Posts Tagged ‘fantasy’

THE STONE SKY wins the 2018 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel

The winners of the 2018 Locus Awards were announced this weekend and we’re happy to announce that THE STONE SKY by N. K. Jemisin [US | UK | ANZ] won for Best Fantasy Novel!

There was a strong lineup of nominees for the Best Fantasy award this year, including Orbit’s own JADE CITY by Fonda Lee [US | UK | ANZ], and THE DELIRIUM BRIEF by Charles Stross [UK | ANZ]. Orbit was also represented in other categories: PERSEPOLIS RISING by James S. A. Corey [US | UK | ANZ], PROVENANCE by Ann Leckie [US | UK | ANZ], and NEW YORK 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson [US | UK | ANZ] were nominated for Best Science Fiction, and AUTONOMOUS by Annalee Newitz [UK | ANZ] was nominated for Best First Novel.

You can find the full list of nominees and winners here.

Congratulations to all the nominees and to N. K. Jemisin for her win!

Coming Soon: THE WINTER ROAD by Adrian Selby

We’re delighted to share the cover for Adrian Selby’s forthcoming novel, THE WINTER ROAD (US | UK | ANZ). A gritty and epic adventure for fans of Mark Lawrence, Andrzej Sapkowski and Joe Abercrombie, The Winter Road is a fantasy novel which remembers that battles leave all kinds of scars.

The greatest empire of them all began with a road.

The Circle – a thousand miles of perilous forests and warring clans. No one has ever tamed such treacherous territory before, but ex-soldier Teyr Amondsen, veteran of a hundred battles, is determined to try.

With a merchant caravan protected by a crew of skilled mercenaries, Amondsen embarks on a dangerous mission to forge a road across the untamed wilderness that was once her home. But a warlord rises in the wilds of the Circle, uniting its clans and terrorising its people. Teyr’s battles may not be over yet . . .

All roads lead back to war.

Design by Lauren Panepinto
Illustration by Jaime Jones

2018 Locus Awards Nominations

The 2018 Locus Awards nominations are in and we’re excited to announce seven Orbit books made the list!

Science Fiction

PERSEPOLIS RISING cover Paperback cover of Kim Stanley Robinson's NEW YORK 2140

PERSEPOLIS RISING by James S. A. Corey [US | UK | ANZ]

PROVENANCE by Ann Leckie [US | UK | ANZ]

NEW YORK 2140 [US | UK | ANZ]

Fantasy

THE STONE SKY by N. K. Jemisin [US | UK | ANZ]

JADE CITY by Fonda Lee [US | UK | ANZ]

THE DELIRIUM BRIEF by Charles Stross [UK | ANZ]

First Novel

AUTONOMOUS by Annalee Newitz [UK | ANZ]

Orbit is also among the top ten publishers nominated in the best publisher category! Check out the full list of nominees here. Winners will be announced during the Locus Awards Weekend in Seattle WA, June 22-24, 2018. Congratulations to all of the nominees.

2018 Gemmell Award Nominations

We’re happy to announce that five Orbit titles are nominated for the 2018 Gemmell Awards!

Vote for your favorites now.

Voting closes June 1st. The winners will be announced July 14th. Congratulations to all the nominees.

Legend Award (Best Fantasy Novel of 2017)

THE FALL OF DRAGONS by Miles Cameron [US | ANZ]

 

Morningstar Award (Best Fantasy Debut of 2017)

KINGS OF THE WYLD by Nicholas Eames [US | UK | ANZ]

THE TETHERED MAGE by Melissa Caruso [US | UK | ANZ]

AGE OF ASSASSINS by RJ Barker [US | UK | ANZ]

THE COURT OF BROKEN KNIVES by Anna Smith Spark [US]

 

Ravenheart Award (Best Fantasy Book Cover Art of 2017)

KINGS OF THE WYLD by Nicholas Eames [US | UK | ANZ]

Cover Launch: EMPIRE OF SAND by Tasha Suri

EMPIRE OF SAND is Tasha Suri’s captivating, Mughal India-inspired debut fantasy about a young woman whose magic might uphold—or destroy—an empire. Perfect for fans of City of Brass, Red Queen, and The Wrath & the Dawn, EMPIRE OF SAND will transport you to a land of dark myths and bloody magic, where the fate of the world hangs on one woman’s choices.

