Archive for Extracts

Get hooked on The Traitor Spy Trilogy

This week sees Trudi Canavan’s superb book THE ROGUE (US | UK | ANZ) come out in paperback. Some of us were lucky enough to meet Trudi during her European tour last year when the hardback came out (see her signing Kindles and all sorts in the London and Dublin highlights), but for those Canafans who missed her, do hop over to Trudi’s blog to catch up on the latest news and gossip from the Queen of Fantasy herself.

For those of you who haven’t read THE ROGUE yet – grab a copy quick and catch up before the final book comes out this summer! It’s another pageturning adventure in Kyralia, picking up where THE AMBASSADOR’S MISSION ended. Lorkin is living among the Sachakan rebels, the Traitors, doing his best to learn about them and their unique magic and trying not to give away all the Guild’s secrets in return. Meanwhile in Kyralia’s capital, Imardin, Sonea searches for the rogue who has been hunting her friend Cery – but the rogue’s influence over the city’s underworld is stronger than she feared. And in the University, two young novices remind the Guild that sometimes their greatest enemy is found within… It’s a cracking second book in the Traitor Spy trilogy, so if you enjoyed THE AMBASSADOR’S MISSION you’ll love this one!

If you haven’t yet read the previous book, there is no better time to start reading this wonderful fantasy series. Read on for an excerpt from the first novel, THE AMBASSADOR’S MISSION. (US | UK | ANZ)

The most successful and quoted piece by the poet Rewin, greatest of the rabble to come out of the New City, was called Citysong. It captured what was heard at night in Imardin, if you took the time to stop and listen: an unending muffled and distant combination of sounds. Voices. Singing. A laugh. A groan. A gasp. A scream.
In the darkness of Imardin’s new Quarter a man remembered the poem. He stopped to listen, but instead of absorbing the city’s song he concentrated on one discordant echo. A sound that didn’t belong. A sound that didn’t repeat. He snorted quietly and continued on.

A few steps later a figure emerged from the shadows before him. The figure was male and loomed over him menacingly. Light caught the edge of a blade.

“Yer money,” a rough voice said, hard with determination.

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Read an excerpt from CALIBAN’S WAR

Return to the Expanse with James S. A. Corey and read an excerpt from CALIBAN’S WAR (US | UK), the follow up to the critically acclaimed LEVIATHAN WAKES (US | UK) which The Wall Street Journal called “…the future the way it was supposed to be.”

“Snoopy’s out again,” Private Hillman said. “I think his CO must be pissed at him.”

Gunnery Sergeant Roberta Draper of the Martian Marine Corps upped the magnification on her armor’s heads‑up display and looked in the direction Hillman was pointing. Twenty-five hundred meters away, a squad of four United Nations Marines were tromping around their outpost, backlit by the giant greenhouse dome they were guarding. A greenhouse dome identical in nearly all respects to the dome her own squad was currently guarding.

One of the four UN Marines had black smudges on the sides of his helmet that looked like beagle ears.

“Yep, that’s Snoopy,” Bobbie said. “Been on every patrol detail so far today. Wonder what he did.”

Guard duty around the greenhouses on Ganymede meant doing what you could to keep your mind occupied. Including speculating on the lives of the Marines on the other side.

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Read an Excerpt from EXOGENE

In GERMLINE journalist Oscar Wendell introduced us to a new breed of special forces and the surprising humanity these elite and deadly soldiers are capable of. Now read the first chapter of EXOGENE (US | UK| AZ) – a story of war from the perspective of one of these genetically engineered soldiers.

Live forever. The thought lingered like an annoying dog, to which I had handed a few scraps.

I felt Megan’s fingers against my skin, and smelled the paste—breathed the fumes gratefully for it reminded me that I wouldn’t have to wear my helmet. Soon, but not now. The lessons taught this, described the first symptom of spoiling: When the helmet no longer felt safe, a sign of claustrophobia. As my troop train rumbled northward, I couldn’t tell if I shook from eagerness or from the railcar’s jolting, and gave up trying to distinguish between the two possibilities. It was not an either‑or day; it was a day of simultaneity.

Deliver me from myself, I prayed, and help me to accept tomorrow’s end.

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Also check out The Subterrene War Clips – an in-world introduction to the destruction and political intrigue tearing the front-lines apart. Welcome to hell. Welcome to Kazakhstan.

The Legend of Eli Monpress

The whimsical fantasy tale The Legend of Eli Monpress containing The Spirit Thief, The Spirit Rebellion and The Spirit Eater, perfect for fans of K. E. Mills' Rogue Agent series and Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora Released in February is The Legend of Eli Monpress ( US | UK | ANZ) – Rachel Aaron‘s fantasy tale of the incorrigible thief who plans to pull of the greatest heist in history . . . If you’re a fan of K. E. Mills’ Rogue Agent series or Scott Lynch’s Lies of Locke Lamora then this is likely right up your street. You can sample the delights of an extract right here.

