Posts Tagged ‘debut’

Cover Launch: MISTRESS OF LIES by K.M. Enright

Fate is a cruel mistress. Enter the decadent world of Aeravin, where knowledge is dangerous and blood is power. We’re thrilled to reveal the gorgeous cover for Mistress of Lies, publishing in the US and UK in August 2024.

The beautiful cover was designed by Ella Garrett and illustrated by Felix Abel Klaer. Read on for a taste of what’s in store. . .

Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright. A woman's bust, wearing a luscious red and gold brocade dress, holds an ornate dagger, she's surrounded by red and white roses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.


Praise for Mistress of Lies:

‘A dark, delicate, beauty of a novel, with all the edges of sharpened steel’ K.S. Villoso, author of The Wolf of Oren-Yaro

‘Mistress of Lies is a honey trap of romance and royaltycore that leaves no corroded stone unturned when delving into the corruption at the heart of monarchy’ Ladz, author of The Fealty of Monsters

‘A cunning and clawed fantasy romance. Whether manoeuvring cutthroat society parties or scorching bedroom alliances, Enright’s characters crackle with chemistry, pitting loyalty against clashing ideals in a twisting murder mystery that will leave you breathless to the very end’ S. A. MacLean, author of The Phoenix Keeper

 

Acquisition Announcement: GREENTEETH by Molly O’Neill

Orbit is delighted to announce the acquisition of GREENTEETH, a heartwarming fantasy novel of fae, folklore and found family by debut author Molly O’Neill. It tells the story of Jenny Greenteeth – a lake-dwelling monster from British myth – and the magical quest she goes on after her peaceful existence is shattered by a witch being thrown into her lake. Packed full of adventure, magic and heart, this utterly charming debut is perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, Megan Bannen and Olivia Atwater.

Read on for a taste of what’s in store:

‘The witch looked surprised to see me, her eyes blinking furiously at me through murky waters. I don’t know why she was so astonished. It was my lake she’d been thrown into; she should have expected I’d come and see if there was anyone worth eating.’

Beneath the still surface of a lake lurks a monster with needle-sharp teeth. Hungry and ready to pounce. Jenny Greenteeth has never spoken to a human before, but when a witch is thrown into her lake, something makes Jenny decide she’s worth saving.

Temperance doesn’t know why her village has suddenly turned against her, only that it has something to do with the malevolent new pastor. Though they have nothing in common, these two must band together on a magical quest to defeat the evil that threatens Jenny’s lake and Temperance’s family – as well as the very soul of Britain.

Molly O’Neill is a fantasy author and engineering geologist. She was born and raised in the Cotswolds and moved to Australia in 2019. She now lives in Sydney, on the land of the Gadigal People. Molly writes fantasy books inspired by the beautiful landscapes of her two countries, and by the folklore of the British Isles. She particularly loves the darker Arthurian legends and the Welsh myths of the Mabinogion and often uses them as a foundation for her stories. When not furiously scribbling ideas into a notebook Molly can be found looking intensely at rocks, paddling on the Sydney beaches, or searching for the perfect taco. Greenteeth is her debut novel.

We can’t wait to share Greenteeth with readers in 2025! In the meantime, please join us in welcoming Molly to Orbit. She can be found on Twitter @MollyONeill21

Orbit UK senior commissioning editor Emily Byron acquired World English rights from Sam Edenborough at Greyhound Literary.

Cover launch: FATHOMFOLK by Eliza Chan

We are delighted to launch this gorgeous cover for Orbit debut Eliza Chan’s lush and folkloric fantasy novel, FATHOMFOLK! Coming February 2024…

The cover art is by Kelly Chong and cover design is by Ella Garrett at L,BBG.

This is the front cover for the novel Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan. It shows the author name and title, as well as two mermaids, a kelpie, a water dragon and crashing blue waves over an ornate, red building

Welcome to Tiankawi. Revolution is brewing and tensions are rising like the tide…

The semi-flooded city is a shining pearl of human civilization and a safe haven for those fleeing civil unrest. Or at least, that’s how it first appears. But in Tiankawi, humans are, quite literally, on top: peering down from shining towers and aerial walkways on the fathomfolk – sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappas – who live in the polluted waters below.

For half-siren Mira, promotion to captain of the border guard means an opportunity to help her downtrodden people. But if earning the trust of her human colleagues wasn’t hard enough, everything Mira has worked towards is put in jeopardy when Nami, a know-it-all water dragon and fathomfolk royalty, is exiled to the city. When extremists sabotage the annual boat race, violence erupts, as does the clampdown on fathomfolk rights. Both Nami and Mira must decide if the cost of change is worth paying, or if Tiankawi should be left to drown.

Cover Launch: BOYS IN THE VALLEY by Philip Fracassi

Prepare to lose sleep with Philip Fracassi’s historical horror, Boys in the Valley, coming this July. Take a look at the haunting cover below, designed by the brilliant Bekki Guyatt. This is the perfect horror for fans of The Exorcist, Midnight Mass and Lord of the Flies.

Book cover for Boys in the Valley showing a snowy isolated landscape all in white with a house in its centre. The title is in blood red font above the house with the author name below it

St. Vincent’s Orphanage for Boys. Turn of the century, in a remote valley in Pennsylvania.

Here, under the watchful eyes of several priests, thirty boys work, learn, and worship. Peter Barlow, orphaned as a child by a gruesome murder, has made a new life here. As he approaches adulthood, he has friends, a future. . . a family.

Then, late one stormy night, a group of men arrive at their door, one of whom is badly wounded, occult symbols carved into his flesh. His death releases an ancient evil that spreads like sickness, infecting St.  Vincent’s and the children within.

Soon, boys begin acting differently, forming groups. Taking sides. Others turn up dead. Now Peter and those dear to him must choose sides of their own, each of them knowing their lives – and perhaps their eternal souls – are at risk.

Praise for Boys in the Valley:

‘Fracassi. . . builds his horrific tales slowly and carefully…he’s especially skilful at creating, and sustaining, suspense’ The New York Times

‘Gut-wrenching, heart breaking, and terrifying’ Andy Davidson, author of The Boatman’s Daughter

‘Horror readers will be hooked’ Publishers Weekly

‘A riveting, and horrifying, tale of survival set against a punishing and vivid backdrop.’ Victor LaValle

‘Fracassi. . . brings a depth of understanding to his monsters, human and otherwise’  Guardian

‘Fracassi’s storytelling is. . . horror with a big, broken heart’ Esquire

‘His range, prolific output, and fast-paced prose are all set to put him on the shelf next to names such as King, Straub, and Thomas Harris’ Signal Horizon

Boys in the Valley is available to pre-order now! You can follow Philip on Twitter @PhilipFracassi 

Cover Launch: SOME DESPERATE GLORY by Emily Tesh

The book cover for Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh, showing a pastel scene of a planet, a moon and a spaceship in orbit

We’re delighted to share the cover for Emily’s Tesh’s debut novel, SOME DESPERATE GLORY.

While we live, the enemy shall fear us.

All her life Kyr has trained for the day she can avenge the destruction of planet Earth by an all-powerful, reality-shifting weapon known as the Wisdom. Raised in the bowels of Gaea Station alongside the last scraps of humanity, she is one of the best warriors of her generation, the sword of a dead planet.

Then Command assigns her brother to certain death and relegates her to the nursery to bear sons and she knows she must take humanity’s revenge into her own hands. But she soon learns that not everything she’s been raised to believe is true, and the Wisdom is far more complex and dangerous than she could ever have imagined.

Coming April 2023, SOME DESPERATE GLORY is a thrillingly told space opera about the wreckage of war, the family you find and who you must become when every choice is stripped from you.

 

Cover artwork by Tegnemaskin.no, Cover design by Duncan Spilling – LBBG

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: Eliza Chan’s Fathomfolk Makes a Splash at Orbit

An author photo of Eliza Chan, she is holding a notebook and looking into the camera. Photo by Sandi Hodkinson
Photo Credit: Sandi Hodkinson

DEEPLY IRRESISTIBLE DEBUT FANTASY DUOLOGY ACQUIRED IN COMPETITIVE AUCTION

We are delighted to announce that Orbit has acquired two books in a highly-anticipated fantasy series inspired by East Asian mythology and watery folk tales from British debut author Eliza Chan. Eliza has published various pieces of short fiction but Fathomfolk will be her first novel.

Alexander Cochran (C&W) sold world rights to Editorial Director Jenni Hill at Orbit, Little, Brown Book Group. Brit Hvide has acquired for Orbit US.

In Eliza’s duology, revolution is brewing in the semi-submerged city of Tiankawi, between humans and the fathomfolk—sirens, sea witches, kelpies, and kappas—who live in its waters. This debut fantasy is perfect for fans of Fonda Lee’s Jade City and Sarah J. Maas’s House of Earth and Blood.

 

Eliza says: “I am thrilled that Fathomfolk has found a home with Orbit. They have published so many groundbreaking, cherished favourites of mine over the years and I am gobsmacked to be within that number. I am looking forward to working with Jenni and Brit, knowing my flooded world is in the best hands.”

Jenni says: “Eliza is such a find, and I am so glad that she decided to choose Orbit as the home for her debut! Fathomfolk is simply irresistible: we loved Eliza’s charming characters, her depth of worldbuilding: there were literal squeals of glee in the Orbit editorial meeting when we discussed her work, from team members who will remain anonymous for dignity’s sake…”

Alex says: “I loved the rich and beautifully drawn world of Fathomfolk from the first moment I read Eliza’s work, and I’m absolutely delighted that she’s found such a brilliant editor and home in Jenni and the team at Orbit.”

 

For more information about Fathomfolk, please contact Orbit publicist Nazia Khatun (nazia.khatun@littlebrown.co.uk).

Translation rights enquires should go to Jessica Perdue at Little, Brown Book Group (jessica.purdue@hachette.co.uk).

Author photo credit: Sandi Hodkinson

About the author: Eliza Chan is a Scottish-born Chinese-diaspora author who ‘writes about East Asian mythology, British folklore and madwomen in the attic, but preferably all three at once’. Eliza’s work has been published in The Dark, Podcastle, Fantasy Magazine and The Best of British Fantasy 2019. She lives in the North of England with her partner and young child. Fathomfolk is her first novel. @elizawchan

 

 

Cover Launch: THE GUTTER PRAYER by Gareth Hanrahan

Set in a world of dark gods and dangerous magic, Gareth Hanrahan’s remarkable debut, THE GUTTER PRAYER (UK|US|ANZ), is set to be a must-read for fantasy fans in 2019. It will hit the shops early next year, and we’re thrilled to reveal the striking cover below.

 

Illustration by Richard Anderson
Design by Steve Panton

 

This thrilling and visceral debut is already generating some brilliant early buzz:

‘A gripping tale that meshes beautifully with its fascinating, darkly inventive setting’
James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was Lost

‘A ground-breaking and extraordinary novel . . . Hanrahan has an astonishing imagination’
Peter McLean, author of Priest of Bones

‘Laced with the blackest of humour and packed with magic and mayhem, this is fantasy turned up to 11’
Anna Stephens, author of Godblind

‘An absolutely stunning debut . . . I loved it! Highly recommended ’
Michael R. Fletcher, author of Beyond Redemption

‘Beautifully written. Gripping. Guerdon is the city of my dreams’
Anna Smith Spark, author of The Court of Broken Knives

 

READ ON FOR A TASTE OF WHAT’S IN STORE:

In the ancient city of Guerdon, three thieves – an orphan, a ghoul and a cursed man – are accused of a crime they didn’t commit. Their quest for revenge exposes a perilous conspiracy, the seeds of which were sown long before they were born.

A centuries-old magical war is on the verge of reigniting and in the tunnels deep below the city, a malevolent power stirs. Only by standing together can the three friends prevent a conflict that would bring total devastation to their city – and the world beyond.

Acquired: Madness, Mayhem, and K.S. Merbeth

Merbeth author photo 1Even after Mad Max: Fury Road has been in theaters for months, people still cannot stop talking about it — the amazing world, the non-stop action and best of all, the strong female main character. So what better than to acquire a book perfect for fans of that kind of post-apocalyptic madness and mayhem?

BITE by K.S. Merbeth is a dark debut with an edge of black humor that will sweep you off your feet:

“Need a ride?”

Kid has no name, no family and no survival skills whatsoever. But that hasn’t stopped her from striking out on her own in the wasteland that the world has become.

But when Kid accepts a ride from two strangers, she suddenly becomes the newest member of a bloodthirsty raider crew. Dragged on a messy chase, through shoot-outs and severed limbs, the group must outrun everyone they’ve wronged. But in a world that’s lost its humanity, not everything is as it seems and this time it isn’t monsters that crave flesh….

Debut author K.S. Merbeth paints a world that is both fascinating and unnervingly possible. Acquired by Orbit in a two-book deal from Emmanuelle Morgan at Stonesong, this blockbuster will hit shelves summer 2016!

Meet the author of BATTLEMAGE: Stephen Aryan!

photo by Hannah Webster, copyright Stephen AryanOrbit recently acquired a debut epic fantasy trilogy by British author Stephen Aryan. The first book in the series, BATTLEMAGE, tells the story of mages treated as living weapons during a war between empires. It’s chock full of magic, scheming and truly epic battle scenes as these mages fight hard for an army that fears and distrusts them.

We’re sure you’re curious to meet the newest addition to Orbit, so we’ve created a mini-interview here with Stephen where you can get to know each other!

JH: Hi Stephen! Welcome to the Orbit gang!

SA: It’s a gang?

JH: Yep, we hang around on street corners, publishing books and scaring the neighbours. So what can you tell us about BATTLEMAGE, your very first novel?

SA: It’s an epic fantasy story set during a massive war and told from three main points of view; the front line warriors, the Heads of State and Generals conducting the war, and the Battlemages, wizards trained to fight and kill with their magic. Expect chopping off of limbs, political and espionage shenanigans, and black humour.

JH: Magicians, witches, wizards, we’ve read about them before – what’s different about your Battlemages?

SA: They’re a dying breed and are in demand all over the world. The Grey Council, the people in charge of magical training, abandoned their post years ago: the result is the majority of those born with a sensitivity to magic receive no training at all. Some have a little, which makes them unstable and, quite possibly, explosive as they don’t know how to control their power. Accidents happen quite often which has made a lot of people afraid of magic. So Battlemages are both feared and respected because they have immense power that makes them seem superhuman to most people, but they’re also necessary.

JH: Which books and authors influenced you in the writing of this series?

SA: The Earthsea novels by Ursula Le Guin was one early influence, which focus on Ged, a wizard who has several painful events that shape him as an adult. The other series that really made me think about wizards and magic were the Belgariad and the Malloreon novels by David Eddings. In both series there are only a handful of really powerful magic users who are also demi-gods and they walk that fine line between using their power to guide and protect humanity versus letting events run their natural course. LEGEND by David Gemmell was a big influence in terms of characterisation and my approach to story. Also the the work of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, in particular their Dragonlance novels, as they have magic, non-human races and diverse characters which I have in my books as well.

JH: If there’s one reason that readers should be looking forward to BATTLEMAGE, it is:

SA: Only one? Hmm, because it’s a rollicking good story with plenty of action, memorable characters, epic battles and a sense of humour throughout.

BATTLEMAGE will be out in October 2015, with the sequels to follow six months after. If you’d like to hear more from Stephen in the meantime, you can follow him on twitter at @SteveAryan or check out his website.