Publishers Weekly: [An] excellent debut… Hackwith builds her world and characters with loving detail, creating a delightful addition to the corpus of library-based and heaven vs. hell fantasies.
Aug 082019
Aug 072019
Kirkus Review: The story is filled with relentless action and powered by a cast of adeptly developed and emotionally appealing characters….
Fans will be overjoyed not only with the return of some beloved characters, but also with the novel’s conclusion, which sets up the storyline for a much larger adventure to come. Imagine an outlaw biker gang of half-orcs riding giant war pigs and you’ve captured this saga’s gloriously dirty soul.
Aug 062019
Library Journal: In her first novel, Hall surprises and perplexes with spellbinding yet simple dialogs that raise more questions than they give answers. The mysterious, dark, and often violent worlds envelop readers in a cacophony of mystery and fantasy. Even the identity of the female lead is foggy as her form shifts over time, taking possession of new bodies. As the title reveals, someone protects the border, and from the first few chapters we glimpse demons reminiscent of Haitian worshippers possessed by Gede, the spirit of the dead. Shapeshifting and underworld realms take center stage. The characters eventually grow, becoming stronger as plots progress, expressing extreme power and weakness. Life and death feel mutable in the imaginary arena of Mkalis. Points of contact are elaborately visualized, boundaries normally fixed dissolve within the pages, terrifying and wild apparitions manifest and recede just as quickly as they appear, resulting in wonder. VERDICT For fans of occult-tinged speculative fiction.
Aug 052019
Washington Post: Popular girl Cameron prioritizes honesty over kindness, which earns her a certain reputation. To win back the approval of her crush, she embarks on an apology tour to repair the havoc she has carelessly wreaked. The authors use “The Taming of the Shrew” as an effective framing device to examine modern ideas of feminism, which leads to a profound character arc and the essential message of how to claim your mistakes and do better.
Aug 022019
Congratulations to our DMLA authors who made the 2019 World Fantasy Award Finalists list!
NOVEL
Witchmark by C. L. Polk (Tor.com)
NOVELLA
The Only Harmless Great Thing by Brooke Bolander (Tor.com)
COLLECTION
Still So Strange, by Amanda Downum (ChiZine Publications)
Aug 012019
Library Journal: The Unwritten Wing in Hell is home to all stories unfinished by their authors. Claire is the head librarian. Sometimes she must chase down and return characters who have escaped from their pages. When one such hero heads to Earth to find his author, Claire, her current assistant and former muse Brevity, and the demon Leto try to capture him. The trio are attacked by the angel Ramiel, who thinks they are looking for the same tome he is: the Devil’s Bible. Deliberately lost on Earth for centuries, the Devil’s Bible could put the power of either heaven or hell in control. Claire and her companions must find it before the two realms decide to declare war over the missing book, which could destroy Earth in the process. The group journeys through realms of the dead and discovers the secrets and truths of all involved as they work to save everyone’s stories.
VERDICT Elaborate worldbuilding, poignant and smart characters, and a layered plot make this first in a fantasy series from Hackwith (also writing as sf romance author Ada Harper) is an ode to books, writing, and found families.
Jul 312019
Audio rights to Kerstin Hall’s THE BORDER KEEPER plus an untitled book, at auction, to Brian Sweany at Recorded Books, by Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.
Audio rights to Brooke Bolander‘s Nebula Award-winning THE ONLY HARMLESS GREAT THING, to Kelly Srubas at Tantor Media, by Michael Curry.
Jul 312019
Italian rights to Margaret Doody’s untitled short story collection, to Mondadori, by Stefania Fietta at Donzelli Fietta, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Donald Maass.
Spanish rights to Brooke Bolander’s Nebula Award-winning THE ONLY HARMLESS GREAT THING, to Crononauta, by Amaiur Fernández at International Editors’ Co. in association with Michael Curry.
Polish rights to Robert McCammon’s SPEAKS THE NIGHTBIRD, to Vesper by Milena Kaplarevic at Prava I Prevodi, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Cameron McClure.
Polish rights to New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop’s LAKE SILENCE, a stand alone novel in the world of the Others, to Initium, by Milena Kaplarevic at Prava i Prevodi in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.
Polish rights to New York Times Bestselling author Jim Butcher’s CHANGES and GHOST STORY, books 12 and 13 in the Dresden Files series, to MAG Jacek Rodek, by Milena Kaplarevic at Prava i Prevodi in association with Jennifer Jackson.
Jul 302019
Congratulations to all our DMLA authors who made the 2019 British Fantasy Award Shortlist!
BEST FANTASY NOVEL
Foundryside, Robert Jackson Bennett (Jo Fletcher)
Priest of Bones, Peter McLean (Jo Fletcher)
BEST NOVELLA
The Only Harmless Great Thing, Brooke Bolander (Tor.com Publishing)
Binti: The Night Masquerade, Nnedi Okorafor (Tor.com Publishing)
Jul 182019
Congratulations to our DMLA authors for their 2019 Locus Awards!
NOVELLA
Artificial Condition, Martha Wells (Tor.com Publishing)
NOVELETTE
The Only Harmless Great Thing, Brooke Bolander (Tor.com Publishing)