New scifi and Fantasy Releases: Week of June 27

There are some really fantastic new releases this week including Kraken, the much anticipated new novel from China Mieville and Mark Charan Newton's debut novel, Nights of Villjamur , which has already been released in the UK and has received many positive reviews.

There are a couple of books that I've never heard of before but look like they could be really good; Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl (I really like the cover of this one though it reminds strongly of that recent griffin novel whose title I can't recall) and Prospero Lost by L. Jagi Lamplighter.

There are also quite a few urban fantasy sequels being released this week including Tracking the Tempest by Nicole Peeler, Kitty Goes to War by Carrie Vaughn and A Drop of Red by Chris Marie Green. Plus there is a new urban fantasy which I have already seen discussed on a number of blogs, Red Hot Fury by Kasey Mackenzie, though the cover of a psycho looking glowing, green eyed superwoman kinda freaks me out.

Overall I would have to say that this is a very satisfactory book week.

Are there any new releases that you are particularly excited about?

Hope you have a great reading week!




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Keys to the Repository
Melissa de la Cruz
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Release Date: June 29

Lavish parties. Passionate meetings in the night. Bone-chilling murders. Midterms. The day-to-day life of Schuyler Van Alen and her Blue Bloods friends (and enemies) is never boring. But there's oh-so-much more to know about these beautiful and powerful teens. Below the streets of Manhattan, within the walls of the Repository, exists a wealth of revealing information about the vampire elite that dates back before the Mayflower. In a series of short stories, journal entries, and never-before-seen letters, New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz gives her hungry fans the keys to the Repository and an even more in-depth look into the secret world of the Blue Bloods.


Pray for Dawn: The Fourth Dark Days Novel
Jocelynn Drake
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Eos
Release Date: June 29

As the fire-wielding enforcer of the nightwalker coven wrestles with the mind-destroying ghosts of her dark past, the slaying of a senator's daughter in Savannah threatens to expose her kind to the brilliant light of day. The dawn of chaos has come. The naturi have broken free of their eternal prison to feed on the defenseless and unbelieving of an unprepared Earth.
Mira and Danaus—vampire and vampire slayer—must unite to prevent the annihilation of their separate races. But for Danaus the challenge is intensified, for he must also fight the bori who covets his soul. And Mira, the nightwalker he must protect—whose power is the Earth's last hope—is rapidly going insane.



A Drop of Red (Vampire Babylon, Book Four)
Chris Marie Green
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: June 29

Follow the trail into Vampire Babylon...

When a new Vampire Underground is found in England, Hollywood stuntwoman-turned-vampire hunter Dawn Madison and her crack team are dispatched to carry the fight from the flash and dash of Los Angeles to the seemingly staid and stolid streets of London. Dawn knows by now how deceiving appearances can be-and she's about to find out that it's not only the beautiful people of Hollywood who are willing to bargain with evil.


Red Hot Fury
Kasey Mackenzie
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: June 29

Introducing a sizzling new urban fantasy series featuring Marissa Holloway, an immortal Fury who doesn't just get mad...she gets even.

As a Fury, Marissa Holloway belongs to an Arcane race that has avenged wrongdoing since time immemorial. As Boston's chief magical investigator for the past five years, she's doing what she was born to do: solve supernatural crimes.

But Riss's investigation into a dead sister Fury leads to her being inexplicably suspended from her job. And to uncover the truth behind this cover-up, she'll have to turn to her shape-shifting Warhound ex for help.

Tracking the Tempest (Jane True, Bk 2)
Nicole Peeler
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: June 29

Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and Ryu - Jane's bloodsucking boyfriend - can't let a major holiday go by without getting all gratuitous. An overwhelming dose of boyfriend interference and a last-minute ticket to Boston later, and Jane's life is thrown off course.

Ryu's well-intentioned plans create mayhem, and Jane winds up embroiled in an investigation involving a spree of gruesome killings. All the evidence points towards another Halfling, much to Jane's surprise...


