News Blog @ Wellington City Libraries

From demons to dragons, harems to battle fields, telepathy to physics, this selection from the latest Science Fiction and Fantasy novels has something for every reading preference. Also included is volume four in the Rain Wilds Chronicles by Robin Hobb, titled Blood of Dragons.

The daylight war / Peter V. Brett.
“This is the third book in the Demon Cycle. Humanity has thirty days to prepare for the next demon attack, but one month is scarcely enough time to train a village to defend themselves, let alone an entire continent caught in the throes of civil war. Arlen Bales understands the coreling threat better than anyone. Born ordinary, the demon plague has shaped him into a weapon so powerful he has been given the unwanted title of saviour, and attracted the attention of deadly enemies both above and below ground. Unlike Arlen, Ahmann Jardir embraces the title of Deliverer. His strength resides not only in the legendary relics he carries, but also in the magic wielded by his first wife, Inevera, a cunning and powerful priestess whose allegiance even Jardir cannot be certain of. Once Arlen and Jardir were like brothers. Now they are the bitterest of rivals. As humanity’s enemies prepare, the only two men capable of defeating them are divided against each other by the most deadly demons of all: those that lurk in the human heart.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

The city of silk and steel / Mike Carey, Linda Carey and Louise Carey.
“Once, in a city known as Bessa, there was a sultan named Bokhari Al-Bokhari, who was thrown down by the zealots of the ascetic Hakkim Mehdad. The sultan, his wives and children were put to the sword, while his 365 concubines were sent to a neighboring caliph as tribute, Hakkim having no use for the pleasures of the flesh. But a day after the caravan had departed from Bessa, Hakkim discovered the terrible secret that the concubines had hidden from him. His reaction was swift and cruel. Kill the women of the harem forthwith, along with their children and maidservants. Let not one survive. This, then, is the tale, or tales, of how a remarkable group of women fight together to survive both the fury of Hakkim and the rigors of the desert.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Forge of darkness / Steven Erikson.
“It’s a conflicted time in Kurald Galain, the realm of Darkness, where Mother Dark reigns. But this ancient land was once home to many a power, and even death is not quite eternal. The commoners’ great hero, Vatha Urusander, is being promoted by his followers to take Mother Dark’s hand in marriage, but her Consort, Lord Draconus, stands in the way of such ambitions. The impending clash sends fissures throughout the realm, and as the rumors of civil war burn through the masses, an ancient power emerges from the long dead seas. Caught in the middle of it all are the First Sons of Darkness, Anomander, Andarist, and Silchas Ruin of the Purake Hold.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Blood of dragons / Robin Hobb.
“The fourth book of the Rain Wilds Chronicles. Tintaglia, the legendary dragon, has returned, but wounded by the Chalcedeans. These people are still seeking dragon body parts, but especially dragon blood, in an effort to save their despotic duke. To heal the dragon, the new Elderlings must find the elusive silver wells. The younger dragons have matured further, and their dedicated keepers, the new Elderlings, are beginning to gain deeper understanding of their roles.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Endurance / Jay Lake.Endurance
“Assassin and ex-courtesan Green has saved a city and birthed a god. Now she wants to move on, but she’s hunted by enemies from her past, the city council is mired in a power struggle and can’t provide much aid, and something is stalking goddesses, including the one Green serves.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The end specialist / Drew Magary. “2019. Humanity has witnessed its greatest scientific breakthrough yet: the cure for ageing. Three injections and you’re immortal, not bulletproof or disease-proof but you’ll never have to fear death by old age. For John Farrell, documenting the cataclysmic shifts to life after the cure becomes an obsession. Cure parties, cycle marriages, and immortal livestock: the world is revelling in the miracles of eternal youth. But immortality has a sinister side, and when a pro-death terrorist explosion kills his newly-cured best friend, John soon realizes that even in a world without natural death, there is always something to fear. John must make a new choice: run and hide forever, or stay and fight those who try to make immortal life a living hell.” (adapted from Amazon.co.nz)

Blood’s pride / Evie Manieri.
“Without warning, the warlike Norlanders invaded the lands of the Shadar, enslaving the people and reaping the profits from the black ore mined to make the enchanted swords of the Norlander warriors. Unable to defend themselves against the pale-skinned, undead conquerors, the Shadar nevertheless attempt a rebellion and hire a fierce mercenary known only as The Mongrel, a woman whose body bears the ravages of previous wars and whose temperament is both volatile and, some say, insane.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The silent dragon / Irene Radford.
“As the son of the Senior Magician and Chancellor of the University of Magicians and the witch woman Brevelan, Glenndon possesses powerful magic, but has never spoken a word, relying instead on his strong telepathy to communicate. When he receives a summons from King Darville to come to Coronnan City to become the successor to the throne of his true father, Glenndon becomes embroiled in a world where his magic is forbidden and, somehow, he must learn to break his silence.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

This selection of new Science Fiction and Fantasy novels includes the third volume in Greg Bear’s Forerunner saga, titled Halo: Silentium.Also the latest novel from the very popular David Wingrove titled, Daylight on Iron Mountain.

Lady of devices : a steampunk adventure novel / Shelley Adina.
“London, 1889. Victoria is Queen. Charles Darwin’s son is Prime Minister. And steam is the power that runs the world. Claire Trevelyan, daughter of Viscount St. Ives, finds herself down and out on the mean streets of London when her father gambles the estate on the combustion engine and loses. But being a young woman of resources and intellect, she turns fortune on its head. It’s not long before a new leader of the underworld rises, known only as the Lady of Devices. When she meets Andrew Malvern, a member of the Royal Society of Engineers, she realizes her talents may encompass more than the invention of explosive devices. They may help her realize her dreams and his, if they can both stay alive long enough to see that sometimes the closest friendships can trigger the greatest betrayals.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Fuse / Julianna Baggott.
“In a post-apocalyptic world where those who dwell within the Dome are safe, and those who live outside struggle to survive, Pressia decodes secrets from the past in an effort to set the Wretches free of their fusings forever.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The six-gun tarot / R. S. Belcher.
“When young Jim Negrey and his long-suffering horse find sanctuary in the cattle town of Galgotha, NV, Jim notices that the sheriff bears the marks of a noose round his neck; his deputy calls the coyotes his kin, and a nameless evil inhabits the nearby silver mine. This debut novel is an astonishing blend of first-rate steampunk fantasy and Western adventure.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Hellhole : awakening / Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.
“General Adolphus knows the Monarchy crackdown is coming. Now he needs to pull together all the resources of the Hellhole colony, the ever-expanding shadow-Xayan settlement, and his connections with the other Deep Zone worlds. On Sonjeera, Diadem Michella Duchenet has collected a huge fleet, led by firebrand Commissar Escobar Hallholme, son of the man who originally defeated Adolphus. Uniting themselves and pooling their minds, the shadow-Xayans send a power surge along the original stringline path that links Hellhole with the Monarchy’s hub on Sonjeera. All of the Diadem’s battleships are currently approaching on that route, and when the mental blast wipes out all the substations, the battleships are effectively stranded. But worse threats are to follow.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Born of silence / Sherrilyn Kenyon.
“Vowing to destroy his father’s killer while outmaneuvering alter ego Kere, Darling Cruel, a dictator member of an elite ruling family, is shattered when Resistance leader Zarya, his most trusted ally, turns a specially designed weapon against Darling’s family in her effort to rekindle his humanity.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Ice forged / Gail Z. Martin.
“Condemned for killing the man who dishonored his sister, Blaine “Mick” McFadden has spent the last six years in Velant, a penal colony in the frigid northern wastelands. Harsh discipline and oppressive magic keep a fragile peace as colonists struggle against a hostile environment. But the supply ships from Dondareth have stopped coming, boding ill for the kingdom that banished the colonists. Now, as the world’s magic runs wild, McFadden and the people of Velant must fight to survive and decide their fate”(adapted from Syndetics summary)

