Posts Tagged ‘fantasy romance’

Acquisition Announcement: T. Kingfisher’s Saint of Steel series and SWORDHEART

Orbit UK is so thrilled to have acquired 5 books from two-time Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher. This includes the previously self-published cult hit Saint of Steel series that begins with Paladin’s Grace and standalone cosy romantasy Swordheart.

The books are utterly refreshing fantasy: by turns cosy and heart-warming but with a darker edge, appealing to romantasy readers as well as fans of classic fantasy and Dungeons & Dragons.

black and white photograph of T Kingfisher in a graveyard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helen Breitwieser at Cornerstone Literary Agency sold UK and Commonwealth rights in five of T. Kingfisher’s books to Nadia Saward, Commissioning Editor at Orbit. The ebooks of Paladin’s Grace, Paladin’s Strength, Paladin’s Hope and Swordheart are on sale now from Orbit, with Paladin’s Faith publishing in early December. Orbit will be redesigning the covers and will be releasing paperbacks of all five books in Spring 2025.

Acquiring editor Nadia Saward said: ‘T. Kingfisher has always had a lifelong, devoted fan in me; I’ve read the Saint of Steel books more times than I can count. T. Kingfisher has the rare ability to write characters that I would willingly walk across coals for and create peculiar and utterly memorable fantasy worlds. We’re so excited to be working on these amazing books in the UK.’

Author T. Kingfisher said: ‘Seeing a weird little series I mostly wrote at my kitchen table go global is both wonderful and surreal. I’m delighted to work with Orbit UK on bringing these books to a wider audience!’

About the author: T. Kingfisher is the vaguely absurd pen-name author Ursula Vernon uses when writing for adults. In another life, she writes children’s books and weird comics. As Kingfisher, she has won the Hugo, Nebula, Locus and Dragon Awards. When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies. You can follow T. Kingfisher on X @UrsulaV

 

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

 

Cover Launch: A FEATHER SO BLACK (UK)

Feast your eyes on the UK cover of A Feather So Black by Lyra Selene, a sizzling fantasy romance inspired by Celtic mythology, coming in early 2024.

book cover of UK edition of A Feather so Black by Lyra Selene. An ornate dagger with swans carved into the hilt, surrounded by a Celtic circle design and flowers, with a blue, green and dusky pink background
Designed by Tim Byrne

Set in a world of perilous magic, crumbling castles and moonlit forests, A Feather So Black spins the seductive tale of a changeling princess, her cursed sister, and the dangerous fae lord she must defeat to save her family.

In a kingdom where magic has been lost, Fia is a rare changeling, left behind by the wicked Fair Folk when they stole the High Queen’s daughter and locked the gates to the Otherworld. The Queen treats Fia as a daughter and trains her to be a spy. Meanwhile, the true princess Eala is bound to Otherworld, cursed to become a swan by day and only returning to her true form at night.

When a hidden gate to Otherworld is discovered, Fia is tasked by the High Queen to retrieve Eala and break her curse. But she doesn’t go alone: with her is prince Rogan, Eala’s betrothed and Fia’s childhood best friend.

As the two journey into a world where magic winds through the roots of the trees and beauty can be a deadly illusion, Fia’s mission is complicated by her feelings for the prince. . . and her unexpected attraction to the dark-hearted fae lord holding Eala captive. Irian might be more monster than man, but he seems to understand Fia in a way no one ever has.

You can pre-order A Feather So Black now, and you can follow Lyra on Twitter @LyraSelene

Acquisition Announcement: TRIAL OF THE SUN QUEEN by Nisha J. Tuli

Orbit is delighted to announce that we’ve acquired TikTok fantasy romance sensation Trial of the Sun Queen and the subsequent three books in the Artefacts of Ouranos series by Nisha J. Tuli. A Court of Thorns and Roses meets The Bachelor with a sumptuous enemies to lovers romance, these books are deliciously bingeable romantasy.

Book cover of Trial of the Sun Queen by Nisha J Tuli. A bronze and gold background with the type nestled by a golden mirror, glowing pendant necklace and a masquerade mask. Book cover of Rule of the Aurora King. A forest green background with the title in the centre, surrounded by a torch with purple flames, crowns and a glowing purple pendant necklace

Joelle Dieu at Hachette Book Group USA sold UK and Commonwealth rights to Commissioning editor Nadia Saward at Orbit UK, with plans to publish simultaneously with Forever. The ebooks in the first two books, Trial of the Sun Queen and Rule of the Aurora King are published today with paperbacks to follow in October this year. Fans eagerly awaiting Fate of the Sun King won’t need to wait long, as it will be publishing in Summer 2024.

Author photo of Nisha J. Tuli, sitting on a leather couch and smiling, wearing a black top

Please welcome Nisha to Orbit! You can follow her on Twitter @NishaJT and via her website.

Acquisition Announcement: New S.T. Gibson series

Orbit is thrilled to announce that we’ve acquired a new series from S.T. Gibson, author of the cult Sunday Times bestseller A Dowry of Blood and the upcoming dark academia romance An Education in Malice. Her new trilogy is Wuthering Heights meets The Cruel Prince, a luscious fantasy romance set in the Scottish Highlands featuring fairy bargains, crumbling old mansions and multiple steamy romances.

