Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts
show more
Lucy Dillon, Berkley, $15 trade paper (448p) ISBN 978-0-425-23887-5 9780425238875
In this engaging and stirring novel, Dillon (The Ballroom Class) vividly evokes the lives of three women and their unexpectedly connected fates. Successful and chic, Rachel, nearly 40 and alone after a 10-year relationship falls apart, inherits her aunt's kennel. She moves to the outskirts of London to make sense of the bewildering bequest and discovers a close-knit community, including handsome veterinarian George. Zoe, divorced for one year, is at her wits' end when her ex gives their kids a puppy, until she finds some help and solace at the kennel. Natalie, married to the man of her dreams, yearns for a baby and is comforted by their foster dog. Despite a slow start, Dillon weaves a beautiful and gripping tale of loss, friendship, and starting over that will tug at readers' heartstrings and keep them hooked till the very end. (Mar.)
The Wise Man's Fear
Patrick Rothfuss, DAW, $29.95 (932p) ISBN 978-0-7564-0473-4 9780756404734
As seamless and lyrical as a song from the lute-playing adventurer and arcanist Kvothe, this mesmerizing sequel to Rothfuss's 2007's debut, The Name of the Wind, is a towering work of fantasy. As Kvothe, now the unassuming keeper of the Waystone Inn, continues to share his astounding life story—a history that includes saving an influential lord from treachery, defeating a band of dangerous bandits, and surviving an encounter with a legendary Fae seductress—he also offers glimpses into his life's true pursuit: figuring out how to vanquish the mythical Chandrian, a group of seven godlike destroyers that brutally murdered his family and left him an orphan. But while Kvothe recalls the events of his past, his future is conspiring just outside the inn's doors. This breathtakingly epic story is heartrending in its intimacy and masterful in its narrative essence, and will leave fans waiting on tenterhooks for the final installment. (Mar.)
The Rise of the Iron Moon
show more
Stephen Hunt, Tor, $26.99 (464p) ISBN 978-0-7653-2766-6 9780765327666
This campy postapocalyptic steampunk environmental morality tale brings together several characters from 2009's The Court of the Air and 2010's The Kingdom Beyond the Waves and takes them on a hair-raising rollercoaster of an adventure. When the Army of Shadows threatens the Kingdom of Jackals and the Quatérshift, the two countries must set aside their differences and work together against the monstrous and dangerous foe. The Shadows appear to be a completely unknown form of life, and their nature compels destruction of everything in their path. Molly Templar, Commodore Black, Duncan Connor, Coppertracks the Steamman, Oliver Brooks and a few new faces must race the clock to stem the tide of this horrendous evil. A dash of earth magic and a dose of environmental angst make this a bumpy but enjoyable ride. (Mar.)
Pale Demon
Kim Harrison, Eos, $26.99 (448p) ISBN 978-0-06-113806-5 9780061138065
Harrison's intriguing ninth Hollows novel (after 2010's Black Magic Sanction) lives up to the earlier books, which established Harrison as a major urban fantasy player. Witch and bounty hunter Rachel Morgan needs to get to her brother's wedding. This leads to an uneasy alliance with her elven frenemy Trent Kalamack, who's being pushed toward Seattle by a quest. Meanwhile, Jenks the pixy is recovering from the loss of his wife, Matalina, and needs distraction. The result: "A witch, an elf, and a pixy [go] on the Great American Road Trip" through a landscape reworked by magic, facing down terrifying foes en route. Elegant and taut as a gymnast's cartwheel, Harrison's polished prose drives a story that will have readers swerving in their seats every time Rachel turns the wheel. (Mar.)
The Remembering: Book 3 of the Meq
show more
Steve Cash, Del Rey, $15 trade paper (304p) ISBN 978-0-345-47094-2 9780345470942
Covering the history of the cold war on a small scale, singer-songwriter Cash concludes his trilogy (after 2005's The Meq and 2006's Time Dancers) of immortal near-humans who look 12 years old and possess unusual powers. In 1945, 76-year-old Meq Zianno "Z" Zezen dodges U.S. and Soviet covert agencies as he hunts for the legendary Sixth Stone, which will point the way to the place of gathering where the destiny of the Meq will be revealed. The grief of immortals as their adoptive "families" age and die gives an intimate sense of loss even as larger events (the Nagasaki atomic bombing, the Hungarian revolution, the Kennedy assassination) sweep past. Much more sketchily drawn—or omitted altogether—are the social convulsions of the period, like civil rights, sexual liberation, and the peace movement. Cash's Southern rock group, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, makes a cameo that will delight fans of his music. (Mar.)
Demon Song
show more
Cat Adams, Tor, $14.99 trade paper (384p) ISBN 978-0-7653-2496-2 9780765324962
Adams (a joint pseudonym for C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp) delivers a satisfying third Celia Graves adventure to follow 2010's Blood Song and Siren Song. Bodyguard by profession, vampire by accident, and siren by heritage, Celia leads a life of excitement and turmoil, struggling to control her bloodlust and dark impulses even as she discovers new abilities. Her attempts to maintain a normal existence are stymied by anti-vampire prejudice, a death curse, and a demonic invasion that could destroy the world. Her only hope lies in finding a set of long-lost artifacts, deciphering the prophecies of a deceased friend, and persuading quarrelsome allies to work together. This series just keeps getting better, maintaining a delicate balance between urban fantasy and paranormal romance. The emotional components are just as strong as the action sequences, set against an increasingly interesting world. (Mar.)
Point
show more
Thomas Blackthorne, Angry Robot (www.angryrobotbooks.com), $7.99 mass market (432p) ISBN 978-0-85766-079-4 9780857660794
Blackthorne (a pseudonym for John Meaney) follows 2010's Edge with another over-the-top near-future action-adventure romp featuring retired British special forces operative Josh Cumberland. So-called Cutter Circles have been springing up: 13 dead teens in a circle, each cutting the wrists of the next. The teens don't know one another, and news blackouts mean that they can't be copycats. Cumberland, emotionally fragile since his daughter's death, begins fitting pieces together as he tracks a scientist's disappearance. Meanwhile, his girlfriend, Suzanne, an expert in psychosemantics who can modify behavior with a word, gets called in by MI5 to consult on the case. Their separate investigations become all the more urgent when someone they know, Opal, cuts herself as part of a failed Cutter Circle that provides valuable clues. The action moves so quickly that the overwritten prose and flat characterization barely register. (Mar.)
Under Wraps
show more
Hannah Jayne, Kensington, $6.99 mass market (352p) ISBN 978-0-7582-5892-2 9780758258922
Jayne weaves a sexy, funny, and suspenseful tale in this charming debut. Administrative assistant Sophie Lawson is the only human employed at the Underworld Detection Agency, which helps San Francisco's supernatural entities navigate mysteries and negotiate with humans. When a series of supernatural murders rocks the Bay Area and Sophie's employer, a kindly werewolf, goes missing, Sophie is plunged headlong into a deadly mystery that includes a smoldering attraction to a mysterious police detective who may not be telling her everything that he knows. After a slow and vague beginning in which characters casually toss around stereotypes and epithets based on (supernatural) race, Jayne gains control of her various plot threads and brings most of them to a satisfying, exciting conclusion with plenty of intrigue set up for a sequel. (Mar.)
This Side of the Grave
show more
Jeaniene Frost, Avon, $7.99 mass market (384p) ISBN 978-0-09-178318-0
In bestseller Frost's action-packed fifth Night Huntress novel (after 2009's Destined for an Early Grave), vampire spouses Cat and Bones return to Cat's native Ohio in response to unprecedented ghoul attacks on Masterless vampires that foreshadow an all-out war between the two undead species. Cat, the former "Red Reaper," has transformed from a half-vampire to a full one, but retains some unique qualities that haven't been seen since Joan of Arc. Ghoul rabble-rouser Apollyon claims that Cat's existence is a sign of vampires subjugating ghouls, and fellow ghoul Marie Laveau's allegiance is uncertain. Cat's new powers, her mother's recent transformation into a vampire, and her uncle's impending death add to her worries and responsibilities, but she's heartened by her tender relationship with Bones, which offers a refreshing change of pace in a genre where romantic conflicts are the norm. New and returning readers alike will enjoy this warmhearted and often hot-blooded adventure. (Mar.)
Murder of a Bookstore Babe: A Scumble River Mystery
show more
Denise Swanson, NAL/Obsidian, $6.99 mass market (272p) ISBN 978-0-451-23280-9 9780451232809
Tales and Treats, a new independent bookstore in the small town of Scumble River, Ill., arouses passions even before it opens in Swanson's lackluster 13th mystery featuring school psychologist Skye Denison (after 2010's Murder of a Wedding Belle). Conservative protesters as well as local business owners like Skye's used-car dealer cousin, Hugo Leofanti, view Tales and Treats as a threat. Soon after the bookstore's controversial opening, Skye discovers a woman crushed under a bookcase of rare books. Improbably even for a cozy, Skye's fiancé, police chief Wally Boyd, allows her to take the lead in interviewing suspects, many of whom are related to her. The efforts of Skye's former boyfriend, Simon Reid, to win her back add some romantic tension, but weak humor and plotting make this a forgettable entry in the series. (Mar.)
