[[[Steles of the Sky]]] by Elizabeth Bear. Tor, $26.99, 384pp, hc, 9780765327567. Fantasy. On-sale date: 8 April 2014.

Elizabeth Bear was the recipient of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2005 and has won two Hugo Awards for her short fiction along with a Sturgeon Award. Now she returns with Steles of the Sky, the compelling conclusion to her Eternal Sky trilogy that began with Range of Ghosts and Shattered Pillars.

In the first volume, Range of Ghosts, Temur, heir to the Great Khagan, was forced into exile, pursued by the sorcerous allies of his uncle Qori Buqua, who usurped his grandfather’s throne. Shattered Pillars finds Temur and Wizard Samarkar, a former princess, in the home of Temur’s powerful grandfather, plotting to attack the fortress of Rhazeen and rescue Edene, his lover, from Mukhtar ai-Idoj, al-Sepehr of the Nameless sect.

In the final act of this epic saga, Steles of the Sky, Temur has declared war against his usurping uncle. With his companions, Samarkar, the Cho-tse Hrahima, and the silent monk Brother Hsiung, Temur must make his way to Dragon Lake to gather his army of followers. But his enemies have not been idle; the leader of the Nameless Assassins has struck at Temur’s uncle already while to the east, the great city of Asmaracanda has burned. All the world seems to be one fire, and who knows if even the beloved son of the Eternal Sky can save it?

[[[The Haunting of Twenty-First-Century America]]] by William J. Birnes and Joel Martin. Forge, $18.99, 416pp, tp, 9780765328854. Nonfiction.

Forge Books is proud to publish the latest from national bestselling authors Joel Martin and William J. Birnes: The Haunting of Twenty-First-Century America, wherein the authors bring up to the present the story of how paranormal events influenced and sometimes even drove political events. This is history like you’ve never learned it before.

In this sequel to The Haunting of America and The Haunting of Twentieth-Century America, Joel Martin and William J. Birnes set the stage for one of the great intellectual and spiritual awakenings that is currently challenging traditional belief systems. Reaching back into events that rocked the twentieth century, the authors show that, though denying the importance of a spiritual component in national policy, even the most conservative of governments have based social and financial policy decisions on a profound belief in the existence of the paranormal. The Haunting of Twenty-First-Century America is unlike any American history you will ever read—it posits that not only is the paranormal more normal than more people think, but that it is driving current events to a new “Fourth Culture” of the twenty-first century.

The Haunting of Twenty-First-Century America is a thrilling evidence-based exploration of the often unexpected influences of the paranormal on science, medicine, law, the government, the military, psychology, theology, death and dying, spirituality, and pop culture. Perfect for the historian, the conspiracy theorist, the spiritualist and everyone in between, don’t miss out on this latest from Birnes and Martin.

[[[Shipstar]]] by Gregory Benford and Larry Niven. Tor, $27.99, 400pp, hc, 9780765328700. Science fiction. On-sale date: 4 April 2014.

Shipstar by Gregory Benford and Larry Niven is the continuing saga of a human expedition to another star system that is jeopardized by an encounter with an astonishingly immense artifact in interstellar space: a bowl-shaped structure cupping a star, with a habitable area equivalent to many millions of Earths. And which, tantalizingly, is on a direct path heading toward the same system the human ship is planning to colonize.

Investigating the Bowl, or Shipstar, the human explorers are separated—one group captured by the gigantic structure’s alien inhabitants, the other pursued across its strange and dangerous landscape—while the mystery of the Shipstar’s origins and purpose propel the human voyagers toward discoveries that transform their understanding of their place in the universe.

Don’t miss this thrilling adventure by two of the greatest minds in science fiction.

[[[Liberty: 1784]]] by Robert Conroy. Baen, $25.00, 368pp, hc, 9781476736273. Alternate history. On-sale date: 4 March 2014.

A compelling alternate history novel by the breakout author of WW II era alternate history Himmler’s War and Rising Sun.

The British win the American Revolutionary War, and a desperate Washington and the American founders must make a last stand in an enclave called Liberty.

In 1781, George Washington’s attempt to trap the British under Cornwallis at Yorktown ends catastrophically when the French fleet is destroyed in the Battle of the Capes. The revolution collapses, and the British begin a bloody reign of terror. A group of rebels flees westward and sets up a colony near what is now Chicago. They call it Liberty. The British, looking to finish what they started, send a very large force under Burgoyne to destroy them. Burgoyne is desperate for redemption and the Americans are equally desperate to survive.

Had the Battle of the Capes gone differently, a changed, darker, New World would have been forced into existence. But even under those dire circumstances, Liberty may still find a way!

[[[Star Wars: Empire and Rebellion: Honor Among Thieves]]] by James S.A. Corey. Ballantine/Lucas Books, $27.00, 288pp, hc, 9780345546852. Science fiction/tie-in. On-sale date: 4 March 2014.

When the Empire threatens the galaxy’s new hope, will Han, Luke,and Leia become its last chance?

In Honor Among Thieves: Star Wars, the mission is to extract a high-level rebel spy from the very heart of the Empire, Leia Organa knows the best man for the job is Han Solo—something the princess and the smuggler can finally agree on. After all, for a guy who broke into an Imperial cell block and helped destroy the Death Star, the assignment sounds simple enough.

But when Han locates the brash rebel agent, Scarlet Hark, she’s determined to stay behind enemy lines. a pirate plans to sell a cache of stolen secrets that the Empire would destroy entire worlds to protect—including the planet where Leia is currently meeting with rebel sympathizers. Scarlet wants to track down the thief and steal the bounty herself, and Han has no choice but to go along if he’s to keep everyone involved from getting themselves killed. From teeming city streets to a lethal jungle to a trap-filled alien temple, Han, Chewbacca, Leia, and their daring new comrade confront one ambush, double cross, and firestorm after another as they try to keep crucial intel ut of Imperial hands.

But even with the crack support of Luke Skywalker’s x-wing squadron, the Alliance heroes may be hopelessly outgunned in their final battle for the highest of stakes: the power to liberate the galaxy from tyranny or ensure the Empire’s reign of darkness forever.

Honor Among Thieves is a brand-new, classic adventure stars the irrepressible Han Soloand his new friends, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa, just after the destruction of the Death Star in Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope.

[[[The Kill Order]]] by James Dashner. Delacorte, $9.99, 368pp, tp, 9780385742894. YA science fiction.

James Dashner’s critically acclaimed The Kill Order the prequel to the New York Times bestselling The Maze Runner series, is now available in paperback. Carrying a first printing of 100,000 copies, the paperback edition includes additional material that will provide fans with the answer to a question they were left wondering about after reading the book in hardcover. The Kill Order explores the world that existed before the one readers were captivated by in the series, and Dashner gives his fans the background information as to how the world that Thomas and the Gladers inhabit came to be, along with the shocking revelation of the source behind The Flare virus. With 2.8 million copies sold in all formats in North America alone and a major motion picture adaptation of The Maze Runner coming in September 2014 by 20th Century Fox, James Dashner’s beloved series continues to attract fans and readers of all ages.

Teenagers Mark and Trina are riding the underground train home from school one day when their lives are forever changed. Sun flares have hit the earth, scorching everything and everyone in their path, and leaving Mark and Trina to fend for themselves as they fight to survive in a world decimated by natural disaster. Witnessing the desperation of the human race, the pair link up with others who also want to find a way to exist in the aftermath.

Just when it seems like they may have a fighting chance, the remaining population is attacked. They’re shot with darts that deliver a death blow like no other—a fatal virus that affects the brain and spreads like wildfire. As Mark and Trina witness the effects of the virus, they and their friends begin a frantic search to uncover the source and to attempt to end any further destruction before it is too late—before the virus takes them as well.

The Kill Order is sure to satisfy the questions on the minds of all The Maze Runner series fans as the answers to the world introduced in the series are unveiled. Perfect for Suzanne Collins and Veronica Roth fans, The Kill Order gives the inside look behind the sun flares, the Flare virus, and how Thomas came to exist in the Maze.

[[[Phoenix Island]]] by John Dixon. Gallery, $19.99, 310pp, hc, 9781476738635. Fiction.

Serving as the inspiration for the CBS TV show, Intelligence, premiering January 2014, author John Dixon’s fast-paced debut novel Phoenix Island, introduces a world where orphans are sent to boot camp and forced to fight for their lives.

When sixteen-year-olld boxing champ Carl Freeman jumps in to defend a helpless stranger, he winds up in real trouble—a two-year sentence at an isolated boot camp for troubled orphans. Carl is determined to tough it out, earn a clean record, and got on with life. But then kids start to die.

Realizing Phoenix Island is actually a Spartan-style mercenary organization turning “throwaway kids” into super-soldier killers, Carl risks everything to save his friends and stop a madman bent on global destruction.

John Dixon’s inspiration for Phoenix Island stemmed from the real-life “Kids for Cash” case in his home-state of Pennsylvania, where judges made money by convicting kids to privately run boot camps for teen offenders.

A former youth services caseworker and teacher for twenty years, John Dixon has had intimate familiarity with troubled teens, using many of his experiences to write Phoenix Island. While developed as his own character, Carl Freeman was partly inspired by a former student of John Dixon’s, who met a tragic end.

Additionally, John Dixon is a former Golden Gloves boxer, who incorporated much of his experience into his story, using organized fighting as a way to channel anger and combat bullying.

Fast-paced, original, and a character-driven thriller, Phoenix Island is one part Prison Break, one part Lord of the Flies, and a perfect YA/Adult cross-over novel with both action, adventure, and heart.

[[[Into the Wilderness]]] by Mandy Hager. (Blood of the Lamb, Book Two), Pyr, $17.95, 335pp, hc, 9781616148638. YA Fantasy.

Maryam, Ruth and Joseph have fled Onewere, reluctantly taking Joseph’s troublesome cousin, Lazarus, as well. They arrive at their destination, Marawa Island, filled with hope for rescue and reprieve. But at first glance the island appears to be solely populated by birds. Perhaps the Apostles’ dire warnings about the fall-out of the Tribulation were true after all?

As Maryam and Joseph experience all the topsy-turvy misunderstandings and sexual tension first love entails, the antagonism between Maryam and Lazarus reaches explosive proportions. But when disaster brings the crushing realization that time is now against them, all four must decide just who they can risk turning to for help.

[[[Irenicon]]] by Aidan Harte. (The Wave Trilogy, Book 1), Quercus/Jo Fletcher, $24.95, 496pp, hc, 9781623650391. Fantasy. On-sale date: 1 April 2014.

Aidan Harte has gone from sculpting characters out of metal in his art, to sculpting characters out of words in his debut novel, Irenicon, the first book in The Wave Trilogy.

The river Irenicon is a feat of ancient Concordian engineering. Blasted through the middle of Rasenna in 1347 using Wave technology, it divided the only city strong enough to defeat the Concordian Empire. But no one could have predicted the river would become sentient after the attack—and hostile. Sofia Scaligeri, the soon-to-be Contessa of Rasenna, has inherited a city tearing itself apart from the inside. Try as she might, she can see no way of stopping the culture of vendetta that has the city in its grasp. But when an engineer arrives to build a bridge over the Irenicon to aid Concordia’s armies, the feuding factions of Rasenna must decide whether to continue their animosities or to unite against their shared enemy. and they will need to stand together—for Concord is about to unleash the Wave again.

[[[The King Arthur Trilogy, Book Two: Warrior of the West]]] by M.K. Hume. Atria, $16.00, 512pp, tp, 9781476715209. Fiction.

Twelve long, blood-soaked years have passed since Arthur fulfilled his destiny and was crowned High King. Against all odds, he has united Celtic Britain at last and banished the Saxon scourge from his lands.

But even as Arthur’s kingdom reaches its zenith, his kingdom is being undermined from within. Not only has Arthur been betrayed by the one person he should be able to trust—his bitter queen and second wife, Wenhaver—he also learns of a terrible threat from inside his own kingdom. With his guide and master tactician, Merlin, gone, Arthur must decide how to proceed if he wishes to see Britain stand strong.

As the burden of leadership and power rests solely on his shoulders, Arthur faces a terrible choice: does he commit a deed that will render him comparable to Uther Pendragon, the evil king who preceded him on the throne, or does he let the evil go unchecked?

[[[Buckaroo Banzai: No Matter Where You Go… There You Are…]]] story by Earl Mac Rauch and W.D. Richter; art by Chew Chan and Shawn Van Briesen. Moonstone, $49.99, 160pp, limited edition hc, 9781936814268. Science fiction graphic novel.

Never before collected stories! The 1984 film starring Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, and Christopher Lloyd is a cult classic loved the world over!

Writer Mac Rauch and director WD Richter return to their creation with brand new stories!

Everyone’s favorite adventurer/surgeon/rock star is back again just in time to save the world!

Get the low down on the events that transpired before the movie!

See for the first time a good look and Buckaroo’s beginnings!

[[[Buckaroo Banzai: Return of the Screw]]] story by Earl Mac Rauch and Joe Gentile; art by Stephen Thompson and Keith Williams. Moonstone, $39.99, 118pp, limited edition hc, 9781936814275. Science fiction graphic novel.

Along with his Hong Kong Cavaliers, Buckaroo Banzai must battle more than one surprise arch enemy, each with their own motives, but all acting in concert to bring Banzai to his knees!

All this sandwiched between a couple of great rock and roll guitar solos, a few surgical procedures, a crazy gun battle on land and air, Buck’s one chance for ultimate revenge, his soul in turmoil, all the chicks digging him, engineering synchronicity, pretty toilets, a human pickle, and a giant sombrero!

This volume reprints the super-seller 3 issue mini series, plus a ton of extra goodies: Character Files! Unused Covers! Alternate Ending! Production Designs from the unfilmed TV Movie! An interview with Banzai’s creator Mac Rauch!

[[[Thornlost]]] by Melanie Rawn. (sequel to Touchstone and Elsewhens), Tor, $26.99, 384pp, hc, 9780765328786. Fantasy. On-sale date: 29 April 2014.

Melanie Rawn is the bestselling author of the Dragon Prince trilogy and the Dragon Star trilogy. Her new high fantasy series, Glass Thorns, that began with Touchstone and Elsewhens blends the worlds of magic, theater, art, and politics. The third installment, Thornlost, continues the story of Cayden “Cade” Silversun, part Elf, part Fae, part human Wizard—and all rebel.

Cade’s aristocratic mother would have him follow his father to the Royal Court to make a high-society living off the scraps of kings. But Cade lives and breathes for the theater, and he’s good, very good. He’s a tregetour—a wizard who is both playwright and magicwielder. It is Cade’s power that creates the magic, but a tregetour is useless without a glisker—an elf who can spin out the magic onto the stage, to enchant the audience. And Cade’s glisker, Mieka, is something special too. So is their fettler, Rafe, who controls the magic and keeps them and the audience safe. And their masker, Jeska, who speaks all the lines, is every yong girl’s dream.

But Cade is more than just a wizard; he has the rare Fae gift of foreseeing. He is increasingly troubled by his “elsewhens,” the uncontrolled moments when he is plunged into visions of possible futures before him. He fearss that his Fae gift will forever taint his friendships, and his friends fear that his increasing distance will destroy him. In spite of all of this, the group of friends are aiming for the highest reaches of society and power with their magical theater troupe, Touchstone, but not the way Cade’s mother thinks they should. They’ll be the greatest players of all time, or die trying.

[[[Where the Rock Splits the Sky]]] by Phillip Webb. Chicken House/Scholastic, $17.99, 272pp, hc, 9780545557016. YA Fantasy. On-sale date: 25 March 2014.

The Visitors have come and Earth is at a standstill…

Phillip Webb, acclaimed author of Six Days, takes readers on his next thrilling supernatural adventure Where the Rock Splits the Sky. In a world of infinite sunset, Megan must leave her Texas hometown on her trusty steed Cisco, and journey across the vast, dystopic American West in search of her father.

Philip Webb brings readers a Western epic with a science fiction twist. Set in a land where the laws of nature do not apply and the desert plays tricks on the mind, readers will follow Megan as she is pushed past her limits—and has a showdown with an alien.