Here’s a rundown of the books we think you should look out for in coming in the week. See any that you are really looking forward to? Find any you had not heard of yet? Know of books we missed?
We know we don’t have everything and would love to hear what you feel we may have overlooked.
FANTASY URBAN FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION
FANTASY
A heroic fantasy by an award-winning author about a young woman who is trained in the art of the sinister hand of magic, but at what price?Isobel, upon her sixteenth birthday, makes the choice to work for the devil in his territory west of the Mississippi. But this is not the devil you know. This is a being who deals fairly with immense—but not unlimited—power, who offers opportunities to people who want to make a deal, and they always get what they deserve. But his land is a wild west that needs a human touch, and that’s where Izzy comes in. Inadvertently trained by him to see the clues in and manipulations of human desire, Izzy is raised to be his left hand and travel circuit through the territory. As we all know, where there is magic there is chaos…and death.
Silver on the Road by Laura Anne Gilman
Published by Saga Press on October 6th 2015
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 400
Our reviews of this author: The Underwater Ballroom Society 
Swords and Scoundrels by Julia Knight
Published by Orbit on October 6th 2015
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 400
Our reviews of this author: Swords and Scoundrels
Gold is for fools, and dying is for amateurs . . .
Vocho and Kacha are champion duellists: a brother and sister known for the finest swordplay in the city of Reyes. Or at least they used to be - until they were thrown out of the Duellist's Guild.
Now all that's left to them is to become reluctant highwaymen. Well - it's a living, and for Vocho it's a way to win back some form of notoriety. But when they pick the wrong carriage to rob, their simple plans to win back fame and fortune go south fast.
After facing down three armed men and barely besting a powerful magician, Vocho and Kacha make off with an immense locked chest. Vocho is convinced it must be worth a fortune, perhaps enough to buy him and his sister back the lives he lost for them when he inadvertently killed a priest.
But the contents of the chest will bring them much more than they've bargained for - when they soon find themselves embroiled in a dangerous plot to return an angry king to power . . .
The Last Witness by K. J. Parker
Published by Tor.com on October 6th 2015
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 144
Our reviews of this author: The Last Witness, The Devil You Know
When you need a memory to be wiped, call me.
Transferring unwanted memories to my own mind is the only form of magic I've ever mastered. But now, I'm holding so many memories I'm not always sure which ones are actually mine, any more.
Some of them are sensitive; all of them are private. And there are those who are willing to kill to access the secrets I'm trying to bury...
A classic Parker tale with a strong supporting cast of princes, courtiers, merchants, academics, and generally unsavory people.
Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson
Published by Tor on October 6th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Epic
Pages: 384
Our reviews of this author: Shadows of Self, The Bands of Mourning, Calamity
The #1 New York Times bestselling author returns to the world of Mistborn with his first novel in the series since The Alloy of Law.
With The Alloy of Law, Brandon Sanderson surprised readers with a New York Times bestselling spinoff of his Mistborn books, set after the action of the trilogy, in a period corresponding to late 19th-century America.
The trilogy's heroes are now figures of myth and legend, even objects of religious veneration. They are succeeded by wonderful new characters, chief among them Waxillium Ladrian, known as Wax, hereditary Lord of House Ladrian but also, until recently, a lawman in the ungoverned frontier region known as the Roughs. There he worked with his eccentric but effective buddy, Wayne. They are "twinborn," meaning they are able to use both Allomantic and Feruchemical magic.
Shadows of Self shows Mistborn's society evolving as technology and magic mix, the economy grows, democracy contends with corruption, and religion becomes a growing cultural force, with four faiths competing for converts.
This bustling, optimistic, but still shaky society now faces its first instance of terrorism, crimes intended to stir up labor strife and religious conflict. Wax and Wayne, assisted by the lovely, brilliant Marasi, must unravel the conspiracy before civil strife stops Scadrial's progress in its tracks.
Shadows of Self will give fans of The Alloy of Law everything they've been hoping for and, this being a Brandon Sanderson book, more, much more.
Against a Brightening Sky by Jaime Lee Moyer
Published by Tor on October 6th 2015
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 336
By 1919 the Great War has ended, peace talks are under way in Paris, and the world has been forever changed. Delia Martin, apprentice practitioner of magical arts, and her husband, Police Captain Gabriel Ryan, face the greatest challenge of their lives when fragments from the war descend on San Francisco.
As Delia prepares to meet friends at a St. Patrick's Day parade, the strange ghost of a European princess appears in her mirror. Her pleasant outing becomes a nightmare as the ghost reappears moments after a riot starts, warning her as a rooftop gunman begins shooting into the crowd. Delia rushes to get her friends to safety, and Gabe struggles to stop the killing-and to save himself.
Delia and Gabe realize all the chaos and bloodshed had one purpose-to flush Alina from hiding, a young woman with no memory of anything but her name.
As Delia works to discover how the princess ghost's secrets connect to this mysterious young woman, and Gabe tracks a ruthless killer around his city, they find all the answers hinge on two questions: Who is Alina...and why can't she remember?
Against a Brightening Sky is the thrilling conclusion to Jaime Lee Moyer's glittering historical fantasy series.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (The Tales of Dunk and Egg, #1-3) by George R.R. Martin, Gary Gianni
Published by Bantam on October 6th 2015
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 400
Our reviews of this author: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
Taking place nearly a century before the events of A Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms compiles the first three official prequel novellas to George R. R. Martin’s ongoing masterwork, A Song of Ice and Fire. These never-before-collected adventures recount an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living consciousness.Before Tyrion Lannister and Podrick Payne, there was Dunk and Egg. A young, naïve but ultimately courageous hedge knight, Ser Duncan the Tall towers above his rivals—in stature if not experience. Tagging along is his diminutive squire, a boy called Egg—whose true name (hidden from all he and Dunk encounter) is Aegon Targaryen. Though more improbable heroes may not be found in all of Westeros, great destinies lay ahead for these two . . . as do powerful foes, royal intrigue, and outrageous exploits.Featuring more than 160 all-new illustrations by Gary Gianni, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a must-have collection that proves chivalry isn’t dead—yet.
Empire Ascendant by Kameron Hurley
Published by Angry Robot on October 6th 2015
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 512
Our reviews of this author: Empire Ascendant
Loyalties are tested when worlds collide… Every two thousand years, the dark star Oma appears in the sky, bringing with it a tide of death and destruction. And those who survive must contend with friends and enemies newly imbued with violent powers. The kingdom of Saiduan already lies in ruin, decimated by invaders from another world who share the faces of those they seek to destroy.
Now the nation of Dhai is under siege by the same force. Their only hope for survival lies in the hands of an illegitimate ruler and a scullery maid with a powerful – but unpredictable –magic. As the foreign Empire spreads across the world like a disease, one of their former allies takes up her Empress’s sword again to unseat them, and two enslaved scholars begin a treacherous journey home with a long-lost secret that they hope is the key to the Empire’s undoing.
But when the enemy shares your own face, who can be trusted?
In this devastating sequel to The Mirror Empire, Kameron Hurley transports us back to a land of blood mages and sentient plants, dark magic, and warfare on a scale that spans worlds.
File Under: Fantasy [ Empire on Fire | Duplicates at War | The Royal Exchange | All Will Fall ]
From the Trade Paperback edition.
URBAN FANTASY
The Flux by Ferrett Steinmetz
Published by Angry Robot on October 6th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Urban/Contemporary Fantasy
Our reviews of this author: The Flux, Fix
Love something enough, and your obsession will punch holes through the laws of physics. That devotion creates unique magics: videogamemancers. Origamimancers. Culinomancers. But when 'mancers battle, cities tremble... ALIYAH TSABO-DAWSON: The world's most dangerous eight-year-old girl. Burned by a terrorist's magic, gifted strange powers beyond measure. She's furious that she has to hide her abilities from her friends, her teachers, even her mother - and her temper tantrums can kill. PAUL TSABO: Bureaucromancer. Magical drug-dealer. Desperate father. He's gone toe-to-toe with the government's conscription squads of brain-burned Unimancers, and he'll lie to anyone to keep Aliyah out of their hands - whether Aliyah likes it or not. THE KING OF NEW YORK: The mysterious power player hell-bent on capturing the two of them. A man packing a private army of illegal 'mancers. Paul's family is the key to keep the King's crumbling empire afloat. But offering them paradise is the catalyst that inflames Aliyah's deadly rebellious streak... File Under: Urban Fantasy
White Trash Zombie Gone Wild by Diana Rowland
Published by DAW on October 6th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Urban/Contemporary Fantasy
Pages: 336
Fifth in the fun, urban fantasy series that “shines in a crowded genre” (USA Today).
Angel finds herself in redneck hell when hordes of people descend on her hometown for the Deep South Zombie Fest—complete with zombie 5K runs, shamble-a-thons, costume contests, zombie paintball hayrides, and mock-zombie hunts. She intends to avoid the whole mess and focus on her upcoming college midterms—with the help of her stash of illicit zombie drugs—but that all changes when a decapitated body turns up at the edge of town….
SCIENCE FICTION
Killing Titan by Greg Bear
Published by Orbit on October 6th 2015
Genres: Science Fiction
Pages: 400
After barely surviving his last tour on Mars, Master Sergeant Michael Venn finds himself back on earth in enforced isolation. Through a dangerous series of operations he returns to Mars to further his investigation into the Drifters - ancient artifacts suddenly reawakened on the red planet.
But another front in the war leads his team to make the difficult journey to Saturn's moon, Titan. Here, in the cauldron of war, hides new truths about the Drifters, the origin of life in our solar system and the plans of the supposedly benevolent Gurus, who have been "sponsoring" and supporting humanity in their fight against outside invaders.
Killing Titan is the second book in the epic interstellar War Dogs trilogy from master of science fiction, Greg Bear.
Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie
Published by Orbit on October 6th 2015
Genres: Science Fiction
Pages: 368
Our reviews of this author: Ancillary Mercy
The stunning conclusion to the trilogy that began with the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke award-winning Ancillary Justice. For a moment, things seemed to be under control for Breq, the soldier who used to be a warship. Then a search of Atheok Station's slums turns up someone who shouldn't exist, and a messenger from the mysterious Presger empire arrives, as does Breq's enemy, the divided and quite possibly insane Anaander Mianaai - ruler of an empire at war with itself.Breq refuses to flee with her ship and crew, because that would leave the people of Athoek in terrible danger. The odds aren't good, but that's never stopped her before. In the Ancillary world: 1. Ancillary Justice2. Ancillary Sword3. Ancillary Mercy
FANTASY URBAN FANTASY SCIENCE FICTION
You can also find me blogging about books at Tenacious Reader
- Review: A Veil of Spears by Bradley P. Beaulieu - April 30, 2018
- Review: Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman - April 18, 2018
- Review: The Defiant Heir by Melissa Caruso - April 11, 2018
2 Comments
How did I not know that Leckie’s trilogy had covers that line up for one large picture? They look so pretty all together!
This is a great month for SF/F! I can’t wait for my copy of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms to come in 🙂