Time for a quick update of Candlemark & Gleam’s plans for the year ahead!
In December, we will publish Bogi Takács’s post-climate-apocalypse novel The Word of the Ancients is Law. A diminished population lives among the ruins left by the Ancients, dreading the return of the copper locusts that arrive in enormous swarms to destroy all human-made objects. The people of the Seven Villages believe that the word of the Ancients cannot be questioned, but Asehin, a stubborn, determined craftswoman, cannot believe that the copper locusts aren’t a mistake. Punished for blurting out that opinion, she stumbles on a discovery that will link her to the Ancients forever, and offers an unexpected chance to change her world. Featuring queer autistic protagonists and sliding brilliantly between past and present, this is a journey you won’t soon forget. It’s a good choice for fans of A.M. Tuomala’s The Map and the Territory.
Next up is Down the Core, the third book in Kelly Jennings’ Escape Velocity series, after Fault Lines and In the Deep. Captain Velocity Jones and her former ward Brontë Ikeda Verde have settled into their new lives as agents for the Pirian Fleet. However, Combine politics are inescapable, so it’s not entirely a surprise when Brontë’s estranged mother contacts them. The holder of the Primary Seat of Ikeda House is dying, and Brontë’s mother wants her daughter to inherit. Velocity reluctantly agrees to go with Brontë to the Ikeda station of Wole Villars, leaving her crew behind on the newly independent planet of Durbin. But the Combine families aren’t about to let Durbin go without a fight, and the politics around the Ikeda House succession are even more complex — and deadly — than Velocity and Brontë had anticipated. Jennings’s worldbuilding and political machinations drive the story to an unexpected ending. Fans of Melissa Scott’s Fallen won’t want to miss this series.
Next is Cursebreaker, the novella-length prequel to Melissa Scott’s The Master of Samar. Cursebreaker takes readers back to the first meeting between chirurgeon and feral mage Envar Cassi and professional cursebreaker Gil Irichels, as they find themselves hired to deal with the same problem: a hillfolk noblewoman accused of having a forbidden demonic contract. Envar is well qualified to investigate, as his own illicit magic depends on a series of contracts with multiple demons, each one carefully balanced against the others. But a mistake has left those contracts out of balance, and now one of the most powerful demons is meddling, hoping Envar will fail so that it can assert its power over him. The hillfolk fear and distrust magic, local politics are more convoluted than expected, Irichels is entirely too appealing — and there’s more to the situation than meets the eye… If you liked K.V. Johansen’s Breath and Bone, this is a good choice.
In other news, Candlemark will be open for submissions during the month of September. We’re particularly looking for science fiction this round, but if you have fantasy that you think suits our interests, we’re happy to look at it. Please follow all the guidelines on our submissions page.
Publisher and editor Melissa Scott will be at Capclave in October, where she will host a launch party for Sarah Avery’s Tales From Rugosa Coven. Join us for discussion and a reading from the book that Trish Matson of the Skiffy and Fanty Show called “one of the most grounded-feeling urban fantasies I’ve ever read, with deeply developed characters whose real life issues marvelously intertwine with the magic in their lives, featuring a strongly positive theme of a supportive, inclusive community.” Look for Scott and Avery on panels as well!
And if you’re in the NC Triangle, Candlemark will be taking part in the Durham Geek and Grub Market (Holiday Nightmare Edition) Sunday, December 6, 12 – 4 PM at the Durham Armory. The Geek and Grub Market events are always a ton of fun, and books are always a suitable present for any midwinter holiday. Or any holiday, or none at all, really…