's Sisters of Battle novels were, for years, the primary prose showcase for the Adepta Sororitas -- the Imperium's order of armoured, faith-driven warrior nuns -- centred on Sister Miriya of the Order of Our Martyred Lady and the Hospitaller Verity. Faith and Fire (2006) sends Miriya's squad to investigate a suspiciously quiet world and into a conspiracy involving a heretical scientist and forbidden xenos technology, forcing the Sisters to confront an enemy that undermines their faith as much as their firepower.
Hammer and Anvil (2011) reunites the same two leads years later on a different, necron-haunted world, where a Sororitas mission to reconsecrate a lost Ecclesiarchy outpost wakes something that should have stayed buried. The two books share characters and tone rather than a single continuous plot, giving Swallow room to build out the Sisters' particular culture -- zealotry and genuine heroism sitting uneasily together -- across two mostly self-contained stories rather than one serialized arc.
Frequently asked questions
How many Sisters of Battle novels did James Swallow write?
Two: Faith and Fire (2006) and Hammer and Anvil (2011).
What order should I read Faith and Fire and Hammer and Anvil in?
Faith and Fire first -- Hammer and Anvil follows the same two lead characters afterward, though its own plot is a separate, self-contained story.
Do I need to read Faith and Fire to understand Hammer and Anvil's plot?
No, the central mystery in each book stands alone, but reading Faith and Fire first gives the returning characters, Sister Miriya and Hospitaller Verity, their proper introduction.
Is the Sisters of Battle duology complete?
As a two-book arc from Swallow, yes. Other Black Library authors have since written further, separate Adepta Sororitas fiction not tracked in this file.
If you like the Sisters of Battle series
Reading order last verified .