Interview with ERIKA JOHANSEN & Giveaway!

Erika Johansen’s The Queen of the Tearling has been getting some great press ever since WFC 2013 (at least, that’s when I heard of it). The novel finally hits shelves in the UK today, and to celebrate its release, not only do I offer the interview that follows (organised by Transworld), but I also have one copy of the novel to give away to a UK reader! Details at the end. But first, the interview…

Can you give us a brief introduction to The Queen of the Tearling?

A 19 year-old girl, Kelsea Glynn, is the heir to the throne of a degenerate kingdom. Having been raised far from the capital city, she’s not prepared to be the Queen, but she will need to learn quickly. Both the neighboring ruler and Kelsea’s own uncle would like to see her dead. Her kingdom is a mess, drowning in corruption and inequality. All Kelsea has are a strong moral compass, a lot of courage, an unwieldy temper and two hereditary sapphires which may or may not be magical in her hands.

Who are the main characters of the book?

The main characters include Kelsea, the Queen; Mace, her Captain of Guard; the Red Queen, who rules the neighboring kingdom; Javel, a guard in the Tear castle; and Father Tyler, a priest in the Tearling’s central church. Please don’t ask me to explain in a nutshell how they intersect.

International Giveaway: THE BARROW by Mark Smylie (Pyr)

Today, Pyr Books are offering two copies of Mark Smylie’s THE BARROW, with no geographical limitations at all! The novel has been racking up some impressive reviews since its release. In case you aren’t aware of the novel, however, here’s the synopsis…

Action, horror, politics, and sensuality combine in this stand-alone fantasy novel with series potential. Set in the world of the Eisner-nominated Artesia comic books.

To find the Sword, unearth the Barrow. To unearth the Barrow, follow the Map.

When a small crew of scoundrels, would-be heroes, deviants, and ruffians discover a map that they believe will lead them to a fabled sword buried in the barrow of a long-dead wizard, they think they've struck it rich. But their hopes are dashed when the map turns out to be cursed and then is destroyed in a magical ritual. The loss of the map leaves them dreaming of what might have been, until they rediscover the map in a most unusual and unexpected place.

Stjepan Black-Heart, suspected murderer and renegade royal cartographer; Erim, a young woman masquerading as a man; Gilgwyr, brothel owner extraordinaire; Leigh, an exiled magus under an ignominious cloud; Godewyn Red-Hand, mercenary and troublemaker; Arduin Orwain, scion of a noble family brought low by scandal; and Arduin's sister Annwyn, the beautiful cause of that scandal: together they form a cross-section of the Middle Kingdoms of the Known World, brought together by accident and dark design, on a quest that will either get them all in the history books, or get them all killed.

I’m going to keep this simple – the first two people to leave a comment saying they’d like a copy of the book, get the books. Simples. I’ll keep checking back, so if you enter, please be sure to send me your details.

Also on CR: Interview with Mark Smylie

US/Canada Giveaway: SWORN IN STEEL by Doug Hulick (Ace)

One of the most-anticipated follow-up fantasy novels of the year, Ace Books has provided three copies of Doug Hulick’s SWORN IN STEEL! All you have to do to enter the competition is leave a comment or email me (at the address at the bottom of the page), and I’ll randomly select three winners on Friday evening. Competition is open to US and Canadian residents only, I’m afraid.

In case you haven’t heard of the series (shame on you!), here is the synopsis for Sworn in Steel…

It’s been three months since Drothe killed a legend, burned down a portion of the imperial capital, and unexpectedly elevated himself into the ranks of the criminal elite.

Now, as the newest Gray Prince in the underworld, he’s learning just how good he used to have it. With barely the beginnings of an organization to his name, Drothe is already being called out by other Gray Princes. And to make matters worse, when one dies, all signs point to Drothe as wielding the knife. As members of the Kin begin choosing sides – mostly against him – for what looks to be another impending war, Drothe is approached by a man who not only has the solution to Drothe’s most pressing problem, but an offer of redemption.

The only problem is the offer isn’t for him. Now Drothe finds himself on the way to the Despotate of Djan, the empire’s long-standing enemy, with an offer to make and a price on his head. And the grains of sand in the hour glass are running out, fast…

Both Among Thieves and Sworn in Steel are out now in the US, published by Ace Books (Penguin). The novels are published in the UK by Tor, and Sworn in Steel is out tomorrow! Among Thieves was published in 2011. You can find my review here, and an interview with the author here.

Excerpt & Giveaway: WORDS OF RADIANCE by Brandon Sanderson (Gollancz)

Brandon Sanderson’s Words of Radiance is one of the most hotly-anticipated epic fantasy novels of the year. Published by Gollancz (UK) and Tor Books (US).

Thanks to Gollancz, who also provided this excerpt (Chapter 3), there is a copy of the book up for grabs! All you need to do to be in with the chance of winning it is to re-tweet this excerpt on Twitter, follow @civilianreader, and include the hashtag “#CRWoR”. Simples. If you are not on Twitter, then you can leave a comment at the end, and I’ll include you in the random draw, as well. The winner will be selected at the end of the day (9pm) – unfortunately, the giveaway is for UK only.

(See banner, below, for upcoming stops on the blog tour.)

Soldiers reported being watched from afar by an unnerving number of Parshendi scouts. Then we noticed a new pattern of their penetrating close to the camps in the night and then quickly retreating. I can only surmise that our enemies were even then preparing their stratagem to end this war.

— From the personal journal of Navani Kholin, Jeseses 1174

Research into times before the Hierocracy is frustratingly difficult, the book read. During the reign of the Hierocracy, the Vorin Church had near absolute control over eastern Roshar. The fabrications they promoted — and then perpetuated as absolute truth — became ingrained in the consciousness of society. More disturbingly, modified copies of ancient texts were made, aligning history to match Hierocratic dogma.

In her cabin, Shallan read by the glow of a goblet of spheres, wearing her nightgown. Her cramped chamber lacked a true porthole and had just a thin slit of a window running across the top of the outside wall. The only sound she could hear was the water lapping against the hull. Tonight, the ship did not have a port in which to shelter.

Giveaway! THE NATURAL HISTORY OF DRAGONS by Marie Brennan (UK Only)

A quick and cheerful post. I have one copy of The Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan to give away to some lucky reader in the UK. It’s the US Hardcover edition (published by Tor Books), but you should also know that it is going to be published soon in the UK by Titan Books, so if you don’t win, you will be able to get hold of the book easily in the near future.

Here’s what it’s about…

You, dear reader, continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart — no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon’s presence, even for the briefest of moments — even at the risk of one’s life — is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten...

All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world’s preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day.

Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the world forever.

Leave a comment or email if you’re interested in winning the book. That’s really all you need to do. I’ll select someone at random in one week (December 3rd, at midnight).

GIVEAWAY! Brandon Sanderson’s THE RITHMATIST (UK Only)

I have an extra copy of the UK edition of Brandon Sanderson’s first YA novel to hit shelves, THE RITHMATIST. Being the sharing fellow that I am, I’ve decided to give it away!

Usual rules/guidelines apply – leave a comment (with some form of contact detail), or email me at civilian[dot]reader[at]hotmail.co.uk.

I’ll pick the winner on Monday (27th May), in the evening.

Here’s the synopsis for the novel…

More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist.

Chosen by the Master in a mysterious inception ceremony, Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings—merciless creatures that leave mangled corpses in their wake. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles.

As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students learn the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing—kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery, one that will change Rithmatics—and their world—forever.

Video & Giveaway – Leigh Evans

Something a little different for the blog today. Instead of an interview, here area a couple of video clips in which author Leigh Evans discusses her new novel, The Trouble With Fate. Here’s the synopsis for the first novel in Evans’ Mystwalker series:

WHAT SHE DOESN’T KNOW MIGHT KILL HER

Hedi looks normal. Yet that’s taken effort. Her fellow Starbucks baristas don’t see her pointed ears, fae amulet or her dark past, and normal is hard for a half-fae, half-werewolf on the run. Hedi’s life changed ten years ago, when her parents were murdered by unknown assassins. She’s been in hiding with her loopy aunt Lou since, as whatever they wanted she’s determined they won’t get it. Things change when wolves capture Lou, forcing Hedi to steal to free her – for if she can offer up a fae amulet like her own they may trade. But it belongs to a rogue werewolf named Robson Trowbridge, who betrayed Hedi on the night of her greatest need. Over forty-eight hours, Hedi will face the weres of Creemore, discover the extent of her fae powers and possibly break her own heart in the process.

