* Adams, Cat : The Isis Collar
(Tor 978-0-7653-2873-1, $14.99, 384pp, trade paperback, March 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 13 Mar 2012
Blood Singer #4

Urban fantasy novel, fourth in a series following Blood Song (June 2010), Siren Song (Oct 2010), and Demon Song (2011), about a bodyguard who is transformed into an Abomination, something neither human nor vampire.
• ‘Cat Adams’ is a joint pseudonym for C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp.
• Tor’s website has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “As always, Adams strikes a nice balance between romance and action….”

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* Aguirre, Ann : Devil’s Punch
(Roc 978-0-451-46449-1, $7.99, 336pp, mass market paperback, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012
Corine Solomon #4

Urban fantasy novel, fourth in the “Corine Solomon” series following Blue Diablo (2009), Hell Fire (2010), and Shady Lady (2011), about a woman with the ability to touch an object and perceive its history and future.
• The author’s website has this page for the book with an excerpt.

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* Beaulieu, Bradley P. : The Straits of Galahesh
(Night Shade Books 978-1-59780-349-6, $14.99, 570pp, trade paperback, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012
The Lays of Anuskaya #2

Fantasy novel, second in a series following The Winds of Khalakovo (2011), set in an archipelago that controls world trade.
• Night Shade’s site has this description.
• The author’s site has this page for the book with a link to a PDF file of the first fifteen chapters.

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* Drake, David : The Road of Danger
(Baen 978-1-4516-3815-8, $25, 368pp, hardcover, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012
RCN #9

Military SF novel, ninth in the “RCN” series following With the Lightnings, Lt. Leary, Commanding, The Far Side of the Stars, The Way to Glory, Some Golden Harbor, and When the Tide Rises, In the Stormy Red Sky (2009), and What Distant Deeps (2010).
• Baen’s site has this description with links to several chapters.

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* Foglio, Phil, & Kaja Foglio : Agatha H. and the Clockwork Princess
(Night Shade Books 978-1-59780-222-2, $24.99, 280pp, hardcover, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012
Agatha H. #2

“Gaslamp fantasy” novel, second a series following Agathat H. and the Airship City (2011), about a hapless Transylvania Polygnostic University student, Agatha Clay, whose abduction aboard an airship sparks her special genius.
• Night Shade’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides an excerpt.
Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Expansive descriptions of places and mechanisms, delightful characterization of creatures human, near human, and thoroughly mechanical, and an inventive, high-drama story line make this an immersive yet lighthearted and delightful bit of adventurous fun.”

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* Freer, Dave : Dog & Dragon
(Baen 978-1-4516-3811-0, $14, 304pp, trade paperback, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012
Dragon’s Ring #2

Fantasy novel, second in a series following Dragon’s Ring (2009), about a young woman destined to become Defender of Lyonesse on a planet where an ancient sorceress battles with her human subjects.
• Baen’s site has this description with links to several chapters.

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* Grant, Michael : Fear
(Harpercollins/Tegen Books 978-0-06-144915-4, $17.99, 528pp, hardcover, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012
Gone #5

Young adult novel, fifth in a series that began with Gone (2008), about kids in a small town after everyone over the age of 14 vanishes.
• The publisher’s site has this description with a preview function.
• Series site www.thefayz.com includes the text of the first novel online for free.

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+ Irvine, Ian : Vengeance
(Orbit US 978-0-316-07284-7, $14.99, 688pp, trade paperback, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012
The Tainted Realm #1

Fantasy novel, first book of a trilogy, about descendants of slaves on the island nation of Cythe.
• The author’s site has this series page, with a description of the book, a link to an excerpt, and titles of the next two books.
• Orbit’s site also has an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review quibbles, concluding that this “solidly readable work will appeal to less discerning fantasy fans.”

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* Koch, Gini : Alien Diplomacy
(DAW 978-0-7564-0716-2, $7.99, 425pp, mass market paperback, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012
Alien #5

SF novel, fifth a series following Touched by an Alien (April 2010), Alien Tango (Dec 2010), Alien in the Family (April 2011), and Alien Proliferation (2011), about a woman who discovers that alien invaders from Alpha Centauri are turning humans into monsters.
• The author’s website has an excerpt.
• Carolyn Cushman reviews the book in the April issue of Locus Magazine: “The goofy alien hijinks are back in this fifth novel in Koch’s Alien series…”

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* Little, Bentley : The Haunted
(Penguin/Signet 978-0-451-23637-1, $7.99, 400pp, mass market paperback, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012

Horror novel about the strange house the Perry family has moved into.
• The publisher’s page for the book confuses it with a series by Jim Butcher.

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* Monk, Devon : Magic Without Mercy
(Roc 978-0-451-46448-4, $7.99, 368pp, mass market paperback, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012
Allie Becktrom #8

Urban fantasy novel, eighth novel in the series following Magic to the Bone (2008), Magic in the Blood (2009), Magic in the Shadows (2009), Magic on the Storm (2010), Magic at the Gate (2010), Magic on the Hunt (Apr. 2011), and Magic on the Line (2011) about Allison Beckstrom, a “Hound” who can trace a magic spell back to whoever cast it.
• The author’s site has this description.

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* Moore, Christopher : Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d’Art
(Morrow 978-0-06-177974-9, $26.99, hardcover, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012

Historical fantasy novel about the death of Vincent van Gogh, and about the color blue.
• The author’s site has this description with quotes from reviews and a link to an excerpt.
• Amazon has an exclusive interview with the author.
• The Publishers Weekly review says “Art history is playfully—and perilously—rewritten in this ambitious novel”, and it concludes, “Spanning nearly 30 years—with a brief interlude in Roman times—the story is steeped in Western art: Renaissance Italy; medieval cathedrals; the fields and studios of pre, post, and high impressionism. Though the question at the story’s heart is less interesting than the fictional anecdotes about the great masters, fans of Moore’s mix of wit and slapstick will be pleased.”

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* Sawyer, Robert J. : Triggers
(Ace 978-1-937007-16-4, $25.95, 352pp, hardcover, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012

SF thriller about an experimental device and a terrorist bombing that gives a group of people — including the US President — the ability to read each others’ minds.
• Sawyer’s site has this page for the book, with a summary and links to excerpts and reviews.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes that “Sawyer offers an escape from the recent run of near-future dystopias in a combination of classic and contemporary science fiction.”

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* Shinn, Sharon : The Shape of Desire
(Ace 978-1-937007-17-1, $25.95, 336pp, hardcover, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012
Shifting Circle #1

Fantasy novel, first in a new series, about a women who keeps her lover’s shape-shifting identity from family and friends.
• The author’s site has this series page with a description and comments. The second book, Still Life with Shape Shifter, will be published in October.
Publishers Weekly gives this a starred review: “The tale of their relationship meanders like a stream, with strong characterizations and poetic prose polishing the story until it shines.”

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* Sigler, Scott : Nocturnal
(Random House/Crown 978-0-307-40634-7, $26, 576pp, hardcover, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012

Paranormal thriller about a San Francisco homocide detective who’s having dreams that mirror a series of serial murders.
• The publisher’s site has this synopsis with a preview function.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function also provides a preview.

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* Smith, Sherwood : Banner of the Damned
(DAW 978-0-7564-0677-6, $25.95, 706pp, hardcover, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012
Sartorias-deles #5

Fantasy novel, fifth in a series following Inda, The Fox, King’s Shield, and Treason’s Shore (2009), this one set 400 years after the earlier books and concerning a young scribe assigned to a princess.
• The author’s site has this page with links to background, characters in each book, and maps.
• Carolyn Cushman reviews it in the April issue of Locus Magazine: “Fortunately, it all comes together nicely in a frequently thrilling tale, full of adventure, romance, and magic, a charming mix of everyday details and epic overtones.”

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* Stover, Matthew : Caine’s Law
(Ballantine Del Rey 978-0-345-45589-5, $16, 496pp, trade paperback, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012
Act of Atonement #4

Fantasy novel, fourth in a series following Heroes Die (1999), Blade of Tyshalle (2011), and Caine Black Knife (2008), about an actor who is an assassin in parallel world Overworld.
• This book is second in the “Act of Atonement” story arc that began with Caine Black Knife [Wikipedia].
• Del Rey’s site has this description with an excerpt. Amazon’s “Look Inside” function also provides an excerpt.

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* Tyler, Anne : The Beginner’s Goodbye
(Random House/Knopf 978-0-307-95727-6, $24.95, 208pp, hardcover, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012

Literary novel with fantasy elements, by the acclaimed author of Dinner at Homesick Restaurant, The Accidental Tourist, and Pulitzer Prize winner Breathing Lessons.
• In this novel a man grieving for his late wife is visited by her ghost.
• The publisher’s site has this description.
• Amazon names it a Best Book of the Month for April, with a review by Ben Moebius: “And as arresting as the first sentence is, it’s also a bit worrying. So many clichés could follow. Will Aaron resolve his grief through poetic moonlit walks with the apparition of his lost wife? Thankfully, this is Anne Tyler.”
Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “By the end of this wonderful book, you’ve lived the lives and loves of these characters in the best possible way.”

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* Viguié, Debbie : The Thirteenth Sacrifice
(Penguin/Signet 978-0-451-23636-4, $7.99, 368pp, mass market paperback, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012
Witch Hunt #1

Urban fantasy novel, first of a series, about a witch-turned-Boston cop investigating a series of murders of young women.
• The publisher’s page for the book has an excerpt.

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* Wilhelm, Kate : Death of an Artist
(Minotaur 978-0-312-65861-8, $24.99, 304pp, hardcover, March 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 27 Mar 2012

Associational mystery novel set in a small Oregon town.
• Parent publisher Macmillan’s site has this description.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Even after the satisfyingly surprising climax, the reader may be loath to leave Silver Bay and these affecting characters.”

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* Wolf, Carol : Summoning
(Night Shade Books 978-1-597-80398-4, $14.99, 320pp, trade paperback, April 2012, cover art Sam Kennedy)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012
Moon Wolf Saga #1

Urban fantasy novel, the author’s first novel and first of a series, about a shape-shifting 16-year-old girl and a demon who work to save Los Angeles from the World Snake.
• Night Shade’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides a preview.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “…Wolf’s world-building has a lot of potential, particularly if some of the secondary characters get attention in future books.”
• Carolyn Cushman reviews it in the April issue of Locus Magazine, calling it a “promising first novel”.

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* Zettel, Sarah : Let Them Eat Stake
(Penguin/Obsidian 978-0-451-23645-6, $7.99, 320pp, mass market paperback, April 2012)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Apr 2012
Vampire Chef #2

Fantasy/mystery novel, second in a series following A Taste of the Nightlife (2011), about a celebrity chef who caters to vampires.
• The author’s site has this announcement with a description.

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