New Books (January-February)

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Featuring: Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Barbara Bourland, Douglas Brinkley, Justin Call, Melissa Caruso, James S.A. Corey, David Dalglish, Arwen Elys Dayton, James Ellroy, William R. Forstchen, James Alan Gardner, Danny Goldberg, Christopher Golden, John Gwynne, Bobby Hall, Wayne Holloway, Harris & Nick Katleman, Janna King, Snorri Kristjansson, Stéphane Larue, Elise Levine, David Mack, Wil Medearis, K.J. Parker, Brian Raftery, Astrid Scholte, Cavan Scott, Adam Scovell, Ian St. Martin, Douglas Waller, Joakim Zander, Helen Zia

[UK Links are Amazon Affiliate Links, just FYI]

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New Books (May)

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Featuring: Michael Arnold, Rob Boffard, Mike Brooks, James L. Cambias, Wesley Chu, John Henry Clay, James S.A. Corey, Cindy Dees, Bill Flippin, David Hair, Laurell K. Hamilton, Nalo Hopkinson, Andrew Michael Hurley, N.K. Jemisin, Chuck Klosterman, Gayle Lynds, K.M. McKinley, David Mitchell, Keith Richards, Slash, Bradley Somer, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Mick Wall, Django Wexler, Bill Willingham Continue reading

Upcoming Orbit Titles (Spring/Summer 2015)

Orbit unveiled the covers for their Spring/Summer 2015 releases today (US/UK – although, they’re mostly the same), and I thought I’d share some of the ones that caught my eye, here. I present them without commentary, but I will say the Peeler cover is rather eye-catching not only because of its bold colouring, but because it’s rather amusing.

Daniel Abraham, The Spider’s War (Dagger & Coin #5)

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James S.A. Corey, Nemesis Games (Expanse #5)

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N.K. Jemisin, The Fifth Season

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This is the way the world ends. Again.

Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, a woman living an ordinary life in a small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Meanwhile, mighty Sanze – the world-spanning empire whose innovations have been civilization’s bedrock for a thousand years – collapses as most of its citizens are murdered to serve a madman’s vengeance. And worst of all, across the heart of the vast continent known as the Stillness, a great red rift has been been torn into the heart of the earth, spewing ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries.

Now Essun must pursue the wreckage of her family through a deadly, dying land. Without sunlight, clean water, or arable land, and with limited stockpiles of supplies, there will be war all across the Stillness: a battle royale of nations not for power or territory, but simply for the basic resources necessary to get through the long dark night. Essun does not care if the world falls apart around her. She’ll break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.

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Nicole Peeler, Jinn & Juice

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Cursed to be a jinni for a thousand years, Leila nears the end of her servitude – only to be bound once again against her will. Will she risk all to be human?

Born in ancient Persia, Leila turned to her house Jinni, Kouros, for help escaping an arranged marriage. Kouros did make it impossible for her to marry – by cursing Leila to live a thousand years as a Jinni herself.

If she can remain unBound, Leila’s curse will soon be over. But Ozan Sawyer, a Magi with the ability to See, Call, and Bind jinn has other plans.

Oz needs Leila to help him penetrate Pittsburgh’s steel-soaked magic, a juice potent but poisonous to supernatural creatures, in order to find a missing girl with her own mysterious connection to Kouros. Unfortunately for Leila, becoming Bound to Oz may risk more than just her chance to be human once more – it could risk her very soul…

Jinn and Juice is the first in a new series by fantasy writer, Nicole Peeler, set in a world of immortal curses, powerful jinni and belly dancing.

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Kim Stanley Robinson, Aurora

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Angus Watson, Clash of Iron (Iron Age #2)

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LEADERS ARE FORGED IN THE FIRES OF WAR

Iron Age warriors Dug and Lowa captured Maidun castle and freed its slaves. But now they must defend it.

A Roman invasion is coming from Gaul, but rather than uniting to defend their home, the British tribes go to battle with each other – and see Maidun as an easy target.

Meanwhile, Lowa’s spies infiltrate Gaul, discovering the Romans have recruited British druids. And Maidunite Ragnall finds his loyalties torn when he meets Rome’s charismatic general, Julius Caesar.

War is coming. Who will pay its price?

Upcoming: Star Wars EMPIRE & REBELLION (Lucas Books/Random House)

The first novel in this series was announced quite a while ago, I think (super-excited for it, and I already have an ARC!). Today, however, I stumbled across some bare-bones preliminary information about book two, which has just ratcheted up my interest in the series to new heights. Here’s what I know so far…

Wells-SW-RazorsEdgeThe first novel, RAZOR’S EDGE, is written by critically acclaimed author Martha Wells, an author who has been on my radar for ages – and yet, as is becoming ever-more the case with me, still unread. With my long-held love for all things Star Wars, I can see this being my introduction to Wells’s writing. Here’s the synopsis…

Times are desperate for the Rebel Alliance. Harassment by the Empire and a shortage of vital supplies are hindering completion of a new secret base on the ice planet Hoth. So when Mid Rim merchants offer much-needed materials for sale, Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo lead an Alliance delegation to negotiate a deal.

But when treachery forces the rebel ship to flee into territory controlled by pirates, Leia makes a shocking discovery: the fierce marauders come from Leia’s homeworld of Alderaan, recently destroyed by the Death Star. These refugees have turned to pillaging and plundering to survive — and they are in debt to a pirate armada, which will gladly ransom the princess to the vengeful Empire… if they find out her true identity.

Struggling with intense feelings of guilt, loyalty, and betrayal, Leia is determined to help her wayward kinspeople, even as Imperial forces are closing in on her own crippled ship. Trapped between lethal cutthroats and brutal oppressors, Leia and Han, along with Luke, Chewbacca, and a battle-ready crew, must defy death — or embrace it — to keep the rebellion alive.

Corey-SW-HonorAmongThievesToday, I stumbled across the cover for the second novel in this series: HONOR AMONG THIEVES, which will be written by James S.A. Corey (the pen name for Daniel Abraham and Ty Frank). This novel is due for publication around March 2014, but I wasn’t able to find much more other than the cover on the internet (Random House’s page for the novel is effectively blank). I did find this nugget from the Star Wars Books Facebook page

The book, set in the classic era, is a stand alone adventure and is scheduled for publication in Spring ’14. Our editor-at-large, Shelly Shapiro, received the manuscript last week and posted on this page the other day “I am super enjoying the Star Wars manuscript I’m reading right now.” I loved Corey’s LEVIATHAN WAKES so I’m very excited to read this Han and Chewie romp through the GFFA.

All-in-all, I think we’re in for some great new Star Wars novels. Colour me utterly intrigued and impatient…