What do you think?
Rate this book
Powder Mage #0.4-0.7+1.5
In the Field Marshal's Shadow
Five stories from the Powder Mage Universe, including the never-before-published "Green-Eyed Vipers"
Hope's End
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue
Green-Eyed Vipers
The Face in the Window
Return to Honor
Hope's End
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue
Green-Eyed Vipers
The Face in the Window
Return to Honor
130 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 17, 2015
About the author
Brian McClellan
34 books8,110 followersBrian McClellan is an American epic fantasy author from Cleveland, Ohio. He is known for his acclaimed Powder Mage Universe and essays on the life and business of being a writer.
Brian now lives on the side of a mountain in Utah with his wife, Michele, where he writes books and nurses a crippling video game addiction.
Brian's novels include the Powder Mage Trilogy (Promise of Blood, The Crimson Campaign, and The Autumn Republic), Gods of Blood and Powder (Sins of Empire, Wrath of Empire, and Blood of Empire), and Valkyrie Collections (Uncanny Collateral)
Brian now lives on the side of a mountain in Utah with his wife, Michele, where he writes books and nurses a crippling video game addiction.
Brian's novels include the Powder Mage Trilogy (Promise of Blood, The Crimson Campaign, and The Autumn Republic), Gods of Blood and Powder (Sins of Empire, Wrath of Empire, and Blood of Empire), and Valkyrie Collections (Uncanny Collateral)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
May 3, 2017
3.5/5 Stars
Short review
In the Field of Marshal Shadows is a collection of 5 novellas in the Powder Mage universe. Four of them taking place prior to the events from Promise of Blood, one of them immediately after the end of the book.
I won't get into any details on this one, the novellas are really short already. My thoughts on them is that they're all quite good in giving more personality and backgrounds to the characters we know, also two of the novellas show how Taniel met Vlora and Ka-poel for the first time which is a nice touch cause Taniel is one of my favorite character from Promise of Blood.
Although they're all enjoyable, I don't think they're mandatory to read. You won't miss anything other than a few details on events that you already know from the main series if you decided to skip this one. However, if you really want to know a little more about the main series characters past, such as their younger self and their first encounter, you won't regret reading this anthology.
Short review
In the Field of Marshal Shadows is a collection of 5 novellas in the Powder Mage universe. Four of them taking place prior to the events from Promise of Blood, one of them immediately after the end of the book.
I won't get into any details on this one, the novellas are really short already. My thoughts on them is that they're all quite good in giving more personality and backgrounds to the characters we know, also two of the novellas show how Taniel met Vlora and Ka-poel for the first time which is a nice touch cause Taniel is one of my favorite character from Promise of Blood.
Although they're all enjoyable, I don't think they're mandatory to read. You won't miss anything other than a few details on events that you already know from the main series if you decided to skip this one. However, if you really want to know a little more about the main series characters past, such as their younger self and their first encounter, you won't regret reading this anthology.
March 20, 2017
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.
The Powder Mage series is one of my favorite fantasy fixes of the moment. No, I haven’t finished the initial trilogy yet, but I loved Promise of Blood and have found all of Mr. McClellan’s short stories set in this fascinating world spectacular. And the reason why, quite simply, is the flintlock fantasy setting and the brilliant concept of powder mages. Both of these things meshing together so well that this universe comes alive before your eyes; the smell of gunpowder filling your nostrils; the shrieks of an angry mob demanding blood roaring in your ears..
Okay, okay, I also have to give some credit to the interesting characters inhabiting the tale (No story works without great characters after all.), because Field Marshall Tamas, Taniel, and all the others pop off the pages, but, honestly, the flintlock fantasy backdrop used by Mr. McClellan is so creative, so refreshing that it has single-handedly converted me into a flintlock lover instead of a doubter.
With this short story collection, the author takes readers back into that amazing Powder Mage universe, skipping from time period to time period and from character to character, using these brief snapshots to flesh out the history of several of the stars from Promise of Blood.
It all begins with a tale focusing on Captain Verundish and her personal travails, which, inevitable, involves General Tamas. The narrative not only giving a reader a background of the good Captain, but also allowing us a chance to see the General through the eyes of his soldier. You can read all my thoughts about “Hope’s End” in my full review .
“The Girl of Hrusch Avenue” takes place ten years before the events in Promise of Blood. Here Vlora is an orphan who finds herself bereft of a real home (She is in a foster care type setting.), and when a stranger arrives at her “home” wishing to take her away, she fears the very worst and flees into the city to live a precarious life on the streets close to the muskets factories. Her fascination with gunpowder and rifles causing her to spend endless amounts of time observing their use. Eventually, fate causes her to befriends a youth named Taniel. Their strange friendship changing both their lives.
“Green-Eyed Vipers” is told through the viewpoint of Baroness Petara. This politically savvy, stunningly beautiful woman is a hunter of men; her current prey being the widowed Field Marshall Tamas. But while everything seems to be proceeding exactly as she plans, the Baroness soon discovers that the hunter is really the prey.
“The Face in the Mirror” is an exciting, poignant showcase for Field Marshall Tamas’ son Taniel. While this young powder mage’s exploits in Fastrastan is mentioned numerous times in book one of the trilogy, his adventures were not fully revealed. Here, though, the details of his involvement in the frontier war between the vile Kez and brave revolutionaries of this “New World” come to life, revealing so much about Taniel and his internal issues.
“Return to Honor” concludes this collection in style. The story taking place immediately after the events of Promise of Blood, putting Vlora in the spotlight after she spent much of that novel as the woman-who-was-engaged-to-Taniel-and-cheated-on-him. Now, she is shown in her true element, as a strong, competent soldier who accepts her mistakes but demands that she not be defined by them.
In the Field Marshal’s Shadow is a highly entertaining return to the Powder Mage universe. It touches upon most of the major characters from Promise of Blood in some shape or fashion, showing them as multi-faceted people who have their own issues, problems and strengths. While I would have loved even more powder mage awesomeness from the collection, Mr. McClellan gave me just enough to whet my appetite for more stories while simultaneously helping me appreciate Captain Verundish, Taniel, Vlora and Field Marshall Tamas even more than I already did.
The Powder Mage series is one of my favorite fantasy fixes of the moment. No, I haven’t finished the initial trilogy yet, but I loved Promise of Blood and have found all of Mr. McClellan’s short stories set in this fascinating world spectacular. And the reason why, quite simply, is the flintlock fantasy setting and the brilliant concept of powder mages. Both of these things meshing together so well that this universe comes alive before your eyes; the smell of gunpowder filling your nostrils; the shrieks of an angry mob demanding blood roaring in your ears..
Okay, okay, I also have to give some credit to the interesting characters inhabiting the tale (No story works without great characters after all.), because Field Marshall Tamas, Taniel, and all the others pop off the pages, but, honestly, the flintlock fantasy backdrop used by Mr. McClellan is so creative, so refreshing that it has single-handedly converted me into a flintlock lover instead of a doubter.
With this short story collection, the author takes readers back into that amazing Powder Mage universe, skipping from time period to time period and from character to character, using these brief snapshots to flesh out the history of several of the stars from Promise of Blood.
It all begins with a tale focusing on Captain Verundish and her personal travails, which, inevitable, involves General Tamas. The narrative not only giving a reader a background of the good Captain, but also allowing us a chance to see the General through the eyes of his soldier. You can read all my thoughts about “Hope’s End” in my full review .
“The Girl of Hrusch Avenue” takes place ten years before the events in Promise of Blood. Here Vlora is an orphan who finds herself bereft of a real home (She is in a foster care type setting.), and when a stranger arrives at her “home” wishing to take her away, she fears the very worst and flees into the city to live a precarious life on the streets close to the muskets factories. Her fascination with gunpowder and rifles causing her to spend endless amounts of time observing their use. Eventually, fate causes her to befriends a youth named Taniel. Their strange friendship changing both their lives.
“Green-Eyed Vipers” is told through the viewpoint of Baroness Petara. This politically savvy, stunningly beautiful woman is a hunter of men; her current prey being the widowed Field Marshall Tamas. But while everything seems to be proceeding exactly as she plans, the Baroness soon discovers that the hunter is really the prey.
“The Face in the Mirror” is an exciting, poignant showcase for Field Marshall Tamas’ son Taniel. While this young powder mage’s exploits in Fastrastan is mentioned numerous times in book one of the trilogy, his adventures were not fully revealed. Here, though, the details of his involvement in the frontier war between the vile Kez and brave revolutionaries of this “New World” come to life, revealing so much about Taniel and his internal issues.
“Return to Honor” concludes this collection in style. The story taking place immediately after the events of Promise of Blood, putting Vlora in the spotlight after she spent much of that novel as the woman-who-was-engaged-to-Taniel-and-cheated-on-him. Now, she is shown in her true element, as a strong, competent soldier who accepts her mistakes but demands that she not be defined by them.
In the Field Marshal’s Shadow is a highly entertaining return to the Powder Mage universe. It touches upon most of the major characters from Promise of Blood in some shape or fashion, showing them as multi-faceted people who have their own issues, problems and strengths. While I would have loved even more powder mage awesomeness from the collection, Mr. McClellan gave me just enough to whet my appetite for more stories while simultaneously helping me appreciate Captain Verundish, Taniel, Vlora and Field Marshall Tamas even more than I already did.
April 1, 2024
Hope's End - 3
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue - 4
Green-Eyed Vipers - 3
The Face in the Window - 4
Return to Honor - 4
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue - 4
Green-Eyed Vipers - 3
The Face in the Window - 4
Return to Honor - 4
March 17, 2017
In the Field Marshal's Shadow
is a nice little treat of short stories for any fan of the Powder Mage World. As I have said in my reviews of the other novella's, please read the trilogy before you give these a try. You won't get the same satisfaction out of these stories without the prior knowledge of the characters.
I won't say much about these stories, because they are all around 30 pages long I am afraid I may spoil something. A couple of them are of the stand alone type, and the others show how relationships were first started by some of our main characters in the trilogy. All but one of the stories happened before the events of Promise of Blood.
Hope's End 4 stars
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue 4.5 stars
Green-Eyed Vipers 4.5 stars
The Face in the Window 4 stars
Return to Honor 3.5 stars
4.10 stars rounded to 4 stars total ****
I won't say much about these stories, because they are all around 30 pages long I am afraid I may spoil something. A couple of them are of the stand alone type, and the others show how relationships were first started by some of our main characters in the trilogy. All but one of the stories happened before the events of Promise of Blood.
Hope's End 4 stars
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue 4.5 stars
Green-Eyed Vipers 4.5 stars
The Face in the Window 4 stars
Return to Honor 3.5 stars
4.10 stars rounded to 4 stars total ****
August 24, 2017
An excellent collection of stories from the Powder Mage universe. I enjoyed all of them, but most of all the backstories introducing Ka-Poel and Vlora.
Reading this collection has reminded me how much I enjoy this author's writing and I think I will quickly devour any short stories of his I have not yet read as he has written quite a few. They compliment his existing novels wonderfully and for fans of the series they are perfect additions.
Reading this collection has reminded me how much I enjoy this author's writing and I think I will quickly devour any short stories of his I have not yet read as he has written quite a few. They compliment his existing novels wonderfully and for fans of the series they are perfect additions.
January 4, 2016
In the Field Marshall's Shadow is a collection of short stories from the Powder Mage Universe.
The stories are from varying times in the past and have different protagonists in each one. The Girl of Hrusch Avenue and Return to Honor revolve around Vlora, The Face in the Window is Taniel's story, Hope's End is told from Captain Verundish's perspective, and Green-Eyed Vipers is from Lady Petara's point of view. I have already read and reviewed Hope's End, The Girl of Hrusch Avenue, The Face in the Window, and Return to Honor so this review will revolve around Green-Eyed Vipers.
Green-Eyed Vipers tells a predator's tale, but not in the way you'd imagine. Lady Petara is on the hunt with one prey in mind and that's Field Marshall Tamas. This takes place after Erika's death so it's easy to imagine that it's good for Tamas to get some intense interest from an aggressive woman, I certainly had that thought. Unfortunately Petara attraction goes well beyond what any sane person would deem appropriate. The hunt is on and what is done is done.
I liked Green-Eyed Vipers and it was good seeing Tamas again in a new story. The story left a small smile on my face when I finished it.
The stories are from varying times in the past and have different protagonists in each one. The Girl of Hrusch Avenue and Return to Honor revolve around Vlora, The Face in the Window is Taniel's story, Hope's End is told from Captain Verundish's perspective, and Green-Eyed Vipers is from Lady Petara's point of view. I have already read and reviewed Hope's End, The Girl of Hrusch Avenue, The Face in the Window, and Return to Honor so this review will revolve around Green-Eyed Vipers.
Green-Eyed Vipers tells a predator's tale, but not in the way you'd imagine. Lady Petara is on the hunt with one prey in mind and that's Field Marshall Tamas. This takes place after Erika's death so it's easy to imagine that it's good for Tamas to get some intense interest from an aggressive woman, I certainly had that thought. Unfortunately Petara attraction goes well beyond what any sane person would deem appropriate. The hunt is on and what is done is done.
I liked Green-Eyed Vipers and it was good seeing Tamas again in a new story. The story left a small smile on my face when I finished it.
December 24, 2023
Hope's End - 4/5 - View into Tamas's earlier days and into how he treated his soldiers.
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue - 5/5 - How Vlora met Taniel and got adopted by Tamas, best story in the collection without doubt.
Green-Eyed Vipers - 2/5 - Worst story in the collection without doubt. Thankfully, also the shortest. Tamas's revenge on the woman who betrayed his wife and told Kez her whereabouts to get her killed and get Tamas for herself. Utterly ridiculous.
The Face in the Window - 4/5 - How Taniel met Ka-Poel, the beginning of his Fatrastan story. No two shot stuff yet, though. I was surprised to find out he hasn't killed anyone nor was in a real battle before this. Thought he had something behind him before he joined the resistence.
Return to Honor - 3/5 - Vlora hunts down Charlemund's guardsman who has intel on Adran army positions and supplies which might be handy for Kez. A filler that explains a little better that "romance" in Crimson Campaign between Vlora and Olem.
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue - 5/5 - How Vlora met Taniel and got adopted by Tamas, best story in the collection without doubt.
Green-Eyed Vipers - 2/5 - Worst story in the collection without doubt. Thankfully, also the shortest. Tamas's revenge on the woman who betrayed his wife and told Kez her whereabouts to get her killed and get Tamas for herself. Utterly ridiculous.
The Face in the Window - 4/5 - How Taniel met Ka-Poel, the beginning of his Fatrastan story. No two shot stuff yet, though. I was surprised to find out he hasn't killed anyone nor was in a real battle before this. Thought he had something behind him before he joined the resistence.
Return to Honor - 3/5 - Vlora hunts down Charlemund's guardsman who has intel on Adran army positions and supplies which might be handy for Kez. A filler that explains a little better that "romance" in Crimson Campaign between Vlora and Olem.
July 3, 2023
I will be doing a mini-review or this short story collection on each story as I go through them.
Hope's End - 4/5
This is a nice, quick short story set roughly 19 years before Promise of Blood. Tamas is now a General and the sole point of view is a lowly Captain without hope, going on hopeless mission... or something like that. I enjoyed Captain Verundish and her plight and the ending was a satisfying payoff to everyone's concerns. Also, I love watching Tamas fight from other people's point of view. LOVE IT!
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue - 4/5
Here we have Vlora's origin story where we see how Tamas came about finding her and bringing her into his fold. This was a fun read even if you could see the outcome coming a mile away. Even then, it was very satisfying and it has been throughout all of these short stories and novellas to see how awesome Tamas is and how he grew to become a legend.
Green-Eyed Vipers - 5/5
This is the shortest short story of them all, clocking it at a whopping 4,000 words in 11 pages. I loved it because you are in denial as a reader the whole time and can't help but feel so satisfied at the end result. I won't give away the characters or plot as it'll spoil it but chalk this up as another landmark moment for our favorite Field Marshall.
The Face in the Window - 3/5
Now we get the origin story of Taniel meeting up with Ka-Poel and I enjoyed it well enough. This is set 2 years before Promise of Blood so we are creeping up on the point in time we first met all of these characters. Taniel is much less experienced and doesn't have his nickname yet as he signs up for the Fatrasta rebellion to kill some Kez. It's a bit fun to read as he comes into his own and develops his power. This poor kid though, had such a rough upbringing and traumatic experiences, but I suppose that happens when you are Tamas's son. This story feels more like a prologue to the follow-up novella, Ghosts of the Tristan Basin, and so doesn't have a typical beginning-middle-end and it finishes abruptly.
Return to Honor - 4/5
This novella takes place immediately after the events of Promise of Blood and before The Crimson Campaign. We see a small assignment given to Vlora from an angry Tamas and the beginnings of her friendship with Olem. The story was fast paced but typical in plot. Not a lot of revelations here, only reinforcement of why I love Olem so much as a character. Of all the short works, this is furthest along in the timeline.
Note: I will be reading all of the Powder Mage short stories and novellas before I begin the follow up trilogy set roughly 12 years after the events of The Autumn Republic. I've found a chronological order that I will be following in case any are interested, although all of these works are set before Promise of Blood in the Timeline.
Powder Mage Short Stories and Novellas
The Siege of Tilpur - 7/10
Forsworn - 7.5/10
Servant of the Crown - 8/10
Murder at the Kinnen Hotel - 9/10
In the Field Marshal's Shadow - 8.5/10
Ghosts of the Tristan Basin - 9/10
The Mad Lancers - 9/10
Hope's End - 4/5
This is a nice, quick short story set roughly 19 years before Promise of Blood. Tamas is now a General and the sole point of view is a lowly Captain without hope, going on hopeless mission... or something like that. I enjoyed Captain Verundish and her plight and the ending was a satisfying payoff to everyone's concerns. Also, I love watching Tamas fight from other people's point of view. LOVE IT!
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue - 4/5
Here we have Vlora's origin story where we see how Tamas came about finding her and bringing her into his fold. This was a fun read even if you could see the outcome coming a mile away. Even then, it was very satisfying and it has been throughout all of these short stories and novellas to see how awesome Tamas is and how he grew to become a legend.
Green-Eyed Vipers - 5/5
This is the shortest short story of them all, clocking it at a whopping 4,000 words in 11 pages. I loved it because you are in denial as a reader the whole time and can't help but feel so satisfied at the end result. I won't give away the characters or plot as it'll spoil it but chalk this up as another landmark moment for our favorite Field Marshall.
The Face in the Window - 3/5
Now we get the origin story of Taniel meeting up with Ka-Poel and I enjoyed it well enough. This is set 2 years before Promise of Blood so we are creeping up on the point in time we first met all of these characters. Taniel is much less experienced and doesn't have his nickname yet as he signs up for the Fatrasta rebellion to kill some Kez. It's a bit fun to read as he comes into his own and develops his power. This poor kid though, had such a rough upbringing and traumatic experiences, but I suppose that happens when you are Tamas's son. This story feels more like a prologue to the follow-up novella, Ghosts of the Tristan Basin, and so doesn't have a typical beginning-middle-end and it finishes abruptly.
Return to Honor - 4/5
This novella takes place immediately after the events of Promise of Blood and before The Crimson Campaign. We see a small assignment given to Vlora from an angry Tamas and the beginnings of her friendship with Olem. The story was fast paced but typical in plot. Not a lot of revelations here, only reinforcement of why I love Olem so much as a character. Of all the short works, this is furthest along in the timeline.
Note: I will be reading all of the Powder Mage short stories and novellas before I begin the follow up trilogy set roughly 12 years after the events of The Autumn Republic. I've found a chronological order that I will be following in case any are interested, although all of these works are set before Promise of Blood in the Timeline.
Powder Mage Short Stories and Novellas
The Siege of Tilpur - 7/10
Forsworn - 7.5/10
Servant of the Crown - 8/10
Murder at the Kinnen Hotel - 9/10
In the Field Marshal's Shadow - 8.5/10
Ghosts of the Tristan Basin - 9/10
The Mad Lancers - 9/10
February 2, 2017
Very nice interlude waiting to resume reading the series!
January 5, 2018
“Pride,” he said, “is a strange thing.”
“Sir?”
“We allow ourselves and our loved ones to suffer so much just to appease this feeling in our gut. Sometimes I envy those men who don’t let pride cloud their judgment.”
“Sir?”
“We allow ourselves and our loved ones to suffer so much just to appease this feeling in our gut. Sometimes I envy those men who don’t let pride cloud their judgment.”
March 21, 2016
Fina mini kolekcija li steta sto nisu ubacene sve price u nju vec samo ovih par. Vecina je vec procitana sem Zeleno oke zmije a tu necu puno da pricam sem da ostavlja fin osecaj satisfakcije na kraju.
Ako niste citali ostale cetiri u svakom slucaaju vredi uzeti ako jeste zbog ove jedne pricice bas i ne.
Ako niste citali ostale cetiri u svakom slucaaju vredi uzeti ako jeste zbog ove jedne pricice bas i ne.
April 19, 2023
Consider this as part 1 of my review of the accompany-pieces in the Powder Mage Universe of Brian McClellan. I don't exactly know why, but I seem to have decided to read everything published in that series... Not because I am that in love with it, but just because... uhm.. Actually really no idea. Still some good stuff in here and much of the expected mediocrity.
"In the Shadow of the Field Marshal" is the collection of all the short stories in the universe, while "The Fires of Rebellion" (in this form only published in german I think) covers the novellas - part 2 of my review ^^
I'll start with a short overall review and then say some words about each individual story, so maybe you can pick out the ones that sound interesting or beyond mediocre. Or you don't, up to you haha
So about this collection in general. Should you read it?
The simple answer: You can, but don't have to.
The longer answer: You can, but don't have to.
Reading some short stories of an author in my opinion always is a good way to get better insight in the writing and style of someone. Shorts are often used as practice or just for oneself, to have the possibility to try out some different voices and tones, to play around with some characters you would normally not write about or simply to explore different settings and events, that don't have a place in the bigger novels.
And it did exactly that with the Powder Mage universe and Brian McClellans writing.
As I have said in my review of books 1 & 2 in the Powder Mage Trilogy (which I still haven't finished as of yet), the series isn't anything too special or really remarkable - if there were not it's setting.
The main critizism I had, and that is basically shared amongst most reviews I heard, is how bloated the storylines and the writing/narration feels.
It is perfectly fine, to write something, that is more simplistic, that focuses on the plain fun and enjoyment and doesn't deal with huge philosophic questions, themes, etc.
But the insane amount of "filler descriptions" and recaps, really drags this down more than it should be. Every novel so far could have been drastically shortened and be more enjoyable that way.
So if you felt similar about McClellans writing, but liked the unique setting and world, you have another reason to maybe dive into the shorter material.
Because who could have thought: A short story doesn't have as much time to be bloated. Right?
And here is where I have to specify further in the sections of the individual stories, but let me tell you, that some of these stories still manage to be bloated in the same way the main series was. But not all of them.
There is some actual display of distinct and engaging story being told in a short amount of time and without a too obvious narration. And even with the more mediocre stories, this collection made me appreciate the world and writing of the Powder Mage a bit more.
Together with the novellas (see part 2 for that), I would say while nothing really adds *too* much to the story, it showed me enough of the wider world, to be interested in going on after the first trilogy.
Also since these collections paint a pretty good picture of McClellans writing journey and development as an author, it is quite noticable, how he changed some habits and increased his skill.
But what is most interesting about these collections is the amount of backstory they provide for the main POVs of the Trilogy.
Looking back, it almost seems crazy to think, that nothing of this was known before in detail. So I might even say, that reading all the material published in reading order increases the enjoyment of the series immensely.
Most of the stories take place before book 1 of the trilogy, most of them a quite noteable amount of time earlier, and show very important moments for the characters we later see in the series.
It made me appreciate them a bit more.
The biggest ones I will get to in my review of the novellas, such as Erika & Tamas, Taniel & Ca-Poel, etc. whose stories feel like quite the gap in the main series after reading them here.
But this collection also has quite some good stuff.
Vloras stories are both absolutely worth it and add a lot to this side-character, that I know will have a big role in the sequel trilogy.
Tamas has some cool stuff about multiple events in his career - from the earliest days to the later ones. And then there are some original stories, that were just a nice addition and showed some stuff from different perspectives.
But with that: Let's go into the individual pieces of writing included in this collection, shall we?
#0.0: Siege of Tilpur ("Die Belagerung von Tilpur") - Sergeant Tamas, >35 years before "Promise of Blood"
6,5/10
Chronologically the first story is one about an incident in Tamas early career. While the story itself isn#t anything really special and being pretty predictable in fact, it still is fun enough. And with it's very small page count, this actually accomplishes what it wants to, while painting a more vivid image of a younger Tamas.
With this knowledge, and especially with what comes later, you gain a way bigger appreciation of this character, who already is the highest ranked badass general there is in the first book.
Here he is an underdog, constantly being held back and not respected for his low birth and status as a Powder Mage.
Solid short story, but nothing more.
#0.4: Hope's End ("Himmelfahrtskommando") - Captain Verundish, 19 years before "Promise of Blood"
7,5/10
Captain Verundish isn't more than a side character in the main series, and this story doesn't change that. Although that is not what this short tries to do. It serves more as the telling of a little story of the cost of war and the sarcifices and dramas, every soldier faces in this world.
Again: The story and plot itself is nothing special, but here some of the advantages of short-form writing really show themselves in the case of McClellan.
The story has a nice sense of urgency and works nicely with the framing of it's events - which mostly revolves around it's characters rather than the actual events.
I felt like this was quite the breath of fresh air for the series and brought in a nice little story - while again, not adding anything major.
You do though experience another point in Tamas career and how all these wars he was commanding in actually were like. Also the outward-characterization of him in here really serves to build him up EVEN more. Tamas is just a legend, and seeing how other people view him, even years before he became field-marshal, is so satisfying.
Oh and let's not forget, that this story has some actually emotional beats going on. I was actually invested in the characters in the first few pages. I guess that's something, too.
#0.5: The Girl of Hrush Avenue ("Das Mädchen von Hrusch Avenue") - Vlora, 10 years before "Promise of Blood"
7/10
This story was also a delight. The main series has the relationship between Vlora and Taniel (Tamas son) and also Bobador "Bo" already set up from the start. As it takes a major role in the story, seeing how it all began, was really cool to see.
The perspective of Vlora also is quite refreshing, with her being an orphan, living amongst the streets of Adopest and having no idea about the grander factors at play. That way, this story has a more unique voice, which isn't said easily with this series.
McClellan managed to engage me pretty easily, just by the setting and voice alone - then later seeing which aspect of the POVs life this covers, I was even more hooked. The plot itself is once again nothing of note, but manages to get across some vibes of pre-revolution empire and how bad the situation for the normal people really was at times. Also these nobles REALLY suck. Oh my god.
To top it all off, Tamas also has a pretty badass moment in here, too, which is always great ^^
Nice little story that makes me appreciate Vlora even more and get a better understanding of the kind of weird storylines happening in the main trilogy.
#0.6: Green-Eyed Vipers ("Die grünäugige Viper") - Baroness Petara, 8 years before "Promise of Blood"
8,5/10
Hell yeah this one was a banger. Perfect example of what a short story can accomplish as a side-piece, because this uses the most important thing of all: Framing & focus.
This is written from the perspective of an original character, but that doesn't make it any difficult getting in. The stakes are set instantly; there is a small, distinct setting and an easy goal that is instantly set up. The voice is VERY distinct for the series, which also adds to the engagement.
I will not spoil too much of what this story does and what its main addition to the series is, but let's say, that with reading some of the novellas first, this one is SO satisfying.
But I will only say, that the POV we are reading from (Baroness Petara) is the character that betrayed Erika, Tamas wife, to have her executed by the enemy.
Well structured, well paced, distinct. Great story.
#0.8: The Face in the Window ("Das Gesicht am Fenster") - Taniel, 2 years before "Promise of Blood"
5/10
This is a tough one. Again, the story and plot themselves are nothing special, but what it adds is kind of cool. Originally, I rated this one a bit higher for the accomplishments alone and for who is involved, but then I kind of forgot everything that happened in the matter of only a few hours.
But basically, this is the introduction to one of the novellas ("Ghosts of Tristan Basin") which tells the story of what Taniel did in the time before book 1.
The only noticable thing happening in this story though it his first encounter with Ca-Poel. AKA The GOAT, the queen, the legend, the G - however you want to call her. Her presence alone makes this worth the read, although you get more of it in the novella, so that is that...
For the worldbuilding though, this begins some of the events in later novellas and especially the sequel trilogy, I think... As it takes place on one of the other continents, there is some stuff already hinted at, but not further developed until the novellas.
Not a good short story, but a nice addition to the world and Taniel as a character - especially his relationship with Tamas and Ca-Poel.
#1.5: Return to Honor ("Verlorene Ehre") - Captain Vlora, immed. after "Promise of Blood"
8/10
Notice a trend here? Another Vlora story, another great story.
As the only entry not taking place before the main series but in between, this already has some more stuff set up through book 1. That makes it easy to connect to the story and be intrigued at the least.
The narrative picks up immediately after book 1 and sets out to fill a gap taking place in the character-relationship of Vlora and Tamas. With this knowledge, it became a bit easier in hindsight, to understand how these two deal with one another in book 2.
