Gemmell Award Long-List Voting Closes Tomorrow


Voting on the Gemmell Award long-lists ends tomorrow! As we reported when they were first announced, a number of Zeno clients are nominated. Specifically…

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Aliette de Bodard‘s THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS

A superb murder mystery, on an epic scale, set against the fall out — literally — of a war in heaven

Paris in the aftermath of the Great Magicians War. Its streets are lined with haunted ruins, Notre-Dame is a burnt-out shell, and the Seine runs black, thick with ashes and rubble. Yet life continues among the wreckage. The citizens retain their irrepressible appetite for novelty and distraction, and The Great Houses still vie for dominion over France’s once grand capital.

House Silverspires, previously the leader of those power games, now lies in disarray. Its magic is ailing; its founder, Morningstar, has been missing for decades; and now something from the shadows stalks its people inside their very own walls.

Within the House, three very different people must come together: a naive but powerful Fallen, an alchemist with a self-destructive addiction, and a resentful young man wielding spells from the Far East. They may be Silverspires’ salvation; or the architects of its last, irreversible fall…

The first novel in the Dominion of the Fallen series, THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS is published by Gollancz in the UK and Roc Books in the US.

BrettPV-DC4-SkullThroneUKPBPeter V. Brett‘s THE SKULL THRONE

Built from the skulls of fallen generals and demon princes, the Skull Throne of Krasia is a seat of honour and powerful magic that keeps the demon corelings at bay.

From atop it, Ahmann Jardir was meant to conquer the known world, forging a unified army to end the demon war once and for all.

Arlen Bales, the Painted Man, stood against this course, challenging Jardir to a duel to the death. Rather than risk defeat, Arlen cast Jardir and himself from a precipice, opening a struggle for succession that threatens to tear the Free Cities of Thesa apart.

Renna Bales may know the fate of Arlen and Jadir, but she, too, has disappeared. Now Jardir’s sons clash to claim the throne, and risk a civil war among their people. Leesha Paper and Rojer Inn struggle to unite the duchies of Angiers and Miln against the Krasians.

Caught in the crossfire, the rich and unprotected duchy of Lakton sits ripe for conquest. All the while, the corelings have grown stronger — and without Arlen and Jardir, none may be able to stop them.

The fourth novel in the internationally best-selling Demon Cycle series, THE SKULL THRONE is published in the UK by Voyager.

CoxE-R2-CathedralOfKnownThingsUKPBEdward Cox‘s THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS

In the end, all things are known. Return to the world of THE RELIC GUILD with this remarkable fantasy novel

Divided, hunted and short on resources, the surviving members of the Relic Guild are in real trouble. Their old enemy, the Genii, and their resurrected master have infiltrated Labrys Town and taken over the police force.

So the Relic Guild must flee their home, and set off on a dangerous journey across the worlds of the Aelfir. One that will lead them to a weapon which might destroy the Genii. Or the whole universe…

And forty years before all this, the war which led to the fall of the Genii continues. And what happens to the Relic Guild during that conflict will change the course of their desperate flight.

The second novel in the Relic Guild series, THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS is published by Gollancz.

Sanderson-M5-ShadowOfSelfUKBrandon Sanderson‘s SHADOWS OF SELF

Return to Mistborn, and join the a hunt for a mysterious assassin.

The criminal elite of Elendel were invited to an auction — which became a massacre, when an unknown assailant slaughtered everyone in attendance.

Now Wax and Wayne, both able to use magic, both lawmen from the rough and ungoverned frontier territories, are on the case. All the clues suggest the killer is a rogue kandra — a secretive, almost mythical, figure who acts from the shadows – called Bleeder… and that the governor is her next target. Bleeder, and the conspiracy behind the killings, has to be stopped… before the city is plunged into chaos.

The fifth Mistborn novel, SHADOWS OF SELF is published in the UK by Gollancz.

MGear-2Ian Tregillis‘s 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.

The second and third novels in the series, THE RISING and THE LIBERATION (December 2016) are also published in the UK by Orbit Books.

The first novel in the Alchemy Wars series, THE MECHANICAL is published in the UK by Orbit.

Voting on the short-list will take place between July 8th-August 19th. The award will be presented on September 24th, at Fantasycon in Scarborough.

Zeno represents Peter V. Brett and Brandon Sanderson in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York; and Ian Tregillis in the UK and translation, on behalf of Kay McCauley at Aurous, Inc.

Simon Unsworth’s THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE eBook is on sale!


Unsworth-1-DevilsDetectiveUSPBTHE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE, Simon Kurt Unsworth‘s critically-acclaimed latest novel, is currently on sale as an eBook in the US. The book is priced at only $1.99, from multiple e-retailers until the end of the weekend. Here’s the synopsis…

A sea change is coming to Hell… and a man named Thomas Fool is caught in the middle.

Thomas Fool is an Information Man, an investigator tasked with cataloging and filing reports on the endless stream of violence and brutality that flows through Hell. His job holds no reward or satisfaction, because Hell has rules but no justice. Each new crime is stamped “Do Not Investigate” and dutifully filed away in the depths of the Bureaucracy. But when an important political delegation arrives and a human is found murdered in a horrific manner — extravagant even by Hell’s standards — everything changes. The murders escalate, and their severity points to the kind of killer not seen for many generations. Something is challenging the rules and order of Hell, so the Bureaucracy sends Fool to identify and track down the killer… But how do you investigate murder in a place where death is common currency? Or when your main suspect pool is a legion of demons? With no memory of his past and only an irresistible need for justice, Fool will piece together clues and follow a trail that leads directly into the heart of a dark and chaotic conspiracy. A revolution is brewing in Hell… and nothing is what it seems.

The Devil’s Detective is an audacious, highly suspenseful thriller set against a nightmarish and wildly vivid world. Simon Kurt Unsworth has created a phantasmagoric thrill ride filled with stunning set pieces and characters that spring from our deepest nightmares. It will have readers of both thrillers and horror hanging on by their fingernails until the final word. In Hell, hope is your worst enemy.

THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is published in the US by Doubleday/Anchor, and in the UK by Del Rey. The sequel, THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE, is due to be published in July in the US, and October in the UK.

Here is just a small sample of the aforementioned critical acclaim the novel 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. The whodunit aspects of this novel may, in the end, be less interesting than the phantasmagorical details surrounding it. But that’s far less a complaint than a compliment of the author’s visionary gifts. 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

‘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

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Marie Brennan Signing at Forbidden Planet Tomorrow!


BrennanM-LT4-LabyrinthOfDrakesUK-BlogTomorrow from 6-7pm, Forbidden Planet in London will host Marie Brennan for a signing event! The author’s latest novel, IN THE LABYRINTH OF DRAKES was recently published by Titan Books in the UK. Here’s the synopsis…

The thrilling new book in the acclaimed fantasy series from Marie Brennan, as the glamorous Lady Trent takes her adventurous explorations to the deserts of Akhia.

Even those who take no interest in the field of dragon naturalism have heard of Lady Trent’s expedition to the inhospitable deserts of Akhia. Her discoveries there are the stuff of romantic legend, catapulting her from scholarly obscurity to worldwide fame. The details of her personal life during that time are hardly less private, having provided fodder for gossips in several countries.

As is so often the case in the career of this illustrious woman, the public story is far from complete. In this, the fourth volume of her memoirs, Lady Trent relates how she acquired her position with the Royal Scirling Army; how foreign saboteurs imperiled both her work and her well-being; and how her determined pursuit of knowledge took her into the deepest reaches of the Labyrinth of Drakes, where the chance action of a dragon set the stage for her greatest achievement yet.

Titan Books has also published the first three novels in the Memoirs of Lady Trent series: A NATURAL HISTORY OF DRAGONS, THE TROPIC OF SERPENTS and VOYAGE OF THE BASILISK. Brennan’s previous series, the Onyx Court urban fantasy, is being re-issued by Titan Books this year, and includes: MIDNIGHT NEVER COME (out now), IN ASHES LIE (June 14th) and A STAR SHALL FALL (September 13th).

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

Many Zeno Clients on the Gemmell Legend Award Long-List!


Five Zeno clients have made the Gemmell Legend Award long-list! We’d like you to join us in congratulating Edward Cox, Aliette de Bodard, Peter V. Brett, Brandon Sanderson and Ian Tregillis!

Voting on the long-list is open until June 24th; voting on the short-list will take place between July 8th-August 19th. The award will be presented on September 24th, at Fantasycon in Scarborough.

Here are some details on the nominated novels…

CoxE-R2-CathedralOfKnownThingsUKPB-BlogEdward Cox‘s second Relic Guild novel, THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS, published in the UK by Gollancz

In the end, all things are known. Return to the world of THE RELIC GUILD with this remarkable fantasy novel

Divided, hunted and short on resources, the surviving members of the Relic Guild are in real trouble. Their old enemy, the Genii, and their resurrected master have infiltrated Labrys Town and taken over the police force.

So the Relic Guild must flee their home, and set off on a dangerous journey across the worlds of the Aelfir. One that will lead them to a weapon which might destroy the Genii. Or the whole universe…

And forty years before all this, the war which led to the fall of the Genii continues. And what happens to the Relic Guild during that conflict will change the course of their desperate flight.

Ed’s debut, THE RELIC GUILD and the third novel in the series, THE WATCHER OF DEAD TIME (August 2016) are also published by Gollancz.

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Aliette de Bodard‘s THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS, published in the UK by Gollancz and in the US by Roc Books

A superb murder mystery, on an epic scale, set against the fall out — literally — of a war in heaven

Paris in the aftermath of the Great Magicians War. Its streets are lined with haunted ruins, Notre-Dame is a burnt-out shell, and the Seine runs black, thick with ashes and rubble. Yet life continues among the wreckage. The citizens retain their irrepressible appetite for novelty and distraction, and The Great Houses still vie for dominion over France’s once grand capital.

House Silverspires, previously the leader of those power games, now lies in disarray. Its magic is ailing; its founder, Morningstar, has been missing for decades; and now something from the shadows stalks its people inside their very own walls.

Within the House, three very different people must come together: a naive but powerful Fallen, an alchemist with a self-destructive addiction, and a resentful young man wielding spells from the Far East. They may be Silverspires’ salvation; or the architects of its last, irreversible fall…

The next novel in this series, THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS, is forthcoming.

BrettPB-DC4-SkullThroneUKPB-BlogPeter V. Brett‘s fourth Demon Cycle novel, THE SKULL THRONE, published in the UK by Voyager

Built from the skulls of fallen generals and demon princes, the Skull Throne of Krasia is a seat of honour and powerful magic that keeps the demon corelings at bay.

From atop it, Ahmann Jardir was meant to conquer the known world, forging a unified army to end the demon war once and for all.

Arlen Bales, the Painted Man, stood against this course, challenging Jardir to a duel to the death. Rather than risk defeat, Arlen cast Jardir and himself from a precipice, opening a struggle for succession that threatens to tear the Free Cities of Thesa apart.

Renna Bales may know the fate of Arlen and Jadir, but she, too, has disappeared. Now Jardir’s sons clash to claim the throne, and risk a civil war among their people. Leesha Paper and Rojer Inn struggle to unite the duchies of Angiers and Miln against the Krasians.

Caught in the crossfire, the rich and unprotected duchy of Lakton sits ripe for conquest. All the while, the corelings have grown stronger — and without Arlen and Jardir, none may be able to stop them.

The first three novels in the Demon Cycle series are also published in the UK by Voyager: THE PAINTED MAN, THE DESERT SPEAR and THE DAYLIGHT WAR.

Sanderson-M5-ShadowOfSelfUK-BlogBrandon Sanderson‘s fifth Mistborn novel, SHADOWS OF SELF, published in the UK by Gollancz

Return to Mistborn, and join the a hunt for a mysterious assassin.

The criminal elite of Elendel were invited to an auction — which became a massacre, when an unknown assailant slaughtered everyone in attendance.

Now Wax and Wayne, both able to use magic, both lawmen from the rough and ungoverned frontier territories, are on the case. All the clues suggest the killer is a rogue kandra — a secretive, almost mythical, figure who acts from the shadows – called Bleeder… and that the governor is her next target. Bleeder, and the conspiracy behind the killings, has to be stopped… before the city is plunged into chaos.

Gollancz also publishes the other five novels in the Mistborn series in the UK: THE FINAL EMPIRE, THE WELL OF ASCENSION, THE HERO OF AGES, THE ALLOY OF LAW and THE BANDS OF MOURNING.

TregillisI-AW1-TheMechanicalUK-BlogIan Tregillis‘s first Alchemy Wars novel, THE MECHANICAL, published in the UK by Orbit Books

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.

The second and third novels in the series, THE RISING and THE LIBERATION (December 2016) are also published in the UK by Orbit Books.

Zeno represents Peter V. Brett and Brandon Sanderson in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of the JABberwocky Literary Agency in New York; and Ian Tregillis in the UK and translation, on behalf of Kay McCauley at Aurous, Inc.

RIVERS OF LONDON Wins Two New Awards!


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We’re very happy to report that Ben Aaronovitch‘s RIVERS OF LONDON has won two awards from the Czech Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror! Presented at Prague Book Fair, the novel — published in Czech by Argo as ŘEKY LONDÝNA — won in the Best Fantasy/Horror Novel of the Year, and the cover (above) won Best Artistic Achievement!

Here’s the synopsis…

Jedna z nejúspěšnějších městských fantasy uplynulého desetiletí vás zavede do Londýna, ve kterém u policie slouží čarodějové a po ulicích se prohánějí zlovolní duchové či božstva na válečné stezce.

Jmenuji se Peter Grant. Ještě nedávno jsem byl obyčejný četnický zelenáč v řadách londýnské Metropolitní policie. Jedné noci jsem se ale při vyšetřování jisté vraždy pokusil získat svědeckou výpověď od muže, který byl sice mrtvý, ale jinak znepokojivě výřečný, což mi zajistilo pozornost vrchního inspektora Nightingalea, posledního čaroděje Anglie. A právě tehdy začal můj příběh. Nyní jsem policejní detektiv a čarodějův učeň, první učedník za padesát let, a můj svět už není zdaleka tak jednoduchý, jak býval.

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RIVERS OF LONDON and MOON OVER SOHO (MĚSÍC NAD SOHO) are both available now in Czech, published by Argo. WHISPERS UNDERGROUND is due to be published by Argo on September 30th, 2016, as ŠEPOT PODZEMÍ.

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The Peter Grant series is published in the UK by Gollancz, and in the US by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-6). The next novel in the series, THE HANGING TREE, is due out later this year. In case you’ve somehow missed it, here’s the English-language synopsis for RIVERS OF LONDON

My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (and as the Filth to everybody else). My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit – we do paperwork so real coppers don’t have to — and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluable, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England.

Now I’m a Detective Constable and a trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years, and my world has become somewhat more complicated: nests of vampires in Purley, negotiating a truce between the warring god and goddess of the Thames, and digging up graves in Covent Garden … and there’s something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious vengeful spirit that takes ordinary Londoners and twists them into grotesque mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair.

The spirit of riot and rebellion has awakened in the city, and it’s falling to me to bring order out of chaos — or die trying.

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Ian Tregillis‘s BITTER SEEDS, the first in his Milkweed Triptych, was a runner up for Best Fantasy/Horror novel. Published by Argo 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…

Argo are due to publish the second and third books in the Milkweed series this year: THE COLDEST WAR (NEJSTUDENĚJŠÍ VÁLKA) and NECESSARY EVIL (NUTNÉ ZLO).

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The Milkweed Triptych are published in the UK by Orbit Books. Here’s the English-language synopsis for the first novel…

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.

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

Aliette de Bodard and Elizabeth Hand Nominated for Locus Awards!


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The Locus Awards were announced last week, and we’re very happy to report that Zeno clients Aliette de Bodard and Elizabeth Hand have both been nominated!

Aliette de Bodard’s latest novel, THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS has been nominated for best fantasy novel. Published in the US by Roc Books, and in the UK by Gollancz, here’s the synopsis…

A superb murder mystery, on an epic scale, set against the fall out of a war in heaven

Paris in the aftermath of the Great Magicians War. Its streets are lined with haunted ruins, Notre-Dame is a burnt-out shell, and the Seine runs black, thick with ashes and rubble. Yet life continues among the wreckage. The citizens retain their irrepressible appetite for novelty and distraction, and The Great Houses still vie for dominion over France’s once grand capital.

House Silverspires, previously the leader of those power games, now lies in disarray. Its magic is ailing; its founder, Morningstar, has been missing for decades; and now something from the shadows stalks its people inside their very own walls.

Within the House, three very different people must come together: a naive but powerful Fallen, an alchemist with a self-destructive addiction, and a resentful young man wielding spells from the Far East. They may be Silverspires’ salvation; or the architects of its last, irreversible fall…

Last month, THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS won the BSFA Award for best novel. In addition, Aliette’s THE CITADEL OF WEEPING PEARLS (Asimov) has been nominated for best novella, and THREE CUPS OF GRIEF, BY STARLIGHT (Clarkesworld) has been nominated for best short story — it also won the BSFA Award for best short fiction.

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Elizabeth Hand’s WYLDING HALL, published in the UK by PS Publishing, has also been nominated for best fantasy novel. Here’s the synopsis…

After the tragic and mysterious death of one of their founding members, the young musicians in a British acid-folk band hole up at Wylding Hall, an ancient country house with its own dark secrets.

There they record the classic album that will make their reputation — but at a terrifying cost, when Julian Blake, their lead singer, disappears within the mansion and is never seen again.

Now, years later, each of the surviving musicians, their friends and lovers (including a psychic, a photographer, and the band’s manager) meets with a young documentary filmmaker to tell his or her own version of what happened during that summer — but whose story is the true one?

And what really happened to Julian Blake?

The Locus Award winners will be announced during the Locus Award Weekend in Seattle, between June 24-26th.

Zeno represents Elizabeth Hand in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Martha Millard at Sterling Lord Literistic.

Anne Lyle’s THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS on Offer in the US!


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THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS, Anne Lyle‘s debut novel, is on offer for the whole of May, in the US! The eBook is discounted to $4.99, from all major eBook retailers. The book is the first in the Night’s Masque fantasy trilogy, published by Angry Robot Books. Here’s the synopsis…

When Tudor explorers returned from the New World, they brought back a name out of half-forgotten Viking legend: skraylings. Red-sailed ships followed in the explorers’ wake, bringing Native American goods – and a skrayling ambassador – to London. But what do these seemingly magical beings really want in Elizabeth I’s capital?

Mal Catlyn, a down-at-heel swordsman, is seconded to the ambassador’s bodyguard, but assassination attempts are the least of his problems. What he learns about the skraylings and their unholy powers could cost England her new ally – and Mal Catlyn his soul.

