New Books : 16 April 2019

Light ’em up with this week’s new books: a burning throne, a fire season, a perihelion summer, and a nuke attack that destroys Earth!
New titles this week are by Ashok K. Banker, Stephen Blackmore, Bennett R. Coles, Bridget Collins, Delilah S. Dawson & Kevin Hearne, Lara Elena Donnelly, Greg Egan, John Gwynne, Gwyneth Jones, Kay Kenyon, Emma Newman, Mike Resnick, Jonathan Strahan, and Timothy Zahn.


Note: Due to vacation, New Books for April 23rd will be posted the week of April 28th.


* Banker, Ashok K. : Upon a Burning Throne
(John Joseph Adams 978-1-328-91628-0, $26, 688pp, hardcover, April 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Apr 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: B0789B5L8H
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: B07L5Z1TSC

Fantasy novel, first in a series, inspired by the ancient Indian classic The Mahabharata.
• Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “There’s more setup for future conflicts than resolution, but readers familiar with Hindu mythology will find the foreshadowing enhances their anticipation of future installments. Fans of doorstopper epic fantasy will devour this tale of gods and princes.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Blackmoore, Stephen : Fire Season
(DAW 978-0756412944, $7.99, 304pp, mass market paperback, April 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Apr 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780756412951
Eric Carter #4

Urban fantasy novel, fourth in a series following Dead Things (2013), Broken Souls (2014), and Hungry Ghosts (2017), about a necromancer who returned to Los Angeles.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Coles, Bennett R. : Winds of Marque
(Harper Voyager 978-0-06-282035-8, $16.99, 368pp, trade paperback, April 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Apr 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780062820365
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780062899026
Blackwood & Virtue #1

SF novel, first in a series, about a starship crew’s pursuit of pirate raiders.
• HarperCollins’ site has this description with a sample.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Science fiction fans of the Hornblower or Aubrey/Maturin sailing sagas will likely thrill as the cannons are run out for battles in space.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Collins, Bridget : The Binding
(Morrow 978-0-06-283809-4, $26.99, 448pp, hardcover, April 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Apr 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780062838117
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780062898722

Fantasy novel about an apprentice bookbinder in an alternate England where books are forbidden.
• HarperCollins’ site has this description with a sample.
• The Publishers Weekly review, noting that this is the author’s first adult novel after several YA novels, concludes, “This is an enjoyable novel for readers of any age, but the story remains YA at its heart.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Dawson, Delilah S., & Kevin Hearne : No Country for Old Gnomes
(Del Rey 978-1-5247-9777-5, $28, 416pp, hardcover, April 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Apr 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781524797782
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780525593683
The Tales of Pell #2

Satirical fantasy novel, second in a series following Kill the Farm Boy (2018).
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
Publishers Weekly said of the first book, “There’s a Pratchettian humor at play here, manifesting in frequent pun wars, silly songs, and an underlying level of societal absurdity—everyone takes cheese rather seriously, for instance.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Donnelly, Lara Elena : Amnesty
(Tor 978-1250173621, $18.99, 384pp, trade paperback, April 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Apr 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250173614
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250203250
Amberlough Dossier #3

Alternate history spy thriller, third in a series following Amberlough (2017) and Armastice (2018), about espionage in the film industry.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
Publishers Weekly gave the previous book a starred review: “Donnelly has successfully built upon her intricate, lush world of passionate spies and shadowy turncoats, and each character leaps off the page in this satisfying novel that succeeds on both grand and intimate scales.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Egan, Greg : Perihelion Summer
(Tor.com 978-1-250-31378-2, $14.99, 216pp, trade paperback, April 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Apr 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250313775

Short SF novel about the close passage of a small black hole to the Earth and its effects on conditions of life around the globe.
• Macmillan’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Egan’s rapid-fire plot, full of convincing scientific detail, and his sympathetically drawn characters of various races and backgrounds make this a vivid commentary both on societies’ stubborn refusal to face an environmental threat and individuals’ determination to survive it.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Gwynne, John : A Time of Blood
(Orbit 978-0316502276, $16.99, 512pp, trade paperback, April 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Apr 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780316502283
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781549120091
UK edition: 978-1509812981 (Thu 18 Apr 2019)
Of Blood and Bone #2

Fantasy novel, second of a trilogy following A Time of Dread (2018), about two individuals who challenge the rule by a race of warrior-angels of the Banished lands.
• Hachette’s site has this description with an excerpt.
Publishers Weekly said of the first book, “Gwynne relies on some of the currently popular elements of high fantasy—blurred lines between good and evil, a willingness to kill off significant characters—but avoids much of the cynicism that reduces epic struggles to mere realpolitik.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Jones, Gwyneth : Big Cat and Other Stories
(UK: Newcon Press 978-1-912950-16-4, $15.99, 240pp, trade paperback, April 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Apr 2019

Collection of 11 stories, one original to this book.
• Newcon’s site has this description and order page.
• The book is also available directly from Amazon.com.

• Purchase this book from Amazon

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* Kenyon, Kay : Nest of the Monarch
(Saga Press 978-1-5344-2973-4, $24.99, 448pp, hardcover, April 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Apr 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781534429758
Dark Talents #3

Alternate history fantasy novel, third in a series following At the Table of Wolves (2017) and Serpent in the Heather (2018), about a woman with paranormal powers undercover in Nazi Berlin.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description.
Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “A rich cast of diverse characters and near-catastrophic escapes amid searing prewar tensions keep the pages of this outstanding historical fantasy turning.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Newman, Emma : Atlas Alone
(Ace 978-0-399-58734-4, $16, 320pp, trade paperback, April 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Apr 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780399587351
Planetfall #4

SF novel, fourth in a series following Planetfall (2015), After Atlas (2016), and Before Mars (2018), about a woman who uses a ‘mersive’ game to pursue the identify those who ordered the nuclear attack that destroyed Earth.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with a preview function.
Publishers Weekly gives this a starred review: “This winning combination of intriguing mystery and inventive SF richly rewards Newman’s longtime readers and will lure others to the series.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Resnick, Mike : The Master of Dreams
(DAW 978-0-7564-1384-2, $26, 304pp, hardcover, April 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Apr 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780756413866
The Dreamscape Trilogy #1

Fantasy novel, first book in a trilogy, about a Manhattan man who finds himself pursued to Casablanca, Oz, then Camelot.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Strahan, Jonathan, ed. : The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year Volume Thirteen
(Solaris 978-1781085769, $19.99, 672pp, trade paperback, April 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Apr 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: B07PSNBK3B
Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: B07QFG22B7

Anthology of 30 science fiction and fantasy stories first published in 2018.
• Authors include Ursula K. Le Guin, Annalee Newitz, Jeffrey Ford, John Crowley, and Ken Liu.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews, including the table of contents.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Zahn, Timothy : Knight
(Tor 978-0-7653-2967-7, $24.99, 336pp, hardcover, April 2019)
Nominal Publication Date: Tue 16 Apr 2019
Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781429946551
Sybil’s War #2

SF novel, second in a series following Pawn (2017), about a young woman abducted by aliens to work among human repair crews aboard an alien starship.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Zahn’s showcasing of nonviolent solutions is unusual, especially in space opera, and will draw readers looking for a change.”

• 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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