   
I've
just finished reading The Institute for the second time, and found it
to be immensely enjoyable, one of his best efforts, and well worth a
second read. The paperback cover has a lot more detail on it than the
original hardcover version, and it's a must-have for your SK collection!
Steven Erikson: The God Is Not Willing
Published
1st July 2021
The thrilling opening chapter in an epic new fantasy from the author of The Malazan Book of the Fallen...
Many years have passed since three Teblor warriors brought carnage and chaos to Silver Lake.
Now
the tribes of the north no longer venture into the southlands. The town
has recovered and yet the legacy remains. Indeed, one of the three,
Karsa Orlong, is now revered as a god, albeit an indifferent one. In
truth, many new religions have emerged and been embraced across the
Malazan world. There are those who worship Coltaine, the Black-Winged
Lord, and the cult of Iskar Jarak, Guardian of the Dead, is popular
among the Empire's soldiery.
Responding
to reports of a growing unease among the tribes beyond the border, a
legion of Malazan marines marches towards Silver Lake. They aren't
quite sure what they're going to be facing, but, while the Malazan
military has evolved and these are not the marines of old, one thing
hasn't changed: they'll handle whatever comes at them. Or die trying.
And
in those high mountains, a new warleader has risen amongst the Teblor.
Scarred by the deeds of Karsa Orlong, he intends to confront his god
even if he has to cut a bloody swathe through the Malazan Empire to do
so.
But
further north, a new threat has emerged and now it seems it is the
Teblor who are running out of time. Another long-feared migration is
about to begin and this time it won't just be three warriors. No, this
time tens of thousands are poised to pour into the lands to the south.
And in their way, a single company of Malazan marines . . .
It seems the past is about to revisit Silver Lake, and that is never a good thing . . .
Steven
Erikson's first title in a new Malazan Empire strand is always worth
waiting for... This is fantasy in the grand, traditional style,
inspired by Tolkien, honed to perfection by one of the greatest fantasy
writers of our generation. Read it and weep...
Jodi
Taylor: Long Shadows
Published
5th August 2021
BOOK
3 IN THE GRIPPING SUPERNATURAL SERIES BY THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE
CHRONICLES OF ST MARY'S
I
don't know who I am. I don't know what I am.
The
identity of Elizabeth Cage has always been a mystery. Even she doesn't
know who, or what, she is. But she's learned to live with it.
Until
now, when what should have been a peaceful holiday turns into anything
but, and Elizabeth is forced to recognise that she isn't what she seems.
But
neither is anyone else. Has her whole life been a lie?
Someone
very badly wants to know the truth about Elizabeth Cage. And they'll do
anything to find out. But who will live to regret it?
Twisty,
dark and incredibly gripping, the Elizabeth Cage novels are perfect for
fans of Sarah
Painter and Genevieve Cogman.
Alastair Reynolds: Inhibitor Phase
Published 25th August 2021
Miguel de Ruyter is a man with a past.
Fleeing
the 'wolves' - the xenocidal alien machines known as Inhibitors - he
has protected his family and community from attack for forty years,
sheltering in the caves of an airless, battered world called
Michaelmas. The slightest hint of human activity could draw the wolves
to their home, to destroy everything ... utterly. Which is how Miguel
finds himself on a one-way mission with his own destructive mandate: to
eliminate a passing ship, before it can bring unwanted attention down
on them.
Only something goes wrong.
There's a lone survivor.
And she knows far more about Miguel than she's letting on . . .
Ranging
from the depths of space to the deeps of Pattern Juggler waters, from
nervous, isolated communities to the ruins of empire, this is a
stealthy space opera from an author at the top of his game.
Peter V Brett: The Desert Prince
Published 3rd August 2021
Peter V. Brett, Sunday Times bestselling
author of The Demon Cycle, begins a brand new epic fantasy
adventure set in his beloved world, following a new generation of
heroes.
Fifteen
years have passed since the end of the war with demons, creatures of
darkness who have hunted the night and plagued humanity for time out of
mind. The heroes of mankind’s hour of need have become legend, and
those that remain struggle to escape their shadows.
Olive
Paper and Darin Bales have grown up in this new, peaceful world. Demons
have all but been destroyed, but dangers still lurk for the children of
heroes.
Olive, Princess of Hollow, has her entire life planned out by her mother, Duchess Leesha Paper.
A
steady march on a checklist to prepare her for succession. The more her
mother writes the script, the more Olive rails against playing the
parts her mother assigns.
Darin
faces challenges of a different kind. Though free to choose his own
path, the weight of legacy hangs heavy round his shoulders. It isn’t
easy being the son of the man people say saved the world. Everyone
expects greatness from Darin, but the only thing he’s ever been great
at is hiding.
