Publisher's Apertif: YA fantasy novel takes wing

I always love how the publishing industry news sheet, Publisher's Lunch has little euphemisms to discuss money. They say things like "a good deal" and a very good deal" to discreetly disclose the zeros behind the decimal point for book deals. Well, I don't know if this has been published as lunch, but Wonderland friend Stephen Hunt has sent a bird up to the treehouse with this "major deal" news:

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PRESS RELEASE

14 December 2007: London and New York.

HarperColins sells US rights in Stephen Hunt's fantasy novels to Tor Books in major two-book deal

Airlie Lawson and Tara Hiatt, Rights Directors at HarperCollins in London, have confirmed a major two-book deal with Claire Eddy of Tor Books in New York, to publish THE COURT OF THE AIR by Stephen Hunt, and his follow-up fantasy novel, THE KINGDOM BEYOND THE WAVES.



HarperCollins Voyager acquired World rights in three novels from literary agent John Jarrold, and have already sold German, French, Japanese, Spanish and Portuguese rights, and are presently pursuing interest in a number of other markets.

'I'm delighted,' said John Jarrold. 'I've known the guys at Tor for over twenty years, and they have a wonderful reputation. I don't think Stephen could be in better hands in the US. Congratulations to him, HarperCollins and Claire!'

Stephen Hunt's The Court of the Air was the lead title for 2007 of HarperCollins' genre imprint, Voyager, and was published in the same week as HarperCollins other main fantasy novel of the year, The Children of Húrin (JRR Tolkien & Christopher Tolkien).

HarperCollins acquired the Court of the Air in 2006 after the company won a fierce auction for the work, seeing off many other major publishers to acquire Hunt's title.

Fantasy and science fiction author Stephen Hunt is the owner of SF Crowsnest.com, the second most popular sci-fi site on the Internet with close to a million readers a month, clocking up 30 million hits a month. Established in 1991, SFcrowsnest.com is one of – if not - the oldest science fiction and fantasy web sites on the web.

Hunt's author's web site can be found at StephenHunt.com.

PRAISE FOR THE COURT OF THE AIR

"An inventive, ambitious work, full of wonders and marvels." – The Times

"Hunt can take his place alongside such eminent Magratheans as JRR Tolkien, Mervyn Peake and China Mieville. Creating a fully-realised other-world which feels new and different, yet cohesive and believable is half the battle in a fantasy novel, and it is a battle Hunt wins with honours... Hunt's world is so rich and colourful it keeps you engrossed ... It's a confident audacious novel." – SFX

"The characters are convincing and colourful, but the real achievement is the setting, a hellish take on Victorian London where grim, steam-driven machines work beside citizens with magical powers. The Court of the Air is aimed at young adults, but the depth and complexity of Hunt's vision makes it compulsive reading for all ages." – The Guardian (Emphasis Ours!!)

"Wonderfully assured … Hunt knows what his audience like and gives it to them with a sardonic wit and carefully developed tension" – Time Out

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Another young adult fantasy novel takes wing. Congratulations, Stephen -- and thank you in advance for what we are sure is going to be an awesome book!!!!