Archive for Orbit UK

ICYMI: SON OF THE STORM by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

Feast your eyes on the stunning cover for SON OF THE STORM by Suyi Davies Okungbowa, the highly-anticipated first novel in the Nameless Republic trilogy. Inspired by the pre-colonial empires of West Africa, this is an epic tale of violent conquest, buried histories, and forbidden magic. Make sure you head over to io9 to read the excerpt!

Illustration by Dan dos Santos; Cover Design by Lauren Panepinto

In the thriving city of Bassa, Danso is a clever but disillusioned scholar who longs for a life beyond the rigid family and political obligations expected of the city’s elite. A way out presents itself when Lilong, a skin-changing warrior, shows up wounded in his barn. She comes from the Nameless Islands- which, according to Bassa lore, don’t exist- and neither should the mythical magic of ibor she wields.

Now swept into a conspiracy far beyond his understanding, Danso and Lilong will set out on a journey that reveals histories violently suppressed and magic only found in lore.

SON OF THE STORM is out in May 2021. In the meantime, you can connect with Suyi at https://suyidavies.com/ and on Twitter at @IAmSuyiDavies.

 

Acquisition Announcement – the Empire of the Wolf trilogy by Richard Swan

As reported in the Bookseller, we are thrilled to announce the acquisition of the Empire of the Wolf trilogy – a superb debut epic fantasy series from British author Richard Swan.

The trilogy centres around Sir Konrad Vonvalt, who enforces the Empire’s laws through sword, spell and sheer force of personality – he’s Geralt of Rivia crossed with C. J. Sansom’s Shardlake. A medieval Judge Dredd, basically. If you think that sounds awesome, well . . . you’d be absolutely right!

Sir Konrad Vonvalt is an Emperor’s Justice – a detective, judge and executioner all in one, tasked with upholding the law. To this end, Vonvalt travels the hinterlands of the Empire of the Wolf, investigating crimes and dispensing justice.

But these are dangerous times for the Empire and the Order of Justices. Heresy is widespread, and a cabal of Imperial politicians is challenging the Order’s authority, desperate to claim its arcane secrets for their own. When Vonvalt investigates the murder of a noblewoman, he finds his authority being challenged like never before. And as he unravels a web of secrets and lies, Vonvalt discovers a plot that might destroy his order once and for all – and bring down the entire Empire. 

We can’t wait for you all to meet Vonvalt and join him on this thrilling adventure, which is full of intrigue, action and magic. The first book in the Empire of the Wolf series will publish in Spring 2022. In the meantime, say hello to Richard on Twitter.

Orbit UK editor James Long pre-emptively acquired world rights from Harry Illingworth at the D H H Literary Agency in a six-figure deal. German rights have already sold to Piper.

 

 

Cover Launch: THE LIGHT OF THE MIDNIGHT STARS by Rena Rossner

Looking for an immersive fairytale-inspired novel to sweep you off of your feet? Rena Rossner, author of THE SISTERS OF THE WINTER WOOD (US | UK) , returns with a dazzling new book full of magic, history, and Jewish folklore: THE LIGHT OF THE MIDNIGHT STARS. Hitting shelves in April 2021, behold the gorgeous cover and then head over to Hypable to read an excerpt!

Cover Illustration by Tran Nguyen and Cover Design by Lauren Panepinto

Deep in the Hungarian woods, the sacred magic of King Solomon lives on in his descendants. Gathering under the midnight stars, they pray, sing and perform small miracles – and none are more gifted than the great Rabbi Isaac and his three daughters. Each one is blessed with a unique talent – whether it be coaxing plants to grow, or predicting the future by reading the path of the stars.

When a fateful decision to help an outsider ends in an accusation of witchcraft, fire blazes through their village. Rabbi Isaac and his family are forced to flee, to abandon their magic and settle into a new way of life. But a dark fog is making its way across Europe and will, in the end, reach even those who thought they could run from it. Each of the sisters will have to make a choice – and change the future of their family forever.

Previous praise for Rena Rossner

“With luscious and hypnotic prose, Rena Rossner tells a gripping, powerful story of family, sisterhood, and two young women trying to find their way in the world. I gulped it down!”
— Madeline Miller, author of The Song of Achilles and Circe

Intricately crafted, gorgeously rendered…full of heart, history, and enchantment.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The Sisters of the Winter Wood is a graceful, poetic, deeply moving novel. A simply gorgeous book in every sense.”
— Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches

“Rossner’s debut weaves a richly detailed story of Jewish identity and sisterhood… emotionally charged, full of sharp historical detail and well-deployed Yiddish phrases…Ambitious and surprising.”
Kirkus

Cover Launch: EYE OF THE SH*T STORM by Jackson Ford

Teagan Frost is back. And this time, the sh*t is going to hit the fan.

Yesterday, SciFiNow exclusively revealed the cover for the latest instalment in Jackson Ford’s Frost Files series, EYE OF THE SH*T STORM, coming in April 2021!

It’s the third high-adrenaline adventure featuring telekinetic government agent Teagan Frost, and the awesome cover was designed by Sophie Harris. Read on for a taste of what’s in store. . .

Eye of the Sht Storm by Jackson Ford

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teagan Frost might be getting better at moving sh*t with her mind – but her job working as a telekinetic government operative only ever seems to get harder. That’s not even talking about her car-crash of a love life . . .

And things are about to get even tougher. No sooner has Teagan chased off one psychotic kid hell-bent on trashing the whole West Coast, but now she has to contend with another supernatural being who can harness devastating electrical power. And if Teagan can’t stop him, the whole of Los Angeles will be facing the sh*tstorm of the century . . .

EYE OF THE SH*T STORM releases in April 2021. If you haven’t had the honour of meeting Teagan Frost yet, then you can remedy that straight away. Find links for the first two books below, and you can follow Jackson Ford on Twitter here.

Buy THE GIRL WHO COULD MOVE SH*T WITH HER MIND (US | UK | ANZ)

Buy RANDOM SH*T FLYING THROUGH THE AIR (US | UK | ANZ)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Praise for the Frost Files series:

‘Proceeds at breakneck speed through almost 500 pages of madcap adventure’ Guardian

‘Fast-paced and a lot of fun to read . . . a modern action movie that just happens to be in book form’ The Fantasy Inn

‘A drunken back-alley brawler of a book’ Robert Brockway, author of The Unnoticeables

‘Ford’s breakneck pace keeps the tension high, and the thrills coming the whole way through’ BookPage

‘A fast-paced, high-adrenaline tale’ Kirkus

Cover Launch: VOIDBREAKER by David Dalglish

Your favorite monster-hunter is back and better than ever. Devin Eveson is the Soulkeeper, honor-bound to protect humanity from monsters once thought to be only legend. Devin’s saga began with  SOULKEEPER (US | UK) and its sequel RAVENCALLER (US | UK), and now finds its explosive conclusion in VOIDBREAKER (US | UK). In a world overrun by monsters, Devin will have to face his most dangerous enemy yet—his own sister. Their battle is front and center in VOIDBREAKER’S brilliant cover—check it out!

If you haven’t yet caught up on Devin’s adventures make sure to get in on the action and pick up Soulkeeper and Ravencaller!

When magical creatures storm the gates of Londheim and declare it for themselves, Devin, a warrior priest, must decide who the true monsters are in the final book of USA Today bestseller David Dalglish’s epic fantasy trilogy.

Monsters have retaken the capital city of Londheim and claimed it for themselves. Humanity, fearful of being pushed out for good, has reacted with violence and destruction, and peace between the two races seems all but impossible. Devin will need to bring all his skills to bear in order to find a solution. But the greatest threat to humanity’s safety may well be closer than he expects. Because his sister is the most powerful priestess the world has ever seen… and she’s fighting for the monsters.

The fate of all races, human and magical, rests in their hands, and the only person standing in their way is each other. (more…)

Cover Launch: A RADICAL ACT OF FREE MAGIC by H. G. Parry

Enjoy history as you’ve never seen it before! A RADICAL ACT OF FREE MAGIC is the ambitious sequel to H. G. Parry’s A DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAGICIANS (US | UK), which Publishers Weekly gave a starred review and called a “poetic tale of justice, liberation, and dark magic.” While you wait in anticipation for its July 2021 release, feast your eyes on the brilliant cover designed by Orbit’s own Lisa Marie Pompilio.

The Concord has been broken, and a war of magic engulfs the world.

In France, the brilliant young battle-mage Napoleon Bonaparte has summoned a kraken from the depths, and under his command the Army of the Dead have all but conquered Europe. Britain fights back, protected by the gulf of the channel and powerful fire-magic, but Wilberforce’s own battle to bring about free magic and abolition has met a dead end in the face of an increasingly fearful and repressive government. In Saint Domingue, Fina watches as Toussaint Louverture navigates these opposing forces to liberate the country.

But there is another, even darker war being fought beneath the surface: the first vampire war in hundreds of years. The enemy blood magician who orchestrated Robespierre’s downfall is using the Revolutionary Wars to bring about a return to dark magic to claim all of Europe. Across the world, only a few know of his existence and the choices they make will shape the new age of magic.

Praise for A DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAGICIANS

“A rich, sprawling epic full of history and magic, Declaration is Jonathan Strange with international politics and vampires. I loved it.”  —Alix E. Harrow, author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January

“A witty, riveting historical fantasy…. Parry has a historian’s eye for period detail and weaves real figures from history-including Robespierre and Toussaint L’Ouverture-throughout her poetic tale of justice, liberation, and dark magic. This is a knockout.”  —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Impeccably researched and epically written, this novel is a stellar start to what promises to be a grand new fantasy series.”  —Booklist (starred review)

“I absolutely loved it. It held my attention from the beginning and throughout. It’s a beautiful tapestry of words, a combination of carefully observed and researched history and a well-thought-out and fascinating system of magic. An absolute delight to read; splendid and fluid, with beautiful and complex use of language.”  —Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library

“Magnificent…[turns] the part of history class you might have slept through into something new, exciting and deeply magical.” —BookPage

“Fans of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell will be enchanted by this sprawling epic of revolution and dark magic.”   —Locus

