The noble warriors of fantasy are hunched over their quills and scrolls writing for winter, apparently, because there are only twelve new fantasies to heat up the end of summer, including series additions from Mark Lawrence (Broken Empire, last in the trilogy), Philippa Ballantine (Shifted World), Janet Chapman (Spellbound Falls), and Andrzej Sapkowski (Saga of Wiedzminie). Also look for a new star-studded collection of stories to honor fantasy master Gene Wolfe.
Fiction Affliction details releases in science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and “genre-benders.” Keep track of them all here.
Note: All title summaries are taken and/or summarized from copy provided by the publisher.
WEEK ONE
Emperor of Thorns (The Broken Empire #3)—Mark Lawrence, (August 6, Ace)
King Jorg Ancrath is twenty now and king of seven nations. His goal, revenge against his father, has not yet been realized, and the demons that haunt him have only grown stronger. He intends to take the next step in his upward climb. Jorg would be emperor. It is a position not to be gained by the sword but rather by vote. Never in living memory has anyone secured a majority of the vote, leaving the Broken Empire long without a leader. Jorg has plans to change that. He’s uncovered even more of the lost technology of the land, and he won’t hesitate to use it. But he soon finds an adversary standing in his way, a necromancer unlike any he has ever faced, a figure hated and feared even more than himself: the Dead King. The boy who would rule all may have finally met his match.
Kindred and Wings (Shifted World #2)—Philippa Ballantine, (August 6, Pyr)
On the back of the dragon Wahirangi, Finn the Fox flees the world he has known. As he sets out to find the brother he never knew of, he still holds in his heart the memory of the Hunter. He has denied his love for her, but he cannot deny it forever. In the halls of the Last Believers, Talyn begins to uncover her own mysteries, but her lust for the death of the Caisah is still strong and clouds her vision. She must choose her path, as the Seer of her people or as the assassin of the overlord. Meanwhile, Byre, Talyn’s brother, must venture into the fiery world of the Kindred, to rebuild the pact that his ancestors made. He will risk everything he is as he forms a new pact that will change his people forever. Dragons and myths will be reborn, as the Hunter and her Fox face each other once more.
The Crown Tower (The Riyria Chronicles #1)—Michael J. Sullivan, (August 6, Orbit)
A warrior with nothing to fight for is paired with a thieving assassin with nothing to lose. Together they must steal a treasure that no one can reach. The Crown Tower is the impregnable remains of the grandest fortress ever built and home to the realm’s most valuable possessions. But it isn’t gold or jewels the old wizard is after, and this prize can only be obtained by the combined talents of two remarkable men. Now if Arcadias can just keep Hadrian and Royce from killing each other, they just might succeed.
Wrath-Bearing Tree—James Enge, (August 13, Pyr)
The masked powers of Fate and Chaos are killing gods in the land of Kaen, facing the Wardlands across the Narrow Sea. Vocates Aloê Oaij and Morlock Ambrosius cross into the unguarded lands, seeking to uncover the reasons for the godslaying, and to avert any threat to the lands the Graith of Guardians has sworn to protect. After crash-landing on the hostile coast of Kaen, the two Guardians confront vengeful frightened gods, a calmly murderous dragon, a demon called Andhrakar, and a bitter old necromancer named Merlin Ambrosius. Amid these dangers they find that they can trust no one but themselves, and each other.
WEEK TWO
No new releases.
WEEK THREE
No new releases.
WEEK FOUR
Children of Fire (The Chaos Born #1)—Drew Karpyshyn, (August 27, Del Rey)
Long ago the gods chose a great hero to act as their agent in the mortal world and to stand against the demonic spawn of Chaos. The gods gifted their champion, Daemron, with three magical Talismans: a sword, a ring, and a crown. The awesome power at his command corrupted Daemron, turning him from savior to destroyer. He dared to challenge the gods themselves. Siding with the Chaos spawn, Daemron waged a battle against the Immortals. Daemron was defeated, the Talismans were lost, and Chaos was sealed off behind the Legacy, a magical barrier the gods created. Now the Legacy is fading. The banished Daemron stirs. Four children are born of suffering and strife, each touched by one aspect of Daemron himself, wizard, warrior, prophet, king.
Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)—Sarah J. Maas, (August 27, Bloomsbury)
Young Adult. After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king’s contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown, a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes. Keeping up the deadly charade, while pretending to do the king’s bidding, will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she’s given a task that could jeopardize everything she’s come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon, forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice. Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?
For the Love of Magic (Spellbound Falls #5)—Janet Chapman, (August 27, Jove)
After forty years of marriage, Rana Oceanus has done the unthinkable and run away from her mighty, magical husband. She purchased a house in Spellbound Falls right on the shore of the Bottomless Sea, where she intends to prepare for the scariest battle of her life. The only flaw in her plan is that she is still very much in love with Titus. Shocked and shaken that his wife really has left him, Titus sets out to win her back. When grand gestures of his esteem don’t seem to further his cause, he conjures up some of his original courtship magic to capture the heart of the beautiful young maiden all over again. Then his plan takes a dangerous turn when Titus discovers that dealing with demons is far less threatening than the little secret his very mortal wife has been keeping from him.
Shadows of the New Sun: Stories in Honor of Gene Wolfe, edited by Bill Fawcett, (August 27, Tor)
Perhaps no living author of imaginative fiction has earned the awards, accolades, respect, and literary reputation of Gene Wolfe. A select group of Wolfe’s fellow authors pay tribute to the award-winning creator of The Book of the New Sun, The Fifth Head of Cerberus, Soldier of the Mist, The Wizard Knight and many others, with new stories. Among the contributors: Neil Gaiman, David Brin, David Drake, Nancy Kress, and many others. Includes two new short stories by Gene Wolfe.
Sidequest Adventures—Mark Teppo, Angus Trim, Michael Tinker Pearce, and Linda Pearce, (August 27, 47North)
Three SideQuest adventures set in the alternate history world of the Foreworld Saga. The Beast of Calatrava—Mark Teppo, is an intriguing alternate history tale in which both a battle-scarred former knight with a blood-soaked history and a monk with a mysterious past face the encroaching Templar crusade and the war coming to Iberia. In The Shield Maiden—Michael “Tinker” Pearce and Linda Pearce, a headstrong and skilled young Viking woman struggles through the stigmas of her time to claim her spot among the fiercest of fighters. The Lion in Chains—Angus Trim and Mark Teppo, is a visionary adventure in which the legendary Robin Hood joins forces with a clandestine order of warrior monks to rescue the kidnapped King Richard the Lionheart.
The Bitter Kingdom (Fire and Thorns #3)—Rae Carson, (August 27, Greenwillow)
The conclusion to the Fire and Thorns trilogy. The seventeen-year-old sorcerer-queen will travel into the unknown realm of the enemy to win back her true love, save her country, and uncover the final secrets of her destiny. Elisa is a fugitive in her own country. Her enemies have stolen the man she loves in order to lure her to the gate of darkness. As she and her daring companions take one last quest into unknown enemy territory to save Hector, Elisa will face hardships she’s never imagined. And she will discover secrets about herself and her world that could change the course of history. She must rise up as champion-a champion to those who have hated her most.
The Time of Contempt (Saga of Wiedzminie #4)—Andrzej Sapkowski, (August 27, Orbit)
Geralt is a witcher: guardian of the innocent; protector of those in need; a defender, in dark times, against some of the most frightening creatures of myth and legend. His task, now, is to protect Ciri. A child of prophecy, she will have the power to change the world for good or for ill, but only if she lives to use it. A coup threatens the Wizard’s Guild. War breaks out across the lands. A serious injury leaves Geralt fighting for his life, and Ciri, in whose hands the world’s fate rests, has vanished. (U.S. Release)
Author Suzanne Johnson is a book geek with a fondness for a good disaster novel. Her Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series continues this month with the release of Elysian Fields. You can find Suzanne on Facebook and on her speculative fiction blog, Preternatura.
