* Benson, Amber : How to Be Death
(Ace 978-1-937007-28-7, $7.99, 304pp, mass market paperback, March 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Feb 2012
• Calliope Reaper-Jones #4

Urban fantasy novel, fourth in the series following Death’s Daughter (2009), Cat’s Claw (2010), and Serpent’s Storm (2011), about Calliope Reaper-Jones, the immortal human daughter of Death, living in New York City.
• The Publishers Weekly review describes it as “a supernatural gala that rapidly transforms into a cozy country estate murder mystery…”

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* Brandon, Paula : The Ruined City
(Ballantine Spectra 978-0-553-58382-3, $15, 384pp, trade paperback, March 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Feb 2012
• trilogy #2

Fantasy novel, second in a trilogy following The Traitor’s Daughter (2011), about a young woman journeying to meet her prospective husband in a land threatened by revolution and an upheaval in magic.
• Spectra’s site has this description with a link to an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review notes that “Brandon’s character development is exceptional, as is her ability to interweave numerous story lines into a briskly paced narrative.”

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* Buckell, Tobias S. : Arctic Rising
(Tor 978-0-7653-1921-0, $24.99, 304pp, hardcover, February 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Feb 2012

Near-future SF novel in which global warming has exposed oil reserves under the melted Arctic ice cap, while the Gaia Corporation tries to reverse warming by introducing thousands of floating mirrors into the atmosphere.
• Tor’s site has this description with quotes from reviews and the latest Facebook and Twitter posts.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “The story moves swiftly … even as Buckell raises the stakes unbelievably high. Eyebrows may also be raised unbelievably high at the libertarian free-trade ice island at the North Pole, but as a character points out, it does give a nice new meaning for ‘breakaway republics.'”
• Tor.com posted this review by Stefan Raets: “[I]t delivers an environmental message without getting too preachy…. Arctic Rising is a tight novel that doesn’t waste any time getting up to speed and doesn’t slow down until the very end.”
• Strange Horizons just posted a round table discussion about writing climate change with Buckell, Kim Stanley Robinson, and others.

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+ Cooper, Elspeth : Songs of the Earth
(Tor 978-0-7653-3165-6, $24.99, 467pp, hardcover, February 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Feb 2012
• Wild Hunt #1

First US edition (UK: Gollancz, June 2011)

Fantasy novel, first of a series and the author’s first novel, about a novice knight with the ability to hear magical music in a society where Church Knights execute as witches anyone who hears the ‘song of the Earth’.
• Tor’s site has this description.
• The author’s site has this page with links to extracts and descriptions of the next two books.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Though Cooper employs some of the most well-worn tropes of epic fantasy, the story flows effortlessly with strong characterization and authorial voice.”

(Wed 22 Feb 2012)
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* Douglas, Ian : Singularity
(Harper Voyager 978-0-06-184027-2, $7.99, 400pp, mass market paperback, March 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Feb 2012
• Star Carrier #3

Military SF novel, third in the “Star Carrier” series following Earth Strike (2010) and Center of Gravity (2011), about an intergalactic battle between humanity and an evil empire.
• The publisher’s page has a description.
• The Publishers Weekly review notes that “Douglas knows his SF—his characters refer casually to the ‘Vinge singularity,’ named for author Vernor Vinge—and his extraterrestrials are intriguingly alien in appearance and psychology.”

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* Dyachenko, Sergey, & Marina Dyachenko : The Scar
(Tor 978-0-7653-2993-6, $24.99, 336pp, hardcover, February 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Feb 2012

Fantasy novel, published in Russian in 1997 and here translated by Elinor Huntington, about a guardsman who kills an innocent student in a duel and is subsequently cursed with a scar across his face.
• Wikipedia has this entry on the authors, noting that this novel is sequel to their first work, The Gate-Keeper (1994), which was named “Best Debut Work” at EuroCon in 1995.
• Tor’s site has this description, comparing the book to Robin Hobb and Michael Moorcock.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides a preview. Amazon also has a video trailer.

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* Estep, Jennifer : By a Thread
(Pocket 978-1-451-65176-8, $7.99, 384pp, mass market paperback, March 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Feb 2012
• Elemental Assassin #6

Urban fantasy novel, sixth in the Elemental Assassin series following Spider’s Bite, Web of Lies, Venom, Tangled Threads and Spider’s Revenge (Oct 2011), about assassin Gin Blanco in the southern city of Ashland.
• The publisher’s site has this description with a Browse Inside function.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Estep (a PW reviewer) paints carefully within the lines, never burdening the reader with novelty. Her protagonist, much like other wise-cracking superpowered faux-noir urban fantasy characters, faces an antagonist who could likewise be drawn from any of a dozen series; the struggle that results is as familiar as it is predictable.”

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* Ford, Michael Thomas : Jane Vows Vengeance
(Ballantine 978-0-345-51367-0, $15, 288pp, trade paperback, March 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Feb 2012
• Jane Austen, Vampire #3

Mash-up literary/fantasy novel, third in a series about Jane Austen, vampire, following Jane Bites Back (2010) and Jane Goes Batty (2011).
• In this book Jane and her fiance, Walter, honeymoon in Europe.
• The publisher’s site has this description. Amazon provides a preview.
• Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review: “Sweet, loyal Walter is the perfect foil for appropriately witty Jane, who maintains her sense of humor thanks to her staunchly loyal best friend Lucy; hilarious one-line zingers from Lilith, Miriam’s amputee Chihuahua; and an entertaining cast of zombies, ghosts, and vampires.”

