Upcoming

Gail Simone Brings TOMB RAIDER to the UK

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I spotted this cover on Dark Horse Comics’ website, while looking for more info on Kim Newman & Maura McHugh’s upcoming Witchfinder: The Mysteries of Unland series. It caught my eye because a) it’s an eye-catching cover, b) it has Big Ben in it, and c) I was a big fan of the first couple of computer games in the Tomb Raider series, but I’ve not read any comics (or, for that matter, played any of the games for a decade).

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Tomb Raider #4 goes on sale on May 28th, 2014. Here are the issue’s details and synopsis…

Writer: Gail Simon | Pencils: Nicolás Daniel Selma | Inks: Juan Gedeon | Colors: Michael Atiyeh

Lara Croft is chased through the streets of London as she gets dangerously close to the truth! But it’s not her own safety that concerns her, but that of her friends, the surviving crew of the Endurance!

Upcoming: THE WITCHFINDER – THE MYSTERIES OF UNLAND (Dark Horse Comics)

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Here’s a brief preview of Witchfinder: The Mysteries of Unland #1, written by Kim Newman & Maura McHugh, and to be published by Dark Horse Comics. Art duties will be handled by Tyler Crook and Dave Stewart.

The eponymous Witchfinder, Sir Edward Grey, was created by Mike Mignola as part of his Hellboy mythology (he first appeared in Hellboy: Wake the Devil). Since then, he has had a couple of mini-series.

Here’s the synopsis for the first issue of this new series…

Edward Grey is sent to Hallam to investigate a mysterious death. Once there, he hears rumors about the mysterious Unland, the wetlands around the town, and the creatures that inhabit it. Grey’s skepticism vanishes when he encounters the monsters of Unland, and he realizes that Hallam is a place of secrets.

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Above is the artwork that will grace the second issue. And here is a preview of the first issue…

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Upcoming Event: Launch for Kendra Leighton’s GLIMPSE

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If you happen to be in London on June 19th, 2014, then why not go to a book launch? The details are below, but please be sure to RSVP – the venue is pretty small, and so space is limited, and they want to make sure they have enough wine and nibbles for those who’d like to attend.

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Glimpse is a new YA urban fantasy novel, published by Much-In-Little (an imprint of Constable & Robinson). Here’s the synopsis…

Liz just wants to be normal. Her life is anything but.

Seven years ago Liz lost her mother and ten years’ worth of memories. When she inherits the infamous Highwayman Inn, she hopes the move will be a fresh start. Then she meets Zachary. Zachary who haunts her by night and in dreams; who makes her question everything she is and wants to be; who seems scarcely real – yet makes her feel so alive.

Inspired by Alfred Noyes’ classic poem “The Highwayman”, Glimpse is a ghost story, a love story, and a story of a girl fighting for her future by confronting her terrible past.

Upcoming: THE BONE CLOCKS by David Mitchell (Sceptre Books)

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MitchellD-BoneClocksUKI’ve never read anything by David Mitchell, but this cover caught my eye, for obvious reasons. THE BONE CLOCKS, the latest novel by the author of Cloud Atlas and The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, is due to be published by Sceptre Books (an imprint of Hodder) in September 2014. I think it sounds pretty interesting, too. Here’s the synopsis:

The kaleidoscopic story of an unusual woman’s life, a metaphysical thriller and a profound meditation on mortality and survival.

One drowsy summer’s day in 1984, teenage runaway Holly Sykes encounters a strange woman who offers a small kindness in exchange for “asylum”. Decades will pass before Holly understands exactly what sort of asylum the woman was seeking…

The Bone Clocks follows the twists and turns of Holly’s life from a scarred adolescence in Gravesend to old age on Ireland’s Atlantic coast as Europe’s oil supply dries up – a life not so far out of the ordinary, yet punctuated by flashes of precognition, visits from people who emerge from thin air and brief lapses in the laws of reality. For Holly Sykes – daughter, sister, mother, guardian – is also an unwitting player in a murderous feud played out in the shadows and margins of our world, and may prove to be its decisive weapon.

Metaphysical thriller, meditation on mortality and chronicle of our self-devouring times, this kaleidoscopic novel crackles with the invention and wit that have made David Mitchell one of the most celebrated writers of his generation. Here is fiction at its spellbinding and memorable best.

Upcoming: THE MIRROR EMPIRE by Kameron Hurley (Angry Robot Books)

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I’m a little late to the party, here, seeing as nearly everyone has shared this cover (ever since it was unveiled on A Dribble of Ink). And, once you look at it, you can see why. The cover for Kameron Hurley’s upcoming fantasy novel THE MIRROR EMPIRE is pretty damned stunning…

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The piece is by Richard Anderson, who also did the US cover for Brian Staveley’s The Emperor’s Blades. (I must say, though, this one is much better.) The novel is due to be published by Angry Robot Books in September 2014. Here’s the synopsis…

On the eve of a recurring catastrophic event known to extinguish nations and reshape continents, a troubled orphan evades death and slavery to uncover her own bloody past… while a world goes to war with itself.

