New Books: 28 November 2023
Edgmon, H.E.: Godly Heathens
(St. Martin’s/Wednesday Books 9781250853615, $20, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 11/28/2023)
Young-adult fantasy novel, first in the Ouroboros series. Gem, a nonbinary Seminole teen who’s having dreams of magic and violence, doesn’t know how to deal with a strange new girl who knows too much, and then the Goddess of Death attacks.
Elliott, Lauren: Murder in a Cup
(Kensington Cozies 9781496739070, $27, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 11/28/2023)
Paranormal mystery novel, second in the Crystals & CuriosiTEAS series. Shayleigh Myers is still learning the tea and psychic business when a customer at a group reading is poisoned.
Gilman, Laura Anne: Uncanny Vows
(Simon & Schuster/Saga Press 9781534415966, $18.99, 384pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, 11/28/2023)
Historical urban fantasy novel, second in the Huntsmen series. The Harker siblings have been unofficially sidelined, after omitting certain truths in their last investigation. Their next assignment, investigating uncanny activity in a town outside of Boston, seems to be a test, one they can’t afford to fail.
Guignard, Eric J. & Klinger, Leslie S., eds.: Fantasmagoriana Deluxe: A Combined Edition of Fantasmagoriana and Tales of the Dead
(Dark Moon 9781949491531, $18.95, 242pp, formats: trade paperback, hardcover, ebook, 11/28/2023)
Anthology of nine ghost stories that influenced Mary Shelley, as discussed in the introduction by Lisa Morton. Eight, originally written in German, were translated into French by editor Jean-Baptiste Benoît Eyriès and published as Fantasmagoriana (Schoell 1812), which influenced Mary Shelley; part of that anthology was translated to English by Sarah Elizabeth Utterson and published as Tales of the Dead (White, Chochrane 1813) along with an original story by Utterson. Three stories are in more recent translation, one by Marjorie Bowen and two by Anna Ziegelhof.
Hawley, Sarah: A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch
(Penguin Random House/Berkley Romance 9780593547946, $17, 432pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, 11/28/2023)
Paranormal romance novel, second in a series. Calladia saves someone from a demon attack, only to realize that the man she saved is the ruthless demon who betrayed her best friend, who has been banished to the mortal plane without his memories.
Hugie, Alex: Loophole
(Black Rose Writing 9781685133269, $22.95, 314pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, 11/30/2023)
Young-adult fantasy novel. Recent high-school grad Alannah wants to be good and beautiful in her world where every moral choice changes a person’s appearance, but discovers there are loopholes in the system. A first novel.
Johansen, Erika: The Kingdom of Sweets
(Penguin Random House/Dutton 9781524742751, $27, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 11/28/2023)
Fantasy novel inspired by the Nutcracker, about two sisters forever changed one Christmas when a present from their godfather Drosselmeyer opens a portal to a deceptively beautiful world.
Lackey, Mercedes, ed.: Anything with Nothing
(Astra House/DAW 9780756418731, $17.99, 352pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, 11/28/2023)
Original anthology of 21 stories in the Valdemar universe, 17th in the series. Lackey provides one story, other authors include Dylan Birtolo, Rosemary Edghill, Diana L. Paxson, Cat Rambo, and Elisabeth Waters.
Lofficier, Jean-Marc & Lofficier, Randy, eds.: Tales of the Shadowmen 20: Fin de Siecle
(Black Coat Press 9781649322654, $22.95, 668pp, formats: trade paperback, 12/01/2023)
Original anthology of pastiche/mash-up stories featuring characters from French pulps, SF, comics, and other sources. Authors include Jason Scott Aiken, Paul Di Filippo, William Patrick Maynard & Anna Victoria Maynard, Christofer Nigro, John Peel, and many more. Plus essays and reminiscences by Stephen R. Bissette, Neil Gaiman, Stuart Gelzer, Robin Hobb, Stephen Jones, K.A. Laity, Randy Lofficier and others. Includes credits listing character sources, and indexes for the anthology series. This is the 20th and final volume in the series.
Okorafor, Nnedi: Like Thunder
(Astra House/DAW 9780756418793, $27, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 11/28/2023)
Afrofuturist post-holocaust science-fantasy novel set in 2077 West Africa, second in the Desert Magician’s duology begun in Shadow Speaker. Dikéogu, the boy who can bring rain with his thoughts, records his story as he slowly begins to lose his mind.
Sagara, Michelle: Shards of Glass
(Harlequin/Mira 9780778305224, $18.99, 512pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, 11/28/2023)
Fantasy novel in the world of the Chronicles of Elantra series. The Academia has been reopened after centuries of frozen slumber, and its new chancellor, an orange-eyed dragon, is looking for new students. Robin and Raven grew up in the dangerous Warrens, and Academia offers safety and a place their unusual gifts will be appreciated… until students start turning up dead.
Shuttleworth, Ashley: A Grim and Sunken Vow
(Simon & Schuster/McElderry 9781665918770, $24.99, 640pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 11/28/2023)
Young-adult urban fantasy novel, third in the Hollow Star Saga series about four queer teens dealing with problems that could expose the fae Courts to humans in Toronto.
Song, Han: Exorcism
(Amazon Crossing 9781542039505, $16.99, 418pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, 11/28/2023)
Science fiction novel, sequel to Hospital. Translated by Michael Berry from the Chinese. Yang Wei is still a patient at the hospital, though somehow he’s aged decades overnight, and now is confined to the Geriatric Ward on a massive hospital ship, tended by medical robots.
Tang, Andrea: Kingdom of Without
(Simon & Schuster 9781665901444, $19.99, 288pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 11/28/2023)
Young-adult near-future SF novel inspired by Les Misérables, set in an alternate-future Beijing. Thief Zhong Ning’er takes a smash-and-grab burglary job to make rent and help a friend, but winds up as part of an insurrection, dodging imperial guard cyborgs.
Taylor, Jodi: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
(Headline UK 9781035412372, $18.99, 400pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, 12/01/2023)
Collection of five holiday stories, set in the Chronicles of St. Mary’s and the Time Police series, all in print for the first time. This includes a Christmas message from the author and an exclusive new St. Mary’s scene.
