New Fantasy Books for April 2011
Some of my favorite writers are back with their latest work! Check out the books set to release this month – they are sure to keep you eagerly waiting.
The Company Man
by Robert Jackson Bennett
The year is 1919.
The McNaughton Corporation is the pinnacle of American industry. They built the guns that won the Great War before it even began. They built the airships that tie the world together. And, above all, they built Evesden-a shining metropolis, the best that the world has to offer.
But something is rotten at the heart of the city. Deep underground, a trolley car pulls into a station with eleven dead bodies inside. Four minutes before, the victims were seen boarding at the previous station. Eleven men butchered by hand in the blink of an eye. All are dead. And all are union.
Now, one man, Cyril Hayes, must fix this. There is a dark secret behind the inventions of McNaughton and with a war brewing between the executives and the workers, the truth must be discovered before the whole city burns. Caught between the union and the company, between the police and the victims, Hayes must uncover the mystery before it kills him.
Waking the Witchby Kelley Armstrong
The New York Times bestselling queen of urban fantasy returns to the Otherworld in premium format
Kelley Armstrong is one of paranormal fiction’s most popular writers, for both adult and YA readers. In this, the eleventh installment in her bestselling Otherworld series, twenty-one-year-old Savannah Levine takes center stage for the first time in a fast-paced, razor-sharp mystery.
As the orphaned daughter of a notorious dark witch and a cutthroat sorcerer, Savannah considers herself a full-fledged member of the Otherworld. The once rebellious teen also feels ready to take the reins of her adoptive parents’ detective agency while they’re away-even if she’s given them plenty of reasons not to trust her in the past. But when a case revolving around three murdered women found in an abandoned warehouse catches Savannah up in a web of lust and false identities, she is faced with forces far darker than she’s ever encountered before.
Gods and Monstersby Lyn Benedict
The latest novel in Lyn Benedict’s unique world of “fantastic characters, engrossing magic, and creative mayhem”(Chris Marie Green).
Some bodies don’t stay dead for long.
Sylvie Lightner is no ordinary P.I. She specializes in cases involving the unusual and unbelievable. When she finds the bodies of five women in the Florida Everglades, Sylvie believes them to be the work of a serial killer and passes the buck.
But when the bodies wake and shift shape, killing the police, Sylvie finds herself at the head of a potentially lethal investigation.
The River of Shadowsby Robert V. S. Redick
In the gripping sequel to Robert V. S. Redick’s acclaimed epic fantasy novels The Red Wolf Conspiracy and The Ruling Sea, the crew of the vast, ancient ship Chathrand have reached the shores of the legendary southern empire of Bali Adro. Many have died in the crossing, and the alliance of rebels, led by the tarboy Pazel Pathkendle and the warrior Thasha Isiq, has faced death, betrayal, and darkest magic. But nothing has prepared them for the radically altered face of humanity in the South.
They have little time to recover from the shock, however. For with landfall, the battle between the rebels and centuries-old sorcerer Arunis enters its final phase. At stake is control of the Nilstone, a cursed relic that promises unlimited power to whoever unlocks the secrets of its use—but death to those who fail. And no one is closer to mastering the Stone than Arunis.
Desperate to stop him, Pazel and Thasha must join forces with their enemies, including the depraved Captain Rose and the imperial assassin Sandor Ott. But when a suspicious young crewmember turns his attentions to Thasha, it is the young lovers themselves who are divided—most conveniently for Arunis. As the mage’s triumph draws near, the allies face a terrible choice: to break their oaths and run for safety, or to hunt the world’s most dangerous sorcerer through the strange and deadly dream kingdom known as the River of Shadows, and to face him a last time among the traps and horrors of his lair.
Brimming with high adventure, dark enchantment, and unforgettable characters, The River of Shadows deftly secures Redick’s place in the ranks of epic fantasy’s most original and enthralling storytellers.
The Ambassador’s Missionby Trudi Canavan
Half the Thieves in the city are dead and nothing can account for the randomness and the inventiveness of each death.
