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The Man with the Golden Torc (Secret Histories, Book 1) Kindle Edition

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 750 ratings

New York Times bestselling author Simon Green introduces a new kind of hero, one who fights the good fight against some very old foes in the first novel in the Secret Histories series.
 
The name’s Bond. Shaman Bond. Actually, that's just his cover. His real name is Eddie Drood, but when your job includes a license to kick supernatural arse on a regular basis, you find your laughs where you can.

For centuries, his family has been the secret guardian of Humanity, all that stands between all of you and all of the really nasty things that go bump in the night. As a Drood field agent he wore the golden torc, he killed monsters, and he protected the world. He loved his job.

Right up to the point where his own family declared him rogue for no reason. Now, the only people who can help Eddie prove his innocence are the people he used to consider his enemies...

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Readers who recognize the pun on Ian Fleming's James Bond title, The Man with the Golden Gun, will find the secret agent in question has more up his sleeve than a fancy car and some high-tech gadgets in this first of a new fantasy series from bestseller Green (Deathstalker). Meet Shaman Bond, aka Eddie Drood, scion of the ancient Drood family, devoted to protecting humanity from the forces of darkness. Protected by the secret weapon received at birth by all members of the Drood family—a magical gold torc (i.e., a neck ring) that turns into a suit of nearly impervious golden armor—Eddie faces arcane dangers with healthy doses of wry self-confidence and sarcasm. Then the family matriarch sends him on a mission that turns out to be a deadly setup. Declared a rogue, Eddie teams up with short-tempered witch Molly Metcalf to find out why he's been betrayed. This spy yarn is packed with enough humor, action and plot twists to satisfy fans who prefer their adventure shaken, not stirred.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Green pulls out all the parodic stops to introduce supernatural field agent Shaman Bond, aka Eddie Drood, black sheep of an ancient, superpowerful family that protects humanity from its nightmares. And a good secret agent he is, partly because he has the best toys, from the golden torc that becomes impenetrable armor to a souped-up classic car. Called home for the first time in years, he comes to suspect there's a traitor within the family and discovers he has been declared a rogue. Fortunately, he has bolt-holes his family never suspected and tricks to stay alive while he investigates. He goes to former enemies, who know him as Bond, for help and discovers possible common ground with a few. For there's a bigger enemy to deal with, amid the truth behind the Droods' power, the family traitor, and the nasty things the Droods' major opponents do. Green sustains a good spy thriller's breakneck action with lots of magic, strange creatures, and even some character growth and romance. His new series star is one fun character. Schroeder, Regina

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000TU16F4
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ace (June 5, 2007)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 5, 2007
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1171 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 372 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 750 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
750 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the book and find it fun and enjoyable. They appreciate the well-thought-out storyline with many twists and turns. The characters are interesting and fully developed. Readers praise the writing quality as well-written, easy to read, and the author's writing style as great. They find the humor appropriate for the surreal story setting. Customers also mention that the series is excellent, almost as good as the Nightside series, and one of Green's best. They appreciate the imagination and world-building as first-rate and innovative. Overall, customers describe the book as fast-paced and an excellent introduction to a great series.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

39 customers mention "Enjoyment"39 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find the plot engaging and like the well-developed characters. The concept is interesting and entertaining, with magic and secrets thrown in for good measure. Overall, it's a solid read with a bit of a Dresden Files flavor.

"...I really loved this book...." Read more

"...(sigh), I've been looking for more engaging, well written and imaginative books and I fell into Simon Green's work ie the dark Nightside..." Read more

"...If you like dark fantasy you will love this--definitely and outstanding read. BTW do you know who Arne Saknussemm and Cave Carson are?" Read more

"...: the second half is far more enticing and the baddies that emerge far more interesting and devious, the dialogue also improved and the characters..." Read more

31 customers mention "Storyline"28 positive3 negative

Customers find the storyline engaging with many twists and turns. They appreciate the fantastic scenes and characters. The plot starts out linear, but takes a couple interesting turns. There is plenty of action, witty writing, and unrealistic gadgets. It's exciting, full of magic, science, adventure, and humor.

"...There is plenty of action, witty writing, and unrealistic gadgets galore." Read more

"...in the vein of werewolves, witches, monsters, gods and fantastic well thought out storylines, I suggest you give this series a look...." Read more

"...The plot starts out looking pretty linear but takes a couple interesting turns and overall is excellent. The characters are very good; well drawn...." Read more

"...The story is good, the humor hit and miss, and the action is enjoyable...." Read more

21 customers mention "Character development"16 positive5 negative

Customers enjoy the well-developed characters and storyline. They also appreciate the action and the unpredictable ending.

"...The characters are very good; well drawn. Its nice to not have principal characters jump each other at every opportunity...." Read more

"...and devious, the dialogue also improved and the characters really hit their stride...." Read more

"...I can’t wait to start the next one. The characters are fun, the magic and science fascinating and the action is thrilling." Read more

"...The narrator made all characters seem pedantic and idiotic, so I decided to finish the book by reading the kindle version. Much better!" Read more

20 customers mention "Writing quality"17 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find it well-written, with a nice prose and interesting concept. The book is easy to read, with a similar flow and the same author's witty observations. The characters are well-drawn and the dialogue improves. Overall, customers describe the book as light reading but a solid read with a bit of a Dresden Files flavor.

"...There is plenty of action, witty writing, and unrealistic gadgets galore." Read more

"...Potter series is over (sigh), I've been looking for more engaging, well written and imaginative books and I fell into Simon Green's work ie the..." Read more

"...The characters are very good; well drawn. Its nice to not have principal characters jump each other at every opportunity...." Read more

"...the baddies that emerge far more interesting and devious, the dialogue also improved and the characters really hit their stride...." Read more

13 customers mention "Humor"13 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book. They find it dark and appropriate for the surreal story setting, as well as light-hearted and enjoyable. The hero is described as intelligent, heroic, and modest.

"...Already you see some of the sometimes sly and other times broad humor in the book--the witness intimidation program is good too.. There is a..." Read more

"...The story is good, the humor hit and miss, and the action is enjoyable...." Read more

"...I loved the humor, the panache, and the just outright idiocy of this book. After you get through the first few chapters it is a very delightful read." Read more

"Simon R Green is a great author with a fantastic sense of humor, but he often recycles characters, jokes, and plots through his various series...." Read more

9 customers mention "Series quality"9 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the series. They find it well-written, with interesting plot twists and excellent writing. The books are considered one of Green's best series and a good start to the series.

"...The Nightside series was great while it lasted!..." Read more

"...looking pretty linear but takes a couple interesting turns and overall is excellent. The characters are very good; well drawn...." Read more

"This was a good story, and a good start to the series...." Read more

"First I read the Nightside series and that was great; it was his best work and that made me a Simon R. Green fan...." Read more

8 customers mention "Imagination"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's imaginative ideas and world-building. They find it an engaging start to a new series, with first-rate world-building and a good story. However, some readers feel the language and writing are poor.

"...The world building is first rate and pretty innovative...." Read more

"The story was pretty good. Captivating enough. I always enjoyed a good secret society read!..." Read more

"...Dark humor very appropriate to the surreal story setting. Great level of imagination from the author in both the characters and the plot !" Read more

"...It's pretty surprising to me that it can have such strong ideas and world, but such abysmal use of language...." Read more

5 customers mention "Pace"5 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's fast pace and easy flow. They find the characters interesting and the plot engaging.

"...This book reads very similarly, with the same easy flow and dry, macabre, with I've come to enjoy so much. Looking forward to the next book." Read more

"...but the series is still prime Green, and the witty observations and fast pace can be relied upon to provide an entertaining read." Read more

"Interesting world. Moved quickly. My only complaint is having 1 man do all the voices. Would be much better if there was also a female narrator." Read more

"Entertaining and fast moving." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2024
    I read Green's Blue Moon Rising years ago, and it was an instant favorite. I'm not sure why I never read anything else by him, but when I saw another book by him in a used book store I picked it realizing it was part of the Secret Histories series. I grabbed this one so that I could start the series at the beginning. I really loved this book. I read fiction and mainly fantasy, because I want to be entertained and the less it has to do with the real world the better. Eddie Drood (AKA Shaman Bond) is is estranged from his family. That family happens to be secret guardians of humanity. His family declares him rogue and orders him to be killed on sight. There is plenty of action, witty writing, and unrealistic gadgets galore.
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2012
    Since the Harry Potter series is over (sigh), I've been looking for more engaging, well written and imaginative books and I fell into Simon Green's work ie the dark Nightside supernatural series by checking some very helpful Amazon reviews. The Nightside series was great while it lasted! Looking into his other work I found the Drood family and their never ending battle to protect humanity while having to keep a close eye on their own relatives which has been a good and fun read as well. Interestingly enough, Green infuses characters and references from the Nightside series into the Drood collection as well. A sort of different cast of characters set in the same time period on earth -- sometimes working together and sometimes not!

    Jim Butcher is good, Glenn Cook is good and now Simon Green is one of my favorites as well. If you are looking to continue in the vein of werewolves, witches, monsters, gods and fantastic well thought out storylines, I suggest you give this series a look. Just read the 1st one in the series -- either Golden Torc for the Droods or get into the Nightside series by Simon Green. You won't be disappointed in either.

    I wish for you the very best in reading enjoyment!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2008
    Eddie Drood (aka Shaman Bond) is a trouble shooter for his family which protects mundnes in the world. He starts with a mission to terminate the pregnancy of a President who ha gotten himself knocked up by a not so minor demon and has checked into the Hospice of Saint Baphomet. Already you see some of the sometimes sly and other times broad humor in the book--the witness intimidation program is good too.. There is a ongoing send up of the James Bond Films as well; in particular the shoot out on M4. Then there is the watch that changes time instead of telling it--"if it breaks just use a little butter...only the best butter of course" shades of Lewis Carroll! The genre can use more humor.

    The plot starts out looking pretty linear but takes a couple interesting turns and overall is excellent. The characters are very good; well drawn. Its nice to not have principal characters jump each other at every opportunity. The world building is first rate and pretty innovative. I found the description on the cover rather off putting and the cover has nothing whatsoever to do with the book. There was one annoying possible error, the use of inflammable to mean something that burns--it actually means something that doesn't burn--and hasn't been used in the old sense in North America sense the late `60s and the EU changed when the IEC standardized terminology. But compared to the often rampant editorial errors in recent books the author and editor are to be congratulated--and it could be sarcastic.

    If you like dark fantasy you will love this--definitely and outstanding read.

    BTW do you know who Arne Saknussemm and Cave Carson are?
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2015
    Being the first book in the series I debated giving it 3 or 4 stars, really it's 3.5 to my mind. The story is good, the humor hit and miss, and the action is enjoyable. I plan to read at least the next book, now that Mr. Green has the backstory out of the way I am hoping that it will exceed this first.
    The bad: the James Bond cliches are amusing initially but felt somewhat worn by midbook, happily that is when they stopped for the most part. The sheer volume of action in the first half ended up being underwhelming.
    The good: the second half is far more enticing and the baddies that emerge far more interesting and devious, the dialogue also improved and the characters really hit their stride.
    I was happy to have read the book despite being less than awed by the opening. Further, it is a fun mix of fantasy and mystery that other authors have an unfortunate habit of turning into poorly executed erotica. All in all I recommend it and am hopeful for the rest of the series.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2024
    I liked the book and the world it inhabits. Interesting characters and I see promise of many enemies in the future.
    I had started by listening the audio version of this book. When I was around 20% into the book, I decided I couldn’t deal with the narrator anymore. The narrator made all characters seem pedantic and idiotic, so I decided to finish the book by reading the kindle version. Much better!

Top reviews from other countries

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  • David Soo
    3.0 out of 5 stars A fun romp through supernatural London
    Reviewed in Canada on July 28, 2015
    What would a spy agency look like that was created to deal with supernatural things that go bump in the night ...or day ...or in your face before eating it off? Enter Edwin Drood and his family. A splash of James Bond, some Harry Dresden and a world of villains and good guys.

    This is worth a fun read if you like fantasy and if it existed along side our world.
  • Temple Phoenix
    5.0 out of 5 stars One Wild Ride
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 20, 2011
    I came across this book while scanning to see if Green's Deathstalker series was up on Kindle yet, and thought I'd give it a whirl. I'm glad I did; this story is more evidence of the author's wild imagination. Don't be fooled by the cover and blurb into thinking of it as a Bond pastiche though; other than a few references/injokes, this is entirely its own beast.

    We follow Eddie Drood, member of a vast family dedicated to protecting humanity from threats of all kinds. What starts as a routine mission ends with Eddie outcast from the family and on the run for his life, forced to ally himself with old enemies and question everything he once believed in.

    Eddie is a fun protagonist, sardonic and witty even as he gets put through one hell of a wringer. He's got some cool toys to help him, though, including the Droods' trademark indestructible golden armour, a gun with infinite ammo and automatic aim, and a compass that shows him the best way out of any situation.

    Green's great strength as always been his ability to throw all kinds of craziness at the page while somehow making it all work. Dive into this nonstop thrillride and see Eddie face everything from carnivorous automobiles to reality reshapers, from dragon-mounted elves to a golem with an atomic brain.

    The supporting cast is great, too, and includes the sparky witch (and prospective love interest) Molly, the dissolute Blue Fairy and Mr Stab, the world's most notorious serial killer, amongst many others.

