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Saturday, July 14, 2012

Four upcoming SFF debuts that caught my eye (By Mihir Wanchoo)

It’s often Liviu who comes with such posts as his reading interests are more varied than mine and it’s due to his discerning eye that I have also gotten hold of quite a few excellent titles. So taking a cue from his previous posts I have compiled a small list of titles that seem intriguing. These books mentioned below were found via various social channels and websites. A lot of things attracted me to them namely their blurbs, the subject matter and their genre-blending plots. I’ll be trying to review all four of them on the blog in the upcoming months and so until then I thought to alert all readers to these upcoming goodies:

Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone


Book Blurb - A god has died, and it’s up to Tara, first-year associate in the international necromantic firm of Kelethres, Albrecht, and Ao, to bring Him back to life before His city falls apart.Her client is Kos, recently deceased fire god of the city of Alt Coulumb. Without Him, the metropolis’s steam generators will shut down, its trains will cease running, and its four million citizens will riot.

Tara’s job: resurrect Kos before chaos sets in. Her only help: Abelard, a chain-smoking priest of the dead god, who’s having an understandable crisis of faith. When Tara and Abelard discover that Kos was murdered, they have to make a case in Alt Coulumb’s courts—and their quest for the truth endangers their partnership, their lives, and Alt Coulumb’s slim hope of survival.

Set in a phenomenally built world in which justice is a collective force bestowed on a few, craftsmen fly on lightning bolts, and gargoyles can rule cities, Three Parts Dead introduces readers to an ethical landscape in which the line between right and wrong blurs.

Date of Release – October 2, 2012 via Tor.

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Blades of Winter (Shadowstorm, #1) by G.T. Almasi 



Book Blurb - In one of the most exciting debuts in years, G. T. Almasi has fused the intricate cat-and-mouse games of a John le Carre novel with the brash style of comic book superheroes to create a kick-ass alternate history that reimagines the Cold War as a clash of spies with biological, chemical, and technological enhancements.

Nineteen-year-old Alix Nico, a self-described "million-dollar murder machine," is a rising star in ExOps, a covert-action agency that aggressively shields the United States from its three great enemies: the Soviet Union, Greater Germany, and the Nationalist Republic of China. Rather than risk another all-out war, the four superpowers have poured their resources into creating superspies known as Levels.

Alix is one of the hottest young American Levels. That's no surprise: Her dad was America's top Level before he was captured and killed eight years ago. But when an impulsive decision explodes--literally--in her face, Alix uncovers a conspiracy that pushes her to her limits and could upset the global balance of power forever.

Date of Release – August 28, 2012 via Del Rey Books.

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Daughter of the Sword (Fated Blades #1) by Steve Bein


Book Blurb - Mariko Oshiro is not your average Tokyo cop. As the only female detective in the city’s most elite police unit, she has to fight for every ounce of respect, especially from her new boss. While she wants to track down a rumored cocaine shipment, he gives her the least promising case possible. But the case—the attempted theft of an old samurai sword—proves more dangerous than anyone on the force could have imagined.

The owner of the sword, Professor Yasuo Yamada, says it was crafted by the legendary Master Inazuma, a sword smith whose blades are rumored to have magical qualities. The man trying to steal it already owns another Inazuma—one whose deadly power eventually comes to control all who wield it. Or so says Yamada, and though he has studied swords and swordsmanship all his life, Mariko isn’t convinced.

But Mariko’s skepticism hardly matters. Her investigation has put her on a collision course with a curse centuries old and as bloodthirsty as ever. She is only the latest in a long line of warriors and soldiers to confront this power, and even the sword she learns to wield herself could turn against her.

Date of Release – October 2, 2012 Via ROC.

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Malice (The Faithful and the Fallen, #1) by John Gwynne


Book Blurb - A black sun is rising…

Young Corban watches enviously as boys become warriors under King Brenin’s rule, learning the art of war. He yearns to wield his sword and spear to protect his king’s realm. But that day will come all too soon. Only when he loses those he loves will he learn the true price of courage.

The Banished Lands have a violent past where armies of men and giants clashed shields in battle, the earth running dark with their heartsblood. Although the giant-clans were broken in ages past, their ruined fortresses still scar the land. But now giants stir anew, the very stones weep blood and there are sightings of giant wyrms. Those who can still read the signs see a threat far greater than the ancient wars. Sorrow will darken the world, as angels and demons make it their battlefield. Then there will be a war to end all wars.

High King Aquilus summons his fellow kings to council, seeking an alliance in this time of need. Some are skeptical, fighting their own border skirmishes against pirates and giants. But prophesy indicates darkness and light will demand two champions, the Black Sun and the Bright Star. They would be wise to seek out both, for if the Black Sun gains ascendancy, mankind’s hopes and dreams will fall to dust.

Expected Date of Release (not confirmed) – December 6, 2012 via Tor UK.

5 comments:

Jessica Strider said...

Wow, these look fantastic. I'd only heard of one of them, so thanks for bringing the others to my attention.

The Reader said...

Thanks Jessica, hopefully I'll review them soon as well.

Mihir

M. R. Mathias said...

Considering three of the four covers have beautiful, sexy women on them, no wonder they caught your eye, Liviu. Ha Ha!

Elfy said...

I'm seeing Three Parts Dead a bit now and that's starting to intrigue me.

The Reader said...

Hi Elfy

The cover and blurb does help in raising the intrigue factor, can't wait to get my hands on it though (and that's true for the remaining three as well).

Mihir

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