Cover Reveal - Zeno Agency Ltd.

Cover Reveal: Myke Cole’s GEMINI CELL

Posted on Thursday, January 1st, 2015

GEMINI CELL is the latest novel by critically-acclaimed military fantasy author Myke Cole. Set before the events of his first trilogy, Shadow Ops, it promises to offer readers a look at when magic first returned to the world. GEMINI CELL is due to be published in the UK by Headline, on February 12th, 2015.

Here is the synopsis…

US Navy SEAL Jim Schweitzer is a fierce warrior and consummate professional. When he sees something he shouldn’t on a covert mission gone wrong, he finds himself – and his family – in the crosshairs.

The enemy bring the battle straight to Jim’s front door, taking him down together with his wife and son. It should be the end for Jim, but his story is just beginning…

Raised from the dead and left to wrestle with new powers he doesn’t understand, Jim is called to duty as the ultimate warrior for top-secret unit known as the Gemini Cell. But he will soon realise his new superiors are determined to keep him in the dark on everything – including about the true fate of his wife and son…

Headline also published Myke’s first three novels in the UK – CONTROL POINT, FORTRESS FRONTIER and BREACH ZONE. Here’s a small selection of praise Myke’s novels have received…

‘Character-rich and action driven — a molotov cocktail of human weaknesses and superhuman abilities.’ — Robin Hobb

‘Black Hawk Down meets the X-Men… Military fantasy like you’ve never seen it before.’ — Peter V. Brett

‘I suspect this is the best ride that military fantasy has to offer — you definitely want to get on board.’ — Mark Lawrence

‘It’s not just military… It’s just a great book.’ — Patrick Rothfuss on CONTROL POINT

‘Cole’s definitely got a hit on his hands. He’s found that perfect recipe, incorporating magic, military, and mayhem without sacrificing either realism or the sense of wonder. I can’t wait to see what comes next.’ — Tor.com on CONTROL POINT

‘FORTRESS FRONTIER ends on a high, but also on a drawn breath. For while the plot for this book is quite resolved, there are several loose ends that tease an explosive final in the last book in this trilogy. Cole’s respect for the military and the values it upholds bleed through, without glorifying war or violence. With his second book Cole has proven once again that he can combine amazing action scenes with great characterisation and genuine emotion. FORTRESS FRONTIER is stronger than its predecessor and raises expectations for the next book, BREACH ZONE. The Shadow Ops series is proving to be one of my favourite series at the moment and one I highly recommend.’ — Fantastical Librarian

‘BREACH ZONE is the work of an author confidently knocking it out of the park, juggling the fate of the world with real characters with personal agendas that you actually care about. This isn’t just some superhero slugfest with all-American heroes trading blows with evil forces – at its heart it’s a love story of two people pulled apart by forces beyond their control, both trying to do the right thing no matter what the personal cost to themselves in the most horrible of circumstances. And again it’s a testament to Cole’s ability that the intimate moments are just as compelling as the man against monster encounters, if not more so… Exciting and emotional, a page-turner in every sense of the world.’ — Fantasy Faction

Here are the covers for the Shadow Ops series…

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

Cover Reveal: ROOK SONG by Naomi Foyle

Posted on Tuesday, December 30th, 2014

Here is the striking cover for Naomi Foyle‘s ROOK SONG. Due to be published by Jo Fletcher Books on February 5th, 2015, this is the sequel to the critically-acclaimed ASTRA, and the second book in the Gaia Chronicles.

Here’s the synopsis…

Astra Ordott is in exile. Evicted from Is-Land for a crime she cannot regret, she has found work in an ancient fortress in Non-Land: headquarters of the Council of New Continents, the global body charged with providing humanitarian aid to the inhabitants of this toxic refugee camp.

Recovering from a disorienting course of Memory Pacification Treatment, Astra struggles to focus on her overriding goals – to find her Code father and avenge the death of her Shelter mother, Hokma.

But can the CONC compound director, the ambiguous Major Thames, protect her from the hawk-eyed attentions of her old enemies? And who in this world of competing agendas can she trust? The deeper Astra ventures into this new world, the more she realises her true quest may be to find herself.