    The plot takes plenty of twists and turns, and kept me glued to the page throughout. The sheer amount of imagination on show is irresistibly winning, and I would happily spend more time in the company of Eddie and friends.
  • basssopran
    2.0 out of 5 stars Schade
    Reviewed in Germany on July 29, 2012
    The Man with the Golden Torc ist, wie der Titel bereits ahnen lässt, eine fantasylastige James Bond-Parodie. Der Einzelkämpfer Shaman Bond, sein richtiger Name lautet Edwin Drood, rettet die Welt im Auftrag der Familie Drood. Er ist nicht wirklich abtrünnig, macht aber zum Kummer seiner Familie zu sehr "sein eigenes Ding". Man teilt ihm mit, es gebe einen Verräter in den eigenen Reihen, und er müsse für die Sicherheit aller ein Kleinod nach Stonehenge an seinen angestammten Platz zurückbringen. Während er bei seiner weitläufigen Familie weilt, wird er Zeuge eines Angriffs von außen, den Simon R. Green sehr beeindruckend und bedrängend darstellt. Auf dem Weg nach Stonehenge wird Edwin Drood von verschiedenen Untoten, Drachenkämpfern usw. angegriffen und stellt schließlich fest, dass die Kiste mit dem Kleinod nicht nur leer ist, sondern eine Art Tracker für die Unterwelt enthält. So konnten ihn die Angreifer leichter finden. Offenbar wurde er von seiner Familie für vogelfrei erklärt. Warum das so sein sollte, weiß Eddie nicht. Mit dem, was ihm bleibt, macht er sich auf die Suche.

    Der Sprachstil ist eloquent und witzig, die Referenzen beileibe nicht nur zu James Bond (beispielsweise ist Edwin Drood eine unvollendete Detektivgeschichte von Charles Dickens) gut gemacht. Und gerade deswegen ist der Inhalt so bedauerlich. Mir kam es so vor, als hätte der Autor einen Stapel Karten mit Ideen, die er eine nach dem anderen auf den Tisch knallt, ohne eine wirkliche Geschichte zu erzählen. Die Beschreibungen verschiedener Büros und Laboratorien gleichen sich sehr, die Figuren werden aufgezählt anstatt vorgestellt, und die Kapitel haben einen sehr episodenhaften Charakter: ...und dann ging ich da hin, traf den und den, und dann gab es einen Kampf, in dessen Verlauf ich dieses und jenes Spielzeug einsetzte. Wenn das zum dritten Mal passiert, interessiert einen auch die Frage nach dem Warum des Ausgestoßenseins nicht mehr.

    Ich kann mich nur wiederholen: Schade.
  • clairefromwales
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but just not as brilliant as some of his other books
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 27, 2007
    I'm a big Simon R Green fan. His books are wildly entertaining, funny, while still being pretty dark in places.

    I have been looking forward to this new series and I enjoyed the book, but it didn't blow me away.

    The book tells the story of Eddie Drood aka Shaman Bond. A highly effective, if slightly rebellious, field agent for the humanity's secret protectors, the Drood family. The plot follows Eddie as he discovers that his family aren't what he thought they were and he uncovers some pretty shocking secrets.

    Anyone who has read other books by Green will spot the obvious problem with the plot - i.e. been there (sort of) before. Eddie Drood is a likeable character, but he's not Owen Deathstalker. It's partly the setting, Eddie's world maybe magical, but it's just an expanded version of today's world, which doesn't give him the epic (madly overblown) scope of Owen's universe. And the bad guys don't really cut it in comparison.

    Now that's all pretty negative, but I've still given the book four stars and that's because on its own terms it's a well written, pacey, inventive adventure. The opening scenes of Eddie doing his job do work well and feel fresh. Eddie is a likeable character and the book is written from his first person perspective. There are some great minor characters like the Armourer, and Molly is a great female lead in the grand tradition of Green's romantic heroines to match his heroes. More will come out about Molly's surprising command of hellfire and about the deaths of both her parents and Eddie's, I've no doubt.

    And that's probably another good reason to give the book, and the series a go, Green likes to build up his characters and the worlds they inhabit through the books. There'll be lots more depth and complexity to come.

    The action is pretty much non stop - there are several great chase squences, along the motorway and on a motorbike through London.

    Eddie's winnowing progress through his family's greatest enemies trying to find the truth at the start of the book, didn't really work for me. It seemed like a slightly chaotic series of good ideas that didn't quite string together, while being individually interesting.

    If you're a fan of the author, it's definately worth reading - just don't expect anything earthshatteringly different. If you've not read his stuff before, you will enjoy it as the ideas will all seem fresher. (I'd recommend the Deathstalker series ahead of it, but those books are pretty twisted in places, so if you prefer things a bit lighter, this may be the way to go...)

    I'll be reading the next one, and hoping that Eddie is focused back on the task of being a field agent because that's where most of the unique and best moments of the Man with the Golden Torc were. I'll also be hoping for a few more of the highly amusing, sarcastic dialogue that is one of my favourite features of Green's books.
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Man with the Golden Torc
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 14, 2018
    I'm really enjoying this series, I've read the Nightside books and they're great too, and I like the way the whole slightly disturbing universe fits together with lots of twists and turns and dry humour

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