Tag: Gollancz

Ian McDonald’s LUNE MONTANTE is out now in France!

Posted on Thursday, September 12th, 2019

MOON RISING, the third novel in Ian McDonald‘s acclaimed Luna series, is out now in France! Published as by Denoël, as LUNE MONTANTE, here’s the synopsis…

Lucas Corta, que tout le monde croyait mort, a réussi l’impossible : survivre, lui, le natif de la Lune, à un long séjour sur la Terre. Revenu en orbite pour se venger, il a triomphé. Désormais la Lune lui appartient. Mais il a également beaucoup perdu, à commencer par son fils Lucasinho, plongé dans le coma et atteint de lésions cérébrales irréversibles. Sans compter que les Mackenzie rescapés n’ont pas dit leur dernier mot et espèrent bien rendre à Lucas la monnaie de sa pièce. Les Sun, quant à eux, fourbissent toujours leurs armes pour éliminer tous leurs concurrents. Plus que jamais, sur la Lune, la guerre entre les Cinq Dragons fait rage.

Denoël has also published the first two books in the series: NOUVELLE LUNE and LUNE DU LOUP (in addition to a handful of Ian’s other novels).

Ian’s Luna series is published in the UK by Gollancz, in North America by Tor Books, and is available in a growing number of translated editions. Here’s the English-language synopsis for MOON RISING…

A hundred years in the future, a war wages between the Five Dragons — five families that control the Moon’s leading industrial companies. Each clan does everything in their power to claw their way to the top of the food chain — marriages of convenience, corporate espionage, kidnapping, and mass assassinations.

Through ingenious political manipulation and sheer force of will, Lucas Cortas rises from the ashes of corporate defeat and seizes control of the Moon. The only person who can stop him is a brilliant lunar lawyer, his sister, Ariel.

Witness the Dragons’ final battle for absolute sovereignty in Ian McDonald’s heart-stopping finale to the Luna trilogy.

‘McDonald concludes his Luna space opera trilogy in triumphant style… The political intrigue never feels too abstract or removed from 21st-century Earth. Readers will appreciate the care McDonald takes with both worldbuilding and characterization, and will enjoy little touches such as giving an assassin the job title of Corporate Conflict Resolution Officer… fans of the prior books will find this wrap-up rewarding.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘… cinematic set-pieces… so much fun to read… these entertaining, and intelligent novels, capped off by the very satisfying Luna: MOON RISING, have been about establishing a society, a community, a family that looks to the future, that lives and prospers in an environment that must always be treated with respect.’ — Locus

‘McDonald’s richly imagined Lunar culture and interplanetary poleconomy make for a superb backdrop for literally dozens of richly realized human dramas, and it’s hard to say which is more fascinating. McDonald’s wildly imaginative worldbuilding (present since his debut novel, the utterly wonderful standout OUT ON BLUE SIX) and his ability to spin out intrigues are both in full flight in this final volume.’ — Boing Boing

‘The Luna trilogy is a masterpiece of worldbuilding. Ian McDonald has created an incredibly developed, complex and astonishingly plausible future for the Moon… What stands out, though, are its threads of gorgeous storytelling… as a whole, this is an extraordinary trilogy. Ian McDonald always writes beautifully. I love what he has to say. I’ll always remember his vision of the Moon, which at times is horrifying and violent and yet at others is so heartwarming and wondrous.’ — For Winter Nights

Ian McDonald’s LUNE MONTANTE is out later this month in France!

Posted on Monday, September 2nd, 2019

The third novel in Ian McDonald‘s acclaimed Luna series — MOON RISING — is due to be published in France later this month! Published as LUNE MONTANTE by Denoël, here’s the synopsis…

Lucas Corta, que tout le monde croyait mort, a réussi l’impossible : survivre, lui, le natif de la Lune, à un long séjour sur la Terre. Revenu en orbite pour se venger, il a triomphé. Désormais la Lune lui appartient. Mais il a également beaucoup perdu, à commencer par son fils Lucasinho, plongé dans le coma et atteint de lésions cérébrales irréversibles. Sans compter que les Mackenzie rescapés n’ont pas dit leur dernier mot et espèrent bien rendre à Lucas la monnaie de sa pièce. Les Sun, quant à eux, fourbissent toujours leurs armes pour éliminer tous leurs concurrents. Plus que jamais, sur la Lune, la guerre entre les Cinq Dragons fait rage.

Denoël has also published the first two books in the series: NOUVELLE LUNE and LUNE DU LOUP (in addition to a few of Ian’s other novels).

Ian’s Luna series is published in the UK by Gollancz, in North America by Tor Books, and is available in a growing number of translated editions. Here’s the English-language synopsis for MOON RISING…

A hundred years in the future, a war wages between the Five Dragons — five families that control the Moon’s leading industrial companies. Each clan does everything in their power to claw their way to the top of the food chain — marriages of convenience, corporate espionage, kidnapping, and mass assassinations.

Through ingenious political manipulation and sheer force of will, Lucas Cortas rises from the ashes of corporate defeat and seizes control of the Moon. The only person who can stop him is a brilliant lunar lawyer, his sister, Ariel.

Witness the Dragons’ final battle for absolute sovereignty in Ian McDonald’s heart-stopping finale to the Luna trilogy.

‘McDonald concludes his Luna space opera trilogy in triumphant style… The political intrigue never feels too abstract or removed from 21st-century Earth. Readers will appreciate the care McDonald takes with both worldbuilding and characterization, and will enjoy little touches such as giving an assassin the job title of Corporate Conflict Resolution Officer… fans of the prior books will find this wrap-up rewarding.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘… cinematic set-pieces… so much fun to read… these entertaining, and intelligent novels, capped off by the very satisfying Luna: MOON RISING, have been about establishing a society, a community, a family that looks to the future, that lives and prospers in an environment that must always be treated with respect.’ — Locus

‘The Luna trilogy is a masterpiece of worldbuilding. Ian McDonald has created an incredibly developed, complex and astonishingly plausible future for the Moon… What stands out, though, are its threads of gorgeous storytelling… as a whole, this is an extraordinary trilogy. Ian McDonald always writes beautifully. I love what he has to say. I’ll always remember his vision of the Moon, which at times is horrifying and violent and yet at others is so heartwarming and wondrous.’ — For Winter Nights

Brandon Sanderson’s OATHBRINGER out now in paperback!

Posted on Thursday, August 29th, 2019

The new paperback editions of Brandon Sanderson‘s OATHBRINGER are out now! The third volume in the Stormlight Archive epic fantasy series, it is now available in two parts, published by Gollancz. Here’s the synopsis…

In Oathbringer, the third volume of the New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive series, humanity faces a new Desolation with the return of the Voidbringers, a foe whose numbers are as great as their thirst for vengeance.

The Alethi armies commanded by Dalinar Kholin won a fleeting victory at a terrible cost: The enemy Parshendi summoned the violent Everstorm, and now its destruction sweeps the world and its passing awakens the once peaceful and subservient parshmen to the true horror of their millennia-long enslavement by humans. While on a desperate flight to warn his family of the threat, Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with the fact that their newly kindled anger may be wholly justified.

Nestled in the mountains high above the storms, in the tower city of Urithiru, Shallan Davar investigates the wonders of the ancient stronghold of the Knights Radiant and unearths the dark secrets lurking in its depths. And gradually realizes that his holy mission to unite his homeland of Alethkar was too narrow in scope. Unless all the nations of Roshar can put Dalinar’s blood-soaked past aside and stand together – and unless Dalinar himself can confront that past – even the restoration of the Knights Radiant will not avert the end of civilization.

Here are just a few of the reviews the novel has received so far…

‘Fans of the Stormlight Archive series will enjoy this book, which brings back favorite characters and deepens a well-drawn fantasy world.’ — Kirkus

‘The much-anticipated third Stormlight Archive epic fantasy installment is classic Sanderson, with multiple story lines and unexpected twists and turns… Sanderson successfully balances introducing new elements and satisfactorily resolving some threads, leaving fans to eagerly await the next in the series.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘OATHBRINGER is everything I expected it to be. Not only does it make good on the promises of the first two volumes, it elevates the Stormlight Archive to new heights of epic magic, exceptional worldbuilding, and satisfying action. With each new novel, Sanderson proves himself to be the true heir to Robert Jordan’s throne. He’s writing big, meaty, contemplative epic fantasy, and showing no signs of slowing down.’ — B&N Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog

‘Sanderson outdid himself once again. It is a wonderful, well-paced, emotional read with a poignant focus on the brokenness of people and how to overcome your own limits.’ — The Ranting Dragon

Gollancz has published the first two books in the series — THE WAY OF KINGS and WORDS OF RADIANCE — as well as a whole host of Brandon’s other novels and series, in the UK, including the best-selling, fan-favourite and modern classic Mistborn series (pictured below).

Gollancz are also due to publish Brandon’s next novel, STARSIGHT, the sequel to SKYWARD.

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

DER OKTOBERMANN kommt nach Deutschland

Posted on Friday, August 16th, 2019

Next month — September 20th, to be exact — DTV are due to publish Ben Aaronovitch‘s THE OCTOBER MAN in Germany! To be published in German as DER OKTOBERMANN, here’s the synopsis…

Die Flüsse von London fließen nach Deutschland…

… denn auch hierzulande gibt es magische Vorkommnisse! Das deutsche Pendant zu Peter Grant heißt Tobi Winter und arbeitet beim BKA (Abteilung für komplexe und diffuse Angelegenheiten, sprich: Magie). Tobi bekommt es mit seltsamen Bräuchen in den Weinbergen rund um Trier zu tun – und mit einem übernatürlichen Rätsel, das schon Hunderte von Jahren alt ist. Selbstverständlich hat in dieser Gegend auch die Mosel ein Wörtchen mitzureden, wenn es magisch wird.

The novella, set in the same universe as Ben’s Rivers of London/Peter Grant books, is the first set in Germany and starring Tobias Winter. It is published in the UK by Gollancz and in North America by Subterranean Press. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Trier is famous for wine, Romans and for being Germany’s oldest city. So when a man is found dead with, his body impossibly covered in a fungal rot, the local authorities know they are out of their depth.

Fortunately this is Germany, where there are procedures for everything.

Enter Investigator Tobias Winter, whose aim is to get in, deal with the problem, and get out with the minimum of fuss, personal danger and paperwork. With the help of frighteningly enthusiastic local cop, Vanessa Sommer, he’s quick to link the first victim to a group of ordinary middle aged men – and to realise they may have accidentally reawakened a bloody conflict from a previous century. But the rot is still spreading, literally and with the suspect list extending to people born before Frederick the Great solving the case may mean unearthing the city’s secret magical history.

… so long as that history doesn’t kill them first.

Here are just a couple of the great reviews the novella has received so far…

‘In this enjoyable spin-off from the Rivers of London urban fantasy series, Aaronovitch successfully transfers his blend of the supernatural and humor from England to the Continent as he introduces Tobias Winter, a German police officer who practices magic… Supernatural mystery fans who enjoy more whimsical takes on the paranormal will hope for more of Winter and Sommer.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘Aaronovitch expands the universe of his Rivers of London series (Broken Homes, 2014) to include new characters operating in different countries with ties to supernatural crimes and detective work. THE OCTOBER MAN introduces Tobias Winter, a sanctioned magic practitioner who investigates the supernatural angles of crimes for the Abteilung KDA (which fans will recognize as the German extension of the British Folly)… Aaronovitch delivers yet another classic detective novel rich with the magical world building accomplished in his previous work.’ — Booklist

‘Winter’s stolidness is a feature rather than a bug. While there are moments of adventure and daring, the story of this crime is both a satisfying whodunit and a primer on how magic works in Deutschland. THE OCTOBER MAN would be an interesting place to enter the Rivers of London world. Rather than fae, a new reader would anticipate werewolves, perhaps — and still greatly enjoy Aaronovitch’s work. Those who know the Folly will appreciate this outsider’s view of Grant and Nightingale, as well as learn a bit about how the latter spent the war, while still greatly enjoying Aaronovitch’s work, even if it is set someplace new.’ — Locus (Adrienne Martini)

DTV has published all of Ben’s books in Germany to date…

… the series is published by Gollancz in the UK…

… and in North America by Del Rey (1-3), DAW Books (4-) and Subterranean Press (novellas).

Ben Aaronovitch and Lavie Tidhar nominated for Dragon Awards!

Posted on Tuesday, August 13th, 2019

We’re delighted to report that Ben Aaronovitch and Lavie Tidhar are on the ballot for Dragon Awards! Due to be presented later this month at DragonCon in Atlanta, Georgia, read on for some more details of the nominated titles.

First up (and pictured above) is Ben’s LIES SLEEPING. Nominated for Best Fantasy Novel, it is the seventh novel in the author’s critically-acclaimed, best-selling Peter Grant/Rivers of London series. Published in the UK by Gollancz, in North America by DAW Books, and in a growing number of translated editions around the world, here’s the synopsis…

Martin Chorley, aka the Faceless Man, wanted for multiple counts of murder, fraud and crimes against humanity, has been unmasked and is on the run.

Peter Grant, Detective Constable and apprentice wizard, now plays a key role in an unprecedented joint operation to bring Chorley to justice.

But even as the unwieldy might of the Metropolitan Police bears down on its foe, Peter uncovers clues that Chorley, far from being finished, is executing the final stages of a long term plan.

A plan that has its roots in London’s two thousand bloody years of history, and could literally bring the city to its knees.

To save his beloved city Peter’s going to need help from his former best friend and colleague – Lesley May – who brutally betrayed him and everything he thought she believed in. And, far worse, he might even have to come to terms with the malevolent supernatural killer and agent of chaos known as Mr Punch…

‘[F]unny… laugh-out-loud prose… fans will delight in this outing.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘[R]ecounted with deadpan British wit and irony… packed with fascinating historical detail… Lively and amusing and different.’ — Kirkus

‘Peter Grant’s London has depth, breadth, and a complex array of recurring characters, and every one of the novels can be relied on to start with a bang… Aaronovitch’s Peter Grant has a distinctive voice, one that makes even the bureaucracy of regular police work engaging and compelling… Aaronovitch writes a tense, compelling police procedural with magic. As usual, Grant’s voice is striking, and the action gripping and intense.’ — Tor.com

‘[S]till as fresh as ever… Aaronovitch melds the magical and mundane extremely well. There’s a good mix of ‘London practicality’ and ‘unimaginable terror’ here; this isn’t a world where everyone can take the idea that magic is a real thing in their stride. Fear of the unknown keeps things in the margins, which provides a backdrop for the main characters’ struggles… The plot dives straight into strands from the previous titles, tying up plots going all the way back to book one whilst fraying new threads to keep the intrigue going. The pace is solid and steady, the action is as thrilling as ever and the whole thing ticks along like an old yet exciting friend… A must for fans of the series so far and, as always, we can’t wait to read the next one.’ — Starburst

Lavie’s UNHOLY LAND also racks up another nomination, this time in the Best Alternate History Novel category. Published by Tachyon Publications, here’s the synopsis…

Lior Tirosh is a semi-successful author of pulp fiction, an inadvertent time traveler, and an ongoing source of disappointment to his father.

Tirosh has returned to his homeland in East Africa. But Palestina—a Jewish state founded in the early 20th century — has grown dangerous. The government is building a vast border wall to keep out African refugees. Unrest in Ararat City is growing. And Tirosh’s childhood friend, trying to deliver a warning, has turned up dead in his hotel room. A state security officer has identified Tirosh as a suspect in a string of murders, and a rogue agent is stalking Tirosh through transdimensional rifts — possible futures that can only be prevented by avoiding the mistakes of the past.

The novel is graced with another fantastic cover from award-winning artist Sarah Anne Langton.

‘Lavie Tidhar does it again. A jewelled little box of miracles. Magnificent.’ — Warren Ellis

‘World Fantasy Award winner Tidhar (Central Station) will leave readers’ heads spinning with this disorienting and gripping alternate history… ‘No matter what we do, human history always attempts to repeat itself,’ Tidhar writes, even as he explores the substantial differences in history that might arise from single but significant choices. Readers of all kinds, and particularly fans of detective stories and puzzles, will enjoy grappling with the numerous questions raised by this stellar work.’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

‘Shifting perspectives will keep readers trying to catch up with this fast-paced plot involving incredible twists on multiple realities and homecoming. This latest from Campbell and World Fantasy Award winner Tidhar (Central Station) is fascinating and powerful.’ — Library Journal (Starred Review)

‘Lavie Tidhar is a genius at conjuring realities that are just two steps to the left of our own… Gorgeous in its alienness…’ — NPR Books

‘Adventurous readers will appreciate this well-written and ambitious book. It should find a place at any library that offers high-quality literary fiction.’ — Booklist

Ian McDonald: WorldCon Guest Of Honour (Part 1)

Posted on Friday, August 2nd, 2019

Ian McDonald is a Guest of Honour at this year’s WorldCon, to be held in Dublin from August 15-19. We thought this would be a great time, therefore, to highlight some of his amazing, critically-acclaimed and award-winning novels. His most recent series, Luna, has been getting a lot of attention as new translation editions are released. (Ian’s conquest of the world continues at quite the impressive pace!)

Given how substantial his backlist is, we’re going to split this into two posts (the second will go up next Friday). Today, we’ll take a look at Ian’s other series.

One of Ian’s most critically-acclaimed series is India 2047, which includes RIVER OF GODS and CYBERABAD DAYS. Published in the UK by Gollancz, the novels are also available as eBook in the US (via JABberwocky’s eBook Program). Here’s the synopsis for RIVER OF GODS…

August 15th, 2047. Happy Hundredth Birthday, India … On the eve of Mother India’s hundredth birthday, ten people are doing ten very different things. In the next few weeks, all these people will be swept together to decide the fate of the nation. From gangsters to government advisors, from superstitious street-boys to scientists to computer-generated soap stars, River of Gods shows a civilization in flux – a river of gods.

RIVER OF GODS is an epic SF novel as sprawling, vibrant and colourful as the sub-continent it describes. This is an SF novel that blew apart the narrow anglo and US-centric concerns of the genre and ushered in a new global consciousness for the genre.

Ian has two novels set on a future Mars: DESOLATION ROAD and ARES EXPRESS. Available now, published by the JABberwocky eBook Program.

It all began thirty years ago on Mars, with a greenperson. But by the time it all finished, the town of Desolation Road had experienced every conceivable abnormality from Adam Black’s Wonderful Travelling Chautauqua and Educational ‘Stravaganza (complete with its very own captive angel) to the Astounding Tatterdemalion Air Bazaar. Its inhabitants ranged from Dr. Alimantando, the town’s founder and resident genius, to the Babooshka, a barren grandmother who just wants her own child—grown in a fruit jar; from Rajendra Das, mechanical hobo who has a mystical way with machines to the Gallacelli brothers, identical triplets who fell in love with—and married—the same woman.

Ian’s first series was Chaga, which includes CHAGA/EVOLUTION’S ROAD, KIRINYA, and TENDELEO’S STORY. The trilogy is now available as eBooks, published by JABberwocky. The first two books have also been published in Germany, by Heyne.

On the trail of the mystery of Saturn’s disappearing moons, network journalist Gaby McAslan finds herself in Africa researching the Kilimanjaro Event: a meteor-strike in Kenya which caused the stunning African landscape to give way to something equally beautiful – and indescribably alien. Dubbed the ‘Chaga’, the alien flora destroys all man-made materials, and moulds human flesh, bone and spirit to its own designs. But when Gaby finds the first man to survive the Chaga’s changes, she realizes it has its own plans for humankind… Against the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, McDonald weaves a staggering tale of keen human observation and speculation, as the Kilimanjaro Event changes the course of the human race by exposure to something beyond its imagination.

Everness is Ian’s YA sci-fi trilogy: PLANESRUNNER, BE MY ENEMY, and EMPRESS OF THE SUN. First published by Jo Fletcher Books in the UK and Pyr Books in North America, the series has now been reissued through the JABberwocky eBook program (UK and US). The series offers younger readers a perfect entry point into McDonald’s work — sci-fi that is both intelligent and action-packed, this series is also accessible and thoroughly entertaining. Here’s the synopsis for the first book…

There is not one you. There are many yous. There is not one world. There are many worlds. Ours is one among billions of parallel earths.

When Everett Singh’s scientist father is kidnapped from the streets of London, he leaves young Everett a mysterious app on his computer: the Infundibulum, the map of all the parallel earths, the most valuable object in the multiverse. There are dark forces in the Plenitude of Known Worlds who will stop at nothing to get it. They’ve got power, authority, the might of ten planets—some of them more technologically advanced than our Earth—at their fingertips. He’s got wits, intelligence, and a knack for Indian cooking.

Everett must trick his way through the Heisenberg Gate that his dad helped build and go on the run in a parallel Earth. But to rescue his dad from Charlotte Villiers and the sinister Order, this Planesrunner’s going to need friends. Friends like Captain Anastasia Sixsmyth, her adopted daughter, Sen, and the crew of the airship Everness.

Can they rescue Everett’s father and get the Infundibulum to safety? The game is afoot!

The Everness series has also been published in a number of foreign territories.

Check out the awesome cover for Ben Aaronovitch’s FALSE VALUE!

Posted on Monday, July 29th, 2019

In case you missed the reveal at the end of last week, we wanted to take this opportunity to share the stunning cover for FALSE VALUE! The highly-anticipated upcoming, eighth novel in Ben Aaronovitch‘s Peter Grant series, FALSE VALUE is due to be published by Gollancz (UK) and DAW Books (North America) in mid-November 2019. Here’s the synopsis…

Peter Grant is facing fatherhood, and an uncertain future, with equal amounts of panic and enthusiasm. Rather than sit around, he takes a job with émigré Silicon Valley tech genius Terrence Skinner’s brand new London start up – the Serious Cybernetics Company.

Drawn into the orbit of Old Street’s famous ‘silicon roundabout’, Peter must learn how to blend in with people who are both civilians and geekier than he is. Compared to his last job, Peter thinks it should be a doddle. But magic is not finished with Mama Grant’s favourite son.

Because Terrence Skinner has a secret hidden in the bowels of the SCC. A technology that stretches back to Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage, and forward to the future of artificial intelligence. A secret that is just as magical as it technological – and just as dangerous.

Gollancz has published all of the Peter Grant books in the UK. The series is published in North America by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-). The most recent book, THE OCTOBER MAN, is set in the same universe but has a new protagonist (Tobias Winter) and a new location (Germany) — it is published in the UK by Gollancz, and in North America by Subterranean Press.

Here’s a snazzy animated cover reveal that Gollancz has made for the book…

Here are just a few of the great reviews the series has received so far…

‘It is smart, funny and filled with oddness.’ — Terry Brooks on RIVERS OF LONDON

‘… witty, fun, and full of vivid characters, and the plot twists will keep even seasoned mystery fans guessing.’ — Publishers Weekly on RIVERS OF LONDON

‘… enormous storytelling gusto… exhilarating and emotionally affecting…’ — SF Reviews on MOON OVER SOHO

‘… a relentlessly entertaining, fast-moving and enjoyable urban fantasy with intriguing hints of greater depth waiting to be explored.’ — Wertzone on MOON OVER SOHO

‘One of the most refreshing things about former Doctor Who writer Aaronvitch’s Rivers of London series of magical procedurals is that they are blessedly free of manufactured rivalries… This fast, engrossing novel is enjoyable, cheerful, and accessible to new readers.’ — Publishers Weekly on WHISPERS UNDERGROUND

‘… the Peter Grant novels by Ben Aaronovitch are a great way to feel like you’re actually visiting the city by the Thames… Ben Aaronovitch writes some of the funniest prose in current fantasy. These books are extremely entertaining, mainly because narrator Peter Grant has a hilarious voice and a sly sense of humor… quirkily effective prose and dry humor, making it a pure pleasure to read… I’m usually not a big fan of urban fantasy, but this series is so much fun that I always look forward to the next installment. If you’re looking for a fast-moving, entertaining urban fantasy that’ll make you feel like you’re visiting London vicariously this summer, pick up series opener MIDNIGHT RIOT / RIVERS OF LONDON. And if you’ve already read the first two books, you’ll probably be glad to hear that the newest installment WHISPERS UNDER GROUND is just as good.’ — Tor.com

‘PC Peter Grant and his co-worker Lesley, two of the few policemen in London who can practice magic, are still working under Nightingale, who must be the oldest police officer in England… not that he looks it. A low-income housing tower gone awry, an old enemy with a bone to pick… and a shocker of an ending – BROKEN HOMES is a delight.’ — Charlaine Harris

‘Smart, edgy and dramatic, BROKEN HOMES is a fine addition to a fascinating series.’ — Locus

‘When it comes to the genre of urban fantasy, connoisseurs tend to rate Ben Aaronovitch’s RIVERS OF LONDON and its sequels quite highly. The adventures of Metropolitan policeman and apprentice wizard Peter Grant have thus far all been based around the city of London (it is, after all, where he works), and the author has drawn from the capital’s rich geography and occult history to create a profound and engaging world filled with the grit and stench of the city, though at the same time celebrating its warmth and wealth of choice.  The very setup of the books is both urban and fantastic… The main story functions as an interesting thriller, and the additional commentary on the way the UK handles major incidents like the disappearance of children is both thought-provoking and carefully handled… FOXGLOVE SUMMER is evocative, mysterious, engaging, and, mostly, enormous amounts of fun. Fans of the Peter Grant series will not be disappointed, and those new to the books should start with Rivers in London, safe in the knowledge that the sequels are just as good.’ — Starburst

‘Aaronvitch guarantees a thrilling read; his style and approach to world building are simply too tight and too accomplished not to. THE FURTHEST STATION is a strong example of compact and intense storytelling… We get some nice character development, especially via Peter’s cousin. She’s beginning to dabble in magic herself, which is a little like learning to juggle hand live hand grenades, and this provides a decent B-plot. THE FURTHEST STATION is short, but perfectly formed.’ — Starburst

‘[H]ijinks, explosions, property destruction on the million-pound scale, a rival tradition of British wizardry (or rather witchery) that isn’t too happy with Nightingale’s old boys’ club tradition, and interfering American military contractors. And yes, the Faceless Man. Narrated with Aaronovitch’s trademark blend of wit, sarcasm, and police acronyms, THE HANGING TREE is a breeze of a supernatural detective thriller.’ — Tor.com

‘… recounted with deadpan British wit and irony… packed with fascinating historical detail… Lively and amusing and different.’ — Kirkus on LIES SLEEPING

‘In this enjoyable spin-off from the Rivers of London urban fantasy series, Aaronovitch successfully transfers his blend of the supernatural and humor from England to the Continent as he introduces Tobias Winter, a German police officer who practices magic… Supernatural mystery fans who enjoy more whimsical takes on the paranormal will hope for more of Winter and Sommer.’ — Publishers Weekly on THE OCTOBER MAN

THE HOUSE OF SUNDERING FLAMES is out now in the UK!

Posted on Thursday, July 25th, 2019

The wait is finally over: THE HOUSE OF SUNDERING FLAMES, Aliette de Bodard‘s third Dominion of the Fallen novel, is published today in the UK! Published by Gollancz, here’s the synopsis…

The great magical Houses of Paris – headed by Fallen angels and magicians – were, however temporarily, at peace with each other. Until House Harrier was levelled by a powerful explosion. Now that peace has become chaos, tearing apart old alliances and setting off a race in which each House hoards magic and resources to protect itself against another such blast.

Thuan, the Dragon head of the divided House Hawthorn, is still consolidating his power when war comes to his doorstep. Aurore — exiled from and almost beaten to death by House Harrier — sees her moment to seek power in order to protect her family, even if she must venture back to her destroyed former home to get it. And Emmanuelle finds herself alone in the middle of it all, driven to protect others, trying to piece together what has happened, andhoping – eventually – to make sense of it all.

None of them know what destroyed House Harrier, though… and when they do uncover that fiery, destructive magic then divided Houses, old enemies and estranged friends will all have to make a decision: stand together, or burn alone…

Gollancz has also published the first two novels in the series — THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS (winner of the 2015 BFSA Award) and THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS — which are also published in North America by Roc Books (covers at end).

Here are some of the reviews the series has received so far…

‘A gripping tragedy of forlorn individuals caught up in an angelic version of the Cold War… The story holds up well as a standalone, with clear possibilities but no pressing need for a sequel. De Bodard aptly mixes moral conflicts and the desperate need to survive in a fantastical spy thriller that reads like a hybrid of le Carré and Milton, all tinged with the melancholy of golden ages lost.’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS

‘A beautifully crafted novel full of complex characters, set in a post apocalyptic Paris – the image of which is truly haunting… vivid and fast-paced battles and intense political manoeuvrings… with carefully crafted characters both with layers and depth, De Bodard reflects the best and worst of human nature in her novel… an intriguing mystery, elegantly written… Something any avid fantasy reader with an open mind will devour!’ — Guardian on THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS

‘Will grab readers and force them to pay attention to the amazing writing and the phenomenal characters. de Bodard will sweep you up into the dark and dirty world Paris has become. The characters are very vivid and will stay with you until long after the last page, as each of them is fighting and longing for something. The writing style rendered the characters’ feelings and emotional turmoil beautifully. Watching Philippe and Isabelle work through their “connection” is fascinating and lovely. There’s so much going on, and every character has their own past, their own tragic history. It’s a whirlwind, it’s heartbreaking and it’s one of the best fantasy novels of 2015.’ — RT Book Reviews (Top Pick August 2015) on THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS

‘De Bodard… has spun a fascinating Paris of decay and cruelty. ­Phillippe is a marvel of a character, unreliable as a narrator but compelling in his flaws and his deep well of homesickness.‘ — Library Journal (Starred Review) on THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS

‘It’s a testament to De Bodard’s skills that we’re completely immersed in the world almost immediately, without her resorting to a ‘here’s what happened’ information splurge. None of the fallen angels can remember why it was that they fell from Heaven… the Paris of fallen angels that the author has created is so compelling… It’s brimming with ideas, some of which rush by so quickly that you might wish De Bodard had taken a little more time to explore them. This is a good problem to have though. It’s fascinating, moving and hugely readable.’ — SciFi Now on THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS

‘Meddling gleefully in the affairs of devils and dragons, this affective sequel to 2015’s THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS touches the heart as often as it cuts throats… Having fully crafted her world, de Bodard is now completely in control: she can move swiftly from gentle poetic touches to bloody Grand Guignol gestures, and she sure-handedly holds the reader by exposing the vulnerabilities and needs that drive even the seemingly all-powerful figures of rebel angels and ancient serpents to surrender to a higher collective power. In this world lacking signs of heaven, redemptions are painful but possible.’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS

‘Truly beautifully balanced: between new and old, birth and death, beauty and ugliness, inside and outside, beginning and, yes, ending. It walks the line, and walks it fine.’ — Tor.com on THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS

‘De Bodard’s writing is very precise, like a well-oiled machine. The tempo is piston perfect, with the prose style having a strong and steady rhythm throughout. The emotional journey is relatively predictable (especially when we get into a marriage sequence), but the narrative is not. In other words, you can pretty much tell that the big emotions are coming, but the how and the why is what keeps you on edge. This is not a villains book; this is a powerful sequel that shows us that the incredibly complex world of the last novel is even more involved than we first expected. Strong stuff which you won’t stop reading till the end.’ — Starburst on THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS

‘de Bodard’s people feel real to me… There is hope even in the darkest of places, and there is a desire for love, for trust, for harbor, that takes root no matter how often it’s destroyed. This is a stronger, more certain novel than THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS, and if reading it is sometimes walking the unfenced edge of a cliff, the vista is dizzying and beautiful. It is well worth the wait, and if you haven’t read the first novel, I urge you to do so. But have THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS in hand before you reach the end.’ — Fantasy & Science Fiction (Mar/Apr 2017)

‘The author spins a tale that’s rich, emotional and gripping, and delivers that rare thing: a superior sequel… This is an incredibly rich novel. Even as the scheming, double-crossing and action set pieces unfold, the author never loses sight of the people whose lives are on the line… There’s just so much going on here: social commentary, myths and fairytales that often feel under-represented in genre fiction, a gripping genre adventure and an affecting love story. The author has gone from strength to strength and we can’t wait for this story to continue.’ — SciFi Now (5/5*) on THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS

Ian McDonald’s LUNA: WOLF MOON available now in paperback in the US

Posted on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2019

A new trade paperback edition of Ian McDonald‘s critically-acclaimed second Luna novel, WOLF MOON, is out today in the US! Published by Tor Books, here’s the synopsis…

A Dragon is dead.

Corta Helio, one of the five family corporations that rule the Moon, has fallen. Its riches are divided up among its many enemies, its survivors scattered. Eighteen months have passed.

The remaining Helio children, Lucasinho and Luna, are under the protection of the powerful Asamoahs, while Robson, still reeling from witnessing his parent’s violent deaths, is now a ward — virtually a hostage — of Mackenzie Metals. And the last appointed heir, Lucas, has vanished from the surface of the moon.

Only Lady Sun, dowager of Taiyang, suspects that Lucas Corta is not dead, and more to the point — that he is still a major player in the game. After all, Lucas always was the Schemer, and even in death, he would go to any lengths to take back everything and build a new Corta Helio, more powerful than before. But Corta Helio needs allies, and to find them, the fleeing son undertakes an audacious, impossible journey — to Earth.

In an unstable lunar environment, the shifting loyalties and political machinations of each family reach the zenith of their most fertile plots as outright war erupts.

WOLF MOON was nominated for the Locus Award, and was an NPR Best Book of the Year.

Tor Books has published all three novels in the Luna series in North America. The trilogy is published in the UK by Gollancz, and is available in an ever-growing number of translated editions around the world.

Here is just a small selection taken from the novel’s aforementioned critical acclaim…

‘… powerful sequel… compelling throughout. Each of McDonald’s viewpoint characters is made human in fascinating and occasionally disturbing detail, and the solar system of the 22nd century is wonderfully delineated. Fans of the first volume will love this one and eagerly look forward to the next.‘ — Publishers Weekly

‘A Howling Good Read… No one builds a world like Ian McDonald does. Piece by piece and brick by brick. Spare, simple, elegant when he needs to be…, deep and meaty when he wants to be…, he does his work like an artisan pulling a sculpture from stone. There are no wasted moves, nothing that isn’t vital because, in the end, everything is vital. Everything matters… it is fascinating, all of it. Because McDonald has made a world that is ruthless in its consistency and living, breathing reality, and then made characters who are not just living in it, but wholly and fully of it… McDonald’s corporate war is a gorgeous thing, fought with every tool available… McDonald is able to wrap the biggest events in constellations of the smallest so that a cocktail party here, a discussion of ’80s retro fashion (all mall-hair and WHAM! T-shirts), a love story and a day at work for a guy who cleans solar panels all build and coalesce to form the background radiation of life in this unstable future. Every moment with his characters makes them precious, real and alive.’ — NPR

‘The fights and vengeance that follow are more vicious and intricate than anything in Game of Thrones, full of great acts of self-sacrifice and viciousness alike, brave cavalry charges and last stands, cowardice and avarice. McDonald’s great gift is to hold the micro- and macro-scale in his hand at once. Starting with his debut novel, 1988’s Desolation Road, McDonald has used his intense, finely crafted and small personal stories of his vast casts of characters as the pixels in an unimaginably vast display on which he projects some of the field’s most audacious worldbuilding — never worldbuilding for its own sake, either, but always in the service of slyly parodying, critiquing or lionizing elements of our present-day world.’ — Boing Boing

‘Luna: New Moon was a “magnificent bastard of a book,” as I put it in my review. Part two, it’s my pleasure to tell you, is just as awesome, and just as masterfully nasty.’ — Tor.com

‘NEW MOON was one of the most interesting sci-fi novels of 2015, with smart ideas on humanity and economies matched by street smarts, political brawls and murder in the streets. LUNA: WOLF MOON turns that up to eleven – it’s a fascinating story, which is also a tense, enthralling read.’ — Sci-Fi & Fantasy Review

Ben Aaronovitch’s DIE GLOCKE VON WHITECHAPEL now available in German Audiobook!

Posted on Friday, July 19th, 2019

We’re very happy to report that audiobook aficionados in Germany are now able to get Ben Aaronovitch‘s LIES SLEEPING in audio! Published by GoyaLiT as DIE GLOCKE VON WHITECHAPEL, and narrated by Dietmar Wunder, here’s the synopsis…

Constable und Zauberlehrling Peter Grant steht vor seiner größten Herausforderung: Das Schicksal Londons steht auf dem Spiel. Der gesichtslose Magier, verantwortlich für grauenvolle übernatürliche Verbrechen, ist zwar endlich demaskiert und auf der Flucht. Doch er verfolgt einen perfiden Plan, der ganz London in den Abgrund stürzen könnte. Um den Gesichtslosen zu stoppen, muss Peter all seine magischen Kräfte aufbieten – und einen bösen alten Bekannten kontaktieren: Mr. Punch, den mörderischen Geist des Aufruhrs und der Rebellion.

LIES SLEEPING is the seventh novel in Ben’s internationally best-selling, critically-acclaimed Peter Grant/Rivers of London series. GoyaLiT has published all of them in German audio to date, with DTV publishing the print and eBook editions.

The Peter Grant series is published in the UK by Gollancz, and in the US by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-). Here’s the English-language synopsis for LIES SLEEPING…

A fabulous new adventure, London under threat, and the scent of magic in the air… it must be a new Rivers of London mystery…

Martin Chorley, aka the Faceless Man, wanted for multiple counts of murder, fraud and crimes against humanity, has been unmasked and is on the run.

Peter Grant, Detective Constable and apprentice wizard, now plays a key role in an unprecedented joint operation to bring Chorley to justice.

But even as the unwieldy might of the Metropolitan Police bears down on its foe, Peter uncovers clues that Chorley, far from being finished, is executing the final stages of a long term plan.

A plan that has its roots in London’s two thousand bloody years of history, and could literally bring the city to its knees.

To save his beloved city Peter’s going to need help from his former best friend and colleague – Lesley May – who brutally betrayed him and everything he thought she believed in. And, far worse, he might even have to come to terms with the malevolent supernatural killer and agent of chaos known as Mr Punch…

Ben’s most recent book, THE OCTOBER MAN, is set in the same universe as the Peter Grant novels and novella, but stars a new protagonist and primary location: Tobias Winter in Germany. The novella is out now, published in the UK by Gollancz, in the US by Subterranean Press, and is forthcoming in Germany.

Next month, OATHBRINGER paperbacks!

Posted on Monday, July 15th, 2019

Next month, Gollancz are due to publish the paperback editions of OATHBRINGER, the third novel in Brandon Sanderson‘s epic Stormlight Archive fantasy series. Due to the book’s considerable heft, it is being split into two paperbacks (covers above). Here’s the synopsis…

In Oathbringer, the third volume of the New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive series, humanity faces a new Desolation with the return of the Voidbringers, a foe whose numbers are as great as their thirst for vengeance.

The Alethi armies commanded by Dalinar Kholin won a fleeting victory at a terrible cost: The enemy Parshendi summoned the violent Everstorm, and now its destruction sweeps the world and its passing awakens the once peaceful and subservient parshmen to the true horror of their millennia-long enslavement by humans. While on a desperate flight to warn his family of the threat, Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with the fact that their newly kindled anger may be wholly justified.

Nestled in the mountains high above the storms, in the tower city of Urithiru, Shallan Davar investigates the wonders of the ancient stronghold of the Knights Radiant and unearths the dark secrets lurking in its depths. And gradually realizes that his holy mission to unite his homeland of Alethkar was too narrow in scope. Unless all the nations of Roshar can put Dalinar’s blood-soaked past aside and stand together – and unless Dalinar himself can confront that past – even the restoration of the Knights Radiant will not avert the end of civilization.

The two paperbacks are due to arrive in stores on August 29th, 2019.

Gollancz has published the first two books in the series — THE WAY OF KINGS and WORDS OF RADIANCE — as well as a whole host of Brandon’s other novels and series, in the UK, including the best-selling, fan-favourite and modern classic Mistborn series (pictured below).

Here are just a few of the reviews that OATHBRINGER has received so far…

‘Fans of the Stormlight Archive series will enjoy this book, which brings back favorite characters and deepens a well-drawn fantasy world.’ — Kirkus

‘The much-anticipated third Stormlight Archive epic fantasy installment is classic Sanderson, with multiple story lines and unexpected twists and turns… Sanderson successfully balances introducing new elements and satisfactorily resolving some threads, leaving fans to eagerly await the next in the series.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘OATHBRINGER is everything I expected it to be. Not only does it make good on the promises of the first two volumes, it elevates the Stormlight Archive to new heights of epic magic, exceptional worldbuilding, and satisfying action. With each new novel, Sanderson proves himself to be the true heir to Robert Jordan’s throne. He’s writing big, meaty, contemplative epic fantasy, and showing no signs of slowing down.’ — B&N Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog

‘Sanderson outdid himself once again. It is a wonderful, well-paced, emotional read with a poignant focus on the brokenness of people and how to overcome your own limits.’ — The Ranting Dragon

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

Ben Aaronovitch’s FAMILIAS FATALES is out now in Spain!

Posted on Tuesday, July 9th, 2019

The fourth novel in Ben Aaronovitch‘s Peter Grant/Rivers of London series, BROKEN HOMES, is out now in Spain! Published by Oz Editorial as FAMILIAS FATALES, and translated by Marina Rodil Parra, here’s the synopsis…

¿Podrá el agente Peter Grant detener al mago más peligroso de Londres? El cuerpo mutilado de una mujer y ni rastro de magia: eso es lo único que el agente Peter Grant encuentra en la escena del crimen. Pero tiene razones para creer que el asesino practica la magia… Todas las pistas apuntan al mismo lugar: el Skygarden, una torre diseñada por un loco y habitada por personas desesperadas. Dispuestos a resolver el misterio, Peter Grant y su mentor, el inspector Nightingale, se adentrarán en las tinieblas más allá del Támesis, donde se esconden los secretos más oscuros de Londres.

Oz Editorial has also published the first three novels in the series: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, and WHISPERS UNDERGROUND — as RÍOS DE LONDRES, LA LUNA SOBRE EL SOHO, and SUSURROS SUBTERRÁNEOS.

BROKEN HOMES and the rest of the series are published in the UK by Gollancz. The series is published in North America by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-). Here’s the English-language synopsis for BROKEN HOMES…

A unique blend of police procedural, loving detail about the greatest character of all, London, and a dash of the supernatural.

A mutilated body in Crawley. Another killer on the loose. The prime suspect is one Robert Weil – an associate of the twisted magician known as the Faceless Man? Or just a common garden serial killer?

Before PC Peter Grant can get his head round the case, a town planner going under a tube train and a stolen grimoire are adding to his case-load.

So far so London.

But then Peter gets word of something very odd happening in Elephant and Castle, on a housing estate designed by a nutter, built by charlatans and inhabited by the truly desperate.

Is there a connection?

And if there is, why oh why did it have to be South of the River?

Full of warmth, sly humour and a rich cornucopia of things you never knew about London, Aaronovitch’s series has swiftly added Grant’s magical London to Rebus’ Edinburgh and Morse’s Oxford as a destination of choice for those who love their crime with something a little extra.

The novellas set in the same world — THE FURTHEST STATION and THE OCTOBER MAN — are published in the UK by Gollancz, and in North America by Subterranean Press.

Here are just a few of the reviews BROKEN HOMES has received since it was first published…

‘Smart, edgy and dramatic, BROKEN HOMES is a fine addition to a fascinating series.’ — LOCUS (Feb.2014, p.19)

‘Aaronovitch’s writing is often laugh out loud funny, filled with gripping action, well thought out magical theory and fascinating tidbits about London, the jazz music scene, or even the Sierra Leone expats (which includes PC Grant’s family) living in London… a gripping, humorous series of books that are compelling reading and well worth picking up…’ — British Fantasy Society

‘Aaronovitch has a very witty, casual voice, with a tendency toward sarcasm and humor, which is threaded throughout BROKEN HOMES. And a few crazy plot twists will devastate and delight fans in equal measure.’ — RT Book Reviews

‘PC Peter Grant and his co-worker Lesley, two of the few policemen in London who can practice magic, are still working under Nightingale, who must be the oldest police officer in England . . . not that he looks it. A low-income housing tower gone awry, an old enemy with a bone to pick . . . and a shocker of an ending – BROKEN HOMES is a delight.’ — Charlaine Harris

‘… a totally convincing Sorcerer’s Modern Apprenticeship. Focusing on the career of magically-gifted Constable Peter Grant of the Metropolitan Police, Aaronovitch breathes vivid life into a London where old-fashioned hocus-pocus happens, but where wizard cops may also require the very real firepower of the Tactical Support Unit… [the] conjunction of local government planning departments, shady security firms, and willowy tree spirits that makes the Peter Grant concept so enjoyable. One minute Aaronovitch is describing the deployment of Major Incident Procedure, the next describing how the gods and goddesses of London’s rivers have divided up their territory… Peter Grant as a hero nicely represents modern London – his father a white jazz player, his mum a serial over-doer of food preparation from Sierra Leone – and the books deliver a charming, witty and exciting romp through a magical world not all that far from our own, offering a delightfully escapist sidetrack for summer holiday reading.’ — The Independent (Emma Townsend)

Ian McDonald’s third LUNA novel out now in Spain!

Posted on Thursday, July 4th, 2019

MOON RISING, the third novel in Ian McDonald‘s critically-acclaimed Luna series is out now in Spain! Published by Nova in Spanish as LUNA ASCENDENTE, here’s the synopsis…

Luna ascendente, la esperada continuación de Luna, por uno de los mejores autores de ciencia ficción del mundo.

Un centenar de años en el futuro se libra una guerra entre los Cinco Dragones, las cinco familias que controlan las principales empresas industriales de la Luna. Todos los clanes se desviven por trepar hasta lo más alto de la cadena alimentaria con estrategias como matrimonios de conveniencia, espionaje industrial, secuestros y asesinatos masivos.

Gracias a su ingeniosa manipulación política y a su fuerza de voluntad, Lucas Corta consigue emerger de las cenizas de su empresa destruida y hacerse con el control de la Luna. Y la única persona que puede pararlo es una célebre abogada lunar: su hermana Ariel.

Ian MacDonald nos hace partícipes de la última batalla de los Dragones por la soberanía absoluta en el trepidante final de la trilogía «Luna».

Nova has also published the first two novels in the series in Spanish: NEW MOON and WOLF MOON, as LUNA NUEVA and LUNA DE LOBOS.

The series is published in the UK by Gollancz, in North America by Tor Books, and widely elsewhere in translation. Here’s the English-language synopsis for MOON RISING…

A hundred years in the future, a war wages between the Five Dragons — five families that control the Moon’s leading industrial companies. Each clan does everything in their power to claw their way to the top of the food chain — marriages of convenience, corporate espionage, kidnapping, and mass assassinations.

Through ingenious political manipulation and sheer force of will, Lucas Cortas rises from the ashes of corporate defeat and seizes control of the Moon. The only person who can stop him is a brilliant lunar lawyer, his sister, Ariel.

Witness the Dragons’ final battle for absolute sovereignty in Ian McDonald’s heart-stopping finale to the Luna trilogy.

Here are just a few of the reviews the series has received since it started…

‘Mafia-style mining families clash in a compelling fantasy that offers up all the pleasures of a cut-throat soap opera in space…That McDonald is able to spin a compelling story from this unforgiving set-up is testament to his skill as a writer… One thing Luna does exceptionally well is to puncture Old Heinlein’s assumption that a frontier society based on the primacy of the family and a disregard of conventional laws would end up like idealised smalltown America. Luna argues that any realistic future colonisation of the moon will be much more The Sopranos than The Waltons. LUNA is as gripping as it is colourful, and as colourful as it is nasty.’ — Guardian on NEW MOON

‘Smart, funny, passionate and at times quite dark, McDonald brings the touch we’ve seen in RIVER OF GODS and DERVISH HOUSE to an entirely new culture as it evolves in a distant hostile place where business or family rules all… it’s terrific. My only complaint: it leaves you wanting the second book right now!’ — Jonathan Strahan on NEW MOON

‘McDonald… begins his superb near-future series… scintillating, violent, and decadent world. McDonald creates a complex and fascinating civilization featuring believable technology, and the characters are fully developed, with individually gripping stories. Watch for this brilliantly constructed family saga on next year’s award ballots.’ — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) on NEW MOON

‘Luna: New Moon was a “magnificent bastard of a book,” as I put it in my review. Part two, it’s my pleasure to tell you, is just as awesome, and just as masterfully nasty.’ — Tor.com on WOLF MOON

‘The fights and vengeance that follow are more vicious and intricate than anything in Game of Thrones, full of great acts of self-sacrifice and viciousness alike, brave cavalry charges and last stands, cowardice and avarice. McDonald’s great gift is to hold the micro- and macro-scale in his hand at once. Starting with his debut novel, 1988’s Desolation Road, McDonald has used his intense, finely crafted and small personal stories of his vast casts of characters as the pixels in an unimaginably vast display on which he projects some of the field’s most audacious worldbuilding — never worldbuilding for its own sake, either, but always in the service of slyly parodying, critiquing or lionizing elements of our present-day world.’ — Boing Boing on WOLF MOON

‘A Howling Good Read… No one builds a world like Ian McDonald does. Piece by piece and brick by brick. Spare, simple, elegant when he needs to be…, deep and meaty when he wants to be…, he does his work like an artisan pulling a sculpture from stone. There are no wasted moves, nothing that isn’t vital because, in the end, everything is vital. Everything matters… it is fascinating, all of it. Because McDonald has made a world that is ruthless in its consistency and living, breathing reality, and then made characters who are not just living in it, but wholly and fully of it… McDonald’s corporate war is a gorgeous thing, fought with every tool available… McDonald is able to wrap the biggest events in constellations of the smallest so that a cocktail party here, a discussion of ’80s retro fashion (all mall-hair and WHAM! T-shirts), a love story and a day at work for a guy who cleans solar panels all build and coalesce to form the background radiation of life in this unstable future. Every moment with his characters makes them precious, real and alive.’ — NPR on WOLF MOON

