Cover Reveal - Zeno Agency Ltd.

New US Covers for Unsworth’s DEVIL’S EVIDENCE and DEVIL’S DETECTIVE

Posted on Monday, December 28th, 2015

Above you can see the striking cover for Simon Kurt Unsworth‘s second novel, THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE. Published in the US by Doubleday, on July 5th, it is the sequel to last year’s critically-acclaimed THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. Here’s the synopsis…

A new case of unsolvable murders brings Hell to Heaven in the explosive sequel to The Devil’s Detective.

Hell is burning out of control. Thomas Fool, Hell’s first Information Man tasked with investigating the endless stream of violence in Hell, has been promoted to the head of the newly expanded Information Office. Now in command of a legion of Information Men, his new position finds him hated by demons and almost revered by humans. He alone has survived the wrath of demon and angel alike, but he stands alone and at the center of a brewing crisis. New on the scene is the Evidence, a shadowy department whose officers do not investigate; they punish and spread fear. And its leader, Mr. Tap, is gunning for Fool.

Fool is ordered to accompany a political delegation to Heaven, and his arrival coincides with an impossible—and sinister—discovery. A dead body. Murder in Heaven. Violence, corruption, and fear are the currency of Hell, and how does one investigate a crime where these concepts are paradoxes? As the bodies pile up, Fool sees disturbing connections between Heaven and Hell. He must follow clues in a strange land where nothing is as it seems and danger can present itself in any form.

What follows is a phantasmagoric, mind-bending thriller as exciting and unsettling as anything in recent fiction. The Devil’s Evidence is an electrifying, provocative novel filled with stunning set pieces and characters who will live on in your deepest nightmares.

In addition, the paperback edition of THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE — published February 9th — has a slightly different, updated cover…

Both THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE and THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE are published in the UK by Del Rey. The latter is due out in March 2016 — there has not been an official cover reveal, yet, but we’ll be sure to share the new artwork as soon as we are able. In the meantime, here are just a few of the great reviews the first novel in Simon’s series has received…

‘Unsworth’s care in constructing an imaginary world enables him to make the most of his debut’s challenging concept: a hard-boiled detective novel set in Hell itself… Unsworth offers intriguing variations on traditional themes and some memorably hair-raising prose…’ — Publishers Weekly

‘With wit, ingenuity and prodigious timing, first-time British novelist Unsworth imagines an unsettling afterlife that at times feels uncomfortably close to some of the more unbearable regions of our waking dreams… A grand, nightmarish page-turner that will have you riveted.’ — Kirkus

‘Hell as the setting for a noir investigation turns out to be as fun as it sounds in THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. Inventive and pacy, Simon Kurt Unsworth has created a world – underworld? – distinctly his own.’ — Andrew Pyper, author of Demonologist

‘There is much to love with THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE. The depiction of Hell is original, with it being less of a torture chamber and more of a place for continued hard work for the unworthy, and the world building is great… The novel is dark and full of twists and originality, and it’s suitable for anyone wanting to get into fantasy with a supernatural element.’ — Starburst

‘THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE grips. Unsworth’s storytelling is taut and lean, avoiding any lapses into potboiler… When he writes about Hell, he makes it downright hellish… The book eventually spins all this admittedly sumptuous horror into thought-provoking notions about salvation, hope and free will’ — NPR

Cover: Justina Robson’s GLORIOUS ANGELS (UK paperback)

Posted on Wednesday, December 23rd, 2015

Above is the striking cover for the paperback edition of Justina Robson‘s critically-acclaimed GLORIOUS ANGELS! The first in a planned series, the book is due to be published by Gollancz in February 2016. Here’s the synopsis…

The groundbreaking new novel from one of the genre’s most respected authors: a thrilling mix of science, magic and sexual politics.

On a world where science and magic are hard to tell apart a stranger arrives in a remote town with news of political turmoil to come. And a young woman learns that she must free herself from the role she has accepted.

Here’s just a small selection from the aforementioned critical praise…

‘A showcase for the authors relentless imagination. It tap dances along the lines between genre boundaries, kicking up its heels with a giddy, ferociously smart inventiveness.’ — SFX

‘Stands out from so many others… the story is incredibly intelligent and well structured… the characters are incredibly deep and personable… There’s a real mix of emotions and ideas explored across the course of the book… What this book really does is tell an engaging, complex story, and it tells it well without condescending to stereotypes.’ — SciFi Now (5*)

‘A novel that demands a lot from the reader – but its rewards are immensely satisfying… a slow-burner of a novel, beautifully written, and Robson drip-feeds the world-building and the various plot-strands at a stately pace that picks up to become a taut thriller swimming in high concepts.’ — Independent

‘An intriguing… tale of war, internecine politics and ancient technologies… Beautiful prose and some succulently concocted sex scenes keep one’s interest from flagging; and once the plot kicks in and the action leaves Glimshard, GLORIOUS ANGELS quickens from thoughtful to forceful.’ — FT.com

‘I was impressed by the boldness and scale of Robson’s vision… a compelling read… if you’re looking for a bold, unashamedly different story, then The Glorious Angels is for you.’ — Bending Over Bookwards

‘A compellingly complex novel… action, intrigue, sex and fantastic characters… what a fantastic start THE GLORIOUS ANGELS makes.’ — Flickering Myth

Covers & Details: RIVERS OF LONDON – NIGHT WITCH

Posted on Tuesday, December 22nd, 2015

After the tremendous success of RIVERS OF LONDON: BODY WORK, next year Titan Comics will be publishing Ben Aaronovitch‘s and Andrew Cartmel‘s second RIVERS OF LONDON comic mini-series, NIGHT WITCH! The covers (above) were first unveiled on io9. Here’s a mini-synopsis for the new series…

A police vehicle on a routine prison transfer in north London is stormed by Russian hoodlums seeking to free a very particular prisoner. Their target is a witch. A dangerously powerful witch who doesn’t want to be free. Things rapidly turn ugly for the hoods and it’s soon a job for full-time police constable and part-time wizard, Peter Grant.

NIGHT WITCH is set between FOXGLOVE SUMMER and the upcoming THE HANGING TREE, which is due to be published in July 2016. The first issue of the new comic series will go on sale on March 16th, 2016. There are plans for a signing at London’s Forbidden Planet on release day — details to come.

The Peter Grant series is published in the UK by Gollancz, in the US by Del Rey and DAW Books, and has been published widely in translation. See Ben’s page for details.

New Chinese Covers for Roger Zelazny’s CHRONICLES OF AMBER 6-10

Posted on Monday, December 21st, 2015

A year ago, we shared the first five Chinese covers for Roger Zelazny‘s classic Chronicles of Amber (安珀志) series. We’re very pleased to now be able to share with you the final five, eye-catching covers (above). Published by Dook in the new year, the new covers are for TRUMPS OF DOOM (厄运主牌), BLOOD OF AMBER (安珀血脉), SIGN OF CHAOS (混沌之兆), KNIGHT OF SHADOWS (暗影骑士) and PRINCE OF CHAOS (混沌王子).

Here’s the synopsis for 厄运主牌 (TRUMPS OF DOOM)…

科温的儿子梅林一直在影子中追寻父亲的足迹，在地球上也已生活多年，但每一年的4月30日，他都会遭到莫名的攻击，有人似乎想要置他于死地。在死于非命的女友家里，梅林无意间发现了几张纸牌，这些纸牌成了他解开谜团的线索。在他穿越影子寻求真相的途中，依然不断遭到骚扰、威胁和袭击，真相则变得愈加模糊了。梅林终于了解到，女友之死和每年暗杀行为的始作俑者是同一人，而他的目标，似乎是梅林的秘密发明——鬼轮。

And the English-language synopsis…

Merle Corey is a brilliant young computer designer in San Francisco. But, he is also Merlin, son of Corwin, vanished prince of Amber, and heir to his father’s wonderous powers. And, someone is determined to kill him. Now he will begin a desperate race through Shadow, not only to escape the mysterious force that threatens his life, but to protect the deadly secret that could destroy both his worlds.

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

BITTER SEEDS now available in Czech!

Posted on Friday, December 11th, 2015

Continuing the theme of sharing Czech covers, today we have Ian Tregillis‘s BITTER SEEDS. Published by Kosmas as HOŘKÁ SETBA, here’s the synopsis…

Píše se rok 1939. Na straně nacistů se k boji chystají nadlidé, na straně Britů démoni. Co čeká obyčejného člověka, který se mezi ně připlete?

Britského tajného agenta Rayboulda Marshe pronásleduje vzpomínka na Němku, kterou těsně před koncem španělské občanské války letmo zahlédl v barcelonském přístavu. Mrkala na něho jako stará známá. A do otvorů v lebce jí vedly dráty.

Krátce po vypuknutí druhé světové války nasadí Třetí říše na zvláštní mise vojáky s nadpřirozenými schopnostmi.<brJe právě na Marshovi, aby svoji vlast uchránil před ženou, která se umí učinit neviditelnou, před mužem procházejícím zdmi a před onou neznámou z Barcelony, které její schopnost nahlížet do budoucnosti umožňuje přetvářet přítomnost. Aby odvrátil bezprostředně hrozící invazi, vystopuje Marsh britské čaroděje, hrstku podivínů tajících svoji existenci před světem. Každé kouzlo si ovšem žádá oběť, a Británie možná za svou obranu zaplatí stejně strašlivou daň jako za opravdovou bitvu…

Nadpřirozený příběh z alternativního dvacátého století, přes veškerou podobnost tak nepodobného tomu našemu, je prvním dílem triptychu, ve kterém si Otčina Roberta Harrise podává ruku s Alanem Moorem.

The first in Tregillis’s critically-acclaimed Milkweed Triptych, it is published in the UK by Orbit Books, who also publish the rest of the series — THE COLDEST WAR and NECESSARY EVIL. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

The year is 1939. Raybould Marsh and other members of British Intelligence have gathered to watch a damaged reel of film in a darkened room. It appears to show German troops walking through walls, bursting into flames and hurling tanks into the air from afar.

If the British are to believe their eyes, a twisted Nazi scientist has been endowing German troops with unnatural, unstoppable powers. And Raybould will be forced to resort to dark methods to hold the impending invasion at bay.

But dealing with the occult exacts a price. And that price must be paid in blood.

Ian Tregillis’ Bitter Seeds is a chilling masterpiece – a tale of a twentieth century like our own and also profoundly different.

Ian’s latest series, The Alchemy Wars, is also published in the UK by Orbit: THE MECHANICAL and THE RISING. Released only recently, the latter novel has already been generating some stellar reviews.

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

Aaronovitch’s MOON OVER SOHO now available in Czech

Posted on Wednesday, December 9th, 2015

MOON OVER SOHO, the second novel in Ben Aaronovitch‘s best-selling and critically-acclaimed Peter Grant series, is now available in Czech! Published by Kosmas as MĚSÍC NAD SOHO, here’s the synopsis…

Jmenuji se Peter Grant. Ještě nedávno jsem byl obyčejný četnický zelenáč v řadách londýnské Metropolitní policie. Jedné noci jsem se ale při vyšetřování vraždy zapletl s duchem, a všiml si mě tak vrchní inspektor Nightingale, poslední čaroděj Anglie. A tak teď stojím jako člen dvoučlenné speciální policejní jednotky v márnici nad tělem zavražděného jazzmana a snažím se získat z jeho mrtvého těla záznam melodie, důležitou stopu ve vyšetřování jeho vraždy. To fakt umím. A nejen to. A tak vím, že v Soho řádí vrah, který má nadpřirozené schopnosti a jedině naše jednotka je schopna ho zastavit.

The novel is published in the UK by Gollancz, and in the US by Del Rey. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Peter Grant is not just a lowly Detective Constable, he’s also apprenticed to the last wizard in Britain: policing will never be the same again!

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.

The novel has also been published in German, French, Japanese, Russian and more. Details can be found on Ben’s author page, and the all of the covers (to date) are below…

Cover & Details: STARBOUND by Dave Bara

Posted on Monday, December 7th, 2015

Above you can see the striking cover for STARBOUND, the second novel in Dave Bara‘s sci-fi series, the Lightship Chronicles. Due to be published in the UK by Del Rey, here’s the synopsis…

THE FIRST EMPIRE HAS RETURNED.

THE NEW GALACTIC UNION HANGS IN THE BALANCE…

The Lightship Impulse is gone, sacrificed while defeating First Empire ships the fragile new galactic alliance hoped it would never see again.

For Peter Cochrane, serving as third officer on the Starbound and tasked with investigating a mysterious space station in a newly re-discovered system, the wounds of battle may have healed, but the battle is far from over.

STARBOUND is due to arrive on shelves on January 14th, 2016. Del Rey UK also published the first in the series, IMPULSE. Here’s a small handful of reviews the first novel has enjoyed…

‘This energetic mélange of tried-and-true elements—futuristic jargon, military and romantic tactics, and multiple levels of skullduggery — easily grabs the reader’s attention; more impressive is that Bara’s story holds that attention all the way to the end.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘If you liked Star Trek Into Darkness, you’ll like Dave Bara’s IMPULSE.’ — Jack Campbell

‘A fun and engaging story… In short, IMPULSE is a winner for me… Highly Recommended.’ — SFF World

‘Hearkens back to the Golden Age of Science Fiction… a fast-paced, action-packed military space adventure…’ — Far Beyond Reality

‘An absorbing book… lots of action, but it all sits on an intelligent concept of a future war between civilisations that have just rediscovered long range space flight. The book feels somewhat of a mixture of Mass Effect with Buck Rogers and I would read Mass Rogers (or The Buck Effect) any day of the week!’ — The Bookbag

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

Lavie Tidhar’s A MAN LIES DREAMING coming to Italy in January!

Posted on Friday, December 4th, 2015

Lavie Tidhar‘s award-winning novel, A MAN LIES DREAMING, will be available in Italian this coming January! Due to be published by Frassinelli as WOLF, here’s the English-language synopsis…

Deep in the heart of history’s most infamous concentration camp, a man lies dreaming. His name is Shomer, and before the war he was a pulp fiction author. Now, to escape the brutal reality of life in Auschwitz, Shomer spends his nights imagining another world – a world where a disgraced former dictator now known only as Wolf ekes out a miserable existence as a low-rent PI in London’s grimiest streets.

An extraordinary story of revenge and redemption, A Man Lies Dreamingis the unforgettable testament to the power of imagination.

‘I love this cover,’ Lavie’s written, ‘it catches the essence of the book for me in a very real way, though I have to say I’ve loved all the covers for the book so far.’

Here is just a small selection of the reviews the novel has received so far…

‘Comes crashing through the door of literature like Sam Spade with a .38 in his hand. This is a shocking book as well as a rather brilliant one… Like Tarantino, Tidhar may find that some people don’t take him seriously. But the joke’s on them. Seriousness is the least of it: A MAN LIES DREAMING is a twisted masterpiece.’ — Guardian

‘Savagely funny… Those who enjoy laughter in the dark will relish Tidhar’s parade of mordant ironies… This novel is weird, upsetting, unmissable.’ 5* — Telegraph

‘No one can accuse Lavie Tidhar of being risk-averse… such an interesting writer… the novel is not without a fair amount of humor, and that might well be the boldest risk Tidhar is taking here…’ — Locus

‘It’s nasty, clever, waspish and witty. It finds room for guest appearances from Leni Riefenstahl, Ian Fleming and Evelyn Waugh and quotations from everyone from Chandler to Ukip… You turn the pages avidly. You read it for the pulp story. And you read it for the frame that surrounds it. And you can’t stop reading.’ — Herald Scotland

A MAN LIES DREAMING is published in the UK by Hodder, and as a Limited Edition by PS Publishing. The novel is due to be published in the US by Melville House in March 2016. The novel has won the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize, and has been nominated for the Dublin Literary Award.

Details & Covers: A. Bertram Chandler’s Sci-Fi Series

Posted on Tuesday, December 1st, 2015

ChandlerAB-RimworldSeriesUK-Blog

This year, Gollancz‘s SF Gateway is publishing a wave of A. Bertram Chandler novels. We thought it might be helpful to share some more information on the author and reading-order for the novels. You can find out more about the authors novels on his website.

First up (pictured above), the Rim World novels, originally published between 1961-69: THE RIM OF SPACE (out now), BEYOND THE GALACTIC RIM (out now), WHEN THE DREAM DIES, BRING BACK YESTERDAY, THE SHIP FROM OUTSIDE (out now) and CATCH THE STAR WINDS. Here’s the synopsis for book one…

Derek Calver touches down on Lorn and is determined to join the Rim Runners to explore desolate planets.

He joins the crew of Lorn Lady and sets forth for Mellise, inhabited by intelligent amphibians; for Groller, where the natives have just qualified as humanoids; for Stree with its tea loving lizards; and Tharn, home of a pre-industrial civilization.

Next up, we have the first John Grimes cycle of novels — John Grimes: Survey Service (1967-75): THE ROAD TO THE RIM, TO PRIME THE PUMP, THE HARD WAY UP, THE BROKEN CYCLE, SPARTAN PLANET, THE INHERITORS and THE BIG BLACK MARK. Here’s the extremely succinct synopsis for the first novel…

Lieutenant John Grimes of the Federation Survey Service: fresh out of the Academy — and as green as they come.

The Grimes saga continues in John Grimes: Far Traveler Couriers (1977-84): THE FAR TRAVELER, STAR COURIER, STAR LOOT and THE LAST AMAZON.

The third Grimes cycle, John Grimes: Rim Commodore (1964-1976): INTO THE ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, THE RIM GODS, ALTERNATE ORBITS, THE DARK DIMENSION (out now) and THE WAY BACK.

Finally, the Empress Irene series, which is set in the same universe as the John Grimes novels (1965-67): EMPRESS IN OUTER SPACE, SPACE MERCENARIES (out now) and NEBULA ALERT.

The titles not already available (including a couple of stand-alone novels) are due to be published in the UK by Gollancz’s SF Gateway in eBook, on December 17th — we will, of course, post a reminder on the day.

Zeno represents A. Bertram Chandler in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York.

Ben Aaronovitch’s MOON OVER SOHO Now in Korean!

Posted on Friday, November 27th, 2015

Ben Aaronovitch‘s second Peter Grant novel, MOON OVER SOHO, is now available in Korean! Published by Hyundae Munhak as 소호의 달, here’s the Korean synopsis…

내 이름은 피터 그랜트. 런던 수도경찰국 엑스파일 부서 폴리 소속. 영국 최후의 공인 마법사인 나이팅게일 경감의 하나뿐인 부하 겸 도제다. 고로 런던 광역시 내의 모든 초자연적 사건이 내 차지고, 최고의 유흥가 소호도 예외는 아니다. 소호 클럽에서 재즈 음악가들이 공연 직후 별 이유 없이 사망하는 일이 잇따라 일어난다. 현장에 남은 마법적 단서는 재즈곡 <바디 앤드 소울>의 선율. 재즈 트럼펫 연주자인 아버지의 도움을 받아가며 이전의 의문사들까지 추적하느라 눈코 뜰 새가 없다. 살인수사반에서는 음경을 물어뜯겨 사망한 남자들 사건에도 수사 협조를 요구해온다. 조사가 진행될수록 뱀파이어, 질에 이빨이 달린 여인, 키메라에 흑마법사의 존재까지 드러나는데… 나, 사건 해결은커녕 이 틈바구니에서 살아남을 수는 있을지…

And the English-language synopsis…

Peter Grant is not just a lowly Detective Constable, he’s also apprenticed to the last wizard in Britain: policing will never be the same again!

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 published in the UK by Gollancz, in the US by Del Rey, and has been widely published in translation in other territories. (Check Ben’s author page for details.) Hyundae Munhak have also published RIVERS OF LONDON in Korean, as 런던의 강들.

Cover & Details: US Edition of A MAN LIES DREAMING

Posted on Tuesday, November 24th, 2015

In March 2016, Melville House are due to publish Lavie Tidhar‘s award-winning A MAN LIES DREAMING. Above is the cover, and here is the synopsis…

A noir thriller with a twist and a Holocaust novel infused with the spirit of shund—the dark Israeli pulp fiction that thrived in the years after World War II — the British Fantasy Award-shortlisted A Man Lies Dreaming is a radical literary experiment that brings alternate history to life.

Lavie Tidhar has reimagined the rainy, atmospheric energy of London in the 1930s, and the troubled private detective with an unspeakable secret who roams its streets. As A Man Lies Dreaming unfolds and more of its mysteries come to the surface, we find ourselves drawn into a novel at once gripping and profoundly unsettling.

A MAN LIES DREAMING won the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize earlier this year, and (as we shared on Monday) has been nominated for the Dublin Literary Award. The novel is published in the UK by Hodder; and by PS Publishing as a Limited Edition (cover below).

