David Gemmell Archives

Posts Tagged ‘David Gemmell’

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

Jenni Hill
December 3, 2015

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 will be released in ebook next week, on the 8th of December.

Our print edition of THE PATH OF THE HAWK will be released August 2016. But first . . .

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

Helen Lowe’s DAUGHTER OF BLOOD: Announcing Release Date and Cover!

Jenni Hill
July 13, 2015

We are delighted to share our cover for DAUGHTER OF BLOOD, the third instalment in Helen Lowe’s David Gemmell Award-winning series, the Wall of Night.

This much-anticipated and thrilling epic fantasy will be released on 26th January 2016, but you can preorder it today!

A failing wall, a broken shield, and an enemy that will exploit every weakness . . .

Malian and Kalan have recovered two of the three legendary weapons of the Derai, but already it may be too late. The Wall of Night, fractured by centuries of blood feud and civil strife, is on the verge of falling.

Meanwhile, among Grayharbor backstreets, an orphan boy falls foul of dark forces. A daughter of the House of Blood must be married to the Earl of Night, a pawn in the web of her family’s ambition, and Kalan is caught in a political web he may not be able to escape.

While even as Malian dodges Darkswarm pursuers in her search for the Shield of Heaven, rumour whispers that it may be broken beyond repair – and she herself may be the blade the ancient enemy will drive into the heart of the Derai Alliance.

Brent Weeks and Angus Watson on Gemmell Awards shortlist

Madeleine Hall
June 11, 2015

The first round of voting for the David Gemmell Awards for Fantasy is done and dusted. The Orbit team is delighted to announce that THE BROKEN EYE by Brent Weeks (UK | US | AUS) is on the short list for the Gemmell Legend Award for best novel and AGE OF IRON by Angus Watson (UK | US | AUS) is up for the Morningstar Award for Best Debut Novel.

Winners will be announced at the Nine Worlds Geekfest in August and you can cast your vote here until Friday 17th July. Congratulations and good luck to all the shortlistees!

Epic Fantasy at its Best – VALOR is out today!

Susan Barnes
July 22, 2014

Epic fantasy fans exult! Today we are thrilled to release John Gwynne’s Valor, the sequel to his acclaimed debut Malice, winner of the David Gemmell Morningstar Award.

If you love fantasy teaming with rich characters, riveting battles and a vivid world, this is a series that will enthrall you. If you’re going through Game of Thrones withdrawal there is no better cure.

Here’s a selection of amazing praise for Malice:

“A series that promises the same degree of complexity and depth found in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time books and George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series.” – Library Journal (Starred Review)

“Influenced by Gemmell’s Rigante and George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones….Hell of a debut.” – Conn Iggulden

“Middle Earth–ish extravaganza with all the usual thrills, chills, spills and frills….there’s plenty of action.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Three-dimensional characters, a gripping plot, and a world that became real to me….this is the type of fantasy I love to read and I truly can’t wait to read the next volume in The Faith and the Fallen!” – Fantasy Book Critic

“John Gwynne hits all the right spots in his epic tale of good versus evil….there’s a lot of pleasure to be had in is debut novel; Gwynne is definitely one to watch.” – SFX

“Warring clans, sleeping giants, Banished Lands and omens and portents… a strong contender for ‘if you like Game of Thrones, why not try this?’ award.” – Independent (UK)

Use of Weapons: The Armoury of Epic Fantasy

Helen Lowe
February 21, 2013

When embarking on a High Epic tale like THE GATHERING OF THE LOST (UK|ANZ), with its diversity of heavily armed societies, making an inventory of the epic armoury becomes a priority. Any good armoury, after all, should comprise an array of weapons – some magical, some mythic, some even real – that may, depending on circumstances, save the day for one’s protagonists.

The Soul-Sucking Sword

A favoured contender for any self-respecting High Epic tale has to be The Soul-Sucking Sword. After all, they do abound within the annals of the epic literature we love: from Elric of Melniboné and Stormbringer, to CJ Cherryh’s Morgaine with Changeling, and Steven Erikson’s Anomander Rake and Dragnipur. Even Robin McKinley’s (far) more benign Blue Sword has an ambivalent sense of humour. When the chips are down, a soul-sucking sword – or one that can drop whole mountain ranges, like the Blue Sword – has to be handy to any protagonist with worlds to save and a destiny to fulfil.

There may not precisely be soul-sucking swords in THE GATHERING OF THE LOST, but there is reference to black blades:

“Fool!” the old woman spoke with asperity despite her cut and bruised mouth. “She’s carrying black blades—that’s how she defeated the siren worm five years ago. That’s where all your power is going now, too, unless I much mistake the matter.”

“Black blades—fables for children!” Boras said, but Garan noticed they had all taken a step back.”

There is also a frost-fire sword with a liking for geasas—but to say any more than that might be a spoiler.

The Spear of Power

Spears of power are almost as popular in the epic armoury as soul-sucking swords. Tolkien’s Gil-galad carried Aiglos, which “none could withstand”, into battle against Sauron at the end of the Second Age, while the Irish hero, Cuchulain, possessed the Gáe Bolg, the spear of mortal pain. Whether the spear of power is quite as effective as a soul-sucking sword remains moot however. Tamora Pierce’s heroine, Keladry, may wield the glaive to good effect in the “Protector of the Small” series, but proficiency with a spear does not preserve Oberyn Martell in George RR Martin’s “A Son of Ice and Fire.” Nor does it appear to have done Kaladin a great deal of good, so far, in Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kings. (more…)

Heroic fantasy revisited: the Drenai saga by David Gemmell

James Long
May 31, 2012

‘I tend to concentrate on courage, loyalty, love and redemption,’ David Gemmell once said. ‘I believe in these things. I refuse to be cynical about the world, and I won’t join the sneerers or the defeatists.’

Gemmell, widely regarded as Britain’s ‘king of heroic fantasy’, imbued his characters with the same attitude and defiance. His classic Drenai series is full of charismatic figures who refuse to accept defeat in the face of impossible odds and overwhelming danger, who strive to do what is right rather than what is easy. Druss the Legend, his most famous creation, is the embodiment of this indomitable spirit: an old man who just wants to be left alone in solitude, he overcomes the ravages of time and leads the heroic defence of Dross Delnoch against hordes of invaders, despite knowing his inspiration carries a deadly price. The pages of the pacy, action-packed Drenai novels are full of such examples of self-sacrifice and heroism.

The flawed natures of these protagonists and their struggles for redemption, is what makes them so endearing and timeless. Although Gemmell’s novels are unashamedly black and white – “If you add too much grey, all you end up with is a grey novel,” he once said – his characters are mostly far more complex. The deadly assassin Waylander, for example, is introduced as a callous, cold-hearted killer – yet as his story progresses, he fights the darkness in his own soul and eventually earns redemption for his past atrocities. It’s the personal struggles of these characters, and their moments of self-doubt and self-sacrifice, that struck a chord with millions of readers all over the world and turned the Drenai books into fantasy classics.

Gemmell’s masterly grasp of characterisation was matched by his ability to write thrilling action scenes, which developed from his upbringing in a tough area of London. ‘I grew up with men of violence,’ he said. ‘I understand men of violence. It means that when I write action scenes and when I have violent characters, I have a very strong feel for that.’ This experience resulted in some of the most thrilling and visceral battles ever written in fantasy literature. Whether it’s Druss swinging his mighty axe on the walls of Dross Delnoch, or Waylander being hunted by nightmarish creatures in a shadowy forest, Gemmell’s action sequences are packed with drama and tension.

The Times recently listed David Gemmell as the third biggest-selling UK ‘adult fantasy’ author of all time, citing his UK sales of 1.5 million. With all six of his classic Drenai novels now available with brand-new covers that really capture the blood and thunder of the tales within, now is the perfect time to discover one of UK fantasy’s greatest writers.

Heroism and heartbreak . . . Gemmell is adrenaline with soul’ – Brent Weeks

‘The hard-bitten champion of British heroic fantasy’ – Joe Abercrombie

THE HEIR OF NIGHT on Gemmell Awards Shortlist – Vote Now!

Jenni Hill
April 19, 2012

We’re all so pleased to announce that Helen Lowe’s THE HEIR OF NIGHT has been shortlisted for a David Gemmell Award! Our biggest congratulations to Helen, and we’re keeping everything crossed for the final awards announcement on 15th June, even though it’s pretty hard to type on the blog with crossed fingers!

If you liked THE HEIR OF NIGHT then please do go and vote for Helen at the Gemmell Awards website. It’s as easy as just one click! There’s no need to sign up, although if you’d like to be a Gemmell Awards member then you can get a free account and become part of the discussion.

There are five books on the shortlist, and voting closes on 31st May 2012, 12 Noon GMT.

Legend Shortlist Announced

Tim Holman
April 13, 2009

We’ve just heard the fantastic news that two Orbit titles, Brent Weeks’ THE WAY OF SHADOWS (US, UK, AUS) and Andrzej Sapkowski’s BLOOD OF ELVES (US), have been shortlisted for the inaugural David Gemmell Legend Award. The Legend Award is unusual in that both the shortlist and the winner are decided by popular vote, rather than committee or convention-goers. We think it’s a great idea. It’s an award that gives general readers and fans everywhere the chance to support the books that they’re actually reading and enjoying. We’re also delighted to see a debut novel such as THE WAY OF SHADOWS on the shortlist. The Legend Award is named after David Gemmell’s own first novel, LEGEND, a modern classic of the fantasy genre.

The Way of Shadows It’s rare for a publisher to release all three books of a series in three consecutive months. But not as rare as it is for a new author to become the bestselling new Fantasy author in all three of the world’s largest English language markets (the US, UK, and Australia). That’s exactly what’s happened with Brent Weeks’ remarkable Night Angel Trilogy.

Orbit published THE WAY OF SHADOWS, SHADOW’S EDGE, and BEYOND THE SHADOWS in October, November and December last year, and with all three books out in rapid succession the Night Angel Trilogy quickly became a huge success wherever it was available. Brent’s writing has clearly struck a chord with fantasy readers around the globe. As recently reported, THE WAY OF SHADOWS has even debuted on the New York Times extended bestseller list, a full 6 months after its initial publication, proving that word of mouth is continuing to drive new readers to the series all the time.

The Blood of Elves We’re always thrilled to see one of our authors become a bestseller – but it’s particularly exciting when it’s a new author. Congratulations from all at Orbit to Brent on his remarkable success.

Andrzej Sapkowski is one of Poland’s bestselling authors, but another author only recently launched in the US. BLOOD OF ELVES is based on his character the Witcher — who inspired the critically acclaimed video game of the same name. His first book to be translated into English was THE LAST WISH, which we published last year, and BLOOD OF ELVES will be released in the US next month.

A special Orbit hurrah too for Joe Abercrombie, who has also found his way onto the shortlist with THE LAST ARGUMENT OF KINGS. Orbit is publishing Joe’s new novel, BEST SERVED COLD, in the US in July. And it’s bloody marvelous.

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite book on the DGLA shortlist, which can be found here.