Welcome to another edition of A Changing of the Guard! When I first posted A Changing of the Guard a few weeks ago (which can be found HERE) it was met with a lot of success. So it was an easy decision to decide to make it an ongoing series of articles outlining a lot of the new and great authors entering the Fantasy field in recent years.
Before we get started I’ll just let you know that I’ve opened up the range of authors I’m taking a look at, including people like Richard K. Morgan who has several novels under their belt, as I feel that authors such as him still qualify as members of this new generation.
So, without further adieu, I send you off, hope you enjoy what you find and maybe even discover a new favourite author!
Brandon Sanderson
Website
Brandon Sanderson is a relative newcomer to the world of published writers. Sanderson debuted on the scene with Elantris, a clever and original standalone novel, and was met with critical success from both the major publications (Kirkus and Publishers Weekly) and fantasy fans alike.
When Tor Books purchased the rights to Elantris, the also purchased the rights to Sanderson’s next trilogy, the first book of which was just released. Mistborn has received as much positive praise as Elantris and looks to be a great start to a compelling new Fantasy trilogy. Sanderson was even mentioned my recent interview with the illustrious Robin Hobb as an author to keep an eye on! If that isn’t pedigree then I don’t know what is!
Elantris
US | Canada | UK
Mistborn
US | Canada | UK
Richard K. Morgan
Website
Richard K. Morgan is a bit of an anomaly on this list due to the fact that his first novel, Altered Carbon, was first released in 2002, making him not exactly a new author, but he’s not really a vet, either, so I decided his inclusion here was acceptable.
Morgan has made a name for himself by writing gritty, dystopian Sci-Fi novels, many of which feature Takeshi Kovecs, a refreshingly intriguing anti-hero with a twist. From the release of his debut novel and through to his latest release, Black Man (titled Thirteen in the U.S.), Morgan has garnered more praise with every release. Indeed, Black Man/Thirteen is being hailed by many as one of the strongest and most compelling works of speculative fiction this year.
Altered Carbon
US | Canada | UK
Broken Angels
US | Canada | UK
Market Forces
US | Canada | UK
Woken Furies
US | Canada | UK
Black Man/Thirteen
US | Canada | UK
Alison Croggon
Website
From the growing population of Australian Fantasy authors comes Alison Croggon, a poet and playwright who had her first Fantasy novel, The Gift (title The Naming in the U.S.) published in 2002. Since then she has published two further novels in the Pellinor series. The final novel of the series, The Singing is due in 2008.
Many consider Croggon’s work to be geared towards women, but Croggon herself (on her forum over at SFFWorld has stated that she has had as strong a response from male readers as she has from females, so I can say with confidence that Fantasy fans of either gender can feel confident when they pick up Croggon’s novels!
The Gift/The Naming
US | Canada | UK
The Riddle
US | Canada | UK
The Crow
US | Canada | Uk
Daniel Abraham
Website
Abraham is a newcomer to the world of full length Fantasy novels, but is well acquainted with the world of writing. His novelette, Flat Diane, was nominated for a prestigious Nebula Award, putting him into a prestigious place among his peers. 2006 saw the release of A Shadow in Summer, the first novel in The Long Price Quartet, a novel which George R.R. Martin called “A poignant human tale of power, heartbreak, and betrayal.” Big words, indeed.
Abraham has a new website, which he assures he now has the ability to update himself, and is sure to give us a good look at what he’s up to as his writing career continues to take off! On his web site he lets readers know that his current novel, A Shadow in Summer will see a paperback release at the end of July and its sequel, A Betrayal in Winter, is coming out this August!
One of the most exciting tidbits about Abraham is that he has a forthcoming novel with none other than Fantasy-darling George R.R. Martin. If that isn’t something to be excited about then I don’t know what is!
A Shadow in Summer
US | Canada | UK
A Betrayal in Winter
US | Canada | UK
Drew Bowling
Website
I just recently gave a favourable review to Drew Bowling’s debut novel, The Tower of Shadows, and for good reason: this kid can write. You’ve probably noticed by now, taking a look at the photo to the left, that Bowling is young, something not often seen in the Fantasy field. But since the rise of Christopher Paolini and his mega-successful Inheritance Trilogy the way has been paved for young authors to be given a chance at success and Bowling is one of these authors who we’re lucky slipped through the cracks.
Bowling has a flair for prose and a determination to write fun, punchy novels that are sorely lacking from the genre. It won’t be long before he carves himself a nice niche and finds an audience who will eat up anything he produces. Even at a young age (early 20’s) he’s produced a novel that’s fast, fun and entirely readable and makes him a deserving member in this edition of A Changing of the Guard
The Tower of Shadows
US | Canada | UK
This article is also published at SFFWorld and can be found HERE.
In 2006, seemingly the year for fantasy debuts, Scotty Lynch was the king of the hill. His debut, The Lies of Locke Lamora was hailed by many to be the fantasy debut of the year, if not even the Fantasy book of the year. The Lies of Locke Lamora is a tale revolving around the young, charming and charismatic thief by the name of Locke Lamora. Alongside the main series, which is slated to be several standalone stories with on over-arcing storyline subtly weaved in, Lynch is also slated to write a handful of short stories filling in some of the adventures from Locke’s past. Early reviews of this year’s Red Seas Under Red Skies have been favourable and if Lynch is able to continue to write books of the same quality as The Lies of Locke Lamora, we’re sure to see a long, healthy career for Mr. Lynch.
Pat, it seems, is this years new “it” boy. His novel, The Name of the Wind is getting a lot of praise similar to that of Scott Lynch’s debut. The Name of the Wind is the story of young Kvothe, and orhpan and musician, and follows his rise to become the world’s greatest sorcerer, assassin and a slayer of kings. Sounds a little cliche, right? Well, the amazing thing that Rothfuss does is take these typical stereotypical fantasy tropes and manages to make them feel fresh, exiciting and new again. Rothfuss has already written the concluding two novels to his trilogy, so it’s safe to assume that they will be at least as strong as The Name of the Wind, if not even stronger!
Joe Abercrombie first emerged in 2006, the same year as Scott Lynch, and was, in the minds of many, the main challenger to Lynch’s title as “Debut Author of the Year”. His first novel, The Blade Itself was received very strongly by fantasy readers and set a place in the genre for itself by mixing charismatic anti-heroes, dark humour and heroism in a way that caught the attentions and minds of many. Its sequel, Before They Are Hanged was recently published to similar acclaim that has left early adopters of Abercrombie’s books waiting eagerly for the concluding book of the trilogy, Last Argument of Kings.
David is another of 2007’s buzz authors. His fantasy debut, Acacia: The War with the Mein, is getting a lot of buzz and is already being mentioned in the same breath as some authors such as George R.R. Martin and Steven Erikson. This is a lot for an author to live up to, but what Durham has going for him is the fact that he already has a couple of acclaimed Historical Fiction novels under his belt. 
Brian’s success and buzz has been much quieter than the others on this list, but he deserves to be here nonetheless. Thus far he’s published only one novel, Winterbirth, but he has already established himself as someone to be mentioned alongside other debut fantasy novelists as Patrick Rothfuss and Scott Lynch. The novel he’s written is said to appeal to fans of other authors such as George R.R. Martin, the late David Gemmell and J.V. Jones. Winterbirth is the first book in The Godless World trilogy, so we can expect more goodness from Mr. Ruckley!
Novik originally burst onto the scene with the first three novels in her Temeraire novels. The most significant thing about Novik’s success was the fact that Peter Jackson, of The Lord of the Rings fame, was a huge fan of her novels and reportedly optioned the series in a bigtime movie deal. She also garnered a lot of praise from industry heavyweight, Stephen King. With backers like that it seems like Naomi Novik is here to stay! The fourth book of the Temeraire series, Empire of Ivory, will be released this fall.