Summary: On one of the many planes of the Pentagonal Dominion, priestess Calinthe trades in information, collecting valuable secrets for her demonic employer. Calinthe has a secret of her own: she’s intersex, making her a target for the matriarchal slavers of the Ophidian Plane whose territory she must cross in her search for hidden knowledge. But thanks to her friend Zakuro’s illusions, Calinthe presents as a woman- a comfortable, if furtive, existence in a world determined to bring her to heel. But when, instead of a mere secret, the priestess uncovers an incalculably powerful artifact, Calinthe finds herself in a...
Gloves of Eons by Andrew D. Meredith
Summary Factions rise — Zeal ignites — Bells toll Hanen and Rallia Clouw find themselves between power hungry factions and must choose which tools to take up to reach their goals. With the Rotha revealed to be a thinking, breathing being, Katiam Borreau must tread carefully and choose her allies wisely. Ousted from their western holdings, the Paladins of the Hammer retreat to the west to face new and old intrigue set against them. Made the unwitting messenger of dark gods, Seriah Yaledít seeks solace in the road, fleeing from blind panic gnawing at her mind. Dark tools forged, scale...
Eclipse by Herman Steuernagel
Summary Django and Mikka's paths collide as they embark on a journey that will shape the fate of a civilization built on half-truths and the backs of others. Rumors of civil war circulate through the Syndicate's orbital empire, catching both Django and Mikka in the crossfire, where the stakes are far higher than they realize. Review Eclipse is a fast-paced dystopian space opera that will keep you glued to the page the whole ride. The whole book is really a two-for-one. We get two POVs, two locations, and two distinct dystopias. I wouldn't call it hard sci-fi but I easily...
Thralls of a Tyrant God by Mars G. Everson
Summary What would you sacrifice to be free? For Senn, former slave turned rebel leader and now the powerful Herald of the Lord of Greed, the answer was everything. He thought he had left hope behind forever. But when a ghostly child with sparkling blue eyes appears to him, Senn's loyalty is tested. His own God and army turn against him, forcing him to flee into the harsh desert wasteland alone and powerless. But as he searches for revenge and a new source of power, he must confront his past, including the woman he left behind at the mercy of...
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Summary: Now a major motion picture, the first novel in the riveting Chaos Walking trilogy by two-time Carnegie Medalist Patrick Ness. “Narrated with crack dramatic and comic timing.... The cliffhanger ending is as effective as a shot to the gut.” --Booklist (starred review) Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is...
Carved Amidst the Shadows by M.T. Fontaine
Summary When the gods shaped the continent into five kingdoms to be ruled by their progeny, they did not account for the greed of men. When they created the Order from their god-blessed followers to mediate between realms, they neglected to plan against the hoarding of power. War between the royalists and the godly was inevitable. Five centuries later, the borders between kingdoms are impenetrable. No branded-born Marked can cross them without burning to ash, except the Order’s Stewards. But a damaging new war has been prophesied, one that haunts the Order, one that will come to pass if Carved...
Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames
Summary A retired group of legendary mercenaries get the band back together for one last impossible mission in this award-winning debut epic fantasy. Review Wow. If I hadn’t recently read The Book that Wouldn’t Burn, this would have likely been my favorite read of the year so far. What a ride. What a damn ride. Kings of the Wyld is an irreverent send up of tried and true fantasy tropes that doesn’t rest on the laurels of those that came before. Equal parts humorous, adventurous, grim, and emotional, Kings of the Wyld easily settles into that niche the Dungeons and...
Credible Threats by Daniel Meyer
Summary Sam Adams, sixteen-year-old wizard, has zero interest in saving the world—but staying out of the line of fire isn’t an option for wizards. When a new designer drug hits the streets, giving ordinary humans magical powers and leaving a trail of bodies in its wake, it threatens to turn his city of Williamsport’s long-simmering conflict between the haves and the have-nots into a full-scale war. The only one with the skills to protect the city, Sam finds himself thrust into a conspiracy far darker and more dangerous than he ever imagined, with tentacles stretching into the criminal underworld and...
Soulstealer Origins by Reed Logan Westgate
Summary In the Lord's year 1303, a holy order of knights faces the brink of extinction. Their holy crusade falters as a fiendish monster from beyond the mist decimates their numbers. In desperation, the Knights Templar dispatch a unit to find an ancient relic hoping to tip the scales in the battle against the forces of darkness. Sir Marcus Le'heroux bravely leads the knights into the Hungarian wilderness, but when the weapon he finds buried in the Mátra Mountains turns out to be an awakened Soulstealer, he faces much more than he bargained for. Will the Order's new weapon prove...
The Return of the Knights by Gregory Kontaxis
Summary The Palace of the Dawn will soon be stormed. The most ruthless man of all time is one step away from assailing on Iovbridge and dethroning Sophie Delamere. The Queen of Knightdorn is now alone, with neither allies nor an army capable of rebuffing the enemy which is approaching her city. Everything appears to be over, until a mysterious young man, Elliot, makes his appearance. Entangled in a web of lies and politics, Elliot will try to draw Walter away from Iovbridge and face him in the stronghold of Wirskworth. He will attempt to rekindle relations and revive the...