New Books : 1 September 2020

New books this week are by Tim Akers, Cassandra Clare & Wesley Chu, Larry Correia, Maria Dahvana Headley, Gerry Huntman, Alice James, Stephen Graham Jones, R.B. Lemberg, Juliet Marillier, Seanan McGuire, James Lawrence Powell, Bob Proehl, and William Schafer.

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* Akers, Tim : Knight Watch
(Baen 978-1-9821-2485-4, $15.99, 320pp, trade paperback, September 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 1 Sep 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-62579-793-3

Fantasy novel about a visitor to a Ren Faire who is recruited into a secret organization called the Knight Watch.
• Baen’s site has this description and this page linking several sample chapters.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Clare, Cassandra, & Wesley Chu : The Lost Book of the White
(McElderry 978-1481495127, $24.99, 400pp, hardcover, September 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 1 Sep 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781481495141
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781508232261
• The Eldest Curses #2

Young adult fantasy novel, second in a series following The Red Scrolls of Magic (2019), about Magnus Bane, Alec Lightwood, and their warlock son Max.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description.
• Publishers Weekly said of the first book, “Magnus and Alec’s swoon-worthy romance explores the transformative power of love, while abundant action drives the tale to a harrowing finish.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Correia, Larry : Destroyer of Worlds
(Baen 978-1-982124-84-7, $25, 416pp, hardcover, September 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 1 Sep 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1-62579-776-6
• Saga of the Forgotten Warrior #3

Epic fantasy novel, third in a series following Son of the Black Sword (2015) and House of Assassins (2019), about an elite warrior.
• Baen’s site has this description and this page with links to several sample chapters.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “The inevitable fight scenes are just as epic as fans expect. Packed with action, grit, and Ashok’s own grim sarcasm, Correia’s latest is sure to satisfy.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Headley, Maria Dahvana : Beowulf: A New Translation
(Macmillan/MCD x FSG Originals 978-0-374110-031, $15, 176pp, trade paperback, August 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 25 Aug 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780374720155
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781250232182

New, feminist translation of the classic epic poem.
• Macmillan’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• Paul Guran reviews it in the September issue of Locus Magazine: “[Headley]’s made an ancient tale fresh, fun, and even more meaningful with this magnificent translation.”
• The author is interviewed in the same issue.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Huntman, Gerry : Guardian of the Sky Realms
(Meerkat Press 978-1946154378, $14.95, 216pp, trade paperback, September 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 1 Sep 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 978-1946154385
• Sky Realms Chronicles #1

Young adult fantasy novel, first in a series, about a girl from the Sydney suburbs who discovers a magical realm in the sky.
• The publisher’s site has this description and tour schedule.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* James, Alice : Grave Secrets
(Solaris 978-1781088616, $11.99, 300pp, trade paperback, September 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 1 Sep 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781786183415
• The Lavington Windsor Mysteries #1

Fantasy novel, first in a series, about a young woman who discovers her house in the English countryside is overrun with zombies and vampires.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description with quotes from reviews.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Jones, Stephen Graham : Night of the Mannequins
(Tor.com 978-1-250-75207-9, $13.99, 136pp, trade paperback, September 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 1 Sep 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781250752062

Horror novella about a teen prank in a movie theater that goes wrong.
• Macmillan’s site has this description.
• Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Balancing horror and humor, this novella puts a clever modern twist on a classic monster story.”
• Paula Guran reviewed it in the June issue of Locus Magazine: “The author’s touch is both deftly credible and amusing. Sawyer is a convincing and endearing protagonist. This serves to make the novella all the more disquieting. By the time the story crashes to its end, you may well have an empty feeling about inadvertent evil in your stomach and a hole in your heart as well.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Lemberg, R.B. : The Four Profound Weaves
(Tachyon Publications 978-1-61696-334-7, $14.95, 192pp, trade paperback, September 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 1 Sep 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781616963354

Fantasy novel, set in the author’s queer fantasy Birdverse universe, about two transgender elders who learn to weave to defeat an evil ruler.
• Tachyon’s site has this description with blurbs and quotes from reviews.
• Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Lemberg writes deeply considered, evocative portraits of their characters, handling sexuality and gender especially well. This diverse, folkloric fantasy world is a delight to visit.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Marillier, Juliet : A Dance with Fate
(Ace 978-0-451-49280-7, $17, 512pp, trade paperback, September 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 1 Sep 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780451492814
• Warrier Bards #2

Historical fantasy novel, second in a series following The Harp of Kings (2019), about a young singer and warrior who becomes a bond servant after a tragic accident.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Marillier’s strength lies in her ability to convincingly convey the genuine trust and compassion between her characters as they come of age in a magical land. Series readers will eagerly await more.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* McGuire, Seanan : A Killing Frost
(DAW 978-0756415082, $27, 368pp, hardcover, September 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 1 Sep 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780756412531
• October Daye #14

Urban fantasy novel, fourteenth in a series about October (Toby) Daye, a half-human, half-faerie private investigator in San Francisco, following the author’s debut novel Rosemary and Rue (2009), A Local Habitation (2010), An Artificial Night (2010), Late Eclipses (March 2011), One Salt Sea (2011), Ashes of Honor (2012), Chimes of Midnight (2013), The Winter Long (2014), A Red Rose Chain (2015), Once Broken Faith (2106), The Brightest Fell (2017), Night and Silence (2018), and The Unkindest Tide (2019).
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Powell, James Lawrence : The 2084 Report
(Atria 978-1-982150-21-1, $26, 240pp, hardcover, September 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 1 Sep 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781982150228
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9781797116273

SF novel, subtitled “An Oral History of the Great Warming,” in which global warming has turned out worse than even the direst early predictions.
• Simon & Schuster’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Powell lays out an intriguing level of detail about the cascading effects of climate change. Fans of climate apocalypse fiction will be chilled by this convincing work.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Proehl, Bob : The Somebody People
(Del Rey 978-1-5247-9900-7, $18, 624pp, trade paperback, September 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 1 Sep 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9781524798994
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780593149379
• The Resonant Duology #2

Fantasy novel, second of a duology following The Nobody People (2019), about isolated people with superheroic powers who band together to fight prejudice and social injustice.
• Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
• The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Proehl does an admirable job navigating the nuances of otherness and bigotry while ably juggling his myriad distinctive characters. But the complex plot becomes difficult to untangle as it barrels forward, and Proehl rarely gives context to relationships and story lines carried over from the first installment. Readers will be delighted to return to this X-men-esque fantasy world, but are advised to refresh their memories of the first volume before diving in.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Schafer, William, ed. : Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy 3
(Subterranean Press 978-1-59606-966-4, $40, 240pp, hardcover, September 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 1 Sep 2020

Anthology of 10 original dark fantasy stories.
• Authors include P. Djèjí Clark, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Robert McCammon, and Ian R. MacLeod.
• Subterranean’s site has this description with the table of contents and excerpts from several stories.
• The Publishers Weekly review cites stories by Stephen Gallagher and Robert McCammon in particular, and concludes, “Devotees of dark fantasy won’t want to pass up this excellent anthology.”
• Paula Guran reviewed it in the July issue of Locus Magazine, concluding with comments about Clark’s story: “Highly enjoyable: endearing characters, adventure, magic, and even a hint of romance. This one could be expanded into an adventurous epic 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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