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The Shadow Campaigns #3
The Price of Valour
In the latest Shadow Campaigns novel, Django Wexler continues his “epic fantasy of military might and magical conflict”* following The Shadow Throne and The Thousand Names, as the realm of Vordan faces imminent threats from without and within.
In the wake of the King’s death, war has come to Vordan.
The Deputies-General has precarious control of the city, but it is led by a zealot who sees traitors in every shadow. Executions have become a grim public spectacle. The new queen, Raesinia Orboan, finds herself nearly powerless as the government tightens its grip and assassins threaten her life. But she did not help free the country from one sort of tyranny to see it fall into another. Placing her trust with the steadfast soldier Marcus D’Ivoire, she sets out to turn the tide of history.
As the hidden hand of the Sworn Church brings all the powers of the continent to war against Vordan, the enigmatic and brilliant general Janus bet Vhalnich offers a path to victory. Winter Ihernglass, newly promoted to command a regiment, has reunited with her lover and her friends, only to face the prospect of leading them into bloody battle.
And the enemy is not just armed with muskets and cannon. Dark priests of an ancient order, wielding forbidden magic, have infiltrated Vordan to stop Janus by whatever means necessary…
In the wake of the King’s death, war has come to Vordan.
The Deputies-General has precarious control of the city, but it is led by a zealot who sees traitors in every shadow. Executions have become a grim public spectacle. The new queen, Raesinia Orboan, finds herself nearly powerless as the government tightens its grip and assassins threaten her life. But she did not help free the country from one sort of tyranny to see it fall into another. Placing her trust with the steadfast soldier Marcus D’Ivoire, she sets out to turn the tide of history.
As the hidden hand of the Sworn Church brings all the powers of the continent to war against Vordan, the enigmatic and brilliant general Janus bet Vhalnich offers a path to victory. Winter Ihernglass, newly promoted to command a regiment, has reunited with her lover and her friends, only to face the prospect of leading them into bloody battle.
And the enemy is not just armed with muskets and cannon. Dark priests of an ancient order, wielding forbidden magic, have infiltrated Vordan to stop Janus by whatever means necessary…
528 pages, Hardcover
First published July 7, 2015
197 people are currently reading
4895 people want to read
About the author
Django Wexler
50 books3,672 followersDjango 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 421 reviews
October 21, 2017
4.5/5 Stars
Django Wexler brings balance to the force.
In the acknowledgments section of the book, Django stated that this is the first book that he wrote after having heard the response to his previous volumes; contrary to The Shadow Throne, which was almost completed already before The Thousand Names publication. This is also why this book is another great addition to the series.
The Price of Valor is a wonderful balance that resulted from the storytelling direction of the previous two books in The Shadow Campaigns series. Where the first book is all about actions and campaigns, the second book focused heavily on politics and revolutions; the third book is a combination of both.
Raesinia and Marcus storyline deals with the conspiracy in Vordan that revolves around secrecy, civil war, and politics that’s similar to the tone of the second book. The second half of their storyline is really good especially when it started connected together with Winter’s story but admittedly, their POV is also where I have a few problems with because the first half of their story just didn’t grab me as much as I wanted to; sometimes they even bore me because they felt like fillers at times.
Part of the reason why I feel this way is also because Winter’s POV is just so damn compelling and I just can’t wait to go back to her POV; which is also my favorite part of the book. Together with Janus, they go on a campaign reminiscent of the first book and the shifting of tones between the three POV’s brought a fantastic compelling tale that’s addictive to read.
Technically, although there’s always something going on in the book, the actual main plot moved at a very slow pace. This can be a problem for those of you who are looking to progress the plot with this installment, but in my opinion, this book is very important to the series because it finally closed the storyline in Vordan and also in this installment, we finally get to see the real villain of the series.
Every character development here is written really well, especially for the female characters. I’ve stated this repeatedly but if you’re looking for a military fantasy that features great female characters, read this series. Every male in this series--except for Janus--just pale in comparison to the female characters. This, of course, doesn’t mean that all the female characters are lovable, I’m pretty sure Jane was created to infuriate the readers, but luckily, her existence is crucial for Winter’s great character development so it's not moo point.
The world-building improves significantly. In my opinion, the first two book felt like reading historical fiction due to the lack of magic, in this book, not only we get to see more of the world outside Vordan and Khardan, more magic finally played a part in the plot.
This is the halfway point of The Shadow Campaigns series and so far until now, the series hasn’t disappointed me. For me, this series at this point is already better than The Powder Mage series and looking at how the story concluded here, I have a good feeling I will have more fantastic time with the last two installments of the series as the story can finally go full throttle to the main meat. Highly 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
Django Wexler brings balance to the force.
In the acknowledgments section of the book, Django stated that this is the first book that he wrote after having heard the response to his previous volumes; contrary to The Shadow Throne, which was almost completed already before The Thousand Names publication. This is also why this book is another great addition to the series.
The Price of Valor is a wonderful balance that resulted from the storytelling direction of the previous two books in The Shadow Campaigns series. Where the first book is all about actions and campaigns, the second book focused heavily on politics and revolutions; the third book is a combination of both.
Raesinia and Marcus storyline deals with the conspiracy in Vordan that revolves around secrecy, civil war, and politics that’s similar to the tone of the second book. The second half of their storyline is really good especially when it started connected together with Winter’s story but admittedly, their POV is also where I have a few problems with because the first half of their story just didn’t grab me as much as I wanted to; sometimes they even bore me because they felt like fillers at times.
“Three men can keep a secret only once two of them are at the bottom of the river.”
Part of the reason why I feel this way is also because Winter’s POV is just so damn compelling and I just can’t wait to go back to her POV; which is also my favorite part of the book. Together with Janus, they go on a campaign reminiscent of the first book and the shifting of tones between the three POV’s brought a fantastic compelling tale that’s addictive to read.
“Liberators are always more popular than conquerors. And a return to law and order is more welcome once people have gotten a taste of what life is like without it."
Technically, although there’s always something going on in the book, the actual main plot moved at a very slow pace. This can be a problem for those of you who are looking to progress the plot with this installment, but in my opinion, this book is very important to the series because it finally closed the storyline in Vordan and also in this installment, we finally get to see the real villain of the series.
Every character development here is written really well, especially for the female characters. I’ve stated this repeatedly but if you’re looking for a military fantasy that features great female characters, read this series. Every male in this series--except for Janus--just pale in comparison to the female characters. This, of course, doesn’t mean that all the female characters are lovable, I’m pretty sure Jane was created to infuriate the readers, but luckily, her existence is crucial for Winter’s great character development so it's not moo point.
The world-building improves significantly. In my opinion, the first two book felt like reading historical fiction due to the lack of magic, in this book, not only we get to see more of the world outside Vordan and Khardan, more magic finally played a part in the plot.
This is the halfway point of The Shadow Campaigns series and so far until now, the series hasn’t disappointed me. For me, this series at this point is already better than The Powder Mage series and looking at how the story concluded here, I have a good feeling I will have more fantastic time with the last two installments of the series as the story can finally go full throttle to the main meat. Highly 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
July 22, 2017
WHEW!
What. A. Ride.
Well, I think it's safe to say this is turning out to be one of my all-time favorite series.
I'm 10000% engaged with every single aspect of The Shadow Campaigns.
The politics are intriguing & elaborate with elements that continuously surprise me. The characters are teeming with individuality & complexity; they seem so real that at times I'm taken aback by how acutely I feel my emotions for them.
The perspectives seamlessly interlace into a precise, intelligent story line. All the hints of secrecy & sorcery keep me thorough spellbound.
When I read this series, I'm lost in it. I'm absolutely absorbed by it.
I'm hearing the deadly crack of musket balls in my ears. I'm feeling my heart tremble with the ground beneath the pounding of soldiers' feet. The looming threat of magic & unbridled fanaticism sends the anxiety flowing through every inch of me.
The Price of Valour is a wonderfully consistent installment in this series that I adore.
