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Troupe of Shadows
Once the heir to an empire. Now just a shadow.
Throne stolen by her traitorous brother, chased to the edge of the world, Sellane has only her beloved sword, a penchant for ruthlessness, and four elite ‘blade dancer’ bodyguards to her name. Where once she lived a life of courtly duels, decadent feasts, and palace intrigue, she now finds herself weathering the dust of a wild frontier populated by pioneers and warlords.
The food has run out, shelter is scarce, her followers are on the verge of mutiny, and she can’t even communicate with the inhabitants of this alien land: the humans. But when she captures Copper, a down-on-his-luck mercenary who happens to speak her language, she seizes a razor-thin opportunity to reverse her fortunes. Her band has the bladecraft, he claims to have the connections, and the frontier will never have enough mercenaries.
But can her new ally be trusted? Can her old allies? Will her dysfunctional troupe tear itself apart before they’ve earned a single coin?
Troupe of Shadows is a dark fantasy novel with a focus on interpersonal conflict and action. It draws inspiration from both wild west and classic high fantasy stories.
Throne stolen by her traitorous brother, chased to the edge of the world, Sellane has only her beloved sword, a penchant for ruthlessness, and four elite ‘blade dancer’ bodyguards to her name. Where once she lived a life of courtly duels, decadent feasts, and palace intrigue, she now finds herself weathering the dust of a wild frontier populated by pioneers and warlords.
The food has run out, shelter is scarce, her followers are on the verge of mutiny, and she can’t even communicate with the inhabitants of this alien land: the humans. But when she captures Copper, a down-on-his-luck mercenary who happens to speak her language, she seizes a razor-thin opportunity to reverse her fortunes. Her band has the bladecraft, he claims to have the connections, and the frontier will never have enough mercenaries.
But can her new ally be trusted? Can her old allies? Will her dysfunctional troupe tear itself apart before they’ve earned a single coin?
Troupe of Shadows is a dark fantasy novel with a focus on interpersonal conflict and action. It draws inspiration from both wild west and classic high fantasy stories.
- GenresFantasyHigh Fantasy
364 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 10, 2021
21 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 2, 2022
Excellent debut indie fantasy action novel. What's not to like about Cowboys vs. Alien Ninja Chameleons? (Especially when you're on the side of the latter.)
I added this book to my Kindle to-read list a few months ago, while awaiting a free Kindle Unlimited trial period, because it looked like it might actually be good. I struggle to find self-published fantasy that properly satisfies me, but this did the trick.
Here's what I most appreciated about it: it has an ensemble cast in which each character matters. Each character has unique and well-defined personality, status, personal goals, relationship to every other character, and every one of these elements are constantly being played out in a seemingly-effortless tapestry. I don't think this is easily accomplished, especially for a new author (if they are indeed new; details about the book's genesis raises the distinct possibility that Zabrinsky is a pseudonym).
The action, worldbuilding, and individual character arcs are superb. I almost held back a star in my rating merely because it didn't quite achieve the depth I ultimately yearn for, but the book is essentially flawless. In comparison, I also recently read Unsouled and more readily gave that one five stars, but I am more eager to read Troupe of Shadows's sequel when it emerges. (It's coming, right?)
This is a SPFBO 8 (2022) contest entrant, and I hope to see it advance. It's been allocated to the Fantasy Faction blog (http://fantasy-faction.com/) and I'm confident they'll give it a fair shake.
I added this book to my Kindle to-read list a few months ago, while awaiting a free Kindle Unlimited trial period, because it looked like it might actually be good. I struggle to find self-published fantasy that properly satisfies me, but this did the trick.
Here's what I most appreciated about it: it has an ensemble cast in which each character matters. Each character has unique and well-defined personality, status, personal goals, relationship to every other character, and every one of these elements are constantly being played out in a seemingly-effortless tapestry. I don't think this is easily accomplished, especially for a new author (if they are indeed new; details about the book's genesis raises the distinct possibility that Zabrinsky is a pseudonym).
The action, worldbuilding, and individual character arcs are superb. I almost held back a star in my rating merely because it didn't quite achieve the depth I ultimately yearn for, but the book is essentially flawless. In comparison, I also recently read Unsouled and more readily gave that one five stars, but I am more eager to read Troupe of Shadows's sequel when it emerges. (It's coming, right?)
