New Books: 1 November 2022

November 1, 2022November 4, 2022 locusmag 0 Comments

Anderson, Brian D.: The Sword’s Elegy

(Tor 978-1-250-21468-3, $20.99, 416pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, November 1, 2022)

Fantasy novel, the third in the Sorcerer’s Song series about a reluctant bard-turned-assassin.The doom of humankind has at last been realized. Belkar’s prison is broken and his army is on the move. The nations of Lamoria, unaware of the greater danger, look to repel the aggression of Ralmarstad.

Bara, Dave: Trinity’s Children

(Baen 978-1-9821-9211-2, $16.00, 288pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, November 1, 2022)

Military SF novel, the second book in the Trinity’s Children series. Jared Clement has returned to Trinity, not as a mere ship captain but as a Five Suns Fleet Admiral. With his promotion comes responsibility for the settlers who are leaving the dying planets of the Rim and resettling next to the natives of the planet Bellus.

Borja, Lenore: The Last Huntress

(SparkPoint Studio/SparkPress 978-1-68463-173-5, $17.95, 368pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, November 1, 2022)

Young-adult dark fantasy novel, the first in the Mirror Realm series. Alice turns 18 and learns she’s a huntress, able to pass through mirrors into the magical Mirror Realm, where she must fight demons to keep evil at bay.

Bujold, Lois McMaster: Penric’s Labors

(Baen 978-1-9821-9224-2, $25.00, 336pp, format: hardcover, November 1, 2022)

Collection/omnibus of three novellas. Includes “Masquerade In Lodi”, “The Orphans of Raspay”, and “The Physicians of Vilnoc”, all featuring Penric and Desdemona, set in the World of the Five Gods.

Day, Julie C., Meeropol, Ellen, eds.: Dreams for a Broken World

(Reckoning Press/Essential Dreams 978-1-955360-05-0, $7.99, 315pp, format: ebook, November 1, 2022)

Anthology of 24 hopeful stories of healing and rebuilding, second in the Dreams anthology series; Meeropol is the series editor, Day the guest editor. Authors include Benjamin Parzybok, Charles Payseur, Nisi Shawl, and Sabrina Vourvoulias.

Dennard, Susan: The Luminaries

(Tor Teen 978-1250194046, $18.99, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, November 1, 2022)

Young-adult contemporary fantasy novel about a strange town protected from deadly woods by the Luminaries, an ancient society of guardians, and young Winnie’s determination to prove herself in their deadly trials and join them.

Drapp, Jen: Eye of the Falcon

(Archway Publishing 978-1665731300, $15.99, 224pp, formats: trade paperback, hardcover, ebook, October 25, 2022)

Young-adult fantasy novel, the first in the series The Protectors. The Protectors search for the Eye of Horus and the one who is destined to return it, which might be 17-year-old Re Fuller, who just discovered an ancient Egyptian amulet which awakened dangerous powers within him.

Flint, Eric, Waters, Robert E.: 1637: The Transylvanian Decision

(Baen 978-1-9821-9223-5, $25.00, 528pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, November 1, 2022)

SF novel in Flint’s Ring of Fire series. Up-timer Morris Roth and his Grand Army of the Sunrise push east through Europe in hope of preventing the Chmielnicki Pogrom of 1648.

Fuston, Margie: Cruel Illusions

(Simon & Schuster/McElderry 978-1665902106, $21.99, 512pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, November 1, 2022)

Young-adult dark fantasy/horror novel. Ava’s search for revenge against the vampire who killed her mother leads to a secret society of magicians.

Henson, Fatima R.: Love in the Age of Dragons

(SparkPoint Studio/SparkPress 978-1-68463-163-6, $17.95, 360pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, November 1, 2022)

Fantasy novel. Two years ago, a wormhole opened and ushered vicious dragons into the world. Since then, Ayanna Grace, a seventeen-year-old Black girl, has been scratching out a life in an abandoned subway system, part of an extensive underground community.

Holmberg, Charlie N.: Keeper of Enchanted Rooms

(Amazon/47North , $14.95, 347pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, November 1, 2022)

Fantasy novel. Set in Rhode Island in 1846, writer Merritt Fernsby unexpectedly inherits a remote estate, which turns out to be bespelled and prone to tantrums — and it won’t let him leave.

Jemisin, N.K.: The World We Make

(Orbit US/Redhook 978-0-316-50989-3, $30.00, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, November 1, 2022)

Contemporary fantasy novel set in New York City, the final book in the Great Cities duology. Though the avatars of New York City have temporarily managed to stop the Woman in White from invading — and destroying the entire universe in the process — the mysterious capital “E” Enemy has more subtle powers at her disposal.

While the wide-screen narratives involving the multiverse, or Manhattan’s repeated efforts to convince the other awakened cities to convene a summit to organize against R’Lyeh, are persuasive in their own way, it’s the scenes of diverse everyday New Yorkers – scrappy, outspoken, and sometime rude – that finally lend The World We Make the rich texture of a love letter to a complicated city and the resilient spirit of its residents.

—Gary K. Wolfe, Locus, October 2022

Kold Holdt, Thilde: Slaughtered Gods

(Rebellion/Solaris UK 978-1-78618-745-1, $16.99, 592pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, October 27, 2022)

Epic fantasy novel of Vikings and Norse gods, the third in the Hanged God trilogy. Ragnarok has begun, and only a storyteller and a shieldmaiden can prevent the annihilation of the nine worlds.

