Lucy's Blade

It is a first novel so the text isn't polished and there are frequent shifts between viewpoint characters, often without warning. The proofreading and copyediting are typical for mass-market fiction, but it's a rollicking-good read. The flavor of the story reminds me of The Witches of Kares. I hope he writes a sequel.

John Lambshead's first novel, Lucy's Blade, has a fascinating premise, a different look at a common science fiction/fantasy trope, some outstanding writing, and leaves enough threads hanging to hope for a sequel. Not bad for a first novel. Not bad, at all. John Lambshead usually writes scientific papers for his job at the London Natural History Museum, where he is one of the world's experts on nematodes, so he joins a long line of distinguished scientists who have moved into writing science fiction and fantasy. Like many others, such as David Brin, he brings a sort of sidewise look to his writing that appeals more than the common run of "gloom and doom" writing. I read the book as an e-arc from Baen's Webscriptions, and then again when it came out. It easily stood a second reading, and I expect it will stand up to many more. Since I read far faster than Lambshead writes, I expect I'll have to wait and read Lucy's Blade a couple of times more, before the expected sequel, Lucy's War, is released. Go buy this book. All the nematodes in the world will thank you if you help make John's career a success and he can leave them alone. Walt Boyes Associate Editor/Marketing Director Jim Baen's Universe magazine

This is a splendidly entertaining novel about a teenage girl who gets taken over by a demon that turns out to be friendly, and confers on her all sorts of supernatural powers, which she uses to help protect Queen (Elizabeth I) and Country. Author John Lambshead is the father of two teenage daughters, and it is evident that his character Lucy is written from first-hand experience. The novel is part fantasy, part history, and part science fiction. After a science fiction prologue introducing the demon (which I sort of skimmed the first time, but enjoyed on a second reading), the book really hits its stride when it lands in the Elizabethan era and we meet spymaster Walsingham, his secretary Simon Tunstall, Dr. John Dee, and of course Lucy. It is evident that Dr. Lambshead has extensive knowledge of this period and is deeply in love with it. There are lots of winning period details, such as when Tunstall cuts his breakfast with a "good Sheffield blade: and then dresses for the day according to his social rank. In many places the history seamlessly ellides into the fantasy in a most enjoyable way. All the characters are deftly drawn, and the historical ones are very true to life: you'll feel you've had an audience with Elizabeth (and be grateful you didn't have to do it for real), you'll fall in love with Lucy (but, take a number), and you'll cheer on her sea captain beau William Hawkins (but you'll wish he wasn't such a chucklehead about women). There's lots of romping good action and plenty of humour. Dr. Lambshead wisely inserted just enough historical background that readers need not have any prior knowledge of the period in order to follow along just fine. (Ignore the stupid Publishers' Weekly comment in this context: this is a fantasy novel written for an American audience, the background asides are necessary and not at all heavy-handed.) Buy this book, read it, enjoy it, and let's hope for more soon. Bravo!

This seems to be Baen's year to introduce superb new authors to the world. Last month we met Stoney Compton in Russian Amerika and this month John Lambshead arrives to delight readers. I enjoyed this book a lot and, contrary to the Publisher's Review note, did not find the anachronisms intrusive or unnecessary. We tend, in an era where even severed limbs can be restored much of the time, to forget what a deadly, deadly place the world is without modern medicine, and what constraints that placed on both the thinking and action of our ancestors. The story itself is, as you've probably already guessed, a mix of quantum computing, alternate (or at least hidden) history, and high magic. The characters are generally the kind of people you like to see Fighting for the Light, and when the dust settles, it's already apparent that here is raw material for bunchteen more fun romps. It's very well told, with good pacing for the most part. (Lilith's Origin could have been a touch shorter.) And the ending is, as noted, most satisfactory. Highly recommended. Incidentally, the reason I picked this book up in the first place was that I read Mr. Lambshead's story "As Black as Hell", which appeared in the online magazine "Jim Baen's Universe" [...], and which is reprinted in the upcoming The Best of Jim Baen's Universe. THAT story is one of the ones I feel will make my buying the whole anthology worthwhile. Welcome to my "must-read" list, Mr. Lambshead.

Lucy is a sixteen year old girl in Elizabethan England. Raised to be a good aristocratic wife, she seems to be all sweetness and innocence. Raised by her uncle who is the head of the secret service, her innocence is mostly a facade to get what she wants - but her sweetness is real. Lilith's people are essentially computer programs in the far future who forgot where they came from. The constructored Lilith and sent her back in time to confirm the "one true faith" that they have always been there. Lilith ends up in Lucy's nervous system, in a relationship that Lucy can best understand as demonic possession. Lucy supplies the charm and psychological insights. Lilith supplies the power. Together they use charm, guile, and fighting skills to protect England.