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The Thousand Names

(The Shadow Campaigns #1)

Django Wexler (Goodreads Author)

4.04 · Rating details · 16,215 ratings · 1,221 reviews

Enter an epic fantasy world that echoes with the thunder of muskets and the clang of steel—but where the real battle is against a subtle and sinister magic....

Captain Marcus d’Ivoire, commander of one of the Vordanai empire’s colonial garrisons, was resigned to serving out his days in a sleepy, remote outpost. But that was before a rebellion upended his life. And once the ...more

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Hardcover, US edition, 513 pages

Published July 2nd 2013 by Roc

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Mar 19, 2013 Django Wexler rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

Well, *I* obviously enjoyed it, or I wouldn't have written it. Hopefully other people will too.

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Jul 10, 2013 Mpauli rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: genre_flintlock-fantasy, orga_read-in-2013, genre_fantasy

The steps of the novel echoed through the throne room. The book king watched as the large tome took a bow infront of him.

"Please rise, so I can see your beautiful cover," said the book king.

The book did as it was told. The high noon sun basking its front it looked up to his monarch.

"I was told that you'd like to be ranked for the book army. Is that so?" asked the king.

"Yes, my liege."

"From seeing you enter, I assume you have a good pacing. You're posture is well balanced. That's a good start. Bu ...more

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Oct 14, 2017 Petrik rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Flintlock/military fantasy fans

Recommended to Petrik by: Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~

A great explosive Flintlock/Military fantasy debut that left me begging for more by the end of it.

Speaking of flintlock fantasy, the first thing that came to the reader’s mind would probably be The Powder Mage by Brian McClellan, which I loved, but I have a good feeling just from the first book out of five in The Shadow Campaigns series that it will eventually topple The Powder Mage.

If you truly want to know what the premise of the book is about, I strongly suggest you to just read the blurb of ...more

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Jan 14, 2018 ❄️Nani❄️ rated it really liked it

Shelves: adult-fantasy-sci-fi

I'm in love.

I went into this not just hoping to love it but somewhat weirdly confident that I would and low and behold, for once my hunch was right because I LOVED IT. I LOVED EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF IT.

This is my third 5-star rating out of the 10 books that I’ve read since the new year which is saying a lot because I don't hand out 5 stars like candy anymore. And I wish I could say that I was the, oh so analytical reader type who break a book down into each of its parts, strive to understand ho ...more

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Feb 17, 2017 Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned-physical, year-2017, audiobook, lgbt, 4-star, favorites

Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars

Wow I loved this!

I think the real strength in The Thousand Names is how incredibly well written it is.

I want to start by explaining the reason I docked half a star.

There were some moments where the in-depth paragraphs of military maneuvers and battles carried on for just a touch longer than necessary. There were some moments where I wished the plot moved just a touch faster.

HOWEVER...

These two small issues hardly detracted from my overall enjoyment. I can tell that this ...more

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Nov 10, 2013 carol. rated it liked it

Recommends it for: fans of Sheepfarmer's Daughter, military fantasy

Recommended to carol. by: Fantasy Aficionados

Shelves: epic-fantasy, female-lead, multi-culti, fantasy, male-lead, military-fantasy-sci-fi

For some time now, I’ve been co-moderating a fantasy group on Goodreads. One of the troubles with attempting to be an active group co-moderator are monthly reads. Ultimately, only a few read the selections in a timely enough fashion to discuss, so I’ve been making it a personal challenge to read the books chosen. The Thousand Names won our ’round-the-world fantasy,’ African setting poll, so I dutifully ordered it from the library. While it began promisingly enough, it soon segued into a detailed For some time now, I’ve been co-moderating a fantasy group on Goodreads. One of the troubles with attempting to be an active group co-moderator are monthly reads. Ultimately, only a few read the selections in a timely enough fashion to discuss, so I’ve been making it a personal challenge to read the books chosen. The Thousand Names won our ’round-the-world fantasy,’ African setting poll, so I dutifully ordered it from the library. While it began promisingly enough, it soon segued into a detailed military fantasy, one of my least favorite fantasy sub-genres (quite honestly, it’s probably a toss-up between that and romance-heavy UF).

Names begins with a gathering of various power factions in the city of Khandar. The resistance has pushed the white devils back and are debating the next move. Led by the chief of the civil authority, Jaffa, other guests include the head priest of the Redeemers, a new faction of a militant religious order; the general of the army; and the Steel Ghost, the mysterious leader of the desert nomads. Shortly after the meeting, Jaffa surreptitiously meets with the Holy Mother. She casually commands one of her followers to interrogate a waif caught following him to their meeting–after she was first killed. Its the first promise that something magical and fantastical is happening.

My interested piqued, I decided to read on.

Part One begins with a small group of the aforementioned white devils on guard duty. One is on the receiving end of harsh chaffing, and the reader soon discovers that Private Winter is a woman in disguise. Scene switch to a captain in the same army, Marcus d’Ivorie, as he rides to meet the ships that are either bringing reinforcements or taking his men home. He greets Count Colonel Janus, the new leader of the army and fan of plain speaking. Janus is clearly an eccentric genius, although Marcus has his suspicions.

The remainder of the book is largely between narratives focused on Winter and Marcus, sometimes within the same chapter, along with a couple scattered short pieces from various others introduced in the first chapter. Because Wexler devotes significant chunks of both text and action to each, the switches between characters are smooth, although sometimes they end on a bit of a cliff-hanger as a new event unfolds. Resolving one issue but ending with lead-in to another was a nice device that kept me interested.

