The Crystal Shard by R. A. Salvatore

(Forgotten Realms #2, The Icewind Dale Trilogy #1) (First published 1988) The bumbling wizard apprentice Akar Kessel is transformed into a tyrant when he discovers a millennia-old artefact of incredible power. Crenshinibon – the Crystal Shard – is a sentient relic that grants huge power to its wielder even as it bends them to its will. The frozen tundra soon shakes beneath the feet of the goblinoid army raised by Akar Kessel as he prepares to conquer the Ten Towns of Icewind Dale. Only a small band of heroes stands in his way: The strange drow, Drizzt Do’Urden, who has rejected the evil ways of his kind; the exiled dwarven king, Bruenor Battlehammer; and Bruenor’s indentured ward, Wulfgar, a mighty […]

Darkwalker on Moonshae by Douglas Niles

(Forgotten Realms #1, The Moonshae Trilogy, #1) (First published 1987) In the kingdom of Moonshae, a terrible struggle is about to ensue. The evil beast Kazgoroth has awakened. Drawing power from a corrupted Moonwell – a source of power sacred to the Goddess – it roams the land, amassing its followers and spreading darkness throughout the isles. Prince Tristan must rally his people against the threat of this ancient evil even as the Goddess sends her own children to combat the threat. The first Forgotten Realms novel ever published, Darkwalker on Moonshae draws on Celtic-inspired mythology. Located a hundred miles off the western coast of the Forgotten Realms, the Moonshae isles have scant little to do with the mainland Forgotten […]

The Great Realms Read-through!

As some of you may know, back in the early 2000s I created a series of popular modules for the PC roleplaying game Neverwinter Nights. A critical and commercial success, Neverwinter Nights empowered a legion of D&D fans to create their own digital adventures. For the younger me, it was an opportunity to create stories set in the fabled Forgotten Realms setting, which had first gripped me as a young teen. Though occasionally derided for its chaotic, grab-bag worldbuilding, that same one-size-fits-all approach infused the Realms with an incredible diversity of locales and characters that have fueled around 400 novels and short story collections, dozens of roleplaying books and accessories, and more than a score of video games. It would […]

An update on the Dead Man’s Steel US paperback…

Unfortunately, my US publishers, Penguin, have decided not to release a paperback edition of Dead Man’s Steel at this time, mostly due to my digital sales vastly outnumbering my physical book sales.  You can still get hold of the book in hardcover as well as e-book/kindle editions. The novel has been available in paperback in the UK for quite some time, but I appreciate the cover design is very different to that of the US books and probably won’t please collectors. I’m very sorry that this happened — fingers crossed Dead Man’s Steel will see a paperback release at some point in the future, even if it takes a few years.

New two-book deal!

It’s the news I’ve been waiting to announce — I’ve signed up for two new books set in the world of The Grim Company! Both books will be standalone novels, taking place some time after the events of the trilogy. The first novel, provisionally entitled Kingdom, will be set in the sun-kissed south and feature a largely new cast together with a few returning faces. The aim is to keep the gritty feel of my previous books, while channeling Gemmell and others to achieve a slight evolution in tone from the unrelenting grimdark. More of an emphasis on epic (dare I say, heroic) fantasy with a dash of horror, perhaps…Head of Zeus will publish both novels. Audio rights have sold to […]

New short story in Grimdark Magazine

My first published short story is now available in this month’s issue of Grimdark Magazine. “A Ring to Rule Them All” is set a few years before the events of The Grim Company, and tells the story of the night Jerek freed Kayne from the Shaman’s cage. In addition to my 4,000 short, there is also new fiction from Anna Smith Spark and William Stiteler, as well as reviews and interviews. You can grab it now for only $3.99.

The Grim Company — 100k+ sold

I’m pleased to announce that The Grim Company trilogy has now sold over 100,000 copies worldwide! The true figure is likely to be substantially higher as foreign language sales figures tend to lag at least a year behind, but it’s nonetheless a nice milestone to reach. It doesn’t exactly make me a big fish, of course — you might say I’ve moved up from minnow to koi-sized in the great ocean of literary luminaries! — but it’s a solid start. Here’s to a million books sold — no, scratch that, a billion!

The Great Grim Giveaway: the sequel

One of the perks of being an author is receiving complimentary copies of one’s magnus opus from publishers. These are supposed to be used for marketing and publicity purposes. In my case, I was fortunate enough to sign some very good deals and hence received a very large number of complimentary copies: over 300 in total, in eight different languages… Back in 2014, I gave away a chunk of this hoard. However, I still have over 250 lying around in boxes with nowhere to store them. In order to create some space and make an impending move easier, I’ve decided to hold a sequel giveaway even bigger than the last. A Great Grim Giveaway, you might say… I’ve put 20 […]

David Gemmell Awards 2017 voting open

The nominees are in and public voting has begun for this year’s David Gemmell Awards, of which I am a big fan. Dead Man’s Steel is nominated in both the Legend (best fantasy novel) and Ravenheart (best cover art) categories. Head on over now and vote – two clicks (three including the link) are all it takes! I read Gemmell’s Legend last year and loved it. If anyone has any recommendations for which of his novels to read next, I’m all ears…

Signed copies of Dead Man’s Steel at Goldsboro Books

A few weeks ago I caught the train into London and signed 80 copies of Dead Man’s Steel for Goldsboro Books. There are still some available to buy for the RRP of £20. Chances are they won’t be around much longer, so if you need a signed copy to complete your collection, now’s your chance. In other news, Dead Man’s Steel received a positive review at Grimdark Alliance. Eric Fomley said the following: At last, I have completed the Grim Company trilogy. What a journey it has been. When I first read The Grim Company, the first novel in the series, I enjoyed it despite the distracting similarities between the novel and one of my favorite series, The Black Company, and some […]