The Cover Art Mega-Post

I haven’t done something like this before, but I was thinking of doing this for a while. Thing is, there are so, so many books coming out later this year or just about to be released actually, that I really, really want to read, and doing individual posts for all of them on The Founding Fields would be a bit of chore. So I’m just doing a general bumper post collecting all these covers and details on the books.

Hope you enjoy!

*****

A few notes:

• All prices are in US$ unless specified otherwise.
• All dates are US release dates unless specified otherwise.
• Some of the blurbs have been adjusted to account for the post formatting

1. Theirs Not To Reason Why #3: Hellfire by Jean Johnson

 Official URL | Goodreads | Amazon

Release Info: July 30, 2013 | Ace Books | Mass Market Format | 480pp | $7.99

Her story began in the national bestsellers A Soldier’s Duty and An Officer’s Duty. Now Ia is captain and commander at the helm of Hellfire, where she is finally free to chart the course for the fulfillment of her destiny…

As captain, Ia must now assemble a crew that can rise to the ultimate challenge of saving the galaxy. The hardest part will be getting them to believe her, to trust in her prophecies. If they don’t, her own crew will end up being the biggest obstacle in her race against time.

The Salik are breaking through the Blockade, plunging the known galaxy into war. Ia cannot stop it this time, nor does she want to. This is the terrible price she has seen all along—that some must pay with their lives so that others might live. Now only time itself can prove whether each member of her crew is merely a soldier or truly one of Ia’s Damned.

Why is the book on my list?

Jean Johnson has been my biggest find of the year. The first two novels in the series, A Soldier’s Duty (review) and An Officer’s Duty (review), have both been absolutely stand-out works of military science fiction and I’ve enjoyed those books a lot. Hopefully Hellfire will be as awesome as both of them combined. I have trust in Jean.

2. Tangled Axon #1: Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi

  Official URL | Goodreads | Amazon

Release Info: December 4, 2013 | Masque Books | Trade Paperback Format | 336pp | $14.95

Alana Quick is the best damned sky surgeon in Heliodor City, but repairing starship engines barely pays the bills. When the desperate crew of a cargo vessel stops by her shipyard looking for her spiritually-advanced sister Nova, Alana stows away. Maybe her boldness will land her a long-term gig on the crew.

But the Tangled Axon proves to be more than star-watching and plasma coils. The chief engineer thinks he’s a wolf. The pilot fades in and out of existence. The captain is all blond hair, boots, and ego… and Alana can’t keep her eyes off her.

But there’s little time for romance: Nova’s in danger and someone will do anything – even destroying planets – to get their hands on her!

Why is the book on my list?

Having read Jean’s two Theirs Not To Reason Why novels, I’m interested in reading more SF novels of the far future with female protagonists. Jacqueline’s upcoming debut comes at just the right time. And I’ll be honest. That cover does a LOT to capture my interest.

3. Fearsome Dreamer by Laure Eve

  Official URL | Goodreads | Amazon

Release Info: October 3, 2013 | Hot Key Books | Trade Paperback Format | 304pp | $14.69

In the world of Fearsome Dreamer, England has become Angle Tar – a technophobic and fiercely independent country holding its own against the mass of other nations that is World.

Rue is an apprenticed hedgewitch in rural Angle Tar, but she knows she is destined for greater things. After being whisked off to the city by the enigmatic Frith, Rue becomes the student of White, a young Worlder with a Talent that is much in demand: White is no ordinary Dreamer – but then neither is Rue. Both can physically ‘jump’ to different places when they dream – and both have more power than they know.

Rue and White find themselves electrically attracted to each other – but who is the mysterious silver-eyed boy stalking Rue’s dreams?

And why is he so interested in her relationship with White? Is Rue about to discover just how devastatingly real dreams can be…?

Why is the book on my list?

The cover, it always comes down to the cover. Fearsome Dreamer has an amazing light-tone cover that kind of reminds me of Emma Newman’s Split Worlds novels from Angry Robot Books. Regency fantasy? Sounds about right to me. I’m on board.

4. Seven Forges by James A. Moore

 Official URL | Goodreads | Amazon

Release Info: September 24th, 2013 | Angry Robot Books | Trade Paperback Format | 330pp | $14.99

The people of Fellein have lived with legends for many centuries. To their far north, the Blasted Lands, a legacy of an ancient time of cataclysm, are vast, desolate and impassable, but that doesn’t stop the occasional expedition into their fringes in search of any trace of the ancients who once lived there… and oft-rumoured riches.

Captain Merros Dulver is the first in many lifetimes to find a path beyond the great mountains known as the Seven Forges and encounter, at last, the half‐forgotten race who live there. And it would appear that they were expecting him.

As he returns home, bringing an entourage of the strangers with him, he starts to wonder whether his discovery has been such a good thing. For the gods of this lost race are the gods of war, and their memories of that far-off cataclysm have not faded.

Why is the book on my list?

Other than that badass cover, the synopsis really pulled me in. Angry Robot doesn’t do a lot of straight-up fantasy, at least not where there aren’t some gender-bending elements at work and this sounds a bit “mainstream” to me. Should be an interesting experiment to me!

5. Night’s Masque #3: The Prince of Lies by Anne Lyle

 Official URL | Goodreads | Amazon

Release Info: October 29, 2013 | Angry Robot Books | Mass Market Format | $7.99

Elizabethan spy Mal Catlyn has everything he ever wanted – his twin brother Sandy restored to health, his family estate reclaimed and a son to inherit it – but his work is far from over.

The renegade skraylings, the guisers, are still plotting – their leader, Jathekkil, has reincarnated as the young Prince Henry Tudor. But while he is still young, Mal has a slim chance of eliminating his enemies whilst they are at their weakest.

With Sandy’s help, Mal learns to harness his own magic in the fight against the guisers, but it may be too late to save England. Schemes set in motion decades ago are at last coming to fruition, and the barrier between the dreamlands and the waking world is wearing thin…

Why is the book on my list?

At this point, it should be rather obvious that I’m an Anne Lyle fan and a strong supporter of her work. I’m almost dreading reading this book, mostly because it means the end of Mal and Coby’s adventures, but knowing Anne, it should be a royal send-off! The Prince of Lies should be a great ending to the Elizabethan hijinks that began in Alchemist of Souls (review) and continued on in Merchant of Dreams (review).

6. Split Worlds #3: All Is Fair by Emma Newman

 Official URL | Goodreads | Amazon

Release Info: September 24, 2013 | Angry Robot Books | Trade Paperback Format | $14.99

In love and war nothing is safe.

William Iris struggles to keep the throne of Londinium whilst hated by his own court and beset by outsiders, while Cathy discovers the legacy of her former governess. But those who dare to speak out about Society are always silenced. Sometimes for good.

While trying to avoid further torments from the mercurial fae, Sam finds himself getting tangled in the affairs of the Elemental Court. But an unexpected offer from the powerful and enigmatic Lord Iron turns out to be far more than Sam bargained for.

Max and the gargoyle are getting closer to uncovering who is behind the murder of the Bath Chapter and the corruption in London and Max finds the gargoyle’s controversial ideas harder to ignore. Can he stay true to his sworn duty without being destroyed by his own master, whose insanity threatens to unravel them all?

Why is the book on my list?

Emma is an absolutely delightful author and her first Split Worlds novel Between Two Thorns (review) was just great. It introduced me to regency fantasy in a spectacular way and I want more. I already have the second novel Any Other Name and am looking forward to reading that and this one.

7. Riyria Chronicles #2: The Rose And The Thorn by Michael J. Sullivan

 Official URL | Goodreads | Amazon

Release Info: September 17, 2013 | Orbit Books | Trade Paperback Format | 384pp | $16.00

Two thieves want answers. Riyria is born.

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 – but she’s about to find out.

Why is the book on my list?

Michael J. Sullivan has had meteoric success with his Riyria Revelations novels. He self-published the first five and they became such hot property that Orbit Books picked them at the tail-end of 2011 and published them with brand new covers as 2-book omnibuses (the soon-to-be-published sixth novel also got a special stand-alone digital release for those who were interested in only that): Theft of Swords (review), Rise of Empire (review), Heir of Novron (review). They were some of the best books I read last year and Michael is one of my favourite authors. I already have the first Riyria Chronicles novel The Crown Tower waiting to be read and I can’t wait to get through that and to The Rose and The Thorn.

8. Gentleman Bastard #3: The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch

 Official URL | Goodreads | Amazon

Release Info: October 8, 2013 | Del Rey Books | Hardcover Format | 672pp | $28.00

Having pulled off the greatest heist of their career, Locke and his trusted partner in thievery, Jean, have escaped with a tidy fortune. But Locke’s body is paying the price. Poisoned by an enemy from his past, he is slowly dying. And no physiker or alchemist can help him. Yet just as the end is near, a mysterious Bondsmagi offers Locke an opportunity that will either save him – or finish him off once and for all.

Magi political elections are imminent, and the factions are in need of a pawn. If Locke agrees to play the role, sorcery will be used to purge the venom from his body – though the process will be so excruciating he may well wish for death. Locke is opposed, but two factors cause his will to crumble: Jean’s imploring – and the Bondsmagi’s mention of a woman from Locke’s past . . . Sabetha. The love of his life. His equal in skill and wit. And now his greatest rival.

Locke was smitten with Sabetha from his first glimpse of her as a young fellow-orphan and thief-in-training. But after a tumultuous courtship, Sabetha broke away. Now they will reunite in yet another clash of wills. For faced with his one and only match in both love and trickery, Locke must choose whether to fight Sabetha – or to woo her. It is a decision on which both their lives may depend.

Why is the book on my list?

I’ve never read a Scott Lynch book before, so the reason that this novel is on this list is because all the buzz surrounding this novel has convinced me that I definitely should be investing in the series. Plus Scott was kind enough to do a guest post for me a while back and I always try to read books by authors who contribute to NANP. So yeah.

9. Magic Ex Libris #2: Codex Born by Jim C. Hines

 Official URL | Goodreads | Amazon

Release Info: August 6, 2013 | DAW Books | Hardcover Format | 320pp | $24.95

Isaac Vainio’s life was almost perfect. He should have known it couldn’t last.

Living and working as a part-time librarian in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Isaac had finally earned the magical research position he dreamed of with Die Zwelf Portenære, better known as the Porters. He was seeing a smart, fun, gorgeous dryad named Lena Greenwood. He had been cleared by Johannes Gutenberg to do libriomancy once again, to reach into books and create whatever he chose from their pages. Best of all, it had been more than two months since anything tried to kill him.

And then Isaac, Lena, and Porter psychiatrist Nidhi Shah are called to the small mining town of Tamarack, Michigan, where a pair of septuagenarian werewolves have discovered the brutally murdered body of a wendigo.

What begins as a simple monster-slaying leads to deeper mysteries and the discovery of an organization thought to have been wiped out more than five centuries ago by Gutenberg himself. Their magic rips through Isaac’s with ease, and their next target is Lena Greenwood.

They know Lena’s history, her strengths and her weaknesses. Born decades ago from the pages of a pulp fantasy novel, she was created to be the ultimate fantasy woman, shaped by the needs and desires of her companions. Her powers are unique, and Gutenberg’s enemies mean to use her to destroy everything he and the Porters have built. But their plan could unleash a far darker power, an army of entropy and chaos, bent on devouring all it touches.

The Upper Peninsula is about to become ground zero in a magical war like nothing the world has seen in more than five hundred years. But the more Isaac learns about Gutenberg and the Porters, the more he questions whether he’s fighting for the right cause.

