Category: Orbit UK
- Emily Rowland - August 4th, 2011
When Kelley Armstrong began writing her Women of the Otherworld series in 1999, there wasn’t even a widely accepted name for the genre she helped to create – the genre that would explode in popularity over the next decade and beyond – urban fantasy.
Now, on the day of the official release of Spell Bound (Women of the Otherworld Book 12), Kelley Armstrong looks back on her original and bestselling series, and explains why she chose now to bring all our favourite characters together for the first time.
Kelley also shares another exciting piece of news: Spell Bound (UK | ANZ) will be the penultimate book in the Women of the Otherworld series, and the final book will be called, fittingly, 13.
13 will be published during the summer of 2012.
You can read Kelley’s full piece here.
by Emily Rowland • Post a Comment • Posted in: Orbit Australia, Orbit UK
- James Long - August 3rd, 2011
Last Saturday dozens of fans descended on London’s Forbidden Planet to meet Tim Lebbon, Nicole Peeler, Simon Morden and Philip Palmer at our Orbit Summer Signing. For an hour the authors chatted with fans, signed books and – in Nicole Peeler’s case – received rather fancy gifts from generous readers.
At the after-show party (it was as glamorous as it sounds, honest) the beer and conversation flowed, and a fine time was had by the authors, editors and bloggers who attended.
Here are some photos of the day – if you missed it, don’t worry: there will a bigger, even better event next year!
So awesome was this haul of books that it had to have two guards protecting it at all times. The copies of EQUATIONS OF LIFE (UK | US | ANZ) were deliberately placed at the front to lure people in with their hypnotic covers. Dastardly, we know.
The fantastic four, bracing themselves for the coming signing. Read the rest of this entry »
by James Long • Post a Comment • Posted in: Orbit UK, Signings and Events, Uncategorized
- Anna Gregson - August 2nd, 2011
The Dwarves are back. And they will have their vengeance…
Presenting our cover for the third book in this epic series from international bestseller Markus Heitz – about the bravest, sturdiest and most formidable of warriors, the Dwarves. Their hero Tungdil is back – and if you think he’s been through the wars so far then I assure you there is much more adversity waiting on the horizon for this unfortunate fellow. It’s just lucky that he’s a dwarf through and through, because the courage of the dwarves has never been questioned…
The fantastic cover comes from the talented illustrator Bob Lea. His site here is well worth a look - but beware: you could be lost in there for days marvelling at its treasures!
I’m delighted with this image because it’s exactly how I picture the Dwarves: fearlessly heroic, ever-armed for battle and raising the ferocious war cry. For me the cover says: “In the face of danger, a dwarf never surrenders!” Well, that – and also: “MWWWAAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHH!!!!”
And I’m honoured to say that The Revenge of the Dwarves will be storming the Orbit defences worldwide this coming October. Read on for the blurb and a larger image below… Read the rest of this entry »
by Anna Gregson • 1 Comment • Posted in: Covers, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US
- The Orbit Team - August 1st, 2011
Two years ago, in the fall of 2009, I received a submission for the book that would eventually become Germline. At the time, it was more a series of linked novellas than a novel, but immediately I knew there was something there. The writing was incredibly raw, utterly riveting, and simply exciting. This was military science fiction– there were super soldiers, futuristic weaponry, powered armor– but not like I’d ever seen it before. The emotional depth to the characters was incredible and their experiences were genuinely harrowing. That first read through reminded me more of accounts from actual soldiers and journalists embedded in the field than the standard action-movie fare. This was The Hurt Locker, and Jarhead, and Restrepo… just with super soldiers, flachette rifles, and powered armor.
Now, Germline is finally here in its finished form. The first of three novels, each telling the story of this future war through the eyes of a different combatant: a journalist on the front lines, a genetically engineered soldier, and a man tasked with hunting down escaped genetics.
Read the rest of this entry »
by The Orbit Team • 1 Comment • Posted in: New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US, Reviews, Uncategorized
- The Orbit Team - August 1st, 2011
This is to launch the wonderful, fiery and dramatic cover for Cold Fire (US | UK | ANZ), book two in Kate Elliott’s new Spirit Walker series. This was illustrated by Larry Rostant and designed by Peter Cotton and I think they’ve created a fabulously atmospheric cover.
To me, this gives off hints of magic and danger in an age of adventure, where a young girl must choose her path. It’s certainly exciting stuff and this fantasy adventure is published by Orbit internationally next month, so not long to wait now! And if you want to quickly get up to speed on the series, Cold Magic (book one, US | UK | ANZ) is published in mass market this month. Elizabeth Moon found it ‘a definite hands-down great read’ and FantasyBookCritic ‘utterly loved it’.
And here’s a little more on the story of Cold Fire itself:
Trapped within a maze of blood, treachery and magic …
Cat and her cousin Bee are key players in a drama of dragons and politics. Warring factions want to use or destroy their growing powers, and they’re closing in. The Cold Mages are conspiring to take them prisoner and the warlord Camjiata thinks it’s their destiny to help him conquer Europa – whether they want to or not. And the man Cat was forced to marry is back, as arrogant and annoyingly handsome as ever. Worse still, as Hallows Night approaches, powers hidden deep within the spirit world are rising. Cat must seek allies against these threats, for if she makes the wrong choices, she’ll lose everything. Only one thing is certain. When Hallows’ Night comes the Wild Hunt will ride – and it feeds on mortal blood.”
by The Orbit Team • 3 Comments • Posted in: Covers, New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US
- The Orbit Team - August 1st, 2011
We are absolutely delighted to pass on that Ghost Story was in the Sunday Times bestsellers chart yesterday! The book 100% deserves this and it is an unalloyed treat, huge congratulations to Jim Butcher for writing such a fabulous book.
And I know Jim likes to keep us guessing, but his plot twists in this are epic …
by The Orbit Team • 1 Comment • Posted in: New Titles, News, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK
- The Orbit Team - July 28th, 2011
We’ve been counting the days until we can unleash Jim Butcher’s Ghost Story (UK | ANZ) onto the world – and publication day is at last upon us. And you can catch the first four chapters here before you rush out, waving your arms around, to get the new book!
We also have some great GIVEAWAYS, in the shape of five signed hardback cover proofs and five A3 print-outs of front cover artwork. Full terms/conditions plus pictures of the great stuff itself are here and to enter just fill in the small form below this post and click submit. And it’s for UK residents only! Lastly, if you didn’t catch the great mini interview with Jim Butcher on Harry Dresden, plus rereads of the entire series, these are here.
Early reviews have been rightfully amazing too, and we couldn’t agree more …
The Dresden Files defines all odds by getting better and better … If you love Urban Fantasy drop everything to catch up now. There is no other UF series that comes close”
GavReads.co.uk
“Ghost Story is a wonderful addition to the Dresden Files series … one of the most consistently well-written urban fantasy series in existence”
LoveVampires.com
“This stunning, exciting series entry with its heart-stopping action will shock and thrill”
Library Journal
‘Fans will be gratified … plot twists and high-stakes combat with an assortment of supernatural beings”
Publishers Weekly
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by The Orbit Team • 1 Comment • Posted in: Art, Contests, Covers, New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Reviews
- Kirk Benshoff - July 26th, 2011
The Troupe by Shirley Jackson Award winner Robert Jackson Bennett hits shelves February 2012. When you have an intelligent combination of thriller, horror, and Americana…you end up with a book that stands on its own.
I’m going to write more about the process and how I got to the final design. But since we’re so excited about launching the cover, here it is today!
After the jump see the cover full-size with a teaser…
Read the rest of this entry »
by Kirk Benshoff • Post a Comment • Posted in: Art, Covers, Orbit UK, Orbit US, Uncategorized
- The Orbit Team - July 26th, 2011
Tom Holt’s comic fantasy Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages (UK | US | ANZ) was published recently and has delighted reviewers already. With some trepidation, we asked Tom the classic author interview question: where the heckers does he get his ideas from?
“One disadvantage I suffer from is that I don’t lead a funny life. Hilarious things don’t happen to me, which means I have to make it all up. Whoever arranges these things sees to it that somebody else gets all the good material – the wrong suitcase picked off the airport carousel, the hilarious mistaken-identity incident, all that – while I’m left with days that go something like –
7.00am: wake up
7.15am: drive to smallholding; feed pigs; feed chickens; feed pigs; feed cows; cut firewood
10.30am – 3.30pm: sit in front of computer trying to think of funny stuff
3.35pm as 7.15am
8.00am – 2.00pm as 10.30am
And so on, day after day (except in winter, when it’s still as dark as a bag at 7am), with never a hint of a free joke or a spontaneously-occurring outbreak of hilarity that I can pick up, shove under my coat, take home and effortlessly convert into marketable prose. The only break in the routine comes when I have to dispose of the body of the latest person foolish enough to tell me about some comic incident in their own life, with the recommendation (usually the last thing they ever say) that I ought to put it in one of my books. Read the rest of this entry »
by The Orbit Team • 1 Comment • Posted in: Fiction, New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US
When Kelley Armstrong began writing her Women of the Otherworld series in 1999, there wasn’t even a widely accepted name for the genre she helped to create – the genre that would explode in popularity over the next decade and beyond – urban fantasy.