Here’s just a small selection from the praise that A MAN LIES DREAMING has enjoyed…

‘Theodor Adorno said that to write poetry after Auschwitz was barbaric. To which I would say, yes, but you can still write an excellent novel. A MAN LIES DREAMING is that novel.’ — Philip Kerr

‘One of the most powerful books I’ve read this year thanks to its combination of alternate history noir and the harsh reality of life in the concentration camps. Tidhar doesn’t just describe situations, both real and fictional; he makes you feel them, with writing that stimulates all your senses… A MAN LIES DREAMING once again combines Tidhar’s love of alternate realities with insights into what it means to be human. It will haunt your dreams and is his best novel yet. Highly recommended. 9/10′ — SciFi Bulletin

‘Wolf’s story is interesting, well-plotted… tightly structured… Wolf is a fantastic character, reprehensible, but somehow piteous, hilarious, oddly likeable for all his terrible traits, and the ability to make the reader sympathise with Adolf Hitler, for god’s sake, cannot be underestimated. Tidhar is a masterful writer… he is perhaps the UK’s most literary speculative fiction writer, and we should celebrate A MAN LIES DREAMING as more a masterful work of literary fiction than of speculative fiction. But it is exactly that: masterful.’ — Strange Horizons

‘When did he become one of our best and most adventurous writers?’ — Jonathan Strahan in Locus (Feb.2015)

Cover: THE BLOOD OF THE HOOPOE by Naomi Foyle

Posted on Thursday, November 19th, 2015

THE BLOOD OF THE HOOPOE is the third novel in Naomi Foyle‘s Gaia Chronicles sci-fi series. Published by Jo Fletcher Books in the UK, here’s the synopsis…

Astra is the long prophesied icon of unification for the peoples of Non-Land, but is she ready to accept her destiny?

War is breaking out in Kadingir. Still struggling to accept her role as a long prophesied icon of unification between Is-Land and Non-Land, Astra Ordott is on a journey across the wind sands to join her father and his people – the mystics of Shiimti, who claim to hold the secret of truly healing the damaged relationship between human beings and the Earth. Astra’s desperate to get there quickly, but when her guide and companion, the shepherd Muzi, leads her off course into the path of a vicious sandstorm, she is forced to confront what the gods of their devastated world might be telling her: that there will be no refuge from her destiny.

The novel is due to be published in March 2016. Jo Fletcher Books also publish the first two novels in the series — ASTRA and ROOK SONG, and also Foyle’s stand-alone novel SEOUL SURVIVORS.

‘Readable and entertaining.’ — Interzone on ASTRA

‘Shocking though it might be in some respects, ASTRA certainly provides food for thought… the story quickly becomes engrossing. The ending is abrupt, but it makes you crave the second instalment of the Gaia Chronicles. ASTRA will certainly not be everyone’s cup of tea, but personally I am looking forwards to the next book with curiosity and excitement.’ — Starburst Magazine

‘The highly politicised narrative is an enthralling and absorbing read… Where the first book offered a shocking, but somewhat aspirational alternative way of living, ROOK SONG delves further into the political influence that enables the way of life the Gaian’s are privileged to inhabit… Offering plenty of twists and surprises, ROOK SONG outdoes its predecessor with a more developed story and plenty of conspiracies that pull the reader in. Book one was a comment on how society should live to protect the planet, book two is a comment on how people should prevent international conflict and wars.’ — Starburst

RIVERS OF LONDON: BODY WORK #5 Out Tomorrow

Posted on Tuesday, November 17th, 2015

Issue five in Ben Aaronovitch and Andrew Cartmel‘s RIVERS OF LONDON: BODY WORK comic series is released tomorrow! Published by Titan Comics, here is the synopsis…

A battered old harmless wooden stall? A snazzy sports car turned homicidal killer? A pack of wayward rich kids? Like pieces of a weaponizsed jigsaw puzzle, the links between these three apparently unrelated things are becoming lethally clear to full-time London cop and part-time wizard Peter Grant

The comics are set between the fourth and fifth novels in Ben’s Peter Grant series — BROKEN HOMES and FOXGLOVE SUMMER. The series is gorgeously illustrated by Lee Sullivan and coloured by Luis Guerrero. As we reported a couple of weeks ago, Ben was interviewed by the Amazon Kindle blog about the RIVERS OF LONDON: BODY WORK series — more on that here.

The Peter Grant novels are published in the UK by Gollancz, in the US by Del Rey (#1-3) and DAW Books (#4-6), in Germany by DTV, in France by J’ai Lu, and widely elsewhere in publication.

