Kai Meyer News (english)

ARCADIA AWAKENS - the British edition

2011-11-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

A first look at the cover of the British hardback edition of ARCADIA AWAKENS to be published in February 2012.

ARCADIA AWAKENS - the trailer

2011-07-25T00:54:00.001-07:00

July 2011

Watch the book trailer for the German edition of ARCADIA AWAKENS. (Don´t worry - you will understand everything.)

And there is also a short Making Of:

Arkadien erwacht - Making of from Hauke Vogt on Vimeo.

ARCADIA AWAKENS in early 2012

2011-07-07T00:22:00.000-07:00

July 2011

ARCADIA AWAKENS, translated by the great Anthea Bell, will be published in the US and UK in February/March 2012 (by Harper Collins and Templar Publishing). Book 2 and 3 of the series, ARCADIA BURNS and ARCADIA FALLS, will follow in 2013 and 2014.

To Rosa Alcantara, the exotic world of Sicily, with its network of Mafia families and its reputation for murder and intrigue, is just that — exotic and wholly unknown. But when her life in Brooklyn begins to fall apart, she must travel there, to her family’s ancestral home, where centuries of family secrets await her.
Once there, Rosa falls head over heels for Alessandro Carnevare, the son of a Sicilian Mafia family, whose handsome looks and savage grace both fascinate and unsettle her. But their families are sworn enemies, and her aunt and sister believe Alessandro is only using Rosa to infiltrate the Alcantara clan. And when Rosa encounters a tiger one night — a tiger with very familiar eyes — she can no longer deny that neither the Carnevares nor the Alcantaras are what they seem.
Hidden caves, dangerous beasts roaming the hills, and a history of familial bloodlust mean that Rosa can’t trust anyone. Torn between loyalty to her family and love for their mortal enemy, Rosa must make the hardest decision of her life: stay in Sicily with her new love … or run as far and as fast as she can.

DARK REFLECTIONS omnibus edition is out now

2010-05-03T01:09:00.000-07:00

November 2010

All three novels of the acclaimed DARK REFLECTIONS trilogy - THE WATER MIRROR, THE STONE LIGHT and THE GLASS WORD - are now available in one massive volume (896 pages, $9.99, ages 12 up, Simon & Schuster).
Translated into more than 20 languages the books have been on bestseller lists all over the world.
Order the new edition on Amazon.

Fourteen-year-old Merle lives in enchanted Venice, where beautiful mermaids swim in the canals and majestic stone lions come to life. But for every wonderous sight, there is a dark and dangerous secret: The mermaids have deadly, razor-sharp teeth and the lions are servants to arrogant soldiers. The city´s corruption lies deep, but Merle and her friends - Junipa, a mysterious blonde with mirrors for eyes, and Serafin, a rakish master thief who Merle finds disconcertingly appealing - are about to realize the true extent of the threat. In the world of DARK REFLECTIONS, everyone´s motives and loyalties are to be questioned, and it will take an epic and far-reaching battle to save the city.

"A complex work of high fantasy."
- Publisher´s Weekly (Starred review)

"A standout in this year’s crowded field of fantasy novels."
- School Library Journal (Starred Review)

The latest book in translation: THE VATICAN CONSPIRACY

2009-03-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

March 2009

Kai´s latest book in translation is the Spanish edition of THE VATICAN CONSPIRACY. The novel was published originally in 2001 under the title THE HOUSE OF DAEDALUS ("Das Haus des Daedalus"), until German publisher Heyne decided to reprint it as "Die Vatikan Verschwörung". It was in this second incarnation that the book became a bestseller. It was also adapted as a multi-cast audio drama, foreign rights were sold to Italy and Croatia. The Spanish edition was published by Bóveda.

Rome. A spectacular discovery of Piranesi´s famous "Carceri" engravings in a church puts Jupiter - a detective for art objects - on the trail of this enigmatic copper engraver. With the help of young restaurator Coralina, Jupiter starts a long and dangerous quest for the origins of the engravings. Mysterious murders, strange apparitions and surreal incidents lead Coralina and Jupiter to the legendary "House of Daedalus" - an ancient underground place deep below the foundations of Rome that nobody has dared to enter for thousands of years. But others seem to be interested in this forgotten place as well - a secret Vatican society who will stop at nothing to make sure the portals to the House of Daedalus remain sealed.

Read an excerpt in Spanish.

Storyboards for Merle movie online

2009-03-04T02:50:00.000-08:00

March 2009

Spanish artist Man Arenas has added several of his storyboards for the abandoned movie based on the DARK REFLECTIONS trilogy to his website. Some were already seen under our "Merle Art" link, but most of them are brand new. Take a look at the first (of four) pages over here.

FROSTFIRE will be Kai´s next book in English

2008-12-19T07:00:00.001-08:00

January 2009

Originally published in Germany in 2005, FROSTFIRE is a stand-alone fantasy novel set in St Petersburg, Russia, in the late 19th century. The British translation, once again by Anthea Bell, will be published by Egmont in autumn/winter 2009. (No date for an American version yet.)

From the beginning of time the Snow Queen has ruled over the white desert at the edge of the world. Her realm is cold and her heart made of ice. But then the young magician Tamsin Spellwell succeeds in doing what no-one else has dared to do before - she steals an icicle from the Snow Queen´s heart, in order to destroy the tyrant´s power. In St Petersburg, in the iciest winter ever known, the two encounter one another again. With their magical powers they engage in a fantastic duel - yet in the end it is not magic that determines the winner, but the courage of Tamsin's young friend, twelve year old shoe-shine-girl Mouse ...

FROSTFIRE won the Corine award award for best young adult & children´s book 2005. In addition to Germany and the United Kingdom it has been published in Korea, Russia, the Czech Republic, Finnland, Poland, Greece, Holland, Turkey and Romania. A Manga adaptation is being prepared in Germany.

THE VOW - New movie based on Kai´s novel

2008-12-17T03:04:00.000-08:00

December 2008

Kai´s historical novel DAS GELÜBDE (The Vow, 1998) has been turned into an award-winning movie by director Dominik Graf and is out now on DVD. A version with English subtitles is available for film festivals; it was shown at the "Berlinale" and several other European arthouse festivals in spring and summer 2008. Take a look at the trailer (sorry, German language only):

In early 19th-century Germany, the poet Clemens Brentano - creator of the Loreley myth - turns his back on his worldly ways to devote himself to transcribing the visions of Sister Anna Katharina Emmerick - a collaboration that ignites a pure but ultimately dangerous passion in the poet's heart. (Read more about it on our "movies" page.)

Out now in paperback: The final book in the WAVE WALKERS trilogy

2008-09-15T05:58:00.000-07:00

December 2008

PIRATE WARS (aka THE WATER WEAVERS in Britain), the final book in THE WAVE WALKERS trilogy, is out now in paperback.

The battle for the coral city of Aelenium has begun. Soledad, Walker and Buenaventure arm themselves with pistols and swords, ready for the armies of kobalins and cannibals set to overrun the city, while Griffin mounts a flying ray, to attack from the air. Meanwhile, Jolly and Munk dive to the bottom of the ocean. They must travel to the Crustal Breach in the sea-bed to confront and defeat the evil force known as the Maelstrom. It is commanding the sea-monsters and the cannibals. Its goal? To destroy all humankind. There will be many battles, and many struggles - both inward and outward. And more than one transformation. Can Jolly and Munk work together after all they've been through? Who is the mysterious Aina, and will Munk see her for who she really is - before it's too late? Will the friends all survive this terrifying and exhausting war for the survival of their world? And what role do the enigmatic Water Weavers play?

Please note: The WAVE WALKERS or WAVE RUNNERS trilogy is published under different titles in America and Britain. While Kai´s US publisher Simon & Schuster decided to use new titles, Egmont in the UK goes with the translated titles of the original German editions.

USA:
Pirate Curse
Pirate Emperor
Pirate Wars

UK:
The Wave Runners
The Shell Magicians
The Water Weavers

The artwork on the right is an unused cover illustration by Christian Nauck for the German graphic novel adaptation of THE WAVE WALKERS trilogy. Click here if you like to find out more about it.

THE GLASS WORD published in paperback

2008-09-15T05:47:00.000-07:00

October 2008

THE GLASS WORD, the third book in the DARK REFLECTIONS trilogy, has just been published in paperback. After their initial run in hardcover all three books are now available in trade editions.

Merle, the Flowing Queen, Junipa and Vermithrax the stone lion are in snow-bound Egypt, surrounded by ice, mirrors and sphinxes. They encounter Seth, the Pharaoh's dangerous chief priest. Why is he offering to help them? Meanwhile, Serafin, Eft the mermaid and Lalapeya, the sphinx with a secret, are travelling to Egypt to help the others. They carry the knowledge of the Glass Word, which will enable Merle and Junipa to walk through mirrors to confront the evil Professor Burbridge one last time, and perhaps ultimately to save their own lives. But the Son of the Mother has awoken, and there will be a terrible final battle and a necessary sacrifice. And Merle will find out who she really is...

"A complex work of high fantasy." - Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review)

If you would like to see the illustrations of the Japanese editions of all three books click on the picture below: