Knight, E.E.

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Knight, E.E.

PERSONAL:

Born in LaCrosse, WI; married; wife's name Stephanie. Education: Northern Illinois University, B.A. Hobbies and other interests: Reading, movies, history, gaming, travel.

ADDRESSES:

Home—IL. Agent—c/o author Mail, Penguin Group, ROC Books Publicity, 375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014. E-mail—eeknight@vampjac.com.

CAREER:

Writer. Teacher of a genre fiction writing course. Has worked in various jobs including journalism, photography, retail jobs and software development.

WRITINGS:

"VAMPIRE EARTH" SERIES

Way of the Wolf, New American Library (New York, NY), 2003.

Choice of the Cat, ROC (New York, NY), 2004.

Tale of the Thunderbolt, ROC (New York, NY), 2005.

Valentine's Rising, ROC (New York, NY), 2005.

Valentine's Exile, ROC (New York, NY), 2006.

"AGE OF FIRE" SERIES

Dragon Champion, ROC (New York, NY), 2005.

Dragon Avenger, ROC (New York, NY), 2006.

OTHER

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Lost Cult, Del Rey (New York, NY), 2004.

Contributor of short stories to anthologies Lords of Swords, Pitch Black Books, 2004; and It Came from the Cinema, Hellbound Books, 2004.

SIDELIGHTS:

Genre-bending author E.E. Knight grew up reading a wide variety of books, from J.R.R. Tolkein's "Lord of the Rings" series to C.S. Forester's "Horatio Hornblower" books. Knight performed various odd jobs after graduating from college, eventually turning to writing books that combine aspects from many of his childhood favorites. Knight began his professional writing career with the "Vampire Earth" series. The first of these volumes is Way of the Wolf, a genre blend of horror, fantasy, science fiction, military and survivalist adventure. Way of the Wolf is set in a postapocalyptic world ruled by a cruel, demonic race called the Kurian. There is a small group of survivors who are attempting to mount a resistance to the Kurian and their minions, the Reapers. David Valentine, a soldier in this resistance group, is a member of the Wolves—a band of deadly guerillas doing their best to defeat the Kurians despite a strong imbalance of power. Way of the Wolf follows Valentine's coming of age as a soldier, as well as familiarizing the reader with the Vampire Earth that acts as setting for the entire series. Adam Volk, in a review posted on SF Site.com, praised the way the author "fleshes out his characters beautifully" and "is clearly within his element." Volk called Way of the Wolf "entirely original in its conception as well, masterfully blending multiple genres into a satisfying tale." Infinity Plus contributor Elizabeth Barrette held a similar opinion, noting that the book "lays down a strong beginning for what promises to be an engrossing series," and pointing out Knight's ability to use commonplace themes in "fresh and often unsettling ways." Volk summed up by calling the book "a unique, well-written and entertaining read."

Knight followed up his debut with Choice of the Cat,the second "Vampire Earth" volume. This novel picks up with David Valentine commanding a squadron of Wolves and maintaining the importance of putting his men first. In the book's adventure, Valentine joins forces with a Cat, or spy, named Alessa Duvalier. SF Site.com critic Alisa McCune observed that "action starts immediately and does not stop until the last line of the book." McCune further predicted that "this world created by E.E. Knight will be the source for many more adventures to come and many hours of enjoyable reading."

Knight has also written in a more traditional fantasy vein, conceiving the "Age of Fire" series in 2005 with the introductory novel Dragon Champion. This is the coming-of-age story of a dragon, Auron, from the birth of his vulnerably defective body through his aging and ultimately into his adventurous adult life. Many reviewers had favorable responses to the novel. Indeed,Kliatt reviewer Donna Scanlon felt that the book "is competently written and will be of interest to dragon fanciers." Likewise, a Publishers Weekly contributor called Dragon Champion a "bloody, unsentimental fairy tale" and praised its "brisk pace"; while Jackie Cassada, writing in the Library Journal, noted that the book would be "a fine addition to most fantasy collections."