New Books, 29 May
— posted Tuesday 29 May 2012 @ 2:57 pm PDT
* Alexander, Cassie : Nightshifted
(St. Martin’s Paperbacks 978-0-312-55339-5, $7.99, 352pp, mass market paperback, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 22 May 2012
• Nightshifted #1
Urban fantasy novel, first of a series and the author’s first novel, about a new nurse in a hospital that serves vampires, werewolves, and zombies.
• The publisher’s site has this description, with an excerpt.
• The author’s site also has an excerpt, and titles of the next two volumes.
• The Publishers Weekly review calls it a “solid urban fantasy debut”.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Anderson, Kevin J., ed. : Blood Lite III: Aftertaste
(Pocket Books 978-1451636246, $7.99, 528pp, mass market paperback, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
Anthology of 30 original humorous horror stories, presented by the Horror Writers Association.
• Authors include Jim Butcher, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Kelley Armstrong, Mike Resnick & Lezli Robyn, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, and Lisa Morton.
• The publisher’s site has this description.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Ballantine, Philippa, & Tee Morris : The Janus Affair
(Harper Voyager 978-0-06-204978-0, $7.99, 416pp, mass market paperback, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
• Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences #2
Steampunk fantasy novel, second of a series following Phoenix Rising (2011), about two agents in a clandestine organization in Victorian London.
• Series site The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences has a description with quotes and links to numerous reviews.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides an excerpt.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Battis, Jes : Bleeding Out
(Ace 978-1937007638, $7.99, 256pp, mass market paperback, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
• OSI #5
Fantasy novel, fifth OSI novel following Night Child (2008), A Flash of Hex (2009), Inhuman Resources (2010), and Infernal Affairs (2011) about an Occult Special Investigator for Vancouver’s Mystical Crime Lab.
• In this book, OSI Tess Corday investigates the death of Vancouver’s premiere necromancer.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Brooke, Keith : Harmony
(Solaris 978-1-78108-001-6, $8.99, 416pp, mass market paperback, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
SF novel about alien invaders destroying Earth’s cities as a band of human survivors searches for sanctuary.
• Solaris’ site has this description.
• The author’s site has this page with the same description, a comment by the author, and a blurb from Alastair Reynolds.
• The novel is being published in the UK as alt.human.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Brown, Eric : The Devil’s Nebula
(Abaddon 978-1-78108-023-8, $7.99, 352pp, mass market paperback, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
• Weird Space #1
SF space opera novel, first of a shared world series, about the human Expansion and the Vetch Empire both threatened by an evil race from another dimension.
• Abaddon’s site has this description.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Flewelling, Lynn : Casket of Souls
(Ballantine Spectra 978-0-345-52230-6, $7.99, 496pp, mass market paperback, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
• Nightrunner #6
Fantasy novel, sixth book in the “Nightrunner” series following Luck in the Shadows (1996), Stalking Darkness (1997), Traitor’s Moon (1999), Shadows Return (2008), and The White Road (2010).
• Bantam’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function also provides an excerpt.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Grant, Mira : Blackout
(Orbit 978-0-316-08107-8, $9.99, 560pp, mass market paperback, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 22 May 2012
• Newsflesh #3
Postapocalyptic zombie novel, third in the “Newsflesh” trilogy following Feed (2010) and Deadline (2011), both of which were nominated for the Hugo Award.
• Orbit’s site has this post about the book’s release, with a link to a sample chapter.
• The author is Seanan McGuire writing as Mira Grant.
• The author’s site has this page about the trilogy. Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides a preview.
• The Publishers Weekly review calls it “another thoughtful high-energy tale of life and politics among the dead and not-so-dead.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Guran, Paula, ed. : Obsession: Tales of Irresistible Desire
(Prime Books 978-1607013433, $15.95, 360pp, trade paperback, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
Anthology of 19 stories, a mix of originals and reprints.