Sonea, a Black Magician of Kyralia, knows that she is needed to help hunt down the rogue magician killing the Thieves. But Sonea has problems of her own. Her son is now the assistant to the new Guild Ambassador of Sachaka and will be in deadly danger when he sets foot on their ancient enemy’s soil.
As a Black Magician, however, her every action is watched – and monitored. Any attempt to leave the city will result in her exile, and lose her any chance of helping her friends – or her son.
The Hidden Goddess
by M. K. Hobson
In the vein of Cherie Priest’s Boneshaker, Orson Scott Card’s Tales of Alvin Maker series, and the old penny-dreadfuls comes the brilliant follow-up to M.K. Hobson’s The Native Star, set in an old American West that never was.
The Wild West has always held a powerful place in our imaginations, but rarely do our imaginations have a powerful hold over the Wild West—until M.K. Hobson’s first novel, The Native Star, in which Hobson has transformed the American West into a frontier of both unexplored territory and magic. Now, in the sequel to The Native Star, she’s doing the same for turn-of-the-century New York City.
The witch Emily Edwards has just taken up residence there along with her newly-promoted fiancee, Dreadnought Stanton, so he can introduce her to his family and the magical elite of the nation’s wealthiest city. But not everyone is as pleased with Dreadnought’s choice of bride as he is. Between society’s scorn and repeated threats to her life, Emily now has to decide which is worse: trying to survive mad Russian scientists and a crazed cult, or the upturned noses of New York high society?
Mercy Burnsby Keri Arthur
For readers of Keri Arthur’s New York Times bestselling Riley Jenson Guardian series comes more sexy and exciting paranormal romance—and the second novel in her New York Times bestselling Myth and Magic series!
Keri Arthur has established herself as one of the foremost authors of paranormal fantasies, and her Riley Jenson novels have consistently reached the New York Times bestseller list—as did Fall 2008′s Destiny Kills, the first installment in her Myth and Magic series.
And now she continues her second bestselling series with this riveting new novel. In these books of love, dragons, and clan, Arthur has created a new mythos to explore and enjoy. Mercy Burns follows the half-air dragon Mercy Wilson in her attempt to find her dead friend’s sister—and, hopefully, a love like her brother Trae found with Destiny McCree.
Among Thievesby Douglas Hulick
FIRST IN THE ACTION-PACKED FANTASY TALES OF THE KIN SERIES
Drothe has been a member of the Kin for years, rubbing elbows with thieves and murderers in the employ of a crime lord while smuggling relics on the side. But when an ancient book falls into his hands, Drothe finds himself in possession of a relic capable of bringing down emperors—a relic everyone in the underworld would kill to obtain…
“Among Thieves is an unalloyed pleasure: a fast moving, funny, twisting tale in an evocative setting with great characters. The kind of story that reminds you why you love to read. This book may just give you that feeling you had the first time you read Rothfuss or Abercrombie: Oh hell yeah, there’s new talent in the game. Read this book. No really, read this book.” —New York Times bestselling author Brent Weeks.
Magic on the Huntby Devon Monk
“Devon Monk’s writing is addictive, and the only cure is more, more, more.”-New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent
In the secret lockup of the Authority, the council that decides what can and can’t be done with magic, an undead magic user has possessed one of the prisoners. He wants his freedom-and then some. Now Allie Beckstrom and her lover, Zayvion, are the first line of defense against the chaos he’s about to unleash on the city of Portland…
AN ALL-NEW NOVEL IN THE SERIES THAT’S…”Fiendishly original.”-#1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs
Element Zeroby James Knapp
JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT THE LIVING DEAD WERE BAD…
THE LIVING ATTACK!
Technologically reanimated corpses are frontline soldiers engaged in a neverending war. Agent Nico Wachalowski uncovered a conspiracy that allowed Samuel Fawkes, the scientist who created them, to control them beyond the grave.
And now Fawkes has infected untold thousands with new technology, creating an undetectable army that will obey his every command—a living army that just might represent the future of humanity…
A Magic of Dawnby S. L. Farrell
THE CONCLUSION OF THE EPIC NESSANTICO CYCLE.