This edition contains the three titles The Spirit Thief, The Spirit Rebellion and The Spirit Eater – all in one handy volume and topped off with this gorgeous packaging from Sam Weber (see this great post here showing him at work in his studio on these very illustrations).

Take a minute to stop by Rachel Aaron’s attractive new site, where’s she’s posted some very interesting tidbits recently, such as this fantastic book trailer put together by our friends at Orbit France for the très sophistiquée French version of The Legend of Eli Monpress. Also, check out this extremely creative pictorial review for The Spirit Thief, part one of the Legend. Good effort!

Read on for the blurb and some great reviews: (more…)

Seven Days for SEVEN PRINCES: The Preview

The cover for the debut fantasy novel Seven Princes by John R. FultzToday is a momentous day. It is not only the first day of 2012, but it also marks the beginning of our Seven Days for SEVEN PRINCES feature. To celebrate the release of this fantasy adventure of epic proportions we’re going to be going 7-crazy on all of our Orbit channels for a whole seven days. Look out for the number 7 to find competitions, quizzes, giveaways and behind-the-scenes insights from the author. It’s one hell of a week for one hell of a book.

From author John R. Fultz, this debut fantasy novel wowed us here at Orbit and we’re just itching to bring it to the world. A tale where men and giants walk side-by-side, where ancient necromancers make a bid for power with chilling sorcery, where ordinary men do battle with monstrous creatures.

It’s a breakneck-paced, breathtaking adventure that’s unashamedly enjoyable and impossible to put down. With an entrancing fairy tale feel, this book really made us sit up and take notice – and it also showed us that John has a very exciting future ahead of him.

To see what we’re getting excited about, have an exclusive read of the prologue right here, and keep an eye out for all things 7 . . .

 

THE REVENGE OF THE DWARVES

“Impressive height or exceptional length of a limb is not the be all and end all of a creature. What I say is: the taller you are, the more likely you are to get hit!”

—Boïndil “Ireheart”, Doubleblade of the Secondling Clan of the Swinging Axes.

 “Now and then you hear malicious remarks about dwarves. They are said to be of inferior build, to be cranky, to have a weird sense of humor; it is told that they only drink beer that is as black as night and are not able to appreciate music unless a hundred voices are bellowing in unison. But I say: only when you have been a guest in their majestic halls, as once I was, should you have the right to pronounce on these rumors and confirm them all to be true. Let us not laugh at them as if they were lovable children with long beards, but, on the contrary, let us praise the magnificent way they have preserved all of us from total destruction. More than once.”

—Excerpts from the ten-volume work My Life and Uniquely Heroic Exploits—the Memoirs of the Incredible Rodario.

The Revenge of the Dwarves (UK / US / ANZ) is out now in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and is released next month in the US. Join the adventure – read the start of their tale right here.

HELL SHIP reviews — featuring aliens, invaders and pirates in spaaaace!

As we’ve had such a fine crop of reviews for Philip Palmer’s rumbustious tale, we thought it was only fair to share. Click on the following links for more on Hell Ship’s swashbuckling story (UK | ANZ | US ) plus here’s a free extract  and reviews follow below … the Sun review is just hilarious in itself!

No one writes SF quite like Palmer… Hell Ship is a freewheeling extravaganza replete with a hundred varieties of alien, vast spacecraft, exotic worlds… aficionados of bizarre space opera will be amazed and delighted”
GUARDIAN

“The triumphs and tragedies of this novel are told in the style of ancient legend. But there is also a sense of irrepressible fun … This is epic science fiction with a twinkle in its eye”
SUN

“I really do recommend Palmer’s work – he’s an unflinching and relentlessly ballsy writer”
SFREVU.COM

“Great storytelling … a joy to read. Great stuff from Philip which proves why he’s fast becoming my favourite science fiction author”
FALCATA TIMES WEBSITE

“Palmer’s imagination knows no bounds … readable and enjoyable”
THEBOOKBAG.CO.UK

“I knew I would love it after reading just a couple of pages … You will be treated to an entertaining tale of heroics, tragedy and selfless sacrifice all written with a gleam in the eye”
IWILLREADBOOKS.COM

Put THE BUSINESS OF DEATH on your to-do list

The Business of Death (ANZ | UK | US) is out this month and a fun-packed, fast-paced basket of grim it is too! Trent Jamieson’s fantastic Death Works trilogy is a lively, urban fantasy read featuring a hard-pressed hero whose job is to ease the passing of spirits from one world to the other. But as Steven de Selby’s life goes rapidly to hell in a handcart, he finds there’s more rather more at stake than the job description indicated:

Steven de Selby has a hangover. Bright lights, loud noise, and exercise are the last thing he wants. But that’s what he gets when someone starts shooting at him. Steven is no stranger to Death – Mr. D’s his boss after all – but it’s still a shock when a dead girl saves him from sharing her fate. It’s a bigger shock when he finds his friends, family and colleagues have also been targeted. His job is to guide the restless dead to the underworld, but he didn’t expect to find his loved ones among his ‘clients’.

With Mr. D missing and no one in charge, the living are being hunted, the dead start rising and the whole city is headed for a regional apocalypse. Steven must shake his hangover, not fall for the dead girl, and find out just what’s going on – or there’ll be hell to pay.”

The Business of Death is a three-book omnibus (you can get a sample chapter here) so no need to wait for next instalments. And terrific quotes for this series include the following:

Jamieson writes a fast-paced story studded with action-movie beats”
Financial Times

 “An intriguing evolution of the undead genre”
The Telegraph

“Refreshingly original and enjoyable”
TheBookBag.co.uk

“There is a lot to like … Combine this with the corporate version of Death, the subtle blend of humour and dry wit and you get a well-thought-out rewarding story. I heartily recommend.”
SFBook.com

COLD FIRE has roared into September

The wonderful drama that is Kate Elliott’s Cold Fire (US | UK | ANZ) is at last out and ready for reading! This follows up last month’s mass market paperback publication of Cold Magic (US | UK | ANZ) and moves on that story with high tension and style. You can get a free extract here and here’s a bit more on this wonderful, stirring tale of two girls finding their path in a world of magic, deceit and complex politics:

Cat and her cousin Bee are key players in a drama of dragons and politics. Warring factions want to use or destroy their growing powers, and they’re closing in. The Cold Mages are conspiring to take them prisoner and the warlord Camjiata thinks it’s their destiny to help him conquer Europa – whether they want to or not. And the man Cat was forced to marry is back, as arrogant and annoyingly handsome as ever. Worse still, as Hallows Night approaches, powers hidden deep within the spirit world are rising. Cat must seek allies against these threats, for if she makes the wrong choices, she’ll lose everything.

 Only one thing is certain. When Hallows’ Night comes the Wild Hunt will ride – and it feeds on mortal blood.”

Also, if you’re still here (not dashing around already trying to get hold of the book …) here are a few of the great things that have been said already:

Elliott skillfully blends intrigue and romance in this lively series about strong women caught among powerful and deadly forces’
Publishers Weekly

‘Something pretty unique. Add to this the author’s usual authoritative writing voice, a cracking love story and wrap it all up in politics, machinations alongside double dealing and the result is a very tired but sated reader after a marathon night time session … the result is something that makes this for me Kate’s best series to date. Great stuff’
Gareth Wilson, Faltaca Times

THE EDINBURGH DEAD: Murder, body-snatching and black magic

Every August the city of Edinburgh is put in the spotlight due to the festival of comedy, music and theatre that’s held there. But lurking beneath this surface of joviality and hedonism, there is a much darker, more disturbing side to this city that most festival-goers don’t see. It’s a sinister and murky history littered with murder, grave robbing, executions and witchery . . . and it happens to be a wickedly exhilarating backdrop for an exceptional book we have out this month.  

From Brian Ruckley, author of the critically acclaimed Godless World trilogy, comes The Edinburgh Dead  (UK | US | ANZ), a darkly thrilling tale of murder, body-snatching and black magic. And it’s woven throughout with real-life characters and happenings from the shocking, all-too real history of the city.

The book is set in a period when medical scientists were experimenting the gruesome practice of dissection for the first time. In the operating theatres of Edinburgh, corpses were being sliced apart in front of the eyes of horrified and entranced spectators. The bodies used were supposedly obtained by honourable means. But those who know their Scottish history know that a certain pair called William Burke and William Hare were looking to make a tidy profit off these recent advancements in anatomical science. They realised how much a corpse could fetch on the black market at the time. However, they weren’t quite prepared to wait for their victims to die of natural causes before selling on their bodies . . .  

When Brian turned his eternally eloquent hand to this dark episode from history, and elaborated the facts with a gripping fantastical twist, I was amazed at the results. Drenched in atmosphere, heart-stoppingly suspenseful and thoroughly transfixing – I urge you to read this excerpt to see just what’s in store for you.

The Edinburgh Dead  (UK | US | ANZ) is out now worldwide. Read on for the blurb… (more…)