Helloooo and Happy New Year!!

So I hope you have glorious surprises and are not finding the return to life outside the end of year hibernation too painful. As always though knowing you’ve been so good I have some book temptations – Santa is an amateur. Here are some reads to look out for from now until 20/1

 

A few you may have missed over December

The Haunting Season – from Sphere - £12.99 hardback £6.99 Kindle eBook

Long before Charles Dickens and Henry James popularized the tradition, the shadowy nights of winter have been a time for people to gather together by the flicker of candlelight and experience the intoxicating thrill of a ghost story.

Now eight bestselling, award-winning authors - all of them master storytellers of the sinister and the macabre - bring the tradition to vivid life in a spellbinding new collection of original spine-tingling tales.

Taking you from the frosty Fens to the wild Yorkshire moors, to the snow-covered grounds of a haunted estate, to a bustling London Christmas market, these mesmerizing stories will capture your imagination and serve as your indispensable companion to the cold, dark nights.

It is still Winter so why not enjoy some seasonal ghost tales? Perfect for a chilly night in January with little to look forward to! With names such as Laura Purcell, Natasha Pully and Bridget Collins involved this should be entertaining!

The Year’s Best Science Fiction Vol 2 edited by Jonathan Strahan – from Saga Press £12.99 paperback £8.49 Kindle eBook

The most celebrated science fiction short story editor of our time, multi-award-winning editor and Locus Magazine critic Jonathan Strahan presents the definitive collection of best short science fiction of 2020.

With short works from some of the most lauded science fiction authors, as well as rising stars, this science fiction collection displays the top talent and cutting-edge cultural moments that affect our lives, dreams, and stories. These brilliant authors examine the way we live now, our hopes, and struggles, all through the lens of the future.

An assemblage of future classics, this star-studded anthology is a must-read for anyone who enjoys the vast and exciting world of science fiction.

A hugely impressive looking collection with tales from the likes of Tochi Onyebuchi, Ken Liu, Pat Cadigan and more this would be great for you to see what stories you’ve missed in short fiction.

The Strange Case of Mr Pelham by Anthony Armstrong – from B7 Media £8.99 paperback £5.59 Kindle eBook

 First published in 1957 The Strange Case of Mr Pelham is Anthony Armstrong's masterclass in suspense, a slow-burning examination of one man's descent into paranoia.

Filmed several times for television in both the UK for the BBC, and in the US as an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Armstrong's Pelham eventually hit the big screen in 1970 as the movie The Man Who Haunted Himself, starring Roger Moore.

Reissued here for the first time in more than half a century, this classic period piece is set to bring one of the great 20th century thriller writers to a new generation of admirers.

Republished for the first time in fifty years this weird thriller explores a man who appears to find himself doing the crimes. It has been used by the likes of Albert Hitchcock and a few other dramatizations over the years. A review later this month will appear

Where The Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire – Out 4/1 £15.99 hardcover £7.01 kindle eBook

There is another school for children who fall through doors and fall back out again.
It isn't as friendly as Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children.
And it isn't as safe.

When Eleanor West decided to open her school, her sanctuary, her "Home for Wayward Children," she knew from the beginning that there would be children she couldn’t save; when Cora decides she needs a different direction, a different fate, a different prophecy, Miss West reluctantly agrees to transfer her to the other school, where things are run very differently by Whitethorn, the Headmaster.

She will soon discover that not all doors are welcoming...

The latest Wayward Children novella. I’m one behind on this but I’ve not yet had a bad read out of these stories about stories and the children left after the adventure ends.

Heading into the future you’ve got these are out soon to look forward to

Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine – A Decade of Hugo and Nebula Award Winning Stories edited by Sheila Williams – Out 11/1 from Prime Books £15.95 paperback

Veteran editor and two-time Hugo winner Sheila Williams picks the best of recent award-winning stories first published by Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, the world's leading science fiction magazine.

 

Another great sounding short story collection that sounds up my street

The Shattered Skies by John Birmingham – Out 11/1 from Head of Zeus £20 hardcover £5.79 Kindle eBook

 The Sturm, an empire of species purists, have returned from the farthest reaches of Dark Space to wage a war against what they call mutants and borgs: any human being with genetic or neural engineering. In a sneak attack, they overwhelmed almost all of humanity's defences, blasting vicious malware across galaxy-spanning networks: dark code that transformed anyone connected to the system into a mindless psychotic killer. The Sturm's victory seemed complete, their final triumph inevitable, until one small band of intrepid, unlikely heroes struck back.

Commander Lucinda Hardy and Admiral Frazer McLennan used the Armadalen Navy's final surviving warship to fend off the Sturm, destroying the massed power of an entire Attack Fleet. With brilliant tactics – and support from drunken, grief-ravaged pirate Sephina L'trel and treasonous battle-rig operator Booker3 – this ragtag crew sent the Sturm running, managing to save Princess Alessia, the sole surviving heir to the gigantic Montanblanc Corporation and perhaps Earth's only remaining senator.

Now left with the remains of a fallen civilization, they must work together to rebuild what was lost and root out the numberless enemies of Earth. The Sturm invaders remain vastly more powerful – and they may not be the only threat lurking in the darkness of space.

Expect very very soon a review of the first novel The Cruel Stars (spoilers I’m enjoying it) this is the sequel to a epic space opera of warring humans with AI, nanotech and cool sounding spaceship names that Iain M Banks would love.

Silver Pebbles by Hansjorg Schneider – Out 13/1 from Bitter Lemon press £8.99 paperback

A hunt for drug gang diamonds is keeping Basel Inspector Hunkeler on tenterhooks. The diamonds are found by a Turkish sewer worker who is determined to keep his lucky find. For the drug courier, finding the stones is a matter of life and death. His employers are on their way to “tidy things up”.

