* Andrews, Ilona : Magic Burns
(Ace 978-0-441-01583-2, $6.99, 260pp, mass market paperback, April 2008, cover art Chad Michael Ward)

Urban fantasy novel, second in the "Kate Daniels" series following Magic Bites, about a female mercenary in a magical Atlanta. In this book Kate pursues a pack of stolen maps.
• The publisher's site has a brief description.
• The author's site has an excerpt, with a link to an excerpt from the third book, Midnight Games.
• Carolyn Cushman reviews it in the April issue of Locus Magazine: "Kate is a great kick-ass heroine, a tough girl with a heart, and her adventures in this strangely transformed urban environment are definitely worth checking out"

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* Asprin, Robert : Dragons Wild
(Ace 978-0-441-01470-5, $14, 360pp, trade paperback, April 2008, cover art Brandon Dorman)

Fantasy novel, first in a new series, about con artist Griffen McCandles who upon graduation from college discovers that members of his family are dragons.
• The publisher's site has this description, with links to several e-book editions.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which calls it a "colorful series opener".

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* Buettner, Robert : Orphan's Journey
(Orbit 978-0316001731, $6.99, 390pp, mass market paperback, April 2008)

Military SF novel, third in a series following Orphanage (2004) and Orphan's Destiny (2005), set in the aftermath of the 'Slug War' with alien invaders.
• The first two books, first published by Warner Aspect, have been reissued this month by Orbit.
• The author's site has this page on the cover art of various editions of the book, and a link to his blog, with links to reviews of the new book.
• Amazon's 'search inside' feature includes an excerpt. There are also several enthusiastic reader reviews.

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* Bujold, Lois McMaster : The Sharing Knife: Passage
(Eos 978-0-06-137533-0, $25.95, 437pp, hardcover, May 2008, jacket illustration Julie Bell)

Romantic fantasy novel, third in "The Sharing Knife" series following duology Beguilement (2006) and Legacy (2007). In this book exiled Lakewalker Dag and his wife Fawn set off on a journey.
• The publisher's site has this description with a "Browse Inside" feature including an excerpt.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review: "Bujold excels at creating interesting and sympathetic characters, and this story will satisfy readers who enjoy romance as much as adventure."

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* Card, Orson Scott : Keeper of Dreams
(Tor 978-0-7653-0497-1, $27.95, 656pp, hardcover, April 2008)

Collection of 22 stories, including SF, fantasy, and literary stories, plus two stories in the "Hatrack River" series and four Mormon stories. The author provides introductions and commentaries to the stories.
• Card's website has this page with the table of contents and the description "A collection of all of OSC's stories since Maps in a Mirror", referring to his massive, career-spanning 1990 collection.
• Tor's website has this page with a brief description.
• Amazon has the starred Publishers Weekly review, from its February 18th issue: "Card intended several of the included stories, like the powerful 'In the Dragon's House,' to open novels not yet written, but even on their own they provide significant examples of his perennial themes: morality, salvation and redemption."

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* Chance, Karen : Embrace the Night
(Roc 978-0-451-46199-5, $7.99, 378pp, mass market paperback, April 2008)

Dark fantasy novel, third in a series following Touch the Dark (2006) and Claimed by Shadow (2007), about clairvoyant Cassandra Palmer.
• The publisher's site has this brief description, plus Penguin Blog posts by the author on numerous topics.
• The author's site has this page about the book with links to an excerpt, two trailers, and an excerpt of a graphic novel version.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review: "Cassie-in her struggles between her passionate need for independence, her burgeoning feelings for Mircea and her conflicts with her new role as Pythia-is a well-rounded character, and the intensity and complexity of the plot puts her through her paces physically, emotionally and psychically."

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* Czerneda, Julie E., ed. : Misspelled
(DAW 978-0756404758, $7.99, 305pp, mass market paperback, April 2008)

Anthology of 17 original stories about magic spells that go wrong.
• Authors include Kristine Smith, John Zakour, Jim C. Hines, Marc Mackay, and Shannan Palma.

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* Greenberg, Martin H., & Sarah A. Hoyt, eds. : Something Magic This Way Comes
(DAW 978-0756404727, $7.99, 311pp, mass market paperback, March 2008)

Anthology of 21 original stories about the place of magic in the modern world.
• Authors include Esther M. Friesner, Harry Turtledove, Laura Resnick, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and Eric Flint.
• The publisher's site has this description.

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* Lackey, Mercedes, & Roberta Gellis : And Less than Kind
(Baen 978-1416555339, $25, 610pp, hardcover, April 2008, cover by Larry Dixon)

Fantasy novel, fourth in the "Doubled Edge" series following This Scepter'd Isle (2004), Ill Met by Moonlight (2005), and By Slanderous Tongues (2007), about human and elven intrigue in 16th century England.
• Baen's site has a description with links to several chapters.

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* Nasir, Jamil : The Houses of Time
(Tor 978-0-7653-0610-4, $24.95, 302pp, hardcover, April 2008)

SF novel about a man whose ability to control his dreams leads to involvement with the Trans-Humanist Institute and Dr. Thutmoses' ambition to contact the Divine Presence of the universe.
• Tor's website has this description and an excerpt.
• Amazon has the Publishers Weekly review, which calls the book a "lugubrious exploration of different layers of reality."
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews the book in the March issue of Locus Magazine.

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* Ronco, Dan : Unholy Domain
(Kunati 978-1-60164-021-5, $24.95, 340pp, hardcover, April 2008)

SF thriller, follow-up to the author's first novel PeaceMaker, about the aftermath of a lethal computer virus and kills a million people and wrecks the economy. In this book, the son of the virus' creator sets out to clear his father's name, as war rages between science and religion over the future of technology.
• The publisher's site has this page about the book, with a video trailer, quotes from reviews, and endorsements from Piers Anthony and Scott Nicholson.
• The author's website includes this synopsis.

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* Vonnegut, Kurt : Armageddon in Retrospect
(Putnam 978-0-399-15508-6, $24.95, 232pp, hardcover, April 2008)

Associational nonfiction collection of 12 essays on war and peace, written over the course of the late author's life but never before pubished, released at the anniversary of the author's death in April 2007.
• The book has an introduction by the author's son Mark Vonnegut. The earliest piece is "Letter from PFC Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., to his family, May 29, 1945".
• The publisher's site has this description along with a feature page including handwritten notes and an interview with Mark Vonnegut.
• Amazon's "search inside" function includes an excerpt.

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