New acquisition announcement: A madame’s work is never done


New acquisition announcement:
Gaie Sebold to pen sequel to her debut novel, Babylon Steel

Solaris is delighted to announce that author Gaie Sebold is to follow up her fantastically well-received debut, Babylon Steel.

With a bold frankness that eschews fantasy’s usual reluctance to deal with sex and gender politics, Sebold has conceived one of the most stunning and well-realised female characters in the genre – ex-mercenary turned brothel owner Babylon Steel.

And Babylon is set to return in Dangerous Gifts, which will be published in February 2013.

Babylon Steel runs the best brothel in Scalentine, city of portals. She’s escaped her past and it’s all going pretty well. Apart, that is, from the racial conflict and economic misery boiling up in Scalentine.

Her lover, Chief Bitternut of the City Militia, is trying to keep the lid on, while hunting a killer whose real target is a lot closer than he knows. Just as things are getting really tense, Babylon is forced to take another job.  Bodyguard to Enthemmerlee Entaire: symbol of hope or object of disgust for most of her country’s population, and a prime target for assassination, along with anyone who happens to be in the way. Such as her bodyguard.

Unintentionally dragging a very annoyed government employee along in her wake, Babylon struggles to turn Enthemmerlee’s squabbling household guard from liability into security, dodge the rigid Moral Statutes of Incandress, and keep both herself and her client alive.  She soon realises that the situation is far worse than she thought, her past hasn’t quite let go of her yet, and she will be driven to a choice that will have far-reaching consequences…

“Babylon Steel was one of the most assured and brilliantly written fantasy debuts of 2012,” said Solaris editor-in-chief, Jonathan Oliver. “Gaie’s characters are vivid and brilliantly realised. She is also one of the finest writers on sex and sexual politics in fantasy that I’ve read. I’m delighted to welcome her back to Solaris and discover more about Babylon Steel’s exciting and mysterious past. Gaie’s star is fast rising in the fantasy firmament.”

"A unique and richly realised setting, a vivid cast, a plot that coils and divides and fakes and deceives... Ingenious, gripping, and full of pleasures on every level. Exceptional."
– Mike Carey, author of NYT Best Seller The Unwritten

“a pacy fantasy romp … an adventure painted in primary colours – idiosyncratic,
but an entertaining slice of fun”
The Guardian on Babylon Steel

2 comments:

Paul Weimer said...

I still need to obtain and read the original!

DerGullen said...

Great news. Babylon Steel was a lovely book, I can't wait to see this one.