This is a SPFBO 8 (2022) contest entrant, and I hope to see it advance. It's been allocated to the Fantasy Faction blog (http://fantasy-faction.com/) and I'm confident they'll give it a fair shake.
October 7, 2022
3,5* rounded up
🔥 Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion - group verdict might differ widely! 🔥
This book has plenty of potential and promise, but in my eyes didn't always deliver on it.
I really enjoyed the setting and world building. A Western feeling, with people from another race having fled there, trying to make a living and go back to their own lands later. I loved the different abilities of the newcomers, being able to use colours both for expressing emotions, blending with the background, signalling information, portraying status or even just use it to look normally clothed.
I did like the characters, but at times felt like they could have used a little bit more depth to them. Especially the princess and her troupe took quite a while to warm up to, and show any sort of growth.
Having been stuck out in the desert for years you'd think they had gotten past a lot of their problems already, instead it feels like they just started out on their unwanted adventure.
Once they finally started to learn from each other, the story started to grip me more.
There's plenty of action and fighting to keep the story moving along at a good pace. With plenty of villains and even mobsters, there's never a shortage of people to stab or decapitate. Maybe some of them aren't even useless, but could be helpful, even if they're of "the inferior race"...
So while the book took a while to really hit it's stride for me, I did like enough of it to keep me reading it in just two days, and the end had enough promise to make me curious for what might come next.
🔥 Read for SPFBO, this is only my personal opinion - group verdict might differ widely! 🔥
This book has plenty of potential and promise, but in my eyes didn't always deliver on it.
I really enjoyed the setting and world building. A Western feeling, with people from another race having fled there, trying to make a living and go back to their own lands later. I loved the different abilities of the newcomers, being able to use colours both for expressing emotions, blending with the background, signalling information, portraying status or even just use it to look normally clothed.
I did like the characters, but at times felt like they could have used a little bit more depth to them. Especially the princess and her troupe took quite a while to warm up to, and show any sort of growth.
Having been stuck out in the desert for years you'd think they had gotten past a lot of their problems already, instead it feels like they just started out on their unwanted adventure.
Once they finally started to learn from each other, the story started to grip me more.
There's plenty of action and fighting to keep the story moving along at a good pace. With plenty of villains and even mobsters, there's never a shortage of people to stab or decapitate. Maybe some of them aren't even useless, but could be helpful, even if they're of "the inferior race"...
So while the book took a while to really hit it's stride for me, I did like enough of it to keep me reading it in just two days, and the end had enough promise to make me curious for what might come next.
July 10, 2022
Recommended by Brain Eating, Tentacle Waving, Squishy Squish
5 star read because I really enjoyed reading it.
Interesting race Zabrinsky has created here. A sort of chameleon race. Not only can the "Shadowmen" change their skin hue to camouflage with their surroundings, but it's also a way for them to express emotion and communicate. I can't help but visualize them as kin to Avatars
This story follows a handful of special Shadowmen called Blade Dancers. One in particular, is Princess Sellane. Sellane was forced out of her empire when her brother stole the throne. Now she has to survive amongst the "drabs" and some how take back the throne.
The characters and world building is WONDERFUL. Zabrinsky knows how to keep a story solid and entertaining. I'm looking forward to reading what comes next.
5 star read because I really enjoyed reading it.
Interesting race Zabrinsky has created here. A sort of chameleon race. Not only can the "Shadowmen" change their skin hue to camouflage with their surroundings, but it's also a way for them to express emotion and communicate. I can't help but visualize them as kin to Avatars
This story follows a handful of special Shadowmen called Blade Dancers. One in particular, is Princess Sellane. Sellane was forced out of her empire when her brother stole the throne. Now she has to survive amongst the "drabs" and some how take back the throne.
The characters and world building is WONDERFUL. Zabrinsky knows how to keep a story solid and entertaining. I'm looking forward to reading what comes next.
November 19, 2021
If not for the author explicitly stating this was their debut novel, I would never have guessed on reading. This was a well-written, exciting, adventurous romp, with a veritable host of well fleshed-out characters whose varied and ofttimes opposing personalities played beautifully upon each other.
Troupe of Shadows centers primarily between two characters: that of Copper, the down-on-his luck human mercenary who just happens to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time once too often, and Sellane, dethroned princess to the Dremeni Empire who is also a qaelid, a race of humanoids who can change the color of their skin at will. Scenes from other characters who are members of Sellane's titular troupe also pepper the book, allowing for a fairly 360 degree look at the politics and relationships of this tight-knit (or not so tight) group as the story progresses.
The world here is vibrant- numerous races, from humans to birdmen to strange sapient slugs, have all fled their homelands across the ocean for one reason or another, and settled in a rather inhospitable place known as the "Badlands", on the other side of which sits the lush forest that belongs to the Dremeni Empire. Much of the Empire remains shrouded in mystery, however, due to its people's isolationist nature and (somewhat justified) view of their superiority over other races.
Copper however, having been a "guest" of the Dremeni at some point in the past, is in a unique situation to help this troupe who find themselves out of both their element and natural environment in the badlands. What follows is an admittedly rather well-tread story (fans of the move Seven Samurai will likely get a strong sense of deja vu during the second half of the novel) wherein the troupe learn to both work together, and to cohabitate (or not) with the other races they find themselves thrust into the middle of.
Really, I don't have much in the way of negative comments about this book. Some of the setup with the badlands could have used a tad more explanation (why are they being settled so haphazardly? Why no formal colonies? If the land is good, nations would want to exploit it. If it's not, who would choose to live there?) and the use of blackpowder weapons felt somewhat strangled in order to keep combat balanced, but in the end, this is all just window dressing. The true heart of the story, that of its characters and their many, complex relationships, that shines through with a searing light.
I look forward to the sequel.
Troupe of Shadows centers primarily between two characters: that of Copper, the down-on-his luck human mercenary who just happens to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time once too often, and Sellane, dethroned princess to the Dremeni Empire who is also a qaelid, a race of humanoids who can change the color of their skin at will. Scenes from other characters who are members of Sellane's titular troupe also pepper the book, allowing for a fairly 360 degree look at the politics and relationships of this tight-knit (or not so tight) group as the story progresses.
The world here is vibrant- numerous races, from humans to birdmen to strange sapient slugs, have all fled their homelands across the ocean for one reason or another, and settled in a rather inhospitable place known as the "Badlands", on the other side of which sits the lush forest that belongs to the Dremeni Empire. Much of the Empire remains shrouded in mystery, however, due to its people's isolationist nature and (somewhat justified) view of their superiority over other races.
Copper however, having been a "guest" of the Dremeni at some point in the past, is in a unique situation to help this troupe who find themselves out of both their element and natural environment in the badlands. What follows is an admittedly rather well-tread story (fans of the move Seven Samurai will likely get a strong sense of deja vu during the second half of the novel) wherein the troupe learn to both work together, and to cohabitate (or not) with the other races they find themselves thrust into the middle of.
Really, I don't have much in the way of negative comments about this book. Some of the setup with the badlands could have used a tad more explanation (why are they being settled so haphazardly? Why no formal colonies? If the land is good, nations would want to exploit it. If it's not, who would choose to live there?) and the use of blackpowder weapons felt somewhat strangled in order to keep combat balanced, but in the end, this is all just window dressing. The true heart of the story, that of its characters and their many, complex relationships, that shines through with a searing light.
I look forward to the sequel.
March 3, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.
“Troupe of Shadows” was a delightful discovery for me. I was immediately drawn to the cover and the premise of the story, however, I am a very picky reader, and I’ve come to not expect much from new books. I’ve been trying to get into more indie books, and sadly, most of them have not met my standards. (This is often true of trad books as well!)
But “Troupe of Shadows” proved to be a pleasant surprise. The prose is perfectly competent, but more importantly, the author clearly has a good sense of pacing, character, and story-telling in general.
The setting is delightful. It is not the first western style fantasy I’ve read, but it isn’t commonly done and Zabrinsky meshes these genres perfectly. The book has the right amount of wild west vibes without the fantasy elements feeling out of place, and it is very fun to explore the world and get to know more about it.
The plot is pretty decent. It’s relatively simple in scale and in scope, but I think that works for the story being told here. There is enough action to keep things interesting, and while I wouldn’t say it was mind-blowing, I never felt bored with where the story was or where it was going.
