Black Gate

I think Tor.com‘s new line of premium novellas is a terrific idea. I really enjoy keeping on top of the latest in fantasy and SF (or, at least, the illusion that I’m keeping on top of the latest in fantasy and SF), but I just don’t have enough time to read all the novels I need to do that.

But the Tor.com novellas have allowed me to sample many of the top writers in the field, as well as new and emerging talents, in a marvelously satisfying way. I’m talking about folks like Michael R. Underwood, K. J. Parker, Mary Robinette Kowal, Tim Lebbon, Seanan McGuire, Kai Ashante Wilson, Paul Cornell, Alter S. Reiss, Nnedi Okorafor, Angela Slatter, Daniel Polansky, and many others. The novellas are quick, inexpensive reads… and so far, the quality has been top-notch. It doesn’t hurt that they also look terrific, and are highly collectible, either.

This is where some of the most exciting work in the industry is being done, and the critical buzz reflects that. The fledgling line has already been showered with accolades, award nominations, and even a Nebula Award… and it’s not even a year old!

Tor.com shows no signs of slowing down, releasing 2-3 new titles per month through the spring and summer. The six books above were published over the last nine weeks, and they’re some of the most interesting of the lot. They include their first full-length novel, Malka Older ‘s Infomocracy, sequels to previous popular Tor.com novellas (Tim Lebbon’s A Whisper of Southern Lights and Andy Remic’s Return of Souls), two debuts (S. B. Divya’s Runtime, and Infomocracy), a standalone novella from a 2016 Nebula nominee (Fran Wilde’s The Jewel and Her Lapidary), and the start of an exciting new science fantasy series from a popular Warhammer 40K author (Guy Haley’s The Emperor’s Railroad.)

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I bought a copy of Paul Cornell’s London Falling, the first novel in what was to become his Shadow Police series, shortly after it was released in 2013. It followed Detective Inspector James Quill and his team after they came into contact with a strange artifact and accidentally develop the Sight, enabling them to take on the otherworldly creatures secretly prowling London’s streets. I missed The Severed Streets, the second in the series, completely, so I was very grateful to receive a review copy of the third book, Who Killed Sherlock Holmes?, released in trade paperback by PAN on May 19. This series looks like a lot of fun, and I’ve already started a search for the middle book to complete the set.

The ghost of Sherlock Holmes is dead, but who will solve his murder?

The Great Detective’s ghost has walked London’s streets for an age, given shape by people’s memories. Now someone’s put a ceremonial dagger through his chest. But what’s the motive? And who — or what — could kill a ghost?

When policing London’s supernatural underworld, eliminating the impossible is not an option. DI James Quill and his detectives have learnt this the hard way. Gifted with the Sight, they’ll pursue a criminal genius — who’ll lure them into a Sherlockian maze of clues and evidence. The team also have their own demons to fight. They’ve been to Hell and back (literally) but now the unit is falling apart…

Paul Cornell’s most recent publication here in the US was the acclaimed novella Witches of Lychford, published by Tor.com.

Who Killed Sherlock Holmes? was published by Pan Books on May 19, 2016. It is 358 pages, priced at £8.99 (around $12.76 in the US).

Mark Lawrence is the author of the bestselling Broken Empire trilogy (Prince of Thorns, King of Thorns, and Emperor of Thorns), the final volume of which won the 2014 David Gemmell Legend Award. The trilogy told the story of Jorg Ancrath’s devastating rise to power, and Mark returned to the same world for his second trilogy, The Red Queen’s War, which began with Prince of Fools (2014) and The Liar’s Key (2015). The final volume, The Wheel of Osheim, was published in hardcover last week. Here’s the description.

All the horrors of Hell stand between Snorri Ver Snagason and the rescue of his family, if indeed the dead can be rescued. For Jalan Kendeth, getting back out alive and with Loki’s key is all that matters. Loki’s creation can open any lock, any door, and it may also be the key to Jalan’s fortune back in the living world.

Jalan plans to return to the three w’s that have been the core of his idle and debauched life: wine, women, and wagering. Fate however has other plans, larger plans. The Wheel of Osheim is turning ever faster, and it will crack the world unless it’s stopped. When the end of all things looms, and there’s nowhere to run, even the worst coward must find new answers. Jalan and Snorri face many dangers, from the corpse hordes of the Dead King to the many mirrors of the Lady Blue, but in the end, fast or slow, the Wheel of Osheim always pulls you back. In the end it’s win or die.

We published the first chapter of Prince of Thorns, with a brand new introduction by Mark, here, and Howard Andrew Jones’s interview with him is here. Mark’s long article on writing and selling The Prince of Thorns (and the early rejection letters he got from Black Gate) is here.

The Wheel of Osheim was published by Ace on June 7, 2016. It is 432 pages, priced at $27 in hardcover and $13.99 for the digital edition. The cover is by Jason Chan.

New York Times best-selling writer Scott Sigler is the author of fifteen novels, included Infected and Pandemic. His popular Generations Trilogy began with Alive, published in hardcover in July of last year, followed by Alight, released on April 5 of 2016. The final novel, Alone, is scheduled to be released in March of next year.

Alive follows the story of a band of young teens who awaken in a coffin-strewn underground chamber, and the disturbing discoveries that await them when they finally escape. Led by a girl who has no memory of her identity, they explore a labyrinth of corridors filled with bones and dust… and much worse. Cherie Priest (Boneshaker) calls it “A tense, unsettling page-turner of a story — both deeply strange and wildly compelling,” and Entertainment Weekly say it “lives up to its hype, packing plenty of thrills.” It was an Amazon Best Book for July 2015. Del Rey released a trade paperback edition earlier this year, at the bargain price of $10. Well worth checking out.

Alive was published by Del Rey on February 2, 2016. It is 369 pages, priced at $10 in trade paperback, and $9.99 for the digital edition. The cover was designed by David G. Stevenson.

In his author bio, A. J. Hartley says he writes “fantasy adventures of the swords and sorcery variety (albeit from the slightly unusual perspective of a smart-mouthed young actor called Will Hawthorne).” That includes Act of Will (2009) and Will Power (2010), both available in paperback from Dystel & Goderich.

His latest is the first installment of a new young adult fantasy series set in an industrial city in a country reminiscent of Victorian South Africa. It arrives in hardcover from Tor next week.

Seventeen-year-old Anglet Sutonga lives repairing the chimneys, towers, and spires of the city of Bar-Selehm. Dramatically different communities live and work alongside each other. The white Feldish command the nation’s higher echelons of society. The native Mahweni are divided between city life and the savannah. And then there’s Ang, part of the Lani community who immigrated over generations ago as servants and now mostly live in poverty on Bar-Selehm’s edges.

When Ang is supposed to meet her new apprentice Berrit, she instead finds him dead. That same night, the Beacon, an invaluable historical icon, is stolen. The Beacon’s theft commands the headlines, yet no one seems to care about Berrit’s murder―except for Josiah Willinghouse, an enigmatic young politician. When he offers her a job investigating his death, she plunges headlong into new and unexpected dangers.

Meanwhile, crowds gather in protests over the city’s mounting troubles. Rumors surrounding the Beacon’s theft grow. More suspicious deaths occur. With no one to help Ang except Josiah’s haughty younger sister, a savvy newspaper girl, and a kindhearted herder, Ang must rely on her intellect and strength to resolve the mysterious link between Berrit and the missing Beacon before the city descends into chaos.

Steeplejack will be published by Tor Books on June 14, 2016. It is 336 pages, priced at $17.99 in hardcover and $9.99 for the digital edition. The cover is by Mike Heath.