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THE RELIC GUILD omnibus now available!

Posted on Friday, November 16th, 2018

An eBook omnibus edition of Edward Cox‘s Relic Guild trilogy has been released by Gollancz! Here’s the synopsis…

Magic caused the war. Magic is forbidden. Magic will save us.

It was said the Labyrinth had once been the great meeting place, a sprawling city at the heart of an endless maze where a million humans hosted the Houses of the Aelfir. The Aelfir who had brought trade and riches, and a future full of promise. But when the Thaumaturgists, overlords of human and Aelfir alike, went to war, everything was ruined and the Labyrinth became an abandoned forbidden zone, where humans were trapped behind boundary walls 100 feet high.

Now the Aelfir are a distant memory and the Thaumaturgists have faded into myth. Young Clara struggles to survive in a dangerous and dysfunctional city, where eyes are keen, nights are long, and the use of magic is punishable by death. She hides in the shadows, fearful that someone will discover she is touched by magic. She knows her days are numbered. But when a strange man named Fabian Moor returns to the Labyrinth, Clara learns that magic serves a higher purpose and that some myths are much more deadly in the flesh.

The only people Clara can trust are the Relic Guild, a secret band of magickers sworn to protect the Labyrinth. But the Relic Guild are now too few. To truly defeat their old nemesis Moor, mightier help will be required. To save the Labyrinth — and the lives of one million humans — Clara and the Relic Guild must find a way to contact the worlds beyond their walls.

The trilogy includes the novels: THE RELIC GUILD, THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS and THE WATCHER OF DEAD TIME.

Here are just some of the reviews the series has received…

‘Ed Cox has created a lush, detailed world while also hinting at a larger backstory that will be revealed in volumes to come’ — SFX

‘An exiting blend of steampunk, fantasy, horror and pulp adventure… an intriguing, original and enjoying book’ — Starburst

‘A terrific debut novel, with plenty of scope for expansion and some really good world-building. Most importantly, lots of fun’ — Joanne M Harris, author of Gospel of Loki

Edward Cox’s THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS Out Now!

Posted on Thursday, May 12th, 2016

THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS by Edward Cox is out today in paperback! The second novel in Ed’s Relic Guild series, it is published by Gollancz. Here’s the synopsis…

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 first novel in the series, THE RELIC GUILD, is also published by Gollancz. THE WATCHER OF DEAD TIME is due to be published in August, also by Gollancz. The series has been receiving some great reviews. Here’s just a handful…

‘Tightly woven together… incorporat[es] touches of fantasy, horror and the weird but eschewing many of the regular tropes of the genre: it is quite an achievement to create something so different and so fresh… Every page bursts with magic — in the action, the characters and the plot, and of course the relics and artefacts that are often central to the story… Aside from much high-speed action, many of the book’s bravura passages are descriptive, bringing to life the many weird and wonderful worlds with fervid and sensual writing… an impressive sequel, building on its predecessor in its sheer inventiveness, scope and story development. It is hard to call anything ‘unique’, but perhaps this is as close as fantasy gets.‘ — British Fantasy Society on THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS

‘A blend of horror, fantasy and civilised steampunk adventure. It’s also quite a bit more cinematic than the first book… The Guild is part typical fantasy adventuring party and partially a superhero team, and this time round we get to learn more about what makes them tick. Not only do we discover more about the heroes, but the scenery-chewing bad guys also get to have their own backstory as well. Add on top the gentle bringing together of existing storylines and some rather entertaining self-discoveries by the main characters, and what we have here is an excellent middle book… leaves us wanting more…’ — Starburst on THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS

‘Very enjoyable epic fantasy in a noir-ish dystopian setting, emcompassing two time lines and dashes of vampirism and zombies — all neatly balanced despite it being a debut, with likeable characters and a fresh setting…’ — Tom Lloyd (author of Twilight Reign series) on THE RELIC GUILD

‘A terrific debut novel, with plenty of scope for expansion and some really good world-building. Most importantly, lots of fun. Looking forward to the next one.’ — Joanne Harris on THE RELIC GUILD

‘THE RELIC GUILD is a formidable debut from an author with huge potential, and I will be one of the first clamouring for a copy of the sequel.’ — Fantasy Faction

Edward Cox Event at Blackwell’s Next Week

Posted on Friday, January 15th, 2016

Next Tuesday (January 19th), Edward Cox will be taking part in a Q&A event at Blackwell’s in Holborn, London, at 6:30. The event will also include fellow fantasy authors Den Patrick and Jen Williams.

Cox’s Relic Guild series is published in the UK by Gollancz: THE RELIC GUILD, THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS and the forthcoming THE WATCHER OF DEAD TIME. Here’s the synopsis for THE RELIC GUILD, in case you haven’t had the chance to check it out, yet…

In the sealed Labyrinth, a young woman must find a way to control her magic and escape her prison in this remarkable debut fantasy.

Magic caused the war. Magic is forbidden. Magic will save us.

It was said the Labyrinth had once been the great meeting place, a sprawling city at the heart of an endless maze where a million humans hosted the Houses of the Aelfir. The Aelfir who had brought trade and riches, and a future full of promise. But when the Thaumaturgists, overlords of human and Aelfir alike, went to war, everything was ruined and the Labyrinth became an abandoned forbidden zone, where humans were trapped behind boundary walls 100 feet high.

Now the Aelfir are a distant memory and the Thaumaturgists have faded into myth. Young Clara struggles to survive in a dangerous and dysfunctional city, where eyes are keen, nights are long, and the use of magic is punishable by death. She hides in the shadows, fearful that someone will discover she is touched by magic. She knows her days are numbered. But when a strange man named Fabian Moor returns to the Labyrinth, Clara learns that magic serves a higher purpose and that some myths are much more deadly in the flesh.

The only people Clara can trust are the Relic Guild, a secret band of magickers sworn to protect the Labyrinth. But the Relic Guild are now too few. To truly defeat their old nemesis Moor, mightier help will be required. To save the Labyrinth – and the lives of one million humans – Clara and the Relic Guild must find a way to contact the worlds beyond their walls.

The series has received some great reviews, so far…

‘A terrific debut novel, with plenty of scope for expansion and some really good world-building. Most importantly, lots of fun. Looking forward to the next one.’ — Joanne Harris on THE RELIC GUILD

‘An exciting blend of steampunk, fantasy, horror, and pulp adventure… incredibly detailed, but it never threatens to take over the narrative… Cox avoids the fantasy cliché of characters being little more than their occupations or particular field of expertise, and the format of past and present allows the reader to see how much some of them have changed and developed, and why… THE RELIC GUILD is an intriguing, original and enjoyable book, a daring mix of genres that initially feels like it shouldn’t work, but is ultimately greater than the sum of its parts.’ — Starburst

‘Tightly woven together and all storylines move forward with clarity and purpose: no character is a spare part; no passages tread water. The book accelerates to its conclusion with juicy revelations but a shock held back for the final pages… everything a reader would want to compel them onto the final book of the trilogy… touches of fantasy, horror and the weird but eschewing many of the regular tropes of the genre: it is quite an achievement to create something so different and so fresh… Every page bursts with magic… fervid and sensual writing… an impressive sequel, building on its predecessor in its sheer inventiveness, scope and story development. It is hard to call anything ‘unique’, but perhaps this is as close as fantasy gets.‘ — British Fantasy Society on THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS

‘THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS is… both more of the same whilst being filled with fresh ideas at the same time… a blend of horror, fantasy and civilised steampunk adventure. It’s also quite a bit more cinematic than the first book… Cox has taken the time to explore both the world and his characters with this sequel. The Guild is part typical fantasy adventuring party and partially a superhero team, and this time round we get to learn more about what makes them tick. Not only do we discover more about the heroes, but the scenery-chewing bad guys also get to have their own backstory as well. Add on top the gentle bringing together of existing storylines and some rather entertaining self-discoveries by the main characters, and what we have here is an excellent middle book… leaves us wanting more…’ — Starburst

Out Thursday: THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS by Edward Cox

Posted on Tuesday, October 13th, 2015

Edward Cox‘s THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS, the anticipated sequel to THE RELIC GUILD, is out in the UK this Thursday (October 15th)! Published by Gollancz, here’s the synopsis…

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 RELIC GUILD enjoyed a great critical response when it was published last year. Here are just a few of the reviews…

‘An intriguing, original and enjoyable book, a daring mix of genres that initially feels like it shouldn’t work, but is ultimately greater than the sum of its parts.’ — Starburst

‘Part science fantasy, part steampunk thriller, part horror novel… THE RELIC GUILD reads in places like a vividly-described high fantasy merged with Victorian penny dreadful ‘appening… colourful characters… Cox has written a mighty fine first novel… I was hooked and enjoyed the world that Cox has created and the characters that inhabit it, and look forward to stepping into “the darkness that leads somewhere else” and see what happens on the other side in book two.’ — Interzone

‘A high concept fantasy packed with ideas, weird and wonderful characters and a mix of styles, at times evoking noir, urban fantasy, flavours of steampunk (in the depiction of anachronistic technology) and grotesque body-horror David Cronenberg would be proud of. Thought you knew where modern fantasy was at? THE RELIC GUILD will challenge your assumptions.’ — British Fantasy Society

‘If you like your fantasy gothic (though not overly grimdark) in atmosphere, populated by interesting and varied characters, and a fast-but-not-rushed pace, then THE RELIC GUILD is for you. I really enjoyed this, and can’t wait for the second in the series, and to see how the characters, world and story develop. Highly recommended.’ — Civilian Reader

‘Engrossing… a lot to like—especially the setting… what little we see of it and its surroundings is striking, and the way in which the world works its way into the magic system whilst the magic system works its way into the world imbues both elements with a certain significance… a number of other highlights, as it happens—not least the concept of the Resident and the Orwellian workings of the Nightshade—whilst what little action there is is smartly handled… Cox’s prose is never less than pleasant… the beginning of his debut is borderline brilliant… A solid start…’ — Tor.com

Next Week: Edward Cox Signing at Forbidden Planet

Posted on Monday, September 28th, 2015

On Thursday, October 8th, Forbidden Planet in London will host Edward Cox for a signing. This is your chance to get your hands on THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS, his second novel, before its official release on October 15th. Published by Gollancz, it is the sequel to the critically-acclaimed THE RELIC GUILD. Here’s the synopsis…

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.

If you’d like to try out the world, Cox has written two, free short stories available in audio: HEMLOCK and CHAMPION OF DEAD TIME.

Here’s some of the aforementioned critical acclaim for THE RELIC GUILD…

‘A terrific debut novel, with plenty of scope for expansion and some really good world-building. Most importantly, lots of fun. Looking forward to the next one.’ — Joanne Harris

‘An exciting blend of steampunk, fantasy, horror, and pulp adventure… THE RELIC GUILD is an intriguing, original and enjoyable book, a daring mix of genres that initially feels like it shouldn’t work, but is ultimately greater than the sum of its parts.’ — Starburst

‘THE RELIC GUILD was a fast and pleasurable read… a magical creation and a true feat of imagination which I’m looking forward to exploring more… A promising debut…’ — Upcoming4Me

‘Part science fantasy, part steampunk thriller, part horror novel… THE RELIC GUILD reads in places like a vividly-described high fantasy merged with Victorian penny dreadful ‘appening… a mighty fine first novel…’ — Interzone

Free Audiobook: CHAMPION OF DEAD TIME by Edward Cox

Posted on Wednesday, September 9th, 2015

In advance of the release of THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS, the highly-anticipated sequel to THE RELIC GUILD, Edward Cox has released a free audio-short story via Audible: CHAMPION OF DEAD TIME. Here’s the (very short) synopsis…

In the heart of the Retrospective, a demon is awakened from never-ending war with a terrible new purpose…

The story is a stand-alone prologue to THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS, which is due to be published by Gollancz in the UK, on October 15th, 2015. Here’s the synopsis for the novel…

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.

Cox also wrote another short story, HEMLOCK, which was released as a free audiobook to coincide with the release of THE RELIC GUILD. The two short stories and both novels are narrated by Imogen Church.

Praise for THE RELIC GUILD…

‘A terrific debut novel, with plenty of scope for expansion and some really good world-building. Most importantly, lots of fun. Looking forward to the next one.’ — Joanne Harris

‘An intriguing, original and enjoyable book, a daring mix of genres…’ — Starburst

‘A formidable debut from an author with huge potential, and I will be one of the first clamouring for a copy of the sequel.’ — Fantasy Faction

all kinds of magic: alchemy, illusion, lycanthropy, necromancy, sorcery and thaumaturgy; this book has magic in its DNA… full of flavour… a high concept fantasy packed with ideas, weird and wonderful characters and a mix of styles, at times evoking noir, urban fantasy, flavours of steampunk… Thought you knew where modern fantasy was at? THE RELIC GUILD will challenge your assumptions.’ — British Fantasy Society

This Friday: Edward Cox is BFS Guest Author

Posted on Monday, June 1st, 2015

On Friday June 5th, Edward Cox is the British Fantasy Society’s guest author for their BFS Open Night. The event takes place at The Blacksmith & The Toffeemaker in London, from 7-11pm. Details for the night, and the address of the venue can be found here.

Edward is the author of the critically-acclaimed THE RELIC GUILD, which is published in the UK by Gollancz (paperback due out July 9th). Here’s the synopsis…

In the sealed Labyrinth, a young woman must find a way to control her magic and escape her prison in this remarkable debut fantasy.

Magic caused the war. Magic is forbidden. Magic will save us.

It was said the Labyrinth had once been the great meeting place, a sprawling city at the heart of an endless maze where a million humans hosted the Houses of the Aelfir. The Aelfir who had brought trade and riches, and a future full of promise. But when the Thaumaturgists, overlords of human and Aelfir alike, went to war, everything was ruined and the Labyrinth became an abandoned forbidden zone, where humans were trapped behind boundary walls 100 feet high.

Now the Aelfir are a distant memory and the Thaumaturgists have faded into myth. Young Clara struggles to survive in a dangerous and dysfunctional city, where eyes are keen, nights are long, and the use of magic is punishable by death. She hides in the shadows, fearful that someone will discover she is touched by magic. She knows her days are numbered. But when a strange man named Fabian Moor returns to the Labyrinth, Clara learns that magic serves a higher purpose and that some myths are much more deadly in the flesh.

The only people Clara can trust are the Relic Guild, a secret band of magickers sworn to protect the Labyrinth. But the Relic Guild are now too few. To truly defeat their old nemesis Moor, mightier help will be required. To save the Labyrinth – and the lives of one million humans – Clara and the Relic Guild must find a way to contact the worlds beyond their walls.

Gollancz are also due to publish the sequel, THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS, on October 15th, 2015. Here are just a handful of great reviews THE RELIC GUILD has received so far…

‘A terrific debut novel, with plenty of scope for expansion and some really good world-building. Most importantly, lots of fun. Looking forward to the next one.’ — Joanne Harris

‘Very enjoyable epic fantasy in a noir-ish dystopian setting, emcompassing two time lines and dashes of vampirism and zombies – all neatly balanced despite it being a debut, with likeable characters and a fresh setting…’ — Tom Lloyd (author of Twilight Reign series)

‘All kinds of magic: alchemy, illusion, lycanthropy, necromancy, sorcery and thaumaturgy; this book has magic in its DNA… no figure lacks colour, no scene lacks substance and no twist lacks spice — the author takes the opportunity to invest everything with something. Stylistically it is a rich brew… a high concept fantasy packed with ideas, weird and wonderful characters and a mix of styles, at times evoking noir, urban fantasy, flavours of steampunk … Thought you knew where modern fantasy was at? THE RELIC GUILD will challenge your assumptions.’ — British Fantasy Society

‘THE RELIC GUILD is an intriguing, original and enjoyable book, a daring mix of genres …’ — Starburst

‘THE RELIC GUILD is a formidable debut from an author with huge potential, and I will be one of the first clamouring for a copy of the sequel.’ — Fantasy Faction

THE RELIC GUILD Long-Listed for Two Gemmell Awards

Posted on Thursday, April 16th, 2015

Edward Cox‘s debut fantasy, THE RELIC GUILD, has been nominated in two categories for this year’s Gemmell Awards! Specifically, the novel has been nominated in the Morningstar (best fantasy debut) and Legend (best fantasy novel) award categories.

The first in a planned trilogy, THE RELIC GUILD is published by Gollancz. Out now in hardcover, it is due to be published in paperback in June 2015. Here’s the synopsis…

In the sealed Labyrinth, a young woman must find a way to control her magic and escape her prison in this remarkable debut fantasy.

Magic caused the war. Magic is forbidden. Magic will save us.

It was said the Labyrinth had once been the great meeting place, a sprawling city at the heart of an endless maze where a million humans hosted the Houses of the Aelfir. The Aelfir who had brought trade and riches, and a future full of promise. But when the Thaumaturgists, overlords of human and Aelfir alike, went to war, everything was ruined and the Labyrinth became an abandoned forbidden zone, where humans were trapped behind boundary walls 100 feet high.

Now the Aelfir are a distant memory and the Thaumaturgists have faded into myth. Young Clara struggles to survive in a dangerous and dysfunctional city, where eyes are keen, nights are long, and the use of magic is punishable by death. She hides in the shadows, fearful that someone will discover she is touched by magic. She knows her days are numbered. But when a strange man named Fabian Moor returns to the Labyrinth, Clara learns that magic serves a higher purpose and that some myths are much more deadly in the flesh.

The only people Clara can trust are the Relic Guild, a secret band of magickers sworn to protect the Labyrinth. But the Relic Guild are now too few. To truly defeat their old nemesis Moor, mightier help will be required. To save the Labyrinth – and the lives of one million humans – Clara and the Relic Guild must find a way to contact the worlds beyond their walls.

Here are just a few of the great reviews THE RELIC GUILD has received…

‘A terrific debut novel, with plenty of scope for expansion and some really good world-building. Most importantly, lots of fun. Looking forward to the next one.’ — Joanne Harris

‘An exciting blend of steampunk, fantasy, horror, and pulp adventure… an intriguing, original and enjoyable book, a daring mix of genres that initially feels like it shouldn’t work, but is ultimately greater than the sum of its parts.’ — Starburst

‘A fast and pleasurable read… He knows how to craft a tale and to write engaging characters and I’ve also loved his use of the Labyrinth as a vehicle for setting a fully immersive dystopian (with a dash of noir) atmosphere. It is a magical creation and a true feat of imagination which I’m looking forward to exploring more… A promising debut…’ — Upcoming4Me

We recently unveiled the cover for the hotly-anticipated sequel, THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS, which is also due to be published by Gollancz, in September 2015. Here it is again…

Cover: THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS by Edward Cox

Posted on Tuesday, March 31st, 2015

Above is the stunning cover for Edward Cox‘s second novel, THE CATHEDRAL OF KNOWN THINGS. The sequel to THE RELIC GUILD, the novel is due to be published by Gollancz in October 2015 (late September in eBook). Here’s the synopsis…

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.

And, in case the stunning cover and synopsis didn’t convince you, here is just a handful of the great reviews THE RELIC GUILD has received…

‘A terrific debut novel, with plenty of scope for expansion and some really good world-building. Most importantly, lots of fun. Looking forward to the next one.’ — Joanne Harris

‘Part science fantasy, part steampunk thriller, part horror novel… THE RELIC GUILD reads in places like a vividly-described high fantasy merged with Victorian penny dreadful ‘appening… colourful characters… Cox has written a mighty fine first novel… I was hooked…’ — Interzone

‘An exciting blend of steampunk, fantasy, horror, and pulp adventure… THE RELIC GUILD is an intriguing, original and enjoyable book, a daring mix of genres…’ — Starburst

‘THE RELIC GUILD is a formidable debut from an author with huge potential, and I will be one of the first clamouring for a copy of the sequel.’ — Fantasy Faction

‘THE RELIC GUILD, the debut novel from Edward Cox, is all kinds of magic… Stylistically it is a rich brew… always full of flavour… a high concept fantasy packed with ideas, weird and wonderful characters and a mix of styles, at times evoking noir, urban fantasy, flavours of steampunk (in the depiction of anachronistic technology) and grotesque body-horror David Cronenberg would be proud of. Thought you knew where modern fantasy was at? THE RELIC GUILD will challenge your assumptions.’ — British Fantasy Society