Gollancz - Zeno Agency Ltd.

Ben Aaronovitch Thanks Booksellers

Posted on Thursday, June 11th, 2015

Best-selling author Ben Aaronovitch has decided to say thank you to the ‘unsung heroes of the book trade’, the booksellers. A former bookseller himself, the author will deliver 1,000 flagons of Weston’s Old Rosie cider to 384 book stores in the UK (independents and Waterstone’s branches) between June 8th-19th.

Ben is the author of the bestselling Peter Grant urban fantasy series, which is published in the UK by Gollancz. The gesture of thanks precedes the paperback release of FOXGLOVE SUMMER, the fifth novel in the series, on July 9th. Here’s the synopsis…

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

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

The Peter Grant series currently includes RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES, FOXGLOVE SUMMER and the upcoming THE HANGING TREE. All of which are published in the UK by Gollancz. The series is published in the US by Del Rey (#1-3) and DAW Books (#4 onwards); it is also published in Germany by DTV, and France by J’ai Lu. It has been published widely in other markets/languages as well. RIVERS OF LONDON: BODY WORK, a comic series set between books four and five, is due to start publishing from July (Titan Comics).

Brandon Sanderson’s THE WAY OF KINGS out tomorrow in paperback

Posted on Wednesday, June 10th, 2015

Previously available in two volumes, Brandon Sanderson‘s epic THE WAY OF KINGS is published tomorrow in a single-volume paperback by Gollancz. Here’s the synopsis…

According to mythology mankind used to live in The Tranquiline Halls. Heaven. But then the Voidbringers assaulted and captured heaven, casting out God and men. Men took root on Roshar, the world of storms. And the Voidbringers followed…

They came against man ten thousand times. To help them cope, the Almighty gave men powerful suits of armor and mystical weapons, known as Shardblades. Led by ten angelic Heralds and ten orders of knights known as Radiants, mankind finally won.

Or so the legends say. Today, the only remnants of those supposed battles are the Shardblades, the possession of which makes a man nearly invincible on the battlefield. The entire world is at war with itself – and has been for centuries since the Radiants turned against mankind. Kings strive to win more Shardblades, each secretly wishing to be the one who will finally unite all of mankind under a single throne.

On a world scoured down to the rock by terrifying hurricanes that blow through every few day a young spearman forced into the army of a Shardbearer, led to war against an enemy he doesn’t understand and doesn’t really want to fight.

What happened deep in mankind’s past?

Why did the Radiants turn against mankind, and what happened to the magic they used to wield?

The first in Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive epic fantasy series, Gollancz also publish the sequel, WORDS OF RADIANCE (covers below). Gollancz also publish the author’s Mistborn and Reckoners series, as well as a handful of stand-alone novels and novellas.

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

Cover: Ben Aaronovitch’s MOON OVER SOHO in Hungarian

Posted on Friday, June 5th, 2015

Today, we have the Hungarian cover for Ben Aaronovitch‘s MOON OVER SOHO (above). Published by Gabo as SOHO FELETT A HOLD, it is the second novel in Ben’s best-selling and critically-acclaimed Peter Grant urban fantasy crime series. Here’s the synopsis…

Peter Grant közrendőr hamar rájön, hogy a dzsessz-szaxofonos Cyrus Wilkinson nem szívroham áldozata lett. Valaki vagy valami a londoni Soho utcáit járja, és az a különleges képesség vonzza, amely elválasztja a nagy zenészeket az átlagosaktól…

And, in English (published by Gollancz)…

Peter Grant is not just a lowly Detective Constable, he’s also apprenticed to the last wizard in Britain: policing will never be the same again!

I was my dad’s vinyl-wallah: I changed his records while he lounged around drinking tea, and that’s how I know my Argo from my Tempo. And it’s why, when Dr Walid called me to the morgue to listen to a corpse, I recognised the tune it was playing. Something violently supernatural had happened to the victim, strong enough to leave its imprint like a wax cylinder recording. Cyrus Wilkinson, part-time jazz saxophonist and full-time accountant, had apparently dropped dead of a heart attack just after finishing a gig in a Soho jazz club. He wasn’t the first.

No one was going to let me exhume corpses to see if they were playing my tune, so it was back to old-fashioned legwork, starting in Soho, the heart of the scene. I didn’t trust the lovely Simone, Cyrus’ ex-lover, professional jazz kitten and as inviting as a Rubens’ portrait, but I needed her help: there were monsters stalking Soho, creatures feeding off that special gift that separates the great musician from someone who can raise a decent tune. What they take is beauty. What they leave behind is sickness, failure and broken lives.

And as I hunted them, my investigation got tangled up in another story: a brilliant trumpet player, Richard ‘Lord’ Grant – my father – who managed to destroy his own career, twice. That’s the thing about policing: most of the time you’re doing it to maintain public order. Occasionally you’re doing it for justice. And maybe once in a career, you’re doing it for revenge.

The Peter Grant series currently includes: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES, FOXGLOVE SUMMER and the upcoming THE HANGING TREE. All of the novels are published in the UK by Gollancz, and Del Rey (books 1-3) and DAW Books (books four onwards) in the US. The series has been published widely in translation. In July, Titan Comics will publish the first issue in RIVERS OF LONDON: BODY WORK, a mini-series set between books four and five.

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

New RIVERS OF LONDON: BODY WORK Cover, Trailer and Preview

Posted on Wednesday, May 27th, 2015

The release date for RIVERS OF LONDON: BODY WORK #1 is nearly upon us (July 15th). BODY WORK is the highly-anticipated comic series set in the world of Ben Aaronovitch‘s best-selling Peter Grant series, due to be published by Titan Comics. The comics are also written by Ben Aaronovitch, in collaboration with Andrew Cartmel. and celebrate we have a few more things to share. First is the variant cover, above, based on a painting by Wayne Reynolds.

Here’s the synopsis…

Peter Grant is one of only two members of a very special branch of London’s Metropolitan Police. He is, in fact, pretty much a wizard and it’s his job to investigate those shadowy crimes that involve urban vampires, weird folk in the underground and, in this case, why cars are suddenly taking on lives of their own and killing innocent folk!

Last week, Entertainment Weekly shared a trailer for the series…

And, finally, Comic Book Resources was given an exclusive preview of the first issue, which you can check out here. Here’s just a taste…

For fans of the novel series, the comic is set between BROKEN HOMES (#4) and FOXGLOVE SUMMER (#5). The novels are published in the UK by Gollancz. The other books in the series are: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO and WHISPERS UNDERGROUND.

Where to Start with Brandon Sanderson?

Posted on Tuesday, May 26th, 2015

Tor.com recently published a handy primer for newcomers to Brandon Sanderson‘s rich bibliography…

Not many authors are quite as consistently prolific as Brandon Sanderson, and happily, he’s not showing any signs of slowing down any time soon! For those of you who might be curious about what all the fuss is about, I’ve put together this general introduction to his work. It covers a bit about Brandon himself, addresses the awesome fact that all of his epic fantasies are connected, and suggests some titles for first-time readers to start on…

Brandon is best known for writing sweeping, epic fantasy series — including the bestselling Mistborn series and the Stormlight Archive — as well as a couple of stand-alone titles, and a smattering of novellas and other series. Most of Brandon’s work is published in the UK by Gollancz. In addition to the Tor.com piece, here are some details for good novels to start with…

ELANTRIS

Elantris was built on magic and it thrived. But then the magic began to fade and Elantris began to rot. And now its shattered citizens face domination by a powerful Imperium motivated by dogged religious views. Can a young Princess unite the people of Elantris, rediscover the lost magic and lead a rebellion against the imperial zealots?

Brandon’s debut novel, it took fandom by storm. His other stand alone novel is WARBREAKER.

THE FINAL EMPIRE — Mistborn #1

What if the Dark Lord won?

A thousand years ago evil came to the land and has ruled with an iron hand ever since. The sun shines fitfully under clouds of ash that float down endlessly from the constant eruption of volcanoes. A dark lord rules through the aristocratic families and ordinary folk are condemned to lives in servitude, sold as goods, labouring in the ash fields.

But now a troublemaker has arrived and there is rumour of revolt. A revolt that depends on criminal that no-one can trust and a young girl who must master Allomancy – the magic that lies in all metals.

The Mistborn series was a huge word-of-mouth success in the US, and has been hugely popular in the UK ever since this novel was published. Other novels available now in the series include THE WELL OF ASCENSION, THE HERO OF AGES and THE ALLOY OF LAW. Two more novels in the series — SHADOWS OF SELF and BANDS OF MOURNING — are due to be published in 2015-16, by Gollancz in the UK.

THE WAY OF KINGS — Stormlight Archive #1

What happened deep in mankind’s past?

Why did the Radiants turn against mankind, and what happened to the magic they used to wield?

The first novel in Brandon’s planned 10-book epic. The sequel, WORDS OF RADIANCE, is also out now.

STEELHEART — Reckoners #1

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills.

Nobody fights the Epics… nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them.

And David wants in. He wants Steelheart – the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David’s father. For years, like the Reckoners, David’s been studying, and planning – and he has something they need. Not an object, but an experience.

He’s seen Steelheart bleed. And he wants revenge.

The first novel in a super-hero series, set in a dystopian future United States. MITOSIS and FIREFIGHT — a novella and sequel, respectively — are also out now.

THE RITHMATIST

This is a fast-paced adventure for readers of all ages by bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, master of fantasy fiction. Here, in a school for the magically gifted, your talent could cost you your life…

Joel is fascinated by the magic of Rithmatics, but few have the gift and he is not one of them. Undaunted, he persuades Professor Fitch to teach him magical theory. Joel can’t infuse his protective lines and circles with power, or bring his chalk-drawn creatures to life, but he’s quick to master the underlying geometric principles. His unique skills will soon face an extraordinary test when top Rithmatist students are kidnapped from his Academy.

Since he’s not a magic user, Joel appears to be safe – but he’s desperate to investigate and prove himself. Then people start dying. However, can Joel really stop a killer alone? As even more students disappear, he realizes he’ll need the help of Rithmatist apprentice Melody. Together, they must race to find clues before the killer notices them – and takes them out too.

Published in the UK by Tor Books, this is the first in a planned YA fantasy, set in a post-apocalyptic world.

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

Ben Aaronovitch & Lavie Tidhar at Greenwich Literary Festival this weekend

Posted on Tuesday, May 19th, 2015

As the summer begins, many Zeno clients will be attending many of the myriad literary festivals taking place. This weekend, Ben Aaronovitch and Lavie Tidhar will be attending the Greenwich Literature Festival.

Friday, May 22nd…

Who: Lavie Tidhar
What: ‘Greenwich: where science and fiction meet – Science Fiction Night at Greenwich Book Festival’ — From the race to define longitude to the discovery of ‘canals’ on Mars, the Royal Greenwich has been a hotbed of creative scientific thought for more than three centuries. In what ways does science intersect with fiction, and how do they contribute to each other? And how has the venerable institution itself proven fertile ground for visionaries of all stripes over the decades? Tom Harper (Zodiac Station), Paul McAuley (Something Coming Through) Sarah Lotz (Day Four) and Lavie Tidhar (A Man Lies Dreaming) as they discuss science, fiction and the legacy of the Royal Greenwich. The event will be chaired by Anne C. Perry (editor, Hodder & Stoughton).
When: 8:00-9:30pm
More details here.

Lavie Tidhar is the author of, most recently, the critically-acclaimed A MAN LIES DREAMING (Hodder) and THE VIOLENT CENTURY (Hodder and Thomas Dunne Books), the World Fantasy Award-winning OSAMA (Solaris), The Bookman Histories (Angry Robot), and numerous award-nominated and critically-acclaimed novellas and short stories. Later this year, Titan Comics will publish his first comic series, ADLER.

Saturday, May 23rd…

Who: Ben Aaronovitch
What: ‘Life, But Not as we Know It: creating alternate realities – Ben Aaronovitch at the Greenwich Book Festival. Age 14+*’ — Imagine a London populated not just by you and me, but by tired ghosts and mischievous trickster gods, by magical musicians and apprentice sorcerers, who go about their ordinary days alongside us. A world where the gods of the River Thames still exist, and have day jobs in the City. There’s magic all around, if only you could see it… Join Ben Aaronovich, author of the bestselling, London-bending series Rivers of London, in conversation with his former editor Rebecca Levene, author of Smiler’s Fair and Ghost Dance, as they discuss the tricks, tips, and travails of writing a world that’s very much like our own… except when it isn’t.
When: 12:00-1:00pm
More details here.

Ben Aaronovitch is the critically-acclaimed, best-selling author of the Peter Grant series. The series includes (thus far): RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES, FOXGLOVE SUMMER and the upcoming THE HANGING TREE. The series is published in the UK by Gollancz, and in the US by Del Rey (#1-3) and DAW Books. This July, Titan Comics will publish the first issue of a new RIVERS OF LONDON comic series, BODY WORK, which is also written by Ben.

UK Cover: THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS by Aliette de Bodard (Gollancz)

Posted on Monday, May 18th, 2015

A little while ago, we shared the striking US cover for Aliette de Bodard‘s highly-anticipated upcoming new novel THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS. Today, Gollancz unveiled the UK artwork for the novel (above). It’s another eye-catching piece. Here’s the synopsis…

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

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

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

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

Aliette is the author of the Obsidian & Blood trilogy (Angry Robot) and numerous award-nominated and winning short stories and novellas.

THE HOUSE OF SHATTERED WINGS, the first in a planned two-book story, is due to be published by Gollancz on August 20th, 2015; and in the US by Roc Books, on August 18th, 2015. Here’s the US cover again…

Justina Robson & Ben Aaronovitch at Bradford Literature Festival this weekend

Posted on Friday, May 15th, 2015

This weekend, Zeno clients Justina Robson and Ben Aaronovitch will be attending the Bradford Literature Festival. Both will have events on Sunday, 17 May.

Justina…

When: 10:30am-12:30pm
What: Masterclass – Fantasy Writing – ‘Science fiction and fantasy writing have never been more popular. Now you can learn the key components of this genre in a masterclass with successful author Justina Robson. In this practical masterclass, Justina will explain how the genre works and teach you how to create credible worlds, compelling plots and engaging characters.’
Tickets: £10.00
More Details

Ben…

When: 1:30pm-2:30pm
What: Ben will be in conversation with David Barnett at Bradford Waterstones, to discuss his latest Peter Grant novel, FOXGLOVE SUMMER.
Tickets: £6.00
More Details

Justina Robson is the author of, most recently, THE GLORIOUS ANGELS, published by Gollancz. She is also the author of the critically acclaimed Quantum Gravity sci-fi series (published by Gollancz in the UK and Pyr Books in the US), and a number of equally praise stand-alone novels.

Ben Aaronovitch is the author of the Sunday Times-bestselling Peter Grant urban fantasy series, which includes: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES, FOXGLOVE SUMMER and the upcoming THE HANGING TREE. The series is published in the UK by Gollancz, and has been published widely in translation.

Covers: LEGION and SKIN DEEP by Brandon Sanderson

Posted on Monday, May 11th, 2015

This July, Gollancz will be re-issuing LEGION, a novella by Brandon Sanderson, complete with a very nice new cover (above). Here’s the synopsis…

Stephen Leeds, AKA ‘Legion’, is a man whose unique mental condition allows him to generate a multitude of personae: hallucinatory entities with a wide variety of personal characteristics and a vast array of highly specialised skills. As the story begins, Leeds and his ‘aspects’ are drawn into the search for the missing Balubal Razon, inventor of a camera whose astonishing properties could alter our understanding of human history and change the very structure of society. The action ranges from the familiar environs of America to the ancient, divided city of Jerusalem. Along the way, Sanderson touches on a formidable assortment of complex questions: the nature of time, the mysteries of the human mind, the potential uses of technology, and the volatile connection between politics and faith. Resonant, intelligent, and thoroughly absorbing, LEGION is a provocative entertainment from a writer of great originality and seemingly limitless gifts.

In August, Gollancz will also publish the highly-anticipated sequel, LEGION: SKIN DEEP. Here’s the synopsis…

A man with a multitude of personalities, a personality for every expertise. A madness that makes him a nightmare for criminals everywhere.

Leeds is a genius, his mind contains too much information. And to cope it his split his skills off into individual personalities. They crowd his head and he lives with them in a vast empty mansion. While he can call on any one of them to solve a problem he also walks a line across an all-consuming madness.

Brandon Sanderson is the best-selling author of the Mistborn series, the Reckoners series, the Stormlight Archive series (published by Gollancz in the UK), and THE RITHMATIST (published in the UK by Tor). Brandon also completed and wrote the final volumes in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series (published in the UK by Orbit).

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

Charlaine Harris’s DAY SHIFT is out Tomorrow in the UK!

Posted on Wednesday, May 6th, 2015

DAY SHIFT, the second novel in Charlaine Harris‘s Midnight Texas series, is published tomorrow! The highly-anticipated sequel to MIDNIGHT CROSSROAD, it is published in the UK by Gollancz, in both hardcover and audiobook. Here’s the synopsis…

Welcome to Midnight, Texas.

It’s a quiet little town, perched at the junction between Davy Road and Witch Light Road, and it’s easy to miss. With its boarded-up windows, single traffic light and sleepy air, there’s nothing special about Midnight … which is exactly how the residents like it.

So when the news comes that a new owner plans to renovate the run-down, abandoned old hotel in town, it’s not met with pleasure. Who would want to come to Midnight, with its handful of shops, the Home Cookin diner, and quiet residents — and why?

But there are bigger problems in the air. When Manfred Bernado, the newest resident in town, is swept up in a deadly investigation suddenly the hotel and its residents are the least of the towns concern. The police, lawyers and journalists are all headed to Midnight, and it’s the worst possible moment…

Charlaine Harris is also the author of the phenomenally popular Sookie Steakhouse series, which as adapted by HBO into the True Blood TV series — this series is also published in the UK by Gollancz.

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

Cover: RIVERS OF LONDON: BODY WORK #1

Posted on Tuesday, April 28th, 2015

Above is the cover for RIVERS OF LONDON: BODY WORK #1, the first issue in the new comic series based on the world created by Ben Aaronovitch. The series is co-written by Ben and Doctor Who show runner Andrew Cartmel, with art by Lee Sullivan. Due to be published by Titan Comics in July 2015, there has already been some great buzz about the series — including the cover reveal on io9.com and a piece on Wired. The comic series is set between the fourth and fifth books (BROKEN HOMES and FOXGLOVE SUMMER). Here’s a short description of the plot…

Peter Grant has come a long way since first entering the special branch of London’s Metropolitan Police. With his hard-earned powers and a flair for the supernatural, it’s his job to investigate those shadowy crimes that involve urban vampires, weird folk in the Underground and, in this case, why cars are suddenly taking on lives of their own and killing innocent people!

Ben Aaronovitch’s Peter Grant Series has been a phenomenal success. The first novel, RIVERS OF LONDON, was this year’s very successful Cityread London title.

The series currently includes: RIVERS OF LONDON, MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES, FOXGLOVE SUMMER and the upcoming THE HANGING TREE. The series is published in the UK by Gollancz.

Cityread London’s Final Week Events

Posted on Friday, April 24th, 2015

All good things must come to an end… And this, sadly, includes Cityread London. As we’re sure you’re all aware, this year’s title was Ben Aaronovitch‘s critically-acclaimed, best-selling RIVERS OF LONDON. Above and below you can see a few photos from the Covent Garden launch event (from the group’s Facebook page). Next week is the final week of official events, and here is Ben’s schedule…

Monday, April 27th

11.00-12.30pm — Croydon: Ashburton Library — Author talk

7.00pm — Lewisham: Manor House Library — Author talk

Tuesday, April 28th

3.15-4.30pm — Bexley: Bexleyheath Central Library — ‘Come and hear Ben Aaronovitch tell tales of the RIVERS OF LONDON… The first in a series of books featuring P.C. Grant, these magical and humorous stories are an unusual CSI meets urban fantasy style and Ben brings these characters to life and will also be signing books at the end of his talk.’

7.00-8.00pm — Bromley: Bromley Central Library — ‘Come and hear Ben tell us all about this story and the following three books in his series of crime / urban fantasy fiction.’ You can fin more details here.

7:00 — The Society Club — ‘Under the Underground: Comics and Urban Fantasy’: An extra event, in case you can’t attend Ben’s talk, above. Join Titan Comics editor Steve White (Rivers of London: Body Work), architect and comic book artist Alison Sampson, writer Dan Watters and comic book artist Caspar Wijngaard (Tortured Life) for a talk exploring London’s uniquely spooky underbelly and its relationship to the medium of graphic novels and comic books. Moderated by Joel Janiurek. More details, here.

Wednesday, April 29th

7.00-8.30pm — Redbridge: Wanstead Library — ‘Ben Aaronovitch will be visiting Wanstead Library as part of Cityread London. He will be speaking about his book and writing, and what inspired him, before signing copies of his books.’ You can find more details, here.

Thursday, April 30th

6.30-8.00pm — Islington: The Gallery — Author talk

Saturday, May 2nd

11:00am-4:30pm — Magical Rivers of London — An afternoon-long event featuring a number of experts and more, drawn together to discuss London’s waterways and magic. More details here.

Finished RIVERS OF LONDON and want more? You’re in luck: the next four novels in Ben’s Peter Grant series are also out now, published by Gollancz in the UK: MOON OVER SOHO, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND, BROKEN HOMES and FOXGLOVE SUMMER. The next novel in the series, THE HANGING TREE, is due to be published soon (more details to come).

[L-to-R: Gollancz Publicist Sophie Calder, Ben Aaronovitch and Zeno’s own John Berlyne]

FOXGLOVE SUMMER Shortlisted for 2015 CrimeFest Award!

Posted on Thursday, April 23rd, 2015

We have some fantastic Ben Aaronovitch-related news this afternoon: the audiobook edition of FOXGLOVE SUMMER, narrated by the always-excellent Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, has been nominated for a 2015 CrimeFest Awards! Specifically, the novel has been nominated for the Audible Sounds of Crime Award, which ‘recognizes the best crime audiobook published in both print and audio in 2014. Courtesy of sponsor Audible UK.’

The audiobook edition of the novel is published by Orion Audio, and the print editions of the Peter Grant Series are published in the UK by Gollancz. Here’s the FOXGLOVE SUMMER synopsis…

The fifth of the Sunday Times Bestselling series sees PC Grant looking for missing children. And missing London.

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

The CrimeFest crime fiction convention will be held in Bristol, from May 14th to 17th. The winners will be announced at the CrimeFest Gala Awards Dinner on Saturday 16th May.

Many congratulations to Ben and Kobna!

Cover: THE WAY OF KINGS by Brandon Sanderson

Posted on Monday, April 20th, 2015

Above is the new cover for the trade paperback edition of Brandon Sanderson‘s THE WAY OF KINGS. The first novel in the author’s best-selling Stormlight Archive fantasy series, it was previously only available in hardcover and split into two paperback volumes. The book is due to be published on June 11th, 2015, by Gollancz. Here’s the synopsis…

What happened deep in mankind’s past?

Why did the Radiants turn against mankind, and what happened to the magic they used to wield?

The audiobook edition of the novel — read by Michael Kramer and Kate Redding — is also getting a new cover…

The second novel in the series, WORDS OF RADIANCE, is also published in the UK by Gollancz. Brandon is also the author of the best-selling and critically-acclaimed Mistborn fantasy series and the new super-hero Reckoners series, which includes STEELHEART, MITOSIS and FIREFIGHT (thus far), all of which are also published in the UK by Gollancz.

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