New ONYX COURT Re-Issue Covers and Details (UK)

Posted on Friday, October 30th, 2015

Above you can see the first two new covers for Marie Brennan‘s Onyx Court series. These re-issues are due to be published by Titan Books in the UK in 2015-16. Here’s the synopsis for MIDNIGHT NEVER COME…

England flourishes under the hand of its Virgin Queen: Elizabeth, Gloriana, last and most powerful of the Tudor monarchs. But a great light casts a great shadow.

In hidden catacombs beneath London, a second Queen holds court: Invidiana, ruler of faerie England, and a dark mirror to the glory above. In the thirty years since Elizabeth ascended her throne, fae and mortal politics have become inextricably entwined, in secret alliances and ruthless betrayals whose existence is suspected only by a few.

Two courtiers, both struggling for royal favor, are about to uncover the secrets that lie behind these two thrones. When the faerie lady Lune is sent to monitor and manipulate Elizabeth’s spymaster, Walsingham, her path crosses that of Michael Deven, a mortal gentleman and agent of Walsingham’s. His discovery of the “hidden player” in English politics will test Lune’s loyalty and Deven’s courage alike. Will she betray her Queen for the sake of a world that is not hers? And can he survive in the alien and Machiavellian world of the fae? For only together will they be able to find the source of Invidiana’s power — find it, and break it…

A breathtaking fantasy novel of intrigue and betrayal set in Elizabethan England; Midnight Never Come seamlessly weaves together history and the fantastic to dazzling effect.

MIDNIGHT NEVER COME is due to be published next month. The Onyx Court series also includes IN ASHES LIE (June 2016), A STAR SHALL FALL (release date TBC) and WITH FATE CONSPIRE (release date TBC). The novels were originally published in the UK by Orbit Books.

Marie Brennan is also the critically-acclaimed author of the Memoirs of Lady Trent fantasy series, also published in the UK by Titan Books.

‘Stunningly conceived and exquisitely achieved…’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on MIDNIGHT NEVER COME

‘Strong prose, tight plotting, mischievous humor, quick pacing and wonderful storytelling that fully engages the reader.’ — Fantasy Book Critic on MIDNIGHT NEVER COME

‘Brennan has created a fascinating hidden underworld beneath London, and it’s enhanced by prose that has an elegance perfect for historical fantasy.’ — RT Book Reviews on IN ASHES LIE

‘Marie Brennan juggled complex politics, plague, and fire to great effect in IN ASHES LIE.’ — Strange Horizons on IN ASHES LIE

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

Covers: Simon R. Green’s GHOST FINDERS Series

Posted on Wednesday, October 28th, 2015

Jo Fletcher Books has unveiled the covers for Simon R. Green‘s Ghost Finders series. Due to be released over the next few months in eBook, above you can see the new covers. Here’s the synopsis for the first novel in the series, GHOST OF A CHANCE…

Meet the operatives of the Carnacki Institute — JC Chance: the team leader, brave, charming, and almost unbearably arrogant; Melody Chambers: the science geek who keeps the antisupernatural equipment running; and Happy Jack Palmer: the terminally gloomy telepath.

Their mission: Do Something About Ghosts. Lay them to rest, send them packing, or just kick their nasty ectoplasmic arses…

Jo Fletcher Books are due to publish the full series: GHOST OF A CHANCE (out now), GHOST OF A SMILE (November 2015), GHOST OF A DREAM (January 2016), SPIRITS FROM BEYOND (March 2016), VOICES FROM BEYOND (May 2016) and FORCES FROM BEYOND (July 2016).

Here’s just a few reviews for the series so far…

‘Skirmishes and plot twists rule as Green serves up enough blood and viscera to slake the thirst of any thriller aficianado. Readers will appreciate the camaraderie and snappy dialogue of what is sure to become Britain’s favorite ghost hunters.’ — Publishers Weekly on GHOST OF A CHANCE

‘This first book in Green’s newest series embodies everything his fans expect in his novels: interesting characters with plenty of room for growth, lots of action laced with sharp humor and a well-honed sense of the macabre … Green has laid a solid foundation for an engaging series with seemingly unlimited potential.’ — RT Book Review on GHOST OF A CHANCE

‘Packed with creepy thrills, GHOST OF A SMILE is a mighty strong follow-up in this brand new series. Ghost hunting has never been quite this exciting. Recommended.’ — SF Revu

‘Undeniably a fun, free-wheeling romp with things that go bump in the night…this is an enjoyable read with slapstick vignettes and cleverly devised situations.’ — RT Book Reviews on GHOST OF A DREAM

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