This week's New York Times Bestsellers (September 8th)

In hardcover:

Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing is up two positions, ending the week at number 4. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Iron Flame is up two positions, ending the week at number 5. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Harper L. Woods' The Coven is down one spot, finishing the week at number 11. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Sarah Beth Durst's The Spellshop returns at number 14. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

In paperback:

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses maintains its position at number 4. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Mist and Fury is up one position, ending the week at number 9. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Wings and Ruin is up two spots, finishing the week at number 11. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Carrie Vaughn's The Naturalist Society for only 1.47$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

In this magical tale of self-discovery from New York Times bestselling author Carrie Vaughn, a young widow taps into the power that will change the world—if the man’s world she lives in doesn’t destroy her and her newfound friends first.

In the summer of 1880, the death of Beth Stanley’s husband puts her life’s work in jeopardy. The magic of Arcane Taxonomy dictates that every natural thing in the world, from weather to animals, can be labeled, and doing so grants the practitioner some of that subject’s unique power. But only men are permitted to train in this philosophy. Losing her husband means that Beth loses the name they put on her work—and any influence she might have wielded.

Brandon West and Anton Torrance are campaigning for their expedition to the South Pole, a mission that some believe could make a taxonomist all-powerful by tapping into the earth’s magnetic forces. Their late friend Harry Stanley’s knowledge and connections would have been instrumental, but when they attempt to take custody of his work, they find that it was never his at all.

Tied together by this secret and its implications, Beth, Bran, and Anton must find a way for Beth to use her talent for the good of the world, before she’s discovered by those who would lay claim to her rare potential—and her very freedom.


More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Warriors 1, an anthology edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Heroic tales of combatants across genres and centuries from today’s popular authors—includes a new Song of Ice and Fire novella by George R. R. Martin.

From George R. R. Martin’s Introduction to Warriors:

“Our contributors make up an all-star lineup of award-winning and bestselling writers, representing a dozen different publishers and as many genres. We asked each of them for the same thing—a story about a warrior. Some chose to write in the genre they’re best known for. Some decided to try something different. You will find warriors of every shape, size, and color in these pages, warriors from every epoch of human history, from yesterday and today and tomorrow, and from worlds that never were. Some of the stories will make you sad, some will make you laugh, and many will keep you on the edge of your seat.”

The stories in the first volume of this book are:

Introduction: Stories of the Spinner Rack, by George R. R. Martin

Forever Bound, by Joe Haldeman

The Eagle and the Rabbit, by Steven Saylor

And Ministers of Grace, by Tad Williams

The King of Norway, by Cecelia Holland

Defenders of the Frontier, by Robert Silverberg

The Mystery Knight, by George R. R. Martin

Many of these writers are bestsellers. All of them are storytellers of the highest quality. Together they make a volume of unforgettable reading.


More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Lev Grossman's The Magicians for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Quentin Coldwater is a brilliant but unhappy young man growing up in Brooklyn, NY. At 17, he remains obsessed with the fantasy novels he read as a child, set in the magical land of Fillory. One day, returning home from a college interview gone awry, he finds himself whisked to Brakebills, an exclusive college for wizards hidden in upstate New York. And so begins THE MAGICIANS, the thrilling and original novel of fantasy and disenchantment by Lev Grossman, author of the international bestseller Codex and book critic for TIME magazine.

At Brakebills, Quentin learns to cast spells. He makes friends and falls in love. He transforms into animals and gains powers of which he never dreamed. Still, magic doesn’t bring Quentin the happiness and adventure he thought it would, and four years later, he finds himself back in Manhattan, living an aimless, hedonistic existence born of apathy, boredom and the ability to conjure endless sums of money out of thin air.

One afternoon, hung over and ruing some particularly foolish behavior, Quentin is surprised by the sudden arrival of his Brakebills friend and rival Penny, who announces that Fillory is real. This news promises to finally fulfill Quentin’s yearning, but their journey turns out to be darker and more dangerous than Quentin could have imagined. His childhood dream is a nightmare with a shocking truth at its heart.

At once psychologically piercing and magnificently absorbing, THE MAGICIANS pays intentional homage to the beloved fantasy novels of C. S. Lewis, T.H. White and J.K. Rowling, but does much more than enlarge the boundaries of conventional fantasy writing. By imagining magic as practiced by real people, with their capricious desires and volatile emotions, Grossman creates an utterly original world in which good and evil aren’t black and white, love and sex aren’t simple or innocent, and power comes at a terrible price.


More inexpensive ebook goodies!



For a limited time, you can download Deborah Harkness' All Souls trilogy for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb for the first installment:

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism
.

New L. E. Modesitt, jr. interview


Overcaptain, the 24th installment in L. E. Modesitt, jr.'s Recluce Saga and the second volume in Alyiakal's story arc, will be published in a few short weeks. To help promote the book, I've recently done an interview with the author. It had been a while since we last spoke, so this new interview covers a lot of ground.

Here's the blurb:

L. E. Modesitt, Jr. continues the Saga of Recluce, the long-running, best-selling epic fantasy series. Overcaptain, the sequel to From the Forest, continues to follow the early life of a man known by many names depending on who you ask—hero, tyrant, emperor.

Alyiakal, overcaptain in the Mirror Lancers of Cyador, has completed his tour of duty as officer-in-charge of a small, remote post. He just wants to finish and see his best friend consorted and assume his next post assignment. If only it were that easy.

He discovers corruption in the Merchanter Clans of Cyador, but investigating Mirror Lancer officers end up dead. Before he can go on leave, he has to replace one of these officers, close a post, dodge an attempt on his life, and an investigation from Magi-i.

At Lhaarat, Alyiakal is assigned as a deputy commander to a post that never had one, and the commander doesn't want one—and that's just the beginning of Alyiakal’s problems.


For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

You can read an extract from the novel here.

Enjoy!

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- Without giving too much away, can you give us a taste of the tale that is OVERCAPTAIN?

At the beginning of Overcaptain, Alyiakal is winding up his tour of duty as officer-in-charge of Oldroad Post. He expects to receive orders to become deputy post commander at Lhaarat, another post along the northern border of Cyadar, the type of assignment he has anticipated. Except he’s first given a temporary assignment as interim post commander at Luuval, with orders to close the post as expeditiously as possible, a posting one other officer refused and retired rather than accept. The next post commander died mysteriously. The post is located next to what’s left of a town after more than half of the town fell into and was swallowed by the ocean. The post is also understrength, under-supplied with the chaos needed for firelances, and the powerful Merchanters of Cyador and even powerful Magi’i are firmly opposed to its closure, for reasons Alyiakal cannot fathom.

Even if he succeeds in closing Luuvall, he’s being sent as deputy commander to a post where the commander doesn’t have and doesn’t want a deputy commander… and where raids from beyond the northern border are increasing and where the raiders are using weapons they shouldn’t have and can’t afford.

- How well-received has FROM THE FOREST been thus far?

From the Forest has received good reviews and good reader reviews and appears to be selling well, but it’s too early to tell how it might compare to other Recluce titles.

- Will you be touring during the course of the fall/winter to promote OVERCAPTAIN? If so, are there any specific dates that have been confirmed as of yet?

I don’t have any tour plans for travel to promote Overcaptain. It’s unlikely that I will because tours have become more and more difficult to arrange… and frankly, at my age, it’s become more of a physical strain.

- What can fans expect from the last two installments, SUB-MAJER'S CHALLENGE and LAST OF THE FIRST?

The remainder of Alyiakal’s story and how his actions – and those of Saelora – reshape the power structure of Cyad and Cyador to the degree necessary for it to survive, while creating the tensions that underlie Magi’i of Cyador and Scion of Cyador (which, although chronologically later, are already published).

- SUB-MAJER'S CHALLENGE is scheduled to be released next spring. Can we expect LAST OF THE FIRST to come out in the fall of 2025?

Sub-Majer’s Challenge is scheduled for an August 26, 2025, release, and I anticipate the release of Last of the First in late spring or early summer of 2026.

- When you wrote the short story "The Forest Girl" first seen in the collection of short fiction RECLUCE TALES, were you already aware that Alyiakal's story would be the next major Recluce arc that you'd be exploring?

I knew that I wanted to tell Alyiakal’s story, but I wasn’t quite ready to embark on that, partly because there was also another unresolved thread in the Recluce Saga, and that was the founding of Fairhaven, which is covered in The Mongrel Mage, Outcasts of Order, The Mage-Fire War, and Fairhaven Rising.

- From bits found in MAGI'I OF CYADOR, we already knew that Alyiakal will somehow make his way up and become Emperor of the Land of Eternal Light. And yet, though his accomplishments and memory should be revered, he has become the "One Never to be Mentioned" among the Magi'i and Mirror Lancers of Cyad. That novel was published in 2000. In a previous interview, you mentioned that you have an outline of the history of the world of Recluce. Back then, did you already have all the important plot points regarding Alyiakal's rise to power in mind, or did it take more than two decades to see the light due to the fact that you needed to let the tale unfold and grow into the books that we are reading now?

I have to admit that it took me a while to get around to fleshing out Alyiakal’s story, partly because I was writing books in three series at the time, not only Recluce, but The Corean Chronicles, and The Imager Portfolio, as well as several SF books, including Quantum Shadows, which took something like six years, on the side, so to speak.

- Alyiakal's story was initially meant to be told in three books. On your website, you explained that that it was split into four volumes because Tor wouldn’t have been all that happy with three 750-page books. This wasn't always the case, especially with Tor Books. In this economy, with inflation hurting everyone in a variety of ways, none of them good, what prompted the decision to nevertheless split Alyiakal's arc into 4 installments given the fact that people have less and less money to purchase books these days?

The short answer is publishing costs. The greater the sales volume, the more that volume will support longer books. My sales currently support books roughly around 200,000-220,000 words, and I’m pushing the cost envelope. I don’t write short or simple tales, and that requires more books. Publishing Alyiakal in three volumes would have cost more and wouldn’t have sold more books and possibly less if the price had covered the publishing costs.

- FROM THE FOREST is the earliest installment in the Recluce timeline. The action takes place in the year 92 after the founding of Cyad. That's more than three centuries before MAGI'I OF CYADOR and SCION OF CYADOR, and more than seven centuries before FALL OF ANGELS. Both FROM THE FOREST and OVERCAPTAIN feature glimpses from the past of the First and the Dissidents. Can readers expect that the full tale of their arrival from the Rational Stars will be the next major Recluce story arc you will tackle, or will we have to settle for those tantalizing hints for the near future?

As far as I’m concerned, at least right now, there won’t be any books set earlier than the four involving Alyiakal. Years ago, the late and great David Hartwell, my editor for more than thirty years and until his death, implored me NOT to write about the founding of Cyad. I came close with the story “The Vice-Marshal’s Trial” (from Recluce Tales), but that’s likely as close as I’ll get.

- Speaking of the timeline, how detailed was it early on? À la Robert Jordan and George R. R. Martin, did you have countless pages of notes on events and characters, or was it more of a broad strokes sort of outline?

I can’t say that I even had an outline. It was more like a mental mosaic with specific isolated events that I had to fill out and connect.

- LAST OF THE FIRST will be the 26th installment in the Recluce saga. If someone had told you that there would be 25 other volumes published over the span of 30-something years the day THE MAGIC OF RECLUCE was released, what would you have said?

When I wrote The Magic of Recluce, I did so with the intention that it would be a stand-alone novel. I wrote it that way just to prove that I could write and sell a fantasy novel. After it was published, David Hartwell asked when I was going to do a sequel. I hadn’t even imagined a sequel, and what came to mind was a book about how Recluce came to be. I never really imagined writing so many Recluce books, but here and there I’d come up with another piece of the mosaic and worked to fit it in.

- Given that the saga of Recluce now covers more than 2000 years of history, what is your recommended reading order? Published order or chronological order?

I recommend the published order for most people, but there are some people for whom the chronological order is an absolute must. They have trouble with non-sequential novels. That’s also why I finally put a Recluce chronology on my website (www.lemodesittjr.com).

- Other than the arrival of LAST OF THE FIRST, are there other specific eras or events you wish to explore in future Recluce works?

There are certainly areas I could explore, but at present, I’m finished with the key historic story areas that I felt I had to absolutely address.

- Is the Recluce universe vaster than the island continents we see on the map? If so, will we ever discover what lies beyond?

The world of Recluce is what is on the maps. There aren’t any more continents or large islands.

- Is there any chance that we'll ever get an updated map of Candar? I'm aware that someone has done it online, but it would be nice to have a map that is in sync will the timeline of each book.

I tried hard to get Tor to include a map of Candar in the time of Alyiakal. I’d even roughed one out, but, again, it was ruled out for cost reasons, and I’m not a sufficiently good draftsman or cartographer to produce one I’d be happy with.

- Have the plotlines diverged much since you began writing the series, or did you have the entire plot more or less figured out from the very beginning? Were any characters added or further fleshed out beyond your original intention? Have you made any changes to your initial plans during the course of the writing of the Recluce series?

I definitely did not have everything figured out from the beginning, except for the basic world and the magic system. I put pieces of past history in every book, though, and worked to knit it altogether with each subsequent book, so that the saga has become a fictional history of the world of Recluce.

- In a previous interview, you told me that you do have a common plot theme in all of the Recluce books, in that your main characters do learn a few things as matters develop, but what’s the point of writing about protagonists who don’t? This has become a staple of the Recluce saga. Fans obviously see nothing wrong with that approach, but other readers find that off-putting. Given that it has become a fundamental aspect of every Recluce story arc, have you ever given any thought to changing the recipe in order to try to please those naysayers, or was there too much of a risk of alienating fans in doing so?

The way I structure my writing and plots has more to do with the way I see life. Some people learn; some don’t. Very few of those who don’t learn ever succeed in life. But life isn’t always fair, and some of those who learn don’t always succeed, often because of events beyond their control. I’ve never been interested in writing about immoral geniuses, brilliant villains, or people who succeed through dumb luck (few as these people are, they do exist). All my protagonists make mistakes, often large ones, but they learn from them and keep trying.

In the end I write the kind of books I like to read.

- Were there any perceived conventions of the fantasy genre which you wanted to twist or break when you set out to write THE MAGIC OF RECLUCE and its sequel/prequels?

In The Magic of Recluce, I definitely set out to write a fantasy with a practical and workable economic system, a logically based magic system, and appropriate technology. When I began to write it in 1989, almost no fantasies had any of those. At that time, the majority of fantasy novels were either based on offshoots of myth and folklore, takeoffs on medieval Europe, or hand-wavium wish fulfillment. Every character in my books has a real job or is preparing for one. While fantasies have changed since the late eighties, at that time few authors paid much attention to economics or realistic politics. This has changed since then, if not as much as I would have thought.

- Cover art has always been a very hot topic. Darrell K. Sweet's cover art provided a very distinctive visual signature to the Recluce saga, giving each book some sort of artistic continuity. What are your thoughts pertaining to that facet of a novel, and what do you think of the covers that grace your books? The Recluce saga, The Corean Chronicles, The Imager Portfolio, and the Grand Illusion all have very different visual signatures.

I was extremely fortunate that Tor chose Darrell K. Sweet to illustrate the Recluce books (through Mage-Guard of Hamor) until he was no longer available, and I’m grateful that he allowed me to buy the cover art for Towers of the Sunset at a price that I could afford. I’ve always loved that cover. Subsequently, Tor has worked to find artists who could largely maintain the “feel” of the Sweet covers. I’d note that Darrell illustrated all the covers for the Spellsong Cycle as well.

Tor has also been successful, at least in my opinion, in choosing cover artists who established a definite different feel for each of my fantasy series. Possibly the most successful in doing that, beside Darrell Sweet, has been Donato Giancola, who did all the covers for the Imager Portfolio.

- Are there any plans to compile and publish another collection of short stories like RECLUCE TALES?

Another Recluce short story collection is unlikely, at least in the near future, given that I’m not nearly as prolific a short story writer. After more than fifty years of professional fiction publication, I’ve only managed to publish slightly more than fifty stories.

- Longevity is probably the hardest hurdle to overcome for an author. It's been more than 33 years since THE MAGIC OF RECLUCE was published and the series seems to continue to do well. How special is it to see those stories and characters remain as popular as ever more than three decades down the line?

I’m both stunned and gratified to see that the series still draws new readers (and listeners). Part of that lies in the fact that The Magic of Recluce continues to entice new readers and that Tor remains willing to publish new Recluce novels that expand the scope of the history of the world of Recluce.

- Characters often take a life of their own. Which of your characters did you find the most unpredictable to write about?

The Recluce character I found the most unpredictable to write about was Rahl, from Natural Ordermage and Mage-Guard of Hamor.

- You've recently turned in LEGALIST, a new Grand Illusion title, to your editor. This will be your 86th published novel. After what can only be called a prolific career, what motivates you to keep on writing?

Writing is what I do, although I don’t write quite as swiftly as before, largely because as I’ve gotten older, I can’t do as well without sleep.

- What comes first for you when it comes time to consider your next novel: themes you wish to explore, a setting you're interested in, or characters you want to write about?

Generally, it’s a mix of themes, setting, and characters, because what makes characters likeable, memorable, or intriguing (preferably all three) is how they deal with the problems of the setting and cultural/societal framework.

- What has changed the most about the fantasy genre since THE MAGIC OF RECLUCE hit shelves more than 30 years ago? What about science fiction?

There’s been a great deal of change. The Magic of Recluce was among the first fantasies that offered a totally different societal structure and one where beliefs and government weren’t based on folklore or western European archetypes of some sort. The magic system was unique. It was among the first to depict entire lands and governments ruled well by women. It also remains one of the few series that presents a range of different types of functional governments.

That said, the range of ethnic backgrounds and cultures portrayed in fantasy has exploded, especially over the last decade or so, and there’s been incredible growth in the number of female protagonists, something long overdue. There’s also been an improvement in the depth of character portrayed in both fantasy and science fiction, although at times that can be overdone, just as it was underdone so often prior to 1990.

From what I’ve read and also observed, these days the majority of fantasy authors appear to be women, and certainly most of the current fantasy novels I enjoy are written by women.

The changes in science fiction are there, if not quite as pronounced, but that may be because technology has to be practical (or at least seem so). Also, human beings have run into some rather daunting discoveries, such as the technical impracticality of FTL travel and the energy limitations of technology, so that space opera is almost a form of fantasy. The last pure SF book I wrote was Solar Express, and dealing with real science there took quite a bit of doing, even though I’d been a naval aviator. So, SF (except space opera) has to balance reality with storytelling, always having to look over one’s shoulder, because the reading public knows far more about space than did the reading public even in 1980. Even so, there are far more women writing SF – and doing it well.

- What advice would you give to a younger L. E. Modesitt, Jr. at the beginning of his writing career?

I wouldn’t even try. I like where I am, but getting here was so unplanned that any advice given to me at that age likely would have ruined me or made the journey seem so impossible that I might not have even tried.

- As far as I know, you've spent your entire career under contract with Tor Books. You once claimed that Tom Doherty is one of the most underappreciated men in fantasy. Is this why you never felt the desire to sign a book deal with another publisher?

Actually, Tor was my third publisher. Timescape Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, published The Fires of Paratime, later re-released in an expanded version by Tor as The Timegod, and Avon published The Hammer of Darkness, also later re-released by Tor.

I sent the manuscript of The Fires of Paratime to every editor I could locate, and only one even looked at it, and that was Jim Baen, then an editor at Ace Books. He kept it for a year, but eventually rejected it. He did say it was good enough to publish, but it just wasn’t his kind of book. When Simon and Schuster started Timescape, I sent the manuscript to David Hartwell, the editor there, and he accepted and published it. Simon and Schuster shuttered Timescape before I finished my second novel, and David recommended I send it to John Douglas, then an editor at Avon. Avon published The Hammer of Darkness, but John couldn’t buy my third novel because Avon had frozen all acquisitions. In turn, John told me that David had just become an acquiring editor at new start-up publishing firm. That firm was Tor.

All of that told me that editors and publishers who liked my work were few and far between. In addition, very few editors liked my work, or thought it was that publishable. Tom Doherty and David did. So, I stayed, and I believe we’ve done very well together.

- According to George R. R. Martin, most authors are either architects, who write novels based on detailed outlines, or gardeners, who have a general idea of where the storylines are going but prefer to watch things grow as they go along. Which type of writer are you and why do you prefer that approach?

In those terms, I’m an architectural gardener. My storylines have to grow along the parameters of the universe, magic system, and societies they involve. I’ve tried other approaches, but they don’t seem to work for me.

- Speaking of GRRM, I used to make fun of the fact that he sometimes described the meals his characters were having down to what salad dressing was used. I'm not sure if you are what can be called a foodie, but in recent years you've taken this even further. Is there a reason why every single meal is described in such great detail, be it a lavish affair or military fare?

I don’t describe every meal that way, but I do it more than many authors. Part of that is that the food also describes the culture and those who sit around the table. Part is because in most societies, meals are one of the few places for extended conversations that reveal characters, motives, and often plans. It’s always seemed to me that, in such conversations, food should me mentioned.

- One thing that used to characterize the earlier Recluce books was your reliance on onomatopoeia. You don't seem to use them as much in recent years, so I'm wondering if there was a reason behind that change?

Yes. Too many readers protested loudly.

- Subterranean Press produced a signed limited edition of THE MAGIC OF RECLUCE to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Are there any plans to release limited editions of the rest of the series?

I don’t know of any. It took a great deal of effort and time to set up the signed and limited 20th anniversary hardcover, and I suspect it would be even harder today.

- The fact that there is a website dedicated to your work is an indication that interaction with your readers is important to you as an author. How special is it to have the chance to interact directly with them?

There are two Facebook sites devoted to my work, as I understand it, and one other website besides my own. I don’t do Facebook or social media, not because I’m antisocial, but because it takes too much time. On my own website I answer every question posed, and I answer virtually all the emails I receive. So… I do interact with readers in a way that allows me to do so without unduly hampering my ability to write.

- How has your interaction with fans and critics colored your choices in terms of characterization and plot? Has there ever been anything that you've changed due to such interaction in any of your novels?

I don’t think that much in the way of outside criticisms or suggestions have influenced characterization or plot, except for the reaction to onomatopoeia. I do take into account facts or errors that readers have brought up.

- You’ve often joked that you're the most anonymous, best-selling author in the field. You'll soon have 86 novels under your belt, the majority of them still available and still selling, a couple of New York Times bestsellers, titles in both the fantasy and science fiction genres, how can you explain that you essentially remain the genre's best-kept secret?

Part of that has to lie in who reads my books. Over the years, it’s become clear that I have quite a number of readers who aren’t terribly active in the SFF field, as well as a great many librarians. Even in the 1990s and early 2000s, when I spent between two and three months a year doing tours, signings, conventions, and the like, I only drew very modest numbers of people at a signing. I once did a signing at a bookstore where no one showed up (although I did sign all the stock of my books in the store), but the follow-up with the store showed that the actual sales for that week were among the best on that tour.

I think I just have a lot of quiet readers who like my books.

- Are there any plans to revisit the worlds of The Corean Chronicles, The Imager Portfolio, The Spellsong Cycle, or any of your science fiction series in either novel-length or short fiction projects?

Not at the present, although I reserve the right to do so if I get the right idea or story.

- Anything else you wish to share with your fans?

Please just keep reading, both me and others you like. None of us authors can afford to keep writing if you aren’t reading and buying our books.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Haruki Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Hyperkinetic and relentlessly inventive, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is Haruki Murakami’s deep dive into the very nature of consciousness.

Across two parallel narratives, Murakami draws readers into a mind-bending universe in which Lauren Bacall, Bob Dylan, a split-brained data processor, a deranged scientist, his shockingly undemure granddaughter, and various thugs, librarians, and subterranean monsters collide to dazzling effect. What emerges is a novel that is at once hilariously funny and a deeply serious meditation on the nature and uses of the mind.



You can also download Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Gods of Jade and Shadow for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floors of her wealthy grandfather’s house to listen to any fast tunes. Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own.

Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it—and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Failure will mean Casiopea’s demise, but success could make her dreams come true.

In the company of the strangely alluring god and armed with her wits, Casiopea begins an adventure that will take her on a cross-country odyssey from the jungles of Yucatán to the bright lights of Mexico City—and deep into the darkness of the Mayan underworld.


Finally, you can download Naomi Novik's highly entertaining His Majesty's Dragon for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors rise to Britain’s defense by taking to the skies . . . not aboard aircraft but atop the mighty backs of fighting dragons.

When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Capt. Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future–and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature. Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France’s own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte’s boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire.

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (September 1st)

In hardcover:

Jennifer L. Armentrout's Born of Blood and Ash debuts at number 2. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing is down two positions, ending the week at number 6. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Iron Flame maintains its position at number 7. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Harper L. Woods' The Coven is down eight spots, finishing the week at number 10. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Ava Reid's Lady Macbeth debuts at number 14. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

In paperback:

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses is up one position, ending the week at number 4. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Mist and Fury maintains its position at number 10. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Wings and Ruin is up one spot, finishing the week at number 13. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Daniel Abraham's Age of Ash for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

From New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed author Daniel Abraham, co-author of The Expanse, comes a monumental epic fantasy trilogy that unfolds within the walls of a single great city, over the course of one tumultuous year, where every story matters, and the fate of the city is woven from them all.

Kithamar is a center of trade and wealth, an ancient city with a long, bloody history where countless thousands live and their stories unfold.

This is Alys's.

When her brother is murdered, a petty thief from the slums of Longhill sets out to discover who killed him and why. But the more she discovers about him, the more she learns about herself, and the truths she finds are more dangerous than knives.

Swept up in an intrigue as deep as the roots of Kithamar, where the secrets of the lowest born can sometimes topple thrones, the story Alys chooses will have the power to change everything.


More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download C. S. Friedman's Black Sun Rising, the first volume in the Coldfire trilogy, one of the best dark fantasy series ever written, for only 1.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Blending science fiction and fantasy, the first book of the Coldfire Trilogy tells a dark tale of an alien world where nightmares are made manifest.

Over a millennium ago, Erna, a seismically active yet beautiful world was settled by colonists from far-distant Earth. But the seemingly habitable planet was fraught with perils no one could have foretold. The colonists found themselves caught in a desperate battle for survival against the fae, a terrifying natural force with the power to prey upon the human mind itself, drawing forth a person’s worst nightmare images or most treasured dreams and indiscriminately giving them life.

Twelve centuries after fate first stranded the colonists on Erna, mankind has achieved an uneasy stalemate, and human sorcerers manipulate the fae for their own profit, little realizing that demonic forces which feed upon such efforts are rapidly gaining in strength.

Now, as the hordes of the dark fae multiply, four people—Priest, Adept, Apprentice, and Sorcerer—are about to be drawn inexorably together for a mission which will force them to confront an evil beyond their imagining, in a conflict which will put not only their own lives but the very fate of humankind in jeopardy.

Darkspell


You probably recall that I purchased my copy of Katharine Kerr's Daggerspell and some of its sequels back in the 90s, but waited for nearly 30 years to finally read it. What can I say? I'm stupid like that. And yet, I do learn from my mistakes and it only took me a few weeks to read and review Darkspell. That's something, right?

My main concern was that the series might not have aged well. As was the case with Daggerspell, I read the revised edition of the second installment. Once again, there is a definite 80s/90s vibe that I'm quite enjoying, to tell the truth. I'm not sure what was changed for this new edition of Darkspell, though. It appears to be that homosexuality was perceived as somewhat evil in the original version, while the focus is more on the despicable and humiliating issues pertaining to the male rape aspects found in one storyline.

In my review of Daggerspell, I said that some readers might find the structure of the Deverry series to be a little off-putting. Since it follows a number of souls being reborn through the centuries, the original cast you get to know at the beginning of the novel gets replaced by a different bunch of characters after a few chapters, and then by yet another group later on in the story. Given that reincarnation seems to be at the heart of the Deverry, I figured that it's something everyone needs to get used to. Yet with the first volume under my belt and with a better idea of what's going on, understandably I'm more interested in what's taking place in the present and it felt a little discordant to be thrown back into the past to witness events featuring different reincarnations of the main protagonists. And that, even though Gweniver and Ricyn's tale turned out to be quite compelling.

Here's the blurb:

On the long roads of Deverry ride two mercenaries whose fates like hidden deep in that of their own land. But Lord Rhodry, exiled from the dragon court of Aberwyn, has yet to discover his true parentage, and his swordmaster-lover, Jill, has barely glimpsed her awesome powers. Meanwhile, the ancient sorcerer Nevyn, held back by his vows from boldly intervening in their lives, can only watch and wait as Rhodry and Jill move ever closer to danger. For as the two struggle to recover the Great Stone, the mystic jewel that guides the conscience of the kingship of Deverry, malevolent dark masters are weaving terrifying spells against them--and displacing messengers of death.

Katharine Kerr has extensively rewritten Darkspell , incorporating major changes in the text, making this her definitive edition. Here the epic saga that began with the Daggerspell continues--a tale of might and magic, lust and glory, dark danger and poignant desires that echo from Deverry's sapphire waters to its secret mountain caverns. It's a spellbinding story destined to please fantasy lovers everywhere.


Once more in Darkspell, Katharine Kerr's worldbuilding is top notch. À la Katherine Kurtz and Kate Elliott, she has an eye for historical details and her depiction of medieval Welsh/Celtic culture brings this story to life with a realism that makes everything feel genuine. I was a bit disappointed not to discover more about magic, the Wildfolk, the Westfolk, and all the other mysteries of the Deverry universe in the first installment. The author doesn't play her cards as close to her chest in this sequel and its many revelations elevate Darkspell to another level. I especially liked learning more about Bardek and the lands beyond Deverry. The same goes for the Old One, the dark masters, the Hawks of the Brotherhood and their plans.

Now that I've gotten accustomed to the various reincarnations of the protagonists, the characterization wasn't as tricky this second time around. I reckon that the core of the series will always focus on Nevyn's quest to right the wrongs he caused to the people he loved. His task is to spend eternity correcting his mistakes so they can all fulfill their destiny. And every time she's reborn, Brangwen's soul must learn to wield and control the dweomer, or else Nevyn must wait for a new cycle to begin, hoping to find her and start anew. Jill, Rhodry, Cullyn, and Lovyan return in this second volume and the story progresses more than I thought it would in what essentially is a short novel. As mentioned, there is a long interlude featuring past reincarnations of the characters which was an interesting read. But with evil agents of the Brotherhood on Deverry's soil, I was more interested in current affairs.

As I said, the jumps through the timeline are not as jarring in Darkspell. The pace flows well throughout the book and the story continues to move at a good clip. Kerr adds yet more layers to what promises to be an ambitious fantasy series, all the while keeping everything character-driven with a relatively small cast. Hard to say just how good it will ultimately be, but two books in I'm hooked.

If you're looking for a complex old-school speculative fiction series featuring an interesting cast of characters, Katharine Kerr's Deverry series could be just what the doctor ordered. And the fact that you can download both Daggerspell and Darkspell for about 10$ via the link below makes it easy to find out!

Looking forward to see if The Bristling Wood and The Dragon Revenant live up to the potential generated by the first two installments.

The final verdict: 7.75/10

For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Unfettered III, an anthology edited by Shawn Speakman, for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

The two previous Unfettered anthologies are also on sale.

Here's the blurb:

From the editor of the award-winning anthology Unfettered comes the newest installment in the science fiction and fantasy series, Unfettered III.

Lacking health insurance when he was diagnosed with cancer, Shawn Speakman asked friends in the science fiction and fantasy writing community to donate short stories he could use to counter mounting medical debt. The result was Unfettered, an anthology offering tales from some of the best authors working today.

Now, in Unfettered III, Speakman continues to pay forward the aid he received, raising money to combat medical debt for SFF artists and authors. He has gathered together a great mix of new and favorite writers―free to write what they like―the result a powerful new anthology perfect for all readers.

Be haunted by the chilling ghost story of Megan Lindholm. Revisit the Magicians world with Lev Grossman. Return to Osten Ard in an epic first look at Tad Williams’s Empire of Grass. Share a heartfelt story of loss and gain with Callie Bates. Cross the sands of the desert planet Dune with Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Travel the Ways in a new Wheel of Time novella with Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson. Enter the amazing potter city of Seven with Naomi Novik. And many more stories, all wondrous alongside beautiful art by Todd Lockwood!

- Callie Bates
- Terry Brooks
- Delilah S. Dawson
- Jason Denzel
- David Anthony Durham
- Lev Grossman
- John Gwynne
- Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
- Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
- Megan Lindholm (Robin Hobb)
- Mark Lawrence
- Todd Lockwood
- Seanan McGuire
- Naomi Novik
- Peter Orullian
- Cat Rambo
- Robert V.S. Redick
- Ken Scholes
- Scott Sigler
- Anna Smith Spark
- Shawn Speakman
- Anna Stephens
- Patrick Swenson
- Ramon Terrell
- Marc Turner
- Carrie Vaughn
- Tad Williams
- Deborah A. Wolf

Unfettered III is sure to astound with the magic bound within its pages. All the while raising money for a charitable cause.

Because protecting our artists and authors is as important as the stories they tell.


More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Joel Shepherd's Renegade for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale. The seven subsequent installments are also on sale.

Here's the burb:

One thousand years after Earth was destroyed in an unprovoked attack, humanity has emerged victorious from a series of terrible wars to assure its place in the galaxy.

But during celebrations on humanity’s new Homeworld, the legendary Captain Pantillo of the battle carrier Phoenix is court-martialed then killed, and his deputy, Lieutenant Commander Erik Debogande, the heir to humanity’s most powerful industrial family, is framed with his murder.

Assisted by Phoenix’s marine commander Trace Thakur, Erik and Phoenix are forced to go on the run, as they seek to unravel the conspiracy behind their Captain’s demise, pursued to the death by their own Fleet. What they discover, about the truth behind the wars and the nature of humanity’s ancient alien allies, will shake the sentient galaxy to its core.


You can read an extract from the novel here.

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (August 25th)

In hardcover:

Harper L. Woods' The Coven debuts at number 2. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing is up one position, ending the week at number 4. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Iron Flame is down one position, ending the week at number 7. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

James S. A. Corey's The Mercy of Gods debuts at number 9. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Sarah Beth Durst's The Spellshop is down three spots, finishing the week at number 13. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Stephen King's You Like It Darker is down three spot, finishing the week at number 14. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

In paperback:

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses is down two positions, ending the week at number 5. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Mist and Fury is down three positions, ending the week at number 10. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Wings and Ruin is down five spots, finishing the week at number 14. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Shawn Speakman's SFF anthology Unfettered for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

You define life or it defines you.

In Shawn Speakman’s case, it was both.

Lacking health insurance and diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2011, Shawn quickly accrued a massive medical debt that he did not have the ability to pay. That’s when New York Times best-selling author Terry Brooks offered to donate a short story that Shawn could sell tohelp alleviate those bills—and suggested he ask the same of his other writer friends.

Unfettered is the result: an anthology built in order to relieve that debt, featuring short stories by some of the best fantasy writers in the genre.

Twenty-three tales comprise this incredible collection, and as the title suggests, the writers were free to contribute whatever they wished.

Here is the table of contents:

- Foreword by Patrick Rothfuss
- Introduction: On Becoming Unfettered
- Imaginary Friends by Terry Brooks
- How Old Holly Came To Be by Patrick Rothfuss
- The Old Scale Game by Tad Williams
- Game of Chance by Carrie Vaughn
- The Martyr of the Roses by Jacqueline Carey
- Mudboy by Peter V. Brett
- The Sound of Broken Absolutes by Peter Orullian
- The Coach with Big Teeth by R.A. Salvatore
- Keeper of Memory by Todd Lockwood
- Heaven in a Wild Flower by Blake Charlton
- Dogs by Daniel Abraham
- The Chapel Perilous by Kevin Hearne
- Select Mode by Mark Lawrence
- All the Girls Love Michael Stein by David Anthony Durham
- Strange Rain by Jennifer Bosworth
- Nocturne by Robert V.S. Redick
- Unbowed by Eldon Thompson
- In Favour with Their Stars by Naomi Novik
- River of Souls by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson
- The Jester by Michael J. Sullivan
- The Duel by Lev Grossman
- Walker and the Shade of Allanon by Terry Brooks
- The Unfettered Knight by Shawn Speakman

With the help of stalwart friends and these wonderful short stories, Shawn has taken the gravest of life’s hardships and created something magical. Unfettered is not only a fantastic anthology in its own right, but it’s a testament to the generosity found in the science fiction and fantasy community—proof that humanity can give beyond itself when the need arises.

After all, isn’t that the driving narrative in fantasy literature?

She Who Knows


You probably remember that I was a fan of Nnedi Okorafor's Who Fears Death and The Book of Phoenix. Hence, I was excited when Daw Books announced that the Desert Magician's duology would be released last year and that it would feature a revised edition of Shadow Speaker. Oddly enough, in my excitement I forgot that the bulk of the author's early career years were spent writing YA material.

Alas, beyond the Africanfuturism setting and some Africanjujuism elements that Okorafor has accustomed us to, Shadow Speaker and Like Thunder were YA through and through. For someone looking for adult science fiction, this was a disappointment. And since it features another young protagonist, my concern was that She Who Knows would be another black and white YA work which offers very little in terms of shades of gray. Luckily, though there are some YA vibes, Okorafor's latest shows more depth than the two Desert Magician installments.

Here's the blurb:

Part science fiction, part fantasy, and entirely infused with West African culture and spirituality, this novella offers an intimate glimpse into the life of a teenager whose coming of age will herald a new age for her world. Set in the universe Africanfuturist luminary Nnedi Okorafor first introduced in the World Fantasy Award-winning Who Fears Death, this is the first in the She Who Knows trilogy.

When there is a call, there is often a response.

Najeeba knows.

She has had The Call. But how can a 13-year-old girl have the Call? Only men and boys experience the annual call to the Salt Roads. What’s just happened to Najeeba has never happened in the history of her village. But it’s not a terrible thing, just strange. So when she leaves with her father and brothers to mine salt at the Dead Lake, there’s neither fanfare nor protest. For Najeeba, it’s a dream come travel by camel, open skies, and a chance to see a spectacular place she’s only heard about. However, there must have been something to the rule, because Najeeba’s presence on the road changes everything and her family will never be the same.

Small, intimate, up close, and deceptively quiet, this is the beginning of the Kponyungo Sorceress.


Nnedi Okorafor is known for writing short novels and novellas. I was afraid that the novella-length format would preclude much in terms of worldbuilding and this ended up being the case. She Who Knows takes place in the same post-apocalyptic Africa that was the setting for Who Fears Death. As it's been nearly fifteen years since that book was published, I would have liked for the author to provide more information about the world and its people and events. Had I known that she would be so parsimonious with details, I probably would have reread the novel before reading this prequel. As is usually her wont, Okorafor holds her cards very close to her chest and the worldbuilding leaves a little to be desired. The concepts of the Salt Roads and its Call, the Dead Lake, and the magic were interesting, but they would have benefited from being explored with more depth. Najeeba is destined to become the Kponyungo Sorceress and she will give birth to Onyesonwu, a girl who will change the world. And yet, Najeeba's origin story reads like any other, unrelated Okorafor works.

In my review of Who Fears Death, I said that if there is a speculative fiction title about the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity and atrocities, this had to be it. Some readers criticized Nnedi Okorafor for writing a feminist work daring to explore subject matters best left undisturbed, such as the practice of clitorectomy, genocide, racism between various tribes, rape, sexuality, and violence. I found that a bit pathetic, as I felt that the author should be commended for having produced a tale that packed such a powerful emotional punch. I was expecting She Who Knows to feature the same sort of gravitas, yet there is nothing of the kind. True, the novella deals with a young woman rebelling against a patriarchal society and its ideals. And yet, it's done in a more sober fashion, which somewhat robs the plotlines of whatever emotional impact they were meant to have.

Given her importance in her daughter's tale, I was expecting more from Najeeba's origin story. I know the cover blurb mentions that it's a small, intimate, up close, and deceptively quiet account, but I still would have liked for Najeeba to be fleshed out a little more. Given the size of She Who Knows, it's not like this was a Brandon Sanderson behemoth that needed to be trimmed down. Other than her father's revelations, we discover very little about Najeeba's mother and brothers, her own upbringing, etc. We do find out how she acquires her magical powers, which sets her on the path to become the Kponyungo Sorceress, but I thought I'd learn more about Najeeba herself.

Unlike Shadow Speaker and Like Thunder, this novella doesn't suffer from any pacing issues. The narrative flows well from start to finish, and all too soon one reaches the end. Speaking of ending, don't expect much in terms of endgame or resolution. As such, the ending sets up the forthcoming One Way Witch, to be published next spring.

In the end, She Who Knows wasn't exactly the Who Fears Death prequel I thought it would be. I know it's unfair, but for me Who Fears Death will always be the benchmark against which all other Okorafor works will be judged. Still, I was glad to return to this world and I'm looking forward to the next novella.

Special mention goes out to Greg Ruth for his amazing covers for Okorafor's works.

The final verdict: 7.5/10

For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Christopher Buehlman's The Daughters' War for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Enter the fray in this luminous new adventure from Christopher Buehlman, set during the war-torn, goblin-infested years just before The Blacktongue Thief.

The goblins have killed all of our horses and most of our men.

They have enslaved our cities, burned our fields, and still they wage war.

Now, our daughters take up arms.

Galva — Galvicha to her three brothers, two of whom the goblins will kill — has defied her family’s wishes and joined the army’s untested new unit, the Raven Knights. They march toward a once-beautiful city overrun by the goblin horde, accompanied by scores of giant war corvids. Made with the darkest magics, these fearsome black birds may hold the key to stopping the goblins in their war to make cattle of mankind.

The road to victory is bloody, and goblins are clever and merciless. The Raven Knights can take nothing for granted — not the bonds of family, nor the wisdom of their leaders, nor their own safety against the dangerous war birds at their side. But some hopes are worth any risk.


More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Mark Lawrence's Tales of Abeth for 6.49$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

This is a collection of the three short stories that I've written around The Book of the Ancestor trilogy.

The stories are:

The Devil You Know (book 1.5)
Bound (book 2.5)
Thaw (book 3.5)

They're a chance to catch up with Nona and her friends at different stages in the main story.


Quote of the Day

I think some important scientific questions have finally been answered. Alien life exists,and they are assholes.

JAMES S. A. COREY, The Mercy of the Gods

About a third into this book and it's an interesting read thus far.

For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

This week's New York Times Bestsellers (August 18th)

In hardcover:

Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing is down one position, ending the week at number 5. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Rebecca Yarros' Iron Flame maintains its position at number 6. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Sarah Beth Durst's The Spellshop is down three spots, finishing the week at number 10. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Stephen King's You Like It Darker is up one spot, finishing the week at number 11. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Keanu Reeves and China Miéville's The Book of Elsewhere is down thirteen positions, ending the week at number 15. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

In paperback:

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses maintains its position at number 3. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Mist and Fury maintains its positions at number 7. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Wings and Ruin is up two spots, finishing the week at number 9. For more info about this title, follow this Amazon Associate link.

More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now download Robert R. McCammon's The Border for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

It happened one day in April. Huge explosions in skies across the world heralded the coming of the Gorgon ships, sparking a worldwide panic. Indestructible, they blasted Earth’s greatest cities into rubble. Then, through portals opening in the air, came the skeletal Cyphers. And Earth became a battlefield in a war between two alien races bent on mutual destruction.

In Colorado, just over a hundred survivors have found sanctuary in the ruins of an apartment complex—and it’s not just the Gorgons and Cyphers who threaten them. They are regularly besieged by the Gray Men, humans mutated by something in the atmosphere into monstrosities straight out of nightmares.

With their ammunition and supplies dwindling, the remaining humans face a bleak future. Then one day, a teenage boy appears, seemingly human, seemingly the victim of catastrophic injuries. He can’t remember where he came from, but he senses a power within himself—one that causes an earthquake to repel a horde of Gray Men. A voice speaks to the boy in his sleep, telling him to find “the white mansion.” Now, the one thing the survivors need most of all is blossoming within them: hope. But only if they choose to trust in a boy who has no memory and only three words from a dream to guide him . . .


More inexpensive ebook goodies!


You can now get your hands on the digital edition of Saara El-Arifi’s Faebound for only 2.99$ by following this Amazon Associate link. This OneLink will take you to the nearest Amazon site serving your country and you'll see if you can take advantage of this sale.

Here's the blurb:

Yeeran was born on the battlefield, has lived on the battlefield, and one day, she knows, she’ll die on the battlefield.

As a warrior in the elven army, Yeeran has known nothing but violence her whole life. Her sister, Lettle, is trying to make a living as a diviner, seeking prophecies of a better future.

When a fatal mistake leads to Yeeran’s exile from the Elven Lands, both sisters are forced into the terrifying wilderness beyond their borders.

There they encounter the impossible: the fae court. The fae haven’t been seen for a millennium. But now Yeeran and Lettle are thrust into their seductive world, torn among their loyalties to each other, their elven homeland, and their hearts.



You can also download Max Gladstone's Wicked Problems for only 2.99$ here.

Here's the blurb:

Gods and lawyers battle for the soul of the world in the action-packed second volume of Max Gladstone's Craft Wars, an epic fantasy like no other.

A deadly force has been unleashed into the world. With apocalypse on the horizon, a girl and a god have joined in order to turn back the coming end. Young, brash, and desperate, they are willing to destroy anything and everything that stands between them and their goals. The structures of the Craft are theirs to overturn, with billions of lives in the balance. And it is all Tara Abernathy’s fault.

The battle for the world of the Craft is heating up. A dead god will rise. A mountain will fall. Ancient fire will be stolen. And while Tara races to stop Dawn’s plans, the end draws ever closer, skittering across the stars to swallow the world. The Craft Wars enter their second stage in Wicked Problems.

Overcaptain


Overcaptain is the 24th installment in L. E. Modesitt, jr.'s Recluce Saga and the second volume in Alyiakal's story arc. To help promote the book, I've done an interview with the author which will be posted in the coming weeks. So stay tuned!

You may recall that I wasn't entirely thrilled to learn that what was originally meant to be a three-book cycle was turned into a four-book sequence because Tor Books were loath to release Alayiakal's story as three lengthy novels. I was concerned about this, for in the past such a split had a negative impact on Beltur's three-volume sequence. My fear was that Overcaptain would ultimately be about half of the book the second installment was meant to be and it sure looks as though this is the case.

Here's the blurb:

L. E. Modesitt, Jr. continues the Saga of Recluce, the long-running, best-selling epic fantasy series. Overcaptain, the sequel to From the Forest, continues to follow the early life of a man known by many names depending on who you ask—hero, tyrant, emperor.

Alyiakal, overcaptain in the Mirror Lancers of Cyador, has completed his tour of duty as officer-in-charge of a small, remote post. He just wants to finish and see his best friend consorted and assume his next post assignment. If only it were that easy.

He discovers corruption in the Merchanter Clans of Cyador, but investigating Mirror Lancer officers end up dead. Before he can go on leave, he has to replace one of these officers, close a post, dodge an attempt on his life, and an investigation from Magi-i.

At Lhaarat, Alyiakal is assigned as a deputy commander to a post that never had one, and the commander doesn't want one—and that's just the beginning of Alyiakal’s problems.


For my money, the worldbuilding has always been one of the most fascinating facets of any new Recluce title. Each tale allows readers to discover how people and events shaped history during their lifetime. From the Forest was the earliest installment in the Recluce timeline. The action occurs more than three centuries before Magi'i of Cyador and Scion of Cyador, and more than seven centuries before Fall of Angels. I'm not sure if we'll ever get the full story of the arrival of the First from the Rational Stars and the founding of Cyad, but for now I relish the few glimpses from the past that Alayiakal's tale provides. How the wall and the wards that contain the Accursed Forest were built, how the chaos towers and all the technological wonders that can no longer be duplicated by the Magi'i and the Mirror Engineers were created, how chaos could be harnessed in such a fashion merely decades before, who were the Dissidents and what happened to them, what is Alayiakal's strange relationship with the Accursed Forest and what impact will it have on him, all of these secrets remain mysteries for the time being.

Overcaptain is the immediate sequel to From the Forest. As the title implies, it follows Alayiakal's stint as an overcaptain over the course of a few different postings and his rise within the ranks of the Mirror Lancers. His romance with Saelora progresses, but they cannot get married because it would hurt both of their careers. This second volume is also a bit more political. We learn that the Emperor's health is deteriorating and that death seems inevitable. Trouble is, his legitimate heir is unsuited to ascend the throne, while his illegitimate son shows ambition and has connections at court that may see him be crowned. How this will impact a young overcaptain destined for glory remains to be seen.

Modesitt continues to explore the relationship between Order and Chaos, one of the trademarks of this series. Like Lerial and Beltur, being able to manipulate both Order and Chaos forces Alayiakal to test the limits of what he can do, while keeping his abilities secret. This strange dichotomy wouldn't sit well with some of his fellow soldiers, especially his superiors. The same can be said of the Magi'i, who are beginning to suspect that something is afoot. Throughout the novel, Alayiakal continues to funnel chaos energy from the sun every chance he gets.

As expected, Overcaptain suffers from pacing issues from time to time. Modesitt's novels are never fast-paced affairs and Modesitt's latest is no exception to that rule. Still, From the Forest was a more self-contained book. It's obvious that the events taking place in Overcaptain were meant to be the beginning and perhaps the middle of a single novel, which will now continue in the forthcoming Sub-Majer's Challenge.

As a result, there is no endgame and the ending offers no resolution whatsoever. As the title of the third volume implies, Alayiakal gets promoted and we'll have to wait till next year to discover what that means for the young man. I can't say I'm happy about this state of affairs. But Overcaptain ended up being exactly what I expected and I can live with that. I've been reading this series for nearly three decades, so I'll be here for the next book! I just wish it had been published the way it was meant to be. . .

The final verdict: 7.5/10

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You can read an extract from the novel here.