Sarah Avery reviewed Blood of Ambrose by James Enge
Review of 'Blood of Ambrose' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
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. …
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.