Giveaway : Wolfhound Century (29/1/2014)
It’s been a long time since I’ve done a book giveaway or indeed said much at all here. November was eaten by NaNoWriMo and December was eaten by The Silver Kings and copy-editing The Splintered Gods and editing Empires and and and . . . and mostly by the looming spectre of having to go back to having a day-job. But that’s all behind now. The Silver Kings is sitting at about 120k words and will grow to about 220k. The tentative schedule for 2014 is this:
March: Sekkrit project comes out. I think. Who can say? I have no idea. I haven’t seen the proofs yet so who knows…
April: Dragon Queen comes out in mass-market paperback and you’re ALL GOING TO BUY IT, RIGHT?
June: The Splintered Gods comes out and The Silver Kings is supposed to be delivered
August: Sometime around here the novella Bulldog Drummond: Dead Man’s Gate might happen.
November: The Royalist comes out. Maybe Empires comes out. Who can say…?
So this week’s freebie is Wolfhound Century by Peter Higgins which I still think is awesome and yes, i know I’ve already given it a couple of airings on the blog but it deserves another. If you haven’t heard me say it before, this is a wonderfully atmospheric espinonagey politically thrillery thing but what really sets it apart is the setting that feels so like an alternate inter-war Russia that you don’t really notice that it never actually says so and yet has giants, space-angels (I think), sentient rain and sentient forests. And it’s gloomy and broody and rains all the time and I like that sort of thing. Something Graham Greene might have written except after the first draft he got smacked round the head by a sentient walking hut and it was rewritten in a Siberian forest by Baba Yaga. There’s a bit of an undercurrent of quantum uncertainty and the overlapping of many worlds too. And then just when you’re really getting into it, some bastard (and I think I have to point a finger at the author here) shows up with a garotte and practically executes the novel mid-sentence, calls that an ending and we all have to wait until Spring next year for the next installment. Nevertheless, this is SF that sits beside Dune for me. It was wonderful. You can visit Peter’s site here.
Usual deal – comment on this post before February 3rd and I’ll randomly select a lucky victim for a free copy of the book. No game this week since it’s the first time back for a while, simply comment to enter.
Although, though no one has yet complained about how long it takes me to get to the post office and post things, it can take a while and if you live abroad then it can take even longer. Sorry about that, but they do get there eventually. Well, so far. Recent winners, I have cleared my backlog – they’re all in the post!
January 29th, 2014 at 10: 24 am
Have a copy so will hold back from the comp but will urge everyone else to enter as this book was brilliant. Fabulously rendered world with a well crafted noir style mystery . Sequel is out in am few weeks as well.
Also looking forward to your releases this year. A good variety of projects should be very interesting
January 29th, 2014 at 11: 15 am
Have heard excellent things about this book, and glad that book 2 is on the way.
January 29th, 2014 at 1: 30 pm
Welcome back! With a mighty fine looking giveaway too!
January 30th, 2014 at 1: 17 am
great review and thanks for the giveaway,
January 30th, 2014 at 2: 19 am
Glad to hear from you again! I’d love to have a copy of this!
January 30th, 2014 at 5: 41 am
Glad you’re back, saddened by day job, and just plain happy to see new stuff. As one of my favorites says: it’s nice to take a walk and laugh at the people stuck in offices. Guess I’m not able to either, thought.
Anyways I’d love to see some new world building stuff (if you get the chance.)
Best wishes, Ren Kuroya. (Lotus Blacknight)
January 30th, 2014 at 5: 45 am
Oh! You could give us another insight into the life of a writer! I like to see what it will be like for me.
January 30th, 2014 at 9: 43 am
I keep hearing awesome things about this book, and would love to see a copy on my shelf.
January 30th, 2014 at 10: 06 am
If the inside is as good as the outside, then it needs to be read
January 30th, 2014 at 11: 31 am
heard lots of good things about this.
January 30th, 2014 at 6: 12 pm
I’ve been interested in this book for a long time. I keep hearing such amazing things about it.
January 30th, 2014 at 8: 28 pm
I bought the ebook, because Simon keeps saying to buy the book. But “real” books are better unless one is on the road. Now, because of your “strangles the end of the book” comment (and who among us have never done that?) I’m thinking of waiting for book 2 before I read WC. We’ll see. Curiosity may get the better of me. Welcome back to giveaway world!
January 30th, 2014 at 10: 11 pm
mememe
January 31st, 2014 at 12: 55 am
I have been hearing lots of good things about this book.
January 31st, 2014 at 1: 46 pm
yes please! keep hearing about how good this book is, would love to read it!
January 31st, 2014 at 7: 32 pm
Sounds intriguing. Always looking for something different in the sci-fi vein.
February 7th, 2014 at 9: 35 am
The Gods of Random choose Dave. And yes, I found the ending pretty abrupt but fortunately the second book is imminently out. It’s possible I may give a copy away shortly…