Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings

This week is full of variety in the Speculative Fiction subgenres. I like that! I plan on checking out Kenyon and Love's new Belador series this coming Tuesday myself.

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler
Release Date: 10/18/2010

Goodreads 
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy 
Series: Horsemen of the Apocalypse #1 
Author's Website: JackieMorseKessler.com 
Publisher: Harcourt Graphia 
ISBN: 0547341245 (ISBN13: 9780547341248) 
Media: Paperback 
 
Summary:  
“Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been ...more “Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons?

The Rebel Prince by Celine Kiernan
Release Date: 10/18/2010

Goodreads 
Genre: YA Fantasy 
Series: Moorehawke Trilogy #3 
Author's Website: CelineKiernan.com 
Publisher: Orbit 
ISBN: 0316077070 (ISBN13: 9780316077071) 
Media: Paperback 
 
Summary:  
Wynter Moorehawke has braved bandits and Loup-Garous to find her way to Alberon-the exiled, rebel prince. But now that she's there, she will learn firsthand that politics is a deadly mistress. With the king and his heir on the edge of war and alliances made with deadly enemies, the Kingdom is torn not just by civil war - but strife between the various factions as well. Wynter knows that no one has the answer to the problems that plague the Kingdom - and she knows that their differences will not just tear apart her friends - but the Kingdom as well. 

True Believers by Maria Zannini
Release Date: 10/18/2010

Goodreads
Genre: SciFi Romance 
Series: NA  
Author's Website: MariaZannini.blogspot.com 
Publisher: Carina Press 
ISBN: 9781426890673 
Media: eBook 
 
Summary:  

Something is killing off the immortals, one by one. 
 
Taelen Jessit, an alien emissary on a mission sanctioned by the U.S. government is searching for his peoples' ancient gods. His hunt leads him to a dig headed by archeologist Rachel Cruz. When his military entourage forces Rachel’s team out of the cave they were exploring, a flash flood hits the riverbed and Rachel is swept into the deluge. 
 
Taelen rescues Rachel and they wash up on a forbidding alcove where he  witnesses the miraculous healing of Rachel’s broken ankle. Now he is certain the gods are here. He is inexplicably drawn to her, and she to him.
 
Rachel is not a god, but a Nephilim, and she needs more than a miracle. She needs the technology Taelen can provide to help her find and destroy the god-killer, a weapon so precise and powerful, it will mean the genocide of an entire species. She’s given Taelen her heart, but can she trust him with her secret?

A Visitor's Guide to Mystic Falls : Your Favorite Authors on The Vampire Diaries by Leah Wilson, Heidi R. Kling , Karen Mahoney, Sarah Rees Brennan, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Bree Despain , Kiersten White , Jon Skovron
Release Date: 10/19/2010

Goodreads 
Genre: YA Paranormal 
Series: Anthology  
Publisher: Smart Pop 

ISBN: 1935251996 (ISBN13: 9781935251996) 
Media: Paperback 
 
Summary:  
Vampires are hot right now, especially among teens, and The Vampire Diaries in a few short episodes became the CW’s most-watched show.

The Vampire Diaries brings together today’s best YA writers of the supernatural to talk about the show’s first season: the characters, the storyline, the magic, the town. From a history of the Salem’s witches from whom Bonnie is descended to family therapy for brothers Stefan and Damon, the anthology is guaranteed to keep Vampire Diaries viewers entertained—and make them see Mystic Falls, and the rest of the show, in a whole new way.

And the webmasters of Vampire-Diaries.net, a popular fansite for both the books and show, also provide a primer on what viewers should know before picking up the books.

Against All Things Ending by Stephen R. Donaldson
Release Date: 10/19/2010

Goodreads 
Genre: Fantasy 
Series: The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant #3 
Author's Website: StephenRDonaldson.com 
Publisher: Putnam Adult 
ISBN: 039915678X (ISBN13: 9780399156786) 
Media: Hardcover 
 
Summary:  
Thomas Covenant, his wife Linden Avery, and Linden’s son Jeremiah have been reunited after dire trials, including escape from an underground cavern that cost the lives of more than one of their band. In this fast-paced third volume of the Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Linden and Covenent make significant progress in fighting back the baleful influence of Lord Foul. 

Jeremiah, whose mind has been controlled by the Dark Lord since he was stolen away from his mother’s house and taken to The Land, will be freed, and his importance revealed. Covenant will rouse himself to take action against one of the prime manipulators of all the evil brought against him. And Linden, whose determination got them this far, will finally begin to see some results, and a glimmer of hope, after the epic struggle she has been through. All of these things are a great satisfaction to readers who have followed these characters and feared for them more than once.

Blood Trinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love
Release Date: 10/19/2010

Goodreads 
Genre: Paranormal Romance 
Series:  Belador #1 
Authors' Websites: SherrilynKenyon.com | AuthorDiannaLove.com 
Publisher: Pocket 
ISBN: 1439155828 (ISBN13: 9781439155820) 
Media: Mass Market Paperback  
 
Summary:  
Atlanta has become the battlefield between human and demon. All her life, Evalle has walked the line between the two. Her origins unknown, she’s on a quest to learn more about her past and her future. 

But when a demon claims a human and there’s no one else to blame, Evalle comes under fire. It’s no longer a question of learning about herself, it’s a question of survival. Through the underground of an alternate Atlanta where nothing is as it seems to the battleground of where her VIPER allies have become the force that is now hunting her, Evalle must prove her innocence or pay the ultimate price. 

But proving her innocence is the least of her problems if she doesn’t stop the coming apocalypse. The clock is ticking and it’s about to become a lot hotter in Atlanta. 

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
Release Date: 10/19/2010

Goodreads 
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy 
Series: Hush, Hush #2 
Author's Website: BeccaFitzpatrick.com 
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing 
ISBN: 1416989439 (ISBN13: 9781416989431) 
Media: Hardcover 
 
Summary:  
The sequel to the New York Times Best selling phenomenon, Hush, Hush! 

Nora should have know her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Release Date: 10/19/2010

Goodreads
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy 
Series: Witches War #1 
Author's Website: AndreaCremer.com 
Publisher: Philomel 
ISBN: 039925482X (ISBN13: 9780399254826) 
Media: Hardcover 
 
Summary:  
Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything--including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

Play Dead by Ryan Brown
Release Date: 10/19/2010

Goodreads 
Genre: Horror 
Series: Stand Alone 
Author's Website: RyanBrownAuthor.com 
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group 
ISBN: 1439171572 (ISBN13: 9781439171578) 
Media: Paperback (First published May 2010)  
 
Summary:  
Today’s #1 New York Times bestselling thriller writers agree: Ryan Brown’s compulsively readable first novel is unbeatable—a darkly humorous, rich and pungent zombie shocker that melds our national obsession with football and the newest wave of fascination with the undead.For the first time in Killington High School history, the Jackrabbits football team is one win away from the district championship where it will face its most vicious rival, the Elmwood Heights Badgers. On the way to the game, the Jackrabbits’s bus plunges into a river, killing every player except for bad-boy quarterback Cole Logan who is certain the crash was no accident—given that Cole himself was severely injured in a brutal attack by three ski-masked men earlier that day. Bent on payback, Cole turns to a mysterious fan skilled in black magic to resurrect his teammates. But unless the undead Jackrabbits defeat their murderous rival on the field, the team is destined for hell. In a desperate race against time, with only his coach’s clever daughter, Savannah Hickman, to assist him, Cole must lead his zombie team to victory. . . in a final showdown where the stakes aren’t just life or death—but damnation or salvation. Boundlessly imaginative and thrillingly satisfying, Play Dead gives small-town Texas an electrifying jolt of the supernatural, and is unquestioningly The Zombie Novel of the Year!

The Comeback Story of the Season . . .

The First Book of Grimm by Shiloh Walker
Release Date: 10/19/2010

Goodreads 
Genre: Paranormal Romance 
Series: Grimm's Circle #1 
Author's Website: ShilohWalker.com 
Publisher: Samhain Publishing 
ISBN: 1605049158 (ISBN13: 9781605049151) 
Media: Paperback 
 
Summary:  
Once upon a mission… 

Candy Houses 
Now that Greta is a Grimm—guardian angel and official paranormal ass-kicker—romance is hard to find. There’s only one man who makes her heart race, a fact that scared her right out of his arms. But now she needs a hand. 

The last woman Rip expected to see on this dangerous mission is the one who rejected his love. Faced with a danger neither of them saw coming, the question is which is the greater danger—the one threatening their lives, or their hearts? 

No Prince Charming 
With days spent trolling for demons and nights with a sometime lover, Elle thinks she’s finally gotten over her so-called Prince Charming. But now, on the eve of her most dangerous mission, he’s back—the man who broke her heart. 

Michael jumped at the chance to become a Grimm, though he knew Elle would never forgive him. It looks like she’s doing just fine without him, but he’s ready to use every weapon in his not-so-charming arsenal to save her, if necessary. Kill for her, live for her, die for her… 

Warning: Dark, sexy, a little bit scary—these twisted fairy tales are only for grownups and are best saved for bedtime.

Weight of Stone by Laura Anne Gilman
Release Date: 10/19/2010

Goodreads 
Genre: Fantasy 
Series: The Vineart War #2  
Author's Website: LauraAnneGilman.net 
Publisher: Pocket 
ISBN: 1439101450 (ISBN13: 9781439101452) 
Media: Hardcover 
 
Summary:  
An island nation has vanished. Men of honor and magic have died unnatural deaths. Slaves flee in terror. . . . Are the silent gods beginning to speak? Or is another force at work in the Lands Vin?

Laura Anne Gilman’s critically acclaimed, Nebula Award–nominated Flesh and Fire introduced a brilliantly imagined world where the grapevine—cultivated by the Vinearts who know the secrets of wine magic—holds together disparate lands. Now, confusion, violence, and terror are sweeping over the Lands Vin. And four people are at the center of a storm.

Jerzy, Vineart apprentice and former slave, was sent by his master to investigate strange happenings—and found himself the target of betrayal. Now he must set out on his own journey, to find the source of the foul taint that threatens to destroy everything he holds dear. By Jerzy’s side are Ao, who lives for commerce and the art of the deal; Mahault, stoic and wise, risking death in flight from her homeland; and Kaïnam, once Named-Heir of an island principality, whose father has fallen into a magic-tangled madness that endangers them all.

These four companions will travel far from the earth and the soul of the vine, sailing along coastlines aflame with fear, confronting sea creatures summoned by darkness, and following winds imbued with malice. Their journey will take them to the very limits of the Sin Washer’s reach . . . and into a battle for the soul of the Lands Vin. For two millennia the Sin Washer’s Commandment has kept these lands in order: Those of magic shall hold no power over men and those princes of power shall hold no magic. Now, that law has given way. And a hidden force seeks the havoc of revenge.

An adventure through an unforgettable realm conjured by breathtaking imagination, Laura Anne Gilman’s saga of the Vineart War is a "dramatic, authentic, and potent" (Publishers Weekly) literary delight.

Zombies : The Recent Dead by Paula Guran, Neil Gaiman, Joe Lansdale, Brian Keene, Max Brooks, David Schow
Release Date: 10/19/2010

Goodreads 
Genre: Horror 
Series: Anthology 
Publisher: Wildside Press 
ISBN: 1607012340 (ISBN13: 9781607012344) 
Media: Paperback 
 
 
Summary:  
You can't kill the dead! Like any good monster, the zombie has proven to be ever-evolving, monumentally mutable, and open to seemingly endless imaginative interpretations: the thralls of voodoo sorcerers, George Romero's living dead, societal symbols, dancing thrillers, viral victims, reanimated ramblers, video gaming targets, post-apocalyptic permutations, shuffling sidekicks, literary mash-ups, the comedic, and, yes, even the romantic. Evidently, we have an enduring hunger for this infinite onslaught of the ever-hungry dead. Hoards of readers are now devouring zombie fiction faster than armies of the undead could chow down their brains.

It's a sick job, but somebody had to do it: explore the innumerable necrotic nightmares of the latest, greatest, most fervent devotion in the history of humankind and ferret out the best of new millenial zombie stories: Zombies: The Recent Dead.

If I have missed any new book release(s) within the Speculative Fiction genre i.e. Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Horror, Fantasy and YA Paranormal/Fantasy for this week, and you would like me to include them in my new release calendar below, please use this form to pass the book's information to me.

Authors and readers, if you would like to share upcoming new releases with me, I would love for you to do so. Very much. Click here.

This information is maintained in my Google Calendar. My New Book Release calendar will be the most up-to-date on new releases. Any new releases missed for this week will not show up on this page but will be visible in my calendar below. If you would like to link to my Google Calendar "New & Upcoming Book Releases", instructions on how to do this are listed here.