Honestly, everything about this is just so well constructed & I immensely enjoy every moment that I am able to spend in this world. I'm shocked at how underrated this series is, as it includes so much that I've heard people wishing for in their High Fantasy!
***Check out my interview with the author here!!***
This review and other reviews of mine can be found on Book Nest!
What. A. Ride.
Well, I think it's safe to say this is turning out to be one of my all-time favorite series.
I'm 10000% engaged with every single aspect of The Shadow Campaigns.
The politics are intriguing & elaborate with elements that continuously surprise me. The characters are teeming with individuality & complexity; they seem so real that at times I'm taken aback by how acutely I feel my emotions for them.
The perspectives seamlessly interlace into a precise, intelligent story line. All the hints of secrecy & sorcery keep me thorough spellbound.
When I read this series, I'm lost in it. I'm absolutely absorbed by it.
I'm hearing the deadly crack of musket balls in my ears. I'm feeling my heart tremble with the ground beneath the pounding of soldiers' feet. The looming threat of magic & unbridled fanaticism sends the anxiety flowing through every inch of me.
The Price of Valour is a wonderfully consistent installment in this series that I adore.
Honestly, everything about this is just so well constructed & I immensely enjoy every moment that I am able to spend in this world. I'm shocked at how underrated this series is, as it includes so much that I've heard people wishing for in their High Fantasy!
***Check out my interview with the author here!!***
This review and other reviews of mine can be found on Book Nest!
July 6, 2015
It's the day before the release, so I feel like I should put something here! I hope everyone has as much fun reading the book as I had writing it.
July 3, 2015
4.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.com/2015/07/03/b...
The Price of Valor is the third book of The Shadow Campaigns, of which five books have been planned so we are officially now past the half-way point. An epic fantasy series is often at its most precarious when we get to this tricky place between the introduction and the ending, where arguably the best action and excitement is usually packed. However, it appears Django Wexler is not content to slow things down or let his story languish. Not only does he succeed in carrying through the momentum for the rest of the series, he’s also transformed this middle book into an important turning point.
So far, each installment of the series has given readers something different. Book one The Thousand Names threw us into the middle of a war and treated us to many scenes of large-scale conflict and sweeping battles. Book two The Shadow Throne reined in the scope, concentrating instead on the politics and subsequent revolution in the capital of Vordan. Now book three The Price of Valor is like an amalgamation of both, so that half the narrative remains in the city in the wake of the successful uprising, while the other half takes us back onto the bloody battlefields.
In the wake of her father’s death, Princess Raesenia is now the queen. After an attempt is made on her life, she suspects that the new leader of the Deputies-General is responsible, and goes undercover to search for evidence. Remaining behind in the capital as the representative of the army, Colonel Marcus d’Ivoire finds himself teaming up with the young queen, tasked to protect her and to help her root out those who want her dead. Little does he know though, Raesenia might have a secret or two up her sleeve which would actually make her rather hard to kill…
Meanwhile, Winter Ihernglass is back out in the east, trying to win the war for General Janus bet Vhalnich. She has been promoted and given her own regiment to command, including the new all-women company called the Girl’s Own, though ironically Winter’s own gender still remains a secret to the army, save for a few individuals who are in the know. Among those who are aware of Winter’s secret is her lover Jane, whose hatred for the contingent of Royals in the regiment is making Winter’s job very difficult. Lurking behind the scenes are also the agents of an ancient order called the Priests of the Black, whose Penitent Damned will harness the power of their demons to do whatever it takes to stop the Vordanai army and retrieve the priceless magical artifact known as The Thousand Names.
I was so pleased to see that the military action is back in full force for this sequel. Taking a break to delve into political intrigue and rebellion in book two was a nice change of pace, but I admit my interest mostly lies in the war campaign and the huge battles. Wexler doesn’t disappoint, throwing in plenty of heart-racing encounters with the enemy. Reading some of Winter’s chapters was a little like watching a session of wargames play out across a vast gameboard, with troop actions directed by a shrewd chessmaster who is aware of every piece’s location at all times. In point of fact, these qualities closely describe Janus bet Vhalnich, the military genius whose presence is actually quite limited in the first half of the novel, which made the wargames analogy that much more apt in my mind.
The general’s craftiness is not lost on Jane either, and Winter’s storyline is also made more interesting by the increasingly strained relationship between the two women. Winter’s loyalties are put to the test when she is made to choose between the two things she holds most dear, and I have to hand it to the author for not making that choice trivial. There’s a lot of development to Winter’s character in this book, and I respect her all the more for the difficult decisions she’s had to make about her lover, whom I’ve taken to calling “Insufferable Jane” due to all the problems she’s caused (and that’s already one of my more polite names for her). The road to the eventual camaraderie between the Girl’s Own and the Royals was also fun to read, and made for a good side plot to lighten up the otherwise heavy narrative focused on intense fighting and the resulting casualties.
Still, I was wrong when I thought the best part about this book would be the military action, because what surprised me was how much I enjoyed Marcus and Raesenia’s storyline back in the city of Vordan. Raesenia really grew on me back when she was introduced in The Shadow Throne and I was happy to see her return as a POV character in this one. To see her partner up with Marcus – who has always been my favorite character in these novels – was a real treat. Together they make a great team (and dare I hope, could Wexler be planting the seeds of something more happening between them in the future?) and their investigations into the corrupt government saw their Vordan chapters culminate into one hell of an epic showdown with the Patriot Guards and the Penitent Damned.
Speaking of which, we’re definitely making some real headway into the overall story. I’ve been wondering since the end of the first book when we’ll see some major advancement into the conflict caused by the discovery of The Thousand Names, and when the Black Priests will show their hand. Looks like this book is where it all happens. I did say The Price of Valor is a turning point, and you’ll see why. Even after three books, the impact of the stories have not dulled a single bit.
Needless to say, I’m very excited for the next installment. It’s easy to get caught up in The Shadow Campaigns. Django Wexler’s riveting world of dark magic and martial action featuring strong characters – and especially strong women – is one I’ll want to visit again and again. Military fantasy at its finest.
The Price of Valor is the third book of The Shadow Campaigns, of which five books have been planned so we are officially now past the half-way point. An epic fantasy series is often at its most precarious when we get to this tricky place between the introduction and the ending, where arguably the best action and excitement is usually packed. However, it appears Django Wexler is not content to slow things down or let his story languish. Not only does he succeed in carrying through the momentum for the rest of the series, he’s also transformed this middle book into an important turning point.
So far, each installment of the series has given readers something different. Book one The Thousand Names threw us into the middle of a war and treated us to many scenes of large-scale conflict and sweeping battles. Book two The Shadow Throne reined in the scope, concentrating instead on the politics and subsequent revolution in the capital of Vordan. Now book three The Price of Valor is like an amalgamation of both, so that half the narrative remains in the city in the wake of the successful uprising, while the other half takes us back onto the bloody battlefields.
In the wake of her father’s death, Princess Raesenia is now the queen. After an attempt is made on her life, she suspects that the new leader of the Deputies-General is responsible, and goes undercover to search for evidence. Remaining behind in the capital as the representative of the army, Colonel Marcus d’Ivoire finds himself teaming up with the young queen, tasked to protect her and to help her root out those who want her dead. Little does he know though, Raesenia might have a secret or two up her sleeve which would actually make her rather hard to kill…
Meanwhile, Winter Ihernglass is back out in the east, trying to win the war for General Janus bet Vhalnich. She has been promoted and given her own regiment to command, including the new all-women company called the Girl’s Own, though ironically Winter’s own gender still remains a secret to the army, save for a few individuals who are in the know. Among those who are aware of Winter’s secret is her lover Jane, whose hatred for the contingent of Royals in the regiment is making Winter’s job very difficult. Lurking behind the scenes are also the agents of an ancient order called the Priests of the Black, whose Penitent Damned will harness the power of their demons to do whatever it takes to stop the Vordanai army and retrieve the priceless magical artifact known as The Thousand Names.