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* Harper, Molly : Nice Girls Don’t Bite Their Neighbors
(Pocket 978-1451641813, $7.99, 368pp, mass market paperback, March 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Feb 2012
• Jane Jameson #4

Vampire novel, fourth in a series following Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs, Nice Girls Don’t Date Dead Men, and Nice Girls Don’t Live Forever (all 2009), about a librarian turned vampire in a small town in Kentucky.
• The publisher’s site has this description with a “Browse Inside” function.
• Amazon’s page has a long text excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review: “The stellar supporting characters, laugh-out-loud moments, and outrageous plot twists will leave readers absolutely satisfied.”

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* Henry, Christina : Black Howl
(Ace 978-1-937007-33-1, $7.99, 288pp, mass market paperback, March 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Feb 2012
• Black Wings #3

Urban fantasy novel, third in a series following the author’s first novel Black Wings (2010) and follow-up Black Night (2011), about a Chicago woman who escorts souls to the afterlife.
• The author’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review remarks, “It’s all familiar territory, and a great deal of internal and external dialogue gets recycled, not just from the previous books but from chapter to chapter in this one.”

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* Holm, Chris F. : Dead Harvest
(Angry Robot 978-0-85766-218-7, $7.99, 416pp, mass market paperback, March 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Feb 2012
• The Collector #1

Urban fantasy novel, the author’s first novel and first of a series, about a man who collects souls of the damned, now refusing the collect the soul of a woman he believes innocent of her crime.
• Angry Robot’s site has this description with numerous blurbs and quotes from reviews, and a link to an extract.
• The Publishers Weekly review calls it a “twisty, fast-paced, and thoroughly enjoyable urban fantasy debut.”

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* Jacka, Benedict : Fated
(Ace 978-1-937007-29-4, $7.99, 304pp, mass market paperback, March 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Feb 2012
• Alex Verus #1

Urban fantasy novel, first of a series, about a London magician who can foresee the future caught in a conflict between other mages over an ancient magical relic.
• The publisher’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The second book, Cursed, is due May 29th.
• Publishers Weekly gave it a star: “Jacka deftly invents the rules of magic as he goes along, creating an emotionally satisfying story arc and a protagonist who will keep readers coming back.”

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* McKenna, Juliet E. : Darkening Skies
(Solaris 978-1907992773, $8.99, 560pp, mass market paperback, March 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Feb 2012
• The Hadrumal Criss #2

Fantasy novel, second in a series following Dangerous Waters (2011), about an island of wizards where an archmage enforces a ban on magecraft in warfare.
• The publisher’s site has this description.
• The author’s site has this description of the series, which mentions that this first book includes characters from previous books.

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* Pang, Allison : A Sliver of Shadow
(Pocket 978-1-4391-9834-6, $7.99, 400pp, mass market paperback, March 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Feb 2012
• Abby Sinclair #2

Urban fantasy novel, second of a series following the author’s first novel A Brush of Darkness (2011), about Abby Sinclair, a human touchstone for the faery world.
• The publisher’s site has this description with a preview function.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Pang shines in her depiction of the lower-caste denizens of Faery and pulls her rather baroque conspiracy together with some coherence before a frustratingly abrupt and inconclusive ending in this uneven urban fantasy debut”, and a dozen mostly 4- and 5-star reader reviews.

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* Peikoff, Kira : Living Proof
(Tor 978-0-7653-2930-1, $24.99, 368pp, hardcover, February 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Feb 2012

SF novel, the author’s first novel, set in 2072 when a US Department of Embryo Preservation inspects fertility clinics, concerning a young doctor at a popular clinic with a mysterious past.
• Tor’s site has this description with several blurbs from reviewers.
• The author’s site has the same description, plus a link to an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “this engaging effort marks her as an author to watch.”

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* Rawn, Melanie : Touchstone
(Tor 978-0-7653-2362-0, $25.99, 363pp, hardcover, February 2012, jacket art Matt Stawicki)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Feb 2012
• Glass Thorns #1

Fantasy novel, first in a series, about a magical theater group run by the son of aristocrats determined to reach high society with his talents.
• Tor’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides a preview.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “This strong, heartfelt, and familiar performer’s tale is full of astonishing promise, powerful but co-dependent friendships, insecurity, and addiction, and it will appeal to fantasy fans and theater lovers alike.”

(Wed 22 Feb 2012)
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+ Smith, Alexander Gordon : Fugitives
(Farrar, Straus and Giroux 978-0374324841, $15.99, 288pp, hardcover, March 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Feb 2012
• Escape from Furnace #4

Young adult SF novel, fourth in a series following Lockdown (2009), Solitary (2010), and Death Sentence (2011) (with one additional book, Execution, forthcoming), about a penitentiary for young offenders, an underground facility haunted by inhuman creatures and run by an all-powerful warden.
• The publisher’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides a preview.
• The UK first edition (a paperback) was released 7 Oct 2010.

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* Wells, Dan : Partials
(HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray 978-0-06-207104-0, $17.99, 480pp, hardcover, March 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 28 Feb 2012

Young adult post-apocalypose SF novel, the author’s first YA novel, in which humanity has been reduced to a few thousand following war with genetically-engineering Partials and a virus tailored to attack humans.
• Harper’s site has this description with a preview function.
• The Amazon page has an interview with Wells by his brother (and fellow YA author) Robison Wells.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Though long on historical description and political debates, readers who enjoy SF-oriented postapocalyptic stories will relish this one.”

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