Kill All Wizards - (Barbaric Ledgers) by Jedediah Berry (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

SWORDS, SORCERY, AND A SPOT OF TEA

We could think of nothing but the barbarian. He had come here, surely, to murder or marry someone, to exact revenge, or to say or do something very scandalous. We could hardly wait to see which it was. We hoped it would be all of them.

The barbarian traveled far to consult the wizards of the empire. Instead of lending their aid, they ensorcelled him, exploited his strength, and stole his sword. They should not have done that.

Now the barbarian plans to kill every wizard who wronged him, even if that means blending in with their vile society: dressing in finery, taking tea in exclusive clubs, and reserving the best box at the theater.

Oh, he hates it all with the fiery passion of his savage heart--but not as much as he hates these wizards.

Review Quotes

"Kill All Wizards made me remember how much I love sword and sorcery. How good is this book? So good it made me want to create a new genre label: Jedediah Berry puts the fun into 'funtasy.'" --Kelly Link, Pulitzer finalist

"Conan the Barbarian meets Austen. Gormenghast meets The Hobbit. A mystery, a novel of manners, and a fantasy have the most delightful pile-up. Such fun." --Sarah Rees Brennan, New York Times bestselling author of Long Live Evil

"A rapid-fire deluge of cleverness crafted with uncommon intensity and care. It's difficult to articulate just how much this book rips." --Scott Lynch, New York Times bestselling author of The Lies of Locke Lamora

"Fast, fun, and as hard to put down as a box of magic candy. I read the whole thing in one sitting and I never do that." --Christopher Buehlman, New York Times bestselling author of The Blacktongue Thief

"Hands-down the best thing I've read in years. Its flawless mingling of wit, wisdom, and wry humor reminds me of Sir Terry Pratchett." --Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

"A sorcerously entertaining blend of strange lands, swinging swords, and oh yes--quite a lot of dead wizards. I want more!" --Paolo Bacigalupi, Hugo Award-winning author of The Windup Girl

"A fabulous mash-up of Conan and high society, the barbarian hero suited up and unleashed on the theater and the gentlemen's club. Full of wonderful characters in a wildly inventive world." --Django Wexler, author of How to Become a Dark Lord and Die Trying

"Seemingly cozy elements are juxtaposed with macabre dark sorcery, wry, knowing humor with desperate striving against cruel antagonists." --John C. Hocking, author of Conan: City of the Dead

"A must read for those who like to see scores settled, justice done, and violence committed with glorious artistry." --Seanan McGuire, Hugo Award-Winning author of Middlegame

"Outrageously good sword and sorcery." --Emily Tesh, Hugo Award-winning author of The Incandescent

"Weird, wonderful, twisted, this wildly inventive work is reminiscent of the Old Masters of Sword-and-Sorcery such as Fritz Leiber and Jack Vance but with an update for twenty-first century sensibilities." --Elizabeth Bear, author of The Folded Sky

"Laughed SO HARD. Barbarian in modern-day city must face the machinations of wizards, old gods and the perils of camaraderie. With extra paperwork in triplicate, intrigue in opera boxes, and possibly dangerous tables." --Aliette de Bodard, Nebula-award winning author of Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders

"Delightfully weird, with some of the best prose and strangest magic I've encountered in years." --Daniel M. Ford, author of The Warden

"A new epic fantasy in an old style with a touch of humor and plenty of heart, Berry's (The Naming Song) series starter should appeal to fans of Terry Pratchett's earlier Discworld books or fans of the movie Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves." --Library Journal

"An imaginative, playful, and clever adventure." --Locus

"In this subversive and witty novella, author Jedediah Berry blends a swashbuckling sword-and-sorcery adventure with an Austen-like novel of manners--and the results are endlessly entertaining." --BookPage

About the Author

Jedediah Berry is the critically acclaimed author of The Naming Song, The Manual of Detection, and The Family Arcana, and co-author of The Valley of Flowers, an award-winning tabletop adventure game setting. Together with his partner, writer Emily Houk, he runs Ninepin Press, an independent publisher of fiction, poetry, and games in unusual shapes. He lives in Western Massachusetts.