You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.31 AVERAGE
3.31 AVERAGE
In a word this was patchy. The pacing was uneven, the tone veered wildly and there was a helluva lot of plot crammed into the one book, but I liked it.
It got off to a slow start. The character of the young king, Lathmar, was realistic but tiresome. Fortunately he grows up (a lot). I persevered in the beginning only because the author's sense of humour appealed to me. I'm glad I did because it really picks up and I found myself enjoying it. So much so I'll be getting the next book in the series.
It got off to a slow start. The character of the young king, Lathmar, was realistic but tiresome. Fortunately he grows up (a lot). I persevered in the beginning only because the author's sense of humour appealed to me. I'm glad I did because it really picks up and I found myself enjoying it. So much so I'll be getting the next book in the series.
I've got mixed feelings on this one. I picked it up based on a short story that I absolutely loved. The story seems a bit drawn out, but also has a fairly unique plot. I'll probably read the next book.
Twelve year old Lathmar VII is heir to the Empire of Ontil. Standing in his way is his Lord Protector and uncle, Urdhven, who wants the throne for himself. Urdhven has killed Lathmar's parents and many of the royal household, and Lathmar knows his own days are numbered. He is rescued by his ancestress, Ambrosia Viviana and her brother, Morlock Ambrosius. Together with Morlock's apprentice, the dwarf Wyrtheorn, they must not only defeat Urdhven, but also the dark magic force behind him to restore Lathmar to his place.
I found this a very interesting book. It has some plot twists and turns that keep the story moving along and kept me reading, but the real fascination is in the characters. On the surface, the story is Lathmar's coming of age, and he does grow in many ways by the end. It is also in large part, Morlock's story, even though much of what we learn about the one known as The Crooked Man is through flashbacks. It is not a bright, happy story for the most part. There is a definite somber edge that permeates the entire book. Oddly, despite that, there is a lot of humor there, as well. The exchanges between Morlock and Wyrtheorn are especially amusing, as is the almost constant affectionate sibling bickering between Morlock and Ambrosia. Even Lathmar seems to have a healthy dose of his family's dry, cutting humor.
The magic system is well drawn, and the world building is good. The style of the prose is crisp and dry, but reads quite well. The omniscient point of view can be a bit hard to get used to, and I found it leaving a slightly disconnected feeling as I read, but it does work well for this story. There are hints at Arthurian legend sprinkled throughout. There are some very intriguing details in here: a screaming, flying horse and a mechanical spider, to name two. And crows- murders of crows that are used by Morlock as messengers and spies. All in all, a good story that kept me interested and eager to read to the end.
I found this a very interesting book. It has some plot twists and turns that keep the story moving along and kept me reading, but the real fascination is in the characters. On the surface, the story is Lathmar's coming of age, and he does grow in many ways by the end. It is also in large part, Morlock's story, even though much of what we learn about the one known as The Crooked Man is through flashbacks. It is not a bright, happy story for the most part. There is a definite somber edge that permeates the entire book. Oddly, despite that, there is a lot of humor there, as well. The exchanges between Morlock and Wyrtheorn are especially amusing, as is the almost constant affectionate sibling bickering between Morlock and Ambrosia. Even Lathmar seems to have a healthy dose of his family's dry, cutting humor.
The magic system is well drawn, and the world building is good. The style of the prose is crisp and dry, but reads quite well. The omniscient point of view can be a bit hard to get used to, and I found it leaving a slightly disconnected feeling as I read, but it does work well for this story. There are hints at Arthurian legend sprinkled throughout. There are some very intriguing details in here: a screaming, flying horse and a mechanical spider, to name two. And crows- murders of crows that are used by Morlock as messengers and spies. All in all, a good story that kept me interested and eager to read to the end.
I'm not sure what this book was trying to be. It seems sort of lighthearted, but I didn't find it endearing or amusing. I wasn't grabbed from the start, and couldn't get emotionally invested at all.
Excellent fantasy fiction adventure!
I came the work of James Enge through Goodman Games' "Takes From The Magician's Skull" (sword-and-sorcery fiction of the sort that inspired Gary Gygax to compile "Appendix N," the list of authors and books that inspired Dungeons & Dragons) , and loved the adventures of Morlock Ambrosius, so I sought out more from Amazon. I was delighted to find more collections of stories, but this is the first novel-length work that I've read - and it was really great! Enge has a wonderful imagination and excellent style (and he is a fellow classicist, and therefore more familiar with elements of grammar, vocabulary, style, linguistics, etc. than the average writer). Highly recommended!
I came the work of James Enge through Goodman Games' "Takes From The Magician's Skull" (sword-and-sorcery fiction of the sort that inspired Gary Gygax to compile "Appendix N," the list of authors and books that inspired Dungeons & Dragons) , and loved the adventures of Morlock Ambrosius, so I sought out more from Amazon. I was delighted to find more collections of stories, but this is the first novel-length work that I've read - and it was really great! Enge has a wonderful imagination and excellent style (and he is a fellow classicist, and therefore more familiar with elements of grammar, vocabulary, style, linguistics, etc. than the average writer). Highly recommended!
I've been enjoying Enge's short stories about Morlock the Maker in the pages of Black Gate since the first issue of my subscription. When I saw this book on the display table at my local bookstore, I let out an involuntary whoop of joy.
My husband and I both found this book un-put-downable, which was problematic, because we were both trying to read it at once. The book surprised us both, in some fairly impressive structural ways that I won't spoil for you. I am quite confident that, no matter who you are, there will be at least one moment when you stop short and say, "Well, I wasn't expecting _that_!"
The funny bits are laugh-out-loud funny. The ending both opens out into the series to come and provides a very satisfying sense of closure--the book could have stood alone, even if the publisher hadn't signed on for sequels. The characters are absolutely themselves.
Warning: the creepy bits toward the end are very effectively creepy. (Many readers will find that to be a plus.) The villain does a wide variety of especially disturbing things. I think it's not too much of a spoiler to say that, if you are unable to tolerate zombies or bad things happening to children, you might not make it all the way through this book.
My husband and I both found this book un-put-downable, which was problematic, because we were both trying to read it at once. The book surprised us both, in some fairly impressive structural ways that I won't spoil for you. I am quite confident that, no matter who you are, there will be at least one moment when you stop short and say, "Well, I wasn't expecting _that_!"
The funny bits are laugh-out-loud funny. The ending both opens out into the series to come and provides a very satisfying sense of closure--the book could have stood alone, even if the publisher hadn't signed on for sequels. The characters are absolutely themselves.
Warning: the creepy bits toward the end are very effectively creepy. (Many readers will find that to be a plus.) The villain does a wide variety of especially disturbing things. I think it's not too much of a spoiler to say that, if you are unable to tolerate zombies or bad things happening to children, you might not make it all the way through this book.
This book is such a great read. It is engaging right from the start and all they way through to the end. The characters are robust and the plot riveting. I can't wait to begin reading the second one in the series. Even though I am a sci-fi geek in my TV viewing and movie watching, I am usually an historical fiction kinda' girl when it comes to books. I have a friend who has been recommending zombie books - at which I politely say, "maybe someday..." and continue reading my plain Jane fiction. I am so glad I tried this book. I'm now hooked on the mystical, fantasy fiction. Here's to trying new things!
An average attempt at fantasy. The story floats along, with no real sense of direction, and the characters are very one-dimensional.
I really wanted to like Morlock. This book was my introduction to James Enge's work, and the main reason I picked it up was because of the blurb's description of Morlock Ambrosius. He seemed like a compelling character, and this type of storyline is generally right up my alley.
The writing, unfortunately, was hard to get into, and although the plot was interesting enough to keep me turning pages for awhile, it was not particularly engaging. I feel like Enge was trying to accomplish too much in too short a space, and things happened very, very quickly -- not necessarily a bad thing, but in this case, the writing was loose, and character development was left behind in favor of getting the story told. The characters here were one-dimensional, which was a disappointment given how much I was looking forward to them.
I think I'll probably take a look into Enge's short stories. As far as Blood of Ambrose, though, I did find the mix of fantasy elements and the concept of the characters interesting, but they weren't enough on their own to make me finish the book.
The writing, unfortunately, was hard to get into, and although the plot was interesting enough to keep me turning pages for awhile, it was not particularly engaging. I feel like Enge was trying to accomplish too much in too short a space, and things happened very, very quickly -- not necessarily a bad thing, but in this case, the writing was loose, and character development was left behind in favor of getting the story told. The characters here were one-dimensional, which was a disappointment given how much I was looking forward to them.
I think I'll probably take a look into Enge's short stories. As far as Blood of Ambrose, though, I did find the mix of fantasy elements and the concept of the characters interesting, but they weren't enough on their own to make me finish the book.
I believe that Blood of Ambrose is James Enge’s debut novel; though he was an established body of short fiction. As such about the first quarter of the book was a bit of a rocky start, at least for me, but I stuck with it and I’m very glad I did. Blood of Ambrose opens as King Lathmar flees his own palace to avoid his so-called Protector from there it follow his exploits as he attempts to regain his throne and then consolidate his power over the city of Ontil. It is a bit more than that since, as is revealed early on, Lathmar’s “grandmother” is the ancient sorceress Ambrosia; daughter of Merlin whose brother Morlock is the Master of all Makers and wielder of a cursed magic sword (that curse’s nature is never fully revealed). Pyr is a little better at the “basic” description than I am:
Full review here/
Full review here/