Posts Tagged ‘Joe Abercrombie’

Cover Launch: THE WISDOM OF CROWDS by Joe Abercrombie

Last week we revealed the stunning cover for the final book in The Age of Madness trilogy, THE WISDOM OF CROWDS. You can rewatch the cover reveal here, where author Joe Abercrombie was joined by cover artist Sam Weber and Orbit’s Creative Director, Lauren Panepinto, to chat about the trilogy and answer fan questions! The Wisdom of Crowds comes to bookshelves near you this September.

Chaos. Fury. Destruction.
 
The Great Change is upon us . . .

Some say that to change the world you must first burn it down. Now that belief will be tested in the crucible of revolution: the Breakers and Burners have seized the levers of power, the smoke of riots has replaced the smog of industry, and all must submit to the wisdom of crowds.

With nothing left to lose, Citizen Brock is determined to become a new hero for the new age, while Citizeness Savine must turn her talents from profit to survival before she can claw her way to redemption. Orso will find that when the world is turned upside down, no one is lower than a monarch. And in the bloody North, Rikke and her fragile Protectorate are running out of allies . . . while Black Calder gathers his forces and plots his vengeance.

The banks have fallen, the sun of the Union has been torn down, and in the darkness behind the scenes, the threads of the Weaver’s ruthless plan are slowly being drawn together . . .

Praise for The Age of Madness:

“A master of the genre.” — Lev Grossman, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Abercrombie squeezes your heart till it matches his beat. No one writes with the seismic scope or primal intensity of Joe Abercrombie.” — Pierce Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say that he’s a master of his craft.” —Forbes

“Abercrombie continues to do what he does best . . . Buckle your seat belts for this one . . . . A vivid and jolting tale.” — Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author

“Abercrombie’s satisfying plotting and expert subversion of genre expectations are sure to please. Readers will be gripped.” —Publishers Weekly

 

Cover Launch: THE TROUBLE WITH PEACE Trade Paperback Edition by Joe Abercrombie

To pack a bigger punch, (and make sure the paperback editions match on your bookshelves!) we’ve slightly redesigned the cover for THE TROUBLE WITH PEACE for its paperback publication on July 27th, 2021. In this sequel to New York Times-bestselling A LITTLE HATRED, a fragile peace gives way to conspiracy, betrayal, and rebellion. But, If July is too long of a wait, the hardcover, eBook, and audio book editions are out now! You’ll want to be sure you’re caught up on this stunning sequel before the final book in The Age of Madness trilogy comes out from Joe Abercrombie, “a master of the genre” (Lev Grossman).

Art by Sam Weber. Design by Lauren Panepinto.

Praise for The Age of Madness Trilogy

“Abercrombie’s satisfying plotting and expert subversion of genre expectations are sure to please. Readers will be gripped.” — Publishers Weekly

“Abercrombie squeezes your heart till it matches his beat. No one writes with the seismic scope or primal intensity of Joe Abercrombie.” — Pierce Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Abercrombie continues to do what he does best . . . Buckle your seat belts for this one . . . . A vivid and jolting tale.” — Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author

“Highly recommended ‑ a funny, finely‑wrought, terrifically energetic work of high fantasy. Seek it out.” — Joe Hill

“Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say that he’s a master of his craft.” — Forbes 

A Little Hatred is Abercrombie at his very best: witty, wise, and whip‑smart. Masterfully plotted . . . . I had high hopes for this book, and it exceed them all.” — Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

“Brutal, unforgiving, and terribly fun. Everything awesome readers have come to expect from Joe Abercrombie.” — Brian McClellan, author of Sins of Empire

“With expert craft, Abercrombie lays the groundwork for another thrilling trilogy.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)  

“Rife with emotion with wit to spare, both honed to an effortlessly fine edge. A Little Hatred is the joy of watching a master of the craft with his tools at their sharpest.” — Sam Sykes, author of Seven Blades in Black

“Joe Abercrombie’s powerful voice raises the bar in any literary genre. Fantasy fans are beyond fortunate he chose this one.” — Myke Cole, author of The Armored Saint

“Abercrombie unerringly juggles a large cast of multifaceted, morally ambiguous characters, each embroiled in their own complicated story.” — Booklist (starred review) 

“A critical, compelling epic fantasy loaded with wonderfully drawn characters, the bloodletting tempered with sharp social commentary and a touch of satire . . . . It doesn’t feel like a stretch to say Abercrombie’s on his way to writing another masterpiece of epic fantasy.” — B&N Sci‑Fi & Fantasy Blog 

A Little Hatred may be the most accomplished work from a writer who many already consider a master.” — SFF World 

“[Abercrombie] might have his most important series of novels yet.” — Locus

Cover Launch: THE TROUBLE WITH PEACE by Joe Abercrombie

A LITTLE HATRED arrived on the epic fantasy battlefield with much more than a little fanfare. The first book in Abercrombie’s latest trilogy, The Age of Madness, proved once again that he is “a master of his craft” (Forbes).

Yesterday, Forbes unveiled the cover for, THE TROUBLE WITH PEACE. And if you’ve read A Little Hatred, then you know there will, indeed, be trouble… (if you haven’t had a chance yet, well…what better time than now!).

Art by Sam Weber. Design by Lauren Panepinto.

The hardcover, ebook, and audio book all publish on September 15th.

Learn more at Forbes and read their review of A Little Hatred.

As we gear up for the publication of The Trouble with Peace, we’ll also be publishing the paperback edition of A Little Hatred on August 11th. We’ve slightly redesigned the cover for this new edition. Check it out below!

Art by Sam Weber. Design by Lauren Panepinto.

Praise for The Age of Madness Trilogy:

“Abercrombie squeezes your heart till it matches his beat. No one writes with the seismic scope or primal intensity of Joe Abercrombie.” – Pierce Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Abercrombie continues to do what he does best . . . . A vivid and jolting tale.” – Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author

“Highly recommended – a funny, finely-wrought, terrifically energetic work of high fantasy. Seek it out.” – Joe Hill, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Rife with emotion with wit to spare, both honed to an effortlessly fine edge. A Little Hatred is the joy of watching a master of the craft with his tools at their sharpest.” – Sam Sykes, author of Seven Blades in Black

“A Little Hatred is Abercrombie at his very best: witty, wise, and whip-smart. Masterfully plotted . . . . I had high hopes for this book, and it exceed them all.” – Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

“Brutal, unforgiving, and terribly fun. Everything awesome readers have come to expect from Joe Abercrombie.” – Brian McClellan, author of Sins of Empire

“Joe Abercrombie’s powerful voice raises the bar in any literary genre. Fantasy fans are beyond fortunate he chose this one.” – Myke Cole, author of The Armored Saint

“With expert craft, Abercrombie lays the groundwork for another thrilling trilogy.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie, say that he’s a master of his craft.” – Forbes

“Abercrombie unerringly juggles a large cast of multifaceted, morally ambiguous characters, each embroiled in their own complicated story.” – Booklist (starred review)

“A critical, compelling epic fantasy loaded with wonderfully drawn characters, the bloodletting tempered with sharp social commentary and a touch of satire . . . . It doesn’t feel like a stretch to say Abercrombie’s on his way to writing another masterpiece of epic fantasy.” – B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog

“A Little Hatred may be the most accomplished work from a writer who many already consider a master.” – SFF World

“[Abercrombie] might have his most important series of novels yet.” — Locus

Joe Abercrombie is back with A LITTLE HATRED!

Orbit is delighted to announce that we will be publishing a phenomenal new trilogy from the New York Times bestselling author Joe Abercrombie in the US, at the same time that it will be published in the UK by Gollancz. The first book in the trilogy, A LITTLE HATRED, publishes in September 2019.

A Little Hatred marks Abercrombie’s much anticipated return to the world of the First Law. The novel features exciting new characters, along with the return of some memorable faces for longtime Abercrombie fans.  Written and told in a way that only Abercrombie can, the new trilogy is a visceral story of bloody revolution.

If you’re a fan of the First Law, then we can promise that you’re going to love it. If you’ve yet to read Abercrombie (and how could this be true?), A Little Hatred is your time to rectify that mistake.

Joe Abercrombie is the author of the First Law Trilogy (The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, and Last Argument of Kings). His standalone novels (Best Served Cold, The Heroes, and Red Country) are also set in the First Law world.

Follow @LordGrimdark on Twitter for more information, or visit www.joeabercrombie.com.

Acquisition announcement: THE GREY BASTARDS by Jonathan French

Jonathan French, author of gritty fantasy The Grey Bastards

Orbit UK has acquired rights to The Grey Bastards plus a sequel by US author Jonathan French.

It’s a wild and gritty epic fantasy debut that invites you to enter the world of orcs and half-orcs – as you’ve never seen them before . . .

You might have heard of The Grey Bastards because it won Mark Lawrence’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off 2016 – meaning that a panel of ten top fantasy bloggers picked it as the winner out of hundreds of entries. And this win was thoroughly deserved . . . This fantasy debut is brimming with raucous energy.

It’s the story of Jackal – who is proud to be a Grey Bastard, a member of a sworn brotherhood of half-orcs. Unloved and unwanted in civilized society, the Bastards eke out a hard life in the desolate no-man’s-land called the Lots, protecting frail and noble human civilization from invading bands of vicious full-blooded orcs . . .

Jonathan’s voice stood out to us as one of the freshest we’ve read in years. The story overflows with crisp dialogue, blood-soaked action, an entertaining sardonic voice and a wonderfully compelling cast of characters. It’s an irresistible action tale that will thrill readers of fantasy such as Joe Abercrombie, Mark Lawrence, Stan Nicholl’s Orcs series and Markus Heitz’s Dwarves series.

And just look at the whole host of amazing reviews it’s already received!

‘Frankly excellent’ ~ Mark Lawrence, bestselling author of Prince of Thorns

The Grey Bastards dragged me in immediately. A bloody good tale of battles, intrigue, betrayal, duty and war pigs’ ~ Brian McClellan, author of Promise of Blood

‘A gritty adventure with a fantastic, foul-mouthed voice and filthy, lovable characters in a wonderfully original world of half-orcs on giant hogs.  Fans of Abercrombie’s The First Law or the soldierly banter of Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen will like this a lot’ ~ Django Wexler

‘Jonathan French has to be lauded for his plot ingenuity, bawdy charm and vicious characters. The Grey Bastards has instantaneously catapulted him into my must-read list’ ~Fantasy Book Critic

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

‘I f*cking loved this book. The Grey Bastards went down like a shot of good top-shelf tequila: warm and smooth, but with one hell of a spicy kick’ ~ Bibliosanctum

These guys were all pretty darn excited about the half-orcs, and dammit – you should be too. Look out for The Grey Bastards in June 2018.

And as the Bastards say, LIVE IN THE SADDLE, DIE ON THE HOG!

Orbit and Gollancz to publish Sharp Ends, a collection of gritty short stories by Joe Abercrombie

Joe-Abercrombie-credit-Lou-AbercrombieOrbit US and Gollancz are thrilled to announce that they will be publishing a stunning hardback collection of superb short stories featuring best-loved characters from the world of the First Law, by New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling fantasy author Joe Abercrombie. Orbit will publish the collection in the United States and Gollancz in the United Kingdom.

The short stories will be a mix of original and reissued short stories collected together for the first time, including the Locus Award-winning “Tough Times All Over.” The brand-new shorts will feature some of the most popular characters from the First Law world, including Glokta, Jezal, Logen Ninefingers, Bethod, and Monza Murcatto.

Joe Abercrombie said: “I’m very pleased that some widely scattered shorts are going to be brought together in one volume along with some new stories about old friends and enemies, filling in some blanks in the map of the First Law world and offering some different perspectives on key events. I hope readers will have as much fun revisiting some of these much-loved – and much-hated – characters as I have…”

Joe Abercrombie’s novels in the First Law world have sold over half a million copies to date. He is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author. Joe’s short stories are in demand for collections put together by some of the biggest names in the industry, including George R. R. Martin.

Joe Abercrombie is the author of the First Law Trilogy (The Blade ItselfBefore They Are Hanged, and Last Argument of Kings). His stand-alone novels (Best Served ColdThe Heroes, and Red Country) are also set in the First Law world.

His novels have been shortlisted for the World Fantasy Award, British Fantasy Award, John W. Campbell Award and the David Gemmell Legend Award. His covers are also award winning, and have won both the David Gemmell Legend Award and the World Fantasy Award for best artwork.

Joe formerly worked as a freelance film editor and is now a full time writer who lives in Bath with his family. Follow @LordGrimdark on Twitter for more information, or visit www.joeabercrombie.com.

About Orbit

Orbit is the science fiction and fantasy imprint of Hachette Book Group.

About Hachette Book Group:

Hachette Book Group is a leading trade publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the third-largest trade and educational publisher in the world. HBG publishes under the divisions of Little, Brown and Company, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, Grand Central Publishing, Orbit, Hachette Books, Hachette Nashville, and Hachette Audio.

Sharp Ends: Stories from the World of The First Law, Joe Abercrombie

US: April 12, 2016, hardcover $28.00 / e-book $14.99

UK: April 12, 2016, hardcover £18.99/ e-book £9.99

THE FIRST LAW TRILOGY COMES TO ORBIT!

THE FIRST LAW TRILOGY is being released this September from Orbit! This is the original grim dark trilogy that inspired a new generation of fantasy writers. We envy the readers who have yet to meet the infamous barbarian Logen Ninefingers, the dashing Captain Jezal dan Luthar, the wizard Bayaz and the sinister Inquisitor Glokta for the first time…

 Abercrombie_BladeItself-TP

Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood.

Abercrombie_BeforeHanged-TP

Ancient secrets will be uncovered. Bloody battles will be won and lost. Bitter enemies will be forgiven — but not before they are hanged.

Abercrombie_LastArgumentKings-TP

The king lies on his deathbed, the peasants revolt, and the nobles scramble to steal his crown. Only the First of the Magi can save the world, but there are risks. There is no risk more terrible, than to break the First Law…

“Bloody and relentless.” – George R. R. Martin

“Delightfully twisted and evil.” – The Guardian

“Heroic fantasy without conventional heroes…Full of cynicism and wit.” – RT Book Reviews

“Bold and authentically original.” – Jeff VanderMeer

“Compelling characters, a complex plot, and style to burn.” – Strange Horizons

“There is a gritty edge to his world and an awareness of the human cost of violence that is very contemporary.” – The Times

“Truly wonderful.” – Forbes

Cover design by Laura Brett

The AGE OF IRON Begins Today!

Launching today at Orbit, the first in a series full of battle-hardened warriors and bloodthirsty druids!

AGE OF IRON is the first volume of a trilogy of epic fantasy novels that takes you back to a British Iron Age full of magic, dark humour and good old fashioned action adventure.

LEGENDS AREN’T BORN. THEY’RE FORGED.

Dug Sealskinner is a down-on-his-luck mercenary travelling south to join up with King Zadar’s army. But he keeps rescuing the wrong people. First, Spring, a child he finds scavenging on the battlefield, and then Lowa, one of Zadar’s most fearsome warriors, who’s vowed revenge on the king for her sister’s execution.

Now Dug’s on the wrong side of that thousands-strong army he hoped to join ­– and worse, Zadar has sacrificial druid magic on his side. All Dug has is his war hammer, one rescued child and one unpredictable, highly-trained warrior with a lust for revenge that’s going to get them all killed . . .

It’s a glorious day to die.

Author Angus Watson is a journalist and fan of Joe Abercrombie and Scott Lynch, who had the idea to write an epic fantasy tale set in this sparsely-recorded part of history while walking Britain’s Iron Age forts for a Telegraph feature:

“As we strode up to the massive walls of Maiden Castle, hewn from the chalk hill over centuries then abandoned 2,000 years ago, I asked my guide, Iron Age historian Peter Woodward, half joking, if the Iron Age was like the Conan the Barbarian books, with muscular men running about and rescuing virgins from snake worshipers.

“The Conan books and films are about as good a representation of the Iron Age as we have,” he said.

 That was it. Here was my subject.”

You can read more from Angus on the Orbit blog this month, and he’s also on twitter, but first, let’s hear from AGE OF IRON’s fans:

‘Watson’s tale is gore soaked and profanity laden – full of visceral combat and earthy humor, and laced with subtle magic. The blend of historical accuracy and authorial liberties suggests an old-school sword-and-sorcery epic, though with some modern sensibilities thrown in for good measure!’
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

 ‘Would I read the next one? Yes, absolutely. Bring me my hammer, bring my beer, bring it on.’
SF CROWSNEST

‘Watson has created a brilliant and confident debut . . . If you like your fantasy packed with hammer-wielding heroes, bloodthirsty druids, strong female leads, action, intrigue, betrayal, and a brilliantly conceived world then AGE OF IRON is for you.’
THE BOOK BEARD

‘Thoroughly entertaining from the get go . . . I really got a kick out of the AGE OF IRON.’
THE ELOQUENT PAGE

The AGE OF IRON begins in all good book stores today. And you won’t have to wait too long for the rest of the trilogy, look out for CLASH OR IRON and REIGN OF IRON next year!

Orbit at SDCC!

SDCC 2012Going to San Diego Comic-Con next week? Here are some things you should definitely put on your schedule.

THURSDAY, JULY 24
11:00 AM: Mira Grant signing in the Orbit booth (#1116)
3:00 PM: Seanan McGuire (a.k.a. Mira Grant) on the “When Magic & Myth Meet Main Street” panel, Room 25ABC
4:00 PM: Brent Weeks, Joe Abercrombie, and Sam Sykes on the “Putting the Epic in Epic Fantasy” panel, Room 25ABC

SATURDAY, JULY 26
11:00 AM: Joe Abercrombie signing in the Orbit booth (#1116)
2:00 PM: Brent Weeks signing in the Orbit booth (#1116)
2:30 PM: Mira Grant on the “The Art of Fear” panel, Room 8
4:15 PM: Joe Abercrombie on the “Rules of the Realm” panel, Room 6A

We’ll have giveaways and books for sale in the booth (#1116) all weekend! Stop by and say hi.

Now out in trade paperback – RED COUNTRY

Ever since I can remember I’ve been a lover of Westerns.  From the big themes, big characters and big landscapes of John Ford, through the exaggerated sweat, filth and violence of Sergio Leone, to the used up gunmen and moral ambiguity of Clint Eastwood’s revisionist films.  In fact I often site Unforgiven as doing expertly with the western what I try to do with fantasy – to present a modern, gritty, realistic take on a classic form, to perhaps say something about that form and the purposes it serves for audiences, but chiefly to present a great example of the form with all the entertainment value audiences expect.

When you ill-advisedly set out to write a trilogy of big books, finishing seems an impossible goal.  You spare very little thought for what might come after.  But shortly before finishing The First Law trilogy, I came to the horrifying realisation that if I was interested in writing as a career I might need to write another thirty or more books.  I needed some ideas, and fast, and of course the best place to get them is to steal some that have already been successful.  I wanted to write some tighter, more focused stories that continued in the same world but to some extent stood alone, and so I went to films for inspiration, and tried to work out what I liked about some of my favourites with the aim of combining my take on fantasy with some other styles of story.  So BEST SERVED COLD (US | AUS) was my attempt to fuse fantasy with a gangster revenge story.  The Heroes was my attempt to write a fantasy account of a single great battle.  And RED COUNTRY (US | AUS) was my attempt to fuse fantasy and western.

Fantasy and westerns aren’t such obvious bedfellows as fantasy and revenge or fantasy and battles, mind you.  The western is indivisibly tied to its time and place and in a way is a very strong spice for the reader, summoning up lots of powerful and specific visuals and expectations, one which has to be used with care.  For me the essence of the western isn’t in the sixguns and the chaps, the stetsons and the canvas wagons, the saddles and saloons, though.  It’s the wild frontier.  It’s the place where civilisation and savagery mix, where the rule of law contends with the law of the jungle, where anything is possible.  It’s about tough men and women pitted against an unforgiving wilderness.  It’s about conflicted men and women struggling to find the right thing to do in a lawless country.  And, yes, it’s about narrow-eyed stand-offs in windswept streets while coat-tails flap and terrified observers hold their breaths.  In RED COUNTRY I tried to keep what was essential about the western while changing the trappings, if you like: staking out a wild frontier in a part of the First Law world where the first settlers are just beginning to seek out new opportunities in an untamed wilderness, and finding neither man nor nature especially welcoming.  And, yes, there is a knife fight on the roof of a speeding wagon.  Whatever could be wrong with that?”