Cover Reveal: Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie – US Edition

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| Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie |

Last week we saw the darn right beautiful cover for Joe Abercrombie’s forthcoming collection of short stories, ‘Sharp Ends’, and this week (hurrah!) Orbit and Mr. Abercrombie have revealed the wonderfully eye-catching US edition. They’re both completely different yet manage to capture the  spirit of his writing. I love them both! The US cover, designed by Lauren Panepinto, is incredibly striking and is an edition I would love to have on my shelves… but that UK cover is hard to beat and will remain a definite favourite for some time. Take a look and see what you think.

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Sharp Ends

by Joe Abercrombie

Design by Lauren Panepinto | Map by Tim Paul

Orbit – 26th April 2016

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| Synopsis |

The Union army may be full of bastards, but there’s only one who thinks he can save the day single-handed when the Gurkish come calling: the incomparable Colonel Sand dan Glokta.

Curnden Craw and his dozen are out to recover a mysterious item from beyond the Crinna. Only one small problem: no one seems to know what the item is.

Shevedieh, the self-styled best thief in Styria, lurches from disaster to catastrophe alongside her best friend and greatest enemy, Javre, Lioness of Hoskopp.

And after years of bloodshed, the idealistic chieftain Bethod is desperate to bring peace to the North. There’s only one obstacle left – his own lunatic champion, the most feared man in the North: the Bloody-Nine . . .

Sharp Ends combines previously published, award-winning tales with exclusive new short stories. Violence explodes, treachery abounds, and the words are as deadly as the weapons in this rogue’s gallery of side-shows, back-stories, and sharp endings from the world of the First Law.

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| The First Law Covers – Orbit US |

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| Sharp Ends – UK vs US |

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| The First Law – UK vs US |

| UK |

| US |

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What do you think of the US cover reveal for Sharp Ends? Which is your favourite?

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Cover Reveal: Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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| Shadows of the Apt by Adrian Tchaikovsky |

How did I miss this?! Last month, Adrian Tchaikovsky and Tor UK revealed the new e-book covers for the Shadows of the Apt series. Designed by Neil Lang (who was also responsible for the beautiful The Tiger and the Wolf cover revealed in October), the new covers feature intricate designs for weaponry – something which features heavily in the Shadows of the Apt series.

The cover artwork for this series is sublime in all formats and editions; the first Tor UK editions featuring the artwork of Dominic Harman (Empire in Black and Gold) and Jon Sullivan, the new Tor UK editions designed by Neil Lang with artwork by Alan Brooks and the Pyr US covers featuring alternative artwork by Jon Sullivan. However, there is something about these e-book covers that I would love to see on a print copy. Take a look and see what you think!

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| Empire in Black and Gold |

Covers: Tor UK print covers, Pyr US  print cover and Tor UK e-book cover

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| Dragonfly Falling |

Covers: Tor UK print covers, Pyr US  print cover and Tor UK e-book cover

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| Blood of the Mantis |

Covers: Tor UK print covers, Pyr US  print cover and Tor UK e-book cover

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| Salute the Dark |

Covers: Tor UK print covers, Pyr US  print cover and Tor UK e-book cover

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| The Scarab Path |

Covers: Tor UK print covers, Pyr US  print cover and Tor UK e-book cover

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| The Sea Watch |

Covers: Tor UK print covers and Tor UK e-book cover

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| Heirs of the Blade |

Covers: Tor UK print covers and Tor UK e-book cover

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| The Air War |

Covers: Tor UK print cover and Tor UK e-book cover

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| War Master’s Gate |

Covers: Tor UK print cover and Tor UK e-book cover

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| Seal of the Worm |

Covers: Tor UK print cover and Tor UK e-book cover

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What do you think of the new e-book covers? Do you have a favourite edition?

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Cover Reveal: Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie – UK Edition

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| Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie |

Finally! We have another cover reveal and oh my, this really is a good ‘un. Gollancz and Lord Grimdark himself have recently revealed the UK artwork for Sharp Ends, a collection of short stories from The First Law Universe, and I fully expect to be overwhelmed by a multitude of bastards, rogues and dubious characters. And if that wasn’t enough, we also get to return to one of my favourite characters (from one of my favourite authors) of all time – Sand dan Glokta. Just take a look at this beautiful cover… it might just be my favourite of Abercrombie’s ever expanding repertoire.

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Sharp Ends

by Joe Abercrombie

Artwork by Laura Brett and Dave Senior

Gollancz – 26th April 2016

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| Synopsis |

The Union army may be full of bastards, but there’s only one who thinks he can save the day single-handed when the Gurkish come calling: the incomparable Colonel Sand dan Glokta.

Curnden Craw and his dozen are out to recover a mysterious item from beyond the Crinna. Only one small problem: no one seems to know what the item is.

Shevedieh, the self-styled best thief in Styria, lurches from disaster to catastrophe alongside her best friend and greatest enemy, Javre, Lioness of Hoskopp.

And after years of bloodshed, the idealistic chieftain Bethod is desperate to bring peace to the North. There’s only one obstacle left – his own lunatic champion, the most feared man in the North: the Bloody-Nine . . .

Sharp Ends combines previously published, award-winning tales with exclusive new short stories. Violence explodes, treachery abounds, and the words are as deadly as the weapons in this rogue’s gallery of side-shows, back-stories, and sharp endings from the world of the First Law.

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| The First Law Covers – Gollancz UK |

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What do you think of the cover reveal for Sharp Ends? Excited?!! Stay tuned for the US cover reveal.

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The Month Ahead: November 2015

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In The Month Ahead, I will be rounding up the books I am currently reading, the ones I will start this month, and the ones I intend getting my mitts on… if I haven’t already! I will also be sharing any news about features or posts on Books by Proxy, and anything in the book world that has me all excited!

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| Currently Reading |

Oh no! Two of the above books were on October’s Month Ahead post! How very, very shameful. Poor Emma is such a small book that I lost her in a coat pocket! But after a daring rescue she’ll soon be on the read pile (unlike The Daylight War! Oops!). The end of October and the start of November have seriously reduced my reading time (yet it didn’t stop me picking up Broken Homes before I’d finished the other three) and I didn’t even finish NOS4R2 in time for Halloween! For shame indeed. Will definitely make a concerted effort to not start any more books before finishing these four!

In other news, a while back I put my name down for Sci-Fi Month, hosted by Rinn Reads and Over the Effing Rainbow, and still haven’t hopped on-board that ship! So once I’ve worked on some posts and rifled through my science fiction collection, expect some sci-fi goodness this November.

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| Book Haul |

Oh Gollancz Book Festival, you broke me! Look at all these bad boys. With the exception of The Relic Guild by Edward Cox; Simon Morden’s Down Station (which I received through Netgalley), and A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn (which I won), all these books were acquired there. And Simon Morden was actually at said festival so if I hadn’t already had one waiting at home I probably would have ended up with one then and there. So my book festival acquisitions are: Richard Morgan’s The Steel Remains, Aliette de Bodard’s House of Shattered Wings, Brandon Sanderson’s Shadows of Self, Ben Aaronovitch’s Broken Homes, A.J. Dalton’s Empire of the Saviours, Sarah Pinborough’s The Death House and Al Robertson’s Crashing Heaven. Phew.. just a few books to be getting on with.

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| November Goals |

To finish all the (poor neglected) novels I’m currently reading

Status: 0 of 4 Complete

To hop onto sci-fi month over at Rinn Reads

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Have you picked up any great books lately or read any of those mentioned above? What are your goals for the month ahead? 

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Cover Reveal: Daughter of Blood by Helen Lowe

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| Daughter of Blood by Helen Lowe |

Orbit UK has just revealed the full cover – the back, synopsis, spine and everything! – of the third book in Helen Lowe’s The Wall of Night series: Daughter of Blood. I absolutely love the UK covers of The Wall of Night. In fact, I only picked up the first two books, The Heir of Night and The Gathering of the Lost, because they were so pretty! And not only is the Daughter of Blood cover exceedingly pretty with its eerie green colour scheme but based on the first two novels it is sure to be a hit. Take a look at the covers and see what you think!

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Daughter of Blood

Book Three of The Wall of Night

by Helen Lowe

Artwork by Silas Manhood

Orbit UK – 26th January 2016

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| Synopsis |

A falling wall, a broken shield… and an enemy that will exploit every weakness

Malian and Kalan are coming home, but already it may be too late. The Wall of Night, dangerously weakened by civil war among the Derai families that garrison it, is on the verge of failing. Everywhere their ancient enemy, the Darksworn, is on the move as the threads of an old pattern begin to tighten.

In Grayharbor and in the Red Keep, a child and a young woman are caught in conflict’s maw, as whispers gather around Dread Pass and a Darksworn prophecy points to Malian herself being the stake the ancient enemy will drive into the heart of the Derai Alliance.

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| UK vs. US |

Orbit UK Edition vs. Harper Voyager Edition

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| The Orbit UK Covers |

Artwork by Silas Manhood

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| The Harper Voyager Covers |

Artwork by Greg Bridges

What do you think of the cover reveal for Daughter of Blood? Which are your favourite covers – UK or US?

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Cover Reveal: The Tiger and the Wolf by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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| The Tiger and the Wolf by Adrian Tchaikovsky |

Would you just take a look at this beautiful cover. Tor UK has just revealed the cover art for The Tiger and the Wolf, the first book in the new Echoes of the Fall series by Adrian Tchaikovsky. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ll probably have guessed I’m a huge fan of Mr. Tchaikovsky’s writing – his Shadows of the Apt series is absolutely phenomenal – and this reveal has just reminded me that I not only have his latest fantasy book Guns of Dawn to read but also a brand new sci fi epic – Children of Time! Bring on the Tchaikovskys! Take a look at this beauty and see what you think.

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The Tiger and the Wolf

Book One of the Echoes of the Fall

by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Artwork by Neil Lang

Tor UK – 11th February 2016

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| Synopsis |

from torbooks.co.uk

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?

What do you think of the cover for The Tiger and the Wolf? Does this sound like something you would read?

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The Month Ahead: October 2015

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In The Month Ahead, I will be rounding up the books I am currently reading, the ones I will start this month, and the ones I intend getting my mitts on… if I haven’t already! I will also be sharing any news about features or posts on Books by Proxy, and anything in the book world that has me all excited!

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| Currently Reading |

The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett is still there looking forlorn as it rolls over for yet another month. I’m sorry Mr. Brett! I am genuinely a fan of your work and will extract The Daylight War out from under the dust-sheet as soon as I’ve finished this post! This time it’s in the illustrious company of Red Rising by Pierce Brown which has gotten off to an excellent start. I keep hearing nothing but good about it and expect it to be a thoroughly entertaining read. And then there’s The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch; I’m only two hundred pages in and it’s already mind-blowingly good! I might be taking my time with it but this is one book which deserves my full and undivided attention. Seriously, too good! My teeny tiny pocket (and most importantly travel) sized book is Emma by Jane Austen. This is technically a re-read but it’s been so long since I read it that it might as well be a new one! 

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| Book Haul |

A much smaller haul than last month’s (phew)! I can’t have my TBR pile growing even more wild before I’ve made a dent in it! Ilium by Dan Simmons, Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan and NOS4A2 by Joe Hill are the science fiction, fantasy and horror books of the month for Dragons and Jetpacks. I’ve been meaning to read Theft of Swords (or let’s be honest – any Michael J. Sullivan) for a while now so I didn’t need much prompting to get my hands on this novel. And finally! I purchased the next book in my long list of Jim Butcher reads with Changes, the twelfth book in The Dresden Files – so excited! Last but not least there’s Blood and Beauty: The Borgias by Sarah Dunant, a work of historical fiction based on the lives of the Borgia family. Certainly enough to keep me going!

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| October Goals |

To read at least two spooky books in time for Halloween

Status: 0 of 2 Complete

To read at least two books from this autumn’s TBR list

Status: 0 of 2 Complete

September Roll-over: To finish The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett

Status: p. 286 of 808 (35%)

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Have you picked up any great books lately or read any of those mentioned above? What are your goals for the month ahead? 

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The Month Ahead: September 2015

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In The Month Ahead, I will be rounding up the books I am currently reading, the ones I will start this month, and the ones I intend getting my mitts on… if I haven’t already! I will also be sharing any news about features or posts on Books by Proxy, and anything in the book world that has me all excited!

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| Currently Reading |

Only three books on my currently reading pile! A drastic improvement from last month that’s for sure. Two chunky fantasy novels sit on the top of the pile, The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks and The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett, and one teeny tiny Flipback classic, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. But oh dear, poor Daylight War hasn’t been opened since January(!!!) and I can’t even give a real reason why… though ‘I love you Arlen Bales’ may have a little to do with it. That must be finished this month before I forget what’s happened!! It’s also a really good book (so far) so I feel quite guilty for having neglected it.

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| Book Haul |

Somehow, despite being quite firm with myself since the last book haul, I found myself acquiring a number of new books! Oops! So new on the bookshelf are The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon, The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt, The Heresy of Dr Dee by Phil Rickman, The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak, Red Rising by Pierce Brown, The Napoleon of Crime by Ben Macintyre, Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay and Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter. I also received The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins through Blogging for Books and Paris at War by David Drake through NetGalley in exchange for honest reviews. That should keep me going for some time!

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| September Goals |

To read at least two books featured in my Top Ten… Complete Series I Still Haven’t Finished with at least one book finishing the series

Status: 0 of 2 Complete

To finish The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett

Status: p. 286 of 808 (35%)

To read at least two classics

Status: 0 of 2 Complete

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| New Features |

August was a month of new features so here’s a round-up of those not previously featured:

The Rapid Review – Can’t be bothered reading a long review? Just want to know whether a book is worth the effort? The Rapid Review hopes to save you some time and tell you (in my humblest of opinions) whether to give it a go. Prepare yourself for an onslaught of rapidity!

Top Ten Tuesday  – Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by those lovely bookworms over at The Broke and the Bookish – Expect a new top ten list every week! [Tuesday]

Teaser Tuesdays – Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly feature hosted by A Daily Rhythm – Expect a new teaser every week! [Tuesday]

Tough Travelling – Join me each Thursday for some Tough Travelling with the Tough Guide, hosted by Fantasy Review Barn. Inspired by ‘The Tough Guide to Fantasyland,‘ we will set out on a quest to track down the biggest tropes and clichés in fantasy fiction. [Thursday]

Bookish Beats – Music, much like literature, has the power to drive your imagination; it can lift the soul and create real emotion.This is Bookish Beats, a feature which will showcase some of the soundtracks which have enriched the worlds I’ve found between the pages. [Sunday]

The Monthly Round-Up – The Monthly Round-Up will look back on the past month to see which books I’ve read, the reviews I’ve posted, the goals I’ve completed and which book I’ve chosen as my all important Book of the Month!

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The Month Ahead: August 2015

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Welcome to the first post in my The Month Ahead feature. Here I will be discussing the books I am currently reading, the ones I will start this month, and the ones I intend getting my mitts on… if I haven’t already! I will also be sharing any news about features or posts on Books by Proxy, and anything in the book world that has me all excited!

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| Currently Reading |

Oh so much to read, so little time! Only recently I was ploughing through books, one after the next. Open – read – done! Since returning from vacation (where my luggage allowance wouldn’t even let me slip in a flimsy paperback), I have slowed down considerably and now have a backlog of started books to finish. I usually like to intersperse my biggies – those heart wrenching, lip biting, palm sweating tomes of awesomeness – with a classic or two. It just so happens that I’ve now acquired four of those classics on my currently reading list. I just can’t seem to resist starting another from the top of my to-read pile. So this month I intend to finish all the books that I’ve started before I pick up any more – I do hate to leave even a bad book unfinished (N.B. I am enjoying all my currently neglected classics).

The Big Ones

Inquisitor by Mitchell Hogan – I recently received Inquisitor by Mitchell Hogan as part of the Goodreads First Reads scheme and couldn’t wait to get started. So far, so SO good! I will be reviewing it as soon as I’m finished, and it really is promising to be a very exciting read.

The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett – The other big cheese is The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett. I started this book a while ago and, despite enjoying it, somehow let it slip beneath my notice. But worry not! Despite its huge size, it will not find its way to the bottom of that unfinished classics pile.

And on that classics pile we have…

Crime Classics

The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie

Comedy Classics

Pigs Have Wings by P.G. Wodehouse

Plays and Classic Classics

Agamemnon by Aeschylus

And Just Plain Old Classics

Hard Times by Charles Dickens

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| August Acquisitions |

I received Armada by Ernest Cline through Blogging for Books, which looks brilliant and I’m very excited to read. A friend also lent me Wodehouse: A Life by Robert McCrum, a biography of one of my favourite humourists P.G. Wodehouse. I recently bought Half a War by Joe Abercrombie (yay!) and Chocolate Covered Katie by Katie Higgins, which will no doubt be in constant use in my kitchen. And I’ve just discovered that I can use my supermarket loyalty points on books! Hurrah! So arriving very shortly will be: Fatherland by Robert Harris, Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett, The Axeman’s Jazz by Ray Celestin, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen and The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton.

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| New Features |

Well the blog is in its early stages so brand spanking new features will be cropping up all over the place. So expect more to come! This month’s new features (so far) are:

Blast from the Past – A weekly feature where I will discuss the most memorable books from my past.

The Month Ahead – A monthly feature (which you are currently reading) where I will discuss what’s coming up on the blog this month.

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