Tag: yoonhalee

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RAVEN STRATAGEM MAKES AMAZON’S TOP 20!

Raven Stratagem, Yoon Ha Lee’s second book in the Machineries of Empire series, has made Amazon’s top 20 SFF books of 2017 and we couldn’t be more pleased! 

As many of you know, Lee’s much-lauded Ninefox Gambit set the SFF community on its head last year, garnering a nomination for the Nebula award, and being shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke and the Hugo award. 

Raven Stratagem in turn has been much anticipated by readers far and wide and we at Solaris are ecstatic to see this fabulous book keeping such good company on Amazon’s top 20 list. 

Read on for more about Raven Stratagem and click on the links below to get your copy. 

Raven Stratagem

by Yoon Ha Lee: 

War. Heresy. Madness. 

Shuos Jedao is unleashed. The long-dead general, preserved with exotic technologies as a weapon, has possessed the body of gifted young captain Kel Cheris.

Now, General Kel Khiruev’s fleet, racing to the Severed March to stop a fresh enemy incursion, has fallen under Jedao’s sway. Only Khiruev’s aide, Lieutenant Colonel Kel Brezan, is able to shake off the influence of the brilliant but psychotic Jedao.

The rogue general seems intent on defending the hexarchate, but can Khiruev—or Brezan—trust him? For that matter, can they trust Kel Command, or will their own rulers wipe out the whole swarm to destroy one man?

Raven Stratagem is out now!
Buy: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Google|Kobo|Rebellion Store

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Raven Stratagem is out now!

The day has finally arrived! Finally, Raven Stratagem, the superb sequel to Yoon Ha Lee’s smash hit of the summer in 2016 Ninefox Gambit, is in the wild.

The highly anticipated Raven Stratagem has been garnering rave reviews all over the place, and has been on the receiving end of a huge amount of very well deserved buzz. 

In case you missed it, here’s what you can expect in Raven Stratagem:

Raven Stratagem
by Yoon Ha Lee

War. Heresy. Madness. 

Shuos Jedao is unleashed. The long-dead general, preserved with exotic technologies as a weapon, has possessed the body of gifted young captain Kel Cheris.

Now, General Kel Khiruev’s fleet, racing to the Severed March to stop a fresh enemy incursion, has fallen under Jedao’s sway. Only Khiruev’s aide, Lieutenant Colonel Kel Brezan, is able to shake off the influence of the brilliant but psychotic Jedao.

The rogue general seems intent on defending the hexarchate, but can Khiruev—or Brezan—trust him? For that matter, can they trust Kel Command, or will their own rulers wipe out the whole swarm to destroy one man?

*

You can check out a few of the early (raving) reviews right here:

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The Factions: HIGH FACTION RAHAL

Nirai • Andan • Vidona • Shuos • Kel • Liozh

Emblem: The Scrywolf (or “Execution Wolf”)

Motto: Many lenses, one mind

Colors: Gray and bronze

Center of Government: Wolf Hall

The Rahal began as the heptarchate’s magistracy, with broad powers both to investigate crime and to sentence wrongdoers, according to laws decreed by the Liozh councils. They specialize in “ordinary” transgressions rather than heresy, which is the domain of the Vidona. When the Liozh announced their intention to overturn the existing government in favor of a democratic system, the Rahal were one of the factions who revolted. After the Liozh were destroyed for their temerity, the Rahal claimed leadership of the new hexarchate and began to oversee the welfare of common citizens.

Recruitment

Applicants are selected for devotion to the law, excellent memories, and tolerance for a highly communal lifestyle. As cadets, young Rahal learn oratory to interpret the hexarchate’s legal code. Rahal councils, modeled after the old Liozh councils, operate on a consensus basis, and the ability to construct a strong argument and defend it is necessary to survive. The Rahal are also responsible for maintaining the high calendar, not least because the lengths of days on inhabited planets or moons often require localized corrections to accommodate humans’ diurnal cycles. While a Nirai invented the high calendar, it is the Rahal who do the work of keeping it updated. As a result, the Rahal also snap up a large percentage of the hexarchate’s mathematicians.

Technology

The Rahal faction’s greatest innovation is the technique for scrying someone’s dreams for signifier responses. This isn’t quite as good as mind-reading—although there have always been rumors—but it allows Rahal inquisitors to scrape clues out of someone’s subconscious. Up to six inquisitors can join together to strengthen the effect; a full hex is normally reserved for matters of dire urgency. Scrying is not infallible, as some individuals have the ability to mask their signifiers.

The Rahal also maintain swarms of lensmoths, a specialized type of voidmoth that has the effect of correcting the local calendar from any heretical deviations. While useful against minor heresies, major rot knocks them out of alignment quickly. The Rahal insist on keeping them as a symbol of their mission.

Politics

Rahal allies include the Vidona, who suppress heresy, and the Kel, due to a shared belief in community and conservatism. Their relations are also good with the Nirai since both are invested in the mathematics of the hexarchate’s state religion. How well they get along with the Shuos depends on current Shuos leadership; the Rahal acknowledge the importance of the foxes’ role, but are troubled by their ruthlessness.

Rahal Ienora

Magistrate Rahal Ienora recognized early on that requiring everyone to adhere to the high calendar would result in a lot of cranky people on planets and moons with day-cycles that inconveniently failed to conform to an artificial system. She pushed for a compromise that would allow people to live according to local day-cycles and observe specially calculated remembrances that tune their homes to high calendar norms. It’s clunky, but the hexarchate’s citizens are so used to the workaround that most of them don’t think twice about it.

Raven Stratagem is available for pre-order now!
Pre-order: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Kobo|Rebellion Store

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Ninefox Gambit shortlisted for the Arthur C Clarke Award!

Yoon Ha Lee’s universally acclaimed Ninefox Gambit has been shortlisted for the 2017 Arthur C Clarke Award.

We’re delighted that Yoon’s superb sci-fi debut has made the shortlist – alongside A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers, After Atlas by Emma Newman, Occupy Me by Tricia Sullivan, Central Station by Lavie Tidhar and The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead – and we’ve got our fingers firmly crossed for the win.

Of course, this isn’t Ninefox Gambit‘s first award shortlist. It also appears on the Hugo Award shortlist AND the Nebula Award shortlist, which combined with the Clarke Award makes for a wonderful hat-trick.

It’s a huge achievement and we’re utterly thrilled for Yoon. 

And as if all this wasn’t exciting enough, Raven Stratagem – the highly anticipated sequel to Ninefox Gambit – is coming in June, and is available for pre-order now. Go Yoon!

Ninefox Gambit is out now!
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Ninefox Gambit shortlisted for the Hugo Award

Ninefox Gambit has been shortlisted for the Hugo Award.

Yoon Ha Lee’s superb hard sci-fi debut, one of the most talked about genre titles of 2016, has made the shortlist for yet another major award. The other, of course, is the Nebula, which Yoon was shortlisted for a little while ago.

Obviously we’re all delighted for Yoon and for Ninefox Gambit, a book that deserves every plaudit that comes its way. 

And in yet more good news, Jonathan Strahan – one of Solaris’ longest running anthologist – was also nominated in this year’s Hugos, this time for best editor. 

We can’t wait to hear the results – roll on Helsinki and WorldCon 75 in August! 

And of course, don’t forget that Raven Stratagem – the stunning sequel to Ninefox Gambit – is available for pre-order now…

Ninefox Gambit is out now!
Buy: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Google|iBooks|Kobo|Rebellion Store

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Ninefox Gambit nominated for the Nebula Award!

Yoon Ha Lee’s Ninefox Gambit has been shortlisted for one of science fiction’s most revered awards, the Nebula.

already been an award-winning year for Ninefox Gambit. Huge congratulations to Yoon from everybody here at Solaris, here’s hoping you take the Nebula home!

Ninefox Gambit is out now!
Buy: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Google|iBooks|Kobo|Rebellion Store

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Is this a dagger we see before us?

You may have seen that Yoon Ha Lee recently won the 2016 Debut Novel Award for Ninefox Gambit over at Reddit forum /r/Fantasy, and the award has finally arrived. Fair to say, it’s looking pretty sharp…

 Pretty cool, right? Thanks to all the good folk of Reddit /r/Fantasy, and congratulations to Yoon on winning what we hope is the first of many awards for Ninefox Gambit. 

Ninefox Gambit is out now!
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Ninefox Gambit wins 2016 Best Debut Novel Award!

We were delighted to get the word that Yoon Ha Lee’s Ninefox Gambit has won the 2016 Best Debut Novel Award at r/Fantasy!

The Reddit community’s awards are always packed with great names, and this year is no different. Yoon joins the likes of Joe Abercrombie and Pierce Brown in picking up a coveted ‘Stabby’ award, arguably the coolest award in genre fiction because the award itself is an actual dagger.

Pretty cool, right? Check out r/Fantasy for the full list of award winners, and have a nose about the subReddit while you’re there – there’s always a ton of interesting book-chat going on.   

Massive congratulations to Yoon – here’s hoping it’s the first of many awards for Ninefox Gambit!

Ninefox Gambit is out now!
Buy: Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Google|iBooks|Kobo|Rebellion Store

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Ninefox Gambit makes Bookriot best of year list!

We may have mentioned, on the odd occasion, how good Ninefox Gambit is. Yoon Ha Lee’s sci-fi debut stole hearts across fandom in 2016, and ended up on several end of year lists.

We missed its appearance on BookRiot though, where the writer starts talking about Ninefox Gambit thusly:

‘When I finished reading this novel, I experienced that euphoric, giddy pulse of feeling that comes of reading something so fresh, so brilliant, and so delicately well done, that it had my head spinning.’

That’s the first sentence. Needless to say, BookRiot is quite the fan. 

Head over to the site to see Ninefox Gambit‘s appearance in its Favourite Under-the Radar Books Publishied in 2016. Enjoy!

Ninefox Gambit is out now!
Buy now: Amazon UK|Amazon US|Barnes & Noble|iBooks|Google Play|Kobo|Rebellion Store

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The Rebellion Advent Calendar Day Twenty Four: Win Ninefox Gambit!

It’s the day before Christmas, quick, finish your shopping! Wrap all the things! PREPARE THE TURKEY!

And in between all the manic preparations, why not enter our Christmas Eve competition: a chance to win a copy of Yoon Ha Lee’s stunning debut Ninefox Gambit. The sci-fi debut of the year, this is an absolutely essential read for anyone who likes their stories whip-smart and bursting with imagination and colourful characters. 

To enter this (awesome) competition, simply head over to Twitter, follow us (if you don’t already) and retweet our festive Ninefox Gambit tweet. 

Good luck!