Kraljica Allesandra sits on the Sun Throne of a much-diminished Holdings empire, while her son Jan rules the rival Coalition of Firenzcia. The schism between them threatens to tear apart the realm when they need solidarity the most. Facing powerful threats, from the rising influence of the Numetodo sect to the fundamentalist preacher Nico Morel—as well as the army of Tehuantin from across the sea—Allesandra and Jan must each find a pathway to survival for themselves and their people.
“A richly imagined world… A fascinating place, and one that I look forward to visiting again.”—New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin
Retribution Fallsby Chris Wooding
Popular YA author Chris Wooding makes his U.S. adult genre debut with this action-packed, sky pirate adventure!
Retribution Falls is a fast and fun romp with an airship crew that has no business succeeding but somehow always seems to…sort of. When Captain Frey takes on a job, of course it goes terribly wrong, and Frey finds himself being pursued by not only the Coalition Navy but also by Trinica Dracken, a merciless pirate—and his ex-fiancee.
Ultimately, with the help of some fancy flying, fast talking, a surprisingly loyal crew, and a mechanical golem named Bess, the Ketty Jay finds itself immersed in something far deeper than the smuggling it’s used to, leading the airship to the fabled haven known as Retribution Falls, where fortunes can be made…if they aren’t killed first.
Except the Queenby Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder
“Fast-paced and powerful…Lovely, unpredictable and a great deal of fun.” (Patricia A. McKillip)
Sisters Serena and Meteora were once proud members of the high court of the Fairy Queen—until they angered her highness. Separated and banished to the mortal realm of Earth, they must find a way to survive in a strange world in which they have no power. But there is more to their new home than they first suspect—especially a danger that waits to be unleashed upon both the human and faerie worlds…
“A wonderful romp of a book, full of unlikely heroes and heroines, thoroughly nasty villains, and natural magic seen through a kaleidoscope’s eye in vivid, ever-changing detail…A treat for the fantasy lover.”—Patricia A. McKillip
The Shining Cityby Fiona Patton
“Expert world builder” (Midwest Book Review) Fiona Patton concludes The Warriors of Estavia saga.
With the three children of prophecy—the seers Spar and Graize, and the warrior Brax—now grown, and the young God Hisar ready to stake his claim to a place in the pantheon of Anavatan, a time of chaos and change is fast approaching.
For only if sworn enemies Spar and Graize can come together as Hisar’s priests will the God stand any chance of surviving the coming battles with both the hungry spirits seeking to devour him, and the war with the mortal invasion fleet, which is even now sailing for Anavatan.
A Kingdom Besiegedby Raymond E. Feist
The fifth and final Riftwar-the Chaoswar-begins in the New York Times bestselling author’s epic Riftwar Cycle
Raymond E. Feist burst onto the fantasy scene in 1982 with his first novel, Magician, an enthralling tale about an orphan boy named Pug who travels to the mystical Kingdom of the Isles to study wizardry under the Master Magician Kulgan. Magician introduced one of the most enthralling fantasy worlds in the genre and marked the beginning of an enduring, bestselling career. Today, after nearly 30 years and more than two dozen novels, Feist’s Riftwar Cycle is regarded as one of the most beloved, iconic, and enduring sagas in modern fantasy.
The riftwars-including the original Riftwar, the Serpentwar, the Darkwar, and the Demonwar-were epic battles between Good and Evil whose ramifications have echoed through generations. This new entry to the epic, A Kingdom Beseiged, ushers in the most fearsome threat the kingdom has yet facecd-the Chaoswar-a major cataclysm involving a magic apocalypse that will force Pug, now the most powerful magician in all of Midekemia, to question everything he’s ever held true and dear . . . including the loyalty and desires of his beloved son Magnus.
Uncertain Alliesby Mark Del Franco
“Take a walk on the Weird side.”—Rob Thurman, national bestselling author of Blackout
After a night of riots and fires, the Boston neighbohood known as the Weird is in ruins. And when a body is found drained of its essence, ex-Guild investigator Connor Grey is drawn into the case against his will. And he has reason to be wary. Because the case will lead to an explosive secret that threatens to tear apart the city—and the world.
