Archive for Contents

Cover Launch: THE TOWER OF SWALLOWS

The Witcher returns in THE TOWER OF SWALLOWS, the fourth book in the New York Times bestselling series that inspired The Witcher video games. Here is an early look at the remarkable cover, illustrated by Bartłomiej Gaweł, Paweł Mielniczuk, Marcin Błaszczak, Arkadiusz Matyszewski, Marian Chomiak and designed by Lauren Panepinto.

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The world has fallen into war. Ciri, the child of prophecy, has vanished. Hunted by friends and foes alike, she has taken on the guise of a petty bandit and lives free for the first time in her life.

But the net around her is closing. Geralt, the Witcher, has assembled a group of allies determined to rescue her. Both sides of the war have sent brutal mercenaries to hunt her down. Her crimes have made her famous.

There is only one place left to run. The tower of swallows is waiting…

THE TOWER OF SWALLOWS is out May 2016, with the next book in the Witcher series, LADY OF THE LAKE, coming in Summer 2017.  Check out the previous novels and collections in the Witcher Saga today.

Cover launch: THE SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF HOPE by Claire North

THE SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF HOPE by Claire North, author of THE FIRST FIFTEEN LIVES OF HARRY AUGUST

Today we can unveil the cover for an astonishing new book. It’s from Claire North, author of the word-of-mouth phenomenon THE FIRST FIFTEEN LIVES OF HARRY AUGUST (UK | US | ANZ),  and the critically acclaimed TOUCH (UK|US|ANZ).

THE SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF HOPE (UK|US|ANZ) is the extraordinary tale of a girl with a very unique problem . . .

You might have met Hope Arden before. In fact, you might have met her a hundred times.

But there’s no way that you’ll remember who she is. Because Hope’s unique problem . . . is that she’s the girl the world forgets.

It all started when she was sixteen years old. A slow declining, a kind of isolation, one piece at a time. Her father forgetting to drive her to school. Her mother setting the table for three, not four. A teacher forgeting to chase her missing homework. A friend looking straight through her and seeing a stranger.

No matter what Hope does – the words she says, the people she hurts, the crimes she commits – you will never remember who she is. That makes her life tricky. But it also makes her dangerous.

THE SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF HOPE (UK|US|ANZ) is the tale of a girl no one remembers, but her story will stay with you for ever.

It will be released in hardback, ebook and audio this May from Orbit in the UK and Redhook in the US – and it’s available for pre-order now! And in case you haven’t checked out Claire North’s novels yet, here are a few reminders why you should:

Praise for Claire North’s novels:

‘Little short of a masterpiece’ INDEPENDENT

‘North’s talent shines out’ SUNDAY TIMES

‘Poignant and intensely gripping’ GUARDIAN

‘A masterful literary thriller’ io9

‘Will seduce even scifi sceptics, and keep readers absolutely hooked to the dramatic conclusion’ SUNDAY MIRROR

‘As intriguing and breathless as it is brilliantly original’ LOVE READING

‘Bold, magical and masterful’ M. R. Carey, author of THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS

‘Utterly readable, utterly believable and compelling . . . one of the fiction highlights of the decade’ Judy Finnigan, Richard and Judy Book Club

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

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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: SHADOW AND FLAME by Gail Z. Martin

The epic fourth and final volume in Gail Z. Martin’s Ascendant Kingdoms saga, SHADOW AND FLAME (US | UK | AUS), comes out in March, with a suitably epic cover, illustration by Larry Rostant.

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Blaine McFadden and his allies have brought magic back under mortal command and begun to restore order to the beleaguered kingdom of Donderath. Now, new perils and old enemies gather for a final reckoning.
Foreign invaders, a legendary dark mage, and vengeful immortals fight Blaine’s battered forces for control of the continent. Blaine’s weary army is the only thing standing between a kingdom struggling to rise from the ashes and a descent into fury and darkness.

“The perfect conclusion to a truly epic tale.” —Michael J. Sullivan

“Gail Z. Martin is the one of the finest storytellers writing today. Her fascinating characters and mastery of atmospherics gives readers stories that have to be savored. Her characters display the sort of quick wit and heart that make them a joy to follow through their adventures.” —Michael A. Stackpole

If you haven’t yet read this series, you are in luck: the first three volumes are all available now, so you have plenty of time to catch up before the final book arrives.

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Terms & Conditions: Mage Week Giveaway

Terms & Conditions:

  1. This is a prize draw for a copy of Mageborn by Stephen Aryan and The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso for you and a friend. To enter tag a friend on the Orbit UK Facebook Page.
  2. The winner will be selected at random from the entries received in accordance with these terms and conditions by a member of the Orbit UK marketing team whose decision will be final.
  3. The winner may see their entry posted on the Orbit UK (hereinafter the ’Company’) website and on other websites and social media accounts.
  4. There is no purchase necessary to enter.
  5. The prize draw opens at 15:00 pm BST on 13/10/2017 and closes at 11:59 pm BST on 26/10/2017. Any entries received outside these specified times and dates will not be eligible for entry into the competition.
  6. The prize draw is open to anyone aged 16 or over in the UK except employees of the Company, their families, or anyone professionally connected to the competition either themselves or through their families. If the winner is under 18 years of age, the winner will be asked to have his or her guardian complete waivers, consent forms and/or other documentation as prerequisite for being awarded the prize.
  7. Only one entry per person allowed. Second or subsequent entries will be disqualified. Entries will not be accepted via agents, third parties or in bulk.
  8. The Company is not responsible for contacting or forwarding prizes to entrants who provide unclear or incomplete information or for entries lost, misdirected, delayed or destroyed.
  9. The Company reserves the right to alter the prizes or cancel the prize draw without notice. No cash alternatives to prizes will be provided.
  10. The winner’s name will be published on the Orbit UK Facebook by Tuesday 31st October 2017.
  11. The Company will make available the name and county of the winner to anyone who requests this information by writing to the following address

LITTLE, BROWN BOOK GROUP
Carmelite House
50 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DZ

  1. The email addresses of entrants may be shared with companies within the Hachette group of companies but will not be shared with other companies outside the Hachette group. It will be used by the Hachette companies to send you news about books, products and promotions.  You will be given the option of opting out in those emails if you don’t want to receive any further news.
  2. By entering the prize draw you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.
  3. This competition is being organised by

LITTLE, BROWN BOOK GROUP
Carmelite House
50 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DZ

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 . . .

New Acquisition: Forsaken Skies by D. Nolan Clarke

Forsaken Skies, the first book in a space opera trilogy by D. Nolan Clarke, brilliantly brings the premise of Seven Samurai to a war-torn galaxy of factional disputes, unpredictable characters, and battles against the odds.

This is the unmissable start to a new epic space adventure that will thrill fans of John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War and James S. A. Corey’s Expanse.

A silent, shadowy armada has emerged from the depths of space.

Its target is a backwater planet, where a religious sect lives in peaceful exile far from the politics of mankind. Faced with imminent destruction, these acolytes must now seek help from the very civilization they left behind.

When their pleas for assistance are ignored, they have little choice but to put their faith in a ragtag group of pilots – each of whom is already battling their own demons. These pilots are among the very best the universe has to offer, but even they cannot hope to defeat an entire armada. 

Yet sometimes the few must stand against the many.

Acquired by Orbit in a three-book deal for World English language rights from Russell Galen of Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency, book one, Forsaken Skies, will hit shelves in Fall 2016.

Orbit Announce New Deal with AGE OF IRON author Angus Watson

Fantasy author Angus WatsonThe holiday season! So much waiting – waiting to open that Advent calendar, counting the days until the vacation, waiting for that one last online order to arrive so you don’t visit Aunt Ethel’s house empty-handed on Christmas day…

The bad news is we’ve got one more thing you have to wait for – and you’ll be waiting until Spring 2017. The very very good news is that we’re announcing THREE BRAND NEW BOOKS  from AGE OF IRON author Angus Watson! And that’s something worth waiting for.

