This week in new hardcovers: New hardcovers this week from Mercedes Lackey, Jacqueline Carey, Walter Mosley, Jack Campbell, and more.
Redoubt
by Mercedes Lackey
Book Four of the Collegium Chronicles - A Valdemar Novel. "Mags, a young Herald trainee in Haven, the capital city of Valdemar, has very rare talents. Recognising this, the King's Own Herald trains Mags as a spy, tasking him with uncovering the secrets of a mysterious new enemy who has taken an interest in Mags himself. Why is an even deeper mystery. The answers can only be found in the depths of Mags' past, if he survives long enough to find them." DAW Hardcover, 336 pages, Oct 2.More »
Dark Currents
by Jacqueline Carey
Agent of Hel. "The Midwestern resort town of Pemkowet boasts a diverse population: eccentric locals, wealthy summer people, and tourists by the busload; not to mention fairies, sprites, vampires, naiads, ogres and a whole host of eldritch folk, presided over by Hel, a reclusive Norse goddess. To Daisy Johanssen, fathered by an incubus and raised by a single mother, its home. And as Hels enforcer and the designated liaison to the Pemkowet Police Department, its up to her to ensure relations between the mundane and eldritch communities run smoothly. But when a young man from a nearby college drownsand signs point to eldritch involvementthe towns booming paranormal tourism trade is at stake. Teamed up with her childhood crush, Officer Cody Fairfax, a sexy werewolf on the down-low, Daisy must solve the crimeand keep a tight rein on the darker side of her nature. For if shes ever tempted to invoke her demonic birthright, it could accidentally unleash nothing less than Armageddon." Roc Hardcover, 368 pages, Oct 2.More »
Merge, Disciple: Two Short Novels from Crosstown to Oblivion
by Walter Mosley
"Merge: Releigh Redman loved Nicci Charbon until she left him heartbroken. Then he hit the lotto for $26 million, quit his minimum wage job and set his sights on one goal: reading the entire collection of lectures in the Popular Educator Library, the only thing his father left behind after he died. As Raleigh is trudging through the eighth volume, he notices something in his apartment that at first seems ordinary but quickly reveals itself to be from a world very different from our own. This entity shows Raleigh joy beyond the comforts of $26 million dollars...and merges our world with those that live beyond. Disciple: Hogarth "Trent" Tryman is a forty-two year old man working a dead-end data entry job. Though he lives alone and has no real friends besides his mother, he's grown quite content in his quiet life, burning away time with television, the internet, and video games. That all changes the night he receives a bizarre instant message on his computer from a man who calls himself Bron. At first he thinks it's a joke, but in just a matter of days Hogarth Tryman goes from a data entry clerk to the head of a corporation. His fate is now in very powerful hands as he realizes he has become a pawn in a much larger game with unimaginable stakes - a battle that threatens the prime life force on Earth." Tor Books, 288 pages, Oct 2.More »
The Lost Stars
by Jack Campbell
Tarnished Knight. "The authority of the Syndicate Worlds government is crumbling. Civil war and rebellion are breaking out in many star systems despite the Syndic governments brutal attempts to suppress disorder. Midway is one of those star systems, and leaders there must decide whether to remain loyal to the old order or fight for something new. CEO Artur Drakon has been betrayed. The Syndic government failed to protect its citizens from both the Alliance and the alien enigmas. With a cadre of loyal soldiers under his command, Drakon launches a battle for control of the Midway Star Systemassisted by an ally hes unsure he can trust CEO Gwen Iceni was exiled to Midway because she wasnt ruthless enough in the eyes of her superiors. Shes made them regret their assessment by commandeering some of the warships at Midway and attacking the remaining ships still loyal to the Syndicate empire. Iceni declares independence for the Midway Star System on behalf of the people while staying in charge as President. But while she controls the mobile fleet, she has no choice but to rely on General Drakons ground forces to keep the peace planet-side" Ace Hardcover, 400 pages, Oct 2.More »
The Hobbit Companion
by David Day, Lidia Postma (Illustrator)
"Dissecting the brilliant web of verbal hocus-pocus that J.R.R. Tolkien delightedly spun in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, master hobbit investigator David Day reveals the myriad crafty puns and riddles, hidden meanings, and mythical associations beneath the saga's thrilling surface. Intriguing to the uninitiated and enchanting to the Tolkien enthusiast, this companion can only enhance one's enjoyment of his dark, mysterious world." Pavilion, 96 pages, Oct 1.More »
The Secret Book of Sacred Things
by Torsten Krol
"The coming of the Great Stone destroyed almost everything that used to be. But high in one remote valley, the Church of Selene has found its way back from ruin. Sister Luka and her female converts offer sacrifices to the scarred (and very close) moon that hangs over their convent. It has been this way since the Stone hit. Among the Little Sisters of Selene is 12-year-old Aurora, respected Scribe of the church. She endlessly writes down the name of the moon to keep her in the sky where she belongs. But Aurora has a secret book she keeps hidden in her Scribe's chamber and into this diary she pours out her hopes and desires. Upsetting this fragile equilibrium is Willa, a young tomboy whose flamboyant arrival threatens the hard-won status quo of the sisters' community. As Aurora and Willa inch toward friendship, insurrection grows. But when an unexpected marvel occurs in the sky, it is clear that Aurora's work as the Scribe has failed. The moon is threatening to remake the world all over again. This is the Secret Book of Sacred Things, this is Aurora's story." Atlantic Books, 298 pages, Oct 1.More »
1635: Papal Stakes
by Eric Flint, Charles E. Gannon
Ring of Fire, Book 15. "Its springtime in the Eternal City, 1635. But its no Roman holiday for uptimer Frank Stone and his pregnant downtime wife, Giovanna. Theyre in the clutches of would-be Pope Cardinal Borgia, with the real PopeUrban VII on the run with the renegade embassy of uptime Ambassador Sharon Nichols and her swashbuckling downtime husband, Ruy Sanchez de Casador y Ortiz. Up to their necks in papal assassins, power politics, murder, and mayhem, the uptimers and their spouses need help and they need it quickly. Special rescue teamsincluding Harry Lefferts and his infamous Wrecking Crewconverge on Rome to extract Frank and Gia. And an uptime airplane is on its way to spirit the Pope to safety before Borjas assassins can find him. It seems that everything is going to work out just fine in sunny Italy. Until, that is, everything goes wrong. Now, whether they are prisoners in Rome or renegades protecting a pope on the run, its up to the rough and ready can-do attitude of Grantville natives to once again escape the clutches of aristocratic skullduggery and ring in freedom for a war-torn land." Baen, 672 pages, Oct 2.More »
Between Two Fires
by Christopher Buehlman
"His extraordinary debut, Those Across the River, was hailed as genre-bending Southern horror (California Literary Review), graceful [and] horrific (Patricia Briggs). Now Christopher Buehlman invites readers into an even darker ageone of temptation and corruption, of war in heaven, and of hell on earth And Lucifer said: Let us rise against Him now in all our numbers, and pull the walls of heaven down The year is 1348. Thomas, a disgraced knight, has found a young girl alone in a dead Norman village. An orphan of the Black Death, and an almost unnerving picture of innocence, she tells Thomas that plague is only part of a larger cataclysmthat the fallen angels under Lucifer are rising in a second war on heaven, and that the world of men has fallen behind the lines of conflict." Ace Hardcover, 432 pages, Oct 2.More »
Cry Wolf
by Patricia Briggs, Todd Herman (Illustrator)
Alpha & Omega, Book 1. "Anna never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attackand became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, shes learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. Then Charles Cornick, the enforcer and sonof the leader of the North American werewolves, came into her life. Charles insists that not only is Anna his mate, but she is also a rare and valued Omega wolf. And it is Annas inner strength and calming presence that will prove invaluable as she and Charles go on the hunt in search of a rogue werewolf, a creature bound in magic so dark that it could threaten all the pack." InkLit, 128 pages, Oct 2.More »
Darkness Rising
by Lis Wiehl (Contributor), Pete Nelson (Contributor)
The East Salem Trilogy. "Dani Harris thought there wasnt much left that could surprise her after serving as a forensic psychiatrist in East Salem. And Tommy Gunderson has faced few challenges in his life that he couldnt overcome by either physical strength or his celebrity status. But as they race to uncover whats really happening behind the high walls of St. Adrians Academy, it becomes clear that supernatural forces have been at work here for generations. And now their focus is on making sure Dani and Tommy dont interfere. When the unseen becomes seen, faith is the only weapon strong enough to fight in a battle involving not just murder and betrayalbut angels and demons." Thomas Nelson, 352 pages, Oct 2.More »