First up, a clip of Leigh Evans discussing the characters in her novel:

And secondly, a clip in which Leigh discusses the setting of her novel:

But wait, there’s more!

To celebrate the release of The Trouble With Fate, Macmillan have offered a couple of copies of the book for a giveaway.

Just leave your entry in the comments thread, or email me at the usual email address.

James Rollins’s BLOODLINE Giveaway

Another giveaway (having a lot of them, these days), this time for James Rollins’s latest Sigma Force novel, Bloodline. Quite simple to enter, all you have to do is go:

HERE

And then, just fill out the nice, easy form.

Here’s some info about the book:

Galilee, 1025. Infiltrating an ancient citadel, a Templar knight uncovers a holy treasure long hidden within the fortress's labyrinth: the Bachal Isu — the staff of Jesus Christ — a priceless icon that holds a mysterious and terrifying power that promises to change humankind forever.

A millennium later, Somali pirates hijack a yacht off the coast of the Horn of Africa, kidnapping a young pregnant American woman. Commander Gray Pierce is enlisted for a covert rescue mission into the African jungle. The woman is no rich tourist: she’s Amanda Gant-Bennett, daughter of the U.S. president.

Suspicious that the kidnapping masks a far more nefarious plot, Gray must confront a shadowy cabal which has been manipulating events throughout history...and now challenges the current presidency.

For this unique mission, SIGMA is aided by a pair of special operatives with unique talents: former Army Ranger Captain Tucker Wayne and his military war dog, Kane. But what should be a straightforward rescue turns into a fiery ambush and a deadly act of betrayal, as Gray and his team discover that the hostage is a pawn in a shattering act of terrorism with dark repercussions. And the danger is only beginning...

Halfway around the world, a firebombing at a fertility clinic in South Carolina exposes a conspiracy that goes back centuries…a scheme that lies within our genetic code. With time against them, SIGMA must race to save an innocent unborn baby whose very existence raises questions about the nature of humanity, asking:

Could you live forever?

Would you live forever?

Guest Post: “Libraries and Civilization” by Jo Walton (& Giveaway!)

In 2004, I went to the World Science Fiction Convention in Boston, and after the con I went with some friends to see the Mary Baker Eddy Library and its amazing Mapparium, It’s a globe made entirely of stained glass which you can walk inside – it has room for maybe a dozen people. It has amazing acoustics, which the guide encouraged us to test. People were doing various things, and I did my standard thing I do when asked to “say something”, Keats “On First Looking Into Chapman’s Homer”. I’ve been using it for mic tests for years. Inside the globe it sounded wonderful, even more wonderful than usual, because of the acoustics and because of being surrounded by the glowing glass world. It’s a sonnet about the amazing wonderful power of reading. In it, Keats is all excited about having read Chapman’s translation of Homer. He compares reading it to finding a new planet and even to discovering the Pacific.

GIVEAWAY! Cherie Priest’s “Clockwork Century” Series (Tor)

So, it’s been a while since I had a giveaway on CR. Thankfully, the lovely people who handle Cherie Priest’s UK publicity have offered one complete set of the author’s Clockwork Century series (below) to be won by one lucky reader of this here humble blog.

All you have to do is email me at…

civilian.reader[at]blogspot.co.uk

… to be in with a chance to get your hands on this complete set. This is UK-only, unfortunately, but fear not international readers – I have a few more giveaways coming up over the next couple of weeks that are open to all.

I’ll leave this open for one week (March 19th 2013), and the winner will be notified via email and also in the comment thread.

WE SURVIVED! So here’s a Giveaway from Night Shade Books…

So, we all made it through the Mayan Apocalypse that wasn’t. I won’t lie, I’m a little disappointed nothing happened (it could have been interesting…), but whatyagonnado? There is, however, one reason to be very thankful that we all made it, and that’s this new giveaway from Night Shade Books! The directions are really very simple:

1). Send an email to stillhere@nightshadebooks.com

2). You’ll receive an auto response with a username, password and link to our download site

3). Visit the site.

4). You’ll then be able to download the .epub or .mobi files of three of Night Shade’s most exciting and appropriately apocalyptic titles:

That’s a pretty awesome selection.

Celebrating 25yrs of CULTURE (Iain M. Banks)

Today, Orbit Books (and Civilian Reader and many others) are celebrating 25 years of Iain M. Banks’s Culture series! The series started with CONSIDER PHLEBAS in 1987, and continues this year with THE HYDROGEN SONATA, the New York Times bestseller that Orbit published last month.

To help others celebrate this milestone, I am happy to offer a copy of the Culture boxed set, which is also out this month, to one lucky Civilian Reader… uh, reader.

The boxset includes CONSIDER PHLEBAS, PLAYER OF GAMES, and USE OF WEAPONS

To be in with a chance to get your mitts on this boxset, all you have to do is leave a comment, below (please include a way of getting in touch – a Twitter handle or anti-spam email), or emailing me at…

civilian.reader[at]hotmail.co.uk

I’ll pick the winner (using some form of random-number generator or I’ll find some dice from somewhere) on Monday, December 3rd.

In the meantime, check out the synopsis for The Hydrogen Sonata:

The Scavenger species are circling. It is, truly, the End Days for the Gzilt civilization.

An ancient people, organized on military principles and yet almost perversely peaceful, the Gzilt helped set up the Culture ten thousand years earlier and were very nearly one of its founding societies, deciding not to join only at the last moment. Now they’ve made the collective decision to follow the well-trodden path of millions of other civilizations; they are going to Sublime, elevating themselves to a new and almost infinitely more rich and complex existence.

Amid preparations though, the Regimental High Command is destroyed. Lieutenant Commander (reserve) Vyr Cossont appears to have been involved, and she is now wanted — dead, not alive. Aided only by an ancient, reconditioned android and a suspicious Culture avatar, Cossont must complete her last mission given to her by the High Command. She must find the oldest person in the Culture, a man over nine thousand years old, who might have some idea what really happened all that time ago. It seems that the final days of the Gzilt civilization are likely to prove its most perilous.

This giveaway is open to all.

James Treadwell TREASURE HUNT!

There are five “e-flyers” – featuring beautifully designed quotes from the book – hidden on five blogs across the web (one flyer on each blog). The challenge: Find all five!

To be in with a chance of winning a selection of fantasy novels from Hodder (see below), send a message to Hodder’s Facebook containing the names of the five blogs.

Prize Pack:

Advent by James Treadwell, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, The Straight Razor Cure by Daniel Polansky, The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, The Gunslinger by Stephen King

Giveaway: THE RETURN MAN by V.M. Zito (Hodder)

To celebrate the UK mass-market paperback release of V.M. Zito’s excellent post-apocalyptic zombie tale, Hodder has been running a number of giveaways. Including this one! I read the novel last year – and really enjoyed it – so to whet your appetite, here’s the synopsis:

The outbreak tore the US in two. The east remains a safe haven. The west has become a ravaged wilderness, known by survivors as the Evacuated States. It is here that Henry Marco makes his living. Hired by grieving relatives, he tracks down the dead and delivers peace.

Now Homeland Security wants Marco for a mission unlike any other. He must return to California, where the apocalypse began. Where a secret is hidden. And where his own tragic past waits to punish him again. But in the wastelands of America, you never know who — or what — is watching you.

In order to be in with a chance of winning one of FIVE copies of the novel, all you have to do is either…

… leave a comment with some form of contact info (Twitter handle, anti-spam-style email address, etc.)

… email me at the address at the very bottom of the page

This will be a relatively short giveaway, so I’ll be leaving this open for one week – until midnight, Thursday 15th November. This giveaway is UK ONLY. I’ll announce the winners, who will be picked at random, on here (in the comment thread and also in a new post, probably) shortly thereafter.

Sorry about that readers from elsewhere, but I’ll see what I can do about a worldwide or regional giveaway in the near future.

Our World, But Wrong (Summer Giveaway #3)

In this third giveaway, up for grabs are three novels of our world, only not as we know it. As with the two Black Library giveaways, I either have multiple copies of these books, or have replaced them with eBooks so I can more-easily take them with me to the US.

To enter, please either email your details to the Civilian Reader address (at the bottom of the page), or leave your name in the comments along with some way of getting in touch with you if possible (Twitter handle or anti-spam-version of an email address, for example).

Unfortunately, this giveaway is limited to UK and EU. Sorry about this, it’s just too expensive to ship stuff further afield. I still intend to run more for North & South America from September.

Giveaway: Tom Pollock’s The City’s Son, Kate Locke’s God Save the Queen, Paolo Bacigalupi’s Ship Breaker & The Drowned Cities.

It’s a short-run giveaway, too, so I’ll be drawing the winners on Wednesday 29th August – one will get The City’s Son, one will get God Save the Queen, and one will get both Ship Breaker and The Drowned Cities.

Please remember to state which one you’re interested in, if you have a preference.

Summer Giveaway #1 & 2: Black Library

So. I’m heading back across the Pond for the rest of 2012 (at least), and that means I’m going through another Replace-With-eBook Clear-Out. And, just like last year, this means I’m going to be running a few giveaways. I would much rather give these books to readers than just dump them on a charity shop or library. I’ll try to keep the giveaways thematic, too: there will be two Black Library ones, one alternate-London selection, and maybe specific fantasy and Sci-Fi giveaways as well. I’ll list 2-3 per week.

To enter, please either email your details to the Civilian Reader address (at the bottom of the page), or leave your name in the comments along with some way of getting in touch with you if possible (Twitter handle or anti-spam-version of an email address, for example). Please state which giveaway you’re interested in, too, although you can say both.

Unfortunately, these will be limited to UK and EU. Sorry about this, it’s just too expensive to ship stuff further afield. I’ll try to run more for North America from September.

To kick things off, here are the two Black Library giveaways:

Ciaphas Cain

Everyone’s favourite Imperial Guard anti-hero, this giveaway is for the latest two volumes in the series by Sandy Mitchell: The Emperor’s Finest (paperback) and The Last Ditch (hardcover).

Warhammer & Warhammer 40,000

A more general selection of recent Black Library releases, all of which I’ve either read and reviewed already, or replaced with eBook editions to read later: Path of the Renegade by Andy Chambers, Phalanx by Ben Counter, The Gotrek & Felix Anthology edited by Christian Dunn, and Luthor Huss by Chris Wraight.

I’ll leave this running until midnight (GMT) on Friday 24th August.

Artwork: THE ASSASSIN’S CURSE by Cassandra Clarke (Strange Chemistry) + Giveaway!

Here we have yet another interesting cover for one of Strange Chemistry’s upcoming, first wave of releases. And I really like it – especially the designs around the edges that look like Arabic text (they remind me ever-so-slightly of the Turkish signatures I used to see when I lived in Istanbul – the beautiful intricacy, only pared back quite considerably in this instance). It’s not as immediately eye-catching as the previous two Strange Chemistry covers I’ve seen (for Shift and Blackwood), but it’s still really nice and the novel sounds pretty cool.

Gini Koch Giveaway Winner!

As offered alongside the interview with Gini Koch, I can now announce the winner of the giveaway, for a personalised copy of any one of Ms. Koch’s novels:

“Jen B”

I’ve contacted Jen with details. Sorry to everyone who didn’t win, but keep reading the blog, and you may see more giveaways in the future!

Giveaway Winner! (HELEN LOWE)

And the winner of last week’s The Gathering of the Lost giveaway is…

Christopher Parvin (@Ghostlandia)

Congratulations! I’ll get in touch to sort out delivery of your book.

Check back tomorrow for another interview and giveaway!

An Interview with HELEN LOWE + Giveaway!

The second volume in Helen Lowe’s Wall of Night series, The Gathering of the Lost, has recently been released worldwide. To celebrate the book’s release, and learn a little bit more about it, I decided to get in touch with Helen, and see if she’d be interested in talking about her novels, writing process, and more. In addition, if you read right until the end, there are also details of a giveaway…