New Books : 5 November 2019
Locus‘s own Tim Pratt and Gary K. Wolfe both have new titles out this week!
New titles this week are by Mirah Bolender, Dave Butler & Aaron Michael Ritchey, David Carrico, John Crowley, Eric Flint & Walter H. Hunt, Kel Kade, E.E. Knight, Sara B. Larson, Kristyn Merbeth, Erin Morgenstern, Daniel José Older, Jerry Pournelle (edited by John F. Carr), Tim Pratt, Shannon Price, Jennifer Roberson, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Neal Shusterman, Rivers Solomon with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson & Jonathan Snipes, Adrian Tchaikovsky, C.M. Waggoner, Walter Jon Williams, and Gary K. Wolfe
* Bolender, Mirah : The Monstrous Citadel
(Tor 978-1-250-16929-7, $18.99, 416pp, trade paperback, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250169280
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250243607
• Chronicles of Amicae #2
Fantasy novel, second in a series following City of Broken Magic (2018), about a bomb squad that defuses magic weapons.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Intricately crafted and exhilarating, this is a worthy continuation of the series with a denouement that promises more danger to come.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Butler, Dave, & Aaron Michael Ritchey : The Cunning Man
(Baen 978-1-9821-2416-8, $16, 320pp, trade paperback, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-62579-742-1
Fantasy novel about a Depression-era man who uses his grandmother’s magic to fight a malignant spirit in a coal mine.
• Baen’s site has this description with a link to several samples.
• The Publishers Weeky review concludes, “Though some story elements resolve too quickly, the richly imagined magic system and glimpses of Mormon culture create a fully realized world. Historical fantasy fans will delight in the zigzagging plot of this mystery.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Carrico, David : 1636: Flight of the Nightingale
(Baen 978-1-9821-2418-2, $16, 336pp, trade paperback, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-62579-744-5
• Ring of Fire #28
Two short alternate history novels in the “Ring of Fire” series that began with Flint’s 1632 (2000), concerning 17th century European history as affected by West Virginians from the 20th century.
• Baen’s site has this description with a link to a page of samples.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Crowley, John : And Go Like This
(Small Beer Press 978-1-61873-163-0, $25, 300pp, hardcover, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781618731647
Collection of 13 stories from the past 20 years of the author’s career.
• Small Beer’s site has this description with the table of contents.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Crowley’s overall style is utterly engrossing, with prose that treats a sun-washed rural road or a software box with the honor and admiration due a sacred relic.”
• Gary K. Wolfe reviewed the book in the October issue of Locus Magazine: “The one new story, ‘Anosognosia’, is also one of the best, echoing Crowley classics like ‘Snow’ in its evocation of the choices our lives are made of. … It’s worth the price of the book, but then so is ‘The Girlhood of Shakespeare’s Heroines’. Sometime in the past, Crowley made the right choice.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Flint, Eric, & Walter H. Hunt : Council of Fire
(Baen 978-1-982124-15-1, $25, 480pp, hardcover, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-62579-741-4
• Arcane America #2
Alternate history fantasy novel, second in a series following Uncharted: Lewis and Clark in Arcane America by Kevin J. Anderson and Sarah A. Hoyt (2018), in which America has been sundered from the rest of the world after the magical destruction of Halley’s Comet in 1759.
• Baen’s site has this description and a page with links to samples.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Readers will enjoy the smart worldbuilding and historical details of colonial shipping, political conflict, race relations, and Native cultures.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Kade, Kel : Fate of the Fallen
(Tor 978-1-250-29379-4, $25.99, 352pp, hardcover, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250293800
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250241894
• Shroud of Prophecy #1
Fantasy novel, first in a series, about two men who discover that saving the world isn’t as easy as it sounds in stories.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Kade’s arch humor, clever trope subversion, and skillfully drawn characters keep the story moving along…”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Knight, E. E. : Novice Dragoneer
(Ace 978-1-984804-06-8, $16, 512pp, trade paperback, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-984804-07-5
• Dragoneer Academy #1
Fantasy novel, first in a series, about a girl entering the military order of dragoneers.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “While Ileth is young and her story will have crossover YA appeal, her emotional maturity and resilience make her exploits accessible to older readers. Despite hints at an ambitious larger universe, the focus remains narrowly trained on Ileth, leaving much to be explored. This leisurely paced, episodic adventure is a promising series opener.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Larson, Sara B. : Sisters of Shadow and Light
(Tor Teen 978-1-250-20840-8, $17.99, 368pp, hardcover, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250208392
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250243409
Young adult fantasy novel about two sisters trapped in a magical citadel.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Larson leaves room for a sequel, which will hopefully explore interpersonal dynamics and fully develop plot threads introduced in this volume.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Merbeth, Kristyn : Fortuna
(Orbit 978-0-316-45399-8, $15.99, 560pp, trade paperback, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780316454001
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781549100000
• The Nova Vita Protocol #1
SF novel, first book in a space opera trilogy, about a young woman running a smuggling operation on the cargo ship Fortuna, and her brother’s involvement in a smuggling deal that turns deadly.
• Hachette’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Merbeth’s multiple narrators and plotlines converge beautifully into a suspenseful tale of family. The characters are distinct and grounded, and each interaction is filled with purpose and emotion that brings all of them, regardless of differences, into the fray together.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Morgenstern, Erin : The Starless Sea
(Doubleday 978-0-385-54121-3, $28.95, 512pp, hardcover, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-0-385-54122-0
Fantasy novel about a graduate student who discovers a series of clues that lead him to an ancient subterranean library.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “This love letter to bibliophiles is dreamlike and uncanny, grounded in deeply felt emotion, and absolutely thrilling.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Older, Daniel José : The Book of Lost Saints
(Imprint 978-1-250-18581-5, $26.99, 336pp, hardcover, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250185822
Fantasy novel in which a visit from the spirit of his aunt prompts a Cuban-American man to investigate her disappearance during the Cuban Revolution.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Older’s descriptions of Cuba, both past and present, are thoroughly transportive. This moving story of family and freedom is sure to captivate readers.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Pournelle, Jerry, edited by John F. Carr : The Best of Jerry Pournelle
(Baen 978-1-982124-17-5, $16, 576pp, trade paperback, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-62579-743-8
Collection of stories and essays, including 14 stories by Pournelle (3 in collaboration) first published from 1971 to 2012.
• Baen’s site has this description and a page with links to several samples.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Carr, Pournelle’s longtime friend and assistant, contextualizes each story in brief introductions that provide a glimpse behind the scenes for fans and will help new readers navigate this extensive collection. Lovers of classic military speculative fiction will enjoy this walk back through a brilliant career.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Pratt, Tim : Miracles & Marvels: Stories
(Merry Blacksmith Press 978-1-69571-634-6, $15, 289pp, trade paperback, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
Collection of 17 stories.
• The author’s Kickstarter page describes the project.
• Niall Harrison’s review from the November issue of Locus Magazine is just posted here, discussing Patreon: “So Tim Pratt’s Miracles & Marvels, although a little uneven, is welcome on that front alone. Of its 17 stories, written between 2013 and this year, fully two-thirds originated with his Patreon, including several of the strongest – in fact, for my money, the average quality of the Patreon stories is higher than those solicited for anthologies.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Price, Shannon : A Thousand Fires
(Tor Teen 978-1250301994, $17.99, 304pp, hardcover, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250301987
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250243461
Young adult fantasy novel about a girl who joins an elite gang to avenge the death of her little brother by a rival gang.
• The author describes it as an update of The Iliad set in an alternate San Francisco.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Roberson, Jennifer : Life and Limb
(DAW 978-0-7564-1539-6, $26, 352pp, hardcover, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-0-7564-1540-2
• Blood and Bone #1
Fantasy novel set in the American west about a biker and a cowboy facing the apocalypse.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Schmidt, Bryan Thomas : Infinite Stars: Dark Frontiers
(Titan 978-1789092912, $24.95, 640pp, hardcover, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1789092929
Anthology of 26 space opera stories, a mix of originals and reprints. It’s second in a series of anthologies following Infinite Stars (2017).
• Authors include Robert A. Heinlein, Orson Scott Card, Gardner Dozois, George R.R. Martin, James Blish, and C.L. Moore; and Becky Chambers, Tanya Huff, Seanan McGuire, Mike Shepherd, and Kevin J. anderson.
• David Weber provides the introduction.
• Titan’s site has this description.
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Shusterman, Neal : The Toll
(Simon & Schuster 978-1-4814-9706-0, $19.99, 640pp, hardcover, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781481497084
Young adult SF novel, third in a series following Scythe (2016) and Thunderhead (2018), set in a future Earth in which humans can be easily revived and are only truly dead when killed by scythes to keep the population under control.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “The stellar conclusion to Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe trilogy is a gripping adventure that never stops building momentum as it refocuses the books on a grander scale. With a surprising amount of humor for the large body count, it elevates and deepens the series with a gently optimistic examination of the fine human line between utopia and dystopia.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Solomon, Rivers, Daveed Diggs, William Hutson & Jonathan Snipes: The Deep
(Saga Press 978-1-5344-3986-3, $19.99, 176pp, hardcover, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781534439887
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781508280286
Short fantasy novel, inspired by the rap group Clipping, about a society of water-breathing descendants of African slave women tossed overboard.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Solomon interrogates the devastations of slavery without ever showing a white perspective, in a tour de force reorientation of the storytelling gaze. This superb, multilayered work will speak to any empathetic reader, and be best appreciated by those steeped in its cultural and artistic context.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Tchaikovsky, Adrian : Made Things
(Tor.com 978-1-250-23299-1, $14.99, 190pp, trade paperback, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-250-23298-4
Short dark fantasy novel about an orphaned puppet-maker, now street thief, accompanied by two wood and metal homonculi.
• Macmillan’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Tchaikovsky makes expert use of the novella form to tell a self-contained story, and the dashingly roguish cast, clever prose, …and well-placed moments of heartfelt emotion are sure to delight.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Waggoner, C. M. : Unnatural Magic
(Ace 978-1-984805-84-3, $16, 400pp, trade paperback, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-984805-85-0
Fantasy novel, the author’s first novel, about a young woman, denied entry to a magical academy, who sails to a new land and becomes involved in a series of murders of trolls.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Waggoner avoids playing into easy genre conventions with consistently surprising twists and intricate depictions of the specificities of troll and human culture in this world.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Williams, Walter Jon : Quillifer the Knight
(Saga Press 978-1-4814-9001-6, $16.99, 544pp, trade paperback, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781481490023
• Quillifer #2
Epic fantasy novel, second in a series following Quillifer (2017), about a young man forced to seek his fortune with a gang of bandits.
• Simon and Schuster’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Williams eases away from the picaresque form of the previous installment to provide more of a through line; each of Quillifer’s adventures embroils him further in Duisland’s politics as the kingdom prepares for war and a treasonous plot brews around the queen’s sister, Floria.”
• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound
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* Wolfe, Gary K., ed. : American Science Fiction: Eight Classic Novels of the 1960s, Volumes 1 & 2
(Library Of America 978-1-59853-635-5, $75, 1500pp, hardcover, November 2019)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 5 Nov 2019
Two-volume boxed set of eight SF novels first published in the 1960s: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, The High Crusade by Poul Anderson, Way Station by Clifford D. Simak, …And Call Me Conrad (aka This Immortal) by Roger Zelazny, Picnic on Paradise by Joanna Russ, Nova by Samuel R. Delany, Past Master by R.A. Lafferty, and Emphyrio by Jack Vance.
• Library of America has this description
• The two volumes are available separately: Volume 1, “>Volume 2.
• 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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