Category: In Their Own Words
- Darren Turpin - December 5th, 2008
Brent says:
Beyond the Shadows finishes the Night Angel Trilogy with a bang. There are revelations in this book that are going to send readers back to the beginning of the trilogy to read it all over again. Kylar comes into the fullness not just of his power, but of his identity, his purpose.
It’s a story of sacrifice and redemption, of the good and evil in each of us, of people who love each other so much they’ll give everything, of friends who will stand and be counted. It’s a story of looming catastrophe, and always – always – hard choices. There’s armies and war and magic and political brinkmanship. The stakes couldn’t be higher. It’s a story of friends who have to choose between loyalty and duty.
I’d love to be more specific, but when one’s strength is surprises, it behoves one not to drop spoilers…
Shadow’s Edge (UK | US | AUS) is out now and you can find it at all good high street and online booksellers.
Book one in the Night Angel Trilogy, The Way of Shadows, and book two, Shadow’s Edge are also available now. Check out our first chapter extract from the very beginning of the series and see what Brent had to say about The Way of Shadows and Shadow’s Edge in his previous In Their Own Words pieces for us.
by Darren Turpin • 5 Comments • Posted in: In Their Own Words, News, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US
- Darren Turpin - November 19th, 2008
Marianne says:
With Dark Space (Book One of the Sentients of Orion series), I began small. Most of the narrative focused on one planet with tantalizing glimpses (I hoped!) of a much grander storyline. In Chaos Space I step firmly into that wider landscape, delving deeper into the psyches of the less-developed characters and increasing the stakes for the heroine.
It was a planned seduction of the reader; become intimate with a couple of the players and perhaps, maybe … a little intrigued by the lesser known ones. For me then, the most satisfying and challenging thing about Chaos Space was bringing all those disparate strands together. Kind of like a dance.
Not so much a space opera as an interplanetary mambo…
Sentients of Orions book two: Chaos Space is out now from Orbit in the UK and Australia, as is the first part of the series, Dark Space [UK | AUS].
Marianne de Pierres is also the author of the Parrish Plessis novels, and you can find out all about her work at her official website, www.mariannedepierres.com as well as catching up with all her latest developments via her regularly updated blog.
by Darren Turpin • Post a Comment • Posted in: In Their Own Words, News, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK
- Darren Turpin - November 13th, 2008
Robert says:
An easy thing to tell you about Orphan’s Alliance is that Jason Wander – high school dropout, accidental Major General, terminal wise ass and reluctant hero – returns, and so do the Slugs. But Alliance shows you things military SF usually doesn’t, like Paleozoic swamps and monsters, and Parisian sidewalk cafés. Alliance also shows you things military SF often does, like gravity-bending fighters, vast battles for galactic crossroads, and trench warfare.
A hard thing to tell you is that Jason is growing up, and growth hurts.
C.S. Lewis, gravely wounded in World War I, wrote about soldiers who write about war that “We know how much of the reality the romantic view left out. But we also know that heroism is a real thing, that all the plumes and flags and trumpets … were not there for nothing [but] to honour … what is truly honourable … precisely because everyone knew how horrible war is.”
Orphan’s Alliance is out now from Orbit US and will be published in January 2009 by Orbit UK and Orbit Australia. Orphan’s Alliance is the fourth of Robert’s Jason Wander novels, the first of which was Orphanage [UK | US | AUS].
You can find out more about Robert Buettner and Jason Wander at his website, www.robertbuettner.com and read his blog at robertbuettner.wordpress.com for all his latest news and developments.
by Darren Turpin • 1 Comment • Posted in: In Their Own Words, News, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US
- Darren Turpin - November 13th, 2008
Ian says:
Who is the Numinator, the never-seen figure who has manipulated the world of Santhenar for more than a hundred and fifty years, for some unknown, terrible purpose?
That’s the most frequently asked question by my fans, and it’s why I’ve been dying to write The Curse on the Chosen. I too wanted to find out who he (or she, or it) really was, and the answer shocked me as much as it astonished our old friends Nish, Maelys and Flydd, who are in dire trouble once again.
I love storytelling. My chief pleasure in life is making my characters suffer until they can take no more – and then making things much, much worse for them, until they’re lining up to march out of the book, take the author by his scrawny throat and put a stop to their agony forever. But he’s thought of that one too – ha, ha! – and their suffering continues to the ultimate cliffhanger ending. This time, there really is no way out.
The author types on, laughing maniacally …
The Curse on the Chosen (UK) is out now from Orbit and is available from all good booksellers. The story is part two of Ian’s current series, The Song of the Tears and is part of his ongoing ‘Three Worlds’ story arc, which began with the View From the Mirror quartet – see Orbit Editor Bella Pagan’s overview of the entire saga for more information.
