Forthcoming Books Oct 2010- June 2011

October 2010

• Anderson, Kevin J., ed. • L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future: The First 25 Years • (Galaxy, nf, hc)
• Anvil, Christopher • The Power of Illusion • (Baen, omb, tpb)
• Baker, Kage • Nell Gwynne's Scarlet Spy • (Subterranean Press, cln, tpb)
• Banks, Iain M. • Surface Detail • (Orbit, hc)
• Beagle, Peter S. • Return • (Subterranean Press, nva, hc)
• Beckett, Galen • The House on Durrow Street • (Ballantine Spectra, tpb)
• Bernheimer, Kate, ed. • My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me •(Penguin, anth, tpb)
• Bernobich, Beth • Passion Play • (Tor, hc)
• Block, Francesca Lia • The Frenzy • (HarperTeen, nvl-ya, hc)
• Brackett, Leigh • Shannach -- The Last: Farewell to Mars • (Haffner Press, cln, hc)
• Bradbury, Ray • Dawn to Dusk • (Gauntlet Press, cln, hc)
• Colombo, John Robert, & Brett Alexander Savory, eds. • Tesseracts Fourteen: Strange Canadian Stories • (Hades/EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy, anth, tpb)
• Dickens, Eric, ed. • The Dedalus Book of Flemish Fantasy • (Dedalus, anth, tpb)
• Dietz, William C. • Bones of Empire • (Ace, hc)
• Donaldson, Stephen R. • Against All Things Ending • (Putnam, hc)
• Donaldson, Stephen R. • Against All Things Ending • (Gollancz, hc)
• Duncan, Dave • Pock's World • (Hades/EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy, tpb)
• Enge, James • The Wolf Age • (Pyr, tpb)
• Esslemont, Ian C. • Stonewielder • (PS Publishing, hc)
• Fowler, Karen Joy, & Debbie Notkin, eds. • 80! Memories & Reflections on Ursula K. Le Guin • (Aqueduct Press, anth, tpb)
• Gilman, Felix • The Half-Made World • (Tor, hc)
• Gilman, Laura Anne • Weight of Stone • (Gallery, hc)
• Guran, Paula, ed. • The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror: 2010 Edition •(Prime Books, anth, tpb)
• Hamilton, Edmond • The Collected Captain Future, Volume Two • (Haffner Press, omb, hc)
• Hamilton, Edmond • The Collected Edmond Hamilton, Volume Three: The Universe Wreckers • (Haffner Press, cln, hc)
• Jones, Stephen, ed. • The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror: 21 • (Running Press, anth, tpb)
• Jones, Stephen, ed. • The Mammoth Book of the Best New Horror 21 •(Robinson, anth, tpb)
• Joyce, Graham • The Silent Land • (Gollancz, tpb)
• Kadrey, Richard • Kill the Dead • (Eos, hc)
• Koja, Kathe • Under the Poppy • (Small Beer Press, hc)
• Kuttner, Henry • The Early Kuttner, Volume One: Terror in the House • (Haffner Press, cln, hc)
• Lackey, Mercedes • Intrigues • (DAW, hc)
• McIntosh, Fiona • King's Wrath • (Harper Voyager, hc)
• Moorcock, Michael • Doctor Who: The Coming of the Terraphiles • (BBC Books, hc)
• Newman, Kim • Mysteries of the Diogenes Club • (MonkeyBrain Books, cln, tpb)
• Niffenegger, Audrey • The Night Bookmobile • (Abrams, hc)
• Niffenegger, Audrey • The Night Bookmobile • (Jonathan Cape, hc)
• Niven, Larry, & Edward M. Lerner • Betrayer of Worlds • (Tor, hc)
• Parks, Richard • The Heavenly Fox • (PS Publishing, nva, hc)
• Powers, Tim • Deliver Us From Evil • (Charnel House, hc)
• + Pratchett, Terry • I Shall Wear Midnight • (HarperCollins, nvl-ya, hc)
• Priest, Cherie • Dreadnought • (Tor, tpb)
• Scholes, Ken • Diving Mimes, Weeping Czars, and Other Unusual Suspects •(Fairwood Press, cln, tpb)
• Shinn, Sharon • Troubled Waters • (Ace, hc)
• Silverberg, Robert • The Collected Stories of Robert Silverberg, Volume Five: The Palace at Midnight: 1980-82 • (Subterranean Press, cln, hc)
• Silverberg, Robert • The Last Song of Orpheus • (Subterranean Press, nva, hc)
• Sinisalo, Johanna • Birdbrain • (Peter Owen, tpb)
• Strahan, Jonathan, ed. • Eclipse Four • (Night Shade Books, anth, tpb)
• Stroud, Jonathan • The Ring of Solomon • (Doubleday UK, nvl-ya, hc)
• Sturgeon, Theodore • Case and the Dreamer: The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon: Volume XIII • (North Atlantic, cln, hc)
• Sullivan, Tricia • Lightborn • (Orbit, tpb)
• Tidhar, Lavie • Gorel and the Pot-Bellied God • (PS Publishing, nva, hc)
• Tidhar, Lavie • Osama • (PS Publishing, hc)
• Tremblay, Paul • In the Mean Time • (ChiZine Publications, cln, tpb)
• Underwood, Tim, ed. • Savage Art: 20th Century Genre & the Artists Who Defined It • (Underwood Books, anth, hc)
• Underwood, Tim, ed. • Shameless Art: Paintings of Dames, Dolls, Pin-ups, and Bad Girls • (Underwood Books, anth, hc)
• Valente, Catherynne M. • Ventriloquism • (PS Publishing, cln, hc)
• Weber, David • Out of the Dark • (Tor, hc)
• Wellington, David • Overwinter • (Three Rivers Press, tpb)
• Westerfeld, Scott • Behemoth • (Simon Pulse, nvl-ya, hc)
• Willis, Connie • All Clear • (Ballantine Spectra, hc)
   

November 2010

• Adams, John Joseph, ed. • The Way of the Wizard • (Prime Books, anth, tpb)
• Akers, Tim • The Horns of Ruin • (Pyr, tpb)
• Armstrong, Kelley • Counterfeit Magic • (Subterranean Press, nva, hc)
• + Bakker, Scott • Disciple of the Dog • (Tor/Forge, hc)
• Ballantine, Philippa • Geist • (Ace)
• + Banks, Iain M. • Surface Detail • (Orbit USA, hc)
• Barnes, Steven • Assassins • (ISFiC Press, cln, hc)
• Bear, Greg • Hull Zero Three • (Orbit US, hc)
• Briggs, Patricia • Wolfsbane • (Ace)
• Bujold, Lois McMaster • CryoBurn • (Baen, hc)
• Butcher, Jim • Side Jobs • (Roc, cln, hc)
• Card, Orson Scott • Pathfinder • (Simon Pulse, nvl-ya, hc)
• Clark, Simon • The Gravedigger's Tale: Fables of Fear • (Robert Hale, cln, hc)
• Cook, Glen • Gilded Latten Bones • (Roc)
• Cook, Glen • Surrender to the Will of the Night • (Tor, hc)
• + Cornish, D. M. • Factotum • (Putnam, nvl-ya, hc)
• Cornish, D. M. • Monster Blood Tattoo, Book Three: Factotum • (Fickling UK, nvl-ya, hc)
• de Lint, Charles • The Painted Boy • (Viking, nvl-ya, hc)
• Fenner, Cathy, & Arnie Fenner, eds. • Spectrum 17: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art • (Underwood Books, anth, hc)
• Fforde, Jasper • The Last Dragonslayer • (Hodder & Stoughton, nvl-ya, hc)
• Gribbin, John • The Alice Encounter • (PS Publishing, nva, hc)
• Gurney, James • Color and Light • (Andrews McMeel, art, tpb)
• Hoban, Russell • Angelica Lost and Found • (Bloomsbury, hc)
• Jemisin, N. K. • The Broken Kingdoms • (Orbit, tpb)
• Jemisin, N. K. • The Broken Kingdoms • (Orbit US, tpb)
• Jones, Stephen, ed. • Visitants: Stories of Fallen Angels and Heavenly Hosts •(Ulysses Press, anth, tpb)
• Jordan, Robert, & Brandon Sanderson • Towers of Midnight • (Orbit, hc)
• Jordan, Robert, & Brandon Sanderson • Towers of Midnight • (Tor, hc)
• Kearney, Paul • Corvus • (Solaris)
• Kearney, Paul • Corvus • (Solaris US)
• Kidd, Tom • OtherWorlds: How to Imagine, Paint and Create Epic Scenes of Fantasy • (F + W Publications/Impact, tpb)
• King, Stephen • Full Dark, No Stars • (Simon & Schuster/Scribner, cln, hc)
• King, Stephen • Full Dark, No Stars • (Hodder & Stoughton, cln, hc)
• Lansdale, Joe R. • Flaming Zeppelins: The Adventures of Ned the Seal •(Tachyon Publications, cln, tpb)
• Lee, Sharon • Carousel Tides • (Baen, tpb)
• Leiber, Fritz • Strange Wonders: A Collection of Rare Fritz Leiber Works •(Subterranean Press, cln, hc)
• MacLeod, Ian R. • Wake Up and Dream • (PS Publishing, hc)
• Martin, George R. R., & Gardner Dozois, eds. • Songs of Love and Death • (Simon & Schuster/Gallery, anth, hc)
• McDevitt, Jack • Echo • (Ace, hc)
• McKinley, Robin • Pegasus • (Putnam, nvl-ya, hc)
• McLeod, Suzanne • The Bitter Seed of Magic • (Gollancz, hc/tpb)
• Nicholson, Scott • Transparent Lovers • (PS Publishing, nva, hc)
• Painter, Deborah • Forry: The Life of Forrest J Ackerman • (McFarland, nf, hc)
• Rambo, Cat, Paul Tremblay & Sean Wallace, eds. • Worlds of Fantasy: The Best of Fantasy Magazine • (Prime Books, anth, tpb)
• Reed, Robert • Eater-of-Bone • (PS Publishing, cln, hc)
• Rickert, M. • Holiday • (Golden Gryphon Press, cln, hc)
• Rushdie, Salman • Luka and the Fire of Life • (Random House, nvl-ya, hc)
• Sargent, Pamela • Seed Seeker • (Tor, hc)
• Snyder, Lucy A. • Shotgun Sorceress • (Ballantine Del Rey)
• + Stroud, Jonathan • Bartimaeus: The Ring of Solomon • (Disney-Hyperion, nvl-ya, hc)
• Swenson, Patrick, ed. • The Best of Talebones • (Fairwood Press, anth, tpb)
• Valente, Catherynne M. • The Habitation of the Blessed • (Night Shade Books, tpb)
• VanderMeer, Ann, & Jeff VanderMeer, eds. • Steampunk Reloaded • (Tachyon Publications, anth, tpb)
• Warrington, Freda • Midsummer Night • (Tor, hc)
• Williams, Tad • Shadowheart • (DAW, hc)
   

December 2010

• Anderson, Poul • Sir Dominic Flandry: The Last Knight of Terra • (Baen, cln, tpb)
• Armstrong, Jon • Yarn • (Night Shade Books, tpb)
• Asprin, Robert • Dragons Deal • (Ace, tpb)
• Aylett, Steve • Rebel at the End of Time • (PS Publishing, nva, hc)
• Brown, Eric • Guardians of the Phoenix • (Solaris US)
• Brown, Eric • Guardians of the Phoenix • (Solaris)
• Collins, Nancy A. • Right Hand Magic • (Roc, nvl-ya)
• de Pierres, Marianne • Transformation Space • (Orbit)
• Foster, Alan Dean • The Human Blend • (Ballantine Del Rey, hc)
• + Jones, Stephen, ed. • The Mammoth Book of Zombie Apocalypse • (Running Press, anth, tpb)
• Koontz, Dean • What the Night Knows • (HarperCollins UK, hc)
• Koontz, Dean • What the Night Knows • (Bantam, hc)
• Lackey, Mercedes, ed. • Finding the Way and Other Tales of Valdemar • (DAW, anth)
• Lansdale, Joe R. • Deadman's Road • (Subterranean Press, cln, hc)
• + Marillier, Juliet • Seer of Sevenwaters • (Roc, hc)
• Marmell, Ari • Conqueror's Shadow • (Gollancz, tpb)
• McCaffrey, Anne, & Elizabeth Ann Scarborough • Catacombs • (Ballantine Del Rey, hc)
• McKillip, Patricia A. • The Bards of Bone Plain • (Ace, hc)
• Niven, Larry • The Best of Larry Niven • (Subterranean Press, cln, hc)
• Parker, K. J. • Blue and Gold • (Subterranean Press, nva, hc)
• Redick, Robert V. S. • The River of Shadows • (Gollancz, hc)
• Resnick, Mike • The Buntline Special • (Pyr, tpb)
• Rice, Anne • Of Love and Evil • (Knopf, hc)
• Sanderson, Brandon • Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens • (Scholastic Press, hc)
• Swirsky, Rachel, & Sean Wallace, eds. • People of the Book • (Prime Books, anth, tpb)
   

January 2011

• Aaronovitch, Ben • Rivers of London • (Gollancz, hc/tpb)
• Abercrombie, Joe • The Heroes • (Gollancz, hc/tpb)
• Bear, Elizabeth • The White City • (Subterranean Press, nva, hc)
• Card, Orson Scott • The Lost Gate • (Tor, hc)
• Courtenay Grimwood, Jon • The Fallen Blade • (Orbit, tpb)
• de Bodard, Aliette • Harbinger of the Storm • (Angry Robot, tpb)
• Donaldson, Stephen R. • The Best of Stephen R. Donaldson • (Subterranean Press, cln, hc)
• Emshwiller, Carol • The Collected Stories of Carol Emshwiller • (NonStop Press, cln, hc)
• Erikson, Steven • The Crippled God • (Bantam UK, hc)
• Farmer, Philip José • Up the Bright River • (Subterranean Press, cln, hc)
• Holt, Tom • Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages • (Orbit, hc)
• Jones, Gwyneth • The Universe of Things • (Aqueduct Press, cln, tpb)
• Lovegrove, James • Age of Odin • (Solaris US)
• + McAuley, Paul • Cowboy Angels • (Pyr, tpb)
• Moorcock, Michael • Modem Times 2. 0 • (PM Press/Outspoken Authors, cln, tpb)
• Parker, K. J. • The Hammer • (Orbit US, tpb)
• Parker, K. J. • The Hammer • (Orbit, tpb)
• Robson, Justina • Down to the Bone • (Gollancz, hc/tpb)
• Silverberg, Robert • Hunt the Space-Witch: Seven Adventures in Time and Space • (Paizo/Planet Stories, cln, tpb)
• Strahan, Jonathan, ed. • Engineering Infinity • (Solaris US, anth)
• Strahan, Jonathan, ed. • Engineering Infinity • (Solaris, anth, tpb)
• Walton, Jo • Among Others • (Tor, hc)
• Williams, Conrad • Loss of Separation • (Solaris)
• Williams, Conrad A. • Loss of Separation • (Solaris US)
• Wolfe, Gary K. • Evaporating Genres: Essays on Fantastic Literature •(Wesleyan University Press, nf, hc/tpb)
• Wolfe, Gene • Home Fires • (Tor, hc)
   

February 2011

• + Abercrombie, Joe • The Heroes • (Orbit US, hc)
• Baxter, Stephen • Gravity Dreams • (PS Publishing, nva, hc)
• Bear, Elizabeth • The Sea Thy Mistress • (Tor, hc)
• Bova, Ben • Leviathans of Jupiter • (Tor, hc)
• Briggs, Patricia • River Marked • (Ace, hc)
• Briggs, Patricia • River Marked • (Orbit, tpb)
• Britain, Kristen • Blackveil • (DAW, hc)
• Chadbourn, Mark • The Scar-Crow Men • (Pyr, tpb)
• + Courtenay Grimwood, Jon • The Fallen Blade • (Orbit US, tpb)
• + Deas, Stephen • The King of the Crags • (Roc, hc)
• Delany, Samuel R. • Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders • (Alyson, tpb)
• Ellis, Warren • Listener • (Morrow, hc)
• + Erikson, Steven • The Crippled God • (Tor, hc)
• Fforde, Jasper • One of Our Thursdays is Missing • (Hodder & Stoughton, hc)
• Goodkind, Terry • The Omen Machine • (Tor, hc)
• Goodkind, Terry • The Omen Machine • (HarperCollins UK, tpb)
• Goodman, Alison • Necklace of the Gods • (Bantam UK, tpb)
• Griffin, Kate • The Neon Court • (Orbit, tpb)
• + Holt, Tom • Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Sausages • (Orbit US, tpb)
• Kerr, Katharine • License to Ensorcell • (DAW)
• Lake, Jay • Love in the Time of Metal and Flesh • (Prime Books, tpb)
• Lansdale, Joe R., ed. • Crucified Dreams • (Tachyon Publications, anth, tpb)
• Marr, Melissa • Darkest Mercy • (HarperCollins, nvl-ya, hc)
• Martin, Gail Z. • The Sworn • (Orbit)
• Morris, Mark • Long Shadows, Nightmare Light • (PS Publishing, cln, hc)
• Priest, Cherie • Bloodshot • (Ballantine Spectra, tpb)
• + Redick, Robert V. S. • The River of Shadows • (Ballantine Del Rey, hc)
• Stross, Charles • Boskone Book • (NESFA Press, cln, hc)
• Swann, S. Andrew • Messiah • (DAW)
• Tchaikovsky, Adrian • The Sea Watch • (Tor UK)
• Weber, David, ed. • Worlds of Honor #5: In Fire Forged • (Baen, anth, hc)
• Williams, Walter Jon • Deep State • (Orbit US, tpb)
• Williams, Walter Jon • Deep State • (Orbit, tpb)
   

March 2011

• Barnes, John • Daybreak Zero • (Ace, hc)
• Beagle, Peter S. • Sleight of Hand • (Tachyon Publications, cln, tpb)
• Bear, Elizabeth • Grail • (Ballantine Spectra)
• Bishop, Anne • Twilight's Dawn • (Roc, cln, hc)
• Buckner, M. M. • Gravity Pilot • (Tor, hc)
• Bullington, Jesse • The Enterprise of Death • (Orbit, tpb)
• del Toro, Guillermo, & Chuck Hogan • Eternal Night • (Morrow, hc)
• Feist, Raymond E. • A Kingdom Besieged • (Harper Voyager, hc)
• + Fforde, Jasper • One of Our Thursdays Is Missing • (Viking, hc)
• Furey, Maggie • Exodus of the Xandim • (Gollancz, tpb)
• Gentle, Mary • Black Opera • (Night Shade Books, tpb)
• Godwin, Parke • The Prince from Nowhere • (PS Publishing, nva, hc)
• Gustainis, Justin, ed. • Those Who Fight Monsters • (Hades/EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy, anth, tpb)
• Harrison, Kim • Pale Demon • (Eos, hc)
• Herbert, James • Ash • (Macmillan UK, hc)
• Howe, Harrison, ed. • It Never Sleeps: Tales from the Darker History of New York City • (PS Publishing, anth, hc)
• Jakober, Marie • The Demon Left Behind • (Hades Publications/EDGE SF and Fantasy, tpb)
• Kent, Jasper • The Third Section • (Bantam UK, tpb)
• Lynch, Scott • The Republic of Thieves • (Ballantine Spectra, hc)
• Lynch, Scott • The Republic of Thieves • (Gollancz, hc)
• Matheson, Richard • Other Kingdoms • (Tor, hc)
• McKenna, Bridget, & Marti McKenna, eds. • End of an Aeon • (Fairwood Press, anth, tpb)
• Moon, Elizabeth • Kings of the North • (Ballantine Del Rey, hc)
• Remic, Andy • Cloneworld • (Solaris, tpb)
• Rothfuss, Patrick • The Wise Man's Fear • (DAW, hc)
• Strahan, Jonathan, ed. • The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year Volume Five • (Night Shade Books, anth, tpb)
   

April 2011

• Abraham, Daniel • The Dragon's Path • (Orbit, tpb)
• Aiken, Joan • The Monkey's Wedding and Other Stories • (Small Beer Press, cln, hc)
• Armstrong, Kelley • The Gathering • (Atom, nvl-ya, tpb)
• Armstrong, Kelley • The Gathering • (HarperCollins, nvl-ya, hc)
• Auel, Jean M. • The Land of Painted Caves • (Crown, hc)
• Auel, Jean M. • The Land of Painted Caves • (Hodder & Stoughton, hc)
• Bakker, R. Scott • The White Luck Warrior • (Overlook Press, hc)
• Bennett, Robert Jackson • The Company Man • (Orbit US, hc)
• Bennett, Robert Jackson • The Company Man • (Orbit, hc)
• Black, Holly • Red Glove • (McElderry, nvl-ya, hc)
• Bledsoe, Alex • Dark Jenny • (Tor, tpb)
• Brown, Eric • The Kings of Eternity • (Solaris US)
• Brown, Eric • The Kings of Eternity • (Solaris)
• Brust, Steven • Tiassa • (Tor, hc)
• Butcher, Jim • Ghost Story • (Roc, hc)
• Butcher, Jim • Ghost Story • (Orbit, hc)
• Campbell, Alan • Sea of Ghosts • (Tor UK, hc)
• Cherryh, C. J. • Betrayer • (DAW, hc)
• Clare, Cassandra • The Mortal Instruments: City of Fallen Angels • (McElderry, nvl-ya, hc)
• Duncan, Andy • The Pottawatomie Giant • (PS Publishing, cln, hc)
• + Feist, Raymond E. • A Kingdom Besieged • (Eos, hc)
• Fox, Daniel • Hidden Cities • (Ballantine Del Rey, tpb)
• + Goodman, Alison • Eona • (Viking, nvl-ya, hc)
• Hairston, Andrea • Redwood and Wildfire • (Aqueduct Press, tpb)
• Hobb, Robin • Inheritance • (Harper Voyager, hc)
• Irvine, Ian • Mare Ultima • (PS Publishing, nva, hc)
• Maberry, Jonathan • The King of Plagues • (Gollancz, hc/tpb)
• Marshall, Michael • The Breakers • (Morrow, hc)
• Meaney, John • Transmission • (Gollancz, hc/tpb)
• Morden, Simon • Equations of Life • (Orbit US)
• Morden, Simon • Equations of Life • (Orbit, tpb)
• Morgan, Richard • The Cold Commands • (Gollancz, hc/tpb)
• Morgan, Richard K. • The Dark Commands • (Ballantine Del Rey, hc)
• Murphy, C. E. • Spirit Dances • (Harlequin/Luna, tpb)
• Nicholls, Stan • Orcs: Bad Blood III: Inferno • (Gollancz, hc/tpb)
• Okorafor, Nnedi • The Akata Witch • (Viking, nvl-ya, hc)
• Pinborough, Sarah • A Shadow of the Soul • (Gollancz, hc/tpb)
• Sawyer, Robert J. • WWW: Wonder • (Ace, hc)
• Sedia, Ekaterina, ed. • Bewere the Night • (Prime Books, anth, tpb)
• Simmons, Dan • Flashback • (Quercus, hc)
• Strahan, Jonathan, ed. • Life on Mars • (Viking, anth, hc)
• Valente, Catherynne M. • Deathless • (Tor, hc)
   

May 2011

• Anderson, Kevin J., ed. • Nebula Awards Showcase 2011 • (Tor, anth, tpb)
• Canavan, Trudi • The Rogue • (Orbit, hc)
• Canavan, Trudi • The Rogue • (Orbit US, hc)
• Deas, Stephen • The Order of the Scales • (Gollancz, hc/tpb)
• + Erikson, Steven • The Crack'd Pot Trail • (Tor, nva, hc)
• Foss, Chris • The Art of Chris Foss • (Titan Books, art, hc)
• Freeman, Pamela • Ember and Ash • (Orbit, tpb)
• + Hobb, Robin • Inheritance • (Eos, hc)
• Hobson, M. K. • The Hidden Goddess • (Ballantine Spectra)
• Lachlan, M. D. • Fenrir • (Gollancz, hc)
• Martinez, A. Lee • Catching the Moon • (Orbit US, hc)
• McCaffrey, Anne, & Todd McCaffrey • Dragon's Time • (Bantam UK, hc)
• Miéville, China • Embassytown • (Macmillan UK, hc)
• Miéville, China • Embassytown • (Ballantine Del Rey, hc)
• + Rajaniemi, Hannu • The Quantum Thief • (Tor, hc)
• Roberts, Adam • Beggar's Banquet • (Gollancz, hc/tpb)
• Rusch, Kristine Kathryn • City of Ruins • (Pyr, tpb)
• Scalzi, John • Fuzzy Nation • (Tor, hc)
• Valentine, Genevieve • Mechanique: A Tale of the Circus Tresaulti • (Prime Books, tpb)
• Whates, Ian • The Noise Revealed • (Solaris)
• Wilson, Robert Charles • Vortex • (Tor, hc)
   

June 2011

• + Abraham, Daniel • The Dragon's Path • (Orbit US, tpb)
• Baxter, Stephen • The Bronze Summer • (Gollancz, hc/tpb)
• Carey, Jacqueline • Naamah's Blessing • (Gollancz, hc/tpb)
• Carey, Jacqueline • Naamah's Blessing • (Grand Central, hc)
• Carroll, Lee • The Watchtower • (Bantam UK, tpb)
• Duncan, Dave • When the Saints • (Tor, hc)
• Englehart, Steve • The Plain Man • (Tor, hc)
• Goonan, Katherine • Collection • (PS Publishing, cln, hc)
• Grant, Mira • Deadline • (Orbit US)
• Grant, Mira • Deadline • (Orbit)
• Hamilton, Laurell K. • Hit List • (Berkley, hc)
• Hartwell, David G., & Kathryn Cramer, eds. • Year's Best SF 16 • (Eos, anth)
• Horton, Rich, ed. • The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy: 2011 Edition •(Prime Books, anth, tpb)
• Kowal, Mary Robinette, ed. • The Hugo Award Showcase, 2011 Volume • (Prime Books, anth, tpb)
• Martin, George R. R., ed. • Wild Cards: Fort Freak • (Tor, anth, hc)
• Newton, Mark Charan • Book of Transformations • (Tor UK, hc)
• Rawn, Melanie • The Diviner • (DAW, hc)
• Sinclair, Alison • Shadowborn • (Roc, tpb)
• Sparks, Cat • Effigy • (Angry Robot, tpb)
• Steele, Allen • Hex • (Ace, hc)
• van Eekhout, Greg • Last • (Bloomsbury USA, nvl-ya, hc)
• Vaughn, Carrie • Kitty's Big Trouble • (Gollancz)
• Yep, Laurence • City of Ice • (Starscape, nvl-ya, hc) 

Upcoming Event at Speculative Book Review

For immediate release

Contact Scott Nicholson

hauntedcomputerbooks@yahoo.com

(828) 406-6513

Video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLWZ4h1KOy0

KINDLE GIVEAWAY BLOG TOUR

Author Scott Nicholson and Amazon are giving away two Kindles as part of his fall book blog tour through November, including a stop here at Speculative Book Review on Nov. 18. A Kindle DX will be given away through the participating blogs, and a Kindle 3 will be given away through the tour newsletter. A Pandora's Box of free ebooks will be given away through Nicholson's "hauntedcomputer" Twitter account. 

"The digital era coincides with Act II of my career," Nicholson said. "The Kindle has broadened many people's horizons and given readers more power than ever, and this is an opportunity to celebrate them and the book bloggers who spread the word."

Nicholson is author 12 novels and three story collections, as well as four comics series and six screenplays. His paranormal thrillers The Red Church, Drummer Boy and Speed Dating with the Dead have all hit #1 in the Kindle "Ghosts" category.

As a bonus, if Nicholson hits the Top 100 in the U.S. or U.K. Kindle Store during the tour, he will give away an extra Kindle 3 through the blogs. Sign up for the newsletter at scottsinnercircle-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to get daily links to the participating blogs. Winners will be selected at the Watauga County (NC) Public Library in December. No purchase necessary, and the contest is international. Co-sponsored by Kindle Nation Daily and Dellaster Design. Details at http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/blogtour.htm.

REVIEW: Kindred by Octavia E Butler

Kindred by Octavia E Butler
Paperback: 324 pages
Published: The Women's Press (13 October 1988, first published 1979)
ISBN-10: 070434162X
ISBN-13: 978-0704341623
Reviewer: Cara
Copy: Bought secondhand

From the back of the book:
When Dana answers a young boy’s cry for help, she finds herself transported back to a past more dangerous than she had ever imagined. A world of slavery from which she cannot escape.

A white plantation owner’s son, Rufus, is indebted to her for his life. But as a black woman, Dana herself is now a slave. Their relationship affords her the smallest of opportunities to make a difference. But how far should she compromise in order to safeguard her life and the lives of those around her? As an innocent young boy grows into someone beyond her reach, Dana soon finds herself confronted by impossible choices that threaten everything she holds most dear…

Kindred is a very powerful book, one that will stay with me for a long time. The day-to-day reality of life as a slave on a Maryland plantation between the years of 1815 and 1831 is the core of the story, and how Dana, a black woman from 1976 California, copes with travelling back into the time of her ancestors is vividly portrayed.

The story opens with a prologue, where Dana is in hospital recovering from the loss of her left arm, it having been amputated above the elbow. With her is Kevin, her husband. How she comes to have her arm embedded in the wall of her home is only revealed at the very end of the book. The intervening account of Dana’s experience reveals how she is somehow tied to Rufus Weylin, the son of a plantation owner at the beginning of the book, throughout his life. She is pulled back through time at significant, life-threatening events in Rufus’s life and although the mechanism for the time travel is never explained, Dana is there for a reason. She soon finds out that he is her ancestor, the father of her several times great-grandmother Hagar. Is she pulled back to pre-Civil War Maryland to ensure that Hagar is born?

Dana is first pulled back in time when Rufus, as a very young boy, is drowning in a river. She saves him but is returned to her own time when Rufus’s father tries to shoot her. Seconds later she returns to Maryland when Rufus has set fire to some curtains and again his life is in danger. This time she stays longer and discovers that the year is 1815 and realises she is now in the presence of her ancestor, her lineage having been documented in a family Bible in her own world. Again she only spends a short time, several hours, in Maryland, but only minutes have passed when she returns to California. Her white husband, Kevin, witnesses her disappearance and accepts Dana’s account of what happened. The next time she is pulled back, he grabs her arm and travels back in time with her. Kevin is horrified at the treatment of slaves, it being alien to his own life experience, yet, as a white man, receives courtesy and respect from the Weylins, who accept that Dana is his property. The fact that Dana is literate, and educated, with the accent of a modern Californian threatens all who encounter her. The slaves are mistrustful of her, seeing her as a ‘mammy’ or collaborator, someone who believes herself to be better than them. The Weylins, especially Tom the father, fear her and her confident demeanour, being concerned that she will ‘infect’ their slaves, making them more difficult to control and giving them ideas of freedom. Over the course of the book, Dana is beaten down and realises she has no rights whatsoever in this world, yet some of her independent spirit remains, leading to a dramatic conclusion.

There is no doubt in my mind that slavery is a shameful episode in US history, one which continues to have an impact on American society today, particularly in the southern states. The Civil Rights movement of Martin Luther King and others was less than 50 years ago, something worth bearing in mind, given that Kindred was written around 30 years ago, at a time when a black US President was still unthinkable. Octavia Butler shows us, through Dana’s eyes, the harsh reality of slavery, where black people were considered sub-human, the property of their owners who were free to do what they wanted with their slaves. Punishments were brutal, indeed Dana is whipped for teaching slave children to read. Children were sold away from their mothers on a whim, runaways were tracked down by dogs, women were routinely raped as owners considered it their right to use them sexually if the mood took them. Dana sees this daily mistreatment and experiences the loss of her basic human rights during the period she lives as a black slave. Yet, ironically, the Weylins are considered better plantation owners than many of their peers.

Kindred is a book that everyone should read, if only to try to understand the dehumanising process of life as a slave with no rights. I wouldn’t say that I ‘enjoyed’ the book, but I couldn’t put it down, wanting to know how Dana survives. The characterisation was excellent: Dana was a strong woman, a survivor, yet despite knowing that she would probably return to her own time at some stage, was almost broken by her experience of life as a slave. Rufus was a man of his time… his almost obsessional love for Alice and his petulant, selfish actions especially when it came to his property, the slaves themselves, showed him to be a weak and cruel man with few redeemable features. Supporting characters, Alice, Sarah, Carrie, Nigel and the other slaves were sympathetically portrayed and gave me considerable insight into what people have to do to survive in a world where they have no rights and are considered less than human. White people do not come across well in the main, and neither should they, given the power they had over other people’s lives and their casual acceptance of their position in this society. Kevin, as a modern man thrust into this world, finds it difficult to cope with such an alien culture, and when he is left behind after Dana returns to 1976 without him, moves north, away from the slavery he finds so abhorrent.

I would recommend Kindred to anyone who is interested in the harsh realities of slavery. The time travel plot device is a clever method of showing us what life as a slave was like, through the character of Dana, a modern black woman. Certainly I believe it should be required reading for all schoolchildren, particularly in the USA, in the hope that this book can begin to change the deep-rooted racist attitudes that sadly continue to blight our culture.

Plot: 8
Characters: 9
Style: 9

Rating: 9/10

REVIEW: Noonshade (Chronicles of the Raven) by James Barclay

Noonshade by James Barclay
Publishing information: Paperback; 528 pages
Publisher: Orion Publishing; 13 November 2008
ISBN 10: 0575082798
ISBN 13: 9780575082793
Series- Book 2 in the Chronicles of the Raven trilogy.
Copy "Out of pocket"
Reviewer: Tyson

Back of the Book "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 tine, but legendary band of mercenaries: The Raven."

Not long ago I reviewed the first novel by James Barclay, Dawnthief, and found it to be a fine and worthy tale. However, I had a lot of other books on my plate and it took me some time to get back to The Raven and their adventures. Looking at my pile of unread books Noonshade was staring at me and telling me it was time to return.

I was really glad I did as I was quickly held in Barclay's grip and the story refused to let me go. The characters in the Noonshade are immersive. There is a character for everyone to enjoy and at least one to admire, and of course, one to hate. Ilkar is one of my favorites, along with the Unknown Warrior and Harid. These three are the core Ravens. The have been with the team since its creation and know how to turn the tide of war from utter defeat to glorious victory. As your read the story you can not help but root for these guys to come out on top. Noonshade is the thinking man's hack and slash, sword and sorcery. There is a lot of tactical discussions and while it does deal with magic you get the sense that while they are well versed in combat, there are things they can and can not do. This helps sustain your belief in the story. They are not all-powerful and are keen to make mistakes like anyone else. The difference is that with their combined combat experience they know how to turn the the tides of war.

The setting is the same as in Dawnthief, Balaia which has nearly every geographical region as we do here on earth: Deserts, prairies, and fertile plains. Large scaled cities and small huddled villages all trying to survive the onslaught that war brings. However, we are allowed to peak behind the curtain of two other dimensions. The world of demons and of dragons. We do not spend a whole lot of time in the demon's world but we do visit that of the dragons and it is quite interesting. I will not spoil it for those that have not read Noonshade but it would make for interesting books on their own if Barclay wanted to.

The magic system is another great aspect of the trilogy. There is a price to pay for using magic as it weakens and tires the caster and the system uses geometric shapes in order to obtain the requested spell. Barclay goes into great detail for a few of the spells used in Noonshade and it allows the reader to gain a great deal of knowledge on how magic works in his world without giving you a huge information dump.

When you are finished with Noonshade you are left with a cliffhanger which promises to take The Raven on another great adventure. One that I plan to follow soon. While Noonshade was a great book it was not as great as Dawnthief. Of course, living up to Dawnthief is nearly impossible. I enjoyed the story and returning to some great protagonists but, it just did not feel as massive and impressive as the first book in the series. That is not to say that the book or the series in not worth reading, just that it was not as stirring as the first. book three, Nightchild appears to be a much bigger adventure and looks to be more in the vein of book one. Nightchild's review will be coming soon.

Plot  8
Characters  8
Style  8

Overall  7/10

Free ebook Barking Dogs by Terence M. Green

October’s Free EBook from Phoenix Pick is Canadian author, Terence M. Green’s Barking Dogs.

Mitch Helwig is a cop who has gone over the edge. He’s got a Barking Dog–an infallible, illegal lie-detector, worn under street clothes–and he’s tired of being lied to. He’s become a criminal’s worst nightmare.

“The near-future cop-thriller is a growing sub-genre, in which old-time heroes walk the dark and subtly altered mean streets of a cityscape we can all identify from Blade Runner. Barking Dogs is the first novel to turn Toronto into one of those darkly menacing cities.”–The Toronto Star

“A real page-turner… Not to be missed.”–Locus

“A thrill-a-minute story of vigilante justice and a nuanced, well-observed character study.”–Robert J. Sawyer

The Coupon Code for September is 9991566. Instructions and download link at:www.PPickings.com.

The new book will be available from October 2 through October 31st.

REVIEW: Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead

Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead
Dark Swan series, book 2
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Bantam (13 Aug 2009)
ISBN-10: 0553819879
ISBN-13: 978-0553819878
Reviewer: Cara
Copy: Bought online

From the back of the book:
Eugenie Markham is a shaman for hire. She's paid to bind and banish creatures from the Other world...

But something happened after her last battle. She became queen of the Thorn land. That said, with her kingdom in tatters, her love life in chaos and Eugenie eager to avoid the prophecy about her firstborn destroying all mankind, the job's not really all it's cracked up to be.

Now young girls are disappearing from the Otherworld and no-one seems willing to find out why. Or put a stop to it. Not that Eugenie's fazed by spilling fey blood, but this enemy is shrewd, subtle and dangerous - and nursing a very personal grudge.

Eugenie must venture deep into the Otherworld and trust in a power she can barely control. She may be a reluctant queen but she's vowed to do her duty, even if that means facing the darkest - and deadliest - side of her own nature...

Thorn Queen is the second in the Dark Swan series, following on from where Storm Born left off… Having killed Aeson, King of the Thorn land with her new-found magic, a legacy from her father, the fearsome Storm King, Eugenie has to face up to her new responsibilities, something she is reluctant to do. It is necessary to read Storm Born first as Thorn Queen assumes knowledge from the first in the series.

Eugenie is a strong character – feisty, determined and independent – but has problems reconciling her half-human, half-fae heritage. Now that she is queen of one of the Otherworld lands, she has to face up to her legacy. Her magic powers, inherited from her father, are uncontrolled. The land has changed into a desert landscape similar to her native Arizona. And the prophecy regarding her future child leaves her open to threat from anyone wanting to bring about the destruction of humankind and gain power for themselves. Meanwhile, her relationship with Kiyo, a Kitsune (fox shapeshifter) is fragile, and Dorian, king of the Oak land is a constant presence in her Otherworld life. In the human world, she keeps her role as Thorn queen secret from her family, particularly her stepfather Roland, another shaman, but is becoming torn between her responsibilities in both worlds. Added to this confusion, someone is abducting girls from the Thorn land and Eugenie feels obligated to help find out who is behind this, and why.

Throughout the book Eugenie is torn in different directions. She feels a strong duty towards the people of her land, who are struggling to adapt to the change in the land itself and are enduring great hardship, being unused to the hot, dry climate where the plants they previously farmed are failing in the desert conditions. She is closely tied to the land and begins to use her magic to provide water sources for the struggling villages. She also enlists the help of Leith, son of the Rowan Queen and potential suitor, to assist with irrigation projects. She also sets up a trade in copper to provide much needed revenue, thus gaining the respect of her castle staff given to her by Dorian, who continues help her, although Eugenie suspects his motives may be more sexual than altruistic. Meanwhile, her activities in the Otherworld are taking her away from her day job as a shaman in Tucson and causing friction with her stepfather Roland, who is very disapproving of the Otherworld and it’s people. However, she correctly suspects that humans are involved in the abduction of the missing girls and it is while investigating this that she faces grave danger, leading to the dramatic conclusion of the book.

My one gripe with Thorn Queen is the over-reliance on sexually explicit scenes to convey Eugenie’s various relationships. I felt these were, in the main, unnecessary and detracted from the strong portrayal of Eugenie as both shaman and queen. However, they served well as a counterbalance to the danger Eugenie faced in the second half of the book. My fear is the that series could descend into ‘Anita Blake’ territory, where sexual activities dominate the real plot and reduce Eugenie’s credibility as a central character. That aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the magic element, as Eugenie discovers how much of her father’s powers she has inherited. I liked Ysabel, Dorian’s mistress who is sent to give Eugenie lessons in controlling her magic. She does not want to help Eugenie in any way, seeing her as a rival for Dorian’s affections, and is difficult, bitchy and downright nasty! Another minor character who I think will become more prominent as the series progresses is Jasmine, Eugenie’s teenage half-sister. She is determined to fulfil the prophecy of the Storm King’s grandchild bringing the destruction of humankind and actively works against Eugenie, yet has all the petulance and anger of a teenager.

Overall, Thorn Queen is a good second novel in a promising series. I love the Otherworld setting more than than the human world and am pleased to see this is gaining more prominence. The next book, Iron Crowned is due for release in March 2011 and looks set to focus on a war within the Otherworld. I have pre-ordered it in anticipation…

Plot: 7
Characters: 7
Style: 6

Rating: 7/10

Orbit's Exclusive chapter of Towers of Midnight

If you can't wait to see what Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan have cooked up for the penultimate book in the Wheel of Time series, you can get a taste of Towers of Midnight (ToM will be released on 2 November 2010) over at orbit.

From Orbit's Website:

The wheel has been turning and now it’s almost time to release Towers of Midnight in hardback, the extraordinary penultimate volume of the Wheel of Time. It will be available from 2nd November, but we want to give you a taste of what is to come …

Click here for an exclusive free extract of chapter one!

And in taking on the mantle of genre grandmaster Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson has done some fantastic Wheel of Time re-reads. For a quick catch up on the previous Wheel of Time books please click here.

So what more can be said than the Wheel of Time turns, and ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the age that gave it birth comes again. But now, the end draws near. It’s time to roll the dice.