Archive for Contents

Cover Launch: THE WITCHER: THE TIME OF CONTEMPT Media Tie-In Edition by Andrzej Sapkowski

Take your first look at the cover of The Time of Contempt media tie-in edition (US) by Andrzej Sapkowski! You can pick up this edition in June 2023.

The Witcher: The Time of Contempt Media Tie-In Edition by Andrzej Sapkowski

Andrzej Sapkowski’s New York Times bestselling Witcher series has transported millions of fans around the globe to an epic, unforgettable world of magic and adventure. The Time of Contempt is the second novel in the Witcher Saga, following Blood of Elves, and is the inspiration for season 3 of the hit Netflix series coming in summer 2023!

Geralt the Witcher has fought monsters and demons across the land, but even he might not be prepared for what is to come.

The kings and their armies are maneuvering for position, each fearing invasion from across the river, each fearing their neighbors more. And after decades of oppression, the elves and other races are fighting back and fighting one another. With growing numbers preparing for battle, the threat of a devastating war looms ever greater. Intrigue, dissent, and rebellion fester on all sides.

Against this backdrop of fear, Geralt must protect his ward, Ciri, the orphaned heir who is sought by all. A child of prophecy, she will have the power to change the world—but only if she lives to use it.

For her safety, Geralt sends her to train with the sorceress Yennefer. But all is not well within the Council of Wizards.

THE CULTURE: THE DRAWINGS by Iain M. Banks

Orbit is delighted to announce the release date for the hugely anticipated book The Culture: The Drawings by Iain M. Banks.

Packshot of The Culture: The Drawings by Iain M. Banks, showing a landscape-format book with green cover and spaceship drawingWidely acknowledged as the modern master of science fiction, Iain M. Banks created extensive original drawings detailing the universe of his bestselling and beloved Culture novels. Now these illustrations are being published together for the very first time in a book celebrating Banks’s grand vision.

The Culture: The Drawings will release on 7th November 2023. This large-format, landscape artbook will faithfully reproduce Iain’s exceptionally intricate drawings in their original format, and at their original scale.

A deluxe limited edition of The Culture: The Drawings, containing the same extraordinary illustrations, will also be available worldwide for purchase exclusively from the Orbit UK store. Beautifully bound in foiled cloth and displayed in a luxurious presentation box, this heirloom edition will be something to treasure.

 

Orbit UK Publisher Anna Jackson says: “As many fans of Iain M. Banks’ vastly popular Culture series will already know, Iain meticulously designed every element of the Culture’s universe long before the novels were published. The whole of the Culture – from language to nomenclature, from ships to weapons – already existed as intricate sketches, notes, and tables many years before it appeared in any of his fiction. This wealth of material, generously released by the Estate, provides a fascinating insight into the workings of Iain’s extraordinary mind. It will be an essential addition to the collection of any Iain M. Banks fan.”

Further good news for Banks fans is that in late 2024, Orbit is planning to publish the definitive Culture companion book, celebrating the Culture through Iain’s own writing. Curated by Ken MacLeod, it will include all of Iain’s notes, tables and charts relating to the Culture universe. More information about this book will be released in due course.

Find out how to pre-order here, and follow the Iain M. Banks Facebook page here.

Cover Launch: SHADOW BARON by Davinia Evans

Take your first look at the cover of Shadow Baron (US | UK) by Davinia Evans! You can pick up this sequel to Notorious Sorcerer in November 2023.

Shadow Baron by Davinia Evans

Cover Design by Stephanie Hess

Strap in for a thrilling adventure in the sequel to Davinia Evans’s wickedly entertaining debut fantasy that follows our favorite irreverent alchemists, high society ladies, and swashbuckling street gangs as they wrestle with the nature of reality itself. 

Siyon Velo might be acknowledged as the Alchemist. He may have even stabilized the planes and stopped Bezim from ever shaking into the sea again. But that doesn’t mean he has any idea what’s he doing—and it won’t be long before everyone knows it.

To make things worse, mythical creatures once confined to operas and myths are spotted around Bezim. A djinn invades Zagiri’s garden party, and whispers of a naga slither across Anahid’s Flower District card tables. Magic is waking up in the Mundane. It’s up to Siyon to figure out a way to stop it, or everything he’s worked hard to save will come crashing down.

Praise for The Burnished City: 
“I loved getting lost in this dazzling debut.” ―Shannon Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass

“A firework of a fantasy novel: vibrant, explosive, deliciously dangerous, and impossibly fun.” ―Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne

“Sheer, glorious fun!” ―Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light

The Burnished City
Notorious Sorcerer (US | UK)
Shadow Baron
(US | UK)

Cover Launch: TONIGHT, I BURN by Katharine J. Adams

Take your first look at the cover of Tonight, I Burn (US | UK) by Katharine J. Adams and pick up your copy in November 2023! Catch the synopsis below.

Tonight, I Burn by Katharine J. Adams

Cover Design by Lisa Marie Pompilio

A thorn witch with the power to walk between the realms of Life and Death finds herself at the center of a magical rebellion—and a dangerous romance—that could destroy her coven and her soul in this dark and decadent debut. 

Thorns, Tides, Embers, Storms, and Ores. All five covens are bound in servitude to the tyrant High Warden of Halstett.

Penny Albright is a daughter of the thorn coven, forced to patrol the veil between the realms of Life and Death. Each night, one thorn witch—and only one—must cross the veil by burning at the stake. Each morning, that witch draws on their magic to return. Failure to follow the rules risks the veil and risks them all.

But one morning, Penny’s favorite sister Ella doesn’t return. And that night, determined to find her, Penny breaks the rules. She burns in secret. And she discovers that all isn’t as it seems in Life or Death.

Her journey leads her to Malin, a devastating lord with too many secrets; to Alice, a mysterious captive prophet; and to a rebellion brewing in the shadows beneath the city. And as Penny’s world splits, she’ll face a devastating choice. Because it’s not just her sister’s life that hangs in the balance. It’s the fate of all magic.

All it takes is one witch—and one spark—to set the world ablaze.

Acquisition Announcement: AN INHERITANCE OF MAGIC by Benedict Jacka

We’re excited to announce that Orbit UK has acquired a new series by Benedict Jacka, author of the vastly popular Alex Verus novels! This new dark academia-inspired fantasy is set in a world where anyone can use magic – if they can afford the price.

Benedict Jacka author of The Alex Verus series and An Inheritance of Magic.
Photo credit: Chris Murray Photography

The series sees magical power bought and sold by aristocratic dynasties and vast mega-corporations. It tells the story of Stephen, who has a minimum wage job and a cat, but who has inherited an unusual talent for magic from his father, and realises that unlocking that potential will take money and training. The first book – An Inheritance of Magic – will be out in October 2023, with the dates for the next two books as-yet undisclosed.

Jacka said: “With the Alex Verus series complete, I decided for my next series to try something different: a story where the mundane and supernatural worlds were integrated through trade and where you could buy magical powers out of a catalogue.”

Acquiring editor Jenni Hill said: “An Inheritance of Magic shows us a world where the super-rich control everything – including magic. There’s a lot to love here for fans of Benedict’s previous series, as well as fans of dark academia.”

See more info on the Bookseller, and look out for An Inheritance of Magic this October! It’s available for pre-order now.

Cover Launch: A CURSE OF KRAKENS by Kevin Hearne

Check out the cover for A CURSE OF KRAKENS by Kevin Hearne – the third and final book in the epic Seven Kennings trilogy, coming this November! See below for more info on what’s in store for you . . .

Cover for A CURSE OF KRAKENS by Kevin Hearne, featuring a wrecked ship in the sea, being attacked by kraken tentackles from all sides.
Cover design by Ben Prior @ Little, Brown Book Group

From the New York Times bestselling creator of The Iron Druid Chronicles comes the final book in the epic fantasy trilogy that began with A Plague of Giants, about a war that broke a continent – and opened the door to a new world.

Seeker and Sower
Pen Yas ben Min’s cousin was one of the legendary heroes of the wars against the giants until her untimely death. Pen has grown up in her famous cousin’s shadow, but when she’s given a quest to plant the seed of the magical Fourth Tree, she has a chance to step into the light – and usher in a new age for her country.

Fighter and Friend
Abhi’s life – and the world – changed when he discovered a lost magic: the power to speak to animals. After fighting so many battles, he’s weary and longs for home and his love, Tamhan. But before he can return, there is one last mission that only Abhi can complete: to speak to the colossal creatures who wait beneath the waves – the krakens.

Sailor and Explorer
Koesha and her shipmates have already made an impossible journey by navigating the Northern Yawn, at the end of which she secured an unusual cloak. But when that cloak turns out to be the key to unlocking the mystery of the Seventh Kenning, Koesha has to risk everything on another life-threatening journey and hope that she can steer her crew to safety.

Don’t miss any of Kevin Hearne’s action-packed Seven Kennings series:
A Plague of Giants
A Blight of Blackwings
A Curse of Krakens

Praise for the Seven Kennings series:

‘Truly epic fantasy’ James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was Lost

‘This isn’t just a breath of fresh air for the genre, it’s a damned hurricane’
Jason M. Hough, New York Times bestselling author

‘A rare masterpiece that’s both current and timeless . . . merging the fantasy bones of Tolkien and Rothfuss with a wide cast of characters who’ll break your heart’
Delilah S. Dawson

Cover Launch: LABYRINTH’S HEART by M.A. Carrick

Take your first look at the cover of Labyrinth’s Heart (US | UK) by M.A. Carrick and pick up your copy in August 2023! Catch the synopsis below.

Labyrinth's Heart by M.A. Carrick

Cover Design by Lauren Panepinto; Cover Illustration by Nekro

“Lush, engrossing and full of mystery and dark magic” (BookPage), Labyrinth’s Heart (US | UK) is the thrilling conclusion to M. A. Carrick’s Rook & Rose trilogy, in which a con artist, a vigilante, and a crime lord become reluctant allies in the quest to save their city from a dangerous ancient magic.

May you see the face and not the mask.

Ren came to Nadežra with a plan. She would pose as the long-lost daughter of the noble house Traementis. She would secure a fortune for herself and her sister. And she would vanish without a backward glance. She ought to have known that in the city of dreams, nothing is ever so simple.

Now, she is Ren, con-artist and thief. But she is also Renata, the celebrated Traementis heir. She is Arenza, the mysterious pattern-reader and political rebel. And she is the Black Rose, a vigilante who fights alongside the legendary Rook.

Even with the help of Grey Serrado and Derossi Vargo, it is too many masks for one person to wear. And as the dark magic the three of them helped unleash builds to storm that could tear the very fabric of the city apart, it’s only a matter of time before one of the masks slips—and everything comes crashing down around them.

The Rook & Rose trilogy
The Mask of Mirrors (US | UK)
The Liar’s Knot
(US | UK)
Labyrinth’s Heart
(US | UK)

Cover Launch: BOYS IN THE VALLEY by Philip Fracassi

Prepare to lose sleep with Philip Fracassi’s historical horror, Boys in the Valley, coming this July. Take a look at the haunting cover below, designed by the brilliant Bekki Guyatt. This is the perfect horror for fans of The Exorcist, Midnight Mass and Lord of the Flies.

Book cover for Boys in the Valley showing a snowy isolated landscape all in white with a house in its centre. The title is in blood red font above the house with the author name below it

St. Vincent’s Orphanage for Boys. Turn of the century, in a remote valley in Pennsylvania.

Here, under the watchful eyes of several priests, thirty boys work, learn, and worship. Peter Barlow, orphaned as a child by a gruesome murder, has made a new life here. As he approaches adulthood, he has friends, a future. . . a family.

Then, late one stormy night, a group of men arrive at their door, one of whom is badly wounded, occult symbols carved into his flesh. His death releases an ancient evil that spreads like sickness, infecting St.  Vincent’s and the children within.

Soon, boys begin acting differently, forming groups. Taking sides. Others turn up dead. Now Peter and those dear to him must choose sides of their own, each of them knowing their lives – and perhaps their eternal souls – are at risk.

Praise for Boys in the Valley:

‘Fracassi. . . builds his horrific tales slowly and carefully…he’s especially skilful at creating, and sustaining, suspense’ 
The New York Times

‘Gut-wrenching, heart breaking, and terrifying’ Andy Davidson, author of The Boatman’s Daughter

‘Horror readers will be hooked’ Publishers Weekly

‘A riveting, and horrifying, tale of survival set against a punishing and vivid backdrop.’ Victor LaValle

‘Fracassi. . . brings a depth of understanding to his monsters, human and otherwise’  Guardian

‘Fracassi’s storytelling is. . . horror with a big, broken heart’ Esquire

‘His range, prolific output, and fast-paced prose are all set to put him on the shelf next to names such as King, Straub, and Thomas Harris’ Signal Horizon

Boys in the Valley is available to pre-order now! You can follow Philip on Twitter @PhilipFracassi 

Cover Launch: RELICS OF RUIN by Erin M. Evans

Take your first look at the cover of Relics of Ruin (US) by Erin M. Evans and pick up your copy in December 2023! Catch the synopsis below.

Relics of Ruin by Erin M. Evans

Cover Design by Alexia Mazis; Map Illustration by Francesca Baerald

From a rising star in epic fantasy comes the captivating second novel in a trilogy featuring an unlikely team who must find a way to work together and solve an empire-spanning mystery to defend the last place they call home.

The conspiracy at the heart of the empire has been revealed. The Archivists played a key role in solving a brutal murder and uncovering one of the empire’s longest kept secrets. Now, what’s left in its wake are a series of unearthed artifacts, one shaken city, and the shocking truth not dared spoken aloud.

Just as the empire has begun to regain normalcy, another mystery unveils itself when a stolen ancient relic is found. Only no one knew that it was missing from its sacred vault in the first place. And now that the real one has been recovered, who replaced it with a fake?

With Quill and Amadea at the heart of another mystery, they will need to quickly follow the clues that all lead back to this new relic.

Because all the while, an old enemy is gathering strength beyond the Salt Wall and the Archivists might come to find there’s nowhere left for them to go but over.

“Detailed and mysterious, a place to explore and relish. Highly recommended!” ―R. A. Salvatore, author of “The Legends of Drizzt”

For more from Erin M. Evans, check out:

Empire of Exiles (US)

Cover Launch: THE GHOSTS OF BEATRICE BIRD by Louisa Morgan

Take your first look at the cover of The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird (US | UK) by Louisa Morgan and pick up your copy in November 2023! Catch the synopsis below.

The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird by Louisa Morgan

Cover Design by Lisa Marie Pompilio; Cover Photographs by Trevillion and Shutterstock

 A woman’s ability to see ghosts draws her into a journey of redemption and unexpected friendship in this unforgettable story from the acclaimed author of A Secret History of Witches.

Beatrice Bird is plagued by ghosts. It’s a gift she’s had since she was a small child. Unfortunately, it’s a gift that has grown more intense, shifting from flashes and feelings to physical manifestations she can’t escape.

In a desperate attempt for relief, Beatrice flees her home, her partner, and a psychology practice in San Francisco for a remote island with only nuns and a few cows for company. She sees as few people as she possibly can. She doesn’t call home. Then she meets Anne Iredale, a timid woman who has lost everything that matters to her.

For the first time in a long time, Beatrice’s gift will be called on to help someone in need. The path to healing awaits both of them—if Beatrice can find the courage to take the first step.