You can find out more about Ian Irvine and his Three Worlds books at his website, www.ian-irvine.com.
by Darren Turpin • Post a Comment • Posted in: In Their Own Words, News, Orbit UK
- Darren Turpin - November 13th, 2008
Sean says:
From its conception, I pictured Astropolis as three fundamentally different books: Saturn Returns is about Imre putting the pieces of his mind and team back together; The Grand Conjunction is a chase novel ranging far and wide across the Milky Way. Earth Ascendant, then, is the “empire” section of Imre’s story, taking a long, hard look at how difficult it would be for someone like us to rule the galaxy, especially someone literally warring with another version of himself.
Like Saturn Returns, this draws inspiration from one of my favourite Gothic classics, this time: ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ by Edgar Allen Poe. The image of a fractured façade made it irresistible, along with many other wonderful aspects of that story. Astropolis is a Gothic tale, and a wildly anachronistic one, so it made sense to trawl for inspiration in the works of the masters. Any excuse.
The same goes with Render, Imre’s friend who speaks solely in Gary Numan lyrics. You won’t find much of me in the gender-bending sex scenes, but in the nerdy stuff, definitely.
Earth Ascendant (UK | AUS) is out now from Orbit and is available from all good booksellers. The first part of the Astropolis series, Saturn Returns, is also available from Orbit [UK | AUS].
You can find out more about Sean Williams‘ work at his website, www.seanwilliams.com, and keep up with his latest news and developments via his blog at ladnews.livejournal.com.
by Darren Turpin • Post a Comment • Posted in: In Their Own Words, News, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK
- Darren Turpin - November 7th, 2008
Brent says:
Shadow’s Edge is a much more ambitious book than The Way of Shadows. If you look at the map at the beginning of TWoS, that whole book takes place within about one square centimeter on the map. In Shadow’s Edge, you’re going to get a fuller sense of this huge world. More cultures, more people. The surprises definitely continue. In fact, I can’t even say the two things I think readers are going to love most because they’re both spoilers.
This much I can say: deep, conflicted characters who continue to grow throughout the whole trilogy, impossible dilemmas, truly awful bad guys, more magic, more surprises, and a huge battle that changes everything. But this book IS a complete story that has an actual ending – no lame cliffhangers just to squeeze another eight pounds out of you.
And of course, there’s one more thing that’s brilliant: you don’t have to wait five years to get your hands on the next book. If you like the first one, you can grab this one right away, and if you like this one, at most you have to wait a month for the last one. You also have the assurance that it’s going to be a trilogy and be finished…
Shadow’s Edge (UK | US | AUS) is out now and you can find it at all good high street and online booksellers.
Don’t forget to read book one, The Way of Shadows before you start on this one. You can get a taste of how the series starts by reading an extract here and see what Brent had to say about the first instalment here.
The final part of the Night Angel Trilogy, Beyond the Shadows, will be published next month, so look out for one more ITOW from Brent Weeks in a few weeks . . .
by Darren Turpin • Post a Comment • Posted in: In Their Own Words, News, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US
- Darren Turpin - November 7th, 2008
Kelley says:
This is a story I’ve wanted to tell since I first decided that Bitten would launch a series, rather than be the stand-alone novel I originally intended. In the Otherworld, I’ve introduced a lot of women, and they’ve all had one thing in common: they’re supernaturals. But what about the humans? What if a human woman was thrown into this universe? It’s taken nine books, but here I finally get to tell that story. Robyn Peltier is the very human friend of Hope Adams (from Personal Demon). Robyn knows nothing about her friend’s secret life … but she’s about to find out, as she becomes embroiled in a supernatural murder.
Living With the Dead, the brand new novel in Kelley Armstrong‘s best-selling Otherworld series, is out now from Orbit in the UK and is available now from all good bookstores and online retailers.
And don’t forget to check out Kelley’s official website at www.kelleyarmstrong.com for loads of background information on her Otherworld series, including a number of serialised novellas and short stories set in the same world that haven’t been published elsewhere… just yet.
by Darren Turpin • 1 Comment • Posted in: In Their Own Words, News, Orbit UK
- The Orbit Team - October 23rd, 2008
Brent says:
The Way of Shadows is going to appeal to readers who love big fantasy stories but get bored the fifth time an author describes a six-course meal or the twenty slashes on a noblewoman’s dress. This story flies. There’s murder, betrayal, magic, and lots of ass-kicking.
But to be honest, a lot of authors can offer that. I think what’s going to keep readers coming back is the deep, surprising characters. Everyone has secrets. Everyone runs into hard choices, and not everyone makes the right choice. Heck, not everyone makes it, period. Cenaria is a city infamous for crime and brutality. It’s the kind of place that makes legendary assassins, so expect some tough stuff – but out of that, expect characters who are very human in how they’ve been touched by or participated in the darkness around them. Expect people looking for redemption and hope. Unusual for an assassin story? Definitely. Do I pull it off? I hope people check it out and judge for themselves.
The Way of Shadows (UK | US | AUS) is out now and you can find it at all good high street and online booksellers. Get an advance taste by reading an extract here.
We’re publishing the next two books, Shadow’s Edge and Beyond the Shadows, in the next two months so keep your eyes peeled for some more ITOW from Brent Weeks very soon . . .
by The Orbit Team • 2 Comments • Posted in: All posts, Contents, In Their Own Words, Orbit UK, Orbit US
- Darren Turpin - October 13th, 2008
Kelley says:
This is book eight in my Otherworld series and, with it, I decided to shake things up. So far, the series has been moving along nicely as I explore different corners of it. Now it’s time for action. Time for changes. Time to jumpstart the Cortez Cabal plot thread I’ve been playing with since book three, Dime Store Magic.
Lucas Cortez is one of the narrators of Personal Demon, and the Cabal story is his. But the star of the book is half-demon Hope Adams, a character I created for a novella (Chaotic in Dates from Hell) Hope is my most ‘human’ supernatural protagonist, and my most conflicted. She’s joined here by Karl Marsten – the ‘bad guy I couldn’t kill’ from Bitten. I won’t say I’ve redeemed Karl, but here he gets a chance to tell his side of the story.
The paperback edition of Kelley Armstrong‘s Personal Demon is published by Orbit in the UK and is available now from all good bookstores and online retailers. Kelley’s brand new Otherworld novel, Living With the Dead will be published by Orbit in hardback early next month, so keep an eye out for another ITOW piece from Kelley in a few weeks’ time.
In the meantime, be sure to check out Kelley’s official website at www.kelleyarmstrong.com for tonnes of background information on her Otherworld series, including a number of serialised novellas and short stories set in the same world that haven’t been published elsewhere… just yet.
by Darren Turpin • Post a Comment • Posted in: In Their Own Words, Orbit UK
- Darren Turpin - October 13th, 2008
On the subject of Unmarked Graves, Shaun says:
The only reason to write a book is to entertain. I’ve believed that for twenty five years and I still do. However, if you can frighten the hell out of readers while you’re entertaining them then that’s even better. Unmarked Graves is designed to do both. I also wanted to do a book that, in these days of political correctness gone mad, challenged people’s views of something as contentious as race relations and racism. I wanted to mix this up with what looks like a traditional horror and crime story and then, as I always do, give it a twist. All of it done at the usual breakneck pace that’s become something of a trade mark for me. I loved the old Hammer films of the 60′s so this is a kind of homage to them but with a modern day angle.
Anyone who’s read my other books will know what to expect. Anyone who’s never read one will be faced with the kind of book they’ve never encountered before. It isn’t cosy. It isn’t predictable. It may offend you. It might even disgust you. It will frighten you. But the only guarantee I make is that it will entertain you.
And about Body Count, Shaun says:
I get sick of the kind of clichéd characters who populate horror and fantasy novels so I always try to write about real people with real problems. Something that’ll be identifiable to the readers. Body Count contains people like this. All coping with their own trials and tribulations but caught up in something beyond their control. The violence was also included so graphically because I find violence repulsive and the only way to illustrate this is to show it in detail. If anyone finds the violence or sex offensive then that’s unfortunate but ignoring it isn’t going to make it go away. This is a novel about hate and fury and it’s also, quite possibly, the most violent thing I’ve written for ten years.
It’s fast paced, disturbing and it covers issues that are very close to my heart. That’s one of the reasons I wrote it. I always think that something close to the writer make for a better book. It gives you the chance to play out your own worst fears and nightmares from the safety of your armchair. It’s just that, with my books, the nightmares tend to start after you’ve finished reading them…
Shaun Hutson’s brand new novel of terror and suspense, Body Count, is out now from Orbit in the UK. The Orbit paperback edition of his previous novel, Unmarked Graves is likewise available in the UK from all good bookstores and online retailers.
Find out everything you ever wanted to know about Shaun Hutson at his official website, www.shaunhutson.com.
by Darren Turpin • Post a Comment • Posted in: In Their Own Words, Orbit UK
