Hawk - Tor/Forge Blog

New Releases: 8/28/18

August 28, 2018May 1, 2024torforge

Happy New Release Day! Here’s what went on sale today.

opens in a new windowStygian by Sherrilyn Kenyon

opens in a new window Bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon brings us back to the astonishing world of the Dark-Hunters in Stygian, with a hero misunderstood by many…but most of all by himself.

Born before man recorded time, I lived for thousands of years believing myself to be something I’m not.

Someone I’m not.

opens in a new windowTrust Me by Hank Phillippi Ryan

opens in a new window An accused killer insists she’s innocent of a heinous murder. A grieving journalist surfaces from the wreckage of her shattered life.

Their unlikely alliance leads to a dangerous cat and mouse game that will leave you breathless.

Who can you trust when you can’t trust yourself?

NEW FROM TOR.COM

opens in a new windowWar Cry by Brian McClellan

opens in a new window Teado is a Changer, a shape-shifting military asset trained to win wars. His platoon has been stationed in the Bavares high plains for years, stranded. As they ration supplies and scan the airwaves for news, any news, their numbers dwindle. He’s not sure how much time they have left.

Desperate and starving, armed with aging, faulting equipment, the team jumps at the chance for a risky resupply mission, even if it means not all of them might come. What they discover could change the course of the war.

NEW IN PAPERBACK

opens in a new windowBlade of Empire by Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory

opens in a new windowThe Dog Master by W. Bruce Cameron

opens in a new windowEve of Destruction by Sylvia Day

opens in a new windowHawk by Steven Brust

opens in a new windowStand Proud and Eyes of the Hawk by Elmer Kelton

opens in a new windowStrong to the Bone by Jon Land

NEW IN MANGA

opens in a new window12 Beast Vol. 6 Story and Art by OKAYADO

opens in a new windowAlice & Zoroku Vol. 4 Story and art by Tetsuya Imai

opens in a new windowCaptain Harlock: Dimensional Voyage Vol. 5 Story by Leiji Matsumoto; Art by Kouichi Shimahoshi

opens in a new windowD-Frag! Vol. 12 Story and Art by Tomoya Haruno

opens in a new windowHour of the Zombie Vol. 7 Story and art by Tsukasa Saimura

opens in a new windowHow to Build a Dungeon: Book of the Demon King Vol. 4 Story by Yakan Warau; Art by Toshimasa Komiya

opens in a new windowMagical Girl Apocalypse Vol. 15 Story and art by Kentaro Sato

opens in a new windowMonster Girl Doctor Vol. 3 Story by Yoshino Origuchi; Art by z-ton

opens in a new windowMy Monster Secret Vol. 12 Story and Art by Eiji Masuda

opens in a new windowUltra Kaiju Anthropomorphic Project Vol. 2 Character designs by POP; story and art by Shun Kazakami

New Releases

New Releases: 11/29/16

November 29, 2016May 10, 2024torforge

Here’s what went on sale today!

opens in a new windowHawk by Steven Brust

opens in a new windowYears ago, Vlad Taltos came to make his way as a human amidst the impossibly tall, fantastically long-lived natives of the Dragaeran Empire. He joined the Jhereg, the Dragaeran House (of which there are seventeen) that handles the Empire’s vices: gambling, rackets, organized crime. He became a professional assassin. He was good at it. But that was then, before Vlad and the Jhereg became mortal enemies.

opens in a new windowThe Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

opens in a new windowTomorrow, on the beach, Baru Cormorant will look up and see red sails on the horizon. The Empire of Masks is coming, armed with coin and ink, doctrine and compass, soap and lies. They will conquer Baru’s island, rewrite her culture, criminalize her customs, and dispose of one of her fathers. But Baru is patient. She’ll swallow her hate, join the Masquerade, and claw her way high enough up the rungs of power to set her people free.

NEW IN MANGA:

opens in a new windowHaganai: I Don’t Have Many Friends Vol. 14 Story by Yomi Hirasaka; Art by Itachi

Author Features / Extras

Throwback Thursdays: Steven Brust on Animals, People, and Vlad Taltos

October 9, 2014May 10, 2024torforge

Welcome to Throwback Thursdays on the Tor/Forge blog! Every other week, we’re delving into our newsletter archives and sharing some of our favorite posts.

Vlad Taltos is back in Steven Brust’s Hawk! In the opens in a new windowNovember 2007 Tor Newsletter, author Steven Brust talked about the characters—and the animals they’re similar to—he’s created over the years. Be sure to check back in every other week for more!

By Steven Brust

Why is it that I put animals in my books, or, more particularly, put in people with some sort of symbolic relationship to an animal? Is it because, in human history and pre-history so many people identified themselves with animals? No, that’s the justification, not the reason.

Is it so I can explore the animal nature within us all? Yeah, right, whatever.

Is it that it makes it easier to explore what it really means to be human? No, but if the New York Review of Books ever interviews me, that’s what I’ll say.

No, it’s so I can make fun of my friends without them knowing about it.

In the world in which the Vlad Taltos novel is set, the population is divided into what are called Great Houses, each named for an animal. Some of these animals are familiar to us all, some are made up, and some are familiar but altered. In truth, all human beings are a delightful mix of personality traits, some of which can appear dominant at various times depending on circumstances. In fiction, particularly fantasy, I get to exaggerate characteristics and make animal comparisons, and when I need to, make up the animal—all for the pleasure of laughing at my friends. I love this business.

Like, that guy who cares just a bit too much about money? Orca. The one with the temper? Dragon. The manipulative bastard? Yendi. The guy with ethics but no principles? Jhereg. The one who would cut off an arm rather than be rude? Issola. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had hours of fun figuring out which House all of my friends belong in.

My latest Vlad Taltos novel—out in paperback this month—is called opens in a new windowDzur. A dzur is your typical big, nasty cat. The people who identify with it are of the House of Heroes.

What, exactly, do I mean by “hero?” I’m not talking about real heroes, because real heroes only happen where character meets circumstance. Nor am I talking about people who constantly look for situations where they can show off their courage—they aren’t heroes, they’re adrenaline junkies. By “hero,” in this context, I mean someone who always goes in with the odds against him—in fact, who only goes in when the odds are against him. Sounds good, right?

You know them. At a party, he’s the one who won’t venture an opinion unless he’s pretty sure everyone in the room is on the other side. On the highway, he’s the ones zipping down the empty lane that’s about to vanish for construction, expecting you to let him in. On the internet—Oh, lord. Don’t get me started. Yeah, these are the guys who have raised being unpopular to an art form. One of my dearest friends is a Dzur. He sometimes refers to himself as Captain Social Suicide. Need I say more?

So, yeah, anyway. Those guys. They’re annoying as hell, but in stories they’re kinda fun.

This article is originally from the November 2007 Tor newsletter. Sign up for the Tor newsletter now, and get similar content in your inbox every month!