Product Description

This is the third book in the "Shira Calpurnia" series. Australian author Matthew Farrer once again brings his dazzling talent to bear on the "Shira Calpurnia" series. The fast-paced, intelligent action takes place in the great Imperial fortress system of Hydraphur, where Adeptus Arbites officer Shira Calpurnia enforces the law. Now, she is investigating the murder of a blind astropath - psychic humans who use their gifts to communicate across the vast reaches of the galaxy - and she fears that the killer will strike again.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #776841 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 256 pages

About the Author
Matthew Farrer lives in Australia, and is part of the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild. He has been writing since his teens, and has a number of novels and short stories to his name, including the popular Shira Calpurnia novels for The Black Library.

Customer Reviews

Revel in the dark, inhospitable universe of 40K
The narrative continues the story of Shira Calpurnia, an arbite officer in the Hydraphur system. While this is not my favorite series of the 40K novels, the novels do continue to improve, and this is by far the best of the lot. The author is particularly strong at evoking the paranoia, brutishness, and continuing decay of a galactic empire, founded on superstition and ignorance. The consequences of a total absence of individual freedom and respect for the most basic human rights are emphatically portrayed.

My major criticism of the entire series is Calpurnia's character, or lack thereof. She is utterly repellent unless you regard blind zealotry and devotion to duty as ultimate virtues. The woman is absolutely lacking in compassion and the merest hint of humanity; she could be a committed SS officer or a Gulag commandant. Perhaps, this is the point since humanity is ruled by a schizophrenic ubermensch who is considered a god. Whatever the intent, Calpurnia's lack of imagination and personal growth do tend to get old. Even the inquisitors of Ian Watson's and Dan Abnett's series were beset with doubts and human frailties and were apt to display considerable compassion for their followers and even, on occasion, for their adversaries.

Finally, it should be pointed out that the Calpurnia character is quite sexless. "She" could just as well be "Calpurnius" for all the difference it would make.

Book 3
Shira Calpurnia bore the office and duties of arbitor senioris in the service of the "Lex Imperia". Having failed in one of her duties, she is preparing for her trial. But then the unexpected happens. The master of the Bastion Psykana is murdered. Shira's trial is postponed. Master Chastener Dast and Preacher Orovene divert the garrison ship to the Bastion Psykana. It is a vast fortification housing countless telepaths. Due to possible violent tendencies, each Astropath takes every step at gun point. Should the seer lose control of his mind, the armed vitifer automatically executes the psyker without hesitation.

Shira is temporarily given back her rank and tasked with finding the killer. Master Otranto's body had been found within his inner chambers. Whoever killed him got through all seals and wards before doing the deed. The killer should not have been able to get in, but more disturbing is the fact that once sealed within the chambers, there is not way out. The killer should have still been in the room with the body. No auspex can smell the killer. No psyker-seance can pin him down, and no Verispex can track him.

The murderer is like a phantom. Everything and everyone, alive and machine, claim that Master Otranto was alone at all time. If alone, he could not have been killed. Shira's first thought is one of the psykers. Perhaps one who is ambitious and wants the succession to the Master's seat. But the Watchmaster on duty at the time of the killing is the best at what he does. The Watchmaster keeps balance. In other words, he knows what each and every Astropath is doing at every second of every day. Whoever killed the master was not a psyker and no one else could have gotten close. Shira must somehow locate an invisible traitor. To do this, she has to confront the one kind of weakness and failure she may not be able to deal with: her own.

***** YES! FINALLY! I knew that author Matthew Farrer had it in him to write a five star novel and here it is! The author gives readers a heroine that is human and fallible yet stands tall and does the duty she is charged with doing, no matter the cost. The novels read like a forensic mystery. The characters are well developed and the story flows smoother than fine silk. BRAVO! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

An excellent read
This book is much better than the previous two, although they were both decent books. The story builds the depth of the main character, Shira Calpurnia, and maintains continuity with the prior stories.

The story is essentially a murder-mystery as the book description and other reviews have stated. My only criticism is that the author does not take the time to introduce some of the smaller characters, and it can get a little confusing keeping track of who the smaller characters are. A 'cast of characters' / 'dramatis personae' at the front of the book would have been helpful.