2024 Ki Publications

What have we been up to at Ki this year, you ask? It’s been a joy to work with our excellent roster of authors and get to make some books happen. We love seeing our authors succeed and 2024 has been a great year.

We kicked the year off in February, with A. G. Slatter’s newest gothic standalone The Briar Book of the Dead (Titan). This is set in the same universe as her previous two standalone books with Titan, All the Murmuring Bones and The Path of Thorns. Briar Book is an intricately woven tale of a family of witches struggling against the bonds of past sins and persecution.

2024 also saw the launch of Angela’s Verity Fassbinder trilogy as audiobooks. W.F. Howes published the new editions of these Urban Fantasy novels over the first half of the year - which means you can go and binge the entire trilogy now.

Claire North, of course, has been busy with not one but two releases. In March, Orbit launched the second book in her Songs of Penelope trilogy, House of Odysseus, in paperback. And in June, the third and final volume in the series, The Last Song of Penelope, was published in hardback. The series has been really well received, with Jennifer Saint (who herself is author to some fantastic Greek myth retellings) who said: “Claire North brings a powerful, fresh and unflinching voice to ancient myth.” The Times was no less effusive in their paise: “Conjures up a world in which women, abandoned by their men, must weave their own destinies.” It’s been wonderful to see how this trilogy has introduced Claire to a new readership - and we think they’re some of the best retellings out there.

We get to stick with retellings a little longer - May brought the paperback release of Phoenicia Rogerson’s Herc (HQ). This irreverent retelling of the story of Hercules through lesser-known perspectives won the Somerset Maugham Award and, in its hardback edition, was named one of Waterstones’ Best Books of the Year 2023.

From gods to romance - Lucy Chalice’s The Hot Henry Effect (Avon) was released in May. Lucy’s books are perfect if you’re wondering how to get over the Ali Hazelwood hangover. Smart, witty and full of STEM, Lucy draws the reader into Hot Henry’s orbit. And it’s a spicy one…

Robin Norwood’s Women Who Love Too Much (PRH) has been making waves since its original publication back in 1985 - and it’s still relevant today! June marks a new edition, updated and with a new introduction.

It wouldn’t be a Ki Agency publication year without M.R. Carey adding to the list! His Echo of Worlds (Orbit) came out in hardback in June. This sequel to Infinity Gate continues the spectacular Pandominion duology - truly impressive science fiction, weaving in themes of space colonialism and AI. The series has had fantastic press, with The New York Times calling Infinity Gate “An immense achievement” and peer Annalee Newitz (author of The Terraformers) praising the duology as “A dazzling speculation on the many ways our world could have evolved, layered inside a thriller that will make your eardrums vibrate. I was charmed, disturbed, and fascinated by turns - and I couldn't put this book down.“

In July, we got the paperback edition of Marianne Gordon’s The Gilded Crown (HarperVoyager). The story follows Hellevir, a young woman who can raise the dead - for a steep price. When Sullivain, the heir to the throne, is assassinated, Hellevir gets pulled into court politics. Sullivain must live, no matter the cost. The reviewers have been kind to The Gilded Crown, with Publishers Weekly calling it “Fascinating dark fantasy… A study of kindness and humanity.” Part two of the duology is coming in early 2025, so this is the perfect opportunity to get stuck in Gordon’s fascinating and lush storytelling.

Stark Holborn finished her Factus Sequence trilogy with the publication of Ninth Life (Titan). Billed as “The Ballad of Halo Jones meets Becky Chambers' Wayfarers by way of 3:10 to Yuma; a clash of law and lawlessness, storytelling and truth in a headlong romp across the stars.”, the series draws the reader into its rich sci-fi western world. Strong characters, thrilling story arcs and many, many brawls, gunfights and explosions make the series a must-read.

Adam Roberts is a true renaissance man. Every book he writes is different, reinventing his brand constantly. In July, we were treated to Lake of Darkness (Gollancz), his latest science fiction novel centred around a voice emanating from a black hole, causing many civilians to be killed. Now, everyone knows that nothing ever comes out of black holes -  or does it?

Becky Ward’s Playing the Field (Avon) came out at the start of August. Set in the world of football, this rom-com is fun, sexy and full of heart (ok, and spicy too). We get grumpy/sunshine dynamics, secret dating and more following Lily and Ben’s story. Sparks flying everywhere, we can guarantee a good time reading.

Perfect for the upcoming spooky season, September brings the release of Daniel Church’s The Ravening (Angry Robot). Daniel writes pacy, compelling horror thrillers, with a ray of hope woven through. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone’s reactions when this one drops!

Lili Hayward’s A Midwinter’s Tail (Little, Brown) is probably our cosiest book of the year, wearing a snazzy new red dress for the festive season. The hardback was out last year, and won the Fantasy Hive’s “Short and Sweet” award. If you like cats, a bit of magic and a whole lot of atmosphere, this is one for you.

Rounding off our 2024 publications is Lucy Chalice's Fundamentals in Flirting (One More Chapter). This lovely STEM romance with Grumpy x Sunshine dynamics is both spicy and heartfelt.

We can’t wait to see what 2025 brings!

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