This page is updated as books are received throughout the month.

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The Haunting of Derek Stone: City of the Dead by Tony Abbott
Scholastic, $4.99, 134pp, tp, 9780545034296. Children’s fantasy. On-sale date: January 2009.
     Award-winning author Tony Abbott brings a love of spooky stories to readers in City of the Dead, the first book in The Haunting of Derek Stone series.
     Fourteen-year-old Derek Stone has lived in New Orleans, Louisiana, his whole life. He’s a little overweight, he has a few pimples, his GPA is 4.27, he doesn’t make thigns up, and he likes “real stuff.” And that’s that… until Derek suffers a terrible accident, which leaves his father and brother dead, and Derek alone. When his brother Ronny reappears weeks later, alive and well, Derek finds that nothing is certain.
     Derek is suddenly haunted by suspicions, doubt, and fear. But he’s also haunted by something even more real. He’s hearing voices, and everything around him—including Ronny—seems a little off. Might the road to the after-life be a two-way street.

The Haunting of Derek Stone: Bayou Dogs by Tony Abbott
Scholastic, $4.99, 144pp, tp, 9780545034302. Children’s fantasy. On-sale date: March 2009.

Fast Forward 2 edited by Lou Anders
Pyr, $15.00, 360pp, hc, 9781591020921. Science Fiction Anthology.
     When Fast Forward 1 debuted in February 2007, it marked the first major all-original, all-SF anthology series to appear in some time—and it was met with a huge outpouring of excitement and approbation from the science fiction community. No less than seven stories from Fast Forward 1 was hailed repeatedly as leading the charge in a return of original, unthemed anthologies series (several more have since appeared in our wake). Now the critical-acclaimed, groundbreaking series continues, featuring all new stories from: Paul Cornell, Kay Kenyon, Chris Nakashima-Brown, Nancy Kress, Jack Skillingstead, Cory Doctorow and Benjamin Rosenbaum, Jack McDevitt, Paul McAuley, Mike Resnick and Pat Cadigan, Ian McDonald, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Karl Schroeder and Tobias S. Buckell, Jeff Carlson and Paolo Bacigalupi.

Delia’s Crossing by V.C. Andrews
Pocket, $7.99, 416pp, pb, 9781416530848. Fiction.
     World-renowned for novels that push the boundaries and chart new territory, V.C. Andrews begins a powerful new series with Delia’s Crossing featuring a young Latina torn between two worlds.
     Kidnapped by cruel fate…
     After her parents are killed in a truck accident, Delia Yebarra’s life is turned upside down. At fifteen, she leaves the rural Mexican village where she grew up and embarks on a new life in America. Coming to her wealthy aunt Isabela’s huge estate in Palm Springs, California, should be a dream come true for a simple country girl like Delia—so why does it feel like a nightmare?
     A Prisoner of Destiny…
     Her aunt refuses to acknowledge Delia’s heritage, relegating her to servants’ quarters with a licentious language tutor intent on exploiting a beautiful young foreigner. Her cousin Edward is kind, but cousin Sophia is cruel, manipulative, and resentful of Delia’s smoky Latina looks. And just when Delia tries to embrace the life of a real American girl, a heartbreaking chain of events sends her spiraling back to a Mexico she hardly recognizes…Will Delia find a place to call home? First in a powerful new series, Delia’s Crossing by V.C. Andrews will have readers craving more details of the young Delia Yebarra’s life until the very last page.

Two to the Fifth by Piers Anthony
(the 32nd Xanth novel), Tor, $24.95, 302pp, hc, 9780765319357. Fantasy.
     The Play’s the thing in a thrillingly theatrical all-new adventure in the enchanted land of Xanth!
     In this latest installment in Piers Anthony’s legendary Xanth series, magic, theater, and intrigue swirl in a thrilling mix. Two to the Fifth introduces Ragna Roc, a powerful magic bird bent on becoming supreme ruler of Xanth. He’s gathering an army of loyal supporters and vanquishing anyone who stands in his way, throwing the mystical realm’s future into peril.
     With even the Good Magician Humfrey afraid to take on the mighty Ragna Roc, it’s up to Cyrus the Cyborg, a handsome half-human playwright, to assemble a troupe of traveling players to attract Ragna’s interest. Among his cast and crew are the young princesses Melody, Harmony, and Rhythm, who may just prove a challenge to the cruel bird.
     But Ragna is not so easily duped, and with a spy planted in their midst—an insidious agent who knows even the secrets of Cyrus’s forbidden love for one of the princesses—he may see the troupe’s efforts yet undone. With only a mysterious clue—”Two to the Fifth”—and an enigmatic child called Kadence, will these merry pranksters be able to save Xanth?
     Filled with magic, merriment, and exciting intrigue and adventure, this thirty-second installment in the world of Xanth will thrill and delight its countless fans.

Rogue’s Home by Hilari Bell
(a Knight and Rogue novel), Eos, $17.99, 424pp, hc, 9780060825065. YA fantasy.
     Sir Michael Sevenson and his squire, Fisk, can’t seem to keep out of hot water. After five long years, Fisk has been called home to Ruesport to investigate who framed his sister Anna’s husband, Max, as a blackmailer. Anna figures that Fisk, with his criminal past, is uniquely qualified to find out who set Max up. Of course Michael feels he has to come along to help his friend; but now he wears the tattoos of the unredeemed and fears he might be more hindrance than help.
     As in The Last Knight, Hilari Bell’s first Knight and Rogue novel, Rogue’s Home combines the baneter of a buddy story with elements of classic fantasy, medieval derring-do, and mystery. Michael and Fisk are likable guys who just seem to be magnets for trouble. You never know what is going to happen to these would-be heroes next.

The Phoenix Guards by Steven Brust
Orb, $14.95, 352pp, tp, 9780765319654. Fantasy.
     Originally published in 1991, Steven Brust’s swashbuckling adventure tale, The Phoenix Guards, is the first novel in the popular “Khaavren” series. Brust, a New York Times bestselling author, crafted a brilliantly satisfying read that received an unprecedented amount of reviews, drawing comparisons to the likes of William Goldman and Alexandre Dumas. Now this powerful beginning to a classic fantasy series by the man that bestselling author Tad Williams has named “America’s best fantasy writer” is available once again by Orb Books.
     Set one thousand years before the inception of the bestselling Vlad Taltos series in The Dragaeran Empire, The Phoenix Guards introduces the audience to a new hero. From the House of Tiassa emerges Khaavren, the son of landless nobility with a true gift for swordsmanship, who has high hopes of joining the Imperial Guards commanded by the newly appointed Phoenix Emperor.
     While travelling on his way to take post at the capital, Khaavren meets three other aspiring Guards who share his enthusiasm for seeking out danger and excitement. The sharp-minded quartet soon find themselves amassed in a hotbed of intrigue, sorcery, and mystique. In this realm renowned for repartee and betrayals, where power is as mutable as magic, a young man like Khaavren, newly come from the countryside, had best be wary.

Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card (read by David Birney, Cassandra Campbell, Emily Janice Card, Orson Scott Card, Gabrielle de Cuir, Kirby Heyborne, Don Leslie, Stefan Rudnicki, & Mirron Willis)
Macmillan Audio, $49.95, 12 CDs (14 hours), 9781427205124. Science fiction.
     As the millions of fans of Orson Scott Card and Ender’s Game (1985) know, at the end of this classic novel, the threat of the alien bugger invasion is eliminated, and Ender Wiggin is heralded as the savior of the human race. But he’s also reviled as a ruthless assassin. No longer allowed to live on Earth—for his own safety—twelve-year-old Ender leaves his home, with his sister Valentine at his side, and begins a relativistic—and revelatory—journey beyond the stars. Speaker for the Dead (1986), Card’s sequel to Ender’s Game, takes place nearly 3000 years later when Ender at last receives a chance at redemption.
     But what actually happened during the years between Ender’s Game and Speaker for the Dead? What did Ender go through from the ages of 12 through 35? The story of those years has never been told… until now. Listeners will finally find out in Orson Scott Card’s highly anticipated direct-sequel to Ender’s Game—Ender in Exile.
     In classic Orson Scott Card style, Ender in Exile is replete with action and adventure, as well as philosophical and moral questions, as Ender and Valentine travel to the former bugger planet (now a human colony) that Ender is assigned to govern. Along the way, they encounter a starship captain who has no intention of letting Ender take the governorship once they arrive, as well as a mother who signs up for the trip with the hope that Ender will fall in love with her daughter—ensuring their survival in a new world. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Ender’s brother Peter is slowly executing his plan for ruling the world—and he’s succeeding. One by one, Ender’s former Battle School classmates are being forced to govern new colonies on other planets deep in the solar system.
     In a 2007 conversation with fellow science fiction legend Ben Bova and the authors’ shared audiobook producer Stefan Rudnicki, Orson Scott Card said, “I feel about the audio of my books as if that’s the real production of it.… The print is the script that the readers use to create the audio performance.” Listeners can experience the long-awaited Ender in Exile as a true performance with this audiobook, read by a full cast of experienced narrators, many of whom have read on previous audios in the Ender series. Rudnicki uses his years of experience narrating and producing Orson Scott Card’s works, in collaboration with the rest of the excellent cast (including the author), to deepen the listener’s appreciation of Card’s storytelling. As Card himself has said, “The oral performance of the book is the way that it is designed to be received.… When somebody reads aloud, you can hear the music of the language.”
     For twenty-three eyars, millions of Ender fans have wondered what happened to him in the time between Ender’s Game and Speaker for the Dead. And now—at long last—they will find out in Ender in Exile.

