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The Empire of a Hundred Houses #2
Old Man's Ghosts
Some men can never outrun their ghosts. Enchei thought he'd found a home at last—a life of quiet obscurity far removed from the horror of his military days. After a decade in the Imperial City his mistakes have been few, but one has now returned to haunt him. As Narin's pregnant lover comes to term, life has never been so perilous. There couldn't be a worse time for a nightmare to be unleashed on the Imperial City, but luck's rarely been on Narin's side. Once, Enchei swore he'd take his own life rather than let his past catch up with him, but now it's not just his own in the balance. Demons, rogue mages, and vengeful noblemen haunt the city—and a man's ghosts are always watching and waiting.
400 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2014
4 people are currently reading
313 people want to read
About the author
Tom Lloyd
47 books444 followersTom Lloyd was born in 1979 and showed almost no interest in writing until the age of eighteen. I blame the teachers myself.
Nevertheless he did eventually find himself with a long summer to spare before university, and decided to start a novel when it was suggested he get a job to pass the time. This tells you much of what there is to know about him. The rest can be derived from the fact that he first had the idea of writing a book to annoy a schoolfriend by getting published before him.
No, honestly; he's actually that shallow.
It was swiftly apparent that this was not the quick route to fame and fortune that he’d hoped for. The first sign of this was the realisation that being good at writing was required, but he managed to surprise everyone by not giving up on something he didn’t show immediate promise in.
Studying Politics and International Relations at Southampton University had very little appreciable effect on him, beyond giving him a couple of ideas for future novels, but that was largely due to spending most of those three years in London shacked up with the god-daughter of an Asian dictator. Upon leaving university he decided – along with what seemed like half of all other graduates, some of whom had had the temerity to study English – that doing “book stuff” sounded like a fun alternative to working out what sort of job he wanted to do. There was also the intriguing suggestion of literary talent being passed on by some osmosis-like process. As a result of a little work experience at Simon and Schuster - combined with some shameless flirting with the HR manager - he got a job as an editorial assistant on the Scribner list, which allowed him to mistype letters to a whole host of talented writers.
Certain luminary examples there made it clear that before he became a fantasy editor he was going to have to spend several years iron-cladding his liver. Towards this goal, he decamped to the A M Heath Literary Agency by way of Random House, which was silly because walking down Longacre would have been a lot quicker, to work in foreign rights while also freelancing for writersservices.com and constantly revising what was slowly becoming The Stormcaller.
A three year litany of madcap adventures in the crazy world of agenting ensued, but it would be far too time-consuming to detail any of that so suffice to say that his hangover cleared sufficiently one morning in 2004 for him to realise that he wasn’t quite so bad at writing now. Maybe there was something to this osmosis thing after all - although if that’s true Katie Fforde and Dave Hill might get a surprise at the effect they’d had.
Securing the services of John Richard Parker at MBA Literary Agents proved a surprisingly painless experience – despite being previously rejected by one of John’s colleagues, which just goes to show how persistent one has to be – and soon he was sat in the office of Jo Fletcher at Gollancz trying to persuade her how much of a geek he was. After four years as contracts manager at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency he decided he didn't like other authors that much so he swapped his dark corner of Camden for one at Atlantic Books where it quickly became apparent that he prefers winning arguments to scruples.
Writing part-time, also known as watching loads more TV, he also manages to play a little sport in between trips to the pub and battering his next book - into a semblance of shape.
http://tomlloyd.livejournal.com/ http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?...
Nevertheless he did eventually find himself with a long summer to spare before university, and decided to start a novel when it was suggested he get a job to pass the time. This tells you much of what there is to know about him. The rest can be derived from the fact that he first had the idea of writing a book to annoy a schoolfriend by getting published before him.
No, honestly; he's actually that shallow.
It was swiftly apparent that this was not the quick route to fame and fortune that he’d hoped for. The first sign of this was the realisation that being good at writing was required, but he managed to surprise everyone by not giving up on something he didn’t show immediate promise in.
Studying Politics and International Relations at Southampton University had very little appreciable effect on him, beyond giving him a couple of ideas for future novels, but that was largely due to spending most of those three years in London shacked up with the god-daughter of an Asian dictator. Upon leaving university he decided – along with what seemed like half of all other graduates, some of whom had had the temerity to study English – that doing “book stuff” sounded like a fun alternative to working out what sort of job he wanted to do. There was also the intriguing suggestion of literary talent being passed on by some osmosis-like process. As a result of a little work experience at Simon and Schuster - combined with some shameless flirting with the HR manager - he got a job as an editorial assistant on the Scribner list, which allowed him to mistype letters to a whole host of talented writers.
Certain luminary examples there made it clear that before he became a fantasy editor he was going to have to spend several years iron-cladding his liver. Towards this goal, he decamped to the A M Heath Literary Agency by way of Random House, which was silly because walking down Longacre would have been a lot quicker, to work in foreign rights while also freelancing for writersservices.com and constantly revising what was slowly becoming The Stormcaller.
