The Qwillery

Happy Tuesday!

There are 3 debuts this week:

Strange Ink by Gary Kemble;

Samuel Johnson's Eternal Return by Martin Riker;

and

The Allfather Paradox (Vikingverse 1) by Ian Stuart Sharpe.




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

The Shadow of the Exile (The Infernal Guardian) 1 by Mitchell Hogan;

Bright Ruin (Dark Gifts 3) by Vic James;

The Phoenix Empress (Their Bright Ascendency 2) by K Arsenault Rivera;

and

There Before the Chaos (The Farian War 1) by K.B. Wagers.

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

October 9, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Vulkan: Lord of Drakes	David Annandale	SF - The Horus Heresy: Primarchs
Inferno!	David Annandale Peter McLean Evan Dicken Mike Brooks Steven Fischer Josh Reynolds Nate Crowley Danie Ware Guy Haley	F - Tales from the Worlds of Warhammer 1
The Line of Polity (ri)	Neal Asher	SF - Agent Cormac 2
In the Night Wood	Dale Bailey	DF/CF
White Dancing Elephants	Chaya Bhuvaneswar	SS
Power Failure	Ben Bova	SF/HSF/PolTh - Jake Ross Series 3
Postcards From Impossible Worlds: The Collected Shortest Story	Peter Chiykowski et al.	HU/SS/F
Persepolis Rising (h2tp)	James S. A. Corey	SF/SO/SE/AC - The Expanse 7
Colonial Horrors: Sleepy Hollow and Beyond (h2tp)	Graeme Davis	Sus/H - Anthology
Covert Game (h2mm)	Christine Feehan	PNR/GenEng - GhostWalker 14
Einstein's Shadow: A Black Hole, a Band of Astronomers, and the Quest to See the Unseeable	Seth Fletcher	Sc/Astronomy
Flowers and Foul Play (h2tp)	Amanda Flower	PCM - A Magic Garden Mystery
Life is Strange: Welcome to Blackwell Academy	Matt Forbeck	Video Games/PopCul
The Rift Coda	Amy S. Foster	SF - The Rift Uprising Trilogy
Wolfsbane	Guy Haley	SF - The Horus Heresy
Shadow of the Exile	Mitchell Hogan	F - The Infernal Guardian 1
The Haunting of Hill House (ri)	Shirley Jackson	MTI/Gothic/H
Bright Ruin	Vic James	CF/Dys/F - Dark Gifts 3
Saga of Recluce: Books 1-5: The Magic of Recluce, The Towers of the Sunset, The Magic Engineer, The Order War, The Death of Chaos (e)	L. E. Modesitt Jr.	F - Recluce Series
Strange Ink (D)	Gary Kemble	H/SupTh
100 Fathoms Below	Steven L. Kent Nicholas Kaufmann	H/SupTh
Be Our Ghost	Kate Kingsbury	PCM - A Merry Ghost Inn Mystery 3
Legacy of Dorn	Mike Lee	SF - Warhammer 40,000
The Art of Assassin's Creed Odyssey	Kate Lewis	Video Games/Art
The World of Lore: Dreadful Places	Aaron Mahnke	SocSc/Folklore/Mythology/Anthro/ SocHist - The World of Lore
The Sevenwaters Trilogy: Daughter of the Forest, Son of the Shadows, Child of the Prophecy (e)	Juliet Marillier	HistF - Sevenwaters Series
Austral	Paul McAuley	SF/AP/PA
Killing Commendatore	Haruki Murakami Philip Gabriel (Tr) Ted Goossen (Tr)	LF/MR/Hist
Star Trek: Stellar Cartography: The Starfleet Reference Library Maps from the Star Trek Universe	Larry Nemecek	PerfArts
Samuel Johnson's Eternal Return (D)	Martin Riker	HU/GH/LF/Absurdist
The Phoenix Empress	K Arsenault Rivera	F/HistF - Their Bright Ascendency 2
River Into Darkness	Sean Russell	F/FR - The River Into Darkness Omnibus
The Allfather Paradox (D)	Ian Stuart Sharpe	HistF - Vikingverse 1
Imperator: Wrath of the Omnissiah	Gav Thorpe	SF - Warhammer 40,000
The Milkweed Triptych: Bitter Seeds, The Coldest War, Necessary Evil (e)	Ian Tregillis	AH/TT - Milkweed
There Before the Chaos	K. B. Wagers	SF/SO/AC - The Farian War 1
The Compendium of Magical Beasts: An Anatomical Study of Cryptozoology's Most Elusive Beings	Veronica Wigberht-Blackwater Melissa Brinks	F/MR/SF/TT/FairyT/FolkT/LM
The Future Is Female! 25 Classic Science Fiction Stories by Women, from Pulp Pioneers to Ursula K. Le Guin: A Library of America Special Publication	Lisa Yaszek (Ed)	SF - Anthology

October 12, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Drawn Up From Deep Places	Gemma Files	H - Collection

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
Anthro - Anthropology
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
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
Hist M - Historical Mystery
Hist R - Historical Romance
HistTh - Historical Thriller
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humor
LC - Literary Criticism
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
MedTh - Medical Thriller
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Parnormal Cozy Mystery
PerfArts - Performing Arts
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Pol - Political
PolTh - Political Thriller
PopCul - Popular Culture
Sc - Science
SE - Space Exploration
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SH - Superheroes
SO - Space Opera
SocHist - Social History
SocSc - Social Science
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

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

Happy First Monday in August.

There are 2 debuts this week:

A Short Film About Disappointment by Joshua Mattson

and

Implanted by Lauren C. Teffeau.

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


From formerly featured DAC Authors

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

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

The Point by John Dixon;

Temper by Nicky Drayden;

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

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

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

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

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

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

Herokiller by Paul Tassi;

and

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

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

August 6, 2018

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

August 7, 2018

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

August 9, 2018

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

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



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

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

Charlie Jane Anders (2016)

Rock Manning Goes for Broke
Subterranean Press, September 30, 2018
Hardcover, 128 pages

Vikings vs. Steampunks! Ice cream sundae hearse disasters! Roman gladiators meet vacuum-cleaner salesmen! Inappropriate uses of exercise equipment and supermarket trolleys! Unsupervised fires, and reckless destruction of public property! Nothing is off limits.