‘… cinematic set-pieces… so much fun to read… these entertaining, and intelligent novels, capped off by the very satisfying Luna: MOON RISING, have been about establishing a society, a community, a family that looks to the future, that lives and prospers in an environment that must always be treated with respect.’ — Locus (Ian Mond) on MOON RISING

‘McDonald concludes his Luna space opera trilogy in triumphant style… The political intrigue never feels too abstract or removed from 21st-century Earth. Readers will appreciate the care McDonald takes with both worldbuilding and characterization, and will enjoy little touches such as giving an assassin the job title of Corporate Conflict Resolution Officer… fans of the prior books will find this wrap-up rewarding.’ — Publishers Weekly on MOON RISING

‘The Luna trilogy is a masterpiece of worldbuilding. Ian McDonald has created an incredibly developed, complex and astonishingly plausible future for the Moon… What stands out, though, are its threads of gorgeous storytelling… as a whole, this is an extraordinary trilogy. Ian McDonald always writes beautifully. I love what he has to say. I’ll always remember his vision of the Moon, which at times is horrifying and violent and yet at others is so heartwarming and wondrous.’ — For Winter Nights on MOON RISING

RÍOS DE LONDRES out now; FAMILIAS FATALES out next week!

Posted on Tuesday, July 2nd, 2019

Fans of Ben Aaronovitch‘s Peter Grant series have much to celebrate at the moment. First up, RIVERS OF LONDON, the first book in the  series, is now available in a new paperback edition in Spain! Perfect if you’ve not had the chance to try the series yet, RÍOS DE LONDRES is published by Oz Editorial. Here’s the synopsis…

En Londres, la magia está fuera de control

El joven Peter Grant era un agente de policía novato más hasta que un día, durante la investigación de un terrible asesinato, recibe cierta información de un testigo ocular muy especial: un fantasma. Tras descubrir que la magia existe, Grant ingresará en un departamento secreto de Scotland Yard que se encarga de las investigaciones sobrenaturales y, junto al enigmático inspector Nightingale, llevará a cabo tareas tan singulares como negociar treguas entre el dios y la diosa del Támesis, desenterrar tumbas en Covent Garden y perseguir a un espíritu maligno y vengativo que está sembrando el caos en la ciudad. 

Published in the UK by Gollancz, and in North America by Del Rey (who also publish books 2-3), here’s the English-language synopsis for RIVERS OF LONDON (MIDNIGHT RIOT in North America)…

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 voluble, 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.

Oz Editorial has published the first three books in the Peter Grant series already, and — the second piece of exciting news — Spanish-speaking fans of the first three books in the series don’t have long to wait before the fourth novel in the series, FAMILIAS FATALES (BROKEN HOMES) — it’s out next week, in fact! Here’s the synopsis…

¿Podrá el agente Peter Grant detener al mago más peligroso de Londres? El cuerpo mutilado de una mujer y ni rastro de magia: eso es lo único que el agente Peter Grant encuentra en la escena del crimen. Pero tiene razones para creer que el asesino practica la magia… Todas las pistas apuntan al mismo lugar: el Skygarden, una torre diseñada por un loco y habitada por personas desesperadas. Dispuestos a resolver el misterio, Peter Grant y su mentor, el inspector Nightingale, se adentrarán en las tinieblas más allá del Támesis, donde se esconden los secretos más oscuros de Londres.

BROKEN HOMES is published in the UK by Gollancz (who have published all of the books in the series so far), and in North America by DAW Books (who publish novels 4-). Here’s the English-language synopsis…

A unique blend of police procedural, loving detail about the greatest character of all, London, and a dash of the supernatural.

A mutilated body in Crawley. Another killer on the loose. The prime suspect is one Robert Weil – an associate of the twisted magician known as the Faceless Man? Or just a common garden serial killer?

Before PC Peter Grant can get his head round the case, a town planner going under a tube train and a stolen grimoire are adding to his case-load.

So far so London.

But then Peter gets word of something very odd happening in Elephant and Castle, on a housing estate designed by a nutter, built by charlatans and inhabited by the truly desperate.

Is there a connection?

And if there is, why oh why did it have to be South of the River?

Full of warmth, sly humour and a rich cornucopia of things you never knew about London, Aaronovitch’s series has swiftly added Grant’s magical London to Rebus’ Edinburgh and Morse’s Oxford as a destination of choice for those who love their crime with something a little extra.

The novellas set in the same world — THE FURTHEST STATION and THE OCTOBER MAN — are published in the UK by Gollancz, and in North America by Subterranean Press.

THE OCTOBER MAN is #3 on the Sunday Times Bestseller List!

Posted on Wednesday, June 19th, 2019

Just a very quick note to share the news that Ben Aaronovitch‘s latest novella, THE OCTOBER MAN is #3 on the Sunday Times Bestseller list this week! Published in the UK by Gollancz, it is out now!

Many congratulations to Ben — very well deserved! And, of course, thank you to all the readers who bought the book!

In case you’ve managed to miss any information about the book, here’s the synopsis…

Trier is famous for wine, Romans and for being Germany’s oldest city. So when a man is found dead with, his body impossibly covered in a fungal rot, the local authorities know they are out of their depth.

Fortunately this is Germany, where there are procedures for everything.

Enter Investigator Tobias Winter, whose aim is to get in, deal with the problem, and get out with the minimum of fuss, personal danger and paperwork. With the help of frighteningly enthusiastic local cop, Vanessa Sommer, he’s quick to link the first victim to a group of ordinary middle aged men – and to realise they may have accidentally reawakened a bloody conflict from a previous century. But the rot is still spreading, literally and with the suspect list extending to people born before Frederick the Great solving the case may mean unearthing the city’s secret magical history.

… so long as that history doesn’t kill them first.

THE OCTOBER MAN is also available in North America, published by Subterranean Press.

‘In this enjoyable spin-off from the Rivers of London urban fantasy series, Aaronovitch successfully transfers his blend of the supernatural and humor from England to the Continent as he introduces Tobias Winter, a German police officer who practices magic… Supernatural mystery fans who enjoy more whimsical takes on the paranormal will hope for more of Winter and Sommer.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘THE OCTOBER MAN introduces Tobias Winter, a sanctioned magic practitioner who investigates the supernatural angles of crimes for the Abteilung KDA (which fans will recognize as the German extension of the British Folly)… Aaronovitch delivers yet another classic detective novel rich with the magical world building accomplished in his previous work.’ — Booklist

‘Winter’s stolidness is a feature rather than a bug. While there are moments of adventure and daring, the story of this crime is both a satisfying whodunit and a primer on how magic works in Deutschland. THE OCTOBER MAN would be an interesting place to enter the Rivers of London world… Those who know the Folly will appreciate this outsider’s view of Grant and Nightingale, as well as learn a bit about how the latter spent the war, while still greatly enjoying Aaronovitch’s work, even if it is set someplace new.’ — Locus