Archive for Contents

Cover Launch: THE DRAGON OF JIN-SAYENG by K. S. Villoso

In this incredible finale to the critically acclaimed Chronicles of the Bitch Queen series, Queen Talyien finally takes back her throne – and what a sight it is to behold. Feast your eyes on this glorious cover, depicting Talyien at the peak of her power, determined to unite her people against the enemies who threaten to tear her country apart. #HailTheBitchQueen indeed!

Art by Simon Goinard. Design by Lauren Panepinto

THE DRAGON OF JIN-SAYENG  (US | UK) releases in May.

Queen Talyien is finally home, but dangers she never imagined await her in the shadowed halls of her father’s castle.

War is on the horizon. Her son has been stolen from her, her warlords despise her, and across the sea, a cursed prince threatens her nation with invasion in order to win her hand. 

Worse yet, her father’s ancient secrets are dangerous enough to bring Jin-Sayeng to ruin. Dark magic tears rifts in the sky, preparing to rain down madness, chaos, and the possibility of setting her nation aflame.

Bearing the brunt of the past and uncertain about her future, Talyien will need to decide between fleeing her shadows or embracing them before the whole world becomes an inferno.

Praise for The Chronicles of the Bitch Queen

“The power plays are woven tightly into the action, as Villoso broadens her worldbuilding and adds some surprising twists … A must for epic fantasy readers.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“Villoso crafts believable, complex characters and spices up the politics with dragons and magic. Fantasy readers will enjoy this intricate epic and be pleased by the broadening scope of the series.” —Publishers Weekly 

“The Wolf of Oren-yaro is intricate, intimate, and intensely plotted. Full of subtle poignancy and remarkably genuine characters-even the rotten ones. I loved this book.”   —Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

“Intimate and epic. It compels you to read on, because it’s a story about people not characters, civilizations not settings, and deadly power plays not sanitized throne-room politics.”   —Evan Winter, author of The Rage of Dragons

“Deeply compelling and wonderfully entertaining, The Wolf of Oren-yaro feels at once timely and timeless. K. S. Villoso’s lush and finely crafted world envelops readers from the first page, as she takes us on an adventure full of heartache, hope, and triumph. It’s a fabulous read!”   —Josiah Bancroft, author of Senlin Ascends

“A tale balanced on the blade’s-edge between intrigue and action – and then Villoso twists the knife.”   —Gareth Hanrahan, author of The Gutter Prayer

“[A] remarkable tale of nonstop tension, action, and betrayal . . . This excellent work will appeal to all readers of epic fantasy.”   —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Villoso’s debut draws on Filipino culture and myths to create a detailed fantasy world and uses the first person narrative of a beleaguered queen to explore a tale of secrets, lies, betrayal, and treason.”   —Booklist

“K.S. Villoso dismantled the heavily stereotyped strong female character within epic fantasy and built it anew. Queen Talyien is flawed, beautifully so, making her one of the more realistic female characters I’ve read to date.”    —Hypable

Art by Simon Goinard. Design by Lauren Panepinto

 

Acquisition Announcement: KAIKEYI by Vaishnavi Patel

Redhook is thrilled to announce the acquisition of KAIKEYI, Vaishnavi Patel’s sweeping, powerful, and provocative debut, which reimagines the life of Kaikeyi, the long-vilified queen of the Indian epic the Ramayana.

“I was born on the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions—much good it did me.”

So begins Kaikeyi’s story, that of a young woman determined to create her own destiny in a world where gods and men dictate the shape of things to come. But as she transforms herself from an overlooked princess into a warrior, diplomat, and most-favored queen, Kaikeyi’s will clashes with the path that has been chosen for her family—and she must decide if her resistance is worth the destruction it will wreak.

In the tradition of novels such as Madeline Miller’s Circe, KAIKEYI interrogates the role of female characters in the Indian myths, questioning where and why we draw the line between heroes and villains. When speaking about her inspiration for writing this particular story, author Vaishnavi Patel says, “Among characters in the Ramayana, Kaikeyi draws the short straw. Despite the fact that her exile of Rama is what allows the rest of the epic to happen, she is cast as a petty woman acting out of jealousy. But that never sat right with me. Why would a powerful queen and warrior tear her family and kingdom apart over envy? After years of wishing for someone to explain Kaikeyi’s actions to me, I decided to write her perspective myself. I hope that in this world, her decisions might be understood, and even righteous.”

KAIKEYI is a bold and imaginative debut from a supremely talented new voice, and we are so excited to be publishing it in the spring of 2022! In the meantime, please join us in welcoming Vaishnavi to the Orbit/Redhook family. You can find her on Twitter at @VaishnaWrites and at www.vaishnavipatel.com.

Orbit US senior editor Priyanka Krishnan acquired world English rights from Lucienne Diver at The Knight Agency.

Cover Launch: THE FREE BASTARDS by Jonathan French

Following the runaway success of Jonathan French’s critically acclaimed fantasy debut, THE GREY BASTARDS, and its sequel, THE TRUE BASTARDS, comes the third comes the third and final novel in the Lot Lands series, THE FREE BASTARDS. Feast your eyes on the epic cover below, designed by Larry Rostant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lot Lands series has taken the fantasy world by storm with its brilliant bawdy characters, bloodthirsty action, exhilarating pace and sharp-as-hell sense of humour. And the half-orcs have come on quite the journey since this series began with THE GREY BASTARDS.

Now, in this hugely dramatic third and final book, Oats will take centre stage and events are about to reach a crescendo. Bastards fans – saddle up and get ready for one hell of a ride. THE FREE BASTARDS publishes in September 2021 and is available for pre-order now.

If you haven’t encountered the hog-mounted half-orcs known as the Bastards yet, it’s time you made their acquaintance. Check out the first two novels in the Lot Lands series below. And as the saying goes:

LIVE IN THE SADDLE, DIE ON THE HOG.

THE GREY BASTARDS | THE TRUE BASTARDS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Praise for the Lot Lands:

‘An addictively readable – and undeniably cool – fantasy masterwork’ Kirkus

‘A gritty adventure with a fantastic, foul-mouthed voice’ Django Wexler

‘Jonathan French has to be lauded for his plot ingenuity, bawdry charm and vicious characters.’ Fantasy Book Critic

‘I’d like to raise a tankard to The Grey Bastards‘ brilliance’ Fantasy Faction

Jonathan French is on Twitter @JFrenchAuthor

Cover Launch: SHARDS OF EARTH by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Arthur C. Clarke award-winning author, Adrian Tchaikovsky has written his most visionary and exciting space opera yet. The start of a new series, SHARDS OF EARTH is a tale of ancient alien enemies, heroes long forgotten, and a strange artifact buried on the far outskirts of space that could harbinger a new intergalactic war. This sparkling, inventive novel for fans of James S. A. Corey and John Scalzi is a joy from start to finish and sure to be on your shelf of all-time space opera greats! While you wait for it to publish on August 3rd, check out the book’s incredible cover!

Cover Design © Steve Stone

The war is over. Its heroes forgotten. Until one chance discovery . . .

Idris has neither aged nor slept since they remade him in the war. And one of humanity’s heroes now scrapes by on a freelance salvage vessel, to avoid the attention of greater powers.

After earth was destroyed, mankind created a fighting elite to save their species, enhanced humans such as Idris. In the silence of space they could communicate, mind-to-mind, with the enemy. Then their alien aggressors, the Architects, simply disappeared – and Idris and his kind became obsolete.

Now, fifty years later, Idris and his crew have discovered something strange abandoned in space. It’s clearly the work of the Architects – but are they returning? And if so, why? Hunted by gangsters, cults and governments, Idris and his crew race across the galaxy hunting for answers. For they now possess something of incalculable value, that many would kill to obtain.

ICYMI: THE BODY SCOUT by Lincoln Michel

Orbit is thrilled to share the cover for Lincoln Michel’s diamond-sharp sci-fi neo-noir, THE BODY SCOUT. When his brother is murdered at home plate, a hardboiled baseball scout will have to plumb the underbelly of a New York transformed by climate change body modification to get revenge—but this is a game far bigger and more dangerous than he could have imagined.

Lithub unveiled the striking cover for The Body Scout, designed by Orbit’s own Lauren Panepinto, along with an early excerpt—click through for a sneak peek of the first chapter!

The Body Scout will be out in print, ebook, and audio in October. Read on for a short description of this unmissable near-future thriller:

In the future you can have anybody you want–as long as you can afford it.

In a New York ravaged by climate change and repeat pandemics, Kobo is barely scraping by. He scouts the latest in gene-edited talent for Big Pharma-owned baseball teams, but his own cybernetics are a decade out of date and twin sister loan sharks are banging down his door. Things couldn’t get much worse.

Then his adoptive brother—Monsanto Mets slugger J.J. Zunz—is murdered at home plate.

Determined to find the killer, Kobo plunges into a world of genetically modified CEOs, philosophical Neanderthals, and back-alley body modification, only to quickly find he’s in a game far bigger and more corrupt than he imagined. To keep himself together while the world is falling apart, he’ll have to navigate a time when both body and soul are sold to the highest bidder.

Diamond-sharp and savagely wry, The Body Scout is a timely science fiction thriller set in an all-too-possible future.

 

 

Cover Launch: WE CRY FOR BLOOD by Devin Madson

Devin Madson’s bold and brutal epic fantasy series continues with the action-packed third novel, WE CRY FOR BLOOD. If you like your fantasy with “feudal political maneuvering, shifting alliances, and visceral descriptions of combat and its aftermath” (Booklist), you’ll want to snap this up when it publishes in August 2021!

Cover illustration by Nico Delort; Cover design by Lisa Marie Pompilio

Ambition and schemes have left the Kisian Empire in ashes. Empress Miko Ts’ai will have to move fast if she hopes to secure a foothold in its ruins. However, the line between enemies and allies may not be as clear-cut as it first appeared.

After failing to win back his Swords, former Captain Rah e’Torin finds shelter among the Levanti deserters. But his presence in the camp threatens to fracture the group, putting him on a collision course with their enigmatic leader.

Assassin Cassandra Marius knows Leo Villius’s secret—one that could thwart his ambitions to conquer Kisia. But her time in Empress Hana’s body is running out and each attempt they make to exploit Leo’s weakness may be playing into his plans.

And, as Leo’s control over the Levanti emperor grows, Dishiva e’Jaroven is caught in his web. To successfully challenge him, she’ll have to decide how many of her people are worth sacrificing in order to win.

 

Don’t forget to check out the first two books in the Reborn Empire series if you haven’t already!

You can find Devin at her website and on Twitter.

 

Cover Launch: AZURA GHOST by Essa Hansen

NOPHEK GLOSS  (US | UK) stunned readers with its widescreen adventure, boundless imagination, bubble universes, alien species, and warm characters. Alastair Reynolds called it “A sucker punch to the senses…. A killer story with real heart and soul.” Now, its sequel AZURA GHOST  has a cover just as breathtaking as the story itself. Keep an eye out for Azura Ghost publishing November 2021 from Orbit US and UK!

Design by Lauren Panepinto, Illustration by Mike Heath/Magnus Creative 

Following Nophek Gloss comes the second book in this imaginative new space opera trilogy by debut author Essa Hansen – an action-packed adventure perfect for fans of Star Wars, Children of Time and A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet.

​Caiden has been on the run for ten years with his unique starship in order to keep his adversary, Threi, imprisoned. But when an old friend he’d once thought dead reappears, he is lured into a game of cat and mouse with the one person whose powers rival Threi’s: Threi’s sister Abriss. Now with both siblings on the hunt for Caiden and his ship, Caiden must rescue his long-lost friend from their clutches and uncover the source of both his ship’s power and his own origins in order to stop Abriss’s plan to collapse the multiverse.

 

Cover Launch: DISCORDIA by Kristyn Merbeth

The entire star system is on the brink of war in Discordia, the explosive final book in the action-packed space opera trilogy, The Nova Vita Protocol.

Book Cover: Discordia by Kristyn Merbeth A spaceship emerges from a wormhole, its guns charged and ready to fire.

Design by Lisa Marie Pompilio

Scorpia is finally back among the stars, far away from the memories of the war she and her family started – and ended – on Nibiru. Her first order as captain of the Memoria is to keep her crew safe, and she is all too happy not to get involved in dangerous political games for once.

Corvus is haunted by what he experienced at the hands of the Titan attack, and he’s just as eager for a new beginning. He knows that not all Titans are built for war, and that the system can find peace, even as Deva and Pax begin to rattle their sabers.

Now the Kaisers are on the run again. Though they may be responsible for diverting a multi-planet war, the planetary leaders are wary of the knowledge they hold. Better to lock them up and keep their dark secrets hidden. But the Kaisers are the only ones who know the truth about the threat of the ancient world-ending alien weapons rooted in each planet – and they may be the only ones who can save the system from total annihilation.

The Nova Vita Protocol:

Book Cover: Fortuna by Kristyn Merbeth. A woman stands before a space shuttle looking at it against a neon blue and pink sunset. Book Cover: Memoria by Kristyn Merbeth. A spaceship soars through a red nebula cloud while neon green lasers chase at its heels. Book Cover: Discordia by Kristyn Merbeth A spaceship emerges from a wormhole, its guns charged and ready to fire.

Cover Launch: THE SHADOW OF THE GODS by John Gwynne

Last week saw the reveal of the dragon-tastic cover for THE SHADOW OF THE GODS, John Gwynne’s new Norse-inspired epic fantasy. If you missed it, then behold the cover below in all its awesomeness!

Illustration by Marcus Whinney, design by Bekki Guyatt

But that’s not all. Check out the full illustration for the complete ‘Wow, that’s a big dragon’ experience!

 

Set in a brand-new, Norse-inspired world, and packed with myth, magic and bloody vengeance, THE SHADOW OF THE GODS begins an epic new fantasy saga from bestselling author John Gwynne.

A century has passed since the gods fought and drove themselves to extinction. Yet their bones remain, promising great power to those brave enough to seek them out.

As whispers of war echo across the land of Vigrið, fate follows in the footsteps of three warriors. And all three will shape the fate of the world as it once more falls under the shadow of the gods . . .

THE SHADOW OF THE GODS – book one of the Bloodsworn Saga – publishes in May 2021. Pre-order: UK / US/ ANZ

Praise for John Gwynne:

‘John Gwynne is one of the modern masters of heroic fantasy’ Adrian Tchaikovsky

‘Reminds me of why I became a fantasy enthusiast in the first place’ Robin Hobb

‘John Gwynne writes fantasy with the heart of a hero and the inventiveness of a master mage’ Sebastien de Castell

‘Extraordinarily good . . . Gwynne is setting a new benchmark in fantasy’ Giles Kristian

John Gwynne studied and lectured at Brighton University. He’s played double bass in a rock ‘n’ roll band and travelled the USA and Canada. He is married with four children and lives in Eastbourne, where he is part of a Viking re-enactment group. When not writing, he can often be found standing in a shield wall with his three sons about him. His dogs think he is their slave.

Find John online at his website, on Twitter and Instagram.

 

 

 

Acquisition Announcement: THE GREAT WITCH OF BRITTANY

Witches of the world rejoice! We’re delighted to announce Orbit’s sister imprint, Redhook, has acquired a gorgeous new novel from author Louisa Morgan. Set during a time of witch burnings and revolution, THE GREAT WITCH OF BRITTANY follows young Ursule Orchière as she discovers a magic within her that will change the course of her life and reshape her family for generations to come.

Here are a few words from the author about what inspired her to write The Great Witch of Brittany:

For a writer, creating a character is like meeting a complete stranger who you get to know really well. When several readers of A Secret History of Witches asked to know more about the “great witch Ursule,” ancestress to the Orchière witches, I was intrigued by the idea and began to wonder what her story might be. 

In my own life, I’m inspired by the women I have watched endure and rise above the most difficult circumstances, women who may not be physically prepossessing, but are so strong spiritually and morally that they are unbreakable. Ursule turned out to be all those things. It was fascinating to me to ‘discover’ her roots and to witness the triumphs and tragedies which shaped her, and the challenges she met with the strength of her character, enhanced by the magic of the Orchière line. 

At the end of this process, I hated saying goodbye to Ursule. She was everything I had hoped she would be–not only as a great witch, but as a woman. I hope the readers who asked about her will be as pleased as I was to learn her story.

While you wait for this wonderful book to hit shelves, you can read Louisa’s previous standalone novels: A SECRET HISTORY OF WITCHES (US | UK), THE WITCH’S KIND (US | UK), and THE AGE OF WITCHES (US | UK). You can find her on Twitter at @WriterLouisa and https://www.louisemarley.com.

Orbit US editor Nivia Evans acquired World All Languages rights from Peter Rubie at FinePrint Literary Management. Orbit UK will publish in the UK.