The Shadow Throne

The Shadow Campaigns #2

by Django Wexler

The King of Vordan is dying, and his daughter, Raesinia, is destined to become the first Queen in centuries.

But politics knows no loyalties, especially for Duke Orlanko, Minister of Information and spymaster of the empire. The most feared man in the Vordan will bow his knee to no Queen, unless she is firmly under his influence.

Freshly returned from their recent victories in the colonies, Colonel Janus, Marcus and Winter must play a new and far deadlier game than the open warfare of the front, using all their talents, earthly or supernatural.

Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fiction, Military Fiction, High Fantasy, Audiobook, Magic

656 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2014

About the author

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 games of all sorts.

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 Stars

Different from its predecessor but in my opinion, a superior book.

The Shadow Throne is the second book in The Shadow Campaign series and it’s really not an exaggeration to say that this is almost a completely different book in comparison to the first book. Where The Thousand Names focused mainly on campaigns and actions, The Shadow Throne centered on a revolution in the city of Vordan; filled with intriguing scheming and politics.

The plot began weeks after the end of the previous book and it’s filled with an abundance of political machinations. Django showed his strength as a writer that actions are not his only strength, he clearly shows us here that his characterizations and plotting are also superb. The only problem I had with the first book was that there are some moments where the action scenes were drawn out for too long without actually focusing on the characters first; this problem vanished completely here.

The actions this time occurred only twice, in the middle and the last part of the book and honestly speaking, they’re really short. In fact, I have a feeling that if you’re someone who gave the first book 5 stars rating, this would probably be a weaker book for you. Luckily I’m not of them. I found the changes in storytelling direction essential for the continuation of the series. This doesn’t mean that the actions are poorly written, the siege sections in this book was intense and well-written, I also think the pacing is much better because of the changes and there are only two small moments that bored me a bit.

The one thing that definitely excels in comparison to the first book is the characterizations. The female characters in this book are very well written, for everyone who’s looking for great LGBT representation in an adult fantasy, look no further, you’ll get it here. Winter is slowly becoming one of my favorite heroines ever, not yet there but she’s on the way. The new POV character, Raiseinia is another well written, but my favorite of the series so far is actually a non-POV character, Janus. Even Marcus, one of the main POV character, is inferior compared to this enigmatic and calm military genius; I can’t wait to find out more about Janus because there’s so much mystery around this guy.

I mentioned earlier there was two moment that bored me in this book. To say it without any spoilers, there was slightly too much romance for my taste and also, the preparation for the final action sequences in this book was drawn out a bit too long while the climax sections lasted only for 5% of the book.

The Shadow Throne is a different kind of book from its predecessor but for me, it was superior to the last book and highly addictive to read. Depending on the remaining three books, there’s a HIGH chance that The Shadow Campaigns will be included in my lonely list of favorite series of all time. Once again, recommended for fans of flintlock/military fantasy.

You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest

[❄️BooksofRadiance❄️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally different than what I’d expected but Django Wexler did not let me down.

RTC

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brain: Not going to read this until the end of February as “planned”.

Me: I can’t stop thinking about it.
I can’t stop thinking about Marcus, Winter and Janus.
I can’t stop thinking about the guys at the infantry.

Brain: Stop thinking, chill the Fk out and “stick to the plan”!

Me: Just a sneak peak...

*reads the first chapter*

😳

Me: I was never good at sticking to plans anyway...

[Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES. SO. MUCH. YES.

I enjoyed this book immensely! Holy cow.

I never would have guessed that I'd find myself loving a piece of military fantasy this much, but there's something about this series that keeps me so entertained.

While reading this story, the words were completely wrapping me up in a blanket of politics, magic, and war.

I was entranced, breathing hard, shaking my fists, making faces, the whole nine yards.

Stories that are heavy on politics, by nature, are slow moving. It's required in order for the reader to get a thorough grasp on all the moving pieces. I found the pace here suitably steady, flipping back and forth between perspectives at just the right moment to keep me musing over what would happen next.

Wexler's writing is descriptive without being overwhelming. He provides the reader with a detailed picture of each scene in elegant & concise sentences.

I also have to brag on the characters in this story. Each is distinctive & engaging. An even spread of male & female perspectives is not always the easiest thing to accomplish in a series that's so heavily composed around a military setting, but Wexler delivers it beautifully.

There isn't a single perspective I don't enjoy.

I was consistently wondering "Where will this go? How will it end? Who will survive?"

The small issue I had with The Thousand Names, which was that the fighting scenes carried on for slightly longer than necessary, was totally resolved in this installment. Would absolutely recommend this series!

I'm please to add this series to my list of all-time favorites & I am so beyond eager to begin The Price of Valor!

***Check out my interview with the author here!!***

This review and other reviews of mine can be found on Book Nest!

[Django Wexler · Rating 5 out of 5]

As has become tradition, I'll leave the first review on my own book. I, um, liked it?

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you tired of the same old fantasy? Would reading yet another story about a chosen boy who goes on to be a great hero and save the world from an ancient evil make you want to punch a baby in the face*?

Well look no further. I present you the second book in Django Wexler's Shadow Campaigns.

