The UK paperback edition of The Empire of Ashes (Book 3 of The Draconis Memoria) is released today. Thanks to everyone at Orbit UK for their efforts in making this happen and the support for this series over the past three years.
Many thanks once again to composer Will Musser for drawing on my work as inspiration for some epic music. I present The Draconis Symphonia for your listening pleasure:
Don’t forget, I’m running a mailing list giveaway for two signed US hardcovers of The Empire of Ashes. If you haven’t already, sign up to my mailing list before midnight on 25th December for a chance to win one.
Also, in case you missed it, check out the music cue Will produced for the Raven’s Shadow trilogy (find more of Will’s work at willmusser.com):
The cover above is just a place-holder but the book description has now been released:
‘Anthony Ryan’s debut novel Blood Song – book one of the Raven’s Shadow series – took the fantasy world by storm. The sequels, Tower Lord and Queen of Fire were both New York Times bestsellers. Now, Anthony Ryan returns to the world of this acclaimed fantasy series with The Wolf’s Call, which begins a thrilling new story of razor-sharp action and epic adventure.
PEACE NEVER LASTS
Vaelin Al Sorna is a living legend, his name known across the Realm. It was his leadership that overthrew empires, his blade that won hard-fought battles – and his sacrifice that defeated an evil more terrifying than anything the world had ever seen. He won titles aplenty, only to cast aside his earned glory for a quiet life in the Realm’s northern reaches.
Yet whispers have come from across the sea – rumours of an army called the Steel Horde, led by a man who believes himself a god. Vaelin has no wish to fight another war, but when he learns that Sherin, the woman he lost long ago, has fallen into the Horde’s grasp, he resolves to confront this powerful new threat.
To this end, Vaelin travels to the realms of the Merchant Kings, a land ruled by honour and intrigue. There, as the drums of war thunder across kingdoms riven by conflict, Vaelin learns a terrible truth: that there are some battles that even he cannot hope to win.’
In other news, because it’s that time of year, I’m running a mailing list giveaway for two signed, lined and dated US hardcovers of The Empire of Ashes, Book Three of The Draconis Memoria. Existing mailing list subscribers are automatically entered. If you’re not a subscriber, go here to sign up. The competition will run until 25th December with the winners being chosen at random and notified on the 26th.
Attention all Australians, The Waking Fire ebook is on sale in the Australian Kindle store at $4.99 until 20th November. Click hereto buy or, if you’ve already bought it, tell your friends.
…not the title they went with. ‘Das Heer des Weißen Drachen’ (The Army of the White Dragon), Draconis Memoria Buch 2 is released today by Hobbit Presse Klett-Cotta. Many thanks to my German translators Sara Riffel and Maria Pfaffinger for all their hard work on yet another lengthy book from me.
This week I carried out a long overdue review of my sales figures and it turns out that, thanks to The Empire of Ashes, I’ve now sold over one million books in English worldwide. It all feels a bit surreal given that it doesn’t seem that long ago when I wrote this post about reaching the what I once thought to be the impossibly out of reach goal of surpassing ten thousand sales, but I guess six years is a long time in publishing.
As a thank you to all my readers for making this happen I’m running a mailing list giveaway for a rare signed US first edition hardcover of the book that started it all – Blood Song. The giveaway is open to all existing mailing list subscribers and anyone who joins the list before midnight GMT on July 31st. The winner will be chosen at random and notified on August 1st.
Links to reviews are on the book page. You can also read a sample chapter here. New maps have also been added to the Map Room for the benefit of e-book owners.
Huge thanks to my agent Paul Lucas and everyone at my publisher Ace/Roc for their hard work in publishing the third and final volume of The Draconis Memoria, most especially my editor Jessica Wade.
To celebrate the imminent release of The Empire of Ashes I’m holding a mailing list signed books giveaway. Existing subscribers to my mailing list and anyone who subscribes between now and midnight GMT July 1st are automatically entered.
One first place winner will receive a UK hardcover.
Two second place winners will receive a US hardcover.
Three third place winners will receive UK trade paperbacks.
All books will be signed, lined and dated (with a personalised dedication if requested). The winners will be chosen and notified on July 2nd.
The Empire of Ashes is released in ebook, audio, and hardcover in the US on July 3rd and in the UK on July 5th. Pre-order links are on the book page.
In other news, in addition to the free short stories, anyone who subscribes to my mailing list will now receive a free download ebook compilation of all my non-fiction as a thank you for signing up. Contents:
1. ‘The Neophyte’s Guide to World-building’ or ‘How I Wrote Blood Song’
2. ‘Kicking over the Sandbox’, or ‘How I Wrote Tower Lord’
3. ‘We Will Make an Ending’ or ‘How I Wrote Queen of Fire’
4. Inspiration for Fantasy Authors
5. David Gemmell and the Depiction of the Hero
6. How to Write an Effective Battle Scene
7. How I Edit a Novel
8. The Influence of History on Epic Fantasy
9. Writing and Naming Fantasy Characters
10. Tips on Writing Dialogue
11. Happy Being Sad – Four Great Books with Unhappy Endings
12. ‘The Long Overnight’ or ‘How I Became a Published Author’
