“a fantastical story with plenty of excitement” – review of Instrument of War on Risingshadow

Artwork by Alison Buck
Artwork by Alison Buck

On Risingshadow, Seregil of Rhiminee has reviewed Rebecca Hall’s latest novel, Instrument of War, the second book in the Symphony of the Cursed trilogy following on from Instrument of Peace. Seregil enjoyed Instrument of Peace (see his review here) and says he was excited to read Instrument of War. So it’s just as well that it is “just as good” and is an entertaining read for those who love “exciting and fast-paced YA fantasy fiction”. In fact he says it not only lives up to the first book but “even surpasses it”.

The book is a “well written sequel” and he says that those who have read Instrument of Peace will feel immediately at home with the story and “be delighted to immerse themselves in it, because the author delivers a good story”, adding that she “wonderfully maintains tension and excitement in this novel and goes boldly forward with the story”. This book “deepens the story arc” offering exciting and thrilling moments because Rebecca “keeps on building upon what she created in the first novel”.

Seregil says he consider Rebecca’s books to be excellent additions to the increasingly popular YA fantasy genre because she “uses classic elements in a fresh and modern way”. The cast of characters, he says, is “delightfully versatile” with good characterisation because Rebecca writes fluently about “the characters’ feelings, lives and abilities”. He especially likes Rebecca’s “more entertaining and original approach” to vampires, avoiding the common clichés that are often overused in YA faction. He thinks that many readers will like Rebecca’s “vision of vampires, because in her novels the vampires feel much fresher than in many other novels”. He also finds her approach to magic to be “intriguing” and effortless, as is her ability to combine various fantasy elements. He says “I liked it a lot in Instrument of Peace, but now I find it even more intriguing, because she doesn’t seem to hold back anything anymore, but delivers a fantastical story with plenty of excitement.”

Seregil says that, although many YA novels have been written about magic schools and angels, “this novel stands out due to its interesting story and exotic setting” adding that the backdrop of New Zealand locations “adds lots of freshness to it”.

In conclusion, Seregil says that Instrument of War is “one of those rare novels that will captivate younger readers from the very first chapter and will make them read it in one sitting, because the story is immersive”. He is now looking forward to reading the concluding novel Instrument of Chaos (which will be published early next year) because “the story arc is fascinating”.

His final verdict: Good, intriguing and well written YA fantasy that is exciting and fast-paced entertainment for readers of all ages.

You can read Seregil’s full review here.

 

Rebecca Hall’s fantasy Symphony of the Cursed trilogy to be released as unabridged audiobooks

The Symphony of the Cursed trilogy are the latest Elsewhen Press titles to be available on audiobook, in transatlantic deal announced with Tantor Media Inc.

DARTFORD, KENT – 04 August 2017 – Elsewhen Press, an independent UK publisher specialising in Speculative Fiction, is delighted to announce the signing of a deal with Tantor Media Inc. for the unabridged audiobook rights to Rebecca Hall’s Symphony of the Cursed trilogy.

Artwork by Alison Buck  based on feather photo by KPG_Payless/shutterstock.com   Artwork by Alison Buck

Symphony of the Cursed starts with Instrument of Peace, which Rebecca describes as a magic school setting combined with the reality of the mundane world and horror of the Dresden Files, without any characters named Harry. Her trilogy, which continues in Instrument of War and concludes in Instrument of Chaos, sees the main protagonist, Mitch, move from high school to university while he strives to break The Twisted Curse that threatens those around him.

The location for the story may be surprising to some readers, especially those in the Northern hemisphere. The Academy, where Mitch is being educated in magic, is in a semi-mythical land populated by magical beings and legendary creatures, not to mention awe-inspiring natural features such as volcanoes, that has in recent years been discovered to be the location for Middle Earth. We know it, of course, as New Zealand.

This is a fantastic YA trilogy; and, as we all know, YA fantasy appeals to readers (and listeners) of all ages. The first two titles are already available in eBook format, Instrument of Peace is also available in paperback and Instrument of War will be available in paperback later this month. The concluding book, Instrument of Chaos, will be published by Elsewhen Press early in the New Year. Now Tantor Media will be bringing all three books in the trilogy to the many fans who prefer audiobooks.

Peter Buck, Elsewhen Press editorial director said “We are thrilled to be working with Tantor again on a new audiobook series. We’re sure that Symphony of the Cursed will prove to be a hit with audio fans.”

Scott Smith, who acquired the Symphony of the Cursed trilogy for Tantor Media, said “YA Fantasy has become one of the fastest growing genres in audio over the past year and we feel that Rebecca’s Symphony of the Cursed trilogy will be well-received by this ever-growing segment of audiobook fans.”

Instrument of Peace, the first book in the Symphony of the Cursed trilogy is expected to be released in audio in September 2017 and will be available through major retailers; Instrument of War will be released in audio in October 2017; and Instrument of Chaos in January 2018 simultaneously with the print edition.

Notes for Editors

About Rebecca Hall

Rebecca HallRebecca started writing when she was supposed to be studying for her exams at Otago University in New Zealand, but somehow passed anyway, eventually graduating with a decorative piece of paper. She moved to the UK to pursue a career in publishing and after a couple of mishaps ended up in Edinburgh and sold the Symphony of the Cursed trilogy to Elsewhen Press, which is not quite the career she had in mind. The career she did have in mind was along more editorial lines, which is why she is now a volunteer at Inspired Quill and a freelance copy- editor for everyone else. She also has a blog which she infrequently remembers to update, where those mysterious things known as short stories can be found.

visit bit.ly/SymphonyCursed

About Tantor, A Division of Recorded Books

Located in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, Tantor Media, a division of Recorded Books, is a leading publisher of thousands of bestselling and award-winning unabridged audiobooks. Tantor audiobooks are available through all major distributors in the retail and library markets, digitally and in CD format. Tantor’s parent company, Recorded Books, is the largest independent publisher of unabridged audiobooks in the world, with operations in the US, UK, and Australia.

visit https://tantor.com

Tantor Media contact: Cassandra McNeil +1 877-782-6867 x57 cmcneil@tantor.com

 

REVEALED: Cover of Cold Fire, the new September Weekes novel

In the Evil Above the Stars series by Peter R. Ellis, we were introduced to heroine September Weekes. In that trilogy, September discovered who she is and was called upon to save the land of Gwlad from the evil Malevolence (in case you haven’t yet read them yet – why not? – I won’t introduce spoilers by saying any more!) Now Peter has delivered the first September Weekes novel, Cold Fire. September is still at school and is still the Cludydd o Maengolauseren, but this time she finds herself closer to home, at least in space if not time. As far as she can tell, her appearance hasn’t changed, she’s even wearing her school uniform. But in a London of 1680, others see her as a lady of considerable social standing. She has been brought here to stop something happening that would give the Malevolence an opportunity to enter the universe. But she doesn’t know what. Her first stop is a tavern, to meet Robert Hooke, and then off to see Sir Robert Boyle demonstrate to the Royal Society the results of his investigations of the phosphorus and its cold fire. Far away at the edge of Wales an alchemist has learnt of Boyle’s discovery and, helped by his young assistant, is attempting in his own way to form the mysterious material, little suspecting that his work threatens to open the universe to the evil power of the Malevolence. September starts to understand what is happening but feels powerless to stop it. Then she encounters some fantastic beasts who may be able to help her, if she can work out how to save them from the Cold Fire.

The cover design by Alison Buck shows us September meeting one of those fantastic beasts, the dragon Obsidian.

Artwork: Alison Buck
Artwork: Alison Buck

Cold Fire will be available as an eBook at the beginning of August and in paperback in October.

 

Elsewhen Press announces second book in YA Fantasy trilogy from New Zealand author Rebecca Hall

The Eternity War is still being waged and the Academy remains caught up in it. The new Principal is an angel, the Teratology teacher is a vampire, the Instrument of Peace is hiding, but who is the Instrument of War?

DARTFORD, KENT – 24 April 2017 – Elsewhen Press, an independent UK publisher specialising in Speculative Fiction, is delighted to announce the latest book by New Zealand author Rebecca Hall. Instrument of War is the second book of Symphony of the Cursed, a YA fantasy trilogy set in the central North Island of New Zealand. Instrument of War continues from Instrument of Peace, the first book in the trilogy, as Mitch, Hayley and Nikola return for their final year in the International Academy of Magic at Lake Moawhango. The Angels are coming…

Artwork by Alison Buck
Artwork by Alison Buck

The Host wants to know what the Academy was trying to hide and why the Fallen agreed to it. They want the Instrument of War, the one thing that can tip the Eternity War in their favour and put an end to the stalemate. Any impact on the Academy staff, students or buildings is just collateral damage.

Mitch would like to forget that the last year ever happened, but that doesn’t seem likely with Little Red Riding Hood now teaching Teratology. The vampire isn’t quite as terrifying as he first thought, but she’s not the only monster at the Academy. The Fallen are spying on everyone, the new Principal is an angel and there’s an enchanting exchange student with Faerie blood.

Angry and nervous of the angels surrounding him, Mitch tries to put the pieces together. He knows that Hayley is the Archangel Gabriel. He knows that she can determine the course of the Eternity War. He also knows that the Fallen will do anything to hide Gabriel from the Host – even allowing an innocent girl to be kidnapped.

Peter Buck, Editorial Director at Elsewhen Press, said “With her exciting trilogy, Rebecca has firmly established New Zealand as a location for contemporary fantasy, not just Middle Earth! Fans of YA fantasy, readers of all ages, have been captivated by Instrument of Peace, impressed by Rebecca’s well thought-through magic system, the depth of her characters, and the believable nature of their relationships. What comes next in Instrument of War will both enchant and surprise. We are delighted to be able to help Rebecca bring her vision and talent to such an appreciative audience.”

Instrument of War, Book II of the Symphony of the Cursed trilogy, will be published in eBook formats in June 2017 and in paperback in September 2017.

Notes for Editors

About Rebecca Hall

Rebecca HallRebecca started writing when she was supposed to be studying for her exams at Otago University but somehow passed anyway, eventually graduating with a decorative piece of paper. She moved to the UK to pursue a career in publishing and after a couple of mishaps ended up in Edinburgh and sold Symphony of the Cursed to Elsewhen Press, which is not quite the career she had in mind. The career she did have in mind was along more editorial lines, which is why she is now a volunteer at Inspired Quill and a freelance copy-editor for everyone else. She also has a blog
which she infrequently remembers to update, where those mysterious things known as short stories can be found.

visit bit.ly/InstrumentOfWar

 

SNEAKY PEEK: Cover for Mandigo and the Hellhounds

In August we will be publishing Nina Sokol’s English translation of the first book in the Danish YA fantasy Mandigo trilogy by Anders Reemark. Mandigo and the Hellhounds (originally published in Danish as Mandigo og Helvedeshundene) is the exciting story of young Mandigo who starts to realise he is special on his twelfth birthday.
 

Artwork: Alison Buck
Artwork: Alison Buck

Although the mediaeval setting and characters have a Scandinavian feel, Anders’ story itself is timeless, transcending national borders and cultures, and appealing to everyone. Young readers in any country will empathise with Mandigo as his life takes sudden and unexpected turns, he discovers the truth about his own past, and starts to fear for his future and that of everyone he loves.

As soon as we read it, we knew that we wanted to publish Anders’ book for an English-speaking audience. The next major decision, of course, was the design of the cover. Early on in the story Mandigo has an encounter with a demon that leaves his face badly scarred. Anders was very keen that the cover should show Mandigo, including his face – but would it scare off younger readers or intrigue them? We decided to portray Mandigo as he looks out from the top of a tower of the Bloodstone fortress, the setting for much of the action. Once again artist Alison Buck has produced an image that captures the character of Mandigo, while being sympathetic to the nature of his disfigurement.

When we showed it to Anders his response was “That cover is absolutely awesome. Alison has done a great job. The way Mandigo’s scarred face is shown, it makes the reader ponder, ‘What on Earth happened to this guy, and what is he doing on that book cover?’ Also, the way the image is composed, you get a sense of the loneliness that Mandigo is experiencing. At first sight, he scares you, and then you start feeling curious and a little sorry for him. And then there is the setting sun in the background. Something is coming. Something powerful. Spooky, and awesome! I also like the font. They look like Scandinavian runes. A nice touch that.”

Mandigo and the Hellhounds will be published as an eBook on the 5th August and the print edition will be launched in September at the FantasyCon convention in Scarborough.