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401 pp
ISBN: 978-1-59102-736-2
Trade Paperback (6" x 9")
$15.98
April 2009
Cover Illustration: © Dominic Harman (www.dominic-harman.com)
Interior Illustrations by Chuck Lukacs (www.chucklukacs.com)
Behind the king's life stands the menacing Protector, and beyond him lies the Protector's Shadow...
Centuries after the death of Uthar the Great, the throne of the Ontilian Empire lies vacant. The late emperor's brother-in-law and murderer, Lord Urdhven, appoints himself Protector to his nephew, young King Lathmar VII and sets out to kill anyone who stands between himself and mastery of the empire, including (if he can manage it) the king himself and his ancient but still formidable ancestress, Ambrosia Viviana.
When Ambrosia is accused of witchcraft and put to trial by combat, she is forced to play her trump card and call on her brother, Morlock Ambrosius—stateless person, master of all magical makers, deadly swordsman, and hopeless drunk.
As ministers of the king, they carry on the battle, magical and mundane, against the Protector and his shadowy patron. But all their struggles will be wasted unless the young king finds the strength to rule in his own right and his own name.
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Reviews:
"James Enge writes Blood of Ambrose with a subtle elegance that disguises his extraordinary narrative skill. The humor is natural and unforced. The characterization rings true, even under the revelation of shocking realities. The horror is never glorified, and it is all the more horrific for it. And the plot grows with organic grace. You won't find any quests here, nor the usual clichés or trappings of epic fantasy. No, these pages drip the unexpected, and they will make you laugh and scream and cry and thirst for more... Simply put, Blood of Ambrose is a powerful and fun stand-alone novel. No cliffhangers. No commitment to three or five or twelve book arcs. Savor it. Read it slowly, and prepare your table for This Crooked Way."
—Adventures in SciFi Publishing blog
"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
"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
"...[it's] more than a decent debut with a nice, flowing style, intriguing characters and a unique idea. Its ending led me to expect that we'll see a great deal more of Ambrosii in the sequel, and I look forward to it." —Realms of Speculative Fiction
"Chewed through this in about four days, which for me is a remarkable pace when it comes to 400-page volumes. Fantastic book with a neat plot,
inventive fantasy elements, and sharp prose. Possibly the most fun I've had reading a book since The Lies of Locke Lamora—which is, from me, high praise indeed." —seantmstiennon's LiveJournal blog
“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
“A powerful obsessive dynastic fantasy with clever shades of Arthurian mythos. I particularly like the drawing of Morlock and his dwarven artificer apprentice. Compelling reading.”
—Dave Freer, coauthor of the Heirs of Alexandria series
“James Enge's work is like Conan as written by Raymond Chandler: rich, witty, aware of its genre's traditions but not bound by them, with a new surprise of plot or turn of phrase every moment.” —Paul Cornell, Hugo-nominated writer of Doctor Who and Marvel comics
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