The Qwillery

Monday again!

There are 3 debuts his week:

Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis;

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson;

and

The Sin in the Steel (The Fall of the Gods 1) by Ryan Van Loan.




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

The Killing Light (The Sacred Throne 3) by Myke Cole is out in Trade Paperback;

Darkdawn (The Nevernight Chronicles 3) by Jay Kristoff is out in Trade Paperback;

All the Dead Men by Errick Nunnally;

The Rightful Queen (Paths of Lantistyne 2) by Isabelle Steiger;

and

Annihilation Aria (Space Operas 1) by Michael R. Underwood.

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

July 20, 2020

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
All the Dead Men	Errick Nunnally	H - Alexander Smith 2

July 21, 2020

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Saturnine	Dan Abnett	SF/SO - The Horus Heresy: Siege of Terra 4
MEG: Generations	Steve Alten	SupTh/SF - Meg 6
Uranus	Ben Bova	SF/HSF/AC - Outer Planets Trilogy 1
Alpha Omega	Nicholas Bowling	SF/TechTh/H
The Killing Light (h2tp)	Myke Cole	F - Sacred Throne  3
Fearful Symmetries (e)(ri)	Ellen Datlow (Ed)	H - Anthology
John Landis Presents The Library of Horror Haunted Houses: Classic Stories of Doors that Should Never Be Opened	DK	H - The Library of Horror
The Pull of the Stars	Emma Donoghue	Hist/Dys
Axiom's End (D)	Lindsay Ellis	SF/AC/Th
The Year of the Witching (D)	Alexis Henderson	H/Occ/Sup/DF
A Summoning of Souls	Leanna Renee Hieber	GH/Gaslamp - A Spectral City Novel 3
I Come with Knives	S. A. Hunt	H/CF - Malus Domestica 2
Trouble the Saints	Alaya Dawn Johnson	HistF/LF
Darkdawn (h2tp)	Jay Kristoff	F - The Nevernight Chronicle 3
Inch by Inch (h2tp)	Morgan Llywelyn	SF/AP/PA - Step by Step 2
Malorie: A Bird Box Novel	Josh Malerman	Sus/H/SF/AP/PA - Bird Box 2
Quantum Shadows	L. E. Modesitt Jr.	SF
The Rightful Queen	Isabelle Steiger	F - Paths of Lantistyne 2
Annihilation Aria	Michael R. Underwood	SF/SO - Space Operas 1
The Sin in the Steel (D)	Ryan Van Loan	F - The Fall of the Gods 1
The Big Book of Modern Fantasy	Ann VanderMeer(Ed) Jeff VanderMeer (Ed)	F - Anthology
A Touch of Stone and Snow	Milla Vane	FR/F/PNR - A Gathering of Dragons 2
Savage Legion	Matt Wallace	F - Savage Rebellion 1
South of the Buttonwood Tree	Heather Webber	CW/MR/STR
Ashes of the Sun	Django Wexler	F - Burningblade & Silvereye 1

July 23, 2020

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Chimera Code (e)	Wayne Santos	SF - Witchware 1

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



AB - Absurdist
AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternative History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
Cr - Crime
CW - Contemporary Women
CyP - CyberPunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HistTh - Historical Thriller
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humorous
LC - Literary Criticism
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
LMF - Legends, Myths, Fables
M - Mystery
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
PolTh - Political Thriller
PopCul - Popular Culture
Psy - Psychological
RF - Romantic Fantasy
ScF - Science Fantasy
SE - Space Exploration
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SH - Superheroes
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
SpecFic - Speculative Fiction
STR - Small Town and Rural
Sup - Supernatural
SupM - Supernatural Mystery
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
UF - Urban Fantasy
VM - Visionary and Metaphysical

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

Happy Monday!

There are no debuts in our list this week.


From formerly featured DAC Authors:

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

Sixteenth Watch by Myke Cole;

The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida by Clarissa Goenawan;

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

and

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

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

March 8, 2020

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

March 10, 2020

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

March 11, 2020

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

March 13, 2020

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

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



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

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

Happy Monday!

There is one debut this week:

Queen of the Conquered (Islands of Blood and Storm 1) by Kacen Callender (Adult Debut);




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

The Killing Light (Sacred Throne 3) by Myke Cole;

The Impossible Contract (Chronicles of Ghadid 2) by K. A. Doore;

Revolution (A Cold War Magic Novel 2) by W. L. Goodwater;

Dispel Illusion (Impossible Times 3) by Mark Lawrence (Kindle eBook);

Talk Like a Man (Outspoken Authors ) by Nisi Shawl;

and

Flamebringer (Heartstone 3) by Elle Katharine White.

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

November 12, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Zen of R2-D2: Ancient Wisdom from a Galaxy Far, Far Away	Matthew Bortolin	Philosophy/Buddhist
The World's Favorite Ghost Stories: 13 Creepy Tales from Around the Globe	Tony Brueski	GH/P/SupTh
Queen of the Conquered (D-Adult)	Kacen Callender	F/CoA/HistF - Islands of Blood and Storm 1
Alliance Rising	C. J. Cherryh Jane S. Fancher	SF/HSF/SO - The Hinder Stars 1
The Killing Light	Myke Cole	F - Sacred Throne 3
The Best of Glen Cook	Glen Cook	F/DF
The Andromeda Evolution	Michael Crichton Daniel H. Wilson	SF
The Impossible Contract	K. A. Doore	F - Chronicles of Ghadid 2
X-Men: The Mutant Empire Omnibus	Christopher Golden	MTI/SH
Revolution	W.L. Goodwater	HistF/AH/Espionage - A Cold War Magic Novel 2
The Reckoning	Kris Greene	CF - Dark Storm 3
A Sanctuary of Spirits	Leanna Renee Hieber	HistF/GH - A Spectral City Novel 2
Starship Alchemon	Christopher Hinz	SF/SO/SE
To The Blight: The Eye of the World, Part II	Robert Jordan	Wheel of Time
1922	Stephen King	H
The Langoliers	Stephen King	H
Told Again: Old Tales Told Again (ri)	Walter de la Mare	FairyT/FolkT/LM - Oddly Modern Fairy Tales 8
Dangerous Women 1 (ri)	George R. R. Martin  (Ed) Gardner Dozois (Ed)	F - Anthology
I Am Legend (ri)	Richard Matheson	H/SF/AP/PA
The Menace from Farside	Ian McDonald	SF/SE/HSF/SO
The Pursuit of William Abbey	Claire North	SupTh/Occ/Sup/Sus
Dead Sky	Weston Ochse	SF
The Last Wish (ri)	Andrzej Sapkowski	F - Witcher
Realm of Ash	Tasha Suri	F/FR/HistF - Books of Ambha 2
Earth and Ember (e)	John F.D. Taff	SupTh/PSus/H - The Fearing 4
Tooth and Claw (ri)	Jo Walton	F
Into Bones like Oil	Kaaron Warren	H/GH
Peter Watts Is An Angry Sentient Tumor: Revenge Fantasies and Essays	Peter Watts	SF - Collection
War of the Spark: Forsaken	Greg Weisman	F - Magic: The Gathering 2
Castle of Blood	C L Werner	H - Warhammer Horror
Flamebringer	Elle Katharine White	F - Heartstone 3
Queen of All the Nightbirds	Craig Wolf	H/P/DF/GH

November 13, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Butterfly Kid	Chester Anderson	SF/AC/HU - The Greenwich Village Trilogy 1
The Unicorn Girl	Michael Kurland	SF/AC/HU - The Greenwich Village Trilogy2
The New Voices of Science Fiction	Hannu Rajaniemi (Ed) Jacon Weisman (Ed)	SF/HSF/GenEng/AP/PA - Anthology
Carlucci's Heart	Richard Paul Russo	CyP/SF - : The Carlucci Trilogy 3
The Probability Pad	T.A. Waters	SF/AC/HU - The Greenwich Village Trilogy3

November 14, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Dispel Illusion (Ke)	Mark Lawrence	SF/TT - Impossible Times 3
Mistletoe	Alison Littlewood	UF/GH
J.R.R. Tolkien: A Guide for the Perplexed	Toby Widdicombe	SF/HC - Guides for the Perplexed

November 15, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Talk Like a Man	Nisi Shawl	SF/AH - Outspoken Authors

November 16, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Rise	Kim Lakin-Smith	Dys/SF

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



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

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

Happy last Monday in August!

There are 2 debuts this week:

Last Ones Left Alive by Sarah Davis-Goff;

and

Steel Frame by Andrew Skinner (Trade Paperback edition).

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


From formerly featured DAC Authors:

Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen is out in Trade Paperback;

The Queen of Crows (Sacred Throne 2) by Myke Cole is out in Trade Paperback;

Galaxy's Edge: Black Spire (Star Wars) by Delilah S. Dawson;

The Golden Wolf (Golden Wolf Saga 3) by Linnea Hartsuyker;

The Fifth Ward: Good Company (The Fifth Ward 3) by Dale Lucas;

and

Spaceside (Planetside 2) by Michael Mammay.

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

August 27, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Blacksmith Queen	G.A. Aiken	F/ PNR -The Scarred Earth Saga 1
Kill Zone: A High-Tech Thriller	Kevin J. Anderson Doug Beason	TechTh
Restless Lightning (h2mm)	Richard Baker	SF - Breaker of Empires 2
Divine by Mistake (ri)	P. C. Cast	RF - Partholon 1
Divine by Choice (ri)	P. C. Cast	RF - Partholon 2
Divine by Blood (ri)	P. C. Cast	RF - Partholon 3
Elphame's Choice (ri)	P. C. Cast	RF - Partholon 4
Brighid's Quest (ri)	P. C. Cast	RF - Partholon 5
Here and Now and Then (h2tp)	Mike Chen	LF/SF/TT
The Queen of Crows (h2tp)	Myke Cole	F - Sacred Throne 2
Pandemic (h2mm)	Robin Cook	MedTh/Sus
Target Rich Environment (h2mm)	Larry Correia	F - Collection
Last Ones Left Alive (D)	Sarah Davis-Goff	Dys/CoA/SF/AP/PA
Galaxy's Edge: Black Spire	Delilah S. Dawson	SF/SO/MTI - Star Wars
The Golden Wolf	Linnea Hartsuyker	Sagas - Golden Wolf Saga 3
Dune Boxed Set #1	Brian Herbert Kevin J. Anderson	SF/SO - Dune
Hollywood Dead (h2tp)	Richard Kadrey	UF - Sandman Slim 10
The Fifth Ward: Good Company	Dale Lucas	F - The Fifth Ward 3
Spaceside	Michael Mammay	SF - Planetside 2
The Passengers	John Marrs	TechTh/Sus/SF
The Boughs Withered: When I Told Them My Dreams	Maura McHugh	F - Collection
Supercute Futures	Martin Millar	Dys/HU/DF
The Haunting of Drearcliff Grange School (tp2mm)	Kim Newman	SupTh/H/F
Alternate Routes (h2mm)	Tim Powers	CF
Oathbringer (h2mm)	Brandon Sanderson	CF - Stormlight Archive 3
Steel Frame (D)	Andrew Skinner	SF
The Witchstone Amulet	Mason Thomas	FR
The Secret Life of Sam Holloway	Rhys Thomas	LF/R/SH/FL
Through Darkest Europe (h2tp)	Harry Turtledove	SF/AH
Soot And Steel: Dark Tales of London	Ian Whates (Ed)	Anthology
Her Majesty's American (tp2mm)	Steve White	SF

