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The Dark Apostle #1
Elisha Barber
England in the fourteenth century: a land of poverty and opulence, prayer and plague, witchcraft and necromancy. Where the medieval barber-surgeon Elisha seeks redemption as a medic on the front lines of an unjust war, and is drawn into the perilous world of sorcery by a beautiful young witch. In the crucible of combat, utterly at the mercy of his capricious superiors, Elisha must attempt to unravel conspiracies both magical and mundane, as well as come to terms with his own disturbing new abilities. But the only things more dangerous than the questions he’s asking are the answers he may reveal...
304 pages, Hardcover
First published July 2, 2013
About the author
E.C. Ambrose
12 books58 followersI passed a peripatetic childhood reading way too many books, and eventually writing my own little stories, either inspired by my life (such as it was) or by whatever I was reading at the time. I thought I would grow up to be an archaeologist which explains why I read The Last Days of Pompeii at the age of nine. I was fortunate to have a few teachers early on who encouraged my literary tendencies—including one who let me stay inside to read during recess.
When I discovered the Society for Creative Anachronism, a medieval recreation group, I delved more deeply into medieval history, becoming enthralled with the dark castles, bloodsports and social expectations of the period. I nearly went to Fordham University for Medieval Studies, but chose Stanford instead—then withdrew as soon as humanly possible (before I ever started, as a matter of fact).
By this time, my stories accumulated rejection slips faster than the DOW was rising, yet I continued to hope my writing would be the answer. I started work on a first novel during a summer writing workshop, and finally finished it some years later, while depending on the refuge of aspiring writers everywhere: working customer service and living with family.
A second novel, begun with a notebook full of world-building concepts and great ambitions, lies dormant in a file my computer can no longer read. But when I met Elisha Barber, I knew I was on to something. I have to thank a local workshop with Dan Brown (slightly before he became THE Dan Brown) for my approach to the new project.
Now I find that once I start reading history, science, sociology, I discover a dozen different stories hiding in the details. . .
I live quietly in New England with my family, where I have just found the right dog to defend the new apple trees from the local whitetail deer population.
When I discovered the Society for Creative Anachronism, a medieval recreation group, I delved more deeply into medieval history, becoming enthralled with the dark castles, bloodsports and social expectations of the period. I nearly went to Fordham University for Medieval Studies, but chose Stanford instead—then withdrew as soon as humanly possible (before I ever started, as a matter of fact).
By this time, my stories accumulated rejection slips faster than the DOW was rising, yet I continued to hope my writing would be the answer. I started work on a first novel during a summer writing workshop, and finally finished it some years later, while depending on the refuge of aspiring writers everywhere: working customer service and living with family.
A second novel, begun with a notebook full of world-building concepts and great ambitions, lies dormant in a file my computer can no longer read. But when I met Elisha Barber, I knew I was on to something. I have to thank a local workshop with Dan Brown (slightly before he became THE Dan Brown) for my approach to the new project.
Now I find that once I start reading history, science, sociology, I discover a dozen different stories hiding in the details. . .
I live quietly in New England with my family, where I have just found the right dog to defend the new apple trees from the local whitetail deer population.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
March 21, 2017
Priests..........without the ad&d setting, this time the setting is 18th century England.......Nuff said???
August 22, 2013
As a teenager, I was obsessed with the medieval period. In recent years, it hasn't attracted me as much--so many books repeat the same themes and decades. This book reminded me of how awesome well-written medieval fiction can be, in part because it hit on another one of my major obsessions: healers. Usually they are utilized as handy side characters, patching up the hero when in need. Not so here. Ambrose explores the occupation of the medieval barber, a multitasking field that involves hair-cutting, beard-trimming, and all your down-and-dirty doctoring needs.
Elisha is a dark and gritty protagonist. He's not some squeaky-clean goody-two-shoes. He's a damaged man who shares a house with his brother and his wife, and hasn't spoken to either in two years. He tends to the medical needs of a street of brothels. He's closed off emotionally. However, his heart is in the right place, and he has a healer's touch and intuition.
There's a touch of realism to the events. It truly feels like Ambrose researched the medieval battlefield, the injuries, and the crude surgical methods of the time period. The magical element isn't all lights and glitter; no, it's as down-and-dirty as the mud of the battlefield.
I immensely enjoyed the book. It just brings so many fabulous elements together--a medical lead character, an unglamorous and real setting, and a magical system that brings chaos and wonder to the plot. I definitely want to read more books in this series as they are released.
Elisha is a dark and gritty protagonist. He's not some squeaky-clean goody-two-shoes. He's a damaged man who shares a house with his brother and his wife, and hasn't spoken to either in two years. He tends to the medical needs of a street of brothels. He's closed off emotionally. However, his heart is in the right place, and he has a healer's touch and intuition.
