Book Review: Troupe of Shadows by Jennings Zabrinsky

Troupe of Shadows is blended action fantasy that isn’t afraid to be a little pulp. This is another featured book in the ‘Your Paper Quest’ indie book subscription, trading in any sense of pretension for gut punching style and impact, making it perhaps the most wildly entertaining book to come out of the service so far.

Troupe of Shadows was sold to me as ‘wild west meets samurai ensemble’, and I must admit, the extreme contrast of that premise was more off-putting than enticing. Suffice to say I didn’t have the highest expectations going into the novel, which probably sounds like sacrilege to anyone thinking that is just about the coolest combination they’ve ever heard of, but if there were any doubts whatsoever as to how I feel about the book now that I’ve given it a taste, let me elaborate.

Troupe of Shadows instantly hooked me. Jennings has such a good eye for how to write engaging scene by scene combat, neither falling into the trap of pace destroying over-description or comfortable sameness that ruin so many other author’s attempts. I believe this is one of the more challenging things for fantasy authors to write well, and it’s a testament to Jennings’ ability that they made it seem so effortless.

The characters are who you expect them to be, and their progression follows a familiar pathway laid down by countless similar narratives before this one, but it still succeeds by tapping into the same energetic and pulpy vibe that so many modern action films capture. You’re not meant to be surprised, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t still be sitting forward in your seat or grinning when characters reach the cathartic culmination of their story arcs. It’s enjoyable, and due to the short length of the book and carefully curated action, never presents itself as a problem.

 Likewise, as I alluded to before, the setting of ‘wild west meets fantasy colour-shifting samurai’ should be strange and out of place, but just ends up working. The fantasy aspects bridge over the technological differences that would otherwise cause friction with buying into the world, while the obvious contrast also facilitates the idea that these distinct groups are meant to feel foreign and confusing to each other. I’m genuinely impressed with how it is made to work, and it’s just another point of praise I can give the book.

 I think if there’s anything that makes me hesitate to give Troupe of Shadows a perfect rating, it is that its success presents itself as a double-edged sword. Just as the book excels within its niche, it is that same niche that prevents me from feeling as attached to it as I would if it was literary, epic, or personal – aspects that are much better at enabling me to remember a book for years to come. But if it’s just an entertaining book that you’re looking for, make no mistake, Troupe of Shadows is precisely that.