Here is just a small amount of the aforementioned critical acclaim…

‘This is excellent Science Fiction and I heartily recommend it … reminiscent of LeGuin.’ — Birmingham SF Group

‘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

‘I have been shocked and disturbed by some of the ideas in her books, but likewise there have been times where the touching beauty of her writing has bought me to tears. Her stories might not necessarily read like heart-pounding thrillers or page-turners, but no matter what, they always pack a powerful punch… a bold dystopian tale…I didn’t even realize how completely immersed I’d been until I reached the end, and tears started coming to my eyes while reading a scene that was particularly touching. I don’t know if that would have hit me so hard emotionally if the book hadn’t been so well-written overall… an intensely deep, complex and thought-provoking narrative of the main character’s life. It’s a beautiful story, unique and daring, which serves as a solid foundation for everything else to come.’ — Bibliosanctum

Cover Reveal: James P. Blaylock’s HOMUNCULUS in Turkish!

Posted on Monday, December 29th, 2014

Above you can see the rather excellent cover for the Turkish edition of James P. Blaylock‘s HOMUNCULUS. The first Langdon St. Ives novel, it is published in Turkey by Kassandra Yayıncılık. Aficionados will notice that it is a reworking of original Ace Books cover, published in 1986, when it also won the Philip K. Dick Award. The novel was re-issued by Titan Books in 2013, along with LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE and the never-before-published THE AYLESFORD SKULL.

Here’s the English-language synopsis for HOMUNCULUS…

It is the late 19th century and a mysterious airship orbits through the foggy skies. Its terrible secrets are sought by many, including the Royal Society, a fraudulent evangelist, a fiendish vivisectionist, an evil millionaire and an assorted group led by the scientist and explorer Professor Langdon St. Ives. Can St. Ives keep the alien homunculus out of the claws of the villainous Ignacio Narbondo?

In June 2015, Titan are due to publish the next new Langdon St. Ives novel, BENEATH LONDON. Below are the Titan covers.

Cover Reveal: Zelazny’s CHRONICLES OF AMBER in Chinese

Posted on Monday, December 22nd, 2014

Above you can see the gorgeous covers for the Chinese editions for the first five books in Roger Zelazny‘s classic fantasy series, The Chronicles of Amber. To be published by Dook in China, we think you’ll agree they’re quite striking.

The first five books in the series are NINE PRINCES IN AMBER (安珀九王子), THE GUNS OF AVALON (阿瓦隆之枪), SIGN OF THE UNICORN (独角兽之兆), THE HAND OF OBERON (奥伯龙之手), and THE COURTS OF CHAOS (混沌王庭).

Here is the English-language synopsis for the first book…

Amber, the one real world, wherein all others, including our own Earth, are but Shadows. Awakening in an Earth hospital unable to remember who he is or where he came from, Corwin is amazed to learn that he is one of the sons of Oberon, King of Amber, and is the rightful successor to the crown in a parallel world.

Amber burns in Corwin’s blood. Exiled on Shadow Earth for centuries, the prince is about to return to Amber to make a mad and desperate rush upon the throne. From Arden to the blood-slippery Stairway into the Sea, the air is electrified with the powers of Eric, Random, Bleys, Caine, and all the princes of Amber whom Corwin must overcome.

Yet, his savage path is blocked and guarded by eerie structures beyond imagining; impossible realities forged by demonic assassins and staggering horrors to challenge the might of Corwin’s superhuman fury.

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

Cover Reveal: Latvian Edition of NECESSARY EVIL by Ian Tregillis

Posted on Friday, December 19th, 2014

Above we have the Latvian edition of Ian Tregillis‘s critically-acclaimed NECESSARY EVIL. The third novel in the Milkweed Triptych, it is published in Latvia by Prometejs as NEPIECIEŠAMAIS ĻAUNUMS. Prometejs have also published the first two novels in the series: BITTER SEEDS and THE COLDEST WAR — as RŪGTĀS SĒKLAS and VUSAUKSTĀKAIS KARŠ, respectively.

The Milkweed Trilogy is published in the UK by Orbit Books. Here is the English-language synopsis for NECESSARY EVIL…

Superhumans and dark magic collide in secret supernatural history of Twentieth Century events — the final book in this landmark series

The history of the Twentieth Century has been shaped by a secret conflict between technology and magic. When a twisted Nazi scientist devised a way to imbue ordinary humans with supernatural abilities — to walk through walls, throw fire and see the future — his work became the prized possession of first the Third Reich, then the Soviet Army. Only Britain’s warlocks, and the dark magics they yield, have successfully countered the threat posed by these superhuman armies.

But for decades, this conflict has been manipulated by Gretel, the mad seer. And now her long plan has come to fruition. And with it, a danger vastly greater than anything the world has known. Now British Intelligence officer Raybould Marsh must make a last-ditch effort to change the course of history — if his nation, and those he loves, are to survive.

Below are the Latvian covers for RŪGTĀS SĒKLAS and VUSAUKSTĀKAIS KARŠ and also the UK covers…

Here’s just a small selection of the great reviews NECESSARY EVIL has received…

‘A work of art so outstanding in its complexity that is difficult to imagine how Tregillis even began to plan the series out in the first place… a dark and uncompromising journey into the depths of despair, constantly thought-provoking and always surprising. It’s a mind-blowing series that everyone should read… a great conclusion to one of the best series of recent times. As unpredictable as its predecessors, it’s a black magic thrill ride that makes you think as well as makes your heart race. Tregillis is a master at work, mixing so many genres together in his unique melting pot, until we are left with something so delightfully unlike anything else published today.’ — Fantasy Faction

‘The historic backdrop of World War Two is intricately detailed, and captures the British wartime spirit well. A suitably epic end to the magnificent Milkweed Triptych (aka trilogy!), this draws you in and keeps you glued to the page until the very end.’ — British Fantasy Society

‘The masterful conclusion… In the final book in Tregillis’s awesome Milkweed Triptych, superhumans and dark magic collide once again in a secret, supernatural history of early Twentieth Century. A series that has consistently impressed me, and improved with each book, NECESSARY EVIL brings the story to a close with aplomb… Gretel is an absolutely fascinating character, and one of my favourites in any book or series: she is both star and villain; Machiavellian in the extreme and ultimately tragic… Ultimately, Tregillis brings the novel and series to a brilliant close. The ending of NECESSARY EVIL is heart-wrenching… but it feels right, given what’s come before. The Milkweed Triptych is one of my all-time favourite series. It is a must-read. Very highly recommended.’ — Civilian Reader

‘[The] Milkweed Triptych is one of the most enjoyable and clever series on the market right now… one of the best novels I’ve read… If you like Science Fiction, this is the series for you. If you like Alternate History, this is the series for you. If you like Urban Fantasy, yes, this series is also for you. If you just like well-written novels with well-made characters and an expertly crafted story, then this series is for you. NECESSARY EVIL is the perfect conclusion to what is now one of my favorite series ever.’ — Elitist Book Reviews

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

Cover Reveal: Ian McDonald’s BRASYL comes to Poland

Posted on Wednesday, December 17th, 2014

Above is the Polish cover for Ian McDonald‘s critically-acclaimed novel BRASYL. Due to be published by MAG on February 4th, 2015, here’s the English-language synopsis…

A story that begins in the favelas, the slums of Rio, and quickly expands to take in drugs, corruption, and a frightening new technology that allows access to all the multiple worlds that have slipped into existence in other planes every time we make a decision.

Think Bladerunner in the tropics…

Be seduced, amazed, and shocked by one of the world’s greatest and strangest nations. Past, present, and future Brazil, with all its color, passion, and shifting realities, come together in a novel that is part SF, part history, part mystery, and entirely enthralling.

Three separate stories follow three main characters:

Edson is a self-made talent impresario one step up from the slums in a near future São Paulo of astonishing riches and poverty. A chance encounter draws Edson into the dangerous world of illegal quantum computing, but where can you run in a total surveillance society where every move, face, and centavo is constantly tracked?

Marcelina is an ambitious Rio TV producer looking for that big reality TV hit to make her name. When her hot idea leads her on the track of a disgraced World Cup soccer goalkeeper, she becomes enmeshed in an ancient conspiracy that threatens not just her life, but her very soul.

Father Luis is a Jesuit missionary sent into the maelstrom of 18th-century Brazil to locate and punish a rogue priest who has strayed beyond the articles of his faith and set up a vast empire in the hinterland. In the company of a French geographer and spy, what he finds in the backwaters of the Amazon tries both his faith and the nature of reality itself to the breaking point.

Three characters, three stories, three Brazils, all linked together across time, space, and reality in a hugely ambitious story that will challenge the way you think about everything.

BRASYL has been widely published in translation. It is published in the UK by Gollancz, and in the US by Pyr Books (covers below).

‘BRASYL is classic McDonald: a deep thinking, high-paced adventure story, exploring the quantum universe, combining sassy, believable characters with a captivating delight in language and storytelling. McDonald inhabits the Brazil – or rather, the Brazils – of this world and sweeps you along as no other writer in the field could manage.’ — Guardian

‘British author McDonald’s outstanding SF novel channels the vitality of South America’s largest country into an edgy, post-cyberpunk free-for-all… RIVER OF GODS (2004), set in near-future India, established McDonald as a leading writer of intelligent, multicultural SF, and here he captures Latin America’s mingled despair and hope. Chaotic, heartbreaking and joyous, this must-read teeters on the edge of melodrama, but somehow keeps its precarious balance.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘A beautiful story, one that cries out to be read again and again. McDonald’s light is still shining brightly, and considering the consistent quality of his titles, we say long may it burn.’ — SciFi Now

Cover Reveal: TAMARUQ by E.J. Swift

Posted on Monday, December 15th, 2014

Today we share with you the cover for TAMARUQ, the highly-anticipated third novel in E.J. Swift‘s Osiris Project series. The novel is due to be published in the UK by Del Rey on January 29th, 2015. Here’s the synopsis…

Fleeing from her family and the elitist oppression of the Osiris government, Adelaide Rechnov has become the thing she once feared, a revolutionary.

But with the discovery of a radio signal comes the stark realization that there is life outside their small island existence. Adelaide’s worries are about to become much bigger.

Meanwhile, as rumour spreads on the mainland, many head to the lost city of Osiris with their own devious objectives. But in a world where war is king and only the most powerful survive, there can only be one victor…

TAMARUQ follows the critically-acclaimed OSIRIS and CATAVEIRO, both also published by Del Rey. Here’s just a small sample of reviews the novels have received…

‘Marvelously well done. A glittering first novel: a kind of flooded Gormenghast treated with the alienated polish of DeLillo’s Cosmopolis. The result is a gripping novel, beautiful, politically engaged and wholly accomplished. Swift is a ridiculously talented writer… the fact that it’s her first novel is belied by how accomplished and well-written it is.’ — Adam Roberts on OSIRIS

‘A fantastic blend of world-building, excellent storytelling and complex characters… An engrossing story from start to finish… OSIRIS would still be good if all it had was world-building, but it offers so much more by way of plot and storytelling. The thrust of the narrative is the motivation of the characters… forces readers to ask themselves what it would take to spur them to action. Now combine this with the other interesting elements of the book like political intrigue, subterfuge, the way the story is told from alternating viewpoints… and you can see why OSIRIS shines. It’s that kind of impressive storytelling that makes OSIRIS hard to put down, and when you have to put it down, something that you remain eager to pick up again.’ — SF Signal on OSIRIS

‘A very good follow up, improving on the first in pretty much every way… Another beautifully-written novel… CATAVEIRO – and OSIRIS – might not be for all sci-fi fans, but there’s no doubt that Swift is a very talented writer, who is honing her craft wonderfully (in these two novels and also her shorter fiction)… Definitely an author to watch. If you enjoy beautifully-written, literary science fiction, with less focus on being an action-packed blockbuster, then The Osiris Project is a must read.’ — Civilian Reader