Can’t wait until it’s published in November 2018? As announced on Book Riot, here’s an early preview of the gorgeous cover, designed by Lauren Panepinto, to whet your appetite!

A nobleman’s daughter with magic in her blood. An empire built on the dreams of enslaved gods.

The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited.

When Mehr’s power comes to the attention of the Emperor’s most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda — and should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance…

Cover Launch: THE SISTERS OF THE WINTER WOOD by Rena Rossner

Captivating and boldly imaginative, with a tale of sisterhood at its heart, Rena Rossner’s debut fantasy THE SISTERS OF THE WINTER WOOD (US | UK | ANZ)  invites you to enter a world filled with magic, folklore, and the dangers of the woods. It’s perfect for fans of The Bear and the Nightingale and Uprooted and is out in September 2018.

We’re delighted to reveal the cover with art by Rebecca Yanovskaya and designed by Lauren Panepinto.

The Sisters of the Winter Wood

Every family has a secret. Behind every secret, there is a story.

Raised in a remote village surrounded by vast forests on the border of Moldova and Ukraine, sisters Liba and Laya live a peaceful, sheltered life.

But when a troupe of mysterious men arrives, Laya falls under their spell—despite their mother’s warning to be wary of strangers. And this is not the only danger lurking in the woods….

As dark forces close in on their small village, Liba and Laya discover a family secret passed down through generations. Faced with a magical heritage they never knew existed, the sisters realize the old fairy tales are true…and could save them all. 

Rena Rossner lives in Israel where she works as a literary agent. She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University’s Writing Seminars program and McGill University where she studied history. All eight of her great-grandparents immigrated to America to escape the pogroms from towns like Dubossary, Kupel, Riga and Bender. It is their story, together with her love of Jewish mythology and fantasy that inspired her to write The Sisters of the Winter Wood.

Early praise for The Sisters of the Winter Wood:

“Mixes fairy tale, poetry, history, and heart to create an enchanting and mesmerizing tale of sisterly love. I adored this book!” — Sarah Beth Durst, award-winning author of The Queens of Renthia series

“A graceful, poetic, deeply moving novel. Its characters are fantastical and yet essentially human, bound by ambition and desire, fear and prejudice, but above all, love in all its forms. Simply gorgeous book in every sense.”– Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches

“This dark fairy tale about sisterly love and Jewish strength and courage, set against the backdrop of a deep and deadly winter forest, will haunt me for a long time. A powerful, emotional debut.” — Julie C. Dao, author of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

“Rossner weaves an elegant tapestry of the love between sisters, the value of faith and family, and knowing one’s true friends in times of peril.” — J. Kathleen Cheney, author of The Golden City

Cover launch: THE GREY BASTARDS by Jonathan French

BRING ON THE ORCS . . . 

The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French book cover

What do you get when you cross:

Orcs  +  visceral action  +  a filthy, sardonic voice  + giant war pigs…?

A SHEDLOAD OF BADASSERY – that’s what.

Today we’re officially launching the cover for THE GREY BASTARDS (UK|ANZ) by Jonathan French – designed by artist and photographer Larry Rostant, along with Little, Brown Book Group creative director Duncan Spilling.

THE GREY BASTARDS is a debut that’s down, dirty and damn good fun. It’s a must-read for fantasy fans in 2018.

You might have heard of this book already because it won Mark Lawrence’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off – meaning it was selected by a panel of top fantasy bloggers as the winner from a shortlist of exceptional fantasy submissions.

You might have heard some of the things people have been saying about it:

‘Frankly excellent’ Mark Lawrence

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

‘Jonathan French has to be lauded for his plot ingenuity, bawdry charm and vicious characters. The Grey Bastards has instantaneously catapulted him into my must-read list’ Fantasy Book Critic

Fans of Abercrombie’s The First Law . . . will like this a lot’ Django Wexler

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

Or you might have heard the Bastard’s war cry echoing through the interwebs: LIVE IN THE SADDLE, DIE ON THE HOG!

Whether you know about this book already or are just encountering it for the first time, one thing’s for sure: once you join the Bastards, you’ll never look back.

