Tag: fantasy

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Solaris to publish dark fantasy Cry, Voidbringer by Elaine Ho for the UK

Solaris is thrilled to announce the acquisition of Cry, Voidbringer by Elaine Ho for the UK.

A jaded warrior, conscripted by a kingdom battling their imperialist masters, accidentally rescues a child whose existence can easily turn the tide of a war. To survive, they must navigate the games kingdoms play, where their captors look to reclaim a memory of an empire, but the cities they reconquer don’t want their version of liberation.

For fans of The Unbroken and The Jasmine Throne, Cry, Voidbringer will be released in autumn 2025.

UK/BC English Language Rights were acquired by Amanda Raybould from Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary Agency. Rights also to Michael LaBorn at Bindery Books (NA).

Author Elaine Ho on the acquisition:

“I’m thrilled to be working with the fantastic Amanda Raybould and the rest of the team at Solaris! It’s a huge honour to be part of the list among authors I admire, and I can’t wait to share Cry, Voidbringer with the world!”

Acquiring Editor Amanda Raybould:

“I was immediately enthralled by the world that Elaine presented in Cry, Voidbringer – her writing is exquisite and visceral – but the true heart of the novel is the friendship formed between two people who believe they have no choice at all, but who still fight for their freedom. I can’t wait for you all to share in the story of Hammer and Viri.”

Elaine Ho is an Asian-American illustrator and author. She bounces between the US and Singapore, belonging to both and neither. Her work primarily explores themes of identity and home, whilst being drawn to the broken and the beautiful. She originally received a degree in Psychology before pivoting into art full-time. Find her work at artofelaineho.com

For press enquiries please contact Jess Gofton, PR & Marketing Manager: jess.gofton@rebellion.co.uk.

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OUT NOW: The Mountain Crown by Karin Lowachee

We’re wishing The Mountain Crown by Karin Lowachee a very happy book birthday!

Méka returns home from exile for an ancient, necessary rite in the first in The Crowns of Ishia novella trilogy, a fantasy western of colonialism and indigeneity from the critically acclaimed author of Warchild.

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Méka must capture a king dragon, or die trying.

War between the island states of Kattaka and Mazemoor has left no one unscathed. Méka’s nomadic people, the Ba’Suon, were driven from their homeland by the Kattakans. Those who remained were forced to live under the Kattakan yoke, to serve their greed for gold alongside the dragons with whom the Ba’Suon share an empathic connection.

A decade later and under a fragile truce, Méka returns home from her exile for an ancient, necessary rite: gathering a king dragon of the Crown Mountains to maintain balance in the wild country. But Méka’s act of compassion toward an imprisoned dragon and Lilley, a Kattakan veteran of the war, soon draws the ire of the imperialistic authorities. They order the unwelcome addition of an enigmatic Ba’Suon traitor named Raka to accompany Méka and Lilley to the mountains.

The journey is filled with dangers both within and without. As conflict threatens to reignite, the survival of the Ba’Suon people, their dragons, and the land itself will depend on the decisions – defiant or compliant – that Méka and her companions choose to make. But not even Méka, kin to the great dragons of the North, can anticipate the depth of the consequences to her world.

“A stunning accomplishment.” —Aurealis

“For die-hard fans of dragon-riding books, this is sure to satisfy.” —Publishers Weekly

“This thoughtful, anti-colonial take on dragons—or, rather, suon—and the consequences of greed kept me turning the pages from fierce start to fiery conclusion.” —Kamilah Cole, bestselling author of So Let Them Burn

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OUT NOW: Gorse by Sam K. Horton

We’re wishing Gorse by Sam K. Horton a very happy book birthday!

The Bear and the Nightingale meets Poldark in this dark historical fantasy debut, where folklore battles faith on the Cornish moor as changeling Nancy Bligh tries to keep the balance between the mortal world and the world of the fey.

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Cornwall, 1786.