“It’s no simple task to wrangle fifteen years of tumult in a few hundred pages, but Parry manages it with a deft hand. Her alternate history puts a human face on the titans of the past, while weaving in supernatural elements that add a whole new dimension. I stayed up well past my bedtime to find out what happens next.” —Marie Brennan, author of the Memoirs of Lady Trent series

“Impressively intricate; fans of the magic-and-history of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell will be delighted.”  —Alexandra Rowland, author of A Conspiracy of Truths

Read an excerpt from THE UNBROKEN by C. L. Clark

Orbit is so excited to share the cover and a short preview for C.L. Clark’s incredible debut fantasy, THE UNBROKEN.  In a crumbling kingdom inspired by the deserts of North Africa, two women’s lives will become irrevocably changed—one a solider haunted by the past, the other a dethroned princess who saves her from certain death.

Io9 unveiled the striking cover for The Unbroken, designed by Lauren Panepinto with stellar art by Tommy Arnold.

The Unbroken will be out in print, ebook, and audio on March 23, 2021. Read on for the description of this unmissable epic!

Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has been sent back to her homeland to stop a rebellion, and the ties of blood may be stronger than she thought.

Luca needs a turncoat. Someone desperate enough to tiptoe the bayonet’s edge between treason and orders. Someone who can sway the rebels toward peace, while Luca focuses on what really matters: getting her uncle off her throne.

Through assassinations and massacres, in bedrooms and war rooms, Touraine and Luca will haggle over the price of a nation. But some things aren’t for sale.

Read the first two chapters now!

Cover Launch: SWEET HARMONY by Claire North

We’re excited to present the cover for a new novella from the multi-award winning Claire North, designed by Bekki Guyatt at Little, Brown Book Group.

SWEET HARMONY (UK | US| ANZ) is a clever and unnervingly plausible stand-alone story set five minutes into the future – in a world where it’s possible to upgrade your mind or body however you choose through an app on your phone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s a beautifully-crafted, thought-provoking tale that asks questions about identity, body image, and how far we’d all go to live up to the pressures of society. It shows just why Claire North is hailed as one of the most innovative writers of her generation.

SWEET HARMONY (UK | US| ANZ) releases digitally on 22nd September and is available for pre-order now. Read on for the blurb below, and follow Claire on Twitter here.

Harmony is tired. Tired of working so hard, tired of the way she looks, tired of being average.  

But all that changes when she decides to splash out and upgrade her nanos. And why not? Everyone’s doing it now. With a simple in-app purchase, you can update the tech in your bloodstream to transform yourself – get enhanced brain power, the perfect body or a dazzling smile.

Suddenly, everything starts going right for Harmony. She’s finally becoming the person she always wanted to be. But when she ends up running too many upgrades on her body all at once, the effects will be more catastrophic than she could have imagined.

 

Praise for Claire North:

‘North’s talent shines out’ Sunday Times

‘North goes from strength to strength’ Guardian

‘Terrific, smart and entertaining’ Patrick Ness

‘North is an original and even dazzling writer’ Kirkus

‘A master of ingenious plotting and feats of imagination’ Alex Marwood, author of The Wicked Girls

 

Also by Claire North:

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
Touch
The Sudden Appearance of Hope
The End of the Day
84K
The Gameshouse
The Pursuit of William Abbey

 

2020 World Fantasy Award Nominees

We’re thrilled to announce Orbit has three books on the shortlist for the 2020 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel!

  • QUEEN OF THE CONQUERED by Kacen Callender (Orbit)
  • THE TEN THOUSAND DOORS OF JANUARY (US | UK) by Alix E. Harrow (Redhook)
  • THE RAVEN TOWER (US | UK) by Ann Leckie (Orbit)

 

This is the first nomination in this category of the award for all three authors. Locus has published the full list of nominees.

The winners will be announced at this year’s (virtual) World Fantasy Convention, which will take place October 29 – November 1.

Acquisition Announcement: THE FREE BASTARDS by Jonathan French

Are you ready to saddle up and ride with the Bastards again?

We’re excited to announce that Orbit UK has acquired the third book in Jonathan French’s Lot Lands series – described by Kirkus as ‘an addictively readable – and undeniably cool – fantasy masterwork’.

THE FREE BASTARDS will publish in July 2021 and follows the runaway success of THE GREY BASTARDS and THE TRUE BASTARDS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This gritty, action-drenched adventure series follows a brotherhood of half-orcs who protect human civilization from invading bands of vicious full-blooded orcs. It’s perfect for fans of Joe Abercombie, Markus Heitz’s Dwarves books and Stan Nicholl’s Orcs series.

If you haven’t hoofed it with the half-orcs yet, here are a few reasons why you should:

‘Jonathan French has to be lauded for his plot ingenuity, bawdry charm and vicious characters’ Fantasy Book Critic

‘A bloody good tale of battle, betrayal and war pigs’ Brian McClellan

A gritty adventure with a fantastic, foul-mouthed voice’ Django Wexler

I’d like to raise a tankard to The Grey Bastards’ brilliance’ Fantasy Faction

Click here to find out more about THE GREY BASTARDS  and THE TRUE BASTARDS.