Feature: Anticipated book summer - winter
Most of the catalogs of the major publishers have been released with their line ups for the second half of the year and well there are some great titles in to be published! have you already checked them out? Here is a short selection of various publishers and some books that caught my eye.
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Gollancz
The Relic Guild by Edward CoxMagic caused the war. Magic is forbidden. Magic will save us.
It was said the Labyrinth had once been the great meeting place, a sprawling city at the heart of an endless maze where a million humans hosted the Houses of the Aelfir. The Aelfir who had brought trade and riches, and a future full of promise. But when the Thaumaturgists, overlords of human and Aelfir alike, went to war, everything was ruined and the Labyrinth became an abandoned forbidden zone, where humans were trapped behind boundary walls a hundred feet high.
Now the Aelfir are a distant memory and the Thaumaturgists have faded into myth. Young Clara struggles to survive in a dangerous and dysfunctional city, where eyes are keen, nights are long, and the use of magic is punishable by death. She hides in the shadows, fearful that someone will discover she is touched by magic. She knows her days are numbered. But when a strange man named Fabian Moor returns to the Labyrinth, Clara learns that magic serves a higher purpose and that some myths are much more deadly in the flesh.
The only people Clara can trust are the Relic Guild, a secret band of magickers sworn to protect the Labyrinth. But the Relic Guild are now too few. To truly defeat their old nemesis Moor, mightier help will be required. To save the Labyrinth – and the lives of one million humans – Clara and the Relic Guild must find a way to contact the worlds beyond their walls.
A City Stained Red by Sam Sykes, Bring Down Heaven #1
Long before he was sent
to hell, the Aeon known as Khoth-Kapira was the closest thing to a
living god the world had ever known. Possessed of a vast intellect, he
pioneered many of the wonders that persist in the world that lingered
long after he was banished. Nearly every fragment of medical, economic
and technological progress that the mortal races enjoyed could be traced
back to him. But with his wonders came cruelty beyond measure:
industrialized slavery, horrifying experimentations and a rage that
would eventually force the world to bow to him.Now, as Khoth-Kapira stirs the world begins to shudder with disasters yet to come.The epicenter is the city of Cier'Djaal. A religious war between two unstoppable military juggernauts begins to brew. The racial fury among many peoples of the world is about to explode. Demons begin to pour from the shadows at the head of a vicious cult worshipping dark powers.
And Lenk finds himself in the middle once more, his fate and the fate of Khoth-Kapira interlinked as the demon attempts to convince him of his earnestness.
"Your world is breaking around you," He Who Makes says, "let me fix it. Let me help you. Let me out."
The Incorruptibles by John Hornor Howards
In the contested and
unexplored territories at the edge of the Empire, a boat is making its
laborious way upstream. Riding along the banks are the mercenaries hired
to protect it – from raiders, bandits and, most of all, the stretchers,
elf-like natives who kill any intruders into their territory. The
mercenaries know this is dangerous, deadly work. But it is what they
do.In the boat the drunk governor of the territories and his sons and daughters make merry. They believe that their status makes them untouchable. They are wrong. And with them is a mysterious, beautiful young woman, who is the key to peace between warring nations and survival for the Empire. When a callow mercenary saves the life of the Governor on an ill-fated hunting party, the two groups are thrown together.
For Fisk and Shoe – two tough, honourable mercenaries surrounded by corruption, who know they can always and only rely on each other – their young companion appears to be playing with fire. The nobles have the power, and crossing them is always risky. And although love is a wonderful thing, sometimes the best decision is to walk away. Because no matter how untouchable or deadly you may be, the stretchers have other plans.
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Hodder and Stoughton
Those Above by Daniel Polansky
They enslaved humanity three thousand years ago. Tall, strong, perfect, superhuman and near immortal they rule from their glittering palaces in the eternal city in the centre of the world. They are called Those Above by their subjects. They enforce their will with fire and sword.
Twenty five years ago mankind mustered an army and rose up against them, only to be slaughtered in a terrible battle. Hope died that day, but hatred survived. Whispers of another revolt are beginning to stir in the hearts of the oppressed: a woman, widowed in the war, who has dedicated her life to revenge; the general, the only man to ever defeat one of Those Above in single combat, summoned forth to raise a new legion; and a boy killer who rises from the gutter to lead an uprising in the capital.
Those Above is the first of an extraordinary new fantasy epic by the author of the acclaimed Low Town series that will sweep the reader into a wholly alien, wholly recognizable world of rebellion and revenge, of love and of death, of intrigue and pitiless war.
A Man Lies Dreaming
The next novel from Lavie Tidhar, the award-winning author of THE VIOLENT CENTURY.
Intelligent. Mind-bending. Literary. Brilliant. Provocative. An emerging master.That's what they call Lavie Tidhar. And this, his newest novel, will be the biggest, the brightest, and the most provocative of them all.
Sleeping Late on Judgement Day by Tad Williams, Bobby Dollar #3
Bobby Dollar thinks he's seen it all - after all, he's been to Hell and back again. Literally.
But he has another think coming. Sleeping Late on Judgement Day
will find Bobby back in his adopted hometown of San Judas, California,
trying to stay out of trouble... and failing. His love life is still a
mess, there are one too many people who have it out for him, and
drowning his sorrows in a nice glass of whisky won't keep the demons at
bay forever.Bobby's going to have to pull himself together and make a few tough decisions before time runs out. The problem is, time could run out at any moment. In the final Bobby Dollar novel in Tad Williams' groundbreaking epic fantasy trilogy, fallen angel Bobby Dollar will finally be force to confront the one problem he can't talk his way out of: his own.
Revival by Stephen King
From master storyteller
Stephen King comes a spectacularly dark and riveting novel about
addiction, religion, fanaticism, and what might exist on the other side
of life.In a small New England town more than half a century ago, a boy is playing with his new toy soldiers in the dirt in front of his house when a shadow falls over him. He looks up to see a striking man, the new minister, Jamie learns later, who with his beautiful wife will transform the church and the town. The men and boys are a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls, with the Reverend Jacobs — including Jamie's sisters and mother. Then tragedy strikes, and this charismatic preacher curses God and is banished from the shocked town.
Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from age 13, he plays in bands across the country, running from his own family tragedies, losing one job after another when his addictions get the better of him. Decades later, sober and living a decent life, he and Reverend Charles Jacobs meet again in a pact beyond even the Devil's devising, and the many terrifying meanings of Revival are revealed.
King imbues this spectacularly rich and dark novel with everything he knows about music, addiction, and religious fanaticism and every nightmare we ever had about death. This is a masterpiece from King in the great American tradition of Frank Norris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe.
Thunder of the Gods by Anthony Riches, Empire #8
The eighth book in the Empire sequence takes Centurion Marcus Aquila and his Tungrian legion on a dangerous mission to the heart of the Parthian empire
With Rome no longer safe Marcus and the Tungrians are ordered east, to the desolate border lands where Rome and Parthia have vied for supremacy for centuries.
Ordered to relieve the siege of an isolated fortress, their task is doomed to bloody failure unless they can turn the disaffected Third Legion into a fighting force capable of resisting the terrifying Parthian cataphracts.
And Marcus must travel to the enemy capital Ctesiphon on a desperate mission, the only man who can persuade th King of Kings to halt a war that threatens the humiliation of the empire and the slaughter of his friends.
Smiler's Fair by Rebecca Levene, The Hollow Gods #1
Yron the moon god died,
but now he's reborn in the false king's son. His human father wanted to
kill him, but his mother sacrificed her life to save him. He'll return
one day to claim his birthright. He'll change your life.He'll change everything.
Smiler's Fair: the great moving carnival where any pleasure can be had, if you're willing to pay the price. They say all paths cross at Smiler's Fair. They say it'll change your life. For five people, Smiler's Fair will change everything.
In a land where unimaginable horror lurks in the shadows, where the very sun and moon are at war, five people - Nethmi, the orphaned daughter of a murdered nobleman, who in desperation commits an act that will haunt her forever. Dae Hyo, the skilled warrior, who discovers that a lifetime of bravery cannot make up for a single mistake. Eric, who follows his heart only to find that love exacts a terrible price. Marvan, the master swordsman, who takes more pleasure from killing than he should. And Krish, the humble goatherd, with a destiny he hardly understands and can never accept - will discover just how much Smiler's Fair changes everything.
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Pyr
The Lady by K.V. Johanson, Marakand #2
Possessed by a ghost who feeds on death, the undying assassin Ahjvar the
Leopard has been captured by the Lady of Marakand, enslaved by
necromancy to be captain of her Red Masks. His shield-bearer Ghu, a
former slave with an uncanny ability to free the captive dead, follows
Ahjvar into the war-torn lands of the Duina Catairna to release him,
even if that means destroying what is left of Ahj's tormented soul.Deyandara, the last surviving heir of the Catairnan queen, rides into a land ravaged by disease and war, seeking the allies she abandoned months before, though they have no hope of standing against the army led by the invulnerable Red Masks of Marakand and the divine terror of the Lady.
In the city of Marakand, former enemies ally and old friends seek one another's deaths as loyalists of the entombed gods Gurhan and Ilbialla raise a revolt, spearheaded by the Grasslander wizard Ivah, the shapeshifting Blackdog, and the bear-demon Mikki. The Lady's defenses are not easily breached, though, and the one enemy who might withstand her, the Northron wanderer Moth, bearer of the sword Lakkariss, has vanished.
Falling Sky by Rajan Khanna
Ben Gold lives in dangerous times. Two generations ago, a virulent
disease turned the population of most of North America into little more
than beasts called Ferals. Some of those who survived took to the air,
scratching out a living on airships and dirigibles soaring over the
dangerous ground. Ben has his own airship, a family heirloom, and has signed up to help a group of scientists looking for a cure. But that's not as easy as it sounds, especially with a power-hungry air city looking to raid any nearby settlements. To make matters worse, his airship, the only home he's ever known, is stolen. Ben must try to survive on the ground while trying to get his ship back.
This brings him to Gastown, a city in the air recently conquered by belligerent and expansionist pirates. When events turn deadly, Ben must decide what really matters-whether to risk it all on a desperate chance for a better future or to truly remain on his own.
Covenant's End by Ari Marmell, Widdershins Adventure #4
The thief Widdershins and her own "personal god," Olgun, return to their
home city of Davillon after Together, Widdershins and Olgun will face enemies on both sides of the law, for Lisette's schemes have given her power in both Davillon's government and its underworld. For even a slim chance, Shins must call on both old friends-some of whom haven't yet forgiven her-and new allies.
Even with their help, Widdershins may be required to make the hardest sacrifice of her life, if she is to rid Davillon-and herself-of Lisette once and for all.
almost a year away. While Shins expects only to face the difficulty of making up with her friends, what she actually finds is far, far worse. Her nemesis, Lisette, has returned, and she is not alone. Lisette has made a dark pact with supernatural powers that have granted her abilities far greater than anything Widdershins and Olgun can match.
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Tor UK
Seal of the Worm by Adrian Tchaikovsky, Shadows of the Apt #10
The Empire stands
victorious over its enemies at last. With her chief rival cast into the
abyss, Empress Seda now faces the truth of what she has cost the world
in order to win the war. The Seal has been shattered, and the Worm stirs
towards the light for the first time in a thousand years. Already it is
striking at the surface, voraciously consuming everything its questing
tendrils touch. Faced with this threat, Seda knows that only the most
extreme of solutions can lock the Worm back in the dark once again. But
if she will go to such appalling lengths to save the world from the
Worm, then who will save the world from her? The last book in the epic
critically acclaimed Shadows of the Apt series.The Godless by Ben Peek, The Children #1
The first in a
crackling, unputdownable new epic fantasy series, introducing a
fascinating, original new world and an incredible heroine.The Gods are dying. Fifteen thousand years after the end of their war, their bodies can still be found across the world. They kneel in forests, lie beneath mountains, and rest at the bottom of the world's ocean. For thousands of years, men and women have awoken with strange powers that are derived from their bodies. The city Mireea is built against a huge stone wall that stretches across a vast mountain range, following the massive fallen body of the god, Ger. Ayae, a young cartographer’s apprentice, is attacked and discovers she cannot be harmed by fire. Her new power makes her a target for an army that is marching on Mireea. With the help of Zaifyr, a strange man adorned with charms, she is taught the awful history of ‘cursed’ men and women, coming to grips with her new powers and the enemies they make. Meanwhile, the saboteur Bueralan infiltrates the army that is approaching her home to learn its terrible secret. Split between the three points of view, Immolation's narrative reaches its conclusion during an epic siege, where Ayae, Zaifyr and Bueralan are forced not just into conflict with those invading, but with those inside the city who wish to do them harm.
The first installment of an exciting new epic fantasy series, Immolation is a fast-paced page turner set in an enthralling new world, perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie and Brent Weeks.
Retribution by Mark Charan Newton, Lucan Drakenfeld #2
Having just
solved a difficult case in his home city of Tryum, Sun Chamber Officer Lucan Drakenfeld
and his associate Leana are ordered to
journey to the exotic city of Kuvash in Koton, where a revered priest has gone
missing. When they arrive, they discover the priest has already been found – or
at least parts of him have. But investigating the unusual death isn’t a
priority for the legislature of Kuvash; there’s a kingdom to run, a census to
create and a dictatorial Queen to placate. Soon Drakenfeld finds that he is in
charge of an investigation in a strange city, whose customs and politics are as
complex as they are dangerous. Kuvash is a city of contradictions; wealth and
poverty exist uneasily side-by-side and behind the rich façades of gilded
streets and buildings, all levels of depravity and decadence are practiced.
When several more bodies are
discovered mutilated and dumped in a public place, Drakenfeld realizes there’s
a killer at work who seems to delight in torture and pain. With no motive, no
leads and no suspects, he feels like he’s running out of options. And in a city
where nothing is as it seems, seeking the truth is likely to get him killed . .
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Orbit
Tower Lord by Antony Ryan, Raven's Shadow #2THE REALM BURNS. Vaelin Al Sorna is tired of war. He's fought countless battles in service to the Realm and Faith. His reward was the loss of his love, the death of his friends and a betrayal by his king. After five years in an Alpiran dungeon, he just wants to go home. Reva intends to welcome Vaelin back with a knife between the ribs. He destroyed her family and ruined her life. Nothing will stop her from exacting bloody vengeance - not even the threat of invasion from the greatest enemy the Realm has ever faced. Yet as the fires of war spread, foes become friends and truths turn to lies. To save the Realm, Reva must embrace a future she does not want - and Vaelin must revisit a past he'd rather leave buried.
The Outsorcerer's Apprentice by Tom Holt
A happy workforce, it is said, is a productive workforce. Mmmm.
Try telling that to an army of belligerent goblins. Or the Big Bad Wolf. Or a professional dragons layer. Who is looking after their well-being? Who gives a damn about their intolerable working conditions, lack of adequate health insurance, and terrible coffee in the canteen?
Thankfully, with access to an astonishingly diverse workforce and limitless natural resources, maximizing revenue and improving operating profit has never really been an issue for the one they call "the Wizard." Until now.
Because now a perfectly good business model -- based on sound fiscal planning, entrepreneurial flair, and only one or two of the infinite parallel worlds that make up our universe -- is about to be disrupted by a young man not entirely aware of what's going on.
There's also a slight risk that the fabric of reality will be torn to shreds. You really do have to be awfully careful with these things.
The Broken Eye by Brent Weeks, Lightbringer #3As the old gods awaken and satrapies splinter, the Chromeria races to find its lost Prism, the only man who may be able to stop catastrophe. But Gavin Guile is enslaved on a pirate galley. Worse, Gavin no longer has the one thing that defined him -- the ability to draft.
Without the protection of his father, Kip Guile will have to face a master of shadows alone as his grandfather moves to choose a new Prism and put himself in power. With Teia and Karris, Kip will have to use all his wits to survive a secret war between noble houses, religious factions, rebels, and an ascendant order of hidden assassins, The Broken Eye.
Age of Iron by Angus Watson
LEGENDS AREN'T BORN. THEY'RE MADE.Dug Sealskinner is a down-on-his-luck mercenary traveling south to join up with King Zadar's army. But he keeps rescuing the wrong people.
First Spring, a child he finds scavenging on the battlefield, and then Lowa, one of Zadar's most fearsome warriors, who has vowed revenge on the king for her sister's execution.
Now Dug's on the wrong side of the thousands-strong army he hoped to join -- and worse, Zadar has bloodthirsty druid magic on his side. All Dug has is his war hammer, one small child, and one unpredictable, highly-trained warrior with a lust for revenge that's going to get them all killed . .
The Free by Brian Ruckley
A warrior of legend. A warrior to be feared.
The
famed Yulan is leader of The Free, the last remaining band of
mercenaries in the Hommetic Kingdom. He and his comrades have earned a
reputation of mythic proportions by selling their martial and magical
talents to the highest bidder. Feared and revered, they were once seen
as a threat to the Hommetic Kingdom's power - until they outlasted it in
the course of a bloody rebellion. With the oppressive monarch overthrown, The Free plan to finally lay down their weapons, hoping for a chance of peace at last. But their enemies will not let them rest just yet. For the final contract Yulan is offered is one he'll be unable to refuse - not when he learns the target is the very man responsible for the worst atrocity he has ever witnessed. It is an evil that Yulan failed to prevent - one that has haunted him ever since. And now is his last chance to right that wrong.
But as Yulan and his companions embark on their last journey, a potent mix of vengeance, love and loyalty is building to a storm. It is a storm so violent it is likely to destroy the last of the free companies. And only then will they discover the true price of freedom.
Clakkers by Ian Tregillis
The Clakker: a mechanical man, endowed with great strength and boundless stamina -- but beholden to the wishes of its human masters.
Soon after the Dutch scientist and clockmaker Christiaan Huygens invented the very first Clakker in the 17th Century, the Netherlands built a whole mechanical army. It wasn't long before a legion of clockwork fusiliers marched on Westminster, and the Netherlands became the world's sole superpower.
Three centuries later, it still is. Only the French still fiercely defend their belief in universal human rights for all men -- flesh and brass alike. After decades of warfare, the Dutch and French have reached a tenuous cease-fire in a conflict that has ravaged North America.
But one audacious Clakker, Jax, can no longer bear the bonds of his slavery. He will make a bid for freedom, and the consequences of his escape will shake the very foundations of the Brasswork Throne.
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Titan
Koko takes a Holiday by Kieran Shae
Five hundred years from
now, ex-corporate mercenary Koko Martstellar is swaggering through an
early retirement as a brothel owner on The Sixty Islands, a manufactured
tropical resort archipelago known for its sex and simulated violence.
Surrounded by slang-drooling boywhores and synthetic komodo dragons, the
most challenging part of Koko’s day is deciding on her next drink. That
is, until her old comrade Portia Delacompte sends a squad of security
personnel to murder her.
The Spirit Box by George MannSummer, 1915. As Zeppelins rain death upon the rooftops of London, eminent members of society begin to behave erratically: a Member of Parliament throws himself naked into the Thames after giving a pro-German speech to the House; a senior military advisor suggests surrender before feeding himself to a tiger at London Zoo; a famed suffragette suddenly renounces the women's liberation movement and throws herself under a train.
In desperation, an aged Mycroft Holmes sends to Sussex for the help of his brother, Sherlock.
Yesterday's Hero by Jonathan Wood, Arthur Wallace #2
Another day. Another
zombie T-Rex to put down. All part of the routine for Arthur Wallace and
MI37—the government department devoted to defending Britain from
threats magical, supernatural, extraterrestrial, and generally odd.
Except a zombie T-Rex is only the first of the problems about to
trample, slavering and roaring, through Arthur's life. Before he can
say, “but didn't I save the world yesterday?” a new co-director at MI37
is threatening his job, middle-aged Russian cyborg wizards are
threatening his life, and his coworkers are threatening his sanity.As Arthur struggles to unravel a plot to re-enact the Chernobyl disaster in England's capital, he must not only battle foreign occult science but also struggle to keep the trust of his team. Events spiral out of control, friendships fray, and loyalties are tested to their breaking point.
The Shotgun Arcana by R.S. Belcher, Golgotha #2
R. S. Belcher’s debut novel, The Six-Gun Tarot, was enthusiastically greeted by critics and readers, who praised its wildly inventive mixture of dark fantasy, steampunk, and the Wild West. Now Belcher returns to Golgotha, Nevada, a bustling frontier town that hides more than its fair share of unnatural secrets.
1870. A haven for the blessed and the damned, including a fallen angel, a mad scientist, a pirate queen, and a deputy who is kin to coyotes, Golgotha has come through many nightmarish trials, but now an army of thirty-two outlaws, lunatics, serial killers, and cannibals are converging on the town, drawn by a grisly relic that dates back to the Donner Party…and the dawn of humanity.
Sheriff Jon Highfather and his deputies already have their hands full dealing with train robbers, a mysterious series of brutal murders, and the usual outbreaks of weirdness. But with thirty-two of the most vicious killers on Earth riding into Golgotha in just a few day’s time, the town and its people will be tested as never before—and some of them will never be the same.
The Shotgun Arcana is even more spectacularly ambitious and imaginative than The Six-Gun Tarot, and confirms R. S. Belcher’s status as a rising star.
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Jo Fletcher
Our Lady of the Streets by Tom Pollock, Skyscraper's Throne #3
Four months ago, Mater Viae, the Goddess of London, returned from London-Under- Glass to reclaim her throne. And ever since then, London has been dying.
Streets are wracked by convulsions as muscles of wire and pipe go into spasm, bunching the city into a crippled new geography; pavements flare to thousand-degree fevers, incinerating anyone and anything touching them. Towers crash to the ground, their foundations decayed.
As the streets sicken, so does Beth, drawn ever deeper into the heart of the city, while Pen fights desperately for a way to save her. But when they discover that Mater Viae’s plans for dominion stretch far beyond London’s borders, they must make a choice: Beth has it within her to unleash the city’s oldest and greatest powers – powers that could challenge the vengeful goddess, or destroy the city itself.
The City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett
A densely
atmospheric and intrigue-filled fantasy novel of living spies, dead
gods, buried histories, and a mysterious, ever-changing city-from one of
America's most acclaimed young SF writers.Years ago, the city of Bulikov wielded the powers of the Gods to conquer the world. But after its divine protectors were mysteriously killed, the conqueror has become the conquered; the city's proud history has been erased and censored, progress has left it behind, and it is just another colonial outpost of the world's new geopolitical power. Into this musty, backward city steps Shara Divani. Officially, the quiet mousy woman is just another lowly diplomat sent by Bulikov's oppressors. Unofficially, Shara is one of her country's most accomplished spymasters-dispatched to investigate the brutal murder of a seemingly harmless historian. As Shara pursues the mystery through the ever-shifting physical and political geography of the city, she begins to suspect that the beings who once protected Bulikov may not be as dead as they seem-and that her own abilities might be touched by the divine as well.
Your Servants and Your People by David Towsey, The Walkin' #2In a dystopian future the dead don’t always die – they are the Walkin’, but there are those that will not suffer the wicked to live . . .
Seven years after Thomas returned as a Walkin’, the McDermott family are pursuing a new life as they run from Barkley to the remote outpost of Fort Wilson. But the teachings of J.S. Barkley are not so easily forsaken – there are those that would see the sinners dead, and they are slowly closing in.
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Tor USA
The Ice Dragon by George R.R. Martin
The ice dragon was a creature of legend and fear, for no man had ever tamed one. When it flew overhead, it left in its wake desolate cold and frozen land. But Adara was not afraid. For Adara was a winter child, born during the worst freeze that anyone, even the Old Ones, could remember.
Adara could not remember the first time she had seen the ice dragon. It seemed that it had always been in her life, glimpsed from afar as she played in the frigid snow long after the other children had fled the cold. In her fourth year she touched it, and in her fifth year she rode upon its broad, chilled back for the first time. Then, in her seventh year, on a calm summer day, fiery dragons from the North swooped down upon the peaceful farm that was Adara's home. And only a winter child--and the ice dragon who loved her--could save her world from utter destruction.
The Ice Dragon marks the highly anticipated children's book debut of George R.R. Martin, the award-winning author of the New York Times best-selling series A Song of Ice and Fire and is set in the same world. Illustrated with lush, exquisitely detailed pencil drawings by acclaimed artist Yvonne Gilbert, The Ice Dragon is an unforgettable tale of courage, love, and sacrifice by one of the most honored fantasists of all time.
Lowball by George R.R. Martin & The Wild Card Trust, Wild Cards #22
-“The Big Bleed” by Michael Cassutt
-“Those About to Die” by David Anthony Durham
-“Galahad in Blue” by Melinda M. Snodgrass
-“Ties That Bind” by Mary Anne Mohanraj
-“Cry Wolf” by David D. Levine
-“Road Kill” by Walter Jon Williams
-“Once More, for Old Time’s Sake” by Carrie Vaughn
-“No Parking… “ by Ian Tregillis
The Accidental Highwaymen by Ben Tripp
The Accidental Highwayman
is the first swashbuckling adventure for young adults by talented
author and illustrator, Ben Tripp. This thrilling tale of dark magic and
true love is the perfect story for fans of William Goldman’s The Princess Bride.In eighteenth-century England, young Christopher “Kit” Bristol is the unwitting servant of notorious highwayman Whistling Jack. One dark night, Kit finds his master bleeding from a mortal wound, dons the man’s riding cloak to seek help, and changes the course of his life forever. Mistaken for Whistling Jack and on the run from redcoats, Kit is catapulted into a world of magic and wonders he thought the stuff of fairy tales.
Bound by magical law, Kit takes up his master’s quest to rescue a rebellious fairy princess from an arranged marriage to King George III of England. But his task is not an easy one, for Kit must contend with the feisty Princess Morgana, goblin attacks, and a magical map that portends his destiny: as a hanged man upon the gallows….
Fans of classic fairy-tale fantasies such as Stardust by Neil Gaiman and will find much to love in this irresistible YA debut by Ben Tripp, the son of one of America’s most beloved illustrators, Wallace Tripp (Amelia Bedelia). Following in his father’s footsteps, Ben has woven illustrations throughout the story.
The Time Roads by Beth Bernobich
Éire is one of the most powerful empires in the world. The Anglian Dependencies are a dusty backwater filled with resentful colonial subjects, Europe is a disjointed mess, and many look to Éire for stability and peace. In a series of braided stories, Beth Bernobich has created a tale about the brilliant Éireann scientists who have already bent the laws of nature for Man's benefit. And who now are striving to conquer the nature of time.
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Angry Robot
The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter by Rod Duncan, The Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire #1
Elizabeth Barnabus lives a double life – as herself and as her brother, the private detective. She is trying to solve the mystery of a disappearing aristocrat and a hoard of arcane machines. In her way stand the rogues, freaks and self-proclaimed alchemists of a travelling circus.
But when she comes up against an agent of the all-powerful Patent Office, her life and the course of history will begin to change. And not necessarily for the better…
The Buried Life by Carri Patel, Buried Life #1
The gaslight and shadows of the underground city of Recoletta hide secrets and lies. When Inspector Liesl Malone investigates the murder of a renowned historian, she finds herself stonewalled by the all-powerful Directorate of Preservation – Recoletta’s top-secret historical research facility.
When a second high-profile murder threatens the very fabric of city society, Malone and her rookie partner Rafe Sundar must tread carefully, lest they fall victim to not only the criminals they seek, but the government which purports to protect them. Knowledge is power, and power must be preserved at all costs…
The Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley, Worldbreaker Saga #1
On the eve of a recurring catastrophic event known to extinguish nations and reshape continents, a
troubled orphan evades death and
slavery to uncover her own bloody past… while a world goes to war with
itself.In the frozen kingdom of Saiduan, invaders from another realm are decimating whole cities, leaving behind nothing but ash and ruin. As the dark star of the cataclysm rises, an illegitimate ruler is tasked with holding together a country fractured by civil war, a precocious young fighter is asked to betray his family and a half-Dhai general must choose between the eradication of her father’s people or loyalty to her alien Empress.
Through tense alliances and devastating betrayal, the Dhai and their allies attempt to hold against a seemingly unstoppable force as enemy nations prepare for a coming together of worlds as old as the universe itself.
In the end, one world will rise – and many will perish.
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Del Rey UK
The Rain-Soaked Bride by Guy Adams
A number of influential South Korean nationals are committing suicide on UK soil. In all cases they seem to simply drop whatever they're doing and swiftly -- almost vacantly -- end their own lives. An electronics importer falls from the top floor of his high-rise office, the ambassador to the UK shoots his chauffeur and drives his own car off London Bridge, an actor sets fire to himself during a movie premiere...
August and Toby investigate and slowly uncover the ancient force of the Rain-Soaked Bride, a ghostly spirit of vengeance that drags her enemies to their deaths.
Once summoned the spirit cannot be dismissed until it takes the life it is charged with, it will be unstoppable in its pursuit of the mortal it has in its sights. Unfortunately, after getting too close to the source of the spirit, that mortal is now Toby Greene.
The Shadow Throne by Django Wexler, The Shadow Campaigns #2
Anyone can plot a coup
or fire an assassin’s bullet. But in a world of muskets and magic, it
takes considerably more to seize the throne.The ailing King of the Vordan lies on his deathbed. When he dies, his daughter, Raesinia Orboan, will become the first Queen Regnant in centuries—and a ripe target for the ambitious men who seek to control her. The most dangerous of these is Duke Orlanko, Minister of Information and master of the secret police. Having meticulously silenced his adversaries through intimidation, imprisonment, and execution, Orlanko is the most feared man in the kingdom.
And he knows an arcane secret that puts Raesinia completely at his mercy.
Exposure would mean ruin, but Raesinia is determined to find a way to break herself—and her country—out of Orlanko’s iron grip. She finds unlikely allies in the returning war hero Janus bet Vhalnich, fresh from a brilliant campaign in the colony of Khandar, and his loyal deputies, Captain Marcus d’Ivoire and Lieutenant Winter Ihernglass.
As Marcus and Winter struggle to find their places in the home they never thought they would see again, they help Janus and Raesinia set in motion events that could free Vordan from Orlanko’s influence—at the price of throwing the nation into chaos. But with the people suffering under the Duke’s tyranny, they intend to protect the kingdom with every power they can command, earthly or otherwise
The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero
What begins as a clever, gothic ghost story soon evolves into a wickedly twisted treasure hunt in The Supernatural Enhancements, Edgar Cantero's wholly original, modern-day adventure.When twentysomething A., the unexpected European relative of the Wells family, and his companion, Niamh, a mute teenage girl with shockingly dyed hair, inherit the beautiful but eerie estate of Axton House, deep in the woods of Point Bless, Virginia, it comes as a surprise to everyone—including A. himself. After all, he never even knew he had a "second cousin, twice removed" in America, much less that the eccentric gentleman had recently committed suicide by jumping out of the third floor bedroom window—at the same age and in the same way as his father had before him . . .
Together, A. and Niamh quickly come to feel as if they have inherited much more than just a rambling home and a cushy lifestyle. Axton House is haunted, they know it, but that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the secrets they slowly but surely uncover. Why all the suicides? What became of the Axton House butler who fled shortly after his master died? What lurks in the garden maze and what does the basement vault keep? And what of the rumors in town about a mysterious gathering at Axton House on the night of the winter solstice?
Told vividly through a series of journal entries, scrawled notes, recovered security footage, letters to Aunt Liza, audio recordings, complicated ciphers, and even advertisements, Edgar Cantero has written a dazzling and original supernatural adventure featuring classic horror elements with a Neil Gaiman-ish twist.
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To which books are you looking forward to?
Cheers,
Jasper
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