New Books : 7 April 2020

New titles this week are by Henri Bosco, Rae Carson, Hank Davis & Christopher Ruocchio, John Gwynne, Laurell K. Hamilton & William McCaskey, Tim Lebbon, Corry L. Lee, Louisa Morgan, Larry Niven/Jerry Pournelle/Steven Bares, Veronica Roth, Emily Strutskie, Caroline Stevermer, Dan Stout, and Danielle Trussoni.

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* Bosco, Henri : Malicroix
(New York Review Books 978-1-68137-410-9, $17.95, 288pp, trade paperback, April 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Apr 2020

Historical novel with Gothic elements, first published in 1948 and available in English now for the first time, translated by Joyce Zonana. It’s about a man obliged to occupy a remote house on an island in the Rhône for three months in order to inherit it.
• The publisher’s site has this description.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Bosco’s atmospheric investigation of the relationship between environment and mentality successfully merges haunted-house tropes and high modernism.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Carson, Rae : The Empire of Dreams
(Greenwillow 978-0-06-269190-3, $18.99, 448pp, hardcover, April 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Apr 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780062691927
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780062964946

Fantasy novel, a stand-alone set in the world of the author’s Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, about an orphan named Red Sparkle Stone who joins the Royal Guard.
• HarperCollins’ site has this description with a sample.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Exhibiting clear signs of PTSD and carefully honed survival skills, Red is a realistically complex heroine, and her journey to belonging and healing feels genuinely depicted.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Davis, Hank, & Christopher Ruocchio, eds. : Overruled
(Baen 978-1-9821-2450-2, $16, 400pp, trade paperback, April 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Apr 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-62579-762-9

Anthology of 18 reprinted stories about the future of jurisprudence.
• Authors include Robert A. Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, Larry Niven, Robert Silverberg, and Clifford D. Simak.
• Baen’s site has this description and a page of sample chapters.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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+ Gwynne, John : A Time of Courage
(Orbit 978-0316502313, $17.99, 720pp, trade paperback, April 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Apr 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780316502290
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781549150364
• Of Blood & Bone #3

Fantasy novel, third in a series following A Time of Dread (2018) and A Time of Blood (2019), about the fate of the Banished lands.
• Hachette’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The UK hardcover edition was published April 2nd.
• 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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* Hamilton, Laurell K., & William McCaskey, eds. : Fantastic Hope
(Berkley 978-0-593-09920-9, $17, 432pp, trade paperback, April 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Apr 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780593099216
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780593216118

Anthology of 18 original stories with happy endings.
• Authors include Patricia Briggs, Kevin J. Anderson, Larry Correia, Michael Z. Williamson, and Sharon Shinn.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Though the one-note optimism is best in small doses, this heartwarming anthology offers a temporary reprieve from reality.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Lebbon, Tim : Eden
(Titan 978-1-78909-293-6, $14.95, 384pp, trade paperback, April 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Apr 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781789092943

SF/horror thriller about one of several Virgin Zones, areas of land given back to nature in a world otherwise nearly destroyed.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “Lebbon excels at building a world that is both wondrous and deeply unsettling…”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Lee, Corry L. : Weave the Lightning
(Solaris 978-1781087909, $11.99, 400pp, trade paperback, April 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Apr 2020

Russian-inspired fantasy novel, the author’s first novel, about a military son and a circus performer who both struggle to hide their magical powers.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Morgan, Louisa : The Age of Witches
(Redhook 978-0-316-41951-2, $28, 448pp, hardcover, April 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Apr 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780316419505
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781549150487

Fantasy novel about two magical families in Gilded Age New York.
• Hachette’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Readers will root for these powerful women as they struggle to overcome the social limitations of their time, whether through magic or force of personality.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Niven, Larry, Jerry Pournelle & Steven Barnes : Starborn & Godsons
(Baen 978-1-9821-2448-9, $25, 416pp, hardcover, April 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Apr 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-62579-760-5
• Heorot #3

SF novel, third in a series following The Legacy of Heorot (1987) and Beowulf’s Children (1995), about human colonists on the planet Avalon, as another group of humans calling themselves Godsons approaches.
• Baen’s site has this description and a page of samples.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “The ideological differences inevitably lead to clashes as tension between the humans mounts en route to the thrilling climax. This excellent series finale sticks the landing.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Roth, Veronica : Chosen Ones
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/John Joseph Adams 978-0-358-16408-1, $26.99, 432pp, hardcover, April 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Apr 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: B07SZBG91K
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: B084RL6ZDV

Fantasy novel, the author’s first adult novel, about one of five teenagers who is having trouble adjusting to normal life 10 years after the five saved the world from the Dark One.
• HMH’s site has this description with blurbs and quotes from reviews.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Roth handles heavy topics, including mental health and racism, with great care, and once the story picks up, readers will be delighted by both the magical adventure and the diverse cast. This is a thoughtful, well-crafted twist on a genre staple.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Skrutskie, Emily : Bonds of Brass
(Del Rey 978-0593128893, $27, 320pp, hardcover, April 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Apr 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780593128909
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780593167885
• The Bloodright Trilogy #1

SF novel, first in a trilogy, about a young pilot who falls in love with a man he discovers is heir to a brutal galactic empire.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Despite an out-of-the-blue twist at the end, Skrutskie’s sympathetic characters, perfectly-tuned pop-culture references, and harsh glimpses into the realities of empire and war keep the pages turning. This inspired tale will please fantasy fans and has cross-over YA appeal.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Stevermer, Caroline : The Glass Magician
(Tor 978-0-7653-3504-3, $26.99, 288pp, hardcover, April 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Apr 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781466820838

Fantasy novel about a stage magician in New York’s Gilded Age who discovers she can shapeshift.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Carolyn Cushman reviews it in the April issue of Locus Magazine: “Much is settled in the end, but enough niggling questions remain to offer hope of a sequel.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Stout, Dan : Titan’s Day
(DAW 978-0-7564-1489-4, $26, 432pp, hardcover, April 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Apr 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780756414917
• The Carter Archives #2

Fantasy novel, second in a series following Titanshade (2019), about an oil boomtown where the investors are amphibians known as Squibs.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with a preview function.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Stout’s detailed, impeccable worldbuilding and subtle characterizations are sure to captivate returning fans and new readers alike.”
• Carolyn Cushman reviews it in the April issue of Locus Magazine: “It’s a fascinating world, so different with its magic and mixed humanoid races, yet steeped in a familiar ’80s ambiance, and a classic jaded detective who still manages to care about his city and its people.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Trussoni, Danielle : The Ancestor
(William Morrow 978-0-06-291275-6, $27.99, 368pp, hardcover, April 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 7 Apr 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780062912794
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780062989864

Fantasy novel about a New York woman who travels to the Italian Alps where she has inherited a castle with a dark history.
• HarperCollins’s site has this description with a sample.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Trussoni plausibly and expertly combines an intense, darkly gothic narrative with elements of mystery, the paranormal, and legendary tales. This odyssey of monsters and family will enrapture readers.”

• 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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