Bear, Greg : Quantico
(Perseus/Vanguard 978-1-59315-445-5, $24.95, 326pp, hardcover, March 2007)
(First edition: UK: HarperCollins UK, November 2005)

Contemporary SF thriller about three FBI agents, graduates of the academy in Quantico, Virginia, and their involvement in a new round of terrorist attacks against the US and international targets.
• The book was originally published in 2005 with no near-simultaneous US edition. The SF Book Club published the first US edition (described here) in March 2006. This new edition is the first US trade edition.
• The publisher's website has this description
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, calling it a "thought-provoking near-future thriller" and concluding "Bear's near-future science is, as always, eerily plausible, and while he doesn't stint on sharp criticism of political infighting and its potential to hinder antiterrorism efforts, his would-be terrorists become surprisingly sympathetic as the complex details of their true plan are slowly (sometimes too slowly) revealed."
• Gary K. Wolfe reviewed the book last year in Locus Magazine: "Quantico is by far the most stripped-down and linear of Bear's near-future thrillers, and the one most willing to play with the clich‚s and conventions of the genre..."

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+ Brown, Simon : Daughter of Independence
(DAW 0-7564-0430-4, $7.99, 483pp, mass market paperback, April 2007, cover art Romas Kukalis)

Fantasy novel (first published by Tor Australia, 2006), third in the Chronicles of Kydan following Empire's Daughter and Rival's Son.
• Amazon has the publisher's description: "A final confrontation between old and new, between tyrannical magic and freedom, and between an empire and a growing nation-state that will determine the fate of millions-and not least the brave band of colonists who set out from Hamilay to settle Kydan with courage and hope in their hearts."

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* Butcher, Jim : White Night
(Roc 0-451-46140-1, $23.95, 407pp, hardcover, April 2007, jacket art Chris McGrath)

Fantasy novel, ninth in the "Dresden Chronicles" about crime-solving wizard Harry Dresden in Chicago, following Proven Guilty (2006). In this book Harry discovers that the prime suspect in a series of murders is his brother.
• The author's website has this page about the book, with links to sample chapters.
• Amazon has the starred Publishers Weekly review, which calls it "superlative", and the starred Booklist review, which concludes "Butcher puts the characters in a lot of danger, creates appalling moral choices for them, and spins an excellent noirish detective yarn in a well-crafted, supernaturally charged setting. The supporting cast is again fantastic, and Harry's wit continues to fly in the face of a peril-fraught plot."

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* Kenyon, Kay : Bright of the Sky
(Pyr 978-1-59102-541-2, $25, 453pp, hardcover, April 2007, cover illustration Stephan Martiniere)

Far-future SF novel, first in a new series of four novels, "The Entire and the Rose", about a star pilot from Earth whose contact with the Universe Entire erases his memory and leaves his family presumed dead.
• Pyr's site has a description -- "In a land-locked galaxy that tunnels through our own, the Entire is a bizarre and seductive mix of long-lived quasi-human and alien beings gathered under a sky of fire, called the bright. A land of wonders, the Entire is sustained by monumental storm walls and an exotic, never-ending river. Over all, the elegant and cruel Tarig rule supreme." -- and an excerpt.
• The author's site has this page for the book, with links to excerpts and titles of the next three books, and a page about the universe.
• Amazon has the starred Publishers Weekly review, from its February 20th issue, which calls it a "riveting launch of a new far-future SF series" and concludes "Kenyon's deft prose, high-stakes suspense and skilled, thorough world building will have readers anxious for the next installment."
• Paul Di Filippo reviews it for Sci Fi Weekly, giving it an A: "Despite nominations for several awards and generally good press, she's been flying, I'd say, under the radar of most readers. I venture to state that this book will boost her profile considerably, for it's a bravura concept bolstered by fine writing; lots of plausible, thrilling action; old-fashioned heroism; and strong emotional hooks."

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* Marley, Louise : Absalom's Mother & Other Stories
(Fairwood Press 0-9789078-3-3, $16.99, 230pp, trade paperback, April 2007)

Collection of 10 stories, two of them original to this book, with brief introductions to each by the author, and an introduction/letter by Lou Anders.
• The publisher's site has this description, which notes the author's stories "reflect her varied life experience, from a girlhood on a Montana ranch to a career as a classical singer and teacher."
• The author's website also has a description and excerpts from reviews.

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* McDonald, Sandra : The Outback Stars
(Tor 978-0-765-31643-1, $25.95, 416pp, hardcover, April 2007, jacket illustration Donato)

Military SF novel about an officer who's survived the destruction of her ship and takes a position on another, dysfunctional ship.
• Tor's website has a description -- "Sandra McDonald brings her personal knowledge of the military, and of the subtle interplay between men and women on deployment, to a stirring tale that mixes ancient Australian folklore with the colonization of the stars." -- and excerpt.
• The author's site includes this page for the book: "love. duty. really big spaceships."
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review: "Former naval officer McDonald makes an auspicious debut with a military SF novel that through her heroine proves the maxim 'amateurs study tactics; professionals study logistics.' ... The author captures the flavor of day-to-day life in a military organization and neatly ties the alien mystery with other plot threads at the end..."

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* Mostert, Natasha : Season of the Witch
(Dutton 978-0-525-95003-5, $24.95, 401pp, hardcover, April 2007, jacket illustration Richard Hasselberger)

Gothic thriller about the search for a millionaire's missing stepson and two sisters, devotees of the Greek 'Art of Memory', one of whom may be responsible for the stepson's death.
• The publisher's site has this description, which calls it "The Matrix meets Interview with the Vampire..."
• The author's website links to http://www.seasonofthewitch.co.uk/, with a link to a memory game.
• Amazon has the starred Publishers Weekly review, which calls it a "spellbinding tale of magic and seduction", and concludes "Mostert, a South African writer now living in London, has produced a feverish tale that's goth SF at its finest."

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* Pettersson, Vicki : The Taste of Night
(Avon 978-0-06-089892-2, $6.99, 440pp, mass market paperback, April 2007)

Supernatural fantasy novel about a Las Vegas heiress fighting a plague unleashed on the city by her father.
• This is the "Second Sign of the Zodiac"; the first book was The Scent of Shadows and was published under the Eos imprint; this second book is published under the Avon imprint.
• The HarperCollins site has this description and a 'Browse Inside' link including an excerpt.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review of The Scent of Shadows: "this moody, fast-paced debut falls into the growing 'dark fantasy' category, which blends fantasy, comic book superheroism and paranormal romance, but holds no promise of a happily-ever-after. ... Though graphic scenes (in which tongues are severed, heads ripped off, etc.) will repel some readers, others will embrace Pettersson's enduring, tough-as-nails heroine ..."

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* Shepherd, Joel : Breakaway
(Pyr 978-1-59102-540-5, $15, 427pp, trade paperback, April 2007, cover illustration Stephan Martiniere)

SF novel, second "Cassandra Kresnov Novel", follow-up to Crossover and first published by HarperCollins Australia in 2003. In this book the experimental android is caught in a war between the League and the Federation.
• Pyr's website has this description -- "Breakaway is a great story with a cracking plot and strong characters. At its heart is the enigma of Cassandra: Is she more human than human, or is she totally untrustworthy?" -- excerpts from the reviews, and sample chapters.
• The author's site has covers and links to all three books in the series -- the third is Killswitch, already published in Australia and due in November '07 from Pyr.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which concludes "Beneath the glitz of snazzy weaponry, unstoppable heroes and byzantine political machinations is a very real struggle about the nature of humanity and trust."

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* Tolkien, J. R. R. : The Children of Húrin
(Houghton Mifflin 0-618-89464-0, $26, 313pp, hardcover, April 2007, jacket illustration Alan Lee)

Fantasy novel about the First Age of Middle-earth, by the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, assembled by the author's son Christopher Tolkien from fragments some of which appeared in earlier books The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.
• The publisher's site has this description.
• Wikipedia has this entry about the book, with a summary and quotes from responses.
• Amazon has an interview with illustrator Alan Lee, who provides the cover and 8 color inserts, an essay by grandson Adam Tolkien, and the Publishers Weekly review: "Deftly balancing thrilling battles with moments of introspection, Tolkien's vivid and gripping narrative reaffirms his primacy in fantasy literature."

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* Wright, John C. : Titans of Chaos
(Tor 978-0-765-31648-6, $25.95, 319pp, hardcover, April 2007, jacket art Scott M. Fischer)

Fantasy novel, third in the "Chronicles of Chaos" series following Orphans of Chaos (2005) and Fugitives of Chaos (2006), about five orphans at a British boarding school who discover they have supernatural powers.
• Tor's site has this description: "... The Chronicles of Chaos is situated in the literary territory of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, and Neil Gaiman's American Gods, with some of the flash and dazzle of superhero comics."
• The author's website has this page for the book, with excerpts from various reviews.
• Nick Gevers reviewed the book in the April issue of Locus Magazine: "Narrative momentum is also a characteristic of Titans of Chaos, the final volume of John C. Wright's trilogy, The Chronicles of Chaos. After some mildly reflective early chapters, a torrent of events surges forth, one of the most sustained action sequences I can remember reading; the boisterous cliffhanger-infested cavalcade Wright unleashes is something remarkable, some of his best writing yet and often exceptionally funny..."

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