Unfortunately for me, however, Wexler has a deep love for military detail. His introductory acknowledgement thanks someone who introduced him to “historical war-gaming,” and the jacket binding mentions “When not planning Shadow Campaigns, he wrangles computers, paints tiny soldiers…” His enthusiasm shows in the plotting. The majority of the book focuses on movements of the invaders against the Khandar alliance, using the dual perspectives of Winter and Marcus for insights into engagements of both the grunt view and leadership. Wexler writes well enough that I was initially engaged, especially as Winter started to shine. However, the sheer overwhelming attention to the detail and movements is too much to sustain my interest. We’re talking Name of the Wind thickness here, at slightly over 500 pages. Really, given my interest in war strategy is largely indifferent, it’s a mark of skill that Wexler had my interest at all. In Wexler’s defense, he does use a variety of engagements, from ambush to a targeted strike to all-out battle, which brings additional interest.

The mystical elements begin to come into play when Winter discovers a daughter of the Holy Mother. I won’t say any more to avoid spoilers, but one of the disappointments for me as a fantasy reader is that events and explanations relating to the magical system come principally at the end of the book. It feels a little tacked on, especially as it results in significant political and personal cliffhangers.

Characterization is thorough and well done. If perhaps a little stereotypical, the familiarity gives an anchor point to the story and allows for a tiny bit of boundary-pushing. Wexler does a nice job with the female viewpoint, although he over-emphasizes Winter’s obsession with a tragic relationship incident. I also appreciated a nice twist or two relating to characterization.

Thematically, I can’t help but be a little disappointed by lost potential created from the opening scene of the defender’s situation followed by a focus on the invaders. Wexler largely leaves the morals and ethics of invasion and defense aside, except for a token nod to commanders prohibiting raping and looting. Marcus wrestles significantly with personal loyalty issues, but I think any ethical issues on the part of the invaders were largely clear-cut. The Holy Mother offered more potential for ethical issues of cultural preservation, but those were left mostly with the cliff-hanger.

Overall, it was a bit of a miss for me, largely because of my own genre preference and the lack of finesse in ethical issues and characterization. I think fans of The Deeds of Paksenarrion would enjoy it, as well as anyone who enjoys detailed troop engagements.

Four stars for writing skill and military detail, two stars for personal enjoyment, so I’ll average it out and call it three.

...more

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Jun 27, 2014 Will M. rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Military/war fantasy fans

Shelves: favourites, best-of-2015, 2015, fantasy, war

The Thousand Names didn't just deliver as a fantasy novel, but rather a military fantasy novel. It was all about tactics, strategy, survival, and betrayal. All of those elements intertwined to produce this spectacular novel.

The premise was a bit unclear in terms of the goal of the novel. It merely introduced the readers to the two main characters who helped shape this into the perfection that it is. What made up for the unclear premise would be the unpredictable plot. Everything was not as it s The Thousand Names didn't just deliver as a fantasy novel, but rather a military fantasy novel. It was all about tactics, strategy, survival, and betrayal. All of those elements intertwined to produce this spectacular novel.

The premise was a bit unclear in terms of the goal of the novel. It merely introduced the readers to the two main characters who helped shape this into the perfection that it is. What made up for the unclear premise would be the unpredictable plot. Everything was not as it seemed to be. The twist and turns would make you want to read everything at once. The plot proved to be one of the most interesting ones of its respective genre.

Wexler created two unforgettable and genuinely likable characters. Winter and Marcus had different characteristics, but when put together, they worked great. Winter was a girl who had to pretend to be a man to be able to serve the military. What made her identity unrecognizable to the others would be as clear as the premise. While it could be perceived as gimmicky, the gimmick worked out very well. Marcus on the other hand was a respectable member of the military. He showed a bit of weakness in the beginning of the novel, but managed to redeem himself more than once. Aside from the two amazing ones, the other minor characters were just as interesting. Janus was a great leader and proved himself till the end of the novel. Other minor characters were also very entertaining. Very much character driven, but the plot on the other hand didn't disappoint.

The betrayals and revelations in the end were not just unpredictable, but they were also very well written. Wexler put a lot of thought in those, as the twists in the end affected the plot greatly. It wasn't forced and just placed there for the sake of having an unseen change of events, but he wrote those in order to further develop the plot even more. If you're looking for a novel with unexpected turn of events that would leave your mouth hanging open, then this novel is for you.

Highly recommended to Military and war fantasy fans. Quite a few people had been calling this "flintlock fantasy", so if you're a fan of that then you must give this one a try. The Thousand Names hasn't been given the right amount of praise and attention it truly deserves, but great novels will always be discovered and cherished sooner or later. Remarkable characters, promising plot, and exquisite writing. The ending hinted a lot of promising things for the sequel, and surely the author has a lot more to offer in the next few novels of the Shadow Campaigns series. ...more

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Apr 03, 2018 Jody rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: flintlock-fantasy

I have had my eye on The Shadow Campaigns series for a while now. The flintlock fantasy genre is one that really seems to appeal to my tastes as a reader. I wouldn't refer to myself as a history buff by any means, but history has always fascinated me. Mr. Wexler has managed to give The Thousand Names a 17th century or early 18th century feel with the muskets, cannons, and military atmosphere. This managed to make my inner historical nerd jump with glee every time a fight broke out. But that is n I have had my eye on The Shadow Campaigns series for a while now. The flintlock fantasy genre is one that really seems to appeal to my tastes as a reader. I wouldn't refer to myself as a history buff by any means, but history has always fascinated me. Mr. Wexler has managed to give The Thousand Names a 17th century or early 18th century feel with the muskets, cannons, and military atmosphere. This managed to make my inner historical nerd jump with glee every time a fight broke out. But that is not all that makes this book fun and entertaining. The characters are well developed, the world building has a middle-eastern feel to it, and the humor had me laughing out loud throughout the book.

