Books in the Mail (W/E 2012-03-03)

Here's the weekly round-up of arrivals for review at the o' Stuff...

The Isis Collar (Blood Singer #4) by Cat Adams (Tor, Trade Paperback 03/13/2012) – Very nearly a year after the third book in the series published, the fourth hits bookshelves. The series is about a half-human/half-vampire professional bodyguard Celia Graves who lives in an alternate California where vampires stalk the alleys at night, werewolves are dangerous animals to be feared and the police have witches and telepaths to help do their job. Of course, so do the criminals.

Celia Graves was once an ordinary human, but those days are long gone. Now she strives to maintain her sanity and her soul while juggling both vampire abilities and the powers of a Siren.

Warned of a magical “bomb” at a local elementary school, Celia forces an evacuation. Oddly, the explosion seems to have no effect, puzzling both Celia and the FBI. Two weeks later, a strangely persistent bruise on Celia’s leg turns out to be the first sign of a magical zombie plague.

Finding the source of the plague isn’t Celia’s only concern. Her alcoholic mother has broken out of prison on the Sirens’ island; her little sister’s ghost has possessed a young girl; and one of Celia’s boyfriends, a powerful mage, has disappeared.

Phalanx edited by Ben Counter (Black Library, Mass Market Paperback 04/03/2012) – Counter’s latest is a jump from his Horus Heresy novels, though still set in the far future of WH40K.


Phalanx, the great star fort of the Imperial Fists, is playing host to Space Marines from half a dozen Chapters, alongside Inquisitors, Sisters of Battle and agents of the Adeptus Mechanicus. They have come together to witness the end of a Space Marine Chapter, as the once-noble Soul Drinkers, now Chaos-tainted renegades and heretics, are put on trial for their crimes against the Imperium. But dark forces are stirring and even this gathering of might may not be enough to guard against the evil that is about to be unleashed...

The epic Soul Drinkers series concludes in this action-packed novel from the acclaimed author of Galaxy in Flames. Phalanx first appeared as a serialised novel in Hammer & Bolter issues 1 to 12.

Gotrek and Felix: The Anthology edited by Christian Dunn (Black Library, Mass Market Paperback 04/03/2012) – A collection of short stories centering on the most popular duo from the “Old World” of Warhammer, the Fahfrd and Grey Mouser if you will.


Gotrek and Felix: unsung heroes of the Empire, or nothing more than common thieves and murderers? The truth perhaps lies somewhere in between, and depends entirely upon whom you ask... Within these pages you will find the untold tales of the adventuring duo, some of which undoubtedly even they would rather remain a secret. From the wastelands of the north to the mystical cities of Araby, and from the orcs of Karak Azgal to the ogres of Skabrand – their exploits are recalled and their legend grows.

Featuring the brand new novella-length tale Slayer’s Honour by Nathan Long, this anthology also contains a swashbuckling selection of great stories including a previously unpublished tale by renowned SF writer John Brunner.

Slayer’s Honour Nathan Long
A Cask of Wynters Josh Reynolds
A Place of Quiet Assembly John Brunner
Kineater Jordan Ellinger
Prophecy Ben McCallum
The Tilean’s Talisman David Guymer
Last Orders Andy Smillie
Mind-stealer C.L. Werner
The Two Crowns of Ras Karim Nathan Long
The Funeral of Gotrek Gurnisson Richard Salter



Legion of the Damned by Rob Sanders (Black Library, Mass Market Paperback 04/03/2012) – This is Sanders third novel for Black Library, and like the previous two, is set in the far future WH40K.


Following the trajectory of a blood-red comet, the berserk World Eaters blaze a path of destruction across the galaxy in its wake. The small cemetery world of Certus Minor appeals to the Space Marines of the Excoriators Chapter for protection, but the force dispatched to deal with this grim threat is far too small and their losses against the renegades are high. Just as all seems lost, salvation is borne out of legend itself as sinister spectral warriors descend upon this planet of the dead, and the enemies of the Imperium come face to face with those who have already travelled beyond the realm of the living...

Triggers by Robert J. Sawyer (Ace Hardcover 04/03/2012) – Here Sawyer turns his hands back to the SF thriller, something at which he is equally adept at writing:

On the eve of a secret military operation, an assassin's bullet strikes President Seth Jerrison. He is rushed to the hospital, where surgeons struggle to save his life.

At the same hospital, researcher Dr. Ranjip Singh is experimenting with a device that can erase traumatic memories.

Then a terrorist bomb detonates. In the operating room, the president suffers cardiac arrest. He has a near-death experience-but the memories that flash through Jerrison's mind are not his memories.

It quickly becomes clear that the electromagnetic pulse generated by the bomb amplified and scrambled Dr. Singh's equipment, allowing a random group of people to access one another's minds.

And now one of those people has access to the president's memories- including classified information regarding the upcoming military mission, which, if revealed, could cost countless lives. But the task of determining who has switched memories with whom is a daunting one- particularly when some of the people involved have reason to lie...

Books in the Mail (W/E 2011-03-19)

Back to a big batch this week, with some really nice looking stuff from Night Shade Books

The Winds of Khalakovo (The Lays of Anuskaya Book One) by Bradley P. Beaulieu (Night Shade Books Trade Paperback 04/05/2011) – Beaulieu’s novel-writing career launches with this book, itself the first in a series. What a gorgeous cover, which looks to have a good story inside:

Among inhospitable and unforgiving seas stands Khalakovo, a mountainous archipelago of seven islands, its prominent eyrie stretching a thousand feet into the sky. Serviced by windships bearing goods and dignitaries, Khalakovo's eyrie stands at the crossroads of world trade. But all is not well in Khalakovo. Conflict has erupted between the ruling Landed, the indigenous Aramahn, and the fanatical Maharraht, and a wasting disease has grown rampant over the past decade. Now, Khalakovo is to play host to the Nine Dukes, a meeting which will weigh heavily upon Khalakovo's future.
When an elemental spirit attacks an incoming windship, murdering the Grand Duke and his retinue, Prince Nikandr, heir to the scepter of Khalakovo, is tasked with finding the child prodigy believed to be behind the summoning. However, Nikandr discovers that the boy is an autistic savant who may hold the key to lifting the blight that has been sweeping the islands. Can the Dukes, thirsty for revenge, be held at bay? Can Khalakovo be saved? The elusive answer drifts upon the Winds of Khalakovo...

Betrayer (Foreigner #12) by C. J. Cherryh (DAW Hardcover 05/04/2010) – If nothing else, Cherryh maintains an impressive schedule of output, this is the 12th in the series for which I received the 11th exactly a year ago.

The twelfth book in Hugo Award winner C.J. Cherryh's epic Foreigner series.

The civil war among the alien atevi has ended. Tabini-aiji, powerful ruler of the Western Association, along with Cajeiri his son and heir, and his human paidhi, Bren Cameron, have returned to the Bujavid, their seat of power.

But factions that remain loyal to the opposition are still present, and the danger these rebels pose is far from over.

A Matter of Time by Glen Cook (Night Shade Books Trade Paperback 04/05/2011) – As I’ve previously noted, Night Shade is continuing to do a superb job of reissuing Glen Cook’s backlist and keeping a solid “branding” to all of the books. Of special note to me on this book is the cover blurb, which is from my review of Cook’s Darkwar.

May 1975. St. Louis. In a snow-swept street, a cop finds the body of a man who died fifty years ago. It's still warm. July 1866, Lidice, Bohemia: A teenage girl calmly watches her parents die as another being takes control of her body. August 2058, Prague: Three political rebels flee in to the past, taking with them a terrible secret. As past, present, and future collide, one man holds the key to the puzzle. And if he doesn't fit it together, the world he knows will fall to pieces. It's just A Matter of Time!

