On the world of Kuf, the Macht are a mystery, a seldom-seen people of extraordinary ferocity and discipline whose prowess on the battlefield is the stuff of legend. For centuries they have remained within the remote fastnesses of the Harukush Mountains. In the world beyond, the teeming races and peoples of Kuf have been united within the bounds of the Asurian Empire, which rules the known world, and is invincible. The Great King of Asuria can call up whole nations to the battlefield. His word is law.
The Ten Thousand (The Macht)
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By James Long
Format:Paperback
If you read my feature on The Ten Thousand last month, then you might remember that I was quite excited by the sound of this novel. I'm not sure whether it was the cover art (yet another stunning Solaris cover), the premise (simple, but with real potential) or the prospect of epic battles that sparked my interest. It will suffice to say that something made this novel stand out for me, so when the ARC popped through my letterbox I was eager to see if my expectation was well-founded.
The novel itself is clearly inspired by the historical 'Ten Thousand' - the legendary army of largely Greek mercenaries that marched at the behest of Cyrus the Younger who hoped to seize control of the Persian Empire from his brother, Artaxerxes II. Except instead we have Ten Thousand elite warriors of the Macht, whose services have been hired by a wayward Prince to try and depose his brother, the Great King of the Assurian Empire. The novel follows the story of the Macht, as they leave their own country to fight their way across a vast, hostile Empire. And when things inevitably go pear-shaped, the story focuses on their fight for freedom as they seek to return to their homeland.
The first thing that struck me about this novel was Kearney's writing. I'd never read any of his novels before, and pretty soon I realised what I was missing. Kearney's writing style is very visceral and evocative; I was able to imagine some of the scenes extremely clearly, such was the atmosphere and emotions that were created. Yet he's versatile as well, as skilled at writing a huge battle scene involving thousands as he is writing a love scene. The pacing of the novel is solid and I particularly liked the short chapters, as they helped to emphasize and maintain this pacing.... Read more ›
The novel itself is clearly inspired by the historical 'Ten Thousand' - the legendary army of largely Greek mercenaries that marched at the behest of Cyrus the Younger who hoped to seize control of the Persian Empire from his brother, Artaxerxes II. Except instead we have Ten Thousand elite warriors of the Macht, whose services have been hired by a wayward Prince to try and depose his brother, the Great King of the Assurian Empire. The novel follows the story of the Macht, as they leave their own country to fight their way across a vast, hostile Empire. And when things inevitably go pear-shaped, the story focuses on their fight for freedom as they seek to return to their homeland.
The first thing that struck me about this novel was Kearney's writing. I'd never read any of his novels before, and pretty soon I realised what I was missing. Kearney's writing style is very visceral and evocative; I was able to imagine some of the scenes extremely clearly, such was the atmosphere and emotions that were created. Yet he's versatile as well, as skilled at writing a huge battle scene involving thousands as he is writing a love scene. The pacing of the novel is solid and I particularly liked the short chapters, as they helped to emphasize and maintain this pacing.... Read more ›
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
a novel that comes in the sub category of fantasy novels known as epic fantasy. such stories are set in fantasy kingdoms, usually with no magic or fairy creatures in sight [as is the case here] and they are worlds where destiny and the future is being decided on the battlefield as fighting tears the world apart. Kings, generals, and ordinary people will usually be the viewpoint characters, all caught up in the great struggle. a struggle in which the harsh brutality of war will be shown, and some may find themselves.
All of which applies here.
In this particular fantasy kingdom the king is being challenged for the throne by his brother, and the latter puts together an army the bulk of which are ten thousand mercenary soldiers from the macht, a race of people to whom fighting is pretty much everything. they are very good soldiers.
running 465 pages subdivided into three parts, with a ten page glossary at the end to explain some of the words used, the book is a novel that stands entirely on it's own and isn't part of any series or trilogies so you don't need to read anything else to understand what goes on here.
the main viewpoint character is rictus, a young man whose first experience of battle does not go too well, and whose resulting life in the chaos of a destroyed homeland becomes nothing but fighting as he and a man called gasca whom he befriends on his travels join with the macht.
early parts of the book cover this and the macht then joining with the rebel army and the resulting campaign. the prose is good and readable, the characterisation solid, and the depiction of war uncompromisingly realistic. this and adult language and brutal moments mean it's not a book for the young.... Read more ›
All of which applies here.
In this particular fantasy kingdom the king is being challenged for the throne by his brother, and the latter puts together an army the bulk of which are ten thousand mercenary soldiers from the macht, a race of people to whom fighting is pretty much everything. they are very good soldiers.
running 465 pages subdivided into three parts, with a ten page glossary at the end to explain some of the words used, the book is a novel that stands entirely on it's own and isn't part of any series or trilogies so you don't need to read anything else to understand what goes on here.
the main viewpoint character is rictus, a young man whose first experience of battle does not go too well, and whose resulting life in the chaos of a destroyed homeland becomes nothing but fighting as he and a man called gasca whom he befriends on his travels join with the macht.
early parts of the book cover this and the macht then joining with the rebel army and the resulting campaign. the prose is good and readable, the characterisation solid, and the depiction of war uncompromisingly realistic. this and adult language and brutal moments mean it's not a book for the young.... Read more ›
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I recommend the 10.000 to anyone, even those who , like me, had to to take High School tests on Xenophon's classic.Better yet, give it as a present to a teenager too steeped in heroic fantasy and drop a hint: he/she may start to learn that real history is much more complicated and fascinating than any well designed plot set in a surreal world.
28 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A few months back I noted The Ten Thousand as being one of my hot tips for 2008. Reading a lengthy preview that the author sent me a while back reinforced this feeling, and now reading the complete novel has confirmed my initial guess. Probably the most underread author in epic fantasy has delivered his strongest novel to date.
The Ten Thousand is based on The Anabasis, the best-known work of the Greek writer Xenophon. In that book Xenohpon relates how a Greek mercenary force of ten thousand warriors was hired by Cyrus the Younger, a Persian prince seeking to supplant his brother. When Cyrus was killed, the Greek army had to fight its way out of the now-hostile empire and find its way home.
In this novel the setting is the world of Kuf, which is divided between two humanoid species: the Macht and the Kufr. The Macht live in a mountainous peninsula made up of feuding city-states (reminsicent of Greece), whilst the Kufr inhabit the vast Assurian Empire to the south-east which dominates a huge continent. Many of the most famous mercenary companies of the Macht are summoned to the capital where a vast host is being assembled to sail across the sea and join the armies of the Assurian pretender Arkamenes, who seeks to usurp his brother, Ashurnan. Amongst these are Gasca and Rictus, two young warriors who join up for very different reasons, the former to see the world and fight, the latter to forget the horrors of the destruction of his city and family. As the story proceeds we meet other characters: Jason, the young and charasmatic commander of one of the mercenary companies; Vorus, a Macht living amongst the Kufr who is an advisor to Ashurnan; and Tiryn, Arkamenes' consort.... Read more ›
The Ten Thousand is based on The Anabasis, the best-known work of the Greek writer Xenophon. In that book Xenohpon relates how a Greek mercenary force of ten thousand warriors was hired by Cyrus the Younger, a Persian prince seeking to supplant his brother. When Cyrus was killed, the Greek army had to fight its way out of the now-hostile empire and find its way home.
In this novel the setting is the world of Kuf, which is divided between two humanoid species: the Macht and the Kufr. The Macht live in a mountainous peninsula made up of feuding city-states (reminsicent of Greece), whilst the Kufr inhabit the vast Assurian Empire to the south-east which dominates a huge continent. Many of the most famous mercenary companies of the Macht are summoned to the capital where a vast host is being assembled to sail across the sea and join the armies of the Assurian pretender Arkamenes, who seeks to usurp his brother, Ashurnan. Amongst these are Gasca and Rictus, two young warriors who join up for very different reasons, the former to see the world and fight, the latter to forget the horrors of the destruction of his city and family. As the story proceeds we meet other characters: Jason, the young and charasmatic commander of one of the mercenary companies; Vorus, a Macht living amongst the Kufr who is an advisor to Ashurnan; and Tiryn, Arkamenes' consort.... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Watch Out!
Bought this and so enjoyed it I have now had to get the other books in the series, all great and also now his earlier work so be aware his writing will cost you ............... Read more
Published 6 months ago by C. Johnston
4.0 out of 5 stars
Greek/Roman Warfare in an Imaginary World
A well written book. However I must say that the author has been a little lazy. The legendary 10,000 with their 'red cloaks', 8 foot spears with a lizard sticker on the end smacks... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Dave_In_Asia
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good solid book.
This reads like some of David Gemmell's books.
A strong lead character with some decent supporting characters. Read more
A strong lead character with some decent supporting characters. Read more
Published on 2 May 2011 by plot hound
5.0 out of 5 stars
Won me over fast
I was initially sceptical about this book, it looked at first view like a simple Xenephon port. But what a wild ride it proved to be, I got into it very fast and it carried me... Read more
Published on 9 Mar 2011 by blackbour
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great military fantasy
Years ago my parents gave me a book thinking, rightly so, that I would like it. It was Michael Curtis Ford's The Ten Thousand. Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2011 by Yagiz Erkan
1.0 out of 5 stars
Don't waste your time
The author made up a few scant discriptions of slightly differnt races just to make it into the fantasy genre as far as I can see, there is no immagination or depth to any of them. Read more
Published on 24 Aug 2010 by pmacaodha
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ravaging the empire next door
I loved Paul Kearney's two Sea Beggars books, so picked up the Ten Thousand with a good deal of eagerness. Hmm. It's a very different read, but then Paul always is. Read more
Published on 23 Mar 2010 by Paul Sheridan
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thalassa! Thalassa!
Based loosely on Xenophon's Anabasis, a tale of not-Greek mercenaries trapped in another's land, this fantasy novel is a lot better than most. Read more
Published on 18 Mar 2010 by wolf
5.0 out of 5 stars
The heir to Gemmell?
I was not impressed with the author's previous trilogy, but Kearny is certainly the King of Gritty Fantasy, and this is a return to form. Read more
Published on 29 Aug 2009 by Michael Porter
4.0 out of 5 stars
Does great battles
I read this on a recommendation - the exact words being "he writes the best battles in all of fiction" - and this might very well be true. Read more
Published on 14 May 2009 by Guest Reviewer
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