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

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If warm weather is not your thing, June will provide you with plenty of reasons to stay indoors and read. In series, Tad Williams returns to the world of The Dragonbone Chair with The Witchwood Crown; Terry Brooks kicks off the new Fall of Shannara series; Seanan McGuire presents a tale about two more Wayward Children, Jack and Jill. (There are more series here than we can count on three or four hands, so that’s just for starters!) Catherynne Valente invents an entire superhero mythology in The Refrigerator Monologues; Cora Carmack makes her YA debut with Roar; Victoria Schwab closes her Monsters of Verity duology with Our Dark Duet; Callie Bates debuts with The Waking Land, and several dozen other novels slip onto shelves in their summer best. Where will you start?

Keep track of all the new releases here. Note: All title summaries are taken and/or summarized from copy provided by the publisher.

 

WEEK ONE

Dividing Eden—Joelle Charbonneau (June 6, Harper Teen)
Young adult. Twins Carys and Andreus were never destined to rule Eden. With their older brother next in line to inherit the throne, the future of the kingdom was secure. When Eden’s king and crown prince are killed by assassins, Eden desperately needs a monarch, but the line of succession is no longer clear. Carys and Andreus are faced with only one option—to take part in a Trial of Succession that will determine which one of them is worthy of ruling the kingdom. Carys and Andreus have always kept each other safe—but the Trial of Succession will test the bonds of trust and family. With their country and their hearts divided, Carys and Andreus will discover exactly what each will do to win the crown. How long before suspicion takes hold and the thirst for power leads to the ultimate betrayal?

Tyrant’s Throne (Greatcoats #4)—Sebastien deCastell (June 6, Jo Fletcher Books)
After years of struggle and sacrifice, Falcio val Mond, First Cantor of the Greatcoats, is on the brink of fulfilling his dead king’s dream: Aline, the king’s daughter, is about to take the throne and restore the rule of law once and for all. But in neighboring Avares, an enigmatic new warlord is uniting the barbarian armies that have plagued Tristia’s borders—and he is rumored to have a new ally: Trin, who’s twice tried to kill Aline. Falcio, Kest, and Brasti race north to stop her, but in those cold and treacherous climes they discover that a new player is planning to take the throne of Tristia. With so many powerful contenders vying for power, it will fall to Falcio to render the one verdict he cannot bring himself to utter, much less enforce. Should he help crown the young woman he vowed to put on the throne, or uphold the laws he swore to serve?

Sovereign Silk (Silken Magic #3)—ElizaBeth Gilligan (June 6, DAW)
The future of Tyrrhia is endangered when assassins target Alban, the beloved king, while Queen Idala lies on the brink of death after giving birth to quadruplets whose conception was marked by dark magic. With their son far too young to assume the throne should the worst befall, all five children will end up in the care of the queen’s brother, Duke Stefano, and his Romani Duchessa, Luciana, who are expecting their own fairy-blessed child. At this uncertain time, magical and diabolical plots converge, threatening the young heirs, their guardians, and the peace and stability of the kingdom. Stefano and Luciana must walk the tightrope of political intrigues that threaten all they hold dear, and through their wits and derring-do—aided by the power and skills of the Rom—preserve their children, their peoples and their kingdom.

Moonbreaker (Secret Histories #11)—Simon R. Green (June 6, Ace)
My name is Eddie Drood, aka Shaman Bond, the very secret agent. And I am a dead man walking. I’ve been poisoned by Dr. DOA. There is no cure, no treatment, no chance of a last-minute miracle. So all that is left to me and my love is to track down my killer and stop him before he can murder anyone else. Whether that means fighting a secret army on another world; or searching for a forgotten weapon in the Museum of Unattached Oddities; or facing off against Grendel Rex, the Unforgiven God, in the hidden heart of the Moon, for the terrible secret that is Moonbreaker … I will do whatever it takes, while I still can. Because the game isn’t over till I say it’s over—and I still have one last card to play.

Firebrand (Steeplejack #2)—A.J. Hartley (June 6, Tor Teen)
Once a steeplejack, Anglet Sutonga is used to scaling the heights of Bar-Selehm. Now she assists politician Josiah Willinghouse behind the scenes of Parliament. Government plans for a secret weapon are stolen and feared to be sold to the rival nation of Grappoli. The investigation leads right to the doorsteps of Elitus, one of the most exclusive clubs in the city. In order to catch the thief, Ang must pretend to be a foreign princess and infiltrate Elitus. But Ang is far from royal material, so Willinghouse enlists the exacting Madam Nahreem. Meanwhile, refugees are trickling into the city, fleeing Grappoli-fueled conflicts in the north. A demagogue in Parliament is proposing extreme measures to get rid of them, and one theft could spark a conflagration of conspiracy that threatens the most vulnerable of Bar-Selehm. Unless Ang can stop it.

