Cover Artist: Chris McGrath
So I've got a new policy around here. Keep everything in draft status until someone scoops me, and then get frustrated and post nothing. It's working like a charm so far.
Either way, in the off chance that you haven't seen it yet, here's the new cover art and catalog copy for the sequel to 2010's excellent Bitter Seeds which was so good that I don't really want to be friends with you if you haven't read it.
Now, I wasn't in love with the original cover art (below left) of Bitter Seeds but I admired the distinctive style. And who doesn't like swastikas? Update: Apparently everyone. Now we've got Chris McGrath stepping in once again to "fix" something that really wasn't broken. But don't get me wrong, the new cover (below right) isn't terrible, I just didn't think a change was warranted. I think had they stuck to the original style, they could have done something really subtle yet cool.
Someone is killing Britain's warlocks.
Twenty-two years after the Second World War, a precarious balance of power maintains the peace between Great Britain and the USSR. For decades, Britain's warlocks have been all that stands between the British Empire and the Soviet Union—a vast domain stretchin from the Pacific Ocean to the shores of the English Channel. But each death is another blot blow [oops... corrected 16 Oct 11] to Britain's national security.
Meanwhile, a brother and sister escape from a top-secret research facility deep behind the Iron Curtain. Once subjects of a twisted Nazi experiment to imbue ordinary people with superhuman abilities, then prisoners of war in the immense Soviet research effort to reverse-engineer the Nazi technology, they head for England.
Because that's where retired spy Raybould Marsh lives. And Gretel, the mad seer, has plans for him.
As Marsh is once again drawn into the world of Milkweed, he discovers that Britain's darkest acts didn't end with the war. And while he strives to protect queen and country, he is forced to confront his own willingness to accept victory at any cost.Seriously, if you haven't read Ian Tregillis's first book in the Milkweed Triptych, you're really missing out on the start of something incredible. You might think the WWII "British Demons vs. Nazi Supermen" genre doesn't have any stories left to tell, but if so, you're dumb. Fortunately, thanks to a-series-of-unfortunate-but-not-at-all-comical-but-equally-delay-inducing-events you'll have plenty of time to catch up while the rest of us eagerly await the next collision of sorcerers, spies, and seers amidst one form of global chaos or another.
The Coldest War will be published by Tor in July of 2012.
Hopefully.
I absolutely LOVED "Bitter Seeds." I didn't think I would but the book really blew me away. I cannot wait to get my hands on "The Coldest War."
ReplyDeleteSomebody left Tor? Now I have to go google around to get the drama scoop...
ReplyDeleteThe part about leaving Tor is news to me... And man do I ever suck at proofreading.
ReplyDeleteYeah, if you look at the name of the editor in Ian's first book, he is CLEARLY still at Tor. I mean CLEARLY.
ReplyDeleteAlso there are some very persuasive blog posts explaining why this change was deemed necessary (hint: no one was buying the book with the original cover).
My apologies for misinterpreting the situation. No one left Tor. I misremembered what I had read with a side of disappointment that The Coldest War wasn't coming out anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteSomehow the situation in my mind went from "unfortunate for all parties involved" to "ZOMG EVIL EDITORS!!!" This representation is 100% on me and completely unfounded.
I didn't know who the editor in question is or the reasons behind the editorial switch. I do now. At least partially.
I was under the impression that someone simply wasn't doing their work and letting a book sit on their desk for over a year. It turns out its a little bit more complicated than that and I'm sure I still don't have the full story. But what I said was completely incorrect and the full delay was a result of several factors, only one of which was because of editorial neglect.
If you are interested in most of the story from Ian himself, read this.
http://www.iantregillis.com/index.cfm?blog=212
Again, my apologies to all persons involved and for misrepresenting the situation.
Don't worry about it. It's a complicated situation, and hard to keep track. My post may have misled you; the editor in charge of shepherding these books through the publication process has changed, but everything and everyone are still at Tor. And things are going quite well now!
ReplyDelete