This page is updated as books are received throughout the month.
The Stoneholding by James Anderson & Mark Sebanc
Baen, $14.99, 432pp, tp, 9781439132999. Fantasy. On-sale date: September 2009.
Darkness looms over the ancient world of Ahn Norvys, and the Great Harmony of Ardiel lies rent asunder. Prince Starigan, heir to the throne, has been abducted and power has been usurped by a traitorous cabal.
In the mountainous highlands of Arvon is the small but ancient community the Stoneholding, which has held out against the gathering forces of the evil Ferabek. Here by tradition, from earliest times, the High Bard has resided as guardian of the Sacred Fire, as well as the golden harp called the Talamadh. But in his search for the lost prince, Ferabek has attacked the Stoneholding with his Black Scorpion Dragoons and razed it to the ground. Wilum, the aged High Bard was forced to flee for his life with a ragged band of survivors, including Kalaquinn Wright, the wheelwrights’s son.
Kal, green in years and understanding, was torn from his pastoral life in a remote highland clanholding, and thrust out onto a broader stage in a journey of danger and escape, discovery and enlightenment. Now, as night covers Ahn Norvys, he must save what remains of the hallowed order of things and seek his destiny, a destiny that lies far beyond the Stoneholding.
He must somehow find Prince Starigan and rekindle the Sacred Fire.
Rise of the Terran Empire: The Technic Civilization Saga by Poul Anderson (compiled by Hank Davis)
Baen, $14.00, 480pp, tp, 9781439132753. Science fiction collection.
Nicholas van Rijn, the most flamboyant member of the Polesotechnic League of star traders, could see dark times ahead. Fellow league members were using tactics verging on outright piracy, and others were all too eager to sell starships and high-tech weapons to alien barbarians. Even if Van Rijn and his right-hand man David Falkayn could find a way to stop this, the glory days of the League were over.
Hereafter, for its own protection against well-armed alien marauders, the Earth must maintain a strong military fleet. One charismatic man would found an empire that would learn nothing of the lessons history taught of the fates of earlier empires as it began annexing other star systems, whether they wanted to join the Terran Empire or not…
This is the third volume in the first complete edition of Poul Anderson’s Technic Civilization saga.
[Contents: “Descent into Empire” by Hank Davis; “Mirkheim”; “Wingless”; “Rescue on Avalon”; “The Star Plunderer”; “Sargasso of Lost Starships”; “The People of the Wind”; and “Chronology of Technic Civilization” by Sandra Miesel]
Dawnthief by James Barclay
(Chronicles of the Raven), Pyr, $16.00, 423pp, tp, 9781591027799. Fantasy. On-sale date: September 2009.
Isolated, betrayed, and facing the end.
The Raven: six men and an elf, sword for hire in the wars that have torn apart Balaia. For years their loyalty has been only to themselves and their code.
But, that time is over. The Wytch Lords have escaped and The Raven find themselves fighting for the Dark College of magic, searching for the location of Dawnthief. It is a spell created to end the world, and it must be cast if any of them are to survive.
Dawnthief is a fast paced epic about a band of all-too-human heroes.
Noonshade by James Barclay
(Chronicles of the Raven), Pyr, $16.00, 484pp, tp, 9781591027829. Fantasy. On-sale date: October 2009.
An apocalyptic spell has been cast, an ancient evil banished.
Now the land of Balaia, still riven by war, must live with the consequences. The Dawnthief spell—designed to destroy the world, but cast to save it—has torn a hole in the sky, a pathway into the dragon dimension, and, through it, unfriendly eyes are turning to Balaia.
With war already sweeping the land, there are no armies to send against the dragons. All that stands between Balaia and complete dominion by these tyrannous beasts is a tiny, but legendary band of mercenaries: The Raven.
And if they fail, Balaia will fall beneath the wings of countless dragons…
Traffyck by Michael Beres
Medallion, $24.95, 378pp, hc, 9781605421056. Thriller. On-sale date: November 2009.
In the underground of contemporary Eastern Europe lies a treacherous world contaminated by more than Chernobyl radiation and industrial hazard waste. As communism collapsed, the foothold of the social order gave way to a lurking subculture for child pornography and human trafficking in prostitution.
Traffyck, as they say.
A former runaway and nightclub stripper, Mariya Nemeth was a discontented only child raised by her Hungarian mother in an Orthodox background. She pulled herself from the dredges of wretchedness to attend business school and marry Viktor Patolichev, a man she believed had abandoned his shady past. One day Mariya learned his past was present. Viktor had been murdered, a consequence of his sex trade operations.
When private investigator Janos Nagy, ex-militiaman, enters her life to probe the case in Kiev’s Podil District, Mariya knows she has met the real passion of her life, a lover immersed in the romance of Gypsy culture. From Chicago’s Humboldt Park to the Romanian Carpathian Mountains to the bleak abandonment of Ukraine, a frightening chain of events threatens to end Mariya’s life as the truth unfolds. Together they must combat perversion and pleasure deemed unacceptable by educated society.
Savvy and perceptive, only Janos can protect her… if it isn’t already too late.
First Rider’s Call by Kristen Britain
(sequel to The Green Rider), DAW, $16.00, 639pp, tp, 9780756405724. Fantasy.
Once a simple student, Karigan G’ladheon finds herself in a world of deadly danger and complex magic, compelled by forces she cannot understand, when she becomes a Green Rider—one of the magical messengers of the king. Forced to accept a fate she never would have chosen, she attempts to return to her life as the daughter of a wealthy merchant, but the magic in her blood is too strong. Pursued by the ghost of the legendary First Rider, she rejoins the Green Riders to confront an ancient evil.
Age of Misrule 3: Always Forever by Mark Chadbourn
Pyr, $15.98, 479pp, tp, 9781591027416. Fantasy.
In times of trouble, heroes arise!
The modern world has been transformed into a land of myth, a magical place where fabulous beasts soar on the air currents, a terrifying place where shape-shifting monsters stalk the cities.
Mankind’s days appear numbered. Our only hope—the Brothers and Sisters of Dragons—are scattered and broken after a terrible defeat.
Their last chance may lie in the great court of the old gods, reached by an otherworldly ship filled with fantastical and frightening creatures.
But if our champions fail, the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain will dawn, and the dark god Balor will usher in the eternal night.
Age of Misrule 2: Darkest Hour by Mark Chadbourn
Pyr, $15.98, 480pp, tp, 9781591027409. Fantasy.
In times of trouble, heroes arise!
The Eternal Conflict between the Light and Dark once again blackens the skies and blights the land. On one side stand the Tuatha de Danaan, golden-skinned and beautiful, filled with all the might of angels. On the other are the Fomorii, monstrous devils hell-bent on destroying all human existence. And in the middle are the Brothers and Sisters of Dragons, determined to use the strange power that binds them to the land in a last, desperate attempt to save the human race. Church, Ruth, Ryan, Laura, and Shavi have joined forces with Tom, a hero from the mists of time, to wage a guerrilla war against the iron rule of the gods. But they didn’t count on things going from bad to worse…
Darkest Hour is the stunning continuation of a powerful fantasy saga by one of Britain’s most acclaimed young writers.
Countdown by Greg Cox
Ace, $15.00, 323pp, tp, 9780441017188. Science fiction/media tie-in.
At the end of an age in which time, space, and reality may bow before such sinister forces, the fate of the Earth lies in the hands of five unlikely super heroes who have one destiny to fulfill: to save the world at all costs, regardless of the consequences.
The cataclysmic upheaval in the DC universe that began in Infinite Crisis and continued in 52 is now coming to a head in Greg Cox’s Countdown. The book includes illustrations from well-known comic artist Karl Kersch, who has worked on Superman, The Flash, Robin, and the Teen Titans.
Cosmic legend has it that when the primordial gods of antiquity perished in some bygone cataclysm, the universe gave birth to a new breed of gods who reigned from two eternally warring worlds, the heavenly New Genesis and the hellish Apokolips. Now, a vast conspiracy of evil is determined to eradicate the New Gods, stealing their souls to wield universal power that can destroy all of reality.
Now, in Countdown, dark and strange times are coming as heroes and universes collide: Darkseid plots to recreate time, with himself as chief architect and puppet master. When former Atom, Ray Palmer, is discovered to be alive and lost somewhere in the Nanoverse, both Red Hood and the former Wonder Girl know that locating him is key to surviving the coming crisis that will plague Earth. Mary Marvel, alone and distraught at the loss of her powers, eventually finds Black Adam, who grants Mary’s greatest wish by giving her his deadly powers. But will she use them for good, or will she succumb to evil? Daily Planet photographer and cub reporter Jimmy Olsen finds himself manifesting new and strange superpowers at the unlikeliest of times. Jimmy becomes desperate to find out the truth and source of these powers and he must travel to Apokolips to confront the malevolent Darkseid.
Rift in the Sky by Julie E. Czerneda
(a novel of The Clan Chronicles), DAW, $24.95, 420pp, hc, 9780756405601. Science fiction.
Despite all good intentions, the lure of the Talent to move through space using the M’hir dimension is too much for the Om’ray of Cersi to resist. As awareness of this talent spreads, all those Om’ray who are capable converge on the settlement at Sona. To prevent the disruption of the Agreement and the destruction that it would unleash, the M’hiray, as they now call themselves, agree to leave Cersi forever and try to establish their own haven within the Trade Pact worlds—only to learn that not everybody wants peace.
Phantom Island, Book One: Wind by Krissi Dallas
Author House, $18.98, 416pp, tp, 9781438961798. Fantasy.
There was an unfamiliar sound… like the crashing of angry ocean waves on a shore. My eyes flew open and were immediately struck blind in the harsh sunlight. A myriad of thoughts ran through my head at once as I rolled over on my back, slowly brushing the gritty material off my face. What happened? Isn’t it supposed to be night? How long was I out?
Once my eyes adjusted to the bright light, I gazed at my surroundings in utter confusion. Pure white sand was clinging to my damp skin. Before me stretched an ocean so blue it seemed digital, like a moviemaker’s CG effects. And definitely not like any beach I’d ever seen at home—this was so not Texas.
Eve of Destruction by S.J. Day
(Marked, Book 2), Tor, $6.99, 420pp, pb, 9780765360427. Urban fantasy.
Beloved author S.J. Day earned raves for her debut urban fantasy novel, Eve of Darkness, and now she’s back with Eve of Destruction, the continuing adventures of God’s newest demon-hunter! Evangeline Hollis, cursed with the Mark of Cain and caught in the midst of an ancient sibling rivalry, must make her way through bounty-hunting training and find a secret demon before her life becomes forfeit.
Class is in, but Eve is struggling to get through the requisite training to be a full-fledged Mark. When her class goes on a field trip to an abandoned military base, passing the course isn’t just a matter of pride… it’s a matter of life and death. There’s a demon hidden among them, killing off Eve’s classmaters one by one.
As the body count mounts, a ragtag team of cable TV ghost hunters unwittingly stumbles into the carnage. Now keeping the Mark system secret competes with the need to keep the “paranormal researchers” alive. With Cain on assignment and Abel on an investigation, Eve must fly solo on her hunt to stop a killer before he strikes again.
S.J. Day continues her winning streak with Eve of Destruction! Eve is a sexy, winning character with an attitude that never quits. Her struggles to find her place in this new landscape of angels and demons makes for compelling read. With suspense and romance to spare, Eve of Destruction will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next chapter—and thrilled that it is only one month away.
Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Abyss by Troy Denning
Del Rey/Lucasbooks, $27.00, 352pp, hc, 9780345509185. Science fiction. On-sale date: September 2009.
Tensions are heightening across the galaxy as more Jedi Knights seemingly go insane and anti-Jedi sentiment, fed by fear and mistrust, spreads from world to world. Han and Leia Solo have their hands full helping the Jedi Order keep the affected Knights out of the grip of government security—whose only solution is to freeze the offenders in carbonite.
Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker and his son, Ben, arrive in the mysterious part of space called the Maw, in search of more clues to whatever it was that caused Jacen Solo’s fall to the dark side. It is here, in the Maw, that they will confront the members of a lost Sith tribe who are determined to kill Luke. And it is here, too, where Ben will meet the Force ghost of his dead mother, Mara Jade.
The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Sixth Annual Collection edited by Gardner Dozois
St. Martin’s, $21.95, 688pp, tp, 9780312551056. Science fiction anthology.
In the twenty-sixth edition of the always-anticipated series, 15-time Hugo Award winner Gardner Dozois presents 30 stories, including some that were also nominated for Hugo Awards. The Year’s Best Science Fiction is truly that: bringing together veterans like Michael Swanwick and relative newcomers like Hannu Rajaniemi.
Dozois has selected a wide range of stories from authors well-known and obscure. For fans of literature and the very best short science fiction, this is a great opportunity to dive into 300,000 words from some of the brightest in the field.
The 26th edition includes Garth Nix, Alastair Reynolds, Elizabeth Bear, Greg Egan, Ian McDonald, Nancy Kress, and James Alan Gardner, and their stories are set in the present, future, alternate pasts—in an engaging combination of terrifying and upbeat.
This edition of The Year’s Best Science Fiction is a premier volume of some of the best contemporary literature produced in 2008.
[Contributors: Stephen Baxter, Michael Swanwick, Paolo Bacigalupi, Elizabeth Bear & Sarah Monette, Alastair Reynolds, Ted Kosmatka, Ian McDonald, Dominic Green, Karl Schroeder, Mary Robinette Kowal, Robert Reed, Jay Lake, Paul McAuley, Greg Egan, Mary Rosenblum, Hannu Rajaniemi, Charles Coleman Finlay, James L. Cambias, Maureen McHugh, Geoff Ryman, Paul McAuley, Gwyneth Jones, Daryl Gregory, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Nancy Kress, Garth Nix, James Alan Gardner, Gord Sellar, Aliette de Bodard, and Ian McDonald.]
The New Space Opera 2 edited by Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan
Eos, $15.99, 560pp, tp, 9780061562358. Science fiction anthology. On-sale date: 30 June 2009.
Bold ideas. Breathtaking vision. Grand imagination. Stellar characterization. These are some of the qualities that make space opera the biggest genre in the field—and a perennial fan favorite. Two acclaimed editors contibute the success of their groundbreaking, critically acclaimed anthology The New Space Opera with this second epic collection. The New Space Opera 2 brings together the work of some of the legendary minds behind the genre as well as new talents sure to take it to even greater heights.
[Contributors: Robert Charles Wilson, Peter Watt, John Kessel, Cory Doctorow, John Barnes, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Jay Lake, Neal Asher, Garth Nix, Sean Williams, Bruce Sterling, Bill Willingham, John Meaney, Elizabeth Moon, Tad Williams, Justina Robson, John Scalzi, Mike Resnick, and John C. Wright.]
The Prince of Frogs by Annaliese Evans
Tor, $6.99, 368pp, pb, 9780765361677. Historical paranormal romance.
Rosemarie Barrows has successfully defeated an ogre uprising that threatened the lives of humans and supernaturals alike. Now she’s trying to forget her lingering attraction to her handsome fey adviser, Ambrose Minuit, and to settle into life with her new husband, Gareth, Lord Shenley. Unfortunately, Gareth’s suspicious behavior is driving a wedge between the newlyweds.
Gareth Barrows is hiding an old secret, a problem he thought he’d already resolved—and would never have to reveal. But his past has come back to haunt him, placing his future, his marriage, and his very life at risk.
Bloodlines. Ancestry. Heritage. Nothing is as it seems for Rose or Gareth, and as they struggle to unravel the truth, an unseen enemy lurks in the shadows, ready to silence them… forever.
Jimmy the Hand by Raymond E. Feist & S.M. Stirling
(Legends of the Riftwar: Book III), Eos, $7.99, 384pp, pb, 9780060792992. Fantasy.
Jimmy the Hand, boy thief of Krondor, lived in the shadows of the city.
Though gifted beyond his peers, Jimmy is merely a pick-pocket with potential—until he aids Prince Arutha in the rescue of Princess Anita from Duke Guy du Bas-Tyra, and runs afoul of “Black Guy’s” secret police. Facing a choice between disappearing on his own or in a weighted barrel at the bottom of Krondor’s harbor, Jimmy chooses the former.
Forced to flee the only home he’s ever known, Jimmy finds himself among the unsuspecting rural villagers of Land’s End, where he hopes to prosper with his talents for con and thievery. But Land’s End is home to many who tread the crooked path—and to a dark, dangerous presence even the local smugglers don’t recognize. And suddenly Jimmy’s youthful bravado and courage are leading him into the maw of chaos… and, quite possibly, to his doom.
The Ascent of George Washington: The Hidden Political Genius of an American Icon by John Ferling
Bloomsbury, $26.00, 464pp, hc, 9781596914650. History.
Bestselling historian John Ferling draws on his unsurpassed knowledge of the Founding Fathers to provide a fresh and provocative new portrait of the greatest of them all, George Washington.
Even compared to his fellow founders, George Washington stands tall. Our first president has long been considered a stoic hero, holding himself above the rough-and-tumble politics of his day. Now John Ferling peers behind that image, carefully burnished by Washington himself, to show us a leader who was not only not above politics, but a canny infighter—a master of persuasion, manipulation, and deniability.
In the War of Independence, Washington used his skills to steer the Continental Army through crises that would have broken less determined men; he squeezed out rival generals and defused dissent from those below him. Ending the war as a national hero, Washington “allowed” himself to be pressed into the presidency, guiding the nation with the same brilliantly maintained pose of selfless public interest. In short, Washington deftly screened a burning ambition behind his image of republican virtue—but that image, maintained not without cost, made him just the leader the overmatched army, and then the shaky young nation, desperately needed.
Ferling argues that not only was Washington one of America’s most adroit politicians—the proof of his genius is that he is no longer thought of as a politician at all.
This book is reviewed on Ian Randal Strock’s Presidential blog.
The Moirae Effect by Craig Fox
PublishAmerica, $29.95, 387pp, tp, 1608365409.
Following his near death in 1995, Detective Jack Reardon awakens eighty years in the future. He has been retrieved by an institution that uses time travel to bring together great minds from the past to serve humanity. Reardon’s task: capture serial killer Joseph Fiines, who has escaped from the institution after being mistakenly retrieved from Reardon’s time. Reardon succeeds in capturing the killer, but the attempt to return him to the past is sabotaged and Fiines himself is killed.
Reardon now faces a dilemma—Fiines must be returned to the past to live out his life as destined, thus preserving history, but that now seems impossible. A risky plan is conceived, but complicated by the unknown saboteur, who desperately wants to prevent Fiines’ return to the past. To assure the plan’s success, Reardon must identify the saboteur and make an unthinkable personal sacrifice.
Witch Way to the Mall edited by Esther Friesner
Baen, $7.99, 406pp, pb, 9781439132746. Fantasy anthology.
Move over, urban fantasy—here comes suburban fantasy.
What self-respecting witch, vampire, or werewolf would be caught dead—or undead—anywhere but the Big City, you may ask? Look, let’s give the uncanny crew a little credit for intelligencec: Why wouldn’t they have the smarts to move out of said cities if it looked like they could get a better quality-of-life/death elsewhere?
So let’s welcome our first group of supernatural suburbanites, the witches. Their powers are awesome, their methods of coping with the idiosyncrasies of Suburbia are ingenious, and they always bring the loveliest gingerbread to the PTA bake sale. But whatever you do, don’t try telling them that life in a non-city setting is bland, banal and boring, or you might get turned into…ribbit!
[Contributors: Harry Turtledove, Steven Piziks, Lee Martindale, Kevin Andrew Murphy, Hildy Silverman, Sarah A. Hoyt, Dave Freer, Storm Christopher, Selina Rosen, Esther M. Friesner, David Vierling, K.D. Wentworth, Jan and S.M. Stirling, David D. Levine, Robin Wayne Bailey, Brenda W. Clough, Ellie Tupper, Berry Kerchveal, Daniel M. Hoyt, Julia S. Mandala, and Jody Lynn Nye.]
There Be Dragons by Heather Graham (illustrated by Cherif Fortin and Lynn Sanders)
Medallion, $29.95, 128pp, hc (includes original soundtrack CD), 9781605420714. Illustrated Romance. On-sale date: September 2009.
Nico d’Or was a kind and gentle man who lived in the age of dragons. Through a simple twist of fate, Nico married the lovely Princess Elisia, and the couple were blessed with a beautiful daughter, Marina. Would they live happily ever after?
Well, not quite. The neighbor’s wife, Geovana, was neither sweet nor lovely, but a devious sorceress who spent her time casting dreadful spells, devising vile tricks, and mixing powerful potions with the eye of newt and the horn of toad.
Geovana used one of her favorite spells—strategically hurling rocks through windows to smash into the heads of her victims—tragically killing both Nico and Elisia, and leaving the beautiful Marina all alone. To make matters worse, Geovana became Marina’s guardian and, greedy for power, arranged a marriage between Marina and her own evil son, Carlo Baristo.
But Marina was in love with someone else. And as Christmas Day approached, Marina was faced with a terrible choice: save her land and her people, or follow her heart and believe in the magic of Christmas and true love.
Darkscape: Redemption by R. Garland Gray
Medallion, $7.95, 378pp, pb, 9781933836553. Science fiction romance. On sale-date: December 2009.
In this second book of the Darkscape series, Declan de Douglas has come to Planet Forest to negotiate a trade agreement with Clan MacKendrick during a time of precarious peace. Its 3211, and Ancient Earth is a distant memory. As a child on Planet Mars, he learned that knowledge means preventative clout, but no education acquired in the Braemar Keep of Clan Douglas could prepare him for the peril that awaits him on his mission.
Princess Fallon MacKendrick is drawn to the Douglas “Savage” from the day he enters the MacKendrick Castle Keep. Her betrothal contract prohibits her from pursuing Declan, a member of an untrustworthy clan, but he stirs her like no other. When he is kidnapped, collared, and sold to a space-age brothel to provide stud service, Fallon infiltrates this high-tech prostitution ring to rescue the haunted man who touched her heart.
Destined to be her lover, Declan is at the mercy of a woman who loves not only his body but his spirit. A product of DNA synthesis, his days are numbered unless his soul accepts the altered state of his physical makeup. Princess Fallon holds his life in her hands, the only woman with the power to save him from his captors… and himself.
The Atlantis Legacy by Thomas Greanias
(contains Raising Atlantis and The Atlantis Prophecy), Pocket, $12.00, 543pp, tp, 9781439149027. Fiction.
Raising Atlantis is a bold action adventure thriller that trails a radical American archeologist, his estranged father, and a beautiful Vatican linguist as they delve into the heart of Antarctica, where they hope to find the lost city of Atlantis. Together, they explore a hidden world beneath the ice and discover something that threatens the very existence of humanity—thrusting them into a deadly race against the apocalypse.
The culmination of centuries is upon us, when the myths of a lost civilization and the prophecies of the world’s great religions lead a man and a woman to a shattering discovery that will change the fate of humanity forever. Raising Atlantis is the ultimate voyage, a journey to the center of time, as awe-inspiring as the dawn of man—and as inevitable as doomsday.
In the explosive thriller The Atlantis Prophecy, archeologist Conrad Yeats returns for another foray into the very core of his country’s being. The suspense begins with a mysterious military burial at Arlington National Cemetery, which leads to a shocking legacy that has explosive implications for America’s existence.
Yeats discovers in his father’s tombstone the key to a centuries-old warning built into the very design of Washington, DC. The foundations of the city, the major monuments along the National Mall, are astronomically aligned and are about to “lock” with the stars at a date foreseen by the Founding Fathers. Along with Serena Serghetti, a beautiful Vatican linguist with secrets of her own, Yeats explores the hidden world beneath the capital in a deadly race to save it. America has a date with destiny, and the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
The Atlantis Legacy combines the two electrifying best-sellers Raising Atlantis and The Atlantis Prophecy into one gripping volume. Readers will race through the pages alongside Conrad Yeats to save the fate of humankind.
Gamer Fantastic edited by Martin H. Greenberg & Kerrie Hughes
DAW, $7.99, 320pp, pb, 9780756405632. Fantasy anthology.
“The game’s the thing!” And whether it is a knight’s quest, a World War I air battle, a hack-and-slash campaign to “rescue the elf princess,” a tool to find the path back to mental health, or a virtual haven from “real world” woes, you’ll find yourself caught up in all the twists and turns, the quests and charcters that fill the pages of Gamer Fantastic.
Whether you spend your evenings enmeshed in computer games, or gather with your friends for war games every weekend, or faithfully attend gaming conventions year after year—or you just enjoy reading stories with three-dimensional settings and characters facing imaginative challenges, you’ll find what you are looking for in these thirteen brand-new tales created by veterans of the fantasy realms. And as an added bonus, there is a special Introduction by Margaret Weis, and a tribute to Gary Gygax by Ed Greenwood.
So arm yourself for a fun-filled time as you join the ranks in—Gamer Fantastic.
[Contributors: Chris Pierson, Donald J. Bingle, Ed Greenwood, Jody Lynn Nye, Jim C. Hines, Richard Lee Byers, Bill Fawcett, S.L. Farrell, Brian M. Thomsen, Jean Rabe, David D. Levine, Steven E. Schend, and Kristine Kathryn Rusch.]
Beauty’s Curse by Traci E. Hall
Medallion, $7.95, 430pp, pb, 9781933836560. Paranormal romance. On-sale date: November 2009.
Galiana Montehue is beautiful, hallowed, and adored. Envied by her rivals and coveted by her suitors, this privileged lady of the manor enjoys the attention and esteem bestowed only on young women blessed with physical perfection. What more could a late-twelfth-century Welsh heroine need to shine at court?
Lord Rourke Wallis suffers a head injury at Galiana’s hands, rendering him blind and dependent. He never sees the beauty shhe curses with vehemence.
Defending her twin brothers from Rourke’s drawn sword, she must live with the horrible debilitating consequences of her attack as she nurses the honorable knight. For the first time, she experiences a man’s sincere affection and genuine integrity. In his dark and depressing internal prison, Rourke discovers a depth of passion impossible to find in the superficial realm of medieval fashion and visual charms. The gentle touch of her warm, delicate hands and the arousing lavender scent of her vibrant body awaken in Rourke a fervor he cannot deny. Galiana entices him like no other, drawing him into a tactile, sensual haven.
Yet the fulfillment of his desire must wait until the completion of his mission. Stolen from King William’s treasures, the magical Breath of Merlin must be recovered. This mysterious stone from antiquity contains supernatural power that royalty will fight to possess. Together they must unlock the secret to this dangerous, mystical gem, or face a future without the love they so recently discovered.
Promise of the Wolves by Dorothy Hearst
(book one of The Wolf Chronicles trilogy), Simon & Schuster, $15.00, 341pp, tp, 9781416569992. Fiction.
Promise of the Wolves launches The Wolf Chronicles trilogy, Dorothy Hearst’s arresting new series that blends imaginative storytelling with evolutionary science as it explores the ancient relationship between man and wolf. An anthropomorphic tale in the bestselling tradition of Watership Down and The Clan of the Cave Bear, Hearst’s thoroughly researched, beautifully told narrative is set 14,000 years ago, and follows the fate of the Swift River pack and the endearing, indomitable she-wolf, Kaala.
As a young pup, Kaala has no idea that her destiny is inextricably tied to the humans who arduously share the Wide Valley with the wolves. Sired by a wolf outside the pack, Kaala and her siblings are “half-bloods,” slated to be killed by Ruuqo, the Swift River leader, and so she is more concerned with survival. But unlike her doomed littermates, Kaala’s life is spared when the Greatwolves, rulers of the Wide Valley, glimpse the mark of the crescent moon on her chest and, sensing that she is special and unique, order that she not be killed. Though she is allowed to live, she is resented by many in the pack, who label her an outsider and see the crescent mark she bears as an ill omen. With her own mother banished from the pack after vowing to her only surviving daughter that they will one day be reunited, Kaala is forced to fight for her place amongst her fellow pups who refuse to accept her as pack.
As the months pass, Kaala begins to develop into an astute young wolf. But she and her only friends in the pack, Marra and Azzuen (the runt of her aunt Rissa’s litter), must scramble for attention and contend with the challenges and trials of gaining acceptance into their pack. Kaala proves a good hunter, with sharp instincts, yet even the pleasure of her first hunt is denied her by Ruuqo, who would like nothing better than to see her dead. In her anger and frustration, she wanders away from the pack, across the Tall Grass Plain, straying to the encampment of the humans. All wolves must abide the covenant to resist the preternatural attraction to humans, but Kaala’s is particularly strong, and despite the warnings of her elders, she befriends a human girl—a secret liaison that will have irreversible consequences for the future of wolves and humans.
Wolves and humans have been sometimes allies and sometimes enemies since the beginning of time, and as the human population grows, these canny hunters threaten to take more than their fair share of the available prey. Legend has it that long ago, in a time of famine, a wolf called Indru teamed with the humans to teach them the way of the wolf in order to help both species survive. What Kaala does not yet know is that she is the last in a bloodline charged with watching over the humans, and that the duty of keeping them from losing touch with nature and thus destroying the world lies upon her young shoulders. In the midst of a pending war between human and wolves, Kaala must face the challenge of fulfilling her destiny while remaining true to her pack and abiding by the promise of the wolf.
In writing Promies of the Wolves, Dorothy Hearst has immersed herself in extensive study of these fascinating animals, and she subtly weaves what has been documented about wolf behavior and biology into her compelling tale. With its timely ecological message, this first volume of The Wolf Chronicles is an ageless evocation of our co-evolution with wolves and later dogs—a symbiotic relationship enjoyed the world over.
The Year of Disappearances: An Ethical Vampire Novel by Susan Hubbard
Simon & Schuster, $14.00, 287pp, tp, 9781416552727. Fiction.
With The Year of Disappearances, Susan Hubbard continues the fascinating new vampire series that began with The Society of S, which Carolyn Parkhurst, author of The Dogs of Babel, called “A triumpg of modern gothic storytelling.” Picking up the story of 14-year-old Ariella Montero just after the chemical fire that almost killed her and her father—the dashing, intellectual vampire, Raphael—The Year of Disappearances finds Ari living with her mother in Homosassa Springs, Florida, and navigating the emotional torrents of an adolescence made all the more complicated by her secret vampirism. Over the course of a dramatic year, Ari will encounter abduction and murder, leave for college, and be immersed in a new world of political engagement with international implications.
The vampire world that Ari, her parents, and their friends inhabit is not the cliched realm of countless horror films. These are ethical vampires, who eschew the drinking of human blood by imbibing alternative sera and, by taking precautions, live among ordinary mortals. Imbued with special powers, in particular the ability to read others’ thoughts, they cluster in vampire colonies that are invisible parts of ordinary communities around the world. While Ari has been home-schooled and somewhat sequestered by her mother, whom she calls Mae, she is nonetheless drawn to the world of average teenagers. So when the possibility of friendship with two Homoassa girls—Mysty and Autumn—presents itself, she seeks out their company, although she finds their obsession with mundane teenage affairs hard to embrace.
It is not long before Mysty disappears, presumed dead by the police. Ari reports that she saw a beige van, driven by a menacing, blank-eyed man, lurking nearby just before Mysty vanished. But, the fact that Ari once before was closely linked to the death of a young girl—her friend Kathleen back in Saratoga Springs, New York—raises many of the townspeople’s suspicions about the role she herself may have played. In order to protect her daughter, Mae arranges for the precocious Ari to enroll in college at her own alma mater, an alternative Georgia school called Hillhouse. Once there, Ari enjoys a new world of independence and intellectual stimulation, becomes more interested in environmental issues, and begins her first serious relationship with a boy—aspiring magician Walker Pearson.
But trouble again follows Ari. When Autumn comes to visit the campus and her corpse later turns up in the Okefenokee Swamp, suspicion surrounds Ari. Then, on a field trip to Savannah to attend a Third-Parties Caucus with her political science class, Ari quickly realizes that the leading presidential candidate just happens to be a vampire. Suddenly, the collision of her worlrd and the world of ordinary humans could take on much farther-reaching ramifications.
“Mysterious… one of the really good reads of the year… Any Stephenie Meye fan would enjoy The Society of S,” said Charlaine Harris of Hubbard’s first novel. As Ari’s story is further revealed, Hubbard once again works her narrative magic, deftly imagining the “mystery, romance, poetry and self-exploration” of a world where vampires and mortals coexist, though not always easily. The Year of Disappearances is a spellbinding yet topical novel of politics and current affairs delivered in the form of a gripping supernatural quest.
Skinwalker by Faith Hunter
(a Jane Yellowrock novel), Roc, $7.99, 321pp, pb, 9780451462800. Fantasy.
Skinwalker is the first in a brand-new urban fantasy series from Faith Hunter, starring skinwalker Jane Yellowrock—a creature of Native American legend who can turn into any creature she desires. She also happens to hunt vampires for a living!
When a rogue vampire is killing other vamps in New Orleans, Jane is commissioned to find him. Between a bordello full of real “ladies of the night,” a hot Cajun biker with a panther tattoo who’s watching Jane like a hawk, and a rogue vampire who can beat some of the oldest vamps in town, this Skinwalker has her hands full.
Wicked City: Black Guard by Hideyuki Kikuchi
Tor/Seven Seas, $9.99, 272pp, tp, 9780765323309. Novel. On-sale date: October 2009.
The neo-noir animated film Wicked City is considered a classic of Japanese anime, based off the acclaimed novels of horror master Hideyuki Kikuchi. This October, Tor/Seven Seas is thrilled to present the North American debut of the first in Kikuchi’s seminal series, with all new cover art and interior illustrations, Wicked City: Black Guard.
Hideyuki Kikuchi is considered by American anime fans to be the “Stephen King” of the genre. Like Kikuchi’s groundbreaking Vampire Hunter D series,Wicked City is an epic ten-volumem tale of supernatural horror and high-octane action. A live-action Hollywood movie is currently in pre-production, with director Mark Dippe (Spawn) attached to both direct and co-produce. Prior to the film’s release, Tor/Seven Seas will also publish an original manga preequel to the movie.
For centuries, a secret peace treaty has existed between Earth and The Black World, a parallel dimension populated by shape-changers with awesome supernatural powers. Now that pact is up for renewal and a militant faction from the Black World will do everything in its power to stop the treaty from being resigned. The fate of the Earth rests on the shoulders of a pair of special agents, one a human, the other a shape-changer from the dark dimension… with all new art, Wicked City: Black Guard will illustrate Kikuchi’s classic story like never before.
Gotrek & Felix: The Third Omnibus by William King & Nathan Long
(contains Giantslayer, Orcslayer, and Manslayer), Black Library, $13.99, 768pp, tp, 9781844167333. Fantasy.
Fantasy doesn’t get much more fun that Gotrek & Felix!
Would-be poet Felix Jaeger accidentally signs up for a lifetime of adventure after swearing a drunken oath to the dwarf, Gotrek Gurnisson. The trollslayer is wandering through the Old World, seeking a suitable death in combat to redeem his honour. As the pair survive one adventure after another, with Gotrek vanquishing the most fearsome opponents, Felix may never be able to fulfill his vow alive and return to a normal, peaceful life.
Volume three of Gotrek and Felix includes the books Giantslayer, Orcslayer, and Manslayer. As an extra added bonus we have included the highly sought after novella—Redhand’s Daughter, by William King. Book eleven in the series, Shamanslayer, will be out in the Fall of 2009.
Winter Duty by E.E. Knight
(a novel of The Vampire Earth), Roc, $24.95, 343pp, hc, 9780451462749. Fantasy.
Winter Duty, the eighth installment of E.E. Knight’s action-packed Vampire Earth series, continues the story of Major David Valentine and his efforts to keep a coalition of rebellious clans together in opposition to the vampiric Kurians.
David Valentine and his fugitive battalion are the remnants of an expeditionary force shattered in its long retreat from disaster in the Appalachians. Between a raging blizzard, bands of headhunters, and the need to recover wounded soldiers lost during the retreat, Valentine is in for the toughest winter of his life. Valentine is losing his allies fast and some of the clans in the region have declared themselves in favor of the Kurians, throwing Kentucky into civil war. But the Kurian overlords have determined that the region isn’t worth the effort of another conquest. Their order is extermination by whatever means necessary.
The Dark Reaches by Kristin Landon
Ace, $7.99, 293pp, pb, 9780441017348. Science fiction.
The Dark Reaches is a terrific science fiction novel following Kristin Landon’s The Cold Minds and The Hidden Worlds. This book blends elements of military SF, space opera, and romance to make for a gripping read.
Humanity sought refuge on the far flung Hidden Worlds after the Cold Minds and their nanotech destroyed Earth. After six centuries, people have grown complacent. When renegade pilots Iain sen Paolo and Linnea Kiaho struggle to persuade the people to accept some hard truths, they discover something even more difficult to accept: the remnants of humanity still survive in Earth’s solar system. Linnea and Iain embark on a dangerous journey to the ruins of Earth, risking discovery by the Cold Minds, in order to bring the remaining humans back to safety.
The Horus Heresy: Fallen Angels by Mike Lee
Black Library, $7.99, 416pp, pb, 9781844167296. Science fiction.
A test of loyalty in the newest Horus Heresy novel.
As news of Horus’s treachery spreads the Great Crusade grinds to a halt as the primarchs and their Legions decide where their loyalty lies—with the Emperor, or the Warmaster Horus. In this sequel to Descent of Angels, the Dark Angels too face a time of testing, both amongst the stars, and their home world, Caliban.
The Horus Heresy series of books has been one of the most successful science fiction lines in the industry today with over one million books in print. Fallen Angels should add to that success and broaden the arc of the story. Dan Abnett and Graham McNeill will pen the next two, back-to-back books out in the spring dealing with the fall of Prospero called Prospero Burns and A Thousand Sons respectively.
Fledgling by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Baen, $24.00, 384pp, hc, 9781439132876. Fantasy. On-sale date: September 2009.
Theo Waitley has lived all her young life on Delgado, a Safe World that is home to one of the galaxy’s premier institutions of higher learning. Both Theo’s mother, Kamele, and Kamele’s onagrata Jen Sar Kiladi, are professors at the university, and they all live comfortably together, just like they have for all of Theo’s life, in Jen Sar’s house at the outskirts of town.
Suddenly, though, Theo’s life changes. Kamele leaves Jen Sar and moves herself and Theo back into faculty housing, which is not what Theo is used to. Once settled back inside the Wall, Kamele becomes embroiled in faculty politics, and is appointed sub-chair of her department. Meanwhile, Theo, who has a notation in her file indicating that she is “physically challenged” has a series of misadventures, including pulling her best friend down on the belt-ride to class, and hurting a team mate during a scavage game.
With notes piling up in her file, Theo only wants to go “home,” to the house in the suburbs, and have everything just like it used to be.
Then, Kamele uncovers evidence of possible dishonest scholarship inside of her department. In order to clear the department, she and a team of senior professors must go off-world to perform a forensic document search. Theo hopes this will mean that she’ll be left in the care of the man she calls “Father,” Professor Kiladi, and is horrified to learn that Kamele means to bring Theo with her!
Darkness Calls by Marjorie M. Liu
(Hunter Kiss book 2), Ace, $7.99, 303pp, pb, 9780441017300. Fantasy.
Darkness Calls is the second installment of Marjorie M. Liu’s Hunter Kiss series featuring heroine Maxine Kiss, a tattoo-covered zombie hunter and protector of the earth. Maxine’s tattoos are not made of ordinary ink; they serve as armor during the day and unravel from her body at night to take the shape of demons that protect Maxine from harm.
Maxine Kiss’ story began with the novella Hunter Kiss, included in the Wildthing anthology, which proved so popular with readers that Marjorie Liu expanded on the idea to create a new urban fantasy series that follows the adventures of Maxine Kiss. The first full-length novel in that series, The Iron Hunt, debuted last year to critical acclaim and left readers wanting more. Maxine’s story continues in Darkness Calls, and this time, she is the only one standing between humanity and the demons that would destroy it.
Maxine’s love, Grant, is the last of his kind who is truly free. His race was both enslaved and exterminated by the Avatars—a violent sect of beings divided by internal struggle—and the survivors were genetically altered to manipulate energy. The Avatars are so cruel, they also altered their own people. And now they want Grant dead. Maxine takes on the terrifying mission of protecting him. She is the only one who can keep him safe…
Goddess by Fiona McIntosh
(Book Three of the Percheron Saga), Eos, $7.99, 572pp, pb, 9780060899134. Fantasy.
While enemy ships threaten Percheron’s harbor, heroic Lazar lies afflicted with the drezden illness and cannot rise. And Zaradine Ana has been taken prisoner by the mysterious Arafanz and his warriors, and is believed to be with child—carrying the heir to the throne, the unborn son of Zar Boaz.
Torn by an inner conflict raging between heart and head, Zar Boaz can think only of Ana, even as his land sits poised on the brink of devastating war. Launching a daring, desperate plan, he calls for his country’s strongest to make one more foray into the desert… even as the Goddess reaches the crest of her ascent, throwing mortal and divine alike into chaotic battle for the soul of Percheron.
Wildfire by Sarah Micklem
(sequel to Firethorn), Scribner, $30.00, 520pp, hc, 9780743265249. Fantasy.
In 2004, Scribner published Firethorn, which Publishers Weekly praised in a starred review, calling it “a majestic and powerful debut.” Now the long-awaited sequel has arrived. In Wildfire the incredible journey of Firethorn, the loving, reckless, lowborn narrator of this breathtaking trilogy, continues. It is the compelling tale of a woman stripped of everything she has taken for granted, down to the very bedrock of self.
At the end of the first book, Firethorn, Sire Galan forbids his servant and lover Firethorn to follow him to war, but she disobeys, choosing to face the hardships of war rather than safety without him. Firethorn sets sail for Incus with the army of Corym, and is struck by lightning during a storm at sea. When she regains consciousness, she is haunted by shades and visions, her speech is garbled, her memory is in tatters, and her destiny has been altered.
Galan welcomes Firethorn, but she is not quite the same woman he tried to leave behind. The army marches toward a decisive battle, and rumor spreads that Firethorn has survived the blessing of a god, Ardor Wildfire. Yet she feels cursed. She strives to reconstruct her lost knowledge of healing, but cannot heal herself. She struggles to speak her mind, even as soldiers search her nonsensical utterances for hidden prophecies. But it is not until Firethorn is captured by the defeated king of Incus that she is forced to trust in her purported power of foresight. To save her life, she serves as King Corvus’s seer and guide when he flees with the remnants of his army to the kingdom of Lambanein. There, a world away from Galan, Firethorn discovers not only the land and language she was born to, but a life of unexpected luxury and power. The privilege comes at a price, one she ultimately cannot bear.
In Wildfire, Micklem draws on history, anthropology, and the neurosciencce of aphasia to depict Firethorn’s journey. This is what epic fantasy looks like from underneath. Love between a servant and her master doesn’t overcome all obstacles; it is fettered by inequality, flawed by mistrust. War isn’t an epic clash between good and evil; it is an army on campaign with women and children, a way of life. And magic isn’t a matter for battling wizards; it is a belief system expressed in healing, curses, and divination. Micklem brings her lush prose and rich imagination to the second installment of a trilogy set in an imaginary world as real as history and as marvelous as legend.
Haze by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
Tor, $24.95, 303pp, hc, 9780765323026. Science fiction.
Bestselling author L.E. Modesitt, Jr., has thrilled fans with his internationally acclaimed and extremely popular fantasy and science fiction, taking readers to worlds of stunning imagination. With his latest novel, Haze, Modesitt spins together exciting adventure and fascinating political and philosophical ideas.
What lies beneath the millions of orbiting nanotech satellites that shround the world called Haze?
Major Keir Roget’s mission is to make planetfall in secret, then report his findings back to his superiors in the Federation, the Chinese-dominated government which rules Earth and the colonized planets.
For all his effectiveness as a security agent, Roget is troubled by memories of an earlier assignment in his career. As a covert operative in the Noram backcountry town of St. George, he not only discovered that the long-standing Saint culture was neither as backward nor as harmless as his superiors believed, but he barely emerged with his life and sanity whole.
Now, scouting Haze, he finds a culture both seemingly familiar but frighteningly alien, with hints of a technology far superior to that of the Federation. Yet he is not quite certain how much of what he sees is real—or how to convey a danger he cannot even prove to his superiors, if he can escape Haze…
Longtime fans of L.E. Modesitt, Jr., know that his books are always full of adventure and heroism. He brings these elments once again in Haze, as well as addressing bigger questions of conscious and responsibility. Haze will certainly satisfy longtime Modesitt fans as well as any science fiction devotee.
The 2009 Rhysling Anthology edited by Drew Morse
The Science Fiction Poetry Association, $12.99, 173pp, tp, 9787770056468. Science fiction poetry anthology.
The Best SF, Fantasy & Horror Poetry of 2009, Selected by the Science Fiction Poetry Association.
[Contributors: Diana Adams, Mary Alexandra Agner, Brian Aldiss, Francis W. Alexander, Mike Allen, Aaron Benson, F.J. Bergmann, Anthony G. Bernstein, Bruce Boston, Chris Burdette, Christopher M. Cevasco, G.O. Clark, Billy Collins, C.S.E. Cooney, Camilla Decarnin, Malcolm Deeley, James S. Dorr, Amal El-Mohtar, Kendall Evans, Gemma Files, Francesca Forrest, Bryn Fortey, Cornelius Fortune, Joshua Gage, Jeannine Hall Gailey, Delbert R. Gardner, Lyn C.A. Gardner, Charles Gramlich, Todd Hanks, Samantha Henderson, Linda Hogan, Deborah P. Kolodji, David C. Kopaska-Merkel, Geoffrey A. Landis, Beth Langford, Patrick Lawler, Rose Lemberg, Sandra Lindow, Joy Marchand, J.M. McDermott, Pam McNew, David Memmott, Edward Morriss, Kristine Ong Muslim, Karen L. Newman, Rhonda Parrish, Caitlyn Paxson, Terrie Leigh Relf, Mark Rich, Marsheila Rockwell, Karen A. Romanko, J.C. Runolfson, Greg Schwartz, Peter Sears, Marge Simon, William Browning Spencer, J.E. Stanley, Lynn Strongin, Sonya Taaffe, Marcie Lynn Tentchoff, Jen Valencia, Catherynne M. Valente, JoSelle Vanderhooft, Sandy Walejko, Ian Watson, Jessica Paige Wick, Stephen M. Wilson, and Jane Yolen.]
Star Flight by Andre Norton
Baen, $7.99, 503pp, pb, 9781439132722. Science fiction.
Two complete novels of courageous men and women whose only hope was escape in an untested starship to other worlds of bright promise—and unknown dangers:
The Stars Are Ours: Dard Nordis’s brother was murdered by the global dictatorship of Pax, which has ordered the death of all scientists. Now he is on the run, trying to find the secret stronghold of his brother’s friends and colleagues, where the few remaining scientists are desperately building a spaceship to escape to the stars.
Star Born: Centuries after Pax’s overthrow, Rof Kurbi’s spaceship reaches the planet Astra, unaware that the planet has a colony established by the fugitives from Earth. Nor do they know that the apparently friendly natives of the planet are actually the malevolent remnants of a corrupt civilization that is planning to eliminate all humans from Astra.
City of Souls by Vicki Pettersson
(The Fourth Sign of the Zodiac), Eos, $7.99, 352pp, pb, 9780061456787. Fiction.
It’s not just about vampires anymore—and Vicki Pettersson is living proof. Her explosive novels of dark, supernatural adventure have made her a New York Times bestselling author, and have developed a cult-status following. So just what is it about Urban Fiction that attracts such insatiable readers? Executive Editor Diana Gill sums it up: “I couldn’t be happier to spend time in versions of our world that are just a bit shinier and sharper, plus rip-roaring and sometimes hard-hitting stories to boot.”
Pettersson’s enormous success is sure to continue with the forthcoming City of Souls. It’s a thrilling tale of the eternal struggle of Light vs. Shadow played out behind the scenes in Sin City.
Joanna Archer grew up a mere mortal—albeit a privileged one, as the daughter of a Las Vegas casino mogul. A violent attack in her past left Joanna vengeful and incomplete, but she has come out stronger, empowered by her mother’s heritage as the Zodiac’s Archer of Light. With her newfound allies and status she has discovered strength and a chance at love, despite the evil that never rests.
In City of Souls, Joanna breaches a mystifying realm called Midheaven, where no one returns as they entered. She must prevail in her encounters with rogue agents, the strange beings of Midheaven, and the Tulpa (the most powerful force of all). All the while Joanna struggles with an inner battle, wrestling her growing romantic feelings for Hunter, a fellow agent of Light.
Red Moon: Looming of a New World Order by Ron Roman Riales
iUniverse, $15.95, 227pp, tp, 9780595455034. Fiction.
Dr. Jennifer Bently recently completed her government residency obligation as a physician for the American Indians near their Nevada reservation. After being selected to do genetic research for the federal government, Jennifer is excited about this new chapter in her future, even though it will take place at a secret military installation.
When Jennifers arrives as a US Air Force base to be briefed, she is unprepared for the seemingly sci-fi specifics of her new job. General Dan Graves informs her that she will be conducting medical research on the genetics of extraterrestrials. Both excited at the positive possibilities and the potential fallout, Jennifer travels to the military base confident that she can use her skills to make a difference in the world of science.
But the underground installation in the Mojave Desert is nothing like she expected, and what was once a place full of promise becomes a chamber of unspeakable horrors. Now, Jennifer and General Graves must fight to keep the deadly secret—that could very well threaten the entire world—buried deep beneath the desert floor.
Vicious Circle by Linda Robertson
Pocket/Juno, $7.99, 384pp, pb, 9781439154281. Fantasy.
Witches and werewolves don’t mix…
Being a witch doesn’t pay the bills, but Persephone Alcmedi gets by between reading Tarot cards, writing her syndicated newspaper column, and kenneling werewolves in the basement when the moon is full—even if witches aren’t supposed to mingle with wolves. She really reaches the end of her leash, though, when her grandmother gets kicked out of the nursing home, and Seph finds herself in the doghouse about some things she’s written. Then here werewolf friend Lorrie is murdered… and the high priestess of an important coven offers Seph big money to destroy the killer, a powerful vampire named Goliath Kline. Seph is a tough girl, but this time she bites off more than she can chew. She needs a little help from her friends—werewolf friends. One of those friends, Johnny, the motorcycle-riding lead singer for the techno-metal-Goth band Lycanthropia, has a crush on her. And while Seph has always been on edge around this 6’2″ leather-clad hunk, she’s starting to realize that while their attraction may be dangerous, nothing could be as lethal as the showdown that awaits them.
Of Berserkers, Swords & Vampires: A Saberhagen Retrospective by Fred Saberhagen
Baen, $23.00, 278pp, hc, 9781439132692. Science fiction collection.
Welcome to the worlds of Fred Saberhagen
Among the many works of best-selling author Fred Saberhagen are three particularly popular series:
* The Berserker series tells of the struggle of all living things, against the ultimate enemy, the berserkers. Programmed by a long extinct race to fight in a conflict that ended in mutual destruction, the berserkers, gigantic seemingly indestructible automated war machines, continue their mission to seek and destroy all life.
* The Swords and Lost Swords series lead the reader on a high fantasy adventure into a world where technology is the stuff of myth and the ancient gods are very much alive.
* The Dracula series portrays an old friend Dracula, as he sees himself, that is, as a handsome, ethical, loyal representative of an alternate branch of humanity, which unhappily seems to breed quite a few rogue members who must be brought to task.
This retrospective of Saberhagen’s work presents short stories from all three series along with some of the best of Fred’s other short stories. Spanning mroe than four decades of work, from Fred’s first-published story to his last-written story with samples from everything in between, the collection marks the scope and achievements of a remarkable writer’s career.
As Joan Spicci Saberhagen writes in her foreword, “Even Fred’s most ardent fans will have a fresh look at his talents. Whatever the setting, Fred’s stories provide fast-moving action and a thought-provoking theme.”
[Contents: “Introduction” by Joan Spicci Saberhagen; “The Long Way Home”; “Volume PAA-PYX”; “To Mark the Year on Azlaroc”; “Martha”; “Planeteer”; “Blind Man’s Blade”; “BERSERKER, the Introduction”; “Stone Place”; “The Bad Machines”; “White Bull”; “THE DRACULA TAPE—An Excerpt”; “Box Number Fifty”; and “A Drop of Something Special in the Blood”]
Red Gold Bridge by Patrice Sarath
Ace, $7.99, 310pp, pb, 9780441017355. Fantasy.
Red Gold Bridge is Patrice Sarath’s newest adventure-filled fantasy novel following Gordath Wood.
In Red Gold Bridge the door between Earth and Aeritan has opened again, and dangers of Aeritan are threatening. Colar, whose life was saved by 21st century medicine when he slipped into our world with Kate, is now living as Kate’s adopted brother. Joe Felz, the stable manager Lynn had come to love, has stayed behind in Aeritan in an attempt to guard the hole between worlds for the sake of both sides… but will he be able to do this successfully?
Garden of the Moon by Elizabeth Sinclair
Medallion, $7.95, 324pp, pb, 9781933836980. Paranormal romance. On-sale date: December 2009.
Sara Wade has inherited her paternal grandmother’s plantation, Harrogate. Though it’s unheard of for a single woman to live alone in 1850, her mother, who is embarrassed by her daughter’s ability to see ghosts, encourages Sara to go so she doesn’t have to explain Sara’s “infirmity” to her friends. Sara, who is more than fed up with being offered up on the matrimonial market to less than desirable prospective husbands, and who has always had a special, if inexplicable, affinity for the old plantation house, couldn’t be happier.
Not until she arrives at Harrogate does she realize that the house holds more than her freedom. It also holds her destiny with a ghost who loved her in another lifetime and is determined to win her back. But all is not benevolent peace at Harrogate. Another ghost resides there who is just as determined to keep the lovers apart, even if it means killing Sara.
Bone: Rose written by Jeff Smith, illustrated by Charles Vess
Scholastic/Graphix, $10.99, 140pp, tp, 9780545135436. Graphic novel. On-sale date: August 2009.
Written by acclaimed graphic novelist Jeff Smith and illustrated by Charles Vess, Rose is the prequel to the epic Bone saga, where readers will discover the incredible story of Gran’ma Ben.
When a terrifying dragon attacks the small towns of the Northern Valley, Princess Rose must defeat the bloodthirsty beast, who is possessed by the evil Lord of the Locusts. While Rose faces the danger with honor, her elder sister, Princess Briar, follows a more sinister path.
Endless Blue by Wen Spencer
Baen, $7.99, 495pp, pb, 9781439132715. Science fiction.
The appearance of the warp drive from the long lost Fenrir spaceship triggers an epic quest for Captain Mikhail Volkov. According to the drive’s computers, Fenrir had been lost to hypothetical “nowhere” of subspace, but with the drive’s housing covered with coral and sea life, obviously Fenrir has gone somewhere. Faced with genocide at the hands of the alien Nefrim, humans need a miracle to survive. On the chance that Fenrir’s mysterious location holds such a miracle, Mikhail jumps into the unknown and crashes into the endless blue of the Sargasso Sea.
Every ship that misjumped from any race that discovered travel through subspace has crashed into its waters, creating a graveyard of rusting spaceships. Here humans live alongside aliens in uneasy peace.
His ship damaged, his younger foster brother lost, and his sanity rattled, Mikhail discovers a secret that might save the human race—but only if he can repair his ship and return home.
Magenta Zephyr & The Universe Bender by Tim Storm
iUniverse, $21.95, 383pp, tp, 9781440138546. Science fiction.
Ride along on an epic adventure with rock-n-roll goddess Magenta Zephyr and her colorful cohorts as they travel throughout the universe on the most ambitious musical tour ever attempted.
By melding her unique metaphysical abilities with the ingenious technical wizardry of her brother, Michael, Magenta’s virtuoso musical performances and mystical aura have garnered her billions of fans. To them she is the Star Child, a manifestation of the evolution of mankind as Children of the Universe. To the Daughters of Venus, she is the living embodiment of their goddess, and to the powerful Commission for Interplanetary Unity, she is a growing threat to their power and influence.
There are rumors that Michael Zephyr has made advanced scientific discoveries and has created a machine called the Universe Bender, which can control the universal energy that permeates the fabric of the universe. Pursued by sinister aliens and ruthless agents who are determined to obtain the device and unravel the mysteries of her supernatural power, Magenta Zephyr and her entourage find themselves in desperate circumstances at the far reaches of the universe.
Only a miracle can get them out of their predicament, but then miracles are what Magenta Zephyr is all about.
Tadamasa by William Storm
Seven Locks Press, $16.95, 292pp, tp, 9780982229354. Fantasy.
His family stolen from him at the age of nine, Taishita Yuusha is robbed of a normal life. But in his home of Kusagaran, The Temple of Grass, normal life is far from possible. After an organization of rogue alchemists known as the Homunculi invade Kusagaran and kidnaps Yuusha, he must use all his skills to figure out what it is they are after… or he just might lose his life.
Corey Storm Williams (the author) grew up in the backroads in the small town of Owingville, Kentucky. He began his writing career at the age of 13 but his plans were sidetracked when he was diagnosed with cancer just five years later. With the help of The Lexington Dream Factory and Seven Locks Press, Corey’s dream of becoming a published author has been realized earlier than he ever expected.
Wireless by Charles Stross
Ace, $24.95, 353pp, hc, 9780441017195. Science fiction collection.
Wireless is Charles Stross’s first major short story collection, which includes a novella original to this volume.
Named one of science fiction’s major post-modern techno-prophets by Popular Science magazine, Hugo Award-winning author Charles Stross consistently receives rave reviews in mainstream and science fiction publications alike for his cutting-edge novels. He built his reputation on short fiction and up until now, the only collection of his short work that existed was a limited edition hardcover from a very small press. Now, Ace has compiled nine of Stross’s exciting stories in one volume. Fans will not want to miss Wireless!
[Contents: Introduction; “Missile Gap”; “Rogue Farm”; “A Colder War”; “Maxos”; “Down on the Farm”; “Unwirer” (with Cory Doctorow); “Snowball’s Chance”; “Trunk and Disorderly”; and “Palimpsest”.]
Scarlet by Jordan Summers
(Dead World, Book 2), Tor, $6.99, 292pp, pb, 9780765359155. Paranormal romance.
With Red, beloved paranormal romance author Jordan Summers created a dangerously seductive new world. Now, with Scarlet, Summers kicks up the peril—and the steam—in the continuing tale of Gina “Red” Santiago and Morgan Hunter.
Thrust into a world full of creatures she never dreamed existed, Red is coming to grips with the fact that she’s a werewolf while adjusting to her new life in the small town of Nuria. The transition isn’t easy, especially since her boyfriend, alpha werewolf Morgan, is called away on an important mission.
Unfortunately, someone doesn’t want Red to get too comfortable with her new life—someone who will resort to anything, including murder, to run her out of town. Alone among hostile strangers, Red must fight to prove her innocence, to catch a ruthless murderer, and to preserve her relationship with an increasingly distant Morgan.
Jordan Summers knows what her audience craves, and her Red series delivers. Scarlet is a dark, pulse-pounding ride with characters that will stay with you long after the last page is read.
Hitler’s War by Harry Turtledove
Del Rey, $27.00, 512pp, hc, 9780345491824. Alternate history.
Alternate history master Harry Turtledove sets his sights on one of the most fascinating periods in history—World War II. In gripping detail, he imagines how the war in Europe would have ended had British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain refused to allow Hitler’s annexation of the Sudetenland.
Overthrowing Heaven by Mark L. Van Name
Baen, $25.00, 409pp, hc, 9781439132678. Science fiction.
No good deed goes unpunished…
It began as a favor to a woman trying to get away from an abusive household.
Jon Moore grew up on an island of outcasts and in a prison laboratory. When he escaped with nothing but his body’s nanotech enhancements and more anger than even a long lifetime could wash away, an entire planet died behind him. Memories of the things he’d done still haunted him. Memories of the things he’d done still haunted him; because of them, he often ended up helping those in need.
His kindnesses frequently didn’t work out well. This one really didn’t work out well. It hurled Jon and Lobo, the intelligent assault vehicle and Jon’s only friends, down an accelerating, ever more dangerous spiral involving:
* Private armies and government covert ops teams
* A courtesan who always seems a step ahead of him
* Rival superpowers that define Good in terms of their own advantage and Ethics as whatever doesn’t get in the way of their Good
* And a brilliant, amoral scientist to whom human beings are just more experimental animals—and who might be Lobo’s creator.
Jon and Lobo take the reader on a headlong rush through armed enemies and untrustworthy allies and encounter what just might be the worst danger their partnership will face: the truth.
Dragons of the Hourglass Mage by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman
(The Lost Chronicles, Volume III), Wizards of the Coast, $25.95, 352pp, hc, 9780786949168. Fantasy. On-sale date: 4 August 2009.
After 25 years of collaborating on the international best-selling Dragonlance novels, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman are still going strong. The highly anticipated concluding novel in the Lost Chronicles trilogy, Dragons of the Hourglass Mage, will be available 4 August at booksellers nationwide.
Featuring many popular characters from the extensive line of Dragonlance novels, this latest book fills in details as The War of the Lance is nearing the end. Krynn’s future has been written, so readers think they know how the story ends. But one night and one fateful decision by Raistlin Majere could change it all.
“Raistlin has always been my favorite character,” said Weis, “yet even I didn’t foresee what would happen to him in Neraka until Tracy and I talked about it.”
“This is the book the fans have been waiting for,” added Hickman. “We’re delighted that we will be able to share it with them.”