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Cover Launch: SHIELD MAIDEN by Sharon Emmerichs

Both epic and intimate, Shield Maiden (US) by Sharon Emmerichs is the brilliantly imagined retelling of Beowulf from the perspective of a fierce young woman reclaiming her power. Take your first look at the cover and pick up your copy in October 2023! Catch the synopsis below.

Shield Maiden by Sharon Emmerichs

Cover Design by Stephanie Hess

Fryda has grown up hearing tales of her uncle, King Beowulf, and his spectacular defeat of the monstrous Grendel. Her one desire is to become a shield maiden in her own right, but a terrible accident during her childhood has thwarted this dream. Yet still, somehow, she feels an uncontrollable power begin to rise within herself.

The last thing Fryda wants is to be forced into a political marriage, especially as her heart belongs to her lifelong friend, Theow. However, as foreign kings and chieftains descend upon her home to celebrate Beowulf’s fifty years as the king of Geatland, the partnership begins to seem inevitable.

That is, until, amidst the lavish gifts and drunken revelry, a discovery is made that threatens the safety of Fryda’s entire clan—and her own life. Incensed by this betrayal, Fryda resolves to fight for her people no matter the cost. As a queen should. As a shield maiden would.

And as the perilous situation worsens, Fryda’s powers seem only to grow stronger. But she is not the only one to feel the effects of her new-found battle-magic. For, buried deep in her gilded lair, a dragon is drawn to Fryda’s untamed power, and is slowly awakening from a long, cursed sleep…

Cover Launch: THE BOOK OF GOTHEL by Mary McMyne in paperback

Take a look at the stunning new paperback cover for The Book of Gothel (US) by Mary McMyne. Catch the synopsis below and pick up your copy in September 2023!

The Book of Gothel TP by Mary McMyne

Cover Design by Lisa Marie Pompilio; Cover Illustrations by Arcangel and Shutterstock

Everyone knows the story of Rapunzel in her tower, but do you know the story of the witch who put her there? Mary McMyne’s spellbinding debut reveals the truth behind the fairy tale—the truth they never wanted you to know, as only a witch might tell it.

Germany, 1156. With her strange black eyes and even stranger fainting spells, young Haelewise has never quite fit in. Shunned by her village, her only solace lies in the stories her mother tells of child-stealing witches, of princes in wolf-skins, and of an ancient tower cloaked in mist, where women will find shelter if they are brave enough to seek it.

When her mother dies, Haelewise is left unmoored. With nothing left for her in her village, she sets out to find the legendary tower her mother spoke of—a place called Gothel, where she meets a wise woman willing to take Haelewise under her wing. There, she discovers that magic is found not only in the realm of fairy tales.

But Haelewise is not the only woman to seek refuge at Gothel. It’s also a haven for a girl named Rika, who carries with her a secret the church strives to keep hidden. A secret that reveals a dark world of ancient spells and murderous nobles, behind the world Haelewise has always known.

Told from the witch’s own perspective, The Book of Gothel is a lush, historical retelling filled with dark magic, crumbling towers, mysterious woods, and evil princes. This is the truth no one ever wanted you to know, as only a witch might tell it.

Cover Launch: TRANSLATION STATE by Ann Leckie, plus new editions of The Imperial Radch trilogy and PROVENANCE

2023 will mark ten years since Ancillary Justice published and changed the sci-fi landscape. It will also be the year that Ann Leckie’s brand-new novel, Translation State (US | UK), hits shelves in June 2023.

Take a look at the stunning cover for Translation State, catch the synopsis down below, and take a peek at our new editions of Ancillary Justice (US | UK), Ancillary Sword (US | UK), Ancillary Mercy (US | UK), and Provenance (US | UK), coming May 2023! You can also check out an exclusive first chapter excerpt of Translation State over at io9.

Translation State by Ann Leckie

Cover Design by Lauren Panepinto

The mystery of a missing translator sets three lives on a collision course that will have a ripple effect across the stars in this powerful new novel by award-winning author Ann Leckie. 

Qven was created to be a Presger translator. The pride of their Clade, they always had a clear path before them: learn human ways, and eventually, make a match and serve as an intermediary between the dangerous alien Presger and the human worlds. The realization that they might want something else isn’t “optimal behavior.” I’s the type of behavior that results in elimination.

But Qven rebels. And in doing so, their path collides with those of two others. Enae, a reluctant diplomat whose dead grandmaman has left hir an impossible task as an inheritance: hunting down a fugitive who has been missing for over 200 years. And Reet, an adopted mechanic who is increasingly desperate to learn about his genetic roots—or anything that might explain why he operates so differently from those around him.

As a Conclave of the various species approaches—and the long-standing treaty between the humans and the Presger is on the line—the decisions of all three will have ripple effects across the stars.

Masterfully merging space adventure and mystery, and a poignant exploration about relationships and belonging, Translation State is a triumphant new standalone story set in Leckie’s celebrated Imperial Radch universe.

 

Cover Design by Lauren Panepinto

Acquisition Announcement: A FLAME IN THE NORTH by Lilith Saintcrow

Orbit is thrilled to announce we’ve acquired an exciting new series from New York Times bestselling author Lilith Saintcrow!

Journey into a world of awakened myth and malevolent creatures, unearthed destiny and fractured oaths, in A Flame in the North, the start of an epic Norse-inspired trilogy.

Read on for a bit more about what you can expect!

The Black Land is a spent myth, and these are modern times. At least, so says Solveig’s father, and his father before him. After Solveig’s brother accidentally kills a northern lord’s son, she is sent north as weregild (part hostage, part honored guest) for a year and a day. As a volva—a wisewoman—and even rarer, an elementalist, Sol isn’t quite upset at the notion of travel, for she has her shieldmaiden, Arn, and a fair share of magic to see her through the journey.

Yet she soon learns the Black Land is no myth and has merely been dormant for a few short mortal generations, biding its time. Upon its iron throne sits the Great Enemy, and trapped in his crown are two jewels of surpassing power, wrought by the Elder in the morning of the world. The third jewel, wrested free at great cost, is a prize beyond reckoning—but it cannot be used except by an elementalist. Solveig is the key to this special weapon, and the remaining Elder, not to mention the men in service to them, will stop at nothing to control it. And her.

Far from home, with only her shieldmaiden and her own wits to rely upon, Solveig must master power beyond her imagination. The Black Land looms, its armies and fell creatures ready to burst forth and cover the world in darkness, unless Solveig can find the courage to stop it.

Make sure to snag A Flame in the North when it lands in bookstores in Winter 2024.

Orbit US senior editor Nivia Evans acquired World rights from Lucienne Diver at the Knight Agency.

Acquisition Announcement: THE BLACK HUNGER by Nicholas Pullen

Orbit is thrilled to have acquired The Black Hunger from debut author Nicholas Pullen, a spine-tingling and sprawling gothic journey into the heart of horror, perfect for fans of The Historian and The Terror.

Orbit UK Commissioning Editor Nadia Saward bought World English rights in two novels from Natasha Mihell at The Rights Factory, with Senior Editor Bradley Englert acquiring for Orbit US. Publication is planned for Autumn 2024.

A photo of Nicholas Pullen wearing a pink shirt and grey blazer

John Sackville will soon be dead. Shadows writhe in the corners of his London cell and the gnawing hunger is growing impossible to ignore. 

They will say he’s gone insane, but John knows he must write his last testament before it is too late.
 
It is a story steeped in history and myth, a journey from occult ruins in Scotland, to the barren wilderness of Russia where otherworldly creatures stalk the night, ending in the icy peaks of Tibet and Mongolia, where an ancient evil stirs. . .

