New Books : 9 June 2020

New books this week are by Taylor Anderson, Grace Draven, Laurie Forest, Mercedes Lackey, Adam McOmber, Kelly McWilliams, Ursula Pflug, Luanne G. Smith, and Carrie Vaughn.

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* Anderson, Taylor : Destroyermen: Winds of Wrath
(Ace 978-0399587566, $27, 544pp, hardcover, June 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 9 Jun 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780399587573
• Destroyermen #15

Alternate history SF novel, fifteenth and final novel in the “Destroyermen” series following Into the Storm (2009), Crusade, Maelstrom, Distant Thunders, Rising Tides, Firestorm, Iron Gray Sea (2012), Storm Surge (2013), Deadly Shores (2014), Straits of Hell (2015), Blood in the Water (2016), Devil’s Due (2017), River of Bones (2018), and Pass of Fire (2019), about a World War II US battleship transported back in time to an era when two intelligent dinosaur species are fighting a war.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Anderson successfully juggles the various fronts and the large cast while also providing the best battle sequences in the series. Readers following the adventures of this ‘rusty old ship’ will be pleased to find that its success is due less to its armament and more to the honor and loyalty of its displaced destroyermen and women. Anderson sends the series out with a bang.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Draven, Grace : Dragon Unleashed
(Ace 978-0-451-48977-7, $16, 416pp, trade paperback, June 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 9 Jun 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780451489784
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780593153376
• The Fallen Empire #2

Romantic fantasy novel, second in a series following Phoenix Unbound (2018), about a young woman whose has the power to survive immolation.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “The intimate focus on this slow-burning love story leaves little space for exploration of the larger fantasy world, but the characters are endearing and their mutual respect is palpable. Draven’s fans will be pleased by this entertaining if slow-moving series installment.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Forest, Laurie : The Shadow Wand
(Harlequin/Inkyard Press 978-1335015297, $20.99, 640pp, hardcover, June 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 9 Jun 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781488056901
• The Black Witch Chronicles #3

Young adult fantasy novel, third in a series following The Black Witch (2017) and The Iron Flower (2018), about a young woman, secretly the Black Witch of Prophecy, on the run from her enemies.
• Harlequin’s site has this description with a preview.
• Publishers Weekly gave the first book a starred review: “Exquisite character work, an elaborate mythology, and a spectacularly rendered universe make this a noteworthy debut, which argues passionately against fascism and xenophobia.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Lackey, Mercedes : Spy, Spy Again
(DAW 978-0756413231, $27, 352pp, hardcover, June 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 9 Jun 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780756413255
• Valdemar: Family Spies #3

Fantasy novel, third in a series following The Hills Have Spies (2018) and Eye Spy (2019), set in the world of Valdemar.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* McOmber, Adam : Jesus and John
(Lethe 978-1-59021-673-6, $15, 234pp, trade paperback, June 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Sun 7 Jun 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: B088PYP1DH

Horror novel that tells the resurrection of Jesus as a zombie story.
• Lethe’s site has this description with quotes from reviews.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “McOmber excels at crafting chilling revelations that are genuinely surprising even within this strange, hypnotic world. Fans of weird fiction will enjoy this uncanny, mystical tale.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* McWilliams, Kelly : Agnes at the End of the World
(Little, Brown 978-0316487337, $17.99, 432pp, hardcover, June 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 9 Jun 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780316487306
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781549101885

Young adult sf novel about a girl who escapes a dangerous cult only to discover that the outside world is being ravaged by a viral pandemic.
• Hachette’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Strong apocalyptic worldbuilding alternates with dialogue-laden scenes, while minor characters, such as the Burn Squad captain charged with eradicating nests, move the plot forward in absorbing and dynamic ways.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Pflug, Ursula : Seeds and Other Stories
(Inanna Publications 978-1-77133-745-8, $22.95, 320pp, trade paperback, June 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Fri 5 Jun 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-77133-746-5

Collection of 26 stories and poems.
• The publisher’s site has this description with blurbs from Matthew Cheney, Candas Jane Dorsey, and others.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Pflug’s careful, detailed worldbuilding is beautiful and the recurring motifs of nature, portals to other worlds (‘Mother Down the Well,’ ‘The Lonely Planey Guide to Other Dimensions,’ ‘Myrtle’s Mania’), and personal notebooks (‘The Dark Lake,’ ‘The Meaning of Yellow’) make the collection feel cohesive and powerful.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Smith, Luanne G. : The Glamourist
(47North 978-1-5420-1961-3, 285pp, trade paperback, June 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 9 Jun 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: B07WZG2VC4
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 978-1799748205
• The Vine Witch #2

Historical fantasy novel, second in a series following The Vine Witch (2019), about a young witch in turn-of-the-century France.
• Amazon’s page has a description and its “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Though the plot is propulsive, the premise of the unintentional wish feels contrived and the mechanics of its magic are never fully explained. High fantasy readers will enjoy this fast-paced page-turner, though they’ll long for tighter worldbuilding.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Vaughn, Carrie : The Ghosts of Sherwood
(Tor.com 978-1-250-75211-6, $12.99, 112pp, trade paperback, June 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 9 Jun 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250752109
• The Robin Hood Stories #1

Fantasy novella, first in a series, about the children of Robin Hood and Marian.
• Macmillan’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• Publishsers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Vaughn’s masterful worldbuilding and lovable cast promise more good things to come in future adventures.”

• 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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