Sunborn by Jeffrey A. Carver
Tor, $27.95, 432pp, hc, 9780312864538. Science Fiction.
     From the Nebula award finalist comes the long-awaited fourth installment in the Chaos Chronicles! Weaving together a story as vast as the cosmos itself, Jeffrey A. Carver (The Infinite Sea, Battlestar Galactica), brings us Space Opera at its finest. Cinematic in scope, Sunborn draws in fully realized, diverse characters from across the galaxy, weaving them into this vividly rendered and satisfying tale of interstellar adventure.
     Fresh off of a world-saving mission, a rag-tag band of humans…and others&#8230led by John Bandicut must get to the bottom of a vast plot on an interstellar scale. Someone—or something&#8212is killing off sentient stars one by one, causing them to prematurely supernova and destory the planets—and their inhabitants—in their orbit. Bandicut, with this crew of outsiders, must get to the bottom of this sinister plot and stop it before it’s too late.
     What begins as a series of unexplained events—a waystation being hit by destructive gravitational waves—quickly escalates into a crisis that threatens the entire galaxy. Just what insidious being is causing these stars to go nova, and why? It’ll take all the resourcefulness and ingenuity Bandicut’s crew can muster just to communicate with these star-beings, let alone figure out how to prevent their deaths.
     With the aid of the ancient multidimensional entity Deeaab, it’s up to this scrappy crew of space rebels to get to the bottom of who—or what—is behind this plot. But will they be able to storp it before it’s too late?

New Blood by Gail Dayton
Tor, $6.99, 500pp, pb, 9780765362506. Paranormal romance. On-sale date: March 2009.
     More than two hundred years after the last blood sorceress was burned at the stake, her magically bound servant, Jax, has found her successor. When Amanusa unleashes her newfound magic upon those who harmed her, she and Jax must flee across a troubled Europe in an effort to escape their ruthless enemies.
     Their journey from Austria to France takes them through zones where everything—including magic—has died, and only threatening mechanical creatures remain. Those possessing magic cannot survive in the magical voids, but Jax and Amanusa quickly discover that by merging their abilities, they can cling to life.
     Needing each other for their very survival, Amanusa and Jax arrive in Paris eager to discover what’s causing the mysterious dead zones. But more important, they’re eager to explore the connections—magical, emotional, and physical—between them.

Fallen by Claire Delacroix
Tor, $6.99, 373pp, pb, 9780765359490. Paranormal romance.
     From bestselling author Claire Delacroix comes Fallen, a grippiung, sexy novel that takes place in a post-nuclear world not too far away from our own. With the eyes of the governmental Republic everywhere, can a woman find safety—even in the arms of an angel?
     When her estranged husband’s mysterious death is declared an accident, Lilia Desjardins is sure that it is a lie. Determined to find the truth, she leaves all she knows behind to risk the dark heart of the Republic—only to find that she herself has been targeted by forces unknown.
     Adam Montgomery will do anything to complete his earthly mission, even is he has to tangle with the enigmatic Lilia Desjardins. But when his contact is murdered and he must rely on Lilia’s silence to save him from the slave dens, Adam knows that his wings were only the first sacrifice required of him.
     As danger and intrigue surround them, LIlia and Adam realize that they must work together—body, mind, and soul—in order to save the world.
     The Republic is a world like nothing you’ve ever seen before, and Claire Delacroix describes it with the skill that makes her a reader favorite. Full to the brim with action, danger, and steamy romance, Fallen is a heavenly delight for romance readers and paranormal fans alike.

Brimstone Kiss by Carole Nelson Douglas
Juno, $7.99, 384pp, pb, 9780809573042. Fantasy.
     Paranormal Investigator Delilah Street—in her quest to identify the long-buried embracing skeletons she and sexy ex-FBI agent RIcardo Montoya discovered&#8212:has to deal with a lecherous vampire, a ghoulish producer, celebrity zombies from classic films, a mysterious albino rock star who bestows addictive kisses on his groupies, and a dead girl in her mirror—and those are just her clients! Post-Millennium Revelation Las Vegas is teeming with supernaturals and run by a werewolf mob, but even the unhumans can’t conceive of what Delilah discovers hidden under its damnable desert sands: an unspeakably powerful evil rooted in ancient Egypt…

Blonde Roots by Bernadine Evaristo
Riverhead, $24.95, 288pp, tp, 9781594488634. Science Fiction.
     What if the history of the transatlantic slave trade had been reversed and Africans had enslaved Europeans? How would that have changed the ways that peole justified inhuman behavior? And how would it inform our cultural attitudes and the insidious racism that lingers today?
     In Bernadine Evaristo’s novel, Blonde Roots, we see this world turned upside down through the eyes of Doris, an Englishwoman who, as a child, is kidnapped from home and taken as a slave to the New World. As an adult living in the United Kingdom of Great Ambossa Doris recounts her tremendous hardship and memories of the people she has lost, all while hoping for freedom.
     The child of poor cabbage farmers working as serfs in feudal England, Doris finds as much comfort in her surroundings as she can. One of four daughters, she is brought up to become a suitable wife. The future that seems to await her is not much different from that of her mother’s: the life of a poor, unhappily married woman. When she is suddenly taken from everything she knows and sold into slavery, her life is turned upside down. No longer allowed her birth name Doris, she is nenamed Omorenomwara.
     Eventually bought by Chief Kaga Konata Katamaba I, who the slaves call Bwana, she becomes his personal assistant, runs his office, and keeps his books. Although she is considered by many to have a comfortable appointment for a slave, Doris is deteremined to escape, and on a fateful night, she is offered the chance. But Doris’s attempt is thwarted by Bwana, who punishes her by shipping her to his sugar plantation in the West Japanese Islands to join his ranks of field slaves.
     In startling and evocative prose, Blonde Roots shows a world in which “Europanes” or “Caucasoids” are labeled as weak of character, unintelligent, infantile, lazy, and morally depraved in order to justify their enslavement. Caucasoids are also believed to be incapable of experiencing pain or emotions, absolving Aphrikans of any culpability in relation to their slaves’ corporal and mental torment. The Europeane languages are grouped into one that is considered nonsensical and unintelligible, thus breaking the slaves’ last connection to their homelands.
     Blonde Roots, Evaristo’s daring exploration of racism, race relations and history, will generate question, spark conversations and linger for a long time in the minds of readers.

Slow Train to Arcturus by Eric Flint and Dave Freer
Baen, $24.00, 314pp, hc, 9781416555858. Science fiction.
     Danger: Here there be humans
     When the planet Miran observed an enormous vessel that was approaching their star system, they sent a spaceship to rendezvous with the mysterious visitor. The vessel’s design was odd—a multitude of separate globular habitats in a long string—and most of the alien team that entered one of the habitats were slaughtered by savage creatures called “humans.”
     One of the aliens had barely managed to escape to another habitat where the humans were more friendly, if rather technologically backward. But one of his crewmates was in danger and he needed to get back to his spaceship. He would need one human’s help to do that.
     They would have to travel through several more habitats, each one isolated from the other, each with its own bizarre dangers and customs. And friendliness toward strangers was not one of those customs.…

The January Dancer by Michael Flynn
Tor, $24.95, 350pp, hc, 9780765318176. Science fiction.
     Hugo Award finalist and Robert A. Heinlein Award-winning science fiction writer Michael Flynn has made a name for himself by constructing thrilling, unexpected worlds with skill and creativity. Now, he turns his considerable talents to the space opera in The January Dancer, with stunningly successful results.
     Full of rich echoes of the space opera classics from Doc Smith to Cordwainer Smith, The January Dancer tells the fateful story of an ancient pre-human artifact of great power, and the people who desperately seek it. The artifact begins in the hands of Captain Amos January, who quickly loses it, and as it travels from schemer to schemer, it migrates through a complex, decadent, brawling, mongrelized interstellar human civilization that it might save or destroy. Collectors want the Dancer, pirates steal it, rulers crave it, and they will all kill if necessary to get it.
     This is as thrilling a yarn as any ever in the whole history of SF. It is a story of love, revolution, music, and mystery, and ends, as all great stories do, with shock and a beginning. Full of the far future space stuff that fills a science fiction reader’s best dreams, The January Dancer is just so cool you can’t possibly ask more from a space opera—except perhaps, someday, a sequel.

Quofum by Alan Dean Foster
(A Novel of the Commonwealth), Del Rey, $25.00, 304pp, hc, 9780345496058. Science Fiction.
     Bestselling author Alan Dean Foster’s Quofum takes place in the amazing Humanx Commonwealth, home of the ever-popular Pip & Flinx. Although the dynamic redhead and his daring minidrag do not appear in Quofum, this knockout thriller sets the stage for their explosive date with destiny in the duo’s final climactic adventure, Flinx Transcendent.
     The mission to planet Quofum is supposed to be a quickie for Captain Boylan and his crew. Boylan is tasked with delivering four scientists—two men, one woman, and one thranx—to the unknown world, setting up camp while the experts investigate flora and fauna, then ferrying them safely home.
     The first surprise is that Quofum, which regularly slips in and out of existence on Commonwealth monitors, is actually there when Boylan and company arrive. The second surprise is more about what Quofum is not: The planet is not logical, ordered, or rational. The team encounters three intelligent, warring species—some carbon-based, others silicate-based, all bizarre—along with thousands of unique, often unclassifiable lifeforms. Quofum’s wild biodiversity doesn’t appear to be natural, But if it is by design, then by whose, and for what purpose?
     There are more revelations, more highly evolved species waiting to be identified, even tantalizing clues to a civilization light-years ahead of the Commonwealth’s. But the crew members are not ready for the real shockers, because none of them expect to find a killer in their midst, or to discover that their spaceship is missing and, with it, all means of communication.
     Of course, the marooned teammates know nothing about the Great Evil racing toward the galaxy, and they certainly have never heard of Flinx, the only person with half a chance to stop it. Nor do they know that Quofum could play a crucial role in defeating the all-devouring monster from beyond.
     One thing the scientists do know, however, is how to ferret out the truth. But wheter that will be enough to alter the course of the oncoming catastrophe is anyone’s guess.

The Black Ship by Diana Pharaoh Francis
(a novel of Crosspointe), Roc, $7.99, 404pp, pb, 9780451462428. Fantasy.
     The Black Ship is the second installment in an exciting new trilogy by Diana Pharaoh Francis, author of the successful Path Series. In The Black Ship, Francis continues an action-packed romantic fantasy set in the magical world of Crosspointe, a troubled land where dangerous majick courses through the black waters.
     Thorn is a member of the Pilots Guild, a group of men and women who possess the magical ability to navigate Crosspointe’s deadly seas. One night, Thorn wanders off and gets kidnapped by an unmarked ship that is black from its sail to its bow. Soon, after a series of strange accidents, Thorn realizes this black ship carries a cargo that might seal his doom.

Pyramid Power by Dave Freer and Eric Flint
Baen, $7.99, 513pp, pb, 9781416555964. Science fiction.
     The Pyramid is back!
     Well, actually, it never went away—but it had seemed to be inactive, still sitting in the middle of Chicago but no longer growing and wiping out buildings as it grew. The Krin device would have been thwarted, if things had been left as they were—but a V.I.P., who knows too many state secrets to be allowed to be missing, was left behind in the world of Greek mythology. So a power-mad Washington bureaucrat has press-ganged several of the survivors of the first excursion into the pyramid’s worlds and sent them, along with a team trained in “surgical strikes,” to either bring back the V.I.P. or, if that’s impossible, terminate him with extreme prejudice.
     Unfortunately, instead of returning to mythological Greece, they find themselves in the world of the Norse gods. Even if they manage to survive the enmity of Odin and his warriors, can manage to free Loki (a potential ally) and can keep the hard-drinking thunder-god Thor off the sauce long enough to help them, Ragnarok is coming, with the end of the world. And even a hard-headed maintenance man with his trusty toolkit may have trouble fixing that problem!

Futures from Nature edited by Henry Gee
Tor, $14.95, 320pp, tp, 9780765308060. Science fiction anthology.
     The great science journal, Nature, is known for its non-fiction. But in 1999, under the editorship of Henry Gee, the journal began to publish very short science fiction stories and speculations about the future in a feature called “Futures”, taking up one page in each weekly issue of the magazine. It was originally intended to last only through the year of the century’s turn, but it proved popular enough to revive after a several years gap.
     Both world famous SF writers and a variety of journalists and scientists contributed to this page, including Arthur C. Clarke, Brian Aldiss, Stephen Baxter, Cory Doctorow, and Rudy Rucker, to name a few. Henry Gee has collected one hundred and presents Futures from Nature, for the delight and intellectual stimulation of readers everywhere. It is a great browsing book, and just the thing to carry around and dip into while waiting for a bus or filling a few minutes of spare time before bed. Each piece is a tiny gem, and reading three or four in a row will surely give you some food for thought.
     Henry Gee provides a graceful introduction and informative story notes with a light touch.
     [Contributors: Brian Aldiss; Gilles Amon; Neal Asher; Nate Balding; Stephen Baxter; Barrington J. Bayley; Greg Bear; Gregory Benford; Lucy Bergman; David Berreby; Tobias S. Buckell; J. Casti, J.-P. Boon, C. Djerassi, J. Johnson, A. Lovett, T. Norretranders, V. Patera, C. Sommerer, R. Taylor, and S. Thurner; Arthur Chrenkoff; Arthur C. Clarke; Jack Cohen; Ron Collins; Brenda Cooper; Kathryn Cramer; Jeff Crook; Penelope Kim Crowther; Roland Denison; Paul Di Filippo; Cory Doctorow; David Eagleman; Greg Egan; Warren Ellis; Michael Garrett Farrelly; John M. Ford; James Alan Gardner; Henry Gee; John Gilbey; Jim Giles; Hiromi Goto; Nicola Griffith; Jon Courtenay Grimwood; Eileen Gunn; Joe Haldeman; Peter F. Hamilton; Harry Harrison; Jeff Hecht; Fredric Heeren; Tom Holt; Nalo Hopkinson; Gwyneth Jones; Ellen Klages; Jim Kling; Nancy Kress; Larissa Lai; Geoffrey A. Landis; David Langford; Reinaldo José Lopes; Ian R. MacLeod; Ken MacLeod; Elisabeth Malartre; David Marusek; Neil Mathur; Paul McAuley; Jack McDevitt; Vonda N. McIntyre; Donna McMahon; Robert A. Metzger; Paul Steven Miller; Syne Mitchell; Michael Moorcock; Oliver Morton; Euan Nisbet; Salvador Nogueira; Gareth Owens; Ashley Pellegrino; Frederik Pohl; Mike Resnick; Alastair Reynolds; Peter Roberts; Kim Stanley Robinson; Justina Robson; Benjamin Rosenbaum; Rudy Rucker; Robert J. Sawyer; Catherine H. Shaffer; Biren Shah; Robert Silverberg; Dan Simmons; Joan Slonczewski; Paul Smaglik; Norman Spinrad; Bruce Sterling; Ian Stewart; Charles Stross; Igor Teper; Scarlett Thomas; Joan D. Vinge; Vernor Vinge; Theo von Hohenheim; Ian Watson; Matt Weber; Scott Westerfeld; Ian Whates; Heather M. Whitney; Robert Charles Wilson; and K. Erik Ziemelis.]

Better Off Undead edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Daniel M. Hoyt
DAW, $7.99, 312pp, pb, 9780756405120. Fantasy anthology.
     Can being undead really be better than being alive? With the current popularity of the paranormal it seems there’s a lot to be said in favor of the abilities and lifestyles of the undead.
     Now eighteen intrepid explorers of the “lives” of the undead share their visions in stories that range from the fates that may await one in the Afterlife, to the haunting futures of those whose spirits remain on Earth, to those who are still bound to their flesh no matter what shape it’s in, to that most popular member of undead society—the vampire.
     From a young man who must find his way through the eighteen Chinese Hells in search of justice… to a mummy con artist who seeks to trick Ma’at, the goddess of Truth… to a suicide whose spirit will discover there’s no place like home… to a dead man in search of one really good meal… to a new-made vampire who just wants her life back… these are stories that range from the humorous to the chilling. After you read them, you’ll never look at life, death, and the undead the same way again.
     [Contributors: Sarah A. Hoyt, Dave Freer, Laura Resnick, Esther M. Friesner, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Alan Dean Foster, Carrie Vaughn, Irene Radford, Nina Kiriki HOffman, Fran LaPlaca, Jay Lake, Devon Monk, Robert A. Hoyt, Kate Paulk, Rebecca Lickiss, Charles Edgar Quinn, Amanda S. Green, and S.M. Stirling.]

Swallowing Darkness by Laurell K. Hamilton
Ballantine, $26.00, 369pp, hc, 9780345495938. Fantasy.
     #1 New York Times bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton is the master of blending the paranormal and the erotic in her unforgettable Meredith Gentry novels. Her ever-growing and fervently loyal readership is dazzled by her courageous heroine, thrilling plot twists, and unique voice.
     Hamilton’s newest book, Swallowing Darkness, comes on the heels of the blockbuster revelations from A Lick of Frost.
     Between dark faerie magic and the deepest desires lies hte world of Meredith Gentry—princess, private eye, and powerful player in a game of supernatural sexual intrigue. Merry’s very existence and her rightful place on the throne have long depended on her ability to produce an heir. Now, finally, after many failed attempts, the attentions of her royal guards have enabled her to become pregnant.
     And in this triumphant moment, revelations follow revelations… for she carries not one, but two babies. Not only that, she knows that the children have more than one father. Amid all these shockwaves, though, her momentous news is cast into shadow by the grievous loss of her beloved Frost.
     With her storytelling at a fever pitch of excitement, Hamilton now delivers what is surely her most eagerly awaited book yet… a novel that simply cannot be read in more than one sitting.