One way or another, Isaac must find a way to stop a power he doesn’t fully understand. And even if he succeeds, the outcome will forever change him, the Porters, and the whole world.

Why is the book on my list?

Jim C. Hines is an author I have a lot of respect for. He stands up against discrimination and deplorable behaviour in the industry again and again and the way he does it is always entertaining as hell. I’ve been wanting to read some of his work for a while now and this series sounds like a great place to start. The excitement of a new release can often do that!

10. Forgotten Realms: The Sundering #1 – The Companions by R. A. Salvatore

 Official URL | Goodreads | Amazon

Release Info: August 6, 2013 | Wizards of the Coast | Hardcover Format | 384pp | $27.95

This latest installment in New York Times best-selling author R.A. Salvatore’s beloved fantasy saga, The Companions moves Salvatore’s signature hero Drizzt into a new era of the Forgotten Realms.

As Drizzt’s fate hangs in the balance, he reflects on the lives of the trusted allies who stood by his side throughout his early life–the friends now known as the Companions of the Hall.

Meanwhile, the first stirrings of the Sundering begin.

Why is the book on my list?

R. A. Salvatore is a pillar of SFF, having written dozens of novels over the years and been a bestselling author for most of those years. I read the first Drizzt novel a couple months ago and I liked it enough to want to read more. I was initially hesitant about picking this up, since this is like the 24th Drizzt novel or something (there’ve been a metric ton of them!) but when I asked Salvatore about it, he said The Companions would be a relative stand-alone. Good enough for me!

11. Forgotten Realms : The Sundering #2 –  The Godborn by Paul S. Kemp

 Official URL | Goodreads | Amazon

Release Info: October 1, 2013 | Wizards of the Coast | Hardcover Format | 336pp | $27.95

In the 2nd book of the multi-author Sundering series launched by New York Times best-selling author R.A. Salvatore, the shadow legacy of Erevis Cale lives on even as his old foe Mephistopheles seeks to stamp it out at any cost. Cale’s son Vasen—unmoored in time by the god Mask—has thus far been shielded from the archdevil’s dark schemes, alone among the servants of the Lord of Light who have raised him since birth.

Living in a remote abbey nestled among the Thunder Peaks of Sembia, Vasen is haunted by dreams of his father, trapped in the frozen hell of Cania. He knows the day will come when he must assume his role in the divine drama unfolding across Faerûn. But Vasen knows not what that role should be . . . or whether he is ready to take it on. He only knows what his father tells him in dreams—that he must not fail.

Enter Drasek Riven, a former compatriot of Erevis Cale, now near divine and haunted by dreams of his own—he too knows the time to act is near. Shar, the great goddess of darkness, looks to cast her shadow on the world forever. Riven has glimpsed the cycle of night she hopes to complete, and he knows she must be stopped.

At the crossroads of divine intrigue and mortal destiny, unlikely heroes unite to thwart the powers of shadow and hell, and the sundering of worlds is set on its course.

Why is the book on my list?

Much as with Michael J. Sullivan or Jean Johnson, Paul S. Kemp is one of my top favourite writers in SFF right now and I always enjoy his work. The release of The Godborn also gives me a chance to catch up on Erevis Cale’s adventures, which I got introduced to in Erevis Cale Trilogy (review) last year and which I’ve been wanting to do for a while now. So that’s a win-win!

12. Forgotten Realms: The Sundering #3 – The Adversary by Erin M. Evans

 Official URL | Goodreads | Amazon

Release Info: December 3, 2013 | Wizards of the Coast | Hardcover Format | 352pp | $27.95

In the 3rd book of the multi-author SUNDERING series kicked off by New York Times best-selling author R.A. Salvatore, the award-winning Erin M. Evans throws her signature character Farideh into a maelstrom of devilish politics and magical intrigue.

