Is The Left Hand of God the next big fantasy debut?

Speculation is spreading throughout the fantasy book world that Paul Hoffman’s pending fantasy debut, The Left Hand of God, could be a big one.

“I haven’t been this excited about a debut since Peter V. Brett’s The Painted Man, way back in July last year! If you can get yourself a copy of this book, don’t hesitate!” writes fantasy and sci-fi fan Dave Brendon on his blog this week after reading a review copy of the book in just five days. “Once I started, I just couldn’t put it down!” he enthused.

There’s not a lot of news about The Left Hand of God online, but what there is reveals publishers too are excited about the book.

Penguin reportedly bought the world-rights to a trilogy kicking off with The Left Hand of God back in October 2008, with Alex Clarke, editorial director of the company’s Michael Joseph division, promising to make the launch “one of the publishing events of 2009”, saying Hoffman’s work was a blend of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose and Harry Potter.

This is the blurb about the book from Amazon:

“Listen. The Sanctuary of the Redeemers on Shotover Scarp is named after a damned lie for there is little redemption that goes on there and less sanctuary.” The Sanctuary of the Redeemers is a desolate place – a place where hope and joy are not welcome. Most of its occupants have been brought here as young boys, against any will they might have once had. They cower under the terrifying regime of the Lord Redeemers whose cruelty and violence have one singular purpose – to serve the name of the Hanged Redeemer.

No one knows their way around all of the Sanctuary, so vast and twisting is its maze of corridors – corridors filled with the stench of centuries old religious fervour. Standing in one of these corridors is a boy, looking out of a dark window, looking out at the latest unfortunate arrivals to this hell. His is perhaps fourteen or fifteen years old – he is not sure and neither is anyone else. He has long-forgotten his real name, but now they call him Cale. He doesn’t remember anything of his former life. He doesn’t know anything of his future life… Meet the Angel of Death.”

Hoffman appears to be a seasoned writer; according to his Amazon biography he’s written two previous books (not in the fantasy genre, though) and has worked as a screenwriter for some time and on films with greats like Francis Ford Coppola, director of The Godfather and many other hits.