Newly Arrived

by wjw on July 4, 2019

IMG_5125_edited-1Come just in time for the Glorious Fourth was a box of the uncorrected proofs of Quillifer the Knight, which will be available in bookstores the first week in November, the date having been moved, apparently, from the first week in October.

All the better for the holidays!

Here’s the flap copy:

Rogue. Joker. Lover. Reluctant conspirator.

The bumptious, ambitious young Quillifer has been knighted for services to the crown, but was then banished from court by a queen who finds him obnoxious.  Now, after a two-year voyage to improve his fortunes, Quillifer returns to court and is plunged immediately into a maelstrom of intrigue that triggers duels, plots, amours, and rollicking adventure.   Bounding back and forth from the high councils of state to the warm bed of his mistress, Quillifer must exert every ounce of seductive charm and low cunning in order to survive.

Queen Berlauda’s foreign husband brings war in his wake, along with a clutch of officials who enforce the royal will with violence, torture, and judicial murder. A dragon menaces the realm, and political conspiracy threatens the life of Quillifer’s young patroness, Princess Floria. It’s the traditional job of a knight to fight dragons and rescue princesses, but Quillifer is hardly a traditional knight, and he brings to the job an array of unorthodox skills that dazzles his swarm of rivals, seduces their wives, and threatens to overset the realm.

But there’s a greater menace to Quillifer than deadly political intrigue, for once again he finds himself hunted by the cruel, beautiful, and vengeful goddess Orlanda.

“ . . . chockful of derring-do, blood and thunder, swashbuckling, and other good stuff evocative of Rafael Sabatini, Sir Walter Scott, and the penny-bloods: venomous and dangerous court politesse, reversals, betrayals, cowardice, heroism, illicit sex, allegorical theatrical productions, dangerous hunting expeditions, privateering and, at last, open warfare . . . it’s not precisely a tale of Swords and Sorcery. Rather, you might dub it Rogues and Rogering.” 

                                                            —Paul Di Filippo, on Quillifer

Phil Koop July 4, 2019 at 7:01 pm

Is it true that pre-orders help you in some way? Even if it’s just the e-book? Because, if so, then I will do so immediately.

Otherwise, I don’t see the point, really.

wjw July 4, 2019 at 11:33 pm

I frankly don’t know whether pre-orders help, but they sure don’t hurt.

I suspect if a bookseller gets enough special orders for the hardback or paperback, they might order a few extra to go on the shelves.

Etaoin Shrdlu July 5, 2019 at 4:49 am

Just curious, why print a whole bunch of “advance uncorrected proofs – not for sale”? Surely they could do an electronic “print” to figure out where the typos are.

pixlaw July 5, 2019 at 10:37 am

Shrdlu –

It’s a promo item. They distribute them to booksellers and/or libraries (at times) to gin up interest in the forthcoming book. Some authors actually give out their ARCs via random drawings to (p)lucky readers who write in asking for them. Not that this is a hint or anything, Walter.

wjw July 5, 2019 at 5:31 pm

Uncorrected proofs are normally sent to reviewers well ahead of publication, so that the reviews can be in place when the book appears.

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