"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling.
© Scholastic Inc.
Publishing History
By: Pat FerraraDate: Monday, July 23, 2007
With its release surrounded by dubious price wars, online leak conspiracies, and even direct chastisement by a foreign Trade and Industry Minister, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows shook the foundations of the publishing industry this past weekend and solidified July 21st 2007 as the highest grossing date in book release history.
Happy start of the work week Maniac readers and welcome to this edition of the Buzz. As expected, the biggest news in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror fiction in… well ever, went down this past Saturday as Bloomsbury UK and affiliated publishers dropped the seventh and final HP installment with all the pomp and headline-grabbing drama appropriate for the most anticipated literary release of our time. But before we get down to the nitty gritty details let’s take a brief look at this week’s other releases, which bravely made it to the shelves despite Rowling’s long shadow.
First-time author Justin Allen unveils his debut novel, Slaves of Shinar, on Penguin Group hardcover to bring us a fantasy story set against the historical period of the Middle East’s “first great war.” Pat Mcnamara on the other hand kicks off the opener to his new Dragonscarpe series with The Last Realm also on hardcover this week.
Nobel Laureate Nelson Mandela took over editorial reign on a new collection of 32 folktales from African culture in the paperback release Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales and Brilliance Audio has brought Karen Marie Moning’s critically acclaimed opener to her Highlander series, Beyond the Highland Mists, onto audio CD format.
Will the forces of good overcome the ever-more-powerful Death Eaters? Does Harry live past his final encounter with Lord Voldemort? If you’re one of the millions of dedicated Harry Potter fans, chances are you already know. Released almost everywhere worldwide at midnight on July 21st (and in some places well before even that), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows smashed all publishing records in a scant 24 hours.
In a giant leap from the previous best day seller (held by Rowling’s Half-Blood Prince) Hallows sold a full 1.4 million copies more than its predecessor to bring its first day sales to a staggering 8.3 million in the US alone. Aside from several online leaks, “accidental” advance sales, and angry words from Israel’s Trade and Industry Minister (for the book’s release on the Sabbath), Bloomsbury’s $20 million investment to keep the debut running smoothly paid off.
As for the Harry Potter series itself, J.K. Rowling didn’t completely rule out an eighth novel, saying she may write one… for charity.
New in Hardcover:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling (Scholastic Inc.)
What more is there to say? The seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling's bestselling Harry Potter series.
Slaves of Shinar, Justin Allen (Penguin Group USA)
The storied land of Shinar can be both brutal and forgiving. For two men making their way under its harsh sun, it is a land of fate, blood, and strife. Uruk is a nomadic thief from the jungles of sub-Saharan Africa braving the hard walk across the desert. His destination is nothing less than the fabled city of Ur, its temples swollen with riches. Ander is a slave and has been since youth. But when a chance at freedom presents itself, he strikes, vowing to destroy his captors by whatever means necessary. As these two men navigate the world they share—an ancient world, which first-time author Justin Allen has painstakingly researched—their stories converge in a tale of destiny, triumph, and death. Slaves of the Shinar is the story of a land consumed by war, of a people trying to survive, and of two men in the middle of it all, redefining themselves and their futures. Set against the chaotic and bloody backdrop of the Middle East's first great war, this fantasy epic—part Homer, part Tolkein, part R. Scott Bakker—brings us into a gritty, realistic world where destiny is foretold by gods, and death is never more than a sword-stroke away.
The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate, Ted Chiang (Subterranean Press)
In medieval Baghdad, a penniless man is brought before the most powerful man in the world, the caliph himself, to tell his story. It begins with a walk in the bazaar, but soon grows into a tale unlike any other told in the caliph's empire. It's a story that includes not just buried treasure and a band of thieves, but also men haunted by their past and others trapped by their future; it includes not just a beloved wife and a veiled seductress, but also long journeys taken by caravan and even longer ones taken with a single step. Above all, it's a story about recognizing the will of Allah and accepting it, no matter what form it takes.
Night of Knives: A Novel of the Melazan Empire, Ian C. Esslemont (Bantam Press)
It gave the Empire its name, but the tiny island and city of Malaz is now a sleepy, seedy backwater port. However, this night things are a little different. This night its residents are bustling about, barring doors and shuttering windows. Because this night a once-in-a-generation Shadow Moon is due and threatens the good citizens of Malaz with demon hounds and other, darker, beings… And it was also prophesied that on this night the Emperor Kellanved, missing for all these years, would return. As factions within the greater Empire battle over the imperial throne, the Shadow Moon summons a far more alien and ancient presence for an all-out assault upon the island. Indeed, the cataclysmic events that happen this night will determine the fate of the Malaz and of the entire world beyond.
The Last Realm, Pat Mcnamara (Angel Phoenix)
The storm of war has engulfed the Realms. Five years suffering the ravages of the hellish Rifts and their brutal spawn, the Rifters, has brought a long peace to the edge of ruin. Thrust into the heat of the turmoil is Zayd Mon Awes, Paladin of the Dragonscarpe. With a doomed love already weighing heavily upon him, Zayd is set the impossible task of training four beautiful Elementalists who could hold the key to winning the war if they don’t kill each other first. But when murder and betrayal sees Rifters let loose on the once unconquerable Dragonscarpe, the vengeful Outcast Velcca, architect of the turmoil, reveals the truth of the Rifts, and Zayd discovers that the only hope for survival lies in a past deliberately forgotten - beyond the barrier to the terrifying Last Realm... Book one in the Dragonscarpe series.
New in Paperback:
Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales, Ed. by Nelson Mandela (Norton W.W.)
Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales is a cause for celebration, a landmark work that gathers in one volume many of Africa's most cherished folktales. Mandela, a Nobel Laureate for Peace, has selected these thirty-two tales with the specific hope that Africa's oldest stories, as well as a few new ones, be perpetuated by future generations and be appreciated by children throughout the world. In these "beloved stories," we meet, among many others, a Kenyan lion named Simba, a snake with seven heads, and a trickster from Zulu folklore; we hear the voices of the scheming hyena and learn from a Khoi fable how animals acquired their tails and horns. Several creation myths tell us how the land, its animals, and its people all came into existence under a punishing sun or against the backdrop of a spectacularly beautiful mountain landscape. Whether warning children about the dangers of disobedience or demonstrating that the underdog can - and often does - win, these stories, through their depiction of wise animals as well as evil monsters, are universal in their portrayal of humanity, beasts, and the mystical.
The New World, Michael A. Stackpole (Spectra Books)
Time is running out. Nalenyr is besieged on all sides by those who would save the fabled land—and those who would enslave it. Soon the realm will be ravaged by the scourge of magical warfare—overrun by terrifying forces created by an ancient enemy, and soaked in the blood of champions and gods. It is the moment of final conflict, and the grandchildren of the Royal Cartographer are at the center of the climactic struggle. Keles Anturasi will race across the world, fleeing assassins, seeking control over powers he can barely understand. His brother, Jorim, having ascended to godhood, now finds himself pitted against an elder god—the very god who once created the entire pantheon and now seeks its destruction. And their sister, Nirati, embarks on a treacherous crusade with a dead hero to wage war on hell itself! As the final battle lines are drawn, they will gather the land’s newly awakened defenders of the ancient past. But can this small band of champions, mystics, and magicians stand against an evil that threatens to sweep reality itself into an unending dark age of nightmare and oblivion? The third novel in Stackpole’s Age of Discovery series.
Wind Follower, Carole McDonnell (Juno Books)
Although it is not entirely to her liking, grief-stricken Satha, a dark-skinned woman from a poor Theseni clan weds young Loic, the wealthy Doreni son of the king's First Captain. Loic, graced with ability to see into the hearts and minds of others, begins to help Satha overcome her sorrows. Despite coming from different tribes, they begin to forge a life together. But when Satha's own compassion is used against her and a treacherous enemy contrives to dishonor her in Loic's absence, Loic's love turns to anger and disgust. Embittered, Loic must still avenge his honor and Satha's and he sets out on a journey that brings despair as well as spiritual discovery. Battling him are the Arkhai, the spirits of the land who know his quest will lead him toward the God whom they have usurped. After his departure, Satha is kidnapped, sold into slavery and learns, first hand, how cruel the pioneering Angleni tribe can be. Both face great hardship, danger and anguish apart, but with the Creator's aid there remains hope they will be reunited and heal the love the world has torn asunder.
Unveiling the Sorceress, Saskia Walker (Juno Books)
Secret love and forbidden liaisons 'mix with the deadly implications of the enemy's plans in this sensual story of danger, passion and intrigue with the exotic allure of 1001 Arabian Nights. Betrothed to the ineffectual son of the evil Empress of Karseedia, Elishiba's planned marriage is to be a symbolic pact sealed between two neighboring countries. But nothing is as it seems. Elshiba finds herself enmeshed in a growing web of political machinations with magic and romance weaving their own vibrant and inexorable threads; her love for a man considered an enemy may place her in further jeopardy.
New in Audiobook:
Beyond the Highland Mist, Karen Marie Moning (Brilliance Audio Unabridged)
He was known throughout the kingdom as Hawk, legendary predator of the battlefield and the boudoir. No woman could refuse his touch, but no woman ever stirred his heart - until a vengeful fairy tumbled Adrienne de Simone out of modern-day Seattle and into medieval Scotland. Captive in a century not her own, entirely too bold, too outspoken, she was an irresistible challenge to the sixteenth-century rogue. Coerced into a marriage with Hawk, Adrienne vowed to keep him at arm's length - but his sweet seduction played havoc with her resolve. She had a perfect "no" on her perfect lips for the notorious laird, but Hawk swore she would whisper his name with desire, begging for the passion he longed to ignite within her. Not even the barriers of time and space would keep him from winning her love. Despite her uncertainty about following the promptings of her own passionate heart, Adrienne's reservations were no match for Hawk's determination to keep her by his side... Narrated by Phil Gigante.
Shadow Puppets, Orson Scott Card (Audio Renaissance)
Bestselling author Orson Scott Card brings to life a new chapter in the saga of Ender's Earth.
Earth and its society have been changed irrevocably in the aftermath of Ender Wiggin's victory over the Formics. The unity forced upon the warring nations by an alien enemy has shattered. Nations are rising again, seeking territory and influence, and most of all, seeking to control the skills and loyalty of the children from the Battle School. But one person has a better idea. Peter Wiggin, Ender's older, more ruthless, brother, sees that any hope for the future of Earth lies in restoring a sense of unity and purpose. And he has an irresistible call on the loyalty of Earth's young warriors. With Bean at his side, the two will reshape our future. Here is the continuing story of Bean and Petra, and the rest of Ender's Dragon Army, as they take their places in the new government of Earth. Narrated by David Birney, Stefan Rudnicki, Scott Brick, and Gabrielle de Cuir.
Earth and its society have been changed irrevocably in the aftermath of Ender Wiggin's victory over the Formics. The unity forced upon the warring nations by an alien enemy has shattered. Nations are rising again, seeking territory and influence, and most of all, seeking to control the skills and loyalty of the children from the Battle School. But one person has a better idea. Peter Wiggin, Ender's older, more ruthless, brother, sees that any hope for the future of Earth lies in restoring a sense of unity and purpose. And he has an irresistible call on the loyalty of Earth's young warriors. With Bean at his side, the two will reshape our future. Here is the continuing story of Bean and Petra, and the rest of Ender's Dragon Army, as they take their places in the new government of Earth. Narrated by David Birney, Stefan Rudnicki, Scott Brick, and Gabrielle de Cuir.
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