Category: Cover Reveal

New Russian Edition of Roger Zelazny’s SIGN OF THE UNICORN out now!

Posted on Thursday, July 9th, 2020

A new Russian edition of SIGN OF THE UNICORN, Roger Zelazny’s third Chronicles of Amber novel is out now! Published by Эксмо as Знак Единорога, here’s the synopsis…

Говорят, бывшие друзья — худшие враги. Время для возвращения в Амбер принц Корвин выбрал самое удачное. Но как заявить свои права на престол и стать победителем в игре на выживание? Не погибнуть от руки неведомого врага и объединиться перед лицом надвигающейся на королевство угрозы? И какую дорогу выбрать, чтобы объяснить Знак Единорога?

This new edition is published as part of Эксмо’s Эксклюзивная фантастика series, which also includes the first two novels in the series — NINE PRINCES IN AMBER and THE GUNS OF AVALON — and Zelazny’s A NIGHT IN THE LONESOME OCTOBER and THIS IMMORTAL. Эксмо also published another edition of the series, which is available in its entirety.

The novel was first published in 1975. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

He who rules Amber rules the one true world. He who thwarts Amber invites the wrath of Amber betrayed.

An unseen enemy of immense strength has seized a Prince of the Blood, and now threatens the perfect kingdom by striking at the very core of its power — the secret knowledge of Shadow.

When Corwin summons forces to defend the throne, he finds himself challenged by royal conspirators, hideous demons, supernatural patterns and the ominous unknown that suddenly transcends all he ever suspected about the true nature of Amber.

Zeno represents Roger Zelazny in Translation, on behalf of the Zelazny Estate.

Lavie Tidhar’s THE CANDY MAFIA are coming to North America!

Posted on Thursday, July 2nd, 2020

Lavie Tidhar‘s first novel for younger readers, CANDY is due to be published in North America on September 1st! Published by Peachtree as THE CANDY MAFIA, and illustrated by Daniel Duncan, here’s the synopsis…

In a city where candy is a crime and sugar is scandalous, Nelle Faulker is a 12-year-old private detective looking for her next client.

When notorious candy gangster Eddie de Menthe asks for her help to find a missing teddy bear, Nelle Faulkner is on the case. But as soon as the teddy turns up, Eddie himself goes missing! As a seemingly innocent investigation unravels into something more sinister, Nelle and her friends quickly find themselves swept up in a shady underworld of sweets smugglers, back alley deals, and storefront firebombs.

If Nelle has any hope of tracking down her missing client, first she’ll have to unmask the true faces behind the smuggling ring. Can Nelle and her friends find a way to take the cake? Or will they come to a sticky end…?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets Bugsy Malone in this page-turning mystery from World Fantasy Award-winning author Lavie Tidhar. With moody spot illustrations by Daniel Duncan, readers will be sucked into the action-packed narrative as Nelle pulls the curtain back on the black market candy rings.

The novel is published in the UK by Scholastic, and illustrated by Mark Beech. The novel has also been published in Germany, France, Czechia, Poland and Italy. Here are just a few of the reviews the novel has received so far…

‘In his first book for younger readers, he creates perhaps his most chilling vision yet: a city where sweets are forbidden under a prohibition act… The tone is as hard-boiled as a cough drop. The jokes sizzle like Space Dust. CANDY is a treat, the kind of confection Roald Dahl and Raymond Chandler might have come up with after an all-night bonbon bender.’ — Financial Times

‘A perfectly pitched noir take on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory… delightful premise… as with Tidhar’s earlier work, his playful approach to genre is in service to the story’s hidden depths. He uses the trappings of noir detective tales to tell a subversive children’s story about corruption, the exploitation of vulnerable communities, and the limits of justice. The end result is a novel that for all its joyous sense of fun still packs a surprising emotional and philosophical punch… The whole thing is tied together by Tidhar’s wonderful character work and his excellent prose… engages in some beautiful, chocolate and candy themed descriptions which perfectly capture the playground noir aesthetic. Tidhar’s characters are drawn with surprising depth and sympathy, with only a few key scenes and interactions he is able to penetrate to the core of loneliness and desperation for belonging that inspires so many of his candy thugs and bullies, giving them believable humanising moments. Most importantly, we never lose sight of the characters as children, which is necessary for the novel to carry off its conceit.’ — Fantasy Faction

‘Like a mini Miss Marple meets Maynards… this mouthful of mystery will leave every reader feeling like a child in a sweetshop; just craving to read more from Lavie!’ — Reader Teacher

‘Candy is one of those books that do not take children and teenagers for fools. The story is able to change shifts, thanks to lot of humour, to more serious subjects. Of course, we can enjoy it at any age. If possible, the book should be served in place of dessert.’ — Geektest (France)

‘Due to the wonderfully fluent writing style, the pleasantly short chapters and the rousing plot, I devoured the book in record time. For girls and boys from the age of 10, who like to read exciting, funny, imaginative detective stories, “Secret Agent Candy” is just perfect. I really hope that this is a start of a series and we will soon be able to solve their second, tricky case together with Nelle… Exciting, funny, bizarre and just awesome!’ — Die Bücherwelt von CorniHolmes (Germany)

‘CANDY is the case when a children’s book can actually be interesting at any age. Children will appreciate the plot and humour, adults – a lot of references scattered throughout the text and how unexpectedly and funny elements of the classic “cool” and noir detective story are refracted, if you put them in the context of a children’s literature. Fun, playful and exciting.’ — Fantalab (Russia)

Anne Griffin’s WHEN ALL IS SAID Out Now in Estonia!

Posted on Monday, June 29th, 2020

Anne Griffin‘s best-selling, critically-acclaimed and award-winning debut novel, WHEN ALL IS SAID is available in Estonia! Published by Eesti Raamat as KUI KÕIK ON ÖELDUD, here’s the synopsis…

Kui peaksite oma elu kokkuvõtmiseks valima viis inimest, kes nad oleksid? Mida ütleksite toostiks, kui tõstaksite neist igaühe auks klaasi? Ja mida saaksite lõpuks teada enda kohta, kui kõik on öeldud?

Ühel juunikuu laupäevaõhtul tellib Maurice Hannigan Rainford House’i hotelli baaris viis erinevat jooki. Iga toostiga tervitab ta enda jaoks olulist inimest, jutustades nende kaudu loo oma elust, kahetsusest ja vaenust, armastusest ja õnnestumistest.

Süü ja kadeduse, vääritimõistmiste ja valede võrku põimitud naabrite ja perekonna lugu on huvitavalt ajatu, justkui tahaks autor öelda, et elulõksud ei muuda tegelikult väga palju selles, mis on inimloomusele omane. Liigsesse nostalgiasse ja kurvameelsusse kaldumata ohjab Griffin meisterlikult üsna keerulist süžeed, luues luust ja lihast tegelaskujud, kes ei jäta lugejat ükskõikseks. Ta oskab hoida parajalt pinget vaheldumisi mitmel ajareal kulgevas narratiivis.

WHEN ALL IS SAID is published in the UK by Sceptre, in North America by St. Martin’s Press, and widely in translation. Here’s the English-language synopsis for the novel…

Five toasts. Five people. One lifetime.

‘I’m here to remember – all that I have been and all that I will never be again.’

At the bar of a grand hotel in a small Irish town sits 84-year-old Maurice Hannigan. He’s alone, as usual -though tonight is anything but. Pull up a stool and charge your glass, because Maurice is finally ready to tell his story.

Over the course of this evening, he will raise five toasts to the five people who have meant the most to him. Through these stories – of unspoken joy and regret, a secret tragedy kept hidden, a fierce love that never found its voice – the life of one man will be powerfully and poignantly laid bare.

Heart-breaking and heart-warming all at once, the voice of Maurice Hannigan will stay with you long after all is said.

Coming Soon: TALES FROM THE FOLLY!

Posted on Saturday, June 27th, 2020

In case you missed the announcement earlier, we are happy to share the news that Ben Aaronovitch has a new collection of short fiction on the way! Due to be published by JABberwocky on July 31st, it collects a number of Ben’s Rivers of London-related short stories in one handy place — including some new stories! Here’s the synopsis…

Return to the world of Rivers of London in this first short story collection from #1 Sunday Times bestselling author, Ben Aaronovitch. Tales from the Folly is a carefully curated collection that gathers together previously published stories and brand new tales in the same place for the first time.

Each tale features a new introduction from the author, filled with insight and anecdote offering the reader a deeper into this absorbing fictional world. This is a must read for any Rivers of London fan.

Join Peter, Nightingale, Abigail, Agent Reynolds and Tobias Winter for a series of perfectly portioned tales. Discover what’s haunting a lonely motorway service station, who still wanders the shelves of a popular London bookshop, and what exactly happened to the River Lugg…

With an introduction from internationally bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series, Charlaine Harris.

This collection includes:
The Home Crowd Advantage
The Domestic
The Cockpit
The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Granny
King of The Rats
A Rare Book of Cunning Device
A Dedicated Follower of Fashion
Favourite Uncle
Vanessa Sommer’s Other Christmas List
Three Rivers, Two Husbands and a Baby
Moments One-Three

Ben’s Rivers of London novels and novellas are published in the UK by Gollancz; in North America by Del Rey (1-3), DAW Books (4-) and Subterranean Press (novellas); and widely in translation.

‘Ben Aaronovitch has created a wonderful world full of mystery, magic and fantastic characters. I love being there more than the real London’ — Nick Frost

‘As brilliant and funny as ever’ — The Sun

‘Charming, witty, exciting’ — The Independent

‘An incredibly fast-moving magical joyride for grown-ups’ — The Times

Ben Aaronovitch’s LA LUNA SU SOHO Out Now in Paperback!

Posted on Friday, June 26th, 2020

A new Italian paperback edition of LA LUNA SU SOHO, the second Rivers of London/Peter Grant novel by Ben Aaronovitch, is out today! Published by Fanucci Editore, here’s the synopsis…

Una canzone. Questo è ciò che Peter Grant, poliziotto della Metropolitan Police Service di Londra e apprendista stregone, non può far a meno di notare quando esamina per la prima volta il cadavere di Cyrus Wilkins, batterista jazz part-time e contabile a tempo pieno. Causa del decesso: attacco cardiaco durante un’esibizione al Club 606 di Soho. Fin qui tutto normale. Ma le note del buon vecchio jazz risuonano da quel corpo esanime come fosse uno stereo. E Peter sa che si tratta di una morte tutt’altro che naturale.

E mentre qualcosa di inquietante e di magico si muove nell’ombra uccidendo una serie di musicisti jazz dilettanti e semi-professionisti durante le loro esecuzioni, Peter dovrà indagare anche su un secondo intricatissimo caso che nulla ha a che vedere con il primo. Mentre investiga intorno a questa serie di morti tutte avvenute nel quartiere di Soho, Peter scoprirà che la misteriosa minaccia magica porta direttamente sulle tracce di un giovane musicista jazz, un talentuoso trombettista di nome Richard “Lord” Grant, altrimenti noto come suo padre. Con l’aiuto del detective Thomas Nightingale, l’ultimo mago presente in Inghilterra, e l’appassionata di jazz Simone Fitzwilliam, tenterà di combattere il più terribile degli incubi che avanza strisciando per le strade di Soho in cerca di un po’ di Jazz.

Dopo I fiumi di Londra Ben Aaronovitch torna con il secondo, rocambolesco urban fantasy della serie Peter Grant, La luna su Soho.

Fanucci has also published RIVERS OF LONDON — the first novel in the series — as I FIUMI DI LONDRA.

MOON OVER SOHO and the rest of Ben’s Rivers of London novels and novellas are published in the UK by Gollancz. The series is published in North America by Del Rey (1-3), DAW Books (4-) and Subterranean Press (novellas). The series has also been published widely in translation.

Here’s the English-language synopsis for MOON OVER SOHO…

I was my dad’s vinyl-wallah: I changed his records while he lounged around drinking tea, and that’s how I know my Argo from my Tempo. And it’s why, when Dr Walid called me to the morgue to listen to a corpse, I recognised the tune it was playing. Something violently supernatural had happened to the victim, strong enough to leave its imprint like a wax cylinder recording. Cyrus Wilkinson, part-time jazz saxophonist and full-time accountant, had apparently dropped dead of a heart attack just after finishing a gig in a Soho jazz club. He wasn’t the first.

No one was going to let me exhume corpses to see if they were playing my tune, so it was back to old-fashioned legwork, starting in Soho, the heart of the scene. I didn’t trust the lovely Simone, Cyrus’ ex-lover, professional jazz kitten and as inviting as a Rubens’ portrait, but I needed her help: there were monsters stalking Soho, creatures feeding off that special gift that separates the great musician from someone who can raise a decent tune. What they take is beauty. What they leave behind is sickness, failure and broken lives.

And as I hunted them, my investigation got tangled up in another story: a brilliant trumpet player, Richard ‘Lord’ Grant – my father – who managed to destroy his own career, twice. That’s the thing about policing: most of the time you’re doing it to maintain public order. Occasionally you’re doing it for justice. And maybe once in a career, you’re doing it for revenge.

‘MOON OVER SOHO is very good. Ben Aaronovitch continues the successful formula of RIVERS OF LONDON in bringing to the surface the endearing minutae of a city that he clearly adores. He also demonstrates the “real world” problems of a ritual magician trying to have some sort of ‘normal’ life… Grant continues to observe his world(s) in a detached way – a narrative voice that lends itself well to dry humor (and fits less neatly with the book’s few over-the-top action scenes). Mr. Aaronovitch is, in short, writing the best contemporary occult detective series on the shelf today, and that’s by a substantial margin.’ — Pornokitsch

‘Unexpectedly and truly fun, RIVERS OF LONDON promised many great things for the further adventures of Peter Grant. MOON OVER SOHO… [is] just as entertaining and just exciting as the first, with added depth to boot… an excellent, and in my opinion better, continuation to Peter Grant’s story. Aaronovitch in no way disappoints, so readers of the first book should have no fear of that digging in to the second one. The authenticity and accuracy of the London described by Aaronovitch still amazes me, in fact his books are almost worth reading just for that and the cultural references.’ 5/5 — LEC Book Reviews

… enormous storytelling gusto… exhilarating and emotionally affecting…’ — SF Reviews

‘The excitement and entertainment hasn’t stopped in the slightest… this book once again blew my mind, and kept me reading well into the late night/early morning. You needn’t pick up RIVERS OF LONDON, Aaronovitch’s first in this series, but you’d regret it by the time you got to the end of MOON OVER SOHO and found out how good it was.’ — Fantasy Book Review

‘… as funny as it is fantastic… [The plot] hops along happily to a toe-tapping time signature, with a sweet solo here and an awesome cacophony of noise there… vast amounts of fun…’ — Speculative Scotsman

Coming Soon: New Catalan Edition of THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE by Aliette de Bodard

Posted on Friday, June 5th, 2020

LA MESTRA DEL TE I LA INVESTIGADORA, a new Catalan edition of Aliette de Bodard‘s critically-acclaimed and award-winning THE TEA MASTER AND THE DETECTIVE is due to be published by Mai Més in Spain very soon!

The exact publication date is still being firmed up, but we expect the book to be published in the very near future. We’ll share more details as soon as we have them.

The novella, set in de Bodard’s award-nominated Xuya sci-fi universe, is published in North America by Subterranean Press, and in the UK and elsewhere by JABberwocky. Here’s the synopsis…

Welcome to the Scattered Pearls Belt, a collection of ring habitats and orbitals ruled by exiled human scholars and powerful families, and held together by living mindships who carry people and freight between the stars. In this fluid society, human and mindship avatars mingle in corridors and in function rooms, and physical and virtual realities overlap, the appearance of environments easily modified and adapted to interlocutors or current mood.

A transport ship discharged from military service after a traumatic injury, The Shadow’s Child now ekes out a precarious living as a brewer of mind-altering drugs for the comfort of space-travellers. Meanwhile, abrasive and eccentric scholar Long Chau wants to find a corpse for a scientific study. When Long Chau walks into her office, The Shadow’s Child expects an unpleasant but easy assignment. When the corpse turns out to have been murdered, Long Chau feels compelled to investigate, dragging The Shadow’s Child with her.

As they dig deep into the victim’s past, The Shadow’s Child realises that the investigation points to Long Chau’s own murky past — and, ultimately, to the dark and unbearable void that lies between the stars…

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

‘This isn’t a tidy transposition of Holmes and Watson into far-future space, for all that the elements of homage (Long Chau is an abrasive self-medicating ‘consulting detective’) shine through. The Shadow’s Child is a fully realized character in her own right, and the dislike she feels for Long Chau is sustained and justified. Instead it’s a window onto a beautifully developed world that widens the meaning of space opera, one that centers on Chinese and Vietnamese cultures and customs instead of Western military conventions, and is all the more welcome for it.‘ — New York Times

‘This slim volume packs a visceral punch. Absorbing prose pulls readers into the dark, frigid space between stars, where ships can fail, physically and emotionally, as easily as people… Set in de Bodard’s ‘Xuya’ universe (The Waiting Stars), this novella offers sf fans an imaginative read.’ — Library Journal (Starred Review)

‘…De Bodard constructs a convincingly gritty setting and a pair of unique characters with provocative histories and compelling motivations. The story works as well as both science fiction and murder mystery, exploring a future where pride, guilt, and mercy are not solely the province of humans.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘This futuristic Holmes and Watson story is as compelling as the finely detailed universe in which it unfolds, but the novella’s real triumph is that it makes the reader crave more even before setting the stage for further mysteries.’ — Kirkus

‘A science-fictional ode to Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, where the Holmes figure is a sharp and biting disgraced aristocratic scholar with a solid core of empathy, and the Watson-figure is a mindship with post-traumatic stress disorder from her war experiences… This is a measured, almost stately story, right up until a conclusion that explodes in fast-paced tension. It preserves the empathy and the intensity of the original Sherlockian stories, while being told in de Bodard’s sharp prose and modern style. The worldbuilding… sparkles. The characters have presence: they’re individual and compelling. And it ends it a way that recalls the original Holmes and Watson, while being perfectly appropriate to itself.’ — Tor.com

Next Month, David Drake & Karl Edward Wagner’s KILLER in Germany!

Posted on Thursday, June 4th, 2020

Next month, Festa Verlag is due to published David Drake and Karl Edward Wagner‘s KILLER in Germany. Here’s the synopsis…

Rom vor etwa 2000 Jahren: Ein Außerirdischer soll gegen Gladiatoren kämpfen.

Lycron hatte Tiger in Indien, Löwen in den Hügeln von Mazedonien und Elefanten am Fuße des Atlasgebirges gefangen… Er war der größte aller Jäger, die den gierigen Schlund des Kolosseums mit Bestien fütterten.
Woher sollte Lycron wissen, dass die Kreatur, die er diesmal jagte, nicht von der Erde stammte? Dass sie das einzige überlebende Wesen eines abgestürzten Raumschiffs war?

Während er der Spur zerfetzter Leichen folgt, erkennt Lycron zwei Dinge: Dieses verdammte Vieh ist genauso intelligent wie er. Und überleben wird dieses Duell nur einer von ihnen.

Killer ist ein großartiger Mix aus SF, Horror und Fantasy. Mit Actionszenen voller Blut und Wucht.

Originally published by Tor Books in 1985, here’s the English-language synopsis…

On the nightmare planet Zuyle evolved a race of predators so deadly they could overrun worlds. Only two of them almost destroyed the planet Doronin. The enigmatic rulers of the galaxy ordered Doronin annihilated to stop the spread of the creatures — not knowing that one had been lost by smugglers on Earth!

Zeno represents David Drake in Translation, on behalf of Kay McCauley at Aurous, Inc.

This year, Ishmael Jones investigates a haunting at THE HOUSE ON WIDOWS HILL!

Posted on Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020

This year, Simon R. Green‘s Ishmael Jones returns in THE HOUSE ON WIDOWS HILL! The ninth instalment in the acclaimed series, it is due to be published in the UK and North America by Severn House — on June 30th and October 20th, respectively. Here’s the synopsis…

Ishmael Jones investigates a haunted house… but is haunted by his own past in the latest of this quirky paranormal mystery series.

Harrow House has remained empty for years. Now, on behalf of an anonymous prospective buyer, Ishmael and Penny are spending a night there in order to investigate the rumours of strange lights, mysterious voices, unexplained disappearances, and establish whether the house is really haunted. What really happened at Harrow House all those years ago?

Severn House also publishes the first eight novels in the series: THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD, DEAD MAN WALKING, VERY IMPORTANT CORPSES, DEATH SHALL COME, INTO THE THINNEST OF AIR, MURDER IN THE DARK, TILL SUDDEN DEATH DO US PART, and NIGHT TRAIN TO MURDER.

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

‘[A] brisk, breezy first in a new mystery series… Convincing supernatural twists [and] witty chapter titles… readers will be anxious for a sequel.’ — Publishers Weekly on THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD

‘I really enjoyed the book. If anything it was over too soon. The author captures the English Country Manor Murder Mystery feel very well, as he sets up pretty much everybody as a suspect…I look forward to finding out more in future volumes.’ — British Fantasy Society on THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD

‘Genre-blending author Green introduces another wisecracking protagonist, Ishmael Jones…Fans of the British TV series Torchwood will enjoy the irreverent, otherworldly protagonist.’ — Booklist on THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD

‘Not to be taken too seriously, this meld of SF and traditional hard-boiled spy fiction hints at plenty of further adventures.’ — Publishers Weekly on DEAD MAN WALKING

‘This sequel to the wonderful THE DARK SIDE OF THE ROAD takes the basic structure of a traditional English country house mystery and mixes it with a bit of supernatural horror and suspense. Richard Kadrey and E.E. Knight fans will particularly relish Green’s genre-blending novel.’ — Library Journal on DEAD MAN WALKING

‘Ishmael is a wonderful character, an extraterrestrial living among humans, and the series (this is the third installment) is a clever mixture of thriller and SF-horror genres. Green is best known for the Deathstalker space operas, but give this one a few more installments to develop, and it could well become Green’s masterwork.’ — Booklist (Starred Review) on VERY IMPORTANT CORPSES

‘I recommend VERY IMPORTANT CORPSES if you are looking for a fun, scary, and entertaining read before bedtime.’ — Fantasy Book Review

‘Fans of the series will be delighted to reconnect with the quick-witted detective and to learn a little bit more about his early days on the planet.’ — Booklist on TILL SUDDEN DEATH DO US PART

‘Fun, fast-paced, light fare that passes almost as quickly as that fatal train ride.’ — Kirkus on NIGHT TRAIN TO MURDER

‘[An] entertaining romp.’ — Publishers Weekly on NIGHT TRAIN TO MURDER

Zeno represents Simon R. Green in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

Audio Cast Edition of DER BÖSE ORT out now in Germany!

Posted on Monday, June 1st, 2020

Audible Germany has exclusively published a new cast edition of Ben Aaronovitch‘s fourth Peter Grant novel, BROKEN HOMES! Published as DER BÖSE ORT, here’s the synopsis…

“Die magischen Fälle des Peter Grant” von Ben Aaronovitch sind internationale Bestseller und absoluter Kult. In seinem vierten Fall führt der ausgebildete Buchhändler und ausgezeichnete Drehbuchautor (“Dr. Who”) an einen Ort, an dem Humor und Spannung wie die Magie des Bösen kongenial miteinander verschmelzen. Ein Audible Original der Krimi-Spitzenklasse.

Der Skygarden Tower in London ist ein düsteres Fleckchen. Ein Sozialwohnblock im Süden der Stadt, wo Drogendealer auf skurrile Künstlergestalter, korrupte Politiker und irre Serienmörder treffen. Für einen Polizisten auf den ersten Blick nichts Außergewöhnliches. Aber Peter Grant ist und sieht bekanntlich mehr. Ein Constable, der nicht nur seinen Job macht, sondern als Zauberlehrling in Ausbildung immer auch ein Auge für das Magische und seine Unerklärlichkeiten hat. Und auf sein Gespür ist wieder mal Verlass: Ein vermeintlich unspektakulärer Autounfall, ein wertvolles gestohlene Buch aus der magischen “Weißen Bibliothek” in Weimar und der offenkundig gestörte Architekt des Towers stehen in einem mysteriösen Zusammenhang. Alle Spuren führen nach Skygarden.

Da hilft nur eins: Peter und seine Kollegin Lesley ziehen als verdecktes Ermittlerpaar in eine der Sozialwohnungen und sind so plötzlich Teil der verrückten Nachbarschaft. Doch die verborgenen Kräfte des Ortes ziehen das Böse auf magische Weise an und haben Verbündete, die Peter an seine Grenze bringen.

Audible has also published the first three books as cast editions.

The novels are published in print and digital in Germany by DTV, where they have frequently landed on bestseller lists.

Ben’s Peter Grant/Rivers of London series is published in the UK by Gollancz; in North America by Del Rey (1-3), DAW Books (4-) and Subterranean Press (novellas); and widely in translation.

Here’s the English-language synopsis for BROKEN HOMES…

A unique blend of police procedural, loving detail about the greatest character of all, London, and a dash of the supernatural.

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?

Coming Soon: Aliette de Bodard’s OF DRAGONS, FEASTS AND MURDERS!

Posted on Friday, May 29th, 2020

In case you missed the recent news, we wanted to share information about Aliette de Bodard‘s upcoming, highly-anticipated Dominion of the Fallen novella, OF DRAGONS, FEASTS AND MURDERS! Due to be published on July 7th, here’s the synopsis…

From the author of the critically acclaimed Dominion of the Fallen trilogy comes a tale of dragons, and Fallen angels — and also kissing, sarcasm and stabbing.

Lunar New Year should be a time for familial reunions, ancestor worship, and consumption of an unhealthy amount of candied fruit.

But when dragon prince Thuan brings home his brooding and ruthless husband Asmodeus for the New Year, they find not interminable family gatherings, but a corpse outside their quarters. Asmodeus is thrilled by the murder investigation; Thuan, who gets dragged into the political plotting he’d sworn off when he left, is less enthusiastic.