‘The soulful latest instalment in The Osiris Project and a superior sequel… new lead characters, a fresh story and some real action… CATAVEIRO has a soulful, lonely quality as Taeo and Ramona embark on their solitary missions, haunted by memories of the past and visions of what lies ahead… Their imperfections keep them grounded and likeable, preventing EJ Swift from slipping into predictable and clichéd characterisation… as dystopian fiction goes it is an intriguing world to get lost in.’ — SciFiNow

Out Now: Simon R. Green’s SECRET HISTORIES Series

Posted on Thursday, December 11th, 2014

Simon R. Green‘s Secret Histories urban fantasy series is out today in eBook in the UK! Published by Jo Fletcher Books, all seven books are now available: THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN TORC, DAEMONS ARE FOREVER, THE SPY WHO HAUNTED ME, FROM HELL WITH LOVE, FOR HEAVEN’S EYES ONLY, LIVE AND LET DROOD and CASINO INFERNALE.

Here’s the synopsis for the first book…

For ages, Eddie Drood and his family have kept humanity safe from the things that go bump in the night. But now one of his own has convinced the rest of the family that Eddie’s become a menace, and that humanity needs to be protected from him. So he’s on the run, using every trick in the book, magical and otherwise, hoping he lives long enough to prove his innocence…

Jo Fletcher Books also published Simon’s Nightside series in eBook, earlier this year.

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

Cover Reveal: Ian R. MacLeod’s WAKE UP AND DREAM in Poland

Posted on Wednesday, December 10th, 2014

Above is the cover for the Polish edition of Ian R. MacLeod‘s WAKE UP AND DREAM. Due to be published by MAG in February 2015, the book also includes BREATHMOSS AND OTHER EXHALATIONS, a series of short stories. Here is the synopsis…

Winner of the Sidewise Award for Alternate History: Nineteen-forties Hollywood is dazzlingly transformed and recreated in this alternate history fantasy noir about former screen actor-turned-private eye Clark Gable who investigates a deadly conspiracy in a neo-fascist Tinsel Town

In a different 1940, with Europe in flames and an anti-Semitic America creeping towards fascism, movie making has been revolutionized: A wondrous technological advancement made possible by the discovery of the Bechmeir field now transmits actors’ emotions directly into the minds of the audience — effectively ending the acting career of a cynical loner named Clark Gable. No longer a handsome screen idol, Clark now makes his living as an unlicensed matrimonial private eye. When gorgeous April Lamotte contacts the low-rent gumshoe, he sees a golden opportunity to make some quick and easy cash. All he has to do is impersonate April’s wealthy,reclusive screenwriter husband, sign a contract for a new biopic, and then slip back into the shadows. But when someone tries to assassinate Clark and pass it off as a suicide, he realizes he’s gotten too deep into something deadly. And as more and more of the Hollywood elite start turning up dead, Clark must race to uncover the shocking truth behind the Bechmeir field’s origins, and expose a terrible secret that someone’s all too willing to kill for.

WAKE UP AND DREAM is published in eBook by Open Road Media and in print by PS Publishing.

Coming Soon: RIVERS OF LONDON – BODY WORK!

Posted on Tuesday, December 9th, 2014

Ben Aaronovitch‘s Peter Grant series has been a huge success, and only becomes more popular with the release of each new novel. FOXGLOVE SUMMER, the fifth book, was released last month in the UK by Gollancz, and will be published in the US by DAW Books in January. The series has also been optioned for television.

Today, we share with you the cover for the first graphic novel set in the RIVERS OF LONDON universe, BODY WORK! Adapted for the medium by Ben himself and Andrew Cartmel, the book will be published by Titan Comics in 2015. Details are still a little thin on the ground, but we’ll be sure to share them with you as soon as we have them.

The Peter Grant series includes: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES and FOXGLOVE SUMMER. Ben is currently at work on the next book in the series.

Charlie Human’s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW in Italian!

Posted on Monday, December 1st, 2014

Charlie Human‘s critically-acclaimed debut novel, APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, has been translated into Italian and published by Gargoyle. The cover, above, is wonderfully creepy and matches the mood of the UK and South African covers rather nicely (below).

In case you’ve missed the series, here’s the novel’s synopsis…

I love the smell of parallel dimensions in the morning

Baxter Zevcenko’s life is pretty sweet. As the 16-year-old kingpin of the Spider, his smut-peddling schoolyard syndicate, he’s making a name for himself as an up-and-coming entrepreneur. Profits are on the rise, the other gangs are staying out of his business, and he’s going out with Esme, the girl of his dreams.

But when Esme gets kidnapped, and all the clues point towards strange forces at work, things start to get seriously weird. The only man drunk enough to help is a bearded, booze-soaked, supernatural bounty hunter that goes by the name of Jackson ‘Jackie’ Ronin.

Plunged into the increasingly bizarre landscape of Cape Town’s supernatural underworld, Baxter and Ronin team up to save Esme. On a journey that takes them through the realms of impossibility, they must face every conceivable nightmare to get her back, including the odd brush with the Apocalypse.

APOCALYPSE NOW NOW and the sequel, KILL BAXTER, are published in the UK by Century and in South Africa by Random Struik. Here is just a small amount of the praise the novel has received…

‘It’s mad, dark, irreverent and wonderfully twisted in all the right ways.’ — Lauren Beukes (author of The Shining Girls)

‘A riot – a firebomb of a novel, exploding with sick humour, violence and depravity… it’s never less than very funny, and the ongoing question of Baxter’s sanity adds a degree of mystery. There’s warmth here, too – you’ll likely feel sympathy for Bax by the end.’ — SFX Magazine

‘A bowl of fireworks… It has porn-peddling adolescents, ginger bearded monk ninjas, killer crows and zombie-filled sex dungeons ruled over by parasitic mega-spiders. What’s not to love!?!’ — J For Jetpack

‘Breakneck pace and mad imagination… APOCALYPSE NOW NOW [is] such an addictive experience. As one of an associate of Ronin’s remarks: “There’s no pause button, you understand? … Once it starts you have to see it through.” All too true!’ — Tor.com

Cover Reveal: GLORIOUS ANGELS by Justina Robson (Gollancz)

Posted on Monday, November 17th, 2014

Today we share the cover for Justina Robson‘s upcoming new science fiction novel, THE GLORIOUS ANGELS! Due to be published by Gollancz in the UK, in March 2015, it is a major new novel from the Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author, and a major event for next year’s sci-fi calendar. Here’s the synopsis, for what promises to be an exciting and philosophical novel…

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 are just a selection of the reviews Justina’s past work has received…

‘It’s good. It’s really very good indeed. I loved it.’ — Peter F. Hamilton on the Quantum Gravity series

‘Robson’s supreme strength as a writer of science fiction has always been her ability to create characters whose point of view offers a new perspective on the world in which they exist and act.’ — Strange Horizons

‘A novelist of real vision.’ — Zadie Smith

‘SILVER SCREEN and MAPPA MUNDI showed intelligence, grace and a lively but humane imagination. Robson’s considerable sense of humour lay in ambush, backed up by a postfeminist tendency to look the problem straight in the eye. Combined with a clean, powerful narrative drive and a cosmological sensibility, this clarity of vision now demonstrates itself as her major asset, making her one of the very best of the new British hard SF writers. But it proves her identity too, moving her on, like the Forged themselves, into a space of her own choosing.’ — Guardian

‘Life is anything but real in this entertaining fusion of SF and fantasy spiced with sex, rockin’ elves and drunk faeries… Deft prose helps the reader accept what in lesser hands would be merely absurd.’ — Publishers Weekly on KEEPING IT REAL

‘What Robson has constructed with LIVING NEXT DOOR TO THE GOD OF LOVE is nothing short of a modern-day fairy tale, except she doesn’t need to hide behind predatory wolves and little girls in blood-red garments to convey what’s truly at stake. Her story could not be told without technology, but it is not a story about technology. It is a story about people, whose behavior cannot be so easily predicted, whose defects cannot be so easily repaired and whose functions and purposes in the universe have yet to be determined.’ — New York Times

Hungarian Cover Reveal: BRASYL by Ian McDonald

Posted on Wednesday, November 5th, 2014

Ian McDonald‘s critically-acclaimed BRASYL has conquered another territory, and is out now in Hungary! Published by Ad Astra, and Gollancz in the UK, here’s the (English) synopsis…

This is rich, epic SF that opens our eyes to the world around us and posits mind-blowing alternative sciences. It is a landmark work in modern SF from one of its most respected practitioners.

Here’s just a small selection of the great reviews BRASYL has received…

‘… outstanding SF novel channels the vitality of South America’s largest country into an edgy, post-cyberpunk free-for-all… a leading writer of intelligent, multicultural SF, and here he captures Latin America’s mingled despair and hope. Chaotic, heartbreaking and joyous, this must-read teeters on the edge of melodrama, but somehow keeps its precarious balance.’ — Publishers Weekly

Ian McDonald is also the author of a number of other critically-acclaimed and multi-award-winning sci-fi novels, including RIVER OF GODS, CYBERABAD DAYS and THE DERVISH HOUSE — all available in the UK published by Gollancz. His YA sci-fi series, Everness, is also available in the UK published by Jo Fletcher Books.

Cover Reveal: Freda Warrington’s THE DARK ARTS OF BLOOD

Posted on Thursday, October 30th, 2014

We can now share with you the cover for the fourth novel in Freda Warrington‘s critically-acclaimed Blood Wine series, THE DARK ARTS OF BLOOD. Due to be published by Titan Books, it follows the reissued editions of the first three novels in the series.

The novel is due to be published in May 2015. Here’s an early synopsis…

In the turmoil and glamour of 1920s Europe, vampires Karl, Charlotte and Violette face threats to their very existence. Fiery, handsome dancer Emil achieves his dream to partner the legendary ballerina Violette Lenoir until his forbidden desire for her becomes an obsession. Rejected, spiralling towards madness, he seeks solace with a mysterious beauty, a vampire with a hidden agenda.

The Blood Wine series also includes A TASTE OF BLOOD WINE, A DANCE IN BLOOD VELVET and THE DARK BLOOD OF POPPIES. All three are published in the UK and US by Titan Books.

Here’s just a small selection of the praise the series has received thus far…

‘A tale which throbs with lush romanticism.’ — The Times on A TASTE OF BLOOD WINE

‘… a really, really splendid read… It’s a story that plays out over cups of tea and glasses of brandy in the drawing rooms of chic London townhouses and glittering stately homes, and here again Warrington shows her writer’s chops, layering in exquisite period detail. Sometimes the effect is playfully satirical… lusciously picturesque… like a cross between Anne Rice and Kim Newman… not to be missed.’ — Starburst on A TASTE OF BLOOD WINE

‘The story neatly and scrupulously takes up the most important loose ends left dangling by the earlier volume, and moves with measured vigour towards a hectically extended climax, building a remarkable crescendo of action and emotion… amply fulfils the promise of its predecessor, and there is no doubt that the series will become one of the literary monuments of the nascent genre to which it belongs.’ — Interzone on A DANCE IN BLOOD VELVET

‘A gorgeous grave-throbber.’ — Time Out on THE DARK BLOOD OF POPPIES

Cover Reveal: FIREFIGHT by Brandon Sanderson (UK)

Posted on Monday, October 27th, 2014

Today, we share with you the UK cover for Brandon Sanderson‘s upcoming second Reckoners novel, FIREFIGHT. We think you’ll agree that Gollancz have commissioned yet another excellent piece. The novel is the hotly-anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestselling STEELHEART, and is due to be published on January 8th, 2015. Here’s the synopsis…

They told David it was impossible – that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet, Steelheart – invincible, immortal, unconquerable – is dead. And he died by David’s hand.

Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead, it only made David realise he has questions. Big ones. And there’s no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs.

Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic, Regalia, David is sure Babylon Restored will lead him to what he needs to find. And while entering another city oppressed by a High Epic despot is a gamble, David’s willing to risk it. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David’s heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic – Firefight. And he’s willing to go on a quest darker, and more dangerous even, than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.

STEELHEART is out now in the UK, and a MITOSIS, a short story set in the same universe, is due to be published later this month, also by Gollancz.

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