Terry Brooks‘s latest epic fantasy book BLOODFIRE QUEST (UK | ANZ) has been released this month. It’s the second book in The Dark Legacy of Shannara series and is delighting fans everywhere:
‘Nearly every page is filled with tension and passionate storytelling . . . Bloodfire Quest is a fine follow-up to Wards of Faerie and continues to prove that The Dark Legacy of Shannara is one of the most exciting and satisfying trilogies that Brooks has written in years’ A DRIBBLE OF INK
‘Shannara fans will delight in Brooks’s twists, sorcerous action, skilled characterizations, and rapid-fire storytelling ‘ PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
‘Shannara continues to deepen, and Brooks continues to color his world with new hues . . . BLOODFIRE QUEST is an epic adventure packed into 350 pages, delivering more of a punch than many trilogies provide in three books’ BOOK REPORTER
Don’t forget that if you live in the UK, there’s just under a week until Terry visits for the first time in over 5 years. There’s a facebook group here for his signing on 3rd April at 6pm at Forbidden Planet London.
And don’t fear if you can’t make it – UK fans still have time to submit questions and will receive an awesome dragon skull badge at the same time…
Mine was back in the mid-1990s. A close friend excitedly showed me a book called THE SWORD OF SHANNARA (UK | ANZ) that his jetsetting pilot father had picked up for him from a bookstore in America. I remember being impressed at its sheer size and being immediately drawn to both the cover (a glowing magic sword, what more could a thirteen-year-old boy want?) and the gorgeous interior illustrations by the brothers Hildebrandt. I forget what gushing eulogy my friend gave about the book, yet it was positive enough for the novel to stick in my mind. Faced with the horrors of a two-week family holiday a short time later, I purchased a copy of THE SWORD OF SHANNARA, thinking it might prove a decent distraction for a fortnight.
It didn’t – because I burned through the novel in two days. I was already a fan of fantasy, having devoured Fighting Fantasy gamebooks and the late Brian Jacques’s much-loved Redwall series, but this was the first time I’d read an adult book – and I was hopelessly smitten. I loved every page, every word. For hours at a time I lost myself in this mythical world, enthralled by the plucky heroes’ dangerous adventure to save the land from darkness. I may not have realised it at the time, but that reading experience was a watershed moment in not just my reading tastes, but my entire life. Read the rest of this entry »
Orbit is so excited to announce that Terry Brooks will be visiting the UK for the first time in over 5 years! He will be in London on holiday but has spared an evening to schedule an event at Forbidden Planet – on Wednesday 3rd April at 6pm. He will be signing copies of the first in his new series, Wards of Faerie (now available in paperback) and his new hardback Bloodfire Quest(out 12th March). Like our Orbit UK Facebook page for full details and updates.
And for all Terry’s UK fans who can’t make it to London, never fear… whether you can attend the signing or not, every person who emails a question for Terry to orbit@littlebrown.co.uk will receive a Bloodfire Quest badge! We will film his answers so everyone gets to ‘meet’ him. Plus the top three questions will win a signed and dedicated book. (UK entrants only).
Join us to celebrate a great year for a legend of the fantasy genre! 2013 is an especially exciting year for Terry as his full Dark Legacy of Shannara series will available, with the last novel in the trilogy, Witch Wraith, publishing this July.
Wards of Faerie: The Dark Legacy of Shannara, Book One
Bloodfire Quest: The Dark Legacy of Shannara, Book Two
Witch Wraith: The Dark Legacy of Shannara, Book Three
This Friday (26 October) SF authors Charles Stross and Michael Cobley, and urban fantasy authors Kate Griffin and Benedict Jacka, will all be signing copies of their latest books at Forbidden Planet in London.
The signing will take place from 6 – 7 pm at Forbidden Planet’s flagship store on Shaftesbury Avenue. We look forward to seeing you there!
Orbit is going to New York Comic Con! We’ll be in the Hachette booth, #1027, with giveaways, raffles, and several author events, so be sure to stop by if you’re in town. Here’s the schedule of events:
Friday, October 12
1 PM: Kate Locke signing GOD SAVE THE QUEEN @ booth 1027
4 PM: Nicole Peeler signing TEMPEST’S FURY and TEMPEST RISING @ booth 1027
4 PM: Senior editor Devi Pillai will be on the panel “Publisher’s Paradise: Adult Publisher Spotlight” in Rm. 1A06
Saturday, October 13
12:15 PM: Nicole Peeler will be on the panel “Myth Mixology: How Urban Fantasists Create the Perfect Cocktail” in Rm. 1A08
1:30 PM: Creative director Lauren Panepinto will be on the panel “Ladies Who Steam: The Publishing Industry on Women in Steampunk” in Rm. 1A01
Sunday, October 14
11 AM: Michael J. Sullivan will be signing THEFT OF SWORDS @ booth 1027
4 PM: Michael J. Sullivan will be on the panel “The Brave New World of E-Book Publishing” in Rm. 1A07
We’ll also be running raffles every day of the convention, with prizes including books by Gail Carriger, Joe Abercrombie, Iain M. Banks, and Rachel Aaron. See you there!
After two weeks spent travelling around the US on his 15-date book-signing tour, Brent Weeks hopped across the pond to meet his UK fans and sign copies of his New York Times bestselling novel THE BLINDING KNIFE [UK | US | ANZ].
Brent’s UK tour took in nine cities in eight days and involved hundreds of fans who enjoyed a brilliant reading (with a shocking twist for which his editor still hasn’t forgiven him!) before chatting with Brent and getting their books signed. Brent also spent a full day at Fantasycon in Brighton, where he was a Guest of Honour and took part in a variety of panels.
We thought the tour was a huge success – thanks to everyone who attended! – and Brent clearly thought so too:
Here are some photos from Brent’s week in the UK.
We thought we ought to help Brent acclimatise to the UK, so before his tour began we invited him and his wife Kristi along to Orbit HQ in London where we drank tea while discussing the weather.
Brent’s first call of duty was a signing at Forbidden Planet’s flagship store in London, where a huge crowd turned up to meet him. Read the rest of this entry »
Orbit are excited to announce that Iain M. Banks will be participating in an international Google+ Hangout to celebrate the publication of THE HYDROGEN SONATA. The event will take place on Thursday 27th September at 6pm BST, and Iain will be hanging out with Alastair Reynolds, Peter F. Hamilton and a few lucky fans…
For a chance to be part of this amazing panel please post your best questions in the specially created event page and make sure that you have circled +Google Play to find out if you have been successfully shortlisted. Don’t have a Google+ account but want to take part? It’s easy, find out here.
For those of you who miss out, never fear, the Hangout will be broadcast, so you will be able to watch the discussion in real time, and your questions may still be asked.
And for everyone in the UK, Iain will be touring in October:
Plus, Orbit and SFX are running a competition to interview Iain M. Banks in person! For full details pick up the current issue of SFX, and to enter submit the ten questions you would ask Iain.
In his stunning novel,2312 [UK | US | ANZ], Kim Stanley Robinson combines detailed research with a vivid imagination to create the most incredible descriptions of our galaxy 300 years in the future. While he was in the UK, we filmed him reading from the book at Toppings in Bath (big thank you to Jeanette Weston at Magus Studios).
Here he reads a passage depicting dawn on the planet Mercury… prepare to be entranced.
And for a chance to win a SIGNED hardback of 2312, comment below with your favourite quote from the reading! (Terms and Conditions apply)
Orbit are SO excited to announce that we are teaming up with Forbidden Planet, in association with the British Library, to present a unique opportunity to hear two giants of SF in conversation about their work.
Saturday 9th June 2012
Doors 3pm for a 3.30pm start, followed by a signing at 5pm
Iain M. Banks is this year celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Culture. Kim Stanley Robinson is visiting the UK to promote his new SF novel 2312. Stay tuned for more tour details!
Our booksellers’ evening last Wednesday at the gorgeous Drink, Shop, Do was a glory to behold. See Gail’s report of the event here.
The steampunk event at Waterstones Nottingham last Friday was also a storming success, with around a hundred people in attendance - many attired in full costume - to pay tribute to the honourable Gail and fellow steampunk fashion icon Jema Hewitt. See below for some of the wonderfully impressive regalia displayed on the night:
Gail Carriger and Jema Hewitt (top left hand corner) as well as a whole host of other wonderful costumes at the steampunk event at Waterstones Nottingham
And whilst all this was happening in the UK, fans from across the world were sending us fabulous parasol photos for our very special teapot competition. See the final entries below (and earlier entries here and here), and tune back in this Friday 20th for the announcement of the winners!
Maria Diana Broughton's photo of the darling Ane Victoria and Eirin
The beautifully coy Kirsten
The delightfully daring Elizabeth Dixon
The just divine Jaymee
The heavenly Katelynn Hickman
Terry Kroenung's capturing of a feisty low-kick
And don’t forget that Gail is now off to swan around the rest of the European continent. See her tour details here!
- - March 28th, 2013
Terry Brooks‘s latest epic fantasy book BLOODFIRE QUEST (UK | ANZ) has been released this month. It’s the second book in The Dark Legacy of Shannara series and is delighting fans everywhere:
