The Qwillery

Kira Jane Buxton (2019) Feral Creatures
Grand Central Publishing, August 24, 2021
Hardcover and eBook, 368 pages

In this stunning follow-up to Hollow Kingdom, the animal kingdom's "favorite apocalyptic hero"is back with a renewed sense of hope for humanity, ready to take on a world ravaged by a viral pandemic (Helen Macdonald).

Once upon an apocalypse, there lived an obscenely handsome American crow named S.T. . . .

When the world last checked-in with its favorite Cheeto addict, the planet had been overrun by flesh-hungry beasts, and nature had started re-claiming her territory from humankind. S.T., the intrepid crow, alongside his bloodhound-bestie Dennis, had set about saving pets that had become trapped in their homes after humanity went the way of the dodo.

That is, dear reader, until S.T. stumbled upon something so rare—and so precious—that he vowed to do everything in his power to safeguard what could, quite literally, be humanity's last hope for survival. But in a wild world plagued by prejudiced animals, feather-raising environments, new threats so terrifying they make zombies look like baby bunnies, and a horrendous dearth of cheesy snacks, what's a crow to do?

Why, wing it on another big-hearted, death-defying adventure, that's what! Joined by a fabulous new cast of animal characters, S.T. faces many new challenges plus his biggest one yet: parenthood.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Bookshop : Books-A-Million : IndieBound : Powell's
Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

Peter Newman (2015) The Boundless
The Deathless Trilogy 3
HarperVoyager, August 17, 2021
Trade Paperback, 448 pages
HarperVoyager, August 6, 2020
eBook, 448 pages

The thrilling conclusion to an epic trilogy of dynastic struggles in a world of crystal castles, winged knights, and savage wilderness.

THE BATTLE
House Sapphire has a new leader, but High Lord Vasinidra cannot stand still for a moment. The monsters of the Wild are hunting with a new intelligence and purpose, and one Deathless family is already on the brink of extinction.

THE BETRAYERS
In the forests of the Wild, Chandni faces a choice that will transform her or destroy her. Far above, her two sons are reunited at last and forced to confront their true origins.

AND THE BOUNDLESS
Pari Tanzanite has never stayed within the rules. On a desperate journey to the source of her world’s magic, Pari will discover secrets even she could never have imagined – secrets that will change the rules completely.

A NEW POWER IS APPROACHING

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Books-A-Million : IndieBound : Powell's
Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

Book One

Book Two

Matthew Ward (2020) Legacy of Light
The Legacy Trilogy 3
Orbit, August 17, 2021
Trade Paperback and eBook, 800 pages
Legacy of Light is the spectacular conclusion to Matthew Ward's acclaimed Legacy trilogy—an unmissable epic fantasy series of war and intrigue perfect for fans of George R. R. Martin, Brent Weeks, and Brandon Sanderson. For the first time in many years, the Tressian Republic and the Hadari Empire are at peace. But darkness never sleeps. In Tregard, Empress Melanna Saranal struggles to protect a throne won at great cost. In Tressia, Lord Protector Viktor Droshna seeks to restore all he's lost through forbidden means. And as the sins of the past are once more laid bare, every road will lead to war. The Legacy Trilogy
Legacy of Ash
Legacy of Steel
Legacy of Light
Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Bookshop : Books-A-Million : IndieBound : Powell's
Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

Book One

Book Two

Nicky Drayden (2017) Escaping Exodus: Symbiosis
Harper Voyager, February 23, 2021
Trade Paperback and eBook, 336 pages

The Compton Crook Award-winning author weaves her trademark blend of science fiction and dark humor in this dazzling story that continues the imaginative saga begun in Escaping Exodus, in which a society lives in the belly of a beast—and an entire civilization's survival depends on a pair of uneasy allies who must come together for one epic battle.

Nearly a thousand years removed from Earth, the remnants of humanity cling to existence inside giant, space faring creatures known as the Zenzee. Abused and exploited by humans for generations, these majestic animals nearly went extinct, but under the command of its newly minted ruler, Doka Kaleigh, life in the Parados I has flourished. Thanks to careful oversight and sacrifice by all of its crew, they are now on the brink of utopia, and yet Doka’s rivals feel threatened by that success.

The Senate allowed Doka to lead their people believing he’d fail spectacularly—a disaster that would cement the legitimacy of their long-standing matriarchy. Despite vocal opposition and blatant attacks on his authority, Doka has continued to handle his position with grace and intelligence; he knows a single misstep means disaster. When a cataclysmic event on another Zenzee world forces Doka and his people to accept thousands of refugees, a culture clash erupts, revealing secrets from the past that could endanger their future. For Doka, the stakes are bigger and more personal than ever before—and could cost him his reign and his heart.

He has fallen for the one woman he is forbidden to love: his wife, Seske.

Doka and Seske must work closely together to sway the other Zenzee worlds to stop their cycles of destruction. But when they stumble upon a discovery that can transform their world, they know they must prepare to fight a battle where there can be no winners, only survivors.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : BookShop : Books-A-Million : IndieBound
Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

T. Frohock (2011) A Song With Teeth
A Los Nefilim Novel 3
Harper Voyager February 9, 2021
Trade Paperback and eBook, 432 pages

As the Allied forces battle to defeat the Nazis, a shadow war rages between angels and daimons fighting for the soul of humanity in this thrilling conclusion to the critically acclaimed Los Nefilim historical fantasy series.

The year is 1944, and the daimons are rising.

With the Inner Guard thrown into disarray by the German blitzkrieg, the daimon-born nefilim of the Scorpion Court gather in Paris, scheming to restore their rule over the mortal realm. Working as a double-agent, Diago Alvarez infiltrates his family’s daimonic court, but soon finds himself overwhelmed by his kin’s multiple deceits.

Meanwhile, Ysabel Ramírez hunts a Psalm that will assist Operation Overlord, the Allies’ invasion of Normandy. Her objective takes her to Paris—into the heart of territories controlled by Die Nephilim and her power-hungry uncle, Jordi Abelló, who seeks the same Psalm in his quest to wrest control of Los Nefilim from her father. When their paths cross, he abducts her and leaves her to the mercy of his Nazi followers.

But Ysabel is as cunning and bold as Jordi. She knows only one of them can survive to one day rule Los Nefilim, and she’s determined to be the one to succeed her father as queen.