The real strength of this book though is in the characters. They are well-written, entertaining, and compelling. I was surprised we got POVs from all the troupe members, and while I thought this was an odd choice at first, the author does an excellent job of putting you in the shoes of each character respectively and showing you what makes them tick. There are no throw-away characters here. Each one is fully-realized, with their own goals, ambitions, struggles, and unique personality. They all felt real, and their interactions and interpersonal dynamics were compelling and convincing. I completely understood why certain characters liked each other or didn’t like each other, and the sources of conflict never felt contrived or unreasonable. I loved seeing the characters interact and develop their relationships, and it was these characters and relationships that kept me reading chapter to chapter, and that left me excited for the sequel.
I had some minor gripes with the story. In particular, the main villain was set up to be intimidating, and while the initial set-up was good, I feel there are a few moments that dampen the effect, making him feel a bit cartoony at times. This may have been intentional, but I really wanted to feel that he was a real threat without that illusion being broken. The bloodshed is also a lot at times. I tend to prefer books that are more conservative in regards to gore, but honestly, that’s neither here nor there, as the gore makes sense for the story being told.
All in all, Zabrinsky clearly has a good sense of what he is doing, and I’m looking forward to where he takes this series going forward!
“Troupe of Shadows” was a delightful discovery for me. I was immediately drawn to the cover and the premise of the story, however, I am a very picky reader, and I’ve come to not expect much from new books. I’ve been trying to get into more indie books, and sadly, most of them have not met my standards. (This is often true of trad books as well!)
But “Troupe of Shadows” proved to be a pleasant surprise. The prose is perfectly competent, but more importantly, the author clearly has a good sense of pacing, character, and story-telling in general.
The setting is delightful. It is not the first western style fantasy I’ve read, but it isn’t commonly done and Zabrinsky meshes these genres perfectly. The book has the right amount of wild west vibes without the fantasy elements feeling out of place, and it is very fun to explore the world and get to know more about it.
The plot is pretty decent. It’s relatively simple in scale and in scope, but I think that works for the story being told here. There is enough action to keep things interesting, and while I wouldn’t say it was mind-blowing, I never felt bored with where the story was or where it was going.
The real strength of this book though is in the characters. They are well-written, entertaining, and compelling. I was surprised we got POVs from all the troupe members, and while I thought this was an odd choice at first, the author does an excellent job of putting you in the shoes of each character respectively and showing you what makes them tick. There are no throw-away characters here. Each one is fully-realized, with their own goals, ambitions, struggles, and unique personality. They all felt real, and their interactions and interpersonal dynamics were compelling and convincing. I completely understood why certain characters liked each other or didn’t like each other, and the sources of conflict never felt contrived or unreasonable. I loved seeing the characters interact and develop their relationships, and it was these characters and relationships that kept me reading chapter to chapter, and that left me excited for the sequel.
I had some minor gripes with the story. In particular, the main villain was set up to be intimidating, and while the initial set-up was good, I feel there are a few moments that dampen the effect, making him feel a bit cartoony at times. This may have been intentional, but I really wanted to feel that he was a real threat without that illusion being broken. The bloodshed is also a lot at times. I tend to prefer books that are more conservative in regards to gore, but honestly, that’s neither here nor there, as the gore makes sense for the story being told.
All in all, Zabrinsky clearly has a good sense of what he is doing, and I’m looking forward to where he takes this series going forward!
June 9, 2024
Why I picked this up: Saw this on a SPFBO sale. Cover buy. No idea what the book was about going in.
Genre: Weird west fantasy
Tone: Oven-baked fries. Easy, but done right. Crispy. Nom.
Plot: Warrior princess & co on the run after a coup become mercenaries.
Pacing: Quick. Short book. Smashed through. Thumbs up.
Prose: 3rd person multi-POV. I stumbled a bit on the first page; not the smoothest introduction, but it was more about setting a mood, and wasn’t reflective of the rest of the book. After that, all good; easy reading.
World: Low fantasy; no magic, weird creatures. Human colonists occupy the wastelands. They have single-shot firearms and a history of war. The protagonist troupe are quelids, which are humanoid ninja chameleons that originate from a jungle kingdom. They have their own language, culture, and have recently undergone a coup.
Characters: Classic band of 5: hero, lancer, heart, brain and muscle; plus the trickster and mystic. It works.
Conflict: COWBOYS VS. CHAMELEON NINJAS. Good amount of bloody action. Also, the usual band of 5 drama.
Overall enjoyment: Great. The plot and characters are formulaic, but the world is so freaking cool that it adds that special blend of flavour dust that makes it pop. I’ve got the prequel novella Tyrantfall downloaded, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes.
Genre: Weird west fantasy
Tone: Oven-baked fries. Easy, but done right. Crispy. Nom.
Plot: Warrior princess & co on the run after a coup become mercenaries.
Pacing: Quick. Short book. Smashed through. Thumbs up.
Prose: 3rd person multi-POV. I stumbled a bit on the first page; not the smoothest introduction, but it was more about setting a mood, and wasn’t reflective of the rest of the book. After that, all good; easy reading.
World: Low fantasy; no magic, weird creatures. Human colonists occupy the wastelands. They have single-shot firearms and a history of war. The protagonist troupe are quelids, which are humanoid ninja chameleons that originate from a jungle kingdom. They have their own language, culture, and have recently undergone a coup.
Characters: Classic band of 5: hero, lancer, heart, brain and muscle; plus the trickster and mystic. It works.
Conflict: COWBOYS VS. CHAMELEON NINJAS. Good amount of bloody action. Also, the usual band of 5 drama.
Overall enjoyment: Great. The plot and characters are formulaic, but the world is so freaking cool that it adds that special blend of flavour dust that makes it pop. I’ve got the prequel novella Tyrantfall downloaded, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes.
January 8, 2024
The author was giving this book away for free on reddit a while ago, so I decided to finally give it a try. I'll keep the review very spoiler free, but overall I really enjoyed Troupe of Shadows, and tbh am shocked that this is the authors first book - I will be keeping an eye out for any future releases from Jennings Zabrinsky.
The good
- very well written dialogue
- cool world with fun species. I loved the qaelids, and thought their color changing abilities were unique. Also the western fantasy setting reminded me of Red Country by Joe Abercrombie and that's never a bad thing
- easy read, which I mean in a good way. This book kept me hooked and I pretty much flew through it
- fantastic character development. We really get to see the characters learn and grow, and it was done in a very believable and well paced way
The bad
- Some characters, particularly Copper, felt a little flat, probably due to how little of their backstory was shown
I hope this book gets a sequel, I want to see Sellane get her empire back!
The good
- very well written dialogue
- cool world with fun species. I loved the qaelids, and thought their color changing abilities were unique. Also the western fantasy setting reminded me of Red Country by Joe Abercrombie and that's never a bad thing
- easy read, which I mean in a good way. This book kept me hooked and I pretty much flew through it
- fantastic character development. We really get to see the characters learn and grow, and it was done in a very believable and well paced way
The bad
- Some characters, particularly Copper, felt a little flat, probably due to how little of their backstory was shown
I hope this book gets a sequel, I want to see Sellane get her empire back!
December 14, 2023
I loved it. This might genuinely be my favourite world-building scenario, I can't rave enough about the qaelids and all of their qualities. More than anything you can tell how into it the author was, as the qaelids colour-changing skin wasn't just used as a gear of war, but also demonstrated and helped define their culture, which as a reader I found to be such a beautiful thing.
Mixing together the rag-tag crew, the 'Wild West' setting, and Blade Dancers? It was a gripping read that I won't soon be forgetting.
Mixing together the rag-tag crew, the 'Wild West' setting, and Blade Dancers? It was a gripping read that I won't soon be forgetting.
April 17, 2024
Entertaining
This is an entertaining book, with characters we can appreciate. I thought "Magnificent Seven", then "A Fist Full Of Dollars", but was mostly wrong. The author starts down those roads, but takes a left turn before he gets there, allowing his story to have a firm base, yet still be original. Don't look for any deep philosophy here. It is just a fun story, with good relatable characters, that may be a bit flawed. This is not Fantasy, nor is it SciFi. Just a story from another world.
This is an entertaining book, with characters we can appreciate. I thought "Magnificent Seven", then "A Fist Full Of Dollars", but was mostly wrong. The author starts down those roads, but takes a left turn before he gets there, allowing his story to have a firm base, yet still be original. Don't look for any deep philosophy here. It is just a fun story, with good relatable characters, that may be a bit flawed. This is not Fantasy, nor is it SciFi. Just a story from another world.
November 16, 2021
Fun read
I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Good cast of characters, and some excellent fight scenes. Zabrinsky did a wonderful job of making swords useful against guns, while still having guns be deadly.
I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Good cast of characters, and some excellent fight scenes. Zabrinsky did a wonderful job of making swords useful against guns, while still having guns be deadly.