Rock Manning lives and breathes slapstick comedy, and his whole life is an elaborate tribute to the masters, like Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and Jackie Chan. With his best friend, Sally Hamster, he creates joyfully chaotic short movies that are full of mayhem and silliness.

But Rock and Sally are becoming famous at a time of unrest, when America's economy has collapsed and people are taking refuge in highly addictive drugs. America's youth are being drafted to take part in endless wars against imaginary enemies overseas, while at home, a fascist militia known as the Red Bandanas is rising to power. As America becomes more mired in violence and destruction, Rock Manning's zany comedy films become the escapist fun that everybody needs.

Over-the-top physical comedy and real-life brutality collide, as Rock and Sally find themselves unable to avoid getting sucked into the slow implosion of their country. The Red Bandanas want Rock Manning to star in propaganda films promoting their movement, and soon Rock and Sally are at the center of the struggle for the soul of America. The trauma and death that Rock witnesses begin to take a toll on him.

When a botched weapon test plunges the world into deeper chaos, Rock and Sally must confront once and for all the outer limits of comedy.

Seth Dickinson (2015)

The Monster Baru Comorant
The Masquerade 2
Tor Books, October 30, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 464 Pages

A breathtaking geopolitical epic fantasy, The Monster Baru Cormorant is the sequel to Seth Dickinson's "fascinating tale" (The Washington Post), The Traitor Baru Cormorant.

Baru Cormorant's world was shattered by the Empire of Masks. To exact her revenge, she has clawed her way up razor-edged rungs of betrayal, sacrifice, and compromise, becoming the very thing she seeks to destroy.

Now she strides in the Masquerade's halls of power. To save the world, she must tear it asunder...and with it, all that remains of her soul.

Book 1

Vic James (2017)

Bright Ruin
Dark Gifts 3
Del Rey, October 9, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 400 pages

As the dystopian trilogy that began with Gilded Cage and Tarnished City concludes, the people of Britain rise up against their magically gifted masters. They must break the system—or be broken.

MAGIC RUINS. WE RISE.

The rules are simple, the system cruel: the lower classes must give ten years in service to Britain’s powerfully gifted rulers. With one uprising crushed by the glittering elite, commoners and aristocrats alike now take sides for a final confrontation.

At the center of it all are two ordinary siblings: Abi Hadley and her brother, Luke. Each has reason to hate the ruling Jardine family. Abi was once their servant—and now seeks revenge for a terrible wrong. Luke was imprisoned on their whim—but his only hope may be an alliance with the youngest and most powerful of the clan, the cold and inscrutable Silyen Jardine.

Staking everything to end a bright and shining tyranny, Abi, Luke, and Silyen find themselves bound by a single destiny. Their actions will change their fates—and change everything. But at a cost almost too terrible to contemplate.

What price would you pay for freedom?

Book 1

Book 2

The Baltimore Science Fiction Society has announced the 2018 Nominees for the Compton Crook Award 36:

Nicky Drayden for The Prey of Gods published 6/13/2017 by Harper Voyager with ISBN-13: 978-0062493033

Elan Mastai for All Our Wrong Todays published 2/7/2017 by Dutton with ISBN-13: 978-1101985137

Robyn Bennis for The Guns Above: A Signal Airship Novel published 5/2/2017 by Tor Books with ISBN-13: 978-0765388766

Karin Tidbeck for Amatka published 6/27/2017 by Vintage with ISBN-13: 978-1101973950

Vic James for Gilded Cage (Dark Gifts) published 2/14/2017 by Del Rey with ISBN-13: 978-0425284155

Theodora Goss for The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter published 6/20/2017 by Saga Press with ISBN-13: 978-1481466509

Cat Sparks for Lotus Blue published 3/7/2017 by Talos with ISBN-13: 978-1940456706

The members of the Baltimore Science Fiction Society, Inc. (BSFS) created the Compton Crook Award in 1982 to honor the best first novel of the year written by an individual author (collaborations are not eligible) in the Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror genre. Since its inception, the award has been presented at Balticon — the four-day annual Maryland regional science fiction convention produced by BSFS, currently held on Memorial Day weekend in the Baltimore, MD area.

The Award was named in memory of Towson State College Professor of Natural Sciences Compton Crook, who wrote under the name Stephen Tall, and who died in 1981. Professor Crook was active for many years in the Baltimore Science Fiction Society and was a staunch champion of new works in the fields eligible for the award.

The Prey of Gods
Harper Voyager, June 13, 2017
Trade Paperback and eBook, 400 pages

*A Wall Street Journal "Summer Reading: One expert. One book" pick for 2017!

*The RT Book Reviews "June 2017: Seal of Excellence" pick!

*A B&N Sci Fi and Fantasy Blog "Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Books of 2017 So Far" pick!

*A Book Riot Best Books of 2017 Pick!

*A Vulture "The 10 Best Fantasy Books of 2017" Pick!

From a new voice in the tradition of Lauren Beukes, Ian McDonald, and Nnedi Okorafor comes The Prey of Gods, a fantastic, boundary-challenging tale, set in a South African locale both familiar and yet utterly new, which braids elements of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and dark humor.

In South Africa, the future looks promising. Personal robots are making life easier for the working class. The government is harnessing renewable energy to provide infrastructure for the poor. And in the bustling coastal town of Port Elizabeth, the economy is booming thanks to the genetic engineering industry which has found a welcome home there. Yes—the days to come are looking very good for South Africans. That is, if they can survive the present challenges:

A new hallucinogenic drug sweeping the country . . .

An emerging AI uprising . . .

And an ancient demigoddess hellbent on regaining her former status by preying on the blood and sweat (but mostly blood) of every human she encounters.

It’s up to a young Zulu girl powerful enough to destroy her entire township, a queer teen plagued with the ability to control minds, a pop diva with serious daddy issues, and a politician with even more serious mommy issues to band together to ensure there’s a future left to worry about.

Fun and fantastic, Nicky Drayden takes her brilliance as a short story writer and weaves together an elaborate tale that will capture your heart . . . even as one particular demigoddess threatens to rip it out.

All Our Wrong Todays
Dutton, February 7, 2017
Hardcover and eBook, 384 pages
Trade Paperback published February 20, 2018

One of Wall Street Journal’s Best of 2017

“Entertainingly mixes thrills and humor.”—Entertainment Weekly

“[An] amazing debut novel. . . . Dazzling and complex. . . . Fearlessly funny storytelling.”—The Washington Post

“Instantly engaging. . . . A timeless, if mind-bending, story about the journeys we take, populated by friends, family, lovers, and others, that show us who we might be, could be—and maybe never should be—that eventually leads us to who we are.”—USA Today

Elan Mastai’s acclaimed debut novel is a story of friendship and family, of unexpected journeys and alternate paths, and of love in its multitude of forms.

It’s 2016, and in Tom Barren’s world, technology has solved all of humanity’s problems—there’s no war, no poverty, no under-ripe avocadoes. Unfortunately, Tom isn’t happy. He’s lost the girl of his dreams. And what do you do when you’re heartbroken and have a time machine? Something stupid.

Finding himself stranded in a terrible alternate reality—which we immediately recognize as our 2016—Tom is desperate to fix his mistake and go home. Right up until the moment he discovers wonderfully unexpected versions of his family, his career, and the woman who may just be the love of his life.

Now Tom faces an impossible choice. Go back to his perfect but loveless life. Or stay in our messy reality with a soulmate by his side. His search for the answer takes him across continents and timelines in a quest to figure out, finally, who he really is and what his future—our future—is supposed to be.

Filled with humor and heart and packed with insight, intelligence, and mind-bending invention, All Our Wrong Todays is a powerful and moving story of life, loss, and love.

The Guns Above
A Signal Airship Novel 1
Tor Books, May 2, 2017
Hardcover and eBook, 352 pages
Trade Paperback to be published April 17, 2018

Robyn Bennis’s THE GUNS ABOVE is an adventurous military fantasy debut about a nation's first female airship captain.

They say it’s not the fall that kills you.

For Josette Dupre, the Corps’ first female airship captain, it might just be a bullet in the back.

On top of patrolling the front lines, she must also contend with a crew who doubts her expertise, a new airship that is an untested deathtrap, and the foppish aristocrat Lord Bernat, a gambler and shameless flirt with the military know-how of a thimble. Bernat’s own secret assignment is to catalog her every moment of weakness and indecision.

So when the enemy makes an unprecedented move that could turn the tide of the war, can Josette deal with Bernat, rally her crew, and survive long enough to prove herself?
“Full of sass and terrific characters. Great storytelling. Loved it.” —Patricia Briggs

Amatka
Vintage, June 27, 2017
Trade Paperback and eBook, 224 pages

ONE OF THE GUARDIAN’S BEST SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY BOOKS OF 2017

A surreal debut novel set in a world shaped by language in the tradition of Margaret Atwood and Ursula K. Le Guin.

Vanja, an information assistant, is sent from her home city of Essre to the austere, wintry colony of Amatka with an assignment to collect intelligence for the government. Immediately she feels that something strange is going on: people act oddly in Amatka, and citizens are monitored for signs of subversion.

Intending to stay just a short while, Vanja falls in love with her housemate, Nina, and prolongs her visit. But when she stumbles on evidence of a growing threat to the colony, and a cover-up by its administration, she embarks on an investigation that puts her at tremendous risk.

In Karin Tidbeck’s world, everyone is suspect, no one is safe, and nothing—not even language, nor the very fabric of reality—can be taken for granted. Amatka is a beguiling and wholly original novel about freedom, love, and artistic creation by a captivating new voice.

Gilded Cage
Dark Gifts 1
Del Rey, February 14, 2017
Hardcover and eBook, 368 pages
Trade Paperback published July 25, 2017

MAGIC RULES. WE SERVE.

In a darkly fantastical debut set in modern-day Britain, magic users control everything: wealth, politics, power—and you. If you’re not one of the ultimate one-percenters—the magical elite—you owe them ten years of service. Do those years when you’re old, and you’ll never get through them. Do them young, and you’ll never get over them.

This is the darkly decadent world of Gilded Cage. In its glittering milieu move the all-powerful Jardines and the everyday Hadleys. The families have only one thing in common: Each has three children. But their destinies entwine when one family enters the service of the other. They will all discover whether any magic is more powerful than the human spirit.

Have a quick ten years. . . .

The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter
Saga Press, June 20, 2017
Hardcover and eBook, 416 pages
Trade Paperback to be published on February 27, 2018

Based on some of literature’s horror and science fiction classics, this is the story of a remarkable group of women who come together to solve the mystery of a series of gruesome murders—and the bigger mystery of their own origins.

Mary Jekyll, alone and penniless following her parents’ death, is curious about the secrets of her father’s mysterious past. One clue in particular hints that Edward Hyde, her father’s former friend and a murderer, may be nearby, and there is a reward for information leading to his capture…a reward that would solve all of her immediate financial woes.

But her hunt leads her to Hyde’s daughter, Diana, a feral child left to be raised by nuns. With the assistance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mary continues her search for the elusive Hyde, and soon befriends more women, all of whom have been created through terrifying experimentation: Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherin Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein.

When their investigations lead them to the discovery of a secret society of immoral and power-crazed scientists, the horrors of their past return. Now it is up to the monsters to finally triumph over the monstrous.

Lotus Blue
Talos, March 7, 2017
Trade Paperback and eBook, 388 pages

“Imaginative and richly rendered . . . Sparks frames all of this in haunting, near-poetic detail, such that the readers can smell the toxic red sand and perhaps taste the blood. Recommended for people who crave fresh post-apocalypse chaos—because Sparks’s post-apocalyptic chaos is pretty fresh, at that.”—NK Jemisin, The New York Times

Powerful war machines of the far-future collide across a barren desert world in this post-apocalyptic debut novel from award-winning Australian author Cat Sparks.

Seventeen-year-old Star and her sister Nene are orphans, part of a thirteen-wagon caravan of nomadic traders living hard lives travelling the Sand Road. Their route cuts through a particularly dangerous and unforgiving section of the Dead Red Heart, a war-ravaged desert landscape plagued by rogue semi-sentient machinery and other monsters from a bygone age.

But when the caravan witnesses a relic-Angel satellite unexpectedly crash to Earth, a chain of events begins that sends Star on a journey far away from the life she once knew. Shanghaied upon the sandship Dogwatch, she is forced to cross the Obsidian Sea by Quarrel, an ancient Templar supersoldier. Eventually shipwrecked, Star will have no choice but to place her trust in both thieves and priestesses while coming to terms with the grim reality of her past—and the horror of her unfolding destiny—as the terrible secret her sister had been desperate to protect her from begins to unravel.

Meanwhile, something old and powerful has woken in the desert. A Lotus Blue, deadliest of all the ancient war machines. A warrior with plans of its own, far more significant than a fallen Angel. Plans that do not include the survival of humanity.

Happy 1st Monday in February!

There are 4 debuts this week:

Semiosis by Sue Burke;

Moonshine by Jasmine Gower;

Mission to Methone by Les Johnson (Solo Debut);

and

The Last Wolf (The Legend of All Wolves 1) by Maria Vale.




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

Of Gods and Men by Stephen Aryan

The Case of the Deadly Doppelganger (Dr Ribero's Agency of the Supernatural 2) bu Lucy Banks;

With Blood Upon the Sand (Song of Shattered Sands 2) by Bradley P. Beaulieu is out in Trade Paperback;

Outer Earth (Outer Earth Omnibus) by Rob Boffard;

The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett is out in Trade Paperback;

Crossroads of Canopy (A Titan's Forest Novel 1) by Thoraiya Dyer is out in Trade Paperback;

Tarnished City (Dark Gifts 2) by Vic James;

The Gone World by Thomas Sweterlitsch;

Paris Adrift by E.J. Swift;

and

Blood Binds the Pack (Hunger Makes the Wolf 2) by Alex Wells.

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

February 6, 2018

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Saint: A Gaunt's Ghosts Omnibus	Dan Abnett	SF - Gaunt's Ghosts
Elisha Daemon	E.C. Ambrose	F/DF - Dark Apostle 5
The Complete Psychotechnic League, Vol. 2	Poul Anderson	SF
Of Gods and Men (e)	Stephen Aryan	F
Enchanter Redeemed	Sharon Ashwood	PNR
The Case of the Deadly Doppelganger	Lucy Banks	GH - Dr Ribero's Agency of the Supernatural 2
With Blood Upon the Sand (h2tp)	Bradley P. Beaulieu	F - Song of Shattered Sands 2
Etched in Bone (h2mm)	Anne Bishop	F/DF - A Novel of the Others 5
Outer Earth	Rob Boffard	SF
Fata Morgana (h2tp)	Steven R. Boyett Ken Mitchroney	Hist
Semiosis (D)	Sue Burke	SF/AC
Lucidity (h2tp)	David Carnoy	Th
The Space Between the Stars (h2tp)	Anne Corlett	LF
Universal Harvester (h2tp)	John Darnielle	LF
Crossroads of Canopy (h2tp)	Thoraiya Dyer	F - Titan's Forest 1
1637: The Volga Rules	Eric Flint Paula Goodlett Gorg Huff	SF - Ring of Fire 25
Tallarn	John French	SF - The Horus Heresy 45
Moonshine	Jasmine Gower	F/Gaslamp
How to Stop Time	Matt Haig	Hist
Making the Monster: The Science Behind Mary Shelley's Frankenstein	Kathryn Harkup	Sc/Hist
Wicked Attraction (e)	Megan Hart	SFR - The Protector 2
A Choice of Crowns	Barb Hendee	F/P
Captivated by the She-Wolf	Kristal Hollis	PNR
Tarnished City	Vic James	CF - Dark Gifts 2
Mission to Methone (D - Solo)	Les Johnson	SF
Into the Void	Joshua A. Johnston	SF - The Chronicles of Sarco 2
Aliens Abroad	Gini Koch	SF - Katherine "Kitty" Katt / Aliens16
That Killer Smile	Juliet Lyons	PNR - Bite Nights 3
The Faultless Blade	Ian St. Martin	SF - Lucius the Eternal 1
Into the Fire	Elizabeth Moon	F - Vatta's Peace 2
Time Shadows	Deborah D. Moore	F
Grave (h2mm)	Michelle Sagara	UF - Queen of the Dead 3
Child of a Mad God	R. A. Salvatore	F - The Coven 1
Lincoln in the Bardo (h2tp)	George Saunders	LF
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One 1929-1964: The Greatest Science Fiction Stories of All Time Chosen by the Members of the Science Fiction Writers of America (e)	Robert Silverberg	SF - Anthology
The Bastard Legion	Gavin G. Smith	SF/SO - The Bastard Legion 1
The Year of Our War	Steph Swainston	F - Castle 1
No Present Like Time	Steph Swainston	F - Castle 2
The Gone World	Tom Sweterlitsch	SF/AP/PA
Paris Adrift	E.J. Swift	SF
Bringers of Hell	Travis S. Taylor	SF - Tau Ceti Agenda 6
Jagannath	Karin Tidbeck	LF - Collection
The Last Wolf (D)	Maria Vale	PNR - The Legend of All Wolves 1
Star Trek: Discovery: Drastic Measures	Dayton Ward	SF - Star Trek: Discovery
Blood Binds the Pack	Alex Wells	SF - Hunger Makes the Wolf 2

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.

Happy Monday!

There are 5 debuts this week:

The Punch Escrow by Tal M. Klein

The Five Daughters of the Moon (The Waning Moon Duology 1) by Leena Likitalo;

Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed;

Strange Practice (A Dr. Greta Helsing Novel 1) by Vivian Shaw;

and

Talon of God by Wesley Snipes and Ray Norman.




From formerly featured DAC Authors:

Nod by Adrian Barnes is out in Mass Market Paperback;

Red Right Hand (The Mythos War 1) by Levi Black is out in Trade Paperback;

The Wilding Sisters by Eve Chase;

Killing Is My Business (Ray Electromatic Mysteries 2) by Adam Christopher;

Time Siege (Time Salvager 2) by Wesley Chu is out in Trade Paperback;

Sovereign (Nemesis 2) by April Daniels;

Gilded Cage (Dark Gifts 1) by Vic James is out in Trade Paperback;

Raid (Wastelanders 2) by K.S. Merbeth;

and

Blood Gamble (Disrupted Magic 2) by Melissa F. Olson.

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

July 24, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Betrayed by Blood (e)	Beth Dranoff	PNR - Mark of the Moon 2
Accidental Sire (e)	Molly Harper	PNR - Half-Moon Hollow 14

July 25, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Wildfire	Ilona Andrews	PNR - Hidden Legacy 3
The Unholy Consult	R. Scott Bakker	F - Aspect-Emperor 4
Nod (tp2mm)	Adrian Barnes	Dys/LF/SF/AP/PA
Red Right Hand (h2tp)	Levi Black	DF/H - The Mythos War 1
Tomorrow War: Serpent Road	J. L. Bourne	TechTh - The Chronicles of Max 2
The Wilding Sisters	Eve Chase	CW/CoA/FL
Killing Is My Business	Adam Christopher	SF/Noir/PI - Ray Electromatic Mysteries 2
Time Siege (h2tp)	Wesley Chu	SF/TT - Time Salvager 2
Glory Imperialis: An Astra Militarum Omnibus	Mark Clapham Andy Hoare Richard Williams	SF - Astra Militarum
The Dream Keeper's Daughter	Emily Colin	R/TT/F/HistF
Sovereign	April Daniels	SH - Nemesis 2
Death's Bright Day (h2mm)	David Drake	SF - RCN 11
Dark Carousel (h2mm)	Christine Feehan	PNR - Carpathian 30
Dark Screams: Volume Seven (e)	Brian James Freeman (Ed) Richard Chizmar (Ed)	H - Dark Screams Anthology
Resurrection	John French	SF - The Horusian Wars 1
Battlefront II: Inferno Squad	Christie Golden	SF/MTI - Star Wars
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets: The Official Movie Novelization	Christie Golden	SF/MTI
Dark Rites	Heather Graham	PNR/SupTh - Krewe of Hunters 22
The Fifth Doll	Charlie N. Holmberg	HistF
Gilded Cage (h2tp)	Vic James	F/Dys/SF - Dark Gifts 1
Assassin's Price	L. E. Modesitt Jr.	F - The Imager Portfolio 11
The Punch Escrow (D)	Tal M. Klein	SF/TechTh
The Five Daughters of the Moon (D)	Leena Likitalo	HistF/DF - The Waning Moon Duology 1
Red Tithe	Robbie MacNiven	SF - Carcharodons 1
Bone White	Ronald Malfi	H/GH/Th
Gather the Daughters (D)	Jennie Melamed	LF
Raid	K.S. Merbeth	SF/AP/PA - Wastelanders 2
Blood Gamble	Melissa F. Olson	UF - Disrupted Magic 2
Copper Veins	Jennifer Allis Provost	Dys/FR - Copper Legacy 3
Strange Practice (D)	Vivian Shaw	CF - A Dr. Greta Helsing Novel 1
Extinction Age	Nicholas Sansbury Smith	SF/AP/PA - The Extinction Cycle 3
Talon of God (D)	Wesley Snipes Ray Norman	UF
Age of Swords	Michael J. Sullivan	F - The Legends of the First Empire 2
After the Downfall	Harry Turtledove	AH

July 26, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
These Deathless Bones: A Tor.com Original (e)	Cassandra Khaw	H
Hounds of the Underworld	Dan Rabarts Lee Murray	M/Noir/H - Path of Ra 1

July 27, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
She-wolf: A Cultural History of Female Werewolves (ri)	Hannah Priest	LC/SF/F
The Leper House (e)	Andrew Taylor	GO
Broken Voices (e)	Andrew Taylor	GO
The Scratch (e)	Andrew Taylor	GO

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


AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternate 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 Romance
GH - Ghost(s)
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GO - Gothic
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HU - Humor
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legends and Mythology
M - Mystery
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Noir - Noir
Occ - Occult
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PI - Private Investigator
PM - Paranormal Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
PRS - Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Psy - Psychological
R - Romance
RPGs - Role Playing Games
Satire - Satire
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SH - Superhero(es)
SP - Steampunk
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy
VisMeta - Visionary and Metaphysical
W - Western
Z - Zombies

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

Tom Doyle (2014)

War and Craft
American Craft 3
Tor Books, September 26, 2017
Hardcover and eBook, 352 pages

America, land of the Free…and home of the warlocks.

The Founding Fathers were never ones to pass up a good weapon. America’s first line of defense has been shrouded in secrecy, magical families who have sworn to use their power to protect our republic.

But there are those who reject America’s dream and have chosen the Left Hand Path. In this triumphant conclusion to Tom Doyle’s imaginative alternate historical America, we start with a bloody wedding-night brawl with assassins in Tokyo. Our American magical shock troops go to India, where a descendant of legendary heroes has the occult mission they’ve been waiting for.

It all comes to a head in a valley hidden high in the mountains of Kashmir. Our craftspeople will battle against their fellow countrymen, some of the vilest monsters of the Left Hand Path. It’s Armageddon in Shangri-La, and the end of the world as we know it.

The American Craft Trilogy
#1 American Craftsmen
#2 The Left-Hand Way
#3 War and Craft

    Note: The cover has been revealed by the author on Twitter here.

Vic James (2017)

Gilded Cage
Dark Gifts 1
Del Rey, July 25, 2017
Trade Paperback, 384 pages
Hardcover and eBook, February 14, 2017

MAGIC RULES. WE SERVE.

In a darkly fantastical debut set in modern-day Britain, magic users control everything: wealth, politics, power—and you. If you’re not one of the ultimate one-percenters—the magical elite—you owe them ten years of service. Do those years when you’re old, and you’ll never get through them. Do them young, and you’ll never get over them.

This is the darkly decadent world of Gilded Cage. In its glittering milieu move the all-powerful Jardines and the everyday Hadleys. The families have only one thing in common: Each has three children. But their destinies entwine when one family enters the service of the other. They will all discover whether any magic is more powerful than the human spirit.

Have a quick ten years. . . .

Tarnished City
Dark Gifts 2
Del Rey, February 6, 2018
Hardcover and eBook, 416 pages

MAGIC COMPELS. WE BLEED.

The captivating dystopian trilogy that began with Gilded Cage continues. In a modern Britain where magic users control wealth, politics—and you—an uprising has been crushed. In its aftermath, two families will determine the country’s fate. The ruthless Jardines make a play for ultimate power. And the Hadleys, once an ordinary family, must find the extraordinary strength to fight back.

Abi Hadley is a fugitive. Her brother, Luke, a prisoner. Both will discover that in the darkest places, the human spirit shines brightest. Meanwhile, amid his family’s intrigues, Silyen Jardine dreams of forgotten powers from an earlier age.

As blood runs in the streets of London, all three will discover whether love and courage can ever be stronger than tyranny.

How do you choose when you can’t save everyone?

Michael Livingston (2015)

The Gates of Hell
The Shards of Heaven 2
Tor Books, October 10, 2017
Trade Paperback, 400 pages
Hardcover and eBook, November 15, 2016

The Gates of Hell is the follow up to Michael Livingston’s amazing The Shards of Heaven, a historical fantasy that reveals the hidden magic behind the history we know, and commences a war greater than any mere mortal battle.

Alexandria has fallen, and with it the great kingdom of Egypt. Cleopatra is dead. Her children are paraded through the streets in chains wrought of their mother's golden treasures, and within a year all but one of them will be dead. Only her young daughter, Cleopatra Selene, survives to continue her quest for vengeance against Rome and its emperor, Augustus Caesar.

To show his strength, Augustus Caesar will go to war against the Cantabrians in northern Spain, and it isn't long before he calls on Juba of Numidia, his adopted half-brother and the man whom Selene has been made to marry—but whom she has grown to love. The young couple journey to the Cantabrian frontier, where they learn that Caesar wants Juba so he can use the Trident of Poseidon to destroy his enemies. Perfidy and treachery abound. Juba's love of Selene will cost him dearly in the epic fight, and the choices made may change the very fabric of the known world.

“Livingston has spiced real history with a compelling dose of fantasy! Wonderfully imaginative and beautifully told.” —Bernard Cornwell, bestselling author of The Pagan Lord, on The Shards of Heaven

The Realms of God 
The Shards of Heaven 3
Tor Books, November 7, 2017
Hardcover and eBook, 320 pages

The Realms of God is the thrilling conclusion to Michael Livingston's historical fantasy trilogy that continues the story begun in The Shards of Heaven and The Gates of Hell.

The Ark of the Covenant has been spirited out of Egypt to Petra, along with the last of its guardians. But dark forces are in pursuit. Three demons, inadvertently unleashed by Juba of Numidia and the daughter of Cleopatra, are in league with Tiberius, son and heir of Augustus Caesar. They’ve seized two of the fabled Shards of Heaven, lost treasures said to possess the very power of God, and are desperately hunting the rest.

Through war and assassination, from Rome to the fabled Temple Mount of Jerusalem and on to the very gates of Heaven itself, the forces of good and evil will collide in a climactic battle that threatens the very fabric of Creation.

Each month you will be able to vote for your favorite cover from that month's debut novels. At the end of the year the 12 monthly winners will be pitted against each other to choose the 2017 Debut Novel Cover of the Year. Please note that a debut novel cover is eligible in the month in which the novel is published in the US. Cover artist/illustrator information is provided when we have it.

I'm using PollCode for this vote. After you the check the circle next to your favorite, click "Vote" to record your vote. If you'd like to see the real-time results click "View". This will take you to the PollCode site where you may see the results. If you want to come back to The Qwillery click "Back" and you will return to this page. Voting will end sometime on February 24, 2017 (unless extended).

Vote for your favorite February 2017 Debut Cover!

All Our Wrong Todays

Amberlough

The Book of Mirrors

Cold Counsel

Dr Potter's Medicine Show

Game of Shadows

Gilded Cage

The Keeper of Lost Things

Kings of the Wyld

Lincoln in the Bardo

The Mercy of the Tide

Nightwalker

The Twenty Days of Turin

Zodiac

 

pollcode.com free polls

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

Vic:  Thank you so much for inviting me in! I was a reader first. Every night my parents would check on me after lights-out and find me sound asleep with a book on my face where I’d not wanted to put it down! As for when I started to write, well, my mother just moved house and found a copy of a story I wrote age 7 that won a prize in a local library competition. It was about a statue of a dark ages king who comes to life and walks through the city centre, where he breaks into a cake shop and a bookshop – my 7-year-old’s priorities, right there! I write to tell the stories I wish had been written for me.



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

Vic:  A hybrid. Before I start I need to know my ending, and to have a few significant ‘waymarker’ events. Then I let my characters find their own route between them. I do write chronologically, and can’t imagine doing it any other way! I can never leave a tricky bit unresolved and simply move on. I stop where I am until I’ve got it right.



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

Vic:  I use multiple perspectives – three ‘leads’ and two other significant ones – and though they are each telling their own story, they are all part of the same, single narrative. Making sure that the reader can confidently fill in for themselves what one character might have been doing while we spend time hearing from another character is very important.



TQ:  What has influenced / influences your writing? How does being a TV director influence or not your novel writing?

Vic:  My works as a current affairs TV director is central to my writing. It’s given me insights into everything from the harsh realities of life at the bottom of our society today (when I made UK reports for Channel 4 News), to how sexual coercion is commonplace in politics (I made a report dubbed ‘Sexminster’), to how elites live and operate, as with a series on the modern global superrich. I couldn’t have written this book and expected it to be convincing without that experience.



TQ:  Describe Gilded Cage in 140 characters or less.

Vic:  In an alternate modern Britain, everyone must perform 10 years’ service to the ruling magical aristocracy. A brother & sister must survive – & make a different world.



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

Vic:  Ooooh. The history goes very deep. There is around 1,200 years of backstory to the world, which is drip-fed in small amounts through the books. I have all sorts of legends and short stories and origin myths and historical tales of derring-do locked up in my head. One theme of the series is the nature of history and who writes it, and these stories from the past become progressively more important as the series progresses.



TQ:  What inspired you to write Gilded Cage?

Vic:  My day job is in TV. I was producing a BBC series titled The Superrich and Us, filming with billionaires, visiting their houses and exclusive events, like a supercar rally, at a time when there was a lot of talk about ‘the 1%’ and ‘the 99%’. And on my way to work one day, the idea just clicked in my head: What if the 1% didn’t only have unimaginable wealth – what if they also had magic?

In fact, isn’t extreme wealth, in our world, like a kind of magic? It lets these people do things the rest of us simply can’t. I wanted to explore how those people behave: do they do good, or bad? Do they want to change the world – or just enjoy their position of privilege in it?



TQ:  What sort of research did you do for Gilded Cage?

Vic:  No especial research, because in a way I’ve been researching for it my whole life! The alternate Britain diverges 400 years ago, during the English Civil War, and I did a doctorate on that period. All of the bleak details about life during the slavedays were informed by my career as a news journalist reporting on UK social affairs. The grand houses I describe are inspired by stately homes owned by the National Trust which I’ve been visiting since childhood. After all, they do say ‘write what you know’!



TQ:  Please tell us about Gilded Cage's cover.

Vic:  I love both my UK and US covers, and I’ve just seen the French one, which has blown my tiny mind! Huge thanks to Jo Thompson (UK) and Dave Stevenson (US) for their wonderful work. All my publishers have seized on the theme of birds! That’s probably to be expected, with the title of this first book, but it’s also a reference to the dynamics of the world – the super-powered Equals, and everyone else. There’s a line where one of the characters enters Kyneston, the aristocratic estate, at night, and hears noises in the forest: “it seemed like everything here was busy hunting everything else: the animals with wings and claws going after the animals with neither.”



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

Vic:  Writing Gilded Cage brought an interesting insight: writing characters whose thought processes are a lot like yours (in my case, Silyen), or who are vastly different (eg. Gavar) are both fun and easy. The trickier ones are characters with whom you share qualities, but from whom you differ in important respects. So like Abi, I am bookish, academic and motivated; but she is more methodical, and far more trusting in system and order than I am. So with those characters, you have to watch those fault-lines carefully.



TQ:  Why have you chosen to include social issues in Gilded Cage?

Vic:  The book is social issues. They were its inspiration. These books could only have been written now, and I’m sure readers will spot plenty more current parallels in book 2, as well!



TQ:  Which question about Gilded Cage do you wish someone would ask? Ask it and answer it!

Vic:  Some readers have wondered why, given that you can choose when to start your ‘slavedays’, people don’t just put it off forever. In the book I mention that you have to start by age 55 (because otherwise you wouldn’t be much good if you were allocated heavy labour!) But there was a longer explanation that got cut in revisions. One important thing not mentioned in Gilded Cage is that if a parent dies with their days unserved, their child(ren) inherit that debt. This happened to Luke and Abi’s cousin Sean, whose father had a heart attack when Sean was 12. As an only child, Sean inherited the whole of his father’s debt, meaning he’ll have to serve a total of 20 years. (Multiple children would share the debt-days among them.) That’s a massive incentive for any parent to want to do their days while they’re still reasonably young and healthy – just as the Hadley parents do.



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

Vic:  There are two that to me sum up the world of the books – I’ve even had them printed on t-shirts for when I do events!

One is Doc Jackson’s advice to Luke: “There’s no magic more powerful than the human spirit.”

The other is Gavar Jardine’s reflection on the power of his elite kind, the Equals, because magic is like money, “You didn’t need to ask to know who had lots of it.”



TQ:  What's next?

Vic:  Right now I am working on book 3, Bright Ruin, which releases June 2018. (Book 2, Tarnished City, is out in seven months, in early September.) I’m also directing a major documentary for BBC1 on the first 100 days of the Trump administration. You’ll have to judge for yourself whether/how any of that feeds into the books! And I’m turning over ideas for my post-trilogy books. I have another alternate-now story, this one a standalone, that I desperately want to write!



TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Vic:  Thank you so much for having me, and for loving Gilded Cage!

Gilded Cage
Dark Gifts 1
Del Rey, February 14, 2017
Hardcover and eBook, 368 pages

A darkly fantastical debut set in a modern England where magically gifted aristocrats rule, and commoners are doomed to serve—for readers of Victoria Aveyard and Susanna Clarke

NOT ALL ARE FREE.
NOT ALL ARE EQUAL.
NOT ALL WILL BE SAVED.

Our world belongs to the Equals—aristocrats with magical gifts—and all commoners must serve them for ten years.

But behind the gates of England’s grandest estate lies a power that could break the world.

A girl thirsts for love and knowledge.

Abi is a servant to England’s most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of their noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family’s secrets might win her liberty—but will her heart pay the price?

A boy dreams of revolution.

Abi’s brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution.

And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.

He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy?

Read Melanie's review here.

About Vic

Photo by Jay Dacey

Vic James is a current-affairs TV director who loves stories in all their forms. Her programs for BBC1 have covered the 2016 U.S. presidential election and Britain’s EU referendum. She has twice judged The Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize. Gilded Cage is her first novel, and an early draft of it won a major online award from Wattpad for most-talked-about fantasy. She has lived in Rome and Tokyo, and currently lives in London.


Website  ~  Twitter @DrVictoriaJames  ~  Facebook

UK Edition

Gilded Cage
The Dark Gifts Trilogy 1
Pan, January 26, 2017
Paperback and eBook, 416 pages

A thrilling Orwellian vision of Britain, with a rebellious Hunger Games heart, Gilded Cage is the astonishing debut novel from Vic James, and the first title in her electrifying The Dark Gifts Trilogy.

A modern Britain
An age-old cruelty

Britain's magically skilled aristocracy compels all commoners to serve them for ten years - and now it's the Hadleys' turn. Abi Hadley is assigned to England's most ruthless noble family. The secrets she uncovers could win her freedom - or break her heart. Her brother Luke is enslaved in a brutal factory town, where new friends' ideals might cost him everything.

Then while the elite vie for power, a young aristocrat plots to remake the world with his dark gifts. As Britain moves from anger to defiance, all three must take sides. And the consequences of their choices will change everything, forever.

Happy cold and snowy Monday!

There are 2 debuts this week:

Gilded Cage (Dark Gifts 1) by Vic James;

and

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders.



From formerly featured DAC Authors:

The Hatching (The Hatching Series 1) by Ezekiel Boone is out in Trade Paperback;

Winter of the Gods (Olympus Bound) by Jordanna Max Brodsky;

Extra-Curricular Activities: A Tor.com Original by Yoon Ha Lew;

Chains of the Heretic (Bloodsounders Arc 3) by Jeff Salyards is out in Trade Paperback;

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

February 14, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
In Calabria	Peter S. Beagle	F/FairyT/FolkT/LM/LF
The Hatching (h2tp)	Ezekiel Boone	H - The Hatching 1
The Case of the Fickle Mermaid (h2tp)	P. J. Brackston	M - Brothers Grimm Mysteries 3
The Return of the Witch (h2tp)	Paula Brackston	HistF - The Witch's Daughter 2
Winter of the Gods	Jordanna Max Brodsky	CF - Olympus Bound 2
Miranda and Caliban	Jacqueline Carey	HistF
Will Save the Galaxy for Food	Yahtzee Croshaw	SF/F/HU
Portal of a Thousand Worlds	Dave Duncan	HistF/AH
Shadowbahn	Steve Erickson	LF/Dys/AH
Firestorm: Volume 1: A Dragon Romance (e)	Donna Grant	PNR - Dark Kings
Semley's Necklace: A Story (e)	Ursula K. Le Guin	SF - A Wind's Twelve Quarters Story
A Trip to the Head: A Story (e)	Ursula K. Le Guin	SF - A Wind's Twelve Quarters Story
Things: A Story (e)	Ursula K. Le Guin	SF - A Wind's Twelve Quarters Story
The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas: A Story (e)	Ursula K. Le Guin	SF - A Wind's Twelve Quarters Story
Vaster than Empires and More Slow: A Story (e)	Ursula K. Le Guin	SF - A Wind's Twelve Quarters Story
Darkness Box: A Story (e)	Ursula K. Le Guin	SF - A Wind's Twelve Quarters Story
Winter's King: A Story (e)	Ursula K. Le Guin	SF - A Wind's Twelve Quarters Story
The Word of Unbinding: A Story (e)	Ursula K. Le Guin	SF - A Wind's Twelve Quarters Story
The Stars Below: A Story (e)	Ursula K. Le Guin	SF - A Wind's Twelve Quarters Story
The Day Before the Revolution: A Story (e)	Ursula K. Le Guin	SF - A Wind's Twelve Quarters Story
The Wind's Twelve Quarters: A Story (e)	Ursula K. Le Guin	SF - A Wind's Twelve Quarters Story
Direction of the Road: A Story (e)	Ursula K. Le Guin	SF - A Wind's Twelve Quarters Story
April in Paris: A Story (e)	Ursula K. Le Guin	SF - A Wind's Twelve Quarters Story
The Good Trip: A Story (e)	Ursula K. Le Guin	SF - A Wind's Twelve Quarters Story
Nine Lives: A Story (e)	Ursula K. Le Guin	SF - A Wind's Twelve Quarters Story
The Masters: A Story (e)	Ursula K. Le Guin	SF - A Wind's Twelve Quarters Story
The Rule of Names: A Story (e)	Ursula K. Le Guin	SF - A Wind's Twelve Quarters Story
The Field of Vision: A Story (e)	Ursula K. Le Guin	SF - A Wind's Twelve Quarters Story
Gilded Cage (D)	Vic James	F/CF/Dys/SF - Dark Gifts 1
Roboteer	Alex Lamb	SF
Shadowed Threads	Shannon Mayer	UF/FR - Rylee Adamson 4
Sitting Up with the Dead: A Storied Journey through the American South	Pamela Petro (Ed)	Travel/GH - Anthology
An Impossible War (e)	Andy Remic	HistF - A Song for No Man's Land Omnibus
Lovecraft Country (h2tp)	Matt Ruff	HistF
Chains of the Heretic (h2tp)	Jeff Salyards	F - Bloodsounders Arc 3
Lincoln in the Bardo (D)	George Saunders	LF/Hist/GH
Engaged to an Alien Pop Star	Kendra Saunders	SF - The Alien Pop Star 2
Arkwright (h2tp)	Allen Steele	SF
Ubo	Steve Rasnic Tem	H
The Lost Time Accidents (h2tp)	John Wray	LF/SF/TT

February 15, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Strangers No More: Tales of Alien Life by Science Fiction Masters Isaac Asimov, Philip José Farmer, Marion Zimmer Bradley and More!		SF
Extracurricular Activities: A Tor.com Original (e)	Yoon Ha Lee	SF
Time's Oldest Daughter	Susan W. Lyons	SF
Armageddon--2419 A.D. and The Airlords of Han	Philip Francis Nowlan	SF
In the Drift	Michael Swanwick	SF - Dover Doomsday Classics
Science Fiction, New Space Opera, and Neoliberal Globalism: Nostalgia for Infinity	Jerome Winter	LC/SF/F
Oracles (ri)	Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel	SF

February 16, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
The Master (e)	Miles Cameron	HistF - Masters & Mages

February 17, 2017

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
Rupert Wong and the Ends of the Earth (e)	Cassandra Khaw	UF - Gods and Monsters: Rupert Wong 2

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



AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternate History
AP - Apocalyptic
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
CW - Contemporary Women
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GB - Genre Bender
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghosts
GN - Graphic Novel
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HU - Humor
LC - Literary Criticism
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legends and Mythology
M - Mystery
Meta - Metaphysical
MR - Magical Realism
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PM - Paranormal Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Pol - Political
Psy - Psychological
PsyTh - Psychological Thriller
R - Romance
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SH - Superheroes
SO - Steampunk
Sup - Supernatural
SupM - Supernatural Mystery
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
UF - Urban Fantasy
UFR - Urban Fantasy Romance
Vis - Visionary


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