SF/Fantasy

From an unexpected encounter with a small, heretofore undiscovered South American tribe of self-proclaimed immortals ("To the Land Beyond the Sunset") to the search for a rare and ancient scroll in the possession of a member of the notorious 18th-century Hellfire Club ("Hellfire at Twilight"), the eight tales in this collection follow the varied careers of the immortal cyborgs who travel through time at the behest of Dr. Zeus and his organization known simply as The Company. From the Netherlands, home of Dutch master Jan Vermeer, to the Barbary Coast in the 1850s, the short adventures of Mendoza, Lewis, Van Drouten, and other members of the Company are collected for the first time in a volume that should appeal to the stalwart fans of Baker and The Company.

In the world of Ephemera, the Eater of the World is slowly destroying its many landscapes. The only person who has the power to stop the Eater, Glorianna Belladonna is called a rogue and is feared by those who do not understand her power over the land. A mystical call goes out, however, and reaches a man called Michael, who arrives driven to find the mysterious woman at the heart of his dreams. Set against a unique fantasy background and filled with intriguing characters, this sequel to Sebastian is another tale of enchanted worlds that belongs in most libraries.

As the independent Duchy of Quitaine prepares to defend itself from an attack by the King of Lys, a secret member of the Order of the Serpent, two young people—Averil, heir to Quitaine and a member of the Ladies of the Isles, and Gereint, a novice of the Knights of the Rose—both wielders of magic, hold within themselves the power to maintain the bindings placed on the Serpent by the Young God they serve. Bryan's debut medieval fantasy reinvents England's Wars of the Roses as a battle between the forces of Order and Chaos. At the core of this series opener lies a tale of two young mages whose personal lives become part of the tides of destiny. Recommended for most fantasy collections.

As the world grows colder, the evil forces known as the Instrumentalities of the Night continue to make their presence known in a world growing increasingly split by religion. Piper Hecht, once known as Else Tage, has been sent by the Kingdom of Dreanger to spy upon the Patriarch of the West but now finds himself caught up in the Church's internal struggles as well as its ties with the Grail Empire. The author of the "Black Company" series demonstrates his familiarity with the intricacies of politics and religious controversies as well as his knowledge of military tactics in this richly detailed socio-military saga of men and women caught up in causes greater than themselves. This sequel to The Tyranny of the Night belongs in most fantasy collections.

From a quietly horrific story of a man who cannot accept his wife's untimely death ("Stand By") to a post-apocalyptic encounter between a traveling carnival and the last vampire ("The Last Vampire"), the dozen stories in this collection illustrate the author's knack for finding the strange places between reality and dark fantasy and bringing them to light. The volume's price may limit its purchase, but libraries maintaining a collection of short fantasy and horror fiction will find this a useful addition.

Young swordsman Alfeo Zeno spends his time serving as both protector of and apprentice to Maestro Nostradamus, the famed alchemist, seer, and physician. When his master runs afoul of Venice's ruling Council of Ten, however, Zeno's task becomes more complicated—to clear Nostradamus's name of the charge of murder. Duncan's (Paragon Lost) latest novel launches a new series set in an alternate Venice and filled with the author's customary touches of humor, light satire, and fast-paced action. The author of the "King's Blade" series shows his mastery of both storytelling and character building in a tale that belongs in most libraries.

The magician Pug and his Conclave of Shadows has beaten back the threat of civil war stemming from the terrorist actions of the Nighthawks, but another, darker threat arises that stems not from the world of Midkemia but from another realm, home of the murderous Dasati warriors. To save his world, Pug, his son Magnus, and two other companions must find a way to enter the world of the Dasati, an action that might mean their deaths. The author of Magician, Flight of the Nighthawks, and numerous other novels set in the world of Midkemia now introduces a new dimension to his universe and added new depth to recurring characters while creating fascinating new heroes and villains. With a fast pace and clean, crisp storytelling, this fantasy saga belongs in most libraries.

Having graduated from Solfleet's top medical school, Magda finds herself on a world devoid of technology but filled with magic, and here, she is a witch. When Arc priest Sebastian, member of a cult that worships the world's space-traveling founders, brings news of a vessel that has crashed on a distant island, Magda believes he has seen a spaceship from Earth and determines to find it. Accompanied by three fellow witches, Magda, Sebastian, and a sergeant of the Castle Guard encounter both awe and hatred for those who wield the power of the world. This sequel to Witch Honour continues the exploits of Magda, Sylvia, Leenan, and Tephee as they strive to come to terms with how best to use the power they possess. Harris presents strong female characters and a gracefully told story suitable for larger fantasy collections.

Ned Marriner joins his father, the famous photographer Edward Marriner, for an extended stay in Provence, an area of France steeped in both Celtic and Roman history. Then, a visit to Saint-Sauveur Cathedral in the town of Aix brings Ned together with Kate Wenger, an American exchange student, and a man who appears to be much, much older than one would think—and both Ned and Kate become caught up in another time where the reenactment of an old story draws the two young people into a cycle of myths and legends in which truth, love, courage, and sacrifice are the only things that matter. An explorer of history and myths, Kay (The Last Light of the Sun) has a special affinity for the people behind the larger-than-life legends that persist through time. His latest fantasy blends time and place in a crossing of worlds and universal truths. Highly recommended.

Captured and taken as a slave to the desert city of Percheron, Lazar fought his way to freedom and to a powerful position as the Spur of Percheron, a protector of the city and a favorite of the Zar Joreb. But the Zar's death finds Lazar at odds with the ambitious mother of the new 15-year-old Zar Boaz. In addition, he is drawn to one of Boaz's harem girls, the spirited Ana, whose desire for freedom drives Lazar to risk everything for her happiness. The author of the "Quickening Trilogy" (Myrren's Gift; Blood and Memory; Bridge of Souls) begins a new saga with a tale of romance and sacrifice, mystery and magic that is redolent with lavish detail. Intriguing characters and an exotic setting make this series opener a good choice for most adult fantasy collections.

When Prince Martris Drayke's older brother, Jared, decides to preempt his inheritance by murdering their father and seizing the throne, Martris and a few companions flee to a place of safety where they hope to restore justice to the kingdom. Despite his efforts, he finds few among the living who are willing to stand beside him, so he turns to another group he trusts to aid him: the spirits of the dead. Martin's first novel, a series opener, presents a beleaguered hero with a unique gift of communicating with the dead. One of the key launch novels for the Solaris imprint of BL Publishing, this fantasy adventure belongs in most libraries.

When the FBI fails to locate her two missing children after kidnappers attempted to burn her alive, real estate agent Lily Blake seeks help from PI John Shooks, who guarantees that a Sioux shaman he knows can find her children. Armed with only her desperation, Lily meets George Iron Walker and the blind shaman, Hazawin, who agree to help her in return for a piece of land sacred to the Sioux but scheduled for upscale development. Lily agrees to their bargain, not suspecting the high price she will have to pay when an ancient cannibal spirit is sent on the kidnappers' trail. Masterton's edge-of-the-seat storytelling and sympathetic characters make for a compelling read, though his body count is high and his gore quotient, though mostly described after the fact, may put off more sensitive readers. Libraries should purchase where the author has a following.

For most of his young life, Fenzig the gnome has made his way by stealing. When a risky foray into the king's palace ends in his capture, Fenzig believes his young life has come to an end. Then the king surprises him with a proposition—and Fenzig leaves the palace on a mission, this time to steal for the king. The author of "The Finest" trilogy (The Finest Creation; The Finest Challenge; The Finest Choice) has created a winningly ingenuous character in Fenzig, a gnome who never gives up even as he prepares for the worst. Suitable for both adult and YA lovers of classic fantasy, this tale of youthful determination and an indomitable spirit belongs in most fantasy collections.

Princess Natharie of Sindhu, given as tribute to the emperor of Hastinapura, finds herself at odds with the ambitious and ruthless imperial priests and the emperor's ambitions. She finds an ally in Prince Samudra, the emperor's younger brother, but it may not be enough to protect her or her homeland. Zettel concludes her romantic fantasy series with this fourth installment, as politics, magic, religion, and romance blend against a background reminiscent of mythical China, India, and Russia. Along with other series titles (A Sorcerer's Treason; The Usurper's Crown; The Firebird's Vengeance), this work belongs in fantasy collections.

Doctorow (Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom; cofounder, boingboing.net) brings a sense of the offbeat and absurd to sf, notably in this collection of six stories that look at our near future and how technology is shaping our society. "I, Robot" and "I Row-Boat" each explore artificial intelligence and scrutinize the practicalities of Isaac Asimov's three rules of robotics. "When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth," a fresh take on the end-of-the-world story, is both funny and touching. "After the Siege" is much grimmer, despite merely being about one small war. Like the other stories in the collection, "Printcrime" and "Anda's Game" delve into the way technology is controlled by governments and business and in turn used to control people. All the stories have been previously published in magazines, in anthologies, or on web sites. Doctorow adds head notes for each work, detailing how it came to be—a nice peek into the writing process. A thought-provoking and fun collection; recommended for all public libraries.—Devon Thomas, DevIndexing, Chelsea, MI

This sequel to Vellum, Scottish author Duncan's debut fantasy novel, is so multilayered that it can in some sense stand on its own. Guy Reynard Carter, the first-person narrator in various incarnations at various points, sums up the author's meta-realistic approach like this: "The same story can be—and is—told in different ways by different writers, each one taking their own path, branching the story out from one dimension to two." The Evenfall disaster of 2017 is again a touch point, but Ink is more fantasy and less science fiction than Vellum was, and it also has a more hopeful strain. Duncan's series is reminiscent of Kevin Smith's film Dogma in its alternative culture representations of gods and angels. It is also a successor to Samuel Delany's infamous Dhalgren (1974) in its blend of literary styles and apocalyptic and sexual—especially gay—themes. Suitable for larger public and academic library fantasy collections.—Sara Tompson, Univ. of Southern California Lib., Los Angeles

Sf anthologies generally trace their roots back to the classic Amazing Stories magazine series, which began in 1926. Having edited a number of sf collections, Anders understands this historical context; his introduction to his fifth anthology is an invitation to the young acolyte reader as well as the grizzled veteran to sit back and enjoy the "amazing" enlightenment possible in reading sf shorts. The names on the list of contributing authors read much like an All-Star roster of current American and British sf writers. From stories by Tony Ballantyne with plots centered on software and Hume to the problems associated with raising genetically cloned saber-toothed cats in Mary Turzillo's story "Pride," the writers tackle moral, ethical, and philosophical issues. Anders is your guide, and the limits of your imagination determine the level of enjoyment and amount of wisdom to be garnered from this anthology. Recommended for both public and school libraries.—David Wang, Queens Coll., GSLIS student