The Crippled God (Malazan Book of the Fallen #10) by Mark Chadbourn (Tor Trade Paperback 03/01/2011) – As I said when I posted last week about this book hitting the NY Times Bestseller list: ‘I'm a few books behind in my reading of the series, but I do enjoy The Malazan Book of the Fallen a great deal. I received a note from Tor books telling me the following. Now I have the final three books, no excuses not to finish up the books right? Well, except for all these other books I keep receiving. Anyway, Owen reviewed the book a couple of weeks ago and liked it a lot

Savaged by the K’Chain Nah’Ruk, the Bonehunters march for Kolanse, where waits an unknown fate. Tormented by questions, the army totters on the edge of mutiny, but Adjunct Tavore will not relent. One final act remains, if it is in her power, if she can hold her army together, if the shaky allegiances she has forged can survive all that is to come. A woman with no gifts of magic, deemed plain, unprepossessing, displaying nothing to instill loyalty or confidence, Tavore Paran of House Paran means to challenge the gods – if her own troops don’t kill her first.

Awaiting Tavore and her allies are the Forkrul Assail, the final arbiters of humanity. Drawing upon an alien power terrible in its magnitude, they seek to cleanse the world, to annihilate every human, every civilization, in order to begin anew. They welcome the coming conflagration of slaughter, for it shall be of their own devising, and it pleases them to know that, in the midst of the enemies gathering against them, there shall be betrayal.

In the realm of Kurald Galain, home to the long lost city of Kharkanas, a mass of refugees stand upon the First Shore. Commanded by Yedan Derryg, the Watch, they await the breaching of Lightfall, and the coming of the Tiste Liosan. This is a war they cannot win, and they will die in the name of an empty city and a queen with no subjects.

Elsewhere, the three Elder Gods, Kilmandaros, Errastas and Sechul Lath, work to shatter the chains binding Korabas, the Otataral Dragon, from her eternal prison. Once freed, she will rise as a force of devastation, and against her no mortal can stand. At the Gates of Starvald Demelain, the Azath House sealing the portal is dying. Soon will come the Eleint, and once more, there will be dragons in the world.

Element Zero (Revivors #3) by James Knapp (Rpc Mass Market Paperback 04/02/2011) – The first in this series State of Decaypublished about a year ago and I finally caught up with it earlier this year and thought it pretty interesting..


Technologically reanimated corpses are frontline soldiers engaged in a neverending war. Agent Nico Wachalowski uncovered a conspiracy that allowed Samuel Fawkes, the scientist who created them, to control them beyond the grave. And now Fawkes has infected untold thousands with new technology, creating an undetectable army that will obey his every command-a living army that just might represent the future of humanity...

Soft Apocalypse by Will McIntosh Trade Paperback 04/19/2011 Night Shade Books) – Yet another interesting looking debut novel from Night Shade.

What happens when resources become scarce and society starts to crumble? As the competition for resources pulls America's previously stable society apart, the "New Normal" is a Soft Apocalypse. This is how our world ends; with a whimper instead of a bang.
New social structures and tribal connections spring up across America, as the previous social structures begin to dissolve. Soft apocalypse follows the journey across the South East of a tribe of formerly middle class Americans as they struggle to find a place for themselves and their children in a new, dangerous world that still carries the ghostly echoes of their previous lives.

The Shining City: (Book 3 of the Warriors of Estavia by Fiona Patton (DAQ Trade Paperback 04/05/2011) - The concluding volume in Patton’s trilogy:

"Expert world builder"* Fiona Patton concludes The Warriors of Estavia saga. *Midwest Book Review

With the three children of prophecy-the seers Spar and Graize, and the warrior Brax-now grown, and the young God Hisar ready to stake his claim to a place in the pantheon of Anavatan, a time of chaos and change is fast approaching. For only if sworn enemies Spar and Graize can come together as Hisar's priests will the God stand any chance of surviving the coming battles with both the hungry spirits seeking to devour him, and the war with the mortal invasion fleet, which is even now sailing for Anavatan.

Eureka: Road Less Traveled by Cris Ramsay (Ace, Mass Market Paperback 04/1/2011) – My wife and I are big fans of the show, but I haven’t read any of the novels based on the show, of which this is the third. Ramsay is the house name Ace is using for these books.


A Global Dynamics researcher has a breakthrough on her project visualizing another dimension. And since GD's experiments have a bad tendency to affect the entire town, Sheriff Jack Carter heads over to check it out. What he sees blows him away. The project has revealed a parallel universe, complete with another Eureka-one in which Carter doesn't exist! But as the two worlds begin to bleed into each other and residents confront their alternate selves, Carter may be the one man who can keep both Eurekas from being destroyed.

WWW: Wonder (WWW #3) by Robert J. Sawyer (Ace Hardcover 04/06/2010) – I read the first two in the trilogy (WWW: Wake and WWW: Watch); first book was good, second was good too, but a sense of padding began to creep into the narrative for me. Regardless, I’ll be reading this one to see how Sawyer resolves it:

"A writer of boundless confidence and bold scientific extrapolation" (New York Times) concludes his mindbending trilogy.

Webmind-the vast consciousness that spontaneously emerged from the infrastructure of the World Wide Web-has proven its worth to humanity by aiding in everything from curing cancer to easing international tensions. But the brass at the Pentagon see Webmind as a threat that needs to be eliminated.

Caitlin Decter-the once-blind sixteen-year-old math genius who discovered, and bonded with, Webmind-wants desperately to protect her friend. And if she doesn't act, everything-Webmind included-may come crashing down.

Black Halo (The Aeons' Gate #2) by Sam Sykes (Pyr, Trade Paperback Paperback 03/22/2011) – Second novel in Sykes’ buzzworthy series.


THE TOME OF THE UNDERGATES HAS BEEN RECOVERED...

...and the gates of hell remain closed. Lenk and his five companions set sail to bring the accursed relic away from the demonic reach of Ulbecetonth, the Kraken Queen. But after weeks at sea, tensions amidst the adventurers are rising. Their troubles are only beginning when their ship crashes upon an island made of the bones left behind from a war long dead.

And it appears that bloodthirsty alien warrior women, fanatical beasts from the deep, and heretic-hunting wizards are the least of their concerns. Haunted by their pasts, plagued by their gods, tormented by their own people, and gripped by madness personal and peculiar, their greatest foes may yet be themselves.

The reach of Ulbecetonth is longer than hell can hold.


Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente (Tor, Hardcover 03/29/2011) – Valente is very prolific, having published over half-dozen novels in the past 5 years. This is her latest.

Koschei the Deathless is to Russian folklore what devils or wicked witches are to European culture: a menacing, evil figure; the villain of countless stories which have been passed on through story and text for generations. But Koschei has never before been seen through the eyes of Catherynne Valente, whose modernized and transformed take on the legend brings the action to modern times, spanning many of the great developments of Russian history in the twentieth century.

Deathless, however, is no dry, historical tome: it lights up like fire as the young Marya Morevna transforms from a clever child of the revolution, to Koschei’s beautiful bride, to his eventual undoing. Along the way there are Stalinist house elves, magical quests, secrecy and bureaucracy, and games of lust and power. All told, Deathless is a collision of magical history and actual history, of revolution and mythology, of love and death, which will bring Russian myth back to life in a stunning new incarnation.

Wake and Shadows

Just one new review at SFFWorld this week - Watch by Robert J. Sawyer. While I enjoyed the book, it felt, I don’t know a bit thin. I remark on this in my review, but I get the sense that these three books really could have been one novel.

One narrative trick Sawyer plays in Watch is effective. The majority is told in a third person omniscient POV, while the remainder is from Webmind’s first person narrative. This provides more insight into the growing life form and Sawyer captured the alien-ness of Webmind fairly well. Having only humans after which to model himself, it’s only natural for the artificial intelligence to be somewhat humanistic.

There is something almost naïve about Webmind’s development as a sentient and intelligent being. To be guided by a young relatively well-adjusted girl whose parents are scientists is a bit too optimistic a thing for which to hope and impinges a bit on the story’s credibility – things are a bit too convenient.

This convenience is tempered by the aforementioned WATCH, whose basic mission statement is the responsibility of shutting down any artificial intelligence that evolves and develops. While this group makes attempts at ‘killing’ Webmind, they aren’t fast enough and decide at a point where Webmind can outpace their fail-safes and still survive despite their attempts.

I’ve been catching up with Tad Williams Shadowmarch saga over the past couple of weeks having finished Shadowplay last week and soon I’ll be starting Shadowrise. Although I read Dragons of Ordinary Farm the YA novel he wrote with his wife that I really enjoyed, the Shadowmarch saga is the type of grand, epic sweeping saga for which he is famous.

