Welcome to the March 2008 edition of Fantasy Book Critic’s monthly SPOTLIGHT. Previous spotlights for the year 2007 (June-December) can be visited HERE and for 2008 (January-February) HERE. As usual it’s another busy month, and while urban fantasy continues to be hot, March should please fans of science fiction and more traditional fantasy, especially with releases by such authors as R.A. Salvatore, Terry Brooks, Steven Erikson, Raymond E. Feist, Peter F. Hamilton, Greg Keyes, Joe Abercrombie and many others… So enjoy! (NOTE: Unless stated otherwise, all release dates are for the US):
“A World Too Near” by Kay Kenyon. Release Date: March 1, 2008. In “Bright of the Sky”, Kay Kenyon introduced a milieu unique in science fiction & fantasy: The Entire, a five-armed radial universe that exists in a dimension without stars & planets and is parallel to our own universe. In “A World Too Near”—volume two of The Entire and The Rose—the fate of the two universes hang in the balance and it is up to Titus Quinn to find a solution. Along the way, he will discover a shocking secret abut the true nature of the Entire…
Official Kay Kenyon Website
Order “A World Too Near” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews of “A World Too Near” via SF Reviews
“Fire Study” by Maria V. Snyder. Release Date: March 1, 2008. When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder—able to capture and release souls—spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena's unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena's fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before… “Fire Study” is the third book in Maria’s Study series following “Poison Study” + “Magic Study”…
Official Maria V. Snyder Website
Order “Fire Study” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“House of Cards” by C.E. Murphy. Release Date: March 1, 2008. Continuing the Negotiator series that began in “Heart of Stone”, legal counsel Margrit Knight is summoned to negotiate a peace treaty between rival factions among the Old Races. Unfortunately, reentering the underworld brings a new set of problems. Also new friends and enemies, including a ruthless vampire mobster, a dragonlord who won't take no for an answer, and Alban Korund, the über-hot gargoyle who got Margrit into this mess…
Official C.E. Murphy Website
Order “House of Cards” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews of “House of Cards” via Darque Reviews
“Procession of the Dead” by D.B. Shan. UK Release Date: March 3, 2008. Quick-witted & cocksure, young upstart Capac Raimi arrives in the City determined to make his mark as a promising new gangster. Then he crosses paths with The Cardinal, absolute ruler of the City, and his life changes forever as he learns about loss and the true cost of ultimate power… “Procession of the Dead” is the first volume in a noirish, gritty urban fantasy trilogy for adults from the bestselling author otherwise known as Darren Shan…
Official Darren Shan Website
Order “Procession of the Dead” HERE
“The Journals of Curious Letters” by James Dashner. Release Date: March 3, 2008. What if every time you made a choice that had a significant consequence, a new, alternate reality was created—the life that would have been had you made the other choice? What if those new realities were in danger? What if it fell to you to save all the realities? That is the setup for James Dashner’s outstanding new children’s fantasy series The 13th Reality. Will you join Tick and his friends on an amazing journey through the Realities?
Official James Dashner Blog
Order “The Journals of Curious Letters” HERE
Read Reviews of “The Journals of Curious Letters” via SciFi Chick + Not Enough Books
“The Ancient” by R.A. Salvatore. Release Date: March 4, 2008. First introduced in “The Highwayman”, Bransen Garibond is on a dangerous journey across the Gulf of Corona in search of his long-lost father when he gets pressed into service in a desperate war against the brutal Samhaist, Ancient Badden… “The Ancient” is part one of the Saga of the First King, a four-book series that chronicles the early days of Corona, the same world as R.A. Salvatore's bestselling DemonWars saga…
Official R.A. Salvatore Website
Official Saga of the First King Website
Order “The Ancient” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Reaper’s Gale” by Steven Erikson. Release Date: March 4, 2008 (US Debut). Recognized the world over by writers, critics & fans alike, Erikson’s epic fantasy series Malazan Book of the Fallen continues in “Reaper’s Gale” (Volume VII): Mauled and cut adrift by the Malazan Empire, Tavore and her now infamous 14th army have landed on the coast of a strange, unknown continent and find themselves facing an even more dangerous enemy—the Tiste Edur, a nightmarish empire pledged to serve the Crippled God…
Official Malazan Empire Website
Order “Reaper’s Gale” HERE
Read Reviews of “Reaper’s Gale” via Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review, Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist, SFF World, + The Neth Space
“The Hidden City” by Michelle West. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Set in the same universe as The Sacred Hunt duology and the Sun Sword series, “The Hidden City” marks the beginning of Michelle West’s (The Book of the Sundered, the Cast series, two-time Campbell Award nominee) new House Wars trilogy which chronicles the incredible tale of orphan Jewel Markess—Jay to her friends—, the formation of Jewel's Den from before the novel “Hunter's Death”, and the battle for control of House Terafin…
Official Michelle Sagara West Website
Official Michelle West LiveJournal
Order “The Hidden City” HERE
“Space Vulture” by Gary K. Wolf & Archbishop John J. Myers. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Determined to recapture the science fiction of their youth—not as it was, but as it should have been—Gary K. Wolf, the creator of Roger Rabbit, and his best friend, John J. Myers, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, now transport readers to the far reaches of the galaxy for a rollicking space tale full of adventure, suspense, wonder, and fun that the co-writers first discovered fifty years ago…
Official Space Vulture Website
Order “Space Vulture” HERE
“The Golden Rose” by Kathleen Bryan. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Following the events of the first book—The Serpent and the Rose—in the War of the Rose series, Averil is forced to marry in order to produce an heir for the King of Lys. But Averil’s heart belongs to Gerient, a man she can never marry. Their bond goes much deeper than love though, for between them lies the power to raise the Wild Magic of the world, the only force that can defeat the King’s quest to release the Serpent God of Chaos from his mystic prison…
Order “The Golden Rose” HERE
“The Alchemist’s Code” by Dave Duncan. Release Date: March 4, 2008. In the second adventure starring legendary clairvoyant Maestro Nostradamus and his young apprentice & swordsman Alfeo Zeno, Nostradamus is hired to find a foreign spy by Venice's ruling Council of Ten. Soon though, Nostradamus detects evil influences working against him, and realizes the spy can only be caught by occult means. Thus he turns to his able apprentice whose unique talents may prove essential to unraveling the truth…
Official Dave Duncan Website
Order “The Alchemist’s Code” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Alliance Space” by C.J. Cherryh. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Featuring two classic tales taken from C.J. Cherryh’s Alliance-Union series—specifically The Era of Rapprochement sequence—the new “Alliance Space” omnibus reprints both “Merchanter’s Luck” (1982), about a fateful meeting between merchanters that leads to adventure & danger, and the Locus Award-nominated “Forty Thousand in Gehenna” (1983) where 40,000 abandoned human colonists survive on an alien planet despite all odds…
Official C.J. Cherryh Website
Order “Alliance Space” HERE
“Truancy” by Isamu Fukui. Release Date: March 4, 2008. In a nameless totalitarian city, the autocratic Mayor rules the school system with an iron fist with the help of his Educators. Fighting against them is a group of former students called the Truancy, whose goal is to take down the system by any means possible—at any cost… Written during the summer of Isamu’s 15th year, “Truancy” is more than just entertainment, it’s also a statement about the world’s endless cycle of violence and the state of education…
Official Truancy Website
Order “Truancy” HERE
“Goblin War” by Jim C. Hines. Release Date: March 4, 2008. If you think its hard being a hobgoblin or a human, try living a goblin’s life for a while. In fact, try imagining what it’s like to be the runtiest goblin in the caves, the lone worshiper of a god who’s been forgotten for a good reason, and the target everyone points to at the first hint of trouble. Try picturing yourself as Jig Dragonslayer and see how you like it…”Goblin War” concludes the Goblin Quest trilogy that began with “Goblin Quest” + “Goblin Hero”…
Official Jim C. Hines Website
Official Jim C. Hines LiveJournal
Order “Goblin War” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
”Mad Kestrel” by Misty Massey. Release Date: March 4, 2008. In a world where infants with magical powers are torn from their parents to be raised by the mysterious and powerful Danisoba who have a monopoly on magic, Kestrel has managed to keep her abilities concealed—and herself free, living as the quartermaster of a pirate ship. But her way of life is about to end when a black ship and its rogue captain appear thrusting Kestrel into a rip-roaring adventure full of romance, adventure and mystery…
Official Misty Massey Website
Order “Mad Kestrel” HERE
Watch the “Mad Kestrel” Book Video HERE
“Steward of Song” by Adam Stemple. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Following in the footsteps of his mother, author Jane Yolen, Adam Stemple has written a variety of short stories, poetry and novels. He’s also a musician who’s performed with Cats Laughing (past members included writers Steven Brust + Emma Bull), Boiled In Lead, and now the Tim Malloys. “Steward of Song” is the sequel to the widely-praised “Singer of Souls” and features the human & faery worlds haunted by murder and its consequences…
Official Adam Stemple Website
Order “Steward of Song” HERE
“Spider Star” by Mike Brotherton. Release Date: March 4, 2008. For Mike Brotherton’s second novel—after “Star Dragon”—the author takes readers to the planet Argo where an archeology team accidentally activates a terrible weapon that will destroy the world’s human colony and its star if they can’t deactivate it. Their only hope lies with information that is a hundred thousand years old, and sending a ship & crew out into the unknown to try and find a way to shut down the weapon before it’s too late…
“A World Too Near” by Kay Kenyon. Release Date: March 1, 2008. In “Bright of the Sky”, Kay Kenyon introduced a milieu unique in science fiction & fantasy: The Entire, a five-armed radial universe that exists in a dimension without stars & planets and is parallel to our own universe. In “A World Too Near”—volume two of The Entire and The Rose—the fate of the two universes hang in the balance and it is up to Titus Quinn to find a solution. Along the way, he will discover a shocking secret abut the true nature of the Entire…Official Kay Kenyon Website
Order “A World Too Near” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews of “A World Too Near” via SF Reviews
“Fire Study” by Maria V. Snyder. Release Date: March 1, 2008. When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder—able to capture and release souls—spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena's unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena's fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before… “Fire Study” is the third book in Maria’s Study series following “Poison Study” + “Magic Study”…Official Maria V. Snyder Website
Order “Fire Study” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“House of Cards” by C.E. Murphy. Release Date: March 1, 2008. Continuing the Negotiator series that began in “Heart of Stone”, legal counsel Margrit Knight is summoned to negotiate a peace treaty between rival factions among the Old Races. Unfortunately, reentering the underworld brings a new set of problems. Also new friends and enemies, including a ruthless vampire mobster, a dragonlord who won't take no for an answer, and Alban Korund, the über-hot gargoyle who got Margrit into this mess…Official C.E. Murphy Website
Order “House of Cards” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews of “House of Cards” via Darque Reviews
“Procession of the Dead” by D.B. Shan. UK Release Date: March 3, 2008. Quick-witted & cocksure, young upstart Capac Raimi arrives in the City determined to make his mark as a promising new gangster. Then he crosses paths with The Cardinal, absolute ruler of the City, and his life changes forever as he learns about loss and the true cost of ultimate power… “Procession of the Dead” is the first volume in a noirish, gritty urban fantasy trilogy for adults from the bestselling author otherwise known as Darren Shan…Official Darren Shan Website
Order “Procession of the Dead” HERE
“The Journals of Curious Letters” by James Dashner. Release Date: March 3, 2008. What if every time you made a choice that had a significant consequence, a new, alternate reality was created—the life that would have been had you made the other choice? What if those new realities were in danger? What if it fell to you to save all the realities? That is the setup for James Dashner’s outstanding new children’s fantasy series The 13th Reality. Will you join Tick and his friends on an amazing journey through the Realities?Official James Dashner Blog
Order “The Journals of Curious Letters” HERE
Read Reviews of “The Journals of Curious Letters” via SciFi Chick + Not Enough Books
“The Ancient” by R.A. Salvatore. Release Date: March 4, 2008. First introduced in “The Highwayman”, Bransen Garibond is on a dangerous journey across the Gulf of Corona in search of his long-lost father when he gets pressed into service in a desperate war against the brutal Samhaist, Ancient Badden… “The Ancient” is part one of the Saga of the First King, a four-book series that chronicles the early days of Corona, the same world as R.A. Salvatore's bestselling DemonWars saga…Official R.A. Salvatore Website
Official Saga of the First King Website
Order “The Ancient” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Reaper’s Gale” by Steven Erikson. Release Date: March 4, 2008 (US Debut). Recognized the world over by writers, critics & fans alike, Erikson’s epic fantasy series Malazan Book of the Fallen continues in “Reaper’s Gale” (Volume VII): Mauled and cut adrift by the Malazan Empire, Tavore and her now infamous 14th army have landed on the coast of a strange, unknown continent and find themselves facing an even more dangerous enemy—the Tiste Edur, a nightmarish empire pledged to serve the Crippled God…Official Malazan Empire Website
Order “Reaper’s Gale” HERE
Read Reviews of “Reaper’s Gale” via Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review, Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist, SFF World, + The Neth Space
“The Hidden City” by Michelle West. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Set in the same universe as The Sacred Hunt duology and the Sun Sword series, “The Hidden City” marks the beginning of Michelle West’s (The Book of the Sundered, the Cast series, two-time Campbell Award nominee) new House Wars trilogy which chronicles the incredible tale of orphan Jewel Markess—Jay to her friends—, the formation of Jewel's Den from before the novel “Hunter's Death”, and the battle for control of House Terafin…Official Michelle Sagara West Website
Official Michelle West LiveJournal
Order “The Hidden City” HERE
“Space Vulture” by Gary K. Wolf & Archbishop John J. Myers. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Determined to recapture the science fiction of their youth—not as it was, but as it should have been—Gary K. Wolf, the creator of Roger Rabbit, and his best friend, John J. Myers, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, now transport readers to the far reaches of the galaxy for a rollicking space tale full of adventure, suspense, wonder, and fun that the co-writers first discovered fifty years ago…Official Space Vulture Website
Order “Space Vulture” HERE
“The Golden Rose” by Kathleen Bryan. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Following the events of the first book—The Serpent and the Rose—in the War of the Rose series, Averil is forced to marry in order to produce an heir for the King of Lys. But Averil’s heart belongs to Gerient, a man she can never marry. Their bond goes much deeper than love though, for between them lies the power to raise the Wild Magic of the world, the only force that can defeat the King’s quest to release the Serpent God of Chaos from his mystic prison…Order “The Golden Rose” HERE
“The Alchemist’s Code” by Dave Duncan. Release Date: March 4, 2008. In the second adventure starring legendary clairvoyant Maestro Nostradamus and his young apprentice & swordsman Alfeo Zeno, Nostradamus is hired to find a foreign spy by Venice's ruling Council of Ten. Soon though, Nostradamus detects evil influences working against him, and realizes the spy can only be caught by occult means. Thus he turns to his able apprentice whose unique talents may prove essential to unraveling the truth…Official Dave Duncan Website
Order “The Alchemist’s Code” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Alliance Space” by C.J. Cherryh. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Featuring two classic tales taken from C.J. Cherryh’s Alliance-Union series—specifically The Era of Rapprochement sequence—the new “Alliance Space” omnibus reprints both “Merchanter’s Luck” (1982), about a fateful meeting between merchanters that leads to adventure & danger, and the Locus Award-nominated “Forty Thousand in Gehenna” (1983) where 40,000 abandoned human colonists survive on an alien planet despite all odds…Official C.J. Cherryh Website
Order “Alliance Space” HERE
“Truancy” by Isamu Fukui. Release Date: March 4, 2008. In a nameless totalitarian city, the autocratic Mayor rules the school system with an iron fist with the help of his Educators. Fighting against them is a group of former students called the Truancy, whose goal is to take down the system by any means possible—at any cost… Written during the summer of Isamu’s 15th year, “Truancy” is more than just entertainment, it’s also a statement about the world’s endless cycle of violence and the state of education…Official Truancy Website
Order “Truancy” HERE
“Goblin War” by Jim C. Hines. Release Date: March 4, 2008. If you think its hard being a hobgoblin or a human, try living a goblin’s life for a while. In fact, try imagining what it’s like to be the runtiest goblin in the caves, the lone worshiper of a god who’s been forgotten for a good reason, and the target everyone points to at the first hint of trouble. Try picturing yourself as Jig Dragonslayer and see how you like it…”Goblin War” concludes the Goblin Quest trilogy that began with “Goblin Quest” + “Goblin Hero”…Official Jim C. Hines Website
Official Jim C. Hines LiveJournal
Order “Goblin War” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
”Mad Kestrel” by Misty Massey. Release Date: March 4, 2008. In a world where infants with magical powers are torn from their parents to be raised by the mysterious and powerful Danisoba who have a monopoly on magic, Kestrel has managed to keep her abilities concealed—and herself free, living as the quartermaster of a pirate ship. But her way of life is about to end when a black ship and its rogue captain appear thrusting Kestrel into a rip-roaring adventure full of romance, adventure and mystery…Official Misty Massey Website
Order “Mad Kestrel” HERE
Watch the “Mad Kestrel” Book Video HERE
“Steward of Song” by Adam Stemple. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Following in the footsteps of his mother, author Jane Yolen, Adam Stemple has written a variety of short stories, poetry and novels. He’s also a musician who’s performed with Cats Laughing (past members included writers Steven Brust + Emma Bull), Boiled In Lead, and now the Tim Malloys. “Steward of Song” is the sequel to the widely-praised “Singer of Souls” and features the human & faery worlds haunted by murder and its consequences…Official Adam Stemple Website
Order “Steward of Song” HERE
“Spider Star” by Mike Brotherton. Release Date: March 4, 2008. For Mike Brotherton’s second novel—after “Star Dragon”—the author takes readers to the planet Argo where an archeology team accidentally activates a terrible weapon that will destroy the world’s human colony and its star if they can’t deactivate it. Their only hope lies with information that is a hundred thousand years old, and sending a ship & crew out into the unknown to try and find a way to shut down the weapon before it’s too late…Official Mike Brotherton Website
Order “Spider Star” HERE
“Tangled Webs” by Anne Bishop. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Anne Bishop’s (Tir Alainn trilogy, Land of Ephemera) national bestselling and critically acclaimed Black Jewels series has enthralled readers with its lavish blend of “the darkly macabre with spine-tingling emotional intensity, mesmerizing magic, lush sensuality, and exciting action.” (SF Site). Now, readers can return to the violently passionate world ruled by the Blood, a race of witches and warlocks whose power is channeled through magical jewels...
Official Anne Bishop Website
Order “Tangled Webs” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“The Boundless Deep” by Kate Brallier. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Philosophers have said that we travel through our lives, past and present, surrounded by the same souls. That we spend each new life trying to mend the hurts we’ve done to one another in the past. In “The Boundless Deep”, Kate Brallier explores this idea in a combination of strong storytelling and gifted characterization as a grad student must answer the riddle of her dreams, reunite lovers separated by death and solve a hundred-year-old murder…
Official Kate Brallier Website
Order “The Boundless Deep” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Demons Are a Ghoul’s Best Friend” by Victoria Laurie. Release Date: March 4, 2008. For Victoria Laurie's ghoulishly great follow-up to “What's a Ghoul to Do?” in the author’s new Ghost Hunter Mystery series, M.J. Holliday is all ready to send bullying demon Hatchet Jack back to the portal from whence he came. But with the school's summer construction, an uncooperative dean, and the very tempting Dr. Delicious all trying to distract M.J. from her ghost hunting, it’s a lot easier said than done…
Order “Spider Star” HERE
“Tangled Webs” by Anne Bishop. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Anne Bishop’s (Tir Alainn trilogy, Land of Ephemera) national bestselling and critically acclaimed Black Jewels series has enthralled readers with its lavish blend of “the darkly macabre with spine-tingling emotional intensity, mesmerizing magic, lush sensuality, and exciting action.” (SF Site). Now, readers can return to the violently passionate world ruled by the Blood, a race of witches and warlocks whose power is channeled through magical jewels...Official Anne Bishop Website
Order “Tangled Webs” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“The Boundless Deep” by Kate Brallier. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Philosophers have said that we travel through our lives, past and present, surrounded by the same souls. That we spend each new life trying to mend the hurts we’ve done to one another in the past. In “The Boundless Deep”, Kate Brallier explores this idea in a combination of strong storytelling and gifted characterization as a grad student must answer the riddle of her dreams, reunite lovers separated by death and solve a hundred-year-old murder…Official Kate Brallier Website
Order “The Boundless Deep” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Demons Are a Ghoul’s Best Friend” by Victoria Laurie. Release Date: March 4, 2008. For Victoria Laurie's ghoulishly great follow-up to “What's a Ghoul to Do?” in the author’s new Ghost Hunter Mystery series, M.J. Holliday is all ready to send bullying demon Hatchet Jack back to the portal from whence he came. But with the school's summer construction, an uncooperative dean, and the very tempting Dr. Delicious all trying to distract M.J. from her ghost hunting, it’s a lot easier said than done…Official Victoria Laurie Website
Order “Demons Are a Ghoul’s Best Friend” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews via Darque Reviews
“The Dark Lantern” by Gerri Brightwell. Release Date: March 4, 2008. A fascinating portrayal of a vanished England as well as an unconventional mystery, Gerri’s debut “The Dark Lantern” exposes the grand “upstairs” of a Victorian home and the darker underbelly of its servants’ quarters. The clash between the classes makes for a suspenseful novel of mistaken identities, intriguing women and dangerous deceptions… I know it’s not speculative fiction, but I’m a sucker for a good mystery, especially in such a rich setting…
Order “The Dark Lantern” HERE
Read Reviews of “The Dark Lantern” via BookLoons
NOTE: Gerri Brightwell is actually the wife of writer Ian Cameron Esslemont (Night of Knives) of Malazan fame. Just thought that was an interesting tidbit :)
“Elom” by William H. Drinkard. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Described as Clan of the Cave Bear meets Close Encounters of the Third Kind, William H. Drinkard’s—former Alabama State Legislature member—debut novel introduces “a low-tech world where life is regulated by the scriptures of Geerna, a primitive human who long ago reached a covenant with the goddess Shetow”. Author David Drake writes that “Elom” has “Engaging characters in a story told with the feel of a myth passed down by word of mouth…”
Official William H. Drinkard Website
Order “Elom” HERE
“When the Tide Rises” by David Drake. Release Date: March 4, 2008. When the Republic of Cinnabar doesn't have enough battleships to deal with all the crises in its war with the Alliance, it sends the next best thing: Commander Daniel Leary and his friend, the spy Adele Mundy. This time—in the sixth volume of the RCN Series—they're off to help the Bagarian cluster in its rebellion against the Alliance, but they'll quickly find that the worst threats to the rebels are the treacherous politicians leading them…
Official David Drake Website
Order “When the Tide Rises” HERE
“The Dragon Done It” edited by Eric Flint + Mike Resnick. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Best-selling authors Eric Flint and five-time Hugo winner Mike Resnick present a generous selection of stories from the intersection of mystery and magic by popular writers Neil Gaiman, Gene Wolfe, David Drake, Harry Turtledove, Esther M. Friesner, and more, including Flint and Resnick themselves! “The Dragon Done It” is an exciting cross-genre anthology that both mystery and fantasy fans will enjoy—and so will dragons…
Official Eric Flint Website
Official Mike Resnick Website
Order “The Dragon Done It” HERE
“The Man on the Ceiling” by Melanie Tem & Steve Rasnic Tem. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Originally published in 2000 as a chapbook, “The Man on the Ceiling” went on to win the Bram Stoker, International Horror Guild + World Fantasy awards. Now, Melanie Tem and Steve Rasnic Tem have reimagined the story, expanding on the ideas to create a compelling work that examines how people find a family, how they hold a family together despite incomprehensible tragedy, and how they find love…
Official Melanie Tem & Steve Rasnic Tem Website
Order “The Man on the Ceiling” HERE
Read Reviews of “The Man on the Ceiling” via Horror Drive-In + SciFi Weekly
“A Fire in the North” by David Bilsborough. UK Release Date: March 7, 2008. Into the arctic wastelands of Melhus Island, to the subterranean fastness of the evil rawgr-lord Drauglir, a flame is brought—and at last the enigma buried deep and forgotten in Bolldhe’s soul begins to thaw… “A Fire in the North” continues brilliantly where David Bilsborough's debut “The Wanderer’s Tale” left off. But it’s an altogether darker and more violent affair now… “A Fire in the North" is tentatively scheduled for US publication June 2008.
Order “A Fire in the North” HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s REVIEW of “The Wanderer’s Tale”
“Black Ships” by Jo Graham. Release Date: March 10, 2007. Influenced by Virgil's The Aeneid, Jo Graham’s historical fantasy debut recreates the last shadowed days of the Age of Bronze and tells the captivating story of the oracle Gull. Daughter of a slave taken from fallen Troy, chosen at the age of seven to be the voice of the Lady of the Dead, it is Gull’s destiny to wield more power than kings. “Haunting and bittersweet, lush and vivid, this extraordinary story has lived with me since I first read it…” —Naomi Novik (Temeraire)
Official Jo Graham LiveJournal
Order “Black Ships” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews of “Black Ships” by Blogcritics + Fyrefly’s Book Blog
“The Philosopher’s Apprentice” by James Morrow. Release Date: March 11, 2008. A brilliant philosopher with a talent for self-destruction is given the opportunity of a lifetime—apprentice a girl with no memory or conscience on the private island Isla de Sangre, a lush Eden abounding in bizarre animals, strange vegetation and intriguing mysteries. But it is his apprentice Londa who will prove most daunting as she undertakes to remake our fallen world in her own image—by any and all means necessary…
Official James Morrow Website
Order “The Philosopher’s Apprentice” HERE
“The Shadow Year” by Jeffrey Ford. Release Date: March 11, 2008. Not since Ray Bradbury's classic Dandelion Wine has a novel so richly evoked the dark magic of small-town boyhood. At once a compelling mystery, a masterful re-creation of a unique time & place, a celebration of youth, and a poignant portrait of home & family—all balancing on a razor's edge separating reality from the remarkable—The Shadow Year is a monumental new work from one of contemporary fiction's most fearless & inventive artists…
Official Jeffrey Ford Website
Order “The Shadow Year” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Deluge” by Anne McCaffrey + Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. Release Date: March 11, 2008. The final volume of the second Petaybee trilogy set on a world where everything has sentience brings the fate of the planet into sharp relief and focuses on the symbiotic relationships of its characters. The collaborative effort by veterans Anne McCaffrey (Dragonriders of Pern) and Elizabeth Scarborough (The Healer's War) brings together two consummate storytellers in an adventure suitable for both YA and adult audiences…
Official Anne McCaffrey Website
Official Elizabeth Ann Scarborough Website
Order “Deluge” HERE
“The Undead Kama Sutra” by Mario Acevedo. Release Date: March 11, 2008. After surviving aliens, nymphomaniacs, and x-rated bloodsuckers, it's high time for a vacation. Unfortunately the aliens are back in a fiendish conspiracy with the U.S. government, and only Felix stands between them and the Earth women they covet. But when an army hit man attacks Felix and the bodacious vampire sexpert, Carmen, not even the astonishing erotic powers of the Kama Sutra for the Undead may be able to save them…
Official Mario Acevedo Website
Order “The Undead Kama Sutra” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Watch the Vampire Lego Book Trailer HERE
“Staked” by J.F. Lewis. Release Date: March 11, 2008. Marking the debut of a fresh new voice in J.F. Lewis, “Staked” is a funny, biting urban fantasy starring a strip bar-owning vampire. Imagine an undead Denis Leary, complete with acid wit, misanthropism, and a love for ice hockey. Throw in a strip club with a never-ending stream of beauties at his disposal, a sassy girlfriend, and being framed for a crime he didn't commit and you have “Staked”—a hilarious vampire fantasy that will leave readers wanting more…
Official J.F. Lewis Website
Order “Staked” HERE
Read Reviews of “Staked” via LibraryJournal
“Worldweavers: Spellspasm” by Alma Alexander. Release Date: March 11, 2008. What do you get when ordinary e-mail spam becomes infused with magic? Spellspam—and it's not supposed to exist. As far as Thea and her friends know, computers are meant to be inert vehicles for storing magic spells, not magical processors themselves. But all that seems to have changed and it’s up to Thea to stop the spellspams before they get any worse in this exciting and fantastical sequel to “Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage”…
Official Alma Alexander Website
Order “Worldweavers: Spellspasm” HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s REVIEW of “Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage”
“Dingo” by Charles de Lint. Release Date: March 13, 2008. High school senior Miguel's life is turned upside down when he meets new girl Lainey who just moved from Australia. With her red-gold hair, her instant understanding of who he is, and her unusual dog—with fur the same color as her hair—Lainey is unforgettable. And, as he quickly learns, she is on the run from an ancient bargain made by her ancestors. There's no question that Miguel will do whatever he can to help her—but what price will each of them have to pay?
Official Charles de Lint Website
Order “Dingo” HERE
“Jemma7729” by Phoebe Wray. Release Date: March 15, 2008. On her Choosing Day, when Jemma7729 must declare publicly what she will do and be for the rest of her life, she refuses. The State is quick to respond: arrest, remand without possibility of parole, and incarceration in a rehab facility that will change her mind, or kill her. Jemma escapes though and begins a life of adventure & danger. But her luck can’t last forever and if caught, Jemma7729 will face immediate, permanent and uncontestable deletion…
Official Phoebe Wray Website
Order “Jemma7729” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“The Stars Down Under” by Sandra McDonald. Release Date: March 18, 2008. Alien artifacts, political tension, Australian mythology & culture, and a freshly married pair of heroes (Terry & Jodenny) feature prominently in the thrilling sequel to “The Outback Stars” (2007), a military science fiction novel by writer Sandra McDonald who is also the author of several short stories and has worked as a Hollywood production assistant, a software instructor, a bureaucrat, and was an officer in the United States Navy…
Official Sandra McDonald Website
Order “The Stars Down Under” HERE
“In the Courts of the Crimson Kings” by S.M. Stirling. Release Date: March 18, 2008. In The Lords of Creation series Mars & Venus have been terraformed for two hundred million years, “seeded” with intelligent human life, which is not discovered by Earth until the 20th century and the start of space exploration. Now a cold war has broken out as Earth’s great powers contend for control amid the inhabitants of their sister planets… Where “The Sky People” was set on Venus, “In the Courts of the Crimson Kings” shifts to Mars…
Official S.M. Stirling Website
Order “In the Courts of the Crimson Kings” HERE
Read Excerpts HERE
“Gladiatrix” by Russell Whitfield. UK Release Date: March 18, 2008. Under the Flavian Emperors the Roman public’s hunger for gladiatorial combat has never been greater. The Emperor Domitian’s passion for novelty and variety in the arena has given rise to a very different kind of warrior: the Gladiatrix. Forced to fight for survival, Lysandra, a member of an ancient Spartan sect of warrior priestesses, will win the adoration of the crowds, the admiration of Sextus Julius Frontinus, and the attention of powerful enemies…
Official Russell Whitfield Website
Order “Gladiatrix” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Last Argument of Kings” by Joe Abercrombie. UK Release Date: March 20, 2008. Concluding his debut trilogy in style, Joe Abercrombie’s “Last Argument of Kings”—after “The Blade Itself” and “Before They Are Hanged”—finds the shadow of war falling across the very heart of the Union. While the First of the Magi has a plan to save the world, as he always does, there are risks—and no risk more terrible, after all, than to break the First Law… From advance reviews, it sounds like Joe Abercrombie delivers big time…
Official Joe Abercrombie Website
Order “Last Argument of Kings” HERE
Read An Extract HERE
Read Reviews of “Last Argument of Kings” via Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review, The Genre Files + The Wertzone
NOTE: US readers shouldn’t have to wait too long for the release of “Last Argument of Kings”, which I believe is scheduled for publication September 2008.
“The Reef” by Mark Charan Newton. UK Release Date: March 24, 2008. With echoes of Joseph Conrad and China Miéville (The Scar), Mark Charan Newton’s (Solaris Books editor, Nights of Villjamur forthcoming 2009) debut, “The Reef”, is a modern fantasy journey filled with exotic cultures, cities and peoples as well as long-forgotten technology, while telling a story about a quest for phenomenal revenge where secret pasts are revealed and relationships founder on tropical sands and in dark waters…
Official Mark Charan Newton Website
Order “The Reef” HERE
Read Extracts HERE
“Dark Wraith of Shannara” by Terry Brooks. Release Date: March 25, 2008. Taking place after the events of “The Wishsong of Shannara”, the last book in the original Sword of Shannara trilogy, “Dark Wraith of Shannara” is a new, never-before-published story that is told in graphic novel format—Terry Brooks first—as adapted by comic book writer Robert Napton with black-and-white artwork provided by Edwin David. If you’ve never ventured into the world of Shannara, consider this the perfect opportunity…
Official Terry Brooks Website
Order “Dark Wraith of Shannara” HERE
Watch the “Dark Wraith of Shannara” Trailer HERE
Read Reviews of “Dark Wraith of Shannara” via A Dribble of Ink + Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review
“The Dreaming Void” by Peter F. Hamilton. Release Date: March 25, 2008 (US Debut). Set over a 1000 years after the end of The Commonwealth Saga (Pandora’s Star, Judas Unchained), “The Dreaming Void” kicks off the new Void trilogy from New York Times-bestselling science fiction author Peter F. Hamilton, whose previous works include the Greg Mandel series, the Night’s Dawn trilogy, “Fallen Dragon”, “Misspent Youth” and various short fiction. Space opera lovers everywhere, let the Pilgrimage begin…
Official Peter F. Hamilton Website
Order “The Dreaming Void” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews of “The Dreaming Void” via Fantasy Book Critic, SFFWorld + The Wertzone
“The Born Queen” by Greg Keyes. Release Date: March 25, 2008. With powerfully engaging characters and exciting action, fans have been clamoring for the fourth & final book in Greg Keyes’ The Kingdoms of Thorn & Bone fantasy series, and at long last “The Born Queen” has arrived. Will Anne Dare succeed in vanquishing the Evil that has befallen the land? Will the villainous Skasloi reassert their authority over humanity? The final threads are woven into this vast, highly imaginative epic tapestry…
Official Greg Keyes Website
Order “The Born Queen” HERE
“Before They Are Hanged” by Joe Abercrombie. Release Date: March 25, 2008 (US Debut). In the second volume of The First Law trilogy, Superior Glokta is faced with an overwhelming problem, Northmen have invaded into Angland, and Bayaz, the First of the Magi, is leading a party of bold adventurers on a perilous mission through the ruins of the past. Ancient secrets will be uncovered. Bloody battles will be won and lost. And bitter enemies will be forgiven—but not before they are hanged…
Official Joe Abercrombie Website
Order “Before They Are Hanged” HERE
Read An Extract HERE
Read Reviews of “Before They Are Hanged” via Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist + SFFWorld
“Personal Demon” by Kelley Armstrong. Release Date: March 25, 2008. Half-demon Hope Adams has inherited not only a gift for seeing the past but a hunger for chaos. Naturally, when she's chosen by a very dangerous group for a very dangerous mission, she jumps at the chance. As it turns out, Hope is a little too good at this job, and she soon finds it necessary to open herself—mind & body—to everything she most fears & desires… “Personal Demon” is the eighth installment in the Women of the Otherworld series…
Official Kelley Armstrong Website
Order “Personal Demon” HERE
Read Excerpts HERE + HERE
“The Lost Ones” by Christopher Golden. Release Date: March 25, 2008. Bestselling author Christopher Golden (Hellboy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) brings his epic, innovative trilogy, the Veil (The Myth Hunters, The Borderkind), to an astonishing conclusion as the mythic realm of heroes and monsters becomes the site of humanity’s last—and greatest—showdown. As old heroes & allies gather for one last battle, even older enemies stand against them. For even legends have their legends…and they have returned—the lost ones…
Official Christopher Golden Website
Order “The Lost Ones” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s Reviews of “The Myth Hunters” + “The Borderkind”
“The Magician and the Fool” by Barth Anderson. Release Date: March 25, 2008. For hundreds of years, men have sought their hidden futures in the legendary images of the tarot—but what secrets of the past are harbored by the priestess, the magician, the hanged man…and the fool? The author of the explosive “The Patron Saint of Plagues” returns with a richly textured mystical mystery exploring the dark heart of one of our oldest traditions where cards will reveal everything, even the unseen truths of human life itself…
Official Barth Anderson Website
Order “The Magician and the Fool” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Wrath of a Mad God” by Raymond E. Feist. Release Date: March 25, 2008. Celebrated NYTs bestselling author Raymond E. Feist returns with the thrilling conclusion to his enthralling Darkwar Saga… The Darkwar rages upon Midkemia and Kelewan, bringing bleak days of destruction & despair. To save the future of both worlds, the sorcerer Pug and select members of the Conclave of Shadows must journey deep into the dangerous realm of the Dasati, to carry out an audacious mission that has little, if any, chance of succeeding…
Official Raymond E. Feist Website
Order “Wrath of a Mad God” HERE (US) + HERE (UK-March 3, 2008)
Read Reviews of “Wrath of a Mad God” via Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist + The Book Swede
“Poison Sleep” by T.A. Pratt. Release Date: March 25, 2008. Continuing the urban fantasy series that began in “Blood Engines”, Felport’s chief sorcerer Marla Mason and her wisecracking partner Rondeau are back for another adventure. This time they’re after an escaped inmate from the Blackwing Institute for criminally insane sorcerers who can reweave the fabric of reality to match her own traumatic past. On top of that, Marla is targeted by a renegade assassin who specializes in killing his victims over days, months, or even years…
Official T.A. Pratt Website
Order “Demons Are a Ghoul’s Best Friend” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews via Darque Reviews
“The Dark Lantern” by Gerri Brightwell. Release Date: March 4, 2008. A fascinating portrayal of a vanished England as well as an unconventional mystery, Gerri’s debut “The Dark Lantern” exposes the grand “upstairs” of a Victorian home and the darker underbelly of its servants’ quarters. The clash between the classes makes for a suspenseful novel of mistaken identities, intriguing women and dangerous deceptions… I know it’s not speculative fiction, but I’m a sucker for a good mystery, especially in such a rich setting…Order “The Dark Lantern” HERE
Read Reviews of “The Dark Lantern” via BookLoons
NOTE: Gerri Brightwell is actually the wife of writer Ian Cameron Esslemont (Night of Knives) of Malazan fame. Just thought that was an interesting tidbit :)
“Elom” by William H. Drinkard. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Described as Clan of the Cave Bear meets Close Encounters of the Third Kind, William H. Drinkard’s—former Alabama State Legislature member—debut novel introduces “a low-tech world where life is regulated by the scriptures of Geerna, a primitive human who long ago reached a covenant with the goddess Shetow”. Author David Drake writes that “Elom” has “Engaging characters in a story told with the feel of a myth passed down by word of mouth…”Official William H. Drinkard Website
Order “Elom” HERE
“When the Tide Rises” by David Drake. Release Date: March 4, 2008. When the Republic of Cinnabar doesn't have enough battleships to deal with all the crises in its war with the Alliance, it sends the next best thing: Commander Daniel Leary and his friend, the spy Adele Mundy. This time—in the sixth volume of the RCN Series—they're off to help the Bagarian cluster in its rebellion against the Alliance, but they'll quickly find that the worst threats to the rebels are the treacherous politicians leading them…Official David Drake Website
Order “When the Tide Rises” HERE
“The Dragon Done It” edited by Eric Flint + Mike Resnick. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Best-selling authors Eric Flint and five-time Hugo winner Mike Resnick present a generous selection of stories from the intersection of mystery and magic by popular writers Neil Gaiman, Gene Wolfe, David Drake, Harry Turtledove, Esther M. Friesner, and more, including Flint and Resnick themselves! “The Dragon Done It” is an exciting cross-genre anthology that both mystery and fantasy fans will enjoy—and so will dragons…Official Eric Flint Website
Official Mike Resnick Website
Order “The Dragon Done It” HERE
“The Man on the Ceiling” by Melanie Tem & Steve Rasnic Tem. Release Date: March 4, 2008. Originally published in 2000 as a chapbook, “The Man on the Ceiling” went on to win the Bram Stoker, International Horror Guild + World Fantasy awards. Now, Melanie Tem and Steve Rasnic Tem have reimagined the story, expanding on the ideas to create a compelling work that examines how people find a family, how they hold a family together despite incomprehensible tragedy, and how they find love…Official Melanie Tem & Steve Rasnic Tem Website
Order “The Man on the Ceiling” HERE
Read Reviews of “The Man on the Ceiling” via Horror Drive-In + SciFi Weekly
“A Fire in the North” by David Bilsborough. UK Release Date: March 7, 2008. Into the arctic wastelands of Melhus Island, to the subterranean fastness of the evil rawgr-lord Drauglir, a flame is brought—and at last the enigma buried deep and forgotten in Bolldhe’s soul begins to thaw… “A Fire in the North” continues brilliantly where David Bilsborough's debut “The Wanderer’s Tale” left off. But it’s an altogether darker and more violent affair now… “A Fire in the North" is tentatively scheduled for US publication June 2008.Order “A Fire in the North” HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s REVIEW of “The Wanderer’s Tale”
“Black Ships” by Jo Graham. Release Date: March 10, 2007. Influenced by Virgil's The Aeneid, Jo Graham’s historical fantasy debut recreates the last shadowed days of the Age of Bronze and tells the captivating story of the oracle Gull. Daughter of a slave taken from fallen Troy, chosen at the age of seven to be the voice of the Lady of the Dead, it is Gull’s destiny to wield more power than kings. “Haunting and bittersweet, lush and vivid, this extraordinary story has lived with me since I first read it…” —Naomi Novik (Temeraire)Official Jo Graham LiveJournal
Order “Black Ships” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews of “Black Ships” by Blogcritics + Fyrefly’s Book Blog
“The Philosopher’s Apprentice” by James Morrow. Release Date: March 11, 2008. A brilliant philosopher with a talent for self-destruction is given the opportunity of a lifetime—apprentice a girl with no memory or conscience on the private island Isla de Sangre, a lush Eden abounding in bizarre animals, strange vegetation and intriguing mysteries. But it is his apprentice Londa who will prove most daunting as she undertakes to remake our fallen world in her own image—by any and all means necessary…Official James Morrow Website
Order “The Philosopher’s Apprentice” HERE
“The Shadow Year” by Jeffrey Ford. Release Date: March 11, 2008. Not since Ray Bradbury's classic Dandelion Wine has a novel so richly evoked the dark magic of small-town boyhood. At once a compelling mystery, a masterful re-creation of a unique time & place, a celebration of youth, and a poignant portrait of home & family—all balancing on a razor's edge separating reality from the remarkable—The Shadow Year is a monumental new work from one of contemporary fiction's most fearless & inventive artists…Official Jeffrey Ford Website
Order “The Shadow Year” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Deluge” by Anne McCaffrey + Elizabeth Ann Scarborough. Release Date: March 11, 2008. The final volume of the second Petaybee trilogy set on a world where everything has sentience brings the fate of the planet into sharp relief and focuses on the symbiotic relationships of its characters. The collaborative effort by veterans Anne McCaffrey (Dragonriders of Pern) and Elizabeth Scarborough (The Healer's War) brings together two consummate storytellers in an adventure suitable for both YA and adult audiences…Official Anne McCaffrey Website
Official Elizabeth Ann Scarborough Website
Order “Deluge” HERE
“The Undead Kama Sutra” by Mario Acevedo. Release Date: March 11, 2008. After surviving aliens, nymphomaniacs, and x-rated bloodsuckers, it's high time for a vacation. Unfortunately the aliens are back in a fiendish conspiracy with the U.S. government, and only Felix stands between them and the Earth women they covet. But when an army hit man attacks Felix and the bodacious vampire sexpert, Carmen, not even the astonishing erotic powers of the Kama Sutra for the Undead may be able to save them…Official Mario Acevedo Website
Order “The Undead Kama Sutra” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Watch the Vampire Lego Book Trailer HERE
“Staked” by J.F. Lewis. Release Date: March 11, 2008. Marking the debut of a fresh new voice in J.F. Lewis, “Staked” is a funny, biting urban fantasy starring a strip bar-owning vampire. Imagine an undead Denis Leary, complete with acid wit, misanthropism, and a love for ice hockey. Throw in a strip club with a never-ending stream of beauties at his disposal, a sassy girlfriend, and being framed for a crime he didn't commit and you have “Staked”—a hilarious vampire fantasy that will leave readers wanting more…Official J.F. Lewis Website
Order “Staked” HERE
Read Reviews of “Staked” via LibraryJournal
“Worldweavers: Spellspasm” by Alma Alexander. Release Date: March 11, 2008. What do you get when ordinary e-mail spam becomes infused with magic? Spellspam—and it's not supposed to exist. As far as Thea and her friends know, computers are meant to be inert vehicles for storing magic spells, not magical processors themselves. But all that seems to have changed and it’s up to Thea to stop the spellspams before they get any worse in this exciting and fantastical sequel to “Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage”…Official Alma Alexander Website
Order “Worldweavers: Spellspasm” HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s REVIEW of “Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage”
“Dingo” by Charles de Lint. Release Date: March 13, 2008. High school senior Miguel's life is turned upside down when he meets new girl Lainey who just moved from Australia. With her red-gold hair, her instant understanding of who he is, and her unusual dog—with fur the same color as her hair—Lainey is unforgettable. And, as he quickly learns, she is on the run from an ancient bargain made by her ancestors. There's no question that Miguel will do whatever he can to help her—but what price will each of them have to pay?Official Charles de Lint Website
Order “Dingo” HERE
“Jemma7729” by Phoebe Wray. Release Date: March 15, 2008. On her Choosing Day, when Jemma7729 must declare publicly what she will do and be for the rest of her life, she refuses. The State is quick to respond: arrest, remand without possibility of parole, and incarceration in a rehab facility that will change her mind, or kill her. Jemma escapes though and begins a life of adventure & danger. But her luck can’t last forever and if caught, Jemma7729 will face immediate, permanent and uncontestable deletion…Official Phoebe Wray Website
Order “Jemma7729” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“The Stars Down Under” by Sandra McDonald. Release Date: March 18, 2008. Alien artifacts, political tension, Australian mythology & culture, and a freshly married pair of heroes (Terry & Jodenny) feature prominently in the thrilling sequel to “The Outback Stars” (2007), a military science fiction novel by writer Sandra McDonald who is also the author of several short stories and has worked as a Hollywood production assistant, a software instructor, a bureaucrat, and was an officer in the United States Navy…Official Sandra McDonald Website
Order “The Stars Down Under” HERE
“In the Courts of the Crimson Kings” by S.M. Stirling. Release Date: March 18, 2008. In The Lords of Creation series Mars & Venus have been terraformed for two hundred million years, “seeded” with intelligent human life, which is not discovered by Earth until the 20th century and the start of space exploration. Now a cold war has broken out as Earth’s great powers contend for control amid the inhabitants of their sister planets… Where “The Sky People” was set on Venus, “In the Courts of the Crimson Kings” shifts to Mars…Official S.M. Stirling Website
Order “In the Courts of the Crimson Kings” HERE
Read Excerpts HERE
“Gladiatrix” by Russell Whitfield. UK Release Date: March 18, 2008. Under the Flavian Emperors the Roman public’s hunger for gladiatorial combat has never been greater. The Emperor Domitian’s passion for novelty and variety in the arena has given rise to a very different kind of warrior: the Gladiatrix. Forced to fight for survival, Lysandra, a member of an ancient Spartan sect of warrior priestesses, will win the adoration of the crowds, the admiration of Sextus Julius Frontinus, and the attention of powerful enemies…Official Russell Whitfield Website
Order “Gladiatrix” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Last Argument of Kings” by Joe Abercrombie. UK Release Date: March 20, 2008. Concluding his debut trilogy in style, Joe Abercrombie’s “Last Argument of Kings”—after “The Blade Itself” and “Before They Are Hanged”—finds the shadow of war falling across the very heart of the Union. While the First of the Magi has a plan to save the world, as he always does, there are risks—and no risk more terrible, after all, than to break the First Law… From advance reviews, it sounds like Joe Abercrombie delivers big time…Official Joe Abercrombie Website
Order “Last Argument of Kings” HERE
Read An Extract HERE
Read Reviews of “Last Argument of Kings” via Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review, The Genre Files + The Wertzone
NOTE: US readers shouldn’t have to wait too long for the release of “Last Argument of Kings”, which I believe is scheduled for publication September 2008.
“The Reef” by Mark Charan Newton. UK Release Date: March 24, 2008. With echoes of Joseph Conrad and China Miéville (The Scar), Mark Charan Newton’s (Solaris Books editor, Nights of Villjamur forthcoming 2009) debut, “The Reef”, is a modern fantasy journey filled with exotic cultures, cities and peoples as well as long-forgotten technology, while telling a story about a quest for phenomenal revenge where secret pasts are revealed and relationships founder on tropical sands and in dark waters…Official Mark Charan Newton Website
Order “The Reef” HERE
Read Extracts HERE
“Dark Wraith of Shannara” by Terry Brooks. Release Date: March 25, 2008. Taking place after the events of “The Wishsong of Shannara”, the last book in the original Sword of Shannara trilogy, “Dark Wraith of Shannara” is a new, never-before-published story that is told in graphic novel format—Terry Brooks first—as adapted by comic book writer Robert Napton with black-and-white artwork provided by Edwin David. If you’ve never ventured into the world of Shannara, consider this the perfect opportunity…Official Terry Brooks Website
Order “Dark Wraith of Shannara” HERE
Watch the “Dark Wraith of Shannara” Trailer HERE
Read Reviews of “Dark Wraith of Shannara” via A Dribble of Ink + Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review
“The Dreaming Void” by Peter F. Hamilton. Release Date: March 25, 2008 (US Debut). Set over a 1000 years after the end of The Commonwealth Saga (Pandora’s Star, Judas Unchained), “The Dreaming Void” kicks off the new Void trilogy from New York Times-bestselling science fiction author Peter F. Hamilton, whose previous works include the Greg Mandel series, the Night’s Dawn trilogy, “Fallen Dragon”, “Misspent Youth” and various short fiction. Space opera lovers everywhere, let the Pilgrimage begin…Official Peter F. Hamilton Website
Order “The Dreaming Void” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews of “The Dreaming Void” via Fantasy Book Critic, SFFWorld + The Wertzone
“The Born Queen” by Greg Keyes. Release Date: March 25, 2008. With powerfully engaging characters and exciting action, fans have been clamoring for the fourth & final book in Greg Keyes’ The Kingdoms of Thorn & Bone fantasy series, and at long last “The Born Queen” has arrived. Will Anne Dare succeed in vanquishing the Evil that has befallen the land? Will the villainous Skasloi reassert their authority over humanity? The final threads are woven into this vast, highly imaginative epic tapestry…Official Greg Keyes Website
Order “The Born Queen” HERE
“Before They Are Hanged” by Joe Abercrombie. Release Date: March 25, 2008 (US Debut). In the second volume of The First Law trilogy, Superior Glokta is faced with an overwhelming problem, Northmen have invaded into Angland, and Bayaz, the First of the Magi, is leading a party of bold adventurers on a perilous mission through the ruins of the past. Ancient secrets will be uncovered. Bloody battles will be won and lost. And bitter enemies will be forgiven—but not before they are hanged…Official Joe Abercrombie Website
Order “Before They Are Hanged” HERE
Read An Extract HERE
Read Reviews of “Before They Are Hanged” via Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist + SFFWorld
“Personal Demon” by Kelley Armstrong. Release Date: March 25, 2008. Half-demon Hope Adams has inherited not only a gift for seeing the past but a hunger for chaos. Naturally, when she's chosen by a very dangerous group for a very dangerous mission, she jumps at the chance. As it turns out, Hope is a little too good at this job, and she soon finds it necessary to open herself—mind & body—to everything she most fears & desires… “Personal Demon” is the eighth installment in the Women of the Otherworld series…Official Kelley Armstrong Website
Order “Personal Demon” HERE
Read Excerpts HERE + HERE
“The Lost Ones” by Christopher Golden. Release Date: March 25, 2008. Bestselling author Christopher Golden (Hellboy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) brings his epic, innovative trilogy, the Veil (The Myth Hunters, The Borderkind), to an astonishing conclusion as the mythic realm of heroes and monsters becomes the site of humanity’s last—and greatest—showdown. As old heroes & allies gather for one last battle, even older enemies stand against them. For even legends have their legends…and they have returned—the lost ones…Official Christopher Golden Website
Order “The Lost Ones” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s Reviews of “The Myth Hunters” + “The Borderkind”
“The Magician and the Fool” by Barth Anderson. Release Date: March 25, 2008. For hundreds of years, men have sought their hidden futures in the legendary images of the tarot—but what secrets of the past are harbored by the priestess, the magician, the hanged man…and the fool? The author of the explosive “The Patron Saint of Plagues” returns with a richly textured mystical mystery exploring the dark heart of one of our oldest traditions where cards will reveal everything, even the unseen truths of human life itself…Official Barth Anderson Website
Order “The Magician and the Fool” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Wrath of a Mad God” by Raymond E. Feist. Release Date: March 25, 2008. Celebrated NYTs bestselling author Raymond E. Feist returns with the thrilling conclusion to his enthralling Darkwar Saga… The Darkwar rages upon Midkemia and Kelewan, bringing bleak days of destruction & despair. To save the future of both worlds, the sorcerer Pug and select members of the Conclave of Shadows must journey deep into the dangerous realm of the Dasati, to carry out an audacious mission that has little, if any, chance of succeeding…Official Raymond E. Feist Website
Order “Wrath of a Mad God” HERE (US) + HERE (UK-March 3, 2008)
Read Reviews of “Wrath of a Mad God” via Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist + The Book Swede
“Poison Sleep” by T.A. Pratt. Release Date: March 25, 2008. Continuing the urban fantasy series that began in “Blood Engines”, Felport’s chief sorcerer Marla Mason and her wisecracking partner Rondeau are back for another adventure. This time they’re after an escaped inmate from the Blackwing Institute for criminally insane sorcerers who can reweave the fabric of reality to match her own traumatic past. On top of that, Marla is targeted by a renegade assassin who specializes in killing his victims over days, months, or even years…Official T.A. Pratt Website
Official Marla Mason Website
Order “Poison Sleep” HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s REVIEW of “Blood Engines”
“Judge” by Karen Traviss. Release Date: March 25, 2008. In the sixth and final volume of Karen Traviss’ (Star Wars: Republic Commando) Wess’Har science fiction series, the Eqbas have finally landed on Earth bringing justice, change, hope, and to many . . . death. Also landed is former police officer Shan Frankland who feels compelled to play an active role in the unfolding drama—and to follow the catastrophic events that have devastated civilizations and defined her life to their shocking, inevitable end…
Official Karen Traviss Website
Order “Judge” HERE
“Tales of Pain & Wonder” b Caitlin R. Kiernan. Release Date: March 25, 2008. This collection of twenty-two short stories by the author of “Daughter of Hounds” and “Alabaster”, originally published in 2000, firmly established Caitlín R. Kiernan as one of the preeminent voices in dark fantasy today. Through a cycle of interconnected narratives, Kiernan unflinchingly explores a surreal world where the fantastic and the mundane are never separated by more than the insubstantial thickness of a shadow…
Official Caitlin R. Kiernan Website
Order “Tales of Pain & Wonder” HERE
“The Softwire: Betrayal On Orbis 2” by PJ Haarsma. Release Date: March 25, 2008. On Orbis 2, Johnny Turnbull has a new home and a new job, but not all is well. The Samiran aliens have grown agitated and everyone seems to have something to hide. Can JT appease the Samirans before their threat is realized? And if he doesn’t, will his friends survive? In this second episode of The Softwire, PJ takes readers on another lightning-paced, cyber-fueled ride through the amazing universe he introduced in “Virus On Orbis 1”…
Official PJ Haarsma Website
Official The Softwire Website
Order “The Softwire” Betrayal On Orbis 2” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Order “Poison Sleep” HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s REVIEW of “Blood Engines”
“Judge” by Karen Traviss. Release Date: March 25, 2008. In the sixth and final volume of Karen Traviss’ (Star Wars: Republic Commando) Wess’Har science fiction series, the Eqbas have finally landed on Earth bringing justice, change, hope, and to many . . . death. Also landed is former police officer Shan Frankland who feels compelled to play an active role in the unfolding drama—and to follow the catastrophic events that have devastated civilizations and defined her life to their shocking, inevitable end…Official Karen Traviss Website
Order “Judge” HERE
“Tales of Pain & Wonder” b Caitlin R. Kiernan. Release Date: March 25, 2008. This collection of twenty-two short stories by the author of “Daughter of Hounds” and “Alabaster”, originally published in 2000, firmly established Caitlín R. Kiernan as one of the preeminent voices in dark fantasy today. Through a cycle of interconnected narratives, Kiernan unflinchingly explores a surreal world where the fantastic and the mundane are never separated by more than the insubstantial thickness of a shadow…Official Caitlin R. Kiernan Website
Order “Tales of Pain & Wonder” HERE
“The Softwire: Betrayal On Orbis 2” by PJ Haarsma. Release Date: March 25, 2008. On Orbis 2, Johnny Turnbull has a new home and a new job, but not all is well. The Samiran aliens have grown agitated and everyone seems to have something to hide. Can JT appease the Samirans before their threat is realized? And if he doesn’t, will his friends survive? In this second episode of The Softwire, PJ takes readers on another lightning-paced, cyber-fueled ride through the amazing universe he introduced in “Virus On Orbis 1”…Official PJ Haarsma Website
Official The Softwire Website
Order “The Softwire” Betrayal On Orbis 2” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
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13 comments:
Last Argument of Kings and Ford's The Shadow Year are the ones I am getting from this list.
I hadn't heard of the Space Vulture novel.. that looks fun!
Dude! That is the longest list I have ever seen! How did you ever do that? You must ahve spent halfa day on this! I am speechless and well all the books sound excellent reading material. Thank you for the wonderful list.
From this list I've already bought Fire Study since I thoroughly enjoyed books 1 and 2 and is the next read after finishing Emissaries from the Dead which is excellent too.
Of course Last Argument of the Kings is buy on publication since after all Before They are Hanged was my top book of 07
The Magician and the Fool and Philosopher's Apprentice are books I will check as soon as published
I will buy Poison Sleep when I finish book 1
The Stars Down Under is already on my hold list at the library since I sort of liked the first book but not enough to buy it
P. Hamilton's Void I've read a long time ago from the UK.
I also may get Gladiatrix, though I will check some reviews first.
Other than that I may check A World too Near from the library though the first book did not work for me and I tried 3 or 4 times to read it.
There is also Swiftly by A. Roberts (UK) that I will get on publication and 2 books that have April 1st as street date but most likely will be released in March, Implied Spaces by WJ Williams, and The Martian General's Daughter by T. Judson
Liviu
I was going to say where do you get the time? but Daydream beat me to it.
I have a pile at least this big to read & review and I'm overwhelmed. I don't know how you do it.
Wow, now that's a lot to choose from! You know me, I'll go after reading the urban fantasy titles first. *grin*
Thanks so much for the review links! :)
The Dark Lantern sounds interesting, will you be reviewing it?
Thanks for the comments everyone!
Calibander, I plan on ordering "Last Argument of Kings", but I probably won't review it until its US release. I've never read any Jeffrey Ford, so I'm not sure if "The Shadow Year" is the best place to start?
Angela, "Space Vulture" definitely sounds like a lot of fun :) I actually have a review copy, but I'm not sure if I'll get around to reviewing it...
Daydream/Theresa, it actually took me about a week to finish the article, at 3-4 hours a day :) I don't mind though. I enjoy the research and learning about authors/series that I'm not familiar with. Plus, I get to add my ever-increasing wishlist!
Liviu, I haven't read any Maria Snyder, Sandra McDonald or Adam Roberts, but I'd like to :) "Poison Sleep", "The Magician & the Fool" and a bunch of other March releases are in my review pile, and like you I read "The Dreaming Void" a while back. Unfortunately, I knew that I had forgotten to include a few titles in the article. What's bad is that I actually have "The Martian General's Daughter" and On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness" in my review pile!
Kimberly, there's nothing wrong with reading urban fantasy and there's plenty of good titles to choose from this month :) Also, you're more than welcome for the links!
And lastly screech, I unfortunately won't be reviewing "The Dark Lantern", but I definitely plan on picking up a copy :)
I always enjoy reading your Preview of the month's books, Robert.
Robert, you did such a fantastic job on this. Really well done!
Thanks Rob & Chris!
Hens teeth! That is a lot of books - did someone decide that March was the month when we'd pick up our books for the year????
Thanks for the round-up :)
Hey!
Thanks for the wonderful blog on books!
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