A Guile of Dragons (A Tournament of Shadows, Book 1) [Paperback]

James Enge (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 24, 2012

It's dwarves versus dragons in this origin story for Enge's signature character, Morlock Ambrosius!

Before history began, the dwarves of Thrymhaiam fought against the dragons as the Longest War raged in the deep roads beneath the Northhold. Now the dragons have returned, allied with the dead kings of Cor and backed by the masked gods of Fate and Chaos.

The dwarves are cut off from the Graith of Guardians in the south. Their defenders are taken prisoner or corrupted by dragonspells. The weight of guarding the Northhold now rests on the crooked shoulders of a traitor's son, Morlock syr Theorn (also called Ambrosius).

But his wounded mind has learned a dark secret in the hidden ways under the mountains. Regin and Fafnir were brothers, and the Longest War can never be over. . . .

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for James Enge:

"James Enge's books are like a strange alloy of Raymond Chandler, Fritz Lieber, 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

"[W]hat Tolkien might have written had he lived in this postmodern age." --Grasping for the Wind

About the Author

James Enge is the author of Blood of Ambrose (nominated for a World Fantasy Award), This Crooked Way, and The Wolf Age. His fiction has appeared in Black Gate, Flashing Swords, and everydayfiction.com. He is an instructor of classical languages at a Midwestern university. Visit him online at jamesenge.com or follow him on Twitter @jamesenge.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Pyr (August 24, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1616146281
• ISBN-13: 978-1616146283
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #977,248 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James Enge lives with his children in northwest Ohio, where he teaches classics at a medium-sized public university. His short fiction has appeared in Swords and Dark Magic (Eos, 2010), in the magazine Black Gate, and elsewhere. His previous novels are Blood of Ambrose (Pyr, 2009), which was listed on Locus magazine's Recommended Reading for 2009, and This Crooked Way (Pyr, 2009).

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beguiled by the Guile September 16, 2012

By M. P. Cummings

Format:Paperback

High Fantasy often faces the criticism that it is a poor reflection of the works that have gone before it, most notably Tolkien. By employing the same basic mythos with a highly Western European (and generally, British) composition, many chide that too much of fantasy falls into this trap and needs to be refreshed with something edgier, or something more original. The end result is generally a poor facsimile that inevitably fails to shine in comparison.

"A Guile of Dragons" is not some mere copy.

Yes, it employs many of the elements that we might quickly label a High Fantasy trope - dwarves, dragons, ancient terrors, and the name Merlin (or at least his son, Morlock). Its important to remember that it is not what elements a writer uses, but how they use them, that brings distinction. Enge does not treat these elements lightly - the history and culture of the dwarves alone are an integral part of this story, hinting at a depth we never see a bottom to. The shortness of the work (@300 pages) is belied by the depth and fullness of the characters that populate it. These are thick characters, populating the pages not because they fill a need but because it is their story to tell.

Set as a prequel for Enge's character, Ambrosius, aka Morlock syr Theorn, "A Guile of Dragons" introduces us to a small cast of recurring characters, each of whom demonstrates a depth and fullness usually reserved for the titular character. Not having read the other books in this milieu proved to not be a problem - as a prequel, it is a well contained volume, beginning with the birth of Morlock, son of Merlin, and the circumstances that place young Morlock in the care of the dwarves of Thrymhaiam to the north.... This is also the story of Morlock's first real adventure (other feats are alluded to, but nothing so grand), following a metre and pace that is reminiscent of a classic saga even when the story telling is modern.

For in the Northold, the dwarves find themselves cut off from the Graith of Guardians as a guile of dragons invades, reigniting the Longest War from before the dawn of history. Morlock, a thaen of the Graith, adopted son of the dwarves, trapped between both worlds, faces the failings of each as he is thrust into battling the dragons themselves.

Enge, who's unsecret real world identity is a classics professor, demonstrates that a writer is influenced by the books and life you lead. "A Guile of Dragons" is a worthy epic for any fantasy reader, containing a surprising depth and fullness that is rarely found in so short a book. I cannot say more about this book without spoiling it, so I will just say that I wholly and heartily recommend that it be read.

~Fantasy Book Addict Read more ›

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Have to Read All Three September 21, 2012

By Marcia J. Martak

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed this book and it definitely would recommend all three books. Exciting and keeps you eager to see what happens next. Plus - all three books have been completed so you won't have to wait forever for the last book - by that time you've forgotten what you'd read in the last 2 books.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Blazes a new trail in fantasy October 21, 2012

By Harry W. Holland Jr.

