James Enge’s Blood of Ambrose and Mike Resnick’s Stalking the Vampire
(The Fictionwise version of the first book in the John Justin Mallory series, Stalking the Unicorn, is also in the Kindle store for those who haven’t read book one.)
Blood of Ambrose & Stalking the Vampire: Now in Kindle Format Read More »
some thoughts worth sharing:
“James Enge writes Blood of Ambrose
-Adventures in SciFi Publishing blog, June 12, 2009
“When, less than a week after picking up the book, David Eddings died, I was shocked by the coincidence, but comforted that I had found such a worthy successor for my time…The standalone novel is such a rarity in the fantasy isle that walking readers through a character’s adolescent in one volume, never mind doing it convincingly, is a feat worthy of recognition in and of itself. But Enge does tell the story convincingly. At its heart, Blood of Ambrose is a coming of age tale that follows the Lathmar the seventh from the tender age of twelve to manhood. In that, 
this novel succeeds beautifully. The combination of brevity, rapid pacing, and convincing character development mark Enge out as an author to watch and Blood of Ambrose as a future classic of the Young Adult fantasy section.”
-The Great Geek Manual blog, June 7, 2009
“I’ve long loved Enge’s Morlock stories in Black Gate, and this offers a heaping helping of the Ambrosii and their complicated family dynamic. In a way, this is a coming-of-age story, but it’s also a study of family relationships, and it’s a darn fine sword and sorcery epic as well. I love the sly asides and vivid imagery, but those never overpower the human elements of the story. I’m hanging onto this one–I bet it’ll repay a reread down the road.”
– Electronic Leaves blog, June 10, 2009
James Enge, author of Blood of Ambrose,
I believe that the greatest danger to genre fiction nowadays is not the denial of respect from some notional group of literary tastemakers but the very real likelihood that sf/f may become respectable. Those who thirst for the foamy gray poison of respectability should consider the fate of jazz, once a popular medium, now respectable, ossified and ignored.
James Enge Interview up at Fantasy Book Critic Read More »
Stargate writer/producer, avid reader, and all around great guy Joe Mallozzi has announced his June and July selections for his Book Club reads. For those who don’t know, Joe picks one or more titles a month, invites his many fans to read them along with him, and then invites the authors in for a lengthy Q&A. I had the honor to be the first such guest, but he’s gone on to have scores of authors on, including our own Justina Robson, David Louis Edelman, and Joe Abercrombie, as well as our friend & frequent cover artist John Picacio. Now, he’s chosen James Enge’s Blood of Ambrose
Blood of Ambrose is Joe Mallozzi’s Book of the Month for July Read More »
The King of the Nerds is very enthusiastic about James Enge’s debut Blood of Ambrose.
It isn’t without it’s problems but they pale in comparison to the amount of pure fun that this novel provided… By the time I got to the [huge spoiler omitted] I could barely put it down.
He observes that:
Enge displays a remarkable talent for banter amongst his characters…
And also, astutely:
Enge also seems to cherry pick from various other genres. Most frequently that genre is horror (or at least “dark fantasy”).
And he concludes that:
Blood of Ambrose has a very sword and sorcery feel. It is a type of style and story that is almost completely at odds with a lot of what we’re seeing on the fantasy market today. It is a type of fantasy story that Pyr seems to be carving out a niche for and to that I say ‘Thank You! …[Blood of Ambrose] was truly fantastic… It’s old school and new school, dark without ever being oppressive and yet somehow managed to keep an almost constant smile on my face. It’s one of those novel that leaves you a bit crestfallen that it’s over, not because the ending was disappointing (it wasn’t!) but because you have to stop living in the world it crafted. The second book This Crooked Way
looks like it’ll be out in October and I for one can’t wait to read more.
Meanwhile, Blue Tyson thinks there’s a very definite Steven Brust vibe to James Enge, as well as a Fritz Leiber tone. I certainly agree about the Leiber, but I’ve never read Brust so I can’t say. That being said, a friend of mine who gifted me some Brust recently (that I do plan on reading, promise) is wild about Enge, so maybe he’s on to something. Blue Tyson also has some very nice things to say:
Blood Of Ambrose, where to begin? It is very rare I get extremely interested in a novel these days significantly ahead of its arrival, at least if the names involved don’t start with Egan, Morgan, or Reynolds. However, this was one of those rare volumes.
And he picked up on an element to the character, perhaps not an intentional one, that I recognized (and loved) as well:
…a character comparison that could be made with Morlock is actually that of Doctor Who, not something I’d do often for a literary character. However, plenty of books of the former. Here you do have an extremely long-lived individual, alien, dispassionate and given to thinking his way out of trouble, where possible, helped by a large array of arcane engineering knowledge. His relationship with his sister is also rather reminiscent of the fond bickering between the Doctor and Romana. He’s also prone to collecting proteges and companions. The 21st century vintage doctor has been known to get a bit gung-ho with a sword, too. Morlock, however, is not given to huge rantypants oratorically declamatory scenery-chewing. Nor of making goo-goo eyes at girls younger than his underpants, come to that, given his ex-wife. There’s no K-9, but Morlock has one of the coolest pets as such that I have ever come across.
He praises, “one of the best starts to a book I have seen in a long time,” and concludes:
A novel that is inventive and refreshingly different, especially so if you haven’t seen any of the Morlock stories before, and I’ll read it again. At least I’d be surprised if you’ve read a book before about a drunken, ex-hero, divorced son of Merlin, foster-dwarf who is a magical artificer with a dwarven sidekick, strange pets, a backpack, and a hunchback, among other things.
Plus I’d be happy to order the second book in advance.
Thanks, guys. So glad you both liked the book so much!
Blood of Ambrose: "I could barely put it down." Read More »
There’s a fantastic interview with Blood of Ambrose
The genesis of Morlock was, I think, frustration with two of my favorite writers, Tolkien and H.G. Wells. I was annoyed that Tolkien so obviously favored elves over dwarves, and that Wells did the same with Eloi over Morlocks. Morlocks did stuff—they worked and learned and thought and created. They seemed to me more authentically human than the empty, shiny Eloi. So what if they lived underground and weren’t so pretty? The cannibalism is a little harder to stomach, as it were—but I’m sure that’s exactly why Wells put it in. That’s his thumb on the scale, trying to tilt our judgment of his characters.
Then over at The Agony Column, Rick Kleffel and I talk about Steampunk, Victoriana and Elizabethan SF, with a bit about Chris Roberson, George Mann, and old series Doctor Who. Here’s a direct link.
Meanwhile in response to my accidentally traumatizing her with an offhand statement, Justina Robson asks What is Fantasy About? Please go join in the discussion. I sense brilliance on the verge of conception.
Then Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review gives an 8 out of 10 to Matthew Sturges’ Midwinter.
…a book that any fantasy fan will get a lot out of. …there is no denying the sense of urgency that leaps out off the page and drives the story along [at] a very fast pace. The constant plotting and scheming underneath the surface adds to this urgency as well as giving the reader the best possible reason to keep reading. There are loads of questions that all need answering and it’s all credit to Sturges that these are the kind of questions where you care enough about the answers to invest more time in reading the book. You also cannot deny the dangers that our travellers must face on their journey and these make for some great moments where anything could happen and spectacle is the order of the day!
Hey, I’d be rushing out to get that now if I hadn’t read it already. But if you need more convincing, Jessica Strider at Sci-Fan Letter interviews Matthew Sturges, about the book and the craft of writing in general.
I was doing a presentation about writing comic books for a group of fourth-graders, since I’m most known as a comic book writer. Most of the questions were what you’d expect from nine-year-olds: Who’d win in a fight between the Hulk and Superman, that kind of stuff. Just as the questions were dying down, a kid in the back raised his hand and asked, “How much do you make?” I paused for a second and said, “I do okay, I guess.” He wasn’t satisfied, “Can you give me a dollar amount?” “That’s an inappropriate question,” said the teacher, embarassed. “Why?” said the kid. “How can I tell if I want to do that job if I don’t know what it pays?”
Meanwhile, The King of the Nerds (what a title!) has some very positive thoughts about Tom Lloyd’s The Twilight Herald:
…one heck of a wild ride, with action, excitement, danger, violence and epic confrontations occurring left and right… I’m not certain I would say The Twilight Herald is an improvement over The Stormcaller
but Lloyd at the least reveals an impressive level of verstatility in terms of style between the two novels. Furthermore he maintains an ability to include a subtle over-arching theme of revenge across the entirety of the novel that is never overwrought or glaring. Lloyd is keeping me guessing with the series and, criticisms asside, that is something I can definatley appreciate.
And that’s enough news for one morning, right?
Update: Well, no, because there’s a terrific interview with Tom Lloyd that is up at Fantasy Book News & Reviews.
Enge, Sturges, Robson, Lloyd and Me Read More »
Robert Thompson, of Fantasy Book Critic, on James Enge’s Blood of Ambrose.
“Combining elements of sword & sorcery, pulp fiction, the Arthurian legend, humor and horror, James Enges’ debut novel, Blood of Ambrose, is like a cross between Robert E. Howard, Joe Abercombie, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail with a dash of H.P. Lovecraft and Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead sprinkled in… For fantasy lovers, there are plenty of familiar elements… but because of the humor, the cynicism, the trickery and the horror elements, the familiar quickly becomes unfamiliar. …skillfully written and a very fun, imaginative and unique reading experience. In short, I had a blast with Blood of Ambrose and can’t wait for more…”
© James Enge
Coming in October.
Plenty of time to finish Blood of Ambrose.
For Your Viewing Pleasure: This Crooked Way Read More »
Jon Armstrong has uploaded the latest podcast in his marvelous show, if you’re just joining us. This one is an interview with Blood of Ambrose
“James Enge writes with great intelligence and wit. His stories take twisty paths to unexpected places you absolutely want to go. This isn’t the same old thing; this is delightful fantasy written for smart readers.” —Greg Keyes, New York Times bestselling author of The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone series
Podcast: James Enge talks with Jon Armstrong Read More »
Tor.com has just uploaded my conversation with James Enge, author of the just-released Swords & Sorcery novel, Blood of Ambrose.
Morlock, as suits his ornery nature, was born out of annoyance. I’d just been rereading Wells’ The Time Machine and I was annoyed because I thought (and still think) that Wells stacked the deck unfairly against the Morlocks. Somehow this merged with a longstanding grievance I have against Tolkien: JRRT worked too hard to make elves the good guys, often at the expense of dwarves. And—because I was reading a lot of Arthurian source material at the time—I realized that “Morlock” looked like a lot of names in Arthurian legend: Morgan, Morgause, Morholt, Mordred. And so this character named Morlock Ambrosius was born, who was supposed to be to Merlin something like what Mordred was to Arthur.
A Conversation with James Enge Read More »