Star Trek by Ina Rae Hark
Palgrave Macmillan, $19.95, 150pp, tp, 9781844572144. Science Fiction.
     With the hype and anticipation building around the Star Trek movie premier in May 2009, Trekkers and novices alike will want to brush up on their knowledge of the cult classic television series. Star Trek by Ina Rae Hark, the latest installment in the BFI TV Classics series, will prepare any fan for the events this upcoming spring.
     Star Trek remains the original, iconic and for its many fans, the best example of science fiction television, boldly going where no TV drama had gone before. Ina Rae Hark’s lively and authoritative account of the five series—from the original Star Trek to its most recent manifestation, ‘Enterprise’—provides a comprehensive guide to the Trek universe and its key themes.
     Hark carefully delineates the unique characteristics of each series, from Star Trek’s depiction of humanity confronting technological and evolutionary change, to The Next Generation’s diplomatic efforts to secure its perfected utopia for others, Deep Space Nine’s interrogation of the claims of that utopia in a hostile, alien environment, Voyager’s testing of Starfleet principles light years away from the Federation’s borders and Enterprise’s look back at humankind’s first efforts to forge an intergalactic alliance. Hark explores the character dynamics of each captain and his or her crew.
     The ample illustrations and Hark’s approachable prose make Star Trek not only accessible, but impossible to put down. This text is essential for devoted Trekkers and curious new comers jumping on the band wagon with the movie this May. The perfect guide for cultural studies studenets, science fiction devotees, and, of course, Star Trek fans everywhere.

The Lab by Jack Heath
Scholastic, $17.99, 352pp, hc, 9780545068604. Action/adventure.
     Australian 22-year-old Jack Heath makes his US debuit with The Lab. Jack started writing The Lab when he was in high school and had a publishing contract before graduation. In an online review, theblurb.com called The Lab, “an adrenaline-filled read… The Lab pulls no punchces from beginning to end.”
     The novel introduces a sixteen-year-old superhuman: Agent Six of Hearts. He’s the strongest, most effective agent in The Deck, a team of special agents fighting to uphold justice in a completely corrupt world.
     Agent Six would be invincible… if not for a deadly secret. He the product of an illegal experiment of the Lab and he’s trying to keep his genetic-experiment origins a secret from the agency he works for, the Deck. But when they start investigating the corporation that created him, his life spins out of control.

Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert (read by Simon Vance, Scott Brick, and Katherine Kellgren)
Macmillan Audio, $59.95, 15CDs (18.5 hours), 9781427203168. Science fiction audiobook.
     The bestselling science fiction series of all time continues with this new audiobook production of Heretics of Dune. It is read by acclaimed narrators Simon Vance, Scott Brick, and Katherine Kellgren, all of whom have read on one or more of Macmillan Audio’s recent audiobook productions of the first four books in Frank Herbert’s original Dune series.
     In this fifth installment of the series, ten times ten centuries have passed on Arrakis, now called Rakis, known to legend as Dune. The planet is becoming desert again. The Lost Ones are returning hoem from the far reaches of space. The great sandworms are dying, and the Bene Gesserit and the Bene Tleilax struggle to direct the future of Dune. The children of Dune’s children awaken as from a dream, wielding the new power of a heresy called love.

The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard by Robert E. Howard (illustrated by Greg Staples)
Del Rey, $18.00, 560pp, tp, 9780345490209. Horror Collection
     One of the most prolific writers of the early-twentierth-century “pulp era,” Robert E. Howard brought to life the archetypal adventurer known to millions around the world as Conan the Cimmerian and many others including Kull of Atlantis and Solomon Kane. Howard also enjoyed writing in the horror Del Rey is thrilled to be publishing The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard, a masterful collection of some of Howard’s most bone-chilling tales.
      The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard features Howard’s greatest horror tales, all in their original, definitive versions. Several of Howard’s best-known characters—Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, and sailor Steve Costigan among them—roam the forbidding territories of the author’s fevered imagination, from the swamps and bayous of the Deep South to the fiend-haunted woods outside Paris to remote jungles in Africa. All of which feature Howard’s signature gritty style and his mastery at conjuring tales of hair-raising horror.
     The collection includes Howard’s masterpiece “Pigeons from Hell,” which Stephen King calls “one of the finest horror stories of [the twentieth] century,” a tale of two travelers who stumble upon the ruins of a Southern plantation—and into the maw of its fatal secret. In “Black Canaan” even the best warrior has little chance of taking down the evil voodoo man with unholy powers—and none at all against his wily mistress, the diabolical High Priestess of Damballah. In these and other lavishly illustrated classics, such as the revenge nightmare “Worms of the Earth” and “The Cairn on the Headland,” Howard spins tales of unrelenting terror, the legacy of one of the world’s great masters of the macabre.
     [Contents: “In the Forest of Villerère”, “A Song of the Werewolf Folk”, “Wolfshead”, “Up, John Kane!”, “Remembrance”, “The Dream Snake”, “Sea Curse”, “The Moor Ghost”, “Moon Mockery”, “The Little People”, “Dead Man’s Hate”, “The Tavern”, “Rattle of Bones”, “The Fear that Follows”, “The Spirit of Tom Molyneaux”, “Casonetto’s Last Song”, “The Touch of Death”, “Out of the Deep”, “A Legend of Faring Town”, “Restless Waters”, “The Shadow of the Beast”, “The Dead Slaver’s Tale”, “Dermod’s Bane”, “The Hills of the Dead”, “Dig Me No Grave”, “The Song of a Mad Minstrel”, “The Children of the Night”, “Musings”, “The Black Stone”, “The Thing on the Roof”, “The Dweller in Dark Valley”, “The Horror from the Mound”, “A Dull Sound as of Knocking”, “People of the Dark”, “Delenda Est”, “The Cairn on the Headland”, “Worms of the Earth”, “The Symbol”, “The Valley of the Lost”, “The Hoofed Thing”, “The Noseless Horror”, “The Dwellers Under the Tomb”, “An Open Window”, “The House of Arabu”, “The Man on the Ground”, “Old Garfield’s Heart”, “Kelly the Conjure-Man”, “Black Canaan”, “To a Woman”, “One Who Comes at Eventide”, “The Haunter of the Ring”, “Pigeons from Hell”, “The Dead Remember”, “The Fire of Asshurbanipal”, “Fragment”, “Which Will Scarcely Be Understood”, “Golnor the Ape”, “Spectres in the Dark”, “The House”, “Untitled Fragment”, and “Notes on the Original Howard Texts”.]

Gentleman Takes a Chance by Sarah A. Hoyt
(sequel to Draw One in the Dark), Baen, $23.00, 324pp, hc, 9781416555933.
     Romantic adventure by a new star of fantasy.
     They hide in the shadows. Behind the world of men, their own world exists, with its own rules, its own goals, its own fierce battles and veiled enmities. They are shape shifters, torn between a human form and an animal one. Panthers and lions, dragons and saber tooth tigers, they’ve existed in every generation and strived to keep their existence hidden, to keep themselves from those they call normals. Along the way they’ve evolved their own organizations, which keep them safe. And the number one rule of all these orgnizations is that only shifter’s lives count. Humans are like insects, ephemeral and inconsequential, and can be slaughtered at will.
     Kyrie Smith was raised as a foundling. Now for the first time in her life, she has a home and a place. With her boyfriend Tom Ormson, she is part owner of a diner. And Tom doesn’t mind if she’s a panther shifter, because he, himself, is a dragon shifter. But suddenly her life is thrown in turmoil. A series of unexplained murders at the aquarium could expose the existence of shape shifters; an ancient organization of dragon shifters takes a personal interest in Tom; and worst of all, an ancient dire-wolf shifter has come to town. Dante Dire is the enforcer for the most powerful and oldest of the shifter organizations. He has been sent to solve a crime—not the crimes at the aquarium, but a crime the human world cannot be allowed to discover.
     Someone—or something—has been killing shifters in large numbers, and Dante Dire has been ordered to punish the killers. Anyone, human or shifter, who gets in his way will be eliminated without mercy…

The Lost Queen by Frewin Jones
(Book Two of The Faerie Path), Eos, $8.99, 335pp, tp, 9780060871079. YA fantasy.
     Tania is a princess of Faerie. And now she must return to the Mortal World.
     Once, Anita was an ordinary girl on the eve of her sixteenth birthday. Now she has assumed her true identity as Tania, the long-lost princess of the elegant Faerie court. She and her true love, Edric, must return to the Mortal World to seek her Faerie mother, Queen Titania, who disappeared hundreds of years ago searching for Tania. In London, Tania is torn between her mortal life and her new one. Dangers lurk, and Tania’s two worlds soon collide in amazing and frightening ways she never could have anticipated…

The Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan (read by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading)
(Book Eight of The Wheel of Time), Macmillan Audio, $69.95, 19 CDs (23.5 hours), 9781427205087. Fantasy audiobook.
     For millions of fans around the globe, the wait is over. Macmillan Audio is proud to publish The Path of Daggers, the hotly anticipated audio edition of the eighth volume in Robert Jordan’s beloved Wheel of Time series. The audiobook is read by Michael Kramer and Kate Reading, whose skilled and nuanced narrations of the previous volumes in The Wheel of Time series have been appreciated by fans and critics alike. Sequel to the international blockbuster bestseller A Crown of Swords, The Path of Daggers continues one of history’s greatest fictional journeys and the most extraordinary work of American fantasy ever published—the New York Times , Wall Street Journal, and worldwide-bestselling series—The Wheel of Time.
     In Book Eight, the Seanchan invasion force is in possession of Ebou Dar, Nynaeve, Elayne, and Aviendha head for Caemlyn and Elayne’s rightful throne, but on the way they discover an enemy much worse than the Seanchan.
     In Illian, Rand vows to throw the Seanchan back as he did once before. But signs of madness appearing among the Asha’man lead him to a fateful—and perhaps fatal—decision. In Ghealdan, Perrin faces the intrigues of Whitecloaks, Seanchan invaders, the scattered Shaido Aiel, and the Prophet himself. Perrin’s beloved wife, Faile, may pay with her life, and Perrin himself may have to destroy his soul to save her.
     Meanwhile, the rebel Aes Sedai under their young Amyrlin, Egwene al’Vere, face an army that intends to keep them away from the White Tower. But Egwene is determined to unseat the usurper Elaida and reunite the Aes Sedai. She does not yet understand the price that others—and she herself—will pay.
     What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time in The Path of Daggers.

