Tag: Audible

Travis Baldree’s LEGENDS & LATTES is a Best of 2022!

Posted on Tuesday, December 20th, 2022

As 2022 draws to a close, we’re very happy to report that Travis Baldree‘s acclaimed debut novel, LEGENDS & LATTES has been selected as a best-of-the-year by a number of outlets! This, in addition to getting to the final round of the Goodreads Choice Award, too!

First, the audiobook edition of the novel, also narrated by the author, has been selected as a Best Audiobook of the Year by Audible!

The novel has also been selected as one of the Top Science Fiction & Fantasy books of 2022 by Kobo (US)!

Finally, the novel has been selected as one of Barnes & Noble’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy novels of 2022!

LEGENDS & LATTES is published by Tor Books in the UK and in North America. Here’s the synopsis…

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

Here are just a few of the many great reviews the novel has received…

‘This is a story about following your dreams, even when they take you away from who you thought you had to be. It’s sweet, beautiful and, most of all, kind. I hugely recommend this book.’ — Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of Every Heart A Doorway

‘The most fun I’ve ever had in a coffee shop.’ — Ben Aaronovitch, bestselling author of Rivers of London

‘This slice-of-life cozy fantasy novel has everything you’ve been searching for.’ — Buzzfeed

‘An orc retires from adventuring to start a fantasy city’s very first coffee shop. This setup combined with the positive messages of defying societal stereotypes, letting go of violence to build peace, and trusting in your friends feels like a premise from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld… LEGENDS & LATTES is a novel, and shop, that will delight anyone who enjoys coffee-shop alternate universes, slow-burn romances, and the vindication of friendship.’ — Booklist, starred review

‘A stunningly-well done story at every level’ — Fantasy Faction

‘If you like fantasy but you’re tired of reading about wars and general intensity, this is the book for you… Cozy fantasy at its best.’ — Literary Hub

Best of 2022 Lists Featuring Zeno Clients!

Posted on Friday, November 18th, 2022

It’s that time of the year, when various venues start releasing their Best of the Year lists. We’re very happy to report that a number of our clients’ books have appeared on a number of these lists. Read on for more details!

First up, the acclaimed LEGENDS & LATTES by Travis Baldree has been selected as a best fantasy audiobook of the year by Audible — the author also narrated the novel!

LEGENDS & LATTES is also in the first round of this year’s Goodreads Choice Award (voting in this round ends on November 27th)!

The novel is published by Tor Books in North America and in the UK. Here’s the synopsis…

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

Four Zeno titles have also appeared in various Waterstones Best-Of lists this year…

Brandon Sanderson‘s highly-anticipated, recently-published THE LOST METAL, the last novel in the Mistborn series, has been selected as one of the best Fantasy novels of the year! THE LOST METAL is published in the UK by Gollancz. Here’s the synopsis…

For years, frontier lawman turned big-city senator Waxillium Ladrian has hunted the shadowy organization the Set – with his late uncle and his sister among their leaders – since they started kidnapping people with the power of Allomancy in their bloodlines. When Detective Marasi Colms and her partner, Wayne, find stockpiled weapons bound for the Outer City of Bilming, this opens a new lead. Conflict between the capital, Elendel, and the Outer Cities only favors the Set, and their tendrils now reach to the Elendel Senate – whose corruption Wax and his wife, Steris, have sought to expose – and Bilming is even more entangled.

After Wax discovers a new type of explosive that can unleash unprecedented destruction and realizes that the Set must already have it, an immortal kandra serving Scadrial’s god, Harmony, reveals that Bilming has fallen under the influence of another god: Trell, worshipped by the Set. And Trell isn’t the only factor at play from the larger Cosmere – Marasi is recruited by offworlders with strange abilities who claim their goal is to protect Scadrial…at any cost.

Wax must choose whether to set aside his rocky relationship with God and once again become the Sword that Harmony has groomed him to be. If no one steps forward to be the hero Scadrial needs, the planet and its millions of people will come to a sudden and calamitous ruin.

The acclaimed Silvia Moreno-Garcia‘s THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU has been selected as one of the best Science Fiction novels of the year! Published in the UK by Jo Fletcher Books, here’s the synopsis…

Carlota Moreau: A young woman, growing up in a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula, the only daughter of a genius – or a madman.

Montgomery Laughton: A melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol, an outcast who assists Dr Moreau with his scientific experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas with plentiful coffers.

The hybrids: The fruits of the Doctor’s labour, destined to blindly obey their creator while they remain in the shadows, are a motley group of part-human, part-animal monstrosities.

All of them are living in a perfectly balanced and static world which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Doctor Moreau’s patron – who will, unwittingly, begin a dangerous chain-reaction.

For Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and in the sweltering heat of the jungle passions may ignite.

Josh Winning‘s acclaimed debut, THE SHADOW GLASS has been selected as one of the Best Paperbacks of 2022 by Waterstones! Published in the UK by Titan Books, here’s the synopsis…

Jack Corman is failing at life.

Jobless, jaded and on the “wrong” side of thirty, he’s facing the threat of eviction from his London flat while reeling from the sudden death of his father, one-time film director Bob Corman. Back in the eighties, Bob poured his heart and soul into the creation of his 1986 puppet fantasy The Shadow Glass, a film Jack loved as a child, idolising its fox-like hero Dune.

But The Shadow Glass flopped on release, deemed too scary for kids and too weird for adults, and Bob became a laughing stock, losing himself to booze and self-pity. Now, the film represents everything Jack hated about his father, and he lives with the fear that he’ll end up a failure just like him.

In the wake of Bob’s death, Jack returns to his decaying home, a place creaking with movie memorabilia and painful memories. Then, during a freak thunderstorm, the puppets in the attic start talking. Tipped into a desperate real-world quest to save London from the more nefarious of his father’s creations, Jack teams up with excitable fanboy Toby and spiky studio executive Amelia to navigate the labyrinth of his father’s legacy while conjuring the hero within –– and igniting a Shadow Glass resurgence that could, finally, do his father proud.

And last, but by no means least, Grady Hendrix‘s THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP is also a Waterstones Best Paperback of 2022! The novel also won the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Horror last year. Published in the UK by Titan Books, here’s the synopsis…

In horror movies, the final girl is the one who’s left standing when the credits roll. The one who fought back, defeated the killer, and avenged her friends. The one who emerges bloodied but victorious. But after the sirens fade and the audience moves on, what happens to her?

Lynnette Tarkington survived a massacre twenty-two years ago, and it has defined every day of her life since. And she’s not alone. For more than a decade she’s been meeting with five other final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, putting their lives back together, piece by piece. That is until one of the women misses a meeting and Lynnette’s worst fears are realized — someone knows about the group and is determined to take their lives apart again, piece by piece.

But the thing about these final girls is that they have each other now, and no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up.

Zeno represents Brandon Sanderson, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Grady Hendrix in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

Spotlight & Deal: CHAGA by Ian McDonald

Posted on Friday, June 3rd, 2022

CHAGA, the first novel in the eponymous series by Ian McDonald is a Kindle Monthly Deal in the US! First published in 1995, it is now published by JAbberwocky. Here’s the synopsis…

On the trail of the mystery of Saturn’s disappearing moons, network journalist Gaby McAslan finds herself in Africa researching the Kilimanjaro Event: a meteor-strike in Kenya which caused the stunning African landscape to give way to something equally beautiful – and indescribably alien. Dubbed the ‘Chaga’, the alien flora destroys all man-made materials, and moulds human flesh, bone and spirit to its own designs. But when Gaby finds the first man to survive the Chaga’s changes, she realizes it has its own plans for humankind… Against the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, McDonald weaves a staggering tale of keen human observation and speculation, as the Kilimanjaro Event changes the course of the human race by exposure to something beyond its imagination.

Here are some of the reviews the novel has received…

‘McDonald… consistently explores new territory with his breathtaking images and incisive language. Both form and substance blend fortuitously in a work that features strong characters, a suspenseful story, and a profound message of hope and transformation. A priority purchase for SF collections.’ — Library Journal

‘One of the finest writers of his generation, who chooses to write science fiction because that is how he can best illuminate the world.’ — New Statesman

‘Optimistic near-future alien-contact yarn… McDonald’s tale is also inventive and challenging… a dense, complex, rather weighty, often fascinating piece of speculation.’ — Kirkus

The other two novels in the trilogy — and — are also published by JABberwocky.

All three of the novels are also available as audiobooks, published by Audible.

‘This is a huge and ambitious novel, the work of a supremely talented writer approaching the top of his game.’ — SFX on KIRINYA

‘So outstanding a writer that he deserves reading beyond the science-fantasy market … He has such marvellous talent, so vivid an imagination. His prose sings and zings – simultaneously.’ — The Times on KIRINYA

‘[An] excellent original novella… gazes boldly into the heart of darkness, and finds there a great and galvanising hope.’ — Infinity Plus on TENDELEO’S STORY

‘… the Chaga sequence [is] Ian McDonald’s marvellous panorama of Third World plights and possibilities.’ — SF Site on TENDELEO’S STORY

Ian’s latest series is Luna — which includes the prequel novella THE MENACE FROM FARSIDE (Tor.com), and the novels NEW MOON, WOLF MOON, and MOON RISING (Tor Books).

New Cast-Adaptation of FINGERHUT-SOMMER Out Now!

Posted on Friday, May 20th, 2022

There’s a new, full-cast audiobook edition of FINGERHUT-SOMMER! The fifth novel in Ben Aaronovitch‘s Die magischen Fälle des Peter Grant series (Rivers of London/Peter Grant), it is available exclusively from Audible. Here’s the synopsis…

Die magischen Fälle des Peter Grant von Ben Aaronovitch sind internationale Bestseller und absoluter Kult. In seinem fünften Roman führt der ausgebildete Buchhändler und ausgezeichnete Drehbuchautor (Dr. Who) seine Hauptfigur Peter Grant erstmalig in die ländlichen Gefilde außerhalb Londons, um die mysteriöse Entführung zweier Kinder aufzuklären.

Leominster ist eine verschlafene Kleinstadt 150 Meilen nordwestlich von London und nicht gerade bekannt für seine hohe Kriminalitätsrate. Trotzdem verschlägt es Police Constable Peter Grant in den kleinen Ort in Herefordshire, denn zwei kleine Mädchen sind verschwunden und die Umstände lassen Rückschlüsse auf eine übernatürliche Beteiligung zu. Unterstützt von der Flusstochter Beverley Brook und dem ortskundigen Polizisten Dominic Croft wird Peter in ein verworrenes Netz aus Dorfintrigen, lokalen Legenden und UFO-Mythen verstrickt. Doch damit nicht genug: Peter erfährt einiges über die militärische Vergangenheit seines Mentors Thomas Nightingale. Auch der Verrat durch seine ehemalige Kollegin und Freundin Leslie May und ihr anschließendes Verschwinden nagen weiterhin an ihm – zumal sie über Peters Provinz-Aktivitäten ausgesprochen gut informiert zu sein scheint.

Audible/DTV have also published full-cast adaptations of the first four novels in the series: DIE FLÜSSE VON LONDON (RIVERS OF LONDON), SCHWARZER MOND ÜBER SOHO (MOON OVER SOHO), WISPERN UNTER BAKER STREET (WHISPERS UNDERGROUND), and DER BÖSE ORT (BROKEN HOMES).

The print and digital editions of FINGERHUT-SOMMER are published by DTV (who also publish the rest of the series in Germany).

FOXGLOVE SUMMER (as it’s titled in English) is published in the UK by Gollancz and in North America by DAW Books. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

In the fifth of his bestselling series Ben Aaronovitch takes Peter Grant out of whatever comfort zone he might have found and takes him out of London – to a small village in Herefordshire where the local police are reluctant to admit that there might be a supernatural element to the disappearance of some local children. But while you can take the London copper out of London, you can’t take the London out of the copper.

Travelling west with Beverley Brook, Peter soon finds himself caught up in a deep mystery and having to tackle local cops and local gods. And what’s more, all the shops are closed by 4pm…

The latest novel in the series, the #1 Bestselling AMONGST OUR WEAPONS is out now in the UK (Gollancz), Germany (DTV), and North America (DAW Books).

THE OCTOBER MAN in UK Audible Promotion

Posted on Sunday, October 24th, 2021

Just a quick post to let you all know that the UK audiobook edition of THE OCTOBER MAN is included in the latest Audible 2-for-1 promotion! Ben Aaronovitch‘s first Rivers of London novella set outside of the UK, it stars Tobias Winter. Published by Orion Audio, here’s the synopsis…

A brand-new stand-alone novella in the Rivers of London series!

Tobias Winter has been assigned to the Abteilung KDA — the Department for Complex and Unspecific Matters.

Despite the intriguing department name, as Winter explains, dealing with the strange and the supernatural is ‘actually 90 percent paperwork’. But this is a story about the other 10 percent of the job: the life-threatening danger part.

This is a tale about the Queen of the Harvest, the October Man, and the little-known time the vineyard around Trier started to eat people…

Winter may be P. C. Peter Grant’s German counterpart, but surviving this investigation is entirely down to him…

The promotion runs from today until October 30th.

Here are just a few of the reviews the novella has received so far…

‘In this enjoyable spin-off from the Rivers of London urban fantasy series, Aaronovitch successfully transfers his blend of the supernatural and humor from England to the Continent as he introduces Tobias Winter, a German police officer who practices magic… Supernatural mystery fans who enjoy more whimsical takes on the paranormal will hope for more of Winter and Sommer.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘Aaronovitch expands the universe of his Rivers of London series (Broken Homes, 2014) to include new characters operating in different countries with ties to supernatural crimes and detective work. THE OCTOBER MAN introduces Tobias Winter, a sanctioned magic practitioner who investigates the supernatural angles of crimes for the Abteilung KDA (which fans will recognize as the German extension of the British Folly)… Aaronovitch delivers yet another classic detective novel rich with the magical world building accomplished in his previous work.’ — Booklist

‘Winter’s stolidness is a feature rather than a bug. While there are moments of adventure and daring, the story of this crime is both a satisfying whodunit and a primer on how magic works in Deutschland. THE OCTOBER MAN would be an interesting place to enter the Rivers of London world. Rather than fae, a new reader would anticipate werewolves, perhaps — and still greatly enjoy Aaronovitch’s work. Those who know the Folly will appreciate this outsider’s view of Grant and Nightingale, as well as learn a bit about how the latter spent the war, while still greatly enjoying Aaronovitch’s work, even if it is set someplace new.’ — Locus (Adrienne Martini)

‘Sommer and Winter are an interesting team, the latter especially being a fascinating take of the “ordinary copper” style trope that these books do so well… THE OCTOBER MAN is a must for any fan of the series so far and, unusually, a good introduction to the series. It only marginally connects to the big plot of the main books, but does introduce all the core ideas and distinctive style. More please, and soon.’ — Starburst

‘There is a joyous familiarity to Aaronovitch’s writing, meaning that fans of the series will delight in seeing how unexplainable events are dealt with in the Rhineland, without ever feeling like they left Grant or London behind… Aaronovitch continues to develop his well-crafted magical alternate/fantasy history backdrop with his usual level of attention to detail. Familiar geographical and historical touchstones are cleverly rolled away, leaving you with a non-fiction reading list that will keep you curious long after you’ve closed the last page… The characters are at once likeable and engaging… an enjoyable jaunt to the Continent that leaves you hoping that the Rivers Of London series will be packing its bags to take us on another outing to a new destination around the globe soon.’ — SciFi Now

All of Ben’s Rivers of London novels and novellas are published in the UK by Gollancz (and Orion Audio).

ICYMI: Two Interviews with Ben Aaronovitch…

Posted on Tuesday, August 24th, 2021

Today, we wanted to share with you two interview clips featuring Ben Aaronovitch. The first, above, is from his Cymera Festival event, in which he discusses supernatural crime fiction with Adam Simcox and Jacky Collins.

The second clip, below, is a short clip from the Graham Norton Book Club, in which Ben is joined by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith to discuss the Peter Grant series (which Kobna has narrated since the beginning).

Gollancz recently published the 10th Anniversary edition of Ben’s first novel in the series, RIVERS OF LONDON. A great collector’s edition for fans of the series, as well as a great place to start for newcomers!

Ben Aaronovitch & Brandon Sanderson Among the Bestselling Audiobooks of 2020!

Posted on Monday, December 21st, 2020

We’re very happy to report that Ben Aaronovitch and Brandon Sanderson each has a novel among Audible UK‘s bestselling audiobooks released in 2020!

FALSE VALUE, the eighth novel in Ben’s internationally bestselling and critically-acclaimed Peter Grant/Rivers of London series, is published by Gollancz in the UK. Here’s the synopsis…

Peter Grant is facing fatherhood, and an uncertain future, with equal amounts of panic and enthusiasm. Rather than sit around, he takes a job with émigré Silicon Valley tech genius Terrence Skinner’s brand new London start up – the Serious Cybernetics Company.

Drawn into the orbit of Old Street’s famous ‘silicon roundabout’, Peter must learn how to blend in with people who are both civilians and geekier than he is. Compared to his last job, Peter thinks it should be a doddle. But magic is not finished with Mama Grant’s favourite son.

Because Terrence Skinner has a secret hidden in the bowels of the SCC. A technology that stretches back to Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage, and forward to the future of artificial intelligence. A secret that is just as magical as it technological – and just as dangerous.

Here are just a few reviews the novel has received so far…

‘Aaronovitch showcases a superlative blend of whimsy and grit in the eighth Rivers of London urban fantasy… The suspenseful mystery at the novel’s core is laced with humor and charm. Jim Butcher meets Douglas Adams in this winning series installment.’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

‘… sees Peter taking on new responsibilities both at work and at home and there’s a definite shift in tone towards the stranger side of magic and the broader implications of what a resurgence of strangeness means to the world at large. Aaronovitch is clearly having a blast building on the world he’s already created… The main character is a delight as always… The tone is light, witty, and action packed as always. Cinematic where has to be and detective chic in other places. And, as always, the description of London is so solid and real that you can practically feel the familiar layer of grime the city has… As always, Ben Aaronovitch takes the reader on an unforgettable ride into the fantastic.’ — Starburst (9/10)

‘… my favorite current series… delightful, compulsive and fresh — with a love of multicultural London evident on every page, wonderfully diverse characters, magic, mystery, and mayhem. Once you start, you will literally not be able to put them down.’ — Lavie Tidhar in Washington Post

‘Wonderfully blending technology and magic… Aaronovitch creates a fantastic blend of real-world London, harbouring a secret magical underground, delicately interwoven with an alternative history that touches on the origins of computer programming and the work of Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage… a solid crime/detective novel that provides fans of the series with another entertaining adventure for Peter Grant complete with dark humour and explosive action.’ — SciFi Now

RHYTHM OF WAR, Brandon’s fourth Stormlight Archive novel, is the other Zeno title on the 2020 bestseller list — and it was only released in mid-November! Also published by Gollancz, here’s the synopsis…

After forming a coalition of human resistance against the enemy invasion, Dalinar Kholin and his Knights Radiant have spent a year fighting a protracted, brutal war. Neither side has gained an advantage, and the threat of a betrayal by Dalinar’s crafty ally Taravangian looms over every strategic move.

Now, as new technological discoveries by Navani Kholin’s scholars begin to change the face of the war, the enemy prepares a bold and dangerous operation. The arms race that follows will challenge the very core of the Radiant ideals, and potentially reveal the secrets of the ancient tower that was once the heart of their strength.

At the same time that Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with his changing role within the Knights Radiant, his Windrunners face their own problem: As more and more deadly enemy Fused awaken to wage war, no more honorspren are willing to bond with humans to increase the number of Radiants. Adolin and Shallan must lead the coalition’s envoy to the honorspren stronghold of Lasting Integrity and either convince the spren to join the cause against the evil god Odium, or personally face the storm of failure.

Here are a handful of reviews the novel has received so far…

‘I thoroughly love this book. I want a fantasy book to make me care about the characters, about what happens to them, and about the world they inhabit. I’m a reader who can enjoy a character-driven book or a plot-driven book… but when you give me a well-crafted book with both, I love it. For me, that’s what RHYTHM OF WAR does. It engages my mind and my heart in equal measure. The answers I got made me happy. (Well, okay, some of them made me sad, but also they were good answers, so I’ll take it.) The new questions, and a few remaining old questions, make me eager for the next book before this one even has a chance to hit the shelves. Read it as soon as you can, and be sure to come back and join us for the reread, starting in January. There will be so much to discuss!’ — Tor.com (non-spoiler review)

‘RHYTHM OF WAR is another phenomenal sequel, a worthy novel adding a mind-blowing amount of significant content and meaning to The Stormlight Archive… absolutely essential reading for genre fans. Even though it will be many years until all the books are completed, with each colossal volume demanding no small amount of emotional and time investment from readers, Sanderson proves time and time again that it is well worth it.’ — Bibliosanctum

‘I really lost myself in Sanderson’s Roshar and this novel is another incredible entry in a stunning fantasy series. Some moments that happen throughout these pages will have the SFF scene discussing and debating them for months. Although The Stormlight Archive is due to be a ten novel series, I believe the next book will be the last of this era, making RHYTHM OF WAR the penultimate entry. Events are poised expertly at the end of this narrative for the next novel to be beyond exceptional. I’m sure this time in three years I’ll be re-reading this series again before the next book and I cannot wait. The Stormlight Archive is epic fantasy at a level that is rarely equalled.’ — Grimdark Magazine

Both novels also spent time on The Times Bestseller list, too.

Zeno represents Brandon Sanderson in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

Brandon Sanderson’s STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE included in Audible UK’s 3-for-2 Promo!

Posted on Monday, October 26th, 2020

We’re very happy to report that the first three novels in Brandon Sanderson‘s acclaimed and best-selling Stormlight Archive series are included in Audible UK‘s 3-for-2 promotion! The promotion ends on October 31st.

All three audiobooks are published by Gollancz. Here’s the synopsis for the first novel, THE WAY OF KINGS…

According to mythology mankind used to live in The Tranquiline Halls. Heaven. But then the Voidbringers assaulted and captured heaven, casting out God and men. Men took root on Roshar, the world of storms. And the Voidbringers followed…

They came against man ten thousand times. To help them cope, the Almighty gave men powerful suits of armor and mystical weapons, known as Shardblades. Led by ten angelic Heralds and ten orders of knights known as Radiants, mankind finally won.

Or so the legends say. Today, the only remnants of those supposed battles are the Shardblades, the possession of which makes a man nearly invincible on the battlefield. The entire world is at war with itself – and has been for centuries since the Radiants turned against mankind. Kings strive to win more Shardblades, each secretly wishing to be the one who will finally unite all of mankind under a single throne.

On a world scoured down to the rock by terrifying hurricanes that blow through every few day a young spearman forced into the army of a Shardbearer, led to war against an enemy he doesn’t understand and doesn’t really want to fight.

What happened deep in mankind’s past?

Why did the Radiants turn against mankind, and what happened to the magic they used to wield?

All three of the audiobooks are narrated by Kate Reading and Michael Kramer.

This is also a very handy promotion if you want to give catching up on the series a try — the fourth novel, RHYTHM OF WAR, is due to be published in the UK by Gollancz on November 17th, in print, eBook, and audio!

Zeno represents Brandon Sanderson in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

Series Spotlight: Freda Warrington’s AETHERIAL TALES Trilogy

Posted on Friday, October 2nd, 2020

Today, we wanted to draw your attention to the Freda Warrington‘s acclaimed Aetherial Tales trilogy: ELFLAND, MIDSUMMER NIGHT and THE GRAIL OF THE SUMMER STARS.

The trilogy was recently re-issued as eBooks, by JABberwocky (covers above); and is also available as audiobooks, published by Audible, and narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies.

Here’s the synopsis for ELFLAND…

Rosie Fox is a daughter of Aetherials, an ancient race from the Spiral — the innermost realm of the Otherworld — who live secretly among us. Yet she and her kind are bereft of their origins, because on Earth, in a beautiful village named Cloudcroft, the Great Gates between worlds stand sealed.

Her parents, Auberon and Jessica, are the warm heart of her loving family. But on the hill lives the mysterious, aloof Lawrence Wilder, Gatekeeper to the inner realms. Tortured by private demons, he is beset by trouble on all sides; his wife has vanished and his sons Jon and Sam are bitter and damaged. Lawrence is duty-bound to throw open the Gates for the Night of the Summer Stars, a ritual granting Aetherials connection to their mystical heritage. But when he bars the Gates — haunted by fears of a deadly menace within the Spiral — he defies tradition and enrages the Aetherial community. What will become of them, starved of their essential life force? Is Lawrence betraying them — or protecting them?

Growing up amid this turmoil, Rosie and her brothers, along with Sam and Jon Wilder, resign themselves to living as humans. Yet they know their elders have denied them their birth right, harbouring dark secrets in a conspiracy of silence.

When Sam is imprisoned for an all-too-human crime, age-old wounds sunder the two families… yet Rosie is drawn into his web, even as she fears the passions awoken in her by the dangerous Wilder clan. Torn between duty and desire, between worlds, Rosie unwittingly precipitates a tragedy that compels her to journey into the Otherworld, where unknown terrors await. Accompanied by the one man most perilous to her, she must learn hard lessons about life and love in order to understand her Aetherial nature… and her role in the terrifying conflict to come.

Here’s just a small selection taken from the great reviews the series has received since the novels were first published (between 2009-13)…

‘… a distinctive spin on human/nonhuman relations in this sensuous, relationship-driven story… Solid wordplay, great pacing and a thrilling conclusion will definitely earn Warrington some new American fans.’ — Publishers Weekly on ELFLAND

‘This dreamlike, nuanced and sensual novel is reminiscent of the best of early Charles de Lint and is compulsively readable. Rose is a memorable, unique and wholly sympathetic protagonist, and the supporting cast is equally well drawn. The story of Rose and Sam is compelling, enchanting and utterly enthralling. This is simply one of the best fantasy novels of the year.’ — RT Book Reviews on ELFLAND

‘ELFLAND… is an exhilarating, wondrous read. The scope of the imagination is breathtaking, as is Ms. Warrington’s evocative writing… a fabulous, remarkable, literary modern fairy tale. Absolutely recommended…’ — Book Smugglers

‘… unlike the urban fantasy books that have taken over most of the fantasy section, this is old school fantasy. Magic that’s full of awe and wonder. It reminds you why we love this kind of story in the first place… Each book [MIDSUMMER NIGHT and ELFLAND] is a stand-alone volume and an absolute delight… I have a lot of fun with the kinds of fantasy/supernatural books that dominate the field at the moment, but none of them can match a novel such as either of these two — for storytelling that takes you where you don’t expect to go, and for that exquisite sense of wonder that makes the heart of this old reader sing.’ — Charles de Lint

‘… moody and spine-shivering sequel… Warrington doesn’t miss a beat with this sinister, ghostly tale of some of the darker aspects of the Aetherial world and its denizens’ dealings with humanity.’ — Publishers Weekly on MIDSUMMER NIGHT

‘This is the second book in Warrington’s Aetherial Tales series, and while it is only loosely connected to the first volume, it is every bit as evocative and compelling. Gill is an intelligent and prickly protagonist and the mystery at Cairndonan is one of family secrets, great art and magic.’ — RT Book Reviews on MIDSUMMER NIGHT

‘Freda Warrington deftly weaves together contemporary art and ageless magic in this vivid, atmospheric fantasy.’ — Tricia Sullivan on THE GRAIL OF THE SUMMER STARS

‘… A classy, beautifully rendered tale that persuasively builds from low-key beginnings into a complex enterprise with real heft, a rich back story and characters that grow with the narrative. A must for existing fans, while being easily accessible to newcomers.’ — Kirkus on THE GRAIL OF THE SUMMER STARS

‘I really loved it: great characters, terrific story, very moving and involving.’ — Kari Sperring on THE GRAIL OF THE SUMMER STARS

‘If Freda Warrington didn’t write, it would be a crime against humanity. This woman was born to write and tell stories and she does it incredibly well… Warrington has perfected atmosphere and her characters fairly jump off the pages… There’s romance, friendship, betrayal, growth, revelations and much more. Basically, it’s anything anyone could possibly want in a book… [Warrington] know[s] how to write an incredible story full of emotional drama, depth and amazing world building. Freda Warrington doesn’t just write urban fantasy. She’s mastered it.’ — Bookworm Blues on THE GRAIL OF THE SUMMER STARS

James P. Blaylock’s THE ADVENTURE OF THE RING OF STONES Available as an Audiobook!

Posted on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2020

James P. Blaylock‘s third Langdon St. Ives novella, THE ADVENTURE OF THE RING OF STONES is now available as an audiobook! Published by Audible, here’s the synopsis…

A strange message summons Langdon St. Ives and his companions to the Half Toad Inn in Smithfield, London, and along with the eccentric but fabulously wealthy Gilbert Frobisher, they set out for an uncharted island in the Caribbean, carrying a map that promises a treasure that beggars description. What they find – a terrible, pagan god from the depths of the ocean – leads them back to London, carrying within the hold of Frobisher’s steam yacht a fearsome, tentacled menace that threatens to devastate London.

The first two Langdon St. Ives novellas are also available as audiobooks, published by Audible: THE EBB TIDE and THE AFFAIR OF THE CHALK CLIFFS.

Blaylock’s Langdon St. Ives novellas (and short story collection) are published in the UK and eBook by JABberwocky, and in North America as hardcovers by Subterranean Press.

The four Langdon St. Ives novels are published in the UK and in North America by Titan Books: HOMUNCULUS, LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE, THE AYELSFORD SKULL, and BENEATH LONDON. All four novels are also available as audiobooks, published by Audible.

Audio Spotlight: Peter A. Flannery’s BATTLE MAGE in Germany!

Posted on Monday, September 14th, 2020

More Peter A. Flannery news! We’ve recently shared news about new translated editions available in Germany, Poland and Czechia.

In this latest Audio Spotlight, we wanted to draw your attention to the German audio editions, which are out now. Published by Random House Audio, and available via Audible, both KAMPF DER MAGIER and RÜCKKEHR DES DRACHEN are out now. The print editions of the books are published by Heyne. Here’s the Germany synopsis…

Die Welt steht am Abgrund, denn die übermächtige Armee der Besessenen überrennt ein Königreich nach dem anderen. Die Einzigen, die sie aufhalten können, sind die Kampfmagier auf ihren majestätischen Drachen. Doch das Bündnis zwischen Drachen und Menschen ist schwach geworden. Zu wenige Drachen antworten noch auf den Ruf der Magier, und die meisten von ihnen sind schwarz. Und jedes Kind weiß, dass schwarze Drachen gefährlich sind. Schwarze Drachen sind verrückt. Falco Dantes Vater, ein tapferer Kampfmagier, fiel selbst dem Wahnsinn einer solchen Kreatur zum Opfer, und sein Verlust hat Falcos ganzes Leben geprägt. Als die Armee der Besessenen auf seine Heimat zumarschiert, trifft Falco eine folgenschwere Entscheidung: Er wird in die Fußstapfen seines Vaters treten…

BATTLE MAGE is also available as an audio book in France, published exclusively via Audible — MAGE DE BATAILLE. The print editions are published by Albin Michel.

Falco Danté est un gringalet dans un monde en guerre peu à peu conquis par l’armée infernale des Possédés. Pire, Falco est méprisé, mis à l’écart, à cause de son père qui fut un immense mage de bataille avant de sombrer dans une folie meurtrière. Alors que la Reine tente de rassembler toutes les forces armées pour repousser les Possédés, Falco prend une décision qui va l’amener aux marges du désespoir: il va entrer à l’académie de la guerre, une école d’excellence pour les officiers. Là, il devra surmonter ses doutes, ceux de ses amis et même ceux de la Reine.

Le monde brûle ; seul un mage de bataille pourra sauver ce qu’il en reste. Falco réussira-t-il à libérer son pouvoir, à invoquer un dragon à sa mesure ou succombera-t-il à la folie… comme son père?

Porté par son héros meurtri, condamné à se dépasser face au mal absolu, Mage de bataille a rencontré un formidable succès dans les pays anglo-saxons.

Here’s the English-language synopsis for the book…

The world is falling to the burning shadow of the Possessed and only the power of a battle mage can save it. But the ancient bond with dragonkind is failing. Of those that answer a summoning too many are black. Black dragons are the enemy of humankind. Black dragons are mad.

Falco Dante is a weakling in a world of warriors, but worse than this, he is the son of a madman. Driven by grief, Falco makes a decision that will drive him to the brink of despair. As he tries to come to terms with his actions Falco follows his friends to the Academy of War, an elite training school dedicated to martial excellence. But while his friends make progress he struggles to overcome his doubts and insecurity. Even Queen Catherine of Wrath has her doubts about Falco’s training.

While the Queen tries to unite the Kingdoms against the Possessed, Falco struggles to overcome his fears. Will he unlock the power trapped inside of him or will he succumb to madness and murder like his father?

Zeno represents Peter A. Flannery in Translation.

Ian McDonald’s THE DERVISH HOUSE Turns 10!

Posted on Wednesday, July 29th, 2020

Ten years ago today, Ian McDonald‘s highly-acclaimed, award-winning THE DERVISH HOUSE was first published in the UK! Published by Gollancz, here’s the synopsis…

In the CHAGA novels Ian McDonald brought an Africa in the grip of a bizarre alien invasion to life, in RIVER OF GODS he painted a rich portrait of India in 2047, in BRASYL he looked at different Brazils, past present and future. Ian McDonald has found renown at the cutting edge of a movement to take SF away from its British and American white roots and out into the rich cultures of the world.

THE DERVISH HOUSE continues that journey and centres on Istanbul in 2025. Turkey is part of Europe but sited on the edge, it is an Islamic country that looks to the West. THE DERVISH HOUSE is the story of the families that live in and around its titular house, it is at once a rich mosaic of Islamic life in the new century and a telling novel of future possibilities.

The novel has racked up a number of great awards and commendations since its release. For example…

  • John W. Campbell Memorial Award, Winner (2011)
  • BSFA Award, Best Novel Winner (2011)
  • SF Site Readers Poll, SF/Fantasy Novel, Winner (2011)
  • Seiun Award, Translated Novel, Nominee (2015)
  • Hugo Award, Best Novel Nominee (2011)
  • Arthur C. Clark Award, Shortlist (2011)
  • Locus Award, Best SF Novel, 3rd Place (2011)

In addition to UK and North American editions (Pyr Books originally, now available via JABberwocky), the novel has been published quite widely in translation, with editions appearing in Turkey (Pegasus), Poland (MAG), France (Denoël/Gallimard), Hungary (Ad Astra), Bosnia (Paladin), Russia (ACT), Japan (東京創元社), and Bulgaria (Altera)! It is also available as an audiobook. Here are the covers…

And, finally, here are just a few of the great reviews the novel has received since it was first published…

‘… a writer with an unerring instinct for finding resonance between theme and location… a rich and assured novel that, like much of Ken MacLeod’s recent work, revels in the shiny precision of the airport tech-thriller, yet insists on putting forward disquieting ideas rather than offering all-too-neat reassurances that you can somehow put escaped djinns back in bottles. This is as good as contemporary literary SF gets.’ — SFX (5* Review)

‘I know what to expect from Ian McDonald: broad vistas, intricately imagined futures, poetic language that transports and delights, a blend of mysticism and science that thrills and moves. But no matter how much foreknowledge I bring to a new Ian McDonald, I am always, always startled and thrilled by the exciting, moving epic story I find inside… To read McDonald is to fall in love with a place and to become drunk with it (see this free sample from Dervish House for a taste). I you’ve never read him, you’re in for a treat. If you’re a fan like me, you’ll be delighted anew. What a wonderful, wonderful book.’ — BoingBoing

‘[T]hrilling… A master in his own right, McDonald has written some of the best SF of the last fifteen years… a mosaic of a story that can be admired for its finely-wrought pieces but not fully appreciated until the book is finished and looked at again from some distance. The biggest part of the thrill is wondering how the characters will inevitably intersect… As much as THE DERVISH HOUSE is about biogenetics and history, McDonald couches some of his lushest prose in explorations of mysticism… McDonald, who is a native of Scotland, has an uncanny ability to write about other cultures authentically. He is a painstaking researcher and while he cannot always write with absolute authority, his dedication to making settings and characters feel alive is incredibly impressive… Ian McDonald has crafted a gorgeously lush novel, oozing with exciting, relevant ideas, a love letter to the Queen of Cities, to all cities, really.’ — Tor.com

‘A lush, complex and hugely entertaining novel.’ — Guardian

‘… Istanbul, the Queen of Cities, and the setting for Ian McDonald’s near-future story of terrorism, nanotechnology and change rushing over us like a tidal wave of strangeness. Like his novels about the future of Indian, African and Brazilian society, McDonald’s new book is a conscientious attempt to write the Other from the inside and accept the possibility that the Anglo world may be a sideline… a brilliant, jewelled machine of a novel in which lives trigger events in other lives, in a sequence that skirts chaos and disaster, but ends with gorgeous order.’ — Independent

‘Those who have previously enjoyed McDonald’s narrative style will find a great deal to like in THE DERVISH HOUSE… McDonald’s writing has been steadily improving in terms of its lyrical and descriptive quality over the years, and it seems his recent foray into short stories with CYBERABAD DAYS has helped his focus and tightness. Several passages shine with literary flow and power… McDonald keeps his story fresh with every chapter and its flickering viewpoints, giving a series of snapshots that come together to form a panorama of his world. THE DERVISH HOUSE is an excellent sci-fi tale from a phenomenal writer, one who deserves every plaudit that can be heaped upon him. Those who appreciate slow-burning, dense and creative genre work should get this book now.’  —  SciFiNow

‘If you only read one SF book this year… make sure it’s Ian McDonald’s THE DERVISH HOUSE… I wish I’d written this!!! … It’s too bloody good for comfort… THE DERVISH HOUSE takes the expansive cultural mosaic of  RIVER OF GODS, multiplies it by the driving Latin beat and teetering sense of jeopardy in BRASYL, and gives you a novel that is his best yet by a whole new order of imaginative and sensuous magnitude… I cannot recommend it highly enough.’ — Richard K. Morgan (author of Altered Carbon and The Steel Remains)

‘[I]n THE DERVISH HOUSE, aspects of the geography, socioeconomic, religious and political groups do come alive – perhaps not as full characters, but as not-quite separate personalities within Istanbul – a city suffering and celebrating its multiple personalities… McDonald’s tried and true strategy of exploring the people of emerging economies in combination with the implications of technology on society in a near-future setting succeeds once again… It’s at times powerful, informative, and fun and another example of science fiction alive in our world.’ — NethSpace

‘[B]uilds on the complex, multi-layered narratives that McDonald has already produced in RIVER OF GODS and BRASYL. Like them, the very richness of the bustling world, the differing ways in which a range of characters intersect with the world, makes for a convincing portrait of the near future. In both those earlier novels, the past is the foundation upon which the future has been built, but the new novel goes further, because here the past is inescapable and the future perhaps unreachable. You feel that ten or so years from now, Istanbul could be just the way it is described here. The most important thing, though, is that as a kaleidoscopic portrait of that place at that time, THE DERVISH HOUSE is a very fine, very powerful novel indeed.’ — SF Site

‘[A] beautiful homage to one of most unique cities on earth… Nominated for the Hugo Award last week, THE DERVISH HOUSE is a worthy addition to that tradition. It is certainly one of the best novels I read in 2010. McDonald asks a lot his readers, but he rewards them with a beautiful novel that I believe will appeal to traditional readers in some ways more than lovers of genre fiction.’ — Staffer’s Book Review

‘[A]n audacious look at the shift in the power centers of the world and an intense vision of one possible future.’ — New York Times

Freda Warrington on the JEWELFIRE TRILOGY

Posted on Wednesday, July 15th, 2020

Today, we have a short piece by Freda Warrington, who reflects upon her Jewelfire Trilogy. Originally published by Earthlight (Simon & Schuster), the series is also now available as audiobooks via Audible:

  1. THE AMBER CITADEL (1999)
  2. THE SAPPHIRE THRONE (2000)
  3. THE OBSIDIAN TOWER (2001)

*

Meet the Bhahdradomen:

They consume life to the bare bones, even consume space itself, but at the end of it they are still thin, still hungry.

It’s strange to reflect on backlist books that came out around 20 years ago. I came across parts I don’t even remember writing! And the thought process that brought them to fruition is hazed by time. While I’ve written in different subgenres, the Jewelfire series is my only truly traditional Fat Fantasy Trilogy – well, we all have to write one, don’t we?

After writing various other things – vampires, supernatural, one-offs and contemporary fantasy fiction – various factors made me decide it was trilogy time. And I wanted to make mine a bit different, not the usual fare of elves, wizards and dark lords. Of course there has been an explosion of fantasy series since then, in every possible permutation – not least “grimdark”, which covers all the pearl-clutching territory where Tolkien dared not tread – but 20-something years ago, I suspect that different approaches were thinner on the ground. THE AMBER CITADEL of course has a dark lord, but is he truly evil or trying to regain territory that his people, the Bhadradomen, lost in battle centuries ago? And this land, Aventuria, has a king who is not lost but who has lost the plot, to put it mildly. Here’s a short summary of the story:

Two hundred and fifty years ago, humans defeated the shape-changing Bhahdradomen in the War of the Silver Plains. Although they are exiled, the shapechangers’ hatred and jealousy of humans live on. Now, in the failings of a human king, they find a way to assuage that hatred. Meanwhile a third race, the mysterious Aelyr, although they also consider the Bhahdradomen enemies, keep apart from human realms.

Tanthe and Ysomir are sisters, living in the village of Riverwynde, two thousand miles from the capital city Parione. While Ysomir is in love with Lynden, son of the village leader, Tanthe is bored with rural life and longs for the wonders of Parione. But the growing madness of King Garnelys and the Bhahdradomen’s wiles soon lead to terrible events, the abduction of Ysomir, and the beginning of a long journey for Tanthe, Lynden and his brother Rufryd, as they set out for the Amber Citadel of Parione.

THE AMBER CITADEL was well received. It was shortlisted for the British Fantasy Society Award for Best Novel 1999, and Waterstone’s review magazine described it as, ‘By far the best mainstream fantasy I’ve read this year!’

THE SAPPHIRE THRONE – Book Two. I really enjoyed writing this book. It’s not a volume of filler between books one and three; on the contrary, all the characters are on voyages of discovery and meanwhile… the Bhahdradomen are rising! Because I didn’t have to build the story to a monumental climax – I still had the final novel to do all that – I was more relaxed in the writing of it and I think my enjoyment shows. Quick summary:

The destinies of Tanthe and Ysomir, sisters whose journeys from their village home of Riverwynde had a massive impact on the war, have driven them apart. Ysomir is held in the Citadel, accused of murder. Tanthe is pulled through a portal to the realm of the mysterious Aelyr who have schemes of their own. Rufryd, meanwhile, rages against the world and becomes Helananthe’s ambassador to the Bhahdradomen on the island of Vexor, where a terrifying fate awaits him.

This also received some approving comments, despite Tanthe not always making the best decisions! David Langford wrote, ‘Warrington plays ironic games with fantasyland expectations… Even the traditional quest for a cache of ultimate weapons against evil goes unexpectedly awry… By the end, after multiple betrayals, Aventuria is in blacker trouble than ever. Warrington’s trickiness and energy breathe life into the sometimes tired genre of mainstream commercial fantasy.’ And a reviewer from Helensbookshelf.co.uk also enjoyed the adventure: ‘The story is exciting and well paced and Freda Warrington throws surprises in almost every chapter. She turns the expected fantasy storylines on their heads and writes something a bit different with a strong personality – often sorely lacking in the fantasy realm. The ending leaves things in such a desperate state I NEED to get my hands on the next book to find out what happens.’

There wasn’t too long to wait for Book Three, THE OBSIDIAN TOWER. All seems lost, of course:

The shape-changing Bhahdradomen have invaded their lands and usurped their Queen, aided by the Aelyr lord Falthorn. Queen Helananthe has been forced to stand down or see the deaths of her mother and brother.

Tanthe, imprisoned with her friends in the Amber Citadel, must face great peril as they make desperate plans to escape. But even if they succeed, her sister Ysomir is still imprisoned at the mercy of the terrifying Bhahdradomen leader, Vaurgroth. One by one all strands of hope are cut. Deserted by allies, betrayed by Falthorn’s dark machinations, the Nine Realms appear doomed. Human, Aelyr and shape-shifter alike are haunted by visions of the final portent, the mysterious Obsidian Tower; a Bhahdradomen myth, a place that may or may not exist, and the heart of Tanthe’s darkest fears.

Here it is, then, the grand climax of the trilogy, which weighs in at a whopping 708 pages! I think I produced a fitting end to the story… I certainly put heart and soul into it. If there’s anything I’d change about this book – without spoilers – I would make the ending rather less bleak. I think I went too far with one of the characters. However, maybe I should stick to my guns; after all, in real life, untimely and tragic deaths do happen. In mitigation, I should add that this wasn’t meant to be the end of the Aventuria tales… it was always a case of ongoing struggle rather than happy-ever-after!

So will there be any more from the Jewelfire world? I honestly don’t know. However, these are the last of my backlist novels yet to be reissued in eBook formats. Reissuing means a fresh read through, plus re-editing and polishing. It may even mean small changes to the plot, putting right bits where the author thinks, ‘Gaah, I wish I’d done that differently!’ You might think of reissued novels as the Director’s Cut!

Watch this space.

Andrew Cartmel’s KILLER ROCK German Audiobook Out Now!

Posted on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2020

THE RUN-OUT GROOVE, the second novel in Andrew Cartmel‘s acclaimed Vinyl Detective series, is out now in Germany as an audiobook! Published by Audible as KILLER ROCK, here’s the synopsis…

Valerian war eine britische Rock-Ikone der 1960er Jahre, die Leadsängerin der gleichnamigen Band Valerian. Sie hatte sich damals unter tragischen Umständen das Leben genommen, ihr Kind war verschwunden, entführt und getötet, wie viele Leute mutmaßen. Und jetzt steht plötzlich ein mysteriöser Klient, “the Colonel”, auf der Matte und beauftragt den Vinyl-Detective, das Kind zu finden. Eigentlich nicht sein Job, aber im Hintergrund gibt es eine wertvolle LP als Lockmittel. 

Zusammen mit seiner Crew — seiner Freundin Nevada, Kumpel Tinkler und der unwahrscheinlichen Taxifahrerin Clean Head – macht er sich an die Arbeit und gräbt sich tief in die Popgeschichte der Sixties, trifft einen Ex-Gitarristen von Frank Zappa und andere wunderliche Menschen aus der großen Ära des Rocks. 

Drogen sind natürlich auch im Spiel, damals wie heute. Das macht die Sache entschieden ungemütlich. Hinzu kommt, dass an dem Schicksal des verschwundenen Kindes nicht nur nette Menschen interessiert sind.

The novel is published in Germany in print and eBook by Surhkamp. The first novel in the series, MURDER SWING in German, is also available as an audiobook.

The Vinyl Detective series is published in the UK and North America by Titan Books (print and eBook) and W.F. Howes (audio): WRITTEN IN DEAD WAX, THE RUN-OUT GROOVE, VICTORY DISC, FLIP BACK, and the forthcoming LOW ACTION.

Here’s the English-language synopsis for THE RUN-OUT GROOVE…

His first adventure consisted of the search for a rare record; his second the search for a lost child. Specifically the child of Valerian, lead singer of a great rock band of the 1960s, who hanged herself in mysterious circumstances after the boy’s abduction.

Along the way, the Vinyl Detective finds himself marked for death, at the wrong end of a shotgun, and unknowingly dosed with LSD as a prelude to being burned alive. And then there’s the grave robbing…

‘Part of the fun of the series is the obsessiveness of record collectors, the contradictions between the mundane places in which they hunt their treasures — charity shops, church bazaars — and the sophisticated sound systems they have set up to play what they find… the Vinyl Detective is proving to be a very amenable companion to have on a treasure hunt. This is one vinyl nerd you won’t mind spending time with.’ — Kirkus

‘… entertaining second record-spinning mystery… Cartmel treats music and records seriously, plays his strange characters for laughs, and provides a bit of danger and some unexpected twists in this affectionate nod to the vagaries of rock stardom.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘THE RUN-OUT GROOVE does a fantastic job of making its fictional history of music so fascinating and authentic that you’ll forget it isn’t all true… This a follow-up every bit the equal of its highly memorable predecessor, presenting a mystery you’ll be eager to solve and characters whose company you won’t want to leave. Written with infectious charm, the Vinyl Detective has more than proven he’s no one-hit-wonder.’ (9/10) — Alternative Magazine Online

‘Polished, fast-paced and a ton of fun, this is a fantastic read that is easy to get lost in… more polished… keeps the story rolling forward at an incredible speed – and also makes it very hard to put down… Cartmel has created an intoxicating mix of adventure, humour and mystery to lose yourself in… a truly engaging and enjoyable read. THE RUN-OUT GROOVE surpasses even the opening novel in the series for polish and fun.’ — The Crime Review

Andrew Cartmel’s WRITTEN IN DEAD WAX now available in German audio!

Posted on Thursday, April 23rd, 2020

WRITTEN IN DEAD WAX, the first novel in Andrew Cartmel‘s acclaimed Vinyl Detective series is now available as an audiobook in Germany! Narrated by Oliver Siebeck, and published by Audible Germany as MURDER SWING, here’s the synopsis…

London, heute: Er ist ein Plattensammler, ein Spezialist für äußerst seltene LPs, die er kauft und verkauft. Die Jobbeschreibung auf seiner Visitenkarte lautet: “Vinyl-Detektiv”. Und manche Leute nehmen das ganz wörtlich – so wie die geheimnisvolle Nevada Warren, die ihn für eine Unsumme anheuert, um für einen anonymen Auftraggeber eine Platte zu finden, die zu der schmalen Produktion eines winzigen kalifornischen Jazz-Labels gehört, das in den 1950ern nur ein Jahr existierte.

Bald häufen sich seltsame Todesfällen, die allesamt mit dieser Platte zu tun haben könnten. Aber was könnte auf ihr zu hören sein, was sie so ungemein wertvoll macht? Und was hat einer der mächtigsten Konzerne der weltweiten Unterhaltungsindustrie damit zu tun? Zu allem Überfluss hat unser Detektiv bald auch noch die “Aryian Twins” Heinz und Heidi an der Hacke, zwei ziemlich extravagante Killer …

The first two novels in the series are published in Germany in print by Suhrkamp Verlag.

The series is published in the UK and North America by Titan Books, and the first four novels are out now. Here’s the English-language synopsis for the first novel…

He is a record collector — a connoisseur of vinyl, hunting out rare and elusive LPs. His business card describes him as the “Vinyl Detective” and some people take this more literally than others.

Like the beautiful, mysterious woman who wants to pay him a large sum of money to find a priceless lost recording — on behalf of an extremely wealthy (and rather sinister) shadowy client.

Given that he’s just about to run out of cat biscuits, this gets our hero’s full attention. So begins a painful and dangerous odyssey in search of the rarest jazz record of them all…