New Books : 3 March 2020

New titles this week are by Matt Bechtel, Frank Chadwick, Cassandra Clare, Eric Flint & Ryk E. Spoor, Katie M. Flynn, Sarah Gailey, Michael Kelly, Chris Kluwe, Jean LeBlanc, Sarah J. Maas, Premee Mohamad, J.T. Nicholas, Marie O’Regan & Paul Kane, Tim Powers, K.M. Szpara, Peter Tieryas, K.B. Wagers, Cynthia Ward, Kawai Strong Washburn, and Jeff Wheeler.

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* Bechtel, Matt, ed. : The Dystopian States of America
(Haverhill House 978-1949140194, $19.95, 396pp, trade paperback, March 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Fri 28 Feb 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: B0859RQL2G

Anthology of 34 stories plus bridging passages, subtitled “A Charity Anthology Benefiting the ACLU Foundation.” Six stories are reprints, the rest originals.
• Authors include Jonathan Maberry, Chet Williamson, James A. Moore, Lucy A. Snyder, Tim Lebbon, and Elizabeth Massie.
• The publisher’s site has this announcement of the book with a list of contributors.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Chadwick, Frank : Ship of Destiny
(Baen 978-1-9821-2443-4, $16, 480pp, trade paperback, March 2020, cover art Don Maitz)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Mar 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-62579-759-9

SF novel about an armed transport hijacked by an alien ship across three thousand lightyears to encounter a previously unknown civilization.
• Baen’s site has this description with a link to a page of samples.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Clare, Cassandra : Chain of Gold
(Simon & Schuster/McElderry 978-1-4814-3187-3, $24.99, 624pp, hardcover, March 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Mar 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781481431897
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781442386402
• The Last Hours #1

Young adult fantasy novel, first in a new trilogy in the author’s Shadowhunters franchise.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “…Clare delivers a richly imagined fantasy rife with action, intrigue, and smoldering romance. A chilling cliffhanger sets up the sequel.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Flint, Eric, & Ryk E. Spoor : Castaway Resolution
(Baen 978-1-9821-2441-0, $25, 384pp, hardcover, March 2020, cover art Sam Kennedy)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Mar 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-62579-757-5
• Boundary #6

SF novel, sixth in a series following Boundary (2006), Threshold (2010), Portal (2013), Castaway Planet (2015), and Castaway Odyssey (2016), about colonists on a new world.
• Baen’s site has this description with a link to a page of samples.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Flynn, Katie M. : The Companions
(Gallery/Scout 978-1-982122-15-7, $27, 272pp, hardcover, March 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Mar 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781982122171
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781797104089

SF novel, the author’s first novel, set in a future quarantined California when the dead can be uploaded into machines either to stay with their families or to be rented out to strangers.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Told by eight voices over the course of 20 years, the overly busy narrative often threatens to overwhelm Lilac’s story. But by the end, Flynn’s vibrant characters movingly answer the oft-asked question, “What does it mean to be human?” This will satisfy fans of literary and science fiction alike.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Gailey, Sarah : When We Were Magic
(Simon Pulse 978-1-5344-3287-1, $18.99, 352pp, hardcover, March 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Mar 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781534432895

Young adult fantasy novel about six teenagers whose magic goes awry.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Overall, the story’s magical elements signify the exploration of insecurity, uncertainty, and self-acceptance surrounding identity and significant life changes (e.g., graduation, redefining friendships, and coming out) for this deeply inclusive group, which spans gender identities, ethnicities, and sexual orientations.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Kelly, Michael, ed. : Shadows & Tall Trees, Vol. 8
(Undertow Publications 978-1988964164, $20, 272pp, hardcover, March 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Mar 2020

Anthology of 18 original horror stories.
• Authors include Brian Evenson, M. Rickert, Steve Rasnic Tem, and Simon Strantzas.
• The publisher’s site has this page for the book with the table of contents.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Kluwe, Chris : Otaku
(Tor 978-1-250-20393-9, $26.99, 352pp, hardcover, March 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Mar 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250203977
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250264220

SF novel, the author’s first novel, about the residents of a future Ditchtown, built on the ruins of Miami, who participate in a virtual world called Infinite Game.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review calls it “an old-school cyberpunk adventure” and concludes, “Kluwe’s complex near-future politics are convincingly rendered, and fight scenes featuring the team blasting and blitzing its way through government buildings with missiles and swords will appeal to video game fans. This is a solidly entertaining romp.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* LeBlanc, Jean : Ancient Songs of Us
(Aqueduct Press 978-1-61976-181-0, $12, 86pp, trade paperback, March 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Sun 1 Mar 2020

Collection of 69 poems, three previously published.
• This is the 73rd volume in the publisher’s “Conversation Pieces” series of short paperbacks.
• The publisher’s site has this order page.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Maas, Sarah J. : House of Earth and Blood
(Bloomsbury 978-1-63557-404-3, $28, 816pp, hardcover, March 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Mar 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781635574050
• Crescent City #1

Fantasy novel, first in a series, about a half-Fae and half-human young woman pursuing revenge against the demon who murdered her friends.
• Bloomsbury’s site has this description with quotes from reviews.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Maas’s adult readers and fans of Charlaine Harris will devour this ambitious, emotionally charged contemporary fantasy.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Mohamad, Premee : Beneath the Rising
(Solaris 978-1-78108-786-2, $11.99, 416pp, trade paperback, March 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Mar 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-78618-273-9

Fantasy novel, the author’s first novel, about two childhood friends, the invention of a clean reactor that could elimiate fossil fuels, and evil Ancient ones set on subjugating humanity.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description with blurbs from Chuck Wending, Adrian Tchaikovsky, and numerous others.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Nicholas, J. T. : Re-Coil
(Titan 978-1-78909-313-1, $14.95, 384pp, trade paperback, March 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Mar 2020

SF novel set in a future solar system when humans avoid death by transferring their consciousness to new bodies called coils.
• Titan’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• The Publishsers Weekly review comments, “Nicholas leavens his cynical noir ethos with a genuine connection between Langston and Chan; a sensitive, albeit rudimentary, exploration of the identity politics that would arise from humans frequently swapping bodies; and unexpected, if somewhat naive, optimism about corporate integrity,”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* O’Regan, Marie, & Paul Kane, eds. : Cursed: An Anthology of Dark Fairy Tales
(Titan 978-1-78909-150-2, $14.95, trade paperback, March 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Mar 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-78909-151-9

Anthology of 18 stories and 2 poems about curses. Six of the stories are reprints, the balance originals.
• Authors include Jane Yolen, Neil Gaiman, Karen Joy Fowler, Charlie Jane Anders, Michael Marshall Smith, and Margo Lanagan.
• Titan’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Readers won’t have to be Brothers Grimm fans to appreciate this dark mélange.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Powers, Tim : Forced Perspectives
(Baen 978-1-9821-2440-3, 384pp, hardcover, March 2020, cover art Adam Burn)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Mar 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-62579-756-8
• Vickery and Castine #2
• SF Encyclopedia: Tim Powers

Urban fantasy novel, second in a series following Alternate Routes (2018), about two federal agents investigating the supernatural secrets of Los Angeles.
• Baen’s site has this description with a link to a page of samples.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “This labyrinthine tale of the bizarre and fantastic will grip urban fantasy enthusiasts until the end.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Szpara, K. M. : Docile
(Tor.com 978-1-250-21615-1, $27.99, 496pp, hardcover, March 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Mar 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250216144
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250219251

SF novel, the author’s first novel, set in a near future when people can sell themselves into sexual slavery — to become a Docile — via a drug called Dociline.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “This queer dystopia is an arresting, disturbing, and ultimately satisfying challenge.”
• Liz Bourke reviewed it in the February issue of Locus Magazine: “As it is, the fact that both main characters are men allows Szpara to examine the power dynamics inherent in his premise without the obscuring curtain of patriarchy. I’m not entirely sure he succeeds, but like it or loathe it, there’s no denying that Docile is trying to ask interesting questions about capitalism and consent.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Tieryas, Peter : Cyber Shogun Revolution
(Ace 978-0-451-49101-5, $16, 352pp, trade paperback, March 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Mar 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780451491022
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780593165904
• United States of Japan #3

Alternate history military SF novel, third in a series following United States of Japan (2016, Angry Robot) and Mecha Samurai Empire (Ace, 2018) set in a world where Japan won the Second World War, about a young man whose dream is to become a mecha pilot.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Though this novel works as a standalone, some familiarity with mecha mechanics is helpful. Series fans will be entertained.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Wagers, K. B. : A Pale Light in the Black
(Harper Voyager 978-0-06-288778-8, $26.99, 432pp, hardcover, March 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Mar 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780062887801
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780062940360
• NeoG #1

SF novel, first in a series, about Near-Earth Orbital Guard—NeoG–a military space patrol inspired by the US Coast Guard.
• HarperCollins site has this description with a sample.
• The Publishers Weekly review calls it a “fun, feel-good space opera” and concludes, “This effortlessly entertaining novel is sure to have readers coming back for the next installment.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Ward, Cynthia : The Adventure of the Naked Guide
(Aqueduct Press 978-1619761797, $12, 116pp, trade paperback, March 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Mon 24 Feb 2020

Fantasy vampire novel, third in a series following The Adventure of the Incognita Countess (2017) and The Adventure of the Dux Bellorum (2018), in which Dracula’s daughter pursues her missing mother in a hollow Earth.
• This is the 74th volume in the publisher’s “Conversation Pieces” series of short paperbacks.
• Aqueduct’s site has this description.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Washburn, Kawai Strong : Sharks in the Time of Saviors
(Farrar, Straus and Giroux/MCD 978-0-374-27208-1, $27, 384pp, hardcover, March 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 3 Mar 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780374720773

Fantasy novel, the author’s first novel, about a 7-year-old girl falls overboard a cruise ship and is rescued by sharks, seemingly blessed by the ancient Hawaiian gods.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review calls it a “standout debut [that] provides a vivid portrait of Hawaiian identity, mythology, and diaspora.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Wheeler, Jeff : The Killing Fog
(47north 978-1542015011, $14.95, 411pp, trade paperback, March 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Sun 1 Mar 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: B07RJQPB63
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 978-1799716891
• The Grave Kingdom #1

Fantasy novel, first in a series, about a mercenary whose mission to retrieve treasures from a lost palace awakens an ancient evil emperor.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “…the threat of the fog looming in the background adds atmosphere and tension, and the plot kicks into high gear when Fusang is discovered, giving rise to mystery and an excruciatingly human moral dilemma. This excellent introduction to the prolific Wheeler’s work will appeal to fans of Asian-influenced fantasy.”

• 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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