Mark Chadbourn's The Silver Skull

Working on catalog copy for Fall-Winter 2010-11 now, while the snow falls outside my window. This includes copy for the next Swords of Albion book, The Scar-Crow Men, so I'm rounding up reviews of the previous The Silver Skull.This is by no means all, just the one's I'm pulling for today. Really, skimming the below response, how can you not want to read this book?

“In a year of outstanding fantasies, The Silver Skull may just be one of the best so far.” Monsters and Critics

"Fantastic—keeper" 4 12/ stars RT Book Reviews

“…one of the funnest books we have read. Period. Imagine a James Bond story, but way more awesome, set in an alternate Elizabethan England. This is what you get in this book…. The Silver Skull reads at breakneck speed and never relents.” Elitist Book Reviews

“Smart, fun, at times surprisingly moving, and occasionally downright shocking, The Silver Skull is impossible to put down.” Realms of Fantasy

“There are times when you read a book that’s so amazing to you that you feel the author had you personally in mind when they wrote it, that’s exactly how I feel about Mark Chadbourn’s The Silver Skull. ….This is a must-read, and is my favorite book so far this year.” Fantasy Literature

Impossible to Put Down

"The book was near impossible to put down," says Neth Space on Kristine Kathryn Rusch's Diving into the Wreck. "Diving into the Wreck was something of a departure from my usual fair and a departure that rewarded me well. The deep introspection combined with palpable tension created a near-perfect balance throughout. And Rusch does it all less than 300 pages. This one isn’t just for fans of traditional science fiction. 8/10"

Meanwhile, Elitist Book Reviews says of Mark Chadbourn's The Silver Skull that it is "one of the funnest books we have read. Period. Imagine a James Bond story, but way more awesome, set in an alternate Elizabethan England. This is what you get in this book." They go on, "The Silver Skull reads at breakneck speed and never relents. In one scene, there is a carriage being chased and careening all over the road, threatening, at any moment, to spill over. We felt the way the characters in the carriage felt while reading this, and oh was it fun. It takes only a chapter or two to get going and then doesn't stop."

Don't Tell Me There's Nothing to Read...

"Kay Kenyon's The Entire and the Rose is one of the very best ongoing science fiction series on the market today. A rich, vivid environment; complex and multilayered storytelling; genuine and interesting characters; brilliant execution; that's The Entire and the Rose in a nutshell....  Prince of Storms is the perfect conclusion to what could well be one of the most ambitious and fascinating ongoing scifi series out there. Highly recommended. . ." Pat's Fantasy Hotlist

"This Crooked Way is an entertaining and exciting novel. This is a must read for those who enjoy Enge’s stories.... Actually, this is a must read for those who enjoy adventure fantasy. Imaginative, witty and surprising." Adventures of a Fantasy Writer

"I found Diving into the Wreck to be an exciting and thoroughly enjoyable read. For me my favourite part was pealing away the layers of Boss's personality. If you enjoy a strong, complex heroine and an exciting plot, then this is definitely the book for you. I will certainly be checking out Rusch's back catalogue. I also absolutely love the cover too. " Book Chick City

"The Silver Skull is a full and satisfying reading experience that leaves one satiated while extremely eager to discover what’s in store for Will Swyfte and England in the rest of the Swords of Albion series." Rob Will Review

Got Chadbourn?

If you haven't yet read Mark Chadbourn, here's some added incentive.
His novel The Silver Skull (Swords of Albion) appeared in the Best of the Year lists of Locus magazine critic Paul Witcover, SteveReads, Fantasy Book Critic Cindy’s best of 2009 list, and Fantasyliterature.com.

Meanwhile, the Age of Misrule trilogy was called out in the Best of 2009 lists of Rob Will Review, Fantasy Book Critic Cindy’s list, and Nethspace. Not bad, no?

The Man Behind the Magic

AgeofMisrule and forthcoming The Silver Skull (Swords of Albion)author Mark Chadbourn is the latest guest on Shaun Farrell's magnificent podcast, Adventures in SciFi Publishing. Mark and Shaun discuss spy-fantasy, Mark’s love of history and mythology, and how Mark balances a fulltime television career with novel writing demands.