April 19, 2024
Pulpy (in the best kind of way!) and thoroughly entertaining.
Read my full review published on epicindie.net
Read my full review published on epicindie.net
February 26, 2025
4.5 rounded down! Very enjoyable! A bit of a learning curve as the book starts but once you know the characters and the cultures it’s fast-paced, action-packed, and left me very intrigued for the continuation of this series!
December 7, 2025
I purchased this after a talk by Jennings and others, and I thought it was entertaining. As others have mentioned it's very impressive for a debut novel. Lots of good fight scenes and I'm interested to hear more about the characters so I'm tracking down the prequel right now
November 21, 2021
Fantastic book with a setting based on the weird west. Highly recommend! Full review here: https://youtu.be/4-jZwcVJnw8
December 28, 2021
At first I was like "meh western ?" but it was actually really good, very fun and light to read.
August 11, 2022
4.5. Very good.
January 15, 2024
Rating: B
December 17, 2024
Troupe of Shadows is a solid mash up of fantasy and weird west. It’s got a Magnificent Seven vibe where a rogue heir and her blade warriors protect a small town while various groups of villains are closing in.
The world is fun as it’s pretty much a western populated by some interesting species. You got some feathered birdlike humanoids, some unique fauna, but most importantly, a race of people who have the ability to change their flesh colors at will. The qaelids, or shadowmen as the humans call them, have flesh that can be any color of the spectrum, especially when their emotions take over. But the blade dancers, the fiercest qaelid warriors and main characters of the story’s cast, utilize their hues to camouflage themselves prior/during battle. I thought this concept was quite nifty.
The cast of character is pretty solid. We start off with the human Copper, a pretty awful mercenary, and not awful as in he’s a jerk, but in that he kinda sucks at the job. His merc team is waylaid by the rogue qaelid heir, Sellane, and Copper can speak the qaelid language so offers to help her in a wily exchange for his freedom. Her blade warriors run the gamut of insanely loyal captain to new recruit to the positive sexpot of the group to the openly hostile yet still loyal older warrior. And each has a distinct voice and part to play as we get POVs from each warrior in the troupe. Then throw in the human gang leaders of the area and another set of qaelids and all hell is about to break loose on one tiny little farming community.
Copper is a fun character. He kinda is a jack of all trades and master of none. He’s funny but also got a snake oil devious streak in him, and is pretty much the main source of humor. Sellane is a great character because she has fallen from grace and it’s always interesting to see someone be brought down a peg or ten. She’s deeply flawed and has to learn some pretty basic traits along the way if she is going to get her throne back. Of all the qaelid warriors, Enessa is the most interesting as she is loyal to Sellane only because she is loyal to her oaths. She can’t stand Sellane as a leader and her open disgruntledness was a great source of tension. The gang leader, Straing, was a great antagonist, very Curly Bill from Tombstone (not as charismatic though).
The plot is simple, not flashy but very fun and action packed. You got your heroes surrounded in the little town and a big battle ensues. Can’t go wrong with this type of story! There is also a lot of baggage with Sellane being the displaced heir so there is excellent character growth by the end, especially with her struggling to keep her own blade warriors in line. We have a lot of good interactions interspersed with some awesome battle action, a great balance between the two. The prose is solidly written and is paced well, not much downtime in this story as it’s a brisk 360ish pages.
Troupe of Shadows is one heck of a ride and it sets up a bigger story so I’ll be interested to see where it goes next and if Sellane will claim her throne or get her troupe killed in the process.
The world is fun as it’s pretty much a western populated by some interesting species. You got some feathered birdlike humanoids, some unique fauna, but most importantly, a race of people who have the ability to change their flesh colors at will. The qaelids, or shadowmen as the humans call them, have flesh that can be any color of the spectrum, especially when their emotions take over. But the blade dancers, the fiercest qaelid warriors and main characters of the story’s cast, utilize their hues to camouflage themselves prior/during battle. I thought this concept was quite nifty.
The cast of character is pretty solid. We start off with the human Copper, a pretty awful mercenary, and not awful as in he’s a jerk, but in that he kinda sucks at the job. His merc team is waylaid by the rogue qaelid heir, Sellane, and Copper can speak the qaelid language so offers to help her in a wily exchange for his freedom. Her blade warriors run the gamut of insanely loyal captain to new recruit to the positive sexpot of the group to the openly hostile yet still loyal older warrior. And each has a distinct voice and part to play as we get POVs from each warrior in the troupe. Then throw in the human gang leaders of the area and another set of qaelids and all hell is about to break loose on one tiny little farming community.
