Posts Tagged ‘N. K. Jemisin’

Assassins, dreamworlds and a plague of nightmares: welcome to THE SHADOWED SUN

The fantasy novel THE SHADOWED SUN by the multilple-award winning N. K Jemisin - featuring assassins, dreamworlds and a plague of nightmaresThere are books that come along that I don’t just thoroughly enjoy, but that I feel intensely, overwhelmingly privileged to work on. THE SHADOWED SUN is one of those novels.

I don’t need to tell everyone what a stunning high fantasy writer N. K. Jemisin is. Her talents are already widely acknowledged, given that her debut novel THE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINGDOMS (UK | US | ANZ) was nominated for pretty much every fantasy award out there.

But even so, I underestimated just how utterly captivated I would be by THE KILLING MOON (UK | US | ANZ) and THE SHADOWED SUN (UK | US | ANZ ), books 1 and 2 in the Dreamblood duology. I didn’t think anything could top the Inheritance novels, but if it’s possible I was even more intoxicated. I09 seemed to agree when they said:

The Dreamblood duology is sure to cement Jemisin’s place as one of the most exciting and innovative new fantasy authors of recent years.

There’s something beautifully poetic about a little girl’s dreams becoming a plague upon a city.

Both novels in the Dreamblood duology are based around a religion of dreaming. It’s a dual world, where the realm of dreams is as real a place as the realm of waking. Where a soul that wonders in the dreamworld can find peace or be lost to ever-lasting torment.

In the city of Gujaareh, the priests of the dream goddess are able to harness the magic of the sleeping mind. These priests are both revered and feared, as they can use this gathered magic to either to heal . . . or kill those judged corrupt. And they move silently across the rooftops of the city at night to administer the chosen judgements. (more…)

Orbit at Book Expo America!

Come by the Orbit booth (#3633) at BEA for giveaways, free books, and exclusive signings!

Wednesday, June 6
1 PM: N.K. Jemisin signing The Killing Moon (while supplies last)
4 PM: Kate Locke signing God Save the Queen (while supplies last)

THE KILLING MOON cover GOD SAVE THE QUEEN cover

We’ll also have a limited quantity of galleys for Lilith Saintcrow’s The Iron Wyrm Affair and Amanda Carlson’s urban fantasy debut, Full Blooded. We hope to see you there!

June Events

May 30 – June 3
Kim Stanley Robinson at SpaceFest

May 31 – June 3
Jaye Wells at Imaginales

June 1-3
Rachel Aaron at ConCarolinas

June 5
Kim Stanley Robinson at Book Passage, Corte Madera, CA, 7 PM
N.K. Jemisin at New York Review of Science Fiction, New York, NY, 7 PM

June 6
N.K. Jemisin at New York Public Library, New York, NY, 6 PM

June 7

Jaye Wells and Kevin Hearne at A Real Bookstore, Dallas, TX, 7 PM

June 8
Kim Stanley Robinson at Topping & Company Booksellers, Bath, 7:30 PM

June 9
V.M. Zito at Friendly Neighborhood Comics, Bellingham, MA, 12 PM
Kim Stanley Robinson and Iain M. Banks in conversation at Conference Centre, British Library, London, 3 PM

June 16
Kim Stanley Robinson at Capitola Book Cafe, Capitola, CA

June 23
James S.A. Corey (Daniel Abraham and Ty  Franck) at Alamosa Books, Albuquerque, NM, 2 PM

June 30

Jaye Wells at Murder by the Book, Houston, TX, 4:30 PM

Helen Lowe and Robin Hobb on Reddit

the logo for Reddit forum r/Fantasy showing the Reddit logo dressed up as Gandalf!Fantasy author Helen Lowe will join Robin Hobb in an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on Reddit today, Wednesday 16th May, at 8pm CST.

The chat will be found on Reddit’s Fantasy forum, r/Fantasy, at http://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/.