In the frozen kingdom of Saiduan, invaders from another realm are decimating whole cities, leaving behind nothing but ash and ruin. As the dark star of the cataclysm rises, an illegitimate ruler is tasked with holding together a country fractured by civil war, a precocious young fighter is asked to betray his family and a half-Dhai general must choose between the eradication of her father’s people or loyalty to her alien Empress.

Through tense alliances and devastating betrayal, the Dhai and their allies attempt to hold against a seemingly unstoppable force as enemy nations prepare for a coming together of worlds as old as the universe itself.

In the end, one world will rise – and many will perish.

Kameron Hurley is, of course, the award-winning author of God’s War, Infidel and Rapture. I’ve only read the first one, but it was damned good. The trilogy was published in the US by Night Shade Books, and Del Rey UK published the first book last year, and Infidel last month.

Also on CR: Guest Post by Kameron Hurley; Review of God’s War

Upcoming: THE SHADOW THRONE by Django Wexler (Del Rey UK / Roc Books)

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Now that there’s a UK cover, I thought I’d take this opportunity to mention the second novel in Django Wexler’s flintlock fantasy series, The Shadow Campaigns: THE SHADOW THRONE. Interestingly (to me, anyway), this time I think I prefer the US cover over the UK artwork:

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UK / US Covers

Here’s the synopsis:

Anyone can plot a coup or fire an assassin’s bullet. But in a world of muskets and magic, it takes considerably more to seize the throne.

The ailing King of the Vordan lies on his deathbed. When he dies, his daughter, Raesinia Orboan, will become the first Queen Regnant in centuries – and a ripe target for the ambitious men who seek to control her. The most dangerous of these is Duke Orlanko, Minister of Information and master of the secret police. Having meticulously silenced his adversaries through intimidation, imprisonment, and execution, Orlanko is the most feared man in the kingdom.

And he knows an arcane secret that puts Raesinia completely at his mercy.

Exposure would mean ruin, but Raesinia is determined to find a way to break herself – and her country – out of Orlanko’s iron grip. She finds unlikely allies in the returning war hero Janus bet Vhalnich, fresh from a brilliant campaign in the colony of Khandar, and his loyal deputies, Captain Marcus d’Ivoire and Lieutenant Winter Ihernglass.

As Marcus and Winter struggle to find their places in the home they never thought they would see again, they help Janus and Raesinia set in motion events that could free Vordan from Orlanko’s influence – at the price of throwing the nation into chaos. But with the people suffering under the Duke’s tyranny, they intend to protect the kingdom with every power they can command, earthly or otherwise

The Shadow Throne is due to published in July 2014 by Del Rey UK and Roc Books in the US.

Also on CR: Interview with Django Wexler; Guest Post by Django Wexler; Reviews of The Thousand Names and The Penitent Damned

Upcoming: COVENANT’S END by Ari Marmell (Pyr)

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MarmellA-C4-CovenantsEndI’m a big fan of Ari Marmell’s writing. Covenant’s End is the fourth volume in the author’s YA fantasy series, Widdershins Adventures. I’ve only read the first two, but I really enjoyed them both (I haven’t managed to get around to Lost Covenant, yet). Here is the synopsis…

The thief Widdershins and her own “personal god,” Olgun, return to their home city of Davillon after almost a year away. While Shins expects only to face the difficulty of making up with her friends, what she actually finds is far, far worse. Her nemesis, Lisette, has returned, and she is not alone. Lisette has made a dark pact with supernatural powers that have granted her abilities far greater than anything Widdershins and Olgun can match.

Together, Widdershins and Olgun will face enemies on both sides of the law, for Lisette’s schemes have given her power in both Davillon’s government and its underworld. For even a slim chance, Shins must call on both old friends-some of whom haven’t yet forgiven her-and new allies.

Even with their help, Widdershins may be required to make the hardest sacrifice of her life, if she is to rid Davillon-and herself-of Lisette once and for all.

Covenant’s End is due to be published by Pyr Books in February 2015. So, that’s rather a long way away (damnit!), but it’s nice to be able to share the artwork.

Marmell’s latest novel is Hot Lead, Cold Iron – the first in his Mick Oberon urban fantasy series set in 1930s Chicago – published by Titan Books in the US (out now) and UK (out next week).

Also on CR: Interview with Ari Marmell, Guest Post (Triumph Over Tragedy), Reviews of The Thief’s Covenant, False Covenant, The Conqueror’s Shadow

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Upcoming: THE BULLET-CATCHER’S DAUGHTER by Rod Duncan (Angry Robot Books)

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PrintStumbled across this while looking for information and links for an upcoming interview on the blog. The cover caught my eye and the novel sounds pretty interesting, too. It is the first (of two) novels in the Fall of the Gaslit Empire series. Here’s the synopsis…

Elizabeth Barnabus lives a double life – as herself and as her brother, the private detective. She is trying to solve the mystery of a disappearing aristocrat and a hoard of arcane machines. In her way stand the rogues, freaks and self-proclaimed alchemists of a travelling circus.

But when she comes up against an agent of the all-powerful Patent Office, her life and the course of history will begin to change. And not necessarily for the better…

The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter is due to be published by Angry Robot Books in September 2014, in the UK and US. Be sure to check out the author’s website and Twitter for more on his writing and novels.

Upcoming: TAINTED BLOOD by M.L. Brennan (Roc)

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BrennanML-GV3-TaintedBloodThe third novel in M.L. Brennan’s great Generation V series has a cover! Brennan unveiled it on her website earlier today, and because I enjoyed the first two books I thought I’d share it here, too. It’s not due out until November 2014 (no UK publisher as yet, sadly, so if you’re in Blighty you’ll need to seek import options). Here’s the synopsis:

In the third Generation V novel, Fortitude Scott proves that working with family can be deadly…

Former film student Fortitude Scott is finally gainfully employed. Unfortunately, said employment happens to be with a group of sociopathic vampires – his family. And as much as Fort is loath to get too deep into the family business, when his brother, Chivalry, is temporarily unable to run the territory, it’s up to Fort to keep things under control.

So when the leader of a powerful faction of shifters turns up murdered, Fort finds himself tracking down a killer while navigating dangerous rivalries, longtime grudges, and hidden agendas. Even with the help of his foxy kitsune sidekick, Suzume, he’ll need to pull out all the stops to hunt for the paranormal assassin.

But as he calls on fairies, witches, and ghouls for help, he discovers that the problem is much bigger than a single dead werebear. The supernatural community is preparing for a massive shift in power within the Scott family leadership – and Fort has landed right in the middle of the gathering storm…

“Werebear”? Cool… I’m looking forward to this.

Also on CR: Reviews of Generation V and Iron Night, Interview with M.L. Brennan

Most Anticipated 2014: THE GETAWAY GOD by Richard Kadrey (Voyager US & UK)

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If you’ve been following Civilian Reader for the past couple of years, you may have come across a review or two (actually, six) of Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim series. This is because they are awesome. In fact, along with Stacia Kane, I think Kadrey is one my favourite Urban Fantasy/Horror author. This year, Voyager will be publishing the sixth novel in the series, THE GETAWAY GOD. I can not wait to read it! Here are the details…

Sandman Slim must save himself – and the entire world – from the wrath of some enraged and vengeful ancient gods…

Being a half-human, half-angel nephilim with a bad rep and a worse attitude – not to mention temporarily playing Lucifer – James Stark aka Sandman Slim has made a few enemies. None, though, are as fearsome as the vindictive Angra Om Ya – the old gods. But their imminent invasion is only one of Stark’s problems right now. LA is descending into chaos, and a new evil – the Wildfire Ripper – is stalking the city.

No ordinary killer, The Ripper takes Stark deep into a conspiracy that stretches from Earth to Heaven and Hell. He’s also the only person alive who may know how to keep the world from going extinct. The trouble is, he’s also Stark’s worst enemy… the only man in existence Stark would enjoy killing twice.

The Getaway God is due to be published in August (US) and October (UK) 2014, by Harper Voyager.

Also on CR: Reviews of Sandman Slim, Kill the Dead, Aloha from Hell, Devil in the Dollhouse (novella), Devil Said Bang, Kill City Blues

Kadrey-MetrophageUS2014Speaking of Richard Kadrey: Voyager is also going to be re-issuing the author’s early cyberpunk novel, METROPHAGE this November (originally published in 1988), in both the US and UK. Here are the details:

Welcome to the near future: Los Angeles in the late 21st century – a segregated city of haves and have nots, where morality is dead and technology rules. Here, a small group of wealthy seclude themselves in gilded cages. Beyond their high security compounds, far from their pretty comforts, lies a lawless wasteland where the angry masses battle hunger, rampant disease, and their own despair to survive.

Jonny was born into this Hobbesian paradise. A street-wise hustler who deals drugs on the black market – narcotics that heal the body and cool the mind – he looks out for nobody but himself. Until a terrifying plague sweeps through L.A., wreaking death and panic. And no one, not even a clever operator like Jonny, is safe.

His own life hanging in the balance, Jonny must risk everything to find the cure – if there is one.

Check out the original cover for Metrophage (published as part of the New Ace Science Fiction Specials range)…

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