Orbit US editor Nivia Evans acquired World rights from Julie Crisp at Julie Crisp Literary Agency in a good six figure deal for seven books by Australian author, Devin Madson. Orbit UK editor Emily Byron has secured UK rights.

A storm is coming! The first book, We Ride The Storm by Devin Madson was originally self-published and was in the top three of Mark Lawrence’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off 2018.

Eager to dive in? Well you’re in luck! The eBook is out now, and the paperback will follow in June.

Nivia Evans said of the acquisition: ‘Ten pages into We Ride The Storm, I was hooked. Devin’s debut is the kind of propulsive and vivid fantasy that will make you fall in love with the genre all over again. The action is packed, the battles are epic, the characters are deliciously complex—you don’t want to miss it!’

Devin Madson commented: ‘It is such a dream to be working with Orbit to take We Ride The Storm to a wider audience! I never dared hope when I first released it that it would resonate with people as much as it did, and working with the wonderful Nivia Evans to strengthen it has been a joy from start to finish. I am so grateful for this opportunity and honoured to be able to call myself a member of the Orbit family’

War built the Kisian Empire. War will tear it down.

Seventeen years after rebels stormed the streets, factions divide Kisia. Only the firm hand of the god-emperor holds the empire together. But when a shocking betrayal destroys a tense alliance with neighboring Chiltae, all that has been won comes crashing down. 

In Kisia, Princess Miko Ts’ai is a prisoner in her own castle. She dreams of claiming her empire, but the path to power could rip it, and her family, asunder. 

In Chiltae, assassin Cassandra Marius is plagued by the voices of the dead. Desperate, she accepts a contract that promises to reward her with a cure if she helps an empire fall. 

And on the border between nations, Captain Rah e'Torin and his warriors are exiles forced to fight in a foreign war or die.

As an empire dies, three warriors will rise. They will ride the storm or drown in its blood.

‘Intricate, compelling and vividly imagined, this is the first in a new series that I am hugely excited about. Visceral battles, complex politics and fascinating worldbuilding bring Devin’s words to life’ Anna Stephens, author of Godblind

‘An utterly arresting debut, Storm's heart is in its complex, fascinating characters, each trapped in ever tightening snarls of war, politics and magic. One of the best new voices in fantasy’ Sam Hawke, author of City of Lies

‘A brutal, nonstop ride through an empire built upon violence and lies, a story as gripping as it is unpredictable. Never shying away from the consequences of the past nor its terrible realities, Madson balances characters you want to love with actions you want to hate while mixing in a delightful amount of magic, political intrigue, and lore’ K. A. Doore, author of The Perfect Assassin

‘Darkly devious and gripping epic fantasy boasting complex characters, brutal battle and deadly intrigue. We Ride the Storm is breathtaking, brilliant and bloody -it grips you hard and does not let go’ Cameron Johnston, author of The Traitor God

To whet your appetite a bit more, check out the stunning cover with art by Nico Delort and designed by Lisa Marie Pompilio.

About the Author:

Devin Madson is an Aurealis Award-winning fantasy author from Australia. Devin subsists on tea and chocolate and so much fried zucchini she ought to have turned into one by now. Her fantasy novels come in all shades of grey and are populated with characters of questionable morals and a liking for witty banter. You can find her at http://www.devinmadson.com/ and @DevinMadson.