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The Thousand Names (The Shadow Campaigns, #1)

Django Wexler

Start date: March 8, 2022

Finish date: March 21, 2022

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What Members Thought

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

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

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

19 likes · Like · see review

Mar 20, 2022 Dave rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Thousand Names is military flintlock fantasy. Yes, that is quite the specific sub-genre. Think military life and strategy, battles with muskets and bayonets, with a little magic/mysticism thrown in, all taking place in a foreign world. It is an interesting mix, which I enjoyed for the most part, except at a couple of points where I felt that the pacing suffered a bit when the story became more bogged down in military detail than I would have preferred.

The story itself focuses mainly on two p The Thousand Names is military flintlock fantasy. Yes, that is quite the specific sub-genre. Think military life and strategy, battles with muskets and bayonets, with a little magic/mysticism thrown in, all taking place in a foreign world. It is an interesting mix, which I enjoyed for the most part, except at a couple of points where I felt that the pacing suffered a bit when the story became more bogged down in military detail than I would have preferred.

The story itself focuses mainly on two points of view. One is Captain Marcus, one of the more level-headed senior officers in the army that follow throughout the book. This serves to provide us with the higher level military strategy and world building. Second is Winter, a sergeant, through whose eyes we see more of the daily life of the soldiers. Winter also has a secret (that we the readers are privy to immediately) in that she is actually a woman in disguise. I was suspicious that this was merely a gimmick, and seemed like a nearly impossible detail to hide in context of a military campaign setting, but I went along with it for the sake of the story. I did find that all of these details reminded me a bit of another book I had read previously, an alternate history novel about the American Civil War by Harry Turtledove, named The Guns of the South.

Most of the battles and tactics in the book are very similar to traditional ones fought 200 years ago in our own history, between armies or smaller army units. Muskets and cannons are used, with fighting often coming eventually to hand-to-hand combat. Magic plays a fairly minimal role in this book, and what magic is there is not explained very concretely to the reader, giving it a rather strange and mysterious aura.

The Thousand Names is the first book in The Shadow Campaigns series, and while it does provide some setup for the second book, it also does bring many of the events of this story to a pretty satisfying conclusion. So the opportunity is there for jumping into a larger series, but I think that there is enough closure to the story for anyone who wants to stop here. Overall this is a pretty solid flintlock fantasy for anyone who likes their military fantasy with lots of muskets and battle tactics. And it is probably a fantasy sub-genre with currently not a whole lot of options. ...more

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Mar 17, 2018 C.P. Cabaniss marked it as dnf

I really hate to do this...again, but I am not feeling this right now.

This is more of an ON HOLD than a DNF, as I do want to return to this at some point.

I have been in a weird reading mood almost this entire year. Maybe starting last year, even. And while this was interesting, it just wasn't holding my attention right now. I think I need to do some rereads and maybe just slow down a bit for a while. I won't stop reading, because I don't do that, but I'm also going to be careful about forcing t ...more

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Mar 31, 2018 Sha rated it really liked it

Shelves: skimmed-through

Plot:

Military intervention in faux-Arabia, with an added dose of magical archeology. Or is it grave robbing? I can't tell.

Thoughts:

1. So uhm. I really do like military stories. But this book helped me draw clear demarcations between the type of military fiction I actually adore and the one where I’m mostly just along for the ride.

2. And here’s the embarrassing bit- I like certain military stories (The Way of Kings, Monstrous Regiment) for the same reason I like sports stories. It’s all about th ...more

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Feb 24, 2015 David Miles rated it really liked it

Excellent book. Almost put it down during the Prologue, but it grabbed me at the first Chapter and I couldn't stop reading. Well-written and engaging. Am going to immediately find and read the sequels. ...more

1 like · Like · see review