* Anderson, Taylor : Into the Storm
(Roc 978-0-451-46207-7, $23.95, 386pp, hardcover, June 2008)

Alternate history SF novel, the author's first novel and first book in the "Destroyermen" series, about a World War II US battleship transported back in time to an era when two intelligent dinosaur species are fighting a war.
• The publisher's site has this description and detailed author background.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes "Paying homage to such tales as A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Robinson Crusoe and William R. Forstchen and Greg Morrison's Crystal Warriors, Anderson expands on familiar concepts with high-tension nautical battles and skillful descriptions of period attitudes and dialogue."

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+ Douglass, Sara : The Twisted Citadel
(Eos 978-0-06-088215-0, $25.95, 552pp, hardcover, June 2008, jacket illustration Steve Stone)

Fantasy novel, second in the "DarkGlass Mountain" trilogy following The Serpent Bride (2007). In this book three new heroes face approaching war.
• The publisher's site has this description with its "browse inside" feature.
• The book was first published earlier this year by HarperCollins Australia, whose page for the book has a text excerpt.
• The author's website has this page about the series, with a map.

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+ Enthoven, Sam : Tim, Defender of the Earth
(Razorbill 978-1-595141-84-2, $19.99, 284pp, hardcover, March 2008, jacket illustration Larry Rostant)

Young-adult fantasy novel about "Tyrannosaurus: Improved Model", a military experiment, and two 15-year-olds battling the threat of nanobots.
• The publisher's site has this description. It was published a couple months earlier in the UK by Random House Children's Books.
• The author has set up website http://www.timdefenderoftheearth.com/ with the book's blurb, and extract, reader comments, etc.
• Amazon has several posts by the author, and it's "search inside" feature includes an excerpt.

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* Green, Simon R. : Daemons Are Forever
(Roc 978-0-451-46208-4, $23.95, 406pp, hardcover, June 2008, jacket painting Paul Young)

Fantasy novel, second in the series about Shaman Bond, aka Eddie Drood, who protects humanity from the forces of darkness, following The Man with the Golden Torc (2007). This book concerns creatures called the Loathly Ones.
• The publisher's site has this description.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes: "Green loves the wide-screen splash of cinematic battles against zombie hordes, and genuine traces of tragedy and nobility underlie the nonstop punning banter and pop culture references, lending surprising nuance to this merry metaphysical romp."

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* Hamilton, Laurell K. : Blood Noir
(Berkley 978-0-425-22219-5, $25.95, 340pp, hardcover, June 2008)

Erotic fantasy vampire novel, 16th in the bestselling series about Anita Blake, vampire hunter.
• Hamilton's website has this page for the book, with links to two chapters.
• Amazon has a short description, and numerous disappointed reader reviews. The Publishers Weekly review concludes "Hamilton chronicles Anita's escapades with a growing air of ennui, which longtime readers can't help sharing as sex increasingly takes the place of plot and character development." But look for it on bestsellers lists shortly.

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* Huff, Tanya : Valor's Trial
(DAW 978-0-7564-0479-6, $24.95, 389pp, hardcover, June 2008, jacket painting Paul Youll)

Military SF novel, fourth in the "Confederation" series following Valor's Choice (2000), The Better Part of Valor (2002), and The Heart of Valor (2007). In this book Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr finds herself prisoner, apparently of mysterious aliens called the Others.
• DAW's website has this brief description.
• Publishers Weekly calls it a "rough-and-tumble" military SF adventure.
• Carolyn Cushman reviews it in the June issue of Locus Magazine: "It's a great read, a powerful survival scenario made particularly fascinating by the interactions of multiple species working together."

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* Lackey, Mercedes : The Snow Queen
(Luna 978-0-373-80265-4, $24.95, 331pp, hardcover, June 2008)

Fantasy novel, fourth in the "Five Hundred Kingdoms" sequence after The Fairy Godmother, One Good Knight, and Fortune's Fool. In this volume a wise but heartless northern queen faces an imposter.
• The publisher's site has this description and order page, with a pop-up window excerpt.
• Carolyn Cushman reviews it in the June issue of Locus Magazine: "Despite a recurring theme of young women pursuing their men, this is not really a romance, but rather a charming concoction of fairy and folk tales, given some nice twists in Lackey's distinctive style."

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* McCullough, Kelly : CodeSpell
(Ace 978-0-441-01603-7, $6.99, 274pp, mass market paperback, May 2008, cover art Christian McGrath)

SF/fantasy novel, third in the "Ravirn" series following WebMage (2006) and Cybermancy (2007), in which the sentient computer Necessity that runs the magical Internet is attacked by a virus.
• The author's web page has a description of the series with links to reviews.
• Publishers Weekly said of this book "A hint of cyberpunk, a dollop of Greek mythology and a sprinkle of techno-magic bake up into an airy genre mashup. Lots of fast-paced action and romantic angst up the ante as Ravirn faces down his formidable foes."

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* McIntosh, Fiona : Goddess: Book Three of The Perceron Saga
(Eos 978-0-06-089907-3, $14.95, 560pp, trade paperback, June 2008, cover illustration Greg Bridges)

Fantasy novel, third in the series following Odalisque and Emissary (both 2007), set in a world inspired by the Constantinople of the Ottoman Empire.
• The HarperCollins site has this description and a 'browse inside' link including the book's first two chapters.
• The author's library page has descriptions of these and her other books.

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+ Nicholson, William : Noman
(Harcourt 978-0152060053, $17, 362pp, hardcover, June 2008, jacket illustration John Blumen) First US edition (UK: Egmont, September 2007)

YA fantasy novel, third book of the "Noble Warriors" following Seeker (2005) and Jango (2006). In this book the fortress Nomana has been destroyed, and the three warriors hunt for a new leader.
• The author's website has this page about his fantasy novels, with synopses and links to reviews and interviews. Nicholson is also a screenwriter, for Gladiator and other films.

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+ Reynolds, Alastair : The Prefect
(Ace 978-0-441-01591-7, $25.95, 410pp, hardcover, June 2008, jacket illustration Chris Moore) First US edition (UK: Gollancz, April 2007)

SF novel, set in the universe of Revelation Space and its three sequels, about a prefect in the utopian society Glitter Band whose murder investigation uncovers a takeover plot by a posthuman entity called Aurora.
• Ace's website has this description.
• Publishers Weekly's review calls it "a fascinating hybrid of space opera, police procedural and character study" and concludes "This is solid British SF adventure, evoking echoes of le Carré and Sayers with a liberal dash of Doctor Who."
• Nick Gevers reviewed the book last year in Locus Magazine, calling it "a fine, provocative portrait of utopia on the brink. The relentless narrative momentum it employs simply underscores the pertinent urgency of that topic."
• The novel was included on Locus' 2007 Recommended Reading List.

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* Rhodes, Jenna : The Dark Ferryman
(DAW 978-0-7564-0521-2, $23.95, 440pp, hardcover, June 2008, jacket art Jody A. Lee)

Fantasy novel, second volume of the "Elven Ways" series following The Four Forges (2006), about a race of elves transported to a new world. In this book the Vaelinar race is threatened by civil war.
• The publisher's site has this description.
• Publishers Weekly said "The intricately plotted, character-driven saga of the Vaelinar's desperate struggles finds anchors in folklore and legend, appealing to fans of slower pacing and detailed world building."

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+ Rushdie, Salman : The Enchantress of Florence
(Random House 978-0-375-50433-4, $26, 355pp, hardcover, June 2008)

Literary fantasy novel about a European traveler to the Mughal empire, who tells an elaborate tale to the court of Emperor Akbar about a mysterious woman's journey to the remote city of Florence.
• The publisher's site has this description with an excerpt.
• Amazon's page for the book reproduces Michael Dirda's review from Washington Post: "...a book that is the equivalent of a summer fling. ... it is really not a novel at all. It is a romance, and only a dry-hearted critic would dwell on the flaws in so delightful an homage to Renaissance magic and wonder."
• The starred Publishers Weekly review, from its March 24th issue, called the book "a dense but sparkling return to form. The connecting link between the two cities and epochs is the magically beautiful 'hidden princess,' Qara Köz, so gorgeous that her uncovered face makes battle-hardened warriors drop to their knees. Her story underlies the book's circuitous journey."

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* Tarr, Judith : Bring Down the Sun
(Tor 978-0-7653-0397-4, $22.95, 220pp, hardcover, June 2008, jacket art Rick Berry)

Historical fantasy novel, second in the "Alexander the Great" series following Queen of the Amazons (2006). This book concerns Alexander's mother, Myrtale, or Olympias.
• Tor's website has this description.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes "Occasionally confusing but often vibrant, this romantic story warms into a strong narrative about a fascinating woman."

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