When Orbit asked would I do some limited edition artwork for the UK release of The Crowded Shadows I was more than happy to oblige. I always draw when working on a book. I draw the characters, I draw scenes from the story, sometimes I even do wee comic strips. It’s my way of blowing off steam when writing is stressing me out. So, as you can imagine, I’ve been drawing the Moorehawke characters for years at this stage, and I’ve a pretty clear picture in my head of how they look.
If you’re interested, I thought I might walk you through the process of doing a drawing? Read the rest of this entry »
The Wall of Night quartet is Helen Lowe’s Orbit debut, and we’re so excited to welcome her to the Orbit family that we can’t wait any longer to introduce all of you to this New Zealand author, poet, blogger and radio interviewer with this getting-to-know-Helen-Lowe interview.
1. What’s the best thing about living in New Zealand?
Oh, that is such a hard question, because how do you ever see yourself objectively? But there’s still a lot of open space, compared to other countries I’ve visited, and I really like that—areas where you can drive for miles and not see another person, or a house. But because NZ is long and narrow, even really remote places are never that far away; for example, the location of Edoras, in The Lord of the Rings’ films, wouldn’t be more than a couple of hours drive from Christchurch, where I live. Read the rest of this entry »
The inimitable Jesse Bullington and his friend (and writer) Molly Tanzer have been subjecting themselves to classic films of dubious merit for our entertainment for months now. This week, they take on a personal favorite (an assessment that bears some reflection on reading their analysis)– the classic Willow.
There are two simple rules for creating an image that won’t be easily forgotten. So if you want to know what they are — head on over and see if you agree, or disagree.
The epic conclusion to Kate Elliott’s Crossroads trilogy (UK|ANZ) is out this month in the UK, in mass market paperback. And it’s out soon in Oct for Australia/New Zealand. To celebrate Kate’s huge achievement — and it must be in the region of 600k carefully chosen words! – there’s a free extract HERE. The author’s prose has been described as “oozing with texture, taste and even aroma” so I’m also giving a taste of the plot to whet the appetite below:
GUARDIANS HAVE RETURNED TO THE HUNDRED TO SPREAD CHAOS AND DESTRUCTION UNDER THE BANNER OF A TWISTED STAR.
Reeve Joss is struggling to defend a country ravaged by the assaults of twin armies. His men now patrol a land of burning villages and homeless refugees as Joss tries to separate traitor from friend. The Reeve’s thoughts are also plagued by the intriguing Zubaidit, pleasure-giver, spy and temple-trained assassin. But Zubaidit is focused on a dangerous mission, her target being warped Guardian Lord Radas. His death would leave the invading militia in chaos, but the old tales tell truly of the Guardians’ immortality – and of the powers they now wield to twist the hearts of men. Joss’s nights are also troubled, disturbed by dreams of Marit. His lost love has returned from death to become a feared Guardian herself, but Marit rejected the corrupt temptations they offered. She now seeks others of her kind, praying some are yet uncontaminated by the blight on the land — and have the will to fight it.”
Plus here are few quotes for the series are HEREto show just what a damn fine read is in store.
Lastly, and very excitingly indeed, get ready to grab a copy of Cold Magic (US | UK | ANZ). Publication is imminent and this is book 1 in Kate Elliott’s superb new fantasy with a touch of steampunk. More on that very soon …
Wings of Wrath (UK | ANZ) by Celia Friedman is out this month in the UK in mass market paperback (and out soon in October for ANZ). So what better time to tell you a bit about it and give out a free extract HERE. Wings of Wrath is book 2 in the darkly fantastical Magister trilogy and the good news is that it’s every bit as good as book 1, Feast of Souls (UK | ANZ). I’m a particular fan of these covers too, I think their simplicity appeals to me (or perhaps it’s the bright shiny colours!). So, here’s a bit more on the book:
In a world where the price of magic is life itself, a group of seemingly immortal sorcerers appear to have cheated the system. And now Kamala has breached their secrets, she seeks to join their ranks as the first female Magister. But they would rather see her dead, forcing her to flee to the frozen north. There Kamala will find an evil far greater than a sorcerer’s enmity, and will hear a dire prediction of a future war.”