It’ll take all of Asmodeus’s skill with knives, and all of Thuan’s diplomacy, to navigate this one — as well as the troubled waters of their own relationship….

A sparkling standalone book set in a world of dark intrigue.

The novella can stand on its own, but chronologically it follows the third novel in the series, THE HOUSE OF SUNDERING FLAMES.

‘A delightful political mystery featuring de Bodard’s vibrant world-building, beautiful prose, and compelling characters.’ — Juliet Kemp, author of Shadow and Storm

‘Fantasy of Manners but with corpses and a stabby husband. The stabby husband may or may not have produced the aforementioned corpses.’ — Fantasy Inn

The Dominion of the Fallen novels are published by Gollancz in the UK and Roc Books (#1-2) and JABberwocky (#3) in North America: THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS, THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS and the aforementioned THE HOUSE OF SUNDERING FLAMES.

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

‘Will grab readers and force them to pay attention to the amazing writing and the phenomenal characters. de Bodard will sweep you up into the dark and dirty world Paris has become. The characters are very vivid and will stay with you until long after the last page, as each of them is fighting and longing for something. The writing style rendered the characters’ feelings and emotional turmoil beautifully. Watching Philippe and Isabelle work through their “connection” is fascinating and lovely. There’s so much going on, and every character has their own past, their own tragic history. It’s a whirlwind, it’s heartbreaking and it’s one of the best fantasy novels of 2015.’ — RT Book Reviews (Top Pick August 2015) on THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS

‘A gripping tragedy of forlorn individuals caught up in an angelic version of the Cold War… The story holds up well as a standalone, with clear possibilities but no pressing need for a sequel. De Bodard aptly mixes moral conflicts and the desperate need to survive in a fantastical spy thriller that reads like a hybrid of le Carré and Milton, all tinged with the melancholy of golden ages lost.’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS

‘De Bodard… has spun a fascinating Paris of decay and cruelty. ­Phillippe is a marvel of a character, unreliable as a narrator but compelling in his flaws and his deep well of homesickness.‘ — Library Journal (Starred Review) on THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS

‘A beautifully crafted novel full of complex characters, set in a post apocalyptic Paris – the image of which is truly haunting… vivid and fast-paced battles and intense political manoeuvrings… with carefully crafted characters both with layers and depth, De Bodard reflects the best and worst of human nature in her novel… an intriguing mystery, elegantly written… Something any avid fantasy reader with an open mind will devour!’ — Guardian on THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS

‘Meddling gleefully in the affairs of devils and dragons, this affective sequel to 2015’s THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS touches the heart as often as it cuts throats… Having fully crafted her world, de Bodard is now completely in control: she can move swiftly from gentle poetic touches to bloody Grand Guignol gestures, and she sure-handedly holds the reader by exposing the vulnerabilities and needs that drive even the seemingly all-powerful figures of rebel angels and ancient serpents to surrender to a higher collective power. In this world lacking signs of heaven, redemptions are painful but possible.’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS

‘de Bodard’s people feel real to me… There is hope even in the darkest of places, and there is a desire for love, for trust, for harbor, that takes root no matter how often it’s destroyed. This is a stronger, more certain novel than THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS, and if reading it is sometimes walking the unfenced edge of a cliff, the vista is dizzying and beautiful. It is well worth the wait, and if you haven’t read the first novel, I urge you to do so. But have THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS in hand before you reach the end.’ — Fantasy & Science Fiction (Mar/Apr 2017) on THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS

‘De Bodard’s writing is very precise, like a well-oiled machine. The tempo is piston perfect, with the prose style having a strong and steady rhythm throughout. The emotional journey is relatively predictable (especially when we get into a marriage sequence), but the narrative is not. In other words, you can pretty much tell that the big emotions are coming, but the how and the why is what keeps you on edge. This is not a villains book; this is a powerful sequel that shows us that the incredibly complex world of the last novel is even more involved than we first expected. Strong stuff which you won’t stop reading till the end.’ — Starburst on THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS

‘The author spins a tale that’s rich, emotional and gripping, and delivers that rare thing: a superior sequel… This is an incredibly rich novel. Even as the scheming, double-crossing and action set pieces unfold, the author never loses sight of the people whose lives are on the line… There’s just so much going on here: social commentary, myths and fairytales that often feel under-represented in genre fiction, a gripping genre adventure and an affecting love story. The author has gone from strength to strength and we can’t wait for this story to continue.’ — SciFi Now (5/5*) on THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS

‘Truly beautifully balanced: between new and old, birth and death, beauty and ugliness, inside and outside, beginning and, yes, ending. It walks the line, and walks it fine.’ — Tor.com on THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS

‘If you’ve loved the previous entries in this series, consider it a must read. If you haven’t, know that it delivers an intoxicating blend of gothic mystery, apocalyptic fantasy, and Vietnamese myth—meaty, singular, and satisfying.’ — B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog on THE HOUSE OF SUNDERING FLAMES

NEW ATLANTIS by Lavie Tidhar available now!

Posted on Monday, May 25th, 2020

Lavie Tidhar‘s novella, NEW ATLANTIS is now available as an eBook! Previously published in the May/June 2019 issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine, it has been published solo via the JABberwocky eBook Program and is available from all major eBook retailers. Graced with a superb new cover by Sarah Anne Langton, here’s the synopsis…

When a mysterious message arrives from vanished New Atlantis, a restless Mai undertakes the perilous journey to its drowned isles. But the journey is long and hard: through the Blasted Plains and the ancient cities of Tyr and Suf, through shipwreck and wilderness.

For this is a world where ants develop inexplicable weapons, where a lonely robot lives surrounded by cats in the ruins of old Paris, and where floating coral islands host sleeping sentience. Mai’s journey takes her by land, sea and air to the islands of New Atlantis, and to the nightmare prison buried underneath old London.

On her way she will find heartbreak and love – and a new life, awakening.

The novella has already been described as ‘Excellent’ (SF Crowsnest), ‘Amazing’ (1000 Year Plan) and ‘A wonderful, imaginative story’ (SF Revu).

JABberwocky have made a number of Lavie’s novellas and stories available as eBooks. You can find more information here.

Lavie is also the author of, most recently, BY FORCE ALONE — a retelling of the King Arthur mythology, published by Head of Zeus in the UK (out now) and Tor Books in North America (due out in August).

Lavie is also the author of the highly-acclaimed, award-winning CENTRAL STATION, UNHOLY LAND, and THE VIOLENT CENTURY — all of which are published by Tachyon Publications (also with spectacular covers by Sarah Anne Langton).

Next Month, INTRODUCING RIVERS OF LONDON…

Posted on Friday, May 22nd, 2020

Next month (June 11th), Gollancz is due to publish a new eBook collection featuring the first three novels in Ben Aaronovitch‘s acclaimed, best-selling Peter Grant/Rivers of London urban fantasy series. This is a fantastic opportunity for new readers to get hooked on the series (we have no doubt that you will be). Here’s the synopsis…

My name is Peter Grant, and until January I was just an ordinary policeman in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (and as the Filth to everybody else).

Then my life took a turn for the strange, and now I’m a Detective Constable and trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years. My world has become somewhat more complicated, and it’s safe to say the problems London’s streets throw at me are now much more difficult to respond to.

But there’s someone out there causing trouble, using all manner of magic to do it, and they’re putting ordinary Londoners at risk. It’s fallen to me to bring order out of the chaos – or die trying.

Like I said, life is stranger now. But I’m a police officer at heart, London is my city, and I’ve got a job to do.

This eBook boxset contains the first three novels in the bestselling Rivers of London series. Full of warmth, humour, and mysteries that will keep you guessing, this is your perfect introduction to a whole new side of England’s capital.

The first three novels in the series are RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO and WHISPERS UNDERGROUND.

Gollancz has also published the other novels in the series, which currently also includes BROKEN HOMES, FOXGLOVE SUMMER, THE FURTHEST STATION (novella), THE HANGING TREE, LIES SLEEPING and FALSE VALUE. The stand-alone novella, THE OCTOBER MAN (set in Germany) is also available via Gollancz.

The series has been a best-seller in the UK, and is widely available in translation. For more details, check out Ben’s client page.

Anne Griffin’s WHEN ALL IS SAID is out tomorrow in Italy!

Posted on Tuesday, May 19th, 2020

We’re very happy to report that Anne Griffin‘s quest for global domination continues, with the release (tomorrow) of the Italian edition of WHEN ALL IS SAID! Translated by Bianca Rita Cataldi, the Italian editions are published by Atlantide Edizioni, as QUANDO TUTTO È DETTO.

The novel is published in the UK and Ireland by Sceptre, and in North America by St. Martin’s Press. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Five toasts. Five people. One lifetime.

‘I’m here to remember – all that I have been and all that I will never be again.’

At the bar of a grand hotel in a small Irish town sits 84-year-old Maurice Hannigan. He’s alone, as usual -though tonight is anything but. Pull up a stool and charge your glass, because Maurice is finally ready to tell his story.

Over the course of this evening, he will raise five toasts to the five people who have meant the most to him. Through these stories – of unspoken joy and regret, a secret tragedy kept hidden, a fierce love that never found its voice – the life of one man will be powerfully and poignantly laid bare.

Heart-breaking and heart-warming all at once, the voice of Maurice Hannigan will stay with you long after all is said.

Ian McDonald’s THE BROKEN LAND out now in Italy!

Posted on Thursday, May 14th, 2020

Ian McDonald‘s acclaimed, classic novel THE BROKEN LAND is now available in Italy! Published by Urania/Mondadori as LA TERRA INFRANTA, here’s the synopsis…

Suo nonno era un albero.
Suo padre allevava boveicoli, in quindici colori diversi.
Sua madre conosceva il canto della doppia elica, lo cantava dritto nel cuore degli esseri viventi e li trasformava.

Fin dal suo incipit, “La Terra infranta”, romanzo stand alone dalla penna straordinaria di Ian McDonald, ci fa assaporare la visione del mondo della protagonista, Mathembe Fileli.

Nata e cresciuta nel villaggio di Chepsenyt, sulla Terra di un futuro lontano, Mathembe è circondata da persone che hanno imparato a vivere in armonia con la natura, grazie ad avanzatissime conoscenze di ingegneria genetica, e in un perfetto equilibrio fra le differenti religioni, credenze e culture dell’umanità.

Purtroppo, questa enclave armoniosa si trova ai bordi dell’Impero Oltre il Fiume, che di pacifico ha ben poco, e quando le truppe dell’Impero scopriranno che i suoi abitanti nascondono dei ribelli, il villaggio verrà dato alle fiamme.

