The Qwillery

Happy 1st Monday in May! There are 2 debuts this week: Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace (Adult Debut); and Ariadne by Jennifer Saint. From formerly featured DAC Authors: Bottle Demon (Eric Carter 6) by Stephen Blackmoore; Immunity Index by Sue Burke; The Godel Operation by James L. Cambias; Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon; The Dragon of Jin-Sayeng (Chronicles of the Wolf Queen 3) by K. S. Villoso; and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.

 

 

 

Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in green. May 4, 2021

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Illustrated Edition	Douglas Adams	SF/HU - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 1
Cursed Luck	Kelley Armstrong	RF - Cursed Luck 1
The Vanished Seas (tp2mm)	Catherine Asaro	SF/SO - Major Bhaajan 3
Providence (h2tp)	Max Barry	SF/Th/Dys
Bottle Demon	Stephen Blackmoore	UF/DF/CF - Eric Carter 6
Penric's Travels (h2tp)	Lois McMaster Bujold	F
Immunity Index	Sue Burke	SF/AP/PA/HSF/GenEng
Master Artificer	Justin Travis Call	F - Silent Gods 2
The Godel Operation	James L. Cambias	SF
May Day	Emma Coleman	H
The Ghost and the Haunted Portrait	Cleo Coyle	PCM - Haunted Bookshop Mystery 7
Second Place	Rachel Cusk	LF/HistF
1637: The Peacock Throne	Eric Flint Griffin Barber	SF/TT - Ring of Fire 31
Unreconciled (h2mm)	W. Michael Gear	SF/HSF/SO - Donovan 4
The Shadow of the Gods	John Gwynne	F - The Bloodsworn Trilogy 1
My Name Is Monster	Katie Hale	LF/Dys/Feminist
Orfeia	Joanne M. Harris	FairyT/FolkT/LM/F/FR
The Shadow in the Glass	JJA Harwood	HistF/DF/Gaslamp/FairyT/FolkT/LM/Hist
In Ghostly Japan: Japanese Legends of Ghosts, Yokai, Yurei and Other Oddities	Lafcadio Hearn	FairyT/FolkT/LM
Walk Among Us: Compiled Edition	Cassandra Khaw Genevieve Gornichec Caitlin Starling	H - Vampire: The Masquerade
Firebreak (D - Adult)	Nicole Kornher-Stace	SF/AP/PA
Elsa Bloodstone: Bequest	Cath Lauria	MTI - Marvel Heroines
Make Shift: Dispatches from the Post-Pandemic Future	Gideon Lichfield (Ed)	SF/AP/PA/Anthology - Twelve Tomorrows
Firefly - The Ghost Machine (h2tp)	James Lovegrove	MTI/SF
Blue Ticket	Sophie Mackintosh	Dys/FL/Women
The Reincarnationist Papers (ri)	D. Eric Maikranz	MTI/Fiction
Utopia Avenue (h2tp)	David Mitchell	LF/SF/Dys
Shadowed Steel	Chloe Neill	P/PNR - An Heirs of Chicagoland Novel 3
A Deadly Education	Naomi Novik	F/CF/CoA - Scholomance 1
Driving the Deep (h2mm)	Suzanne Palmer	SF/SO/AC - The Finder Chronicles 2
Mamelukes (h2mm)	Jerry Pournelle David Weber Phillip Pournelle	SF
Ariadne (D)	Jennifer Saint	LF/FairyT/FolkT/LM/Women
Sorrowland	Rivers Solomon	African American & Black/Gothic/SF/LGBTQ+
By Force Alone (h2tp)	Lavie Tidhar	F/Arthurian
The Dragon of Jin-Sayeng	K. S. Villoso	F - Chronicles of the Wolf Queen 3
Project Hail Mary	Andy Weir	SF/HSF/Sus
Freehold: Defiance	Michael Z. Williamson (Ed)	SF - Anthology

May 5, 2021

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Lost World: A Professor Challenger Adventure	Sir Arthur Conan	SF - Wordfire Classics

May 6, 2021

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Monsters in the Garden: An Anthology of Aotearoa New Zealand Science Fiction and Fantasy	Elizabeth Knox (Ed) David Larsen (Ed)	SF/F - Anthology

D - Debut
e - eBook
Ed - Editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
Ke - Kindle eBook
ri - reissue or reprint
tp2mm - Trade Paperback to Mass Market Paperback
Tr - Translator



