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When one looks in the box, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the cat.

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Thieves and swords abound this month in twenty-one new releases in fantasy—and what says “holidays” more than a good swordfight? A dragon, perhaps? Look for series additions this month from Thea Harrison (Elder Races), Tom Lloyd (Twilight Reign), John Flanagan (Ranger’s Apprentice), and James A. Owen (Imaginariium Geographica), among others. Fans of Alex Bledsoe’s Eddie Lacrosse series and of Erin Hunter’s Warriors series will want to look for special collections this month.

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

A Dance of Blades (Shadowdance #2)David Dalglish (November 5, Orbit)

It’s been five years since the city learned to fear. The war between the thief guilds and the powerful allegiance known as the Trifect has slowly dwindled. Now only the mysterious Haern is left to wage his private battle against the guilds in the guise of the Watcher, a vicious killer who knows no limits. But when the son of Alyssa Gemcroft, one of the three leaders of the Trifect, is believed murdered, the slaughter begins anew. Mercenaries flood the streets with one goal in mind: find and kill the Watcher.

Katya’s War (Russalka Chronicles #2)Jonathan L. Howard (November 5, Strange Chemistry)

The people of Russalka turn upon one another in a ruthless and unwavering civil war even while their world sickens and the ocean is stained red with their blood. As the young civilization weakens, the war drums beat louder and louder. Katya Kuriakova knows it cannot last. Both sides are exhausted, it can only be a matter of days or weeks before they finally call a truce and negotiate. The days and weeks pass, the death toll mounts, and still the enemy will not talk. A figure from the tainted past returns to make her an offer she cannot lightly refuse: a plan to stop the war. To do it she will have to turn her back on everything she has believed in, everything she has fought for, to make sacrifices greater than laying down her own life. To save Russalka, she must become its greatest enemy.

Kinked (Elder Races #6)Thea Harrison (November 5, Berkley)

As a harpy, Sentinel Aryal is accustomed to dealing with hate, but Sentinel Quentin Caeravorn manages to inspire in her a burning ire unlike anything she’s known. Aryal believes the new Sentinel to be a criminal, and vows to take him out as soon as the opportunity arises. The harpy’s incessant wrath has pushed Quentin to the limit, and forces him to make a deadly vow of his own. Dragos, Lord of the Wyr, sends them on a reconnaissance mission to the Elven land of Numenlaur. Aryal and Quentin’s mutual antagonism escalates. Each fight draws forth more passion, culminating in an explosively sexual confrontation. But when their quest reveals real danger, Aryal and Quentin must resolve their differences in ways beyond the physical, before the entire Wyr is threatened.

MasksE.C. Blake (November 5, DAW)

In Aygrima, magic is a Gift possessed from birth by a very small percentage of the population, with the Autarch the most powerful magic worker of all. Only Lady of Pain and Fire had been able to challenge his rule. At the age of fifteen, citizens must don the spell-infused Masks whenever they are in public. The Masks are magically crafted to reveal any treasonous thoughts or actions. Mara Holdfast, daughter of the Autarch’s Master Maskmaker, is approaching her fifteenth birthday and her Masking ceremony. On the day of her Masking something goes horribly wrong. Mara is torn away from her parents, imprisoned, and consigned to a wagon bound for the mines. Her Mask has labeled her a traitor. Not even her Gift can show Mara the future that awaits her.

Midkemia: The Chronicles of PugRaymond E. Feist and Stephen Abrams (November 5, Harper Design)

Part travel log/journal and part atlas, Midkemia: The Chronicles of Pug brings the fictional world of Midkemia to life,and gives readers a new look at the world of Raymond E. Feist. Written in first-person, the book details the life and times of Pug of Stardock, the hero of Feist’s The Chaoswar Trilogy. Hand-drawn maps illustrate the changes in Midkemia’s geography as war ravages the land and physically alters the landscape; readers and fans can trace the changes made by each battle. Complete with thirty pieces of specially commissioned artwork, this book is an immersive look into the world of Midkemia.

Swords Are My Business: A Collection of Four Eddie LaCrosse NovelsAlex Bledsoe (November 5, Tor)

The Sword-Edged Blonde When a childhood friend, now a king, asks Eddie’s help in clearing his queen of a murder charge, Eddie’s long-buried past refuses to stay hidden. Burn Me Deadly Someone will go to any lengths, including torture and murder, to locate the last remaining dragon eggs. But dragons aren’t real, are they? Dark Jenny A poisoned apple sets off political turmoil that threatens to destroy an entire Camelot-like kingdom, and take Eddie with it. Wake of the Bloody Angel Eddie searches for the vanished pirate Black Edward Tew and his legendary treasure, but even the help of a tough former pirate queen may not be enough to save him from what he finds. Also includes a sample of the fifth Eddie LaCrosse novel, He Drank, and Saw the Spider. (Digital)

The God Tattoo: Untold Tales from the Twilight Reign (Twilight Reign #6)Tom Lloyd (November 5, Pyr)

