New Books: 20 September 2022

September 20, 2022September 22, 2022 locusmag 0 Comments

Bennett, Joshua: The Study of Human Life

(Penguin Random House/Penguin 9780143136828, $20.00, 144pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Collection, a poetry/speculative fiction hybrid. His first work of speculative fiction, “The Book of Mycah”, brings Malcolm X back from the dead; two sets of autobiographical poems frame the story.

Bevan, Deniz: Druid’s Moon

(Dancing Lemur Press 978-1-939844-86-6, $16.95, 176pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, September 20, 2022)

Fantasy romance novel with elements of fairy/folk tales. In the course of a dig, archaeologist Lyne Vanlith becomes cursed and is rescued by a Beast who turns out to be a handsome nobleman, also cursed.

Bonnin, Elisa A.: Stolen City

(Macmillan/Swoon Reads 978-1-250-79563-2, $18.99, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Young-adult fantasy novel. Twin thieves try a daring heist.

Caldwell, Patrice, ed.: Eternally Yours

(Penguin Random House/Viking 9780593206874, $18.99, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Young-adult paranormal romance anthology with 15 stories. Contributors include Kalynn Bayron, Kendare Blake, Kat Cho, Melissa de la Cruz, Hafsah Faizal, Sarah Gailey, Chloe Gong, Alexis Henderson, Adib Khorram, Anna-Marie McLemore, Casey McQuiston, Sandhya Menon, Akshaya Raman, Marie Rutkoski, and Julian Winters.

Castle, Jayne: Sweetwater and the Witch

(Penguin Random House/Berkley 978-0-593-44025-4, $28.00, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

SF romance novel, 16th in the Harmony series. Ravenna Chastain uses her special magical talents to become a professional matchmaker, until the one client she can’t find a match for needs her to fill in as his date.

Chapman, Clay McLeod: Ghost Eaters

(Quirk Books 978-1-68369-217-1, $21.99, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Psychedelic psychological horror novel of addiction and a new drug, Ghost, that lets users communicate with the dead.

Gilmore, Olesya Salnikova: The Witch and the Tsar

(Ace 978-0-593-54697-0, $27.00, 432pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Historical fantasy novel of 1560 Russia. The witch Baba Yaga discovers the wife of the tsar is being poisoned, and reluctantly investigates.

Gordon, Cait, Johnson, Talia C.: Nothing Without Us Too

(Presses Renaissance Press, $7.67, 295pp, formats: ebook, September 15, 2022)

Original anthology of multi-genre fiction by disabled authors, second in a series. Includes a story about the horsewoman of the apocalypse from the late Melissa Mead.

Ireland, Justina: Rust in the Root

(HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray 978-0-06-303822-6, $18.99, 448pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Young-adult historical fantasy novel. Laura, on her first mission as a mage, learns about the American past when Black mages were killed for their power.

Kaster, Allan, ed.: The Year’s Top Tales of Space and Time 2

(AudioText/Infinivox 979-8842596010, $17.99, 280pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, September 16, 2022)

Year’s best anthology of 10 SF stories — space operas, alternate histories, and time travel stories — published in 2021. Authors include Chaz Brenchley, Aliette de Bodard, Greg Egan, A.T. Greenblatt, and Michael Swanwick.

Killjoy, Margaret: We Won’t Be Here Tomorrow

(AK Press 978-1-84935-475-2, $18.00, 248pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, September 20, 2022)

Collection of 21 speculative short stories.

Lemberg, R.B.: The Unbalancing

(Tachyon Publications 978-1616963743, $14.95, 256pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, September 20, 2022)

Fantasy novel, set in the Birdverse universe. Beneath the waters, a sleeping star begins to awaken, endangering the inhabitants of a nearby island.

Malerman, Josh: Daphne

(Penguin Random House/Del Rey 978-0-593-15701-5, $28.00, 272pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Serial killer/slasher horror novel/ghost story. Kit hears a ghost story about Daphne, a girl from their school who died and is still seeking revenge, and then Kit’s friends start disappearing one by one.

Mason, Michelle I.: My Second Impression of You

(Bloomsbury USA 978-1-5476-0412-8, $18.99, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Young-adult time-loop fantasy novel. Maggie, having just had the worst day, gets a mysterious app that lets her relive her best day — but she sees things differently the second time around.

Mientus, Andy: Fraternity

(Abrams/Amulet 978-1-4197-5470-8, $19.99, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Young-adult queer paranormal novel set in a boarding school with a secret brotherhood and an ancient evil.

Neill, Chloe: Devouring Darkness

(Penguin Random House/Berkley 978-0-593-10264-0, $16.99, 336pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Urban fantasy/vampire novel, fourth in the Heirs of Chicagoland series. Elsa, the only vampire ever born (rather than turned) agrees to escort a vulnerable supernatural to Chicago.

Patterson, James, Raymond, Emily: The Girl in the Castle

(Little, Brown/Jimmy Patterson 978-0-316-41172-1, $18.99, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, September 19, 2022)

Young-adult thriller novel. Hannah, a patient in a psychiatric hospital, is convinced she’s got to return to the past to save her sister, starving to death in 1347.

Piper, Hailey: No Gods for Drowning

(Polis Books/Agora 978-1-951709-80-8, $18.99, 430pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, September 20, 2022)

Fantasy novel. Two investigators try to track down a serial killer in a city of cars and neon, now in chaos because the old gods have fled, leaving the city beset by demons and monsters.

Polydoros, Aden: Bone Weaver

(Harlequin/Inkyard Press 978-1-335-91582-5, $19.99, 448pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Young-adult fantasy novel. Toma, adopted by the benevolent undead, encounters the incognito tsar in an empire on the edge of revolution.

Priest, Christopher: Expect Me Tomorrow

(Orion UK/Gollancz 978-1473235137, $26.99, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, September 15, 2022)

Climate change SF novel. A thief is imprisoned in 1877. In 1852 two brothers separate after their father dies on a glacier, but both hear mysterious voices. In 2050 twin brothers — a police profiler and a climate journalist — start to look into their family history.

Ruiz, Rudy: Valley of Shadows

(Blackstone Publishing 78-1982604646, $27.99, 350pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Fantasy/magical realism neo-Western mystery novel, a prequel to The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez. A retired lawman hides out on his border ranch, until a string of murders and kidnappings compels him to investigate, helped by an enchanting Apache-Mexican seer.

Salvatore, R.A.: The Dao of Drizzt

(Harper Voyager US 978-0-06-301128-1, $40.00, 432pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Gaming tie-in, a collection of writings/musings/aphorisms made by the character Drizzt in his series from the Forgotten Realms world. Introduction by Evan Winter.

Sanderson, Brandon, Patterson, Janci: Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians

(Tor/Starscape 978-1-250-81106-6, $17.99, pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Middle-grade fantasy novel, the sixth in the Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians series featuring Alcatraz Smedry. Bastille, a Knight of Crystallia, leads the charge against Biblioden, founder of the Evil Librarians and the one who killed Alcatraz’s father. Illustrated by Hayley Lazo.

Shine, A.M.: The Creeper

(Bloomsbury UK/Head of Zeus/Aries 978-1801102179, $27.95, 240pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, September 15, 2022)

Horror novel. Historical researchers visit a remote Irish village, where the locals are terrified of what comes out after dark.

Vernon, Leah: The Union

(Amazon/47North 978-1-66250-035-0, $14.95, 335pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Dystopian SF novel set 1,000 years in the future, when a Black elite rules over oppressed and enslaved lower classes, but one young Elite wants change.

Vess, Charles: The Queen of Summer’s Twilight

(NewCon Press UK 978-1914953279, $16.99, 264pp, formats: trade paperback, hardcover, ebook, September 20, 2022)

Fantasy novel, a retelling of Tam Lin set in contemporary Scotland. A signed limited edition hardcover is available direct from the publisher.

Ward, J.R.: The Viper

(Simon & Schuster/Gallery 978-1-9821-7987-8, $28.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Paranormal romance novel, the third in the Black Dagger Brotherhood: Prison Camp sub-series. Framed for the grisly murder of his shellan, Kane is condemned to the notorious prison camp.

Wheeler, Jeff: The Hunted

(Amazon/47North 978-1542035040, $14.95, 317pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Fantasy novel, the second book in the Dawning of Muirwood trilogy. Lowly foundling Eilean, at the new abbey of Muirwood, serves the imprisoned druid Mordaunt, the king’s exiled advisor.

Williams, Walter Jon: Imperium Restored

(Harper Voyager US 978-0-06-246705-8, $17.99, 496pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Space opera novel, third in the Praxis series. Victorious, Gareth and Caroline are ready to reunite the empire, but any advance would spring an enemy trap.

Woods, Rita: The Last Dreamwalker

(Tor/Forge 9781250805614, $27.99, 272pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, September 20, 2022)

Fantasy novel. A woman discovers that her nightmares are actually a power inherited from her Gullah ancestors, along with some dark, deadly family secrets.

Yu, Catherine: Direwood