New Scifi and Fantasy Releases: Week of June 6

From this week's selection of new releases it's Patricia Wrede's new novel, A Matter Of Magic, that I am particularity looking forward to reading. Though from the description it sounds like a number of other fantasies that I have read before, since it's Wrede I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt and I expect that it will be just as wonderfully fun as all the other books of hers that I've read. Other than that, there are a couple of other books here that pique my interest, including John Scalzi's short story compilation Metatropolis and Meg Cabot's new vampire novel Insatiable.

How about you? Any of this week's new releases that catch your fancy?

Have a great reading week!

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Blood Song

Cat Adams

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Tor

Release Date: June 8

Description: Bodyguard Celia Graves has definitely accepted her share of weird assignments, both human and supernatural. But her newest job takes the cake. Guarding a Prince from terrorists and religious fundamentalists is hard enough, but it seems like the entire supernatural world is after this guy too. When she is betrayed by those she is employed to help, and everything goes horribly wrong, Celia wakes to find herself transformed.

Neither human nor vampire, Celia has become an Abomination—something that should not exist—and now both human and supernatural alike want her dead. With the help of a few loyal friends—a sexy mage, a powerful werewolf, and a psychic cop—Celia does her best to stay alive. On the run from her enemies, Celia must try to discover who is behind her transformation…before it’s too late.

The Anvil of the World

Kage Baker

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Tor

Release Date: June 8

Description: The Anvil of the World is the tale of Smith and his feud-prone people, the Children of the Sun. Smith, formerly a successful assassin, is trying to retire, hoping to live an honest life in obscurity in spite of all those who have sworn to kill him. But when he agrees to be the master of a caravan from traveling from the inland city of Troon to Salesh by the sea, trouble follows.

As always, Baker's approach is charmingly distinctive. Smith's adventure is certainly the only fantasy featuring a white-uniformed nurse, gourmet cuisine, one hundred and forty-four glass butterflies, and a steamboat.

Raised by Wolves

Jennifer Barnes

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Release Date: June 8

Description: Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it. That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two.

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped?

Insatiable

Meg Cabot

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Harper Collins

Release date: June 8

Description: Sick of hearing about vampires? So is Meena Harper.

But her bosses are making her write about them anyway, even though Meena doesn't believe in them.

Not that Meena isn't familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knows how you're going to die. (Not that you're going to believe her. No one ever does.)

But not even Meena's precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets—then makes the mistake of falling in love with—Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side. It's a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire hunters, would prefer to see him dead for.

The problem is, Lucien's already dead. Maybe that's why he's the first guy Meena's ever met whom she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena's always been able to see everyone else's future, she's never been able look into her own.

And while Lucien seems like everything Meena has ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, he might turn out to be more like a nightmare.

Now might be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future…

If she even has one.

Dragon Soul

Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Spectra

Release Date: June 8

Description: With just two novels under their belts, young writers Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett have established themselves as two of the hottest new stars in fantasy. Havemercy introduced readers to a brilliantly realized world riven by an intractable war between the kingdoms of Volstov and Ke-Han—a war in which the great dragons of Volstov—deadly hybrids of machine and magic—and their equally fierce human riders were all that kept the dark sorcery of Ke-Han at bay. In Shadow Magic, Jones and Bennett brought the common humanity of the opposing sides to life in an adventure that showcased once again their talent for creating not only fantastic settings but vivid characters to inhabit them.

Now Jones and Bennett are back with their most accomplished novel yet, featuring the return of two beloved characters, the brothers Rook and Thom. When the war was at its height, there was no fighter on either side who could match Rook for sheer arrogance and skill. Only Rook could ride the great dragon Havemercy, whose savagery and bloodlust matched his own. Thom could not be more different. Bookish, diffident, reserved, he yearns for his brother’s approval—yet fears he can never earn it.

With the war over, and an uneasy truce holding between Volstov and Ke-Han, it seems the perfect opportunity for the long-lost brothers to forge a bond by taking a trip together. At least, that’s how it seems to Thom. Rook hasn’t given a rat’s ass about anything since the end of the war, his brother included, and he’s not about to start now. Not when the one thing he loved in the world—Havemercy—lies scattered in pieces across Ke-Han.

Then Rook and Thom discover that someone is buying up bits of the fallen dragons, including Havemercy. Though the dragons are dead, the magic that powered them is not—and if that magic and the technology created to harness it should fall into the wrong hands, the fragile peace could shatter. An agent from Ke-Han, a sorceress from Volstov, and a group of desert tribesmen are all in the race, and the future rests on whoever gets there first. But all that matters to Rook is that someone is desecrating his girl, so he vows to leave no stone unturned in laying her to rest—and taking his revenge.

Ancient Shadows: Dark Tales of Eldritch Fantasy

William Jones

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Publisher: Elder Signs Press

Release Date: June 4 in UK (July 10 in US)

Description: Presenting an eldritch dimension that is familiar and unsettling, this anthology of alternate-history tales touches upon a dark mythos unseen beneath the surface of the real world. Conducting a journey into a timeless universe of what might have been, this collection of stories contains narratives composed by today’s most popular Cthulhu Mythos authors. Ideal for sword and sorcery aficionados and written in the authentic style of traditional dark fantasy, this compilation is a must-have for fans of Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, and H. P. Lovecraft.

The Late Lamented Molly Maryx

Sally Koslow

Genre:

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Release Date: June 8

Description: The circumstances of Molly Marx’s death may be suspicious, but she hasn’t lost her joie de vivre. Newly arrived in the hereafter, aka the Duration, Molly, thirty-five years old, is delighted to discover that she can still keep tabs on those she left behind: Annabel, her beloved four-year-old daughter; Lucy, her combustible twin sister; Kitty, her piece-of-work mother-in-law; Brie, her beautiful and steadfast best friend; and, of course, her husband, Barry, a plastic surgeon with more than a professional interest in many of his female patients. As a bonus, Molly quickly realizes that the afterlife comes with a finely tuned bullshit detector.

As Molly looks on, her loved ones try to discern whether her death was an accident, suicide, or murder. She was last seen alive leaving for a bike ride through New York City’s Riverside Park; her body was found lying on the bank of the Hudson River. Did a stranger lure Molly to danger? Did she plan to meet someone she thought she could trust? Could she have ended her own life for mysterious reasons, or did she simply lose control of her bike? As the police question her circle of intimates, Molly relives the years and days that led up to her sudden end: her marriage, troubled yet tender; her charmed work life as a magazine decorating editor; and the irresistible colleague to whom she was drawn.

More than anything, Molly finds herself watching over Annabel--and realizing how motherhood helped to bring out her very best self. As the investigation into her death proceeds, Molly will relive her most precious moments--and take responsibility for the choices in her life.

Exploring the bonds of fidelity, family, and friendship, and narrated by a memorable and endearing character, The Late, Lamented Molly Marx is a hilarious, deeply moving, and thought-provoking novel that is part mystery, part love story, and all heart.

The Double Human

James O'Neal

Genre: Science Fiction

Publisher: Tor

Release Date: June 8

Description: The world has been shattered. Disease and war have ravaged the earth. A resurgent Germany once again threatens Europe, and the US is engaged in the Middle East while 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 this future passes off as a police officer.

Amid the chaos, where crime and murder happen in a breath, Wilner stumbles into the path of wild and brutal adversary. Forced to go undercover in the most frightfully ravaged corners of the Miami Quarantine Zone, Wilner uncovers something he hasn't seen in decades...a serial killer. But the path that this killer has razed is not like any other--it appears that he has been active for nearly fifty years without any repercussions. People call him "the Vampire." Indeed, this serial killer is not human...and neither are his victims.

Hylozoic

Rudy Rucker

Genre: Science Fiction

Publisher: Tor

Release Date: June 8

Description: In Rucker's last novel, Postsingular, the Singularity happened. Life on Earth has been transformed by the awakening of all matter into consciousness and telepathic communication. The most intimate moments of your life can be experienced by anyone who cares to pay attention, or by hundreds of thousands of anyones if you are one of the Founders who helped create the Singularity.

The small bunch of Founders, including young newlyweds Thuy, a hypertext novelist, and Jayjay, a gamer and brain-enhancement addict, are living a popular live-action media life. But now alien races that have already gone through this transformation notice Earth for the first time, and begin to arrive to exploit both the new environment and any available humans. Some of them are real estate developers, some are slavers, and some just want to help. But who is to tell the difference? Someone has to save humanity from the alien invasions, and it might as well be reality media stars Thuy and Jayjay. They have the problems of soap opera stars, and are still propelled through adventures in time and in other universes, a long strange trip indeed.

Wicked City: The Other Side (Wicked City, Book 2)

Hideyuki Kikuchi

Genre:

Publisher: Tor

Release Date: June 8

Description: The classic anime Wicked City is based on a series of novels by master horror writer Hideyuki Kikuchi. Tor/Seven Seas is pleased to present these novels to the North American audience for the first time, featuring cover art by Christian McGrath (The Dresden Files).

The Black Guard, whose job it is to protect the boundary between our mortal world and the demonic Dark World, has succeeded in preserving the tenuous peace treaty between the two worlds, averting an all-out war. Now a new threat from the Dark World terrorizes humanity, a monster that invades people’s dreams and causes them to commit murder.

Black Guard agents Taki, a hardboiled human, and his sexy demon partner, Makie, must work alongside legendary Black Guard agent Miyuki if they are to defeat the creature and save the world.

Like author Hideyuki Kikuchi’s well-known and critically-acclaimed Vampire Hunter D novels (Dark Horse), Wicked City is an epic ten-volume tale of supernatural horror and high-octane action.

Dog Blood

David Moody

Genre: Science Fiction/ Post Apocolypse

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Release Date: June 8

Description: On the heels of Patient Zero and Pride and Prejudice with Zombies— the electrifying sequel to Hater where humanity fights itself to the death against a backdrop of ultimate apocalyptic destruction

The Earth has been torn into two parts by an irreversible division. Whether due to nature, or the unknown depths of the mind itself, everyone is now either Human or Hater. Victim or killer. Governments have fallen, command structures have collapsed, and relationships have crumbled. Major cities have become refugee camps where human survivors cower together in fear. Amidst this indiscriminate carnage, Danny McCoyne is on a mission to find his daughter Ellis, convinced that her shared Hater condition means her allegiance is to people like him. Free of inhibitions, unrestricted by memories of peace, and driven by instinct, children are pure Haters, and may well define the future of the Hater race. But, as McCoyne makes his way into the heart of human territory, an incident on the battlefield sets in place an unexpected chain of events, forcing him to question everything he believes he knows about the new order that has arisen, and the dynamic of the Hate itself.

Metatropolis

Edited John Scalzi

Genre: Science fiction compilation

Publisher: Tor

Release Date: June 8

Description: Five original tales set in a shared urban future—from some of the hottest young writers in modern SF

A strange man comes to an even stranger encampment...a bouncer becomes the linchpin of an unexpected urban movement...a courier on the run has to decide who to trust in a dangerous city...a slacker in a "zero-footprint" town gets a most unusual new job...and a weapons investigator uses his skills to discover a metropolis hidden right in front of his eyes.

Welcome to the future of cities. Welcome to Metatropolis.

More than an anthology, Metatropolis is the brainchild of five of science fiction's hottest writers—Elizabeth Bear, Tobias Buckell, Jay Lake, Karl Schroeder, and project editor John Scalzi—-who combined their talents to build a new urban future, and then wrote their own stories in this collectively-constructed world. The results are individual glimpses of a shared vision, and a reading experience unlike any you've had before.

Android Karenina

Ben H. Winters

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Quirk Books

Release Date: June 8

Description: Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters co-author Ben H. Winters is back with an all-new collaborator, legendary Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy, and the result is Android Karenina an enhanced edition of the classic love story set in a dystopian world of robots, cyborgs, and interstellar space travel.

As in the original novel, our story follows two relationships: The tragic adulterous love affair of Anna Karenina and Count Alexei Vronsky, and the more hopeful marriage of Nikolai Levin and Princess Kitty Shcherbatskaya. These characters live in a steampunk-inspired world of robitic butlers, clumsy automatons, and rudimentary mechanical devices. But when these copper-plated machines begin to revolt against their human masters, our characters must fight back using state-of-the-art 19th-century technology and a sleek new model of ultra-human cyborgs like nothing the world has ever seen.

Filled with the same blend of romance, drama, and fantasy that made the first two Quirk Classics New York Times best sellers, Android Karenina brings this celebrated series into the exciting world of science fiction.

A Matter of Magic

Patricia C. Wrede

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Tor

Release Date: June 8

Description: When a stranger offers her a small fortune to break into a traveling magician’s wagon, Kim doesn’t hesitate. Having grown up a waif in the dirty streets of London, Kim isn’t above a bit of breaking-and-entering. A hard life and lean times have schooled her in one lesson: steal from them before they steal from you. But when the magician catches her in the act, Kim thinks she’s done for. Until he suggests she become his apprentice; then the real trouble begins.

Kim soon finds herself entangled with murderers, thieves, and cloak-and-dagger politics, all while trying to learn how to become both a proper lady and a magician in her own right. Magic and intrigue go hand in hand in Mairelon the Magician and The Magician’s Ward, two fast-paced novels filled with mystery and romance, set against the intricate backdrop of Regency England.

The Evil Within: A Possessions Novel

Nancy Holder

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: June 10

Description: In this sequel to New York Times bestselling author Nancy Holder’s Possessions, Lindsay finds out that she, too, is possessed, and must return to creepy Marlwood Academy in order to rid herself of the spirit. Lindsay’s afraid of what the spirit is telling her to do—kill Mandy! But the secrets of Marlwood go much deeper than Lindsay thought. Sometimes the girls who seem like enemies are actually on your side. And the voices you trust the most—the voices that come from within—are the ones that want you dead.

Friday Quotes

This week I actually manged to read two books, Shades of Grey and Magic Bleeds, and to start on another book, The City & the City by China Mieville, which makes for a very successful reading week. Though I'm wondering if anyone else who has read City & the City was bothered by the overly complex sentences that Mieville seems fond of and which often require me to reread the same sentence several times. I've never seen this mentioned in any of the reviews of the book.

I also started listening to the second Dresden File book by Jim Butcher, Fool Moon, and I'm a half way through The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty, my only non-genre book at the moment.

So here are this week's quotes...

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

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Shades of Grey (Jasper Fforde)

• “I don’t need you to agree with me,” she said quietly. “I’ll go away happy with a little bit of doubt. Doubt is good. It’s an emotion we can build on. Perhaps if we feed it with curiosity it will blossom into something useful, like suspicion – and action."
  

• The cucumber and the tomato are both fruit; the avocado is a nut. To assist with the dietary requirements of vegetarians, on the first Tuesday of the month a chicken is officially a vegetable."
  

• The safest course was actually the simplest-do nothing at all and hope everything turned out for the best. It wasn't a great plan, but it had the benefits of simplicity and a long tradition

Magic Bleeds (Ilona Andrews)

The surest way to disarm a Jewish magician was to take his pen away from him.

The Memory of Running (Ron McLarty)

I always sound sort of anxious on the telephone, or sort of like I'm out to please everyone. It's one of those subservient hellos that really say "I'll do anything for you," but of course I don't really feel that way and I won't do anything for you.

Gail Carriger (Interview with Tor)

I always try to have strong opinions on frivolous subjects and weak opinions on serious matters. Keeps me young and irreverent.

Favorite Fictional Character: Colonel John Casey

Favorite Fictional Character

Hosted by Ryan at Wordsmithonia

I don't watch that much TV, and in fact, I don't even own one, but occasionally I'll get wind of a show that sounds interesting and out of curiosity I'll check it out. Sometimes this will leads to a new addiction that will have me glued to my computer screen for a half an hour each week. Such is the case with one of my current favorite shows, Chuck.

Chuck has a number of great characters, from Chuck himself to his practically-perfect brother-in-law (aka Awesome) to his strange but genius father, but my favorite of them all is John Casey, the cold, trigger-happy NSA agent who is sent to hunt Chuck down.


If you aren't familiar with Chuck, here is a brief synopsis from IMDB:

When a twenty-something computer geek, Chuck, inadvertently downloads critical government secrets into his brain, CIA and NSA assign two agents to protect him and exploit such knowledge, turning his life upside down.

Casey is the NSA agent who is put on Chuck's tail in order to retrieve the stolen date. When it becomes clear that the data has been downloaded into Chuck's brain his job then becomes to protect Chuck until he is no longer needed, at which point he is to be eliminated.

Casey is a hardened military man who is fiercely loyal to his employers and puts his job above all else. Even once he is set up as an undercover bodyguard for Chuck, he is still fully prepared to kill Chuck at any moment if ordered to. But as the show progress we watch as Casey reluctantly comes to care for Chuck as a friend (although he would never admit it) which occasionally conflicts with his own unquestioning loyalty to his employers and his duty to the government. Watching Casey's character develop from a dispassionate, cold killer to a man with hidden depth and emotion is one of my favorite parts of this show and makes Casey one of my favorite TV characters.

Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, Bk 4) by Ilona Andrews

If you read Magic Strikes then you are likely to have also read the sneak peek of Magic Bleeds offered in the back, which describes a scene in which Kate Daniels stands in her kitchen surrounded by a sumptuous feast she has prepared for Curran, only to realize that she has been stood up. And if you read this heartbreaking scene, then you have probably been anxiously awaiting to get a hold of the complete book to find out what happens next.

After apparently being rejected by the one man who might have given her a chance at love, Kate determines to forget Curran and focus on her job. This tactic turns out to be a rather successful one as Kate is soon challenged by the one of the most difficult and dangerous cases she has ever encountered.

There is a new villain in town, one who is causing havoc and spreading deadly diseases in cities across Georgia. When both the vampires and shapeshifters turn to Kate for help, she knows she is in trouble. Matters only get worse when Kate finally identifies the culprit and discovered her own personal connection to the murderer, a connection that might finally force the truth of her heritage into the open.

Magic Strikes was a fun, fast paced read with plenty of action and some interesting developments, and if you enjoyed the previous Kate Daniels books then you won’t be disappointed by this one.Unfortunately we don’t get too see too much of the other pack members, who I enjoyed getting to know in the previous books, or of Julie, Kate’s adopted daughter. We do get some great romance here, and as usual, Andrews manages to mix in just the right amount without allowing it to take over the story.

There were also some interesting facts included about Greek mythology and a look at the magical side of the Atlanta Jewish community, which involves a Golem guarded synagogue and a magical circle. Andrews also talks a bit about the Hebrew name of G-d which I thought was interesting because in Judaism the true name of G-d (which is no longer known) actually acts in a similar way to the words of power that are used in these books, and which Kate has been secretly collecting. I’m now curious if this is where Andrews got her idea for the power words.

Admittedly, soon after finishing the book I had a hard time recalling the individual details of the story, which might have to do with the repetitive battle scenes between Kate and the villain’s minions. Much of the book involves Kate rushing to one fight scene after another and it was clear that each battle was only a step in the direction of the final confrontation so I didn’t feel like they really added that much to the plot, although they took up most of the story.

Although Magic Bleeds is not a book that will likely stick with you for a long time after finishing it, it still provides a fun and entertaining reading experience, which is a good enough incentive for me to pick up a book.

Magic Bleeds is the fourth book in the Kate Daniels series. If you have not read the previous books in the series, I highly suggest you do so first, before reading this one.

