* Abraham, Daniel : The Widow’s House
(Orbit 978-0316203982, $17, 544pp, trade paperback, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• The Dagger and the Coin #4

Military fantasy novel, third of a series following The Dragon’s Path (2011), The King’s Blood (2012), and The Tyrant’s Law (2013), about resistance to the lord regent of a young king.
• The author’s site has this description. Orbit’s site has this excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly gave the previous book starred review: “This smart, absorbing, fascinating military fantasy, exciting and genuinely suspenseful, will keep readers on their toes.”

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* Anders, Lou : Frostborn
(Random House/Crown 978-0-385-38778-1, $16.99, 336pp, hardcover, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-0-385-38780-4
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 978-0-553-39584-6
• Thrones and Bones #1

Middle-grade fantasy novel, the author’s first and first of a series, about a farmboy obsessed with the board game Thrones and Bones who’s forced to flee with a half-human, half-frost giantess.
• Random House’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “The setting is rich, the characters well-defined, and the danger ever-paramount. It’s a strong and thoroughly enjoyable start to the Thrones and Bones series.”

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+ Asher, Neal : Hilldiggers
(Skyhorse/Night Shade Books 978-1597805117, $15.99, 560pp, trade paperback, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014

First US edition (UK: Tor UK, July 2007)

First US edition of a 2007 stand-alone novel in Asher’s Polity universe.
• Skyhorse Publishing still does not have information on Night Shade titles.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews of the 2008 UK paperback edition.
• Wikipedia has this entry about the novel.

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* Berg, Carol : Dust and Light
(Roc 978-0-451-41724-4, $16, 480pp, trade paperback, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• Sanctuary #3

Fantasy novel, third in a series that began with Flesh and Spirit (2007) and Breath and Bone (2008), about a pureblood sorcerer with the magical ability to identify the dead.
• Penguin’s site has this description.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “With an impressive command of language, sure-handed plotting, and perceptive characterizations, Berg traces the arc of Lucian’s arduous quest to solve the murders of several illegitimate royals.”
• Carolyn Cushman reviews it in the August issue of Locus Magazine, calling it a “powerful, involving fantasy.”

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* Blackmore, Stephen : Broken Souls
(DAW 978-0-7564-0942-5, $7.99, 272pp, mass market paperback, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780698175327
• Eric Carter #2

Urban fantasy novel, second in a series following Dead Things (2013), about a necromancer who returned to Los Angeles.
• Penguin’s site has this description.
• The author’s page for the book has a link to a preview.

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* Blake, E. C. : Shadows
(DAW 978-0-7564-0760-5, $19.95, 304pp, hardcover, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780698150782
• The Masks of Aygrima #2

Fantasy novel, second of a series following Masks (2013), in which the Autarchy of Aygrima has been cut off from its overseas trading partners.
• Penguin’s site has this description.
• The Publishers Weekly review of the previous book mentioned that Blake is a pseudonym for Edward Willet, author SF novels such as The Helix War (2012), and concluded, “Sharp characterization, a fast-moving plot, and a steady unveiling of a bigger picture make this a welcome addition to the genre.”

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+ Egan, Greg : The Arrows of Time
(Skyhorse/Night Shade Books 978-1-59780-487-5, $26.99, 364pp, hardcover, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• Orthogonal #3

First US edition (UK: Gollancz, November 2013)

Hard science fiction novel, third of a trilogy following The Clockwork Rocket (2011) and The Eternal Flame (2012), set in a universe with unusual physical laws (e.g. light has no universal speed and its creation generates energy).
• Gollancz’ site has this description of the UK edition.
• The Publishers Weekly review finds the book overwhelming: “Egan buries the series’ underlying concept in an afterword; the prose is so dense (“Perhaps a physicist will find a way to transform our positive luxagens into negative ones”), and the hard science so hard, that very few will comprehend either.”
• Egan’s site has this page about the series, and an excerpt of this book that includes diagrams.

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* Esslemont, Ian C. : Assail
(Tor 978-0-7653-2998-1, $29.99, 544pp, hardcover, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781429948616
• UK edition: 978-0593064481 (Thu 14 Aug 2014)
• Malazan-Esslemont #6

Fantasy novel set in the Malazan Empire, the world co-created by Esslemont and Steven Erikson, author of the 10-volume Malazan Book of the Fallen series.
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This is the sixth book by Esslemont, following Blood and Bone (UK 2012, US 2013). This book is more-or-less simultaneous in both countries.
• Macmillan’s site has this description.

