Archive for Contests

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.

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…

Win a signed copy of Pamela Freeman’s ‘Blood Ties’

Blood Ties by Pamela FreemanWe’ve teamed up with Chris, The Book Swede for this one: another incredibly simple-to-enter email sweepstake, with a copy of Blood Ties [UK / US] – the first part of Pamela Freeman’s Castings Trilogy – up for grabs by one lucky winner.

The book is out now in the US but won’t be be published next month in the UK. So if you’re a UK reader then this is a great chance to get your hands on an early copy… signed by the author, no less! And the Book Swede has also reviewed the novel, concluding: “Blood Ties is an excellent book, fun, clever, and well written, with distinctive characterisations, and I will definitely be looking forward to the next book in the series!”

Full entry terms and conditions are available over on the Book Swede’s blog. Good luck!

Arthur C Clarke Giveaway

Tonight the winner of the 2008 Arthur C Clarke awards will be announced and, while we know who we’re rooting for, we thought what better way to celebrate than to give away a book by the great man himself! Up for grabs is a special hardback edition of 2001: A Space Odyssey* by Arthur C Clarke, complete with a foreword by Stephen Baxter, one of this year’s shortlisted authors.

To enter, send your name with the title line “Arthur C Clarke” to orbit@littlebrown.co.uk. The winner will be chosen at random two weeks from today (May 14th). Good luck!

* This link doesn’t take you to the edition we’re giving away, but to the paperback copy that’s available to buy now.

Win a copy of Small Favour with Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist

Fantasy fiction mega-blogger Pat St. Denis, of Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist fame, is currently running a sweepstake to win one of two copies of Small Favour, the brand new Dresden Files novel by Jim Butcher.

The entry conditions are simplicity itself: all you have to do is send Pat an email with your postal address. Just the once, though; he’s very strict about disqualifying multiple entrants (and quite right, too).

Full details can be found over at fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com.

The Last Wish

Pop over to Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist for a chance to win a copy of Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Last Wish.

The Last Wish introduces The Witcher, one of the best loved heroes of fantasy in Europe, and recently the star of the hit PC video game from Atari. You can check out the trailer for the game here, and some gameplay animation here (rated mature). There’s an enhanced edition of the game set for release this summer. The Witcher is currently PC only, so console players will have to wait (or talk their significant others into a video card upgrade… hmmm.)

Geralt was also the object of some gentle ribbing at Penny Arcade. Having read the book that inspired the game, we can assure you that yes, he is indeed the Witchest.

The Last Wish will be available from Orbit in the US in May.