Tad Williams once said ‘If you haven’t read her work you need to do something about that right now’ – I’d agree with that, plus here are a few of the great reviews we’ve had for the series:
“It’s potent stuff … Friedman is an excellent writer” SFX “Imaginative, deftly plotted fantasy” Publishers Weekly “Powerful, intricate plotting and gripping characters distinguish a book in which ethical dilemmas are essential and engrossing” Booklist “Typically superb writing style, dark content and well-drawn characters” FantasyBook Critic “An excellent new fantasy trilogy … highly recommended” NethSpace
Mike has had his shiny new website just long enough to move in and add a little content, so without any further ado …
CLICK HERE (for exploding space ships, politics and scientifical things that catch the Cobley eye).
The Orphaned Worlds (bk2, UK|ANZ) will be out in mass market paperback in the Spring next year, then a few months afterwards bk3, The Ascendent Stars, will complete the trilogy. So to keep you going, get an Orphaned Worlds screen saver HERE and a free extract of Seeds of Earth(bk1, UK|ANZ) HERE. Get both, don’t be shy!
And saving the best until last, you can watch the illustrious Mike Cobley in action as he answers Orbit’s probing questions below.
I am very excited to have such a fine cover to show off for our wonderful new fantasy The Heir of Night (ANZ | UK), book 1 in The Wall of Night sequence by Helen Lowe. To reference Orbit’s new survey of cover art, there are no unicorns or dragons here, but instead see a seriously on-trend sword, and some fashion-forward, dark (and meaningful) mist. But the main thing is that it’s gorgeous, richly atmospheric and stand-out to go with the fast-paced breathtakingly good content inside.
The Heir of Night is Helen Lowe’s adult fantasy debut, and we enter a world where the violence of an age-old war casts a long shadow. There we meet Malian who, although she’s being trained to rule, is unprepared for the savagery of her people’s ancient enemy as they attack in the darkest part of the Night.
Helen may be new to adult fiction, but she’s already received critical acclaim for her previous YA novel Thornspell. Last year this won New Zealand’s prestigious Sir Julius Vogel award for Best Novel, Young Adult. Helen won the Vogel award for Best New Talent in the same year, so we are delighted she’s turned her hand to adult fantasy, and you can find a free advance extract for The Heir of NightHERE. The book will be out in Australia and New Zealand in Oct 2010 — and if you are going to WorldCon in September look out for Helen as she’ll be doing some panels and a pre-publication reading. UK readers will have to wait a little longer for the book until March 2011. But rest assured, it’ll be so worth the wait!
I’ll leave you with a quote from Robin Hobb, which perfectly encapsulates this wonderful adventure:
The Heir of Night by Helen Lowe is a richly told tale of strange magic, dark treachery and conflicting loyalties, set in a well realised world’ Robin Hobb
OK – we admit it. The UK and Australian readers have been getting a raw deal, having to wait for Nicole Peeler‘s sweet, sassy and sexy urban fantasy series to float their way, whilst the US readers have been bathing in its glory for a few months. But now the wait is over, and Tempest Rising (UK | US | ANZ) and Tracking the Tempest (UK | US | ANZ) have finally washed up on our shores all at once. Featuring the naughty scrumpet Jane True as our half-selkie heroine – think of it as Sookie Stackhouse meets Splash!
Nicole was over in the UK recently and, in what’s becoming a bit of an Orbit UK habit, we took her aside to cross-examine her about her series and the Urban Fantasy genre. She is an assistant professor of literature, so she should know her stuff after all! Take a look at the video below (and excuse my sniggering at points in the background – this lady cracks me up!)
- - August 31st, 2010
The Wall of Night quartet is Helen Lowe’s Orbit debut, and we’re so excited to welcome her to the Orbit family that we can’t wait any longer to introduce all of you to this New Zealand author, poet, blogger and radio interviewer with this getting-to-know-Helen-Lowe interview.
The inimitable 
The epic conclusion to 
Lastly, and very excitingly indeed, get ready to grab a copy of Cold Magic (
Wings of Wrath (
OK – we admit it. The UK and Australian readers have been getting a raw deal, having to wait for 
