THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is a UK Kindle Monthly Deal!


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In case you’ve missed our Tweets about this: Simon Kurt Unsworth‘s THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE is one of October’s UK Kindle Monthly Deals! The first in a duology, it is published in the UK by Del Rey. Here’s the synopsis…

Welcome to Hell

Solving crimes was the purpose of the Information Men, yet they almost never achieved it, and even when they did, the facts they scraped free were lost, buried again in the labyrinthine mess of the Bureaucracy.

When an unidentified, brutalised body is discovered, the case is assigned to Thomas Fool. But how do you investigate a murder where death is commonplace and everyone is guilty of something?

As we reported a couple of days ago, the second book in the series, THE DEVIL’S EVIDENCE, was published this week in the UK (also by Del Rey). The series is published in the US by Doubleday, and is out now.

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Trailer for Michael Cobley’s ANCESTRAL MACHINES


Above is the rather nifty trailer Michael Cobley‘s made for his latest novel, ANCESTRAL MACHINES. The novel, published by Orbit Books in the UK and North America, is released in paperback later this week. Here’s the synopsis…

The Warcage is a feat of unprecedented stellar engineering: two hundred worlds harnessed to an artificial sun. Built to travel through space as a monument to peace between alien species, its voracious rulers have turned it into a nightmarish wasteland, capturing new planets for slaves and resources, then discarding the old.

Now, when a verdant agri-world is pulled out of its orbit and a deal goes bad, it is up to the captain of a smuggling ship to journey into the Warcage and rescue his crew.

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The novel is a stand-alone story in Cobley’s Humanity’s Fire series. The first trilogy in the series, also published by Orbit Books, includes SEEDS OF EARTH, THE ORPHANED WORLDS and THE ASCENDANT STARS. Continue reading “Trailer for Michael Cobley’s ANCESTRAL MACHINES”

Lavie Tidhar’s CENTRAL STATION on Coode Street


Lavie Tidhar‘s latest critically-acclaimed novel, CENTRAL STATION, was the topic of discussion on the seventh episode of the Coode Street Roundtable podcast series!

CENTRAL STATION is published by Tachyon Publications. 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. The city is literally a weed, its growth left unchecked. 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.

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

‘Magnificently blends literary and speculative elements in this streetwise mosaic novel set under the towering titular spaceport… Tidhar gleefully mixes classic SF concepts with prose styles and concepts that recall the best of world literature… Characters wrestle with problems of identity forged under systems of oppression, much as displaced Easterners and Westerners do in the novels of Orhan Pamuk. And yet this is unmistakably SF. Readers of all persuasions will be entranced.’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

CENTRAL STATION is without question the best assemblage of short stories I’ve read in recent memory. Sublimely sensual, emotionally moreish, and composed with crystalline clarity irrespective of its incredible complexity.’ — Tor.com

‘It is just this side of a masterpiece — short, restrained, lush — and the truest joy of it is in the way Tidhar scatters brilliant ideas like pennies on the sidewalk.’ — NPR

‘The stories include some of Tidhar’s most beautiful prose, and his future Tel Aviv is among the most evocative settings in recent SF… Somehow, CENTRAL STATION combines a cultural sensibility too long invisible in SF with a sensibility which is nothing but classic SF, and the result is a rather elegant suite of tales.’ — Locus

CENTRAL STATION is a wondrous thought-provoking book, as you would expect from someone as highly credentialed as Lavie Tidhar.’ — Fantasy Book Review

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Zeno Clients at GollanczFest 2016


2016_GollanczFest_logos_V2copyNext week, Gollancz is holding its latest Gollancz Festival in London and online. Zeno clients Ben Aaronovitch and Justina Robson are taking part in a few events on Saturday, September 17th, so we wanted to share that information here.

Saturday, 17th September:

  • Panel 3. Awards, huh? What are they good for? — 10am-1pm, at Foyles bookstore (107 Charing Cross Road)

Justina Robson is taking part in this discussion of awards, their role and impact.

  • Writers’ Day — 10am-1pm, at The Phoenix Artist Club (1 Phoenix St)

Ben Aaronovitch takes part in a morning of workshops and talks focused on the mechanics and skills needed by the modern writer.

  • Panel 4. Does Anyone Need a Wee? — 3pm-6pm, at Foyles bookstore

Ben Aaronovitch takes part in a panel discussing the logistics in fantasy.

  • Writers’ Day — 3pm-6pm, at The Phoenix Artist Club

Justina Robson takes part in the afternoon session of the workshops.

Ben Aaronovitch is the author of the critically-acclaimed, bestselling Peter Grant urban fantasy series: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES, FOXGLOVE SUMMER and the upcoming THE HANGING TREE. All of these novels are published in the UK by Gollancz.

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Justina Robson is the author of, most recently, the critically-acclaimed GLORIOUS ANGELS, which is published by Gollancz. Her next novel is THE SWITCH, and is also due to be published by Gollancz (more details to come).

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Roger Zelazny’s CHRONICLES OF AMBER Coming to TV!


ZelaznyR-AuthorPicAs reported in Hollywood Reporter a short while ago, the Chronicles of Amber, Roger Zelazny‘s classic fantasy series, is in development for television! Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead, and David Alpert of Skybound Entertainment are teaming up with Vincent Newman Entertainment to bring the influential series to the small screen.

Said Alpert, ‘Chronicles of Amber is one of my favorite book series of all time, and one of my main inspirations for working in film and television. Getting to produce this project is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. I can’t wait to share this amazing story with a new generation of fans.’ Here’s some information about the series…

Roger Zelazny’s Chronicles follows the story of Corwin, who awakens on Earth with no memory, but soon finds he is a prince of a royal family that has the ability to travel through different dimensions of reality (called “shadows”) and rules over the one true world/dimension known as Amber. The novel series unfolds over ten books with two definitive story arches entitled “The Corwin Cycle” and “The Merlin Cycle.” The series has sold more than fifteen million copies globally and has been credited as one of the main inspirations for Game of Thrones.

