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Science Fiction Books
Wrath of a Mad God

Wrath of a Mad God
by Raymond E. Feist
Published 2008 by Eos

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780060792985

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REVIEW: Library Journal Review

In order to prevent war from ravaging his beloved world of Midkemia, master sorcerer Pug and his Conclave of Shadows have journeyed into the Dasati homeworld, where they encounter a stranger named Bek who may hold the key to Midkemia's survival. In Midkemia, the captive Lady Miranda struggles to escape the Dasati invaders so that she can bring back vital information that can help her world prevail. Feist's latest investigates a realm of brutal invaders and their resisters in a tale that joins familiar characters with new ones to flesh out a fascinating and richly visual world.


Shadow Gate

Shadow Gate
by Kate Elliott
Published 2008 by Tor Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780765310569

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REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly

In this many-layered second installment in the Crossroads fantasy series, Marit, an eagle-riding reeve, awakens as a spirit three years after her death and slowly realizes she's become one of the nine Guardians, protectors of justice who wield god-given powers.  Meanwhile, among the living, war rewrites the social order, and those of different religions and homelands make common cause. Elliott follows Qin soldier Anji and his troubled, lonely wife, Mai; Marit's former lover, reeve marshal Joss; and Kirya, a tribal warrior who sells herself into slavery to protect her brother. Each must balance cultural imperatives with a broader view of justice, and survival with mercy.


Rolling Thunder

Rolling Thunder
by John Varley
Published 2008 by Ace Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780441015634

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REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly

Nebula and Hugo-winner Varley continues the space opera saga of the Garcia-Strickland clan  in this enjoyable tale. Patricia Kelly Elizabeth Podkayne Strickland-Garcia-Redmond is glad for any excuse to escape her job as the Martian consul in California, but the news calling her home is dire: her great grandmother is ill and about to go into suspended animation. After a family reunion, Podkayne heads to Europa, where a disaster forces her own suspension. The solar system she awakens to 10 years later is radically different and she must find her way home. 


The Twisted Citadel

The Twisted Citadel
by Sara Douglass
Published 2008 by Eos

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780060882150

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REVIEW: Library Journal Reviews

The continent of Tencendor has fallen; new realms have taken its place. Only a few members of the SunSoar family remain, and new movers and shakers have risen to prominence as they try to hold their alliances fast against a new darkness arising from DarkGlass Mountain. The author continues her epic saga of lands and populations in peril and of heroes who fight against the ever-strengthening evil. Douglass has established herself as one of the genre's ablest storytellers, able to create vast canvasses upon which her unforgettable characters leave their distinctive marks.


Victory of Eagles

Victory of Eagles
by Naomi Novik
Published 2008 by Del Rey Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780345496881

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REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly

In the thrilling fifth installment of the bestselling Temeraire series, Novik returns to familiar themes of love, duty and liberty against the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars. When Napoleon's forces attack England, Temeraire, believing Laurence dead, decides to lead other uncaptained dragons to battle. When the two reunite, Temeraire uses his commander status to gain a voice in war counsels, demanding freedom and pay for dragons. Though the battles are impressive and the politics intriguing, the pièce de résistance is the quiet moment when Laurence faces the mad king he betrayed. This accessible vision of an English Regency with an air force raises the stakes without straining credibility.


Midnight Never Come

Midnight Never Come
by Marie Brennan
Published 2008 by Orbit

Paperback, English. ISBN: 9780316020299

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REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly

Stunningly conceived and exquisitely achieved, this rich historical fantasy portrays the Elizabethan court 30 years into the reign of the Virgin Queen. Far below ground, her dark counterpart, heartless Invidiana, rules England's fae. Brennan pairs handsome young courtier Michael Deven, an aspiring agent under spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, with bewitching fae Lune, who attempts to avoid Invidiana's wrath by infiltrating Walsingham's network in mortal guise. History and fantasy blend seamlessly as Deven and Lune tread their precarious tightropes between loyalty and betrayal. Brennan's myriad fantastical creations ring as true as her ear for Elizabethan and faerie dialogue. With intriguing flashbacks to historical events and a cast of deftly drawn characters both real and imagined, Brennan fleshes out the primal conflict of love and honor versus the lust for power.


Daemons Are Forever

Daemons Are Forever
by Simon R. Green
Published 2008 by Roc

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780451462084

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REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly

This lighthearted second installment in the adventures of "very secret agent" Eddie Drood follows the former rogue and reluctant patriarch as he struggles against enemies within and without his temporally extended family. Fighting against their previous deals with various devils, Eddie finds ways to combine the magic of his girlfriend, woods witch Molly Metcalf, and cousin Harry's "hellspawn" half-brother and lover, Roger Morningstar, with the high-tech gadgets of the family Armourer to save the world from an intrusion of the Hungry Gods. Green loves the wide-screen splash of cinematic battles against zombie hordes, and genuine traces of tragedy and nobility underlie the nonstop punning banter and pop culture references, lending surprising nuance to this merry metaphysical romp.


When the Tide Rises

When the Tide Rises
by David Drake
Published 2008 by Baen Books

Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9781416555278

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REVIEW: Publisher's Weekly

The fast-paced adventure of Republic of Cinnabar Space Navy officers finds Daniel Leary in a precarious position. When his patron falls ill and is replaced by a hostile admiral, Leary expects to be placed on the inactive list. Instead he finds himself assigned to shore up the navy of the Independent Republic of Bagaria, a frontier system that broke away from the Alliance. With no resources other than his own ship and crew, shackled with allies more dangerous than the enemy, Leary must find a way to relieve besieged Cinnabaran forces. Drake has always been known for his ultrarealistic depiction of combat and its aftermath, and he's at the top of his form.


 
 
 

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