Welcome to the June 2008 edition of Fantasy Book Critic’s monthly SPOTLIGHT which covers everything from fantasy and science fiction to horror, thrillers and more. Previous spotlights can be visited HERE. Once again, a special thanks to Liviu C. Suciu, Fantasy Book Critic’s new contributing writer, for the help :) (NOTE: Unless stated otherwise, all release dates are for the US):
“Return of the Crimson Guard” by Ian Cameron Esslemont. UK Release Date: June 1, 2008. In this second Malazan novel from co-creator ICE, Empress Laseen of the Malazan Empire faces threats from both the Crimson Guard—a mercenary company opposed to the existence of the Empire—and insurrectionists who have lost patience with Laseen’s rule. Yet there are hints that Laseen is using the uprisings to draw out and eliminate the last survivors of her predecessor's rule, while rivalries and betrayals plague the Guard…
Official Malazan Empire Fansite
Order “Return of the Crimson Guard” HERE
Read Reviews via Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s REVIEW of “Night of Knives”
Read Fantasy Book Spot’s INTERVIEW with Ian Cameron Esslemont
NOTE: The PS Publishing version of “Return of the Crimson Guard” is a Two-volume Slipcased Hardcover limited to 300 copies. The regular Bantam Press version will be published on August 14, 2008 (UK only).
“The Hounds of Ash and Other Tales of Fool Wolf” by Greg Keyes. Release Date: June 1, 2008. In this collection of seven short stories by author Greg Keyes (The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone), Fool Wolf—the laziest of heroes—is thrown on the mercy of those gods whom he both worships and loathes and is forced to defend himself against the very destiny that he is to fulfill. Fool Wolf’s tale is one of extraordinary deeds that allow him to overcome his dark and secretive past that plays a toll on what is to come…
Official Greg Keyes Website
Order “The Hounds of Ash and Other Tales of Fool Wolf” HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s INTERVIEW with Greg Keyes
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s REVIEW of “The Hounds of Ash and Other Tales of Fool Wolf”
“Thieving Fear” by Ramsey Campbell. UK Release Date: June 1, 2008. For Charlotte Nolan and her cousins Ellen, Hugh and his brother Rory, much more than their jobs begin to go wrong as something reaches out of the past for them. What has it to do with the summer night they spent on Thursaston Common and the Victorian occultist Arthur Pendemon? Before the nightmare can end, more than one of them will have to enter what remains of Pendemon's house and confront what still lives there in the dark…
“Return of the Crimson Guard” by Ian Cameron Esslemont. UK Release Date: June 1, 2008. In this second Malazan novel from co-creator ICE, Empress Laseen of the Malazan Empire faces threats from both the Crimson Guard—a mercenary company opposed to the existence of the Empire—and insurrectionists who have lost patience with Laseen’s rule. Yet there are hints that Laseen is using the uprisings to draw out and eliminate the last survivors of her predecessor's rule, while rivalries and betrayals plague the Guard…Official Malazan Empire Fansite
Order “Return of the Crimson Guard” HERE
Read Reviews via Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s REVIEW of “Night of Knives”
Read Fantasy Book Spot’s INTERVIEW with Ian Cameron Esslemont
NOTE: The PS Publishing version of “Return of the Crimson Guard” is a Two-volume Slipcased Hardcover limited to 300 copies. The regular Bantam Press version will be published on August 14, 2008 (UK only).
“The Hounds of Ash and Other Tales of Fool Wolf” by Greg Keyes. Release Date: June 1, 2008. In this collection of seven short stories by author Greg Keyes (The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone), Fool Wolf—the laziest of heroes—is thrown on the mercy of those gods whom he both worships and loathes and is forced to defend himself against the very destiny that he is to fulfill. Fool Wolf’s tale is one of extraordinary deeds that allow him to overcome his dark and secretive past that plays a toll on what is to come…Official Greg Keyes Website
Order “The Hounds of Ash and Other Tales of Fool Wolf” HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s INTERVIEW with Greg Keyes
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s REVIEW of “The Hounds of Ash and Other Tales of Fool Wolf”
“Thieving Fear” by Ramsey Campbell. UK Release Date: June 1, 2008. For Charlotte Nolan and her cousins Ellen, Hugh and his brother Rory, much more than their jobs begin to go wrong as something reaches out of the past for them. What has it to do with the summer night they spent on Thursaston Common and the Victorian occultist Arthur Pendemon? Before the nightmare can end, more than one of them will have to enter what remains of Pendemon's house and confront what still lives there in the dark…Official Ramsey Campbell Website
Order “Thieving Fear” HERE (Hardcover) + HERE
NOTE: The PS Publishing release of “Thieving Fear” comes in two editions: A hardcover limited to 500 copies, and a slipcased hardcover limited to 200 copies.
“The Snow Queen” by Mercedes Lackey. Release Date: June 1, 2008. Aleksia, Queen of the Northern Lights, is mysterious, beautiful and widely known to have a heart of ice. No one would seek her wisdom except as a last resort. But when she's falsely accused of unleashing evil on nearby villages, she realizes there's an impostor out there far more heartless than she could ever be. Now, it will take all her skills, a mother's faith and a little magic to face down an enemy more formidable than any she has ever known…
Official Mercedes Lackey Website
Order “The Snow Queen” + Read An Excerpt HERE
NOTE: “The Snow Queen” is the fourth volume in Mercedes Lackey’s Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms.
“All Souls’ Night” by Jennifer Armintrout. Release Date: June 1, 2008. “I have reached my breaking point. And now I will not be stopped. With the Soul Eater on the verge of god status, his undead army building up, and time running out, it's time for me to take a final stand, even if it means losing everything I love. They say that good always triumphs over evil. I hope that's true. Because the odds aren't in our favor, and the fate of the world is in our hands.” All Souls’ Night is the fourth book in Jennifer Armintrout's Blood Ties series…
Official Jennifer Armintrout Website
Order “All Souls’ Night” + Read An Excerpt HERE
“Noman” by William Nicholson. Release Date: June 1, 2008 (US Debut). Part adventure-fantasy, part love story, and part reflection on the themes of power and faith, “Noman”—after Seeker and Jango—is a thrilling and thought-provoking conclusion to the critically acclaimed young adult Noble Warriors Trilogy from the BAFTA, Oscar, and Tony-nominated screenwriter (Gladiator, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, First Knight), playwright (The Retreat from Moscow), and novelist (Wind on Fire trilogy), William Nicholson…
Official William Nicholson Website
Order “Noman” HERE
“Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone” by Dora Machado. Release Date: June 1, 2008. Sariah is the most gifted stonewiser of her generation—stonewisers are the only ones capable of retrieving the tales preserved in the stones to uphold the truth and defend the Goodlands. But her talent does not atone for her shortcomings . . . she is curious, willful and disobedient. Yet not even Sariah is prepared for what she finds when she steals into the Guild's Sacred Vaults: A mayhem of lies and intrigues that shatters her world…
Official Mermaid Publishing Website
Order “Stonewiser” HERE
Read A Review/Interview via SFF Media
“The Discworld Graphic Novels” by Terry Pratchett. Release Date: June 3, 2008. Imagine a flat world, sitting on the backs of four elephants who hurtle through space balanced on a giant turtle. That is the setting for Terry Pratchett's phenomenally successful “Discworld” series, which now celebrates its 25th anniversary. First published fifteen years ago “The Discworld Graphic Novels” presents the very first two volumes—The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic—of this much-loved series in graphic novel form…
Official Terry Pratchet Website
Order “The Discworld Graphic Novels” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)
“The Prefect” by Alastair Reynolds. Release Date (US Debut): June 3, 2008. Tom Dreyfus is a Prefect, a law enforcement officer with the Panoply. His beat is the utopian society of the Glitter Band, a vast swirl of space habitats orbiting the planet Yellowstone. His current case: investigating a murderous attack against one of the habitats that leaves 900 people dead. But then he uncovers something even more dangerous—a covert plot by an enigmatic entity seeking nothing less than total control of the Glitter Band…
Official Alastair Reynolds Website
Order “The Prefect” HERE
Read Reviews of “The Prefect” via SFF World + The Wertzone
“Daemons Are Forever” by Simon R. Green. Release Date: June 3, 2008. During WWII, the Droods made a pact with some nasty buggers from another dimension known as the Loathly Ones, which they needed to fight the Nazis. But once the war was over, the Loathly Ones decided they liked our world too much to leave. Now it’s up to Eddie to make things very uncomfortable for them—or watch everything humanity holds dear go up in smoke… Part two of a trilogy that began in The Man with the Golden Torc…
Simon R. Green @ Wikipedia
Order “Daemons Are Forever” HERE
“Bloodheir” by Brian Ruckley. Release Date: June 3, 2008. The war between the Black Road and the True Bloods has spread, and for Orisian, thane of the Lannis Blood, there is no time to grieve. The Black Road must be stopped. Amidst this mounting chaos, Aeglyss the na'kyrim uses his new-found powers to twist everything & everyone around him to serve his own mad desires. Meanwhile, the long-dormant Anain are stirring—and when the most potent race the world has ever known returns, the bloodletting may never stop…
Official Brian Ruckley Website
Order “Bloodheir” HERE
Read Reviews of “Bloodheir” via Fantasy Book News & Reviews, Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review, Grasping for the Wind, Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist + The Book Swede
NOTE: “Bloodheir” is the second volume in The Godless World trilogy, following “Winterbirth” (Reviewed HERE).
“Grantville Gazette IV” by Eric Flint. Release Date: June 3, 2008. After the town of Grantville, WV was hurled back through time to the 1630s, the seventeenth century would never be the same: Teenage capitalist girls have formed an investment group; the proud tradition of the U.S. Marines is started ahead of schedule among downtime Europeans; and what will the master musicians and composers of the pre-Bach era make of heavy metal sounds? All this and more in a new volume for the many followers of the 1632 series…
Official Eric Flint Website
Order “Grantville Gazette IV” HERE
Read Excerpts HERE
“The Dark Ferryman” by Jenna Rhodes. Release Date: June 3, 2008. In the midst of a civil war that is tearing apart the magical Ways, Sevryn and Rivergrace are pulled from each other, forced to follow separate pathways as they fight against possession by goddess and demon alike. Accused of high treason by the warrior queen Lariel, Rivergrace’s only allies are her Dweller sister and the most mysterious of all Vaelinar Ways—the Dark Ferryman. Continues The Elven Ways saga that began in “The Four Forges”…
Order “The Dark Ferryman” HERE
NOTE: Jenna Rhodes is a pen name for Rhondi A. Vilott Salsitz
“In Twilight’s Shadow” by Patti O’Shea. Release Date: June 3, 2008. Maia Frasier thought she'd escaped the world of troubleshooters and demons when she'd ceded her magical powers years earlier. Now a wounded enforcer named Creed Blackwood has turned up, claiming Maia's sister is in danger and requesting her help to hunt the demon he’s after. Soon though, Maia begins to fear that Creed has fallen to the dark forces, and with his strong & unreliable magic, he is as much a danger to her and her sister as any demon…
Official Patti O’Shea Website
Order “In Twilight’s Shadow” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews HERE
“Valor’s Trial” by Tanya Huff. Release Date: June 3, 2008. Sergeant Torin Kerr has survived more deadly encounters—and kept more of her officers and enlistees alive—than anyone in the Corps. Now in this fourth Valor novel, Torin finds herself in an underground POW camp that shouldn’t exist, where her fellow marines seem to have lost all will to escape. Not only must Torin fight her way out of the prison, but also past the growing compulsion to sit down and give up—not realizing that her escape could mean the end of the war…
Official Tanya Huff Website
Order “Valor’s Trial” HERE
“Lover Enshrined” by J.R. Ward. Release Date: June 3, 2008. In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, NY, there’s a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers—six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. And now, a dutiful twin must choose between two lives... Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of the race, but while the war grows grimmer and tragedy looms, Phury must decide between duty & love in this sixth volume of the Black Dagger Brotherhood…
Official J.R. Ward Website
Order “Lover Enshrined” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews via Darque Reviews + LoveVampires
“Spectre” by Phaedra Weldon. Release Date: June 3, 2008. Zoë Martinique, star of a new urban fantasy series that began in “Wraith”, has the extraordinary ability to travel outside her body at will. When she’s drawn into an investigation regarding a series of bizarre murders, Zoë hopes to help her boyfriend, Atlanta homicide detective Daniel Frasier, stop the killer—one she’s sure is from the darkest levels of the astral plane—without letting him find out about her special abilities. Then danger strikes close to home…
Order “Thieving Fear” HERE (Hardcover) + HERE
NOTE: The PS Publishing release of “Thieving Fear” comes in two editions: A hardcover limited to 500 copies, and a slipcased hardcover limited to 200 copies.
“The Snow Queen” by Mercedes Lackey. Release Date: June 1, 2008. Aleksia, Queen of the Northern Lights, is mysterious, beautiful and widely known to have a heart of ice. No one would seek her wisdom except as a last resort. But when she's falsely accused of unleashing evil on nearby villages, she realizes there's an impostor out there far more heartless than she could ever be. Now, it will take all her skills, a mother's faith and a little magic to face down an enemy more formidable than any she has ever known…Official Mercedes Lackey Website
Order “The Snow Queen” + Read An Excerpt HERE
NOTE: “The Snow Queen” is the fourth volume in Mercedes Lackey’s Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms.
“All Souls’ Night” by Jennifer Armintrout. Release Date: June 1, 2008. “I have reached my breaking point. And now I will not be stopped. With the Soul Eater on the verge of god status, his undead army building up, and time running out, it's time for me to take a final stand, even if it means losing everything I love. They say that good always triumphs over evil. I hope that's true. Because the odds aren't in our favor, and the fate of the world is in our hands.” All Souls’ Night is the fourth book in Jennifer Armintrout's Blood Ties series…Official Jennifer Armintrout Website
Order “All Souls’ Night” + Read An Excerpt HERE
“Noman” by William Nicholson. Release Date: June 1, 2008 (US Debut). Part adventure-fantasy, part love story, and part reflection on the themes of power and faith, “Noman”—after Seeker and Jango—is a thrilling and thought-provoking conclusion to the critically acclaimed young adult Noble Warriors Trilogy from the BAFTA, Oscar, and Tony-nominated screenwriter (Gladiator, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, First Knight), playwright (The Retreat from Moscow), and novelist (Wind on Fire trilogy), William Nicholson…Official William Nicholson Website
Order “Noman” HERE
“Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone” by Dora Machado. Release Date: June 1, 2008. Sariah is the most gifted stonewiser of her generation—stonewisers are the only ones capable of retrieving the tales preserved in the stones to uphold the truth and defend the Goodlands. But her talent does not atone for her shortcomings . . . she is curious, willful and disobedient. Yet not even Sariah is prepared for what she finds when she steals into the Guild's Sacred Vaults: A mayhem of lies and intrigues that shatters her world…Official Mermaid Publishing Website
Order “Stonewiser” HERE
Read A Review/Interview via SFF Media
“The Discworld Graphic Novels” by Terry Pratchett. Release Date: June 3, 2008. Imagine a flat world, sitting on the backs of four elephants who hurtle through space balanced on a giant turtle. That is the setting for Terry Pratchett's phenomenally successful “Discworld” series, which now celebrates its 25th anniversary. First published fifteen years ago “The Discworld Graphic Novels” presents the very first two volumes—The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic—of this much-loved series in graphic novel form…Official Terry Pratchet Website
Order “The Discworld Graphic Novels” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)
“The Prefect” by Alastair Reynolds. Release Date (US Debut): June 3, 2008. Tom Dreyfus is a Prefect, a law enforcement officer with the Panoply. His beat is the utopian society of the Glitter Band, a vast swirl of space habitats orbiting the planet Yellowstone. His current case: investigating a murderous attack against one of the habitats that leaves 900 people dead. But then he uncovers something even more dangerous—a covert plot by an enigmatic entity seeking nothing less than total control of the Glitter Band…Official Alastair Reynolds Website
Order “The Prefect” HERE
Read Reviews of “The Prefect” via SFF World + The Wertzone
“Daemons Are Forever” by Simon R. Green. Release Date: June 3, 2008. During WWII, the Droods made a pact with some nasty buggers from another dimension known as the Loathly Ones, which they needed to fight the Nazis. But once the war was over, the Loathly Ones decided they liked our world too much to leave. Now it’s up to Eddie to make things very uncomfortable for them—or watch everything humanity holds dear go up in smoke… Part two of a trilogy that began in The Man with the Golden Torc…Simon R. Green @ Wikipedia
Order “Daemons Are Forever” HERE
“Bloodheir” by Brian Ruckley. Release Date: June 3, 2008. The war between the Black Road and the True Bloods has spread, and for Orisian, thane of the Lannis Blood, there is no time to grieve. The Black Road must be stopped. Amidst this mounting chaos, Aeglyss the na'kyrim uses his new-found powers to twist everything & everyone around him to serve his own mad desires. Meanwhile, the long-dormant Anain are stirring—and when the most potent race the world has ever known returns, the bloodletting may never stop…Official Brian Ruckley Website
Order “Bloodheir” HERE
Read Reviews of “Bloodheir” via Fantasy Book News & Reviews, Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review, Grasping for the Wind, Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist + The Book Swede
NOTE: “Bloodheir” is the second volume in The Godless World trilogy, following “Winterbirth” (Reviewed HERE).
“Grantville Gazette IV” by Eric Flint. Release Date: June 3, 2008. After the town of Grantville, WV was hurled back through time to the 1630s, the seventeenth century would never be the same: Teenage capitalist girls have formed an investment group; the proud tradition of the U.S. Marines is started ahead of schedule among downtime Europeans; and what will the master musicians and composers of the pre-Bach era make of heavy metal sounds? All this and more in a new volume for the many followers of the 1632 series…Official Eric Flint Website
Order “Grantville Gazette IV” HERE
Read Excerpts HERE
“The Dark Ferryman” by Jenna Rhodes. Release Date: June 3, 2008. In the midst of a civil war that is tearing apart the magical Ways, Sevryn and Rivergrace are pulled from each other, forced to follow separate pathways as they fight against possession by goddess and demon alike. Accused of high treason by the warrior queen Lariel, Rivergrace’s only allies are her Dweller sister and the most mysterious of all Vaelinar Ways—the Dark Ferryman. Continues The Elven Ways saga that began in “The Four Forges”…Order “The Dark Ferryman” HERE
NOTE: Jenna Rhodes is a pen name for Rhondi A. Vilott Salsitz
“In Twilight’s Shadow” by Patti O’Shea. Release Date: June 3, 2008. Maia Frasier thought she'd escaped the world of troubleshooters and demons when she'd ceded her magical powers years earlier. Now a wounded enforcer named Creed Blackwood has turned up, claiming Maia's sister is in danger and requesting her help to hunt the demon he’s after. Soon though, Maia begins to fear that Creed has fallen to the dark forces, and with his strong & unreliable magic, he is as much a danger to her and her sister as any demon…Official Patti O’Shea Website
Order “In Twilight’s Shadow” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews HERE
“Valor’s Trial” by Tanya Huff. Release Date: June 3, 2008. Sergeant Torin Kerr has survived more deadly encounters—and kept more of her officers and enlistees alive—than anyone in the Corps. Now in this fourth Valor novel, Torin finds herself in an underground POW camp that shouldn’t exist, where her fellow marines seem to have lost all will to escape. Not only must Torin fight her way out of the prison, but also past the growing compulsion to sit down and give up—not realizing that her escape could mean the end of the war…Official Tanya Huff Website
Order “Valor’s Trial” HERE
“Lover Enshrined” by J.R. Ward. Release Date: June 3, 2008. In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, NY, there’s a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers—six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. And now, a dutiful twin must choose between two lives... Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of the race, but while the war grows grimmer and tragedy looms, Phury must decide between duty & love in this sixth volume of the Black Dagger Brotherhood…Official J.R. Ward Website
Order “Lover Enshrined” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews via Darque Reviews + LoveVampires
“Spectre” by Phaedra Weldon. Release Date: June 3, 2008. Zoë Martinique, star of a new urban fantasy series that began in “Wraith”, has the extraordinary ability to travel outside her body at will. When she’s drawn into an investigation regarding a series of bizarre murders, Zoë hopes to help her boyfriend, Atlanta homicide detective Daniel Frasier, stop the killer—one she’s sure is from the darkest levels of the astral plane—without letting him find out about her special abilities. Then danger strikes close to home…Official Phaedra Weldon Website
Order “Spectre” HERE
Read Reviews via Darque Reviews
“Promise of the Wolves” by Dorothy Hearst. Release Date: June 3, 2008. “Promises of the Wolves” launches The Wolf Chronicles trilogy, an arresting new series that blends imaginative storytelling with evolutionary science as it explores the ancient relationship between man and wolf. An anthropomorphic tale in the bestselling tradition of Watership Down and The Clan of the Cave Bear, Hearst’s beautifully told narrative is set 14,000 years ago, and follows the fate of the the endearing, indomitable she-wolf, Kaala…
Official Dorothy Hearst Website
Order “Promise of the Wolves” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Feast of Fools” by Rachel Caine. Release Date: June 3, 2008. Think Amelie is scary? Meet her dad, the terrifying vampire Mr. Bishop. What does he want—and what will Amelie do about it? Claire's caught in the middle, along with her friends and even her parents, as Morganville's fragile alliance between humans and vampires starts to fracture. Soon, everyone will have to choose a companion for the Feast of Fools . . . and a side. “Feast of Fools” is the fourth book in Rachel Caine's The Morganville Vampires series…
Official Rachel Caine Website
Order “Feast of Fools” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews via Darque Reviews + Flames Rising
Read Darque Reviews' INTERVIEW with Rachel Caine
“Blood Colony” by Tananarive Due. Release Date: June 3, 2008. An acclaimed author of seven novels, which have garnered her a multitude of fans & awards, Tananarive Due now imagines the story of an ancient group of immortals facing one of the most challenging issues of our time: the AIDS/HIV pandemic. There's a new drug on the street: Glow. Said to heal almost any illness, it is distributed by an Underground Railroad of drug peddlers. But what gives Glow its power? Its main ingredient is blood . . . the blood of immortals…
Official Tananarive Due Website
Order “Blood Colony” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Into the Storm” by Taylor Anderson. Release Date: June 3, 2008. Pressed into service when World War II breaks, USS Walker finds itself in full retreat from Japanese battleships. In desperation, Lieutenant Captain Matthew Patrick Reddy heads Walker into a squall hoping it will give them cover, but instead they emerge somewhere else…”Into the Storm”, Taylor Anderson’s first novel, launches the Destroyermen trilogy with a tale of unparalleled action, alternate worlds, and frightening possibility…
Order “Into the Storm” HERE
“The House at Midnight” by Lucie Whitehouse. Release Date: June 3, 2008. Over one decadent, dramatic year, a group of friends will be shattered, their lives forever changed by the house Stoneborough and the devastating secret it cradles… By turns taut and sensual, mesmerizing and disturbing, The House at Midnight is a gripping psychological novel that enthralls with its ominous atmosphere. Lucie Whitehouse has written a tense and captivating debut that will linger long after the final, shocking pages…
Order “The House at Midnight” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews via The Guardian + The Independent
“The Dark Ones” by Anthony Izzo. Release Date: June 3, 2008. Throughout history, the forces of darkness and light have battled for control of mankind. Living among us, The Guardians are capable of drawing light into a deadly weapon against The Dark Ones—those who inhabit the shadows, conjuring instruments of torture from the darkness itself. In search of her birth mother, Sara Pennington is about to discover her true identity—and her ultimate fate as she is the only one who can save the world from going to hell…
Official Anthony Izzo Website
Order “The Dark Ones” HERE
“Walk on the Wild Side” by Christine Warren. Release Date: June 3, 2008. In national bestseller Christine Warren’s fifth Others novel, Kitty Sugarman heads to Vegas to find out more about her father, but it’s his sexy second-in-command of the Pride, Marcus Stewart, who commands her attention. Now that she has tempted Marcus’ hunger for a mate, Kitty finds herself stuck in a vicious struggle for her father’s fortune, while deadly unrest stirs within the Pride. Will Marcus fight until his last breath to save her…
Official Christine Warren Website
Order “Walk on the Wild Side” HERE
Read Reviews via Darque Reviews
“The Gone-Away World” by Nick Harkaway. UK Release Date: June 5, 2008. Equal parts raucous adventure, comic odyssey, geek nirvana, and cool epic; a tale of a friendship stretched beyond its limits; of love and loss; of ninjas, pirates, politics and strange places; “The Gone-Away World” by newcomer Nick Harkaway—son of John Le Carré—is a wildly entertaining novel that combines antic humor (think Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut) with a stunning futuristic vision (a la A Clockwork Orange and 1984)…
Nick Harkaway @ Wikipedia
Order “The Gone-Away World” HERE
Read Reviews via Book Geeks + The Guardian
Read The Guardian’s INTERVIEW with Nick Harkaway
“Midnight Never Come” by Marie Brennan. Release Date: June 9, 2008. England flourishes under the hand of its Queen Elizabeth, last and most powerful of the Tudor monarchs. But a great light casts a great shadow. For in hidden catacombs beneath London, a second Queen holds court—Invidiana, ruler of faerie England, a dark mirror to the glory above… A breathtaking novel of intrigue and betrayal set in Elizabethan England; Midnight Never Come seamlessly weaves together history and the fantastic to dazzling effect…
Official Marie Brennan Website
Order “Spectre” HERE
Read Reviews via Darque Reviews
“Promise of the Wolves” by Dorothy Hearst. Release Date: June 3, 2008. “Promises of the Wolves” launches The Wolf Chronicles trilogy, an arresting new series that blends imaginative storytelling with evolutionary science as it explores the ancient relationship between man and wolf. An anthropomorphic tale in the bestselling tradition of Watership Down and The Clan of the Cave Bear, Hearst’s beautifully told narrative is set 14,000 years ago, and follows the fate of the the endearing, indomitable she-wolf, Kaala…Official Dorothy Hearst Website
Order “Promise of the Wolves” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Feast of Fools” by Rachel Caine. Release Date: June 3, 2008. Think Amelie is scary? Meet her dad, the terrifying vampire Mr. Bishop. What does he want—and what will Amelie do about it? Claire's caught in the middle, along with her friends and even her parents, as Morganville's fragile alliance between humans and vampires starts to fracture. Soon, everyone will have to choose a companion for the Feast of Fools . . . and a side. “Feast of Fools” is the fourth book in Rachel Caine's The Morganville Vampires series…Official Rachel Caine Website
Order “Feast of Fools” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews via Darque Reviews + Flames Rising
Read Darque Reviews' INTERVIEW with Rachel Caine
“Blood Colony” by Tananarive Due. Release Date: June 3, 2008. An acclaimed author of seven novels, which have garnered her a multitude of fans & awards, Tananarive Due now imagines the story of an ancient group of immortals facing one of the most challenging issues of our time: the AIDS/HIV pandemic. There's a new drug on the street: Glow. Said to heal almost any illness, it is distributed by an Underground Railroad of drug peddlers. But what gives Glow its power? Its main ingredient is blood . . . the blood of immortals…Official Tananarive Due Website
Order “Blood Colony” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Into the Storm” by Taylor Anderson. Release Date: June 3, 2008. Pressed into service when World War II breaks, USS Walker finds itself in full retreat from Japanese battleships. In desperation, Lieutenant Captain Matthew Patrick Reddy heads Walker into a squall hoping it will give them cover, but instead they emerge somewhere else…”Into the Storm”, Taylor Anderson’s first novel, launches the Destroyermen trilogy with a tale of unparalleled action, alternate worlds, and frightening possibility…Order “Into the Storm” HERE
“The House at Midnight” by Lucie Whitehouse. Release Date: June 3, 2008. Over one decadent, dramatic year, a group of friends will be shattered, their lives forever changed by the house Stoneborough and the devastating secret it cradles… By turns taut and sensual, mesmerizing and disturbing, The House at Midnight is a gripping psychological novel that enthralls with its ominous atmosphere. Lucie Whitehouse has written a tense and captivating debut that will linger long after the final, shocking pages…Order “The House at Midnight” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews via The Guardian + The Independent
“The Dark Ones” by Anthony Izzo. Release Date: June 3, 2008. Throughout history, the forces of darkness and light have battled for control of mankind. Living among us, The Guardians are capable of drawing light into a deadly weapon against The Dark Ones—those who inhabit the shadows, conjuring instruments of torture from the darkness itself. In search of her birth mother, Sara Pennington is about to discover her true identity—and her ultimate fate as she is the only one who can save the world from going to hell…Official Anthony Izzo Website
Order “The Dark Ones” HERE
“Walk on the Wild Side” by Christine Warren. Release Date: June 3, 2008. In national bestseller Christine Warren’s fifth Others novel, Kitty Sugarman heads to Vegas to find out more about her father, but it’s his sexy second-in-command of the Pride, Marcus Stewart, who commands her attention. Now that she has tempted Marcus’ hunger for a mate, Kitty finds herself stuck in a vicious struggle for her father’s fortune, while deadly unrest stirs within the Pride. Will Marcus fight until his last breath to save her…Official Christine Warren Website
Order “Walk on the Wild Side” HERE
Read Reviews via Darque Reviews
“The Gone-Away World” by Nick Harkaway. UK Release Date: June 5, 2008. Equal parts raucous adventure, comic odyssey, geek nirvana, and cool epic; a tale of a friendship stretched beyond its limits; of love and loss; of ninjas, pirates, politics and strange places; “The Gone-Away World” by newcomer Nick Harkaway—son of John Le Carré—is a wildly entertaining novel that combines antic humor (think Joseph Heller and Kurt Vonnegut) with a stunning futuristic vision (a la A Clockwork Orange and 1984)…Nick Harkaway @ Wikipedia
Order “The Gone-Away World” HERE
Read Reviews via Book Geeks + The Guardian
Read The Guardian’s INTERVIEW with Nick Harkaway
“Midnight Never Come” by Marie Brennan. Release Date: June 9, 2008. England flourishes under the hand of its Queen Elizabeth, last and most powerful of the Tudor monarchs. But a great light casts a great shadow. For in hidden catacombs beneath London, a second Queen holds court—Invidiana, ruler of faerie England, a dark mirror to the glory above… A breathtaking novel of intrigue and betrayal set in Elizabethan England; Midnight Never Come seamlessly weaves together history and the fantastic to dazzling effect…Official Marie Brennan Website
Official Midnight Never Come Website
Order “Midnight Never Come” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews via Curled Up With A Good Book, SFFWorld + The Book Swede
Read The Book Swede’s INTERVIEW with Marie Brennan
“The Story of Edgar Sawtelle” by David Wroblewski. Release Date: June 10, 2008. Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in Wisconsin. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home and Edgar is forced to come of age…
Official David Wroblewski Website
Order “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews HERE
“The Court of the Air” by Stephen Hunt. Release Date: June 10, 2008 (US Debut). In a fantastical Dickensian clockwork universe that will appeal to fans of Susanna Clarke and Philip Pullman, young protagonists Molly Templar and Oliver Brooks find themselves battling a grave threat to civilization, an ancient power thought to have been quelled millennia ago. Their enemies are ruthless and myriad, but the two orphans are also aided by indomitable friends in this endlessly inventive tale full of drama, intrigue, and adventure…
Official Stephen Hunt Website
Order “Midnight Never Come” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews via Curled Up With A Good Book, SFFWorld + The Book Swede
Read The Book Swede’s INTERVIEW with Marie Brennan
“The Story of Edgar Sawtelle” by David Wroblewski. Release Date: June 10, 2008. Born mute, speaking only in sign, Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in Wisconsin. For generations, the Sawtelles have raised and trained a fictional breed of dog whose thoughtful companionship is epitomized by Almondine, Edgar's lifelong friend and ally. But with the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar's paternal uncle, turmoil consumes the Sawtelles' once peaceful home and Edgar is forced to come of age…Official David Wroblewski Website
Order “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews HERE
“The Court of the Air” by Stephen Hunt. Release Date: June 10, 2008 (US Debut). In a fantastical Dickensian clockwork universe that will appeal to fans of Susanna Clarke and Philip Pullman, young protagonists Molly Templar and Oliver Brooks find themselves battling a grave threat to civilization, an ancient power thought to have been quelled millennia ago. Their enemies are ruthless and myriad, but the two orphans are also aided by indomitable friends in this endlessly inventive tale full of drama, intrigue, and adventure…Official Stephen Hunt Website
Order “The Court of the Air” HERE
Watch “The Court of the Air” Mini-Movie HERE
Read Reviews via Fantasy Book Critic + Neth Space
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s INTERVIEW with Stephen Hunt
“House of Many Ways” by Diana Wynne Jones. Release Date: June 10, 2008. In this third YA novel set in the same world as Howl’s Moving Castle and Castle in the Air, Charmain Baker is in over her head. By opening the one door in her Great-Uncle's cottage, Charmain has become responsible for not only the house, but for a magical stray dog, a young apprentice wizard, and a box of the king's most treasured documents, not to mention a hunt alongside the sorceress Sophie, the Wizard Howl, and the fire demon Calcifer…
Official Diana Wynne Jones Website
Order “House of Many Ways” HERE
Read Reviews via Zubon Book Reviews
NOTE: Howl’s Moving Castle was adapted into a Japanese anime film in 2004 by the great Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke). An excellent movie :)
“The Books of the South” by Glen Cook. Release Date: June 10, 2008. Marching south after the ghastly battle at the Tower of Charm, the Black Company is hounded by shadowy figures every inch of the way. The game is on: the Company versus the Shadowmasters, deadly creatures that deal in darkness and sorrow. When hope dies, there’s still survival. And there’s still the Black Company… This second omnibus edition collects Glen Cook’s Black Company novels “Shadow Games”, “Dreams of Steel”, and “The Silver Spike”…
Glen Cook @ Wikipedia
Order “The Books of the South” HERE
“The Unblemished” by Conrad Williams. Release Date: June 10, 2008. Originally released in limited edition by Earthling Publications in 2006, “The Unblemished”—winner of the International Horror Guild Award—by author Conrad Williams (London Revenant, Use Once Then Destroy, The Scalding Rooms, Rain) is now making its mass market debut thanks to Virgin Books, giving new readers the opportunity to enter the mind of a serial killer who believes he is the rightful son and heir to an ancient dynasty of flesh-eaters…
Official Conrad Williams Website
Order “The Unblemished” HERE (UK) + HERE (US)
Read Reviews via Fantasy Book Critic + Neth Space
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s INTERVIEW with Stephen Hunt
“House of Many Ways” by Diana Wynne Jones. Release Date: June 10, 2008. In this third YA novel set in the same world as Howl’s Moving Castle and Castle in the Air, Charmain Baker is in over her head. By opening the one door in her Great-Uncle's cottage, Charmain has become responsible for not only the house, but for a magical stray dog, a young apprentice wizard, and a box of the king's most treasured documents, not to mention a hunt alongside the sorceress Sophie, the Wizard Howl, and the fire demon Calcifer…Official Diana Wynne Jones Website
Order “House of Many Ways” HERE
Read Reviews via Zubon Book Reviews
NOTE: Howl’s Moving Castle was adapted into a Japanese anime film in 2004 by the great Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke). An excellent movie :)
“The Books of the South” by Glen Cook. Release Date: June 10, 2008. Marching south after the ghastly battle at the Tower of Charm, the Black Company is hounded by shadowy figures every inch of the way. The game is on: the Company versus the Shadowmasters, deadly creatures that deal in darkness and sorrow. When hope dies, there’s still survival. And there’s still the Black Company… This second omnibus edition collects Glen Cook’s Black Company novels “Shadow Games”, “Dreams of Steel”, and “The Silver Spike”…Glen Cook @ Wikipedia
Order “The Books of the South” HERE
“The Unblemished” by Conrad Williams. Release Date: June 10, 2008. Originally released in limited edition by Earthling Publications in 2006, “The Unblemished”—winner of the International Horror Guild Award—by author Conrad Williams (London Revenant, Use Once Then Destroy, The Scalding Rooms, Rain) is now making its mass market debut thanks to Virgin Books, giving new readers the opportunity to enter the mind of a serial killer who believes he is the rightful son and heir to an ancient dynasty of flesh-eaters…Official Conrad Williams Website
Order “The Unblemished” HERE (UK) + HERE (US)
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews of “The Unblemished” via Horror Read + SF Site
“Superpowers” by David J. Schwartz. Release Date: June 10, 2008. People have always been fascinated with ordinary humans discovering super abilities. And for good reason. Who wouldn’t want to be a superhero? Well it turns out that having superpowers isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and five college juniors are about to find that out the hard way. Partly a nod to classic comic books and partly an allegory about the fragile, volatile state of American society, “Superpowers” is an exciting debut from author David J. Schwartz…
Official David J. Schwartz Website
Official David J. Schwartz LiveJournal
Order “Superpowers” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)
Read Reviews via The Book Swede
“The Summer Palace” by Lawrence Watt-Evans. Release Date: June 10, 2008. All of the world is kept in a delicate balance under the supervision of the Wizard Lord. But if he should stray from the way of the just then it is up to the Chosen to intercede. The new Wizard Lord however, has neutralized all magic in his domain and has killed or blocked his adversaries. Sword, now on the run, must work alone to restore order to the land and solve the mystery of the Ninth Talisman, which might be the salvation or downfall of all that is good in their world…
Official Lawrence Watt-Evans Website
Order “The Summer Palace” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
NOTE: “The Summer Palace” is the third volume in The Annals of the Chosen series, following “The Wizard Lord” and “The Ninth Talisman”.
“Sisters of the Sword” by Maya Snow. Release Date: June 10, 2008. Kimi dreams of being a great samurai warrior, but she and her sister are ladies of feudal Japan and girls do not become samurai. Then their father is murdered, and their mother and little brother mysteriously disappear. Determined to seek revenge and restore their honor, the sisters disguise themselves as boys and train at a school for samurai. In a flash, life has swept the sisters into an adventure more heart-pounding than they could ever have imagined…
Order “Sisters of the Sword” HERE
Read Reviews via PixiePalace
“The Essential Batman Encyclopedia” by Robert Greenberger. Release Date: June 10, 2008. “The Essential Batman Encyclopedia” is the only place you can find the complete history of Batman, one of the most popular superheroes of all time. Fully illustrated throughout and featuring complete details of Batman’s origins as well as biographies of almost every character in the Batman universe, this is the first updated encyclopedia devoted to Batman in more than thirty years…
Batman @ Wikipedia
Official Robert Greenberger Blog
Order “The Essential Batman Encyclopedia” HERE
Read Reviews via Comics Worth Reading + The Breathing Corpse
“Kushiel’s Mercy” by Jacqueline Carey. Release Date: June 12, 2008. Having paid dearly for ignoring Elua’s edict to love as thou wilt, Imriel and Sidonie have finally come forward to publicly confess their love—news which ignites turmoil throughout the land. In order to quell the uprising, Queen Ysandre hands down a decree: she will not divide the lovers, but neither will she acknowledge them. Worse, if they decide to marry, Sidonie will be disinherited. Unless Imriel can find his mother and bring her back to be executed…
Official Jacqueline Carey Website
Order “Kushiel’s Mercy” HERE
Read Excerpts HERE
NOTE: “Kushiel’s Mercy” is the third and final installment—after Kushiel’s Scion and Kushiel’s Justice (Reviewed HERE)—in the Kushiel fantasy series featuring Imriel.
“Neuropath” by Scott Bakker. Canada Release Date: June 14, 2008. Tom's life is not what it once was. Then his best friend Neil returns, but all is not what it seems—Neil has been working for the U.S. government cracking the minds of suspected terrorists and has gone AWOL, employing his unique skills on civilians. Thus begins a terrifying sequence of events as Neil sets out to destroy those who are connected to Tom. And it's only when Neil gets closer to his ultimate target that the full horror of his plan is revealed…
Scott Bakker @ Wikipedia
Official Prince of Nothing Website
Order “Neuropath” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews of “Neuropath” via OF Blog of the Fallen + Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
Read Interviews with Scott Bakker HERE + HERE
“Tigerheart” by Peter David. Release Date: June 17, 2008. Brimming with the sly humor and breathless excitement of a traditional Victorian bedtime story, embroidered with its own unique wisdom and wonder, Tigerheart is a hymn to childhood’s happiness & heartbreak, a meditation on the love, courage, sacrifice, and faith that shape and define our lives, and a splendidly rendered modern fable–-for readers of any age—that proves itself a worthy brother to the timeless classic, Peter Pan, that serve as its inspiration…
Official Peter David Website
Read Reviews of “The Unblemished” via Horror Read + SF Site
“Superpowers” by David J. Schwartz. Release Date: June 10, 2008. People have always been fascinated with ordinary humans discovering super abilities. And for good reason. Who wouldn’t want to be a superhero? Well it turns out that having superpowers isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and five college juniors are about to find that out the hard way. Partly a nod to classic comic books and partly an allegory about the fragile, volatile state of American society, “Superpowers” is an exciting debut from author David J. Schwartz…Official David J. Schwartz Website
Official David J. Schwartz LiveJournal
Order “Superpowers” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)
Read Reviews via The Book Swede
“The Summer Palace” by Lawrence Watt-Evans. Release Date: June 10, 2008. All of the world is kept in a delicate balance under the supervision of the Wizard Lord. But if he should stray from the way of the just then it is up to the Chosen to intercede. The new Wizard Lord however, has neutralized all magic in his domain and has killed or blocked his adversaries. Sword, now on the run, must work alone to restore order to the land and solve the mystery of the Ninth Talisman, which might be the salvation or downfall of all that is good in their world…Official Lawrence Watt-Evans Website
Order “The Summer Palace” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
NOTE: “The Summer Palace” is the third volume in The Annals of the Chosen series, following “The Wizard Lord” and “The Ninth Talisman”.
“Sisters of the Sword” by Maya Snow. Release Date: June 10, 2008. Kimi dreams of being a great samurai warrior, but she and her sister are ladies of feudal Japan and girls do not become samurai. Then their father is murdered, and their mother and little brother mysteriously disappear. Determined to seek revenge and restore their honor, the sisters disguise themselves as boys and train at a school for samurai. In a flash, life has swept the sisters into an adventure more heart-pounding than they could ever have imagined…Order “Sisters of the Sword” HERE
Read Reviews via PixiePalace
“The Essential Batman Encyclopedia” by Robert Greenberger. Release Date: June 10, 2008. “The Essential Batman Encyclopedia” is the only place you can find the complete history of Batman, one of the most popular superheroes of all time. Fully illustrated throughout and featuring complete details of Batman’s origins as well as biographies of almost every character in the Batman universe, this is the first updated encyclopedia devoted to Batman in more than thirty years…Batman @ Wikipedia
Official Robert Greenberger Blog
Order “The Essential Batman Encyclopedia” HERE
Read Reviews via Comics Worth Reading + The Breathing Corpse
“Kushiel’s Mercy” by Jacqueline Carey. Release Date: June 12, 2008. Having paid dearly for ignoring Elua’s edict to love as thou wilt, Imriel and Sidonie have finally come forward to publicly confess their love—news which ignites turmoil throughout the land. In order to quell the uprising, Queen Ysandre hands down a decree: she will not divide the lovers, but neither will she acknowledge them. Worse, if they decide to marry, Sidonie will be disinherited. Unless Imriel can find his mother and bring her back to be executed…Official Jacqueline Carey Website
Order “Kushiel’s Mercy” HERE
Read Excerpts HERE
NOTE: “Kushiel’s Mercy” is the third and final installment—after Kushiel’s Scion and Kushiel’s Justice (Reviewed HERE)—in the Kushiel fantasy series featuring Imriel.
“Neuropath” by Scott Bakker. Canada Release Date: June 14, 2008. Tom's life is not what it once was. Then his best friend Neil returns, but all is not what it seems—Neil has been working for the U.S. government cracking the minds of suspected terrorists and has gone AWOL, employing his unique skills on civilians. Thus begins a terrifying sequence of events as Neil sets out to destroy those who are connected to Tom. And it's only when Neil gets closer to his ultimate target that the full horror of his plan is revealed…Scott Bakker @ Wikipedia
Official Prince of Nothing Website
Order “Neuropath” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews of “Neuropath” via OF Blog of the Fallen + Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
Read Interviews with Scott Bakker HERE + HERE
“Tigerheart” by Peter David. Release Date: June 17, 2008. Brimming with the sly humor and breathless excitement of a traditional Victorian bedtime story, embroidered with its own unique wisdom and wonder, Tigerheart is a hymn to childhood’s happiness & heartbreak, a meditation on the love, courage, sacrifice, and faith that shape and define our lives, and a splendidly rendered modern fable–-for readers of any age—that proves itself a worthy brother to the timeless classic, Peter Pan, that serve as its inspiration…Official Peter David Website
Order “Tigerheart” HERE
Read An Interview with Peter David HERE
Read Reviews via Fresh Fiction
“Sideways In Crime” by Lou Anders. Release Date: June 17, 2008. A major new anthology from Hugo Award-nominated editor Lou Anders (Pyr Books), “Sideways in Crime” explores the subgenre of Alternative History Crime, featuring new stories by Kage Baker, Stephen Baxter, Tobias Buckell, Pat Cadigan, Paul Di Filippo, Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Theodore Judson, Jack McDevitt, John Meaney, Paul Park, Mike Resnick & Eric Flint, Mary Rosenblum, Chris Roberson, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and SM Stirling…
Official Lou Anders Website
Order “Sideways In Crime” HERE
“Dragonlight” by Donita K. Paul. Release Date: June 17, 2008. The fantastic land of Amara is recovering from years of war and the spiritual apathy corroding the Amarans’ hearts. With Kale and her father serving as dragon keepers for Paladin, the dragon populace has exploded. It’s a peaceful, exciting time of rebuilding. And yet, an insidious, unseen evil lurks just beneath the surface… “Dragonlight” is the dazzling, beautifully-crafted conclusion to Donita K. Paul’s popular DragonKeeper Chronicles fantasy series…
Official Donita K. Paul Website
Official DragonKeeper Chronicles Website
Order “Dragonlight” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“The Otherworldlies” by Jennifer Anne Kogler. Release Date: June 17, 2008. Fern communicates with her dog, blisters from just moments in the sun, and has correctly predicted the daily weather for over two years. With the help of her twin brother, Fern struggles to gain control of her supernatural powers. But with the arrival of a sinister vampire in town, Fern is forced to question her true identity and who she can count on. Soon Fern finds herself in the middle of a centuries-old battle that could endanger everyone she loves…
Official Jennifer Anne Kogler Website
Order “The Otherworldlies” HERE
“Mr. Fooster Traveling on a Whim” written by Tom Corwin & illustrated by Craig Frazier. Release Date: June 17, 2008. Mr. Fooster seems like your average fellow, albeit one who travels with an old bottle of bubble soap. One Tuesday morning, however, he takes us into a rich and vivid world unlike any we've seen before—a world where questioning your assumptions can set you free. Take a vacation you’ll never forget as Mr. Fooster shows us that pondering the little things in life can be a reward unto itself…
Official Mr. Fooster Website
Order “Mr. Fooster” HERE
Watch Excerpts HERE
“Principles of Angels” by Jaine Fenn. UK Release Date: June 19, 2008. Set on a world where nothing is forbidden; a world which is nonetheless a democracy by assassination, Taro is one of the privileged few. But when his Angel aunt, one of the City's assassins, is herself murdered, he loses everything. As the young street-hustler struggles to survive in the brutal world of the Downside slums, he finds himself caught up in something that may mean the end of everything… “Principles of Angels” is Jaine Fenn’s first novel…
Official Jaine Fenn Website
Order “Principles of Angels” HERE
Read Reviews via BookGeeks
“EVE: The Empyrean Age” by Tony Gonzales. UK Release Date: June 19, 2008. EVE Online is a massively multiplayer game where players compete within a single persistent universe for military, economic and political power. Building upon nearly a century of political tension, EVE has entered the Empyrean Age, where recent events have sparked a march towards total war. The events leading to the outbreak of war in New Eden unfold in “EVE: The Empyrean Age”, part one of a new trilogy by Tony Gonzales…
Official EVE Online Website
Order “Eve: The Empyrean Age” HERE
“In Odd We Trust” by Dean Koontz. Release Date: June 24, 2008. From the imagination of #1 New York Times-bestselling author Dean Koontz comes the graphic novel debut of Odd Thomas, a regular 19-year-old with an unusual gift: the ability to see the spirits of the dead. To Odd, it’s not such a big deal. And most folks in Pico Mundo, CA are more interested in the irresistible pancakes Odd whips up at the local diner. Still, his gift can be useful. Because while some spirits only want a little company…others want justice…
Read An Interview with Peter David HERE
Read Reviews via Fresh Fiction
“Sideways In Crime” by Lou Anders. Release Date: June 17, 2008. A major new anthology from Hugo Award-nominated editor Lou Anders (Pyr Books), “Sideways in Crime” explores the subgenre of Alternative History Crime, featuring new stories by Kage Baker, Stephen Baxter, Tobias Buckell, Pat Cadigan, Paul Di Filippo, Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Theodore Judson, Jack McDevitt, John Meaney, Paul Park, Mike Resnick & Eric Flint, Mary Rosenblum, Chris Roberson, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and SM Stirling…Official Lou Anders Website
Order “Sideways In Crime” HERE
“Dragonlight” by Donita K. Paul. Release Date: June 17, 2008. The fantastic land of Amara is recovering from years of war and the spiritual apathy corroding the Amarans’ hearts. With Kale and her father serving as dragon keepers for Paladin, the dragon populace has exploded. It’s a peaceful, exciting time of rebuilding. And yet, an insidious, unseen evil lurks just beneath the surface… “Dragonlight” is the dazzling, beautifully-crafted conclusion to Donita K. Paul’s popular DragonKeeper Chronicles fantasy series…Official Donita K. Paul Website
Official DragonKeeper Chronicles Website
Order “Dragonlight” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“The Otherworldlies” by Jennifer Anne Kogler. Release Date: June 17, 2008. Fern communicates with her dog, blisters from just moments in the sun, and has correctly predicted the daily weather for over two years. With the help of her twin brother, Fern struggles to gain control of her supernatural powers. But with the arrival of a sinister vampire in town, Fern is forced to question her true identity and who she can count on. Soon Fern finds herself in the middle of a centuries-old battle that could endanger everyone she loves…Official Jennifer Anne Kogler Website
Order “The Otherworldlies” HERE
“Mr. Fooster Traveling on a Whim” written by Tom Corwin & illustrated by Craig Frazier. Release Date: June 17, 2008. Mr. Fooster seems like your average fellow, albeit one who travels with an old bottle of bubble soap. One Tuesday morning, however, he takes us into a rich and vivid world unlike any we've seen before—a world where questioning your assumptions can set you free. Take a vacation you’ll never forget as Mr. Fooster shows us that pondering the little things in life can be a reward unto itself…Official Mr. Fooster Website
Order “Mr. Fooster” HERE
Watch Excerpts HERE
“Principles of Angels” by Jaine Fenn. UK Release Date: June 19, 2008. Set on a world where nothing is forbidden; a world which is nonetheless a democracy by assassination, Taro is one of the privileged few. But when his Angel aunt, one of the City's assassins, is herself murdered, he loses everything. As the young street-hustler struggles to survive in the brutal world of the Downside slums, he finds himself caught up in something that may mean the end of everything… “Principles of Angels” is Jaine Fenn’s first novel…Official Jaine Fenn Website
Order “Principles of Angels” HERE
Read Reviews via BookGeeks
“EVE: The Empyrean Age” by Tony Gonzales. UK Release Date: June 19, 2008. EVE Online is a massively multiplayer game where players compete within a single persistent universe for military, economic and political power. Building upon nearly a century of political tension, EVE has entered the Empyrean Age, where recent events have sparked a march towards total war. The events leading to the outbreak of war in New Eden unfold in “EVE: The Empyrean Age”, part one of a new trilogy by Tony Gonzales…Official EVE Online Website
Order “Eve: The Empyrean Age” HERE
“In Odd We Trust” by Dean Koontz. Release Date: June 24, 2008. From the imagination of #1 New York Times-bestselling author Dean Koontz comes the graphic novel debut of Odd Thomas, a regular 19-year-old with an unusual gift: the ability to see the spirits of the dead. To Odd, it’s not such a big deal. And most folks in Pico Mundo, CA are more interested in the irresistible pancakes Odd whips up at the local diner. Still, his gift can be useful. Because while some spirits only want a little company…others want justice…Order “In Odd We Trust” HERE
Enter the “In Odd We Trust” Giveaway HERE
“The Last Oracle” by James Rollins. Release Date: June 24, 2008. What if you could scientifically produce the next Buddha, the next Muhammad, or the next Jesus? Would it mark the Second Coming or cause disastrous consequences? A master at combining historical & religious intrigue with edge-of-your-seat adventure, New York Times bestselling author James Rollins brings back SIGMA Force to battle a group of rogue scientists who've unleashed a bioengineering project that could bring about the extinction of humankind…
Official James Rollins Website
Order “The Last Oracle” HERE
Enter “The Last Oracle” Giveaway HERE
“Escapement” by Jay Lake. Release Date: June 24, 2008. Set in the same world as Mainspring, with its great Equatorial Wall that holds up the Gears of the Earth, Escapement introduces Paolina, a young woman of remarkable intellectual ability. But Paolina has grown up in isolation and knows little of the world. Longing to be with people who possess the learning she so desperately seeks, Paolina sets off for the Wall, not knowing that her astounding, unschooled talent for sorcery will place her in grave danger…
Official Jay Lake Website
Official Jay Lake Blog
Order “Escapement” HERE
Enter the “Mainspring/Escapement” Giveaway HERE
“Hawkspar” by Holly Lisle. Release Date: June 24, 2008. Stolen away from their families, they are slaves, women with no names and no futures. Every moment of their days controlled by the avatars of the stone Eyes—Obsidian, Emerald, Raxinan, Ruby, Windcrystal, Sapphire, Sunspar, Tigereye... And the most powerful of them all, Hawkspar, the eyes of time. Kings and despots come to her to know their futures, and she wades in the river of time, pulls apart its sticky threads, to arrange the world to her satisfaction…
Official Holly Lisle Website
Order “Hawkspar” HERE
“The Magician” by Michael Scott. Release Date: June 24, 2008. After fleeing Ojai, Nicholas Flamel and friends emerge in Paris, Nicholas’ home. Only this homecoming is anything but sweet. Perenell is still locked up in Alcatraz, Paris is teeming with enemies, and time is running out. For every day spent without the Book of Abraham the Mage, they age one year—their magic becoming weaker and their bodies more frail. And for Nicholas Flamel, the Prophesy is becoming more and more clear…
Enter the “In Odd We Trust” Giveaway HERE
“The Last Oracle” by James Rollins. Release Date: June 24, 2008. What if you could scientifically produce the next Buddha, the next Muhammad, or the next Jesus? Would it mark the Second Coming or cause disastrous consequences? A master at combining historical & religious intrigue with edge-of-your-seat adventure, New York Times bestselling author James Rollins brings back SIGMA Force to battle a group of rogue scientists who've unleashed a bioengineering project that could bring about the extinction of humankind…Official James Rollins Website
Order “The Last Oracle” HERE
Enter “The Last Oracle” Giveaway HERE
“Escapement” by Jay Lake. Release Date: June 24, 2008. Set in the same world as Mainspring, with its great Equatorial Wall that holds up the Gears of the Earth, Escapement introduces Paolina, a young woman of remarkable intellectual ability. But Paolina has grown up in isolation and knows little of the world. Longing to be with people who possess the learning she so desperately seeks, Paolina sets off for the Wall, not knowing that her astounding, unschooled talent for sorcery will place her in grave danger…Official Jay Lake Website
Official Jay Lake Blog
Order “Escapement” HERE
Enter the “Mainspring/Escapement” Giveaway HERE
“Hawkspar” by Holly Lisle. Release Date: June 24, 2008. Stolen away from their families, they are slaves, women with no names and no futures. Every moment of their days controlled by the avatars of the stone Eyes—Obsidian, Emerald, Raxinan, Ruby, Windcrystal, Sapphire, Sunspar, Tigereye... And the most powerful of them all, Hawkspar, the eyes of time. Kings and despots come to her to know their futures, and she wades in the river of time, pulls apart its sticky threads, to arrange the world to her satisfaction…Official Holly Lisle Website
Order “Hawkspar” HERE
“The Magician” by Michael Scott. Release Date: June 24, 2008. After fleeing Ojai, Nicholas Flamel and friends emerge in Paris, Nicholas’ home. Only this homecoming is anything but sweet. Perenell is still locked up in Alcatraz, Paris is teeming with enemies, and time is running out. For every day spent without the Book of Abraham the Mage, they age one year—their magic becoming weaker and their bodies more frail. And for Nicholas Flamel, the Prophesy is becoming more and more clear…Official Michael Scott Website
Official The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Website
Order “The Magician” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
NOTE: “The Magician” is the second book in the New York Times-bestselling Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel YA series that began in “The Alchemyst”, which has been optioned for film adaptation by New Line Cinema.
“Havemercy” by Jaida Jones + Danielle Bennett. Release Date: June 24, 2008. In this stunning epic fantasy debut, “Havemercy” introduces two exciting new authors and a world brimming with wonders, extraordinary events, and a crisis that will test the mettle of men, the boundaries of magic, and the heart and soul of a kingdom. Filled with adventure and discovery, treachery and betrayal, “Havemercy” is a thrill ride of the unexpected—and an unforgettable journey that will linger long after the fire of battle has cleared…
Official Jones & Bennett Website
Official Jaida Jones Blog
Official Danielle Bennett Blog
Order “Havemercy” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews SF Reviews
“Dragonforge” by James Maxey. Release Date: June 24, 2008. Powerful dragons have ruled the land for an age, but now their supremacy hangs in the balance. The humans seek revenge and will stop at nothing to achieve retribution. Though there are those that fight for peace and a land where humans & dragons can live in harmony, they are fast becoming outnumbered and their ideals forgotten. When war erupts, legendary dragon hunter, Bitterwood, must face his personal demons and decide where his loyalty truly lies…
Official The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Website
Order “The Magician” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
NOTE: “The Magician” is the second book in the New York Times-bestselling Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel YA series that began in “The Alchemyst”, which has been optioned for film adaptation by New Line Cinema.
“Havemercy” by Jaida Jones + Danielle Bennett. Release Date: June 24, 2008. In this stunning epic fantasy debut, “Havemercy” introduces two exciting new authors and a world brimming with wonders, extraordinary events, and a crisis that will test the mettle of men, the boundaries of magic, and the heart and soul of a kingdom. Filled with adventure and discovery, treachery and betrayal, “Havemercy” is a thrill ride of the unexpected—and an unforgettable journey that will linger long after the fire of battle has cleared…Official Jones & Bennett Website
Official Jaida Jones Blog
Official Danielle Bennett Blog
Order “Havemercy” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Read Reviews SF Reviews
“Dragonforge” by James Maxey. Release Date: June 24, 2008. Powerful dragons have ruled the land for an age, but now their supremacy hangs in the balance. The humans seek revenge and will stop at nothing to achieve retribution. Though there are those that fight for peace and a land where humans & dragons can live in harmony, they are fast becoming outnumbered and their ideals forgotten. When war erupts, legendary dragon hunter, Bitterwood, must face his personal demons and decide where his loyalty truly lies…Official James Maxey Blog
Official Dragon Age Blog
Order “Dragonforge” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
NOTE: “Dragonforge”, a novel set in the Dragon Age, is a sequel to “Bitterwood” (Reviewed HERE)
“The Final Sacrifice” by Patricia Bray. Release Date: June 24, 2008. Emperor Lucius of Ikaria has led his people to victory, but is losing a private war within himself as the spell which bound his soul to that of the monk Josan is now unraveling, threatening to destroy them both. Their only hope lies in the forbidden magic teachings of a distant land. But when a new war threatens all that Lucius has fought for, he must either choose between his own salvation or learning to wield the very magic that could destroy him…
Official Patricia Bray Website
Order “The Final Sacrifice” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
NOTE: “The Final Sacrifice” is the final volume in The Chronicles of Josan after “The First Betrayal” and “The Sea Change”.
“Shadows Return” by Lynn Flewelling. Release Date: June 24, 2008. After their latest victory, Alec and Seregil have returned home. But with most of their allies dead or exiled, it is difficult for them to settle in. Hoping for diversion, they accept an assignment that will take them back to Seregil’s homeland. En route, however, they are ambushed and separated, and both are sold into slavery. Clinging to life, Seregil is sustained only by the hope that Alec is alive. But it is not Alec’s life his strange master wants—it is his blood…
Official Lynn Flewelling Website
Order Shadows Return HERE
NOTE: “Shadows Return” is the fourth Night Runner novel after “Luck in the Shadows”, “Stalking Darkness”, and “Traitor’s Moon”.
“Valiant” by Jack Campbell. Release Date: June 24, 2008. In “Valiant”, Jack Campbell’s (Stark’s War, Paul Sinclair) fourth Lost Fleet novel—after Dauntless, Fearless, and Courageous—Captain “Black Jack” Geary has ordered his fleet back to the Lakota Star System where the Syndics nearly destroyed them, a desperate gamble that may give them a fighting chance of survival—or tear them apart… Jack Campbell’s high-flying military science fiction series will continue in “Relentless” (2009) and “Victorious” (TBD)…
Official Jack Campbell Website
Order “Valiant” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“The Cold Minds” by Kristin Landon. Release Date: June 24, 2008. After Earth's destruction by ruthless machine intelligences known as the Cold Minds, the remnants of humankind fled to the Hidden Worlds. Now, after six centuries of safety, the horrors of the past have returned to finish the extermination. On the run and desperately searching for allies to oppose the Cold Minds, Linnea Kiaho and Iain sen Paolo face near-impossible odds. But they know that somehow, some way, they must succeed—or humanity itself will become extinct…
Official Kristin Landon Website
Order “The Cold Minds” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
NOTE: “The Cold Minds” is the sequel to “The Hidden World”.
“A Fire in the North” by David Bilsborough. Release Date: June 24, 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”, the second volume in the Annals of Lindormyn, continues brilliantly where David Bilsborough's debut “The Wanderer’s Tale” left off. But it’s an altogether darker and more violent affair now…
Order “A Fire in the North” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)
Official Dragon Age Blog
Order “Dragonforge” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
NOTE: “Dragonforge”, a novel set in the Dragon Age, is a sequel to “Bitterwood” (Reviewed HERE)
“The Final Sacrifice” by Patricia Bray. Release Date: June 24, 2008. Emperor Lucius of Ikaria has led his people to victory, but is losing a private war within himself as the spell which bound his soul to that of the monk Josan is now unraveling, threatening to destroy them both. Their only hope lies in the forbidden magic teachings of a distant land. But when a new war threatens all that Lucius has fought for, he must either choose between his own salvation or learning to wield the very magic that could destroy him…Official Patricia Bray Website
Order “The Final Sacrifice” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
NOTE: “The Final Sacrifice” is the final volume in The Chronicles of Josan after “The First Betrayal” and “The Sea Change”.
“Shadows Return” by Lynn Flewelling. Release Date: June 24, 2008. After their latest victory, Alec and Seregil have returned home. But with most of their allies dead or exiled, it is difficult for them to settle in. Hoping for diversion, they accept an assignment that will take them back to Seregil’s homeland. En route, however, they are ambushed and separated, and both are sold into slavery. Clinging to life, Seregil is sustained only by the hope that Alec is alive. But it is not Alec’s life his strange master wants—it is his blood…Official Lynn Flewelling Website
Order Shadows Return HERE
NOTE: “Shadows Return” is the fourth Night Runner novel after “Luck in the Shadows”, “Stalking Darkness”, and “Traitor’s Moon”.
“Valiant” by Jack Campbell. Release Date: June 24, 2008. In “Valiant”, Jack Campbell’s (Stark’s War, Paul Sinclair) fourth Lost Fleet novel—after Dauntless, Fearless, and Courageous—Captain “Black Jack” Geary has ordered his fleet back to the Lakota Star System where the Syndics nearly destroyed them, a desperate gamble that may give them a fighting chance of survival—or tear them apart… Jack Campbell’s high-flying military science fiction series will continue in “Relentless” (2009) and “Victorious” (TBD)…Official Jack Campbell Website
Order “Valiant” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“The Cold Minds” by Kristin Landon. Release Date: June 24, 2008. After Earth's destruction by ruthless machine intelligences known as the Cold Minds, the remnants of humankind fled to the Hidden Worlds. Now, after six centuries of safety, the horrors of the past have returned to finish the extermination. On the run and desperately searching for allies to oppose the Cold Minds, Linnea Kiaho and Iain sen Paolo face near-impossible odds. But they know that somehow, some way, they must succeed—or humanity itself will become extinct…Official Kristin Landon Website
Order “The Cold Minds” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
NOTE: “The Cold Minds” is the sequel to “The Hidden World”.
“A Fire in the North” by David Bilsborough. Release Date: June 24, 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”, the second volume in the Annals of Lindormyn, continues brilliantly where David Bilsborough's debut “The Wanderer’s Tale” left off. But it’s an altogether darker and more violent affair now…Order “A Fire in the North” HERE (US) + HERE (UK)
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s REVIEW of “The Wanderer’s Tale”
“Gone” by Michael Grant. Release Date: June 24, 2008. From the co-writer/co-creator of over 150 children’s books including the Animorphs and Everworld, comes “Gone”, the first novel in a six-book series for young adults in which everyone over the age of fourteen disappears in a flash: In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE. Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what’s happened…
Official Michael Grant Myspace
Order “Gone” HERE
Read Reviews via Pop Syndicate
“The Iron Hunt” by Marjorie M. Liu. Release Date: June 24, 2008. By day, her tattoos are her armor. By night, they unwind from her body to take on forms of their own. Demons of the flesh, turned into flesh. This is the only family demon hunter Maxine Kiss has ever known. The only way to live—and the very way she’ll die. For one day, her demons will abandon her for her daughter to assure their own survival. But such is the way of Earth’s last protector—the only one standing between humanity and the demons she battles…
Official Marjorie M. Liu Website
Order “The Iron Hunt” HERE
Read Reviews via Darque Reviews
“The Last Vampire” by Patricia Rosemoor and Marc Paoletti. Release Date: June 24, 2008. The military unearths a five-hundred-year-old corpse, hoping to use its mysterious DNA to transform soldiers into beings of unimaginable power. Instead, they unleash hell. "The Last Vampire" is an all-out, blood-soaked battle between Special Forces and armies of the Undead, between technology and primeval mysticism, between an undying hope for mankind and a dark, consuming evil bent on reinstating its poisonous kind on earth…
Official Patricia Rosemoor Website
Official Marc Paoletti Website
Order “The Last Vampire” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Gordath Wood” by Patrice Sarath. Release Date: June 24, 2008. Something strange is happening in Gordath Wood, the old woods surrounding a training stable called Hunter’s Chase. The police think Lynn Romano and Kate Mossland have been murdered, but what actually occurred is much stranger. They’ve gone through a hole between worlds, into a medieval society at war. In a world that doesn’t ordinarily have use for women. Good thing Lynn Romano and Kate Mossland aren’t your ordinary women…
Official Patrice Sarath Website
Order “Gordath Wood” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“The Deceived” by Brett Battles. Release Date: June 24, 2008. As a professional “cleaner,” Jonathan Quinn disposes of bodies and ties up loose ends with nothing ever getting traced back to him. But when he discovers he's been hired to vanish all traces of Steven Markoff, one of his best friends and a former agent with the CIA, his job suddenly hits too close to home. This time, it's personal… With an addicting momentum and fascinating characters, “The Deceived” takes readers on a thrilling, pulse-pounding journey…
Official Brett Battles Website
Order “The Deceived” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Kull: Exile in Atlantis” by Robert E. Howard. Release Date: June 30, 2008. The UK-based small press Wandering Star issued glorious editions of Robert E. Howard’s work, including The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, The Ultimate Triumph, as well as two volumes of Howard’s Conan tales. Subterranean Press is proud to continue this series of limited editions, beginning with Kull: Exile of Atlantis, exquisitely illustrated by Justin Sweet with color plates and black and white illustrations illuminating the text…
Official Robert E. Howard Website
“Gone” by Michael Grant. Release Date: June 24, 2008. From the co-writer/co-creator of over 150 children’s books including the Animorphs and Everworld, comes “Gone”, the first novel in a six-book series for young adults in which everyone over the age of fourteen disappears in a flash: In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE. Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what’s happened…Official Michael Grant Myspace
Order “Gone” HERE
Read Reviews via Pop Syndicate
“The Iron Hunt” by Marjorie M. Liu. Release Date: June 24, 2008. By day, her tattoos are her armor. By night, they unwind from her body to take on forms of their own. Demons of the flesh, turned into flesh. This is the only family demon hunter Maxine Kiss has ever known. The only way to live—and the very way she’ll die. For one day, her demons will abandon her for her daughter to assure their own survival. But such is the way of Earth’s last protector—the only one standing between humanity and the demons she battles…Official Marjorie M. Liu Website
Order “The Iron Hunt” HERE
Read Reviews via Darque Reviews
“The Last Vampire” by Patricia Rosemoor and Marc Paoletti. Release Date: June 24, 2008. The military unearths a five-hundred-year-old corpse, hoping to use its mysterious DNA to transform soldiers into beings of unimaginable power. Instead, they unleash hell. "The Last Vampire" is an all-out, blood-soaked battle between Special Forces and armies of the Undead, between technology and primeval mysticism, between an undying hope for mankind and a dark, consuming evil bent on reinstating its poisonous kind on earth…Official Patricia Rosemoor Website
Official Marc Paoletti Website
Order “The Last Vampire” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Gordath Wood” by Patrice Sarath. Release Date: June 24, 2008. Something strange is happening in Gordath Wood, the old woods surrounding a training stable called Hunter’s Chase. The police think Lynn Romano and Kate Mossland have been murdered, but what actually occurred is much stranger. They’ve gone through a hole between worlds, into a medieval society at war. In a world that doesn’t ordinarily have use for women. Good thing Lynn Romano and Kate Mossland aren’t your ordinary women…Official Patrice Sarath Website
Order “Gordath Wood” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“The Deceived” by Brett Battles. Release Date: June 24, 2008. As a professional “cleaner,” Jonathan Quinn disposes of bodies and ties up loose ends with nothing ever getting traced back to him. But when he discovers he's been hired to vanish all traces of Steven Markoff, one of his best friends and a former agent with the CIA, his job suddenly hits too close to home. This time, it's personal… With an addicting momentum and fascinating characters, “The Deceived” takes readers on a thrilling, pulse-pounding journey…Official Brett Battles Website
Order “The Deceived” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
“Kull: Exile in Atlantis” by Robert E. Howard. Release Date: June 30, 2008. The UK-based small press Wandering Star issued glorious editions of Robert E. Howard’s work, including The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn, The Ultimate Triumph, as well as two volumes of Howard’s Conan tales. Subterranean Press is proud to continue this series of limited editions, beginning with Kull: Exile of Atlantis, exquisitely illustrated by Justin Sweet with color plates and black and white illustrations illuminating the text…Official Robert E. Howard Website
Order “Kull: Exile in Atlantis” HERE
3:01 AM | 
Posted by
Robert |
Official David J. Williams WebsiteOrder “The Mirrored Heavens” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
Watch “The Mirrored Heavens” Book Trailer HERE
Read Reviews of “The Mirrored Heavens” via Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review + SFRevu
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Previously, David J. Williams worked as a writer and concept developer for the award-winning real-time strategy computer game Homeworld. “The Mirrored Heavens” is his first novel.
PLOT SUMMARY: In the 22nd century, the first wonder of a brave new world is the Phoenix Space Elevator. Built by the United States and the Eurasian Coalition following a second cold war, the Elevator is the grand symbol of the new alliance between the superpowers. And it’s just been destroyed.
The mysterious insurgent group Autumn Rain claims responsibility for the attack, but with suspicions rampant, armies and espionage teams mobilize across the globe and beyond. Enter Claire Haskell and Jason Marlowe, U.S. counterintelligence agents, and former lovers—though their memories may only be constructs implanted by their spymaster. Bound together by the enigma of their past, they can trust no one. For in a time of shifting loyalties, the enemy could be anyone—from a shadowy assassin on the dark side of the moon, to a Euro data thief, to a fugitive making one last border run.
As the hunt for Autumn Rain escalates and the superpowers move to the brink of war, the lives of all those involved will converge in one explosive finale—and a startling revelation that will rewrite everything they’ve ever known—about their mission, their world, and themselves…
CLASSIFICATION: Combining cyberpunk, military science fiction and espionage, “The Mirrored Heavens” is a smart, intense, and thoroughly engaging futuristic thriller that brings to mind William Gibson, Ghost in the Machine/Appleseed anime, Neal Asher, Richard K. Morgan, Josh Conviser’s “Echelon/Empyre” novels, and such videogames as Deus Ex and Halo…
FORMAT/INFO: Page count is 401 pages divided over four ‘Parts’ with zero chapter breaks. Opens with Text from The Treaty of Zurich and closes with a Timeline of World History from A.D. 2035—2110. Narration is in the third person and alternates between Claire Haskell/Jason Marlowe, the Operative, and Lyle Spencer who is introduced in Part II: Incursion. “The Mirrored Heavens” is Book One of the Autumn Rain trilogy, but the story is wrapped up nicely so that it can be read as a standalone.
May 20, 2008 marks the North American Trade Paperback release of “The Mirrored Heavens” via Bantam Spectra. Cover artwork is provided by Paul Youll.
ANALYSIS: As mentioned in the Author Information above, David J. Williams’ previous experience as a writer includes the Homeworld RTS computer games, and it shows by the novel’s videogame qualities, both good . . . and not so good. First, the positives. With any decent videogame you have to have a hook, a concept that will attract gamers—or in this case readers—and in this regard David delivers by extrapolating from current events and envisioning a near future where superpowers are working together to prevent war, where the Moon has become an important political/economic tool, and where mankind is only decades from colonizing other planets. The best thing about this setup is how easy it is to imagine such a future, which stems from how much effort went into making 22nd century Earth as realistic as possible. For a glimpse into the detailed world-building behind David’s vision of the future—year 2110—be sure to visit the Official Autumn Rain Website for a timeline on world history, an overview of the geopolitical situation, a breakdown of the United States’ different Commands, manifestos, memorandums and much more…
Next, you have to have protagonists that can kick a lot of ass. In this case, there are three: Claire Haskell, razor; Jason Marlowe, mechanic (mech); and the mysterious Operative. There’s also a fourth character in Lyle Spencer, a European data mercenary, but he’s not on the same level as the other three. Basically, razors are hackers who specialize in ‘net infiltration’ via the Zone (cyberspace)—hence the comparison to William Gibson and Ghost in the Machine—while mechs specialize in ‘physical infiltration’ and are ruthless killing machines made all the more dangerous by the combat suits they employ which comes equipped with camouflage, gun/missile/grenade racks, flamethrowers, flight capabilities, and other nasty goodies—thus the comparison to Appleseed, Deus Ex, and Halo. While razors and mechs can operate solo, they’re most efficient working as combos as readers will discover in “The Mirrored Heavens”. As far as razors and mechs go, Claire, Jason and the Operative are among the very best and they more than live up to their deadly reputation :)
Perhaps the most important quality that can be measured in a videogame is its gameplay—or fun factor—and in that area “The Mirrored Heavens” delivers in spades. Essentially a non-stop action-packed roller coaster, David’s debut is about as much fun as an action junkie can have without going to the theatres or buying a PS3. In some cases, it’s even more fun :) Part of the reason is that the action scenes are just breathtaking, both in delivery and their cinematic scope. Another reason is because the action is relentless. At all times “The Mirrored Heavens” alternates between three separate storylines that—while connected together as part of a larger picture—seem to be competing with one another to see who can come up with the most intense, most spectacular action sequences imaginable ;) As a result, “The Mirrored Heavens” is jam-packed with so much action, you rarely have time to take a breath…
One area that “The Mirrored Heavens” excels at—and is not a known strength when it comes to videogames, with certain exceptions—is the plotting. Not only does David handle the different storylines with exceptional grace, but the pacing is superb, espionage/intrigue elements strategically complement the action, the twists & turns are clever and unexpected, and for the opening volume in a trilogy, the book is immensely satisfying while leaving the reader craving for more :)
Negatively, “The Mirrored Heavens” is a debut novel and is not without flaws. So continuing with the videogame theme, the biggest issue is the characters. Yes, Claire, Jason, the Operative and so on are bad-ass and it’s extremely entertaining to see them in action, but as far as personality and depth go, there’s little to be found. For one, almost all of the characters in the book are either razors or mechs and there’s very little that differentiates one from the other. Secondly, we never get to really know any of the characters. Where they came from, their history, their likes & dislikes, their thoughts & opinions, et cetera. Another videogame-related issue is the lack of description in the book. If not for the wonderful images, charts, maps and blueprints found on the Official Autumn Rain Website, I would have a hard time picturing the Space Elevator, Belem-Macapa, mech suits and so on. My guess is when you write for a videogame, the visual aspect is already taken care of, so describing what a person or object looks like isn’t a major priority, but with a novel more detail is helpful. Finally, like a videogame “The Mirrored Heavens” sports a few deus ex machinas, although if you think about it, it’s not uncommon to find such plot devices in speculative literature.
As far as the actual writing, David J. Williams shows off some impressive skills like his aforementioned plotting, the pacing and the excellent action sequences, but a couple of things bugged me. One was the economical prose dominated by extremely short sentences: “He sits up. Gets up. Goes to the washbasin. Lets water dash itself against metal and skin. He runs his hands along his face. He wonders if something has changed.” I admit that this issue is a lot more noticeable at the beginning of the novel than at the end, and it does fit well with the punchy nature of the story, but it was still annoying at times. Another concern was the way David switches from one narrative to the next. For instance, one perspective will end with “’You get used to it,’ says the Operative”, while the next starts with “But what you don’t get used to is what these third-world cities are like in their rafters.” It’s a clever way to make the transition, but the problem is that David uses this trick so many times it kind of gets old after a while. Lastly, some of the dialogue is weak, particularly the sarcastic quips.
CONCLUSION: “The Mirrored Heavens” is far from perfect, but for a debut it’s damn impressive and despite its flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed the hell out of the novel :) In fact, I’m confident that “The Mirrored Heavens” will end up on my shortlist as one of 2008’s Best Science Fiction Debuts, and if David J. Williams can take his game to another level, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the author have the same kind of impact on the genre that Richard K. Morgan has had…
PLOT SUMMARY: In the 22nd century, the first wonder of a brave new world is the Phoenix Space Elevator. Built by the United States and the Eurasian Coalition following a second cold war, the Elevator is the grand symbol of the new alliance between the superpowers. And it’s just been destroyed.
The mysterious insurgent group Autumn Rain claims responsibility for the attack, but with suspicions rampant, armies and espionage teams mobilize across the globe and beyond. Enter Claire Haskell and Jason Marlowe, U.S. counterintelligence agents, and former lovers—though their memories may only be constructs implanted by their spymaster. Bound together by the enigma of their past, they can trust no one. For in a time of shifting loyalties, the enemy could be anyone—from a shadowy assassin on the dark side of the moon, to a Euro data thief, to a fugitive making one last border run.
As the hunt for Autumn Rain escalates and the superpowers move to the brink of war, the lives of all those involved will converge in one explosive finale—and a startling revelation that will rewrite everything they’ve ever known—about their mission, their world, and themselves…
CLASSIFICATION: Combining cyberpunk, military science fiction and espionage, “The Mirrored Heavens” is a smart, intense, and thoroughly engaging futuristic thriller that brings to mind William Gibson, Ghost in the Machine/Appleseed anime, Neal Asher, Richard K. Morgan, Josh Conviser’s “Echelon/Empyre” novels, and such videogames as Deus Ex and Halo…
FORMAT/INFO: Page count is 401 pages divided over four ‘Parts’ with zero chapter breaks. Opens with Text from The Treaty of Zurich and closes with a Timeline of World History from A.D. 2035—2110. Narration is in the third person and alternates between Claire Haskell/Jason Marlowe, the Operative, and Lyle Spencer who is introduced in Part II: Incursion. “The Mirrored Heavens” is Book One of the Autumn Rain trilogy, but the story is wrapped up nicely so that it can be read as a standalone.
May 20, 2008 marks the North American Trade Paperback release of “The Mirrored Heavens” via Bantam Spectra. Cover artwork is provided by Paul Youll.
ANALYSIS: As mentioned in the Author Information above, David J. Williams’ previous experience as a writer includes the Homeworld RTS computer games, and it shows by the novel’s videogame qualities, both good . . . and not so good. First, the positives. With any decent videogame you have to have a hook, a concept that will attract gamers—or in this case readers—and in this regard David delivers by extrapolating from current events and envisioning a near future where superpowers are working together to prevent war, where the Moon has become an important political/economic tool, and where mankind is only decades from colonizing other planets. The best thing about this setup is how easy it is to imagine such a future, which stems from how much effort went into making 22nd century Earth as realistic as possible. For a glimpse into the detailed world-building behind David’s vision of the future—year 2110—be sure to visit the Official Autumn Rain Website for a timeline on world history, an overview of the geopolitical situation, a breakdown of the United States’ different Commands, manifestos, memorandums and much more…
Next, you have to have protagonists that can kick a lot of ass. In this case, there are three: Claire Haskell, razor; Jason Marlowe, mechanic (mech); and the mysterious Operative. There’s also a fourth character in Lyle Spencer, a European data mercenary, but he’s not on the same level as the other three. Basically, razors are hackers who specialize in ‘net infiltration’ via the Zone (cyberspace)—hence the comparison to William Gibson and Ghost in the Machine—while mechs specialize in ‘physical infiltration’ and are ruthless killing machines made all the more dangerous by the combat suits they employ which comes equipped with camouflage, gun/missile/grenade racks, flamethrowers, flight capabilities, and other nasty goodies—thus the comparison to Appleseed, Deus Ex, and Halo. While razors and mechs can operate solo, they’re most efficient working as combos as readers will discover in “The Mirrored Heavens”. As far as razors and mechs go, Claire, Jason and the Operative are among the very best and they more than live up to their deadly reputation :)
Perhaps the most important quality that can be measured in a videogame is its gameplay—or fun factor—and in that area “The Mirrored Heavens” delivers in spades. Essentially a non-stop action-packed roller coaster, David’s debut is about as much fun as an action junkie can have without going to the theatres or buying a PS3. In some cases, it’s even more fun :) Part of the reason is that the action scenes are just breathtaking, both in delivery and their cinematic scope. Another reason is because the action is relentless. At all times “The Mirrored Heavens” alternates between three separate storylines that—while connected together as part of a larger picture—seem to be competing with one another to see who can come up with the most intense, most spectacular action sequences imaginable ;) As a result, “The Mirrored Heavens” is jam-packed with so much action, you rarely have time to take a breath…
One area that “The Mirrored Heavens” excels at—and is not a known strength when it comes to videogames, with certain exceptions—is the plotting. Not only does David handle the different storylines with exceptional grace, but the pacing is superb, espionage/intrigue elements strategically complement the action, the twists & turns are clever and unexpected, and for the opening volume in a trilogy, the book is immensely satisfying while leaving the reader craving for more :)
Negatively, “The Mirrored Heavens” is a debut novel and is not without flaws. So continuing with the videogame theme, the biggest issue is the characters. Yes, Claire, Jason, the Operative and so on are bad-ass and it’s extremely entertaining to see them in action, but as far as personality and depth go, there’s little to be found. For one, almost all of the characters in the book are either razors or mechs and there’s very little that differentiates one from the other. Secondly, we never get to really know any of the characters. Where they came from, their history, their likes & dislikes, their thoughts & opinions, et cetera. Another videogame-related issue is the lack of description in the book. If not for the wonderful images, charts, maps and blueprints found on the Official Autumn Rain Website, I would have a hard time picturing the Space Elevator, Belem-Macapa, mech suits and so on. My guess is when you write for a videogame, the visual aspect is already taken care of, so describing what a person or object looks like isn’t a major priority, but with a novel more detail is helpful. Finally, like a videogame “The Mirrored Heavens” sports a few deus ex machinas, although if you think about it, it’s not uncommon to find such plot devices in speculative literature.
As far as the actual writing, David J. Williams shows off some impressive skills like his aforementioned plotting, the pacing and the excellent action sequences, but a couple of things bugged me. One was the economical prose dominated by extremely short sentences: “He sits up. Gets up. Goes to the washbasin. Lets water dash itself against metal and skin. He runs his hands along his face. He wonders if something has changed.” I admit that this issue is a lot more noticeable at the beginning of the novel than at the end, and it does fit well with the punchy nature of the story, but it was still annoying at times. Another concern was the way David switches from one narrative to the next. For instance, one perspective will end with “’You get used to it,’ says the Operative”, while the next starts with “But what you don’t get used to is what these third-world cities are like in their rafters.” It’s a clever way to make the transition, but the problem is that David uses this trick so many times it kind of gets old after a while. Lastly, some of the dialogue is weak, particularly the sarcastic quips.
CONCLUSION: “The Mirrored Heavens” is far from perfect, but for a debut it’s damn impressive and despite its flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed the hell out of the novel :) In fact, I’m confident that “The Mirrored Heavens” will end up on my shortlist as one of 2008’s Best Science Fiction Debuts, and if David J. Williams can take his game to another level, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the author have the same kind of impact on the genre that Richard K. Morgan has had…
Congratulations to Daneal Cain who was randomly selected to win a COPY of Andrzej Sapkowski’s “The Last Wish” (Reviewed HERE) and Nicole Davis who was randomly selected to win the GRAND PRIZE featuring both a copy of the book “The Last Wish” and The Witcher video game, all thanks to Orbit Books!!!
In just a brief news update, I wanted to introduce everyone to Liviu C. Suciu :) Like David Craddock, Liviu is a huge fan of speculative fiction and I’ve asked him to contribute book reviews whenever possible. So far he’s reviewed Alastair Reynold’s “House of Suns” and William Dietrich’s “Napoleon’s Pyramids” & “The Rosetta Key”, and has already completed reviews of Brian Ruckley’s “Bloodheir” and Maurice G. Dantec’s “Cosmos Incorporated”, which will go live in the near future. Also forthcoming from Liviu are reviews of David Weber’s “By Schism Rent Asunder”, Harry Turtledove’s “The Man With the Iron Heart”, David Louis Edelman’s “Multireal”, Karl Schroeder’s “Pirate Sun”, and much more!!! Because of his knowledge, passion—and ability to read so much faster than I ;)—I’m very happy to have Liviu on board and I hope everyone will give him a warm welcome :)
Lastly, check out the video below which is an interview with author James Rollins who wrote the novelization of the new film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Order HERE). Jim is also the author of the New York Times bestselling Sigma Force novels, the newest of which will hit stores on June 24, 2008 and is titled “The Last Oracle”. I’m actually hosting a giveaway for “The Last Oracle” and its predecessor “The Judas Strain”, so to enter just sign up HERE. I will also be reviewing “The Last Oracle” in the near future and I’m working on an interview with Jim :) In the meantime, enjoy the video:
In just a brief news update, I wanted to introduce everyone to Liviu C. Suciu :) Like David Craddock, Liviu is a huge fan of speculative fiction and I’ve asked him to contribute book reviews whenever possible. So far he’s reviewed Alastair Reynold’s “House of Suns” and William Dietrich’s “Napoleon’s Pyramids” & “The Rosetta Key”, and has already completed reviews of Brian Ruckley’s “Bloodheir” and Maurice G. Dantec’s “Cosmos Incorporated”, which will go live in the near future. Also forthcoming from Liviu are reviews of David Weber’s “By Schism Rent Asunder”, Harry Turtledove’s “The Man With the Iron Heart”, David Louis Edelman’s “Multireal”, Karl Schroeder’s “Pirate Sun”, and much more!!! Because of his knowledge, passion—and ability to read so much faster than I ;)—I’m very happy to have Liviu on board and I hope everyone will give him a warm welcome :)Lastly, check out the video below which is an interview with author James Rollins who wrote the novelization of the new film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Order HERE). Jim is also the author of the New York Times bestselling Sigma Force novels, the newest of which will hit stores on June 24, 2008 and is titled “The Last Oracle”. I’m actually hosting a giveaway for “The Last Oracle” and its predecessor “The Judas Strain”, so to enter just sign up HERE. I will also be reviewing “The Last Oracle” in the near future and I’m working on an interview with Jim :) In the meantime, enjoy the video:
Official Novels of the Hidden Cities WebsiteOfficial Christopher Golden Website
Official Tim Lebbon Website
Order “Mind the Gap” HERE
AUTHOR INFORMATION: A prolific and bestselling writer of horror, fantasy, and suspense for adults, teens, and young readers, Christopher Golden’s bibliography includes The Veil Trilogy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Hellboy tie-in books, Ghosts of Albion (w/Amber Benson), and “Baltimore, or The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire”, co-authored with Mike Mignola, which they are currently scripting as a feature film for New Regency. Christopher has also collaborated with Thomas E. Sniegoski on The Menagerie series, the OutCast novels, the comic book miniseries Talent, and the upcoming comic book miniseries The Sisterhood—the latter three titles have all been acquired for film adaptation. Other upcoming works include “Poison Ink” for Delacorte, “Soulless” for MTV Books and “British Invasion” for Cemetery Dance Publications. Read Fantasy Book Critic’s latest review/interview with Christopher Golden HERE.
Tim Lebbon is a British writer of horror and dark fantasy. He has won three British Fantasy Awards, a Bram Stoker Award, a Shocker and a Tombstone Award. Tim’s bibliography includes the “Dusk/Dawn” duology, the Noreela novel “Fallen”, “Beserk”, “The Everlasting”, “Hellboy: Unnatural Selection” and the New York Times bestselling movie novelization of 30 Days of Night. He is also the author of the novella “White”, soon to be a major motion picture. Forthcoming/new releases include “The Island” (2009-a Noreela novel) from Bantam Spectra, “The Whisper of Southern Lights” for Necessary Evil Press, “British Invasion” for Cemetery Dance Publications, “Last Exit for the Lost” from Cemetery Dance, “Bar None” for Night Shade Books, and “The Reach of Children” (w/Michael Marshall Smith introduction) for Humdrumming. Read Fantasy Book Critic’s latest review/interview with Tim Lebbon HERE.
Besides collaborating on “The Map of Moments” (Spring 2009), the second novel of The Hidden Cities, Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon are also co-authoring The Secret Journeys of Jack London YA novels for Atheneum.
PLOT SUMMARY: “Jazz Hide Forever”. These were her mother’s last words, written in her own blood. Now suddenly on her own, Jasmine Towne is going to need every skill she’s ever been taught to survive. For a cabal of enigmatic, black-cad strangers she calls the ‘Uncles’ are after Jazz for unknown reasons and her only escape is to slip into the forgotten tunnels of London’s vast Underground. Here she meets a tribe of runaway urchins and survivors calling themselves the United Kingdom and begins an adventure that links her to the ghosts of a city long past, a father she never knew, and a destiny she fears only slightly less than the relentless killers who would commit any crime under heaven or earth to prevent her from fulfilling…
CLASSIFICATION: “Mind the Gap” is a contemporary mystery thriller with elements of Oliver Twist, a caper story, and a dash of the supernatural—namely ghosts, Victorian magic, and steampunk. Basically, it’s kind of like a ‘modern day Oliver Twist’ meets The Thomas Crown Affair/Ocean’s 11 meets Neil Gaiman’s “Neverwhere” with a tiny sprinkling of John Twelve Hawk’s “The Traveler” and The Illusionist/The Prestige mixed in. “Mind the Gap” is an adult novel that is mostly suitable for older YA readers with only a little R-rated violence and language…
FORMAT/INFO: Page count is 368 pages divided over twenty chapters. Narration is in the third-person, exclusively via the protagonist Jasmine ‘Jazz’ Towne. “Mind the Gap” is the first novel in The Hidden Cities series and is self-contained, although I could possibly see a sequel sometime down the road :) Includes a 15-page preview of the second novel in The Hidden Cities, “The Map of Moments”, which features new characters and a new city—post-Katrina New Orleans.
May 20, 2008 marks the North American Trade Paperback release of “Mind the Gap” via Bantam Spectra. Cover artwork is provided by Stephan Martiniere.
ANALYSIS: Even though “Mind the Gap” is extremely fast-paced, the novel started out really slowly for me and it wasn’t until 160 pages in that I began to get excited about the book. The problem was that for almost the first half it seemed like Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon were just going through the motions, delivering a plot that was one recognizable convention after another:
The protagonist’s mother mysteriously murdered by shadowy people and forced on the run… Raised to trust no one, Jazz constantly lives in a state of paranoia… Discovers a forgotten subterranean Underworld of abandoned bomb shelters and train stations… The whole London backdrop and its ghosts of the past… A group of runaway urchins—and their Fagin-like mentor Mr. F—who survive by stealing from those ‘topside’… Possessing abilities that no one else has...
It wasn’t until the gentleman thief came into the picture in Chapter Eleven that “Mind the Gap” began to get really interesting. Questions were answered, pieces of the jigsaw puzzle started to fall into place, the intensity and excitement was ramped up, and the novel began to show off some of that imagination and panache that the authors are known for, including a heart-pounding finish—particularly the last fifty pages—of unexpected twists, tragedy, old magic, and rebirth…
Of the authors, “Mind the Gap” may be the first collaboration between Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon, but their writing styles mesh together so well in the book, it’s like they were born to work with one another. Both write with great confidence, possess smooth prose, know how to tell an engaging story, and are vividly creative. Plus, they really complement one another. Tim has a gift for evoking the horrific, while Christopher knows how to appeal to the younger/mainstream audience, both of which come into play in the novel. The one drawback regarding the authors is their characters. While Christopher & Tim can write well-drawn characters, they tend to lack a certain depth & intimacy and the cast in “Mind the Gap” is no exception. Other than that, there’s not much to complain about apart from the slow beginning.
CONCLUSION: “It’s now how you start, but how you finish”. This old adage has been applied to everything from life to sports, and it works just as well for a novel. At least for me, I will always appreciate more a novel that starts slowly and ends on a high note opposed to one that starts strongly and peters out at the end. “Mind the Gap” by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon is the former: a novel that takes a while to get going, but when it finally does kick into high gear, the results are spectacular. Because of the terrific finish—and the combined talents of two great authors in Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon—I highly recommend “Mind the Gap” and have high hopes for the next Hidden Cities novel…
Tim Lebbon is a British writer of horror and dark fantasy. He has won three British Fantasy Awards, a Bram Stoker Award, a Shocker and a Tombstone Award. Tim’s bibliography includes the “Dusk/Dawn” duology, the Noreela novel “Fallen”, “Beserk”, “The Everlasting”, “Hellboy: Unnatural Selection” and the New York Times bestselling movie novelization of 30 Days of Night. He is also the author of the novella “White”, soon to be a major motion picture. Forthcoming/new releases include “The Island” (2009-a Noreela novel) from Bantam Spectra, “The Whisper of Southern Lights” for Necessary Evil Press, “British Invasion” for Cemetery Dance Publications, “Last Exit for the Lost” from Cemetery Dance, “Bar None” for Night Shade Books, and “The Reach of Children” (w/Michael Marshall Smith introduction) for Humdrumming. Read Fantasy Book Critic’s latest review/interview with Tim Lebbon HERE.
Besides collaborating on “The Map of Moments” (Spring 2009), the second novel of The Hidden Cities, Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon are also co-authoring The Secret Journeys of Jack London YA novels for Atheneum.
PLOT SUMMARY: “Jazz Hide Forever”. These were her mother’s last words, written in her own blood. Now suddenly on her own, Jasmine Towne is going to need every skill she’s ever been taught to survive. For a cabal of enigmatic, black-cad strangers she calls the ‘Uncles’ are after Jazz for unknown reasons and her only escape is to slip into the forgotten tunnels of London’s vast Underground. Here she meets a tribe of runaway urchins and survivors calling themselves the United Kingdom and begins an adventure that links her to the ghosts of a city long past, a father she never knew, and a destiny she fears only slightly less than the relentless killers who would commit any crime under heaven or earth to prevent her from fulfilling…
CLASSIFICATION: “Mind the Gap” is a contemporary mystery thriller with elements of Oliver Twist, a caper story, and a dash of the supernatural—namely ghosts, Victorian magic, and steampunk. Basically, it’s kind of like a ‘modern day Oliver Twist’ meets The Thomas Crown Affair/Ocean’s 11 meets Neil Gaiman’s “Neverwhere” with a tiny sprinkling of John Twelve Hawk’s “The Traveler” and The Illusionist/The Prestige mixed in. “Mind the Gap” is an adult novel that is mostly suitable for older YA readers with only a little R-rated violence and language…
FORMAT/INFO: Page count is 368 pages divided over twenty chapters. Narration is in the third-person, exclusively via the protagonist Jasmine ‘Jazz’ Towne. “Mind the Gap” is the first novel in The Hidden Cities series and is self-contained, although I could possibly see a sequel sometime down the road :) Includes a 15-page preview of the second novel in The Hidden Cities, “The Map of Moments”, which features new characters and a new city—post-Katrina New Orleans.
May 20, 2008 marks the North American Trade Paperback release of “Mind the Gap” via Bantam Spectra. Cover artwork is provided by Stephan Martiniere.
ANALYSIS: Even though “Mind the Gap” is extremely fast-paced, the novel started out really slowly for me and it wasn’t until 160 pages in that I began to get excited about the book. The problem was that for almost the first half it seemed like Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon were just going through the motions, delivering a plot that was one recognizable convention after another:
The protagonist’s mother mysteriously murdered by shadowy people and forced on the run… Raised to trust no one, Jazz constantly lives in a state of paranoia… Discovers a forgotten subterranean Underworld of abandoned bomb shelters and train stations… The whole London backdrop and its ghosts of the past… A group of runaway urchins—and their Fagin-like mentor Mr. F—who survive by stealing from those ‘topside’… Possessing abilities that no one else has...
It wasn’t until the gentleman thief came into the picture in Chapter Eleven that “Mind the Gap” began to get really interesting. Questions were answered, pieces of the jigsaw puzzle started to fall into place, the intensity and excitement was ramped up, and the novel began to show off some of that imagination and panache that the authors are known for, including a heart-pounding finish—particularly the last fifty pages—of unexpected twists, tragedy, old magic, and rebirth…
Of the authors, “Mind the Gap” may be the first collaboration between Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon, but their writing styles mesh together so well in the book, it’s like they were born to work with one another. Both write with great confidence, possess smooth prose, know how to tell an engaging story, and are vividly creative. Plus, they really complement one another. Tim has a gift for evoking the horrific, while Christopher knows how to appeal to the younger/mainstream audience, both of which come into play in the novel. The one drawback regarding the authors is their characters. While Christopher & Tim can write well-drawn characters, they tend to lack a certain depth & intimacy and the cast in “Mind the Gap” is no exception. Other than that, there’s not much to complain about apart from the slow beginning.
CONCLUSION: “It’s now how you start, but how you finish”. This old adage has been applied to everything from life to sports, and it works just as well for a novel. At least for me, I will always appreciate more a novel that starts slowly and ends on a high note opposed to one that starts strongly and peters out at the end. “Mind the Gap” by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon is the former: a novel that takes a while to get going, but when it finally does kick into high gear, the results are spectacular. Because of the terrific finish—and the combined talents of two great authors in Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon—I highly recommend “Mind the Gap” and have high hopes for the next Hidden Cities novel…
Read Reviews of “Severance Package” via Bookgasm
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Duane Swierczynski is the author of six non-fiction books including “The Big Book O’ Beer”, edited “Damn Near Dead: An Anthology of Geezer Noir”, and has written four crime novels including his latest, “Severance Package”. Until recently, Duane was the editor-in-chief of the Philadelphia City Paper and has authored two interactive mysteries: The Crimes of Dr. Watson and Batman: Murder at Wayne Manor (July 2008). He is also under exclusive contract with Marvel Comics and is currently penning the new ongoing Cable series and will be taking over Immortal Iron Fist this July with more comic book projects on the way…
PLOT SUMMARY: For media relations director Jamie Debroux, what begins as a Saturday managers’ meeting takes an interesting turn when the head of the company announces that Murphy, Knox & Associates is the front company for a covert intelligence agency. One that the higher-ups want shut down and swept under the rug. Which means everyone at the meeting has to die.
Before the boss can even finish making the announcement, bullets have started flying and poison gas starts spraying. Some of the employees don’t like the new direction the company is taking. Some employees have secretly been working for another Company all along. And one particularly enterprising employee wants to turn this crisis into any opportunity for promotion. But Jamie Debroux, aware for the first time of the true nature of his employer, just wants to call it a day and head home to his wife and newborn son. All he has to do is survive an especially rough day at the office…
CLASSIFICATION: Blending together noir, espionage, and dark office humor, “Severance Package” is like Alias meets The Office meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith as imagined by Quentin Tarantino. Also possesses the accessibility and lightning-quick pacing of a Dean Koontz thriller.
FORMAT/INFO: Page count is 265 pages divided over twelve chapters, which are preceded by office/business-related quotes. Narration is in the third-person via several different point-of-views including the boss David Murphy, the seven employees that David has been ordered to terminate, a private guard, an agent in Scotland, etc. “Severance Package” is self-contained, but a few questions are left unanswered and readers will be hoping for a sequel ;) Interspersed throughout the novel are eight stark black-and-white illustrations by comic book artist Dennis Calero (X-Factor, Legion of Super-Heroes) that vividly portrays the book’s noirish vibe, as well as a ‘list’ that continuously gets updated as people are terminated :)
May 27, 2008 marks the North American/UK Trade Paperback publication of “Severance Package” via St. Martin’s Minotaur. The eye-catching cover artwork is provided by Tom Coker.
ANALYSIS: “Severance Package” is my first Duane Swierczynski novel. Before that, I had only heard of the author in passing through his comic book work, specifically on Moon Knight which I’m a huge fan of. Coincidentally, the current Moon Knight series was relaunched in 2006 with pulp fiction writer Charlie Huston at the helm, an author that I was reminded of when reading “Severance Package”. I was also reminded of Tarantino, but the person that I was most reminded of when reading Duane’s new book, was Dean Koontz. Koontz is a master of the contemporary breakneck thriller and Swierczynski shares many of the same qualities including silky-smooth prose, crackling dialogue, witty humor, and an eye for building adrenaline-inducing suspense. They also share an ability to write memorable characters with distinctive personalities and quirky traits like David Murphy’s sex/eating binges, the security guard’s extreme fear of being assaulted, and Nichole Wise’s workmanlike willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Granted, the violence and language is a little more hardcore in “Severance Package” than in a Dean Koontz novel, you won’t find any horror / supernatural elements in Duane’s new book, and action sometimes overshadows suspense, but the resemblance is there :) In other words, like a Dean Koontz novel, “Severance Package” is a thrill ride, engrossing, and massively appealing, and if this is the kind of fiction that one can expect from a Duane Swierczynski novel, then I think I’ve found myself a new favorite author :)
CONCLUSION: What’s there not to love about “Severance Package”? The concept is wild and insanely entertaining involving everything from sarin gas, poisoned champagne, and tracheotomies to Kevlar-reinforced pantyhose, popcorn tins, and assassinating your co-workers as part of a job interview ;) The plot is unpredictable; the female characters are sassy, sexy and badass; and the novel boasts the perfect mix of intrigue, comedy and hard-boiled action that grabs you by the throat while kicking in your teeth. Basically, “Severance Package” is tailor made for the big screen, and if the book doesn’t get made into a film, and soon, then somebody in Hollywood needs to get fired…
PLOT SUMMARY: For media relations director Jamie Debroux, what begins as a Saturday managers’ meeting takes an interesting turn when the head of the company announces that Murphy, Knox & Associates is the front company for a covert intelligence agency. One that the higher-ups want shut down and swept under the rug. Which means everyone at the meeting has to die.
Before the boss can even finish making the announcement, bullets have started flying and poison gas starts spraying. Some of the employees don’t like the new direction the company is taking. Some employees have secretly been working for another Company all along. And one particularly enterprising employee wants to turn this crisis into any opportunity for promotion. But Jamie Debroux, aware for the first time of the true nature of his employer, just wants to call it a day and head home to his wife and newborn son. All he has to do is survive an especially rough day at the office…
CLASSIFICATION: Blending together noir, espionage, and dark office humor, “Severance Package” is like Alias meets The Office meets Mr. and Mrs. Smith as imagined by Quentin Tarantino. Also possesses the accessibility and lightning-quick pacing of a Dean Koontz thriller.
FORMAT/INFO: Page count is 265 pages divided over twelve chapters, which are preceded by office/business-related quotes. Narration is in the third-person via several different point-of-views including the boss David Murphy, the seven employees that David has been ordered to terminate, a private guard, an agent in Scotland, etc. “Severance Package” is self-contained, but a few questions are left unanswered and readers will be hoping for a sequel ;) Interspersed throughout the novel are eight stark black-and-white illustrations by comic book artist Dennis Calero (X-Factor, Legion of Super-Heroes) that vividly portrays the book’s noirish vibe, as well as a ‘list’ that continuously gets updated as people are terminated :)
May 27, 2008 marks the North American/UK Trade Paperback publication of “Severance Package” via St. Martin’s Minotaur. The eye-catching cover artwork is provided by Tom Coker.
ANALYSIS: “Severance Package” is my first Duane Swierczynski novel. Before that, I had only heard of the author in passing through his comic book work, specifically on Moon Knight which I’m a huge fan of. Coincidentally, the current Moon Knight series was relaunched in 2006 with pulp fiction writer Charlie Huston at the helm, an author that I was reminded of when reading “Severance Package”. I was also reminded of Tarantino, but the person that I was most reminded of when reading Duane’s new book, was Dean Koontz. Koontz is a master of the contemporary breakneck thriller and Swierczynski shares many of the same qualities including silky-smooth prose, crackling dialogue, witty humor, and an eye for building adrenaline-inducing suspense. They also share an ability to write memorable characters with distinctive personalities and quirky traits like David Murphy’s sex/eating binges, the security guard’s extreme fear of being assaulted, and Nichole Wise’s workmanlike willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Granted, the violence and language is a little more hardcore in “Severance Package” than in a Dean Koontz novel, you won’t find any horror / supernatural elements in Duane’s new book, and action sometimes overshadows suspense, but the resemblance is there :) In other words, like a Dean Koontz novel, “Severance Package” is a thrill ride, engrossing, and massively appealing, and if this is the kind of fiction that one can expect from a Duane Swierczynski novel, then I think I’ve found myself a new favorite author :)
CONCLUSION: What’s there not to love about “Severance Package”? The concept is wild and insanely entertaining involving everything from sarin gas, poisoned champagne, and tracheotomies to Kevlar-reinforced pantyhose, popcorn tins, and assassinating your co-workers as part of a job interview ;) The plot is unpredictable; the female characters are sassy, sexy and badass; and the novel boasts the perfect mix of intrigue, comedy and hard-boiled action that grabs you by the throat while kicking in your teeth. Basically, “Severance Package” is tailor made for the big screen, and if the book doesn’t get made into a film, and soon, then somebody in Hollywood needs to get fired…
Official Greg Keyes WebsiteOrder “The Hounds of Ash and Other Tales of Fool Wolf” HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s REVIEW of “The Born Queen”
Read Fantasy Book Critic’s INTERVIEW with Greg Keyes
AUTHOR INFORMATION: A full-time writer of fantasy and science fiction, Greg Keyes’ bibliography includes “The Waterborn”, “The Blackgod”, The Age of Unreason tretralogy, Star Wars/Babylon 5 media tie-in novels, and The Kingdoms of Thorn & Bone series. Greg has also received degrees in anthropology from Mississippi State and the University of Georgia, is a certified fencing instructor, and an avid cook.
PLOT SUMMARY: Once considered a promising gaan—or shaman—by his Mang tribe, Fool Wolf is now a thief, gambler and womanizer wandering far from his native land in search of a way to rid himself of Chugaachik, a powerful goddess that shares his flesh and is a threat to all he loves…
In this collection of short stories set in the same world as Greg Keyes' Children of the Changeling (The Waterborn, The Blackgod), Fool Wolf embarks on one harrowing adventure after another in search of answers and solutions to his problem. Along the way, he will help put his father’s spirit to rest; battle giants, sorcerers, and gods; bring down cities; discover treasure of the greatest beauty; find himself at the center of a plot to resurrect an ancient evil; and uncover dark secrets that will shape his destiny…
CLASSIFICATION: Full of adventure, swordplay, magic, and mythology, “The Hounds of Ash and Other Tales of Fool Wolf” embodies the spirit and characteristics of classic sword & sorcery fantasy with nods to Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian and Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melniboné, while I was reminded of Glen Cook’s Black Company novels. Readers can also expect plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor and clever deception.
FORMAT/INFO: Page count is 192 pages divided over seven short stories—“The Hounds of Ash” is basically one story broken up into three ‘Parts’—which first appeared in the now defunct Dragon print magazine. There’s no framing device, but the stories occur in chronological order and are loosely connected, particularly “The Hounds of Ash”. Narration is in the third person via the protagonist Fool Wolf.
May/June 2008 marks the North American publication of “The Hounds of Ash and Other Tales of Fool Wolf” via EDGE Science Fiction & Fantasy Publishing. Cover art is provided by Julie Dillon.
ANALYSIS: Opening the short story collection is “Wakes the Narrow Forest”, which finds Fool Wolf haunted by the ghost of his father who was recently killed by a giant. To put his father’s spirit to rest, Fool Wolf must travel to the land of the giants to steal back a horse. There, Fool Wolf joins forces with a giant whose father, the Elder, is the one they seek… Probably the weakest short story in the collection, but nevertheless entertaining, “Wakes the Narrow Forest” basically acts as an introduction to the type of individual Fool Wolf is—concerned more with his well-being than others, Fool Wolf will lie, cheat and do whatever it takes to ensure his survival—a land where mankind coexists with gods & goddesses, and the tone of the book which blends together sword & sorcery action, sarcastic humor and trickery. It also gives us a glimpse into the predicament that Fool Wolf is dealing with—whenever Chugaachik’s power is unleashed, Fool Wolf relinquishes control of his body to the goddess for a short time who will torture, defile and slaughter any nearby innocents. That was how Fool Wolf lost his first love…
In “The Skin Witch”, Fool Wolf’s quest for a cure to his Chugaachik problem brings him to the ancient city of Nhol and a sorcerer, Lepp Gaz, who can supposedly help him. The problem is that Fool Wolf has been contracted to kill Lepp, which is illegalized in Nhol and has drawn the wrath of the Jik, deadly priest-assassins… Convoluted, full of surprising twists, and featuring a powerful villain and dark blood magic, “The Skin Witch” is one of the best short stories in the collection and one of my personal favorites :)
In “The Fallen God”, Fool Wolf awakes as a prisoner in Rumq Qaj, a city of buildings—‘so tall that no light touched the narrow streets’—built from the spirits of gods and the blood of humans. In order to gain his freedom from both his captors and Chugaachik, Fool Wolf agrees to slay a demon for the Architects. Of course the ‘demon’ in question is actually Uzhdon, the Opal of Nah, a slayer of evil and champion of good. Like Fool Wolf, he possesses a totem god inside him, but also wields a godsword that prevents him from dying, unless he is bested in a fair match… The shortest short story in the collection, “The Fallen God” is also one of the funniest, especially the interaction between Fool Wolf and Uzhdon. Like the others, expect plenty of twists and turns.
A case of mistaken identity in “The Fallen God” sets Fool Wolf on a treasure hunt from the Land of Nine Princes to Ranga Lehau, home of the Python King and a great treasure. There, Fool Wolf is marooned without food, tormented by Inah, “the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes upon”, and caught in a deadly power play… Action, romance, humor, magic, “The Fallen God” has a little bit of everything :)
Saving the best for last is “The Hounds of Ash” which is broken up into three Parts: “The Sleeping Tide”, “The Opal of Nah” and “The Hounds of Ash”. Building upon the other short stories in the collection, “The Hounds of Ash” finds Fool Wolf, Inah, Uzhdon, Lepp Gaz and others caught up in a tangled mystery—spanning from the floating city of Pethvang to Nah and the Strictured Land—involving terrible dreams, spirit hounds and ancient gods… Jam-packed with surprising plot twists, shocking revelations, epic confrontations, biting humor, and a kick-ass ending that will make your jaw drop, “The Hounds of Ash” is traditional sword & sorcery at its finest…
CONCLUSION: In the Author Introduction at the beginning of “The Hounds of Ash and Other Tales of Fool Wolf”, Greg Keyes claims that it was ‘a real treat’ writing the Fool Wolf stories. Well it’s safe to say that reading this collection is an even bigger treat, especially if you’re a fan of Greg Keyes or old-school fantasy. For me, I loved everything about “The Hounds of Ash and Other Tales of Fool Wolf”. I loved the character of Fool Wolf, his me-first attitude, his intelligence—which is much deadlier than his fighting abilities—his sarcasm, and the complex relationship between him and Chugaachik. I loved the setting with its rich mythology and supernatural elements. And I loved the way the stories were written, with their pulpy blend of adventure and humor, the energetic pacing, and the unexpected plot twists. In fact, as much as I love Greg Keyes’ The Kingdoms of Thorn & Bone, I have to say that I loved “The Hounds of Ash and Other Tales of Fool Wolf” even more and fervently hope that the adventures of Fool Wolf will continue…
PLOT SUMMARY: Once considered a promising gaan—or shaman—by his Mang tribe, Fool Wolf is now a thief, gambler and womanizer wandering far from his native land in search of a way to rid himself of Chugaachik, a powerful goddess that shares his flesh and is a threat to all he loves…
In this collection of short stories set in the same world as Greg Keyes' Children of the Changeling (The Waterborn, The Blackgod), Fool Wolf embarks on one harrowing adventure after another in search of answers and solutions to his problem. Along the way, he will help put his father’s spirit to rest; battle giants, sorcerers, and gods; bring down cities; discover treasure of the greatest beauty; find himself at the center of a plot to resurrect an ancient evil; and uncover dark secrets that will shape his destiny…
CLASSIFICATION: Full of adventure, swordplay, magic, and mythology, “The Hounds of Ash and Other Tales of Fool Wolf” embodies the spirit and characteristics of classic sword & sorcery fantasy with nods to Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian and Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melniboné, while I was reminded of Glen Cook’s Black Company novels. Readers can also expect plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor and clever deception.
FORMAT/INFO: Page count is 192 pages divided over seven short stories—“The Hounds of Ash” is basically one story broken up into three ‘Parts’—which first appeared in the now defunct Dragon print magazine. There’s no framing device, but the stories occur in chronological order and are loosely connected, particularly “The Hounds of Ash”. Narration is in the third person via the protagonist Fool Wolf.
May/June 2008 marks the North American publication of “The Hounds of Ash and Other Tales of Fool Wolf” via EDGE Science Fiction & Fantasy Publishing. Cover art is provided by Julie Dillon.
ANALYSIS: Opening the short story collection is “Wakes the Narrow Forest”, which finds Fool Wolf haunted by the ghost of his father who was recently killed by a giant. To put his father’s spirit to rest, Fool Wolf must travel to the land of the giants to steal back a horse. There, Fool Wolf joins forces with a giant whose father, the Elder, is the one they seek… Probably the weakest short story in the collection, but nevertheless entertaining, “Wakes the Narrow Forest” basically acts as an introduction to the type of individual Fool Wolf is—concerned more with his well-being than others, Fool Wolf will lie, cheat and do whatever it takes to ensure his survival—a land where mankind coexists with gods & goddesses, and the tone of the book which blends together sword & sorcery action, sarcastic humor and trickery. It also gives us a glimpse into the predicament that Fool Wolf is dealing with—whenever Chugaachik’s power is unleashed, Fool Wolf relinquishes control of his body to the goddess for a short time who will torture, defile and slaughter any nearby innocents. That was how Fool Wolf lost his first love…
In “The Skin Witch”, Fool Wolf’s quest for a cure to his Chugaachik problem brings him to the ancient city of Nhol and a sorcerer, Lepp Gaz, who can supposedly help him. The problem is that Fool Wolf has been contracted to kill Lepp, which is illegalized in Nhol and has drawn the wrath of the Jik, deadly priest-assassins… Convoluted, full of surprising twists, and featuring a powerful villain and dark blood magic, “The Skin Witch” is one of the best short stories in the collection and one of my personal favorites :)
In “The Fallen God”, Fool Wolf awakes as a prisoner in Rumq Qaj, a city of buildings—‘so tall that no light touched the narrow streets’—built from the spirits of gods and the blood of humans. In order to gain his freedom from both his captors and Chugaachik, Fool Wolf agrees to slay a demon for the Architects. Of course the ‘demon’ in question is actually Uzhdon, the Opal of Nah, a slayer of evil and champion of good. Like Fool Wolf, he possesses a totem god inside him, but also wields a godsword that prevents him from dying, unless he is bested in a fair match… The shortest short story in the collection, “The Fallen God” is also one of the funniest, especially the interaction between Fool Wolf and Uzhdon. Like the others, expect plenty of twists and turns.
A case of mistaken identity in “The Fallen God” sets Fool Wolf on a treasure hunt from the Land of Nine Princes to Ranga Lehau, home of the Python King and a great treasure. There, Fool Wolf is marooned without food, tormented by Inah, “the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes upon”, and caught in a deadly power play… Action, romance, humor, magic, “The Fallen God” has a little bit of everything :)
Saving the best for last is “The Hounds of Ash” which is broken up into three Parts: “The Sleeping Tide”, “The Opal of Nah” and “The Hounds of Ash”. Building upon the other short stories in the collection, “The Hounds of Ash” finds Fool Wolf, Inah, Uzhdon, Lepp Gaz and others caught up in a tangled mystery—spanning from the floating city of Pethvang to Nah and the Strictured Land—involving terrible dreams, spirit hounds and ancient gods… Jam-packed with surprising plot twists, shocking revelations, epic confrontations, biting humor, and a kick-ass ending that will make your jaw drop, “The Hounds of Ash” is traditional sword & sorcery at its finest…
CONCLUSION: In the Author Introduction at the beginning of “The Hounds of Ash and Other Tales of Fool Wolf”, Greg Keyes claims that it was ‘a real treat’ writing the Fool Wolf stories. Well it’s safe to say that reading this collection is an even bigger treat, especially if you’re a fan of Greg Keyes or old-school fantasy. For me, I loved everything about “The Hounds of Ash and Other Tales of Fool Wolf”. I loved the character of Fool Wolf, his me-first attitude, his intelligence—which is much deadlier than his fighting abilities—his sarcasm, and the complex relationship between him and Chugaachik. I loved the setting with its rich mythology and supernatural elements. And I loved the way the stories were written, with their pulpy blend of adventure and humor, the energetic pacing, and the unexpected plot twists. In fact, as much as I love Greg Keyes’ The Kingdoms of Thorn & Bone, I have to say that I loved “The Hounds of Ash and Other Tales of Fool Wolf” even more and fervently hope that the adventures of Fool Wolf will continue…
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