* Alten, Steve : The Omega Project
(Forge 978-0-7653-3632-3, $25.99, 336pp, hardcover, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781466827837

SF thriller about a mission to Europa to mine helium-3 that goes horribly wrong.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Readers, along with Ike, will have lots of fun attempting to answer another age-old question: is it real or is it all a dream?

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* Ballantine, Philippa : Kindred and Wings
(Pyr 978-1-61614-779-2, $18, 258pp, trade paperback, August 2013, cover illustration Cynthia Sheppard)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: B00BH0VQMS
• Shifted World #2

Fantasy novel, second of a series after Hunter and Fox (2012), set in a world that is constantly shifting.
• Pyr’s site has this description.

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* Barker, Emily Croy : The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic
(Viking 978-0-670-02366-0, $27.95, 576pp, hardcover, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Thu 1 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781101585573

Fantasy novel, the journalist author’s first novel, about a woman who escapes into a fantasy world.
• Penguin’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Barker weaves together classic fantasy and romantic elements (including shout-outs to Pride and Prejudice and hints of Wuthering Heights) to produce a well-rounded, smooth, and subtle tale.

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+ Barlow, Toby : Babayaga
(Farrar, Straus and Giroux 978-0-374-10787-1, $27, 400pp, hardcover, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780374709594

Fantasy novel about spies and witches in 1950s Paris.
• Barlow wrote Sharp Teeth (2007), a Shirley Jackson Award finalist.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review calls it “uneven but charming and concludes, “…the history Barlow weaves for the babayagas—Elga in particular—is worth reading.

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* Bornikova, Phillipa : Box Office Poison
(Tor 978-0-7653-2683-6, $24.99, 320pp, hardcover, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781429948906
• Linnet Ellery #2

Urban fantasy novel, second of a series after This Case Is Gonna Kill Me (2012), about a human lawyer in a world run by vampires, werewolves, and elves.
• The author is Melinda Snodgrass, writing under a pseudonym.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review calls it a “breezy, fast-moving adventure.
• Carolyn Cushman reviewed it in the July issue of Locus Magazine, concluding, “…if this mystery is a bit contrived, it still manages to be lots of fun, and I’m looking forward to finding out more about Linnet and her world.

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* Brom : The Art of Brom
(Flesk Publications 978-1-933865-49-2, $44.95, 208pp, hardcover, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Thu 1 Aug 2013

Retrospective collection of work by the dark fantasy artist.
• Flesk’s site has this description, though there are apparently a couple other editions.

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* Cabot, Sam : Blood of the Lamb
(Penguin/Blue Rider Press 978-0-399-16295-4, $27.95, 432pp, hardcover, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781101607275

Supernatural religious thriller about a document that threatens the Catholic Church.
• Penguin’s site has this description, which calls it “The Historian meets The Da Vinci Code“, with a link to an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes that the novel’s “concept sets the book apart from all the other Da Vinci Code imitations, and the inevitable human-vampire romance will appeal to the Twilight crowd, but the deeper secret may strike many readers as too over-the-top, if not actually silly.

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* Caine, Rachel : Terminated
(Roc 978-0-451-46515-3, $7.99, 320pp, mass market paperback, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781101626436
• Revivalist #3

Urban fantasy novel, third in a series following Working Stiff (2011) and Two Weeks’ Notice (2012), about an ex-soldier, Bryn Davis, who is killed and re-animated using a new drug at the heart of a corporate war.
• Penguin’s site has this description.
• The series website has this excerpt.

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* Correia, Larry : Warbound
(Baen 978-1-4516-3908-7, $25, 448pp, hardcover, August 2013, cover art Alan Pollock)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-62579-155-9
• Grimnoir Chronicles #3

Alternate history fantasy novel, third in a series following Hard Magic (2011) and Spellbound (2012), about an ex-con hired by the Bureau of Investigation for his magical talent.
• Baen’s site has this description with links to several chapters.

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* Curran, Kim : Control
(Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry Us 978-1908844163, $9.99, 352pp, trade paperback, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1908844170
• UK edition: 9781908844156 (Thu 1 Aug 2013)
• Shift #2

Young adult SF novel, second in a series after Shift (2012), about a teenager who discovers he has the power to reverse any decision he’s ever made.
• Strange Chemistry’s site has this description, with a preview function.

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* Davidson, MaryJanice : Undead and Unsure
(Berkley 978-0-425-26343-3, $25.95, 320pp, hardcover, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781101600122
• Betsy #12

Humorous romantic fantasy novel, twelfth book in the “Queen Betsy (Undead)” series following Undead and Unwed, Undead and Unemployed, Undead and Unappreciated (2005), Undead and Unreturnable (2005), Undead and Unpopular (2006), Undead and Uneasy (2007), Undead and Unworthy (2008), Undead and Unwelcome (2009), Undead and Unfinished (2010), Undead and Undermined (2011), and Undead and Unstable (2012).
• Penguin’s site has this description with a link to an excerpt.
• Carolyn Cushman reviewed it in the July issue of Locus Magazine, concluding, “I find myself hoping it all pulls together brilliantly at some point, but so far things just keep getting more tangled.

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* Douglas, Carole Nelson : Cat in an Alien X-Ray
(Forge 978-0-7653-2748-2, $24.99, 352pp, hardcover, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781429944090
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 978-1624069000
• Midnight Louie #24

SF mystery novel, 24th or 25th in a series, about a feline private investigator. This book involves UFO conspirators and Area 51.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Wikipedia has this entry about the series.
• The Publisher Weekly review comments, “Those new to the series may need to read the book more than once to figure out the many ongoing subplots.

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* Goyer, David S., & Michael Cassutt : Heaven’s Fall
(Ace 978-0-441-02093-5, $25.95, 432pp, hardcover, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781101624548
• Heaven’s Shadow #3

SF novel, third in a trilogy following Heaven’s Shadow (2011) and Heaven’s War (2012), about an enormous asteroid approaching the sun that is guided by aliens seeking humanity’s help.
• Penguin’s site has this description with a link to an excerpt.

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* Hines, Jim C. : Codex Born
(DAW 978-0-7564-0816-9, $24.95, 320pp, hardcover, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781101635759
• Magic Ex Libris #2

Humorous fantasy novel, second of a series following Libromancer (2012), about a magician with the ability to draw forth objects from books.
• Penguin’s site has this description, with a link to an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Hines supplies everything a reader needs—werewolves, ghosts, robot insects, a fire spider that eats candy, and homages to classic SF—for a very good time.
• Carolyn Cushman reviewed this in the July issue of Locus Magazine, commenting, “It’s all packed together with lots of over-the-top action fought with weapons pulled out of books ranging from H.G. Wells’s SF and Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, to the Vorkosigan series from Lois McMaster Bujold.

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* Hocking, Amanda : Elegy
(St. Martin’s Griffin 978-1250005670, $17.99, 560pp, hardcover, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781429956505
• UK edition: Macmillan/Tor 978-1447205753 (Thu 15 Aug 2013)
• Watersong #4


Young adult fantasy novel, fourth and final book in a series following Wake, Lullaby (both 2012), and Tidal (June 2013).
• Macmillan’s site has this description with a video trailer.
• Publishers Weekly said of the first book that ” the well-structured story and strong characters carry readers over the rough spots.

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* Kasturi, Sandra, & Samantha Beiko, eds. : Imaginarium 2013: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing
(ChiZine Publications 978-1-77148-149-6, $16.95, 350pp, trade paperback, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-77148-150-2

Anthology of 36 stories first published in 2012.
• Authors include Michael Kelly, Amal El-Mohtar, A.M. Dellamonica, Gemma Files, and Dave Duncan.
• ChiZine’s site has this description, with the table of contents and the list of honourable mentions.
• Note the ebook edition was available July 15th, the trade paperback August 6th.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.

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* Kristjansson, Snorri : Swords of Good Men
(UK: Quercus/Jo Fletcher 978-1782063322, £14.99, 352pp, hardcover, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Thu 1 Aug 2013
• The Valhalla Saga #1

Viking fantasy novel, the author’s first novel and first of a series.
• The publisher’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides a preview.
• The Jo Fletcher Books blog has this post announcing the book.

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* Lawrence, Mark : Emperor of Thorns
(Ace 978-0-425-25685-5, $25.95, 448pp, hardcover, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781101624937
• UK edition: Harper Voyager 978-0007439065 (Thu 1 Aug 2013)
• The Broken Empire #3


Fantasy novel, third in a trilogy following author’s first novel Prince of Thorns (2011) and King of Thorns (2012) about a prince who becomes an outlaw following the murders of his mother and brother.
• Series site Prince of Thorns has this description with links to pages for characters, a map, etc.
• Penguin’s site has this descrption with a link to an excerpt.

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* McCaffrey, Todd : Dragonwriter: A Tribute to Anne McCaffrey and Pern
(Benbella/Smart Pop 9781937856830, $14.95, 288pp, trade paperback, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: B00BS03KSA
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 978-1480536319

Nonfiction anthology of tributes to Anne McCaffrey, author of the long-running Dragonriders of Pern series.
• Contributors include David Brin, David Gerrold, Lois McMaster Bujold, Mercedes Lackey, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, and Michael Whelan.
• Benbella’s site has this description and order page.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.

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* Nix, Garth : Sir Hereward and Mister Fitz: Three Adventures
(Subterranean Press 978-1-59606-500-0, $35, 134pp, hardcover, July 2013, jacket illustration Tom Canty)
• Nominal Publication Date: Wed 31 Jul 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: B005IXSNY4

Collection of three stories about a mercenary and a sorcerer.
• Subterranean’s site has this description.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Nix creates well-defined characters; while fairly vain, Hereward appreciates the scars on a woman’s face more than the sullen disposition of a comely lady, and his magical companion has a surprisingly dry wit.

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* Pearce, Bryony : The Weight of Souls
(Angry Robot/Strange Chemistry Us 978-1908844644, $17.99, 288pp, hardcover, August 2013, cover art Steven Wood)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1908844651
• UK edition: 978-1908844637 (Thu 1 Aug 2013)

Young adult fantasy novel about a 16-year-old girl who can be marked by the ghosts of murder victims.
• Strange Chemistry’s site has this description with a preview function.

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* Pinborough, Sarah : The Shadow of the Soul
(Ace 978-0-425-25848-4, $16, 352pp, trade paperback, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781101624968
• Dog-Faced Gods #2

Urban fantasy novel, second of a trilogy following A Matter of Blood (UK 2010, US April 2013), about a police inspector in near-future London who is implicated in the murder/suicide of his brother and family. The series is called “Dog-Faced Gods” or “The Forgotten Gods”.
• Third novel The Chosen Seed was published in the UK in 2012.
• Penguin’s site has this description.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, ” Pinborough’s prose and characters are engaging and the novel is interesting despite its occasional predictability.

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* Pollock, Tom : The Glass Republic
(UK: Quercus/Jo Fletcher 978-1780870106, £12.99, 464pp, hardcover, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Thu 1 Aug 2013
• The Skyscraper Throne #2

Fantasy novel, second in a series after The City’s Son (2012), which a finalist in the Kitschies awards.
• The publisher’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides a preview.

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* Richardson, Kat : Possession
(Roc 978-0-451-46512-2, $25.95, 368pp, hardcover, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781101614068
• Greywalker #8

Urban fantasy novel, eight in a series following Greywalker (2006), Poltergeist (2007), Underground (2008), Vanished (2009), Labyrinth (2010), Downpour (2011), and Seawitch (2012), about a private investigator who died for two minutes and recovered with the ability to perceive the paranormal realm.
• Penguin’s site has this description

The author’s website has this description with a link to an excerpt.

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* Schmidt, Bryan Thomas, ed. : Beyond the Sun
(Fairwood Press 978-1-933846-38-5, $17.99, 279pp, trade paperback, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Thu 1 Aug 2013

Anthology of 17 original stories (and 1 reprint) about exploring new worlds.
• The reprint is Robert Silverberg’s “The Dybbyk of Mazel Tov IV”. Original stories are by Mike Resnick, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Nancy Kress, Brad R. Torgersen, Cat Rambo, and others.
• Fairwood’s site has this description with blurbs from James Gunn, Jack McDevitt, and others.

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* Sniegoski, Thomas E. : Walking in the Midst of Fire
(Roc 978-0-451-46511-5, $15, 352pp, trade paperback, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781101614211
• Remy Chandler #6

Urban fantasy novel, sixth in a series about Remy Chandler, a private investigator who’s an angel on Earth in human form, following A Kiss Before the Apocalypse (2008), Dancing on the Head of a Pin (2009), Where Angels Fear to Tread (2010), A Hundred Words for Hate (2011), and In the House of the Wicked (2012).
• Penguin’s site has this description.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Sniegoski throws in handy flashbacks to flesh out both the characters and the present-day mystery, and Remy’s encounter with a corrupt Pope is particularly gripping.

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* Sullivan, Michael J. : The Crown Tower
(Orbit 978-0-316-24371-1, $16, 414pp, trade paperback, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780316243704
• UK edition: 978-0356502274 (Tue 6 Aug 2013)
• Riyria Chronicles #1

Fantasy, first in a new series that precedes the author’s earlier trilogy “Riyria Revelations” — Theft of Swords (Nov 2011), Rise of Empire (Dec 2011), and Heir of Novron (2012).
• The second volume, The Rose and Thorn, is due next month.
• The author’s book page has a brief description, plus an email link to request a sample.
• Hachette’s site has this description with a preview function.
• The Publishers Weekly review says “this prequel is of interest only for the most devoted Riyria fans.

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* Tchaikovsky, Adrian : War Master’s Gate
(UK: Macmillan/Tor Uk 978-0230757011, £14.99, 736pp, trade paperback, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Thu 1 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-0230771406
• Shadows of the Apt #9

Fantasy novel, ninth in the “Shadows of the Apt” series after Empire in Black and Gold, Dragonfly Falling, and Blood of the Mantis, Salute the Dark, The Scarab Path (2010), The Sea Watch (2011), Heirs of the Blade (2011), and The Air War (2012), about a peaceful Lowlands threatened by the hungry Wasp Empire.
• Pan Macmillan’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides an excerpt.

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* Turgeon, Carolyn : The Fairest of Them All
(Simon & Schuster/Touchstone 978-1451683783, $15, 288pp, trade paperback, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781451683790

Fantasy novel that blends Rapuzel with Snow White.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description.
• The Publishers Weekly review says the author “imaginatively combines murder, revenge, sex, magic, and other genre tropes into a dark and twisted fairy tale.

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* White, Steve : Pirates of the Timestream
(Baen 978-1-4516-3909-4, $14, 256pp, trade paperback, August 2013, cover art Don Maitz)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-62579-156-6
• Jason Thanou #3

SF novel, sequel to Blood of the Heroes (2006) and Sunset of the Gods (Jan. 2013), about a time traveler to ancient Greece where the Greek gods are real.
• Baen’s site has this description with links to several chapters.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “White expertly blends historical and futuristic elements (including historically accurate depictions of white men’s treatment of women and people of color) to create a fast-paced, detail-rich tale, seamlessly inserting his own inventions into factual events.

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* Williams, Scott B. : The Darkness After
(Ulysses Press 978-1-61243-184-0, $10, 304pp, trade paperback, August 2013)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• The Pulse #2

Young adult novel, set in the same post-apocalyptic future as The Pulse (2012), about characters fleeing New Orleans about the power grid across North America shuts down.
• The publisher’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s redesigned “Look Inside” function provides a preview.

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* Williamson, Michael Z. : Tour of Duty
(Baen 978-1-4516-3905-6, $15, 352pp, trade paperback, August 2013, cover art Bob Eggleton)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 6 Aug 2013
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-62579-157-3

Collection of previously published stories, subtitled “Stories and Provocations”.
• Baen’s site has this description with links to several samples.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Williamson cheerfully and sometimes grimly bounces among military expertise, humor, controlled anger, and the gruesome and sublime extremes of a soldier’s world. While no single work is a standout, the scrapbooklike variety may push interest beyond only those readers interested in Williamson’s forte of military speculative fiction.

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