And after this one: Vlora rules even more.
And I guess, that was it. All the short stories...
Be sure to also check out what I thought of the novellas, as they often give these stories even more context and at times even are follow-ups of these plots.
Chronological order of all the published works in this series might actually be what I recommend now, even if some of this writing is really kind of annoying at times. Even more of the already"more" narration might be a bit tough, but might also close some gaps.
"In the Shadow of the Field Marshal" is the collection of all the short stories in the universe, while "The Fires of Rebellion" (in this form only published in german I think) covers the novellas - part 2 of my review ^^
I'll start with a short overall review and then say some words about each individual story, so maybe you can pick out the ones that sound interesting or beyond mediocre. Or you don't, up to you haha
So about this collection in general. Should you read it?
The simple answer: You can, but don't have to.
The longer answer: You can, but don't have to.
Reading some short stories of an author in my opinion always is a good way to get better insight in the writing and style of someone. Shorts are often used as practice or just for oneself, to have the possibility to try out some different voices and tones, to play around with some characters you would normally not write about or simply to explore different settings and events, that don't have a place in the bigger novels.
And it did exactly that with the Powder Mage universe and Brian McClellans writing.
As I have said in my review of books 1 & 2 in the Powder Mage Trilogy (which I still haven't finished as of yet), the series isn't anything too special or really remarkable - if there were not it's setting.
The main critizism I had, and that is basically shared amongst most reviews I heard, is how bloated the storylines and the writing/narration feels.
It is perfectly fine, to write something, that is more simplistic, that focuses on the plain fun and enjoyment and doesn't deal with huge philosophic questions, themes, etc.
But the insane amount of "filler descriptions" and recaps, really drags this down more than it should be. Every novel so far could have been drastically shortened and be more enjoyable that way.
So if you felt similar about McClellans writing, but liked the unique setting and world, you have another reason to maybe dive into the shorter material.
Because who could have thought: A short story doesn't have as much time to be bloated. Right?
And here is where I have to specify further in the sections of the individual stories, but let me tell you, that some of these stories still manage to be bloated in the same way the main series was. But not all of them.
There is some actual display of distinct and engaging story being told in a short amount of time and without a too obvious narration. And even with the more mediocre stories, this collection made me appreciate the world and writing of the Powder Mage a bit more.
Together with the novellas (see part 2 for that), I would say while nothing really adds *too* much to the story, it showed me enough of the wider world, to be interested in going on after the first trilogy.
Also since these collections paint a pretty good picture of McClellans writing journey and development as an author, it is quite noticable, how he changed some habits and increased his skill.
But what is most interesting about these collections is the amount of backstory they provide for the main POVs of the Trilogy.
Looking back, it almost seems crazy to think, that nothing of this was known before in detail. So I might even say, that reading all the material published in reading order increases the enjoyment of the series immensely.
Most of the stories take place before book 1 of the trilogy, most of them a quite noteable amount of time earlier, and show very important moments for the characters we later see in the series.
It made me appreciate them a bit more.
The biggest ones I will get to in my review of the novellas, such as Erika & Tamas, Taniel & Ca-Poel, etc. whose stories feel like quite the gap in the main series after reading them here.
But this collection also has quite some good stuff.
Vloras stories are both absolutely worth it and add a lot to this side-character, that I know will have a big role in the sequel trilogy.
Tamas has some cool stuff about multiple events in his career - from the earliest days to the later ones. And then there are some original stories, that were just a nice addition and showed some stuff from different perspectives.
But with that: Let's go into the individual pieces of writing included in this collection, shall we?
#0.0: Siege of Tilpur ("Die Belagerung von Tilpur") - Sergeant Tamas, >35 years before "Promise of Blood"
6,5/10
Chronologically the first story is one about an incident in Tamas early career. While the story itself isn#t anything really special and being pretty predictable in fact, it still is fun enough. And with it's very small page count, this actually accomplishes what it wants to, while painting a more vivid image of a younger Tamas.
With this knowledge, and especially with what comes later, you gain a way bigger appreciation of this character, who already is the highest ranked badass general there is in the first book.
Here he is an underdog, constantly being held back and not respected for his low birth and status as a Powder Mage.
Solid short story, but nothing more.
#0.4: Hope's End ("Himmelfahrtskommando") - Captain Verundish, 19 years before "Promise of Blood"
7,5/10
Captain Verundish isn't more than a side character in the main series, and this story doesn't change that. Although that is not what this short tries to do. It serves more as the telling of a little story of the cost of war and the sarcifices and dramas, every soldier faces in this world.
Again: The story and plot itself is nothing special, but here some of the advantages of short-form writing really show themselves in the case of McClellan.
The story has a nice sense of urgency and works nicely with the framing of it's events - which mostly revolves around it's characters rather than the actual events.
I felt like this was quite the breath of fresh air for the series and brought in a nice little story - while again, not adding anything major.
You do though experience another point in Tamas career and how all these wars he was commanding in actually were like. Also the outward-characterization of him in here really serves to build him up EVEN more. Tamas is just a legend, and seeing how other people view him, even years before he became field-marshal, is so satisfying.
Oh and let's not forget, that this story has some actually emotional beats going on. I was actually invested in the characters in the first few pages. I guess that's something, too.
#0.5: The Girl of Hrush Avenue ("Das Mädchen von Hrusch Avenue") - Vlora, 10 years before "Promise of Blood"
7/10
This story was also a delight. The main series has the relationship between Vlora and Taniel (Tamas son) and also Bobador "Bo" already set up from the start. As it takes a major role in the story, seeing how it all began, was really cool to see.
The perspective of Vlora also is quite refreshing, with her being an orphan, living amongst the streets of Adopest and having no idea about the grander factors at play. That way, this story has a more unique voice, which isn't said easily with this series.
McClellan managed to engage me pretty easily, just by the setting and voice alone - then later seeing which aspect of the POVs life this covers, I was even more hooked. The plot itself is once again nothing of note, but manages to get across some vibes of pre-revolution empire and how bad the situation for the normal people really was at times. Also these nobles REALLY suck. Oh my god.
To top it all off, Tamas also has a pretty badass moment in here, too, which is always great ^^
Nice little story that makes me appreciate Vlora even more and get a better understanding of the kind of weird storylines happening in the main trilogy.
#0.6: Green-Eyed Vipers ("Die grünäugige Viper") - Baroness Petara, 8 years before "Promise of Blood"
8,5/10
Hell yeah this one was a banger. Perfect example of what a short story can accomplish as a side-piece, because this uses the most important thing of all: Framing & focus.
This is written from the perspective of an original character, but that doesn't make it any difficult getting in. The stakes are set instantly; there is a small, distinct setting and an easy goal that is instantly set up. The voice is VERY distinct for the series, which also adds to the engagement.
I will not spoil too much of what this story does and what its main addition to the series is, but let's say, that with reading some of the novellas first, this one is SO satisfying.
But I will only say, that the POV we are reading from (Baroness Petara) is the character that betrayed Erika, Tamas wife, to have her executed by the enemy.
Well structured, well paced, distinct. Great story.
#0.8: The Face in the Window ("Das Gesicht am Fenster") - Taniel, 2 years before "Promise of Blood"
5/10
This is a tough one. Again, the story and plot themselves are nothing special, but what it adds is kind of cool. Originally, I rated this one a bit higher for the accomplishments alone and for who is involved, but then I kind of forgot everything that happened in the matter of only a few hours.
But basically, this is the introduction to one of the novellas ("Ghosts of Tristan Basin") which tells the story of what Taniel did in the time before book 1.
The only noticable thing happening in this story though it his first encounter with Ca-Poel. AKA The GOAT, the queen, the legend, the G - however you want to call her. Her presence alone makes this worth the read, although you get more of it in the novella, so that is that...
For the worldbuilding though, this begins some of the events in later novellas and especially the sequel trilogy, I think... As it takes place on one of the other continents, there is some stuff already hinted at, but not further developed until the novellas.
Not a good short story, but a nice addition to the world and Taniel as a character - especially his relationship with Tamas and Ca-Poel.
#1.5: Return to Honor ("Verlorene Ehre") - Captain Vlora, immed. after "Promise of Blood"
8/10
Notice a trend here? Another Vlora story, another great story.
As the only entry not taking place before the main series but in between, this already has some more stuff set up through book 1. That makes it easy to connect to the story and be intrigued at the least.
The narrative picks up immediately after book 1 and sets out to fill a gap taking place in the character-relationship of Vlora and Tamas. With this knowledge, it became a bit easier in hindsight, to understand how these two deal with one another in book 2.
And after this one: Vlora rules even more.
And I guess, that was it. All the short stories...
Be sure to also check out what I thought of the novellas, as they often give these stories even more context and at times even are follow-ups of these plots.
Chronological order of all the published works in this series might actually be what I recommend now, even if some of this writing is really kind of annoying at times. Even more of the already"more" narration might be a bit tough, but might also close some gaps.
March 25, 2017
Overall rating: 3.6 (I have rated most of the stories individually)
'Green-Eyed Vipers' only: 4. Great seduction-gone-wrong story. I love all these court intrigue stuff. And I want more Tamas!
'Green-Eyed Vipers' only: 4. Great seduction-gone-wrong story. I love all these court intrigue stuff. And I want more Tamas!
May 26, 2021
Olalaaaa mais juste geniallissime !! 🤩 J'ai totalement été emporté par ces 5 novellas où les femmes sont vraiment à l'honneur il faut le dire.
Niveau chronologie, ces Novellas démarrent 18 ans avant The Promise of Blood jusqu'à la dernière histoire qui se situe entre les tomes 1 et 2.
Le voile se lève doucement sur la disparition d'un personnage qui plane sur la série et nous assistons aux premières rencontres entre Vlora, Taniel et Bo mais également Taniel et Ka-Poel !
Au travers de ces récits c'est également le personnage emblématique de Tamas qui est mis en lumière, son rapport aux nobles, sa fierté, la protection de ses PowderMage. D'homme puissant à homme touchant, nous découvrons de nouveaux aspects de Tamas et j'ai adoré 🤩
Niveau chronologie, ces Novellas démarrent 18 ans avant The Promise of Blood jusqu'à la dernière histoire qui se situe entre les tomes 1 et 2.
Le voile se lève doucement sur la disparition d'un personnage qui plane sur la série et nous assistons aux premières rencontres entre Vlora, Taniel et Bo mais également Taniel et Ka-Poel !
Au travers de ces récits c'est également le personnage emblématique de Tamas qui est mis en lumière, son rapport aux nobles, sa fierté, la protection de ses PowderMage. D'homme puissant à homme touchant, nous découvrons de nouveaux aspects de Tamas et j'ai adoré 🤩
January 22, 2020
Well worth reading and glad I did - missing out on these short stories would have been a bummer... I recommend reading them (and others) before reading the Powder Mage trilogy. You can Google "powder mage reading order" and select the Reddit result to see the full list of short stories and the order in which they should be read. There is even one short story - Return to Honor - that you save and then read between books 1 and 2 of the trilogy...
February 19, 2020
A nice collection of short stories that offered additional glimpses of the brilliant Powder Mage universe.
January 12, 2019
Průměrně přibližně 4,5/5*, nejlepší byly ty novely s Erikou, je vážně škoda, že jsme ji mohli více poznat jenom prostřednictvím doplňujících příběhů, ale i třeba první setkání Taniela s Ka-poel a jeden z prvních Adamatových případů byly opravdu fantastické. Prostě celý ten svět miluju. A zrovna teď vychází první díl z další navazující trilogie, jej!
May 10, 2016
In the Field Marshal's Shadow: Stories from the Powder Mage Universe is a collection of previously published stories with the exception Green-Eyed Vipers and I have reviewed those separately! :D
Green-Eyed Vipers covers a encounter Tamis has with Lady Petara who was instrumental in his wife's death and what Tamis does about it! :D The way that we see things from Petara perspective a brilliant way of building tension as though you suspect what Tamis is really up to you cannot be sure so it really keep you guessing but at the same time it also sheds some more light on the backstory letting us know how things have led to this and giving us an insight in how ruthless Petara is! :D A lot of the tension derives from her overconfidence and when the shoe eventually drop on her it is chillingly done and gives us another glimpse into Tamis and how ruthless he can be not that Promise of Blood does not do that! :D
Brilliant and convoluted and a clever show of a small period in Adran society and the political and personal machinations that take place with it! :D Role on more! :D Brilliant and highly recommended! :D
Green-Eyed Vipers covers a encounter Tamis has with Lady Petara who was instrumental in his wife's death and what Tamis does about it! :D The way that we see things from Petara perspective a brilliant way of building tension as though you suspect what Tamis is really up to you cannot be sure so it really keep you guessing but at the same time it also sheds some more light on the backstory letting us know how things have led to this and giving us an insight in how ruthless Petara is! :D A lot of the tension derives from her overconfidence and when the shoe eventually drop on her it is chillingly done and gives us another glimpse into Tamis and how ruthless he can be not that Promise of Blood does not do that! :D
Brilliant and convoluted and a clever show of a small period in Adran society and the political and personal machinations that take place with it! :D Role on more! :D Brilliant and highly recommended! :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2016
Mostly just a re-packaging of McClellan's short stories into one (beautiful) hardcover, but there's a new story in here as well. As usual, it's a nice look into some of the "extra" events in the Powder Mage universe.
I think McClellan does a really nice job in writing these stories - they add some depth to characters, shed some light on some referenced events, and expand on an already really awesome universe. Not much else to say other than the actual book itself turned out really nicely, and looks great on my shelf. These are all fun stories to jump in and out of quickly.
I think McClellan does a really nice job in writing these stories - they add some depth to characters, shed some light on some referenced events, and expand on an already really awesome universe. Not much else to say other than the actual book itself turned out really nicely, and looks great on my shelf. These are all fun stories to jump in and out of quickly.
September 5, 2023
Hope’s End
Hope’s End is a good example of the author’s standard output. One quickly empathizes with Verundish — a minor character who I forgot existed — and is reminded of the terrible nature of the nobility and the church. Tamas, despite being a secondary character, influences everyone he comes across and is a force of nature: commoners are lifted by his meritocracy, wrongs are righted, and loyalties are cemented. Everything is then brought together in the titular forlorn hope, whereby we’re reminded that the author never writes battles from the view of the leadership, but always from the hack and slash of the frontline.
Recommended with reservations.
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue
Despite an understated introduction in Promise of Blood, Vlora has been one of the most interesting characters in this universe. The Girl of Hrusch Avenue describes one of the most influential moments of her life, giving us a peek into her pauper past while introducing the delightful young Bo (and Taniel). And of course, Tamas’s wake disturbs all, even that of an orphan. I enjoyed the short story, though I am left with the annoyance that the author wrote about Nila instead of Vlora in the main series.
Recommended.
Green-Eyed Vipers
Green-Eyed Vipers is very short and I’d feel cheated if it weren’t part of an anthology. The entire sequence could have been a flashback told by Tamas in the main series. The twist is telegraphed from the start, but it’s always nice to see the Field Marshal at his best.
Recommended with reservations.
The Face in the Window
Though set before the events of Ghosts of the Tristan Basin, they have very little in common and can be read in any order. This is Taniel’s origin story, and like his actions throughout the Powder Mage series, he’s quite underwhelming if it weren’t for Ka-Poel. Yes, she’s fourteen, but already better at Taniel’s job than Taniel himself. If you like the duo, then this short is serviceable.
Recommended with reservations.
Return to Honor
An extended Powder Mage chase sequence with gunpowder, plenty of swordplay, and just enough mystery to be interesting, Return to Honor is evidence that Vlora should have joined the main cast as a viewpoint in the series. This short story is set shortly before the events of The Crimson Campaign, that standard middle novel in a trilogy that struggles to stand out, and as such, I barely recall any of the subtle developments that this short story hints at. Regardless, this mix of Adamat and Taniel’s specialities makes Return to Honor a stand-out winner within this anthology.
Recommended.
Hope’s End is a good example of the author’s standard output. One quickly empathizes with Verundish — a minor character who I forgot existed — and is reminded of the terrible nature of the nobility and the church. Tamas, despite being a secondary character, influences everyone he comes across and is a force of nature: commoners are lifted by his meritocracy, wrongs are righted, and loyalties are cemented. Everything is then brought together in the titular forlorn hope, whereby we’re reminded that the author never writes battles from the view of the leadership, but always from the hack and slash of the frontline.
Recommended with reservations.
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue
Despite an understated introduction in Promise of Blood, Vlora has been one of the most interesting characters in this universe. The Girl of Hrusch Avenue describes one of the most influential moments of her life, giving us a peek into her pauper past while introducing the delightful young Bo (and Taniel). And of course, Tamas’s wake disturbs all, even that of an orphan. I enjoyed the short story, though I am left with the annoyance that the author wrote about Nila instead of Vlora in the main series.
Recommended.
Green-Eyed Vipers
Green-Eyed Vipers is very short and I’d feel cheated if it weren’t part of an anthology. The entire sequence could have been a flashback told by Tamas in the main series. The twist is telegraphed from the start, but it’s always nice to see the Field Marshal at his best.
Recommended with reservations.
The Face in the Window
Though set before the events of Ghosts of the Tristan Basin, they have very little in common and can be read in any order. This is Taniel’s origin story, and like his actions throughout the Powder Mage series, he’s quite underwhelming if it weren’t for Ka-Poel. Yes, she’s fourteen, but already better at Taniel’s job than Taniel himself. If you like the duo, then this short is serviceable.
Recommended with reservations.
Return to Honor
An extended Powder Mage chase sequence with gunpowder, plenty of swordplay, and just enough mystery to be interesting, Return to Honor is evidence that Vlora should have joined the main cast as a viewpoint in the series. This short story is set shortly before the events of The Crimson Campaign, that standard middle novel in a trilogy that struggles to stand out, and as such, I barely recall any of the subtle developments that this short story hints at. Regardless, this mix of Adamat and Taniel’s specialities makes Return to Honor a stand-out winner within this anthology.
Recommended.
May 2, 2017
This book is an excellent companion to "Promise of Blood" - each short story is either set a few years before, or right after the book, and is best read after reading that book first.
The short stories are all tight, character pieces that focus on one person. However, in all stories, the focus on the one person is not sharpened by the impact that Field Marshal Tamas has on their lives at various stages - and given the name of the book, it's not surprising that Tamas is a towering figure over all the stories, even though he isn't the focus in any of them, and even though he appears briefly in some of them, if at all (Taniel's story, for example, has Tamas only in flashback conversations).
All in all, if you've read McClellan's other Powdermage work, and liked it, then you'll like this as well, especially if you also like short fiction.
The short stories are all tight, character pieces that focus on one person. However, in all stories, the focus on the one person is not sharpened by the impact that Field Marshal Tamas has on their lives at various stages - and given the name of the book, it's not surprising that Tamas is a towering figure over all the stories, even though he isn't the focus in any of them, and even though he appears briefly in some of them, if at all (Taniel's story, for example, has Tamas only in flashback conversations).
All in all, if you've read McClellan's other Powdermage work, and liked it, then you'll like this as well, especially if you also like short fiction.
October 12, 2018
Po celé prachové sérii je čtení Příběhů jako návrat domů :-) Četlo se to dobře, klidně bych uvítala nějaký román ohledně Tamáse a jeho života s Erikou, nebo i volné pokračování o Tanielovi:-)
January 26, 2018
Gennaio 2018 passerà ufficialmente agli annali come "il mese di Brian McClellan": giusto per non farci mancare niente, mi sono letta questa piccola raccolta di 5 novelle ambientate o prima degli eventi narrati in "Promise of Blood" o poco dopo. Mi sono piaciute tutte, tranne l'ultima, ma non è colpa del buon Brian (purtroppo Vlora non la sopporto, vedremo se prossimamente riuscirà a farmi cambiare idea con "Sins of Empire).
