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The View From Monday on Tuesday - October 9, 2018


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.

The View From Monday on Tuesday - October 9, 2018The View From Monday on Tuesday - October 9, 2018
The View From Monday on Tuesday - October 9, 2018
Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.



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.

The View From Monday on Tuesday - October 9, 2018 The View From Monday on Tuesday - October 9, 2018
The View From Monday on Tuesday - October 9, 2018The View From Monday on Tuesday - October 9, 2018
Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.



The View From Monday on Tuesday - October 9, 2018



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

October 9, 2018
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
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
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
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.

The View From Monday - August 6, 2018


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.

The View From Monday - August 6, 2018The View From Monday - August 6, 2018
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.

The View From Monday - August 6, 2018The View From Monday - August 6, 2018
The View From Monday - August 6, 2018The View From Monday - August 6, 2018
The View From Monday - August 6, 2018The View From Monday - August 6, 2018
The View From Monday - August 6, 2018The View From Monday - August 6, 2018
The View From Monday - August 6, 2018The View From Monday - August 6, 2018
The View From Monday - August 6, 2018The View From Monday - August 6, 2018
Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.



The View From Monday - August 6, 2018



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

August 6, 2018
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Iron Bones (e) Yasmine Galenorn PNR - Wild Hunt 3
City of Kings Rob J Hayes F



August 7, 2018
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
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
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
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.

Covers Revealed - Upcoming Works by DAC Authors


Here are some of the upcoming works by formerly featured DAC Authors. The year in parentheses is the year the author was featured in the DAC.


Charlie Jane Anders (2016)

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

Covers Revealed - Upcoming Works by DAC Authors
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

Covers Revealed - Upcoming Works by DAC Authors
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.


Covers Revealed - Upcoming Works by DAC Authors
Book 1





Vic James (2017)

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

Covers Revealed - Upcoming Works by DAC Authors
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?


Covers Revealed - Upcoming Works by DAC Authors
Book 1
Covers Revealed - Upcoming Works by DAC Authors
Book 2

2018 Nominees for the Compton Crook Award 36


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.




2018 Nominees for the Compton Crook Award 36
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.






2018 Nominees for the Compton Crook Award 36
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 problemsthere’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 realitywhich we immediately recognize as our 2016Tom 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 futureour futureis 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.






2018 Nominees for the Compton Crook Award 36
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






2018 Nominees for the Compton Crook Award 36
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.






2018 Nominees for the Compton Crook Award 36
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. . . .






2018 Nominees for the Compton Crook Award 36
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.






2018 Nominees for the Compton Crook Award 36
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.

The View From Monday - February 5, 2018


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.

The View From Monday - February 5, 2018The View From Monday - February 5, 2018
The View From Monday - February 5, 2018The View From Monday - February 5, 2018
Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.



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.

The View From Monday - February 5, 2018 The View From Monday - February 5, 2018
The View From Monday - February 5, 2018 The View From Monday - February 5, 2018
The View From Monday - February 5, 2018 The View From Monday - February 5, 2018
The View From Monday - February 5, 2018 The View From Monday - February 5, 2018
The View From Monday - February 5, 2018 The View From Monday - February 5, 2018
Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.



The View From Monday - February 5, 2018



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

February 6, 2018
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
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.

The View From Monday - July 24, 2017


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.

The View From Monday - July 24, 2017The View From Monday - July 24, 2017
The View From Monday - July 24, 2017The View From Monday - July 24, 2017
The View From Monday - July 24, 2017
Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.



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.

The View From Monday - July 24, 2017The View From Monday - July 24, 2017
The View From Monday - July 24, 2017The View From Monday - July 24, 2017
The View From Monday - July 24, 2017The View From Monday - July 24, 2017
The View From Monday - July 24, 2017The View From Monday - July 24, 2017
The View From Monday - July 24, 2017
Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.



The View From Monday - July 24, 2017



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

July 24, 2017
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
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
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
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
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
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
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
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.

Covers Revealed - Upcoming Novels by DAC Authors


Here are some of the upcoming novels by formerly featured DAC Authors! The year in parentheses is the year the author was featured in the DAC.


Tom Doyle (2014)

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

Covers Revealed - Upcoming Novels by DAC Authors
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

Covers Revealed - Upcoming Novels by DAC Authors
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

Covers Revealed - Upcoming Novels by DAC Authors
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

Covers Revealed - Upcoming Novels by DAC Authors
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

Covers Revealed - Upcoming Novels by DAC Authors
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.

2017 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - February Debuts


2017 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - February Debuts


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!
 
pollcode.com free polls




2017 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - February Debuts



2017 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - February Debuts
Cover Art by Victo Ngai



2017 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - February Debuts



2017 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - February Debuts
Cover Art by David Palumbo



2017 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - February Debuts
Cover Art by Steven Meyer-Rassow



2017 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - February Debuts



2017 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - February Debuts
Cover Art by Dave Stevenson



2017 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - February Debuts



2017 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - February Debuts
Cover Art by Richard Anderson
Lettering and Design by Lisa Marie Pompilio



2017 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - February Debuts



2017 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - February Debuts
Cover design by Keith Rosson



2017 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - February Debuts



2017 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - February Debuts
Jacket Design by Yang Kim
Jacket Art by Félicien Rops, Satan Semant L'ivraie, 1906, Engraving Colors by Albert
Bertand / Coll. Musée Félicien Rops, Province De Nemur, INV G. E864 / © Musée Rops



2017 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - February Debuts

Interview with Vic James, author of Gilded Cage


Please welcome Vic James to The Qwillery as part of the 2017 Debut Author Challenge Interviews. Gilded Cage is published on February 14th by Del Rey.

Please join The Qwillery in wishing Vic a Happy Publication Day!



Interview with Vic James, author of Gilded Cage




TQWelcome 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.



TQAre 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.



TQWhat 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.



TQWhat 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.



TQDescribe 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.



TQTell 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.



TQWhat 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?



TQWhat 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’!



TQPlease 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.”



TQIn 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.



TQWhy 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!



TQWhich 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.



TQGive 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.”



TQWhat'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!



TQThank 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

Interview with Vic James, author of Gilded Cage
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

Interview with Vic James, author of Gilded Cage
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

Interview with Vic James, author of Gilded Cage
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.

The View From Monday - February 13, 2017


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.

The View From Monday - February 13, 2017The View From Monday - February 13, 2017
Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.


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;

The View From Monday - February 13, 2017The View From Monday - February 13, 2017
The View From Monday - February 13, 2017The View From Monday - February 13, 2017
Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.



The View From Monday - February 13, 2017



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

February 14, 2017
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
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
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
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
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
The Master (e) Miles Cameron HistF - Masters & Mages



February 17, 2017
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
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.

The View From Monday on Tuesday - October 9, 2018The View From Monday - August 6, 2018Covers Revealed - Upcoming Works by DAC Authors2018 Nominees for the Compton Crook Award 36The View From Monday - February 5, 2018The View From Monday - July 24, 2017Covers Revealed - Upcoming Novels by DAC Authors2017 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - February DebutsInterview with Vic James, author of Gilded CageThe View From Monday - February 13, 2017

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