The Year of the Knife

by G.D. Penman

Overview

Agent "Sully" Sullivan is one of the top cops in the Imperial Bureau of Investigation. A veteran witch of the British Empire who isn’t afraid to use her magical skills to crack a case. But Sully might need more than a good education and raw power to stop the string of grisly murders that have been springing up across the American Colonies. Every one of them marked by the same chilling calling card, a warning in the form of a legion of voices screaming out through the killers' mouths: "It IS tHe YEAr oF the KNife."

Sully’s investigation will drag her away from the comforts of home in New Amsterdam, the beautiful but useless hyacinth macaw that used to be her boss, and the loving arms of her undead girlfriend, in a thrilling race against time, demonic forces and a shadowy conspiracy that will do anything to keep its hold on power and ensure that Sully takes their secrets to her grave, as soon as possible. 

G.D. Penman’s imaginative The Year of the Knife is a fun, fast-paced urban fantasy mystery with an engaging set of characters, most notably Agent Sully of the Imperial Bureau of Investigation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780996626286
Publisher:	Meerkat Press
Publication date:	11/28/2017
Series:	Witch of Empire Series , #1
Pages:	236
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

G.D. Penman writes fantasy fiction. He lives in Scotland with his partner and children, some of whom are human. By day he is a writer for hire, by night he stares at the ceiling and makes up stories. He is a firm believer in the axiom that any story is made better by dragons. His beard has won an award. He is a time traveller, but only forward, and only slowly. Once upon a time he was the editor of Forgotten Worlds Magazine and Amphetamine Press. His short fiction can be found in Phantasmacore and Three Lobed Burning Eye. His literary criticism can be found online at BookWitty. If you have ever read a story with queer people and Kaiju, it was probably his. 

Read an Excerpt

Sully had heard demons speak before. They rarely had anything smart to say, being more interested in screeching elaborate threats, but when they did speak, they generally sounded like a squid gargling rocks. The voice from around the corner didn't sound like a demon's. It sounded like a chorus of screaming voices all trying to squeeze through one mouth. “WE cAN SMELL YoU litTLE WITcH.” There was a staggering footstep. “COMe out anD PLAy.”

Whatever this was, Sully had never come across it before. She took a steadying breath and then stepped around the corner. It was a man, presumably Mr Underwood. His clothes hung loosely on his body, everything slightly out of place. His thinning hair had fallen out of its greasy comb-over and was dangling off the side of his lolling head. He moved in a series of twitches—the overall impression was of a broken toy. He had one of the kitchen knives in his hands, a big steely one that was already stained with blood. The door behind him was covered in wild slashes but he had not managed to break through. Sully took a deep breath, and his head jerked around to follow the sound. His eyes didn't appear to lock onto her but his mouth flapped open and that noise came again. “TELL yoUR MASters. TELL them thaT WE aRE COMING BacK.”

Sully leveled her sword at him and hoarsely whispered, “Drop the weapon.”

Mr. Underwood’s head rolled on his shoulders, and his face twisted into an almost comical rictus, like he was noticing the bloody knife in his hand for the first time. There was a sound like the wind rustling leaves that Sully slowly realized was meant to be a laugh. He took one staggering step forward, arms dangling limp at his sides. That was all of the provocation that Sully needed. She darted forward and thrust the sword right into his chest—close to the heart, if not straight through it. She felt the blade glance off of a rib and then lodge solidly in one of the bones in his back. When she couldn't tug it free, and he wasn't falling, she leapt back, freeing her hands in case she needed them.

He looked down at the sword sticking out of his chest with signs of amusement, then took another dragging step towards her and hissed, “It IS tHE YEAR oF the KNIfe.”

Then he collapsed. He wasn't bleeding properly yet—it was pooling under him but it wasn't gushing out the way that it should be. Sully shuddered and then let all of her spells unwind before they knocked her out. She shouted at the closed door, “You can come out—he’s dead.”

What People are Saying About This

Endorsement - Robyn Bennis

“Penman writes with the wit and charm of a foul-mouthed Terry Pratchett. His Agent Sully is what Dirty Harry would be if he was a lesbian witch fighting demons alongside the cast of Yes, Minister. She can be my date to the Imperial Bureau of Investigation Ball anytime.”

BSFA award-winning author of Ack-Ack Macaque Gareth L. Powell

“An addictive blend of magic and murder noir.”

Editorial Reviews

"All of the characters are completely engaging, and while The Year of the Knife has plenty of magical gore and gruesome mystery, it has has quite a bit of humor as well. Sully is quick with her snappy answers and retorts, and she has an abundance of bravado. The entire story is gripping and full of non-stop action! The Year of the Knife has plenty of plot twists, but hold on to your seat as the story unfolds into its dramatic climax. You don’t want to miss it!” — Ruthie Jones, Reading by Moonlight


“The Year of the Knife is a compelling tale of magic and monsters and a hold-onto-your-seat kind of story. The book isn’t for the faint of heart and each descriptive scenario is well thought out. Full of magic and comical moments, The Year of the Knife is fun and compelling read with a very surprise twist at the climatic ending.” — Happy Mom Blogger


“Crazy demons, dark magic, and a mysterious conspiracy, oh my!  The Year of the Knife is one crazy book, and you should probably read it with the lights on.” — I Love Books Club


“It was a delightful read to discover layer after layer of mystery unfolding. I was really impressed with what happened and ... the reasoning behind all the murders.” — The Mystery Corner


“I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Sully through to the end of this fantastic urban fantasy.” — BrizzleLass Books


(4 stars) “If you are into magic and all the supernatural stuff with demons, vampires, skin walkers and more, I highly recommend you pick this one up and you [will] not be disappointed.” — Lin's Perspective Book Blog


(4 stars) “Penman has a knack for speculative fiction, especially involving magic, necromancy and, oddly enough, colonialism.” — TRL Reviews


(4 stars) “I really enjoyed this book. A LOT. It starts from that stunning first line, grabs you and does not let you go. I could not put it down.” — Married Book Nerds

From the Publisher

"The Year of the Knife was a good book and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a a fast-paced tale, a little magic or perhaps some alternate history. I enjoyed GD Penman’s ease at storytelling and I’ll definitely look for more works by the author in the future."

The Lesbian Review

"Fans of urban fantasy, stories featuringLGBT characters, or even just those looking for a fun and energetic read are highly encouragedto give it a look."

Indiepicks Magazine

(4 stars) "G.D. Penman has created an amazingly intricate world with well thought out characters.... I loved getting to know the characters and the world that is so similar yet so different from my own world. Based on the ending, I’m really hoping for a sequel! I want to know more about the history of this world and what will become of it in the future.This is definitely a book I would recommend to people who want a new magical take on the world."

Book Reviews Express

(4 stars) “Agent Sully … is a kick ass heroine, a kind of adult Harry Potter meets Katniss Everdene and is the tour de force that drives this novel along.…The writing is fast paced, imaginative with an underlying intelligence that gives credence to the infrastructure of the magical aspects of crime and policing.”

Nudge-Books - Gill Chedgey

(5 stars) “I devoured this book, it was full of so many different paranormals which I loved. ... I really got immersed in this world and thought it was well done. I don’t remember ever quite reading a book like this before, and considering all the paranormal books I have read, I’m pretty impressed. Sully has to be the biggest badass witch I have ever read about. I just loved her character. ... I would love a sequel please Mr. Penman.”

Book Addict

(5 stars) “The story is fast paced. There are no dull moments, non-stop action and writing is really good. Story grabs you from the first moment and you can't put the book down till the very last pages.”

Ani's Book Blog

(4 stars) “I really enjoyed this book. A LOT. It starts from that stunning first line, grabs you and does not let you go. I could not put it down.”

Married Book Nerds

(4 stars) “Penman has a knack for speculative fiction, especially involving magic, necromancy and, oddly enough, colonialism.”

TRL Reviews

(4 stars) “If you are into magic and all the supernatural stuff with demons, vampires, skin walkers and more, I highly recommend you pick this one up and you [will] not be disappointed.”

Lin's Perspective Book Blog

“I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Sully through to the end of this fantastic urban fantasy.”

BrizzleLass Books

“It was a delightful read to discover layer after layer of mystery unfolding. I was really impressed with what happened and ... the reasoning behind all the murders.”

The Mystery Corner

“Crazy demons, dark magic, and a mysterious conspiracy, oh my! The Year of the Knife is one crazy book, and you should probably read it with the lights on.”

I Love Books Club

“The Year of the Knife is a compelling tale of magic and monsters and a hold-onto-your-seat kind of story. The book isn’t for the faint of heart and each descriptive scenario is well thought out. Full of magic and comical moments, The Year of the Knife is fun and compelling read with a very surprise twist at the climatic ending.”

Happy Mom Blogger

“All of the characters are completely engaging, and while The Year of the Knife has plenty of magical gore and gruesome mystery, it has has quite a bit of humor as well. Sully is quick with her snappy answers and retorts, and she has an abundance of bravado. The entire story is gripping and full of non-stop action! The Year of the Knife has plenty of plot twists, but hold on to your seat as the story unfolds into its dramatic climax. You don’t want to miss it!”

Reading by Moonlight - Ruthie Jones