What SFF Editors think you should read

Release date: Out now

From Good Reads, “‘Malice : The Faithful and the Fallen ‘is by far one of the best constructed, written and enjoyable fantasy novels i have read. John Gwynne is a gifted author with the potential to be the next Robin Hobb, Abercrombie or Mark Lawrence. With such an epic debut novel, weighing in at 672 pages John Gwynne is a writer to watch from now on. Read this and become absorbed in a whole new fantasy world.”

Release date: Out now

Amazon book description: “An award-winning and bestselling SF writer, Kim Stanley Robinson is widely acknowledged as one of the most exciting and visionary writers in the field. His latest novel, 2312, imagined how we would be living 300 years from now. Now, with his new novel, he turns from our future to our past – to the Palaeolithic era, and an extraordinary moment in humanity’s development. An emotionally powerful and richly detailed portrayal of life 30,000 years ago, it is a novel that will appeal both to his existing fans and a whole new mainstream readership.”

Release date: Out now

Amazon book description: “For more than a year Royce Melborn has tried to forget Gwen DeLancy, the woman who saved him and his partner Hadrian Blackwater from certain death. Unable to get her out of his mind, the two thieves return to Medford but receive a very different reception — Gwen refuses to see them. The victim of abuse by a powerful noble, she suspects that Royce will ignore any danger in his desire for revenge. By turning the thieves away, Gwen hopes to once more protect them. What she doesn’t realize is what the two are capable of — she’s about to find out.”

Release date: Out now

Amazon book description: “He comes from a line of Charmings — an illustrious family of dragon slayers, witch-finders and killers dating back to before the fall of Rome. Trained by a modern day version of the Knights Templar, monster hunters who have updated their methods from chain mail and crossbows to Kevlar and shotguns, John Charming was one of the best–until a curse made him one of the abominations the Knights were sworn to hunt.

That was a lifetime ago. Now, John tends bar under an assumed name in rural Virginia and leads a peaceful, quiet life. That is, until a vampire and a blonde walked into his bar…”

Release date: Out now

Amazon book description: “On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.

Breq is both more than she seems and less than she was. Years ago, she was the Justice of Toren–a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of corpse soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.

An act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with only one fragile human body. And only one purpose–to revenge herself on Anaander Mianaai, many-bodied, near-immortal Lord of the Radch.”

Release date: October 29, 2013

Critic review on Amazon: “[A] mordant satire of the corporate public relations world . . . Grant extends the zombie theme of her ‘Newsflesh’ trilogy to incorporate thoughtful reflections on biomedical issues that are both ominously challenging and eerily plausible. Sally is a complex, compassionate character, well suited to this exploration of trust, uncertainty, and the price of progress.” —  Publishers Weekly

Release date: January 21, 2014

Amazon book description: “Magic is a drug. Careful how you use it. The Magical Enforcement Agency keeps dirty magic off the streets, but there’s a new blend out there that’s as deadly as it is elusive. When patrol cop Kate Prospero shoots the lead snitch in this crucial case, she’s brought in to explain herself. But the more she learns about the investigation, the more she realizes she must secure a spot on the MEA task force.

Especially when she discovers that their lead suspect is the man she walked away from ten years earlier – on the same day she swore she’d given up dirty magic for good. Kate Prospero’s about to learn the hard way that crossing a wizard will always get you burned, and that when it comes to magic, you should never say never.”

Release date: November 12, 2013

Review: “Locke has created a truly stunning world ripe with angst, anger and treachery, not to mention filled with complicated characters who are truly unforgettable. Fans of complex and gritty steampunk: Make sure this book and series are on your to-buy list!” — RT Book Reviews 

Release date: November 5, 2013

Amazon book description: “That is, until she just gets a job on a tiny trade ship with a nasty reputation for surprises. The Glorious Fool isn’t misnamed: it likes to get into trouble, so much so that one year of security work under its captain is equal to five years everywhere else. With odds like that, Devi knows she’s found the perfect way to get the jump on the next part of her Plan. But the Fool doesn’t give up its secrets without a fight, and one year on this ship might be more than even Devi can handle.”

Release date: February 14, 2014

Amazon book description: “Tamas’ invasion of Kez ends in disaster when a Kez counter-offensive leaves him cut off behind enemy lines with only a fraction of his army, no supplies, and no hope of reinforcements. Drastically outnumbered and pursued by the enemy’s best, he must lead his men on a reckless march through northern Kez to safety, and back over the mountains so that he can defend his country from an angry god, Kresimir.

In Adro, Inspector Adamat only wants to rescue his wife. To do so he must track down and confront the evil Lord Vetas. He has questions for Vetas concerning his enigmatic master, but the answers might lead to more questions.

Tamas’ generals bicker among themselves, the brigades lose ground every day beneath the Kez onslaught, and Kresimir wants the head of the man who shot him in the eye. With Tamas and his powder cabal presumed dead, Taniel Two-shot finds himself as the last line of defense against Kresimir’s advancing army.”

Release date: Out now

Amazon book description: “A travel writer takes a job with a shady publishing company in New York, only to find that she must write a guide to the city – for the undead!”

Praise for “The Darwin Elevator“: Jason M. Hough does a great job with this huge story. The world of Darwin and the Elevator is deliciously complex and satisfying. Skyler, Tania, and all the other characters are delightfully drawn and fun to spend time with. . . . The story unfolds with just the right balance of high adventure, espionage, humor, and emotional truth. . . . As soon as you finish, you’ll want more.” — Analog

Amazon book description: “Haern is the King’s Watcher, protector against thieves and nobles who would fill the night with blood. Yet hundreds of miles away, an assassin known as the Wraith has begun slaughtering those in power, leaving the symbol of the Watcher in mockery. When Haern travels south to confront this copycat, he finds a city ruled by the corrupt, the greedy and the dangerous. Rioters fill the streets, and the threat of war hangs over everything. To forge peace, Haern must confront the deadly Wraith, a killer who would shape the kingdom’s future with the blade of his sword.”

