''The Enterprise of Death'' is a

historical fantasy Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those classed as Arthur ...

novel by Jesse Bullington, published in 2011. It recounts the journeys of Awa, a

lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...

Moor Moor or Moors may refer to: Nature and ecology * Moorland, a habitat characterized by low-growing vegetation and acidic soils. Ethnic and religious groups * Moors, Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, Iberian Peninsula, Sicily, and Malta during ...

necromancer, through an irreverently portrayed 16th-century Europe, helped by friends who include historical figures such as the

polymath A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific pro ...

Paracelsus Paracelsus (; ; 1493 – 24 September 1541), born Theophrastus von Hohenheim (full name Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim), was a Swiss physician, alchemist, lay theologian, and philosopher of the German Renaissance. He w ...

and the artist-mercenary

Niklaus Manuel Niklaus Manuel Deutsch (''Niklaus Manuel'', c. 1484 – 28 April 1530), of Bern, was a Swiss artist, writer, mercenary and Reformed politician. Biography Niklaus was most likely the son of Emanuel Aleman (or Alleman), a pharmacist whose own fath ...

Synopsis

The story follows the life of Awa, a

slave girl, who is captured near early 16th-century

Granada Granada (,, DIN 31635, DIN: ; grc, Ἐλιβύργη, Elibýrgē; la, Illiberis or . ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the fo ...

by a powerful necromancer. After several years of tormented apprenticeship, Awa finally manages to kill the necromancer, only for her to discover this to be a key element of the necromancer's plan to reincarnate himself in her young body after a decade has passed. Leaving

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a ...

on a search for the necromancer's grimoire, she is caught on the order of the overzealous inquisitor Kahlert manipulated by a shadow from her past, her undead ex-lover Omorose. Rather luckily, she is freed by artist-turned-mercenary

Niklaus Manuel Deutsch Niklaus Manuel Deutsch (''Niklaus Manuel'', c. 1484 – 28 April 1530), of Bern, was a Swiss artist, writer, mercenary and Reformed politician. Biography Niklaus was most likely the son of Emanuel Aleman (or Alleman), a pharmacist whose own fat ...

of Bern, with whom she strikes up an improbable friendship, soon followed by further friends in the form of

and the lesbian

weaponsmith Bladesmithing is the art of making knives, swords, daggers and other blades using a forge, hammer, anvil, and other smithing tools. Bladesmiths employ a variety of metalworking techniques similar to those used by blacksmiths, as well as woodwor ...

Monique. Though Awa settles down in Monique's brothel in Paris for a while, making good use of her magical healing talents and falling in love with the plucky prostitute Chloé, her impending doom makes her resume her search for the necromancer's grimoire. Further encounters with Kahlert and Omorose and a sect of vampires in the

Schwarzwald The Black Forest (german: Schwarzwald ) is a large forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is t ...

as well as Chloé's death bring her close to desperation. Shortly before running out of time, however, she - with help from Manuel, Monique and Paracelsus - manages to turn the spirits of the casualties of the Battle of Bicocca against the necromancer's spirit, banishing him forever and thereby escaping his curse.

Reception

The novel was well received by critics.

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...

praised it as "beautifully balancing putridity, profanity, and poignancy", and

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

appreciated its "relentless dark humor blended with occasional tragedy". The

Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

's reviewer characterized the novel as "macabre, gruesome, foul-mouthed and much more complex than the usual vampire-and-zombie routine". In January 2012, it was named a finalist for the 2011

Kitschies The Kitschies are British literary prizes presented annually for "the year's most progressive, intelligent and entertaining works that contain elements of the speculative or fantastic" published in the United Kingdom. Awards and criteria The Ki ...

Red Tentacle award.

References

American fantasy novels 2011 American novels Historical fantasy novels Novels set in Europe Orbit Books books {{2010s-hist-novel-stub