AB - Absurdist
AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternative History
AP - Apocalyptic
BHU - Black Humor
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CM - Crime & Mystery
CoA - Coming of Age
Cr - Crime
CW - Contemporary Women
CyP - CyberPunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
GothicR - Gothic Romance
GW&CC - Global Warming and Climate Change
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HistM - Historical Mystery
HistR - Historical Romance
HistTh - Historical Thriller
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humorous
LC - Literary Criticism
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
M - Mystery
Med - Medical
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
MU - Mash-Up
NF - Near Future
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PF - Paranormal Fantasy
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Pol - Political
PolTh - Political Thriller
PopCul - Popular Culture
PP - Police Porcedural
Psy - Psychological
R - Romance
RF - Romantic Fantasy
ScF - Science Fantasy
SE - Space Exploration
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SFTh - Science Fiction Thriller
SH - Superheroes
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
SpecFic - Speculative Fiction
SS - Short Stories
STR - Small Town and Rural
Sup - Supernatural
SupM - Supernatural Mystery
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
TTR - Time Travel Romance
UF - Urban Fantasy
VM - Visionary and Metaphysical
WS - Women Sleuths
Note: Not all genres and formats are found in the books, etc. listed above.

Happy Monday!

There are 5 debuts this week:

Kansastan by Farooq Ahmed;

Gamechanger by L. X. Beckett;

A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill;

Neon Empire by Drew Minh;

and

Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes.






From formerly featured DAC Authors:

The Hanged Man and the Fortune Teller by Lucy Banks;

The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox;

Randomize by Andy Weir;

and

System Failure (Epic Failure Trilogy 3) by Joe Zieja.

Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in green.

September 15, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The H. G. Wells Collection: Boxed Set	Herbert George Wells	SF

September 16, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Kansastan (D)	Farooq Ahmed	Dys/LF

September 17, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
A Little Hatred	Joe Abercrombie	F/DF/HistF - Age of Madness 1
Double Eagle	Dan Abnett	SF - Warhammer 40,000
The Preserve	Steve Anderson	AH
The Hanged Man and the Fortune Teller	Lucy Banks	Hist/GH
Gamechanger (D)	L. X. Beckett	SF/AC/CyP
Dark Forge	Miles Cameron	F/HistF - Masters & Mages 2
Summer Frost (Ke)	Blake Crouch	SF - Forward Collection
The Widow of Pale Harbor	Hester Fox	Hist/GH/Occ/Sup
The Stalking	Heather Graham	PNR/RS/GH - Krewe of Hunters 29
A Cosmology of Monsters (D)	Shaun Hamill	H/DF/FL
Cadian Honour	Justin D Hill	SO/SE - Warhammer 40,000
Siege and Sacrifice	Charlie N. Holmberg	F - Numina 3
Emergency Skin (Ke)	N. K. Jemisin	SF - Forward Collection
The Ticking Heart	Andrew Kaufman	LF/MR/AB
Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction	Lisa Kroger Melanie R. Anderson	Bio/LC/H/Sup
A Trick of Light	Stan Lee Kat Rosenfield	SF - Stan Lee's Alliances
A Single Light	Tosca Lee	Sus - Line Between 2
A Golden Grave	Erin Lindsey	HistM/GH/P - A Rose Gallagher Mystery 2
Gotrek and Felix: The Fourth Omnibus	Nathan Long	F - Warhammer Chronicles Omnibus 4
Inspection (h2tp)	Josh Malerman	PsyTh/H/CoA
Different Beasts	J.R. McConvey	Collection
Dragon Age: Last Flight Deluxe Edition	Liane Merciel	MTI/F
Neon Empire (D)	Drew Minh	SF/CyP
Wonderland: An Anthology	Marie O'Regan (Ed) Paul Kane (Ed)	F - Anthology
The Heart and Other Viscera: Stories	Félix J. Palma	SS/Occ/MR
Wild Boar in the Cane Field	Anniqua Rana	MR/CulH/Religious
Ark (Ke)	Veronica Roth	SF - Forward Collection
The Renegat (e)	Kristine Kathryn Rusch	SF - The Diving
Resurrection of the Daleks	Eric Saward	SF/MTI
On Wings of Blood: An Aeronautica Anthology	Gav Thorpe Matt Westbrook & more	SF - Warhammer 40,000
You Have Arrived at Your Destination (Ke)	Amor Towles	SF - Forward Collection
The Last Conversation (Ke)	Paul Tremblay	SF - Forward Collection
Chilling Effect (D)	Valerie Valdes	SF/SO
Randomize (Ke)	Andy Weir	SF - Forward Collection
A Hero Born: The Definitive Edition	Jin Yong	F/HistF - Legends of the Condor Heroes 1
System Failure	Joe Zieja	SF - Epic Failure Trilogy 3

September 19, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Before the Coffee Gets Cold	Toshikazu Kawaguchi	MR/LF
Battle Beyond the Dolestars	Chris McCrudden	SF/HU - Battlestar Suburbia 2

D - Debut
e - eBook
Ed - Editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
mm - Mass Market Paperback
ri - reissue or reprint
tp2mm - Trade Paperback to Mass Market Paperback
Tr - Translator