The characters are what really made this story thrive for me. The storyline mainly follows two POV's, Captain Marcus d'Ivoire and Lieutenant Winter Ihernglass. Both are members of the Vordan army, but have come to their current positions through very different circumstances. Marcus attended the war college in Vordan and chose his assignment in Khandar after graduation, while Winter is trying to run as far as she can from a troubled past. I enjoyed both characters, but Winter's storyline was probably the highlight of the book for me. She is undoubtedly one of the most interesting female characters I have read in quite a while. Mr. Wexler makes sure to detail her past and present struggles. Being one of the only female soldiers, and seeing what she has to go through, but still managing to persevere, made it easy to cheer for her. Colonel Janus was also a great character. While we don't get any of the story from his POV, his interactions with Marcus and Winter really brought his character to life almost just as much. He is intelligent and a bit eccentric at times, but his personality added some good humor and diversity to the dialogue.

The Vordanian army posted in Khandar are pretty much considered a group of outcasts. These are the troublemakers and lowest ranking soldiers in the army. So, they have been sent over the ocean to be out of the way, but still serve their country. They're job is to train the Khandar soldiers and support the prince, but a group of religious fanatics know as the Redeemers send the Vordan army and prince running for their lives. The Redeemers overrun the capital city, Ashe-Katarion, and take command of the Khandar soldiers. They also have the backing of the local desert tribes and their mysterious leader the Steel Ghost. The Vordan army is left leaderless, and in a foreign country. So, the king sends fresh and untested new recruits, along with a new leader, Colonel Janus. He not only intends to fight back against the Redeemers, he has every intention to win. But what seems like a cut and dry war to defeat the Redeemers and put the prince back on the throne, turns into a search for a power that could tear the Vordan's apart.

The setup for the next book was done perfectly. Mr. Wexler leaves the reader with enough information to know that some big decisions are about to be made. Also, the epilogue reminded me of an ending to a Marvel movie, where halfway through the credits you get that extra scene that makes you all the more anxious for the next movie. Yeah! That's this book! Luckily this series is finished, so I don't have to wait to start the next book.

There were a couple of minor issues I had, but nothing that took away from my overall enjoyment. There are a few small sections in the book where we get a POV from certain Khandarian characters. I thought this change of pace was done well, but would like to have seen more of these sections. Also, the magic system is not explained very well. I assume it is because there are a limited amount of magical scenes in this book, but I would have liked a better understanding of certain scenes. Hopefully, they will be more abundant in book 2, and discussed in greater detail. Like I said, just minor things that stood out to me, but did keep me from giving this 5 stars.

So, if your looking for a good military fantasy read, with memorable characters, gritty humor, and a well developed story, look no further than The Thousand Names. I have found one of my go to fantasy genres in flintlock fantasy, so I will be continuing with book 2, The Shadow Throne, right away.

4.5 stars ****

...more

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Jul 22, 2017 ✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: the-awesome-bunch, fantasy, machalo-tbr-cleaning-challenge-2017, 2017, it-s-war, things-that-make-you-go-hmmm, lickable-covers

Actual rating: 3.5 stars. Methinks.

Introducing…the Murderous Shrimps Want to Dance then again Maybe not Super Crappy Express Non Review (MSWtDtaMnSCENR™)!

➽ Murderous shrimps want to dance because:
✔ Cool military stuff and battles and war strategy and stuff.
✔ A little magic.
✔ Great cast of intriguing characters.
✔ Traitors and scumbags and assholes, oh my!
✔ Both male and female POVs.
✔ Scrumpalicious final chapters.
✔ Slightly orgasmic book cover.

Time to dance and stuff.

➽ Then again maybe not becaus ...more

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Apr 08, 2016 Haïfa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

You can find this review and more at Booksprens.

The Thousand Names is exactly what I came to expect of Flintlock Fantasy: Colonials, a dusty setting, military tactics and old, dangerous magic. A fantastic, exotic and intriguing combo!

The story takes place in Khandar, an arid colony where the dregs (with a few exceptions) of the Vordanai army are sent (or rather "exiled") to keep the peace and support the local prince. A precarious alliance of zealous priests (the Redeemers) and desert warriors ( ...more

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Jan 17, 2017 Solseit rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: to-read-on-shelf

I liked this book so much that I needed to make another review - a gush review - on my blog!
https://todaysdecameron.wordpress.com...
Let me know your thoughts!

- - -
I have been particularly lucky lately with the reading picks.
I was nervous about starting this series, I owned this book for quite some time - and the cover is spectacular - the blurb is magnetic and the rating is high. I had high expectations about the book (and the series) but I was worried to be disappointed. I should not have wo I liked this book so much that I needed to make another review - a gush review - on my blog!
https://todaysdecameron.wordpress.com...
Let me know your thoughts!

- - -
I have been particularly lucky lately with the reading picks.
I was nervous about starting this series, I owned this book for quite some time - and the cover is spectacular - the blurb is magnetic and the rating is high. I had high expectations about the book (and the series) but I was worried to be disappointed. I should not have worried at all.

Military fantasy - I guess I should be ashamed for not have known this existed. I love this genre. And I would say there are two setting traits that allow the book to stand out: the first is the 1700/1800 setting; I never thought I would like rifles, bayonets (I generally like sword fights) and cannons; yet I found a brand new love. The second is the desert! The descriptions are so detailed - and not boring - that I was almost able to picture the scenes.

The story itself is fascinating; being military fantasy it might be clear that it is all about armies and battles. What you cannot anticipate is that the description of the fights - through the eyes of the characters - make these fight so personal; I have to confess that during the first (view spoiler) fight, my heart was pounding, it almost felt like the shots were landing next to me. I was blown away by Django Wexler's ability to bring me in the middle of the battle.
Yet, the story is so much more than a military campaign (view spoiler); it is a story that unfolds mystery at a fairly slow yet right pace.
I do not want to spoil anything for reader who did not start this series yet; this book will unfold surprise after surprise and you will find it hard to stop reading.

The characters - primarily you have two points of view throughout the book - are perfect. Sure, one can like Winter's story more than Marcus' or viceversa but overall, the characters in this book feel authentic. Also, you will be surprised by how many twists there are for each and everyone of them. I ended up loving Janus and Winter above everybody else but it was a difficult pick; even Davis was so perfectly detailed (view spoiler)!