I enjoyed Shadowplay and may have a review for it in the near future and hope to have an interview with Tad posted to SFFWorld in the near future.

Wake by Robert J. Sawyer - Reviewed

Robert J. Sawyer is one of the genre’s most recognized and decorated writers with a lot of his novels having either been nominated or receiving genre awards. I’ve read a couple of his books and enjoyed them (Factoring Humanity and Starplex) so I was pleased to receive a review copy of his latest. Sawyer’s one of those authors I enjoyed, but just never managed to pick up again. That said, I posted my review of that latest book Wake, the first novel in his new WWW trilogy yesterday. Ace is very much behind this book in a strong way, with a nice dedicated site to the series: http://wakewatchwonder.com/ and Rob (as he does for all of his books) has a nice page for the book on his Web site: http://www.sfwriter.com./exw1.htm.

Anyway, here’s the usual snippet from my review:

Wake centers on Caitlin Decter a young girl blind from birth. Despite this handicap and moving from Texas to Canada, she has adjusted pretty well and is able to browse the internet through a text-to-voice interface that reads the Web pages to her. One day, she receives a promising message about a new technology developed in Japan that might allow her to finally see. What she gets is not exactly the vision for which she hoped, for this procedure allows here to see the connections of the World Wide Web, which she comes to call her Websight. She begins to see something else though, something that respond, something that seemingly has free will and the ability to act on its own.

Books in the Mail (W/E 03/14/2009)

Another huge week as the Penguin (Roc, NAL, Ace, DAW) imprints begin rolling out their April books. Some other books I’ve really been wanting to read arrived as well, but the highlight might be the ARC of Brandon Sanderson’s Warbreaker. Once again, I’m feeling the “too many appealing books and not enough time” thing.

Magic Strikes (Book Three of Kate Daniels) by Ilona Andrews (Ace Mass Market Paperback 03/31/2009) – The third in an Urban Fantasy series (haven’t read the first two) about a Paranormal fixer-uppper:

Drafted into working for the Order of Merciful Aid, mercenary Kate Daniels has more paranormal problems than she knows what to do with. And in Atlanta, where magic comes and goes like the tide, that's saying a lot. But when Kate's werewolf friend Derek is discovered nearly dead, she must confront her greatest challenge yet.

Angelic by Kelley Armstrong (Part of her Otherworld Saga) – (Subterranean PressHardcover 12/31/2009) – I haven’t read any of Armstrong’s Urban Fantasies, but they’ve been on the “To Try” list for a while. This here’s a novella in her massively popular Otherworld saga:

Eve Levine, ghost and part-time avenging angel, is ready for her already overdue annual vacation from her work for the Fates, who have just one small, simple job that she needs to take care of before they’ll let her go. And as all things involving fate, it’s neither small, nor simple.

Dragons Luck by Robert Asprin (Ace Trade Paperback 04/07/2009) – I can only assume this book was completed before Mr. Aspirin’s unfortunate passing last May, but it is the second in a series involving talking Dragons in New Orleans.

Griffen McCandles is adjusting well to running his gambling operation in the French Quarter of New Orleans and to his newfound status as head dragon. Other dragons are getting a whiff of his reputation, though, and they're not happy about it. Which is why there's suddenly a hit out on him.

And, just in time for Halloween, the ghost of a voodoo queen wants Griffen to moderate a supernatural conclave. And though the strange goings-on will barely be noticed in a city used to drunken conventioneers and wild revelers, it's Griffen's chance to spread his wings-or crash and burn.

The Edge of the World (Terra Incognita Book One) by Kevin J. Anderson (Orbit Trade Paperback 06/08/2009) – I may have read some Star Wars fiction by Mr. Anderson, but not much else. His reputation for taking over the Dune series is less than stellar, but his original fiction seems to get relatively positive reviews. This is the launch of a brand new Epic Fantasy series, actually Anderson’s first foray into the subgenre. Here’s a widget from his Web site:

Terra Incognita - the blank spaces on the map, past the edge of the world, marked only by the words ‘here be monsters.’Two nations at war, fighting for dominion over the known, and undiscovered, world, pin their last hopes at ultimate victory on finding a land out of legend.Each will send their ships to brave the untamed seas, wild storms, sea serpents, and darker dangers unknown to any man. It is a perilous undertaking, but there will always be the impetuous, the brave and the mad who are willing to leave their homes to explore the unknown.Even unto the edge of the world…Kevin J. Anderson’s spectacular fantasy debut is a sweeping tale of adventure on the high seas, as two warring kingdoms vie for the greatest treasure of them all.

Where Everything Ends by Ray Bradbury (Subterranean Press Hardcover October 2009) – Subterranean Press continues its impressive line of fine, limited edition Ray Bradbury books. This book is a collection of three mystery novels, Death is a Lonely BusinessA Graveyard for Lunatics, and Let’s All Kill Constance, as well as the short story Where Everything Ends

Freely acknowledging the influence of the genre’s masters (Hammett, Chandler, MacDonald, and Cain), all of these stories successfully transcend those influences, filtering them through their author’s wholly unique sensibility. The result is a powerfully nostalgic evocation of time and place, and an unforgettable portrait of a writer in love with language, with movies, and with the transformative power of stories themselves.


Curse the Dawn: (Cassandra Palmer Series #4) by Karen Chance (Onyx Paperback 04/07/2009). – This would be the fourth book in a Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy series. For some strange reason, the first three books were published in the ROC imprint of Penguin and with the fourth book, the powers-that-be at Penguin decided to switch to the ONYX imprint. Odd, that.

Cassandra Palmer may be the all-powerful Pythia now, but that doesn't mean people have stopped trying to kill her. Most of the supernatural power players don't want the independent minded Cassie as chief clairvoyant—and they'll stop at nothing to see her six feet under.

The Vampire Senate does support Cassie in her position, but their protection comes with a price: an alliance with the sexy master vampire Mircea, who has claimed Cassie as his own. But even the vampires will have trouble keeping Cassie alive now that the self-styled god Apollo, the source of the Pythia's power, has it in for her in a big way. To save her life—and the world—Cassie's going to have to face down her creator once and for all.

Forever Twilight 2: Windows to the Soul by Peter Crowther (Subterranean Press Hardcover 07/30/2009) – Crowther is known primarily as an editor of short fiction and a co-founder of PS Publishing, but this sounds quite interesting indeed.

The second volume (the first volume is already available) of Crowther's exciting new SF/Horror series concerning the adventures of a small group of human survivors roaming what is left of our Earth. Part alien invasion, part epic vampire yarn, the Forever Twilight series pits our main characters against a fearless and powerless race of invaders who can only operate under the cover of darkness!

Nebula Awards Showcase 2009 edited by Ellen Datlow (Ace Trade Paperback 04/07/2009) – I’ve had intentions for the past few years to pick up this annual collection, and I realize I’ve read a good portion of the stories/excerpts in this volume, including Chabon’s Nebula-award winning The Yiddish Policemen's Union, Andy Duncan’s Unique Chicken Goes in Reverse in the Strahan-edited Eclipse One. Although the fiction looks interesting in this one, some of the nofiction looks good, including an essay on Young Adult fiction by Gwenda Bond and an appreciation of Michael Moorcock.

This annual tradition from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America collects the best of the year's stories, as well as essays and commentary on the current state of the genre and predictions of future science fiction and fantasy films, art, and more. This year's award-winning authors include Michael Chabon, Karen Joy Fowler, Ted Chiang, and Nancy Kress, plus 2008 Grand Master Michael Moorcock.

The Stranger (Book One of The Labyrinths of Echo) by Max Frei (Overlook Press Hardcover 04/14/2009) – I’ve been hearing/seeing little things about this book for a while now and it sounds really cool. Overlook, of course, is the publisher of the great R. Scott Bakker so I know they have a good track record and this one comes highly recommended.

Max Frei was a twenty-something loser-a big sleeper (that is, during the day; at night he can't sleep a wink), a hardened smoker, and an uncomplicated glutton and loafer. But then he got lucky. He contacts a parallel world in his dreams, where magic is a daily practice. Once a social outcast, he's now known in his new world as the "unequalled Sir Max." He's a member of the Department of Absolute Order, formed by a species of enchanted secret agents; his job is to solve cases more extravagant and unreal than one could imagine-a journey that will take Max down the winding paths of this strange and unhinged universe.


Troy: Fall of Kings (Book 3 of The Troy Series) by David and Stella Gemmell (Del Rey Trade Paperback 03/24/2009) – Del Rey Sent me the Hardcover back in December 2007 and the version I received this past Monday is the Trade Paperback. Gemmell is one of this authors whose work I’ve barely read(embarrassingly), though I’ve got a decent amount of his stuff in boxes at home. This is his last published work:

Darkness falls on the Great Green, and the Ancient World is fiercely divided. On the killing fields outside the golden city of Troy, forces loyal to the Mykene King mass. Among them is Odysseus, fabled storyteller and reluctant ally to the Mykene, who knows that he must soon face his former friends in deadly combat.

Within the city, the Trojan king waits. Ailing and bitter, his hope is pinned on two heroes: his favourite son Hektor, and the dread Helikaon who will wreak terrible vengeance for the death of his wife at Mykene hands. War has been declared — a war filled with bloodlust, and peopled by heroes who will live forever in a story that will echo down the centuries.

Buyout by Alexander Irvine (Del Rey Trade Paperback 3/31/2009) – I’ve read a few of his books (A Scattering of Jades and One King, One Soldier) so I’m hoping this is just as good, it’s just a matter of when I actually get to the book. The book in this past week’s mail is a finished copy of the ARC I received in January.

One hundred years from now, with Americans hooked into an Internet far more expansive and intrusive than today’s, the world has become a seamless market-driven experience. In this culture of capitalism run amok, entrepreneurs and politicians faced with rampant overcrowding in the nation’s penal system turn to a controversial new method of cutting costs: life-term buyouts. In theory, buyouts offer convicted murderers the chance to atone for their crimes by voluntarily allowing themselves to be put to death by the state in exchange for a one-time cash payment, shared among their heirs and victims, based on a percentage of what it would have cost taxpayers to house and feed them for the rest of their natural lives. It’s a win-win situation.

At least that’s what Martin Kindred believes. And Martin is a man who desperately needs something to believe in, especially with his marriage coming apart and the murder of his brother, an L.A. cop brutally gunned down in the line of duty, unsolved.

As the public face of the buyout program, Martin is a lightning rod for verbal and physical abuse–but he embraces every challenge, knowing his motives are pure. But when evidence comes to light that a felon in line for a buyout may have been involved with his brother’s death, Martin’s professional detachment threatens to turn into a personal vendetta that will jeopardize everything–and everyone–he holds dear. Inspired by today’s politics, Buyout is an unforgettable look at an all-too-believable future . . . and one man’s struggle to do the right thing.

Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku (Anchor Books Trade Paperback 04/07/2009) – Dr. Kaku is the closest thing to a Rock-Star Scientist, having published several books which seemingly explain physics in very readable terms. This book sounds pretty interesting.

Teleportation, time machines, force fields, and interstellar space ships—the stuff of science fiction or potentially attainable future technologies? Inspired by the fantastic worlds of Star Trek, Star Wars, and Back to the Future, renowned theoretical physicist and bestselling author Michio Kaku takes an informed, serious, and often surprising look at what our current understanding of the universe's physical laws may permit in the near and distant future.

Entertaining, informative, and imaginative, Physics of the Impossible probes the very limits of human ingenuity and scientific possibility.

Dark Haven (Book Three of The Chronicles of the Necromancer) by Gail Z. Martin (Solaris Books Mass Market Paperback January 2009) – I read the first book in the series, The Summoner and didn’t care for it, but the books are doing well.

Matris Drayke, king of Margolan, is faced with the challenge to rebuild his shattered kingdom. With his wedding weeks away, Tris must address the trials and executions of those responsible for the atrocities against Margolan’s people. Jonmarc Vahanian, the new Lord of Dark Haven, and one of Tris's allies, faces trouble with the Blood Council, where there is defiance against the prospect of a mortal lord. And beneath Dark Haven, the Flow, the vast river of power damaged when Arontala wrested the Soulcatcher from Dark Haven’s foundation, is becoming unstable, threatening the balance of magic itself, and the future of the Winter Kingdoms.


Corambis (Book Four of The Doctrine of Labyrinths) by Sarah Monette (Ace Hardcover 04/07/2009) – Although I haven’t read any books by Sarah Monette, I’ve heard/seen very good things about them. This is the fourth book in the series that began with Mélusine

Exiled from Mélusine for the crime of heresy, the once powerful Cabaline wizard Felix Harrowgate and his half-brother Mildmay, former cat-burglar and assassin, journey to Corambis to face judgment from a ruling body of wizards. Corambis, however, is a land plagued by civil strife. Kay Brightmore, the Margrave of Rothmarlin, is part of an insurrection to restore the monarchy in the southern half of the country. In desperation, Kay and his rebels seek out the engine of Summerdown, an ancient magical device rumored to have terrible powers. Once the engine is awakened, only a powerful wizard can stop its awesome potential for destruction. Felix and Mildmay arrive just in time for their greatest challenge-and ultimate destiny . . .

Some Girls Bite (Book One of The Chicagoland Vampires) by Chloe Neil (Ace Trade Paperback 04/07/2009) – The first book in a new Urban Fantasy/Vampire series about (I assume from the cover) a cute, young, sassy girl who becomes a vampire and learns the ins and outs of Chicago’s Vampire society.

Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was Merit’s. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker—and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.

Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she’s traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan “Lord o’ the Manor” Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred- year-old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects her gratitude— and servitude. But an inconvenient sunlight allergy and Ethan’s attitude are the least of her concerns. Someone’s still out to get her. Her initiation into Chicago’s nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war—and there will be blood.


Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson (Tor Hardcover 06/09/2009) – Brandon Sanderson’s star continues to rise and his ability to churn out big ol’ fat fantasies continues to be very impressive. Especially considering the high quality of the Mistborn Trilogy, which I thoroughly enjoyed and the pending mega-boost his profile will receive once A Memory of Light. This novel is a stand-alone and along with the great-looking ARC I received, came a promo letter including a large and generous blurb from none other than Michael Moorcock.

Warbreaker is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses, and the God King one of them has to marry; the lesser god who doesn’t like his job; and the immortal who’s still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago. Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods, to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren’s capital city of T’Telir. A world where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence, an inherent energy or élan vital, known as “breath,” which can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people. By using breath and drawing upon the color in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be accomplished. It will take considerable quantities of each to resolve all the challenges facing Vivenna and Siri, princesses of Idris; Susebron the God King; Lightsong, reluctant god of bravery; and mysterious Vasher, the Warbreaker

WWW:Wake (Volume 1 of the WWW Trilogy by Robert J. Sawyer (Ace Hardcover 04/07/2009) – I’ve read a couple of Mr. Sawyer’s novels (Factoring Humanity, Starplex) and enjoyed them, so I’m looking forward to this one, too. It’s got a really catchy cover.

Caitlin Decter is young, pretty, feisty, a genius at math-and blind. Still, she can surf the net with the best of them, following its complex paths clearly in her mind. But Caitlin's brain long ago co-opted her primary visual cortex to help her navigate online. So when she receives an implant to restore her sight, instead of seeing reality, the landscape of the World Wide Web explodes into her consciousness, spreading out all around her in a riot of colors and shapes. While exploring this amazing realm, she discovers something-some other-lurking in the background. And it's getting more and more intelligent with each passing day . . .

Dancing on the Head of a Pin (Book Two of Remy Chandler) by Thomas E. Sniegoski (Ace Trade Paperback 04/07/2009) – Urban Fantasy about a former Angel from Heaven who is now a private investigator with supernatural cases. Sounds similar to The Dresden Files but with enough of a twist (angels rather than faerie) to make this worthy of consideration:

Still mourning the loss of his wife, fallen angel Remy Chandler has immersed himself in investigating dangerous supernatural cases. His latest: the theft of a cache of ancient weaponry stolen from a collector who deals in antiquities of a dark and dubious nature. The weapons, Remy knows, were forged eons ago and imbued with unimaginable power. And if they fall into the wrong hands, they could be used to destroy not only Heaven but also Earth.