The Qwillery

There was a point this year when I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to write a 'best of' post this year. I found it hard to find books I wanted to read, but more importantly, books I really enjoyed reading. I did hit the jackpot and found some books I really adored and here are my top 5 reads of 2019, starting in reverse order:



Number 5 - Circe by Madeline Miller 

Back in April I finally decided to check out a recommendation from one of my friends Circe by Madeline Miller. I had the audio version of the book so this is technically a 'listen to' rather than a read...but lets not split hairs. Perdita Weeks brought the troubled daughter of the sun god Helios to life, as we follow Circe from her home with the gods, to her exile by Zeus on Aiaia. Miller creates a fantastic story for the mythical Circe and interweaves a number of other myths and mythical characters to share the stage with her. Miller has received awards and accolades for this Circe and here is one more - one of my fave books of 2019!





Number 4 - Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan

In July I took my sister's advice this time and purchased Machines Like Me (again another audio book). I loved everything about this book - the alternate history of 80's Britain, McEwan's android science, the moral conflict and finally, the narrator - Billy Howle. McEwan is one of those authors who are a bit hit and miss with me but this time it was a big hit. See my thoughts here.







Number 3 - Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

I thoroughly enjoyed Arden's Winternight trilogy and thought that The Winter of the Witch was a fantastic ending to this series. Again, this was another audio book (I did actually read some books!) and the narration, again was amazing. In this final instalment we join Vasya on the end of her magical journey that is steeped in Russian folklore.  I liked it sooo much I wrote a full review if you want to check it out here.







Number 2 - La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman

I was late to the prequel of the His Dark Materials party.  I had La Belle Sauvage on my TBR (yes Audible library) for too long before I decided I needed to find out what it was all about.  I was totally gripped from the first word until the last. Michael Sheen is a superlative narrator but it's Pullman's story that really shines through here. The young Malcolm, his daemon and the baby Lyra have an epic adventure that only Pullman could tell.  I almost think I liked this story better than the original  - His Dark Materials.






Number 1 - it's a tie for first place in my book reading heart for 2019

A Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

A Thousand Doors of January tells the story of January Scaller and her life as the ward of the very wealthy Mr Locke. The story flits from past to present and from one world to another and it's not until near the very end that the reader gets to discover the intricacies of Harrow's plot.  Needless to say I loved this book and what is even more exceptional is that it is a debut novel. Kudos x 10 to Harrow for this very first novel. I wrote a full review if you want to find out more. Check it out here.



The Binding by Bridget Collins

I described The Binding in my review as a gentle love story but the more I think about my description of the story I don't think I did the book justice. There is a real ethereal and haunting quality to this story. The binding and what it really means for the main protagonist Emmett isn't uncovered until most of the way through which adds to the tension and the mood of story itself. This is a book that stays with you and even a year later (almost) I am still caught up thinking about Emmett and what happened to him and imagining what could happen next. Great book and a fantastic audio book as well.


Well that is it....my faves of 2019.



I have an honourable mention (well mentions) - Aching God and Sin Eater by Michael Shel. Aching God was a finalist in the SPFBO 4 and one of Qwill's faves in 2018 but I only just read it in 2019. This is an amazing book and Sin Eater is even better. Thought I would keep these two as 'mentions' as Aching God was part of the SPFBO. My recommendation is to read both together to get the full effect. I can hardly wait for book 3 to come out.



I would love find out what your top reads of 2019 were so please leave me your top picks in the comments section.

Circe
Little, Brown and Company, April 10, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 400 pages

“A bold and subversive retelling of the goddess’s story,” this #1 New York Times bestseller is “both epic and intimate in its scope, recasting the most infamous female figure from the Odyssey as a hero in her own right” (Alexandra Alter, The New York Times).

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child–not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power–the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.

Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language and page-turning suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man’s world.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER–NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR, The Washington Post, People, Time, Amazon, Entertainment Weekly, Bustle, Newsweek, the A.V. Club, Christian Science Monitor and Refinery 29, Buzzfeed, Paste, Audible, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Thrillist, NYPL, Self Real Simple, Goodreads, Boston Globe, Electric Literature, BookPage, the Guardian, Book Riot, Seattle Times, and Business Insider

Machines Like Me
Nan A. Telese, April 23, 2019
Hardcover and eBook, 352 pages

New from Ian McEwan, Booker Prize winner and international bestselling author of Atonement and The Children Act

Machines Like Me takes place in an alternative 1980s London. Charlie, drifting through life and dodging full-time employment, is in love with Miranda, a bright student who lives with a terrible secret. When Charlie comes into money, he buys Adam, one of the first synthetic humans and—with Miranda’s help—he designs Adam’s personality. The near-perfect human that emerges is beautiful, strong, and clever. It isn’t long before a love triangle soon forms, and these three beings confront a profound moral dilemma.

In his subversive new novel, Ian McEwan asks whether a machine can understand the human heart—or whether we are the ones who lack understanding.

Winter of the Witch
Winternight Trilogy 3
Del Rey, October 1, 2019
Trade Paperback, 400 pages
Hardcover, Audiobook, and eBook, January 8, 2019

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Following their adventures in The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower, Vasya and Morozko return in this stunning conclusion to the bestselling Winternight Trilogy, battling enemies mortal and magical to save both Russias, the seen and the unseen.

“A tale both intimate and epic, featuring a heroine whose harrowing and wondrous journey culminates in an emotionally resonant finale.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Vasilisa Petrovna is an unforgettable heroine determined to forge her own path. Her gifts and her courage have drawn the attention of Morozko, the winter-king, but it is too soon to know if this connection will prove a blessing or a curse.

Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers—and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.

La Belle Sauvage
The Book of Dust 1
June 4, 2019
Trade Paperback, 480 pages
 eBook, October 19, 2017

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Philip Pullman returns to the parallel world of His Dark Materials–soon to be an HBO original series starring Dafne Keen, Ruth Wilson, James McAvoy, and Lin-Manuel Miranda–to expand on the story of Lyra, “one of fantasy’s most indelible heroines” (The New York Times Magazine).

Don’t miss Volume II of The Book of Dust: The Secret Commonwealth

Malcolm Polstead and his daemon, Asta, are used to overhearing news and the occasional scandal at the inn run by his family. But during a winter of unceasing rain, Malcolm finds a mysterious object—and finds himself in grave danger.

Inside the object is a cryptic message about something called Dust; and it’s not long before Malcolm is approached by the spy for whom this message was actually intended. When she asks Malcolm to keep his eyes open, he begins to notice suspicious characters everywhere: the explorer Lord Asriel, clearly on the run; enforcement agents from the Magisterium; a gyptian named Coram with warnings just for Malcolm; and a beautiful woman with an evil monkey for a daemon. All are asking about the same thing: a girl—just a baby—named Lyra.

Lyra is at the center of a storm, and Malcolm will brave any peril, and make shocking sacrifices, to bring her safely through it.

“Too few things in our world are worth a seventeen-year wait: The Book of Dust is one of them.” —The Washington Post
 
“The book is full of wonder. . . . Truly thrilling.” —The New York Times
 
“People will love the first volume of Philip Pullman’s new trilogy with the same helpless vehemence that stole over them when The Golden Compass came out.” —Slate

A Thousand Doors of January
Redhook, September 10, 2019
Hardcover and eBook, 384 pages

In the early 1900s, a young woman embarks on a fantastical journey of self-discovery after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut.

In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.

Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.

Lush and richly imagined, a tale of impossible journeys, unforgettable love, and the enduring power of stories awaits in Alix E. Harrow’s spellbinding debut–step inside and discover its magic.

The Binding
William Morrow, April 16, 2019
Hardcover and eBook, 448 pages

Proclaimed as “truly spellbinding,” a “great fable” that “functions as transporting romance” by the Guardian, the runaway #1 international bestseller

"A rich, gothic entertainment that explores what books have trapped inside them and reminds us of the power of storytelling. Spellbinding.” — TRACY CHEVALIER

Imagine you could erase grief.
Imagine you could remove pain.
Imagine you could hide the darkest, most horrifying secret.
Forever.

Young Emmett Farmer is working in the fields when a strange letter arrives summoning him away from his family. He is to begin an apprenticeship as a Bookbinder—a vocation that arouses fear, superstition, and prejudice amongst their small community, but one neither he nor his parents can afford to refuse.

For as long as he can recall, Emmett has been drawn to books, even though they are strictly forbidden. Bookbinding is a sacred calling, Seredith informs her new apprentice, and he is a binder born. Under the old woman’s watchful eye, Emmett learns to hand-craft the elegant leather-bound volumes. Within each one they will capture something unique and extraordinary: a memory. If there’s something you want to forget, a binder can help. If there’s something you need to erase, they can assist. Within the pages of the books they create, secrets are concealed and the past is locked away. In a vault under his mentor’s workshop rows upon rows of books are meticulously stored.

But while Seredith is an artisan, there are others of their kind, avaricious and amoral tradesman who use their talents for dark ends—and just as Emmett begins to settle into his new circumstances, he makes an astonishing discovery: one of the books has his name on it. Soon, everything he thought he understood about his life will be dramatically rewritten.

An unforgettable novel of enchantment, mystery, memory, and forbidden love, The Binding is a beautiful homage to the allure and life-changing power of books—and a reminder to us all that knowledge can be its own kind of magic.

Aching God
Iconoclasts 1
April 9, 2018
   eBook, 604 pages
March 27, 2019
   Trade Paperback 602 pages

“Closer, mortal. You are here, finally, to feed the Aching God…”

The days of adventure are passed for Auric Manteo. Retired to the countryside and isolated with his scars and riches, he no longer delves into forbidden ruins seeking dark wisdom and treasure. But just as old nightmares begin plaguing his sleep, he receives an urgent summons back to that old life.

To save his only daughter, he must return to the place of his greatest trauma: the haunted Barrowlands. Along with a group of inexperienced companions and an old soldier, he must confront the dangers of the ancient and wicked Djao civilization. He has survived fell beasts, insidious traps, and deadly hazards before. But how can he contend with the malice of a bloodthirsty living god?

First volume in the planned epic fantasy trilogy Iconoclasts, Aching God is the debut novel by RPG adventure designer Mike Shel.

Also included is an advanced preview of Iconoclasts - Book II: Sin Eater.

Sin Eater
Iconoclasts 2
May 20,  2019
Trade Paperback and eBook, 574 pages

"I SHALL BAPTIZE YOU, SIR, AND MY BAPTISM WILL BURN YOUR FOLLY AND FLESH AWAY."

A year has passed since Auric Manteo descended into the haunted depths of a Djao ruin to return a lethal artifact, only to face down a bloodthirsty, imprisoned god. Now his daughter Agnes comes to bring him back to the capital with promises of hidden secrets finally revealed.

But the city decays, poisonous disorder is rife, and whispered prophecy foretells of cataclysm and doom. Summoned by their no-longer human queen, Auric and Agnes are commanded to carry out an impossible task, one that can be accomplished only with the mysterious blade Szaa’da’shaela, gifted to Auric on a lunatic's whim.

Can Auric and his daughter survive a journey fraught with blood, menace, and madness? And can they pay the price demanded by a being every bit as evil as the Aching God?

Sin Eater is the sequel to 2018’s widely praised Aching God and book 2 of the Iconoclasts Trilogy. Get your copy today!

Apologies reader for my tardiness posting my August month in review. I had it all planned. I was going to have my post written so that it was ready to go up last weekend. Work however, interrupted my carefully laid plan and here we are partway into September and I haven't yet told you about all the great books I read in August.

I have to say that I ended the summer with a couple of excellent books. One has even made it onto my fave books of all time! Pssst....and it's a debut! So what did I read?


I will start with books I listened to. First up is Ben Aaranovitch's The October Man which is a novella in the Rivers of London series but not starring my favourite member of magic police Peter Grant. Instead, Aaronovitch stages the story in Germany with Tobias Winter investigating a recent grizzly murder by magic. Set in Trier, a former Roman city and famous for its wine, Tobias needs to find out why a man was found dead covered in a fungal rot. Not just any fungus but one used in the making of a special vintage of wine. Tobias is joined by a local cop,Vanessa Sommer, and together they need to find out who is killing these men and why. Little do they know that the city's bloody history forms the backdrop for the murders. Unlike a well-aged wine time is not on their side.

I thoroughly enjoyed The October Man and am really glad I chose to listen to the audio version rather than read it as my sister read the book a week before me and said that she struggled with all the German names. The narrator Sam Peter Jackson really brought Tobias Winter to life and it was much easier to listen to the story with a 'easy to listen to' German accent than trying to read the English translation of German words. I thought the plot was engaging and really drew you in from the very start. For a novella it seemed much longer and I think that was down to the well developed plot. If you like this series then definitely give The October Man a go.


My second audiobook was The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden. As this was the last book of the trilogy and because I loved it soo much I wrote a full review. Check it out here.


Another series I finished was Michael McClung's Amra Thetys series with The Thief Who Went to War. In this final instalment Amra and Holgren are determined to destroy the final blade of the Blades of the Eightfold Goddess. Amra was left with a not so little reminder after her last encounter with one of the blades and is now an avatar for a goddess. Determined to find a way to destroy the final knife Amra returns to Lucernis for a showdown to end all showdowns...and possibly her life!

I only discovered this series by participating as a judge in the SPFBO two years ago and book 1, The Thief that Pulled on Trouble's Braids, had been the winner the year before. It has been 4 years between the final and penultimate books in the series so fans who were there from the start had quite a long wait to see how McClung would finish the series. While I liked this instalment it wasn't the best of the series and I think I might have been a tiny bit disappointed if I had waited 4 years to find out whether Amra and Holgren would make it. Amra has one too many lucky escapes for my liking and it was action, action, action from very early on in the book until the end. There wasn't as much character development as there had been in previous books. However, it's still a good series.


The final book I have to tell you about is Half Way Home by Hugh Howey. Set in the future where ships are sent out to colonise new planets with 500 vat grown humans on board. On the way to their eventual new home they are educated and trained in a specialism as they sleep. Midway through their development cycle the AI controlling their ship decides to start the abort sequence and only 60 teenagers manage to escape. Alone, scared and without all the skills they need to survive they have to rely on each other and the AI that almost killed them to survive. It's not long before they realise it's not just the inhospitable planet that they have landed on that is the biggest threat to their survival.

I loved Howey's Wool series so, in my opinion, it was going to be hard to follow those books. I didn't realise that when I requested Half Way Home from the publisher on NetGalley that it was originally released in 2010. It's a good book but it's not a great book and I found it quite predictable in parts. It is, however, quite short so a quick read if you are looking for some half decent science fiction.


Well that is it for me for August. I do have one more August book to share with you but I am planning on writing a full review so keep your eyes peeled to find out what book has made it onto my top reads ever. Sorry for being a tease! Happy Reading!

The October Man
A Rivers of London Novella
Subterranean Press, May 31, 2019
Hardcover and eBook, 169 pages

With this long new novella, bestselling author Ben Aaronovitch has crafted yet another wickedly funny and surprisingly affecting chapter in his beloved Rivers of London series.

If you thought magic was confined to one country—think again.

Trier: famous for wine, Romans and being Germany’s oldest city.

When a man is found dead with his body impossibly covered in a fungal rot, the local authorities know they are out of their depth. But fortunately this is Germany, where there are procedures for everything.

Enter Tobias Winter, an investigator for the Abteilung KDA, the branch of the German Federal Criminal Police which handles the supernatural. His aim is to get in, deal with the problem, and get out with the minimum of fuss, personal danger and paperwork.

Together with frighteningly enthusiastic local cop, Vanessa Sommer, he quickly links the first victim to a group of ordinary middle aged men whose novel approach to their mid-life crisis may have reawakened a bloody conflict from a previous century.

As the rot spreads, literally, and the suspect list extends to people born before Frederick the Great, Tobias and Vanessa will need to find allies in some unexpected places.

And to solve the case they’ll have to unearth the secret magical history of a city that goes back two thousand years.

Presuming that history doesn’t kill them first.

Winter of the Witch
Winternight Trilogy 3
Del Rey, October 1, 2019
Trade Paperback, 400 pages
Hardcover, Audiobook, and eBook, January 8, 2019

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Following their adventures in The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower, Vasya and Morozko return in this stunning conclusion to the bestselling Winternight Trilogy, battling enemies mortal and magical to save both Russias, the seen and the unseen.

“A tale both intimate and epic, featuring a heroine whose harrowing and wondrous journey culminates in an emotionally resonant finale.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Vasilisa Petrovna is an unforgettable heroine determined to forge her own path. Her gifts and her courage have drawn the attention of Morozko, the winter-king, but it is too soon to know if this connection will prove a blessing or a curse.

Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers—and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.

The Thief Who Went to War
Amra Thetys 5
eBook, August 10, 2019
Trade Paperback, July 30, 2019

After barely surviving the attentions of the Knife That Parts the Night, Amra and Holgren are determined to end the threat posed by the remaining sentient, powerful Blades of the Eightfold Goddess. They are willing to risk everything to win their secret war, but can they succeed when their adversaries are cunning, powerful beyond measure, and utterly ruthless? And even if they can, what will it cost them?

Half Way Home
Mariner Books, October 1, 2019
Hardcover, Trade Paperback and eBook, 240 pages

From the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of Wool and the Molly Fyde saga comes a story of teenage colonists marooned on a distant planet

WE WOKE IN FIRE

Five hundred colonists have been sent across the stars to settle an alien planet. Vat-grown in a dream-like state, they are educated through simulations by an artificial intelligence and should awaken at thirty years old, fully-trained, and ready to tame the new world.

But fifteen years in, an explosion on their vessel kills most of the homesteaders and destroys the majority of their supplies. Worse yet, the sixty that awaken and escape the flames are only half-taught and possess the skills least useful for survival.

Naked and terrified, the teens stumble from their fiery baptism ill-prepared for the unfamiliar and harsh alien world around them. Though they attempt to work with the colony A.I. to build a home, tension and misery are rampant, escalating into battles for dominance.

Soon they find that their worst enemy isn’t the hostile environment, the A.I., or the blast that nearly killed them. Their greatest danger is each other.

Winter of the Witch
Author:  Katherine Arden
Series:  Winternight Trilogy 3
Publisher:  Del Rey, October 1, 2019
Format:  Trade Paperback, 400 pages
Format:  Hardcover, Audiobook, and eBook, January 8, 2019
List Price:  US$17.00 (print); US$13.99 (eBook)
ISBN:  9781101886014 (print); 9781101886007 (eBook)

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Following their adventures in The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower, Vasya and Morozko return in this stunning conclusion to the bestselling Winternight Trilogy, battling enemies mortal and magical to save both Russias, the seen and the unseen.

“A tale both intimate and epic, featuring a heroine whose harrowing and wondrous journey culminates in an emotionally resonant finale.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Vasilisa Petrovna is an unforgettable heroine determined to forge her own path. Her gifts and her courage have drawn the attention of Morozko, the winter-king, but it is too soon to know if this connection will prove a blessing or a curse.

Now Moscow has been struck by disaster. Its people are searching for answers—and for someone to blame. Vasya finds herself alone, beset on all sides. The Grand Prince is in a rage, choosing allies that will lead him on a path to war and ruin. A wicked demon returns, determined to spread chaos. Caught at the center of the conflict is Vasya, who finds the fate of two worlds resting on her shoulders. Her destiny uncertain, Vasya will uncover surprising truths about herself as she desperately tries to save Russia, Morozko, and the magical world she treasures. But she may not be able to save them all.

Melanie's Review

The Winter of the Witch, Arden's final instalment of her Winternight Trilogy, starts immediately after the dramatic events of book 2 - The Girl in the Tower. The residents of Moscow have woken up to the devastation left by a massive fire. Parts of the city are in ruins and friends and family are dead or homeless. They are looking for answers but more importantly for someone to blame. Unfortunately, Vasya is in the cross hairs as she no longer has the protection of the Grand Prince who is angry and no longer trusts her or her brother, the monk Alexander. Without his support Vasya is left vulnerable and on her own. Even more dangerous than the mobs looking for revenge is Father Konstantin. He is determined to destroy Vasya and teams up with a demon who wants revenge and to create chaos wherever he goes. With all of Russia on the brink of war and desperate to protect those she loves Vasya embarks on a journey to find the one person who can help her, the Winter King. Time is running out for Vasya to save her family and the magical world she has grown to love.

Arden keeps the pressure on Vasya throughout this novel and the suspense is high from the very start through to the very end of the story. She doesn't do this by dragging her heroine through countless high action scenes like many authors like to do. Instead the story is a clever balance of action, character development and strategically placed reveals or uncovering of secrets. Arden has the unique ability to create the sense that you are reading folklore rather than new fantasy fiction. This adds another element to the enjoyment of this instalment and the series as a whole.

Vasya is a great character and throughout the series the reader has the opportunity to see her grow and evolve. It's hard to believe she is only in her late teens in the final book but give the time period that was probably middle age. She certainly acts like someone far older and more mature than a 17 year old. I love her relationship with the magical characters she was trying to save, especially the various domovoy who protect the home and hearth. Through Vasya, the readers learns how the spread of Christianity started to cause the magical creatures and pagan gods to weaken and disappear. This is one of the causes the rift between Vasya and her brother who is a monk as she has magical abilities that conflict with his Christian beliefs. This is also the reason why Father Konstantin hates her so.

Through her travels Vasya meets many of the magical creatures that make up Russian folklore. Arden uses real historic events and people as the basis of the main plot of this story which again, gives the impression you are reading something other than fantasy fiction.

I actually listened to the audio version The Winter of the Witch and if you have this opportunity available to you I highly recommend it. The story is narrated by Kathleen Gati and she does an excellent job of bringing Vasya to life. Unlike some narrators, Gati doesn't try to sound like a man when reading the dialogue of male characters which I much prefer. Keeping the narration in one tone of voice reinforces the impression that this is folklore, a story retold from one generation to the next.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and The Winter of the Witch is a fantastic ending to Vasya's story. There isn't anything I would change in this instalment. Great book, great series but start with book 1 - The Bear and the Nightingale.

Fear not gentle reader, I am back with my Week in Review :)  I thought I would give you a short break from my WIR and share two of my SPFBO 2017 reviews. I hope you enjoyed them. Keep your eye on the blog for reviews from my fellow Qwillery reviewers on what they thought of the books they read for the competition.

I had a little pooch at NetGalley this week and was surprised by two books I had read last year but hadn't yet reviewed.  Lately books have been available months before their publish date and then I get all excited about reading them. This time I had convinced myself that I had actually posted a review here but after some checking it transpired I hadn't left you a review so check out what I read.


First up is The Queen of All Crows by Rod Duncan which is the first instalment of The Map of Unknown Things, published by Angry Robot on January 2nd. This series is set in the same world as Duncan's The Fall of the Gas-lit Empire series with Elizabeth Barnabus back in her role of spy but this time with the dreaded Patent Office. When airships start to disappear, along with someone close to Elizabeth, she decides to take action and goes undercover, again as a man. As the science officer on a whaler far out to sea Elizabeth is desperate to find out what has happened and more importantly, who is responsible. Elizabeth finds herself in the middle of a mystery and in more danger than anything the Patent Office could do to her. It will take every ounce of her ingenuity and bravery to discover what has happened and survive long enough to report back.

I loved Duncan's The Fall of the Gas-lit Empire series and thought that Elizabeth was a complex, gutsy heroine. Normally, I am a bit nervous when an author creates a new series for one their characters as it usually means they don't want to let go and new books usually aren't as good. I prefer a shorter, excellent series than a long mediocre, drawn out one. However, Duncan doesn't disappoint and this is an excellent start to what I feel is going to be a compelling series. At the beginning of the story I had pretty much guessed what was going to happen, but midway through every thing changed and I couldn't really guess what was going to become of Elizabeth. This is a difficult book to review because I don't want to give anything away. I want you to discover what happens to Elizabeth on your own because it is such a tasty tale. I have read too many reviews that spell everything out and basically rewrite the book so I don't want to do that here. What I can say is that Duncan fleshes out Elizabeth even more and the new landscape in which this story is set is rich and bleak in equal measure. If I had to sum up this story I would describe it as a story of the power of friendship. Cruel, beautiful, warm, and chillingly lonely. It's all these things and a great mystery as well. If you haven't read the original series don't miss out and then join Elizabeth in The Queen of All Crows.


The second book I would like to tell you about is The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden. This is the second in her Winternight Trilogy and follows not long after the events of book 1 - The Bear and the Nightingale. Vasya is on the run. She has been cast out of her village following the death of her father and she faces either being married off  - to become a girl in a tower - or joining a convent. Neither option appeals to her so when the opportunity presents itself she disguises herself as a boy and joins the Grand Prince of Moscow's retinue. When a mysterious and possibly magical force threatens the kingdom Vasya risks everything, including her freedom, to save the Prince, her family and her kingdom.

I can't believe that it is less than a year from the time that Arden released her debut The Bear and the Nightingale (check out my review here). Book 2 does not disappoint. In fact Arden has built upon the strengths of these characters and takes this from a mere fairy tale into some more like folklore. While this is fiction Arden has created characters who are credible, who make you believe they were actually alive, centuries ago. I have to admit I did spend a lot of the story thinking to myself  'poor Vasya' as things seem to go from bad to worse for our teenage heroine. She is forced to grow up quickly but at the same time stays innocent from how cruel the world can really be.

Again, this is another book that I could recount half the plot for you in this review but why would I ruin the journey that you need to take? Join Vasya on her journey of self discovery. Well done Arden, another great book. I can hardly wait for the final in this trilogy, The Winter of the Witch.


That is it for me this week. Apologies for not getting these reviews to you sooner. Better late than never! Until next time Happy Reading.

The Queen of All Crows
The Map of Unknown Things 1
Angry Robot Books, January 2, 2018
Trade Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

Only one woman can stop the world from descending into endless war, in the thrilling new series in the world of the Gas-Lit Empire
The year is 2012 but it might as well be the Victorian age. The nations of the world are overseen by the International Patent Office, and its ruthless stranglehold on technology.

When airships start disappearing in the middle of the Atlantic, the Patent Office is desperate to discover what has happened. Forbidden to operate beyond the territorial waters of member nations, they send spies to investigate in secret.

One of those spies is Elizabeth Barnabus. She must overcome her dislike of the machinations of her employers, disguise herself as a man, and take to the sea in search of the floating nation of pirates who threaten the world order.

File Under: Fantasy [ A Lost Airship | On the Sargasso | Stowaway Bay | The Crow Queen ]

The Girl in the Tower
Winternight Trilogy 2
Del Rey, December 5, 2017
Hardcover and eBook, 384 pages

A remarkable young woman blazes her own trail, from the backwoods of Russia to the court of Moscow, in the exhilarating sequel to Katherine Arden’s bestselling debut novel, The Bear and the Nightingale.

Katherine Arden’s enchanting first novel introduced readers to an irresistible heroine. Vasilisa has grown up at the edge of a Russian wilderness, where snowdrifts reach the eaves of her family’s wooden house and there is truth in the fairy tales told around the fire. Vasilisa’s gift for seeing what others do not won her the attention of Morozko—Frost, the winter demon from the stories—and together they saved her people from destruction. But Frost’s aid comes at a cost, and her people have condemned her as a witch.

Now Vasilisa faces an impossible choice. Driven from her home by frightened villagers, the only options left for her are marriage or the convent. She cannot bring herself to accept either fate and instead chooses adventure, dressing herself as a boy and setting off astride her magnificent stallion Solovey.

But after Vasilisa prevails in a skirmish with bandits, everything changes. The Grand Prince of Moscow anoints her a hero for her exploits, and she is reunited with her beloved sister and brother, who are now part of the Grand Prince’s inner circle. She dares not reveal to the court that she is a girl, for if her deception were discovered it would have terrible consequences for herself and her family. Before she can untangle herself from Moscow’s intrigues—and as Frost provides counsel that may or may not be trustworthy—she will also confront an even graver threat lying in wait for all of Moscow itself.

Katherine Arden (2017)

The Winter of the Witch
Winternight Trilogy 3
Del Rey, August 14, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 336 Pages

In the stunning conclusion to the bestselling Winternight Trilogy, following The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower, Vasya returns to save Russia and the spirit realm, battling enemies both mortal and magic.

Book 1

Book 2

Annalee Newitz (2017)

Autonomous
Tor Books, September 18, 2018
Trade Paperback, 304 pages
Hardcover and eBook, September 19, 2017

"Autonomous is to biotech and AI what Neuromancer was to the Internet."—Neal Stephenson

"Something genuinely and thrillingly new in the naturalistic, subjective, paradoxically humanistic but non-anthropomorphic depiction of bot-POV—and all in the service of vivid, solid storytelling."—William Gibson

When anything can be owned, how can we be free

Earth, 2144. Jack is an anti-patent scientist turned drug pirate, traversing the world in a submarine as a pharmaceutical Robin Hood, fabricating cheap scrips for poor people who can’t otherwise afford them. But her latest drug hack has left a trail of lethal overdoses as people become addicted to their work, doing repetitive tasks until they become unsafe or insane.

Hot on her trail, an unlikely pair: Eliasz, a brooding military agent, and his robotic partner, Paladin. As they race to stop information about the sinister origins of Jack’s drug from getting out, they begin to form an uncommonly close bond that neither of them fully understand.

And underlying it all is one fundamental question: Is freedom possible in a culture where everything, even people, can be owned?

Tom Toner (2015)

The Tropic of Eternity
Volume Three  of the Amaranthine Spectrum
Night Shade Books, July 24, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 432 pages

The sequel to the critically acclaimed and ambitious literary space opera debut The Promise of the Child.

It is the 147th century.

The mighty era of Homo Sapiens is at an end.

In the Westerly Provinces of the Old World, the hunt is on for the young queen Arabis, and the vile creature that holds her captive.

In the brutal hominid Investiture, revolution has come. The warlord Cunctus, having seized the Vulgar worlds, invites every Prism to pick a side.

In the Firmament, once the kingdom of the Immortal Amaranthine, all ships converge on the foundry of Gliese. The grandest battle in the history of mammalian kind has begun.

Perception, ancient machine spirit, must take back its mortal remains in a contest for the Firmament itself.

Ghaldezuel, now the Grand Marshal of Cunctus’s new empire, must travel to the deepest lagoon in the Investiture, a place where monsters dwell.

Captain Maril, lost among the Hedron Stars, finds himself caught between colossal powers the likes of which he’d never dreamt.

But for Aaron the Long-Life, he who has waited so very, very long for his revenge, things are only getting started . . .

Book 1

Book 2

Happy first Monday in December!

There is one debut this week:

Glass Town by Steven Savile.




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

The Girl in the Tower (Winternight Trilogy 2) by Katherine Arden;

Defiant (Lightship Chronicles 3) by Dave Bara is out in Mass Market Paperback;

Danger's Race (Holly Danger 3) by Amanda Carlson;

The Chaos of Luck (A Felicia Sevigny Novel 2) by Catherine Cerveny is out in Trade Paperback;

The Forever Ship (The Fire Sermon 3) by Francesca Haig;

and

Steadfast (e) (Birth of Saints 3) by Michelle Hauck.

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

December 4, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Danger's Race (e)	Amanda Carlson	SF/PA/Dys - Holly Danger 3
Chosen One (e)	Scarlett Dawn	FR - Forever Evermore 6

December 5, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Canto Bight	Saladin Ahmed Rae Carson Mira Grant John Jackson Miller	SF - Journey to Star War: The Last Jedi
The Girl in the Tower	Katherine Arden	F - Winternight Trilogy 2
The Black Tide (e)	Keri Arthur	SF/GenEng/PA - Outcast Novel 3
Defiant (h2mm)	Dave Bara	SF - Lightship Chronicles 3
The Wicked Vampire	Kate Baxter	PNR - Last True Vampire 6
Immortal Life: A Soon To Be True Story	Stanley Bing	LF/TechnoTh/SF
Alive in Shape and Color: 17 Paintings by Great Artists and the Stories They Inspired	Lawrence Block (Ed)	LF - Anthology
The Art of Star Trek: The Kelvin Timeline	Jeff Bond	Art/SF - Star Trek
The Chaos of Luck	Catherine Cerveny	SFR - A Felicia Sevigny Novel 2
Persepolis Rising	James S. A. Corey	SF/SO -The Expanse 7
The Outcast Chronicles	Rowena Cory Daniells	F - Outcast Chronicles Omnibus
1636: The Vatican Sanction	Eric Flint Charles E. Gannon	SF - Ring of Fire 24
Death's Mistress: Sister of Darkness (h2mm)	Terry Goodkind	F - The Nicci Chronicles 1
The Rising (h2mm)	Heather Graham Jon Land	Th/Sus
The Macedonian	Nicholas Guild	HistTh
No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters	Ursula K. Le Guin	Essays
The Forever Ship	Francesca Haig	SF/AP/PA - The Fire Sermon 3
Steadfast (e)	Michelle Hauck	HistF - Birth of Saints 3
The Dosadi Experiment and The Eyes of Heisenberg (ri)	Frank Herbert	SF/SO
The Sword of Midras: A Shroud of the Avatar Novel (h2tp)	Tracy Hickman Richard Garriott	F - Blade of the Avatar 1
Flame in the Dark	Faith Hunter	UF - A Soulwood Novel 3
The Order War (ri)	L. E. Modesitt Jr.	F - Saga of Recluce 4
The Wrong Dead Guy (h2tp)	Richard Kadrey	F/HU - Another Coop Heist 2
Record of a Night Too Brief	Hiromi Kawakami	Psy - Japanese Novellas
The Moon and the Other (h2tp)	John Kessel	SF
Legends of the Dragonrealm: Cut from the Same Shadow and Other Tales	Richard A. Knaak	F - Dragonrealm Novellas
The Dreamer's Song	Lynn Kurland	FR - A Novel of the Nine Kingdoms 11
Pathways	Mercedes Lackey (Ed)	F - Valdemar Anthology 11
The Witch's Thirst	Deborah LeBlanc	PNR
The White Serpent	Tanith Lee	F - Wars of Vis 3
A War in Crimson Embers	Alex Marshall	F - The Crimson Empire 3
Mississippi Roll	George R. R. Martin Wild Cards Trust	SH - Wild Cards 15
Duel: Terror Stories by Richard Matheson	Richard Matheson	H - Collection
Fleet Insurgent	Susan R. Matthews	SF - Under Jurisdiction 8
The Crimson King	Graham McNeill	SF - The Horus Heresy 44
One of Us Will Be Dead by Morning	David Moody	Dys - Hater 4
The Last Sacrifice (tp2mm)	James A. Moore	F - Tides of War 1
Heart Sight	Robin Owens	PNR - A Celta Novel 14
Plague Garden	Josh Reynolds	F - Hallowed Knights 1
Year One	Nora Roberts	F/P - Chronicles of the One 1
The Demon Crown	James Rollins	Th - Sigma Force 13
Glass Town (D)	Steven Savile	CF
Hymn	Ken Scholes	SF - The Psalms of Isaak 5
Princess Holy Aura	Ryk E. Spoor	CF
Winterglass	Benjanun Sriduangkaew	ScF
Empire Games: A Tale of the Merchant Princes Universe (h2tp)	Charles Stross	SF - Empire Games 1
God's Last Breath	Sam Sykes	F - Bring Down Heaven 3
Rosewater (e)	Tade Thompson	SF

December 6, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Sword and Spirit (e)	Karen Lord	HistF - Tremontaine Season 3 9
Save Point (e)	E. C. Myers	SF/Th - ReMade Season 2 4

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



AH - Alternate History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FR - Fantasy Romance
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
H - Horror
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HistTh - Historical Thriller
HU - Humor
LF - Literary Fiction
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Psy - Psychological
ScF - Science Fantasy
SH -Superheroes
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SO - Space Opera
SP - SteamPunk
SpecFic - Speculative Fiction
Sup - Supernatural
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
UF - Urban Fantasy

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

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

December 1, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Fallen (e)	Michele Hauf	PNR - Of Angels and Demons 3
Heartland	Lucy Hounsom	F - The Worldmaker Trilogy 2
A Tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms Volume 3: The Sleeping Beauty\Beauty and the Werewolf (e)	Mercedes Lackey	F - A Tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms
The Witch's Thirst (e)	Deborah LeBlanc	PNR
Third Flatiron Best of 2017	Juliana Rew (Ed)	SpecFic - Anthology
The Unyielding	Gary J. Shipley	H
Spy Glass (e)(ri)	Maria V. Snyder	FR - Chronicles of Ixia

December 4, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Danger's Race (e)	Amanda Carlson	SF/PA/Dys - Holly Danger 3
Chosen One (e)	Scarlett Dawn	FR - Forever Evermore 6

December 5, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Canto Bight	Saladin Ahmed Rae Carson Mira Grant John Jackson Miller	SF - Star Wars
The Girl in the Tower	Katherine Arden	F - Winternight Trilogy 2
The Black Tide (e)	Keri Arthur	SF/GenEng/PA - Outcast Novel 3
Defiant	Dave Bara	SF - Lightship Chronicles 3
The Wicked Vampire	Kate Baxter	PNR - Last True Vampire 6
Immortal Life: A Soon To Be True Story	Stanley Bing	LF/TechnoTh/SF
Alive in Shape and Color: 17 Paintings by Great Artists and the Stories They Inspired	Lawrence Block (Ed)	LF - Anthology
The Art of Star Trek: The Kelvin Timeline	Jeff Bond	Art/SF - Star Trek
The Chaos of Luck	Catherine Cerveny	SFR - A Felicia Sevigny Novel 2
Persepolis Rising	James S. A. Corey	SF/SO -The Expanse 7
The Outcast Chronicles	Rowena Cory Daniells	F - Outcast Chronicles Omnibus
1636: The Vatican Sanction	Eric Flint Charles E. Gannon	SF - Ring of Fire 24
Death's Mistress: Sister of Darkness (h2mm)	Terry Goodkind	F - The Nicci Chronicles 1
The Rising (h2mm)	Heather Graham Jon Land	Th/Sus
The Macedonian	Nicholas Guild	HistTh
No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters	Ursula K. Le Guin	Essays
The Forever Ship	Francesca Haig	SF/AP/PA - The Fire Sermon 3
Steadfast (e)	Michelle Hauck	HistF - Birth of Saints 3
The Dosadi Experiment and The Eyes of Heisenberg (ri)	Frank Herbert	SF/SO
The Sword of Midras: A Shroud of the Avatar Novel	Tracy Hickman Richard Garriott	F - Blade of the Avatar 1
Flame in the Dark	Faith Hunter	UF - A Soulwood Novel 3
The Order War (ri)	L. E. Modesitt Jr.	F - Saga of Recluce 4
The Wrong Dead Guy (h2tp)	Richard Kadrey	F/HU - Another Coop Heist 2
Record of a Night Too Brief	Hiromi Kawakami	Psy - Japanese Novellas
The Moon and the Other	John Kessel	SF
Legends of the Dragonrealm: Cut from the Same Shadow and Other Tales	Richard A. Knaak	F - Dragonrealm Novellas
The Dreamer's Song	Lynn Kurland	FR - A Novel of the Nine Kingdoms 11
Pathways	Mercedes Lackey (Ed)	F - Valdemar Anthology 11
The Witch's Thirst	Deborah LeBlanc	PNR
The White Serpent	Tanith Lee	F - Wars of Vis 3
A War in Crimson Embers	Alex Marshall	F - The Crimson Empire 3
Mississippi Roll	George R. R. Martin Wild Cards Trust	SH - Wild Cards 15
Duel: Terror Stories by Richard Matheson	Richard Matheson	H - Collection
Fleet Insurgent	Susan R. Matthews	SF - Under Jurisdiction 8
The Crimson King	Graham McNeill	SF - The Horus Heresy 44
One of Us Will Be Dead by Morning	David Moody	Dys - Hater 4
The Last Sacrifice	James A. Moore	F - Tides of War 1
Heart Sight	Robin Owens	PNR - A Celta Novel 14
Plague Garden	Josh Reynolds	F - Hallowed Knights 1
Year One	Nora Roberts	F/P - Chronicles of the One 1
The Demon Crown	James Rollins	Th - Sigma Force 13
Glass Town (D)	Steven Savile	CF
Hymn	Ken Scholes	SF - The Psalms of Isaak 5
Princess Holy Aura	Ryk E. Spoor	CF
Winterglass	Benjanun Sriduangkaew	ScF
Empire Games: A Tale of the Merchant Princes Universe	Charles Stross	SF - Empire Games 1
God's Last Breath	Sam Sykes	F - Bring Down Heaven 3
Rosewater (e)	Tade Thompson	SF

December 6, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Sword and Spirt (e)	Karen Lord Joel Derfner	HistF - Tremontaine Season 3 9
Save Point (e)	E. C. Myers Amy Rose Capetta	SF/Th - ReMade Season 2 4

December 11, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Emerald Princess: and Other Decadent Fantasies	Félicien Champsaur Brian Stableford (Tr)	F/H
Windhome	Kristen Landon	SF

December 12, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Warmaster	Dan Abnett	SF - Gaunt's Ghosts 14
The Founding	Dan Abnett	SF - Gaunt's Ghosts Omnibus
The Art of Ferdinand	Titan Books	Art
The Art of Destiny, Volume 2	Bungie	SF
The Mannequin Makers (D-US)	Craig Cliff	LF
Odysseus Awakening	Evan Currie	SF/SP - Odyssey One 6
Mad Hatters and March Hares: All-New Stories from the World of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland	Ellen Datlow (Ed)	F - Anthology
A Sword of Truth Set: Richard and Kahlan (The Omen Machine, The Third Kingdom, Severed Souls, Warheart) (e)	Terry Goodkind	F - Richard and Kahlan
Seven Deadly Ghosts	C.L. Hernandez	F/DF - The Complicated Life of Deegie Tibbs 3
The Corean Chronicles, Volume Two: Alector's Choice, Cadmian's Choice, Soarer's Choice, The Lord-Protector's Daughter, Lady-Protector (e)	L. E. Modesitt Jr.	F - Corean Chronicles
Pretty Vicious (e)	K.S. Merbeth	SF/AP/PA - Wastelanders
The White City	Simon Morden	SF
The Two of Swords: Volume Three	K. J. Parker	F - The Two of Swords 3
Primogenitor	Josh Reynolds	SF - Fabius Bile 1
Fyre	Sean Schubert	SF/AP/PA
The Complete Dragonships of Vindras Series (Bones of the Dragon, Secret of the Dragon, Rage of the Dragon, Doom of the Dragon) (e)	Margaret Weis Tracy Hickman	F - Dragonships of Vindras

December 13, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Man's Best Friend (e)	Amy Rose Capetta Gwenda Bond	SF/Th - ReMade Season 2 5
A Blur of Bright Water (e)	Tessa Gratton Karen Lord	HistF - Tremontaine Season 3 10
Festival of Fear	Graham Masterton	H - Collection

December 14, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Halloween Children	Brian James Freeman Norman Prentiss	H
Firestorm (e)	Lucy Hounsom	F - The Worldmaker Trilogy 3

December 19, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Martian Job	Jaine Fenn	SF - NewCon Press Novellas Set 3 Book 1
The Simi's ABCs: Adventures with Dark-Hunters	Sherrilyn Kenyon Alethea Kontis	F
Roadwork (ri)	Stephen King	Th/Sus/H
When The Skies Fall	Adam Korenman	SF - The Gray Wars 2
Scorched Shadows	Steve McHugh	CF - The Hellequin Chronicles 7
The Will to Battle	Ada Palmer	SF - Terra Ignota 3
S	Koji Suzuki	Occ/Sup - Ring 5
The More Known World	Tiffany Tsao	CF - The Oddfits 2

December 20, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Daredevil (e)	Gwenda Bond Matthew Cody	SFTh - ReMade Season 2 6
Dragon Rampant (e)	Karen Lord Joel Derfner	HistF - Tremontaine Season 3 11

December 26, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Survival	Ben Bova	SF - Star Quest Trilogy 3
Kill All Angels	Robert Brockway	H - The Vicious Circuit 3
1636: Mission to the Mughals (h2mm)	Eric Flint Griffin Barber	AH - Ring of Fire 23
The Complete Aliens Omnibus: Volume Five	Michael Jan Friedman	SF/MTI
Assassin's Fate (h2mm)	Robin Hobb	F - Fitz and the Fool 3
Arachnosaur (D)	Richard Jeffries	H
Nemo Rising	C. Courtney Joyner	SF/SP
Better Dead (D)	Pamela Kopfler	PCM - A B&B Spirits Mystery 1
The Night Parade (tp2mm)	Ronald Malfi	H
The Man From the Diogenes Club	Kim Newman	F - Collection
Silver Silence (h2mm)	Nalini Singh	PNR - Psy-Changeling Trinity 1
Kill Before Dying (h2mm)	Travis S. Taylor	SF - Tau Ceti Agenda 5
Angels of Caliban (tp2mm)	Gav Thorpe	SF - The Horus Heresy 38
World's End	Joan D. Vinge	SF - Snow Queen 2
Count to Infinity	John C. Wright	SF - The Eschaton Sequence 6

December 30, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
We're All in This Together	Owen King	H - Collection

December 31, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Reading Stephen King	Brian James Freeman (Ed)	Essays
Shining in the Dark: Celebrating Twenty Years of Lilja's Library!	Hans-Ake Lilja	H - Anthology
The Ignored	Bentley Little	H
Dominion	Bentley Little	H
The Walking	Bentley Little	H
Station Eleven	Emily St. John Mandel	SF/PA
The Weight of Words	Dave McKean	F - Anthology
Don't Live For Your Obituary	John Scalzi	Essays
Ironclads (e)	Adrian Tchaikovsky	SF

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



AH - Alternate History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FR - Fantasy Romance
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
H - Horror
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HistTh - Historical Thriller
HU - Humor
LF - Literary Fiction
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Psy - Psychological
ScF - Science Fantasy
SH -Superheroes
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SO - Space Opera
SP - SteamPunk
SpecFic - Speculative Fiction
Sup - Supernatural
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
UF - Urban Fantasy

Katherine Arden (2017)

The Bear and the Nightingale
Del Rey, June 27, 2017
Trade Paperback, 368 pages
Hardcover and eBook, January 10, 2017

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A magical debut novel for readers of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, and Neil Gaiman’s myth-rich fantasies, The Bear and the Nightingale spins an irresistible spell as it announces the arrival of a singular talent with a gorgeous voice.

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

The Girl in the Tower
Del Rey, December 5, 2017
Hardcover and eBook, 384 pages

The magical adventure begun in The Bear and the Nightingale continues as brave Vasya, now a young woman, is forced to choose between marriage or life in a convent and instead flees her home—but soon finds herself called upon to help defend the city of Moscow when it comes under siege.

Isabel Cooper (2011)

Highland Dragon Warrior
Dawn of the Highland Dragon 1
Sourcebooks Casablanca, September 5, 2017
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 320 pages

"Another incredible, unique romance from the ingenious Cooper. Smartly written, fast-paced and brimming over with magic and surprises, this is exactly what readers crave and what Cooper continues to deliver."-RT Book Reviews, 4 ½ stars on Night of the Highland Dragon

Dragon shapeshifter Cathal MacAlasdair is on the brink of losing a dangerous power to his enemy when a whip-smart alchemist strikes a bargain...and lights a fire inside his heart.

Legend claims
When Scotland fell to English rule
The Highland dragons took a vow:
Freedom at any price.

The war may be over, but so long as English magic controls the Highlands, not even a dragon laird can keep his clan safe. What Cathal MacAlasdair needs is a warrior fierce enough to risk everything, yet gifted enough to outwit an enemy more monster than man.

What he needs is Sophia.

Alchemist Sophia Metzger traveled to Loch Arach in search of knowledge. She never dreamed she'd learn to do battle, ride through the stars on the back of a dragon, or catch the eye of a Highland laird. But as her quest turns to sizzling chemistry and inescapable danger, she'll soon discover the thrill of being caught in a dragon's claws...

Dawn of the Highland Dragon Series:
Highland Dragon Warrior (Book 1)
Highland Dragon Rebel (Book 2)
Highland Dragon Unleashed (Book 3)

Highland Dragon Rebel
Dawn of the Highland Dragon 2
Sourcebooks Casablanca, November 7, 2017
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

Madoc of Avandos is on a journey to cement alliances. Targeted by an assassin, he needs a companion who can fight. When dragon shifter Moiread MacAlasdair returns from war, he knows she's the best woman for the job. Duty and political strength compel Moiread to agree, but when they cross into the otherworld and Madoc's life is threatened, Moiread jumps into protection mode-and will do whatever it takes to keep the man of her dreams alive.

Dawn of the Highland Dragon Series:
Highland Dragon Warrior (Book 1)
Highland Dragon Rebel (Book 2)
Highland Dragon Unleashed (Book3)

Emma Newman (2013)

Weaver's Lament
Industrial Magic 2
Tor.com, October 17, 2017
Trade Paperback and eBook, 192 pages

Charlotte's magical adventures continue in Weaver's Lament, the sequel to Emma Newman's Brother's Ruin.

Charlotte is learning to control her emerging magical powers under the secret tutelage of Magus Hopkins.

Her first covert mission takes her to a textile mill where the disgruntled workers are apparently destroying expensive equipment.

And if she can’t identify the culprits before it’s too late, her brother will be exiled, and her family dishonoured…

Happy last Monday in June!

There are 3 debuts this week:

The Waking Land by Callie Bates;

Soul of the World by David Mealing;

and

Amatka by Karin Tidbeck.

From formerly featured DAC Authors

The Furthest Station by Ben Aaronovitch;

The Race by Nina Allan is out in Mass Market Paperback;

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden is out in Trade Paperback;

The Queen of Swords (Golgotha 3) by R. S. Belcher

The Bones of the Earth (Bound Gods 2) by Rachel Dunne;

Escape Velocity (The Dire Earth Cycle 5) by Jason M. Hough;

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight (Charley Davidson 11) by Darynda Jones is out in Mass Market Paperback;

and

The Legion of Flame (The Draconis Memoria 2) by Anthony Ryan.

June 27, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Race (tp2mm)	Nina Allan	SF/AP/PA
The Bear and the Nightingale (h2tp)	Katherine Arden	F/MR/LF
Twelve Days	Steven Barnes	SF/SupTh
The Waking Land (D)	Callie Bates	F
The Queen of Swords	R. S. Belcher	HistF/WW - Golgotha 3
A Ghostly Light	Juliet Blackwell	PM - Haunted Home Renovation 7
HALO: Envoy (tp2mm)	Tobias S. Buckell	SF - HALO
Blackmail	Rick Campbell	TechTh
Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge (h2mm)	Larry Correia John Ringo	UF - Monster Hunter Memoirs 1
Mash Up (tp2mm)	Gardner Dozois (Ed)	MU -Anthology
The Bones of the Earth	Rachel Dunne	F - Bound Gods 2
Reach for You	Pat Esden	FR/Gothic - Dark Heart 3
Flashmob	Christopher Farnsworth	Th- John Smith 2
The Spawn of Lilith	Dana Fredsti	UF/DF
The Sweetest Burn	Jeaniene Frost	PNR - Broken Destiny 2
Seven Stones to Stand or Fall: A Collection of Outlander Fiction	Diana Gabaldon	Hist/HistF - Outlander
Eye of Terra (tp2mm)	Laurie Goulding	SF - The Horus Heresy 35
Spoonbenders	Daryl Gregory	FL/SH/LF
The House of Memory	Carolyn Haines	PM - Pluto's Snitch 2
The Weaver's Lament (h2mm)	Elizabeth Haydon	F - The Symphony of Ages 9
Eterna and Omega (h2mm)	Leanna Renee Hieber	HistF - The Eterna Files 2
Escape Velocity	Jason M. Hough	SF/Th - The Dire Earth Cycle 5
The Fatal Gate	Ian Irvine	F - The Gates of Good and Evil 2
The Fate of the Tearling (ri)	Erika Johansen	LF/F - Queen of the Tearling 3
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight (h2mm)	Darynda Jones	PM - Charley Davidson 11
Legacies (ri)	L. E. Modesitt Jr.	F - Corean Chronicles 1
Unholy Blue	Darby Kaye	FR - Bannerman Boru 2
The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger (mm)	Stephen King	DF/MTI - The Dark Tower 1
The Green Mile: The Complete Serial Novel (ri)	Stephen King	Occ/Sup
Little Girls	Ronald Malfi	H/GH/Th
Enigma Tales	Una McCormack	SF - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Soul of the World (D)	David Mealing	F - The Ascension Cycle 1
Hunted	Elisabeth Naughton	PNR - Eternal Guardians Novella
Supernatural: The Usual Sacrifices	Yvonne Navarro	MTI/DF/P - Supernatural
The Complete Aliens Omnibus: Volume Four	Yvonne Navarro S. D. Perry	MTI/SF - Aliens
If the Haunting Fits, Wear It	Rose Pressey	PM - A Haunted Vintage Mystery 5
The Legion of Flame	Anthony Ryan	F - The Draconis Memoria 2
Galactic Games (tp2mm)	Bryan Thomas Schmidt (Ed)	SF - Anthology
Extinction Edge	Nicholas Sansbury Smith	SF/AP/PA - The Extinction Cycle 2
The Court of Broken Knives (e)	Anna Smith Spark	F - Empires of Dust 1
Lawless and the Flowers of Sin (tp2mm)	William Sutton	HistM/HistTh - Lawless
Amatka (D)	Karin Tidbeck	LF/SF/VisMeta
Smoke (h2tp)	Dan Vyleta	LF/AH/HistF
A Dance in Blood Velvet	Freda Warrington
The Witchwood Crown	Tad Williams	F/DF - Last King of Osten Ard 1
StarCraft: Evolution (h2mm)	Timothy Zahn	SF/MTI - Starcraft

June 29, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Doctor Who: Myths and Legends (e)	Richard Dinnick	SF- Doctor Who

June 30, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Furthest Station	Ben Aaronovitch	UF - PC Grant Novella
Dancing with the Doctor: Dimensions of Gender in the Doctor Who Universe	Lorna Jowett	HC
Mightier than the Sword	K. J. Parker	F

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



AH - Alternate History
AP - Apocalyptic
CB - Coloring Book
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
CoT - Conspiracy Theories
Cr - Crime
CyP - Cyberpunk
CW - Contemporary Women
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GB - Genre Bender
GH - Ghost(s)
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
Gothic - Gothic
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HistM - Historical Mystery
HistTh - Historical Thriller
HU - Humor
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legends and Mythology
M - Mystery
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PM - Paranormal Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
PRS - Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Psy - Psychological
PsyTh - Psychological Thriller
RSus - Romantic Suspense
SF - Science Fiction
SH - Superhero(es)
SocSci - Social Science
SP - Steampunk
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy
VisMeta - Visionary and Metaphysical
W - Western
WW - Weird Western

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

The Bear and the Nightingale
Author:  Katherine Arden
Publisher:  Del Rey, January 10, 2017
Format:  Hardcover and eBook, 336 pages
List Price:  US$27.00 (print); US$12.99 (eBook)
ISBN:  9781101885932 (print); 9781101885949 (eBook)

A magical debut novel for readers of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, and Neil Gaiman’s myth-rich fantasies, The Bear and the Nightingale spins an irresistible spell as it announces the arrival of a singular talent with a gorgeous voice.

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

Melanie's Thoughts

Set in the remote forest of Russia, Katherine Arden begins her amazing debut featuring Vasilisa who is very different from her parents and siblings. Vasilisa can see the spirits who live in her home, stables and the forest. The same spirits who frighten her step mother and cast her in the role of the village witch. When a young priest is sent to the village, determined to purge the 'old ways' everything takes a turn for the worst.  Crops start to fail, villagers and their animals die in horrible ways and the dead come back to life but its not the pious who will save them. Vasilisa, with the help of the frost demon, is the only one who can save her family home.

The Bear and the Nightingale is truly a fantastic book. It is one of those books that you can't believe is a debut and can't put down. To echo the book summary it really reminded me of Naomi Novak's Uprooted. Both books are steeped in Russian folklore with enigmatic female leads. Arden paints a rich and colourful picture of Vasilisa's lonely upbringing as the child that caused her beloved mother's death. When her stepmother turns up on the scene Vasilisa's life turns into an almost 'cinderella before the ball' existence. I enjoyed how Arden uses the plot to explain the spread of Christianity during that time period in Russia and how people turned away from worshiping the pagan gods and spirits. My one small criticism is that Arden spent a little too long describing Vasilisa's early life as I believe she could have a successfully progressed the plot without so much exposition in that period of her life.

If you are looking for a book that draws you in from page one and you can't put down then I urge you to read The Bear and the Nightingale. Hats off to Arden for crafting an richly textured story in a wonderfully lush and equally stark setting. This story hearkens back to a traditional fairy tale and is so detailed you can almost feel the chill of every snowflake that falls on Vasilisa's shoulders. A joy to read, start to finish.