Grit, Action, and Vampires

Not surprising given that they included it as one of their top five genre books of 2010, but the Library Journal has just given James Barclay's Elfsorrow a starred review! They write that it "packs a visceral, gritty appeal and will attract fans of Glen Cook’s classic 'Black Company' novels. Pyr will publish the second volume, Shadowheart, in December, so order both titles for your fantasy collections."

"This gripping saga is as much historical drama as horror story," says Patricia's Vampire Notes, speaking of Jasper Kent's Twelve. They say, "Kent convincingly portrays the difficult life of the soldiers and the terror faced by civilians in occupied territory. Starvation for each was a constant companion. In Twelve there are mysterious deaths and disappearances which are shrugged off as some sort of plague. No one except Alexei, and eventually his comrades, suspect the true horror behind the loss of life. I would not categorize Twelve as a thriller because the pace is slower than novels like Blood Oath or The Passage. Still it will keep readers captured by terrific story-telling, well wrought characters, and gripping, supernatural horror."

LEC Book Reviews takes a look at Clay and Susan Griffith's The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire Book One), and writes, "Folks, this one is full of action, adventure, myth, rousing emotions and characters which there’s a good chance you’ll grow to love - be prepared to add it to your reading lists." They go on to say, "Many other reviewers have called this book the ‘best vampire book of the year’ and I’m tempted to agree, though I don’t know how much weight that would carry seeing as The Greyfriar is just about the only vampire book I’ve read this year... What I can say however is that Clay and Susan Griffith’s debut novel is a strong offering that has very good chances of winning you over. My recommendation goes to most readers of speculative fiction but in particular to epic fantasy lovers as this may just fulfill your needs for something a bit shorter and different while retaining obligatory epic proportions."

ELFSORROW makes LJ Best Books 2010: Genre Fiction list

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The Library Journal have just released their "LJ Best Books 2010: Genre Fiction" and James Barclay's Elfsorrow made the list. They write, "The mercenaries of the Raven journey to the heart of the elven continent of Calaius to save the land from dying in a superbly visualized fantasy adventure reminiscent of Glen Cook's classic Black Company tales."

He shared the list with Todd McCaffrey's Dragongirl, China  Miéville's Kraken, Mark Charan Newton's Nights of Villjamur, and Skyler White's And Falling, Fly. Congratulations to all the authors on this prestigious list! 

Reviews Roundup, or Reasons to Deplete Your Wallet

“The Greyfriar is pulp adventure at its best. Think Zorro with vampires. Add to the mix the conflicting but equally Byzantine politics of multiple human and vampire nations, and a crew of mysterious mystics. Season with appealing protagonists, a full measure of steam-driven gears and rocket-powered pacing, and you’ve got the recipe for my favorite kind of mind candy… a story crafted to keep you compulsively turning pages until the wee hours. But like all satisfying adventures, The Greyfriar addresses bigger issues… This is a tale of imperialism, 'manifest destiny', global conflict and power plays seen from both vampire and human eyes.” -Buzzy Multimedia: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Books, November 3, 2010

“Twelve is an intelligent, lucid and exciting novel—feel free to put that on the back cover—and is satisfying as a stand-alone story while holding promise for further adventure.” ​-Tor.com, November 1, 2010

“Enge writes enjoyable adventures. With The Wolf Age, he has taken a step up. One cares about the characters, and we see as much of the werewolves as we do of Morlock…Recommended.” -Kobold Quarterly, Issue 15, 2010

“[The Cardinal’s Blades] is a promising start to a series... There’s plenty of enjoyable material, the narrative moves at a quick pace…Throw in the swordfights, the double- and triple-crosses, and above all, the looming presence of Cardinal Richelieu, and the end result is a more than acceptable piece of light reading…” -Bull Spec, Issue 3, 2010

“Grimly characterized, and highly imaginative, if somewhat self-indulgent, Tome of the Undergates is an intriguing, original take on the classic fantasy band-of-adventurers tale. Sykes takes gleeful aim at the tired tropes of fantasy and turns them on their head, warping them to suit his sense of humour and dark mind… I have no problem seeing Sykes becoming and enduring and successful voice in fantasy.”​-Civilian Reader blog, November 1, 2010