The Clone Elite by Steven L. Kent
(book four of the Clone Series), Ace, $7.99, 369pp, pb, 9780441016082. Science fiction.
     Author Steven L. Kent returns to his nationally bestselling military science fiction series The Clone Series with book four, The Clone Elite.
     2514 A.D.: An unstoppable alien force is advancing on Earth, wiping out the Unified Authority’s colonies one by one. It’s up to Wayson Harris, an outlawed model of a clone, and his men to make a last stand on the planet of New Copenhagen, where they must win the battle and the war—or lose all.

The Universe Twister by Keith Laumer (edited by Eric Flint)
Baen, $7.99, 721pp, pb, 9781416555971. Fantasy.
     Lafayette O’Leary was barely scraping by as a draftsman until an experiment with self-hypnosis catapulted him into the world of Artesia, an exotic land complete with swordplay, beautiful princesses, and very large and hungry dragons. And unless O’Leary could somehow become the hero he had always dreamed of being, he was going to be a dragon’s lunch.
     And that was only the beginning, as O’Leary began to understand the secret of the multiple universes, each with its own opportunities for exciting adventure—and very evil adversaries and terrifying dangers…
     This volume contains the complete trilogy originally published as The Time Bender, The World Shuffler, and The Shape Changer.

The Stormcaller by Tom Lloyd
(Book One of The Twilight Reign), Pyr, $15, 449pp, tp, 9781491026938. Fantasy.
     In a land ruled by prophecy and the whims of gods, a young man finds himself at the heart of a war he barely understands, wielding powers he may never be able to control.
     Isak is a white-eye, born bigger, more charismatic, and more powerful than normal men. But with that power comes an unpredictable temper and an inner rage he cannot always hide. Brought up as a wagon-brat, feared and despised by those around him, he dreams of a place in the army and a chance to live his own life. But when the call comes, it isn’t to be a soldier, for the gods have other plans for the intemperate teenager: Isak has been chosen as heir-elect to the brooding Lord Bahl, the white-eye Lord of the Farlan.
     The white-eyes were created by the gods to bring order out of chaos, for their magnetic charm and formidable strength makes them natural leaders of men. Lord Bahl is typical of the breed: he inspires and oppresses those around him in equal measure. He can be brusque and impatient, a difficult mentor for a boy every bit as volatile as he is.
     But now is the time for the forging of empires. With mounting envy and malice, the men who would themselves be kings watch Isak, chosen by gods as flawed as the humans who serve them, as he is shaped and molded to fulfill the prophecies that circle him like scavenger birds. Divine fury and mortal strife is about to spill over and paint the world with blood.
     The Stormcaller is the first book in a powerful new series that combines inspired world-building, epoch-shattering battles, and high emotion to dazzling effect.

The Watchers out of Time by H.P. Lovecraft and August Derleth
Del Rey, $14.00, 289pp, tp, 9780345485694 Horror Collection
     One of the most revered authors in the horror genre, the late H.P. Lovecraft has influenced and inspired several authors (Stephen King, Robert E. Howard) and his work has had a profound impact on horror in popular culture in general. The Watchers of Time is a collection of fifteen terrifying tales from H.P. Lovecraft and August Derleth, Lovecraft’s long-time friend and collaborator. Derleth revised, cleaned up, and rewrote several unfinished and fragmentary stories from the master of horror’s papers.
     The result, though not one hundred percent Lovecraft, is nevertheless a high octane terror train that maintains the mythos and essence of horror’s most seminal writer.
     Venture at your own risk into a realm where the sun sinks into oblivion—and all that is unholy, unearthly, and unspeakable rises. These rare, hard-to-find collaborations of cosmic terror are back in print.
     [Contents: “The Survivor”, “Wentworth’s Day”, “The Peabody Heritage”, “The Gable Window”, “The Ancestor”, “The Shadow Out of Space”, “The Lamp of Alhazred”, “The Shuttered Room”, “The Fisherman of Falcon Point”, “Witches’ Hollow”, “The Shadow in the Attic”, “The Dark Brotherhood”, “The Horror from the Middle Span”, “Innsmouth Clay”, and “The Watchers Out of Time”.]

Star Wars: Millennium Falcon by James Luceno
Del Rey, $26.00, 319pp, hc, 9780345507006. Science fiction/movie tie-in.
     Two years have passed since Jacen Solo, seduced by the dark side and reanointed as the brutal Sith Lord Darth Caedus, died at the hands of this twin sister, Jaina, Sword of the Jedi. For a grieving Han and Leia, the shadow of their son’s tragic downfall still looms large. But Jacen’s own bright and loving daughter, Allana, offers a ray of hope for the future as she thrives in her grandparents’ care. And when the eager, inquisitive girl makes a curious discovery aboard her grandfather’s beloved spacecraft—the much-overhauled but ever-dependable Millennium Falcon—the Solo family finds itself at a new turning point, about to set out on an odyssey into uncertain territory, untold adventure, and unexpected rewards in Star Wars: Milliennium Falcon.
     To Han, who knows every bolt, weld, and sensor of the Falcon as if they were parts of himself, the strange device Allana shows him is utterly alien. But its confounding presence—and Allana’s infectious desire to unravel its mystery—are impossible to dismiss. The only answer lies in backtracking into the past on a fact-finding expedition to retrace the people, places and events in the vessel’s checkered history.
     From the moment the Falcon broke loose from a Corellian assembly line, it seemed destined to seek out trouble. It wasn’t long before the YT-1300 freighter went from shuttling cargo to smuggling contraband. But it’s a fateful rendezvous on Coruscant, at the explosive height of the Republic/Separatist uprising, that launches a galaxywide game of cat-and-mouse. Crime lords, galactic pirates, rogue politicians and fortune hunters alike loom at every turn of the quest—each with a desperate stake in the Millennium Falcon’s most momentous mission. Through the years and across the stars, from the Rim worlds to unknown points beyond, the race will lead them all to a final standoff for a prize some will risk everything to find—and pay any cost to possess.

Fractions by Ken MacLeod
(the first half of the Fall Revolution series), Orb, $19.95, 640pp, tp, 9780765320681. Science fiction.
     The future is filled with dizzying possibilities in Fractions, a volume comprising Ken MacLeod’s The Star Fraction and The Stone Canal, the first two books in his Fall Revolution series.
     The Star Fraction chronicles the interweaving tales of several richly drawn characters: Moh Kohn, a security mercenary unaware that he holds the key to information which could change the world; Janis Taine, a scientist who needs Moh’s help hiding from the US/UN; and Jordan Brown, a teenage refugee from an enclave of religious fundamentalists. All the while a rogue computer program is guiding events to a riveting conclusion, with astounding implications for the future of humanity.
     In The Stone Canal, a clone arrives on the grueling terrain of New Mars with memories of the past—of New Mars’s leader, and of an anarchist accused of Losing World War III. But he also remembers the ideals they once shared, and the women over whom they fought.
     These two tales, now available in one trade paperback volume from Orb, represent some of the best and most dazzlingly original work from a luminary of the SF world.

Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier
Roc, $23.95, 395pp, hc, 9780451462336. Fantasy.
     Award-winning and nationally bestselling author Juliet Marillier returns with a new novel set in the beloved and popular world of Sevenwaters with Heir to Sevenwaters.
     The chieftains of Sevenwaters have long been custodians of a vast and mysterious forst. Human and Otherworld dwellers have existed there side by side, sharing a wary trust. Until the spring when Lady Aisling of Sevenwaters finds herself expecting another child—a new heir to Sevenwaters.
     Then the family’s joy turns to despair when the baby is taken from his room and something…unnatural is left in his place. To reclaim her newborn brother, Clodagh must enter the shadowy Otherworld and confront the powerful prince who rules there.

The Devil’s Eye by Jack McDevitt
(an Alex Benedict novel), Ace, $24.95, 359pp, hc, 9780441016358. Science fiction.
     Jack McDevitt is a longtime favorite of science fiction fans and critics. The master of the space opera took home the 2006 Nebula Award for Seeker: An Alex Bendict Novel. His next novel, Odyssey, was nominated for the 2007 Nebula Award and was a finalist for the 2007 John W. Campbell Memorial Award. Odyssey was also named the Best Science Fiction Book of 2006 by Library Journal. In 2007, McDevitt’s last novel Cauldron was named one of the top 5 Best Science Fiction Books of 2007 by Library Journal. Now McDevitt adds to his impressive repertoire of stellar science fiction novels with The Devil’s Eye: An Alex Benedict Novel.
     Interstellar antiquities dealer Alex Benedict receives a cryptic message asking for help from celebrated writer Vicki Greene. Her memory has been erased and she has no idea she’s asked for help or that she has transferred an enormous sum of money to Alex. The answers to this mystery lie on the most remote of human worlds, where Alex will uncover a secret connected to decades of old political upheavals and a secret that somebody desperately wants hidden, though the price of that silence is unimaginable…

Royal Exile by Fiona McIntosh
(book one of the Valisar trilogy), Eos, $7.99, 480pp, pb, 9780061582684. Fantasy. On-sale date: January 2009.
     Royal Exile is the opening volume of a new, extraordinary saga of unassailable courage, relentless peril, and wild adventure from internationally bestsellign Australian author Fiona McIntosh.
     From out of the East they rode, Loethar and his barbarian horde—a merciless plague destroying kingdom after kingdom and the sovereigns who had previously mocked them. Now, only one last land remains unconquered; the largest, richest, and most powerful realm of the Denova Set—Penraven.
     Meanwhile, the heir to the throne, accompanied by a single warrior, sets off to reclaim his kingdom, uncovering her dark family secrets and forming uneasy alliances with one-time enemies, and he seeks to make things once again right.

Strength and Honor by R.M. Meluch
(a nove of the U.S.S. Merrimack), DAW, $24.95, 378pp, hc, 9780756405274. Science fiction.
     DAW Books is proud to present the fourth installment of R.M. Meluch’s Tour of the Merrimack series, Strength and Honor.
     Earth’s space forces, spearheaded by the United States, had long been at war with the forces of the Palatine Empire, a neo-Roman culture that broke away from Earth’s control long ago. But when the alien life-form known as the Hive—a biological force whose only imperative was to seek and devour—began wreaking destruction across the galaxy, the Romance were forced to turn to Earth for help. Caesar Magnus surrendered to Captain John Farragut—commander of the pride of the U.S. space fleet, the battle class starship, the U.S.S. Merrimack—and the period known as the Subjugation began.
     Ever since the surrender, an uneasy peace and alliance had been in force, as all humanity and their alien allies joined together to battle the Hive.
     When the threat of the Hive seemed to have been neutralized, John Farragut was summoned to Caesar Magnus’ fortress to be honored. But instead, Caesar Magnus was assassinated, and Farragut and the Merrimack were lucky to escape from what could have proved a deadly trap.
     Now Magnus’ son Romulus has taken control of the Palatine Empire and has had himself proclaimed Caesar, and Captain Farragut and the Merrimack are about to face their greatest challenge ever.
     The forced alliance between the interplanetary Empire of Rome and the United States-led Earth forces is shattered as Caesar Romulus declares war, striking at the U.S. Deep Space base, and then following up with a direct attack against Earth. Merrimack has no choice but to retaliate with an assault on the Roman capital world of Palatine. In the midst of this chaos, the Hive renews its invasion. And even if John Farragut and his crew can survive all of this, the rogue Roman patterner Augustus—who has long been assigned to his own mission aboard Merrimack—flees the ship when war is declared, and no one knows whether he is only biding his time, waiting to meet Farragut in a final deadly showdown.

Magic to the Bone by Devon Monk
Roc, $6.99, 355pp, pb, 9780451462404. Fantasy.
     Devon Monk’s debut novel Magic to the Bone is the first installment in a tremendous new urban fantasy series that has it all: a compelling heroine, terrific writing, and a dark, sexy magical world unlike any other. This captivating fresh new voice appeals to the urban fantasy market while standing alone with its unique take on magic.
     Portland, Oregon is no regular city. In Magic to the Bone, Portland is a city where magic is another currency. Everything has a cost, and every act of magic has its price. Using magic drains the user’s body and soul leaving them with a possible two-day migraine, memory loss, or whatever the personal cost may be. But some people want to use magic without paying, and they offload the cost onto the innocent. When that happens, it falls to a Hound to identify the spell’s caster—and heroine Allison Beckstrom is the best there is.

The Serrano Connection by Elizabeth Moon
(contains Once a Hero and Rules of Engagement), Baen, $25.00, 755pp, hc, 9781416555940. Science fiction.
     Heris Serrano can’t have all the fun.
     Once a Hero: Esmay Suiza wasn’t a member of a great Navy family like the Serranos and no one expected much of a girl from backwoods Altiplano. So she was shunted to Technical—until her command ability in a mutiny and battle surprised everyone, and had her commander wondering why she’d been hiding her talents. Esmay herself wondered the same thing, and the discovery of her own family’s deceptions sent her back to Fleet in an unstable mix of emotions. Assigned to learn spacedrive mechanics on a Deep Space Repair Ship larger than many space stations, she was befriended by Barin Serrano, the youngest offficer in that famous family, but her growing interest in him was cut short when a Bllodhorde commando team infiltrated the ship. Once a hero is not enough when circumstances demand a repeat performance.
     Rules of Engagement: Brun Meager is a young woman from a rich and powerful family, which had a lot to do with why Esmay Suiza didn’t get along with her, not to mention both having an amorous interest in Barin Serrano. When Brun was abducted by a repressive religious militia movement that made the 21st century Taliban look like a bunch of Unitarians, Esmay was suspected of having connived in the capture to eliminate a rival. To clear herself, it looked like Esmay would have to locate and rescue Brun. Time to be a hero again.…

The Golden Tower by Fiona Patton
(Book Two of The Warriors of Estavia), DAW, $24.95, 336pp, hc, 9780756405175. Fantasy.
     Anavatan, the magical City of the Gods, rests on the shore of shining Gol-Beyaz, the silver lake. The citry and its outlying villages are surrounded by the God-Wall, a magical barrier that protects all who dwell here from both the nomadic human invaders that attack each year, and the hungry spirits which are drawn to the living energies of the silver lake yet can’t break through the spell wall to claim this life force for themselves. It is here in the heart of Gol-Beyaz that, long ago, the Gods were born: Estavia, crimson-eyed midnight God of Battlers; blue Usara, God of Healing; icy-pale Incasa, God of Prophecy, oldest and most mysterious of all the Gods; Oristo, ruddy brown, bi-gender God of Hearth and Home; many-colored Ystazia, God of the arts; leaf-green and earth brown Havo, bi-gender God of Seasonal Bounty. These are the six Immortal Patrons of Anavatan, and of most who dwell within the city.
     But five years ago three unsworn children were caught in the open during the chaos known as Havo’s Dance, and, attacked by the wild spirits that had somehow found their way into Anavatan, they were forced down new pathways of destiny. The boy called Graize was flung beyond the God-Wall, and in struggling to survive a deadly spirit attack, he forged a newborn Godling—Hisar.
     Brax, desperate to save both himself and his young comrade Spar, called upon Estavia to rescue them, giving his oath to the God to seal the bargain. And Spar, gifted with a seer’s untrained talent and still too young to choose his own future, followed in Brax’s shadow into the haven of Estavia’s temple.
     Now Anavatan is poised at a crucial turning point as these three children of prophecy, two grown to manhood and one on the brink of having to decide his future, prepare for a confrontation that will shake the Gods themselves. Graize has become a prophet and has rallied the peoples of the plains and the mountains to his cause, choosing to make the Godling Hisar a weapon against his enemies. But Spar, the mightiest seers Anavatan has ever seen and still unsworn to any of the Gods of the silver lake, has his own plans for Hisar.
     Caught in the middle of this struggle is the warrior Brax, Spar’s faithful protector and brother by choice, and the prime target of Graize’s wrath. Yet Brax, sworn Champion of Estavia, has also been claimed by Hisar. And as the Godling reaches for the power of a true God, all sides will be drawn into the conflict that will reshape their world.

The Engine’s Child by Holly Phillips
Del Rey, $15.00, 387pp, tp, 9780345499653. Fantasy.
     From acclaimed author Holly Phillips comes The Engine’s Child. As richly detailed as it is evocative, the vivid prose of this ambitious novel illuminates a lushly imagined world poised on the brink of revolution.
     Lanterns and flickering bulbs light the shadowy world of the rasnan, the island at the edge of a world-spanning ocean that harbors, in its ivory towers and mossy temples, the descendants of men and women who long ago fled a world ruined by magical and technological excess. But not all the island’s inhabitants are resigned to exile. A mysterious brotherhood seeks to pry open doors that lead back to their damaged, dangerous homeland. Others risk the even greater danger of flight, seeking new lands and new freedoms in the vast, uncharted sea.
     Amid a web nof conspiracy and betrayal, three people threaten to shatter this fragile world. Scheming Lord Ghar, faithful to lost gods and forbidden lore, plays an intricate power game; Lady Vashmarna, an iron-willed ruler, conceals a guilty secret behind her noble façade; and Moth, a poor, irreverent novice, holds perhaps the darkest power of all: a mysterious link to a shadowy force that may prove to be humanity’s final hope—or its ultimate doom.
     “Phillips writes fark fantasy,” wrote Booklist in a starred review of her novel In the Palace of Repose, “mostly with the aura of heroic fantasy, aiming to awe far more than to frighten—and succeeding, awesomely.” The Engine’s Child is an exciting new addition to the field of literary fantasy from a Sunburst-Award-winning, two-time World Fantasy Award nominee.

Vorpal Blade by John Ringo and Travis S. Taylor
Baen, $7.99, 570pp, pb, 9781416555865. Science fiction.
     To the stars—with guns and duct tape.
     William Weaver, Ph.D., and Chief Miller, SEAL, are back—and they got themselves a ship! The former USSN Nebraska has been jerry-rigged, using alien technology and good ol’ American know-how, into a warp ship ready to visit strange new worlds. But as everyone knows, the people who really are going to bear the brunt of the “exploratory” mission are the poor Security guys, Force Recon Marines who are, according to their own lore, “kept in the dark and fed manure all day.” That is, until the Vorpal Blade lands on an alien planet—Security will get partially wiped out and then load back up again, to protect the scientists and crew another day, another world.

Going Under by Justina Robson
(Quantum Gravity Book Three), Pyr, $15.00, 341pp, tp, 9781591026501.
     Lila Black is off with the faeries…
     Ever since the Quantum Bomb of 2015 things have been different; the dimensions have fused and suddenly our world is accessible to elves, demons, ghosts and elementals—and their worlds are open to us. Things have been different for Special Agent Lila Black too: tortured and magic-scarred by elves, rebuilt by humans into a half-robot, part-AI, nuclear-fueled walking arsenal, and carrying the essence of a dead elfin necromancer in her chest, sometimes she has trouble figuring out who she is.
     And a mission to the world of the fae may not help her work it out.
     The fae are beautiful, glamorous, exotic, and talented, ruled by their king and queen’s summer and winter courts. Their inventions make food taste better, make beer divine, and bring sparkle and mischief to the world—but that’s only the surface. And Lila is being sent in at the deep end, to the deepest, darkest levels of Faerie: on the primal level, nothing about the fae is glamorous at all.
     In a winter-locked, raw, and primitive world, Lila has to deal with the fae at their most basic levels, as tricksters and dealmakers—and the only deals worth making are bloody ones. If Lila’s quest is to succeed, and if she is ever to escape Faerie, the right question must be asked, the right sacrifice must be made, and the right quarry must be hunted down on the winter solstice. All of which is difficult, when the only aides Lila brought to Faerie are her friends…
     Justina Robson’s new series combines her trademark themes of identity and reality, magic and technology, break-neck plots, a mischievous sense of fun, and a seriously sexy new heroine.

The Flame and the Shadow by Denise Rossetti
Ace, $14.00, 389pp, tp, 9780441016341. Fantasy.
     Blessed with a sensational imagination, Denise Rossetti begins an exceptional new erotic fantasy series this November with The Flame and the Shadow.
     Grayson of Concordia, known in a hundred worlds as the Duke of Ombra, is a mercenary, a sorcerer of shadows—a man whose soul is consumed by darkness. For Gray, the bleak savagery in his heart is made manifest in an entity he calls Shad. He has long resisted Shad’s enticements, but when he is hired to kidnap a fire witch, he seizes the chance to restore his soul—no matter the cost.
     Grief has reduced Cenda’s heart to ash. But when the fire witch encounters Gray, her resolve is no match for her desire. How will her love survive the bitter discovery of his plans?

The Stowaway by R.A. & Geno Salvatore
(Stone of Tymora, Volume 1), Mirrorstone, $17.95, 287pp, hc, 9780786950942. YA Fantasy.
     R.A. Salvatore, author of 18 New York Times bestsellers, has been captivating fantasy readers with his thrilling novels in The Legend of Drizzt series for 20 years. Now, young readers can enter the world of Drizzt with The Stowaway, written by R.A. Salvatore and his son, Geno Salvatore. The Stowaway released in September, and is R.A. Salvatore’s first foray into young adult literature and is the first book in “The Stone of Tymora” fantasy trilogy for ages 10 and up.
     The Stowaway features all the breathtaking suspense, eye-poppoing action, and compelling characters that Salvatore fans have come to expect. “The storyline is filled with elements that will resonate with young readers,” says Nina Hes, senior editor of Mirrorstone at Wizards of the Coast. “It’s a great entry point for any long-time Salvatore fans who wnat to share their favorite fantasy author with their kids as well as a terrific choice fofr any young fantasy fan who is seeking a great read.” Here, a 12-year-old boy named Maimun flees a demon who is pursuing a magical stone in the boy’s possession. Stowing away on a ship, he encounters Drizzt Do’Urden (a Dark Elf), R.A. Salvatore’s most popular character from the Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms setting, who has appeared in 17 of his New York Times bestsellers.

Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi
Tor, $14.95, 365pp, tp, 9780765317711. Science fiction.
     New York Times bestselling author John Scalzi debuted with the now classic Old Man’s War in 2004. But before then, in a galaxy far, far away (Ohio), John had already written a first novel: a “practice novel” of sorts. And one mainly written so that he could attend his ten-year high school reunion and say that he “had finished a novel” in case anyone asked.
     No one did.
     But to shorten a long story, he eventually put it up online as a “shareware novel.” Those that liked it could send him a dollar or however much money they wanted, and those that didn’t…well, could send nothing at all.
     John did not expect to see a penny from this. But in over five years, he made about $4,000; and in those years between writing this “practical novel” and his first real published novel,Old Man’s War,he managed to write five more books.
     Not bad for a “practice novel.” As John puts it, he calls it the “midwife” to every book since then and credits his subsequent successes as a writer to some of the experiences learned from penning The Agent to the Stars.
     Originally published in a limited run by the estimable Subterranean Press, The Agent to the Stars is now available in a wide new release from Tor Books.
     A fast-paced satirical romp through outer space, B-movie production lots, and La-La land, The Agent to the Stars introduces the charismatic young agent, Thomas Stein, one of the rising stars of Hollywood deal-making.
     He’s just concluded perhaps the biggest deal of his career involving an up-and-coming starlet, when his boss drops an unexpected client into his lap. This one’s going to require far mor work than he ever wanted.
     “Joshua” is an alien, and his people are hoping to begin humanity’s first interstellar friendship. There’s just one problem: they’re not the most presentable or, er, attractive species in the solar system.
     And Joshua’s people have been monitoring the Entertainment Tonight‘s and media broadcast feeds; they know they have to work on their image.
     Thomas Stein’s never negotiated for an entire alien race before, so to earn his percentage this time, he’s going to need all the smarts, wiles, and E.T. creativity he can muster.
     Funny and deviously entertaining—The Agent to the Starsshows the early beginnings of John Scalzi’s humor and gives a fun introduction to all he would write next.

Kris Longknife: Intrepid by Mike Shepherd
Ace, $7.99, 345pp, pb, 9780441016518. Science fiction.
     Kris Longknife: Intrepid is the sixth adventure of Kris Longknife, the engaging heroine of Mike Shepherd’s terrific military science fiction series. For generations, the Longknifes have been known as military heroes for their traditions in service. The youngest of the Longknifes is Kris, the only daughter born to two well-known politicians on their home planet.
     When Kris becomes old enough to leave her privileged nest, she decides to follow in her family’s footsteps and joins the Navy. But she doesn’t know that outside her family’s protection, she is vulnerable to enemies that would love to get their hands on a Longknife. But this won’t stop this brave descendant of military heroes.
     Kris Longknife has been assigned to The Wasp, the best warship beond the Rim of Human Space. But while hunting for pirates, Kris stumbles upon something. It’s a plan to kill one of the members of the aristocratic Peterwald family—and the would-be killers are setting her up as the assassin.

Fortune and Fate by Sharon Shinn
(a novel of The Twelve Houses), Ace, $24.95, 403pp, hc, 9780441016365. Fantasy.
     Fortune and Fate is the new novel in national bestselling author Sharon Shinn’s Twelve Houses fantasy series. Praised as “spellbinding” (Publishers Weekly) and “highly recommended” (SF Revu), Mystic and Rider, the first of the Twelve Houses novels, began Shinn’s entrancing fantasy saga. Now the award-winning author returns to this world with a story of secret sorceries and forbidden desires where a troubled warrior faces her greatest challenge yet.
     Wen, a Warrior Rider faces her greatest challenge in the last place she ever expected: behind the walls of a great family estate known as Fortune, where Wen has been hired to guard the young heiress. Once there, she will find that fate has other plans for her…

Liberation: Being the Adventures of the Slick Six After the Collapse of the United States of America by Brian Francis Slattery
Tor, $14.95, 303pp, tp, 9780765320469. Science fiction.
     From Brian Slattery, author of the critically acclaimed literary pulp phenomenon, Spacemen Blues, comes Liberation: Being the Adventures of the Slick Six After the Collapse of the United States of America, a dystopian novel set in near-future America after the economy has collapsed.
     Slattery uses his extensive experience working with publications about economics, public policy, and international affairs to conjure up a world after the US dollar fails and chaos ensues. Such an event would have seemed unimaginable until recently, when two of the world’s biggest banking superpowers fell, thousands of jobs were lost, and billions were wiped from savings accounts.
     But Liberation is much more than a novel about the collapse of the US economy—it is also a heist movie in the style of a hippie novel, an incredible journey across America’s heartland and cities, filled with a memorable cast of characters. And in this world, capitalism doesn’t disappear after the American dollar is dead… instead slavery is revived as starving people give away their freedom in exchange for food and lodging—and one Machiavellian villain starts up a new slave trade.
     As we struggle to come to terms with a US economy crippled by the failure of investment banks in one of the most calamitous eras the financial world has endured since the Great Depression, the reader will root for Liberation‘s heroic “Slick Six,” a group of international criminals who head out across American to try to get the United States out of this economic mess.
     With Liberation, Slattery celebrates the resilience and ingenuity of the American spirit with a novel that—as one reviewer puts it “gets even better on the second read, as you pick up on stuff and make more of the connections between the characters. Most of all, the book’s vision of a post-USA America will stick with you afterwards, haunting you and maybe thrilling you.”

Anathem by Neal Stephenson (read by William Dufris, Oliver Wyman, Tavia Gilbert, and Neal Stephenson)
Macmillan Audio, $69.95, 28CDs (34 hours), 9781427205902.
     Anathem is the latest invention by Neal Stephenson, the bestselling author of Cryptonomicon and The Baroque Cycle. This audiobook is a magnificent creation: a work of great scope, intelligence, and imagination—highlighted by an original score composed exclusively for the audiobook—that ushers listeners into a recognizable, yet strangely inverted, world.
     Fraa Erasmas is a young avout living in the Concent of Saunt Edhar, a sanctuary for mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers, protected from the corrupting influences of the outside “saecular” world by ancient stone and complex rituals. Over the centuries, cities and governments have risen and fallen beyond the concent’s walls, yet the avout have always managed to adapt in the wake of catastrophe.
     Now, in celebration of the week-long, once-in-a-decade rite of Apert, the fraas and suurs prepare to venture beyond the concent. During his first Apert as a fraa, Erasmas eagerly anticipates reconnecting with the landmarks and family he hasn’t seen since he was “collected.” But before the week is out, both the existence he abandoned and the one he embraced will stand on the brink of cataclysmic change.
     Powerful unforeseen forces jeopardize the peaceful stability of mathic life and the established ennui of the Extramuros. Erasmas and his colleagues, teachers, and friends are summoned forth frmo the safety of the concent in hopes of warding off global disaster. Erasmas finds himself a major player in a drama that will determine the future of his world as he sets out on an extraordinary odyssey that will carry him to the most dangerous, inhospitable corners of the planet… and beyond.
     The audiobook of Anathem is a multi-cast recording that features a cameo by author Neal Stephenson, as well as original music inspired by the story. Music composer David Stutz says of the writing process, “I was excited by the creative possibilities opened up by Neal’s imagination. These ideas, realized, are the music tha tyou hear on this audiobook.” Editorial Director Kristin Lang, who spent eight years selling rights for Stephenson’s booksprior to joining Macmillan Audio, adds, “I’d always known that [Stephenson’s] work had great potential in audio. With Anathem, we are fulfilling that potential and giving his listeners an amazing, unabridged recording of Neal’s supremely imaginative text, mixed with haunting music and read by multiple narrators.… No doubt, this is the audiobook his legions of passionate fans have been clamoring for.”

Gears of War: Aspho Fields by Karen Traviss
Del Rey, $13.00, 387pp, tp, 9780345499431. Science fiction.
     It’s what fans of the blockbuster Gears of War video game have been waiting for. In Gears of War: Aspho Fields, readers will get an in-depth look at two of Delta Squad’s toughest fighters—soldier’s soldier Marcus Fenix and rock-solid Dominic Santiago—as well as a detailed account of the pivotal battle of the Pendulum Wars. On sale a week before the highly anticipated Gears of War video game sequel, Gears of War: Aspho Fields is sure to answer a few long debated questions while posing a few new ones for fans to mull over.
     As kids, the three of them were inseparable; as soldiers, they were torn apart. Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago fought alongside Dom’s elder brother Carlos at Aspho Fields in the epic battle that changed the course of the Pendulum Wars. There’s a new war to fight now, a war for mankind’s survival. But while the last human stronghold on Sera braces itself for another onslaught from the Locust Horde, ghosts come back to haunt Marcus and Dom. For Marcus—decorated war hero, convicted traitor—the return of an old comrade threatens to dredge up an agonizing secret he’s sworn to keep.
     As the beleagured Gears of the Coalition of Ordered Governments take a last stand to save mankind from extermination, the harrowing decisions made at Aspho Fields have to be re-lived and made again. Marcus and Dom can take anything the Locust Horde throws at them—but will their friendship survive the truth about Carlos Santiago?
     Gears of War: Aspho Fields was written in close collaboration with Epic Games, creators of Gears of War, winner of over 30 Game of the Year Awards and one of the bestselling Xbox video games of all time. The highly anticipated sequel, Gears of War 2, arrives in stores worldwide November 7, 2008.

Fast Ships, Black Sails edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer
Night Shade, $14.95, 253pp, tp, 9781597800945. Fantasy anthology.
     Do you love the sound of a peg leg stomping across a quarterdeck? Or maybe you prefer a parrot on your arm, a strong wind at your back? Adventure, treasure, intrigue, humor, romance, danger—and, yes, plunder. Oh, the Devil does love a pirate—and so do readers everywhere.
     Swashbuckling from the past into the future and space itself, Fast Ships, Black Sails, edited by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer, presents an incredibly entertaining volume of original stories guaranteed to make you walk and talk like a pirate.
     Come along for the voyage with bestselling authors Naomi Novik, Garth Nix, Carrie Vaughn, Dave Freer, Micahel Moorcock, and Eric Flint, as well as such other stellar talents as Kage Baker, Sarah Monette, Elizabeth Bear, Steve Aylett, and Conrad Williams—all offering up a veritable treasure chest of piratical adventure, the likes of which has never been seen in the four corners of the Earth. Highlights include a brand-new Garth Nix Sir Hereward & Mr. Fitz novella, as the two clever ne’er-do-wells storm the sea-gates of the scholar-pirates of Sarkoe.
     If you ever had a yearning for adventure on the high seas, now’s the time to indulge it, with Fast Ships, Black Sails. You’ll return with a sword shoved through your sash, booty in a safe harbor, and beer on your breath. We promise.
     [Contributors: Ann & Jeff VanderMeer, Elizabeth Bear & Sarah Monette, Naomi Novik, Howard Waldrop, Kage Baker, Rhys Hughes, Kelly Barnhill, Justin Howe, Carrie Vaughn, Conrad Williams, Katherine Sparrow, Brendan Connell, David Freer & Eric Flint, Steve Aylett, Michael Moorcock, Paul Batteiger, Rachel Swirsky, Jayme Lynn Blaschke, and Garth Nix.]

CauseWired: Plugging In, Getting Involved, Changing the World by Tom Watson
John Wiley, $27.95, 208pp, hc, 9780470375044. Nonfiction.
     A landmark guide to the next major technological and cultural shift—online social activism.
     Written by an astute observer and contributor to media culture, CauseWired: Plugging In, Getting Involved, Changing the World is a brilliant look at the future of society itself and is the first book to track the massive societal impact on causes presented on today’s online social networks—from blogs to videos to the rise of social networks.
     CauseWired: Plugging In, Getting Involved, Changing the World introduces you to a rising class of visionaries who are building online activism into a new generation of change-agent organizations and invites you to engage that new generation in becoming deeply and personally involved in causes in a way that hasn’t happened before.
     Insightful and thought-provoking, this powerful guide reveals how online social networks can leverage their membership and take advantage of their platform to democratize activism, change the political climate, and raise consciousness for local and global causes—in short, by becoming CauseWird.

A Dangerous Climate by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Tor, $27.95, 384pp, hc, 9780765319814. Fantasy.
     Renowned horror author Chelsea Quin Yarbro has made the adventures of the grand vampire Count Saint-Germain into the longest-running series of vampire novels in the English language, and the series becomes more beloved with every installment. Now, with A Dangerous Climate, Yarbro takes Saint-Germain to a land unlike any he has known before: the treacherous, chilling foundations of the Russian empire.
     Saint-Germain, disguised as a Hungarian nobleman, is on a spy mission in the heart of Czarist Russia. Almost by the power of his will alone, it seems, Peter the Great is wrestling the city that will one day be St. Petersburg out of swampland. Representatives of the heads of all European states are living in tiny, frigid, wooden homes as they jockey for power and influence over the Czar.
     When a man shows up claiming to be the Count Saint-Germain, the concealed vampire must figure out how to protect his title and wealth without revealing either his true identity or his True Nature.
     A Dangerous Climate is filled to the brim with the lyricism and dark excitement that Yarbro’s devoted fans have come to expect, providing a gripping window onto a burgeoning world where anything can happen. Impeccably researched and sharply written, Saint-Germain’s latest escapade is perfect for historical novel lovers, fans of the horror genre, and those already in the thrall of a certain compelling Count.