Archive for Press Releases

THE AGE OF ASSASSINS HAS DAWNED!

Confident and stylish, masterful in the execution, once it has you in its grasp it just doesn’t let go . . . RJ Barker’s debut novel AGE OF ASSASSINS has a lot in common with the ruthless killers who inhabit its pages.

So we are simply delighted to announce that we’ve acquired this epic fantasy trilogy from a supremely talented British debut author. AGE OF ASSASSINS, the gripping first book in RJ Barker’s trilogy, is packed full of intrigue, adventure and magic. It tells the story of Girton Club-foot, a young man apprenticed to a master assassin, who is thrust into a world of politics and treachery when the queen hires the duo not to cause an assassination, but to prevent one.

The trilogy was acquired by Orbit in a three-book deal for World English language rights, from Ed Wilson of Johnson and Alcock literary agency. AGE OF ASSASSINS will hit the shops in summer 2017.

Orbit Announce New Deal with AGE OF IRON author Angus Watson

Fantasy author Angus WatsonThe holiday season! So much waiting – waiting to open that Advent calendar, counting the days until the vacation, waiting for that one last online order to arrive so you don’t visit Aunt Ethel’s house empty-handed on Christmas day…

The bad news is we’ve got one more thing you have to wait for – and you’ll be waiting until Spring 2017. The very very good news is that we’re announcing THREE BRAND NEW BOOKS  from AGE OF IRON author Angus Watson! And that’s something worth waiting for.

WEST OF WEST is an action-packed new trilogy full of magic and adventure: a mismatched group of refugees will battle animals and monsters, determined assassins, an unforgiving landscape and each other as they cross a continent to fulfil a prophecy.

Orbit UK and US will be launching worldwide Spring 2017. And until then you’ve got the three amazing books in the AGE OF IRON trilogy to keep you happy … and they make great gifts, too! Order now and they’ll arrive in time for Aunt Ethel. Maybe.

The Iron Age Trilogy by Angus Watson

Angus Watson is a fantasy author and journalist living in London. He’s written features for many newspapers including the Times, Financial Times and the Telegraph, and the latter even sent him to America to look for Bigfoot. He is the author of the Iron Age trilogy and the upcoming West of West series. You can find him on twitter at @GusWatson or find his website at: www.guswatson.com. He is represented by Angharad Kowal at Writers House.

Ian Graham’s Monumental Return: Author Wings His Way Back To Fantasy Shelves With THE PATH OF THE HAWK

Ian GrahamAround a decade ago we published Ian Graham’s blisteringly good fantasy debut: MONUMENT. It featured an anti-hero the likes of which we’d never seen before, and David Gemmell called it the most exciting fantasy of the year, adding that Graham was a ‘magnificent storyteller’. Some fans have even claimed that MONUMENT predicted the current grimdark trend in fantasy.

We are now super excited to announce that not only will we be releasing MONUMENT in ebook for the first time ever this December, but we have a brand new two book fantasy adventure from Ian Graham to share with you!

Coming to ebook in January 2016, THE PATH OF THE HAWK tells the tale of the Hawks, an elite regiment of soldiers entrusted with missions far beyond the scope of the conventional army:

Blessed Master Helligraine – one of the Church’s highest ranking, most beloved holy men, was abducted one year ago, his corpse found rotting in a river. When evidence emerges that Helligraine is still alive and being held against his will, three Hawks are dispatched to bring him home. But Helligraine’s past – and present – is not what it seems, and two nations are drawn into a conflict whose seeds were sown millennia ago.

A prequel of sorts, THE PATH OF THE HAWK is also a chance to learn more about what made Ballas the man he is in MONUMENT . . .

Dates for your diary:

MONUMENT comes out in ebook on 8th December this year.
THE PATH OF THE HAWK: BOOK ONE will be released in ebook January 26th 2016, with THE PATH OF THE HAWK: BOOK TWO following February 23rd.
THE PATH OF THE HAWK print omnibus edition will be released summer 2016.

Orbit US Announces Expansion

ORBIT LOGOOrbit, the SF and Fantasy imprint of Hachette Book Group, announces a major expansion plan starting from Fall 2016. The imprint will increase the number of titles it publishes by 50% to approximately 90 titles each year. Additional staff, including editorial, marketing, and design, will be recruited to support the expansion.

Tim Holman, Orbit Publisher and Hachette Book Group SVP, said: “There is a huge and diverse audience for SF and Fantasy out there, and it’s the perfect time to be expanding the list. Orbit is currently the fastest growing SF and Fantasy imprint in the U.S. with an increasing number of New York Times bestsellers – most recently Ann Leckie, whose debut ANCILLARY JUSTICE was also the first novel to win every major SF award. Since our launch in 2008, we have been committed to publishing the most exciting authors in the field and looking for creative ways to connect with new readers. We’re very much looking forward to building on the success we’ve had, expanding the publishing team, and welcoming more authors to the list.”

Orbit and Gollancz to publish Sharp Ends, a collection of gritty short stories by Joe Abercrombie

Joe-Abercrombie-credit-Lou-AbercrombieOrbit US and Gollancz are thrilled to announce that they will be publishing a stunning hardback collection of superb short stories featuring best-loved characters from the world of the First Law, by New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling fantasy author Joe Abercrombie. Orbit will publish the collection in the United States and Gollancz in the United Kingdom.

The short stories will be a mix of original and reissued short stories collected together for the first time, including the Locus Award-winning “Tough Times All Over.” The brand-new shorts will feature some of the most popular characters from the First Law world, including Glokta, Jezal, Logen Ninefingers, Bethod, and Monza Murcatto.

Joe Abercrombie said: “I’m very pleased that some widely scattered shorts are going to be brought together in one volume along with some new stories about old friends and enemies, filling in some blanks in the map of the First Law world and offering some different perspectives on key events. I hope readers will have as much fun revisiting some of these much-loved – and much-hated – characters as I have…”

Joe Abercrombie’s novels in the First Law world have sold over half a million copies to date. He is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author. Joe’s short stories are in demand for collections put together by some of the biggest names in the industry, including George R. R. Martin.

Joe Abercrombie is the author of the First Law Trilogy (The Blade ItselfBefore They Are Hanged, and Last Argument of Kings). His stand-alone novels (Best Served ColdThe Heroes, and Red Country) are also set in the First Law world.

His novels have been shortlisted for the World Fantasy Award, British Fantasy Award, John W. Campbell Award and the David Gemmell Legend Award. His covers are also award winning, and have won both the David Gemmell Legend Award and the World Fantasy Award for best artwork.

Joe formerly worked as a freelance film editor and is now a full time writer who lives in Bath with his family. Follow @LordGrimdark on Twitter for more information, or visit www.joeabercrombie.com.

About Orbit

Orbit is the science fiction and fantasy imprint of Hachette Book Group.

About Hachette Book Group:

Hachette Book Group is a leading trade publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the third-largest trade and educational publisher in the world. HBG publishes under the divisions of Little, Brown and Company, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, Grand Central Publishing, Orbit, Hachette Books, Hachette Nashville, and Hachette Audio.

Sharp Ends: Stories from the World of The First Law, Joe Abercrombie

US: April 12, 2016, hardcover $28.00 / e-book $14.99

UK: April 12, 2016, hardcover £18.99/ e-book £9.99

Orbit acquires world rights in major fantasy series

Anna Jackson, Senior Editor at Orbit UK, has acquired World Rights in a three-book contemporary fantasy series by UK novelist James Bennett for a major five-figure sum. The agent is John Jarrold, and the first book, provisionally titled ASCENT OF EMBERS, will be scheduled for the second half of 2016. The sequels will follow over the next eighteen months.

This contemporary fantasy series features the last few remaining creatures from myth and legend hiding among us in human form. But the delicate balance between their world and ours is disturbed when a centuries-old rivalry resurfaces.

Acquiring editor Jackson said, ‘This highly imaginative and massively entertaining story grabbed our attention and wouldn’t let go. Fast-paced and action-packed, it explores what happens when the realms of classic myth and the real world collide. Our hero Ben Garston is one that the reader can’t help but root for, and fans of Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher are sure to be enthralled. We can’t wait to unleash this story upon the world!’

James Bennett is a British writer of fantasy and horror. Born in Loughborough and raised in Sussex, South Africa and Cornwall, his travels have furnished him with a love of different cultures, history and mythology. He’s had several short stories published internationally in the independent press, his latest ‘Broken Bridges’ in Fox Spirit’s European Monsters anthology earning a feature in Starburst magazine. James Bennett currently lives in West Wales.

Feel free to join him on Twitter: @wytcheboy

He said: ‘I’m delighted that my first major series has been acquired by one of the world’s leading publishers of SF and Fantasy. I’m sure it’s the beginning of an exciting ride!’

Announcing SNAKEWOOD, a Fantasy Twenty Years in the Making

adrian selby -- cr selfSNAKEWOOD tells the story of the Twenty, a band of mercenaries being hunted down one-by-one by an unknown killer. We’re so excited to have acquired this debut epic fantasy tale from British author Adrian Selby, coming in 2016 – almost twenty years after he first put pen to paper! Which, if you think about it, is one year for every dead mercenary. Or is it? Who’s killing them anyway, and why? You’ll have to wait until early next year to find out . . .

Adrian says: “SNAKEWOOD is set in a world where magic is in the plant-life, concoctions of which, known as ‘fightbrews’, radically transform the capabilities and appearance of warriors at a terrible cost. In conceiving of this all those years ago, I knew the story I wanted to tell was focused on these soldiers and the price they pay for their brews and their sins. I can’t describe how delighted I am to have my debut published by Orbit.  Their passion and their support for SNAKEWOOD make me very excited about sharing the world that’s been in my head for twenty odd years with this other world I live in the rest of the time.”

And no, you won’t have to wait twenty years for the next one!

Announcing Jim Butcher’s New Series and UK Tour

We have two Butcher-tastic* announcements to share with you today!

The first is that Jim Butcher will be coming to the UK – he will be a Guest of Honour at Eastercon, Dysprosium, which is taking place in London from 3rd-6th April. In the days following he will be touring the country with exact dates yet to be announced. Watch this space!

We can also announce the publication date for THE CINDER SPIRES: THE AERONAUT’S WINDLASS, the first book in Jim’s brand new series of airborne adventure and mad sorcery. The book will be released in hardback and ebook on the 29th of September 2015 and it’s available to preorder now from major retailers.

In Jim’s own words, it’s “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen meets Sherlock meets Hornblower. There are goggles and airships and steam power and bizarre crystal technology and talking cats, who are horrid little bullies.”

For all the latest updates on the new series and the UK tour, become a fan of Orbit UK on Facebook, and sign up to our newsletter.

 *Butcher-licious? Butcher-ageous?

 

CIBOLA BURN is available now and a big announcement!

CIBOLA BURN (US | UK | AUS) is on sale today in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook. James Holden and crew are back in the fourth book of James S.A. Corey’s sensational Expanse series. They’ll face a host of new challenges on the wild frontier of uncharted space now that mankind has freed itself from the confines of its solar system.

Starting this week, Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (the writing duo behind the James S.A. Corey pseudonym) will be on tour. Visit the James S.A. Corey Facebook page to see if they’re coming to a town near you.

What’s more, we have some incredible news to announce today that will be sure to please all of you. Check out our press release below. (more…)

Jim Butcher is a Number One SUNDAY TIMES Bestseller!

Harry Dresden is top of the charts!

We’ve just heard that Jim Butcher’s SKIN GAME is a NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, coming top of all the hardback fiction titles in the charts last week.

Huge congratulations to Jim from all at Orbit for this well-deserved success. Harry too, of course!

You can check out the first chapter of SKIN GAME or listen to an audio extract on the Orbit blog here.