N. K. Jemisin Makes History with 2018 Hugo Award for THE STONE SKY

We’re thrilled to announce The Stone Sky by N. K. Jemisin [US | UK | ANZ] has won the 2018 Hugo Award for Best Novel!

N. K. Jemisin makes history as the first author to ever win three back-to-back Hugo Awards. This groundbreaking win also marks the first time each book in a series has won the Best Novel award. Jemisin became the first black writer to win a Hugo Award in the Best Novel category with her win for The Fifth Season in 2016.

The Hugo Awards were presented this weekend at WorldCon 76 in San Jose, CA.

Congratulations to N. K. Jemisin on this historic win, and to all the nominees, including fellow Orbit authors Kim Stanley Robinson, Ann Leckie, and Mur Lafferty.

New Acquisition: FORTUNA by Kristyn Merbeth

Orbit has acquired world English rights to science fiction author Kristyn Merbeth’s galaxy-spanning space opera trilogy about a family of interplanetary smugglers. In the far future, five generation ships travel to a distant galaxy to settle on five habitable planets. As each planet develops, new customs and traditions arise. And the longer these planets go without communication, the more hate and fear shut them off from each other, until eventually, the system is on the brink of all-out war.

Book One, FORTUNA, follows Scorpia Kaiser, a young woman who must assume leadership of her family’s space-faring black-market business dealings after her mother, the matriarch, steps down. Now, she discovers that she has inherited far more than a ship and a crew, and her decisions will have dire ramifications for all of humanity’s newest homes.

The trilogy has the vast scope of your favorite space operas, and an action-packed pace to keep the pages turning. FORTUNA is scheduled for Fall 2019.

Cover Launch: THE GUTTER PRAYER by Gareth Hanrahan

Set in a world of dark gods and dangerous magic, Gareth Hanrahan’s remarkable debut, THE GUTTER PRAYER (UK|US|ANZ), is set to be a must-read for fantasy fans in 2019. It will hit the shops early next year, and we’re thrilled to reveal the striking cover below.

 

Illustration by Richard Anderson
Design by Steve Panton

 

This thrilling and visceral debut is already generating some brilliant early buzz:

‘A gripping tale that meshes beautifully with its fascinating, darkly inventive setting’
James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was Lost

‘A ground-breaking and extraordinary novel . . . Hanrahan has an astonishing imagination’
Peter McLean, author of Priest of Bones

‘Laced with the blackest of humour and packed with magic and mayhem, this is fantasy turned up to 11’
Anna Stephens, author of Godblind

‘An absolutely stunning debut . . . I loved it! Highly recommended ’
Michael R. Fletcher, author of Beyond Redemption

‘Beautifully written. Gripping. Guerdon is the city of my dreams’
Anna Smith Spark, author of The Court of Broken Knives

 

READ ON FOR A TASTE OF WHAT’S IN STORE:

In the ancient city of Guerdon, three thieves – an orphan, a ghoul and a cursed man – are accused of a crime they didn’t commit. Their quest for revenge exposes a perilous conspiracy, the seeds of which were sown long before they were born.

A centuries-old magical war is on the verge of reigniting and in the tunnels deep below the city, a malevolent power stirs. Only by standing together can the three friends prevent a conflict that would bring total devastation to their city – and the world beyond.

Cover Launch: THE BURNING WHITE by Brent Weeks

Red alert! Sub-Red alert! Paryl alert! Superviolet alert!

Just pay attention, guys!

The fifth and final book in the Lightbringer series has a cover, and it’s just as epic as the story deserves. But readers will have to wait until Fall 2019 to get their hands on this beauty. In the meantime, say hi to Brent at his website or on twitter @brentweeks.

Haven’t caught up on the Lightbringer series? There’s still time. Check out the action-packed, New York Times bestselling fantasy series about magic, power, and the price one man must pay to keep his past a secret:

Guile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world. He is high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. Yet Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live.

When Guile discovers he has a son, born in a far kingdom after the war that put him in power, he must decide how much he’s willing to pay to protect a secret that could tear his world apart.

Design by Lauren Panepinto.
Illustration by Gene Mollica.

New Acquisition: THE WOLF’S CALL by Anthony Ryan

Anthony Ryan is returning to the world of international bestseller BLOOD SONG with his new book! 

We’re thrilled to announce that the next book from international bestselling author Anthony Ryan is called THE WOLF’S CALL and, even more excitingly, it will return to the world of his bestselling and critically-acclaimed Raven’s Shadow trilogy (which comprised BLOOD SONG, TOWER LORD and QUEEN OF FIRE).

THE WOLF’S CALL, book one of the Raven’s Blade duology, will begin an epic new adventure for fan-favourite Vaelin Al Sorna, as he travels to the far-flung realms of the Merchant Kings and learns of a grave new threat to the Unified Realm. Needless to say, THE WOLF’S CALL will feature more of the razor-sharp action, deadly politics and memorable characters that made the Raven’s Shadow trilogy a worldwide sensation, and is sure to delight new readers and existing fans alike.

We will publish THE WOLF’S CALL in summer 2019.

About Anthony Ryan

Anthony Ryan is the author of the Raven’s Shadow trilogy and the recently-completed Draconis Memoria series. His books have sold more than a million English-language copies worldwide. Follow him on Twitter @writer_anthony and at his website.

Praise for Anthony Ryan

‘A master storyteller’ Mark Lawrence

‘A major new talent’ Buzzfeed

‘Fabulous . . . Sure to be another fantasy classic’ Huffington Post UK

‘The new world Ryan has created for his dragon adventure is a joy to visualise’ SciFiNow 

‘Excellent epic fantasy’ Bookbag

New Acquisition: THE WITCH’S KIND by Louisa Morgan

As announced in Publishers Weekly, Louisa Morgan, author of the much-loved A Secret History of Witches, is back with a brand new book! We have acquired world rights to two more beautiful witch novels by Louisa, from Peter Rubie at FinePrint Literary Management. The first of them, The Witch’s Kind, comes out in Spring 2019.

The Witch’s Kind is an absorbing tale of love, sacrifice, family ties, and magic, set in the Pacific Northwest in the aftermath of World War II. If you loved Practical Magic, The Witch’s Daughter, and A Discovery of Witches, don’t miss Louisa’s wonderful new novel.

Barrie Anne Blythe and her aunt Charlotte have always known that the other residents of their small coastal community find them peculiar—two women living alone on the outskirts of town. It is the price of concealing their strange and dangerous family secret.

But two events threaten to upend their lives forever. The first is the arrival of a mysterious abandoned baby with a hint of power like their own. The second is the sudden reappearance of Barrie Anne’s long-lost husband—who is not quite the man she thought she married.

Together, Barrie Anne and Charlotte must decide how far they are willing to go to protect themselves—and the child they think of as their own—from suspicious neighbors, the government, and even their own family…

Can’t wait until next year? Make sure you’ve checked out A Secret History of Witches, and say hi to the author on Twitter @WriterLouisa.

(US | UK)

2018 World Fantasy Award Finalists

The 2018 World Fantasy Award finalists have been announced, and we’re excited to report that JADE CITY by Fonda Lee (US | UK | ANZ) is one of the nominees for Best Novel!

The World Fantasy Award is nominated by members of the World Fantasy Convention, and by a panel of judges. Winners will be announced at the World Fantasy Convention in Baltimore, MD this November. Congratulations to Fonda Lee and the rest of the nominees! You can view the full list of awards and nominations on the World Fantasy Convention website.

Cover Launch: STORM CURSED by Patricia Briggs

Exciting news for fans of Patricia Briggs: everyone’s favourite kick-ass shapeshifter, Mercy Thompson, will be back in action early next year!  In STORM CURSED, Mercy must face a deadly enemy to defend all she loves . . . we are thrilled to reveal the stunning cover below.

Storm Cursed

Cover portrait: www.sorted.tv
Cover design: Ellen Rockell – LBBG

 

Read on for a taste of what’s in store for Mercy in the next thrilling installment of the number one bestselling series:

 

My name is Mercedes Athena Thompson Hauptman, and I am a car mechanic.

And a coyote shapeshifter . . . And the mate of the Alpha of the Columbia Basin werewolf pack.

Even so, none of that would have gotten me into trouble if, a few months ago, I hadn’t stood upon a bridge and taken responsibility for the safety of the citizens who lived in our territory. It seemed like the thing to do at the time. It should have only involved hunting down killer goblins, zombie goats, and an occasional troll. Instead, our home was viewed as neutral ground, a place where humans would feel safe to come and treat with the fae.

The reality is that nothing and no one is safe. As generals and politicians face off with the Gray Lords of the fae, a storm is coming and her name is Death.

But we are pack, and we have given our word. We will die to keep it.

Cover Launch: THE LAST ASTRONAUT by David Wellington

Science fiction often explores the vast expanse of space, generation ships, and galactic dogfights. But, what if we simply gave up on navigating the stars?

The Last Astronaut by David Wellington is a thrilling, near-future science fiction novel that explores a future where manned missions to space have become a thing of the past. Except now, an unknown object has arrived in our solar system.

For ex-astronaut Sally Jensen, this means executing a mission into space that no one could possibly be prepared for. We thought we no longer needed her . . .

Design by Lauren Panepinto; Images by Arcangel

Sally Jensen, the last astronaut to travel beyond our orbit, must build, train, and lead her team on the first mission to make first contact with an alien object. 

It entered our solar system, slowed down off the rings of Saturn, and began a steady approach towards Earth.

Having forsaken manned missions the space programs of the world scramble to meet the visitor by enlisting forcefully-retired NASA legend Sally Jansen, the only person with the first-hand knowledge and operational experience capable of meeting this new visitor and finding out its purpose.

With no time to spare she must plan and execute a mission from scratch and lead a crew with no experience farther than mankind has ever travelled to make contact.

But each passing day brings it closer to home.

THE LAST ASTRONAUT launches in May 2019.

Cover Launch: SPLINTERED SUNS by Michael Cobley

Here at Orbit we love an action-packed, galaxy-spanning space opera, and Michael Cobley’s new Humanity’s Fire novel, SPLINTERED SUNS (UK|US|ANZ), ticks all the boxes! With a spaceship crewed by rogues and scoundrels, this latest offering from the author of Seeds of Earth is perfect for fans of Star Wars, Firefly or Farscape  Feast your eyes on the recently revealed cover below:

 

Splintered SunsIllustration by Steve Stone. Design by Charlotte Stroomer.

 

Splintered Suns will hit the shops in December. Read on for a taste of what’s in store:

For Pyke and his crew it should have been just another heist. Travel to a backwater desert planet, break into a museum, steal a tracking device then use it to find a ship buried in the planet’s vast and trackless sandy wastes.
Except that the museum vault is a bio-engineered chamber, and the tracking device is sought after by another gang of treasure hunters led by an old adversary of Pyke’s, the devious Raven Kaligara. Also, the ship is a quarter of a million years old and about two kilometres long and somewhere aboard it is the Essavyr Key, a relic to unlock all the treasures and technologies of a lost civilisation . . .