Locus Online: New Books, mid-December 2006

* Bear, Elizabeth : Carnival
(Bantam Spectra 0-553-58904-0, $6.99, 393pp, mass market paperback, December 2006, cover art Steve Stone)

SF novel about a pair of disgraced gay ambassador/spies sent to the planet New Amazonia to steal a source of power, while having independent agendas of their own.
• The author's website describes it as "a novel of Singularity, ecoterrorism, sexism, genocide, brinksmanship, art, intrigue--and spies!" and has this longer description.
• Bantam's site has this description, and an excerpt.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review and the starred Booklist review; the latter concludes "Bear's exploration of gender stereotypes and the characters' reactions to the rigid expectations of a world of strict gender roles proves fascinating, as does her exploration of political systems gone too far in more than one direction. Her sense of pacing and skill with multifaceted characters prone to all sorts of confused motivations and actions also enrich this action-packed, thought-provoking story."
• Russell Letson's review will appear in the upcoming February 2007 issue of Locus Magazine.

(Wed 6 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

* Bowling, Drew : The Tower of Shadows
(Ballantine Del Rey 0-345-48670-6, $19.95, 17+286pp, hardcover, January 2007, jacket illustration John Harris)

Fantasy novel, the first novel by a now college sophomore, about Cade Starcross, a survivor of a battle between demons and gods who learns sorcery to carry out vengeance against the demons.
• Del Rey's site a description -- "From the boundless imagination and talented pen of a young storyteller springs the fabulous first novel in a major new epic fantasy series. Steeped in the traditions of its classic forebears, yet boldly original in its vision and sense of wonder, The Tower of Shadows swells with heroism, sings with enchantment, and carries the reader at full gallop into a marvelously wrought world of breathtaking adventure." -- and blurbs from Terry Brooks and R.A. Salvatore.
• The author's website includes a bio, an interview, description, and an excerpt.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which concludes "Bowling stocks the mystical land of Ellynrie with the talismanic trappings of most classic quests -- magic medallions, wizards, pirates and, of course, a dragon -- but he brings an exciting pace and his own exuberant style to a novel suitable for all ages."

(Fri 15 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

* Caselberg, Jay : Wall of Mirrors
(Roc 0-451-46119-3, $6.99, 305pp, mass market paperback, December 2006)

SF novel about psychic investigator Jack Stein, fourth and final book in the series following Wyrmhole (2003), Metal Sky (2004), and The Star Tablet (2005).
• Amazon has several posts by the author, who also writes as James A. Hartley.

(Mon 18 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

* Doyle, Debra, & James D. Macdonald : Land of Mist and Snow
(Eos 0-06-081919-7, $7.99, 304pp, mass market paperback, December 2006)

Fantasy novel set during the American Civil War about a magical warship built in a single night sent on a secret mission against a demon raider.
• The authors' website has this page about the book, with a Chapter One excerpt and links to further excerpts.
• HarperCollins' site has the same description and Chapter One excerpt.
• The authors guest-blogged at the Eos Books blog recently, posting several entries about alternate histories and the advantages of fantasy.

(Wed 6 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

* Enthoven, Sam : The Black Tattoo
(Razorbill 1-59514-114-6, $19.99, 503pp, hardcover, October 2006, jacket illustration John Jude Palencar)

Young adult fantasy novel, the author's first novel, about three teens involved in a battle with an evil entity called the Scourge, who gives one of them a black tattoo and super powers as part of its master plan.
• The book has its own website, http://www.theblacktattoo.com/, with a description, extract, photos of locations in the book, author background, a guestbook, etc.
• Amazon has the Booklist review, which concludes "Adventure and invention abound, but tighter plotting would have improved the story. The epilogue sets the stage for a sequel.", and several 5-star reader reviews.

(Wed 6 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

* Hetley, James A. : Dragon's Teeth
(Ace 0-441-01431-3, $14, 327pp, trade paperback, November 2006, cover art Don Seegmiller)

Fantasy novel, follow-up to Dragon's Eye (2005), about families of shapeshifters and witches in a backwater town in Maine.
• The author's web page has a description and an excerpt.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly and Booklist reviews; the former concludes "Hetley's fresh, skillful sequel will whet fans' appetites for more magical episodes in the Morgan and Haskell story."
• Faren Miller reviewed the book in the November issue of Locus Magazine: "The sense of psychological realism in Dragon's Teeth ultimately helps resolve important issues that the faster-paced first book had left hanging, as it deftly entwines the uncanny with what we tend to dismiss too blithely as the everyday."

(Fri 15 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

+ Kearney, Paul : This Forsaken Earth
(Bantam Spectra 0-553-38363-9, $12, 317pp, trade paperback, December 2006, cover art Steve Stone) First US edition (UK: Bantam UK, July 2006)

Fantasy novel, second in the "Sea Beggars" series following The Mark of Ran (2004 UK, 2005 US), about a young man who embarks on a sea voyage in search of his destiny.
• The author's website has an extract
• Bantam's site has this page for the book with a description and Chapter One excerpt.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly and Booklist reviews; the former concludes "Kearney's solid storytelling and nautical detail worthy of C.S. Forester or Patrick O'Brian will keep readers turning the pages." while the latter notes "because almost all the action transpires in the here and now, the sequel can be read without reference to the predecessor. Since it ends hanging on a particularly bloody cliff, expect to see more of Kearney's excellent maritime fantasy."

(Wed 6 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

* Lampietti, Heidi, ed. : Medicine Show
(RedJack 1-892619-09-1, $10, 278pp, trade paperback, November 2006, cover art Andre Fairon)

Fantasy novel about an American Medicine show wandering post-World War I Europe. It's a round-robin novel, each chapter written by a different author. Authors include M.K. Hobson, Mikal Trimm, Heidi Cyr, Dan Barlow, and Gerand Jones.
• It's the first volume in the publisher's Liquid Laughter Project. The publisher also has this page for the book, with links to sites of some of the authors, and an excerpt from Chapter 7 by Dominick Cancilla.

(Fri 15 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

* Little, Denise, ed. : Cosmic Cocktails
(DAW 0-7564-0398-7, $7.99, 312pp, mass market paperback, December 2006)

Anthology of 15 original stories "from space bars around the galaxy".
• Authors includes Sarah A. Hoyt, Greg Beatty, Annie Reed, and Loren L. Coleman.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which calls it "a winning treat just in time for the cold months" and concludes "Without a marquee name in the mix, this low-key pub crawl is surprisingly consistent, delivering a punchy blend of shocks, laughs and otherworldly action with only a few stale brews among them."

(Mon 18 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

* Ringo, John : Unto the Breach
(Baen 1-416-50940-2, $26, 610pp, hardcover, December 2006, cover illustration Kurt Miller)

Military techno-thriller about a former Navy SEAL turned international warlord; fourth in a series following Ghost (2005), Kildar (2006), and Choosers of the Slain (2006). In this book Mike Harmon tries to rescue a Russian scientist held by terrorists in Chechnya.
• Baen's site has a description and links to several chapters.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which gives it a star, saying that Ringo "surpasses himself in his latest Kildar novel, an SF-tinged action yarn that will appeal to those interested in the psychology of leadership."

(Wed 13 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

* Rosenberg, Joel : Paladins II: Knight Moves
(Baen 0-743-49914-x, $25, 302pp, hardcover, December 2006, cover illustration Kurt Miller)

Alternate history fantasy novel, second in the series following Paladins (2004), set in a 17th century in which the English Pendragon dynasty rules much of the world.
• Baen's site has a description and links to excerpts.

(Wed 13 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

* Underwood, Laura J. : The King's Wind
(Carnifex Press 0-9789583-1-4, $12.95, 86pp, trade paperback, December 2006)

Fantasy novella about a healer who resists his magical heritage, now required to resist a dangerous fiend.
• The publisher's store page has a description: "Written with a storyteller's sure pacing, Laura J. Underwood's "The Kings Wind" is a compelling and evocative fantasy tale again bringing the Old City's Brother Rhys face-to-face with the twin banes of his life: the festering magics born of the King's refusal to cleanse and rebuild the old city and the healer's resistance to accepting his true magical nature."
• The author's webpage has links to a biography, bibliography, descriptions of worlds, etc.

(Sun 10 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon | BookSense • (Directory Entry)

* Wells, Martha : Stargate Atlantis: Reliquary
(UK: Pandemonium Books 0-9547343-7-8, $7.99, 229pp, mass market paperback, March 2006)

SF novel based on the TV series, in which Major John Sheppard and Dr. Rodney McKay discover a recording device with a new Stargate address.
• The author's site has this page for the book, with excerpts from reviews and the text of Chapter 1.
• Amazon has several enthusiastic reader reviews.

(Fri 15 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon • (Directory Entry)

	MONITOR New Books Dec #1 Chris Bunch Jim Butcher Jim Butcher Orson Scott Card Eric Flint Alan Dean Foster Jim Grimsley Howard V. Hendrix Katherine Kurtz Mike Resnick Rudy Rucker Al Sarrantonio James M. Ward New Books Nov #4 John Connolly Michael Crichton Helen Dunmore Mark Finn Matthew Hughes Faith Hunter Diana Wynne Jones Dean Koontz M. Rickert Mary Rosenblum Will Self Charles Stross Stephen Woodworth John C. Wright 2006 Archive 2005 Archive Advertisement KEY This page lists selected newly published SFFH books seen by Locus Online (independently from the listings compiled by Locus Magazine). Review copies received will be listed (though reprints and reissues are on other pages), but not galleys or advance reading copies. Selections, some based only on bookstore sightings, are at the discretion of Locus Online. * = first edition + = first US edition Date with publisher info is official publication month; Date in parentheses at paragraph end is date seen or received. LINKS Links Portal Bookseller Links Your purchase of books through Amazon.com and Amazon UK links (click on titles or covers) helps support Locus Online Publisher Links E-mail Locus Online		New SF, Fantasy, and Horror books seen : mid-December 2006 posted 29 December 2006 * Bear, Elizabeth : Carnival (Bantam Spectra 0-553-58904-0, $6.99, 393pp, mass market paperback, December 2006, cover art Steve Stone) SF novel about a pair of disgraced gay ambassador/spies sent to the planet New Amazonia to steal a source of power, while having independent agendas of their own. • The author's website describes it as "a novel of Singularity, ecoterrorism, sexism, genocide, brinksmanship, art, intrigue--and spies!" and has this longer description. • Bantam's site has this description, and an excerpt. • Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review and the starred Booklist review; the latter concludes "Bear's exploration of gender stereotypes and the characters' reactions to the rigid expectations of a world of strict gender roles proves fascinating, as does her exploration of political systems gone too far in more than one direction. Her sense of pacing and skill with multifaceted characters prone to all sorts of confused motivations and actions also enrich this action-packed, thought-provoking story." • Russell Letson's review will appear in the upcoming February 2007 issue of Locus Magazine. (Wed 6 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon \| BookSense • (Directory Entry) \| * Bowling, Drew : The Tower of Shadows (Ballantine Del Rey 0-345-48670-6, $19.95, 17+286pp, hardcover, January 2007, jacket illustration John Harris) Fantasy novel, the first novel by a now college sophomore, about Cade Starcross, a survivor of a battle between demons and gods who learns sorcery to carry out vengeance against the demons. • Del Rey's site a description -- "From the boundless imagination and talented pen of a young storyteller springs the fabulous first novel in a major new epic fantasy series. Steeped in the traditions of its classic forebears, yet boldly original in its vision and sense of wonder, The Tower of Shadows swells with heroism, sings with enchantment, and carries the reader at full gallop into a marvelously wrought world of breathtaking adventure." -- and blurbs from Terry Brooks and R.A. Salvatore. • The author's website includes a bio, an interview, description, and an excerpt. • Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which concludes "Bowling stocks the mystical land of Ellynrie with the talismanic trappings of most classic quests -- magic medallions, wizards, pirates and, of course, a dragon -- but he brings an exciting pace and his own exuberant style to a novel suitable for all ages." (Fri 15 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon \| BookSense • (Directory Entry) \| * Caselberg, Jay : Wall of Mirrors (Roc 0-451-46119-3, $6.99, 305pp, mass market paperback, December 2006) SF novel about psychic investigator Jack Stein, fourth and final book in the series following Wyrmhole (2003), Metal Sky (2004), and The Star Tablet (2005). • Amazon has several posts by the author, who also writes as James A. Hartley. (Mon 18 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon \| BookSense • (Directory Entry) \| * Doyle, Debra, & James D. Macdonald : Land of Mist and Snow (Eos 0-06-081919-7, $7.99, 304pp, mass market paperback, December 2006) Fantasy novel set during the American Civil War about a magical warship built in a single night sent on a secret mission against a demon raider. • The authors' website has this page about the book, with a Chapter One excerpt and links to further excerpts. • HarperCollins' site has the same description and Chapter One excerpt. • The authors guest-blogged at the Eos Books blog recently, posting several entries about alternate histories and the advantages of fantasy. (Wed 6 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon \| BookSense • (Directory Entry) \| * Enthoven, Sam : The Black Tattoo (Razorbill 1-59514-114-6, $19.99, 503pp, hardcover, October 2006, jacket illustration John Jude Palencar) Young adult fantasy novel, the author's first novel, about three teens involved in a battle with an evil entity called the Scourge, who gives one of them a black tattoo and super powers as part of its master plan. • The book has its own website, http://www.theblacktattoo.com/, with a description, extract, photos of locations in the book, author background, a guestbook, etc. • Amazon has the Booklist review, which concludes "Adventure and invention abound, but tighter plotting would have improved the story. The epilogue sets the stage for a sequel.", and several 5-star reader reviews. (Wed 6 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon \| BookSense • (Directory Entry) \| * Hetley, James A. : Dragon's Teeth (Ace 0-441-01431-3, $14, 327pp, trade paperback, November 2006, cover art Don Seegmiller) Fantasy novel, follow-up to Dragon's Eye (2005), about families of shapeshifters and witches in a backwater town in Maine. • The author's web page has a description and an excerpt. • Amazon has the Publishers Weekly and Booklist reviews; the former concludes "Hetley's fresh, skillful sequel will whet fans' appetites for more magical episodes in the Morgan and Haskell story." • Faren Miller reviewed the book in the November issue of Locus Magazine: "The sense of psychological realism in Dragon's Teeth ultimately helps resolve important issues that the faster-paced first book had left hanging, as it deftly entwines the uncanny with what we tend to dismiss too blithely as the everyday." (Fri 15 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon \| BookSense • (Directory Entry) \| + Kearney, Paul : This Forsaken Earth (Bantam Spectra 0-553-38363-9, $12, 317pp, trade paperback, December 2006, cover art Steve Stone) First US edition (UK: Bantam UK, July 2006) Fantasy novel, second in the "Sea Beggars" series following The Mark of Ran (2004 UK, 2005 US), about a young man who embarks on a sea voyage in search of his destiny. • The author's website has an extract • Bantam's site has this page for the book with a description and Chapter One excerpt. • Amazon has the Publishers Weekly and Booklist reviews; the former concludes "Kearney's solid storytelling and nautical detail worthy of C.S. Forester or Patrick O'Brian will keep readers turning the pages." while the latter notes "because almost all the action transpires in the here and now, the sequel can be read without reference to the predecessor. Since it ends hanging on a particularly bloody cliff, expect to see more of Kearney's excellent maritime fantasy." (Wed 6 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon \| BookSense • (Directory Entry) \| * Lampietti, Heidi, ed. : Medicine Show (RedJack 1-892619-09-1, $10, 278pp, trade paperback, November 2006, cover art Andre Fairon) Fantasy novel about an American Medicine show wandering post-World War I Europe. It's a round-robin novel, each chapter written by a different author. Authors include M.K. Hobson, Mikal Trimm, Heidi Cyr, Dan Barlow, and Gerand Jones. • It's the first volume in the publisher's Liquid Laughter Project. The publisher also has this page for the book, with links to sites of some of the authors, and an excerpt from Chapter 7 by Dominick Cancilla. (Fri 15 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon \| BookSense • (Directory Entry) \| * Little, Denise, ed. : Cosmic Cocktails (DAW 0-7564-0398-7, $7.99, 312pp, mass market paperback, December 2006) Anthology of 15 original stories "from space bars around the galaxy". • Authors includes Sarah A. Hoyt, Greg Beatty, Annie Reed, and Loren L. Coleman. • Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which calls it "a winning treat just in time for the cold months" and concludes "Without a marquee name in the mix, this low-key pub crawl is surprisingly consistent, delivering a punchy blend of shocks, laughs and otherworldly action with only a few stale brews among them." (Mon 18 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon \| BookSense • (Directory Entry) \| * Ringo, John : Unto the Breach (Baen 1-416-50940-2, $26, 610pp, hardcover, December 2006, cover illustration Kurt Miller) Military techno-thriller about a former Navy SEAL turned international warlord; fourth in a series following Ghost (2005), Kildar (2006), and Choosers of the Slain (2006). In this book Mike Harmon tries to rescue a Russian scientist held by terrorists in Chechnya. • Baen's site has a description and links to several chapters. • Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which gives it a star, saying that Ringo "surpasses himself in his latest Kildar novel, an SF-tinged action yarn that will appeal to those interested in the psychology of leadership." (Wed 13 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon \| BookSense • (Directory Entry) \| * Rosenberg, Joel : Paladins II: Knight Moves (Baen 0-743-49914-x, $25, 302pp, hardcover, December 2006, cover illustration Kurt Miller) Alternate history fantasy novel, second in the series following Paladins (2004), set in a 17th century in which the English Pendragon dynasty rules much of the world. • Baen's site has a description and links to excerpts. (Wed 13 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon \| BookSense • (Directory Entry) \| * Underwood, Laura J. : The King's Wind (Carnifex Press 0-9789583-1-4, $12.95, 86pp, trade paperback, December 2006) Fantasy novella about a healer who resists his magical heritage, now required to resist a dangerous fiend. • The publisher's store page has a description: "Written with a storyteller's sure pacing, Laura J. Underwood's "The Kings Wind" is a compelling and evocative fantasy tale again bringing the Old City's Brother Rhys face-to-face with the twin banes of his life: the festering magics born of the King's refusal to cleanse and rebuild the old city and the healer's resistance to accepting his true magical nature." • The author's webpage has links to a biography, bibliography, descriptions of worlds, etc. (Sun 10 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon \| BookSense • (Directory Entry) \| * Wells, Martha : Stargate Atlantis: Reliquary (UK: Pandemonium Books 0-9547343-7-8, $7.99, 229pp, mass market paperback, March 2006) SF novel based on the TV series, in which Major John Sheppard and Dr. Rodney McKay discover a recording device with a new Stargate address. • The author's site has this page for the book, with excerpts from reviews and the text of Chapter 1. • Amazon has several enthusiastic reader reviews. (Fri 15 Dec 2006) • Purchase this book from Amazon • (Directory Entry) \| Opening lines: "Working late, Doctor?" Boris asked, yawning and glancing at the scientist's identity card. Dr. Tolegen Arensky nodded, trying not to appear nervous. "One of my samples is done cooking; I have to test it when it's fresh." Opening lines: Imagine five hundred great trees, embedded in the good earth of the world and watching some two centuries go by, in happiness and woe. War and peace, winter and summer, they are nothing but some thickening of the rings. And let us say these trees�a moderate wood�were cut down by men, and put aside for twenty-odd years, set on stilts to allow the air of another quarter-century to come at them. And after that, they were hewn, and sliced and steamed and nailed into something else. Something to last beyond the lives of the craftsmen who had wielded plane and adze and axe on their enduring flesh. Opening lines: Michelangelo Osiris Leary Kusanagi-Jones had been drinking since fourteen hundred. He didn't plan on stopping soon. Opening lines: As the two horsemen peered across the moor, they sensed their curiosity darkening toward suspicion. Barren and rocky, the blasted landscape stretched eastward for mile after mile until, with unexpected suddenness, it reared against the horizon in a line of serrated cliffs. Night was falling quickly. As shadows settled like carrion birds on their surroundings, pallid pricks of palest blue twinkled wanly in the sky. They gave off little light and less comfort. Previous New Books: December #1
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