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Mad House: An Altearth Tale
In Altearth, the wizards of the Chapterhouses are among the most powerful magicians in the land. Those of the Chapterhouse of the Black Isle are the envy of the world, for they have their Library, which houses secrets as deep as the ocean itself.
Then some fool locked it.
Not the ordinary sort of locking, for which there are keys and spells; no, this wretch of a novice was digging around in place he shouldn't even have been looking at, and he has set off the emergency lock, a thing not done for centuries.
It has been so long since the emergency lock was set, no one remembers how to unset it. The more the wizards tried to unlock it, the more locked it became. What do you do when no key works and no spell prevails?
You call upon Quinn of Clan Five, the master of locks. Because he is a sprite, he can't be trusted any farther than you can catapult him. So you frame him for a capital crime, then offer him a pardon if he will unlock the Library. To make sure he doesn't steal any secrets, you put the faithful ogre, John Golly, to watch over him.
All will be well.
Except that Quinn-the-Sprite does not intend to leave empty handed. John Golly used to be a tunneler in the service of a mercenary army, and Quinn used to be a tunneler as well, so Quinn figures the ogre will help out a brother.
But the House has been talking to John Golly. Something is wrong with the House itself, and the problem lies deep within the Library. The wizards want Quinn to unlock the door and leave, but John Golly and the House want him to go much further. Quinn just wants to make off with a treasure that will set him up for life. And to keep his life.
Wizards, sprites, ogres and a talking house. It might have all worked out, if it weren't for the storm. The storm changed everything.
But they did not know Quinn and John Golly had been tunnelers in mercenary bands. Nor did they know the House wanted John Golly to do it a favor.
And no one could have anticipated the storm.
Then some fool locked it.
Not the ordinary sort of locking, for which there are keys and spells; no, this wretch of a novice was digging around in place he shouldn't even have been looking at, and he has set off the emergency lock, a thing not done for centuries.
It has been so long since the emergency lock was set, no one remembers how to unset it. The more the wizards tried to unlock it, the more locked it became. What do you do when no key works and no spell prevails?
You call upon Quinn of Clan Five, the master of locks. Because he is a sprite, he can't be trusted any farther than you can catapult him. So you frame him for a capital crime, then offer him a pardon if he will unlock the Library. To make sure he doesn't steal any secrets, you put the faithful ogre, John Golly, to watch over him.
All will be well.
Except that Quinn-the-Sprite does not intend to leave empty handed. John Golly used to be a tunneler in the service of a mercenary army, and Quinn used to be a tunneler as well, so Quinn figures the ogre will help out a brother.
But the House has been talking to John Golly. Something is wrong with the House itself, and the problem lies deep within the Library. The wizards want Quinn to unlock the door and leave, but John Golly and the House want him to go much further. Quinn just wants to make off with a treasure that will set him up for life. And to keep his life.
Wizards, sprites, ogres and a talking house. It might have all worked out, if it weren't for the storm. The storm changed everything.
But they did not know Quinn and John Golly had been tunnelers in mercenary bands. Nor did they know the House wanted John Golly to do it a favor.
And no one could have anticipated the storm.
- GenresFantasy
48 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 6, 2017
3 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Ellis L. Knox
5 books38 followersI'm a medieval historian who has decided to take apart the Middle Ages and reconstruct them as Altearth.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 5, 2020
I didn't understand one thing about the magic, but it was a gripping atmospheric tale. Loved the characters, Quinn the sprite and the orge John Golly. Recommended reading.
July 14, 2020
I love Knox's mix of history and fantasy, so was happy to find this novelette.
What to Expect
A quick read about a roguish sprite, a loyal ogre, and a house made of magic.
This story is mostly atmospheric, but serves as an excellent intro or sample of Knox's longer works.
What I liked
I liked the characters, with their foibles and growth even in such a short span. I loved the premise of the story and the final resolution.
What to be aware of
It's a short work, and while Knox is clear about the alt-history nature of his work it doesn't do justice to his usual deep grounding in a particular period (usually there's more history involved in the world-building, which I adore).
Felix's Review
Felix has been in a few houses gone mad, so can sympathise with the protagonist's experiences. He's not sure about the final resolution, but that's not about the story - more about the future prospects of a sequel.
Summary
Excellent quick read, and if you like it I'd strongly recommend Knox's other works.
--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
What to Expect
A quick read about a roguish sprite, a loyal ogre, and a house made of magic.
This story is mostly atmospheric, but serves as an excellent intro or sample of Knox's longer works.
What I liked
I liked the characters, with their foibles and growth even in such a short span. I loved the premise of the story and the final resolution.
What to be aware of
It's a short work, and while Knox is clear about the alt-history nature of his work it doesn't do justice to his usual deep grounding in a particular period (usually there's more history involved in the world-building, which I adore).
Felix's Review
Felix has been in a few houses gone mad, so can sympathise with the protagonist's experiences. He's not sure about the final resolution, but that's not about the story - more about the future prospects of a sequel.
Summary
Excellent quick read, and if you like it I'd strongly recommend Knox's other works.
--
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
January 3, 2018
This was a fun little fantasy adventure that involves a master lockpicker - Quinn-the-sprite - going to a secluded island, where powerful mages have built a sprawling building over the centuries using all sorts of spells.
The problem? Someone has locked the library. Only, it's a magical lock in a magical house where all rules of reality are constantly shifting - and Quinn might the only person able to open it.
Oh, and there's an ogre caretaker - called John Golly - who does what he can to help Quinn...
There's a fun sense of voice in this. Quinn is an affable rogue with a sharp wit, and when teamed up with the ogre they make for an interesting double act.
It's also a short novella rather than a long novel, which is both a positive and negative - positive, because the story never gets a chance to become mired in itself, but a negative in that there's so much here that could be told.
This is especially because because Knox tells what he has really well, with a ream of vivid descriptions, both of the building and the characters. There are also a nice couple of historical points in there I appreciated.
Overall, it's a fun story and an enjoyable introduction to Knox's writing - I just wish it had been longer. :)
The problem? Someone has locked the library. Only, it's a magical lock in a magical house where all rules of reality are constantly shifting - and Quinn might the only person able to open it.
Oh, and there's an ogre caretaker - called John Golly - who does what he can to help Quinn...
There's a fun sense of voice in this. Quinn is an affable rogue with a sharp wit, and when teamed up with the ogre they make for an interesting double act.
It's also a short novella rather than a long novel, which is both a positive and negative - positive, because the story never gets a chance to become mired in itself, but a negative in that there's so much here that could be told.
This is especially because because Knox tells what he has really well, with a ream of vivid descriptions, both of the building and the characters. There are also a nice couple of historical points in there I appreciated.
Overall, it's a fun story and an enjoyable introduction to Knox's writing - I just wish it had been longer. :)
November 11, 2020
Taking place in historical "Earth", this is not the world as we know it. It is a world where magic and mystical creatures exist alongside humans. In this adventure, an unlikely friendship develops between an ogre and a sprite as they work together to assist a place in need.
August 17, 2021
Fun little story.
Loved the first person narrator and the premise—the problem of a locked library escalates nicely.
And while I thought the ending rather glib, while still somehow being awesome, I'm hoping that the idea is expanded on in a story at a later date.
Loved the first person narrator and the premise—the problem of a locked library escalates nicely.
And while I thought the ending rather glib, while still somehow being awesome, I'm hoping that the idea is expanded on in a story at a later date.
October 3, 2019
A fun little jaunt
Well, this is an odd one to review, having read Knox’s Goblins at the Gates. On the one hand, I enjoyed the voice of the first person narrator a little more than the larger novel, and I can see improvements in the prose, but the story isn’t in the sweet spot of my reading tastes. Romans and Goblins was much more to my taste, but at the same time I see a potential here for folks who are looking for a quick, magical, fun house sort of story. If you’re one of those people, you’d probably enjoy this more than Goblins.
Well, this is an odd one to review, having read Knox’s Goblins at the Gates. On the one hand, I enjoyed the voice of the first person narrator a little more than the larger novel, and I can see improvements in the prose, but the story isn’t in the sweet spot of my reading tastes. Romans and Goblins was much more to my taste, but at the same time I see a potential here for folks who are looking for a quick, magical, fun house sort of story. If you’re one of those people, you’d probably enjoy this more than Goblins.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews