Archive for New Titles

An update regarding THE CULTURE: NOTES AND DRAWINGS by Iain M. Banks and Ken MacLeod

We are pleased to share an exciting publication update with everyone who has been looking forward to the release of The Culture: Notes and Drawings by Iain M. Banks and Ken MacLeod.

As fans of Iain M. Banks’ vastly popular Culture series will be aware, Iain painstakingly designed every element of the Culture’s universe long before the novels were first published. From ships to weapons, language to nomenclature, flora to fauna, the whole of the Culture existed in the form of intricate sketches, notes, tables and charts, many years ahead of its appearance in fiction.

This archival material provides a fascinating insight into Iain’s extraordinary mind. It was originally due to be published as a single volume, accompanied by text from the award-winning Ken MacLeod, who was a close friend of Iain’s. However, to ensure that Iain’s exceptionally detailed drawings can be appreciated in their original format and scale, we are delighted to announce that the material will now be published as two separate editions.

The first release will be a beautiful, full-colour, large-format landscape artbook called The Culture: The Drawings, which will present Iain’s drawings exactly as he intended them to be seen.

Following this, we will publish a Culture companion book that celebrates the world of the Culture through Iain’s own writing. With accompanying text from Ken MacLeod, it will include an extensive selection of Iain’s notes, tables and charts relating to the Culture universe, as well as extracts from the novels.

Given these changes in our publication plans, we are now cancelling the single edition entitled The Culture: Notes and Drawings that was scheduled for 14th October 2021. We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who had pre-ordered this single edition, and we’ll soon be announcing the release dates for the two new publications mentioned above, so please follow @orbitbooks on Twitter for updates.

Acquisition Announcement: A MASTER OF DJINN by P. Djèlí Clark

Our friends at the Fantasy Inn shared the exciting news  that Orbit UK has acquired P. Djèlí Clark’s phenomenal debut novel, A MASTER OF DJINN (UK|ANZ).

Set in an alternate version of Cairo, where djinn live and work alongside people, A MASTER OF DJINN follows special investigator Fatma el-Sha’arawi, as she tries to get to the bottom of a mysterious case involving magic and murder.

The good news is there’s not long to wait! A MASTER OF DJINN is set to publish in the UK this summer, with an early ebook in May followed by a paperback release in August. And if that isn’t enough to get you excited, here’s a few more reasons:

‘Clever, wickedly fun . . . with an excellent balance of humour and heart. I loved it’
S. A. Chakraborty, bestselling author of The City of Brass

‘A Master of Djinn has all the tricky twists I want in a police procedural and all the djinns, magic and wonder I want from fantasy’
Mary Robinette Kowal, Hugo and Nebula award-winning author of The Calculating Stars

‘An epic tale of magic and mystery, this is sure to wow’
Publishers Weekly

‘A Master of Djinn is everything you might expect from Clark: cinematic action, a radical reimagining of real history, and magic on every page. I loved it’
Alix E. Harrow, author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January

‘The kind of book you don’t want to put down’
Marie Brennan, World Fantasy and Hugo Award-nominated author

 

About the author:

Born in New York and raised mostly in Houston, P. Djèlí Clark spent the formative years of his life in the homeland of his parents, Trinidad and Tobago. He is the author of the novellas The Black God’s Drums; The Haunting of Tram Car 015 and A Dead Djinn in Cairo. His short story ‘The Secret Lives of the Nine Negro Teeth of George Washington’ has earned him both a Nebula and Locus award. He currently resides in New England and ruminates on issues of diversity in speculative fiction. A Master of Djinn is his debut novel.

Follw P. Djeli Clark on Twitter at @pdjeliclark

Author photo by Le Image Inc., Brooklyn, NY

Cover Launch: NOTES FROM THE BURNING AGE by Claire North

We’re thrilled to unveil the cover for a phenomenal new novel from Claire North. Presenting the stunning look for Notes from the Burning Age (UK | US | ANZ), illustrated by Leo Nickolls and designed by Siobhan Hooper at Little, Brown Book Group.

Notes from the Burning Age by Claire North book cover

Notes from the Burning Age will release worldwide this July and is available for pre-order now (UK | US | ANZ). You can also read a press release about the acquisition below!

Orbit acquires award-winning North’s Notes from the Burning Age

Orbit UK has acquired a new novel from the multi-award winning Claire North entitled Notes from the Burning Age, described by the publisher as ‘a spellbinding speculative fiction novel set in a future utopian society that is thrilling, moving and thought-provoking in equal measure’.

Meg Davis at the Ki Agency sold World Rights to Publisher Anna Jackson at Orbit UK, who will publish alongside sister imprint Orbit US in a co-ordinated global release this July.

Claire North is a pseudonym for the author Catherine Webb. Her first book under the Claire North name was the word-of-mouth bestseller The First Fifteen lives of Harry August, which is currently being adapted as movie by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners and will be directed by ‘Maze Runner’ director Wes Ball.

North has since published several critically acclaimed novels and won the World Fantasy Award and the John W. Campbell Award, and has been shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, the Locus Award and the Sunday Times/PFD Young Writer of the Year Award. Her novels have sold over 750,000 copies in the English language and have been sold in translation in over 20 territories.

Acquiring editor Jackson says ‘Claire continues to amaze me with the scope of her imagination, and Notes from the Burning Age really wowed me with its sheer brilliance and originality. Set in an age after the world has burned, it’s a visionary tale that asks whether humankind can change the paths we seem fated to follow. Claire has already achieved so much in her writing career to date, and this book is going to take her to new heights.’

Acquisition Announcement: THE BALLAD OF PERILOUS GRAVES by Alex Jennings

We’re delighted to announce that Orbit’s sister imprint, Redhook, has acquired an evocative and richly-detailed debut novel from author Alex Jennings.

THE BALLAD OF PERILOUS GRAVES reveals New Orleans as you’ve never seen it before. From sky trolleys to haints, from the Dead Side of Town to songs that walk, talk, and keep the spirit of the city alive, this is an imaginative story that will sweep you off your feet.

Eager to know more? Here are a few words from Alex on what inspired him to write his novel:

I’m beyond thrilled to work with Redhook on The Ballad of Perilous Graves. This novel has been long in the making. I moved to New Orleans the summer after Hurricane Katrina and the Failure of the Federal Levees. At the time, the city was terribly wounded but its fighting spirit was never diminished. In many ways, Ballad is a love letter to my city, my family, and Black American Music.

As the city recovered from the storm, I read and heard stories of children forced to return without their parents. I connected those stories to Pippi Longstocking adventures I read as a child. Pippi lived on her own with no parents to tell her what to do and adventured with her neighbor friends. It seemed perfectly natural to speculate what Pippi would be like if she were a black girl growing up in a timeless, storm-damaged New Orleans. In many ways, growing up Black is learning to thrive against a backdrop of deep trauma and pain, empowered by music and culture and the will to survive no matter what. As the story grew, I realized to tell it properly I needed to aim it at adults.

When I was small, my father read The Lord of the Rings aloud to me and my brother. At one point, he put the book down and said, “I wish there was a fantasy novel where everyone was Black, and where the darkest, blackest one was the greatest of heroes.” That wish stuck with me, and I realized during the writing of this novel that the title character, Perilous Graves, is a young version of my father. He would be the perfect complement to Peaches Lavelle. My father gave me fantasy, so I’m giving him The Ballad of Perilous Graves.

The Ballad of Perilous Graves publishes Winter 2022. In the meantime, please join us in welcoming Alex Jennings. You can find him at http://www.alexjennings.net/ and on Twitter at @Magicknegro.

Cover Launch: WILD SIGN by Patricia Briggs

We’re thrilled to reveal the gorgeous cover for WILD SIGN (UK|ANZ), the sixth book in the Alpha and Omega series from the queen of urban fantasy Patricia Briggs.

Mated werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham are back, and they must discover what could make an entire community disappear – before it’s too late.

Check out the fantastic cover designed by Duncan Spilling below. Read on for a taste of what’s in store for Charles and Anna next. . .

Book cover for WILD SIGN by Patricia Briggs - Alpha and Omega 6

In the wilds of the Northern California mountains, all the inhabitants of a small town have gone missing. It’s as if the people picked up and left everything they owned behind. Fearing something supernatural might be going on, the FBI taps a source they’ve consulted in the past: the werewolves Charles Cornick and Anna Latham. But Charles and Anna soon find a deserted town is the least of the mysteries they face.

Death sings in the forest, and when it calls, Charles and Anna must answer. Something has awakened in the heart of the California mountains, something old and dangerous – and it has met werewolves before.

Praise for Patricia Briggs:

‘Patricia Briggs is an incredible writer’ Nalini Singh, New York Times bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling series

‘Patricia Briggs is amazing . . . Her Alpha and Omega novels are fantastic’ Fresh Fiction

‘I love these books!’ Charlaine Harris

‘The best new fantasy series I’ve read in years’ Kelley Armstrong

WILD SIGN is publishing in March 2021, you can pre-order your copy here: UK|ANZ.

Excitingly, this is also the first time we’ll be releasing a book in the Alpha and Omega series in hardback!

Don’t forget to follow Patricia Briggs on Twitter @Mercys_Garage and on Facebook @OfficialPatriciaBriggs.

The Alpha and Omega series:

The Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs (UK covers)

Acquisition Announcement: THE SUN AND THE VOID by Gabriela Romero Lacruz

We are delighted to have acquired a sweeping debut fantasy from Venezuelan-American writer Gabriela Romero Lacruz. Full of twisted family politics, dark magic, and fantastical beings, THE SUN AND THE VOID transports readers into a lush world inspired by the history and mythology of 1800s South America.

When Reina arrives at Aguila Manor, her heart stolen from her chest, she’s on the verge of death—until her estranged grandmother, a dark sorceress in the Don’s employ, intervenes.  Indebted to a woman she never knew—and smitten with the upper-caste daughter of the house, Celeste—Reina will do to earn – and keep – the family’s favor. Even the bidding of the ancient god who speaks to her from the Manor’s foundations.

With a brilliantly realized magic system, completely fresh world-building, and piercing insights on identity and colonialism, this incredible story is sure to captivate. We can’t wait to share THE SUN AND THE VOID with you—in the meantime, be sure to follow Gabriela on Twitter.

Orbit US Editor Angeline Rodriguez bought North American rights from Naomi Davis at BookEnds Literary in a two-book deal.

 

Acquisition Announcement – the Empire of the Wolf trilogy by Richard Swan

As reported in the Bookseller, we are thrilled to announce the acquisition of the Empire of the Wolf trilogy – a superb debut epic fantasy series from British author Richard Swan.

The trilogy centres around Sir Konrad Vonvalt, who enforces the Empire’s laws through sword, spell and sheer force of personality – he’s Geralt of Rivia crossed with C. J. Sansom’s Shardlake. A medieval Judge Dredd, basically. If you think that sounds awesome, well . . . you’d be absolutely right!

Sir Konrad Vonvalt is an Emperor’s Justice – a detective, judge and executioner all in one, tasked with upholding the law. To this end, Vonvalt travels the hinterlands of the Empire of the Wolf, investigating crimes and dispensing justice.

But these are dangerous times for the Empire and the Order of Justices. Heresy is widespread, and a cabal of Imperial politicians is challenging the Order’s authority, desperate to claim its arcane secrets for their own. When Vonvalt investigates the murder of a noblewoman, he finds his authority being challenged like never before. And as he unravels a web of secrets and lies, Vonvalt discovers a plot that might destroy his order once and for all – and bring down the entire Empire. 

We can’t wait for you all to meet Vonvalt and join him on this thrilling adventure, which is full of intrigue, action and magic. The first book in the Empire of the Wolf series will publish in Spring 2022. In the meantime, say hello to Richard on Twitter.

Orbit UK editor James Long pre-emptively acquired world rights from Harry Illingworth at the D H H Literary Agency in a six-figure deal. German rights have already sold to Piper.

 

 

Acquisition Announcement: THE FREE BASTARDS by Jonathan French

Are you ready to saddle up and ride with the Bastards again?

We’re excited to announce that Orbit UK has acquired the third book in Jonathan French’s Lot Lands series – described by Kirkus as ‘an addictively readable – and undeniably cool – fantasy masterwork’.

THE FREE BASTARDS will publish in July 2021 and follows the runaway success of THE GREY BASTARDS and THE TRUE BASTARDS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This gritty, action-drenched adventure series follows a brotherhood of half-orcs who protect human civilization from invading bands of vicious full-blooded orcs. It’s perfect for fans of Joe Abercombie, Markus Heitz’s Dwarves books and Stan Nicholl’s Orcs series.

If you haven’t hoofed it with the half-orcs yet, here are a few reasons why you should:

‘Jonathan French has to be lauded for his plot ingenuity, bawdry charm and vicious characters’ Fantasy Book Critic

‘A bloody good tale of battle, betrayal and war pigs’ Brian McClellan

‘A gritty adventure with a fantastic, foul-mouthed voice’ Django Wexler

‘I’d like to raise a tankard to The Grey Bastards’ brilliance’ Fantasy Faction

Click here to find out more about THE GREY BASTARDS  and THE TRUE BASTARDS.

Cover Launch: BATTLE GROUND by Jim Butcher

THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET SERIOUS FOR HARRY DRESDEN, CHICAGO’S ONLY PROFESSIONAL WIZARD, in the next entry in the No. 1 New York Times and No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling Dresden Files. 

Orbit UK are thrilled to announce that BATTLE GROUND, book seventeen in the Dresden Files, hits shelves in September 2020 (UK|ANZ) and is available to preorder now. We’re sure you’re as excited as we are to read not one, but TWO Dresden Files novels in one year, but if you can’t wait that long, take a look at the awesome cover design for BATTLE GROUND and read on for a hint of what’s in store for Harry Dresden . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harry has faced terrible odds before. He has a long history of fighting enemies above his weight class. The Red Court of vampires. The fallen angels of the Order of the Blackened Denarius. The Outsiders.

But this time it’s different. A being more powerful and dangerous on an order of magnitude beyond what the world has seen in a millennium is coming. And she’s bringing an army. The Last Titan has declared war on the city of Chicago, and has come to subjugate humanity, obliterating any who stand in her way.

Harry’s mission is simple but impossible: Save the city by killing a Titan. And the attempt will change Harry’s life, Chicago, and the mortal world forever.

Praise for the Dresden Files:

‘The Dresden Files is my favourite series ever. I say that both as a writer and a reader . . . I don’t make statements like that casually’ Patrick Rothfuss, author of The Name of the Wind

‘Butcher’s storytelling is satisfying on a level that’s bone-deep’ io9

‘Harry Dresden has a vitality that few urban fantasy heroes can match’ SFX

 

Cover Launch: DEAD LIES DREAMING by Charles Stross

A new adventure begins in the world of the Laundry Files . . . 

DEAD LIES DREAMING (UK|ANZ), a brand new novel from Hugo Award-winning author Charles Stross, is out in October 2020. But if you can’t wait that long take a look at the spectacular – or perhaps tentacular – cover design below and read on for a taste of what’s in store.

The cover for Dead Lies Dreaming

In a world where magic has gone mainstream, a policewoman and a group of petty criminals are pulled into a heist to find a forbidden book of spells that should never have been opened. 

Praise for the Laundry Files:

‘Brilliantly disturbing and funny at the same time’ Ben Aaronovitch

‘Stross at the top of his game – which is to say, few do it better’ Kirkus

‘Alternately chilling and hilarious’ Publishers Weekly

‘Ferociously enjoyable’ SFX

Cover design by Crush Creative.