Do yourself a favor and start reading this book; you would be missing a great deal of fantasy telling without this book on your read list! ...more

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Jul 14, 2017 may ❀ rated it liked it

Recommended to may ❀ by: Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~

Shelves: 500-pgs, decent, kickass-heroine, fantasy, series, audiobook, bye

so this took me a freaking long time but hey I DID IT!!! hurray for me
also the audiobook is like 22 hours??? why

anyways, this was good though i lowkey feel like im not smart enough to understand these crazy "developed" plots like im just sitting here ignoring it as the audiobook plays while thinking about how many pages and chapters could have been omitted in order to make this more easy to understand - for me, a peasant™

but like i got the whole concept?? i just didnt get why it had to be so dra ...more

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May 31, 2016 Norah Una Sumner rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, covergasm, fantasy, 4-star-read, adult, great-female-characters, magic, lgbtqa-plus, 2016, series

4.5 stars

When you're studying for your college entrance exam and you manage to read one book per week. At least it was a damn good one! Really needed some good ol' fantasy in my life.

Me: *sees multiple POV, male and female*

description

Me: *worships the trope of girl escaping the dark past & joining the army as a man*

description

Me: *realizes that the female protagonist is, in fact, gay*

description

Me: *sees that there's some cool flippin' magic included and some shady characters*

description

This book was really good. I shall read the sequel ...more

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May 31, 2014 Conor rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, the-shadow-campaigns, awesome-books-are-awesome

4.5 Stars

The Thousand Names was an awesome debut filled with gripping action, intriguing mysteries and fascinating characters. Featuring a cool ‘flintlock fantasy’ setting this book chronicles the twists and turns of a spectacular military campaign fought against seemingly hopeless odds. Woven neatly into this story are interesting mysteries, strange magic and great characters.

Captain Marcus d’Ivoire and Ranker Winter Ihernglass are part of the ‘Old Colonials’, a ragtag force of rejects servin 4.5 Stars

The Thousand Names was an awesome debut filled with gripping action, intriguing mysteries and fascinating characters. Featuring a cool ‘flintlock fantasy’ setting this book chronicles the twists and turns of a spectacular military campaign fought against seemingly hopeless odds. Woven neatly into this story are interesting mysteries, strange magic and great characters.

Captain Marcus d’Ivoire and Ranker Winter Ihernglass are part of the ‘Old Colonials’, a ragtag force of rejects serving out a virtual exile on a forgotten-about border of the Vordanai Empire. However when a maelstrom of religious fanaticism sweeps across the desert country and a mysterious, brilliant colonel arrives to take command they are plunged into a seemingly hopeless war for reasons they couldn’t possibly understand.

The setting of this book was original and brilliantly developed. Following in the recent trend of ‘flintlock fantasy’ this was probably the best example of worldbuilding in the genre that I’ve seen. The focus on military action saw the importance of gunpowder, and it’s effect on war, come to the fore. I especially liked the comparisons between the current state of this world and how it was in the past (a medieval period that will sound familiar to fans of the genre *coughs* Westeros *Coughs*). Unlike the Powder Mage this book featured very little in the way of magic, especially in terms of explanation and definite rules. As a big fan of ‘low fantasy’ I really liked this. I found the focus on a realistic military campaign extremely gripping and I thought the presence of magic in the background contributed a sense of mystery and danger while hinting at the true scope of events.

From the start this book portrayed a military campaign in a gripping, unflinching way. From the tension of soldiers awaiting orders to the heart-pounding thrill of battle I found the portrayal of military action here to be extremely compelling. I also liked that the events managed to be very realistic and believable without any of the ridiculous features that often show up in fantasy books (massive army numbers, enemy forces controlled by the AI, unrealistic tactics etc). This campaign had a number of sudden skirmishes and devastating battles with an army’s desperate pursuit of a group of ferocious warriors into an unforgiving desert a particular highlight. This section provided some extremely tense, gripping scenes and brilliantly demonstrated Wexler’s ability to write believable storylines with minimal magic that were still compelling (view spoiler) It was also really interesting to get the perspective of high ranking ‘bad guys’, which gave the reader an interesting insight into the overall situation and showed how their bickering and manoeuvring for power allowed the protagonists a slim chance of victory despite the seemingly hopeless situation.

There are 2 main POV characters in this book. Captain Marcus d’Ivoire is a loyal, dependable and competent officer in a difficult situation. I found him to be a likeable, well-written character who allowed the reader to view events without overshadowing them with his own personality. Winter Ihernglass is a ‘ranker’ (a grunt) in the colonials who remains aloof and is somewhat resented by other soldiers. And Winter is a woman! *Audience gasps, 18th century gentleman’s monocle falls off* Like Markus, Winter was likeable and well-written without being particularly memorable. Both POV characters were used to tell the story the plot needed them to rather than their own story. However I was somewhat disappointed that Winter’s role as a woman in a male-dominated military wasn’t explored. I talked a bit about my opinions on the role of women in the military (in SFF obvs, I keep all of my controversial political opinions for twitter) in my review for MOI and I found the idea of a woman trying to make her way in a male-dominated military really interesting, however I was ultimately disappointed by the way in which it was almost completely ignored. I also found myself eye-rolling at some of Winter’s exploits. Starting out in the lowest ranked position in the entire military she rapidly rises through the ranks, in every position she excels and regularly manages to find herself in perilous situations (in which her superiors/equals in the command structure prove to be complete morons) where only her quick thinking, inspirational leadership and bravery manage to save everyone. This became increasingly ludicrous as the story went on and was also somewhat disappointing in how it failed to tell the story of the ‘grunt’ that Winter was supposed to be, instead turning her into a Captain America style super-soldier.

While the main POV characters were likeable if unremarkable the supporting cast was filled with vivid, intriguing characters. The standout for me was the enigmatic and brilliant Colonel Janus bet Vhalnich. He was in turns likeable, badass and unnerving. I was especially intrigued at the sense of moral ambiguity and mystery that surrounded him throughout the story, even at the end we still don’t know exactly what he wants. His relationship with the protagonists (especially his well-written friendship with Marcus) and his occasional geekery made him very likeable, however his mysterious agenda and occasional ruthlessness created a sense of unease and suspicion around him. I also thought Captain Roston was a great (albeit frequently annoying) character. In turns a selfish, whining drunk and a brave, heroic officer. His loyalty to his friends was moving (view spoiler). Other standouts were Feor, the compassionate priestess and Folsom, a stoic, capable soldier.

This was a stunning debut novel and a great read in general. Between wanting to see what happens to the characters I’ve come to care about in this one, wanting to uncover the mysteries that still abound in this story and wanting to see more gripping military action I’m definitely going to continue with this series.
...more

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Feb 18, 2018 Choko rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, advanture

*** 4 ***

A buddy read with the Fantasy Buddy Reads Group.

This Flintlock Fantasy, or what we used to call plain Adventure back in the day, was very good! It was intriguing, it had battles and politics, gods and demons, and the faith of the military men from noble born officers to urchins serving in the lowest ranks of the privets. A foreign army invades a country which has exiled its Prince and the Prince has turned to the invaders for help in order to regain the throne. This is the reason all ar *** 4 ***

A buddy read with the Fantasy Buddy Reads Group.

This Flintlock Fantasy, or what we used to call plain Adventure back in the day, was very good! It was intriguing, it had battles and politics, gods and demons, and the faith of the military men from noble born officers to urchins serving in the lowest ranks of the privets. A foreign army invades a country which has exiled its Prince and the Prince has turned to the invaders for help in order to regain the throne. This is the reason all are given for the invasion, but other, more sinister reasons are also among the reasons the Vordanai Colonials are going against a defending army outnumbering them 10:3. There are rumors the locals have magic and leaders who can employ it against the intruders, but the Vordanai try not to believe it, since no one has actually seen it in action.

"...“Being part of an attack was a strange thing, Marcus had always thought. It was like being a component in a larger organism, something that could live or die, stand or flee, all on its own and independent of the will of the men who made it up. Sometimes it drove you onward, into the face of what seemed like certain death, in spite of every instinct screaming for flight. Other times, you could feel it falling apart, turning at bay like a whipped dog, hunkering down or turning tail to run.” ..."

The mixture of carbines and magic fighting is perfectly balanced and the system of magic, based on a religion, is just rare enough to be interesting and mysterious. The pacing suffered a bit in the beginning of the book, but I think this is an issue many books of this scope suffer with when introducing the world building, so I had no real issue with it. The characters, Captain Marcus d’Ivoire, Colonel Janus bet Vhalnich, and privet Winter Ihernglass, who has taken a male persona in order to enlist while running from the law, are all enigmatic and very easy to get charmed by. All the secondary characters on whom they count round up a cast one can really learn to root for. The bad guys are mostly a mystery and often I was asking myself if they were truly bad guys, or if "our guys" were the ones who should have kept their paws away from them.

"...“Of the two, the Almighty was a good deal less frightening. The Lord, in his infinite mercy, might forgive a soldier who strayed from the path, but the Last Duke certainly would not.” ..."

I started the book with no expectations and was very pleased with where it took me. There were many things you had to suspend disbelief for, but hey, this is Fantasy and I am up for anything within the genre. I would recommend it to all those who love Adventure and good old fashioned shootout on the field of battle!!

"...“As the Colonials settled down in Ashe-Katarion, Janus asked Marcus to come up with a detail of twenty men he thought he could trust to keep a secret.
Marcus was tempted to reply that twenty men could keep a secret only if you sank nineteen of them in the river, and even then you’d have to keep an eye on the last one.” ..."

Now I wish you all Happy Reading and many more wonderful Books to come! ...more

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Apr 07, 2019 Ivan rated it really liked it

Shelves: steampunk-and-gunpowder-fantasy

3.7 stars.

Few years back my friend was dating this girl and during few night outs I seen her she seem like confident young woman until I had opportunity to meet her in more private atmosphere. Without strong makeup there was face of a teen and behind mature posturing there was mindset of young person trying to fit in with adults.

The thousand names kind of reminds me of that. From afar it seem to be grimdark fantasy similar to Powder mage or The first law series but within hard,dirty shell there ...more

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May 03, 2019 Deborah Obida rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, fantasy

‘Don’t put things off too long, because you may never get a chance at them.’”

This is my first book by the author, also the first time I'm reading a book with muskets instead of swords that I'm familiar with in fantasy book. This book is so unlike the fantasy books I'm used to and I admit I needed the different aspect in this. The book focus mainly on war campaigns, the title of the series should give a clue on that.

You’ll have some scars, I expect.”
“Scars on my back don’t worry me,” Adrec ...more

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Jun 19, 2013 Mogsy (MMOGC) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, magic, epic, war, favorites

http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...

Apparently, I love "flintlock fantasy". The phrase, which according to Wikipedia has been around since the 1990s to describe a sub-genre of fantasy "set in a Regency or Napoleonic-era period", admittedly only entered my lexicon just this year. But all this time, I knew deep in my gut that there simply had to be a term out there for this incredible and distinctly unique brand of fantasy with the musket-era setting that I so adore; I just never knew the name http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...

Apparently, I love "flintlock fantasy". The phrase, which according to Wikipedia has been around since the 1990s to describe a sub-genre of fantasy "set in a Regency or Napoleonic-era period", admittedly only entered my lexicon just this year. But all this time, I knew deep in my gut that there simply had to be a term out there for this incredible and distinctly unique brand of fantasy with the musket-era setting that I so adore; I just never knew the name for it until now.

There's just something so attractive to me about fantasy inspired by this period, mostly because of the fascinating historical ideas and imagery that immediately come to mind, themes like revolution and war, battles waged with gunpowder weaponry, discovering new worlds and colonialism, etc. That's what first drew me to Django Wexler's The Thousand Names. Just the first sentence in the blurb was enough to make me add this to my must-read list, and the positive reviews it received only made me bump it up to the top.

The book is mostly told through the perspectives of two soldiers, assigned to a sleepy desert colonial fort out in the fringes of the Vordanai empire. However, a recent uprising and subsequent takeover of the city of Ashe-Katarion by a local sect called the Redeemers has resulted in the outpost not being so sleepy anymore. Now the king of Vordan has sent reinforcements, and Captain Marcus d'Ivoire finds himself welcoming a whole new garrison of inexperienced recruits to join his Old Colonial troops. Then there's Winter Ihernglass, a low ranking soldier who unexpectedly earns a promotion and comes into command -- except getting more attention is the last thing Winter wants, given the fact she is actually a woman who masqueraded as a man in order to enlist and flee her past.

With the Colonials on the march to take back the city, both Marcus' and Winter's lives are in the hands of the newly arrived Colonel Janus bet Vhalnich, a military genius whose demeanor and tactics are unlike anything anyone has ever seen before. But despite the confidence and aptitude Janus exudes, it soon becomes clear there is a lot more to the mysterious commander. Marcus begins to suspect that his colonel's objectives -- and ambitions -- may extend beyond simply defeating the Redeemers, encroaching into the realm of magic and the supernatural.

My experience with this book pretty much played out like a fast-paced and passionate relationship. The Thousand Names practically came out of nowhere for me; I'd probably only heard about it around a month before its release, leaving me not much time to anticipate it. Nevertheless, I went into this with higher-than-high expectations, and ultimately I have to say even those were met and exceeded. I fell in love with this book really quickly, probably within the first few chapters, especially after the two main characters were established. This might make me sound silly, but I won't deny after turning the last page I actually couldn't help but feel slightly lost and a bit melancholy, finding myself caught in a sort of "oh crap, I'm finished, what the heck do I do with myself now?" kind of fugue. I was just that addicted to this book.

Obviously, I loved the setting and the world-building. The writing had a way of putting you right there with the colonial garrison, so it wasn't hard to sympathize with the characters and the foreignness of their situation or the awkwardness of being strangers in a strange land. I was also fascinated with the idea of this ragtag colonial army that's made up of one-part green recruits and one-part jaded-and-couldn't-care-less old veterans, and all the rules of warfare go out the window. The Redeemer forces may vastly outnumber the Vordanai, but the fact that the former is made up of mostly militia and over-confident Auxiliary troops gave their clashes plenty of suspense, and the detailed battle scenes in the desert are worthy of any military fantasy.

But the highlight of this book had to be the characters. I absolutely adored Winter; she was probably my favorite character, but Marcus wasn't far behind either. What's great about these two characters is that they feel deep and real, and are immediately the kind of people you want to like and to see succeed. Beyond that, everyone in this book also has secrets and mysteries, and so you just want to keep reading to find out more.

This even applies to the supporting cast. Most of them are pretty well fleshed out too, and I think the fact that Colonel Janus is my second favorite character in this book despite him not being a point-of-view character is a testament to that. The author also focuses briefly here and there on Jaffa, a character inside the city of Ashe-Katarion, giving insights into what's happening on the side of the Redeemers. I felt this was important, as it gives us a look at the opposition, or else it's easy just to think of them as a faceless enemy army.

All told, this book was hard to put down. For its length, I finished it in really good time, and it was one of those rare gems where I knew it would go straight onto my shelf of favorites even before I had reached the quarter-way point. Easily one of the best books I've read this year so far.

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Jun 21, 2014 Clouds rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 5-star, pub-2010s, read-in-2014, fantasy-stand-alone, fantasy, reviewed

Two word summary: Enormously enjoyable!

My baby daughter had a bad case of stage fright when she born; she was overdue, my wife was induced, and we were still in hospital for several days before she arrived. Over that time, we did a lot of reading to kill the time. This wasn't one of the books we took with us - this was an impromptu purchase from the hospital bookshop when our travelling library was running low.

I think my first comment was, "Django Wexler. What an awesome name for a spec-fic writ ...more

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Sep 12, 2016 Jason rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, read-2016

5 Stars

The Thousand Names by Django Wexler surpassed my expectations by a long shot. All of the reviews that classify this as a military fantasy are spot on, it is that and more. Wexler treats the choreography of the military campaign as many authors would detail sword fights and fisticuffs.

This book is a real treat for those that like strategy with their action. So many of the situations and scenarios are discussed amongst the characters and we are treated to an incredible amount tactics and ...more

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Apr 02, 2018 Lena K. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Unlike many of the fantasy books that take place in a world parallel to our Medieval Ages, "The Thousand Names" takes place in an era parallel to our 17th/18th century - with muskets and cannons (how cool is that?). Which is nice and mostly - refreshing. Django writes fantastically! His main characters are very likable and well written. Both Winter and Marcus are great! But I think Marcus is my favorite for the time being. He got me with his healthy cynical approach to life, as can be seen in th ...more

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Mar 12, 2015 Kaitlin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: my-sff-faves

This book is getting a solid 4.5* rating from me which is really good considering I'm not usually one for battle-heavy books. This is a fantasy debut book but it really doesn't feel like the author is settling into fantasy. It's very well paced with only one or two moments of slow writing, a lot of moments of intrigue, and an explosive ending. I constantly had questions and when I wasn't reading the book I did wonder about it. I have to say I am very glad I picked this up because it's a really b This book is getting a solid 4.5* rating from me which is really good considering I'm not usually one for battle-heavy books. This is a fantasy debut book but it really doesn't feel like the author is settling into fantasy. It's very well paced with only one or two moments of slow writing, a lot of moments of intrigue, and an explosive ending. I constantly had questions and when I wasn't reading the book I did wonder about it. I have to say I am very glad I picked this up because it's a really brilliant series and whilst I didn't adore Brian McClellan's take on fantasy and flintlock I am happy to say that Django Wexler's approach was far more interesting and compelling for me.