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* Gannon, Charles E. : Trial by Fire
(Baen 978-1-4767-3664-8, 1515, 640pp, trade paperback, August 2014, cover art Bob Eggleton)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• Caine Riordan #2

SF novel, sequel to Nebula Award finalist Fire with Fire (2013), about an intelligence operative battling superior aliens and traitorous corporations.
• Baen’s site has this description (click the back link if necessary to see it) with links to several chapters.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “The charm of Caine’s harrowing adventure lies in Gannon’s attention to detail, which keeps the layers of political intrigue and military action from getting too dense.”

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* Goodkind, Terry : Severed Souls
(Tor 978-0-7653-2774-1, $29.99, 560pp, hardcover, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781429948449
• Richard and Kahlan #-

Fantasy novel, third in a series following The Omen Machine (2011) and The Third Kingdom (2013), concerning two characters, Richard Rahl and Kahlan Amnell, from the author’s popular “Sword of Truth” series.
• Macmillan’s site has this description.

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* Grossman, Lev : The Magician’s Land
(Viking 978-0-670-01567-2, 416pp, hardcover, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781101633533
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781611762679
• Magicians #3

Fantasy novel, concluding book of a trilogy that began with The Magicians (2009) and The Magician King (2011).
• Penguin’s site has this description with quotes from reviews and blurbs from George R.R. Martin and others.
• The New York Times Book Review just ran this review by Edan Lepucki: ” ‘The Magician’s Land’ is the strongest book in Grossman’s series. It not only offers a satisfying conclusion to Quentin Coldwater’s quests, earthly and otherwise, but also considers complex questions about identity and selfhood as profound as they are entertaining.”

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+ Joyce, Graham : The Ghost in the Electric Blue Suit
(Doubleday 978-0-385-53863-3, 288pp, hardcover, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-0-385-53864-0

First US edition (UK: Gollancz, June 2013)

Fantasy novel about a man who takes a holiday camp job during the summer of 1976, amidst political and racial tensions. It was published last year in the UK as The Year of the Ladybird.
• Random House’s site has this description with a preview function.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Precisely because Joyce is a master of dialogue and character, the artificial plot complications provided by the mystery of David’s unresolved past feel unnecessary, but, otherwise, his sweltering summer escapades make for a terrific and absorbing read.”

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* Kashina, Anna : The Guild of Assassins
(Angry Robot 978-0857665270, $7.99, 464pp, mass market paperback, August 2014, cover art Alejandro Colucci)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780857665287
• UK edition: 9780857665263 (Thu 7 Aug 2014)
• The Majat Code #2

Fantasy novel, second in a series following Blades of the Old Empire (2014), about a female warrior.
• Angry Robot’s site has this description.

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* Lackey, Mercedes, & James Mallory : The House of the Four Winds
(Tor 978-0-7653-3565-4, $25.99, 304pp, hardcover, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781466824201
• One Dozen Daughters #1

Fantasy novel, first of a series, about a royal family with one son and a dozen daughters, who must fend for their own futures.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.

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* Parker, K. J. : Academic Exercises
(Subterranean Press 978-1-59606-609-0, $40, 536pp, hardcover, July 2014, jacket art Vincent Chong)
• Nominal Publication Date: Thu 31 Jul 2014

Collection of 10 stories and three essays, the author’s first collection. Contents include World Fantasy Award winners “Let Maps to Others” and “A Small Price to Pay for Birdsong”.
• Subterranean’s site has this description and order page.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Parker … deliver[s] all the cynicism, dry wit, and gray morality that fans have come to expect.”
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews it in the August issue of Locus Magazine, describing Parker’s shorter fiction as “practically a master class in the form, a body of work that suggests an already accomplished artist refining a particular instrument while still experimenting with structure and technique. Parker’s familiar dry and mordant wit is still much in evidence, as is the meticulous attention to procedural matters and odd bits of microhistorical lore…”

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* Radford, Irene : The Wandering Dragon
(DAW 978-0-7564-0914-2, $7.99, 384pp, mass market paperback, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781101637364
• Children of the Dragon Nimbus #3

Fantasy novel, third in a series following The Silent Dragon (2013) and The Broken Dragon (Jan. 2014).
• Penguin’s site has this description.

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* Richardson, Kat : Revenant
(Roc 978-0-451-46528-3, $25.95, 464pp, hardcover, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780698145603
• Greywalker #9

Urban fantasy novel, ninth and final book in the series following Greywalker (2006), Poltergeist (2007), Underground (2008), Vanished (2009), Labyrinth (2010), Downpour (2011), Seawitch (2012), and Possession (2013), 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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* Shafer, David : Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
(Little, Brown/Mulholland Books 978-0-316-25263-8, $26, 432pp, hardcover, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780316252645
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781478953876

Near-future comic SF novel, the author’s first novel, about three thirty-somethings and a battle between corporations trying to privatize all data and an online Underground resisting them.
• Hachette’s site has this description, which says the book is “in the spirit of William Gibson and Chuck Palahniuk”, with a preview function.
• Publishers Weekly gives this a starred review: “Journalist Shafer hits all the right buttons in his debut as he mixes crime fiction, espionage, and SF in a darkly comic novel about paranoia and big business.”

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* Shepard, Lucius : Beautiful Blood
(Subterranean Press 978-1-59606-652-6, $40, 296pp, hardcover, July 2014, jacket art K. J. Potter)
• Nominal Publication Date: Thu 31 Jul 2014

Fantasy novel about the Dragon Griaule, subject of several stories over the course of Shepard’s career, beginning with “The Man Who Painted the Dragon Griaule” in 1984.
• Subterranean’s site has this description and order page with quotes from reviews.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “The volume brings the Griaule cycle to a very satisfying conclusion, leaving the reader wishing that Shepard had lived to tell more tales.”
• Gary K. Wolfe reviews it in the August issue of Locus Magazine: “There is more than enough material here for a novel three times the length of Beautiful Blood, but Shepard, for all his occasional flights of lyrical excess, was really a rather economical writer, and it may be that the novella was the most suitable arena for the kinds of stories he told, with enough space to intrigue us with characters and settings, and enough vacancies to leave us wanting more. Beautiful Blood, both fortunately and unfortunately, leaves us wanting more.”

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* Strieber, Whitley : Alien Hunter: Underworld
(Tor 978-0-7653-3154-0, $25.99, 304pp, hardcover, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781429922746
• Alien Hunter #2

SF thriller, second in a series following Alien Hunter, about a police detective pursuing alien killers.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.

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* Stross, Charles : Equoid
(Subterranean Press 978-1-59606-664-9, $35, 112pp, hardcover, July 2014, jacket art Steve Montiglio)
• Nominal Publication Date: Thu 31 Jul 2014

Fantasy novella in the author’s “Laundry Files” series about British secret service agent Bob Howard battling Lovecraftian horrors. It was published by Tor.com in 2013.
• Subterranean’s site has this description and order page.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Laundry Files fans accustomed to more action-oriented spy riffs might be a little disturbed by the horror elements, but if they can stomach it, there’s plenty of traditional action (including a car chase and a close-quarters zombie fight) and Stross’s trademark wit.”

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* Thurman, Rob : Downfall
(Roc 978-0-451-46529-0, $7.99, 352pp, mass market paperback, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781101634684
• Cal Leandros #9

Urban fantasy novel, ninth in the “Cal Leandros” series following Nightlife (2006), Moonshine (2007), Madhouse (2008), Deathwish (2009), Roadkill (2010), Blackout (2011), Doubletake (2012), and Slashback, set in a New York City inhabited by various preternatural beings.
• Penguin’s site has this description.

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* Varley, John : Dark Lightning
(Ace 978-0-425-27407-1, $26.95, 352pp, hardcover, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Aug 2014
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780698154421
• Thunder and Lightning #-

SF novel, fourth in a sequence of Heinleinian-SF novels following Red Thunder (2003), Red Lightning (2006), and Rolling Thunder (2008). This book concerns a crisis aboard a starship heading for New Earth.
• Penguin’s site has this description. Varley’s site has this description with a link to an excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly is not impressed. Paul Di Filippo will have a review for Locus Online later this month.

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* Weitz, Chris : The Young World
(Little, Brown 978-0-316-22629-5, $19, 384pp, hardcover, August 2014)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 29 Jul 2014
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780316226271
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781478953968
• Young World #1

Young adult novel, the author’s first novel and first of a trilogy, about a plague that only teenagers survive.
• The author is best known as a screenwriter and film director, whose works include About a Boy and The Golden Compass.
• Hachette’s site has this description with a preview function.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Weitz offers a satisfying YA interpretation of the Greek classic Anabasis, brimming with grisly encounters and gallows humor. He also finds room to touch upon issues of race, class, commercialism, and sexuality in nuanced moments that are sharply juxtaposed with the near-constant dangers and seeming hopelessness of the larger picture.”

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