Posts Tagged ‘fantasy’

Cover Launch: THE SWORD UNBOUND by Gareth Hanrahan

We’re delighted to reveal the cover for THE SWORD UNBOUND (UK|US), the second book in Gareth Hanrahan’s acclaimed epic fantasy series of dark myth, daring warriors and bloodthirsty vengeance, following THE SWORD DEFIANT.

cover of the sword unbound by Gareth Hanrahan

Cover illustration by Thea Dumitriu

 

He thought he was saving the world. That was his first mistake.

Twenty years ago, Alf and his companions defeated the Dark Lord and claimed his city. Now, those few of the Nine that remain find themselves unwilling rebels, defying the authority of both the mortal lords they once served and the immortal king of the elves – the secret architect of everything they’ve ever known.

Once lauded as a mighty hero, Alf is now labelled a traitor and hunted by the very gods he seeks to bring down. As desperate rebellion blazes across the land, Alf seeks the right path through a maze of conspiracy, wielding a weapon of evil. The black sword Spellbreaker, ever hungry for slaughter, has found its purpose in these dark days. But can Aelfric remain a hero, or is his legend tarnished forever?

 

THE LANDS OF THE FIRSTBORN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Praise for The Sword Defiant:

‘The front runner for my book of the year . . . Fans of Gemmell and Abercrombie need this on their shelves’
Ed McDonald, author of Blackwing

‘With a richly detailed narrative, well-drawn characters, epic battles, and political and religious intrigues, Hanrahan’s outstanding first outing in the Lands of the Firstborn series will thrill fantasy readers – who will anxiously await the next book’
Booklist

‘Both a love letter and evolution of the epic fantasy novel . . . The Sword Defiant is an epic tale of how no world stands still forever . . . Highly recommended!
Run Along the Shelves

‘Hanrahan is one of the best in the business at creating fantasy worlds that feel alive . . . I’ll read any book that Gareth Hanrahan writes’
The Fantasy Inn

Acquisition Announcement: BLOOD OF THE OLD KINGS by Sung-il Kim

Orbit UK is delighted to have acquired the UK & Commonwealth rights to a brilliant epic fantasy series from South Korean author Sung-il Kim, translated into English by the award-winning Anton Hur. The first book, BLOOD OF THE OLD KINGS, will publish in October ’24. Senior Commissioning Editor James Long pre-empted rights from Chris Scheina at St Martins.

 

 

There is no escaping the Empire.
Even in death, you will serve.

In an Empire run on necromancy, dead sorcerers are the lifeblood. Their corpses are wrapped in chains and drained of magic to feed the unquenchable hunger for imperial conquest.

Born with magic, Arienne has become resigned to her dark fate. But when the voice of a long-dead sorcerer begins to speak inside her head, she listens. There may be another future for her, if she’s willing to fight for it.

Miles away, beneath a volcano, a seven-eyed dragon also wears the Empire’s chains. Before the imperial fist closed around their lands, it was the people’s sacred guardian.

Loran, a widowed swordswoman, is the first to kneel before the dragon in decades. She comes with a desperate plea, and will leave with a sword of dragon-fang in hand and a great purpose before her.

Step into a world of necromancy, murder, and twisted magic. A world in need of a hero.

 

About Sung-il Kim

Sung-il Kim was born in Seoul, in 1974. Despite his lifelong dream of writing fiction, he only got around to it in his forties. He writes science fiction, fantasy, horror, or some blend of those. In South Korea, he is known for Blood of the Old Kings, I Will Go to Earth to See You, and The Knight of La Mancha, the last of which earned him an Excellence Award in SF Awards 2018. He spends most of his time in his downtown Seoul apartment with his wife and two cats.

Cover Launch: THE FALL OF WATERSTONE by Lilith Saintcrow

Take your first look at the cover for The Fall of Waterstone (US), the sequel to A Flame in the North (US) by Lilith Saintcrow, coming June 2024!

The Fall of Waterstone by Lilith Saintcrow

Cover Design by Lisa Marie Pompilio; Cover Illustration by Mike Heath/Magnus Creative

An elemental witch and her shieldmaiden navigate a dangerous world of forgotten myth and deep magic in the second volume of New York Times bestselling author Lilith Saintcrow’s sweeping Norse-inspired epic fantasy series.

Solveig and her shieldmaid have finally reached the fabled Elder sanctuary of Waterstone—a city of healing, restful beauty hidden from the Enemy’s gaze. Yet whispers race through the palace halls, and those they have come to tentatively trust have hidden intentions. For not only is the city a refuge for an elementalist, her protector, and a mortal prince, it also holds a great weapon, one that only Solveig’s kind may wield.

Yet Sol’s faith in her own magic is perilously fractured. She can rely only her wits and skills of negotiation to be heard, or she will become a pawn in a dark game played by Elder and Enemy alike. The lord of the Black Land is mighty; treachery slithers amid Waterstone’s many wonders, and time is growing short.

Before the darkness finds a way in, Sol must decide who to trust, where to turn for aid, and if she will take up a power she cannot hope to control. Even the right choice may doom not just the home she has left behind, but the entire world…

Black Land’s Bane 
A Flame in the North (US)

A Flame in the North by Lilith Saintcrow

Cover Launch: A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME by Mary McMyne

Take your first look at the cover for A Rose by Any Other Name (US | UK), a new standalone novel by Mary McMyne, coming Summer 2024!

A Rose by Any Other Name by Mary McMyne

Cover Design by Lisa Marie Pompilio; Cover Photography by Blake Marrow/Shannon Associates

From the author of The Book of Gothel comes the lush, magical story behind Shakespeare’s sonnets, as told by one of his most famous subjects—the incendiary and mysterious Dark Lady.

My name has only been whispered, heretofore…

England, 1591. Rose Rushe’s passion for life runs deep—she loves mead and music, meddles with astrology, and laughs at her mother’s warnings to guard her reputation. When Rose’s father dies and a noble accuses her and her dear friend Cecely of witchcraft, they flee to the household of respected alchemists in London. But as their bond deepens, their sanctuary begins to feel more like a cage. To escape, they turn to the occult, secretly casting charms and selling astrological advice in the hopes of building a life together. This thriving underground business leads Rose to fair young noble Henry and playwright Will Shakespeare, and so begins a brief, tempestuous, and powerful romance—one filled with secret longings and deep betrayals.

In this world of dazzling masques and decadent feasts, where the stars decide futures, Rose will write her own fate instead.

For more from Mary McMyne, check out The Book of Gothel (US | UK).

The Book of Gothel TP by Mary McMyne

Cover Launch: DAUGHTER OF THE MERCIFUL DEEP by Leslye Penelope

Take your first look at the cover for Daughter of the Merciful Deep (US | UK), a new standalone novel by Leslye Penelope coming June 2024!

Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Penelope

Cover Design by Lisa Marie Pompilio

A woman journeys into a submerged world of gods and myth to save her home in this powerful historical fantasy that shines a light on the drowned Black towns of the American South. 

“Our home began, as all things do, with a wish.”

Jane Edwards hasn’t spoken since she was eleven years old, when armed riders expelled her family from their hometown along with every other Black resident. Now, twelve years later, she’s found a haven in the all-Black town of Awenasa. But the construction of a dam promises to wash her home under the waters of the new lake.

Jane will do anything to save the community that sheltered her. So, when a man with uncanny abilities arrives in town asking strange questions, she wonders if he’s might be the key. But as the stranger hints at gods and ancestral magic, Jane is captivated by a bigger mystery. She knows this man. Only the last time she saw him, he was dead. His body laid to rest in a rushing river.

Who is the stranger and what is he really doing in Awenasa? To find those answers, Jane will journey into a sunken world, a land of capricious gods and unsung myths, of salvation and dreams made real. But the flood waters are rising. To gain the miracle she desires, Jane will have to find her voice again and finally face the trauma of the past.

For more from Leslye Penelope, check out The Monsters We Defy (US | UK).

The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope

Cover Launch: THE PHOENIX KEEPER by S. A. MacLean

Take your first look at the cover for The Phoenix Keeper (US) by S. A. MacLean, coming August 2024!