This story follows two different characters, Winter who is a young soldier in the Vordanai Army, and Marcus who is a leading commander in the army. Neither of these characters know each other specifically when the story begins, but we follow each of their journeys as they are both part of the army trying to take on the Khandarians.

Firstly I have to say that there's clearly going to be a lot of warfare and battles and attacks throughout this whole book and that's certainly the case. One thing I particularly enjoyed about the way that Wexler handled it was that he did his research and he's clearly got a passion for describing battles and this shows through in his writing. Even though I personally don't love battles on a large scale as I find it easy to get confused, this book had a very clear and well put together way of detailing the battles so I felt that I knew exactly who was where and what they were doing in the battle at all times. The descriptions of the warfare and attacks and the layout of the regiments was excellent, and I think it's one of the better battle-focused books I've ever read for sure as it makes it easy to comprehend.

The characters themselves are both very interesting in their own way as due to their position within the Army each one gets a different perspective on the goings on. Whilst Marcus is a high up commander and knows a lot more than anyone else about the military tactics and best route to take, he's tested when a new Colonel is brought in to lead the new attack. The Vordanai and the Khandari have lived in peace up until fairly recently when we join the story, and with the new fracturing and attacking of the Khandari the Vordani are forced to act so the King sends in a new Colonel called Janus. Janus is a very, very clever character so much so that no one really knows if he's so clever he's better than anyone else, or he's so insane that he can convince everyone he knows what he's doing even without truly knowing. Marcus is unsure how to react to this new, odd character, and over the course of the book we see him having to deal with not only his own troops and friendships, but be the go-between for the main army and the Colonel who refuses to talk to anyone but him.
I really enjoyed seeing Marcus' take on the situation and there were multiple moments within this book where I felt that we saw Marcus in an impossibly tough situation where he had to choose one thing over another. I really enjoyed getting to know him and his backstory because at first glance he's your typical grizzled Commander, but of course there's more to him than just that and as the story goes on we see his true feelings and alliances.

Winter is a solider in the army but she's masquerading as a male to escape her past. She's a very conscientious and aware soldier who not only knows more languages than most, but has a rather sad backstory which haunts her wherever she goes. I felt that her character was one I could easily connect to and sympathise with, and I was instant;y very intrigued by her predicament and the situations she was put in.
I felt like Winter's storyline was a brilliantly told one and one where I felt I could guess some things, but I was so wrong. There were a great number of twists and turns in this book and I didn't expect them which made it so interesting and Winter's story certainly had it's fair share. I loved seeing her character and learning how she dealt with tricky situations, and I also appreciated her resourcefulness! She's a very strong and wonderful character to learn about, and I really appreciated her character.

The Magic in this book is handled well because there's not a whole load of it used which means that whenever we do see any magic we feel it's effects more and it's far more intimidating. I really liked the ideas of the magic within this world as it's a very mysterious form and we don't find out too much about it until the ending where everything kicks off, but I certainly am looking forward to learning more because what we do learn and see glimpses of is a very cool idea.

Also there are some lgbt themes within this story which I really enjoyed because although there's nothing too explicit, this is certainly something we don't often see within fantasy and I found it very well-handled and quite refreshing. I wonder if this too may come into play more as the series goes on.

On the whole this is a very satisfying and interesting book and I would highly recommend it. I plan to pick up book 2 in June before the release of book 3 this year and I'm highly excited by the ending and the way everything will continue and shape up in book 2. A solid 4.5*s! ...more

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Nov 21, 2013 Rob rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Rob by: Alex Ristea

Shelves: not-a-bookclub-club, own, read-2013, fantasy, author-male, audio-book, flintlock-fantasy

Executive Summary: This one is more flintlock than fantasy. It should appeal to any military fantasy, or maybe even military fiction fans, but may be found slow/uninteresting to sword and sorcery readers.

Audio book: Mr. Poe is a decent reader, but nothing spectacular. I think he does attempt to distinguish voice a little, but it was mostly too subtle for me to really tell the difference. He does have good inflections and emotion in his reading at least.

Full Review
I didn't know much about thi ...more

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Sep 02, 2014 Anthony Ryan rated it it was amazing

Django Wexler has delivered a highly entertaining debut which mixes elements of Bernard Cornwall-esque military adventure with an original take on magic and 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. Highly recommended.

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Mar 15, 2017 Dawn-a very sensitive romance reader marked it as undecided · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, highly-rated-by-friends

Update-Note to self. Friend says has romance f-f. ummm... not my thing right now. I may pass...

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Apr 18, 2017 Esme rated it it was amazing

Holy crap, I never left a review for this, shame on me.

I loved this book, I really like military/flintlock fantasy and this scratched that itch so hard.

It's a multiPOV book, but it's largely just two characters which keeps this easy to follow, and it really gets you emotionally invested in both characters.

This book takes a topic that can be done really poorly - women pretending to be men in the military - and does it perfectly. Sometimes this tack falls really flat and doesn't work well at al ...more

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Mar 25, 2014 Mike (the Paladin) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, military-fantasy

I thought at first that I'd be going 4 stars on this book. Then I was convinced I'd be going 2 stars. By the end I was back up to 3.

The book opens well with an interesting premise that brings Promise of Blood to mind. We're in a world that smacks of Colonial Britain marching with the troops. Desert tribes are now involved in a purge behind a religious movement. The troops are made up of colonial soldiers who have been in this desert land years, and newly minted recruits arriving with a new comma I thought at first that I'd be going 4 stars on this book. Then I was convinced I'd be going 2 stars. By the end I was back up to 3.

