Most Anticipated 2015

Upcoming: DAY FOUR by Sarah Lotz (Hodder)

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LotzS-2-DayFourUK

Sarah Lotz’s The Three was easily one of my favourite novels of 2014 — it worked on every level for me: it was tense, brilliantly written, addictive. I was therefore quite surprised that I managed to miss any news of Lotz’s next novel (and sequel to The Three), Day Four, until I spotted this post on Draumr Kopa. Naturally, I had to share the info as soon as I spotted it.

Four days into a five day singles cruise on the Gulf of Mexico, the ageing ship Beautiful Dreamer stops dead in the water. With no electricity and no cellular signals, the passengers and crew have no way to call for help. But everyone is certain that rescue teams will come looking for them soon. All they have to do is wait.

That is, until the toilets stop working and the food begins to run out. When the body of a woman is discovered in her cabin the passengers start to panic. There’s a murderer on board the Beautiful Dreamer… and maybe something worse.

Day Four is due to be published by Hodder in the UK on May 21st, 2015. I can’t wait to read it!

Upcoming: THE BLACK DREAM by Col Buchanan (Tor UK)

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BuchananC-HotW3-BlackDreamIf you have been reading CR for a while, you may have caught my reviews of the first two novels in Col Buchanan‘s Heart of the World series, Farlander (2010) and Stands a Shadow (2011). The short version of both of my reviews is, “I love this series.” It is with quite some measure of excitement, therefore, that I learned a little while ago that the third volume in the series, The Black Dream, is finally coming out! Tor UK will be publishing the novel on March 12th, 2015. The cover was unveiled earlier today, alongside new covers for the first two in the series (at end). First, here’s the synopsis:

As the empire of Mann threatens the world with enslavement, only a single island nation continues to stand in its way – the Free Ports of the democras. For ten years they have held their own, but now the empire draws its noose even tighter over them.

Rallying to its defence are those from the secretive network known as the Few, including the cripple and troubleshooter Coya Zeziké. Coya has hopes of enlisting the forest contrarè in the aid of the besieged city of Bar-Khos. With him is Shard, the only Dreamer of the Free Ports, a woman capable of manipulating waking reality or the strange dimensions of the Black Dream.

The Roshun order of assassins have also engaged in the war at last. But Ash, their ailing farlander, has more urgent business to overcome. Facing him is a skyship voyage into the Great Hush, then further journeying to the fabled Isles of Sky, where he hopes bring his dead apprentice Nico back to life. Yet, his voyage into the unknown may save more than just Nico… it may save the Free Ports themselves.

Can’t wait to read this. Here are the new (top) and original covers for Farlander and Stands a Shadow:

Buchanan-1&2-New&Old

Also on CR: Interview with Col Buchanan

Review: TOUCH by Claire North (Redhook/Orbit)

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NorthC-TouchA triumphant second novel

Your violent death usually triggers the first switch.

Just before your life ebbs away, your skin happens to touch another human being – and in an instant, your consciousness transfers completely to the person you touched.

From that moment on, you can leap from body to body with a touch of the skin. You can remain for a minute, an hour, a lifetime, and after you leave, the host has no memory of the time you were there.

My name is Kepler. I could be you.

For me, the carefree life of jumping between bodies has become a terrifying nightmare. I am being hunted. I don’t know who. I don’t know why. If you’ve read this far, our lives have already touched. Now you are part of the conspiracy too.

Get ready to run.

Claire North’s debut, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, blew me away. It has easily become one of my favourite novels. It was with great anticipation and trepidation, therefore, that I began Touch. I needn’t have worried, though. This is another fantastic novel, one that gripped me from the beginning and didn’t let go. North is my new favourite author. Continue reading →

Upcoming: FORTUNE’S BLIGHT by Evie Manieri (Jo Fletcher Books/Tor)

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ManieriE-SK2-FortunesBlight

I rather enjoyed Evie Manieri‘s debut, Blood’s Pride (first in the Shattered Kingdoms series). Since then, I’ve been rather eagerly awaiting the sequel, Fortune’s Blight — whose publication, thankfully, is fast approaching. I just found the US cover, too (above left). The novel will be published in eBook on December 30th in the UK by Jo Fletcher Books, with the hardcover to follow on January 1st. The novel is due to be published in February 2015 in the US by Tor Books. (These are the publishers’ dates — I’ve seen slightly different release dates mentioned on retail sites.)

Here’s the UK synopsis:

Victory for the Shadari rebels has come at a terrible price. Hardship, superstition and a murderous cabal poison King Daryan’s young regime, but help is nowhere to be found: the mercenary who led their rebellion has vanished, their Nomas allies have troubles of their own, and the Norlanders who returned home to plead – or fight – for the Shadari’s independence have found themselves embroiled in the court politics of an empire about to implode.

As the foundations of the two far-flung countries begin to crack, an enigmatic figure watches from a tower room in Ravindal Castle. She is old, and a prisoner, but her reach is long, and her patience is about to be rewarded…

Also on CR: Interview with Evie Manieri; Guest Post (“Why I Write Fantasy”)

Upcoming: GUNS OF THE DAWN by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Tor UK)

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TchaikovskyA-GunsOfTheDawnThis is easily one of my most anticipated novels of 2015 — I am a big fan of Adrian Tchaikovsky‘s writing, despite being woefully behind on his truly epic Shadows of the Apt fantasy series. I mentioned this novel before on the blog, but Tor unveiled the final cover artwork, so I get to share it again. Guns of the Dawn is a stand-alone fantasy, and it sounds really interesting:

Denland and Lascanne have been allies for generations, but now the Denlanders have assassinated their king, overthrown the monarchy and marched on their northern neighbour. At the border, the war rages; Lascanne’s brave redcoats against the revolutionaries of Denland.

Emily Marshwic has watched the war take her brother-in-law and now her young brother. Then comes the call for more soldiers, to a land already drained of husbands, fathers and sons. Every household must give up one woman to the army and Emily has no choice but to join the ranks of young women marching to the front. 

In the midst of warfare, with just enough training to hold a musket, Emily comes face to face with the reality: the senseless slaughter; the weary cynicism of the Survivor’s Club; the swamp’s own natives hiding from the conflict. 

As the war worsens, and Emily begins to have doubts about the justice of Lascanne’s cause, she finds herself in a position where her choices will make or destroy both her own future and that of her nation.

Guns of the Dawn is published in the UK by Tor Books, on February 12th, 2015. I can’t wait to get my mitts on it.

In the same post (linked above), Tor shared information about Adrian’s other two 2015 releases, Children of Time and The Tiger and the Wolf. Here’s what they had to say about the novels: Children of Time (publication date unconfirmed at the moment) is

“Adrian’s first science fiction novel – and it’s epic. The last remnants of humanity left a dying earth behind, desperate to find a new home. Then when they finally find it, terror is waiting. Think Battlestar Galactica meets Alien – dramatic, stirring and a story with big themes. People seeking a sense of wonder will find everything they need here.”

The Tiger and the Wolf (due to be published November 19th, 2015) is the start of a new epic fantasy series:

“[T]he story of a young girl who is able to shift into the two forms – that of a wolf of her own clan – but also that of their mortal enemies – the tiger. It’s a coming-of-age story about the choices she has to make to decide where she belongs set against a backdrop of warfare and politics. Fantastically-written and a rip roaring read.”

So yeah: 2015 could become the Year of Adrian Tchaikovsky…

Upcoming: TOUCH by Claire North (Orbit)

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NorthC-TouchIf you caught my review a couple weeks ago for The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, you’ll have noticed that I am a big fan of Claire North‘s work. It was on the strength of that novel that I picked up Kate Griffin’s six novels (Claire North and Kate Griffin are both pseudonyms for Catherine Webb). I have also been very much looking forward to North’s next novel, Touch, for which today Orbit released the cover (right). Here’s the synopsis:

Your violent death usually triggers the first switch.

Just before your life ebbs away, your skin happens to touch another human being – and in an instant, your consciousness transfers completely to the person you touched.

From that moment on, you can leap from body to body with a touch of the skin. You can remain for a minute, an hour, a lifetime, and after you leave, the host has no memory of the time you were there.

My name is Kepler. I could be you.

For me, the carefree life of jumping between bodies has become a terrifying nightmare. I am being hunted. I don’t know who. I don’t know why. If you’ve read this far, our lives have already touched. Now you are part of the conspiracy too.

Get ready to run.

Touch is due to arrive in February 2015, and is published by Orbit in the UK, US and ANZ. In the meantime, do yourself a favour and read The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August (if you’ve already read it, check out Griffin’s novels and, maybe, re-read Harry August?). You can follow North on Twitter for more news, etc.