The Phoenix Keeper by S. A. MacLean

Cover Design by Rachael Lancaster (Orion Books); Cover Illustration by Niall Grant

Set in a magical zoo teeming with mythical beasts from dragons and unicorns to kelpies and krakens, The Phoenix Keeper is a fierce joy of a cozy fantasy novel with a soul-restoring queer romance at its heart, for fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea and Legends and Lattes.

As head phoenix keeper at a world-renowned zoo for magical creatures, Aila’s childhood dream of conserving critically endangered firebirds seems closer than ever. There’s just one glaring caveat: her zoo’s breeding program hasn’t functioned for a decade. When a tragic phoenix heist sabotages the flagship initiative at a neighboring zoo, Aila must prove her derelict facilities are fit to take the reins.

But saving an entire species from extinction requires more than stellar animal handling skills. Carnivorous water horses, tempestuous thunderhawks, mischievous dragons… Aila has no problem wrangling beasts. But mustering the courage to ask for help from the hotshot griffin keeper at the zoo’s most popular exhibit? Virtually impossible.

Especially when that hotshot griffin keeper happens to be her arch-rival from college: Luciana, an annoyingly brooding and insufferable know-it-all with the face of a goddess who’s convinced that Aila’s beloved phoenix would serve their cause better as an active performer rather than as a passive conservation exhibit. With the world watching and the threat of poachers looming, Aila’s success is no longer merely a matter of keeping her job…

She is the keeper of the phoenix, and the future of a species—and her love life—now rests on her shoulders.

Cover Launch: THE LOTUS EMPIRE by Tasha Suri

Take your first look at the cover for The Lotus Empire (US | UK), the finale in The Burning Kingdoms trilogy by Tasha Suri, coming November 2024!

The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri

Cover Design by Lauren Panepinto; Cover Illustration by Micah Epstein

The Lotus Empire brings Tasha Suri’s acclaimed Burning Kingdoms trilogy to a heart–stopping close. As an ancient magic returns to Ahiranya and threatens its very foundations, Empress Malini and priestess Priya will stop at nothing to save their kingdoms—even if it means they must destroy each other.

Malini has claimed her rightful throne as the empress of Parijatdvipa, just as the nameless gods prophesied. Now, in order to gain the support of the priesthood who remain loyal to the fallen emperor, she must consider a terrible bargain: Claim her throne and burn in order to seal her legacy—or find another willing to take her place on the pyre.

Priya has survived the deathless waters and now their magic runs in her veins. But a mysterious yaksa with flowering eyes and a mouth of thorns lies beneath the waters. The yaksa promises protection for Ahiranya. But in exchange, she needs a sacrifice. And she’s chosen Priya as the one to offer it.

Two women once entwined by fate now stand against each other. But when an ancient enemy rises to threaten their world, Priya and Malini will find themselves fighting together once more—to prevent their kingdoms, and their futures, from burning to ash.

The Burning Kingdoms
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri
The Jasmine Throne (US | UK)
The Oleander Sword (US | UK)

Also by Tasha Suri
Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri Realm of Ash by Tasha Suri
Empire of Sand (US | UK)
Realm of Ash (US | UK)

Cover Launch: BETWEEN DRAGONS AND THEIR WRATH by Devin Madson

Take your first look at the cover for Between Dragons and Their Wrath (US | UK), the first in a new epic fantasy series by Devin Madson, coming August 2024!

Between Dragons and Their Wrath by Devin Madson

Cover Design by Lisa Marie Pompilio & Lauren Panepinto; Cover Art by Mike Heath/Magnus Creative

From Aurealis Award‑nominated author Devin Madson comes a new rip-roaring epic fantasy full of dragons, alchemical magic, and forbidden romance that unfolds as three people in a shattered empire become entangled in a looming revolution.

The old kingdom of Paicha has been split into city states, but there are those who seek to reunite the shattered realm—by force if necessary. Amidst the turmoil there are three who will find their destinies inextricably tangled.

Tesha is a glassblower’s apprentice who becomes a tribute bride when her city is conquered by the south. In the enemy’s court, she’s perfectly placed to sabotage them, but her heart has other plans.

