The Martyr – Book Two of the Covenant of Steel – is released today in ebook and hardcover in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Ryan again showcases his gift for epic fantasy in his excellent sequel to The Pariah – Publishers Weekly starred review of The Martyr.
The Martyr is the second novel in The Covenant of Steel, a new epic fantasy series of action, intrigue and magic from Anthony Ryan, a master storyteller who has taken the fantasy world by storm.
Times have changed for Alwyn Scribe. Once an outlaw, he’s now a spymaster and sworn protector of Lady Evadine Courlain, whose visions of a demonic apocalypse have earned her the fanatical devotion of the faithful.
Yet Evadine’s growing fame has put her at odds with both Crown and Covenant. As trouble brews in the kingdom, both seek to exploit her position for their own ends.
Sent to the Duchy of Alundia to put down a rebellion, Alwyn must rely on old instincts to fight for his new cause. Deadly feuds and ancient secrets are laid bare as war erupts, a war that will decide the fate of the Kingdom of Albermaine and, perhaps, prevent the coming of the prophesied Second Scourge.
Many thanks to everyone who entered the signed book giveaway. The winners have now been notified – mailing list subscribers check your spam folders to make sure you haven’t missed out.
As stated previously, release of The Martyr audiobook has been delayed until September 6th to allow Steven Brand time to record it. Some people have reported that the existing pre-order links for the US Audible store no longer appear to be active – I’ll repost them closer to the release date when I’m sure they’re working.
The Martyr will also be released in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa on June 30th. Pre-order links are on the book page.
The Martyr – Book Two of the Covenant of Steel – will be released in the US on June 28th and the UK on June 30th. To celebrate I’ll be running a giveaway for my mailing list subscribers. On June 20th, existing subscribers will receive an email with a link to click in order to enter the giveaway, so make sure you sign up to the list before then if you want a chance at winning a signed, lined and dated UK edition hardcover. Runners up prizes will include signed paperbacks and bookplates.
Note for subscribers – please ensure you check your spam filters on the 20th to make sure you don’t miss out on the giveaway.
Winners will be chosen and notified on June 27th.
To pre-order The Martyr, check out the links in the book page.
Check out The Pariah, book one in this series, here.
For more Covenant of Steel talk, check out this interview I did for Forbidden Planet TV. (https://youtu.be/T8gtRI44vM4)
And finally, for anyone who wants to make sure they get their hands on a signed hardcover of The Martyr, signed special limited editions are still available (for now) from Goldsboro Books and The Broken Binding.
Stocks are limited to 500 copies, and I’m not sure how long they’ll last, so get your orders in quickly if you don’t want to miss out.
The Martyr – Book Two of the Covenant of Steel – will be released in the US on June 28th and the UK on June 30th. Pre-order links are on the book page.
I’ll also be running a mailing list giveaway for signed hardcovers closer to the release date. Be sure to sign up for the list to have a chance of winning.
I’m pleased to say that the illustrated paperback edition of my novella Fire Wings is now available. Cover and interior illustrations are by long term collaborator Kevin Goeke.
For more details and info on other formats, see the book page. The winners of the signed, illustrated hardcover giveaway have now been chosen and notified. Thanks and welcome to the new subscribers to this list.
As explained previously, the audiobook release of The Martyr – Book Two of The Covenant of Steel – has been delayed in order to accommodate Steven Brand’s increasingly busy narration schedule. The revised release date is now confirmed as September 6th in the UK and US. Pre-order links are on the book page.
There seems to be some weirdness going on with the US Audbile pre-order page regarding current availability (I’ve no idea why), so US customers might need to wait a few weeks before their orders will be accepted.
I’m happy to reveal the frontis illustration for To Blackfyre Keep – volume four in my Seven Swords novella series – drawn by my very own hand. Anyone who pre-orders the special edition hardcover from Subterranean Press will be entered into a draw to win the original signed illustration.
And finally, anyone who can’t get enough of me wittering on may want to check out the latest SFF Addicts Podcast in which I and four fellow authors discuss the merits and otherwise of both traditional and indie publishing.
The standalone version of my novella Fire Wings is now available in ebook and illustrated print editions. The illustrations are courtesy of Kevin Goeke who also painted the terrific cover illustration. Check out more of Kevin’s work on his website.
The illustrated paperback edition is currently stuck in Amazon’s labyrinthine bureaucracy – I’ll update you when it becomes available.
Book description:
For centuries the Sentinel Eyrie has stood watch over the Maw, the foul lair of the Voice and its monstrous servants. Long have the dishonoured and the damned journeyed to the Eyrie in search of restored honour.
Shamil, disgraced warrior from the southern desert, has journeyed to the Eyrie seeking redemption for a terrible crime. To earn it he must win the trust of a Great Wing, one of the mighty birds that carry the sentinels into battle. But such trust is not easily won, and the Voice is rising…
Fire Wings is a soaring fantasy adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of the Raven’s Shadow trilogy.
Sample interior illustrations from the print editions:
Fire Wings was originally published in the now sadly discontinued Deep Magic Magazine and takes place in the same world as my short story The Hall of the Diamond Queen. Although Fire Wings can be read in isolation, if you want the full back story to the tale of the Wraith Queen Sharrow-Met, The Hall of the Diamond Queen is available free to subscribers to my mailing list. It can be found in the Unbound anthology published by Grim Oak Press.
To mark the occasion I’m running a mailing list give-away for five signed Fire Wings hardcovers. To enter, join my mailing list before midnight GMT on May 17th. Existing subscribers are automatically entered. The giveaway is open to all readers worldwide. The winners will be chosen and notified on May 18th.
I also need to let you know that, despite the listed publication date, the audiobook release is likely to be delayed by several weeks. Steven Brand is an in-demand actor and narrator these days so, to avoid switching to another voice, the recording sessions need to be put back to accommodate his schedule. Obviously it would be better for all formats to be published at the same time and I do apologise for this delay. However, both myself and the publisher, felt it was important to continue with Steven as the voice of the series.
In other news, the signed hardcover edition of City of Songs – Volume Three of my novella series The Seven Swords – is currently on sale at the less-than-half price of $15. Available only from the Subterranean Press website.
I don’t know how long this sale will last so act now if you don’t want to miss out on a bargain.
To Blackfyre Keep – Volume Four in my ongoing fantasy novella series The Seven Swords – is now available for pre-order from Subterranean Press as a limited edition signed hardcover.
To Blackfyre Keep is slated for release in September this year. Pre-order from the Subterranean Press website.
Many thanks to everyone at Subterranean for making this happen, and, as always, to Didier Graffet for the wonderful cover illustration. You can view more of his workhere.
The ebook edition will appear on the day of the hardcover release. There will also be an audiobook edition but the release date is not yet confirmed. Details to follow when I have them.
Book description:
GUYIME—DEMON CURSED WIELDER OF THE NAMELESS BLADE—FOLLOWS THE TRAIL OF THE FABLED SEVEN SWORDS INTO THE TROUBLED NORTHLANDS, A REALM WHERE HE WAS ONCE CALLED KING…AND RAVAGER.
Magically guided to enlist in the retinue of a lovesick knight, Guyime and his companions journey to the haunted ruin of Blackfyre Keep, a castle legend tells cannot be held. But a far deadlier threat than mere ghosts awaits. An ancient evil has been conjured and to defeat it Guyime may be forced to become the monster he used to be—the Ravager reborn.
Continuing the epic adventure of The Seven Swords, To Blackfyre Keep is an enthralling tale of creeping menace and pulse pounding action from New York Times bestselling author of the Raven’s Shadow and Draconis Memoria trilogies.
Newcomers to this series should start with Volume One, A Pilgrimage of Swords – details on the book page.
For today only, the US ebook edition of The Pariah – Book One of the Covenant of Steel – is a Kindle daily deal at $2.99. I’m told the price will be matched by other US ebook vendors. Find it via the follow links:
Links to other formats and UK vendors are on the book page.
“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 starred review.
“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.” – FanFiAddict.
Also, The Martyr – Book Two of the Covenant of Steel – is now available for pre-order – find where-to-buy links on the book page.
In other The Martyr news, UK signed book store The Broken Binding is offering a limited number of signed hardcover pre-orders. These appear to be selling fast so act now to make sure you don’t miss out. They also ship internationally so don’t be put off if you live outside the UK.