There's a touch of realism to the events. It truly feels like Ambrose researched the medieval battlefield, the injuries, and the crude surgical methods of the time period. The magical element isn't all lights and glitter; no, it's as down-and-dirty as the mud of the battlefield.
I immensely enjoyed the book. It just brings so many fabulous elements together--a medical lead character, an unglamorous and real setting, and a magical system that brings chaos and wonder to the plot. I definitely want to read more books in this series as they are released.
November 3, 2015
Updated: Gave book second go to page 200, improved quite a bit as magic finally comes into it. But I'm not loving it. And as there's two more books to the story I don't think I want to continue.
I'm stopping at page 130. The book is just not giving me an reasons to continue. And quite a few reasons to stop. There's no hook. Nothing to pull me in further. Nice historical details not enough. Been fairly gruesome so far.
I'm stopping at page 130. The book is just not giving me an reasons to continue. And quite a few reasons to stop. There's no hook. Nothing to pull me in further. Nice historical details not enough. Been fairly gruesome so far.
May 26, 2017
I was recommended ELISHA BARBER by a friend of mine, fellow reviewer Steve Caldwell, who sent me the first two novels with the first in audiobook CD form. I was doing a lot of driving during that time so I had time to soak in the ten hour storyline. I'm glad I did since I feel this is a really overlooked gem in the "gritty Medieval fantasy" collection that seems so popular right now due to Game of Thrones. It's, simply put, about a Medieval barber (more surgeon than hair--though he does that too) who gets dragooned into being a field medic due to a series of tragic events that get him arrested for his brother's death.
The books are perhaps the goriest stories ever written about a protagonist who is, at least for the most part, a pacifist. Large parts of the book are devoted to Elisha desperately trying to come up with ways to save the lives of patients who are in need of amputation or having their wounds sewn up. I won't lie to you, some of the scenes had me fast forwarding because they were so gruesome but really help sell this is a setting where violence isn't being glamorized. People die from infection and disemboweling rather than neat little sword strikes.
Elisha, himself, is a character who strangely reminds me of the Witcher's Geralt. Not in the context of being a badass--the two characters couldn't be more different in their combat capacity. Instead, they are the unusually empathetic individuals who hold cynical world-weary attitudes born from the fact they know they're from a barbaric time where superstition is valued over reason while hate is more powerful than love. It's as if someone managed to combine Geralt with Doctor Gregory House. The fact Elisha is a working-class hero who doesn't get any of the respect or wealth a educated physician possesses is also a note more toward Geralt than Gregory.
The most interesting parts of the book are Elisha's struggle to keep men alive in appalling conditions and you get a real sense of his ice-skating uphill. He is, after all, in the middle of a war and even if he patches the men up--they'll just be sent back to the front unless they lose a limb. Elisha is a bit TOO educated in how to treat wounds and I rolled my eyes a bit that he somehow learned stitching from a Arabic prostitute who used to work at a Middle Eastern hospital. Still, I liked the contrast between Elisha's attempts to minimize pain versus the use of the men as guinea pigs for the court physicians' experiments.
The book could have been entirely been about Elisha's suffering but there's actually a substantial plot about witchcraft, plots against the king, and a woman burned at the stake in front of Elisha's eyes who seemingly became an angel. I was less interested in this plot, especially as the witches seemed to be "do no wrong" good guys, but didn't hate it either. I'm also intrigued about the possibilities of Elisha becoming a magus himself since the book's title is "The Dark Apostle" while the next book is called "Elisha Magus."
The villains of the book are a bit too one-dimensionally evil for my tastes with the Physician and King being especially heinous [expletive]. Nevertheless, they served their purpose as embodying the privilege and casual cruelty of their stations. As Talisa the nurse said to Robb Stark, his father's death may be of the greatest importance to him but thousands of innocent men on both sides are paying the price for his actions. I also very much like the ambiguity surrounding the character of Bridgit as her own plans went in directions I did not expect.
There's some genuinely powerful moments throughout the book with the race to save his sister-in-law, the grim discovery his stillborn nephew has to be sawed out, the horrible discovery in the woodshed, and the punishment Elisha suffers for his midnight rendevouz with a woman above his station. I also felt catharsis at the climax when powerful forces went to town on the worst of the people surrounding Elisha. This is a book with a lot of great moments and they, by themselves, cause me to recommend it strongly.
Is it grimdark? Well, I think it's about as grimdark as Game of Thrones where people like Jon Snow are good and noble but they're surrounded by corruption they're mostly powerless to change. Elisha Barber is a decent man caught in a horrible situation and I enjoyed reading about his exploits. It's just I was more interested in Elisha Barber the surgeon than I was in Elisha Barber the magic-seeker.
9/10
The books are perhaps the goriest stories ever written about a protagonist who is, at least for the most part, a pacifist. Large parts of the book are devoted to Elisha desperately trying to come up with ways to save the lives of patients who are in need of amputation or having their wounds sewn up. I won't lie to you, some of the scenes had me fast forwarding because they were so gruesome but really help sell this is a setting where violence isn't being glamorized. People die from infection and disemboweling rather than neat little sword strikes.
Elisha, himself, is a character who strangely reminds me of the Witcher's Geralt. Not in the context of being a badass--the two characters couldn't be more different in their combat capacity. Instead, they are the unusually empathetic individuals who hold cynical world-weary attitudes born from the fact they know they're from a barbaric time where superstition is valued over reason while hate is more powerful than love. It's as if someone managed to combine Geralt with Doctor Gregory House. The fact Elisha is a working-class hero who doesn't get any of the respect or wealth a educated physician possesses is also a note more toward Geralt than Gregory.
The most interesting parts of the book are Elisha's struggle to keep men alive in appalling conditions and you get a real sense of his ice-skating uphill. He is, after all, in the middle of a war and even if he patches the men up--they'll just be sent back to the front unless they lose a limb. Elisha is a bit TOO educated in how to treat wounds and I rolled my eyes a bit that he somehow learned stitching from a Arabic prostitute who used to work at a Middle Eastern hospital. Still, I liked the contrast between Elisha's attempts to minimize pain versus the use of the men as guinea pigs for the court physicians' experiments.
The book could have been entirely been about Elisha's suffering but there's actually a substantial plot about witchcraft, plots against the king, and a woman burned at the stake in front of Elisha's eyes who seemingly became an angel. I was less interested in this plot, especially as the witches seemed to be "do no wrong" good guys, but didn't hate it either. I'm also intrigued about the possibilities of Elisha becoming a magus himself since the book's title is "The Dark Apostle" while the next book is called "Elisha Magus."
The villains of the book are a bit too one-dimensionally evil for my tastes with the Physician and King being especially heinous [expletive]. Nevertheless, they served their purpose as embodying the privilege and casual cruelty of their stations. As Talisa the nurse said to Robb Stark, his father's death may be of the greatest importance to him but thousands of innocent men on both sides are paying the price for his actions. I also very much like the ambiguity surrounding the character of Bridgit as her own plans went in directions I did not expect.
There's some genuinely powerful moments throughout the book with the race to save his sister-in-law, the grim discovery his stillborn nephew has to be sawed out, the horrible discovery in the woodshed, and the punishment Elisha suffers for his midnight rendevouz with a woman above his station. I also felt catharsis at the climax when powerful forces went to town on the worst of the people surrounding Elisha. This is a book with a lot of great moments and they, by themselves, cause me to recommend it strongly.
Is it grimdark? Well, I think it's about as grimdark as Game of Thrones where people like Jon Snow are good and noble but they're surrounded by corruption they're mostly powerless to change. Elisha Barber is a decent man caught in a horrible situation and I enjoyed reading about his exploits. It's just I was more interested in Elisha Barber the surgeon than I was in Elisha Barber the magic-seeker.
9/10
September 17, 2013
The good thing is that i couldn't stop reading.
The story just flow, and that's great.
The not so good thing is, the main character. Oh, how much this guy is pathetic. Never seen something like that. He just sits and do nothing wile everyone are stepping on him. No, it's not because he's so good, just very stupid.
It was very hard to like someone that you can't respect. Seriously, all the characters seems to be too evil or too stupid.
I hope that in the future the author will make Elisha more human in a way that will not leave me feeling so disconnected from him.
The story just flow, and that's great.
The not so good thing is, the main character. Oh, how much this guy is pathetic. Never seen something like that. He just sits and do nothing wile everyone are stepping on him. No, it's not because he's so good, just very stupid.
It was very hard to like someone that you can't respect. Seriously, all the characters seems to be too evil or too stupid.
I hope that in the future the author will make Elisha more human in a way that will not leave me feeling so disconnected from him.
April 25, 2013
A fantastic, magical read! If you love a little history, magic, violence,etc., this book has it all with an incredibly unique storyline! Riveting to say the least! I loved it & cannot WAIT for the following books in this Dark Apostle series! :)
Read
December 6, 2018This is the first book in the Dark Apostle series, which is a historical fantasy. I note that the book contains considerable brutality and violence, with the protagonist being a medieval barber (barber here encompassing surgery as well as hair cutting). The fantasy elements don't surface for a while, but become increasingly significant, and I thought that aspect of the book was well done, as was the medical aspect. However, I found other aspects pushing me away (spoilers ahead....) Overall: I am not the right reader for this book.
