Upcoming

Upcoming: Preston & Child’s AGENT PENDERGAST Series (Head of Zeus)

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I’ve always been interested in reading Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child‘s Agent Pendergast series. Unfortunately, for a long time, the first few novels in the series weren’t easily available in the UK — and, being series-OCD, I didn’t want to start in the middle. Thankfully, Head of Zeus has stepped up to the plate, and on December 18th (next week) will be publishing the first five novels in the series (plus a short story, Extraction): Relic, Reliquary, The Cabinet of Curiosities, Still Life With Crows, and Brimstone. The publisher is also releasing three other novels by the two authors — Riptide, Thunderhead, and The Ice Limit (no covers for these, yet).

Here’s the synopsis for Relic:

Just days before a massive exhibition opens at the popular New York Museum of Natural History, visitors are being savagely murdered in the museum’s dark hallways and secret rooms. Autopsies indicate that the killer cannot be human…

But the museum’s directors plan to go ahead with a big bash to celebrate the new exhibition, in spite of the murders.

Agent Pendergast must find out who — or what — is doing the killing. But can he do it in time to stop a massacre?

Excerpt: THIEF by Mark Sullivan (Minotaur/Quercus)

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SullivanM-RM2-ThiefUSCo-author of Private Berlin and Private L.A. with James Patterson, Mark Sullivan‘s next novel is THIEF. Due to be published on December 16th, 2014 (next week), by Minotaur. It is the third novel featuring Robin Monarch — following Rogue and Outlaw. The series is published in the UK by Quercus Books, and will publish Thief on December 31st in eBook, and January 1st in print. For more details on the series, scroll down to the end of the post.

Here is the synopsis for Thief:

Robin Monarch is a man with a complicated past and dangerous present.  He’s been a soldier, a CIA agent, a freelance operative but first and foremost, Robin Monarch is a thief of the highest order. Orphaned at twelve, Monarch originally stole for survival, then he stole for his friends and cohorts, now he steals to order, and to give back to the to the woman who saved his life many years ago.

With the help of his team, Monarch breaks into the legendary Christmas party of Beau Arsenault, a shady investor and behind-the-scenes player at the very highest levels of power politics. Arsenault is not above bending or breaking the rules if there’s illicit profit to be made. Monarch has decided that those illicit profits will be better used to take care of orphans and street kids. Using the party as cover to break into Arsenault’s secret vaults, Monarch comes away with two unexpected things. One is a bullet — he gets shot when he’s caught trying to escape with tens of millions of negotiable instruments. The second is a lead on what might be his most audacious exploit ever. A previously undiscovered tribe in South America may well have the secret to the most sought after knowledge in history — that of eternal life. And Robin Monarch must use all his skills — as an operative, as a thief — to keep this secret from falling into the worst possible hands.

And now, a (lengthy) excerpt… Continue reading →

Early 2015 Most Wanted: Orbit Books

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While browsing Orbit US’s catalogue of upcoming books, I spotted a few I think people should be aware of and check out. Some of them have featured already on the site (at the previous location), but what the hell. I’m really interested in reading them, and ’tis the season for sharing lists and so forth. Here they are, with details…

Featuring: Alex Marshall, Gail Z. Martin, Brian McClellan, Kim Stanley Robinson, Sam Sykes, Jaye Wells Continue reading →

Gollancz to Publish Dan Abnett’s THE WIELD in 2016

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This is pretty great news: Gollancz announced today that they have acquired rights to publish a trilogy of “self-contained action-packed heroic fantasies” by Dan Abnett.

Abnett has been a prolific writer for Black Library (primarily where I know him from), 2000AD (where I first read his work),* and multiple comics publishers. His first original fiction was published by Angry Robot Books — Triumff, which was a rather fun swashbuckler. Long-time readers of CR will know that I’m a big fan of his contributions to Black Library’s Horus Heresy series as well as the long-running Gaunt’s Ghosts series (the latest of which, Warmaster, should be out pretty soon). Abnett’s run on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is also the story the recent mega-popular movie was based on.

There’s no official synopsis available, just yet, but here’s the press release’s description of the series:

The highly original THE WIELD trilogy takes place in a human-populated society with a vivid dark ages culture. Following an ancient and elite band of warriors, THE WIELD books are dynamic heroic fantasy adventures packed with vivid action and bloody battles. The flawed but engaging characters and the enthralling premise with a clever twist, will appeal to readers of Dan Abnett’s bestselling Black Library books, and fans of David Gemmell and dynamic heroic fantasy.

I am quite looking forward to this. The three novels will be published between November 2016-18. So, it’s still quite a long wait… But it never hurts to have something to look forward to.

In the meantime, I’d recommend you check out First & Only, Horus Rising and Xenos (published by Black Library), Embedded (Angry Robot) and The New Deadwardians (Vertigo Comics) — just a small selection of his work, but probably my favourites and good starting points.

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* I can’t remember if it was Sinister Dexter or Durham Red that I read first, but I liked them enough to make a note of the author’s name. Both were very good.

Upcoming: THE GIRL IN THE ROAD by Monica Byrne (Broadway Books)

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ByrneM-GirlInTheRoadPBSo this novel was already published in May 2014 to rave reviews, but on February 17th, 2015, Monica Byrne‘s The Girl In The Road will be released by Broadway Books in paperback with a much better cover (right). I must say I found the original cover a little bland, and not particularly eye-catching. The synopsis is interesting, though:

When Meena finds snakebites on her chest, her worst fears are realized: someone is after her and she must flee India.  As she plots her exit, she learns of the Trail, an energy-harvesting bridge spanning the Arabian Sea that has become a refuge for itinerant vagabonds and loners on the run.  This is her salvation.  Slipping out in the cover of night, with a knapsack full of supplies including a pozit GPS, a scroll reader, and a sealable waterproof pod, she sets off for Ethiopia, the place of her birth.

Meanwhile, Mariama, a young girl in Africa, is forced to flee her home.  She joins up with a caravan of misfits heading across the Sahara. She is taken in by Yemaya, a beautiful and enigmatic woman who becomes her protector and confidante. They are trying to reach Addis Abba, Ethiopia, a metropolis swirling with radical politics and rich culture.  But Mariama will find a city far different than she ever expected—romantic, turbulent, and dangerous.

As one heads east and the other west, Meena and Mariama’s fates are linked in ways that are mysterious and shocking to the core.

Thanks to Damien Walter for Tweeting the new cover. Hadn’t spotted it before.

Upcoming: RADIANT STATES by Peter Higgins (Gollancz/Orbit)

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I really enjoyed Peter Higgins‘s first novel, Wolfhound Century. I haven’t got around to reading the sequel, Truth And Fear, but it is inching up my TBR mountain. In the meantime, I spotted this cover on Gollancz’s website, and thought I’d share it. While the publisher’s page didn’t have a lot of information, I did some digging and it turns out that this is the third novel in the Wolfhound series. While digging, I also found the cover for the US edition (below), which will be published by Orbit Books. As for a synopsis…? Well, this is all I was able to come up with:

IN THE WAR BETWEEN THE ANGELS AND THE STATE, THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE VICTOR.

Radiant State will be published May 19th by Orbit in the US, and May 21st by Gollancz in the UK.

Incredibly, someone has already rated it 1* on Goodreads… What a tool.

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Upcoming: CANARY by Duane Swierczynski (Mulholland)

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I’ve been aware of Duane Swierczynski‘s novels for a long time, it feels. And yet, for some reason, I’ve never read any of them. He’s the author of the action-packed Charlie Hardie series, among others. He’s also written for a number of comics, including the New 52 Birds of Prey (DC), Black Widow, Cable (Marvel) and Bloodshot (Valiant) to name just a small number. As far as I can tell, Canary is the beginning of a new series, and one I’m rather looking forward to trying. Here’s the synopsis:

Every student needs a part-time job.

Hers is hunting criminals.

Sarie Holland is a good kid. An Honors student. She doesn’t even drink.

So when a narcotics cop busts her while she’s doing a favour for a friend, she has a lot to lose.

Desperate to avoid destroying her future, Sarie agrees to become a CI — a confidential informant. Armed only with a notebook, she turns out to be as good at catching criminals as she is at passing tests.

But it’s going to take more than one nineteen-year-old to clean up Philadelphia. Soon Sarie is caught in the middle of a power struggle between corrupt cops and warring gangs, with nothing on her side but stubbornness and smarts.

Which is bad news for both the police and the underworld. Because when it comes to payback, CI #137 turns out to be a very fast learner…

This sounds pretty good, and I hope to read it ASAP. Canary is published by Mulholland Books (Hodder) in the US on February 24th, and in the UK on February 26th.

Upcoming: HISSES AND WINGS by Alex Bledsoe & Teresa Frohock

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BledsoeFrohock-Hisses&WingsI haven’t read either of Alex Bledsoe’s novels set in his Tufa series — The Hum and the Shiver and The Wisp of a Thing — but they have been on my radar for a long while (so has everything else of Bledsoe’s, actually). I have, however, read most of Teresa Frohock’s excellent work. The two authors have teamed up to write a Tufa story, which will be published on December 4th, 2015 2014. What sparked this post was the cover reveal. Now, December 2015 is a long way away,* but it does mean I’ll have time to read the first two novels in the series before it comes out. Frohock is also working on a novella for the series, which will be published before the novel.

Here’s the synopsis for Hisses and Wings:

Janet, a young woman whose forebearers were a race of banished faeries, learns of a song that might allow the Tufa to return to their ancestral home. But the song is guarded by Diago, one of the Nefilim, a race descended from angels.

Diago knows only too well that the song’s power may be misused. Can Janet convince him to give up the song, and if so, does she have the wisdom to use it?

You can learn more about the series by visiting Alex Bledsoe‘s and Teresa Frohock‘s websites, and following them on Twitter. In the interest of completeness, here are the covers for the first two Tufa novels (both are published in North America by Tor Books)…

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… and the synopsis for The Hum and the Shiver:

An enchanting tale of music and magic older than the hills…

No one knows where the Tufa came from, or how they ended up in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Enigmatic and suspicious of outsiders, the Tufa live quiet lives in the hills and valleys of Cloud County. While their origins may be a mystery, there are hints of their true nature buried in the songs they have passed down for generations.

Bronwyn Hyatt, a pure-blood Tufa, has always insisting on doing things her own way, regardless of the consequences. Even though Tufa rarely leave Cloud County, she enlisted in the Army to escape the pressures of Tufa life—her family, her obligations as a First Daughter, and her dangerous ex-boyfriend. But after barely surviving a devastating ambush that killed most of her fellow soldiers, Private Hyatt returns to Cloud County wounded in body and in spirit. But danger lurks in the mountains and hollows of her childhood home. Cryptic omens warn of impending tragedy, and a restless “haint” lurks nearby, waiting to reveal Bronwyn’s darkest secrets. Worst of all, Bronwyn has lost touch with the music that was once a vital part of her identity.

Now Bronwyn finds the greatest battle to be right here at home, where her obligations struggle with her need for freedom, and if she makes the wrong choice, the consequences could be deadly for all the Tufa…

Bledsoe-T3-LongBlackCurlBut wait: there’s more! While collecting information for this post, I also found information for Bledsoe’s third Tufa novel, Long Black Curl, which will be published by Tor Books in March 2015. Here’s the synopsis:

In all the time the Tufa have existed, only two have ever been exiled: Bo-Kate Wisby and her lover, Jefferson Powell. They were cast out, stripped of their ability to make music, and cursed to never be able to find their way back to Needsville. Their crime? A love that crossed the boundary of the two Tufa tribes, resulting in the death of several people.

Somehow, Bo-Kate has found her way back. She intends to take over both tribes, which means eliminating both Rockhouse Hicks and Mandalay Harris. Bo-Kate has a secret weapon: Byron Harley, a rockabilly singer known as the “Hillbilly Hercules” for his immense size and strength, and who has passed the last sixty years trapped in a bubble of faery time. He’s ready to take revenge on any Tufa he finds.

The only one who can stop Bo-Kate is Jefferson Powell. Released from the curse and summoned back to Cloud County, even he isn’t sure what will happen when they finally meet. Will he fall in love with her again? Will he join her in her quest to unite the Tufa under her rule? Or will he have to sacrifice himself to save the people who once banished him?

***

Correction: Hisses and Wings is published in December 2014, not 2015. (Now reflected in piece above.)

* December 2015 will also see the release of Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens. So, we have an embarrassment of riches to look forward to…

Upcoming: MOTHER OF EDEN by Chris Beckett (Corvus)

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BeckettC-E2-MotherOfEdenUKNext year, Corvus Books will publish Chris Beckett‘s follow-up to his 2013 Arthur C. Clarke award-winning sci-fi novel Dark Eden. I was actually at the awards event (it was fun), and I picked up the novel that night — as, I’m sure, did many others. However, like so very many books I buy, I have yet to get around to it. With the sequel’s release approaching, however, I have extra impetus to get it read in time to enjoy the sequel. Here’s the synopsis:

“We speak of a mother’s love, but we forget her power. Power over life. Power to give and to withhold.”

Generations after the breakup of the human family of Eden, the Johnfolk emphasise knowledge and innovation, the Davidfolk tradition and cohesion. But both have built hierarchical societies sustained by violence and dominated by men — and both claim to be the favoured children of a long-dead woman from Earth that all Eden knows as Gela, the mother of them all.

When Starlight Brooking meets a handsome and powerful man from across Worldpool, she believes he will offer an outlet for her ambition and energy. But she has no idea that she will be a stand-in for Gela herself, and wear Gela’s ring on her own finger.

And she has no idea of the enemies she will make, no inkling that a time will come when she, like John Redlantern, will choose to kill…

Chris Beckett‘s Mother of Eden is due to be published on June 4th, 2015 in the UK by Corvus.

Upcoming: FISHBOWL by Matthew Glass (Corvus)

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GlassM-FishbowlUKMatthew Glass is an author I’m very interested in reading. I have his first two novels, Ultimatum and End Game, but haven’t managed to get around to them yet. I spotted Fishbowl while browsing Atlantic Books’ latest catalogue, and I think it sounded very interesting. There are obvious connections with the story behind Facebook (see Ben Mezrich’s The Accidental Billionaires or the superb film adaptation, The Social Network), while Glass’s other works have brought to mind Kim Stanley-Robinson’s Science in the Capitol trilogy. Here’s the synopsis for the upcoming novel:

When you’re the next big thing in Silicon Valley, the whole world is watching.

As a gifted Ivy League student, Andrei Koss hit upon an idea that would revolutionise social networking and move it on by a generation. Enlisting the help of his best friends, Ben and Kevin, he turned their dorm room into an operations base, where fl ashes of creative brilliance and all-night-coding sessions led to the creation of Fishbowl. He is now the 21-year-old CEO of a multi-billion-dollar empire. His creation reaches into every corner of the planet. But its immense power has many uses, and some will stop at nothing to get a piece of it.

Matthew Glass (a pseudonym) Fishbowl is due to be published on February 5th, 2015 by Corvus in the UK.