Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time. The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is. If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone. But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an “accident,” he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir. Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment. Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps….

Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell

Prince Kiem, a famously disappointing minor royal and the Emperor’s least favorite grandchild, has been called upon to be useful for once. He’s commanded to fulfill an obligation of marriage to the representative of the Empire’s newest and most rebellious vassal planet. His future husband, Count Jainan, is a widower and murder suspect. Neither wants to be wed, but with a conspiracy unfolding around them and the fate of the empire at stake they will have to navigate the thorns and barbs of court intrigue, the machinations of war, and the long shadows of Jainan’s past, and they’ll have to do it together.

Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders

Tina never worries about being ‘ordinary’–she doesn’t have to, since she’s known practically forever that she’s not just Tina Mains, average teenager and beloved daughter. She’s also the keeper of an interplanetary rescue beacon, and one day soon, it’s going to activate, and then her dreams of saving all the worlds and adventuring among the stars will finally be possible. Tina’s legacy, after all, is intergalactic–she is the hidden clone of a famed alien hero, left on Earth disguised as a human to give the universe another chance to defeat a terrible evil.

The post Heartwarming Books to Keep You Toasty This Winter first appeared on Tor/Forge Blog.

Lizzy Hosty, Marketing Intern (she/her)

A book that I’m definitely thankful for this year is All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman. I was so delightfully surprised by how impressive the world building was, and how immersed into the setting I felt. The cliffhanger at the end was absolutely wild, and I won’t be able to sit still until the second book comes out!

Desirae Friesan, Publicist (she/her)

There are so many books I loved this year, but one I keep coming back to is Katherine Addison’s The Witness for the Dead. Since The Goblin Emperor is one of my favorite books I was so delighted for more of Katherine Addison’s beautiful writing, and to be back in the world of The Goblin Emperor following Celehar as he drinks tea, listens to people’s problems, and tries to help . I cannot express how much I need this book this year, a book about grief, about daily strugglies, about justice, but most of all a book about healing and finding connection. Beyond the satisfaction of a mystery solved, when I put down this book I felt hopeful and uplifted, both for Celehar and for myself.

Samantha Friedlander, Marketing Assistant (she/her)

a cat, Marketing Coordinator (he/him)

Julia Bergen, Marketing Manager (she/her)

I’m thankful that Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune exists! Really, I’m thankful to be in a world where TJ Klune exists and is writing such beautiful stories. The idea that I get to keep reading more books by him is a luxury I do not take lightly.

Yvonne Ye, Ad/Promo Assistant (she/her)

Speaking of books that made me lose my absolute mind, Shelley Parker-Chan’s debut novel smashed every expectation I had for it and more. With every page of bilingual excellence and imaginative historical reclamation, I became cemented in my belief that Shelley Parker-Chan is the mad diaspora genius we didn’t know we could have and desperately needed. I try not to foist books on my friends because we all have guilt-inducing TBR piles, but I definitely shoved this one in everyone’s face approximately thirty seconds into casual conversation.

Rachel Taylor, Marketing Manager (she/her)

I am very lucky that I got to read A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows early and wow, what a treat. It has basically everything I could ever want from a book—a queer romance, mutual pining, and lush prose that left me longing for more. I can’t wait for everyone to read this one in 2022!

Kaleb Russell, Marketing Assistant (he/him)

1. The temerity of Luster by Raven Leilani is absolutely awe-inspiring. This stupendous debut was a tumultuous journey consisting of countless painful, cringe-worthy moments and I relished every second of it. The novel gives an earnest portrayal of a 23-year-old black woman named Edie trying to find her way… and falling flat on her face several times throughout the process. And *that’s* what makes this book so stunning; it’s willingness to be messy! It’s not often you get this sort of portrayal of Black women in fiction, one where they’re not held up to this absurd standard of Black Exceptionalism.

Here, Edie gets to be this flawed person who makes some *extremely* misguided decisions and isn’t derided for it. She’s a hot mess like the rest of us, but that doesn’t mean she’s any less deserving of love and contentment. Leilani’s precise characterization and sumptuous prose makes Luster a life-affirming narrative about the growing pains of your 20s and all the beauty and anguish it entails.

2. Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee – The final book in Fonda Lee’s perilous Green Bone Saga left me in tears. Lee’s ability to write a compelling family drama is exemplary. Conversations and arguments between characters are more gripping, more pulse pounding  than any jade duel. Words cut deeper than talon knives. This is easily one of the most remarkable trilogy endings I’ve had the honor of reading.

3. A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark – After reading A Dead Djinn In Cairo (and just about everything else Clark has penned) I knew his debut novel would be nothing short of spectacular. And I was correct! Clark’s version of Cairo (like all of his worlds) is one rife with wondrous magic and infinite possibility. Fatma el-Sha’arawi remains a compelling main character who is as charismatic and wise as she is dapper. And best believe this woman’s fashion sense is impeccable! I hope we see more books in this universe.

