New Scifi and Fantasy Releases: Week of August 1

Tweet

August is an exciting month for new releases with Brandon Sanderson's Way of of Kings coming out as well as Brent Weeks's new novel, Black Prism and the much-anticipated Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. Unfortunately it won't be until the end of the month that those particular books will be available, though there are some other new releases that look like they might keep me happily occupied in the meantime.

This week I have my eye on Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal.
In addition to the fact that I just like the title it also sounds like it could be a really fun book, despite the comparisons to Jane Austen (no, I'm not a Jane Austen fan). Plus I've read some good reviews about it, so this book is firmly on my To Be Read list.

There is also a new release from Adrian Tchaikovsky, whose books I've been meaning to read for a while, as well as a new Artemis Fowl from Eon Colfer, and Julie Kagawa's The Iron Daughter.

And as usual, while compiling this list I've come across a couple of interesting titles that I've not yet heard of, including The Savior Machine: A brief collection of weird fiction by Daniel La Ponsie and The Questing Road by Lyn McConchie. While I'm not sure if I will actually get around to reading either of these perhaps you will, in which case please let me know if I should give them a try.

Hope you have a great reading week!



******************************************************************************


The Iron Daughter
Julie Kagawa
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: August 1, 2010

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.


The Savior Machine: A brief collection of weird fiction
Daniel La Ponsie
Genre: Short Story Antholgy
Publisher: Without Adjectives
Release Date: August 1

Read about a priest employed by the Vatican Intelligence Agency. Agent Scott Sideways wears the roman collar and carries a seven-chambered revolver called The Seven Sorrows. Employed by the supreme pontiff and blessed to kill, Sideways is on the trail of a mad-man with a machine that can make the blind see, the lame walk, and the dead live again.

Other stories in the book include: Heart-shaped Box The small research lab was located at the edge of Grand Rapids; back behind the swanky pubs and clubs, the trendy galleries, and the city's massive arena, where single mothers are thrown to the lions. Mount Mercy Three dozen little Spiders marching single file from his toes to his nose. One at a time leaping into his eyes and ears and mouth. The Human Body The man seems to be smiling, although it is difficult to tell. For, obviously, he has no lips.

"A grand throwback to the glory days of pulp adventure and horror!" -Jason Roth; filmmaker, Ta-Ta's Last Stand (2010), Too Dead to Die (2007).
"What do you get when you combine whores, robots and dogmen? One helluvastory." -Terry Lancaster; librarian, Grand Rapids Public Library.



Sympathy for the Devil
Michael Chabon, Holly Black, Kelly Link, and Stephen King
Genre: Short Story Anthology/Paranormal
Publisher: Night Shade Books
Release Date: August 1

The Devil is known by many names: Serpent, Tempter, Beast, Adversary, Wanderer, Dragon, Rebel. His traps and machinations are the stuff of legends. His faces are legion. No matter what face the devil wears, Sympathy for the Devil has them all. Edited by Tim Pratt, Sympathy for the Devil collects the best Satanic short stories by Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Stephen King, Kage Baker, Charles Stross, Elizabeth Bear, Jay Lake, Kelly Link, China Mieville, Michael Chabon, and many others, revealing His Grand Infernal Majesty, in all his forms.

Thirty-five stories, from classics to the cutting edge, exploring the many sides of Satan, Lucifer, the Lord of the Flies, the Father of Lies, the Prince of the Powers of the Air and Darkness, the First of the Fallen... and a Man of Wealth and Taste. Sit down and spend a little time with the Devil.


Unsympathetic Magic: An Esther Diamond Novel
Laura Resnick
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Daw
Release Date: August 3

From the award-winning author of Doppelgangster comes the newest novel in the popular Esther Diamond series Acting jobs don't grow on fire escapes, so struggling actress Esther Diamond is outraged when her guest role as a hooker on controversial TV drama The Dirty Thirty is jeopardized by zombies, angry spirits, and a voodoo curse. But will Esther's courage backfire and end up leading her to become a human sacrifice on the altar of the sinister supernatural powers that are taking over New York City?



Total Eclipse (Weather Warden, Book 9)
Rachel Caine
Genre: Urban Fanasy
Publisher: Roc
Release Date: August 3

Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin, her husband, the djinn David, and the Earth herself have been poisoned by a substance that destroys the magic that keeps the world alive. The poison is destabilizing the entire balance of power, bestowing magic upon those who have never had it, and removing it form those who need it. It's just a matter of time before the delicate balance of nature explodes into chaos-and doom.



Taint of the Black Brigade: Chronicles of Abraxis Wren, Book 2
Paul Crilley
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Release Date: August 3

The last one alive takes the treasure . . . unless Abraxis Wren gets there first. When a woman from his past turns up looking for help in clearing her name, Abraxis Wren must set aside his memories of their past encounters to unravel the mystery of the Black Brigade. An elite and deadly squad from the Last War is being murdered one by one. The trail of blood leads to untold treasure—if Wren can only reach it before the murderer does!


Infinite Days (Vampire Queen)
Rebecca Maizel
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: August 3

"Throughout all my histories, I found no one I loved more than you...no one."
Those were some of Rhode's last words to me. The last time he would pronounce his love. The last time I would see his face. It was the first time in 592 years I could take a breath. Lay in the sun. Taste. Rhode sacrificed himself so I, Lenah Beaudonte, could be human again. So I could stop the blood lust. I never expected to fall in love with someone else that wasn't Rhode. But Justin was...daring. Exciting. More beautiful than I could dream. I never expected to be sixteen again...then again, I never expected my past to come back and haunt me...


Shades of Milk and Honey
Mary Robinette Kowal
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Tor
Release Date: August 3

The fantasy novel you’ve always wished Jane Austen had written Shades of Milk and Honey is exactly what we could expect from Jane Austen if she had been a fantasy writer: Pride and Prejudice meets Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. It is an intimate portrait of a woman, Jane, and her quest for love in a world where the manipulation of glamour is considered an essential skill for a lady of quality. Jane and her sister Melody vie for the attentions of eligible men, and while Jane’s skill with glamour is remarkable, it is her sister who is fair of face. When Jane realizes that one of Melody’s suitors is set on taking advantage of her sister for the sake of her dowry, she pushes her skills to the limit of what her body can withstand in order to set things right—and, in the process, accidentally wanders into a love story of her own.


The Demon Hunt (A Darkstorm Novel)
Kris Greene
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: St. Martins Paperback
Release Date: August 3

Soul-sucking demons. Half-human killers. Doomsday prophesies. No, this isn’t a late-night movie on cable TV. This is Gabriel’s life—or least, what’s left of it—ever since he discovered his true destiny as a warrior knight in the battle against darkness. Once an ordinary college kid studying lost legends in books, Gabriel now finds himself face to face with actual demons. As a warrior, he has no choice but to fight them. And if he screws it up, the world is toast… A dimensional rift has opened between worlds. Which means more demons—and more death—than you could shake a proverbial stick at. Luckily, Gabriel has just the stick for the job, an ancient trident that gives him awesome demon-bashing powers. To watch his back he has the butt kicking half Demon De Mona and several unlikely heroes who he’s picked up along the way. To make matters more complicated two of Gabriel’s college buddies wind up dead and he finds that the demons aren’t the only ones who want a piece of his hide. The cops want him too—for murder…


Elminster Must Die!: The Sage of Shadowdale (The Elminster Series)
Ed Greenwood
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
Release Date: August 3

Elminster Returns! Elminster Must Die! is the debut 4th edition appearance of one of the Forgotten Realms® world’s most iconic characters, written by the creator of the original Forgotten Realms campaign setting. An instant classic, and a must-read for every Realms fan. When the goddess of magic was murdered, Elminster’s world shattered. Once the most powerful wizard in the world, immortal, beloved of the goddess of magic, and the bane of villainy, he is now a tired old man. He is powerful but mortal, and with all the enemies a man who makes a habit of saving the world tends to accumulate. To make matters worse, Elminster has needs—feeding powerful magic items to the Simbul, his lover, is the only thing that keeps her sane—but their increasingly risky collection leads his enemies right to him.


Labyrinth (Greywalker, Book 5)
Kat Richardson
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Roc
Release Date: August 3

Harper Blaine was your average small-time P. I. until she died-for two minutes. Now she's a Greywalker, walking the line between the living world and the paranormal realm. There are others who know about her new powers-others with powerful tools and evil intentions, and now that the man who "killed" her has been murdered, the police are also paying close attention. That means Harper has to watch her step while searching for the ghost of her "killer"-who could be a valuable clue in the puzzle of Harper's past and her father's death, as well as a key to figuring out who's trying to manipulate her new powers and why. But with her growing powers pulling her into the Grey, Harper might not be able to come back out...


The Questing Road
Lyn McConchie
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Tor
Release Date : August 3

With the spirit and excitement that have thrilled readers for more than two decades, Lyn McConchie has crafted a totally original fantasy of two lands in deadly conflict. Acolytes to a dark god have crossed the gulf between worlds to abduct an innocent tariling, not even a year old, dooming it to become a sacrifice in a ceremony that will unleash an army of supernatural creatures upon an unsuspecting kingdom. Yoros and Kyrryl know that this is no mere animal, but to its own (felinoid) kind is a cherished child.
With their warrior niece, Ashara, they follow its trail through a dimensional gate, little realizing their simple quest will become a desperate fight for survival in the middle of an all-out war. They can't know of the atrocities that decimated the plains tribes of the strange world beyond the gate. Nor can they know of the massive revenge that threatens an entire civilization. If they are to save themselves and their lost tariling, they must follow its magic through the unknown terrors of a bizarre world of alien creatures and mortal perils beyond their wildest imagining.
With the apocalyptic ceremony looming ever nearer, the trio of seekers find others who may help them -- or whose treachery could spell doom for them all. As mortal and supernatural armies mass and secret pacts reveal ancient evils, only one thing is certain: death follows their road, and their only hope is to cheat the gods that seem to curse them...


Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex
Eoin Colfer
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Release Date: August 3

Artemis has committed his entire fortune to a project he believes will save the planet and its inhabitants, both human and fairy. Can it be true? Has goodness taken hold of the world’s greatest teenage criminal mastermind? Captain Holly Short is unconvinced, and discovers that Artemis is suffering from Atlantis Complex, a psychosis common among guilt-ridden fairies - not humans - and most likely triggered by Artemis’s dabbling with fairy magic. Symptoms include obsessive-compulsive behavior, paranoia, multiple personality disorder and, in extreme cases, embarrassing professions of love to a certain feisty LEPrecon fairy. Unfortunately, Atlantis Complex has struck at the worst possible time. A deadly foe from Holly’s past is intent on destroying the actual city of Atlantis. Can Artemis escape the confines of his mind – and the grips of a giant squid – in time to save the underwater metropolis and its fairy inhabitants? New York Times best-selling author Eoin Colfer delivers a knockout, fast-paced, and hilarious adventure in Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex, the seventh book in the blockbuster series.


The Phoenix Transformed (Enduring Flame Series 3)
Mercedes Lackey & James Mallory
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Tor
Release Date: August 3

With more than one twist in the telling, centering on a magic-plagued journey across a blistering desert, The Phoenix Transformed is the stunning conclusion to Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory's Enduring Flame Trilogy.


The Stainless Steel Rat Returns (Stainless Steel Rat, Bk 11) Harry Harrison
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Tor
Release Date: August 3

After a ten-year absence, the return of one of the most enduring series characters in modern SF James Bolivar "Slippery Jim" DiGriz, Special Corps agent, master con man, interstellar criminal (retired), is living high on the hog on the planet of Moolaplenty when a long-lost cousin and a shipful of swine arrive to drain his bank account and send him and his lovely wife, Angelina, wandering the stars on the wildest journey since Gulliver's Travels. In this darkly satiric work, Harry Harrison bring his most famous character out of retirement for a grand tour of the galaxy. The Stainless Steel Rat rides again: a cocktail in his hand, a smile on his lips, and larceny in his heart, in search of adventure, gravitons, and a way to get rid of the pigs.


The Laughing Magician: The Adventures of Cugel
Jack Vance and Stephen Fabian
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Underwood Books
Release Date: August 1

The Laughing Magician combines two of the most popular novels in Jack Vance's Dying Earth series. Both recount the adventures of Cugel, also called Cugel the Clever, forced by a mordant magician into a quest across an Earth of the far distant future. In this Rabelaisian picaresque, Cugel has only his wits — and loose morals — with which to survive a world teeming with tricksters, monsters, and magicians. Vance’s vivid, witty prose and rich imagination is combined with Stephen Fabian’s gorgeous art.



Black Swan Rising
Lee Carroll
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Tor
Release Date: August 3

When New York City jewelry designer Garet James stumbles into a strange antiques shop in her neighborhood, her life is about to be turned upside down. John Dee, the enigmatic shopkeeper, commissions her to open a vintage silver box for a generous sum of money. Oddly, the symbol of a swan on the box exactly matches the ring given to her by her deceased mother. Garet can’t believe her luck and this eerie coincidence until she opens the box and otherworldly things start happening. . . . That evening, the precious silver box is stolen.
When Garet begins to investigate, she learns that she has been pulled into a prophecy that is hundreds of years old, and opening the box has unleashed an evil force onto the streets of Manhattan and the world at large. Gradually, Garet pieces together her true identity—one that her deceased mother desperately tried to protect her from. Generations of women in Garet’s family, including her beloved mother, suffered and died at the hands of this prevailing evil. Does Garet possess the power to reclaim the box and defeat this devastating force?


The Search
Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, Garfield Reeves-Stevens
Genre:
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: August 3

A nine-thousand-year-old conspiracy. Three families. One secret. The epic race to uncover history’s greatest mystery has begun. Beneath the sparkling blue water of a remote Pacific atoll, a merciless killer stalks an underwater archaeological dig. His goal: to bring his employer---billionaire industrialist Holden Ironwood---an impossible artifact that proves a lost civilization’s knowledge of astronomy was thousands of years ahead of its time.

At the same time, in the Armed Forces DNA Identification Lab in Maryland, haunted young researcher David Weir risks his freedom to identify a handful of people with nothing in common except their nonhuman genes---genes that he shares. While in the Arctic tundra, a deadly airborne assault on a pipeline crew propels young paleogeologist Jessica MacClary into the innermost circles of her staggeringly wealthy and powerful family as she learns the astonishing secret her ancestors have defended since the beginnings of recorded history. Now these three strangers on their separate quests to unlock their pasts are unexpectedly driven into violent collision, only to discover that together they hold the key to answering the ultimate question of humanity’s origins---provided the U.S. Air Force doesn’t stop them first. . . .

Acclaimed New York Times bestselling novelists Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens once again bring their unique blend of relentless suspense and cutting-edge science to a page-turning story of adventure that spans the globe and millennia of human history, racing from long-buried ruins in Cornwall and the casinos of Atlantic City to the forgotten caves that protect a shocking revelation that will tear the veil off the true history of humankind. With a mystery more profound than Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, and scientific speculation more provocative than Michael Crichton’s Next, Search is an adrenaline-fueled, action-packed thriller that goes beyond wild theories of ancient astronauts and sunken empires to suggest a startling new vision of the birth of human civilization.


Legends: The Enchanted
Nick Percival
Genre: Graphic Novel
Publisher: Radical Publishing
Release Date: August 3

You think you know them. Think again. Violently ripped from the pages of folklore come the Enchanted. Supernatural immortals living in a dark, steampunk, creature-infested world where nature, technology and foul magic are in constant conflict. When the twisted, burnt remains of the half-wooden, half-mechanical warrior, Pinocchio, are discovered, wolf-hunter Red Hood and giant-killer Jack realize the fragile rules of their existence have been shattered. With the help of other powerful Enchanted (the mercenary, Goldilocks and psychic exterminators, Hansel and Gretel), Jack and Red team up on an adventure to stop whatever, or whoever is destroying their powers and murdering their kind.


The Scarab Path (Shadows of the Apt 5)
Adrian Tchaikovsky
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Tor
Release Date: August 5

The war with the Wasp Empire has ended in a bitter stalemate, and Collegium has nothing to show for it but wounded veterans. Cheerwell Maker finds herself crippled in ways no doctor can mend, haunted by ghosts of the past that she cannot appease, seeking for meaning in a city that no longer seems like home. The Empress Seda is regaining control over those imperial cities who refused to bow the knee to her, but she draws her power from something more sinister than mere armies and war machines. Only her consort, the former spymaster Thalric, knows the truth, and now the assassins are coming and he finds his life and his loyalties under threat yet again. Out past the desert of the Nem the ancient city of Khanaphes awaits them both, with a terrible secret entombed beneath its stones...


Enigma
C.F Bently
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: DAW
Release Date: August 3

When an alien ship crashes into the space station and diplomatic post Labyrinthe VII, the precarious balance between Harmony's High Preistess Sissy and Confederated Star System Agent Jake begins to dissolve. Suddenly they are caught in a web of deceit and intrigue as undercover agents for both the humans and the aliens vie for control not only of the space station, but of a new and unclaimed planet that may hold the answers many of them seek-or prove to be a deadly trap.