Be sure to check back in coming weeks for some new international editions of the Chronicles of Amber and other titles from Zelazny’s critically-acclaimed, classic backlist. Here’s a selection of recent international editions…

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

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John Berlyne’s WorldCon Schedule…


MidAmericanConII-LogoJohn Berlyne will be attending WorldCon this week, and here’s where you’ll be able to find him…

Thursday, August 18th…

Friday, August 19th…

Saturday, August 20th…

MidAmeriCon II is held at the Kansas City Convention Centre, Kansas City, Missouri, from Wednesday August 17th to Sunday August 21st, 2016.

Here’s John’s page on the electronic programme.

Lavie Tidhar and Anne Lyle’s Nine Worlds 2016 Schedules


NineWorldsGeekfest2016This weekend, Nine Worlds Geekfest 2016 is taking place between August 12-14th, 2016, at the Novotel London West in Hammersmith. Two Zeno clients will be in attendance: Lavie Tidhar and Anne Lyle. Here are where you’ll be able to find them…

Lavie Tidhar

Saturday August 13th

  • 10am — “The end of the world, and why we love it” (Reims)
  • 11:45am — “How to Idea” (Cremant)

Lavie’s latest novel, CENTRAL STATION, was published this year by Tachyon Publications. His previous work includes A MAN LIES DREAMING, winner of the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Award, published in the UK by Hodder, in the US by Melville House; the World Fantasy Award-winning OSAMA (PS Publishing); the critically-acclaimed THE VIOLENT CENTURY (Hodder/Thomas Dunne); and the recently re-issued Bookman Histories series (Angry Robot Books).

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Anne Lyle

Saturday August 13th

  • 5pm — “Making and breaking a hero” (Mouton Cadet)

Sunday August 14th

  • 1:30pm — “Writing Utopia” (Bouzy)

Anne Lyle’s critically-acclaimed Night’s Masque trilogy is published by Angry Robot Books, and includes: THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS, THE MERCHANT OF DREAMS and THE PRINCE OF LIES.

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Michael Cobley’s HUMANITY’S FIRE Series on Sale in US


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The first three novels in Michael Cobley‘s critically-acclaimed Humanity’s Fire series are currently on sale in the US! The novels — SEEDS OF EARTH, THE ORPHANED WORLDS and THE ASCENDANT STARS — are included in Barnes & Noble‘s 2-for-3 paperback sale. The sale will continue until September 5th.

The three novels are published by Orbit Books in the US (and UK). Here’s the synopsis for SEEDS OF EARTH

Merciless. Relentless. Unstoppable.

The first intelligent species to encounter mankind attacked without warning. Merciless. Relentless. Unstoppable. With little hope of halting the invasion, Earth’s last roll of the dice was to dispatch three colony ships, seeds of Earth, to different parts of the galaxy. The human race would live on… somewhere.

150 years later, the planet Darien hosts a thriving human settlement, which enjoys a peaceful relationship with an indigenous race, the scholarly Uvovo. But there are secrets buried on Darien’s forest moon. Secrets that go back to an apocalyptic battle fought between ancient races at the dawn of galactic civilization. Unknown to its colonists, Darien is about to become the focus of an intergalactic power struggle where the true stakes are beyond their comprehension. And what choices will the Uvovo make when their true nature is revealed and the skies grow dark with the enemy?

Here are some of the great reviews the novels have received…

‘There’s a grand tradition within SF of galaxy-wide, aeon-spanning scenarios, with escalating magnitudes of scale and concomitant ramping up of narrative tension, and Michael Cobley’s Humanity’s Fire series is the latest example… Cobley excels at presenting his thoroughly lived-in future with a slew of technological marvels and an engaging cast of characters.’ — Guardian

‘Cobley’s debut, first published in the U.K. in 2009, is a well-constructed space opera with a sense of vast scope, populated with an array of beautifully differentiated intelligences both organic and artificial… this is a thick and satisfying 10-course meal of starchy pageantry, meaty characters, bitter losses, and sweet romance.’ — Publishers Weekly on SEEDS OF EARTH

‘The story is huge, complex and moves between its varied cast with assured purpose… a tightly plotted, action packed epic that leaves you wanting more.’ SciFi Now on SEEDS OF EARTH

Cobley writes energetic space opera, rarely dallying with sentiment and mostly assaulting the reader with exotic locations and sudden skirmishes. There are joyous moments of invention but overall there’s too much going on… Fortunately, as the saga progresses, THE ORPHANED WORLDS begins knotting some of the threads together – it still feels like an over-shaken can of fizzy diet Banks…’ — SFX

‘Fast and exciting… an excellent middle book in the trilogy, expanding on SEEDS OF EARTH and setting everything in place for a thrilling conclusion.’ Waterstone’s Book Quaterly on THE ORPHANED WORLDS

THE ASCENDANT STARS is the culminating book in the Humanity’s Fire trilogy, a space opera of mind-bending depth and scope which sets complexly thought-out alien races and chilling cyborg armies against humans riven by competing political philosophies and agendas. The result is a marvellously readable examination of people under extreme stress, a convincing depiction of startlingly alien aliens, and a mature political analysis often lacking in the genre. Cobley expertly juggles multiple plot-lines and brings them to thematically satisfying conclusions while providing the landmark trilogy with a thrilling finale.’ — Guardian

The fourth, stand-alone novel in the series, ANCESTRAL MACHINES, was published earlier this year, also by Orbit Books.

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Michael’s first trilogy, the grimdark fantasy Shadowkings series, is available in eBook.

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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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