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The Penitent Damned
(The Shadow Campaigns #0.5)
by
Alex is a master thief, with dark magic to give her an edge. When she goes up against Duke Orlanko's Concordat secret police, though, she may have taken on more than she bargained for...
This is a prequel short story to The Thousand Names. It was released for free on io9 -- http://io9.com/the-coolest-fantasy-st... -- and is also available on the Kindle Store. ...more
This is a prequel short story to The Thousand Names. It was released for free on io9 -- http://io9.com/the-coolest-fantasy-st... -- and is also available on the Kindle Store. ...more
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Start your review of The Penitent Damned (The Shadow Campaigns #0.5)
Dec 26, 2015
Evgeny
rated it
liked it
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review of another edition
Recommended to Evgeny by:
Farès
Shelves:
fantasy
You are a head of the Secret Police - or its equivalent; you are feared and have mystical (and practically mythical) beings at your disposal. For you nefarious purposes you want to catch the best thief available.
What is the most common and most obvious way to do it? Tempt him/her with "retrieving" a tightly-guarded object promising a very large reward hitting thief's both self-esteem and greed with one stone and hope said self-esteem and greed make him/her forget a well-known saying about thing ...more
What is the most common and most obvious way to do it? Tempt him/her with "retrieving" a tightly-guarded object promising a very large reward hitting thief's both self-esteem and greed with one stone and hope said self-esteem and greed make him/her forget a well-known saying about thing ...more
A fun little ditty that gives us a bit more of Alex's backstory, but not a necessary entry into the existing Shadow Campaigns lore. I don't mind a little tidbit or morsel in an established series, but I was kinda hoping for a little more with this one. This was much shorter than I expected (that's what she said!). But oh well, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit. And since I like Alex as a character, any additional time spent with her is a good thing.
Ultimately, The Penitent Damned wo ...more
Ultimately, The Penitent Damned wo ...more
This was a short but enjoyable novella set in the world of the awesome The Thousand Names.
The main character in this novella was a young thief who uses her magical powers to succeed in audacious robberies. Despite the limitations to characterisation imposed by a 50 page novella I found her to be likeable and interesting. Her powers were especially cool. I was disappointed with the focus on magic at the end of The Thousand Names and how it distracted from realistic military action but I really e ...more
The main character in this novella was a young thief who uses her magical powers to succeed in audacious robberies. Despite the limitations to characterisation imposed by a 50 page novella I found her to be likeable and interesting. Her powers were especially cool. I was disappointed with the focus on magic at the end of The Thousand Names and how it distracted from realistic military action but I really e ...more
Rating, 3.5
Thieves and assassins. Politics and magic. A too short little short.
This is my first time reading something written by Django Wexler,... so ... no, I'm not familiar with The Shadow Campaigns series, and this I shall rectify soon.
Pity that when the real action began, the story was at it's end. ...more
Thieves and assassins. Politics and magic. A too short little short.
This is my first time reading something written by Django Wexler,... so ... no, I'm not familiar with The Shadow Campaigns series, and this I shall rectify soon.
Pity that when the real action began, the story was at it's end. ...more
What starts as an ordinary, mildly interesting story turns out to be an extraordinary introduction to The Shadow Campaigns series world.
It surprised me, it didn't go where I thought it would, it didn't end the way I thought it would. It is the reason why I liked it. The promise of a wonderful fantasy is there.
It surprised me, it didn't go where I thought it would, it didn't end the way I thought it would. It is the reason why I liked it. The promise of a wonderful fantasy is there.
The Penitent Damned is a short prequel to The Thousand Names in Django Wexler’s The Shadow Campaigns series. It’s available for free here.
Duke Orlanko learns that a famous thief is planning to steal something valuable from him, so he assigns somebody to try to prevent the theft. The story is primarily about what happens when the thief makes the attempt.
This short story wasn’t nearly as entertaining to me as the first novel, so I wouldn’t recommend starting with this if only for that reason. It ...more
Duke Orlanko learns that a famous thief is planning to steal something valuable from him, so he assigns somebody to try to prevent the theft. The story is primarily about what happens when the thief makes the attempt.