• Authors include Edgar Allan Poe, Fritz Leiber, Stewart O’Nan, Michael Blumlein, Pat Cadigan, Elizabeth Hand, Tanith Lee, and John Shirley.
• Prime’s site has this description and order page with the table of contents and the editor’s introduction.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Hartwell, David G., & Kathryn Cramer, eds. : Year’s Best SF 17
(Harper Voyager US 978-0-06-203587-5, $7.99, 512pp, mass market paperback, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
Anthology of 23 stories first published in 2011, with an introduction by the editors, and introductions to each story.
• Authors include Ken MacLeod, Nnedi Okorafor, Charlie Jane Anders, Neil Gaiman, Gregory Benford, Bruce Sterling, Nancy Kress, and Carolyn Ives Gilman.
• Harper’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides a preview, including the table of contents.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Jacka, Benedict : Cursed
(Ace 978-1-937007-59-1, $7.99, 304pp, mass market paperback, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
• Alex Verus #2
Urban fantasy novel, second in a series following Fated (March 2012), about a London magician who can foresee the future.
• The publisher’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review, as they did the first book: “Readers will savor this tasty blend of magic, explosions, and moral complexity.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Jamieson, Trent : Night’s Engines
(Angry Robot 978-0857661876, $7.99, 400pp, mass market paperback, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
• The Nightbound Land #2
Dark fantasy novel, second of a duology following Roil (2011), about four last human cities fighting an encroaching storm called the Roil.
• Angry Robot’s site has this description with quotes from reviews and a preview function.
• The author’s site has this page for the duology.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Johnson, Les, & Jack McDevitt, eds. : Going Interstellar
(Baen 978-1451637786, $7.99, 448pp, mass market paperback, June 2012, cover art Sam Kennedy)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
Anthology of 13 essays and stories about interstellar flight.
• Contributors include Ben Bova, Jack McDevitt, Louise Marley, Michael Bishop, and Mike Resnick.
• Baen’s site has this description with links to samples and the table of contents.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Koch, G. J. : Alexander Outland: Space Pirate
(Night Shade Books 978-1597804233, $14.99, 300pp, trade paperback, June 2012, cover art John Stanko)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
SF adventure novel about a rogue space pilot whose piracy business is challenged by an invisible space armada.
• Night Shade’s site has this description and order page.
• The author’s website has links to reviews.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Lundoff, Catherine : Silver Moon
(Lethe Press 978-1-59021-379-7, $15, 218pp, trade paperback, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Sun 20 May 2012
• A Woman of Wolf’s Point #1
Fantasy novel, first of a series, about a 50-year-old woman whose entry into menopause triggers her coming out both as a werewolf and as a lesbian.
• Lethe’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides a preview.
• John Scalzi’s blog posted this Big Idea background by the author.
• The Publishers Weekly review says, “After a slightly awkward start, this series launch gains speed, effectiveness, and depth with a decidedly different approach to the modern werewolf story.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
+ Masterton, Graham : Festival of Fear
(Severn 978-0-7278-6408-6, $28.95, 240pp, hardcover, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 1 May 2012
Collection of 12 horror stories.
• Severn House’s site has this description and order page. The UK edition appeared in January.
• The Publishers Weekly review says the book “offers little festivity, but features vibrant dialogue and distinctively eerie plot twists.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Remic, Andy : Toxicity
(Solaris 978-1-78108-004-7, $8.99, 416pp, mass market paperback, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
• Anarchy #1
SF novel, first of a series, set in a utopian galaxy where all races live in harmony, concerning an ECO terrorist trying to sabotage the Company that processes the galaxy’s waste products.
• Solaris’ site has this description.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Shearin, Lisa : All Spell Breaks Loose
(Ace 978-1-937007-71-3, $7.99, 304pp, mass market paperback, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
• Raine Benares #6
Fantasy detective novel, sixth and concluding volume in the Raine Benares series about a sorceress who finds missing people and things, following Magic Lost, Trouble Found, Armed & Magical, The Trouble with Demons, Betwitched & Betrayed, and Con & Conjure.
• The author’s site has a description and a page of links to sample chapters.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Shevdon, Mike : Strangeness and Charm
(Angry Robot Us 978-0857662248, $7.99, 384pp, mass market paperback, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
• Courts of the Feyre #3
Urban fantasy novel, third in a series following Sixty-One Nails (2010) and Road to Bedlam (2010), about a London man’s relationship with the supernatural Feyre races.
• Angry Robot’s site has this description with a preview function.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Swift, E. J. : Osiris
(Night Shade Books 978-1-59780-417-2, $26.99, 400pp, hardcover, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
• Osiris Project #1
SF novel, first of a trilogy, about the ocean city of Osiris, presumed to be the last city that survived the Great Storm 40 years before.
• Night Shade’s site has this description and order page.
• The Publishers Weekly review is mixed: “Swift’s imaginative debut, the first in a trilogy, is a dystopian thriller with complex characterizations and a riveting main plot, though both are marred by an unsatisfying, implausible resolution.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Tobin, Paul : Prepare to Die!
(Night Shade Books 978-1-59780-420-2, $26.99, 350pp, hardcover, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
Fantasy novel about the man who became the superhero Reaver, a muscleman whose punches take a year off a bad guy’s life, who returns to his childhood home when he’s given only two weeks to live.
• Night Shade’s site has this description and order page.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “The deconstruction of superheroes has been accomplished before, but rarely has it been done with the vigor and affection of comics veteran Tobin in his nearly pitch-perfect superhero tale for grownups.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Van Name, Mark L. : No Going Back
(Baen 978-1-4516-3810-3, $22, 336pp, hardcover, May 2012, cover art John Picacio)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
• Jon & Lobo #6
Military SF novel, fifth novel in a series following One Jump Ahead (2007), Slanted Jack (2008), Overthrowing Heaven (2009), and Children No More (2010), about nano-enhanced warrior Jon Moore and his assault vehicle Lobo.
• Baen’s site has this description, with links to several chapters.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Wells, Jaye : Blue-Blooded Vamp
(Orbit 978-0-316-17845-7, $7.99, 336pp, mass market paperback, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 22 May 2012
• Sabina Kane #5
Urban fantasy novel, fifth and concluding volume of the series about half-vampire, half-mage Sabina Kane, an assassin for her vampire rulers, following Red-Headed Stepchild (2009), The Mage in Black (2010), Green-Eyed Demon (2011), and Silver-Tongued Devil (2012).
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides a preview.
• The Publishers Weekly review says, “Wells brings her Sabina Kane urban fantasy series to a satisfactorily fast-paced conclusion…”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
* Williams, Liz : Worldsoul
(Prime Books 978-1-60701-295-5, $14.95, 288pp, trade paperback, June 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 May 2012
• Worldsoul #1
Fantasy novel, first of a series, about a nexus city between Earth and the other dimensions of the Liminality, and its Library that maintains order in the absence of the governing Skein.
• Prime’s website has this description and order page.
• The Publishers Weekly review says the setting offers “tremendous options for stories” but “This first book, however, hints at the possibilities rather than taking full advantage of them.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
• (Directory Entry)
|
Monitor listings are based on publisher schedules and availability on Amazon (rather than on confirmation of physical publication via purchase, review copies, or sightings in bookstores). Titles are listed only once they are published (with rare exception). We do not list galleys or advance reading copies.
Locus Online will endeavor to list all significant titles from the principal SF/F and mainstream publishers (omitting for the most part YA, horror, media and gaming ties, and self-published books). Publishers are welcome to alert Locus Online of scheduled titles, but such notice does not guarantee listings; and again, galleys and ARCs are discouraged.
* = first edition
+ = first US edition
Date with publisher info is official publication month.
‘Nominal Publication Date’ is the day of publication, typically as indicated by Amazon.com.
If physical copies have been seen or received, that date is given following the book description.
