Archive for Orbit UK

‘Midnight Never Come’: Reviews and More

Marie Brennan - Midnight Never Come (UK)This month’s Locus has a fantastic review of Marie Brennan’s Midnight Never Come (UK/US), saying:

Brennan ably combines elements of danger, romance, and individual moral choices that could affect the fates of great realms, for a tale that’s rich in plot and character. She interweaves historic and fantastic details with scholarship, inspired acts of imagination, and a keen wit.

And over at The Book Swede there’s another great review:

Of course, in faerie fiction, having an icy queen ruling the faerie throne, while a human queen lives above, is not that unusual. A great light does cast a great shadow. Nor is having a faery story with intrigue and spying…set in Elizabethan England really new. What sets Marie Brennan apart, then, is the quality of her writing, the complexities of her plot, the characterisations, the world-building…everything. (Read more)

You can also read his interview with Marie Brennan here. If you’re interested in learning more about the world of Midnight Never Come you might want to check this site out. . .

Another Set of Great Reviews for ‘Bloodheir’

Rob over at Fantasy Book Critic is adding to the string of great reviews for Brian Ruckley’s Bloodheir (UK/US), saying:

There are battles, assassinations, and the war between the True Bloods and the Black Road becomes as intense as it has ever been…I am really looking forward to the final book in the trilogy and hope it will deliver a rousing and fulfilling finale to cap this remarkable series…( Read more.)

Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review is also a fan, saying that Brian Ruckley can be:

Compared to George R. R. Martin… for the sheer grittiness of his work and the fact that he can throw the reader a wicked curve ball that blows your expectations right out of the water… Ruckley puts the ‘epic’ into his work with some particularly brutal affairs where no expense is spared in showing the reader exactly what is going on. More please! (Read more)

Bloodheir goes on sale in the US and the UK this month – so pick up your copy soon. In the meantime, be sure to check out our Facebook giveaway!

Calling all Facebookers: Win a copy of Brian Ruckley’s new novel ‘Bloodheir’

Bloodheir by Brian RuckleyWant to win a signed, personalised, hardback copy of Bloodheir [UK/US], Brian Ruckley‘s brand new novel of The Godless World? Of course you do. Here’s how:

Every Friday lunchtime between now and the end of June (so that’s the 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th) we’ll be randomly selecting one fully signed-up Fan of Brian’s ‘Winterbirth’ Facebook page to receive a hardback copy of Bloodheir. What’s more, Brian has very kindly agreed to sign and personalise the book as per the wishes of the lucky winners.

To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is head over to the Winterbirth page on Facebook and click the ‘Become a Fan’ link, (as well as performing all the necessary confirmations etc.), which means that the sooner you sign up as a Fan, the more chances you have of winning a copy of the book. And if you’re signed up as a Fan already then you’ll automatically be entered into the draws throughout June, which gives you four chances of winning…

The only exceptions to the general rule-of-thumb detailed above are employees of Orbit (or its parent companies, Little, Brown and the Hachette Book Group) who can darn well buy their own copy, or anyone who wins a copy of the book during the competition; they won’t then be eligible for future rounds, which we think is fair enough and gives everyone else a better chance of winning. And yes, you do have to be a Facebook member to participate in this one, otherwise you won’t be able to sign up as a Fan.

So, what are you waiting for? Head on over and declare your Winterbirth / Bloodheir / Brian Ruckley Fan-hood! The first draw takes place on Friday…

Orbit Links for May 30 2008

Our weekly round-up of links of interest featuring Orbit authors that we’ve found (or have been pointed in the direction of) out there on T’Internet:

If you see any online articles, reviews or interviews that feature an Orbit author, please feel free to drop us a line and let us know!

Bloodheir: News and Reviews!

Over at Grasping for Wind, there’s a great review of Brian Ruckley’s Bloodheir (UK/US), including this fantastic bit on how Brian avoids ‘Middle Book Syndrome’:

Often, the second book in a trilogy is accused of something called “Middle Book Syndrome”. The idea is that the second book in most trilogies is mostly filler and very little plot movement really happens. And often it is true. But if anyone accuses Brian Ruckley’s second book in The Godless World trilogy, Bloodheir of suffering from middle book syndrome, I’m afraid I will have to scoff in his face. Read the rest

You can find Bloodheir in all good bookstores this June or win a copy over at Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review now. You can also listen to Brian read from Bloodheir here.

Update: The Book Swede is running a contest for his ARC of Bloodheir. You can enter here.

Lilith Saintcrow chats with Jennifer Rardin

Lilith Saintcrow visits Jennifer Rardin’s blog to talk about her upcoming urban fantasy series, Night Shift.

To be honest I never knew I was writing urban fantasy until my agent told me so. I was just writing this thing I liked–ordinary fantasy didn’t have enough guns OR fast cars, and I’m a big fan of morally and ethically ambiguous heroes and characters. (It’s the noir I read/watched at a very tender age. Scarred me for life.)

Visit jenniferrardin.com for more.

If You’re Going to Wiscon…

If you’re going to Wiscon, look out for Orbit author Pamela Freeman. She’ll be there talking about her new book, Blood Ties, and reading from her academic work (If you get a chance to chat, be sure to ask her about her thoughts on science in fantasy fiction.)

Pamela’s Wiscon Schedule (check the site for up-to-date details.)

Saturday, 10:00-11:15 A.M: Reading from Blood Ties.
Sunday, 11:30 P.M. to 12:45 A.M. Imagination as Resistance, panel.
Monday, 10:00-11:15 A.M: Kings. What a Good Idea: Monarchy in Epic Fantasy Fiction.

Competition: win a copy of Lilith Saintcrow’s ‘Night Shift’

Night Shift by Lilith Saintcrow UK pbAnother online competition for you folks to enter – we know you love your competitions – this time with a rather interesting twist; one that Lilith Saintcrow fans will love, and that might just require the use of your best thinking caps…

Over at My Favourite Books, blogger Liz has set a Dante Valentine-themed crossword puzzle. Five successful puzzle solvers will win a copy of Lilith Saintcrow‘s new novel, Night Shift [UK / US], the first in a new series starring demon slayer Jill Kismet, which we’ll be publishing in the US and UK in July.

Hmmm. Eight letters, “devilishly tricky”? That would make it ‘fiendish’, then…