Covering Covers: An Early Look at Orbit Fall/Winter Titles

It's a coverpalooza!!! Over at the Orbit Books Blog, creative mastermind Lauren Panepinto provided an early look at 20 new Orbit covers from their Fall 2012 / Winter 2013 line-up. No sighting on the Joe Abercrombie Red Country cover just yet but there are some gems in the line-up, particulary Robert Jackson Bennett's American Elsewhere and Jesse Bullington's The Folly of the World. I'm also a huge fan of the Cobley and Sapkowski import covers which manage to stand out while hitting all of the core demographic triggers (swords, castles, and dragons for fantasy / spaceships, planets, and stars for SF). Here are a few of my favorites, hop on over to the Orbit site for the full haul. 

 

American Elsewhere design by Kirk Benshoff

 

  

 Michael Cobley illustrations by Steve Stone, design by Kirk Benshoff.

 Sapkowski illustrations by CD Projekt Red & Massive Black, design by Lauren Panepinto

 

 

The Red Knight illustration by Epica Prima, design by Lauren Panepinto

 

 Folly of the World design by Lauren Panepinto

Seven Kings illustration by Richard Anderson, design by Lauren Panepinto.

I think my favorite is either American Elsewhere or The Time of Contempt. I like Folly of the World a lot too but it reminds me a bit too much of Corwin Ericson's Swell for some reason.

What's your favorite?

Spoilerific Confirmation for Joe Abercrombie's RED COUNTRY

Caution: Spoilers Ahead...

According to the most recent Gollancz catalogue, Red Country is finally going to reveal the fate of Abercrombie's most beloved character, the Bloody Nine himself.

"His name is Logen Ninefingers. And he’s back for one more adventure... 

Joe Abercrombie is the most successful genre novelist of his generation, with a remarkable, cynical and powerful voice cutting through the clichés of the fantasy genre to create something compelling and exceptionally commercial. A Red Country is his most powerful novel yet."

Is it November yet?

Who am I kidding? I'll be importing this from the UK as soon as it is released in September.

2013 Promises Blood (and More Bearded Debut Authors)

I'm still pulling together my list of 2012 debuts worth looking out for but I thought I would jump in the TARDIS for a quick look ahead to 2013.

I never get publishing contracts for my birthday...

Sometime in the past few months, Orbit outbid a few other houses for the right to publish PROMISE OF BLOOD, a debut fantasy novel from Brian McClellan (pictured above) as well as the 2nd and 3rd volumes of his intended trilogy. Now that the contracts have all been signed it's possible to share a little bit more about the book.

Here's the back of the baseball card as far as I be able to confirm:

Titles: PROMISE OF BLOOD / Untitled / Untitled
Series Title: Untitled Fantasy Trilogy
Release Window: Spring/Summer 2013
Release Format: Unknown
Elevator Pitch: Magic and Muskets
Burj Khalifa Elevator Pitch: Field Marshal Tamas and his powder mages have
staged a coup against the king of Adro. Their one night of bloody revolution
sparks the first war between the Nine kingdoms in fourteen hundred years as
the old regimes of nobility and Privileged sorcerers strike hard against the
upstart powder mages. Ancient sorcerers emerge from the woodwork as forces
take sides in the conflict and rumors of gods once thought long dead walk
the city streets.
Intended Series Length: 3 Books
Contract length: 3 books

Here's The Publisher's Marketplace announcement, lifted from McClellan's blog.

Brian McClellan's PROMISE OF BLOOD, a debut trilogy set in a world inspired by the revolutionary turmoil of 18th-century Europe complete with guillotines, starving peasants, fanatical royalists and a hero whose survival depends on a small group of honorable mages, including his own estranged son, to Devi Pillai at Orbit , in a good deal, in a three-book deal, for publication in Summer 2013, by Caitlin Blasdell at Liza Dawson Associates (World English).
Field Marshal Tamas has staged a coup against the king of Adro. His powder mages have slaughtered the king's Privileged cabal of sorcerers and the nobility has been rounded up to face the guillotine with their king. Tamas has brought revolution to his country in one bloody night to save his people and right the wrongs caused by the old regime. Yet his actions have far-reaching consequences of which no reasonable man could have conceived, and the king will prove the easiest obstacle to overcome in his quest to free Adro.

Captain Taniel Two-shot is a powder mage of considerable skill. Gunpowder makes him stronger and faster than other men. He can manipulate its properties to shoot out a man's eye at twice the length of a battlefield. It makes him perfect for killing the old Privileged sorcerers with their destructive magic. One of those Privileged has escaped Tamas' cull. The problem is, she's stronger than any sorcerer Taniel has ever seen, and the mercenaries sent to help him track her are of dubious reliability.

When Adamat is summoned to the palace in the middle of the night, the last thing the veteran investigator expects is to arrive during a regime change. His new employer is none other than the man responsible for overthrowing the current government and he has some unfinished business with the king's sorcerers. The dying Privileged cabal has left the Field Marshal with a riddle. It could be nothing, but Tamas does not like loose ends. Adamat knows from long experience that one doesn't ask questions unless one is willing to learn--and believe--the answers. To add to his problems, the Field Marshal isn't the only one interested in the answer to the dying sorcerers' riddle. As enemies emerge from the shadows and the investigation takes a disturbing turn, Adamat must decide where his loyalties lie.

Now I haven't had the opportunity to read any of PROMISE OF BLOOD yet but I did have the opportunity to speak with McClellan about his upcoming work at ConFusion. Based on that conversation and the fact it the rights went to auction, I wouldn't be surprised to see it as one of Orbit's flagship debut titles next year. I'll be sure to keep an eye out and post more when I have it but if you want to follow him directly feel free to bookmark his blog.

Covering Covers: The Kingdom of Gods - N.K. Jemisin

Cover Artist: Lauren Panepinto & Friends

Tuesday brings us another knock out from Lauren Panepinto & the fine folks in the Orbit Art Department, closing out N.K. Jemisin's The Inheritance Trilogy with a bang.

If I ever wrote a trilogy, I would love to get a set of covers as good as these. Also, if I ever wrote a trilogy, I would love to have it be as good as these books. If you haven't checked these books out, do yourself a favor and catch up before the final book comes out in October.

The incredible conclusion to the Inheritance Trilogy, from one of fantasy's most acclaimed stars.

For two thousand years the Arameri family has ruled the world by enslaving the very gods that created mortalkind. Now the gods are free, and the Arameri's ruthless grip is slipping. Yet they are all that stands between peace and world-spanning, unending war.

Shahar, last scion of the family, must choose her loyalties. She yearns to trust Sieh, the godling she loves. Yet her duty as Arameri heir is to uphold the family's interests, even if that means using and destroying everyone she cares for.

As long-suppressed rage and terrible new magics consume the world, the Maelstrom -- which even gods fear -- is summoned forth. Shahar and Sieh: mortal and god, lovers and enemies. Can they stand together against the chaos that threatens?

Includes a never before seen story set in the world of the Inheritance Trilogy.

Woot.

eBook eConomics: Free-Ninety-Nine

Not good, skiffy fans.

Well, not really. More like good for us, bad for our collective fiscal solvency. Apparently, publishers have finally figured out that if you give people like me (and probably you) the option to click a button and receive an eBook for the price of a Katy Perry song or two, the results tend to be somewhat predictable. Unlike two consecutive blog posts invoking She Who Kisses Girls and Likes It. Who saw that coming?

Let's take a look at three different publishers who have been pummeling my purse money satchel recently (and the slightly different striking methods they use to do so). Also, it's worth noting that I'm a Kindler, not a Nookie, so apologies in advance if the mentioned deals don't translate to your preferred device. Blame divergent formats and DRM. I always blame DRM ever since they canceled Firefly. Don't tell them I told you.

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Orbit

First in my eBook eXplorations (tIred oF tHis yEt?), is Orbit, a publisher whose 2011 slate is so good it violates that statutes of four nations, seven states, a single Canadian province, and a handful of ancient city-states (apparently along with the laws of physics). And the best part? They seem to be willing to spread the love around by offering a different deal every month through their "Orbital Drop" Program, mostly in the form of discounted and bundled backlist books. It's one newsletter you won't regret signing up for.

But Orbit isn't just focusing on their back catalog. In addition to this month's deal [3 of Gail Carriger's eclectic Parasol Protectorate novels for 9.99], Orbit is willing to part with two of this year's biggest books for less than a penny a page. Ten bucks will get you over 1 kilopage of Daniel Abraham goodness with the double eBook edition of The Dragon's Path and Leviathan Wakes. Even better, people who bought the eBook edition back in March received Leviathan Wakes three months before the rest of us. An advance edition premium for eBooks could be interesting, although I don't see it working in the long run.

All things considered, Orbit's strategy seems to be centered around limited time offers on bundles with the intention on introducing you to a few new series with the hopes you'll stick around for later volumes. I don't know what the audience overlap is between The Dragon's Path (fantasy) and Leviathan Wakes (SF space opera) but you can be sure FREE will help blur the lines a little more. And while Orbit does have some below double dollar deals [Kevin J. Anderson's The Edge of the World for $1.99 (Kindle Only)], they don't seem too eager to get into a price war with their bundle deals still pricing out between  $3.33 and $5.00 a book.

• The Dragon's Path & Leviathan Wakes - Daniel Abraham / James S. A. Corey -2 for $9.99
• The Parasol Protectorate: Books 1-3 - Gail Carriger - 3 for $9.99
• The Edge of the World - Kevin J. Anderson - $1.99

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Night Shade Books

Night Shade Books is also in on the fun, albeit in a slightly different way. A large portion of Night Shade's output is anthology based - either with themed anthologies from John Joseph Adams, "Best of" anthologies from Jonathan Strahan and Ellen Datlow, or their eclectic Eclipse series, also from Strahan. They've got a problem though; anthologies don't have the same backlist appeal their novelular (it's a word, trust me) counterparts command. While I don't have the numbers to back it up, I think it's safe to assume most anthologies don't demand multiple printings. Particularly "Best of" books which are going to cannibalize their own sales year after year.  

Enter the eBook.

Unlikely their corporeal counterparts, their is little to no cost in producing an eBook "print run" of an infinite number of copies. Each book might not sell a lot of copies during its twilight years but what it does sell is sure to be almost pure profit. When you combine the two (infinite supply and high profit margins) you've got a fantastic formula for lowering prices to generate demand. Which is exactly what NSB is doing.

The latest volume of Eclipse might cost you $7.99 but the first volume is a down right affordable $2.99. And like the cosmic crack dealer they are, you better believe they are hoping to hook you on that first taste. I'm not sure what the driver is for dropping the price point (end of the print run? 3 years old?) but we can all be glad it's there.

In addition to their anthology business, Night Shade also makes a point of using eBook promotions to expose some of their newer authors to the hungry masses [at least for some eBook readers]. Recently, Brad P. Beaulieu's The Winds of Khalakovo and Will McIntosh's Soft Apocalypse were given away for free for Nook users as part of Barnes and Nobles' Free Friday Program. While one can argue that those downloads mean fewer sales, there's no denying that 77,229 extra copies of The Winds of Khalakovo in the wild will generate a lot of interest in a format that can't be easily lent to other readers. Not to mention the boost it should give to the second volume. 

Here is a sample of a few of Night Shade Books' more attractive deals. Sadly the free Nook giveaways have since ended.

• The Living Dead 2 - John Joseph Adams, ed. - $2.99
• Eclipse One: New Science Fiction And Fantasy (v. 1) - Jonathan Strahan, ed. - $2.99
• The Living Dead - John Joseph Adams, ed. - $2.99
• The Best Science Fiction And Fantasy Of The Year Volume 1 - Jonathan Strahan, ed. - $2.99
• The Best Horror of the Year Volume 1 - Ellen Datlow, ed - $2.99

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Pyr

As Tim O'Reilly so aptly put it "the problem isn't piracy, it's obscurity", a motto which Pyr Books really took to heart. Like NSB, they know all about the power of selling something for free-ninety-nine. In fact they make a point of it, hoping to make up the difference when you return to finish one of their many multi-volume series (at full price). It's a great strategy and one more publishers should pursue, particularly those that typically traffic in long epics. Extended series have enough barriers to entry as it is, they don't need you counting your pennies before you jump into a ten book tale. Speaking of jumping in, you can try Kay Kenyon's Bright of the Sky or Joel Shepherd's Sasha right now for no risk.

If I published eBooks, once a series went to three books, I would give the first volume away for free (or close enough to not matter). No exceptions. And then watch my backlist sales climb as the new readership returns to the characters they've become invested in. Assume you've got 5 books in a series for $5 a pop - would you rather sell 0 books for $0 or 5 for $20?

Here's some of the goodness Pyr's got going for it at the moment.

Bright of the Sky: The Entire and the Rose, Book 1 - Kay Kenyon - FREE
Sasha: A Trial of Blood and Steel, Book 1 - Joel Shepherd - FREE
Empire in Black and Gold: Shadows of the Apt, Book 1 - Adrian Tchaikovsky - $1.99

[Side Note:  Empire in Black and Gold costs $9.59 on the Nook! And Bright of the Sky isn't available. Are you kidding me?]

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Now at this point, I'm sure you're thinking that I've finally lost it - that I'm nothing more than a glorified publicity machine for "Big Book." Don't worry, I haven't sold out, I'm just completely selfish. Every book that I can help sell is another step toward convincing publishers that $1.99 is a price point that works. Which is good for me all of us. And by "all of us," I mean readers.

Authors, publishers, and distributors? Not so much.

So get to it, my expendable minions much appreciated readers. Are there any other publishers up to sales shenanigans? And what's this I hear about 99p eBooks across the pond?

Covering Covers: The Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham

Cover Artist: Lauren Panepinto and Orbit Art Department

This morning Orbit shared the final cover and blurb for Daniel Abraham's much anticipated The Dragon's Path. I like the cover though I'm reserving final judgement until I see the physical book. Based solely on this image, the title and author don't seem to fully mesh with the rest of the cover. This happens a lot with flat JPEGs and I'm guessing the final product will look a lot cleaner, perhaps with raised letters. But I do like the way the blue hue interplays with the red detail of the stream of blood. It's an average to above average cover right now but I really need to see the book up close. I really think Orbit should send me a copy so I can make a final decision. ASAP.

Lauren Panepinto also shared the final blurb:

Summer is the season of war in the Free Cities.

Marcus wants to get out before the fighting starts. His hero days are behind him and simple caravan duty is better than getting pressed into service by the local gentry. Even a small war can get you killed. But a captain needs men to lead — and his have been summarily arrested and recruited for their swords.

Cithrin has a job to do — move the wealth of a nation across a war zone. An orphan raised by the bank, she is their last hope of keeping the bank’s wealth out of the hands of the invaders. But she’s just a girl and knows little of caravans, war, and danger. She knows money and she knows secrets, but will that be enough to save her in the coming months?

Geder, the only son of a noble house is more interested in philosophy than swordplay. He is a poor excuse for a soldier and little more than a pawn in these games of war. But not even he knows what he will become of the fires of battle. Hero or villain? Small men have achieved greater things and Geder is no small man.

Falling pebbles can start a landslide. What should have been a small summer spat between gentlemen is spiraling out of control. Dark forces are at work, fanning the flames that will sweep the entire region onto The Dragon’s Path — the path of war.

I'll admit that the 3 character blurb is a bit fantasy cliche but I have it on good authority that The Dagger and The Coin is anything but. Look for The Dragon's Path April 7th of next year.

Dreamblood Duology - N.K. Jemisin signs new two book deal with Orbit

The latest Orbit book deal has me a little perplexed. Why is it that authors who write high quality, original fiction always seem to be signing new contracts? It like their work is worth reading or something. It's just bizarre...

Today, Orbit announced the acquisition of a new two book series from fantasy author N.K. Jemisin. Jemisin lept onto the scene this year with the first two novels of The Inheritance Trilogy - February's The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and November's The Broken Kingdoms. If you haven't heard of her, don't feel bad, she'll make plenty of Best of the Year lists later this month and I wouldn't be surprised if a blogger or two mentioned 100K for the Best Debut of 2010. In it, Jemisin raises the stakes on the traditional coming-of-age fantasy to divine proportions. With a cast of gods and mere mortals, she demonstrates an effortless style that should belong to a seasoned storyteller rather than the new kid on the block.

But at the rate Orbit is publishing her work, she won't be considered the new kid much longer. After 2011's The Kingdom of Gods concludes The Inheritance Trilogy, Jemisin will turn her attention toward the Dreamblood Duology. Comprised of individual novels, REAPER and CONQUEROR, the Dreamblood Duology will be published back to back in July and August 2012.  Even though it means a longer wait for her next book, I'm more than happy with a rapid fire publishing schedule like that. Here's what Jemisin and Orbit had to offer regarding the first book:

In the city-state of Gujaareh, peace is the only law. Along its ancient stone streets, where time is marked by the river’s floods, there is no crime or violence. Within the city’s colored shadows, priests of the dream-goddess harvest the wild power of the sleeping mind as magic, using it to heal, soothe… and kill.

But when corruption blooms at the heart of Gujaareh’s great temple, Ehiru most famous of the city’s Gatherers — cannot defeat it alone. With the aid of his cold-eyed apprentice and a beautiful foreign spy, he must thwart a conspiracy whose roots lie in his own past. And to prevent the unleashing of deadly forbidden magic, he must somehow defeat a Gatherer’s most terrifying nemesis: the Reaper.

Over on her website, Jemisin provides a bit more commentary, citing various influences including ancient Egypt, Freudian dream theory, and Jung’s theory of a collective unconscious. Sounds like some serious stuff. But based on success of first two books of The Inheritance Trilogy, Jemisin's on the short list of authors I would trust to deliver.

It's a long way off, but keep a watch for Dreamblood in 2012.

Covering Covers: Rule 34 - Charles Stross

Cover Artist: Unknown

The ungoogleable book has a cover. No. Seriously. Don't google it. You won't be able to unsee what you find. Don't say I didn't warn you. Your childhood will thank me.

Anyway...

Looking at this Rule 34 [please don't], I have mixed feelings. I really like the color scheme; the bright red really pops against the lighter greys. The font choice is also distinct and I believe one that Stross has used before. Initially, I thought there was more of a link to Halting State than there actually is but there are some shared elements between the two book covers, namely the "sketchy", almost unfinished style. I'm curious to know if it's the same artist.

But while I like this cover and what I think it implies (some kind of glitching at one level of reality or another) I don't know if it will speak to the right audience. This book is for people who really liked Halting State or William Gibson's Hollis Henry books. While the cover is "tech-y" it seems to have an almost Urban Fantasy  approach to it. An Urban Science Fiction look, if you will. That being the case, I don't think this cover will necessarily speak to the audience Stross wants to find. Don't ask me what would. Maybe Rule 34? Stop. Stay here. It may be that Stross has finally reached the point where his name on the cover is the most important element. Certainly, Stross's core audience is more likely to find this book online than stumble upon it in the bookstore.

Rule 34 [the book] is Charles Stross's next SF thriller, continuing in the near future universe originally established in 2007's Halting State. It is not the Internet porn meme. It is also not a direct continuation of Halting State although Detective Liz Kavanaugh, the main character in Rule 34, did play a minor role in HS. Stross's latest has underwent a strange sort of evolution over the years. Anyone who follows Stross on his blog will know that he had to keep rewriting because while he was writing the it, the near future kept becoming the present. Even the Bernie Madoff scandal ruined part of his projected plot. That guy just ruins everything. But despite the rework, Rule 34 has finally been completed and due out in July 2011 from Ace [US] and Orbit [UK]. Here is the brief summary:

Detective Inspector Liz Kavanaugh is head ofthe Rule 34 Squad, monitoring the Internet to determine whether people are engaging in harmless fantasies or illegal activities. Three ex-con spammers have been murdered, and Liz must uncover the link between them before these homicides go viral.

Damn it. You googled it didn't you? I'll go get the bleach. Here is a direct link to the SFW Rule 34.

Covering Covers: Leviathan Wakes - James S.A. Corey

I happened upon this little gem in my internet travels today. Leviathan Wakes is due out next June from Orbit (at least in the UK) from author James S.A. Corey. Corey is actually a pseudonym for fantasy writer Daniel Abraham (who also goes by M.L.N. Hanover for Urban Fantasy) and Ty Franck. Ty Franck has worked with George R.R. Martin in the past but this is his first full length piece.

The basic premise:

Hundreds of years in the future, the solar system has become a dense network of human colonies. But there are tensions - the mineral-rich outer planets resent their dependence on Earth and Mars, and the political and military influence they wield.


When Captain Jim Holden's ice miner stumbles across an abandoned ship, he uncovers a secret that threatens to throw the entire system into war. After his own ship is destroyed by a mysterious stealth craft, Holden must discover the motives behind the attack, prevent the largest armed conflict in history, and uncover a conspiracy that threatens the entire human race...

Sounds like an intimate romance, no?

I'm not sure if that cover is a John Harris or not but it is beautiful. I know its a little cliche but I can't help it - I love a good space opera cover. Planets and space stations delightful akimbo, embracing the directionless mentality of space. The rough lines and geometric shapes make me think it's a Harris cover but that hasn't been confirmed.

It's also clearly a "debut" cover. Leviathan Wakes absolutely overshadows the authors name like Neil Gaiman at a book convention. Not exactly surprising, given the fact that the author is as fictional as the story itself.

Leviathan Wakes will be out next June from Orbit (at least in the UK).

YetiContest: Complete Long Price Quartet - Daniel Abraham

I don't do contests around here very often. I consider it one of the cardinal sins of blogging. I've given away a few books when I've somehow ended up with an extra copy or two for one reason or another. I just don't think that contests = content. But for every rule there is an exception.

So I present to you a contest. Daniel Abraham is an author who I originally interviewed last year and an author I've enjoyed immensely. He's also a criminally underread author, particularly his excellent Long Year Quartet which was inexplicably undermarketed by Tor. Since then, he has shifted to Orbit, who has republished The Long Price Quartet in a pair of giant omnibus editions. Orbit is also publishing his new fantasy series, The Dagger and The Coin which I am very excited to read (as is everyone's favorite Inkboy who has an early synopsis over on his blog). Unfortunately, I don't have any early copies of that to give away.

What I do have though, is not one but two sets of the handsomely covered Omnibus editions from Orbit - Shadow and Betrayal and Seasons of War.

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Shadow and Betrayal - In a remote mountain academy, the politically expendable younger sons of the Great Houses study for an extraordinary task. Most will fail, some will die, but the reward for the dedicated few is great: mastery of the andat, and the rank of Poet. Thanks to these men - part sorcerers, part scholars - the great city-states of the Khaiem enjoy wealth and power beyond measure, and the greatest of them all is Saraykeht: glittering jewel of the Summer Cities. There are those in the world, however, who envy such wealth. There are great riches to be had in the Summer and Winter Cities, and only the threat of the andat unleashed holds the enemies of the Khaiem in check. Conflict is brewing in the world. Alliances will be broken and friends betrayed. The lowly will be raised up, the mighty will fall and innocents will be slaughtered. And two men, bound to each other by an act of kindness and an act of brutality, may be all that stands between the civilised world and war. War and something worse ...

Seasons of War - The poets and their magical andat have protected the cities of the Khaiem against their rivals in Galt for generations. Otah, Khai of the Winter City of Machi, has tried for years to prepare his people for a future in which the andat can no longer be safely harnessed. But his warnings have been ignored, and now it-s too late.A ruthless, charismatic Galtic general believes he has found a way to strip the andat of their power. If he is wrong, Galt will be destroyed. If he is right, the Khaiem will fall. Only one thing is certain: conflict is inevitable, and Otah and his old friend and enemy the disgraced poet, Maati, must fight a desperate battle to protect their cities from slaughter. These two men, bound together by shadow and betrayal, will bring the world to the edge of a cataclysm unlike anything either side had imagined. For if the cost of war is high, the price of peace may be unimaginable . . .

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To enter, simply send an email with "The Long Price" in the title and your name and snail mail information in the body to yeticontest [at] gmail [dot] com. Obviously, if you have used email before, you know you need to replace the words with an @ symbol and a .

The contest will run until Friday, August 20th at 11:59pm when two lucky winners will be drawn using a randomizer. That is if I don't decide to just pocket these awesome editions for myself. Good luck!

Covering Covers: The Heroes (w/ final summary)

  UK Cover                                                               US Cover

Map: Dave Senior                                                    Artist: Steve Stone

      Axe: Didier Graffet.                                           Design: Lauren Panepinto

Design: Laura Brett                                                                              

Coordination: Gillian Redfearn                                                                          

I have to declare victory for the team over at Gollancz for yet another great cover. The bloody US cover is alright (and much better than the atrocity that was their version of Best Served Cold) but Abercrombie covers have become synonymous with objects placed over a bloody map. It just conveys the tone of looming bloodshed so perfectly, and so much more subtly than the gorefest on the US cover.

Earlier this week, Abercrombie shared the final copy for The Heroes over on his blog:

“They say Black Dow’s killed more men than winter, and clawed his way to the throne of the North up a hill of skulls. The King of the Union, ever a jealous neighbour, is not about to stand smiling by while he claws his way any higher. The orders have been given and the armies are toiling through the northern mud. Thousands of men are converging on a forgotten ring of stones, on a worthless hill, in an unimportant valley, and they’ve brought a lot of sharpened metal with them.

Bremer dan Gorst, disgraced master swordsman, has sworn to reclaim his stolen honour on the battlefield. Obsessed with redemption and addicted to violence, he’s far past caring how much blood gets spilled in the attempt. Even if it’s his own.

Prince Calder isn’t interested in honour, and still less in getting himself killed. All he wants is power, and he’ll tell any lie, use any trick, and betray any friend to get it. Just as long as he doesn’t have to fight for it himself.

Curnden Craw, the last honest man in the North, has gained nothing from a life of warfare but swollen knees and frayed nerves. He hardly even cares who wins any more, he just wants to do the right thing. But can he even tell what that is with the world burning down around him?

Over three bloody days of battle, the fate of the North will be decided. But with both sides riddled by intrigues, follies, feuds and petty jealousies, it is unlikely to be the noblest hearts, or even the strongest arms that prevail…

Three men. One battle. No Heroes.”

More Black Dow! Very excited for that. Right now I plan on ordering the UK version for the cover art continuity but as I mentioned yesterday, The Heroes is probably my most anticipated fantasy tome for 2011. I may just defer to whichever method gets me the book faster.

The Heroes will be published by Gollancz in the UK on Jan 20th, 2011. Orbit will publish the US edition two months later in March. I don't think I'll be able to wait. 

Covering Covers - The Broken Kingdoms - N. K. Jemisin

Cover Artist - Cliff Nielsen (art) & Lauren Panepinto (design)

Earlier this year, N.K. Jemisin made huge waves with her excellent debut novel, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. Now just a few months later, Jemisin returns with the 2nd novel in the The Inheritance Trilogy, The Broken Kingdoms. Earlier today, Jemisin debuted the final cover on her blog.

It's great to see to a fantasy trilogy being released in such a timely fashion. The third book, tenatively titled The Kingdom of Gods, will likely be out in mid 2011 meaning that you don't have to wait years or decades before getting some sort of conclusion.

And what a cover! I loved the original cover but this one tops even that with its beautiful art. The blue and green tones are stellar. I wish I knew who put this together (I'm assuming its the same person), because I want to see more art from them. But what of The Kingdom of Gods? A red and purple flavor obviously (after bluegreen and orangeyellow) but what would replace the city and the tree? My guess, a mountain?

My only complaint is that I wish they had kept the placement of the text and the Inheritance Trilogy Banner intact but that's a minor quibble as long as the book is still the same size and format. Here is the summary according to Amazon:

In the city of Shadow, beneath the World Tree, alleyways shimmer with magic and godlings live hidden among mortalkind. Oree Shoth, a blind artist, takes in a strange homeless man on an impulse. This act of kindness engulfs Oree in a nightmarish conspiracy. Someone, somehow, is murdering godlings, leaving their desecrated bodies all over the city. And Oree's guest is at the heart of it. . .

Anyone who has read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms will be interested to see how that description meshes with the events of the first book. It's the same world but different characters. I'm sensing a vibe similar to that of Ursula K. Le Guin's Voices/Powers/Gifts.

The Broken Kingdoms will be released by Orbit on November 3rd, 2010.

Covering Covers: Surface Detail - Iain M. Banks

Cover Artist: Unknown

I like the bottom half of the cover but photoshopped face doesn't do much for me. There is simply too much face.

Now, I don't know a lot about The Culture novel but I have heard they are pretty good. Here's the blurb from Iain's website:

It begins in the realm of the Real, where matter still matters.


It begins with a murder.


And it will not end until the Culture has gone to war with death itself.


Lededje Y’breq is one of the Intagliated, her marked body bearing witness to a family shame, her life belonging to a man whose lust for power is without limit. Prepared to risk everything for her freedom, her release, when it comes, is at a price, and to put things right she will need the help of the Culture.


Benevolent, enlightened and almost infinitely resourceful though it may be, the Culture can only do so much for any individual. With the assistance of one of its most powerful – and arguably deranged – warships, Lededje finds herself heading into a combat zone not even sure which side the Culture is really on. A war – brutal, far-reaching – is already raging within the digital realms that store the souls of the dead, and it’s about to erupt into reality.


It started in the realm of the Real and that is where it will end. It will touch countless lives and affect entire civilizations, but at the centre of it all is a young woman whose need for revenge masks another motive altogether.

I haven't read any Culture novels yet. Should I?

Covering Covers: The Heroes - Joe Abercrombie

The blogosphere is abuzz with the cover debut of Joe Abercrombie's latest book, The Heroes, due out in Q1 2011. You can read Orbit's post about it here. Or read what Niall at The Speculative Scotsman thinks here. Or the Mad Hatter at his Bookshelf and Book Review here. Or Aidan at a Dribble of Ink here. Needless to say, everyone is excited for this one, with good reason.

Here is the US cover. (May or may not show up, blogger is being difficult today)

Cover Artists: Steve Stone (primary) / Lauren Panepinto (creative director)

And the accompanying blurb

War: where the blood and dirt of the battlefield hide the dark deeds committed in the name of glory. THE HEROES is about violence and ambition, gruesome deaths and betrayals; and the brutal truth that no plan survives contact with enemy. The characters are the stars, as ever, and the message is dark: when it comes to war, there are no heroes…

Meet THE HEROES.

Curnden Craw: a ruthless fighter who wants nothing more than to see his crew survive.

Prince Calder: a liar and a coward, he will regain his crown by any means necessary.

Bremer dan Gorst: a master swordsman, a failed bodyguard, his honor will be restored—in the blood of his enemies.

Over three days, their fates will be sealed.

Abercrombie is a love him or hate him kind of author, mostly due to his dark and gritty style. His books are full of blood, violence, sex, betrayal, violence, and blood. Oh so much blood. As you can plainly see, it's starting to leak through the dust jacket. I think Abercrombie works best with people who have read a lot of fantasy, so much so that the standard tropes have begun to stagnate. He takes those tropes and alters them, sometimes subtly, sometimes drastically, thereby creating something distinct and original. It's both pulpy and commentary on the fantasy genre itself.

I'd also be comfortable saying that Abercrombie may write the best action sequences out of any fantasy author writing today. If there is someone better, please let me know, I'd be very interested in reading them.

On the cover itself, I've always enjoyed the original UK covers with the maps. This one takes the map elements of the UK originals and mixes them with the feel of the US cover of Best Served Cold, the first Abercrombie book to be published by Orbit US. That cover was a little meh for my liking but with The Heroes Orbit has emphasized the best aspects of that cover and minimized the worst while bringing in the map theme of the UK covers that works so well. The cover of The Heroes replicates the violence of the first cover while remaining distinct. I think that people will see this on the shelves and realize its an Abercrombie cover and if that name doesn't do anything for them, the blood will catch their eye.

The one questionable aspect is that it doesn't have easily recognizable hoods or swords so I have to ask "How will people know it's fantasy?" It's also important to note that this isn't the final cover so we will see what happens there along with the UK cover.

The Heroes is due out in Q1 2011 and I can't wait to return to the Circle of the World and the brilliant characters Abercrombie has created there.

YetiReview: Best Served Cold

21 Words or Less: A bloody story of revenge filled with murder, mayhem, and a memorable cast of characters as endearing as they are dysfunctional.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The Good: Strong, interesting antiheros that you can’t help but cheer for; world-class action sequences that put you in the story; a fast-paced, well-plotted story that twists and turns but never loses momentum

The Bad: A few too many reused characters/connections from The First Law; some plot twists work better than others; still no map

Preview (contains publisher’s description, expectations, and other thoughts)

Your average fantasy author wouldn't use murderers, traitors, and psychopaths as the bad guys. But then again, Joe Abercrombie is not your average fantasy author. In Best Served Cold, the standalone revenge tale set in the same fantasy world as his highly praised First Law trilogy, Abercrombie takes mercenaries and barbarians, poisoners and serial killers and not only writes them as the focus of the story but inexplicably manages to make you care enough about them to cheer them on. If Joe ever suffers from crippling writer’s block (god forbid) and he needs to take on a day job, he’d make good money as a defense attorney. He’s got an uncanny ability to make a hardened killer seem like the luckless underdog. Friendly. Monza. Morveer. Without giving any surprises away (and there are plenty of them), these are just three of the brilliant characters that you’ll remember as long as Glotka, Ninefingers, and Bayaz from the original trilogy.

I could go on and on about how great the characters are but I want to be clear that Best Served Cold is by no means a character study. It’s a full blown revenge fantasy for the sake of Khalul! It’s fast paced, tightly plotted, and beautifully violent. Now, beautiful isn’t a word I typically use to describe violence but Abercrombie writes an action scene that is easily envisioned and almost effortlessly enchanting to the point where I would be tempted to say Abercrombie is writes the best fight scene in the genre today. It's arguable that the action reads as smoothly as watching a movie scene but when you’re filming a movie there’s a limit to what you can do without CGI (or at least without killing your actors). And while the action might seem gratuitous at times, it never is. Best Served Cold is tightly plotted and ever detail serves to further the plot, set up a twist later on, or provide a hint at the bigger war between the Gurkish and the Union. Unlike most standard fantasy, Abercrombie’s sandbox is not tied to one individual destined for greatness. Instead there’s a bigger conflict going on behind the scenes and it’s still not clear who the good guys are, if there are any. Essentially you’ve got morally ambiguous and altogether untrustworthy characters working for powerful men with divided loyalties who are mere puppets of shadow organizations with bottomless coffers and hidden agendas all of their own. If that doesn’t allow for unexpected plot twists, sudden reversals of fortune, and endlessly intriguing chaos, there isn’t too much more to ask for.

I was really tempted to give Joe a 5-star on this one and Best Served Cold by any other author would probably have earned it. But Abercrombie is so good, he’s judged by a higher standard. The main issue that held me back was Abercrombie’s propensity for reusing characters from his First Law Trilogy. 2 of the main characters appeared in Abercrombie’s first trilogy as well as several minor names. While I can’t blame him for wanting to reuse his typically spectacular characters, a few characters were shoehorned into the novel in ways that seemed too convenient to be plausible, particularly when this novel was set across the sea from the setting of his first trilogy. (Although I wouldn’t know for sure since we still don’t have a map!) Some inclusions worked wonderfully and felt natural, others came across as forced. In much the same way, a few of Best Served Cold’s twists strained plausibility, particularly one character’s unexpected return and another pair’s romantic relationship. Hopefully in the next entry in this outstanding series, Abercrombie can balance these cameos in a slightly more subtle fashion.

This is only Abercrombie’s fourth novel and there isn’t a weakling in the bunch. It’s amazing how already I consider Abercrombie to be one of the best fantasy authors in almost every category. Characters, action, dialogue, plot, world building? It’s all there and it’s all top-notch. Abercrombie is the king of blood-soaked fantasy. Or at least a prince with a pile of gold, a hidden dagger, and an eye on the throne.