October 15, 2018
A gruesome tale of a barber/surgeon, who is filled with guilt, gets sent off to the war in 14th century England and discovers a fantastical secret about himself. It is a first person story that can be graphic with the descriptions of surgical procedures. While it is a fantasy, it is more of a historical fiction until the latter parts of the book. The first book in the series seems to be more about set up on who Elisha is and the type of world he is apart of. Overall the book is okay. Has potential and I'm interested on where the story will go, but Elisha's character is a bit uninteresting and there really isn't a plot to the book.
February 10, 2017
This is E.C. Ambrose's debut novel from DAW Books and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. As suggested by the cover, it's a dark, bloody, realistic look at what a "barber" would have had to deal with in that time period, and yet it wasn't too dark or grim or gritty.
The premise: Elisha is a barber in a version of England (not quite our own England) who is accused of a crime he didn't commit in order to protect the soul of his brother. His execution is commuted . . . if he's willing to work as a barber on the battlefield of the siege of a nearby duke who has angered the king. In the hospital, with wounded dying right and left, Elisha is forced to confront his own horrendous but necessary actions, which led to the accusation of murder, and his gift as a barber, which includes more than simply patching up and healing the wounded, but also his own brush with magic at a young age . . . and the legacy of magic that he has yet to discover about himself.
As I said, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I honestly went into it thinking that it was going to be too dark and gruesome, even for me, who writes dark epic fantasy and doesn't shy away from being realistic when it comes to wounds, torture, etc. And this book was solidly real, with Elisha dealing with battlefield wounds and other gruesome tasks. All of the medical situations were described with just the right level of detail, so that the reader knew exactly what was going on, even though it wasn't being described in excruciating exactness. The author left the worst parts up to the reader to imagine, and as I've found in my own writing, the reader's imagination is plenty gruesome enough.
But what I found most appealing was that the author didn't stop by describing Elisha's work realistically. Besides saws and knives and bandages, the author also focused on the fact that healers have to deal with emotional wounds. They need to have empathy for their patients, and they have to focus on making certain the patients want to live as well. Elisha is more than just a barber, he is a healer, and the distinction is made clear with the contrast between his actions and those of most of the other surgeons in the book.
But of course Elisha is more than a barber or a healer. It wouldn't be a fantasy novel otherwise. *grin* The magical aspects of the book were also handled well, and Elisha's discovery of his magic was well played. The magic wasn't what grabbed me and kept me reading though. It was Elisha and his circumstances and how he would deal with the convoluted plots he finds himself enmeshed in, even though all he really wants to do is heal those wounded on the battlefield unimpeded.
My only real complaint is that at a few points in the book I felt that Elisha was perhaps a little too passive about what was happening to him. There were moments where he could have spoken up in defense of himself and saved himself some pain and torment (both physical and emotional), but he seemed to just accept what was to come as if it were his due punishment. I can see this reaction in him for a few of the situations in the book--he does believe he's there for penance--but not ALL of the situations. I felt he should have defended himself more, even if it wouldn't do any good in the end.
But that was a minor quibble in an otherwise great book. So, yes, this is a dark book, filled with a realism that I think is necessary in a fantasy novel, but there was a decided balance between being realistic and telling a good story. It takes the reader down a road of dark circumstance, from which Elisha fights for survival, and it's Elisha himself and his own battle that keeps the reader involved and interested in the book. A strong debut from an author that I'll certainly watch for in the future.
The premise: Elisha is a barber in a version of England (not quite our own England) who is accused of a crime he didn't commit in order to protect the soul of his brother. His execution is commuted . . . if he's willing to work as a barber on the battlefield of the siege of a nearby duke who has angered the king. In the hospital, with wounded dying right and left, Elisha is forced to confront his own horrendous but necessary actions, which led to the accusation of murder, and his gift as a barber, which includes more than simply patching up and healing the wounded, but also his own brush with magic at a young age . . . and the legacy of magic that he has yet to discover about himself.
As I said, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I honestly went into it thinking that it was going to be too dark and gruesome, even for me, who writes dark epic fantasy and doesn't shy away from being realistic when it comes to wounds, torture, etc. And this book was solidly real, with Elisha dealing with battlefield wounds and other gruesome tasks. All of the medical situations were described with just the right level of detail, so that the reader knew exactly what was going on, even though it wasn't being described in excruciating exactness. The author left the worst parts up to the reader to imagine, and as I've found in my own writing, the reader's imagination is plenty gruesome enough.
But what I found most appealing was that the author didn't stop by describing Elisha's work realistically. Besides saws and knives and bandages, the author also focused on the fact that healers have to deal with emotional wounds. They need to have empathy for their patients, and they have to focus on making certain the patients want to live as well. Elisha is more than just a barber, he is a healer, and the distinction is made clear with the contrast between his actions and those of most of the other surgeons in the book.