Naili is a laundress in the house of an eccentric alchemist who is awakening to strange new powers. When radicals approach her, she faces a choice between keeping her magic to herself and using it to change the world.

And in the desolate Shield Mountains, dragon rider Ash protects the cities from the monsters in the Iipao sands beyond. But, soon he’ll have to learn how to protect his dragon when hunters unlock the secret to killing them.

As war sweeps across the land, Tesha, Naili, and Ash must fight for survival against political enemies, dragon hunters, and monsters both within and without.

Also by Devin Madson
We Ride the Storm by Devin Madson We Lie with Death by Devin Madson We Cry for Blood by Devin Madson We Dream of Gods by Devin Madson
The Reborn Empire
We Ride the Storm (US | UK)
We Lie with Death (US | UK)
We Cry for Blood (US | UK)
We Dream of Gods (US | UK)

The Blood of Whisperers by Devin Madson The Gods of Vice by Devin Madson The Grave at Storm's End by Devin Madson
The Vengeance Trilogy
The Blood of Whisperers (US | UK)
The Gods of Vice (US | UK)
The Grave at Storm’s End (US | UK)

Cover Launch: The Wilderwood Duology Collector’s Edition by Hannah Whitten

Take your first look at the collector’s edition of The Wilderwood Duology (US) by Hannah Whitten!

The Wilderwood Duology Collector's Edition by Hannah Whitten The Wilderwood Duology Collector's Edition by Hannah Whitten

Art Direction by Lauren Panepinto; Illustration by Abigail Larson; Cover Design by Lisa Marie Pompilio

Enter the world of the Wilderwood with this stunning, deluxe collector’s edition of Hannah Whitten’s unforgettable New York Times bestselling duology, For the Wolf and For the Throne, which features:

  • An exclusive box illustrated by Hugo Award-winning artist Abigail Larson
  • A signed copy of For the Wolf
  • Fabric-bound hardcover editions
  • Brand new foil-stamped covers
  • Gold foil edges
  • Colored endpaper art
  • A ribbon bookmark
  • An exclusive bonus scene

The first daughter is for the Throne.
The second daughter is for the Wolf.

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. She’ll do whatever it takes to keep her beloved sister Neve, the First Daughter, safe. But the legends lie. The old gods stir. And the monsters of the Wilderwood and beyond are not all what they seem in this dark and romantic debut duology that became an instant New York Times bestseller and word-of-mouth sensation.

Acquisition Announcement: THE RADIANT KING by David Dalglish

David Dalglish (Photo Credit: North Myrtle Beach Photography)
Photo Credit: North Myrtle Beach Photography

Orbit is thrilled to announce the acquisition of a new epic fantasy series from USA Today bestselling author David Dalglish! The Astral Kingdoms trilogy kicks off with The Radiant King, a sweeping tale full of heretical magic and millennia-spanning feuds that is written with David’s signature flair for heart-pounding action and characters you love to hate—and hate to love.  

 

Once, there were six ever-living siblings, blessed and cursed with immortality, who remembered nothing of their creation. They vowed to wear no crowns and sit upon no thrones. But when Eder, the eldest, forsakes this sacred promise, those closest to him must stop him before he breaks their family—and the world—apart.   

Faron vows to crush his brother’s kingdom and destroy his fanatical church, and he isn’t the only one hunting Eder. There are those who decry Eder as a blasphemer; there are those who simply want revenge for the havoc his rule has wrought. But will their combined strength be enough to stop this powerful, single-minded tyrant?  

 The story starts with the burning of a brother. And it will end with the burning of the world.

 

The Radiant King lands in bookstores in Winter 2025! In the meantime, you can follow David on Twitter @thatdalglishguy and learn more about his work, including the Vagrant Gods trilogy, at www.ddalglish.com.

 Orbit US executive editor Brit Hvide acquired World rights from Michael Carr at Veritas Literary.   

Also by David Dalglish:

The Bladed Faith by David Dalglish The Sapphire Altar by David Dalglish The Slain Divine by David Dalglish