June 15, 2021

‘The King Must Fall’ – Kickstarter Now Live

By Anthony Ryan

The Kickstarter page for ‘The King Must Fall’ anthology is now live.

The King Must Fall is a dark fantasy anthology from Gimdark Magazine featuring 14+ authors writing about rogues, assassins, mages, blackguards, and warriors on quests to kill their kings, rulers, and leaders. We’ll be offering ebook, hardcover, numbered signed edition hardcovers, and a leatherbound signed lettered edition.

Wrapped in Felix Ortiz’s beautiful cover art, designed by the legendary Shawn King, and with a stretch goal to fill it with Carlos Diaz’s interior art, The King Must Fall will be a gripping read and an eye-catching addition to your bookshelf.

The anthology will feature an all new Raven’s Shadow novella by yours truly and great stories from the following authors:

 Bradley P. Beaulieu (The Song of the Shattered Sands, The Lays of Anuskaya)

 Kameron Hurley (The God’s War Trilogy, Worldbreaker Saga)

 Michael R Fletcher (Manifest Delusions, Black Stone Heart)

 Anna Smith Spark (Empires of Dust)

 Shawn Speakman (The Annwn Cycles, Unfettered)

 Daniel Polansky (Low Town, Those Above)

 Devin Madson (The Reborn Empire)

 Adrian Tchaikovsky (Shadows of the Apt, Children of Time)

 Lee Murray (Into the Mist, Hounds of the Underworld)

 Jeremy Szal (The Common)

 Justin Call (The Silent Gods)

 Trudi Canavan (The Black Magician, Age of the Five)

 Peter Orullian (The Vault of Heaven, The Astonishing)

Go to the Kickstarter Page to support this anthology and check out al the great the rewards and stretch goals. (NB, sorry but the Tuckerisation pledge reward for the Raven’s Shadow novella has already been claimed). 

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May 31, 2021

‘City of Songs’ ARC Giveaway – ‘The Black Song’ UK Kindle Daily Deal – ‘The King Must Fall’ Kickstarter – New Interview

By Anthony Ryan

Thanks to those nice folks at Subterranean Press I have three signed advance review copies of City of Songs – Volume Three of The Seven Swords novella series – to give away to existing mailing list subscribers and anyone who subscribes between now and midnight GMT June 5th. 

Winners will be chosen and notified on June 6th. As usual, remember to check you spam folders to make sure you haven’t missed out.

Join the mailing list.

City of Songs will be released in September in special edition hardcover, audio and ebook. It looks like the lettered tray-case editions have already sold out but the signed and numbered hardcovers are still available. Go to the Subterranean Press website to place your orders.

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In other news – for today only the UK ebook edition of The Wolf’s Call – Book One of the Raven’s Blade duology – is on sale at £0.99 as a Kindle daly deal on the UK Amazon store. Buy here: amazon.co.uk.

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I’m also delighted to announce that I will contributing an all new Raven’s Shadow novella to the upcoming anthology The King Must Fall from Grimdark Magazine. 

This will be a crowdfunded publication so, if you want to make it happen, head over to the Kickstarter page to be notified when the project goes live on June 15th. More details on the novella coming soon. 

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And finally, many thanks to book blogger and aspiring writer Shauna Lawless for interviewing me about the upcoming publication of The Pariah, plus a lot of other stuff. Find it on at her blog at: https://shaunalawless.com/2021/05/19/author-interview-anthony-ryan/

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May 15, 2021

Win ‘The Black Song’ in Ace Books Summer Fantasy Sweepstakes

By Anthony Ryan

Thanks to Ace Books for including The Black Song in their Summer Fantasy Sweepstakes draw along with these four other great books. To have a chance winning go here to sign up the relevant mailing list.

For more info on The Black Song check out the book page.

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May 10, 2021

‘Songs of the Dark’ Now Available in Ebook and Paperback

By Anthony Ryan

Songs of the Dark – Short Fiction from the World of Raven’s Shadow is now available in ebook and paperback. Songs of the Dark collects all the Raven’s Shadow novellas published so far into one volume. 

*Cover illustration by Kevin Goeke. Cover design by STK Creations.

Buy the ebook: Amazon.com – Amazon.co.uk – Nook – Kobo – Google Play – Apple Books

Buy the illustrated paperback: Amazon.com – Amazon.co.uk – Barnes & Noble

The special limited edition signed hardcover is also still available to buy from Subterranean Press.

About the Book:

“Heard whispers of the Dark all my life. It’s a strange feeling when a whisper becomes a shout.” 

Songs of the Dark collects all four novellas from the world of Anthony Ryan’s internationally best-selling Raven’s Shadow trilogy.

A Duel of Evils – Centuries before the rise of the Unified Realm, the final battle looms between the city-state of Kethia and the Volarian Empire. As told by Imperial Chronicler Lord Verniers, this terrible event is shrouded in many secrets and, some say, wrought by servants of the Dark.

Many Are the Dead – When word reaches the north of a fresh outbreak of the dreaded Red Hand, Brother Sollis, the finest swordsman in the Sixth Order, leads a small band to a long-abandoned castle in search of a potential cure but discovers a far greater threat lurking in the mountains.

The Lady of Crows – A quest for bloody vengeance forces Derla, a skilled and deadly veteran of the Varinshold underworld, into the service of the arch schemer King Janus.

The Lord Collector – Veteran Realm Guard Jerhid, newly appointed Lord Collector of the King’s Excise, finds himself battling ruthless smuggler gangs and worse on the wild southern shore of the Unified Realm. 

Four compelling tales of mystery, magic, intrigue, and battle presented in one volume for the first time – featuring all-new introductions by the author. The print editions also feature and black-and-white interior illustrations by Anthony Ryan. 

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In other news, many thanks to David Walters of FanFiAddict.com for his spoiler free review of The Pariah – Book One of The Covenant of Steel:

“The Pariah is a sharp, brutal tale and a brilliant introduction to theCovenant of Steel series. While the story itself is grim and bloody, Ryan’s prose and characterization are a beacon in the darkness. A remarkable story that I did not want to end.”

Read the full review here: https://fanfiaddict.com/2021/05/05/review-the-pariah-the-covenant-of-steel-1-by-anthony-ryan

The Pariah will be released on August 24th in the US and August 26th in the UK. Buy links are on the book page.

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April 23, 2021

The Pariah Gets a Starred Review from Publisher’s Weekly & Goodreads eARC Giveaway

By Anthony Ryan

I’m pleased to report that Publisher’s Weekly has given The Pariah – Book One of The Covenant of Steel – a starred review.

“Ryan (the Raven’s Shadow series) impresses with this fantasy trilogy opener… The author makes buy-in easy thanks to three-dimensional characters and intelligent prose that grips from the opening sentence.” – Publisher’s Weekly.

You can read the full review here – warning for mild plot spoilers for those who prefer to come to the book completely cold. 

Congratulations to the winners of the signed Pariah advance review copy who have been chosen and notified today – check your spam folders to make sure you haven’t missed the notification. Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter and for the many nice comments, apologies I couldn’t respond to everyone.

Any US readers who would like a second chance can enter the Goodreads giveaway for 100 e-book review copies currently being run by Orbit US – sorry, US readers only. The giveaway ends on May 2nd. Go here to enter: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/322986-the-pariah

I’ll be running my own giveaway for signed hardcovers and paperbacks closer to the release date in August so watch out for that. Make sure you’re signed up to the mailing list to ensure you don’t miss out on a chance to win one.

The UK audiobook, narrated by Steven Brand, is now available for pre-order from audible.co.uk. No US pre-order yet, I’ll update the book page when I have one.

And finally, I’m happy (and relieved) to report that, as of two days ago, I finished the first draft of Book Two in The Covenant of Steel trilogy. There’s still some work to do on the text and the title is yet to be finalised, but it’s always a good feeling when I get to type these words:

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April 12, 2021

The Pariah – Upcoming Advance Review Copy Giveaway

By Anthony Ryan

My advance review copies of the US edition of The Pariah – Book one of The Covenant of Steel – have arrived. I’ll be running a giveaway for five signed copies exclusively to my mailing list subscribers on April 19th. If you want a chance to win one, sign up here before then: Mailing List Sign Up. 

I’m also delighted to report that I recently confirmed with Orbit that Steven Brand will be voicing The Pariah audiobook. Pre-order links to come as soon as they go live. 

*Cover illustration by Jaime Jones (www.artpad.org). Cover design by Lauren Panepinto (@Panepinto).

About the book:

The Pariah begins a new epic fantasy series of action, intrigue and magic from Anthony Ryan, a master storyteller who has taken the fantasy world by storm. 

Born into the troubled kingdom of Albermaine, Alwyn Scribe is raised as an outlaw. Quick of wit and deft with a blade, Alwyn is content with the freedom of the woods and the comradeship of his fellow thieves. But an act of betrayal sets him on a new path – one of blood and vengeance, which eventually leads him to a soldier’s life in the king’s army. 

Fighting under the command of Lady Evadine Courlain, a noblewoman beset by visions of a demonic apocalypse, Alwyn must survive war and the deadly intrigues of the nobility if he hopes to claim his vengeance. But as dark forces, both human and arcane, gather to oppose Evadine’s rise, Alwyn faces a choice: can he be a warrior, or will he always be an outlaw?

The Pariah – Book One of the Covenant of Steel – will be released by Orbit in the US on August 24th and in the UK on August 26th, 2021.

Pre-order Links

UK ebook:  Amazon.co.uk  –  Apple Books  –  Kobo  –  Google Play

UK hardcover:  Amazon.co.uk  –  Waterstones  –  WH Smith  –  Wordery  – Bookshop.org

US ebook:  Amazon.com  –  Nook  –  Apple Books  –  Kobo  –  Google Play

US paperback:  Amazon.com  –  Barnes and Noble  –  Indiebound  –  Bookshop.org

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March 8, 2021

‘The Black Song’ Nominated for the Booknest Awards, ‘Slab City Blues’ Audio Goes Wide, and more…

By Anthony Ryan

Many thanks to those nice people at Booknest for nominating ‘The Black Song’ – Book Two of The Raven’s Blade – for their ‘Best Traditionally Published Novel’ award longlist. Head over to the awards page to vote for your favourite fantasy novel from 2020: http://booknest.eu/component/k2/blog/2183-2020-booknest-fantasy-awards-longlist

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The audiobook edition of ‘Slab City Blues – The Collected Stories’, narrated by the inestimable Steven Brand, is no longer exclusive to Audible and can be purchased from these retailers: 

 Apple Books  –  Kobo  –   Google Play  –  Chirp

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‘Een Pelgrimstocht van Zwaarden’ – the Dutch edition of my novella ‘A Pilgrimage of Swords’ – Vol. 1 of The Seven Swords – will be released on March 30th. Netherlands fantasy outlet AnderWereld are offering a box of goodies which includes a hardcover copy of the novella and a 210mm x 210mm glossy postcard of the Execration map signed by yours truly. Go here to order: https://www.anderwereld-magie.nl/a-63512008/nieuwe-mystery-boekenboxen/mystery-boekenbox-maart-fantasy-novelle/

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And finally, I’m please to share a few more sample pages from the Draconis Memoria RPG rulebook courtesy of Hiruoka. Watch this space for news of the upcoming kickstarter. 

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February 23, 2021

Announcing ‘City of Songs’ – Volume Three of the Seven Swords

By Anthony Ryan

I’m pleased to announce that Subterranean Press is now taking pre-orders for my novella City of Songs – Book Three of The Seven Swords.

About the Book:

ATHERIA – THE FABLED CITY OF SONGS, THE SHINING JEWEL OF THE THIRD SEA WHERE THE MASKED EXULTIA CASTE HOLD SWAY AND VIE TO OUTDO EACH OTHER IN THEIR PATRONAGE OF THE ARTS, SOMETIMES WITH DEADLY CONSEQUENCES…

Guyime, wandering, dethroned King of the Northlands, is drawn to the Atheria by his quest for the Seven Swords, the demon cursed blades of legend. But to claim the next sword he must first solve a seemingly impossible murder—a puzzle that, once untangled, will unveil secrets so dark they could bring the City of Songs to utter ruin.

Continuing the epic tale of The Seven Swords, City of Songs is an action-packed, darkly magical mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of the Raven’s Shadow and Draconis Memoria trilogies. 

Pre-order from the Subterranean Press website.

As with the previous instalments there will be an audio version of City of Songs – details to follow when I have them. 

For any newcomers to this series click the links below for details of the first two volumes:
A Pilgrimage of Swords

The Kraken’s Tooth  

Thanks to my editors, Yanni Kuznia and Bill Schafer, and everyone else at Subterranean for making this happen. Also, many thanks to Didier Graffet for yet another spectacular cover. Check out more of his work here.

I’ll be running a mailing list giveaway for signed hardcovers closer to the release date so watch out for that. 

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February 20, 2021

The Wolf’s Call – US Ebook on Sale at $1.99

By Anthony Ryan

The US ebook edition of The Wolf’s Call, Book One of The Raven’s Blade, is now on sale at $1.99. The sale will run until March 2nd.

Buy here: Amazon.com  –   Kobo  –  Nook  –  Apple Books  –  Google Play 

Links for other formats and UK editions are on the book page.

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February 16, 2021

‘Songs of the Dark’ – Now Shipping & ‘Draconis Memoria RPG’ Sneak Peak

By Anthony Ryan

I’m pleased to report that the signed, limited edition hardcover of Songs of the Dark, the collection of my Raven’s Shadow short fiction, is now in stock and shipping from Subterranean Press. The collection includes a new introduction, author notes on each of the stories and black-and-white interior illustrations by yours truly.

The wraparound cover illustration is by Kevin Zamir Goeke.

Order Songs of the Dark from the Subterranean Press website.

“Heard whispers of the Dark all my life.

It’s a strange feeling when a whisper becomes a shout.” 

Songs of the Dark collects all four novellas from the world of Anthony Ryan’s internationally best-selling Raven’s Shadow trilogy.

Centuries before the rise of the Unified Realm, the final battle looms between the city-state of Kethia and the Volarian Empire. As told by Imperial Chronicler Lord Verniers, this terrible event is shrouded in many secrets and, some say, wrought by servants of the Dark.

When word reaches the north of a fresh outbreak of the dreaded Red Hand, Brother Sollis, the finest swordsman in the Sixth Order, leads a small band to a long-abandoned castle in search of a potential cure but discovers a far greater threat lurking in the mountains.

A quest for bloody vengeance forces Derla, a skilled and deadly veteran of the Varinshold underworld, into the service of the arch schemer King Janus.

Veteran Realm Guard Jerhid, newly appointed Lord Collector of the King’s Excise, finds himself battling ruthless smuggler gangs and worse on the wild southern shore of the Unified Realm. 

Four compelling tales of mystery, magic, intrigue, and battle presented in one volume for the first time—featuring all-new introductions and black-and-white interior illustrations by the author.  

Limited: 400 signed numbered hardcover copies: $125

Lettered: 26 signed specially bound copies, housed in a custom traycase: $600

Table of Contents:

Introduction

A Duel of Evils

Many Are the Dead

The Lady of Crows

The Lord Collector

Illustrations from The Lord Collector.

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In other news, I’m excited to let you know that work on the Draconis Memoria RPG continues a pace and I’m now able to share a sneak peak of pages from the rule book. 

The game will be produced by Hirukoa based on Dungeon & Dragons 5th Edition and funded via Kickstarter. More details to come when I have them. 

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