But of course Elisha is more than a barber or a healer. It wouldn't be a fantasy novel otherwise. *grin* The magical aspects of the book were also handled well, and Elisha's discovery of his magic was well played. The magic wasn't what grabbed me and kept me reading though. It was Elisha and his circumstances and how he would deal with the convoluted plots he finds himself enmeshed in, even though all he really wants to do is heal those wounded on the battlefield unimpeded.
My only real complaint is that at a few points in the book I felt that Elisha was perhaps a little too passive about what was happening to him. There were moments where he could have spoken up in defense of himself and saved himself some pain and torment (both physical and emotional), but he seemed to just accept what was to come as if it were his due punishment. I can see this reaction in him for a few of the situations in the book--he does believe he's there for penance--but not ALL of the situations. I felt he should have defended himself more, even if it wouldn't do any good in the end.
But that was a minor quibble in an otherwise great book. So, yes, this is a dark book, filled with a realism that I think is necessary in a fantasy novel, but there was a decided balance between being realistic and telling a good story. It takes the reader down a road of dark circumstance, from which Elisha fights for survival, and it's Elisha himself and his own battle that keeps the reader involved and interested in the book. A strong debut from an author that I'll certainly watch for in the future.
May 6, 2013
Elisha Barber is like a stack of pancakes. You eat them up really fast and they are wonderful in that moment, but then after a little bit of time you are hungry again. Elisha Barber is the story of a barber/surgeon who finds himself treating soldiers during a siege set in 14 century England. The story moves quickly and you are swept up in the weave of the tale. I read the whole book in a bit over three hours.
But when done you wonder if it was really that great. E.C. Ambrose does a masterful job pulling the reader into the web of the story, but when I was done I felt little compulsion to read the next installment in the series.
I learned quite a bit concerning the treatment of soldiers in Midievel England. I couldn't buy into the witchcraft element of the story fully though. I read fantasy novels often and this was not fantasy nor was it even science fiction. Elisha discovers his power as a magus/witch and even though he is untrained and doesn't understand the rules he becomes this ultra-powerful mage who turns the tide of the siege. I just couldn't buy it. I really liked the storytelling, but won't be seeking out the next installment. I gave this four stars based on the enjoyable / quick read scale, not because it made me think or was a book I will remember in a month.
FYI - I won this book as a Goodreads Firstread.
Happy Barbering.
But when done you wonder if it was really that great. E.C. Ambrose does a masterful job pulling the reader into the web of the story, but when I was done I felt little compulsion to read the next installment in the series.
I learned quite a bit concerning the treatment of soldiers in Midievel England. I couldn't buy into the witchcraft element of the story fully though. I read fantasy novels often and this was not fantasy nor was it even science fiction. Elisha discovers his power as a magus/witch and even though he is untrained and doesn't understand the rules he becomes this ultra-powerful mage who turns the tide of the siege. I just couldn't buy it. I really liked the storytelling, but won't be seeking out the next installment. I gave this four stars based on the enjoyable / quick read scale, not because it made me think or was a book I will remember in a month.
FYI - I won this book as a Goodreads Firstread.
Happy Barbering.
September 3, 2015
Sadly, Elisha Barber wasn't my thing. I loved the idea of a barber-surgeon who suddenly discovers that he has magical abilities, but it didn't grab my attention like I was hoping. Elisha leaves home to be a medic on the battlefield after he attempts to deliver his sister-in-law's baby, mistakenly thinks he killed her, causing his brother to kill himself. While saving the lives of soldiers, Elisha meets a witch and learns that he is too. Meanwhile, there's the war and conspiracies and other things I simply didn't care about.
I never became invested in Elisha Barber. I was mostly extremely bored, because the first third or so is just Elisha doing medical stuff. Then he starts practicing magic, and I liked that part. But then it got repetitive with Elisha getting punished for doing the right thing, but ignoring orders from his superiors. He really had no sense of self-preservation at all! Then things got kind of exciting, then boring again, then it ended.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
I never became invested in Elisha Barber. I was mostly extremely bored, because the first third or so is just Elisha doing medical stuff. Then he starts practicing magic, and I liked that part. But then it got repetitive with Elisha getting punished for doing the right thing, but ignoring orders from his superiors. He really had no sense of self-preservation at all! Then things got kind of exciting, then boring again, then it ended.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
July 15, 2013
To tell the truth I was not really expecting a lot from this book and I was more than pleasantly surprised with my inability to put it down until it was done. The alternate but very familiar take on history with all the brutality and nastiness and awful human behavior was present front and center and the actions of the people in the story were all to believable. All of the characters here are flawed and not all of the them or even most of them are able or willing to overcome those flaws and this makes them more real in their depth and in their weaknesses. I cannot wait to see what happens next.