- Hope's End; 4 stelle e mezzo
Ok, qui stavo rischiando pure di farmi un piantino...e non è una cosa da poco, visto che è un raccontino di 30/40 pagine. La storia si svolge 18 anni prima di "Promise of Blood", durante la campagna contro Gurla: incontriamo Tamas quando è ancora un generale e assistiamo alla sua ascesa al rango supremo dell'esercito di Adro, quello di Field Marshal. Ma qui la vera protagonista è Verundish, giovane capitano che si trova in una brutta situazione: quello squallido infame del marito vuole il divorzio per sposarsi con la sua amante. Il problema è che il padre di lei è anche il prete che ha officiato le nozze e si rifiuta di firmare i documenti necessari per la separazione. E così il pezzente mette la poverina di fronte a una scelta terribile: ha tre mesi di tempo per trovare una via d'uscita – il divorzio o suicidarsi – altrimenti venderà a degli schiavisti la loro bambina. Disperata, Verundish decide di offrirsi volontaria per guidare al posto del suo amante la Hope's End, ovvero la prima squadra di soldati che dovrà attaccare la breccia nelle mura della fortezza nemica – un'impresa suicida, visto che raramente i malcapitati riescono a sopravvivere a lungo. Fortunatamente per lei, le cose si risolveranno per il meglio e Tamas sarà pronto a dare una mano. Una storiella brevissima che ci permette di vedere anche il disprezzo che i vertici dell'esercito avevano per Tamas (uomo di umili origini e senza una goccia di sangue blu), e la lotta di quest'ultimo a favore di un sistema più meritocratico.
- The Girl of Hrusch Avenue: 3 stelle e mezzo
Ambientato 8 anni prima di "Promise of Blood", questa è la storia di come si sono conosciuti Taniel, Bo e Vlora: orfana di un barone rimasto senza un soldo e costretta a vivere con una sottospecie di governante non molto brava nel suo lavoro, la ragazzina vive per strada, senza nei paraggi di Hrusch Avenue, dove si trovano le botteghe di armi. Infatti, Vlora è attratta in maniera irresistibile da pistole, fucili e polvere da sparo. Il suo primo incontro con Taniel è quantomeno bizzarro, visto che lo aiuta a riempire di mazzate due squallidi bulletti del posto. Da lì i due iniziano a fare comunella, finché non si scoprirà che anche Tamas la stava tenendo d'occhio per via del suo evidente talento di powder mage, tanto che finirà per portarla a vivere con lui e Taniel per poterla addestrare come si deve (Tamas sempre idolo, che si mette a fare duelli con nobili infami nel mezzo della strada senza nemmeno pensarci due volte).
- Green-eyed vipers: 4 stelle
Anche questa novella è ambientata otto anni prima di "Promise of Blood" e qui vediamo un primo assaggio della vendetta che Tamas scatenerà contro il re e l'aristocrazia di Adro con il suo colpo di stato. Vittima della sua furia è una cugina del re che avevo fornito ai Kez informazioni di vitale importanza che hanno portato alla decapitazione di Erika, l'adorata moglie di Tamas, nella speranza di poterselo accaparrare lei (sì, questa ha decisamente molti problemi). Niente da dire, la stronza ha fatto decisamente la fine che si meritava.
- The Face in the Window: 4 stelle
Un altro primo incontro, quello tra Taniel e Ka-Poel, avvenuto due anni prima dei fatti narrati in "Promise of Blood". Taniel viene mandato a Fatrasta dal padre (il rapporto tra i due si è fatto molto più freddo e conflittuale rispetto alla seconda novella) per vedere un po' il mondo: ma quando scoppia la guerra di indipendenza contro Kez, Taniel decide di arruolarsi tra le file dei ribelli e andare a caccia di Privileged nemici (qui l'autore ci fa vedere la sua prima vittima). A dominare il tutto è l'incontro con questa strana ragazza proveniente dal lontano regno di Dynize, che non può parlare, avvolta da un'aura di magia e di mistero e che lo aiuterà a sopravvivere alle insidie delle paludi di Fatrasta. Qui decisamente c'è spazio per saperne di più: Brian, vedi di non deluderci.
- Return to Honor: 3 stelle (e mi sente ancora buona)
Qui ci ritroviamo a ridosso della conclusione di "Promise of Blood": Vlora deve ritrovare il capo delle guardie dell'arcivescovo Charlemund, sparito nel nulla con informazioni vitali circa i movimenti dell'esercito di Adro, infromazioni che, se dovessero cadere in mano nemica, potrebbero mettere prematuramente fine alle speranze di vittoria contro Kez. Sebbene Tamas – incazzato a morte con lei per il modo in cui la ragazza ha cornificato Taniel, portando così alla rottura del loro fidanzamento – le avesse intimato di fare tutto da sola, Vlora finirà per farsi aiutare da Olem (immagino che questa novella dovrebbe sostanzialmente dare un po' di background alla storiella che i due intrecciano in "The Crimson Campaign"). Niente, a me Vlora non piace: peraltro ho poco apprezzato il suo modo di fare (alla fine non è mai colpa sua) e la totale mancanza di qualsivoglia pensiero per il povero Taniel, che è in coma dopo il suo primo incontro con Kresimir. Certo, gli altri soldati potrebbero pensare ai fatti loro e fare meno gli stronzi, ma lei se l'è giusto un po' cercata, no?
- Hope's End; 4 stelle e mezzo
Ok, qui stavo rischiando pure di farmi un piantino...e non è una cosa da poco, visto che è un raccontino di 30/40 pagine. La storia si svolge 18 anni prima di "Promise of Blood", durante la campagna contro Gurla: incontriamo Tamas quando è ancora un generale e assistiamo alla sua ascesa al rango supremo dell'esercito di Adro, quello di Field Marshal. Ma qui la vera protagonista è Verundish, giovane capitano che si trova in una brutta situazione: quello squallido infame del marito vuole il divorzio per sposarsi con la sua amante. Il problema è che il padre di lei è anche il prete che ha officiato le nozze e si rifiuta di firmare i documenti necessari per la separazione. E così il pezzente mette la poverina di fronte a una scelta terribile: ha tre mesi di tempo per trovare una via d'uscita – il divorzio o suicidarsi – altrimenti venderà a degli schiavisti la loro bambina. Disperata, Verundish decide di offrirsi volontaria per guidare al posto del suo amante la Hope's End, ovvero la prima squadra di soldati che dovrà attaccare la breccia nelle mura della fortezza nemica – un'impresa suicida, visto che raramente i malcapitati riescono a sopravvivere a lungo. Fortunatamente per lei, le cose si risolveranno per il meglio e Tamas sarà pronto a dare una mano. Una storiella brevissima che ci permette di vedere anche il disprezzo che i vertici dell'esercito avevano per Tamas (uomo di umili origini e senza una goccia di sangue blu), e la lotta di quest'ultimo a favore di un sistema più meritocratico.
- The Girl of Hrusch Avenue: 3 stelle e mezzo
Ambientato 8 anni prima di "Promise of Blood", questa è la storia di come si sono conosciuti Taniel, Bo e Vlora: orfana di un barone rimasto senza un soldo e costretta a vivere con una sottospecie di governante non molto brava nel suo lavoro, la ragazzina vive per strada, senza nei paraggi di Hrusch Avenue, dove si trovano le botteghe di armi. Infatti, Vlora è attratta in maniera irresistibile da pistole, fucili e polvere da sparo. Il suo primo incontro con Taniel è quantomeno bizzarro, visto che lo aiuta a riempire di mazzate due squallidi bulletti del posto. Da lì i due iniziano a fare comunella, finché non si scoprirà che anche Tamas la stava tenendo d'occhio per via del suo evidente talento di powder mage, tanto che finirà per portarla a vivere con lui e Taniel per poterla addestrare come si deve (Tamas sempre idolo, che si mette a fare duelli con nobili infami nel mezzo della strada senza nemmeno pensarci due volte).
- Green-eyed vipers: 4 stelle
Anche questa novella è ambientata otto anni prima di "Promise of Blood" e qui vediamo un primo assaggio della vendetta che Tamas scatenerà contro il re e l'aristocrazia di Adro con il suo colpo di stato. Vittima della sua furia è una cugina del re che avevo fornito ai Kez informazioni di vitale importanza che hanno portato alla decapitazione di Erika, l'adorata moglie di Tamas, nella speranza di poterselo accaparrare lei (sì, questa ha decisamente molti problemi). Niente da dire, la stronza ha fatto decisamente la fine che si meritava.
- The Face in the Window: 4 stelle
Un altro primo incontro, quello tra Taniel e Ka-Poel, avvenuto due anni prima dei fatti narrati in "Promise of Blood". Taniel viene mandato a Fatrasta dal padre (il rapporto tra i due si è fatto molto più freddo e conflittuale rispetto alla seconda novella) per vedere un po' il mondo: ma quando scoppia la guerra di indipendenza contro Kez, Taniel decide di arruolarsi tra le file dei ribelli e andare a caccia di Privileged nemici (qui l'autore ci fa vedere la sua prima vittima). A dominare il tutto è l'incontro con questa strana ragazza proveniente dal lontano regno di Dynize, che non può parlare, avvolta da un'aura di magia e di mistero e che lo aiuterà a sopravvivere alle insidie delle paludi di Fatrasta. Qui decisamente c'è spazio per saperne di più: Brian, vedi di non deluderci.
