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Cover Launch: Age of Assassins by RJ Barker

It’s a game of
ASSASSIN VERSUS ASSASSIN
when Girton Club-Foot and his master are hired by a queen to catch the killer who’s coming for her son.

Set in a world ravaged by magic and the ambition of noblemen, this debut epic fantasy features a cast of assassins, knights and fools which will delight any fan of Brent Weeks, Robin Hobb or Assassin’s Creed. AGE OF ASSASSINS is coming to Orbit this August.

Our fantastic cover has been designed by Tom Sanderson, at the-parish.com.

If you’d like to know more about RJ Barker, watch our 2017 debut author video  (skip to 1:17 for RJ’s section) or follow him on twitter at @dedbutdrmng.

THE FIFTH WARD: FIRST WATCH by Dale Lucas

LIVE BY THE LAW OR DIE BY THE SWORD.

The Fifth Ward series by Dale Lucas gives us a rare glimpse into a fantasy city at a time when a hero isn’t on a journey and a dark lord isn’t threatening to destroy the world. Instead, we meet two reluctant partners on the Wardwatch – Rem, a human trying to escape his past, and Torval, a dwarf with a maul who hits first and asks questions later.

As members of the Wardwatch, they’re responsible for keeping the peace in a city teeming with drug dealing orcs, mind-controlling elves, uncooperative mages, and humans being typical humans.

The Fifth Ward is every buddy cop movie you’ve ever loved mixed with your favorite fantasy setting. I promise, you are not too old for this sh*t.

First Watch

 

Cover by Sammy Yuen

Hugo Award Finalists

Congratulations to this year’s Hugo Award finalists — especially our own N.K. Jemisin and James S.A. Corey, who were nominated in the Best Novel and Best Series categories!

Best Novel

  • All the Birds in the Sky, by Charlie Jane Anders (Tor Books / Titan Books)
  • A Closed and Common Orbit, by Becky Chambers (Hodder & Stoughton / Harper Voyager US)
  • Death’s End, by Cixin Liu, translated by Ken Liu (Tor Books / Head of Zeus)
  • Ninefox Gambit, by Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris Books)
  • The Obelisk Gate (US | UK | AUS), by N. K. Jemisin (Orbit)
  • Too Like the Lightning, by Ada Palmer (Tor Books)

Best Series

  • The Craft Sequence, by Max Gladstone (Tor Books)
  • The Expanse, by James S.A. Corey (Orbit US / Orbit UK)
  • The October Daye Books, by Seanan McGuire (DAW / Corsair)
  • The Peter Grant / Rivers of London series, by Ben Aaronovitch (Gollancz / Del Rey / DAW / Subterranean)
  • The Temeraire series, by Naomi Novik (Del Rey / Harper Voyager UK)
  • The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)

See the rest of the nominees at the Hugo Awards site.

Last Chance to Vote in the 2017 Gemmell Awards!

Voting for the 2017 Gemmell Awards longlists closes this Friday at midnight (GMT), so now is your last chance to vote for the Legend (best novel), Morningstar (best debut) and Ravenheart (best cover art) awards.

Orbit is very well represented with books across all three categories, so be sure to vote for your favourite titles!

 

Legend Award 

DAUGHTER OF BLOOD by Helen Lowe

THE SPIDER’S WAR by Daniel Abraham

SHADOW AND FLAME by Gail Z. Martin

BLOODMAGE by Stephen Aryan

THE FALL OF THE DAGGER by Glenda Larke

THE SUMMON STONE by Ian Irvine

THE SORCERER’S DAUGHTER by Terry Brooks

A BLADE OF BLACK STEEL by Alex Marshall

THE WAKING FIRE by Anthony Ryan

THE OBELISK GATE by N. K. Jemisin

THE PATH OF THE HAWK by Ian Graham

THE GREAT ORDEAL by R. Scott Bakker

THE BLOOD MIRROR by Brent Weeks

FIREBORN by David Dalglish

A PLAGUE OF SWORDS by Miles Cameron

WRATH by John Gwynn

THE TOWER OF THE SWALLOW by Andrzej Sapkowski

THE MORTAL TALLY by Sam Sykes

THE DRAGON LORDS: FOOL’S GOLD by Jon Hollins

 

Morningstar Award

SNAKEWOOD by Adrian Selby

HOPE AND RED by Jon Skovron

 

Ravenstar Award

All of the above, plus CHAOSMAGE by Stephen Aryan!

 

Once voting on the longlists has closed, the resulting shortlists will be announced and voting opened at midday (GMT) on Friday 21st April. The presentation ceremony will take place on the evening of Saturday 15th July as part of Edge-Lit 6 at The Quad, Derby, UK.

Cover Launch: THE TETHERED MAGE by Melissa Caruso

THE TETHERED MAGE is a spellbinding fantasy debut from Melissa Caruso, set in a world where people born with magic are mortally bound to and controlled by non-magical people.

Our heroines, Zaira and Amalia, are bound together in this way, for better or worse, in this first book in an epic new series. If you loved The Queen of the Tearling or Red Queen, make sure to grab your copy in October 2017. Meanwhile, have a peek at this gorgeous cover!

 

CONTROL THE MAGIC, CONTROL THE WORLD

In the Raverran Empire, magic is scarce and those born with power are strictly controlled—taken as children and conscripted into the Falcon Army. Zaira has lived her life on the streets to avoid this fate, hiding her mage-mark and thieving to survive. But hers is a rare and dangerous magic, one that threatens the entire empire.

Lady Amalia Cornaro was never meant to be a Falconer. Heiress and scholar, she was born into a treacherous world of political machinations. But fate has bound the heir and the mage.

