The Guns of Empire (The Shadow Campaigns)

To be clear, Wexler is GREAT at what he does. I've never read military details, logistics, minutiae, as well done and flat out engaging as his writing. And he writes characters wonderfully. I can't speak from personal experience but Wexler's character writing of women is at least...earnest and considerate, let's say. If I said a white man wrote a series centered on a demon vampire lesbian there expectation would be somewhat different from where he went. And I simply LOVED the old commander-turned general, not a tactical genius or a hero but intimately familiar with the reality of command (paperwork. Lots of paperwork).There's a lot to like. And yet.The first book started with magic. Fair enough, it's a fantasy novel. But then halfway through it turned into a story of chase the magic macguffin. Granted it was also a story of an ill advised hunt for desert nomads, but it was enough that I worried about the series.Unfortunately it steadily degraded. The second book was again genius at what Wexler does well- the weave of life in an early modern metropolis, the painful moments of a revolution fumbling for statecraft no one has invented yet. And yet. The magic macguffin continued, and for that matter the revolution itself appeared with very little context, only vaguely sketched out as the story went on. It was as if Wexler decided he wanted to write about different battles and found the overall narrative a kind of annoying afterthought.This one I felt went off the rails entirely. Sure, there was still engaging work on what was clearly an alt Napoleonic invasion of Russia. But its overall execution bordered on the bizarre. The alt Napoleon deftly avoids a winter invasion and crushes alt Russia's army. Ok....not what I expected but ok. And then the magic macguffin returns and magically causes an early winter! Midway through I wanted to shake Wexler and say, what are you even doing? Just have the previously great war strategist blunder into an invasion in winter!The denouement of the magic macguffin part is...well, it's fine. Set up for series finale, heart wrenching climax, and so forth. But that's...not what I came for, and what's more it is fine not great. For a series that started GREAT it was a big letdown to finish on fine.In summary, Wexler is a pure genius at military fiction and I wish he would stick with it more.

When I read the first book of The Shadow Campaigns I wrote a review that basically said it was predictable but excellent. It seemed to be an great read in a "Boys' Own" style mixed with fantasy. An analysis that made me laugh when the Girls' Own division was named.The series has developed a lot since those heady early days, eons ago. Wexler's story is getting more complicated and remains excellent. My main complaint about this installment, The Guns of Empire, is that it ended. I kept pressing the screen to move forward a page, but alas, no matter how many times I pressed there were no more pages to be shown.The story here is well developed, along with the main characters. The storyline is excellent and advances the overall plot in very satisfying ways.I think this series is one of my favorites at the moment. This particular installment was just excellent.

Military fantasy done right. If you were left disappointed by Brian McClellan's tepid powder mage offerings, Django Wexler serves it up properly. The shitfting viewpoints of each chapter based on the central characters are perfectly arranged, and the multiple plotlines are expertly intertwined.All the characters are engrossing and engaging, from Winter Ihernglass to Raesinia and Marcus d'Ivoire.I highly recommend this series, and eagerly await book 5 of the Shadow Campaigns.

If you've ever read one of my reviews, which I doubt you have, you know that I'm not very good at them, but some things I just have too review. I greatly enjoy reading The Shadow Campaign books and I look forward to the newest entry every year, and have yet to be disappointed. But while I enjoy where the story is going and the general overall narrative, my problem lies in the smaller details. Some minor things that make me stop and go “wait, what?” For example, I had always believed that Marcus was ignorant of Winter’s true gender and at the beginning of the book that seems to remain true, but towards the end it seems like all of sudden he knows she’s female. He refers to her as she and I’m there wondering when had that happened. Its several small inconsistencies like that that takes away the overall enjoyment of the story for me, which breaks up the flow of the narrative. So while I am already looking forward to the next installment in the series I really hope they work on those minute details.

The series to date has been an excellent, engaging and thoughtful take on the genre. Wexler's characters have an impressive amount of depth and manage to challenge several of the recurrent stereotypes and themes common to fantasy literature. Some of the villains could possibly use some work as they can be a bit cardboard at times, but otherwise very solid writing and surprisingly unpredictable storytelling.Note: Some folks toss around 5 star ratings all the time, I don't but Guns of the Empire earned the hell out of these four stars, seriously a worthwhile addition to the series.

The saga continues. While Winters new family crumbles around her First Counsel Janus continues his march towards his Grail, Elysium not knowing what lives below it. The queen finds her king, some loose ends are tied up just as some start to unwind...I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys epic fantasy that leans toward the dark, though as good as it is don't start D Wexler's tale here begin at the beginning with the first book. You'll soon be where i am, eagerly awaiting his next chapter in this epic tale of conquest and awakening, though it may have been better to let sleeping dogs lie.......

I cannot get enough of Django Wexler’s Shadow Campaign! I devoured the first 3 novels. After a bit of a hiatus I came across this 4th book in the series. It’s fast paced and intricately designed. I never know where the story will take me next. I cannot wait for the next one. I just wish there were more!

Arrrrrrrgggghhh! That was the sound of my frustration on reaching the end of the book. Please write the next installment soon as I really want to know what happens next.I love this series as it has a sense of gritty realism combined with a story full of all the elements we like to see in a really good fantasy novel. The demonology 'lore' is handled imaginatively, the story twists and turns in unanticipated ways, new mysteries are introduced and the characters grow and develop as they meet and surmount the challenges in their way.In summary, this is a series that just keeps getting better as it goes along. Highly recommended.