Crown of Stars (Night Song #2)—Sophie Jaff (June 6, Harper Paperbacks)
Rumors of witchcraft have haunted Margaret ever since she was a child, feared and shunned by her medieval English village after her mother’s brutal murder. When her father remarries, Margaret realizes that she must leave the village for good. Hundreds of years later, Katherine Emerson survives a killer’s attack, but her roommate Andrea is not so lucky. Katherine is raising Andrea’s son, Lucas. The rest of her world is in ruins: the man she loves has left her and she’s pregnant with his child. She accepts she’ll be a single mother—until he insists on taking her and Lucas with him to London for his new job. Katherine hopes that maybe she too can start over. But starting over doesn’t mean that the disturbing and dangerous encounters with strangers will end. As Katherine begins to fall apart, Margaret’s fight to survive in a hostile world reveals she has inherited her mother’s extraordinary gifts—but will she use them for good or evil? Can Margaret change the destiny of Katherine and her unborn child? And what will happen if she succeeds?

The Broken Ones—Danielle L. Jensen (June 6, Angry Robot)
Young adult. Below Forsaken Mountain, a plot is being hatched to overthrow the tyrant king of Trollus, and Marc is the right-hand man of its leader. His involvement is information more than one troll would kill to possess, which is why he must keep it a secret from everyone, even the girl he loves. After accidentally ruining her sister’s chance to become queen, Pénélope is given one last opportunity by her father, the Duke d’Angoulême, to make herself useful: she must find proof that the boy she’s in love with is conspiring against the crown. If she fails, her life will be forfeit. Marc and Pénélope must navigate the complex politics of Trollus, where powers on all sides are intent on using them as pawns, forcing them to risk everything for a chance at a life together. Except being together may turn out to be the greatest risk of all.

Grim Expectations—K.W. Jeter (June 6, Angry Robot)
Some time after the events of Fiendish Schemes, George Dower finds himself a widower, of sorts. On her deathbed, Miss McThane entrusts Dower with a small, ticking clockwork box. The box is mysteriously linked to her. When she breathes her last, the box stops ticking and Dower is able to open it, to find hundreds of letters – written in an unknown hand, signed only with the initial S. They’re not love letters, but refer instead to the letter-writer’s ongoing search for some other person. The last is a simple note, reading “Found him”…

Carnivalesque—Neil Jordan (June 6, Bloomsbury)
Andy walks into Burleigh’s Amazing Hall of Mirrors, and then he walks right into the mirror, becomes a reflection. Another boy, a boy who is not Andy, goes home with Andy’s parents. And the boy who was once Andy is pulled–literally pulled, by the hands, by a girl named Mona–into another world, a carnival world where anything might happen. Master storyteller Neil Jordan creates his most commercial novel in years in this crackling, cinematic fantasy–which is also a parable of adolescence, how children become changelings, and how they find their own way.

The Kill Society (Sandman Slim #9)—Richard Kadrey (June 6, Harper Voyager)
Sandman Slim has been to Heaven and Hell and many places in between, but now he finds himself in an unknown land: the far, far edge of the Tenebrae, the desolate home of the lost dead. Making his way inland, he collides with a caravan of the damned on a mysterious crusade, led by the ruthless Magistrate. Alone and with no clue how to get back home, he throws in with this brutal bunch. Slim didn’t land in Tenebrae by chance. His little stunt of trying to open Heaven set off a tsunami across the universe. Now, the afterlife is falling apart because of the ensuing warfare. And when Heaven finds out Slim is close by, the angels put a fat bounty on his head. It’s one thing to ride with a ferocious criminal pack across the treacherous plains—it’s another to do it when everyone in the land of the dead is itching to keep you there permanently.

Necessary Monsters—Richard A. Kirk (June 6, Arche Press)
Lumsden Moss is an escaped thief and an unrepentant bibliophile with a long-suffering desire to foist some karmic retribution on those who have wronged him. But when the opportunity to steal a rare book from the man who sentenced him to prison puts him on the wrong side of the wrong people, Moss finds himself on the run. It’s not just the book he stole that these people want, it’s also the secrets of a long-forgotten location on Nightjar Island, a place cursed and abandoned since the Purge. When Moss falls in with Imogen, a nimble-fingered thief who has taken a traveling bookcase filled with many secrets, he starts to realize how much of his unsavory past is indelibly tied to a frightening witch-child and her nightmarish pet monster. In a fantastic world, still recovering from a war where magic and technology were fused together, Moss and Imogen must decipher the mystery of their mutual pasts in order to illuminate the dark heart that still lurks on Nightjar Island.

The Hush—Skye Melki-Wegner (June 6, Sky Pony Press)
Young adult. Chester has taken to the road, traveling from village to village desperately searching for his father, who has disappeared. One night while fiddling to earn a few coins, he accidentally connects to the Song—the music that fuels every aspect of the world, and that it’s illegal for him to interact with. He’s caught and sentenced to death for his crime. But someone in the crowd stages a daring rescue and whisks Chester into the Hush, a shadowy nightmare mirror-world where Music can be deadly and Echoes can kill. Susanna, the captain of the infamous Nightfall Gang, has been watching Chester. She needs him to pull off an elaborate plan that will take down the governing body that keeps her an outlaw and made her the fragment she is. Susanna needs him to exact her revenge, even if he dies doing it.

