New Books: 9 April 2024

Lawrence, Mark: The Book That Broke the World (Ace 9780593437940, $29, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 04/09/2024)

Fantasy novel, second in the Library trilogy. Evar has been forced to flee the library, driven before an implacable foe. Livira, trapped in a ghost world, has to recover the book she wrote—one which is the only true threat to the library’s existence—if she’s to return to her life. While Evar’s journey leads him outside into a world he’s never seen, Livira’s path will taker her deep inside her own writing. Simultaneous with the UK edition (Harper Voyager 978-0-00-845676-4), not seen. Ebook also available.

 

Goldberg, Salinee: The Last Phi Hunter (Angry Robot UK 9781915998149, $18.99, 384pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, 04/09/2024)

Fantasy novel. Ambitious Phi Hunter and perpetual lone wolf, Ex, finds his road to glory interrupted when a heavily pregnant runaway, Arinya, enlists his help to escape through the ghost-infested forest. As more of Arinya’s secrets emerge, and the elusive demon nears, Ex must face dangers from both men and monsters, or lose not only the respect and sanctuary of his guild, but also the woman he’s trying not to fall in love with. First novel. This is an international edition with US and UK prices.

 

Reynolds, H.J.: Without a Shadow (CamCat Books 9780744308341, $19.99, 320pp, formats: hardcover, trade paperback, ebook, audio, 04/09/2024)

Fantasy novel about a thief who can steal with her shadow, but gets in trouble when she targets a killer who can take her shadow for himself. Everything Adlai thought she knew about her shadow is turned upside down, and her father’s disappearance takes on a new light as she’s forced to flee the city or risk being hunted. A first novel. This is an international edition with US and UK prices. Ebook also available. CamCat Books.

 

Gish, Elliott: Grey Dog (ECW Press 9781770417328, $18.95, 400pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, 04/09/2024)

Gothic horror novel set in 1901. A spinster hiding from her past as a teacher in a tiny farming community starts seeing animals behaving oddly: a swarm of dying crickets, a self-mutilating rabbit, a malformed faun. She soon believes that something old and beastly ― which she calls Grey Dog ― is behind these visceral offerings, which both beckon and repel her. As her confusion deepens, her grip on what is real, what is delusion, and what is traumatic memory loosens. Ebook also available.

 

Lewellen, Lyndsey: Chaos Grid (Enclave Escape 9798886051063, $24.99, 320pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 04/09/2024)

Young-adult Christian SF novel. When mankind’s attempts to control nature backfire, Texas descends into a wasteland. Storms rage and ravenous beasts roam the Outer Grid. The only safe havens rest inside the tech-obsessed domed cities. But when her parents are murdered inside the Plex City dome, seventeen-year-old Juniper Conway wants revenge. She joins a shipping crew fearless enough to transport food across the Outer Grid—but when a string of bad luck turns lethal, she fears something, or someone, is dragging her back to the Plex. Ebook also available. Enclave Publishing.

 

Lucier, Makiia: Dragonfruit (HarperCollins/Clarion 9780358272106, $19.99, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 04/09/2024)

Young-adult historical fantasy novel inspired by Pacific Island mythology. Hanalei of Tamarind is the daughter of an old island family. But when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. Until, one day, an encounter with a female dragon offers her what she desires most. A chance to return home, and to right a terrible wrong. Meanwhile Sam, the last remaining prince of Tamarind’s matriarchal society, is left with two choices: to marry, or to find a cure for the sickness that has plagued his mother for ten long years. When a childhood companion returns from exile, she brings hope.

 

Bardugo, Leigh: The Familiar (Macmillan/Flatiron 9781250884251, $29.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 04/09/2024)

Historical fantasy novel of a Jewish servant in Spain, whose little magics attract the dangerous attention of the nobility, and whose Jewishness risks drawing the wrath of the Spanish Inquisition. Determined to seize this chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the lines between magic, science, and fraud are never certain. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive―even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santángel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both. Simultaneous with the Viking UK edition. Ebook also available.

 

Whitten, Hannah: The Hemlock Queen (Orbit US 9780316435291, $30, 480pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 04/09/2024)

Dark fantasy novel, the second in the trilogy The Nightshade Crown. The corrupt king August is dead. Prince Bastian has seized the throne and raised Lore—a necromancer and former smuggler—to his right-hand side. With Bastian’s coronation fast approaching and enemies whispering on all sides, Lore must figure out how to protect herself, her prince, and her country before they all come crumbling down and whatever dark power has been creeping through the catacombs is unleashed. Simultaneous with the Orbit UK edition.

 

Holtz, Melissa: An Enchanting Case of Spirits (Penguin Random House/Berkley 9780593640043, $18, 368pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, 04/09/2024)

Fantasy/supernatural mystery novel about four friends who investigate after a 40th birthday party leads to a ghostly encounter. As the dearly departed keep appearing, Alyssa and her friends do their best to learn how to control her newfound power. But when looking into one ghost’s past reveals unexpected—and unwelcome—facts about Alyssa’s late husband’s death, she discovers she just may be in over her head. A first novel. Ebook also available.

 

Sutherland, Rose: A Sweet Sting of Salt (Penguin Random House/Dell 9780593594599, $18, 352pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, audio, 04/09/2024)

Queer feminist fantasy novel reimagining of “The Selkie Wife”. A midwife in a small village takes in a mysterious woman in labor and they fall in love. Although Jean is the only midwife for miles around, she’s at a loss for who this woman is or where she’s from; Jean can only assume that she must be the new wife of the neighbor up the road, Tobias. And when Tobias does indeed arrive at her cabin in search of his wife, Muirin, Jean’s questions continue to multiply. A first novel.

 

Stokes, Stacy: The Darkness Rises (Penguin Random House/Viking 9780593327692, $19.99, 336pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 04/09/2024)

Speculative thriller novel about a young woman who sees imminent death like hovering clouds over people’s heads, and hides her ability since one man she saved turned out to be a killer. Whitney finds an ominous message in her locker and realizes someone knows her secret. As the threats pile up, one thing becomes clear—someone wants payback for what she did. And if she’s going to survive the year, she must track down whoever is after her before it’s too late. Ebook also available.

 

Langan, Sarah: A Better World (Simon & Schuster/Atria 9781982191061, $28.99, 368pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 04/09/2024)

Satirical thriller about a family moving to a walled-off company town, a safe place in a world that’s falling apart — but locals distrust outsiders and follow strange customs, and there’s something ominous about the upcoming Winter Festival. Linda is warned by her husband and her powerful new friends to stop asking questions. But the more she learns, the more frightened she becomes. Ebook also available.

 

Westerbeke, Douglas: A Short Walk Through a Wide World (Simon & Schuster/Avid Reader 9781668026069, $28.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, trade paperback, ebook, audio, 04/02/2024)

Fantasy novel about a woman who has a curse that will kill her if she stops traveling to new places. From the scorched dunes of the Calashino Sand Sea to the snow-packed peaks of the Himalayas; from a bottomless well in a Parisian courtyard, to the shelves of an infinite underground library, we follow Aubry as she learns what it takes to survive and ultimately, to truly live. A first novel. Ebook also available.

 

Ward, J.R.: The Beloved (Simon & Schuster/Gallery 9781982180089, $28.99, 432pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 04/09/2024)

Vampire romance novel, 22nd in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Nalla, the blooded daughter of Zsadist, has led a sheltered life, and she is chafing against the walls of the very safety that has ensured her survival. One night, she gives in to her restlessness…and finds herself face-to-face with a male whose inner darkness rivals even that of her sire’s horrific origins. Nate is a fighter with nothing to lose—and nothing to live for. Following his deliberate violation of the cardinal rule in the war, the Brotherhood declare him a dangerous liability that must be dealt with.

 

Ashton, Edward: Mal Goes to War (St. Martin’s 9781250286314, $29, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 04/09/2024)

SF novel, a mix of thriller and satire. Free AI Mal finds the war between augmented Federals and puritanical Humanists pointless, but he does pick up battlefield salvage — and ends up stuck in the body of a cyborg mercenary responsible for protecting a modded girl. A satirical take on war, artificial intelligence, and what it really means to be human. Ebook also available. Simultaneous with the UK (Solaris) edition.

 

Ryan, Lindy: Bless Your Heart (St. Martin’s/Minotaur 9781250888884, $28, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 04/09/2024)

Vampire mystery romance novel set in Southeast Texas, about a family of women who own a funeral parlor and fight vampires. When town gossip Mina Jean Murphy’s body is brought in for a regular burial and she rises from the dead instead, it’s clear that the Strigoi―the original vampire―are back. And the Evans women are the ones who need to fight back to protect their town. Ebook also available

 

Hall, Polly: Myrrh (Titan Books UK 9781789095357, $24.99, 288pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 04/09/2024)

Horror novel. Myrrh has a goblin inside her, a voice in her head that tells her all the things she’s done wrong. Desperately searching for her birth-parents across dilapidated seaside towns in the South coast of England, she finds herself silenced and cut off at every step. Cayenne is trapped in a loveless marriage. Longing for a child, she has visions promising her a baby. The stories of these women will unlock a past filled with dark secrets and strange connections.

 

Esslemont, Ian C.: Forge of the High Mage (Tor 9781250788627, $30.99, 480pp, formats: hardcover, trade paperback, ebook, audio, 04/09/2024)

Fantasy novel, fourth in the Path to Ascendancy series in the Malazan world created by Esslemont and Steven Erikson. Emperor Kellanved order a new campaign to the north, but with the main army elsewhere, the rag-tag army and fleet that set out are unprepared for a legendary ancient horror. The Empire’s untested High Mage, Tayschrenn, is all too aware of the true nature of this ancient horror, and fears his own inadequacies when the time comes to confront it. A hardcover edition (-78861-0, $30.99) was announced but not seen; ebook also available. First US edition (Bantam Press UK 2023).

 

Brust, Steven: Lyorn (Tor 9780765382863, $27.99, 288pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, 04/09/2024)

Fantasy novel, 17th in the Vlad Taltos series. Vlad, on the run from the Left Hand, hides in a theater where they’re putting on a show banned for centuries—and is trying to be shut down by the House that once literally killed to keep it from being played. Vlad will take on a number of roles to save his own skin. And the skins of those he loves. And along the way, he might find a part that was tailor-made for him. Ebook also available.

 

Barnes, S.A.: Ghost Station (Tor/Nightfire 4981250884923, $27.99, 384pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, 04/09/2024)

SF horror novel. Psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray has dedicated her life to the study and prevention of ERS―the most famous case of which resulted in the brutal murders of twenty-nine people. When she’s assigned to a small exploration crew who recently suffered the tragic death of a colleague, she wants to help. But as they begin to establish residency on an abandoned planet, it becomes clear that crew is hiding something. This is a pen name for Stacey Kade.

 

Gladstone, Max: Wicked Problems (Tordotcom 9780765395931, $19.99, 464pp, formats: trade paperback, ebook, 04/09/2024)

Fantasy novel, second in the Craft Wars series. A deadly force has been unleashed into the world. With apocalypse on the horizon, a girl and a god have joined in order to turn back the coming end. The structures of the Craft are theirs to overturn, with billions of lives in the balance. And it is all Tara Abernathy’s fault. The battle for the world of the Craft is heating up. A dead god will rise, a mountain will fall, ancient fire will be stolen. And while Tara races to stop Dawn’s plans, the end draws ever closer.

 

Aktipis, Athena: A Field Guide to the Apocalypse: A Mostly Serious Guide to Surviving Our Wild Times (Workman 9781523518258, $17.99, 256pp, formats: flexibound, ebook, audio, 04/09/2024)

Associational guide to dealing with long-term disasters from asteroids to zombies, getting over the fear, preparing, and learning to cooperate. Drawing on evolutionary psychology, history, brain science, game theory, and more, cooperation theorist (and zombie expert) Athena Aktipis explains how we, as a species, are hardwired to survive big existential crises. Illustrated by Neil Smith.

 

Whiteley, Aliya: Polestars 6: Drive or Be Driven (NewCon Press UK 9781914953705, £26.99, 222pp, formats: hardcover, trade paperback, ebook, 04/08/2024)

Collection of 19 SF stories by Aliya Whiteley, 11 of them original to this collection, all themed on travel, be it a desperate need to be somewhere else or a desire to escape what is left behind. A print-on-demand edition; signed, limited hardcover (-, £25.99) and ebook also available. NewCon Press, 41 Wheatsheaf Road, Alconbury Weston, Cambs, PE28 4LF, UK; [www.newconpress.co.uk].

 

Williams, Liz: Polestars 7: Back Through the Flaming Door (NewCon Press UK 9781914953743, £26.99, 252pp, formats: hardcover, trade paperback, ebook, 04/12/2024)

Collection of 32 SF and fantasy stories by Liz Williams. A mix of new stories and those only available previously in digital format via subscription comprise the majority of the book, with very few stories available elsewhere. A print-on-demand edition; signed, limited hardcover (-, £25.99) and ebook also available. NewCon Press, 41 Wheatsheaf Road, Alconbury Weston, Cambs, PE28 4LF, UK; [www.newconpress.co.uk].

 

Moore, Fiona: Polestars 8: Human Resources (NewCon Press UK 9781914953767, £26.99, 276pp, formats: hardcover, trade paperback, ebook, 04/15/2024)

Collection of 18 SF stories by Fiona Moore, drawn from more than a decade of publications, plus the title story: a new novelette that appears here for the first time. A woman rebelling against the corporation that has turned her into living, breathing product placement, a story of misfit automata that have outlived their sell-by date, and more. A print-on-demand edition; signed, limited hardcover (-, £25.99) and ebook also available. NewCon Press, 41 Wheatsheaf Road, Alconbury Weston, Cambs, PE28 4LF, UK; [www.newconpress.co.uk].