I was so pleased to see that the military action is back in full force for this sequel. Taking a break to delve into political intrigue and rebellion in book two was a nice change of pace, but I admit my interest mostly lies in the war campaign and the huge battles. Wexler doesn’t disappoint, throwing in plenty of heart-racing encounters with the enemy. Reading some of Winter’s chapters was a little like watching a session of wargames play out across a vast gameboard, with troop actions directed by a shrewd chessmaster who is aware of every piece’s location at all times. In point of fact, these qualities closely describe Janus bet Vhalnich, the military genius whose presence is actually quite limited in the first half of the novel, which made the wargames analogy that much more apt in my mind.
The general’s craftiness is not lost on Jane either, and Winter’s storyline is also made more interesting by the increasingly strained relationship between the two women. Winter’s loyalties are put to the test when she is made to choose between the two things she holds most dear, and I have to hand it to the author for not making that choice trivial. There’s a lot of development to Winter’s character in this book, and I respect her all the more for the difficult decisions she’s had to make about her lover, whom I’ve taken to calling “Insufferable Jane” due to all the problems she’s caused (and that’s already one of my more polite names for her). The road to the eventual camaraderie between the Girl’s Own and the Royals was also fun to read, and made for a good side plot to lighten up the otherwise heavy narrative focused on intense fighting and the resulting casualties.
Still, I was wrong when I thought the best part about this book would be the military action, because what surprised me was how much I enjoyed Marcus and Raesenia’s storyline back in the city of Vordan. Raesenia really grew on me back when she was introduced in The Shadow Throne and I was happy to see her return as a POV character in this one. To see her partner up with Marcus – who has always been my favorite character in these novels – was a real treat. Together they make a great team (and dare I hope, could Wexler be planting the seeds of something more happening between them in the future?) and their investigations into the corrupt government saw their Vordan chapters culminate into one hell of an epic showdown with the Patriot Guards and the Penitent Damned.
Speaking of which, we’re definitely making some real headway into the overall story. I’ve been wondering since the end of the first book when we’ll see some major advancement into the conflict caused by the discovery of The Thousand Names, and when the Black Priests will show their hand. Looks like this book is where it all happens. I did say The Price of Valor is a turning point, and you’ll see why. Even after three books, the impact of the stories have not dulled a single bit.
Needless to say, I’m very excited for the next installment. It’s easy to get caught up in The Shadow Campaigns. Django Wexler’s riveting world of dark magic and martial action featuring strong characters – and especially strong women – is one I’ll want to visit again and again. Military fantasy at its finest.
December 31, 2017
You can find this review and more at Booksprens.
The Price of Valor finally achieved what its predecessors failed to attain: the perfect balance between military and politics. Some loose threads are being tied up at last and found their place in the bigger picture.
That being said, I sadly struggled during at least the first third of the book. TPoV started with a battle. Given the minimalistic context and an ever growing number of new battalions and regiments, it was really hard for me to visualize the field and the scale of the conflict or to even care about the outcome, if truth be told. I was also very frustrated by the main characters’ passive attitude or poor decisions. I felt like Winter, Marcus and even Raesinia were the shadows of their former selves at the beginning of the book. However, I can only encourage you to be patient with them because they won’t fail to surprise throughout the other two thirds of TPoV.
Wexler proved once again his genius and a perfect mastery of his unique cocktail of history, military tactics and politic machinations. TPoV brushes a relevant picture of the ugly aftermaths of a revolution, the ensuing chaos, the economic collapse and the rise of opportunism, mistrust and violence. And when power shifts so radically, the line is very thin between democracy and tyranny.
Character-wise, and aside from the frustrating beginning, at least for me, TPoV showed new facets of almost all the major players. Faced with unexpected circumstances, way out of their comfort zone, they all had to adapt and change and learn in order to survive. Some of the greatest scenes for me were precisely those where characters finally sorted through their issues, memories or bad feelings and opened up to each other. I wish there were more of those in the series.
PS: what went wrong with the ebook?? I seriously had the impression that I was reading an un-proofread ARC. There were a lot of typos in my Kindle ebook, I lost track... I don’t know if there was some kind of mistake with my copy, or if other readers experienced the same thing but $8 is pretty expensive for an uncorrected book.
The Price of Valor finally achieved what its predecessors failed to attain: the perfect balance between military and politics. Some loose threads are being tied up at last and found their place in the bigger picture.
That being said, I sadly struggled during at least the first third of the book. TPoV started with a battle. Given the minimalistic context and an ever growing number of new battalions and regiments, it was really hard for me to visualize the field and the scale of the conflict or to even care about the outcome, if truth be told. I was also very frustrated by the main characters’ passive attitude or poor decisions. I felt like Winter, Marcus and even Raesinia were the shadows of their former selves at the beginning of the book. However, I can only encourage you to be patient with them because they won’t fail to surprise throughout the other two thirds of TPoV.
"A great general would only fight when the outcome is a foregone conclusion. And a perfect general would outmaneuver his enemy so utterly, leave the position so completely hopeless, that the futility of fighting would be obvious to even the most dim- witted foe. The perfect victory is the battle that is decided before it is even fought, and therefore never needs to be fought at all."
Wexler proved once again his genius and a perfect mastery of his unique cocktail of history, military tactics and politic machinations. TPoV brushes a relevant picture of the ugly aftermaths of a revolution, the ensuing chaos, the economic collapse and the rise of opportunism, mistrust and violence. And when power shifts so radically, the line is very thin between democracy and tyranny.
“Liberators are always more popular than conquerors. And a return to law and order is more welcome once people have gotten a taste for what life is like without it.”
Character-wise, and aside from the frustrating beginning, at least for me, TPoV showed new facets of almost all the major players. Faced with unexpected circumstances, way out of their comfort zone, they all had to adapt and change and learn in order to survive. Some of the greatest scenes for me were precisely those where characters finally sorted through their issues, memories or bad feelings and opened up to each other. I wish there were more of those in the series.
PS: what went wrong with the ebook?? I seriously had the impression that I was reading an un-proofread ARC. There were a lot of typos in my Kindle ebook, I lost track... I don’t know if there was some kind of mistake with my copy, or if other readers experienced the same thing but $8 is pretty expensive for an uncorrected book.
April 24, 2018
"The perfect victory is the battle that is decided before it is even fought, and therefore never needs to be fought at all."
The Price of Valor is the third book in Django Wexler's The Shadow Campaigns series, and my favorite book so far. Everything that the first two books have been leading up to is finally in full swing. I was so close to giving books 1 and 2 the full five stars, but there were minor issues that kept me from placing them on that pedestal. Along comes book 3 and I was completely immersed from beginning to end, so there was no way I couldn't give it all the stars. I am so invested in these characters now I can practically feel their emotions as they spill out on the pages.
The alternating storylines from the battlefields of Desland and Antova, to the streets of Vordan city was well executed. When authors tend to do this I end up enjoying one or two storylines more than others, and find myself anxiously waiting to return to that character. But that was not the case here. Each chapter was left in a way that I couldn't wait to get back, but also kept me engaged in the part of the story I was currently reading. It is rare for me to be so attached to all the storylines, so I must tip my hat to the author in this regard. Very well done!
I was extremely excited to see the Penitent Damned and Church of Elysium more involved in this book. Their involvement has added another layer of influence and characters to the story that was really only mentioned before. The stakes keep getting raised higher and higher in each book, and I can't wait to see what happens next. It's hard to imagine how Mr. Wexler is going to top this, but I hope to be pleasantly surprised.
To sum up, if your looking for a thoroughly entertaining series that just keeps getting better with each book, then The Shadow Campaigns is what I would recommend. You get action, drama, and suspense in abundance, along with an amazing cast of characters. How could you say no to that?
"If they knew...if the historians knew what I know, I think they'd be appalled. So much blood, for such a small thing. One raindrop in the river of history."
