Quite often, the first book in a fantasy series falls prey to being an “info-dump” for the first half of the book as the author tries to set the scene for their epic, multi-book adventure. I enjoyed that the building of the world felt organic and the reader kept learning about the world up until the end of the book. The reader is slowly introduced to the rest of the world and political turmoil through the narrative.

The Thousand Names takes place in a small country named Khandar in Wexler’s expertly crafted yet complex world. For Janus’s ambitions extend beyond the battlefield and into the realm of the supernatural-a realm with the power to reshape the known world and change the lives of everyone in its path. Under his command, Marcus and Winter feel the tide turning and their allegiance being tested. Their fate depends on Colonel Janus bet Vhalnich. But when chance sees her promoted to command, she must lead her men into battle against impossible odds. To flee from her past, Winter Ihernglass masqueraded as a man and enlisted as a ranker in the Vordanai Colonials, hoping only to avoid notice. The best part (in my extremely biased opinion)? One of the main protagonists is a queer lady!Ĭaptain Marcus d’Ivoire, commander of one of the Vordanai empire’s colonial garrisons, was serving out his days in a sleepy, remote outpost-until a rebellion left him in charge of a demoralized force clinging to a small fortress at the edge of the desert. The Thousand Names, by Django Wexler is a whirlwind flintlock fantasy novel that starts Wexler’s Shadow Campaign series.

The thousand names by django wexler