Orbit publishes some of the most exciting voices in SF and Fantasy – and we’re delighted to introduce readers to new authors each year. In 2021 we’re thrilled to be publishing a class of new authors we expect you’ll be reading for years to come. Here’s the publishing schedule of our 2021 debut adult science fiction and fantasy novels. We’ll be adding new titles, covers, excerpts and more as the year goes on, so bookmark this page, or follow us online for updates.
“Delightful! Winter’s Orbit is a chilling account of a dark past wrapped in the warm blanket of a promising future. It was such a pleasure to read.” ―Ann Leckie, New York Times bestselling author of Ancillary Justice
Wedding bells are ringing, but there is no honeymoon in sight for delinquent Prince Kiem and the enigmatic Count Jainan. Before their marriage can succeed, Kiem must first unravel the dark conspiracy surrounding his new husband that threatens the security of the whole empire.
If friends-to-lovers is a favourite trope, and a space princes novel recommended by the creators of Breq and Murderbot sounds like fun, you won’t want to miss this stunning space opera with irresistibly engaging characters. WINTER’S ORBIT is perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet.
In an epic political fantasy unlike any other, two women clash in a world full of rebellion, espionage, and military might on the far outreaches of a crumbling desert empire.
Touraine is a soldier returning to her homeland for the first time since she was snatched from it and conscripted into the army. Now serving the cunning and beautiful Princess Luca as her spy, Touraine must resolve her divided loyalties between her past and present before the flames of revolution consume everything.
With characters as vibrant as the action, this queer military fantasy is perfect for fans of Brian McClellan’s The Powder Mage Trilogy and Andrea Stewart’s The Bone Shard Daughter. THE UNBROKEN is a powerful epic about two women at the center of a personal and political maelstrom.
A sweeping tale of violent conquest and forbidden magic set in a world inspired by the pre-colonial empires of West Africa.
The simple discovery of the long-lost journal of a mad king ignites a chain of events that will either topple an empire or secure its dominion over all who still resist.
Like the Lightbringer series and Stormlight Archive before it, The Nameless Republic Trilogy establishes itself as the kind of expansive world readers will wish to return to again and again. Complimenting his complex characters and world-building is Okungbowa’s magic system based around a rare mineral called ibor rumored to imbue select individuals with fearsome powers if they’re willing to pay the physical toll.
The first daughter is for the Throne. The second daughter is for the Wolf.
As the second born daughter, it is Red’s fate to be sacrificed to the Wolf in hopes that the monster lurking in the Wilderwood will one day return the captured gods of her people. But not all legends are true….and not all monsters are evil.
Trust nothing in the Wilderwood, because things aren’t always as they seem. Fans of Uprooted and Bear in the Nightingale will devour this tale of magic, sacrifice, and identity, enjoying the many twists Red’s new life takes as she journeys into the heart of the forest.
In a near-future world on the brink of collapse, a young woman born into servitude must seize her own freedom in this glittering debut with a brilliant twist.
Ever since she was five, Myrra’s life and labor have belonged to someone else. But after the sudden and mysterious deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Carlye, her employers, Myrra is suddenly free a lot sooner than she thought, and at a cost she never could have imagined.
THE WORLD GIVES WAY is an unforgettable portrait of a world in free-fall, and the fierce drive to live even at the end of it all. It’s a high-concept speculative novel abounding in heart and pathos akin to the works of Karen Thompson Walker and Emily St. John Mandel.
An evocative and quietly moving tale of hope after traumatic loss, the magic of found family, and the intrinsic connection between women and community.
A final promise leads Mel Smith to Morgan’s Gap, a sleepy southern town in the Appalachian Mountains, to bury the ashes of her best friend Sarah. But the wildwood has secrets to reveal to Mel in the strange connection she feels to the Ross homestead and the wilderness around it.
A Tennessee native herself, Willa Reese brings a love and familiarity to the story and setting that makes this novel an intimate and captivating read. If you enjoyed either A Secret History of Witches or The Once and Future Witches, this enchanting debut has your name all over it.
‘Clever, wickedly fun . . . with an excellent balance of humour and heart. I loved it’ S. A. Chakraborty, author of City of Brass
Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.
So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world fifty years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.
Alongside her Ministry colleagues and a familiar person from her past, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city – or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems . . .
Diamond-sharp and savagely wry, The Body Scout is a timely science fiction thriller debut set in a future where body and soul are sold to the highest bidder, perfect for readers of William Gibson.
A down on his luck former athlete circles the drain of his second career as a baseball scout. But after his brother Monsanto Mets slugger J.J. Zunz is murdered at home plate, Kobo finds there’s much lower to go in a world ravaged by climate change and repeat pandemics.
THE BODY SCOUT transports us to a future where the competitive drive to perform at our highest physical and mental capacity has transformed the world we know into a lurid posthumanist society, a funhouse mirror send-up of capitalism, income inequality, and the healthcare industry that paints an all-too-possible future.
A haunting tale of a woman whose life begins to unravel after a home invasion. She’s told she killed the intruder. But she can’t remember, and no one believes her
Nine years ago, Sydney Burgess got clean to make a better life for her son. Now, in the aftermath of a violent confrontation, her old addictions are back, but the whispering of her reckless urges takes on a shocking new form—with dark cravings of its own.
As she picks through her fragmented memories of the home invasion, the secrets she uncovers threaten to upend her carefully constructed life. This unsettling novel of addiction and agency is perfect for readers of Paul Tremblay, Grady Hendrix, and Riley Sager.
Inspired by the traditional murder ballad “The Twa Sisters”, set against the rich backdrop of ancient Britian, Sistersong is a dark and lyrical tale of siblings and sorcery from a spellbinding new voice.
In the ancient kingdom of Dumnonia, there is old magic to be found in the whisper of the wind, the roots of the trees, the curl of the grass. King Cador knew this once, but now the land has turned from him, calling instead to his three children. Riva can cure others, but can’t seem to heal her own deep scars. Keyne battles to be seen for who he truly is—the king’s son. And Sinne dreams of seeing the world, of finding love and adventure.
All three fear a life of confinement within the walls of the hold, their people’s last bastion of strength against the invading Saxons. However, change comes on the day ash falls from the sky. It brings with it Myrdhin, meddler and magician. And Tristan, a warrior whose secrets will tear them apart.
Riva, Keyne and Sinne—three sisters entangled in a web of treachery and heartbreak, who must fight to forge their own paths. Their story will shape the destiny of Britain.
All titles are released!
