Posts Tagged ‘Dark Fantasy’

Acquisition Announcement: MISTRESS OF LIES

Orbit is delighted to announce we’ve acquired Kat Enright’s debut fantasy Mistress of Lies, the first in a dark romantic fantasy trilogy with a villainous, bloodthirsty heroine, perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Dowry of Blood.

Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary Agency sold World English rights to Commissioning Editor Nadia Saward at Orbit UK. Senior Editor Priyanka Krishnan has acquired for Orbit US and publication is planned for 2024.

a photo of Kat Enright

The daughter of a powerful but disgraced Blood Worker, Shan LeClaire has spent her entire life perfecting her blood magic, building her network of spies, and gathering every scrap of power she could. Now, to protect her brother, she assassinates their father and takes her place at the head of the family. And that is only the start of her revenge.

Samuel Hutchinson is a bastard with a terrible gift. When he stumbles upon the first victim of a magical serial killer, he’s drawn into the world of magic and intrigue he’s worked so hard to avoid – and is pulled deeply into the ravenous and bloodthirsty court of the vampire king.

Tasked by the Eternal King to discover the identity of the killer cutting a bloody swath through the city, Samuel, Shan and mysterious Royal Bloodworker Isaac find themselves growing ever closer to each other. But Shan’s plans are treacherous, and as she lures Samuel into her complicated web of desire, treason and vengeance, he must decide if the good of their nation is worth the cost of his soul.

You can find Kat on Twitter @katenright, go give them a follow!

About the author: Kat Enright is a Filipino-American writer of romantic fantasy for teens and adults. When not writing, Kat can be found playing too many video games, cooking, or listening to Broadway musicals. They currently live in New Jersey with their spouse and their black cat, Zuko.

Acquisition Announcement: THE FREE BASTARDS by Jonathan French

Are you ready to saddle up and ride with the Bastards again?

We’re excited to announce that Orbit UK has acquired the third book in Jonathan French’s Lot Lands series – described by Kirkus as ‘an addictively readable – and undeniably cool – fantasy masterwork’.

THE FREE BASTARDS will publish in July 2021 and follows the runaway success of THE GREY BASTARDS and THE TRUE BASTARDS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This gritty, action-drenched adventure series follows a brotherhood of half-orcs who protect human civilization from invading bands of vicious full-blooded orcs. It’s perfect for fans of Joe Abercombie, Markus Heitz’s Dwarves books and Stan Nicholl’s Orcs series.

If you haven’t hoofed it with the half-orcs yet, here are a few reasons why you should:

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

‘A bloody good tale of battle, betrayal and war pigs’ Brian McClellan

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

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

Click here to find out more about THE GREY BASTARDS  and THE TRUE BASTARDS.

Cover Launch: WAKE OF VULTURES by Lila Bowen

We’re thrilled to be able to show you the cover for WAKE OF VULTURES: a rich, dark fantasy of destiny, death and the supernatural world beneath the surface, coming from Orbit in October 2015.

Bowen_WakeofVultures-HC[2]

Cover design by Lauren Panepinto.

We are unbelievably excited for this truly one of a kind fantasy, and we know you will be too! Because as Chuck Wendig put it, “Hot damn, this book is good.”

Advance praise for WAKE OF VULTURES:

“I don’t care what else you’ve seen in the bookstore today. Buy this book because it’s the thrilling, delightfully written, and important one you’ve always wanted to read.”
— Kevin Hearne

“Wake of Vultures doesn’t just fly — it soars. Lila Bowen brings in a wild fantasy quite unlike anything I’ve ever read, with a voice that’s weird and wonderful. Bowen is truly a talent to watch. Hot damn, is this book good.”
— Chuck Wendig

“Sharp as a silver Bowie and unsentimental as a stray bullet, Lila Bowen’s Nettie Lonesome earns a place among the legends of the Weird West.”
   — Matthew Stover

“Wake of Vultures is a ferocious, fascinating take on the magical Old West – creatively and unsentimentally grim, yet rich with hope and heart.”
       — Cherie Priest

 

Cover Launch: THE PARADOX, sequel to THE OVERSIGHT by Charlie Fletcher

We’re delighted to launch the cover for THE PARADOX, the much-anticipated sequel to THE OVERSIGHT, coming out in August this year. The reviewers will be pleased…

‘This feels like the start of something amazing’ M. R. Carey, author of THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS

‘I’ll certainly be reading the next one’ Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing.net

‘It’s oh so moreish a morsel. I’d read a prequel this evening, a sequel as soon as‘ Niall Alexander, Tor.com

‘A trilogy worth sinking your teeth into’ SciFiNow

‘The second book can’t come soon enough’ Booklist (starred review)

The Paradox: the sequel to The Oversight by Charlie Fletcher

SOMETIMES YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR – SOMETIMES IT LOOKS BACK.

Those who belong to the secret society called The Oversight know many things. They know cold iron will hold back the beasts in the darkness. They know it is dangerous to stand between two mirrors. And they know that, despite their dwindling numbers, it remains their duty to protect humanity from the supernatural.  And vice versa.

But two of the society’s strongest members, Mr Sharp and Sara Falk, are trapped in the world between the mirrors, looking for each other, searching for a way back home. What they discover there will have ominous consequences both for The Oversight and the world it protects, effects that will make them question everything they thought they knew.

 

Cover design by Lauren Panepinto and DogEared Design

New Wallpaper: LAST BLOOD by Kristen Painter

LastBlood-wallpaperIt’s  almost time for the final showdown between the forces of dark and light in LAST BLOOD (US | UK | AUS), the fifth novel in The House of Comarré  series. The covers for each of these books have been absolutely stunning so I urge you to take a moment and check out the rest of Nekro’s gorgeous artwork.

Here are a few wallpapers for you to download, and if you want to read an excerpt from the first novel, BLOOD RIGHTS (US | UK | AUS), then that can be found here. Enjoy!

1024 x 768 | 1280 x 800 | 1440 x 900 | 1680 x 1050 |1920 x 1200 | iPhone | iPad | Facebook

Introducing Guns into Fantasy Worlds

Fade to Black, book one of the Rojan Dizon fantasy book series by Francis Knight - in a post talking about the introduction of guns to fantasy worldsFrancis Knight’s novel FADE TO BLACK (UK|US|ANZ) and the just released BEFORE THE FALL (UK|US|ANZ) are set in Mahala – a towering, vertically-built fantasy city. It’s a place that has long relied on magic, but is fast becoming mechanised – and now the first prototype guns are appearing. Francis Knight discusses below just what the introduction of arms can do to a world – fantasy or otherwise . . .

Whenever a significant discovery or invention appears, everything changes. Not always in foreseen ways either. I don’t suppose Edison or Babbage ever thought that their discoveries/inventions would mean that you’d be here today, reading this on a PC or pad. Did Edison consider that electricity would be used to carry out death sentences? Would Babbage have continued if he’d known the end result would be Rule 34?

Unforeseen consequences abound in history. If I invent this, it will make life easier for everyone! Only then, a war, or a revolution or plague, people being people, or even just a lack of imagination on the part of the inventor means that it all turns out rather differently.

The same thing goes for guns. Yes, many fantasy worlds use just swords/siege engines/whatever. But what happens to warfare when guns are added to the mix? Are they what people expect? Possibly not. The inventor of the Gatling gun noted that more died in war of infection and disease than gunfire. In 1877, Gatling wrote: “It occurred to me that if I could invent a machine – a gun – which could by its rapidity of fire, enable one man to do as much battle duty as a hundred, that it would, to a large extent supersede the necessity of large armies, and consequently, exposure to battle and disease would be greatly diminished.” And of course, that worked wonderfully. (more…)

BEFORE THE FALL – the exceptional follow-up to FADE TO BLACK

Have you heard what people have been saying about Francis Knight’s debut fantasy novel FADE TO BLACK (UK|US|ANZ)? Here’s a clue . . .

Word cloud for reviews of FADE TO BLACK, the fantasy debut by Francis Knight - a noir fantasy adventure that's "powerful", "emotional" "Distinctive", "brilliant", "Inventive"

If you’re amongst the hoard of readers who loved this thrilling and original tale set in the vertigo-inducing fantasy world of Mahala, you’ll be interested to hear that the follow-up BEFORE THE FALL (UK|US|ANZ) is released today.

Fade to Black, book one of the Rojan Dizon novels, by Francis Knight - a dark, noir fantasy series with a dystopian feel - perfect for fans of Scott Lynch, Douglas Hulick, Benedict Jacka and Ben Aaronvitch
Fade to Black – out now
Before the Fall, book two of the Rojan Dizon novels, following Fade to Black by Francis Knight - a dark, noir fantasy series with a dystopian feel - perfect for fans of Scott Lynch, Douglas Hulick, Benedict Jacka and Ben Aaronvitch
Before the Fall – released today
Last to Rise, book three of the Rojan Dizon novels following Fade to Black and Before The Fall, by Francis Knight - a dark, noir fantasy series with a dystopian feel - perfect for fans of Scott Lynch, Douglas Hulick, Benedict Jacka and Ben Aaronvitch
Last To Rise – released November

 

The latest book again features the reluctant hero, bounty hunter and pain mage Rojan Dizon. He’d love to keep his head down and out of trouble – but he needs to get some power back to the city, and his worst nightmare is just around the corner . . .

Then there’s not long to wait until the third and final book in the trilogy is released. It’s called LAST TO RISE – and it’s a truly explosive finale (yes I did cry…)

If you haven’t checked this series out yet, you don’t know what you’re missing.

Benedict Jacka interviews Francis Knight, author of FADE TO BLACK

Next week sees the release of the fantasy novel BEFORE THE FALL (UK|US|ANZ), the second Rojan Dizon novel by Francis Knight (following FADE TO BLACK – UK|US|ANZ).

Below, another Orbit fantasy star Benedict Jacka, author highly popular Alex Verus novels, interviews Francis on the towering fantasy world of Mahala . . .

Before the Fall, book two of the Rojan Dizon novels, following Fade to Black by Francis Knight - a dark, noir fantasy series with a dystopian feel - perfect for fans of Scott Lynch, Douglas Hulick, Benedict Jacka and Ben AaronvitchBenedict Jacka: One way to describe the Rojan Dizon books would be dark fantasy – how did you end up moving into that genre, and what’s it like to write in compared to other things you’ve done in the past?

Francis Knight: By accident! It started off as an antidote to what I had been writing – romance – and went from there. I like to challenge myself each time I start something new, and this was it. Every genre has its restraints, and I wanted to explore not-so-nice “heroes” and not-so-Happy-Ever-After endings and lots of other things that a romance reader might be very disappointed to find in her book! In particular I wanted to explore how being a not particularly nice chap doesn’t have to prevent you from doing the right thing.

BJ: How difficult do you find it to write a protagonist of the opposite sex?  Do you find yourself asking guys for advice on how a male character would react in a particular scene you’re writing?

FK: The first time it was hard, I have to say. I actually find I prefer it nowadays. It’s a lot easier to separate my characters from me for a start! Also I love trying to get inside a guy’s head, see what makes them tick. I do sometimes ask husband/male friends/betas for advice about whether a guy would do X – but it’s just not that simple. It’s not about whether he’s a guy or not, it’s about who he is. Some guys would do one thing, and others would do the opposite. They’re still both guys.

Fade to Black, book one of the Rojan Dizon novels, by Francis Knight - a dark, noir fantasy series with a dystopian feel - perfect for fans of Scott Lynch, Douglas Hulick, Benedict Jacka and Ben AaronvitchBJ: So, the scenes in Fade to Black which go into detail on exactly what Rojan and the other pain-mages do to themselves to fuel their pain magic . . . did you deliberately make them wince-inducing or did it just work out that way?

FK: I actually tried not to be too graphic there, but it was necessary to show something, I think, or it wouldn’t have been honest. There’s a fine line between glossing over something important and showing graphic things that are unnecessary. Of course, that line is going to be different for everyone. I inferred more than I showed (I think/hope), but that goes for lots of things. (more…)

SEVEN KINGS – epic fantasy with a capital EPIC

Seven Kings, the second novel in John R. Fultz's Shaper series, an epic fantasy series of huge proportions, perfect for fans of Dungeons and DragonsToday is the worldwide release date for the SEVEN KINGS (UK |US | ANZ), the masterful second book in the Shaper series by John R. Fultz.

Starting with SEVEN PRINCES (UK |US | ANZ), this whole epic fantasy series really made a big impact on us here in Orbit. It’s crazily imaginative, powerful, energetic and so damn enjoyable.

We loved an io9.com review which said:

‘Breakneck pacing and nonstop insanity . . . It’s epic with a capital EPIC’

. . . as that just about summed it up for us.

With giants walking alongside men, monstrous serpents wreaking havoc and kingdoms doing battle with sorcery, we think this is ideal for anyone who likes their fantasy big, epic and about the ultimate clash between good and evil.

Whilst in some ways the series could be said to hearken back to the “old school” or “traditional” type of fantasy, in many other ways we really felt this series was one of the most original we’ve read in years – having a beautifully lyric, mythical tone and what we considered to be a very unique, distinguished style.

Seven Princes, the first novel in John R. Fultz's Shaper series, an epic fantasy series of huge proportions, perfect for fans of Tolkien and Dungeons and DragonsWe were really interested to hear about how this style of writing came about. So we asked John what the influences behind his series were:

I could write a whole book answering this question, but I’ll try to contain myself.

Lord Dunsany was perhaps the inventor of the modern fantasy tale. His work never ceases to inspire me, and his novel The King of Elfland’s Daughter is an immortal classic. His gift for speaking with clever metaphor and concise imagery is stunning, even a hundred years later. Fantasy writers should study his works the way classical composers study Mozart and Bartok.

I’m also a big Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft fan, but Clark Ashton Smith is my favorite of the old-school Weird Tales writers. In my opinion Smith invented the whole dark fantasy genre. He had the lost cities, the sorcerers, the creatures from beyond space and time, the mummies, the vampires, the decadent dying empires of Zothique and the primordial ooze of Hyperborea. (more…)

How to be a Sidekick, According to Giguhl . . .

Author photo of Giguhl the demon sidekick to Sabina Kane. The photo shows a sphynx cat with green eyes..We wanted to tell you that we’ve posted the answers to the urban fantasy quiz we created last week to celebrate the new book in Jaye Wells’ Sabina Kane series, SILVER-TONGUED DEVIL, but while writing the blogpost we suffered something of a demonic visitation . . .

We interrupt our usual service for an announcement from Giguhl, the demon/feline sidekick of Sabina Kane, star of the urban fantasy novels by Jaye Wells.

Hello, mortals.

Giguhl, the fifth-level Mischief demon, here. You’ve probably heard of my many accomplishments as the champion of Demon Fight Club and as the coach of the seriously bad-assed Manhattan Marauder roller derby team. But did you know that in my spare time, I am also the official sidekick of an urban fantasy heroine?

Her name is Sabina Kane. She’s half-mage and half-vampire and all sorts of trouble. And without me getting her back and providing color commentary, she’d be totally lost. I get lots of letters from beings who want to follow my hoofsteps into the sidekicking business. They think it’s all glamour and making sweet love to nymphs. Little do they know that it’s actual work. Today I’m going to break down the attributes required of every awesome sidekick . . . (more…)