Queer Romance for Valentine’s Day
Escape this Valentine’s Day with some brilliant queer romance from Orbit Books.
'A chilling account of a dark past wrapped in the warm blanket of a promising future . . . A pleasure to read' Ann Leckie
'Sparks fly' NPR
'A stunning new space opera debut' K. B. Wagers
The Iskat Empire rules its vassal planets through a system of treaties - so when Prince Taam, key figure in a political alliance, is killed, a replacement must be found. His widower, Jainan, is rushed into an arranged marriage with the disreputable aristocrat Kiem, in a bid to keep rising hostilities between two worlds under control. But Prince Taam's death may not have been an accident, and when Jainan himself is a suspect, he and Kiem must navigate the perils of the Iskat court, solve a murder, and prevent an interplanetary war . . .
***Winner of an ALA Alex Award***
***Sunday Times bestseller***
'Has everything you could ask: impossible choices, divided loyalties, dry wit . . . charming slow-burn romance, and an adventure in space politics' A. K. Larkwood
'High-pitched noises escaped me; I shouted, more than once, 'Now kiss!'...in a world so relentlessly uncertain, there's a powerfully simple pleasure in the experience of a promise kept' The New York Times Book Review
'Dazzling . . . Its characters stayed with me long after I raced through the last chapters' Aliette de Boddard
Everina Maxwell's debut is a space opera with high-stakes multi-world politics and irresistibly engaging characters, perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. An LGBTQ romance and Tiktok/Booktok sensation. Find the author on Twitter at @av_stories
From the same author:
OCEAN'S ECHO
'One of the best fantasy novels I've read in a long time...This book is truly special' Sarah J. Maas
***The Sunday Times bestselling series***
Magic. Revolution. Identity.
The Emperor's reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire's many islands.
Lin is the Emperor's daughter and she spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.
Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright - and save her people.
The Bone Shard Daughter is an unmissable fantasy debut - a captivating tale of magic, revolution and mystery, where a young woman's sense of identity will make or break an empire.
'A bold, ambitious debut' M. R. Carey
'Epic fantasy at its most human and heartfelt . . . inventive, adventurous and wonderfully written' Alix E. Harrow
'Brilliant world-building, deep intrigue and incredible heart' Megan E. O'Keefe
'Action-packed, must-read epic fantasy . . . One of the best debut fantasy novels of the year' Buzzfeed
'This brilliant fantasy debut has announced Andrea Stewart as quite possibly the best newcomer of the year' Novel Notions
The Drowning Empire series
The Bone Shard Daughter
The Bone Shard Emperor
The Bone Shard War
'Glorious . . . a tale that will sweep you away' Yangsze Choo, New York Times bestselling author of The Night Tiger
'A gorgeous and thrilling paean to the ferocious power of women' Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of Strange the Dreamer
In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.
But when the three Eastwood sisters join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote - and perhaps not even to live - the sisters must delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive.
There's no such thing as witches. But there will be.
Praise for The Once and Future Witches:
'A brilliant dazzle of a book . . . I devoured it in enormous gulps, and utterly loved it' Kat Howard, author of The Unkindness of Ghosts
'Compelling, exhilarating and magical - a must-read' Booklist (starred review)
'Delightful . . . a tale of women's battle for equality, of fairy tales twisted into wonderfully witchy spells, of magics both large and small, and history re-imagined' Louisa Morgan, author of A Secret History of Witches
'A love letter to folklore and the rebellious women of history' Publishers Weekly
'A breathtaking book - brilliant and raw and dark and complicated' Sarah Gailey, author of Magic for Liars
'This is a truly excellent fantasy and an epic beginning for a new trilogy' Locus
One woman will either save an entire continent or completely destroy it in a captivating epic fantasy bursting with intrigue and mystery, broken magic and betrayal.
'Guard the tower, ward the stone. Find your answers writ in bone. Keep your trust through wits or war - nothing must unseal the door.'
Deep within Gloamingard Castle lies a black tower. Sealed by magic, it guards a dangerous secret that has been contained for thousands of years.
As Warden, Ryxander knows the warning passed down through generations: nothing must unreal the Door. But one impetuous decision will leave her with blood on her hands - and unleash a threat that could doom the world to darkness.
'A classic, breath-taking adventure brim-full of dangerous magic and clever politics. This is a book that will thrill and delight any fantasy fan' Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne
'A must-read for lovers of high fantasy' C. L. Polk, World Fantasy Award-winning author Witchmark
'With this novel, Melissa Caruso solidifies herself as one of my favourite authors. The Obsidian Tower is a masterpiece of character driven fantasy . . . I was enthralled from the first page' Fantasy Book Review
COMING SOON:
Treat. Your. Self. Pre-order these two extraordinary queer stories today:
***THE WORLD FANTASY AWARD WINNER***
One is a vengeful princess seeking to depose her brother from his throne.
The other is a priestess searching for her family.
Together, they will change the fate of an empire.
Imprisoned by her dictator brother, Malini spends her days in isolation in the Hirana: an ancient temple that was once the source of powerful magic - but is now little more than a decaying ruin.
Priya is a maidservant, one of several who make the treacherous journey to the top of the Hirana every night to attend Malini's chambers. She is happy to be an anonymous drudge, as long as it keeps anyone from guessing the dangerous secret she hides. But when Malini accidentally bears witness to Priya's true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled . . .
The Jasmine Throne begins an epic fantasy trilogy set in a world inspired by the history and romances of India, in which a captive princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic become unlikely allies. The sapphic romance and Booktok sensation!
Follow the author on Tiktok at @tashasuri.
'Raises the bar for what epic fantasy should be' Chloe Gong, author of These Violent Delights
'This cutthroat and sapphic novel will grip you until the very end' Vulture (Best of the Year)
'Suri's incandescent feminist masterpiece hits like a steel fist inside a velvet glove' Shelley Parker-Chan, author of She Who Became the Sun
'It left me breathless' Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter
'I loved it' Alix E. Harrow, Hugo award-winning author of The Once and Future Witches
'Lush and stunning . . . this sapphic fantasy will rip your heart out' BuzzFeed News
'A fierce, heart-wrenching exploration of the value and danger of love' Publishers Weekly (starred review)
For more from Tasha Suri, check out:
The Burning Kingdoms
The Jasmine Throne
The Oleander Sword
The Books of Ambha
Empire of Sand
Realm of Ash
***Nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award and a Nebula Award***
EVERY EMPIRE DEMANDS REVOLUTION.
Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has been sent back to her homeland to stop a rebellion, and the ties of blood may be stronger than she thought.
Luca needs a turncoat. Someone desperate enough to tiptoe the bayonet's edge between treason and orders. Someone who can sway the rebels toward peace, while Luca focuses on what really matters: getting her uncle off her throne.
Through assassinations and massacres, in bedrooms and war rooms, Touraine and Luca will haggle over the price of a nation. But some things aren't for sale.
In a political fantasy unlike any other, debut author C. L. Clark spins an epic tale of rebellion, espionage, and military might on the far outreaches of a crumbling desert empire.
'Clark's debut introduces a remarkable LGBTQ+ culture amid a story of colonial conquest, exploitation, prejudice, and brewing revolt in a land with a lost history of mystical powers . . . Fans of epic military fantasy will eagerly await more from Clark' Booklist
'High adventure on a human scale - don't miss it' Alix E. Harrow
'This strong debut is filled with exciting action and worldbulding, intriguing characters . . . and an explosion of feelings. Readers will be clamoring for more of Touraine and Luca before they finish' Library Journal: Starred Review
'The Unbroken is something special. I'm going to need book two asap' David Dalglish
'A compelling and persuasive reimagining of both heroism and heroics' Evan Winter
'A perfect military fantasy: brutal, complex, human and impossible to put down' Tasha Suri
'This book feels like one of those deep conversations you have with someone you respect at 3am on a Saturday night. It's wonderful, you know you're going to miss it before it's even over and you'll think about it for a long time to come' FIYAH Literary Magazine
'C. L. Clark's epic fantasy debut reveals all the ugly, painful, deeply personal complexities of revolution against empire. I'm in awe!' Shelley Parker-Chan
'A bold and exciting work that helps steer the evolution of the genre into the next decade' Marshall Ryan Maresca
'Get ready to fall in love with Touraine and Luca in one of the best fantasy debuts I have ever read!' Matt Wallace
'THE UNBROKEN is a utterly remarkable fantasy debut. A heart-rending, unflinching tale of love, loyalty, and making the right choices despite the repercussions. Clark had me completely engrossed in her prose, her world, and her characters from beginning to end' FanFiAddict
'A riveting epic fantasy about a city on the knife's edge of rebellion' K. A. Doore