Joe Abercrombie

Finished the second draft of A Little Hatred in September and sent it off to editors

So I’ve spent the last few weeks working on the second draft of the second book, The Trouble With Peace.

The aim is for A Little Hatred to be all done bar the copy edit by new year. That, I hope, will give plenty of time to get proofs out early in 2019 in preparation for publication in September.

Though clearly making no promises, it looks very likely the other two books will follow Sept 2020 and Sept 2021.

Gollancz has acquired “an exceptional” new trilogy from award-winning author Joe Abercrombie with the first in the series, A Little Hatred, publishing in September 2019.

Gillian Redfearn, publishing director of the science fiction and fantasy imprint of the Orion group, closed the “significant” deal with Robert Kirby, of United Agents, for world rights 13 years after she bought Abercrombie's debut.

Described by the publisher as “Les Miserables meets Game of Thrones”, it is billed as “a landmark trilogy from one of the best and brightest fantasy writers working today”.

“A return to his bestselling First Law universe, the trilogy combines sharp new characters with familiar faces from the original trilogy, which has sold more than five million copies to date,” an Orion spokesperson said. “Written with flair and originality, this new series offers a gripping take on the industrial revolution, the power of money and the visceral dangers of politics when being stabbed in the back is a far from metaphorical experience.”

Already sold in six territories, including to Orbit US and German publisher Heyne, the publication of the first novel in the series, A Little Hatred, in September 2019 “will be a sensation for readers of fantasy and historical novels alike”, Orion said though the series itself is believed to be currently untitled.

Abercrombie has previously been published by Gollancz as well as HarperVoyager in the UK.

The Bath-based author said: “Often in publishing there’s a pressure to push out the next book as soon as possible. With a series that can mean a lot of compromises. Gollancz have given me the time and support to draft a whole trilogy in one go, to write the end along with the start, which means the whole thing is as tight and cohesive as I can make it. It means a wait for the first book, but then regular, well-planned releases of the other two on the timetable that best suits them.

“The aim with this trilogy was to take the recipe for fantasy I’ve been developing over the twelve years since The Blade Itself was published - a tight focus on vivid characters caught up in crunching action, twisty plotting, and a dark and gritty world with plenty of gallows humour along the way - and push it in a more original, more industrial direction.”

Redfearn said: “A Joe Abercrombie novel is always something special – but this trilogy is jaw-droppingly good. Visceral, powerful and compelling from the first page, Joe is once again taking the fantasy genre into new imaginative spaces – and taking on the industrial revolution in the process. This is epic in scope, fast-paced and brilliantly executed; an unmissable new series from an exceptionally talented writer.”

- Abercrombie is in the absolute top tier of epic fantasy, and he has hit both New York Times Bestseller List and the USA Today Bestseller List.
- His novels set in the First Law world have sold over three quarters of a million copies. This is the first full novel set in the world since 2012's Red Country.
- Abercrombie's backlist continues to steadily sell, and now his fans are more than eager for a new novel of the First Law.
- A Little Hatred functions as a great starting point for readers who have heard of Abercrombie, but have yet to read his work. He's an extremely well known quantity in the genre, and any reader of fantasy will love his work.
- Perfect for fans of: George R.R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, Brent Weeks, & Brandon Sanderson.

The next thing probably won’t be first law or shattered sea but something else. Longer term, well, I did a trilogy then three standalones, so maybe another three First Law standalones in the fullness of time…?

“Abercrombie continues to do what he does best... Buckle your seat belts.” — Robin Hobb, New York Times bestselling author.

“Abercrombie squeezes your heart till it matches his beat. No one writes with the seismic scope or primal intensity of Joe Abercrombie.” — Pierce Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“A Little Hatred is Abercrombie at his very best: witty, wise, whip-smart. Masterfully plotted... I had high hopes for this book, and it exceeded them all.” — Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

“Brutal, unforgiving, and terribly fun. Everything awesome readers have come to expect from Joe Abercrombie.” — Brian McClellan, author of Sins of Empire

“Rife with emotion with wit to spare, both honed to an effortlessly fine edge. A Little Hatred is the joy of watching a master of the craft with his tools at their sharpest.” — Sam Sykes, author of Seven Blades in Black

“Joe Abercrombie’s powerful voice raises the bar in any literary genre. Fantasy fans are beyond fortunate he chose this one.” — Myke Cole, author of The Armored Saint

I would say it’s now almost certain that The Trouble With Peace will come in Sept 2020 and The Beautiful Machine in Sept 2021. But we’ll see…