May 3 2013

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Coming Soon: Spirit Animals

Title: Spirit Animals

Author: Brandon Mull

Series: Wild Born #1

Genre: Young Adult

Release Date: September 10, 2013

The Overview: Four children separated by vast distances all undergo the same ritual, watched by cloaked strangers. Four flashes of light erupt, and from them emerge the unmistakable shapes of incredible beasts – a wolf, a leopard, a panda, a falcon. Suddenly the paths of these children – and the world – have been changed forever.

Enter the world of Erdas, where every child who comes of age must discover if they have a spirit animal, a rare bond between human and beast that bestows great powers to both. A dark force has risen from distant and long-forgotten lands, and has begun an onslaught that will ravage the world. Now the fate of Erdas has fallen on the shoulders of four young strangers . . . and on you.

Nik’s Notes:

Oh my gosh! Of all the awesome new releases between now and December, this just might be the book I am most looking forward to reading. If you take Harry Potter out of the running, Brandon Mull is by far my favorite young adult author, specifically for his Fablehaven series. Take that excellent writing and wonder-filled storytelling ability and add in animal shape shifters and I can’t see how this book would be anything less than amazing! If I could write my own novel with even the fraction of the skill that Mull has all my goals will have been achieved. If you haven’t read Fablehaven yet, you are solely missing out!

May 2 2013

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Out This Month – Noteworthy Releases May 2013!

April was kind of a slow month for me. Sure, the new Robin Hobb came out, and that’s awesome in its own right, but there wasn’t much else that I was just dying to read. May, on the other hand is packed with books that I’ve been eager to get my hands on. Any of them on your reading list?

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Apr 28 2013

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5/28 Coming Soon: Antiagon Fire

Title: Antiagon Fire

Author: L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

Series: Imager’s Portfolio #7

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: May 28, 2013

The Overview: The hard-won battles fought in Imager’s Battalion have earned Quaeryt a promotion to commander, as well as an assignment to convince the Pharsi High Council in the nation of Khel to submit to Lord Bhayar’s rule, which is key to Bhayar’s ambition to unite all of Solidar. Joined by his pregnant wife Vaelora, who is also Bhayar’s sister, Quaeryt leads an army and a handful of imagers deeper into the hostile lands once held by the tyrannical Rex Kharst, facing stiff-necked High Holders, attacks by land and sea—including airborne fire launched by hostile imagers from the land of Antiago—and a mysterious order of powerful women who seem to recognize the great destiny that awaits Quareyt and Vaelora, as well as the cost of achieving it.

Nik’s Notes:

I’ve heard that this author has a tendency to be a bit dry, and actually experienced it firsthand in his Soprano Sorceress series. I have also heard from those same people that his Corean Chronicles and Imager Portfolio series are just as slow, but definitely worth reading. The premise for this particular series sounds amazing, and within the hundreds of books on my TBR list, this one has made its way up to the top 20. As for those of you eagerly anticipating this book, you only have one more month to go! His next installment Rex Regis, comes out in January 2014. Other than that, I couldn’t find any information regarding how long the series is supposed to be. If his Recluse series is anything to go by, it’s going to be a long one.

Apr 27 2013

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Coming Soon: Affliction

Title: Affliction

Author: Laurell K. Hamilton

Series: Anita Blake #22

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Horror

Release Date: July 2, 2013

The Overview: Micah is called back home by his estranged family, because his father, a county sheriff, has been attacked and is terribly injured. Anita and Nathaniel are going with him for moral support and to meet his family under very trying circumstances.
Micah has been estranged from his family for a decade, deliberately turning his back on them to protect them from the sadistic killer who once led his leopard pack. But now Micah’s father lies dying, rotting away inside from some strange ailment that has his doctors whispering about “zombie disease.” Anita—who understands zombies better than anyone—knows there’s more to it than that. While zombies have unlovable traits, being one doesn’t cause human beings to rot in agony. She needs to solve that mystery—but now a more immediate issue is pressing: Micah’s father may have only five days to live.

Nik’s Notes:

I am way behind in this series. Although I enjoy reading about Anita Blake and all the side characters, I feel as though the series as a whole took a major left turn after about book 6 or 7. They started out as vampire/werewolf horror stories then morphed into raunchy, sex-filled kill-people-in-horrible-ways-just-for-shock-value books. Even with that odd flip, I still enjoy the characters enough to keep reading, but I think they lost a little about what made them special. That said, I know an awful lot of people who didn’t mind the shift and devour her new books as soon as they hit the shelf. With that in mind, if you have yet to read the series, proceed at your own risk. :)

On a totally bizarre side note, I only just now noticed the piercing blue eye under HAMILTON on the cover. Now I’m a little creeped out (she’s staring at me).

Apr 18 2013

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Coming Soon: Dancing with the Devil

Title: Dancing with the Devil

Author: Keri Arthur

Series: Nikki and Michael #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Release Date: July 30, 2013

The Overview: Private Investigator Nikki James grew up on the tough streets of Lyndhurst and believes there’s nothing left to surprise her. All that changes the night she follows teenager Monica Trevgard into the shadows-and becomes a pawn caught in a war between two very different men. One fills her mind with his madness, the other pushes his way into her life-and her heart. Nikki knows how dangerous love can be, but if she wants to survive, she must place her trust in a man who could easily destroy her.

Nik’s Notes: If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you probably know I have a weakness for anything by Keri Arthur. I will forever have a soft spot for her Riley Jensen series as its the one that first sparked my love for urban fantasy.

While Dancing with the Devil is not exactly a new series, it is new to the U.S. (unless you ordered an overpriced “print on demand” copy of questionable quality ten years ago, like I did). In any case, I am glad the publishers chose to re-market this one locally so I can get my hands on a good copy.

Not only do I have a physical copy of this book in my TBR pile, but I also have been lucky enough to get an digital ARC from Net Galley. I am excited to finally start reading it, as the prospects look good for the release of the whole series (at reasonable costs). Be on the lookout for a review within the next month or so. :)

Apr 7 2013

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Coming Soon: Hunted

Title: Hunted

Author: Kevin Hearne

Series: Iron Druid Chronicles #6

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Release Date: June 25, 2013

The Overview: For a two-thousand-year-old Druid, Atticus O’Sullivan is a pretty fast runner. Good thing, because he’s being chased by not one but two goddesses of the hunt—Artemis and Diana—for messing with one of their own. Dodging their slings and arrows, Atticus, Granuaile, and his wolfhound Oberon are making a mad dash across modern-day Europe to seek help from a friend of the Tuatha Dé Danann. His usual magical option of shifting planes is blocked, so instead of playing hide-and-seek, the game plan is . . . run like hell.

Crashing the pantheon marathon is the Norse god Loki. Killing Atticus is the only loose end he needs to tie up before unleashing Ragnarok—AKA the Apocalypse. Atticus and Granuaile have to outfox the Olympians and contain the god of mischief if they want to go on living—and still have a world to live in.

Nik’s Notes: I was extremely excited to have the first in this series (Hounded) featured in March’s Your Pick for Nik! book club. I loved the main character and his wolfhound sidekick, I loved the magic system, and I loved the story. All-in-all, I think it is well worth your time if you like urban fantasy. I’m hoping to be all caught up in the series by the time this one comes out in June!