Locus Magazine's 2010 Recommended Reading List

Locus magazine has posted their 2010 Recommended Reading list, and we are pleased to see that Ian McDonald's The Dervish House is in the Novels-Science Fiction category, while James Enge's The Wolf Age is in the Novels-Fantasy.

James Enge: On Writing the Philorohorrmorbmance

The blog Civilian Reader has a great interview with James Enge up today. James talks about the origins of the character of Morlock Ambrosius in Tolkien and Arthurian romance, and how the character grew beyond those origins. They discuss his influences, his passion for classical mythology, and how Blood of Ambrose, This Crooked Way, and The Wolf Age is NOT a trilogy ("'All you guys say that!' one of my brothers shouted at me over the phone recently, but in this case it’s really true.") The whole interview is great. But here's a bit for a taste:

After Tolkien, I guess the biggest influence on me would be American writers of sword-and-sorcery (and the allied genre of sword-and-planet): Fritz Leiber, Roger Zelazny, Jack Vance and Leigh Brackett. They are explicitly and unapologetically writing adventure fiction in fantastic worlds, but the adventures and the risks in their fiction are not merely material, and each one is a brilliant stylist (among other things). I like Zelazny’s description of his masterwork, the original Amber series: “a philosophical romance shot through with elements of horror and morbidity.” That’s what I try to write: philorohorrmorbmance.

Free ePub Novelette Celebrates Milestone: Enjoy James Enge's "Travellers' Rest"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 6, 2010
CONTACT: Jill Maxick, 800-853-7545
jmaxick@prometheusbooks.com

Pyr Publishes Its 100th Title and Offers
Free Exclusive ePub Novelette in Celebration
Milestone Reached with James Enge’s The Wolf Age

Click here to download "Travellers' Rest" in epub

Amherst, New York – In March of this year, Pyr, the science fiction and fantasy imprint of Prometheus Books, celebrated its fifth anniversary. In November, Pyr reached another milestone: publishing its one-hundredth title, The Wolf Age, by James Enge.

The Wolf Age is the third novel to feature Enge’s character Morlock Ambrosius, a wandering swordsman, an exile, and a drunk. Blood of Ambrose, Enge’s first Morlock novel, was on the Locus Recommended Reading list and a World Fantasy Award nominee for Best Novel.

“I'm honored to be Pyr’s centenarian (or centurion?),” Enge says. “Between that distinction and the World Fantasy Award nomination for Blood of Ambrose, it's been a pretty cool fall. Both the WFA nominees and the authors on the Pyr list are pretty impressive company; it's a privilege to be counted among them.”

Publishers Weekly gave The Wolf Age a starred review, calling it “harrowing and beautiful” and noting that “Enge's elegant prose perfectly captures Morlock's terse and morbid nature, which thrives in the vicious, honorable werewolf nation. Numerous intimate, complicated, and contentious relationships provide depth and gravity to the grim tale, which will enthrall fans of the dark and sinister.”

All of Enge’s Morlock Ambrosius novels and stories can be read independently, but—as Tim Pratt recently pointed out in his Locus review of The Wolf Age—reading one will make you want to seek out the others. Calling The Wolf Age “inventive and delightful,” Pratt “promptly tracked down the earlier titles, Blood of Ambrose and This Crooked Way, because I enjoyed this one so much.” He added, “Enge is one of the most engaging of the new sword and sorcery authors, and I hope we get to follow Morlock's exploits for a long time to come.”

In honor of this burgeoning Morlock fan base, and to commemorate The Wolf Age’s status as Pyr’s one-hundredth title, Pyr is issuing a free, exclusive, ePub novelette called "Travellers' Rest." Featuring a cover by artist Chuck Lukacs, “Travellers' Rest” is an 8,500 word original novelette, written for Pyr, which takes place before the events of Blood of Ambrose. It is available on the Pyr website, http://www.pyrsf.com, as a free download in ePub format and will also be available via Kindle. (Two previously published Morlock short stories that take place many decades after the events of The Wolf Age—“A Book of Silences” and “Fire and Sleet” —are available on the Sample Chapters section of the Pyr website.)

Enge describes “Traveller's Rest” as “a story that's been trying to chew its way out of my head for a while now, and this seemed like a good time to release it as an introduction to Morlock. Also, Morlock’s apprentice Wyrth has a small but discerning fan base, and ‘Traveller's Rest’ gives them a chance to encounter him again.”

Enge's highly imaginative sword and sorcery mixes humor and darkness in equal measures. His writing has been compared favorably to Fritz Leiber, Jack Vance, David Eddings, and, interestingly, Raymond Chandler. Lev Grossman, the New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians, finds Enge “thrilling, funny, and mysteriously moving. . . I could read him forever and never get bored.”

Pyr has been called “one of the most exciting publishers in the business” by Black Gate magazine. It was launched in March of 2005 by Prometheus Books, an independent publisher of quality nonfiction based in Amherst, New York.

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The Functional Nerds: James Enge and Blake Charlton

James Enge, author of The Wolf Age, and Blake Charlton, author of Spellwright, are this week's guests on The Functional Nerds podcast, episode 35. The nerds describe the episode thusly:

"In the 35th episode of the Functional Nerds, we welcome back Blake Charlton & James Enge to talk dyslexia, Latin, Greek & why other languages have fewer folks suffering from dyslexia versus English, then break out into a fantastic chat on music, instruments and how language plays a huge part in how music has developed over centuries, then onto mythology and how it influences Fantasy works today, then into video games, comic books, YA novels, Spellbound, The Wolf Age and much, much more."

 The episode is available at the link above and via iTunes.

Oh, it is so nice when somebody totally gets it.

"It's nearly a textbook case of S&S-itis, and it's entirely satisfying, all the way through," writes Andrew Wheeler in today's post at his blog, The Antick Musings of G.B.H. Hornswoggler, Gent. He's talking about James Enge's This Crooked Way, second of his three stand-alone novels of Morlock the Maker. Andrew describes the quintessential sword and sorcery novel as relying "on journeys for much of their plots -- not quests, precisely (or not too much of the time), but important journeys, for treasure or work, to find something or save someone or get away from somewhere, usually with more than a bit of urgency." Then he goes on to describe the way that Enge uses the traditional "fix-up" format of classic S&S to good effect, astutely sussing out along the way that the book has an undercurrent examination of family woven into its themes. He concludes, "This is a fine modern S&S novel, with a cranky and engaging protagonist who never once descends to become a mere hero. A third Morlock novel has already been published -- The Wolf Age -- and I'm happy to have that on my to-be-read pile to look forward to. It's always encouraging to discover a rich vein of the good stuff.

James Enge: Making a Virtue of Weirdness

The latest issue of Locus magazine has a long and enthusiastic review of James Enge's The Wolf Age by author and reviewer Tim Pratt. He calls The Wolf Age "inventive and delightful," and says, "Enge's plot is admirably twisty, and he keeps things moving with impressive set pieces, werewolf battles, bizarre magical airships, miraculous feats, and liberal doses of skewed humor. One of his great virtues as a writer is weirdness -- he's not afraid to do the unexpected, and his imagination is formidable. But there's an underlying emotional power here, too. The author excels at depicting the bonds of friendship, the pain of betrayal, and the tragedy of well-laid plans going awry, and that emotional payload is what makes this novel into more than just an entertaining adventure story about a guy with a magical sword who fights monsters. Enge is one of the most engaging of the new sword and sorcery authors, and I hope we get to follow Morlock's exploits for a long time to come."

You can read the full review on Locus Online.

James Enge: Making a Virtue of Wierdness

The latest issue of Locus magazine has a long and enthusiastic review of James Enge's The Wolf Age by author and reviewer Tim Pratt. He calls The Wolf Age "inventive and delightful," and says, "Enge's plot is admirably twisty, and he keeps things moving with impressive set pieces, werewolf battles, bizarre magical airships, miraculous feats, and liberal doses of skewed humor. One of his great virtues as a writer is weirdness -- he's not afraid to do the unexpected, and his imagination is formidable. But there's an underlying emotional power here, too. The author excels at depicting the bonds of friendship, the pain of betrayal, and the tragedy of well-laid plans going awry, and that emotional payload is what makes this novel into more than just an  entertaining adventure story about a guy with a magical sword who fights monsters. Enge is one of the most engaging of the new sword and sorcery authors, and I hope we get to follow Morlock's exploits for a long time to come."

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."

A Trio of Reviews

The Library Journal reviews two forthcoming Pyr books favorably. First up is James Enge's The Wolf Age: "“The third novel in Enge’s series detailing the events in the life of Morlock Ambrosius (Blood of Ambrose; This Crooked Way) offers an unusual portrait of werewolves with their own distinct language and culture, as well as superb storytelling… Series fans and readers who enjoy epic fantasy will look forward to this title.”



Next up is The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire Book One) by Clay and Susan Griffith. The verdict? “Blending vampire fiction with steampunk and romance, this trilogy launch by the married authors possesses a seductive charm and tells a rousing tale of adventure…. A change of pace from standard vampire fiction, this should find a sizable readership among fans of fantasy romance as well as the vampire and steampunk genres.”

Then The Montreal Gazette reviews Mark Hodder's The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack. There are a few spoilers in the review, but it concludes: “Alternate history, time travel, detective fiction and steampunk (2010's genre du jour) collide with effervescent results. ...When the full revelations come -which they do halfway through the novel, in Chapter 13 -they are sublimely strange, propelling the already exciting thriller to a superlative level of mind-warping oddness. The influence of Arthur Conan Doyle, Michael Moorcock and Kim Newman is unmistakable, but the resulting brew is fresh and potent.”

James Enge: Sword and Sorcery's Next Big Thing

Art by Dominic Harman

Paul Jessup has interviewed James Enge (Blood of Ambrose, This Crooked Way, The Wolf Age) on his blog today, in a piece entitled "Sword and Sorcery's Next Big Thing." The entire interview is well worth your time, but here's a taste.

"One of the reasons to write or read fantasy is that it gives you the opportunity to think about what’s real by considering the unreal. Traveling through the uncanny valley with things that look like people but, rather creepily, are not is one way to stir up those thoughts… or at least feelings that might provoke thought. I try not to write with a Message (VOTE FOR BEEBLEBROX! HE’S JUST THIS GUY, YOU KNOW?) but any story that matters enough to people to get them to feel something will also provoke thought. Some sort of beast will be taunted out of its cave, or so we hope."

The Wolf Age: what Tolkien might have written had he lived in this postmodern age.

Art by Dominic Harman

John Ottinger III has posted a review of James Enge's The Wolf Age over at Grasping for the Wind. His thoughts below (pay particularly attention to that last bit):

"Ultimately, Enge continues to tread new ground. The Wolf Age is a novel-length sword and sorcery that integrates both ghost-driven airships, a democratic society with a bloody electoral process, and werewolves all into a beautiful yet oddly twisted civilization. The Wolf Age is mythic in its tone and content, yet modern in its theme, and bound up with action-adventure. It’s a masterpiece of storytelling; it’s what Tolkien might have written had he lived in this postmodern age."

For Your Viewing Pleasure: The Wolf Age (full cover spread)

The Wolf Age by James Enge
Trade Paperback October 2010
Cover Illustration © Dominic Harman
Design by Jacqueline Cooke
(click to enlarge)

"James Enge's books are like a strange alloy of Raymond Chandler, Fritz Leiber, Larry Niven and some precious metal that is all Enge's own. They're thrilling, funny, and mysteriously moving. I see ten things on every page I wish I’d written. I could read him forever and never get bored." Lev Grossman, New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians

Wuruyaaria: city of werewolves, whose raiders range over the dying northlands, capturing human beings for slaves or meat. Wuruyaaria: where a lone immortal maker wages a secret war against the Strange Gods of the Coranians. Wuruyaaria: a democracy where some are more equal than others, and a faction of outcast werewolves is determined to change the balance of power in a long, bloody election year.

Their plans are laid; the challenges known; the risks accepted. But all schemes will shatter in the clash between two threats few had foreseen and none had fully understood: a monster from the north on a mission to poison the world, and a stranger from the south named Morlock Ambrosius.