All Good Things (Split Worlds #5)—Emma Newman (June 6, Diversion)
As the Iris family consolidates their hold on society within the secret world of the Nether, William Iris finds himself more powerful and yet more vulnerable than ever. His wife, Cathy, has left him, a fact that will destroy him if it becomes public. To keep his position—and survive—he needs to get her back. Cathy has finally escaped the Nether, but hates that she must rely so heavily on Sam’s protection. When the strange sorceress Beatrice offers her a chance to earn true freedom by joining the quest Sam has been bound to, Cathy agrees. But can she and Sam navigate Beatrice’s plans for the future without becoming two more of her victims? Amidst death, deceit, and the fight for freedom, friendships are tested, families are destroyed, and heroes are forged as the battle to control the Split Worlds rages to its climatic conclusion.

Song of the Current—Sarah Tolcser (June 6, Bloomsbury USA)
Young adult. Caroline Oresteia is destined for the river. Her father is a wherryman, as was her grandmother. All Caro needs is for the river god to whisper her name, and her fate is sealed. But at seventeen, Caro may be too late. So when pirates burn ships and her father is arrested, Caro volunteers to transport mysterious cargo in exchange for his release. Secretly, Caro hopes that by piloting her own wherry, the river god will finally speak her name. But when the cargo becomes more than Caro expected, she finds herself caught in a web of politics and lies. With much more than her father’s life at stake, Caro must choose between the future she knows, and the one she could have never imagined.

Beren and Luthien—Christopher Tolkien (June 1, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
The tale of Beren and Lúthien was, or became, an essential element in the evolution of The Silmarillion, the myths and legends of the First Age of the World conceived by J.R.R. Tolkien. Returning from France and the battle of the Somme at the end of 1916, he wrote the tale in the following year. Essential to the story, and never changed, is the fate that shadowed the love of Beren and Lúthien: for Beren was a mortal man, but Lúthien was an immortal elf. In this book Christopher Tolkien has told the story in his father’s own words by giving first its original form, and then passages in prose and verse from later texts that illustrate the narrative as it developed associations within the larger history. Presented together for the first time, they reveal aspects of the story, both in event and in narrative immediacy, that were afterwards lost.

The Refrigerator Monologues—Catherynne M. Valente, illus. Annie Wu (June 6, Saga Press)
From New York Times bestselling author Catherynne Valente comes a series of linked stories from the points of view of the wives and girlfriends of superheroes, female heroes, and anyone who’s ever been “refrigerated”: comic book women who are killed, raped, brainwashed, driven mad, disabled, or had their powers taken so that a male superhero’s storyline will progress. In an entirely new and original superhero universe, Valente subversively explores these ideas and themes in the superhero genre, treating them with the same love, gravity, and humor as her fairy tales. After all, superheroes are our new fairy tales and these six women have their own stories to share.

You Die When You Die (West of West #1)—Angus Watson (June 6, Orbit)
You can’t change your fate—so throw yourself into battle, because you’ll either win or wake up drinking mead in the halls of your ancestors. That’s what Finn’s tribe believe. But when their settlement is massacred by a hostile tribe and Finn and several friends, companions and rivals make their escape across a brutal, unfamiliar landscape, Finn will fight harder than he’s ever fought in his life. He wants to live—even if he only lives long enough to tell Thyri Treelegs how he feels about her. The David Gemmell Award nominated author of Age of Iron returns with You Die When You Die—in which a mismatched group of refugees battle animals and monsters, determined assassins, powerful tribes, an unforgiving land and each other as they cross a continent to fulfill a prophecy.

Nothing Left to Lose (John Cleaver #6)—Dan Wells (June 6, Tor Books)
Hi. My name is John Cleaver, and I hunt monsters. I used to do it alone, and then for a while I did it with a team of government specialists, and then the monsters found us and killed almost everyone, and now I hunt them alone again. In this thrilling installment in the John Wayne Cleaver series, Dan Wells brings his beloved antihero into a final confrontation with the Withered. Nothing Left to Lose is a conclusion that is both completely compelling and completely unexpected.

 

WEEK TWO

Thief’s Cunning—Sarah Ahiers (June 13, Harper Teen)
Young adult. As the niece of the infamous assassin Lea Saldana, Allegra is used to hiding from people who want her dead. Once the strongest clipper family in the Kingdom of Lovero, the Saldanas—or what’s left of them—are now the most hunted. Their number one enemy is the Da Vias, whose thirst for retaliation is almost two decades in the making. But lately Allegra’s getting fed up with everything being kept from her—including her parents’ identity. When she finally learns the truth about her family—that she’s a Da Via—her world crumbles. Feeling betrayed by the people she trusted the most, Allegra turns to Nev, a Traveler boy whose presence makes her feel alive in ways she’s only dreamed of. But getting caught up in Nev’s world has consequences Allegra never saw coming..