A three year litany of madcap adventures in the crazy world of agenting ensued, but it would be far too time-consuming to detail any of that so suffice to say that his hangover cleared sufficiently one morning in 2004 for him to realise that he wasn’t quite so bad at writing now. Maybe there was something to this osmosis thing after all - although if that’s true Katie Fforde and Dave Hill might get a surprise at the effect they’d had.
Securing the services of John Richard Parker at MBA Literary Agents proved a surprisingly painless experience – despite being previously rejected by one of John’s colleagues, which just goes to show how persistent one has to be – and soon he was sat in the office of Jo Fletcher at Gollancz trying to persuade her how much of a geek he was. After four years as contracts manager at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency he decided he didn't like other authors that much so he swapped his dark corner of Camden for one at Atlantic Books where it quickly became apparent that he prefers winning arguments to scruples.
Writing part-time, also known as watching loads more TV, he also manages to play a little sport in between trips to the pub and battering his next book - into a semblance of shape.
http://tomlloyd.livejournal.com/ http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?...
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
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November 10, 2014Published 19th March 2015 by Gollancz
Book Description:
Inspector Narin and his motley crew return, as the city is once again under threat. But this time a terror from their past awaits...
Some men can never outrun their ghosts.
Enchei thought he'd found a home at last - a life of quiet obscurity far removed from the horror of his military days. After a decade in the Imperial City his mistakes have been few, but one has now returned to haunt him.
As Narin's pregnant lover comes to term, life has never been so perilous. There couldn't be a worse time for a nightmare to be unleashed on the Imperial City, but luck's rarely been on Narin's side.
Once, Enchei swore he'd take his own life rather than let his past catch up with him, but now it's not just his own in the balance. Demons, rogue mages and vengeful noblemen haunt the city - and a man's ghosts are always watching and waiting...
Book Description:
Inspector Narin and his motley crew return, as the city is once again under threat. But this time a terror from their past awaits...
Some men can never outrun their ghosts.
Enchei thought he'd found a home at last - a life of quiet obscurity far removed from the horror of his military days. After a decade in the Imperial City his mistakes have been few, but one has now returned to haunt him.
As Narin's pregnant lover comes to term, life has never been so perilous. There couldn't be a worse time for a nightmare to be unleashed on the Imperial City, but luck's rarely been on Narin's side.
Once, Enchei swore he'd take his own life rather than let his past catch up with him, but now it's not just his own in the balance. Demons, rogue mages and vengeful noblemen haunt the city - and a man's ghosts are always watching and waiting...
February 20, 2016
So It appears that I had no reason to worry at all that Tom Lloyds newest series, starting with Moon's Artifice and now appearing to conclude in Old Man's Ghosts, was going to meet the literary standards set out in the Twilight Reign. In fact this series is written with greater care for relationship building and empathy. Enchei in many ways is a more enjoyable character than Isak ever was. Even with his dark and deadly secrets and curmudgeonly ways Enchei is welcomed into and becomes the fatherly figure in Narin's extended family with Kine, Dov, Kesh, Myken, Irato and perhaps even Maiss and Enay. I feel this book reached a natural conclusion and if so am disappointed as the character development was well done leaving us excited for their future and invested in their well being. This was a true story of adventure and intrigue with underplots of inequality and mans struggle against class stucture and despotism. I very much like the fact that Lawbringer Rhe and Prince Sorote maintained their official status in the books but were kept from exploiting an emotional relationship with the main characters. For those that offer the opinion the Fantasy books are perhaps not written as well as mainstream Fiction I would suggest you read the first chapter of Old Man's Ghost. It is perhaps one of the great opening chapters to a book I have ever read and I cant help but think you wont then be able to put the book down......but you probably should read Moons Artifice first! As for negatives, perhaps Maiss and Enay could have been brought in with a little more development and the last line of chapter 4 may have been a little self indulgent but these are very minor points in a very good book and series.
August 29, 2016
4 GR* (Great. I loved it.) - 8 out of 10.
Good story, impeccable prose and a very rich setting. A shame this is already the last book of the series.
Good story, impeccable prose and a very rich setting. A shame this is already the last book of the series.
July 21, 2020
This is a much better book than its predecessor in terms of the story, the plotting, and characterisation. The pacing was good too, which elevated the action and thrill of the story. The suspense was taut, and the sense of danger lurked throughout the story which made me turn the pages faster. I enjoyed it greatly.
This book mainly centers around Enchei and his mysterious past. There is a hunt for him and the secrets locked in his mind. Moreover, Narin is also in deep shit, as he falls under the wrath of a nobleman. To add further the obstacles, the city is under attack of hellhounds, and someone is trying to brew a war between the powerful noble houses. Lloyd beautifully develops the relationship between these unlikely characters, and it is a soothing calm in the maelstrom of events.
The city is in the grip of winter, and demons and hellhounds rampage in the night. The lawbringers and Narin along with his friends tries to avert the disastrous situation. We get a glimpse into Enchei's secrets, though it's not elucidated clearly. Two members of his family makes an appearance here, and the interaction between them was dangerously delightful. However, the motive of the antagonist wasn't clearly stated. The final confrontation was bloody awesome, with demons and ghosts amping up the threat and action.
I hope Tom Lloyd writes more stories in this world. I believe that we have just scratched the surface of this richly detailed world, and we are yet to get a complete picture of this empire. The two books can be read as standalones, but, there are possibilities of some 5-6 books here regarding the rich lore, history, mythology, and magic which is yet to get a full exposure. I'll be waiting.
This book mainly centers around Enchei and his mysterious past. There is a hunt for him and the secrets locked in his mind. Moreover, Narin is also in deep shit, as he falls under the wrath of a nobleman. To add further the obstacles, the city is under attack of hellhounds, and someone is trying to brew a war between the powerful noble houses. Lloyd beautifully develops the relationship between these unlikely characters, and it is a soothing calm in the maelstrom of events.
The city is in the grip of winter, and demons and hellhounds rampage in the night. The lawbringers and Narin along with his friends tries to avert the disastrous situation. We get a glimpse into Enchei's secrets, though it's not elucidated clearly. Two members of his family makes an appearance here, and the interaction between them was dangerously delightful. However, the motive of the antagonist wasn't clearly stated. The final confrontation was bloody awesome, with demons and ghosts amping up the threat and action.
I hope Tom Lloyd writes more stories in this world. I believe that we have just scratched the surface of this richly detailed world, and we are yet to get a complete picture of this empire. The two books can be read as standalones, but, there are possibilities of some 5-6 books here regarding the rich lore, history, mythology, and magic which is yet to get a full exposure. I'll be waiting.
March 14, 2025
Slightly nebulous plot at times I felt, but I was reading on my phone, which I hate, because the ebook was only available on !£@&@£ kindle so at times I just wanted the story to hurry up so I could be done. I felt some characters, like Kesh, didn't get enough attention in this instalment - and in general I felt the character interactions were lacking as compared to Moon's Artifice. Epilogue made up for that a little bit.
June 19, 2019
Well worth the read.
Well worth the read . As good as if not better than the first. Well written. Good well developed characters. Well developed world building. You do need to read the first book first as this sets up the main characters and background to this book.
Well worth the read . As good as if not better than the first. Well written. Good well developed characters. Well developed world building. You do need to read the first book first as this sets up the main characters and background to this book.
February 11, 2018
A solid three and a half stars.
February 22, 2021
4.5 really...
Very good, and (unlike the first one) I actually knew about 80% of what was happening this time!
Very good, and (unlike the first one) I actually knew about 80% of what was happening this time!
February 24, 2017
wonderful! Great characters, exciting, i love the series. definitely read!!!
October 8, 2016
c2014: FWFTB: Enchei, Demons, rogue-mages, caste, haunt. SFX declares this to be 'A hugely assured modern fantasy' and it most certainly is. There are no standard tropes in this book; the make and female characters stand on their own and I certainly want to read more about these new characters. I think Narin and Kine have had their day but I want to know more about Enchei, Rhe and Maiss and what is going to happen to Kesh and Irato? And what secrets is Prince Sorote hiding? Full marks to the author for the 'what -has -gone -before' ; it got straight back into the swing of things instead of desperately trying to remember who is who and what is what. Definitely and highly recommended to the normal crew. 'It was a fact pointedly unacknowledged that the single - albeit vast and extended - family that comprised the Imperial caste was dependent on both the industry and wealth of their lesser citizens.'
May 31, 2015
I felt a little cheated throughout the story because a lot of key events that drove the action were things that happened in the past off-screen, so to say. I like a good mystery, I appreciate world building and intrigue, yet at the end of the story, I also like answers. Rhe and the Imperial Caste characters were a fragment of sanity in a plot that didn't really engage. The actual protagonists were all there, running around. Hoping that the answers that didn't make it into this volume will appear in the next chapter of the story.
Fingers crossed for no. 3!
Fingers crossed for no. 3!
September 17, 2015
Technically, this is a 3.5 for me. I really liked Moon's Artifice, but much of Old Man's Ghosts seemed draggy or aimless. The sudden tension between Narin and Rhe was new--I get that Narin is stressed, but at the same time, it read as though the Narin of Moon's Artifice had vanished and was replaced by a grouchy guy who was Raging Against The Machine--I mean, caste system, and who consistently lost his temper at just about everyone.
I did enjoy Myken in this book, as well as learning more about Enchei's backstory. But I definitely felt this book paled next to its predecessor.
I did enjoy Myken in this book, as well as learning more about Enchei's backstory. But I definitely felt this book paled next to its predecessor.
April 1, 2015
I didn't care for very much for the series. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great either. However, I really love his storm caller series a lot better.
January 4, 2022
Love, love, love it! Wow! I so love this world, the characters and the story! If you're looking for a supercool book try this!
April 7, 2015
Really good! Will post full review in a bit.
June 11, 2015
Finished it in the beach. Good 2nd instalment
Looking forward to nbr 3
Looking forward to nbr 3
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews