SF/Fantasy

Twenty years after the events described in "The Prince of Nothing Saga" (The Darkness That Comes Before; The Warrior Prophet; The Thousandfold Thought), the Aspect-Emperor rules a New Empire forged of war and prophecy. Yet new turmoil arises as the Emperor's fitness to rule and his divine descent are called into question by some factions and punished as heresy in others. Bakker's attention to detail and his depiction of a society modeled after those of ancient Asia should attract fans of the trilogy. Complex characters and intricate plotting make this a good choice for most libraries.

As the world waits for the U.S. invasion of Iraq, a massive high-energy wave washes over an area that reaches from Canada to Mexico, destroying all life in its wake. Suddenly, the world must do without its greatest power. A few fringe survivors rise to the occasion as many people succumb to panic in a world seemingly gone mad. The author of the "Axis of Time" trilogy (Weapons of Choice; Designated Targets; Final Impact) brings his sf thriller technique to a mainstream technothriller that should have broad appeal outside the sf crowd. A good addition to most thriller and sf collections.

The award-winning editors of Steampunk and The New Weird tap into another fantasy subgenre with this collection of 19 tales about swashbuckling pirates and the corsair's life by Elizabeth Bear, Naomi Novik, Eric Flint, Kage Baker, Michael Moorcock, and others. From Rhys Hughes's story of a past-his-prime Welsh pirate who lives for his bygone days ("Castor on Troubled Waters") to Paul Batteiger's story featuring Sir Francis Drake ("A Cold Day in Hell"), these stories should satisfy pirate and pirate fantasy fans, and they belong in large libraries.

Ever since a cosmic phenomenon displaced the West Virginia town of Grantville in time and space, the community has worked to craft a 17th-century United States of Europe, introducing modified 20th-century technology as well as ideas of democracy and egalitarianism to a world hardly able to accept them, except for the forward-looking King of Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus, who now heads the USE. As the Thirty Years' War takes its toll on Europe, an assassin, thwarted from his attempt to kill the pope by a handful of Americans, now turns his sights on Mark and Rebecca Stearns, the leaders of the West Virginians. The latest installment in the popular "Ring of Fire" series keeps the action moving and the history honest as ordinary citizens of the 20th century bring their skills and their hopes to a dark time in European history. Working with coauthor DeMarce, a frequent contributor to the Grantville Gazette anthologies, Flint continues to produce entertaining and involving alternate histories in the tradition of Harry Turtledove. Essential for series fans and recommended for most libraries.

When Jayné Heller's uncle dies, an apparent murder victim, she travels to Denver to handle his affairs and plunges into a strange world populated by demon-summoning wizards known as the Invisible College. Just as there are rogue wizards, there are also those who hunt them, and Jayné soon connects with her uncle's handsome assistant Aubrey, a former Jesuit with his own bloody agenda, and Midian, a 200-year-old man laboring under a curse. Hanover's debut blends various aspects of urban fantasy and her unique touches to create a series opener that should appeal to genre fans.

The author of Counting Heads demonstrates his skill with short stories in this collection of ten of his best tales, most published in magazines, including several stories set in his Counting Heads universe. From "The Wedding Album," in which a simulated groom created as an anniversary memento gets ideas of his own regarding a honeymoon he never experienced, to a pair of atmospherically contrasting short short tales, "Listen To Me" and "My Morning Glory," the stories in this volume portray a writer on the rise. A solid addition to larger collections.

Retired swordsman Ringil lives in modest comfort in a small town, earning his keep by telling stories at the inn of his adventuring days until a request from his mother sends him back on the road—to recover a cousin sold into slavery. The world in which Ringil lives is a dark one, with corpse-inhabiting monsters and mythical sorcerers who practice a peculiarly twisted magic. The award-winning author of Altered Carbon and Market Forces brings the same iconoclastic approach to his fantasy debut as he did to his sf technothrillers. Ringil is a lover of men, with dark secrets in his past, yet his weaknesses become his strengths as he descends into the darkness to bring a victim back into the light. Morgan's storytelling talent and his atmospheric, hard-hitting prose make this a strong addition to mature fantasy collections.

As the world winds down into an abyss of chaos, plague, and violence, some parents find protection for their children in the expensive Clothos Academy, a haven for the wealthy's next generation. When two boys hack into the school's computer, however, they discover a hidden agenda at the heart of the school. The author of Thinner Than Thou and The Night Children brews a heady batch of unusual characters and an out-of-the-box experience. For most sf collections.

In sixth-century Londinium, young knight Galaad follows his visions to the castle of King Artor and the search for the Holy Grail. Victorian London houses consulting detective Sandford Blank and his assistant, Roxanne Bonaventure, who hunt for a serial killer whose motive is the location of the grail. In 20th-century London, American teenager Alice Fell is on the run, pursuing strange visions that lead her as well to the sacred cup of the grail. Inevitably, the barriers between time and place deteriorate, bringing a group of seekers together in a cosmic confrontation between good and evil. The author of Here, There & Everywhere and The Voyage of Night Shining White blends high fantasy, Victorian mystery, and urban fantasy into one mesmerizing story that refreshes the Arthurian legend. For most fantasy collections.

Assistant bank manager Steven Taylor and his friend Mark Jenkins unwittingly open a portal into another world. Eldarn is on the brink of disaster as a tyrant's rule disguises the schemes of an evil wizard whose plans threaten Eldarn as well as Earth. When Taylor, Jenkins, and Taylor's girlfriend, Hannah, seek to return to their own world, they realize that they have inherited the doom of both realms and that their actions can decide the fate of their loved ones. First published in the UK in 2005, just after Gordon's death, this series opener combines old-fashioned action-adventure with epic fantasy, creating a world that resonates with echoes of Earth's history yet displays its own unique properties. Villains abound, from soul-draining demons to twisted, soulless men, in a bold first novel that deserves a wide readership from fans of classic as well as cross-over fantasy. Highly recommended for all fantasy collections.

In a world suffering from extreme global warming, three cloned sisters, collectively known as the Caryatids, have the ability to sense patterns and propose solutions, some of which make use of technology not yet fully developed. Their only drawback: a mutual dislike for one another. One of cyberpunk fiction's brightest stars, Hugo Award winner Sterling (The Zenith Angle) captures the urgency of a world in trouble and the siblings who must learn to work together to save it. Rhythmic prose and kinetic storytelling mark this cautionary tale, which belongs in most libraries.

The colonization of the eighth colony of Atlantis has gone well for the British, who have driven the French from its shores and have tightened their rule over the colonists through taxes on goods imported from Europe. Rebellion against King George reaches a crisis, and Victor Radcliffe, leader of the freedom fighters, determines to achieve independence for Atlantis, regardless of the cost. The sequel to Opening Atlantis provides the prolific creator of alternate histories the chance to rewrite the American Revolution, Atlantean style. Turtledove excels in exploring historical what-ifs with confidence in his ability to bring not only his characters but also his ideas to life. A good choice for most sf and speculative fiction collections.

Charlaine Harris returns to Bon Temps, LA, where Sookie Stackhouse (the main character on HBO's True Blood) is on the case of a mystery involving an insurance man and some missing money in "Lucky," the first of a dozen stories featuring contemporary writers of mystery, horror, fantasy, and combinations thereof. Including contributions by Sharon Shinn ("The House of Seven Spirits") and Simon R. Green ("Appetite for Murder"), this follow-up anthology to Powers of Detection is recommend for fantasy and mystery collections where paranormals are popular.

For ages, the tribes of the Vindras raided nearby lands in their dragonships, seeking gems and other plunder to honor their gods. Now, new gods, worshipped by the ogres and other enemies of the Vindras, threaten to overthrow the old gods—and to save their deities and their people from destruction, the champions of the Vindras must discover and reunite the Five Bones of the Vektan Dragons. A young chieftain's son and his gentle best friend, as well as the young Bone Priestess who loves them both, must find a way to become the heroes they were meant to be. Longtime coauthors Weis and Hickman, known for their Dragonlance role-playing game and novels, the "Darksword" series, and the Death Gate cycle, again demonstrate their talent for world building and for creating likable yet flawed heroes. This Norse-flavored series opener should have a large following; expect demand.

The seventh installment of Harrison's Rachel Morgan series (The Outlaw Demon Wails) finds Rachel inching closer to the identity of her vampire boyfriend Kisten's murderer. Rachel has no memory of the events leading up to Kisten's death, and she's terrified of facing what happened. Yet she persists in her search for answers. Meanwhile, a banshee and her family are wreaking havoc on the Hollows, causing further tension between the human and Inderland populations. As usual, however, Rachel, with her dealings with demons, is blamed. While not as action-packed as some of the earlier series novels, this outing introduces a more introspective side of these now-familiar characters, including pixy Jenks, whose beloved wife, Matalina, is nearing the end of her all-too-brief life span. The story arc involving Kisten's murder comes to a satisfying conclusion, but ample twists, turns, and loose ends ensure that this isn't the last we'll see of Rachel Morgan. This likely best seller is highly recommended for all fiction collections.—Nanette Donohue, Champaign P.L., IL

Dante Baptiste leads the popular rock band Inferno. He is also a vampire, one with an enormous amount of strength, much of it untamed because of a mind so tortured that any attempt to bring up frightening childhood memories causes searing pain and seizures. FBI agent Heather Wallace has a special bond with Dante and can often calm him during these difficult moments. Unfortunately, the person who can help him the most has left this plane to fight a battle in Gehenna—Lucien is an Elohim, a fallen angel, as well as Dante's father. For more than 2000 years, the Elohim have waited for a creator to unite them. Lucien, who distrusts all other Elohim, wants to protect the knowledge that Dante was born a creator. Meanwhile, Heather and Dante are being pursued by agents of a secret agency and others who wish to use Dante's prowess in their own mad search for vengeance. Phoenix's sequel to A Rush of Wings is an imaginative, deftly plotted, dark urban fantasy with believable, well-drawn characters. Recommended for all fantasy fiction collections.—Patricia Altner, BiblioInfo.com, Columbia, MD