Category Archives: witchcraft

E. C. Ambrose Takes the Fun out of Movies: “Fantastic Beasts” and the Ethics of Magic

Posted on November 22, 2016 by

This weekend, I went to see the new Potterverse film, “Fantastic Creatures and Where to Find Them.”  Let me preface these remarks by saying that I love a good fantasy creature, but I have some issues with Rowling’s work overall … Continue reading →

Posted in essays, fantasy, magic, movies, witchcraft | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Brief History of the Inquisition: The Original Thought Police

Posted on October 16, 2015 by

When I was playing more actively with the Society for Creative Anachronism, I had a Jewish friend with a Spanish persona, circa 1492.  He used to joke that, contrary to Monty Python’s claims, he *did*, expect the Spanish Inquisition. . … Continue reading →

Posted in Elisha Rex, history, medieval, religion, research, The Dark Apostle, witchcraft | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Book Launch day, Elisha Rex!

Posted on July 7, 2015 by

Today is the big day, the launch of book 3 in my Dark Apostle series of fantasy novels about medieval surgery.  Please help me celebrate and spread the word! Once again, artist Cliff Nielsen has captured the spirit of the … Continue reading →

Posted in book promotion, books, Elisha Rex, fantasy, fiction, historical medicine, history, medieval, publishing, The Dark Apostle, witchcraft | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Fantasy Novella The Grail Maiden Book Launch Today

Posted on April 22, 2015 by

I’ve been working on The Grail Maiden, a novella tie-in to the Dark Apostle series, for a little while now. I enjoy exploring the background of some of the secondary characters in my work, and  I hope to do more … Continue reading →

Posted in books, fantasy, fiction, history, magic, medieval, The Dark Apostle, witchcraft | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Truth about Bird-brains, Crows and Fantasy

Posted on April 2, 2015 by

I was delighted to see this video recently on the Huffington Post about a girl who, after feeding the crows in her yard for years, has started receiving gifts from them in return.  Elisha Magus (now out in paperback) features … Continue reading →

Posted in Elisha Magus, essays, fantasy, mythology, witchcraft | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Defense Against the Dark Arts: Warding off Witchcraft

Posted on February 18, 2015 by

This month’s Archaeology magazine has some photos from Knole House in Kent showing a series of hatch marks carved into the floor beneath where the protestant King James I would have slept in the early 1600’s.  The marks are intended … Continue reading →

Posted in fantasy, historical medicine, history, magic, medieval, religion, witchcraft | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Studying Magic in the Middle Ages

Posted on July 10, 2013 by

One of the frustrations of being a fantasy writer is confronting the accusation that one can simply make it all up. The best authors, IMHO, use a combination of reality and imagination to bring a new world to life. To … Continue reading →

Posted in Elisha Barber, fantasy, history, magic, medieval, religion, The Dark Apostle, witchcraft | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 23 Comments