New Books : 16 October 2018

Gardner Dozois’ anthology The Book of Magic, Steven Erikson’s Rejoice, a Knife to the Heart, John Scalzi’s The Consuming Fire, and titles by Lila Bowen, Paula Guran, S.T. Joshi, Ausma Zehanat Khan, Mercedes Lackey, Tim Major, and R.E. Stearns.

– – –

* Bowen, Lila : Treason of Hawks
(Orbit 978-0316502375, $26, 384pp, hardcover, October 2018)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Oct 2018
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780316502382
• The Shadow #4

Dark fantasy novel, fourth in a series following Wake of Vultures (2015), Conspiracy of Ravens (2016), and Malice of Crows (2017), about a half-breed girl who can see the evil that other people are hiding.
• Hachette’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Lila Bowen is a pseudonym for Delilah S. Dawson.
• Publishers Weekly gives the book a starred review: “The final battle is bloody, fierce, and heartbreaking, and the hopeful conclusion is a fine feather in the cap of Bowen’s uniquely superb series.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

– – –

* Dozois, Gardner, ed. : The Book of Magic
(Bantam 978-0399593789, $30, 576pp, hardcover, October 2018)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Oct 2018
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780399593796
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780525492801

Anthology of 16 original fantasy stories.
• Authors include George R.R. Martin, K.J. Parker, John Crowley, Eleanor Arnason, Andy Duncan, and Scott Lynch.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with a preview function.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

– – –

* Erikson, Steven : Rejoice, a Knife to the Heart
(Promontory Press 978-1-77374-012-6, $27.95, 460pp, hardcover, October 2018)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Oct 2018
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781773740133
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 978-1978631885

SF novel of alien first contact in which the aliens are reluctant to appear but intervene in human society to end all violence.
• The Canadian publisher’s site has this description with blurbs by Robert J. Sawyer and others.
• The near-simultaneous UK edition from Gollancz is due October 18th.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Erikson has fun skewering many high-profile targets … and also dissects many of the unquestioned beliefs of contemporary capitalism, neoliberal politics, and even Star Trek’s prime directive. In the end, he suggests, humans can only change so much.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

– – –

* Guran, Paula, ed. : The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror: 2018 Edition
(Prime Books 978-1607015284, $19.95, 528pp, trade paperback, October 2018)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Oct 2018

Anthology of 29 dark fantasy and horror stories first published in 2017.
• Authors include Rebecca Roanhorse, Priya Sharma, Cassandra Khaw, Jeffrey Ford, Kai Ashante Wilson, Steve Rasnic Tem, and Robert Shearman.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

– – –

* Joshi, S. T. : Black Wings of Cthulhu, Volume Six
(Titan 978-1785656934, $14.95, 383pp, trade paperback, October 2018)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Oct 2018

Anthology of 21 original stories inspired by H.P. Lovecraft.
• Authors include Darrell Schweitzer, William F. Nolan, Nancy Kilpatrick, Steve Rasnic Tem, and Stephen Woodworth.
• Titan’s site has this description.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

– – –

* Khan, Ausma Zehanat : The Black Khan
(Harper Voyager 978-0-06-245920-6, $16.99, 496pp, trade paperback, October 2018)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Oct 2018
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780062459220
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780062884794
• The Khorasan Archives #2

Fantasy novel, second in a series following The Bloodprint (2017), about a group of female warriors battling a superstitious patriarchy that suppresses knowledge and subjugates women.
• HarperCollins’ site has this description with a sample.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Bitter betrayals, testosterone-fueled male rivalry, erotic temptations, and dizzying shifts in allegiance abound. The author supplies a lush atmosphere based on Middle Eastern traditions…”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

– – –

* Lackey, Mercedes : The Bartered Brides
(DAW 978-0756408749, $27, 320pp, hardcover, October 2018)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Oct 2018
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780756411664
• Elemental Masters #13

Fantasy novel, thirteenth book in the Elemental Masters series, following Fire Rose, Gates of Sleep, Serpent’s Shadow, Phoenix and Ashes, The Wizard of London, Reserved for the Cat, Unnatural Issue (2011), Elemental Magic (2012), Steadfast (2013), Blood Red (2014), From a High Tower (2015), A Study in Sable (2016), and A Scandal in Battersea, about Sherlock Holmes in an alternate 20th-century England.
• Penguin Random House’s site this description.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

– – –

* Major, Tim : Machineries of Mercy
(ChiTeen 978-1771484695, $13.99, 300pp, trade paperback, October 2018)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Oct 2018
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781771484701

Young adult horror novel about a creepy English village.
• ChiZine’s site has this description.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

– – –

* Scalzi, John : The Consuming Fire
(Tor 978-0-7653-8897-1, $26.99, 320pp, hardcover, October 2018)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Oct 2018
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780765388988
• The Interdependency #2

SF novel, second in a series following The Collapsing Empire (2017), about the gradual collapse of the extra-dimensional conduits that enable travel between the stars.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “This novel sits perfectly in its second-book role, leaving the reader deeply invested in the developing story, with plenty left to tell.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

– – –

* Stearns, R. E. : Mutiny at Vesta
(Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1481476898, $27.99, 480pp, hardcover, October 2018)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Oct 2018
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781481476911
• Shieldrunner Pirates #2

SF novel, second in a series following Barbary Station (2017), about two unemployed engineers who’ve survived a murderous AI and joined a pirate crew.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description with a Google preview.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

– – –

– – –

These listings are based on publisher schedules and availability on Amazon (rather than on confirmation of physical publication via purchase, review copies, or sightings in bookstores). Titles are listed only once they are published (with rare exception). We do not list galleys or advance reading copies.

Page counts are based on publisher or Amazon listings, and typically only approximate the bibliographic page counts of finished books.

* = first edition
+ = first US edition

Date with publisher info is official publication month.

‘Nominal Publication Date’ is the day of publication, typically as indicated by Amazon.com.

---

While you are here, please take a moment to support Locus with a one-time or recurring donation. We rely on reader donations to keep the magazine and site going, and would like to keep the site paywall free, but WE NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT to continue quality coverage of the science fiction and fantasy field.