Posts Tagged ‘The Red Knight’

The Red Knight returns in THE FELL SWORD!

“Do well. Act with honor and dignity. Not because there is some promised reward, but because it is the only way to live.”

Today we are excited to release the long-awaited THE FELL SWORD, Miles Cameron’s epic sequel to THE RED KNIGHT. THE FELL SWORD is the second book in the Traitor Son Cycle, published by Orbit in the US and Gollancz in the UK. This second volume has all the action and intrigue that delighted fans and critics alike in THE RED KNIGHT, only now the stakes are higher than ever as the pursuit of honor falters against a backdrop of vicious battles and betrayals. Here’s what THE FELL SWORD has in store:

Loyalty costs money.

Betrayal, on the other hand, is free.

When the Emperor is taken hostage, the Red Knight and his men find their services in high demand — and themselves surrounded by enemies. The country is in revolt, the capital city is besieged and any victory will be hard won. But the Red Knight has a plan.

The question is, can he negotiate the political, magical, real and romantic battlefields at the same time — especially when he intends to be victorious on them all?

“A medieval-fantasy at its finest … If you’re a fan of characters that are incredibly realistic and battles that put you right in the sweaty, gritty action, this is a book for you.” – Fantasy Faction on The Red Knight

Read an excerpt from THE FELL SWORD or start from the beginning with THE RED KNIGHT! And for a bit of extra fun, watch what happens when an epic fantasy novel and an armored knight go up head-to-head.

Can You Shoot An Arrow Through An Epic Fantasy Novel?

The Red Knight How thick is dragonhide? Maybe as tough as a 650 page epic fantasy novel? Yeah that sounds about right, but…then what? Shockingly, none of us at Orbit have faced down any dragons recently. Vampires? Please, too easy. A splash of holy water, a stake through the heart, the hardest part is cleaning up the mess. Zombie Apocalypse? We’ve got all our contingency plans covered.

So what do you use if the goal is to put a dent in a target of epic proportions?

Miles Cameron is an author and historical reenactor. We asked him if he could shoot an arrow through his debut fantasy novel, THE RED KNIGHT. Here’s what happened when he answered the challenge.

So the next time you’re out hunting dragons, be ready with the right equipment. To find out more about Miles Camerons’s combat experience and THE RED KNIGHT, check out this interview.

A deleted scene from THE RED KNIGHT


red-knight-armorFestivities for the launch of THE RED KNIGHT kicked off in Toronto over the weekend at Bakka-Phoenix Books. Cake was served and readers got the chance to to check out some incredible armor that would have been worn by the Red Knight himself! But for all of you that couldn’t attend, we saved a special treat for you too. Below is a deleted scene from THE RED KNIGHT – a fantastic epic some fans are already saying would be perfect for the big screen

This piece was written to introduce the company that the Red Knight commands, and represents the moments before the Captain enters the house where the nun has been killed–and the whole adventure begins.  I wanted to try my hand at a sort of ‘cinematic present’ in writing.  Later, in the editing process, we decided that it would be better to open the book with Ser John Crayford’s POV on the Red Knight and the company.  Let me just note that the sounds of a troop of heavy cavalry moving in deep fog are both as melodic and chilling as any monster.

Spring Morning

The silence of a misty spring morn.

The silence that follows the scream.

The desperate silence after the hopeless sound of utter loss.

Two men clad in green, on ponies, gallop up the road. They appear frightened, and their heads turn, their eyes are everywhere. Left and right. Up, and down.

They stop short of a farm enclosure, with stone walls as tall as a man’s shoulder, and a steeply peaked roof in dark–gray slate. On the other side of the road, a river, as broad as a good field, flowing fast, swollen with recent rain, as gray as the slate.

Something about the farm makes them hesitate, and both ponies rear and back, heads tossing.

The shorter man snaps his fingers, makes a half circle motion with his right hand, and points back down the road.  His lanky partner turns his mount and gallops back down the road. His pony’s hooves throw up muddy spray.

The man left behind loosens his falchion in its sheath. Twice. He licks his lips, and his horse backs again, like a cat backing from a dog, because something – perhaps a smell – is spooking her. The man on her back looks to the left and right, up and down. He is alone, in dense mist, and no birds are singing. The rising sun is cold and distant. Night still holds sway.

For him, time is mutable. Because for him, the silence goes on for a long, long time.

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Miles Cameron on THE RED KNIGHT – available now!

THE RED KNIGHT by Miles CameronTHE RED KNIGHT by Miles Cameron releases in the US today and we’re thrilled to see others enjoying this novel as much as we have! Check out some of the great reviews below.

– “Dear reader, I couldn’t put this book down. I lost sleep. I walked around carrying it from room to room, bumping into furniture because I was so captivated by its story…This is a stirring, gritty, and at times brutal epic fantasy treat.” – Stefan Raets, Tor.com

–  “Overall, The Red Knight – top 25 novel of mine – is an excellent debut…I think you will be won by the intricate story and sophisticated world building the author put so much thought into.”  – Fantasy Book Critic

– “It’s not often these days I find myself wanting to find time to continue reading – with this one, I did, to the point where, at the end, I was sad to see this group go. It’s a pleasingly complex and greatly satisfying novel…” – SFFWorld

Find out more about THE RED KNIGHT and the author’s combat experience in this interview with Miles Cameron or read the first chapter now.

What inspired you to write The Red Knight?

I am a passionate fan of the cult of chivalry and all that entails.. I honestly can’t remember whether I read T.H.White’s Sword in the Stone or Steinbeck’s ‪Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights‘ first, but I read them close together, and they were followed by a visit to the cloisters in NYC. And I love the wilderness–the real wilderness, where you are five miles from a road.  I guess Red Knight puts the two together.

Where did the first seeds of the idea for The Red Knight come from?

The Traitor Son series was born like Athena from the head of Zeus. Okay, that’s a bit strong, but I was looking at an icon of Saint Michael and the Dragon (it hangs in the Met) and my mind wandered–about how monsters might have really worked, about why monsters are such a common motif–and about exactly how Saint Michael got his red-brocade covered breastplate to do up.  I sew, I tinker, I make armour, and I reenact.  That image of Saint Michael asks so many questions–often, when I’m stuck on The Red Knight, I go back and look at it again.  Why does he have a buckler?  With a long sword?

Read the full interview here.

 

Wallpaper: THE RED KNIGHT by Miles Cameron

THE RED KNIGHT

Forget George and the Dragon. Forget Fancy Knights and daring deeds. Slaying dragons is a bloody business.

So sharpen your blades, folks, because as 2012 draws to an end, the creatures of the Wild will rise up. THE RED KNIGHT is the fantasy debut of Miles Cameron and the first book of the Traitor Son Cycle. Look for it in stores next month, and in the meantime download these wallpapers for your computer and electronic devices.

Here’s all the  download links, and if anyone needs a specific dimension made, let us know!

1024 x 768 | 1280 x 800 | 1440 x 900 | 1680 x 1050 |1920 x 1200 | iPhone | iPad | Facebook

There is much more to come from this exciting January release. So keep your eyes trained on TraitorSon.com and Miles Cameron’s Facebook page for news, extras, and some awesome action shots of live, armored combat!

Introducing THE RED KNIGHT …

THE RED KNIGHT is a book that any hot-blooded fantasy fan will find pretty hard to resist. You’ll be hearing a lot more about Miles Cameron’s amazing debut over the coming months, but to whet your appetite here’s a little something about the story and an exclusive – yes, exclusive – first look at the US cover.  Read on for all the gritty details.

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