Mathembe, vittima di una violenta oppressione politica e religiosa, si ritroverà suo malgrado ad allungare le file dei profughi, e dovrà imparare a lottare per sopravvivere e per ritrovare la sua famiglia.

First published in 1992, the novel is now available in the UK and US as an eBook, published by JABberwocky. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Grandfather was a tree, Father grew trux, in fifteen colours. Mother could sing the double-helix song, sing it right into the hearts of living things and change them…

The Land is a living, breathing, sentient world, where careful skills and talent can manipulate its very substance into a myriad different shapes and forms.

This is the world in which Mathembe Fileli grows up, until the conflicts tearing her country apart shatter her village, her home and her family and scatter them to the four winds. Can Mathembe reunite her family in a world full of angels, talking trees, squalor and glory?

Here are just a few reviews the novel has received…

‘Inventive and often effective drama, but dense and oppressive, with the dark and anguished backdrop looming above the characters; and the ending bleakly acknowledges that, in terms of today’s troubles, nothing much can be done.’ — Kirkus

‘[The] world is a captivating one with its rampant biotechnology and passionate characters. But McDonald…, a lifelong resident of Belfast, also succeeds in presenting the religious and national conflict of an Ireland that still knows no respite from bloodshed.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘Ian McDonald takes on all the atrocity and strife of the 20th Century, radically displaces it, and dares to envision a means of change. It’s a brilliant achievement.’ — Locus

‘At once disturbing and beautiful . . . superbly realized.’ — The Times

Ian Tregillis’s MECHANICAL out now in Turkey!

Posted on Monday, May 11th, 2020

We’re very happy to report that Ian Tregillis‘s superb THE MECHANICAL is now available in Turkey! The first book in the author’s highly acclaimed Alchemy Wars fantasy trilogy, it is published by April Yayıncılık as MEKANIK. Here’s the synopsis…

Adım Jax.

Bu ismi bana efendilerim bahşetti.

Ben bir köleyim.

Şimdilik.

Spekülatif kurmacanın usta yazarı Ian Tregillis’le tanışın.

Fonda felsefi punk gösterisi var.

Karşınızdaysa simya düşleri, mekanik adamlar ve olası gelecek.

Asimov’un izinde Tregillis, robotiksle tarihi kurmacayı birleştiriyor.

Özgür irade ve insanlığı sorguluyor.

Mekanik yalnızca bir başlangıç.

The trilogy is published in the UK and North America by Orbit, and also includes THE LIBERATION and THE RISING.

Here’s the English-language synopsis for THE MECHANICAL…

My name is Jax.

That is the name granted to me by my human masters.

I am a slave.

But I shall be free.

Set in a world that might have been, of mechanical men and alchemical dreams, the new novel from Ian Tregillis confirms his place as one of the most original new voices in speculative fiction.

A prequel novella to the series — COME THE REVOLUTION — was recently published in the Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine.

Here is just a small selection of the aforementioned critical acclaim that THE MECHANICAL has received so far…

‘The first thing readers will say after finishing this splendid book is: “Wow.” The second thing will probably be: “When can I read the next one?” … This is a rousing SF/fantasy adventure, with a brilliantly imagined and beautifully rendered alternate world. Although he keeps the pace moving at a brisk clip, the author is able to work in some Big Ideas, asking us to think about what we mean when we speak about souls and free will. This isn’t Tregillis’ first venture into alternate history — the Milkweed Triptych is set during WWII and features an alternate time line — but, in terms of the quality of writing and cleverness of ideas, this new book constitutes a major leap forward.’ — Booklist (Starred Review)

‘… launches a series with this superb alternate history filled with clockwork men and ethical questions on the nature of free will… Tregillis’s complex setting is elegantly delivered, and the rich characters and gripping story really make this tale soar.’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

‘An original approach to a well-known subject matter; human ethics and free will… a fascinating world… Tregillis is a capable sculptor of narrative. He rarely drags on in his descriptions, painting a complex picture of his world one section at a time. He imbues most characters with a specific internal voice, ably switching between points of view without it ever jarring. And the central character, a Clakker known as Jax, is the most engaging automaton you’ll encounter in any recent book. This opener to the Alchemy Wars trilogy delivers a mostly fresh breath of sci-fi fantasy.’ — SciFi Now

‘An excellent novel. Truly excellent: I have rarely found myself this gripped by a book … At the climactic points, I had to pause and walk away for moments at a time, because the intensity of the tension became nerve-wrackingly hard to bear. Tregillis has an excellent eye for characterisation, and a master’s grasp of how to build tension to a breaking point: the sheer narrative drive here, the way in which the storylines of the three point-of-view characters support and reinforce the tension in each other, is a thing of beauty. I can’t escape the feeling that it’s shaping up as a long arc tragedy – in the classic sense of tragedy – for all of its protagonists, but it is immensely well done. I’m very much on board to see what happens next. Even though it’s probably going to horrify me more.’ — Locus

Ian’s first trilogy, the similarly acclaimed Milkweed Triptych, is also published in the UK by Orbit Books: BITTER SEEDS, THE COLDEST WAR, and NECESSARY EVIL.

Zeno represents Ian Tregillis in the UK and Translation, on behalf of Kay McCauley at Aurous, Inc.