Crucible of Gold-Naomi Novik

Crucible of Gold


Naomi Novik

Del Rey, Mar 6 2012, $25.00

ISBN 9780345522863



In 1809 British aviator William Laurence and Temeraire his dragon companion remain exiled in New South Wales for their treasonous act of saving French dragons from a plague. Their saving England from Napoleon kept them from state execution (see Tongues of Serpents).



Meanwhile plague brought by the Europeans devastates the Incan Empire at a time when Empress Anahuarque Inca considers allying with the Brits or the French. She leans towards a marital arrangement with Napoleon if he dumps Josephine while Iskierka the dragon pushes her captain Granby as a better alternative. Spain has fallen to the French and the powerful Tswana African tribe, with French support, raids Brazil tentatively to rescue black slaves but also to hold the royals captured in Rio. Tottering on the brink of defeat, the British government sends self-proclaimed ambassador plenipotentiary to China, Arthur Hammond, to return to the front Laurence and Temeraire.



Fast-paced and filled with action, the latest terrific timely Temeraire historical fantasy is a great thriller that grips readers throughout with a taste of life in many diverse spots while the world is at war. The abolitionist hero feels contempt towards his side’s leadership; who demand patriotism from grunts risking their lives with little logistical support (can’t raise a war fee tax) while the leaders direct the war from the comfort of their London suites. Fans will enjoy this excellent historical as the British leadership fumble the war while hiding behind the Decatur mantra of “Our Country! In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be in the right; but right or wrong, our country!”; but forced to bring home Laurence whose mantra is the Shurtz corollary: “My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.”



Harriet Klausner

Anna Dressed in Blood-Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood


Kendare Blake

Tor Teen, Aug 30 2011, $17.99

ISBN: 9780765328656



Cas Lowood is a chip off the old block just like his late dad was a chip off the old block and if he has a kid too, etc. His widow mom the witch supports her teenage son as he does the family vocation ghost hunting.



Cas’ latest mission is to kill Anna of the white dress that she wore when she was murdered back in ‘58, dripping blood and infamy for slicing and dicing those who inanely dare enter her haunt. When Cas enters her house in Thunder Bay, Ontario; Anna is confused that her out of control obsession to kill fails to deploy as it always does. He feels identically the same. As each is afraid of the other, both are more afraid of the loneliness accentuated by their meeting. Others have deadlier opinions on what should happen to the ghost and the hunter.



Anna Dressed in Blood is a great teen horror mystery starring two lonely beings who find a deep affinity with each other. The story line is fast-paced and filled with gore, romance, and a cold case mystery. Kendare Blake provides a strong opening act with this tense paranormal beloved enemies' thriller.



Harriet Klausner

Thief's Covenant: A Widdershins Adventure-Ari Marmell

Thief's Covenant: A Widdershins Adventure


Ari Marmell

PYR, Feb 21 2012, $16.95

ISBN: 9781616145477



In Davillon, Adrienne Sati became an orphan while very young. Though all alone, she used her intelligence and streets smarts to live on the city’s mean streets (and below) until taken into the home of Alexandre the aristocrat. However, her world crashes when she got tangled up with minor God Olgun, who is not even one of the acceptable worshiped Pact of 120 deities. Now with Olgun sharing her skull, Adrienne is back on and under the mean streets of Davillon, but as Widdershins and she cannot go home since being accused of mass murder of some of the city’s elite.



Constable Henri Roubert catches Widdershins, but with no intention of bringing her in; instead he plans to shoot her claiming she tried to escape. The weapon fails and Robert’s hand is severely damaged. Escaping, Widdershins and Olgun search for the real killer of the elite, why she is the last surviving worshipper of the god in her head, and who wants her dead and why.



Thief’s Covenant is an exciting entertaining investigative fantasy starring a lead protagonist who, if not for the occasional magic, readers would assume is schizophrenic as she and her guest hold amusing satirical discussions. The storyline is not linear as the reader finds the hero at a pivotal plot point; but also going back in time to how the heroine got to her current dilemma and forward to how she tries to survive. With a strong city anchoring the otherworldly elements, high school age and older fans will enjoy touring the underbelly of Davillon with the twin guides as their squabbling jocular hosts.



Harriet Klausner

Halo: Primordium-Greg Bear

Halo: Primordium


Greg Bear

Tor, Jan 3 2012, $25.99

ISBN: 9780765323972



The villagers wonder who is this injured man of armor; he fell from the sky in a jar, but is not a Forerunner. He awakens severely injured and tells Vinnevra tending his wounds that he is Chakas of Erde-Tyrene. The elders think he is worthless as even the ants rejected him and most likely a danger as the flying shadows lost him but will come for him; if they harbor him they will end up in the Palace of Pain.



Vinnevra helps Chakas heal. As he recuperates, Lord of Admirals’ dormant memories surface in his head. His arrival also ignites Vinnevra's dormant geas. The outsider, his human nurse and her grandfather Gamelpar begin a quest to learn the source of Vinnevra's newly awakened power and to explore the planetary ring of this inverted orb, which means willingly entering the Palace of Pain. This is the current home of the Last Precursor who controls this Halo and manipulates the Forerunners (as the Captive), the humans (as the Primordial) and the Master Builder (as manipulator).



Told as an autobiographical account by a dying Forerunner construct with memories of Chakas the human and those of ancient Lord of Admirals, the second Forerunner Saga (see Halo: Cryptum) is a fascinating final testimony. The story line hooks readers with vivid descriptions of a past that may or may not have happened like the galaxy-wide great Flood over ten millennia ago. Although the wanderers’ wandering could have been more concise, Halo fans will enjoy Greg Bear’s extremely dark entry similar in tone to that of Bornstellar in Cryptum with the underlying theme of who lives and who died but lives in a realm where humans are the bottom rung on the food chain.



Harriet Klausner

Cobra Gamble-Timothy Zahn

Cobra Gamble


Timothy Zahn

Baen, Jan 3 2012, $25.00

ISBN: 9781439134061



Jasmine “Jin” Moreau Broom awakens on the ship of Warrior the Troft heading to Qasaman with her injured husband Paul nearby; she knows her leaders consider him a traitor for giving the ISIS system to the adversarial Djinn but she also believes that is the last hope to save humanity. The female Cobra warrior meets up with her son Lorne as Qasaman Djinn delegates Siraj Akim and Carsh Zoshak conduct a combat exercise.



Warrior asks the Troft in Sollas for permission to land; they agree to allow him to put down his vessel near Milika instead. He escorts the Cobra and Djinn delegation along with their ISIS cargo to a secure military station before disembarking from the planet. At the same time Milika Qasaman patrol leader Gama Yithtra assigns Jin’s oldest son Merrick the cobra and villager Nalis Kinsta to scout Troft activity. Time is running out for the uneasy Cobra and Qasaman Djinn allies as war with the mutual enemy has led to strange bedfellows.



This Cobra War science fiction thriller (See Cobra Guardian and Cobra Alliance) is a well written entertaining tale that can be divided into two sections. The first half of the storyline focuses on the relationships between the various parties as trust is a rare commodity in spite of a mutual enemy. This political segue is fascinating as Timothy Zahn drills deep into the strange bedfellows generalization as well as make the alien races seem real, but is also somewhat slow as action is limited. The latter half of the novel turns into a fast-paced military sci fi thriller as the war ignites. With the key threads tied up, readers will enjoy Mr. Zahn’s exciting Cobra War saga.



Harriet Klausner

Born of Ashes-Caris Roane

Born of Ashes


Caris Roane

St. Martin’s, Jan 3 2012, $7.99

ISBN: 9780312533748



The death vampires drained the blood of human slave Fiona for years. Tortured though she finally physically escaped from her tormenters, mentally she suffers from PTSD as her mind envisions images of the power hungry predators constantly taking her to the brink of death. One of the seven captive donors, Fiona cannot move on as vengeance is all she craves especially against amoral psychopath Rith who runs the blood factories.



Fiona displays unique powers that have Endelle believing the former blood slave is a member of the triad Obsidian Flame trio. Warrior Jean-Pierre is her Guardian Ascension, but he covets more from the motral he knows is his destined mate. The ex-prisoner wants Jean-Pierre, but she struggles with losing any iota of her hard earned freedom and besides she obsesses with a bone marrow need to drain the fluids from Rith. Meanwhile death vampire Commander Greaves deploys his war plan.



The latest Guardians of Ascension romantic urban fantasy (see Wings of Fire, The Burning Skies and Ascension) is a great thriller as the Roane mythos turns even more complex as readers see deeper into schism between the vampire groups. The cast is sold though the storyline belongs to the avenging heroine who risks death to kill the bloodsucker still tormenting her thoughts. This is another fantastic entry in one of the strongest sagas on the market today.



Harriet Klausner

Unbroken-Rachel Caine

Unbroken


Rachel Caine

Roc, Feb 7 2012, $7.99

ISBN: 9780451464422



Cassiel the formerly powerful Djinn once thought the worst that could happen to her kind was being banished to reside amongst the despicable mortals, but since this happened to her she has come a long way to her astonishment liking these rug rats. With apocalypse pending for mankind, Cassiel ironically finds she obsesses with saving humanity from extinction especially Weather Warden Luis Rocha and his young niece Isabel.



Cassiel and Luis head to Seattle to confront Pearl the Djinn and her abducted kiddie children corps of Warden offspring. She knows the chances of her surviving the combat is nil, but the price of her life is worth the possibility of saving Luis, Ibby and mankind from Pearl’s species cleansing.



The final Outcast Season urban fantasy (see Unseen, Unknown and Undone) is a great thriller as the heroine recognizes how far she has come from despising to loving humanity. Courageous Cassiel accepts death is her expected outcome when she goes against an individual who possesses the power she once had. Although the trek to Seattle is exciting and loaded with action, the journey seems surrealistic over the top of the Mount Tamaulipas. Still Rachel Caine provides an entertaining finish to the Cassiel saga.



Harriet Klausner