Well now we come down to it. There's just over three months to go until the 5th Jan 2007, and publishing d-day...
So as there’s been a little more traffic on this site than usual, and some newcomers too, I guess it’s a good time to talk about The Secret War… So what is it? Well, the blurb below explains:
For thousands of years a secret war has been fought between Heaven and Hell. Daemons and angels, vampyres and knights, clash for the future of mankind, and as the two sides wage war across the world, innocent people are caught up in the conflict – men like Captain William Saxon and Lieutenant Kieran Harte, two friends who have recently survived the horrors of the Battle of Waterloo.
But now they face a greater struggle, against the daemonic forces of Count Ordrane, and the clandestine ambitions of the Vatican. They must try to survive assassination attempts, political machinations, epic battles on land and sea, and above all the power of a mysterious bronze pyramid – the Scarimadean – that brings everlasting damnation to all who come into contact with it.
Their only allies are an old man, a fading secret organisation in the Church, and an enigmatic warrior, who may hold the key not only to the friends’ fates, but to the fate of all mankind . . .
The year is 1815, when angels and daemons walked our
streets . . .
The Secret War is published by Macmillan New Writing, part of the Macmillan Publishing Group, available to buy in the UK 5th January 2007.
You can pre-order a copy from pretty much anywhere now, but below are number of links I've plucked from the web:
Macmillan New Writing
Amazon UK
Waterstones
Blackwells
So who should like this book? Well, anyone who likes their action-adventures like Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe series, or Pirates of the Caribbean or Indiana Joneses. It should also appeal to anyone who likes their fantasy stories epic, emotional and at times gotesque - afterall there is horror in The Secret War too.
And so far so good in terms of those who've read the pre-proofed final drafts of The Secret War. I've had the thumbs up from a reader who doesn't usually like this sort of thing, and dare I say it, the book has made a couple of readers weepy at the very end - a first for me.
I can't wait until the reading-public get their hands on it!
It also appears that Napoleonic fantasy is becoming a big thing now, what with Peter Jackson optioning Naomi Novik’s Teramerie books for another epic series of films. The Secret War (as set in 1815) was conceived around six years ago in its current incarnation, and I think my timing has been a good. In my opinion, the 19th century has not been “pillaged” enough as a backdrop for fantasy or horror.
Yet 2007, may well be the year that all changes…
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