The Black Elfstone (The Fall of Shannara #1)—Terry Brooks (June 13, Del Rey)
Across the Four Lands, peace has reigned for generations. But now, in the far north, an unknown enemy is massing. Fearing the worst, the High Druid dispatches a diplomatic party under the protection of the order’s sworn guardian, Dar Leah, to confront the mysterious, encroaching force and discover its purpose. Exiled onetime High Druid Drisker Arc has been living in quiet seclusion until two brutal attacks by would-be assassins force him to seek out an infamous murder-for-hire guild—and find the hidden enemy who has marked him for death. At his side is Tarsha Kaynin, a young woman gifted with the wishsong and eager to be schooled in its formidable power by a master. She, too, is pursuing a mission: to locate her wayward brother, whose own magic has driven him to deadly madness and kindled his rage for vengeance … against his sister. In their darkest hours, facing dangerous adversaries, the lives and quests of Dar Leah, Drisker Arc, and Tarsha Kaynin will be inextricably drawn together. And the challenges each confronts will have resounding consequences for the future of the Four Lands.

Roar (Stealing Storms #1)—Cora Carmack (June 13, Tor Teen)
Young adult. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen, but she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people. To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems, but the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters. Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage. She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough.

Evil is a Matter of Perspective—Adrian Collins & Mike Myers, editors (June 16, Grimdark Magazine)
Anthology. Villains take center stage in this collection of 19 dark and magical stories. Readers will be cheering for all the wrong heroes as some of the most fearsome, devious, and brutal antagonists perform savage deeds towards wicked ends. And why not? These characters are the champions of their own stories—evil is a matter of perspective. Contributors also include Mark Adler, Bradley P. Beaulieu, E.V. Morrigan, Peter Orullian, Matthew Ward, Kaaron Warren, Deborah A. Wolf, and Janny Wurts.

The Bone Queen: Cadvan’s Story—Alison Croggon (June 13, Candlewick)
Young adult. After being seduced into sorcery by an agent of the Dark, the promising Bard Cadvan of Lirigon recklessly unleashed the terrible Bone Queen, bringing destruction down upon Annar. Cast out of the Schools of Barding for his crime, Cadvan now lives in exile, burdened by memories of his dealings with the Dark. At his former home, Cadvan’s mentor, Nelac, and his rival, Dernhil, begin to suspect that the Bone Queen may yet lurk in Annar, and a young Bard named Selmana is plagued by an ominous presence and an unsettling new ability to step between worlds. With darkness gathering and Bards giving in to fear and paranoia, a guilt-ridden Cadvan must once again earn the Bards’ trust and Selmana must gain control of her newfound powers if they are to bring peace to the living and the dead.

Julia Defiant (The Witch’s Child #2)—Catherine Egan (June 13, Knopf Books for Young Readers)
Young adult. Julia and a mismatched band of revolutionaries, scholars, and thieves have crossed the world searching for a witch. But for all the miles traveled, they are no closer to finding Ko Dan. No closer to undoing the terrible spell he cast that bound an ancient magic to the life of a small child. Casimir wants that magic, and every moment they hunt for Ko Dan, Casimir’s assassins are hunting them. Julia can deal with danger. The thing that truly scares her is her strange ability to vanish to a place just out of sight. She can now disappear so completely that it’s like stepping into a fiery, hellish world, filled with creatures who seem to recognize her—and count her as one of their own. Is Julia a girl with a monster lurking inside her? Or a monster wearing the disguise of a girl? If she can use her monstrous power to save Theo, does it matter?

Obsidian and Stars (Ivory and Bone #2)—Julie Eshbaugh (June 13, Harper Teen)
Young adult. After surviving the battle that erupted after Lo and the Bosha clan attacked, Mya is looking ahead to her future with Kol. But then Mya’s brother Chev reveals his plan to marry their youngest sister, Lees, to his friend Morsk. The only way to avoid this terrible turn of events, Morsk informs Mya when he corners her later, is for Mya to take Lees’ place and marry him herself. Rejecting Morsk’s offer, and in an effort to protect her sister, Mya whisks Lees away to a secret island until things back home blow over. Mya soon realizes she’s been followed, and lurking deep in the recesses of this dangerous place are rivals from Mya’s past whose thirst for revenge exceeds all reason. With the lives of her loved ones resting on her shoulders, Mya must make a move before the enemies of her past become the undoing of her future.

The Witch Who Came in from the Cold—Max Gladstone, Lindsay Smith, Cassandra Rose Clarke, Ian Tregillis, Michael Swanwick (June 13, Saga Press)
Spies and sorcerers face off during the Cold War, with the fate of the world in balance in this print edition of a hugely popular serial novel from five award-winning and critically acclaimed authors.
The Cold War rages in back rooms and dark alleys of 1970s Prague as spies and sorcerers battle for home and country. The fate of the East and the West hangs in the balance right along the Iron Curtain—and crackling beneath the surface is a vein of magic that is waiting to be tapped.

The Next Together—Lauren James (June 13, Sky Pony Press)
Young adult. Katherine and Matthew are destined to be born again and again, century after century. Each time they are total strangers thrust together under unusual circumstances. Each time their presence changes history for the better. And each time they fall hopelessly in love, only to be tragically separated. Why does fate keep bringing them together to save the world, and what must they achieve before they can finally be left to love in peace? Maybe the next together will be different. Told in parallel time streams through a mixture of prose, diary entries, letters, “original” historical documents, news reports, and Internet articles, and spanning the Crimean War, the Siege of Carlisle and the near-future of 2019 and 2039, The Next Together is a glittering, sweeping story of time travel, fate, and the power of first love.

Soleri—Michael Johnston (June 13, Tor Books)
The ruling family of the Soleri Empire has been in power longer than even the calendars that stretch back 2,826 years. No living person has seen them for centuries, yet their grip on their four subjugate kingdoms remains tighter than ever. On the day of the annual eclipse, the Harkan king, Arko-Hark Wadi, sets off on a hunt and shirks his duty rather than bow to the emperor. Ren, his son and heir, is a prisoner in the capital, while his daughters struggle against their own chains. Merit, the eldest, has found a way to stand against imperial law and marry the man she desires, but needs her sister’s help, and Kepi has her own ideas. Meanwhile, Sarra Amunet, Mother Priestess of the sun god’s cult, holds the keys to the end of an empire and a past betrayal that could shatter her family.

The Fallen Kingdom (Falconer #3)—Elizabeth May (June 13, Chronicle Books)
Young adult. The long-awaited final book in the Falconer trilogy is an imaginative tour-de-force that will thrill fans of the series. Aileana Kameron, resurrected by ancient fae magic, returns to the world she once knew with no memory of her past and with dangerous powers she struggles to control. Desperate to break the curse that pits two factions of the fae against each other in a struggle that will decide the fate of the human and fae worlds, her only hope is hidden in an ancient book guarded by the legendary Morrigan, a faery of immense power and cruelty. To save the world and the people she loves, Aileana must learn to harness her dark new powers even as they are slowly destroying her. Packed with immersive detail, action, romance, and fae lore, and publishing simultaneously in the UK, The Fallen Kingdom brings the Falconer’s story to an epic and unforgettable conclusion.

Down Among the Sticks and Bones (Wayward Children #2)—Seanan McGuire (June 13, Tor.com Publishing)
Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. This is the story of what happened first. Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline. Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you’ve got. They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted. They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.

Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2)—Victoria Schwab (June 13, Greenwillow)
Young adult. Kate Harker is a girl who isn’t afraid of the dark. She’s a girl who hunts monsters. And she’s good at it. August Flynn is a monster who can never be human. No matter how much he once yearned for it. He has a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost. Nearly six months after Kate and August were first thrown together, the war between the monsters and the humans is a terrifying reality. In Verity, August has become the leader he never wished to be, and in Prosperity, Kate has become the ruthless hunter she knew she could be. When a new monster emerges from the shadows—one who feeds on chaos and brings out its victim’s inner demons—it lures Kate home, where she finds more than she bargained for. She’ll face a monster she thought she killed, a boy she thought she knew, and a demon all her own.

Silver Silence (Psy-Changeling Trinity #1)—Nalini Singh (June 13, Berkley)
Control. Precision. Family. These are the principles that drive Silver Mercant. At a time when the fledgling Trinity Accord seeks to unite a divided world, with Silver playing a crucial role as director of a worldwide emergency response network, wildness and chaos are the last things she needs in her life. But that’s exactly what Valentin Nikolaev, alpha of the StoneWater bears, brings with him. Valentin has never met a more fascinating woman. Though Silver is ruled by Silence—her mind clear of all emotion—Valentin senses a whisper of fire around her. But when a shadow assassin almost succeeds in poisoning Silver, the stakes become deadly serious … and Silver finds herself in the heart of a powerful bear clan. Her would-be assassin has no idea what their poison has unleashed…

The Hollow Crown (Kingfountain #4)—Jeff Wheeler (June 13, 47North)
Years have passed in prosperity for the kingdom of Ceredigion. Now, as the time comes to celebrate the new king’s nuptials, the specter of a new enemy emerges. Tryneowy Kiskaddon has grown up learning military and diplomatic strategy from her father, one of the king’s closest advisors. She feels her destiny lies in defending the kingdom as a knight, not as a Wizr as her parents have decided, though no lady of the realm has taken up the sword in a century. As she seeks to understand her own Fountain-blessed powers, she studies in the tradition of her mother while training in secret and closely following the realm’s politics, alarmed by her mother’s vision of an impending clash and a devastating future. But the pieces on fate’s game board are in motion, and on the eve of battle, a threatening force irrevocably changes the future of the kingdom and her own. Does Trynne have what it takes to maneuver Ceredigion’s key players into position and outsmart the kingdom’s enemies—even those still concealed in shadow?

 

WEEK THREE

The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter—Theodora Goss (June 20, Saga Press)
Mary Jekyll, alone and penniless following her parents’ death, is curious about the secrets of her father’s mysterious past. One clue in particular hints that Edward Hyde, her father’s former friend and a murderer, may be nearby, and there is a reward for information leading to his capture … a reward that would solve all of her immediate financial woes. But her hunt leads her to Hyde’s daughter, Diana, a feral child left to be raised by nuns. With the assistance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mary continues her search for the elusive Hyde, and soon befriends more women, all of whom have been created through terrifying experimentation: Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherine Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein. When their investigations lead them to the discovery of a secret society of immoral and power-crazed scientists, the horrors of their past return. Now it is up to the monsters to finally triumph over the monstrous.

