Category: Press Releases
- James Long - March 25th, 2013
“We have fought battles that left more than a hundred corpses on the ground and not a word of it has ever been set down. The Order fights, but often it fights in shadow, without glory or reward. We have no banners.”
We’re delighted to announce the upcoming publication of BLOOD SONG [UK | ANZ] - the brilliant epic fantasy debut by British author and self-publishing sensation Anthony Ryan. If you’ve not heard of Anthony yet, you soon will – and you’ll be hearing his name a lot over the coming months.
Here’s the fantastic cover, courtesy of our in-house designer Nick Castle and freelancer Nik Keevil.
And here’s why you should be getting excited about this novel.
Vaelin Al Sorna’s life changes forever the day his father abandons him at the gates of the Sixth Order, a secretive military arm of the Faith. Together with his fellow initiates, Vaelin undertakes a brutal training regime – where the price of failure is often death. Under the tutelage of the Order’s masters, he learns how to forge a blade, survive the wilds and kill a man quickly and quietly.
Now his new skills will be put to the test. War is coming. Vaelin is the Sixth Order’s deadliest weapon and the Realm’s only hope. He must draw upon the very essence of his strength and cunning if he is to survive the coming conflict. Yet as the world teeters on the edge of chaos, Vaelin will learn that the truth can cut deeper than any sword.
BLOOD SONG quite simply blew us away when we read it on submission. It’s a hugely accomplished debut novel that has everything you can ask for in an epic fantasy: memorable characters, a wonderfully vivid world, gripping action sequences and a razor-sharp sense of intrigue – not to mention some shocking twists.
Anthony Ryan’s writing, particularly his sense of purpose and absorbing action sequences, has strong echoes of the great David Gemmell. There’s certainly something very Gemmellian about his protagonist, Vaelin Al Sorna, a conflicted hero who must make terrible choices to balance his loyalty to his friends and his duty to the Crown and Faith. It’s just as well he’s unmatched with a blade . . .
A tremendous debut; it has a fast-paced, action-packed and character-driven story . . . Simply the best book I’ve read in this year by a long way and as far as debuts go, it stands proudly among those by Scott Lynch and Patrick Rothfuss” – FANTASY BOOK CRITIC
“Anthony Ryan is a new fantasy author destined to make his mark on the genre. His debut novel, Blood Song, certainly has it all: great coming of age tale, compelling character, and a fast-paced plot . . . A new master storyteller has hit the scene” – Michael J. Sullivan, author of the bestselling Riyria Revelations
BLOOD SONG will be published in July 2013.
by James Long • Post a Comment • Posted in: New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Press Releases
- Devi Pillai - February 15th, 2013
The short version of this post is that I’m excited to announce the acquisition of David Dalglish’s Shadowdance series! For the formal version, the official press release is below.
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NEW YORK, NY (February 15, 2013) – Today Orbit US & UK announced the international acquisition of the Shadowdance novels – an epic fantasy series by self-publishing success David Dalglish. The author has already digitally published the first four books in the series, all of which have been e-book bestsellers.
Dalglish said of the deal, “I’ve seen the limits of what I can accomplish self-publishing and hope that with Orbit I can reach the next level, both in the quality of my writing and the size of my audience. I’m thrilled with everything Orbit has offered me, and feel this is the next step I need to take in my career.”
The Shadowdance series includes the novels A DANCE OF CLOAKS, A DANCE OF BLADES, and A DANCE OF DEATH. Orbit will launch A DANCE OF CLOAKS in October 2013, and the two sequels will follow in consecutive months in November and December.
A dark, gritty epic fantasy, the Shadowdance series is a character-driven tale of assassins, thieves, and treachery. The series begins when Aaron Felhorn – the son of the greatest assassin of the age – is sent to kill the daughter of a priest, but instead chooses to protect her.
Acquiring editor Devi Pillai said, “We are looking forward to building on David’s self-publishing success and helping to make him a worldwide bestseller in all formats.”
by Devi Pillai • 5 Comments • Posted in: Deals and Deliveries, Orbit UK, Orbit US, Press Releases
- The Orbit Team - October 31st, 2012
Tomorrow Orbit UK will publish the manga adaptation of Cassandra Clare’s New York Times bestseller CLOCKWORK ANGEL, the first book in her Infernal Devices series. The deal was agreed with leading US manga publisher Yen Press.
The manga tells the story of the London Institute of Shadowhunters, humans fighting against a supernatural menace in Victorian London. With another Shadowhunters series, The Mortal Instruments, being released as a movie next year, fans of Clare’s world have never been more numerous!
With a script adapted by the author herself and art by the phenomenal manga artist HyeKyung Baek (BRING IT ON! and GOSSIP GIRL), this series will appeal to new and established fans of Clare’s witty series and charm young adults and adults alike!
THE INFERNAL DEVICES: CLOCKWORK ANGEL
Cassandra Clare | 1st November 2012 | £7.99 | PB
The first magical adventure in this manga set in Victorian London. Tessa Gray thought that life would change when she moved to a new city, but kidnapped on arrival and rescued by the human warriors of the London Institute of Shadowhunters, she never could have anticipated how much! Possessed of strange abilities that allow her to talk to the dead, unlike her rescuers, Tessa is not human, and she must decide where she stands in the war between humans and supernatural creatures to come. This is the first volume adapting the New York Times bestselling series The Infernal Devices. Art by HyeKyung Baek.
Look out for news of more steampunk manga from Orbit UK, with Gail Carriger’s SOULLESS: THE MANGA Volume 2 hitting the shelves in December!
by The Orbit Team • Post a Comment • Posted in: Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Press Releases
- The Orbit Team - June 7th, 2012
THE BANDIT KING is the eagerly-awaited sequel to Lilith Saintcrow’s ebook-exclusive historical fantasy THE HEDGEWITCH QUEEN, and it’s released today!
If you’re in the US you can purchase it from these retailers.
In the UK you can buy the ebook for one month only at a special price, meaning that should you fancy getting a bit closer to royalty after the Jubilee festivities, you can get both THE HEDGEWITCH QUEEN and THE BANDIT KING at a great price.
Tristan d’Arcenne killed his King. Now he is faced with betrayal, war, and the mistrust of his Queen. She should mistrust him, for there is nothing d’Arcenne will not do.
The Bandit King approaches . . .
You can find a sample chapter of THE BANDIT KING here.
by The Orbit Team • 1 Comment • Posted in: New Titles, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US, Press Releases
- Jenni Hill - May 18th, 2012
This weekend our very own Elizabeth Moon will be appearing on the BBC World Service to take part in a discussion about Future Wars.
Elizabeth is a much-loved author of fantasy and science fiction, and during the writing of classic SF series such as The Serrano Legacy and Vatta’s War she’s done a lot of thinking about the way that future wars might be fought. She’s also seen active service in the United States Marine Corps, attaining the rank of First lieutenant.
The Forum will be broadcast at these times: Sat 19 May 2012 23:05 BST, Sun 20 May 2012 02:05 BST and Sun 20 May 2012 12:05 BST. It will also be available as a podcast, on the BBC World Service website.
The Forum goes out on the BBC World Service which reaches 166 million listeners worldwide each week. It is broadcast on the weekend for forty minutes and the discussions are generally chaired by Bridget Kendall, the BBC’s Diplomatic Correspondent. More information is available at bbcworldservice.com/forum.
by Jenni Hill • 1 Comment • Posted in: Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Press Releases, Uncategorized
- Jenni Hill - April 19th, 2012
We’re all so pleased to announce that Helen Lowe’s THE HEIR OF NIGHT has been shortlisted for a David Gemmell Award! Our biggest congratulations to Helen, and we’re keeping everything crossed for the final awards announcement on 15th June, even though it’s pretty hard to type on the blog with crossed fingers!
If you liked THE HEIR OF NIGHT then please do go and vote for Helen at the Gemmell Awards website. It’s as easy as just one click! There’s no need to sign up, although if you’d like to be a Gemmell Awards member then you can get a free account and become part of the discussion.
There are five books on the shortlist, and voting closes on 31st May 2012, 12 Noon GMT.
by Jenni Hill • 2 Comments • Posted in: Awards, Orbit Australia, Orbit France, Orbit UK, Press Releases
- Anna Gregson - April 5th, 2012
I’m delighted to say we’ve acquired World Rights in a fabulous new fantasy series from British author Francis Knight (@Knight_Francis). Orbit will be publishing the 3-book series internationally, with book 1, Fade To Black, being released in February 2013.
This highly original fantasy novel really captured our imagination. It’s set in the ‘vertical’ fantasy city of Mahala – a city built up in layers, not across, where streets are built upon streets and buildings balance precariously upon buildings. A city that the Ministry rules from its lofty perch at the sunlit summit, and where the forsaken lurk in the shadowy depths of the Pit.
Thrown into the middle of this entrancingly dark and atmospheric setting is the bounty hunter Rojan. Everyone knows he’s a rogue, a womaniser, a shirker of all responsibility. But what they don’t know is that he’s also a pain-mage: someone able to draw magic from his own and other people’s pain. Rojan’s not keen on using this magic (not least because it’s outlawed), but when his niece is abducted, Rojan may be forced to unleash his powers . . .
Look out for more info on this exciting new series soon – and if you’re attending Eastercon this weekend, keep an eye out for Francis! She’ll be appearing on the following panels on Sunday 8th April:
You got your robot elf sex in my SF – 3pm, Commonwealth
The Future of Ebooks – 5pm, Royal A + C
by Anna Gregson • 1 Comment • Posted in: New Titles, News, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US, Press Releases
- Jenni Hill - April 5th, 2012
THE GATHERING OF THE LOST comes out today!
It’s the second installment in Helen Lowe’s epic fantasy series The Wall of Night, and it’s out now in ebook and print.
You can read the first chapter here on orbitbooks.net.
It’s the day you’ve been waiting for ever since finishing THE HEIR OF NIGHT (UK|ANZ) – and if you haven’t read that yet, what’s stopping you? There are no excuses for not reading this fantastic series, that Robin Hobb called: ‘A richly told tale of strange magic, dark treachery and conflicting loyalties, set in a well-realised world.’
To celebrate the release, Helen’s got lots of giveaways on her website today – you could win signed books, signed posters and even have a character named after you in the next book, DAUGHTOR OF BLOOD!
THE GATHERING OF THE LOST (UK|ANZ)
SHE WILL NOT STAND ALONE
Five years after the Darkswarm assault on her stronghold home, Malian of Night remains missing, believed dead in the wilds of Jaransor.
But not all accept her death and now her enemies are on the hunt. Suspicion falls on the heralds Terathan and Jehane, who find themselves caught in a web of intrigue and murder during the Ijiri Festival of Masks. They flee bearing word of a death on the wall – and a call to duty and honour that Malian must answer or be foresworn . . .
by Jenni Hill • Post a Comment • Posted in: New Titles, News, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Press Releases, Uncategorized
- Anna Gregson - March 23rd, 2012
Orbit UK is proud to announce the release in June of a spectacular new novel from a grand master of science fiction – with a very special limited edition cover.
Over 20 years ago, David Brin began the Uplift series – a set of novels that would sweep the board for science fiction awards year after year. David would go on to create a vast range of fiction, computer game storylines and graphic novels – as well as having his novel The Postman turned into a major motion picture.
Now, 10 years after his last book, David Brin returns in epic style with Existence (UK | ANZ), an all-encompassing novel of the near future. Both brilliant and terrifying, the book portrays mankind facing a crisis and potentially its imminent demise.
We are also thrilled to unveil the news that the first edition of Existence, released on 21st June 2012, will feature a cover with a unique 3D “lenticular” effect. The cover gives an impression of floating in space miles above Earth, and its distinctive nature means this book is likely to fast become a collectors’ item. There will be just one print run of this edition – and it will only be available until stocks last.
See the video below for a preview of what’s to come:
And see below for some of the exceptional praise the book has already received.
‘David Brin takes on one of the fundamental themes in science fiction – and one of the fundamental questions humanity faces in this century. Since Brin is both a great storyteller and one of the most imaginative writers around, Existence is not to be missed’ Vernor Vinge, Hugo award-winning author of Fire Upon the Deep
‘Take a world soaked in near-future strangeness and complexity . . . Hotwire with wisdom and wonder . . . Brin is back.’ Stephen Baxter, bestselling author of Ark
by Anna Gregson • 1 Comment • Posted in: Art, Fiction, News, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Press Releases, Videos
- The Orbit Team - January 6th, 2012
SEEDS OF EARTH, the first book in Michael Cobley’s space opera trilogy Humanity’s Fire, was first published in the UK in March 2009. Since then, the series described by Iain M. Banks as “Proper, galaxy-spanning space opera” has kept readers glued to its pages and eager to read more. Given the outstanding quality of Michael Cobley’s science fiction and its major success so far in the UK, Orbit is thrilled to announce a worldwide deal for a new book by this bestselling author. Orbit have acquired World English rights from agent John Parker at the Zeno Agency for a new standalone novel by Michael Cobley, set in the Humanity’s Fire universe.
The new book, WARCAGE, is a high-action space adventure currently scheduled for worldwide hardback release in autumn 2013. Ahead of that publication, all three existing books in the Humanity’s Fire series will be published by Orbit US, who are releasing SEEDS OF EARTH in the US in October, ORPHANED WORLDS in November and THE ASCENDANT STARS in December 2012. Anne Clarke, Editorial Director for Orbit UK, says:
We’re all delighted with the continuing success of Michael Cobley’s superb Humanity’s Fire series, and we’re very excited about WARCAGE and looking forward to sharing it with Mike’s fans next year. Michael Cobley is becoming an increasingly important name in science fiction, so we’re extremely happy that our colleagues in the US will be on this adventure with us too.”
by The Orbit Team • 4 Comments • Posted in: Deals and Deliveries, Orbit Australia, Orbit UK, Orbit US, Press Releases