But
when Olive and Darin step across the wards one night, they learn the
demons are not all gone, and those that remain hunger for revenge.
Events are set in motion that only Prophecy can foresee as Olive and
Darin seek to find their own places in the world in time to save it
again.
J R Ward: Claimed
Published 27th July 2021
A
heart-pounding new series set in the Black Dagger Brotherhood world,
with a scientist fighting to save the timber wolves - and getting
caught in a deadly trap herself . . .
Lydia
Susi is passionate about protecting wolves in their natural habitat.
When a hotel chain develops a tract of land next to the preserve, Lydia
is one of the most vocal opponents of the project-and becomes a target.
One
night, a shadowy figure threatens Lydia's life in the forest, and a new
hire at the Wolf Study Project comes from out of nowhere to save her.
Daniel Joseph is both mysterious and someone she instinctively wants to
trust. But is he hiding something?
As
the stakes get higher and one of Lydia's colleagues is murdered, she
must decide how far she will go to protect the wolves. Then a shocking
revelation about Daniel challenges Lydia's reality in ways she could
never have predicted. Some fates demand courage, while others require
even more, with no guarantees. Is she destined to have true love . . .
or will a soul-shattering loss ruin her forever?
J R R Tolkien: The Nature of Middle-Earth
Published 2nd September 2021
First
ever publication of J.R.R. Tolkien’s final writings on Middle-earth,
covering a wide range of subjects and perfect for those who have read
and enjoyed The Silmarillion, The Lord of the Rings, Unfinished Tales, and The History of Middle-earth, and want to learn more about Tolkien’s magnificent world.
It is well known that J.R.R. Tolkien published The Hobbit in 1937 and The Lord of the Rings in
1954–5. What may be less known is that he continued to write about
Middle-earth in the decades that followed, right up until the years
before his death in 1973.
For him, Middle-earth was part of an entire world to be explored, and the writings in The Nature of Middle-earth reveal
the journeys that he took as he sought to better understand his unique
creation. From sweeping themes as complex and profound as the
metaphysics of Elvish immortality and reincarnation, and the Powers of
the Valar, to the more earth-bound subjects of the lands and beasts of
Númenor, the geography of the Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor, and
even who had beards!
This
new collection, which has been edited by Carl F Hostetter, one of the
world’s leading Tolkien experts, is a veritable treasure-trove offering
readers a chance to peer over Professor Tolkien’s shoulder at the very
moment of discovery: and on every page, Middle-earth is once again
brought to extraordinary life.
Jack Campbell: The Lost Fleet
Published
23rd June 2021
The
New York Times-bestselling series continues as Admiral ‘Black Jack’
Geary returns to Unity to save the Alliance, this time from itself.
The master of military science fiction returns.
Admiral
John ‘Black Jack’ Geary carries evidence of crimes which could destroy
the Alliance he has fought so hard to save. Now his battle-weary fleet
returns to Unity, the seat of the Alliance government.
But
instead of a hero's welcome, he faces assassination attempts and
political threats. His arrival ignites a furious Senate trial, and
Geary must use all his guile to ensure the guilty are brought to
justice, without himself becoming judge and jury. All the while forces
lurk in the shadows, poised to strike at any moment.
Unsure
of who he can trust, Geary is sent on a dangerous mission to lead his
fleet through the shattered Syndicate Worlds, and beyond to
alien-controlled space. As the Alliance faces the failures of its past,
Black Jack must confront its legacy – distrust and rebellion.
Kalynn Bayron: This Poison Heart
Published
23rd June 2021
Ever
since she can remember, Briseis has had power over plants. Flowers
bloom in her footsteps and leaves turn to face her as though she were
the sun. It's a power she and her adoptive mothers have spent her whole
life trying to hide. And then Briseis inherits an old house from her
birth mother and suddenly finds herself with the space and privacy to
test her powers for the first time.
But
as Briseis starts to bring the house's rambling garden back to life,
she finds she has also inherited generations of secrets. A hidden altar
to a dark goddess, a lineage of witches stretching back to ancient
times, and a hidden garden overgrown with the most deadly poisonous
plants on earth. And Briseis's long-departed ancestors aren't going to
let her rest until she accepts her place as the keeper of the terrible
power that lies at the heart of the Poison Garden.
Cinderella Is Dead author
Kalynn Bayron brings a message of proud inclusivity to this empowering
fantasy about a young woman finding the strength to challenge
everything she has been told is true.
The
small print: Books
Monthly, now well into its 24th
year on the web,
is published on or slightly before the first day of each month by Paul
Norman. You can contact me here.
If you wish to submit something for publication in the magazine, let me
remind you there is no payment as I don't make any money from this
publication. If you want to send me something to review, contact me via
email at paulenorman1@gmail.com and I'll let you know where to send it.
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