Happy paperback book birthday to THE QUEEN OF SORROW!

Happy paperback book birthday to THE QUEEN OF SORROW, Book Three of the Queens of Renthia!!! The trilogy is now complete, in both sizes! *shares cupcakes with everyone*

Gwen joined the celebration too.
  

Gwen believes she should be in all photo shoots. She's not wrong.

Wall Street Journal Review of THE QUEEN OF SORROW

Eeeeeeep!!! My latest book, THE QUEEN OF SORROW, was reviewed in yesterday's Wall Street Journal!!! My husband randomly found the article online and ran out to 7-Eleven to buy the paper (and some milk -- we were totally out :) ). Thanks, WSJ!

"The Renthia trilogy stands old beliefs, and even old myths, on their heads. Ms. Durst has given us a refreshing, provocative and ultimately convincing remake of modern fantasy conventions. The wonder is that we ever saw things the other way round." -- The Wall Street Journal

WORD Bookstore Event 6/6

On Wed June 6 at 7:30pm, Peter V. Brett and I will be at WORD Bookstore in Jersey City discussing all things epic fantasy and celebrating the release of THE QUEEN OF SORROW, the final book of my Queens of Renthia trilogy! Come join us for some Wednesday night bookish fun!

https://www.wordbookstores.com/event/word-presents-sarah-beth-durst-and-peter-brett-queen-sorrow

Happy book birthday to THE QUEEN OF SORROW!

I was raised on fresh raspberries, whole milk, and epic fantasy -- Terry Brooks, Mercedes Lackey, Anne McCaffrey, David Eddings, Guy Gavriel Kay... Growing up, I read my favorites over and over again, and I dreamed of writing my own trilogy someday, filled with grand adventure and deadly magic. I wanted it so badly that I barely ever talked about it -- it felt like a wish made on birthday candles, and I was so desperate for it to come true that I didn't want to do anything to dispel the power of that wish.

Today I am so happy and grateful to be able to share that wish-come-true with you! Today my very first epic fantasy trilogy is complete!!! It's the pub day for THE QUEEN OF SORROW, Book Three of The Queens of Renthia, published by Harper Voyager. I wrote these books out of love for the stories that shaped me and out of a wish to add my own brand of badass women to the genre.

Renthia is a world of extreme beauty: sky-piercing mountains, endless glaciers, and towering trees with cities nestled in their branches, all thanks to an overabundance of nature spirits. But the spirits who created all this glorious beauty aren't sweet, frolicking pixies. These spirits want to kill all humans, and only certain women -- the queens -- have the power to control them.

THE QUEEN OF SORROW concludes the stories of Daleina, Naelin, and Merecot, as the three determined queens clash over two countries plagued by bloodthirsty spirits.

If you're interested, more information can be found on my website, including the first three chapters.

To those of you who have come with me on this journey -- ziplining through the trees of Aratay and running with the wolf Bayn -- thank you so much for joining me! It means so much to me to share this adventure with you!

And to those of you who are new to Renthia... Welcome! Happy reading! Just watch out for the trees. They bite.
 

THE QUEEN OF SORROW comes out today!!!

I remember reading ALANNA by Tamora Pierce when I was ten years old and thinking, "If Alanna can become a knight, I can become a writer." *fistbumps ten-year-old me* THE QUEEN OF SORROW, the final book of my Queens of Renthia trilogy, comes out today! 

http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/QueenofSorrow.htm

3 Days until THE QUEEN OF SORROW!

When I was a shy, bookish kid, I read The SWORD OF SHANNARA by Terry Brooks and dreamed about writing my own epic fantasy trilogy. In 3 days, THE QUEEN OF SORROW, the final book of my first epic trilogy, comes out!!!

 

Signed Copies of THE QUEEN OF SORROW from WORD Bookstore

Today I signed pre-orders of THE QUEEN OF SORROW at the fantastic WORD Bookstore in Brooklyn! Also signed some extras, so if you'd like one, please contact WORD, and they can ship you one. 

 

Meet Bayn

When the wolf Bayn first padded into my story, I had no idea how important he would become. He's not just another furry face! THE QUEEN OF SORROW, the final book in my epic fantasy trilogy The Queens of Renthia, comes out in 4 days!

Signed copies from WORD

I'm headed to WORD Bookstore in Brooklyn tomorrow to sign/personalize brand new copies of THE QUEEN OF SORROW!!! If you'd like a signed copy, be sure to pre-order by the end of today (5/10) and they'll ship it to you as soon as my ink dries! http://www.wordbookstores.com/queenofsorrow

Meet Ven

6 days until THE QUEEN OF SORROW, the conclusion to my epic fantasy trilogy The Queens of Renthia, comes out! Meet Ven, once a disgraced champion and now champion to two queens. He has no magic, but that's not going to stop him.

Meet Merecot

You have no idea how excited I am for readers to read Merecot's story in THE QUEEN OF SORROW. No idea. In book three, I wrap up all the storylines in The Queens of Renthia, and there's lots more Merecot! Comes out in exactly one week!!!

 

Meet Naelin

8 days until THE QUEEN OF SORROW, the final book in my epic fantasy trilogy The Queens of Renthia, comes out! Meet Naelin, a middle-aged mother of two who wields immense power over the bloodthirsty spirits that plague Renthia. Loved writing her so much!

Meet Daleina

In 11 days, THE QUEEN OF SORROW, the final book in my epic fantasy trilogy The Queens of Renthia, comes out!!! Harper Voyager made these awesome cards to introduce you to the players. Meet Daleina, my un-Chosen One. Her true magic is her determination.

 

THE QUEEN OF SORROW is a B&N Best SFF Book of May 2018!

Barnes & Noble selected THE QUEEN OF SORROW as a Best SFF Book of May 2018! "With a story focused on powerful women and worldbuilding worthy of Guy Gavriel Kay, this series has been a dark delight." Whoa. Thanks so much, B&N! 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/the-best-science-fiction-fantasy-books-of-may-2018/

Excerpt from THE QUEEN OF SORROW

Excerpt from THE QUEEN OF SORROW now live! Just posted the 1st three chapters of Book 3 of The Queens of Renthia, the finale to my epic fantasy trilogy about bloodthirsty nature spirits and the queens who can control them, out 5/15 from Harper Voyager! 

http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/QueenofSorrowexcerpt.htm

Signed Copies of THE QUEEN OF SORROW

Exactly 3 weeks until THE QUEEN OF SORROW, the final book in my epic fantasy trilogy The Queens of Renthia, comes out!!! And WORD Bookstore is doing a pre-order campaign! So if you'd like a signed copy, pre-order from WORD by 5/10. I'll sign and personalize it for you on 5/11, and they'll ship it to you on 5/12. http://www.wordbookstores.com/queenofsorrow

 

Starred Review in Booklist for THE QUEEN OF SORROW!

Eeeeep!!! So happy to be able to share another STARRED REVIEW for THE QUEEN OF SORROW, Book 3 of my Queens of Renthia epic fantasy trilogy, out 5/15 from Harper Voyager!!! Thank you, Booklist!

https://www.booklistonline.com/The-Queen-of-Sorrow-Sarah-Beth-Durst/pid=9311812

Starred Publishers Weekly Review for THE QUEEN OF SORROW!

Eeeeeeeee!!! A starred review for THE QUEEN OF SORROW, the 3rd (and final) book of my epic fantasy trilogy The Queens of Renthia (coming 5/15 from Harper Voyager)! Thank you, Publishers Weekly! I'm so thrilled and so grateful and so excited!

https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780062413383

Cover Reveal for THE QUEEN OF SORROW

Cover reveal!!! I'm so very excited to share with you the cover for my next epic fantasy novel, THE QUEEN OF SORROW, Book Three of The Queens of Renthia, coming May 2018. I love it so much! Huge thanks to the amazing artist, Stephan Martiniere, and everyone at Harper Voyager.

Announcing THE QUEENS OF RENTHIA Trilogy!

I am so very, very excited to announce that I've sold a new trilogy of books for adults!!!  An epic fantasy trilogy!!!!!!!!!!!  In the biggest book deal of my career to date!  Series title is THE QUEENS OF RENTHIA and they will be published by HarperCollins / Voyager in 2016 and 2017.  Here's the announcement from this week's Publishers Weekly Book Deals:

Durst Delivers 'Queens' to Harper

In a three-book deal, Harper Voyager's David Pomerico preempted world rights to Sarah Beth Durst's fantasy trilogy, the Queens of Renthia. Durst, who was represented by Andrea Somberg at Harvey Klinger, said the series is set in a world "where everything in nature has a spirit -- and where those spirits are bloodthirsty killers who seek the death of all humans." Book one, The Queen of Blood, is set for a fall 2016 publication. Durst has written a number of fantasy novels for children and adults, including the YA title Chasing Power (Bloomsbury) and the adult title The Lost (Mira), both published in 2014.

I am doing a serious Snoopy dance of joy right now, complete with Muppet flailing arms and high-pitched squeals:  
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

As mentioned in the PW announcement, Renthia is a world where everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow...  But these are not the sweet, frolicking nature sprites from a pastoral tale.  The spirits that reside within this land want to kill all humans, the way white blood cells want to kill a virus.  Only a few women are gifted with the power to control the spirits.  To defend their people, these women must fight to become queens... or die trying.

Tentative titles and publication dates are:

Book 1: THE QUEEN OF BLOOD -- October 2016
Book 2: THE RELUCTANT QUEEN -- February 2017
Book 3: THE QUEEN OF SORROW -- June 2017

I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am about this trilogy.  I love epic fantasy.  Really, really love it, as in spent an inordinate amount of my childhood pretending that I was a magical sword-wielding princess on a quest, drawing massive maps of nonexistent lands, and reading David Eddings's The Belgariad so many times that Polgara, Silk, and Durnik felt like real people.  So to be writing books born from this tradition...  Let's just say my ten-year-old self would be doing a lot of cartwheeling if she knew.

Right now, I'm in the middle of writing book one, and I am loving working on it so much.  It feels exactly like writing is supposed to feel, as if I have plunged through a portal into another world.  I feel so incredibly lucky and thrilled and overjoyed, and I can't wait to welcome you to Renthia and share this world's stories and people with you!

Just don't try to visit Renthia in person, because those trees... they'll totally kill you.