And as war looms on the horizon, a single spark could turn their city into a pyre.

Design credit: Lisa Marie Pompilio

Art credit: Crystal Ben & Arcangel

Cover Launch: INTO THE DROWNING DEEP

Gaze upon the magnificent cover for the new novel from New York Times bestselling author Mira Grant, INTO THE DROWNING DEEP, a journey into the unknown where human frailty meets the awesome power of nature and myths come to life. Look for it in November!

Seven years ago, the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a “mockumentary” bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy.

Now, a new crew has been assembled. But this time they’re not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life’s work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all.  Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost.

Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves.

But the secrets of the deep come with a price.

Design by Lauren Panepinto
Cover image © Arcangel Images

 

Cover Launch: THE DRAGON LORDS: FALSE IDOLS

Witness the spectacular cover for THE DRAGON LORDS: FALSE IDOLS (US | UK | AUS), the second novel in this rollicking fantasy adventure series that takes us to a world where dragons run the show. Look for it in August!

The Dragons who once ruled over the land are dead. 

The motley crew that stumbled through that revolution are rich and praised as saviors. 

Everyone gets to live happily ever after, right? 

Right? 

Well, it might have worked out that way if the dragons in Kondorra had been the only ones. If they hadn’t been just the tip of the spear about to fall upon the whole world…

Praise for THE DRAGON LORDS: FOOL’S GOLD (US | UK | AUS):

“Ideal for fans of humorous capers and heist stories – such as Ocean’s 11, Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastard Sequence series, and Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga.”—Booklist

“Hollins ladles on the humor while hardly skimping on the action, the unexpected plot swerves, or the glorious feels.”—B&N Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog

“Hollins’s seat-of-the-pants fantasy comedy snowballs wildly into a glorious disaster of fire, magic, multiple threats to people’s intestines, and fun — for the reader, if not the characters.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Design by Lauren Panepinto
Illustration by Crystal Sully

 

Cover Launch: AN ECHO OF THINGS TO COME by James Islington

James Islington exploded onto the fantasy scene last year with his blockbuster debut THE SHADOW OF WHAT WAS LOST [UK/US/ANZ]. Now this epic tale of adventure continues in AN ECHO OF THINGS TO COME [UK/US] – and we’re delighted to share the amazing cover with you!

Jacket design: Lauren Panepinto / illustration by Dominick Saponaro

DARKNESS FALLS ACROSS A LAND IN DESPERATE NEED OF HEROES

An amnesty has been declared for all Augurs – finally allowing them to emerge from hiding and openly oppose the dark forces massing against Andarra. However, as Davian and his new allies hurry north towards the ever-weakening Boundary, fresh horrors along their path suggest that their reprieve may have come far too late.

Meanwhile, Caeden continues to wrestle with the impossibly heavy burdens of his past. Yet as more and more of his memories return, he begins to realise that the motivations of the two sides in this ancient war may not be as clear-cut as they first seemed . . .

AN ECHO OF THINGS TO COME will be published in August!

Praise for the Licanius trilogy

‘A storytelling assurance rare for a debut . . . Fans of Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson will find much to admire’ Guardian

‘Wonderful worldbuilding and terrific characters’ Boingboing.net

‘Will appeal to anybody looking for a coming-of-age fantasy tale with likeable characters and strong worldbuilding’ Fantasy Faction

‘Love the Wheel of Time? This is about to become your new favourite series’ Barnes & Noble SF and Fantasy Blog

N.K. Jemisin’s THE OBELISK GATE is up for a Nebula Award!

  • Buy the Book
  • US
  • UK

Congratulations to the nominees for the 2016 Nebula Award — including our own N.K. Jemisin! THE OBELISK GATE (US | UK | ANZ) is on the shortlist for the Nebula Award for Best Novel. The full Best Novel slate:

  • All the Birds in the Sky, Charlie Jane Anders (Tor; Titan)
  • Borderline, Mishell Baker (Saga)
  • The Obelisk Gate, N.K. Jemisin (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
  • Ninefox Gambit, Yoon Ha Lee (Solaris US; Solaris UK)
  • Everfair, Nisi Shawl (Tor)

You can see the rest of the nominees at SFWA’s website.

THE OBELISK GATE is the sequel to Jemisin’s THE FIFTH SEASON (US | UK | ANZ), which was also nominated for the Nebula Award, and won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. The concluding volume of the trilogy, THE STONE SKY (US | UK) will be published in August.

Cover Launch: SOUL OF THE WORLD by David Mealing

Here, darkness looms on the horizon. An army marches towards war. And a figure stands on the precipice of destruction. Intrigued yet? Rich. Complex. Brilliant. SOUL OF THE WORLD (US | UK | AUS)  is a masterwork of world-building—an epic of intricate magics, world-ending battles, and matters of empire. Make sure to check out David Mealing’s breathtaking debut June 2017!


Three must fight. Three must die. Three must rise.

It is a time of revolution. In the cities, food shortages stir citizens to riots against the crown. In the wilds, new magic threatens the dominance of the tribes. And on the battlefields, even the most brilliant commanders struggle in the shadow of total war. Three lines of magic must be mastered in order to usher in a new age, and three heroes must emerge.

Erris is a brilliant cavalry officer trying to defend New Sarresant from an enemy general armed with magic she barely understands.

Arak’Jur wields the power of beasts to keep his people safe, but his strength cannot protect them from war amongst themselves.

Sarine is an artist on the streets of New Sarresant whose secret familiar helps her uncover bloodlust and madness where she expected only revolutionary fervor.

Each must learn the secrets of their power in time to guide their people through ruin. But a greater evil may be trying to stop them.

Design by Lauren Panepinto
Art © Arcangel-Images