New, cast production of EIN WISPERN UNTER BAKER STREET out next week!

Posted on Friday, November 22nd, 2019

Audible Germany continues its range of cast productions for Ben Aaronovitch‘s acclaimed, best-selling Peter Grant series with a new edition of WHISPERS UNDER GROUND! Published in Germany as EIN WISPERN UNDER BAKER STREET, on November 28th, here’s the synopsis…

Die Urban-Fantasy-Reihe des britischen Erfolgsautors Ben Aaronovitch geht weiter: Nach dem Erfolg von “Die Flüsse von London” und “Schwarzer Mond über Soho” ermittelt Peter Grant in seinem dritten magischen Fall in den mystischen Katakomben des Londoner Untergrunds. Ein Audible Original Hörspiel mit den Sprechern Leonard Hohm, Victoria Mayer und Tim Schwarzmaier, der schon Harry Potter seine Stimme lieh, uvm.

Ein Toter im U-Bahn-Tunnel der legendären Baker Street hinterlässt magische Spuren und ruft damit Peter und seine Kollegen von der Drei-Mann-Spezialeinheit für Übernatürliches auf den Plan. Als wären Ermittlungen in Abwasserkanälen nicht schon schrecklich genug, bekommt das Team Verstärkung durch FBI-Agentin Kimberley Reynolds.

Als sich herausstellt, dass der Vater des ermordeten Kunststudenten ein hohes Tier im US-Senat ist, werden mit amerikanischer Autorität sämtliche Register gezogen. Peter muss all sein diplomatisches Geschick aufbringen, um die Völkerfreundschaft durch unkonventionelle und leicht magische Ermittlungsmethoden nicht zu gefährden. Aber das Wispern der gequälten Geister unter Baker Street macht es ihm nicht leicht alles unter Kontrolle zu behalten…

The first two novels are also available in cast production editions, published by Audible.

WHISPERS UNDER GROUND is published in print and audio in the UK by Gollancz, in North America by Del Rey; and is available in print in Germany, published by DTV.

Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Peter Grant is learning magic fast. And it’s just as well – he’s already had run-ins with the deadly supernatural children of the Thames and a terrifying killer in Soho. Progression in the Police Force is less easy. Especially when you work in a department of two. A department that doesn’t even officially exist. A department that if you did describe it to most people would get you laughed at. And then there’s his love life. The last person he fell for ended up seriously dead. It wasn’t his fault, but still.

Now something horrible is happening in the labyrinth of tunnels that make up the tube system that honeycombs the ancient foundations of London. And delays on the Northern line is the very least of it. Time to call in the Met’s Economic and Specialist Crime Unit 9, aka ‘The Folly’. Time to call in PC Peter Grant, Britain’s Last Wizard.

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

‘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. Instead, Police Constable (and freshly minted wizard) Peter Grant works for a supernatural branch of the London police department that is more interested in solving crimes than creating drama. In Grant’s third outing (after Moon over Soho), he gets called in to help with a magic-linked murder at an Underground station. The victim turns out to be the son of a U.S. senator, with a sketchy, not-quite-human roommate. To solve the murder, Grant and his associates, including disfigured fellow magician Lesley May and trigger-happy FBI agent Kimberley Reynolds, plumb the city’s depths as well as its secret history. This fast, engrossing novel is enjoyable, cheerful, and accessible to new readers.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘… 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

‘The voice is persuasive and funny as all get-out, and the reader is engaged with the narrative from the very first page. Aaronovitch has written a diverse cast of characters who all feel like real people with their own specific motivations. This book is simply wonderful.’ — RT Book Reviews

‘Aaronovitch… improves with each novel he does; this is the best so far, and the previous books were a lot of fun as well.’ — Starburst

‘The quality of the writing is superb with an instantly engaging style and subtle humour that makes reading the novel a real joy and almost impossible to resist… The ending is pretty dramatic and very much a seat-of-your-pants cliff hanger that really does leave you wanting more, I can’t wait to read more in the life of Peter Grant.’ 5/5 — SF Book Reviews

‘The prose is witty, the plot clever and the characters incredibly likeable…’ — Time Out

Next Month, Der Siebte Doctor TANZ AUF DEM VULKAN!

Posted on Thursday, November 21st, 2019

Next month (December 17th), Panini are due to publish the German edition of DOCTOR WHO: OPERATION VOLCANO. Published as DOCTOR WHO: TANZ AUF DEM VULKAN, it is Andrew Cartmel and Ben Aaronovitch‘s story about the Seventh Doctor. Here’s the synopsis…

Eine unbekannte außerirdische Intelligenz ist im Orbit der Erde aufgetaucht und — wie immer bei Doctor Who — steht die Welt am Abgrund. Doch der Siebte Doctor und seine Begleiterin Ace haben einen Plan: Operation Vulkan kann beginnen.

The story is available as a collected edition in English, published by Titan Comics. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

An unknown alien intelligence in orbit around the Earth. Astronauts under attack. A terrifying, mysterious landing in the Australian interior. The future of the world itself at stake. Counter Measures activated.

And the Seventh Doctor and Ace slap bang in the middle of it all! This is OPERATION VOLCANO!

This brand new comic adventure features the Seventh Doctor and Ace, as played by Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred, from the writers of the fan favourite episode Remembrance of the Daleks, which celebrates it’s 30th anniversary in 2018 – Andrew Cartmel and Ben Aaronovitch (Rivers of London)!

Whether you’re a long-time fan of the Seventh Doctor, or you’ve yet to have the pleasure, this accessible, big-budget movie extravaganza welcomes everyone with an all-new epic!

Includes a back-up comic written by Richard Dinnick (Twelfth Doctor) with art by Jessica Martin (Doctor Who actress).

Titan Comics also publishes Ben and Andrew’s ongoing Rivers Of London comic series, based on the best-selling characters from Ben’s Rivers of London series.

Ben Aaronovitch’s LONDRA NEHİRLERİ is out now!

Posted on Wednesday, November 20th, 2019

The first book in Ben Aaronovitch‘s acclaimed, best-selling Peter Grant series, RIVERS OF LONDON is now available in a Turkish edition! LONDRA NEHİRLERİ is out now, published by Epsilon Yayınları…

Stajyer polis memuru Peter Grant’in tek bir hayali vardır: Bir gün Londra Metropolitan Polis Teşkilatı’nda dedektif olmak. Ne yazık ki teşkilattaki üstleri onunla aynı fikirde değildir. Peter karşılaşacağı en büyük tehlikenin kâğıt kesiğinden öteye geçmeyeceği Vaka Takip Birimi’nde görevlendirilir. Artık bu sıkıcı ve pek de arzu etmediği vazifeyi sürdürmek zorundadır, ta ki tüm hayatını değiştirecek o karmaşık cinayete kadar… Peter, hayalet olan görgü tanığından cinayetle ilgili çok özel bilgiler edinmeyi başarır ve bu becerisi onun teşkilattaki konumunun tekrar gözden geçirilmesini sağlar. Aramızdan ayrılamamış ölülerle iletişim kurabilmesi, onu büyü ve tekinsizlerin diğer tezahürleriyle alakalı suçların soruşturmalarını yürüten Başmüfettiş Thomas Nightingale’in ilgi odağı haline getirir. Londra çok zor günler geçirmektedir. Acımasız ve tuhaf cinayetler dört bir yanı sarmış; uzun süredir gizlenen bir karanlık, artan büyü dalgasıyla yeniden harekete geçmiştir. Tanrıların ve tanrıçaların ölümlülerle iç içe yaşadığı bu gizemli ve karanlık dünyada Peter kendi yolunu bulmak zorundadır.

RIVERS OF LONDON is published in the UK by Gollancz (who also publish Ben’s other novels in the UK), and in North America by Del Rey — as MIDNIGHT RIOT. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

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.

The Peter Grant series is now up to seven novels, with the eighth due to be published in February 2020: FALSE VALUE, due to be published by Orion (UK) and DAW Books (North America).

Here are just a few of the reviews the novel has received since it was first published in 2011…

‘In this fast-paced paranormal police procedural, Aaronovitch introduces Peter Grant, a rookie cop who can see ghosts. This unusual talent saves him from a potential life of office work when Chief Insp. Thomas Nightingale sends him for wizard training. Britain’s police force has long known of the supernatural, and Grant is to assist Nightingale in solving many of London’s magical problems—most notably, the mysterious string of violent attacks that tend to end with the perpetrator’s face falling off. As the brutal epidemic spreads, Grant must race to finish his magic lessons and solve an ages-long dispute between the rivers of Britain. Though the novel sometimes feels just a little too jam-packed with plot points and adventures, it’s witty, fun, and full of vivid characters, and the plot twists will keep even seasoned mystery fans guessing.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘… thoroughly entertaining… An engaging (if occasionally violent) mix of magic and police procedural, this is a great kick-off to a very promising series, as well as the most satisfying fantasy thriller to hit bookshelves in quite some time.’ — SFX

‘… sweet relief for readers allergic to cliché.’ — Locus

‘RIVERS OF LONDON is a classic British police procedural blended with a unique twist of urban fantasy in so far as it replaces the expected testosterone with intelligence and the angst with wit… Deep down, amidst the murder and the mayhem, the anarchy and the supernatural, Aaronovitch has written a love letter to the wonder of London, reminding us of the magic that lives there, all the while warning us to keep an eye out for its nasty side.’ — Fantasy Faction

‘Highly recommended… Very nicely done. The books are police procedurals set in a London where magical creatures exist and are known to the police but hidden from the public, with a wisecracking, apprentice magician police officer as the hero. But, of course, the trick in all these things is in the execution, and I found these to have been executed very well… I gave it a try, and I’m glad I did.’ — Washington Post (Prof. Eugene Volokh)

‘The quality of the prose is incredible and there is a very light, dry humour running throughout with makes the novel a joy to read, it’s delightfully clever and leaves the reader in a “feel good” mood, even in the darker moments of the story. The characters are also just spot on, from the enigmatic Nightingale to the imprudent Beverley everyone lives and breathes within the pages.’ — SF Book Reviews

Ben Aaronovitch’s ZVONY LONDÝNA out now!

Posted on Monday, November 18th, 2019

Czech fans of Ben Aaronovitch‘s fantastic Peter Grant series can rejoice: LIES SLEEPING, the seventh novel in the series, is now available in Czechia! Published by Argo as ZVONY LONDÝNA, here’s the synopsis…

Muž bez tváře, pachatel mnoha vražd, podvodů a zločinů proti lidskosti, byl demaskován a je na útěku. Peter Grant, londýnský detektiv a čarodějnický učeň, nyní hraje klíčovou roli v bezprecedentní operaci bezpečnostních sil, která má Muže bez tváře dostat před soud. Peter mezitím zjišťuje, že Muž bez tváře není ještě ani…

Argo has published all of the previous books in the series as well (in addition to the novella THE FURTHEST STATION).

LIES SLEEPING and the other Peter Grant books are published in the UK by Gollancz, and in North America by Del Rey (#1-3), DAW Books (#4-) and Subterranean Press (novellas). The series has been published widely around the world, and recently passed one million sales in Germany!

Here’s the English-language synopsis for LIES SLEEPING…

A deadly history.
A dangerous mystery.
And a dark plan coming to light.

IN LONDON, THE PAST IS NEVER DEAD.
IT ONLY… LIES SLEEPING

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…

Prepare to visit Lavie Tidhar’s 中央星站 in the New Year!

Posted on Friday, November 15th, 2019

We’re very happy to share with you the details of the upcoming Chinese edition of Lavie Tidhar‘s award-winning CENTRAL STATION! Due to be published 中信出版集团 (Citic) as 中央星站 on January 1st, 2020, here’s the synopsis…

基因孩子、节点人类、增强元人类、数据吸血鬼、机械改造人、弃物之王、造神艺术家…

特拉维夫、中央星站、耶路撒冷、汤圆城、月球港、波吕港…

地球、火星、美茹河星、谷神星、土卫六、初始太空、混沌宇宙…

在不太遥远的未来，一场世界范围内的大离散过后，二十五万人滞留中央星站。

城市破败，科技失控，生命廉价，数据泛滥，地球沦为宇宙中的垃圾场。

在遭受战争、离散、数据和科技入侵、“人”的定义饱受质疑。

生活在这里的各色“人类”继续着他们的进化…

CENTRAL STATION is published in English by Tachyon Publications, who also publish the acclaimed UNHOLY LAND and THE VIOLENT CENTURY (US edition). Here’s the English-language synopsis…

A worldwide diaspora has left a quarter of a million people at the foot of a space station. Cultures collide in real life and virtual reality. Life is cheap, and data is cheaper.

When Boris Chong returns to Tel Aviv from Mars, much has changed. Boris’s ex-lover is raising a strangely familiar child who can tap into the datastream of a mind with the touch of a finger. His cousin is infatuated with a robotnik — a damaged cyborg soldier who might as well be begging for parts. His father is terminally-ill with a multigenerational mind-plague. And a hunted data-vampire has followed Boris to where she is forbidden to return.

Rising above them is Central Station, the interplanetary hub between all things: the constantly shifting Tel Aviv; a powerful virtual arena, and the space colonies where humanity has gone to escape the ravages of poverty and war. Everything is connected by the Others, powerful alien entities who, through the Conversation — a shifting, flowing stream of consciousness — are just the beginning of irrevocable change.

At Central Station, humans and machines continue to adapt, thrive… and even evolve.

Chinese-speaking fans of Lavie’s work could also turn their attention to these great interviews the author did while recently in China:

Here’s is just a small selection taken from the aforementioned critical acclaim that CENTRAL STATION has received since it was released…

‘CENTRAL STATION is full of the worries and aspirations of a new generation of science fiction people. This is not a simple science fiction novel, but a projection of a multi-ethnic coexistence world, a true fable for the present and the future.’ — Wu Yan

‘Roles and characters are evidenced, stories are linked to stories, and through a community perspective that connects to each other, we are like a shuttle in the central station of Tel Aviv to get a glimpse of a glorious, chaotic future. It is the perfect combination of literature and imagination.’ — Hao Jingfang (Hugo Award-winning author)

‘Lavie Tidhar used CENTRAL STATION to reshape a wild, dreamy and homesick future of Tel Aviv, and also reshaped our understanding and expectation of science fiction.’ — Chen Qiufan

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

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

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

‘A fascinating future glimpsed through the lens of a tight-knit community. Tidhar changes genres with every outing, but his astounding talents guarantee something new and compelling no matter the story he tells.’ — Library Journal (starred review)

‘A dazzling tale of complicated politics and even more complicated souls. Beautiful.’ — Ken Liu

‘Tidhar’s prose draws the reader in, bringing this world to life with ease… characters are never sacrificed in favour of the technology; in fact, the two of them combine seamlessly to create a unique vision, one that will leave the reader thinking long after the final page. Not only intelligent, it’s emotional too, telling of loves lost and those only just begun, of those wishing to escape their past and those hoping to bring it back… Tidhar is reminiscent of an early William Gibson, not just in sharing that short and punchy style, but in his ability to create a world where the speculation is believable enough to fit seamlessly into the narrative; somehow, despite being set centuries into the future, it feels just around the corner… cement[s] Lavie Tidhar as one of science fiction’s great voices, an author who creates scenarios and characters that feel destined to become classics, ones that readers will be happy to revisit time and time again. It’s a compelling collection that mixes the epic and the intimate, one that succeeds at being profound, incredibly moving and, quite simply, stunning.’ (10/10) — Starburst

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

The French Pocket edition of THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS is out now!

Posted on Thursday, November 14th, 2019

Today, Pocket publishes the mass market paperback edition of Aliette de Bodard‘s award-winning THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS in France! Published as L’ASCENSION DE LA MAISON AUBÉPINE, here’s the synopsis…

Suite à la chute des Flèches d’Argent, l’équilibre entre les grandes Maisons qui règnent sur Paris est plus que jamais chancelant. Le Seigneur Asmodée, à la tête de la Maison Aubépine depuis sa sanglante insurrection, y voit l’opportunité de renforcer son pouvoir. Une ambition qui réclame des alliés. Une délégation est envoyée au royaume dragon, porteuse d’une proposition d’alliance, mais aussi chargée de découvrir ce qu’il est advenu de la précédente émissaire, mystérieusement disparue.

C’est ainsi que Madeleine, sevrée de l’essence d’ange et désormais rattachée de force à la Maison Aubépine, se retrouve sous les eaux troubles de la Seine, dans ce monde annamite secret où le marin, l’humain et la féerie sont étroitement liés.

Au cœur des intrigues, des trahisons et des manœuvres politiques, Madeleine aura à jouer un rôle crucial, bien malgré elle…

THE HOUSE OF BINDING THORNS is the second novel in the acclaimed Dominion of the Fallen fantasy series, which is published in the UK by Gollancz, in North America by Roc Books (#1-2) and JABberwocky (#3), and is also available in a growing number of translated editions. Here’s the English-language synopsis for the novel…

As the city rebuilds from the onslaught of sorcery that nearly destroyed it, the great Houses of Paris, ruled by fallen angels, still contest one another for control over the capital.

House Silverspires was once the most powerful, but just as it sought to rise again, an ancient evil brought it low. Phillippe, an immortal who escaped the carnage, has a singular goal – to resurrect someone he lost. But the cost of such magic might be more than he can bear.

In House Hawthorn, Madeleine the alchemist has had her addiction to angel essence savagely broken. Struggling to live on, she is forced on a perilous diplomatic mission to the underwater dragon kingdom – and finds herself in the midst of intrigues that have already caused one previous emissary to mysteriously disappear…

As the Houses seek a peace more devastating than war, those caught between new fears and old hatreds must find strength – or fall prey to a magic that seeks to bind all to its will.

Here’s just a small selection taken from the great critical response the novel has received so far…

‘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)

‘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)

‘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

‘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*)

‘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

‘An excellent series with lots of variety and it feels more inventive than many books I come across. It’s an exciting world to fall into and I am looking forward to the next book.’ — SF Crowsnest

Peter A. Flannery’s BATTLE MAGE out Next Week in Germany!

Posted on Friday, November 8th, 2019

Next week, Heyne will publish the German edition of Peter A. Flannery‘s epic fantasy novel, BATTLE MAGE! The first part (of two), it will be published on Monday, November 11th, as KAMPF DER MAGIER. Here’s the synopsis…

Die Welt steht am Abgrund, denn die übermächtige Armee der Besessenen überrennt ein Königreich nach dem anderen. Die Einzigen, die sie aufhalten können, sind die Kampfmagier auf ihren majestätischen Drachen. Doch das Bündnis zwischen Drachen und Menschen ist schwach geworden. Zu wenige Drachen antworten noch auf den Ruf der Magier, und die meisten von ihnen sind schwarz. Und jedes Kind weiß, dass schwarze Drachen gefährlich sind. Schwarze Drachen sind verrückt. Falco Dantes Vater, ein tapferer Kampfmagier, fiel selbst dem Wahnsinn einer solchen Kreatur zum Opfer, und sein Verlust hat Falcos ganzes Leben geprägt. Als die Armee der Besessenen auf seine Heimat zumarschiert, trifft Falco eine folgenschwere Entscheidung: Er wird in die Fußstapfen seines Vaters treten…

The novel has also been published in France by Albin Michel.

Here’s the English-language synopsis for the novel…

The world is falling to the burning shadow of the Possessed and only the power of a battle mage can save it. But the ancient bond with dragonkind is failing. Of those that answer a summoning too many are black. Black dragons are the enemy of humankind. Black dragons are mad.

Falco Dante is a weakling in a world of warriors, but worse than this, he is the son of a madman. Driven by grief, Falco makes a decision that will drive him to the brink of despair. As he tries to come to terms with his actions Falco follows his friends to the Academy of War, an elite training school dedicated to martial excellence. But while his friends make progress he struggles to overcome his doubts and insecurity. Even Queen Catherine of Wrath has her doubts about Falco’s training.

While the Queen tries to unite the Kingdoms against the Possessed, Falco struggles to overcome his fears. Will he unlock the power trapped inside of him or will he succumb to madness and murder like his father?

Zeno represents Peter A. Flannery in Translation.

Roger Zelazny’s TO DIE IN ITALBAR Avaiable Now in Italy

Posted on Tuesday, October 29th, 2019

Roger Zelazny‘s TO DIE IN ITALBAR is now available in Italy! The second novel in the Francis Sandow series, it is published in Italian by Urania/Mondadori as MORIRE A ITALBAR, here’s the synopsis…

Vita e morte sono due facce della stessa medaglia per “H”, soprannome di Heidel vonHymack, un uomo in grado di curare qualsiasi malattia, oppure… di trasformarsi in una potente arma batteriologia in grado di portare morte e distruzione attorno a sé.

Ma H non è che uno degli ingredienti di questo romanzo, che vede riuniti insieme costruttori di mondi, artisti telecinetici, medici ibernati (che non per questo smettono di fare ricerche…), terroristi spaziali e una misteriosa quanto inquietante “Signora Azzurra”.

First published in 1973, here’s the English-language synopsis for TO DIE IN ITALBAR…

The Walker in the Valley of the Shadow

H was the name he was known by. H was unique in the galaxy, for he had the healing touch. Where there was plague, sickness, pain, H was the universal cure.

But H also had the slaying touch. Where he went death and disaster often followed. Where there had been health there would be left desolation and desert.

The talent alternated. It reversed itself — and H always warned people of this.

To live in Italbar or TO DIE IN ITALBAR, that was always the question.

‘Zelazny has regained his stride as a first rate writer of SF adventure.’ — Locus

‘A slender but nicely balanced tale of the efforts of Malacar, a single guerrilla against the forces of empire, to find and turn into a weapon the mysterious H, carrier of cures as well as diseases, who started as a healer but is now ravaging entire planets… [Zelazny is] still better than most.’ — Kirkus

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

Roger Zelazny’s Chronicles of Amber now complete in Italy!

Posted on Wednesday, October 23rd, 2019

Italian fans of Roger Zelazny‘s classic Chronicles of Amber, your wait is over! The final three volumes (#8-10) in the epic fantasy series are now available in Italy: SIGN OF CHAOS, KNIGHT OF SHADOWS, and PRINCE OF CHAOS.

Published by Fanucci as IL SEGNO DEL CAOS, IL CAVALIERE DELLE OMBRE, and IL PRINCIPE DEL CAOS. Here’s the synopsis for book eight…

L’epica storia della famiglia reale di Amber entra in un nuovo entusiasmante capitolo in cui Merlino, figlio del principe Corwin, persegue il suo nobile destino contro un mutevole panorama di mondi ombra e intrighi mortali, potenti computer e magia andati fuori controllo. Una violenta vendetta, una stregoneria rinnegata e un’avventura vorticosa conducono Merlino a un monumentale scontro alla Rocca dei Quattro Mondi, dove alla fine verranno svelati segreti e identità misteriose.

L’ottavo capitolo delle Cronache di Ambra, un classico imperdibile della letteratura fantasy di tutti i tempi, prosegue una serie considerata una lettura fondamentale per il genere cui appartiene.

These three novels were first published in 1987, 1989, and 1991, respectively.

Here’s the English-language synopsis for SIGN OF CHAOS…

Merle Corey, son of the great Prince Corwin of Amber, has been pursued through Shadow by unknown enemies and left trapped in an Alice in Wonderland world – a bar with the Mad Hatter serving and the Cheshire Cat grinning malevolently. In a dramatic escape from a monstrous Jabberwock, Merle embarks upon a fantastic adventure, leading him back to the Court of Amber and finally to a confrontation at the Keep of Four Worlds, and here he learns the strange secrets of the Courts of Chaos and their role in his destiny.

All ten novels in the Chronicles of Amber series are now available, published by Fanucci in print and eBook editions.

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

Ben Aaronovitch has sold 1,000,000 in Germany!

Posted on Tuesday, October 22nd, 2019

1,000,000 books!

We’re delighted to report that Ben Aaronovitch has passed 1,000,000 sales in Germany!

Ben’s acclaimed Peter Grant series has been popular in Germany from the very beginning, and we’re so happy that the series has been enjoyed by so many German fans!

The author was in Germany last week when the milestone was reached, and he was met by his publisher, DTV, with a cake to commemorate the great news!

DTV has published all of the books in Ben’s series in Germany, including the novellas. The books are available in print, eBook, and audio editions.

The most recent book, THE OCTOBER MAN, was published earlier this year — and, as it happens, is set in Germany and introduces a new protagonist, Tobias Winter.

Congratulations again to Ben!

The Peter Grant series is published in the UK by Gollancz; in North America by Del Rey (1-3), DAW Books (4-), and Subterranean Press (novellas); and it is also available widely in translation.

Ian McDonalds NEW MOON out now in Croatia!

Posted on Thursday, October 17th, 2019

The first novel in Ian McDonald‘s acclaimed Luna series, NEW MOON, is out now in Croatia! Published as MLADI MJESEC by Vorto Palabra, and translated by Kristian Vlasic, here’s the synopsis…

Mjesec je, bez sumnje, novo i uzbudljivo mjesto za život. Ne postoji kriminalno ni građansko pravo, već samo ugovorno i sve je, od braka i rastave pa do ubojstva, podložno pregovorima. Kultura Mjesečevih elita premrežena je (seksualnim) vezama koje ne pitaju za spol, a sve je začinjeno koktelima, dizajnerskim drogama i visokom modom isprintanom u 3D-u. No, Mjesec vas želi i ubiti. Svake sekunde u danu. Ne samo svojim negostoljubivim okolišem, iako je i on sam po sebi zastrašujuće i opasno mjesto za život. Račun za vodu, prostor, podatke i kisik svake sekunde raste, mjeri i naplaćuje svaki gutljaj i svaki san, svaku misao i udah. A možda se uz sve to nađete i usred sukoba vladajućih dinastija, poznatih pod nazivom Pet zmajeva. Morate se krvavo boriti kako biste se snašli u ovom gotovo feudalnom društvu. A to je upravo ono što je Adriana Corta i učinila.

Kao vođa najnovijeg, petog Mjesečevog Zmaja, Adriana je uspostavila čvrstu kontrolu nad industrijom helija koja daleku Zemlju opskrbljuje prijeko potrebnom električnom energijom. Ali za taj se status krvavo izborila. Sada, na zalasku života, Adriana otkriva kako je njezina korporacija, Corta Hélio, okružena mnogim neprijateljima koje je stekla tijekom svog meteorskog uspjeha. Ako joj posao i obitelj želi preživjeti, njezino petero djece mora obraniti majčino carstvo od tih neprijatelja… ali i obraniti se jedni od drugih.

NEW MOON and the other novels in the series — WOLF MOON and MOON RISING — are published in the UK by Gollancz, in North America by Tor Books, and in a growing number of translations. Here’s the English-language synopsis for the first novel…

The scions of a falling house must navigate a world of corporate warfare to maintain their family’s status in the Moon’s vicious political atmosphere.

The Moon wants to kill you.

Maybe it will kill you when the per diem for your allotted food, water, and air runs out, just before you hit paydirt. Maybe it will kill you when you are trapped between the reigning corporations-the Five Dragons-in a foolish gamble against a futuristic feudal society. On the Moon, you must fight for every inch you want to gain. And that is just what Adriana Corta did.

As the leader of the Moon’s newest “dragon,” Adriana has wrested control of the Moon’s Helium-3 industry from the Mackenzie Metal corporation and fought to earn her family’s new status. Now, in the twilight of her life, Adriana finds her corporation-Corta Helio-confronted by the many enemies she made during her meteoric rise. If the Corta family is to survive, Adriana’s five children must defend their mother’s empire from her many enemies… and each other.

Ian’s forthcoming new novella, THE MENACE FROM FARSIDE (Tor.com, November 11th), is also something of a prequel to the series.

NEW MOON (and the series as a whole) has been met with a tremendous amount of praise and good reviews. Here are but a handful, to give you an idea…

‘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

‘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)

‘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

‘No one writes like Ian McDonald, and no one’s Moon is nearly so beautiful and terrible… Ian McDonald’s never written a bad novel, but this is a great Ian McDonald novel… McDonald has ten details for every detail proffered by other sf writers. Not gratuitous details, either: gracious ones. The fashion sense of William Gibson, the design sense of Bruce Sterling, the eye for family drama of Connie Willis, the poesie of Bradbury, and the dirty sex of Kathe Koja and Samuel Delany… McDonald’s moon is omnisexual, kinky, violent, passionate, beautiful, awful, vibrant and crushing. As the family saga of the Cortas unravels, we meet a self-sexual ninja lawyer, a werewolf who loses his mind in the Full Earth, a family tyrant whose ruthlessness is matched only by his crepulance, and a panoply of great passions and low desires. LUNA: NEW MOON is the first book of a two-book cycle. Now I’m all a-quiver for the next one.‘ — BoingBoing

‘Fans of cerebral, high-concept science fiction will love this exploration of society on the moon many decades after it has been colonized. The focus is more on concept and plot than on character, but the former are compelling enough to make this an addictive page-turner. Including the stories of many characters gives the reader important insights into different facets of society, and although the book starts at a slow pace, it accelerates into a mesmerizing political thriller.’ — RT Book Reviews

First four Vlad Taltos Novels now available in Estonia!

Posted on Monday, October 14th, 2019

We’re happy to report that the first four novels in Steven Brust‘s Vlad Taltos fantasy series — JHEREG, YENDI, TALTOS and DRAGON — are out now in Estonia! Published by Fantaasia & kirjastus Täheveski, here’s the synopsis for the first novel…

Loiosh istus mu vasakul õlal ja jälgis ust. Tellisin valget veini ja ootasin. Märkasin üht oma töötajaist nõusid pesemas, kuid ma ei suutnud identifitseerida kumbagi vabakutselist. Hästi. Kui mina ei suutnud neid märgata, on hea võimalus, et ka Deemon ei suuda. Rüüpasin oma veini aeglaselt, ikka veel veidi itsitades kohtumise peale, mis mul oli varem olnud Tecklaga, keda oli röövitud. See oli läinud küllalt hästi, kuigi ma pidin vaevaga naeru alla suruma, saades oma usaldusväärselt jheregist kaaslaselt pidevaid psioonilisi palveid nagu: „Oo, palun, boss. Palun, kas ma võin ta ära süüa?” Mul on vastik kaaslane.

First published in 1983, here’s the English-language synopsis for JHEREG…

The books recount the adventures of the wisecracking hired killer Vlad, a human on a planet mainly inhabited by the long-lived, extremely tall sorcerers known as the Dragaerans. One of the most powerful bosses in the Jhereg–Dragaera’s premier criminal organization–hires Vlad, one of their guild members, to assassinate Mellar, who stole millions from the Jhereg leadership and fled. Unfortunately, this thief turns out to be protected in a way that makes it difficult for Vlad to do his job without gaining the permanent enmity of a friend. The reader also learns more about Vlad’s past in this, and in other, lives.

Zeno represents Steven Brust in Translation, on behalf of Kay McCauley at Aurous, Inc.

Czech Audiobook edition of WHISPERS UNDERGROUND now available via Audible!

Posted on Friday, October 11th, 2019

The Czech audiobook edition of Ben Aaronovitch‘s third Peter Grant novel, WHISPERS UNDERGROUND is available now through Audible! Published by Tympanum as ŠEPOT PODZENÍ, and read by Tomáš Kobr, here’s the synopsis…

Další případ ze světa nejúspěšnější městské fantasy uplynulého desetiletí! Peter Grant na cestě do labyrintem londýnského metra. Jmenuji se Peter Grant. Není to tak dávno, co jsem byl obyčejný četnický zelenáč v řadách londýnské Metropolitní policie. Teď jsem policejní detektiv a čarodějnický učeň. Jenže inspektor Nightingale má plné ruce práce s pátráním po Muži bez tváře, takže stojím nad mrtvolou amerického studenta na stanici metra Baker Street sám. Vlastně ne sám, FBI mi poslala na pomoc nějakou mladou ambiciózní křesťanku. No, hezká je, ale veškerá kouzla jsou pro ni jasné dílo ďáblovo. Je na čase ponořit se strašidelné hlubiny nejstarší, největší a nyní i nejvražednější podzemní dráhy na světě.

The print edition of the novel is published in Czechia by Argo. The Peter Grant series is published in the UK by Gollancz, in North America by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-), and widely in translation. Here’s the English-language synopsis for WHISPERS UNDERGROUND…

Here are just a handful of the reviews the novel has received…

The next novel in the series, FALSE VALUE, is due to be published in February 2020.

Ian McDonald’s RIVER OF GODS out now in Bulgaria!

Posted on Wednesday, October 9th, 2019

Ian McDonald‘s RIVER OF GODS is out now in Bulgaria! The first novel in the author’s India 2047 sci-fi series, it is published by Хермес as Река на боговете. Here’s the synopsis…

В този роман на фокус е Индия през 2047 г. На фона на шеметен напредък в нанотехнологиите Иън Макдоналд вплита в сложна сюжетна мрежа източната митология и традиционна култура със свръхестествени същества, роботи, изкуствен интелект. Паралелните съдби на героите се събират в точката, в която поличитечски реалности, митология и авангардна наука са едно. А философският гръбнак на тази завладяваща история изправя читателя пред въпросите на трансхуманизма за границите на човешкото.

The novel is published in the UK by Gollancz, and in North America via the JABberwocky eBook Program. Both also publish the second novel in the series: CYBERABAD DAYS. Here’s the English-language 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.

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

‘A staggering achievement, brilliantly imagined and endlessly surprising … A brave, brilliant and wonderful novel’ — Christopher Priest, Guardian

‘Hugely adventurous and entertaining, sumptuously inventive and full of heart… it is likely to rank as Ian McDonald’s finest creative achievement.’ — Locus

‘An ambitious science fiction thriller set in a futuristic India that is fabulously rewarding… in terms of risk-taking, sheer scale, ideas, detail, inventiveness, and intellectual scope there are few recent books to match River of Gods, and as a novel about India, there is nothing like it… [It’s] not just the definitive thriller set in India but the most richly imaginative thriller about India.’ — The Hindu (India’s National Newspaper)

‘This ambitious portrait of a future India from British author McDonald (Desolation Road) offers multitudes: gods, castes, protagonists, cultures….readers will become increasingly hooked as the pieces of McDonald’s richly detailed world fall into place. Already nominated for both Hugo and Arthur C. Clarke awards, this is sure to be one of the more talked-about SF novels of the year.’ — Publishers Weekly

‘[A] bold, brave look at India on the eve of its centennial, 41 years from now… McDonald takes his readers from India’s darkest depths to its most opulent heights, from rioting mobs and the devastated poor to high-level politicians and lavish parties. He handles his complex plot with flair and confidence and deftly shows how technological advances and social changes have subtly changed lives. RIVER OF GODS is a major achievement from a writer who is becoming one of the best sf novelists of our time.’ — Washington Post

‘[P]erhaps his most accomplished novel to date. It’s a dense and sometimes difficult read, reminiscent of William Gibson in full-throttle cultural-immersion mode, packed with technical jargon, religious and sociological observation and allusions to art both high and low. But RIVER OF GODS amply rewards careful consideration and more than delivers its share of straight-ahead entertainment. Already a multiple-award nominee following its British publication, McDonald’s latest ranks as one of the best science fiction novels published in the United States this year.’ — San Francisco Chronicle

THE AYLESFORD SKULL now available in Russia!

Posted on Tuesday, October 8th, 2019

THE AYLESFORD SKULL by James P. Blaylock is available now in Russia! Published by Аркадия as Джеймс Блэйлок: Айлсфордский череп, here’s the synopsis…

Профессор Лэнгдон Сент-Ив, блестящий, хотя и немного эксцентричный ученый и изобретатель, наслаждается семейной жизнью в роскошном поместье: играет с сыном и дочкой, ходит с женой на рыбалку, планирует вволю полетать на собственном дирижабле и мечтает завести слона. Но его злейший враг, доктор Игнасио Нарбондо, не дремлет. Он уже задумал новое злодейство. И если некроманту-вивисектору удастся осуществить задуманное, улицы разрушенного Лондона заполнят духи умерших людей! Пока же Нарбондо занимается разграблением могил, устраивает взрывы, а заодно похищает сынишку Сент-Ива, Эдди. И профессор бросается в погоню…

Аркадия has also published the first two novels in the series in Russia: Гомункул and Машина лорда Келвина.

The third novel in Blaylock’s fan-favourite Langdon St. Ives steampunk series, it is published in the UK and US by Titan Books. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

It is the summer of 1883 and Professor Langdon St. Ives brilliant but eccentric scientist and explorer is at home in Aylesford with his family. However a few miles to the north a steam launch has been taken by pirates above Egypt Bay, the crew murdered and pitched overboard. In Aylesford itself a grave is opened and possibly robbed of the skull. The suspected grave robber, the infamous Dr. Ignacio Narbondo, is an old nemesis of Langdon St. Ives. When Dr. Narbondo returns to kidnap his four-year-old son Eddie and then vanishes into the night, St. Ives and his factotum Hasbro race into London in pursuit…

Titan has also published the other novels in the series: HOMUNCULUS, LORD KELVIN’S MACHINE and BENEATH LONDON.

‘James P Blaylock has been underpublished on this side of the Atlantic, a state of affairs Titan are addressing with THE AYLESFORD SKULL… Blaylock throws in all the furniture of the genre: derring-do and cliffhangers, a vivid portrayal of Victorian London, a gallery of grotesque characters and the obligatory airship, but the strength of the novel is his rendering of St Ives caught between his love of the chase and his commitment to family.’ — Guardian

‘St. Ives has to be one of the most fleshed out Victorian characters ever written, and I’m sincerely hoping that Blaylock isn’t finished with this scientist adventurer. THE AYLESFORD SKULL can easily stand alone without any knowledge of Blaylock’s previous steampunk stories, but you’ll want to hunt down additional St. Ives tales, I’m for certain.’ — Wired.com

‘I never found it less than gripping. In fact I sped through it in just two sittings. I especially enjoyed the way Blaylock split his heroes up and had them all working vaguely towards the same end, while having no clear idea where the others were, or what they were up to. Even so, he managed to keep a tight control on who was where and when, so that the action ties up properly in the end… Narbondo is deranged, as all such villains should be. His plot to overthrow the throne and government would leave even the likes of Fu Manchu speechless. Off-the wall doesn’t cover it… The climactic scenes are spectacular to say the least, and I found it hard not to visualise it in terms of a Hollywood Blockbuster.’ — British Fantasy Society

‘This is steampunk at full power and it’s a heady, thrilling read as a result. Packed with high adventure, mad science and derring do, THE AYLESFORD SKULL is a perfect place to start the Langdon St Ives books and, with Titan re-releasing the other books in the series, there’s plenty to keep you and St Ives busy. Which is, I suspect, just how he likes it.’ — SFX

Zeno Agency Ltd.

Tag: International Editions