Notable New UK Books, February
* Aldiss, Brian : An Exile on Planet Earth: Articles and Reflections
(UK: The Bodelian Library 978-1851243730, £19.99, 192pp, hardcover, February 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Wed 1 Feb 2012
Nonfiction collection of 12 essays, most revised from earlier publication, on the author’s life and work.
• The publisher’s site has this description. The description is also on the Amazon page.
• The author’s official site mentions the book, and that Aldiss has completed two more novels.
• Purchase this book from Amazon
• (Directory Entry)
* Barclay, James : Elves: Rise of the TaiGethan
(UK: Gollancz 978-0575085206, £18.99, 352pp, hardcover, February 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Thu 16 Feb 2012
• Elves #2
Fantasy novel, second in a series following Elves: Once Walked with Gods (2010), in which elves are enslaved by humans.
• Gollancz’ site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides a preview.
• Amazon has several positive reader reviews.
• Purchase this book from Amazon
• (Directory Entry)
* Feist, Raymond E. : A Crown Imperilled
(UK: Harper Voyager 978-0007264827, £18.99, 400pp, hardcover, February 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Mon 13 Feb 2012
• Chaoswar Saga #2
Epic fantasy novel, second book in the Chaoswar Saga (or the Midkemian Trilogy) following A Kingdom Besieged (2011).
• The publisher’s site has this description.
• The initial printing of the book apparently had some major problems that will be corrected in reprints.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides a preview.
• Purchase this book from Amazon
• (Directory Entry)
Lanagan, Margo : The Brides of Rollrock Island
(UK: David Fickling 978-0857560339, £12.99, 320pp, hardcover, February 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Thu 2 Feb 2012
(First edition: Australia: Allen & Unwin, February 2012)
Fantasy novel about selkies, published more-or-less simultaneously in Australia as Sea Hearts (Allen & Unwin), about a sea-witch on Rollrock Island who is able to draw girls from seals to supply wives to men willing to pay the price.
• It’s an expansion of Lanagan’s 2009 World Fantasy Award winning novella “Sea-Hearts”.
• The US edition, under this title, is due in September.
• David Fickling’s site has this description with a preview function.
• Gary K. Wolfe’s review in the January issue of Locus Magazine is posted here: “[I]t’s a gorgeous piece of work, perhaps less startling and visceral than Tender Morsels, but in many ways a richer and more complex novel…”
• Purchase this book from Amazon
• (Directory Entry)
* Pinborough, Sarah : The Chosen Seed
(UK: Gollancz 978-0575089549, £14.99, 384pp, trade paperback, February 2012)
• Nominal Publication Date: Thu 16 Feb 2012
• Dog-Faced Gods #3
Near-future thriller, third in a trilogy following A Matter of Blood (2010) and The Shadow of the Soul (2011), about Detective Inspector Cass Jones fighting a supernatural organization called The Network.
• Gollancz’ site has this synopsis.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides an excerpt.
• Purchase this book from Amazon
• (Directory Entry)
This UK books page is based on publisher schedules and availability on Amazon UK and publisher sites.
Titles are listed only once they are published; we do not list galleys or advance reading copies.
Locus Online will endeavor to list all significant titles from the principal SF/F and mainstream publishers (omitting for the most part YA, horror, media and gaming ties, and self-published books). Publishers are welcome to alert Locus Online of scheduled titles, but such notice does not guarantee listings; and again, galleys and ARCs are discouraged.
* = first edition
+ = first US edition
‡ = first UK edition
Date with publisher info is official publication month.
‘Nominal Publication Date’ is the day of publication, typically as indicated by Amazon.com.
If physical copies have been seen or received, that date is given following the book description.
