the Author
February
19
58 Comments

Firstborn Publication Day!

Posted in Books, DAW, Essalieyan.

It’s been three and three quarter years since the publi­ca­tion of Oracle, the sixth book in The House War series in hardcover.

Today, on February 19, 2019, book seven, First­born, has been released into the wild, dressed to go out in style in a cover by Jody Lee.

It is avail­able in audio­book format from audible​.com (appar­ently an audible​.com exclu­sive, judging by the banner across the cover).

It is avail­able in hard­cover and as an ebook. (It is avail­able as an ebook in Australia.)

I am both excited and nervous.

58 Responses to Firstborn Publication Day!

  1. Estara Swanberg says:
    February 19, 2019 at 8:48 am

    Book!!!!!!!!!!!!! *Kermit flail* Best of success ^^

  2. Alia says:
    February 19, 2019 at 8:50 am

    I started already. Its amazing so far. Thank you for all your creative worlds. Please dont be nervous it will be amazing as usual

  3. Aelynn says:
    February 19, 2019 at 8:51 am

    It was well worth the wait! ^_^

  4. liathano says:
    February 19, 2019 at 8:59 am

    Can’t find it on the apple book store :( and I’ve been refreshing since 6am (its 2am my time)

  5. michelle says:
    February 19, 2019 at 9:01 am

    @liathano: What country are you in? T_T

  6. Kari says:
    February 19, 2019 at 9:06 am

    I’ve been looking forward to this book that long? I’m so excited to finally read it. Thank you for the many hours of joy this series has given me.

  7. Jim Bowron says:
    February 19, 2019 at 9:13 am

    Can’t get it on Apple books in Edmonton AB.

  8. Emile De Antonio says:
    February 19, 2019 at 9:16 am

    Amazon says arriving tomorrow. Huzza! Although the February arrival may create too much empathy w/ Carver and Ellerson! Then only 4 months to “War”!! Many thanks, Michelle!

  9. DeDe says:
    February 19, 2019 at 9:20 am

    Rec’d my ship­ping notice yesterday; did my dance around the base­ment. Can’t wait! Carver!!! This is the first time I’ve been nervous (for char­ac­ters) while waiting. LOL — it does make the wait a bit easier. I wanna know what happens; I THINK I wanna know what happens. Maybe I don’t wanna know what happens… Husband laughs at me and threatens to hide book when it arrives. :-)

  10. Peter Moore says:
    February 19, 2019 at 9:28 am

    Yea and hooray! Stayed up to 2am reading last night! Excited as usual to finish it once thru so I can start studying it. I first read “Hunter’s Oath” in 1995 or maybe early1996 so by my math you have given me almost two and a half DECADES! of reading bliss. And to think in another 4 months I’ll get the final volume of this wonder­filled series. THANK YOU!

  11. ome says:
    February 19, 2019 at 9:44 am

    Sorry to rub it in but started reading at 00:01 GMT! Having a day off work to devour this book. Yes!!!!

  12. Lavanya says:
    February 19, 2019 at 9:47 am

    It’s live on Amazon India too! Just bought and down­loaded the kindle edition. I’m re-reading Holly Lisle’s incred­ible Talyn right now, but First­born is next on the list!
    I am absolutely sure even before I read the first page that this book is worth the wait. I have read every one of your West books and each one was nothing less than enthralling.
    Thank you. And thank you and thank you!

  13. Yulisa Baltazar says:
    February 19, 2019 at 9:55 am

    .…thank you so much (words aren’t enough to express my gratitude).
    I’m currently in Qatar but my apple account is regis­tered in the US. Im sure now its only moments away. Congrat­u­la­tions and wishing you the best year yet! had to use it ;)

  14. liathano says:
    February 19, 2019 at 10:03 am

    @michelle Nigeria :D. But my Itunes account is set in the US. I was able to pre-order and read the sample, but even the sample is not avail­able anymore

  15. Stephen says:
    February 19, 2019 at 10:35 am

    I got home from work just after midnight, I down­loaded it to my Nook. Now, 10.30am I am going to Barnes & Noble to get my hard­copy. I am so excited. This is art and it is beautiful.

  16. michelle says:
    February 19, 2019 at 10:58 am

    @liathano & Jim: I have just got off the phone with DAW because appar­ently iBooks no longer has the book listed in North America. It’s not just Cana­dians; the USian iBooks version is no longer there. I know this was a problem in the UK release of Cast in Oblivion as well — but I honestly cannot tell you what caused the problem. 

    We are looking into it now. And by “we”, I mean DAW. I’m really sorry =/

  17. Linda says:
    February 19, 2019 at 11:06 am

    I was lucky to get it a few days early and I have been happily reading — trying to savour the “first” read before I go back and study. This book is so good! I love your words so so much. Thank you for all your hard work!

  18. liathano says:
    February 19, 2019 at 11:10 am

    @michelle say no more. I was plan­ning to read Oracle first. Well, I’m still deciding if I should read just Oracle or Skir­mish then Oracle

  19. ralphw2548 says:
    February 19, 2019 at 11:37 am

    My local B & N says my copy is “on the truck”. Oh, how I hate snow!!!! It delays everything.
    I could scream!

    I do so hope that Carver and Ellerson are able to find Cessaly.
    She deserves another time in the Sun, off of the Winter Road.

  20. Shannon from Texas says:
    February 19, 2019 at 11:59 am

    I’m still a few days away from finishing the series re-read, but my copy is waiting snugly on my Kindle. I keep closing my current book briefly to see it sitting there, all pris­tine and unread, almost like a paper version sitting proudly on the bedside table. Whee!

    Happy Book Birthday, Michelle! I hope all three of your current or soon-to-be book babies thrive as they ever so should.

  21. purplebuttyrflydiva says:
    February 19, 2019 at 12:04 pm

    I am so so excited! I think I may have to take the rest of the week off so I can focus on my reading!!!!

  22. gary swarga says:
    February 19, 2019 at 12:46 pm

    YEA! Findly! I’m ready? Thank You

  23. SandraLynne says:
    February 19, 2019 at 1:21 pm

    I’m so excited!! This year is so great for so many of the series that I’m following I hope I live long enough to read your End of Days to finish out this story. My daughter keeps asking me when you are going to write more about “that girl who is daughter of that God from the Sun Sword” I’m just really enjoying the whole unfolding of your genius story­telling. I love Chron­i­cles of Elantra but huge books that hold my interest in series that are multiple books long are my guilty secret addic­tion. I reread (or relisten) to your books each year. These stories help me step away from my depres­sion, and divert my fear of the direc­tion my country seems to be going.

  24. michelle says:
    February 19, 2019 at 1:43 pm

    @SandraLynne: Tell your daughter that I hope to have news about that soon, but the intent is yes, Kiriel is impor­tant for the last arc.

    And thank you <3

  25. liathano says:
    February 19, 2019 at 2:10 pm

    @michelle its avail­able now. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!

  26. Tyronne Hodgins says:
    February 19, 2019 at 3:28 pm

    First thing I did when I got into the office this morning was down­load this book! Have read the first two chap­ters — I really regret being a work today. Wanna read!!!!! Thank you so much!

  27. Mark Timmony says:
    February 19, 2019 at 3:33 pm

    I’ve ordered the hard­cover but now I wonder if I should wait, or just get the ebook (or audio). Gah! I can’t decide!!!

  28. LaraB says:
    February 19, 2019 at 4:15 pm

    I am so excited to start reading! I will be getting into it this evening after dinner and I am really looking forward to diving in.

  29. Sue Ivey says:
    February 19, 2019 at 4:36 pm

    I’m at 56% and loving it!

  30. michelle says:
    February 19, 2019 at 7:06 pm

    @liathano: I was just about to post that — that it’s up again — but you beat me to it :)

  31. James says:
    February 19, 2019 at 10:09 pm

    so excited for this! i still vividly remember the first time I read Hunter’s Oath back in early ’96 (I was 14, had school in the morning, and read it all in a single night because I simply could. not. put. it. down). you’ve always done such a great job of creating char­ac­ters that I care about that I eagerly await each of your new books.

  32. Wendy Sahyoun says:
    February 19, 2019 at 10:21 pm

    I am so happy, did my whoo-hoo! dance when it arrived. Hurray!!!

  33. Lee and Tracy says:
    February 20, 2019 at 12:20 am

    Congrat­u­la­tions. I am shocked it has been that long although I am sure you have felt every moment.

  34. michelle says:
    February 20, 2019 at 1:40 am

    @James: so… you’ve been reading these books for over half your life?

    This is prob­ably going sound strange, but — on a visceral level it doesn’t feel like I’ve been writing them for as long as the math says I have.

  35. Mich Li says:
    February 20, 2019 at 5:41 am

    I am awaiting my book and whilst waiting would like to order via Kobo. Is it avail­able via Kobo?

  36. MK says:
    February 20, 2019 at 9:41 am

    I JUST finished first­born (Love!) while also doing a re-read of the series starting from Sacred Hunt (now on broken crown finally). Can’t believe this has been one cohe­sive world since … what 1995?!!!… in complete AWE. I just read the hunt­brother ss too — can’t wait for it to all tie together!!! Sooo happy! Thank you for sharing this amazing world with us!

  37. michelle says:
    February 20, 2019 at 10:26 am

    @Mich Li: It’s avail­able on Kobo :). The problem seemed to be iTunes/iBooks, but I’m not sure what the diffi­culty actu­ally was =/

  38. Tchula says:
    February 21, 2019 at 9:05 am

    Got my hard copy on Tuesday and luckily was off work on Wednesday so I could read it! When I got teary on page 29 I knew I was in trouble, lol. Still haven’t even gotten 200 pages in yet though. Ah, how I’ve missed these books…! <3

  39. Cherie Gardner says:
    February 21, 2019 at 9:32 am

    LOVE, love, love the book!!

  40. michelle says:
    February 21, 2019 at 9:35 am

    @tchula: You realize that the first thing I did this morning was to run to my copy of First­born and open the book to page 29, right?

  41. Tchula says:
    February 21, 2019 at 10:09 am

    @Michelle. Lol! It was a good sort of teary, which is what I adore about your books: the way they make me feel so strongly. ;-)

  42. Farhiya says:
    February 21, 2019 at 12:58 pm

    Pre-ordered and it’s in my ebook library. I keep looking at it but can’t bear to start it because once I do I’m one book away from The End. This series has seen me through a lot. Thank you, thank you, thank you Ms. West for all the magic, tears and awe. I know this will be amazing.

  43. michelle says:
    February 21, 2019 at 1:17 pm

    If it makes you feel better, there is more in this universe. The hunters (next gener­a­tion) do return and char­ac­ters from the dominion. Among others. 

    Having said that, I have two unread Pratchett books on my shelves, for the same reason.

  44. Earle Davis jr says:
    February 21, 2019 at 8:00 pm

    Are you going to bring in the two kids from the sacred hunt. I always believed that they would be in the final.

  45. Christina G. says:
    February 21, 2019 at 10:43 pm

    Ques­tion: Is War going to be the last book in this story arc, where after War you will start the Black Gauntlet series?

  46. Thunderchild says:
    February 22, 2019 at 12:55 am

    Yeah, War is the last in the House War arc.

  47. michelle says:
    February 22, 2019 at 10:17 am

    @Earle: If, by Sacred Hunt, you mean the novella HUNTBROTHER, then yes. Stephen and Nenyane are pivotal going forward.

  48. Hisham Alhubaishi says:
    February 23, 2019 at 1:39 am

    @Michelle Congrat­u­la­tions on your two book releases this month. I can’t wait to read First­born. I can’t seem to find the ebook version in Malaysia at either the kobo book­store or Amazon. When do you expect it might be avail­able? Thanks.

  49. michelle says:
    February 23, 2019 at 9:46 am

    @Hisam: For reasons that are not clear to me, Amazon doesn’t seem to sell directly to Malaysia. Kobo *seems* to. Or at least I can find a link to Firstborn: 

    https://​www​.kobo​.com/​m​y​/​e​n​/​s​e​a​r​c​h​?​q​u​e​r​y​=​m​i​c​h​e​l​l​e​+​w​e​s​t​+​f​i​r​s​t​b​orn

    But oddly, it seems to be the DAW version.

    For the self-publishing of DAW titles, what I do is choose ALL coun­tries except North America. But “all” coun­tries obvi­ously means “all coun­tries that the company will sell to”. 

    And appar­ently Amazon doesn’t sell ebooks to Malaysia. 

    Google Play and Smash­words require World Rights in order to publish — or if they don’t, I can’t see a setting to specify terri­to­ries, and I don’t have world rights; I don’t have North Amer­ican rights. 

    So… at the moment, if the Kobo link doesn’t work, I can’t help =/

  50. Hisham Alhubaishi says:
    February 23, 2019 at 10:17 am

    @Michelle: Thanks for checking up on avail­ability in Malaysia. These inter­na­tional rights issues are a source of frus­tra­tion for many inter­na­tional readers, but I know that it is even more of a headache for authors. The Kobo link does not give First­born in the results. Among the results are your previous ebooks, including those from DAW. I had no problem getting Cast in Oblivion, but that is from another publisher, of course. If I set the store loca­tion to US, I can imme­di­ately see First­born, but there is a warning that the purchase would not complete. Oh well, I had hoped that this was a tempo­rary glitch or that the publishers had provided infor­ma­tion about a release date for Malaysia. 

    I will just have to wait and pretend I’m not addicted to your books :)

  51. David Cohen says:
    February 23, 2019 at 11:46 pm

    Sadly went to buy this today and not one chap­ters in Durham Region of Ontario has it in stock…which makes me sad

  52. michelle says:
    February 24, 2019 at 12:57 pm

    @David: prob­ably not as sad as it makes me :). The Cana­dian ware­house did not have copies Friday after­noon — it listed the book as NYR (not yet received). So it’s possible — although unlikely — that the books haven’t been received yet.

  53. David Youngs says:
    February 24, 2019 at 9:32 pm

    Our local (Guelph) Chap­tigo had 2 copies when I was in the other day.

  54. Farhiya says:
    February 25, 2019 at 1:58 pm

    Still haven’t opened my copy, although the news of more stories makes me really, really happy! You are my favourite author.

  55. michelle says:
    February 25, 2019 at 8:02 pm

    @David Youngs: :D

  56. Tarun Elankath says:
    February 26, 2019 at 9:17 am

    Comment moved (by author of comment) to the spoiler thread. — MS

  57. michelle says:
    February 26, 2019 at 9:28 am

    @Tarun: I can’t move your comment to the spoiler thread, appar­ently, and didn’t want to delete it. So, if you’d like to repost it without the spoiler block, post it there and I’ll delete it here.

  58. Jeanine says:
    March 1, 2019 at 12:33 pm

    Just got hard copy yesterday and looking forward to reading it this weekend. I know I’ll like it just as much as I did the latest Kaylin book. Thanks in advance for all your artistry! I know from your blog that it was a diffi­cult book (or two?) to write but we, the readers, really appre­ciate all your hard work! Just in case you don’t hear that enough.

Leave a Reply