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Shira Calpurnia #1
Crossfire
Book one in the Enforcer series
The bustling dockyards of the Hydraphur system are home to the mighty Imperial warfleets. Newly assigned Arbites officer, Shira Calpurnia, finds herself in the thick of the action when she investigates a series of assassination attempts.
THE STORY
The bustling dockyards of the Hydraphur system are home to the mighty Imperial warfleets, which dock, rearm and repair in an endless cycle of war. Newly assigned Arbites officer, Shira Calpurnia, finds herself in the thick of the action when she investigates a series of assassination attempts. With the corruption and double-crosses of the Hydraphur elite dogging every step of her investigations, Calpurnia must survive the crossfire, and bring her faceless enemies to justice.
The bustling dockyards of the Hydraphur system are home to the mighty Imperial warfleets. Newly assigned Arbites officer, Shira Calpurnia, finds herself in the thick of the action when she investigates a series of assassination attempts.
THE STORY
The bustling dockyards of the Hydraphur system are home to the mighty Imperial warfleets, which dock, rearm and repair in an endless cycle of war. Newly assigned Arbites officer, Shira Calpurnia, finds herself in the thick of the action when she investigates a series of assassination attempts. With the corruption and double-crosses of the Hydraphur elite dogging every step of her investigations, Calpurnia must survive the crossfire, and bring her faceless enemies to justice.
288 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2003
16 people are currently reading
354 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Farrer
45 books32 followersMatthew Farrer writes mostly for Black Library. He lives in Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
September 17, 2021
Read in Enforcer: The Shira Calpurnia Omnibus
“I receive and return your greeting and make my humble respects to the Mechanicus,” his guest replied. “Shira Calpurnia Lucina, arbitor senioris of the Adeptus Arbites, extends her greeting in the service of the Lex Imperia and the God-Emperor of Earth. The Emperor protects.”
“Thank you. I think we can agree that this is not the place for high ceremony. Will you accompany me?”
Hydraphur, administrative and fleet capital of Segmentum Pacificus, is a world divided into several spheres of influence.
They held the foot of the ramp in a textbook Arbites firing line: one row kneeling, shotguns locked through the gunports in their shields to pump out a steady, suppressing fire; the second line standing behind them firing more carefully, aiming shots over their heads. They were aiming high for the moment, trying just to drive the crowd back, but the answering bullets kept coming.
The Imperial Navy holds sway in the atmosphere and above, ruling over the massive Star Fort Ascendant as well as the massive shipyards which ring the world, where the mighty Imperial warfleets dock, repair, rearm and depart in an endless cycle of war.
She would know the ones who were devout and truly understood the doctrines they practised, and the ones for whom “for the Emperor” was nothing more than an empty phrase to shout before they swung a power-maul down on some random innocent’s skull. She had worked with all those kinds and more and she had done well. The Provost’s Wreath and three commendation seals hung on the wall behind her to prove it.
On the surface of the forge world, the primary authorities on Hydraphur itself are the Administratum and the Ecclesiarchy, ruling together in an uneasy conjunction with the Adeptus Mechanicus.
“And am I guessing that if anything disrupts the Vigil while Hallyan is charged with presiding, he will be badly disgraced and that will ripple on to his family and his syndicate?” she asked as they began walking again. “And do I further suppose that the assassination of a senior Arbites officer might be a good way to stir up trouble which popular opinion might hold against him, however illogically?”
Shira Calpurnia Lucina, scion of a noble family from Ultramar and freshly transferred Arbitor Senioris of the Imperial Grand Precinct of Hydraphur, the culmination to a stellar career that brought her up through the ranks and halfway around the galaxy, finds herself in the crossfire, caught between high society intrigues, proper etiquette learning, and a countless series of assassination attempts.
Can she survive it all?
Calpurnia had thought to slip in quietly, but her habits had not yet caught up with her rank. The escort that had walked with her up to the Cathedral that afternoon were suddenly around her again, the proctor with an amplifier horn from the Rhino’s equipment rack: “Adeptus Arbites! Make way for the Adeptus! Part for the Arbitor Calpurnia!” They moved through the crowd like an icebreaker driving through a polar crust.
Matthew Farrer's Crossfire, first book in the Shira Calpurnia series, was a real blast of a read for me with its excellent work on worldbuilding and characters, focusing on Navy-Ecclesiarchy relations in imperial society, and giving lots of interesting insights about daily life in the Imperium with all its organisations, religious festivals, and bureaucratic rivalries.
He shot her an amused look. “Does it surprise you? An assassin operating against an Adeptus officer in a hive in the heart of the premier Naval stronghold of an entire segmentum? What should surprise you is that it took me this long to speak with you directly.”
“I’m sure you had your reasons, respected Inquisitor.”
And the political-noir mistery storyline, something like Gorky Park meets Warhammer 40000, was just a delicious cherry on cake for me.
The preacher speaks kindly to you and you know that once you have unburdened yourself, the scourging-rack in the centre of that marble floor awaits, and there as the Ministorum has taught you since childhood the pain will cleanse your soul before it leaves your body to stand before the Emperor. How could you not feel joy? How could you not burst out with all those secrets you have locked inside you?
Kudos to the author for keeping the villain identity secret to me until the end and for his awesome work on worldbuilding, with Arbites being just not their usual Judge Dredd parodies, and for exploring obscure parts of lore, like the Sisters Famulous non-militant order of the Adepta Sororitas, so imteresting and much more deserving of screen-time.
She wondered when this investigation would let her get some physical training in. It was just another little thing that seemed to be sliding out of her control.
“So our enemy,” she said, “is even more powerful than we thought and even more intent on seeing me dead than we had realised.”
“If that isn’t progress, what is?” asked Nakayama. His face was still deadpan, and Calpurnia simply had to hope that he was joking.
A real fresh air mouth far away from the battlefields and the usual W40K bolter-porn.
“No. Even if they don’t intercept the transmission or hear the backup coming, by the time it gets here they’ll have run or tracked us down and attacked on their terms, not ours. This way is risky, but not taking that risk is not going to work. We’re taking too long as it is.” She strapped on her helmet. “The Law commands and the Emperor protects. Let’s go.”
Highly recommended to everybody interested into taking a detailed look into the backstage of Warhammer 40000 and its setting, but just stay away from it if you are looking for your usual, and sometimes boring, Space Marines purging xenos, mutants, and heretics.
“ADEPTUS ARBITES!” Calpurnia declared into the pickup on her vox-tore. In the small-hours quiet of the street her own lungs were adequate enough, but her voice was also picked up and fired out of the little voxcasters clipped to the shield-rims of the Arbites behind her. “In the name of the Lex Imperia, throw down your arms and surrender yourselves to righteous judgement.”
September 18, 2021
Good ideas (tackling the policing/mystery side of the absurd 40k universe, having a female lead just casually and unmarkedly making her way through said universe, exploring the theology of the over the top medieval space-theocracy and the societies it spawns). Shira Calpurnia is a pretty awesome protagonist, all things considered, and it was nice that she got to play the "straight woman" in terms of religious devotion, idealism, and principle-- for 40K values of all of those. However, Farrer couldn't quite take his universe seriously enough-- it just wasn't plausible to me, for example, that Calpurnia would be so anti-hierarchy and so unable to figure out the byzantine intricacies of Hydraphur high society: sure, your standard hard-bitten no-nonsense detective has no time for such things, but she's pointedly not that.
December 17, 2025
Як же довго я її мучив... Іронічно, що зацікавився нею саме через рекомандацію як книжки, в якій чудово розкривається більш побутовий бік вархаммеру, та в цьому ж ворлдбілдингу й загруз. Після розлогих пасажів про особливості проведення релігійних свят, детальних описів архітектури, що часом відчувалися як "опісаніє дуба" і тому подібного, навіть прості сцени екшну ставали ковтком свіжого повітря. Насправді виніс для себе чимало цікавого, тільки виявилося це важче для сприйняття, ніж я очікував.
Сюжет загалом не дуже вразив, а ревіл головного антагоніста й сюжетний поворот наприкінці здалися доволі передбачуваними; мотивація антагоніста також видалася якоюсь поверхневою. Головна героїня непогана персонажка, проте не можу сказати, що в ній мене щось зачепило, тож сприймав скоріше як POV точку для розгортання історії. На противагу, зацікавили деякі другорядні персонажі, і за міжусобною гризнею різних гілок влади Імперіуму також спостерігав з інтересом.
Можливо, так дала про себе знати втома від жанру чи завищені очікування, але по собі твір залишив скоріше думку "ну, це було норм", ніж щось іще.
Сюжет загалом не дуже вразив, а ревіл головного антагоніста й сюжетний поворот наприкінці здалися доволі передбачуваними; мотивація антагоніста також видалася якоюсь поверхневою. Головна героїня непогана персонажка, проте не можу сказати, що в ній мене щось зачепило, тож сприймав скоріше як POV точку для розгортання історії. На противагу, зацікавили деякі другорядні персонажі, і за міжусобною гризнею різних гілок влади Імперіуму також спостерігав з інтересом.
Можливо, так дала про себе знати втома від жанру чи завищені очікування, але по собі твір залишив скоріше думку "ну, це було норм", ніж щось іще.
April 30, 2018
This is a Depression Book for me, something I go back to and have read multiple times, often when I've been feeling down. Yet I've never reviewed it, so this review is more an investigation of why exactly I like this particular series.
Farrers Prose - I find this a lot less frustrating than most other Black Library authors. Possibly he writes in my tone of thought. Whatever it is I find Farrer or his characters rarely say anything that seems gauche or out of place according to the people they are in the world they are in. (Made easier by their human-scale reality as opposed to an Astertes, Xenos or Primarch). I find his sentences rarely clang in my ear like almost every other BL writer does at least occasionally, according to my relative level of preference. I suppose he must have decent thoughtspoke euphony, at least according to my taste.
And yet I find his prose simple or with a low enough cognitive load that I can read it while depressed or while falling asleep, so I suppose its in that 'green zone' for me.
The plot lets Farrer take us on a tour through the 'backstage' of the 40k universe. In this case the adventure runs through the physical structure of a high-status hive and the cathedrals and government buildings that occupy it, through the social structure of the Imperial Nobility and top-level Adepta and through the chronological and ritual structure of a highly-planned religious ceremony. That must appeal to me, the boring through these vast accretions of ritual and detail. I actually liked all the whale info-dumps in Moby Dick.
I found most of Farrers plots for these books involve a lot of running around but are usually un-knotted by a classic noir motivation of someone powerful also being surprisingly venal and pathetic, which works emotionally and thematically.
I still can't tell if all the running around was Farrer being expert in his deployment of red herrings or just him making up stuff as he went and resolving it at the last moment and in the edit.
By the time I sat down to read it again I'd also forgotten most of the plot, except for a few moments, which is handy for a detective novel as I can still be surprised.
The heroine is a classic straight-arrow character which, I suppose I like. I mean I like Captain America and Superman in a non-ironic way. It's only just now that I realised she's effectively a knight. That comes out more obviously in the second book where her qualities of being a true-believer in an effectively feudal culture are much more central to the plot, but even here shes rigorous, inflexible and believes simply and directly in her cultures stated values. Duty, honour and promise-bound. No wonder I like her.
And of course, it's short. Short books are good.
Farrers Prose - I find this a lot less frustrating than most other Black Library authors. Possibly he writes in my tone of thought. Whatever it is I find Farrer or his characters rarely say anything that seems gauche or out of place according to the people they are in the world they are in. (Made easier by their human-scale reality as opposed to an Astertes, Xenos or Primarch). I find his sentences rarely clang in my ear like almost every other BL writer does at least occasionally, according to my relative level of preference. I suppose he must have decent thoughtspoke euphony, at least according to my taste.
And yet I find his prose simple or with a low enough cognitive load that I can read it while depressed or while falling asleep, so I suppose its in that 'green zone' for me.
The plot lets Farrer take us on a tour through the 'backstage' of the 40k universe. In this case the adventure runs through the physical structure of a high-status hive and the cathedrals and government buildings that occupy it, through the social structure of the Imperial Nobility and top-level Adepta and through the chronological and ritual structure of a highly-planned religious ceremony. That must appeal to me, the boring through these vast accretions of ritual and detail. I actually liked all the whale info-dumps in Moby Dick.
I found most of Farrers plots for these books involve a lot of running around but are usually un-knotted by a classic noir motivation of someone powerful also being surprisingly venal and pathetic, which works emotionally and thematically.
I still can't tell if all the running around was Farrer being expert in his deployment of red herrings or just him making up stuff as he went and resolving it at the last moment and in the edit.
By the time I sat down to read it again I'd also forgotten most of the plot, except for a few moments, which is handy for a detective novel as I can still be surprised.
The heroine is a classic straight-arrow character which, I suppose I like. I mean I like Captain America and Superman in a non-ironic way. It's only just now that I realised she's effectively a knight. That comes out more obviously in the second book where her qualities of being a true-believer in an effectively feudal culture are much more central to the plot, but even here shes rigorous, inflexible and believes simply and directly in her cultures stated values. Duty, honour and promise-bound. No wonder I like her.
And of course, it's short. Short books are good.
August 12, 2021
Hola Amigos! Как всегда пройдемся по пунктам:
О чем: Сеттинг Warhammer 40к.
Книга повествует об арбитре Шире Кальпурнии, заслужившей высокое звание и почёт на службе закону. Будучи уроженкой Ультрамара, она сохранила в себе образ мысли честных и самоотверженных "наследников" Жиллимана даже в далеких командировках.
Однако очередное место службы встречает её другими порядками, а происходящие события с ходу утягивают её в опасное расследование.
Не смотря ни на что Кальпурния намерена показать зазнавшейся аристократии "кто здесь закон".
Повествование: Написан роман хорошо, даже очень. Не смотря на малый опыт, Фаррер выстраивает повествование грамотно и четко.
Темп - медленный и тягучий, при этом не скатывается в откровенную скуку. Не провисает и даже набирает скорость в конце.
Описания очень подробны, но уместны и не переходят в графоманию.
Диалоги, не самые интересные по содержанию, но живые.
Персонажи не раскрываются, сама Кальпурния - лишь отчасти.
Боевые сцены на достойном уровне, но иногда фрустрируют и сложно визуализировать, что же имел ввиду автор.
Юмор отсутствует, но в происходящем есть некая доля иронии.
Мнение:
Не могу сказать за весь цикл "Арбитр", но открывающий его роман "Перекрестный огонь" - это достаточно специфичное произведение.
Внешне он имеет сходство с Судьей Дреддом, но сюжетно уходит в другую сторону.
Данная книга - это наглядная демонстрация жизни одного из бесчисленных миров Империума, его религиозных обрядов и взаимодействия ветвей власти. А так же очень подробная история расследования "подковерных" интриг.
По сути - это всё, что есть в данном романе.
Да, главная героиня не самая картонная. Да, есть интрига и какой никакой экшен. Да, есть очень тонкие намеки на какую-то драму.
Но всё же роман "Перекрестный огонь" - это очень грамотно и подробно написанная история именно об устройстве конкретного Имперского мира и работе Арбитрес.
Если данная тема интересна - книга должна понравиться. Если хочется динамичного захватывающего сюжета с прописанными героям - то можно смело пропускать.
Сам я дочитал роман только из-за мастерства автора, которое не позволяло отнести книгу к числу посредственных и забросить.
Возможно когда-то появится желание дочитать и остальной цикл.
Оценка 7/10.
Не хватило: динамичности сюжета, раскрытия персонажей и драматизма.
Рейтинг "goodreads" - 3.69/5
Моя группа Вконтакте - https://vk.com/ashborndetv
О чем: Сеттинг Warhammer 40к.
Книга повествует об арбитре Шире Кальпурнии, заслужившей высокое звание и почёт на службе закону. Будучи уроженкой Ультрамара, она сохранила в себе образ мысли честных и самоотверженных "наследников" Жиллимана даже в далеких командировках.
Однако очередное место службы встречает её другими порядками, а происходящие события с ходу утягивают её в опасное расследование.
Не смотря ни на что Кальпурния намерена показать зазнавшейся аристократии "кто здесь закон".
Повествование: Написан роман хорошо, даже очень. Не смотря на малый опыт, Фаррер выстраивает повествование грамотно и четко.
Темп - медленный и тягучий, при этом не скатывается в откровенную скуку. Не провисает и даже набирает скорость в конце.
Описания очень подробны, но уместны и не переходят в графоманию.
Диалоги, не самые интересные по содержанию, но живые.
Персонажи не раскрываются, сама Кальпурния - лишь отчасти.
Боевые сцены на достойном уровне, но иногда фрустрируют и сложно визуализировать, что же имел ввиду автор.
Юмор отсутствует, но в происходящем есть некая доля иронии.
Мнение:
Не могу сказать за весь цикл "Арбитр", но открывающий его роман "Перекрестный огонь" - это достаточно специфичное произведение.
Внешне он имеет сходство с Судьей Дреддом, но сюжетно уходит в другую сторону.
Данная книга - это наглядная демонстрация жизни одного из бесчисленных миров Империума, его религиозных обрядов и взаимодействия ветвей власти. А так же очень подробная история расследования "подковерных" интриг.
По сути - это всё, что есть в данном романе.
Да, главная героиня не самая картонная. Да, есть интрига и какой никакой экшен. Да, есть очень тонкие намеки на какую-то драму.
Но всё же роман "Перекрестный огонь" - это очень грамотно и подробно написанная история именно об устройстве конкретного Имперского мира и работе Арбитрес.
Если данная тема интересна - книга должна понравиться. Если хочется динамичного захватывающего сюжета с прописанными героям - то можно смело пропускать.
Сам я дочитал роман только из-за мастерства автора, которое не позволяло отнести книгу к числу посредственных и забросить.
Возможно когда-то появится желание дочитать и остальной цикл.
Оценка 7/10.
Не хватило: динамичности сюжета, раскрытия персонажей и драматизма.
Рейтинг "goodreads" - 3.69/5
Моя группа Вконтакте - https://vk.com/ashborndetv
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September 15, 2021I'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.
September 26, 2024
I really wanted to like this book, but so much of it felt like the plot was going on all around the protagonist and wasn't present for it. For example, multiple times you expect her to go on the hunt for a criminal, but instead are told that they are already captured or killed by someone you've never heard of before. In addition, there were too many times when you have clues, but no connection or even a hint of how they could connect, but in the end there is the big Villain's Monologue that links everything. I would have appreciated at least a chance at figuring out part of the story, instead of just going from plot point to plot point alongside Shira, just as clueless as she apparently was, up until she figures it out but doesn't actually let the audience in on the revelation...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2014
I don't normally get interested in the non-space marines books in warhammer, but I really enjoyed this! It's not a complex investigative book, but consists of a badass (non sexualised female character) arbiter kicking ass and taking names!
January 14, 2019
Great addition to the 40k lore. I love the adeptus arbites and I love bad bitches so this is the perfect read for me.
December 1, 2025
Rating of 4.25.
I finally got around to reading the awesome Warhammer 40,000 novel, Crossfire. A classic entry in the Warhammer 40,000 canon with a cool crime fiction twist, Crossfire was a great novel that serves as an excellent first entry in Farrer’s Shira Calpurnia trilogy.
In the grim future of the 41st millennium, order and control of the massive Imperium of Man is maintained through the strictest interpretation of Imperial law, with no room for variation or leniency. The ultimate arbitrators of this law are the dedicated members of the Adeptus Arbites, elite law bringers, trained to weed out corruption, dissent and disloyalty wherever they are deployed.
Shira Calpurnia Lucina, recently promoted arbitor senioris of the Adeptus Arbites, has been assigned to the bustling dockyards of the Hydraphur system. A glistening gem of Imperial rule dedicated to providing material to the navy, Hydraphur is a seemingly unlikely place for dissention. But this elite planet harbours dark secrets which come to the surface after a deadly assassination attempt is made in public against Calpurnia amid the distraction and celebration of a major religious festival.
Attempting to uncover who would want her killed after only just arriving on world, Calpurnia begins her relentless investigation. However, this is no simple case, and soon Calpurnia finds herself forced to navigate the many plots and schemes of the Hydraphur elite. With more attacks striking close to her and the fate of the whole planet seemingly in the balance, Calpurnia must uncover all Hydraphur’s secrets before the assassins stalking her finally succeed.
Crossfire was an excellent and compelling Warhammer 40,000 novel from Farrer that proved very fun to get through. Featuring a fantastic plot that is one of the earlier examples of a crime fiction narrative melding with the iconic Warhammer 40,000 universe, Crossfire was a great read and one that is worth checking out.
To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2025/12/01/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
I finally got around to reading the awesome Warhammer 40,000 novel, Crossfire. A classic entry in the Warhammer 40,000 canon with a cool crime fiction twist, Crossfire was a great novel that serves as an excellent first entry in Farrer’s Shira Calpurnia trilogy.
In the grim future of the 41st millennium, order and control of the massive Imperium of Man is maintained through the strictest interpretation of Imperial law, with no room for variation or leniency. The ultimate arbitrators of this law are the dedicated members of the Adeptus Arbites, elite law bringers, trained to weed out corruption, dissent and disloyalty wherever they are deployed.
Shira Calpurnia Lucina, recently promoted arbitor senioris of the Adeptus Arbites, has been assigned to the bustling dockyards of the Hydraphur system. A glistening gem of Imperial rule dedicated to providing material to the navy, Hydraphur is a seemingly unlikely place for dissention. But this elite planet harbours dark secrets which come to the surface after a deadly assassination attempt is made in public against Calpurnia amid the distraction and celebration of a major religious festival.
Attempting to uncover who would want her killed after only just arriving on world, Calpurnia begins her relentless investigation. However, this is no simple case, and soon Calpurnia finds herself forced to navigate the many plots and schemes of the Hydraphur elite. With more attacks striking close to her and the fate of the whole planet seemingly in the balance, Calpurnia must uncover all Hydraphur’s secrets before the assassins stalking her finally succeed.
Crossfire was an excellent and compelling Warhammer 40,000 novel from Farrer that proved very fun to get through. Featuring a fantastic plot that is one of the earlier examples of a crime fiction narrative melding with the iconic Warhammer 40,000 universe, Crossfire was a great read and one that is worth checking out.
To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2025/12/01/...
For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/
June 18, 2019
I really tried to like this book, I honestly did. While the premise of the book- an outsider trying to uncover who's behind an assassination attempt in a society that is completely alien to her, was intriguing the actually delivery of the plot fell slightly flat.
Firstly, the pacing is all over the place. The book has incredibly slow chapters and other chapters that fly by. This is most likely connected to the large number of pages that are just purely dedicated to exposition. During these pages, I did find my mind wandering from the book. Also, if you are expecting a lot of action, as this is a novel set in the Warhammer 40, 000 universe, you maybe a little bit disappointed. Sure, there are moments of action but they are sporadic and end quite quickly.
Finally, the climatic reveal and final 'plot twist' was really disappointing and somewhat obvious, particularly if you are paying attention when reading the early chapters of the book.
It was a shame that Crossfire did not live up to its premise, as it had the potential for being an amazing addition to the Warhammer 40,000 lore. If you are new to the Warhammer 40,000 universe, I suggest reading books like Fifteen Hours or Warriors of Ultramar. I would only recommend Crossfire to die hard Warhammer 40,000 fans.
Firstly, the pacing is all over the place. The book has incredibly slow chapters and other chapters that fly by. This is most likely connected to the large number of pages that are just purely dedicated to exposition. During these pages, I did find my mind wandering from the book. Also, if you are expecting a lot of action, as this is a novel set in the Warhammer 40, 000 universe, you maybe a little bit disappointed. Sure, there are moments of action but they are sporadic and end quite quickly.
Finally, the climatic reveal and final 'plot twist' was really disappointing and somewhat obvious, particularly if you are paying attention when reading the early chapters of the book.
It was a shame that Crossfire did not live up to its premise, as it had the potential for being an amazing addition to the Warhammer 40,000 lore. If you are new to the Warhammer 40,000 universe, I suggest reading books like Fifteen Hours or Warriors of Ultramar. I would only recommend Crossfire to die hard Warhammer 40,000 fans.
October 20, 2022
Не любитель детективов, никогда их специально не искал, читал , смотрел. Как то вопрос "кто убийца?"9 (дворецкий) меня особо не волновал. Здесь тоже, я даже не особо следил за ходом расследования , мне показалось, что учитывая темп повествования , здесь хватит на четыре тома. Но автор все очень быстро развязал в последних трех четырех главах. Тем не менее, книга мне понравилась. Я уже читал "Слепцы" так что это не первое знакомство с Широй. В той и этой книге мне больше всего понравилось деятельное и довольно разумное описание окружения. В "Слепцах" это был центр астропатической связи и нас сразу вводят в особенности его непростой работы. Здесь же чванливый и набожный Гидрафур, мир-база космофлота Империума сегментума Пацификус, и вероятно один из десятка важнейших миров Империума. Мир о котором можно слышать из других книг, но здесь видеть непосредственно. Интересная задумка про двойное подчинение системы гражданской и флотской власти, и наличие многофакторности во взаимодействии Адептус. Даже про более пышные, зеленые униформы флота Пацификус, в сравнении с Ультима - узнать интересно. Интересное описание местной религиозной культуры, прямо чувствуется, что автор както изучал среднев��ковый католицизм. В общем за детальный мир.
September 5, 2017
Crossfire was a very unique novel for me, it is set in the universe of Warhammer 40,000 (40K) and follows Shira Calpurnia, an arbitor (think Judge Dredd), as she unravels a plot to disturb the Vigil, a holy mass to purge the sins of Hydraphur (the planet the story is based upon) back during the Age of Apostasy. The author, Matthew Farrer, gives us a compelling tale and highlights that you really don't need Space Marines or massive wars to make a 40k novel worthwhile. Littered with references to the wider universe, we also get to see the bodies of the Imperium that are rarely seen or at least not the most commonly featuring: the Adeptus Arbites, Adeptus Ministorum, and Adepta Sororitas.
Calpurnia is a very interesting character, hailing from Ultramar, she is apart of an esteemed family and her career matches it. Farrer gives us a strong female character (not common in 40k, but not unknown) who isn't afraid to get her hands dirty and doesn't use her family or position to her advantage.
Overall Crossfire was a great read, if slow at times, and I was glad to read a different kind of 40k novel.
Calpurnia is a very interesting character, hailing from Ultramar, she is apart of an esteemed family and her career matches it. Farrer gives us a strong female character (not common in 40k, but not unknown) who isn't afraid to get her hands dirty and doesn't use her family or position to her advantage.
Overall Crossfire was a great read, if slow at times, and I was glad to read a different kind of 40k novel.
May 20, 2020
Na doporučení v Pevnosti jsem sáhl po trilogii s Shirou Calpurnii... a musím přiznat, že první díl mě moc nechytl. Není to vysloveně špatné, je tu zajímavý svět postavený na obřadech, ve kterém se koná velmi komplikovaný náboženský svátek. A na ten svět přilétá nová arbitra, vyšetřovatelka - a místo uvítání se jí skoro okamžitě snaží někdo zabít.
Jak říkám, zajímavý svět, hrdinka, která se v něm snaží zorientovat a zároveň se nenechat oddělat. A když se doberete finále, tak i když je viník celkem jasný (ono tam moc postav nevystupuje), tak jeho motiv je docela fajn. I když je to jeden z těch případů, ve kterých dělá pachatel polovinu věcí čistě jen proto, aby bylo nějaké napětí. Říká si, "hele, jestli budu ležet doma v posteli, tak bude všechno v pohodě... ale přece nemůžu dopustit, aby se padesát stránek vůbec nic nedělo". Což ještě podtrhuje finální souboj, kdy se zlosyn dopustí všech chyb, které může padouch udělat. Včetně volby prostředí.
Na příběh ze světa Warhammeru 40.000 mi to přišlo strašně obyčejný. Je to příběh, který by se mohl vlastně odehrávat v jakémkoliv vesmíru. Navíc je to psáno dost suše a bezvýrazně, a to včetně postav a akce. Takže nějaké bojové scény jsou už čistě výčtem, kdo všechno umřel.
Zkusím ještě druhou knihu z řady, která byla právě v Pevnosti doporučovaná, jestli se to nezlepšilo. Zatím, co jsem nahlížel, se jen díl od dílu zvětšuje písmo, aby to vyšlo na stejný počet stránek.
Jak říkám, zajímavý svět, hrdinka, která se v něm snaží zorientovat a zároveň se nenechat oddělat. A když se doberete finále, tak i když je viník celkem jasný (ono tam moc postav nevystupuje), tak jeho motiv je docela fajn. I když je to jeden z těch případů, ve kterých dělá pachatel polovinu věcí čistě jen proto, aby bylo nějaké napětí. Říká si, "hele, jestli budu ležet doma v posteli, tak bude všechno v pohodě... ale přece nemůžu dopustit, aby se padesát stránek vůbec nic nedělo". Což ještě podtrhuje finální souboj, kdy se zlosyn dopustí všech chyb, které může padouch udělat. Včetně volby prostředí.
Na příběh ze světa Warhammeru 40.000 mi to přišlo strašně obyčejný. Je to příběh, který by se mohl vlastně odehrávat v jakémkoliv vesmíru. Navíc je to psáno dost suše a bezvýrazně, a to včetně postav a akce. Takže nějaké bojové scény jsou už čistě výčtem, kdo všechno umřel.
Zkusím ještě druhou knihu z řady, která byla právě v Pevnosti doporučovaná, jestli se to nezlepšilo. Zatím, co jsem nahlížel, se jen díl od dílu zvětšuje písmo, aby to vyšlo na stejný počet stránek.
May 31, 2025
Well-written and engaging. I've taken a recent interest in the Adeptus Arbites, and I could not have picked a better book to start with. Shira Calpurnia is, genuinely, one of the best protagonists I've read in 40k for a while. She's intelligent, cultured (though her manners are somewhat coarse around the edges. Space cop and all), and extremely competent. I believe placing such a character in Hydraphur was a stroke of genius: it allowed her main struggle to be a "fish out of water" with the increasingly labyrinthine codes of local law and custom, without losing any relatability or sacrificing any of that competence. I'm also glad the villain isn't some generic Chaos plot, for a change: without spoiling it too much, her foe is political rather than spiritual corruption (there's a longer argument that the two are intertwined, but that's not what I mean here).
I think this is the first Farrer book I've read in the BL, and I think he's quite good at it. His style is simple without being basic or boring, and his action manages to keep it moving well enough. I do wish he'd use more commas to set off independent clauses or exclamations, but c'est la vie.
I think this is the first Farrer book I've read in the BL, and I think he's quite good at it. His style is simple without being basic or boring, and his action manages to keep it moving well enough. I do wish he'd use more commas to set off independent clauses or exclamations, but c'est la vie.
March 12, 2017
An interesting novel, very different from the usual 40k novels I read and you get to learn about the Adeptus Arbites, knowledge of which I was sorely lacking.
Sadly 40k doesn't lend itself to a murder mystery so well, if that is what it is. It's somewhere between that and an action thriller. While the initial attempted assassination was interesting, and once things fell into place at the end it was really good, but in the middle it was a real slog.
There was a lot of detail about the rituals and worship of the event around which the story is based, and while a little adds to the atmosphere, a lot is really boring. Also there are several leads which turn out to be not quite dead ends, but more like small mysteries in themselves and contribute little to the overall plot.
Worth a read, but expect a slow pace in the middle.
Sadly 40k doesn't lend itself to a murder mystery so well, if that is what it is. It's somewhere between that and an action thriller. While the initial attempted assassination was interesting, and once things fell into place at the end it was really good, but in the middle it was a real slog.
There was a lot of detail about the rituals and worship of the event around which the story is based, and while a little adds to the atmosphere, a lot is really boring. Also there are several leads which turn out to be not quite dead ends, but more like small mysteries in themselves and contribute little to the overall plot.
Worth a read, but expect a slow pace in the middle.
July 6, 2017
You can read the full review over at my blog:
https://shadowhawksshade.wordpress.co...
Some of the best Warhammer 40,000 fiction that I’ve read to date has been rather unique in that it hasn’t focused on the “war” aspect of the setting so much. Dan Abnett’s Eisenhorn and Ravenor books for instance, have shown us how Imperial society works at a remove from all the wars in which the Imperial Guard and the Space Marines fight, and it has been really good. The same goes for some recent novels like Chris Wraight’s The Carrion Throne. However, as it turns out, one of the early pioneers of such was Matt Farrer with his Shira Calpurnia series which focused on an Imperial law-officer, Arbiter-Senioris Shira Calpurnia as she transfers over to a bustling Imperial world and has to navigate its politics and other less obvious dangers. The first novel, Crossfire, does a lot to set the stage for Shira’s new adventures and it is a fantastic read that really takes us across many levels of Imperial civilian life through a very unique perspective.
In the wider context of all Warhammer 40,000 fiction, Crossfire is unique in more ways than one. For starters, Matt begins each episode with some background info on the festival that is about to be celebrated on the world of Hydraphur. We get some really deep info-dumps here that enhance the overall experience of reading the novel and though by the end I was often skipping by these chapter prologues, they nevertheless are a wonderful example of world-building. And that fits in with the rest of the novel since the material that Matt overall is covering here is rarely seen in other novels. From all my reading in the last sixteen years, I think only Chris’ The Carrion Throne even touches on any Imperial festival. And, coincidentally enough, the Sanguinala is mentioned strongly in both with The Carrion Throne‘s events being centered on that festival itself. For lovers of world-building, I’d definitely suggest reading these prologues for all the incredible detail they contain, details not just on how the festival is carried out but also what forms and traditions and behaviours are observed in the lead-up to and the festival itself.
Then, we have the story itself. We’ve seen some Arbites characters before, such as in Graham McNeill’s first Ultramarines novel, Nightbringer, and if I’m not mistaken then either Eisenhorn or Ravenor also had an Arbites officer in their retinue too. But, Crossfire is where we focus exclusively on one such character and follow her adventures as she takes up her duties at her new posting on the Hydraphur hive-world, which is also the administrative and fleet capital of Segmentum Pacificus, making it basically a Top-10 important world in the Imperium.
Reading through, I really enjoyed how Shira was written. From her backstory, we find out that she is actually from the Ultramar worlds, which is pretty neat in and of itself. It is a nice little tie-in to the rest of the setting, and that was definitely something I liked. However, we also have the Arbiter Senioris herself, who is presented as a no-nonsense law officer unafraid to get her hands dirty and who is wary of all the Imperial nobles that she finds herself in the midst of and with whom she has to interact with on a regular basis. In a meta-sense, her character is no different to that of any “good cop” you watch on television or in movies, but of course the context of the setting is important here. As such, I found myself connecting with Shira quite a bit, and it only made me much more interested in figuring out what conspiracies and mysteries she was finding herself in the middle of.
https://shadowhawksshade.wordpress.co...
Some of the best Warhammer 40,000 fiction that I’ve read to date has been rather unique in that it hasn’t focused on the “war” aspect of the setting so much. Dan Abnett’s Eisenhorn and Ravenor books for instance, have shown us how Imperial society works at a remove from all the wars in which the Imperial Guard and the Space Marines fight, and it has been really good. The same goes for some recent novels like Chris Wraight’s The Carrion Throne. However, as it turns out, one of the early pioneers of such was Matt Farrer with his Shira Calpurnia series which focused on an Imperial law-officer, Arbiter-Senioris Shira Calpurnia as she transfers over to a bustling Imperial world and has to navigate its politics and other less obvious dangers. The first novel, Crossfire, does a lot to set the stage for Shira’s new adventures and it is a fantastic read that really takes us across many levels of Imperial civilian life through a very unique perspective.
In the wider context of all Warhammer 40,000 fiction, Crossfire is unique in more ways than one. For starters, Matt begins each episode with some background info on the festival that is about to be celebrated on the world of Hydraphur. We get some really deep info-dumps here that enhance the overall experience of reading the novel and though by the end I was often skipping by these chapter prologues, they nevertheless are a wonderful example of world-building. And that fits in with the rest of the novel since the material that Matt overall is covering here is rarely seen in other novels. From all my reading in the last sixteen years, I think only Chris’ The Carrion Throne even touches on any Imperial festival. And, coincidentally enough, the Sanguinala is mentioned strongly in both with The Carrion Throne‘s events being centered on that festival itself. For lovers of world-building, I’d definitely suggest reading these prologues for all the incredible detail they contain, details not just on how the festival is carried out but also what forms and traditions and behaviours are observed in the lead-up to and the festival itself.
Then, we have the story itself. We’ve seen some Arbites characters before, such as in Graham McNeill’s first Ultramarines novel, Nightbringer, and if I’m not mistaken then either Eisenhorn or Ravenor also had an Arbites officer in their retinue too. But, Crossfire is where we focus exclusively on one such character and follow her adventures as she takes up her duties at her new posting on the Hydraphur hive-world, which is also the administrative and fleet capital of Segmentum Pacificus, making it basically a Top-10 important world in the Imperium.
Reading through, I really enjoyed how Shira was written. From her backstory, we find out that she is actually from the Ultramar worlds, which is pretty neat in and of itself. It is a nice little tie-in to the rest of the setting, and that was definitely something I liked. However, we also have the Arbiter Senioris herself, who is presented as a no-nonsense law officer unafraid to get her hands dirty and who is wary of all the Imperial nobles that she finds herself in the midst of and with whom she has to interact with on a regular basis. In a meta-sense, her character is no different to that of any “good cop” you watch on television or in movies, but of course the context of the setting is important here. As such, I found myself connecting with Shira quite a bit, and it only made me much more interested in figuring out what conspiracies and mysteries she was finding herself in the middle of.
April 8, 2018
I'll willingly stipulate that I'm partial to the 40K setting to begin with, and the idea of a mystery-ish story told in 40K with a member of the Adeptus Arbites as the MC was pretty intriguing as well. But I still thought this was very well executed - I liked the MC, I liked the supporting cast, and maybe this is just because I don't read as many mysteries as other things (or I'm just dumb) but I didn't figure out everything that was going on. But not in the cheap Lost way, where you don't understand what's happening because neither do the writers. The explanation that came out by the end did a good job of reconciling things in my estimation. Really liked this one overall.
July 4, 2017
A closer look at Arbites in the Warhammer 40k universe. This is essentially a detective novel sci-fi novel. Unfortunately, I found the plot rather hard to follow as there is reference to many different organisations and individuals within the Warhammer 40k universe. Each chapter is interspersed with 1-2 page flavour text on the religious festival that sets the context for the book; rather than add to the story I found it quite jolting and frustrating to read.
August 9, 2022
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/201...
June 28, 2024
An excellent police procedural book within the WH40K universe. It reads well as a stand-alone novel and has loads of action and intrigue. A great crime-world novel that depicts life and corruption in the Imperium of Man.
Read this if you like The Carrion Throne.
Read this if you like the Eisenhorn series.
Read this if you like The Carrion Throne.
Read this if you like the Eisenhorn series.
September 14, 2023
**1/2
The plot and world of this book was interesting - intriguing even - with all its religious and aristocratic trappings, (as was the main character) but it was badly written, ultimately making it boring and difficult to follow.
And this was doubly true when it came to the action.
The plot and world of this book was interesting - intriguing even - with all its religious and aristocratic trappings, (as was the main character) but it was badly written, ultimately making it boring and difficult to follow.
And this was doubly true when it came to the action.
February 9, 2019
More political then tactical, little long winded.
August 31, 2019
An entertaining political thriller set in the 40k universe. Recommended if you like this grim-dark universe and enjoyed the Eisenhorn books.
March 25, 2020
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.
January 10, 2022
reasonable read
Having read all the recent Warhammer crime books I thought I would catch up on the earlier books dealing with this genre, worth a read
Having read all the recent Warhammer crime books I thought I would catch up on the earlier books dealing with this genre, worth a read
June 18, 2022
11/20.
January 30, 2025
Quite boring.
July 29, 2022
So, an odd review. I am not a big fan of cop procedurals, and as a cop procedural in the 40k universe, this did not change my opinion of cop procedural. As one, it was okay.
Where this book really shined, more so than literally any other 40K novel, is in the world-building (I mean this literally). The world and religious practices of Hydraphur were fleshed out so incredibly well, with material I had never found in other books, that it felt real. Not just as a carbon copy space Catholic, but a tried and true religion with social mores, aristocratic practices, penance actions, and scheduled events. I hope that the other novels in the series builds off of this, because this was a fantastic component of the book.
Where this book really shined, more so than literally any other 40K novel, is in the world-building (I mean this literally). The world and religious practices of Hydraphur were fleshed out so incredibly well, with material I had never found in other books, that it felt real. Not just as a carbon copy space Catholic, but a tried and true religion with social mores, aristocratic practices, penance actions, and scheduled events. I hope that the other novels in the series builds off of this, because this was a fantastic component of the book.
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