Outcast
by Aaron Allston
Published 2009 by Lucas Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780345509062

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REVIEWS: Booklist Reviews

Jacen Solo is dead, but the damage caused by his time as a Sith can still be felt, and suspicion of the Jedi runs high. Amid this atmosphere of mistrust, Luke Skywalker is charged with war crimes. Luke pleads guilty and is exiled from Coruscant. Setting off with only his teenage son, Ben, for company, Luke searches for the key to Jacen's turn to the Dark Side, while Han and Leia help Lando with a crisis in the spice mines of Kessel. Fast moving and thrilling, with a tight and well-developed plot, Outcast is the first of a new nine-book series. The extended Skywalker family is the focus of the series; long-term Star Wars fans will be happy to welcome back old friends from both the books and the movies.

Conspirator
by C J Cherryh
Published 2009 by Daw Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780756405700

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 REVIEW: Library Journal Reviews

Just as the human Bren Cameron learned the customs of the alien atevi, who ruled the world except for an island ceded to a group of stranded human colonists, now young Cajeiri, son of an atevi leader, must struggle to understand human customs as he survives a political assassination attempt. This tenth volume in Cherryh's long-running "Foreigner" series begins a fourth trilogy that brings human-alien relations into a new generation. Her lucid storytelling conveys enough backstory to guide newcomers without boring longtime series followers. The characters are well drawn, and Cherryh's depiction of both human and alien cultures is riveting.

House of Suns
by Alastair Reynolds
Published 2009 by Ace Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780441017171

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 REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly

Reynolds stays true to form in this sprawling novel of intergalactic intrigue. It is 6.4 million years in the future and humanity has spread throughout the Milky Way. Some cultures have established transient empires across space; others, the Lines, have used relativistic travel to colonize deep time. Clone-siblings Campion and Purslane are delayed on their way to a Gentian Line reunion, a coincidence that saves them from a massacre. Allied with potentially hostile Machine People and an enigmatic post-human god called the Spirit, the Gentian survivors struggle to stop their enemies before the genocide can be completed. Intriguing ideas and characterization make this a fine example of grand-scale space opera. 

By Heresies Distressed
by David Weber
Published 2009 by Tom Doherty Associates

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780765315038

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For political reasons-but also with genuine love and respect-Cayleb of Charis and Sharleyan of Chisholm have united as co-rulers of their lands. The Temple Lands are home to a reactionary Church that suppresses new technologies and they must intervene or face a rebellion that could lead to their overthrow. Set in the distant world of Safehold, Weber's new generational saga follows Cayleb, Sharleyan, and the Artificial Personality Merlin Athrawes as they try to convince their subjects that everything they know and believe is wrong. The popular author writes skillfully about political intrigue, serving up another fascinating chapter in an sf epic with medieval trappings.

God of Clocks
by Alan Campbell
Published 2009 by Spectra Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780553384185

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 REVIEW: Library Journal Reviews

Heaven and Hell are at war, and Earth is the scarred battlefield. Marshaled against those who would lay waste to the world are former assassin Rachel Hael and blood-magician Mina Greene. Continuing the epic tale begun in Scar Night, Campbell expands the panoramic backdrop to include time and other worlds of possibilities. Visually dramatic, with startling portrayals of gods, angels, and creatures in between, this apocalyptic tale ends a fascinating series.

Corambis
by Sarah Monette
Published 2009 by Ace Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780441015962

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 REVIEW: Library Journal Reviews

Exiled from Mlusine for his heretical magical practices, Felix Harrowgate, accompanied by half brother Mildmay, seeks refuge in the land of Corambis, where he has sworn to present himself for judgment by that realm's council of mages. A chance meeting with a disgraced nobleman brings Felix and Mildmay into the midst of a dangerous plot that could imperil their world. This concluding volume in the series illuminates a new part of Monette's fascinating world and brings old enmities to a satisfying resolution without closing every door to a realm full of possibilities.

Wake
by Robert J Sawyer
Published 2009 by Ace Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780441016792

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 REVIEW: Booklist Reviews

Caitlin was born blind, and when, newly arrived in tenth grade, she is offered a chance at an experimental procedure to give her sight, she leaps at it. Initially it seems a failure. Soon enough, though, she discovers that, instead of reality, she is perceiving the Web. What's particularly interesting is the background noise. Something strange is floating around behind the nodes of normal Webspace; a closer look reveals that, whatever it is, it's not just meaningless noise. Caitlin's story alternates with those of Hobo, a chimp whose claim to fame is being one of the first two apes to video-chat online; an entity of mysterious provenance; and a Chinese dissident blogger who is quite curious about why everything from outside China is blocked. Sawyer's take on theories about the origin of consciousness, generated within the framework of an engaging story, is fascinating, and his approach to machine consciousness and the Internet is surprisingly fresh.

Pulse
by Jeremy Robinson
Published 2009 by Thomas Dunne Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780312540289

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 REVIEW: Booklist Reviews

Robinson's latest reads like a video game with tons of action and lots of carnage. The CEO of a genetics lab uses ruthless methods to achieve his goals. When he uncovers research that could make eternal life a reality, he swings into high gear, abducting an archaeologist who can help find the key. In the process, however, he sets off a chain of events that could destroy the world. Called in to rescue the archaeologist, a Delta Forces team consisting of members nicknamed after chess pieces tries to stop the madman. The combination of mythology, technology, and high-octane action proves irresistible. Gruesome and nasty in a good way.