AB - Absurdist
AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternative History
AP - Apocalyptic
Bio - Biographical
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
Cr - Crime
CulH - Cultural Heritage
CW - Contemporary Women
CyP - CyberPunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romane
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
H - Horror
HC - History & Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humorous
LC - Literary Criticism
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
M - Mystery
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PerfArts - Performing Arts
PNR - Paranormal Romance
PolTh - Political Thriller
PsyTh - Psychological Thriller
RF - Romantic Fantasy
RS - Romantic Suspense
SE - Space Exploration
SF - Science Fiction
SH - Superheroes
SO - Space Opera
SS - Short Stories
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy

Note: Not all genres and formats are found in the books, etc. listed above.

Hello again. Sorry I have missed a couple of WIRs. I have been busy reading books for SPFBO 2017 and can't share my opinion of those books quite yet. I hope you have had some good books to enjoy while I have been offline. Let me tell you of two of the non-SPFBO books I have been reading.


First up is Andy Weir's Artemis. This standalone novel has been released recently but was I pretty lucky to receive it from the publisher via NetGalley a few months ago.

The story is set on the moon and features the plucky Jazz, who spends her days pushing contraband and living just shy on the right side of the law. She grew up on the moon, in the city of Artemis and loves every inch of it. When she gets an offer that will give her the life she yearns for it seems almost too good to be true. If it seems to good to be true it usually is. Its not long before Jazz is on the run from a criminal syndicate that plans to take over Artemis. With just her wits and her friends Jazz is determined to save the only home she has ever really known.

I rather enjoyed Artemis although it did take a couple of chapters for me to adjust to Jazz and her rather dubious moral code. This book is completely different in content and tone to Martian so if you are expecting another good guy then you may be disappointed with the more complex Jazz. I liked Artemis as a setting and all the sciency bits that made the plot more credible. The plot was interspersed with letters between Jazz and her childhood pen friend and this plot device helps to develop Jazz as a character and later on to help advance the plot. This is a quick, easy read with a strong female lead that I enjoyed. Science fiction fans be sure to take a chance on Artemis.


Book 2 for me was the third instalment of the Crossbreed series by Dannika Dark - Deathtrap. In this instalment Raven Black is set on the trail of criminal who is kidnapping breed children, killing their mothers and then selling them on the black market. All of the 'gang' are involved in this one and different sides are told through POV chapters. All this comes with Raven trying to reconcile letting her human life go and saying good-bye to her father. Helping her is the hunky vampire Christian who Raven is drawn towards, despite her hatred of vampires.

This series is very much light relief for me. The plot isn't challenging but there is enough substance to make it readable. Raven is not without her flaws which makes her a more likable character but Dark introduces a coincidental meeting that, in my view, adds nothing to the main romance of the story. Overall, an OK read but I am not expecting any big surprises.


That is it for me this week. Hope to be back next week but I do a few more SPFBO books to read so if I miss another week it's not because I'm not reading. Be back soon!

Artemis
Crown, November 14, 2017
Hardcover and eBook, 320 pages

The bestselling author of The Martian returns with an irresistible new near-future thriller—a heist story set on the moon.

Jasmine Bashara never signed up to be a hero. She just wanted to get rich.

Not crazy, eccentric-billionaire rich, like many of the visitors to her hometown of Artemis, humanity’s first and only lunar colony. Just rich enough to move out of her coffin-sized apartment and eat something better than flavored algae. Rich enough to pay off a debt she’s owed for a long time.

So when a chance at a huge score finally comes her way, Jazz can’t say no. Sure, it requires her to graduate from small-time smuggler to full-on criminal mastermind. And it calls for a particular combination of cunning, technical skills, and large explosions—not to mention sheer brazen swagger. But Jazz has never run into a challenge her intellect can’t handle, and she figures she’s got the ‘swagger’ part down.

The trouble is, engineering the perfect crime is just the start of Jazz’s problems. Because her little heist is about to land her in the middle of a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself.

Trapped between competing forces, pursued by a killer and the law alike, even Jazz has to admit she’s in way over her head. She’ll have to hatch a truly spectacular scheme to have a chance at staying alive and saving her city.

Jazz is no hero, but she is a very good criminal.

That’ll have to do.

Propelled by its heroine’s wisecracking voice, set in a city that’s at once stunningly imagined and intimately familiar, and brimming over with clever problem-solving and heist-y fun, Artemis is another irresistible brew of science, suspense, and humor from #1 bestselling author Andy Weir.

Deathtrap
A Crossbread Novel 3
Dannika Dark, September 2017
Trade Paperback and eBook, 326 pages

The explosive third installment in USA Today Bestselling author Dannika Dark’s Crossbreed series.

