Orbit UK acquires alternate supernatural retelling of World War II.

From the press release...

Little, Brown imprint Orbit has acquired Bitter Seeds, an audacious and critically acclaimed fantasy retelling of the events of World War II, plus two further novels by American author Ian Tregillis. Commissioning Editor Anna Gregson acquired UK and Commonwealth rights in The Milkweed Triptych from John Berlyne at the Zeno Literary Agency.


This alternative version of 20th-century events sees Nazis engineering scientifically-enhanced supermen with powers of telekinesis, invisibility and fire-manipulation, whilst British troops resort to dark magic and even darker tactics to hold back the German invasion. The novel has received widespread praise since its release in the US last year, being described by Cory Doctorow as having “a white-knuckle plot, beautiful descriptions, and complex characters” and leading George R. R. Martin to dub Tregillis "a major talent."

Gregson said: “We’re delighted to have acquired this thrillingly sinister, clever and compelling tale that melds real-life events with occult forces and weird science. Its vivid atmosphere and supernatural twist make this a deeply mesmerising and entertaining novel, with great appeal for any fans of alternate histories, dark fantasy and superhero comics. Think Inglourious Basterds crossed with X-Men!”

Bitter Seeds and its sequels The Coldest War and Necessary Evil will be released in quick succession between December 2012 and April 2013.

I started reading 'Bitter Seeds' last year but never finished it; not the books fault I have to add, there were a number of good books that were never finished last year. From what I read though, 'Bitter Seeds' looked very promising and this news is just the thing to make me dig out my Tor edition and get a little headstart on next year. Tor have made a right meal of releasing this series on schedule (sorry Tor but you have) so it's good to see the books in the hands of a publisher well known for releasing books in a more timely fashion. You can't get a lot more 'timely' than a book a month, can you?