Tara Gilbert at KT Literary sold World English rights in the new trilogy to Nadia Saward, Commissioning Editor at Orbit UK, in a six-figure deal. Executive Editor Brit Hvide has acquired for Orbit US and publication is planned for 2025.

A photo of S.T. Gibson in a floral dress, standing near some gothic ruins

We can’t wait to share Saint’s new series with readers in 2025, but in the meantime you can follow Saint on Twitter @s_t_gibson, on Instagram @stgibsonauthor.

Cover Launch: EMILY WILDE’S MAP OF THE OTHERLANDS by Heather Fawcett

Everyone’s favourite intrepid Professor of Dryadology is back, in the second instalment in the Emily Wilde series.

This beautiful cover was designed by Ella Garrett, with illustrations from Bex Parkin. Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is publishing in January 2024, and is available to pre-order now!

You can read on for a taste of what’s in store for Emily Wilde and Wendell Bambleby as they travel to the Alps. . .

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore, and has catalogued many secrets of the Hidden Folk in her encyclopaedia with her infuriatingly charming fellow scholar, Wendell Bambleby, by her side.

But Bambleby is more than just a brilliant and unbearably handsome scholar. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, in search of a door back to his realm.

By lucky happenstance, Emily’s new project, a map of the realms of faerie, will take them on an adventure to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambleby’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.

But with new friendships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.

If you haven’t started the series yet, you can pick up Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries now!

 

Acquisition Announcement: A LETTER TO THE LUMINOUS DEEP by Sylvie Cathrall

Dive into the curious correspondence of Sylvie Cathrall’s delightful debut novel, A Letter to the Luminous Deep. Perfect for fans of A Marvellous Light and TJ Klune, A Letter to the Luminous Deep is a whimsical epistolary fantasy set in a mystical underwater world with mystery and heart-warming romance.

Orbit UK Commissioning editor Nadia Saward acquired World rights in the Sunken Archive duology from Natasha Mihell at The Rights Factory, with Senior Editor Priyanka Krishnan acquiring for Orbit US. Publication is planned for Spring 2024.

A red, white and black graphic that frames a portrait photo of debut author Sylvie Cathrall. The photo is in black and white, with Sylvie in profile. The text on the graphic reads: Acquisition Announcement, A Letter to the Luminous Deep, Sylvie Cathrall

A beautiful discovery outside the window of her underwater home prompts the reclusive E. to begin a correspondence with renowned scholar Henerey Clel. The letters they share are filled with passion, at first for their mutual interests, and then, inevitably, for each other.

Together, they uncover a mystery from the unknown depths, destined to transform the underwater world they both equally fear and love. But by no mere coincidence, a seaquake destroys E.’s home, and she and Henerey vanish.

A year later, E.’s sister Sophy, and Henerey’s brother Vyerin, are left to solve the mystery of their siblings’ disappearances  with the letters, sketches and field notes left behind. As they uncover the wondrous love their siblings shared, Sophy and Vyerin learn the key to their disappearance – and what it could mean for life as they know it.

Acquiring editor Saward said: ‘I knew from the first paragraph I needed to acquire this book. The gorgeous underwater setting is unlike anything else I’ve seen in fantasy, and the epistolary romance between the two main characters, a brilliant but reclusive young woman and a renowned scholar, will break your heart and put it back together again.’

Author Sylvie Cathrall said: ‘Like a letter sent by chance to the perfect recipient, my epistolary fantasy found its ideal match in the Orbit team. I’m grateful for the opportunity to unlock the sunken archive that is A Letter to the Luminous Deep and share this curious correspondence with readers.’

Agent Natasha Mihell said: ‘The joy infusing A Letter to the Luminous Deep is sublime and propulsive, and the prose is handled with extraordinary grace. It is a story that will leave you with a deep trust in the beauty of life. Cathrall reminds us that, though we may sometimes feel disillusioned by our circumstances, we are all of us entitled to our own magical adventure. And we can own every aspect of ourselves, every step of the way.’

US editor Priyanka Krishnan said: ‘I want to say that reading this book felt like a breath of fresh air, but it doesn’t quite feel like the right analogy given the gorgeous underwater setting! However, it’s true—A Letter to the Luminous Deep is unlike anything I’ve read recently, and I adore it. It captured my attention with its unique world, its whimsical epistolary structure, and its charming letter banter (is there anything sexier than flirtation by post?) And it captured my heart with its emotional depth, the way it gently addresses trauma and mental health concerns, and its beautiful exploration of relationships (both romantic and familial). I love this book and am thrilled Orbit will be publishing it!’

About the author: Sylvie Cathrall writes stories of hope and healing with healthy doses of wonder and whimsy. She holds a graduate degree in odd Victorian art and has handled more than a few nineteenth-century letters (with great care). Sylvie married her former pen pal and lives in the mountains, where she dresses impractically and dreams of the sea.

You can find Sylvie on Instagram @sylviecathrall – go give her a follow!

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.