This short story wasn’t nearly as entertaining to me as the first novel, so I wouldn’t recommend starting with this if only for that reason. It ...more
I read and loved Django Wexler's The Thousand Names this summer, and only found out about this short story afterward. The Penitent Damned features different characters, but it's a prequel to TTN taking place in the same world. Of course, my recommendation would be to start right out with the full length novel, but if you haven't discovered this author's work yet or want a taste of the writing before you take the leap, then this is a great way to get started. The story can be found here for free:
...more
See review at Book Haunt
...more
...more
2.5 stars.
An entertaining short story with a bit of setup for the full length novel.
Short stories aren’t really my thing, but at this price (a big fat zero) how could I not pick it up?
An entertaining short story with a bit of setup for the full length novel.
Short stories aren’t really my thing, but at this price (a big fat zero) how could I not pick it up?
Review originally over at Fantasy Book Critic
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: The Penitent Damned is a prequel short story that was featured for free on io9 and after reading it, I would very much recommend it to readers as well with the caveat that they might enjoy it better after reading The Thousand Names.
The story is set in Vordan and basically is a heist story. The story focuses on Duke Mallus Kengire Orlanko, Royal Minister of Information and leader of the Vordanai secret police, the all-seeing, all-kn ...more
This short story can be found and read for free at:
http://io9.com/the-coolest-fantasy-st...
Great short story with a lot of tension and interesting twists that while a bit expected are still very enjoyable! A good appetizer for Wexler's full length novel in the same universe. I can't really say more as due to its short length I won't be able to avoid spoilers. But it's short and it's free so there's nothing holding you from reading it and enjoying it yourselves! ...more
http://io9.com/the-coolest-fantasy-st...
Great short story with a lot of tension and interesting twists that while a bit expected are still very enjoyable! A good appetizer for Wexler's full length novel in the same universe. I can't really say more as due to its short length I won't be able to avoid spoilers. But it's short and it's free so there's nothing holding you from reading it and enjoying it yourselves! ...more
Thought i would take a quick break while reading The Thousand Names to read this short story. What a great little short this is. It builds up a character that i hope we see again in the future. It is a short read, and there will be no spoilers here about it, but it is NOT set in the same area as The Thousand Names.
Wow, what a completely different writing style to the the thousand names. Its a must read just to enjoy the writing.
It's difficult to rate 20 some pages.
Anyway, 4 stars because we get to know a bit more about some characters we'll meet in The Thousand Names and because I hope that this (very) short novel has a purpose. I know we'll meet Alex again in The Shadow of Elysium but does she have a role to play in the rest of the series ?
Only one way to know ... on my way to The Price of Valour
...more
Anyway, 4 stars because we get to know a bit more about some characters we'll meet in The Thousand Names and because I hope that this (very) short novel has a purpose. I know we'll meet Alex again in The Shadow of Elysium but does she have a role to play in the rest of the series ?
Only one way to know ... on my way to The Price of Valour
...more
It made me to decide to start the series although I don't have much time
originally posted at: http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2014...
Last year Django Wexler published his first book in The Shadow Campaigns series, The Thousand Names, which was followed just a few weeks back by the sequel in the series, The Shadow Throne, where he really had outdone himself, tranforming his storyline into the right direction! When I was adding the book on goodreads I found that there was a short story written prior to the events of The Thousand Names called The Penitent Damned, and ...more
Last year Django Wexler published his first book in The Shadow Campaigns series, The Thousand Names, which was followed just a few weeks back by the sequel in the series, The Shadow Throne, where he really had outdone himself, tranforming his storyline into the right direction! When I was adding the book on goodreads I found that there was a short story written prior to the events of The Thousand Names called The Penitent Damned, and ...more
This was a very short story, but very exciting too! I really like Alex's magical power. The back and forth battle between Alex and the Penitent Damned was a great scene in the story. Having read "The Thousand Names" first, you can now appreciate the reach that Orlanko and his group holds. They remind of the Smoking Man from the original X Files TV series. His group is undercover and out of the public eye, but very powerful and unchecked. I would love for this story to continue. How about it, Dja
...more
I usually don't like it when Kindle Singles serve as "teasers" for a much longer work or series. In this case, though, I'll make an exception. There's something about Wexler's worldbuilding that feels very fresh, and THE PENITENT DAMNED made me eager to explore this new fantasy universe in much greater detail.
This is a prequel to a book I've already read. No worries though, it has nothing to do with The Thousand Names aside from being in the same world and some of the organizations.
