Photo by JR Blackwell

We are more than excited to announce a new novel by Mur Lafferty to the Orbit list! Her announcement is here. We plan to publish THE SHAMBLING GUIDE TO NEW YORK CITY worldwide in Spring/Summer 2013.

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Go here here to download the 20-minute podcast, or  listen to it instantly.

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Gail’s a master at weaving together a world together intricately and spectacularly – and you simply cannot resist being awed by the strong sense of atmosphere she creates . . .  In the dark, medieval-gothic world of the Fallen Kings Cycle, necromancers wield deathly powers of magic, ghosts toy with the living, and vampires, werewolves and demons roam the land.  See some of the fantastic reviews this series has earned so far:

‘Top notch, engrossing fantasy’ SFRevu.com

‘Those who enjoy the large-scale fantasy of George R.R. Martin and Robert Jordan should enjoy this’ Library Journal

‘I found myself caught up in the story and the characters almost from the first page …very enjoyable’ Bookgeeks.co.uk

‘Very well-written and intricately plotted . . .  I can’t wait for the second book in the cycle, The Dread’ Civilian Reader

You can also read a sample extract right here.

Summoner-King Tris Drayke takes what remains of the Margolan army north to fight a war Margolan is ill-prepared to fight, as reports from spies confirm Tris’ worst fear. A new threat rises across the sea: a dark summoner who intends to make the most of the Winter Kingdoms’ weakness.

And in Isencroft, King Donelan is assassinated and Tris’s wife, Kiara, will now have no choice except to return and claim the crown. But the rogue mage’s agents will go to any length to prevent her from reaching her goal.

Kiara and Tris must discover the truth behind the dark summoner, the mysterious power surrounding their infant son, and face the awesome power of the Dread as they rise from their barrows for the first time in over a millennium.

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The Mass Effect novels, crafted by BioWare and written by lead Mass Effect scriptwriter Drew Karpyshyn and science fiction author William C. Dietz, tell the story of Lieutenant David Anderson, the original captain of Commander Shepard’s ship, the SSV Normandy. The books offer further insight into the actions of the mysterious character ‘The Illusive Man’, and the inner workings of the pro-human organistion Cerberus.

The series began with MASS EFFECT: REVELATION (UK | ANZ), then continued with MASS EFFECT: ASCENSION (UK | ANZ) and MASS EFFECT: RETRIBUTION (UK | ANZ). The latest book in the series, MASS EFFECT: DECEPTION (UK | ANZ) was released today on ebook and paperback.

Reviews for this series:

BioWare has a knack for finding great writers. Their in-game writing is always excellent, and it is fortunate that this standard follows their novel extensions as well.” ­– SpawnKill.com

A great read for people who are already a fan of the Mass Effect series – in fact, it is a good read even for people who do not know much about the games. Drew Karpyshyn gets the balance just right between insight into each personal story and also maintaining in the overlying story that the book explores.” ­– Alltern8 on Mass Effect: Revelation

A quick and informative read that never dwelled too long on any single tangent while exploring enough to inform me about the universe at hand. I recommend it to anyone with even the faintest interest in the game, and even those on the fence: the book may be just what you need to pique your interest in the Mass Effect universe.” ­– Arstechnica.com on Mass Effect: Revelation

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This edition contains the three titles The Spirit Thief, The Spirit Rebellion and The Spirit Eater – all in one handy volume and topped off with this gorgeous packaging from Sam Weber (see this great post here showing him at work in his studio on these very illustrations).

Take a minute to stop by Rachel Aaron’s attractive new site, where’s she’s posted some very interesting tidbits recently, such as this fantastic book trailer put together by our friends at Orbit France for the très sophistiquée French version of The Legend of Eli Monpress. Also, check out this extremely creative pictorial review for The Spirit Thief, part one of the Legend. Good effort!

Read on for the blurb and some great reviews:

Eli Monpress is talented. He’s charming. And he’s a thief.

But not just any thief. He’s the greatest thief of the age – and he’s also a wizard. And with the help of his partners – a swordsman with the most powerful magic sword in the world but no magical ability of his own, and a demonseed who can step through shadows and punch through walls – he’s going to put his plan into effect.

The first step is to increase the size of the bounty on his head, so he’ll need to steal some big things. But he’ll start small for now. He’ll just steal something that no one will miss – at least for a while.

Like a king.

Aaron’s outstanding fantasy debut is the first in a trilogy about unrepentant thief Eli Monpress . . . Fast and fun, Spirit Thief introduces a fascinating new world and a complex magical system based on cooperation with the spirits who reside in all living objects. Aaron’s characters are fully fleshed and possess complex personalities, motivations, and backstories that are only gradually revealed . . . Highly recommended for all fantasy readers. – BOOKLIST

Witty, smart, snappy, sassy, fast, furious and let’s not forget fun . . . Rachel Aaron isn’t so much knocking at the door as kicking it down – TOM HOLT

The Spirit Thief is a delightfully giddy romp of a novel – KAREN MILLER

Wry humour, engaging characters and full-tilt action - GAIL MARTIN

 

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We interrupt our usual service for an announcement from Giguhl, the demon/feline sidekick of Sabina Kane, star of the urban fantasy novels by Jaye Wells.

Hello, mortals.

Giguhl, the fifth-level Mischief demon, here. You’ve probably heard of my many accomplishments as the champion of Demon Fight Club and as the coach of the seriously bad-assed Manhattan Marauder roller derby team. But did you know that in my spare time, I am also the official sidekick of an urban fantasy heroine?

Her name is Sabina Kane. She’s half-mage and half-vampire and all sorts of trouble. And without me getting her back and providing color commentary, she’d be totally lost. I get lots of letters from beings who want to follow my hoofsteps into the sidekicking business. They think it’s all glamour and making sweet love to nymphs. Little do they know that it’s actual work. Today I’m going to break down the attributes required of every awesome sidekick . . .

 1. A sense of humor. Look, I don’t mean to be judgey, but a lot of urban fantasy protagonists tend to veer between anger and morose nihilism. Things can get dark pretty quickly without a sidekick around to make a well-timed dick joke. It helps if you have no internal censor or qualms about offending delicate sensibilities. In other words, if you can’t look at a corpse and improvise a joke about blue balls, you’re not on your game.

2. Speaking of balls, you need some. Hush, lovely ladies, I’m not being literal. Trust me, I’ve met plenty of UF heroines who make dudes look like fluffy bunnies. Male parts are not required for bravery. Regardless, since you’re going to spend a good portion of your time backing up your hero/ine while they battle Avenger demons and other nasties in dark alleys, you can’t be the sort to tinkle in your panties at the first sign of violence.

3. Flexible morals. Thank the gods I’m a demon and was born without any sort of annoying moral compass. Some of you might not have been so lucky and are burdened with a pesky “conscience.” My advice is to get over that ASAP. Saving the world isn’t pretty. Neither is hiding the bodies of your boss’s enemies. Or 4 a.m. blood and whisky runs. Guilt is for saints, but you, my friend, need to revel in being a sinner. Trust me, misbehaving is way more fun than piety, anyway.  

4. No sense of shame. Imagine you’re normally a seven-foot-tall sexy badass of a demon until your heroine decides to experiment with magic. Suddenly you’re spending half your time trapped in the body of a hairless cat. Are you going to let soul-crushing embarrassment get in the way of doing the job? No you are not. Granted, it’s no picnic to have to wear cat sweaters and knit caps, but at least you get to flash your dangly bald bits at unsuspecting bystanders.

5. Sexy dance moves. Okay, this isn’t exactly required for the job, but you never know when you’ll get a chance to partake in the forbidden dance with a hot nymph. Plus, you never know when someone’s going to challenge you and your hero/ine to a dance fight a la Westside Story. You gotta have your jazz hands o’ fury ready!

That’s pretty much it. Your mileage may vary, of course, depending on your handler. Like, say, if your heroine is a werewolf, she might be a real bitch who demands you wax her back around the full moon. If that’s the case, run like hell because next thing you know she’s gonna be demanding you pour hot wax on her undercarriage and no sidekick is paid enough to give a werewolf a Brazilian wax. Trust me on this.

If you have any other questions or, you know, just want to tell me how awesome I am, feel free to drop me a line on the Twitter.

 Giguhl out!

Giguhl can be found on twitter @Giguhl, and Jaye Wells can be found at her website or on twitter @jayewells.

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A double execution. A forced wedding. Two thieves have other plans.

 The New Empire intends to mark its victory over the Nationalists with a bloody celebration. On the high holiday of Wintertide, their Empress will be married against her will and two alleged traitors to the realm will be publicly executed. And if the Empress she then suffer a fatal accident, the New Empire would be happy indeed . . .

There’s just one problem – master thieves Royce and Hadrian have finally found the Heir of Novron. But they need to keep him alive long enough to claim his throne.

The publication of HEIR OF NOVRON means that you can now buy all six books of Michael J. Sullivan’s acclaimed Riyria Revelations in these beautiful omnibus editions from Orbit! Available to read as paperbacks or ebooks, these three volumes collect the entire series:-

 THEFT OF SWORDS (UK | US | ANZ) collects books one and two of the Riyria Revelations The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha. Hired merely to steal a crown, thieves Royce and Hadrian become unwitting scapegoats in a plot to murder the king himself.

RISE OF EMPIRE (UK | US | ANZ) collects books three and four, Nyphron Rising and The Emerald Storm. An imposter is on the throne, and the adventures of Royce and Hadrian continue when they’re hired to perform a dangerous mission behind enemy lines . . .

HEIR OF NOVRON  (UK | US | ANZ)  – the thrilling conclusion! Collects books five and six, Wintertide and Percepliquis.

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We are delighted that two Orbit titles have been shortlisted for this year’s Kitschies - awards that celebrate the most ‘progressive, intelligent and entertaining works of genre literature’, run by the excellent Pornokitsch website.

Jesse Bullington’s The Enterprise of Death is a finalist for the Red Tentacle for best novel, and the cover for Simon Morden’s Equations of Life is a finalist for the Inky Tentacle for best cover.  Congratulations to Jesse and our very own designer Lauren Panepinto!

To celebrate we want to give you the opportunity to read these great books and judge for yourselves.  We have 10 copies of each to give away.  Just fill in your details below and we’ll pick the winner in two weeks time, the day before the winners are announced at the SFX Weekender 3 Kitschies Award Ceremony (sponsored by Kraken Rum, making it even more certain to be a great event).

Please read the full terms and conditions.

cforms contact form by delicious:days

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We released Jaye Wells’ new urban fantasy novel SILVER-TONGUED DEVIL (UK/ANZ/US) this month, and to celebrate this and the fact that there’s a lot of love on the Orbit team for all the urban fantasy heroines out there, we created a quiz to give you the chance to test your knowledge against us!

Can you guess which urban fantasy heroines uttered the quotes below? If you recognise one, comment with the number of the quote and the name of the leading lady who uttered it. Try to be the first to get them right! No googling, because that’s just cheating!

We had a lot of fun coming up with these quotes, and we hope you have fun guessing too . . .

1. “I took one more thing to bed with me, a stuffed toy penguin named Sigmund. I don’t sleep with him often, just every once in a while after someone tries to kill me.”
2. (“What up, peeps?”) I looked at the hairless cat for a moment. “‘What up, peeps?’ You’ve been watching MTV again, haven’t you?” (“Word.”)
3. “If the Apocalypse comes, beep me.”
4. “This feels a little bit like what a vampire bar would look like if it were a ride at Disney World.”
5. “Another werewolf thing. Like most animals, we spent a large part of our lives engaged in the three Fs of basic survival. Feeding, fighting and… reproduction.”
6. “She’s a thousand-year-old vampire who’s joined the cheerleading squad. There’s a whole different set of rules in play here.”
7. “So here’s the plan. I’ll get us tickets to New Orleans, we’ll go save the world from abstract evil, and afterward we’ll hang out in the French Quarter for a couple of weeks and blow off steam.”
8. “I was dragged through Hell, betrayed by my god, left in Jersey, and finished up nearly being drowned by a demon with a bad haircut.”
9. “Lycans are allergic to silver. We have to get the bullets out quickly, or they end up dying on us during questioning.” (“What happens to them afterward?”) “We put the bullets back in.”
10. “So in the sweltering heat of a July night, I sang a Christmas carol to a room full of fae, who had been driven out of their homelands by Christians and their cold-iron swords.”
11. “But the next noise to echo through the hall was one I was pretty sure I recognized. It was the unmistakable sound of the sh*t hitting the fan.” 

Clue: There are some TV heroines, some film, and some from novels, both Orbit books and non Orbit books.

EDIT: It’s 26th January 2012 and we’re providing the answers to this quiz, here they are now . . .

1. Anita Blake, of Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novels. 2. Sabina Kane (and Giguhl), the vampire (and demon/cat sidekick) of Jaye Wells’ Sabina Kane series. 3. Buffy Summers, from Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer. 4. Sookie Stackhouse, from the TV series True Blood, based on novels by Charlaine Harris. 5. Elena Michaels, the werewolf from Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld novels. 6. Elena Gilbert, from the TV series The Vampire Diaries, based on novels by L. J. Smith. 7. Jayné Heller, from M. L. N. Hanover’s sequence of novels: The Black Sun’s Daughter. 8. Dante Valentine, from Lilith Saintcorw’s series of the same name. 9. Selene, the vampire star of the Underworld movies. 10. Mercedes Thompson, a werewolf from Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series. 11. Jane True, the selkie starring in Nicole Peeler’s Jane True series.

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The Mystery Writers of America announced their nominees for the 2012 Edgar Award this morning, and Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Company Man (US | UK | ANZ) will be on the ballot for ‘Best Paperback Original’!

This comes on the heels of The Company Man‘s Philip K. Dick Award nomination, and almost exactly a month before the release of Robert’s new novel, The Troupe (US | UK | ANZ). The Troupe  follows 16-year-old piano prodigy George Carole and the mysterious vaudeville troupe he runs away to join, whose performances have a strange effect on their audiences. George gradually realizes the troupe is not simply touring: they are running for their lives.

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