The Fallen Blade

Jon Courtenay Grimwood studied at Kingston College and has worked as a freelance writer for magazines and newspapers including the GUARDIAN. He has been shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award twice and the BSFA Award for Best Novel seven times, winning twice. He lives in Winchester with his wife, novelist and editor of RED magazine, Sam Baker.

Gritty, grimy, decadent and compelling SUNDAY TIMES The political intrigue is handled with dexterity, springing surprises and plot twists fuelled by the Machiavellian cast. Grimwood delivers a page-turning read and offers a neat twist on the Vampire theme GUARDIAN This is dark majestic stuff ... FINANCIAL TIMES This is a book full of mysteries that remain unsolved and outcomes that remain cloudy. Grimwood creates a fascinating world and involving characters - most importantly, he makes us want to read the next two volumes of the trilogy INDEPENDENT The writing is elegant, the dialogue is sharp, the characters economically but well drawn, the action unrelenting ... Hits all the right notes SCIFI NOW A twisted, Machiavellian, complicated and ornate book about survival and the terrible lengths people will go to for power PORNOKITSCH Brilliant, haunting, dark, gothic historical fantasy... This is the best vampire novel written since The Vampire Lestat, while simultaneously being very different and original CIVILIAN READER Known for his near-future SF, such as the suberb ARABESK trilogy, Grimwood's new novel still features his trademark alternate timelines. His attention to detail and skillful weaving of fact with fiction make this a fine beginning to his new series BOOKS QUARTERLY A hugely enjoyable, gritty, violent and dark fantasy BOOKCHICKCITY A novel you can gorge yourself on; a fast-paced, swashbuckling adventure of the old school, full of fire and brimstone thrills and rich flavours SALON FUTURA Grimwood's prose sparkles with the flash of fangs and the slash of daggers in the night ... It is beautifully written, the characters are well-drawn, the plot twisty and layered ... a tantalizing tale that culminated in some truly fantastic revelations and, above all else, a deeply haunting, deeply lovely vision of Venice ROBWILLREVIEW.COM Reinventing the Vampire myth. Never let it be said that Jon Courtenay Grimwood lacks for ambition SFX Grimwood adroitly combines a