Contest Winners

My Urban Fantasy Giveaway has come to a close and I hope that those of you who found your way to my blog through this contest have discovered other attractions here to bring you back again ;)

So without any further ado, the contest winners....

Angie Dubisher has won A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton
Stella Balogh has won Heart of Stone by C.E Murphy
Denise Smythe won the Blood Lines trilogy by Maria Lima
Casey Blackwell won Hell Fire by Ann Aguirre

Congratulations to all of the winners and I hope you enjoy your new books.

Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

If you were able to only see one color, which color would you choose? Perhaps green, so that you can enjoy the crisp freshness of the grass or maybe blue, so that the vivid hue of the sky will always be visible to you. Or you may be unfortunate enough to only see gray and to forever live in a world with no color at all.

Edward Russett lives in a world where each person’s vision is limited to a single color and an individual’s social status is determined by that color which they are able to perceive. Those on the lower spectrum of the color chart must show obeisance to those above them, and the Greys, who can’t see any color at all, are universally despised, and doomed to toil as slaves for the higher hued.

There are also many strict, and often preposterous, laws governing this futuristic society, all of which are meant to prevent humanity from sliding back into the catastrophic ways of the Previous, from the long-gone pre-Epiphanic society. In order to help humanity remain on the straight path, a detailed list of laws and regulations was drawn up, governing every aspect of life and leaving little to chance or individual choice.

Yellows are permitted to break Rues in pursuit of Rule-breakers, but all Rules to be broken must be logged beforehand and countersigned by the Yellow prefects.

Approved words to be used in oaths and chastisements can be found in Annex 4 (permitted exclamations). All other cusses are strictly prohibited.

The cucumber and the tomato and both fruit; the avocado is a nut. To assist with the dietary requirements of vegetarians, on the first Tuesday of the month chicken is officially a vegetable.

Unfortunately, the production of spoons was not included as a permissible activity and therefore spoons have become one of the most valuable commodities, coveted by all. Rule breakers are fined demerits and after gaining a certain amount of demerits, individuals are sent off to be Rebooted, though no one is sure as to what that entails since the rebooted persons are never seen again.

Edward is a Red who has big plans to improve his family’s color standings by marrying the wealthy and purple hued Constance, if his father can come up with a tempting enough dowry. But Edward’s plans hit a snag when he is sent to the outer-fringe community of East Carmine to learn humility, as a punishment for pulling a prank.

It’s widely known that the fringe communities are barbaric, though Edward is shocked to discover how little regard for the rules they actually have there. There is cheating, and violence and even some You-Know going on between many of the town’s young men and women. In fact, there are a lot of strange incidents in this little town, most notably the sudden death of the town’s previous healer, which Edward suspects might involve some fowl play. And Edward’s natural curiosity won’t allow him to sit idly by when there may be a mystery afoot, especially if it involves the refreshingly violent Grey, Jane, who Edward finds himself drawn to, despite the fact that she keeps threatening to kill him.

The longer Edward stays in East Carmine the more secrets he stumbles upon which are better left hidden. But Edward’s nature leads him to seek the truth, even when the search can lead him down a dangerous path.

I am a big fan of Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next books and I have been really looking forward to reading Shades of Grey. Although it sounded very different his other books, I was eager to give it a try.

Shades of Grey starts off with a rather rambling explanation given by Edward as to how he eventually ends up falling in love with Jane and getting eaten by a tree, events which all begin with his trip to East Carmine. While this seemed to me like a pretty weak beginning to the book, once the story actually began I was quickly drawn in.

Shades of Grey was a fun and entertaining read full of the kind of ingenious concepts and wild ideas that I have come to expect from a Jasper Fforde novel. The humor is more subdued than in his other books, which is appropriate considering the dark undertone of the story, though it is clearly present. And while I did think the pace was a little too slow at times- as by the middle I was wishing for some action already- this didn't really bother me too much.

There was really only one issue that I had with Shades of Grey, though it is a pretty large one, and that is the main character, Edward. Actually, my problem is with both Edward and his father. I had quickly warmed up to both of these characters from the very start, attracted by their easy relationship with each other and their exchange of humorous banter. As we soon discover, in this world many parents view their children as little more than as a ticket to a higher social standing, and Edward’s comfortable and loving relationship with his father is actually unique.

I also really liked the fact that despite Edward’s innocent and guiltless personality, he is still strong enough to stand up for himself and resist being used by others. Immediately on arrival in East Carmine many of the locals approach Edward to ingratiate themselves or to put him in his place, but Edward stands his ground, refusing to give in to bullying or bribes.

But about half way through the book both Edward and his father seemed to change and deflate losing their animation and personalities. Edward’s father becomes a cardboard figure in the background and Edward’s actions are rarely accompanied by any thought or inner reflection, turning him into a shallow two-dimensional character that I had a hard time relating to or caring about. I was particularly bothered by how unaffected Edward is by certain events which should have been traumatic, strongly affecting his relationships with those around him. But instead Edward easily reconciles with those who have wronged him, which I found disturbing and highly unbelievable.

So while I really enjoyed reading Shades of Grey, it was a bit of a disappointment as well. Considering that Thursday Next is one of my favorite book characters, I was surprised at how negligently Fforde treated the characters of this book. Though I actually really liked how many of the female side characters in Shades of Grey turned out, so perhaps Fforde is just more skilled at creating female characters then males. But oddly enough, while generally this issue with character development would put me off the story as a whole, in this situation I really still enjoyed the rest of the book due to the wonderful and creative world building, though it would have been so much more effective if Edward had been better executed.

New Scifi and Fantasy Releases: Week of June 1st

Here is this week's selection of new releases, though I can't say that there are too many of them that really catch my eye. My Name is Memory, by Ann Brashares, looks like it could be a really good book - and in fact - it reminds me a lot of my favorite episode of Blood Ties. I've never given Rob Thurman much of a chance, but her newest book, Chimera, looks kind of interesting, and I might want to give that want a try.

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

As for me, I already have some great books lined up for this week, including The City and The City by China Miéville, Graceling by Kristin Cashore and Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews. I hope to get started on some of those just as soon as I finish with Jasper Fforde's Shades of Grey, which I'm really enjoying.

Hope you have a great reading week!





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Distant Thunders: Destroyermen

Taylor Anderson

Genre: Alternate History

Publisher: Roc

Release Date: June 1

Description: The fourth thrilling adventure in the Destroyermen series.

After the battle in which the men of the destroyer Walker and their Lemurian allies repelled the savage Grik, Lieutenant Commander Matthew Reddy is shocked by the arrival of a strange ship captained by one Commodore Jenks of the New Britain Imperial Navy-an island-nation populated by the descendants of British East Indiamen swept through the rift centuries before.

With the Walker undergoing repairs, Reddy already has a great deal on his hands. For the Grik will return, and Reddy will need all hands on deck to fight them off when they next attack. But Jenks' uncertain loyalties make Reddy question whether he can trust the man.

As tension between the Allies and the Imperials mount, Reddy will come to realize that his suspicions are not misplaced-and that a greater danger than the Grik is closer than he ever suspected...

My Name is Memory

Ann Brashares

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy

Publisher: Riverhead

Release Date: June 1

Description: Virginia high-school student Lucy is inexplicably drawn to classmate Daniel, but when he claims to have known her before, a thoroughly unsettled Lucy flees. Gradually, Lucy learns the impossible truth: Daniel has been chasing her through ages and lives for 1,200 years. In chapters that alternate viewpoints between the two lovers, past and present, the couples’ unrequited desire builds, even as a murderous soul threatens their reunion. Steamy bedroom scenes aside, the coming-of-age sensibility will feel familiar to crossover adult fans of Brashares’ best-selling Traveling Pants series for teens. Readers tantalized by the possibilities of past lives and soul-mate connections will devour this unabashed romance, which has the heart-pounding pace and tone of a beach novel, and hope for the sequel hinted at in the open ending. Suggest John Fowles’ The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1969) while they wait. --Gillian Engberg

The Infinity Gate (Darkglass Mountain #3)

Sara Douglas

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Harper Collins

Release Date: June 1

Description: Sara Douglas fans have been eagerly awaiting the third book of her epic DarkGlass Mountain fantasy trilogy and now the dramatic conclusion is here! The Infinity Gate, a magnificent tale of love, magic, and betrayal set in the world of her bestselling Wayfarer Redemption has the sweep, passion, and excitement of the best world-building efforts of Jacqueline Carey, Raymond E. Feist, Robin Hobb, and Lois McMaster Bujold, as it brings Douglas’s breathtaking fantasy saga to a powerful and extraordinarily satisfying end.

Bullet (Anita Blake, Bk #19)

Laurell K. Hamilton

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Penguin Group

Release Date: June 1

Description: Anita Blake is back in St. Louis and trying to live a normal life—as normal as possible for someone who is a legal vampire executioner and a U. S. Marshal. There are lovers, friends and their children, school programs to attend. In the midst of all the ordinary happiness a vampire from Anita's past reaches out. She was supposed to be dead, killed in an explosion, but the Mother of All Darkness is the first vampire, their dark creator. It's hard to kill a god. This dark goddess has reached out to her here—in St. Louis, home of everyone Anita loves most. The Mother of All Darkness has decided she has to act now or never, to control Anita, and all the vampires in America.

The Mother of All Darkness believes that the triumvirate created by master vampire Jean-Claude with Anita and the werewolf Richard Zeeman has enough power for her to regain a body and to immigrate to the New World. But the body she wants to possess is already taken. Anita is about to learn a whole new meaning to sharing her body, one that has nothing to do with the bedroom. And if the Mother of All Darkness can't succeed in taking over Anita's body for herself, she means to see that no one else has the use of it, ever again. Even Belle Morte, not always a friend to Anita, has sent word: "Run if you can..."

Zendegi

Greg Egan

Genre: Science Fiction

Publisher: Night Shade Books

Release Date: June 1

Description: Set in a near future Iran (where the theocracy has been overthrown, but where Muslim religion still dominates the culture), an Arab/Muslim focused MMORG gaming companies cutting edge AI software might hold the key achieving "uploaded consciousness."

Martin is an Australian journalist who covered uprising and overthrow of the Iranian theocracy, and has since "gone native" with a Iranian wife and child. As tragedy strikes his multi-cultural family, Martin struggles to maintain his place in his adapted culture, and to provide for his child.

Zendigi explores what it means to be human, and the lengths one will go to in order to provide for ones children. This emotional roller coaster explores a non-Western-European near future that both challenges ideas of global mono-culture and emphasizes the humanity we all share.

Faery Moon (A Tess Noncoire Adventure)

P. R. Frost

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: DAW

Release Date: June 1

Description: Tess Noncoire, a successful fantasy writer, is in Vegas for a writers' conference. Of all its sights, the most surprising is a group of faeries kidnapped to perform in a casino. If Tess and her sidekick, Scrap, don't return these winged dancers to their home, their dimension may be erased forever.

Who Fears Death

Nnedi Okorafor

Genre: Science Fiction, Post Apocolypse

Publisher: DAW

Release Date: June 1

Description: In a far future, post-nuclear-holocaust Africa, genocide plagues one region. The aggressors, the Nuru, have decided to follow the Great Book and exterminate the Okeke. But when the only surviving member of a slain Okeke village is brutally raped, she manages to escape, wandering farther into the desert. She gives birth to a baby girl with hair and skin the color of sand and instinctively knows that her daughter is different. She names her daughter Onyesonwu, which means "Who Fears Death?" in an ancient African tongue.

Reared under the tutelage of a mysterious and traditional shaman, Onyesonwu discovers her magical destiny-to end the genocide of her people. The journey to fulfill her destiny will force her to grapple with nature, tradition, history, true love, the spiritual mysteries of her culture-and eventually death itself.

Is Anybody Out There

Nick Gevers - Editor

Marty Halpern – Editor

Genre: Science Fiction

Publisher: DAW

Release Date: June 1

Description: Are we alone in the universe, and if not, who else-or what else-is out there? Here are thought-provoking stories that explore such questions as: Do intelligent species invariably destroy themselves by nuclear war or ecological collapse? Are the sentient aliens that do exist just too far away? Do they exist in forms beyond our comprehension? Are they among us, but undetectable? These are just some of the possibilities explored by a stellar lineup of contributors.

The Secret Child

Marti Healy

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Publisher: Design Group Press

Release Date: June 1

Description: A timeless tale, written in a very lyrical style, The Secret Child appeals to a wide range of ages; one of those favorite books cherished by more than one generation. Set in 1855, the central character is a thirteen-year-old girl, Marika—an Irish Traveller—running between her thribli, or clan, in Boston and her arranged marriage with a gypsy leader named Jacko in the Midlands of South Carolina. Marika's five-year-old brother Danny is with her, but falls ill and dies on the journey. Cautiously, she allows herself to form relationships with a free black man, Joseph, and a Quaker woman, Maggie. The book interweaves highly unexpected subjects and issues, such as slavery, human rights, and other harsh realities of 19th century South Carolina, along with a mystical, light-and-shadows world of ''Fairies'' who inhabit a nearby heavily forested Carolina Bay. The Fairies of the Carolina Bay have an ancient Celtic history; no tiny wings and fairy dust, these are true spirits of the woods. The Fairies accept Marika to live among them until she can determine what she wants for her future. She is pursued relentlessly and cruelly by the gypsy Jacko, befriended with great loyalty by Joseph and Maggie, and protected unwaveringly by the spirits of the forest. But, in the end, it is up to her to decide between her realities.

The Shadow Hunt

Katherine Langrish

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Eos

Release Date: June 1

Description: Wolf is on the run—from the oppressive monastery where he was raised, from the ghosts and demons that haunt the windswept moors of Devil's Edge, and from the shadows in the landscape that resemble the Devil himself.

When Wolf rescues a strange child on Devil's Edge, he takes her to a grand castle hoping to win the favor of its ruler. There he strikes up an unlikely friendship with a girl named Nest, and he thinks he's finally found a place to call home. Wolf is determined to fit in, but not everything is as it seems at the castle. Dark forces are conspiring against Wolf and Nest, and a sinister enemy is looming closer than they could ever realize.

With lies masquerading as reality, will Wolf and Nest learn who they can trust . . . before it's too late?

Critically acclaimed author Katherine Langrish has created a wonderfully spooky and richly imagined world of ghosts and magical creatures, where good may be evil and light may give way to dark.

Mouse and Dragon

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

Genre: Science Fiction

Publisher: Baen

Release Date: June 1

Description: Aelliana Caylon has endured much, and finally, she appears to have won all: a spaceship, comrades, friends -- and the love of a pilot she adores.

Even better that her lover—the man who was destined for her, a man as much a loner as she—is also the Delm of Korval, arguably the most powerful person on all of Liad. He has the power to remove her and protect her from the toxic environment of her home Clan. Best of all, he agrees to sit as her co-pilot and her partner in a courier business.

Even happy endings sometimes show a few flaws. Such as Aelliana's home clan being not as agreeable to letting her go as it had first seemed. And the fact that someone is stealing pilots in the Low Port, which falls within the Delm of Korval's honor. Oh, and the revelation that the man she loves—the man who is destined for her—isn't entirely the man she thought he was. And finally, she discovers that even the lift from Liad she'd so fervently desired, is part of a larger plan, a plan requiring her to be someone she never thought she was, or could be.

Star Climber

Kenneth Opal

Genre: Science Fiction

Publisher: Eos

Release Date: June 1

Description: Pilot-in-training Matt Cruse and his love interest, Kate de Vries, an expert on high-altitude life-forms, are invited aboard the Starclimber, a vessel that literally climbs its way into the cosmos. Matt secretly plans on asking Kate to marry him, but before they even set foot aboard the ship, Kate announces her engagement—to someone else.

Despite this bombshell, and Matt's anguish, they embark on their journey into space, but soon the ship is surrounded by strange and unsettling life-forms, and the crew is forced to combat devastating mechanical failure. For Matt, Kate, and the entire crew of the Starclimber, what began as an exciting race to the stars has now turned into a battle to save their lives.

The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse

Robert Rankin

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Gollancz

Release Date: June 1

Description: Like a mad toymaker's fever dream, Rankin's uproarious book imagines a town where toys and nursery rhymes come to life and pursue human activities: they walk, talk, eat, drink and commit heinous crimes. Thirteen-year-old Jack goes to the City to find his fortune, unaware that the City is in fact Toy City, where legends and fables walk (or stumble, if they've had too much to drink). He meets up with detective teddy bear Eddie, who is investigating the murder of Humpty Dumpty. When Little Boy Blue is offed, it's clear that a serial killer is prowling Toy City, leaving behind the titular chocolate bunnies as his calling card. Rankin doesn't just drop names of familiar characters but gives them riotous back stories: Miss Muffett hosts a daytime TV talk show called "The Tuffet"; Mother Goose (who prefers to be called Madame Goose) runs a brothel; Humpty Dumpty was likely a failed television stuntman named Terry Horsey. Although the story is wickedly clever and the payoff is a great and satisfying surprise, the real delight comes from watching Rankin work his linguistic magic: characters talk in hilariously circular and self-aware dialogue, and puns and wordplay are packed into the prose like sardines in a tin. Although substantially darker and edgier than the Hitchhiker's series, this gem will appeal to Douglas Adams fans, as well as lovers of British humor in general.

Chimera

Rob Thurman

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Roc

Release Date: June 1

Description: Ten years ago, Stefan Korsak's younger brother was kidnapped. Not a day has passed that Stefan hasn't thought about him. As a rising figure in the Russian mafia, he has finally found him. But when he rescues Lukas, he must confront a terrible truth-his brother is no longer his brother. He is a trained, genetically-altered killer. Now, those who created him will do anything to reclaim him. And the closer Stefan grows to his brother, the more he realizes that saving Lukas may be easier than surviving him...

Dreamveil: A Novel of the Kyndred

Lynn Viehl

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Onyx

Release Date: June 1

Description:

Rowan Dietrich grew up on the streets. Now she's out to start anew, find a job-and keep her identity as a Kyndred secret, as well as her ability to "dreamveil" herself into the object of others' desires.

But Rowan isn't using her gift when world-class chef Jean-Marc Dansant is stricken by her beauty and strength. And when dark secrets from her past threaten her new life and love, Rowan realizes she can't run forever...

Revenant

Phaedra Weldon

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Ace

Release Date: June 1

Description: Zoë Martinique's life hasn't been ordinary for quite awhile. First she developed the ability to travel outside her body at will-where she encountered some seriously weird things. Things that left her with powers that she didn't really want or need. Still, a person can get used to almost anything- even being a Wraith. Though more often than not, it plays serious havoc with her love life.

But for once, Zoë is glad of her abilities. Bodies are showing up all over Atlanta, drained of blood. They're beings from another astral plane, called Revenants-and they're being stalked by her old enemy, the Phantasm. The Revenants are hardly the nicest of creatures-but to preserve the cosmic balance, Zoë will need to put everything on the line to save them...

From Hell With Love: A Secret Histories Novel

Simon R. Green

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Roc

Release Date: June 1

Description: It's no walk in the park for a Drood, a member of the family that has protected humanity from the things that go bump in the night for centuries. They aren't much liked by the creatures they kill, by ungrateful humans, or even by one another.

Now their Matriarch is dead, and it's up to Eddie Drood, acting head of the family, to figure out whodunit. Unpopular opinion is divided: it was either Eddie's best girl, Molly. Or Eddie himself. And Eddie knows he didn't do it.