New Releases Oct. 30-Nov. 6 and Reader's Choice Contest

Happy Halloween, and do I have a big old scary list of new releases this week! The bookshelves are sagging, the TBR piles are toppling…and still the new releases keep coming. Get your pads and pencils ready to make a list. As always, Reader’s Choice is an international giveaway, so take a deep breath and dig in!

*Genre key (at the end of each listing): SF=science fiction; F=fantasy; UF=urban fantasy; H=horror; PR=paranormal romance; YA=young adult; alt history=alternative history; dyst=dystopia; steampunk.

Touch, by Jus Accardo (Nov. 1, Entangled)

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home. Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized. Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe. A secret Kale will kill to protect. First in the Denazen series. PR-YA

Body Thief, by C.J. Barry (Nov. 1, Berkley)

Shapeshifter Camille Solomon and XCEL agent Griffin Mercer learn to trust each other as they infiltrate a shifter faction in Las Vegas-only to find that their growing passion for each other puts their hearts and their lives in danger. PR

Stone Spring, by Stephen Baxter (Nov. 1, Roc)

Ten thousand years ago, a vast and fertile plain exists linking the British Isles to Europe. Home to a tribe of simple hunter-gatherers, Northland teems with nature’s bounty, but is also subject to its whims. Fourteen-year-old Ana calls Northland home, but her world is changing. The air is warming, the ice is melting, and the seas are rising. Then Ana meets a traveler from a far-distant city called Jericho—a city that is protected by a wall. And she starts to imagine the impossible. First in the Northland Trilogy. Alt history

Heart of Steel, by Meljean Brook (Nov. 1, Berkley)

Growing up in the dangerous world of the Iron Seas, the mercenary captain of the airship Lady Corsair, Yasmeen, has learned to keep her heart hard as steel. Ruthless and cunning, her only loyalty is to her ship and her crew-until one man comes along and changes everything...Treasurehunter Archimedes Fox isn't interested in the Lady Corsair-just the captain and the valuable da Vinci sketch she stole from him. When it attracts a dangerous amount of attention, Yasmeen and Archimedes journey to Horde-occupied Morocco- and straight into enemy hands. Second in the Iron Seas series. Steampunk

Liar’s Moon, by Elizabeth C. Bunce (Nov. 1, Scholastic)

As a pickpocket, Digger expects to spend a night in jail every now and then. But she doesn't expect to find Lord Durrel Decath there as well--or to hear he's soon to be executed for killing his wife. Durrel once saved Digger's life, and when she goes free, she decides to use her skills as a thief, forger, and spy to investigate his case and return the favor. But each new clue only opens up more mysteries. While Durrel's marriage was one of convenience, his behavior has been more impulsive than innocent. His late wife had an illegal business on the wrong side of the civil war raging just outside the city gates. Digger keeps finding forbidden magic in places it has no reason to be. And it doesn't help that she may be falling in love with a murderer. Second in the Thief Errant series. F-YA

Last Breath, by Rachel Caine (Nov. 1, NAL)

With her boss preoccupied researching the Founder Houses in Morganville, student Claire Danvers is left to her own devices when she learns that three vampires have vanished without a trace. She soon discovers that the last person seen with one of the missing vampires is someone new to town—a mysterious individual named Magnus. After an uneasy encounter with Morganville's latest resident, Claire is certain Magnus isn't merely human. But is he a vampire—or something else entirely. Eleventh in the Morganville Vampires series. UF-YA

Dark Eden, by Patrick Carman (Nov. 1, Katherine Tegen)

Fifteen-year-old Will Besting is sent by his doctor to Fort Eden, an institution meant to help patients suffering from crippling phobias. Once there, Will and six other teenagers take turns in mysterious fear chambers and confront their worst nightmares—with the help of the group facilitator, Rainsford, an enigmatic guide. When the patients emerge from the chamber, they feel emboldened by the previous night's experiences. But each person soon discovers strange, unexplained aches and pains. . . . What is really happening to the seven teens trapped in this dark Eden? Patrick Carman's Dark Eden is a provocative exploration of fear, betrayal, memory, and— ultimately—immortality. H-YA

Embrace the Highland Warrior, by Anita Clenney (Nov. 1, Sourcebooks)

When the powerful demon that left Shay for dead discovers her empty grave, he comes seeking retribution, believing she possesses an ancient book he has sought for centuries. Knowing she can't fight the demon alone, Shay returns to her clan and the Scottish Warrior who betrayed her...the only man she's ever loved, where she discovers that betrayal isn't always what it seems. Sometimes it's far worse. Book two in the Connor Clan series. PNR

Crossed, by Ally Condie (Nov. 1, Dutton)

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake. Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart—change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double-crosses make the path more twisted than ever. Second in the Matched series. SF-YA

Spellbound, by Larry Correia (Nov. 1, Baen)

The Grimnoir Society’s mission is to protect people with magic, and they’ve done so—successfully and in secret—since the mysterious arrival of the Power in the 1850s, but when a magical assassin makes an attempt on the life of President Franklin Roosevelt, the crime is pinned on the Grimnoir. The knights must become fugitives while they attempt to discover who framed them. Thing go from bad to worse when Jake Sullivan, former P.I. and knight of the Grimnoir, receives a telephone call from a dead man—a man he helped kill. Turns out the Power jumped universes because it was fleeing from a predator that eats magic and leaves destroyed worlds in its wake. That predator has just landed on Earth. Second in the Grimnoir Chronicles series. UF-Alt Hist

Under the Moon, by Natalie J. Damschroder (Nov. 1, Entangled)

Quinn Caldwell is the epitome of a modern goddess. Her power source is the moon, her abilities restricted only by physical resources and lunar phase. She runs a consulting business and her father's bar, serves on the board of the ancient Society for Goddess Education and Defense, and yearns for Nick Jarrett, professional goddess protector and the soul mate she can never have. But someone has developed the rare and difficult ability to drain a goddess of her powers, and Quinn is a target. With the world thinking Nick has gone rogue (whatever that means) and that Quinn is influenced by family ties she didn't know she had, keeping themselves safe while working to find the enemy proves harder each day. But not as hard as denying their hearts. First in the Goddesses Rising series. PR

Heart of Darkness, by Lauren Dane (Nov. 1, Berkley)

Someone is illegally siphoning magic from the font of the Clan. When Meriel Owen, next in line to control the largest organization of witches in the country, discovers that it's the hot owner of a notorious underground club, she strokes an unusual deal that may plunge them all into the heart of darkness. First in the Bound by Magic series. PR

A Fighting Chance, by William C. Dietz (Nov. 1, Ace)

Earth has fallen. And the men, women, and cyborgs of the Confederacy must dig deep within their warrior hearts to make one final stand against an alien aggressor. On a rim world, Captain Antonio Santana is reunited with diplomat Christine Vanderveen to protect the severely wounded Ramanthian Queen, who has fled there to avoid assassination. And they'll risk everything to save the Confederacy, billions of lives-and their future together. Finale to the Legion of the Damned series. SF

Genie Knows Best, by Judi Fennell (Nov. 1, Sourcebooks Casablanca)

In a world where genies grant three wishes, each one is bound to come with complications! An impulse buy in a bazaar turns recently jilted Samantha Blaine into the master of cursed genie Kal. Before he can say, "Yes, Master" Kal finds himself falling for the woman standing between him and the freedom he's dreamed of for centuries. Second in the Bottled Magic series. PR

The Outcasts, by John Flanagan (Nov. 1, Philomel)

They are outcasts. Hal, Stig, and the others—they are the boys the others want no part of. Skandians, as any reader of Ranger's Apprentice could tell you, are known for their size and strength. Not these boys. Yet that doesn't mean they don't have skills. And courage, which they will need every ounce of to do battle at sea against the other bands, the Wolves and the Sharks, in the ultimate race. The icy waters make for a treacherous playing field . . . especially when not everyone thinks of it as playing. First in The Brotherband Chronicles. F

Courting Darkness, by Yasmine Galenorn (Nov. 1, Jove)

Camille D'Artigo is Priestess of the Moon Mother and wife of a dragon. But her dragon father-in-law doesn't want her in the family. Captured and swept off to the Dragon Reaches, Camille must find a way to escape before her husband's father breaks her spirit. Tenth in the Sisters of the Moon series. UF

Set Me Free, by Eva Gray (Nov. 1, Scholastic)

In a terrifying future world, four girls must depend on each other if they want to survive. Maddie is ready for action. Louisa, Evelyn, and Rosie helped rescue her from the Alliance's grasp, and she's learned an enormous, game-changing secret: her mother is the leader of the Resistance! But reuniting with her long-absent mother is not going to be easy. As Maddie and her friends set out to find the Resistance headquarters, they are relentlessly pursued by the Alliance. Worst of all, members of their group have gone missing in the middle of rubble-strewn Chicago. Maddie and her friends have earned their battle scars, courage, and strength. But at this darkest hour, will they be able to make it back to their families . . . and freedom? Fourth in the Tomorrow Girls series. Dyst-YA