For years, the villagers of Mirecoombe have turned to their Keeper, the old and battle-scarred Lord Pelagius Hunt, mediator between the worlds of men and fey, for help. But this is a time of change. Belief in the old ways, in the piskies and spriggans, has dimmed, kindled instead in the Reverend Cleaver’s fiery pulpit. His church stands proud above the mire; God’s name is whispered, hushed, loved. And now, death stalks Mirecoombe on the moor. There are corpses in the heather. There is blood in the gorse.

Nancy Bligh is determined to do what Pel will not: maintain the balance between the fey and the human world, be the Keeper that he refuses to be. Blessed with natural sight, friend to spriggans, piskies and human locals of Mirecoombe, Nancy has power that Pel never had and never lets her use. But as Mirecoombe falls into darkness, perhaps her time has come.

A poignant and lyrical examination of faith, love and grief, Gorse asks what do we choose to believe, and how does that shape who we are?

“Every word is wonderful and full of wonder… Highly recommended.” —The Historical Novels Review

“Recommended on every level.” —The Folklore Podcast

“A mire of enchantment you’ll gladly sink into.” —Kit Whitfield, author of In the Heart of Hidden Things

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OUT NOW: Queen of None by Natania Barron

We’re wishing Queen of None by Natania Barron a very happy book birthday!

A rich and lyrical feminist Arthurian fantasy for fans of Circe and The Witch’s Heart, Queen of None is the first in the Queens of Fate trilogy which revisits Arthurian legend through the eyes of of its women—beginning with King Arthur’s oft-forgotten sister, Anna Pendragon…

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“Through all the ages, and in the hearts of men, you will be forgotten.”

Married at twelve, and a mother soon after, King Arthur’s sister Anna did not live a young life full of promise. She bore three strong sons and delivered the kingdom of Orkney to her brother by way of her marriage. She did as she was asked, invisible and useful—for her name, her dowry, and her womb.

Now, twenty years after she left her home, Anna is summoned back to Carelon with the crown of her now-dead husband, to face the demons of her childhood: her sisters Morgen, Elaine and Morgause; Merlin and his scheming priests; and Bedevere, the man she once loved.

Carelon is changing, and Anna must change with it. New threats lurk in the shadows, and a strange power begins to awaken in her. If she is to be more than a pawn in others’ plans, she must bargain her own strength, and family, in pursuit of her ambition—and revenge.

“A captivating look at the intriguing figures in King Arthur’s golden realm.” – Kirkus

“A layered, engaging retelling, sure to please fans of the Arthurian tales.” – Publishers Weekly

“Barron’s take will leave readers with entirely new insights into Arthurian legend.” – Booklist

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OUT NOW: Snowblooded by Emma Sterner-Radley

Happy book birthday to Snowblooded by Emma Sterner-Radley!

The Princess Bride meets Six of Crows in this queer Scandinavian fantasy romp, where a pair of rival assassins must team up to kill the mysterious leader of their city’s illegal magic trade.

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Valour and Petrichor are esteemed members of the Order of Axsten, an assassin’s guild tasked with keeping order in the rough city of Vinterstock. Plucked from the streets as children and raised to compete for their guild’s approval, Valour uses her brawn to survive, while Petrichor strives to be a gentleman assassin. When they’re given their biggest job yet—to kill Brandquist, the mysterious leader of the city’s illegal magic trade—it’s a recipe for disaster. If they can quell their rivalry long enough, the reward will be enough to settle their debts with the Order and start new lives.

If this job wasn’t dangerous enough, Valour is saddled with protecting the aristocrat, Ingrid Rytterdahl. Valour finds her dangerously attractive, but Petrichor can’t wait to be rid of them both. He begrudgingly accepts Ingrid’s knowledge and connections as they navigate the city’s criminal underbelly in pursuit of Brandquist.

As secrets bubble to the surface, the duo must outwit the thugs on their tail, keep Ingrid alive, and—hardest of all—work together without murdering each other.

“Swashbuckling adventure, sweeping romance, and wit as sharp as an assassin’s knife come together to create a quintessentially delightful read.” —S.T. Gibson, author of A Dowry of Blood

“Oceans Eleven meets queer nordic assassins in this thrillride fantasy debut. Valour and Petrichor are a fatally flawed (and flawlessly fatal) duo who must overcome their distaste and distrust of each other in order to outwit a target who will otherwise destroy both of them.” —Sunyi Dean, author of The Book Eaters

“Bursting with twisty intrigue, fascinating worldbuilding and two leads whose tongues are as sharp as their knives, Snowblooded is a banter-filled fantasy delight.” —Frances White, Sunday Times bestselling author of Voyage of the Damned

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Solaris to publish Tlingit epic fantasy by Caskey Russell

Solaris is delighted to announce the acquisition The Raven and Eagle Series, consisting of The Door on the Sea and its two sequels, by Caskey Russell.

From member of the Tlingit Nation of Alaska, Caskey Russell, The Door on the Sea is a Tlingit answer to Tolkien in which a bookish outcast must lead a crew including warriors, a giant wolf, and the mythical Raven to steal the only weapon that can defeat the shapeshifting colonists that threaten his community.

A modern, Indigenous reclamation of the quest fantasy genre, an ode to the power of storytelling, and an alternate-history retelling of white missionary colonialism, The Door on the Sea is a rich, adventurous debut for fans of Black Sun and The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi.

World All Languages Rights were acquired by Amy Borsuk from Lauren Bajek at Liza Dawson Literary Agency. The Door on the Sea will be released in September 2025.

Author Caskey Russell on the acquisition:

“I am thrilled and delighted to be working with Solaris on The Door on the Sea and my entire Raven and Eagle Series. And I’m very grateful for Solaris for providing a way to share these stories, which are grounded in Tlingit culture, with the world. I want to thank Amy Borsuk and the entire Solaris team for working with me to bring these books to life!”

Acquiring Editor Amy Borsuk:

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be bringing Caskey’s fun, magical and epic Tlingit fantasy series to the world. Caskey’s nautical quest tale draws from Tlingit mythos and his own personal sense of Tlingit identity as shared with his family and his clan. This wonderful story has a fantastic cast of characters, featuring a particularly crude yet wise raven, bear humans, wolf cousins, a bookish hero and the warriors holding him up. But it is also much more than that: it is a captivating and original portal fantasy adventure that comes from the heart and explores the messy, harmful and tangled reality of what happens when one’s world is shaken by the invasion of those claiming everything you know is a lie.”

Caskey Russell is from Seattle Washington, and has lived in Oregon, Iowa, Wyoming, and New Zealand. He is a father, a professor, a musician, and an enrolled member of the Tlingit Nation (Eagle / Kooyu Kwáan) of Alaska.

For press enquiries please contact Jess Gofton, PR & Marketing Manager: jess.gofton@rebellion.co.uk.

For rights enquiries please contact Sam Birkett, Rights Manager: sam.birkett@rebellion.co.uk

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Revealing the cover of Saint Death’s Herald by C. S. E. Cooney!

We’re delighted to be sharing the stunning cover of Saint Death’s Herald by C. S. E. Cooney, designed by the fabulous Kate Forrester!

Sequel to the critically-acclaimed and World Fantasy Award-winning Saint Death’s Daughter, Saint Death’s Herald continues the adventures of necromancer-with-heart, Miscellaneous “Lanie” Stones, and will be released in April 2025.

Miscellaneous “Lanie” Stones is the necromancer that Doédenna, god of Death, has been praying for.

True, she’s always been more interested in books and pastries than in creating abominations and raising armies of the undead. But still—she lives to love and serve Saint Death. And damn it duodecifold, Saint Death needs her! Lanie has many talents—her powers of death magic are growing more complex and stranger every day—but first and foremost is her ability to lay the unrestful dead to their unending slumber.

Unfortunately for Lanie, the most restless of these “unrestful dead” happens to be her own great-grandfather, the powerful necromancer Irradiant Stones. After having escaped from his temporary prison, he is possessing people from all over the realms, sucking them dry of their magic and discarding their bodies when there’s nothing left to take, growing stronger and stronger all the time. His ultimate goal? To return to the icy country of Skakmaht, where he died, and finish conquering the North for his own. First the North—then the world! After Irradiant takes care of his pesky great-granddaughter Lanie, that is: the only person on Athe who can stop him.

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Solaris to publish The Serpent Called Mercy by Roanne Lau for the UK

Solaris is delighted to announce the acquisition of The Serpent Called Mercy by Roanne Lau for the UK, a Malaysian Chinese-inspired epic fantasy novel for fans of Squid Game and The Witcher in which a debt-ridden slumdog joins an illegal monster-fighting arena.

Lythlet and her only friend Desil are shackled to a life of debt and poverty that she fears they will never escape. Desperate for money, they sign up as conquessors: arena combatants who fight sun-cursed beasts in the seedy underworld of the city.

Match-master Dothilos is initially enamoured of Desil’s brawling reputation, but after seeing Lythlet lead the pair to triumph with her quick cunning, he takes her under his wing, scorning Desil. Ambition takes root in Lythlet’s heart as a life of fame and wealth unfolds in her imagination.

But Lythlet isn’t the only one out for coin and glory, and she soon finds herself playing an entirely different game—a game of politics and deception. As the cost of her ambition grows, she will have to decide if sacrificing her honour, and only friendship, is worth the chance to shape her own fortune.

UK/BC, excluding Canada, English Language Rights were acquired by Amanda Rutter from Keir Alekseii at Azantian Literary Agency.

The Serpent Called Mercy will be released in January 2025.

Author Roanne Lau on the acquisition:

“I am beyond delighted to be working with Solaris in bringing my debut The Serpent Called Mercy over to the UK and the Commonwealth. From day one, Amanda Rutter’s enthusiasm for my book has been nothing short of serotonin-boosting, and with her keen editorial eye and the brilliant Solaris team behind her, I have no doubt my book is in safe hands.”

Acquiring Editor Amanda Rutter:

“From the first time I read The Serpent Called Mercy, I knew that this was an exceptionally special book, which explores brilliant themes of friendship and the price of honour. Roanne’s writing is sublime, and I know readers will eat up Lythlet’s world.”

Roanne Lau is a speculative fiction author whose works are informed by her experiences living in Malaysia, Australia, Taiwan, and Japan and being the descendant of Chinese immigrants. She was selected for the Pitch Wars mentorship program in 2021. The Serpent Called Mercy is her debut novel.

For press enquiries please contact Jess Gofton, PR & Marketing Manager: jess.gofton@rebellion.co.uk.

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Solaris acquires Vajra Chandrasekera’s award-winning fantasy novel The Saint of Bright Doors for the UK

Against a black background with white stars and the white Solaris logo in the top right corner, two blue circles. In the larger circle, white text "Acquisition Announcement. Vajra Chandrasekera. THE SAINT OF BRIGHT DOORS. June 2024." In the smaller circle, an author photo of R. T. Ester.

Solaris is delighted to announce the acquisition of Vajra Chandrasekera’s The Saint of Bright Doors and Rakesfall in a two-book deal for the UK.

The winner of the Crawford Award and a finalist for the Nebula Award, The Saint of Bright Doors sets the high drama of divine revolutionaries and transcendent cults against the mundane struggles of modern life, resulting in a novel that is revelatory and resonant.

Fetter was raised to kill, honed as a knife to cut down his sainted father. This gave him plenty to talk about in therapy.

He walked among invisible powers: devils and anti-gods that mock the mortal form. He learned a lethal catechism, lost his shadow, and gained a habit for secrecy. After a blood-soaked childhood, Fetter escaped his rural hometown for the big city, and fell into a broader world where divine destinies are a dime a dozen.

Everything in Luriat is more than it seems. Group therapy is recruitment for a revolutionary cadre. Junk email hints at the arrival of a god. Every door is laden with potential, and once closed may never open again. The city is scattered with Bright Doors, looming portals through which a cold wind blows. In this unknowable metropolis, Fetter will discover what kind of man he is, and his discovery will rewrite the world.

UK/BC, excluding Canada, English Language Rights were acquired by Amanda Rutter from Chris Scheina at Tordotcom.

The Saint of Bright Doors will be released on 6th June 2024. Preorder here.

Author Vajra Chandrasekera on the acquisition:

“I’ve long been a fan of the wonderful work that Solaris publishes, and I’m utterly delighted that they will be bringing my books to readers in the UK.”

Acquiring Editor Amanda Rutter:

“I am so thrilled to be publishing Vajra’s work for a UK audience – his books are vital and challenging, and I adored every word when I read them both. New readers can expect stunning prose, vivid characters, and utter originality, and I can’t wait to see what people think!”

Vajra Chandrasekera is from Colombo, Sri Lanka and is online at vajra.me. His debut novel The Saint of Bright Doors was a New York Times Notable Book of 2023, and his short fiction, anthologized in The Apex Book of World SF, The Gollancz Book of South Asian Science Fiction, and The Best Science Fiction of the Year among others, has been nominated for the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award. His second novel Rakesfall is out in 2024.

For press enquiries please contact Natalie Sorrell Charlesworth, Digital Marketing and Social Media Executive: natalie.charlesworth@rebellion.co.uk.

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OUT NOW: Redsight by Meredith Mooring

We’re wishing Redsight by Meredith Mooring a very happy book birthday!

A blind priestess must learn to take control of the power she never knew she had in this own voices science fantasy debut for fans of Dune and Sisters of the Vast Black.

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Heresy is power. Chaos is divine.

Korinna has simple priorities: stay on the Navitas, stay out of trouble, and stay alive. She may be a Redseer, a blind priestess with the power to manipulate space-time, but she is the weakest in her Order. Useless and outcast. Or so she has been raised to believe.

As she takes her place as a navigator on an Imperium ship, Korinna’s full destiny is revealed to her: blood brimming with magic, she is meant to become a weapon of the Imperium, and pawn for the Order that raised her. But when the ship is attacked by the notorious pirate Aster Haran, Korinna’s world is ripped apart.

Aster has a vendetta against the Imperium, and an all-consuming, dark power that drives her to destroy everything in her path. She understands the world in a way Korinna has never imagined, and Korinna is drawn to her against her better judgment.

With the Imperium and the justice-seeking warrior Sahar hot on her heels, Korinna must choose her side, seize her power and fulfil her destiny–or risk imperiling the future of the galaxy, and destroying the fabric of space-time itself.

“Redsight combines the vastness of Dune and Childhood’s End with a visceral, reality-warping journey of self-discovery to create a beautiful, bloody testament to the possibilities of compassion and love.” —Ryka Aoki, author of Light From Uncommon Stars

“Redsight is a stellar debut, born from a collision between epic space opera and bewitching cosmic horror. Meredith Mooring weaves echoes of classic sci-fi into a breathtakingly original tapestry — an intoxicating blend of the visceral and the romantic, the monstrous and the mythical.” —Ren Hutchings, author of Under Fortunate Stars

“A brutal, vivid, emotional gut punch of a book. With stakes both deeply personal and universe-altering, Redsight is a cutting examination of the complexities of duty, faith, and moral obligation, helmed by a trio of compellingly flawed characters wielding immense cosmic power. This fresh, high-concept SFF is perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth and Sisters of the Vast Black.” —J. S. Dewes, author of The Last Watch