Latest news with #Empyrean
Scoop
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Fantasy Novels And Local Authors Prove Popular With Kiwi Readers
The 2025 Whitcoulls Top 100 Books List is announced today (Monday, July 28, 2025, 5:00am) and with it the news that an astonishing 25 percent of titles chosen are in the fantasy genre. Thirty-one of the titles featured are new books and twenty books on the Top 100 feature writers from Aotearoa New Zealand. Whitcoulls Book Manager Joan Mackenzie says, 'the predominance of fantasy books voted for this year captures the zeitgeist; they're what so many people are reading at the moment and purchasing instore or online.' Mackenzie is particularly pleased to see readers voting more New Zealand writers into the 2025 Top 100 – one-fifth – an increase of five from last year. Interestingly, eleven of these are non-fiction books while the other nine are novels. 'Notable among these are Vanya Insull's cookbook Everyday Comfort Food at #12; Rachel Paris's novel See How They Fall at #17; and non-fiction book, Fungi by Liv Sisson at #25. Publishing royalty, Catherine Chidgey, Becky Manawatu and Jenny Pattrick also make an appearance, as do local celebrities, Dai Henwood and Matt Heath,' says Mackenzie. Leading the charge and claiming the number one spot in the Top 100 for the first time is Rebecca Yarros with her Empyrean series of novels. She topples bestselling, fantasy writer Sarah J. Maas from first place last year, who is now at number two with her A Court of Thorns & Roses series. Historical fiction author Kristin Hannah's standalone novel The Women comes in at number three; Richard Osman storms up the List to sixth place, – a massive increase of 48 places from #54 in 2024 with his hugely popular The Thursday Murder Club series of books. Memoirs, romantic fiction, and self-development books also feature strongly in the Top 100, notable among them are Pippa Latour and Jude Dobson's locally acclaimed book, The Last Secret Agent (#50); Callie Hart's dark romance fantasy book, Quicksilver (#20); and Mel Robbins's famous 'life transformation' book, The Let Them Theory (#21). 'As a nation of avid readers, we naturally seek out quality stories which offer us windows into other worlds – be they fantasy, romance, literary fiction, affirming true stories or wisdom through the ages. Whitcoulls have been asking readers to vote for their favourite books for close to three decades and the 2025 Top 100 Books List provides us with a snapshot of the nation's reading habits. Whitcoulls are proud to showcase Aotearoa New Zealand's favourite books instore nationwide and online at
7NEWS
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Top 7 books of 2025 so far: Viral series to New York Times best-selling authors
Whether you're catching a flight to a European destination, or simply cosying up on the couch, there's no better feeling than delving into a new book. And if you're in the market for a newly released read to sink your teeth into, we've got you sorted. Here at Best Picks, we've rounded up 7 of the best new books so far in 2025, and there's plenty of different genres to choose from. Think fantasy triologies, personal memoirs or heart-racing thrillers, we've listed the best of the bunch. 1. A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern It's topped the charts for a reason. This personal memoir gives a behind-the-scenes look at leadership, parenting, and politics from the Former Prime Minister of New Zealand. It's surprisingly funny, deeply human and inspiring. $39 at Amazon Australia. 2. Onyx Storm: The Empyrean Bk 3 by Rebecca Yarros This romantic fantasy novel is the third book in the viral Empyrean series (think dragons, danger, and romance). A great read for fantasty-newbies, it delves into plenty of adventures, plot twists and spicy scenes. 3. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins Set during the 50th annual Hunger Games, it's packed with twists and political drama. With over 60,000 reviews at Amazon Australia, this purple paperback is a hit with teens and adults alike. $15.97 at Amazon Australia. 4. The Catch by Yrsa Daley-Ward A debut novel from the award-winning British author, this beautiful book is set in London and centered around two twin sisters with a past that creeps up on them. Exploring heartbreak and self-discovery, it's the perfect holiday read. 5. Unfinished Business by Shankari Chandran Love a thriller? This one will tick all your boxes. From the Miles Franklin award-winning author, this fast-paced mystery involves corruption, law and power. $24.98 at Amazon Australia. 6. Cheesecake by Mark Kurlansky Determined to save his grandmother's cheesecake recipe, this light-hearted novel is more than just about food. Quirky and charming, it takes you back to New York in the 80s. 7. The House That Joy Built by Holly Ringland Upflighting and inspiring, this practical guide is all about finding creativity and courage in everyday life. Part memoir, part motivation, this book offers a 'jump-start for anyone whose desire to create is flattened by fear'.
Elle
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
Romantasy Fans, The 'Fourth Wing' TV Show Just Took A Big Step Forward
For those awaiting the arrival of a 'Fourth Wing' TV show, the delays can seem long. And many fans of the Empyrean series of books by Rebecca Yaros may have worried that the show was lost in a development purgatory with little to no news ever being announced. But yesterday, the show took a big step forward - one that should reassure fans that the show is still in with a good chance of making it to their screens before too long. It was reported by Deadline yesterday that Moira Walley-Beckett, who was tapped as the showrunner by Amazon Prime Video (who are creating the show) over a year ago, has left the project. Then the industry publication updated their story to say that Jac Shaeffer could be the show's new showrunner. Although no decision has been made yet, sources told them the creator has signed a deal with the studio and is in discussions to lead the romatasy series as writer, executive producer and showrunner. For fans of the show desperate for nuggets of information on what their favourite book might look like on screen, Schaeffer is perhaps best known for her work on the Marvel fan-favourite series, Agatha All Along and WandaVision. So at the very least you know it'll be fun and stylish. In more industry-ish news, another producing team has been added to the show - Deadline says: 'Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy's Amazon MGM Studios-based Kilter Films (Prime Video's Fallout, The Peripheral) has joined Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society, which had been on board since Amazon MGM Studios secured the rights to The Empyrean book series in 2023, along with Premediated Productions.' What does that mean? Well, it means more hands and money at the wheel - and at the very least, some reassurance for fans that their favourite book will end up on Amazon Prime Video sooner rather than later. Yaros' books are at the forefront of the romantasy movement which has taken over the world - the Empyrean series is planned to be five books. The first three, Fourth Wing (which spent 88 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list), Iron Flame and Onyx Storm have been released to worldwide success, with fans desperate to read the final two. In the books, dragons and their riders meet at an elite school known as Basgiath War College. There, Violet—small, underestimated, and with a chronic condition similar to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome—eschews what she thought would be a quiet life as a scribe for a chance to spar alongside other riders and bond with not one but two dragons. She also meets the traitorous (read: hot) Xaden Riorson, a wingleader already bonded to the dragon Sgaeyl, as he helps train Violet for dragonback—and for the war threatening their homeland, Navarre. ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
South China Morning Post
20-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's top player Empyrean eyes opportunities from US chip curbs on design software
Chinese chip-design software company Empyrean Technology has pledged to become one of the world's top electronic design automation (EDA) providers, as new US export restrictions bring both opportunities and challenges to the domestic industry. Founded in 2009 and based in Beijing, Empyrean aims to ascend to the top tier of EDA providers, capitalising on the struggles faced by its US competitors in selling to China because of new export controls on chip-design software, said Yu Han, a senior market director at Empyrean, at the World Semiconductor Conference in Nanjing, capital of eastern Jiangsu province, on Friday. The remarks came after Cadence Design Systems, Synopsys and Siemens EDA – the three leading EDA suppliers that collectively hold about 80 per cent of the global market share – confirmed they had received notices from the US Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security regarding new export restrictions on software that could be used for developing advanced artificial intelligence chips. Those export controls have raised hopes among Chinese investors and analysts that local companies could seize new market opportunities. Besides Empyrean, other domestic EDA tool vendors, such as Primarius Technologies and Semitronix , have also garnered attention. Play Yu said China currently had over 100 domestic EDA companies, with Empyrean capturing half of that market share. He said Empyrean was the only Chinese company positioned among the second-tier global EDA providers, along with US firms Ansys and Keysight Technologies.
Sydney Morning Herald
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘You're screwed', QBD's boss was told. Now he's on track to open 100th bookstore
'[Being] in a shopping centre, I think, gives us an opportunity for [customers] to come and spend 10 minutes with us, and then, if you deliver a great experience, get them to come back,' said Croydon, who is also the author of children's book series The Hyde Park Squirrels, and the coming spy thriller The Turing Protocol. The other great boon for the business has been the rise in the romantasy genre, a combination of romance and fantasy that has exploded in popularity thanks to social media influencers and the success of the wildly popular A Court of Thorns and Roses and Empyrean series. The author of the former, Sarah J. Maas, has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. Loading 'It's been going on for a good 18 months now, but it's strong and a lot of my team members love it,' said Croydon. 'You go into that section, it will be perfectly merchandised because they love that section.' The genre makes up 12 per cent of sales in the industry; at QBD, it's more than 20 per cent. Croydon said the love for the genre was so strong that QBD customers were buying duplicates of their favourite books – one to read, and one to display. 'It's almost like a collectible, which is great news for brick-and-mortar retailers like me,' said Croydon. 'The public are investing, still, in paper, which is great to see.' Women in their early 20s represent one of QBD's biggest customer bases, many of whom have flocked to the new genre. The other key groups are young mothers and middle-aged men. Prices at QBD are generally lower than other book retailers such as Dymocks and Harry Hartog, but Croydon steers clear of the 'discount store' label, as he wants the brand to be defined by the customer experience. 'It's not about the price. We make our pricing decisions, and our decision is to be competitive,' says Croydon. 'We want to surprise our customers … they come into a store like ours when they're expecting to get a decent price, but then they get the same if not better service than they would in a high-end store.' According to IBISWorld, the biggest pressure point on book retailers such as QBD and Dymocks is 'persistent competition from external retailers, including discount department stores and online-only platforms,' which limits the market share brick-and-mortar chains can maintain by selling books at wholesale price. Loading To maintain QBD's market position, the company has rolled out new training programs for staff in an attempt to encourage conversation and recommendations from booksellers to customers. They've also recently invested in a customer tracking system through Kepler Analytics — which anonymously tracks customers' mobile phones to provide data on how many visitors are purchasing and time spent in store. QBD was awarded book retailer of the year at this year's Australian Book Industry Awards.
