The Thousand Names

[sawyl]

With my shoulder still nagging me slightly, I abandoned my plans for an active weekend and spent my time slurping down Django Wexler's extremely entertaining The Thousand Names. Set in Khandar, a harsh and dry land whose ruling prince has been overthrown by a group of religious fanatics called the Redeemers, it follows the Colonials, a force of four battalions of Vordanai troops, as they make good on their King's promise to restore the Vermillion Throne. Despite being containing fantastic elements, the bulk of the book has a strongly Napoleonic feel to it, muskets and cannon and detailed troop movements at the core of each of the battles. Narrative duties are split between Winter Ihernglass, a young NCO who has disguised herself as a man, and Marcus d'Ivoire, senior captain and second in command to the colonel.

The Colonials, with Prince Exopter in tow, have been pushed back to a old fort on the coast by the time their reinforcements arrive from Vordan. Along with a few thousand new recruits, the fleet has also brought a new commanding office, Colonel Count Janus bet Vhalnich Mieran, to replace the late Colonel Warus. Janus, brilliant and unconventional, promptly issues orders to engage the Redeemers and to being retaking the country. Marcus, however, is more familiar with the condition of the troops and realises that they are woefully under-prepared for any sort of engagement. After an object demonstration — an alarm drill which causes causes the entire force to come to a grinding halt — Janus agrees to allow the companies time to practice their manoeuvres before coming into contact with the enemy. Winter, newly promoted to sergeant, not only excels at winning over and training her new company, but also uses their newly won cohesion to keep them alive when their lieutenant's foolhardiness leads them into an ambush.

After a series of battles, some of which are nail-bitingly tense, Janus wins through and the Colonials retake the capital of Ashe-Katarion and put Prince Exopter back on his throne. At this point Marcus becomes aware that Janus has an interest beyond merely restoring the monarchy. Enlisted to carry out a mysterious mission, Marcus finds himself in one o the old Khandarai shrine, assisting Janus as he uncovers a tunnel into a basement below the largest of the temples only to find the place empty. But Janus' quick mind soon realies that there is more to the situation than meets the eye: because if the treasure really is long gone, why has the lower city been set fire and why has someone sent a supernatural assassin to kill him?

There's a huge amount to like about The Thousand Names, from the detailed and realistic battles to the moments where high fantasy and magic intrude into the action. The narrators are likeable and realistically flawed. Marcus is chivalrous and kind and willing to belief the best of people, even though it frequently costs him dear. Winter, although she rapidly rises through the ranks, is often afraid and frequently doubtful of her own abilities; she too is kind to those around her, including a young Khandarai priestess she rescues in the aftermath of a battle, and it is no wonder that she easily wins the hearts and minds of her men.

The campaign setting is excellent, with strong echoes of the Peninsular War. The Colonials are generally the worst of the worst, with the officer corps generally composed of embarrassments who have been shipped off to foreign parts to limit the damage they can inflict on the rest of the army. Janus and Marcus are the exceptions: they are the only two offices to volunteer for service in Khandar. Further complications are introduced via a couple of short interludes narrated by Jaffa-dan-Iln, the Khandar Grand Justice, who reveals to the reader — as Foer later lets slip to Winter — the presence of a extremely powerful wizard at the heart of the Colonial force: something that becomes more important when Janus' personal mission becomes the primary driving force behind the army's actions.

Highly recommended.