Melissa Caruso Archives

Posts Tagged ‘Melissa Caruso’

Cover Launch: THE LAST HOUR BETWEEN WORLDS by Melissa Caruso

The Orbit Team
May 12, 2023

Take your first look at the cover of The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso! You can pick up this start to a new series in Winter 2024.

The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso

Cover Design by Lisa Marie Pompilio

A whip-smart adventure fantasy packed with rival guilds, reality-bending magic, and sapphic pining, The Last Hour Between Worlds is the brilliant launch of a new series from David Gemmell Award-nominated author, Melissa Caruso.

Kembral Thorne is spending a few hours away from her newborn, and she’s determined to enjoy herself at this party no matter what. But when the guests start dropping dead, Kem has no choice but to get to work. She is a Hound, after all, and she can’t help picking up the scent of trouble.

She’s not the only one. Her professional and personal nemesis, notorious burglar Rika Nonesuch, is on the prowl. They quickly identify what’s causing the mayhem: a mysterious grandfather clock that sends them down an Echo every time it chimes. In each strange new layer of reality, time resets and a sinister figure appears to perform a blood-soaked ritual.

As Kem and Rika fall into increasingly macabre versions of their city, they’ll need to rely on their wits—and each other—to unravel the secret of the clock and save their home.

For more from Melissa Caruso, check out:

Swords and Fire
The Tethered Mage (US | UK)
The Defiant Heir (US | UK)
The Unbound Empire (US | UK)

Rooks and Ruin
The Obsidian Tower (US | UK)
The Quicksilver Court (US | UK)
The Ivory Tomb (US | UK)

Acquisition Announcement: THE LAST HOUR BETWEEN WORLDS by Melissa Caruso

The Orbit Team
February 24, 2023

Orbit is delighted to announce we’ve acquired a brand-new fantasy series from Melissa Caruso, the critically acclaimed author of the Swords and Fire trilogy and the Rooks and Ruin trilogy!

Perfect for fans of Vivian Shaw and Genevieve Cogman, this action-packed series kicks off with The Last Hour Between Worlds. Follow a star investigator and her rival as they journey through layers of reality to save the world as they know it in this exciting adventure fantasy about rival guilds, reality-bending magic, and unexpected mystery.

Read on for a bit more on what you can expect!

As Kem and Rika fall into increasingly macabre versions of their city, they’ll need to rely on their wits—and each other—to unravel the secret of the clock and save their home.

You don’t want to miss The Last Hour Between Worlds when it lands in bookstores in Winter 2024. In the meantime, follow Melissa on Twitter @melisscaru and find out more at melissacaruso.net.

Orbit US senior editor Nivia Evans acquired World rights from Naomi Davis at BookEnds Literary. Orbit UK Commissioning Editor Emily Byron has secured UK rights.

Cover launch: The Ivory Tomb by Melissa Caruso

The Orbit Team
May 4, 2022

By blood the Door was opened and only by blood will the Dark Days end.

Melissa Caruso’s wildly original fantasy series, Rooks and Ruin, comes to an epic conclusion in The Ivory Tomb, out this December (US | UK link to come)! Check out its sleek cover below, and pick up book one, The Obsidian Tower (US | UK), and book two, The Quicksilver Court (US | UK) if you haven’t already.

Cover design by Lisa Marie Pompilio; Cover Illustration by Peter Bollinger

Cover Launch: THE QUICKSILVER COURT by Melissa Caruso

The Orbit Team
March 12, 2021

Bursting with intrigue and ambition, questioned loyalties, and broken magic, Melissa Caruso’s wildly original fantasy series, Rooks and Ruin, continues with THE QUICKSILVER COURT.

You’ll have to wait until October 2021 to get your hands on this one, but, in the meantime, feast your eyes on The Quicksilver Court’s stunning cover.

Ryxander, Warden of Gloamingard, has failed. Unsealed by her blood, the Door hidden within the black tower has opened. Now, for the first time since the age of the Graces, demons walk the world.

As tensions grow between nations, all eyes—and daggers—are set on Morgrain, which has fallen under the Demon of Discord’s control. When an artifact with the power to wipe out all life in a domain is stolen, Ryx will do whatever it takes to save her home from destruction. But success may demand a larger sacrifice from Ryx than she could have imagined.

Praise for Rooks and Ruin

“Populated by a vibrant cast of characters and an intricate setting that’s practically a character itself, The Obsidian Tower deftly balances two of my favorite things: razor-sharp politics and characters investigating weird, dark magic. A must-read for all fantasy fans.”―Emily A. Duncan, author of New York Times bestseller Wicked Saints

“Block out time to binge this can’t-stop story filled with danger and unexpected disaster. From the fresh take on time-honored tropes to a crunchy, intrigue-filled story, The Obsidian Tower is a must-read for lovers of high fantasy.”―C. L. Polk, World Fantasy award-winning author of Witchmark

“With The Obsidian Tower, [Melissa Caruso] hits another level in terms of prose and tension. This is a truly excellent fantasy, and an epic beginning for a new trilogy.”―Locus

“A classic, breathtaking adventure brimful of dangerous magic and clever politics. This is a book that will thrill and delight any fantasy fan.”―Tasha Suri, author of Empire of Sand

“Brimming with delights: gripping suspense, bombastic magic, political scheming, fascinating creatures, and ill-advised romance. Yet what I love most is that at its heart, it is simply the story of a young woman opening herself up to the world and embracing her own potential.”―Jon Skovron, author of The Ranger of Marzanna

Cover Launch: THE OBSIDIAN TOWER by Melissa Caruso

Sarah Guan
August 2, 2019

Toll the bells! We’re thrilled to tell you more about the first book in Melissa Caruso’s brilliant new epic fantasy trilogy, which Orbit is publishing in Summer 2020!

THE OBSIDIAN TOWER features a mage with deadly, broken magic, and her disastrous encounter with a powerful artifact that could destroy the world. If you’re a fan of Robin Hobb or Victoria Aveyard, this will be your new favorite series.

It’s a long way to 2020, so in the meantime, we’re delighted to share a sneak peek at The Obsidian Tower’s beautiful cover, designed by Lisa Marie Pompilio, with art by Peter Bollinger.

The mage-marked granddaughter of a ruler of Vaskandar, Ryx was destined for power and prestige at the top of Vaskandran society. But her magic is broken; all she can do is uncontrollably drain the life from everything she touches, and Vaskandar has no place for a mage with unusable powers.

Then, one night, two terrible accidents befall her: Ryx accidentally kills a visiting dignitary in self-defense, activating a mysterious magical artifact sealed in an ancient tower in the heart of her family’s castle.

Ryx flees, seeking a solution to her deadly magic. She falls in with a group of unlikely magical experts investigating the disturbance in Vaskandar—and Ryx realizes that her family is in danger and her domain is at stake. She and her new colleagues must return to the family stronghold to take control of the artifact that everyone wants to claim—before it destroys the world.

Melissa Caruso is the Gemmell Award-nominated author of the Swords and Fire epic fantasy. You can find her on Twitter @melisscaru and at melissacaruso.net.

Acquisition Announcement: new Melissa Caruso series

Sarah Guan
December 11, 2018

We’re thrilled to announce that we have acquired a new trilogy by Melissa Caruso from Naomi Davis of BookEnds Literary! Melissa returns to Raverra and Vaskandar with the story of Ryx, the granddaughter of a Vaskandran Witch Lord, who is born with magic so lethal as to be unusable. She seeks help in Raverra, only to become embroiled in an international magical conflict that threatens to call up destruction from the very depths of Hell. The first book in this series will be published in 2020.

Did you love THE TETHERED MAGE (US | UK)? Bereft at the thought of leaving Raverra at the end of THE UNBOUND EMPIRE? Melissa has you covered with her new series. If you haven’t read her work and you’re hungry for gorgeous epic fantasy full of deadly magic, twisty intrigue, and dangerously complicated families—pick up the Swords and Fire trilogy now, starting with THE TETHERED MAGE and THE DEFIANT HEIR (US | UK).

Don’t forget to pre-order the final book of the Swords and Fire trilogy, THE UNBOUND EMPIRE, now!

Melissa Caruso is the Gemmell Award-nominated author of the Swords and Fire epic fantasy trilogy. Follow her on Twitter @melisscaru and find out more at melissacaruso.net.

Design credit: Lisa Marie Pompilio; Art credit: Crystal Ben & Arcangel

2018 Gemmell Award Nominations

The Orbit Team
April 20, 2018

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]

Excerpt Reveal: THE DEFIANT HEIR by Melissa Caruso

Sarah Guan
February 15, 2018

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:

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

Cover Launch: THE TETHERED MAGE by Melissa Caruso

The Orbit Team
March 15, 2017

THE TETHERED MAGE is a spellbinding fantasy debut from Melissa Caruso, set in a world where people born with magic are mortally bound to and controlled by non-magical people.

Our heroines, Zaira and Amalia, are bound together in this way, for better or worse, in this first book in an epic new series. If you loved The Queen of the Tearling or Red Queen, make sure to grab your copy in October 2017. Meanwhile, have a peek at this gorgeous cover!

CONTROL THE MAGIC, CONTROL THE WORLD

In the Raverran Empire, magic is scarce and those born with power are strictly controlled—taken as children and conscripted into the Falcon Army. Zaira has lived her life on the streets to avoid this fate, hiding her mage-mark and thieving to survive. But hers is a rare and dangerous magic, one that threatens the entire empire.

Lady Amalia Cornaro was never meant to be a Falconer. Heiress and scholar, she was born into a treacherous world of political machinations. But fate has bound the heir and the mage.

And as war looms on the horizon, a single spark could turn their city into a pyre.

Design credit: Lisa Marie Pompilio

Art credit: Crystal Ben & Arcangel