The Hidden City is available now. If you’re Canadian, the price is 24.95, the US price (but in CDN dollars), rather than the 30.00 CDN it was solicited at.
If you’re australian, it’s available at Galaxy Books. For more, because it has to fly half-way across the world.
The Hidden City is the first book in the House War series. It’s actually the earliest of the novels, chronologically speaking, that are set in this universe. It’s also my very first hardcover — and the jacket is absolutely stunning; jpegs don’t capture the feel of it.
I am playing a bit with wordpress because I’m aware that I don’t update official news very often, but the lack of <br> as a feature in editing has caused me an ulcer’s worth of grief. I do not know much html. What little I do know is apparently not entirely relevant to wordpress. We have exchanged words (well, I swear at wordpress and it gives me the cosmic raspberry) to little effect, but I hope to have some of the kinks ironed out some time soon.
In the meantime, if you find your way here, I’ll answer any questions you want to leave in the comments. Because that much, I’ve been able to figure out how to do…
Michelle West & Michelle Sagara 
Mar 05, 2008 @ 07:37:23
And if you live in Australia the price is $49.95
But it’s worht very dollar! :-)
Mar 05, 2008 @ 12:07:45
Hey :D. First post! (I’m trying to (very slowly) make a more presentable web-site. So I can do things like update it myself.) I liked the wordpress template, but the lack of simple things like is making me crazy enough that I might try blogger.
49.95 O.O
Mar 14, 2008 @ 00:58:58
I am looking forward to reading this book. I will be picking it up this weekend. If you do not mind, I have the following questions:
1. Do you have an idea of how many books will be in this sequence? On your website, I think your husband estimates that there will be 5 books.
2. Do you know when the second book in the House War sequence will be published?
Thanks for all the great books.
Regards,
Roger
Mar 14, 2008 @ 01:32:29
1. Do you have an idea of how many books will be in this sequence? On your website, I think your husband estimates that there will be 5 books.
Four at the moment. Two which deal with the early den, and the transition to the House Terafin, and Two which deal with the Succession war. Umm, but this is my guess.
2. Do you know when the second book in the House War sequence will be published?
I am not finished HOUSE NAME yet. At this point all the structural elements are there, and the book feels very solid to me, and I hope to have it finished by the end of the year at the outside latest. Which that it would be published some time after that =(. I was really hoping to be more on top of the publishing schedule, and I apologize for this — I found Hidden City somewhat traumatizing to write, and there was a very long period after the book was finished in which I found it difficult to be objective enough to revise.
Which is the short way of saying that it will be out as soon as humanly possible, and the delay is my fault.
Thanks for all the great books.
Thank you :)
Mar 20, 2008 @ 03:42:58
Ms. West,
Yesterday, I finished reading Hidden City: HOUSE WAR.
I still have not stopped thinking about what I read. I had a feel for Jewel and her den from your earlier books, but these characters became almost real in this book. I really enjoyed reading about Jewel, Rath, and, especially, Duster. Three amazing characters.
You also have reaped many interesting plot points in this book. I hope we get read more about them in later books. For example, the relationship between Rath and his sister. The house war between House Terafin and the House D (I do not remember the name). Andrei and his relationship with this boss. More about the holdings and the city itself. Rath and his relationship with the fence.
If you do not mind, I have the followig questions:
1. Will you be doing a book tour?
2. If you are doing a book tour, will you be coming to Seattle, WA or Vancouver, BC?
Thank you.
Regards,
Roger
Shoreline, WA
Mar 21, 2008 @ 02:26:28
If you do not mind, I have the followig questions:
1. Will you be doing a book tour?
2. If you are doing a book tour, will you be coming to Seattle, WA or Vancouver, BC?
Ummm, no plans for a book tour at the moment. I am generally a big homebody, and have never really done a book tour. I’m planning to go to this year’s Worldcon (in Denver, which isn’t really close), though.
Mar 25, 2008 @ 23:52:07
Will the House War series stop at filling in the gap between Hunter’s Death and the Sun Sword Series, or will it conclude Jewel’s plotline from the Sun Sword Searies (beginin with the death of the Terafin and continuing with Jewel’s struggle succeed Amarais)?