Available for pre-order now. Follow Jonathan French on Twitter here.

Excerpt Reveal: THE DEFIANT HEIR by Melissa Caruso

Did you love THE TETHERED MAGE (US | UK | AUS)? Can’t wait dive back into Amalia and Zaira’s world?

I couldn’t either. So this winter, I traveled to Venice—which is almost as magical as Raverra—and brought along some props to help me truly enjoy the view.

 

As I explored the narrow, winding streets of the city, I could imagine stumbling upon Zaira bursting into flame or spotting Amalia floating past in a stately Cornaro gondola. Touring the Doge’s palace, I almost expected to overhear La Contessa negotiating consequential matters of state. The experience was a testament to both the enduring grandeur of Venice and the descriptive power of Melissa Caruso’s prose.

If you haven’t picked up THE TETHERED MAGE, what are you waiting for? And if you’re looking forward to returning to Raverra, THE DEFIANT HEIR is now available for preorder:

US: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Google Play | iBooks | Indiebound | Kobo | Chapters

UK: Amazon | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo | Waterstones | More Stores

To tide you over until your copy of THE DEFIANT HEIR arrives, here’s a sneak preview!

Acquisition announcement: Sebastien de Castell’s SPELLSLINGER

Orbit US has acquired North American rights to Spellslinger, a six book adventure fantasy series by Canadian author Sebastien de Castell from Bonnier Zaffre. In this fast-paced, humorous series, Kellen has to use his wits and learn a few tricks to survive as a mage without magic

The first four books will be out this year, starting with SPELLSLINGER in July followed by SHADOWBLACK, CHARMCASTER and SOULBINDER. The final two books in the series are due out in 2019. Please join us in welcoming Sebastien to Orbit. You can find him on Twitter at @decastell or learn more about him at his website, http://decastell.com/

A would-be mage with no magic of his own has to defeat powerful enemies with only cunning and deception in the first book of an exciting new adventure fantasy series from Sebastien de Castell.

Magic is a con game.

Kellen is moments away from facing his first mage’s duel and proving his worth as a spellcaster. There’s just one problem: his magic is fading.

Facing exile unless he can pass the mage trials, Kellen risks everything – even his own life – in search of a way to restore his magic. But when an enigmatic stranger arrives in town, she challenges Kellen to take a different path.

Ferius Parfax is one of the elusive Argosi – a traveller who lives by her wits and the cards she carries. She’s daring and unpredictable, but she may be Kellen’s only hope.

Cover Launch: TORN by Rowenna Miller

TORN is the first book in Rowenna Miller’s enchanting debut series featuring a seamstress who stitches magic into clothing, and the mounting political uprising that forces her to choose between her family and her ambitions.

Perfect for fans of The Queen of the Tearling and Throne of Glass, TORN comes out in March 2018, and this beautiful story is everything you could want in a fantasy book. While you’re waiting, check out the amazing cover of TORN, with art by Peter Bollinger and design by Lisa Marie Pompilio!

 

In a time of revolution, everyone must take a side.

Sophie, a dressmaker and charm caster, has lifted her family out of poverty with a hard-won reputation for beautiful ball gowns and discreetly embroidered spells. A commission from the royal family could secure her future—and thrust her into a dangerous new world.

Revolution is brewing. As Sophie’s brother, Kristos, rises to prominence in the growing anti-monarchist movement, it is only a matter of time before their fortunes collide.

When the unrest erupts into violence, she and Kristos are drawn into a deadly magical plot. Sophie is torn—between her family and her future.

Praise for Torn:

“One of the best novels I’ve read this year! Torn is masterfully written—full of fascinating politics and compelling characters in a vividly rendered, troubled city. Sophie is a believable, layered, and wonderful heroine. I absolutely loved this book!”
—Sarah Beth Durst, author of The Queen of Blood

“A gorgeous weave of romantic fantasy and urgent politics.”
—Anna Smith Spark, author of The Court of Broken Knives

“Miller weaves a fresh, richly textured world full of magic-stitched ball gowns and revolutionary pamphlets. The vivid, complex setting and deeply human characters make for an absorbing read!”
—Melissa Caruso, author of The Tethered Mage