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Machiavelli the Immortal #1
A Dark and Subtle Light
A thrilling alternate history adventure from the Philip K. Dick Award-winning author of The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack .
Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli is a diplomat, an author, a philosopher and historian. An immortal.
Touched by a malevolent alien intelligence with a vampiric lust for sensation and misery, Earth stands at a crossroads as many worlds have before it. When a rival species sends a warning to Earth, Machiavelli is transformed into a protector of mankind.
Travelling the ages, an unlikely hero immune to death, he must stop the corrupted, from the Borgias to Friedrich Nietzsche, before we destroy ourselves for the watcher’s pleasure.
Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli is a diplomat, an author, a philosopher and historian. An immortal.
Touched by a malevolent alien intelligence with a vampiric lust for sensation and misery, Earth stands at a crossroads as many worlds have before it. When a rival species sends a warning to Earth, Machiavelli is transformed into a protector of mankind.
Travelling the ages, an unlikely hero immune to death, he must stop the corrupted, from the Borgias to Friedrich Nietzsche, before we destroy ourselves for the watcher’s pleasure.
- GenresFantasy
400 pages, Paperback
Published October 8, 2024
141 people want to read
About the author
Mark Hodder
76 books524 followersBritish author living in Valencia, Spain.
Burton & Swinburne Novels:
THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING-HEELED JACK (Winner of the Philip K. Dick Award 2010)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE CLOCKWORK MAN
EXPEDITION TO THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON
THE SECRET OF ABDU EL YEZDI
THE RETURN OF THE DISCONTINUED MAN
THE RISE OF THE AUTOMATED ARISTOCRATS
Other Novels:
A RED SUN ALSO RISES
THE SILENT THUNDER CAPER
A DARK AND SUBTLE LIGHT
Novels in Collaboration with Michael Moorcock:
CARIBBEAN CRISIS/VOODOO ISLAND
THE ALBINO'S SECRET (forthcoming)
THE ALBINO'S HONOUR (forthcoming)
THE ALBINO'S EYE (forthcoming)
As Editor:
SEXTON BLAKE AND THE GREAT WAR
SEXTON BLAKE VERSUS THE MASTER CROOKS
SEXTON BLAKE'S ALLIES
SEXTON BLAKE ON THE HOME FRONT
SEXTON BLAKE'S NEW ORDER
Burton & Swinburne Novels:
THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF SPRING-HEELED JACK (Winner of the Philip K. Dick Award 2010)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE CLOCKWORK MAN
EXPEDITION TO THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON
THE SECRET OF ABDU EL YEZDI
THE RETURN OF THE DISCONTINUED MAN
THE RISE OF THE AUTOMATED ARISTOCRATS
Other Novels:
A RED SUN ALSO RISES
THE SILENT THUNDER CAPER
A DARK AND SUBTLE LIGHT
Novels in Collaboration with Michael Moorcock:
CARIBBEAN CRISIS/VOODOO ISLAND
THE ALBINO'S SECRET (forthcoming)
THE ALBINO'S HONOUR (forthcoming)
THE ALBINO'S EYE (forthcoming)
As Editor:
SEXTON BLAKE AND THE GREAT WAR
SEXTON BLAKE VERSUS THE MASTER CROOKS
SEXTON BLAKE'S ALLIES
SEXTON BLAKE ON THE HOME FRONT
SEXTON BLAKE'S NEW ORDER
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
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November 29, 2024This book's release was cancelled and I can't find any information about why. Mark Hodder tweeted on October 8, 2024 that it was release day. Shouldn't he have known by then if it wasn't actually coming out? Did no one tell him? I see no evidence that physical copies were printed, or if they were they were never shipped out. I contacted some bookshops that had the book listed on their websites in case it was a situation where copies were shipped before cancellation, but to no avail. There is one advance review on youtube but no print copy shown, it must have been an e-arc.
I am sad. Hodder's Burton & Swinburne series is one of my favorite things ever. I've been looking forward to a new release from him forever.
UPDATE: I contacted Mark Hodder on BlueSky and he was kind enough to give me the low-down. In summary:
-"The publisher purchased it as "work for hire" ... meaning they owned the character and concept of the brief. The idea was that it would be the first of a series with other authors working on subsequent novels featuring the same main character"
-"They set an Oct '24 date for publication. However, the editor who had suggested the idea left the company. They decided to put the project on hold, forgot to tell me & forgot to remove the scheduled pub. date from Amazon."
They . . . "forgot" to tell the author they cancelled publication of his book. That is brutal.
But, there is still a possibility that we'll see this book in some form in the future, so I'm leaving it on my TBR list.
I am sad. Hodder's Burton & Swinburne series is one of my favorite things ever. I've been looking forward to a new release from him forever.
UPDATE: I contacted Mark Hodder on BlueSky and he was kind enough to give me the low-down. In summary:
-"The publisher purchased it as "work for hire" ... meaning they owned the character and concept of the brief. The idea was that it would be the first of a series with other authors working on subsequent novels featuring the same main character"
-"They set an Oct '24 date for publication. However, the editor who had suggested the idea left the company. They decided to put the project on hold, forgot to tell me & forgot to remove the scheduled pub. date from Amazon."
They . . . "forgot" to tell the author they cancelled publication of his book. That is brutal.
But, there is still a possibility that we'll see this book in some form in the future, so I'm leaving it on my TBR list.
September 16, 2024
This was a supremely enjoyable adventure. A kind of alternative history fantasy that sees an immortal Niccolo Machiavelli infiltrating a fascist commune in 19th century Europe. The presence of brain altering mind worms as well as proto-Nazis only adds to the fun.
It's all somewhat bonkers in an infectiously fun way. Da Vinci makes an appearance (on the side of the heroes), as does Nietzsche (for the villains). There's a kickass female warrior, some great action, nicely handled humour and a fevered pulpy inventiveness to it all that I found completely addictive. The bad guys are utterly despicable, making the twists and turns of the book even more compelling. It has a satisfying vintage feel to it, the page turning excitement of a 70s thriller, but also manages to feel current.
The fact that Mark Hodder weaves a lot of historical reality into his fantastical tale is impressive and makes for an even more satisfying tale.
This was the first book I've read by him. I'm very confident it won't be the last.
It's all somewhat bonkers in an infectiously fun way. Da Vinci makes an appearance (on the side of the heroes), as does Nietzsche (for the villains). There's a kickass female warrior, some great action, nicely handled humour and a fevered pulpy inventiveness to it all that I found completely addictive. The bad guys are utterly despicable, making the twists and turns of the book even more compelling. It has a satisfying vintage feel to it, the page turning excitement of a 70s thriller, but also manages to feel current.
The fact that Mark Hodder weaves a lot of historical reality into his fantastical tale is impressive and makes for an even more satisfying tale.
This was the first book I've read by him. I'm very confident it won't be the last.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews