The Blade in the Angel’s Shadow

Andy Darby delivers a dark, imaginative, and truly atmospheric tale that blends Elizabethan intrigue, occult sorcery, and cosmic horror into something I haven’t quite read before.

The story follows Captain Lament Evyngar, a swordswoman with a reputation, condemned to die in the Tower of London for heresy and attempted regicide. But instead of a swift execution, she’s dragged into the web of Dr. John Dee, Queen Elizabeth I’s infamous sorcerer—who binds her fate to his own dangerous schemes. What begins as a story of survival quickly escalates into a desperate quest across the war-torn Spanish Netherlands, a landscape filled with blood, politics, and supernatural forces pulling the strings behind human conflict.

What struck me most is how Darby merges real history with the fantastical. Dee’s obsession with empire-building through angelic power feels chillingly plausible, and the introduction of entities who manipulate humanity as pawns in their eternal wars adds a layer of cosmic dread worthy of comparison to Lovecraft, but with a distinctly Renaissance flavor.

Lament herself is a standout character, fierce, flawed, and utterly compelling. Her journey across time and space, where her very identity becomes unstable, kept me turning pages just to see how she’d endure it all. The relationship between her and Sergeant Pieter Hertgers, her giant Dutch comrade, adds heart and grit to the otherwise bleak landscape.

This isn’t just a sword-and-sorcery adventure. It’s a meditation on fate, empire, and the thin line between divine mandate and manipulation. By the time Lament returns to Elizabethan London to confront the horror festering at the heart of the royal court, the sense of inevitability and dread is almost overwhelming, but in the best way possible.

If you enjoy historical fantasy with an edge of the occult, or stories where human ambition collides with forces far beyond comprehension, this book is absolutely worth your time.

This is really nice. We love our sword and sorcery books, adventure books, swordplay, action, and grim combat, and this book has all of the above. Also, when we think about sword and sorcery, it has all the key components of a classic sword and sorcery novel.

What is it about sword and sorcery that makes sword and sorcery what it is? You've got morally ambiguous protagonists, and I think it's fair to say that Lament and Pieter, by their own admission, have engaged in fairly horrific activities in their pursuit of war across the continent because, of course, this is set during Elizabethan times, during the 80 Years' War or events during the 80 Years' War. It's that complicated European history of conflict around turf wars between warring States, but what we have in this book, which is lovely, is that it's overlaid with not only the complications and religious upheaval of the Calvinists versus the Protestants versus the Catholics. But it's actually overlaid with this kind of supernatural, almost Moorcockian cosmological construct to add even more layers of psychedelic madness, death, carnage, and destruction. You see the cosmology, but most of it is left unexplained. That's great for me because we love all those sword and sorcery and fantasy and sci-fi books from the '60s and '70s, you know, good quality, roaring pulp adventure, and this fits right into that niche for me, and the reason why I enjoyed it so much is that it doesn't over-explain everything. I think there's a temptation with more modern audiences that, and you see it in films as well, the way they spell everything out, spell out everybody's motivations.

So, we've not only got the magic that's weird and dangerous, which I think originates earlier on in the story with John Dee. But we very quickly come across it from other angles as well. We've got magical McGuffins that they need to go essentially on a quest to find, which is a sword and sorcery staple component. We've got wizards and witches, fights, and horror elements, and it is all set in a really, really dangerous world with complex cultures and cultural motivations. And when you think about that period of history in which it's set, well, what a perfect world and environment to actually set this kind of tale.

A swashbuckling swordswoman tangled in angelic schemes, time travel, cosmic horror and secret bargains with Dr Dee. It’s like Shakespeare met Lovecraft in a pub and said, “Let’s rewrite history but make it wild.”

A mix of dark fantasy, historical fiction, and a bold take on characters like Dr Dee and Captain Lament. The whole idea of angels pulling the strings behind the rise of the British Empire is so original and full of energy.

The Blade in the Angel’s Shadow is the kind of book that punches through genre boundaries with a flaming sword in one hand and a bottle of alchemy in the other.

Lament Evyngar is a phenomenal lead, sharp-tongued, tragic, and unforgettable. The mix of historical fiction, sword & sorcery, grimdark, and cosmic horror is masterfully done. Think Elizabethan England meets Lovecraft meets a heavy metal concept album and yet, it all works.

The story sweeps through time, war-torn Europe, occult politics, and divine manipulation, but never loses sight of its gritty, human core. Andy Darby has created a world that’s brutal, beautiful, and unafraid to ask big questions about identity, power, and fate.

Highly recommended for fans of grimdark fantasy, weird fiction, or anyone craving something bold, brutal, and brilliantly written.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book - the British Empire being the occult construction of the angels, and it turned out to be a great sword and sorcery romp set in a solid Elizabethan world.

Captain Lament Evyngar and her comrade Sergeant Pieter Hertgers are believable and likeable characters who struggle with their own flaws and past demons as they try to fulfil the task set them by the deeply sinister and Machiavellian Dr Dee, occult adviser to Queen Elizabeth I. The action rattles along at a good pace at takes the protagonists from the streets of London to the Spanish Netherlands where they do battle with strange entities who possess the forces at war there.

An encounter with a witch in the forest sets up a strange story arc for one of the book's other compelling characters, El Arlequín, who we see only briefly (I hope we get more of him in future tales), and there are also a couple of leaps through time to alternative futures as Lament begins to discover that the unwanted gifts given her by Dr Dee and the angels are far from benign.

Cosmic horror and sword play abound in this very readable book, which is a big departure from his previous humorous fantasy works (enjoyable for different reasons), and I look forward to reading more of the good captain's adventures.

Andy Darby’s The Blade in the Angel’s Shadow is a masterful blend of historical intrigue and supernatural fantasy that captivates from the first page. The concept of angels manipulating human events to establish the British Empire as a vehicle for Revelation is both bold and imaginative, setting the stage for a thought-provoking exploration of divine will versus human agency.

Darby’s prose is rich and evocative, immersing readers in a vividly reimagined historical setting. The narrative is fast-paced yet intricately layered, seamlessly weaving theological themes with political machinations. Each character feels deeply authentic, with their motivations and struggles mirroring the larger moral and existential questions posed by the story.

The philosophical depth of the book is one of its greatest strengths. It doesn’t shy away from asking difficult questions about power, faith, and the cost of achieving a higher purpose. The tension between the angels' divine goals and the human toll of their plans adds a fascinating layer of complexity.

For fans of historical fantasy, The Blade in the Angel’s Shadow offers a unique and enthralling perspective that lingers long after the final page. It's a must-read for anyone who enjoys stories that challenge conventional narratives while delivering an engaging and unpredictable plot. Highly recommended!

The Blade in the Angel’s Shadow is unlike anything else I’ve come across in historical fantasy. The author has taken Elizabethan England, Dr. Dee, angels, and the birth of empire and spun it into a cosmic tale that feels both epic and intimate. The idea of Captain Lament Evyngar navigating time, death, and divine schemes is as ambitious as it is gripping. A blend of sword & sorcery with the dread of weird fiction.

The Blade in the Angel’s Shadow. I mean, COME ON.

Angels trying to kickstart Revelation by hijacking the British Empire? A heretic swordswoman named Captain Lament Evyngar awaiting execution in the Tower of London? Dr Dee plotting with occult rituals, cosmic horrors slithering through Elizabeth’s court, bargains, immortal quests, time-bending identities… This isn’t a book; it’s a full-blown heavy metal album in prose form.

(If someone doesn’t option this for TV, Netflix officially hates money.)

The Blade in the Angel’s Shadow, is the perfect storm of Elizabethan intrigue, occult forces, and sword-and-sorcery adventure.

A condemned swordswoman, a pact with Dr. John Dee, and a desperate quest through the war-torn Spanish Netherlands, it reads like a mashup of The Witcher, The Shadow of the Torturer, and Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. It's not just fantasy, it's a fusion of history, cosmic horror, and grimdark myth-making that creates something bold and distinctive.