A short story collection fleshing out the world of the Twilight Reign series. The history of the Land may remember the slaughter at Moorview or the horror of Scree’s fall, but there were other casualties of the secret war against Azaer, more tales surrounding those bloody years that went unrecorded. In the shadow of memorials to the glorious dead, these ghosts lie quiet and forgotten by all but a few. A companion collection to the Twilight Reign quintet, these eleven stories shine a different light on the Land. (U.S. Release)

The Golden CityJ. Kathleen Cheney (November 5, Roc)

For two years, Oriana Paredes has been a spy among the social elite of the Golden City, reporting back to her people, the sereia, sea folk banned from the city’s shores. When her employer and only confidante decides to elope, Oriana agrees to accompany her to Paris. Before they can depart, the two women are abducted and left to drown. Oriana’s heritage allows her to survive while she is forced to watch her friend die. Oriana crosses paths with Duilio Ferreira, a police consultant who has been investigating the disappearance of a string of servants from the city’s wealthiest homes. Duilio also has a secret: He is a seer and his gifts have led him to Oriana. Oriana and Duilio must expose a twisted plot of magic so dark that it could cause the very fabric of history to come undone.

The Royal Ranger (Ranger’s Apprentice #12)John Flanagan (November 5, Philomel)

After a senseless tragedy destroys his life, Will is obsessed with punishing those responsible, even if it means leaving the Ranger Corps. His worried friends must find a way to stop him taking such a dark path. It is Halt who suggests the solution: Will must take an apprentice. The candidate Halt has in mind surprises everyone, and it’s a request Will cannot refuse. Training a rebellious, unwilling apprentice is hard enough. But when a routine mission uncovers a shocking web of crime, Will must decide where his priorities lie: finishing his quest for revenge, or saving innocent lives? (U.S. Release)

Warriors: The Ultimate GuideErin Hunter (November 5, HarperCollins)

Featuring new information about the warrior cats, Warriors: The Ultimate Guide is perfect for both longtime fans and those just getting to know the world. This full-color book includes all of the content from Warriors: Cats of the Clans, new art and detailed descriptions for forty more cats, and an in-depth look at each of the five warrior clans. The first printing contains a double-sided jacket that folds out into a collectible poster.

 

WEEK TWO

Afterglow (Wildfire #3)Karsten Knight (November 12, Simon & Schuster)

Teenage volcano goddess Ashline Wilde discovers that her former love, Colt Halliday, has an evil plan to kill the Cloak, the benevolent beings that oversee the gods. And that’s not all, he also wants to merge Ash and her two sisters back into a single, too-powerful goddess, Pele. Ash must stop her trickster-god ex-boyfriend once and for all, and to do it, she’s going to have to feed a few flames.

Apparition (Hungry Ghosts #3)Trish J. MacGregor (November 12, Tor)

Tess and Ian have been living in the high city of Esperanza for years, along with Tess’s niece, Maddie, and her partner, Nick Sanchez. They thought they could rest, that they had defeated the brujo threat to our plane of existence. But they were wrong. A new and greater threat has formed, a new tribe of the hungry dead, seeking to possess the bodies of the living in order to experience the passions of physical life. This new tribe has found the door to the physical plane that is Esperanza, and they threaten all human life. Only the outnumbered Light Chasers and their human allies can stand against the evil brujos.

Into the Fire (The Thin Veil #2)Jodi McIsaac (November 12, 47North)

Cedar McLeod would like nothing more than to return to Tír na nÓg, help rebuild the mythical kingdom, and start a new life for herself and her daughter, Eden. Peace is isn’t what Cedar finds after being reunited with her little girl. Nuala, who kidnapped and terrorized Eden in her previous bid for power, has returned and is making a claim for the vacant throne. Cedar steps forward, but first she must prove her worth beyond a doubt. Her opportunity comes when she is charged with finding an ancient treasure, the Stone of Destiny, and returning it to its home. It is a quest that will lead her to question her beliefs, and push her loyalties to their limits. If she succeeds, Cedar could grant her new world and her new family a chance to flourish. If not, destruction may be the only path ahead.

Long Live the Queen (The Immortal Empire #3)Kate Locke (November 12, Orbit)

Xandra Vardan thought life would be simpler when she accepted the goblin crown and became their queen. Everyone, vampires, werewolves and humans, wants the goblins on their side, because whoever has the goblins, wins. Queen Victoria wants her head, Alpha wolf Vex wants her heart, and she still doesn’t know the identity of the person who wanted her blood. What she does know is that a project from one of the ’secret’ aristocrat labs has gotten free and she’s the only one who can stop the perfect killing machine, a sixteen year-old girl. Xandra’s finding out that being queen isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and if she doesn’t do something fast, hers will be the shortest reign in history.

Marshal Versus the Assassins: A Foreworld Sidequest (The Foreworld Saga)M. Harold Page (November 12, 47North)

Sir William the Marshal, legend in his own time, has promised to go on crusade, a vow made to his Young King as he lay dying. When the Oliphant, legendary war horn of Roland, is stolen by the lethal Assassins, he’s charged with returning the relic in order to stop the very thing he’d vowed to undertake, a crusade; this one engineered by the thieves. Sir Baldwin, his tourney compatriot; Eustace, his squire; and Henrik, the giant Norseman, William sets out to take back the relic. When William loses two of his companions, he discovers an ally, Da’ud, an Assassin, bent on taking the Oliphant from the heretic faction that has stolen it. The three fight their way across land, sea, and desert, only to find themselves facing an army, and the Oliphant within their grasp. (Digital)

The First Dragon (The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica #7)James A. Owen (November 12, Simon & Schuster)

To save the world, Charles, the Grail Child Rose Dyson, and Edmund McGee must travel deep into the past to discover the identity of the mythical Architect of the Keep of Time. Even if that tower can be restored, the Archipelago of Dreams is still missing. The first Dragon must be found to restore the lands to what they once were. But fulfilling their mission may be giving the Echthroi exactly what they wanted all along. The Caretakers will have to trust those who were once enemies, defeat the worst within themselves, and discover what may be the most important truth of all: where there is hope, and will, and courage, redemption is always possible.

 

WEEK THREE

Bloodstone (Rebel Angels #2)Gillian Philip (November 19, Tor)

For centuries, Sithe warriors Seth and Conal MacGregor have hunted for the Bloodstone demanded by their Queen. Homesick, and determined to protect their clan, they have also made secret forays across the Veil. One of these crossings has violent consequences that will devastate both their family, and their entire clan. In the Otherworld, Jed Cameron, a feral, full-mortal young thief, becomes entangled with the strange and dangerous Finn MacAngus and her shadowy uncles. When he is dragged into the world of the Sithe, it’s nothing he can’t handle until time warps around him, and menacing forces reach out to threaten his infant brother. In the collision of two worlds, war and tragedy are inevitable, especially when treachery comes from the most shocking of quarters. (U.S. Release)

Horizon (The Soul Seekers #4)Alyson Noel (November 19, St. Martin’s Griffin)

Daire Santos is the last of the Soul Seekers, and the only thing standing between the Richters and the destruction of everyone she loves. With her grandmother gone and Cade back in Enchantment, Daire must finally step into her destiny and lead the fight against the Richters. But what if that means sacrificing the person she loves most? Bound to the Richters by blood, Dace struggles against the darkness growing inside him that threatens to claim Daire too. Though Daire refuses to give up on him, the choice may not be hers. An epic battle is on the horizon and the end of the world looms near. With such insurmountable odds stacked against them, is their love really enough to conquer all?

The Severed Tower (Conquered Earth #2)J. Barton Mitchell (November 19, St. Martin’s Griffin)

Holt, Mira, and Max have fled Midnight City with Zoey after watching her repel an entire Assembly army. Zoey’s powers are unlocked, but who and what she is remains a mystery. All she knows is that she must reach the Severed Tower. The Strange Lands, a place where the laws of physics have completely broken down. The Assembly has pursued Zoey into the Strange Lands. The group hunting Holt are here, led by a dangerous and beautiful pirate named Ravan. So is Mira’s first love, Benjamin Aubertine. There’s the Strange Lands themselves. They have inexplicably begun to grow, spreading outwards, becoming more powerful. Somehow, it all seems tied to Zoey herself, and the closer she gets to the Tower, the weaker she becomes.

 

WEEK FOUR

Last to Rise (Rojan Dizon #3)Francis Knight (November 26, Orbit)

The towering vertical city of Mahala is on the brink of war with its neighboring countries. It might be his worst nightmare, but Rojan and the few remaining pain mages have been drafted in to help. The city needs power in whatever form they can get it, and fast. With alchemists readying a prototype electricity generator, and factories producing guns faster than ever, the city’s best advantage is still the mages. Leading the alchemists is Rojan’s sister, with a risky plan to help tap the mages’ strength and overcome the armies marching towards them. With food in the city running out and a battle brimming that no one is ready for, risky is the best they’ve got.

The Land AcrossGene Wolfe (November 26, Tor)

A novel of the fantastic set in an imagined country in Europe. An American writer of travel guides in need of a new location chooses to travel to a small and obscure Eastern European country. The moment Grafton crosses the border he is in trouble, much more than he could have imagined. His passport is taken by guards, and then he is detained for not having it. He is released into the custody of a family, but is again detained. It becomes evident that there are supernatural agencies at work, but they are not in some ways as threatening as the brute forces of bureaucracy and corruption in that country. Is our hero in fact a spy for the CIA? Or is he an innocent citizen caught in a Kafkaesque trap?


Suzanne Johnson is the author of the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series. You can find Suzanne on Facebook and on her speculative fiction blog, Preternatura.

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Suzanne Johnson

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Urban fantasy author with a new series, set in immediate post-Katrina New Orleans, starting with ROYAL STREET on April 10, 2012, from Tor Books. Urban fantasy author with a new series, set in immediate post-Katrina New Orleans, starting with ROYAL STREET on April 10, 2012, from Tor Books.
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