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Yes, it has wizards and dwarves and dragons, but this is no rehash of Tolkein. Read this book if you want to learn what the *real* relationship is between those who dig in the earth and those who covet the fruits of their labors.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars For Fans Only September 5, 2012

By Nickolas X. P. Sharps VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I've been meaning to try out James Enge's work for some time now. I've seen some high praise (there is a blurb by Lev 'effin Grossman on the cover for instance) and so my expectations were high when I cracked open A GUILE OF DRAGONS. This novel is a prequel to Enge's Ambrose series and I saw that as a perfect opportunity for a beginner to jump in. As a book filling in some background detail for a beloved series fans may be satisfied. For those yet to be initiated this may not be the best entry point.

Here is the book description courtesy of Amazon...

"Before history began, the dwarves of Thrymhaiam fought against the dragons as the Longest War raged in the deep roads beneath the Northhold. Now the dragons have returned, allied with the dead kings of Cor and backed by the masked gods of Fate and Chaos. The dwarves are cut off from the Graith of Guardians in the south. Their defenders are taken prisoner or corrupted by dragonspells. The weight of guarding the Northhold now rests on the crooked shoulders of a traitor's son, Morlock syr Theorn (also called Ambrosius). But his wounded mind has learned a dark secret in the hidden ways under the mountains. Regin and Fafnir were brothers, and the Longest War can never be over."

Sounds pretty epic right? Right? Yeah, I thought so too at first. A GUILE OF DRAGONS starts out pretty well. The birth of Morlock is a cheerless one. The baby Amrbose is left to his own when the parents, both traitors of a sort, are exiled from the realm. The baby soon comes into the care of Tyr, lord of the dwarves and friend of Morlock's father. Morlock grows up under the mountains amongst the dwarves, eventually leaving to become a Guardian. This is where the main story picks up.

The intro is good.... I like the way Enge binds our world to his fictional setting with the Sea of Worlds. And the fictional setting of the Wardlands appears very cool at first. The idea of a fantasy land without a monarchy of sorts is refreshing. The Graith of Guardians is an interesting concept, policing the realm and enforcing the law in a mostly benevolent manner. I liked the culture and lore of Enge's dwarves, as he gives reasonable explanation to a lot of genre tropes. I even liked Morlock at first. Orphaned by traitors and raised by dwarves I grew an intimate connection to Morlock.

But all of this cool stuff fizzles out after the opening chapters. The interesting and unique setting becomes a drab and dull affair. World building details are sparse and the majority of the plot takes place in and around the mountain city of the dwarves. The characters become just as bland as the setting. As fascinating as Morlock starts off he completely fails to develop. I was surprised at just how little attention was given to building this beloved character.

I was also under the impression that Morlock is a maker of sorts, a skill learned under the tutelage of the dwarves. As I understand it, this is a major aspect of the series. Morlock does not make anything over the course of A GUILE OF DRAGONS. This doesn't matter to me so much but it may disappoint fans. The action is also minimal and lackluster. Again, I don't know if this is a deal killer for fans but it could be.

Overall this book was pretty blah. I just wasn't feeling it and I struggled to finish. It could be that my high expectations set the bar unfairly high. I don't feel like that is the case but it is something to consider. Fans of the series may know better what to expect. It could be that I'm not the proper audience and all of these things are strengths of Enge's writing. The thing is that there are good ideas here, great ideas really. And there is some solid writing. It's just that the whole thing felt half baked. If you are a fan then you are probably going to buy this to complete the collection. Otherwise I recommend giving this a pass.

Recommended Age: 14+
Language: I didn't notice any foul language, if there is some it must be minimal.
Violence: Don't let the cover fool you, the violence is also minimal.
Sex: Nope!

Nick Sharps
Elitist Book Reviews Read more ›

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars SKIP THIS ONE August 30, 2012

By B-Ski

Format:Kindle Edition

Loved the 1st three Books in the Morlock series (skipped the novella).
Compared to the others, this story is lifeless & BORING.
Morlock:
MAKES NOTHING &
FIGHTS NO ONE!

There is no pace.
I finished it just because I bought it.

Ok James, you got me.

To the would be readers... DONT DO IT.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Boring October 7, 2012

By John Bourhis

Format:Paperback

After 100 pages I gave up on A Guile of Dragons. Life is too short and there are too many great books out there to spend time reading something that doesn't hold your attention. I just couldn't get in to this. After the first chapter almost nothing of interest happens to the main characters to hold my interest. There is almost no action. I did not find the world building particularly interesting, compelling or unique. Enge doesn't bring anything new to the table. I don't find the two main characters, Earno and Morlock, compelling in any way. After a while, I had no interest in following the fate of either character. After a while, I started dreading going back to this book when I had a stack of unread books I couldn't wait to start. Maybe it gets better after 100 pages but that is too late for me. Get me hooked in the first 100 pages or less or I am on to a better book.