The book opens well with an interesting premise that brings Promise of Blood to mind. We're in a world that smacks of Colonial Britain marching with the troops. Desert tribes are now involved in a purge behind a religious movement. The troops are made up of colonial soldiers who have been in this desert land years, and newly minted recruits arriving with a new commander.

There is the set up, one like many, many books and movies. There are hints here that the magic in this world is real however.

You're going to see familiar characters. There are the slackers and the spit and polish soldiers, there's the brutal sergeant who's sadism is his defining characteristic. There's the woman disguised as a man to be a soldier, the strange officer with a secret. All these are well drawn and complete.

But there we hit the rub that I had to drop stars for. I see this book has a large following so it may not have bugged many readers as it did me. However, I'll post my reason here. Let's call this a heads up about "the middle section" of the book. In building the story and filling out the characters, the plot, the world the book simply begins to drag. Every time I laid it aside I'd take forever getting back to it. it wasn't that i was avoiding it so much as that I wasn't thinking about it. I finished several other books in the same time i was reading this one.

Happily the book does recover it's "pacing" and the final climatic chapters are well done and brought me back into the novel with interest.

I will probably go on with the next installment of the series, but I'm not as enthusiastic as I'd like to be. So with a hopeful 3 star rating we bid adieu to The Thousand Names and live in hope the next book in the series will appeal more.

My recommendation? I'll say try this one for yourself as there is a "spread" of opinion. My take is a solid..."okay" or "not bad". Some notable negatives within some pretty good reading. ...more

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Apr 06, 2017 Veronica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, sff-botm-challenge, buddy-read

3.5 to 4 stars

I suppose this counts as flintlock fantasy, not sure, but whatever it is it made for an enjoyable read. The worlds and cultures are wholly the invention of the author but they are nevertheless familiar and easily relatable to our own world. And while the plot and characters don't really offer up any surprises, the writing style is fluid and engaging enough to keep me turning pages so that the book felt shorter than it actually is. Divided into three parts, the story is told in alte 3.5 to 4 stars

I suppose this counts as flintlock fantasy, not sure, but whatever it is it made for an enjoyable read. The worlds and cultures are wholly the invention of the author but they are nevertheless familiar and easily relatable to our own world. And while the plot and characters don't really offer up any surprises, the writing style is fluid and engaging enough to keep me turning pages so that the book felt shorter than it actually is. Divided into three parts, the story is told in alternating POV chapters featuring two main characters: Senior Captain Marcus d'Ivoire and SGT Winter Ihernglass (with an occasional additional POV chapter from a secondary character tossed in). I will say that the second part of the book was on the battle heavy side and it started to feel like it was too much but that's my own personal preference because I prefer the more character centric bits. The two main characters, Marcus and Winter, who take us readers through their world and the story, are wholly likeable. The fact that Winter is a gay female who has snuck into the army is pretty cool and she more than earns her right to be there. I was engaged enough in the story that I'm interested in reading the next book in the series. Plus, there are some new characters that I'd like to meet. If I had one quibble it's that (view spoiler) But, I think it's just not that type of book.

**Reread February 2018: I still really enjoyed the book. I was less enamored with some of Winter's storyline this time around though. I've read a lot more fantasy since first reading this and I've become a lot more wary of magical M&Ms (view spoiler) There's no real tension if there are no real consequences. The battles are still cool though. ** ...more

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Jul 30, 2017 Sarah rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, sff-book-club-challenge

I'm giving it 3.5 stars and rounding down to 3. Which is a lot more than I expected to give honestly.

The book is bloated with pages upon pages of battle scenes that, to be frank, were really incredibly boring. The problem wasn't necessarily the writing, but more of: I don't care who wins the battle, I don't know enough about either side, I don't care about these characters all that much.

Also... I have a really high standard when it comes to battle scenes. It's really not enough to just say a ch ...more

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Oct 26, 2014 Sherwood Smith added it

Shelves: fantasy, history-napoleonic, alt-history

I thoroughly enjoyed this military fantasy with magic, once I got past the prologue with a bunch of bad guys being bad, a trope I am not fond of.

Excellent female characters--some unpredictable twists--and ones that I saw coming I anticipated with pleasure. The world-building is a bit Hollywood backdrop, but Wexler's command of Napoleonic-era land warfare is excellent. The battle set-pieces were high points, and the hints of magic paid off satisfyingly, leaving me wanting more.

While the prose so ...more

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About Django Wexler

Django Wexler

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Django Wexler graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh with degrees in creative writing and computer science, and worked for the university in artificial intelligence research. Eventually he migrated to Microsoft in Seattle, where he now lives with two cats and a teetering mountain of books. When not planning Shadow Campaigns, he wrangles computers, paints tiny soldiers, and plays g ...more

Other books in the series

The Shadow Campaigns (5 books)

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The Shadow Throne (The Shadow Campaigns, #2)

The Price of Valour (The Shadow Campaigns, #3)

The Guns of Empire (The Shadow Campaigns, #4)

The Forbidden Library (The Forbidden Library, #1)

The Infernal Battalion (The Shadow Campaigns, #5)

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Quotes from The Thousand Names

“You got rid of him?”
“For the moment,” Winter said. “Nothing confuses an officer like violently agreeing with him.” — 27 likes

“The name meant "Angel of Victory," which Jaffa supposed was appropriate enough. The Divine Hand himself had started the fashion for taking the names of angels when he'd called himself Vale-dan-Rahksa, the Angel of Vengeance. At the rate the Council was expanding, there would soon be a serious shortage of angels. Jaffa wondered what would happen when they ran out of manly, intimidating names and were reduced to naming themselves after the Angel of Sisterly Affection or the Angel of Small Crafts.” — 7 likes

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