What books helped you get through 2021? Let us know in the comments! 

The post The Books We’re Thankful For in 2021 first appeared on Tor/Forge Blog.

Brandon Sanderson and Christopher Paolini in conversation

Join two of the genre’s biggest authors–and pals–Brandon Sanderson (Rhythm of War) and Christopher Paolini (To Sleep In a Sea of Stars) as they celebrate the paperback releases of their bestselling books and talk about all things fantasy science fiction and beyond. Watch the panel here.

Just Kiss Already

SciFi and Fantasy sure can be full of Ships… not just spaceships and pirate ones! Join some of your favorite Tor and Tor.com Publishing authors as they discuss the mushy gushy FEELINGS side of speculative fiction. How do they craft those will-they-or-won’t-theys into OTPs you want to root for?  With TJ Klune (Under the Whispering Door), Ryka Aoki (Light From Uncommon Stars), Alix E. Harrow (A Spindle Splintered), Freya Marske (A Marvelous Light), and Everina Maxwell (Winter’s Orbit). Moderated by Andrea Hairston (Master of Poisons). Watch the panel here.

Tor Presents: Chaotic Horror Storytelling

Just in time for Halloween, Tor and Nightfire task a brave panel of authors with telling us a horror story unlike any other. This group of talented horror authors will spin us a brand new tale. Join Thomas Olde Heuvelt (HEX, Echo), Zin E. Rocklyn (Flowers for the Sea), Catriona Ward (The Last House on Needless Street), and your host Christopher Buehlman (The Blacktongue Thief), as they incorporate writing prompts to create an improvised story on the spot–and talk about their craft and inspirations along the way. Watch the panel here.

Tor Goes International

From Scotland to Australia and back again, Tor, Tor.com, and Nightfire authors can be found spinning their tales from across the globe – and setting them in some international locales as well. Join authors Kerstin Hall (Star Eater), T. L. Huchu (The Library of the Dead), Cassandra Khaw (Nothing But Blackened Teeth), and moderator James Rollins (The Starless Crown) as they take you on a virtual tour of SciFi Fantasy and Horror. Watch the panel here.

Tor Spotlight- Calling All Book Lovers Panel

Tor publishes some of the greatest sci-fi fantasy and horror stories around. This will be a panel to shine a spotlight on some of the exciting books that Tor, Tor Teen, Tordotcom Publishing, Forge, and Nightfire have to offer. Join the book lovers from the Tor teams as they share a sneak peek at new and upcoming SFF. Watch the panel here.

AIs and Cyberspies: Science Fiction Authors and Technology

Privacy technology and the future of our online lives… join some of today’s top science fiction authors as they discuss their prescient work the intersection of SF and science/tech what the future might bring and where we might be heading. With authors including Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries), Becky Chambers (A Psalm for the Wild-Built), Nnedi Okorafor (Remote Control), Neil Sharpson (When the Sparrow Falls), John Scalzi (The Kaiju Preservation Society) as moderator. Watch the panel here.

Tor Teen Presents: The Good, the Bad, and the Deadly

Join YA fantasy authors Charlotte Nicole Davis (The Sisters of Reckoning), Elayne Audrey Becker (Forestborn), Lauren Shippen (Some Faraway Place), Amanda Foody & Christine Lynn Herman (All of Us Villains) and Mark Oshiro (Each of Us a Desert) as they spill the tea on what it’s like to craft story arcs for heroes, villains, and every morally ambiguous character in-between. Watch the panel here.

The Wheel of Time: Exclusive Q&A with Cast and Showrunner (Virtual Screening)

Friday, October 8
2:30-3:30 PM ET
Main Stage 1D Hall

Based on Robert Jordan’s best-selling fantasy novels of the same name, The Wheel of Time is set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists and only certain women are allowed to access it. The story follows Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a member of the incredibly powerful all-female organization called the Aes Sedai, as she arrives in the small town of Two Rivers. There, she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women, one of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, who will either save or destroy humanity. Join the series cast and showrunner as they discuss bringing this stunning world to life and what fans can most look forward to when the series premieres Friday, November 19th, exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Watch the panel here.

Space Odesseys: A Chat with Charlie Jane Anders and Tochi Onyebuchi

Saturday, October 9
2:15-3:15 PM ET
Main Stage 1A24 Hall

In this panel, Tor.com and Book Riot contributor Aurora Dominguez will be in conversation with two amazing authors of YA Science Fiction. Charlie Jane Anders is the former editor-in-chief of io9.com, the popular Gawker Media site devoted to science fiction and fantasy. Her debut novel, All the Birds in the Sky, won the Nebula Award for Best Novel and was a Hugo Award finalist. Her journalism has appeared in Salon, the Wall Street Journal, Mother Jones, and many other outlets. Tochi Onyebuchi is the author of the award-winning novella Riot Baby from Tordotcom Publishing. He holds a B.A. from Yale, a M.F.A. in screenwriting from the Tisch School for the Arts, a Master’s degree in droit économique from Sciences Po, and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. His next novel, Goliath, hits shelves on 1/25/22. Watch the panel here.

The post Tor Books at NYCC 2021! first appeared on Tor/Forge Blog.

Tor Books is heading to San Diego Comic-Con!​

San Diego Comic-Con begins on July 18, and it is bigger and better than ever this year! Tor Books and Tor.com Publishing are proud to announce a long list of programming, so see below for panels, signings, giveaways, author meet & greets, and more! We’ll be chilling at Booth #2701, waiting to say hello.

To learn more about SDCC 2019, find the website here. Can’t attend? Follow the #TorSDCC hashtag on Twitter and Instagram for live updates from the show!

THURSDAY, JULY 18

​10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Tor Presents: Magic x Mayhem in SF&F (Room 28DE)

2019 is the year for breaking all the rules. Gone are the days of simple good-versus-evil narratives; these are complicated times that call for complicated characters. Pop culture has clearly shifted its attention to the messy, the morally ambiguous, and the weird. In short, fans want magic, and they want mayhem. Magic X Mayhem features an eclectic mix of daring new speculative fiction authors and new voices from Tor Books and Tor.com Publishing: Annalee Newitz (The Future of Another Timeline, Autonomous), Charlie Jane Anders (The City in the Middle of the Night), Sarah Gailey (Magic for Liars), Seanan McGuire (Middlegame), S. L. Huang (Null Set), and moderator Tochi Onyebuchi (War Girls, Riot Baby).

• Autographing session to follow, Table AA09 11:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.

1:00 p.m.
Signing & Booth Book Discount: Seanan McGuire, Middlegame (Tor Booth #2701)

2:00 p.m.
Signing & ARC Giveaway: Tochi Onyebuchi , Riot Baby (Tor Booth #2701)

3:00 p.m.
Signing & Booth Book Discount: Annalee Newitz, Autonomous (Tor Booth #2701)

4:30 p.m.
Signing & Giveaway: S.L. Huang, Zero Sum Game (Tor Booth #2701)

FRIDAY, JULY 19

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
The Fantastic Flavors of Fantasy (Room 25ABC)
From urban fantasy to epic fantasy to superheroes, fantasy contains multitudes of the amazing and the astonishing. Featuring Lauren Shippen (The Infinite Noise) and Sherrilyn Kenyon (At Death’s Door).

• Autographing session to follow, Table AA09 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

12:30 p.m.
Signing & Booth Book Discount: Sarah Gailey, Magic For Liars (Tor Booth #2701)

2:00 p.m.
Signing: Sherrilyn Kenyon, Deadmen Walking (Tor Booth #2701)

3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Wherefore Dystopia and Darkness? Enjoying Creators’ Wretched Unjust Societies (Room 4)
Why do so many readers want to spend time in an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives? Featuring S. L. Huang (Null Set).

• Autographing session to follow, Table AA09 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

4:00 p.m.
Signing & ARC Giveaway: Lauren Shippen, The Infinite Noise (Tor Booth #2701)

8:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Calling All Book Lovers: A Sneak Peek at New Books from Tor, Tor Teen, and Tor.com Publishing (Room 25ABC)
From Robert Jordan to V. E. Schwab, Tor has been publishing the best of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror for almost as long as San Diego Comic Con has been around. This panel shines a spotlight on the best of what Tor, Tor Teen, and Tor.com Publishing have to offer.
Every attendee will leave with a book in hand.

SATURDAY, JULY 20

10:00 a.m.
ARC Giveaway: The Orchid Throne (Tor Booth #2701)

10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Stellar Stories and Awesome Adventures (Room 7AB)
It’s a great big universe, filled with an amazing assortment of challenges and perils for characters to face and extraordinary encounters to discover. Boldly go forth with authors including Tochi Onyebuchi (Riot Baby).

• Autographing session to follow, Table AA09 11:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.

12:00 p.m.
Giveaway: Witches of Lychford (Tor Booth #2701)

2:00 p.m.
Signing & Booth Book Discount: Charlie Jane Anders, City In the Middle of the Night (Tor Booth #2701)

5:00 p.m.
Signing & Booth Book Discount: Alison Wilgus, Chronin, Volume 1 (Tor Booth #2701)

5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Writing: Craft, Crossover and Community (Room 23ABC)
James Killen, head buyer of sci-fi and fantasy for Barnes & Noble, talks to Cory Doctorow (Radicalized), Seanan McGuire (Middlegame), Charlie Jane Anders (The City in the Middle of the Night), Annalee Newitz (The Future of Another Timeline), and Sarah Gailey (Magic for Liars) about the process of creation from the perspective of first-time authors to veterans of multiple genres. The discussion will touch on the difficulty creators have in cultivating and maintaining community and fandom and the difficulties of bringing fans with them as they cross over, balancing one’s identity as a writer, and the importance of social media.

SUNDAY, JULY 22

10:00 a.m.
Signing & Giveaway: Cory Doctorow, Radicalized (Tor Booth #2701)

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
How to Be a Nerd for a Living (Grand 10, Marriott Marquis)
This panel of professional “Nerds for a Living” will share advice and insights into a variety of careers, including comics, gaming, podcasting, and animation. Featuring Annalee Newitz (The Future of Another Timeline).

Come by our booth and say hello!

The post Announcing Tor Books Programming at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 first appeared on Tor/Forge Blog.

Ferrett Steinmetz, The Sol Majestic

Tuesday, June 11
Tattered Cover
Littleton, CO
7:00 PM

Tuesday, June 18
Literati Books
Ann Arbor, MI
7:00 PM

Matt Goldman, The Shallows

Tuesday, June 4
Once Upon a Crime
Minneapolis, MN
7:00 PM

Wednesday, June 5
Book Carnival
Orange, CA
7:00 PM

Thursday, June 6
Poisoned Pen
Scottsdale, AZ
7:00 PM

Saturday, June 8
Bookstore at Fitger’s
Duluth, MN
1:00 PM

Tuesday, June 11
SubText Books
St Paul, MN
7:00 PM

Thursday, June 13
Mystery to Me Bookstore
Madison, WI
7:00 PM

Saturday, June 15
American Legion Club
Park Rapids, MN
11:00 AM

Thursday, June 20
Barnes & Noble
Edina, MN
7:00 PM

Max Gladstone, Empress of Forever

Thursday, June 20
Pandemonium Books & Games
Cambridge, MA
7:00 PM

Sarah Gailey, Magic for Liars

Monday, June 3
Greenlight Bookstore
Brooklyn, NY
7:30 PM

Tuesday, June 4
Barnes & Noble Rittenhouse Square
Philadelphia, PA
7:00 PM

Thursday, June 6
StoryStudio
Chicago, IL
6:30 PM

Saturday, June 8
Sunriver Books & Music
Sunriver, OR
5:00 PM

Tuesday, June 11
Third Place Books
Lake Forest Park, WA
7:00 PM

Thursday, June 13
Skylight Books
Los Angeles, CA
7:30 PM

Saturday, June 15
Borderlands Books
San Francisco, CA
3:00 PM

Monday, June 17
Mysterious Galaxy
San Diego, CA
7:00 PM

Tuesday, June 18
BookBar
Denver, CO
7:00 PM

Tuesday, June 25
Harvard Book Store
Cambridge, MA
7:00 PM

Saturday, June 29
Cellar Door Bookstore
Riverside, CA
6:00 PM

V. E. Schwab, A Gathering of Shadows

Monday, June 3
Greenlight Bookstore
Brooklyn, NY
7:30 PM

Mark Oshiro, Anger Is a Gift

Tuesday, June 25
Barnes & Noble Upper West Side
New York, NY
7:00 PM

Ann Dávila Cardinal, Five Midnights

Sunday, June 16
Bowery Poetry Club
New York, NY
3:30 PM

The post On the Road: Tor/Forge Authors Events in June first appeared on Tor/Forge Blog.

Tor, Forge, and Tor Teen will be at BookExpo America (BEA) and BookCon this year! Check the schedule to see where you can find your favorite authors!

BEA

Venue: Javits Center, 34th Street & 11th Avenue (7 Train to 11th Avenue)
Booth: #1544/45
Meeting Room: #MR1457

Wednesday, May 29

4:00 PM | In Booth: Champagne Toast Celebrating Robert Jordan’s Warrior of the Altaii

Join us as we honor Robert Jordan and celebrate the upcoming release of Warrior of the Altaii with Tom Doherty and Harriet McDougal.

Thursday, May 30

In Booth Signings and Giveaways

1:00 PM Signing

Charlotte Nicole Davis signing The Good Luck Girls.

2:30 PM Signing

Annalee Newitz signing The Future of Another Timeline.

Friday, May 31

In Booth Signings and Giveaways

9:30 AM Signing

Kel Kade signing Fate of the Fallen.

11:00 AM Signing

Tochi Onyebuchi signing Riot Baby.

12:00 PM Signing

Jennifer L. Armentrout signing The Burning Shadow.

2:00 PM Signing

Cora Carmack signing Rage.

2:00 PM Signing

Tamsyn Muir signing Gideon the Ninth.

BOOKCON

Saturday, June 1

10:15 – 11:15 AM | Meeting Room: Fierce Reads Author Breakfast
50 fans will get a chance to have breakfast with their favorite Macmillan YA authors, including Ann Dávila Cardinal, Katie McGarry, Charlotte Nicole Davis, and Cora Carmack.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM — Autographing Area Signing | Tables 10 & 11

Tamsyn Muir (Gideon the Ninth), Bo Bolander (The Only Harmless Great Thing), Katharine Duckett (Miranda in Milan), and Tochi Onyebuchi (Riot Baby).

11:30 AM — Booth Guest Bookseller

Sarah Gailey (Magic for Liars).

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM — Autographing Area Signing | Table 2

Cora Carmack (Roar).

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM — Autographing Area Signing | Table 4 

Charlotte Nicole Davis (The Good Luck Girls) and Katie McGarry (Only a Breath Apart).

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM — Autographing Area Signing | Table 5 

Jennifer L. Armentrout (The Darkest Star) and Ann Dávila Cardinal (Five Midnights).

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM — Autographing Area Signing | Table 8

Susan Dennard (Witchlands series).

12:00 – 2:00 PM | In Booth: The Infinite Noise Photo Opp

Recreate the cover of The Infinite Noise by Lauren Shippen with props!

1:00 – 2:00 PM | Room 1E07: Fanfic Panel

Tor.com authors Tamsyn Muir (Gideon the Ninth), Tochi Onyebuchi (Riot Baby), Bo Bolander (The Only Harmless Great Thing) and Katharine Duckett (Miranda in Milan) discuss fan fiction.

3:30 – 4:15 PM | Room 1E16: Tor Teen Panel

Tor Teen authors Jennifer L. Armentrout (The Burning Shadow), Cora Carmack (Rage), Charlotte Nicole Davis (The Good Luck Girls), Susan Dennard (Bloodwitch), and Katie McGarry (Only a Breath Apart) discuss their new novels. Moderated by Ann Dávila Cardinal (Five Midnights).

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM — Ticketed Booth Signing 

V. E. Schwab signing the Shades of Magic trilogy and the Villains duology. Tickets available starting at 10:00 AM. Book purchase required.

4:00 – 4:30 PM — Booth Guest Bookseller

Alison Wilgus (Chronin Vol. One: The Knife at Your Back).

4:15 – 5:00 PM | Room 1E07: Unleash Your Creative Superpowers w/ NanoWriMo

Everyone has a story to tell. NaNoWriMo is all about getting that story on the page. One part writing boot camp and one part rollicking party, NaNoWriMo is celebrating its 20th year of encouraging creativity, education, and the power of the imagination through the largest writing event in the world. Featuring Susan Dennard (Witchlands series).

4:30 – 5:00 PM — Ticketed Booth Signing

Jennifer L. Armentrout signing The Burning Shadow. Tickets available in booth starting at 10:00 AM.

Sunday, June 2

10:00 AM — Booth Guest Bookseller

Annalee Newitz (The Future of Another Timeline).

11:00 AM — Booth Guest Booksellers

Kel Kate (Fate of the Fallen) and Myke Cole (Killing Light).

12:00 PM — Booth Guest Bookseller

Charlie Jane Anders (The City in the Middle of the Night).

12:30 – 1:15 PM | Room 1E10: YATL Live: In Your Shoes: You Me & Everything in Between

Join YATL Live host Kimberly Jones for a candid conversation about the unique ways that today’s YA authors are using stories to combat prejudice and foster empathy and understand in readers. Featuring a vibrant Q&A as well as the games, giveaways, and super fun shenanigans that viewers expect from YATL. Featuring Mark Oshiro (Anger Is a Gift) and more authors.

1:00 – 2:00 PM | Meeting Room 1457: Tor.com Group Signing (Ticketed)

Tamsyn Muir (Gideon the Ninth), Tochi Onyebuchi (Riot Baby), Bo Bolander (The Only Harmless Great Thing) Katharine Duckett (Miranda in Milan) C.L. Polk (Witchmark), Myke Cole (The Armored Saint), P. Djeli Clark (The Haunting of Tram Car 015), Kai Ashante Wilson (A Taste of Honey), and Sarah Gailey (American Hippo). Tickets available in booth 1544 with purchase of any Tor.com book starting at 10:00 AM.

1:30 – 2:30 PM — Booth Signing

Susan Dennard signing the Witchlands series. Book purchase required.

3:00 PM — Booth Guest Bookseller

Mark Oshiro (Anger Is a Gift).

3:15 – 4:00 PM | Room 1E16: Tor Presents Magic X Mayhem Panel

Magic and Mayhem features an eclectic mix of daring new speculative fiction authors and new voices from Tor Books and Tor.com Publishing. Come join Charlie Jane Anders (The City in the Middle of the Night), Sarah Gailey (Magic for Liars), Kel Kade (The Fate of the Fallen), Tamsym Muir (Gideon the Ninth), Annalee Newitz (The Future of Another Timeline), and V. E. Schwab (Shades of Magic, Vengeful), as they discuss how they are breaking traditional rules of genre fiction.