The Dame
R. A. Salvatore
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Tor
Release Date: June 29

The vast road network of Honce, completed a decade before, had brought great optimism to the people of the land. Commerce could travel more freely and so could armies, and those armies, it was hoped, would rid the land at long last of the vicious, bloody cap dwarfs and goblins. For the first time, the many individual kingdoms, the holdings of Honce, would be brought closer together, perhaps even united. For the last few years, those promises had become a nightmare to the folk, as two powerful lairds fought for supremacy of a hoped-for united kingdom.
Bransen Garibond, the Highwayman, held little real interest in that fight. To him the warring lairds were two sides of the same coin. Whichever side won, the outcome for the people of Honce would be the same, Bransen believed. A journey north, however, taught Bransen that his views were simplistic at best, and that some things--like honor and true friendship-- might truly matter.
In The Dame, Bransen’s road becomes a quest for the truth, of Honce and of himself, a quest to put right over wrong. That path is fraught with confusion and fraud, and a purposeful blurring of morality by those who would seek to use the Highwayman’s extraordinary battle skills and popularity among the commonfolk for their own nefarious ends.


The Darkest Lie
Gena Showalter
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: HQN Books
Release Date: June 29

Forced to his knees in agony whenever he speaks the truth, Gideon can recognize any lie—until he captures Scarlet, a demon-possessed immortal who claims to be his long-lost wife. He doesn't remember the beautiful female, much less wedding—or bedding—her. But he wants to…almost as much as he wants her.
But Scarlet is keeper of Nightmares, too dangerous to roam free. A future with her might mean ultimate ruin. Especially as Gideon's enemies draw closer—and the truth threatens to destroy all he's come to love….


Wireless
Charles Stross
Genre: Anthology
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: June 29

The Hugo Award-winning author of such groundbreaking and innovative novels as Accelerando, Halting State, and Saturn's Children delivers a selection of speculative fiction brought together in one collection, showdcasing the limitless imagination of one of the twenty-first century's most daring visionaries.


Prospero Lost (Prospero’s Daughter, Bk 1)
L. Jagi Lamplighter
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Tor
Release Date: June 29

More than four hundred years after the events of Shakespeare’sThe Tempest, the sorcerer Prospero, his daughter Miranda, and his other children have attained everlasting life. Miranda is the head of her family’s business, Prospero Inc., which secretly has used its magic for good around the world. One day, Miranda receives a warning from her father: "Beware of the Three Shadowed Ones." When Miranda goes to her father for an explanation, he is nowhere to be found.

Miranda sets out to find her father and reunite with her estranged siblings, each of which holds a staff of power and secrets about Miranda’s sometimes-foggy past. Her journey through the past, present and future will take her to Venice, Chicago, the Caribbean, Washington, D.C., and the North Pole. To aid her, Miranda brings along Mab, an aerie being who acts like a hard-boiled detective, and Mephistopheles, her mentally-unbalanced brother. Together, they must ward off the Shadowed Ones and other ancient demons who want Prospero’s power for their own….



The Human Disguise
James O'Neal
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Tor
Release Date: June 29

The world has been shattered. Disease and war have ravaged the earth. A resurgent Germany once again threatens Europe, the United States is engaged in the Middle East, and New York has been left an empty, radioactive ruin. The city of Miami has become a virtual prison, home to the worst life has to offer. Tom Wilner lives on the outskirts of this forsaken realm. He’s what passes for a police officer in this world.
With his family shattered, Wilner is just a pale version of the police hero he once was. And when a chance encounter in a rundown roadhouse erupts in violence, Wilner is forced to step in. His exploration into the violence of that evening leads him onto the path of two warring ancient races--beings that have been manipulating power and control on Earth for centuries, and are about to enter into a battle for ultimate supremacy.
Unless Tom Wilner puts an end to their fury.


Act of Will
A.J. Hartley
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Tor
Release Date: June 29

Act of Will is a boisterous fantasy adventure that introduces us to Will Hawthorne, a medieval actor and playwright who flees the authorities only to find himself inextricably bound to a group of high-minded adventurers on a deadly mission. Will travels with them to a distant land where they are charged with the investigation and defeat of a ruthless army of mystical horsemen, who appear out of the mist leaving death and devastation in their wake.
In the course of Will’s uneasy alliance with his new protectors, he has to get his pragmatic mind to accept selfless heroism (which he thinks is absurd) and magic (which he doesn’t believe in). Will must eventually decide where his loyalties really lie and how much he is prepared to do--and believe--to stand up for them.

The Dark River
John Twelve Hawks
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing
Release Date: June 29

THE DARK RIVER opens in New York City with a stunning piece of news. Gabriel’s father, who has been missing for nearly twenty years, may still be alive and trapped somewhere in Europe. Gabriel and his Harlequin protector, Maya, immediately mobilize to escape New York and find the long-lost Traveler. Simultaneously, Michael orders the Brethren—the ruthless group that has been hunting Gabriel—into a full-scale search. Gabriel yearns to find his father to protect him; Michael aims to destroy the man whose existence threatens his newfound power. The race moves from the underground tunnels of New York and London to ruins hidden beneath Rome and Berlin, to a remote region of Africa that is rumored to harbor one of history’s greatest treasures. And as the story moves toward its chilling conclusion, Maya must decide if she will trade everything to rescue Gabriel.

A mesmerizing return to the places and people so richly portrayed in The Traveler, THE DARK RIVER is propelled by edge-of-the-seat suspense and haunted by a vision of a world where both hope and freedom are about to disappear.

Kraken
China Mieville
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: June 29

With this outrageous new novel, China Miéville has written one of the strangest, funniest, and flat-out scariest books you will read this--or any other--year. The London that comes to life in Kraken is a weird metropolis awash in secret currents of myth and magic, where criminals, police, cultists, and wizards are locked in a war to bring about--or prevent--the End of All Things.

In the Darwin Centre at London's Natural History Museum, Billy Harrow, a cephalopod specialist, is conducting a tour whose climax is meant to be the Centre's prize specimen of a rare Architeuthis dux--better known as the Giant Squid. But Billy's tour takes an unexpected turn when the squid suddenly and impossibly vanishes into thin air.

As Billy soon discovers, this is the precipitating act in a struggle to the death between mysterious but powerful forces in a London whose existence he has been blissfully ignorant of until now, a city whose denizens--human and otherwise--are...

Nights of Villjamur
Mark Charan Newton
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: June 29

Newton opens a complex epic fantasy series with this impressive debut. The ancient fortress city of Villjamur is filled with human and nonhuman inhabitants, many of them refugees seeking shelter from a predicted decades-long ice age. The untimely death of the mad emperor Jamur Johynn forces his unworldly elder daughter, Rika, to assume the throne as her sister, Eir, gains a perspective beyond her palace walls and the members of the council make their own power plays. War and religious conflicts as well as more personal matters of desires for power and immortality set the scene for acts of compassion and betrayal. Newton handles his multilayered world and diverse cast of characters with the assurance of an experienced author and balances his fantasy tropes with elements of horror and political commentary in vividly descriptive, compelling prose. – Publisher’s Weekly

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Kitty Goes to War
Carrie Vaughn
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Tor
Release Date: June 29

Kitty Norville, Alpha werewolf and host of The Midnight Hour, a radio call-in show, is contacted by a friend at the NIH's Center for the Study of Paranatural Biology. Three Army soldiers recently returned from the war in Afghanistan are being held at Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs. They're killer werewolves—and post traumatic stress has left them unable to control their shape-shifting and unable to interact with people. Kitty agrees to see them, hoping to help by bringing them into her pack.
Meanwhile, Kitty gets sued for libel by CEO Harold Franklin after featuring Speedy Mart--his nationwide chain of 24-hour convenience stores with a reputation for attracting supernatural unpleasantness--on her show.
Very bad weather is on the horizon.

The Holmes-Dracula Files
The Dracula Series (Volume 2)
Fred Saberhagen
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Tor
Release Date: June 29

World-famous “consulting detective” Sherlock Holmes faces a terrible crisis: a ring of criminal masterminds has threatened to loose thousands of plague-infected rats into the streets of London. But the Black Death isn’t Holmes’ only problem. A lone killer haunts the city. His calling card is a trail of corpses, drained of blood to the last drop.
The key to solving both crimes rests in the hands of a mysterious nobleman recently returned to London on a personal matter. His name is Dracula. The Count is quickly entangled in a web of evil that even his immortal powers may not be enough to breach. Holmes and Dracula soon come to the peculiar realization that they may be each other’s only hope.

Heartless (Tales of Goldstone Wood)
Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Bethany House
Release Date: July 1

Princess Una of Parumvir has come of age and will soon be married. She dreams of a handsome and charming prince, but when the first suitor arrives, she finds him stodgy and boring. Prince Aethelbald from the mysterious land of Farthestshore has traveled far to prove his love--and also to bring hushed warnings of danger. A dragon is rumored to be approaching Parumvir.
Una, smitten instead with a more dashing prince, refuses Aethelbald's offer--and ignores his warnings. Soon the Dragon King himself is in Parumvir, and Una, in giving her heart away unwisely, finds herself in grave danger. Only those courageous enough to risk everything have a hope of fighting off this advancing evil.

A humorous book cover blog

There has been a lot of discussion lately on book blogs about book covers and frankly they don't really interest me. But there is one blog devoted to book covers that I do follow regularly because they it's just really funny, and you will find some of the craziest scifi and fantasy covers here, along with humorous comments about them.

If you are looking for a good laugh then check out Good Show Sir.

Interview with Scott Lynch at Dragon Droppings

News from Scott Lynch has been pretty scarce lately so I was glad to come across this recent interview with him over at Dragon Droppings. If you are a fan of Lynch's Gentelman's Bastard series then you will probobly enjoy this interview as well. And if you haven't read The Lies of Lock Lamora I highly recommend it, as well as the audio version of its sequel, Red Seas Under Red Skies ( I get the sense that this book may be enjoyed more in audio format than book format, and I personally loved it).

Follow Friday

I haven't done one of these blog hops in a while but as I saw that Parajunkee started a new one I thought I would give it a try.

If you are new to my blog then welcome and please take a look around. I have book reviews (though this week I've been doing more reading then reviewing), lists of new releases and random posts about things that interest me, though I do try to make them at least vaguely related to scifi and fantasy. On Fridays I also often post some of my favorite book quotes that I came across during the week's reading, though unfortunately this week I don't have any good ones to share.

If you are a regular visitor then welcome back. You know how much I love having you here.

Have a great weekend!

An Israeli Spy Shop

I had to go into Jerusalem today to run some errands and I stopped off at small shopping center to grab something to eat. It's been a while since I had been in this particular mall so I walked around a bit, checking out the stores, when I came across the coolest store ever.

From the outside it didn't look particularly interesting, just some security cameras for sale, until I took a closer look at the smaller items displayed in the window and then I had to go in. It was a spy shop!

Inside the store I found the most awesome assortment of gadgets, most of which were camouflaged recording devices, the kind I've only see on TV and in movies. There were cameras concealed as lighters, tissue boxes, packages of gum and even a tie.There was a pen that could both photograph and record and another pen with ink that disappears after twelve hours. There was a radio that could pick up conversations in a nearby room. My favorite items were an pair of sunglasses that included a camera and microphone and a watch that was also a camera and a recorder. The salesman even took these items out for me from the display case for a demonstration.

The salesman was actually surprisingly friendly and helpful (this is Israel after all) even though I made it clear that I was just browsing, though when I asked him about who exactly their customers are he couldn't give me an answer.I just can't imagine the average guy or gal needing a hidden camera in their tie or blue tooth. Browsing in that store, I so badly wished I had someone to spy on so that I could have reason to buy something from there. I would look so cool talking discretely and mysteriously into my watch.

I was a bit disappointed though that there weren't more items meant for women. There was a tie and a few different men's watches but no women's watches or cameras hidden in jewelry. Don't these people watch Chuck? Women can be spies too! A camera in a book would also be a fantastic item, though I'm glad there wasn't one there because I'm not sure I could have resisted something lie that.

Anyhow, I just thought this was a really cool store though for the life of me I have no idea what its doing in that little shopping mall. Perhaps it's really just a front for something else...

If you are ever in Talpiot, Jerusalem, you should definitely stop by and check out this store, Insec. And let me know if you buy anything so I can come over and play with it. Now I just have to justify getting myself one of those watches, because I really really want one.

A post Father's Day post: Where have all the fathers gone?

Yesterday, in honor of Father's Day, Geek Dad at Wired.Com posted a list of his top favorite fathers from science fiction and fantasy. I did not actually recognize many of the names on this list, and I think most were from TV shows movies (which I'm not so familiar with) but considering the fact that both Geppetto and Mr.Incredible were included I got the sense that the author of the post was scrambling a bit to come up with some names.

And so I decided to try to come up with my own list of favorite fantasy and scifi fathers, and let me tell you- it was hard! Speculative fiction authors just don't seem to be fond of fathers in their books. In almost every book I can think of the protagonist is either fatherless or has an abusive or negligent father. Rarely have I read a fantasy or scifi book with a strong, positive father figure and I wonder why that is. While orphans do seem to make popular protagonist, if they have one parent it's usually the mother. I can easily come up with some great book mothers, but no fathers.

I'm wondering if this has to do with the fact that in many fantasy books the main character is provided with an older and wiser mentor who helps guide the protagonist as they grow, and this person takes the place of a father. Maybe the father has to be axed to make room for this mentor who so strongly contributes to the development of the main character.But why can't this roll be given to a father as well?

After wracking my brain for a while and going over the books on my shelves I did manage to come up with a few really good fathers. It was tricky though trying to determine what qualifies as a good book father. I thought it should be someone who is actively present throughout the book and doesn't die early or participate occasionally from the distance (à la Garth Nix's Abhorsen or Sarena's father in Elentris), but this also cut my choices down quite a bit. And so here is what I came up with (in no particular order):

1. Colonel Next from Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series. Even though Thursday's father was eradicated he still manages to frequently visit his daughter, via the time-space continuum, in order to offer fatherly advice and sometime to save her life. One time he even saves the world, making him a totally awesome dad.

2. Duke Leto Atreides from Dune: Although Paul's father doesn't survive for the whole book (or even half of it) I think he lives long enough to make an impact and his strength of character and love for his son does come through clearly.

3. Erny from Peter Brett's The Warded Man: While Leesha's father has difficulty standing up to his shrewish wife, when Leesha needes his support he is there for her, which is definitely the sign of a good father.

4. Motimer from Inkheart by Cornelia Funke: Mo is probably one of the best fantasy fathers I can think of since he is by his daughter's side throughout the book, as Meggie's father, her friend and her protector. I think the close father/daughter relationship portrayed in this book is really pretty unique for the fantasy genre and it was very refreshing and enjoyable.

5. Daniel's father in Zafón's The Shadow of the Wind: Another book that features a strong relationship between a loving father and his son.

6. Ok, I've got nothing...


Can you come up with any other good scifi or fantasy book fathers, or perhaps some ideas as to why good fathers are so hard to find in these genres?

New Scifi and Fantasy Releases: Week of June 20

Once again I seem to have left out of my previous week's list a couple of new releases, so I have tacked them on to this week's. One of these, The Left Hand of Darkness, I have been hearing about for months now from many different bloggers but the reviews are so mixed that I haven't yet decided if I will be giving this book a try.

For this week we have the much anticipated fantasy anthology, Swords and Dark Magic, edited by Jonathan Strahan and Lou Anders and a couple of new YA urban fantasies that look like they could offer some fun reading. The Palace of Impossible Dreams by Jennifer Fallon also looks like a good book (or I might just really like the cover) and I definitely want to find out more about this one.

And for fans of those crazy mashup books, there is now one that focuses on Shakespeare and his possible involvement with the paranormal in Shakespeare Undead by Lori Handeland.

Anything here look good to you?

Hope you have a great reading week!



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The Left Hand of God
Paul Hoffman
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Dutton Adult
Release Date: June 15

They call him Cale.

He is destined to save the world...

...or destroy it.

In the Redeemer Sanctuary, the stronghold of a secretive sect of warrior monks, torture and death await the unsuccessful or disobedient. Raised by the Redeemers from early childhood like hundreds of other young captives, Thomas Cale has known only deprivation, punishment, and grueling training. He doesn't know that another world exists outside the fortress walls or even that secrets he can't imagine lurk behind the Sanctuary's many forbidden doorways. He doesn't know that his master Lord Bosco and the Sanctuary's Redeemers have been preparing for a holy war for centuries-a holy war that is now imminent. And Cale doesn't know that he's been noticed and quietly cultivated.

Then, Cale decides to open a door.

It's a door that leads to one of the Redeemers' darkest secrets and a choice that is really no choice at all: certain death or daring escape. Adrift in the wider world for the first time in his young life, Cale soon finds himself in Memphis, the capitol of culture-and the den of Sin. It's there that Cale discovers his prodigious gift: violence. And he discovers that after years of abuse at the hands of the Redeemers his embittered heart is still capable of loving-and breaking.

But the Redeemers won't accept the defection of their special subject without a fight. As the clash of civilizations that has been looming for thousands of years draws near, a world where the faithful are as brutal as the sinful looks to young Cale to decide its fate.


Lanceheim
Tim Davys
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Harper
Release Date: June 15

While finishing what was to be his greatest symphony, famed composer Reuben Walrus discovers he is going deaf. Desperate to stave off the encroaching silence, he embarks on an odyssey to find a fabled creature named Maximilian, rumored to have healing powers but only traceable via an underground network. But as Reuben gets closer to the truth, he must ask himself: Just who—or what—is Maximilian?

The story of the legendary creature is recorded by Wolf Diaz, Maximilian's oldest friend and most loyal follower. Oddly, unlike the other stuffed animals of Mollisan Town, Maximilian did not arrive by green delivery truck. He cannot be identified as any particular species and is made from a material unlike any other with almost invisible seams. And most puzzling, he grows in size. As Maximilian matures, he begins to preach odd parables, attracting a legion of followers hoping to learn from his teachings. But his believers aren't the only stuffed animals paying attention as his growing influence threatens the power of the darker forces currently ruling Mollisan Town. Now Maximilian is in hiding . . . and time is running out for Reuben to find him. As his search widens, the composer encounters a detective mouse, a giraffe who swears Maximilian miraculously cured his stomach cancer, and a mink who may hold the key to Reuben's salvation. But it's a race against time as Reuben's world steadily goes silent, and his desperation may ultimately lead to his undoing.

With biting prose and compelling plot twists, Lanceheim is a tour de force all the way to the last sentence, as the true natures of Wolf Diaz, Reuben Walrus, and Maximilian are uncovered. Through the stuffed animals living in the imaginative world he introduced in the critically acclaimed Amberville, Tim Davys explores the hopes and fears, strengths and weaknesses, that define humanity as he pens a story that is both gripping and extraordinary.



Swords and Dark Magic: The New Sword and Sorcery
Jonathan Strahan and Lou Anders
Genre: Fantasy anthology
Publisher: Eos
Release Date: June 22

Seventeen original tales of sword and sorcery penned by masters old and new

Elric . . . the Black Company . . . Majipoor. For years, these have been some of the names that have captured the hearts of generations of readers and embodied the sword and sorcery genre. And now some of the most beloved and bestselling fantasy writers working today deliver stunning all-new sword and sorcery stories in an anthology of small stakes but high action, grim humor mixed with gritty violence, fierce monsters and fabulous treasures, and, of course, swordplay. Don't miss the adventure of the decade!


The Map of All Things (Terra Incognita)
Kevin Anderson
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: June 21

After terrible atrocities by both sides, the religious war between Tierra and Uraba has spread and intensified, irreparably dividing the known world. What started as a series of skirmishes has erupted into a full-blown crusade.

Now that the Uraban leader, Soldan-Shah Omra, has captured the ruined city of Ishalem, his construction teams discover a priceless ancient map in an underground vault - a map that can guide brave explorers to the mysterious Key to Creation. Omra dispatches his adoptive son Saan to sail east across the uncharted Middlesea on a quest to find it.

In Tierra, Captain Criston Vora has built a grand new vessel, and sets out to explore the great unknown and find the fabled land of Terravitae. But Criston cannot forget his previous voyage that ended in shipwreck and disaster . . . and the loss of his beloved wife Adrea, who - unbeknownst to him - fights to survive against palace intrigues and constant threats against her life in far-off Uraba. For Adrea is now the wife of the soldan-shah and mother of his adopted son . . .

The Map of All Things continues Kevin J Anderson's epic fantasy of sailing ships, crusading armies, sea monsters and enchanted islands.


The Palace of Impossible Dreams
Jennifer Fallon
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Tor
Release Date: June 22

Eternity is a long time to be watching over your shoulder...
The Tide is turning, and the Immortals who have walked the world for eons are once again coming into their powers and stepping from obscure boltholes to take control once more.
The very mortal lady Arkady knows of their plans but holds out little hope of being able to stop them. Branded and sold into slavery, Arkady fears all she knows and loves is lost—her husband, Stellan, was probably dead by now, hanged by the Immortal Jaxyn for his own nefarious purposes; and Declan Hawkes, the King of Glaeba’s Spymaster and her childhood friend — perhaps the only other human she knew who might risk everything to save her — doesn’t even know she’s in danger. She will turn to her new owner for help ... but learning the truth about him may cost them both their lives.
And Stellan? Well, it turns out he isn’t dead and Jaxyn's plans hit a snag when he realises that Stellan, the one man who can challenge him for the Glaeban throne, has sought asylum in neighbouring Caelum. Strangely enough, the Empress of the Five Realms (a Tide Lord in hiding no more), and the Tide Lords, Tryan and Elyssa, seem to be on Stellan's side ...
Plots within plots. Magic tinges the very air and the Tide will bring mayhem and madness to both mortal and Immortal alike.


Blood Feud (Drake Chronicles)
Alyxandra Harvey
Genre: YA
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers
Release Date: June 22

It's been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix barely survived the French Revolution. Now she's made her way back to the living and she must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who left her for dead the day she turned into a vampire. That's if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks.

The clans are gathering for Helena's royal coronation as the next vampire queen, and new alliances are beginning to form now that the old rifts of Lady Natasha's reign have started to heal. But with a new common enemy, Leander Montmarte—a vicious leader who hopes to force Solange to marry him and usurp the power of the throne for himself—the clans must stand together to preserve the peace he threatens to destroy.
This second adventure in the Drake Chronicles—told from both Logan's and Isabeau's perspectives—has all the same butt-kicking action, heart-pounding romances and snarky humor that readers loved in Hearts at Stake, as well as exciting new revelations about the vampire dynasties to keep readers coming back for more.


Shakespeare Undead
Lori Handeland
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: ST. Martins Press
Release Date: June 22

Something wicked this way comes . . . and it keeps coming and coming and coming. . . .
William Shakespeare was one of history’s greatest writers, a master of words with a body of work that is truly impressive . . . some may say a little too impressive for a single man to accomplish in one lifetime.

Perhaps, as many have speculated, he had assistance. Or perhaps the explanation is more . . . unusual.
Who was William Shakespeare?
Who was the Dark Lady of the Sonnets?
Why are the undead stalking the alleyways of London?
And can they be stopped?
Something is definitely rotten in the state of Denmark.
So brace yourself for a wild ride through twisted streets and shadowed graveyards of Elizabethan London, where you’ll discover how the Bard got his Bite.


Shades of Gray (Icarus Project, Book 2)
Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Spectra
Release Date: June 22

Jet and Iridium—best friends turned bitter enemies—teamed up to foil the evil plans of the rogue superhero known as Night, but in defeating him they inadvertently destroyed the secret Corp-Co transmitter whose frequency kept the metapowered heroes of the Squadron in line. Now these heroes have turned against New Chicago, ransacking the city they once protected.

Even worse, the powerful antisuperhero group known as Everyman has taken advantage of the chaos to fan the flames of prejudice against all superpowered men and women. Just when New Chicago needs them most, Jet and the small band of heroes who have remained on the right side of the law find themselves the targets of suspicion and outright hatred.

Things aren’t going much better for Iridium. When she springs her father, a notorious supervillain, from prison to help her fight the marauding ex-superheroes, she finds that Corp-Co still has some nasty tricks up its sleeve.

But when the most dangerous man alive, the sociopath known as Doctor Hypnotic, suddenly surfaces, Jet and Iridium will once again be called upon to set aside their differences. Yet in the process, deeply buried secrets will come to light that will change everything the former best friends think they know about each other and themselves.



Dark Flame (The Immortals)
Alyson Noel
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: June 22

In Alyson Noel’s most darkly seductive Immortals novel yet, Ever fights for control of her body, her soul—and the timeless true love she’s been chasing for centuries.

Ever is trying to help Haven transition into life as an immortal. But with Haven drunk on her new powers and acting recklessly, she poses the ultimate threat—exposing their secret world to the outside. As Ever struggles to keep the Immortals hidden, it only propels Haven closer to the enemy—Roman and his evil companions

At the same time, Ever delves deeper into dark magick to free Damen from Roman’s power. But when her spell backfires, it binds her to the one guy who’s hell-bent on her destruction. Now there’s a strange, foreign pulse coursing through her, and no matter what she does, she can’t stop thinking about Roman—and longing for his touch. As she struggles to resist the fiery attraction threatening to consume her, Roman is more than willing to take advantage of her weakened state…and Ever edges closer and closer to surrender.

Frantic to break the spell before its too late, Ever turns to Jude for help, risking everything she knows and loves to save herself—and her future with Damen …


The Omega Point
Whitley Strieber
Genre: Science fiction
Publisher: Tor
Release Date: June 22

2012 came and went. The world prepared itself for impending disaster--and nothing happened. Or so it seemed.
But by 2020, energy from a supernova is disrupting the sun. Solar storms ravage the globe with unprecedented ferocity, and debris in the form of comets and asteroids threaten to end life on earth. The wealthy of the world hide in vast underground bunkers, but even they know that they cannot survive without a miracle.
It all comes down to one man—a young psychiatrist named David Ford—who may hold the power to save the world. Newly employed at the extravagant Acton Clinic, Ford encounters people who seem to understand what's happening… some may even possess an extraordinary knowledge of what’s to come. One of them is the beautiful and enigmatic Caroline Light, who demands more from Ford than he could possibly give… another is cunning ex-CIA operative Mack Graham, a skilled killer with questionable loyalties…
December 21, 2012 was not the end.
The end is The Omega Point: where time stops.



The War That Came Early: Hitler’s War
Harry Turtledove
Genre: Alternate History
Publisher: Del Ray
Release Date: June 22 (in paperback)

A stroke of the pen and history is changed. In 1938, British prime minister Neville Chamberlain, determined to avoid war, signed the Munich Accord, ceding part of Czechoslovakia to Hitler. But the following spring, Hitler snatched the rest of that country, and England, after a fatal act of appeasement, was fighting a war for which it was not prepared. Now, in this thrilling alternate history, another scenario is played out: What if Chamberlain had not signed the accord?

In this action-packed chronicle of the war that might have been, Harry Turtledove uses dozens of points of view to tell the story: from American marines serving in Japanese-occupied China and ragtag volunteers fighting in the Abraham Lincoln Battalion in Spain to an American woman desperately trying to escape Nazi-occupied territory—and witnessing the war from within the belly of the beast. A tale of powerful leaders and ordinary people, at once brilliantly imaginative and hugely entertaining, Hitler’s War captures the beginning of a very different World War II—with a very different fate for our world today.


Mission of Honor (Disciples of Honor 4)
David Weber
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Baen
Release Date: June 22

The Star Kingdom of Manticore and the Republic of Haven have been enemies for Honor Harrington's entire life, and she has paid a price for the victories she's achieved in that conflict. And now the unstoppable juggernaut of the mighty Solarian League is on a collision course with Manticore. The millions who have already died may have been only a foretaste of the billions of casualties just over the horizon, and Honor sees it coming.
She's prepared to do anything, risk anything, to stop it, and she has a plan that may finally bring an end to the Havenite Wars and give even the Solarian League pause. But there are things not even Honor knows about. There are forces in play, hidden enemies in motion, all converging on the Star Kingdom of Manticore to crush the very life out of it, and Honor's worst nightmares fall short of the oncoming reality.
But Manticore's enemies may not have thought of everything after all. Because if everything Honor Harrington loves is going down to destruction, it won't be going alone.