Trapped in her uncle’s château hidden deep within the Fontainebleau forest, Ysabel discovers the truth behind her uncle’s lust for dominance: those that wear the signet of the Thrones are not blessed . . . they are cursed. And it may take a miracle to end this war once and for all.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : BookShop : Books-A-Million : IndieBound
Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

Peter Newman (2015) The Ruthless
The Deathless Trilogy 2
HarperVoyager, February 2, 2021
Trade Paperback, 448 pages
eBook, June 13, 2019

Return to a world of crystal armour, savage wilderness, and corrupt dynasties in book two of The Deathless series from Gemmell award-winning author Peter Newman.

THE REBEL For years, Vasin Sapphire has been waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Now, as other Deathless families come under constant assault from the monsters that roam the Wild, that time has come.

THE RUTHLESS In the floating castle of Rochant Sapphire, loyal subjects await the ceremony to return their ruler to his rightful place. But the child raised to give up his body to Lord Rochant is no ordinary servant. Strange and savage, he will stop at nothing to escape his gilded prison.

AND THE RETURNED… Far below, another child yearns to see the human world. Raised by a creature of the Wild, he knows their secrets better than any other. As he enters into the struggle between the Deathless houses, he may be the key to protecting their power or destroying it completely.

THE WILD HAS BEGUN TO RISE

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : BookShop : Books-A-Million : IndieBound
Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

It is Monday. There are no debuts this week.

From formerly featured DAC Authors:

Jesus and John by Adam McOmber;

The Deathless (The Deathless Trilogy 1) by Peter Newman;

The Nobody People (The Resonant Duology 1) by Bob Proehl is out in Trade Paperback;

and

The House of Whispers by Laura Purcell.

Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in green.

June 7, 2020

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The New Singapore Horror Collection	S.J. Huang	H - Collection
Jesus and John	Adam McOmber	HistF/H
The Last Server	H.J. Pang	SF/PA

June 8, 2020

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Claim the Dragon (e)	A.C. Arthur	PNR - The Legion 2

June 9, 2020

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Winds of Wrath	Taylor Anderson	SF/AH - Destroyermen 15
The Attic Tragedy	J Ashley-Smith	DF
Dragon Unleashed	Grace Draven	The RF/FR/PF - Fallen Empire 2
The Worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien: The Places That Inspired Middle-earth	John Garth	LC/SF/F
China Dream (h2tp)	Ma Jian Flora Drew (Tr)	AH/BHU/Pol/Dys/China/LF
Spy, Spy Again	Mercedes Lackey	F - Valdemar: Family Spies 3
Shadowborn	Katie MacAlister	RF - A Born Prophecy Novel 3
The One (tp2mm)	John Marrs	LF/GenEng/Dys
Eminent Domain	Carl Neville	SF/M
The Deathless	Peter Newman	F/DF - The Deathless Trilogy 1
The Nobody People (h2tp)	Bob Proehl	SF/LF/Dys - The Resonant Duology 1
The House of Whispers	Laura Purcell	Hist/Gothic/M
Alpha Night	Nalini Singh	PNR/SFR/PF - Psy-Changeling Trinity 4
The Glamourist	Luanne G. Smith	HistF/F/RF - Vine Witch 2
Ghosts of Sherwood	Carrie Vaughn	F/HistF
Agents of Influence	Dayton Ward	SF - Star Trek: The Original Series

June 10, 2020

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Rainbow Brigade	J.A. Pitts	CF - Sarah Beauhall 5
We're Here, We're Here: A Tor.com Original	K.M. Szpara	SF/GenEng

June 11, 2020

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Those Below The Tree House	Matt Hayward	H
What Hell May Come	Rex Hurst	Occ/H
Body Tourists (h2tp)	Jane Rogers	Dys/LF

D - Debut
e - eBook
Ed - Editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
Ke - Kindle eBook
ri - reissue or reprint
tp2mm - Trade Paperback to Mass Market Paperback
Tr - Translator



AC - Alien Contact
AF - Afrofuturism
AH - Alternative History
AP - Apocalyptic
BlHu - Black Humor
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
CW - Contemporary Women
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humorous
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
LMF - Legends, Myths, Fables
M - Mystery
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PF - Paranormal Fantasy
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Pol - Political
PopCul - Popular Culture
Psy - Psychological
PsyTh - Psychological Thriller
RF - Romantic Fantasy
SE - Space Exploration
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SH - Superheroes
SO - Space Opera
SpecFic - Speculative Fiction
SS - Short Stories
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
TT - Time Travel

Note: Not all genres and formats are found in the books, etc. listed above.

Marshall Ryan Maresca (2015)

The Way of the Shield
The Maradaine Elite 1
DAW, October 9, 2018
Mass Market Paperback, 368 pages

The first novel in the Maradaine Elite series blends fast-paced high fantasy and political intrigue.

Dayne Heldrin always dreamed of being a member of the Tarian Order. In centuries past, the Elite Orders of Druthal were warriors that stood for order, justice, and the common people. But now, with constables, King’s Marshals, and a standing army, there is little need for such organizations, and the Tarian Order is one of the last remnants of this ancient legacy. Nevertheless, Dayne trained his body and mind, learned the arts of defense and fighting, to become a candidate for the Tarian Order.

When a failed rescue puts Dayne at fault for injuring the child of a powerful family, his future with the Tarians is in jeopardy. The Parliament controls the purse strings for the Order, and Dayne has angered the wrong members of Parliament. He returns to the capital city of Maradaine in shame, ready to be cast out of the Order when the period of his candidacy ends.

Dayne finds Maradaine in turmoil, as revolutions and dark conspiracies brew around him, threatening members of Parliament and common people alike. Dayne is drawn into the uproar, desperate not to have one more death or injury on his conscience, but the Order wants him to stay out of the situation. The city threatens to tear itself apart, and Dayne must decide between his own future and his vow to always stand between the helpless and harm.

Peter Newman (2015)

The Deathless
HarperVoyager UK, June 14, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 400 pages

From one of fantasy’s biggest recent breakthrough authors comes an exciting, brand new series.

The demons...

In the endless forests of the Wild, humanity scratches a living by the side of the great Godroads, paths of crystal that provide safe passage and hold back the infernal tide. Creatures lurk within the trees, watching, and plucking those who stray too far from safety.

The Deathless...

In crystal castles held aloft on magical currents, seven timeless royal families reign, protecting humanity from the spread of the Wild and its demons. Born and reborn into flawless bodies, the Deathless are as immortal as the precious stones from which they take their names. For generations a fragile balance has held.

And the damned...

House Sapphire, one of the ancient Deathless families, is riven by suspicion and madness. Whole villages are disappearing as the hunting expeditions holding the Wild at bay begin to fail.

Then, when assassins strike, House Sapphire shatters.

Nothing lasts forever.

The Deathless is the first novel in an astonishing new series from Gemmell award-winning author Peter Newman.

Note: This is a UK release.

K Arsenault Rivera (2017)

The Phoenix Empress
Their Bright Ascendency 2
Tor Books, October 9, 2018
Trade Paperback and eBook, 400 pages

The Phoenix Empress, the sequel to K Arsenault Rivera' the wildly buzzed about The Tiger's Daughter, an epic historical fantasy in the vein of Patrick Rothfuss and Naomi Novik

"Rich, expansive, and grounded in human truth...simply exquisite.” —V. E. Schwab, New York Times bestselling author of the Shades of Magic series on The Tiger's Daughter

The Tiger's Daughter was...
Indie Next List October 2017 Pick
Paste Magazine's 10 Most Anticipated Books in October 2017
io9's Best Books Coming in 2017
The Verge's SF/F Books to Read in October 2017
BookRiot's Most Anticipated Titles of 2017
Medium's Most Anticipated Books of 2017
Bookish's Fall 2017's Hottest SF/F Books

Since she was a child, the divine empress O Shizuka has believed she was an untouchable god. When her uncle, ruler of the Hokkaran Empire, sends her on a suicide mission as a leader of the Imperial Army, the horrors of war cause her to question everything she knows.

Thousands of miles away, the exiled and cursed warrior Barsalyya Shefali undergoes trials the most superstitious would not believe in order to return to Hokkaran court and claim her rightful place next to O Shizuka.

As the distance between disgraced empress and blighted warrior narrows, a familiar demonic force grows closer to the heart of the empire. Will the two fallen warriors be able to protect their home?

Happy Monday and Happy President's Day to those in the US.

There are 5 debuts this week:

The Book of Mirrors by E. O. Chirovici;

Kings of the Wyld (The Band 1) by Nicholas Eames;

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan;

The Mercy of the Tide by Keith Rosson;

and

Cold Counsel by Chris Sharp.



And from formerly featured DAC Authors:

The Devourers by Indra Das is out in Trade Paperback;

Enemy (Seven Eyes 3) by Betsy Dornbusch;

The Vagrant and the City (Vagrant Short Story) by Peter Newman;

The Fallen (The Darkest Hand Trilogy 2) by Tarn Richardson;

A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic 3) by V. E. Schwab;

and

Empire's End: Aftermath (Star Wars: The Aftermath Trilogy 3) by Chuck Wendig.

Debut novels are highlighted in green. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in blue.

February 20, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Humans, Bow Down (e)	James Patterson Emily Raymond	Th

February 21, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Book of Mirrors (D)	E. O. Chirovici	LF
Cassius	Ben Counter	SF - Space Marine Legends 2
The Devourers (h2tp)	Indra Das	DF/LF/HistF
Driving Rain	Sierra Dean	UF - Rain Chaser
Enemy	Betsy Dornbusch	F - Seven Eyes 3
Kings of the Wyld (D)	Nicholas Eames	F - The Band
The Book of Etta	Meg Elison	SF/AP/PA - The Road to Nowhere 2
Dark Promises (h2mm)	Christine Feehan	PNR - Carpathian 29
Firestorm: Volume 2: A Dragon Romance (e)	Donna Grant	PNR - Dark Kings
The Keeper of Lost Things (D)	Ruth Hogan	Fiction
Lady of Silver (e)	Shona Husk	PNR - Blood & Silver 1
Steal the Lightning	Tim Lees	UF - Field Ops 3
Through The Gate in the Sea	Howard Andrew Jones	F - Pathfinder Tales 37
The Great Wall - The Official Movie Novelization	Mark Morris	F/P
The Bird's Child	Sandra Leigh Price	Fiction
The Fallen (e)	Tarn Richardson	DF - The Darkest Hand Trilogy 2
The Mercy of the Tide (D)	Keith Rosson	AH/MR/LF
A Conjuring of Light	V. E. Schwab	HistF - Shades of Magic 3
Cold Counsel (D)	Chris Sharp	F
Interior Darkness: Selected Stories (h2tp)	Peter Straub	H - Collection
Dark Blood (e)	James M. Thompson	DF - Elijah Pike Vampire Chronicles 2
Empire's End: Aftermath	Chuck Wendig	SF/SO - Star Wars: The Aftermath Trilogy 3
Wardens of the Everqueen	C L Werner	F - The Realmgate Wars 5

February 22, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Losing Heart Among the Tall: A Tor.com Original (e)	A. M. Dellamonica	F

February 23, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Fierce Gods (e)	Col Buchanan	F - Heart of the World 4
The Fortunate Fall (ri)	Raphael Carter	SF
Carnivalesque (e)	Neil Jordan	LF/F
Science Fiction Criticism: An Anthology of Essential Writings	Rob Latham	HC/SF
The Vagrant and the City (e)	Peter Newman	F - Vagrant Short Story
Players of the Game (e)	Graeme K. Talboys	F - Shadow in the Storm 3

February 24, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Stone Cold Bastards	Jake Bible	UF

D - Debut
e - eBook
Ed - Editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
Ke - Kindly only eBook
mm - Mass Market Paperback
ri - reissue or reprint
tp2mm - Trade to Mass Market Paperback



AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternate History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
CW - Contemporary Women
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GB - Genre Bender
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghosts
GN - Graphic Novel
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HU - Humor
LC - Literary Criticism
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legends and Mythology
M - Mystery
Meta - Metaphysical
MR - Magical Realism
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PM - Paranormal Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Pol - Political
Psy - Psychological
PsyTh - Psychological Thriller
R - Romance
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SH - Superheroes
SO - Steampunk
Sup - Supernatural
SupM - Supernatural Mystery
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy
UFR - Urban Fantasy Romance
Vis - Visionary


Note: Not all genres and formats are found in the books, etc. listed above.

Emma Newman (2013)

A Little Knowledge
The Split Worlds Book 4
Diversion Books, August 2, 2016
Trade Paperback and eBook, 362 pages

The long-awaited return to Emma Newman’s popular fantasy series, A Little Knowledge takes us back to the Split Worlds, where dynastic families feud across the ages, furthering the agendas of their cruel supernatural patrons.

“Emma Newman is an extraordinary new voice in SF/F.” ―Paul Cornell, Hugo Award winner, and author of London Falling and Saucer Country

Cathy and Will are now the Duchess and Duke of Londinium, the biggest Fae-touched Nether city, but they have different ideas of what their authority offers. Pressured by his Fae patron, Lord Iris, Will struggles to maintain total control whilst knowing he must have a child with his difficult wife. Cathy wants to muscle the Court through two hundred years of social change and free it from its old-fashioned moral strictures. But Cathy learns just how dangerous it can be for a woman who dares to speak out…

Meanwhile, as Sam learns more about the Elemental Court it becomes clear that the Fae are not the only threat to humanity. Sam realises that he has to make enemies of the most powerful people on the planet, or risk becoming the antithesis of all he believes in.

Threatened by secret societies, hidden power networks and Fae machinations, can Sam and Cathy survive long enough to make the changes they want to see in the world?

Between Two Thorns
The Split Worlds Book 1
Diversion Books, August 2, 2016
Trade Paperback and eBook, 334 pages

Beautiful and nuanced as it is dangerous, the manners of Regency and Victorian England blend into a scintillating fusion of urban fantasy and court intrigue.

Between Mundanus, the world of humans, and Exilium, the world of the Fae, lies the Nether, a mirror-world where the social structure of 19th-century England is preserved by Fae-touched families who remain loyal to their ageless masters. Born into this world is Catherine Rhoeas-Papaver, who escapes it all to live a normal life in Mundanus, free from her parents and the strictures of Fae-touched society. But now she’s being dragged back to face an arranged marriage, along with all the high society trappings it entails.

Crossing paths with Cathy is Max, an Arbiter of the Split Worlds treaty with a dislocated soul who polices the boundaries between the worlds, keeping innocents safe from the Fae. After a spree of kidnappings and the murder of his fellow Arbiters, Max is forced to enlist Cathy’s help in unravelling a high-profile disappearance within the Nether. Getting involved in the machinations of the Fae, however, may prove fatal to all involved.

Any Other Name
The Split Worlds Book 2
Diversion Books, August 2, 2016
Trade Paperback and eBook, 344 pages

Thought-provoking, wonderfully inventive, and filled with treachery and mystery, the soaring second book in the Split Worlds Series pulls Cathy, Will, Max, and Sam deeper into the twisted world of Fae-touched society.

Cathy has been reluctantly married into the Iris family and moves to Londinium, the magical Nether reflection of London, setting her on a collision course with the restrictive, high-pressure social circles that demand propriety and obedience, things the vocal and free-spirited Cathy cannot abide. Will, meanwhile, is trying to find a compromise for his new bride, but whispers in his ear are urging him towards dark deeds…

Sam, determined to dive back into the world of Exilium to rescue innocents, crosses paths with Cathy and Max once again as Max and the gargoyle uncover more information about the mysterious Agency and the chain of events that wiped out the Bath Chapter. Sacrifices, terrible deals, and dreadful revelations mark this second installment of Emma Newman’s wondrous Split Worlds series.

All is Fair
The Split Worlds Book 3
Diversion Books, August 2, 2016
Trade Paperback and eBook, 350 pages

Caught in the insidious designs of powerful puppet-masters and playing a life-or-death game for control, Cathy and her comrades face their greatest challenge yet: changing the balance of power in the Split Worlds.

Now at the heart of the Londinium Court, deceit and murder track Will’s steps as he assumes his new role as Duke. Faced with threats to his throne and his life, the consequences of his bloody actions are already coming back to haunt him...

Meanwhile, Cathy, wrestling with the constraints of the Agency and Dame Iris, comes to terms with her new status in Fae-touched society and seeks others who feel just as restricted by its outdated social rules. As Max works with Cathy to uncover the horrors that underpin Fae-touched society, he bears witness as the final blow is struck against the last Sorcerers in Albion…

Darkly imaginative, vividly detailed, and genre-defying in scope, ALL IS FAIR is at once a thrilling and intellectual journey into worlds beyond sight.

After Atlas
A Planetfall Novel 2
Roc, November 8, 2016
Trade Paperback and eBook, 336 pages

Acclaimed author Emma Newman returns to the captivating universe she created in Planetfall with a stunning science fiction mystery where one man’s murder is much more than it seems…

Govcorp detective Carlos Moreno was only a baby when Atlas left Earth to seek truth among the stars. But in that moment, the course of Carlos’s entire life changed. Atlas is what took his mother away; what made his father lose hope; what led Alejandro Casales, leader of the religious cult known as the Circle, to his door. And now, on the eve of the fortieth anniversary of Atlas’s departure, it’s got something to do why Casales was found dead in his hotel room—and why Carlos is the man in charge of the investigation.

To figure out who killed one of the most powerful men on Earth, Carlos is supposed to put aside his personal history. But the deeper he delves into the case, the more he realizes that escaping the past is not so easy. There’s more to Casales’s death than meets the eye, and something much more sinister to the legacy of Atlas than anyone realizes…

Brother's Ruin
Industrial Magic 1
Tor.com, March 14, 2017
Trade Paperback and eBook, 160 pages

The year is 1850 and Great Britain is flourishing, thanks to the Royal Society of the Esoteric Arts. When a new mage is discovered, Royal Society elites descend like buzzards to snatch up a new apprentice. Talented mages are bought from their families at a tremendous price, while weak mages are snapped up for a pittance. For a lower middle class family like the Gunns, the loss of a son can be disastrous, so when seemingly magical incidents begin cropping up at home, they fear for their Archie's life and their own livelihoods.

But Archie Gunn isn't a talented mage. His sister Charlotte is, and to prevent her brother from being imprisoned for false reporting she combines her powers with his to make him seem a better prospect. However, maintaining the charade will mean masquerading as Archie's assistant, and delaying or destroying her own plans for marriage.

