Archive for News

New Acquisition – KINGS OF THE WYLD by Nicholas Eames

Nicholas Eames - cr Kristine CofskyOrbit has acquired a rousing new fantasy, KINGS OF THE WYLD and two more standalone novels in The Band series by debut author Nicholas Eames. Kings of the Wyld introduces a group of retired mercenaries, who used to be the baddest of the bad, but whose glory days are long behind them. Now though, they must reunite for one last seemingly impossible mission. You can meet Clay ‘Slowhand’ Cooper and his band in Spring 2017. In the meantime, please join us in welcoming Nicholas to Orbit. You can find him on Twitter as @Nicholas_Eames.

GLORY NEVER GETS OLD.

Clay Cooper and his band were once the best of the best — the meanest, dirtiest, most feared crew of mercenaries this side of the Heartwyld.

Their glory days long past, the mercs have grown apart and grown old, fat, drunk  — or a combination of the three. Then an ex-bandmate turns up at Clay’s door with a plea for help. His daughter Rose is trapped in a city besieged by an enemy one hundred thousand strong and hungry for blood. Rescuing Rose is the kind of mission that only the very brave or the very stupid would sign up for. 

It’s time to get the band back together for one last tour across the Wyld.

Introducing OlympusBound.com and THE IMMORTALS by Jordanna Max Brodsky

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THE IMMORTALS (US | UK | AUS) is an extraordinary novel combining myth and the modern era in a pulse-pounding story, and we couldn’t be more thrilled by the buzz surrounding it. Visit OlympusBound.com to learn about the fascinating lives the ancient gods and goddess have been living since the fall of the Greek and Roman empires and read an excerpt. We know that once you’ve read the first chapter, you’ll be absolutely hooked.

The Immortals will be available next week in print, digital, and audio formats.

Praise:

“The Immortals is a lively re-imagining of classical mythology with an engaging premise, a page-turning plot, and an eye for the arresting and uncanny in contemporary urban life.”―Deborah Harkness, New York Times bestselling author of A Discovery of Witches

“Brilliantly conceived and tautly plotted, The Immortals is a pulse thrumming, fascinating novel. Selene is a perfect heroine for our times.”―Eliot Schrefer

Releases in the UK on Feb. 18th.
Releases in the UK on Feb. 18th.

“Imaginative and fast-paced, The Immortals is pulse-pounding entertainment.”―Kevin O’Brian, New York Times bestselling author of No One Needs to Know

“Brodsky’s writing has claws…They sink in with the first word and don’t let go until you are finished with the book.”―Darynda Jones, New York Times bestselling author

“Irresistible…a page-turner that deftly weaves action, romance, and a dash of intellectual heft into one seamless whole.”―Dustin Thomason, New York Times bestselling author

“Painstakingly researched, intellectually complex, and deeply rooted in the history and mythology of Ancient Greece, THE IMMORTALS is a richly imaginative, multi-layered tale that stimulates the heart and the mind in equal measure.”―Ian Caldwell, New York Times bestselling author

“Plays with more modern mythology, employing New York’s own secret places and storied history to great effect. This intelligent, provocative fantasy breathes exciting new life into old, familiar tales.”―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“This series launch is a wonderful choice for fans of Greek myths and urban fantasy readers looking for something different.”―Library Journal (starred review)

New Acquisition – THE DRAGON LORDS: FOOL’S GOLD by Jon Hollins

Hollins_DragonLordsFoolsGold-TP[2].jpg
We’ve acquired three novels in the The Dragon Lords series by Jon Hollins, thoroughly modern epic fantasy filled with a sly humor, lovable characters and a gripping plot that is pure fun.

Jon Hollins has created a world where dragons run the show, enforcing their strict laws and collecting taxes. Fighting against this oppression is a group of misfits that has banded together to reclaim as much of the taxed gold as they possibly can without getting themselves burnt to a crisp. Or starting a revolution.

These are dragons as you’ve never seen them before.

THE DRAGON LORDS: FOOL’S GOLD will hit shelves summer 2016! Check out its terrific cover by Karl Simon!

Cover Launch: Ian Irvine’s THE SUMMON STONE

The Summon Stone: epic fantasy by Ian Irvine

THE SUMMON STONE is the start of a brand new epic fantasy series from bestseller Ian Irvine, set in the world of his fan-favourite View from the Mirror series. Today we’re delighted to launch the cover, designed by the fantastic Jack Smyth from the Little, Brown design team.

The Merdrun, cruel warriors blooded by thousands of years of slaughter, are gathering in the void between the worlds.
Their long-hidden summon stone is waking, corrupting good people as well as bad, and turning arcane places into magically polluted wastelands. If it is not destroyed it will create a portal and call this marauding army out of exile.
In a nightmare, a nine-year-old girl sees the Merdrun leader – and he sees her. If Karan and Llian are to save their daughter and their world, they must find a way to stop the greatest warrior in the void.

We’re really excited to share this one with you, and we know there’s a lot of love for Ian out there:

‘Compelling . . . Truly original’ Locus

‘He knows how to spin an epic yarn and tell it with real gusto’ SFX

‘The sort of book you’d pick up if you were prepared to be late for your next appointment’ Bookbag

With over 600,000 copies sold worldwide, plenty of fans of the View from the Mirror series have been eagerly waiting to return to this world and characters, but if you’re a fantasy reader completely new to Ian’s writing, THE SUMMON STONE is a great entry point. Although as it’s not coming out until 17th May, you’ve got plenty of time to catch up and find out what has got those those View from the Mirror fans so excited . . .

Orbit acquires three more novels from the author of THE FIRST FIFTEEN LIVES OF HARRY AUGUST

Photo of Claire North, author of THE FIRST FIFTEEN LIVES OF HARRY AUGUST and the Gameshouse novellasPlease see below for a press release which has just been sent out:

Orbit has acquired three new novels from Claire North, the author of the bestselling and critically acclaimed novels THE FIFST FIFTEEN LIVES OF HARRY AUGUST and TOUCH. Senior Editor Anna Jackson acquired World rights from Meg Davis at the Ki Agency.

Claire North is a pseudonym for British author Catherine Webb. THE FIFST FIFTEEN LIVES OF HARRY AUGUST was her first novel published under the Claire North name, and was one of the fastest-selling new SFF titles of the last ten years. It is the tale of a man who lives his life over and over again with the knowledge of the previous lives he has lived, and was one of the few titles ever to be selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club, the Radio 2 Book Club and the Waterstones Book Club promotions. Her next novel TOUCH was published in 2015 to widespread critical acclaim and was described by the Independent as “little short of a masterpiece”.

Acquiring editor Anna Jackson said: “The reaction to THE FIFST FIFTEEN LIVES OF HARRY AUGUST was astounding, and it was truly a break-out point in Catherine’s career. We’re incredibly excited about her future too, starting with the release of three digital novellas this week entitled THE SERPENT  (UK|US|ANZ), THE THIEF (UK|US|ANZ) and THE MASTER (UK|US|ANZ), which can be read separately but also fit together to make a complete, intricately woven tale. The next Claire North novel to be released in print will be THE SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF HOPE in May 2016. And I’m delighted to have now acquired three further novels from Catherine, who is truly one of the most exciting and imaginative writers in modern fiction.”

Covers for the Gameshouse novellas The Serpent, The Thief and The Master by Claire North, author of thw First Fifteen Lives of Harry August

Orbit Fantasy Writing Workshop – the results…

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Orbit Fantasy Workshop with Karen MillerThis summer, we ran our first ever Orbit Fantasy Writing Workshop. It was led by the million-copy bestselling author Karen Miller, and we’re pleased to say it was a great success. We had an enthusiastic response from writers taking up the challenge to write 2,000 words of a fantasy novel in one week, and a large number of these participants also submitted their sample to our writing competition at the end of the week.

We were superbly impressed with the quality of submissions we received. All of them showed promise, and we can honestly say that we enjoyed every sample we read. The judging process proved very tricky, but the Orbit Editorial Team and Karen Miller have now picked their winner.

Congratulations to S. M. White from Louisville, Kentucky, who has won the competition with his submission “The Broken Door”.

We were all thoroughly captivated by this sample. It tells the tale of Kirren – a soldier who has been set to watch over the gates of his city and guard against the demons that wait outside. When a battle-worn stranger appears at the walls, demanding to be let in, Kirren refuses – as he has been ordered to open the gates to no one. But when the stranger outside is attacked by a demon, Kirren must decide whether to obey his orders, or give into his compassion by aiding his fellow man…

This sample fulfilled the writing challenge that Karen had set of writing about a moral dilemma – and it did it in style.

The Falcon Throne, a new epic fantasy novel from Karen MillerThe prize S. M. White will receive is a number of editorial consultations with an Orbit editor and Karen Miller herself on this sample and further sections of his complete novel.

We have also informed a small number of competition entrants about being on the final shortlist, and they will all be receiving free copies of Karen Miller’s novel THE FALCON THRONE (US |UK | AUS).

For all those who took part but didn’t win – please don’t be disheartened. The quality of everything we received was high, and we hope that you’re going to keep plugging away, because writing is all about sticking at it!

We’re hoping to run another Orbit Fantasy Writing Workshop in future, so please do look out for that. In the meantime, for more writing inspiration, follow Karen Miller on her site at www.karenmiller.net

All Hail the Glow Cloud – the WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE Novel is finally here!

After two UK tours*, appearances at Comic Con, an online scavenger hunt and more sinister pronouncements about the dog park than you can ever imagine, WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE: A NOVEL is released into the wild today. The City Council advises that you run, do not walk, to your nearest bookshop immediately.

If you’re quick you can still get a copy of the Waterstones exclusive edition, and Amazon has also chosen Night Vale as their Deal of the Week. Bookshops across the UK and Australia will be hanging these ritual adornments in their windows and making the traditional stone circle sacrifices, so our oracles predict that Night Vale will be welcoming lots of new visitors today.

Night Vale window display, Waterstones Grimsby

Night Vale event pack

Our oracles offer no information on whether said new visitors will ever be allowed to leave.

Here you can listen to a sample of the audiobook (out now!) which is read by no less than Night Vale’s own signature voice actor Cecil Baldwin, plus a host of guest stars and co-conspirators:

The authors were interviewed by the New York Times yesterday and also talked about the book on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last week. Although it’s not aired in the UK or Australia, you can watch the clip here:

Colbert

You can buy WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE: A NOVEL in ebook, audiobook and print today.

*ANZ fans will be pleased to hear that an Australia/New Zealand tour is planned for February 2016.

New Acquisition: THE RULE OF LUCK by Catherine Cerveny

Felicia Sevigny knows your future. The problem is, she can’t make sense of her own.
 
As a famed tarot card reader, all is well in luck and love for Felicia, until Russian crime leader Alexei Petriv walks into her shop and demands a reading. Neither the infamous Petriv nor the future shown in his cards is what she expects.
 
The same could be said for this wonderful new novel we’ve acquired for our sister imprint Redhook, THE RULE OF LUCK. A whirlwind thriller romance in a futuristic setting, THE RULE OF LUCK goes above and beyond being a science fiction novel or a romance read – it perfectly melds the two, tugging at your heartstrings while sending you cross planet on high-speed chases alongside a genetically-enhanced (and incredibly handsome…) criminal mastermind.

THE RULE OF LUCK is brought to you by talented debut author, Catherine Cerveny, an avid fan of science fiction and romance who wishes the two genres would cross paths more often.

If you’re a fan of great books that get your heart-rate dialed way up, this non-stop thrill-ride is for you. You can grab an e-copy of THE RULE OF LUCK and its sequel next year, but until then, please join us in welcoming Catherine to the Redhook list. You can find her on Twitter as @catcerveny.

Cover Launch for WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE: A NOVEL

From the creators of the wildly popular WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE podcast comes an imaginative mystery of appearances and disappearances that is a poignant look at the ways in which we all struggle to find ourselves – no matter where we live. WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE: A NOVEL will be released on 20th October in hardback, audio and ebook, but you can preorder your copy now.

We’re delighted to launch the UK and Australian cover today, wonderfully illustrated by Rob Wilson, designer of the original Night Vale logo. We asked Rob to tell us a little about the project:

“I’ve been involved with WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE since its inception, when Jeffrey Cranor asked me to design the original icon for the podcast. The writers and I worked together to create a simple, mysterious image that would convey the atmosphere of the show, without giving away any of its secrets. Years later, I’m amazed how the graphic has taken on a life of its own, with the hundreds—if not thousands—of creative interpretations of fan art it inspired. And now I’m thrilled to have been asked to design the cover of the new WELCOME TO NIGHT VALE novel and expand upon the art of the original graphic—just as the book broadens the world of the podcast. Like the original icon, the new book cover has secrets of its own.”

Welcome to Night Vale: A Novel by Jeffrey Cranor and Joseph Fink

Find out more about Rob Wilson and his designs at RobWilsonWork.com.

Find out more about the novel and preorder today: commonplacebooks.com/novel.

New Acquisition: THE WAKING FIRE by Anthony Ryan

Drum roll please! We’re delighted to announce the acquisition of a spectacular new series from Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author of the Raven’s Shadow trilogy.

What do you do when you’ve written three of the most popular epic fantasy novels in recent years? Well, if you’re Anthony Ryan, you write something even more epic – and throw lots of dragons in for good measure. Not to mention an extremely liberal dose of exploration and adventure, agents and espionage, ingenious weapons and explosive magic…and an ancient myth that might prove decisive in the furious battle for empire. Sounds good, right?

THE WAKING FIRE, the first book in the Draconis Memoria series, has all of this and much, much more.

Anthony has always created memorable characters, and the protagonists of his latest tale are his finest creations yet. Clayton Torcreek is a straight-talking small-time criminal, while Lizanne Lethridge is a formidable spy and assassin. Both of them are ‘Blood-blessed’ – able to consume the blood of wild drakes, which grants them spectacular abilities.

As the Ironship Protectorate and the Corvantine Empire prepare for war, these two individuals will both find themselves embroiled in the ongoing hostilities. Clay must venture into the uncharted wilds in search of an expedition that disappeared under mysterious circumstances, while Lizanne must go undercover in enemy territory in order to locate an ancient artefact that may just swing the balance of the war – but only if she can reach it first.

THE WAKING FIRE is, quite simply, an absolute blast. Existing fans and new readers alike will find a huge amount to love about this fantastic new series.

Orbit acquired UK & Commonwealth rights to the Draconis Memoria series from Paul Lucas at Janklow & Nesbit, in a three-book deal. THE WAKING FIRE will be published in July 2016, in hardback, trade format, ebook and audio editions.

Anthony Ryan is the New York Times bestselling author of BLOOD SONG [UK/ANZ], TOWER LORD [UK/ANZ] and QUEEN OF FIRE [UK/ANZ]. He lives in London and is a full time writer. He can be found on Twitter as @writer_anthony