Don’t forget that Helen, with her epic fantasy novel THE HEIR OF NIGHT, is one of five authors shortlisted for the David Gemmell Morning Star Award for Best Fantasy Newcomer and that you can still get your votes in here until 12 Noon GMT 31st May.

Orbit authors N. K. Jemisin and Brent Weeks have also taken part in Reddit AMAs recently, and it looks like they had a great time of it!

N. K. Jemisin’s new fantasy novel, THE KILLING MOON, is out now!

The Killing Moon by N.K. JemisinAt the end of 2010, a manuscript dropped into my inbox. It was from Lucienne Diver, who said that it “knocked her socks off.”

I was curious as I do love Lucienne’s taste (being the agent for Carol Berg, Lynn Flewelling, & Rachel Caine to name a few). I was slow to realize that this Nora’s next novel that she’d been working on!

Nora , whom some of you might know better as N.K. Jemisin, is the Locus Award-winning and World-Fantasy, Hugo & Nebula nominated author of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, The Broken Kingdoms & The Kingdom of Gods.

The novel that was then newly submitted eventually came to be called THE KILLING MOON (US/UK/AUS) and it was everything Lucienne said and more. Exotic, thrilling and thoroughly mesmerizing, it will, even more than her first three novels, establish her as a writer to watch. But don’t trust me – just check out the early praise below!

“The Killing Moon is a great tale of magic, religion and war but it’s also a story of all the hard lessons and choices growing up entails, no matter how old you are in terms of years. Beautifully written and brought to life The Dreamblood duology is sure to cement Jemisin’s place as one of the most exciting and innovative new fantasy authors of recent years.”

—io9

“Jemisin’s gripping series launch immerses readers in an unfamiliar but enthralling world as well as a rousing political and supernatural adventure.”

—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“Absolutely fascinating.”

—RT BookReviews

If you’d like a bit more about the novel:

In the ancient city-state of Gujaareh, peace is the only law. Upon its rooftops and amongst the shadows of its cobbled streets wait the Gatherers – the keepers of this peace. Priests of the dream-goddess, their duty is to harvest the magic of the sleeping mind and use it to heal, soothe . . . and kill those judged corrupt.

But when a conspiracy blooms within Gujaareh’s great temple, Ehiru – the most famous of the city’s Gatherers – must question everything he knows. Someone, or something, is stalking its prey both in Gujaareh’s alleys and the realm of dreams. Ehiru must now protect the woman he was sent to kill – or watch the city be devoured by war and forbidden magic.

And read the first chapter here!

N.K. Jemisin’s third Nebula nomination

N.K. Jemisin’s The Kingdom of Gods (US | UK | ANZ) has been nominated for the 2011 Nebula Award!

Last year, her The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (US | UK | ANZ) was nominated for the same award, as well as the Hugo and World Fantasy Awards, and won the Locus Award for Best First Novel. Jemisin has one other Nebula nomination under her belt, for her short story “Non-Zero Probabilities.”

Jemisin’s new novel, The Killing Moon (US | UK | ANZ) will be out in May, followed by its sequel The Shadowed Sun in June.

Locus’s 2011 Recommended Reading List

Locus published their 2011 Recommended Reading List today, and you’ll see a lot of Orbit authors among their choices:

  • Leviathan Wakes, James S.A. Corey (US | UK | ANZ)
  • Deadline, Mira Grant (US | UK | ANZ)
  • Rule 34, Charles Stross (UK | ANZ)
  • The Heroes, Joe Abercrombie (US)
  • The Dragon’s Path, Daniel Abraham (US | UK | ANZ)
  • Heartless, Gail Carriger (US | UK | ANZ)
  • The Fallen Blade, Jon Courtenay Grimwood (US | UK | ANZ)
  • The Kingdom of Gods, N.K. Jemisin (US | UK | ANZ)
  • The Hammer, K.J. Parker (US | UK | ANZ)

And, in case you missed them the first time around, keep reading for a round-up of other Best of 2011 lists!

(more…)

February Events

If you’re in the US or the UK, here are some of the places you can see Orbit authors in February, from bookstore signings to conventions.

February 2-4th: SFX Weekender
This convention in Prestatyn Sands, North Wales, will play host to several Orbit authors. Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Benedict Jacka, Michael Cobley, and Ken MacLeod will all be on panels and signing books (full schedule) — and we will have exclusive early copies of MacLeod’s Intrusion and Jacka’s Fated available.  Plus, our own Anne Clarke will appear on the “How to Get Published” panel on Friday evening.

Saturday, February 4th
Gail Z. Martin at B&N Carolina Place Mall, Pineville, NC, 1 PM.
Mira Grant (with Stephen Blackmoore) at Borderlands Books, San Francisco, CA, 3 PM.

Friday, February 10th
Gail Z. Martin at B&N Morrison Place, Charlotte, NC.

Saturday, February 11th
Gail Z. Martin at Books-a-Million Concord Mills, Concord, NC.

Wednesday, February 15th
N.K. Jemisin (with Livia Llewellyn) at KGB Fantastic Fiction, New York, NY, 7 PM.

February 17-19: SheVaCon
Gail Z. Martin will be at this science fiction convention in Roanoke, VA.

Thursday, February 23rd
Kate Griffin & Benedict Jacka signing advance copies of their new books (both being published in March) at Forbidden Planet, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, 6pm

February 24-26th: MystiCon
Gail Z. Martin will be at this SFF and horror convention in Roanoke, VA — including a launch party for The Dread in the con suite at 7 PM on Friday.

Saturday, February 25th
Gail Carriger as keynote speaker at the inaugural Passion & Prose Conference, Long Beach, CA.
Walter Jon Williams at Page One Bookstore, Albuquerque, NM, 7 PM.

Sunday, February 26th
Gail Carriger at SF in SF, San Francisco, CA, 1 PM.
Gail Carriger at Borderlands Books, San Francisco, CA, 6 PM.

Monday, February 27th
Robert Jackson Bennett at Book People, Austin, TX, 7 PM.

Wednesday, February 29th
Yes, it’s a leap year! Gail Carriger will be kicking off her tour for Timeless at Powell’s Books at Cedar Hill Crossing, Beaverton, OR, 7 PM.

Cover Launch: THE KINGDOM OF GODS by N. K. Jemisin

Trilogies are a mainstay of science fiction and fantasy and that’s a challenge that comes up for us in the Orbit Art Department over and over again. The first cover is both the hardest (it has to be AWESOME and make a big splash, especially if it’s for a debut author) and the easiest (no preconceptions and rules dictated by previous covers). The second cover is important because you obviously want it to be as cool as the first, and not fall victim to any sequel-slacking. And the third? Well the third is kind of the best, because by the last book in a trilogy, you’ve already got a good feel for the world in question, and the tone of the author, and you usually get something good and dramatic to wrap up with. And while we’re talking about dramatic, I am happy to release the cover for the third book in N. K. Jemisin‘s Inheritance Trilogy: The Kingdom of Gods.

I have been thrilled at how well cover one was received across the fantasy community — it was accepted into the Spectrum annual, and was nominated for a Gemmell Legend Award. We were trying to do something pretty standard (fantasy city) and present it in a fresher way (through the style of Cliff Nielsen‘s awesome artwork), and it really resonated with a lot of people, which is great because the books just happen to be super-fantastic as well. And over the last two books the illustrations have been just as strong, while keeping to that pretty simple formula.

And now we have this illustration, which I don’t want to say too much about, because I wouldn’t want to give anything away about the story…obviously if you have been reading along, the god is Sieh (my favorite)…just trust me, if you have been enjoying The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and The Broken Kingdoms, well The Kingdom of Gods does not disappoint. After the jump, get a teaser, and the whole series of covers… (more…)