When she discovers a nefarious plot by the sinister Doctor Ledbetter, Charlotte must use all her cunning and guile to protect her family, her secret and her city.

Brother's Ruin is the first in a new gaslamp fantasy series by Emma Newman.

All Good Things
The Split Worlds Book 5
Diversion Books, June 6, 2017
Trade Paperback and eBook, 350 pages

As the Iris family consolidates their hold on Nether society, Will finds himself more powerful and yet more vulnerable than ever. His strongest supporters are gone, and his wife has left him, a fact that will destroy him if it comes out. To keep his position―and to stay alive―he needs to get her back, whatever the cost.

Cathy has finally escaped the Nether but finds her reliance on Sam’s protection chafing. When the mysterious sorceress, Bea, offers her a chance to earn true freedom, Cathy makes a deal with her. But can she and Sam work out the best way to navigate Bea’s plans for the future without becoming another of her victims? Meanwhile Sam finds that good deeds bring few rewards in the Elemental Court, and that the path to saving the world from self-destruction is strewn with blood, lawyers and sleepless nights.

Max and the gargoyle struggle to protect innocents as Rupert continues to be obsessed with finding Bea. As their fundamental beliefs in the way the Worlds work falters, they have to make difficult choices about where their loyalties lie.

Amidst death, deceit, and the struggle for freedom, friendships are tested, families are destroyed and heroes are forged as the battle to control the Split Worlds rages on to its climatic conclusion.

Peter Newman (2015)

The Hammer and the Goat
A Vagrant Short Story 1
Harper Voyager, October 20, 2016
eBook, 41 pages

The Malice
Vagrant 2
Harper Voyager, March 7, 2017
Trade Paperback and eBook, 464 pages

Following Peter Newman’s brilliant debut, THE VAGRANT. This is the much-anticipated sequel, THE MALICE.

In the south, the Breach stirs.

Gamma’s sword, the Malice, wakes, calling to be taken to battle once more.

But the Vagrant has found a home now, made a life and so he turns his back, ignoring its call.

The sword cries out, frustrated, until another answers.

Her name is Vesper.

Errick Nunnally (2014)

Wicked Witches
An Anthology of New England Horror Writers
NEHW Press, October 11, 2016
     Trade Paperback, 328 pages
NEHW Press, October 16, 2016
     eBook, 329 pages

New England has a rich, dark history with the supernatural. From this region many writers of dark fiction have fueled their stories. One chapter in history has been the stuff of legends and nightmares: the Witch. Look to ancient mythology or your next door neighbor and you will find them, practicing arts both Dark and Light. The New England Horror Writers proudly present a new anthology which pays tribute to those whose ancestors were accused, hung, pressed, drowned, or burned at the stake. Enter these pages, wander the hard roads of Colonial America or modern corporate boardrooms, to face the Witch.

Wicked Witches, fiction from New England’s most talented writers: G.D. Dearborn, Barry Lee Dejasu, Peter N. Dudar, Jeremy Flagg, Joshua Goudreau, Catherine Grant, Jan Kozlowski, Patrick Lacey, Izzy Lee, Nick Manzolillo, John McIlveen, Paul McMahon, James A. Moore, Errick A. Nunnally, Ogmios, Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert, Doug Rinaldi, Rob Smales, Morgan Sylvia, K.H. Vaughan, Morven Westfield and Trisha J. Wooldridge

Introduction by Penny Dreadful; Cover art by Mikio Murakami

Bishop O'Connell (2014)

The Returned
An American Faerie Tale 4
Harper Voyager Impulse, July 12, 2016
     eBook, 432 pages
Harper Voyager Impulse, August 23, 2016
     Mass Market Paperback, 432 pages

Almost a year after their wedding, and two since their daughter Fiona was rescued from a kidnapping by dark faeries, life has finally settled down for Caitlin and Edward. They maintain a façade of normalcy, but a family being watched over by the fae’s Rogue Court is far from ordinary. Still, it seems the perfect time to go on their long-awaited honeymoon, so they head to New Orleans.

Little do they know, New Orleans is at the center of a territory their Rogue Court guardians hold no sway in, so the Court sends in Wraith, a teenage spell slinger, to watch over them. It’s not long before they discover an otherworldly force is overtaking the city, raising the dead, and they’re drawn into a web of dark magic. At the same time, a secret government agency tasked with protecting the mortal world against the supernatural begins their own investigation of the case. But the culprit may not be the villain everyone expects. Can Wraith, Caitlin, and Edward stop whoever is bringing the vengeful dead back to life before another massacre, and before an innocent is punished for crimes beyond her control?

Megan E. O'Keefe (2016)

Break the Chains
Scorched Continent 2
Angry Robot, October 1, 2016
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 400 pages
Cover art: Kim Sokol

A year has passed since Detan set the skies above Aransa on fire, and the armies of Aransa’s new dictator Thratia are preparing to knock on the door of his aunt’s city, Hond Steading…

As the city that produces the most selium – that precious gas that elevates airships and powers strange magic – Hond Steading is a jewel worth stealing. To shore up the city’s defenses, Detan promises his aunt that he’ll recover Nouli, the infamous engineer who built the century gates that protect the imperial capital of Valathea. But Nouli is imprisoned on the Remnant Isles, an impervious island prison run by the empire, and it’s Detan’s fault.

Detan doesn’t dare approach Nouli himself, so his companions volunteer to get themselves locked up to make contact with Nouli and convince him to help. Now Detan has to break them all out of prison, and he’s going to need the help of a half-mad doppel to do it.

File Under: Fantasy [ Century Gates | The Remnant Isles | Break In, Break Out | Away, Away and Up! ]

Inherit the Flame
Scorched Continent 3
Angry Robot, March 2, 2017
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 400 pages

After Detan retrieves the renowned engineer Nouli from the clutches of the empire, he returns his aunt’s city to find it under siege by Thratia’s army. With Nouli’s help, they turn back the tide – until imperial forces show up, prepared to hammer Thratia’s army against the anvil of the city’s walls. Worse yet, the imperial advance is aided by an elite force of deviant magic users.

His aunt is forced to forge an uneasy alliance with Thratia to keep the city from falling back under imperial control – but Detan’s wary. While Thratia and his aunt bring their forces to bear against the imperial threat, Detan puts his own plans into motion, scheming to ensure that when the final blow is dealt, Thratia and her army find themselves on the other side of the city’s walls.

