Primeros reseñadoresJames Wood

Ruin and Woe.

Kelso Hart, the grim Knight of myth and legend, has been grievously wounded and is at death's door. The youngest Princess of the Dark, Ava Pentran, risked it all to save him and will risk yet more to see him recover. Storm clouds gather around from all sides as the two outcasts regroup at a safe harbor, surrounded by friends and companions, old and new. Enemies from the Dark, the Light, and the Other are all on the march, and Ava's shadowed half, the Dark Witch, may be the only force that can save them - but at what cost?

This second adventure takes place directly after the events of the first book with the same sly humor, heroic actions and unforgiving danger that are the hallmarks of this exciting series. With this installment, the world of the Ebon Knight expands and new mysteries in the Conflict are revealed with world shattering implications. Are you ready for more villains, more heroes, and more brutal battles where the "bad guys" might just have the upper hand? If that sounds like a good read to you, then welcome back!

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The Dark Witch is the second of three books in a new urban fantasy trilogy where the heroes can be just as gritty as the villains and plot twists actually make sense. Like the first installment, this offering will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Any fan of well-written urban fantasy will feel right at home!

Reviews

"You're fired!" - The bosses at my day job when they found out I was a "writer"

"James Wood? James Wood who?" - STILL any other author on the face of the planet (sigh)

"Oh, you're a bigshot now? Figure out how to run the dishwasher and I might be impressed." - My wife

How far would you go to rescue your sworn enemy?

Two adversaries on opposite sides of the Eternal Conflict meet by chance and become allied against a new and sinister third power that has entered the fray. The withdrawn Knight of the Light is supposed to be good, and he really kind of is. The Princess of the Dark is supposed to be evil, and she really kind of isn’t. Can they meet in the middle?

Kelso Hart is outcasted from the Light and bearer of the fabled sword "Argenta"—a sentient monster in her own right. The latest in a long line of grim Knights of myth and legend that are cursed to carry the sword, whomsoever unsheathes Argenta becomes nigh unstoppable—and a completely unscrupulous killer.

Ava Pentran is the youngest Princess of the ruling house of the Dark, and harbors a secret known to none. Exiled and hunted by her parents, she lives still only due to her intimidating battle prowess and unique relationship to the Furies—a sect of fierce warrior women who are now her only friends, companions, and protectors. She is also a predator of predators, and her justice is brutal and always fatal.

In a world of magic and madness, Kelso and Ava must find a way to trust each other as they come to grips with a new and unknown complication in the Conflict—a virus that targets those on either side indiscriminately. Those infected are completely changed, their personalities overwritten into something malevolent and chaotic. Knight and Princess both are wounded and disillusioned with the war, but can their unlikely alliance save them? Can it save the world?

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The Ebon Knight is the first in a trilogy of books with elements of quirky humor, perilous adventure, and forbidden attraction during an extremely dangerous time. If you like plot surprises that aren't ludicrous, villains you will love to hate, heroes with a few rough edges, and exciting battles where the "good guys" don't always have the upper hand—then welcome!

Any fan of dark/urban fantasy will feel right at home!

Reviews

"The best book I have ever read. Seriously. THE BEST!" - My mom

"James Wood? Isn't he an actor?" - Any other author on the face of the planet, just pick one.

"My husband is an idiot, but he did write a great book. Shocking, because he still hasn't learned how to dress himself correctly." - My wife

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Editorial Reviews (real ones even!):

In The Ebon Knight by James Wood, readers are thrust into a gripping tale where the lines between good and evil blur as Kelso Hart, an outcast Knight of the Light, and Ava Pentran, the youngest Princess of the Dark, forge an unlikely alliance against a menacing third power in the Eternal Conflict. As the wielder of the sentient sword Argenta, Kelso embodies a grim legacy of cursed Knights, while Ava, exiled and hunted, relies on her formidable battle prowess and a secret tied to the Furies. The duo must confront a new and insidious threat—a virus that transforms the infected into malevolent beings, indiscriminately targeting both Light and Dark. As Kelso and Ava grapple with their own wounds and disillusionment from the ongoing war, their journey becomes a test of trust and survival.

James Wood weaves a spellbinding narrative in a world of magic and madness in this urban fantasy. The Ebon Knight delves into the complexities of character, challenging preconceived notions of heroism and villainy. Wood's narrative prowess shines as he explores the evolving dynamics between Kelso and Ava, inviting readers to question the true nature of the Eternal Conflict. A thrilling blend of fantasy and suspense, this first installment in The Ebon Knight Chronicles promises an enthralling exploration of alliances forged in the crucible of chaos. The world-building and unique characters add so much depth to the story that readers may not want to put this one down. The Ebon Knight is a highly recommended read for fans of the urban fantasy genre. —Reviewed by Demetria Head for Readers' Favorite

In James Wood’s The Ebon Knight, Kelso Hart, Knight of the Light, must face his own internal battles while facing his sworn enemy—the Dark. After an unforgivable tragedy and bearing an evil weapon with a literal mind of its own practically attached to him, he is ready to face death, believing that’s what he deserves. Bring in Ava Pentran, powerful Princess of Darkness, and you’d think he met his match. This isn’t the case in a fighting sense, but surprisingly, it just might be the case romantically. But their newly blossoming love is surely doomed. A Dark and a Light liking each other—and especially loving each other—is unheard of. Together or apart, Ava and Kelso will have to fight to the end for what they believe in this first book of The Ebon Knight Chronicles.

This is a complex work, and at 422 pages, there is enough entertainment here to fill a 20-episode TV show. While Kelso and Ava are discovering each other, they are also dealing with so much besides that—Kelso with his emotional and mental burdens, along with his duty as the storied Ebon Knight. And Ava, with her murderous older sister Jesslyn on the hunt, combined with other things going on in the world of Dark.

An appealing aspect of the story is protagonist Kelso’s special weapon—a sword named Argenta. She lusts for blood and constantly enters Kelso’s mind against his will, encouraging him to wield her and kill anything or anyone with blood running through them. This idea of weapon-bonding is something quite unique, and it’s commendable. This is one of several unusual concepts in this fantasy. As are Wood’s “Furies,” powerful guardians of darkness.

It is obvious that James Wood is an author who subscribes to the “show, don’t tell” form of writing. He doesn’t lay everything out in an overbearing way but writes with the expectation that the reader will be absorbed in the story as he is himself. He has also created one of the absolute darkest, eeriest, and most formidable antagonists that I have ever heard of, in fiction or real life. Jesslyn, or “The Spider,” as she is also known, is truly twisted and utterly fear-imposing. Her nature is far more sinister than her nickname.

The Ebon Knight by James Wood is a fresh adult-oriented fantasy set in the modern day. Throughout the book, he expertly makes readers question what is Light and Dark, good and bad. The story has suspense, danger, and little mysteries that slowly unravel, but above all, it is a love story—a tale of how the unlikeliest of people become a pair. —Reviewed by Michaela Gordoni for Reader Views

How far would you go to rescue your sworn enemy?

Two adversaries on opposite sides of the Eternal Conflict meet by chance and become allied against a new and sinister third power that has entered the fray. The withdrawn Knight of the Light is supposed to be good, and he really kind of is. The Princess of the Dark is supposed to be evil, and she really kind of isn’t. Can they meet in the middle?

Kelso Hart is outcasted from the Light and bearer of the fabled sword "Argenta"—a sentient monster in her own right. The latest in a long line of grim Knights of myth and legend that are cursed to carry the sword, whomsoever unsheathes Argenta becomes nigh unstoppable—and a completely unscrupulous killer.

Ava Pentran is the youngest Princess of the ruling house of the Dark, and harbors a secret known to none. Exiled and hunted by her parents, she lives still only due to her intimidating battle prowess and unique relationship to the Furies—a sect of fierce warrior women who are now her only friends, companions, and protectors. She is also a predator of predators, and her justice is brutal and always fatal.

In a world of magic and madness, Kelso and Ava must find a way to trust each other as they come to grips with a new and unknown complication in the Conflict—a virus that targets those on either side indiscriminately. Those infected are completely changed, their personalities overwritten into something malevolent and chaotic. Knight and Princess both are wounded and disillusioned with the war, but can their unlikely alliance save them? Can it save the world?

In this remarkable blend of memoir and criticism, James Wood, the noted contributor to the New Yorker, has written a master class on the connections between fiction and life. He argues that of all the arts, fiction has a unique ability to describe the shape of our lives and to rescue the texture of those lives from death and historical oblivion. The act of reading is understood here as the most sacred and personal of activities, and there are brilliant discussions of individual works—among others, Chekhov’s story “The Kiss,” The Emigrants, by W. G. Sebald, and The Blue Flower, by Penelope Fitzgerald. Wood reveals his own intimate relationship with the written word: we see the development of a boy from the provinces growing up in a charged Christian environment, the secret joy of his childhood reading, the links he draws between reading and blasphemy, or between literature and music. The final section discusses fiction in the context of exile and homelessness. More than a tightly argued little book by a man commonly regarded as our finest living critic, The Nearest Thing to Life is an exhilarating personal account that reflects on, and embodies, the fruitful conspiracy between reader and writer (and critic), and asks us to reconsider everything that is at stake when we read and write fiction.