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New and Recently Released!
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"Gabriel streaked across the heavens like a tumbling meteor, his corpse a fireball of sublimated perfection. He had been a creature of peerless majesty, but now the throes of his death etched the firmament." ~ from Ian Tregillis' Something More Than Night
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| Masks by E. C. BlakeEpic Fantasy. In Aygrima, adult citizens wear masks at the command of the Autarch, who uses the devices as an instrument of control. However, the masks also symbolize the profession of the wearer and indicate his or her status in society, which is why 15-year-old Mara Holdfast can't wait for her own Masking Ceremony. Unfortunately, Mara's unusual ability to perceive all the colors of magic (as opposed to just one) makes her a threat to her society. Taken from her family and enslaved, Mara must spend the rest of her life toiling in Aygrima's mines -- unless, that is, she can discover a way to use her gifts to gain her freedom. |
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| The Golden City by J. Kathleen CheneyHistorical Fantasy. Although she's spent two years in the service of Lady Isabel Amaral, Oriana Peredes is no maid -- she's sereia, one of the seafolk who inhabit the rocky islands off the coast of Portugal. Since her people are prohibited from setting foot on the mainland, Oriana has been gone to great lengths to disguise herself as a human. However, after surviving abduction and attempted murder, Oriana becomes the assistant of Duilio Ferreira, a half-selkie gentleman who's investigating a series of mysterious disappearances. Set in 1902 Lisbon, The Golden City is richly detailed and atmospheric debut that combines fantasy, mystery, and romance. |
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| Elementary: All-New Tales of the Elemental Masters by Mercedes Lackey (editor)Short Stories. Nineteen authors contribute tales to this 2nd anthology, after Elemental Magic, set in the world of Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters series, which envisions a magical version of Edwardian London where wizards known as Elemental Masters control the powers of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Most stories are loosely based on classic fairy tales, and all complement the novels that comprise the bulk of the series. Although the books can be read in any order, newcomers to this enchanting realm may want to start with The Fire Rose. |
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| Something More Than Night by Ian TregillisNoir Fantasy. The archangel Gabriel has been murdered, his world-destroying Jericho trumpet stolen. On the case is fallen angel Bayliss, who models himself on Raymond Chandler's iconic private eye, Philip Marlowe. Charged by his superiors to find a replacement -- specifically a dim-witted, docile human who can be resurrected into an obedient angel -- Bayliss ends up in a sticky situation when his intended victim survives, leading to the accidental death (and subsequent recruitment) of Molly Pruett, a sharp-tongued, strong-willed young woman who has ideas of her own about how to spend her afterlife. If you enjoy witty, intricately plotted fantasy detective stories with appealing characters and extensive world-building, don't miss this new novel by the author of the Milkweed Trilogy. |
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| Cry Wolf by Patricia BriggsUrban Fantasy. Submissive by nature, werewolf Anna Latham knows how to survive at the bottom of the pack: keep out of sight and don't trust anyone, especially alpha males. But when Charles Cornick, enforcer for the Marrock (the leader of the North American pack), rescues Anna from her abusers and declares her his mate, Anna learns that she's a rare Omega wolf with the power to quell violence and unrest among pack members. Set in the same world as author Patricia Briggs' Mercedes Thompson series, Cry Wolf is the 1st of the full-length Alpha and Omega novels; Anna and Charles' story begins in the novella "Alpha and Omega," originally featured in the anthology On the Prowl. |
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| Soulless by Gail CarrigerSteampunk Fantasy. Alexia Tarabotti has no soul. This enables the 26-year-old Englishwoman to nullify the supernatural powers of others -- a useful talent in a society seething with vampires, werewolves, and ghosts. Unfortunately, it also makes her unmarriageable, which is why it must be kept a secret. But after Alexia dispatches a vampire with her parasol, attractive Scottish werewolf Lord Conall Maccon, a government official with the Bureau of Unnatural Registry, comes to investigate. Set in an alternate 19th-century London and combining steampunk, romance, and comedy of manners, Soulless is the 1st volume in the Parasol Protectorate series, which continues with Changeless. |
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| Halfway to the Grave: A Night Huntress Novel by Jeaniene FrostUrban Fantasy. When Catherine "Cat" Crawfield discovered that her deadbeat dad was a vampire, she promised her mother that she'd put a stake in every bloodsucker she could find. Since making that vow, Cat has spent most evenings killing the undead. But when vampire bounty hunter Bones intervenes and proposes a partnership to hunt down rogue vampires, Cat must learn to reconcile her slayer's mission with both her own supernatural heritage and her inconvenient attraction to her sexy new partner. Fast-paced and steamy, Halfway to the Grave kicks off the Night Huntress series, which continues with One Foot in the Grave; the most recent installment is Up from the Grave. |
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| Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette KowalHistorical Fantasy. In a Jane Austen-esque world where young ladies cultivate the magical art of "Glamour" to enhance home and hearth, sisters Jane and Melody Ellsworth lack the means to marry well but are determined to do so anyway. Plain Jane, gifted at Glamour, struggles to find a suitor who's interested in more than looks, while beautiful Melody finds herself drawn to an unsuitable man. The series, which continues with Glamour in Glass and Without a Summer, mixes magic and Regency romance in a way that may appeal to fans of Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer's Cecelia and Kate novels, starting with Sorcery and Cecelia. |
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| The Lost by Vicki PetterssonNoir Fantasy. Since saving the life of rockabilly reporter Kit Craig, private investigator Griffin "Grif" Shaw -- an angel Centurion whose job is to guide the souls of the recently deceased -- has been learning how to balance his romance with Kit and his decades-old desire to solve his own murder. As complicated as their personal relationship is, their professional partnership is even more so: while Grif can't interfere with deaths-in-progress, Kit has no compunctions about stepping in to save lives...which, naturally, leads to big trouble in Heaven and on Earth. This sequel to The Taken is the 2nd book in the Celestial Blues series. |
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| Angels' Blood by Nalini SinghUrban Fantasy. Hired by the archangel Raphael to locate and kill a rogue angel, Guild hunter Elena Devereaux knows that although her mission is impossible, refusing one of the most powerful immortal beings in the universe is simply not an option. Elena may be tough, but Raphael is downright lethal -- and, unfortunately for Elena's sanity and focus, very attractive. Can Elena fulfill her contract for Raphael, or will their mutual passion result in their destruction? Angels' Blood is the opening installment of the Guild Hunter series, followed by Archangel's Kiss. |
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