Interesting SFF Book News

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Noteworthy news from the SFF publishing world...

New Series from Gail Carriger

Gail Carriger has announced that she will be coming out with a new steampunk series which will take place in the same world as the Parasol Protectorate. The first book will be titled Prudence and the second Imprudence. From the description below it sounds like the protagonist will be the daughter of Alexia and Lord Maccon.

My intention with the Parasol Protectorate Abroad books is to explore the wider ramifications of my Steampunk British Empire, not just how technology has altered but how vampires and werewolves have evolved differently in other parts of the world. I'm not going to tell you too much, as Timeless will give you some set up for this series. But sufficient to say, that the Prudence currently in my head has much of her mother's go-get-em attitude mixed with a bit of her father's temper and a certain love of fashion the result of a particularly colorful upbringing. She and her crack dirigible team lark about performing Leverage-like infiltration and rescue missions at the behest of (but if asked they will deny everything) Queen Victorian and her shadow council. It is going to be so very fun!

With the Parasol Protectorate series coming to a close, after just one more book, I was really happy to hear that this won't be the last that we'll be seeing of the book's characters. Though, unfortunately, it sounds like we might have to wait until 2014 to get our hands on this new series. But in the meantime Carriger will be releasing a YA novel that sounds like it will be quite a bit of fun and I am certainly looking forward to reading it.

You can find more information about Gail Carriger's books at her blog.

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New Brandon Sanderson Novella

Somehow, in between finshing up Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time Series and working on the sequel to The Way of Kings and releasing a new book in the Mistborn series, Sanderson has found the time to whip up a novella (I hear that he actually writes while sleeping).

Infinity Blade: Awakening is based on an iphone/ipad game Infinity Blade and is available for purchase at all major ebook retailer.

On his blog Sanderson talks a little about the novella and why he decided to write it.

I've often said that interesting limitations make for interesting magic systems in books. Well, I've also found that interesting limitations in writing can force me to grow and stretch in different ways as a writer. I took on the project partially because the guys I was working with were so much fun, but also because—as a gamer—I've always had a bit of an itch to be involved in video games in one way or another. (I've always envied Orson Scott Card, for example, who worked on the original MONKEY ISLAND, one of the great games of all time.) This story was just plain FUN to write. I had a blast with it, and it turned out quite well. I got to play with the idea of blending entertainment media—the story is for sale in-game, and together with the game, blends storytelling with gameplay. I think our world is going to change in interesting ways as books, video games, and cinema meld together.

I am not familiar with this game and would normally have no interest in reading a story based on a game, but this is Brandon Sanderson, and I'll take anything he has to offer.

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Free short story from Michael J. Sullivan

Thanks to Melissa of My World in Words and Pages for bringing this to my attention.

Michael Sullivan, the author of The Riyria Chronicles just a released a short story that takes place in the same world and recounts how the protagonists of the series, Royce Melborn and Hadrian Blackwate, first met.

Eleven years before they were framed for the murder of a king, before even assuming the title of Riyria, Royce Melborn and Hadrian Blackwater were practically strangers. Unlikely associates, this cynical thief and idealist swordsman, were just learning how to work together as a team. In this standalone first installment of The Riyria Chronicles, Royce is determined to teach his naive partner a lesson about good deeds. Join Royce and Hadrian in this short story (5,400 words) about one of their earliest adventures..

I've only read the first book in the series so far, The Crown Conspiracy, but I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading the rest of the series, and I definitely intend to read this story as well. For those who have not yet read Sullivan's books this short story could be a good way to give his writing a try.

The Viscount and the Witch is available for purchase online though it's also available for free download through Sullivan's website.

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Blake Charlton on Tour

Blake Charlton recently completed a book tour to help promote the release of this new fantasy novel, Spellbound, the sequel to Spellwright. On his blog Charlton posted a video of a reading that he did in Seattle, which I just watched and very much enjoyed. In addition to talking about the book and reading from it a little Charlton also discussed how some of his experiences as a medical student shaped the book and its characters. He also spoke a bit about how his difficulty with words, due to dyslexia, led him to create a villain who inflicts the book's characters with a similar sense of confusion

It was a really interesting talk and if you have a bit of free time I would recommend that you check it out, even if you haven't yet read any of Charlton's books.

Author Event: Spellbound by Blake Charlton from Suvudu on Vimeo.