Mar 26, 2008 @ 02:48:50
Will the House War series stop at filling in the gap between Hunter’s Death and the Sun Sword Series, or will it conclude Jewel’s plotline from the Sun Sword Searies (beginin with the death of the Terafin and continuing with Jewel’s struggle succeed Amarais)?
It will conclude Jewel’s plot-line from the Sun Sword with, in fact, the House War. The 2nd book is still early den; the third and fourth start after Jewel arrives from the South.
Apr 02, 2008 @ 04:21:55
Will there be a continuation to the Sun Sword Series with regards to Tor Arkosa?
Apr 05, 2008 @ 22:18:04
Once again: thank you, thank you, thank you. You remain my favorite author, and Hidden City was not what I expected it would be, in more ways than one. I greatly appreciated the plot threads you tied-up / created involving Sigurne.
I have suspected for some time, and now with the specifics laid out in Hidden City am thoroughly convinced, that Duster’s soul has returned from the Halls of Mandaros. Is this the case?
(P.S. If you ever need a reminder of how good a writer you are, I will be more than happy to shower you and your books with praise. Thank you again.)
Apr 06, 2008 @ 00:16:10
I love the changes and the graphical update this new webhost brings you. Unfortunately, I’m embarrassed to note that I’ve never actually bookmarked the Michelle West Yahoo discussion group, or your LiveJournal page. This is because I inevitably visited your old bibliography site first and then linked to those auxiliary sites, so that I never missed any tidbit of information.
At this point in time, accessing both sites is a trivial matter on my part. However, without the links you originally placed on your sffsite page, I would never have known such a collection of fans were already established. In other words, *new* readers might appreciate the discussions we have (and yahoo groups aren’t easily googlable).
I realize you may be in transition, or you might even be attempting to dissociate yourself from any one, fan-based forum. If not, please consider adding links to the Yahoo discussion forum and your LiveJournal.
Aaron
Apr 06, 2008 @ 03:27:15
I realize you may be in transition, or you might even be attempting to dissociate yourself from any one, fan-based forum. If not, please consider adding links to the Yahoo discussion forum and your LiveJournal.
I put them up in the “About the Author” link, because they weren’t likely to change. I still have to put up covers and other things, and break the bibliography into smaller chunks, but. Ummm.
Apr 06, 2008 @ 03:29:21
I have suspected for some time, and now with the specifics laid out in Hidden City am thoroughly convinced, that Duster’s soul has returned from the Halls of Mandaros. Is this the case?
Other people have asked me this, and I have to confess that this was not my intent with Kiriel (the person most likely to be Duster if Duster did return), although it is true that Kiriel has a soul and that, if Duster was ready, she is the right age.
Apr 06, 2008 @ 03:30:20
Will there be a continuation to the Sun Sword Series with regards to Tor Arkosa?
Not a direct sequel, although Adam will be active in the House War, and has a role to play after it.
Jul 31, 2008 @ 13:15:02
Dear Michelle,
I am a fan of your books.
I was wondering if the Twin Kings will be explored more fully in your next books?
Jul 31, 2008 @ 21:33:36
Hi Michelle,
I would also like to express just how much I love your books. I read several genres and authors, but always tend to go for the books that have some combination of Magic, Struggle, Love, and a sense that the world is so real that I could step right into it – if I could only find the right doorway! I must say that you are one of the best at creating and communicating this type of wonderful experience. Thank you.
I’ve read the Hunter Duology, the Sun Sword series, and the new House Wars book. Eagerly anticipating the next. (I’ve also read the Cast series). However, as suggested by another commenter, there do seem to be loose threads and I wondered if you have any intention of weaving them closed at some point. Here are the threads that I see:
1. Breodanirs involvement with the demon struggle and/or Cynthia and Steven’s story
2. The History of the Voyani (more than what we saw in book 4) and the thread of the Cities that are raising.
3. Merlon(sp?) – he’s a series in and of himself!
4. I was fascinated when the apprentice mages began drawing their weapons from themselves in the Sun Sword series. Will you be writing about the Age of Man in any of the books?
5. Kiriel – You aren’t just going to leave it like that? Are you?
I’m really hoping that you aren’t one of those authors that like to leave such things to the readers imagination. My imagination is good, but yours is better. I’d rather hear it from you :)
Oct 21, 2008 @ 23:27:14
hey michelle,
just to get it out of the way-your books are awesome, the absolute best-i don’t understand what the people who give out the hugo’s are reading, they obviously have overlooked your works. i have read them all except the hidden city at least three times and have pretty good attention to detail if you would happen to be looking for some help in the continuity realm (i have noticed a few continuity problems, especially in regards to the annagarian lords which made things a bit confusing).
the above message (carlotta, jul 31) addressed several questions that have been on my mind, and i would like to know what the answers to them are.
if they are published elsewhere, please direct me. you don’t seem the type of person to say “hey, get a life”, so i will proceed with some of my wonderings, and hope you can enlighten me.
1) is the child of the hunter god and cynthia the boy coming of age in the north to whom the oracle referred? the child of gilliam and the wild girl (thought that child in the vision was a girl)? or is it adam?
2) was the dream jewel had in which she was viandaran’s consort a true dream of a previous life?
3) how is it that so many of the demons seem to know illaraphaniel? and who is he really-someone who has evidently been around an awfully long time. he appeared to gain skill and depth from the time of the hunters’ oath to the sun sword.
4) when evayne comes upon kallandras on the field of a battle apparently lost and he wouldn’t tell her when or where it was-when and where was it, and is it going to come up in your writings? why was he alone on the field of battle-were all of his comrades in arms gone down in defeat? after her father seemingly rewarded kallandras with a brother in celleriant, are they not to meet again?
5)it seems that there was some hint that avandar had something to do with the tragedy that brought morretz to the city, but how could that be?
6)where has avandar (viandaran) been since the end of the age of man and why did not allasakar grant him his death after he gave up the city to him?
guess i’ll quit here, so as to not overwhelm you, gracious lady. write well and bliss to you.
lara, lady of xanadu
Mar 13, 2009 @ 19:23:01
Hello Michelle,
In regard to your skills as an author i am in awe, and without spending fifty lines on praising you and book without really successfully conveying what i feel, all i can say is this: you, my dear lady, are a Master of weaving tales. I HAD to finished the book in one day … I must say, this is the first I find I do not have an inch of guilt for not getting to my work on time.
From the start to finish, it was one heck of a roller-coaster ride. I can’t believe you managed to squeeze that many relationships and characters – all so well developed – into one book. I love the names you’ve chosen for your two main characters – Jewel and Rath. Priceless. I find Rath and Jewel’s relationship immensely interesting, and more than a little sad. I love everything about this world.
So that leaves only one question that’s been haunting me ever since the last three (truly heart-thumping) chapters in the book: will the second book be published soon?
Thank you, and thank you again for writing Hidden City. You’ve given me a story that i will remember for a very, very long time. If i ever forget, unlikely as it is, it will not be with intent.
Best of luck in everything.
Cheers,
Zubair
Jun 12, 2009 @ 13:40:02
HI Michelle,
I’ve almost finished the hidden city, and I like it very much! I’m glad to hear you’re writing more. In the mean time though, which book should I read next? I’ve been unable to figure out whether I should start reading the sun sword series or the sacred hunt series. I’m intrigued to find out more about Jay!
Love,
Jacqueline
Aug 05, 2009 @ 00:39:13
PLEASE tell me you’re going to tell us what’s up with, and will will happen to, Avandar????
Jan 11, 2010 @ 12:14:51
Your site was extremely interesting, especially since I was searching for thoughts on this subject last Thursday.
I’m Out! :)
Aug 18, 2010 @ 13:23:03
Hi…I love your book The hidden city…..I picked it up while in Montreal and I cannot put it down..I`m at around 400 pages and I cannot thank you enough for your great imagination, the characters and the general plot in such a fascinating time era. i love the odd combination of rath and Jewel/Jay. I`ll be checking out more of your works after I`m done with this book. Thanks!
Van