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James Enge

Author of Blood of Ambrose

38+ Works 698 Members 19 Reviews 1 Favorited

About the Author

Includes the name: James Enge

Series

Works by James Enge

Associated Works

Swords & Dark Magic: The New Sword and Sorcery (2010) — Contributor — 289 copies
Blackguards: Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries, and Rogues (2015) — Contributor — 76 copies
Fantasy for Good: A Charitable Anthology (2014) — Contributor — 45 copies
The Mammoth Book of Warriors and Wizardry (2014) — Contributor — 32 copies
The Return of the Sword (2008) — Author — 30 copies
Swords Against Darkness (2016) — Contributor — 26 copies
Guilds & Glaives (2018) — Contributor — 18 copies
Kobold Guide to Magic (2014) — Contributor — 15 copies
Portals (2019) — Contributor — 15 copies
Tales From The Magician's Skull, No. 1 (2019) — Contributor — 11 copies
Tales From The Magician's Skull, No. 3 (2019) — Contributor — 9 copies
Apocalyptic (2020) — Contributor — 9 copies
The Year's Best Fantasy: Volume One (2022) — Contributor — 8 copies
Tales From The Magician's Skull, No. 7 (2022) — Contributor — 7 copies
Tales From The Magician's Skull, No. 2 (2019) — Contributor — 6 copies
Tales From The Magician's Skull, No. 5 — Contributor — 6 copies
Tales From The Magician's Skull, No. 6 — Contributor — 6 copies
Tales From The Magician's Skull, No. 9 — Contributor — 3 copies
The Year's Best Fantasy, Volume Two (2023) — Contributor — 3 copies
Old Moon Quarterly: Issue 3, Winter 2023 — Contributor — 2 copies

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Common Knowledge

Legal name
Pfundstein, James M.
Birthdate
1960-05-25
Gender
male
Places of residence
Ohio, USA
Education
University of Minnesota
Occupations
Professor of Classics

Members

Reviews

This was a fun short book. I think I will read another book about Morlock's adventures.
 
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Drunken-Otter | 2 other reviews | Aug 20, 2021 |
Readers of Ovid looking for something with a little more sex and magic would do well to dwell in these pages. Like A Guile of Dragons, Wrath-Bearing Tree is a book whose mood implies it is best savored on a stormy summer afternoon, or from the comfort of a stuffed chair on a cold and bleak autumn night.
Continuing the early adventures of Morlock Ambrosius, Wrath-Bearing Tree begins by giving us a taste of life in the kingdom of Kaen and how easy it is for one of the many city gods of this continent to be replaced by an usurper. It stands to reason, then, that when Morlock is thrust into the middle of this, his only way out is to kill a god and return home to the Graith.

But no sooner is he home than he is sent back to Kaen. Something more is going on on that scary continent, and more information is needed about the Two Powers, believed to be behind the fall of many of the city gods of Kaen recently. While readers of A Guile of Dragons will remember the role of the Two Powers in the return of the dragons, this second volume was still approachable as a stand alone novel. Before the novel ends, Morlock and his companion will face warring gods, living machines that grant apotheosis, and a wintry father figure named Merlin driving a sleigh led by eight tiny demons.

Morlock and his companion's journey reads like a medieval travelogue, cataloging the strange customs and unusual creatures and beliefs found along the way. I enjoyed the book, though it was a bit more graphic (NSFW) than expected. Enge again delivers a well written story set in a mythos that is so familiar to us, painted with the elements that have defined the landscape of fantastical stories for centuries, and yet delivered in a fresh and entertaining story.
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kodermike | Jul 31, 2020 |
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.
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kodermike | 2 other reviews | Jul 31, 2020 |
Enjoyable read. Coming of age story in a fantastic world with interesting characters.

Loved the introduction.
 
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quiBee | 4 other reviews | Jan 21, 2016 |

Awards

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Statistics

Works
38
Also by
21
Members
698
Popularity
#36,254
Rating
½ 3.7
Reviews
19
ISBNs
21
Languages
1
Favorited
1

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