Upcoming: “The Raven’s Shadow” by Elspeth Cooper (Gollancz)

I’ve not been very good at keeping up with Elspeth Cooper’s Wild Hunt series. I enjoyed Songs of the Earth, but still need to catch up with Trinity Rising, the second novel in the series. The Raven’s Shadow is the third of four novel in the series, and will be published in August 2013. Here’s the synopsis:

Three moons are rising.

They are rising over the snowy Archen Mountains, where Teia struggles through the high passes to carry her warning to the Empire: the Nimrothi war band is poised to invade and at their head stands Ytha. She means to release the Wild Hunt – and with it Maegern the Raven, the Keeper of the Dead.

In the desert of Gimrael, the moons are rising over the fires of revolution – flames that have already robbed Gair of a friend and left him alone in a hostile city, unsure even if the Song is still his to command. He has one last duty to discharge, and then nothing will stand between him and his ultimate goal: vengeance.

And in the Nordmen’s chilly halls, Savin plays out a game in which kings and chieftains and men are but pawns on a chessboard that spans the Veil itself.

Three moons are rising. When the trinity is complete, the endgame will begin.

The fourth-and-final book in the series, The Dragon House is due to be published (according to Amazon UK) one month after this, in September 2013… Not sure if that can be right. Regardless, this is an interesting series, and well worth your attention.

Also on CR: Interview with Elspeth Cooper

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UPDATE: Just heard back from Elspeth – this is not the final artwork, but just one that Amazon UK has used and that seems to be doing the rounds on the internet. And, also, book four will be published in 2014. Updates to follow, as-and-when information becomes available. I also inserted a new synopsis, provided by the author, substituting it for the Amazon UK synopsis (below).

Sometimes those with the greatest potential must withstand the hardest blows. Fate, it seems, has nothing kind in store for Gair. First his lover and now his mentor have been killed – the first by the dangerous, ambitious Savin, the second in a revolutionary uprising. Alone, and with even his magical abilities betraying him, he has only one goal left: revenge. Far to the north, if Teia has one goal it is survival. Attempting to cross a high mountain pass in the teeth of winter is an act of desperation, but the message she carries cannot wait for spring. An invasion force is gathering behind her, and only an ancient order of knights can hold them back. The danger is real, there are enemies in the shadows, and time is running out...

Most-Anticipated Novels – July 2012

It’s been a while since I wrote a post highlighting a given month’s most-anticipated releases. But, given that this year is shaping up to be a real monster for new fiction, and because it’s just impossible to read everything, I thought it would be a good idea to give a hat-tip to those books I’m most looking forward to reading. I’ve stuck with UK release schedules for the most part, but a couple are US releases or books already available across the pond.

I’ve been lucky enough to get a fair few of these titles already (and have managed to read three in advance of their releases), so I have included links to my reviews where relevant, rather than exhaustive comments on those titles.

So, without further ado, here are my picks for July 2012…

Week in Review (Apr.14-21)

A very busy week around the book-related regions of the internet, with a bundle of interesting articles. I’ve included a couple of older articles, because I was slow and didn’t get around to them until after I posted last week’s links round-up. One is a particularly good comment from John Scalzi.

Herein: Aidan Moher on Women in Fantasy, Elspeth Cooper on Disabilities in Fantasy, Jeff Salyards on being Embedded with the Enemy, an interview with Amanda Carlson, Brad Beaulieu on how he likes shades of grey, John Scalzi on eBooks Drama, The Atlantic on the eBooks Drama, The New Republic on the Dept of Justice & Monopolies (related to eBooks drama)

The Week in Review (Feb.26-Mar.2)

The second links post, and one that’s a bit more varied.

New York Post “NYPD in 1850” by Lyndsay Faye

This is a very good, short article by the author of Gods of Gotham (Headline), which I intend to read very soon. It has a really intriguing premise, so I’m looking forward to reading this historical take on the NYPD.

Staffer’s Musings: Interview with Elspeth Cooper

With Songs of the Earth finally available in the US, Justin sat down with Elspeth (uh, metaphorically) for a very interesting interview. For more on Songs of the Earth, check out my review of SotE and interview with Elspeth from last year.

io9: “Rejected Star Wars Toys: George Lucas is denying you an inflatable Emperor’s Throne!”

Some of these are great fun, and the uber-geek in my would really like to own a Death Star Basketball and Cloud City Desk Lamp. And the Darth Vader Magnetic Chip Clip with Sound? “I have you now!” – Brilliant!

Simon Spurrier: “London Super Comic-Con: Panel Parity”

Simon Spurrier, author of A Serpent Uncoiled and Marvel’s X-Club series, talks about London’s inaugural Super Comic-Con and how “this convention was also notable for a slight controversy [he] happened to create”. It’s a nice, long post in support of Paul Cornell’s thoughts on the gender-balance in comics. Written in Spurrier’s trademark zaniness, it’s a thoughtful, thought-provoking and intelligent read.

“At the moment it’s all too easy for the lip-curlers and sneermonkies of the world to dismiss Western Comics as the sole preserve of thirtysomething-plus men in teeshirts who never properly grew up because that’s the only face of comics they ever see. Which is terrible. And I say that as a thirtysomething man in a teeshirt who never properly grew up.”

Washington Post: “Book Review: The Annotated Sandman” by Mike Musgrove

A good, proper review of the ground-breaking graphic novel. Which I still haven’t read. I don’t think I could ever justify the cost of this annotated version, but I may pick up a paperback edition to read at some point. [If I remember correctly, the Strand have a load of copies.]

Barnes & Noble SciFi & Fantasy Blog: Jim Butcher & Benedict Jacka

A good discussion between the two authors and more.

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And, of course, there was also all the content on Civilian Reader – an interview with E.C. Myers and a review of his debut, Fair Coin; my review of Ari Marmell’s first YA novel The Thief’s Covenant; and yesterday’s guest post from A. Lee Martinez.

Exclusive First Sneak Peek: “Songs of the Earth” by Elspeth Cooper MMP (Gollancz)

Here is an exclusive(!) first-look at the mass-market paperback edition of Elspeth Cooper’s Songs of the Earth. An entirely new design from Dominic Harman. The novel is already available in the UK in hardcover and trade paperback, and out in the US February 28th).

The smaller paperback edition will be released in the UK in late February. Take a look:

I really like this design – in fact, I much prefer it to the original artwork. This is more arresting and intriguing, whereas the previous artwork just didn’t much stand out, if I’m honest.

What do you think of the new design?

Also on CR: Interview with Elspeth Cooper, & Songs of the Earth review

Introducing ELSPETH COOPER

Hailing from the North of England, Elspeth Cooper is one of the latest crop of hotly-tipped debut fantasy authors of recent years. Songs of the Earth, the first in the Wild Hunt trilogy, is filled with intriguing magic and interesting characters, and is set in a rich fantasy world (one I believe has considerable potential for expansion way beyond this trilogy). The novel introduces us to Gair, an exiled and persecuted magical-wunderkind, as he attempts to find his place in a world that abhors everything he is.

As Songs of the Earth is newly released, I contacted Elspeth for an interview, and she was kind enough to reply and offer more information about the series, what’s to come, and (among other things) why the fantasy genre is like ice cream.

“Songs of the Earth” by Elspeth Cooper (Gollancz)

A tantalising opening to the Wild Hunt series

Gair is under a death sentence.

He can hear music – music with power – and in the Holy City that means only one thing: he’s a witch, and he’s going to be burnt at the stake. Even if he could escape, the Church Knights and their witchfinder would be hot on his heels while his burgeoning power threatens to tear him apart from within.

There is no hope… None, but a secretive order, themselves persecuted almost to destruction. If Gair can escape, if he can master his own growing, dangerous abilities, if he can find the Guardians of the Veil, then maybe he will be safe.

Or maybe he’ll discover that his fight has only just begun.

Elspeth Cooper’s debut novel has been slowly garnering attention on the blogosphere, and ever since I saw it mention by GavReads, I’ve been interested in giving it a try (I was quite pleased that I won it in one of the GenreForJapan auctions). The novel, while flawed in a couple of small ways, is a tantalising opener to the series, filled with interesting and engaging characters and a plot that promises great things in the future.

Book Trailer: “Songs of the Earth” by Elspeth Cooper (Gollancz)

Just a quick Saturday post, as it’s on my mind.

Published on June 16th, Elspeth Cooper’s Songs of the Earth has not been receiving quite the publicity roll-out that I expected.

The ARC does, after all, boldly state “This is the Fantasy Debut of 2011”, and yet I’ve only seen much about it on Speculative Scotsman (in a great, exhaustive two-part interview with Elspeth), and I know of the feature that will appear in Living North magazine (written by some-time Civilian-Reader reviewer, Emma). As a transplant to the North of England (10 years off-and-on at Durham University), I feel I should do more to promote Northern authors who don’t get enough attention. (If anyone knows any more, please let me know in the comments thread.)

So, in advance of my review (which should come on Monday), and to do what little I can to generate some interest, here’s the rather nifty book trailer: