Posts Tagged: Del Rey

News

Read 50 Pages of The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett

By Aidan Moher February 1st, 2013

Every Friday, Suvudu publishes a 50 (or so) page excerpt for one of their novels. Often, it’s an older novel, maybe the first volume of a series with a new book around the corner, or just the works of a classic author looking to expand their audience. It’s a neat feature, even if I don’t use it much myself. Every once in a while, however, they really knock things out of the park for fans of their authors. This time, they’ve released an early look at The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett, one of the Fantasy community’s most anticipated Spring releases.

Peter V. Brett’s Demon Cycle Series is the tale of humanity’s last stand against demonkind—and so it’s one of the most heart-stoppingly action-packed fantasy series I’ve ever read, with epic warfare, badass heroes, and plenty of awesome demon carnage. But the Demon Cycle is more than a thrill ride: Peter’s true secret weapon is his unforgettable characters. This excerpt from The Daylight War takes us deep into the origin story of Peter’s most fascinating and mysterious creation, Inevera the demon priestess. While The Daylight War delivers all the propulsive storytelling and pulse-pounding ation that’s made the Demon Cycle a blockbuster series, Inevera’s story is the book’s dark and secret heart.

Despite my reservations for the second volume in Brett’s Demon Cycle, I loved The Warded Man, and look forward to dipping my toes back into his world (to see how much he’s learned as a writer, as much as to reconvene with his characters, if I’m being honest.) Early buzz on The Daylight War suggests that it might be the best of Brett’s books so far, and I don’t say that lightly. So, fans, enjoy, and read an excerpt from The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett.

News

Cover Art and Synopsis for The Weapon Master’s Choice by Terry Brooks

By Aidan Moher January 3rd, 2013
The Weapon Master's Choice by Terry Brooks

A city besieged by a powerful warlock seeks salvation from a fabled warrior in the second of three gripping new stand-alone eBook short stories set in the world of the fantasy-fiction phenomenon that is Shannara—by beloved New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks.

His extraordinary—and deadly—skills have earned Garet Jax renown and infamy as the man called the Weapons Master. Rootless, solitary, and endlessly sought after, he roams the Four Lands, loyal to none but himself . . . and whomever can afford his services as warrior, assassin, and avenger for hire. But Lyriana is unlike any who have come to him before: as beautiful as she is bold, as enigmatic as the distant city she is desperate to save, and possessed of an intangible, irresistible allure that entices even the hardened Garet Jax more than any amount of gold or silver ever could.

But the challenge she comes bearing may give even the celebrated Weapons Master pause. The remote city of Tajarin, Lyriana’s home, is being laid to waste by an immensely powerful and boundlessly evil warlock of the deadliest order. With the populace enslaved and no champion to stand against the invader, Tajarin will soon be wiped from the map—perhaps only the first city to fall. Whatever hope exists rests in the deft hands, lethal blades, and unerring instincts of Garet Jax. With righteous fury in his blood, and feelings he has never before known in his heart, he will face the most dire of enemies, and dare the blackest of fates, for the mysterious woman at his side—whose deepest secrets have yet to be revealed.

The cover’s pretty crummy, but whatever… Brooks is a brand now, and it’s identifiably Brooks, so I suppose that’ all that matters, whether I’m happy with it for not! The story itself, however, sounds like an interesting direction for Brooks. Though his previous short story, “Allanon’s Quest,” was weak, Garet Jax is one of Brooks’ most popular characters, and it’s pleasing to see him tackling a more personal story for the Weapons Master, who, previously, was more-or-less an enigmatic warrior, defined by his prowess, but lacking in personality. Hardcore Shannara fans will likely be watching closely to see how this reflects on the popular Stee Jans/Garet Jax theory that has floated around for years.

Art

Cover Art for The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett

By Aidan Moher November 21st, 2012
The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett

Not too shabby. I like that they’ve included a woman on the cover (presumably Inevra) without over-sexualizing her. There’s a nice amount of energy, equal to The Desert Spear, and you can never go wrong with a bold red/black colour palette. The dice are a little cheezy, but they’re important to the series, so I’ll let them pass. Worth noting, this cover was debuted by Entertainment Weekly, a large mainstream publication, rather than a genre blog, website or publication, a vote of confidence for Del Rey, Brett and the success of this series.

For those interested, Entertainment Weekly also has an excerpt of The Daylight War.

News

Is an end in sight for Terry Brooks’ Shannara series?

By Aidan Moher October 15th, 2012
Shannara Banner

Every month, Terry Brooks answers a handful of fan-submitted questions drawn randomly. Sometimes they deal with specific plot points in his novel, or open-ended questions about his characters and writing in general. And sometimes, like this month, they deal with the future of his popular Shannara series. An interesting snippet comes near the end of his answer to this month’s first question, where Brooks says, “[E]ventually I will wrap up the entire Shannara series, something I talked about at length while on this latest book tour.”

For a long time, fans have debated whether there would be a definitive end to the Shannara series, but this is first time that Brooks has hinted at such a case. I’ve always fallen on the side of the argument that assumed the series would go on forever (literally, if Brooks’ is series about the whole ‘living forever’ thing), with no real reason to ‘wrap up’ the series, which is essentially a collection of several different independent tales, broken up into standalone novels, four-volume set and everything in between. Sure, given Brooks’ recent willingness to delve into unexplored portions of historical timeline of the series, this doesn’t rule out the fact that he will continue to write Shannara novels, instead it puts an endcap on the series’ overarching exploration of the clash between ‘Old World’ science and magic, a conflict that has been at the heart of the series since the fourth book, more-or-less. But, why put a cap on potential future stories? Read More »

News

James S.A. Corey writing a Star Wars novel, stars Han Solo

By Aidan Moher October 12th, 2012
Han Solo, Art by Mark Raats

Han Solo, Art by Mark Raats

Huh. Some interesting news out of NYC Comic Con:

The other big announcement was the reveal of a third book in the upcoming “Rebels” standalone novels, all of which focus on the main characters in the original trilogy and which take place between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back.

The new book, focused on Han Solo, will be written by James S. A. Corey, otherwise known as Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, the authors of the well-received space opera Leviathan Wakes (and its recent sequel Caliban’s War).

Han Solo, Chewie, Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck all combining forces? Will this be the third Star Wars novel that I ever read? Maybe.