- Return to Honor: 3 stelle (e mi sente ancora buona)
Qui ci ritroviamo a ridosso della conclusione di "Promise of Blood": Vlora deve ritrovare il capo delle guardie dell'arcivescovo Charlemund, sparito nel nulla con informazioni vitali circa i movimenti dell'esercito di Adro, infromazioni che, se dovessero cadere in mano nemica, potrebbero mettere prematuramente fine alle speranze di vittoria contro Kez. Sebbene Tamas – incazzato a morte con lei per il modo in cui la ragazza ha cornificato Taniel, portando così alla rottura del loro fidanzamento – le avesse intimato di fare tutto da sola, Vlora finirà per farsi aiutare da Olem (immagino che questa novella dovrebbe sostanzialmente dare un po' di background alla storiella che i due intrecciano in "The Crimson Campaign"). Niente, a me Vlora non piace: peraltro ho poco apprezzato il suo modo di fare (alla fine non è mai colpa sua) e la totale mancanza di qualsivoglia pensiero per il povero Taniel, che è in coma dopo il suo primo incontro con Kresimir. Certo, gli altri soldati potrebbero pensare ai fatti loro e fare meno gli stronzi, ma lei se l'è giusto un po' cercata, no?
May 28, 2016
4* - 8 out of 10.
Excellent collection of stories from the Powder Mage Universe with the brand new 'Green-Eyed Vipers' and my personal favourite 'The Face in the Window'.
Excellent collection of stories from the Powder Mage Universe with the brand new 'Green-Eyed Vipers' and my personal favourite 'The Face in the Window'.
December 12, 2017
Brian McClellan is one of my favorite fantasy authors to hit the scene in the past decade. His Powder Mage trilogy is the epitome of Flintlock Fantasy as far as I am concerned. McClellan has written and self-published a good bit of short fiction set in the Powder Mage world. In the Field Marshal’s Shadow collects his shorter works. It doesn’t compare to his novels, but it is better than the average for this sort of thing, and I’ve seen several people say McClellan’s short fiction really enhances their appreciation of the novels by better drawing motivations of some of the characters from the novels.
Hope’s End
Hope’s End, like The Girl of Hrusch Avenue, is a short story set in the same world as Promise of Blood and taking place before the events of that novel. Also like The Girl of Hrusch Avenue, Hope’s End features a female hero (McClellan obviously noticed one particular criticism of Promise of Blood). It’s written to be accessible to a reader who hasn’t read Promise of Blood, but they probably won’t appreciate it nearly as much. Tamas plays a prominent role (again, like The Girl of Hrusch Avenue), and we get perhaps our best window yet into Tamas’ motivations for his actions at the beginning of Promise of Blood.
Hope’s End has a lot going for it. It has a great backdrop: the first wave charging into a breach in an era when muskets made that a suicide mission. The setup is careful, the conflict has clear consequences, and the action sequence is to McClellan’s usual high standards. Unfortunately, I found the end a little too pat for a short story, which needs to be high on its impact to word count ratio.
4 of 5 Stars.
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue
Brian McClellan’s debut novel, Promise of Blood, shows epic promise. One of the most well targeted complaints against it, however, is that the female characters are poorly drawn and tangential to the main story. This includes Vlora, who exists in Promise of Blood primarily to set up Taniel’s story and create conflict between him and his father, Tamas.
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue is a short story set in the same world and featuring the same characters as Promise of Blood. We learn about Vlora, seeing her as an orphan child: who she is, some of why she is that way, and how she came to meet Taniel and Tamas. There was so much conflict among the three in Promise of Blood. Here we see why they initially took to each other.
It’s the sort of thing a fan of Promise of Blood will love, a weak salve for the ache for The Crimson Campaign, book 2 in the Powder Mage trilogy. But it’s very limited as a short story in and of itself, neither a Thinker nor a Twister in my own taxonomy, just supplemental to the larger story.
4 of 5 Stars.
Green-Eyed Vipers
Tamas takes revenge on a woman who wronged him. My least favorite of the five stories.
3 of 5 Stars.
The Face in the Window
The story from before the Powder Mage trilogy that I most wanted to hear was about Fatrasta and how Taniel met Ka-Poel (the opening book in McClellan’s new trilogy, Sins of Empire, takes place in Fatrasta). The Face in the Window is the first book in the collection without Tamas in it (though he looms large over it), and it is the better for it. Of all the stories, this one would have benefited from being longer.
4.5 of 5 Stars.
Return to Honor
Vlora returns for Return to Honor. It takes place between Promise of Blood and The Crimson Campaign. Vlora is still trying to get out from under her betrayal of a war hero and the dishonor it brought. This story is much better after having read Sins of Empire because it focuses on Vlora and Olem.
4 of 5 Stars.
In the Field Marshal’s Shadow does not include all of McClellan’s short fiction set in the Powder Mage world. It does not include the novellas No Forsworn, Servant of the Crown, Murder at the Kinnen Hotel, and Ghosts of the Tristan Basin, which are collected separately.
Disclosure: McClellan sent me a review copy of In the Field Marshal’s Shadow.
Hope’s End
Hope’s End, like The Girl of Hrusch Avenue, is a short story set in the same world as Promise of Blood and taking place before the events of that novel. Also like The Girl of Hrusch Avenue, Hope’s End features a female hero (McClellan obviously noticed one particular criticism of Promise of Blood). It’s written to be accessible to a reader who hasn’t read Promise of Blood, but they probably won’t appreciate it nearly as much. Tamas plays a prominent role (again, like The Girl of Hrusch Avenue), and we get perhaps our best window yet into Tamas’ motivations for his actions at the beginning of Promise of Blood.
Hope’s End has a lot going for it. It has a great backdrop: the first wave charging into a breach in an era when muskets made that a suicide mission. The setup is careful, the conflict has clear consequences, and the action sequence is to McClellan’s usual high standards. Unfortunately, I found the end a little too pat for a short story, which needs to be high on its impact to word count ratio.
4 of 5 Stars.
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue
Brian McClellan’s debut novel, Promise of Blood, shows epic promise. One of the most well targeted complaints against it, however, is that the female characters are poorly drawn and tangential to the main story. This includes Vlora, who exists in Promise of Blood primarily to set up Taniel’s story and create conflict between him and his father, Tamas.
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue is a short story set in the same world and featuring the same characters as Promise of Blood. We learn about Vlora, seeing her as an orphan child: who she is, some of why she is that way, and how she came to meet Taniel and Tamas. There was so much conflict among the three in Promise of Blood. Here we see why they initially took to each other.
It’s the sort of thing a fan of Promise of Blood will love, a weak salve for the ache for The Crimson Campaign, book 2 in the Powder Mage trilogy. But it’s very limited as a short story in and of itself, neither a Thinker nor a Twister in my own taxonomy, just supplemental to the larger story.
4 of 5 Stars.
Green-Eyed Vipers
Tamas takes revenge on a woman who wronged him. My least favorite of the five stories.
3 of 5 Stars.
The Face in the Window
The story from before the Powder Mage trilogy that I most wanted to hear was about Fatrasta and how Taniel met Ka-Poel (the opening book in McClellan’s new trilogy, Sins of Empire, takes place in Fatrasta). The Face in the Window is the first book in the collection without Tamas in it (though he looms large over it), and it is the better for it. Of all the stories, this one would have benefited from being longer.
4.5 of 5 Stars.
Return to Honor
Vlora returns for Return to Honor. It takes place between Promise of Blood and The Crimson Campaign. Vlora is still trying to get out from under her betrayal of a war hero and the dishonor it brought. This story is much better after having read Sins of Empire because it focuses on Vlora and Olem.
4 of 5 Stars.
In the Field Marshal’s Shadow does not include all of McClellan’s short fiction set in the Powder Mage world. It does not include the novellas No Forsworn, Servant of the Crown, Murder at the Kinnen Hotel, and Ghosts of the Tristan Basin, which are collected separately.
Disclosure: McClellan sent me a review copy of In the Field Marshal’s Shadow.
July 28, 2017
This book includes 5 short stories from Powder Mage universe unveiling history of the main characters of Powder Mage trilogy.
"Hope's End" is a short story about captain Verundish who volunteers for suicidal attack on Hope's End, a Gurlish fortress almost impossible to defeat. In reality this is story about how general Tamas became Field Marshal. 4*
"Girl from Hrush Avenue" is nice story explaining how little girl Vlora met Taniel, Bo and their father, Field Marshal Tamas. 4*, different POV than in previous stories."
In short story "Green-Eyed Vipers" readers get to know about another very interesting, if not important, events in life of Field Marchal Tamas, revenge for murder of his wife. 3,5*
"A Face in the Window" is a background story about how Taniel met Ka-Poel in Fatrasta. The weakest story so far. I was hoping for so much more. The fact that it took me over a month to finish it, due to various reasons, maybe also played its role in my perception and rating of this story. 3*
Last story, "Return to Honor", takes place between "Promise of Blood" and "The Crimson Campaign" and it tells how Vlora, the girl raised by Tamas, engaged with Taniel whom she betrayed later on, gained her credit in Adran army and Tamas' eyes again. This is the only story where Olem appears. 4*
Overall, this was very nice and enjoyable venture into early years of Powder mage world where we had an opportunity to know the main characters little bit better. The writing was as great as in the trilogy and I really liked different tone of some stories such as Girl from Hrush Avenue. It is still fun and I can't wait reading "Sins of Empire" now.
Stories are closed enough so they can be read also without knowledge of Powder Mage trilogy but I strongly recommend to read the trilogy first otherwise you will not enjoy these stories nearly as much.
"Hope's End" is a short story about captain Verundish who volunteers for suicidal attack on Hope's End, a Gurlish fortress almost impossible to defeat. In reality this is story about how general Tamas became Field Marshal. 4*
"Girl from Hrush Avenue" is nice story explaining how little girl Vlora met Taniel, Bo and their father, Field Marshal Tamas. 4*, different POV than in previous stories."
In short story "Green-Eyed Vipers" readers get to know about another very interesting, if not important, events in life of Field Marchal Tamas, revenge for murder of his wife. 3,5*
"A Face in the Window" is a background story about how Taniel met Ka-Poel in Fatrasta. The weakest story so far. I was hoping for so much more. The fact that it took me over a month to finish it, due to various reasons, maybe also played its role in my perception and rating of this story. 3*
Last story, "Return to Honor", takes place between "Promise of Blood" and "The Crimson Campaign" and it tells how Vlora, the girl raised by Tamas, engaged with Taniel whom she betrayed later on, gained her credit in Adran army and Tamas' eyes again. This is the only story where Olem appears. 4*
Overall, this was very nice and enjoyable venture into early years of Powder mage world where we had an opportunity to know the main characters little bit better. The writing was as great as in the trilogy and I really liked different tone of some stories such as Girl from Hrush Avenue. It is still fun and I can't wait reading "Sins of Empire" now.
Stories are closed enough so they can be read also without knowledge of Powder Mage trilogy but I strongly recommend to read the trilogy first otherwise you will not enjoy these stories nearly as much.
December 7, 2017
(recenzovaná celá kniha Příběhy ze světa prachmistrů)
Další z těch knih, které se čtou v podstatě samy. Odložíte je v noci na stolek a ránou jsou přečtené a ještě si samy udělají zápis do vašeho čtenářského deníku. Navíc je tohle kniha, která v originále ani neexistuje - Talpress dal dohromady povídkový sborník Ve stínu polního maršála a čtyři kratší novely, které v originále vyšly samostatně a udělal z toho jednu knihu. Což je fajn - všechny spojuje to, že se odehrávají před událostmi knižní trilogie (s výjimkou jedné, která se odehrává mezi díly).
McClellan píše čistě, drží se příběhu a od prvních slov má své postavy pod tlakem. Od začátku mají hrdinové nějaký cíl, téměř všemocného soupeře - a do toho jsou obvykle ještě páriové, kteří se pohybují v prostředí, kde je většina lidí nenávidí. Ať jsou to prachmistři v Kezu, kde je tahle schopnost trestána smrtí, nebo schopný válečník bez šlechtického původu na královském dvoře, nebo nový policista na zkorumpovaném okrsku. Díky tomu hrdinové nemusí překonávat jen soupeře, ale i své okolí - a příběhy vás okamžitě vtáhnou. Člověk prostě musí fandit outsiderům, kteří jdou proti všem.
Takže jo, čtivé to rozhodně je. Jediná nevýhoda je, že jak jsou ty všechny příběhy takhle pohromadě, začne vám docházet, že je autor píše podle stejného mustru a že má často dost slabé koncovky. Že se čtenáře nemusí o postavy bát, protože jsou to totální borci, a že místo epického finále přijde jen poznámka pod čarou. A že jsou všechny povídky fajn, ale žádná z nich vás nedostane do kolen. Všechny tyhle výtky se vztahují v podstatě i k trilogii, ale tam, jak je to jeden dlouhý příběh, to zase tolik nevadí. U povídek a novel už to chce občas i něco originálnější, nápaditějšího či ostřejšího.
Ale pořád se to čte dobře - a pokud chcete vědět, co dělali hrdinové takových 10-30 let před událostmi trilogie, jděte do toho.
Další z těch knih, které se čtou v podstatě samy. Odložíte je v noci na stolek a ránou jsou přečtené a ještě si samy udělají zápis do vašeho čtenářského deníku. Navíc je tohle kniha, která v originále ani neexistuje - Talpress dal dohromady povídkový sborník Ve stínu polního maršála a čtyři kratší novely, které v originále vyšly samostatně a udělal z toho jednu knihu. Což je fajn - všechny spojuje to, že se odehrávají před událostmi knižní trilogie (s výjimkou jedné, která se odehrává mezi díly).
McClellan píše čistě, drží se příběhu a od prvních slov má své postavy pod tlakem. Od začátku mají hrdinové nějaký cíl, téměř všemocného soupeře - a do toho jsou obvykle ještě páriové, kteří se pohybují v prostředí, kde je většina lidí nenávidí. Ať jsou to prachmistři v Kezu, kde je tahle schopnost trestána smrtí, nebo schopný válečník bez šlechtického původu na královském dvoře, nebo nový policista na zkorumpovaném okrsku. Díky tomu hrdinové nemusí překonávat jen soupeře, ale i své okolí - a příběhy vás okamžitě vtáhnou. Člověk prostě musí fandit outsiderům, kteří jdou proti všem.
Takže jo, čtivé to rozhodně je. Jediná nevýhoda je, že jak jsou ty všechny příběhy takhle pohromadě, začne vám docházet, že je autor píše podle stejného mustru a že má často dost slabé koncovky. Že se čtenáře nemusí o postavy bát, protože jsou to totální borci, a že místo epického finále přijde jen poznámka pod čarou. A že jsou všechny povídky fajn, ale žádná z nich vás nedostane do kolen. Všechny tyhle výtky se vztahují v podstatě i k trilogii, ale tam, jak je to jeden dlouhý příběh, to zase tolik nevadí. U povídek a novel už to chce občas i něco originálnější, nápaditějšího či ostřejšího.
Ale pořád se to čte dobře - a pokud chcete vědět, co dělali hrdinové takových 10-30 let před událostmi trilogie, jděte do toho.
April 16, 2019
Hope's End
Beautiful story. Very heartbreaking.. As well as heartwarming. Plenty of action as well. I am still very impressed with Brian's ability to write in characters in this short of a time and make them relatable, as well as, make me truly care for them by the end. Also, no wonder that Tamas is so beloved by the people in his crews and almost anyone he meets, except for those that choose to hate him on principle, of course.
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue
The origin of Vlora is good. Much like the rest of these short stories.. They capture the characters and let you nice shades of them though time. I liked seeing Vlora and Taniel at their first meeting and this fits for what it is. I also was pleased to read of Bo again.
Green-eyed Vipers
Wow. This was really seemingly the start of the.. Well 'cleansing' of Tamas. I figured it was going that way... And it's a sad story but such a well told capture of that moment.
The Face in the Window
The meeting of Taniel and Ka-poel. I feel like many of these short stories are parts of the flashbacks for the books that just didn't fit well or something like that. They are well polished and give you wonderful insights into the characters. I am very much enjoying them.
Return to Honor
Another big meeting moment. Meeting of Olem and Vlora. I found this just as good as the rest. Great storytelling and great characters.
Beautiful story. Very heartbreaking.. As well as heartwarming. Plenty of action as well. I am still very impressed with Brian's ability to write in characters in this short of a time and make them relatable, as well as, make me truly care for them by the end. Also, no wonder that Tamas is so beloved by the people in his crews and almost anyone he meets, except for those that choose to hate him on principle, of course.
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue
The origin of Vlora is good. Much like the rest of these short stories.. They capture the characters and let you nice shades of them though time. I liked seeing Vlora and Taniel at their first meeting and this fits for what it is. I also was pleased to read of Bo again.
Green-eyed Vipers
Wow. This was really seemingly the start of the.. Well 'cleansing' of Tamas. I figured it was going that way... And it's a sad story but such a well told capture of that moment.
The Face in the Window
The meeting of Taniel and Ka-poel. I feel like many of these short stories are parts of the flashbacks for the books that just didn't fit well or something like that. They are well polished and give you wonderful insights into the characters. I am very much enjoying them.
Return to Honor
Another big meeting moment. Meeting of Olem and Vlora. I found this just as good as the rest. Great storytelling and great characters.
April 2, 2018
Hope's End - 3/5 - Eighteen years before Promise of Blood. General Tomas orders Captain Verundish's lover to lead a dangerous charge that could turn the tide in the Gurlish war. Meanwhile, she is being threatened by her husband.
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue - 4/5 - Ten years before Promise of Blood. Vlora meets Taniel.
Green-Eyed Vipers - 3/5 - Eight years before Promise of Blood. Baroness Petara plays a dangerous game with Tomas.
The Face in the Window - 3/5 - Two years before Promise of Blood. Taniel meets Ka-Poel at the start of the Tristan Basin (Fatrastan war).
Return to Honor - 3/5 - Between Promise of Blood and The Crimson Campaign.
Contains:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
The Girl of Hrusch Avenue - 4/5 - Ten years before Promise of Blood. Vlora meets Taniel.
Green-Eyed Vipers - 3/5 - Eight years before Promise of Blood. Baroness Petara plays a dangerous game with Tomas.
The Face in the Window - 3/5 - Two years before Promise of Blood. Taniel meets Ka-Poel at the start of the Tristan Basin (Fatrastan war).
Return to Honor - 3/5 - Between Promise of Blood and The Crimson Campaign.
Contains:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
September 26, 2018
The best story of these is the one about Taniel according to me. Not only it shows us how he met with Ka-Poel. It also discusses how he got where he got mentally. And it is the one that goes the deepest when regarding the psychology of main characters. However, it gives you the same feeling as the other shortstories in one thing - it is a simple story.
All of the stories are predictable and simple. That wouldn't be a problem if there was some sort of complexity on another part. But instead of any complexities McClellan sometimes gives you cliché (like when Vlora has only a couple of second to take a shot and she contemplates about a bunch of stuff during that short period of time). Thus the stories may seem more like a "simple character introduction". Which is fine by me. Every author needs to have those in his shelf. The question is - should he also put them into the public without complicating and elaborating them?
Nevertheless, In the Field Marshal's Shadow is a very enjoyable book. The stories go by more easily than a ship in a wonderful breeze. And it feels good to meet at least some of the characters once again. 3,5/5.
All of the stories are predictable and simple. That wouldn't be a problem if there was some sort of complexity on another part. But instead of any complexities McClellan sometimes gives you cliché (like when Vlora has only a couple of second to take a shot and she contemplates about a bunch of stuff during that short period of time). Thus the stories may seem more like a "simple character introduction". Which is fine by me. Every author needs to have those in his shelf. The question is - should he also put them into the public without complicating and elaborating them?
Nevertheless, In the Field Marshal's Shadow is a very enjoyable book. The stories go by more easily than a ship in a wonderful breeze. And it feels good to meet at least some of the characters once again. 3,5/5.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews