Posts Tagged ‘fantasy’

Cover Launch: THE LIGHT OF THE MIDNIGHT STARS by Rena Rossner

Looking for an immersive fairytale-inspired novel to sweep you off of your feet? Rena Rossner, author of THE SISTERS OF THE WINTER WOOD (US | UK) , returns with a dazzling new book full of magic, history, and Jewish folklore: THE LIGHT OF THE MIDNIGHT STARS. Hitting shelves in April 2021, behold the gorgeous cover and then head over to Hypable to read an excerpt!

Cover Illustration by Tran Nguyen and Cover Design by Lauren Panepinto

Deep in the Hungarian woods, the sacred magic of King Solomon lives on in his descendants. Gathering under the midnight stars, they pray, sing and perform small miracles – and none are more gifted than the great Rabbi Isaac and his three daughters. Each one is blessed with a unique talent – whether it be coaxing plants to grow, or predicting the future by reading the path of the stars.

When a fateful decision to help an outsider ends in an accusation of witchcraft, fire blazes through their village. Rabbi Isaac and his family are forced to flee, to abandon their magic and settle into a new way of life. But a dark fog is making its way across Europe and will, in the end, reach even those who thought they could run from it. Each of the sisters will have to make a choice – and change the future of their family forever.

Previous praise for Rena Rossner

“With luscious and hypnotic prose, Rena Rossner tells a gripping, powerful story of family, sisterhood, and two young women trying to find their way in the world. I gulped it down!”
— Madeline Miller, author of The Song of Achilles and Circe

“Intricately crafted, gorgeously rendered…full of heart, history, and enchantment.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The Sisters of the Winter Wood is a graceful, poetic, deeply moving novel. A simply gorgeous book in every sense.”
— Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches

“Rossner’s debut weaves a richly detailed story of Jewish identity and sisterhood… emotionally charged, full of sharp historical detail and well-deployed Yiddish phrases…Ambitious and surprising.”
— Kirkus

Cover Launch: THE QUEEN OF IZMOROZ by Jon Skovron

Orbit US and UK are thrilled to announce next installment in Jon Skovron’s epic fantasy trilogy, the Goddess War. Lushly built and thrillingly plotted, THE QUEEN OF IZMOROZ (US | UK) picks up where THE RANGER OF MARZANNA (US | UK) left off with an epic tale of a continent ruptured by opposite forces—and it’s got a fabulous cover to match!

Here’s a bit more about the must-read next book:

Sonya has brought a foreign army to free her country from imperial rule, but her allies may have other goals in the second book of this thrilling epic fantasy trilogy from Jon Skovron.

The first battle is over, but war yet looms on the horizon. Sonya and her allies–the foreign Uaine and their armies of the undead–have beaten back the imperial soldiers from the capital city. Now they have the rest of the country to free.

Meanwhile, her brother the famed wizard Sebastian has retreated with the imperial forces to regroup and lick his wounds. Betrayed by his sister and his wife, the beautiful noblewoman Galina, he will regain control of his life and his country at any cost.

Orbit US and UK will be publishing THE QUEEN OF IZMOROZ in April 2021. In the meantime make sure to say hello to Jon Skovron on twitter: @jonnyskov. And pick up the first book of the series, THE RANGER OF MARZANNA if you haven’t already!

Design by Lisa Marie Pompilio Illustration by Magali Villeneuve (Website | Twitter | Instagram)

Read an excerpt from THE UNBROKEN by C. L. Clark

Orbit is so excited to share the cover and a short preview for C.L. Clark’s incredible debut fantasy, THE UNBROKEN.  In a crumbling kingdom inspired by the deserts of North Africa, two women’s lives will become irrevocably changed—one a solider haunted by the past, the other a dethroned princess who saves her from certain death.

Io9 unveiled the striking cover for The Unbroken, designed by Lauren Panepinto with stellar art by Tommy Arnold.

The Unbroken will be out in print, ebook, and audio on March 23, 2021. Read on for the description of this unmissable epic!

Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has been sent back to her homeland to stop a rebellion, and the ties of blood may be stronger than she thought.

Luca needs a turncoat. Someone desperate enough to tiptoe the bayonet’s edge between treason and orders. Someone who can sway the rebels toward peace, while Luca focuses on what really matters: getting her uncle off her throne.

Through assassinations and massacres, in bedrooms and war rooms, Touraine and Luca will haggle over the price of a nation. But some things aren’t for sale.

Read the first two chapters now!

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: THE IKESSAR FALCON by K. S. Villoso

Queen Talyien is back and looking more badass than ever in this stunning cover for THE IKESSAR FALCON (US | UK), the sequel to the critically acclaimed THE WOLF OF OREN-YARO (US | UK), which Library Journal gave a starred review and called “a new fantasy epic that readers will clamor for.”

In book two of The Chronicles of the Bitch Queen, Talyien discovers a dark conspiracy that would wrest the throne away from her and see her son dead. With the few allies she has left, Talyien must race back to Jin-Sayeng and confront the warlords, dark magic, and mad dragons who threaten her country’s fragile peace.

Art by Simon Goinard. Design by Lauren Panepinto.

The spiral to madness begins with a single push.

 Abandoned by her people, Queen Talyien’s quest takes a turn for the worst as she stumbles upon a plot deeper and more sinister than she could have ever imagined, one that will displace her king and see her son dead. The road home beckons, strewn with a tangled web of deceit and impossible horrors that unearth the nation’s true troubles – creatures from the dark, mad dragons, and men with hearts hungry for power.

To save her land, Talyien must confront the myth others have built around her: Warlord Yeshin’s daughter, symbol of peace, warrior and queen, and everything she could never be.

The price of failure is steep. Her friends are few. And a nation carved by a murderer can only be destined for war.

Praise for THE WOLF OF OREN-YARO:

“The Wolf of Oren-yaro is intricate, intimate, and intensely plotted. Full of subtle poignancy and remarkably genuine characters-even the rotten ones. I loved this book.”   — Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

“A powerful new voice in epic fantasy. Villoso deftly creates an intricate and compelling world of high fantasy intrigue and adventure dominated by a crafty, whip-smart heroine determined to unite her kingdom at any cost.”   — Kameron Hurley, author of The Light Brigade

“Intimate and epic. It compels you to read on, because it’s a story about people not characters, civilizations not settings, and deadly power plays not sanitized throne-room politics.”   — Evan Winter, author of The Rage of Dragons

“Deeply compelling and wonderfully entertaining, The Wolf of Oren-yaro feels at once timely and timeless. K. S. Villoso’s lush and finely crafted world envelops readers from the first page, as she takes us on an adventure full of heartache, hope, and triumph. It’s a fabulous read!”   — Josiah Bancroft, author of Senlin Ascends

“A tale balanced on the blade’s-edge between intrigue and action – and then Villoso twists the knife.”   — Gareth Hanrahan, author of The Gutter Prayer

“Delivers complex and intriguing characters, and an action-packed plot full of surprising twists and deep, vivid world building.”    — Melissa Caruso, author of The Tethered Mage

“[A] remarkable tale of nonstop tension, action, and betrayal . . . This excellent work will appeal to all readers of epic fantasy.”   — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Readers will be swept in by this strong protagonist and stunning worldbuilding, with a plot full of questions and surprises. Villoso’s cunning, exciting debut is a new fantasy epic that readers will clamor for.”   — Library Journal (starred review)

“Villoso’s debut draws on Filipino culture and myths to create a detailed fantasy world and uses the first person narrative of a beleaguered queen to explore a tale of secrets, lies, betrayal, and treason.”   — Booklist

“K.S. Villoso’s The Wolf of Oren-yaro is a fascinating read, driven by a well-drawn cast of characters in a beautifully imagined world.”   — Book Page

“The Wolf of Oren-yaro is a high-fantasy thrill ride that fans of the genre will appreciate, particularly those thirsting for a strong female main character.”   — Ars Technica

“K.S. Villoso dismantled the heavily stereotyped strong female character within epic fantasy and built it anew. Queen Talyien is flawed, beautifully so, making her one of the more realistic female characters I’ve read to date.”    — Hypable

ICYMI: We Lie With Death by Devin Madson

Devin Madson’s propulsive epic fantasy, WE RIDE THE STORM (US |UK), is out next month. And hot on its heels is the equally captivating sequel, WE LIE WITH DEATH  in January 2021. Eager to learn more about it? Check out the stunning cover with art by Nico Delort and designed by Lisa Marie Pompilio and hop over to The Fantasy Inn to read the synopsis (mind the spoilers!).


We’re also thrilled to present the covers for Devin’s Vengeance Trilogy, a bold, fast-paced epic fantasy series that tells the story of Kisia, an empire on the edge of war. If you’ve raced through We Ride the Storm and would love to know more about Emperor Kin and Hana Otako these are the books for you!

They call him the Usurper.

Once the Kisian empire was ruled by gods. Now Kin Ts’ai, a man of common blood, sits on the Crimson Throne. At his command, the last Otako emperor was executed and a new era began. But claiming an empire is easier than holding it.

In the north where loyalty to the Otako name runs deep, a rebellion grows. And Emperor Kin will learn that killing one Otako, doesn’t mean you’ve killed them all.

Vengeance is coming.

The Blood of Whisperers (US | UK), The Gods of Vice (US | UK), and The Grave at Storm’s End (US | UK) publish in August and are available for preorder.

Acquisition Announcement: FOR THE WOLF by Hannah Whitten

“The First Daughter is for the throne. The Second Daughter is for the Wolf.”

From the first lines, we knew that Hannah Whitten’s debut fantasy FOR THE WOLF was special. Dark, lush, romantic, and epic, it’s the kind of fantasy that sweeps you off your feet and never puts you back down again, destined to join the ranks of books like Spinning Silver and The Bear and the Nightingale. And, we are thrilled to have acquired world rights to the novel and its sequel in a pre-empt. Here’s a little bit more about the novel:

As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose—to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he’ll return the world’s captured gods. 

Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can’t control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can’t hurt those she loves. Again.

But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn’t learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood—and her world—whole.

Get excited for FOR THE WOLF to publish in summer 2021, and in the meantime go say “hello” to the author Hannah Whitten on her website hannahfwhitten.com, on Twitter @hwhittenwrites, or on Instagram @hwhittenwrites!

Cover Launch: THE POISON PRINCE by S. C. Emmett

Set in an imperial court filled with hidden agendas, deadly schemes, and ambitious royals, S. C. Emmett’s sumptuous East Asia-inspired fantasy continues with THE POISON PRINCE! Perfect for fans of Kate Elliott, Ken Liu, and K. Arsenault Rivera, it lands on shelves in November. And here’s an early look at the absolutely stunning cover.

Illustrated by Miranda Meeks and designed by Lisa Marie Pompilio 

The crown princess has been assassinated, reigniting tensions between her native Khir and the great Zhaon empire. Now her lady-in-waiting, Komor Yala, is alone in a foreign court, a pawn for imperial schemes. To survive and avenge her princess, Yala will have to rely on unlikely allies-the sly Third Prince and the war-hardened general who sacked her homeland. 

But as the Emperor lies upon his deathbed, the palace is more dangerous than ever before-for there are six princes, and only one throne.

Praise for THE THRONE OF THE FIVE WINDS:

“Intricate, elegant and sharp as a blade — The Throne of the Five Winds is sweeping political fantasy at its finest.”  — Tasha Suri, author of Empire of Sand

“With a deliberate pace and fine attention to details of dress and custom, Emmett weaves a masterful tale of court intrigues.”  — Booklist (starred review)

“Brimful of thrilling palace drama and menacing court intrigue.”— Kate Elliott, author of Black Wolves

“Action and intrigue takes place within a layered and beautifully realized fantasy world that will appeal to readers of Evan Winter’s The Rage of Dragons and K. Arsenault Rivera’s The Tiger’s Daughter.”— B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog

Cover Launch: THE THOUSAND DEATHS OF ARDOR BENN by Tyler Whitesides

We’re thrilled to announce that THE THOUSAND DEATHS OF ARDOR BENN (US | UK) is getting a stunning new cover – and two more books to complete the trilogy!

In the Kingdom of Grit series, master con artist Ardor Benn is hired to pull off a string of wildly complex heists, that starts with stealing a crown and escalates to saving the whole damn world. What could be easier? But he won’t manage it on his own: Ard will need the skills and quick fingers of Quarrah, who has made a name for herself as an up-and-coming thief in the city, and the brawn and brains of his longtime best friend Raek. If you like your fantasy full of elaborate quests, fast-talking thieves, plot twist upon plot twist, explosive magic, dragons, and nonstop action – starring a rogue with a heart of gold – then this is the trilogy for you.

And you’re not going to need to wait years for this epic trilogy to be completed: the fantasy saga will be entirely published before the end of this year. The new paperback edition of THE THOUSAND DEATHS OF ARDOR BENN, which features the phenomenal cover art by Ben Zweifel, will be on sale in October, followed by book two in November and book three in December.

Oct. 6th, 2020

Nov. 3rd, 2020

Dec. 1st, 2020

Liar. Thief. Legend.

Ardor Benn is no ordinary thief. Rakish, ambitious, and master of wildly complex heists, he styles himself a Ruse Artist Extraordinaire.

When he gets hired for his for the most daring ruse yet, Ardor knows he’ll need more than quick wit and sleight of hand. Assembling a dream team of forgers, disguisers, schemers, and thieves, he sets out to steal a crown from the most powerful king the realm has ever known.

But it soon becomes clear there’s much more at stake than fame and glory – Ard and his team might just be the last hope for human civilization.

Want to know more? Listen to an excerpt read by the author!

Design by Lauren Pane pinto
Illustration by Ben Zweifel

Cover Launch: HOW TO RULE AN EMPIRE AND GET AWAY WITH IT by K. J. Parker

Are you a “hidden gems” person or a “blockbusters” person when you’re browsing Netflix? It’s fine to be both, of course, but if you’re in a “hidden gems” mood we think you might like to check out the books of K.J. Parker. A great place to start would be SIXTEEN WAYS TO DEFEND A WALLED CITY (US | UK). However, if you already know all there is to know about defending walled cities, maybe you’d be more interested in the messy business of ruling an empire? We’re delighted to present the cover for K.J.Parker’s new novel, HOW TO RULE AN EMPIRE AND GET AWAY WITH IT (US | UK), coming in August. It’s set in the same world as SIXTEEN WAYS, but entirely stand-alone. Essential reading for anybody thinking of changing direction and getting into empire-building.

Design by Lauren Panepinto

This is the story of how the City was saved, by Notker the professional liar, written down because eventually the truth always seeps through.

The City may be under siege, but everyone still has to make a living. Take Notker, the acclaimed playwright, actor and impresario. Nobody works harder, even when he’s not working. Thankfully, it turns out that people enjoy the theater just as much when there are big rocks falling out of the sky.

But Notker is a man of many talents, and all the world is, apparently, a stage. It seems that the Empire needs him – or someone who looks a lot like him – for a role that will call for the performance of a lifetime. At least it will guarantee fame, fortune and immortality. If it doesn’t kill him first.

Praise for SIXTEEN WAYS TO DEFEND A WALLED CITY:

“Full of invention and ingenuity . . . Great fun.” — SFX

“Launches a witty adventure series . . . Readers will appreciate the infusion of humor and fun-loving characters into this vivid and sometimes grim fantasy world.” — Publishers Weekly

“As with most of Parker’s work, there is a mel¬ancholy undercurrent that gives the humor weight. As heroes go, Orhan is a reluctant and flawed one . . . . [but] when Orhan works the problem, we can’t help but watch.” — Locus