New Books : 11 August 2020

New books this week are by Brian D. Anderson, Andy Briggs, Christopher Brown, Curtis Craddock, Julie E. Czerneda, Seb Doubinsky, Rik Hoskin, David Mack, Brian Naslund, Lavie Tidhar, and Gene Wolfe.

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* Anderson, Brian D. : A Chorus of Fire
(Tor 978-1250214669, $18.99, 448pp, trade paperback, August 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 11 Aug 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250214652
• The Sorcerer’s Song #2

Fantasy novel, second in a series following The Bard’s Blade (Jan. 2020), about impending war in the land of Lamoria.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly said of the first book, “Anderson’s leisurely pace and careful worldbuilding leave plenty to be explored in further installments. This solid first foray into the land of Lamoria offers enough intrigue to entice readers back.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Briggs, Andy : Ctrl+S
(Orbit 978-1-4091-8465-2, $13.99, 416pp, trade paperback, August 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 11 Aug 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781409184669
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781409186472

SF novel about a virtual-sensory universe where the wealthy prey on the harvested emotions of ordinary people.
• Orion UK’s site has this description. This seems to be a UK edition available through Amazon.com; it’s not listed on any American publisher’s site.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Fans of virtual reality–set sci-fi will find this a solidly entertaining offering.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Brown, Christopher : Failed State
(Harper Voyager 978-0-06-285910-5, $16.99, 384pp, trade paperback, August 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 11 Aug 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780062859129
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780063012912
• Dystopian Lawyer #2

SF legal thriller, second in a series following Rule of Capture (2019), set in an America on the brink of civil war.
• HarperCollins’ site has this description with a link to a sample.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “The scenes of sunken New Orleans are vivid and will keep the pages turning to an overloaded climax that nevertheless sets things up nicely for the next volume. Readers will be eager to see it.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Craddock, Curtis : The Last Uncharted Sky
(Tor 978-0-7653-8965-7, $32.5, 448pp, hardcover, August 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 11 Aug 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780765389671
• The Risen Kingdoms #3

Fantasy novel, third in a trilogy following An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors (2017) and A Labyrinth of Scions and Sorcery (2019), about courtly intrigue in a magical kingdom.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “The sophisticated, action-packed plot is rendered in vivid prose and enhanced by philosophical and spiritual questions as the richly imagined world wrestles with the concept of a religious savior. Craddock’s superior worldbuilding sweats the small stuff, including juicy details that make this world feel lived-in. This is a spectacular series ender.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Czerneda, Julie E. : Mirage
(DAW 978-0756415600, $26, 432pp, hardcover, August 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 11 Aug 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780756415624
• Web Shifter’s Library #2

SF novel, second in a series following Search Image (2018), about the shapeshifting alien Esen.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Doubinsky, Seb : Invisible
(Meerkat Press 978-1946154279, $14.95, 246pp, trade paperback, August 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 11 Aug 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1946154286
• The City-States Cycle #8

Dystopian SF novel, latest in a series following Missing Signal (2018), about an election in New Babylon, where an hallucinogenic drug called Synth is spreading.
• Meerkat’s site has this description, which notes that the book was originally scheduled for May publication.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Hoskin, Rik : Bystander 27
(Angry Robot 978-0-85766-859-2, $14.99, 400pp, trade paperback, August 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 11 Aug 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780857668608

Fantasy novel about super-powered “costumes” in New York City.
• Angry Robot’s site has this description.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “… Those willing to look past these flaws will find Hoskin’s pessimistic narrative voice bleakly transfixing, and his quickly paced plot will keep readers guessing until the very last page. This is an enjoyably meta, if unoriginal, take on comic book staples.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Mack, David : The Shadow Commission
(Tor 978-0-7653-8323-5, $21.99, 352pp, trade paperback, August 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 11 Aug 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781466890862
• Dark Arts #3

Alternate history fantasy novel, third in a series following The Midnight Front (2018) and The Iron Codex (2019), about Nazi sorcerers and the Allies’ secret magical warfare program.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review comments, “The whirlwind of warfare that follows is action-packed, but the graphic violence and high body count overtake character development.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Naslund, Brian : Sorcery of a Queen
(Tor 978-1250309662, $30.99, 480pp, hardcover, August 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 11 Aug 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250309655
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250755315
• Dragons of Terra #2

Fantasy novel, second in a series following Blood of an Exile (2019), about a would-be queen trying to master sorcery.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt. There’s also a trade paperback edition (9781250309679).
• Publishers Weekly said of the first book, “Amid the story’s ecological concerns, the landscape presents as many dangers and opportunities for Bershad and his companions as the human characters do. This opener makes a solid start for what readers will hope is an expansive series.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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+ Tidhar, Lavie : By Force Alone
(Tor 978-1-250-75345-8, $27.99, 416pp, hardcover, August 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 11 Aug 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250753472
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250767127

Fantasy novel, a subversive retelling of the Arthurian myth.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The UK edition appeared in March.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Readers who hold King Arthur dear to their hearts will be gratified by Tidhar’s attention to detail amidst the innovation. This dark, imaginative take on a classic is sure to impress.”
• Gary K. Wolfe reviewed it in the June issue of Locus Magazine: “By Force Alone – a phrase that recurs like a mantra throughout the narrative, reminding us that power is never really a matter of heritage or destiny – serves as a reminder that Arthur is a moveable feast, infinitely adaptable even to the era of Brexit and Trump. If Tidhar’s version seems pretty bleak, even as its endless inventiveness makes it undeniably exhilarating, that may simply be a reflection of where we all find ourselves these days.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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+ Wolfe, Gene : The Wizard Knight
(Tor Essentials 978-1250237446, $19.99, 912pp, trade paperback, August 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 11 Aug 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250791610

Omnibus edition of the work originally published in two volumes, The Knight (Jan. 2004) and The Wizard (Nov. 2004), about a young man transported to a magical realm.
• The omnibus was published by Gollancz in the UK in 2005. This US edition has a new introduction by Yves Meynard.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt. This is the latest book in the publisher’s Tor Essentials series of classic works.
• Publishers Weekly gave both 2004 volumes starred reviews; of the second, this review said “This is fantasy at its best: revelatory and inspirational.” and “This is far more accessible than his earlier multivolume masterpiece, The Book of the New Sun (1980–1983).”

• 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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