The Qwillery

Katie Schickel (2015)

The Mermaid's Secret
Forge, June 14, 2016
Hardcover, Trade Paperback, and eBook, 288pages

From Katie Schickel, one of Booklist's Top 10 Women's fiction of 2015, comes The Mermaid's Secret, an original, fresh, and absolutely captivating beach read.

Life on land is suffocating for Jess Creary, who wastes her summers flipping burgers for tourists on a fishing boat off her quaint resort island home off the coast of Maine. After all, her older sister Kay died in a boating accident two years ago, her mother has disappeared, and her father isn't exactly dealing with things so well. Surfing and the handsome Captain Matthew are about the only bright spots in her life.

Then, on her twenty-third birthday, Jess catches the perfect wave--a wave that transforms her into a mermaid. Under the sea, a startlingly beautiful, dark place, Jess is reborn into a confident, powerful predator with superhuman strength --finally she is someone to be reckoned with. Meanwhile, back on land, Jess's relationship with Captain Matthew heats up, and so does her search for justice for Kay.

Jess has thirty days to choose between land and sea; legs and fins; her humanity and her freedom. Who could ignore the freedom of the sea? Yet, the ocean is a dark, wild, lonely place. Is this a gift or a curse? Will Jess choose family and love, forgiveness and truth, or will she be seduced by the wild call of the sparkling sea forever?

F. Wesley Schneider (2015)

Pathfinder Adventure Path: Strange Aeons 1 of 6 - In Search of Sanity
     by F. Wesley Schneider
Paizo Publishng Inc., September 20, 2016
Paperback, 96 pages

The adventurers awaken within the walls of the eerie Briarstone Asylum, their minds wracked and memories missing. As they work together to recover their missing time, they soon learn that the cause of their eerie amnesia is but a symptom of a much greater cosmic menace. As they struggle to retain their sanity, the heroes must ally with other asylum residents and fight against the monstrosities that have taken over the asylum and plunged it into nightmare. Can the adventurers defeat the terror that stalks the halls and free themselves from their prison of madness?

“In Search of Sanity” is a Pathfinder Roleplaying Game adventure for 1st-level characters. The adventure kicks off the Strange Aeons Adventure Path, a twisted delve into madness that pits the heroes against the cosmic horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos. Several new monsters, details on the Mythos, and the first installment of a new Pathfinder’s Journal round out this volume of the Pathfinder Adventure Path!

Each monthly full-color softcover Pathfinder Adventure Path volume contains an in-depth adventure scenario, stats for several new monsters, and support articles meant to give Game Masters additional material to expand their campaign. Pathfinder Adventure Path volumes use the Open Game License and work with both the Pathfinder RPG and the world’s oldest fantasy RPG.

Pathfinder Volume 5: Hollow Mountain
     by Erik Mona, F. Wesley Schneider, and James L. Sutter
Dynamite Entertainment, September 20, 2016
Hardcover, 192 pages

The iconic heroes of Pathfinder delve deep into an ancient fortress built by the Runelords. Carved in the immense visage of Alaznist, Runelord of Wrath, the Hollow Mountain is home to a honeycomb labyrinth of trap-laden chambers and corridors. The Pathfinder agents must explore the ruins in search of a long-lost mystical artifact... but they're not alone. Competing explorers seek out the mountain's secrets, and it won't be long before open combat erupts! But unbeknownst to the warring factions, Alaznist has not left her former stronghold unprotected. Can the Pathfinder heroes and their bitter rivals put aside their animosity to survive the mountain's fearsome guardians?

written by the collaborative team of Erik Mona (Paizo Publisher and Chief Creative Officer), F. Wesley Schneider (Paizo Editor-in-Chief), and James Sutter (Paizo Senior Editor), and featuring sensational artwork by Tom Garcia (Mercy Thompson: Hopcross Jilly), the Hollow Mountain saga expands upon the mythos of Paizo's award-winning fantasy world, fiction line, and tabletop RPG. Bonus materials include over thirty-pages of encounters and world detail for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, including a poster map.

Pathfinder Adventure Path: Curse of the Crimson Throne
by James Jacobs, Nicolas Logue, F. Wesley Schneider, Richard Pett, Greg A. Vaughan, and Michael  Kortes
Paizo Publishng Inc., November 8, 2016
Hardcover, 480 pages

Return to a classic Pathfinder Adventure Path with Curse of the Crimson Throne, one of Paizo’s most popular campaigns! The city of Korvosa is in chaos, and her new queen may well be the source―can a ragtag group of heroes stand before the might of one of Golarion’s most notorious villains? This immense book collects the six classic Curse of the Crimson Throne adventures, and has everything you need to run an entire, full-length campaign covering months and months of play!
The Curse of the Crimson Throne hardcover includes:
• Updates the classic Adventure Path to the Pathfinder RPG rules for the first time!
• Explore expanded adventures, including a brand new mission written by Paizo’s Creative Director, James Jacobs, that sends the heroes into a perilous dungeon run by the queen’s infamous Gray Maidens!
• Features dozens of evocative new illustrations of classic characters!
• New and updated rules for monsters, magic items, and character options

V. E. Schwab (2013)

A Gathering of Shadow
Shades of Magic 2
Tor Books, January 17, 2017
Trade Paperback, 512 pages
Hardcover and eBook, February 23, 2016

From #1 New York Times bestselling author V.E. Schwab

Four months have passed since the shadow stone fell into Kell's possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Rhy was wounded and the Dane twins fell, and the stone was cast with Holland's dying body through the rift, and into Black London.

In many ways, things have almost returned to normal, though Rhy is more sober, and Kell is now plagued by his guilt. Restless, and having given up smuggling, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks like she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games-an extravagant international competition of magic, meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries-a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

But while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life, and those who were thought to be forever gone have returned. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night reappears in the morning, and so it seems Black London has risen again-and so to keep magic's balance, another London must fall...in V.E. Schwab's A Gathering of Shadows.

"A Darker Shade of Magic has all the hallmarks of a classic work of fantasy. Schwab has given us a gem of a tale...This is a book to treasure."—Deborah Harkeness, New York Times bestselling author of the All Souls trilogy

A Conjuring of Light
Shades of Magic 3
Tor Books, February 21, 2017
Hardcover and eBook, 624 pages

Londons fall and kingdoms rise while darkness sweeps the Maresh Empire, and the fraught balance of magic blossoms into dangerous territory while heroes struggle. The direct sequel to A Gathering of Shadows, and the final book in the Shades of Magic epic fantasy series, A Conjuring of Light sees the newly minted New York Times bestselling author V. E. Schwab reach a thrilling conclusion concerning the fate of beloved protagonists--and old foes.

Luke Scull (2013)

Dead Man's Steel
The Grim Company 3
Ace, January 3, 2017
Hardcover and eBook, 400 pages

As the “gripping”* epic from the author of Sword of the North continues, the Grim Company must battle a dangerous new enemy that is determined to destroy all of humanity…

In the City of Towers, former rebel Sasha and her comrade Davarus Cole struggle to keep the peace between the warring mages who vie for dominion. But when the White Lady sends Davarus south to the Shattered Realms to seek allies among the fallen kingdoms, he finds that his hardest battle may be one fought within. The godly essence now residing within him offers power that could be used against the Fade—but with every death that feeds It, Cole risks losing a part of himself.

An association with a Fade officer grants the Halfmage Eremul a position of privilege among Dorminia’s new masters. He witnesses firsthand the fate that awaits humanity. But with his magic pitiful in the face of the Fade’s advanced technology, the Halfmage must rely on his wits alone to save whom he can…

And in the frozen north, the legendary warrior Brodar Kayne fights a desperate battle for his people. He is running out of time: an ancient evil sealed beneath the mountains is about to break free, an evil that is older than humanity, older than the Fade, older even than the gods—and it will not stop until the entire world is drowned in blood…

*The Guardian (UK)

Martin Seay (2016)

The Mirror Thief
Melville House, April 11, 2017
Trade Paperback, 592 pages
Hardcover and eBook, May 10, 2016

A globetrotting, time-bending, wildly entertaining literary tour de force in the tradition of Cloud Atlas.

The Mirror Thief is a dazzling combination of a genre-hopping adventure, a fast-paced mystery, and literary verve. Set in three cities in three eras, The Mirror Thief calls to mind David Mitchell and Umberto Eco in its serendipitous mix of entertainment and literary mastery.

The core story is set in Venice in the sixteenth century, when the famed makers of Venetian glass were perfecting one of the old world’s most wondrous inventions: the mirror. An object of glittering yet fearful fascination — was it reflecting simple reality, or something more spiritually revealing? — the Venetian mirrors were state of the art technology, and subject to industrial espionage by desirous sultans and royals world-wide. But for any of the development team to leave the island was a crime punishable by death. One man, however — a world-weary war hero with nothing to lose — has a scheme he thinks will allow him to outwit the city’s terrifying enforcers of the edict, the ominous Council of Ten …

Meanwhile, in two other iterations of Venice — Venice Beach, California, circa 1958, and the Venice casino in Las Vegas, circa today — two other schemers launch similarly dangerous plans to get away with a secret ….

All three stories will weave together into a spell-binding tour-de-force that is impossible to put down — an old-fashioned, stay-up-all-night novel that, in the end, returns the reader to a stunning conclusion in the original Venice … and the bedazzled sense of having read a truly original and thrilling work of literary art.

Anthony Ryan (2013)

An Aria For Ragnarok
Slab City Blues 5
October 1, 2015
eBook, 172 pages

The fifth and final story in the SF Noir series from Anthony Ryan, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Raven's Shadow Series.

Alex McLeod has a score to settle. Back on the Slab and newly promoted to head of Special Homicide, Alex decides it’s time to finally bring down Mr Mac - his longest-standing enemy and the most powerful criminal kingpin in the Confederation of Autonomous Orbiting States. But, before the hunt can begin he finds himself lumbered with the inconvenient and spectacularly bloody murder of a famous industrialist. A swift but violent resolution to the case raises more questions than it answers and Alex’s inability to tolerate a mystery soon uncovers a far greater threat than he has ever faced before. Ragnarok is coming. To stop it, Alex must call on the help of both friends and foes, as well as placing himself in an alien and hostile environment: it’s time for a return visit to Planet Earth.

Queen of Fire
A Raven's Shadow Novel
Ace, June 7, 2016
Trade Paperback, 656 pages
Hardcover and eBook, July 7, 2015

The thrilling conclusion to the “deftly and originally executed” (Booklist) New York Times bestselling Raven’s Shadow trilogy from the author of Blood Song and Tower Lord.

After fighting back from the brink of death, Queen Lyrna is determined to repel the invading Volarian army and regain the independence of the Unified Realm. To accomplish her goals she must not only rally her loyal supporters, but also align herself with forces that possess the strange and varied gifts of the Dark, and take the war to her enemy’s doorstep.

Victory rests on the shoulders of Vaelin Al Sorna, Battle Lord of the Realm. However, the Volarians have a new weapon on their side that Vaelin must destroy if the Realm is to prevail: a mysterious Ally with the ability to grant unnaturally long life to his servants. And defeating one who cannot be killed is a nearly impossible challenge, especially when Vaelin’s blood-song, the mystical power that has made him the epic fighter he is, has gone ominously silent…

Sofia Samatar (2013)

The Winged Histories
Small Beer Press, March 15, 2016
Hardcover and eBook, 300 pages

Four women, soldier, scholar, poet, and socialite are caught up on different sides of a violent rebellion. As war erupts and their families are torn apart, they fear they may disappear into the unwritten pages of history. Using the sword and the pen, the body and the voice, they struggle not just to survive, but to make history.

Kerry Schafer (2013)

The Nothing
Between Trilogy 3
Kerry Schafer, March 22, 2015
Trade Paperback and eBook, 326 pages

In the riveting conclusion to the Between Trilogy, Vivian has one chance to save the worlds, but it could cost her everything.

In Wakeworld, a mysterious illness is killing healthy people in their sleep. While doctors and world leaders scramble to determine the source of the epidemic, Vivian Maylor travels through an increasingly unstable Between on a quest to stop it. She already knows the source of the disaster: Aidan the dragon queen has poisoned the dreamworlds. Every time a dreamworld dies, any dreamer caught up in that dream dies too. Much as Vivian despises the dark magic of the Sorcieri, they hold the secrets she needs to be able to pursue Aidan through the locked gates into the Forever. She has one chance to save the worlds—if she can persuade the Sorcieri to share their secrets, and if she is willing to sacrifice everything she loves…

As Kerry Anne King

Closer Home
Lake Union Publishing, March 22, 2016
Trade Paperback and eBook,320 pages

When Lise Redding’s estranged sister, country-pop star Callie Redfern, is killed during a publicity stunt, the small-town music teacher is dragged from her quiet life into the spotlight.

Lise hadn’t spoken with Callie in ten years, ever since Callie’s betrayal split them apart, so she’s shocked to discover that she’s inherited her sister’s massive estate. Not only that, but Lise is now the guardian of her sixteen-year-old niece, Ariel, to whom she’s practically a stranger.

Overwhelmed by grief and her new responsibilities, Lise thinks things couldn’t get worse. But overnight she becomes the paparazzi’s latest obsession. Suddenly she and her longtime friend Dale are plastered over the front pages of the tabloids. Desperate to escape both the media and her memories, Lise sets off with Ariel on a search for the girl’s father. Yet instead of granting Lise a reprieve, the quest brings her face-to-face with long-buried secrets. Only by learning to forgive will she be able to find her way back home.

V.E. Schwab (2013)

A Darker Shade of Magic
Darker Shade of Magic 1
Tor Books, January 19, 2016
Trade Paperback, 416 pages
Hardcover and eBook, February 24, 2015

STEP INTO A UNIVERSE OF DARING ADVENTURE, THRILLING POWER, AND MULTIPLE LONDONS.

Kell is one of the last Travelers-magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes, connected by one magical city.

There's Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, and with one mad king-George III. Red London, where life and magic are revered-and where Kell was raised alongside Rhys Maresh, the rougish heir to a flourishing empire. White London-a place where people fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London. But no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, ambassador of the Maresh empire, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

Luke Scull (2013)

Sword of the North
The Grim Company
Roc, March 1, 2016
Mass Market Paperback, 480 pages
Hardcover and eBook, May 5, 2015

In The Grim Company, Luke Scull introduced a formidable and forbidding band of anti-heroes battling against ruthless Magelords and monstrous terrors. The adventure continues as the company—now broken—face new dangers on personal quests…  

As Davarus Cole and his former companions were quick to discover, the White Lady’s liberation of Dorminia has not resulted in their freedom. Anyone perceived as a threat has been imprisoned or exiled, leaving the White Lady’s rule absolute. But Eremul the Halfmage has learned of a race of immortals known as the Fade—a threat not only to the White Lady, but to all of humanity.

Far to the north, Brodar Kayne and Jerek the Wolf find themselves caught in a war between a demon horde and their enemy of old, the Shaman. And in the wondrous city of Thelassa, Sasha must overcome demons of her own.

Because the Fade are coming…

Happy Monday! May the 4th be with you!


There are 6 debuts this week:

• Hugo & Rose by Bridget Foley
• The Brass Giant (Chroniker City 1) by Brooke Johnson
• Unexpected Rain by Jason LaPier
• The Waterborne Blade (Waterborne 1) by Susan Murray
• Revision by Andrea Phillips
• Cash Crash Jubilee (Jubilee Cycle 1) by Eli K. P. William

And from formerly featured Debut Author Challenge Authors:

• Corsair: A Science Fiction Novel by James L. Cambias
• Seriously Wicked by Tina Connolly
• Three Slices by Delilah Dawson, Kevin Hearne and Chuck Wendig  (Blud, Iron Druid, Miriam Black novellas)
• Seventh Grave and No Body (Charley Davidson 7) Darynda Jones is out in Mass Market Paperback
• The Venusian Gambit (Daedalus 3) by Michael J. Martinez
• Sword of the North (The Grim Company 2) by Luke Scull
• Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Thomas Sweterlitsch is out in Trade Paperback
• Blackbirds (Miriam Black 1), Mockingbird (Miriam Black 2) and The Cormorant (Miriam Black 3) by Chuck Wendig are re-released by their new publisher in digital format with new covers. Print editions will be available later this year.

May 5, 2015

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The New World	Chris Adrian	LF
The Dark Between the Stars (h2mm)	Kevin J. Anderson	SF/SO- Saga of Shadows 1
Straits of Hell	Taylor Anderson	SF - Destroyermen 10
Deadly Shores (h2mm)	Taylor Anderson	SF - Destroyermen 9
Immunity	Taylor Antrim	LF/NF/Dys
Day of Atonement	Alex Archer	FairyT/FolkT/ L&M - Rogue Angel 54
Forbidden Trespass	James Axler	Dys - Deathlands 122
Hell's Maw	James Axler	SF - Outlanders 73
The Windup Girl (2nd Edition)	Paolo Bacigalupi	SF
The Boost (h2mm)	Stephen Baker	TechnoTh/NF
Grave Phantoms	Jenn Bennett	PNR - Roaring Twenties 3
Shadows (h2mm)	E. C. Blake	F - The Masks of Aygrima 2
Some Like It Witchy	Heather Blake	PM - Wishcraft Mystery 5
If There Were Demons Then Perhaps There Were Angels: William Peter Blatty's Own Story of the Exorcist (e)	William Peter Blatty	Film
Mirror Sight (h2tp)	Kristen Britain	F - Green Rider 5
Corsair: A Science Fiction Novel	James L. Cambias	SF
Thief's Magic (h2tp)	Trudi Canavan	F - Millennium's Rule 1
Earth Awakens (h2mm)	Orson Scott Card	SF - The First Formic War 3
Gateway to Never	A Bertram Chandler	SF - John Grimes 6
Seriously Wicked	Tina Connolly	F/YA
1882: Custer in Chains	Robert Conroy	AH
Cibola Burn (h2tp)	James S.A. Corey	SF - Expanse 4
Within (e)	Keith Deininger	H
Three Slices (Ke)	Delilah Dawson Kevin Hearne Chuck Wendig	F - Novellas (Blud, Iron Druid, Miriam, Black)
Releasing the Shifter	Summer Devon	PNR - Solitary Shifters 3
Unseemly Science	Rod Duncan	HistF - The Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire 2
The Waking Engine (h2mm)	David Edison	F
The Mystwalker Series, The Complete Collection (e)	Leigh Evans	PNR - Mystwalker
Winterwood (e)	JG Faherty	H - Childhood Fears
Hugo & Rose (D)	Bridget Foley	LF
Blood Sisters: Vampire Stories by Women	Paula Guran (ed)	F/P - Anthology
Day Shift	Charlaine Harris	UF - Midnight, Texas 2
The Gospel of Loki	Joanne M. Harris	F
Midnight's Kiss	Thea Harrison	PNR - Elder Races 8
The Merchant Emperor (h2mm)	Elizabeth Haydon	F - Symphony of Ages 7
Scarecrows	Christine Hayton	H - Childhood Fears
Witches with the Enemy	Barb Hendee	F - Mist-Torn Witches 3
Alias Hook (h2tp)	Lisa Jensen	HistF
The Brass Giant (D) (e)	Brooke Johnson	SP - Chroniker City 1
Seventh Grave and No Body (h2mm)	Darynda Jones	PM - Charley Davidson 7
Revival (ri)	Stephen King	H/Sus
Alien Separation	Gini Koch	SF - Alien 11
Black Ice (tp2mm)	Susan Krinard	CF - Midgard 2
The Dhulyn and Parno Novels: Volume Two	Violette Malan	F - Dhulyn and Parno Omnibus
The Venusian Gambit	Michael J. Martinez	SF - Daedalus 3
Ultimatum (e)	Annmarie McKenna	PNR - Graham Pack Mates 3
The Mirror (e)(ri)	Marlys Millhiser	M/TT
The Threshold (e)(ri)	Marlys Millhiser	M/TT
The Bear Who Wouldn't Leave	J.H. Moncrieff	H - Childhood Fears
Corum - The Knight of Swords: The Eternal Champion	Michael Moorcock	F - Eternal Champion
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage	Haruki Murakami	MR
The Waterborne Blade (D)	Susan Murray	F - Waterborne 1
The Book of Phoenix	Nnedi Okorafor	SF/Ap/PA - Who Fears Death prequel
Chasers of the Wind (h2mm)	Alexey Pehov	F - Cycle of Wind and Sparks 1
Revision (D)	Andrea Phillips	SF
The Guardians of Ascension Series, Books 1-3 (e)	Caris Roane	PNR - Guardians of Ascension
Gifts of Darkover (Ke)	Deborah J. Ross	F - Darkover 15
Binary	Stephanie Saulter	SF - Revolution 2
Gemsigns (h2tp)	Stephanie Saulter	SF - Revolution 1
Sword of the North	Luke Scull	F - The Grim Company 2
Nightmare in Greasepaint	L.L. Soares	H - Childhood Fears
Phoenix in Shadow	Ryk E Spoor	F - Balanced Sword 2
Tomorrow and Tomorrow (h2tp)	Thomas Sweterlitsch	NF/Th/Ap/PA
Her Wild Hero	Paige Tyler	PNR - X-Ops 3
Blackbirds (e)(ri)	Chuck Wendig	UF - Miriam Black 1
The Cormorant (e)(ri)	Chuck Wendig	UF - Miriam Black 3
Mockingbird (e)(ri)	Chuck Wendig	UF - Miriam Black 2
Oracle	Michelle West	F - House War 6
Cash Crash Jubilee (D)	Eli K. P. William	SF/Ap/PA - Jubilee Cycle 1
A Long Time Until Now	Michael Z Williamson	SF/TT - Temporal Displacement 1

May 6, 2015

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Two Weddings of Bronwyn Hyatt: A Tor.Com Original (e)	Alex Bledsoe	F
At the End of Babel: A Tor.Com Original (e)	Michael Livingston	F
Hollywood Presents Jules Verne: The Father of Science Fiction on Screen	Brian Taves	HC

May 7, 2015

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
City of Fae (e)	Pippa DaCosta	UF/NA
Lord of Ashes (e)	Richard Ford	F - Steelhaven 3
Unexpected Rain (D) (e)	Jason LaPier	SF

May 10, 2015

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Mermen	Mimi Jean Pamfiloff	PNR - Mermen Trilogy 1
MerMadmen	Mimi Jean Pamfiloff	PNR - Mermen Trilogy 2

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


AH - Alternate History
Ap - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tale
FolkT - Folk Tale
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
HistF - Historical Fantasy
L&M - Legend and Myth
LF - Literary Fiction
MR - Magical Realism
NA - New Adult
NF - Near Future
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PM - Paranormal Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
SF - Science Fiction
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
Sus - Suspense
TechnoTh - Technological Thriller
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy
YA - Young Adult

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

Lori Sjoberg

Grave Vengeance
Grave 3
Lyrical Press. Janaury 19, 2015
Trade Paperback and eBook, 266 pages

Handsome and haunted, he's a reaper who prefers to work alone. But Fate has other plans for him and the sassy secret agent who shot him in another life—if their pasts don't catch up with them first.

Dmitri Stavitsky has never played well with others—a Soviet KGB spy in life turned reaper after death, his work of bringing souls to the other side is best done alone. But orders from the top soon place him alongside fellow reaper Gwen Peterson, the American counter intelligence agent who took his life so many years ago. Now, as a ghost from Gwen's past resurfaces with the power to steal reapers' souls, the two have no choice but to set aside their differences and apprehend the rogue together. But their cross-country mission soon ignites feelings Dmitri thought he was no longer capable of—for the woman who helped destroy him. With an ancient force and a small army against them, he'll have to let go of old grudges or risk his future with Gwen...as Fate hangs dangerously in the balance.

E. L. Tettensor

Master of Plagues
Nicolas Lenoir 2
Roc, February 3, 2015
Mass Market Paperback and eBook,  368 pages

“A dark fantasy detective story that takes readers on a dark, sometimes disturbing journey. E.L. Tettensor crafts a tale that makes you think even while you shudder—a delightful combination.”—Fresh Fiction on Darkwalker

Unraveling a deadly mystery takes time—and his is running out…

Having barely escaped the clutches of the Darkwalker, Inspector Nicolas Lenoir throws himself into his work with a determination he hasn’t known in years. But his legendary skills are about to be put to the test. A horrific disease is ravaging the city—and all signs point to it having been deliberately unleashed.

With a mass murderer on the loose, a rising body count, and every hound in the city on quarantine duty, the streets of Kennian are descending into mayhem, while Lenoir and his partner, Sergeant Bran Kody, are running out of time to catch a killer and find a cure.

Only one ray of hope exists: the nomadic Adali, famed for their arcane healing skills, claim to have a cure. But dark magic comes at a price, one even the dying may be unwilling to pay. All that’s left to Lenoir is a desperate gamble. And when the ashes settle, the city of Kennian will be changed forever…

Danie Ware

Ecko Burning
Ecko 2
Titan Books, May 26, 2015
Mass Market Paperback, 528 pages
Previously published in Trade Paperback and eBook, June 3, 2014

Ruthless and ambitious, Lord Phylos has control of Fhaveon city, and is using her forces to bring the grasslands under his command. His last opponent is an elderly scribe who’s lost his best friend and wants only to do the right thing.

Seeking weapons, Ecko and his companions follow a trail of myth and rumour to a ruined city where both nightmare and shocking truth lie in wait.

Back in London, the Bard is offered the opportunity to realise everything he has ever wanted – if he will give up his soul.

When all of these things come together, the world will change beyond recognition.

Chris Willrich

The Chart of Tomorrows
Gaunt and Bone 3
Pyr, July 7, 2015
Trade Paperback and eBook, 500 pages

The poet Persimmon Gaunt and the thief Imago Bone had sought only to retire from adventuring and start a family, but they never reckoned on their baby becoming the chosen vessel of the mystical energies of a distant Eastern land. With their son Innocence hunted by various factions hoping to use him as a tool, they kept him safe at the cost of trapping him in a pocket dimension of accelerated time.

Now free, the thirteen-year-old Innocence has rejected his parents and his "destiny" and has made dangerous friends in a barbaric Western land of dragon-prowed ships and rugged fjords. Desperately, Gaunt and Bone seek to track him down, along with their companion Snow Pine and her daughter A-Girl-Is-A-Joy, who was once trapped with Innocence too.

But as the nomadic Karvaks and their war-balloons strike west, and a troll-king spins his webs, and Joy is herself chosen by the spirit of the very land Innocence has fled to, Gaunt and Bone find themselves at the heart of a vast struggle-and their own son is emerging from that conflict as a force of evil. To save him and everything they know, they turn to a dangerous magical book, The Chart of Tomorrows, that reveals pathways through time. Upon the treacherous seas of history, Gaunt and Bone must face the darkness in each other's pasts, in order to rescue their future.

• Spirited (Tidewater 1) by Mary Behre;
• The Weirdness by Jeremy P. Bushnell;
• Black Moon by Kenneth Calhoun;
• The Emissary by Patricia Cori;
• The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld;
• Healer of Carthage by Lynne Gentry;
• Notes from the Internet Apocalypse by Wayne Gladstone;
• The Barrow by Mark Smylie.

• Hearts of Chaos (Deadglass Trilogy 3) by Kira Brady;
• An eBundle of the Alex Verus Novels 1-4 by Benedict Jacka
• Ghost Train to New Orleans (Shambling Guides 2) by Mur Lafferty
• The Grim Company (Grim Company 1) by Luke Scull is out in Mass Market Paperback

Part 1 is here - 2011 DAC Authors.
Part 2 is here - 2011 DAC Authors.
Part 3 is here - 2012 DAC Authors.
Part 4 is here - 2012 DAC Authors.
Part 5 is here - 2012 DAC Authors.
Part 6 is here - 2013 DAC Authors.
Part 7 is here - 2013 DAC Authors.
Part 8 is here - 2013 DAC Authors.

Liesel Schwarz

Sky Pirates
The Chronicles of Light and Shadow 3
Del Rey, July 1, 2014
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 320 pages

For romance and urban fantasy fans and readers of Gail Carriger’s Changeless and Cherie Priest’s Boneshaker, this thrilling historical fantasy adventure features warlocks, fairies, and the unforgettable heroine—the daring dirigible pilot Elle Chance—who navigates the realms between the Light and Shadow.

With her husband, Hugh Marsh, missing in the netherworld and presumed dead, Elle Chance loses herself in the task at hand: piloting the airship Water Lily on commissions across the globe. But as it turns out, her beloved is very much alive—the once-powerful warlock reduced to a wraith. When Water Lily is threatened by pirates, Elle will have to channel all her power as the Oracle—the keeper of the barrier between the two Realms—to try to save what she loves most. As the dark forces of Shadow converge around her, Elle must find a way to breach the curse that binds Marsh. But once released, will Marsh return to her—or is their love destined to die so that he can live?

Luke Scull

Sword of the North
Grim Company 2
Roc, 2014
Hardcover and eBook

Lori Sjoberg

Grave Destinations
Grave 2
eKensington, January 2, 2014
Trade Paperback and eBook

She’s sexy-fierce, resourceful—and will do anything to protect victims as innocent as she once was. But this kick-ass reaper never bargained on meeting her not-quite-human match…or putting their very souls on the line.

A luxury Caribbean cruise is Ruby Dawson’s idea of hell even under the best circumstances. Too many bad memories bubble up—especially of the wrenching injustice that made her a reaper. It doesn’t help that Jack Deverell is making this routine soul-collecting job twice as difficult with his devilish good looks and not-so-innocent questions. Now, as several unscheduled, unexplainable deaths throw passengers and crew into a panic, Jack becomes the prime suspect. The only way Ruby can save him is to challenge the decades-old curse threatening his soul. And as a malevolent unstoppable force turns their immortality into a fatal weakness, Ruby and Jack must risk their fragile humanity to save Fate’s delicate balance and their own unexpected destiny…

Menna van Praag

The House at the End of Hope Street
Penguin, March 25, 2014
Trade Paperback, 320 pages
Previously released in Hardcover and eBook, April 4, 2013

A magical debut about an enchanted house that offers refuge to women in their time of need

Distraught that her academic career has stalled, Alba is walking through her hometown of Cambridge, England, when she finds herself in front of a house she’s never seen before, 11 Hope Street. A beautiful older woman named Peggy greets her and invites her to stay, on the house’s usual conditions: she has ninety-nine nights to turn her life around. With nothing left to lose, Alba takes a chance and moves in.

She soon discovers that this is no ordinary house. Past residents have included Virginia Woolf and Dorothy Parker, who, after receiving the assistance they needed, hung around to help newcomers—literally, in talking portraits on the wall. As she escapes into this new world, Alba begins a journey that will heal her wounds—and maybe even save her life.

Filled with a colorful and unforgettable cast of literary figures, The House at the End of Hope Street is a charming, whimsical novel of hope and feminine wisdom that is sure to appeal to fans of Jasper Fforde and especially Sarah Addison Allen.

Dani Ware

Ecko Burning
Ecko 2
Titan Books, June 3, 2014
Trade Paperback and eBook, 464 pages

Ruthless and ambitious, Lord Phylos has control of Fhaveon city, and is using her forces to bring the grasslands under his command. His last opponent is an elderly scribe who’s lost his best friend and wants only to do the right thing.

Seeking weapons, Ecko and his companions follow a trail of myth and rumour to a ruined city where both nightmare and shocking truth lie in wait.

Back in London, the Bard is offered the opportunity to realise everything he has ever wanted – if he will give up his soul.

When all of these things come together, the world will change beyond recognition.

Chris Willrich

The Silk Map
Gaunt and Bone 2
Pyr, May 6, 2014
Trade Paperback and eBook, 450 pages

It's Brent Weeks meets China Mieville in this wildly imaginative fantasy adventure featuring high action, elegant writing, and sword and sorcery with a Chinese flare.

At the end of The Scroll of Years, the poet Persimmon Gaunt and her husband, the thief Imago Bone, had saved their child from evil forces at the price of trapping him within a pocket dimension. Now they will attempt what seems impossible; they will seek a way to recover their son. Allied with Snow Pine, a scrappy bandit who's also lost her child to the Scroll of Years, Gaunt and Bone awaken the Great Sage, a monkeylike demigod of the East, currently trapped by vaster powers beneath a mountain. The Sage knows of a way to reach the Scroll-but there is a price. The three must seek the world's greatest treasure and bring it back to him. They must find the worms of the alien Iron Moths, whose cocoons produce the wondrous material ironsilk.

And so the rogues join a grand contest waged along three thousand miles of dangerous and alluring trade routes between East and West. For many parties have simultaneously uncovered fragments of the Silk Map, a document pointing the way toward a nest of the Iron Moths. Our heroes tangle with Western treasure hunters, a blind mystic warrior and his homicidal magic carpet, a nomad princess determined to rebuild her father's empire, and a secret society obsessed with guarding the lost paradise where the Moths are found-even if paradise must be protected by murder.



The Dagger of Trust
Pathfinder Tales
Paizo Publishing, 2014
Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages

Gideon Gull leads a double life: one as a talented young bard at the Rhapsodic College, and the other as a student of the Shadow School, where Taldor’s infamous Lion Blades are trained to be master spies. When a magical fog starts turning ordinary people into murderous mobs along the border between Taldor and Andoran, it’s up to Gideon and a crew of his fellow performers to solve the mystery. But can a handful of entertainers really stop a brewing war?

From author Chris Willrich comes a new adventure of intrigue, espionage, and arcane mystery, set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

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The Grim Company is a dark and brutal epic fantasy set in a landscape where over 500 years ago the gods were destroyed by an alliance of Magelords. The Magelords are no longer united, because one source of their powers is the corpses of the dead gods and the “raw magic” they collect is running low. The story opens with Salazar, the Magelord and Ruler of Dorminia exacting revenge on a neighboring kingdom by magically dumping enough water to fill a small ocean upon its city, resulting in its utter obliteration. Salazar rules his own country by oppression and fear. His magically enhanced army mercilessly seeks out dissenters who can expect torture, enslavement, or death. Enter Davarus Cole, a hero in his own mind, and wielder of the enchanted blade, Magebane. Cole’s impetuous actions land him in trouble with Salazar’s heavy handed Red Guard. It takes world-weary warrior, Brodar Kayne, to save him from himself and the Guards. With the help of Jerek, Kayne’s sidekick, Sasha a compatriot of Cole, and Isaac the mysterious manservant of the Halfmage, Emerul, the roster of The Grim Company is complete,and so begins the exciting events in their quest to destroy Salazar.


Trinitytwo’s Point of View:

The first book in a trilogy, The Grim Company is decidedly grim. Luke Scull has created a world that seems without hope. Magelords killed the gods and now rule their world with iron fists. How does one stand up to all powerful, practically immortal, beings that are able to destroy gods? It’s really a rhetorical question, as one doesn’t or at least not very well. I really wasn’t surprised to learn that Mr. Scull is a video-game designer. His description of disembowelments, death, and mass destruction are flawlessly grisly and remind me of the mayhem I have witnessed unfold in various violent video-games. The language is foul, the tortures are highly descriptive, and maiming, killings and carnage abound. I have to admit that I cringed from time to time. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but this adventure is definitely not for the weak of stomach. (Also, just a heads up, there are excessive references made to hemorrhoids.) I felt that the first half of the book was too depressing to keep me fully engaged. The Grim Company’s quest seems to be an exercise in futility and for the most part the members of the company are off on their own, which belies the title. I was slightly disappointed with the massive amounts of setups that lead to ultimately unanswered questions. Undoubtedly, they will be answered in Book 2 or 3, but a little more closure in Book 1 would have been nice. I also didn’t connect to most of the members of the Grim Company. There really wasn’t a definitive bad guy or good guy, just many different perspectives. Davarus Cole was written to be obnoxious and although I liked the fact that he wasn’t a traditional hero, it was hard to root for him. Brodar Kayne, the grizzled veteran with a tragic past and a volatile best friend was easier to like. Sasha, the sole female in the Grim Company, was a disappointment, as her character did not seem very fleshed out. By the second half of the book, however, I realized I had grown to care for more of the characters. It became increasingly harder to put the book down and I was sorry when I reached the last page. I am very curious to find out where the tangled web that Luke Scull has woven is going and who will remain to see it through. This isn’t a book that I would recommend to the meek. If you like your fantasy dark, with a pinch of twisted humor, you will ultimately find The Grim Company compelling, satisfying, and something to savor.

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

Luke:  You mean outside of school? Probably at age 20, when I wrote my first module (adventure) for the Neverwinter Nights roleplaying game. I remember it had around 15,000 words, which felt like an absolute marathon at the time. At that point, the writing was secondary to learning how to script and use the game's toolset. It wasn't until the sequel when I discovered I had some actual writing talent.



TQ:  What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Luke:  I struggle to write in silence. I like stuff going on around me, which I then do my best to block out! When I'm sitting there all alone my mind wanders. I find I can write well at night, but during the day I'm far more productive on, say, a beach than I am by myself in an office. Weird, huh?



TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Luke:  A little of both. I begin with a basic story outline that contains the major plot points, which I then try to connect in the most interesting way possible. Too much planning removes the fun of the writing process. It's a case of knowing that sweet spot between constructing the skeleton of a great story and keeping myself interested in filling in the blanks.



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

Luke:  I always find going back over old chapters a nuisance. As a game designer I constantly evaluate and tweak, and that means I simply can't leave writing alone unless it's perfect. I'm always judging, analyzing, polishing. This tends to slow me down greatly unless I've enjoyed one of those rare periods where the words seem to flow flawlessly first time around. That doesn't happen often!



TQ:  Describe The Grim Company in 140 characters or less.

Luke:  The Grim Company is an epic fantasy about a group of anti-heroes set in a world of long-dead gods, rampaging demons, and immortal tyrants.



TQ:  What inspired you to write The Grim Company?

Luke:  I started to write The Grim Company to fill the time after I was made unemployed and my gaming project had stalled. I'd always wanted to try my hand at writing a novel and it seemed like the perfect opportunity.



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

Luke:  Other than reading a lot, I did little research besides the usual Wiki-mining for subjects I knew little about (e.g., sailing). I had a lot ideas that had built up over the years, so it was mainly a case of plunging right in, establishing my narrative voice, and getting into a rhythm.



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

Luke:  The easiest character to write was probably Cole. He's an arrogant idiot with a habit of surviving by the skin of his teeth. Somewhat worryingly, it was straightforward for me to conjure up the thoughts and deeds of a self-delusional fool who could alienate everything around him while believing himself the cock of the walk...

The hardest character to write was either Yllandris or Sasha, mainly because they're both female and somewhat damaged.



TQ:  Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in The Grim Company?

Luke:  My favorite scene is the eventual confrontation between two characters who can probably be considered the most noble and likeable in the book. Unfortunately they happen to be on different sides. It a great action scene but also, I hope, quite moving.



TQ:  What's next?

Luke:  I'm still writing Sword of the North, which is the second book in the trilogy. It's a long and complex novel and I want to ensure that it establishes me as a fantasy writer to watch, rather than one who succumbs to that sophomore slump.

I also had a prominent role on an RPG for mobile platforms that is due out in the next 4-6 weeks. I both wrote and designed The Shadow Sun, which is set in a dark fantasy world similar to The Grim Company. It could be the next big thing on Apple devices.



TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Luke:  My pleasure! Thank you for having me.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Books Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Books Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Books Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound