[[[Earth Afire]]] by Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston. (The First Formic War), Tor, $25.99, 400pp, 9780765329059. Science fiction.

One of the true stars of science fiction and fantasy, Orson Scott Card is renowned for the beloved science fiction classic Ender’s Game, which has touched the lives of millions of people around the world. Last year it was announced to the delight of Ender fans everywhere that Ender’s Game is heading to the big screen, with an expected release date of November 1, 2013. With Earth Unaware, Card and Aaron Johnston delivered the first book of a brilliant, new science fiction series set before Ender Wiggin was born. Now Card and Johnston are launching the next book in the Ender series universe, Earth Afire.

One hundred years before Ender’s Game, the aliens arrived on Earth with fire and death. This is the story of the First Formic War.

A huge alien ship arrives in near-Earth orbit, leaving behind it a path of destruction and devastation that stretches across the solar system. Mining stations, trading posts, ships, colonies — all have been destroyed, with tens of thousands of people dead. No warning was ever sent to Earth because the alien ship has disrupted all radio communication.

Victor Delgado tried to warn Earth, traveling in a fast ship from the Kuiper Belt that arrived before the aliens. But skeptical governments refused to believe that there was any threat. They don’t believe that until the aliens land in China and begin burning everything in sight…

An essential, welcome expansion of the beloved world of Ender’s Game, Earth Afire will enthrall and intrigue fans of science-fiction and space adventure as well as faithful readers of the Ender series.

 

[[[Ride the Star Winds]]] by A. Bertram Chandler. (the John Grimes Saga IV), Baen, $7.99, 1111pp, pb, 9781451639025. Science fiction collection.

Situation normal: Grimes up to his neck in trouble

The legendary John Grimes returns with further adventures out on the mysterious rim of the galaxy, where inexplicable aliens lurk, gateways to other dimensions can suddenly open, and many other strange things can happen to an unwary traveler. Gathered together for the first time in one volume are four novels, including:

The Anarch Lords: John Grimes’ short career as a somewhat benevolent space pirate is over, but now he has sunk even lower, becoming a politician on a planet where assassination is more likely than re-election. The Last Amazon: On Sparta, the formerly all-male planet, Grimes is caught up in yet another revolution. The Wild Ones: Back on Earth was the last place that Grimes expected to be. Not to mention the serious accusations of witchcraft. Catch the Star Winds: An experimental starship goes adrift in time. Plus several Grimes novelettes featuring the likeable hero who always manages to muddle gamely through.

[Contents: The Anarch Lords; The Last Amazon; The Wild Ones; “Chance Encounter; Catch the Star Winds; “On the Account”; “The Dutchman”; “The Last Hunt”; and “Rim Change.”]

 

[[[Warbound]]] by Larry Correia. (Book III of the Grimnoir Chronicles), Baen, $25.00, 416pp, hc, 9781451639087. Fantasy. On-sale date: August 2013.

New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author. Gritty urban fantasy set in an alternate noir 1930s. A tough P.I. battles an interdimensional monster that wants to suck magic power out of the world. Sequel to Hard Magic and Spellbound.  Book Three in the Grimnoir Chronicles.

Gritty urban fantasy adventure set in an alternate noir 1930s, Book Three in the Grimnoir chronicles.

Only a handful of people in the world know that mankind’s magic comes from a living creature, and it is a refugee from another universe. The Power showed up here in the 1850s because it was running from something. Now it is 1933, and the Power’s hiding place has been discovered by a killer.

It is a predator that eats magic and leaves destroyed worlds in its wake. Earth is next.

Former private eye, Jake Sullivan, knows the score. The problem is hardly anyone believes him. The world’s most capable Active, Faye Vierra, could back him up, but she is hiding from the forces that think she is too dangerous to let live. So Jake has put together a ragtag crew of airship pirates and Grimnoir knights, and set out on a suicide mission to stop the predator before it is too late.

 

[[[Magician’s End]]] by Raymond E. Feist. (book three of The Chaoswar Saga), William Morrow, $29.99, 556pp, hc, 9780061468438. Fantasy.

Raymond E. Feist is a repeat New York Times best-selling author, and the author of co-author of twenty nine previous books — all but one of which are “Riftwar Cycle” novels. Thirty years after his first novel, Magician — a story about an orphan boy named Pug who travels to a place known as the Kingdom of the Isles to study wizardry from the Master Magician Kulgan — Raymond E. Feist bring Magician’s End in which Pug — now the greatest magician of all time — must risk everything he has fought for and everything he has ever cherished to finally defeat an unspeakably evil enemy once and for all. But to achieve peace and save untold millions of lives, he will have to pay the ultimate price.

With Magician’s End, Raymond E. Feist draws a fascinating, unparalleled, multiple installment saga to a close, delivering the crowning achievement of his renowned literary career. Magician’s End marks the final chapter in The Chaos Wars, the climax of the extraordinary Riftwar Cycle.

 

[[[Tarnished]]] by Rhiannon Held. (the sequel to Silver), Tor, $24.99, 352pp, hc, 9780765330383. Fantasy.

Rhiannon Held made her mark with Silver, a captivating debut that explored werewolves and pack-based society in an original way. In their starred review, Library Journal said, “Held’s characters are believable, and her compelling story begs for further development in future novels.” Tarnished continues the story Andrew Dare and his mate, Silver, in a gripping urban fantasy brimming with danger and romance.

In Silver, werewolf Andrew Dare, enforcer for the Roanoke pack that controls the East Coast, discovered Silver a solitary female, unable to shift and driven mad by the liquid silver that contaminated her veins. Knowing she had been tortured, Andrew took Silver on a journey across the country to Seattle to track down the menace that posed a threat to werewolf society.

Tarnished finds Andrew in Seattle, recovering from injuries he sustained at the hands of Silver’s torturer. He and Silver have committed to each other, but they desire a pack to call home.

Andrew has thought about challenging Roanoke for control of the East Coast packs, but his violent history and the rumors of his lack of self-control are making him doubt his ability. Then there’s Silver who has lost her wild self at the hands of a monster and can no longer shift. However, together, they may be able to overcome the doubt and challenge the nature of the packs.

Tarnished will captivate readers with a glimpse inside the world of the werewolf packs that live hidden among us.

 

[[[Burdens of the Dead]]] by Mercedes Lackey, Eric Flint, and Dave Freer. Baen, $25.00, 438pp, hc, 9781451638745. Fantasy.

At the crossroads of history

In an alternate 16th century where magic is part of life, the Holy Roman Empire rules Europe. Constantinople is under siege by the Venetians and their allies. The great city is the crossroads of east and west, and it is here that the power of Hekate, the Weeping Woman, Goddess of Crossroads, is at its greatest. Italian captain Benito Valdosta must deal with her deadly magic as well as the might of Constantinople in order to destroy the fleets of Chernobog assembling in the Black Sea before they can cut into the underbelly of Europe.

Then, in the midst of this struggle, Benito discovers that his infant daughter has been abducted by agents of Venice’s most resolute enemy, Duke Visconti of Milan. He must set off to her rescue, knowing that he will surely face his own father to do so — for Italy’s greatest condottiere, the Wolf of the North Carlo Sforza, is in command of the evil duke’s armies.

With land battles, naval action, assassinations, and heartbreak aplenty — not to mention the ongoing conflict between the Lord of the Dead and Benito for the love of a woman — civilization is at the crossroads. Choices must be made that will bring victory and freedom for centuries to come — or plunge the world into a new dark age.

Continuing the Epic Fantasy Begun in The Shadow of the Lion

 

[[[Iron Kingdoms Chronicles: In Thunder Forged]]] by Ari Marmell. (The Fall of Llael: Book One), Pyr, $18.00, 320pp, tp, 9781616147730. Fantasy tie-in.

The first novels based upon the award-winning Warmachine steam-powered fantasy wargame and the world of the Iron Kingdoms Role Playing Game

The Iron Kingdoms are at war: a war fought with machine guns and magic, knights of valor and earth-shaking titans of steam and steel. And now that war may hinge on nothing more than a sheaf of papers.

An alchemical formula, stolen by an ally they thought they could trust, could cost the brave soldiers of Cygnar everything, unless they retrieve it before their enemy can. Their only hope: a cunning spy, a knight out of her element, and a frighteningly small unit of the best that Cygnar has to offer.

Arrayed against them is not only a single, devious enemy, but the combined intelligence apparatus — and possibly the full military might — of the most brutal martial power Cygnar has ever known.

 

[[[The Undead Hordes of Kan-Gul]]] by Jon F. Merz. Baen, $15.00, 336pp, tp, 9781451639162. Fantasy. On-sale date: 3 September 2013.

Ninjas and zombies! Book 1 in a new series, the Shadow Warrior saga. A young ninja in a fantastic land of dreams and nightmares must face an army of zombies to save a beautiful sorceress.

Book One in an exciting new series, the Shadow Warrior saga.

In the fog-enshrouded peaks of the island nation of Japan, Ran, a newly-minted ninja field operative is set loose on a musha shugyo, a wandering quest, whereby he must travel alone and hone his skills. Journeying from Japan to Korea aboard a merchant vessel, Ran hears tales of a mysterious lord believed to have the dead for his servants.

Soon these tales prove all too real as Ran comes to the aid of Jysal, a beautiful sorceress, whose undeveloped power gives her the ability to heal a land — or destroy it.  But the Lord Kan-Gul also covets Jysal’s power. And when Kan-Gul sends a army of the undead to take Jysal by force, Ran is faced with the ultimate warrior’s choice: save himself, or face down a horde of enemies that cannot be killed for the simple reason that they are already dead!

 

[[[Limts of Power]]] by Elizabeth Moon. Del Rey, $26.00, 496pp, hc, 9780345533067. Fantasy.

Elizabeth Moon is back with the fourth adventure in her bestselling fantasy epic. Moon brilliantly weaves a colorful tapestry of action, betrayal, love, and magic set in a richly imagined world that stands alongside those of such fantasy masters as George R.R. Martin and Robin Hobb.

The unthinkable has occurred in the kingdom of Lyonya. The queen of the Elves — known as the Lady — is dead, murdered by former elves twisted by dark powers. Now the Lady’s half-elven grandson must heal the mistrust between elf and human before their enemies strike again. Yet as he struggles to make ready for an attack, an even greater threat looms across the Eight Kingdoms.

Throughout the north, magic is reappearing after centuries of absence, emerging without warning in family after family — rich and poor alike. In some areas, the religious strictures against magery remain in place, and fanatical followers are stamping out magery by killing whoever displays the merest sign of it — even children. And as unrest spreads, one very determined traitor works to undo any effort at peace — no matter how many lives it costs. With the future hanging in the balance, it is only the dedication of a few resolute heroes who can turn the tides… if they can survive.

 

[[[The Man-Kzin Wars: 25th Anniversary Edition]]] created by Larry Niven. Baen, $15.00, 247pp, tp, 9781451639001. Science fiction.

The most popular war in science fiction

The felinelike Kzin, former conquerors of all the sentient species they encountered, made the mistake of taking on the killer apes of Earth. And their battle plan did not survive contact with that enemy….

Though the fierce and fearless warcats didn’t succeed in conquering the humans, they certainly conquered the science fiction readers, with thirteen installments of the Man-Kzin Wars series so far. It’s time for a special commemoration of this popular and long-running saga, created and edited by award-winning and best-selling science fiction superstar Larry Niven. Here’s the book that started it all, with:

* A new introduction by Larry Niven, creator of the known universe and all its assorted sentients, including the mighty Kzin warrior race.

* A new introduction by Stephen Hickman, renowned and award-winning artist, who has done brilliant covers for thirteen Man-Kzin volumes.

* “The Warriors” by Larry Niven — the story that introduced the kzin to the science fiction world. In the earliest days of interstellar exploration, an unarmed human vessel was set upon by a warship from the previously unknown planet Kzin. This was a fatal mistake for the kzin, of course…

* “Iron” by Poul Anderson — a short novel by an award-winning Grand Master of science fiction. Both the humans and the kzin have discovered an ancient ship from eons ago which has a technology that would spell victory in the next Man-Kzin war for whichever side possessed it. The race is on…

* “Cathouse” by Dean Ing — a lone human stranded on a planet is hunted by the kzin, and his situation looks hopeless. Until he discovers unexpected allies: ancient female kzin in suspended animation from the long-ago time when female kzin still had minds of their own.

 

[[[Science Fiction Trails]]] #10, edited by David B. Riley. $8.25, 92pp, 8.5″ x 11″ magazine. http://www.sciencefictiontrails.com.

In our tenth issue we have stories ranging from a dog that takes on some angry Martians, a train robbery that isn’t exactly what it seems, and an airship captain who’s messing with the wrong town. There’s also a micro universe tale about a very small western town and a man who wants a mechanical man for all the wrong reasons. Featuring stories from C.J. Killmer, Vivian Caethe, Dorothy Davies, J.A. Campbell, John Howard, Kit Volker, Henrik Ramsager, R.A. Conine and Raymond Broadbeard, with art by M. Wayne Miller and Laura Givens.

 

[[[A Clockwork Heart]]] by Liesel Schwarz. (Book Two in The Chronicles of Light and Shadow), Del Rey, $25.00, 304pp, hc, 9780345545084. Fantasy. On-sale date: 13 August 2013.

For Better of Curse. That might as well have been the wedding vow of Elle Chance and her new husband, the ex-Warlock Hugh Marsh in the second book of this edgy new series that transforms elements of urban fantasy, historical adventure, and paranormal romance into storytelling magic.

As Elle devotes herself to her duties as the Oracle — who alone has the power to keep the dark designs of Shadow at bay—Marsh finds himself missing the excitement of his former life as a Warlock. So when Commissioner Willoughby of the London Metropolitan police seeks his help in solving a magical mystery, Marsh is only too happy to oblige. But in doing so, Marsh loses his heart… literally.

In place of the flesh-and-blood organ is a clockwork device—a device that makes Marsh a kind of zombie. Nor is he the only one. A plague of clockwork zombies is afflicting London, sowing panic and whispers of revolution. Now Elle must join forces with her husband’s old friend, the Nightwalker Loisa Beladodia, to track down Marsh’s heart and restore it to his chest before time runs out.

 

[[[Eight Million Gods]]] by Wen Spencer. Baen, $25.00, 355pp, hc, 9781451638981. Science fiction.

Vengeful god or going insane? Either one could make for a very bad day.

On Saturday afternoon, Nikki Delany thought, “George Wilson, in the kitchen, with a blender.” By dinner, she had killed George and posted his gory murder to her blog. The next day, she put on her mourning clothes and went out to meet her best friend for lunch to discuss finding a replacement for her love interest.

Nikki is a horror novelist. Her choice of career is dictated by an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that forces her to write stories of death and destruction. She can’t control it, doesn’t understand it, but can use it to make money anywhere in the world. Currently, “anywhere” is in Japan, hiding from her mother, who sees Nikki’s OCD as proof that she’s mentally unstable. Nikki’s fragile peace starts to fall apart when the police arrest her for the murder of an American expatriate in Japan. Someone killed him with a blender.

Reality starts to unravel around Nikki. She’s attacked by a raccoon in a business suit. After a series of blackouts, she’s accompanied by a boy that no one else can see, a boy who claims to be a god. Is she really being pursued by Japanese myths — or is she simply going insane?

What Nikki does know for sure is that the bodies are piling up, her mother has arrived in Japan to lock her up for the rest of her life — and her novels always end with everyone dead. This time she has to somehow find a way to a happy ending.

 

[[[Elfhome]]] by Wen Spencer. Baen, $7.99, 547pp, pb, 9781451639124. Fantasy.

She didn’t start out to be an elf princess — it just happened

Elfhome. A world of powerful magic, beautiful elves, man-eating trees, frost-breathing wargs, and godlike dragons. Pittsburgh. A city stranded deep in virgin elfin forest. Winter is coming. Supplies are running low. And a hidden vanguard of oni are attacking from the shadows.

Girl genius inker was once a human orphan, growing up on the Pittsburgh streets. Now she’s an elf princess with all the bells and whistles, ruling over a melting pot of humans, elves, half-oni, and the crowlike tengu. She’s going to have to kick butt and take names. And she has to do it quickly. Seven elf children are missing — and the oni eat their prisoners when they outlive their usefulness.

The oni will stop at nothing to win, so neither can she. At five foot nothing, Tinker’s greatest weapon has always been her intelligence. Politics, she discovers, is a battle of wits — and she’s heavily armed.

 

[[[On Spec]]] #92 (Vol 25, No 1), edited by Diane L. Walton. $6.95, 128pp, digest-sized quarterly magazine. onspec.ca.

On Spec adheres to a strong mandate that has served us well over the years. We discover and showcase quality works by predominantly Canadian writers and artists, in the genre we call “Fantastic” literature. We foster the growth of emerging writers in this genre, by offering support and direction through constructive criticism, education, mentoring, and manuscript development. We try to publish as many new writers as possible, alongside works by established writers, and we also endeavour to support these writings with innovative cover art for every mind-bending and emotion-provoking issue!

Contributors: Kate Riedel, Matt Moore, Lynn Stansburg, William Vitka, Eric Lis, Ron Collins, Gary W. Renshaw, Liz McKeen, Brent Knowles, Saint James Harris Wood, and Kyle Charles. Cover art by Herman Lau.

 

[[[War Maid’s Choice]]] by David Weber. (War Gods Series #4), Baen, $7.99, 872pp, pb, 9781451639018. Fantasy.

The devils are in the details

The Dark Gods’ conquest of the continent of Norfressa will give them control of an entire universe. The wizard lords of Kontovar have spent 1,200 years preparing to give them that conquest, and the odds are heavily in their favor.

There are still a few problems standing in the way of an orderly occupation, though. Problems like the Order of Tomanak, led by Bahzell Bahnakson of the Horse Stealer Hradani and the other champions of the war god. Or like the newly emerged phenomena of the psionically gifted magi and the uppity, independently minded war maids of the Sothoii.

Bahzell, the champion of Tomanak, a young war maid named Leeana Hanathafressa and a one-eyed courser mare named Gayrfressa — they’re squarely in the Dark’s way. They may not be able to stop it, either, but they’ve chosen to try… and they’re perfectly willing to die trying if that’s what it takes.

 

[[[Cobra Rebellion, Book 1: Cobra Slave]]] by Timothy Zahn. Baen, $15.00, 282pp, tp, 9781451638998. Science fiction.

The enemy within

Cobras: technologically enhanced warriors bred to fight an alien menace no ordinary human can withstand. At the center of action on Cobra world Aventine: the legendary Moreau clan. In times of war, the Cobras are necessary, yet in times of peace they are often reviled by those they have saved. Now the Cobras have resisted a second invasion of the alien Troft forces, and forced the Troft to a stalemate.

Yet all is not well in the human sector of the galaxy. A supposed sister empire, the Dominion of Man, threatens the Cobra worlds with enslavement as it moves to consolidate power. But the totalitarian Dominion of Man and the Troft game-masters are in for a rude surprise — for within each Cobra, bred by close family ties and hard testing in battle, there beats the heart of a warrior and the burning conviction that a Cobra will be slave to no one. Rebellion is at hand, and once again Cobras lead the fight for freedom.

Beginning a new trilogy in the popular Cobra series.