SF/Fantasy

By Jackie Cassada, Ashville Bumcombe Lib. Syst., NC -- Library Journal, 3/15/2007

Butcher, Jim. White Night: A Novel of the Dresden Files. ROC: NAL. Apr. 2007. c.416p. ISBN 0-451-46140-1 [ISBN 978-0-451-46140-7]. $23.95. FANTASY

When Police Lt. Karrin Murphy calls in hard-boiled P.I. and professional wizard Harry Dresden to investigate an apparent suicide, Dresden recognizes that the deceased is, in fact, a victim of murder—and that the killer is targeting witches. Sensing a vendetta that involves the supernatural underworld of modern-day Chicago, Dresden, along with Murphy, rushes to find the killer, even if the search leads him uncomfortably close to his own family. The latest in Butcher's (Dead Beat) supernatural noir series featuring Dresden delivers a tricky plot complete with against-the-clock pacing, firefights, explosions, and plenty of magic. Longtime series fans as well as newcomers drawn by the SciFi Channel's TV series based on the novels should find this supernatural mystery a real winner. A good choice for most fantasy collections, this has strong crossover potential.

The colonists of the planet Fremont have struggled to survive amid the seismically active world's wild ecology. Now six genetically altered children have been abandoned there. Feared by the colonists, the children must either find a way to live in harmony with the planet or escape from it. Cooper's (coauthor, Building Harlequin's Moon) first solo effort combines the feel of classic sf adventure with strong, character-driven storytelling and lays the foundation for other tales set in her brave new world. Suitable for both adult and YA sf collections. [Library marketing campaign planned.—Ed.]

The Dorsai mercenary Donal Graeme possessed mutant abilities and a thorough grounding in human values. Though also possessing mutant talents, Bleys Ahrens has no such human affinity, and his path is a darker one that might lead to humanity's destruction. This last installment in Dickson's epic "Childe Cycle," unfinished at the time of his death in 2001, is here completed by his former assistant, armed with both Dickson's copious notes and an understanding of his intent. Following the events of Young Bleys and Other and long awaited by Dickson's fans, this satisfying, far-future adventure belongs in most libraries and may elicit demand for additional copies from die-hard fans.

The creatures of myth and legend dwell among humanity, but just out of reach—unless they choose to interact fully with men and women. New Englander Oliver Bascombe is searching among them for his missing fiancée and his sister, hostages to one of these mythical creatures. His companion is a man of ice, and his enemies include an albino giant and a monster with wings. The latest novel by Bram Stoker Award-winning Golden (The Myth Hunters) excels in darkness and mystery, bringing a touch of horror to an urban fantasy that will appeal to fans of Charles de Lint and Tanya Huff. A good choice for fantasy and horror collections.

In 1941, Sam Dance, like many other young American men, joins the army, where he is trained in the tools of military intelligence. Even as his older brother, Keenan, falls during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Sam receives from one of his professors the plans for a device that could transform human nature and permanently end the desire for war. Though he spends most of his spare time trying to build the device, he eventually discovers that its effects are already being felt throughout the world. The author of the celebrated Nanotech Quartet (Queen City Jazz, The Bones of Time, Crescent City Rhapsody, and Light Music) takes a turn at alternate history in a story as timely as today's news and as timeless as the world's hope for an alternative to war. Incorporating parts of her father's actual wartime diaries, Goonan has created a novel belonging in most libraries.

A parallel universe has been discovered, and Titus Quinn's wife and daughter are lost somewhere within it. Determined to get them back, the former star pilot crosses into the universe of the Entire, a culture that resembles an alternate version of China—and discovers that retrieving his family is not as easy as he had thought in a world ruled by an alien race seeking to conquer Quinn's reality. The author of The Seeds of Time imagines a dystopic version of our own world. Reminiscent of the groundbreaking novels of Philip K. Dick, Philip Jose Farmer, and Dan Simmons, her latest volume belongs in most libraries. [Read the first chapter at www.kaykenyon.com.—Ed.]

Able to move about on both land and water, the Sea King's seventh daughter, Princess Ekaterina—called Katya—serves her family as both ambassador and spy. When a mission to the realm of Belarus leads to her meeting with Prince Sasha, seventh son of the king and accounted a fool by all, she suspects that he is something more, but a greedy Jinn seizes Katya and traps her in a castle with his other royal prizes. New York Times best-selling author Lackey's latest addition to this series draws on the folklore and images of Russia and Eastern Europe, telling the tale of two special young people and their common destiny. Fans of Lackey's "Valdemar" series as well as general fantasy enthusiasts should enjoy this classic fairy tale with a pair of proactive, resourceful heroes. A good addition to most fantasy and YA collections.

Magic has returned to the land of Noreela, but the Mages have taken the seed of power for themselves and now raise armies and magical machines to destroy the land. Only a few stand against them, among them a witch, a young man addicted to a substance known as "fledge," and a librarian who is more alive when dreaming than when awake. This sequel to Dusk again demonstrates Bram Stoker Award winner Lebbon's consummate talent for viscerally visual fantasy. Coupled with strong and unusual characters and a plot of epic proportions, it belongs in most libraries' fantasy collections.

