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Waiting on Wednesday #3 – The Coldest War
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.
Title: The Coldest War
Authors: Ian Tregillis
Language: English
Publisher: Tor Books (macmillan)
Format: Hardcover/Kindle
Expected Release Date: July 17, 2012
Summary from Amazon:
In Ian Tregillis’ The Coldest War, a precarious balance of power maintains the peace between Britain and the USSR. For decades, Britain’s warlocks have been all that stands between the British Empire and the Soviet Union—a vast domain stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the shores of the English Channel. Now each wizard’s death is another blow to Britain’s national security.
Meanwhile, a brother and sister escape from a top-secret facility deep behind the Iron Curtain. Once subjects of a twisted Nazi experiment to imbue ordinary people with superhuman abilities, then prisoners of war in the immense Soviet research effort to reverse-engineer the Nazi technology, they head for England.
Because that’s where former spy Raybould Marsh lives. And Gretel, the mad seer, has plans for him.
As Marsh is once again drawn into the world of Milkweed, he discovers that Britain’s darkest acts didn’t end with the war. And while he strives to protect queen and country, he is forced to confront his own willingness to accept victory at any cost.
Here’s Why:
Historical fantasy is always a favorite for me when done right and some big names (George RR Martin, Publishers Weekly, Booklist) are already touting this as one of the great reads to hit the genre this year. Personally, I’d like it better if Martin finished his next installment of the Fire and Ice series but you can’t hold that against this up-and-comer. Not that the critics know everything but the little bit that has been published indicates a great pace and depth with a unique story line that seems to have staying power.
Waiting on Wednesday #2 – Advent
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.
Title: Advent
Authors: James Treadwell
Language: English
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Format: Hardcover/Kindle/eBook
Expected Release Date: July 3, 2012
Summary from Barnes & Noble:
A drowning, a magician’s curse, and a centuries-old secret.
1537. A man hurries through city streets in a gathering snowstorm, clutching a box in one hand. He is Johann Faust, the greatest magician of his age. The box he carries contains a mirror safeguarding a portion of his soul and a small ring containing all the magic in the world. Together, they comprise something unimaginably dangerous.
London, the present day. Fifteen-year-old Gavin Stokes is boarding a train to the countryside to live with his aunt. His school and his parents can’t cope with him and the things he sees, things they tell him don’t really exist. At Pendurra, Gavin finds people who are like him, who see things too. They all make the same strange claim: magic exists, it’s leaking back into our world, and it’s bringing something terrible with it.
First in an astonishingly imaginative fantasy trilogy, Advent describes how magic was lost to humanity, and how a fifteen-year-old boy discovers that its return is his inheritance. It begins in a world recognizably our own, and ends an extraordinarily long way from where it started—somewhere much bigger, stranger, and richer.
Here’s Why:
I really like the premise of the story; tying our history with a contemporary setting to reveal two distinct fantasy settings. It gives my imagination the opportunity to ask ‘what if?’ and fall into the writing. This is a fantasy debut for Treadwell, who has solid entry-level credentials in what could be a burgeoning career as a fantasy author. I’d like to be there when he takes off, rather than join the bandwagon after the rest of the world discovers a new fantasy talent. It’ll be important to keep in mind that this is the first installment in a planned trilogy in which the second book is undergoing revisions as I write. Publishers Weekly has good things to say about it and the vast majority of Amazon Reviewers with advanced copies lean favorably as well…seems like a nice adventure for a fantasy fan to undertake.
A Mother’s Day Ebook Basket
Looking for a last minute gift idea for Mother’s Day? Maybe all you need is something a little extra to accompany the spa treatment, jewelry, or traditional flower arrangement you’ll gift mom this year.
With that in mind, and because it’s nearly Mother’s Day, we’ll look at five e-books that might very well resonate with the mom you’re celebrating this year. We’ve culled piles of options and some great options including what I think could be the indie dark-horse for 2012. The summaries are from Amazon and the assortment runs from $12.00 to free and all are Kindle format, many with traditional bound options. Read the rest of this entry »
“Booking Through Thursday” #1 In or Out?
Each week “Booking Through Thursday” poses a unique question to fans and visitors – mostly things related to books and reading. Bloggers post the question and answer on their page and include their link in the comment box. Not all questions are book-related and you don’t have to have a blog to participate – just leave your response in the comment box.
Do you consider yourself an extrovert or an introvert? Read the rest of this entry »
“Waiting on” Wednesday: The Long Earth
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.
Title: The Long Earth
Authors: Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
Language: English
Publisher: Harper
Format: Hardcover
Expected Release Date: June 19, 2012
Summary from Amazon:
The possibilities are endless. (Just be careful what you wish for. . . .)
1916: The Western Front. Private Percy Blakeney wakes up. He is lying on fresh spring grass. He can hear birdsong and the wind in the leaves. Where have the mud, blood, and blasted landscape of no-man’s-land gone? For that matter, where has Percy gone?
2015: Madison, Wisconsin. Police officer Monica Jansson is exploring the burned-out home of a reclusive—some say mad, others allege dangerous—scientist who seems to have vanished. Sifting through the wreckage, Jansson find a curious gadget: a box containing some rudimentary wiring, a three-way switch, and . . . a potato. It is the prototype of an invention that will change the way humankind views the world forever.
The first novel in an exciting new collaboration between Discworld creator Terry Pratchett and the acclaimed SF writer Stephen Baxter, The Long Earth transports readers to the ends of the earth—and far beyond. All it takes is a single step. . . .
Oh the anticipation:
I’ve loved Terry Pratchett’s since reading a previous collaborative effort “Good Omens” during a 15-month deployment to Afghanistan. Those lines gave me more laughs than I could possibly count in one of the worst parts of the world. Since then I’ve read several of his witty fantasies as chronicled in the Disc World series. The Long Earth presents a chance to see what hilarity jumps from the pages in his latest joint endeavor. Mr. Pratchett never disappoints with his creative approach to fantasy and uncanny wit so coupled with Stephen Baxter’s deep imagination for science fiction this could be my read of the year.
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