The Kassa gambit / M.C. Planck.
“Capt. Prudence Falling, looking to unload harvesters on the one colony world with open-air agriculture, finds instead a planet devastated by an unknown enemy. When she stops to help, her ship is commandeered by Lt. Kyle Daspar, police detective and officer of the hated League. Finding evidence of alien contact puts Prudence and Kyle at risk from forces within the League. Separately and together, from capital world Altair to a perpetually dark planet of masked monks, they uncover the reason for the attack and their feelings for each other.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Red planet blues / Robert J. Sawyer.
“Alex Lomax is the one and only private eye working the mean streets of New Klondike, the Martian frontier town that sprang up forty years ago after Simon Weingarten and Denny O’Reilly discovered fossils on the Red Planet. Back on Earth, where anything can be synthesized, the remains of alien life are the most valuable of all collectibles, so shiploads of desperate treasure hunters stampeded to Mars in the Great Martian Fossil Rush. Lomax tracks down killers and kidnappers among the failed prospectors, corrupt cops, and a growing population of transfers, unlucky stiffs who, after striking paleontological gold, upload their minds into immortal android bodies. But when he uncovers clues to solving the decades-old murders of Weingarten and O’Reilly, along with a journal that may lead to their legendary mother lode of Martian fossils, his life will never be the same.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Daylight on Iron Mountain / David Wingrove.
“The generals of the Middle Kingdom await the decision of the emperor. The campaign to secure the border from China to Iraq has reached a strange impasse. Two blood enemies – Arabs and Jews – have united against their common cause. But with the lives of thousands at his whim, the exalted Tsao Ch’un, the Son of Heaven, cannot decide. Destroy the Middle East in one blinding flash? Or take another path? In the court of Tsao Ch’un, men of power have become smiling lackeys, whose graces conceal their fear, or their ambition. A man that can be trusted absolutely is a rare thing. And so, with his family held hostage by the empire, General Jiang Lei finds himself appointed to a special task: the orchestration of the last great war against the West, the total dominion of America.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

From steampunk to magic, shape-shifting to space warfare, all can be found in this month’s selection of new Science Fiction and Fantasy novels. Also included is the much anticipated and publicised dystopia novel titled Wool by Hugh Howey.

Written in red : a novel of the Others / Anne Bishop.
“Meg Corbyn is a cassandra sangue, a blood prophet who sees the future when her skin is cut. Along with others like her, she has lived under the tight reins of her Controllers, with no actual experiences of the real world. Knowing that eventually blood prophets lose their usefulness and, usually, their lives, Meg seeks refuge at the Lakeside Courtyard, a part of the city owned and operated by the Others, shapeshifters and other supernatural creatures. Even though the Others have ample reasons to despise humans, they give Meg a job as the Human Liaison, dealing with the elements in the outside world that do business with the shapeshifters. As Meg learns more about both the world of experience and the society of the Others, she also becomes aware that her Controllers are not going to let her go without a fight.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Bloodfire quest : the dark legacy of Shannara / Terry Brooks.
“The quest for the long-lost Elfstones has drawn the leader of the Druid order and her followers into the hellish dimension known as the Forbidding, where the most dangerous creatures banished from the Four Lands are imprisoned. Now the hunt for the powerful talismans that can save their world has become a series of great challenges: a desperate search for kidnapped comrades, a relentless battle against unspeakable predators, and a grim race to escape the Forbidding alive. But though freedom is closer than they know, it may come at a terrifying price.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Libriomancer / Jim C. Hines.
“Isaac Vainio is a librarian and a libriomancer, that is, part of an organization, the Porters, created by Gutenberg to manage the magic inherent in books. He’s on punishment duty, relegated to database creation for the Porters. When he’s attacked by vampires from the current crop of books and manages to defeat them with a weapon pulled from another title, he’s dragged back into the machinations of the Porters organization. As he investigates what’s going on, he discovers that Gutenberg himself has disappeared. There’s something sinister going on with the Porters, and there are some nasty secrets about to come out into the light of day.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Wool / Hugh Howey.
“An epic story of life, love and survival at all odds. In a ruined and hostile landscape, in a future few have been unlucky enough to survive, a community exists in a giant underground silo. Inside, men and women live an enclosed life full of rules and regulations, of secrets and lies. To live, you must follow the rules. But some don’t. These are the dangerous ones; these are the people who dare to hope and dream, and who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple and deadly. They are allowed outside. Jules is one of these people. She may well be the last.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Infernal devices / K.W. Jeter ; with an introduction by the author & an afterword by Jeff VanderMeer.
“He inherited a watchmaker’s store from his father and a whole heap of trouble. Idle sometime-musician George has little talent for clockwork and other infernal devices. When a shadowy figure tries to steal an old device from the premises, George finds himself embroiled in a mystery of time travel, music, and sexual intrigue “(adapted from Syndetics summary)

A memory of light / Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson.
“The final book in the Wheel of Time series draws on notes left by the late Robert Jordan. It is time for Rand al’Thor to face the Dark One in the Last Battle for humanity, but he can’t do it alone; he must also gather all of the forces of the world together and turn them, united, against the Trolloc armies that threaten to overwhelm.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Hearts of smoke and steam / Andrew P. Mayer.
“The Paragons, a steampunk Justice League, have degenerated from superheroism to egomania and amorality after the death of their conscience, Sir Dennis Darby. Villainous Lord Eschaton’s evil plans proceed apace, and Sarah Stanton, as the Adventuress, must battle them with the help of Emilio Armando, a young mechanical genius who falls in love with her at first sight.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The iron wyrm affair / Lilith Saintcrow.
“Emma Bannon, forensic sorceress in the service of the Empire, has a mission: to protect Archibald Clare, a failed, unregistered mentath. His skills of deduction are legendary, and her own sorcery is not inconsiderable. It doesn’t help much that they barely tolerate each other, or that Bannon’s Shield, Mikal, might just be a traitor himself. Or that the conspiracy killing registered mentaths and sorcerers alike will just as likely kill them as seduce them into treachery toward their Queen.” (adapted from Amazon.com)

Shadow of freedom / David Weber.
“Queen Elizabeth of Manticore’s first cousin and Honor Harrington’s best friend Michelle Henke has just handed the “invincible” Solarian League Navy the most humiliating, one-sided defeat in its entire almost thousand-year history in defence of the people of the Star Empire’s Talbott Quadrant. But the League is the most powerful star nation in the history of humanity. Its navy is going to be back and this time with thousands of superdreadnoughts. Yet she also knows scores of other star systems, some independent, some controlled by puppet regimes, and some simply conquered outright by the Solarian Office of Frontier Security lie in the League’s grip along its frontier with the Talbott Quadrant. As combat spreads from the initial confrontation, the entire frontier has begun to seethe with unrest, and Michelle sympathizes with the oppressed populations wanting only to be free of their hated masters.” (adapted from Amazon.com)

We start this month’s selection of new Science Fiction and Fantasy novels with a collection of twelve very original short stories titled, After oil: visions of a post-petroleum world. Also included this month is the new novel by Ben Bova, titled Farside, a highly recommended read.

After oil : SF visions of a post- petroleum world / edited by John Michael Greer
“Author John Michael Greer, host of the blog “The Archdruid Report,” a weekly peak oil blog, brings together twelve original tales selected from among his readers. Each story offers glimpses into possible futures where oil scarcity and lower energy availability spell the end of modern industrial society.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Farside / Ben Bova.
“The discovery of an Earth-sized planet 30 light years from Earth sparks a race to develop a telescope to create a photographic record of the new world. The far side of the moon, with its “clear” view of space, seems an ideal location, but the project’s planners must contend with rivalries from the existing moon colony of Selene. Sent from Earth to assist Dr. Ulrich, director of Angel Observatory, Dr. Trudy Yost immediately becomes involved in the web of politics, sabotage, and physical obstacles that mark life on Farside.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Ironskin / Tina Connolly.
“Jane Eliot wears an iron mask. It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain the ironskin. When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a “delicate situation”, a child born during the Great War, Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help. Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. Jane knows Rochart cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things is true?” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

The minority council / Kate Griffin.
“Posthuman Matthew Swift struggling to deal with the responsibilities of being Midnight Mayor of London. Powerful and well-intentioned but often naive and inadvertently destructive, Swift allows events to spiral out of control. When others force him to notice what is going on under his nose, including a particularly twisted scheme by well-intentioned extremists ostensibly working for him, he marshals his impressive resources, but it’s not clear who will pay the cost for his lack of diligence.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Kalimpura / Jay Lake.
“After the birth of her twins, courtesan/assassin Green returns to her city of Kalimpura and reenters the service of the Lily Goddess. But Green and her companions must continually watch their backs as they attempt to uncover the complex and deadly conspiracy that threatens her. When the daughter of a friend and a priestess disappear, Green calls on the strength of the Ox God Endurance, accidentally created when she killed the Immortal Duke, to help her find them.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Imager’s battalion / L.E. Modesitt.
“All his life Quaeryt has had to hide his abilities as an “Imager,” a mage who can create magic simply by thinking about something, even accidentally. As the brother-in-law of Lord Bhayar, the ruler of Telaryn, he has developed a reputation as a diplomat. When war breaks out with Bovaria, Quaeryt becomes sub commander of a regiment of Imagers. Although he attempts to keep his own Imager status a secret, the time grows closer when he may have to reveal himself.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Banner of the damned / Sherwood Smith.
“When her sister, the Colendi Queen Hatahra, finally produces an heir, Princess Lasva’s royal aspirations are dashed, so she despairingly departs for the barbarous land of Marloven Hesea, where she weds Prince Ivandred. Fearing for her sister’s safety in a primitive land renowned for its military and magical might, Queen Hatahra charges the royal scribe Emras to keep watch over the Princess, and ascertain whether she is being influenced by the dark magic of Norsunder, a kingdom once believed to reside only in myth, but now distressingly real. Emras must fulfill the wishes of the Queen in accordance with the three rules of the scribe: “Do not interfere,” “Keep The Peace,” and “Tell the truth as we see it”.”(adapted from Syndetics summary)

Another great selection from this month’s new Science Fiction and Fantasy novels, with the highlight being the second book in Brian D’matao’s Sacrifice Game trilogy, titled The Sacrifice Game.

Steel’s edge / Ilona Andrews.
“The Edge is a frontier between the Broken, our mundane world without magic, and the Weird, a world where aristocrats and magic rule. Charlotte de Ney is an aristocrat and healer from the Weird. After her marriage breaks up, she flees to the Edge and makes a new home. Richard is a master swordsman from an Edger clan. He’s on a quest to eradicate slavers, who sell humans in the Weird. After he is brought to her for healing, she decides he needs her help, whether he wants it or not.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Luck of the draw / Piers Anthony.
“Bryce, an 80-year-old man in failing health, suddenly finds himself in Xanth, with his body rejuvenated, his health restored and his future already determined for him. As part of a bet between the Demons Earth and Xanth, Bryce must enter a contest to win the heart of the Princess Harmony, whether she is willing or not.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Cold days : a novel of the Dresden files / Jim Butcher.
“Being killed has barely slowed down the Chicago PI, who now serves as the Winter Knight. In that role, Dresden operates as hit man for Mab, the queen of air and darkness, who is forbidden from killing mortals. Not only is his liege capricious and deadly, but Dresden soon finds himself up against new supernatural foes, not least the Redcap, who dyes his headgear with the blood of anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path. The greatest danger, however, may be from Dresden’s new assignment from Mab: to murder her daughter, Maeve.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Small shen / Kylie Chan ; with illustrations by Queenie Chan ; adapted into comic-prose form by Queenie Chan.
“This is the amazing story of Gold, a stone spirit and a chronic troublemaker in the court of the great Gods of Chinese mythology.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The sacrifice game : book II in the sacrifice game trilogy / Brian D’Amato ; with the illustrations by the author.
“The previous book, In the Courts of the Sun, a team of scientists sent math prodigy and Mayan descendant Jed DeLanda back in time to the year AD 664 to learn the “Sacrifice Game,” a divination ritual that the ancient Maya used to predict the apocalypse on December 21, 2012. But after arriving in the body of a willing human sacrifice instead of a Mayan king, Jed’s experiences led him to the fateful decision that rather than avert the apocalypse, he must ensure instead that the world ends. Using his knowledge of the divination game, Jed sets in motion a series of events that will bring about the destruction of humanity, ending the world’s pain and suffering once and for all. But before the plan can be completed, the organization that sent him into the past discovers his intention and devotes every resource to stop him.” (adapted from Amazon.com)

Agatha H. and the Clockwork Princess: a Girl genius novel / Phil & Kaja Foglio.
“With the help of Krosp Emperor of All Cats, Agatha has escaped the floating Castle Wulfenbach, but in so doing she has crash-landed directly into the Wastelands. Her goal is Mechanicsburg, the ancestral home of her family, and to reach it in one piece she will join up with Master Payne’s Circus of Adventure. But nothing is ever as easy as the stories make it seem. Her travel will be interrupted as she is sought by fierce Jagermonsters, enigmatic Geisterdamen, the Wulfenbach Empire, as well as the terrifying Other itself.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Stray souls / Kate Griffin.
“When coffeeshop employee Sharon Li discovers that she is a shaman, her first act is to start Magicals Anonymous, a support group that draws a mix of some of London’s more unusual inhabitants. Her new companions in magic include a druid with multiple allergies, a vampire who can only tolerate type O blood, a banshee determined to improve her appreciation for impressionist art, and a soft-spoken troll named Gretel. Although Sharon knows next to nothing about being a shaman, she soon learns that someone is stealing the souls of London’s buildings and leeching life from the city. Somehow, she and her tribe of misfits must find out the identity of their enemy and save London from spiritual destruction.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Crown of vengeance / Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory.
“Book 1 in the Dragon prophecy series. The orphaned elven child Varuthir is sent to live as a servant at the Sanctuary of the Star, where those who are magically gifted, the Lightborn, learn to use their magic. There she discovers that she is both the last survivor of House Farcarinon and the Child of the Prophecy, destined to destroy the hundred Kingdoms. When the Light first awakens in her, Varuthir receives her training in secret, but then decides that the time has come to reclaim her heritage and seek out the prophecy’s true meaning.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Still life with shape-shifter / Sharon Shinn.
“Melanie has always protected her younger half-sister, Ann, who can turn into a white husky, so when investigative reporter Brody Westerbrook comes calling with questions about shape-shifters for his new book, she ignores her attraction to him and sends him away. Keeping Ann’s secret is too important to risk growing close to someone new. But Melanie can only put her life on hold for Ann for so long, and Brody proves too charming and tenacious to resist, especially when Ann, also newly in love, approves of the match. Always worried about her passionate, rambling sister, Melanie is troubled when Ann’s health starts to decline rapidly, signaling an unforeseen problem with the natural lifespan of shape-shifters.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

This month’s selection includes the first volume in a new series by Alex Hughes, titled Mindspace Investigations and another new series by E. J Swift, titled Osiris Project. Highly recommended is The Hydrogen Sonata, the latest novel by Iain Banks. Plus, a new Miles Vorkosigan novel from Lois McMaster Bujold!

Red country / Joe Abercrombie.
“They burned her home. They stole her brother and sister. Shy South is out to get her family back, and seek vengeance. She sets off in pursuit with only a pair of oxen and her cowardly old stepfather Lamb for company. But it turns out Lamb’s buried a bloody past of his own, and out in the lawless Far Country the past never stays buried. Their journey will take them across the barren plains to a frontier town gripped by gold fever, through feud, duel and massacre, high into the unmapped mountains to a reckoning with the Ghosts. Even worse, it will force them into alliance with Nicomo Cosca, infamous soldier of fortune, and his feckless lawyer Temple, two men no one should ever have to trust.” (adapted from Amazon.com.)

The hydrogen sonata / Iain M. Banks.
“An ancient people, organized on military principles and yet almost perversely peaceful, the Gzilt helped set up the Culture ten thousand years earlier and were very nearly one of its founding societies, deciding not to join only at the last moment. Now they’ve made the collective decision to follow the well-trodden path of millions of other civilizations; they are going to Sublime, elevating themselves to a new and almost infinitely more rich and complex existence. Amid preparations though, the Regimental High Command is destroyed. Lieutenant Commander (reserve) Vyr Cossont appears to have been involved, and she is now wanted, dead, not alive. Aided only by an ancient, reconditioned android and a suspicious Culture avatar, Cossont must complete her last mission given to her by the High Command.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Captain Vorpatril’s alliance / Lois McMaster Bujold.
“Captain Ivan Vorpatril is happy with his relatively uneventful bachelor’s life of a staff officer to a Barrayaran Admiral. Ivan, cousin to Imperial troubleshooter Miles Vorkosigan, is not far down the hereditary list for the emperorship. Thankfully, new heirs have directed that headache elsewhere leaving Ivan to enjoy like on Komarr. But when and old friend in Barrayaran intelligence asks Ivan to protect an attractive young woman Tej Arqua his chivalrous nature takes over and danger finds him once again. Tej and her half-sister Rish are fleeing the violent overthrow of their clan but it seems Tej may possess a hidden secret that could corrupt the heart of a highly regarded Barrayarn family.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Clean : a Mindspace Investigations novel / Alex Hughes.
“I used to work for the Telepath’s Guild before they kicked me out for a drug habit that wasn’t entirely my fault. Now I work for the cops, helping Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino put killers behind bars. My ability to get inside the twisted minds of suspects makes me the best interrogator in the department. But the normals keep me on a short leash. When the Tech Wars ripped the world apart, the Guild stepped up to save it. But they had to get scary to do it, real scary. Now the cops don’t trust the telepaths, the Guild doesn’t trust me, a serial killer is stalking the city and I’m aching for a fix. But I need to solve this case. Fast. I’ve just had a vision of the future: I’m the next to die” (adpated from Syndetics summary)

Rebellion / Ian Irvine.
‘The war has been lost. Hightspall has fallen and the Cythonian enemy, led by their reincarnated sorcerer-king, Lyf, is determined to wipe it off the map and build their ancient realm anew. TALI, an escaped slave who bears the master pearl within her, is held captive by an embittered chancellor so he can take her healing blood. RIX, now known as Deadhand, has lost everything and is running for his life. He is determined to redeem himself and save his beloved country, but an obsession with his ancestor Axil Grandys, the legendary founder of Hightspall, is leading Rix on a one-way path to catastrophe. When Tali discovers that her enslaved people face genocide at the hands of the enemy, she conceives a desperate plan.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The skin map / Stephen R. Lawhead.
“Book one of Bright Empires series. Kit Livingstone’s great-grandfather appears to him in a deserted alley during a tumultuous storm. He reveals an unbelievable story: that the ley lines throughout Britain are not merely the stuff of legend or the weekend hobby of deluded cranks, but pathways to other worlds. To those who know how to use them, they grant the ability to travel the multi-layered universe of which we ordinarily inhabit only a tiny part. One explorer knew more than most. Braving every danger, he toured both time and space on voyages of heroic discovery. Ever on his guard and fearful of becoming lost in the cosmos, he developed an intricate code, a roadmap of symbols, that he tattooed onto his own body. This Skin Map has since been lost in time. Now the race is on to recover all the pieces and discover its secrets. But the Skin Map itself is not the ultimate goal. It is merely the beginning of a vast and marvellous quest for a prize beyond imagining.” (adapted from Amazon.com)

Flame of Sevenwaters / Juliet Marillier.
“Maeve, daughter of Lord Sean of Sevenwaters, was badly burned as a child and carries the legacy of that fire in her crippled hands. After ten years, she’s returning home, having grown into a courageous, forthright woman with a special gift for gentling difficult animals. But while her body’s scars have healed, her spirit remains fragile, fearing the shadows of her past.
Sevenwaters is in turmoil. The fey prince Mac Dara has become desperate to see his only son, married to Maeve’s sister, return to the Otherworld. To force Lord Sean’s hand, Mac Dara has caused a party of innocent travellers on the Sevenwaters border to vanish, only to allow their murdered bodies to be found, one by one. When Maeve finds the body of one of the missing men in a remote part of the woods, she and her brother Finbar embark on a journey that may bring about the end of Mac Dara’s reign, or lead to a hideous death.” (adapted from Amazon.com)

Something red : a novel / Douglas Nicholas.
“During the thirteenth century, in northwest England, in one of the coldest winters in living memory, a formidable middle-aged Irishwoman and her little troupe are trying to drive their three wagons across the Pennines before the heavy snows set in. Molly, her powerful and enigmatic lover Jack, her fey granddaughter Nemain, and the young apprentice Hob soon find that something terrible prowls the woods through which they must make their way. As they travel from refuge to refuge, it becomes apparent that the evil must be faced, and it is then that Hob learns how much more there is to his adopted family than he had ever imagined” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Scourge of the betrayer / Jeff Salyards.
“Many tales are told of the Syldoon Empire and its fearsome soldiers, who are known throughout the world for their treachery and atrocities. Arkamondos, a bookish young scribe, suspects that the Syldoon’s dire reputation may have grown in the retelling, but he’s about to find out for himself. Hired to chronicle the exploits of a band of rugged Syldoon warriors, Arki finds himself both frightened and fascinated by the men’s enigmatic leader, Captain Braylar Killcoin. A secretive, mercurial figure haunted by the memories of those he’s killed, Braylar has already disposed of at least one impertinent scribe and Arki might be next. As Arki heads off on a mysterious mission into parts unknown, in the company of the coarse, bloody-minded Syldoon, he is promised a chance to finally record an historic adventure well worth the telling, but first he must survive the experience.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Osiris / E.J. Swift.
“Rising high above the frigid waters, the ocean city of Osiris has been cut off from the land since the Great Storm 50 years ago. Most believe that Osiris is the last city on Earth. Adelaide is the black-sheep granddaughter of the city’s Architect. A jaded socialite, she wants little to do with her powerful relatives until her troubled twin brother disappears mysteriously. Vikram, a third-generation storm refugee, sees his own people dying of cold and starvation. He hopes to use Adelaide to bring about much-needed reforms, but who is using whom? As another brutal winter brings Osiris closer to riot and revolution, two very different people attempt to bridge the gap dividing the city, only to find a future far more complicated than either of them ever imagined.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

In this selection of the best science fiction and fantasy novels received this month, everything from occult murder investigations to epidemics, C17th Italy to C20th Russia, from pirates to fairies and demonology to the paranormal, gives a great choice to a wide range of reading preferences.

Clockwork angels / Kevin J. Anderson ; from a story and lyrics by Neil Peart ; illustrations by Hugh Syme.
“A novel based on the album “Clockwork Angels” by the rock band Rush follows a young man on a quest through a world of lost cities, pirates, anarchists, and a Watchmaker who imposes precision on all aspects of daily life.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Bowl of heaven / Gregory Benford and Larry Niven.
“A human expedition to another star system is jeopardized by the discovery of an immense bowl-shaped structure. A landing party is sent to investigate the Bowl, but when the explorers are separated, one group captured by the gigantic structure’s alien inhabitants, the other pursued across its strange and dangerous landscape, the mystery of the Bowl’s origins and purpose propels the human voyagers toward discoveries that will transform their understanding of their place in the universe.” (adapted from Amazon.com)

Dark currents : agent of Hel / Jacqueline Carey.
“The Midwestern resort town of Pemkowet boasts a diverse population: eccentric locals, wealthy summer people, and tourists by the busload; not to mention fairies, sprites, vampires, naiads, ogres and a whole host of eldritch folk, presided over by Hel, a reclusive Norse goddess. To Daisy Johanssen, fathered by an incubus and raised by a single mother, it’s home. And as Hel’s enforcer and the designated liaison to the Pemkowet Police Department, it’s up to her to ensure relations between the mundane and eldritch communities run smoothly. But when a young man from a nearby college drowns, and signs point to eldritch involvement, the town’s booming paranormal tourism trade is at stake. Teamed up with her childhood crush, Officer Cody Fairfax, a sexy werewolf on the down-low, Daisy must solve the crime, and keep a tight rein on the darker side of her nature.” (adapted from Amazon.com)

1635 : the papal stakes / Eric Flint [and] Charles E. Gannon.
“Rome, the Eternal City, 1635, uptimer Frank Stone and his pregnant downtime wife, Giovanna find they are in the clutches of would-be Pope Cardinal Borgia, with the real Pope–Urban VII, on the run with the renegade embassy of uptime Ambassador Sharon Nichols and her swashbuckling downtime husband, Ruy Sanchez de Casador y Ortiz. Up to their necks in papal assassins, power politics, murder, and mayhem, the uptimers and their spouses need help and they need it quickly. Special rescue teams, including Harry Lefferts and his infamous Wrecking Crew, converge on Rome to extract Frank and Gia. And an uptime airplane is on its way to spirit the Pope to safety before Borja’s assassins can find him. Unfortunately everything goes horribly wrong.” (adapted from Amazon. Com)

Devil said bang : a Sandman Slim novel / Richard Kadrey.
“What do you do after you’ve escaped Hell, gone back, uncovered the true nature of God, and then managed to become the new Lucifer? Well, if you’re James Stark, you have to figure out how to run Hell while also trying to get back out of it, again. Plus there’s the small matter of surviving. Because everyone in Heaven, Hell, and in between wants to be the fastest gun in the universe, and the best way to do so is to take down Lucifer, a.k.a. James Stark. And it’s not like being in L.A. is any better, a serial-killer ghost is running wild and Stark’s angelic alter ego is hiding among the lost days of time with a secret cabal who can rewrite reality.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Ashes of honor : an October Daye novel / Seanan McGuire.
“It’s been almost a year since October “Toby” Daye averted a war, gave up a county, and suffered personal losses that have left her wishing for a good day’s sleep. She’s tried to focus on her responsibilities, but her increasingly reckless behavior is beginning to worry even her staunchest supporters. To make matters worse, Toby’s just been asked to find another missing child, only this time it’s the changeling daughter of her fellow knight, Etienne, who didn’t even know he was a father until the girl went missing. Her name is Chelsea. She’s a teleporter, like her father. She’s also the kind of changeling the old stories warn about, the ones with all the strength and none of the control. She’s opening doors that were never meant to be opened, releasing dangers that were sealed away centuries before and there’s a good chance she could destroy Faerie if she isn’t stopped.” (adapted from Amazon.com)

Kings of the north / Elizabeth Moon.
“King Kieri’s realm has been destabilised by political wrangling and his court is blind to the dangers, until an assassination attempt on their king. When this backfires, Kieri’s enemies start planning an invasion using dragonfire, a force unseen for hundreds of years. In King Mikeli’s adjoining kingdom, his crown is threatened by a bandit prince. Alured the Black claims his lineage gives him dominion over all the lands. His ambition is boundless, his methods are ruthless and he will not be swayed from his goal, whether or not it undermines a region already on the brink of war. Dark mages also watch for weakness and hunger for their own lost powers. The Kings of the North must plan wisely, as disaster is a sword’s breadth away.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Sharps / K.J. Parker.
“For the first time in nearly forty years, an uneasy truce has been called between two neighbouring kingdoms. The war has been long and brutal, fought over the usual things: resources, land, and money. Now, there is a chance for peace. Diplomatic talks have begun and with them, the games of skill and chance. Two teams of fencers represent their nations at this pivotal moment. When the future of the world lies balanced on the point of a rapier, one misstep could mean ruin for all.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

The Constantine Affliction : a Pimm and Skye adventure / T. Aaron Payton.
“The Constantine Affliction, a strange malady that kills some of its victims and physically transforms others into the opposite sex, has spread scandal and upheaval throughout society. Scientific marvels and disasters, such as clockwork courtesans, the alchemical fires of Whitechapel, electric carriages, and acidic monsters lurking in the Thames, have forever altered the face of the city. Pembroke “Pimm” Hanover is an aristocrat with an interest in criminology, who uses his keen powers of observation to assist the police or private individuals, at least when he’s sober enough to do so. Ellie Skyler, who hides her gender behind the byline “E. Skye,” is an intrepid journalist driven by both passion and necessity to uncover the truth, no matter where it hides. When Pimm and Skye stumble onto a dark plot that links the city’s most notorious criminal overlord with the Queen’s new consort, famed scientist Sir Bertram Oswald, they soon find the forces of both high and low society arrayed against them.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Deathless / Catherynne M. Valente.
“A handsome young man arrives in St Petersburg at the house of Marya Morevna. He is Koschei, the Tsar of Life, and he is Marya’s fate. Koschei leads Marya to his kingdom, where she becomes a warrior in his tireless battle against his own brother, the Tsar of Death. Years pass. Battle-hardened, scarred by love, and longing for respite, Marya returns to St Petersburg, only to discover a place as pitiful as the land she has just fled: a starveling city, haunted by death.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

This month’s selection includes the third volume in Stephen Baxter’s series Northland, also the third volume in Stephen Lawhead’s Bright Empires series. Highly recommended is David Weber’s latest novel titled, Midst Toil and Tribulation.

Iron winter / Stephen Baxter.
“Book three of the Northland series. It is 1315 and darkness is falling. Many generations ago the Wall was first built to hold back the sea. Northland, a country of fertile plains and ancient forests rescued from the ocean, has become a thriving civilisation based on trade, technology and tradition, centred on the ancient home of the first builders, Etxelur. The whole of Europe, spanned by the Northlanders’ steam caravan lines, has been changed in ways that could never have been predicted. But nothing can last forever, not even the Wall. The weather is changing, growing colder, and in the wake of the long winters come famine, destruction and terror. As whole nations are forced out of their lands and head for warmer climes, it seems that even Northland may not be able to endure. But there is one man, an elderly scholar, who believes he can calculate why the world is cooling, and perhaps even salvage some scraps of the great civilisation of Etxelur. As he embarks on his grand quest across the world, as nations struggle for survival and the fires of war burn in the gloom, only one thing is certain, the Ice is coming.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

The black mausoleum / Stephen Deas.
“Two years have passed since the events of the Order of the Scales. Across the realms, dragons are still hatching, and hatching free. Skorl is an Ember, a soldier trained from birth to fight dragons. He is a living weapon, one-shot only, saturated with enough dragon-poison to bring down a monster all on his own. Skorl has a choice: he can hang for his crimes, or he can go with the last of the Adamantine Men, fighting against an enemy he was born to face.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Agatha H. and the airship city / Phil & Kaja Foglio.
“The Industrial Revolution has escalated into all-out warfare. It has been eighteen years since the Heterodyne Boys, benevolent adventurers and inventors, disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Today, Europe is ruled by the Sparks, dynasties of mad scientists ruling over- and terrorizing the hapless population with their bizarre inventions and unchecked power, while the downtrodden dream of the Hetrodynes’ return. At Transylvania Polygnostic University, a pretty, young student named Agatha Clay seems to have nothing but bad luck. Incapable of building anything that actually works, but dedicated to her studies, Agatha seems destined for a lackluster career as a minor lab assistant. But when the University is overthrown by the ruthless tyrant Baron Klaus Wulfenbach, Agatha finds herself a prisoner aboard his massive airship Castle Wulfenbach and it begins to look like she might carry a spark of Mad Science after all.” (Syndetics summary)

The spirit well / Stephen R. Lawhead.
“This is the third installment of The Bright Empires series. Kit Livingstone is perfecting his time-traveling ability as he travels to the Stone Age in search of the missing pieces of the Skin Map. Mina is in the Pyrenees, trying to learn a monk’s secrets. And archaeologist Cassandra Clarke is transported from modern-day Arizona to 1950s Damascus where she meets the Seekers, the last living members of the Zetetic Society, who need her help tracking down Kit. They are in a race against time to put together the pieces of the map before dark forces can use it for the ultimate evil.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

King of thorns / Mark Lawrence.
“Book two of the Broken Empire series. When he was nine years old, Prince Jorg vowed to avenge the murders of his mother and brother and to punish his father for failing to do so. Now, at 18, King Jorg rules in his father’s place and must concentrate on holding his kingdom against invading armies who greatly outnumber his own forces. When he discovers a hidden chamber beneath his castle, Jorg realizes that he possesses the means to wield great power against his enemies, if he dares to take the risk.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Chimera / T.C. McCarthy.
“The concluding volume of the Subterrene War, near-future military-powered science fiction trilogy. Stan Resnick is a Special Forces operative who specializes in tracking down and eliminating escaped genetically engineered soldiers. But as he excels in his military career, his personal life is unraveling. The horrors that Resnick has witnessed, and committed, have left him numb and disconnected from reality. His wife informs him that she is pregnant with another man’s child, and eventually leaves him. Rather than face his demons, Resnick turns to drink and immerses himself in a top-secret mission that involves a highly illegal genetic-engineering program and the first moves toward what could be a new world war.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Lord of mountains : a novel of the change / S.M. Stirling.
“Rudi Mackenize, now Artos the First, High King of Montival, and his allies have won several key battles against the Church Universal and Triumphant, but still the war rages on, taking countless lives, ravaging the land once known as the United States of America. Artos and his Queen, Mathilda, must unite the realms into a single kingdom to ensure a lasting peace. If the leaders of the Changed world are to accept Artos as their ruler, he will need to undertake a quest to the Lake at the Heart of the Mountains, and take part in a crowning ceremony–a ceremony binding him to his people, his ancestors, and his land. Then, once he has secured his place and allegiances, Artos can go forward, and lead his forces to the heart of the enemy’s territory.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The apocalypse codex / Charles Stross.
“Fresh from a particularly gruesome case in which an incorporeal entity called the Eater of Souls tried to possess his body, computational demonologist Bob Howard has been taking a breather from strenuous duty at the super secret British spy agency dubbed the Laundry by enrolling in a management seminar on his way to a promotion. Bob is assigned to shadow a freelance Laundry operative, Persephone Hazard, who, in turn, is keeping an eye on the prime minister, and things start to get interesting again. Persephone’s primary target isn’t Downing Street, however, but a wildly popular televangelist, Ray Schiller, who apparently can perform real if not entirely godly miracles and whose friendship with the prime minister has a more-diabolical-than-angelic intent.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Midst toil and tribulation / David Weber.
“After centuries of stasis, the island kingdom of Charis began to defy the edicts of the Church of God Awaiting, encouraged, some say, by the mysterious warrior-monk Merlin Athawes. Now, in the wars and intrigues that have cascaded from Charis’s declaration of independence, the populous Republic of Siddermark is sliding into chaos. Vicar Clytahn of the Church of God at harvest time, King Cayleb of Charis, his queen Sharleyan, and Merlin Arthawes have the problem of trying to stave off wholesale starvation in Siddermark while at the same time shipping in enough land combat units to fend off the “volunteers” from the Church’s Temple Lands. As Vicar Clyntahn is hailed in the Church for his boldness and audacity, there are those who remember how dependent Church power is on money from Siddermark and who wonder what will happen if Siddermark starves.” (adapted from Amazon.com)

The dirty streets of heaven : a Bobby Dollar novel / Tad Williams.
” Bobby Dollar, an Earth-bound angel advocate for newly departed souls caught between Heaven and Hell, is appalled when a soul goes missing on his watch. Bobby quickly realizes this is “an actual, honest-to-front-office crisis,” and he sets out to fix it, sparking a chain of hellish events. A gruesome murder, cryptic messages from Heaven, a stolen object, a villainous grand duke of Hell, an elusive secret society, an irresistible succubus, and a dreadful primordial spirit provide the ingredients for a tightly woven, action-packed adventure.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

This month’s selection includes the first volumes in new series by Terry Brooks, Orson Scott Card and Australian writer Duncan Lay. Plus the highly recommended alternative history novel by Harry Turtledove, titled, Coup D’état, the second in his, The War Came Early series.

Wards of Faerie : the dark legacy of Shannara / Terry Brooks.
“Celebrating the 35th anniversary of The Sword of Shannara, which launched a 20-volume bestselling saga, Brooks sets this dual-heroine quest immediately following the events of the High Druid of Shannara trilogy. There was an age when the world was young. It was a time before the coming of humans, a time when magic was the dominant power and it was named the age of Faerie. Ever since this time, a bitter war has been raging between the forces of good and evil. And it was during this age that the Elfstones protecting the Elven race disappeared. They have been missing for thousands of years. Now a clue to their location may have surfaced in the ancient diary of a princess, and it will be the beginning of an adventure that no-one could have anticipated.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Earth unaware : the first Formic War / Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston. Earth Unaware
“A hundred years before “Ender’s Game,” humans thought they were alone in the galaxy. Humanity was slowly making their way out from Earth to the planets and asteroids of the Solar System, exploring and mining and founding colonies. The mining ship, El Cavador is far out from Earth, in the deeps of the Kuiper Belt, beyond Pluto. When El Cavador’s telescopes pick up a fast-moving object coming in-system, it’s hard to know what to make of it. It’s massive and moving at a significant fraction of the speed of light. But the ship has other problems. Their systems are old and failing. The family is getting too big. There are claim-jumping corporations bringing Asteroid Belt tactics to the Kuiper Belt. Worrying about a distant object that might or might not be an alien ship seems not important. They’re wrong. It’s the most important thing that has happened to the human race in a million years. This is humanity’s first contact with an alien race. The First Formic War is about to begin.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Awakening / William Horwood. “One momentous evening, events are set in motion that will decide the fate of our world and the Hyddenworld, a land lying alongside our own, concealed from human eyes. As earth tremors ravage the Hyddenworld, a child of two worlds is born, a lost gem is found and the Hyddenworld’s sleeping Emperor finally wakes. And he requires a powerful gem to sustain his stricken body and time-worn spirit. These events signal the end of a normal life for Jack and his daughter. Judith must find her path as a woman of two worlds, as her unwelcome destiny calls her to unite four powerful gems, so keeping the earth from darkness with their light. If she fails, both human and Hydden worlds will face extinction. To triumph, she must embrace the help of friends and the love of her greatest friend of all.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Time untime / Sherrilyn Kenyon.Time Untime “Kateri Avani has been plagued her entire life with dreams she doesn’t understand: images of places she’s never been and of a man she’s never seen. Her quest for answers has driven her to Las Vegas where she hopes to finally silence the demons in her mind. What she never anticipates is coming face to face with the warrior who has haunted her entire life. One who belongs to a world the scientist in her refuses to believe is real. Ren Waya came back from the dead to keep the prophecy he began from coming true and ending the world. For thousands of years, he has fought the same evil that once possessed him. But now that evil has found the one person he can’t fight. The one person who, against his will, holds the most sacred part of him: his heart. But if he doesn’t kill Kateri, the deadliest of evils will re-emerge and destroy everyone else on the planet.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Bridge of swords / Duncan Lay. “Sendatsu is a hunted man. His people, even his own father, want him dead. Cast out of his home, he finds himself in a strange new land, desperate to find a way to return to his children. Alone in the land of Vales, Sendatsu is forced to rely on his talents as a fighter to survive. His skills are welcomed by two fugitives, Huw and Rhiannon, who are desperate to alert the peaceful people of the Vales of an impending invasion. When no one will believe them, Sendatsu becomes the wildcard in a fight for freedom. Three centuries of lies and deceit are about to burst into bloody life around Sendatsu, when the last thing he wants is to be a hero.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Vampire warlords / Andy Remic. “ In book 3 of The Clockwork Vampire Chronicles series, llegendary warrior Kell must choose to flee the conquered land of Falanor, or fight for its people. Even now it may be too late, that all is lost for the Vachine invaders have called upon their ancient rulers, semi-immortal bloodsuckers who dwell on the edges between life and death. The vampire warlords have returned, and they will feed.” (adapted from Amazon.com)

Queen of wands / John Ringo. “Soccer mother and demon fighter Barabara Everette is back in this intricately interwoven monster noir thriller, the sequel to the bestselling Princess of Wands. Barbara Everette has a problem. It seems Janea, Barbara’s assistant and The Foundation for Love and Universal Faith’s best operative, has been thrown into a coma by some very nasty magic she’s stirred up. Now, Barbara must track down the perpetrators and break the spell or Janea’s soul will be forever lost on the astral plane. If she can’t break the spell, zombies will destroy all mankind.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Redshirts / John Scalzi.Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas
“Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, and Andrew is even more delighted when he’s assigned to the ship’s Xenobiology laboratory. Andrew worries about the number of casualties suffered by low-ranking officers during away missions before making a shocking discovery about the starship’s actual purpose.” (adapted from Book cover)

War in Heaven / Gavin G, Smith. “The high-powered sequel to VETERAN sees an unlikely hero make an even more unlikely return to take the reader back into a vividly rendered bleak future. But a bleak future where there are still wonders: man travelling out into the universe, Bladerunneresque cities hanging from the ceilings of vast caverns, aliens that we can barely comprehend.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Coup d’etat / Harry Turtledove.Coup D’Etat
“In this alternate history of World War II, the choices of men and fate have changed history. It is the winter of 1941. as the Germans, with England and France on their side, move deep into Russia, Stalin’s terrible machine fights for its life. But the agreements of world leaders do not touch the hearts of soldiers. The war between Germany and Russia is rocked by men with the courage to aim their guns in a new direction.England is the first to be shaken. Following the suspicious death of Winston Churchill, with his staunch anti-Nazi views, a small cabal begins to imagine the unthinkable in a nation long famous for respecting the rule of law. With civil liberties hanging by a thread, a conspiracy forms against the powers that be. What will this daring plan mean for the European war as a whole?” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Space travel, genetic engineering, telepathy and time travel mixed with plenty of magic are the themes selected for this month. Highly recommended is the new Ben Bova novel, titled Orion and King Arthur.

Orion and King Arthur / Ben Bova. Orion and King Arthur
“A servant of Aten, one of the Creators, Orion has lived many lives traveling through time and space and carrying out his master’s wishes. Sent to Britain after the departure of the Roman armies, Orion befriends a young warrior named Arthur, whom Aten wishes to bring stability, but not much more, to the island. Orion, however, sees what Arthur can become and sets out to aid him in becoming a king and a hero.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Sea of ghosts / Alan Campbell.
“Thrown out of the Graveyard corps by a corrupt and weak emperor, Granger has to turn to running his own prison. It’s not a lucrative business but if he keeps his head down, doesn’t succumb to pity or morals then he may just survive. But when two unexpected prisoners enter his life then his world is turned upside down. Ianthe is young, blind and deaf, she can only see or hear through other people’s senses. This makes her unique in a world held to ransom by the powerful Haurstaf, a sisterhood of telepaths who consider the young girl a threat to their power. She’s also Granger’s daughter.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Life, liberty and the pursuit of sausages : a comedy of transdimensional tomfoolery / Tom Holt.
“Polly is a real estate solicitor. She is also losing her mind. Someone keeps drinking her coffee and talking to her clients and doing her job. When she goes to the dry cleaners to pick up her dress, it’s not there. Not the dress, the dry cleaners.”(adapted from book cover)

Sky dragons / Anne McCaffrey.Sky Dragons
“After a vicious plague swept through the world of Pern, there are no longer enough dragons to fight off the current onslaught of Thread, the deadly spore that falls like rain from the skies and devours everything organic in its path. Pern’s last best chance to rebuild the decimated dragon population lies with a group of young dragonriders and their dragons left stranded on an unexplored island. Leadership of these dragons and riders falls to Xhinna, female rider of a blue dragon, who, as the most experienced dragonrider in the new Weyr, must earn the respect of all who follow her, as not everyone is ready to accept a female wingleader.” (adapted from Amazon.co.uk)

Germline / T.C. McCarthy.
“While covering a subterranean war under Kazakhstan, reporter Oscar Wendell discovers that the germline soldiers, genetically engineered super-soldiers, are more than weapons, and that playing with the human genome has deadly consequences.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The long earth / Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter.
“A revolutionary process known as Stepping has allowed humanity access to an unlimited number of parallel Earths, all devoid of human life. The further one travels, the stranger the variant worlds become. Joshua Valiente, one of a rare breed who can Step without external help, is hired by the transEarth Institute to travel by airship across the Long Earth, exploring as far as possible. Accompanied by Lobsang, a Tibetan reincarnated as an artificial intelligence, he journeys across millions of Earths, discovering just what sort of bizarre secrets lurk in the farthest reaches.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The river of shadows / Robert V.S. Redick.
“From the mysterious River of Shadows to the Infernal Forest, to the Island Wilderness, Pazel and his companions face a phantasmagoric journey through altered realities, a nightmare journey which offers glimpses of what might have been while taking them into the terror of what is to come.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Troubled waters / Sharon Shinn.Troubled Waters
“Zoe Ardelay, chosen to become the king’s fifth wife, is a coru prime ruled by the elemental sign of water. She must return to the palace, not as an unwilling bride for the king, but a woman with power in her own right. But as Zoe unlocks more of the mysteries of her blood and the secrets of the royal family, she must decide how to use her great power to rise above the deceptions and intrigue of the royal court.” (adapted from book cover)

Bitter seeds / Ian Tregillis.
“Raybould Marsh is a British secret agent in the early days of the Second World War, haunted by something strange he saw on a mission during the Spanish Civil War: a German woman with wires going into her head who looked at him as if she knew him. When the Nazis start running missions with people who have unnatural abilities, a woman who can turn invisible, a man who can walk through walls, and the woman Marsh saw in Spain who can use her knowledge of the future to twist the present, Marsh is the man who has to face them. He rallies the secret warlocks of Britain to hold the impending invasion at bay. But magic always exacts a price.” (adapted from Amazon.com)

War maid’s choice / David Weber.
“In a world populated by many intelligent species, including human, dwarf, and the warrior hradani, the gods use avatars and others sworn to their service to fight out the eternal war between light and dark. Among the latter is Bahzell, the first ever hradani Wind Rider. As the first hradani wind rider in history, Bahzell stirs resentment over his elevation to the War God’s elite champion, a situation that is further complicated by the romantic advances of Baron Tellian’s heiress daughter.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)