This week brought one ARC and one review copy. I’m looking forward to both of them, but I’m especially excited about the first one since it’s one I’ve been interested in for a little while now.

Songs of the Earth by Elspeth CooperSongs of the Earth by Elspeth Cooper

This is a debut novel and the first volume in a new series, The Wild Hunt. Songs of the Earth was released in the UK last year, and it is going to be released in the US on February 28. There are two excerpts available on the author’s site: Extract 1 & Extract 2.

I’ve been really curious about this book and have been wanting to read it ever since I first heard about it. I’ll be starting this one pretty soon!

The Book of Eador, Abjurations 12:14, is very clear: Suffer ye not the life of a witch. For a thousand years, the Church Knights have obeyed that commandment, sending to the stake anyone who can hear the songs of the earth. There are no exceptions, not even for one of their own.

Novice Knight Gair can hear music no one else can, beautiful, terrible music: music with power. In the Holy City, that can mean only one thing: death by fire—until an unlikely intervention gives him a chance to flee the city and escape the flames.

With the Church Knights and their witchfinder hot on his heels, Gair hasn’t time to learn how to use the power growing inside him, but if he doesn’t master it, that power will tear him apart. His only hope is the secretive Guardians of the Veil, though centuries of persecution have almost destroyed their Order, and the few Guardians left have troubles of their own.

For the Veil between worlds is weakening, and behind it, the Hidden Kingdom, ever-hungry for dominion over the daylight realm, is stirring. Though he is far from ready, Gair will find himself fighting for his own life, for everyone within the Order of the Veil, and for the woman he has come to love.

Heir of Novron by Michael J. SullivanHeir of Novron by Michael Sullivan

This is the final volume in the Riyria Revelations, containing Wintertide and Percepliquis. It just came out this month, close on the heels of the first two omnibus editions, Theft of Swords (Crown Conspiracy/Avempartha) and Rise of Empire (Nyphron Rising/Emerald Storm).

I haven’t read Rise of Empire yet, but I am planning to since I had fun with Theft of Swords.

The New Empire intends to mark its victory over the Nationalists with a bloody celebration. On the high holiday of Wintertide, the Witch of Melengar will be burned and the Heir of Novron executed. On that same day the Empress faces a forced marriage, with a fatal accident soon to follow. The New Empire is confident in the totality of its triumph but there’s just one problem-Royce and Hadrian have finally found the Heir of Novron and they have their own holiday plans.

And so concludes the final tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend.

When author Michael J. Sullivan self-published the first books of his Riyria Revelations, they rapidly became ebook bestsellers. Now, Orbit is pleased to present the complete series for the first time in bookstores everywhere.