New Books : 3 July 2018

Gardner Dozois’ The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Thirty-fifth Annual Collection, Jeff VanderMeer’s revised Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction, Francesco Dimitri’s The Book of Hidden Things, Mary Robinette Kowal’s The Calculating Stars, and titles by T.J. Berry, Rachel Caine, Larry Correia & John Ringo, Kurt Fawver, Kim Foster, Sam Hawke, Benedict Jacka, Sarah Kuhn, Christopher Ruocchio, Anthony Ryan, S.M. Stirling, Michael J. Sullivan, Michael Z. Williamson, and Micah Yongo.

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* Berry, T. J. : Space Unicorn Blues
(Angry Robot 978-0-85766-781-6, $12.99, 384pp, trade paperback, July 2018)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Jul 2018
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780857667823
UK edition: 9780857667816 (Thu 5 Jul 2018)
The Reason #1

SF novel, the author’s first novel and first in a series, about a magical half-unicorn whose horn is used to power faster than light travel.
• Angry Robot’s site has this description.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Berry portrays the emotions powering bigotry with frightening accuracy in a novel that combines the best elements of mythological fantasy and space opera into a thrilling quest with deep shadows.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Caine, Rachel : Smoke and Iron
(Berkley 978-0451489210, $17.99, 448pp, hardcover, July 2018)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Jul 2018
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780451489227
The Great Library #4

Fantasy novel, fourth in a series following Ink and Bone (2015), Paper and Fire (2016), and Ash and Quill (2017), in which the Great Library of Alexandria has survived, the knowledge from its books distributed to the masses via alchemy.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
Publishers Weekly gave the first book a starred review: “Caine’s elegantly detailed descriptions bring Jess’s world to vivid life in a fast-paced, action-oriented plot that will leave readers breathlessly anticipating not just the next page but the next book in the Great Library series.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Correia, Larry, & John Ringo : Monster Hunter Memoirs: Saints
(Baen 978-1481483070, $25, 288pp, hardcover, July 2018)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Jul 2018
Monster Hunter Memoirs #3

Humorous fantasy novel, third in a series following Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge (2016) and Monster Hunter Memories: Sinners (2016), about a Marine private who dies in Beirut and is resurrected to become a monster hunter.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Dimitri, Francesco : The Book of Hidden Things
(Titan 978-1-785-65707-8, $14.95, 385pp, trade paperback, July 2018)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Jul 2018

Fantasy novel, the Italian author’s first novel in English, about four friends who meet yearly in the town where they grew up.
• Titan’s site has this description.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Dimitri’s beautifully written tale, steeped in nostalgia, folklore, and religion, will enthrall and terrify readers.”
• Lila Garrott reviewed it in the June issue of Locus Magazine, in part comparing it to Peter S. Beagle’s In Calabria: “Beagle is better at plot, and at magic, but Dimitri’s language stands up well next to his, which is a real achievement given that Beagle is one of the greatest living masters of the fantastic. Dimitri may not have fulfilled every goal he set for himself, but the resulting novel remains fascinating, and more than readable.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Dozois, Gardner : The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Thirty-fifth Annual Collection
(St. Martin’s Griffin 978-1250164636, $23.99, 720pp, trade paperback, July 2018)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Jul 2018
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250164643

Anthology of 38 stories first published in 2017, with a long “Summation: 2017”, and several pages of ‘honorable mentions’ at the end.
• Authors include Rich Larson, Carter Scholz, Alastair Reynolds, Greg Egan, Harry Turtledove, Nancy Kress, Bruce Sterling, and Michael F. Flynn.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews, including the table of contents.
• A hardcover edition (9781250164629, $40) is also available.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Fawver, Kurt : The Dissolution of Small Worlds
(Lethe 978-1-59021-651-4, $18, 266pp, trade paperback, July 2018)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Jul 2018

Collection of 14 horror stories, first published from 2013 to date, with three stories original to this volume.
• Lethe’s site has this description.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “This is a satisfying exploration of ‘seething, conscious torment.’ ”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Foster, Kim : Game of Secrets
(Sky Pony Press 978-1510716445, $17.99, 368pp, hardcover, July 2018)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Jul 2018
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781510716469

Fantasy novel set in Victorian London about a girl and her brother with special powers.
• Skyhorse’s site has this description.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Hawke, Sam : City of Lies
(Tor 978-0-7653-9689-1, $15.99, 560pp, trade paperback, July 2018)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Jul 2018
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780765396914
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781427297730
The Poison Wars #1

Epic fantasy novel, the author’s first novel and first in a series, about a master of poisons trained to protect the Chancellor’s family.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• A simultaneous hardcover (978-1250306685) is also available.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “This colorful and exciting tale occasionally stretches the limits of belief, but fantasy fans will still enjoy it and eagerly anticipate its coming sequel.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Jacka, Benedict : Marked
(Ace 978-1-101-98854-1, $7.99, 320pp, mass market paperback, July 2018)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Jul 2018
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781101988558
Alex Verus #9

Urban fantasy novel, ninth in a series following Fated (March 2012), Cursed (June 2012), Taken (Sept. 2012), Chosen (2013), Hidden (2014), Veiled (2105), Burned (2016), and Bound (2017), about a London magician who can foresee the future.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “This is not a good place to begin reading the series, but the series itself is very, very good, and once readers have refreshed their memories, they’ll eagerly dive into this installment.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Kowal, Mary Robinette : The Calculating Stars
(Tor 978-0-7653-7838-5, $18.99, 432pp, trade paperback, July 2018)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Jul 2018
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781466861244
Lady Astronaut #1

SF novel, based on the 2013 Hugo Award-winning novelette “The Lady Astronaut of Mars,” about the drive for space exploration following a 1952 meteor impact that wipes out the east coast of the US.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Kowal explores a wide range of issues—including religion, grief, survivor’s guilt, mental health, racism, misogyny, and globalism—without sermonising or subsuming the characters and plot.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Kuhn, Sarah : Heroine’s Journey
(DAW 978-0756414412, $15, 384pp, trade paperback, July 2018)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Jul 2018
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780698197800
Heroine Complex #3

Fantasy novel, third in a series following Heroine Complex (2016) and Heroine’s Worship (2017), about Asian American superheroines, set in San Francisco beset by demons.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with a preview.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Ruocchio, Christopher : Empire of Silence
(DAW 978-0-7564-1300-2, $26, 624pp, hardcover, July 2018)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Jul 2018
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780756413026
The Sun Eater #1

Space opera/epic fantasy novel, first in a series, about a man both revered as a hero and despised as a murderer.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “…there’s very little action—a bit surprising given the backdrop of interstellar war and religion-mandated torture—but readers who like a slow-building story with a strong character focus will find everything they’re looking for in this series opener.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Ryan, Anthony : The Empire of Ashes
(Ace 978-1-101-98793-3, $28, 576pp, hardcover, July 2018)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Jul 2018
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781101987940
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780735206724
The Draconis Memoria #3

Fantasy novel, third in a trilogy following The Waking Fire (2106) and The Legion of Flame (2017), about a trading syndicate that deals in the blood of drakes, a species now weakening.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Ryan skillfully navigates multiple narrators to unveil a world steeped in magic and on the brink of destruction. Both the characters and the setting are irresistible right through to the end.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Stirling, S. M. : Black Chamber
(Ace 978-0-399-58623-1, $16, 400pp, trade paperback, July 2018)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Jul 2018
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780399586248
A Novel of an Alternate World War #1

Alternate history novel, first in a series, in which Teddy Roosevelt wins the presidency for a second time just before World War I breaks out.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt and a reading guide.
Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Sterling’s lavish historical, linguistic, and cultural detail—including sly digs at real-life figures, such as a youthful J. Edgar Hoover—enhance well-rounded characters to make this a highly enjoyable espionage romp.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Sullivan, Michael J. : Age of War
(Del Rey 978-1-101-96539-9, $28, 448pp, hardcover, July 2018)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Jul 2018
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781101965405
Legends of the First Empire #3

Epic fantasy novel, third in a series of six following Age of Myth (2016) and Age of Swords (2017), about a battle between humans and their godlike rulers.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Sullivan also gifts readers with complex lives for his characters, filled with tests, triumphs, and tragedies. This isn’t an entry point for the series, but Sullivan’s fans will be delighted.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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Vandermeer, Jeff : Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction
(Abrams 978-1419729669, $24.99, 384pp, trade paperback, July 2018)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Jul 2018

(First edition: Abrams Image, October 2013)

Nonfiction guide to writing, heavily illustrated by Jeremy Zerfoss, revised and expanded from the original 2013 edition.
• Abrams’ site has this description with a video
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function offers extensive previews.
• Website http://wonderbooknow.com/ has excerpts and extras.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Williamson, Michael Z. : Tide of Battle
(Baen 978-1481483360, $16, 384pp, trade paperback, July 2018)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Jul 2018

Collection of 12 stories and 9 “provocations.”
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Yongo, Micah : Lost Gods
(Angry Robot 978-0-85766-737-3, $12.99, 448pp, trade paperback, July 2018)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Jul 2018
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780857667380
UK edition: 9780857667373 (Thu 5 Jul 2018)

Fantasy novel, the author’s first novel, about a warrior raised by a brotherhood of assassins.
• Angry Robot’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “…this is a strong work from a very promising new author.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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These listings are based on publisher schedules and availability on Amazon (rather than on confirmation of physical publication via purchase, review copies, or sightings in bookstores). Titles are listed only once they are published (with rare exception). We do not list galleys or advance reading copies.

Page counts are based on publisher or Amazon listings, and typically only approximate the bibliographic page counts of finished books.

* = first edition
+ = first US edition

Date with publisher info is official publication month.

‘Nominal Publication Date’ is the day of publication, typically as indicated by Amazon.com.

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