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Two New Editions of BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST out now – and it’s a Book of the Month!

Posted on Wednesday, September 4th, 2024

Travis Baldree‘s internationally-bestselling and widely-acclaimed BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST is out today in a new UK paperback edition! Published by Tor Books, it is a prequel to the author’s best-selling and word-of-mouth sensation, LEGENDS & LATTES. Here’s the synopsis…

When an injury throws a young, battle-hungry orc off her chosen path, she may find that what we need isn’t always what we seek.

Viv’s career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam’s Ravens isn’t going as planned.

Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she’s packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk — so far from the action that she worries she’ll never be able to return to it.

What’s a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?

Spending her hours at a beleaguered bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted, but it may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn’t possibly imagine.

Still, adventure isn’t all that far away. A suspicious traveler in gray, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling, and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.

Set in the world of New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree’s Bookshops & Bonedust takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and second-hand books.

The novel is also published today in Australia and New Zealand, also by Tor Books — for this edition, they’ve used the North American artwork.

BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST received an incredible amount of early praise, and we’re sure even more great reviews are going to start pouring in as more people are able to read the novel. Here are just a few of the great reviews…

‘What I love about Travis Baldree is that set against an epic world of adventure, he writes about the small victories that make life worthwhile. BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST does this and it is glorious’ — Ben Aaronovitch

‘… a lovely coming-of-age story about a character trained for war who learns that there’s more to life than endless battles. What makes the story special is the way that so many stock fantasy archetypes are cast against type and find new modes of prospering that don’t involve big weapons and bigger wars… This prequel is the perfect place for readers to start Baldree’s cozy fantasy series where folks band together for good, and evil is conquered through cleverness and friendship.’ — Library Journal (Starred Review), SFF Pick of the Month

‘Baldree’s prequel to Legends and Lattes (2022) cements his talent for cozy fantasy, engaging characters, and anachronistic references that would be at home in a Discworld novel… Knowing where a character ends up often drains tension from a prequel, but Baldree avoids that pitfall because the joy of reading here isn’t a simple uncertainty over who lives or dies but rather watching friendships blossom and characters grow. Folks who enjoyed the camaraderie and settings of this year’s Dungeons & Dragons movie — as well as anyone who likes the idea of an orc warrior becoming a devotee of the power of reading and its ability to broaden your horizons — should check out Viv’s adventures.’ — Booklist (Starred Review)

‘This prequel gives readers a glimpse of Viv as a young orc, still committed to the fighter’s life, just taking an enforced break in a charming town populated by compelling, richly drawn characters, and the slightest hint of danger in the wind. Despite the lurking necromancer, the vibes are decidedly warm and cozy, and the plot is just as much about saving the bookstore and building relationships as it is about protecting the town from the man in gray. As a prequel, it can stand alone, but will certainly satisfy fans as well. Warm and wonderful.’ — Literary Hub

‘Travis Baldree has worked his magic again to create a story full of heart, and some of the loveliest characters that I’ve read. There’s a wholesome ensemble, some glimpses of Viv’s mercenary skills, as well as enough growth to help her grow into her coffee-shop persona, all tightly written. Highly recommended, and definitely one of my top reads this year.’ — Fantasy Book Critic

BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST is also the Blackwell’s Book of the Month in September!

In case you haven’t read it, yet, LEGENDS & LATTES is of course available now, in paperback, also published by Tor Books in North America, the UK, and Australia/New Zealand.

Emily Rath’s PUCKING SWEET out in three weeks!

Posted on Monday, September 2nd, 2024

In three weeks — September 26th — Penguin are due to publish PUCKING SWEET by Emily Rath, in the UK! It’s the third novel in the author’s acclaimed, internationally-bestselling Jacksonville Rays series. Here’s the synopsis…

The lines between work and play get blurred in this super sexy, inclusive ‘why choose’ hockey romance from the TikTok sensation

My name is Poppy St. James and I’ve just landed my dream job as the Director of Public Relations for the NHL’s hottest new team, the Jacksonville Rays.

But if I want to stay beyond my one-year contract, I’ll have to prove myself.

Easy. PR is in my blood. What’s not so easy are the hockey players.

They’re a real handful – especially party boy defenseman Lukas Novikov.

I don’t care how well Lucas plays hockey. Off the ice, he’s a PR nightmare. The players can all call me PR Barbie all they want, but I’m getting the job done.

I am poised, powerful, and always professional… until the fateful night my phone rings.

One little phone call from home that leads to one drunken mistake, and my carefully balanced life is knocked off-kilter. Now I’m staring down at a little blue plus sign and I have no strategy, no idea what’s next.

All I know is that nothing will ever be the same.

Tropes/Themes:
– Sports romance
– Reverse Harem
– LGBT
– Spicy

The first two novels in the series, PUCKING AROUND and PUCKING WILD, are also available in the UK, published by Penguin.

Here are some advance reviews of PUCKING SWEET…

‘I DEVOURED it in less than 24 hours!’ 5* Reader Review

‘This was everything I’d hoped for and more. These characters have my heart! Their love story is beautiful and I fell for each of them’ 5* Reader Review

‘This will be the easiest 5 star read I give for the whole year’ 5* Reader Review

‘I love the way each spicy scene flowed organically with the story. It’s never spice just for spice. Each encounter shows you more of their relationship, dynamic, and emotional development. It was beautifully done’ 5* Reader Review

‘I absolutely loved it, I bawled my eyes out, laughed out loud, and at one point screamed at the pages’ 5* Reader Review

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

Out Now: DIE FLÜSSE VON LONDON – REIHE II by Ben Aaronovitch

Posted on Friday, August 30th, 2024

Some more Rivers of London news this week: DTV has published a second collection of the internationally-bestselling and acclaimed novels by Ben Aaronovitch! DIE FLÜSSE VON LONDON – REIHE II collects the BROKEN HOMES, FOXGLOVE SUMMER, and THE HANGING TREE (books 4-6). Translated by the excellent Christine Blum (who has worked on the whole series), here’s the synopsis…

Der böse Ort:

Seltsame Dinge geschehen im Skygarden Tower, einem berüchtigten Sozialwohnblock in Südlondon. Dinge, die eine magische Anziehungskraft auf Police Constable und Zauberlehrling Peter Grant ausüben. Zunächst geht es nur um ein gestohlenes altes Buch über Magie, das aus der Weißen Bibliothek zu Weimar stammt. Doch dann weitet sich der Fall rasant aus. Denn der Erbauer des Tower, Erik Stromberg, ein brillanter, wenngleich leicht gestörter Architekt, hatte sich einst in seiner Zeit am Bauhaus offenbar nicht nur mit modernem Design, sondern auch mit Magie befasst. Was erklären könnte, warum der Skygarden Tower einen unablässigen Strom von begabten Künstlern, Politikern, Drogendealern, Serienmördern und Irren hervorgebracht hat. Und warum der unheimliche gesichtslose Magier, den Peter noch in schlechtester Erinnerung hat, ein so eingehendes Interesse daran an den Tag legt …

Fingerhut-Sommer:

Obwohl sich Police Constable Peter Grant schon unwohl fühlt, wenn er Londons Skyline auch nur ein paar Kilometer weit hinter sich lässt, wird er jetzt in die tiefste Provinz geschickt: in einen kleinen Ort in Herefordshire – wo sich Fuchs, Hase und der Dorfpolizist Gute Nacht sagen. Aber es werden zwei Kinder vermisst, und ihr Verschwinden erfolgte womöglich unter magischen Umständen. Also muss Peter notgedrungen sein angestammtes Biotop verlassen. Mit der Flusstochter Beverley Brook begibt er sich mutig nach Westen, hinein ins ländliche England …

Der Galgen von Tyburn:

Wie man einem gesichtslosen Magier zu Leibe rückt, was die Bewohner von Londons teuerster Immobilie so treiben und wie ungünstig es sein kann, wenn man Lady Tyburn einen Gefallen schuldet – diese und noch mehr erfreuliche Erkenntnisse warten bei seinem neuen Fall auf Police Constable Peter Grant. Einen Einblick ins Leben der Reichen und Schönen von London gibt es gratis dazu. Und die öffentliche Sicherheit und Ordnung aufrechterhalten sollte er bei all dem möglichst auch noch.

