New York Times: Long ago, as one character explains early in Nicky Drayden’s THE PREY OF GODS, the human race was fathered by a god who gave unique powers to each of his children. Though human beings have lost these abilities over the generations since, they remain present in mitochondrial DNA, latent except in a few rare individuals. And except in those humans whose latent DNA has been awakened — which a new street drug called godsend just happens to be able to do.
This is the mytho-scientific premise underlying a madcap, rapid-fire tale of South Africa in the year 2064, where a handful of individuals are suddenly plagued by godhood. One, Nomvula, is a lonely little township girl born with power. Several others acquire their abilities from godsend, to varying degrees of trauma or delight…As a genetically engineered virus spreads and threatens to awaken the latent godhood of billions, these few special individuals come together to decide, ultimately, what manner of gods will rule the future. Oh — and also, the technological apocalypse looms as personal robots all over the world quietly become self-aware.
Destruction is in Jame Knorth’s nature. Literally. She is the avatar of of a god known at That-Which-Destroys, the god of chaos and ruin. Yet Jame is also a noblewoman within an ancient race, and the designated heir of her twin brother Torisen Knorth, High Lord of the Kencyrath. Jame’s people are fleeing, world by world, from a terrible enemy that has pursued them through a multitude of universes. Its name is Perimal Darkling.
Czech rights to Robert Jackson Bennett’s CITY OF MIRACLES, Book 3 of The Divine Cities series, to Host, by Milena Kaplarević at Prava I Prevodi, in association with Katie Shea Boutillier at Donald Maass Literary Agency on behalf of Cameron McClure.
Saladin Ahmed, Hugo-nominated author of THRONE OF THE CRESCENT MOON, will write for CANTO BIGHT, a Star Wars book by four authors that will focus on creatures from the glamorous casino world of Canto Bight, a setting appearing in the new film The Last Jedi coming this December. The deal was negotiated with Thomas Hoeler at Del Rey Books by Jennifer Jackson.
Publishers Weekly: The beautiful fifth Raksura fantasy begins immediately after the events of The Edge of Worlds, tracing the various journeys of Moon, Jade, and the rest of the now-scattered Raksuran archaeological expedition as they seek to regroup, recover a lost weapon, and attempt to prevent worldwide genocide by their erstwhile allies. Having done the heavy lifting of characterization in earlier books in the series, Wells is able to focus here on exploring how the Raksura fit into the wider world, dealing with the prejudices that result from their previous isolation, their shape-shifting ability and other magic, and their biological connection to the predatory Fell. The Fell themselves give rise to some of the more intriguing social explorations, as more is revealed about the half-Fell/half-Raksurans who were raised among the predators.
Audio rights to Nebula-nominated Martha Wells’ ROGUE PROTOCOL and an untitled second book, the third and fourth installments in The Murderbot Diaries, to Brian Sweany at Recorded Books, by Jennifer Jackson and Michael Curry.