After centuries of calm, the Nameless One is stirring.
An army is gathering; thousands of giants, ogres, and other creatures are joining forces ...
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reviews
Jun 29, 2010
Stefan
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Shadow Prowler, the first fantasy novel by Russian author Alexey Pehov to be translated to English, pulls out every fantasy cliché in the book: elves, dwarves, orcs, ogres, goblins, guilds of thieves and assassins, and an evil overlord (the "Nameless One") who is about to awaken and take over the land with an army of evil beasties. Shadow Harold (yes, that's his name) is a master thief who, against his will, gets involved in rescuing the world from said Nameless One. To do so, he must
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Oct 06, 2011
Jacqie
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Nothing wrong with this one at all. I've read a lot of thief-viewpoint books in the last year. I think they've proliferated thanks to Scott Lynch(may he soon release another title). Unfortunately, writing a thief means that you've got to somehow generate tension while creating a plausible job/con and seem like you know what you're talking about when it comes to society's shady underbelly. Except for the afore-mentioned Lynch (may his pen never dry), I haven't found anyone who can do all this
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Jun 27, 2011
Ranting
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http://www.rantingdragon.com/shadow-prow...
Shadow Prowler by Alexey Pehov is the first book translated into English from The Chronicles of Siala trilogy, an award winning series in Russia. The book was translated by Andrew Bromfield, who also translated the popular Night Watch series.
Shadow Harold is a master thief in the great city of Avendoom. He’s done his best to remain in the shadows; however, after one particularly difficult heist, Harold is given a choice — assist More...
Shadow Prowler by Alexey Pehov is the first book translated into English from The Chronicles of Siala trilogy, an award winning series in Russia. The book was translated by Andrew Bromfield, who also translated the popular Night Watch series.
Shadow Harold is a master thief in the great city of Avendoom. He’s done his best to remain in the shadows; however, after one particularly difficult heist, Harold is given a choice — assist More...
Mar 02, 2010
William
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Shadow Prowler by Alexey Pehov
Pehov may be well known in his native Russia but I had never heard of him until I read this book. I think the quality of this book will insure that Pehov will be known far and wide as well as in Russia. Shadow Harold, a master thief, finds himself enmeshed with the establishment to save the world as they know it.
Shadow Harold is an enjoyable rogue. Harold is a master thief of exceptional skill and a healthy interest in avoiding heroics More...
Pehov may be well known in his native Russia but I had never heard of him until I read this book. I think the quality of this book will insure that Pehov will be known far and wide as well as in Russia. Shadow Harold, a master thief, finds himself enmeshed with the establishment to save the world as they know it.
Shadow Harold is an enjoyable rogue. Harold is a master thief of exceptional skill and a healthy interest in avoiding heroics More...
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Mar 18, 2010
David
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Shadow Harold is a master thief who has no intention of being a hero, but is drafted into a rag-tag group of men, elves, a gnome, a dwarf, and a goblin. He is kidnapped and taken to the King who tricks him into taking a commission – a sacred agreement to thieves –to find the rainbow horn, so it can be used against the returning threat of the Nameless One.
As someone who hasn’t read a lot of fantasy, I expected the characters to take off on this quest immediately, but I’m glad they di More...
As someone who hasn’t read a lot of fantasy, I expected the characters to take off on this quest immediately, but I’m glad they di More...
May 02, 2011
Mark
rated it:
I enjoyed this fantasy. The review on the front cover states that it's "Toothy, gritty, and relentless." I found it light and pleasant and fun.
The protagonist, Harold, is a happy-go-lucky professional thief. While we all know stealing is wrong, Pehov's portrayal of Harold charms the reader into pulling for him. The book is not what I'd call plot driven, since it ambles along at a slow pace. And it's never graphically violent or vicious. It's more like reading THE HOBB More...
The protagonist, Harold, is a happy-go-lucky professional thief. While we all know stealing is wrong, Pehov's portrayal of Harold charms the reader into pulling for him. The book is not what I'd call plot driven, since it ambles along at a slow pace. And it's never graphically violent or vicious. It's more like reading THE HOBB More...
Mar 27, 2010
Erika
rated it: 
Shadow Harold is a professional thief. His latest Commission (thieving job) has gotten him in a bit of trouble. He hasn’t exactly gotten caught, just noticed by the wrong people. The kingdom of Siala is overrun with a mysterious yellow fog and demons that hunt in the shadows. Everyone thinks the Namesless One is to blame--a figure of darkness both evil and powerful who sends his minions forth to carry out terrible deeds. The Order of Magicians bring Harold forward with a proposition: journey
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Mar 29, 2010
Kayanna
rated it:
The Good
Shadow Prowler is an epic fantasy trilogy written in first person detailing a professional thief, Shadow Harold's reluctant acceptance and beginning trek to save his Country from an evil that promises to annihilate humans existence on earth. whew! That is the book in a nutshell. Shawdow Prolwer is action packed from beginning to end. It takes place in a time and period similar to The Lord of the Rings. I got a real "Middle Earth" type of feeling. It was northern as More...
Shadow Prowler is an epic fantasy trilogy written in first person detailing a professional thief, Shadow Harold's reluctant acceptance and beginning trek to save his Country from an evil that promises to annihilate humans existence on earth. whew! That is the book in a nutshell. Shawdow Prolwer is action packed from beginning to end. It takes place in a time and period similar to The Lord of the Rings. I got a real "Middle Earth" type of feeling. It was northern as More...
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Jul 07, 2011
arjuna
rated it:
Somewhat dry narration (function of translation?) which sat a little oddly at times; Harold is an interesting/engaging central character, but the story loses momentum about half-way through (about the time one realises the plot/quest so beautifully set up is going to take place in another book entirely). A bit more movement/actual story in this volume would have been nice - somewhat less lovingly/laboriously described battles (especially in flashback/vision mode) might be a place to start, perh
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Mar 25, 2010
Catherine
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First person is one of those things that seems really easy to write (after all, we all think in first person, and using “I” and “me” is all very natural to us) but in reality it is much more difficult to do well. As well as having to deal with issues such as a limited perspective, to me the real thing that first person does (to make it all difficult) is reveal a very boring and lackluster main character. Narrating from third can help hide this, but when a reader can see directly into the mind of
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May 29, 2010
Elysium
rated it:
This is the first book in a popular Russian fantasy serie. There were times that I regretted that I haven’t read Russian so I could have read the original edition. It started little slow but got better towards the end. Mainly because it took far too long to Harold to actually leave to the quest, but after he does things started rolling smoothly.
A thief called Harold is framed into stealing an object before being recruited by the king to the most dangerous burglary in his life. He has More...
A thief called Harold is framed into stealing an object before being recruited by the king to the most dangerous burglary in his life. He has More...
Aug 17, 2010
Michael
rated it:
The publishers used some clever false advertising to sell this book. It's described as being a grand epic- but it's not The first half of the book takes place in one city- one boring and predictable city. Epics almost always have the main character setting out on a major quest fairly soon in the story. This author couldn't get to the main plot.
This story should not be favorably compared to Tolkien as the dust jacket blurbs do. It seems that he just took tolkien's creatures (Elves, orcs,etc.) an More...
This story should not be favorably compared to Tolkien as the dust jacket blurbs do. It seems that he just took tolkien's creatures (Elves, orcs,etc.) an More...
Feb 15, 2010
Justin
rated it:
I enjoyed Alexey Pehov’s Shadow Prowler very much, but I would not recommend it to everyone. Obviously, our own Stefan didn’t like it (see below), but I have some specific reasons why I did. I’ll do my best to explain so that you, dear reader, can decide whether or not Shadow Prowler is for you.
First let me mention that the author, Alexey Pehov, is Russian and that Shadow Prowler has been beautifully translated by Andrew Bloomfield (he also did the Nightwatch series). I think the tra More...
First let me mention that the author, Alexey Pehov, is Russian and that Shadow Prowler has been beautifully translated by Andrew Bloomfield (he also did the Nightwatch series). I think the tra More...
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Jul 02, 2010
Cornelia
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Even as I didn't have the time to read, this book forced me to read on and on. The Russian author is doing a really good job and the first person style, which usually gets annoying pretty quickly, doesn't bother me at all. The main character, Garrett, is introduced well, the glossar at the end of the book tempts to look up each foreign appearing word and explains well. The story does take its time to describe, to invent more characters, to make the reader familiar with the world, but never in a
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Jun 20, 2011
I'm definitely going to have to go back and re-try this book at a time when I'm feeling less short-tempered and impatient. As it was, I could not get into the darn thing. I can't decide if it's the fault of the translation ("Mmm. I could really cut loose if only I could have this place to myself for just a few minutes" (33)), or if it's the way Mr. Pehov writes, or if I couldn't handle first-person narration, but... meh.
And it's so depressing, guys, because I was REALLY More...
And it's so depressing, guys, because I was REALLY More...
Jul 31, 2011
Jim
rated it:
I tried the book based on the fact that it was narrated by MacLeod Andrews. I enjoyed his narration in two other books, and he did not disappoint with this book. This is an epic fantasy novel with a wide breadth of characters (including fantasy creatures and various non-human races). To successfully narrate a book of that size and scope is impressive to me.
As for the book itself, it is an interesting read. It has certain Tolkien-like tendencies, but it also exhibits some creativity More...
As for the book itself, it is an interesting read. It has certain Tolkien-like tendencies, but it also exhibits some creativity More...
Apr 17, 2011
Ed
rated it:
This is an enjoyable read for any fan of fantasy/adventure. A highly skilled thief finds his life suddenly spinning out of control and very little of it is his fault. The storyline is good and there is good use of "stories within the story" that add depth and detail to the plot. The characters are well developed and enjoyable.
There are times that the plot seems strangely familiar but then it suddenly veers off in a new direction.
I would recommend this book More...
There are times that the plot seems strangely familiar but then it suddenly veers off in a new direction.
I would recommend this book More...
May 12, 2011
Carla
rated it:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It is very well written and the story grabs you from the very beginning. So descriptive you feel like you have been transported to another world. Very interesting characters to say the least. For anyone that likes fantasy you will enjoy reading this book. For those that enjoyed The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings, you may find that it is kind of similar but only to certain degrees. A quest has been put forth and the events in this first book are develo
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Jul 27, 2011
Ruth
rated it:
c2002. I loved this book. It had been recommended on various book blogging sites and I am glad that I ordered this one. It had a great hero (Shadow Harold) and threads of humour which I found amusing. The plot and world is well crafted but the author does not take ten thousand pages to do this. I quite like the idea of the back story being told in the various dream sequences - much better than building this into the present story. Roll on the sequel. Highly recommended. "My less than joyful
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Nov 14, 2011
Willinda
rated it:
Harold měl vcelku normální práci. Někdo mu navrhl prácičku, on zakázku přijal, vydal se něco ukrást, a vrátil se k onomu žadateli s jeho předměty a dostal zaplaceno. Je totiž mistr zloděj. Tato jednoduchost se ale změnila, když přijal zakázku na získání Duhového rohu, magického artefaktu, který má zadržet největšího nepřítele Sialy a celého světa, Bezejmenného, a aby toho nebylo málo, tuto zakázku mu nabídl samotný král Sialy.
Harold tuto práci přijal, než se ale vydal i se svou společností More...
Harold tuto práci přijal, než se ale vydal i se svou společností More...
May 15, 2011
Pylgrym
rated it:
Interesting fantasy supposedly based on Russian folklore (amazingly a subject I know nothing about so can't comment). I am listening to the audio. Give the reader 6 stars because I don't think it would be half as good to read. I'm sure the translation is adequate but the writing has no poetry so does not deserve comparison to Tolkien. Having worked with a Russian author, I sympathize with the difficulties but if the poetry was there, it would translate. Recommended for readers who like fantasy q
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May 22, 2011
Schwana
rated it:
OMG! What a wild ride! This was such an unexpected surprise, and I can not stop wishing that I had the next book "Shadow Chaser" so that I can continue along the Journey with Shadow Harold and the crew. LOL
I was not expecting to be grabbed from the moment I started, but I did and I am glad to be. He is such an amazing character and the wit and sarcasm of Harold is smashing! I love him! The weaving of the story as he sets out on preparing for his Commission for King More...
