The Shadow Throne

This was a pretty good follow up to his amazing first The Thousand Names which set a new standard for colonial military fantasy. It was a compelling read and had a cast of interesting characters. The magic system was well done and there were some brutal action scenes. The setting was interesting as well with the imperial soldiers engaged in a life-or-death march through the desert, hounded on all sides by the enemy. If you liked Glen Cook's military fantasy or Erikson's Mazalan (especially Bone Hunters which deals with armies marching through the desert), then you'll love this one -- it has a somewhat similar feel. However, it's MUCH easier to read, the characters are more relatable for the most part. Overall, the first book was one of those novels you pick up and finish shortly and demand the sequel right away. Certainly one of the best fantasy releases of 2013.How does the sequel The Shadow Throne stack up? Very good, though a very different kind of read. While the first book was about several companies of soldiers (and individual squads) trying to survive in the desert while fending off hostile natives and magical menaces, the sequel books moves things into the city. It's more a book about internal city politics than a pure military fantasy. I suspect if you like books like Among Thieves where individuals must navigate among the different power structures in a city, you'll really get a kick out of this one. Personally, while I respected the author doing something new, I much preferred the previous setting. However, The Shadow Throne is by no means a bad book -- it's a great read overall. I just didn't like it nearly as much as the first.