Set in an alternate nineteenth century, muskets and magic are weapons to be feared in the first “spectacular epic” (Fantasy Book Critic) in Django Wexler’s Shadow Campaigns series.Captain Marcus d’Ivoire, commander of one of the Vordanai empire’s colonial garrisons, was serving out his days in a sleepy, remote outpost—until a rebellion left him in charge of a demoralized force clinging to a small … clinging to a small fortress at the edge of the desert.
To flee from her past, Winter Ihernglass masqueraded as a man and enlisted as a ranker in the Vordanai Colonials, hoping only to avoid notice. But when chance sees her promoted to command, she must lead her men into battle against impossible odds.
Their fate depends on Colonel Janus bet Vhalnich. Under his command, Marcus and Winter feel the tide turning and their allegiance being tested. For Janus’s ambitions extend beyond the battlefield and into the realm of the supernatural—a realm with the power to reshape the known world and change the lives of everyone in its path.
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Django Wexler has delivered a highly entertaining debut which mixes elements of Bernard Cornwall-esque military adventure with an original take on magic and a keen eye for action, dialogue and character. If this is any indication succeeding volumes may end up doing for the Napoleonic Wars what George RR Martin did for the Wars of the Roses.
I reviewed this on my blog a while back. It’s a great beginning to a really well-done, engrossing series.
What would a young Napoleon have done to get his hands on magical weapons?
That’s essentially the question Django Wexler explores in his flintlock fantasy The Thousand Names. But he uses an alternate universe to run his literary simulation.
The story is set in Khandar, an arid colony of the Vordanai empire. A local religious movement known as the Redemption has overthrown the Khandarai prince and chased the Vordanai garrison from the capital. Things look grim for the evicted troops until an eccentric and uncommonly intelligent colonel arrives with orders to crush the rebellion. More covertly, he’s also seeking a Khandarai artifact imbued with arcane power.
The early parts of the novel are light on magic, though. Much of the book reads like military fiction, focusing on the campaign the Vordanai wage against the acolytes and allies of the Redemption. Muskets figure heavily into the fighting, as do cannon, cavalry, and Napoleonic-era infantry formations. At times, I felt as if I were revisiting one of Bernard Cornwell’s Richard Sharpe novels. (Not a bad thing!)
I also enjoyed the protagonists. Wexler primarily tells the story through the eyes of two Vordanai officers, one a senior captain and the other a “ranker” on the climb. They’re both easy to root for. So are the majority of the supporting characters.
But I wish we’d gotten more of the Khandarai perspective.
In the book’s acknowledgments, Wexler writes that, “This is not, in any sense, a historical novel. At best it was inspired by history, in the loosest Hollywood sense of the word.” The Thousand Name’s imperial dynamics feel like more than a loose parallel to reality, however. The Vordanai, no matter how sympathetically drawn, are ultimately pale-skinned invaders; the indigenous Khandarai have darker complexions, ranging in hue from “pale ash” to “brown-black.” Given that the colonel is modeled after Napoleon and possesses similar military genius, it makes sense that the Vordanai often have a tactical advantage. Yet some of their victories made me wince; I didn’t always appreciate being expected to cheer for the occupying force. Replacing one of the Vordanai officers with a Khandarai point of view might have complicated the reader’s loyalties in more compelling ways.
To be fair, we do get a few chapters featuring native characters. Wexler also generally depicts the Khandarai as a complex people composed of multiple subcultures and factions. And the Vordanai don’t come off as morally superior; there are plenty of bad apples serving under (and opposing) the colonel. The book isn’t an apology for colonialism—I’d still recommend The Thousand Names to anyone who enjoys historical fantasy with a martial bent.
But the story could have been even better if it were more balanced.
(For more reviews like this one, see http://www.nickwisseman.com)
A highly entertaining mix of strong character development and nail-biting battle scenes. Can’t wait to read the next books in the series
The first of Django Wexler’s Shadow Campaign series and I think the strongest. Great read.
Surprisingly well written.
Interesting characters and decent military action.
Good, deep characters and interesting plot twists. Highly recommend.
Super first book of a multi book series, I am just now within several chapters of having this book finished, it is very very very good. Note ( the triple very very very good ) is used by me very sparingly, so do take note, I am impressed by the world building and great characters and theme of the book, it is a winner all the way. I am one of those people that can and do read 4/5 or 6 books at a time and never seem to lose my place no matter how long it takes to get back to a book, well with this one all the others have had to wait, I must finish this one first and now. Get it, you will not regret it.
I loved this book greatly so I recommend it to all those fantasy readers out there
Very well written. I loved the story and look forward to following Winter thru the next book (s).
excellent reading…jumped right into the next in the series
Enjoyed this book.