I was not expecting to be grabbed from the moment I started, but I did and I am glad to be. He is such an amazing character and the wit and sarcasm of Harold is smashing! I love him! The weaving of the story as he sets out on preparing for his Commission for King More...
Jan 13, 2012
Wathira
rated it:
After many false starts and interruptions, I finally finished Alexey Pehov's Shadow Prowler within three days. I liked it at once because Pehov jumps right into the action, and then weaves the back story into the rest of the book. My fantasy literature pet peeve is long introductions or prologues that set up the plot, but leave the main characters and main plot action, until all but the most
patient readers have put the book down. The next thing that piqued my interest was the first-person More...
patient readers have put the book down. The next thing that piqued my interest was the first-person More...
Jun 01, 2011
Blodeuedd
rated it:
Shadow Prowler
The Chronicles of Siala, book 1
Genre: Fantasy
Published: UK April 2010 Simon &Schuster
Pages: 400
After centuries of calm, the Nameless One is stirring.
An army is gathering; thousands of giants, ogres, and other creatures are joining forces from all across the Desolate Lands, united, for the first time in history, under one black banner. By the spring, or perhaps sooner, the Nameless One and his forces will be at the walls of the g More...
The Chronicles of Siala, book 1
Genre: Fantasy
Published: UK April 2010 Simon &Schuster
Pages: 400
After centuries of calm, the Nameless One is stirring.
An army is gathering; thousands of giants, ogres, and other creatures are joining forces from all across the Desolate Lands, united, for the first time in history, under one black banner. By the spring, or perhaps sooner, the Nameless One and his forces will be at the walls of the g More...
May 12, 2010
Mike
rated it:
In Shadow Prowler, the first in a famed Russian fantasy series, the Master Thief Shadow Harold is tasked to find a means to stop the seemingly inexorable advance of the Unnamed One. Joined by a motley cast of characters he sets off on a quest that will save the world and, perhaps more importantly to our hero, make him a very rich man. While the jacket copy for Shadow Prowler, with its mention of the Unnamed One, and an elf princess, as well as it’s quest based nature appears to be a very tradi
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Sep 18, 2010
Kalyn
rated it:
The set-up of this one is pretty standard fantasy - wizards, elves, dwarves, goblins, etc. but the way it's put together here makes me like it more than most. Elves aren't beautiful or nice, goblins aren't evil, and dwarves aren't greedy. There are a very stories that intertwine in this one but the book is written so that it's easy to keep them straight and see how they work together.
I'm looking forward to the next installment of this series.
I'm looking forward to the next installment of this series.
Feb 17, 2011
Svitlana
rated it:
To my opinion, it is an amazing book! The Shadow Prowler is indeed interesting, exciting and funny to read, I enjoyed its every single page! The main characters are very charismatic, you grow close to them while you read, and to say goodbye is a disaster... If you love to meet a new fantasy world with its own rules and laws, to get a dangerous task and a bunch of problems with it, and still not afraid to fulfill that damn task, than you should definitely join Garreth in his journey!!!
Apr 27, 2011
Amandaj
rated it:
I received this book through a first reads giveaway. The very beginning of the book didn't hook me in right away. After reading half of the first chapter I put the book down for about a week and then picked it back up again. After facing that hurdle, I was able to get into the story and I had a hard time putting it down. Pehov's ability to produce memorable images of Shadow Harold's adventures was mostly spot-on. I also enjoyed the humor that was sprinkled throughout the book. Fantasy isn't alwa
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Jan 10, 2012
Feyfire
rated it:
I loved this book! I've seen other reviews where others had complained that it's cliche because it covers elves, humans, orcs, etc-but really, I think Pehov developed rich histories and identities for the races. Shadow Harold is an awesome anti-hero! I'm looking forward to the next installment of this series. :)
Mar 22, 2010
Tina
rated it:
'You don't know how American you are until you leave the country.' This is how I felt reading this Russian fantasy novel. What makes this an interesting read for me is noting the similarities and differences from the American fantasy. Prophecy poems, riddles, and a master thief faced with an overwhelming tasks that 15 other skilled warriors and magicians can't handle? That seems familiar enough for the genre. Then you read about elves with fangs? Zombies? Blind white fuzzy monsters?
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