5 stars *****
August 9, 2016
Executive Summary: This book combines the excellent military action of the first book with the political intrigue of the second book, making it the best book yet.
Audio book: Richard Poe once again does an excellent job. He makes waiting the few extra days for Audible/Recorded Books to get their act together so I can buy it worth it. :)
Full Review
My review for The Shadow Throne is easily my best, and most popular. I'll likely never top it. Thankfully the same cannot be said for Mr. Wexler.
I'm always stingy with 5 star ratings. Even more so for middle books in a series. This might be my favorite book of the year so far though, and that's saying a lot. Yet somehow it seems like no one is reading it. At least not in my circle of friends. I'm hoping it's simply the ridiculous number of July releases that have simply delayed people from starting.
The Thousand Names is a military action story with a touch of politics and magic. The Shadow Throne is a political thriller with a touch of military and magic. In this volume however, Mr. Wexler found the perfect balance of military and politics and stepped up to magic to create his best novel to date.
His characters are excellent. This is especially true for Winter, Janis and Raesinia. He seems to have more diverse and interesting female characters than just about anything else I'm reading these days, and that includes works by female authors. There are characters to love, characters to hate, and several you love to hate. Through three books, I still have no idea what Janis's motivations and goals truly are. I can't wait to find out!
And if that weren't enough, the world building and magic is fascinating. The magic has been fairly downplayed in the first two books, mostly relegated to motivation for character action, with very little on-screen time. This still feels fairly low fantasy to me, but it's definitely stepped up from the last two.
Flintlock Fantasy seems to be fairly popular lately, but most of the attention seems to be on Brent Weeks' Lightbringer series or Brian McClellan's Powder mage. While I am enjoying both of those series, Mr. Wexler is quietly making his case as the best series of this particular subgenre.
If you haven't given this series a try yet, I highly recommend it. Now to go back to waiting for what comes next..
Audio book: Richard Poe once again does an excellent job. He makes waiting the few extra days for Audible/Recorded Books to get their act together so I can buy it worth it. :)
Full Review
My review for The Shadow Throne is easily my best, and most popular. I'll likely never top it. Thankfully the same cannot be said for Mr. Wexler.
I'm always stingy with 5 star ratings. Even more so for middle books in a series. This might be my favorite book of the year so far though, and that's saying a lot. Yet somehow it seems like no one is reading it. At least not in my circle of friends. I'm hoping it's simply the ridiculous number of July releases that have simply delayed people from starting.
The Thousand Names is a military action story with a touch of politics and magic. The Shadow Throne is a political thriller with a touch of military and magic. In this volume however, Mr. Wexler found the perfect balance of military and politics and stepped up to magic to create his best novel to date.
His characters are excellent. This is especially true for Winter, Janis and Raesinia. He seems to have more diverse and interesting female characters than just about anything else I'm reading these days, and that includes works by female authors. There are characters to love, characters to hate, and several you love to hate. Through three books, I still have no idea what Janis's motivations and goals truly are. I can't wait to find out!
And if that weren't enough, the world building and magic is fascinating. The magic has been fairly downplayed in the first two books, mostly relegated to motivation for character action, with very little on-screen time. This still feels fairly low fantasy to me, but it's definitely stepped up from the last two.
Flintlock Fantasy seems to be fairly popular lately, but most of the attention seems to be on Brent Weeks' Lightbringer series or Brian McClellan's Powder mage. While I am enjoying both of those series, Mr. Wexler is quietly making his case as the best series of this particular subgenre.
If you haven't given this series a try yet, I highly recommend it. Now to go back to waiting for what comes next..
March 9, 2017
I just loved it.
Reading this book around women's day helps in celebrating women; and I just loved it. I wanted to be part of the Girl's Own right there!
I cannot wait to start book 4!
Reading this book around women's day helps in celebrating women; and I just loved it. I wanted to be part of the Girl's Own right there!
I cannot wait to start book 4!
September 13, 2022
Getting good, but some parts feel too forced for me.
Actual rating:3.5
Actual rating:3.5
April 25, 2017
Ok, I think I'm done with this series, for better or for worse.
I made it about a third of the way through The Price of Valor as a dedicated, line-for-line read, before I got irritated enough to switch to skimming and relying on synopses to guide me through what I wanted to read.
My high level view of this series is that it falls frustratingly short of what I wanted it to be. Wexler's knowledge and appreciation of warfare in the age of musketry is (at least by my estimation) well-researched and knowledgeable, though he treats some of the action and tactics in his books as novel and groundbreaking in setting, when in real-world Europe, they hardly would have been that.
My main issue with this book is its continuation of The Shadow Throne's belligerently modern feminist agenda, which straddles the line between accusatory vehemence (toward any traditional outlook) and outright absurdity, especially in the early chapters. Even ignoring the (glaringly obvious) physical and emotional inconsistencies and improbabilities of girls and young women serving in the brutal setting of age of musketry warfare, the behavior of the men and women in Vordanai's army is so laughably biased and one-dimensional (tolerant and/or darkly heroic as the women, and patronizingly old-fashioned and/or brainlessly sexist as the men) that it finally barred me from being able to suspend my disbelief.
Wexler's characters just don't develop. Winter, perhaps, finally starts to grow up and make some realizations. However, her attitude and personality make her a joke of an officer. She's not tactically brilliant, she's not charismatic, and she sure as hell isn't confident. In other words, she has essentially none of the characteristics that have always defined the greatest military leaders. Yet despite repeated lack of insight and many mistakes, she continues to get promotions piled upon her. Why isn't she detached from command, or the army entirely, to make use of her demon? It's anyone's guess at this point.
Janus, who DOES possess these characteristics (with his own spin on charisma), continues to spend most of his time in the shadows. He makes such a fascinating and enigmatic main character, but through three novels, he still doesn't have that much of a personality, and I'm consistently unsatisfied with his use as the character of prime interest. Raesinia I had no complaints about. She's a good female lead who is pretty well developed, determined, and predictably unpredictable in her methods of combating her foes. Marcus is rigid and thick, as ever. I'd like him more, except he's increasingly cast as the old-fashioned relic. Jane, whose relationship with Winter has been a distraction and irritant through the entire series, comes into full bloom as a vacant ball of hate. And not even the kind of character that's fun to hate.
Pile onto this the need to consistently highlight gender relations and conflict rather than real battlefield combat, a preoccupation with gore, pain, and sex beyond what is necessary and tasteful to evoke a wartime atmosphere, rushed climaxes where the book needed more energy, a somewhat circuitous overall plot, relatively boring events in Vordan's capital, and a continual minimization of everything authentically intriguing about Wexler's setting (Vordanai's political relations with its neighbors, Janus' scheming, the Penitent Damned themselves marginalized as far as the plot was concerned, and any real further development of the setting's magic), and...I just don't find this series to be worth my time for all of the filler that has to be cut through. There's some very cool moments throughout this book and others, but...there really is a tremendous amount of filler. Wexler's talent, knowledge, and development of his setting are at complete odds with how he proceeds to ignore those things and instead misuse his characters.
Pretty good story with (again) too much of an inclination to clumsily bludgeon the reader with the author's personal beliefs at the expense of...everything. Generally poor main characters, with the wrong characters being emphasized. If you can't tell yet, I'm really disappointed in this series because I thought it had such a promising start. In fact, I'd say the series should just be re-titled from The Shadow Campaigns to The Girls' Own Campaigns. It would be more accurate and better set expectations.
I made it about a third of the way through The Price of Valor as a dedicated, line-for-line read, before I got irritated enough to switch to skimming and relying on synopses to guide me through what I wanted to read.
My high level view of this series is that it falls frustratingly short of what I wanted it to be. Wexler's knowledge and appreciation of warfare in the age of musketry is (at least by my estimation) well-researched and knowledgeable, though he treats some of the action and tactics in his books as novel and groundbreaking in setting, when in real-world Europe, they hardly would have been that.
