Category: Extracts
- Emily Rowland - March 10th, 2011
Out now in paperback
Available in August
We recently asked Jim Butcher fans to tell us why they loved reading The Dresden Files as part of a competition to win a load of great books, and we were innundated (in the best possible way!) with positive feedback.
We knew there was a lot of love out there for Jim Butcher and the world of Harry Dresden P.I., and his fans have definitely delivered. We’ve shared some of the responses below. Congratulations to Kieran who was randomly selected as the winner of our nineteen-book prize!
We also heard from all of you that the end of Changes - which is out in paperback this month – left most people at the edge of their seats for the next book, so when the first trickles of text from Jim Butcher’s upcoming book Ghost Story came in this week, we wanted to get it up for you as soon as we could. You can now read chapter one of Ghost Story here (note: you should probably read Changes first if you haven’t already). Read the rest of this entry »
by Emily Rowland • 2 Comments • Posted in: Extracts, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK
- Anna Gregson - March 9th, 2011
Now unleashed in all territories: a big whopping Green-Eyed Demon (UK/ US/ ANZ). No need to get jealous - you can now get your hands on your very own copy of the latest addictively-compulsive instalment in the Sabina Kane series. Jaye Wells is bringing us more from the eternally feisty vamp-mage Sabina Kane, more from the sexy badass mage Adam Lazarus, more from the fiendishly ridiculous cat-demon Giguhl - AND more of her trademark ‘faboulous snarkiness’ - as Book Chick City puts it . . .
Jaye Wells: ultimate Queen of Snark – we salute you!
The clock is ticking for Sabina Kane. With her sister taken by mysterious captors, the Dark Races on the brink of war and a sinister order manipulating everyone behind the scenes, she’s really got her work cut out.
Using information provided by an unlikely ally, Sabina and her trusty sidekicks – the sexy mage Adam Lazarus and Giguhl, the Mischief demon – head to New Orleans to begin the hunt for her sister. Once there, they must contend with belligerent werewolves, magic-wielding vampires and, perhaps most frightening of all, humans.
But before Sabina can save those she cares about, she’s got to save herself from the ghosts of her former life. Because the past is haunting her. Literally.
If you want a sneaky peek at what’s in store for you, you can read a juicy little extract here.
by Anna Gregson • Post a Comment • Posted in: Extracts, New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US
- The Orbit Team - March 1st, 2011
It’s great to see that others share our extremely high opinion of K. J. Parker’s The Hammer (UK I US I ANZ) which has been getting some 
fantastic reviews below. K. J. tells a mean tale of justice, betrayal and how far a man will go for his cause. Gritty, tense, fabulously written and you can see for yourselves in our free extract.
Or take a look at what these people of good taste have to say …
This fantasy is less about wizards (of which there are none) and more about morality, family and notions of justice and duty … the small size of the stage makes the enormity of Gignomai’s actions all the more powerful’ SFX
“As a big fan of the author’s work, I had the highest expectations for The Hammer … it was as good as I expected and it’s an early candidate for my best of 2011″ SFFWorld.com
“The dark humor and superb style of the author are on display continually through the novel, while the twists, turns, jaw dropping moments characteristic of a K. J. Parker novel materialize often” FantasyBookCritic blog
“A story with guts, glory and above all else a principle character facing not only personal dilemmas but also overcoming the odds to succeed … definitely beautifully written” The Falcata Times blog
“The Hammer is vintage Parker – a fascination with, and a central role for, made objects like swords and guns, a revenge plot carried out with clear-eyed viciousness … in a book steeped in moral ambiguity and the complex thought processes of realistic, not fantastical, characters” Bookgeeks.co.uk
by The Orbit Team • Post a Comment • Posted in: Extracts, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US, Reviews
- The Orbit Team - February 18th, 2011
There is a fizzingly funny, cosmically comic new Tom Holt book available now! This is the UK paperback edition of Blonde Bombshell (UK 
| US), a heart-warming tale of Armageddon, and you can get a free extract. Looks like reviewers prefer blondes too, as we’ve had a huge amount of praise for this bombshell:
A pacy romp with some beautifully executed set pieces’ Guardian
‘A comic SF caper reminiscent of Terry Pratchett’ Independent on Sunday
‘One of the most ludicrously funny intergalactic shaggy dog stories ever told’
Daily Express
‘From a very clever author, with some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments’
News of the World
‘A nifty comic read, fizzing with one-liners … enjoyably deranged’ SFX
‘Exceptionally well-written’ SciFi Now
You can also play our highly addictive ‘Blondesweeper’ game. A little healthy competition on the scoreboard would be good for our in-house champions … make them work for their glory!
by The Orbit Team • 2 Comments • Posted in: Extracts, Fiction, New Titles, Orbit UK, Orbit US, Reviews
- Anna Gregson - February 1st, 2011
With just 2 days to go until the official release date of Shadowheart (UK / ANZ), the final book in Tad Williams’ captivating Shadowmarch series, we thought we’d give you a little preview to whet your tastebuds. Read the prologue here!
Barrick Eddon, prince of Southmarch, is no longer entirely human. He has vowed to safeguard the legacy of the dark Qar race, and must now decide where his loyalties lie.
His twin sister Briony has a difficult choice of her own. Her father, King Olin, is held captive by the Autarch, a mad god-king who plans to use Olin’s blood to gain unlimited power. And the castle of Southmarch still remains in the possession of Hendon Tolly, Briony’s murderous relative. As time runs out, will Briony decide to save her father’s kingdom . . . or her father?
As the foretold Great Defeat draws near, history is stripped of its costume of lies. Poets and players, mortals and fairies, warriors and gods, all will have their roles to play as the fate of the known world hangs in the balance.
And don’t forget that Shadowrise (UK / ANZ) is also out now in paperback . . .
by Anna Gregson • Post a Comment • Posted in: Extracts, New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK
- The Orbit Team - December 2nd, 2010
We are very excited to announce that the print edition of The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi hits retailers in the UK today, fabulously garbed in it’s wonderful cover as seen in this spiral of windup-ness here …
We released the book in ebook form prior to the print edition, so those of you teched up with e-devices might already have had the pleasure, but it was very exciting to see the print edition enter the office still cold from the warehouse. Not sure what kind of preservation method they use on them there. You can get a FREE EXTRACT here, and in case this multiple award-winning book needs further introduction, here are just some of the highlights below:
Time Magazine named The Windup Girl as one of its ten best novels of the year
The book has also won five of 2010′s major international SF awards: the Hugo (as covered in the Guardian here), Nebula, Locus, Compton Crook Award and John W. Campbell Memorial Award
‘Bacigalupi is a worthy successor to William Gibson: this is cyberpunk without computers’ Time Magazine
‘Not since William Gibson’s pioneering cyberpunk classic, Neuromancer (1984), has a first novel excited science fiction readers as much’ The Washington Post
‘Heart-thudding action sequences, sordid sex, and enough technical speculation for two lesser novels’ Cory Doctorow
‘One of the finest SF novels of the year’ Publishers Weekly
‘It’s ridiculous how good this book is’ Techland
by The Orbit Team • 1 Comment • Posted in: Awards, Extracts, New Titles, News, Orbit UK, Reviews
- The Orbit Team - November 2nd, 2010
Wheel of Time time
The penultimate volume of this legendary fantasy series is finally here.
Let the Towers of Midnight reading begin!
Start now with chapter one, or get a quick catch up from Brandon Sanderson on the story so far.
by The Orbit Team • 8 Comments • Posted in: Extracts, New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK
- The Orbit Team - October 29th, 2010
Time Magazine named The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi as one of its ten best novels of the year. And the book has also won an extraordinary five of 2010′s major international SF awards: the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, Compton Crook Award and John W. Campbell Memorial Award.
To take advantage of the huge buzz for this book (read a free extract HERE), Orbit is taking the unusual step of releasing the ebook edition immediately, as the fastest way of getting this important work to a UK audience. The paperback print edition will be out later, from 2nd December. We are very excited to publish this in the UK, as the extraordinary word-of-mouth excitement for this work in the States has been tremendous and now UK fans will have access to this wonderful book. Read the rest of this entry »
by The Orbit Team • 1 Comment • Posted in: Awards, Extracts, New Titles, News, Orbit UK
- Anna Gregson - October 20th, 2010
Has anyone else noticed that the raised eyebrow has truly become one of the staples of science fiction and fantasy entertainment?
The Spirit Thief (UK/US /ANZ) by Rachel Aaron is out this month – and since its protagonst is a scheming, devious and devastatingly charming rogue, we felt that only the most superb demonstration of singular suspension of the supercilium (yes, that’s ‘eyebrow’ in Latin) would do . . .
By being represented in this way, Eli Monpress is truly joining the ranks of heroes from science fiction and fantasy history who have excelled at exhibiting this particular brand of facial gymnastics. See the following examples for reference:
Exhibit A – Spock (though we must admit, he has a natural advantage over his human counterparts owing to his Vulcan genes)
Exhibit B – Wolverine (the classic ‘Don’t mess with me, even if my hair is a bit silly‘ eyebrow)
Exhibit C – David Tennant as Doctor Who (In fact, no one is allowed to play Doctor Who unless they can display an ability to get some impressive eyebrow height)
And Exhibit D – The Rock (only vaguely fantastical – for The Scorpion King perhaps? – but there was no way we weren’t including this picture) Read the rest of this entry »
by Anna Gregson • 3 Comments • Posted in: Art, Commentary, Covers, Extracts, Fiction, New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US, Uncategorized
- Anna Gregson - October 14th, 2010
We’re very proud to announce that Lightborn (UK / ANZ) has arrived in stores in all its shining glory. Tricia Sullivan, a former Arthur C. Clarke Award-winner, has been widely acknowledged as an audacious, original and exceptionally talented author – here are just a few of the quotes she has received:
‘A challenging, disturbing, often compulsive read’ Time Out
‘Tricia Sullivan returns to science fiction not a second too soon . . . I haven’t enjoyed a book so much in a long time’ Guardian
‘Painfully gripping throughout – read it if you dare’ The Times
So if you do dare . . . dip into the world of Lightborn and you shall be greatly rewarded. You’ll find a fantastic premise that revolves around ‘shine’ – a mind-altering technology that has revolutionised the modern world. It’s the ultimate in education, self-improvement and entertainment – beamed directly into the brain of anyone who can meet the asking price. But what happens when that ‘shine’ goes renegade and develops a mind of its own?
With its striking cover, this really has turned out to be a very exciting package - and you can take a sneaky peek at what’s inside by reading a free extract here.
by Anna Gregson • Post a Comment • Posted in: Commentary, Covers, Extracts, Fiction, New Titles, News, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Reviews, Uncategorized
