Another
big release week as we head into May…what do YOU want to read?
Blatant
self-promotional message: If you’re in the Portland, Oregon, area or in San
Diego, California, hope you’ll come and say hello this week. I’m at Powell’s in
Beaverton, Ore., on Thursday night, and at Mysterious Galaxy in sunny San Diego
on Saturday morning as part of the store’s big birthday bash. Okay, commercial
over for now.
Now…what
do you want to read? Leave a comment and tell me, and I’ll draw one name to win
his or her choice. International, as always. And if the book is in a series you
haven’t started, you can always pick the first one in the series instead.
In late 1700s Paris, a young but promising illusionist dabbles
in the arcane art of phantasmagoria. But at his moment of greatest
triumph—unveiling a magical lantern said to open a door to the Chinese spirit
world—he is violently struck down by a vengeful phantom. On assignment in
London, archaeologist Annja Creed is hunting down a man who claims to have
discovered the Jekyll and Hyde potion. On the trail of one curiosity, Annja
finds herself pulled toward another mystery—the origin of a strange, old-fashioned
projector once used by eighteenth-century illusionists. As Annja delves into
its rich history, a dark past begins to emerge. And someone wants to harness
the power of this cursed artifact, risking everything for the treasures it
promises.But Annja has a little magic trick of her own. One that she wields
with deadly accuracy.
Leo Bailey may have been born to poverty, but ruthless business
sense and sparkling intelligence have made money worries a thing of his past.
It doesn’t hurt that the Devil himself has granted Leo the ability to read the
future.But even infallible predictions are a déclassé commoner’s trick to some
members of the ton. They’ll never see Leo as their equal—one good reason to
prove himself their better. And a noble marriage is an obvious start. Bookish
Anne Hartfield, daughter of a baron, is hardly the flashiest miss on the
marriage market. But her thoughtful reserve complements Leo’s brash boldness in
an attraction neither can deny.
Embrace of the Damned,
by Anya Bast (May 1, Berkley)
Centuries ago Broder Calderson committed murder. As punishment,
he was given over to the dominion of Loki, the Trickster God, made part of the
Brotherhood of the Damned, and condemned to an immortal life of battle against
the Blight, blood-drinkers from Hel.One thousand years to the day he was
damned, Loki allows him a woman as reward for his good service and repentance
of his crimes. Once Broder sees Jessamine Hamilton, he is overcome with need.
But Jessa is no ordinary woman, and the truth of who—and what—she is could have
dangerous consequences. First in a new series.
Vincenz Fardelle, exiled son of the Supreme Leader of the
Imperialist Universe, has spent much of the last ten years working to stop the
threat his father poses. But he’s not alone in his quest. Julian Marsters has
lost his best friend and countless others in the war and has made vengeance his
only goal. In each other, Julian and Vincenz find not only like minds, but
kindred spirits. However unexpected their relationship, everything changes for
Vincenz and Julian when Hannah Black comes into their lives. For the two men,
wrestling with their passionate feelings for Hannah is only the beginning. War
is about to send all three into harm’s way and an equally dangerous secret
could tear them apart.
Pisces warrior Drake Campbell and his Zodiac brethren have
driven themselves to the edge. He’d love to take comfort in the arms of the
woman he cares for, if only she would lift her emotional barriers.White witch
Emerson Carano has more to worry about than the Pisces warrior. Their affair
may be red-hot, but she keeps the sexy man at arm’s length to avoid getting
hurt. When her estranged brother, Magnus, suddenly reappears—wielding a
dangerous dark magic—Emerson has no choice but to ask Drake and his brothers
for help. Long-buried secrets and dangerous alliances will threaten the very
foundation of the warriors while striking at the heart of Emerson’s carefully
constructed world.
All witch and part succubus, savvy businesswoman Raina has
converted a Southern plantation house into an extremely profitable old-fashioned
bordello. Because of her abilities as a witch, the demons under Raina’s
protection can feed off the sexual energy of their clients without killing
them—definitely a good thing for repeat business.But when a rogue incubus shows
up on Raina’s doorstep begging for asylum, the witch’s well-run business is put
in jeopardy. The incubus has stolen an object of great power from Lucifer, and
Underworld Dark Guardian Mikhael will do anything to get it back—even if it
means incinerating the incubus on Raina’s porch to get the answers he seeks.
Not to be trifled with, Raina enters a dangerous match of wits with Mikhael to
achieve their mutual goals—only to discover that the reluctant attraction
between them is the most hazardous game of all.
Trapped for centuries in the bleak Shadowlands, Dai clings to
his humanity with a thirst for knowledge. But now he’s free of the goblin
curse, and some would say he knows too much—he can make nature bend to his
will, influence the minds of others, and command magic. Yet love eludes him.
Then he meets Amanda, a single mother with a sick daughter whom he feels
compelled to protect. But could she possibly place her trust in the kiss of a
goblin prince?
The Shifter, by Jean
Johnson (May 1, Berkley)
Years have passed since there was any sighting of Family
Mongrel. Yet traces remain in the Correda Mountains. Kenyen Sin Siin tracks
down these hints from the past to make sure the curs have not survived. As the
trail becomes more tangled he’s trapped in a valley where not everything is as
it seems—including the beautiful and mysterious Migela Laun Far.
When sexy wannabe-demon, Destiny Carter, is kicked out of Hell,
she lands in Ft. Worth, Texas with one week to corrupt a soul. Or else. She
slips into a slinky red dress, and heads straight for the delicious,
corruptible looking cowboy at the bar.But Chance Bellew has his own
agenda-saving souls. He’s not your typical angel. He’s a nephilim, to be exact.
Centuries ago, angels came down from Heaven and mated with mortal women. When
the women bore children, a new race was created. Immortals with powers—demigods,
nephilim. But the children don’t live by the same rules as mortals, or that of
the typical, robe-wearing, bright light-surrounding-them angels. Hell, most of
the time the nephilim are breaking the rules, and making up new ones as they
go. As long as they don’t cross over to the dark side, everyone pretty much
stays out of their way. But sometimes a demon-in-training, who looks like
Destiny, comes along and all Hell breaks loose.
Black Dawn (Morganville
Vampires, Book 12), by Rachel Caine (May
1, NAL)
In Last Breath, the rain brought a new and dire
threat to Morganville and its vampires... their ancient enemies, the draug.
Now, the vampires are fighting a losing war, and it will fall to the residents
of the Glass House—Michael, Eve, Shane and Claire—to take the fight to an enemy
who threatens to destroy the town, forever. Young Adult.
With Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and
Arkansas and Nevada), in town, it’s the worst possible time for a body to show
up in Eric Northman’s front yard—especially the body of a woman whose blood he
just drank.Now, it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five
investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the
dead girl’s fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an
enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who’s out to make Sookie’s
world come crashing down.
Being a human immune to magic helped Sophie Lawson get promoted.
It’s also made her a major, very reluctant player in a game that stretches
beyond even the Underworld. Having handsome buttoned-down Englishman Will as
her new guardian is one tempting blessing, especially since sexy fallen angel
Alex is mysteriously MIA lately. But as a frightening number of demons start
disappearing around the city, Sophie suspects that an Armageddon-level prophecy
is about to become everyone’s nightmare. And her investigation is testing her
bravery — and Will’s unexpected vulnerability — in ways neither could predict.
Now Sophie and Will are fast running out of time as an unstoppable evil
prepares to lay waste to demons and humans alike.
No description available.
I’ve been trapped in the body of Lily “Ally” Turner for a month
now. Talk about a fashion crisis on an epic scale. What worries me more,
though, is sometimes I catch Will looking at me like he thinks I’m Lily—or that
he wishes I were. Without the good looks of my former self, I don’t know who I
am. I need out of this mess. Now.Will and I have been looking for a solution,
one that would separate me from Lily without killing her. But it’s not going
well. Then, when it seems like things couldn’t get any worse, we run into
Misty, my former best friend and boyfriend-stealer extraordinaire, who claims
she’s being haunted—by me. Young Adult.
The First Dragon has Ysolde de Bouchier in his sights,
demandingshe right past wrongs. So, with the help of some familiar friends,
Ysolde sets into motion an elaborate plan that will have repercussions
throughout the mortal and immortal worlds. But when a member of her family is
held hostage, no one is safe from the fire of her rage.
Silence, by Michelle Sagara (May 1, Daw)
Emma Hall is a high school student whose first (and only)
boyfriend died in the summer in a car accident—before the book starts. Nathan
was almost her entire world, and she’s now left with the bits and pieces of
life that weren’t Nathan—her friends, school, her mother. She spends far too
much time in the cemetery at Nathan’s grave, because it’s quiet there and she
doesn’t have to make excuses for how she feels, or how she doesn’t feel. She
doesn’t expect to meet people in the cemetery, but one night
she does, and as a result of that disturbing meeting, she begins to see things
she’s never seen, and to hear things that no one else hears. Young Adult.
Shine, by Jeri
Smith-Ready (May 1, Simon Pulse)
Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that
better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend died. She’s
finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover
the truth about her past. As the first in a generation to see ghosts, Aura is
convinced she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever
patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government
threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at
nothing to protect herself and the one she loves...even if that means betraying
her own heart. Young Adult.
Powers, by James A. Burton (May
2, Prime)
Albert Johannson lives off the grid. He’s forgotten more than he
remembers about his past, but those snippets he’s retained tell him two things:
he’s lived a long, looong time and he doesn’t trust anyone, particularly
gods. He’s not any too fond of demons either, particularly the one that
materializes in his kitchen wanting to hire him for a special mission. It’s as
deadly to cross a demon as to deal with him, so Albert reluctantly agrees to
investigate, putting him in the path of a prickly arson detective named Melissa
el Hajj with trust issues of her own.
Brownies and Broomsticks, by Bailey
Cates (May 1, Signet)
Katie Lightfoot’s tired of loafing around as the assistant
manager of an Ohio bakery. So when her aunt Lucy and uncle Ben open a bakery in
Savannah’s quaint downtown district and ask Katie to join them, she
enthusiastically agrees.While working at the Honeybee Bakery — named after
Lucy’s cat — Katie notices that her aunt is adding mysterious herbs to her
recipes. Turns out these herbal enhancements aren’t just tasty — Aunt Lucy is a
witch and her recipes are actually spells. A cozy mystery, first in a new series,
with a paranormal twist.
Heart of Brass, by Kate
Cross (May 1, Signet)
Arden Grey enjoys a life most women in 1898 London can’t even
dream of: she has the social status, wealth, and independence of a countess.
She also has the ability to witness the final moments of a murder victim’s
life. But since the disappearance of her husband, Lucas, none of this means
anything. Until one night, when Arden spies a man watching her — her missing
husband.Luke remembers nothing of his life before The Company, a corrupt agency
that has erased his memory. Even so, something prevents him from completing his
assignment to kill Arden. There is something familiar about his lovely target,
something that attracts him and fills him with dread. First in a new series.
Best Horror of the Year, Volume 4,
edited by Ellen
Datlow (May 1, Night Shade)
An annual collection of horror, including stories by Stephen
King, Leah Bobet, Simon Bestwick, Laird Barron, David Nickle, Priya Sharma,
Margo Lanagan, Brian Hodge, A.C. Wise, Livia Llewellyn, Alison J. Littlewood,
Chet Williamson, Terry Lamsley, Glen Hirshberg, John Langan, Anna Taborska, and
Peter Straub.
Once, Gavin Ennock sailed the skies on airships and enchanted
listeners with his fiddle music. Now, the clockwork plague consumes his
intellect, enabling him to conceive and construct scientific wonders — while
driving him mad. Distressed by her beloved’s unfortunate condition, Alice
Michaels sought a cure rumored to be inside the Doomsday Vault — and brought
the wrath of the British Empire down on them. Declared enemies of the Crown,
Alice and Gavin have little choice but to flee to China in search of a cure.
By the Blood of Heroes, by Joseph
Nassise (May 1, Harper Voyager)
An alternate history zombie novel set during World War I…At the
end of 1917, the increasingly desperate Germans introduce a new gas to the
battlefield: T-Leiche — “corpse gas” — that radically alters the face of the
war. Unlike other chemical weapons that attack the living, T-Leiche resurrects
the bodies of the dead, giving the enemy an almost unlimited, if not quite
fresh, source of troops.When legendary Allied pilot and war poster-boy Major
Jack Freeman is shot down and taken captive by the Germans, veteran Captain
Michael “Madman” Burke is the only man fearless and wild enough to try to
rescue the American Ace. With a small squad of heroes, Burke must traverse the
putrid ground of no man’s land to infiltrate the enemy’s lines. Using an
experimental dirigible, the team faces incredible danger and finds risk and
peril at every turn, including ruthless traitor smugglers and marauding bands
of the Kaiser’s undead.
As unrest surges around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to
save those she loves — and herself — while grappling with haunting questions of
grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.Tris’s
initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her
chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms
as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of
war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even
more irrevocable — and even more powerful. Young Adult.
The Drowned Cities, by Paolo
Bacigalupi (May 1, Little, Brown)
In a dark future America where violence, terror, and grief touch
everyone, young refugees Mahlia and Mouse have managed to leave behind the
war-torn lands of the Drowned Cities by escaping into the jungle outskirts. But
when they discover a wounded half-man—a bioengineered war beast named Tool who
is being hunted by a vengeful band of soldiers—their fragile existence quickly
collapses. One is taken prisoner by merciless soldier boys, and the other is
faced with an impossible decision: Risk everything to save a friend, or flee to
a place where freedom might finally be possible. A companion to Bacigalupi’s Ship Breaker. Young Adult.
Invincible continues
the story from Dreadnaught as the Alliance fleet commanded by
Admiral Geary tries to escape threats outside human space and return before
danger can strike humanity again.
War and Space: Recent Combat,
edited by Sean Wallace and Rich Horton (May 2, Prime)
War and Space offers
the ultimate speculation on the future of warfare—stories of insectoid anguish,
genetically-engineered diplomats who cannot fail, aliens plundering humanity, a
weaponized black hole. Authors include Ken MacLeod, Suzanne Palmer, Alastair
Reynolds, Catherynne M. Valente, Adam-Troy Castro, Beth Bernobich, Kristine
Kathryn Rusch, Nancy Kress, and many others.
Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now
queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with
mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck
died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts
under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue
begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of
her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the 35-year
spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.
Young Adult.
The Invaders (Brotherband
Chronicles, Book 2), by John Flanagan (May 1, Philomel)
The adventure continues in the Ranger’s Apprentice companion
trilogy. Hal and the Herons have done the impossible—beaten out the strongest,
most skilled young warriors in all of Skandia to win the Brotherband
competition. But their celebration comes to an abrupt end when the Skandians’
most sacred artifact is stolen—and the Herons are to blame. To find redemption
they must traverse stormy seas, survive a bitter winter, and battle a group of
deadly pirates willing to protect their prize at all costs. Middle Grade/Young
Adult.
The Killing Moon, by N.K.
Jemisin (May 1, Orbit)
In the ancient city-state of Gujaareh, peace is the only law.
Upon its rooftops and amongst the shadows of its cobbled streets wait the
Gatherers, the keepers of this peace. Priests of the dream-goddess, their duty
is to harvest the magic of the sleeping mind and use it to heal, soothe—and
kill those judged corrupt. But when a conspiracy blooms within Gujaareh’s great
temple, Ehiru, the most famous of the city’s Gatherers, must question
everything he knows.
Chicory Up, by Irene
Radford (May 1, Daw)
The leader of her tribe had exiled Thistle Down from Pixie.
Trapped in a human body and deprived of almost all her Pixie magic, Thistle had
made a life for herself with the help of her human friends—Desdemona “Dusty”
Carrick and her brother Dick. But trouble was brewing among all the Pixie
tribes, fueled by Haywood Wheatland, a half-Pixie/half-Faery, who was
determined to seize control of The Ten Acre Wood for the Faeries. Thistle,
Dick, Dusty, and her fiance, Police Sergeant Chase Norton, thought the threat
to the town of Skene Falls and The Ten Acre Wood had ended with Haywood’s
arrest and imprisonment, but they were wrong. For even as they turned their
attention to romance and weddings, the Pixie tribes were preparing for war.
Despite their best efforts, Carter and Sade Kane can’t seem to
keep Apophis, the chaos snake, down. Now Apophis is threatening to plunge the
world into eternal darkness, and the Kanes are faced with the impossible task
of having to destroy him once and for all. Unfortunately, the magicians of the
House of Life are on the brink of civil war, the gods are divided, and the
young initiates of Brooklyn House stand almost alone against the forces of
chaos. To find the answer they need, the Kanes must rely on the murderous ghost
of a powerful magician who might be able to lead them to the serpent’s
shadow... or might lead them to their deaths in the depths of the underworld.
Young Adult.
The known world floats upon the Breath of God, a thick gas
similar to Earth’s oceans, with land masses accessible by airship. The largest
of these land masses are ruled by the rival empires of Freya and Rosia. Magic
is intrinsic to the functioning of these societies, and is even incorporated
into their technological devices. But now a crucial scientific discovery has
occurred that could destroy the balance of power-and change the empires
forever. First in a new series.
As
always, four entries possible: +1 for comment to tell me what book (any book)
you want, +1 for blog follow, +1 for Twitter follow @Suzanne_Johnson, and +1
for a Tweet or RT about the contest. This contest is international. Contests
end at midnight CDT U.S., and winners are announced on Sunday’s blog. It’s the
responsibility of the winner to contact me with their mailing info. Books unclaimed
after a month will go into a general giveaway pile.
Now….go!