My main issue with this book is its continuation of The Shadow Throne's belligerently modern feminist agenda, which straddles the line between accusatory vehemence (toward any traditional outlook) and outright absurdity, especially in the early chapters. Even ignoring the (glaringly obvious) physical and emotional inconsistencies and improbabilities of girls and young women serving in the brutal setting of age of musketry warfare, the behavior of the men and women in Vordanai's army is so laughably biased and one-dimensional (tolerant and/or darkly heroic as the women, and patronizingly old-fashioned and/or brainlessly sexist as the men) that it finally barred me from being able to suspend my disbelief.
Wexler's characters just don't develop. Winter, perhaps, finally starts to grow up and make some realizations. However, her attitude and personality make her a joke of an officer. She's not tactically brilliant, she's not charismatic, and she sure as hell isn't confident. In other words, she has essentially none of the characteristics that have always defined the greatest military leaders. Yet despite repeated lack of insight and many mistakes, she continues to get promotions piled upon her. Why isn't she detached from command, or the army entirely, to make use of her demon? It's anyone's guess at this point.
Janus, who DOES possess these characteristics (with his own spin on charisma), continues to spend most of his time in the shadows. He makes such a fascinating and enigmatic main character, but through three novels, he still doesn't have that much of a personality, and I'm consistently unsatisfied with his use as the character of prime interest. Raesinia I had no complaints about. She's a good female lead who is pretty well developed, determined, and predictably unpredictable in her methods of combating her foes. Marcus is rigid and thick, as ever. I'd like him more, except he's increasingly cast as the old-fashioned relic. Jane, whose relationship with Winter has been a distraction and irritant through the entire series, comes into full bloom as a vacant ball of hate. And not even the kind of character that's fun to hate.
Pile onto this the need to consistently highlight gender relations and conflict rather than real battlefield combat, a preoccupation with gore, pain, and sex beyond what is necessary and tasteful to evoke a wartime atmosphere, rushed climaxes where the book needed more energy, a somewhat circuitous overall plot, relatively boring events in Vordan's capital, and a continual minimization of everything authentically intriguing about Wexler's setting (Vordanai's political relations with its neighbors, Janus' scheming, the Penitent Damned themselves marginalized as far as the plot was concerned, and any real further development of the setting's magic), and...I just don't find this series to be worth my time for all of the filler that has to be cut through. There's some very cool moments throughout this book and others, but...there really is a tremendous amount of filler. Wexler's talent, knowledge, and development of his setting are at complete odds with how he proceeds to ignore those things and instead misuse his characters.
Pretty good story with (again) too much of an inclination to clumsily bludgeon the reader with the author's personal beliefs at the expense of...everything. Generally poor main characters, with the wrong characters being emphasized. If you can't tell yet, I'm really disappointed in this series because I thought it had such a promising start. In fact, I'd say the series should just be re-titled from The Shadow Campaigns to The Girls' Own Campaigns. It would be more accurate and better set expectations.
July 30, 2018
Fuckin’ love this series.
One of the best military fantasies out there.
One of the best military fantasies out there.
June 11, 2016
I was disappointed in book 2 but this book has restored my faith in this series and Mr. Wexler. Unlike second book which concentrated on politics of Vordan, this book was a perfect blend of battle, magic and politics. And I enjoyed every moment of it.
Marcus and Raesinia stay back in Vordan while Winter is once again on the war front with Janus. She has her own regiment now and she is promoted to a new rank. She wins some great battles and respect of her fellow army men with her calm demeanor and her instinct for battle strategies. Then there is also Infernivore, a constant companion of her, we see them fight and dispatch some demons. The only low point in Winter's storyline was once again Jane.
Marcus-Raesinia, also have to fight battles of their own in Vordan. Though they're not as interesting as Winter's but they were entertaining. I have always liked Marcus but he is not good at politics and that we see in this book. Hope I get to see him on War front in next book. Raesinia was way better than what I saw of her in second book. Her character was a lot developed in this book.
But the once again man of the book was Janus. He is not given a PoV and what we see of him is through Winter. No doubt he is a very clever man and with every book it is getting hard for me to categorize him. Sometimes I think he is good and sometimes he is the bad man. There is so much mystery about the man and his motives, and its getting thicker with every new edition to the series.
I absolutely loved the world that Wexler has created. His characters are ambitious, greedy and brave. Magic system is very intriguing, and reminds me if X-Men movies. Magic allows people to have special powers and while these people are mortal but these Demonic powers are immortal. Though there is still a lot to discover and understand. Hope there will be more explanation to this in next book.
All in all it is a great book with lots of action.
Marcus and Raesinia stay back in Vordan while Winter is once again on the war front with Janus. She has her own regiment now and she is promoted to a new rank. She wins some great battles and respect of her fellow army men with her calm demeanor and her instinct for battle strategies. Then there is also Infernivore, a constant companion of her, we see them fight and dispatch some demons. The only low point in Winter's storyline was once again Jane.
Marcus-Raesinia, also have to fight battles of their own in Vordan. Though they're not as interesting as Winter's but they were entertaining. I have always liked Marcus but he is not good at politics and that we see in this book. Hope I get to see him on War front in next book. Raesinia was way better than what I saw of her in second book. Her character was a lot developed in this book.
But the once again man of the book was Janus. He is not given a PoV and what we see of him is through Winter. No doubt he is a very clever man and with every book it is getting hard for me to categorize him. Sometimes I think he is good and sometimes he is the bad man. There is so much mystery about the man and his motives, and its getting thicker with every new edition to the series.
I absolutely loved the world that Wexler has created. His characters are ambitious, greedy and brave. Magic system is very intriguing, and reminds me if X-Men movies. Magic allows people to have special powers and while these people are mortal but these Demonic powers are immortal. Though there is still a lot to discover and understand. Hope there will be more explanation to this in next book.
All in all it is a great book with lots of action.
July 11, 2016
3.5/5
Što se stila pisanja, akcije, likova kao i samog tempa priče tiče sve je na nivou prethodnih knjiga. Znači na vrhinskom nivou. Lagano štivo koje prosto vuče za dalje čitanje bez dosadnih delova ili nepotrebne ekspozicije.
Ono što mi baš nije leglo prosto osećaj da se gosn. Veksler suviše opustio u ovom svetu pošto generalno slabo šta novog se desilu u ovoj knjizi sem u poslednjih 50 do 100 strana. Mislim ima većih događaja i na početku ali sve ukupno ovo mi je prvi put da imam osećaj da je ovo središnja knjiga bez čiji je glavni posao da pripremi pozornicu za dalja događaanja.
Ali opet vrlo zabavno pa su to više prigovori na višem nivou.
Što se stila pisanja, akcije, likova kao i samog tempa priče tiče sve je na nivou prethodnih knjiga. Znači na vrhinskom nivou. Lagano štivo koje prosto vuče za dalje čitanje bez dosadnih delova ili nepotrebne ekspozicije.
Ono što mi baš nije leglo prosto osećaj da se gosn. Veksler suviše opustio u ovom svetu pošto generalno slabo šta novog se desilu u ovoj knjizi sem u poslednjih 50 do 100 strana. Mislim ima većih događaja i na početku ali sve ukupno ovo mi je prvi put da imam osećaj da je ovo središnja knjiga bez čiji je glavni posao da pripremi pozornicu za dalja događaanja.
Ali opet vrlo zabavno pa su to više prigovori na višem nivou.
June 6, 2021
I think I have mentioned this before in an earlier review but I will mention it again. I feel the first book and the sequels were written by two different people. I don't know how else to explain the collapse in quality post book one.
The Price of Valor sadly, does not have even a single redeeming feature. It is a disaster from start to finish. So many things go wrong that it becomes a pain to read.