Lofficier, Jean-Marc, Lofficier, Randy, eds.: The Handbook of French Fantasy & Supernatural Fiction

(Black Coat Press 978-1-64932-165-7, $22.95, 306pp, formats: trade paperback, November 1, 2022)

Non-fiction reference, a guide to French supernatural horror and pulp fiction from the middle ages to 2000. Parts previously appeared in French Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror & Pulp Fiction (McFarland 2000). Includes index.

Marske, Freya: A Restless Truth

(Tordotcom 978-1-250-78891-7, $27.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, November 1, 2022)

Queer fantasy novel set in an alternate Edwardian England, the second book in the Last Binding trilogy.

Martell, Nick: The Voyage of the Forgotten

(Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 978-1-5344-3784-5, $28.99, 592pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, November 1, 2022)

Epic fantasy novel, the third in the Legacy of the Mercenary King series. Michael, the infamous Kingkiller, and Serena, the Hollow Queen, race against the odds to have the future they’ve worked so hard to protect… or risk bringing about the end of the world.

Maxwell, Everina: Ocean’s Echo

(Tor 978-1-250-75886-6, $26.99, 480pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, November 1, 2022)

SF space opera/queer romance novel, set in the same universe as Winter’s Orbit. A charming rogue caught using his mind-reading powers illegally gets stuck in the military, bonded mentally with an Architect who controls others’ minds, and the two unexpectedly set off a coup.

McDevitt, Jack: Return to Glory

(Subterranean Press 978-1-64524-073-0, $50.00, 576pp, formats: hardcover October 31, 2022)

Collection of 32 stories, many of them rare. Includes an introduction by Tom Easton. A signed, limited edition of 1000.

Mix, Rebecca: The Ones We Burn

(Simon & Schuster/McElderry 978-1534493513, $21.99, 480pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, November 1, 2022)

Young-adult sapphic dark fantasy novel. The witch Ranka is named to be a treaty bride and ordered to kill the human prince she’s to marry.

Nam-Joo, Cho: Saha

(Norton/Liveright 978-1-324-09088-5, $22.00, 240pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, November 1, 2022)

Near-future dystopian/mystery novel. When a doctor is murdered in the wealthy, corporate-run Town, police automatically look for an outcast “Saha” suspect — but the accused’s sister is determined to clear him. Translated by Jamie Chang.

Pacton, Jamie: The Vermilion Emporium

(Peachtree Teen 978-1-68263-488-2, $18.99, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, November 1, 2022)

Young-adult fantasy novel. Misfits discover the deadly secret to making starlight lace at a magical curiosity shop.

Pogach, Michael: Slip

(Crossroad Press/Macabre Ink 978-1-63789-766-9, $17.99, 306pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, November 1, 2022)

Horror/mystery novel. A woman who sees brief glimpses of the future returns home after her abusive father’s death, and discovers women in town have been vanishing.

Presby, Joelle: The Dabare Snake Launcher

(Baen 978-1-9821-9225-9, $17.00, 336pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, November 1, 2022)

Near future SF novel set in Africa, about the race to build the first space elevator near Mount Kilimanjaro.

Priest, Cherie: Flight Risk

(Simon & Schuster/Atria 978-1-9821-6892-6, $27.00, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, November 1, 2022)

Humorous paranormal mystery novel, second in the Booking Agents series. Psychic travel agent Leda Foley’s hunt for a missing woman turns out to be connected to a human leg found by Seattle PD detective Grady Merritt’s dog.

Probert, John Llewellyn: How Grim Was My Valley

(NewCon Press UK , $16.99, 248pp, formats: trade paperback, October 31, 2022)

Folk horror novel, a portmanteau novel made up of fragments. Robert wakes up on the Welsh side of the Severn Bridge with no memory of who he is or how he got there. Determined to reclaim his identity, he embarks on an odyssey through the country of Wales. Introduction by Ramsey Campbell.

Roanhorse, Rebecca, Adams, John Joseph, eds.: The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022

(HarperCollins/Mariner 978-0-358-69012-2, $16.99, 432pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, November 1, 2022)

Best of the year anthology, the eighth in the series, with stories from 2022. Introduction by Roanhorse; foreword by series editor John Joseph Adams, who also provides his own list of notable stories.

Robins, Eden: When Franny Stands Up

(Sourcebooks Landmark 978-1728256009, $16.99, 400pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, November 1, 2022)

Fantasy novel about a female stand-up comedian in the 1950s, who finds literal magic in laughter — but it only works on women.

Savio, Jason: Artie’s Bark

(WordFire Press 978-1-68057-388-6, $4.99, 185pp, format: ebook, October 31, 2022)

Horror novel. Animals start to disappear in a small town, and a boy’s efforts to help his dog reveal an old, evil town secret.

Shawl, Nisi: Our Fruiting Bodies

(Aqueduct Press 978-1-61976-224-4, $19.00, 326pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, November 1, 2022)

Collection of 18 stories. Introduction by Linda D. Addison.

Shepard, Sara: Wait for Me

(Sterling/Union Square & Co. 978-1454945772, $18.99, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, November 1, 2022)

Young-adult paranormal mystery romance novel. Casey hears a voice in her head that leads her to a small town that is strangely familiar.

VanderMeer, Jeff: Bliss

(Subterranean Press 978-1-64524-119-5, $80.00, format: hardcover, October 31, 2022)

Short SF novel, a darkly humorous and occasionally strange/unreal tale of the Glass Drifters, musicians on tour heading for a mysterious gig that might make — or end — their careers. This is a signed, limited edition of 750, printed in two colors throughout.

Victoria, Emily: Silver in the Mist