Tag: International Editions

Peter A. Flannery’s BATTLE MAGE continues his campaign in France…

Posted on Tuesday, January 8th, 2019

Tomorrow, Albin Michel will publish the second part of Peter A. Flannery‘s BATTLE MAGE in France! Published as MAGE DE BATAILLE, here’s the synopsis…

Falco Danté était un gringalet dans un monde en guerre. Pire, Falco était méprisé, mis à l’écart, à cause de son père qui fut un immense mage de bataille avant de sombrer dans une folie meurtrière. Mais à l’Académie de la guerre, Falco a bien changé : il est devenu plus puissant, il a gagné le respect de ses compagnons d’arme. Il ne lui reste plus qu’une épreuve pour devenir un mage de bataille à part entière : le rite d’Assay. S’il réussit, il aura le droit d’invoquer son dragon, son âme sœur dans la lutte contre les Possédés.

Dans le camp adverse, son ennemi juré, le démon Marchio Dolor progresse sans relâche vers la victoire. L’Humanité ne s’est jamais trouvée aussi proche de l’extinction totale.

Pour Falco et ses compagnons, l’heure de la bataille finale va bientôt sonner.

The first part of the novel was published last year, also by Albin Michel. The covers for the two parts make for quite the epic, eye-catching, and rather toasty image…

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 CHRONICLES OF AMBER now available in Slovakia!

Posted on Thursday, January 3rd, 2019

Roger Zelazny‘s classic Chronicles of Amber fantasy series is now available in Slovakia! Published in two volumes by Vydavateľstvo Tatran, here’s the synopsis for the Kroniky Amberu…

Roger Zelazny patrí k zakladateľom fantastiky, no svojimi mýtmi a mágiou vtlačil tomuto žánru svojský nenapodobiteľný štýl. Napísal viac ako 50 románov a 150 poviedok, vrcholom jeho tvorby je však desať kníh, ktoré tvoria Kroniky Amberu. Podľa slov Georga R. R. Martina, autora Hier o Tróny, sú Kroniky Amberu najfarebnejšou, najexotickejšou a najnezabudnuteľnejšou ságou, aká sa vo fantasy objavila. Amber je jediný skutočný svet, všetky ostatné vrátane Zeme sú len Tiene. No schyľuje sa tam k bratovražednému boju o moc a vplyv. Amberský princ Corwin sa pre zradu svojich súrodencov ocitne na Zemi a tu pri autonehode utrpí stratu pamäti. Len čo nadobudne vedomie, zapojí sa do obrany Amberu proti netvorom z Čiernej cesty. Žezlo po ňom preberie jeho syn Merlin, v ktorého žilách koluje aj matkina krv z Dvorov Chaosu. Celá sága prekvapuje nezvyčajnými nápadmi. Autor v nich spojil prvky sci-fi a fantasy. Kroniky Amberu predstavujú urban fantasy v drsnom štýle a ostrom tóne, mnohé zápletky pripomínajú detektívny príbeh. Kritici právom označili Zelaznyho dielo za „fantasy najvyššieho kalibru.“

Originally published between 1970-91, the series includes the following novels: NINE PRINCES IN AMBER, THE GUNS OF AVALON, SIGN OF THE UNICORN, THE HAND OF OBERON, THE COURTS OF CHAOS, TRUMPS OF DOOM, BLOOD OF AMBER, SIGN OF CHAOS, KNIGHT OF SHADOWS and PRINCE OF CHAOS. The series has been published widely in translation, with more editions on the way! If you’d like to know more, be sure to check out the author’s page.

Here’s the English-language synopsis for the first novel in the series…

Awakening in an Earth hospital unable to remember who he is or where he came from, Corwin is amazed to learn that he is one of the sons of Oberon, King of Amber, and is the rightful successor to the crown in a parallel world.

Amber, the one real world, wherein all others, including our own Earth, are but Shadows. Amber burns in Corwin’s blood. Exiled on Shadow Earth for centuries, the prince is about to return to Amber to make a mad and desperate rush upon the throne.

From Arden to the blood-slippery Stairway into the Sea, the air is electrified with the powers of Eric, Random, Bleys, Caine, and all the princes of Amber whom Corwin must overcome. Yet, his savage path is blocked and guarded by eerie structures beyond imagining; impossible realities forged by demonic assassins and staggering horrors to challenge the might of Corwin’s superhuman fury.

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

Andrew Cartmel’s Vinyl Detective takes a MURDER SWING through Germany…

Posted on Tuesday, January 1st, 2019

In March, Andrew Cartmel‘s first Vinyl Detective novel, WRITTEN IN DEAD WAX is due to be published in Germany! Published by Suhrkamp as MURDER SWING, here’s the synopsis…

London, heute: Er ist ein Plattensammler, ein Spezialist für äußerst seltene LPs, die er kauft und verkauft. Die Jobbeschreibung auf seiner Visitenkarte lautet: ›Vinyl-Detektiv‹. Und manche Leute nehmen das ganz wörtlich – so wie die geheimnisvolle Nevada Warren, die ihn für eine Unsumme anheuert, um für einen anonymen Auftraggeber eine Platte zu finden, die zu der schmalen Produktion eines winzigen kalifornischen Jazz-Labels gehört, das in den 1950ern nur ein Jahr existierte.

Bald häufen sich seltsame Todesfällen, die allesamt mit dieser Platte zu tun haben könnten. Aber was könnte auf ihr zu hören sein, was sie so ungemein wertvoll macht? Und was hat einer der mächtigsten Konzerne der weltweiten Unterhaltungsindustrie damit zu tun? Zu allem Überfluss hat unser Detektiv bald auch noch die »Aryian Twins« Heinz und Heidi an der Hacke, zwei ziemlich extravagante Killer…

The Vinyl Detective series is published in the UK and US by Titan Books: WRITTEN IN DEAD WAX, THE RUN-OUT GROOVE, VICTORY DISC and the upcoming FLIP BACK.

Here’s the English-language synopsis for WRITTEN IN DEAD WAX…

He is a record collector — a connoisseur of vinyl, hunting out rare and elusive LPs. His business card describes him as the “Vinyl Detective” and some people take this more literally than others.

Like the beautiful, mysterious woman who wants to pay him a large sum of money to find a priceless lost recording — on behalf of an extremely wealthy (and rather sinister) shadowy client.

Given that he’s just about to run out of cat biscuits, this gets our hero’s full attention. So begins a painful and dangerous odyssey in search of the rarest jazz record of them all…

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

‘This charming mystery feels as companionable as a leisurely afternoon trawling the vintage shops with a good friend.’ — Kirkus

‘… fast-paced, lighthearted adventure… marvelously inventive and endlessly fascinating…’ — Publishers Weekly

‘Author Cartmel has combined the tropes of the several genres into a surprising, refreshing story centered around old-fashioned records… the story delivers multiple chuckles per chapter… Based on this volume, the series will be a hit.’ — New York Journal of Books

‘The story is so charming, funny and engaging… It’s the perfect chilled-out read… It’s British crime fiction with an American jazz soundtrack and it’s delightful. As long as Andrew Cartmel keeps spinning these characters, I’ll keep reading.’ (9/10) — Alternative Magazine Online

‘[Cartmel’s] charity-shop-haunting, record-fair-regular vinyl obsessive with an encyclopaedic knowledge of jazz is a natural and welcome addition to the genre’s pantheon… a highly entertaining cast of supporting characters… a pair of utterly convincing cats which effortlessly steal every scene in which they appear… a sharp, amusing and compulsively readable detective yarn packed with witty asides dealing with everyone from Sun Ra to Elvis Presley, as enjoyably accessible to the jazz obsessive as it is to the general reader.’ — London Jazz News

 

Andrew is also the co-author (with Ben Aaronovitch) of the Rivers of London and Seventh Doctor comic series, published by Titan Comics.

Lavie Tidhar’s CANDY is now available in Czechia!

Posted on Monday, December 31st, 2018

Lavie Tidhar‘s first novel for young readers, CANDY is now available in Czechia! Published by Argo as PRO HRST LENTILEK, here’s the synopsis…

Slavný soukromý detektiv Phil Marlowe má vážnou konkurentku: je jí dvanáct a jmenuje se Nelle. Je chytrá, má skvělý pozorovací talent, případy řeší s věcnou elegancí, její komentáře jsou sarkasticky trefné. Nelle žije ve městě, kde byla na všechny sladkosti vyhlášena prohibice. Jenže se zákazem čokolády a bonbonů začnou okamžitě vznikat pašerácké gangy, v policii bují korupce. Když jednoho dne vstoupí do Nelliny detektivní kanceláře (ve skutečnosti zahradní kůlny) zlopověstný gangster Eddie Mentolka a požádá Nelle, aby mu našla ztraceného plyšového medvídka, hrdinka zavětří velký případ. Ale než se jí podaří méďu vypátrat, zmizí i Eddie. Že by v tom měla prsty konkurence, drsná Fidorka nebo snad Piškot McKenzie? Proč byl medvídek pro Eddieho tak důležitý? A co se skrývá v opuštěné továrně na čokoládu? Kam se poděl její majitel? Pátrání Nelle vtahuje stále hlouběji do labyrintu intrik a podvodů čokoládové mafie, vyřešení případu je dramaticky překvapivé. Zábavná „báječně čokoládová“ parafráze na slavné detektivní romány z doby americké prohibice okouzlí nejen děti, ale i hravé dospělé.

Featuring illustrations by Mark Beech, CANDY is published in the UK by Scholastic, and has also been published in Germany (Loewe) and France (Castelmore) — more editions are on the way, and we’ll keep you updated as soon as we can! Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Guard your chocolate! Imagine living in a place where Mars bars are banned and sweeties are totally outlawed. Ugh – how depressing! In this miserable place, is it any wonder that gangsters trade in illegal sweeties? We can’t even blame them. Nelle Faulkner is a twelve-year-old private detective looking for her next client. So when notorious candy gangster Eddie de Menthe walks in and asks her to find a missing teddy bear, Nelle takes the case. But as soon as the teddy turns up, Eddie himself goes missing. Can Nelle track him down before all of them come to a sticky end?

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

‘A perfectly pitched noir take on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory… delightful premise… a novel that for all its joyous sense of fun still packs a surprising emotional and philosophical punch… wonderful character work and his excellent prose… Most importantly, we never lose sight of the characters as children, which is necessary for the novel to carry off its conceit.’ — Fantasy Faction

‘Delicious pastiche of “noir” fiction from SF author Lavie Tidhar, set in a city where everything sweet and sugary is banned. Private eye Nelle searches for a lost teddy bear and uncovers a Chinatown-style conspiracy. You could think of it as The Malteser Falcon, or perhaps Double Inde-mint-y.’ — Financial Times (Summer Books of 2018)

‘Written in the style of the hard-boiled American detective fiction of the 1940s, this is a juggernaut of a tale with plenty of twists and turns. A challenging read for ages 10+ who enjoy suspense coupled with a dry sense of humour.’ — West Sussex Schools Library Service

‘Candy is one of those books that do not take children and teenagers for fools. The story is able to change shifts, thanks to lot of humour, to more serious subjects. Of course, we can enjoy it at any age. If possible, the book should be served in place of dessert.’ — Geektest (France)

‘Due to the wonderfully fluent writing style, the pleasantly short chapters and the rousing plot, I devoured the book in record time. For girls and boys from the age of 10, who like to read exciting, funny, imaginative detective stories, “Secret Agent Candy” is just perfect. I really hope that this is a start of a series and we will soon be able to solve their second, tricky case together with Nelle… Exciting, funny, bizarre and just awesome!’ — Die Bücherwelt von CorniHolmes (Germany)

Aliette de Bodard wins an Ignotus Award!

Posted on Friday, December 21st, 2018

We’re delighted to report that Aliette de Bodard‘s THREE CUPS OF GRIEF, BY STARLIGHT has won an Ignotus Award! Given by Spain’s Asociación Española de Fantasía, Ciencia Ficción y Terror, the story won the award for Foreign Story. First published in Clarkesworld #100, the Spanish translation, TRES TAZAS DE AFLICCIÓN A LA LUZ DE LAS ESTRELLAS is available on Cuentos para Algernon.

THREE CUPS OF GRIEF, BY STARLIGHT also won a BSFA Award for Best Short Story (2015), and was a Finalist for the Locus Award for Best Short Story (2016) and also for the Eugie Foster Memorial Award for Short Fiction (2016).

Aliette’s latest novel is the critically-acclaimed IN THE VANISHERS’ PALACE, published via the JABberwocky eBook Program. Here’s the synopsis…

A dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast from the award-winning author of the Dominion of the Fallen series.

When failed scholar Yên is sold to Vu Côn, one of the last dragons walking the earth, she expects to be tortured or killed for Vu Côn’s amusement. But Vu Côn, it turns out, has a use for Yên: she needs a scholar to tutor her two unruly children. She takes Yên back to her home, a vast, vertiginous palace-prison where every door can lead to death. Vu Côn seems stern and unbending, but as the days pass Yên comes to see her kinder and caring side. She finds herself dangerously attracted to the dragon who is her master and jailer. In the end, Yên will have to decide where her own happiness lies — and whether it will survive the revelation of Vu Côn’s dark, unspeakable secrets…

The author’s current on-going series is the award-winning Dominion of the Fallen, published by Gollancz  (UK) and Roc Books (US).

Roger Zelazny’s classic LORD OF LIGHT re-issued in Russia

Posted on Friday, December 14th, 2018

Roger Zelazny‘s LORD OF LIGHT has a new Russian edition! Published by Эксмо as Князь Света, here’s the synopsis…

Это случилось после гибели Земли. На одной из дальних планет-колоний у власти оказалась группа людей, которые, используя достижения науки, достигли бессмертия и стали править своим миром как Боги индуистского пантеона. Но при этом остались людьми — в прямом смысле этого слова, сохранив человеческие чувства и желания, несмотря на приобретенные ими неограниченные возможности. И неизвестно, стало ли им от этого лучше… Роман был удостоен премии “Хьюго”. Роджер Желязны называл “Князя Света” своим самым любимым произведением. В конце 70-х должна была выйти экранизация романа, над которой работал в том числе Джек Кирби — легендарный художник комиксов. В ближайшее время начнутся съемки новой экранизации — в формате сериала.

LORD OF LIGHT was first published in 1967. It is available in the UK as part of Gollancz‘s SF Masterworks. Here’s the English-language synopsis…

In a distant world gods walk as men, but wield vast and hidden powers. Here they have made the stage on which they build a subtle pattern of alliance, love, and deadly enmity. Are they truly immortal? Who are these gods who rule the destiny of a teeming world?

Their names include Brahma, Kali, Krishna and also he who was called Buddha, the Lord of Light, but who now prefers to be known simply as Sam. The gradual unfolding of the story shows how the colonization of another planet became a re-enactment of Eastern mythology.

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

Ian McDonald’s EMPRESS OF THE SUN now available in Italian!

Posted on Thursday, December 13th, 2018

Urania/Mondadori has published the Italian edition of EMPRESS OF THE SUN, the concluding novel in Ian McDonald‘s Everness series! Published as L’IMPERATRICE DEL SOLE, here’s the synopsis…

Il salto di Heisenberg ha portato la Everness su una Terra alternativa, diversa da qualsiasi luogo l’equipaggio dell’astronave abbia mai visto. Everett Singh, Sen e gli altri si trovano su una pianura sconfinata, in un mondo in cui i dinosauri non si sono estinti ma si sono evoluti acquisendo un vantaggio tecnologico di venticinque milioni di anni sull’umanità, e nel bel mezzo dello scontro tra nazioni rivali. L’equipaggio della Everness deve affrontare un mondo che sta andando rapidamente verso l’apocalisse. Per sopravvivere, e per capire quali nuovi scenari si aprono per l’umanità…

Urania has now published all three novels in the series, the other two being TERRA INCOGNITA (PLANESRUNNER) and PIANETA PARALLELO (BE MY ENEMY). Urania has also published the first novel in Ian’s latest series, Luna: LUNA NUOVA (NEW MOON).

The Everness series was first published in the UK by Jo Fletcher Books and in North America by Pyr Books. The series is now available in eBook via the JAbberwocky eBook Program, and in many other territories. Here’s the English-language synopsis for EMPRESS OF THE SUN…

World-hopping, high-action adventure starring a smart boy with computer skills and a tough girl who pilots a blimp

The airship Everness makes a Heisenberg Jump to an alternate Earth unlike any her crew has ever seen. Everett, Sen, and the crew find themselves above a plain that goes on forever in every direction without any horizon. There they find an Alderson Disc, an astronomical megastructure of incredibly strong material reaching from the orbit of Mercury to the orbit of Jupiter. 

Then they meet the Jiju, the dominant species on a plane where the dinosaurs didn’t die out. They evolved, diversified, and have a twenty-five million year technology head-start on humanity. War between their kingdoms is inevitable, total and terrible. 

Everness has jumped right into the midst of a faction fight between rival nations, the Fabreen and Dityu empires. The airship is attacked, but then defended by the forces of the Fabreen, who offers theEvernesscrew protection. But what is the true motive behind Empress Aswiu’s aid? What is her price?

The crew of the Everness is divided in a very alien world, a world fast approaching the point of apocalypse.

Here’s what reviewers have said about the Everness series…

‘The marvelous Everness series takes readers to a world with highly evolved dinosaurs in this third voyage through parallel universes… McDonald lets his imagination run rampant without abandoning credibility, tackling real scientific concepts such as confirmation bias, a feature lacking in far too much science fiction. Fans might wish for more focus on the original Everett, but eventually, the three storylines weave themselves together nicely, setting up another sequel with hints of forthcoming romance. Endlessly fascinating and fun.’ — Kirkus (Starred Review) on EMPRESS OF THE SUN

‘I’ve rarely had as much fun with a Young Adult SF series as I have with Ian McDonald’s Everness — now up to three books with the brand new, shiny addition of EMPRESS OF THE SUN, possibly the best book of the bunch so far… this latest installment, with its sentient space dinosaurs, will delight folks who occasionally yearn for a good old-fashioned pulp adventure… through all of it, the characters continue to shine… I confess that I initially wasn’t too crazy about the whole Doppelgänger plot, but in this novel, it turns into a wonderful part of the overall picture… It was simply a treat to get back into the crazy palari and strange fashions of the Everness books. It may sound bizarre, but this is the first time I’ve read a novel that actually made me feel like writing fan-fic about its characters, just because they’re so utterly fresh and surprising. The Everness series is technically Young Adult, but I believe any science fiction fan, young or old, would get sucked into these adventures.’ — Tor.com on EMPRESS OF THE SUN

‘EMPRESS OF THE SUN revels in its pulp adventure milieu… McDonald has created an incredibly “storyable” universe for his characters to have their adventures in, and he keeps those adventures coming fast and furious… Between the adventures, the pacing, the characters, and the narrative arcs, there’s a lot to enjoy about this book and the overall series.’ — Strange Horizons on EMPRESS OF THE SUN

‘McDonald proves the concept of his world of the Infundibulum has legs, and provides some intriguing new ideas amid an entertaining adventure… Lots of ideas thrown out and explored; good development of main characters… Malevolent Nanotech. More world hopping. A solidly entertaining second volume to the series… With all of these ideas, concepts and worldbuilding, McDonald, in terms of his core characters, provides us with meaty development and growth… I was more than satisfied with the book and anyone, young adult or otherwise, who has read the first book will find much to love here, and will likely be as eager as I for the next volume in the series.’ — SF Signal on BE MY ENEMY

‘… absolutely triumphant sequel to Ian McDonald’s pulse-pounding young-adult science fiction novel PLANESRUNNER. PLANESRUNNER — a rollicking, multidimensional tale of a young boy who holds the key to infinite universes, seeking to rescue his physicist father from sinister powers — finished on a brutal cliffhanger, leaving its readers gasping and cursing for more. Now we have it. In BE MY ENEMY, there’s a lot more of what made PLANESRUNNER great — tremendous action scenes, cunning escapes, genius attacks on the ways that multidimensional travel might be weaponized, horrific glimpses of shadowy powers and sinister technologies. But BE MY ENEMY also has more of what makes McDonald’s adult fiction some of the best work I’ve ever read: a gifted ear for poesie that makes the English language sing, the unapologetic presumption of the reader’s ability to understand what’s going on without a lot of hand-holding, and a technological mysticism that never explicitly says when the literal stops and the fantasy starts… If you held off on reading PLANESRUNNER because you didn’t want to commit to a series without knowing if the author could keep up the quality, have no fear. McDonald has proven himself handily.’ — BoingBoing

‘Also appropriating airships, larger‑than-life characters and breakneck action is Ian McDonald’s PLANESRUNNER…, the opening volume in the Everness series and his first foray into Young Adult fiction. This is vintage McDonald, with beautifully drawn settings, complex characters and deft plotting. When Everett Singh’s scientist father is kidnapped, Everett’s investigations lead him to discover that his father was working to open portals between multiple worlds. Everett finds a map linking the worlds, which various sinister organisations desire – and the thrilling chase is on.’ — Guardian on PLANESRUNNER

‘The book begins with its young and likeably geeky protagonist, Everett Singh (named for physicist Hugh Everett, who came up with the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics back in the ‘50s) witnessing the kidnapping of his scientist father. But why would anyone want to drag an apparently unimportant academic off the street in London? Because, it turns out, Singh Sr has created the Infundibulum, a map of all known parallel Earths. Soon, Everett heads through a gateway and into a steampunk-tinged adventure. And yes, an airship is involved. But don’t hold that against McDonald, because this is a novel that’s knowing in the way it uses SF tropes without ever coming close to being condescending towards its intended audience. Science nerds of all ages may balk at the amount of exposition in the early chapters (arguably necessary, considering we’re talking quantum here), but most will be too busy getting lost in a cracking adventure story.’ — SFX on PLANESRUNNER

Another new Russian edition of A NIGHT IN THE LONESOME OCTOBER…

Posted on Wednesday, November 28th, 2018

Эксмо has released a new edition of Roger Zelazny‘s classic A NIGHT IN THE LONESOME OCTOBER. Published in Russia as Ночь в одиноком октябре, here’s the synopsis…

В Лондоне конца XIX века под покровом тумана промозглого октября в Великой Игре сойдутся известнейшие персоны своего времени и их питомцы-помощники. Смогут ли игроки открыть врата в иной мир? В чем заключается их сила?

First published in 1993, the novel was re-published recently by Farrago (and for the first time in eBook). Here’s the English-language synopsis…

All is not what it seems…

In the murky London gloom, a knife-wielding gentleman named Jack prowls the midnight streets with his faithful watchdog Snuff – gathering together the grisly ingredients they will need for an upcoming ancient and unearthly rite. For soon after the death of the moon, black magic will summon the Elder Gods back into the world. And all manner of Players, both human and undead, are preparing to participate.

Some have come to open the gates. Some have come to slam them shut.

And now the dread night approaches – so let the Game begin.

The novel was very well-received when first published.

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

There’s some SUSURROS SUBTERRÁNEOS in Spain…

Posted on Wednesday, October 31st, 2018

Ben Aaronovitch‘s best-selling, critically-acclaimed third Peter Grant novel WHISPERS UNDERGROUND is out now in Spain! Published by Oz Editoral as SUSURROS SUBTERRÁNEOS, here’s the synopsis…

Es hora de llamar de nuevo al agente Peter Grant, el último mago de Gran Bretaña

Es Navidad, y Peter Grant recibe una llamada de la inspectora Stephanopoulos: debe investigar un asesinato en uno de los túneles del metro de Londres en Baker Street, un lugar tenebroso, húmedo y con un pasado muy oscuro. Todos los indicios apuntan a que una fuerza mágica ha intervenido en la muerte de la víctima, James Gallagher, hijo de un senador estadounidense. El FBI envía a la agente Kimberly Reynolds para colaborar en la investigación y Peter se verá obligado a ocultarle cualquier atisbo de magia. En las oscuras entrañas de la ciudad, plagadas de cloacas victorianas y ríos enterrados, resuenan los susurros de unos espíritus torturados que buscan venganza…

Oz Editorial has also published the first two books in the series: RIVERS OF LONDON as RÍOS DE LONDRES, and MOON OVER SOHO as LA LUNA SOBRE EL SOHO.

WHISPERS UNDERGROUND is published in the UK by Gollancz and North America by Del Rey. 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.

The whole series is published in the UK by Gollancz (in print, eBook and audio). The novels are published in the US by Del Rey (1-3) and DAW Books (4-7), and the novellas are published by Subterranean Press. The novels have been published widely in translation.

Ian McDonald’s ARES EXPRESS is out now in Italy!

Posted on Tuesday, October 30th, 2018

Zone 42 has published the Italian edition of Ian McDonald‘s ARES EXPRESS! Here’s the synopsis…

“Dovresti cercare di fermarmi. Dovresti farmi ragionare, dirmi quanto male staranno tutti quanti, e non pensi all’onore della famiglia, e sarà uno scandalo tale che dovranno andare in giro senza tagliarsi i capelli per i prossimi tre anni. Poi, visto che non funzionerà, dovresti chiedermi se so cosa sto facendo e se so dove sto andando e dirmi che quello là fuori è un mondo enorme e pericoloso e che mi farò del male molto in fretta e finirò per tornare con la coda tra le gambe. E quando io ti risponderò che è tutto a posto tu dovresti addolcirti e dirmi che ti mancherò e che mi hai sempre amato e che avevi questo piano brillante di comprarti la libertà e avremmo avuto il nostro treno e saremmo partiti verso il tramonto in una nuvola di vapore.”

Immagina treni grandi come quartieri, cattedrali volanti, deserti sconfinati attraversati da binari infiniti e città che si arrampicano per centinaia di piani sotto il tetto del mondo. Immagina una ragazza che vorrebbe solo guidare un treno, la sua gemella invisibile e una Storia da cui dipende il futuro — o i futuri — di un intero mondo. Immagina le meraviglie di un pianeta rutilante di colori, caleidoscopico nei molteplici panorami, con la sua corona di angeli e di intelligenze artificiali, gli artisti anarchici, le città desolate e quelle brulicanti di vita.

Ian McDonald mette in scena un’avventura governata dalle leggi ineluttabili della Narrativa, che — al solito — non sanno che farsene di un’Eroina Esuberante e Intraprendente (Ma Comunque Carina). Riuscirà Sweetness a piegare la Storia alla sua volontà, e a sopravvivere alle sfide che una dopo l’altra le si parano davanti?

Ares Express narra di uno strano mondo, così diverso, eppure così vicino al nostro, un luogo pittoresco e affascinante, dove si mescolano fantascienza e realismo magico, immaginazione e filosofia, azione scatenata e idee straordinarie.

Benvenuti nella vita di Sweetness Octave Glorious Honey-Bun Asiim XII Macchinista. Benvenuti su Marte.

The first novel in the series, DESOLATION ROAD, is also published by Zone 42 in Italy.

Both DESOLATION ROAD and ARES EXPRESS are available as eBooks via the JABberwocky eBook Program. Here are just a few of the reviews the series has received so far…

‘McDonald’s fantastic Mars is vividly detailed and owes much to Bradbury’s Martian stories… entirely worthy of its rightly lauded predecessor.’ — Publishers Weekly on ARES EXPRESS

‘A phantasmagoria of nuclear locomotives and wild Martian awesomeness. It’s a definite must-read… McDonald is furthermore an extraordinary stylist. His prose is clear and lucid, and at once both beautiful and playful. There is an inescapable sense that McDonald enjoys playing with words, building prose like intricate clocks, which can persist wholly on their beauty, regardless of their subject.’ — io9 on ARES EXPRESS

‘ARES EXPRESS is a long, adventure-filled, extravagantly colourful, often funny, quite moving, highly imaginative, excellently written, story, set on a glorious Mars… might be the most fun [novel of the year]. I loved it wholeheartedly’ — SF Site

‘Ian McDonald’s DESOLATION ROAD is one of my most personally influential novels. It’s an epic tale of the terraforming of Mars, whose sweep captures the birth and death of mythologies, economics, art, revolution, politics… Desolation Road pays homage to David Byrne’s Catherine Wheel, to Ray Bradbury’s entire canon and to Jack Vance, blending all these disparate creators in a way that surprises, delights, then surprises and delights again… Pyr Books has done us all the service of bringing this remarkable volume back into print after too long a hiatus.’ — Cory Doctorow (Boing Boing)

‘There’s a fair bit of science fiction that feels like fantasy, and vice versa, but DESOLATION ROAD is the only book I know that holds this particular balance… It was McDonald’s first novel, it absolutely bowled me over when it came out, and while I have read everything he’s published since, and admire all of it and like most of it, this remains my favourite of his books because it’s so unusual. It’s also some of the most beautiful prose imaginable… If you ever want to demonstrate how different science fiction can be, what an incredible range and sweep of things are published with a little spaceship on the spine, DESOLATION ROAD is a shining datapoint, because it isn’t like anything else and yet it is coming from a knowledge of what the genre can do and can be and making something new out of it.’ — Jo Walton (Tor.com)

New German Dramatization of DIE FLÜSSE VON LONDON!

Posted on Wednesday, October 24th, 2018

Audible Germany has released an exclusive, German-language dramatization of Ben Aaronovitch‘s first Peter Grant novel! RIVERS OF LONDON, published in Germany as DIE FLÜSSE VON LONDON, is published in print, eBook and regular-audio book by DTV. Here’s the synopsis…

Die Spiegel-Bestseller rund um Police Constable Peter Grant und seine magischen Kriminalfälle gibt es jetzt erstmals als Audible Original Hörspiel: witzig, britisch und bis zum Schluss voller spannender Rätsel.

Peter Grant ist Police Constable in London mit einer ausgeprägten Begabung fürs Magische. Dies stellt er fest, als er zum Tatort eines grausamen Mordes beordert wird und pflichtbewusst beginnt, einen Zeugen zu befragen, der sich jedoch ziemlich schnell als Geist herausstellt. Von da ab wird Peters Leben kompliziert, denn Inspector Thomas Nightingale, Exzentriker, Jaguar-Fahrer und letzter Zauberer Englands macht ihn kurzerhand zu seinem Lehrling. Eine zauberhafte Aufgabe, die Peters Wissen über Verbrechensbekämpfung, Latein und das Leben an sich auf die Probe stellt.

“Die Flüsse von London” ist der erste Teil der “Magischen Fälle des Peter Grant”-Reihe vom britischen Erfolgsautor Ben Aaronovitch.

DTV has published the whole Peter Grant series to date in Germany.

The Peter Grant series is published in the UK by Gollancz; in the US by Del Rey, DAW Books and Subterranean Press; and has been published widely in translation.

THIS Zelazny, IMMORTAL in Turkey…

Posted on Monday, October 22nd, 2018

Roger Zelazny‘s classic novel THIS IMMORTAL is available in Turkey! Published by İthaki Yayınları, as BÜ ÖLÜMSÜZ, here’s the synopsis…

Ölmekte olan bir dünyadaki tek ölümsüz, dünyasını nasıl yeniden hayata döndürebilir?

İşte bunlardan dolayıdır ki her geri dönüşümde kendimi yenilemiş bulurum, çünkü artık birçok yılı geride bırakmış bir adam olarak, bütün Yer için aynı şeyleri hissediyorum. Bunlar için dövüştüm ben, bunlar için öldürdümi bombaladım ve bunlar için Vegalıların orada, Taler’deki sürgün hükümetimizden Yer’i adım adım satın almalarını önlemek amacıyla kitaptaki bütün yasal numaraları uyguladım.

First published in 1966, here’s the English-language synopsis…

Conrad Nomikos has a long, rich personal history that he’d rather not talk about. And, as Arts Commissioner, he’s been given a job he’d rather not do. Escorting an alien grandee on a guided tour of the shattered remains of Earth is not something he relishes — especially when it is apparent that this places him at the center high-level intrigue that has some bearing on the future of Earth itself.

THIS IMMORTAL is also available in Russia (Эксмо), Germany (Heyne) and France (Helios). İthaki has also published LORD OF LIGHT in Turkey, as IŞIK TANRISI.

Backlist Plug: Ian McDonald’s CHAGA series

Posted on Friday, October 12th, 2018

Today, we wanted to draw your attention to Ian McDonald‘s classic Chaga series: CHAGA, KIRINYA and TENDELÉO’S STORY. The trilogy is now available in eBook, published by the JABberwocky eBook Program, and the first two books are also published in Germany by Heyne.

CHAGA, originally called EVOLUTION’S SHORE, was first published in 1995 and was nominated for the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Science Fiction Novel. Here’s the synopsis…

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.

Here are some of the reviews CHAGA received…

‘McDonald… consistently explores new territory with his breathtaking images and incisive language. Both form and substance blend fortuitously in a work that features strong characters, a suspenseful story, and a profound message of hope and transformation. A priority purchase for SF collections.’ — Library Journal

‘One of the finest writers of his generation, who chooses to write science fiction because that is how he can best illuminate the world.’ — New Statesman

‘Optimistic near-future alien-contact yarn… McDonald’s tale is also inventive and challenging… a dense, complex, rather weighty, often fascinating piece of speculation.’ — Kirkus

You can also read an excerpt from the novel here.

KIRINYA (1998) was showered with similar accolades when it was published: the novel was described by SFX as ‘a huge and ambitious novel’ and ‘the work of a supremely talented writer’, and McDonald was hailed as an ‘outstanding writer’ and ‘marvellous talent’ by The Times...

The end of the universe happened at around ten o’clock at night on 22 December, 2032. It’s just that humanity hasn’t realized it yet. And the Chaga, the strange flora deposited from the stars, is still busy terraforming the tropics into someone else’s terra. Gaby McAslan was once a hungry news reporter who compromised her relationship with UNECTA researcher Dr. Shepard for the sake of her story… but Gaby is no longer a journalist and she doesn’t want to be a full-time mother, even though her child Serena is her last link with Shepard. Gaby’s fire has gone out; she’s gone soft. But the massive political and military upheavals rocking the world are about to drag her back into the action.

The final book in the Chaga series, TENDELÉO’S STORY is a novella that was originally published by PS Publishing in 2000.

From the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, an alien force begins to spread, turning the land into an unrecognizable alien landscape. Tendeléo is nine years old when this first package comes down, and before she reaches adulthood the Chaga will change her life forever.

Ian’s latest series is Luna, of which the first two books are out now: NEW MOON and WOLF MOON, published by Gollancz in the UK and Tor Books in North America. The series is also available in a growing number of translated editions.

Flannery’s BATTLE MAGE enters the fray in France!

Posted on Wednesday, October 10th, 2018

The first part of Peter A. Flannery‘s fantasy novel BATTLE MAGE is out in France! Published by Albin Michel as MAGE DE BATAILLE, here’s the synopsis…

Falco Danté est un gringalet dans un monde en guerre peu à peu conquis par l’armée infernale des Possédés. Pire, Falco est méprisé, mis à l’écart, à cause de son père qui fut un immense mage de bataille avant de sombrer dans une folie meurtrière. Alors que la Reine tente de rassembler toutes les forces armées pour repousser les Possédés, Falco prend une décision qui va l’amener aux marges du désespoir: il va entrer à l’académie de la guerre, une école d’excellence pour les officiers. Là, il devra surmonter ses doutes, ceux de ses amis et même ceux de la Reine.

Le monde brûle ; seul un mage de bataille pourra sauver ce qu’il en reste. Falco réussira-t-il à libérer son pouvoir, à invoquer un dragon à sa mesure ou succombera-t-il à la folie… comme son père?

Porté par son héros meurtri, condamné à se dépasser face au mal absolu, Mage de bataille a rencontré un formidable succès dans les pays anglo-saxons.

The second volume is due out early next year (cover at end). Here’s the novel’s English-language synopsis…

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.

New Czech edition of CANDY available now!

Posted on Monday, October 1st, 2018

We’re very happy to report that Lavie Tidhar‘s first novel for young readers, CANDY, is now available in Czechia! Published by Argo as PRO HRST LENTILEK, here’s the synposis…

Slavný soukromý detektiv Phil Marlowe má vážnou konkurentku: je jí dvanáct a jmenuje se Nelle. Je chytrá, má skvělý pozorovací talent, případy řeší s věcnou elegancí, její komentáře jsou sarkasticky trefné. Nelle žije ve městě, kde byla na všechny sladkosti vyhlášena prohibice. Jenže se zákazem čokolády a bonbonů začnou okamžitě vznikat pašerácké gangy, v policii bují korupce. Když jednoho dne vstoupí do Nelliny detektivní kanceláře (ve skutečnosti zahradní kůlny) zlopověstný gangster Eddie Mentolka a požádá Nelle, aby mu našla ztraceného plyšového medvídka, hrdinka zavětří velký případ. Ale než se jí podaří méďu vypátrat, zmizí i Eddie. Že by v tom měla prsty konkurence, drsná Fidorka nebo snad Piškot McKenzie? Proč byl medvídek pro Eddieho tak důležitý? A co se skrývá v opuštěné továrně na čokoládu? Kam se poděl její majitel? Pátrání Nelle vtahuje stále hlouběji do labyrintu intrik a podvodů čokoládové mafie, vyřešení případu je dramaticky překvapivé. Zábavná „báječně čokoládová“ parafráze na slavné detektivní romány z doby americké prohibice okouzlí nejen děti, ale i hravé dospělé.

CANDY is published in the UK by Scholastic, and is also published in Germany (Loewe — out next week!) and France (Castelmore), with more editions on the way! Here’s the English-language synopsis…

Guard your chocolate! Imagine living in a place where Mars bars are banned and sweeties are totally outlawed. Ugh – how depressing! In this miserable place, is it any wonder that gangsters trade in illegal sweeties? We can’t even blame them. Nelle Faulkner is a twelve-year-old private detective looking for her next client. So when notorious candy gangster Eddie de Menthe walks in and asks her to find a missing teddy bear, Nelle takes the case. But as soon as the teddy turns up, Eddie himself goes missing. Can Nelle track him down before all of them come to a sticky end?

Lavie’s next novel is UNHOLY LAND, due to be published by Tachyon Publications in November.