Critic review on Amazon: “Brown’s debut novel . . . is reminiscent of both Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games and William Goldman’s The Lord of the Flies but has a dark and twisted power of its own that will captivate readers and leave them wanting more.”— Library Journal

Amazon book description: “A collection of wicked one-liners from the incomparable Imp of Casterly Rock, fully illustrated by Jonty Clark.”

Read the full book description.

Read the full book description.

Book description from Amazon: “Legend has it that Paxon Leah is descended from the royals and warriors who once ruled the Highlands and waged war with magical weapons. But those kings, queens, and heroes are long gone, and there is nothing enchanted about the antique sword that hangs above Paxon’s fireplace. Running his family’s modest shipping business, Paxon leads a quiet life—until extraordinary circumstances overturn his simple world . . . and rewrite his destiny.”

Graphic novel description from the website: “A land in the midst of the worst drought anyone can remember.  Family histories run deep, but when rancher Tom Forrester has his access to the Pecos River cut off by the son of his old partner, he convinces his foreman, Shad Marone, to pay Jud Bowman back for the discourtesy.  Yet what starts out as a simple act of thievery or petty revenge quickly spirals into a cycle of violence that no one can control …”

Read the full book description.

Read more about “The Outlander Series.”

Read more about the “Baskerville Affair” series on Emma Jane Holloway’s website: “It has something to do with bad dogs in Dartmoor, but why stop there? We have a prince, automatons, sorcerers, sundry pirates, talking mice, a large mechanical caterpillar, castles, ballrooms and murder. And, yes, Holmes and Watson take their turn upon the stage. What type of stories are these? They are one part mystery, two parts adventure and a wee pinch of romance.”

Read the full book description.

Read the full book description.

Read the full book description.

Read the full book description.

Read the full book description.

Read the full book description.

Read the full book description.

Read the full book description.

Read the full book description.

Read the full book description.

Read the full book description.

Read the full book description.

Read the full book description.

Read the full book description.

Read the full book description.

Read the full book description.

Read the full book description.

Critic review found on Harper Collins: “An exciting tale, an action thriller heavily infused with paranormal elements … The narrative twists among several disparate protagonists and keeps a lot of balls in the air without losing momentum. Highly recommended for readers of supernatural action and horror … and fans of more general action stories.” Library Journal

Read more about “NOS4A2,” by Joe Hill, the son of Stephen King.

Read more about “Chimera.”

Read the full book description.

Read the full book description.

Read more about the new graphic novel “Cemetery Girl.”

Critic review: “In this fascinating, well written first novel, Sabrina Benulis has created a world where it’s hard to tell the demons and angels apart. Be prepared to read this one in one sitting because it’s one of those rare novels that grabs you and doesn’t let go.”  — The Baryon Review

Read the full book description.

Book description: “Witch and day-walking demon Rachel Morgan has managed to save the demonic ever after from shrinking, but at a high cost. Now strange magic is attacking Cincinnati and the Hollows, causing spells to backfire or go horribly wrong, and the truce between the races, between Inderlander and human, is shattering.

Rachel must stop the occurrences before the undead vampire masters who keep the rest of the undead under control are lost and it becomes all-out supernatural war. However, the only way to do so is through the ancient elven wild magic, which carries its own perils.”

Praise for “The Explorer”: “There have been teachers in space, senators, and the wealthy who buy tickets. But never has a journalist been launched over the atmosphere. Until Smythe’s gripping novel.” — New York Post

Amazon book description: “Screenwriter and acclaimed film critic C. Robert Cargill makes his fiction debut with Dreams and Shadows, taking beloved fantasy tropes, giving them a twist, and turning out a wonderful, witty, and wry take on clash between the fairy world and our own …”

Amazon book description: “Dark Duets is a feast of eerie and mesmerizing horror, thriller, and dark fantasy tales—an ambitious and unique anthology featuring biting and atmospheric original stories from seventeen pairs of acclaimed writers, all collaborating together for the first time, including New York Times bestselling authors Charlaine Harris, Rachel Caine, Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, Stuart MacBride, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jonathan Maberry and David Liss ... ”

Amazon book description: “New York Times bestselling author Ian Douglas’s virtuosic Star Corpsman series proves one thing: The Marines are still the toughest sons of guns in the galaxy.

As Bravo Company defuses a hostage crisis on an orbiting mining station, Navy Corpsman Elliot “Doc” Carlyle not only saves the lives of a wounded Marine and two extraterrestrial friendlies—he averts a terrorist strike intended to kill billions. His reward? Deployment on a recon mission into the darkest depths known to man … ”

Book description from Harper Voyager Books: “After her father’s funeral, Zoe moved to the big city with her mother to start over. But change always brings trials, and life in the city is not so easy. Money is tight, and Zoe’s only escape, as has always been the case, is in her dreams—a world apart from her troubled real life where she can spend time with her closest companion: her lost brother, Valentine … “

Book description from Bookish: “Nick Cole sends us on a suspenseful odyssey into the dark heart of post-apocalyptic America in this three-part adventure.

Forty years after a devastating thermonuclear Armageddon, mankind has been reduced to sal-vaging the ruins of a broken world. In a style that’s part Hemingway and part Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, The Wasteland Saga chronicles the struggle of the Old Man, his granddaughter, and a mysterious boy as they try to survive the savage lands of this new American Dark Age.”