The Rivers of London series is published in the UK by Gollancz/Orion. Books 4-6 are published in North America by DAW Books. Here’s the English-language synopsis for BROKEN HOMES…

A mutilated body in Crawley. Another killer on the loose. The prime suspect is one Robert Weil – an associate of the twisted magician known as the Faceless Man? Or just a common garden serial killer?

Before PC Peter Grant can get his head round the case, a town planner going under a tube train and a stolen grimoire are adding to his case-load. So far so London.

But then Peter gets word of something very odd happening in Elephant and Castle, on an housing estate designed by a nutter, built by charlatans and inhabited by the truly desperate. Is there a connection? And if there is, why oh why did it have to be south of the River?

The latest book in the series is THE MASQUERADES OF SPRING, a novella starring Thomas Nightingale — it is due to be published in early September by Gollancz (UK), Subterranean Press (North America), and DTV (Germany).

Ben Aaronovitch’s EINE NACHTIGALL IN NEW YORK out in Two Weeks!

Posted on Monday, August 26th, 2024

The German edition of Ben Aaronovitch‘s highly-anticipated new Rivers of London novella, THE MASQUERADES OF SPRING, is out in two weeks! Due to be published by DTV, as EINE NACHTIGALL IN NEW YORK, it was translated by Christine Blum. Here’s the synopsis…

New York, 1920er-Jahre: Augustus Berrycloth-Young, Absolvent der Zauberschule Casterbrook, ist unangenehm überrascht: Denn unangekündigt steht sein alter Schulkamerad Thomas Nightingale vor der Tür und reißt ihn aus seinem behaglichen Leben.

Nightingale ist auf geheimer Mission nach New York geschickt worden, um ein verzaubertes Saxophon ausfindig zu machen, das seltsame Kräfte entfaltet, wenn es gespielt wird. Und ausgerechnet Augustus soll ihm helfen, dabei will er eigentlich nur das Dolce Vita genießen.

Auf der Suche machen die beiden Männer die Jazzclubs der Metropole unsicher und machen unfreiwillig mit der nicht-magischen und korrupten Polizei Bekanntschaft…

The book will also be available as an audiobook, narrated by Dietmar Wunder (published by GoyaLiT).

THE MASQUERADES OF SPRING is due to be published in the UK by Gollancz/Orion and in North America by Subterranean Press. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

York City, New York.

Meet Augustus Berrycloth-Young – fop, flaneur, and Englishman abroad – as he chronicles the Jazz Age from his perch atop the city that never sleeps.

That is, until his old friend Thomas Nightingale arrives, pursuing a rather mysterious affair concerning an old saxophone – which will take Gussie from his warm bed, to the cold shores of Long Island, and down to the jazz clubs where music, magic, and madness haunt the shadows…

Ben will be going on a short UK book tour to celebrate the release of the novella. Check out the graphic below for details…

New LORD OF LIGHT / CREATURES OF LIGHT & DARKNESS Omnibus out now in Russia!

Posted on Thursday, August 22nd, 2024

Fanzon/Эксмо has published another Roger Zelazny omnibus! This special, edition collects LORD OF LIGHT and CREATURES OF LIGHT & DARKNESS, with illustrations by Hekkil. Published as Князь Света. Порождения Света и Тьмы (иллюстрации Hekkil), here’s the synopsis…

Два знаменитых романа Роджера Желязны. Шедевры «новой волны» научной фантастики, полные поэзии и глубокого уважения к мифологии.

Подарочное издание с дополнительными материалами полностью проиллюстрировано талантливой художницей Hekkil.

«Князь Света»

Мир, в котором власть безраздельно принадлежит бессмертным и всемогущим божествам индуистского пантеона: Шиве, Ганеше, Кали и другим. Все люди, от нищего рыбака и йога-отшельника до царственного махараджи, поклоняются, молятся и служат им. Но есть тот, кто готов подарить людям свободу. Сейчас он Просветленный, но когда-то, во времена войн с демонами, его звали Лорд Калкин, Князь Света или просто Сэм…

«Порождения Света и Тьмы»

Два бога, два Дома, один квест, и вечная борьба между жизнью и смертью. Но когда появляется угроза, которая может погубить все миры, Анубису, Повелителю Мертвых, и Осирису из Дома Жизни придется отбросить вражду, ведь иначе Вселенная может быть уничтожена.

LORD OF LIGHT won the Hugo Award for Best Novel (1968), and was nominated for the Nebula Award. It is published in the UK by Gollancz, as part of their SF Masterworks series. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Imagine a distant world where gods walk as men, but wield vast and hidden powers. Here they have made the stage on which they build a subtle pattern of alliance, love, and deadly enmity. Are they truly immortal? Who are these gods who rule the destiny of a teeming world?

Their names include Brahma, Kali, Krishna and also he who was called Buddha, the Lord of Light, but who now prefers to be known simply as Sam. The gradual unfolding of the story – how the colonization of another planet became a re-enactment of Eastern mythology – is one of the great imaginative feats of modern science fiction.

STRAY CAT BLUES #4 Out Now!

Posted on Wednesday, August 21st, 2024

The fourth issue in the latest Rivers of London comic series, STRAY CAT BLUES, is out now! Published by Titan Comics, it is written by Andrew Cartmel and Ben Aaronovitch, here’s the synopsis…

The hit comic based on Ben Aaronovitch’s bestselling novels is back!

Old frenemies become allies in the latest Rivers of London saga, when a mysterious cat-woman comes to Abigail looking for help to free her sisters from a notorious chimera brothel run by London gangster Monty and his sinister magically endowed mother, Mrs Napier.

Series artwork is by the always-excellent José María Beroy, and the cover is by Patricio Clarey. The first three issues are, of course, still available to purchase (in print and digital editions).

STRAY CAT BLUES is the twelfth Rivers of London comic series, and the previous eleven are now available in collected editions (again, available in print and digital). The comics are set in the same world as Aaronovitch’s internationally-best-selling and widely acclaimed Peter Grant/Rivers of London series of novels and novellas.

ALL THE DEVILS Unleashed in Four Weeks!

Posted on Monday, August 19th, 2024

Next month, Michael Joseph is due to publish the latest novel from Catelyn Wilson: ALL THE DEVILS! A new “Dark academia meets horror” novel, that is”perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House”, it’s due to be released on September 19th. Here’s the synopsis…

HELL IS EMPTY AND ALL THE DEVILS ARE AT RAVENSWOOD ACADEMY…

Mourning the sudden death of her sister, Andy Emmerson knows she must come to terms with a life without Violet. But on the day of the funeral Andy is shocked to discover one thing: the person in that casket is not her sister.

Violet is alive.

Convinced her sister’s elite boarding school is covering up the truth, Andy enrols at Ravenswood Academy to discover what really happened and find Violet.

The school is as beautiful and haunting as the students within it and Andy learns that it’s not just good grades that drives these pupils. Something much darker is at play.

After discovering a cryptic note from her sister, Andy must follow a set of clues to unlock the truth. This will bring her into contact with secret societies, ancient magic, demons and monsters. And a charming senior named Jae Han who has his own reasons for finding out what happened to Violet…

Soon Andy realizes the price she must pay to bring her sister home is darker and more dangerous than she ever could have imagined.

ALL THE DEVILS will be available in hardcover, eBook, audiobook (read by Marie Smith), and also a Waterstones signed special edition (with entirely appropriate, black-sprayed edges).

‘ALL THE DEVILS is eerie, intense, and mysterious with immersive world building and mythology. The fast pace kept me turning pages, and I’d follow Jae pretty much anywhere.’ — Stacia Stark, bestselling author of the Kingdom of Lies series

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

Travis Baldree’s Книжки та кістяний пил Out Now in Ukrainian!

Posted on Wednesday, August 14th, 2024

It’s a great day for Ukrainian fans of cosy fantasy: Книжки та кістяний пил by Travis Baldree is out now! The latest translated edition of the widely-acclaimed and internationally-bestselling BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST, it’s published in Ukraine by Артбукс (Artbooks). The novel was translated by Альона Крупка (Alyona Krupka). Here’s the synopsis…

Нова історія зі вже знайомого всесвіту Тревіса Болдрі!

Вів — молода войовнича орчиця. Проте її кар’єра у знаменитій ватазі найманців, Ворренових Воронів, зачинається не зовсім так, як хотілося б.

Переслідуючи могутню некромантку, Вів дістає поранення й опиняється на вимушених вакаціях у сонному приморському містечку Мурк. Що робитиме безталанна найманка, змушена тимчасово поміняти зброю на милицю?

Збувати час серед моря книжок, у товаристві гострої на язик книгарки — либонь, остання забава, що могла спасти Вів на думку. Проте саме цього потребували її душа й тіло. І саме таке дозвілля дало початок колосальним змінам у її житті.

Але й без пригод не обійшлося! Зіткнення з підозрілим чужинцем у сірих лахах, знайомство зі сварливою і амбітною гномкою, бурхливий курортний роман, навала озброєних шкелетів — виявляється, в Мурку не так уже й нудно!

Артбукс also publishes Travis’s debut, LEGENDS & LATTES in Ukraine, as Легенди та лате.

BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST is the prequel to Baldree’s equally-acclaimed and bestselling debut, LEGENDS & LATTES. Both novels are out now in the UK and North America, published by Tor Books.

Here’s the English-language synopsis for BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST…

A cosy fantasy about the power of good bookshops, great friends and the unexpected choices along the way.

First loves. Second-hand books. Epic adventures.

Viv’s career with the renowned mercenary company Rackam’s Ravens isn’t going as planned. Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she’s packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk – so far from the action that she worries she’ll never be able to return to it. What’s a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?

Spending her hours at a struggling bookshop in the company of its foul-mouthed proprietor is the last thing Viv would have predicted. Even though it may be exactly what she needs. Still, adventure isn’t far away. A suspicious traveller in grey, a gnome with a chip on her shoulder, a summer fling and an improbable number of skeletons prove Murk to be more eventful than Viv could have ever expected.

Sometimes, right things happen at the wrong time. Sometimes, what we need isn’t what we seek. And sometimes, we find ourselves in the stories we experience together…

Ian McDonald’s THE WILDING Out Next Month!

Posted on Tuesday, August 13th, 2024

Next month, Gollancz is due to publish the highly-anticipated new novel by Ian McDonald, THE WILDING! Publishing on September 26th, here’s the synopsis…

Five kids are on a sleepover in a restored wilderness project in Ireland. With them, three teachers and one Ranger: Lisa. She is 26, longing to leave her job, out of her depth and soon to find herself mired in a nightmare.

Strange things have been happening at Lough Carrow, a vast rewilding project on the site of a former commercial peat-bog. Livestock mutilations. Rumours, myths from the neighbouring villages. Strange, unidentifiable tracks. On the trek in to the sleepover site they sight animals that have not yet been introduced to the park – wolves, wolverines, things older. Things thought long extinct.

As they near the centre of the wilding a boy realises he’s forgotten his meds. A teacher volunteers to take him back to the visitor centre. Sure, what could go wrong?

That night the camp is attacked. A teacher is dragged away. Lisa’s group is marooned in the wild. It is night, the four remaining kids are terrified, they need to get back to the ARK, but the wilderness seems to be playing with time and distance and something is out there. Something hungry and hunting…

Ian McDonald is the author of many acclaimed and award-winning novels and series. His most recent are the stand-alone novel HOPELAND and the Luna series — both published by Gollancz in the UK, and Tor Books in North America.

Travis Baldree’s BOEKWINKELS & BOTBREUKEN out in Two Weeks!

Posted on Thursday, August 8th, 2024

The Dutch edition of Travis Baldree‘s #1 best-selling BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST is out in two weeks! The prequel to LEGENDS & LATTES, BOEKWINKELS & BOTBREUKEN is due to be published in the Netherlands by Z&K, on August 20th. Here’s the synopsis…

In ‘Boekwinkels & botbreuken’ van bestsellerauteur Travis Baldree, de prequel op ‘Legendes & lattes’, neemt ork Viv je mee naar een badplaatsje met een gezellige boekhandel en bijzonder gezelschap.

Nadat huurlinge Viv gewond raakt, wordt ze naar het slaperige badplaatsje Murk gestuurd om te herstellen. Ze brengt daar heel wat uren door in de plaatselijke boekhandel met de grofgebekte Fern. Maar het avontuur is nooit ver weg. Een verdachte reiziger in grijs, een gnoom met attitude, een zomerliefde en talloze skeletten zorgen ervoor dat Murk niet zo’n saai badplaatsje is als het op eerste gezicht lijkt. ‘Boekwinkels & botbreuken’ is een heerlijke cozy fantasy van Travis Baldree, perfect voor de fans van TJ Klune en feelgood- en fantasylezers.

Z&K also publishes the first book, as LEGENDES & LATTES.

Both BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST and LEGENDS & LATTES are published by Tor Books in the UK and North America. Here’s the English-language synopsis for BOOKSHOPS…

When an injury throws a young, battle-hungry orc off her chosen path, she may find that what we need isn’t always what we seek.

Set in the world of New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes, Travis Baldree’s Bookshops & Bonedust takes us on a journey of high fantasy, first loves, and secondhand books.

Viv’s career with the notorious mercenary company Rackam’s Ravens isn’t going as planned.

Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she’s packed off against her will to recuperate in the sleepy beach town of Murk—so far from the action that she worries she’ll never be able to return to it.

What’s a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?

BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST was a best-seller on both sides of the Atlantic, and was a #1 Bestseller in the US.

North American Edition of Alice Bell’s DISPLEASURE ISLAND out in Four Weeks!

Posted on Wednesday, August 7th, 2024

The highly-anticipated North American edition of Alice Bell‘s DISPLEASURE ISLAND is out in four weeks! Due to be published by Vintage Books, on September 3rd, here’s the synopsis…

In the hilarious follow-up to Grave Expectations, Claire and the gang are back, getting their timbers shivered by a mystery involving feuding ghost pirates, buried treasure, and murder…

Claire Hendricks can see ghosts, but she can’t see herself having a fun vacation. Yet when her new friends/found family, Basher and Alex, insist, Claire and her dead BFF, Sophie, pack themselves off to a remote Irish island. This tempest-tossed isle is indeed full of noises: not only is the hotel where the gang is staying double booked with a posh private party, the island’s crumbling old fort is being fought over by rival ghost pirates. In death, as in life, they’re vying over a legendary stash of loot, supposedly hidden somewhere on the island or in the surrounding rough seas…

… which, inevitably, are whipped up into a terrific storm, stranding everyone — living and dead — on the island. Claire is already fighting off anxious And Then There Were None vibes before one of the other guests turns up murdered. With Basher distracted by a handsome Irish seaman and Sophie stretching the limits of her tether to flirt with a dead pirate with dubious intentions, it’s up to Claire to solve the mystery of three-hundred-year-old buried treasure and figure out who’s picking off party guests — before the whole gang meets a grim, Agatha Christie-like fate.

As mentioned in the synopsis, this is the follow-up to Bell’s acclaimed debut novel, GRAVE EXPECTATIONS — which is also published in North America by Vintage Books. Both novels are also available in the UK, published by Corvus.

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

‘What a cracking romp of a read! A bunch of self entitled millennials, a troop of pirate ghosts, a treasure hoard, a whole slew of secrets and at its heart an engaging and satisfying murder mystery – Agatha Christie meets Ghosts came to mind! I loved the way Alice Bell effortlessly dealt with the problems that beset mystery writers today. i.e. blanket technology- the results was a sort of ‘locked island’ mystery. As before I love the main protagonist chaotic Claire, and her sardonic sidekick (who just happens to have been dead for some fifteen years) It was great to see them both back in action again.’ — J. M. Hall on DISPLEASURE ISLAND

‘Contrary to its title, Alice Bell’s second novel is a complete pleasure to read, full of witty writing, loveable characters and page-turning twists.’ — Culturefly (“Spring Reads: 14 of the best new books to read this month”) on DISPLEASURE ISLAND

‘Read this fabulous book — you will not regret it!’ — Ben Aaronovitch

‘Fast, funny and furious, this book has bags of humour, bags of heart and a proper murder mystery at its core’ — Janice Hallett

‘Bell shines in her sharp, funny debut, a supernatural whodunit centered on medium-for-hire Claire Hendricks… The adroit plotting, which cannily plays with mystery tropes, is amply leavened with humor.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘A delicious mashup of grisly murder, country house and semi-helpful ghosts – imagine a really cockeyed game of Cluedo heavily seasoned with whimsy … it’s a lot of fun’ — Stuart MacBride

‘Knives Out vibes with added ghosts. Fresh, funny and hugely enjoyable.’ — Catherine Ryan Howard

‘[T]he lightly acerbic style is a delight and the interaction between inept-but-dogged millennial Claire and eternal teenager Sophie – whose death remains a mystery – offers plenty of spooky fun. More, please.’ — Guardian

‘A great read, with great characters, lots of humour, some misty-eyed moments and lots of swearing. Utterly delightful – like the BBC show Ghosts mixed with Cluedo’ — Simon Toyne

Roger Zelazny’s DOORWAYS IN THE SAND Out Tomorrow in a New Audiobook edition!

Posted on Monday, July 29th, 2024

DOORWAYS IN THE SAND by Roger Zelazny is out tomorrow in a new audiobook edition! Published by Tantor Media, and read by Andrew J. Anderson, here’s the synopsis…

Can You Hear Me Fred?

Fred Cassidy leads an idyllic life. As long as he remains a full time college student without a degree, he is provided a very generous stipend from his uncle’s estate.

But after thirteen years of happy undergrad existence everything is about to change.

Cassidy’s home is broken into and ransacked. When he enters he is assaulted by a former professor wanting to know where the alien artifact known as the star stone is. Cassidy manages to escape, only to discover that he is also being pursued by hired criminals, Anglophile zealots, government agents, and aliens.

Cassidy has no idea where the star stone is but he realizes that unless he finds it, one of these factions will eventually catch up to him and most likely kill him.

Doorways in the Sand is fast paced, humorous, and has the most lyrical prose of any of Zelazny’s novels. It’s simply a joy to listen to, and was nominated for both a Hugo and Nebula Award for best novel.

DOORWAYS IN THE SAND is also available in print and eBook in the UK, published by Farrago.

Coming Soon: IN THE SHADOW OF THE SHIP by Aliette de Bodard

Posted on Thursday, July 25th, 2024

In September, readers will be able to pick up the latest Xuya masterpiece from Aliette de Bodard! IN THE SHADOW OF THE SHIP is due to be published on September 30th by Subterranean Press in North America (cover above), and JABberwocky in the UK (below). Here’s the synopsis…

Nightjar, sentient ship and family matriarch, looms large in Khuyên’s past. Disappearances drove teenage Khuyên from it, but death will steer her back.

Now an adult and a magistrate, Khuyên came for her maternal grandmother’s funeral but finds herself unwittingly reliving her past on the decaying Nightjar. Children are still disappearing as her childhood friends once did; and worse, her beloved Cousin Anh vanishes after pleading for her help.

Khuyên sets out to save Anh alongside Thảo, a beautiful and mysterious woman who seems to know more than she should about Khuyên and the ship. But saving Anh requires doing what Khuyên couldn’t do before: face her family, face the ship, face her own hopes and fears for the future—a future that might well include Thảo, but only if Khuyên can stop listening to the critical voice in her head.

A voice that sounds an awful lot like Nightjar’s…

The novella has already picked up a great review from Locus…

‘For all its brevity, this is a dense and emotionally complex piece, carrying grief and hope, pain and potential, in equal measure. The ashes of the past meeting the chance to build something different for the future. I always enjoy de Bodard’s work, and IN THE SHADOW OF THE SHIP is no exception: a sharp-edged and glittering science-fictional gem.’

New Turkish Edition of Roger Zelazny’s BLOOD OF AMBER Out Now!

