New Books : 22 January 2019

From the Middle East; to Guerdon, a city of saints and thieves; to the Pearl Famous Academy of Skate & Sword; to the lower wards of Kahnzoka, a great port city of the Blessed Empire; to the Golden State, there are many places to explore in these new books!
New titles this week are by Josiah Bancroft, Michael Chabon, S.A. Chakraborty, Curtis Craddock, Gareth Hanrahan, Henry Lien, Chuck Wendig, Django Wexler, and Ben H. Winter.


* Bancroft, Josiah : The Hod King
(Orbit 978-0316517980, $15.99, trade paperback, January 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 22 Jan 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780316518055
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781549194993
The Books of Babel #3

Fantasy novel, third in a series following Senlin Ascends and Arm of the Sphinx (both 2018) about a tourists visiting the Tower of Babel.
• Hachette’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Paul Di Filippo reviews the book in the January issue of Locus Magazine: “Fans of accomplished New Weird should flock to
this series like chimney cats falling upon tasty hods.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Chabon, Michael : Bookends: Collected Intros and Outros
(Harper Perennial 978-0-06-285129-1, $16.99, 192pp, trade paperback, January 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 22 Jan 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780062851307
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780062908797

Nonfiction collection of introductions and afterwords to various literary works, among them works by Ray Bradbury, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and M.R. James.
• HarperCollins’ site has this description.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “the essays are intelligent and entertaining, and being none too long, can be read easily and quickly.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Chakraborty, S. A. : The Kingdom of Copper
(Harper Voyager 978-0-06-267813-3, $26.99, 640pp, hardcover, January 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 22 Jan 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780062678157
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780062866707
The Daevabad Trilogy #2

Epic fantasy novel, second in a series following The City of Brass (2017), set in 18th century Middle East.
• HarperCollins’ site has this description with a sample.
Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Chakraborty raises the tension and the stakes with emotional dilemmas that bring out the best and worst in these conflicted characters. This intriguing fantasy series appears to be well on its way to an exciting conclusion.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Craddock, Curtis : A Labyrinth of Scions and Sorcery
(Tor 978-0765389626, $27.99, 416pp, hardcover, January 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 22 Jan 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780765389640
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250203144
The Risen Kingdoms #2

Fantasy novel, second in a series following An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors (2017), about courtly intrigue in a magical kingdom.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
Publishers Weekly said of the first book, “Craddock can write, and his worldbuilding shines; he’s so effective at reconstituting historical misogyny that by the time the narrative tide shifts—slowly, and not far—most female readers will likely have fled.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Hanrahan, Gareth : The Gutter Prayer
(Orbit 978-0-316-52531-2, $15.99, 560pp, trade paperback, January 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 22 Jan 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780316525305
The Black Iron Legacy #1

Fantasy novel, first in a series, about three thieves involved in a magical war.
• Hachette’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Hanrahan brings the sights, sounds, and smells of Guerdon to life with crisp, lyrical prose that moves swiftly between thrilling action sequences and imaginative worldbuilding.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Lien, Henry : Peasprout Chen: Battle of Champions
(Henry Holt 978-1250165756, $16.99, 384pp, hardcover, January 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 22 Jan 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250165763
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250308306
Peasprout Chen #2

Middle-grade fantasy novel, second in a series following Peasprout Chen, Future Legend of Skate and Sword (2018), about a young girl’s ambition in the sport of martial arts figure skating.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
Publishers Weekly gave the first book a starred review: “Building on a lushly described world introduced in several short stories, debut novelist Lien crafts a memorable setting and cast while delivering a fast-paced, tense plot full of surprises. The descriptions of wu liu are elegant and cinematic, and Peasprout’s moves are as sharp as her tongue.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Wendig, Chuck : Vultures
(Saga Press 978-1481448772, $27.99, 416pp, hardcover, January 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 22 Jan 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781481448796
Miriam Black #6

Fantasy novel, sixth and final book in a series following Blackbirds (May 2012), Mockingbird (Sep. 2012), The Cormorant (2014), Thunderbird (2017), and The Raptor & the Wren (2017), about a woman who perceives the future death of anyone she touches.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Wexler, Django : Ship of Smoke and Steel
(Tor Teen 978-0765397249, $17.99, 368pp, hardcover, January 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 22 Jan 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780765397263
The Wells of Sorcery #1

Young adult fantasy novel, first in a trilogy, about an 18-year-old ward boss sent on a mission to steal a legendary ghost ship.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “In his YA debut, Wexler delivers an atmospheric adventure that expertly mixes visceral action sequences, a compelling mystery, a diverse cast, and vividly described settings.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Winters, Ben H. : Golden State
(Little, Brown/Mulholland Books 978-0-316-50541-3, $28, 336pp, hardcover, January 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 22 Jan 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780316505406
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781478917748

SF novel about a future Californian state governed by absolute truth.
• Little, Brown’s site has this description with an excerpt.

• 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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