Really an excellent read and a great taste of Wexler's writing. I greatly enjoyed Alex and her strange ability. I'd love to read more about her.
Really an excellent read and a great taste of Wexler's writing. I greatly enjoyed Alex and her strange ability. I'd love to read more about her.
The Thousand Names, the first book in the Shadow Campaigns series, is on my to-read list, so I thought I'd check out this prequel short story. Very nicely done, girl thief tries to pull off a job with her magic. Don't know how it ties to the main story, but we shall see when I get to it.
Very short but it does give a few insights.
(I still miss Janus, tho)
Good and fun! It made me want to read The Thousand Names!
Too short to be enjoyed
At about 20 pages it’s too short a story to be enjoyed, at best it’s an introduction to the world of The Shadow Campaigns Series, more a glimmer of the kind of magic to expect as the series has much more to offer with magic playing a minor part. Still one can gauge the ability of the author his writing style and storytelling skill from this short story.
The plot revolves around a young thieve having some mysterious power which makes her overconfident into believing she can ...more
At about 20 pages it’s too short a story to be enjoyed, at best it’s an introduction to the world of The Shadow Campaigns Series, more a glimmer of the kind of magic to expect as the series has much more to offer with magic playing a minor part. Still one can gauge the ability of the author his writing style and storytelling skill from this short story.
The plot revolves around a young thieve having some mysterious power which makes her overconfident into believing she can ...more
Quite intriguing , but should't Alex felt the presence of other penitent damned?
I want to read "The Thousand Names" and this short story (maybe 20 pages) was a very good sample of what to expect. We open on the "Last Duke" Orlanko musing how he hated using Andreas because he (and his comrades) represented Orlanko's concession that his world was not as perfectly organized as he wanted. Orlanko is a man who likes everything to be in their place and to need Andreas to clean up messed that couldn't be dealt with in the normal ways rankled him.
But hey you know what they say abo ...more
But hey you know what they say abo ...more
Alex is a very talented master thief--extremely talented. She has some very useful magic to assist her in her work, with the added advantage that everyone knows magic and magic workers are gone from the world.
Also gone from the world are the Dark Priests who hunted down magic users, so Alex is safe at least from that danger, right?
But not all is as Alex thinks it is, and perhaps she should have listened to the misgivings of her senior partner. Maybe visiting Vordan to steal from the Duke Orlanko ...more
Also gone from the world are the Dark Priests who hunted down magic users, so Alex is safe at least from that danger, right?
But not all is as Alex thinks it is, and perhaps she should have listened to the misgivings of her senior partner. Maybe visiting Vordan to steal from the Duke Orlanko ...more
Alex is a master thief who has been trained by another master thief. She has one talent that sets her apart from others but it also forces her to be extra careful. She is currently on a mission to steal an item for someone else but things don't go as well as planned for her.
This is a short foray into The Shadow Campaigns series and Django Wexler as an author. I just finished the first novel (The Thousand Names) and so far this story and the first novel don't really tie together as well as I had ...more
This is a short foray into The Shadow Campaigns series and Django Wexler as an author. I just finished the first novel (The Thousand Names) and so far this story and the first novel don't really tie together as well as I had ...more
Very good! If you enjoyed The Thousand Names and are anticipating The Shadow Throne, book 2 in The Shadow Campaigns, this may help bridge the gap (a little). It makes me want to learn more about this unique world and the black, red, and blue priests. Especially the black, featured here. Hopefully some more shorts will come out soon!
...more
3.5 stars.
If I had found and read this before reading The Thousand Names, I am not sure I would have read on and I would have been missing out, majorly. It's not that it was bad... very short and the ending was a bit abrupt and anti-climactic. Alex had the potential to be an interesting character, but the whole thing needed more character development. It was an okay story, not badly written, but I never was able to get the emotional attachment I found in the novel. It was all over far too quickl ...more
If I had found and read this before reading The Thousand Names, I am not sure I would have read on and I would have been missing out, majorly. It's not that it was bad... very short and the ending was a bit abrupt and anti-climactic. Alex had the potential to be an interesting character, but the whole thing needed more character development. It was an okay story, not badly written, but I never was able to get the emotional attachment I found in the novel. It was all over far too quickl ...more
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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
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