August 30, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Joanna Russ	Gwyneth Jones	LC/SF - Modern Masters of Science Fiction

August 31, 2019

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Girl on the Porch	Richard T. Chizmar	Th

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



AB - Absurdist
AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternative History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
CW - Contemporary Women
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romane
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
H - Horror
HC - History & Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HistM - Historical Mystery
HL - Hispanic and Latino
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humorous
LC - Literary Criticism
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
M - Mystery
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PM - Paranormal Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
PolTh - Political Thriller
RF - Romantic Fantasy
SE - Space Exploration
SF - Science Fiction
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
SS - Short Stories
SupM - Supernatural Mystery
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
Tech - Technology
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy
W - Westerns

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

Sixteenth Watch
Angry Robot, March 10, 2020
Trade Paperback and eBook

A lifelong Search-and-Rescuewoman, Coast Guard Captain Jane Oliver is ready for a peaceful retirement. But when tragedy strikes, Oliver loses her husband and her plans for the future, and finds herself thrust into a role she’s not prepared for. Suddenly at the helm of the Coast Guard’s elite SAR-1 lunar unit, Oliver is the only woman who can prevent the first lunar war in history, a conflict that will surely consume not only the moon, but earth as well.

The Armored Saint
The Sacred Throne 1
Tor.com, September 18, 2018
Trade Paperback, 224 pags
Hardcover and eBook, February 20, 2018

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

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

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

The Sacred Throne Trilogy
#1 The Armored Saint
#2 The Queen of Crows

The Queen of Crows
The Sacred Throne 2
Tor.com, August 27, 2019
Trade Paperback, 256 pages
Hardcover and eBook, October 16, 2018

Myke Cole, star of CBS's Hunted and author of the Shadow Ops series is here with book two of the Sacred Throne Trilogy: The Queen of Crows.

In this epic fantasy sequel, Heloise stands tall against overwhelming odds—crippling injuries, religious tyrants—and continues her journey from obscurity to greatness with the help of alchemically-empowered armor and an unbreakable spirit.

No longer just a shell-shocked girl, she is now a figure of revolution whose cause grows ever stronger. But the time for hiding underground is over. Heloise must face the tyrannical Order and lay siege to the Imperial Palace itself.

"A heart-wrenching, blood-racing, all-around page-turner. Spare, vivid and surprisingly sensual, with a small, fierce heroine who will stick in your mind and live in your soul."—Diana Gabaldon on The Armored Saint

The Sacred Throne Trilogy
#1 The Armored Saint
#2 The Queen of Crows

The Killing Light
The Sacred Throne 3
Tor.com, November 12, 2019
Hardcover and eBook, 256 pages

The thrilling conclusion to Myke Cole's Sacred Throne trilogy

Heloise and her allies are marching on the Imperial Capital. The villagers, the Kipti, and the Red Lords are united only in their loyalty to Heloise, though dissenting voices are many and they are loud.

The unstable alliance faces internal conflicts and external strife, yet they’re united in their common goal. But when the first of the devils start pouring through a rent in the veil between worlds, Heloise must strike a bargain with an unlikely ally, or doom her people to death and her world to ruin.

Praise for the Sacred Throne Trilogy

"A heart-wrenching, blood-racing, all-around page-turner. Spare, vivid and surprisingly sensual, with a small, fierce heroine who will stick in your mind and live in your soul."—Diana Gabaldon

"Ruthless and heartwrenching." —Robin Hobb


The Sacred Throne Trilogy

The Armored Saint
The Queen of Crows
The Killing Light

Legion versus Phalanx
Osprey Publishing, October 18, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 288 pages

Gemini Cell
The Reawakening Trilogy 1
Ace, January 27, 2015
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

Myke Cole continues to blow the military fantasy genre wide open with an all-new epic adventure in his highly acclaimed Shadow Ops universe—set in the early days of the Great Reawakening, when magic first returns to the world and order begins to unravel…

US Navy SEAL Jim Schweitzer is a consummate professional, a fierce warrior, and a hard man to kill. But when he sees something he was never meant to see on a covert mission gone bad, he finds himself—and his family—in the crosshairs. Nothing means more to Jim than protecting his loved ones, but when the enemy brings the battle to his front door, he is overwhelmed and taken down.

That should be the end of the story. But Jim is raised from the dead by a sorcerer and recruited by a top secret unit dabbling in the occult, known only as the Gemini Cell. With powers he doesn’t understand, Jim is called back to duty—as the ultimate warrior. As he wrestles with a literal inner demon, Jim realizes his new superiors are determined to use him for their own ends and keep him in the dark—especially about the fates of his wife and son…

Javelin Rain
The Reawakening Trilogy 2
Ace, March 29, 2016
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

The fast-paced, adrenaline-filled sequel to Gemini Cell, set in the same magical and militaristic world of the acclaimed Shadow Ops series.

Javelin: A code denoting the loss of a national security asset with strategic impact.

Rain: A code indicating a crisis of existential proportions.

Javelin Rain incidents must be resolved immediately, by any and all means necessary, no matter what the cost…

Being a US Navy SEAL was Jim Schweitzer’s life right up until the day he was killed. Now, his escape from the government who raised him from the dead has been coded “Javelin Rain.” Schweitzer and his family are on the run from his former unit, the Gemini Cell, and while he may be immortal, his wife and son are not.

Jim must use all of his strength to keep his family safe, while convincing his wife he’s still the same man she once loved. But what his former allies have planned to bring him down could mean disaster not only for Jim and his family, but for the entire nation…

Siege Line
The Reawakening Trilogy 3
Ace, October 31, 2017
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 368 pages

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

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

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

Control Point
Shadow Ops 1
Ace, January 31, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 400 pages

Lieutenant Oscar Britton of the Supernatural Operations Corps has been trained to hunt down and take out people possessing magical powers. But when he starts manifesting powers of his own, the SOC revokes Oscar's government agent status to declare him public enemy number one.

Fortress Frontier
Shadow Ops 2
Ace, January 29, 2013
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 368 pages

The Great Reawakening did not come quietly. Across the country and in every nation, people began to develop terrifying powers—summoning storms, raising the dead, and setting everything they touch ablaze. Overnight the rules changed…but not for everyone.

Colonel Alan Bookbinder is an army bureaucrat whose worst war wound is a paper-cut. But after he develops magical powers, he is torn from everything he knows and thrown onto the front-lines.

Drafted into the Supernatural Operations Corps in a new and dangerous world, Bookbinder finds himself in command of Forward Operating Base Frontier—cut off, surrounded by monsters, and on the brink of being overrun.

Now, he must find the will to lead the people of FOB Frontier out of hell, even if the one hope of salvation lies in teaming up with the man whose own magical powers put the base in such grave danger in the first place—Oscar Britton, public enemy number one…

Breach Zone
Shadow Ops 3
Ace, January 28, 2014
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

The Great Reawakening did not come quietly. Across the country and in every nation, people began “coming up Latent,” developing terrifying powers—summoning storms, raising the dead, and setting everything they touch ablaze. Those who Manifest must choose: become a sheepdog who protects the flock or a wolf who devours it…

In the wake of a bloody battle at Forward Operating Base Frontier and a scandalous presidential impeachment, Lieutenant Colonel Jan Thorsson, call sign “Harlequin,” becomes a national hero and a pariah to the military that is the only family he’s ever known.

In the fight for Latent equality, Oscar Britton is positioned to lead a rebellion in exile, but a powerful rival beats him to the punch: Scylla, a walking weapon who will stop at nothing to end the human-sanctioned apartheid against her kind.

When Scylla’s inhuman forces invade New York City, the Supernatural Operations Corps are the only soldiers equipped to prevent a massacre. In order to redeem himself with the military, Harlequin will be forced to face off with this havoc-wreaking woman from his past, warped by her power into something evil…

Myke Cole (2012)

The Killing Light
The Sacred Throne 3
Tor.com, October 1, 2019
Hardcover and eBook, 256 pages

The thrilling conclusion to Myke Cole's Sacred Throne trilogy

Heloise and her allies are marching on the Imperial Capital. The villagers, the Kipti, and the Red Lords are only united in their loyalty to Heloise. They face both internal religious strife and devils pouring through the rent in the veil between worlds, but must overcome everything to topple an empire.

Praise for the Sacred Throne Trilogy

"A heart-wrenching, blood-racing, all-around page-turner. Spare, vivid and surprisingly sensual, with a small, fierce heroine who will stick in your mind and live in your soul."—Diana Gabaldon

"Ruthless and heartwrenching." —Robin Hobb

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

"Brutal and lovely—an inventive and poignant fantasy that's rich with keen characters, set in a vivid, fascinating world." —Cherie Priest

“A dark fantasy tale with sharp teeth and a hard punch. Heloise is the hero we need.” —Chuck Wendig

The Sacred Throne Trilogy

The Armored Saint
The Queen of Crows
The Killing Light

Book 1

Book 2

Marshall Ryan Maresca (2015)

A Parliment of Bodies
The Maradaine Constabulary 3
DAW, March 26, 2019
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 400 pages

Mixing high fantasy and mystery, the third book in the Maradaine Constabulary series follows Inspectors Satrine Rainey and Minox Welling as they track down a dangerous murderer.

The city of Maradaine is vexed by the Gearbox Murders: a series of gruesome deaths orchestrated by a twisted mechanical genius. With no motive and no pattern, Inspectors Satrine Rainey and Minox Welling–the retired spy and untrained mage–are at a loss to find a meaningful lead in the case. At least, until the killer makes his most audacious exhibit yet: over a dozen victims in a clockwork deathtrap on the floor of the Druth Parliament.

The crime scene is a madhouse, and political forces conspire to grind their investigation to a halt. The King’s Marshals claim jurisdiction of the case, corruption in the Constabulary thwarts their efforts, and a special Inquest threatens to end Minox’s career completely. Their only ally is Dayne Heldrin, a provisional member of the Tarian Order, elite warriors trained in the art of protection. But Dayne’s connection to the Gearbox Murders casts suspicion on his motives, as he might be obsessed with a phantom figure he believes is responsible.

While Satrine and Minox struggle to stop the Gearbox from claiming even more victims, the grinding gears of injustice might keep them from ever solving these murders, and threaten to dismantle their partnership forever.

Book 1

Book 2

Silvia Moreno-Garcia (2015)

Gods of Jade and Shadow
Del Rey, August 06, 2019
Hardcover and eBook, 352 pages

The Mayan god of death sends a young woman on a harrowing, life-changing journey in this dark fairy tale inspired by Mexican folklore.

The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floors of her wealthy grandfather’s house to listen to any fast tunes. Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own.

Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it—and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Failure will mean Casiopea’s demise, but success could make her dreams come true.

In the company of the strangely alluring god and armed with her wits, Casiopea begins an adventure that will take her on a cross-country odyssey, from the jungles of Yucatán to the bright lights of Mexico City—and deep into the darkness of the Mayan underworld.

Happy Monday!

There is one debut this week

The 7 1½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton.




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

Charmcaster (Spellslinger 3) by Sebastien de Castell;

The Queen of Crows (The Sacred Throne 2) by Myke Cole;


The Armored Saint (The Sacred Throne 1) by Myke Cole is out in Trade Paperback;

and

The Memory (The Machine Trilogy 3) by Gerrard Cowan.

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

September 17, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Casting Curses (e)	Yasmine Galenorn	PNR - Bewitching Bedlam 5
Occasional Beasts: Tales (Ke)	John Claude Smith	H - Collection

September 18, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Fleet of Stars (e)(ri)	Poul Anderson	SF - Harvest of Stars 4
Tau Zero (e)(ri)	Poul Anderson	SF
Operation Chaos and Operation Luna (e)(ri)	Poul Anderson	SF
The Boat of a Million Years (e)(ri)	Poul Anderson	SF
Brain Wave (e)(ri)	Poul Anderson	SF
Watch	Keith Buckley	MR/LF
Soulless	Gail Carriger Jensine Eckwall (Il)	Gaslamp/HistF/FR.P - The Parasol Protectorate 1
Charmcaster	Sebastien de Castell	F/HU/CoA - Spellslinger 3
The Queen of Crows	Myke Cole	F - The Sacred Throne 2
The Armored Saint (h2tp)	Myke Cole	F - The Sacred Throne 1
Shadow of the Tomb Raider The Official Art Book	Paul Davies Martin Dubeau	Art
A Fire Within	Tom DeLonge AJ Hartley	TechTh - Sekret Machines 2
The Land of Somewhere Safe	Hal Duncan	F - Newcon Press Novellas Set 4
The Predator: The Official Movie Novelization	Christopher Golden Mark Morris	MTI/SF/AC - Predator
Time's Convert	Deborah Harkness	Sus/PNR/FR
We Sold Our Souls	Grady Hendrix	H/Occ/Sup/SupTh
Star Wars The Complete Visual Dictionary New Edition	Pablo Hidalgo David Reynolds	PerArts/Dictionary/MTI
The Night Land and Other Perilous Romances	William Hope Hodgson	F/P/HistF/H - The Collected Fiction of William Hope Hodgson 4
The Future as Catastrophe: Imagining Disaster in the Modern Age	Eva Horn Valentine Parks (Tr)	PerArts/HC/LC/SF/F
The Demon's Den and Other Tales of Valdemar	Tanya Huff	F - Collection
The End We Start From (h2tp)	Megan Hunter	LF/Dys
The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories: Terrifying Tales Set on the Scariest Night of the Year!	Stephen Jones (Ed)	H/Gothic/Occ/Sup - Anthology
The Apex Book of World SF: Volume 5	Cristina Jurado (Ed) Lavie Tidhar (Series Ed)	SF - Anthology
Sleeping Beauties (h2tp)	Stephen King Owen King	H
Masters of Steel and Stone	Nick Kyme Gav Thorpe	F - Warhammer Chronicles
Detox in Letters	Cheryl Low	P - Crowns & Ash 2
Outer Dark	Robbie MacNiven	SF - Carcharodons
Hallowdene	George Mann	M - Wychwood 2
The Night Crossing	Robert Masello	HistF
Saviour of the Imperium	Sandy Mitchell	SF - Ciaphas Cain Collection
New Fears II - Brand New Horror Stories by Masters of the Macabre	Mark Morris (Ed)	H/GH - Anthology
SINdrome (e)	J.T. Nicholas	SF - The New Lyons Sequence 3
Live Long and Evolve: What Star Trek Can Teach Us about Evolution, Genetics, and Life on Other Worlds	Mohamed A.F. Noor	Sc/Biology
AHistory: An Unauthorized History of the Doctor Who Universe	Lance Parkin Lars Pearson	PerfArts/SF - Ahistory 4
Shadow of the Tomb Raider - Path of the Apocalypse	S. D. Perry	MTI/SF - Tomb Raider
Daemon Voices: On Stories and Storytelling	Philip Pullman	Essays/Storytelling/Personal Memoirs
Searching for the Fleet (e)	Kristine Kathryn Rusch	SF - Diving 7
Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds	Brandon Sanderson	SF - Collection
Vampires Like It Hot	Lynsay Sands	PNR - An Argeneau Novel 28
My Pet Serial Killer	Michael J. Seidlinger	H/PsyTh/LF/Cr
Sourdough: or, Lois and Her Adventures in the Underground Market	Robin Sloan	LF/MR
Children of Time (e)(ri)	Adrian Tchaikovsky	SF/GenEng/HSF/SE/SO
Rosewater	Tade Thompson	SF/AC/AP/PA - The Wormwood Trilogy 1
Mecha Samurai Empire	Peter Tieryas	AH/SF - A United States of Japan Novel 2
Your Servants and Your People	David Towsey	SF/Dys - The Walkin' 2
Through Darkest Europe	Harry Turtledove	SF/SH
The 7 1½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (D)	Stuart Turton	HistTh/LF/Occ/Sup
Worldshaper	Edward Willett	F/UF - Worldshapers 1
City of Crows	Chris Womersley	LF/Gothic/DF
The Labyrinth of the Spirits	Carlos Ruiz Zafon	LF - Cemetery of Forgotten Books 4

September 20, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Memory (e)	Gerrard Cowan	F - The Machinery Trilogy 3
Battlestar Suburbia	Chris McCrudden	SF

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



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

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

Happy Monday! Happy Presidents Day in the USA.

There are 3 debuts this week - Epic Fantasy, Post- Apocalyptic SF, and Horror! Something for everyone.

The Song of All (Legacy of the Heavens 1) by Tina LeCount Myers;

The Rending and the Nest by Kaethe Schwehn;

and

The Clarity by Keith Thomas.




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

The Armored Saint (Sacred Throne 1) by Myke Cole;

and

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai is out in Trade Paperback.

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

February 19, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Marrying an Alien Pop Star	Kendra L. Saunders	SFR/AC - The Alien Pop Star 3

February 20, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Taduno's Song (h2tp)	Odafe Atogun	LF
Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories	Kelly Barnhill	F - Collection
The Boy on the Bridge (h2tp)	M. R. Carey	SF/AP/PA
The Clairvoyants (h2tp)	Karen Brown	SupTh
Shroud of Night	Andy Clark	SF
The Armored Saint	Myke Cole	F - Sacred Throne 1
Battle Hymn	William C. Dietz	SF/AP/PA - America Rising 3
Outpost	W. Michael Gear	SF/AC - Donovan 1
A Time of Dread	John Gwynne	F - Of Blood & Bone 1
AWOL	Traci Harding	F - Time Keeper Trilogy 3
Fright Night: Resurrection (e)	Tom Holland	H
The Temple (e)	Jean Johnson	FR - Guardians of Destiny 4
Recluce Tales: Stories from the World of Recluce (h2tp)	L. E. Modesitt Jr.	F - Saga of Recluce
Spaceman of Bohemia (h2tp)	Jaroslav Kalfar	LF
Cujo (ri)	Stephen King	H
The One	John Marrs	LF
All Our Wrong Todays (h2tp)	Elan Mastai	SF/TT
The Song of All (D)	Tina LeCount Myers	F - Legacy of the Heavens 1
Curse of the Chosen	Richard Phillips	F - Endarian Prophecy 3
Embers of War	Gareth L. Powell	SF - Embers of War 1
All the Names They Used for God: Stories	Anjali Sachdeva	MR - Collection
The Rending and the Nest (D)	Kaethe Schwehn	SF/AP/PA
Ambiguity Machines: and Other stories	Vandana Singh	SF - Collection
The Clarity (D)	Keith Thomas	H
The Sundering	Gav Thorpe	F - Warhammer Chronicles
NK3 (h2tp)	Michael Tolkin	LF/NF
Phosphorus: A Winterstrike Story	Liz Williams	SF - NewCon Press Novellas Set 3
Scribes	James Wolanyk	DF - The Scribe Cycle 1

February 22, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Gods of the Dark Web	Lucas Mangum	H
Doctor Who: The Missy Chronicles (e)	Cavan Scott Jacqueline Rayner Paul Magrs James Goss Peter Anghelides Richard Dinnick	SF - Doctor Who

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



AC - Alien Contact
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GH - Ghost(s)
GN - Graphic Novel
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
LF - Literary Fiction
LitCol - Literary Collection
LM - Legend and Mythology
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
NR - Near Future
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PM - Paranormal Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SO - Space Opera
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy

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

Myke Cole (2012)

The Queen of Crows
The Sacred Throne 2
Tor.com, October 16, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 256 pages

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

Myke Cole, star of CBS's Hunted and author of the Shadow Ops series is here with book two of the Sacred Throne Trilogy: The Queen of Crows.

In this epic fantasy sequel, Heloise stands tall against overwhelming odds—crippling injuries, religious tyrants—and continues her journey from obscurity to greatness with the help of alchemically-empowered armor and an unbreakable spirit.

No longer just a shell-shocked girl, she is now a figure of revolution whose cause grows ever stronger. But the time for hiding underground is over. Heloise must face the tyrannical Order and lay siege to the Imperial Palace itself.

Book 1 Coming February 20, 2018

Kristi Charish (2015)

Owl and the Tiger Thieves
The Owl Series 4
Pocket Star, May 7, 2018
     eBook,  416 pages
Gallery Books, May 8, 2018
     Trade Paperback, 432 pages

Owl—a modern-day Indiana Jane—handles supernatural monsters, temperamental dragons, and slippery ninjas as she races to stop a brewing supernatural war in this fourth novel in the Owl series.

The Silk Road was an ancient trade route paved with fortunes and tears in equal measure—the tears part mostly due to the distinct chance of being gutted by an opportunistic supernatural lying in wait.

Somewhere among the trade cities lost to the ages, the Tiger Thieves—assassins who once guarded the Silk Road against the supernatural monsters that preyed on ancient caravans—still hide.

Shame no one has seen one of them in over five hundred years, since they’re the only ones who might be able to help Owl stop the reign of the Electric Samurai and the descent of the world into supernatural chaos in all its eviscerating glory.

From a Peruvian jail to Venice to Timbuktu, Owl searches for the Tiger Thieves in the hopes of convincing them to help her—all while fetching artifacts and weapons for Mr. Kurosawa’s brewing supernatural war. Considering diplomatic negotiations aren’t exactly Owl’s strong suit, she has her work cut out for her. Not to mention, her sidekick on this adventure leaves a lot to be desired and little to trust.

Poking a tiger is never a good idea, and tangling with the ancient assassins will take everything Owl has. Eventually, she’ll have to decide whether she’s a wayward archaeologist or just another cold-hearted thief.

Book 1

Book 2

Book 3

The Voodoo Killings
A Kincaid Strange Novel 1
Vintage Canada, June 12, 2018
     Trade Paperback (reissue), 352 Pages
Vintage Canada, May 10, 2016
     eBook, 352 pages

For fans of Bitten by Kelley Armstrong, a new urban fantasy series introduces Kincaid Strange, not your average voodoo practitioner…

For starters, she’s only twenty-seven. Then there’s the fact that she lives in rain-soaked Seattle, which is not exactly Haiti. And she’s broke. With raising zombies outlawed throughout the continental USA, Kincaid has to eke out a living running seances for university students with more money than brains who are desperate for guitar lessons with the ghost of a Seattle grunge rocker–who happens to be Kincaid’s on-again, off-again roommate.

Then a stray zombie turns up outside her neighbourhood bar: Cameron Wight, an up-and-coming visual artist with no recollection of how he died or who raised him. Not only is it dangerous for Kincaid to be caught with an unauthorized zombie, she soon realizes he’s tied to a spate of murders: someone is targeting the zombies and voodoo practitioners in Seattle’s infamous Underground City, a paranormal hub. When the police refuse to investigate, the City’s oldest and foremost zombie asks Kincaid to help. Raising ghosts and zombies is one thing, but finding a murderer? She’s broke, but she’s not stupid.

And then she becomes the target… As the saying goes, when it rains it pours, especially in Seattle.  

David D. Levine (2016)

Arabella and The Traitor of Mars
The Adventures of Arabella Ashby 3
Tor Books, July 31, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 336 pages

Taking up almost immediately after the great Battle of Venus, Arabella has finally returned home to Mars to settle in to life with her husband, the mysterious Captain Singh.

The Regent of the United Kingdom sets his eyes on solidifying his rule in the colonies and dispatches a fleet to better cement his control over Mars. Now Arabella and Singh must decide where their ultimate loyalties lie, with the Empire or with their home.

Book 1

Book 2

Siege Line
Author:  Myke Cole
Series:  Shadow Ops: Gemini Cell 3
Publisher:  Ace, October 31, 2017
Format:  Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 368 pages
List Price:  $7.99 (print and eBook)
ISBN:  9780425269664 (print); 9781101636770 (eBook)

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

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

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

Qwill's Thoughts

Siege Line by Myke Cole is the 3rd and final novel in the Gemini Cell trilogy, a prequel series to the Shadow-Ops military fantasy series. Siege Line completes the story of Jim Schweitzer, former Navy Seal. The novel picks up immediately after the events of Javelin Rain.

The Great Reawakening (the return of magic to the world) has not yet happened (read the Shadow-Ops trilogy for more on that). Magic is being used by the Gemini Cell to create 'zombies' - dead animated by the souls of powerful and evil jinns pulled from the soul storm by a sorcerer. Jim is one of those animated by magic. He is superhuman with a body that is part metal part flesh. He has magical abilities - super strength, extremely acute hearing and sight, and more. Jim has decided that the Gemini Cell and its Director must be eliminated and he will go to any lengths to assure that.

Much of the action in Siege Line takes place in the Northwest Territory of Canada in around the very small village of Fort Resolution. Cole's description of Fort Resolution and the surrounding frigid and snow swept area is vivid. He has more than done his homework when it comes to the area and the people who live there.

Cole introduces many of the residents of Fort Resolution. I am particularly taken with Wilma "Mankiller" Plante, an Afghanistan veteran and the sheriff of Fort Resolution, and one of her deputies Joe Yakecan. Both are pivotal to the novel especially Mankiller who more or less steals the show. Mankiller is of great interest to the Director of Gemini Cell, which means that Jim will do anything to help her.

This is Cole's most emotionally complex novel. Schweitzer's desire to hold on to his humanity, to be with his son again, and to set things right regardless of the cost to himself is palpable throughout the story. Cole delves into the emotions of many of his characters as they face finding out about magic in the world and about devastating loss. Mankiller is deeply developed and her background and motivations are clear. We learn much more about the Director of Gemini Cell and what makes him tick.

There is a very big reveal that is both heartbreaking and makes perfect sense after I got over the shock. I definitely had a "wow" moment followed by an "of course!" moment. Kudos for Cole for both startling me and making so many pieces fall into place with that reveal.

Cole has matured as a novelist throughout the Shadow-Ops and Gemini Cell trilogies. Siege Line is beautifully written with near perfect pacing. It is action packed with nailbiting fight sequences, close escapes, and terrible losses. The cast of characters is exceptionally well drawn.

Am I sad that this was the last novel in the Shadow-Ops world? Incredibly. Cole ends the series on such a high note with so much hope that it's hard to stay sad for long. Siege Line is a wonderful novel full of believable characters, exhilarating action, heroes to cheer for, and so much heart.

Gemini Cell
Shadow Ops: Gemini Cell 1
Ace, January 27, 2015
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

Myke Cole continues to blow the military fantasy genre wide open with an all-new epic adventure in his highly acclaimed Shadow Ops universe—set in the early days of the Great Reawakening, when magic first returns to the world and order begins to unravel…

US Navy SEAL Jim Schweitzer is a consummate professional, a fierce warrior, and a hard man to kill. But when he sees something he was never meant to see on a covert mission gone bad, he finds himself—and his family—in the crosshairs. Nothing means more to Jim than protecting his loved ones, but when the enemy brings the battle to his front door, he is overwhelmed and taken down.

That should be the end of the story. But Jim is raised from the dead by a sorcerer and recruited by a top secret unit dabbling in the occult, known only as the Gemini Cell. With powers he doesn’t understand, Jim is called back to duty—as the ultimate warrior. As he wrestles with a literal inner demon, Jim realizes his new superiors are determined to use him for their own ends and keep him in the dark—especially about the fates of his wife and son…

See Qwill's Review here.

Javelin Rain
Shadow Ops: Gemini Cell 2
Ace, March 29, 2016
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

The fast-paced, adrenaline-filled sequel to Gemini Cell, set in the same magical and militaristic world of the acclaimed Shadow Ops series.

Javelin: A code denoting the loss of a national security asset with strategic impact.

Rain: A code indicating a crisis of existential proportions.

Javelin Rain incidents must be resolved immediately, by any and all means necessary, no matter what the cost…

Being a US Navy SEAL was Jim Schweitzer’s life right up until the day he was killed. Now, his escape from the government who raised him from the dead has been coded “Javelin Rain.” Schweitzer and his family are on the run from his former unit, the Gemini Cell, and while he may be immortal, his wife and son are not.

Jim must use all of his strength to keep his family safe, while convincing his wife he’s still the same man she once loved. But what his former allies have planned to bring him down could mean disaster not only for Jim and his family, but for the entire nation…

See Qwill's Review here.

Control Point
Shadow Ops 1
Ace, January 31, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 400 pages

Lieutenant Oscar Britton of the Supernatural Operations Corps has been trained to hunt down and take out people possessing magical powers. But when he starts manifesting powers of his own, the SOC revokes Oscar's government agent status to declare him public enemy number one.

Fortress Frontier
Shadow Ops 2
Ace, January 29, 2013
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 368 pages

The Great Reawakening did not come quietly. Across the country and in every nation, people began to develop terrifying powers—summoning storms, raising the dead, and setting everything they touch ablaze. Overnight the rules changed…but not for everyone.

Colonel Alan Bookbinder is an army bureaucrat whose worst war wound is a paper-cut. But after he develops magical powers, he is torn from everything he knows and thrown onto the front-lines.

Drafted into the Supernatural Operations Corps in a new and dangerous world, Bookbinder finds himself in command of Forward Operating Base Frontier—cut off, surrounded by monsters, and on the brink of being overrun.

Now, he must find the will to lead the people of FOB Frontier out of hell, even if the one hope of salvation lies in teaming up with the man whose own magical powers put the base in such grave danger in the first place—Oscar Britton, public enemy number one…

Breach Zone
Shadow Ops 3
Ace, January 28, 2014
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

The Great Reawakening did not come quietly. Across the country and in every nation, people began “coming up Latent,” developing terrifying powers—summoning storms, raising the dead, and setting everything they touch ablaze. Those who Manifest must choose: become a sheepdog who protects the flock or a wolf who devours it…

In the wake of a bloody battle at Forward Operating Base Frontier and a scandalous presidential impeachment, Lieutenant Colonel Jan Thorsson, call sign “Harlequin,” becomes a national hero and a pariah to the military that is the only family he’s ever known.

In the fight for Latent equality, Oscar Britton is positioned to lead a rebellion in exile, but a powerful rival beats him to the punch: Scylla, a walking weapon who will stop at nothing to end the human-sanctioned apartheid against her kind.

When Scylla’s inhuman forces invade New York City, the Supernatural Operations Corps are the only soldiers equipped to prevent a massacre. In order to redeem himself with the military, Harlequin will be forced to face off with this havoc-wreaking woman from his past, warped by her power into something evil…