Indigo—Charlaine Harris, Christopher Golden, Kelley Armstrong, Jonathan Maberry, Kat Richardson, Seanan McGuire, Tim Lebbon, Cherie Priest, James A. Moore, Mark Morris (June 20, St. Martin’s Press)
Investigative reporter Nora Hesper spends her nights cloaked in shadows. As Indigo, she’s become an urban myth, a brutal vigilante who can forge darkness into weapons and travel across the city by slipping from one patch of shadow to another. Her primary focus both as Nora and as Indigo has become a murderous criminal cult called the Children of Phonos. But in the aftermath of a bloody battle, a dying cultist makes claims that cause Indigo to question her own origin. Nora’s parents were killed when she was nineteen. She took the life insurance money and went off to explore the world, leading to her becoming a student of meditation and strange magic in a mountaintop monastery in Nepal…a history that sounds suspiciously like the origins of several comic book characters. As Nora starts to pick apart her memory, it begins to unravel. Her parents are dead, but the rest is a series of lies. Where did she get the power inside her?

Perilous Prophecy (Strangely Beautiful #2)—Leanna Renee Hieber (June 20, Tor Books)
Reissue. Cairo in the 1860s is a bustling metropolis where people from all walks of life mix and mingle, mostly in complex harmony. When evil ghosts and unquiet spirits stalk the city’s streets, the Guard are summoned—six young men and women of different cultures, backgrounds, and faiths, gifted by their Goddess with great powers. While others of the Guard embrace their duties, their leader, British-born Beatrice, is gripped by doubt. What right has she, a bookish, sheltered, eighteen-year-old, to lead others into battle? Why isn’t dark-eyed, compelling Ibrahim, who is stronger of will than Beatrice, the one in charge? Ghosts maraud through Cairo’s streets, heralding a terrible darkness. Beatrice and her Guard have little time to master their powers; a great battle looms as an ancient prophecy roars toward its final, deadly conclusion.

The Management Style of the Supreme Beings—Tom Holt (June 20, Orbit)
When the Supreme Being and his son decide that being supreme isn’t for them any more, it’s inevitable that things get a bit of a shake-up. It soon becomes apparent that our new owners, the Venturi brothers, have a very different perspective on all sorts of things. Take Good and Evil, for example. For them, it’s an outdated concept that never worked particularly well in the first place. Unfortunately, the sudden disappearance of right and wrong, while welcomed by some, raises certain concerns amongst those still attached to the previous team’s management style. In particular, there’s one of the old gods who didn’t move out with the others. A reclusive chap, he lives somewhere up north, and only a handful even believe in him. But he’s watching. And he really does need to know if you’ve been naughty or nice.

Dark Immolation (Chaos Queen #2)—Christopher Husberg (June 20, Titan Books)
A new religion is rising, gathering followers drawn by rumors of prophetess Jane Oden. Her sister Cinzia—once a Cantic priestess—is by her side, but fears that Jane will lead them to ruin. For both the Church and the Nazaniin assassins are still on their trail, and much worse may come. Knot, his true nature now revealed if not truly understood, is haunted by his memories, and is not the ally he once was. Astrid travels to Tinska to find answers for her friend, but the child-like vampire has old enemies who have been waiting for her return. And beyond the Blood Gate in the empire of Roden, a tiellan woman finds herself with a new protector. One who wants to use her extraordinary abilities for his own ends…

Veiled Threat (Rylee Adamson #7)—Shannon Mayer (June 20, Talos)
When children go missing, and the Humans have no leads, I’m the one they call. I am their last hope in bringing home the lost ones. I salvage what they cannot. Demons are putting rips in the veil in order to cross over and steal my friends and allies away. But, going after them isn’t even close to simple. The deepest level of the veil is not a place you can just open a doorway too, after all, and of course, that’s where they’ve been taken. As fate would have it, it looks like I might get some help from a trained demon slayer and his fire breathing ride. The only problem? Said demon slayer claims to have family ties to me. And I’ve never trusted my family. Nor am I about to start now.

The Asylum of Dr. Caligari—James Morrow (June 20, Tachyon Publications)
In the summer of 1914, a young American painter really needs some work. Fortunately, Francis Wyndham has attained a position as the new art therapist at a renowned European asylum. Unfortunately, the asylum’s mysterious director is less interested in curing patients than in his own nefarious projects. It seems that Dr. Allessandro Caligari has turned to the darkest arts. In his secret lair beneath the asylum, he is creating a masterpiece so hypnotic that it will incite international chaos. His motivation? As with any evil, war-mongering entrepreneur: money. As Caligari’s wicked scheme coalesces, Francis; his brilliant, spider-obsessed student Illona Wessels; and a small band of misfit allies must attempt to thwart the mercenary magic.

A Gathering of Ravens—Scott Oden (June 20, Thomas Dunne Books)
To the Danes, he is skraelingr; to the English, he is orcnéas; to the Irish, he is fomoraig. He is Corpse-maker and Life-quencher, the Bringer of Night, the Son of the Wolf and Brother of the Serpent. He is Grimnir, and he is the last of his kind—the last in a long line of monsters who have plagued humanity since the Elder Days. Drawn from his lair by a thirst for vengeance against the Dane who slew his brother, Grimnir emerges into a world that’s changed. Taking a young Christian hostage to be his guide, Grimnir embarks on a journey that takes him from the hinterlands of Denmark to the green shores of Ireland and the Viking stronghold of Dubhlinn, where his enemy awaits. Dubhlinn is set to be the site of a reckoning—the Old Ways versus the New—and Grimnir, the last of his kind left to plague mankind, must choose: stand with the Christian King of Ireland and see his vengeance done or stand against him and see it slip away?

Battle for Rome (Twilight of the Empire #3)—Ian James Ross (June 20, Overlook Press)
War is on the horizon for the Roman Empire, and only Maxentius, tyrant of Rome, stands between the emperor Constantine and supreme power in the west. Aurelius Castus is now a tribune in Constantine’s army. But this great honor brings new challenges, and Castus is tormented by suspicions that his young wife has been unfaithful. As Constantine becomes increasingly devoted to Christianity, he is forced to ask himself whether he is following the wrong man. The approaching war will decide the fate of the empire, but Castus’s own battle will carry him much further—into the shadowy realms of treachery at the heart of Rome itself.

 

WEEK FOUR

The Waking Land—Callie Bates (June 27, Del Rey)
Lady Elanna is fiercely devoted to the king who raised her like a daughter. But when he dies under mysterious circumstances, Elanna is accused of his murder—and must flee for her life. Returning to the homeland of magical legends she has forsaken, Elanna is forced to reckon with her despised, estranged father, branded a traitor long ago. Feeling a strange, deep connection to the natural world, she also must face the truth about the forces she has always denied or disdained as superstition—powers that suddenly stir within her. But an all-too-human threat is drawing near, determined to exact vengeance. Now Elanna has no choice but to lead a rebellion against the kingdom to which she once gave her allegiance. Trapped between divided loyalties, she must summon the courage to confront a destiny that could tear her apart.

The Queen of Swords (Golgotha Series #3)—R.S. Belcher (June 27, Tor Books)
1870. Maude Stapleton, late of Golgotha, Nevada, is a respectable widow raising a daughter on her own. Few know that Maude belongs to an ancient order of assassins, the Daughters of Lilith, and is as well the great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Anne Bonney, the legendary female pirate. Leaving Golgotha in search of her daughter Constance, who has been taken from her, Maude travels to Charleston, South Carolina, only to find herself caught in the middle of a secret war between the Daughters of Lilith and their ancestral enemies, the monstrous Sons of Typhon. To save Constance, whose prophetic gifts are sought by both cults, Maude must follow in the footsteps of Anne Bonney as she embarks on a perilous voyage that will ultimately lead her to a lost city of bones in the heart of Africa—and the Father of All Monsters.

The Bones of the Earth (Bound Gods #2)—Rachel Dunne (June 27, Harper Voyager)
To win the coming battle for control of the world and the mortals who dwell in it, the cunning priest Joros secretly assembled a team of powerful fighters—Scal, a lost and damaged swordsman from the North; Vatri, a scarred priestess who claims to see the future in her fires; Anddyr, a drug-addled mage wandering between sanity and madness; and Rora and Aro, a pair of twins who have secretly survived beyond the reach of the law. As the bound Twins strengthen in force against their parents—the Divine Mother and Almighty Father—who exiled them, a shadow begins to spread across the land, threatening to engulf all in its wake. As deadly magic takes hold, the tenuous bonds tying these uneasy allies begins to unravel. If they cannot find a way to keep their band together, each of their lives—and the entire world—will be lost to the darkness, leaving nothing but the bones of the earth. . . .

Reign of Serpents (Blood of Gods and Royals #3)—Eleanor Herman (June 27, Harlequin Teen)
Young adult. Prince Alexander of Macedon’s mind has been touched by an incomprehensible evil, even as his betrothed travels from afar to unite their kingdoms against a terrible darkness that threatens both realms: the Spirit Eaters. From the distant shores of Illyria to a small deserted island, the deadly consequences of Smoke Blood magic loom and lost civilizations emerge to reveal the existence of a weapon that may do the impossible—kill the last living god. As magic rises and warriors clash, the fate of all Macedon rests in the hands of the unstable prince and those whose loyalty can no longer be trusted.

The Fatal Gate (Gates of Good and Evil #2)—Ian Irvine (June 27, Orbit)
The cruel Merdrun, the greatest warriors in the void, have invaded Santhenar but their portal backfired and they’re stuck on the tropical Isle of Gwine. They’re desperately trying to regain contact with the Summon Stone so they can reopen the portal and begin the slaughter of humanity. The hideous Whelm hold Karan and Llian’s daughter, Sulien, in the frozen south and plan to sacrifice her to the Merdrun to gain their favor. Karan races south in a stolen sky ship but fears she will be too late. Llian, hurled through another portal, sees the summon stone wake and knows the allies have but one chance to destroy the Merdrun – though it will involve an alchemical quest that has always ended in ruin, a mad invasion in untested sky ships with untrained pilots, then the most unequal battle in all the Histories.