October 30, 2015
2.5 stars
Elisha'a lack of agency really ruined the read for me. He's beaten, burned, tortured, and almost hanged until dead. Most of the characters are unfeeling douche bags, and Elisha's love interest didn't deserve his kind regard. I found it frustrating that a man as gifted as Elisha was treated so poorly, and it made it difficult to engage with the story.
Elisha'a lack of agency really ruined the read for me. He's beaten, burned, tortured, and almost hanged until dead. Most of the characters are unfeeling douche bags, and Elisha's love interest didn't deserve his kind regard. I found it frustrating that a man as gifted as Elisha was treated so poorly, and it made it difficult to engage with the story.
May 21, 2013
I recieved an advanced copy of this from my work and while it has a rough start the book is well balanced. I look forward to the next book everyone should pick this up when it comes out
January 16, 2018
Elisha Barber
By E.C. Ambrose
DAW Books, Inc.
July 2, 2013
298 pages
Believe it or not, this was the first book that I have read that takes place during the Medieval time period. The only reason that I personally gave it a four star rating (4.5 was not a choice), was it took me almost the whole first chapter to really get hooked and that the manner in which they spoke during that time period would hang me up once in a while.
Elisha Barber, our main character, is a barber/surgeon. Elisha has to use his surgical skills to perform an unthinkable act to attempt to save his brothers wife during childbirth. Thinking that not only has he lost his child but his wife as well, Elisha’s brother goes to his tinsmithing workshop and takes his own life, never learning that his wife, indeed, survived. Elisha knows that if it becomes known that his brother killed himself, he will be buried in an unmarked grave, in unsanctified ground. Before he can say what happened he is arrested for murder with his brothers blood on his hands. He can come clean which will leave his brother’s death a suicide, or he can keep quiet, serve whatever sentence he gets, leaving his brother to be buried in the church graveyard, as well as in good standing with the Tinsmithing Guild, who may offer assistance to his brothers wife.
Elisha ends up on a journey to a battle as his punishment for his crimes (supposed crimes). The town physician takes him on as an assistant to help test out some new surgical techniques on the men injured on the battlefield.
Once arriving at the makeshift “hospital” Elisha discover’s things about himself that he has a hard time believing. He is reminded at one point of something he had seen as a child, he had gone with his parents to a witch burning. These were often public events that ended up being like a carnival with vendors and such. Elisha was excited to get to go to see this, but being the peasants that they were, they didn’t have good seats. He weaved his way through the crowd to get up front to have a better view. There she was, tied to the stake, the fire just starting to get going. Then he saw something that he couldn’t believe. Out of this witches body came an angel, the most beautiful angel, as she was disappearing she reached out, caressing Elisha’s face with one of her feathered wings…
Once I got into this book it was impossible for me to put it down. E.C. Ambrose made sure that you felt like you were right there with her characters, right smack in the middle of Medieval times. I thoroughly enjoyed Elisha Barber and am already reading the second book in The Dark Apostle series.
By E.C. Ambrose
DAW Books, Inc.
July 2, 2013
298 pages
Believe it or not, this was the first book that I have read that takes place during the Medieval time period. The only reason that I personally gave it a four star rating (4.5 was not a choice), was it took me almost the whole first chapter to really get hooked and that the manner in which they spoke during that time period would hang me up once in a while.
Elisha Barber, our main character, is a barber/surgeon. Elisha has to use his surgical skills to perform an unthinkable act to attempt to save his brothers wife during childbirth. Thinking that not only has he lost his child but his wife as well, Elisha’s brother goes to his tinsmithing workshop and takes his own life, never learning that his wife, indeed, survived. Elisha knows that if it becomes known that his brother killed himself, he will be buried in an unmarked grave, in unsanctified ground. Before he can say what happened he is arrested for murder with his brothers blood on his hands. He can come clean which will leave his brother’s death a suicide, or he can keep quiet, serve whatever sentence he gets, leaving his brother to be buried in the church graveyard, as well as in good standing with the Tinsmithing Guild, who may offer assistance to his brothers wife.
Elisha ends up on a journey to a battle as his punishment for his crimes (supposed crimes). The town physician takes him on as an assistant to help test out some new surgical techniques on the men injured on the battlefield.
Once arriving at the makeshift “hospital” Elisha discover’s things about himself that he has a hard time believing. He is reminded at one point of something he had seen as a child, he had gone with his parents to a witch burning. These were often public events that ended up being like a carnival with vendors and such. Elisha was excited to get to go to see this, but being the peasants that they were, they didn’t have good seats. He weaved his way through the crowd to get up front to have a better view. There she was, tied to the stake, the fire just starting to get going. Then he saw something that he couldn’t believe. Out of this witches body came an angel, the most beautiful angel, as she was disappearing she reached out, caressing Elisha’s face with one of her feathered wings…
Once I got into this book it was impossible for me to put it down. E.C. Ambrose made sure that you felt like you were right there with her characters, right smack in the middle of Medieval times. I thoroughly enjoyed Elisha Barber and am already reading the second book in The Dark Apostle series.
November 11, 2022
Short review: a good book with a complex plot, gritty and grim, but confusing in spots, especially in characterization.
I picked up a free copy of Elisha Barber at The World Fantasy Convention in New Orleans, 2022, just before I said hi to E.C. Ambrose. I read almost two thirds of this book in one sitting (that is, sitting in the airport and on the plane back to Denver). This book starts off really fast with no introductions whatsoever, though a reader can quickly figure out this is a slightly fictionalized version of London in 1347. The main character is a barber-surgeon, a really interesting choice for a main character. Tragedy strikes right away, and then he is whisked away to attend to wounded soldiers at a castle under siege. While there he encounters a secret network of magi, all with varying powers and strengths, and the plot thickens from there.
The plot and the choices for the characters were really the strength of this book. It's very fast-paced, sometimes confusing in its complex plot, but it's all well-intentioned. I liked the grim edge to everything; this is an author not afraid to write about disturbing and downright gross stuff, and I always admire that. However, sometimes the main character comes off as kind of a coward, which is really unappealing. I wasn't sure if he was supposed to be a 2010s sensitive guy or if there was some justification for it. If there is justification for this aspect of his character, it doesn't really come through. There are plenty of great characters, although the author doesn't dwell on characterizing them through discussion or backstory.
I vacillated between enjoying this book (though not loving it) and just being confused and not caring all that much. More importantly though, I often forgot about the author, or when I put the book down I thought "Is this really written by the person I know?" That's impressive.
Bottom line: I might have picked up this book from the library, and I was lucky to find a copy for free, but it was a struggle to read in spots. I'd definitely like to read more of her work.
I picked up a free copy of Elisha Barber at The World Fantasy Convention in New Orleans, 2022, just before I said hi to E.C. Ambrose. I read almost two thirds of this book in one sitting (that is, sitting in the airport and on the plane back to Denver). This book starts off really fast with no introductions whatsoever, though a reader can quickly figure out this is a slightly fictionalized version of London in 1347. The main character is a barber-surgeon, a really interesting choice for a main character. Tragedy strikes right away, and then he is whisked away to attend to wounded soldiers at a castle under siege. While there he encounters a secret network of magi, all with varying powers and strengths, and the plot thickens from there.
The plot and the choices for the characters were really the strength of this book. It's very fast-paced, sometimes confusing in its complex plot, but it's all well-intentioned. I liked the grim edge to everything; this is an author not afraid to write about disturbing and downright gross stuff, and I always admire that. However, sometimes the main character comes off as kind of a coward, which is really unappealing. I wasn't sure if he was supposed to be a 2010s sensitive guy or if there was some justification for it. If there is justification for this aspect of his character, it doesn't really come through. There are plenty of great characters, although the author doesn't dwell on characterizing them through discussion or backstory.
I vacillated between enjoying this book (though not loving it) and just being confused and not caring all that much. More importantly though, I often forgot about the author, or when I put the book down I thought "Is this really written by the person I know?" That's impressive.
Bottom line: I might have picked up this book from the library, and I was lucky to find a copy for free, but it was a struggle to read in spots. I'd definitely like to read more of her work.
June 17, 2023
Elisha is a good man. Although poor, he has tried to live a good life and help others with his skills. When things go terribly wrong for his family, he is faced with a choice of possibly being found guilty and hanged OR serving in part of a war as a barber-surgeon. While physicians and their assistants serve the wealthier classes/officers, Elisha attempts to save lives, limbs, and better conditions for the common foot soldiers. Most of the book follows him in those endeavors while he plans to atone for his past acts.
Until we move in to the area of magic. Elisha begins to learn more about the magis and how he might be connected. Sometimes things go from bad to worse, but he finds friends and comrades, as well as enemies along the way.
I found Elisha and his world pulled me along, even though I flagged a bit as things got darker in the story. But, in the end, I'm interested enough to read the next volume in this series because I like the man Elisha wants to be and want to see how things work out for him...
Until we move in to the area of magic. Elisha begins to learn more about the magis and how he might be connected. Sometimes things go from bad to worse, but he finds friends and comrades, as well as enemies along the way.
I found Elisha and his world pulled me along, even though I flagged a bit as things got darker in the story. But, in the end, I'm interested enough to read the next volume in this series because I like the man Elisha wants to be and want to see how things work out for him...
May 14, 2018
Enjoyable, fast read.
I had a tough time with the fight scenes--I didn't have a good sense of where people were.
Although, I really liked how Bridget worked as a character, Elisha finding her interesting at all felt a bit forced. I wanted more reason for us to get to know Mordecai earlier, so that when he became important, I would have felt more emotionally invested.
The use of herb names was unfortunate, because for such a gritty book it seemed to take a turn for the twee. It was still gritty! But 'Marigold' and 'Sweetbriar' do not work with the gritty feel.
At some point I just wondered why things were only getting worse and worse and worse. There was no real try-fail cycles. Elisha didn't have any concrete longer-term goals that he was trying to pursue.
I liked so much of this, but it didn't really give me a solid development and resolution at the ending.
I had a tough time with the fight scenes--I didn't have a good sense of where people were.
Although, I really liked how Bridget worked as a character, Elisha finding her interesting at all felt a bit forced. I wanted more reason for us to get to know Mordecai earlier, so that when he became important, I would have felt more emotionally invested.
The use of herb names was unfortunate, because for such a gritty book it seemed to take a turn for the twee. It was still gritty! But 'Marigold' and 'Sweetbriar' do not work with the gritty feel.
At some point I just wondered why things were only getting worse and worse and worse. There was no real try-fail cycles. Elisha didn't have any concrete longer-term goals that he was trying to pursue.
I liked so much of this, but it didn't really give me a solid development and resolution at the ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2019
Elisha Barber by E.C. Ambrose is a fascinating tale which is generally well-written. I enjoyed this book which is the first in a series although I'm not sure that I will read the next in the series - at least not immediately. Overall, I got the impression that the author was trying to cover too much or go too fast, and that perhaps there were two books here instead of one.
I'm sure many would enjoy the novel.
I'm sure many would enjoy the novel.
June 26, 2018
Would have been 5 stars, but I just hated Brigit so much. And I hate that she's pregnant with Elisha's son because now that suggests he might end up with her in the end and they're bonded together and- ugh!- I just hate her so much. And I don't want to see this end with Elisha, Brigit, and their son being one big, happy family. He should have ended up with Martin. I don't know if I'll continue the series, mainly because of Brigit. The book and the story were really good, but I just don't want to read anymore about her, unless she dies.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2017
This book is one of my new favorite fantasy books! It is nicely written tale that takes place in feudal England. When I started it I was entranced but slightly disappointed at the lack of a fantasy element. it seemed to be only a historical novel although well written and very captivating. If you like fantasy with a lot of action you will love this book! It does not disappoint! Although if magic and witches offends...
December 17, 2017
Not an amazing book. I enjoyed the 'medical' side of things but the main character had an annoying tendency to play and day-dream about his hair like a 13yr old girl. He also put up with a lot of shit he really didn't need to, just because the people doing the shit-throwing were attractive women. Plus I'm not sure how he can come back from that much magic wielding.
Probably won't read the next book.
Probably won't read the next book.
November 28, 2018
If you like your fantasy grim, bloody, and emotionally raw, this is the book for you.
Elisha is a medieval style doctor (a barber), and though the book has plenty of violence, much of the gore comes in the descriptions of the procedures he performs to save lives.
When he discovers that he has a knack for witchcraft and gets caught up in the politics of the kingdom, his life goes completely off the rails.
Elisha is a medieval style doctor (a barber), and though the book has plenty of violence, much of the gore comes in the descriptions of the procedures he performs to save lives.
When he discovers that he has a knack for witchcraft and gets caught up in the politics of the kingdom, his life goes completely off the rails.
December 29, 2017
I really liked this, dark as it was. I'd say it's more unremittingly realistic than "dark," in the way that usually means as milquetoast dystopia. This reflects what I know of real practice in the period (well, magic aside). The lead character was compelling, and I feel as if this book should have a larger readership.
December 6, 2020
Enjoyable!
I didn't know what to expect when I selected this book from my library.
However, I found myself thoroughly engrossed in the characters journey and the struggle of Elisha Barber as he comes into his true nature and how it shaped his decisions in life.
A little slow at first but a great way to start a series.
I didn't know what to expect when I selected this book from my library.
However, I found myself thoroughly engrossed in the characters journey and the struggle of Elisha Barber as he comes into his true nature and how it shaped his decisions in life.
A little slow at first but a great way to start a series.
December 2, 2021
What a Story!
Typical things, I couldn't put it down and drew me in. The story itself and the characters! Frustrating at times but well worth the read. I believe this is my second time reading this one and its still good years later.
Typical things, I couldn't put it down and drew me in. The story itself and the characters! Frustrating at times but well worth the read. I believe this is my second time reading this one and its still good years later.
June 8, 2017
Boooooooring. Impossible to connect or engage with this book. Was thrilled to be done with it
June 1, 2018
Not the best, not the worst. Finished the book, and will read the followups.
August 13, 2018
Gory, but a good read.
September 5, 2018
This story wasn't really what I thought it was going to be from the back cover. However, it far exceeded my expectations.
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