Books for March

Here’s a pretty long list of March releases that I’m eyeing (plus a whole load of maybes).  Also, Andrea K Höst‘s HUNTING is now scheduled for a March release, so lots of book goodness this month.

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Patricia Briggs‘ FROST BURNED (UF): *inarticulate noise* Yes, I’m that excited about a new Mercy Thompson story.  It’s been one of the very few books I’ve actually pre-ordered this year.  I’m wondering if we’re going to see the repercussions of the events in the last Anna & Charles book in FROST BURNED – I hope so.

Mercy Thompson’s life has undergone a seismic change. Becoming the mate of Adam Hauptman—the charismatic Alpha of the local werewolf pack—has made her a stepmother to his daughter Jesse, a relationship that brings moments of blissful normalcy to Mercy’s life. But on the edges of humanity, what passes for a minor mishap on an ordinary day can turn into so much more…

After an accident in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Mercy and Jesse can’t reach Adam—or anyone else in the pack for that matter. They’ve all been abducted.

Through their mating bond, all Mercy knows is that Adam is angry and in pain. With the werewolves fighting a political battle to gain acceptance from the public, Mercy fears Adam’s disappearance may be related—and that he and the pack are in serious danger. Outclassed and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from any ally she can get, no matter how unlikely.

Out March 5 (excerpt)

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Miranda Kenneally‘s THINGS I CAN’T FORGET (YA romance): Miranda Kenneally’s CATCHING JORDAN was an unexpectedly good read when I stumbled upon it last year, so I’m all up for a new book in her Hundred Oaks setting (this is termed a companion book, which appears to be a quiet trend in the YA space).

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

Out now (excerpt)

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Seanan McGuire‘s MIDNIGHT BLUE-LIGHT SPECIAL (UF): So I didn’t quite love the first InCryptid novel, but this is Seanan McGuire.  I’m giving this series another go.

Cryptid, noun:
1. Any creature whose existence has been suggested but not proven scientifically. Term officially coined by cryptozoologist John E. Wall in 1983.
2. That thing that’s getting ready to eat your head.
3. See also: “monster.”

The Price family has spent generations studying the monsters of the world, working to protect them from humanity–and humanity from them. Enter Verity Price. Despite being trained from birth as a cryptozoologist, she’d rather dance a tango than tangle with a demon, and when her work with the cryptid community took her to Manhattan, she thought she would finally be free to pursue competition-level dance in earnest. It didn’t quite work out that way…

But now, with the snake cult that was killing virgins all over Manhattan finally taken care of, Verity is ready to settle down for some serious ballroom dancing—until her on-again, off-again, semi-boyfriend Dominic De Luca, a member of the monster-hunting Covenant of St. George, informs her that the Covenant is on their way to assess the city’s readiness for a cryptid purge. With everything and everyone she loves on the line, there’s no way Verity can take that lying down.

Alliances will be tested, allies will be questioned, lives will be lost, and the talking mice in Verity’s apartment will immortalize everything as holy writ–assuming there’s anyone left standing when all is said and done. It’s a midnight blue-light special, and the sale of the day is on betrayal, deceit…and carnage.

Out March 5 (excerpt)

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QUEEN VICTORIA’S BOOK OF SPELLS, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling (YA fantasy): The subtitle is An Anthology of Gaslamp Fantasy, which just intrigues me.

“Gaslamp Fantasy,” or historical fantasy set in a magical version of the nineteenth century, has long been popular with readers and writers alike. A number of wonderful fantasy novels, including Stardust by Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, and The Prestige by Christopher Priest, owe their inspiration to works by nineteenth-century writers ranging from Jane Austen, the Brontës, and George Meredith to Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope, and William Morris. And, of course, the entire steampunk genre and subculture owes more than a little to literature inspired by this period.

Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells is an anthology for everyone who loves these works of neo-Victorian fiction, and wishes to explore the wide variety of ways that modern fantasists are using nineteenth-century settings, characters, and themes. These approaches stretch from steampunk fiction to the Austen-and-Trollope inspired works that some critics call Fantasy of Manners, all of which fit under the larger umbrella of Gaslamp Fantasy. The result is eighteen stories by experts from the fantasy, horror, mainstream, and young adult fields, including both bestselling writers and exciting new talents such as Elizabeth Bear, James Blaylock, Jeffrey Ford, Ellen Kushner, Tanith Lee, Gregory Maguire, Delia Sherman, and Catherynne M. Valente, who present a bewitching vision of a nineteenth century invested (or cursed!)

Out March 19 (publisher page)

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Teresa Grant‘s THE PARIS AFFAIR (historical mystery): I’m a long-time fan of Teresa Grant’s books and am looking forward to a new installment in Suzanne and Malcolm’s life.  Her novels are packed full of historical detail and political intrigue; add the rather complicated relationship between Suzanne and Malcolm and you get a very satisfying read.

Warning: SPOILER in book description for previous books(!):

From the ashes of war rise the secrets of its darkest hearts…

In the wake of the Battle of Waterloo, Paris is a house divided. The triumphant Bourbons flaunt their victory with lavish parties, while Bonapartists seek revenge only to be captured and executed. Amid the turmoil, British attaché and intelligence agent Malcolm Rannoch and his wife, Suzanne, discover that his murdered half sister, Princess Tatiana Kirsanova, may have borne a child—a secret she took to the grave. And Malcolm suspects there was more than mere impropriety behind her silence…

As Malcolm and Suzanne begin searching for answers, they learn that the child was just one of many secrets Tatiana had been keeping. The princess was the toast of Paris when she arrived in the glamorous city, flirting her way into the arms of more than a few men—perhaps even those of Napoleon himself—and the father must be among them. But in the mêlée of the Napoleonic Wars, she was caught up in a deadly game of court intrigue, and now Malcolm and Suzanne must race against time to save his sister’s child from a similar fate…

Out March 26 (excerpt)

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And then my maybes:

Anne Bishop‘s WRITTEN IN RED (YA UF): I’ve skipped her more recent fantasy releases, but may pick up her YA UF debut. (ETA: This is not a YA according to commenters – no idea where I got my original impression from!)

Jennifer Nielsen‘s THE RUNAWAY KING (MG/YA fantasy): I liked but didn’t love the first book in this trilogy (THE FALSE PRINCE) so this is on my library reservation request list.

Nalini Singh‘s WILD INVITATION (paranormal romance): Another library reservation request, I think – primarily because I’ve read both of the previously-published short stories in this anthology.  I’m not keen on paying full price for two new stories.

Eloisa James‘ WITH THIS KISS (historical romance): Normally Eloisa James is an autobuy author, but I’m not sure this serial-in-three-parts will work for me.  I’ll wait on reviews.

Jacqueline Winspear‘s LEAVING EVERYTHING MOST LOVED (historical mystery): Her Maisie Dobbs books are hits or misses with me, so I’ll probably play safe and borrow a copy from the library.

Quick Links

Big news (or at least for Baen ebook readers) – Baen’s moving to Amazon (and potentially other third parties) as a distribution platform for the ebooks as of the 15th.

I have mixed feelings about this.  I’ve posted previously about how much I love their current ebook distribution model – ebooks released 2 weeks before the official street date, DRM-free, and for $6 even if it’s a hardback release (and potentially even cheaper if you buy as part of a bundle).  On the other hand, this model was always aimed to encourage ebook adoption, and now that ereaders are taking off in a big way, it makes monetary sense for Baen (and their authors) to move to a distribution system that gives them the widest audience.

I’ve not seen anything about release date changes (i.e. whether it will now tie-in with the official street date), but they will stay DRM-free.  Prices will rise (hardbacks from $6 to $10), so buy now is the message if you’re planning on any Baen ebook purchases.  Bundles stay, but will be on sale for a limited time period (i.e. pre-sale only).  E-ARCs also stay (though I’ve never bought any).

More info @ Baen’s Bar (logon required).  It kind of feels like the end of an era – I remember my very first ebook was from Baen (Catherine Asaro‘s RUBY DICE, because I’m sure you really want to know), and I was so on the fence as to whether ebooks would work for me.  Ha.

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Diana Peterfreund responds to a claim that the cover of FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS was white-washed (spoiler: it’s not).  It’s a measured response and worth reading.  And I was totally oblivious to the fact FOR DARKNESS was set in New Zealand. *blinks* It makes so much sense in retrospect.

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Jo Walton‘s insightful posts at Tor.com are a must-read for me – she either makes me think about old favourites from a different perspective or introduces me to books that sound right up my street.  Here’s the former - her take on Lois McMaster Bujold‘s CAPTAIN VORPATRIL’S ALLIANCE as well as a comparison between Aral and Miles.

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Patrick Rothfuss is running his annual Worldbuilders fundraiser for Heifer International - a chance to win books AND support a good cause.

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A snippet of Patricia Briggs’ upcoming novel FROST BURNED on her forum – it feels like a very long time since we’ve last seen Mercy.

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Sarah Rees Brennan has announced she’s doing a retelling of A TALE OF TWO CITIES.  This could be amazing.  I mean, seriously amazing.

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Kristin Cashore posted about how BITTERBLUE (very slowly) took shape.  I’m impressed.  Also, I can’t believe she actually wrote the story out by hand.  Several times.  And that her writing was still legible by the end.

Linkage

Various (and random) items around the web that have caught my eye below.

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Discover a New Love’s $2.99 Georgette Heyer promotion is sadly only for US (or NA possibly?) readers (though bonus - their Heyer mini-site with excerpts and all), but I loved their blog post about favourite Heyer moments.  So much so that I’m tempted to do a massive Heyer re-read now.  What’s your favourite Heyer?  I’d completely forgotten about it, but I did a guest post for the Historical Tapestry gang a few years ago on my favourite Heyer books.  And I wrote about why I adore her COTILLION a while back as well.

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Sherry Thomas‘ debut book is still lying unread in my TBR pile, but her upcoming YA fantasy (fall 2013) sounds right up my alley – opening paragraphs:

Just before the start of Summer Half, 1883, a very minor event took place at Eton College, that venerable and illustrious English public school for boys.  A sixteen-year-old student named Archer Fairfax returned from a three-month absence, caused by a fractured femur, to resume his education. 

Amost every word in the preceding sentence is false.  Archer Fairfax had not suffered a broken limb.  He had never before set foot in Eton.  His name was not Archer Fairfax.  And he was, in fact, not even a he. 

This is the story of a girl who fooled a thousand boys, a boy who fooled an entire country, a partnership that would change the fate of realms, and a power to challenge the greatest tyrant the world had ever known.

Expect magic.

Intriguing, eh?

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Free and fun Sarah Rees Brennan short – it’s previously published and I think I’ve read it before, but it’s still as good on the second re-read!  And a brand new website as well.

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Courtney Milan always makes sense, and her post on the number of followers/subscribers/likes and how they translate to readers is just as articulate as you would expect it to be.

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The new Patricia Briggs cover for FROSTBURNED - I don’t think I’ve ever not liked a Dan Dos Santos cover.  I love that the design is so consistent with the previous books in the series.  Though I admit that it could be the ugliest cover ever and I’d still get it.  And while we’re on the topic of Patricia Briggs, Orbit UK is doing a two-in-one release of her fantasy books MASQUES and WOLFSBANE (titled ARALORN).  They’re not my favourite of her high fantasy books (and the cover is kind of generic blah fantasy), but I’m glad they’re getting a UK release.

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And while I don’t want to end on a down note… Hachette UK, really? DRM working well?  I kind of wish that they would trust that the “mainstream readers who are so valuable to us and our authors” will actually pay for their books, instead of spending additional money on applying a DRM solution which anyone with access to Google could remove in ten seconds.  I’d rather they spend their money on digital world rights.

Books for March

I know.  This is really rather late for a new releases post.  But there are so many March releases that I have been anticipating – well, it’s been hard to drag myself away from the actual books.  Added to that is the fact I am totally glomming Andrea K Host‘s fantasy novels (I’ve just finished the last of her backlist *sigh*) – let’s put it this way, at least it still is March…

So the books I’ve been waiting for:

Patricia Briggs‘ FAIR GAME (paranormal romance): Yes, me and everyone else.  It’s a toss up as to whether I like the Anna & Charles books better than the Mercy Thompson ones – and having read this one, I still can’t decide.  I like the Omega twist on the kick-ass UF heroine stereotype, and I love how Patricia Briggs gives us a very different relationship to the Mercy/Adam one.  But we’ve had three more books to get to know Mercy better and I feel more invested in her story… good thing I don’t actually have to choose.

Blurb from Goodreads:

They say opposites attract. And in the case of werewolves Anna Latham and Charles Cornick, they mate. The son-and enforcer-of the leader of the North American werewolves, Charles is a dominant alpha. While Anna, an omega, has the rare ability to calm others of her kind.

Now that the werewolves have revealed themselves to humans, they can’t afford any bad publicity. Infractions that could have been overlooked in the past must now be punished, and the strain of doing his father’s dirty work is taking a toll on Charles.

Nevertheless, Charles and Anna are sent to Boston, when the FBI requests the pack’s help on a local serial killer case. They quickly realize that not only the last two victims were werewolves-all of them were. Someone is targeting their kind. And now Anna and Charles have put themselves right in the killer’s sights…

Out now (excerpt)

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Seanan McGuire‘s DISCOUNT ARMAGEDDON (urban fantasy): It’s no secret that I’m a diehard fan of Seanan McGuire’s Toby Daye books, and when she started talking about a new UF series, I was incredibly excited.  With the Toby books moving to a yearly release schedule (the twice-yearly releases were such a plus!), I’m hoping her Incryptid books fill the gap.  They do sound great and from the A-Z countdown posts on her livejournal, I’ve a feeling the world-building will be just as complex and thorough as the Toby world.

Blurb from Goodreads:

Ghoulies. Ghosties. Long-legged beasties. Things that go bump in the night… The Price family has spent generations studying the monsters of the world, working to protect them from humanity-and humanity from them. Enter Verity Price. Despite being trained from birth as a cryptozoologist, she’d rather dance a tango than tangle with a demon, and is spending a year in Manhattan while she pursues her career in professional ballroom dance. Sounds pretty simple, right? It would be, if it weren’t for the talking mice, the telepathic mathematicians, the asbestos supermodels, and the trained monster-hunter sent by the Price family’s old enemies, the Covenant of St. George. When a Price girl meets a Covenant boy, high stakes, high heels, and a lot of collateral damage are almost guaranteed. To complicate matters further, local cryptids are disappearing, strange lizard-men are appearing in the sewers, and someone’s spreading rumors about a dragon sleeping underneath the city…

Out now (book page)

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Naomi Novik‘s CRUCIBLE OF GOLD (historical fantasy): While I thought the previous Temeraire book meandered somewhat (that never-ending journey through the wilds of Australia!), there is something about the world and writing that always pulls me in as soon as I start reading.  More globe-trotting for Will and Temeraire – this time, they’re in South America.  It’ll be a whole new world for me as I’ve no idea what was happening there during this era in history – I’m looking forward to reading her take on it.

Blurb from Goodreads:

Naomi Novik’s beloved series returns, with Captain Will Laurence and his fighting dragon Temeraire once again taking to the air against the broadsides of Napoleon’s forces and the friendly—and sometimes not-so-friendly—fire of British soldiers and politicians who continue to suspect them of divided loyalties, if not outright treason.

For Laurence and Temeraire, put out to pasture in Australia, it seems their part in the war has come to an end just when they are needed most. But perhaps they are no longer alone in this opinion. Newly allied with the powerful African empire of the Tswana, the French have occupied Spain and brought revolution and bloodshed to Brazil, threatening Britain’s last desperate hope to defeat Napoleon.

And now the government that sidelined them has decided they have the best chance at negotiating a peace with the angry Tswana, who have besieged the Portuguese royal family in Rio—and thus offer to reinstate Laurence to his former rank and seniority as a captain in the Aerial Corps. Temeraire is delighted by this sudden reversal of fortune, but Laurence is by no means sanguine, knowing from experience that personal honor and duty to one’s country do not always run on parallel tracks.

Nonetheless, the pair embark for Brazil, only to meet with a string of unmitigated disasters that force them to make an unexpected landing in the hostile territory of the Incan empire, where they face new unanticipated dangers.

Now with the success of the mission balanced on a razor’s edge, and failure looking more likely by the minute, the unexpected arrival of an old enemy will tip the scales toward ruin. Yet even in the midst of disaster, opportunity may lurk—for one bold enough to grasp it.

Out now (excerpt)

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Jordan Castillo Price‘s THE STARVING YEARS (m/m urban fantasy): Jordan Castillo Price is an autobuy author for me, even when the blurb sounds slightly out there.  That’s probably the definition of an autobuy author, isn’t it?  Blind trust that they’ll deliver the story…

Blurb from Goodreads:

Imagine a world without hunger. In 1960, a superfood was invented that made starvation a thing of the past. Manna, the cheaply manufactured staple food, is now as ubiquitous as salt in the world’s cupboards, pantries and larders.

Nelson Oliver knows plenty about manna. He’s a food scientist—according to his diploma, that is. Lately, he’s been running the register at the local video rental dive to scrape together the cash for his exorbitantly priced migraine medication.

In a job fair gone bad, Nelson hooks up with copywriter Javier and his computer-geek pal Tim, who whisks them away from the worst of the fiasco in his repurposed moving truck. At least, Nelson thinks the those two are acquainted, but they’re acting so evasive about it, he’s not sure how they know each other, exactly. Javier is impervious to Nelson’s flirting, and Tim’s name could appear in the dictionary under the entry for “awkward.” And with a riot raging through Manhattan and yet another headache coming on, it doesn’t seem like Nelson will get an answer anytime soon. One thing’s for sure, the tension between the three of them is thick enough to cut with a knife…even one of those dull plastic dealies that come in the package with Mannariffic EZ-Mealz.

Out now (excerpt)

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Kaje Harper‘s THE REBUILDING WORLD (m/m romance): Kaje Hunter was a new discovery for me last year, and I think I’ve finished her (sadly short) backlist, so yay for a new release.

Blurb from Goodreads:

A few excruciating minutes pinned in a burning building cost Ryan Ward his job as a firefighter, the easy camaraderie of his coworkers, his girlfriend, and damn near cost him his left leg. Giving up, though, isn’t an option. Compared to the alternative, choosing a new profession, going back to school, and renting a room from the college groundskeeper are simple.

Until he realizes he’s falling in love with his housemate, and things take a turn for the complicated.

John Barrett knows about loss. After moving twice to stay in touch with his kids, he could only watch as his ex-wife whisked them away to California. Offering Ryan a room seems better than rattling around the empty house, but as casual friendship moves to something more, and a firestorm of emotions ignites, the big old house feels like tight quarters.

It’s nothing they can’t learn to navigate, though. But when dead bodies start turning up on campus—and one of the guys is a suspect—their first taste of real love could go up in smoke.

Out now (excerpt)

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Nicole Kimberling, Josh Lanyon, Ginn Hale, and Astrid Amara‘s IRREGULARS (m/m romance): A shared-world anthology with some of my favourite authors?  I didn’t have to think twice.    I think this is Josh Lanyon’s only new release this year (sadface).  As for Ginn Hale, I’ve loved the novellas she’s written – I still have THE RIFTER serial and WICKED GENTLEMEN in my TBR pile (I know, I know – I really need to get to them).  And I read a couple of Astrid Amara’s books last year and moved her to my authors-to-keep-an-eye-on list.

Blurb from Goodreads:

It’s a secret international organization operating in cities on every continent. It polices relations between the earthly realm and those beyond this world, enforcing immigration laws, the transfers of magical artifacts, and crimes against humanity.

The agents who work for the NATO Irregular Affairs Division can’t tell anyone what they do, or how hard they work to keep us safe. It brings a colorful collection of men together:

Agent Henry Falk, the undead bum. Agent Keith Curry, former carnivore chef turned vegetarian; Agent Rake, Babylonian demon with a penchant for easy living; and Agent Silas August, uncompromising jerk.

Four cities, four mysteries, four times the romance. Is your security clearance high enough to read on?

Out now  (excerpt – PDF)

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Suzanne Brockmann‘s BORN TO DARKNESS (romantic suspense): This is the first book in Suzanne Brockmann’s new series set in the near-future.   I had mixed feelings when she announced the Troubleshooter series was coming to an end and she was starting a new one with paranormal elements – while it was perhaps time to draw things to a close, I wasn’t quite sure on the need to introduce the woo-woo stuff.  But the short story prequel (SHANE’S LAST STAND) had the trademark Brockmann goodness, so I’m quite looking forward to this now.

Blurb from Goodreads:

Dishonorably discharged, former Navy SEAL Shane Laughlin is down to his last ten bucks when he finally finds work as a test subject at the Obermeyer Institute, a little-known and believed-to-be-fringe scientific research facility. When he enters the OI compound, he is plunged into a strange world where seemingly mild-mannered scientists—including women half his size—can kick his highly skilled ass.

Shane soon discovers that there are certain individuals who possess the unique ability to access untapped regions of the brain with extraordinary results—including telekinesis, super strength, and reversal of the aging process. Known as “Greater-Thans,” this rare breed is recruited by OI, where they are rigorously trained using ancient techniques to cultivate their powers and wield them responsibly.

But in the depths of America’s second Great Depression, where the divide between the haves and the have-nots has grown even wider, those who are rich—and reckless—enough have a quick, seductive alternative: Destiny, a highly addictive designer drug that can make anyone a Greater-Than, with the power of eternal youth. The sinister cartel known as The Organization has begun mass-producing Destiny, and the demand is epidemic. But few realize the drug’s true danger, and fewer still know the dirty secret of Destiny’s crucial ingredient.

Michelle “Mac” Mackenzie knows the ugly truth. And as one of the Obermeyer Institute’s crack team of operatives, she’s determined to end the scourge of Destiny. But her kick-ass attitude gets knocked for a loop when she finds that one of the new test subjects is none other than Shane, the same smoldering stranger who just rocked her world in a one-night stand. Although Shane isn’t a Greater-Than like Mac, as an ex-SEAL, he’s got talents of his own. But Mac’s got powerful reasons to keep her distance from him—and reasons that are just as strong to want him close. She’s used to risking her life, but now, in the midst of the ultimate war on drugs, she must face sacrificing her heart.

Out March 20 (excerpt)

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Harper Fox‘s SCRAP METAL (m/m romance): Last but definitely not least, Harper Fox has a new release.  She does such great angst-y romantic relationships, and this sounds like no exception.

Blurb from Goodreads:

One year ago, before Fate took a wrecking ball to his life, Nichol was happily working on his doctorate in linguistics. Now he’s hip deep in sheep, mud and collies. His late brother and mother had been well suited to life on Seacliff Farm. Nichol? Not so much.

As lambing season progresses in the teeth of an icy north wind, the last straw is the intruder Nichol catches in the barn. He says his name is Cam, and he’s on the run from a Glasgow gang. Something about the young man’s tired resignation touches Nichol deeply, and instead of giving him the business end of a shotgun, he offers Cam a blanket and a place to stay.

Somehow, Cam quickly charms his way through Nichol’s defenses and into his heart. Even his grandfather takes to the cheeky city boy, whose hard work and good head for figures help set the farm back on its feet.

As the cold Scottish springtime melts into summer, Nichol finds himself falling in love. When tragedy strikes, Cam’s resolutely held secret is finally revealed and Nichol must face the truth. He’s given his heart away, and it’s time to pay the price.

Out March 27 (excerpt)

Right, that’s it – I am off to read now!  Have I missed any of your March must-gets?

Books for October

New month, new releases – here are the ones I’m getting:

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ANGELS OF DARKNESS anthology (fantasy): It’s rare when you’ve read all four authors in an anthology; it’s even rarer when you like all four.  But that’s the case with this one – Ilona Andrews, Nalini Singh, Meljean Brook, and Sharon Shinn all in one book. *happy dance*

I get my Shinn fix for the year (I don’t think she has a full-length novel out this year?) as she returns to the world of Samaria.  Ilona Andrews’ contribution is from the world of the Alphas mentioned on their blog every now and again – looking forward to finally reading it.  Nalini Singh contributes a Guild Hunter novella and Meljean Brook a Guardian one – I admit to stalling somewhat on both these series, so this may give me the impetus to continue.

The (slightly boring) blurb:

Tales of alpha angels…from four alpha authors.  They soar through the night, unearthly creatures of legends and lore. Four masters of urban fantasy and paranormal romance explore the rapture of the heavens above, and the darkness below in four all-new stories of angels and guardians, and good and evil.

Out Oct 4

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Erin McCarthy‘s SLOW RIDE (contemporary romance): I pretty much glommed the first three books in one go when I came across this stock-car racing series – it was the perfect combination of testosterone-filled settings and steamy romance.  However, the fourth and most recent (THE CHASE) didn’t really do it for me – I just didn’t get the relationship and found the plot a bit OTT.  Having said that, I’m still planning on getting this one just because of how much I liked the first three.

Blurb:

As a tribute to her late journalist father, Tuesday Jones is planning a career benefit, auctioning off racing memorabilia and meet-and-greets with drivers. Ex-racing star Diesel Lange has had his own brush with death, and is determined not to waste another minute of his life- especially when he meets Tuesday. He wants nothing more than to shift their romance into high gear, but he knows she’s still grieving. Can Diesel do the one thing he could never do on the track and take it slow?

Out Oct 4 (excerpt)

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Catherine Asaro‘s CARNELIANS (SF): Speaking of series stalling, I never quite got around to finishing the prequel to this book, DIAMOND STAR – not because it wasn’t good, but because I had a feeling it was going to go somewhere rather painful.  And I didn’t want to read that.  I know – stupid, huh?  Anyway, I now have to bite the bullet and finish that story because I really want to read the latest in her Skolian series.

Blurb:

Two emperors navigate an uneasy peace, while a powerful trader guild does everything in its power to bring on war. And as if Kelric, the Skolian Imperator, didn’t have enough problems, his own brother—who happens to be a rock star of galactic proportions—has a hit song that calls the traders out as the hidebound blueblood jerks they are, and pleads for an end to centuries of war. Kelric and his Eubian Trader Empire counterpart Jabriol attempt finally to meet in a public summit and sign a treaty that will save billions of lives and end the grinding, millennium-long war. But assassins lurk everywhere, and intrigue is afoot as the baroque old order has no intention of giving up its war-bought privilege and power without a fight to the death—and they don’t care if they take the rest of galactic civilization down with them.

Out now (excerpt)

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DOWN THESE STRANGE STREETS anthology edited by George RR Martin and Gardner Dozois (urban fantasy): These two editors have a talent for attracting big names to their genre-crossover anthologies, and DOWN THESE STRANGE STREETS is no exception.  There’s Patricia Briggs, Diana Gabaldon (new Lord John Grey novella!), and Charlaine Harris amongst others.  And this time around, the theme is mysteries, so of course I’m going to cave and buy.

Blurb:

All new strange cases of death and magic in the city by some of the biggest names in urban fantasy.

In this all-new collection of urban fantasy stories, editors George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois explore the places where mystery waits at the end of every alley and where the things that go bump in the night have something to fear…

Out now

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Tamora Pierce‘s MASTIFF (YA fantasy): The previous book was published back in April 2009 – talk about a long wait for this trilogy to be wrapped up.  I’ll be honest – none of Tamora Pierce’s later books have yet displaced the original Alanna quartet from the top of my favourites list, but I’m always up for another visit to Tortall, especially when it’s set in the past and gives us tantalising peeks at how Alanna’s Tortall was shaped.

Blurb:

Beka and her friends will face their greatest and most important challenge ever when the young heir to the kingdom vanishes. They will be sent out of Corus on a trail that appears and disappears, following a twisting road throughout Tortall. It will be her greatest Hunt—if she can survive the very powerful people who do not want her to succeed in her goal.

Out now

Books for August

Yep, I know it’s been quiet around here.  I’m in a bit of a reading slump at the moment – recs, anyone?

I’m not even madly excited about any of the August releases – though that could be because I’ve read them already.  Not that there were many to start off with.

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Sharon Lee & Steve Miller‘s “Ghost Ship” (SF): The hardcover hit the shelves earlier this month, but I got my hands on the ebook version mid-July – I love Baen!

I always sit down with a Liaden book expecting a good read, and this one was no exception.  It was a rather satisfying mix of finding out what happened to previous characters and taking Theo’s story forwards.  Possibly too many POVs used in this book, but yeah, good read.  And I will even forgive the ending…

Blurb:

Theo Waitley is an ace starship pilot—and pure maverick. Her mom is a renowned Terran scholar and her birth father is an interstellar aristocrat in hiding. Whatever, thinks Theo. She still feels like a socially-challenged misfit. But after being selected to train with the best-of-the-best at the pilot academy, she figures she can leave behind those gawky, misfit days of teenage angst that made life so complicated before! But for Theo, life is about to get even MORE complicated—and deadlier still. For even though she’s survived the Academy and become one of the best pilots in the galaxy, the past is about to blast her with gale-force winds. Theo can run, but she can’t hide. Her destiny as master pilot and leader of a powerful Liaden clan calls, and there are LOTS of enemies who will try to make sure she’s quite dead before she has the chance to make an answer.

Out now (excerpt)

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“Home Improvement: Undead Edition” edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni LP Kelner (urban fantasy): I’m a sucker for these anthologies, as I may have mentioned previously.  I’ll be honest and say I splashed out on the hardcover primarily because of Seanan McGuire‘s contribution (I needed my Toby fix – am counting down the days to September’s “One Salt Sea”), but there is also the mandatory new Sookie Stackhouse story as well as a Patricia Briggs contribution, which kind of made me sniffle a bit.

Blurb:

There’s nothing like home renovation for finding skeletons in the closet or otherwordly portals in the attic. Now, for any homeowner who’s ever wondered, “What’s that creaking sound?” or fans of “how to” television who’d like a little unreality mixed in with their reality shows, editors Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner return with an all-new collection of the paranormal perils of Do-It-Yourself.

Sookie Stackhouse resides in these pages, in a never-before-published story by #1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris. And New York Times bestselling authors Patricia Briggs, James Grady, Heather Graham, Melissa Marr, and nine other outstanding writers have constructed more frightening and funny fixer-upper tales guaranteed to shake foundations and rattle readers’ pipes.

Out now

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Richelle Mead‘s “Succubus Revealed” (urban fantasy): So the final book in the Georgina Kincaid series… I am looking forward to finding out how Georgina gets her HEA. Because she had better get one.  This series has had its ups and downs, but I’ve found myself firmly on the side of the morally ambiguous succubus.

Blurb:

In Georgina Kincaid, succubus and she-demon, #1 New York Times bestselling author Richelle Mead has created one of her most enticing characters. But with a shot at love, and maybe even redemption, is the ultimate seductress finally going soft? Like hell she is…

Georgina Kincaid has had an eternity to figure out the opposite sex, but sometimes they still surprise her. Take Seth Mortensen. The man has risked his soul to become Georgina’s boyfriend. Still, with Lucifer for a boss, Georgina can’t just hang up her killer heels and settle down to domestic bliss. In fact, she’s being forced to transfer operations… to Las Vegas.

The City of Sin is a dream gig for a succubus, but Georgina’s allies are suspicious. Why are the powers-that-be so eager to get her away from Seattle—and from Seth? Georgina is one of Hell’s most valuable assets, but if there’s any way out of the succubus business she plans to take it—no matter how much roadkill she leaves behind. She just hopes the casualties won’t include the one man she’s risking everything for…

Out Aug 30 (excerpt)

Books for July

The July new releases on my To Buy pile (and in a couple of cases, my Bought pile):

Kalayna Price‘s “Grave Dance” (urban fantasy):  I bought the first book in this series (“Grave Witch”) on an impulse and liked it enough to buy “Grave Dance”.  After reading Dance, I am now officially hooked on this new UF series – a phrase I didn’t think to find myself uttering anytime soon, not with the glut of urban fantasies flooding the market.

But the world of Alex Craft, grave witch, is just different enough to be refreshing and yes, although there’s the dreaded love triangle as implied in the back cover blurb below – I’m willing to sit back and watch Alex work through her tangled professional and love life.  I need to know what happens next…

Blurb:

Whoever said dead men tell no tales obviously never met Alex Craft.

After a month spent recovering from a vicious fight with a sorcerer, grave witch Alex Craft is ready to get back to solving murders by raising the dead. With her love life in turmoil thanks to the disappearance of Fae Investigation Bureau agent Falin Andrews and a shocking “L” word confession from Death himself, Alex is eager for the distractions of work. But her new case turns out to be a deadly challenge.

The police hire Alex to consult on a particularly strange investigation in the nature preserve south of Nekros City. The strange part: There are no corpses, only fragments of them. A serial killer is potentially on the loose, and Alex has no way to raise a shade without a body, so she’ll have to rely on the magic of others to find leads. But as she begins investigating, a creature born of the darkest magic comes after her. Someone very powerful wants to make sure the only thing she finds is a dead end—her own.

Out now (excerpt)

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“Naked City: Tales of Urban Fantasy” edited by Ellen Datlow (urban fantasy): I have this love-hate thing with anthologies.  I get so ridiculously excited about the ideas, the themes, the contributors, and then I actually get my hands on the book, realise I need to be in the right mood for short stories, and the anthology ends up languishing half-read on my bedside table.

This one?  Yes, I’ve splurged on the hardcover and have read the Jim Butcher (whetted my appetite nicely for the next Harry Dresden), the Patricia Briggs (good, but sort of creepy), and the Delia Sherman (surprisingly delightful)… fingers crossed I make it through the whole book!

Blurb:

In this thrilling collection of original stories some of today’s hottest paranormal authors delight, thrill and captivate readers with otherworldly tales of magic and mischief. In Jim Butcher’s ”Curses” Harry Dresden investigates how to lift a curse laid by the Fair Folk on the Chicago Cubs. In Patricia Briggs’ “Fairy Gifts,” a vampire is called home by magic to save the Fae who freed him from a dark curse. In Melissa Marr’s “Guns for the Dead,” the newly dead Frankie Lee seeks a job in the afterlife on the wrong side of the law. In Holly Black’s “Noble Rot,” a dying rock star discovers that the young woman who brings him food every day has some strange appetites of her own.

Featuring original stories from 20 authors, this dark, captivating, fabulous and fantastical collection is sure to have readers coming back for more.

Out now

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Kelley Armstrong‘s “Spell Bound” (urban fantasy): The penultimate book in Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series… it feels sort of funny writing that, because I’ve been faithfully buying her latest Otherworld  release every year ever since I stumbled upon her books years ago.  I’ve mixed feelings – I’ve grown fond of the Otherworld characters and will miss reading about them.  On the other hand, I’m glad that there is an End and this series isn’t going to meander on and on, losing that special something – unlike others I could name!

So, anyway, “Spellbound” is Savannah’s book (and I love Savannah) and oh, it had better be good after that cliffhanger ending in the last one…

Blurb:

Savannah Levine is in terrible danger, and for once she’s powerless to help herself. At the conclusion of Waking the Witch, Savannah swore that she would give up her powers if it would help a young girl. Little did she know that someone would take her up on that promise.

And now, witch hunting assassins, necromancers, half-demons, and rogue witches all seem to be after her. The threat is not just for Savannah; every member of the Otherworld might be at risk. While most of her fellow supernaturals are circling the wagons at a gathering of the council in Miami, Savannah is caught on the road, isolated from those who can protect her and unable to use her vast spell casting talent, the thing she counts on most. In a story that will change the shape of the Otherworld forever, Spell Bound gathers Elena, Clay, Paige, Lucas, Jaime, Hope, and others, who soon learn that the greatest threat to supernaturals just may come from within.

Out July 26 (book page on author’s site)

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Jim Butcher‘s “Ghost Story” (urban fantasy): And finally the latest Harry Dresden (yes, I’m aware it’s an all UF new releases month for me).  So autobuy series, because you know, addictive storytelling.  I just wish he would crack the relationship element in his writing because everything works for me except for that.

Blurb:

When we last left the mighty wizard detective Harry Dresden, he wasn’t doing well. In fact, he had been murdered by an unknown assassin.

But being dead doesn’t stop him when his friends are in danger. Except now he has no body, and no magic to help him. And there are also several dark spirits roaming the Chicago shadows who owe Harry some payback of their own.

To save his friends — and his own soul — Harry will have to pull off the ultimate trick without any magic…

Out July 29 (excerpt)

Around the Web

A whole heap of links that I’ve been meaning to post for ages…

From Kristin Cashore‘s blog, the Japanese cover of “Graceling” (too cute) and if you scroll right down to the bottom… I’m so hoping that is what I think it is!

Only of interest if you live in East London (so yes, possibly rather limited), but a branch of Foyles will be opening in the new Westfield Stratford City shopping mall later this year.

Orbit UK has bought the rights to Kevin Hearne‘s Iron Druid trilogy - Nath has totally piqued my curiosity about these books, so yay for UK releases.

Sharon Lee & Steve Miller have a free Liaden short story up on Baen’s website, “Intelligent Design” – I am very much looking forward to their new book “Ghost Ship”. And it is now available for purchase although the official release date is 1 August!  This may actually get me out of my reading slump (I’ve no idea what happened because June was a great reading month, but I’ve read close to zero books in July so far).

Anyway, I digress.  Back to clearing out my list of links:

Not just the new cover for Patricia Briggs‘ “Fair Game” (I heart Anna & Charles – January can’t come soon enough), but also a behind-the-scenes type post from the cover artist, Dan dos Santos.

Karen Chance is one of my favourite UF authors – here’s an interview with her at Book Lovers Inc.

And finally, Angie and Holly loved Linda Gillard‘s “House of Silence” – here’s an interview with the author talking about the self-publishing story behind the book.  I’ll be honest – I didn’t love HoS as much as Angie and Holly did, but it was probably more to do with the mood I was in than the book itself.

March Reads

Books I read during March – copied over from Goodreads.

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Breaking the Rules by Suzanne Brockmann (romantic suspense)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

BREAKING THE RULES is the last full-length novel in the long-running Troubleshooters series, and while I’ll miss these books, I would agree it is possibly time to wrap up this series.

BREAKING THE RULES probably isn’t one for new readers, as the romance angle is focused on two longer-running relationships. The storyline isn’t as addictive as previous books (on the other hand, what could beat the Alyssa/Sam romance?), but the book’s still jam-packed with action and romance, though I found a few of the sex scenes slightly superfluous. And oh, the angst. If you’re not a fan of angst, you may find this book slightly painful – me, I liked it

I have to mention topical issues as well – Suzanne Brockmann is definitely an “issue” author, and in BREAKING THE RULES, she packed quite a few in; we had gay rights, domestic abuse, alcoholism, child sex trafficking… and I probably missed some. It’s something I expect when I pick up a Brockmann book, so the preaching didn’t bother me massively, but it certainly isn’t a subtle thing.

This was a very long book – twice the length of my other recent reads, according to my Kindle – and while it isn’t amongst my favourite Troubleshooter books, I still finished it in one go. I’m curious to see what Suzanne Brockmann tackles next.

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Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire (urban fantasy)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I LOVED. The series just gets better and better with each book.

Having said that, this is not the book to start the series with, and if you didn’t like the previous books, I don’t think this would change your mind about the series.

I really liked finding out more about Toby’s heritage, and mystery-wise, I thought the plotting was tighter – even though a new character with the right skillset appeared rather conveniently to help with the reveal. And we got more Tybalt…

I will say that considering some rather devastating events happened in this book, I didn’t feel as emotionally raw as I thought I would.

But all in all, an excellent installment and I cannot wait for One Salt Sea.

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Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (YA contemporary romance)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So much hype around this book… and yeah, totally well-deserved.

It’s a feel-good book that avoids being too fairytale-like, because the characters are just, well, real. I liked how both Anna and St Clair had had flaws, and I think that made the story more believable – things aren’t always black-and-white in real life either.

I thought the voice and the setting was spot-on – it very much reminded me of my college/university days (though sadly without a St Clair). So that was a bonus, as I obviously identified with Anna’s fish-out-of-water feelings and rooted for her as she settled into her new life.

I have to say St Clair’s “sexy” British accent threw me, as I couldn’t quite place it and it kept on taking me out of the story. And the British swearwords – umm, they verged on the rude side! I’m sure the equivalent American swearwords were not used. I think.

But moving on… there was some excellent chemistry between Anna and St Clair, and the falling-in-love part was done beautifully.

Oh, and the ending? Perfect.

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A Secret Affair by Mary Balogh (historical romance)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This caught my eye when I was browsing the New Releases shelves in the library – and I decided to borrow it when I found myself still standing in front of the shelves and two chapters into the book.

This was my first Balogh (I know, where have I been…) and I was pleasantly surprised. Possibly too much introspection on the part of the characters – I admit I skimmed some passages – and the falling-in-love part happened a bit too quickly for me, but I liked the interaction and interplay between the heroine and hero. I do think I would have found this book more satisfying had I read previous books in the series (there was definitely some backstory that I missed out on), but it worked pretty well as a standalone.

I loved the ending, and I definitely would pick up more books by Balogh.

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River Marked by Patricia Briggs (urban fantasy)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

All the Mercy Thompson books have been consistently good, and RIVER MARKED was no exception.

RIVER MARKED reminded me of why I love reading series that focus on a single couple – you get to see their relationship grow and change over time, and I enjoyed seeing Mercy and Adam grow more comfortable in their relationship and, well, *learn* each other.

This time around, Patricia Briggs gave us a fascinating take on Native American legends, which I really liked, especially with Mercy learning more about her own heritage.

Oh, and the last page reduced me to tears (in a good way, I hasten to add).

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With Abandon by J.L. Langley (m/m paranormal romance)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Quick read, but the romance didn’t quite work for me.

The relationship didn’t feel consistent with the world-building or the characters. It came across as though the romance was being told independently of who the characters were – for instance, we had Aubrey falling in love, and while we were told he was the alpha of the pack, I didn’t *believe* he was. And the “fated mates” plotline happens to be one of my least favourite tropes, so, oh well.

Good writing and I did want to know how the story would ended, but ultimately not a winner.

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Gunshy by Sharon Lee (mystery)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I’m still loving the “retro-ness” of this mystery series.

What surprised me with this book is that the mystery sneaks up on you, unlike the first one Barnburner, where the resolution snuck up on me.

I would really like more in this series – I would totally love to see the relationship between Jennifer and Fox develop. There is so much potential there…

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Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John (YA)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A really satisfying read – my attention was first caught by the fact it had a deaf protagonist, and the first chapter reeled me in.

I’m doing a buddy review with Nath for Breezing Through for this one.

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Just Patty and When Patty Went to College  by Jean Webster

My rating:  4 of 5 stars and 3 of 5 stars respectively – I posted about these books when I read them back in March.

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Gale Force by Rachel Caine (urban fantasy)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I really liked the Weather Wardens series way back when, but stopped reading because of the [insert adjective of choice here] cliffhanger endings, which I completely detest. Now that Rachel Caine’s finished writing the series though, I decided to borrow GALE FORCE from the library and see whether I wanted to continue reading the books.

GALE FORCE was a quick read, but nothing out of the ordinary IMO. I like how Joanne and David’s strong relationship was portrayed, but the story-telling itself wasn’t engrossing enough – I admit to skimming in parts. The overall atmosphere was all doom-and-gloom as well, with nothing ever going right for Jo. The “what’s the worst thing that can happen to XYZ” kind of plotting usually makes for great stories, but here it was just rather depressing.

And yes, there was a cliffhanger ending. Gah. I’m not invested enough to get the final two books in the series.

The Best Sort of Dilemmas

I ended up laughing at myself.

I encountered the best sort of dilemma this week – whether to read Patricia Briggs‘ “River Marked” or Seanan McGuire‘s “Late Eclipses” first.

The postman brought both books on the same day, and I literally picked up one book, then the other, changed my mind, went back to the first book, started reading the first few pages, changed my mind again… and realised how ridiculous I must be looking.

For the record, I ended up reading “Late Eclipses” first.  And yeah, stayed up until 2am (on a weeknight!) to finish it – I am irrationally in love with Toby and her world.

To balance out my slight sense of guilt of picking Toby Daye over Mercy Thompson, here are a couple of Patricia Briggs links:

• A free short story on her website – “Wishing Well”.  It was her first fantasy short story sale, and is a lovely quick read.
• A transcript of her live blog interview at “Bitten by Books”.  Some interesting tidbits of information on her Mercy books/spin-offs there.  She also mentions Barbara Hambly and Jane Fancher amongst her favourite SF/F writers – I think I’ve only read one Barbara Hambly and none of Jane Fancher’s works, so will have to go and check them out.