Courts of the Fey, edited by Martin H. Greenberg and Russell Davis (Nov. 1, DAW)

Fantasy, whether classic or contemporary, has always been based on the conflict between the forces of Light and Darkness. Now some of the genre's most inventive authors bring readers into the Seelie Court, where all serve the Queen of Air and Light, and the Unseelie Court, where the forces of Darkness hold sway. No table of contents was to be found at press time. UF

The Doomsday Vault, by Steven Harper (Nov. 1, Roc)

In a clockwork Brittania, Alice's prospects are slim. At 21, her age and her unladylike interest in automatons have sealed her fate as an undesirable marriage prospect. But a devastating plague sends Alice off in a direction beyond the pale—toward a clandestine organization, mad inventors, life-altering secrets, and into the arms of an intrepid fiddle-playing airship pilot. Steampunk

Darker Still, by Leanna Renee Hieber (Nov. 1, Sourcebooks Fire)

The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing. Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul. First in the Magic Most Foul series. YA.

Tiger’s Voyage, by Colleen Houck (Nov. 1, Sterling)

With the head-to-head battle against the villainous Lokesh behind her, Kelsey confronts a new heartbreak: in the wake of his traumatic experience, her beloved Ren no longer remembers who she is. As the trio continues their quest by challenging five cunning and duplicitous dragons, Ren and Kishan once more vie for her affections--leaving Kelsey more confused than ever. Fraught with danger, filled with magic, and packed with romance, TIger's Voyage brings Kelsey and her two tiger princes one step closer to breaking the curse. Third in the Tigers series. PR-YA

The Wild Ways, by Tanya Huff (Nov. 1, DAW)

Alysha Gale's cousin Charlotte is a Wild Power, who allies herself with a family of Selkies in a fight against offshore oil drilling. The oil company has hired another of the Gale family's Wild Powers, the fearsome Auntie Catherine, to steal the Selkies' sealskins. To defeat her, Charlotte will have to learn what born to be Wild really means in the Gale family. UF

Under Attack, by Hannah Jayne (Nov. 1, Kensington)

Sophie Lawson is a human immune to magic, which comes in handy for helping paranormal beings transition into everyday life. But fallen angel Alex Grace and his search for the Vessel of Souls is one curse she never saw coming. Suddenly an unexplainable string of killings and destruction has even San Francisco's demons fearing for their immortal lives. And Sophie isn't about to trust Alex's all-too-vulnerable charm or his secret agenda. Now their hunt is revealing dangerous secrets about Sophie's past, and a malevolent power hellishly close to turning one irreverent human into the ultimate supernatural weapon. Second in the Underworld Detection Agency series. UF

Fire Works in the Hamptons, by Celia Jerome (Nov. 1, DAW)

Graphic novelist Willow Tate has a paranormal talent for "drawing" beings from the realm of Faerie into our world. So why did she foolishly make the hero of her next book a fire wizard? Now she has to contend with a rash of "fire" flies, a gorgeous firefighter, and an arsonist who seems determined to set East Hampton ablaze. Third in the Willow Tate series. UF

The Storm That is Sterling, by Lisa Renee Jones (Nov. 1, Sourcebooks Casablanca)

Award-winning, bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is breaking out of series romance success into single title with her fast-paced, paranormal romantic suspense series full of dark danger and sizzling hot passion. Sterling Jeter, Renegade Super Soldier, is fearless, powerful, and wildly unpredictable. His life-threatening mission is to save the beautiful, brilliant astrobiologist Rebecca Burns from ruthless villain Adam Rain. But their immutable mutual attraction threatens to put them in the path of death... or worse. Second in the Zodius series. PR

North of Need, by Laura Kaye (Nov. 1, Entangled)

While attempting to escape the agonizing memories she associates with Christmas, twenty-nine-year-old widow Megan Snow builds a snow family outside the mountain cabin she once shared with her husband and collapses in tears against the snowman at the sight of what she'll never have. Called to life by the power of Megan's tears, snow god Owen Winters appears unconscious on her doorstep in the midst of a raging blizzard. As she nurses him to health, Owen finds unexpected solace in her company and unimagined pleasure in the warmth of her body, and vows to win her heart for a chance at humanity. Megan is drawn to Owen's mismatched eyes, otherworldly masculinity, and enthusiasm for the littlest things, and her heart opens enough to believe he's a Christmas miracle. But this miracle comes with an expiration before the snow melts and the temperature rises, Megan must let go of her widow's grief and learn to trust love again, or she'll lose Owen forever. First in the Hearts of the Anemoi series. PR

The Guardian, by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Nov. 1, St. Martin’s)

Dream-Hunter Lydia has been charged with the most sacred and dangerous of missions: To descend into the Nether Realm and find the missing god of dreams before he betrays the secrets that could kill her and her kind. What she never expects is to be taken prisoner by the Realm’s most vicious guardian. Seth’s time is running out. If he can’t hand over the entrance to Olympus, his own life and those of his people will be forfeit. No matter the torture, Seth hasn’t been able to break the god in his custody. Then there’s the beautiful Dream-Hunter Lydia: She isn’t just guarding the gates of Olympus—she’s holding back one of the world’s darkest powers. If she fails, an ancient curse will haunt the earth once more and no one will be safe. But evil is always seductive. Fifth in the Dream-Hunter series. PR

Kafkaesque, edited by John Kessel and James Patrick Kelly (Nov. 1, Tachyon)

Dystopic and comedic, this anthology explores top fiction from generations of writers and artists who have drawn inspiration from Franz Kafka's writings. The stories in this illuminating collection include Philip Roth's alternate history in which Kafka survived into the 1940s and emigrated to America; Jorge Luis Borges' bizarre lottery that develops into a mystical system; Carol Emshwiller’s woman seeking to be accepted as officially male by a society of men; and Paul Di Filippo's hero who works as a magazine writer by day but is a costumed crime fighter by night. Rounding out the exceptional lineup is R. Crumb's humorous work, "A Hunger Artist" from Kafka for Beginners alongside a new English translation of the story itself. Each author also responds to the question Why Kafka? and discusses his writing, its relevance and relation to their own work, and his enduring legacy. SF

Avenger’s Angel, by Heather Killough-Walden (Nov. 1, Signet)

When four female angels were created for the archangels Michael, Gabriel, Uriel and Azrael, a chaos spurned by jealousy erupted, and the archesses were secreted to Earth. The four favored archangels followed, prompting a search that has last millennia. But for Uriel, the former Archangel of vengeance, the search ends the moment he lays eyes on Eleanor Granger, his one true arches. Can he protect her from the danger lying in wait for her-and win her heart? First in the Lost Angel series. PR

Tied with a Bow, by Lora Leigh, Virginia Kantra, Eileen Wilks, and Kimberly Frost (Nov. 1, Berkley)

Best-selling author Lora Leigh features the Breeds in her story, . New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra brings a haunting tale of a fallen angel. USA Today bestselling author Eileen Wilks returns to the shapeshifing Lupi for another magical tale. National bestselling author Kimberly Frost introduces a new paronormal world of muses and vampires.  In Leigh’s story, “Waking the Sleeping Tiger,” he’s a primal. His genetics are recessed. He’s a law abiding, trusted member of the small community he’s a part of and he’s determined to ensure the animal inside him sleeps. Until the mated pair, Lawe Justice and Diane Broen step into the quiet, peaceful little town he claims as his own and with their arrival, blood begins spilling. Now, as sheriff, he has to find a killer, keep his animal hidden, and try to find a way to make sense of the sudden hunger, the raging dominance, and the pure animal need to mark the one woman he’s sworn he’d stay away from. The woman a killer has set his eyes on. PR

Firebird, by Jack McDevitt (Nov. 1, Ace)

Forty-one years ago the renowned physicist Chris Robin vanished. Before his disappearance, his fringe science theories about the existence of endless alternate universes had earned him both admirers and enemies. Alex Benedict and Chase Kolpath discover that Robin had several interstellar yachts flown far outside the planetary system where they too vanished. And following Robin's trail into the unknown puts Benedict and Kolpath in danger. Sixth in the Alex Benedict series. SF

The Ninth Circle, by R.M. Meluch (Nov. 1, DAW)

On the distant world of Zoe, an expedition finds DNA-based life. When alien invaders are also discovered, Glenn Hamilton calls on the U.S.S. Merrimack for help. But the Ninth Circle and the Palatine Empire have also found Zoe. Soon everyone will be on a collision course to determine the fate of this planet. Fifth in the Tour of the Merrimack series. SF

The Hunter, by Theresa Meyers (Nov. 1, Zebra)

They're the Chosen—Winchester, Remington and Colt—brothers trained to hunt down supernatural beings using the latest steam-powered gadgetry. It's a hard legacy to shoulder, and it's about to get a lot more dangerous. Colt Jackson has gotten his name on many a wanted poster with success in the family business: hunting supernaturals across the frontier. Lately, though, there's a sulfur stink in the wind and the Darkin population is exploding. A rift in the worlds is appearing. To close it, Colt will have to do the unthinkable and work with a demon to pass arcane boundaries no human alone can cross. Except when he summons his demon, he doesn't get some horned monstrosity: he gets a curvy redheaded succubus named Lilly, who's willing to make a bargain to become human again. He also gets Lilly's secret expertise on the machinations on the dark side of the rift. And her charm and cleverness help to get them out of what his silver-loaded pistol and mechanical horse can't. Of course, when all hell breaks loose, he might have to sacrifice his soul. But what's adventure without a little risk? PR-Steampunk

Magic on the Line, by Devon Monk (Nov. 1, Roc)

Allison Beckstrom has willingly paid the price of pain to use magic, and has obeyed the rules of the Authority, the clandestine organization that makes-and enforces-all magic policy. But when the Authority's new boss, Bartholomew Wray, refuses to believe that the sudden rash of deaths in Portland might be caused by magic, Allie must choose to follow the Authority's rules, or turn against the very people for whom she's risked her life. To stop the plague of dark magic spreading through the city, all that she values will be on the line: her magic, her memories, her life. Now, as dead magic users rise to feed upon the innocent and the people closest to her begin to fall, Allie is about to run out of options. Seventh in the Allie Beckstrom series. UF

Out of Oz, by Gregory Maguire (Nov. 1, William Morrow)

The marvelous land of Oz is knotted with social unrest: The Emerald City is mounting an invasion of Munchkinland, Glinda is under house arrest, and the Cowardly Lion is on the run from the law. And look who’s knocking at the door. It’s none other than Dorothy. Yes, that Dorothy. Amid all this chaos, Elphaba’s granddaughter, the tiny green baby born at the close of Son of a Witch, has come of age. Now, Rain will take up her broom in an Oz wracked by war. Fourth and final in the Wicked Years series.  F

Drink Deep, by Chloe Neill (Nov. 1, NAL)

Clouds are brewing over Cadogan House, and recently turned vampire Merit can't tell if this is the darkness before the dawn or the calm before the storm. With the city itself in turmoil over paranormals and the state threatening to pass a paranormal registration act, times haven't been this precarious for vampires since they came out of the closet. If only they could lay low for a bit, and let the mortals calm down. That's when the waters of Lake Michigan suddenly turn pitch black-and things really start getting ugly. Chicago's mayor insists it's nothing to worry about, but Merit knows only the darkest magic could have woven a spell powerful enough to change the very fabric of nature. She'll have to turn to friends old and new to find out who's behind this, and stop them before it's too late for vampires and humans alike. Fifth in the Chicagoland Vampires series. UF

Sound Bender, by Lin Oliver & Theo Baker (Nov. 1, Scholastic)

A roaring, supernatural adventure that spans New York, and the globe! After their parents' plane goes down over the ocean, Leo and his brother Hollis are forced into the custody of their rich and enigmatic uncle Crane, a dealer of rare and probably illicit antiques. But almost as soon as he's settled--or as close to settled as he can get in the bleak Brooklyn mansion, surrounded by his uncle's dubious staff--Leo receives a mysterious package his father put together long ago, to be opened on his 13th birthday. With the package, Leo discovers he has an amazing ability. He can hear the history of any object by touching it. But when Leo finds a strange helmet buried among his uncle's artifacts, and hears a pained cry coming from it, a mystery unravels as to its origin. UF-YA

I, Robot: To Protect, by Mickey Zucker Reichert (Nov. 1, Roc)

2035: Susan Calvin is beginning her residency at a Manhattan teaching hospital, where a select group of patients is receiving the latest in diagnostic advancements: tiny nanobots, injected into the spinal fluid, that can unlock and map the human mind. Soon, Susan begins to notice an ominous chain of events surrounding the patients. When she tries to alert her superiors, she is ignored by those who want to keep the project far from any scrutiny for the sake of their own agenda. But what no one knows is that the very technology to which they have given life is now under the control of those who seek to spread only death. First in a new trilogy inspired by Isaac Asimov’s legendary science fiction collection, I, Robot. SF

The Dark Inside, by Jeyn Roberts (Nov. 1, Simon & Schuster)

Since mankind began, civilizations have always fallen: the Romans, the Greeks, the Aztecs…Now it’s our turn. Huge earthquakes rock the world. Cities are destroyed. But something even more awful is happening. An ancient evil has been unleashed, turning everday people into hunters, killers, crazies. Mason's mother is dying after a terrible car accident. As he endures a last vigil at her hospital bed, his school is bombed and razed to the ground, and everyone he knows is killed. Aries survives an earthquake aftershock on a bus, and thinks the worst is over when a mysterious stranger pulls her out of the wreckage, but she’s about to discover a world changed forever. Clementine, the only survivor of an emergency town hall meeting that descends into murderous chaos, is on the run from savage strangers who used to be her friends and neighbors. And Michael witnesses a brutal road rage incident that is made much worse by the arrival of the police--who gun down the guilty party and then turn on the bystanding crowd. Where do you go for justice when even the lawmakers have turned bad? These four teens are on the same road in a world gone mad. Struggling to survive, clinging on to love and meaning wherever it can be found, this is a journey into the heart of darkness – but also a journey to find each other and a place of safety. DYST-YA

Who Do, Voodoo? By Rochelle Staab (Nov. 1, Berkley)

Clinical psychologist Liz Cooper doesn't believe in ghosts. But when her best friend finds a tarot card tacked to her front door-and is then accused of murder-Liz will have to find a way to embrace the occult if she wants to outwit the real killer. Paranormal mystery

Angel Condemned, by Mary Stanton (Nov. 1, Berkley)

Representing her Aunt Cissy's fiancé, museum curator Prosper White, in a case of fraud, attorney and celestial advocate Brianna Winston- Beaufort hopes to settle the matter out of court. But when Prosper is murdered and Cissy's arrested for the crime, Bree will have to solve the mystery of the Cross of Justinian-an artifact of interest in both Prosper's lawsuit and Bree's celestial case-to clear her aunt's name. Fifth in the Beaufort and Company mystery series. Paranormal mystery

Reckoning, by Lili St. Crow (Nov. 1, Razorbill)

Nobody expected Dru Anderson to survive this long. Not Graves. Not Christophe. Not even Dru. She’s battled killer zombies, jealous djamphirs, and bloodthirsty suckers straight out of her worst nightmares. But now that Dru has bloomed into a fullfledged svetocha—rare, beautiful, and toxic to all vampires—the worst is yet to come. Because getting out alive is going to cost more than she’s ever imagined. And in the end, is survival really worth the sacrifice? Dru Anderson’s not afraid of the dark. But she should be. Fifth and final in the Strange Angels series. UF-YA

The Folded World, by Catherynne M. Valente (Nov. 1, Night Shade)

ohn of Constantinople is a deeply devout man, driven from his home by the Icon Wars of Byzantium. After crossing the Sea of Sand, he finds a fantastical world where The Word of God has not yet spread. Despite his own moral qualms, he cheats his way into power, making himself king for the greater glory of God. This is his story. Second in the Dirge for Prester John series. F

Nightshine, by Lynn Viehl (Nov. 1, Signet)

As a psychic, Samuel Taske can see the future, but he never predicted that he'd fall for San Francisco paramedic Charlotte Marena, the woman he's been charged with protecting. GenHance—the biotech company willing to do anything to acquire superhuman DNA—is after them. And when Samuel discovers that his Takyn powers have abandoned him, Charlie and her secret nighttime telepathic ability are their only hope for survival. Fourth in the Kyndred series. PR

Not Your Ordinary Faerie Tale, by Christine Warren (Nov. 1, St. Martin’s)

After her two best friends marry a blood-sucking vampire and furry-faced werewolf, Corinne D’Alessandro is making a vow of her own: NO interspecies dating. But when her editor asks her to investigate “leprechaun” sightings, the sassy New York reporter finds herself on the trail of the hottest story of the year—and the sexiest man alive…His  name is Luc, and he’s as gorgeous as any Prince Charming in any bedtime story. There’s just one problem: He’s not human, he’s fae. A captain of the Fae Queen’s Guard, Luc is on a dangerous mission—and he could use the help of a certain leprechaun-hunting reporter. But when their two worlds collide, the sparks begin to fly. If Corinne and Luc can’t control their lust—and focus on the villains in this story—their faerie-tale romance won’t end happily ever after. Twelfth in the Others series. PR

The Strangers on Montagu Street, by Karen White (Nov. 1, NAL)

Psychic realtor Melanie Middleton is still restoring her Charleston house and doesn't expect to have a new houseguest, a teen girl named Nola. But the girl didn't come alone, and the spirits that accompanied Nola don't seem willing to leave. Third in the Tradd Street series. UF

Wolf Among the Stars, by Steve White (Nov. 1, Baen)

A near-future Earth has shaken off the devastating colonization by alien Lokaran invaders and totalitarian rule by the alien’s puppets, the Earth First party. But now Earth is flung into galactic intrigue and war. The Lokaron empire teeters on the edge of a fratricidal meltdown and a cabal of ancient enemies hope to use Earth as a proxy to destroy the empire and rule over a new Galactic Dark Age.  Now Captain Andrew Roark, the son of heroes of the rebellion and an officer trained in Lokaran space warfare tactics, joins with a highly capable Lokar who opposes the empire but wishes to see it transformed rather than destroyed. Together they must uncover a conspiracy to control Earth, and then obtain the secret key to defeating it. War for galactic control looms, and freedom for Earth—so recently escaped from under the boot-heel of one oppressor—is once again in the balance. SF

Death Magic, by Eileen Wilks (Nov. 1, Berkley)

Death Magic opens with Special Agent Lily Yu in Washington, D.C. with her fiancé--lupi prince Rule Turner—to testify before a Senate subcommittee about her role in the magical collapse of a mountain last month. She is not there to tell them about the strange legacy she carries from that event—or about the arcane bond between her and Rule--or what her boss in Unit Twleve of the FBI’s Magical Crimes Division is really up to. She sure won’t tell them that the lupi are at war with an Old One who wants to remake humanity in her own image.  Lily is managing the conflict between her duty as an officer of the law and the need for secrecy pretty well . . . until the rabidly anti-magic senator who chairs that committee is murdered. The line between right and wrong, always so clear to her, becomes hopelessly blurred as events catapult them all towards disaster, and prophecies of a cataclysmic end to the country she loves and serves--and to the entire race of lupi--seem well on their way to being fulfilled. Eighth in the World of the Lupi series. UF

Pretty in Black, by Rae Hachton (Nov. 2, Pulse)

Some Things are Pretty. Some Things are Black. Love is both. Ellie Piper: She wanted to die. He arose from the grave. He was sent to kill her. She was trained to kill those of his kind. But fate had other plans. He searched for 119 years to find her. & There's no way in hell he's letting her go. Dead or Alive. They're fated.  Marcus Marble: How far would you go to be with the one you love? Would you die for her? Would you kill for her? What if the only reason you're still alive is because of her? What if the reason you came back from the dead, was to be with her? But what if your job was to kill her, but you fell in love instead? And now you're being hunted by your own kind? Destroy? Or be Destroyed? PR-YA

The Revenge of the Dwarves, by Markus Heitz (Nov. 3, Orbit)

Though hailed a hero by his people, the course of life has not run smooth for the battle-weary Tungdil the dwarf. But there is no rest for this warrior yet - as he must now find the strength to face the most formidable enemy the kingdom has ever encountered. A new evil has risen from the depths of the earth to terrorize the land of Girdlegard. Monstrous creatures - half-orc, half-älfar - are roaming the kingdom, leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake. These merciless hybrids are on a mission to obtain the most powerful weapon known to the dwarf race - and whoever holds this weapon will control the world. Then when the fossilized Magus Lot-Ionan is stolen, Tungdil spies total disaster on the horizon. With the very existence of the dwarves under threat, he will have to resort to his trusty double ax and risk everything he knows to save his country from annihilation. U.S. release. Third in the Die Zwerge series. F

See anything you want? Ugh—it’s tough! So…International Reader’s Choice―you tell me. Just a note: if you like a title but it isn’t the first in a series, you can always request the first in that series instead. As always, four entries possible and please include your e-mail: +1 for comment, +1 for blog follow, +1 for Twitter follow @Suzanne_Johnson, and +1 for a Tweet or RT about the contest. Now….go!