Nights of Villjamur
This is fantasy with vast scope and ambition… a complex, eldritch vision.—The Guardian
Published in 2009 from Tor UK, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, and forthcoming from Bantam Spectra, an imprint of Random House.
An ice age strikes a chain of islands, and thousands come to seek sanctuary at the gates of Villjamur: a city of ancient spires and bridges, a place where banshees wail the deceased, cultists use forgotten technology for their own gain and where, further out, the dead have been seen walking across the tundra. When the Emperor commits suicide, his elder daughter, Rika, is brought home to lead the Jamur Empire, but the sinister Chancellor plans to get rid of her and claim the throne for himself. Meanwhile a senior investigator in the city inquisition must solve the high-profile and savage murder of a city politician, whilst battling evils within his own life, and a handsome and serial womanizer manipulates his way into the imperial residence with a hidden agenda. When reports are received that tens of thousands of citizens are dying in a bizarre genocide on the northern islands of the Empire, members of the elite Night Guard are sent to investigate. It seems that, in this land under a red sun, the long winter is bringing more than just snow.
…a great book, which takes old tropes and re-imagines them into something new and memorable. It is an assured tale written with style, intelligence and skill, written inside a fantastically set premise and brilliantly focused novel that shows all the strengths of the genre… This will be a ‘best of the year’ novel, unless I’m much mistaken.—SFF World
At its best, I was reminded of Jack Vance or Gene Wolfe… this is a promising start to a series worth pursuing.—The Times
The author’s style pushes this tale closer to literary work than most fantasy fare and in particular there’s a pleasing depth to the characters… this is an impressive novel from a new fantasy author.—DeathRay Magazine
Liquid prose with noir stylings evoke a brooding city in all its glory and despair, filled with believable characters and dozens of small innovations… This is a grown-up fantasy that touches on real-life concerns, and this is where fantasy is at its most potent and relevant.—Speculative Horizons
…a book that I couldn’t help but savor, lingering on several memorable passages, although there are various points when the action heats up so much, that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. The novel re-reads extraordinarily well… has established itself in my mind as a contender for Best Fantasy Novel of 2009.—Fantasy Book Critic
…a work that immerses you in its world and demands you pay attention… this is a polished and accomplished debut novel and is well-recommended.—The Wertzone
Villjamur is haunting and brutal, beautiful and edgy, alive yet drowning in its own sin… a tightly plotted novel that worked just as well as a fantasy novel as it did a piece of introspective literature… Newton seems smartly poised to tackle a wide swathe of readers with Nights of Villjamur, and his future as a writer is bright, indeed.—A Dribble Of Ink
It turns out that everyone was right and my anticipation of ‘Nights of Villjamur’ was well founded… Newton writes an engaging tale full of different subplots that all come together to form a picture you’d only half guessed at while you were reading. ‘Nights of Villjamur’ has something for everyone and it’s all good.—Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review
It rattles along, helped by a jaunty prose, a grimy atmosphere, a colourful cast and earthy dialogue.—SFX Magazine
The Reef
A literary fantasy set on a tropical island, from the small UK publisher Pendragon Press. Available on Amazon.co.ukA writer whose prose is dynamic and whose imagination is often startling.—Jeff VanderMeer