Anne Lyle - Zeno Agency Ltd.

Lavie Tidhar and Anne Lyle’s Nine Worlds 2016 Schedules

Posted on Tuesday, August 9th, 2016

This 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).

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.

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

Posted on Tuesday, May 3rd, 2016

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

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

Posted on Saturday, April 16th, 2016

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

Zeno Clients’ Nine Worlds 2015 Schedule

Posted on Monday, August 3rd, 2015

This week, Nine Worlds holds its second convention in London, from August 7th-9th. The convention features a veritable smorgasbord of events, screenings, panels, etc., and we wanted to share the schedule for our authors.

Friday, August 7th

11:30am-12:30pm — Panel: “Monsterclass – Mechanics of Publishing” — John Wordsworth — What does it take to get your book published and how does the publishing world work? Find out from some of London’s publishing experts.
1:30-2:45pm — Panel: “Evidence Handling – Primary source work for historians and writers” — Kari Sperring — What is a primary source, and how do historians use them? Three professional historians lead a workshop on how to work with various kinds of evidence, both written and physical. Examples of sources will be provided for participants to explore and analyse.
3:15-4:30pm — Panel: “The Companions – They save the universe a lot” — Kari Sperring — Our intrepid panellists discuss the companions of Doctor Who. Which ones worked best, and which ones fell by the wayside? Who’s under-rated and who deserved a run of seven years? What companion storylines have been the most compelling? And going into the future: what do we want to see on-screen, what can we realistically get, and what new archetypes and new ideas would we like to see played out?
5:00-6:15pm — Panel: “Childhood Influences – I want to be a Wild Thing when I grow up” — Edward Cox — From the fantasy worlds of Blyton’s Magic Faraway Tree to whizz-poppers and marvellous medicines of Roald Dahl, how important are childrens stories on us as adults and do they shape what authors write when they grow up?
6:45-8:00pm — Panel: “Historical Heroines – The women from history that we admire” — Kari Sperring — History is often seen as being about Great Men, but there were plenty of Great Women, from Katherine the Great to Florence Nightingale. This panel celebrates the women who have, against the odds, made their mark on history: a group of historians and writers will pick their favourites.
8:00-10:00pm — Event: “Jo Fletcher Books – Summer Party & Book Launch” — Naomi Foyle and Ian McDonald in attendance

Saturday, August 8th

9:00-9:45am — Panel: “What makes Fantasy fantastic?” — Anne Lyle — Why is it that even people who don’t claim to like genre still love fantasy? They can’t get on board with magicians and dragons but they love LOTR, Harry Potter and Twilight. So what is it that makes fantasy so fantastic?
10:00-11:15am — Panel: “The End of Author Mystique” — Edward Cox — Do authors need to be on social media to sell books and does an ability to tweet improve your chances of getting published? Are authors losing the mystery they once maintained from behind their keyboards and with blog posts and sneak peaks, have our expectations as readers changed?
11:45am-1:00pm — Panel: “Collaborative Writing – How to write with others (and stay friends)” — Naomi Foyle — Our panel discusses the trials and pitfalls of collaborative writing, examining why people write together, and the best techniques and technologies to use.
3:15-4:30pm — Panel: “Favourite Historical Movies – What we like and why” — Kari Sperring — Historians are often thought of as people who sit and watch historical movies, looking for the errors. But there are some movies set in the past that we like. Here, a group of historians will talk about their favourites, and why they are particularly loved.
5:00-6:15pm — Panel: “The dead will rise again – Resurgence of Gothic Literature” — Lavie Tidhar — Some of the greatest monsters just can’t stay dead. Here, we explore the pull of Gothic literature.

Sunday, August 9th

10:00-11:15am — Panel: “They used what? – Historical research for fanfiction” — Kari Sperring — Writing fanfiction set in a historical period can involve a great deal of research. (Possibly more than has been done by canon creators, in some cases!) And writing historical AUs can be a great way of unpacking the unspoken prejudices of a modern-day canon. Research can be immensely diverting, it can spark a renewed interest in history, and it can affect the course and content of your story. This panel will discuss how historical AUs open up some canons, and share some of the more interesting facets of their own research into various historical periods.
1:30-2:45pm — Panel: “The Stars My Destination – Exploring the Future of SF” — Naomi Foyle — We’re living in a science fiction world where technology and global warming are changing things faster than sci-fi writers can type — so where does the future of sci-fi sit?
3:15-4:30pm — Panel: “Writing the Other” — Naomi Foyle

The Nine Worlds 2015 convention takes place at the Radisson Blu Edwardian, Heathrow, 140 Bath Rd, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 5AW. (Google Maps)

Anne Lyle at Bristolcon Tomorrow!

Posted on Friday, October 24th, 2014

Anne Lyle, author of the critically-acclaimed Nights Masque trilogy, will be attending Bristolcon this weekend!

On October 25th, Anne will take part in two scheduled events:

11:00-11:45am – Anne will take part in a Common Writing Problems Q&A – ‘When the wheels come flying off your story and it dives over a cliff in flames, how do you get it back on the road again? Editors see the same problems in fiction over and over again – we talk about YOUR problems, and give you suggestions to help you overcome them.’
7:00-7:45pm – Anne will moderate the Rogues and Ruffians, Pirates and Thieves panel – ‘From Han Solo to Loki to Locke Lamora, the scoundrel has enduring appeal in SF and fantasy. What is it we all like about a bad boy (or girl?) Who are the best SFF rogues, are pirates better than thieves, and how do you write a good bad good guy without getting completely confused?’

Anne’s Nights Masque trilogy is published in the UK and US by Angry Robot Books, and is comprised of THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS, THE MERCHANT OF DREAMS and THE PRINCE OF LIES. Here’s the synopsis for the first book…

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.

Zeno Clients attending FantasyCon 2014!

Posted on Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014

We’re very happy to report that a number of our clients will be attending this year’s British Fantasy Convention (FantasyCon), to be held between September 5th–7th 2014, at The Royal York Hotel. (This weekend!)

First up, we’re delighted that Charlaine Harris, New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood series of urban fantasy novels, will be a guest of honour at FantasyCon! Charlaine’s latest novel, MIDNIGHT CROSSROAD was published in the UK by Gollancz in May 2014.

Here are our other clients’ events during the convention, all of which occur on Saturday 6th…

10:00am – Anne Lyle and Kari Sperring take part in the ‘Does It Make Sense?’ panel – ‘Economics of fantasy systems. If Smaug holds all the gold and it gets liberated, what does that do to the economy?’
Noon – Charlaine Harris in Conversation – interviewed by Adele Wearing
Noon – Edward Cox will take part in the ‘Dead Parents, Burned Homesteads and Wicked Stepmothers’ panel – ‘Is it essential to write out the parents before youthful characters can head out on adventures? Are adult figures always unhelpful or malign? Should writers search for ways to keep parents around — or do fantasies of a world without parents fulfil a real need?’
3:00pm – Charlaine Harris will take part in the ‘She Ain’t Heavy, She’s My Sister’ panel – ‘Kirk and Spock, Luke and Han, Frodo and Sam – epic friendships between men are common in fantasy, but friendships between women, or platonic relationships between men and women that stay that way – are much thinner on the ground. The panellists discuss why it matters and examine some of the rare exceptions.’
3:00pm – Edward Cox will take part in the ‘Icky Romance’ panel – ‘Love and sex are powerful motivators and sources of dramatic conflict. However when combined with the conventions of SFF, there’s a lot of potential for cliché, from damsels in distress to dangerous supernatural boyfriends. But how often do complaints about the place of romance in SFF come down to a fear of girl cooties?’
4:00pm – Charlaine Harris will take part in the FanFiction panel – ‘The Fan, the Pro and the Publishing Industry Writers on both sides of the fan/pro divide and writers who straddle it discuss fanfiction. After the success of E.L James, should publishers be searching for more hit writers on AO3 and Fanfic.net? What keeps talented writers away from traditional publishing?’
5:00pm – Stephen Volk will take part in the ‘Horror on the Small Screen’ panel – ‘TV is getting darker, and with the recent success of American Horror Story, Black Mirror and Being Human, are we entering a new golden age of terrifying TV?’
9:00pm – Edward Cox will give a reading from THE RELIC GUILD at the ‘Super Relaxed Fantasy Club’

On Sunday 7th, the British Fantasy Awards will be held at approximately 2:30pm. The full list of nominees can be found here.

Edward Cox is the author of THE RELIC GUILD, due to be published mid-September 2014 by Gollancz in the UK.

Anne Lyle is the author of the Nights Masque trilogy – THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS, THE MERCHANT OF DREAMS, and THE PRINCE OF LIES – published by Angry Robot Books.

Kari Sperring is the author of LIVING WITH GHOSTS and THE GRASS KING’S CONCUBINE, both published by DAW Books.

Unlisted in the events, above, Simon Kurt Unsworth will also be in attendance, and may give a reading from his upcoming novel, THE DEVIL’S DETECTIVE, due to be published in 2015 by Del Rey (UK) and Doubleday (US) – check back later this week and also next week for more news about this exciting upcoming title.

Stephen Volk is a prolific author of horror short fiction, and two of his works are up for British Fantasy Awards this year – WHISTABLE is nominated for Best Novella, and is published by Spectral Press; and MONSTERS IN THE HEART, published by Gray Friar Press, is nominated for Best Collection.

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

Zeno Clients at Loncon 3…

Posted on Wednesday, August 13th, 2014

The SFF extravaganza that is Loncon 3 will be rolling into town this weekend. Certain events have already kicked off, of course – some of which we’ve mentioned here before. From Thursday 14th to Monday 18th, a great number of Zeno clients will be participating in the festivities, events and signings.

So, below are all of the Zeno-related events, organised by day and time. If you’d rather search by author, however, here’s an alphabetical list of our clients attending, complete with links to their Loncon 3 schedule pages: Peter V. Brett, Jack Campbell, Michael Cobley, Myke Cole, Edward Cox, Aliette de Bodard, Simon R. Green, Daryl Gregory, Matthew Hughes, Tanya Huff, Anne Lyle, Ian R. MacLeod, Ian McDonald, Justina Robson, Melinda Snodgrass, Kari Sperring, E.J. Swift, Lavie Tidhar, Freda Warrington. Continue reading “Zeno Clients at Loncon 3…” →

Anne Lyle Part of Angry Robot’s Summer Invasion!

Posted on Monday, August 11th, 2014

We’re delighted to report that Anne Lyle is taking part in Angry Robot Books and Titan Books’ Summer Invasion event! Anne will be signing copies of her books, along with fellow Angry Robot authors (and Titan authors) at Forbidden Planet in London, on Wednesday 13th August, between 6-7pm.

Anne is the author of the critically-acclaimed Night’s Masque historical fantasy trilogy, published by Angry Robot Books – THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS, THE MERCHANT OF DREAMS, and THE PRINCE OF LIES. In case you haven’t enjoyed the novels, yet, here’s the synopsis for the first book…

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.

Here’s some of the praise the trilogy has received…

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

‘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

‘This may be one of the best historical fiction/fantasy novels of 2012. Venice, Pirates, Skraylings, politics and some epic action scenes in sixteenth century Europe make sure that THE MERCHANT OF DREAMS is a worthy successor to THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS.’ — The Founding Fields

‘… 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 good ending to what will hopefully be the first of many trilogies from the author… The action sequences, though, are the best thing in the series, and PRINCE OF LIES continues that tradition… the explosive denouement of the novel is a skilled set piece of character beats, well described action, and exciting confrontations in an excellent location for action shenanigans. Its quite probably the best sequence in the entire trilogy.’ — SF Signal

Anne’s event marks the start of an event-heavy week for Zeno clients. Be sure to check back on other days for more updates and news.

Why SFF Fans are the Best…

Posted on Tuesday, November 26th, 2013

Angry Robot Books recently ran a competition that asked fans to re-create their favourite book covers. The winner was this Etch-A-Sketch rendition of Anne Lyle‘s THE PRINCE OF LIES cover, by Carol Riggs…

That’s incredible.

In case you didn’t know (for shame!), THE PRINCE OF LIES is the final book in Anne’s Night’s Masque trilogy – THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS and THE MERCHANT OF DREAMS, all published by Angry Robot Books. Here’s the synopsis for the third book…

Elizabethan spy Mal Catlyn has everything he ever wanted – his twin brother Sandy restored to health, his family estate reclaimed and a son to inherit it – but his work is far from over. The renegade skraylings, the guisers, are still plotting – their leader, Jathekkil, has reincarnated as the young Prince Henry Tudor. But while he is still young, Mal has a slim chance of eliminating his enemies whilst they are at their weakest.

With Sandy’s help, Mal learns to harness his own magic in the fight against the guisers, but it may be too late to save England. Schemes set in motion decades ago are at last coming to fruition, and the barrier between the dreamlands and the waking world is wearing thin…

And also, some of the praise Anne’s series has received…

‘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

‘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

‘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

‘There really is a lot to love in this novel. Lyle gives us a story that has suspense, intrigue, and action. Set in an alternate reality that feels totally real. The characters feel alive, and are very interesting companions on the journey the story takes the reader.’ — Weirdmage on THE MERCHANT OF DREAMS

‘… 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

‘The ending to the Alchemist of Souls trilogy decisively builds on the foundation of its predecessors… A good ending to what will hopefully be the first of many trilogies from the author… The relationship building and character growth throughout the novel was enjoyable… The politics of the succession and the future of the English throne feel nicely medieval, reminiscent of the tumult over the succession to Edward VI in its complexity, factional politics and uncertain future for the country. The politics of the future of the crown in medieval times, were always tense, and the author captures that opportunism and danger well in this novel… The action sequences, though, are the best thing in the series, and PRINCE OF LIES continues that tradition. A country house under siege, chases, escapes, pulse-pounding action on the streets of London, and much more awaits the reader. The swordplay and action sequences, while pulse-pounding, are solidly built on real swordplay and gunplay. It never devolves into unrealistic encounters, and the costs and dangers of sword and gun are never soft-pedaled. In particular, the explosive denouement of the novel is a skilled set piece of character beats, well described action, and exciting confrontations in an excellent location for action shenanigans. Its quite probably the best sequence in the entire trilogy.’ — SF Signal

A (Belated) Reflection on World Fantasy Con 2013…

Posted on Monday, November 25th, 2013

World Fantasy Con 2013 took place at the beginning of November. With the dust finally settled, we thought we’d share some (belated) memories from what turned out to be a superb event. It was a fantastic opportunity to catch up with many of our authors, and also mingle with a host of publishing professionals.

Simon Unsworth, reading from his upcoming, recently-sold novel, THE SORROWFUL, and smiling happily for the camera during the mass-signing on Friday night…

Freda Warrington, reading from A DANCE IN BLOOD VELVET on Friday

On Friday night, there was a Mass Signing session, during which we caught up with a number of our clients. First up, Naomi Foyle (front) with Jo Fletcher (behind)…

Christopher Golden (who has recently co-written a graphic novel with Charlaine Harris, CEMETERY GIRL) and Tim Lebbon (who we do not represent, but do admire)…

Tobias Buckell at the signing table, and also at his reading on Saturday morning…

The ever-friendly Daryl Gregory gave us a couple of poses…

Anne Lyle was on hand to sign copies of her now-complete Night’s Masque trilogy…

And, finally, a particularly great moment – new client Ed Cox chats with Neil Gaiman and Joanne Harris (quite the stealth-photo moment)…

Overall, it was a great weekend. With new books packed, happy memories swirling, we now get back to business as usual. Which is, of course, no bad thing…

Publication Day -1 for Anne Lyle!

Posted on Wednesday, November 6th, 2013

Tomorrow the third instalment of Anne Lyle‘s Night’s Masque trilogy will hit shelves! THE PRINCE OF LIES, which follows THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS and THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, is published by Angry Robot Books. Here’s the synopsis:

Elizabethan spy Mal Catlyn has everything he ever wanted – his twin brother Sandy restored to health, his family estate reclaimed and a son to inherit it – but his work is far from over. The renegade skraylings, the guisers, are still plotting – their leader, Jathekkil, has reincarnated as the young Prince Henry Tudor. But while he is still young, Mal has a slim chance of eliminating his enemies whilst they are at their weakest.

With Sandy’s help, Mal learns to harness his own magic in the fight against the guisers, but it may be too late to save England. Schemes set in motion decades ago are at last coming to fruition, and the barrier between the dreamlands and the waking world is wearing thin…

THE PRINCE OF LIES is out tomorrow! Here’s some praise for the series thus-far…

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

‘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

‘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

‘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

BFS Noms for Zeno Clients…

Posted on Wednesday, June 19th, 2013

Anne Lyle has been nominated in the Best Newcomer category in the recently announced shortlist for the 2013 British Fantasy Award. Anne receives this nomination in recognition for her excellent debut novel, THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS, published by Angry Robot. THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS is the first novel in Anne’s Night’s Masque trilogy, and is followed by THE MERCHANT OF DREAMS and THE PRINCE OF LIES – the latter is due for publication in November 2013.

