The first trailer for X-Men: Apocalypse. I think it looks pretty good (obligatory BWAAAH aside). I wasn’t sure about the look of the movie Apocalypse, but it seems to look better in the clips than he has in the stills that I’ve seen. Will be interesting to see how the movie shapes up.
Upcoming
GODS OF EGYPT… Looks Utterly Bonkers…
Is it just me, or does this look like it is going to be wonderfully insane?
“We should run!”
“Run…?”
“We mortals do it all the time.”
Upcoming: FELLSIDE by M.R. Carey (Orbit)
Last week, Orbit (quietly) unveiled the cover for M.R. Carey’s upcoming novel, Fellside. Another standalone, it sounds rather excellent:
Fellside is a maximum security prison on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors. It’s not the kind of place you’d want to end up. But it’s where Jess Moulson could be spending the rest of her life.
It’s a place where even the walls whisper.
And one voice belongs to a little boy with a message for Jess.
Will she listen?
Fellside is due to be published by Orbit Books in the US and UK, in April 2016.
Carey’s previous novel, The Girl With All the Gifts was fantastic, and easily one of my favourite novels of 2014 — it’s published in the US and UK by Orbit Books. You can read my review here. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, then I strongly urge you to do so — it’s magnificent. It is also being made into a movie, SheWho Brings Gifts. Here’s an early still from the filming, from The Telegraph, featuring Gemma Arterton (as “Helen Justineau”), Glenn Close (“Dr. Caroline Caldwell”) and Sennia Nanua (“Melanie”):
New SHADOWS OF THE APT Covers (Tor UK)
Adrian Tchaikovsky‘s Shadows of the Apt series is fantastic — so many fellow reviewers and SFF fans have waxed lyrical about his prose, his world-building and stories. Certainly, I thoroughly enjoyed the first novel in the series. I started it after the first four or five had been published, and while I was thoroughly taken with the series and characters, I think at the time I looked at the sheer number of pages involved in getting caught up and came over all read-shy… Shameful, really. As a result, despite picking up the whole series (some as ARCs, others I purchased to fill gaps), I have never finished reading it. I hesitate to set that for a personal goal, as I’m terrible at completing reading goals.
Anyway, back to the purpose of this post. As you can see at the top, there, Tor UK has re-jacketed the novels (actually for the second time). I found them on Amazon UK. They seem to only appear for the Kindle editions, so it’s possible this is an eBook-only set of new covers.
If you’ve never read Tchaikovsky’s work before, I strongly urge you to do so. Start with Empire in Black and Gold. Here’s the synopsis:
THE DAYS OF PEACE ARE OVER
The city states of the Lowlands have lived in peace and prosperity for decades: bastions of civilization and sophistication. That peace is about to end.
In far-off corners, an ancient Empire has been conquering city after city with its highly trained armies and sophisticated warming… And now it’s set its sights on a new prize.
Only the ageing Stenwold Maker, spymaster, artificer and statesman, can see the threat. It falls upon his shoulders to open the eyes of his people — as soon a tide will sweep down over the Lowlands and burn away everything in its path.
But first he must stop himself from becoming the Empire’s latest victim.
The Shadows of the Apt series includes: Empire in Black and Gold, Dragonfly Falling, Blood of the Mantis, Salute the Dark, The Scarab Path, The Sea Watch, Heirs to the Blade, The Air War, War Master’s Gate, Seal of the Worm
Adrian Tchaikovsky is also the author of three stand-alone novels: Guns of the Dawn, Children of Time, and the upcoming The Tiger and the Wolf. I think I’ll be reading Guns of the Dawn very soon — I feel like reading something substantial, but not committing to a big (new) series at the moment. That novel looks like it will certainly do the trick.
Also on CR: Interview with Adrian Tchaikovsky (2012); Guest Posts on “Nine Books, Six Years, One Stenwold Maker” and “The Art of Gunsmithing — Writing Guns of the Dawn“; Excerpt from Guns of the Dawn
Upcoming: THE TIGER AND THE WOLF by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Tor)
This post could just as easily be titled “Yay! More Tchaikovsky!” The Tiger and the Wolf is Adrian Tchaikovsky‘s next stand-alone fantasy novel, and it not only has a striking, gorgeous cover (by Neil Lang), but it also sounds pretty interesting:
In the bleak northern crown of the world, war is coming
Maniye’s father is the Wolf clan’s chieftain, but she’s an outcast. Her mother was queen of the Tiger and these tribes have been enemies for generations. Maniye also hides a deadly secret. All can shift into their clan’s animal form, but Maniye can take on tiger and wolf shapes. She can’t disown half her soul, so escapes – with the killer Broken Axe in pursuit.
Maniye’s father plots to rule the north, and controlling his daughter is crucial to his schemes. However, other tribes also prepare for strife. It’s a season for omens as priests foresee danger, a time of testing and broken laws. Some say a great war is coming, overshadowing even Wolf ambitions. But what spark will set the world ablaze?
The Tiger and the Wolf is due to be published in the UK on February 11th, 2016. I’m really looking forward to it.
Tchaikovsky’s two most recent novels are Gun of the Dawn and Children of Time, both of which are published in the UK by Tor Books. Both of which, also, I need to get caught up on! I think they will be perfect for the imminent, very-damned-cold Canadian winter…
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS International Trailer
Another great trailer. Excitement continuing to ramp up…
Upcoming: SON OF THE MORNING by Mark Alder (Pegasus)
Mark Alder‘s Son of the Morning was first published a couple of years ago in the UK by Gollancz, but I just spotted that it is finally coming to North America, too — it is due to be published by Pegasus Books in February 2016. The cover is to the right, and the synopsis is as follows:
In an epic novel that reimagines the Hundred Years War — in a world where angels and demons choose sides on the battlefield — England and France find themselves locked in a holy war, but which country has God’s favor?
England, 1337: Edward III is beset on all sides, plagued by debt and surrounded by doubters. He refuses to pay homage to the newly crowned Philip Valois of France and seeks to secure his French holdings, but he’s outmanned. Philip can put 50,000 men in the field, but he is having his own problems: he has summoned the angels themselves to fight for France, but the angels refuse to fight. Both kings send priests far and wide, seeking holy relics and heavenly beings to take up the cause of their country, but God remains stubbornly silent, refusing to grant favor to either side.
Meanwhile, among the poor and downtrodden, heretical whispers are taking hold: what if God — who has never been seen to do anything for them — is not the rightful leader of the heavens after all? And as Edward’s situation becomes increasingly desperate, even his counselors begin to believe that if God won’t listen, perhaps they can find a savior not from Heaven, but from Hell.
In a sweeping tale packed with courtiers and kings, knights and priests, and devils and angels, Mark Alder breathes fresh and imaginative life into the Hundred Years War in this unique historical epic.
The sequel for Son of the Morning appears to be Son of the Night, which Amazon UK has listed for a November 2016 release, although this is possibly subject to change. No cover art as yet.
Mark Alder is a pseudonym, and the author also writes as M.D. Lachlan, whose Wolfsangel series is also published in the UK by Gollancz. The cover for the UK market is below:
Upcoming: LEVIATHAN’S BLOOD by Ben Peek (Tor UK)
I shared the cover for Ben Peek‘s second novel a little while ago on Twitter, but Tor UK have recently posted a piece about the cover and novel, and I thought it should be up on CR as well. Leviathan’s Blood is the sequel to The Godless. Here’s what it’s about:
The city of Mireea has been destroyed and its survivors seek shelter, refugees from a great war. Among them, Zaifyr and his companions arrive at the gates of Yeflam, seeking asylum. Zaifyr’s immortal status might gain them access – but will that be enough? And although they are weary indeed, they also face a bigger threat than lack of sanctuary. A new child god has entered the world, and she will do anything to destroy those who might threaten her power. Zaifyr warns Yeflam of the danger she poses. But it’s too late. Priests of the new god have entered the city.
Meanwhile, Ayae becomes enmeshed in Muriel Wagan’s machinations. Now known as Lady of the Ghosts, Muriel seeks leverage to protect her people. But anyone in her way will find politics are more dangerous than the sword. Then on the other side of the world, the saboteur Bueralan returns home. Around his neck he carries a terrible cargo: the soul of a dead man. He’s been set on a dark path by the child god and he must face the consequences. For they will change a whole world.
I like the relatively-simple composition and idea behind the cover — and the execution is quite stunning. It was designed by Neal Lang.
Leviathan’s Blood is due to be published in April 2016.
For more on Ben Peek’s writing and novel, be sure to check out his website, and follow him on Twitter and Goodreads.
Also on CR: Interview with Ben Peek
Upcoming: SPELLBREAKER by Blake Charlton (Tor/Voyager)
Above are the covers for the long-awaited third novel in Blake Charlton‘s Spellwright Trilogy, Spellbreaker. The sequel to Spellbound, it works as a stand-alone. It’s due out in June 2016, published in the US by Tor Books and in the UK by Voyager. Here’s the synopsis:
Leandra Weal has a bad habit of getting herself in dangerous situations.
While hunting neodemons in her role as Warden of Ixos, Leandra obtains a prophetic spell that provides a glimpse one day into her future. She discovers that she is doomed to murder someone she loves, soon, but not who. That’s a pretty big problem for a woman who has a shark god for a lover, a hostile empress for an aunt, a rogue misspelling wizard for a father, and a mother who — especially when arguing with her daughter — can be a real dragon.
Leandra’s quest to unravel the mystery of the murder-she-will-commit becomes more urgent when her chronic disease flares up and the Ixonian Archipelago is plagued by natural disasters, demon worshiping cults, and fierce political infighting. Everywhere she turns, Leandra finds herself amid intrigue and conflict. It seems her bad habit for getting into dangerous situations is turning into a full blown addiction.
As chaos spreads across Ixos, Leandra and her troubled family must race to uncover the shocking truth about a prophesied demonic invasion, human language, and their own identities — if they don’t kill each other first.
I rather enjoyed the first two novels in the trilogy, but four years and many novels later, I have forgotten a fair bit of what happened in them…
Also on CR: Interview with Blake Charlton; Reviews of Spellwright and Spellbound
For more, be sure to check out the author’s website, and follow him on Twitter, Goodreads and Facebook.
Upcoming: HEX by Thomas Odd Heuvelt (Hodder/Tor)
I tweeted about Thomas Odd Heuvelt‘s Hex yesterday, and figured that it also made sense to mention it on the blog. It looks interesting (not to mention creepy), and I’ve been hearing great things from people who have read it early. Here’s the synopsis:
Whoever is born here, is doomed to stay until death. Whoever comes to stay, never leaves.
Welcome to Black Spring, the seemingly picturesque Hudson Valley town haunted by the Black Rock Witch, a seventeenth-century woman whose eyes and mouth are sewn shut. Blind and silenced, she walks the streets and enters homes at will. She stands next to children’s beds for nights on end. So accustomed to her have the townsfolk become that they often forget she’s there. Or what a threat she poses. Because if the stitches are ever cut open, the story goes, the whole town will die.
The curse must not be allowed to spread. The elders of Black Spring have used high-tech surveillance to quarantine the town. Frustrated with being kept in lockdown, the town’s teenagers decide to break the strict regulations and go viral with the haunting. But, in so doing, they send the town spiraling into a dark nightmare.
Hex is published in April 2016 in the US by Tor Books, in the UK by Hodder, and in the Netherlands by Luitingh-Sijthoff.
Civilian Reader 