Captured by Netherese agents and locked away in a prison camp, Farideh quickly discovers her fellow prisoners are not simply enemies of Netheril, but people known as Chosen who possess hidden powers, powers that Netheril is eager to exploit—or destroy. As Farideh’s friends and sister race across the landscape on a desperate rescue mission, Farideh is drawn deeper into the mystery of the Netherese plot alongside two undercover Harper agents.

But will her closest ally turn out to be an adversary from her past?

Why is the book on my list?

Farideh and her twin sister Havilar are two of my favourite SFF characters and I’ve enjoyed their outings in Brimstone Angels (review) and Lesser Evils (review) so I must say that I can’t wait to be reading this book. Erin M. Evans has done much to get me to enjoy Forgotten Realms fiction and I’m all set to read more of her work.

13. Star Trek: The Fall #2 – Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack

 Official URL | Goodreads | Amazon

Release Info: September 24, 2013 | Pocket Books | Mass Market Format | 352pp | $7.99

The second original novel in the electrifying The Next Generation/Deep Space Nine crossover event!

The U.S.S. Enterprise has been sent to Cardassia Prime, where Captain Jean-Luc Picard is involved in discussions over the removal of the small number of remaining Starfleet forces left over from the end of the Dominion War. Also present is the Cardassian Ambassador to the Federation, Elim Garak.

All parties involved are keen to see Starfleet leave Cardassian soil, not only because the Cardassians are now allies of the Federation, but because Starfleet has been badly overstretched in recent years and the resources are needed elsewhere. With so much goodwill at the highest levels, this meeting should be a formality.

However, within a few days of the arrival of the Enterprise, a Bajoran Federation officer is found murdered. The crime may be racially motivated: an ultra-nationalist organization called “Cardassia First” has been stirring up anti-Federation feeling across Cardassia over the past year, and a Bajoran is an obvious target…

Why is the book on my list?

A crossover novel featuring the casts of The Next Generation and Deep Space 9, the two best Star Trek shows to date? To say that I’m excited would be an understatement. I didn’t know when I first heard of this book that this was part of a series (which I do know now), so I guess I’ll be checking out the entire thing in any case!

14. Star Trek: The Original Series – From History’s Shadow by Dayton Ward

 Official URL | Goodreads | Amazon

Release Info: July 30, 2013 | Pocket Books | Mass Market Format | 400pp | $7.99

2268: Following their encounter with the mysterious Gary Seven in the twentieth century, the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise is startled by two intruders who have transported through space and time from Earth circa 1968. Incredibly, one of the infiltrators is a Vulcan, who asserts that he’s lived among Earth’s population for over a decade. The other represents a little-known race, and reveals to Captain James T. Kirk that she has spent that last twenty years working to bring about humanity’s destruction. It is then that Gary Seven’s young protégé, Roberta Lincoln, arrives seeking Kirk’s help….

1947: In the wake of the infamous “Roswell Incident” involving a crashed alien craft and beings from another world, Captain James Wainwright finds himself recruited as one of the first members of Majestic 12, a secret organization with two goals: Collect evidence of extraterrestrial activity on Earth, and develop strategies to combat alien invaders. And it is this very mission that will consume Wainwright’s life for the next two decades, driven by the knowledge that the danger is as real as the aliens living among us….

Why is the book on my list?

I never got around to watching Star Trek: The Original Series in full, but I’ve enjoyed the prose fiction that I’ve read, such as the Eugenics Wars novels and others. Particularly anything with Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln. I love Roberta Lincoln. That’s enough to get me to read this book!

15. Star Wars: Empire and Rebellion #1 – Razor’s Edge by Martha Wells

 Official URL | Goodreads | Amazon

Release Info: September 24, 2013 | Lucas Books | Hardcover Format | 288pp | $27.00

Times are desperate for the Rebel Alliance. Harassment by the Empire and a shortage of vital supplies are hindering completion of a new secret base on the ice planet Hoth. So when Mid Rim merchants offer much-needed materials for sale, Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo lead an Alliance delegation to negotiate a deal.

But when treachery forces the rebel ship to flee into territory controlled by pirates, Leia makes a shocking discovery: the fierce marauders come from Leia’s homeworld of Alderaan, recently destroyed by the Death Star. These refugees have turned to pillaging and plundering to survive—and they are in debt to a pirate armada, which will gladly ransom the princess to the vengeful Empire . . . if they find out her true identity.

Struggling with intense feelings of guilt, loyalty, and betrayal, Leia is determined to help her wayward kinspeople, even as Imperial forces are closing in on her own crippled ship. Trapped between lethal cutthroats and brutal oppressors, Leia and Han, along with Luke, Chewbacca, and a battle-ready crew, must defy death—or embrace it—to keep the rebellion alive.

Why is the book on my list?

A novel that puts Leia front and center and is featured in the Rebellion Era and is written by Martha Wells? You don’t have to ask me twice if I want to read it or not because I most definitely do! Also, how great is that cover?

16. Star Wars: Kenobi by John Jackson Miller

 Official URL | Goodreads | Amazon

Release Info: August 27, 2013 | Lucas Books | Hardcover Format | 400pp | $27.00

The Republic has fallen.
Sith Lords rule the galaxy.
Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi has lost everything . . .
Everything but hope.

Tatooine—a harsh desert world where farmers toil in the heat of two suns while trying to protect themselves and their loved ones from the marauding Tusken Raiders. A backwater planet on the edge of civilized space. And an unlikely place to find a Jedi Master in hiding, or an orphaned infant boy on whose tiny shoulders rests the future of a galaxy.

Known to locals only as “Ben,” the bearded and robed offworlder is an enigmatic stranger who keeps to himself, shares nothing of his past, and goes to great pains to remain an outsider. But as tensions escalate between the farmers and a tribe of Sand People led by a ruthless war chief, Ben finds himself drawn into the fight, endangering the very mission that brought him to Tatooine.

Ben—Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, hero of the Clone Wars, traitor to the Empire, and protector of the galaxy’s last hope—can no more turn his back on evil than he can reject his Jedi training. And when blood is unjustly spilled, innocent lives threatened, and a ruthless opponent unmasked, Ben has no choice but to call on the wisdom of the Jedi—and the formidable power of the Force—in his never-ending fight for justice.

Why is the book on my list?

Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of my all-time favourite Star Wars characters. Shouldn’t really be a surprise I suppose since I’ve read pretty much the entire Jedi Apprentice series featuring him and Qui-Gon and I loved all of it. His portrayals in the movies have also been spectacular and I can’t get enough of Kenobi fiction.

17. Dire Earth Cycle #2: The Exodus Towers by Jason M. Hough

 Official URL | Goodreads | Amazon

Release Info: August 27, 2013 | Del Rey Books | Mass Market Format | 544pp | $9.99

The Exodus Towers features all the high-octane action and richly-imagined characters of The Darwin Elevator – but the stakes have never been higher.

The sudden appearance of a second space elevator in Brazil only deepens the mystery about the aliens who provided it, the Builders. Scavenger crew captain Skyler Luiken and brilliant scientist Dr. Tania Sharma have formed a colony around the new Elevator’s base, utilising mobile towers to protect humans from the Builder’s plague.

But they are soon under attack from a roving band of plague-immune soldiers.

Cut off from the colony, Skyler must wage a one-man war against the new threat as well as murderous subhumans and thugs from Darwin – all while trying to solve the puzzle of the Builders’ master plan… before it’s too late for the last vestiges of humanity.

Why is the book on my list?

I read the first novel in the series last month and I loved it. Jason M. Hough really has presented a really unique and interesting setting and The Exodus Towers looks set to provide more of the same. I’m definitely reading this.

*****

So there you have it folks! Which of these titles interest you? Do let me know in the comments. I might even make this a regular feature here in addition to the posts I do on The Founding Fields. If you want to see more of these, do let me know that too in the comments.