“The Dervish House is simultaneously a love letter to a city that just might be someday, and a paean to things ancient and honorable. Never heavy-handed, always light on its feet as it skips from narrative to narrative and voice to voice, it manages to weave in impressive amounts of exposition and a double handful of major characters without slowing down or moralizing. Its characters remain distinct, their ultimate fates certain and true, and the book itself is a marvelous, enthralling read.”​-Bull Spec, Issue 3, October 2010

“[Empire in Black and Gold] ought not to work. The book should fall of its own weight. But somehow, everything comes together in one great big comfortable mess and captures the reader. The real key, I think, is that the characters are so vividly drawn that the reader falls in love with them.”​-Reading the Leaves blog, October 26, 2010

“If anything I'd call The Horns of Ruin Swords & Science. Fans of hack and slash Fantasy just may have found the steampunky read they've been looking for. The Horns of Ruin is an energetic rollercoaster ride in a well-accentuated world that needs to be further explored. I give The Horns of Ruin 7.5 out 10 hats.” ​-The Mad Hatter’s Bookshelf and Book Review, October 26, 2010

“LOTR fans take note! James Barclay's newest addition [Elfsorrow]…has all you could possibly want in a tantalizing epic adventure…Mr. Barclay's characterization is above the norm, with countless different peoples and races, heroes and bad guys that will all remain in the reader's mind for a long time after. And his creative, technical magic is part fantasy, part Sci-Fi mix, bringing his world-rules to vivid life. If you're looking for a unique, hard action, deeply plotted Sci-Fi/Fantasy epic then you owe it to yourself to read the first in this new series. You will cheer right along with the Raven heroes, find yourself caught up in the battles, and not want to put the book down until you're finished!” ​-Night Owl Reviews, October 28, 2010

“Mike Resnick has written a highly entertaining Steampunk Western… I loved how characters that we know were placed in an alternate version of the American West and how the author incorporated paranormal elements into the story giving it additional depth and some humor…The author did a fantastic job with character development and did a good job of keeping a large number of characters involved, moving the plot at a brisk pace, and at the same time giving depth to the different threads in the storyline. The dialogue is witty and sharp and the sections dealing with "Doc" and "Johnny Ringo"…were simply inspired. The end of the story is well done and very interesting. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Resnick's work. For a tale of the Wild West like you've never seen before, give The Buntline Special a ride. 5.00 / 5 - Reviewer Top Pick.” ​-Night Owl Reviews, December 1, 2010

"Lloyd's Twilight Reign contains all the things we feel are lacking in the Wheel of Time. Danger. Death. Consequences. This series even touches on some similar themes--the long dead king that was living in Isak's head for example. Sound familiar? Only the handling of it in Lloyd's series is so much better, and the purposes behind it feel much more immediate. Where the WoT gets bloated, repetitive and passive, The Twilight Reign is focused, dark, aggressive and active. THE RAGGED MAN really hammered home this sense of fulfilled literary promises that have been withheld by WoT and many other stagnant, epic fantasy series. Another comparison? OK. A few years ago we were at a convention where Lloyd was said to be in a similar vein as Steven Erikson. This is 100% accurate. That's all you need to know."

For Your Viewing Pleasure: Elfsorrow (full cover spread)

Elfsorrow © James Barclay
Cover Illustration © Raymond Swanland
Design by Nicole Sommer-Lecht

Coming in November!

“…this novel is easily Barclay's best....To have real fun, you have to face real danger. Barclay fills both sides of the bargain perfectly.” The Agony Column

“Intrigue, action, excitement, humor – these novels have these things in heaps. Elfsorrow too, like the previous Raven novels, is unapologetically violent. I had lost track of the body count by page ten! It is also chock full of wonderful fantasy creations…. If you like your fantasy fast paced, tough and punchy, go and discover The Raven. You won't be disappointed.” SFRevu

The Raven travel to a new continent in search of mages to help the ruined college of Julatsa rebuild . . . and find themselves in the midst of an ancient curse - a curse that has unleashed a plague that threatens to wipe out the elven race. Barclay excels with another tale that pitches The Raven against the clock and unseen foes. Full of desperate fights and secret betrayals the story also fills in more of Balaia's history and delves deeper into the ancient enmities between the colleges. Barclay has created a wonderfully appealing group of heroes and with every book their history grows and the land they live in becomes wider and richer. This is landmark fantasy in the making.