Looking ahead, I realized that there were a bunch of books coming out in the next few months, and while I would love to cover all of them, I know that’s not possible. So, I just wanted to spotlight a few of the titles coming out over the summer that I, at least, was looking forward to or that I thought you might be interested in checking out. So, without further ado, here is June 2007 (NOTE: Unless stated otherwise, all release dates are for the US):
“Soon I Will Be Invincible” by Austin Grossman. Release Date: June 5, 2007. Superheroes, supervillains, a plot to take over the world… No, it’s not a comic book; it’s the debut novel from Austin Grossman, a game designer whose credits include Deus Ex, System Shock, Thief, Clive Barker’s Undying, etc. Throw in satirical humor, comparisons to Watchmen and Fortress of Solitude, and nifty cover art, and you have a pretty winning combination. Plus, I hear it’s already been optioned for film.
Official Soon I Will Be Invincible Website
Official Pantheon Books Website
Order “Soon I Will Be Invincible" HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“The Harlequin” by Laurell K. Hamilton. Release Date: June 5, 2007. Fifteenth volume in the wildly popular, best-selling Anita Blake series, “The Harlequin” sounds like it might return back to the formula that it made it so addictive in the first place. I know that I wasn’t the only one to stop reading the series a few books back, so the premise for “The Harlequin” is almost enough to make me get back on the bandwagon…then again, maybe not. Regardless, you’ll be seeing this title on the New York Times Best-Selling List.
Official Laurell K. Hamilton Website
Order “The Harlequin” HERE
Read Chapter 1 & Chapter 6 from “The Harlequin”
“The Hanging Mountains” by Sean Williams. Release Date: June 5, 2007. Third installment in the four-volume fantasy series The Books of the Cataclysm, which has already been released in Australia, “The Hanging Mountains” is making its US debut courtesy of Pyr Books (Ian McDonald, Joel Shepherd, Kay Kenyon, etc.). I’ve read the first novel in the series, and while the writing & characterization were a bit weak, the mind-blowing concept is enough to make me want more. Looking forward to checking out the rest of the epic…
Official Sean Williams Website
Official Pyr Books Website
Order “The Hanging Mountains” HERE
Read Sample Chapters HERE
“Acacia” by David Anthony Durham. Release Date: June 12, 2007. Having established himself as a force in historical fiction with such critically-acclaimed novels as the multiple award-winning “Gabriel’s Story”, “Walk Through Darkness” and “Pride of Carthage”, David Anthony Durham tries his hand at speculative fiction with “Acacia – Book One: The War With the Mein”, and delivers a marvelous new offering that could do the same for him in the world of epic fantasy. Highly recommended…
Official David Anthony Durham Website
David Anthony Durham Blog
Order “Acacia” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s Interview with Mr. Durham HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s Review of “Acacia” HERE
“Darkness of the Light” by Peter David. Release Date: June 12, 2007. Known mostly for his comic book works (Spider-Man, Hulk, Wolverine, etc.), movie novelizations (Spider-Man 2 & 3, Hulk, Fantastic Four) and Star Trek books, PAD is a pretty prolific writer whose resume also consists of television scripting and original fantasy, including “Darkness of the Light”, the start to the new Hidden Earth trilogy. I haven’t ready any of Mr. David’s novels, but this one sounds promising and I plan on reviewing it in the near future…
Official Peter David Website
Official Tor-Forge Website
Order “Darkness of Light” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Mainspring” by Jay Lake. Release Date: June 12, 2007. Winner of the 2004 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, nominated for the Hugo and World Fantasy Awards, and the author of over 200 published short stories, Jay Lake makes his trade hardcover novel debut with “Mainspring”, which sounds like a pretty interesting mix of science fiction & fantasy, employing elements of steampunk, religion, etc. I’ve had this one in my sights for a while now and look forward to checking it out…
Official Jay Lake Website
Official Tor-Forge Website
Jay Lake’s LiveJournal
Order “Mainspring” HERE
“Ragamuffin” by Tobias S. Buckell. Release Date: June 12, 2007. A first-place winner for the Writers of the Future and nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, Tobias S. Buckell burst onto the SF scene in 2006 with his well-received debut “Crystal Rain”. Set in the same universe, “Ragamuffin” looks to offer more of the same: intrigue, cultural diversity and plenty of science fiction-related action & adventure. "Crystal Rain" and "Ragamuffin" are definitely on my ‘To Read’ list…
Official Tobias S. Buckell Website
Official Tor-Forge Website
Order “Ragamuffin” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Twilight Watch” by Sergey Lukyanenko. Release Date: June 13, 2007. Considered to be the most popular contemporary SF writer in Russia, Lukyanenko’s breakout was aided by the success of the film adaptation of “Night Watch” (2004), which came here to the US in 2006. Part one of the urban fantasy tetralogy World of Watches, the series is being translated in English with volume three, “Twilight Watch” (originally Dusk Watch) the latest to be released. I’ve heard nothing but praise for this series and hope to read it in the near future...
Official Sergey Lukyanenko Website
Order “Twilight Watch” HERE
“Kushiel’s Justice” by Jacqueline Carey. Release Date: June 14. 2007. Continuing the adventures of Imriel de la Courcel that started in “Kushiel’s Scion”, which in itself is a direct sequel to the Kushiel’s Legacy trilogy that introduced Phèdre nó Delaunay, Joscelin Verreuil, Terre d'Ange, etc., “Kushiel’s Justice” is another wonderfully written novel by Jacqueline Carey that takes readers on an epic journey of love, loss and perseverance. If you’re a Kushiel fan, you definitely don’t want to miss this. Highly recommended…
Official Jacqueline Carey Website
Order “Kushiel’s Justice” HERE
Read Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 from “Kushiel’s Justice”
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s Interview with Jacqueline Carey HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s Review of “Kushiel’s Justice” HERE
“Thirteen” – Richard K. Morgan. Release Date: June 26, 2007. Having already forged quite a name for himself in the sci-fi community with such releases as the Philip K. Dick Award-winning debut “Altered Carbon”, the standalone novel “Market Forces” and two Takeshi Kovacs sequels (“Broken Angels”, “Woken Furies”), Richard K. Morgan takes it to the next level with “Thirteen”, which could be the author’s most ambitious and provocative novel to date. Definitely recommended…
Official Richard K. Morgan Website
Order “Thirteen” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s Interview with Mr. Morgan HERE
“The Bestiary” by Nicholas Christopher. Release Date: June 26, 2007. Described as “a tale that is at once a fantastical historical mystery, a haunting love story, and a glimpse into the uncanny—the quest for a long-lost book detailing the animals left off Noah’s Ark…”, “The Bestiary” is the fifth novel by Nicholas Christopher, who’s also put out eight volumes of poetry and a non-fiction on film noir. Advance word of mouth has been promising and I recently received a copy, so I’ll be covering the book shortly. Keep your eyes peeled for the review...
Official Nicholas Christopher Website
Order “The Bestiary” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Soon I Will Be Invincible” by Austin Grossman. Release Date: June 5, 2007. Superheroes, supervillains, a plot to take over the world… No, it’s not a comic book; it’s the debut novel from Austin Grossman, a game designer whose credits include Deus Ex, System Shock, Thief, Clive Barker’s Undying, etc. Throw in satirical humor, comparisons to Watchmen and Fortress of Solitude, and nifty cover art, and you have a pretty winning combination. Plus, I hear it’s already been optioned for film.Official Soon I Will Be Invincible Website
Official Pantheon Books Website
Order “Soon I Will Be Invincible" HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“The Harlequin” by Laurell K. Hamilton. Release Date: June 5, 2007. Fifteenth volume in the wildly popular, best-selling Anita Blake series, “The Harlequin” sounds like it might return back to the formula that it made it so addictive in the first place. I know that I wasn’t the only one to stop reading the series a few books back, so the premise for “The Harlequin” is almost enough to make me get back on the bandwagon…then again, maybe not. Regardless, you’ll be seeing this title on the New York Times Best-Selling List.Official Laurell K. Hamilton Website
Order “The Harlequin” HERE
Read Chapter 1 & Chapter 6 from “The Harlequin”
“The Hanging Mountains” by Sean Williams. Release Date: June 5, 2007. Third installment in the four-volume fantasy series The Books of the Cataclysm, which has already been released in Australia, “The Hanging Mountains” is making its US debut courtesy of Pyr Books (Ian McDonald, Joel Shepherd, Kay Kenyon, etc.). I’ve read the first novel in the series, and while the writing & characterization were a bit weak, the mind-blowing concept is enough to make me want more. Looking forward to checking out the rest of the epic…Official Sean Williams Website
Official Pyr Books Website
Order “The Hanging Mountains” HERE
Read Sample Chapters HERE
“Acacia” by David Anthony Durham. Release Date: June 12, 2007. Having established himself as a force in historical fiction with such critically-acclaimed novels as the multiple award-winning “Gabriel’s Story”, “Walk Through Darkness” and “Pride of Carthage”, David Anthony Durham tries his hand at speculative fiction with “Acacia – Book One: The War With the Mein”, and delivers a marvelous new offering that could do the same for him in the world of epic fantasy. Highly recommended…Official David Anthony Durham Website
David Anthony Durham Blog
Order “Acacia” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s Interview with Mr. Durham HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s Review of “Acacia” HERE
“Darkness of the Light” by Peter David. Release Date: June 12, 2007. Known mostly for his comic book works (Spider-Man, Hulk, Wolverine, etc.), movie novelizations (Spider-Man 2 & 3, Hulk, Fantastic Four) and Star Trek books, PAD is a pretty prolific writer whose resume also consists of television scripting and original fantasy, including “Darkness of the Light”, the start to the new Hidden Earth trilogy. I haven’t ready any of Mr. David’s novels, but this one sounds promising and I plan on reviewing it in the near future…Official Peter David Website
Official Tor-Forge Website
Order “Darkness of Light” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Mainspring” by Jay Lake. Release Date: June 12, 2007. Winner of the 2004 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, nominated for the Hugo and World Fantasy Awards, and the author of over 200 published short stories, Jay Lake makes his trade hardcover novel debut with “Mainspring”, which sounds like a pretty interesting mix of science fiction & fantasy, employing elements of steampunk, religion, etc. I’ve had this one in my sights for a while now and look forward to checking it out…Official Jay Lake Website
Official Tor-Forge Website
Jay Lake’s LiveJournal
Order “Mainspring” HERE
“Ragamuffin” by Tobias S. Buckell. Release Date: June 12, 2007. A first-place winner for the Writers of the Future and nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, Tobias S. Buckell burst onto the SF scene in 2006 with his well-received debut “Crystal Rain”. Set in the same universe, “Ragamuffin” looks to offer more of the same: intrigue, cultural diversity and plenty of science fiction-related action & adventure. "Crystal Rain" and "Ragamuffin" are definitely on my ‘To Read’ list…Official Tobias S. Buckell Website
Official Tor-Forge Website
Order “Ragamuffin” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Twilight Watch” by Sergey Lukyanenko. Release Date: June 13, 2007. Considered to be the most popular contemporary SF writer in Russia, Lukyanenko’s breakout was aided by the success of the film adaptation of “Night Watch” (2004), which came here to the US in 2006. Part one of the urban fantasy tetralogy World of Watches, the series is being translated in English with volume three, “Twilight Watch” (originally Dusk Watch) the latest to be released. I’ve heard nothing but praise for this series and hope to read it in the near future...Official Sergey Lukyanenko Website
Order “Twilight Watch” HERE
“Kushiel’s Justice” by Jacqueline Carey. Release Date: June 14. 2007. Continuing the adventures of Imriel de la Courcel that started in “Kushiel’s Scion”, which in itself is a direct sequel to the Kushiel’s Legacy trilogy that introduced Phèdre nó Delaunay, Joscelin Verreuil, Terre d'Ange, etc., “Kushiel’s Justice” is another wonderfully written novel by Jacqueline Carey that takes readers on an epic journey of love, loss and perseverance. If you’re a Kushiel fan, you definitely don’t want to miss this. Highly recommended…Official Jacqueline Carey Website
Order “Kushiel’s Justice” HERE
Read Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 from “Kushiel’s Justice”
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s Interview with Jacqueline Carey HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s Review of “Kushiel’s Justice” HERE
“Thirteen” – Richard K. Morgan. Release Date: June 26, 2007. Having already forged quite a name for himself in the sci-fi community with such releases as the Philip K. Dick Award-winning debut “Altered Carbon”, the standalone novel “Market Forces” and two Takeshi Kovacs sequels (“Broken Angels”, “Woken Furies”), Richard K. Morgan takes it to the next level with “Thirteen”, which could be the author’s most ambitious and provocative novel to date. Definitely recommended…Official Richard K. Morgan Website
Order “Thirteen” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s Interview with Mr. Morgan HERE
“The Bestiary” by Nicholas Christopher. Release Date: June 26, 2007. Described as “a tale that is at once a fantastical historical mystery, a haunting love story, and a glimpse into the uncanny—the quest for a long-lost book detailing the animals left off Noah’s Ark…”, “The Bestiary” is the fifth novel by Nicholas Christopher, who’s also put out eight volumes of poetry and a non-fiction on film noir. Advance word of mouth has been promising and I recently received a copy, so I’ll be covering the book shortly. Keep your eyes peeled for the review...Official Nicholas Christopher Website
Order “The Bestiary” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Well, I think that about wraps it up. I apologize for any novels that I may have overlooked and I promise I’ll do better next time. So, thanks for reading…I hope you’ll check out some of these books and keep an eye out for spotlights on July and August releases…
9:01 AM | 
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Robert |
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3 comments:
Robert, you're doing a great job with the blog, I really like this Spotlight feature because you've picked upn a few books that look to be worthwhile but which are not very well-known yet. I'm definitly picking Soon I will be Invincible and The Bestiary for instance. I'd keep this Spotlight feature monthly if I were you.
Calibandar
Good list of books there.
I really enjoyed Peter David's book a log and will be posting my review to SFFWorld in a day or two.
Sean Williams series is really, REALLY good.
Acacia is turning out pretty well, too.
Thanks for the compliments guys. I'm definitely planning on doing this on a monthly basis and have already started on July & August. If you have any suggestions, let me know!
Calibander, I'm glad you'll be picking up "Soon I Will Be Invincible" and "The Bestiary". I just posted the review for the former and am starting the latter. Definitely feel free to share your thoughts on the books once you've completed them...
Robb, good to hear that the Peter David book is enjoyable. I hope to get my copy from Tor soon. Definitely interested in seeing your thoughts on "Acacia" and I'm hoping to start up a relationship with Pyr for their impressive catalog. Thanks for reading and keep up the awesome job with SFF World...