To start with, this is the "Crossroads of Twilight"of the Shadow campaigns series. Meaning it has a plot of twenty pages which has been stretched to 600+ pages. The narration is a rudderless ship because with this razor thin plot there is really nowhere to go to. What was good or even great in book one has been completely abandoned. Take for instance the plot of Raes. Her entire storyline becomes a detective story in which she sets about to discover evidence for the attempt on her life. But we are told within a very short time who did it and for what purpose. Despite this, her utterly pointless story drags on and on where she and a dumb Marcus (Sad but true) go about doing things that make no sense, is against pretty much basic military procedure and as mentioned, "Pointless" The end to her storyline was so pathetic, that mere words cannot describe the disgust I felt.
Mad Jane sadly has not been murdered. She continues to be the most annoying character (Believe me she has strong competition) and continues to reduce winter to a weak willed child who walks about sulkily. (Remember the good old days where Winters was a tough soldier? She was a woman, proving time and again that she was as good a solder as any man?)
Janus on the other hand continues to be a brilliant, distant character who for the most part remains in the background, communicating via letters throughout the novel. His war plot line lacks the intensity and suspense that it had in book one.
The only real chance where the book could have redeemed itself was the brisk war between Winters and the damned. But it comes around randomly and has no impact what so ever on the story. Another opportunity forever lost.
If the previous book was a cannon with wet powder, this is a broken down remnant of long lost glory.
I have no interest in continuing on with this series.
The Price of Valor sadly, does not have even a single redeeming feature. It is a disaster from start to finish. So many things go wrong that it becomes a pain to read.
To start with, this is the "Crossroads of Twilight"of the Shadow campaigns series. Meaning it has a plot of twenty pages which has been stretched to 600+ pages. The narration is a rudderless ship because with this razor thin plot there is really nowhere to go to. What was good or even great in book one has been completely abandoned. Take for instance the plot of Raes. Her entire storyline becomes a detective story in which she sets about to discover evidence for the attempt on her life. But we are told within a very short time who did it and for what purpose. Despite this, her utterly pointless story drags on and on where she and a dumb Marcus (Sad but true) go about doing things that make no sense, is against pretty much basic military procedure and as mentioned, "Pointless" The end to her storyline was so pathetic, that mere words cannot describe the disgust I felt.
Mad Jane sadly has not been murdered. She continues to be the most annoying character (Believe me she has strong competition) and continues to reduce winter to a weak willed child who walks about sulkily. (Remember the good old days where Winters was a tough soldier? She was a woman, proving time and again that she was as good a solder as any man?)
Janus on the other hand continues to be a brilliant, distant character who for the most part remains in the background, communicating via letters throughout the novel. His war plot line lacks the intensity and suspense that it had in book one.
The only real chance where the book could have redeemed itself was the brisk war between Winters and the damned. But it comes around randomly and has no impact what so ever on the story. Another opportunity forever lost.
If the previous book was a cannon with wet powder, this is a broken down remnant of long lost glory.
I have no interest in continuing on with this series.
July 27, 2016
This book felt like the nerve-wrecking pay off for the oft-slow second book and oh my, what a pay off it was! I believe this one was even better than the first book, everything just came together in the best kind of ways.
It felt, in many ways, like the conclusion of a big part of this story, putting all the characters in the right place for the explosive next part of it. I believe the stakes will feel bigger from now on and it's completely earned.
It's always nice to feel that a writer hasn't lost sights at all of his long-term plan and that's exactly what we get here. The next book can't come soon enough.
It felt, in many ways, like the conclusion of a big part of this story, putting all the characters in the right place for the explosive next part of it. I believe the stakes will feel bigger from now on and it's completely earned.
It's always nice to feel that a writer hasn't lost sights at all of his long-term plan and that's exactly what we get here. The next book can't come soon enough.
July 23, 2015
Excellent!!! This books just keeps getting better and better. Highly recommended !!!
August 5, 2015
I think the 5stars, says it all.
January 6, 2025
It might be my favourite installement so far and with that ending, I have high hopes that the sequel will be better. This book was a mix of what we found in the first two, military plots and battles plus political intrigue. Some reviews complained that some scenes felt like fillers, and I have to agree. I didn’t find the pace consistent and some scenes bored me while I couldn’t put the book down reading others. There were also some things that didn’t make much sense to me. While demons are supposed to sense each other, in one scene, a demon wrongly guessed the identity of the persons knocking on the door (although one had a demon - being vague on purpose). I also don’t really understand how Maurisk was able to do all that with a democratic government (supposedly) in place. It happened too fast for it to be realistic especially since not much time had passed since the events of the last book. The political scene was already fragile and everyone was supposed to be watching.
Overall, I’m glad that I decided to continue with this series. I have this bad habit of starting series and never finishing them when I read negative reviews of the sequels. Many reviews promised the second book to be different and it was. I’m not much of a fan of detailed long battles/military fantasy. This series, while not a favourite, is solid so far.
Overall, I’m glad that I decided to continue with this series. I have this bad habit of starting series and never finishing them when I read negative reviews of the sequels. Many reviews promised the second book to be different and it was. I’m not much of a fan of detailed long battles/military fantasy. This series, while not a favourite, is solid so far.
October 24, 2020
I finally got my guillotine in the form of a "merciful" spike to the heart!
The action of The Price of Valour starts much faster than the second book and we are right away thrown into the action. I loved that we got the best of both settings of book one and two: a military campaign led by the ever mysterious Janus, and political conflict with Raesinia and Marcus forming a fantastic partnership.
I hated Jane. I was really hoping . However, I'm pretty sure Jane is supposed to be a dislikable character and at least she serves a purpose; Winter's evolving relationship with Jane made for some great character development in Winter. Jane doesn't make it easy for her to choose between her two lives and it creates some great inner conflict in Winter.
I was happy to see Bobby and Feor again and Cyte and Abby were also wonderful characters yet again. Wexler spent the first two books building up his character cast and in this third book, there was a lot of great character development in minor characters as well as in the main characters.
Another thing that was shown a lot more was the naath and The Thousand Names which was awesome. .
I'm still not sure of Janus' end game, but he is looking more and more sketchy all the time... You can't help but love him!
The action of The Price of Valour starts much faster than the second book and we are right away thrown into the action. I loved that we got the best of both settings of book one and two: a military campaign led by the ever mysterious Janus, and political conflict with Raesinia and Marcus forming a fantastic partnership.
I hated Jane. I was really hoping . However, I'm pretty sure Jane is supposed to be a dislikable character and at least she serves a purpose; Winter's evolving relationship with Jane made for some great character development in Winter. Jane doesn't make it easy for her to choose between her two lives and it creates some great inner conflict in Winter.
I was happy to see Bobby and Feor again and Cyte and Abby were also wonderful characters yet again. Wexler spent the first two books building up his character cast and in this third book, there was a lot of great character development in minor characters as well as in the main characters.
Another thing that was shown a lot more was the naath and The Thousand Names which was awesome. .
I'm still not sure of Janus' end game, but he is looking more and more sketchy all the time... You can't help but love him!
February 25, 2019
The Price of Valor is the third book in Django Wexler’s Shadow Campaigns series. I continue to enjoy this flintlock fantasy series a lot.
There were a few slow spots here and there, and one plot thread that really got on my nerves, but otherwise the story held my attention well and it especially picked up in the second half. There’s a good mix of politics and military action, and the author writes the military action particularly well. It’s usually exciting to read about and it has never yet felt tedious to me as it has in some other books I’ve read.
There isn’t really much more I can say without spoilers, but I do have a few spoilerish comments to put behind tags:
There were a few slow spots here and there, and one plot thread that really got on my nerves, but otherwise the story held my attention well and it especially picked up in the second half. There’s a good mix of politics and military action, and the author writes the military action particularly well. It’s usually exciting to read about and it has never yet felt tedious to me as it has in some other books I’ve read.
There isn’t really much more I can say without spoilers, but I do have a few spoilerish comments to put behind tags:
November 23, 2016
Been a long time since I've written a GR review, but this book warrants one. Seriously, I'm glad to see the number of positive reviews out there, because at times I think that Mr. Wexler is writing this series just for me...