When an attack on her last ship leaves her injured and kills many of her shipmates, Lt. Jodenny Scott spends enough time in recovery on Kookaburra to get bored and leaves on the first available ship, the Aral Sea. Once aboard, she realizes that the ship is filled with misfits, criminals, and other outcasts—but her troubles are just beginning. Former U.S. Navy officer McDonald brings her military expertise to bear in her sf debut, depicting the adventures of a strong-minded and honorable female member of an interstellar navy. With a built-in appeal to fans of military sf and dynasty sagas such as the Honor Harrington series, this sf military adventure belongs in most sf collections. [Library marketing campaign planned.—Ed.]

Since the departure of Grandmagister Edgewick Lamplighter, his successor, the diminutive dweller Grandmagister Juhg, has tried to promote the idea of schools throughout the civilized world. But his plans change abruptly with the sudden appearance of the wizard Craugh, which sends him on a quest for three books written by Lamplighter. Together, these books may hold the key to the destruction of a weapon with the power to destroy the world. Odom's latest novel, set in the world of the award-winning The Rover, combines a triptych of mini-adventures into a larger story of faith in the power of knowledge to overcome ignorance. Juhg is a resourceful, appealing hero, sustained by his love of books and learning. The author's tribute to libraries and librarians belongs in most fantasy collections.

In the not-so-distant future, the rich and powerful are able to build homes at the top of a space elevator, in the Earth's "uplands." When young Gradisil's grandfather falls prey to a sociopathic killer while in his upland home, the girl is left with a legacy of vengeance. Even more troubling, the U.S. government has become envious of the rich, privileged upland "nations." The author of Polstom and The Snow has drawn a picture of a possible future for at least a segment of Earth's population that is both chillingly possible and dryly tongue-in-cheek. Fans of sf sagas will appreciate the attention to detail and engaging characters. Suitable for most sf collections.

The world changed in 2015, when the Quantum Bomb tore a hole in the fabric of reality and opened doors to other dimensions, including Alfheim, or Elfland. When undercover agent Lila Black, part human and part combat machine, is hired as a bodyguard for an elven rock star, she gets caught up in an elaborate game that affects not only relations between Otopia (the Earth) and Alfheim, but the other quantum realms as well. The author of Silver Screen skillfully builds a seamless connection between sf and fantasy in this fast-paced series opener featuring a strong, action-oriented heroine and a unique world setting. With appeal to fans of contemporary culture and mature YAs, her latest effort belongs in most libraries.

Psychologist Sarah Lynch's comfortable existence is shattered when a teenage patient commits suicide. When she turns up proof that the teen was involved in Satanism, Sarah attempts to understand his motivation for killing himself by trying, as he apparently did, to conjure the devil. To her surprise, she succeeds and before long finds herself in a losing battle for her soul. The New York Times best-selling author of Tom Clancy's Op Center crafts a tense psychological thriller that builds suspense slowly and surely, exploring the seduction of evil and the struggle to overcome it. Fans of horror with religious underpinnings should enjoy the theological edge to this tale of souls in peril. For most horror and dark fantasy collections.

In 2288, the European starship EASS Galileo sets out on a mission to explore a recently discovered, unidentified—and possibly alien—object known only by the name Spindrift. The Galileo disappears with no explanation. More than 50 years later, the starship's shuttle, the Maria Celeste, returns to Earth with a new stardrive. Its crew consists of the three Galileo survivors, who come bearing a tale that Earth needs to hear but that may never be told. The author of the Coyote Trilogy (Coyote, Coyote Rising, Coyote Frontier) continues his saga of far-future space colonization with an sf adventure set in the same universe and featuring a cast of richly developed characters. A strong addition to most sf collections.

In Armstrong's (Bitten, Dime Store Magic) seventh installment in her series, narrator/heroine Jamie Vegas, a 43-year-old necromancer, is drawn into trying to help the trapped children's spirits she encounters while on a shoot for a new TV show. She is joined in her adventure by several characters from other Armstrong books, including love interest Jeremy, who is the alpha of the werewolf pack introduced in Bitten. Jamie's mature age adds complexity and depth to Armstrong's characterizations, and Jamie's relationship with Jeremy and her growing realization of her own changing goals in life are nicely developed. Although the book does contain some strong language and explicit sexual encounters as well as some dark, horrific scenes that could upset some readers, the nonstop action will keep readers enthralled to the last page. Sure to be equally as popular to Armstrong's many fans as her prior novels, this is a recommended purchase for public libraries.—Crystal Renfro, Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib. & Information Ctr., Atlanta

Leodan Akaran wants only to be a devoted father and political reformer, but his Acacian empire is based on forced labor, drugged pacification, and a dark deal that trades children into slavery. His chance for reform ends abruptly when the Meins, a fierce people subjugated by the Acacians, revolt through assassination, warfare, and biological terror. The four Akaran children scatter to their respective hiding places—and destinies—around the empire. Historical fiction writer Durham (Pride of Carthage) successfully turns to epic fantasy in a series opener that combines the moral ambiguity and brutality of George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire with Guy Gavriel Kay's emotional sweep and Ursula K. Le Guin's ethnic diversity. There are a few false notes as the book moves to its climax (e.g., monstrous beasts stopped through mass battlefield nudity!), but readers will be excited to learn whether the children retake and reform Acacia or are sacrificed to bring the Meinish ancestors back to bloody life. Recommended for all libraries that collect fantasy fiction. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/1/07.]—Neil Hollands, Williamsburg Regional Lib., VA