Artistic Whispers Productions has staged a wonderful full-cast reading of chapter one of Gail Carriger’s forthcoming SOULLESS. Listen to it here. And while you’re listening, explore the Victorian fashion of SOULLESS.
Terry says:
When you’ve been away from a series as long as I’ve been away from the Landover books, there is a certain amount of trepidation involved when you consider returning. Readers have asked for a new Magic Kingdom book ever since the last one in 1995, but I just didn’t have a good enough idea to justify the writing of one. And, besides, other projects kept interfering. So I dragged my feet on the project and kept hoping something would happen to inspire me.
Eventually, of course, it did. But it came from an unexpected source. The Landover books always have something to do with what happens to me in real life, but things have been going along pretty smoothly for some time and so nothing much occurred to me when thinking of Ben and Willow. Then I remembered that their daughter, Mistaya, would be in her teen years. Some sort of trauma is always happening where teens are involved. Sure enough, I remembered an incident of some years back when one of my kids – one who shall remain nameless – got tossed out of boarding school. Now there’s some trauma. But what to do with it? This resourceful child managed to talk their way back in, but that wouldn’t do for Mistaya.
So I decided to deal with what happens when going back isn’t an option the child cares to consider and growing up is very much at issue. Mistaya, sent away to a world she doesn’t like, suddenly finds herself forced to discover what it is she really wants to do. A journey ensues, and along the way she has to come to terms with what it means when you have set yourself against virtually everyone and don’t have a real plan for how to make things come out right.
When young, we all go through a period of leaving childhood and entering adulthood and finding the effort a big fat pain in the butt. But what if you are a Princess, privileged and beautiful and heir to a magic that surpasses anything anyone else commands? What if who you are and what you are is at the source of the problem, and your flailing about puts the people you love the most at risk? Throw in some nasty opponents, some clueless G’Home Gnomes, a mystery in a haunted library, add your favorite talking dragon, and you’ve got something to work with.
I wouldn’t say that by the end of the book Mistaya’s troubles are over – far from it – but I would say she’s done some growing up. Even more important, she’s come to an understanding with her parents that will help smooth out the road ahead and let her continue her journey to adulthood.
A Princess of Landover [UK| AUZ] is available this month from all good booksellers.
Gail Carriger’s SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London, so to help set the mood we’ve just launched the Soulless Victorian Dress-Up Doll, (the flash and illustration are by the very talented Sarah Vaughn.) SOULLESS will be in bookstores at the end of September. Enjoy the game!
Jeff Somers, author of The Eternal Prison, has a few words for his critics.
Australian Twilight fans can celebrate Bella’s birthday on Sunday 13 September at bookshops around the country. There will be games, trivia quizes, costume prizes and lots more! For details and bookings contact the shops directly:
NSW EVENT:
When: Sunday 13 September, 7-9pm
Where: Shearer’s On Norton, 99 Norton Street, Leichhardt, NSW 2040
For more info/tickets contact: 02 9572 7766
Tickets only $15. Book early to avoid disappointment.
ACT EVENT:
When: Sunday 13 September, 4.30-6.30pm
Where: Dymocks, Shop 111A Level 1, Hyperdome Shopping Centre, Anketell Street, Tuggeranong, ACT 2900
For more info/tickets contact: 02 6293 9055
Strictly limited places.
VIC EVENT:
When: Sunday 13 September, 2pm
Where: Dymocks, 234 Collins Street, Melbourne
For more info/tickets contact: 03 9660 8500
This is a FREE event, but bookings are essential.
WA EVENT:
When: Saturday 12 September, 8.30am
Where: Dymocks, Shop 33-34, Garden City Shopping Centre, Riseley Street, Booragoon, WA 6154
For more info/tickets contact: 08 9364 7687
QLD EVENT:
When: Saturday 12 September, 23.45-01.00 (yes, this is a Midnight event)
Where: Avid Reader bookshop, 193 Boundary Street, West End, QLD 4101
For more info/tickets contact: 07 3846 3422
This is a FREE event but guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult
So says Charlie Jane Anders, of i09, speaking of N.K.Jemisin’s “Non-Zero Probability” in the new issue of Clarkesworld.
As do we, which is one of the many reasons Orbit will be publishing N.K.Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, come February 2010. Mark your book-buying calendars now.
Sadly, the summer is over, and with it, (hopefully) the rain, the rain, and the rain. But not to worry, yours truly went to the Caribbean, and got a tan. So not a total waste. But on to the exciting news: (more…)
No, we’re not just throwing out random insults at our readers for the hell of it . . . this is actually the title of the new laugh-out-loud vamp-themed book from Christopher Moore, which Publishers Weekly have aptly described as:
‘[A] cheerfully perverse, gut-busting tale’
and Booklist as:
‘[A] hilarious mockery of the pursuit of the appetites’.
In this rambunctious tale, Tommy, a naïve and eternally lusty 19-year old from Incontinence, Indiana, is rather peeved to find out that his hot vampire girlfriend Jody has turned him into a bloodsucking fiend too.
If he admits it, there are some pretty cool things about being a vampire – like eternal youth, super-strength and enhanced senses, and hey – even his zits have cleared up! It’s just the fact of being dead which is a bit of a bummer, along with the fact that anything except blood makes him projectile vomit, and that he passes out every day at sunrise, making trips to the mall rather difficult.
So Tommy and his girlfriend set out to find a minion to run errands for them and generally be their slave-around-the-house. And who better than the angsty goth teenager they meet at the local drugstore? Meanwhile, Tommy and Jody have other more important things to worry about, like fleeing from Tommy’s former turkey-bowling pals who have turned on him, and the fact that the centuries-old vampire who bit Jody in the first place has decided he wants her back.
If you fancy a nibble too, check out an extract of You Suck (UK/ANZ) here.
io9.com has a nice overview of Steampunk, along with some recent offerings, including Gail Carriger’s forthcoming SOULLESS (Sept:US)
Gail Carriger has employed some very original thinking to the alternate-history-with-monsters game. She also lampoons the vicious world of Victorian society where an arch remark or fumbled introduction could reduce one to a state akin to walking death. Soulless is a character-driven romp with great worldbuilding and delicious rapier wit that recalls Austen and P.G. Wodehouse. Mystery and bloodshed abound, tea will be served,and there will be treacle tart!
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
That said, we couldn’t disagree more with the reviewer’s mild criticism of the cover: “her bumbershoot has arbitrary gears and a length of rubber hose attached to it for no discernible purpose.”
The purpose of the gears and hose are deliberately indiscernible – right up until the point when they deliver a steam-powered can of whoopass on Alexia’s foes.
But overall, it’s a lively, informative piece – and be sure to check out the comments for more recommendations.
Karen Miller’s THE INNOCENT MAGE, which we published in 2007, has been one of the most successful fantasy debuts of recent years, and continues to feature prominently in the fantasy bestseller charts. THE INNOCENT MAGE was followed by a sequel, THE AWAKENED MAGE, and then the Godspeaker Trilogy (EMPRESS, THE RIVEN KINGDOM, and HAMMER OF GOD), as well as the first two books in the Rogue Agent series (THE ACCIDENTAL SORCERER and WITCHES, INC.) written under the pen name K.E. Mills. As well as Star Wars novel, WILD SPACE. She’s also written five books by Patrick Rothfuss and completed the Song of Ice and Fire. Okay, maybe not.
But we are definitely delighted, thrilled, and pleased as punch to be releasing this week Karen’s new book, THE PRODIGAL MAGE, in the US and UK. It marks a return to the world of THE INNOCENT MAGE – with some familiar characters and some new – and the start of a new 2-book story arc that will conclude with THE RELUCTANT MAGE. We’ve given Karen permission to take an afternoon off to celebrate her hardcover debut, on the strict understanding that she makes up the time later in the week.
