SF/Fantasy

The peaceful, primitive Yendri tribe is no match for the Riders who conquered and enslaved them. Only Gard, a half-demon foundling, bears enough anger to fight back but finds himself cast out of the tribe. Captured by mages who rule an underground realm, Gard secretly learns their magic to try to escape and redeem himself in the eyes of his people. Returning to the fantasy world of The Anvil of the World, the author of the popular series about the Company (e.g., The Sons of Heaven) demonstrates her gift for epic storytelling on a compact scale, grand in scope yet touched with small moments of wry humor. Gard's journey from monster to man encompasses every person's struggle to be human and to reconcile the light and dark within himself. Highly recommended for most libraries.

Exiled from her people, the Om'ray, for her use of her forbidden talent, the ability to manipulate the mysterious force known as the M'hir, Aryl Sarc leads a small band of followers, including a human ambassador from the Trade Pact worlds, to find temporary safety with the Grona Clan. But realizing they cannot stay, the group sets out for a new home and discovers the mysterious ruined village of Sona that may not be abandoned after all. The author of "The Trade Pact Universe" series (A Thousand Words for Stranger; Ties of Power; To Trade the Stars) continues her linked "Stratification" series (Reap the Wild Wind) with a tale of persistence in exile. Aryl and her companions make up a courageous and varied band of heroes, each with his or her own strengths and weaknesses. Libraries possessing other series titles as well as those where the author has a following should add this to their sf collections.

Fallion Orden, the son of the hero Gabon, discovered a way to unite two alternate realities into one world. Now he is imprisoned in the world of his creating, tortured by a creature calling itself Lord Despair, who is raising an army of wyrmlings for a war of conquest. Fallion's allies face the daunting task of freeing him before he is broken and forced into the service of the forces of evil. Farland's latest installment in his popular Runelords series continues where Worldbinder left off, following the fate of Fallion and his allies as they seek an end to the evils that terrorize their world. Strong storytelling and vital characters as well as an ingenious system of magic make this a good addition to most fantasy collections.

The fugitive Hart family possesses frightening secrets about the Roswell incident that have long been hidden from the public. By attempting to bring this information to light, they fall prey to a secret organization, the MAJIK-12, that is willing to do anything—including assassination—to stop the Harts. In addition, the Grigori, a cadre of five fallen angels, minions of Lucifer, have targeted the youngest member of the Hart family, the child known as Hope, for their special attention. This fast-moving sequel to The Archangels of Dreamland takes up where its predecessor leaves off and is meant to be read as one seamless work. Libraries owning the first title should purchase this supernatural thriller.

Paul Muad'Dib and his army of Fremen desert warriors have succeeded in their overthrow of the Emperor Shaddam IV, but holding onto a universe of fractious planets proves a challenge even for a man revered by his followers as a god. Set in the years following the late Frank Herbert's classic Dune and its sequel, Dune Messiah, the latest joint effort by Herbert's son Brian and noted sf author Anderson fills in the missing years of empire building and looks into the formative years of Paul's childhood as well as the histories of those closest to him. Drawing on Frank Herbert's massive body of notes, the coauthors of the new Dune series (Dune: The Battle of Corrin; The Road to Dune; Hunters of Dune) continue their expansion and illumination of the unexplored pieces of one of the genre's most significant and powerful stories. A priority purchase for libraries of all sizes. Highly recommended.

Psychologist Kismet Knight has a most unusual clientele; she counsels vampires, a specialty that began with her discovery of Denver's supernatural underworld and her relationship with the powerful vampire lord Devereux. Agreeing to a radio interview in which she answers questions from callers interested in the so-called vampire subculture, she receives a sinister, threatening call from a stranger claiming to be an ancient vampire. Romance and vampire lore fill this supernatural romance by the author of The Vampire Shrink. Kismet is a heroine of many talents, not the least of which are her determination and her wry humor. A good choice for the ever-demanding aficionados of vampire fiction. For both romance and fantasy collections.

Earth lies uninhabited. The planets Haze and Haven are its legacy. On Haven, humans live underground, restricted in their movements, activities, and thoughts. On Haze, the ruling Lords of the AngWat seize children from their families and destroy entire villages to keep down the population. When a group of miners from Haven discover the remains of an orbital escape pod containing knowledge that contradicts everything they have known, they become fugitives, marked for death and drawn to a rendezvous with rebels from Haze determined to find another way of life. The author of Reckless Sleep and Dark Heavens provides another dystopian vision, this time of places beyond Earth. Three separate threads merge into one tapestry of deceit and misaligned hopes in a tale of survival and struggle that belongs in larger libraries.

Nessy the kobold works incessantly for Margle the Horrendous, a formidable wizard known for transforming his enemies into cursed objects that adorn the rooms of his castle. When Margle's sudden death fails to free his victims, it falls to Nessy to find a way to release them, a way that, unfortunately, seems to lead to the forbidden Door at the End of the Hall. With the same offbeat humor he brought to Gil's All Fright Diner and The Automatic Detective, Martinez again succeeds in searching out the strange and delightfully humorous aspects of classic fantasy, twisting it in unusual and gratifying ways. Most libraries should consider this gem of comic fantasy for their collections.

A prophecy and a dream about a lost city made of jade draw Aravan, the captain of the Elvenship Eroean, and his life mate, the Magekind Seer Aylis, along with a crew of trusted friends, into a perilous journey in search of the mystical place. Behind the scenes, the Necromancer Nunde, follower of a slain god and a sworn enemy of Aravan, plots the death of the elven captain and all those he holds dear. Set in time between the end of Silver Wolf, Black Falcon, and the beginning of Red Slippers: More Tales of Mithgar, the latest addition to the series brings back familiar characters and further develops an old enmity. McKiernan's talent for charming characters and exciting adventures of derring-do make this a good addition to most fantasy collections and an essential purchase for libraries possessing the other series titles.

The small seaside town of Sealey Head is home to a few families, an inn, and Aislinn House, an old mansion with a special power—its doors sometimes open onto the world of faerie, where princesses like young Ysabo occupy their time with a complex ritual and knights exist to marry the princesses. Each day at sunset, a bell sounds, heard by everyone, yet its whereabouts and the identity of its ringer remain unknown—until a few strangers arrive to unlock an ancient past. McKillip (Song for the Basilisk; Solstice Wood) weaves elegant modern fairy tales from simple themes, drawing the mythical and everyday worlds into an enchanted union. Elegant, deceptively spare prose and well-developed characters make this a good choice for adult and YA fantasy collections.

Lawyer Margrit Knight is one of the few humans aware of New York City's otherworldy denizens; known as the Negotiator among the Old Races who dwell behind the scenes, she calls upon her allies, a fallen dragon and her vampire employer, when her gargoyle lover is kidnapped and placed on trial by his "peers." While wrapping up many loose ends, the concluding volume of Murphy's Negotiator trilogy (Heart of Stone; House of Cards) leaves open the possibility of future explorations into an urban fantasy that brings some unusual creatures, such as gargoyles, djinn, and selkies, into the modern world. Margrit is a gutsy, resourceful heroine who can walk a fine line between the paranormal and the real world. A good choice for most libraries, with particular appeal to fans of Charles de Lint and Jim Butcher.

Jhared Denaban, a young soldier of the land of Avelos, lives under the Avelune Curse because he descended from a tribe that betrayed their land and earned themselves the label of Shorn. As Jhared labors under the strict laws forbidding the Shorn to hold public office or enter the priesthood, he discovers that Avelos faces not only enemies from without but also rivalries and deceit from within, and he suspects that the stories of his ancestors' shame may not be totally accurate. Niec's debut novel, the first of a planned four-book series, creates a fascinating world of rival clans and sacred rituals, tainted by a dark, shameful past and subject to predation from its enemies. This is also a coming-of-age story and belongs in most fantasy collections.

In a near future overshadowed by an escalating threat between North Korea and Japan, Tokyo Police Inspector Suzuki Haruto uncovers evidence of an arms deal between Japan and Israel—a group of Japanese military robots in return for Israeli nuclear weapons and the knowledge behind their testing. Haruto is a humanized robot who must follow his rigid internal code of behavior while at the same time preventing an international disaster and falling in love. Deliberately drawing on the title of the late Isaac Asimov's classic work of robot-centered literature (I, Robot), Smith brings robots into the 21st century, incorporating today's technology while retaining the spirit of Asimov's seminal world. As both homage and a sf adventure, this title belongs in most libraries.

Giants walk the face of the Earth and Nephilim, the progeny of a fallen angel and a human, feed on the blood of humans. From their great city of Etlantis, they aim to rule the world, yet they also war with the Watchers, angels of Light who seek to prevent the world from falling into darkness. Drawn into this war, a human sea captain plays a desperate game to save his son, beginning a conflict that will forever change the planet. This new series launch by the author of Tolteca depicts a struggle between the sons of angels and the men and women who would be known as Angelslayers. Wright's inventiveness in bringing to life legends of an earlier apocalypse results in a first-rate fantasy that belongs in most libraries.

With an introduction by the much honored Straub (Ghost Story), this collection can be dubbed New Wave horror, considering that most of its 24 stories were published fairly recently and it includes contributions by celebrity horror writers. The tales mostly eschew buckets of blood, instead employing mood and suggestion in the manner of Edgar Allan Poe. "Little Red's Tango," Straub's lengthy quasigospel of a record-collecting obsessive, complete with beatitudes and a seductive demon, ably represents the editor's definition of New Wave horror. All the stories honor Poe, like the moody, contagious delusions of Stephen King's "The Ballad of the Flexible Bullet." The genre can be literary, as exemplified by Tia V. Travis's vengeful "The Kiss," Thomas Tessier's surprising "In Praise of Folly," and, probably the most demonstrably Poe-like, Ramsey Campbell's "The Voice of the Beach," featuring a neurasthenic narrator, suffocating suggestibility, and nearly palpable imagery. Brian Evenson's creepy "Body" and Dan Chaon's touching "The Bees" culminate in the horror of bad deeds catching up. The other stories included are without exception excellent. Recommended for all libraries.—Jonathan Pearce, California State Univ.-Stanislaus, Stockton