Let me caveat that statement. I was weaned on fantasy at a young age, first with Tolkien (naturally), and then branching out into the myriad options that were available in the 80's and 90's. And while I have an ingrained appreciation for high fantasy, to say the market is saturated is an understatement. Sure, we now have "gritty" fantasy a la Martin and Abercrombie, and those are fantastic in their own right. But "The Shadow Campaigns" series are the books I didn't know I needed until the day I realized that I did. Book 1 captured my interest and didn't let go, and book 2 just built upon that great foundation, while giving our main characters room to grow. Why do I love these books so? Well, because they are VERY character driven, while still maintaining a tight plot, a definite "reason" for things to be happening, and some very well drawn action scenes. The action scenes really nail it for me, being tactically sound, and just detailed enough to whet my appetite, without going into pages and pages of technical detail. We also get the viewpoints of both the leaders and the troops, which I think is important in any "military" oriented tale. We have cause & effect, we have fallible characters, and we have believable motivations. We also have love stories that occur naturally and believably, without being gratuitous or hokey. The magic is appropriately magical and mysterious, and isn't "all powerful". The books just speak to me on so many levels, so I am always thrilled to be reading the next one in the series.
And here we are with The Price of Valour. Once again we are in the thick of it with Winter, Marcus, Raesinia, with Janus still being a great "Thrawn-esque" character in the background. The title couldn't be more apt honestly. The cost of the Revolution, started in book 2, is high, and as our main POV characters get more and more involved in the danger, they are starting to question motives and motivations of those around them. This helps ground their characters even more, as we see them at their world-weariest, and can empathize with their plight.
As usual, Winter Ihernglass is the real draw here, growing as a character while she grows as an officer. The Girl's Own regiment that she commands is definitely the highlight, as we see the struggle and determination of her "girls" as they come into their own as a military force. Being in command isn't easy, and with Winter, we see firsthand just how difficult giving orders truly is.
Marcus is still a great POV character, even if his story combines with Raesinia's enough that they are essentially continuations of each other's chapters. Not that that's a bad thing, as the sleuthing aspect of it was rather enjoyable, handily taking place of the political maneuverings of the second book.
The Penitent Damned have a heavy presence in this one, and they are welcome foes for our heroes. My only gripe with the PD is that they just aren't in it enough! I wanted to know more about them. There's some schism there, and I was hoping we'd get to explore that more, in addition to the motivations of the members. Alas, we don't get quite that in-depth, but they are fun antagonists in any case.
Some of the side characters are quite humorous, and I truly hope we see them again. Viera is my new favorite non-POV character, so she damn well better make an appearance in book 4 or 5! Do you hear that Mr. Wexler!? In fact, there's no lack of wonderful female supporting characters, and after reading some flaming and depressingly misogynistic remarks about the prevalence of female characters in the new Star Wars movies, this is a trend that I'm happy to see taking root. With Feor, Bobby, Cyte, Sothe, and even Mad Jane, there's no shortage of colorful ladies (and some not-quite-ladies) to follow.
Aside from all that, there's not much more I want to say. Like any book, spoilers should be kept to a minimum, in order to maximize the impact of the story. So I'll leave out any further details. Essentially it boils down to this: If you've already read and enjoyed the first two books, then chances are good that you'll enjoy this one as well. The action, the drama, the well realized characters...the hallmarks are all still here. If this sounds like your kind of book, start with The Thousand Names so you have the necessary foundation to truly appreciate this one. But, if you weren't a fan of the first two, this one isn't likely to change your mind.
Let me caveat that statement. I was weaned on fantasy at a young age, first with Tolkien (naturally), and then branching out into the myriad options that were available in the 80's and 90's. And while I have an ingrained appreciation for high fantasy, to say the market is saturated is an understatement. Sure, we now have "gritty" fantasy a la Martin and Abercrombie, and those are fantastic in their own right. But "The Shadow Campaigns" series are the books I didn't know I needed until the day I realized that I did. Book 1 captured my interest and didn't let go, and book 2 just built upon that great foundation, while giving our main characters room to grow. Why do I love these books so? Well, because they are VERY character driven, while still maintaining a tight plot, a definite "reason" for things to be happening, and some very well drawn action scenes. The action scenes really nail it for me, being tactically sound, and just detailed enough to whet my appetite, without going into pages and pages of technical detail. We also get the viewpoints of both the leaders and the troops, which I think is important in any "military" oriented tale. We have cause & effect, we have fallible characters, and we have believable motivations. We also have love stories that occur naturally and believably, without being gratuitous or hokey. The magic is appropriately magical and mysterious, and isn't "all powerful". The books just speak to me on so many levels, so I am always thrilled to be reading the next one in the series.
And here we are with The Price of Valour. Once again we are in the thick of it with Winter, Marcus, Raesinia, with Janus still being a great "Thrawn-esque" character in the background. The title couldn't be more apt honestly. The cost of the Revolution, started in book 2, is high, and as our main POV characters get more and more involved in the danger, they are starting to question motives and motivations of those around them. This helps ground their characters even more, as we see them at their world-weariest, and can empathize with their plight.
As usual, Winter Ihernglass is the real draw here, growing as a character while she grows as an officer. The Girl's Own regiment that she commands is definitely the highlight, as we see the struggle and determination of her "girls" as they come into their own as a military force. Being in command isn't easy, and with Winter, we see firsthand just how difficult giving orders truly is.
Marcus is still a great POV character, even if his story combines with Raesinia's enough that they are essentially continuations of each other's chapters. Not that that's a bad thing, as the sleuthing aspect of it was rather enjoyable, handily taking place of the political maneuverings of the second book.
The Penitent Damned have a heavy presence in this one, and they are welcome foes for our heroes. My only gripe with the PD is that they just aren't in it enough! I wanted to know more about them. There's some schism there, and I was hoping we'd get to explore that more, in addition to the motivations of the members. Alas, we don't get quite that in-depth, but they are fun antagonists in any case.
Some of the side characters are quite humorous, and I truly hope we see them again. Viera is my new favorite non-POV character, so she damn well better make an appearance in book 4 or 5! Do you hear that Mr. Wexler!? In fact, there's no lack of wonderful female supporting characters, and after reading some flaming and depressingly misogynistic remarks about the prevalence of female characters in the new Star Wars movies, this is a trend that I'm happy to see taking root. With Feor, Bobby, Cyte, Sothe, and even Mad Jane, there's no shortage of colorful ladies (and some not-quite-ladies) to follow.
Aside from all that, there's not much more I want to say. Like any book, spoilers should be kept to a minimum, in order to maximize the impact of the story. So I'll leave out any further details. Essentially it boils down to this: If you've already read and enjoyed the first two books, then chances are good that you'll enjoy this one as well. The action, the drama, the well realized characters...the hallmarks are all still here. If this sounds like your kind of book, start with The Thousand Names so you have the necessary foundation to truly appreciate this one. But, if you weren't a fan of the first two, this one isn't likely to change your mind.
November 21, 2017
Zašto šah nikada nije izgledao ovako zabavno?
Treća knjiga u serijalu i Vekslerova "Oluja Mačeva", "Republika Lopova" ili njegov "Sunčani Rat"; dakle najbolja knjiga u još-uvek-nezavršenom kvintetu.
Spoj krvave militaristike iz prve knjige i politike, intriga i špijunaže iz drugog dela.
Da nisam toliko pristrasan i zaljubljen u "Hroniku o Kraljoubici" rekao bih da je Rotfusov debi serijal inferioran u odnosu na Vekslerov, ali strpiću se i sačekaću da obojica privedu kraju svoje knjige, kako bih Rotfusu dodelio prvo mesto. Ne rekoh li ja da sam pristrasan... :D
Svakako, ova knjiga ne zaslužuje ništa manje od 5*.
Treća knjiga u serijalu i Vekslerova "Oluja Mačeva", "Republika Lopova" ili njegov "Sunčani Rat"; dakle najbolja knjiga u još-uvek-nezavršenom kvintetu.
Spoj krvave militaristike iz prve knjige i politike, intriga i špijunaže iz drugog dela.