File Under: Fantasy

Happy Monday! Only 15 days until Halloween!

There are 3 debuts this week (don't forget to vote in the October Cover Wars here):

The Next by Stephanie Gangi;

Carrier by Timothy Johnson;

and

Only the Dead Know Burbank by Bradford Tatum.




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

The Hammer and the Goat by Peter Newman;

Reanimatrix by Pete Rawlik;

and

Of Flame and Light (Weird Girls 7 / Taran's Book 2) by Cecy Robson.




Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured Debut Author Challenge Authors are highlighted in green.






October 17, 2016

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Chemical Wedding: by Christian Rosencreutz: A Romance in Eight Days by Johann Valentin Andreae in a New Version (e)	John Crowley	Meta
Pirate Utopia (e)	Bruce Sterling	SF

October 18, 2016

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Isis Orb	Piers Anthony	F/Hu - The Xanth Novels 40
The Making of Outlander: The Series: The Official Guide to Seasons One & Two	Tara Bennett	TV/HistF - Outlander
Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead: Search and Destroy	Jay Bonansinga	H - The Walking Dead Series 7
A Closed and Common Orbit (e)	Becky Chambers	SF/SO - Wayfarers 2
The Watcher of Dead Time	Edward Cox	F - Relic Guild 3
The Man in the High Castle (ri)	Philip K. Dick	SF
The Tourist	Robert Dickinson	LF
The Secret History of Twin Peaks	Mark Frost	SupTh
The Next (D)	Stephanie Gangi	CW/GH
Little Sister Death (h2tp)	William Gay	LF/H/FairyT/FolkT/Gothic
Sun Born	Kathleen O'Neal Gear W. Michael Gear	Hist - North America's Forgotten Past
The Supernaturals	David Golemon	ParaTh
Immortal Defender (e)	Lisa Hendrix	PNR - Immortal Brotherhood 3
We Have Always Lived in the Castle (ri)	Shirley Jackson	LF/H/Gothic - Penguin Orange Collection
Carrier (D)	Timothy Johnson	SF/AP/PA
The Bazaar of Bad Dreams: Stories (h2mm)	Stephen King	F - Collection
Words Are My Matter: Writings About Life and Books, 2000-2016, with a Journal of a Writer's Week	Ursula K. Le Guin	Essays
The Found and the Lost: The Collected Novellas of Ursula K. Le Guin	Ursula K. Le Guin	F - Collection
The Unreal and the Real: The Selected Short Stories of Ursula K. Le Guin	Ursula K. Le Guin	F - Collection
A Gambler's Anatomy	Jonathan Lethem	LF/Hu/Th
The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories (ri)	H. P. Lovecraft S. T. Joshi (ed)	H - Penguin Orange Collection
Tankbread 4: Black Snow	Paul Mannering	SF/AP/PA - Tankbread 4
A Game of Thrones: The Illustrated Edition: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One	George R. R. Martin	F - A Song of Ice and Fire 1
Exploded View	Sam McPheeters	CyberP
The Star Trek Encyclopedia, Revised and Expanded Edition: A Reference Guide to the Future	Michael Okuda Denise Okuda	TV/SF - Star Trek
The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales	Dominik Parisien (Ed) Navah Wolfe (Ed)	FairyT - Anthology
Everything Belongs to the Future	Laurie Penny	CyberP
Discworld Diary 2017	Terry Pratchett & Friends Discworld Emporium	F
Reanimatrix	Pete Rawlik	P
Firewalk	Chris Roberson	UF/SupTh
Of Flame and Light	Cecy Robson	PNR - Weird Girls 7 / Taran's Book 2
Pathfinder Tales: Shy Knives	Sam Sykes	F - Pathfinder Tales 40
Only the Dead Know Burbank (D)	Bradford Tatum	H
Radiance (h2tp)	Catherynne M. Valente	SF/SO

October 19, 2016

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Dark Reflections (ri)	Samuel R. Delany	LF
Everything That Isn't Winter: A Tor.Com Original (e)	Margaret Killjoy	SF
Homefront Horrors: Frights Away From the Front Lines, 1914-1918	Jess Nevins (Ed)	H

October 20, 2016

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Honour Under Moonlight: A Tale of The God Fragments (e)	Tom Lloyd	F
The Hammer and the Goat (e)	Peter Newman	DF - Vagrant Short Story
Bridging Infinity (e)	Jonathan Strahan (Ed)	SF - The Infinity Project Anthology

D - Debut
e - eBook
Ed - Editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
Illus - Illustrator
ri - reissue or reprint
tp2mm - Trade to Mass Market Paperback



AH - Alternate History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CW - Contemporary Women
CyberP - CyberPunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F _ Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
Fict - Fiction
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghosts
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
Hu - Humor
LC - Literary Criticism
LF - Literary Fiction
M - Mystery
Meta - Metaphysical
MR - Magical Realism
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
ParaTh - Paranormal Thriller
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Psy - Psychological
R - Romance
SF - Science Fiction
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
TV - Television
UF - Urban Fantasy


Note: Not all of these genres and formats are represented in the books above.

Happy Monday! The sun is out here after a week a rain and there are 4 debuts this week!

The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley;

Too Like the Lightning (Terra Ignota 1) by Ada Palmer;

and

The Mirror Thief by Martin Seay.



And from formerly featured DAC Authors:

The Corsair by James L. Cambias is out in Trade Paperback;

The Voodoo Killings (Kincaide Strange 1) by Kristi Charish;

Love is Red (The Nightsong Trilogy 1) by Sophie Jaff is out in Trade Paperback;

The Enceladus Crisis (Daedalus 2) by Michael J. Martinez is out in Mass Market Paperback;

The Vagrant by Peter Newman is out in Hardcover;

and

Binary ((R)evolution 2) by Stephanie Saulter is out in Trade Paperback.








Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels by formerly featured Debut Author Challenge Authors are highlighted in green.



May 10, 2016

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Unburdened	David Annandale	SF - The Horus Heresy
Pyres of Armageddon (h2tp)	David Annandale	SF - Yarrick 2
Corsair: A Science Fiction Novel (h2tp)	James L. Cambias	SF
The Voodoo Killings	Kristi Charish	SF - Kincaide Strange 1
Nemesis Games (h2tp)	James S.A. Corey	SF - The Expanse 5
The World Engine	Ben Counter	SF - Space Marine Battles
Vengeance of the Demons	Rebekah R. Ganiere	PNR - The Society 3
Dark Orbit (h2tp)	Carolyn Ives Gilman	SF/AC
The Pier Falls: And Other Stories	Mark Haddon	LF/MR - Collection
The Stealers' War	Stephen Hunt	F -Far-Called Trilogy 3
The Loney (D)	Andrew Michael Hurley	LF/GO
Watchlist: 32 Stories by Persons of Interest	Bryan Hurt (Ed)	SF/LF - Anthology
Love Is Red (h2tp)	Sophie Jaff	H/F - The Nightsong Trilogy 1
Mongrels	Stephen Graham Jones	CoA/P/UF
Children of Earth and Sky	Guy Gavriel Kay	HistF
The Wolf in the Attic	Paul Kearney	F
A Whisper of Southern Lights	Tim Lebbon	HistF - The Assassins Series 2
The Corporation Wars: Dissidence	Ken MacLeod	SF - Corporation Wars 1
The Enceladus Crisis (tp2mm)	Michael J. Martinez	SF - Daedalus 2
The Alchemists' Council	Cynthea Masson	F
The Last Phoenix	Graham McNeill	SF - The Horus Heresy Omnibus 2
Secondhand Souls (h2tp)	Christopher Moore	Hu
The Vagrant	Peter Newman	DF
Too Like the Lightning (D)	Ada Palmer	SF - Terra Ignota 1
Binary (h2tp)	Stephanie Saulter	SF - (R)evolution 2
The Mirror Thief (D)	Martin Seay	Hist/M/Vis/Meta
The Potemkin Mosaic	Mark Teppo	SupTh
Central Station	Lavie Tidhar	AP/PA/CyberP
A Head Full of Ghosts (h2tp)	Paul Tremblay	H
Look Who's Back (h2tp)	Timur Vermes	Satire

May 11, 2016

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Pigeon Summer: A Tor.Com Original (e)	Brit Mandelo	F

May 13, 2016

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Operation Sea Mink (e)	Addison Gunn	SF - Extinction Biome: Invasion 4

D - Debut
e - eBook
Ed - editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
tp2mm - Trade to Mass Market Paperback
ri - reissue or reprint


AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternate History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
CyberP - Cyberpunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tale
FolkT - Folk Tale
FR - Fantasy Romance
GB - Genre Bender
GH - Ghost
GO - Gothic
GoR - Gothic Romance
H - Horror
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HistTh - Historical Thriller
Hu - Humor
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legends and Mythology
M - Mystery
Meta - Metaphysical
MR - Magical Realism
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
Phil - Philosophy
PM - Paranormal Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Pol - Political
PsyTh - Psychological Thriller
PTh - Paranormal Thriller
R - Romance
SF - Science Fiction
SO - Space Opera
SocSci - Social Science
SP - Steampunk
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechnoTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy
V - Visionary

Note: not all of these genres are represented in the above releases.

Peter Newman (2015)

The Vagrant
The Vagrant 1
Harper Voyager, May 10, 2016
Trade Paperback and eBook, 400 pages

The Vagrant is his name. He has no other.

Years have passed since humanity’s destruction emerged from the Breach.

Friendless and alone he walks across a desolate, war-torn landscape.

As each day passes the world tumbles further into depravity, bent and twisted by the new order, corrupted by the Usurper, the enemy, and his infernal horde.

His purpose is to reach the Shining City, last bastion of the human race, and deliver the only weapon that may make a difference in the ongoing war.

What little hope remains is dying. Abandoned by its leader, The Seven, and its heroes, The Seraph Knights, the last defences of a once great civilisation are crumbling into dust.

But the Shining City is far away and the world is a very dangerous place.

Robert Repino (2015

Morte
Soho Press, February 9, 2016
Trade Paperback, 384 pages
Hardcover and eBook, January 20, 2015

The “war with no name” has begun, with human extinction as its goal. The instigator of this war is the Colony, a race of intelligent ants who, for thousands of years, have been silently building an army that will forever eradicate the destructive, oppressive humans. Under the Colony’s watchful eye, this utopia will be free of the humans’ penchant for violence, exploitation and religious superstition. As a final step in the war effort, the Colony uses its strange technology to transform the surface animals into high-functioning two-legged beings who rise up to kill their masters.

Former housecat turned war hero, Mort(e) is famous for taking on the most dangerous missions and fighting the dreaded human bio-weapon EMSAH. But the true motivation behind his recklessness is his ongoing search for a pre-transformation friend—a dog named Sheba. When he receives a mysterious message from the dwindling human resistance claiming Sheba is alive, he begins a journey that will take him from the remaining human strongholds to the heart of the Colony, where he will discover the source of EMSAH and the ultimate fate of all of earth’s creatures.

[description from Hardcover edition]

Katie Schickel (2015)

The Mermaid's Secret
Forge, June 14, 2016
Hardcover, Trade Paperback, and eBook, 288pages

Alan Smale (2015)

Clash of Eagles
The Clash of Eagles Trilogy Book I
Del Rey, September 1, 2015
Mass Market Paperback, 464 pages
Hardcover and eBook, March 17, 2015

Perfect for fans of action-adventure and historical fiction—including novels by such authors as Bernard Cornwell, Steve Berry, Naomi Novik, and Harry Turtledove—this stunning work of alternate history imagines a world in which the Roman Empire has not fallen and the North American continent has just been discovered. In the year 1218 AD, transported by Norse longboats, a Roman legion crosses the great ocean, enters an endless wilderness, and faces a cataclysmic clash of worlds, cultures, and warriors.

Ever hungry for land and gold, the Emperor has sent Praetor Gaius Marcellinus and the 33rd Roman Legion into the newly discovered lands of North America. Marcellinus and his men expect easy victory over the native inhabitants, but on the shores of a vast river the Legion clashes with a unique civilization armed with weapons and strategies no Roman has ever imagined.

Forced to watch his vaunted force massacred by a surprisingly tenacious enemy, Marcellinus is spared by his captors and kept alive for his military knowledge. As he recovers and learns more about these proud people, he can’t help but be drawn into their society, forming an uneasy friendship with the denizens of the city-state of Cahokia. But threats—both Roman and Native—promise to assail his newfound kin, and Marcellinus will struggle to keep the peace while the rest of the continent surges toward certain conflict.

A.F.E. Smith (2015)

Goldenfire
The Darkhaven Novels 2
Harper Voyager UK, January 14, 2016
eBook, 400 pages

In Darkhaven, peace doesn’t last long.

Ayla Nightshade has ruled Darkhaven for three years since the tragedy that tore her family apart. She has left her father’s cruel legacy behind and become a leader her people can believe in – or so she hopes.

Tomas Caraway is no longer a disgraced drunk; he’s Captain of the Helm and the partner of the most powerful woman in Darkhaven. He will do everything to protect Ayla and their adopted son against all possible threats.

But a discovery has been made that could have profound consequences for the Nightshade family. There is a weapon so deadly, it can kill even the powerful creatures they turn into. And now, that weapon has fallen into the wrong hands.

An assassin is coming for Ayla, and will stop at nothing to see her dead.

TQ:  Welcome to The Qwillery. When and why did you start writing?

Peter:  Well I had a go at writing in my early twenties. I *blushes* ran a role playing game with the idea of using it as the basis for a story. I wrote about twenty thousand words or so and then naively showed some friends, hoping for encouragement. What I got was lots of well-meaning criticism. I didn’t write again for about ten years.

I started writing properly again when my wife, Emma (an incredible writer) noticed that I was living vicariously through her achievements and suggested I started working on my own projects. I haven’t looked back since.



TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Peter:  I’m a bit of both. It’s as if I’m standing on a hill on a misty morning. I can see my start point and the top of the hill opposite is my end point, and that’s clear to me as well. But I have to feel my way across the valley between them as I go. With The Vagrant, the mist was especially thick! It felt like I had the whole thing sitting there, fully formed, in the darkest recesses of my brain, and I had to go and excavate it, piece by piece.



TQ:  What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Peter:  The moments between finishing one project and starting another. I get a great deal of fulfilment from writing and feel slightly adrift if I haven’t written anything for a few days.



TQ:  Who are some of your literary influences? Favorite authors?

Peter:  Robin Hobb (the storytelling! And oh my goodness: the characters!), Joe Abercrombie (the pacing! Getting me to care about terrible people!), China Mieville (the language! The ideas!) and Neil Gaiman (the sense of soul).



TQ:  Describe The Vagrant in 140 characters or less.

Peter:  A silent figure wanders a far-future-post-demonic-apocalypse, bearing humanities last hope. Also: demons, singing swords, a baby and a goat.



TQ:  Tell us something about The Vagrant that is not in the book description.

Peter:  The protagonist doesn’t speak.



TQ:  What inspired you to write The Vagrant? What appealed to you about writing in a futuristic post-apocalyptic novel?

Peter:  Nothing inspired me directly - he just turned up one day when I was trying to write a piece of short fiction. In terms of writing a piece of short fiction, it was an epic fail! I suppose the setting was a bit of a having my cake and eating it thing. I love the epic sweep of fantasy (and I’m a sucker for demons and swords), I like cool tech and the impact it can have on society, and I like the sense of threat and the psychological implications of a post-apocalyptic setting.



TQ:  What sort of research did you do for The Vagrant?

Peter:  Very little! At least, very little on purpose. I’ve had a lifetime of reading / watching science fiction and fantasy and I’ve been roleplaying since the age of eleven. Other than that, I’ve got a son (now 8), so in the years leading up to writing The Vagrant, I spent a lot of time with a baby, and significant time in playgroups and things seeing lots of others.



TQ:  Who was the easiest character to write and why? The hardest and why?

Peter:  Goats are great fun to write. There should be more goats in fantasy. When the going gets tough, it’s time to get a goat (said no person ever). But yes, it’s nice to have a character that knows what she wants and doesn’t care who gets broken so long as she gets it. In terms of hardest, the Vagrant himself was challenging to write as he doesn’t speak, you don’t hear his inner thoughts and he is, by nature, quite reserved.



TQ:  Which question about The Vagrant do you wish someone would ask? Ask it and answer it!

Peter:  Wow, that is a great question! And right now, I really, really, wish that I had an equally great response to it. But I don’t. Sorry.



TQ:  Give us one or two of your favorite non-spoilery lines from The Vagrant.

Peter:

“The order to retreat comes soon after. Barely two thousand survive the first retreat.

There is no second retreat.”



TQ:  What's next?

Peter:  Well, a draft of the sequel is sitting with my editor as I write this and will be out next year. I’ve got a few more books in this world still in me that I’d very much like the chance to write. Aside from that I have a couple of unrelated projects written up and waiting to go, along with a new project currently bound in the form of a mind map. It also features demons. I have a thing for demons.

Aside from that I’ll still be creating new episodes of the Tea and Jeopardy Podcast with Emma. Check us out at: http://teaandjeopardy.geekplanetonline.com/

Latest developments can be found here: http://www.runpetewrite.com/

Or feel free to ask me on Twitter: @runpetewrite



TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Peter:  Thanks for having me!

The Vagrant
Harper Voyager, April 23, 2015
Hardcover (UK) and eBook (UK/US), 400 pages
Cover Art: Jamie Jones

The Vagrant is his name. He has no other.

Years have passed since humanity’s destruction emerged from the Breach.

Friendless and alone he walks across a desolate, war-torn landscape.

As each day passes the world tumbles further into depravity, bent and twisted by the new order, corrupted by the Usurper, the enemy, and his infernal horde.

His purpose is to reach the Shining City, last bastion of the human race, and deliver the only weapon that may make a difference in the ongoing war.

What little hope remains is dying. Abandoned by its leader, The Seven, and its heroes, The Seraph Knights, the last defences of a once great civilisation are crumbling into dust.

But the Shining City is far away and the world is a very dangerous place.

You may read an excerpt of The Vagrant at Pat's Fantasy Hot List here.

About Peter

Photo by Lou Abercrombie

I write, I run, I sometimes pretend to be a butler…

Represented by Juliet Mushens of the Agency Group.

Debut novel The Vagrant being published by Harper Voyager 23rd April 2015
.
Co-writer of the Hugo nominated Tea and Jeopardy podcast

Find me on Twitter: @runpetewrite





Website