Tor Books is thrilled to announce The Blacktongue Thief, the first in a three-book fantasy series with author Christopher Buehlman. Buehlman is the author of the horror novels The Lesser Dead and The Necromancer’s House.
The Blacktongue Thief is the story of an indebted thief, a veteran knight, a witch-in-training, and a blind rescue cat who must journey together through a world still scarred from a brutal, decades-long war with goblins.
Christopher Buehlman on his fantasy debut:
When I wrote The Blacktongue Thief, I drew on my love of grimdark and dystopias but also wanted to create a fantasy world that wasn’t unrelentingly dark. So in it we meet Kinch, the titular Blacktongue Thief and our narrator, who presents his goblin-haunted, crime-ridden, post-war world with a blend of charm and gallows humor. He’s a vulgar, self-interested fellow, but not without wit, and I hope you’ll agree he shines a little light into the gloaming. Glad to be partnered with Tor on this adventure, and gladder yet to have the keen-eyed Lindsey Hall as editor/champion/avatar.
Editor Lindsey Hall had this to say:
The Blacktongue Thief has one of the coolest fantasy worlds I’ve ever seen. First, there’s Kinch, a thief who owes his guild a ton in student loans for his thief-school education (relatable). Then we learn there are knights with giant war ravens(!) And truly terrifying goblins(!!) An ancient Murder Alphabet that kills anyone who reads it. Shields of rare wood that heal themselves. Tattoos that carry spells. An assassin inked everywhere with deadly magics. And amidst it all, a thief who’s gotten himself very in over his head. I am so, so excited for y’all to meet Kinch and journey into this deep, dark, awesome world with him.
Christopher Buehlman is an author, comedian, and screenwriter from St. Petersburg, Florida. He tours the country most of the year, writing during the week and performing at renaissance festivals on weekends. He and his wife currently travel with their rescue dog, Duck, and a black cat named Jane Mansfield who is proficient in ninjutsu. The Blacktongue Thief publishes May 2021 with Tor Books. The deal was struck with agent Michelle Brower at Aevitas Creative Management.