4:15 – 5:00 PM — Post Magic X Mayhem Panel Author Signing | Autographing Area Tables 4-6, 12

Charline Jane Anders (The City in the Middle of the Night), Sarah Gailey (Magic for Liars), Kel Kade (Fate of the Fallen), Tamsyn Muir (Gideon the Ninth), Annalee Newitz (Future of Another Timeline), V. E. Schwab (Shades of Magic, Vengeful).

The post Tor/Forge at BEA and BookCon 2019 first appeared on Tor/Forge Blog.

Happy New Releases Day! Here’s what went on sale today.

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

Ambassador Mahit Dzmare arrives in the center of the multi-system Teixcalaanli Empire only to discover that her predecessor, the previous ambassador from their small but fiercely independent mining Station, has died. But no one will admit that his death wasn’t an accident—or that Mahit might be next to die, during a time of political instability in the highest echelons of the imperial court.

Now, Mahit must discover who is behind the murder, rescue herself, and save her Station from Teixcalaan’s unceasing expansion—all while navigating an alien culture that is all too seductive, engaging in intrigues of her own, and hiding a deadly technological secret—one that might spell the end of her Station and her way of life—or rescue it from annihilation.

NEW IN PAPERBACK

A Dog’s Journey by W. Bruce Cameron

Audiences are invited along on A Dog’s Journey, the next chapter of the beloved bestselling series by author W. Bruce Cameron. The family film told from the dog’s perspective serves as the much-anticipated follow-up to the soulful story of one devoted dog who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love.

After searching for his purpose through several eventful lives, Buddy is sure that he has found and fulfilled it. Yet as he watches curious baby Clarity get into dangerous mischief, he is certain that this little girl is very much in need of a dog of her own.

When Buddy is reborn, he realizes that he has a new destiny. He’s overjoyed when he is adopted by Clarity, now a vibrant but troubled teenager. When they are suddenly separated, Buddy despairs—who will take care of his girl?

The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton

Three Queens. One crown. All out war.

Gaela. Ruthless Commander.
I am the rightful heir of Innis Lear. No more will I wait in the shadows and watch my mother’s murderer bleed my island dry.

The King’s hold on the crown must end—willingly or at the edge of my sword.

Regan. Master Manipulator.
To secure my place on the throne, I must produce an heir. Countless times I have fed the island’s forests my blood. Yet, my ambition is cursed.

No matter what or whom I must destroy, I will wield the magic of Innis Lear.

Elia. Star-blessed Priest.
My sisters hide in the shadows like serpents, waiting to strike our ailing king. I must protect my father, even if it means marrying a stranger.

We all have to make sacrifices. Love and freedom will be mine.

To Right the Wrongs by Sheryl Scarborough

Erin Blake has one goal for summer vacation: leave behind her reputation as the girl whose mom was murdered, and just be normal girl enjoying her first real romance.

Unfortunately — or maybe fortunately for a mystery fanatic — her hot new boyfriend has an unsolved murder in his own past. When Journey was a baby, his father was convicted of the murder of a teenage runaway and sent to prison.

Journey barely remembers his father, but he’s been researching the case and something doesn’t add up. His father had no reason to kill anyone, much less a teenager, and he’s always maintained his innocence. Journey’s convinced he was framed.

Hopefully, he and Victor, the former FBI crime scene expert, will be able to prove it. But if Journey’s father didn’t do it, that means somebody else did— and after getting away with it for sixteen years, that person could be more dangerous than ever.

So, Erin and her friends are under strict orders not to meddle in the case…but that’s easier said than done.

The post New Releases: 3/26 first appeared on Tor/Forge Blog.

Happy New Releases Day! Here’s what went on sale today.

Luna: Moon Rising by Ian McDonald

A hundred years in the future, a war wages between the Five Dragons—five families that control the Moon’s leading industrial companies. Each clan does everything in their power to claw their way to the top of the food chain—marriages of convenience, corporate espionage, kidnapping, and mass assassinations.

Through ingenious political manipulation and sheer force of will, Lucas Cortas rises from the ashes of corporate defeat and seizes control of the Moon. The only person who can stop him is a brilliant lunar lawyer, his sister, Ariel.

Witness the Dragons’ final battle for absolute sovereignty in Ian McDonald’s heart-stopping finale to the Luna trilogy.

Never-Contented Things by Sarah Porter

Prince and his fairy courtiers are staggeringly beautiful, unrelentingly cruel, and exhausted by the tedium of the centuries—until they meet foster-siblings Josh and Ksenia. Drawn in by their vivid emotions, undying love for each other, and passion for life, Prince will stop at nothing to possess them.

First seduced and then entrapped by the fairies, Josh and Ksenia learn that the fairies’ otherworldly gifts come at a terrible price—and they must risk everything in order to reclaim their freedom.

Radicalized by Cory Doctorow

Told through one of the most on-pulse genre voices of our generation, Radicalized is a timely collection consisting of four SF novellas connected by social, technological, and economic visions of today and what America could be in the near, near future.

Redemption Point by Candice Fox

When former police detective Ted Conkaffey was wrongly accused of abducting Claire Bingley, he hoped the Queensland rainforest town of Crimson Lake would be a good place to disappear. But nowhere is safe from Claire’s devastated father.

Dale Bingley has a brutal revenge plan all worked out – and if Ted doesn’t help find the real abductor, he’ll be its first casualty.

Meanwhile, in a dark roadside hovel called the Barking Frog Inn, the bodies of two young bartenders lie on the beer-sodden floor. It’s Detective Inspector Pip Sweeney’s first homicide investigation – complicated by the arrival of private detective Amanda Pharrell to ‘assist’ on the case. Amanda’s conviction for murder a decade ago has left her with some odd behavioural traits, top-to-toe tatts – and a keen eye for killers . . .

For Ted and Amanda, the hunt for the truth will draw them into a violent dance with evil. Redemption is certainly on the cards – but it may well cost them their lives . . .

NEW IN PAPERBACK

Fire Dance by Ilana C. Myer

Espionage, diplomacy, conspiracy, passion, and power are the sensuously choreographed steps of the soaring new high fantasy novel by Ilana C. Myer, one woman’s epic mission to stop a magical conflagration.

Lin, newly initiated in the art of otherwordly enchantments, is sent to aid her homeland’s allies against vicious attacks from the Fire Dancers: mysterious practitioners of strange and deadly magic. Forced to step into a dangerous waltz of tradition, treachery, and palace secrets, Lin must also race the ticking clock of her own rapidly dwindling life to learn the truth of the Fire Dancers’ war, and how she might prevent death on a scale too terrifying to contemplate.

Myer’s novel is a symphony of secret towers, desert winds, burning sands, blood and dust. Her prose soars, and fluid movements of the politically charged plot carry the reader toward a shocking crescendo.

The Perfect Assassin by K. A. Doore

Divine justice is written in blood.

Or so Amastan has been taught. As a new assassin in the Basbowen family, he’s already having second thoughts about taking a life. A scarcity of contracts ends up being just what he needs.

Until, unexpectedly, Amastan finds the body of a very important drum chief. Until, impossibly, Basbowen’s finest start showing up dead, with their murderous jaan running wild in the dusty streets of Ghadid. Until, inevitably, Amastan is ordered to solve these murders, before the family gets blamed.

Every life has its price, but when the tables are turned, Amastan must find this perfect assassin or be their next target.

The post New Releases: 3/19 first appeared on Tor/Forge Blog.

Happy New Releases Day! Here’s what went on sale today.

Bloodwitch by Susan Dennard

Raider, protector. Bloodwitch…Aeduan. Every story has two sides.

Fans of Susan Dennard’s New York Times bestselling Witchlands series have fallen in love with the Bloodwitch Aeduan. And now, finally, comes his story. Aeduan has teamed up with the Threadwitch Iseult and the magical girl Owl to stop the coming destruction. But to do so, he must confront his own father, and his past.

The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders

January is a dying planet–divided between a permanently frozen darkness on one side, and blazing endless sunshine on the other. Humanity clings to life, spread across two archaic cities built in the sliver of habitable dusk.

But life inside the cities is just as dangerous as the uninhabitable wastelands outside.

Sophie, a student and reluctant revolutionary, is supposed to be dead, after being exiled into the night. Saved only by forming an unusual bond with the enigmatic beasts who roam the ice, Sophie vows to stay hidden from the world, hoping she can heal.

But fate has other plans–and Sophie’s ensuing odyssey and the ragtag family she finds will change the entire world.

The Revenant Express by George Mann

Sir Maurice Newbury is bereft as his trusty assistant Veronica Hobbes lies dying with a wounded heart. Newbury and Veronica’s sister Amelia must take a sleeper train across Europe to St. Petersberg to claim a clockwork heart that Newbury has commissioned from Faberge to save Veronica from a life trapped in limbo.

No sooner do they take off then sinister goings-on start to plague the train, and it is discovered that an old villain, thought dead, is also on board and seeking revenge. Can Newbury and Amelia defeat him and get the clockwork organ back to the Fixer in time to save Veronica? And can they do so without Newbury going so far into the dark side of occult magic that he can never return?

Meanwhile, Sir Charles Bainbridge is the only one of their team left in London to struggle with a case involving a series of horrific crimes. Someone is kidnapping prominent men and infecting them with the Revenant plague, leaving them chained in various locations around the city. But why?

It’s a rousing chase to save both London and Veronica. Will these brave detectives be up to the task?

Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok

Paris, 1887.

Sixteen-year-old Nathalie Baudin writes the daily morgue column for Le Petit Journal. Her job is to summarize each day’s new arrivals, a task she finds both fascinating and routine. That is, until the day she has a vision of the newest body, a young woman, being murdered—from the perspective of the murderer himself.

When the body of another woman is retrieved from the Seine days later, Paris begins to buzz with rumors that this victim may not be the last. Nathalie’s search for answers sends her down a long, twisty road involving her mentally ill aunt, a brilliant but deluded scientist, and eventually into the Parisian Catacombs. As the killer continues to haunt the streets of Paris, it becomes clear that Nathalie’s strange new ability may make her the only one who can discover the killer’s identity–and she’ll have to do it before she becomes a target herself.

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The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three older sons in line for the throne are killed in an “accident,” he has no choice but to take his place on the Untheileneise Throne.

The Goblin Emperor, set against the pageantry and color of a fascinating, unique world, is a memorable debut for a great new talent.

The post New Releases: 2/12 first appeared on Tor/Forge Blog.

Many years ago, a friend of mine and I were doing some world design for a D&D campaign, and talking about one aspect of the default world presented in the manuals that has always bugged me: the role of magic in their society makes no sense. The rule we came up with, though not articulated in quite these words, went something like this:
Wizards are going to be either slaves or kings.

Like anything pithy, of course, this is a massive oversimplification. In particular, when I say “wizards” and “magic” in this context, I’m specifically talking about D&D magic, battle magic, where wizards can hurl throw lightning bolts and call down fire from the sky. That sort of thing isn’t always possible, and every magic system has its unique twists.

But there’s a few things we can learn from looking at history, which is my favorite way to start my worldbuilding. Until quite recently, in societies that supported a warrior caste (which is most of them), the warriors were either a) bound very tightly with social, religious, or economic strictures to keep them under control or b) in charge. And it’s pretty easy to see why: when the guys with the swords decide they’re in charge, who’s going to stop them?
The default D&D world, as well as many fantasy worlds, is loosely based on medieval western Europe, where the warrior caste of lords and knights ruled in exactly this fashion. For an example of the other kind of society, you can picture Rome under the Republic, where the legions fought the enemies of the state but were held back by strong taboos from taking power … until those taboos eventually failed, leading to civil war and ultimately to empire.
Wizards — by which I mean anyone capable of wielding combat-worthy supernatural power — present the same problem but so, so much worse. Warriors may have equipment and training but are in the end still only human; wizards break the very laws of nature. In many worlds — D&D for sure, and popular fantasy like The Wheel of Time or Malazan Book of the Fallen — it’s practically suicidal for a non-wizard to oppose a wizard, absent some kind of special powers of their own.

So how do wizards fit in to a fantasy society? The easiest answer is: at the top. If wizards are the ultimate trump card, then the only safety for non-wizards is under a wizard’s protection. This is essentially the feudal social bargain — the warrior caste gets fed, clothed, and given authority, in exchange for defending the people against rival warriors. It’s almost certainly among the most common social structures in human history.
A society where wizards are slaves — or at least not in charge — is a little trickier to imagine. It depends in part on how wizardry is acquired. If becoming a wizard takes a long period of apprenticeship and study, for example, you can imagine orders of wizardry that carefully teach powers only to those who have been appropriately indoctrinated to use them for “good” (i.e. for the benefit of the state), like a magical version of an idealized military order like the Templars.
That brings us to Ship of Smoke and Steel and our protagonist Gelmei Isoka. In Isoka’s world, magical power is not acquired primarily through study and training. A minority of people are born with the ability to access one (or rarely more than one) of the Nine Wells of Sorcery, and are able to draw on varying amounts of power. These powers are hereditary, at least to a certain extent, with mage-blood families generally having mage-blood children, although Wells also appear among the children of non-mage-bloods.

Isoka’s society has evolved to deal with this by using both the paths, slaves and kings. The mage-blood families are the nobility of the Blessed Empire (so much that “commoner” is synonymous with “non-mage-blood”) and have ruled for centuries, claiming divine right. Common-born mage-bloods present an obvious problem, though, and they’re searched out and captured as quickly as possible. Some of these are forced to breed into the noble families, strengthening their bloodlines, while others are taken to serve in the Invincible Legions of the Empire, under the watchful eye of noble officers. (And adepts of Ghul, the Well of Life, are killed out of hand — everyone remembers it was Ghul adepts who turned the greatest city in the world into an incomprehensible miasma of mutation and decay called the Vile Rot.)

Isoka is an adept of Melos, the Well of Combat, fighting with energy blades and protective armor that makes her a match for any ordinary human. One of my favorite bits of worldbuilding comes after she’s force onboard Soliton, the legendary ghost ship, which gathers mage-bloods from all over the world. For the first time, she meets people from outside the Blessed Empire, and discovers that every society has its own unique means of dealing with the basic problem of magic. It was a lot of fun to come up with a variety of answers (some explicit, others only hinted at) to the question: “What do we do, as a society, with a group of people who are intrinsically awesome at fighting?”

It’s a tricky question! And since Isoka’s goal is to take over the ghost ship, it’s something she’s going to have to think about herself …

The post Building the World of Ship of Smoke and Steel first appeared on Tor/Forge Blog.