We've got not one, but TWO female protagonists. (The third one's a dude, but he's pretty cool so we won't hold it against him.) And if that's not enough there are at least 3 solid supporting female characters as well.

Plus if you ACT NOW** one of the female leads will also be gay!

This book contains actual scenes with women important to the plot who are NOT:

# Dumb as Rocks
# Nagging The Male Characters
# Pulling Their Braids
# Constantly Straightening Their Skirts***
# Basing Their Conversation/Plans Around "More Important" Male Characters

These women might just punch you in the face if you cross them though!

And who wants sword fights**** when you can have:

# Musket Fights!
# Cavalry Charges!!
# Cannons!!!
# And More!!!!****

In this book you may get fewer action scenes/battles than the first book, but in it's place you get a lot of political plotting and deception!

As an added bonus this book can read itself to you! Richard Poe will follow you around***** and read this book to you whenever you want. He'll use several voices and accents in what seems to be a better job than the first book. Take him with you:

# In the car!
# On your bike ride/run/at the gym!!
# Help you do the laundry/clean your house!!!
# Go Shopping!!!!
# Other things!!!!!******

Available Now wherever fine books are sold!!!


* Don't punch babies. If you do feel this urge, seek help.
** No need to act now, the book won't magically change. Or will it!?
*** They may in fact be wearing trousers instead of skirts, but they aren't straightening those either.
**** Everyone wants sword fights, and there are still plenty in this book.
**** More being a vague term and left up to your imagination!
***** Digital version only. Full size Richard Poe is too busy to follow you personally.
****** Limited only by the power of your imagination!

[Conor · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars.

A second great instalment in what is quickly becoming one of my favourite new fantasy series'. After receiving some criticism for his intense focus on a flintlock fantasy military campaign in The Thousand Names Wexler showed here that he can write a more traditional fantasy adventure with the best of them. While I didn’t enjoy this as much as the last one it was still a fun, easy read that kept me turning the pages and the finale, where Wexler finally brought his ability to write a brutal, immersive battle scene out of storage, was extremely strong and has left me eagerly awaiting the next book.

Full review to come...

Okay full review is not coming. After more than 3 years my more astute fans probably put that together themselves. I actually had a full review that I thought was pretty damn good ready to go at one point but I lost it somehow (I think this might have been the time my laptop crashed a few years ago but it also might have been GR being wonky) and was unable to muster up the energy to write the entire thing out again afterwards. Now it's 3 years later and I only vaguely remember what happened in this (although I do remember it being really good and I stand by my earlier mini-review). This is disappointing because this half-assed review got a like from none other than Django "Unchained" Wexler himself so I had a lot to live up to. This is why you should always wait for the full review before committing your like folks. That's just GR rule #1.

[Will M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review of the first novel: The Thousand Names

It's nothing new that the second book of an ongoing fantasy series didn't live up to my expectations. I had very high hopes for this, but the execution was a bit lacking. No way near as good as the first book, but still better than most fantasy novels out now. Better for my taste, at least.

My major complaint with this novel would be that Wexler added in another voice in the novel. The dual point of view of Winter and Marcus was perfect in the first novel, and in my opinion the author should've maintained that. Raesinia was very boring in the novel, and became a nuisance in the end. Her story played a huge role in the development of the plot but she was still boring. I hate boring and underdeveloped characters, and you can add Raesinia to that list.

The plot was also a bit less interesting as compared to the first novel. Everything mellowed down, and the action didn't really kick in till around 50%. Aside from that though, this was still really good. Marcus and Winter were still very likeable characters. Still had the same amount of deception and betrayal that I wanted. This can still be considered as military fantasy, so if you're not fond of that particular genre, then stay away from this.

Add in the fact that there will be more plot twists and revelations as you read the novel. There are 2 novellas currently out now, and Im about to read them soon. Plus the third novel is about to be released on July 7, that is about 3 weeks from now. 3 more weeks of waiting.

3.5/5 stars. A huge decrease from the 5 star rating of the first novel, but it was still a respectable sequel. There were a lot of dull moments but sooner or later you'll be drawn back in the plot anyway. Highly recommended, despite the not so high rating. 3.5 means I enjoyed it.

[Haïfa · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can find this review and more at Booksprens.

Remember when I told you The Thousand Names was pretty heavy on military jargon, tactics, drills...? Well, guess what? You will (almost) find nothing of the sort in The Shadow Throne!

I found the drastic switch of tone, setting and context to be a masterstroke on Wexler’s part and a very refreshing change. I don’t think I ever read a sequel so completely different from its predecessor.

“This is real. This is history, before it is history.”

For one, the story takes place in Vordan City (reminiscent of a 18th century Paris or London), so different of the great desert of Khandar, its grey skinned people, its zealous Redeemer priests and redoubtable Desoltai tribes. Moreover, while TTN focused on a military campaign, The Shadow Throne featured a war of another kind, mixing politics, economy, philosophy and spying. Which made for a quite unpredictable and exciting plot, given that multiple factions carried out their own schemes or treacheries and mucking up their rivals’ own plans, sometimes without even knowing it!

"A perfect record of treachery is just as predictable as one of impeccable loyalty. You simply must always expect to be stabbed in the back, and you’ll never be surprised."

Another amazing aspect of the book is Wexler’s representation of female characters. Girls seize control in TST! Wexler created a large cast of real, relatable women, with flaws, doubts, and fears and with courage and principles. The way they defy the norms and punch back is inspiring and to be honest, makes their male counterparts pale in comparison.

The fantasy aspect is better developed in TST, if not prevailing. I loved learning more about the naaths or readings, or demons: magical entities manifesting in their summoner’s mind or soul and granting them specific, unique powers and skills. X-men style! :D They added a creepy, fascinating and sometimes gory facet to the story.

Despite all these amazing elements, my enjoyment of TST was a bit dampened by a rather extensive, and sometimes boring, description of every district of the city and by the fact that a few intrigues and outcomes happened backstage and were given only cursory explanations. I can’t decide if it’s laziness on Django’s part or just deemed a necessity for the plot’s sake? :)


All in all and despite my few complaints, TST was a great book and a surprising, suspenseful sequel to the Thousand Names. Its historical influences and its philosophical and societal debates added a welcome, thought-provoking touch to this fantastical rendition of a revolution.

[Mogsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2014/06/27/b...

Updated: Guest post by author on "Writing the Revolution" in The Shadow Throne http://bibliosanctum.com/2014/07/01/g...

I used to think military fantasy wasn’t my thing, but ever since I started reading a lot again for book blogging, it’s become even more apparent that what I like or what I don’t like isn’t so much about the genre or sub-category, but is in the way it’s written. I saw that last year when I read Django Wexler’s The Thousand Names, an epic military flintlock fantasy that invariably clicked with me. In fact, I would say it did more than that; it ended up being one of my top reads for 2013.

In the end, a novel’s genre or topic doesn’t matter; it’s characters first and foremost, and that’s the way it has always been. I think this is why I find so many of Wexler’s books enjoyable to read; whether it’s his epic fantasy, urban fantasy, or even middle-grade fantasy, his talents for writing great characters are exceptional. I first fell in love with Captain Marcus d’Ivoire and Winter Ihernglass, his two main protagonists in The Thousand Names, but eventually grew to appreciate many of the supporting characters as well.

I guess that’s why I was initially nervous when I first picked up The Shadow Throne, the sequel that I’d been so impatiently waiting for, and saw that we mostly had a new batch of characters, a new setting, and a whole different kind of war to fight. Sure, I was glad to see that Marcus and Winter were back, but then again, all those wonderful personalities I met in the first book – Fitz, The Preacher, Give-Em-Hell, Graff, Bobby, and pretty much the whole of the Vordanai Old Colonial army – were also largely absent from this one. But thank goodness we still got plenty of Colonel Janus bet Vhalnich, because I honestly don’t know what I would have done without my favorite military genius.

The Shadow Throne picks up directly from where things left off in The Thousand Names – the war in Khandar is won, and Janus, Marcus and Winter return in haste to the capital as heroes – but even so, there were times I felt the sequel read like a whole different story. Nothing terribly wrong with that, though. There’s still plenty of open conflict, but instead of the broad, sweeping battles in the desert, most of it takes place within the city walls of Ohnlei. It’s a very unstable time with the King of Vordan on his deathbed, and men like the dangerous and power-hungry Duke Orlanko are circling like vultures around the young, delicate princess and heir, waiting to manipulate her and seize control.

However, the princess Raesenia is more than she appears. Like, a LOT more. There’s a huge secret about her that gets revealed early on in what might be one of the best and most surprising scenes of the novel. My earlier disappointment about not seeing more of the characters from the first book ended up being rather short-lived, because Raesinia as a new point-of-view character pretty much made up for it single-handedly. Her perspective added a whole new layer to this story, and it’s great to see another strong female character in this series who’s not afraid to buck expectations and take control of her own life. In fact, it’s the women who steal the show in The Shadow Throne. While Marcus continues to hold his own, I have to say Winter and Raesinia’s chapters were the highlight for me in this one. And let’s not forget the deadly assassin Sothe or the girls of the Leatherbacks gang led by their bold leader (whose identity is yet another surprise).

Admittedly, the story was slower to start off and took some time to gain momentum, seeing as it had to introduce new characters and also to set up the political climate in this new environment. I also feel The Thousand Names was a stronger novel, but probably because the themes of it suited me more, whereas The Shadow Throne felt very different in overall tone. It’s more of tale of revolution, with a heavier focus on political intrigue and differences in ideology between Borelgai supporters and those who want to see Vordan free from the clutches of Duke Orlanko’s influence. A lot of the conflict has shifted to another front, with bloody battles in the city streets but also fierce verbal clashes in the shadows of palace chambers, university classrooms, common taprooms and other places where dissidents gather.

The action therefore felt a little more subdued and on a smaller scale in this one, and a couple of action scenes also had to happen “off-screen” due to limitations imposed by only having a handful of POV characters. But this in no way diminished my enjoyment. There’s a grand siege near the middle of the story that had me biting my nails, and I loved me some subterfuge and the bigger role that espionage played in the book. The author made sure that the quieter, more discreet action sequences that took place in the shadows were just as engaging to read as the all-out battles.

So with a novella and two full length novels officially under its belt, can I finally say The Shadow Campaigns is one of my favorite fantasy series out right now? Certainly my favorite military fantasy. I knew from the very start that The Thousand Names would be a tough act to follow and that book two would have big shoes to fill, but The Shadow Throne was no slouch; it delivered exactly what I wanted to see in the sequel – raised stakes, impactful decisions that furthered the plot, and of course, more of Wexler’s outstanding characters.

[Solseit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. Amazing female leads - I cannot recall one I did not like or cared for! -, a great inspiration for this particular book, reference to magic (but just a hint and I hope book 3 will investigate in detail magic!).
Amazing continuation in The Shadow Campaigns!

[Allen Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I misremembered when I gave this 3 stars. Almost as good as Book 1, just different and lacking several standout characters from the first, but excellent in its own right.

Also:. STORM THE BASTILLE!!

[Choko · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** 4.65 ***

This is a great Flintlock Fantasy series! Yes, it has the trope of a young woman dressing up as a man and joining the army, but although this is an important part of the character's self view, it is not the main point of the story. Winter, the girl Sargent who not only survived, but thrived through the battles in the desert in the first book, is now back to the big city and her boss is sending her undercover to a girl gang of commoners, who might play a role in the politics of a city in crisis. The King is dying and the Princess is young and fragile (or so it seems), and The Last Duke is poised on taking over the power. He is already the most powerful man in the country, but wants to rule and control the future of the country completely. However, the young future Queen has other ideas and Janus, Markus and Winter are there to back her up... Together with a rag-tag rabble from the drags of the docks to young and starryeyed university students. Chaos ensues 😎.

While the first book consisted of a major military campaign with the introduction to the magical creatures, possibly demons, which live within a host and each has a different power it bestows on its human, this volume was concentrated on the power struggle between courtiers, the People, and a foreign power, which has penetrated the social structure and its priests search out people who host demons, but employee said demons themselves...

The magic and demons are the least of the story. It is definitely character driven and the tension is kept up by the progressively complicated intrigue, not by action or contrived misunderstandings. The plot is very deliberate and told masterfully. I had several moments in which I was reminded of Les Miserables, and I consider that a complement. 👍

If you are expecting non-stop action and a ton of magic, you might be disappointed. However, if you are looking for a well crafted world with characters you can really get into, this is the series for you!

"...“If this works, it' going to be one of those things that get written down in the history books. He wondered, briefly, what he should say. Oh well. I can always think of something clever later to tell the historians.
"Come on!" He chopped downward, toward the enemy. "Let's get the bastards!”..."

Now I wish you Happy Reading and may you always Find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book 👍📖😊

[Jody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Django strikes again! The story and world continues to expand in this second installment of The Shadow Campaigns. The setting takes place in Vordan City and has a mix of old and new characters. The number of POV's has also increased from book 1. Along with Winter and Marcus is now the Princess Raesinia of Vordan. Mr. Wexler has moved from the desert of Khandar in book 1 to the sprawling metropolis of Vordan City and an almost entirely new cast of side characters with ease. The two books are tied together very well despite the change in setting and characters.

The world building for Vordan City and it's people is impressive. Each section or district of the city was explained and represented by characters to give you a feel of the Vordan people as a whole. This also assisted to increase the drama and tension in the book. The disconnect between the people who rule and the common people that can eventually lead to political and social unrest was done very well throughout the story. Our main characters are caught up in all of this, and play vital roles in it's effect on the people of Vordan City and the future of the country.

"Look at this. This is happening now. It's not some theoretical debate on the nature of government....This is real. This is history, before it is history."

While this may be a bit of a politically driven part of this series, it is not without its tense moments and action scenes. I didn't feel like there where any parts that felt bogged down or too info dumpy. Mr. Wexler's makes his writing seem effortless the way it glides from one scene to the next. The slower sections and more action packed sections were mixed very well. This helped to keep the story feel like it is constantly moving forward.

The magic system is explained in greater detail in The Shadow Throne. I won't spoil it for anyone, but from what I have learned so far it is really quite simple. Very interesting in how it effects each person differently, and the way each individual can channel the demons magic or powers through themselves. It's genius in it's simplicity, and unique in a way I have not seen done before.

One thing that strikes me as different about this series is the amount of female characters. Most fantasy series out there are predominately male characters with very few female characters. Mr. Wexler seems to have taken the exact opposite approach. Two out of the three main storylines are female, and there are a wide variety of side characters. Mr. Wexler did a great job with his descriptions of all of them. Their individual personalities and histories almost make them feel like real people. Maybe most male authors don't feel comfortable writing a superior female cast. I'm not sure, but I wish it was done more often. Mr. Wexler has managed to knock it out of the park.

The Shadow Throne is a impressive sequel with great world building, fantastic characters, and an authentic feel. There is no sophomore slump with this book. I urge all fantasy and military fantasy fans to give this series a try as soon as possible. There is a variety of emotions, action, and politics to satiate most readers, or just make you hungry for more. I'm absolutely craving more and will be starting book 3 right away.

"If this works, it's going to be one of those things that get written down in the history books."

4.5 stars ****

[Anirudh · Rating 2 out of 5]

What came as a surprise when I read the first book, could not repeat the magic the second time around. The shadow Throne is quite different from its predecessor to the point of wondering if it is even the same series.

What started off as a brilliant Flintlock fantasy, full of mysterious demons, desert warfare and some great writing has suddenly turned into yet another book about court intrigue, and lacks everything that made the first book wonderful

Plot wise, the story is set back in homeland where a princess (who like all other princesses has no power by herself and has to use her wit and Cunning to acquire power) Mixes her self with some "rebels" Casually plots to overthrow the power of a Duke who is supposed to be extremely powerful. She does not do anything particularly amazing. Her plan to start a revolution seemed vague. And for the most part all we get to read about is her movements with her "revolutionaries" The book Almost completely abandons warfare, the demons and few beloved characters from book 1. So basically pretty much everything that's good.

The characters are another problem. The princess gets a Lion's share of the book and yet fails to make an impression (apart from one particular trait) Marcus and Janus do not appear as much as they should. Give Em Hell and the Preacher only make a Cameo.

Winter, the amazing soldier who fought so many battles as well as demons is reduced to a mumbling apologetic and helpless girl as soon as she meets Jane. Her haunting visions Jane are set aside along with her unit, her demon and the necessity to maintain her secrets.

The Last duke is perhaps the most disappointing character in the book. A somewhat clichéd spider themed character he makes no particularly Cunning plan. Nor is he menacing enough to earn the reputation he carries. Towards the end of the book he makes less and less sense.

There was very little in this book which was exciting. The brief interactions of demons and a few memorable scenes are noteworthy. Overall a drastic change from book 1 which might not be pleasing to many like me.

Overall, a cannon with wet powder.

[Em Lost In Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book after the glowing reviews of my friends and the people I follow here on GR. but I only I liked it whereas I wanted to love it.

book started as very strong for me with Janus assigning work to Marcus and Winter which seemed important enough at that time. I liked the new character of Raesinia and her little plan of snatching the power from the hands of Minister of Orlanko (the same man whom I thought to be so powerful and cunning). She played a vital role in how the things ended in this book and I admired her for her Everything was going good for me but after that it was a downfall.

Marcus somehow ended up in prison twice and Winter became a whiny girl crying who kept shedding tears. I know Marcus was a kind hearted man but Winter was so much in the previous book. she was so strong and always planning on how to be in shadows, hiding her disguise so smoothly. she fails miserably in this book. And that was a huge disappointment for me. the other thing that I didn't like here was the absence of Janus. He was the driving force in last book but here he was in shadows, barely there.

little interludes from Orlanko made me curious about him and what he intended to do but as the story progressed I found him to be very weak. There was not much about "Thousand Names" and now all the more mysterious.

Hope "Price of Valour" is better than this.

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

+4
“Sooner or later we all must take something on faith. ”

Segunda parte de la saga The Shadows Campaign, saga de fantasía militar con toques de magia.

“That makes him a good soldier. But you should know as well as anyone that good soldiers don’t always do the right thing. ”

He de admitir que me ha gustado más que el primer libro sobre todo porque se centra más en la parte política y no en batallas (yo en batallas me pierdo). En esta entrega, aparte de un cambio de escenario y argumento, también se nos presentan nuevos personajes con sus puntos de vista. Me han gustado bastante, aunque ha habido tramas que no me han llamado demasiado la atención.

“Ah, Lieutenant. You have no idea how easy it would be to cultivate a reputation for genius, simply by taking credit for things after the fact. ”

El autor sigue escribiendo bastante bien, no se va por las ramas y siento que tiene mucho potencial. Voy a seguir leyendo, pero tomándome un descanso porque sino siento que no lo voy a disfrutar.

“He won’t give up”.

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

sequel to the superb Thousand Names, The Shadow Throne keeps the same exuberant storytelling, great characters and wonderful pov's in Winter and Marcus, while adding Princess Raesinia as 3rd pov.

now the action is back in Vordan, the setting is urban and the storyline is a mixture of revolution and magic rather than colonial war and magic

heir to the throne, Raesinia is assumed by sinister Duke Orlanko to be his tool for reasons one finds out in the first few pages, but under cover of a timid princess, she is actually plotting revolution as Raesinia Smith, financing her sedition with stock market gains obtained by inside information so for example her group makes a fortune when speculating on coffee knowing far in advance that Khandar was pacified - as an aside when a fantasy novel manages to use "the essential inequity of fractional-reserve lending" without sounding silly, one knows it is something special...

a chance encounter with a charlatan who uses a simple but unusually charismatic man (named Danton of course...) to sell his magic cures and Raesinia knows that she found the tool to actually do something that will matter as Danton can convince the masses to demand their rights as easily as he can convince them to buy useless remedies; it all depends on who writes the message...

in the meantime, Colonel Vhalnich back in a rush and only with Marcus and Winter at his side, is named by the dying king as Justice Minister, and he immediately sets to stir the pot by putting Marcus in charge of the city police ("armsmen") and investigate the secret police ('the concordat") of Orlanko, while sending Winter to infiltrate a women revolutionary group and find allies there

Things start precipitating and well, lots of stuff follows in a page turner that I couldn't literally put down until I finished it

A very satisfying ending though obviously the next chapter will follow in the third volume, chapter that is clearly summed by the last word of the novel...

great execution and a book that is quite different from the first, preserving its best qualities and avoiding the middle syndrome as it presents another complete tale within the larger picture

top 5 of the year for me

[Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller]

DNF at 52%. I might come back to this one, but nothing about it was singing to me and I started to feel like I was forcing myself through it. At the very least, I need a break.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gosn Wexler nastavlja da me odusevljava. Velika knjiga sa puno likova, prica koja drzi paznju, elokventan stil pisanja koji nije zatrpan sa 10 strana nepotrebnih detalja. Isto tako sami likovi su realni, motivacije razumemo, svi se ponasaju ko da umeju da razmisljaju (sto na zalost ume da bude retkost u fantazijskim knjigama). Moj omiljeni lik je bila sama princeza koju upoznajemo na vrlo interesantan nacin i koja se ponasa drugacije nego sto bi ocekivali od nekoga na njenom polozaju.

Jedino sto je malo negativno je da knjizi fali osecaj epskih razmera. Jedan od razloga je sto se sve desava u jednoj lokaciji. Plus ono sto se desava u knjizi jeste zabavno ali u vecem delu pretstavlja nesto sto smo citali i u drugim knjigama.

Ali ti problemcici ne umanjuju puno i knjiga je vredna vase paznje.

Samo uronite u ovaj svet. Vredi.

[Deborah Obida · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Shadow Throne is the second book in the series, I read book one back in 2019 and it was unlike anything I’ve ever read. While book one focuses on war campaigns book two is about the politics happening in the capital city of the soldiers we met in book one. Let that not discourage you, there are still cool battles scenes in this one also.

World building and Writing
The world building here is better than that of book 1, the author improved immensely same goes for the writing. The book is well written in third person multiple POVs, they are two new characters and POVs in this book.

Characters
I love all the characters in this book, even the last duke who is supposed to be the villain is so well written.
Then there’s Raesina which I love so much, she is such a strong young woman, she is also smart and intelligent.
We still get Marcus and Winter, I still enjoy their POV, they both have to work in the capital now and I love how they are adapting to their new roles.
Janus is still mystery, I just wish he has a POV, he is so smart and seems to be ten steps ahead of his enemy, what does he want?

Plot
The King is sick and his only child and daughter is a girl who is barely an adult. The last duke who is the most powerful and connected duke in the kingdom has his eyes on the throne. Raesina the princess don’t want her throne taken from her neither does she want to become a puppet queen. Janus is back with just Marcus and Winter, can he turn the tides with just this two? Read and find out.

[Esme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, that was a change of pace from the first book. No longer out in the fields fighting, it's inner city turmoil and political plotting.

We get a new POV, the princess soon to be Queen .... and I'm not sure I liked her very much.

I also didn't really like Jane, oh well I still LOVED Marcus and Winter so that more than made up for it.

the action didn't pick up until about halfway through the book, so this book took me much longer to get through than the last book. I think i've been picking at this book for like.. a month now. The first book I tore through in a number of days. HOwever, I am in the middle of about 8 books right now so if I was focused solely on this book it would have been faster.

I'm going to keep reading the series, but I'm a little hesitant because I just didn't connect with Reseinia? I'm audiobooking. She's certainly very interesting, and she's vital to the plot, so I understand why she's there, I just didn't love her the way I love Marcus and Winter.

[Michael Pang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less "martial" than the first book. In book 1 there were good number of large scale battles (plus accompanying skirmishes) and the story focused on the characters while campaigning across a foreign map. Here, the action is focused close to home in and around a single city. We get to see the seeds of discontent and scheming plans blossom into a full scale revolution.

Great story, characters and writing, just wanted to point out that it is a little different than the 1st book if you were looking for a repeat of a full-fledged military fantasy.

[James Harwood-Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew I would be completely enthralled by a flintlock fantasy?

But I am.

Once again the exploits of Winter Ihernglass and Marcus d’Ivoire lead an action packed thriller.

After their tour of duty our heroes return home. If they had any thoughts of R and R, they were very mistaken.

Trouble plagues the kingdom. An ailing king, his troublesome daughter and dissension amongst the ranks and the people.

New assignments given and both extremely dangerous.

Winter for me is the star of the story. Lots of baggage and emotional turmoil. She’s placed on a secret mission that will bring her to confront her past.

Marcus, although portrayed as a paladinish type of soldier can be a bit of a clod at times. Pure of heart but kind of an old fashioned dolt. He does poke fun at himself where I did laugh right out loud. Hahaha

The new princess character, Raesinia is a fun addition. Most of the magic in the book surrounds her arc.

It’s still a relatively low magic system which I love. More of epic musket confrontations and espionage.

There are some other great soldiers both vile and heroic. All the while sinister forces hide within the shadows.

Lots of action. Lots of emotion. And most importantly lots of fun.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantasy Review Barn

I am not sure I have ever seen a series do a complete one eighty in book two like this one has; I am certain that if I have it didn’t pull it off so successfully. There is no middle book issue in this series; The Shadow Throne improves on the very strong start provided by The Thousand Names.

Wexler introduced us to this world with a book that was at its heart one strong military campaign. The Thousand Names was pure military fantasy with a focus honed in on a few people within the marching army. The fantasy aspects didn’t show until late with the early portions dealing with tactical maneuvering and some pretty exciting battles. But within this framework were some real gems when it came to characters; Winter and Janus specifically held my interest due to very different positions within the march.

Readjust the brain, keep a few characters but change direction. The Shadow Throne is a completely different game. Military mastermind Janus is back home and must match his wits with a man known as The Last Duke; Orlanko being the J Edgar Hoover of this land with a bit more power. This time the fight is a political one. The king is near death, his daughter is seen as weak, and dissent within the kingdom is on the rise. Janus proves his talents extend beyond the battlefield as he moves his pieces around the board, including Marcus and Winter from the first book. The goal is simply to secure Princess Raesinia on the throne under her own control; without Orlanko’s heavy influence.

But things would be so much simpler if everyone knew who was on their side wouldn’t they? Raesinia is running a few plots of her own and carefully orchestrates the spark that will either save her abandon the kingdom to Orlanko’s evil clutches. Hiding a secret that is both an amazing blessing and terrible curse each step she takes has to be perfect lest everything fall apart around her.

What makes this a perfect middle book? The fact that it is on its own a complete story. We get the set up to Raesinia’s plight, a full book of political maneuvering, a quick military diversion to keep true to the series roots and most important of all, a conclusion. Of course there is a long game running through the background as well; the thousand names and its implications are carried over from the first book and several characters obviously have potential we still have not seen. The series isn’t relying on cliffhangers and loose threads to keep our interest but still has a definite direction it is moving too.

On top of that it just does what it is supposed to. I bought into the political game being played; the gains were believable and the setbacks true to expectations. Janus is borderline Gary Stu but is aware that it is part of his reputation and does what he can to cultivate it. Orlanko is so strong in some areas but has major blindness’s that make him a very compelling villain. Raesinia was so easy to root for that it was easy to forget she had a few questionable actions as well; I can hope this series is deep enough for there to be repercussions for these types of actions later.

Two books in and this series has me hooked. A quick military romp to get things started followed by a surprisingly deep for its page count sequel, plenty of action and characters I love. A long game that has huge implications for the future but has to be kept in the background as other flare-ups keep everyone’s attention. Plus we got to watch the organic start of an all-female regiment in a traditionally male dominated army. Have you ever read about that in a fantasy book?

5 Stars

Copy for review provided by publisher.

[Sumant · Rating 4 out of 5]

The shadow throne which is the second book in the shadow campaigns series, completely changes gears as regards to the first book is concerned. The first book was a military fantasy while this book is all about the political intrigue going on the city of Vordan. The book started solidly for me, but I think the battle scenes in the book were a bit unconvincing and Wexler wrapped them up in just a few pages.

Some of the strong points of the book are

1.Interesting story.
2.World building.
3.New pov characters.

Some weak points of the book are

1.Hastily wrapped up battle scenes.

Let me elaborate on the above points now

1.Interesting story.

He wasn't afraid of conspiracies. No conspiracy could survive exposure and decapitation, after all, and he was an expert at both. But Orlanko had learned to feel the mood of the city, as though it were a single organism. Sometimes it was sleepy and complacent, when times were good and people were fat and happy. When times were lean, it was snappy and irritable, prone to sudden rages and panics.

The main crux of the story is about seizing power in the city of Vordan by the last duke Orlanko. He is helped in this cause by the Borel bankers and the Sworn church. The last duke is also a minister of information which makes him invincible due to the fact that he has leverage over everyone in the cabinet, due to the information he has regarding them with his network of spies. He has help of Borel bankers who have given huge loans to the Vordan kingdom, and these bankers have their tax farmers roaming at will in the city and going to extreme circumstances to make people pay their debts. The church gives super natural backing to the duke.

This makes up the main story throughout the book, but there is also a parallel story regarding captain Marcus and his family, we know from the previous book that the captain's family died in a fire in their mansion. But when Marcus comes to know from shady sources that this in the actual fact, he starts digging deep and finds some big people involved in this.

2.World building.

Although the world building done by the author is not subtle but still it is very interesting, also we have a map at the start of the book. Wexler makes good use of this map in describing to us the different sections of this city. I really liked his descriptions regarding how the docks in the city operate, as more than twenty five percent of the story takes place in the vicinity of docks.

3.New pov characters.

Wexler introduces lot of new pov characters in this book, also it has our usual suspects of pov characters from Marcus and Winter. From our new pov characters I liked the most was of Raesinia.

Regarding the shortcomings of the book

1.Hastily wrapped up battle scenes.

I loved the last book as there were some great battle scenes in it, although this book does not have the same concept as the last one, but the battle which is given to us in this book is wrapped in a hasty manner and due to that it was not a convincing read for me.

I give this book 4/5 stars.

[Marc *Dark Reader with a Thousand Young! Iä!* · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quarter of the way into this book, I raised my rating for the first book in the series from 4 to 5 stars. I thought the first book was very good but I wasn’t totally in love with it until I saw more clearly how much I could care for his characters and how extensive the series plot was, and how there was no down time, lots of action and significant events from cover to cover. It elevated my impression of the first book with its clear quality.

Django Wexler delivers quality books reliably. 'Nuff said.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shortest review, ITS BRILLIANTLY GOOD.

Think thats enough.

[mich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has:

-An officer who is a girl disguised as a boy who goes on an undercover mission disguised as a girl (yeah, you read that right)

-A clever princess-soon-to-be-Queen who, also under disguise, helps to spark a revolution among her people. . .against herself (sort of)

-A steadfast loyal Captain who never goes under disguise, not even once. (so basically, the boring one, lol)

I’m really enjoying this series. With the change in setting from the brutal deserts of Khandar to the intrigues of the court and ministries and streets of Vordan, this book is quite different from its predecessor. There’s some action in here, but the bulk of the story covers politics: scheming and positioning and plays for power. It’s smartly done yet easy to follow and, most importantly, not boring. Wexler has proven that he’s equally adept at writing exciting battle sequences as he is at writing interesting political mumbo jumbo.

Marcus, Winter and Janus are back, and we are treated to a new key POV character. Oh, and we get to meet that asshole Orlanko in the flesh. He turns out to be just as you’d expect and also not what you’d expect.

Some random things:

--The romance element in this book was super meh. While it was nice that we got to see a very personal side to one of our main characters, the chemistry and emotions totally didn’t come through and it was all pretty dull. But it wasn’t a huge part of the story, so whatever.

--The most exciting part of the book happened in the middle. It was weird. It was like we had this awesome build-up to this thing, and the thing ended up being SUPER exciting and awesome, and then after the thing, the story just. . . kept going on. And on. . . .and on. It was a little weird. Sorry, man, but that whole part w/the Vendre was WAY more exciting than the last battle at the end, which felt anticlimactic.

--As much as I love this book cover, I totally would have loved it more if it had a Condordat on it instead. I think that visual would have been super cool (and too late now I guess, I think that ship has sailed for any future cover with it in the series).

--Winter totally lost her place as my favorite female character in this series. While I wasn’t thrilled when I saw Raesinia’s first POV chapter ("WTH, who the fuck is this and why should I care" I believe was my initial reaction), she ended up being AWESOME! I loved how all the plans of the more obvious "major players" (Janus, Orlanko) kept getting upturned cuz of her little gang’s scheming in some obscure tavern in the Dregs.

--I wish there had been a stronger feeling of camaraderie in Raesinia’s cabal. It came so close to feeling like a group that went beyond just “the cause”, but it didn’t quite get there. If it had, I’m certain that Ben’s death and Faro’s betrayal would have had way more impact on me than it actually did.

--While I liked the concept of the Deputies-General, I found it really hard to take the actual deputies seriously when they finally came into power. It seemed like a joke. They all came off like a bunch of pseudo-intellectual morons and seeing Janus and Raesinia have to concede things to them, and be taken by them? It was weird.

--What the hell is up Maurisk’s ass? Why was he so angry at Raesinia when he found out her true identity? Cuz she used him. . . to work towards a goal that was the same goal as his goal??? Dumbass. His anger felt a touch out of left field to me.

--I’m extremely not happy that the Seventh was taken away from Winter. NOT cool.

--I think Janus is a bad guy. There, I said it. (he still my favorite though ;)

--Marcus is still my least favorite, but I gotta say, he had the part that made me laugh the most in this book:

He scanned the rows of anxious faces on the bleachers until he found Ihernglass. He was still in his feminine disguise - honestly, Marcus thought it wasn’t terribly convincing, but he hadn’t had the heart to say so - wearing a dark coat and the black sash of a deputy.

Lol!

Oh, P.S. - If Raesinia and Marcus become a thing, I. Will. Puke. Throw-up everywhere, seriously, DON’T DO IT.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I flew through this book while its previous took me weeks to finish. However, both are good in their own ways. Glad to hear that the third instalment mixed elements from the first two books since they are vastly different. The first book focused on military operations while the second was centered in the city around protests and politics.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I didn't think it was possible, but I actually enjoyed this more than the first novel. Honestly, this series is going from strength to strength, and only getting better.

This time we move from non-stop military action back to a more politically-charge Vordan, meeting characters who've only been mentioned in The Thousand Names. But there is still plenty of action, fighting, and excitement that happens.

There's so many things I love about this book. The women, for starters. All of them are so strong and well-developed. Winter is still a favourite, like last time, but I can now add her, Sothe, Abby, Jane and most importantly, Raesinia, who is so much more than just your average princess to my list of favourite fictional women. Inciting rebellion and revolution for example? Being bloody immortal for another? Ugh. These women, I swear.

Also, we again have Marcus being his usual chivalric self, and Janus continually pulling brilliant magic tricks out his arse to save the day. I cannot express how much I love these two and their relationship of banter and scepticism.

Also, am I the only one seeing multiple parallels with the French Rev?

Anyway, I loved this so much, and I cannot wait to read the third book.