Angry Robot Books also published the other two novels in the series: THE MERCHANT OF DREAMS and THE PRINCE OF LIES.

Here’s just a small selection from the reviews the series has received…

‘An outstanding debut and Lyle is certainly a name to watch for the future. I thoroughly enjoyed it.’ — British Fantasy Society on THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS

‘Anne Lyle’s THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS… gives Shakespeare’s London an alternate-history twist. The Americas are home to non-human “skraylings”; some have settled here; our hard-up swordsman hero must bodyguard these aliens’ first official ambassador. Intrigue, playhouse mayhem and revelations of strange skrayling powers follow. A lively, readable debut.’ — Telegraph.co.uk

‘It’s always a pleasure to encounter a debut fantasy novel that combines storytelling verve with inventive turns of phrase.’ — SFX Magazine on THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS

‘Full of vitality and some spectacular sequences, THE MERCHANT OF DREAMS is simply fantastic… A more fully realised world, richer secondary characters, an excellent main cast, and a very moving and emotional story… certainly a stronger novel than its predecessor.’ — The Founding Fields

THE MERCHANT OF DREAMS is a fantastic sequel to THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS… Lyle is a master of blending historical fact and fantastic fiction and she’s only gotten better with her second book.’ — A Fantastical Librarian

‘As exciting and action-packed as the previous two volumes, and it picks up all the loose threads that were left hanging at the end of THE MERCHANT OF DREAMS… I highly recommend this book, but don’t start here. Start with THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS and read them in order or you’ll be floundering. For those that have followed the series so far, this is a tight conclusion…’  —  Fantasy Faction on THE PRINCE OF LIES

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Lavie Tidhar’s Signing at Forbidden Planet Next Week


Tidhar-CentralStation2-BlogNext Thursday at 6pm, Forbidden Planet on Shaftesbury Avenue will host Lavie Tidhar for a signing of his next book, CENTRAL STATION. The highly-anticipated sci-fi tale is published by Tachyon Publications on May 10th. Here’s the synopsis…

A worldwide diaspora has left a quarter of a million people at the foot of a space station. Cultures collide in real life and virtual reality. Life is cheap, and data is cheaper.

When Boris Chong returns to Tel Aviv from Mars, much has changed. Boris’s ex-lover is raising a strangely familiar child who can tap into the datastream of a mind with the touch of a finger. His cousin is infatuated with a robotnik — a damaged cyborg soldier who might as well be begging for parts. His father is terminally-ill with a multigenerational mind-plague. And a hunted data-vampire has followed Boris to where she is forbidden to return.

Rising above them is Central Station, the interplanetary hub between all things: the constantly shifting Tel Aviv; a powerful virtual arena, and the space colonies where humanity has gone to escape the ravages of poverty and war. Everything is connected by the Others, powerful alien entities who, through the Conversation — a shifting, flowing stream of consciousness—are just the beginning of irrevocable change.

At Central Station, humans and machines continue to adapt, thrive… and even evolve.

Lavie is also the author of the award winning OSAMA and A MAN LIES DREAMING, the critically-acclaimed THE VIOLENT CENTURY and The Bookman Histories, and numerous novellas and short stories.

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Lavie Tidhar and Ian R. MacLeod Titles Included in PS Publishing’s Sale


PS Publishing are having a sale, and there are four incredibly deals included: Lavie Tidhar‘s OSAMA and GOREL AND THE POT BELLIED GOD, and Ian R. MacLeod‘s SONG OF TIME and WAKE UP AND DREAM! Here are the details.

Tidhar-OsamaPS-BlogLavie’s OSAMA (£4) won the World Fantasy Award, and has been widely acclaimed…

Lavie Tidhar was in Dar-es-Salaam during the American embassy bombings in 1998, and stayed in the same hotel as the Al Qaeda operatives in Nairobi. Since then he and his now-wife have narrowly avoided both the 2005 King’s Cross and 2004 Sinai attacks — experiences that led first to his memorable short story “My Travels with Al-Qaeda” and later to the creation of Osama.

In a world without global terrorism Joe, a private detective, is hired by a mysterious woman to find a man: the obscure author of pulp fiction novels featuring one Osama Bin Laden: Vigilante…”

Joe’s quest to find the man takes him across the world, from the backwaters of Asia to the European Capitals of Paris and London, and as the mystery deepens around him there is one question he is trying hard not to ask: who is he, really, and how much of the books is fiction? Chased by unknown assailants, Joe’s identity slowly fragments as he discovers the shadowy world of the refugees, ghostly entities haunting the world in which he lives. Where do they come from? And what do they want? Joe knows how the story should end, but even he is not ready for the truths he’ll find in New York and, finally, on top a quiet hill above Kabul — nor for the choice he will at last have to make…

In Osama, Lavie Tidhar brilliantly delves into the post-9/11 global subconscious, mixing together elements of film noir, non-fiction, alternative history and international thriller to create an unsettling — yet utterly compelling — portrayal of our times.

Tidhar-Gorel-BlogAnd GOREL AND THE POT BELLIED GOD (£2)…

There is only one truth Gorel of Goliris — gunslinger, addict, touched by the Black Kiss — is interested in: finding a way back home, to the great empire from which he had been stolen as a child and from which he had been flung, by sorcery, far across the World. It started out simple: get to Falang-Et, find the mirror, find what truth it may hold. But nothing is simple for Gorel of Goliris…

When Gorel forms an uneasy alliance — and ménage à trois — with an Avian spy and a half-Merlangai thief, things only start to get complicated. Add a murdered merchant, the deadly Mothers of the House of Jade, the rivalry of gods and the machinations of a rising Dark Lord bent on conquest, and things start to get out of hand. Only one thing’s for sure: by the time this is over, there will be blood.

Not to mention sex and drugs… or guns and sorcery.

MacLeodIR-SongOfTimeLTD-BlogIn 2009, Ian R. MacLeod’s SONG OF TIME (£2) won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Novel and also the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. Here’s the synopsis…

A man lies half-drowned on a Cornish beach at dawn in the furthest days of this century. The old woman who discovers him, once a famous concert violinist, is close to death herself… or a new kind of life she can barely contemplate.

Does death still exist at all, or has it finally been obliterated? And who is this strange man she’s found? Is he a figure returned from her past, a new messiah, or an empty vessel? Is he God, or the Devil?

MacLeodIR-WakeUpAndDreamLTD-BlogMacLeod’s WAKE UP AND DREAM (£4) is another award-winner, picking up the 2011 Sidewise Award for Alternative History…

Hollywood, 1940. It’s the Golden Age of the Feelies. All one-time actor and unlicensed matrimonial private eye Clark Gable has to do is impersonate a wealthy scriptwriter for a few hours, and sign the contract for the biopic of the inventor of a device which has changed entertainment forever. What could go wrong?

Already, he’s seeing ghosts — but that’s nothing unusual. Europe is devastated by war and America is sleep-walking into Fascism — but what’s that got to do with him? By turns wry and romantic, but always gripping, multi-award winning writer Ian R MacLeod’s latest novel is a dazzling collision of science, fantasy and history.

Like the feelies themselves, Wake Up and Dream is film noir with Technicolor wraiths.

Stocks of these titles are limited, so we’d recommend ordering soon!

Lavie Tidhar Talks Writing, Genre, and More


Recently, Lavie Tidhar stopped by the Coode Street Podcast to chat about A MAN LIES DREAMING, his upcoming book CENTRAL STATION and more…

We discussed his sometimes controversial approach to alternate history, the question of borrowing tropes from pulp fiction in portraying serious events such as the Holocaust and terrorism, the importance of American SF writers like Cordwainer Smith, his own experiences growing up in a kibbutz and what he read there, and the never-ending question of genre literature vs “literary” fiction.

Lavie Tidhar won the World Fantasy Award-winning for his novel OSAMA; and the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Award-winning A MAN LIES DREAMING. He is also the author of the critically-acclaimed THE VIOLENT CENTURY, and a considerable number of short stories and novellas. You can read one of his latest short stories, TERMINAL, is available to read on Tor.com.

THE VIOLENT CENTURY and A MAN LIES DREAMING are both published in the UK by Hodder. A MAN LIES DREAMING is also available in a Limited Edition (PS Publishing), in Italy (Frassinelli) and was published in the US by Melville House, in March 2016. THE VIOLENT CENTURY is published in the US by Thomas Dunne Books. His next book is CENTRAL STATION, which is due to be published in May 2016, by Tachyon Publications — you can read an excerpt over on Tor.com.

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Anne Lyle’s THE MERCHANT OF DREAMS On Sale this Weekend!


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This weekend, Anne Lyle‘s second Night’s Masque novel is on sale through Kobo! THE MERCHANT OF DREAMS is published by Angry Robot Books. Here’s the synopsis…

Exiled from the court of Queen Elizabeth for accusing a powerful nobleman of treason, swordsman-turned-spy Mal Catlyn has been living in France with his young valet Coby Hendricks for the past year.

But Mal harbours a darker secret: he and his twin brother share a soul that once belonged to a skrayling, one of the mystical creatures from the New World.

When Mal’s dream about a skrayling shipwreck in the Mediterranean proves reality, it sets him on a path to the beautiful, treacherous city of Venice – and a conflict of loyalties that will place him and his friends in greater danger than ever.

The Night’s Masque trilogy also includes THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS and THE PRINCE OF LIES.

Here’s a selection of reviews the series has received…

‘Whether you like action, magic, romance or mystery there is something for you here. I never had a reason to put the book down. I am very eager to read the third book in the series.’ — Mazarkis Williams, author of the Tower & Knife series, on THE MERCHANT OF DREAMS

‘Full of vitality and some spectacular sequences, THE MERCHANT OF DREAMS is simply fantastic… A more fully realised world, richer secondary characters, an excellent main cast, and a very moving and emotional story… certainly a stronger novel than its predecessor.’ — The Founding Fields

‘A lively cast of actors and their down-at-the-heel associates contrasts neatly with mysterious powers and goals of the inhuman skraylings as a theatrical competition in the ambassador’s honor offers opportunities for both actors and assassins. With an effective mix of espionage, backstage drama, and mystery, Lyle provides compelling drama in an intriguing setting.’ — Publishers Weekly on THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS

‘An outstanding debut and Lyle is certainly a name to watch for the future. I thoroughly enjoyed it.’ — British Fantasy Society on THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS

‘As exciting and action-packed as the previous two volumes, and it picks up all the loose threads that were left hanging at the end of THE MERCHANT OF DREAMS… I highly recommend this book, but don’t start here. Start with THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS and read them in order or you’ll be floundering. For those that have followed the series so far, this is a tight conclusion…’ — Fantasy Faction on THE PRINCE OF LIES

‘A satisfying ending to a trilogy that blew me away. This series had me hooked from the very first page, and it breaks my heart to say goodbye to these characters that have become so amazingly real to me. Lyle has established herself as a strong and powerful historical fantasy writer. The Night’s Masque was one of the most enjoyable series I’ve read so far this year, and it ended on the perfect note. I sincerely hope that Lyle returns to this world.’ — Bookworm Blues on THE PRINCE OF LIES

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STRATA Launches Today, Featuring E.J. Swift and Lavie Tidhar


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Today, Penguin Random House launches their digital project, STRATA. Zeno clients E.J. Swift and Lavie Tidhar have both contributed stories to the project, which can be accessed from today. The site works best on a mobile device, too (although it does work in a desktop browser).

E.J. Swift is the author of the critically-acclaimed Osiris Project, which includes OSIRIS, CATAVEIRO and TAMARUQ. They are published in the UK by Del Rey, and are available as eBooks via the JABberwocky eBook Program. Emma has also written many critically-acclaimed short stories. Here are the Osiris covers…

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Lavie Tidhar is the award-winning author of A MAN LIES DREAMING, published by Hodder (UK) and Melville House (US); THE VIOLENT CENTURY, published by Hodder (UK) and Thomas Dunne (US); OSAMA; and the Bookman Histories, published by Angry Robot Books. Lavie is also a prolific writer of short stories and novellas. His next work of fiction is CENTRAL STATION, due to be published in May 2016 by Tachyon Publications.

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Blaylock’s RAINY SEASON is a Best of Orange County!


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James P. Blaylock‘s classic novel RAINY SEASON has been included in a list of ten essential novels that showcase the literary side of Orange County! The list, compiled by Orange County Magazine, is included in their April issue.

Here’s the synopsis for RAINY SEASON

It’s a gray, wet winter in southern California, and Phil Ainsworth is alone. The sudden death of his young wife has left him shaken, and he gets eerie sensations as he roams around the big, old house he inherited from his mother. He’s sure he’s seen people snooping around his property, by the old well that, in this wet weather, always seems ready to overflow. How much is real and how much is in his head? That’s the question.

A late-night phone call brings more bad news: Phil’s sister has died, leaving her ten-year-old daughter Betsy an orphan and naming Phil as guardian. It seems like a bad time to bring a child into this unhappy house, but Phil had always promised he’d take care of Betsy — and now she’s all the family he has left.

What he can’t know is that Betsy is a very special child. She has the ability to sense the powerful emotions of the past, to hear voices of the dead, and to see the uncanny powers that are closing in around this house…

RAINY SEASON is available in eBook in the UK via Gollancz’s SF Gateway, and in the US via the JABberwocky eBook Program. It is also available as an audiobook from Audible. Please contact for further rights information. Here’s just a handful of the great reviews the novel has received since its original publication, in 1999…

‘Blaylock allows us to see the mundane world through new eyes, to perceive the familar as strange and therefore fascinating — for what it is as well as for what it might be.’ — Charles de Lint

‘The central conceit of this elegant, accomplished contemporary ghost story is that fuentes–springs in which children have been ritually drowned — are portals of inexact time travel. Ambitious plotting and characterization augment Blaylock’s (WINTER TIDES) lush language (ripples in a well “cast a hundred shifting shadows… crisscrossing in geometric confusion”). This is one ghostly tale that stands on very solid ground.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘[A] seamlessly produced… intriguing and absorbing work from a major talent.’ — Kirkus

‘Blaylock continues to extend his range, this time with a novel of quiet — but not entirely psychological — horror. Blaylock constructs what might be described as a leisurely page-turner: one wants to find out what comes next but doesn’t feel compelled to rush onward to do so. Fans of horror in general — especially those who don’t demand a high body count — as well as dedicated Blaylock fans will be well pleased.’ — Booklist

‘The author of WINTER TIDES continues to display an uncanny talent for low-key, off-kilter drama, infusing the modern world with a supernatural tint. Blaylock’s evocative prose and studied pacing make him one of the most distinctive contributors to American magical realism. Recommended for most libraries.’ — Library Journal

FINGERHUT-SOMMER is a Readers’ Choice Winner in Germany!


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Ben Aaronovitch‘s fifth Peter Grant novel, FOXGLOVE SUMMER, has been selected as BücherTreff readers’ choice best fantasy novel of 2015! Published in Germany as FINGERHUT-SOMMER by DTV, here’s the synopsis…

Schwarzer Humor trifft auf schwarze Magie

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

DTV have also published the first four books in the series.

FOXGLOVE SUMMER is published in the UK by Gollancz, in the US by DAW Books, and in France by J’ai Lu. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

In the fifth of his bestselling series Ben Aaronovitch takes Peter Grant out of whatever comfort zone he might have found and takes him out of London – to a small village in Herefordshire where the local police are reluctant to admit that there might be a supernatural element to the disappearance of some local children. But while you can take the London copper out of London you can’t take the London out of the copper.

Travelling west with Beverley Brook, Peter soon finds himself caught up in a deep mystery and having to tackle local cops and local gods. And what’s more all the shops are closed by 4pm…

The six book in the series, THE HANGING TREE, is due to be published in the UK by Gollancz (July) and in the US by DAW Books (August).

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Tidhar’s THE VIOLENT CENTURY Nominated for Award in Japan!


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Lavie Tidhar‘s critically-acclaimed THE VIOLENT CENTURY has been nominated for the 2016 Seiun Award for Best Translated Novel in Japan! Published as 完璧な夏の日 by Tokyo Sogensha (東京創元社) in Japan (in two parts), here’s the synopsis…

第二次世界大戦の直前、世界各地に突如現れた異能力者たちは各国の情報機関や軍に徴集され、死闘を繰りひろげた。そして現在。イギリスの情報機関を辞して久しい異能力者のひとりフォッグは、かつての相棒と上司に呼び出され、過去を回想する。突然の能力発現、仲間との初めての出会い、終わりなき闘いの日々…

THE VIOLENT CENTURY is published in the UK by Hodder, and in the US by Thomas Dunne Books. PS Publishing have also released a limited edition. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

For seventy years they guarded the British Empire. Oblivion and Fogg, inseparable friends, bound together by a shared fate. Until one night in Berlin, in the aftermath of the Second World War, and a secret that tore them apart.

But there must always be an account… and the past has a habit of catching up to the present.

Now, recalled to the Retirement Bureau from which no one can retire, Fogg and Oblivion must face up to a past of terrible war and unacknowledged heroism — a life of dusty corridors and secret rooms, of furtive meetings and blood-stained fields — to answer one last, impossible question: What makes a hero?

Here is just a small selection from the many great reviews the novel’s received…

THE VIOLENT CENTURY… may be his best yet: a blistering alt-historical retelling of a 20th century lousy with superheroes.’ — The Guardian, Best SFF of 2013

‘Lavie Tidhar’s latest is at once a love story, a tragedy, a spy novel, a memoir of a friendship, an exposé of the horrors of war, and a very serious study of the superhero: the origins of the concept as well as its relative relevance. THE VIOLENT CENTURY is a difficult text, yes, but one that gives as good as it gets.’ — Tor.com

‘[A] new masterpiece… a tremendous, unforgettable read… This study in heroism, love, revenge and violence will be in demand by lovers of complex, intelligent sf and alternative history. Anyone who enjoys stories of people with supernatural abilities will thrive reading Tidhar’s world.’ Library Journal

THE VIOLENT CENTURY is about legacy and how heroics play into it, a deeper message than defining what heroics mean: The actions of Fogg and Oblivion have lasting consequences, while at the same time, we can see the weight of the world they’ve helped to build grow on their shoulders. By the end of the book, it’s clear that their own journeys are defined by the actions which they’ve undertaken because it’s what they felt was right, rather than what their orders were.’ — io9.com

‘At the centre of this is the question, ‘What makes a hero?’ The supermen of Tidhar’s novel are forced to commit terrible acts in the name of the greater good, and stand by and watch as terrible acts are committed for the same reason. As well as being a wonderfully drawn and detailed historical espionage tale, THE VIOLENT CENTURY is ultimately a very human story. It’s gripping, imaginative and, finally, moving.’  —  SciFi Now

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(UK, Ltd., US)