This Crooked Way [Paperback]

James Enge (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 27, 2009

Morlock Ambrosius returns! Travelling alone in the depths of winter, Morlock Ambrosius (bitterly dry drunk, master of all magical makers, wandering swordsman, and son of Merlin Ambrosius and Nimue Viviana) is attacked by an unknown enemy. To unmask his enemy and end the attacks he must travel a long crooked way through the world: past the soul-eating Boneless One, past a subtle and treacherous master of golems, past the dragon-taming Khroi, past the predatory cities of Sarkunden and Aflraun, past the demons and dark gnomes of the northern woods. Soon he will find that his enemy wears a familiar face, and that the duel he has stumbled into will threaten more lives than his own, leaving nations shattered in its chaotic wake. And at the end of his long road waits the death of a legend.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Legends spar in Enge's episodic fantasy, narrated by an ensemble cast in achingly precise prose. Immediately following the events of Blood of Ambrose (2009), the crooked-backed enchanter Morlock departs into exile on his horse, Velox. When a stone beast ambushes the strange pair and Velox disappears, Morlock goes in search of his horse and finds a long-lost figure from his past who desperately needs his aid. So begins Morlock's long, meandering journey, narrated by those he befriends on the way. The supporting characters all initially regard the dispassionate wizard with awe, but as they gradually discover his flaws, they learn some delightfully compelling psychological facts about their own inadequacies. When the ending finally does arrive, its anticlimactic events disappoint, but there's enough strength in the rest of the story to keep readers hoping for a redemptive third book. (Oct.)
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Review

"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

"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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Pyr (October 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591027845
• ISBN-13: 978-1591027843
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #670,920 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).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great second book, December 3, 2009

By 

Rene - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Crooked Way (Paperback)

James Enge's second entry in his Morlock series ties together several pre-existing stories into a novel. Because of this, it's necessarily episodic. This didn't hinder my enjoyment of it at all. I had read some of the stories before, and enjoyed revisiting them tied into the larger context.

The context includes Morlock's interaction with the Khroi, his search for his horse, Velox, and the problem of his parents, Merlin Ambrosius and Nimue Viviana. What Merlin has done with Nimue and how Morlock intends to address it are an ongoing thread throughout the book.

Some of the sections move out of Morlock's point-of-view into those of his traveling companions, a nice contrast between how Morlock thinks of himself and how those around him do. Some of these sections are in first person (most of the book is in third,) and the voices are engagingly distinctive. The linking frame-tale, told in interludes between chapters, is from the perspective of the alien Khroi. It is a pleasure to read a convincingly alien voice, and Enge does a wonderful job with both the Khroi culture and their voice. By the end of the book, the reason that the Khroi are telling stories about Morlock becomes clear.

Without ever intending to, Morlock draws trouble, both for himself and for those traveling with him. Much of this is because he has a powerful enemy, but the blame never gets assigned where it really belongs, at least partly because of Morlock's infamous reputation.

By the end of the book, the plot threads are tied up, but not so neatly that there isn't plenty to address in the next book, to which I very much look forward. While the first book certainly informs this one, this one could be read perfectly comprehensibly without having read Blood of Ambrose.

One thing I enjoyed very much about both books was the dry wit throughout. Appendix B, which discusses the provenance of the Morlock myth is a prime example as well as a tiny window into an alternate history.

Edited to add: I forgot to mention Chuck Lucaks' stunning interior illustrations, which include scenes from the stories, a map, and a really gorgeous drawing of Morlock's sword, Tyrfing, that heads each chapter.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining quest in 12 episodes, August 8, 2010

By 

Christian Colby (El Segundo, CA, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Crooked Way (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book. The preceding novel 'Blood of Ambrose' was good, but got rather dreary with its domination by a single mad necromancer villain. This novel focuses on Morlock, a tight-lipped recovering alcoholic with crooked shoulders, who happens to be the world's best creator of magic items, as well as a formidable swordsman (with a cursed sword to boot). Here Morlock faces off -- directly and indirectly -- against his ultra-powerful, supremely vain sorcerer father Merlin in a quest to both rescue his unique horse Velox and to unite the separated parts of his mother's being -- in order to let her, at long last, die. The variety of the different episodes lends interest and flows together well. The supporting characters, primarily a family of refugees, are well drawn. The humor is dry but funny , most notably with an incredibly narcissistic gnome, a wildly bureaucratic city and even a poke at Jack in the Beanstalk. The villains still tend toward the disgusting or appalling. Interludes on the Khroi, a parasitic race of insectoids that Morlock unwillingly devastates, are also interesting.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 2nd helping, December 11, 2009

By 

LaughingLion "I am Lion, read me review!" (North of Boston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: This Crooked Way (Paperback)

I truly didn't know what to expect when I picked up this follow up to "The Blood of Ambrose" it's not truly a sequel, it does take place after TBA, but has very little if any of it's plot that rests heavily upon knowledge of the earlier book. For those who have read and loved the structure of Lois Bujolds "Borders of Infinity" and Mercedes Lackey's "Oathbound" you'll be right at home in this multiframed story.

Crooked is much lighter in tone than the grim Blood, and is told through more POV's, each with their own distinct voice and timbre. I like that we get a huge amount of info about universe of Morlock both in text and in appendices, I like better that in both instances the information is delivered with a deft touch that I've come to love.