Upcoming UK Book Tour for Ben Aaronovitch’s STONE & SKY! [Updated]


In July, Ben Aaronovitch will embark on a UK book tour to mark the release of STONE & SKY, the tenth novel in his internationally-bestselling and widely-acclaimed Rivers of London series! Dates are in the above graphic, and you can buy tickets and find more details by visiting the tour’s website.

[Update: Due to popular demand, the July 3rd event’s venue has been moved to the French Protestant Church of London.]

The novel is due to be published by Gollancz/Orion in the UK (July 3rd) and DAW Books in North America (July 8th). Here’s the synopsis…

‘This isn’t London. The rules are different up here, and so are the allegiances.’

Detective Sergeant Peter Grant takes a much-needed holiday up in Scotland. And he’ll need one when this is over…

If more’s the merrier, then it’s ecstatic as his partner Beverley, their young twins, his mum, dad, his dad’s band and their dodgy manager all tag along. Even his boss, DCI Thomas Nightingale, takes in the coastal airs as he trains Peter’s cousin Abigail in the arcane arts.

And they’ll need them too, because Scotland’s Granite City has more than its fair share of history and mystery, myth … and murder.

When a body is found in a bus stop, fresh from the sea, the case smells fishy from the off.

Something may be stirring beyond the bay – but there’s something far stranger in the sky…

ICYMI: Narrators Announced for J.R. Dawson’s THE LIGHTHOUSE AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD!


In case you missed the news, we wanted to share the narrators for J.R. Dawson‘s highly-anticipated next novel, THE LIGHTHOUSE AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD have been announced!

The novel will be read by Mara Wilson and Lindsey Dorcus!

The novel is due to be published by Macmillan Audio in the UK and North America; print and eBook editions will be published by Tor Books in both. Here’s the synopsis…

Love doesn’t die; people do…

At the edge of Chicago, nestled on the shores of Lake Michigan, is a waystation for the dead. Every night, the newly departed travel through the city to the Station, guided by its lighthouse. There, they reckon with their lives before stepping aboard a boat to go beyond.

Nera has spent decades watching her father – the ferryman of the dead – sail across the lake, every night just like the last.

But tonight something is wrong.

The Station’s lighthouse has started to flicker out. The terrifying, ghostly Haunts have multiplied in the city. And now a person – a living person – has found her way onto the boat.

Her name is Charlie. She followed a song. And she is searching for someone she lost.

A devastating story of magic, family and those who leave us – but who might not remain lost.

Here are a few early responses to the novel…

‘Greek myth, Jewish tradition, and slow-burning queer romance gracefully intertwine in this melancholy treasure from Dawson… the carefully crafted story doubles as an emotional love letter to Chicago and to life itself. The result is immersive, bittersweet, and wonderfully original.’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

‘Moving and tense… A grim, authentic exploration of death for those who appreciate mythology-infused fantasy, such as Samantha Sotto Yambao’s Water Moon or Joanne M. Harris’s Orfeia.’ — Library Journal

‘An earnest, heartfelt read set in a moody, otherworldly Chicago steeped in loss and history.’ — Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When Among Crows

‘Gorgeous, lyrical, heartfelt, and true in all the ways that matter! This is an achingly beautiful book that is as much about life as it is about death. Haunting and healing and highly recommended!’ — Sarah Beth DurstNew York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop

‘In the deft hands of J.R. Dawson, death is merely a transition point. THE LIGHTHOUSE AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD is a poignant story of love and grief, memory and myth, and what it truly means to be alive.’ — Rita Woods, award-winning author of The Edge of Yesterday

‘A poignant novel about seeing the dead, and the business of getting them to where they need to go. But more, it’s a novel for people who feel confused and lost, and who need to learn it isn’t their fault. That it takes more than light to face all kinds of darkness.’ — John Wiswell, Nebula Award-winning author of Someone You Can Build a Nest In

‘In turns heartbreaking, haunting, and hopeful, THE LIGHTHOUSE AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD is a powerful novel about the memories that can break a spirit and the love that can heal it again. It’s a moving reminder that after great loss, it’s still possible to find love, joy, and light when lost in grief’s darkness.’ — Heather WebberUSA Today bestselling author of Midnight at the Blackbird Café

‘THE LIGHTHOUSE AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD is a stunning story focused around grief, life, and death, and I couldn’t be more impressed with how these tough topics are handled. For a book about death, it’s so full of life and love! Nera and Charlie have fantastic chemistry, and the mysteries of this book pull you into a web of curiosity tempered only by the Big Questions: why are we here, and what happens to us next? This book made me laugh, cry, and laugh some more. Absolutely one of my favorite reads this year!’ — Rebecca ThorneUSA Today bestselling author of Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea

Next Week: Grady Hendrix’s WITCHCRAFT FOR WAYWARD GIRLS UK Book Tour!


Next week, Grady Hendrix will embark on a UK book tour, celebrating the release of his latest horror masterpiece, WITCHCRAFT FOR WAYWARD GIRLS! The details are in the image above, below, and also on the author’s website.

  • Sunday, April 27th — Mr B.’s Emporium, Bath — 7pm (SOLD OUT).
  • Tuesday, April 29th — Phoenix Arts Club, London — 5:30pm.
  • Wednesday, April 30th — Waterstones Cambridge — 6pm
  • Thursday, May 1st — Sevenoaks Bookshop — 7pm
  • Friday, May 2nd — Waterstones Liverpool — 6:30pm
  • Saturday, May 3rd — Waterstones Birmingham — 6:30pm
  • Sunday, May 4th — Waterstones Nottingham — 2pm
  • Tuesday, May 6th — Argonaut Books, Edinburgh — 7pm
  • Wednesday, May 7th — Topping & Company Booksellers, St. Andrews — 7:30pm
  • Friday, May 9th — Waterstones, Cardiff — 7pm.

The novel is published in the UK by Tor Nightfire, and is out now. Here’s the synopsis…

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

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. There, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to keep her baby and escape to a commune. Zinnia, a budding musician who plans to marry her baby’s father. And Holly, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Every moment of their waking day is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid… and it’s usually paid in blood.

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

ICYMI: Megan Chee’s THE GOD OF MINOR TROUBLES on It’s Storytime w. Wil Wheaton!


In case you missed it, THE GOD OF MINOR TROUBLES by Megan Chee is the latest story featured on It’s Storytime with Wil Wheaton! This is a new, weekly podcast launched by Wheaton, ‘featuring stories that Wil loves, pulled from the pages of Uncanny, Lightspeed, On Spec, and others. You’re going to meet authors you don’t yet know you love, including some who are being narrated for the very first time. Listeners will travel through time, meet some gods, watch people fall in and out of love, and more, brought to life by Wil’s remarkable narrative voice.’

Readers can subscribe to the podcast via most podcast services.

Congrats, Megan, for being the fourth story read on the podcast!

New World SF Bundle Launched!


In case you missed it over the weekend, Lavie Tidhar has curated and launched a new World SF Bundle! Available via StoryBundle, here’s Tidhar’s announcement…

Join me for a trip around the world, from China to Nigeria, Luxembourg to the outer reaches of space. Hello – and welcome to the eighth annual World SF bundle! Can you believe we’re still here?

Things are definitely looking bleak everywhere you turn, which is why literature matters more than ever. What better way is there to reach across languages and cultures then to experience the stories people tell? The language of science fiction and fantasy is universal, and here I tried to bring together a group of remarkable writers from all corners of the world. 

The books included in the bundle include…

  • THE SIEGE OF BURNING GRASS by Premee Mohamed
  • JACKAL, JACKAL: TALES OF THE DARK AND FANTASTIC by Tobi Ogundiran
  • BREAKABLE THINGS by Cassandra Khaw
  • ECOLUTION: SOLARPUNK NARRATIVES TO TRANSFORM REALITY by Francesco Verso
  • THE PLEASURES OF DOWNING by Jean Bürlesk
  • THE GOOD SOLDIER by Nir Yaniv
  • THE ESCAPEMENT by Lavie Tidhar
  • THE GOLEM OF DENE SEVEN by Alex Shvartsman
  • THE BRIGHT MIRROR: WOMEN OF GLOBAL SOLARPUNK
  • SINOPHAGIA: A CELEBRATION OF CHINESE HORROR

The Bundle is available for a few more weeks.

STONE & SKY Narrators Announced!


In case you missed the news over the weekend, Orion has unveiled the narrators for STONE & SKY, the next Rivers of London novel by Ben Aaronovitch! We’re very happy to report that Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is returning once again, and he’ll be joined by Shvorne Marks!

The novel is due to be published on July 3rd, by Orion/Gollancz. Here’s the synopsis…

‘This isn’t London. The rules are different up here, and so are the allegiances.’

Detective Sergeant Peter Grant takes a much-needed holiday up in Scotland. And he’ll need one when this is over…

If more’s the merrier, then it’s ecstatic as his partner Beverley, their young twins, his mum, dad, his dad’s band and their dodgy manager all tag along. Even his boss, DCI Thomas Nightingale, takes in the coastal airs as he trains Peter’s cousin Abigail in the arcane arts.

And they’ll need them too, because Scotland’s Granite City has more than its fair share of history and mystery, myth … and murder.

When a body is found in a bus stop, fresh from the sea, the case smells fishy from the off.

Something may be stirring beyond the bay – but there’s something far stranger in the sky…

ICYMI: Two New RIVERS OF LONDON RPG Modules Out Now!


In case you missed it, Chaosium has published two more modules for their Rivers of London roleplaying game! Based on the series by Ben Aaronovitch, THE FONT OF ALL EVIL and JIMMY’S LAST DANCE are out now!

Here’s the synopsis for THE FONT OF ALL EVIL, written by Paul Baldowski and Lynne Hardy…

Thursday 19th May, 2016: you have been called in to investigate a gruesome murder scene in Ealing, West London.

The local police were so concerned by the odd nature of the victim’s injuries that they called in the Folly to investigate. But how did the victim die? Why does their home look like a hoarder’s nest? Most importantly: why would somebody want them dead?

… and for JIMMY’S LAST DANCE, written by Adam Gauntlett, Paul Fricker, Lynne Hardy

Summer, 2016: you have been called in to investigate a violent assault at an address in Putney, Southwest London.

The person of interest was described by an eyewitness as “something straight out of one of those pirate films.”

Can the investigators track him down before he strikes again?

The Rivers of London novels and novellas are published in the UK by Gollancz. The novels are published in North America by JABberwocky (1-3), and DAW Books (4-), and the novellas are published by Subterranean Press.

The next book in the series is the eleventh novel, STONE AND SKY, due to be published by Orion and DAW Books, in July 2025 (cover reveal soon!).

ICYMI: Ben Aaronovitch’s RIVERS OF LONDON is on sale in the UK!


As you may have seen, the tenth novel in Ben Aaronovitch‘s Rivers of London series — STONE & SKY — is due to be published this year. If you’ve never tried this best-selling, widely-acclaimed series, readers in the UK can get the eBook of the first book, RIVERS OF LONDON for just 99p! Available from Kobo and Kindle at this price, it’s published by Gollancz. Here’s the synopsis…

My name is Peter Grant, and I used to be a probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service, and to everyone else as the Filth.

My story really begins when I tried to take a witness statement from a man who was already dead…

Probationary Constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. After taking a statement from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost, Peter comes to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates crimes involving magic and other manifestations of the uncanny.

Suddenly, as a wave of brutal and bizarre murders engulfs the city, Peter is plunged into a world where gods and goddesses mingle with mortals and a long-dead evil is making a comeback on a rising tide of magic.

Here’s just a small selection of the aforementioned acclaim the novel has received…

‘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

‘Charming, witty, exciting’The Independent

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

‘In this fast-paced paranormal police procedural, Aaronovitch introduces Peter Grant, a rookie cop who can see ghosts… witty, fun, and full of vivid characters, and the plot twists will keep even seasoned mystery fans guessing.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘… thoroughly entertaining… An engaging (if occasionally violent) mix of magic and police procedural, this is a great kick-off to a very promising series, as well as the most satisfying fantasy thriller to hit bookshelves in quite some time.’ — SFX

‘… sweet relief for readers allergic to cliché.’ — Locus

‘RIVERS OF LONDON is a classic British police procedural blended with a unique twist of urban fantasy in so far as it replaces the expected testosterone with intelligence and the angst with wit… Deep down, amidst the murder and the mayhem, the anarchy and the supernatural, Aaronovitch has written a love letter to the wonder of London, reminding us of the magic that lives there, all the while warning us to keep an eye out for its nasty side.’ — Fantasy Faction

‘Highly recommended… Very nicely done. The books are police procedurals set in a London where magical creatures exist and are known to the police but hidden from the public, with a wisecracking, apprentice magician police officer as the hero. But, of course, the trick in all these things is in the execution, and I found these to have been executed very well… I gave it a try, and I’m glad I did.’ — Washington Post

The entire series has been published in the UK by Gollancz/Orion — nine novels, and a handful of novellas to date, with book 10 out in July. The series has been published widely in translation (see Ben’s page for more details.)

Alice Bell’s DISPLEASURE ISLAND is On Sale in the UK!


Just a quick note to draw your attention to the fact that DISPLEASURE ISLAND by Alice Bell is on sale at the moment in the UK: for the rest of the year, the Kindle edition is dicounted to £2.19! A must for fans of mysteries with a supernatural edge, it’s published by Corvus Books. Here’s the synopsis…

Group holidays are always murder…

An unfinished wellness retreat was not Claire’s first choice of holiday destination, but it turns out that amateur murder investigation pays even less well than professional mediumship.

So Claire, her oldest friend Sophie (a 17-year-old ghost) and their new friends, Basher and Alex, head for Spike Island (off the coast of Ireland) for some R&R.

But when one of the other guests turns up dead, Claire finds herself the chief suspect.

Can she solve the murder, clear her name and escape the group holiday from hell before it becomes permanent incarceration?

The first book in the series, GRAVE EXPECTATIONS, is also available via Corvus Books in the UK.

Both books are published in North America by Vintage Books, and out now.

Happy Holidays from Zeno Agency!


Wishing you all a very Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

We hope 2025 is a year of many excellent books.

Lavie Tidhar’s MAROR is a Best of 2024 in Germany!


We’re very happy to report that the German edition of Lavie Tidhar‘s internationally-acclaimed MAROR has been selected as “Der beste Krimi des Jahres” by Deutschlandfunk Kultur! The stand-alone novel is published in Germany by Suhrkamp, and was translated by Conny Lösch. Here’s the synopsis…

Eine Autobombe in den Seitenstraßen von Tel Aviv. Ein Diamantenraub in Haifa. Bürgerkrieg im Libanon. Rebellenkämpfer im kolumbianischen Dschungel. Ein Doppelmord in Los Angeles.

Wie hängt all dies zusammen? Das weiß nur Cohen, ein Mann, der sein Land liebt. Ein vernünftiger Mann für unvernünftige Zeiten.

Maror ist die Geschichte eines Krieges um die Seele eines Landes ‒ es ist eine wahre Geschichte. All diese Dinge sind passiert.

The novel is published in the UK and North America by Apollo/Head of Zeus. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

How do you build a nation?

It takes statesmen and soldiers, farmers and factory workers, of course. But it also takes thieves, prostitutes and policemen.

Nation-building demands sacrifice. And one man knows exactly where those bodies are buried: Cohen, a man who loves his country. A reasonable man for unreasonable times.

A car bomb in the back streets of Tel Aviv. A diamond robbery in Haifa. Civil war in Lebanon. Rebel fighters in the Colombian jungle. A double murder in Los Angeles.

How do they all connect? Only Cohen knows.

Maror is the story of a war for a country’s soul – a dazzling spread of narrative gunshots across four decades and three continents.

It is a true story. All of these things happened.

The BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST Audiobook is on Sale this week(end)!


Travis Baldree‘s second novel, the best-selling and acclaimed BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST is on sale this week in the UK! It is included in Libro.fm’s Shop Small audiobook sale that started yesterday, and continues until December 2nd. The novel is the prequel to the acclaimed, internationally best-selling, and Book-Tok sensation LEGENDS & LATTES. Here’s the synopsis…

First loves. Second-hand books. Epic adventures.

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

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

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

Set twenty years before the events of Legends & Lattes, Bookshops & Bonedust is a standalone cosy fantasy by BookTok sensation Travis Baldree about the power of good bookshops, great friends and the unexpected choices along the way.

Narrated by the author, the audiobook is published in the UK by Macmillan — the paperback and eBook editions are published by Tor Books.

BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST Wraithmarked Kickstarter: One Week Left!


You may have seen that there’s a Kickstarter running to create a deluxe edition of BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST by Travis Baldree. Well, there’s one week left to get involved! Full details over on the relevant Kickstarter page, but here are some mock-ups of the physical book…

Here’s the novel’s synopsis…

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

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

What’s a thwarted soldier of fortune to do?

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

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

Wraithmarked also created an acclaimed deluxe of Travis’s debut, LEGENDS & LATTES.

BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST and LEGENDS & LATTES are also available in print and eBook, published by Tor Books in North America and in the UK.

Upcoming Catelyn Wilson Event at Waterstones Leeds!


On October 28th, Waterstones in Leeds will be ‘hosting a spooky panel’ with Catelyn Wilson!

Catelyn will be joining Frances White, Sarah Pinborough, and Sunyi Davis for a discussion about their novels and more!

This is a ticketed event, so be sure to book as soon as you can! Full details, etc., here.

ALL THE DEVILS is published in the UK by Michael Joseph Books. Here’s what Waterstones has to say about the book…

A deliciously macabre slice of dark academia set at the sinister Ravenswood Academy, All the Devils sees a plethora of deadly lies, cover-ups and ancient magic conspire to thwart Andy’s investigation into her sister’s mysterious demise.

And the official synopsis is as follows…

STEP INSIDE THE DARK ACADEMIA NOVEL WHICH HAS EVERYONE TALKING THIS SPOOKY SEASON

Hell is empty and all the devils are at Ravenswood Academy…

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

Is Violet alive?

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

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

Something much darker is at play.

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

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

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

‘A deliciously dark and atmospheric read. I tore through this gothic tale of a sister’s love and the monsters she will face to unearth the shocking truth.’ — Frances White

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

Zeno Titles on the Frankfurt Book Fair Hot List!


Just a very quick post to draw your attention to the Zeno client titles that were included in The Bookseller’s Frankfurt Book Fair hotlist!

Represented by John Berlyne

  • SIX LIVES by Lavie Tidhar (published in the UK by AdAstra/Head Of Zeus)

“A grand tour” of six lives, connected through blood and history, each “rooted in the dirt of their inheritance”.

Represented by Stevie Finegan

Queer, gothic fantasy (“perfect for fans of The Atlas Six”) in which four young Arcanists plot to overthrow the crown, while contending with the daily apocalypse, undead nuns and their obsessive love-hate relationship.

Sri Lankan-inspired swords and sorcery fantasy where a duo aim to set the world to rights, one a disgraced Paladin and the other is stuck in the form of a talking cat.

Male/male romance, which begins when a child joins his class in the middle of the year and teacher Marvin can’t help but notice a very hot dad.

Represented by Bianca Gillam

“‘Bridgerton’ meets Fourth Wing” story that tells of a witch, cursed to kill the man she marries, being matched with a suitor she hates. But what happens when she begins to fall for him?