The Qwillery

Happy Monday and the 1st Monday in astronomical Spring! There are 3 debuts this week: The Unbroken (Magic of the Lost 1) by C.L. Clark; Dark Lullaby by Polly Ho-Yen; and The Lost Village by Camilla Sten.

From formerly featured DAC Authors: The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida by Clarissa Goenawan is out in Trade Paperback; Floodpath (Outlaw Road 2) by Emily B. Martin; Brightfall by Jamie Lee Moyer is out in Trade Paperback; Steal the Sky (The Scorched Continent 1) by Megan E. O'Keefe is out in Trade Paperback;
Requiem Moon (Scarlet Odyssey 2) by C.T. Rwizi; and
The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers.

 

 

 

Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in green. March 23, 2021

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Stand on Zanzibar (ri)	John Brunner	SF/HSF/GenEng
The Fall of Koli	M. R. Carey	SF/AP/PA/Dys/LF - Rampart Trilogy 3
The Unbroken (D)	C. L. Clark	F - Magic of the Lost 1
The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida (h2tp)	Clarissa Goenawan	Psy/MR
Dark Lullaby (D - Adult)	Polly Ho-Yen	SF/Th/Dys
The Other Emily	Dean Koontz	Sus/PsyTh/Th
Elsewhere (h2tp)	Dean Koontz	TechTh/SF
The Two-Faced Queen	Nick Martell	F - The Legacy of the Mercenary King 2
Floodpath	Emily B. Martin	F - Outlaw Road 2
Brightfall (h2tp)	Jaime Lee Moyer	FairyT/FolkT/LM/HistF
Steal the Sky (ri)	Megan E. O'Keefe	SF/SP/F - The Scorched Continent 1
Requiem Moon	C. T. Rwizi	F/CoA/FairyT/FolkT/LM - Scarlet Odyssey 2
The Ladies of the Secret Circus	Constance Sayers	HistF/CW/Occ/Sup/HistR
The Lost Village (D)	Camilla Sten Alexandra Fleming (Tr)	Sus/H
The Glass Magician (h2tp)	Caroline Stevermer	HistF/RF
Your Turn to Suffer	Tim Waggoner	H - Fiction Without Frontiers

March 24, 2021

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Masquerade Season: A Tor.com Original (e)	'Pemi Aguda	F

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 no debuts in our list this week.


From formerly featured DAC Authors:

The Higher Frontier (Star Trek: The Original) by Christopher L. Bennett;

Sixteenth Watch by Myke Cole;

The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida by Clarissa Goenawan;

Breath of Gods (The Legacy of the Heavens 3) by Tina LeCount Myers;

and

The Rage of Dragons (The Burning 1) by Evan Winters is out in Trade Paperback.

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

March 8, 2020

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Nevertheless She Persisted: Flash Fiction Project: A Tor.com Original (e)	Charlie Jane Anders Brooke Bolander Amal El-Mohtar Maria Dahvana Headley Kameron Hurley Seanan McGuire Nisi Shawl Catherynne M. Valente Carrie Vaughn Jo Walton Alyssa Wong	SF/F - Anthology

March 10, 2020

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Gringa	Andrew Altschul	Political/TerrTh
The Higher Frontier	Christopher L. Bennett	SF - Star Trek: The Original
The Queen's Bargain	Anne Bishop	DF/RF - Black Jewels 10
Sixteenth Watch	Myke Cole	SF/SO
Recursion (h2tp)	Blake Crouch	TechTh/Sus
Echo Cycle	Patrick Edwards	SF/TT/AH
That We May Live: Speculative Chinese Fiction	CJ Evans (Ed) Sarah Coolidge (Ed)	LF/Dys/SF - Anthology
Cries from the Lost Island	Kathleen O'Neal Gear	HistF/CF/P
The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida	Clarissa Goenawan	Psy/MR/Transgender
Servant of the Crown	Duncan M. Hamilton	F - The Dragonslayer 3
Let's Go Play at the Adams' (ri)	Mendal W Johnson	H - Paperbacks from Hell
The Deep	Alma Katsu	H/Hist/Th
The Biggerers (h2tp)	Amy Lilwall	Fiction
Glimpse (h2tp)	Jonathan Maberry	SupTh/H
Breath of Gods	Tina LeCount Myers	F - The Legacy of the Heavens 3
A Quaint and Curious Volume: Tales and Poems of the Gothic	Sarah Perry (Intro)	Gothic/Occ/Sup/LF/SupTh - Anthology
Waste Tide (h2tp)	Chen Qiufan Ken Liu (Tr)	SF/HSF/GenEng/Dys
Dark Shadows the Complete Paperback Library Reprint Volume 1	Marilyn Ross	Occ/Gothic
Shadows of Annihilation	S. M. Stirling	AH/SF/Esp - A Novel of an Alternate World War 3
Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights	Patrick Weekes (Ed)	MTI - Dragon Age
The Rage of Dragons (h2tp)	Evan Winter	F - The Burning 1
A Hero Born: The Definitive Edition (h2tp)	Jin Yong Anna Holmwood (Tr)	F/Hist - Legends of the Condor Heroes 1

March 11, 2020

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Manuscript Tradition: A Tor.com Original (e)	Harry Turtledove	SF

March 13, 2020

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Unknown 9: Genesis	Layton Green	Th - Genesis Trilogy 1
The Immortal Conquistador	Carrie Vaughn	HistF/UF/DF

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



AB - Absurdist
AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternate History
AP - Apocalyptic
BlHu - Black Humour
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CL - City Life
CoA - Coming of Age
Cr - Crime
CW - Contemporary Women
CyP - Cyperpunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
Esp - Espionage
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HistM - Historical Mystery
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humorous
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
NativeAm - Native American
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PerfArts - Performing Arts
PM - Paranormal Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Psy - Psychological
PsyTh - Psychological Thriller
RF - Romantic Fantasy
SE - Space Exploration
SF - Science Fiction
SH - Superheroes
SmT - Small Town
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
TechTh - Technological Thriller
TerrTh - Terrorism Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy
VisM - Visionary and Metaphysical

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

Clarissa Goenawan (2018)

The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida
Soho Press, March 10, 2020
Hardcover and eBook, 288 pages

From the critically acclaimed author of Rainbirds comes a novel of tragedy and dark histories set in Japan.

University sophomore Miwako Sumida has hanged herself, leaving those closest to her reeling. In the months before her suicide, she was hiding away in a remote mountainside village, but what, or whom, was she running from?

To Ryusei, a fellow student at Waseda; Chie, Miwako’s best friend; and Fumi, Ryusei’s older sister, Miwako was more than the blunt, no-nonsense person she projected to the world. Heartbroken, Ryusei begs Chie to take him to the village where Miwako spent her final days. While he is away, Fumi receives an unexpected guest at their shared apartment in Tokyo, distracting her from her fear that Miwako’s death may ruin what is left of her brother’s life.

Expanding on the beautifully crafted world of Rainbirds, Clarissa Goenawan gradually pierces through a young woman’s careful façade, unmasking her most painful secrets.

Ken Liu (2015)

The Hidden Girl and Other Stories
Gallery / Saga Press, February 25, 2020
Hardcover and eBook, 432 pages

From award-winning author Ken Liu comes his much anticipated second volume of short stories.

Ken Liu is one of the most lauded short story writers of our time. This collection includes a selection of his science fiction and fantasy stories from the last five years—sixteen of his best—plus a new novelette.

In addition to these seventeen selections, The Hidden Girl and Other Stories also features an excerpt from book three in the Dandelion Dynasty series, The Veiled Throne.

Adrian J. Walker (2017)

The Human Son
Solaris, April 28, 2020
Trade Paperback and eBook, 380 pages

Solaris Spring 2020 Lead Title from critically acclaimed author, Adrian J. Walker

A startling, emotional, beautiful (and at times funny) book – one that feels like the best sort of science fiction, a book that should be enjoyed widely, a book that speaks of what it is to be human, a parent, and a child.

It is 500 years in the future and Earth is no longer populated by humans.

The new guardians of Earth, the genetically engineered Erta, have reversed climate change. They are now faced with a dilemma; if they reintroduce the rebellious and violent Homo Sapiens, all of their work will be undone.

They decide to raise one final child; a sole human to help decide if humanity should again inherit the Earth.

But the quiet and clinical Ima finds that there is more to raising a human than she had expected; and there is more to humanity’s history than she has been told.

Happy Monday!

There are 2 debuts this week:

The Perfect Assassin (Chronicles of Ghadid 1) by K. A. Doore;

and

The Municipalists by Seth Fried.




From formerly featured DAC authors:

The Grey Bastards (The Lot Lands 1) by Jonathan French is out in Trade Paperback;

Rainbirds by Clarissa Goenawan out in Trade Paperback;

The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley;

MEM by Bethany C. Morrow is out in Trade Paperback;

and

Boundary Broken (Boundary Magic 4) by Melissa F. Olson.

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

March 19, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Knights of the Empire	Dan Abnett	F - Warhammer Chronicles
Macragge's Honour	Dan Abnett	SF/SO - Horus Heresy
The Skinner (ri)	Neal Asher	SF - Spatterjay 1
Soulkeeper	David Dalglish	F/DF - Keepers 1
Tomorrow (h2tp)	Damian Dibben	Hist/HistF/MR
HALO: The Flood (ri)	William C. Dietz	SF - HALO
Radicalized	Cory Doctorow	SF/CyP - Collection
The Perfect Assassin (D)	K. A. Doore	F - Chronicles of Ghadid 1
The Deepest Blue	Sarah Beth Durst	F - Tales of Renthia
The Grey Bastards (h2tp)	Jonathan French	F/DF - The Lot Lands 1
The Municipalists (D)	Seth Fried	SF/TechTh
Rainbirds (h2tp)	Clarissa Goenawan	Psy/Cr/MR
Zero Bomb	M.T Hill	TechTh/SF
The Light Brigade	Kameron Hurley	SF/TT
The Man Who Walked Through Cracks: The Collected Short Fiction of R.A. Lafferty, volume 5	R. A. Lafferty	H/SS
Firefly - The Magnificent Nine (e)	James Lovegrove	MTI/SF/SO
Inspection	Josh Malerman	PsyTh/H/CoA
Luna: Moon Rising	Ian McDonald	SF/SE/HSF/SO - Luna 3
The Witch's Kind	Louisa Morgan	MR/Occ/Sup/HistF
MEM (h2tp)	Bethany C. Morrow	F/HistF
HALO: The Fall of Reach	Eric Nylund	SF - HALO
HALO: First Strike (ri)	Eric Nylund	SF - HALO
Boundary Broken	Melissa F. Olson	UF - Boundary Magic 4
Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea: Stories	Sarah Pinsker	CF/SF - Collection
Black Moon: The Complete Tales of Jules de Grandin, Volume Five	Seabury Quinn	SF - Complete Tales of Jules de Grandin 5
Permafrost	Alastair Reynolds	SF/TT/HSF/AP/PA
Shadespire: The Mirrored City	Josh Reynolds	F - Warhammer: Age of Sigmar
The Chaos Function	Jack Skillingstead	SF/AP/PA
War Criminals	Gavin G. Smith	SF/HSF/CyP/AC - Bastard Legion 3
Unfettered III	Shawn Speakman (Ed)	F/SF - Anthology

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



AB - Absurdist
AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternative History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
Cr - Crime
CyP - Cyberpunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
H - Horror
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humor
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
M - Mystery
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Parnormal Cozy Mystery
PerfArts - Performing Arts
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Psy - Psychological
PsyTh - Psychological Thriller
RF - Romantic Fantasy
SE - Space Exploration
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SH - Superheroes
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
Spec - Speculative
SpecFic - Speculative Fiction
SS - Short Stories
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy
VisM - Visionary and Metaphysical

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

Clarissa Goenawan (2018)

Rainbirds
Soho Press, March 19, 2019
Trade Paperback, 336 pages
Hardcover and eBook, March 6, 2018

Set in an imagined town outside Tokyo, Clarissa Goenawan’s dark, spellbinding literary debut follows a young man’s path to self-discovery in the wake of his sister’s murder.

Ren Ishida has nearly completed his graduate degree at Keio University when he receives news of his sister’s violent death. Keiko was stabbed one rainy night on her way home, and there are no leads. Ren heads to Akakawa to conclude his sister’s affairs, failing to understand why she chose to turn her back on the family and Tokyo for this desolate place years ago.

But then Ren is offered Keiko’s newly vacant teaching position at a prestigious local cram school and her bizarre former arrangement of free lodging at a wealthy politician’s mansion in exchange for reading to the man’s ailing wife. He accepts both, abandoning Tokyo and his crumbling relationship there in order to better understand his sister’s life and what took place the night of her death.

As Ren comes to know the eccentric local figures, from the enigmatic politician who’s boarding him to his fellow teachers and a rebellious, captivating young female student, he delves into his shared childhood with Keiko and what followed. Haunted in his dreams by a young girl who is desperately trying to tell him something, Ren realizes that Keiko Ishida kept many secrets, even from him.

Sean Grigsby (2018)

Ash Kickers
Smoke Eaters 2
Angry Robot, July 9, 2019
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 336 pages

It’s dragons vs firefighters vs the Phoenix in the scorching fantasy sequel to Smoke Eaters.

With ex-firefighter Cole Brannigan in command of the Smoke Eaters, the dragon menace is under control. Thanks to non-lethal Canadian tech, the beasts are just tranquilized and locked up. But for Tamerica Williams, a job filled with action and danger has become routine. She’s so bored she nearly gets her whole team killed, and Brannigan has to step in. When a new threat emerges, the legendary bird of fire – the Phoenix – spreading fire like a plague and whipping dragons into a frenzy, it’s a perfect task for Williams, but killing the Phoenix just brings it back stronger. Is that too much excitement, even for Williams?

File Under: Fantasy [ Smoke Em | Catch and Release | Fire Bird | Arson About ]

Book 1

Peter McLean (2016)

Priest of Lies
War for the Rose Throne 1
Ace, July 2, 2019
Trade Paperback and eBook, 368 pages

Tomas Piety has been many things: soldier, priest, gangster…and spy. As Tomas’s power grows, the nobility better watch their backs, in this dark and gritty epic fantasy series.

People are weak, and the poorer and more oppressed they are, the weaker they become–until they can’t take it anymore. And when  they rise up…may the gods help their oppressors.

When Tomas Piety returned from the war, he just wanted to rebuild his empire of crime with his gang of Pious Men. But his past as a spy for the Queen’s Men drew him back in and brought him more power than he ever imagined.

Now, with half of his city in ashes and the Queen’s Men at his back, the webs of political intrigue stretch out from the capital to pull Tomas in. Dannsburg is calling.

In Dannsburg the nobility fight with words, not blades, but the results are every bit as bloody. In this pit of beasts, Tomas must decide once and for all whether he is truly the people’s champion…or just a priest of lies.

Book 1

Each month you will be able to vote for your favorite cover from that month's debut novels. At the end of the year the 12 monthly winners will be pitted against each other to choose the 2018 Debut Novel Cover of the Year. Please note that a debut novel cover is eligible in the month in which the novel is published in the US. Cover artist/illustrator/designer information is provided when we have it.

I'm using PollCode for this vote. After you the check the circle next to your favorite, click "Vote" to record your vote. If you'd like to see the real-time results click "View". This will take you to the PollCode site where you may see the results. If you want to come back to The Qwillery click "Back" and you will return to this page. Voting will end sometime on April 12, 2018.

Vote for your favorite March 2018 Debut Cover!

Anna Undreaming

The Coincidence Makers

Dayfall

The Feed

The Glass Blade

Mr. Neutron

The Queens of Innis Lear

Quietus

Rainbirds

The Silent Companions

Sisyphean

Smoke Eaters

Tomorrow

Torn

The Wild Inside

 

pollcode.com free polls

TQ:  Welcome to The Qwillery. What is the first fiction piece you remember writing?

Clarissa:  When I was still in elementary school, I wrote a horror short story about a group of kids who ventured into a haunted house. I sent the handwritten manuscript to a daily newspaper based in Surabaya, my hometown. Needless to say, my amateurish attempt never made it into the paper, but I fondly remember standing in front of a mailbox by the main road, praying intently, before dropping my envelope in.



TQ:  Are you a plotter, a pantser or a hybrid?

Clarissa:  A pantser! I usually have a clear idea of a beginning, a sense of ending, and some sort of key scenes I’d like to include—but nothing in-between. I just write and write and write, hoping that eventually, they’ll turn into something.



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

Clarissa:  Proofreading, especially after I’ve grown too close to my work. Reading from print-outs usually helps, so does taking a couple of weeks’ break.



TQ:  What has influenced / influences your writing?

Clarissa:  My mother tongue is Indonesian, and I think being a non-native writer influences my writing. Some people told me there is a translation quality in my writing style, which suits the kind of story I’m writing. I’m also a huge fan of contemporary Japanese literature and manga (Japanese comics), which plays a huge part in why I chose to set Rainbirds in Japan.



TQ:  Describe Rainbirds in 140 characters or less.

Clarissa:  Rainbirds follows a young man’s path to self-discovery as he struggles with his sister’s unsolved murder. It’s a literary mystery with elements of magical realism.



TQ:  Tell us something about Rainbirds that is not found in the book description.

Clarissa:  Rainbirds features a lot of my favorite things: classic books, great songs, delicious foods (Japanese staples, desserts and chocolates, my usual picks from the convenience stores), beautiful sports cars from the nineties, and of course, my favorite type of weather—rainy days!



TQ:  What inspired you to write Rainbirds?

Clarissa:  Sometime in 2011, a question came into my mind one afternoon: “What if one day someone I cared about suddenly passed away, and I realized too late I never got to know them well?” The idea struck me strongly, and I knew I had to write this story.



TQ:  What sort of research did you do for Rainbirds?

Clarissa:  A huge manga fan, I studied Japanese language and was part of the Japanese culture club in high school, so the Japanese culture wasn’t something totally new, but I wanted all the details to be as accurate as possible. I consulted a number of books and article on customs I wasn’t familiar with, for example, the funeral ceremony. As Rainbirds is set in 1994, I also studied what happened during that year. I have print-outs of the historical weather report and the moon phase data in my research folder.



TQ:  Please tell us about the cover for Rainbirds.

Clarissa:  As a lover of beautiful covers, I do judge a book by its cover.

In the early stages, my editor asked if I had an idea of what kind of cover might be suitable. I came up with an embarrassingly long and detailed answer. But in the end, I did say something along the lines of, “You know what, just surprise me.”

Indeed, the cover wasn’t like anything I had in mind—but it’s stunning! Look at those gorgeous colors! Obviously, I’m biased, but I really love the end result. The cover is so beautiful, I remember thinking, “Wow, this is the kind of book I would buy just because it looks so pretty.”

As for the image: dream plays a big part in Rainbirds, and the goldfish is featured in one the dream scenes.



TQ:  In Rainbirds who was the easiest character to write and why? The hardest and why?

Clarissa:  I enjoyed writing Rio Nakajima, a young girl the narrator affectionately called ‘Seven Stars’, after the brand of cigarettes she smoked. She’s smart, bold, and at times—extremely rash. I love how her personality clashes with the narrator’s. I had a lot of fun writing her scenes.

The most challenging character to write is Keiko Ishida, the narrator’s seemingly perfect older sister whose death is the catalyst for the story. It took me multiple drafts over the years to figure out what kind of person she really was, why she did what she did, and all the secrets she took along with her the night she was murdered.



TQ:  Can you talk about the magical realism elements in Rainbirds? What draws you into it?

Clarissa:  In Rainbirds, the dream world often merges into reality.

I’m always intrigued by the concept of a dream and how we perceive it. In my experience, a dream comes in various forms—sometimes it’s crystal clear, sometimes it’s muddy and confusing. A few times I dreamt of something I thought had happened, and other times something happened and I remembered I’d dreamt about it.

I’m fascinated by how dreams can seamlessly blend into real life. It’s surreal, yet also, completely natural.



TQ:  Give us one or two of your favorite non-spoilery quotes from Rainbirds.

Clarissa:

“Most of the noises around us are unnecessary. My ears block that noise.”

“The trouble with emotional pain is, you can’t see the wound. But it’s still there. It’s real.”



TQ:  What's next?

Clarissa:  I’m currently working on two novels. One of them is literary suspense, while the other is a literary mystery. Just like Rainbirds, both of them are set in Japan. The three novels are not in a series, but they are interrelated. Characters in one book will make appearances in the others. I hope readers of Rainbirds will have fun guessing who they are.



TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Clarissa:  Thank you for having me ☺

Rainbirds
Soho Press, March 6, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 336 pages

Set in an imagined town outside Tokyo, Clarissa Goenawan’s dark, spellbinding literary debut follows a young man’s path to self-discovery in the wake of his sister’s murder.

Ren Ishida has nearly completed his graduate degree at Keio University when he receives news of his sister’s violent death. Keiko was stabbed one rainy night on her way home, and there are no leads. Ren heads to Akakawa to conclude his sister’s affairs, failing to understand why she chose to turn her back on the family and Tokyo for this desolate place years ago.

But then Ren is offered Keiko’s newly vacant teaching position at a prestigious local cram school and her bizarre former arrangement of free lodging at a wealthy politician’s mansion in exchange for reading to the man’s ailing wife. He accepts both, abandoning Tokyo and his crumbling relationship there in order to better understand his sister’s life and what took place the night of her death.

As Ren comes to know the eccentric local figures, from the enigmatic politician who’s boarding him to his fellow teachers and a rebellious, captivating young female student, he delves into his shared childhood with Keiko and what followed. Haunted in his dreams by a young girl who is desperately trying to tell him something, Ren realizes that Keiko Ishida kept many secrets, even from him.

About Clarissa

Clarissa Goenawan is an Indonesian-born Singaporean writer. Her debut novel, Rainbirds, is the winner of the 2015 Bath Novel Award. Her short stories have won several awards and been published in various literary magazines and anthologies, such as The MacGuffin, Your Impossible Voice, Esquire, Monsoon Book, Writing The City, Needle in the Hay, and many others. She loves rainy days, pretty books, and hot green tea.


Website  ~  Twitter @ClaireClaire05  ~  Facebook

Happy 1st Monday in March!


There are 7 debuts this week:

The Coincidence Makers by Yoav Blum;

Rainbirds by Clarissa Goenawan;

Smoke Eaters by Sean Grigsby;

Quietus by Tristan Palmgren;

Mr. Neutron by Joe Ponepinto;

The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell;

and

The Glass Blade (Hunters of Infinity 1) by Ryan Wieser.




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

Highland Dragon Master (Dawn of the Highland Dragon 3) by Isabel Cooper;

Queen of Struggle (The Memory Thief 2) by Nik Korpon;

Lady Henterman's Wardrobe ( Streets of Maradaine 2) by Marshall Ryan Maresca;

and

The Song Rising (The Bone Season 3) by Samantha Shannon is out in Trade Paperback.

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

March 5, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Silver Stag (e)	Yasmine Galenorn	DF - The Wild Hunt 1

March 6, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Magos	Dan Abnett	SF - Eisenhorn 4
Awayland: Stories	Ramona Ausubel	LF - Collection
Census	Jesse Ball	LF/SF
Lake Silence	Anne Bishop	DF/CF/FR - World of the Others, The 1
The Coincidence Makers (D)	Yoav Blum	LF/F/MR
Burn Bright	Patricia Briggs	RF/UF - Alpha and Omega 5
Firebrand	Kristen Britain	F/DF - Green Rider 6
Hooked on a Phoenix	Ashlyn Chase	PNR - Phoenix Brothers 1
Highland Dragon Master	Isabel Cooper	Hist/PNR - Dawn of the Highland Dragon 3
Star Destroyers	Tony Daniel (Ed) Christopher Ruocchio (Ed)	SF/SO - Anthology
Blackout (tp2mm)	Marc Elsberg	TechTh
The Last Jedi: Expanded Edition	Jason Fry	SF/SO/MTI - Star Wars
The Cold Eye (h2tp)	Laura Anne Gilman	HistF - The Devil's West 2
Awakening the Shifter	Jane Godman	PNR
Rainbirds (D)	Clarissa Goenawan	Psy/Cr/MR
Blood of the Four	Christopher Golden Tim Lebbon	F
Killing in C Sharp	Alexia Gordon	SupM - A Gethsemane Brown Mystery 3
Dark Alpha's Night (e)	Donna Grant	PNR - Reapers 5
Smoke Eaters (D)	Sean Grigsby	SF
Doctor Who: The Book of Whoniversal Records: Official Timey-Wimey Edition (e)	Simon Guerrier	SF - Doctor Who
Forbidden Stranger (e)	Megan Hart	SFR - The Protector 3
An American Witch in Paris	Michele Hauf	PNR
Cadia Stands	Justin D. Hill	SF - Astra Militarum
Queen of the Struggle	Nik Korpon	SF/AP/PA - The Memory Thief 2
If Tomorrow Comes	Nancy Kress	HSF/AC/GenEng - Yesterday's Kin Trilogy 2
Sins of Her Father	Mike Kupari	SF/SO
The Changeling (h2tp)	Victor LaValle	LF/F/CF
Princess of Blood	Tom Lloyd	F - God Fragments 2
Alpha Unleashed	Kathy Lyons	PNR - Grizzlies Gone Wild 4
Lady Henterman's Wardrobe	Marshall Ryan Maresca	F/UF - Streets of Maradaine 2
The Burning World (h2tp)	Isaac Marion	LF - Warm Bodies  2
Tricks for Free	Seanan McGuire	DF/P/UF - InCryptid 7
The Warrior Within	Angus McIntyre	SF/SO
High Voltage	Karen Marie Moning	PNR/P/FR - Fever 10
Man-Kzin Wars IV (e)(ri)	Larry Niven	SF - Man-Kzin Wars 4
Quietus (D)	Tristan Palmgren	HSF/HistF/Rel
Typescript of the Second Origin	Manuel De Pedrolo Sara Martin (Tr)	SF
The Silent Companions (D-US)	Laura Purcell	Hist/Gothic/GH
Master Assassins	Robert V.S. Redick	F - The Fire Sacraments 1
The Spear of Shadows	Josh Reynolds	F - Eight Lamentations 1
New York 2140 (h2tp)	Kim Stanley Robinson	HSF
Fever Dream (h2tp)	Samanta Schweblin Megan McDowell (Tr)	LF/Psy/H
The Song Rising (h2tp)	Samantha Shannon	F - The Bone Season 3
Flight of the White Wolf	Terry Spear	PNR - White Wolf 2
The Ashes of Prospero	Gav Thorpe	SF - Space Marine Conquests 2
Beren and Lúthien (h2tp)	J.R.R. Tolkien Christopher Tolkien (Ed)	F
The Shape of Water	Guillermo del Toro Daniel Kraus	FR/MR/Hist
The Refrigerator Monologues (h2tp)	Catherynne M. Valente	CF
A Call to Vengeance	David Weber Timothy Zahn Thomas Pope	SF - Manticore Ascendant 3
The Glass Blade (D)	Ryan Wieser	F - Hunters of Infinity 1
Daughters of the Storm	Kim Wilkins	F - Daughters of the Storm 1
Guardian Angels and Other Monsters	Daniel H. Wilson	SF/HSF - Collection

March 7, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Mr. Neutron (D)	Joe Ponepinto	LF/Satire

March 9, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Bridges to Science Fiction and Fantasy: Outstanding Essays from the J. Lloyd Eaton Conferences	Gregory Benford (Ed) Gary Westfahl (Ed) Howard V. Hendrix (Ed) Joseph D. Miller (Ed)	SF/F/HC
Somnium	Steve Moore	Hist

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



AC - Alien Contact
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
Cr - Crime
CyP - Cyberpunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
GN - Graphic Novel
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
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
PM - Paranormal Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
PoliSci - Political Science
Psy - Psychological
Rel - Religious
RF - Romantic Fantasy
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SO - Space Opera
SocSci - Social Science
SoGothic - Southern Gothic
SP - Steampunk
Sup - Supernatural
SupM - Supernatural Mystery
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy

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

Michael David Ares

Dayfall
Tor Books, March 13, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 288 pages

FEAR THE DAY

In the near future, patches of the northern hemisphere have been shrouded in years of darkness from a nuclear winter, and the water level has risen in the North Atlantic. The island of Manhattan has lost its outer edges to flooding and is now ringed by a large seawall.

The darkness and isolation have allowed crime and sin to thrive in the never-ending shadows of the once great city, and when the sun finally begins to reappear, everything gets worse. A serial killer cuts a bloody swath across the city during the initial periods of daylight, and a violent panic sweeps through crowds on the streets. The Manhattan police, riddled with corruption and apathy, are at a loss.

That's when the Mayor recruits Jon Phillips, a small-town Pennsylvania cop who had just single-handedly stopped a high-profile serial killer in his own area, and flies him into the insanity of this new New York City. The young detective is partnered with a shady older cop and begins to investigate the crimes amidst the vagaries of a twenty-four hour nightlife he has never experienced before. Soon realizing that he was chosen for reasons other than what he was told, Jon is left with no one to trust and forced to go on the run in the dark streets, and below them in the maze of the underground. Against all odds he still hopes that he can save his own life, the woman of his dreams, and maybe even the whole city before the arrival of the mysterious and dreaded event that has come to be known as…. DAYFALL.

Yoav Blum

The Coincidence Makers
St. Martin's Press, March 6, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 304 pages

In this genre-bending novel, there is no such thing as chance and every action is carefully executed by highly trained agents. You’ll never look at coincidences the same way again.

What if the drink you just spilled, the train you just missed, or the lottery ticket you just found was not just a random occurrence? What if it’s all part of a bigger plan? What if there’s no such thing as a chance encounter? What if there are people we don’t know determining our destiny? And what if they are even planning the fate of the world?

Enter the Coincidence Makers—Guy, Emily, and Eric—three seemingly ordinary people who work for a secret organization devoted to creating and carrying out coincidences. What the rest of the world sees as random occurrences, are, in fact, carefully orchestrated events designed to spark significant changes in the lives of their targets—scientists on the brink of breakthroughs, struggling artists starved for inspiration, loves to be, or just plain people like you and me…

When an assignment of the highest level is slipped under Guy’s door one night, he knows it will be the most difficult and dangerous coincidence he’s ever had to fulfill. But not even a coincidence maker can see how this assignment is about to change all their lives and teach them the true nature of fate, free will, and the real meaning of love.

Part thriller, part mystery, part love story—Kirkus calls Yoav Blum's The Coincidence Makers “a smart, unpredictable, and heartfelt adventure story.”

Jamey Bradbury

The Wild Inside
William Morrow, March 20, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 304 pages

"The Wild Inside is an unusual love story and a creepy horror novel — think of the Brontë sisters and Stephen King." —John Irving

A promising talent makes her electrifying debut with this unforgettable novel, set in the Alaskan wilderness, that is a fusion of psychological thriller and coming-of-age tale in the vein of Jennifer McMahon, Chris Bohjalian, and Mary Kubica.

A natural born trapper and hunter raised in the Alaskan wilderness, Tracy Petrikoff spends her days tracking animals and running with her dogs in the remote forests surrounding her family’s home. Though she feels safe in this untamed land, Tracy still follows her late mother’s rules: Never Lose Sight of the House. Never Come Home with Dirty Hands. And, above all else, Never Make a Person Bleed.

But these precautions aren’t enough to protect Tracy when a stranger attacks her in the woods and knocks her unconscious. The next day, she glimpses an eerily familiar man emerge from the tree line, gravely injured from a vicious knife wound—a wound from a hunting knife similar to the one she carries in her pocket. Was this the man who attacked her and did she almost kill him? With her memories of the events jumbled, Tracy can’t be sure.

Helping her father cope with her mother’s death and prepare for the approaching Iditarod, she doesn’t have time to think about what she may have done. Then a mysterious wanderer appears, looking for a job. Tracy senses that Jesse Goodwin is hiding something, but she can’t warn her father without explaining about the attack—or why she’s kept it to herself.

It soon becomes clear that something dangerous is going on . . . the way Jesse has wormed his way into the family . . . the threatening face of the stranger in a crowd . . . the boot-prints she finds at the forest’s edge.

Her family is in trouble. Will uncovering the truth protect them—or is the threat closer than Tracy suspects?

Damian Dibben

Tomorrow
Hanover Square Press, March 20, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 336 pages

A winter’s night, Venice, 1815. A 217-year-old dog is searching for his lost master.

So begins the journey of Tomorrow, a dog who must travel through the courts and battlefields of Europe—and through the centuries—in search of the man who granted him immortality. His adventures take him to the London Frost Fair, the strange court of King Charles I, the wars of the Spanish succession, Versailles, the golden age of Amsterdam and to nineteenth-century Venice.

His is a story of loyalty and determination, as Tomorrow befriends both animals and humans, falls in love (only once), marvels at the human ability to make music, despairs at their capacity for war and gains insight into both the strength and frailties of the human spirit. But Tomorrow’s journey is also a race against time. Danger stalks his path, and in the shadows lurks an old enemy. Tomorrow must find his master before their pursuer can reach him and his master disappears forever.

A spellbinding story of hope in the face of despair, Tomorrow draws us into a century-spanning tale of humanity and the unbreakable bond between two souls. After all, what is lost can surely be found…

Clarissa Goenawan

Rainbirds
Soho Press, March 6, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 336 pages

Set in an imagined town outside Tokyo, Clarissa Goenawan’s dark, spellbinding literary debut follows a young man’s path to self-discovery in the wake of his sister’s murder.

Ren Ishida has nearly completed his graduate degree at Keio University when he receives news of his sister’s violent death. Keiko was stabbed one rainy night on her way home, and there are no leads. Ren heads to Akakawa to conclude his sister’s affairs, failing to understand why she chose to turn her back on the family and Tokyo for this desolate place years ago.

But then Ren is offered Keiko’s newly vacant teaching position at a prestigious local cram school and her bizarre former arrangement of free lodging at a wealthy politician’s mansion in exchange for reading to the man’s ailing wife. He accepts both, abandoning Tokyo and his crumbling relationship there in order to better understand his sister’s life and what took place the night of her death.

As Ren comes to know the eccentric local figures, from the enigmatic politician who’s boarding him to his fellow teachers and a rebellious, captivating young female student, he delves into his shared childhood with Keiko and what followed. Haunted in his dreams by a young girl who is desperately trying to tell him something, Ren realizes that Keiko Ishida kept many secrets, even from him.

Tessa Gratton

The Queens of Innis Lear
Tor Books, March 27, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 576 pages
(Debut -Adult)

Dynasties battle for the crown in Tessa Gratton's debut adult epic fantasy, The Queens of Innis Lear.

Three Queens. One crown. All out war.

Gaela. Ruthless Commander.
I am the rightful heir of Innis Lear. No more will I wait in the shadows and watch my mother’s murderer bleed my island dry.

The King’s hold on the crown must end—willingly or at the edge of my sword.

Regan. Master Manipulator.
To secure my place on the throne, I must produce an heir. Countless times I have fed the island’s forests my blood. Yet, my ambition is cursed.

No matter what or whom Imust destroy, I will wield the magic of Innis Lear.

Elia. Star-blessed Priest.
My sisters hide in the shadows like serpents, waiting to strike our ailing king. I must protect my father, even if it means marrying a stranger.

We all have to make sacrifices. Love and freedom will be mine.

"Amazing. Just Amazing."--Robin McKinley

Sean Grigsby

Smoke Eaters
Angry Robot, March 6, 2018
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

When dragons rise from the earth, firefighters are humanity’s last line of defence, in this wild near-future fantasy.

Firefighter Cole Brannigan is on the verge of retirement after 30 years on the job, and a decade fighting dragons. But during his final fire call, he discovers he’s immune to dragon smoke. It’s such a rare power that he’s immediately conscripted into the elite dragon-fighting force known as the Smoke Eaters. Retirement cancelled, Brannigan is re-assigned as a lowly rookie, chafing under his superiors. So when he discovers a plot to take over the city’s government, he takes matters into his own hands. With hundreds of innocent civilians in the crosshairs, it’s up to Brannigan and his fellow Smoke Eaters to repel the dragon menace.

File Under: Fantasy [ Scaly Firestarters | Final Call Out | Wraith of Flames | Enter the Fireman ]

Rowenna Miller

Torn
The Unraveled Kingdom 1
Orbit, March 20, 2018
Trade Paperback and eBook, 480 pages

TORN is the first book in an enchanting debut fantasy series featuring a seamstress who stitches magic into clothing, and the mounting political uprising that forces her to choose between her family and her ambitions, for fans of The Queen of the Tearling.

Sophie is a dressmaker who has managed to open her own shop and lift herself and her brother, Kristos, out of poverty. Her reputation for beautiful ball gowns and discreetly-embroidered charms for luck, love, and protection secures her a commission from the royal family itself -- and the commission earns her the attentions of a dashing but entirely unattainable duke.

Meanwhile, Kristos rises to prominence in the growing anti-monarchist movement. Their worlds collide when the revolution's shadow leader takes him hostage and demands that Sophie place a curse on the queen's Midwinter costume -- or Kristos will die at their hand.

As the proletariat uprising comes to a violent climax, Sophie is torn: between her brother and the community of her birth, and her lover and the life she's striven to build.

Tristan Palmgren

Quietus
Angry Robot, March 6, 2018
Trade Paperback and eBook, 512 pages

A transdimensional anthropologist can’t keep herself from interfering with Earth’s darkest period of history in this brilliant science fiction debut

Niccolucio, a young Florentine Carthusian monk, leads a devout life until the Black Death kills all of his brothers, leaving him alone and filled with doubt. Habidah, an anthropologist from another universe racked by plague, is overwhelmed by the suffering. Unable to maintain her observer neutrality, she saves Niccolucio from the brink of death.

Habidah discovers that neither her home’s plague nor her assignment on Niccolucio’s world are as she’s been led to believe. Suddenly the pair are drawn into a worlds-spanning conspiracy to topple an empire larger than the human imagination can contain.

File Under: Science Fiction [ The Watcher | Darkness Comes | The Light of Faith | Darkness Beckons ]

Joe Ponepinto

Mr. Neutron
7.13 Books, March 7, 2018
Trade Paperback and eBook, 300 pages

In the smallish American city of Grand River, things are not so grand. The river is hopelessly polluted. City officials are in the pockets of oligarchs. And its best hope for meaningful change is a platitude-spouting eight-foot giant named Reason Wilder running for mayor.

Gray Davenport, a veteran political operative, isn t faring much better than his hometown. His wife is about to leave him. He s working for a mayoral candidate who has no chance to win and who can t even pay for Gray s services. When Gray notices that Reason may not be human, Gray embarks on a quest to uncover the truth about Reason s mysterious origins, and the truth promises to change Grand River and Gray forever.

A satirical mashup of Frankenstein and Veep, Mr. Neutron is a hilarious genre-bender that speaks to the unpredictable nature of American politics today.

Laura Purcell

The Silent Companions
Penguin Books, March 6, 2018
Trade Paperback and eBook, 320 pages

“If The Silent Companions lands on your night table, don’t plan on leaving your bed anytime soon.” —Lyndsay Faye, bestselling author of Jane Steele

When newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband’s crumbling country estate, what greets her is far from the life of wealth and privilege she was expecting . . .

When Elsie married handsome young heir Rupert Bainbridge, she believed she was destined for a life of luxury. But with her husband dead just weeks after their marriage, her new servants resentful, and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie has only her husband’s awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. Inside her new home lies a locked door, beyond which is a painted wooden figure—a silent companion—that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself. The residents of the estate are terrified of the figure, but Elsie tries to shrug this off as simple superstition—that is, until she notices the figure’s eyes following her.

A Victorian ghost story that evokes a most unsettling kind of fear, The Silent Companions is a tale that creeps its way through the consciousness in ways you least expect—much like the companions themselves.

“A perfect read for a winter night . . . An intriguing, nuanced and genuinely eerie slice of Victorian gothic.” —The Guardian

Dempow Torishima
Daniel Huddleston, Translator

Sisyphean
Sisyphean Series
Haikasoru, March 20, 2018
Trade Paperback and eBook, 304 pages
(Debut - English)

Even after the world and humanity itself have been rendered nearly unrecognizable by genetic engineering, a day in the office can feel…Sisyphean.

The company stands atop a tiny deck supported by huge iron columns a hundred meters high. The boss there is its president—a large creature of unstable, shifting form once called “human.” The world of his dedicated worker contains only the deck and the sea of mud surrounding it, and and the worker’s daily routine is anything but peaceful. A mosaic novel of extreme science and high weirdness, Sisyphean will change the way you see existence itself.

A strange journey into the far future of genetic engineering, and working life. After centuries of tinkering, many human bodies only have a casual similarity to what we now know, but both work and school continue apace. Will the enigmatic sad sack known only as “the worker” survive the day? Will the young student Hanishibe get his questions about the biological future of humanity answered, or will he have to transfer to the department of theology? Will Umari and her master ever comprehend the secrets of nanodust?

Thomas Welsh

Anna Undreaming
Metiks Fade Trilogy 1
Owl Hollow Press, March 20, 2018
Trade Paperback and eBook, 368 pages

Anna is a student surviving the city, and she lives by a simple credo, “Never play their game; their game is always rigged.” For every man she has ever known, it’s a saying that has served her well.

Especially when Anna becomes lost to the dark heart of the city. She finds herself hunted by Dreamers—artists, both good and evil, who construct new worlds—within a complex community that threatens to undermine reality itself. When Anna learns that she’s an Undreamer with powers she cannot yet comprehend, she must travel through their strange and treacherous creations to discover that there’s as much beauty in life as there is darkness. As her existence spirals into wonder and danger, Anna must look deep within herself and face the horrors of her own past, to save her old world as well as her new one.

Anna Undreaming is the first book in the The Metiks Fade trilogy.

Ryan Wieser

The Glass Blade
Hunters of Infinity Trilogy 1
Rebal Base, March 6, 2018
Trade Paperback and eBook, 265 pages

The Hunters of Infinity have been protecting the Daharian galaxy for years, but there has never been a female Hunter—until now.

In a seedy bar in the shadowy corners of Daharia, Jessop comes to the rescue of young Hunter Kohl O’Hanlon. Impressed by her remarkable sword-wielding skills, the Hunters invite her to their training facility, the Glass Blade, though not all are pleased with the intrusion. But they soon discover that Jessop learned to fight from the rogue leader of the Shadow City of Aranthol—and escaped. Now they want to use her intimate knowledge of their enemy to destroy him. As Jessop grows closer to this elite brotherhood, their leader succumbs to a mysterious ailment, and Kohl learns that Jessop is hiding dark secrets, raising suspicions about the enigmatic woman who saved his life. Has the Hunters’ security been breached—or do they have a traitor in their ranks?

Allegiances will be questioned.

Loyalties will be betrayed.

Vengeance will be brutal.

Nick Clark Windo

The Feed
William Morrow, March 13, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 336 pages

Set in a post-apocalyptic world as unique and vividly imagined as those of Station Eleven and The Girl with All the Gifts, a startling and timely debut that explores what it is to be human and what it truly means to be connected in the digital age.

IT MAKES US. IT DESTROYS US. NOW WE MUST LEARN TO LIVE WITHOUT IT.

The Feed is accessible everywhere, by everyone, at any time. It instantaneously links us to all information and global events as they break. Every interaction, every emotion, every image can be shared through it; it is the essential tool everyone relies on to know and understand the thoughts and feelings of partners, parents, friends, children, colleagues, bosses, employees . . . in fact, of anyone and everyone else in the world.

Tom and Kate use the Feed, but Tom has resisted its addiction, which makes him suspect to his family. After all, his father created it. But that opposition to constant connection serves Tom and Kate well when the Feed collapses after a horrific tragedy shatters the world as they know it.

The Feed’s collapse, taking modern society with it, leaves people scavenging to survive. Finding food is truly a matter of life and death. Minor ailments, previously treatable, now kill. And while the collapse has demolished the trappings of the modern world, it has also eroded trust. In a world where survival of the fittest is a way of life, there is no one to depend upon except yourself . . . and maybe even that is no longer true.

Tom and Kate have managed to protect themselves and their family. But then their six-year-old daughter, Bea, goes missing. Who has taken her? How do you begin to look for someone in a world without technology? And what happens when you can no longer even be certain that the people you love are really who they claim to be?