Praise for The Black Hunger:

‘A terrifying gothic journey to the place where the very cruellest, hungriest creatures hide in the snow, and wear our faces. This is a magisterial debut’ Michael Rowe, author of Wild Fell

Acquiring editor Nadia Saward said: ‘Nicholas Pullen has crafted a gothic masterpiece that is at once an unsettling, sinister horror and a heartrending romance with a blistering end that still has me reeling. I can’t wait to terrify and bring readers to tears with The Black Hunger.’

Author Nicholas Pullen said: ‘In Orbit, The Black Hunger has found the perfect home, and in Nadia Saward and Bradley Englert it has found its perfect editors. I couldn’t be more excited to work with both Nadia and Bradley, and am profoundly grateful to Orbit for bringing The Black Hunger to the world. Here we go!’

Agent Natasha Mihell said: ‘The first time The Black Hunger gave me nightmares, I knew I had found something, and someone, special. Pullen’s erudite blend of the historical and the horrifying creates an enticingly rich, cosmically dark tale, shimmering with queer splendour. Captivating, adrenaline-inducing, and constructed with industrious care, The Black Hunger is one of those books you feel smarter for having read, and one that promises to linger in your mind long after you’ve finished reading it. An exceptional harnessing of madness—and one wild ride.’

US editor Bradly Englert said: ‘Great horror makes you care for the characters. The best kind of horror makes you love the characters and then haunts you as all of the terrifying events unfold. Nicholas Pullen has achieved both in The Black Hunger. It’s the kind of gothic horror that pulls you into the world of its characters before letting loose with full-tilt terror. As a diehard fan of horror, this is a novel that I love and one that readers are going to be obsessed with.’

About the author: Nicholas Pullen was born and raised in Toronto, and educated at Oxford and McGill. A writer since early childhood, Nicholas now fashions stories out of shadows, madness, and historical truths. Outside of writing, his professional life has been spent working toward Truth and Reconciliation in the Canadian Public Service, as a treaty negotiator with Indigenous Peoples. He speaks fluent French, is an enthusiastic amateur of the guitar and mandolin, and to relax, enjoys scuba diving on shipwrecks in Georgian Bay. Nicholas is a Canada Council for the Arts Grant Recipient and his short fiction has appeared in the Toronto Star (Famous Blue), the Copperfield Review (Hellulandsaga), and Anti-Heroin Chic (Relapse/Grindr). The Black Hunger is his first novel.

You can find Nicholas on Twitter at @thenajpullen, go say hello!

 

Cover Launch: MACHINE VENDETTA by Alastair Reynolds

Take a look at the stunning cover for Machine Vendetta (US) by Alastair Reynolds and catch the synopsis below!

Machine Vendetta by Alastair Reynolds

Cover Design by Alexia Mazis

From the king of modern space opera comes a new adventure in the Prefect Dreyfus series—Machine Vendetta is a thrilling tale of deadly conspiracies and old enemies that refuse to die. 

Panoply is a small, efficient police force, dedicated to maintaining the rule of democracy among the ten thousand disparate city-states orbiting the planet Yellowstone.

Ingvar Tench was one of Panoply’s most experienced operatives. So why did she walk alone and unarmed into a habitat with a vicious grudge against her organization?

As his colleagues pick up the pieces following her death, Prefect Tom Dreyfus must face his conscience. Four years ago, when an investigation linked to one of his most dangerous adversaries got a little too personal, Dreyfus arranged for Tench to continue the inquiry by proxy. In using her, did Dreyfus also put her in the line of fire? And what does Tench’s attack tell him about an enemy he had hoped was dormant?

Acquisition Announcement: LONG LIVE EVIL by Sarah Rees Brennan

Sarah Rees Brennan, the author of Long Live Evil, stands in a yellow dress, matching her yellow and black pixie haircut, holding a pen with her hand on her hip. She wears a necklace that reads ‘antagonist’Time to prepare for your villain era – in the best possible way. We’ve just added the first adult novel from Sarah Rees Brennan to our list for 2024, and it’s her most villainous yet!

Orbit pre-empted world rights in three fantasy novels from cult favourite YA author Sarah Rees Brennan. Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary sold world rights to Editorial Director Jenni Hill at Orbit UK, and Nivia Evans has acquired for Orbit US.

The first adult novel from Sarah is Long Live Evil, in which a young woman wakes in the dangerous fictional world of her favourite fantasy novel. The book will appeal to fans of romantic fantasy and has already won praise from authors such as Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black. Orbit plan to publish in summer 2024.

Long Live Evil is a fantasy novel for everyone who ever rooted for the bad guy.

Editorial Director, Jenni Hill says: “I’ve followed Sarah’s career for a long time and admired her fantasy worldbuilding, her audacious wit and her ability to create romances you can’t tear yourself away from. If you’ve ever been too obsessed with a fantasy TV show, read fanfiction, or wished that a fictional man was real, Long Live Evil is the book for you.”

Agent Suzie Townsend says: “Long Live Evil is clever, funny, romantic and page-turning. It’s one of those perfect books for anyone who loves fantasy tropes and enjoys seeing them subverted. Most of all, it’s a fun ride and is simply a joy to dive into amid everything going on in real life. This novel was a joy to share with editors and I am so thrilled that Jenni and the Orbit team love these characters as much as Sarah and I do.”

Sarah Rees Brennan says: “After a life-threatening illness and during Europe’s longest lockdown, I had to write about escaping into the wild joys and perils of fiction. In my first adult work a dying young woman is offered the chance to live by stepping into the world of her favourite fantasy novel, where she must unite its villains in a scheme that will challenge our perception of evil. Long Live Evil asks why we laugh and weep with villains, why we desire them… and why we become them. I’ve read ground-breaking books from Orbit ever since I learned to read, and couldn’t be more thrilled to be published by the perfect partners.”

 

And now hear from some happy readers – whose names you may recognise!

‘Funny, audacious, and supremely satisfying, LONG LIVE EVIL is the chosen one we’ve been waiting for… Get ready to laugh out loud, cry in public, and cheer on the villains as Brennan smashes through tropes with witty, wild glee in this delicious, subversive treat of a book’ Leigh Bardugo

‘Utterly brilliant. I can’t stop thinking about LONG LIVE EVIL, which has rocketed to the top of my list of all time favorite fantasy novels. Pick this up immediately’ C.S. Pacat

‘Brennan’s brilliant Long Live Evil harnesses clever banter, delightful turns of phrase, and epic backdrops in the service of exploring the nature of stories and the freedom that comes with embracing being named a villain — and maybe actually becoming one’ Holly Black

 

About the author: Sarah Rees Brennan was born in Ireland by the sea. After world travel and surviving stage 4 cancer, she settled there in the shadow of a 300 year old library. Writing young adult fiction, she was a Lodestar, Mythopoeic and World Fantasy finalist, Carnegie nominee and New York Times bestseller. Long Live Evil is her first adult work.

 

Cover Launch: THE BLIGHTED STARS by Megan E. O’Keefe

The Blighted Stars (US | UK) is the first installment in The Devoured Worlds, Megan E. O’Keefe’s brand new science fiction trilogy beginning May 2023. Take a look at the stunning cover and catch the synopsis below!

The Blighted Stars by Megan E. O'Keefe

Cover Design by Lauren Panepinto; Cover Illustration by Jaime Jones

When a spy is stranded on a dead planet with her mortal enemy, she must first figure out how to survive before she can uncover the conspiracy that landed them there. This first book in a new epic space opera trilogy by award-winning author Megan E. O’Keefe is perfect for fans of Children of Time, Semiosis, and Ancillary Justice.

She’s a revolutionary. Humanity is running out of options. Habitable planets are being destroyed as quickly as they’re found and Naira Sharp thinks she knows the reason why. The all-powerful Mercator family has been controlling the exploration of the universe for decades, and exploiting any materials they find along the way under the guise of helping humanity’s expansion. But Naira knows the truth, and she plans to bring the whole family down from the inside.

He’s the heir to the dynasty. Tarquin Mercator never wanted to run a galaxy-spanning business empire. He just wanted to study rocks and read books. But Tarquin’s father has tasked him with monitoring the settlement of a new planet, and he doesn’t really have a choice in the matter.

Disguised as Tarquin’s new bodyguard, Naira plans to destroy the settlement ship before they make land. But neither of them expects to end up stranded on a dead planet. To survive and keep her secret, Naira will have to join forces with the man she’s sworn to hate. And together they will uncover a plot that’s bigger than both of them.

Acquisition Announcement: SHIELD MAIDEN by Sharon Emmerichs

Sharon EmmerichsHere at Orbit we love sword-wielding warrior women, slow burn romances, powerful dragons, and epic, feminist myth retellings. What if we told you we just bought a book that has all four? Orbit is thrilled to announce that we’ll be publishing Shield Maiden by Sharon Emmerichs in the US. Get ready for a lush, epic fantasy tale about a young woman reclaiming her power that will upend everything you think you know about Beowulf.

 

Fryda has grown up hearing tales of her uncle, King Beowulf, and his spectacular defeat of the monstrous Grendel. Her one desire is to become a shield maiden in her own right, but a terrible accident during her childhood has thwarted this dream. Yet still, somehow, she feels an uncontrollable power begin to rise within herself.

The last thing Fryda wants is to be forced into a political marriage, especially as her heart belongs to her lifelong friend, Theow. However, as foreign kings and chieftains descend upon her home to celebrate Beowulf’s fifty years as the king of Geatland, the partnership begins to seem inevitable.

That is, until, amidst the lavish gifts and drunken revelry, a discovery is made that threatens the safety of Fryda’s entire clan—and her own life. Incensed by this betrayal, Fryda resolves to fight for her people no matter the cost. As a queen should. As a shield maiden would.

And as the perilous situation worsens, Fryda’s powers seem only to grow stronger. But she is not the only one to feel the effects of her new-found battle-magic. For, buried deep in her gilded lair, a dragon is drawn to Fryda’s untamed power, and is slowly awakening from a long, cursed sleep…

 

Get excited for the book to publish in Fall 2023, and in the meantime, make sure to say hello to the author Sharon Emmerichs on Twitter @Dragonwriter1, on Facebook, or on her website.

Cover Launch: THE JASAD HEIR by Sara Hashem

The Jasad Heir (US | UK) is Sara Hashem’s debut fantasy coming July 2023. Take a look at the stunning cover and catch the synopsis down below! You can also check out an exclusive first chapter excerpt over at io9.

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem

Cover Design by Lisa Marie Pompilio; Cover Art by Mike Heath/Magnus Creative

In this Egyptian-inspired debut fantasy, a fugitive queen strikes a deadly bargain with her greatest enemy and finds herself embroiled in a complex game that could resurrect her scorched kingdom or leave it in ashes forever.

At ten years old, the Heir of Jasad fled a massacre that takes her entire family. At fifteen, she buried her first body. At twenty, the clock is ticking on Sylvia’s third attempt at home. Nizahl’s armies have laid waste to Jasad and banned magic across the four remaining kingdoms. Fortunately, Sylvia’s magic is as good at playing dead as she is.

When the Nizahl Heir tracks a group of Jasadis to Sylvia’s village, the quiet life she’s crafted unravels. Calculating and cold, Arin’s tactical brilliance is surpassed only by his hatred for magic. When a mistake exposes Sylvia’s magic, Arin offers her an escape: compete as Nizahl’s Champion in the Alcalah tournament and win immunity from persecution.

To win the deadly Alcalah, Sylvia must work with Arin to free her trapped magic, all while staying a step ahead of his efforts to uncover her identity. But as the two grow closer, Sylvia realizes winning her freedom means destroying any chance of reuniting Jasad under her banner. The scorched kingdom is rising again, and Sylvia will have to choose between the life she’s earned and the one she left behind.