Posts Tagged ‘K.S. Villoso’

Cover Launch: THE DRAGON OF JIN-SAYENG by K. S. Villoso

In this incredible finale to the critically acclaimed Chronicles of the Bitch Queen series, Queen Talyien finally takes back her throne – and what a sight it is to behold. Feast your eyes on this glorious cover, depicting Talyien at the peak of her power, determined to unite her people against the enemies who threaten to tear her country apart. #HailTheBitchQueen indeed!

Art by Simon Goinard. Design by Lauren Panepinto

THE DRAGON OF JIN-SAYENG  (US | UK) releases in May.

Queen Talyien is finally home, but dangers she never imagined await her in the shadowed halls of her father’s castle.

War is on the horizon. Her son has been stolen from her, her warlords despise her, and across the sea, a cursed prince threatens her nation with invasion in order to win her hand. 

Worse yet, her father’s ancient secrets are dangerous enough to bring Jin-Sayeng to ruin. Dark magic tears rifts in the sky, preparing to rain down madness, chaos, and the possibility of setting her nation aflame.

Bearing the brunt of the past and uncertain about her future, Talyien will need to decide between fleeing her shadows or embracing them before the whole world becomes an inferno.

Praise for The Chronicles of the Bitch Queen

The power plays are woven tightly into the action, as Villoso broadens her worldbuilding and adds some surprising twists … A must for epic fantasy readers.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“Villoso crafts believable, complex characters and spices up the politics with dragons and magic. Fantasy readers will enjoy this intricate epic and be pleased by the broadening scope of the series.” —Publishers Weekly 

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

“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

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

Art by Simon Goinard. Design by Lauren Panepinto

 

Orbit at Comic-Con @ Home!

This year, San Diego Comic-Con will take place online as “Comic-Con @ Home,” and it will be fully open to the public. If you’ve always wanted to attend SDCC, this is your chance!

Join Orbit at our “New Voices in Science Fiction & Fantasy” panel on Thursday, July 23 at 5 PM Pacific (8 PM Eastern). This panel features some of our 2020 debut authors: K.S. Villoso, Luke Arnold, Constance Sayers, Devin Madson, Andrea Stewart, Essa Hansen, and M.A. Carrick. Plus, there will be guest appearances from other, beloved Orbit authors.

Register to watch | Watch on YouTube 

Redhook author Alix E. Harrow will also appear on the “Personal, Political, Fictional, and Factual” panel on Saturday, July 25th at 12 PM Pacific (3 PM Eastern). This panel features authors who address serious, important topics in science fiction, fantasy, and graphic novels. It’s a great fit for Harrow’s THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES (Redhook; October), which tackles the women’s suffrage movement, in the 100th anniversary year of the 19th Amendment.

Register to watch | Watch on YouTube

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

Cover Reveal: THE WOLF OF OREN-YARO by K. S. Villoso

When you describe your main character as both a “wolf” and a “bitch queen,” we sit up and take notice. And then, in the first sentence, that same character exiles her king and kills a man who’s wronged her . . . well, all aboard the hype train. Next stop, badass fantasy book.

We’re absolutely thrilled to announce our acquisition of K. S. Villoso’s THE WOLF OF OREN-YARO. Originally a self-published title, it gathered strong word-of-mouth online, and after reading the novel, it was obvious that we needed to publish this book.

Queen Talyien is a take-no-prisoners, rough-and-tumble, certifiably awesome character. Villoso has imbued Talyien with a voice that grabs you from word one. She drags you into her story and world, and you’re going to be very glad she did.

“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

The eBook is out now, and the paperback will hit shelves in February 2020. Check out the cover below with Talyien looking appropriately epic. Art by Simon Goinard. Design by Lauren Panepinto.

“They called me the Bitch Queen, the she-wolf, because I murdered a man and exiled my king the night before they crowned me.”

Born under the crumbling towers of Oren-yaro, Queen Talyien was the shining jewel and legacy of the bloody War of the Wolves that nearly tore her nation apart. But her upcoming marriage to the son of her father’s rival heralds peaceful days to come.

His sudden departure before their reign begins puts a quick end to those dreams, and the kingdom is fractured beyond repair.

Years later, Talyien receives a message, one that will send her across the sea. What’s meant to be an effort at reconciling the past spirals into an assassination attempt. Stranded in a land she doesn’t know, with no idea who she can trust, Talyien will have to embrace her namesake.

A Wolf of Oren-yaro is not tamed.

Orbit has acquired World rights for three books in the Chronicles of the Bitch Queen trilogy from Hannah Bowman of Liza Dawson Associates. Follow K. S. Villoso on Twitter.