Fantasy should send both impossible and real, and Wexler achieves both in this fourth book of the Shadow Campaigns. Gritty details of battle vies with magical subterfuge. I recommend this series to anyone who takes fantasy seriously. It deserves wide attention.

Much of the later part of the book is just padding (white warriors etc) I just hope the next is much better

Excellent writer - keep up the good work!

The war between the revolutionary Vordan and it's enemies continues as the brilliant First Consul Janus bet Vhalnich leads the greatest army of the age into the northern wastes to assault the holy city of Elysium- and the secretive Priests of the Black it hides.Aided by Winter Ihernglass, Marcus D'ivoire and a number of other commanders, Janus continues his secret war against the priests and their demonic servants, the Penitent Damned. But a far more serous threat looms, as the priests cross successive lines in order to stop the victorious army.The book starts out being a very solid fantasy military fiction, with a decently "epic" scope, as Wexler conducts the marches of various armies across the map, while offering good peeks in the trenches, and weaving in character development, while introducing new characters and expanding the world-building.The story builds up until a point about four-fifths in, where the "Magic" part of "Muskets & Magic" completely hijacks the plot. A really, really major thing happens, and it threatens to devolve the series" plot from a complex and messy political intrigue where all sides have relatable motivations into a heroes vs a big bad evil conflict, which would be a shame that could undermine the story.While all the good things about the series are still here- the good pacing, the interesting, if somewhat formulaic characters, the well-written battles and covert action- the turns the plot takes in the end leave me wary of the series' outcome. I've had similar worries about the ending of the "Shadows of the Apt" and several other series where the authors pulled out a pretty generic world-leading threat out of nowhere towards the end of the series, and it doesn't often work out without the diminishing the impact of the series as a whole.I'm very cautious about how Wexler handles this, as it'd be a real shame to have a generally interesting series devolve into something generic.

Der Mittlerweile 4 Band in der Shadow Campaign Serie. Ich habe das erste Buch noch auf Deutsch gelesen und habe dann zwangsläufig in das Englische gewechselt.Story:Nachdem im 3. Buch die Armee um Janus bet Vhalnich, Winter Ihernglass und Marcus d’Ivoire die Feinde von Vordan auf dem Schlachtfeld besiegt haben rufen die umliegenden Ländern zum Verhandlungstisch. Doch sind sich die Königin Raesinia und Janus bet Vhalnich nicht einig was das beste für das Vordanische Reich ist. Die Generäle Vhalnich und Ihernglass finden sich zwischen den beiden Fronten und müssen sich für^eine Seite entscheiden.Persönlicher EindruckDas Buch behält wie seine Vorgänger das rasante Erzähltempo bei. Die Story hat über die bisherigen Bücher an Komplexität dazugewonnen. Ein grosses Plus der ganzen Serie ist die Entwicklung der Charakteren. Wexler gelingt es durchwegs Ihre Handlungen nachvollziehbar zu gestalten und der Leser und Leserin fühlt sich von der persönlichen Entwicklung der Charakteren mitgerissen. Erzählt wird die Geschichte aus diversen Blickwinkel. es finden zudem wieder zahlreiche grössere und kleinere Schlachten statt. Ein grosses Kompliment an Herr Wexler kann ich aussprechen da diese Schlachten nie ihren Unterhaltungsfaktor verlieren. Jede ist in sich einzigartig ist und von grösseren und kleineren Überraschungen geprägt sind.Diese Serie besticht durch Ihre interessante Charakteren, eine spannende Handlung welche im kleinen beginnt und sich zu etwas sehr grossem entwickelt und zudem durch rasante und spannend erzählte Schlachten. Das Buch ist dem Militär Fantasy Genre zuzuordnen und ist von der Technologischen Entwicklung her zu der Zeit von Napoleon.Mich hat das Buch vollkommen überzeugt und ich warte gespannt auf den 5 und letzten Band der Reihe welcher gemäss aktuellsten News im Herbst nächstes Jahr erscheinen soll.

I’ve read the others in this series and have been impressed by the consistency of the quality of the writing. Plotting is good with sufficient twists, characters have depth and the action scenes are first rate. Wexler has constructed an excellent fantasy world with depth and believability.I’d start at the beginning though, read the novellas too. This is very well done fantasy and is thoroughly enjoyable.

Il libro è arrivaot in buona condizioni, giusto qualche pieghina interna, la trama è avvincente e intricata, l'inglese utilizzato è leggermente complesso perchè ci sono svariati termini militari

Fast paced and exciting. Characters to care about and lots of twists and turns to the plot that never feel unearned.

The series was astounding. The world building was above expectation, as well.

Despite a couple of convenient pauses in the suspension of disbelief this is the best of a great series. Enjoy

Great addition

Enough of the girl warriors. It is just so unrealistic it pulls me out of the book. Yes in history there are accounts of some and this is why they get a mention because it was rare.

i have enjoyed many books written by this writer this one series not so much not much action a plodding pace and seems to solely deal with a female who dresses like a man with a serious lesbian caste to the story i got halfway through it and deleted it i read sword sorcery and alternative worlds and fantasy i think this book should be labelled for what and who it is aimed at and placed in a different category l.g.b.t.q. not my cup of tea