* Adams, C.T., & Cathy Clamp : Touch of Madness
(Tor Paranormal Romance 978-0-7653-5663-5, $6.99, 311pp, mass market paperback, June 2007)

Paranormal romance novel about a woman battling parasitic vampires while her boyfriend's werewolf pack is trying to break the couple up. It's the second volume about Kate Reilly, following Touch of Evil (2006).
• Tor's website has this description with the cover copy and quotes from earlier reviews.
• The authors' website has this page for the book with a sample chapter.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review: "Fans will happily rejoin Reilly's story, which features great chemistry between the leads and a swift pace; unfortunately, the overly complex plot will prove a challenge to those not already familiar with the unconventional rules of Adams and Clamp's world."

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* Bear, Elizabeth : Whiskey and Water
(Roc 978-0-451-46149-0, $14, 431pp, trade paperback, July 2007, cover art Paul Youll)

Fantasy novel in the author's "Promethean Age" series about war between Faerie and the iron world, following Blood and Iron (2006).
• The author's site has this page about the series, listing two forthcoming titles and noting "The four novels listed at the top of the page are only the beginning of the vast mad edifice I hope someday to construct. ..."
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review: "Addressing such wide-ranging topics as absolution, kindness and cruelty, Bear mixes classic and modern supernatural archetypes to craft a beautiful tale whose reach exceeds its grasp..."
• Faren Miller reviews it in the June issue of Locus Magazine: "While I thought Blood and Iron had a few stumbles in its attempt to capture the differing sensual experiences of the human world and Faerie, Whiskey and Water gets it just right. There can be sensory immersion and sensual pleasure in the supposedly mundane (including one scene of cookery that should ravish even non-gourmands), but in the otherworld everything feels richer by an order of magnitude - even the air has a special 'sweet, heady strength,' and it's no surprise that newcomers find the place utterly bewitching."

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* Bujold, Lois McMaster : The Sharing Knife: Legacy
(Eos 0-06-113905-x, $25.95, 377pp, hardcover, July 2007, jacket illustration Julie Bell)

Romantic fantasy novel, second in the "The Sharing Knife" duology following Beguilement (2006), about Fawn, a farm girl now married to a Lakewalker patroller, who returns with him to his home, where she faces hostility from the boy's family.
• The publisher's site has this description with a "Browse Inside" feature including an excerpt.
• Carolyn Cushman reviewed it in the May issue of Locus Magazine: "Fawn has a stubborn streak and takes matters into her own hands. There's no big victory over prejudice in the end, more a decision not to let it beat her down, an oddly neutral conclusion that makes this feel more like the middle of the story, not the end."

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* Carey, Mike : The Devil You Know
(Warner 978-0-446-58030-4, $24.99, 406pp, hardcover, July 2007)

Dark fantasy novel about Felix Castor, a London exorcist who decides to accept one last assignment.
• The publisher's site has this descritpion and excerpt.
• The author's UK site has descriptions of this book and of Vicious Circle, the next book in the series, which has already appeared in Britain.
• Amazon has the starred Publishers Weekly review from its June 4th issue: "A violent ghost in a world where spirits are rarely mean-spirited is a clue to a deeper mystery in this engrossing dark fantasy debut from comics-writer Carey. ... The resolution of this ingeniously multilayered tale will satisfy fans of both fantasy and detective fiction. Fix Castor's wisecracking cleverness in the face of weird nemeses makes him the perfect hardboiled hero for a new supernatural noir series."

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* Drake, David : The Mirror of Worlds
(Tor 978-0-7653-1260-0, $25.95, 333pp, hardcover, July 2007, jacket art Donato Giancola)

Fantasy novel, second volume in "The Crown of the Isles" trilogy, following Fortress of Glass (2006), that will close the long-running "Lord of the Isles" series.
• Baen's Webscription site has this page for the book, with the jacket description and links to sample chapters.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review: "Three strong women on separate missions dominate this slow-moving middle volume... While 'second book blues' bogs things down a bit, Drake balances it with vivid descriptions and lots of action."

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* Eskridge, Kelley : Dangerous Space
(Aqueduct Press 978-1-933500-13-3, $18, 255pp, trade paperback, June 2007)

Collection of seven stories, with novella "Dangerous Space" original to this book. Geoff Ryman provides the introduction.
• The publisher's site has this page about the book, with a description, blurbs from Julie Phillips, Gwyneth Jones, and others, and quotes from several reviews.
• The book was one of Locus Magazine's New and Notable Books for June: "First collection by an acclaimed SF novelist gathers seven stories about music, art, and sex, including the original title novella."

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* Gaiman, Neil, & Michael Reaves : InterWorld
(Eos 978-0-06-123896-3, $16.99, 239pp, hardcover, July 2007, jacket art James Jean)

Young adult novel about a boy who learns to walk between other dimensions, where he's pursued by armies of magic and science.
• HarperCollins' site has this description, with the "Browse Inside" feature and an audio excerpt.
• This Blogcritics review by Mel Odom -- which is also posted on Amazon -- explains that the idea for the book was developed by Gaiman and Reaves a decade ago as a pitch for a TV series that never sold. Odom's review concludes "Overall, I was pretty happy with the book. I wish there had been more. But it felt like an interesting cross between a Heinlein juvenile, an early Andre Norton adventure, and Roger Zelazny's Amber series. InterWorld is a quick read with plenty of zip and provides a host of ideas with lots of action."

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* Gaiman, Neil : M Is for Magic
(HarperCollins 978-0-06-118642-4, $16.99, 12+260pp, hardcover, July 2007, jacket art Teddy Kristiansen)

Collection of 10 stories and one poem, formatted for young adult readers. Contents include three Locus Award winners: "October in the Chair", "Sunbird", and "How to Talk to Girls at Parties" (also currently a Hugo Award nominee). Illustrations by Teddy Kristiansen.
• The author's introduction explains that the book's title is patterned, with permission, after Ray Bradbury's R Is for Rocket and S Is for Space.
• The publisher's site has this description, with the "Browse Inside" feature and an audio excerpt.
• There's also a limited edition with illustrations by Gahan Wilson.
• Amazon has reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist; the latter concludes "this well-chosen collection is sure to create a new generation of Gaiman fans who will not need to understand all the allusions to enjoy the stories."
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews the book in the June issue of Locus Magazine, especially noting "The Witch's Headstone", which will be the first chapter of Gaiman's forthcoming novel The Graveyard Book; "[I]t's easily the main attraction in a book that for the most part takes on the aspect of a bonus pak for a specialized market, rather than a significant new collection."

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* Hammond, Warren : KOP
(Tor 978-0-765-31272-3, $24.95, 331pp, hardcover, July 2007, jacket art Chris McGrath)

Noir science fiction novel set on the planet Largarto in 2787, where a corrupt police officer pursues a serial killer.
• Tor's website has this description and an excerpt.
• The author's website has a bio, quotes from reviews, pics, and signing dates.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which calls the book a "solidly constructed, fast-paced SF debut" and concludes "Hammond's writing is workmanlike with occasional terse highlights, offering rewards to fans of both crime novels and science fiction."

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* Hartwell, David G., & Kathryn Cramer, eds. : Year's Best Fantasy 7
(Tachyon Publications 978-1-892391-50-6, $14.95, 10+372pp, trade paperback, June 2007, cover illustration David M. Bowers)

Anthology of 20 fantasy stories first published in 2006, with an introduction by the editors, and introductions to each story. Authors include Gene Wolfe, Charles Stross, Howard Waldrop, Geoff Ryman (Hugo-nominated "Pol Pot's Beautiful Daughter (Fantasy)"), Ian R. MacLeod, Michael Moorcock, Lucius Shepard, and Michael Swanwick.
• The publisher's site has this description with complete list of authors and quotes from reviews.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review: "The seventh annual fantasy anthology from the renowned husband and wife editing team of Hartwell and Cramer is arguably the strongest and most thematically diverse....
• Locus Magazine's July issue has a review of the book by Mark R. Kelly, comparing and contrasting it to Rich Horton's anthology (listed below): "The Hartwell/Cramer volume has the better balance of a variety of stories and styles representing the state of the fantasy field (reflecting as much the fantasy field in books, perhaps, as in short fiction)..."

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* Horton, Rich, ed. : Fantasy: The Best of the Year: 2007 Edition
(Prime Books 978-0-8095-6298-5, $13.95, 358pp, trade paperback, May 2007)

Anthology of 16 science fiction stories first published in 2006. It shares one story with the Hartwell/Cramer volume listed above, Geoff Ryman's "Pol Pot's Beautiful Daughter (Fantasy)", along with stories by M. Rickert, Peter S. Beagle, Ysabeau Wilce, Jeffrey Ford, Richard Parks, Benjamin Rosenbaum, and others.
• Horton's site has this page for his anthologies, with complete tables of contents for this one among others.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review: "Horton fittingly describes lyricism as the quality linking his selections for the best fantasy stories of 2006...."
• Locus Magazine's July issue has a review of the book by Mark R. Kelly, comparing and contrasting it to Hartwell/Cramer anthology (listed above): "...Horton has the better selection of individual stand-out stories, even though his other selections are more eccentric and tend to value style over substance."

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* Knight, E. E. : Valentine's Resolve
(Roc 978-0-451-46146-9, $23.95, 323pp, hardcover, July 2007, jacket art Steve Stone)

SF novel about human resistance to alien invaders, sixth in the "Vampire Earth" series following Way of the Wolf (2003), Choice of the Cat (2004), Tales of the Thunderbolt (2005), Valentine's Rising (2005), and Valentine's Exile (2006).
• The series website (note new URL since last year) has background on the milieu and settings of the series.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review: "...The only hope for the Southern Command is resistance hero David Stuart Valentine, who is persuaded to undertake a hazardous journey to Seattle and locate the mystical Lifeweavers, helpful aliens captured by the Kurian. Along the way Valentine's resolve and faith in the movement are tested after learning one guerrilla leader's disturbing plans for Kurian-held Seattle. Classic apocalyptic SF on a grand scale is always scary, but Knight makes it terrifically entertaining as well."

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+ Morgan, Richard K. : Thirteen
(Ballantine Del Rey 978-0-345-48525-0, $24.95, 12+544pp, hardcover, July 2007) First US edition (UK: Orion/Gollancz, May 2007)

SF thriller about Marsalis, a genetically bred warrior or "thirteen", who's returned from exile on Mars to help track down another thirteen who's escaped and gone on a killing spree.
• The novel was first published in May by Gollancz in the UK as Black Man.
• Del Rey's site has this description with quotes from reviews and an excerpt.
• Amazon has the starred Publishers Weekly, from its May 14th issue: "This stellar new stand-alone from Morgan, known for his compelling future noir thrillers (Altered Carbon, etc.), raises tantalizing questions about the nature of humanity. ... Morgan goes beyond the SF clich‚ of the genetically enhanced superman to examine how personality is shaped by nature and experience. Without slowing down the headlong rush of the action, the complex, looping plot suggests that all people may be less-or more-than they seem."

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* Ringo, John : A Deeper Blue
(Baen 978-1-4165-2128-0, $26, 354pp, hardcover, July 2007, cover illustration Kurt Miller)

Military techno-thriller about a former Navy SEAL turned international warlord; fifth in a series following Ghost (2005), Kildar (2006), Choosers of the Slain (2006), and Unto the Breach (2006). In this book Mike Harmon mourns the loss of so many Keldara warriors, but agrees to help the US track nerve gas being smuggled into Florida.
• Baen's site has a description and links to several chapters.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which calls the book "darkly violent" and concludes "Ringo counterbalances the angst with the joyous sangfroid of the pagan Keldara, who have once again become the warriors they were meant to be."

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* Roberson, Jennifer : DeepWood
(DAW 978-0-7564-0418-5, $25.95, 325pp, hardcover, July 2007, jacket painting Todd Lockwood)

Fantasy novel, second of a trilogy following Karavans (2006), about a karavan fleeing a war-torn land into a changeable deepwood called Alisanos.
• The publisher's site has a brief description: "...the start of a new, highly commercial fantasy adventure series. Filled with magic, mystical beings, and humans with magical powers, and replete with bloody war and illicit romance..."
• The author's site has this description of the series.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review: "At the start of Roberson's complex sequel to Karavans (2006), the mysterious sentient forest, Alisanos, which has moved for the first time in 40 years, surrounds series heroine Audrun, who has given premature birth to a daughter ... Readers will be impatient to see what happens in the next volume."

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