Also nominated in the same category is E.C. Myers, whom we represent on behalf of our associate agency in New York, JABberwocky. Eugene’s debut novel FAIR COIN also scooped this year’s Andre Norton Award. FAIR COIN and its sequel QUANTUM COIN are published in the US by Pyr Books. UK rights are still available.

The award winners will be announced at the Awards Banquet at the World Fantasy Convention in Brighton on Sunday, November 3, 2013.

Huge congratulations to both Anne and Eugene!

Cover Reveal: THE PRINCE OF LIES…

Posted on Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013

Earlier this week, the cover for Anne Lyle‘s THE PRINCE OF LIES was revealed on Fantasy Faction. We thought we’d share it here as well…

THE PRINCE OF LIES is the third novel in Anne’s Night’s Masque trilogy, due to be published in October 2013. It follows THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS and THE MERCHANT OF DREAMS – all three novels are published by Angry Robot Books. Here’s the synopsis for the third book…

Elizabethan spy Mal Catlyn has everything he ever wanted – his twin brother Sandy restored to health, his family estate reclaimed and a son to inherit it – but his work is far from over. The renegade skraylings, the guisers, are still plotting – their leader, Jathekkil, has reincarnated as the young Prince Henry Tudor. But while he is still young, Mal has a slim chance of eliminating his enemies whilst they are at their weakest.

With Sandy’s help, Mal learns to harness his own magic in the fight against the guisers, but it may be too late to save England. Schemes set in motion decades ago are at last coming to fruition, and the barrier between the dreamlands and the waking world is wearing thin…

Angry Robot Cover Prettinesses….

Posted on Thursday, September 15th, 2011

We’ve some choice titles due for release by Angry Robot during 2012 and so I thought it’d be nice to show off these very cool covers. Check the links to each title below for further details…

THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS by Anne Lyle
GIANT THIEF by David Tallerman
THE GREAT GAME by Lavie Tidhar

News From Planet Eastercon…

Posted on Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

Zeno clients triumphed at the BSFA awards, which were held at this year’s Eastercon, at the Hilton Metropole in Birmingham over the Easter weekend.

First up was Aliette de Bodard, who was on hand to collect the award for Best Short Fiction for her story The Shipmaker, which appeared in Interzone issue #231. I managed to snap this pic of her being dwarfed by David Weber, who was on hand the present the award. (The homeless man to the rear is Paul Cornell prior to the removal of his comedy charity beard – for which he raised an impressive amount of money for, ironically, Shelter!)

No sooner had the applause for Aliette died down than our own Ian McDonald took to the stage to accept for the award for Best Novel for THE DERVISH HOUSE (not ‘The Dervish Nights’ as the convention newsletter later reported!), his 2010 novel published by Gollancz in the UK and by Pyr in the US.

A further layer of coolness was added to these wins when we later learned that both Ian and Aliette have been nominated for this year’s Hugo Awards – this news adding to Aliette’s previously reported Nebula nomination for the same story, and Ian’s Arthur C. Clarke Award nomination.

Huge congratulations to both authors.

There were lots of other Zeno authors at Eastercon – I got to meet our latest clients Anne Lyle and David Tallerman, albeit all too briefly, and the mass signing of Angry Robot authors at Waterstones in the centre of Birmingham was almost a mini ‘Zenocon’ of its own. Present were Aliette, Colin Harvey, John Meaney – or was it Thomas Blackthorn? – and, in a rare UK appearance, one Lavie Tidhar (pictured here next to a banner proclaiming his novels in all their steampunky glory.)

Elsewhere at the con, at readings, on panels and if truth must be told, in the bar, one could find Freda Warrington, Susan Boulton, Michael Cobley and last but by no means least Ian R. MacLeod.

I did a panel called ‘Writing 102: Finding an Agent‘, which was well attended and along with Gollancz Editorial Director Gillian Redfearn, Gollancz author Stephen Deas and author Martin Owton, we fielded a number of excellent questions from the audience. Hope those who were there found it helpful.