New Books : 8 January 2019

New titles this week by Katherine Arden, Holly Black, C.J. Cherryh & Jane S. Fancher, Wesley Chu, Rod Duncan, William R. Forstchen, Eyal Kless, Sophie Mackinstosh, Seanan McGuire, Chigozie Obioma, David Weber, and F. Paul Wilson

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* Arden, Katherine : The Winter of the Witch
(Del Rey 978-1-101-88599-4, $28, 384pp, hardcover, January 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 8 Jan 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781101886007
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780525639510
• Winternight Trilogy #3

Fantasy novel, third in a trilogy following The Bear and the Nightingale (Jan. 2017) and The Girl in the Tower (Dec. 2017), about a Russian girl whose ability to see her childhood spirits drives her from her home.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Arden’s gorgeous prose entwines political intrigue and feminist themes with magic and folklore to tell a tale both intimate and epic, featuring a heroine whose harrowing and wondrous journey culminates in an emotionally resonant finale.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Black, Holly : The Wicked King
(Little, Brown 978-0316310352, $19.99, 336pp, hardcover, January 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 8 Jan 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780316310338
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781549171314
• The Folk of the Air #2

Young adult fantasy novel, second in a series following The Cruel Prince (2018), about a mortal girl trying to find her place in the faerie court.
• Hachette’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly gave the first book a starred review: “Breathtaking set pieces, fully developed supporting characters, and a beguiling, tough-as-nails heroine enhance an intricate, intelligent plot that crescendos to a jaw-dropping third-act twist.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Cherryh, C. J., & Jane S. Fancher : Alliance Rising
(DAW 978-0756412715, $26, 352pp, hardcover, January 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 8 Jan 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780756412739
• The Hinder Stars #1

SF novel, first in a new series, set in Cherryh’s Alliance–Union universe, about a mysterious ship approaching Alpha station.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Russell Letson reviews it in the January issue of Locus Magazine: “It’s a version of the familiar tale of the efforts of colonists and settlers to become independent of a distant, out-of-touch old order, but recounted less as a fable about abstract political freedom than as a detailed, textured, and tactile treatment of the material and cultural forces that underlie such struggles.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Chu, Wesley : The Fall of Io
(Angry Robot 978-0857667878, $12.99, 416pp, trade paperback, January 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 8 Jan 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780857667885
• UK edition: 9780857667878 (Tue 1 Jan 2019)
• Io #2

SF novel, second in a series following The Rise of Io (2016), about an alien that inhabits human minds as part of a war between the Prophus and Genjix.
• Angry Planet’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly said of the first book, “Three things contribute to the success of this novel: an understated, occasionally snarky sense of humor, well-done action sequences, and strong character development.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Duncan, Rod : The Outlaw & the Upstart King
(Angry Robot 978-0857667038, $12.99, 384pp, trade paperback, January 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 8 Jan 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780857667045
• UK edition: 9780857667038 (Tue 1 Jan 2019)
• Map of Unknown Things #2

Alternate history fantasy novel, second in a series following The Queen of All Crows (2018), set in the world of the author’s The Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire trilogy.
• Angry Robot’s site has this description with an excerpt.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Forstchen, William R. : 48 Hours
(Forge 978-0-7653-9791-1, $26.99, 336pp, hardcover, January 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 8 Jan 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780765397942

SF novel about worldwide efforts to avoid the consequences of a massive solar storm that could destroy the world’s electrical infrastructure.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review, calling “this intelligent near-future thriller” the author’s “best book to date.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Kless, Eyal : The Lost Puzzler
(Harper Voyager 978-0-06-279243-3, $16.99, 528pp, trade paperback, January 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 8 Jan 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780062792440
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780062909503
• Tarakan Chronicles #1

SF novel, first in a series, set in a post-apocalyptic future, about the search for a boy with a rare talent that is the key restoring lost civilization.
• HarperCollins’ site has this description with a sample.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Readers looking for a crafty puzzle that descends into the twisty depths of loyalty and betrayal will enjoy this far-future adventure.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Mackintosh, Sophie : The Water Cure
(Doubleday 978-0385543873, $25.95, 288pp, hardcover, January 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 8 Jan 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780385543880
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780525638025

Literary dystopian novel about three sisters on an isolated island who’ve been raised to fear men.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Mackintosh’s gripping novel is vicious in its depiction of victimhood, vibrant when victims transform into warriors, and full of outrage at patriarchal power, environmental devastation, and the dehumanization of women.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* McGuire, Seanan : In an Absent Dream
(Tor.com 978-0-7653-9929-8, $17.99, 208pp, hardcover, January 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 8 Jan 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780765399281
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250319043
• Wayward Children #4

Short fantasy novel, fourth in a series following Every Heart a Doorway (2016), Down Among the Sticks and Bones (2017), and Beneath the Sugar Sky (2018). This volume is a stand-alone prequel to the others.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Colleen Mondor reviews it in the January issue of Locus Magazine: “Seanan McGuire impresses so much within the pages of In an Absent Dream; she makes the balancing act between fantasy and family drama look easy while never letting one overshadow the other.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Obioma, Chigozie : An Orchestra of Minorities
(Little, Brown 978-0316412391, $28, 464pp, hardcover, January 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 8 Jan 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780316412414
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781478996590

Contemporary fantasy novel set in Nigeria, in which a guardian spirit narrates the story of a young man who saves a woman from suicide.
• Hachette’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Obioma’s novel is electrifying, a meticulously crafted character drama told with emotional intensity. His invention, combining Igbo folklore and Greek tragedy in the context of modern Nigeria, makes for a rich, enchanting experience.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Weber, David : Through Fiery Trials
(Tor 978-0765325594, $28.99, 752pp, hardcover, January 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 8 Jan 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781429951852
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781427299161
• Safehold #10

Far future SF novel, tenth in the Safehold series following Off Armageddon Reef (2007), By Schism Rent Asunder (2008), By Heresies Distressed (2009), A Mighty Fortress (2010), How Firm a Foundation (2011), Midst Toil and Tribulation (2012), Like a Mighty Army (2014), Hell’s Foundations Quiver (2015), and At the Sign of Triumph (2016).
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Liz Bourke reviewed the book in the December issue of Locus Magazine: “There’s a strange appeal here, one that carries the reader though 800-odd pages: though Weber no longer writes anything like a character arc for any of his characters, he writes many competent characters, who mean well and who strive to do good – to do the right thing, regardless of the personal cost. Competence and personal ethics are deeply appealing.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Wilson, F. Paul : The Void Protocol
(Tor/Forge 978-1250177346, $27.99, 336pp, hardcover, January 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 8 Jan 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250177322
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250203304
• The ICE Sequence #3

SF novel, third in a series following Panacea (2016) and The God Gene (2018), about two medical researchers in pursuit of a species of primates whose DNA contains key evidence of human evolution.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly said of the previous book, “Tight writing keeps this science adventure tale churning with the pace of James Rollins toward a conclusion worthy of Michael Crichton.”

• 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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