Bernobich, Beth. Passion Play. Tor. Oct. 2010. c.368p. ISBN 9780765322173. $24.99. FANTASY
Fleeing an arranged marriage to a cruel older man, merchant's daughter Ilse Zhalina joins a caravan in the hopes of forging her own future. Instead, she finds herself on the run from ruthless mercenaries, able to find refuge only in a house of pleasure, where a powerful man teaches her to unlock her own magic and to use her skills of observation and resourcefulness to carve out her own place of power. Bernobich's first novel brings to life a Renaissance-era world of arcane politics and romantic intrigue with a heroine whose determination underlies her complex character. VERDICT Reminiscent of Maria V. Snyder's "Study" and "Glass" series, this romantic fantasy should appeal to fans of the genre and is a good selection for most libraries.

Brennan, Marie. A Star Shall Fall. Tor. Sept. 2010. c.496p. ISBN 9780765325365. pap. $15.99. FANTASY
As the scientists of London look forward to the recurrence of Halley's Comet in 1759, two years from the present, the fae of the Onyx Court, hidden underground, dread the return of the great dragon they banished to the comet to end the Great Fire of London in 1666. Only a few farsighted individuals, both mortal and fae, realize that the mutually exclusive worlds of science and magic will need to join forces to defeat this supernatural foe capable of destroying one of the world's greatest cities. Setting this book in the same alternate universe she created in Midnight Never Come and In Ashes Lie, Brennan uses her expertise in folklore to great advantage as she skillfully blends the world of faerie with the London of Samuel Johnson and the scientific giants of the era. VERDICT Splendidly mixing historical and fictional characters while carefully depicting the spirit of an age, Brennan's latest novel should delight fans of historical fantasy.

Cavanaugh, Alex J. CassaStar. Dancing Lemur. Oct. 2010. c.246p. ISBN 9780981621067. pap. $15.95. SF
Marked as a hothead and a troublemaker, Cosbolt fighter pilot in training Byron catches the eye of the planet Cassa's most experienced teacher, Senior Officer Bassa. He decides to test the young pilot's skills to the limit—and discovers Byron's unique and powerful mental abilities in the process. With a war in space rapidly developing, Cassa needs its strongest pilots and navigators to undertake vital and extremely dangerous missions against the enemy. Cavanaugh's first novel calls to mind the youthful focus of Robert Heinlein's early military sf, as well as the excitement of space opera epitomized by the many Star Wars novels. VERDICT Fast-paced military action and a youthful protagonist make this a good choice for both young adult and adult fans of space wars.

Donaldson, Stephen R. Against All Things Ending. Putnam. (Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Bk. 3). Oct. 2010. c.624p. ISBN 9780399156786. $29.95. FANTASY
Thomas Covenant has returned from the dead, raised to his own body by the love of Dr. Linden Avery through the use of the Staff of Law, the white gold ring, and an ancient dagger known as High Lord Loric's krill. But in the Land where he was once healthy and whole, Covenant suffers a reoccurrence of his earthly disease, leprosy. In addition, his return has freed the Worm of the World's End, threatening both the Land and the Earth with destruction. The penultimate novel in Donaldson's final series involving this character opens the Land to a new level of danger and intrigue as Avery, now the Chosen, must struggle to save her adopted son while coping with the consequences of her questionable action in bringing Covenant back to life. VERDICT Donaldson's fan base will enjoy the further adventures of these familiar characters; expect demand.

Dowling, Terry. Clowns at Midnight. PS Pub. (Tales of Appropriate Fear, Bk. 2). Oct. 2010. c.260p. ISBN 9781848630857. $40. HORROR
Attempting to overcome his lifelong fear of clowns and anything reminiscent of them, 41-year-old writer and lyricist David Leeton takes a house-sitting job in a rural part of New South Wales, Australia. Regaled by his neighbors, a varied, stimulating group of individuals that include a family of Sardinian émigrés called the Risis and the bewitching Gemma Ewins, David hopes to come to terms with his dread and learn to live a normal life—until strange happenings reawaken his trepidations and throw him into a madhouse of terror. Dowling's second installment in this series (after Basic Black) explores a popular phobia and dissects its underpinnings in mythology and religion. VERDICT The author of Wormwood and Blackwater Days delivers another tale of psychological terror that should appeal to his fans as well as to general audiences of horror literature.

Drake, David. What Distant Deeps. Baen, dist. by S. & S. (Lt. Leary, Bk. 8). Sept. 2010. c.384p. ISBN 9781439133668. $25. SF
After the declaration of peace between Cinnebar and its rival, the Alliance of Free Stars, Capt. Daniel Leary of the Republic of Cinnebar's Navy and his friend, the spy Adele Mundy, accept an assignment to the fringe planet Zenobia, an easy mission that should afford them a period of respite from their previous wartime efforts. Instead of a vacation, however, Leary and Mundy encounter a multipronged threat to the peace of both systems: space pirates in state-of-the-art vessels and factions that would undermine the fragile peace. The latest addition to Drake's popular series (With the Lightnings; The Far Side of the Stars) features a pair of appealing heroes, fast-paced military action, and first-rate storytelling. VERDICT A rousing tale of space battles and personal courage, this sf adventure should appeal to fans of David Weber's "Honor Harrington" novels, as well as those who enjoy the works of John Ringo and Eric Flint.

Gross, Dave. Prince of Wolves. Paizo. (Pathfinder Tales). Sept. 2010. c.262p. ISBN 9781601252876. pap. $9.99. FANTASY
Varian Jeggare, a half-elf, and his devil-blooded companion, Radovan, are on a quest to locate a missing Pathfinder and arrive at the dangerous mountains of Ustalav. Surrounded on all sides by intrigue, warring nobles, and savage monsters, the pair gains the assistance of a group of werewolves and a strange priestess as they confront an evil born of darkness. Based on the Pathfinder role-playing game, the latest novel by the author of Black Wolf and Lord of Stormweather delivers a bold display of swordplay and sorcery, with believable characters, quippy dialog, and a colorful setting. VERDICT Fans of fantasy role-playing games in general and the Pathfinder lines in particular should enjoy this seamless blend of humor and adventure.

Hodder, Mark. The Strange Affair of Spring-Heeled Jack. Pyr: Prometheus. (Burton & Swinburne). Sept. 2010. c.378p. ISBN 9781616142407. pap. $16. FANTASY
London in the middle of the 19th century suffers from a plague of dog-faced men, thought by some to be werewolves; in addition, a strange apparition bearing a resemblance to the horrific mythical creature known as Spring-Heeled Jack rampages through the city, savagely attacking young women. Lord Palmerston commissions the famous adventurer Sir Richard Burton as a special agent to investigate these occurrences, and Burton acquires the assistance of the notoriously decadent poet and libertine Algernon Charles Swinburne. Together, the mismatched pair traverses the streets of a city filled with mechanical splendors, genetically engineered animals, and unspeakable squalor. Their investigations lead them to the suspicion that they are living in a nonexistent time. VERDICT Hodder's first novel delivers an exquisitely fleshed-out blend of steam-punk and gothic horror that should have broad appeal.

Lang, Michele. Lady Lazarus. Tor. Sept. 2010. c.320p. ISBN 9780765323170. pap. $14.99. FANTASY
In 1939, Hitler stands poised on the brink of plunging Europe into war. Magda Lazarus, a member of Budapest's vulnerable Jewish population, realizes that as a descendant of the legendary Witch of Ein Dor she possesses the ability of "the Lazarus," a being able to transcend death and summon to her assistance the angel Raziel. With this power, she can save many lives from a terrible evil, but to do so she must risk everything she holds dear. Inspired by her parents' wartime experiences, the author of Netherwood launches a historically based urban fantasy series featuring a remarkable and unusual heroine. VERDICT A skillful blend of fantasy adventure and period fantasy, this elegant story belongs in most fantasy collections and should appeal to fans of Jim Butcher's "The Dresden Files" series and Kat Richardson's "Greywalker" books.

Lowe, Helen. The Heir of Night. Eos: HarperCollins. (Wall of Night, Bk. 1). Sept. 2010. c.496p. ISBN 9780061734045. pap. $7.99. FANTASY
On the world of Haarth, the space-traveling Derai have made their stand, building the Wall of Night to hold back the Darkswarm that has pursued them across worlds. Malian, the youthful heir to the House of Knight, knows her responsibility to hold the defenses of the wall, yet her ability to call forth the long-lost power of the Golden Fire has marked her as a user of magic and therefore unable to bear the position of heir. Together with a banished priest, a friend from her youth, Malian must leave her household and journey beyond her mountain homeland to find the lost artifacts that will help her prevail one day against the Derai's enemies. VERDICT Lowe's first novel, a series opener, calls to mind the inchoate evil of Barbara Hambly's classic "Darwath Trilogy" (The Time of the Dark; The Walls of Air; The Armies of Daylight) and reinvigorates the epic fantasy with appealing characters and a richly detailed world.

Pevel, Pierre. The Cardinal's Blades. Pyr: Prometheus. Oct. 2010. c.312p. tr. from French by Tom Clegg. ISBN 9781616142452. pap. $16. FANTASY
Recalled from exile and disgrace by Cardinal Richelieu himself to reform the elite group of mounted swordsmen known as the Cardinal's Blades, Capt. Etienne-Louis de La Fargue embarks on a mission of great delicacy that could affect the tentative relations between France and its greatest enemy and rival, Spain. All is not as it seems, however, in a 17th-century Europe in which shadowy dragons vie for power behind the scenes, cardinals keep dragonets for pets, and enemies one day may be friends the next. VERDICT The English-language debut by one of France's leading fantasy authors calls to mind the swashbuckling adventures of Alexandre Dumas's The Three Musketeers, as well as the Napoleonic alternative fantasy "Temeraire" novels by Naomi Novik, and it belongs in fantasy collections of any size.

The Secret History of Fantasy. Tachyon, dist. by IPG. Sept. 2010. c.432p. ed. by Peter S. Beagle. ISBN 9781892391995. pap. $15.95. FANTASY
From Stephen King's vibrantly macabre tale of a woman who knew that a straight line was not the shortest distance between two points ("Mrs. Todd's Shortcut") to Kij Johnson's somber narrative on the life and death of a circus trick ("26 Monkeys, Also the Abyss"), the 19 selections in this volume demonstrate that "fantasy" does not confine itself to certain writers and belongs as much in the mainstream as in a separate category. Informative essays by Ursula K. Le Guin and David G. Hartwell illuminating the origins of the fantasy genre add an additional dimension to this already strong anthology. VERDICT Including such classics as Terry Bisson's "Bears Discover Fire" and Robert Holdstock's "Mythago Wood" (the story that served as the starting point for his similarly titled novel), as well as stories by Francesca Lia Block and Neil Gaiman, this collection serves as a touchstone for fantasy lovers and short story aficionados alike.

Shinn, Sharon. Troubled Waters. Ace: Berkley. Oct. 2010. c.400p. ISBN 9780441019236. $24.95. FANTASY
When Zoe Ardelay receives a summons to the palace after the death of her father, a former adviser to the king, she reluctantly complies but finds a way to slip away from her escort, disappearing among the folk who dwell alongside the Ganges River, which runs through the capital city of Chialto. In a world where the five elements—air, fire, earth, water, and wood—govern everyone's lives, Zoe's affinity for water (coru) proves so strong that she is the coru prime, and fated to be one of the kingdom's most powerful people. The author of the "Twelve Houses" novels and Jenna Starborn crafts a new fantasy that is both a stand-alone tale of intrigue and romance as well as an introduction to an exotic new fantasy setting that borrows from Indian culture. VERDICT Filled with vivid details of everyday life, a strong and admirable heroine, and a plot with as many twists and turns as the mighty river that threads through the story, Shinn's latest novel should appeal to her avid readership and to lovers of the genre. Highly recommended.

Smith, Sherwood. Coronets and Steel. DAW, dist. by Penguin. Sept. 2010. c.432p. ISBN 9780756406424. $24.95. FANTASY
Aurelia Kim Murray, a graduate student descended from a family who fled Austria before World War II, travels to Europe to investigate the mystery of her heritage, sparked by the fevered behest of her beloved and mysteriously ill grandmother. In Vienna, Kim encounters her first "ghost" along with an attractive stranger who seems to follow her and who embroils her in the dangerous politics of a country she never knew existed. In her latest novel, Smith (Inda; Treason's Shore) pits a modern-day woman against the intrigues of a past century. VERDICT Recalling The Count of Monte Cristo and The Prisoner of Zenda in plot and theme, this cross-world fantasy/romance should appeal to YA and adult fans of the genre.