I've been running a super cool contest this week on thePlenty.net, thanks to the wonderful folks at HarperCollins who offered a prize package that includes

- a US paperback copy of Dragon Keeper by robin_hobb
- a US paperback copy of Dragon Haven by robin_hobb
- a US galley copy of the upcoming The Inheritance and Other Stories by robin_hobb & meganlindholm
- a fantastical dragon figurine

Yes, you read that right: one winner walks away with THREE Robin Hobb books and a dragon*!

The contest is open for everyone, not just US citizens. But please enter before Sunday evening 11PM UTC+2!

The next Robin/Megan book comes out in hardcover March 31st in the UK and Australia and as a mass-market paperback in the US May 3rd. The UK Title is simply The Inheritance while the US title is The Inheritance and Other Stories. You can find all the details you need at PlentyWiki.

UK covers (first pic) by Jackie Morris, US covers (second pic) by ??
(Yes, there are lots of cats in these stories.)



And these are the stories included

Megan Lindholm:
- A Touch of Lavender (sci-fi, a Hugo and Nebula nominee and a winner of the Asimov's Readers Award)
- Silver Lady and the Fortyish Man (contemporary fantasy, Nebula nominee and Asimov winner)
- Cut (set in the future, Nebula nominee)
- The Fifth Squashed Cat (urban roadside fantasy)
- Strays (urban fantasy)
- Finis (vampires, previously unpublished)
- Drum Machine (science fiction, previously unpublished)

Robin Hobb:
- Homecoming ( won the Best Short Story Award in Imaginales, a prequel to Liveship traders)
- The Inheritance (a story from the Bingtown area)
- Cat's Meat (previously unpublished, takes place in Buck)

If you're interested in reading my full review of the book, it's here. To summarise it, this is a wonderful collection of a wide variety of stories and characters. The only one that didn't have much of an effect on me was Finis, but that's likely to be because I'm allergic to vampires of all sizes, shapes and breeds. Everyone should read at least Cut and Homecoming, from the new stories Drum Machine and Cat's Meat are the ones that left me really thoughtful and I'm still feeling raw after my heart was ripped out by Strays. There's also a preface to each story by the author that gives some background info about how and why each story came to be.

Some of you might remember the virtual cage matches Suvudu.com organised last year—it’s where fantasy heroes battle one another until one final winner is left standing. Well this year the contest features our very own FitzChivalry Farseer, and his first opponent is Martin the Warrior from the Redwall books. At the moment Fitz is losing his first fight! You can read the match description, vote and leave your comments here — but remember the match ends on Sunday, March 13th at 5 PM, ET.

You all probably know about this, but I'd love to get a campaign together to vote for Fool's Fate as one of the best scifi/fantasy books of the decade over at Tor.com. Because seriously....right?

All you have to do is click the link, register for free if you haven't already, and then comment on that post with your choices. You can list as many books as you want, but not the same book more than once. Here's my list (so far):

The Name of the Wind - Pat Rothfuss

Curse of Chalion - L.M. Bujold

Fool's Fate - Robin Hobb

Sunshine - Robin McKinley

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling

Inda - Sherwood Smith


I'm still thinking. I'm sure I'll add more as I go. :)

I hope you can go vote!

Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist is once again running a truly awesome competition where you can win a set of signed copies of Robin Hobb’s Dragon Keeper and Dragon Haven AND a dragon figurine!
http://fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com/2010/05/win-autographed-copies-of-robin-hobbs.html
Good luck!

Jackie Morris (Illustration) and Dominic Forbes (Art Direction) have been shortlisted for the Ravenheart Award for the UK cover art of The Dragon Keeper. The cover is among the top five voted by readers online.

The second phase of the David Gemmell Legend awards has started, and it’s again up to us readers to pick our favorites from the shortlists. Voting for the Ravenheart award is HERE.
No registration is required to vote and voting is open to all. (Don’t forget to vote in the other categories as well!) The winners will be announced in June.

Good luck to Jackie, Dominic and Sintara!

Reminder to vote for Dragon Keeper

The David Gemmell Legend Award is a newcomer among fantasy literature awards, it was present for the first time last year. The winner is chosen by the public, and there are two rounds of voting - the longlist is open to all fantasy books (submitted by publishers) that were published in English during 2009. Voting is open from 26th of December to 31st of March 2010. ACT SOON if you're planning to vote! You can only vote once per category. The top 5 books to get most votes during the longlist period will then form a shortlist and then there will be another round of voting in April.

Robin Hobb's the Dragon Keeper is on the longlist for the Legend Award, and the UK artwork by Jackie Morris is up for the Ravenheart Award for best cover/artist.

Here's the website for the awards where you can vote. No registration is required. However, I've noticed that the site is a bit wonky in some browsers (you have to hover over the award titles to see the link for voting), so here are the subpages where you can cast your vote:
Voting for the Legend award
Voting for the Ravenheart award
(The link doesn't seem to work on all browsers, in that case go here, hover over the word "Ravenheart" in the navigation and click "vote!").

BSCreview is holding it's annual Book Tournament for the fourth time and Robin Hobb's The Dragon Keeper is included.
Read the rules of Best 2009 Release Tournament, register at the forum and get ready to defend Thymara & co against other competitors. The first round is against "Red Claw" by Philip Palmer and will be fought HERE.
Voting will begin the morning of 18th of March (that's tomorrow!) and end around 8:00 PM EST on the 19th. The winner will then move on to the next round starting the morning of 20th. So there's not much time! (Here's a time zone converter to help you. Convert EST North America to your own time.)

I seem to remember posting something similar around this time last year. Here's my own journal post from last night. I'm putting it here because you people are the ONLY ones who understand what I'm going through. I need some commiseration, just for a little while. (This is my third time through, and it still just leaves me for dead when it's all done.)

Reading the last half of Fool's Fate is kind of a punishment that I seem determined to put myself through at least once a year. Punishment is the wrong word...but it's exhausting. I can't describe how beautifully crafted this story is, nor can I convey the perfectness of the ending. There is everything. The great battle. Heroes. Fear and loss. Great sorrow. So much sorrow. And then the slow return to joy. Slow enough that all of it seems so terribly real. The loss and sorrow have their own true consequences. But so also does the triumph. I guess that's why it affects me so much...I can't explain it and I'm always rather ruined by the end. But ruined in a good way.

I run across pages I've folded down during a previous reading and I find
myself trying to remember the significance of that passage to me when I first creased the page. It's neat to find those connections to my former self.

Anyway, I'm waxing prosaic and it's late. I simply need to wipe my eyes (again) and get some sleep. One day someone will explain to me why this book leaves me like this. Every time. But until then, I know I'll just keep rereading it.

*Hereafter be apoilers for the Tawny Man Trilogy*

Honestly, I read through the horrific part...the part where Fitz goes back into the ice city to find the Fool and then takes him to the Stone Garden and brings him back to life...and then through that part where poor Beloved has his nightmares and clings to Fitz during those first few days. It just KILLS me. Not his death (though that stabs, too) but just seeing the depth of friendship between the two of them. I get weepy now just typing about it.

I think I need a therapist to tell me why this knocks me out so completely whenever I read it. I didn't even read the Farseer trilogy this time. I just started with Fool's Errand and went from there. FE is my favorite, just because of all the time that he and Fitz get to spend together and how rather funny it is...and then of course, I had to keep going. I'm a glutton for punishment.

I think that everything about the last half of Fool's Fate sends me over the edge. This time when Fitz had to leave the Fool behind with the Pale Woman, he came staggering back to camp and Burrich whisked out and grabbed him up in his arms...wow. I'd forgotten that. Somehow, Ms. Hobb managed to instill that feeling of peace and safety with Burrich's character. When he showed up, even I could feel the relief. *sniffle* I've already talked about the rest of the stuff that knocks me out right here in this comm. I won't go into it again. (Good heavens, it has been exactly a year! I wonder what it is about the end of February that pulls me into the Farseer books? LOL!)

Anyway, I think every time I read it I will be less mangled. But I feel pretty mangled today (after blubbering into my pillow for about half an hour last night). However, less mangled than last time. :) Thanks for listening. Again, no one understands but you guys. My flist just doesn't get it.

The David Gemmell Legend Award is a newcomer among fantasy literature awards, it was present for the first time last year. The winner is chosen by the public, and there are two rounds of voting - the longlist is open to all fantasy books (submitted by publishers) that were published in English during 2009. Voting is open from 26th of December to 31st of March 2010. You can only vote once per category. The top 5 books to get most votes during the longlist period will then form a shortlist and then there will be another round of voting in April.

Robin's Dragon Keeper is on the longlist for the Legend Award, and the UK artwork by Jackie Morris is up for the Ravenheart Award for best cover/artist.

Here's the website for the awards where you can vote. No registration is required. However, I've noticed that the site is a bit wonky in some browsers (you have to hover over the award titles to see the link for voting), so here are the subpages where you can cast your vote:
Legend award
Ravenheart award
(There is also a Morningstar award for best debut.)