Copper is a fun character. He kinda is a jack of all trades and master of none. He’s funny but also got a snake oil devious streak in him, and is pretty much the main source of humor. Sellane is a great character because she has fallen from grace and it’s always interesting to see someone be brought down a peg or ten. She’s deeply flawed and has to learn some pretty basic traits along the way if she is going to get her throne back. Of all the qaelid warriors, Enessa is the most interesting as she is loyal to Sellane only because she is loyal to her oaths. She can’t stand Sellane as a leader and her open disgruntledness was a great source of tension. The gang leader, Straing, was a great antagonist, very Curly Bill from Tombstone (not as charismatic though).
The plot is simple, not flashy but very fun and action packed. You got your heroes surrounded in the little town and a big battle ensues. Can’t go wrong with this type of story! There is also a lot of baggage with Sellane being the displaced heir so there is excellent character growth by the end, especially with her struggling to keep her own blade warriors in line. We have a lot of good interactions interspersed with some awesome battle action, a great balance between the two. The prose is solidly written and is paced well, not much downtime in this story as it’s a brisk 360ish pages.
Troupe of Shadows is one heck of a ride and it sets up a bigger story so I’ll be interested to see where it goes next and if Sellane will claim her throne or get her troupe killed in the process.
August 11, 2024
Very action packed. Very Weird.
I had a lot of fun with this one. It gets straight down to business and therefore so will I. I think this book is a really interesting entry into both the Western Fantasy subgenre as well as the Ninja Fantasy subgenre. I think it did a good job of explaining the world, species and setting up the social climate(s) we're to navigate in an efficient way. I also appreciated that we had a decent understanding of sides and stakes quickly as well. Then it unfolded like the wonderful mash up of cowboy and martial arts fantasy that it is.
Overall, do I wish some of the characters had a little more depth? sure. Do I think this has potential to improve in the sequel? yes. Do I use too many rhetorical questions in my reviews? irrefutably. What was I saying? Oh right, the characters, they were fun but could do with a bit of good old fashioned fleshing out. BUUUUUUT it was a fun and exciting book and I look forward to continuing the series.
I had a lot of fun with this one. It gets straight down to business and therefore so will I. I think this book is a really interesting entry into both the Western Fantasy subgenre as well as the Ninja Fantasy subgenre. I think it did a good job of explaining the world, species and setting up the social climate(s) we're to navigate in an efficient way. I also appreciated that we had a decent understanding of sides and stakes quickly as well. Then it unfolded like the wonderful mash up of cowboy and martial arts fantasy that it is.
Overall, do I wish some of the characters had a little more depth? sure. Do I think this has potential to improve in the sequel? yes. Do I use too many rhetorical questions in my reviews? irrefutably. What was I saying? Oh right, the characters, they were fun but could do with a bit of good old fashioned fleshing out. BUUUUUUT it was a fun and exciting book and I look forward to continuing the series.
November 7, 2022
Disclaimer: I read this for SPFBO8 and this is my personal opinion.
I did like the Shadow Troupe's magic especially the way they could blend change colour to merge into backgrounds and surprise their enemies and their fighting skills were pretty impressive. (reminded me a bit of Avatar) However I gave up at 50% as I got tired of the power play between the Princess and her Troupe. Stuck out in a desert trying to survive but she still expected her few followers to treat her like they were back in the Palace. The world setting was quite confusing too; I wish there had been a map - I realise they're in a desert but it must be massive one as there are supposedly other Shadow Troupe's about that our group are trying to find but after a number of years they STILL haven't found them?
I did like the Shadow Troupe's magic especially the way they could blend change colour to merge into backgrounds and surprise their enemies and their fighting skills were pretty impressive. (reminded me a bit of Avatar) However I gave up at 50% as I got tired of the power play between the Princess and her Troupe. Stuck out in a desert trying to survive but she still expected her few followers to treat her like they were back in the Palace. The world setting was quite confusing too; I wish there had been a map - I realise they're in a desert but it must be massive one as there are supposedly other Shadow Troupe's about that our group are trying to find but after a number of years they STILL haven't found them?
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