Posted on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2024

İthaki Yayınları continues its publishing plan for Roger Zelazny, with a new edition of the seventh novel in the acclaimed, beloved Chronicles of Amber series: BLOOD OF AMBER! Translated by Niran Elçi, AMBER KANI is out now. Here’s the synopsis…

Amber Lordu Merlin’in kristal mağarada geçirdiği tutsaklık hayatı sonunda bitmiştir. Ama özgürlüğünü kazanmak onun için yeterli değildir. Kafasında pek çok soru fakat çok az cevap vardır: Kristal mağarayı oluşturan mavi taşların nasıl bir gücü bulunmaktadır, bu gücü kim elinde tutmaktadır? Başından aşağı çiçekler yağdıran kimdir, amacı nedir? Onu korumak için beden değiştirerek takip eden varlık kim tarafından gönderilmiştir?

Cevabını aradığı sorular gibi, peşine düşen acımasız düşmandan da kurtuluşu yoktur. Halası Fiona’ya sığınan Merle, San Francisco bölgesinden daha fazlasını tehdit eden girift bir intikam ve ölüm ağında mücadele vermek zorundadır. Zira kraliyet ailesini yok etmeye çalışan güçler, hiç beklenmedik yerlerde, özellikle de Amber’in kalbinde saldırıya geçecek büyüleri serbest bırakmıştır.

Amber Yıllıkları’nın yedinci kitabı Amber Kanı’nda Merlin geçmiş sırların ağına giderek daha fazla dolanıyor.

The first six novels in the Chronicles of Amber series are also published in Turkey by İthaki Yayınları, and out now.

First published in 1986, BLOOD OF AMBER is available in the UK as part of THE SECOND CHRONICLES OF AMBER omnibus, published by Gollancz as part of their SF Masterworks series. Here’s the synopsis…

Merlin is a Prince of Chaos and Amber, Corwin’s son and heir. He has grown up knowing that his legacy is to one day follow in his father’s footsteps, live up to his father’s legend.

When Corwin goes missing, that day comes far sooner than he could ever have expected. Merlin must find his own identity as the ruler of the worlds, and discover what kind of King he wants to be. Will he be a warrior like his father, or embrace his own path as a hacker-magician?

A generation after Corwin’s rise to the throne, Merlin is aided by powers beyond anything Corwin could have imagined. The epic magic from The Chronicles of Amber is wielded alongside sentient computers, a vorpal sword, and the ghosts of those who came before.

Featuring the Locus award-winning Trumps of Doom, the Locus nominated Blood of Amber and Sign of Chaos, and the final two novels Knight of Shadows and Prince of Chaos, the Second Chronicles of Amber continues the epic story of Amber and the Shadow worlds.

ICYMI: Grady Hendrix’s WITCHCRAFT FOR WAYWARD GIRLS out in January 2025!

Posted on Friday, July 19th, 2024

In case you missed the reveal yesterday, Tor Nightfire has unveiled WITCHCRAFT FOR WAYWARD GIRLS — the next horror masterpiece from Grady Hendrix! Due to be published on January 16th, 2025, here’s the synopsis…

A brand-new Southern Gothic horror from New York Times bestselling author of How to Sell a Haunted House and The Final Girl Support Group.

‘I did an evil thing to be put in here, and I’m going to have to do an evil thing to get out.’

Florida, 1970.

Fifteen-year-old Neva is taken to Wellwood House, a home for unwed mothers, to see out the final three months of her pregnancy. Her father turns tail without even a goodbye, leaving Neva to endure the isolated maternity home for one sweltering summer with the bugs, the boredom, the awful food, the shunned unwed girls just like her. There, she meets Rose, the righteous hippie; Holly, a fourteen-year-old who refuses to talk, and Zinnia, the cultured sceptic.

Miles from the nearest town and forced to abide by the home’s draconian rules, the girls are powerless, kept in the dark of what is to come. Only that their best option is to surrender their babies and move on as if this never happened.

Then one day a travelling library arrives outside Wellwood House. And the librarian presses a book onto Neva, one that promises answers, power, even revenge. A book of witchcraft. But the book demands a sacrifice to work properly. A debt that must be paid. And, if she’s making deals with the devil, Neva must decide what price she is willing to pay.

Two of Hendrix’s acclaimed, award-winning previous novels are out now in the UK, published by Titan Books: THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP and HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE.

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