Publishers Weekly
06/26/2023
Bestselling YA author Nix (the Abhorsen series) brings together eight previously published tales and one original story, all featuring his recurring swashbuckling heroes, for his marvelous first adult collection. Sir Hereward, the honorable son of a powerful witch, and Mister Fitz, an animated puppet created as a weapon to combat malevolent gods, work for the Council of the Treaty for the Safety of the World. Nix’s wit and descriptive skills make accepting this oddball team easy from the outset. In their first adventure, “Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz Go to War Again,” the duo pose as mercenaries to gain access to Shûme, a town controlled by the godlet Tanesh, a “cross-dimensional parasite” poised to suck the essence out of all life beyond the town’s boundaries. Lovecraftians will especially enjoy “Beyond the Sea Gate of the Scholar-Pirates of Sarsköe,” in which the companions battle a starfish-shaped entity, aided by a female pirate captain capable of shape-shifting into a leopard-like creature. Original to this collection, “The Field of Fallen Foe” finds the heroes seeking passage through a field of poisonous bones. Subtle worldbuilding and unconventional plots make each tale a treat. Nix’s fans won’t want to miss this. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
It was my friend and co-editor Gardner Dozois who first brought Garth Nix to my attention when we were doing Rogues. I was so glad that he did. ‘A Cargo of Ivories’ was one of the best stories in an anthology jam-packed with terrific work, and I loved making the acquaintance of Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz. If you haven’t met them yet, you are in for a treat. They are the best partnership in the world of fantasy since Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.” — George R.R. Martin, co-editor of “A Cargo of Ivories”
“Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz are one of the most unusual and fun sword & sorcery duos to arise since Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. The papier-mâché headed puppet has haunted me ever since I first read of him and his artillerist knight companion and student. These tales are brilliantly imaginative and as fantastical as you’d expect from master storyteller Garth Nix. I’m delighted they’re being collected in one volume and couldn’t recommend them enough.” — Lou Anders, co-editor of “A Suitable Present for a Sorcerous Puppet”
“A rollicking good time filled with intrigue and mind-blowing surprises. Classically inclined, but outrageously original.” — Tim Pratt and Melissa Marr, co-editors of “Losing Her Divinity”
“I love adventure stories and I love swords and sorcery stories. I grew up with Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser and always wanted more. Garth Nix’s stunning stories of Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz capture all of the magic and the mayhem of swords and sorcery at its best, which is why I am so delighted to see this book coming out now.” — Jonathan Strahan, co-editor of “A Suitable Present for a Sorcerous Puppet” and editor of “Home Is the Haunter” and “Cut Me Another Quill, Mister Fitz”
“A terrific collection, and perhaps my favourite Nix book to date…a joy to read. One of the best double-act pairings of characters out there. More please!” — SFFWorld
Library Journal
07/01/2023
Steampunk combines with sword and sorcery—along with a bit of gunpowder—to bring Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz to colorful and frequently explosive life in this collection of tales of adventure and the righteous elimination of gods and godlets who threaten the balance of the world. They roam as Agents of the Council of the Treaty for the Safety of the World, creating chaos and righting wrongs wherever they travel, bantering and complaining wherever they go, and managing to save their own hides. This unlikely duo, the knight who should never have been born and the self-motivated puppet and sorcerer who should have turned to dust long ago, will remind readers of the classics of the sword and sorcery genre, while the premise of gods acting in their world makes this a fine collection for lovers of Lois McMaster Bujold's "Penric & Desdemona" series. VERDICT Though all but one of these stories have been previously published, fans will appreciate finding them all in a single volume; readers new to Nix's (The Sinister Booksellers of Bath) adult work will have a real treat on their hands.—Marlene Harris
DECEMBER 2023 - AudioFile
This collection brings together the stories of the godlet hunter Sir Hereward and the papier-mâché sorcerer puppet Mister Fitz, plus one new story. Narrator David Linski's deft performance draws out the dry humor and undeniable bond between the pair during their skirmishes with bloodthirsty godlets and their disciples, a cannibalistic captain and her pirate crew, and a good-natured, if untested, knight errant, among many others. Together they are tasked with upholding the Council of the Treaty for the Safety of the World's mandate to eradicate cross-dimensional entities and maleficent godlets. Linski creates wonderfully distinct identities for each tale, allowing listeners to lose themselves within the high stakes of each mission and the diverse cast of characters contained within. J.R.T. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