“YOU MIGHT BE DONE WITH THE PAST, BUT THE PAST ISN’T DONE WITH YOU.”

For Raven Black, hunting criminals is second nature. So is denial. It’s not easy moving forward with one foot stuck in the past. But a new case offers her a much-needed distraction when Keystone accepts their toughest assignment yet—to track down an elusive criminal who’s selling children on the black market.

Their investigation leads them deep into the underbelly of the Breed world, a place both treacherous and enticing. With no room for mistakes, Raven makes a tough decision to lock the door to her past before it interferes with her job. The only trouble? Christian holds the key.

The stakes are high, and a shocking twist turns everything on its head. Will they catch this criminal before more lives are lost? Find out in the latest edge-of-your-seat installment of the Crossbreed series.

Happy Monday!

There are 4 debuts this week:

The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy 1) by S. A. Chakrabotry;

The Last Man in Europe by Dennis Glover;

Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang;

and

The Nine (Thieves of Fate 1) by Tracy Townsend




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

The Rebel (San Angeles 3) by Gerald Brandt;

Star's End by Cassandra Rose Clarke is out in Trade Paperback;

The Art of Murder (Jericho Sands 2) by Casey Doran;

The Light the Binds (Sundered World 3) by Nathan Garrison;

The Exiled King (Bone Magic 4) by Sarah Remy;

The Inside Out Man by Fred Strydom;

Beyond the Empire (The Indranan War 3) by K. B. Wagers;

and

Artemis by Andy Weir.

Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in green.

November 13, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
I, The Constable (e)	Paula M. Block Terry J. Erdmann	SF - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Night of the Hunter (e)	Susan Harris	PNR - Ever Chace Chronicles 4
Angel Slayer (e)(ri)	Michele Hauf	PNR - Of Angels and Demons Series 2

November 14, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Overneath	Peter S. Beagle	F - Collection
The Rebel	Gerald Brandt	SF/CyP/AP/PA - San Angeles 3
Dark Deeds	Mike Brooks	SF/SO - Keiko 3
The City of Brass (D)	S. A. Chakraborty	F/HistF - The Daevabad Trilogy 1
Star's End (h2tp)	Cassandra Rose Clarke	SF
Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams	Philip K. Dick	SF - Collection
Seventh Decimate	Stephen R. Donaldson	F/DF - The Great God's War 1
The Art of Murder	Casey Doran	H/PsyTh - Jericho Sands 2
Future Home of the Living God	Louise Erdrich	Dys
Deadhouse Landing: A Novel of the Malazan Empire	Ian C. Esslemont	F - Path to Ascendancy 2
HALO: Legacy of Onyx	Matt Forbeck	SF - HALO
The Light That Binds	Nathan Garrison	F - Sundered World Trilogy 3
The Last Man in Europe (D)	Dennis Glover	F/Bio
Into the Drowning Deep	Mira Grant	CF
The Eye of Medusa	David Guymer	SF - Iron Hands 1
The Witch War of Fiddlehead Creek	C.L. Hernandez	DF - The Complicated Life of Deegie Tibbs 2
The Eterna Solution	Leanna Renee Hieber	HistF/UF  - The Eterna Files 3
After the End of the World	Jonathan L. Howard	H/AH/GH - Carter & Lovecraft 2
The Fall of the House of Cabal (h2tp)	Jonathan L. Howard	H/SP/GH - Johannes Cabal Novels 5
Ice: 50th Anniversary Edition	Anna Kavan	Dys/PA - Penguin Classics
The Secret Life of Souls (h2tp)	Jack Ketchum Lucky McKee	PsySus
From a Buick 8 (ri)	Stephen King	SF/AC
Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance (D)	Ruth Emmie Lang	CF/MR/P
Strange Sight	Syd Moore	PM - An Essex Witch Museum Mystery 2
The Mountain of Kept Memory (h2tp)	Rachel Neumeier	F
The Throne of Amenkor	Joshua Palmatier	F/DF - Throne of Amenkor Omnibus
The Two of Swords: Volume Two	K. J. Parker	F - The Two of Swords 2
The Exiled King	Sarah Remy	F - Bone Magic 4
The Walworth Beauty	Michèle Roberts	Hist
Oathbringer	Brandon Sanderson	F - The Stormlight Archive 3
The Inside Out Man	Fred Strydom	H/Sus/PsyTh
Creatures of Will and Temper	Molly Tanzer	F/HistF
The Long and Short of It	Jodi Taylor	SF/TT - The Chronicles of St. Mary's Collection
Jain Zar: Storm of Silence	Gav Thorpe	SF - Phoenix Lords 2
The Nine (D)	Tracy Townsend	F/DF/FairyT/FolkT/LM - Thieves of Fate 1
The Faerie Handbook: An Enchanting Compendium of Literature, Lore, Art, Recipes, and Projects	Carolyn Turgeon The Editors of Faerie Magazine	FM
Beyond the Empire	K. B. Wagers	SF - The Indranan War 3
Artemis	Andy Weir	SF/Th
The Complete John Wayne Cleaver Series: (I Am Not a Serial Killer, Mr. Monster, I Don't Want to Kill You, Devil's Only Friend, Over Your Dead Body, Nothing Left to Lose) (e)	Dan Wells	SupTh/F/DF - John Cleaver
The Forsaken Throne	Jeff Wheeler	F/HistF - Kingfountain 6
Legacies (e)	F. Paul Wilson	SupTh - Repairman Jack 1
The Complete Book of the New Sun: (The Shadow of the Torturer, The Claw of the Conciliator, The Sword of the Lictor, The Citadel of the Autarch, The Urth of the New Sun) (e)	Gene Wolfe	F - New Sun
The Emerald Circus	Jane Yolen	FR/HistF/Clara at the Edge - Collection
Mandelbrot the Magnificent: A Novella	Liz Ziemska	Bio/F/HistF/MR

November 15, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Anomaly: The Rubicon	Skip Brittenham (Creator) Brian Haberlin (Creator)	SF - Anomaly
My Life for Your Life (e)	Tessa Gratton Karen Lord	HistF - Tremontaine Season 3 #6
J. G. Ballard	D. Harlan Wilson	SF/HC - Modern Masters of Science Fiction

D - Debut
e - eBook
Ed - Editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
ri - reissue or reprint
tp2mm - Trade to Mass Market Paperback
Tr - Translator



AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternate History
AP - Apocalyptic
Bio - Biography
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
CyP - CyberPunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
Fict - Fiction
FM - Folklore and Mythology
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
Gothic - Gothic
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HU - Humor
LC - Literary Criticism
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legends and Mythology
M - Mystery
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
MU - MashUp
Noir - Noir
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PHR- Paramormal Historical Romance
PM - Paranormal Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Psy - Psychological
PsySus - Psychological Suspense
PsyTh - Psychological Thriller
R - Romance
Ref - Reference
RP - Role Playing
Sc - Science
SH -Superheroes
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SO - Space Opera
SP - SteamPunk
SpecFic - Speculative Fiction
Sup - Supernatural
SupM - Supernatural Mystery
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy

Note: Not all genres and formats are found in the books, etc. listed above.

Myke Cole (2012)

Siege Line
Shadow Ops: Gemini Cell 3
Ace, October 31, 2017
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 368 pages

In Myke Cole’s latest high-octane, action-packed military fantasy, the fate of undead Navy SEAL James Schweitzer will be decided—one way or another…

The Gemini Cell took everything from Jim Schweitzer: his family, his career as a Navy SEAL, even his life. Hounded across the country, Schweitzer knows the only way he can ever stop running, the only way his son can ever be safe, is to take the fight to the enemy and annihilate the Cell once and for all.

But the Cell won’t be easily destroyed. Out of control and fighting a secret war with the government it once served, it has dispatched its shadowy Director to the far reaches of the subarctic in search of a secret magic that could tip the balance of power in its favor. Schweitzer must join with the elite warriors of both America and Canada in a desperate bid to get there first—and avert a disaster that could put the Cell in control.

The Armored Saint
The Sacred Throne 1
Tor.com, February 20, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 192 Pages

"Cole weaves a fantasy world that feels comfortably familiar, then goes to places you’d never expect. You won’t stop turning pages until the stunning finish." —Peter V. Brett

Myke Cole, star of CBS's Hunted and author of the Shadow Ops series, debuts a new epic fantasy trilogy with The Armored Saint, a story of religious tyrants, arcane war-marchines, and underground resistance that will enthrall epic fantasy readers of all ages.

In a world where any act of magic could open a portal to hell, the Order insures that no wizard will live to summon devils, and will kill as many innocent people as they must to prevent that greater horror. After witnessing a horrendous slaughter, the village girl Heloise opposes the Order, and risks bringing their wrath down on herself, her family, and her village.

Marshall Ryan Maresca (2015)

The Imposters of Aventil
A Novel of Maradaine 3
DAW, October 3, 2017
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 400 pages

Blending vigilante justice with epic fantasy, this third Maradaine novel finds student Veranix Calbert returning to fight crime • “Veranix is Batman, if Batman were a teenager and magically talented.” —Library Journal

Summer and the Grand Tournament of High Colleges have come to the University of Maradaine. If the heat and the crowds weren’t enough to bring the campus and the neighborhood of Aventil to a boiling point, rumors that The Thorn is on the warpath—killing the last of the Red Rabbits—is enough to tip all of Maradaine into the fire.

Except Veranix Calbert, magic student at the University, is The Thorn, and he’s not the one viciously hunting the Red Rabbits. Veranix has his hands full with his share of responsibilities for the Tournament, and as The Thorn he’s been trying to find the source of the mind-destroying effitte being sold on campus. He’s as confused as anyone about the rumors.

When The Thorn imposter publicly attacks the local Aventil constables, the Constabulary bring in their own special investigators: Inspectors Minox Welling and Satrine Rainey from the Maradaine Grand Inspectors Unit. Can Veranix find out who the imposter is and stop him before Welling and Rainey arrest him for the imposter’s crimes?

Andy Weir (2014)

Artemis
Crown, November 14, 2017
Hardcover and eBook, 384 pages

The bestselling author of The Martian returns with an irresistible new near-future thriller–a heist story set on the moon.

Jazz Bashara is a criminal.

Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you’re not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you’ve got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent.

Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But pulling off the impossible is just the start of her problems, as she learns that she’s stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—and that now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit even riskier than the first.

Karina Sumner-Smith (2014)

Towers Fall
Towers Trilogy 3
Talos, November 17, 2015
Trade Paperback and eBook, 396 pages

War. Fire. Destruction. Xhea believed that the Lower City had weathered the worst of its troubles—that their only remaining fight would be the struggle to rebuild before winter. She was wrong.

Now her home is under attack from an unexpected source. The Central Spire, the City’s greatest power, is intent on destroying the heart of the magical entity that resides beneath the Lower City’s streets. The people on the ground have three days to evacuate—or else.

With nowhere to go and time running out, Xhea and the Radiant ghost Shai attempt to rally a defense. Yet with the Spire’s wrath upon them, nothing—not their combined magic, nor their unexpected allies—may be strong enough to protect them from the power of the City.

From Nebula Award–nominated author Karina Sumner-Smith, Towers Fall is a fantastic climax to this amazing and thought-provoking trilogy.

Auralee Wallace (2014)

Sidekick Returns
Sidekick in the City 2
Escape Publishing, December 1, 2015
eBook, 272 pages

Bremy St James is back in a brand new adventure, mixing chaos, humour, sex, and superheroes in this fresh, funny, flirty series. It’s the superhero romance you didn’t know you needed…

Fresh off thwarting the crime of the century, Bremy St. James is back and more determined than ever to fight by the side of the city’s top superhero, Dark Ryder. There’s just one problem: Dark Ryder’s disappeared.

To make matters worse, Bremy’s evil billionaire father, Atticus, is taking her lack of family loyalty very personally, and Bremy’s last tie to her old life, her reason behind her choices—her sister—is distancing herself as well.

Angus Watson (2014)

Clash of Iron
Iron Age 2
Orbit, April 14, 2015
Trade Paperback and eBook, 560 pages

The second book in Angus Watson's epic Iron Age fantasy trilogy.

LEADERS ARE FORGED IN THE FIRES OF WAR

Iron Age warriors Dug and Lowa captured Maidun castle and freed its slaves. But now they must defend it.

A Roman invasion is coming from Gaul, but rather than uniting to defend their home, the British tribes go to battle with each other -- and see Maidun as an easy target.

Meanwhile, Lowa's spies infiltrate Gaul, discovering the Romans have recruited British druids. And Maidunite Ragnall finds his loyalties torn when he meets Rome's charismatic general, Julius Caesar.

War is coming. Who will pay its price?

Andy Weir (2014)

The Martian (Movie Tie-In Edition)
Broadway Books, August 18, 2015
Mass Market Paperback, 448 pages
Hardcover, February 11, 2014
Trade Paperback, October 28, 2014
Trade Paperback (Movie Tie-In Edition), August 18, 2015

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

Stephen Aryan (2015)

Bloodmage
Age of Darkness 2
Orbit, April 12, 2016
Trade Paperback and eBook, 528 pages

The people of Perizzi have survived the battlemage war, but their future is looking darker than ever.

BYRNE is a Guardian of the Peace, investigating a series of murders in which the corpses were drained entirely of life.

FRAY's expertise with magic is needed to catch the killer, but working with the Guardians destroyed his father, years before.

CHOSS, renowned as a fighter, must work for peace, to diffuse a war in the underworld that threatens to turn the streets red with rivers of blood.

KATJA must use her skills as a spy to try to prevent a massacre that will topple two dynasties and destroy the fragile peace in the city for ever.


Guardians and spies, assassins and criminals will clash on the streets in this magic-fuelled adventure from the author of Battlemage.

The 4 books that top my list of Best Books of 2014 share similar attributes (as one would expect): 1) fascinating main characters that I cared about and wanted to linger with; 2) exceptional world-building; and 3) stories that kept me engaged and immersed. Without further ado:



Best Fantasy - Tie

City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett

I am pretty much assured that I am going to really like a Robert Jackson Bennett novel. Bennett's writing and worldbuilding in City of Stairs is exceptional. There are mysteries, thrills, action and a city so askew and marvelous that it is often breathtaking. To cap it off, the main and secondary characters are captivating and interesting. Bennett mixes these wonderful characters with a fantastic mythology and a riveting story to create one of the best fantasies of 2014. I'm really looking forward to the sequel, City of Blades. (See Qwill's review here.)






Breach Zone by Myke Cole

Cole hit every note correctly with the third novel in his military fantasy Shadow Ops Trilogy. He's gone from strength to strength with this series. The magic system and magical world is wildly inventive and Cole puts you deep into the action as NYC is turned into a battle ground. Breach Zone also deals with issues of haves and have-nots (magical vs. non-magical). And while the novel deals with grand issues, it delves deep into the persona of the characters and is ultimately very moving. As I said in my review (here) "Breach Zone is a stunning novel." Fortunately I don't have long to wait for Cole's next novel - Gemini Cell, which is out on January 27, 2015.





Best Thriller

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

I utterly adore this novel. This is the best thriller I've read in ages and ages. Pilgrim is one of those characters that stays with you well after you've finished the novel. The plot is scarily believable but what really makes I Am Pilgrim shine are the characters. The story moves back and forth from Pilgrim to Saracen who are on a collision course throughout the book. After 600 pages I really was disappointed, not in the story, but that I wasn't going to be able to read about Pilgrim any more. This is a fabulous novel all around. Fortunately Hayes is penning a second novel in the series - The Year of the Locust (Sept. 2015). (See Qwill's review here.)





Best Science Fiction/Debut

The Martian by Andy Weir

It's not often that I want to peek at the end of a book, but The Martian almost made me look. Weir sublimely ratchets up the tension throughout the novel - will Mark Watney survive? Watney is an incredible character which is really good since he practically carries the entire book. He's intelligent (as you would expect of an astronaut) and funny and sarcastic. I loved listening to him think as he tries to figure out how to possibly survive being left behind on Mars. It's really hard to believe that this is a debut novel - it's so assuredly and beautifully written. The science is clearly explained without bogging down the story at all and that helps makes this novel so believable. Add this to a character that you just have to root for and you have a superb nail-biter of an SF novel.

Before I launch into what I read this week I thought I would say Happy Birthday to my Mom. She is 84 today. While she is now visually impaired so can't read this post (or know that I am writing it) I thought that she would still appreciate knowing that whoever reads this could be thinking happy thoughts for her. So everyone......1.........2.........3......think happy birthday thoughts for Christine!

So enough of my maternal self promotion. What did I read?

This week wasn't as productive as the two previous but boy, did I read a couple of great books. I started the week with The Martian by Andy Weir. Is there something better than waxing lyrical? If there is then that is what I am going to do. I LOVED THIS BOOK! Love with a capital 'L'. Andy Weir managed to couple botany with science fiction and crazy funny dialogue with excellent results. Remember, I like watching science fiction better than reading it but The Martian broke that mold for me.

Imagine if you will....Mark Watney - engineer/botanist has been stranded on Mars with only 30 days worth of supplies and no way to communicate with Earth. His crew mates think he is dead and no one is coming back for 4 years. Mark has to use every bit of his enormous brain, ingenuity and a healthy dose of luck in order to survive and try to find a way home. Can he do it? You will have to read it to find out.

I couldn't have been more surprised by The Martian. I saw that it got quite a few stars on Goodreads and Amazon but I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did. I was LOL'ing on public transport, I was biting my nails at what would happen next and staying up WAY past my bedtime to read just one more chapter. Drop whatever you are doing (well after you read the rest of this post) and go buy this book and read it. You may also read a DAC interview with Andy about The Martian and writing here.

Next on my TBR was Into Darkness by J.T Geissinger. This is the final book of the Night Prowler series and will be released in mid October by Montlake Romance. I will be writing a full review of this book so I don't want to say too much other than its a cracker of a final book. There is still time for you to catch up by reading the other 5 books before this released so get going. I have reviewed three of the other books at The Qwillery so if you want to find out what I have thought of the series so far check them out here, here, and here.

The final book I have been able to read this week was Shadowlark (Skylark Trilogy 2) by Meagan Spooner. I really enjoyed Skylark (book 1) of this dystopian young adult trilogy. I have been waiting for the price of the second book to drop since it was released and have to admit I had forgotten about it. I was checking my Amazon recommendations and up it popped. In book 2, Lark continues her journey to find her brother after leaving the Iron Wood. After a near death experience or two she finds herself in the city of Lethe where Renewables are hunted and enslaved just as she had been. Lark inadvertently joins a group of rebels who are fighting against the evil ruler, Prometheus. Lark learns more about herself, more than she ever wanted to, throughout this novel and it's only a matter of time before she comes face to face with her greatest fear - herself.

I don't know what it is about subsequent books in young adult or youth fiction series but I find I don't like them as much as the first . For example, I didn't enjoy World After (book 2 of the Penryn and the End of Days series) by Susan Ee (or book 3) or Taste of Darkness (book 2 of the Healer series) by Maria V. Snyder. The characters I loved from the first books turned either all whiny or all soppy over some guy/angel. This is exactly what happened in Shadowlark. I actually got quite sniffy at the end of book 1 but I could hardly wait to get to the end of this one. Book 3 - Lark Ascending is out soon but I am not convinced I want to continue. I think I will wait and see what the price is before I make that decision.

That is it for me for this week. I hope you have a good week ahead and until next week Happy Reading.

Cover art by Stephan Martiniere

Illustration is by Patrick Arrasmith; Design by Allison Forner

Cover art by Raphael LaCoste

TQ:  Welcome to The Qwillery. When and why did you start writing?

Andy:  I’ve been writing as far back as I can remember. I think my first story was a Henry Huggins fanfic when I was seven. It lacked depth. I started writing in earnest when I was a teen-ager and on in to my college years. I came in to some money in my late twenties and used it to take a few years off work and make a go of being a full-time novelist. I couldn’t break in to the industry and went back to computer programming. It wasn’t until now (age 41) that I managed to write something people actually liked enough to print.



TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Andy:  Mostly, I’m a pantser. I have a general idea for what will happen in a story, but I don’t really know how things will pan out until I write them. And if the story organically flows away from my original plan, I’ll let it.



TQ:  What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Writing a book instead of a screenplay. Really I want to get directly to dialogue and actions. I hate setting the scene, describing what something looks like, and pretty much all exposition. When I’m coming up with a story, I tend to “see” it like a movie, so I I’m impatient to write the interesting parts.



TQ:  Who are some of your literary influences? Favorite authors?

Andy:  Heinlein, Clarke, and Asimov are my heroes. I grew up reading my dad’s classic sci-fi collection. It defined what sci-fi really is for me.



TQ:   Describe The Martian in 140 characters or less.

Andy:  An astronaut is stranded on Mars after his crew evacuated, believing him dead. He has to survive with only the equipment he has on hand.



TQ:  Tell us something about The Martian that is not in the book description.

Andy:  Every piece of technology shown in the book is real, and exists today. Though it takes place in the future, so I increased the efficiency of some technologies appropriately.



TQ:  What inspired you to write The Martian?

Andy:  I was imagining a manned Mars mission, putting it together in my mind. Naturally, you have to account for failure scenarios and have plans for what the crew could do. I realized those failure scenarios made for a pretty interesting story.



TQ:  What sort of research did you do for The Martian?

Andy:  Tons. Everything in the book is as scientifically accurate as I could make it. I had to research physics, chemistry, electronics, and orbital dynamics, just to name a few. Not to mention the history of manned spaceflight and NASA procedures.



TQ:  Who was the easiest character to write and why? The hardest and why?

Andy:  My favorite character and the easiest to write was Mark Watney, the protagonist. The book is mostly log entries which means I got to write him in the first person. He’s very snarky and sarcastic. It was really fun to write him. The hardest to write was Teddy Saunders, the director of NASA. He’s a very mature man who makes rational decisions with as little emotion as possible. It’s a lot easier to write a character who flies off the handle than one who quietly acts mature all the time.



TQ:  Give us one of your favorite lines from The Martian.

Andy:  The first sentence of the book: “I’m pretty much fu**ed.”



TQ:  Why did you choose to write Science Fiction? Do you want to write in any other genres?

Andy:  I have a strong science background and a great love of the space program, So I know the material pretty well. I would like to write fantasy someday, I guess. I have a serial about a mermaid that I occasionally post updates to on my site, and I enjoy working on that as a break for my more serious sci-fi stuff.



TQ:  What's next?

Andy:  I have another hard sci-fi story in mind. Similar in style and theme to The Martian. I’ve seen that readers really liked the humor in The Martian, so it will continue in that general trend.



TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Andy:  Sure thing.

The Martian

The Martian
Crown, February 11, 2014
Hardcover and eBook,  384 pages

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

About Andy

Photo © Andy Weir

Andy Weir was first hired as a programmer for a national laboratory at age fifteen and has been working as a software engineer ever since. He is also a lifelong space nerd and a devoted hobbyist of subjects like relativistic physics, orbital mechanics, and the history of manned spaceflight. The Martian is his first novel.

The Martian Website  ~  Facebook

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