The Qwillery

Happy 1st Monday in March!

There are 6 debuts this week:

Creation (Spin Trilogy 1) by Andrew Bannister;

Famous Men Who Never Lived by K. Chess;

The Migration by Helen Marshall;

The Reign of the Kingfisher by T.J. Martinson;

Infinite Detail by Tim Maughan;

and

Today I Am Carey by Martin L. Shoemaker.




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

Fireweed and Brimstone (Grim Reality 3) by Boone Brux;

In the Valley of the Sun by Andy Davidson is out in Trade Paperback;

The Point by John Dixon is out in Trade Paperback;

Mahimata (Asiana 2) by Rati Mehotra;

The Bayern Agenda by Dan Moren,

If This Goes On: The Science Fiction Future of Today's Politics edited by Cat Rambo;

Pure Chocolate (Chocoverse 2) by Amber Royer;

and

The Last Dog on Earth by Adrian J. Walker.

Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.

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

March 5, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
12 Tales Lie, 1 Tells True (e)	Maria Alexander	H - Collection
The Sea Beast Takes a Lover: Stories (h2tp)	Michael Andreasen	LF/SS/CF - Collection
Invisible Ecologies	Rachel Armstrong	HSF/SF
Creation Machine (D)	Andrew Bannister	SF/SO/HSF - Spin Trilogy 1
Ancestral Night	Elizabeth Bear	SF/SO - White Space 1
Wild Country	Anne Bishop	DF/CF/AH - World of the Others 2
Firebrand (tp2mm)	Kristen Britain	F/DF - Green Rider 6
Famous Men Who Never Lived (D)	K. Chess	SF/AP/PA
In the Valley of the Sun (h2tp)	Andy Davidson	H
Hoka! Hoka! Hoka! (ri)	Gordon R. Dickson Poul Anderson	SF/SO
The Point (h2tp)	John Dixon	SF/Th
String City	Graham Edwards	SF
Emergent	Lance Erlick	CyP/GenEng - Android Chronicles 3
Jacked Cat Jive	Rhys Ford	CF - Kai Gracen Series 3
Mad Lizard Mambo (ri)	Rhys Ford	CF - Kai Gracen Series 2
Black Dog Blues (ri)	Rhys Ford	CF - Kai Gracen Series 1
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (ri)	Neil Gaiman Terry Pratchett	MTI/F/HU
The Women's War	Jenna Glass	F - The Women's War 1
The Far Far Better Thing (e)	Auston Habershaw	F/DF - Saga of the Redeemed
Alice Payne Rides	Kate Heartfield	SF/TT/SP - Alice Payne 2
The Controllers	Paul Kane	SF - Collection
The Hunger (h2tp)	Alma Katsu	PsyTh/Hist/Occ/Sup
Another Kingdom	Andrew Klavan	F - Another Kingdom 1
The Wall	John Lanchester	LF/Dys
The Migration (D)	Helen Marshall	Dys/LF/H
The Reign of the Kingfisher (D)	T.J. Martinson	Sus/SH
Infinite Detail (D)	Tim Maughan	SF/Dys
That Ain't Witchcraft	Seanan McGuire	UF/P/HU - InCryptid 8
Mahimata	Rati Mehrotra	F - Asiana 2
While You Sleep	Stephanie Merritt	Th
The Bayern Agenda	Dan Moren	SF/Th - Galactic Cold War 1
Gingerbread	Helen Oyeyemi	LF/FairyT/FolkT/LM/MR
If This Goes On: The Science Fiction Future of Today's Politics	Cat Rambo (Ed)	SF - Anthology
The Unknown Soldier (e)(ri)	Mickey Zucker Reichert	F
Voices of the Fall	John Ringo (Ed) Gary Poole (Ed)	SF - Black Tide Rising Anthology
Pure Chocolate	Amber Royer	SF/SO/SFR - The Chocoverse 2
Today I Am Carey (D)	Martin L. Shoemaker	SF/HSF
The Last Dog on Earth	Adrian J. Walker	Dys/SF/AP/PA

March 6, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Knowledgeable Creatures: A Tor.com Original (e)	Christopher Rowe	F

March 8, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Fireweed and Brimstone (e)	Boone Brux	UF - Grim Reality 3
Blood They Brought and Other Stories	Ed Kurtz	H - Collection

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.

Happy First Monday in August.

There are 2 debuts this week:

A Short Film About Disappointment by Joshua Mattson

and

Implanted by Lauren C. Teffeau.

Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.


From formerly featured DAC Authors

King of Assassins (The Wounded Kingdom 3) by RJ Barker;

The Tao Novels by Wesley Chu are out in eBook Bundle;

The Point by John Dixon;

Temper by Nicky Drayden;

Tarnished City (Dark Gifts 2) by Vic James is out in Trade Paperback;

Friendly Fire (The Fifth Ward 2) by Dale Lucas;

Null States (The Centenal Cycle 2) by Malka Older is out in Trade Paperback;

The Recoletta Novels by Carrie Patel are out in eBook Bundle;

Legends of the Duskwalker by Jay Posey are out in eBook Bundle;

The Tower of Living and Dying (Empire of Dust 2) by Anna Smith Spark;

Herokiller by Paul Tassi;

and

The Tropic of Eternity (The Amaranthine Cycle 3) by Tom Toner.

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

August 6, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Iron Bones (e)	Yasmine Galenorn	PNR - Wild Hunt 3
City of Kings	Rob J Hayes	F

August 7, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Garrison Girl	Rachel Aaron	Dys/SF - Attack on Titan
Bad Man	David Auerbach	H/PsyTh/Sus
King of Assassins	RJ Barker	F - The Wounded Kingdom 3
The Divine Cities Trilogy: City of Stairs, City of Blades, and City of Miracles, with an excerpt from Foundryside (e)	Robert Jackson Bennett	F - The Divine Cities
The Third Hotel	Laura van den Berg	LF/Psy
The Tao Novels - Limited Edition (e)	Wesley Chu	SF/AP/PA
Knightsblade	Andy Clark	SF- Imperial Knights 2
The Outposter (ri)	Gordon R. Dickson	SF
The Point	John Dixon	SF/Th
Temper	Nicky Drayden	CF
Gift of Griffins	V. M. Escalada	F - Faraman Prophecy 2
Halls of Law (h2mm)	V. M. Escalada	F - Faraman Prophecy 1
Worlds 2	Eric Flint	SF - Collection
Seven Stones to Stand or Fall: A Collection of Outlander Fiction (h2tp)	Diana Gabaldon	Hist/HistF - Collection
The Burden of Loyalty	Laurie Goulding (Ed)	SF - The Horus Heresy 48
Dark Alpha's Hunger (e)	Donna Grant	PNR - Reapers 6
Serpentine	Laurell K. Hamilton	P/UF/H -Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter 26
The Triumph of the Dwarves	Markus Heitz	F - The Dwarves
A Girl of White Winter	Barb Hendee	HistF/DF - Dark Glass 3
The Talented Ribkins (h2tp)	Ladee Hubbard	CF/FL
Tarnished City (h2tp)	Vic James	CF/Dys - Dark Gifts 2
Bellewether	Susanna Kearsley	MR/P/Hist/TTR/PNR
In a Time of Treason	David Keck	F - The Tales of Durand 2
Avalanche: The Secret World Chronicles	Mercedes Lackey Cody Martin Dennis Lee Veronica Giguere	SF - Secret World Chronicle 5
Solarpunk: Ecological and Fantastical Stories in a Sustainable World	Gerson Lodi-Ribeiro (Ed) Fabio Fernandes (Tr)	SF/HSF - Anthology
Friendly Fire	Dale Lucas	F - The Fifth Ward 2
In Truth and Claw	Ari Marmell	UF/DF/F - Mick Oberon Job 4
Wild Cards VIII: One-Eyed Jacks	George R. R. Martin (Ed)	SF/SH - Wild Cards 8
A Short Film About Disappointment (D)	Joshua Mattson	LF/Dys/Satire
Come Back to the Swamp	Laura Morrison	SupTh
Null States (h2tp)	Malka Older	SF/CyP/TechTh/PolTh - The Centenal Cycle 2
The Recoletta Novels - Limited Edition (e)	Carrie Patel	F
Legends of the Duskwalker - Limited Edition (e)	Jay Posey	SF/AP/PA/HSF
Alternate Routes	Tim Powers	CF
Lukas the Trickster	Josh Reynolds	SF - Lukas the Trickster 1
Haven	Adam Roberts	SF/AP/PA - The Aftermath 2
Before She Sleeps	Bina Shah	Dys
The Tower of Living and Dying	Anna Smith Spark	F - Empires of Dust 2
Herokiller	Paul Tassi	SF/Dys/Th
Implanted (D)	Lauren C. Teffeau	SF/CyP/AP/PA
The Tropic of Eternity	Tom Toner	SF/SO/AC - The Amaranthine Spectrum 3
The Seas of Distant Stars	Francesca G. Varela	SF
War for Armageddon: The Omnibus	Various	SF
The Double Star and Other Occult Fantasies	Jane de La Vaudère Brian Stableford (Tr)	H - Collection
An Informal History of the Hugos: A Personal Look Back at the Hugo Awards, 1953-2000	Jo Walton	LC/SF/F
Privateer	Margaret Weis Robert Krammes	F - The Dragon Corsairs 2
Rogue Protocol	Martha Wells	SF - The Murderbot Diaries 3
The Cityborn (h2mm)	Edward Willett	F/DF
Nebula Awards Showcase 2018	Jane Yolen (Ed)	SF/F - Anthology

August 9, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Frankenstein and Its Classics: The Modern Prometheus from Antiquity to Science Fiction	Jesse Weiner (Ed) Benjamin Eldon Stevens (Ed) Brett M. Rogers (Ed)	HC - Bloomsbury Studies in Classical Reception

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
AH - Alternate History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
Cr - Crime
CulH - Cultural Heritage
CW - Contemporary Woman
CyP - Cyberpunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
Gothic - Gothic
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humor
LC - Literary Criticism
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
MU - Mash Up
Noir - Noir
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PerfArts - Performing Arts
PI - Private Investigator
PNR - Paranormal Romance
PP - Police Procedural
PolTh - Political Thriller
Psy - Psychological
R - Romance
Sagas - Sagas
SF - Science Fiction
SH - Superheroes
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
TTR - Time Travel Romance
TV - Television
UF - Urban Fantasy
VisM - Visionary and Metaphysical

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

John Dixon (2014)

The Point
Del Rey, August 7, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 320 pages

What if you had a power you had to hide from everyone—until now? In this bold sci-fi action thriller, a secret training program at West Point is turning misfits into a new generation of heroes.

Welcome to The Point, future leaders of the Posthuman Age.

New cadets, society is not ready for you. The oldest, fiercest fear is ignorance. The general population would burn you at the metaphysical stake.

Here, you will train alongside other posthumans. You will learn to control and maximize your powers and to use them for the greater good. You will discover camaraderie and purpose.

You will become a part of something bigger than yourselves: the Long Gray Line.

Scarlett Winter has always been an outsider, and not only because she’s a hardcore daredevil and born troublemaker—she has been hiding superhuman powers she doesn’t yet understand. Now she’s been recruited by a secret West Point unit for cadets with extraordinary abilities. Scarlett and her fellow students are learning to hone their skills, from telekinetic combat to running recon missions through strangers’ dreamscapes. At The Point, Scarlett discovers that she may be the most powerful cadet of all. With the power to control pure energy, she’s a human nuclear bomb—and she’s not sure she can control her powers much longer.

Even in this army of outsiders, Scarlett feels like a misfit all over again, but when a threat arises from the school’s dark past that endangers her fellow students at The Point, duty calls and Scarlett must make a choice between being herself and becoming something even greater: a hero.

Linnea Hartsuyker (2017)

The Half-Drowned King
The Half-Drowned King 1
Harper Paperbacks, June 26, 2018
Trade Paperback, 464 pages
Hardcover and eBook, August 1, 2017

"Linnea Hartsuyker brings myth and legend roaring to life in this superbly good page-turning saga of Viking-era Norway. The book’s fiercest magic shines in the characters of Ragnvald and Svanhild, as unforgettable a brother and sister duo as I can remember. Linnea Hartsuyker is an exciting, original voice in historical fiction, and The Half-Drowned King is nothing short of mesmerizing."—Paula McLain, bestselling author of The Paris Wife and Circling the Sun

An exhilarating saga of the Vikings that conjures a brutal, superstitious, and thrilling ninth-century world and the birth of a kingdom—the debut installment in a historical literary trilogy that combines the bold imagination and sweeping narrative power of Game of Thrones, Vikings, and Outlander.

Centuries ago, in a blood-soaked land ruled by legendary gods and warring men, a prophecy foretold of a high king who would come to reign over all of the north. . . .

Ragnvald Eysteinsson, the son and grandson of kings, grew up believing that he would one day take his dead father’s place as chief of his family’s lands. But, sailing home from a raiding trip to Ireland, the young warrior is betrayed and left for dead by men in the pay of his greedy stepfather, Olaf. Rescued by a fisherman, Ragnvald is determined to have revenge for his stepfather’s betrayal, claim his birthright and the woman he loves, and rescue his beloved sister Svanhild. Opportunity may lie with Harald of Vestfold, the strong young Norse warrior rumored to be the prophesied king. Ragnvald pledges his sword to King Harald, a choice that will hold enormous consequence in the years to come.

While Ragnvald’s duty is to fight—and even die—for his honor, Svanhild must make an advantageous marriage, though her adventurous spirit yearns to see the world. Her stepfather, Olaf, has arranged a husband for her—a hard old man she neither loves nor desires. When the chance to escape Olaf’s cruelty comes at the hands of her brother’s arch rival, the shrewd young woman is forced to make a heartbreaking choice: family or freedom.

Set in a mystical and violent world defined by honor, loyalty, deceit, passion, and courage, The Half-Drowned King is an electrifying adventure that breathtakingly illuminates the Viking world and the birth of Scandinavia.

The Sea Queen
The Half-Drowned King 2
Harper, August 14, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 464 pages

The epic Viking saga begun in The Half-Drowned King continues with this exhilarating tale filled with the excitement, romantic adventure, political intrigue, violence, and rich history that have made Game of Thrones, Outlander, and Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology popular bestsellers.

Six years after The Half-Drowned King, Ragnvald Eysteinsson is now king of Sogn, but fighting battles for King Harald keeps him away from home, as he confronts treachery and navigates a political landscape that grows more dangerous the higher he rises.

Ragnvald’s sister Svanhild has found the freedom and adventure she craves at the side of the rebel explorer Solvi Hunthiofsson, though not without a cost. She longs for a home where her quiet son can grow strong, and a place where she can put down roots, even as Solvi’s ambition draws him back to Norway’s battles again and keeps her divided from her brother.

As a growing rebellion unites King Harald’s enemies, Ragnvald suspects that some Norse nobles are not loyal to Harald’s dream of a unified Norway. He sets a plan in motion to defeat all of his enemies, and bring his sister back to his side, while Svanhild finds herself with no easy decisions, and no choices that will leave her truly free. Their actions will hold irrevocable repercussions for the fates of those they love and for Norway itself.

The Sea Queen returns to the fjords and halls of Viking-Age Scandinavia, a world of violence and prophecy, where honor is challenged by shifting alliances, and vengeance is always a threat to peace.

Marina J. Lostetter (2017)

Noumenon Infinity
Noumenon 2
Harper Voyager, August 14, 2018
Trade Paperback and eBook, 496 pages

Travel to the remotest reaches of deep space in this wondrous follow-up to the acclaimed Noumenon—a tale of exploration, adventure, science, and humanity with the sweep and intelligence of the works of Arthur C. Clarke, Neal Stephenson, and Octavia Butler.

Generations ago, Convoy Seven and I.C.C. left Earth on a mission that would take them far beyond the solar system. Launched by the Planet United Consortium, a global group formed to pursue cooperative Earth-wide interests in deep space, nine ships headed into the unknown to explore a distant star called LQ Pyx.

Eons later, the convoy has returned to LQ Pyx to begin work on the Web, the alien megastructure that covers the star. Is it a Dyson Sphere, designed to power a civilization as everyone believes—or something far more sinister?

Meanwhile, Planet United’s littlest convoy, long thought to be lost, reemerges in a different sector of deep space. What they discover holds the answers to unlocking the Web’s greater purpose.
Each convoy possesses a piece of the Web’s puzzle . . . but they may not be able to bring those pieces together and uncover the structure’s true nature before it’s too late.

Book 1

Devil's Pocket
Author:  John Dixon
Publisher:  Gallery Books, August 4, 2015
Format:  Trade Paperback and eBook, 352 pages
List Price:  $10.99 (print); $8.99 (eBook)
ISBN:  9781476738666 (print); 9781476738710 (eBook)
Review Copy: Provided by the Publisher

The follow-up to the critically acclaimed Phoenix Island, which reads like “Lord of the Flies meets Wolverine and Cool Hand Luke” (F. Paul Wilson, creator of Repairman Jack) and inspired the CBS TV show Intelligence.

With a chip in his head and hundreds more throughout his body, sixteen-year-old Carl Freeman was turned from an orphan with impulse control issues into a super-soldier. Forced into the mercenary Phoenix Force group, he begins to fear he’ll never escape. Sent to a volcanic island to fight for them, he’ll compete in a combat tournament that awards teens with survival for merciless brutality. But just when all looks lost, he spies a friendly face…and possibly a way out.

Trinitytwo's Point of View

In the hard hitting sequel to John Dixon's award winning Phoenix Island protagonist Carl Freeman finds himself in the Devil's Pocket. The chip that has enhanced Carl's mind and body has transformed him into the ultimate fighting machine. It's made him stronger and faster, but has also unleashed a murderous rage which takes all of his discipline to curb. When Commander Stark offers a new assignment with a reward he can't refuse, Carl happily accepts. His mission is to win the Funeral Games in which fighters from all over the world will battle in a secret arena. Stark promises Carl the position of second in command if he triumphs, which would allow Carl the opportunity to get the information he desperately needs to destroy Phoenix Island for good. If there is one thing Carl knows, it's how to fight and he finds himself excited to be a part of this blood sport competition. However, the stakes at the Funeral Games are deadlier than Carl ever imagined and even his enhancement chip won't prevent him from ending up against the ropes.

Devil's Pocket is a combination of jabs, crosses and uppercuts that will keep its readers engrossed in its pages. Dixon's sequel packs a punch and the savagery of the cage fighting sequences really had me on the edge of my seat. I like the unexpected twists and turns in the storyline. Unlike Phoenix Island, this book is not a straightforward psychological thriller, as Dixon adds a healthy dose of intrigue and espionage to the mix. He also reunites Carl with some old allies and enemies with accompanying complications. The novel's ominous setting creates the perfect backdrop for the action. Dixon definitely knows his fighting techniques, so much so that this book may not be for those squeamish souls who cringe at blood. Not being one of those people, I really enjoyed the fighting choreography and at times felt I was sitting ringside. Another positive is Carl's character development. It rang true that his limited life experiences would cause him heartache. I appreciated that even though the chip has made Carl something of a superhuman, at heart he is still a teenage boy struggling with difficult decisions and the fallout of his own mistakes.

Devil's Pocket can definitely stand alone, however I would point prospective readers in the direction of Phoenix Island to start. I highly recommend this book to readers who like fast-paced, action-packed thrillers.


Read Trinitytwo's review of Phoenix Island here.

Happy first Monday in August. It's a very full release week with 4 debuts:

The Daughters by Adrienne Celt;

The Norma Gene by M.E. Roufa;

The Casualties by Nick Holdstock;

and

The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster by Scott Wilbanks.

You can read more about these debuts here: 2015 Debut Author Challenge Update - August 2015 Debuts.


From formerly featured Debut Author Challenge Authors:

The Contrary Tale of the Butterfly Girl (The Peculiar Adventures of John Loveheart, Esq. 2) by Ishbelle Bee;

Dark Ascension (Generation V #4) by M.L. Brennan;

Devil's Pocket (Phoenix Island 2) by John Dixon;

Supervillains Anonymous (Superheroes Anonymous 2) by Lexie Dunne;

Veiled (Alex Verus 6) by Benedict Jacka;

Waterborne Exile (Waterborne Blade 2) by Susan Murray;

and

Dawnbreaker (Legends of the Duskwalker 3) by Jay Posey.

August 3, 2015

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Daughters (D)	Adrienne Celt	LF
A Better Way to Die: The Collected Short Stories (Ke)	Paul Cornell	SF - Collection
The Returned, Part II (e)	Peter David	SF - Star Trek: New Frontier
The Law of Chaos: The Multiverse of Michael Moorcock	Jeff Gardiner	SF/H&C
The Norma Gene (D)	M.E. Roufa	SF/AH/Hu
Stories for Chip: A Tribute to Samuel R. Delany	Nisi Shawl (ed) Bill Campbell (ed)	SF - Anthology
Legends 2: Stories in Honour of David Gemmell (Ke)	Ian Whates (ed)	F/DF - Anthology

August 4, 2015

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Necropolis	Dan Abnett	SF - Warhammer 40,000: Gaunt's Ghosts 3
Murder in the Paperback Parlor	Ellery Adams	PM - A Book Retreat Mystery 2
The Barter (h2tp)	Siobhan Adcock	Psy/Th
Finches of Mars	Brian W. Aldiss	SF
Frozen in Amber	Phyllis Ames	UF/PNR
Magic Shifts	Ilona Andrews	UF - Kate Daniels 8
Primal Heat: A Paranormal Shapeshifter Werejaguar Romance	A. C. Arthur	PNR - The Shadow Shifters 6
Primal Heat Part 4: A Paranormal Shapeshifter Werejaguar Romance (e)	A. C. Arthur	PNR - The SHadow Shifters
Angel of Doom	James Axler	SF - Outlanders 74
Dark Screams: Volume Four (e)	Brian James Freeman (ed) Richard Chizmar (ed)	H
Ultima	Stephen Baxter	SF - Proxima 2
Proxima (h2mm)	Stephen Baxter	SF - Proxima 1
Crossways	Jacey Bedford	SF/SO - Psi-Tech 2
The Contrary Tale of the Butterfly Girl	Ishbelle Bee	HistF - The Peculiar Adventures of John Loveheart, Esq. 2
Energized	Mary Behre	PRS - Tidewater 3
Lamp Black, Wolf Grey	Paula Brackston	HistF
Dark Ascension	M.L. Brennan	UF - Generation V #4
Skin of the Wolf	Sam Cabot	AA -A Novel of Secrets 2
Fantastic Tales: Visionary and Everyday	Italo Calvino (ed)	F - Anthology
Sweetness #9 (h2tp)	Stephan Eirik Clark	Dys
His Father's Eyes	David B. Coe	CF - Case Files of Justis Fearsson 2
Love, Lattes and Danger (e)	Sarah Cox	UF - Mutants 2
Devil's Pocket	John Dixon	AA/Th/SF - Phoenix Island 2
The Song of Synth	Seb Doubinsky	Dys
Supervillains Anonymous	Lexie Dunne	CF - Superheroes Anonymous 2
Fire in the Blood (h2mm)	Erin M. Evans	F - Forgotten Realms: Neverwinter: Brimstone Angels 3
The Eternal World	Christopher Farnsworth	Th/P
Edge of Darkness	Christine Feehan Maggie Shayne Lori Herter	PNR - Anthology
The Mountain	David L. Golemon	AA - Event Group Thrillers 10
Exo (h2mm)	Steven Gould	SF - Jumper 4
Smoke on the Water	Lori Handeland	FR - Sisters of the Craft 3
Alice	Christina Henry	DF
Fable: Blood of Heroes	Jim C. Hines	F - Fable Tie-In
The Casualties (D)	Nick Holdstock	LF/PA
Sing the Four Quarters (e) (ri)	Tanya Huff	F - Quarters 1
The Storm Lord (e)	M. K. Hume	F - Twilight of the Celts 2
Veiled	Benedict Jacka	UF - Alex Verus 6
Let Me Tell You: New Stories, Essays, and Other Writings	Shirley Jackson Laurence Hyman (ed) Sarah Hyman DeWitt (ed)	Collection
Enchantress of Paris: A Novel of the Sun King’s Court	Marci Jefferson	HistF
The Fifth Season	N. K. Jemisin	F - The Broken Earth 1
Dragonbane	Sherrilyn Kenyon	CF - Dark-Hunter Novels 19
The Complete Arrows Trilogy	Mercedes Lackey	F - The Arrows Trilogy
After the Saucers Landed	Douglas Lain	SF - Short Stories
Liaden Universe Constellation	Sharon Lee Steve Miller	SF - Liaden Universe Constellation 3
The Dragon Factory (ri)	Jonathan Maberry	Th/H - Joe Ledger 2
Starry Knight	Nina Mason	PNR - Knights of Avalon 1
The Twice and Future Caesar	R. M. Meluch	SF - Tour of the Merrimack 6
Three Moments of an Explosion: Stories	China Miéville	LF/F/CF - Collection
The Aftermath	Michela Montgomery	SF/AP/PA - Wind Cave 2
The Bull and the Spear	Michael Moorcock	F - Corum / The Eternal Champion 4
Creatures of the Storm (e)	Brad Munson	PA/SF - Rain Triptych 1
Wind/Pinball: Two novels	Haruki Murakami	MR
Waterborne Exile	Susan Murray	F - Waterborne Blade 2
The Veil	Chloe Neill	UF - Devil's Isle 2
A Monster Calls: Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd (ri)	Patrick Ness	F/FairyT/FolkT/L&M
Dawnbreaker	Jay Posey	SF/AP/PA - Legends of the Duskwalker 3
Revenant (h2mm)	Kat Richardson	UF - Greywalker 9
Your Face in Mine (h2tp)	Jess Row	LF/Dys
Blood Call	Lilith Saintcrow	Th/Sup
Vengeance of the Iron Dwarf (h2mm)	R. A. Salvatore	F - Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms: Companions Codex III
The Madagaskar Plan	Guy Saville	Th/AH
Lock In: A Novel of the Near Future (h2mm)	John Scalzi	SF
Twilight Vendetta (e)(ri)	Maggie Shayne	PNR - Wings in the Night: Reborn 2
If Onions Could Spring Leeks	Paige Shelton	PM - Country Cooking School Mystery 5
Rage	Ken Shufeldt	Th
Mother of Demons	Maynard Sims	H - Department 18 #5
The Raven's Child	Thomas E. Sniegoski	GN/SF
The Edge of Dawn	Melinda Snodgrass	CF - Edge 3
The Doorway	Alan Spencer	H
The Way of Sorrows	Jon Steele	Sus/ Oc/Sup/Th - The Angelus Trilogy 3
The Moreau Quartet: Volume One	S. Andrew Swann	SF/CyP/R - The Moreau Quartet 1
Robin Hood - Mark of the Black Arrow	Debbie Viguie James R. Tuck	HistF/DF - Robin Hood: Demon Bane 1
Chase the Darkness	J.D. Tyler	PNR - Alpha Pack 7
Wolf Trouble	Paige Tyler	PRS - SWAT 2
Kitty Saves the World	Carrie Vaughn	CF - Kitty Norville 14
The Sword of the South	David Weber	F - Sword of the South 1
Undying Hope	Emma Weylin	PNR - Undying Chronicles 1
Soldiers Out of Time	Steve White	SF/TT - Temporal Regulatory Authority 5
The Lemoncholy Life of Annie Aster (D)	Scott Wilbanks	HistF

August 5, 2015

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Night of the Salamander: A Tor.com Original (e)	Michael Swanwick	F

August 6, 2015

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Novellas 2015	Paula Guran (ed)	SF/F - Anthology
A City Called Smoke	Justin Woolley	Dys - The Territory 2

D - Debut
e - eBook
ed - Editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
ri - reissue or reprint


AA - Action Adventure
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CyP - Cyber Punk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT -Fairy Tale
FolkT - Folk Tale
FR - Fantasy Romance
GN - Graphic Novel
H - Horror
H&C - History and Criticism
HistF - Historical Fantasy
Hu - Humor
L&M - Legends and Myth
LF - Literary Fiction
MR - Magical Realism
Oc - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PM - Paranormal Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
PRS - Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Psy - Psychological
SF - Science Fiction
SO - Space Opera
Sup - Supernatural
Sus - Suspense
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy

See Part 1 here

See Part 1.5 here

See Part 2 here

See Part 3 here

See Part 4 here

See Part 5 here

See Part 6 here

See Part 7 here

See Part 8 here

See Part 9 here

See Part 10 here

See Part 11 here

See Part 12 here

James L. Cambias

A Darkling Sea
Tor Books, February 3, 2015
Trade Paperback, 352 pages
Previously published in Hardcover and eBook, January 2014

On the planet Ilmatar, under a roof of ice a kilometer thick, a team of deep-sea diving scientists investigates the blind alien race that lives below. The Terran explorers have made an uneasy truce with the Sholen, their first extraterrestrial contact: so long as they don’t disturb the Ilmataran habitat, they’re free to conduct their missions in peace.

But when Henri Kerlerec, media personality and reckless adventurer, ends up sliced open by curious Ilmatarans, tensions between Terran and Sholen erupt, leading to a diplomatic disaster that threatens to escalate to war.

Against the backdrop of deep-sea guerrilla conflict, a new age of human exploration begins as alien cultures collide. Both sides seek the aid of the newly enlightened Ilmatarans. But what this struggle means for the natives—and the future of human exploration—is anything but certain, in A Darkling Sea by James Cambias.

Beth Cato

The Clockwork Crown
Clockwork Dagger 2
Harper Voyager, June 9, 2015
Trade Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

Rich in atmosphere, imagination, and fun, the action-packed, magic-filled sequel to The Clockwork Dagger is an enchanting steampunk fantasy, evocative of the works of Trudi Canavan and Gail Carriger.

Narrowly surviving assassination and capture, Octavia Leander, a powerful magical healer, is on the run with handsome Alonzo Garrett, the Clockwork Dagger who forfeited his career with the Queen’s secret society of spies and killers—and possibly his life—to save her. Now, they are on a dangerous quest to find safety and answers: Why is Octavia so powerful? Why does she seem to be undergoing a transformation unlike any witnessed for hundreds of years?

The truth may rest with the source of her mysterious healing power—the Lady’s Tree. But the tree lies somewhere in a rough, inhospitable territory known as the Waste. Eons ago, this land was made barren and uninhabitable by an evil spell, until a few hardy souls dared to return over the last century. For years, the Waste has waged a bloody battle against the royal court to win its independence—and they need Octavia’s powers to succeed.

Joined by unlikely allies, including a menagerie of gremlin companions, she must evade killers and Clockwork Daggers on a dangerous journey through a world on the brink of deadly civil war.

Rjurik Davidson

Unwrapped Sky
Caeli-Amur 1
Tor Science Fiction, March 3, 2015
Mass Market Paperback, 528 pages
Previously published in Hardcover and eBook, April 2014

A hundred years ago, the Minotaurs saved Caeli-Amur from conquest. Now, three very different people may hold the keys to the city's survival.

Once, it is said, gods used magic to create reality, with powers that defied explanation. But the magic—or science, if one believes those who try to master the dangers of thaumaturgy—now seems more like a dream. Industrial workers for House Technis, farmers for House Arbor, and fisher folk of House Marin eke out a living and hope for a better future. But the philosopher-assassin Kata plots a betrayal that will cost the lives of godlike Minotaurs; the ambitious bureaucrat Boris Autec rises through the ranks as his private life turns to ashes; and the idealistic seditionist Maximilian hatches a mad plot to unlock the vaunted secrets of the Great Library of Caeli-Enas, drowned in the fabled city at the bottom of the sea, its strangeness visible from the skies above.

In a novel of startling originality and riveting suspense, these three people, reflecting all the hopes and dreams of the ancient city, risk everything for a future that they can create only by throwing off the shackles of tradition and superstition, as their destinies collide at ground zero of a conflagration that will transform the world . . . or destroy it.

Unwrapped Sky is a stunningly original debut by Rjurik Davidson, a young master of the New Weird.
[Hardcover description]

Rene Denfeld

The Enchanted
Harper Perennial, February 24, 2015
Trade Paperback, 272 pages
Previously published in Hardcover and eBook, March 2014

John Dixon

Devil's Pocket
Gallery Books, August 4, 2015
Trade Paperback and eBook, 320 pages

The follow-up to the critically acclaimed Phoenix Island, which reads like “Lord of the Flies meets Wolverine and Cool Hand Luke” (F. Paul Wilson, creator of Repairman Jack) and inspired the CBS TV show Intelligence.

With a chip in his head and hundreds more throughout his body, sixteen-year-old Carl Freeman was turned from an orphan with impulse control issues into a super-soldier. Forced into the mercenary Phoenix Force group, he begins to fear he’ll never escape. Sent to a volcanic island to fight for them, he’ll compete in a combat tournament that awards teens with survival for merciless brutality. But just when all looks lost, he spies a friendly face…and possibly a way out.

William Shakespeare’s Star Wars Trilogy: The Royal Imperial Boxed Set by Ian Doescher is my top choice for humor. The gorgeous set, which was released this October, includes Verily a New Hope,  The Empire Striketh Back, and The Jedi Doth Return. This series delivers laughs along with a few tugs on your heartstrings. Who would have thought iambic pentameter combined with Star Wars would be the books you’re looking for? (See TrintyTwo's reviews of the Star Wars Trilogy here.)



My favorite sci fi for 2014 is The Enceladus Crisis by Michael J. Martinez. Why is it a standout? It’s smart and exciting with the added bonus that Martinez created characters I care about. I really enjoyed its unique historical fiction meets sci fi element. (See TrinityTwo's review of The Enceladus Crisis here.)











Looking for exceptional adventures? You’re in luck as I have two in the fantasy category. Tower Lord by Anthony Ryan and The Emperor’s Blades by Brian Staveley are such brilliant fantasies that I simply must mention both. Staveley and Ryan are both wonderful world builders and although I give Tower Lord a slight edge, The Emperor’s Blades is an extremely close second. (See TrinityTwo's reviews of Tower Lord here and The Emperor's Blades here.)











I’d like to give honorable mentions to three more books that I really enjoyed this year: White Heart of Justice by Jill Archer (review), Night Owls by Lauren M. Roy (review) and Phoenix Island by John Dixon (review) . I think I am bending Sally’s rules a bit but I read a lot of really good books. If you haven’t done so already, get out there and buy a book! You deserve it.

 Jacket Design by John Vario, Jr.

Photo of fist © Photogrpher's Choice/Getty Images

Photo of vine © Suzana Profeta/E+/Getty Images

The Final Results

The January 2014 Debut Covers

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

John:  My third grade teacher, Mrs. Wolfe, had us write stories and made all the difference in the world by praising mine. She even went so far as typing up one of them, a silly, didactic story about animals in a courtroom, and she told my parents that I would be a writer someday. I was a bad kid, but her praise and support gave me confidence in something more than just my fists. Needless to say, I thank her extensively in my acknowledgements, and I sent her a copy along with a heartfelt thank you. I don’t know if teachers always know the difference they make, even with very young kids, but Mrs. Wolfe was one of the most important people in my life.



TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

John:  I’m a weird hybrid of the two, still trying to figure out his best process. By nature, I’m a pantser all the way, but by imposing plotting with an emphasis on structure, I was able to write Phoenix Island in ten months. With the sequel, I planned perhaps too much initially, felt a waning of excitement, then took a step back, and whoosh – here came the fun again. As I continue to write, hopefully I’ll find my proper balance between the two. Ideally, I think, I would craft a skeletal outline upon which I could hang spontaneous scene work.



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

John:  Right now, with the book and the show coming out, the most challenging thing for me is protecting my writing time. I write anytime and anywhere, but I prefer to work on my Alphasmart Neo word processor at flimsy table in a guestroom upstairs (directly overtop, ironically enough, the dedicated office, with its roll top desk and PC). I like a Spartan workspace. The word processor and off-the-grid guestroom protect me from distractions.



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

John:  Since I was just a kid, literary influences have hovered over me, waxing and waning like moons of exquisite beauty. Ray Bradbury always made me feel like writing, and certainly Phoenix Island was influenced by the comic books of my youth and childhood favorites like The Lord of the Flies, The Island of Dr. Moreau, “The Most Dangerous Game”, and the novels and short stories of Jack London, America’s most unfairly and unfortunately pigeon-holed writer. Over the last decade, however, I’ve learned the most from my favorite authors, Stephen King, Elmore Leonard, and Cormac McCarthy, and a lot from other favorites, like Thomas Harris, Jack Ketchum, S.E. Hinton, and Robert Lipsyte.



TQ:  Describe Phoenix Island in 140 characters or less.

John:  Prison Break meets The Lord of the Flies – starring a sixteen-year-old Jason Bourne.



TQ:  Tell us something about Phoenix Island that is not in the book description.

John:  The main character, Carl Freeman, has one fatal flaw: he can’t ignore bullies. He’s a zero tolerance anti-bullying program on two legs, and his inability to dismiss injustice causes him no end of trouble.



TQ:  What inspired you to write Phoenix Island? Why did you choose to write a dystopian thriller? Do you want to write in any other genres?

John:  I have written widely in the short form and will continue to write in other genres.

Dystopian stories are my way of worrying about the future, while still creating characters capable of dealing with darkness. In a sense, I’m creating the mythology of my nightmare future. In terms of society, I suppose I’m a pessimist, but in terms of the human heart, I always be a terminal optimist. If the world goes bust and people must suffer, I believe some people will suffer bravely, even beautifully.

Phoenix Island came at me from a bunch of directions, unconnected experiences and ideas coalescing over time, but the heart of it grew out of two sources: hope and rage. From the get-go, I knew I wanted to write a story about a kid who, like so many people I’ve known, doesn’t really fit into polite society but who nonetheless possesses great strength and potential, given the right circumstances. Then I heard about the unbelievably disgusting “Kids for Cash” case, where judges from my home state of Pennsylvania made money by convicting kids to privately run boot camps for teen offenders. My high hopes for people I’d known met my rage over this unbelievable injustice, and the book blew up in my head.



TQ:  What sort of research did you do for Phoenix Island?

John:  The most important research came quite unintentionally through osmosis with life, from my experiences as a boxer, a teacher, a prison tutor, a caseworker for at-risk youth, and, of course, a lifelong reader with too many interests. Phoenix Island is a contemporary thriller, the story of a tough kid in tough conditions, so these experiences took me a long way, but science is important – even integral – to the book, so in that sense it is also science fiction. The book, series, and TV adaptation all deal with the question of trans-humanism, which fascinates me. Thanks to amazing sources, good people like Dr. Gary Della Zanna and Dr. John Dougherty, both of the National Institutes of Health, and the guidance of Intelligence’s executive producer, Tripp Vinson, who would get in touch, telling me to watch a specific Ted Talk, read a helpful book, or Google some bit of cutting-edge science, research was an absolute blast – as were the purely imaginative brainstorming sessions that helped me go from fact to fiction.



TQ:  Who was the easiest character to write and why? The hardest and why? Who is your favorite good guy, bad guy or ethically ambiguous character?

John:  The easiest character to write was Carl, because I knew him so well, almost intuitively, before I’d even started the book. He is in many ways the person I wish I had been, though I would hate to go through the things he suffers.

The most difficult character to write was Carl’s friend Octavia, because she’s a girl, and that’s something I’ve never been. I’ve written comfortably from the point-of-view of women and younger females, but I found myself on sometimes uncertain ground while in the head and heart of a seventeen-year-old girl.

My favorite ethically ambiguous character is Motorcycle Boy from S.E. Hinton’s mind-blowing masterpiece, Rumble Fish, which I’ve read no fewer than twenty times. Francis Ford Coppola, who directed the film version, called Rumble Fish “Camus for kids” – a true enough statement, I reckon, and one predicated primarily upon the things Motorcycle Boy says and does.



TQ:  Give us one of your favorite lines from Phoenix Island.

John:  “With the hard darkness of night, the jungle became a madhouse of sounds: cries and squawks; squeals and snorts; hoots and gibbers; something large bellowing deeper in the woods – and under it all, the constant, deafening chorus of insects pulsed with noise, and this peeping, bleating rhythm was to him the heartbeat of night in the jungle, wild with fear and hunger and menace.”



TQ:  What's next?

John:  Right now, I’m having a blast writing Devil’s Pocket, the sequel to Phoenix Island, and I’m excited that “The Laughing Girl of Bora Fanong”, a short story I coauthored with Adam Browne, has shacked up with amazing Australian animator Adam Duncan, who’s planning to develop it into a graphic novel.



TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

John:  Thanks so much for having me. I had a lot of fun chatting with you.

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