Midnight Jewel (Glittering Court #2)—Richelle Mead (June 27, Razorbill)
Young adult. For some, the Glittering Court offers a chance at a life they’ve only ever dreamed of, one of luxury, glamour, and leisure. But for Mira, a war refugee, it’s simply a means to an end. In the new world, she plans to earn off her marriage contract price. Mira pitches herself as an asset to the sardonic and aloof Grant Elliot, whom she’s discovered is a spy for the prestigious McGraw Agency—and her ticket to buying her freedom. His cover blown, Grant has little choice but to take her on. Mira applies herself by day, learning the etiquette and customs that will help to earn her anonymity. By night, she dons a mask and slips into the city, fighting injustice and corruption on her own terms—and impressing Grant with her extraordinary abilities and insights into a brewing rebellion. But the rebellion isn’t all they’re fighting. Neither of them can ignore the attraction burning between them—an attraction so powerful, it threatens to unravel everything Mira’s worked so hard for. With freedom finally within her grasp, can Mira risk it all for love?

Soul of the World—David Mealing (June 27, Orbit)
It is a time of revolution. In the cities, food shortages stir citizens to riots against the crown. In the wilds, new magic threatens the dominance of the tribes. and on the battlefields, even the most brilliant commanders struggle in the shadow of total war. Three lines of magic must be mastered in order to usher in a new age, and three heroes must emerge. Sarine is an artist on the streets of New Sarresant whose secret familiar helps her uncover bloodlust and madness where she expected only revolutionary fervor. Arak’Jur wields the power of beasts to keep his people safe, but his strength cannot protect them from war amongst themselves. Erris is a brilliant cavalry officer trying to defend New Sarresant from an enemy general armed with magic she barely understands. Each must learn the secrets of their power in time to guide their people through ruin. But a greater evil may be trying to stop them.

Supernatural: The Usual Sacrifices—Yvonne Navarro (June 27, Titan Books)
A brand-new Supernatural novel that reveals a previously unseen adventure for the Winchester brothers, from the hit CW series! When Sam and Dean head to Kentucky to investigate a rash of unexplained disappearances in a town close to Mammoth Cave, they’re told local folk tales about the mysterious cave, and the sacrifices it requires to ensure the town’s prosperity. Could the disappearances be linked to the ritual, or is another brand of evil at work?

The Legion of Flame (Draconis Memoria #2)—Anthony Ryan (June 27, Ace)
For centuries, the vast Ironship Trading Syndicate relied on drake blood—and the extraordinary powers it confers to those known as the Blood-blessed—to fuel and protect its empire. But now, a fearsome power has arisen—a drake so mighty that the world will tremble before it. Rogue Blood-blessed Claydon Torcreek, Syndicate agent Lizanne Lethridge, and ironship captain Corrick Hilemore embark upon perilous quests to chase down clues that offer faint hopes of salvation. As the world burns around them, and the fires of revolution are ignited, these few are the last hope for the empire and for all of civilization.

Now I Rise (And I Darken #2)—Kiersten White (June 27, Delacorte Press)
Young adult. Lada Dracul has no allies. No throne. All she has is what she’s always had: herself. After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada is out to punish anyone who dares to cross her blood-strewn path. Filled with a white-hot rage, she storms the countryside with her men, accompanied by her childhood friend Bogdan, terrorizing the land. But brute force isn’t getting Lada what she wants. What she needs is her younger brother Radu’s subtlety and skill. But Mehmed has sent him to Constantinople—Mehmed wants control of the city, and Radu has earned an unwanted place as a double-crossing spy behind enemy lines Radu longs for his sister’s fierce confidence—but for the first time in his life, he rejects her unexpected plea for help. As nations fall around them, the Dracul siblings must decide: what will they sacrifice to fulfill their destinies?

The Witchwood Crown (The Last King of Osten Ard #1)—Tad Williams (June 27, DAW)
Enter the epic fantasy world that inspired a generation of modern fantasy writers, including George R.R. Martin, Patrick Rothfuss, and Christopher Paolini. The Witchwood Crown begins Tad William’s next masterpiece, bringing together the best of character-driven fantasy, action-packed high adventure, and monumental worldbuilding. Osten Ard is at a critical turning point once again. Ancient enemies, long silent, are preparing to reclaim lands that were once theirs…

Always a Wanderer (Irish Traveller Series #2)—Danica Winters (June 27, Diversion)
Helena O’Driscoll and Graham Kelly’s first few months together haven’t been easy. Helena, missing the traditional Traveller lifestyle she gave up for Graham, can’t help but feel that their cultural differences have doomed their relationship. And with preparations for their brand-new hospital for Supernaturals filling their days, they feel out of sync, and maybe even out of love. When a man from the local equestrian center is murdered, Helena begins having visions of the future darker and more dangerous than ever before. With a killer in their midst, everyone at Adare Manor is at risk, and Helena and Graham must work together to catch the culprit even as their relationship unravels. And when the murderer claims another victim, this one even closer to Helena’s heart, the question becomes not whether their love will survive, but whether they will.

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