Da nisam toliko pristrasan i zaljubljen u "Hroniku o Kraljoubici" rekao bih da je Rotfusov debi serijal inferioran u odnosu na Vekslerov, ali strpiću se i sačekaću da obojica privedu kraju svoje knjige, kako bih Rotfusu dodelio prvo mesto. Ne rekoh li ja da sam pristrasan... :D
Svakako, ova knjiga ne zaslužuje ništa manje od 5*.
October 29, 2019
„A Gárda meghal, de nem adja meg magát.”
Vagyis menetelünk rendületlenül tovább, vérben-sárban kúszva-mászva, kiontott belekben tapicskolva, miközbenPárizs Vordanváros a veszett Direktórium rémuralmát nyögi. Doktor Guillotin Sarton filantróp találmánya csorbulásig teszi a dolgát, miközben dicső hadvezérünk, a kétarcú egyik győzelmet aratja a másik után és a legjobb úton halad afelé, hogy előbb-utóbb első konzullá váljon és az egész kontinenst jól (Bona)partiba vágja.
A valós történelembe kötött utalások egyre sűrűsödnek és a finom célzások mind egyértelműbbé válnak, azonban az összkép mégis jóval kiegyensúlyozottabb, a cselekmény végre irányt vesz. Az Árnyháborúk története számomra ebben a kötetben találta meg a dinamikáját, már a súlyos leírások sem tűnnek öncélúnak. A cselekmény töretlenül halad a nyilvánvaló és előre tippelhető függővég felé, de ez valahogy most nem borítja fel az egyensúlyt. Bőven 1500 oldalnyi kaland után már az eddig szürke karakterek is egyre több színt és árnyalatot kapnak, sőt némelyek (Winter, Marcus) eddig nem tapasztalt fejlődést, változást is mutatnak.
A Vezeklő Kárhozottak jelentős szerephez juttatása, sőt hátterük egyre tisztább megvilágítása pedig kifejezetten jót tett a mágia iránti kínzó vágyam csillapításának, komfortérzetem kikerekítésének egyaránt.
Első ízben mondhatom el az Árnyháborúk egy epizódjáról, hogy többet nyújtott, mint amennyit vártam tőle és kíváncsian várom a sorozat következő részét.
Vagyis menetelünk rendületlenül tovább, vérben-sárban kúszva-mászva, kiontott belekben tapicskolva, miközben
A valós történelembe kötött utalások egyre sűrűsödnek és a finom célzások mind egyértelműbbé válnak, azonban az összkép mégis jóval kiegyensúlyozottabb, a cselekmény végre irányt vesz. Az Árnyháborúk története számomra ebben a kötetben találta meg a dinamikáját, már a súlyos leírások sem tűnnek öncélúnak. A cselekmény töretlenül halad a nyilvánvaló és előre tippelhető függővég felé, de ez valahogy most nem borítja fel az egyensúlyt. Bőven 1500 oldalnyi kaland után már az eddig szürke karakterek is egyre több színt és árnyalatot kapnak, sőt némelyek (Winter, Marcus) eddig nem tapasztalt fejlődést, változást is mutatnak.
A Vezeklő Kárhozottak jelentős szerephez juttatása, sőt hátterük egyre tisztább megvilágítása pedig kifejezetten jót tett a mágia iránti kínzó vágyam csillapításának, komfortérzetem kikerekítésének egyaránt.
Első ízben mondhatom el az Árnyháborúk egy epizódjáról, hogy többet nyújtott, mint amennyit vártam tőle és kíváncsian várom a sorozat következő részét.
February 2, 2018
4.0 Stars :)
A definite improvement from book two. I hesitate to say it’s as good as The Thousand Names but there was a lot to like about this one.
Muskets and magic, what an explosively fun combo!
A definite improvement from book two. I hesitate to say it’s as good as The Thousand Names but there was a lot to like about this one.
Muskets and magic, what an explosively fun combo!
September 29, 2016
The 3rd entry in The Shadow Campaigns is back to the quality of the first book, in my opinion.
I'm pretty sure every review mentions this, but Wexler really nailed the mix between the military campaign (with Winter & Janus) and the Vordan political situation (with Marcus & Raes) in The Price of Valor.
I really like Winter's devotion to her regiment, her friends and the campaign. I think there are a lot of ways that Winter could be a bad character, but Wexler nails it. She's likable and feels realistic. Marcus can be a bit boring & proper at times, but he's still pretty good.
I'm also enjoying how Wexler has started to weave in the magic of the world into the story more prominently. After reading the first book, its something that I wanted to see more of in the series. And it seems moving forward this will continue.
My opinions on Janus:
Let's vent about Jane:
I'll be moving on to The Guns of Empire very soon.
I'm pretty sure every review mentions this, but Wexler really nailed the mix between the military campaign (with Winter & Janus) and the Vordan political situation (with Marcus & Raes) in The Price of Valor.
I really like Winter's devotion to her regiment, her friends and the campaign. I think there are a lot of ways that Winter could be a bad character, but Wexler nails it. She's likable and feels realistic. Marcus can be a bit boring & proper at times, but he's still pretty good.
I'm also enjoying how Wexler has started to weave in the magic of the world into the story more prominently. After reading the first book, its something that I wanted to see more of in the series. And it seems moving forward this will continue.
My opinions on Janus:
Let's vent about Jane:
I'll be moving on to The Guns of Empire very soon.
July 31, 2020
Glorious battle filled third book in this series. Winter, now in charge of an all female regiment with lover Jane, marches to war with Janus. Jane struggles with army life and the Royal Army struggles to adapt to the Girl's Own regiment. Marcus is left with the Queen as the new Deputies conspire with the Dark Priests to get rid of her for good. Heavy on action, high on killing people off, rich with strong female characters and menacing baddies this is a great story for those that love flintlock fantasy or those who like a damn good fight.
July 15, 2017
Damn, this series just continues to amaze and entertain. This was probably the best of the three so far, but it definitely could have benefited from more editing (or just a better editor.) For such an amazing story, it was frustrating to get taken out of it by mistakes.
Other than that, I have absolutely no complaints. I continue to love watching Winter make her way through this world and she came across some interesting challenges. The enigma of Janus never ceases and Marcus is loyal as ever.
I'm 100% sucked into this series and can't wait to see where it goes from here
Other than that, I have absolutely no complaints. I continue to love watching Winter make her way through this world and she came across some interesting challenges. The enigma of Janus never ceases and Marcus is loyal as ever.
I'm 100% sucked into this series and can't wait to see where it goes from here
September 3, 2016
I am completely in love with this series. I will admit that right from the start. I love all of the amazing women that Django Wexler writes in his books. I love the complex moral situations. I love the magic of demons, and I love the creepy power of the Penitent Damned. I love the battles and the strategy and how I can follow it with just as much interest as I do the characters. I love Winter and Raesinia and Cyte and Abby and Jane and even Marcus (most of the time). I love the way that these books pull me in and never let me go. I am completely biased when it comes to these books. Which is probably all you need to know about my opinion, to be completely honest.
July 17, 2015
weakest of the 3 installments so far as it is a clear transition books covering needed events and bringing only relatively little new - though the ending is excellent and promises much for the last 2 volumes - but the main characters (Winter, Marcus, Raesinia) still shine, Janus is still mysterious and the bad guys are as before, while the writing kept me turning the pages till the end
overall - while not quite as good as the first two, still very entertaining and next one should be better as the book moves to uncharted territory
overall - while not quite as good as the first two, still very entertaining and next one should be better as the book moves to uncharted territory
July 22, 2015
This was really an enjoyable entry in the series, combining the political machinations of the second book with the battles of the first. Oh yeah, and there is magic, specifically demons. I hated some characters (one in particular), loved some, and still am wondering about one.
Anyway, a great book and I highly recommend it. I'm excited to see where it will go.
Anyway, a great book and I highly recommend it. I'm excited to see where it will go.
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