I’m very gratified to see Destroyer of Worlds, Kingdom of the Serpent Book 3, sitting at number three in SF Site’s 13th annual Editors’ Choice Best Books of the Year.

It’s a prestigious list that gets a fair bit of attention. And frankly, the company is great: Daryl Gregory’s The Devil’s Alphabet at five, Julian Comstock: a Story of 22nd Century America by Robert Charles Wilson at four, The City and the City by China Mieville at two, and the hugely deserved Dust of Dreams by Steven Erikson in the top slot.

Here’s the SF Site review of the book and here’s a new review at the excellent NextRead site.

And as if by magic, the mass-market paperback of that book has just been published in the UK.

Here’s the new cover for the mass-market paperback edition of Destroyer of Worlds, Kingdom of the Serpent Book Three:

Pretty much the same as the hardback, although the blue is darker, less vibrant. The marketing department felt the more muted tones worked better on the bookshelf. I don’t know if I agree.

And for the second extract of the day (as both books come out within days of each other), here’s one from Destroyer of Worlds, Kingdom of the Serpent Book 3.

Again, ordering details to the right.

Tenby Harbour

Next month, Destroyer of Worlds, Book 3 of Kingdom of the Serpent is published in the UK, the final volume of my sprawling fantasy series which began with World’s End, Age of Misrule Book 1, nearly ten years ago. When the final edit was complete, it seemed only right that I return to the place where I first dreamed up the story, sitting by the side of the sea on the Celtic fringes of the UK.

It’s not like I’ve been any stranger to Tenby in Pembrokeshire, South Wales – I’ve been going pretty much on an annual basis since I was about seven, sometimes for a few days, sometimes a couple of weeks. For me, the place is damned near perfect for a writer looking for inspiration: winding streets with odd little shadowy alleys, colourful houses, medieval walls, a nearby castle (which featured, like Tenby, in World’s End) the best beaches in this part of the world, and a history of mystery and mysticism. It’s always been a place artists have visited, for much the same reasons – check out the great museum and art gallery if you don’t believe me.

As it’s the start of the summer, I thought I’d give it a mention here, and in a couple of posts to follow. If you’re ever down there, take a look – you won’t be disappointed.

I’ll be signing copies of Lord of Silence and Destroyer of Worlds at the Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, on July 9 between 6-7pm.

You can also meet fellow author James Lovegrove, who will be signing copies of his new Solaris novel, The Age of Ra, same time, same place.

It’ll probably be the only signing I do for both of these books, so if you really want me to scribble all over your prized copy, come along.

I’ve just been informed that Victor Gollancz is pulling forward the publication of Destroyer of Worlds: Book Three of Kingdom of the Serpent by one month, from August to July.

I know that will please some people after the last book went in the opposite direction.

I’ll be posting an extract shortly.

The edits on Destroyer of Worlds: Book Three of Kingdom of the Serpent for Gollancz and The Lord of Silence for Solaris have been completed. The books are both on course for their August 2009 publication dates.

Still waiting for the cover of the Solaris book by John Picacio. I’ll post it here as soon as I have a version.

Destroyer of Worlds done and delivered.