Excerpt

Excerpt: THE WINGS UPON HER BACK by Samantha Mills (Tachyon)

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MillsS-WingsUponHerBackUSHCThe Wings Upon Her Back, the new novel from Samantha Mills, has been getting a lot of pre-publication buzz, and today we are happy to share with you an excerpt, provided by Tachyon Publications. First, though, here’s the synopsis:

A loyal warrior in a crisis of faith must fight to regain her place and begin her life again while questioning the events of her past…

Zenya was a teenager when she ran away from home to join the mechanically-modified warrior sect. She was determined to earn mechanized wings and protect the people and city she loved. Under the strict tutelage of a mercurial, charismatic leader, Zenya became Winged Zemolai.

But after twenty-six years of service, Zemolai is disillusioned with her role as an enforcer in an increasingly fascist state. After one tragic act of mercy, she is cast out and loses everything she worked for. As Zemolai fights for her life, she begins to understand the true nature of her sect, her leader, and the gods themselves.

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Excerpt: THE SECRET LIFE OF INSECTS by Bernardo Esquinca (Dead Ink Books)

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EsquincaB-SecretLifeOfInsectsUKA couple of weeks ago, Dead Ink Books published The Secret Life of Insects by Bernardo Esquinca a new collection of short horror stories set in Mexico, translated by James D. Jenkins, that explore its dark, bloody history. To celebrate the release, the publisher has provided us with an excerpt to share: specifically, the story “The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife”. Here is the collection’s synopsis:

A forensic entomologist tries to solve the inexplicable murder of his wife, who impossibly seems to have been killed in a forest at the same time she was asleep in bed with him. A husband becomes concerned by his wife’s strange behaviour, which includes sleepwalking, muttering strange phrases, and a bizarre erotic fascination with octopi. A woman visits a witch doctor who promises to forge an unbreakable bond between her and the man of her dreams, but things go horribly awry after the man dies. And four high school friends reunite twenty years later at a class reunion and must face the long-buried truth of a demonic experience from their youth.

The history of Mexico is drenched in blood, from the sacrifices of the ancient Aztecs to the bloodthirsty conquest of the Spanish to modern-day violent crime, and that legacy of violence and death pervades these stories. They blend the genres of horror and noir in inventive ways and run the gamut from chilling to weirdly unsettling to darkly funny. It is a volume sure to please not only fans of horror and weird fiction but also anyone interested in contemporary international literature.

This edition also features brilliant full-page illustrations by Spanish artist Luis Pérez Ochando.

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Excerpt: CONFESSIONS OF AN ANTICHRIST by (Datura Books)

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SkaðiM-ConfessionsOfAnAntichristLast week, Datura Books published Confessions of an Antichrist by Marta Skaði — a novel that takes readers into the world of Norwegian heavy metal. As a long-time fan of Scandinavian metal (mainly Swedish), I was very much intrigued by the novel. To celebrate the release, Datura has provided this excerpt (Chapter 2) with us to share! First, check out the synopsis:

Marta Skaði is on a mission to destroy the world. Rebelling against the perfect, picturesque Norwegian fishing town she was born in, she has formed a black metal band of such disturbing depravity she knows they’re the perfect weapon to corrupt the masses.

When a record deal is dangled before the band after a particularly offensive gig, Marta has to hold the young, wannabe Satanists in her midst together as they reach for their destiny. Not easy when they consist of her ox-brained best friend drummer, a Viking-obsessed bass guitarist, a sex-addicted lead guitarist, and a barely human singer who could well be the Anti-Christ.

Yet as the record deal seems within reach, everything falls apart. And so begins the spiralling descent into madness of Marta and her strange, sordid group as they corrupt Christians on crosses and battle fascists with dildos, while coming to realise that one of them may be more evil than they realised…

Set in the grungy heavy metal scene of 2010’s Norway, Marta chronicles her descent into chaos and murder, fuelled by thinly veiled lust described as love. From burning down churches to satanic orgies, Confessions of an Antichrist is a fast paced and hair raising story, detailing the gruesome fulfilment of teenage dreams and nightmares.

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Excerpt: CRUCIBLE OF CHAOS by Sebastien de Castell (Mobius/Jo Fletcher Books)

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deCastellS-CoS0-CrucibleOfChaosUSHCTo celebrate the recent North American release of Crucible of Chaos, the publisher has allowed us to share the first chapter! The prequel novel in Sebastien de Castell‘s Court of Shadows series, it picks up the story of the Greatcoats (the subject of the author’s excellent debut series). Here’s the synopsis:

A mortally wounded magistrate faces his deadliest trial inside an ancient abbey where the monks are going mad and the gods themselves may be to blame!

Estevar Borros, one of the legendary sword-fighting magistrates known as the Greatcoats and the king’s personal investigator of the supernatural, is no stranger to tales of ghosts and demons. When the fractious monks of the abbey rumored to be the birthplace of the gods begin warring over claims of a new pantheon arising, the frantic abbot summons him to settle the dispute.

But Estevar has his own problems: a near-fatal sword wound from his last judicial duel, a sworn knight who claims he has proof the monks are consorting with demons, a diabolical inquisitor with no love for the Greatcoats, and a mysterious young woman claiming to be Estevar’s ally but who may well be his deadliest enemy.

Armed only with his famed investigative talents, his faltering skill with a blade and Imperious, his ornery mule, Estevar must root out the source of the madness lurking inside the once-sacred walls of Isola Sombra before its chaos spreads to the country he’s sworn to protect.

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Excerpt: THESE FRAGILE GRACES, THIS FUGITIVE HEART by Izzy Wasserstein (Tachyon)

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WassersteinI-TheseFragileGracesUSHCToday we have an excerpt from Izzy Wasserstein‘s debut novel, These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart. Due to be published by Tachyon Publications in a couple of weeks (March 12th), it’s a “a queer, noir technothriller of fractured identity and corporate intrigue”. Check out the synopsis…

In mid-21st-century Kansas City, Dora hasn’t been back to her old commune in years. But when Dora’s ex-girlfriend Kay is killed, and everyone at the commune is a potential suspect, Dora knows that she’s the only person who can solve the murder.

As Dora is dragged back into her old community and begins her investigations, she discovers that Kay’s death is only one of several terrible incidents. A strange new drug is circulating. People are disappearing. And Dora is being attacked by assailants from her pre-transition past.

Meanwhile, it seems like a war between two nefarious corporations is looming, and Dora’s old neighborhood is their battleground. Now, she must uncover a twisted conspiracy, all while navigating a deeply meaningful new relationship.

Now: on with the excerpt…!

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Excerpt: ONCE PERSUADED, TWICE SHY by Melodie Edwards (Berkley)

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EdwardsM-OncePersuadedTwiceShyUSHCOnce Persuaded, Twice Shy, a modern reimagining of Persuasion by Melodie Edwards, was published earlier this week by Berkley. To celebrate the release, the publisher has provided CR with this excerpted snippet to share. First, though, here’s the synopsis:

When Anne Elliott broke up with Ben Wentworth, it seemed like the right thing to do… but now, eight years later, she’s not so sure.

In her scenic hometown of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Anne is comfortable focusing on her successful career: filling her late mother’s shoes as town councilor and executive director of her theater company. She certainly keeps busy as the all-around wrangler of eccentric locals, self-centered family members, elaborate festivals, and the occasional attacking goose. But the more she tries to convince herself that her life is fine as is, the more it all feels like a show — and not nearly as good as the ones put on by her theater company. She’s the always responsible Anne, always taken for granted and cleaning up after other people, and the memories of happier times with Ben Wentworth still haunt her.

So when the nearby Kellynch Winery is bought by Ben’s aunt and uncle, Anne’s world is set ablaze as her old flame crashes back into her life — and it’s clear he hasn’t forgiven her for breaking his heart. A joint project between the winery and Anne’s theater forces both Ben and Anne to confront their complicated history, and as they spend more time together, Anne can’t help but wonder if there might be hope for their future after all.

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Excerpt: SINKING BELL by Bojan Louis (Dead Ink Books)

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LouisB-SinkingBellUKThis Thursday (February 22nd), Dead Ink Books are due to publish a new short story collection by Navajo author Bojan Louis: Sinking Bell. The collection won a Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award, and was selected by NPR as one of their Best Books of 2022. To celebrate the book’s UK release, and to give readers a taste of the collection, the publisher has allowed CR to share the story “Make No Sound to Wake”. Before we get to the story, though, here’s the collection’s synopsis:

An ex-con hired to fix up a school bus for a couple living off the grid in the desert finds himself in the middle of their tattered relationship. An electrician’s plan to take his young nephew on a hike in the mountains, as a break from the motel room where they live, goes awry thanks to an untrustworthy new coworker. A night custodian makes the mistake of revealing too much about his work at a medical research facility to a girl who shares his passion for death metal. A relapsing addict struggles to square his desire for a White woman he meets in a writing class with family expectations and traditions.

Set in and around Flagstaff, the stories in Sinking Bell depict violent collisions of love, cultures, and racism. In his gritty and searching fiction debut, Bojan Louis draws empathetic portraits of day laborers, metalheads, motel managers, aspiring writers and musicians, construction workers, people passing through with the hope of something better somewhere else. His characters strain to temper predatory or self-destructive impulses; they raise families, choose families, and abandon families; they endeavor to end cycles of abuse and remake themselves anew.

And now, on to “Make No Sound to Wake”…

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Excerpt: THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD by Patricia A. McKillip (Tachyon)

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McKillipPA-ForgottenBeastsofEld50smToday we have a pretty substantial excerpt from The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip — due to be published by Tachyon Publications in three weeks (February 29th). Specifically, we have a bit of chapter two and also the introduction by Marjorie M. Liu. Before we get to the excerpt, though, here’s the synopsis:

Fifty years ago, the soon-to-be celebrated young author Patricia A. McKillip (the Riddle-Master trilogy) penned the classic tale of an iron-willed young sorceress and her captivating menagerie. This lovely 50th anniversary hardcover special edition features new illustrations and a new introduction, as well as original cover art by an award-winning illustrator.

Sybel, the heiress of powerful wizards, needs the company of no-one outside her gates. In her exquisite stone mansion, she is attended by exotic, magical beasts: Riddle-master Cyrin the boar; the treasure-starved dragon Gyld; Gules the Lyon, tawny master of the Southern Deserts; Ter, the fiercely vengeful falcon; Moriah, feline Lady of the Night. Sybel only lacks the exquisite and mysterious Liralen, which continues to elude her most powerful enchantments.

But when a soldier bearing an infant arrives, Sybel discovers that the world of man and magic is full of both love and deceit, with the possibility of more power than she can possibly imagine.

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Excerpt: CALIFORNIA BEAR by Duane Swierczynski (Mulholland Books)

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SwierczynskiD-CaliforniaBearUSHCToday, Mulholland Books publishes the latest novel from Duane Swierczynski: California Bear — a “clever, moving, and surprising as it takes aim at the true crime industry, Hollywood, justice, and the killers inside us all.” I’ve been a fan of Swierczynski’s writing for some time, now (including his prose and comics work), so this has been on my most-anticipated list ever since I saw it in one of the publisher’s catalogues. To celebrate the release, we have an excerpt to share! First, though, here’s the synopsis:

Four unlikely vigilantes pit themselves against the villain behind California’s coldest case when they decide to take justice into their own hands.

NONE OF YOU ARE SAFE

“KILLER”: Jack Queen has been exonerated and freed from prison thanks to retired LAPD officer Cato Hightower. But when guilt gnaws at Jack, he admits: “I actually did it.” To which Hightower responds: “Yeah, no kidding.” You see, the ex-cop has a special job in mind for the ex-con…

THE GIRL DETECTIVE: Fifteen-year-old Matilda Finnerty has been handed a potential death sentence in the form of a leukemia diagnosis. But that’s not going to stop her from tackling the most important mystery of her life: Is her father guilty of murder?

GENE JEANIE: Jeanie Hightower mends family trees for a living, but the genealogist is unable to repair her own marriage. And her soon-to-be ex may have entangled her in a scheme that has drawn the bloody wrath of…

THE BEAR: A prolific serial killer who disappeared forty years ago, who is only now emerging from hibernation when the conditions are just right. And this time, the California Bear is not content to hunt in the shadows…

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Excerpt: THE GREAT OUTER DARK by David Neil Lee (Poplar Press)

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LeeDN-MG3-GreatOuterDarkCAHCToday we have an excerpt from The Great Outer Dark by David Neil Lee, the conclusion to the Midnight Games trilogy, in which “the cosmic Cthulhu Mythos comes to life in a struggling post-industrial city.” The novel is out now, published by Poplar Press/Wolsak & Wynn, here’s the synopsis:

After his voyage across the galaxy, Nate Silva arrives home to find Hamilton in the grip of a monstrous triumvirate. The Resurrection Church of the Ancient Gods has returned, with the human form of the shape-changing nightmare from the Medusa Deep as its leader. And closely guarded in a downtown tower a mind-devouring entity called Oracle lurks. The city is infested with invasive species that have slithered into our world during the Church’s occult ceremonies – many-legged dritches, bat-like thrals and the eerie, flying night-gaunts.

Caught in the middle of this are Nate’s friends Megan and Mehri, who are leading the resistance with the Furies, along with a mysterious double agent, the enigmatic Dr. Eldritch and his Cosmic Wonder Circus.

For the safety of everyone he loves, Nate and his friend H.P. Lovecraft hijack the antique airship Sorcerer for one last voyage, to free Earth from the Great Old Ones once and for all.

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