Elspeth Cooper picture

Elspeth Cooper was born in 1968 and raised in Newcastle upon Tyne in the north east of England. A fantasy reader from an early age, she began writing her own stories when still a child and never quite grew out of it.

In 2004 she was diagnosed with MS, which five years later forced her to give up a 21-year career in IT. Now she writes full-time. Songs of the Earth, published in 2011 by Gollancz, was her first novel, and the first in The Wild Hunt Quartet.

A sword-owning, tea-drinking imagineer, she lives in Northumberland with her husband and a house full of books.

 

 

Novels

The Wild Hunt Quartet:

  • Songs of the Earth (June 2011)
    • Library Journal ‘Debut of the Month’ February 2012, starred review
    • shortlisted for the 2012 David Gemmell Legend Awards ‘Morningstar’
  • Trinity Rising (July 2012)
  • The Raven’s Shadow (August 2013)
  • The Dragon House (coming soon)

Publication dates refer to the UK edition. Also available in the USA from Tor and in translation in France, The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Poland and Russia.

Praise for Elspeth’s work

  • “She is a true storyteller” — Alexander Kent
  • “[T]his place simply exists, in prose so vivid and direct the book manages to transcend both space opera and medievalesque fantasy without any sign of effort . . . Almost any sample bit of Cooper’s prose could make reading seem fresh again – even for the jaded reviewer!” — Locus (of Songs of the Earth)
  • “The absorbing narrative and sheer quality of the production will keep readers impatiently awaiting the next installment” — Kirkus Reviews
  • “In scope, this series has the potential to rival George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and should enjoy a wide readership of young adult  as well as adult fans of epic fantasy” — Library Journal (starred review)
  • “The story flows effortlessly with strong characterization and authorial voice. Fantasy fans will enjoy this debut and look forward to seeing Cooper develop her skills” — Publishers Weekly
  • “This isn’t a book that you can easily put down once you begin” — SF Book Reviews (of Songs of the Earth)
  • “The characters are well drawn, some exceptionally so, and Cooper demonstrates a knack for believable dialogue.  Her descriptive prose flows well especially in action sequences where her familiarity with swordplay is apparent.  Also, some of the novel’s most impressive moments come in the aforementioned romance.  What could have come off awkward and stilted, always felt sweet and natural.” — Staffer’s Book Review (of Songs of the Earth)
  • “Cooper creates some awesome moments in Trinity Rising. There is one great, big jaw-dropping moment, which I can’t discuss further, since it is too good to spoil for anyone, but wow, it surprised me so much that I had to take to Twitter and share my amazement.” — A Fantastical Librarian
  • “…you can settle down and enjoy Cooper’s eloquent prose, unique versions of the occult, and fine emotional range.” — Locus (of Trinity Rising)

 

Contact

Author: elspeth@elspethcooper.com

Agent: Ian Drury, Sheil Land Associates, 52 Doughty Street, London WC1N 2LS — idrury@sheilland.co.uk

Gollancz publicity: Stevie.Finegan@orionbooks.co.uk