WEST OF WEST is an action-packed new trilogy full of magic and adventure: a mismatched group of refugees will battle animals and monsters, determined assassins, an unforgiving landscape and each other as they cross a continent to fulfil a prophecy.

Orbit UK and US will be launching worldwide Spring 2017. And until then you’ve got the three amazing books in the AGE OF IRON trilogy to keep you happy … and they make great gifts, too! Order now and they’ll arrive in time for Aunt Ethel. Maybe.

The Iron Age Trilogy by Angus Watson

Angus Watson is a fantasy author and journalist living in London. He’s written features for many newspapers including the Times, Financial Times and the Telegraph, and the latter even sent him to America to look for Bigfoot. He is the author of the Iron Age trilogy and the upcoming West of West series. You can find him on twitter at @GusWatson or find his website at: www.guswatson.com. He is represented by Angharad Kowal at Writers House.

THE RISING by Ian Tregillis – the follow-up to the acclaimed THE MECHANICAL

THE RISING by Ian Tregillis, the follow-up to the critically acclaimed THE MECHANICAL
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THE RISING (UK | US |ANZ) by Ian Tregillis has just been released worldwide. It’s the new book in the Alchemy War series, which tells the gripping tale of a mechanical man who was created to serve human kind but has thrown off the bonds of slavery.

It’s the follow-up to THE MECHANICAL (UK | US | ANZ), which was released early in 2015 to superb critical acclaim:

‘The first thing readers will say after finishing this splendid book is: “Wow.” The second thing will probably be: “When can I read the next one?’ Booklist

‘One of the sharpest, most intelligent, hugely compelling works I’ve read this year’ The Mechanical, Alchemy Wars 1 by Ian TregillisForbidden Planet International

‘As intricate and exquisite as the clockwork wonders it brings to life’ NPR

‘His characters are as convincing as ever, the plotting is beautifully articulated . . . readers with an interest in dark, intelligent fantasy will find much to admire here’ Kirkus

‘A hugely entertaining novel’ SFX

‘Absolutely fascinating, and unapologetically clever’ Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reviews

‘So absorbing that readers will be dying for the next entry in this new series’Library Journal

‘This book is truly unlike anything I’ve ever read before . . . I can’t wait to see what the next installment in The Alchemy Wars will bring’ Bibliosanctum

As well as getting this critical praise from reviewers, THE MECHANICAL has also been featured in:

Waterstones Best Fantasy Books of 2015,

Barnes and Noble’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy on 2015,

Amazon’s UK’s Best Books of 2015: Science Fiction and Fantasy,

and Amazon’s US’s Best Books of 2015: Science Fiction and Fantasy.

So on the release date of THE RISING (UK | US |ANZ), we just wanted to say hurrah for booksellers! Thanks so much for supporting this fantastic series, and we’re glad you agree that Ian Tregillis is one of the most original and important new voices in speculative fiction.

Cover Launch: Ian Graham’s MONUMENT and THE PATH OF THE HAWK

We’ve been hearing lots of excitement about the news that Ian Graham is back with a new book, announced on this blog just a few weeks ago, and that his fantasy classic, MONUMENT, is coming out in ebook for the first time ever this month.

And now we’re delighted to share with you the covers for both of these works, designed by the spectacular Nick Castle:

MONUMENT: epic fantasy by Ian GrahamMONUMENT will be released in ebook next week, on the 8th of December.

The Path of the Hawk: brnad new epic fantasy by Ian Graham, author of the grimdark classic MONUMENTOur print edition of THE PATH OF THE HAWK will be released August 2016. But first . . .

The Path of the Hawk Book One and Book Two: digital instalments released Jan and Feb 2016

We’re releasing THE PATH OF THE HAWK in two digital instalments, with BOOK ONE released January 26th  2016 and BOOK TWO following February 23rd 2016.