I’ve already read this crime thriller set in Switzerland with a interesting what happened after the crime angle to it and a very dishevelled rebellious detective. I will have a review out 17/1 as part of the Blog Tour – but I can confirm it was a fun read!

The Comfort of Monsters by Willa C Richards – Out 13/1 from Point Blank £8.99 paperback £4.99 Kindle ebook

 In the summer of 1991, teen Dee McBride vanished in the city of Milwaukee. It was the summer the Journal Sentinel dubbed ‘the deadliest . . . in the history of Milwaukee.’ Serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer’s heinous crimes dominated the headlines and the disappearance of one girl was easily overlooked.

2019, nearly thirty years later, Dee's sister, Peg, is still haunted by her disappearance. Desperate to find out what happened to her, the family hire a psychic and Peg is plunged back into the past. But Peg’s hazy recollections are far from easy to interpret and digging deep into her memory raises terrifying questions. How much trust can we place in our own recollections? How often are our memories altered by the very act of speaking them aloud? And what does it mean to bear witness in a world where even our own stories about what happened are inherently suspect?

A haunting thriller about the family who have a missing daughter and sister and no clue what happened to her. Bouncing between 1991 and 2019 we get a timeline of discovery, guilt and regret while the wider media attention is on he same city’s discovery of Jeffrey Dahmer. It is an uncomfortable but gripping read. I will be on the blog tour for this 14/1 but keep your eyes peeled for this tale.

Skyward Inn by Aliya Whiteley – Out in paperback 18/1 from Solaris £8.99 paperback £5.99 Kindle eBook

 Drink down the brew and dream of a better Earth.
Skyward Inn, within the high walls of the Western Protectorate, is a place of safety, where people come together to tell stories of the time before the war with Qita.
But safety from what? Qita surrendered without complaint when Earth invaded; Innkeepers Jem and Isley, veterans from either side, have regrets but few scars.
Their peace is disturbed when a visitor known to Isley comes to the Inn asking for help, bringing reminders of an unnerving past and triggering an uncertain future.
Did humanity really win the war?

I loved this strange SF tale last year and will remind you of it nearer the time but a tale of belonging and separation that is a truly haunting story.

Mestiza Blood by V Castro – Out 18/1 from Flame Tree Press £12.95 paperback £6.95 Kindle eBook

 A short story collection of nightmares, dreams, desire and visions centered around the Chicana experience. The stunning, star-reviewed V. Castro weaves urban legend, folklore, life experience and heartache in this intimate anthology of modern horrors.

I’ll have a review for this out next week, but this is a startlingly impressive horror collection of tales from the southern US states and Central America. Visceral, sharp and memorable a name to watch out for.

Temple of No God by H M Long – Out 18/1 from Titan £8.99 paperback £6.64 Kindle eBook

 After a brutal war between the gods, Hessa – High Priestess of the Eangen – has brokered a fragile peace. Through great sacrifice, she has forged an alliance between warring tribes and introduced her people to the true god.

But a new threat is growing across the southern border. In the remnants of the once-great Arpa Empire, three factions are vying for the imperial throne, and the vast well of raw magical power only accessible to the Arpa Emperor. Already beating back former Arpa legionaries at her borders, Hessa knows she cannot let this chance slip by. She must intervene, for the safety of her people.

With the peace she has sacrificed so much for at stake, Hessa must venture into the heart of enemy territory, where warring Arpa factions are not the only danger she must face. A sinister new cult is on the rise, one with the power to suck the life from everything it touches. With enemies on every side and her fragile alliance beginning to waver, Hessa must decide who to trust – no matter what it may cost her…

Hall of Smoke was one of the best fantasy reads of 2021. A highly inventive world of warriors, clans and empires mixed with some truly annoying unique Gods at war. This tale is ten years later. It is standalone but in the world that followed, and I can’t wait to read it!

Outcast by Louise Carey – Out 18/1 from Gollancz £16.99 paperback £7.99 Kindle eBook

 When a bomb goes off at InTech HQ, everything changes for Tanta's corporation. Order becomes disorder. Safety becomes danger. Calm becomes chaos.

Tanta is tasked with getting to the bottom of the attack before violence and unrest overtake the city. But even though the evidence points towards rival corporation Thoughtfront, Tanta can't shake the feeling that she's missing something.

There's a dark secret at the heart of the case, one that will reveal more about her own corporation than Tanta would like. And the closer Tanta gets to the mystery, the more she comes to realise something terrible:

Sometimes facing the truth can be the hardest thing of all.

Carey delivered last year the hugely inventive Inscape a world of augmented reality anda  really interesting duo of lead characters. We return to this tale of a divided London, sinister corporations and I want to know how this story evolves!

Servant Mage by Kate Elliott – Out 18/1 from Tordotcom £15.99 hardcover £7.01 Kindle eBook

 In Kate Elliott's Servant Mage, a lowly fire mage finds herself entangled in an empire-spanning conspiracy on her way to discovering her true power.

They choose their laws to secure their power.

Fellian is a Lamplighter, able to provide illumination through magic. A group of rebel Monarchists free her from indentured servitude and take her on a journey to rescue trapped compatriots from an underground complex of mines.

Along the way they get caught up in a conspiracy to kill the latest royal child and wipe out the Monarchist movement for good.

But Fellian has more than just her Lamplighting skills up her sleeve…

This is an author I really have waited too long to read and with perfect timing a novella of conspiracies, magic and if my eyes do not deceive me a dragon on the cover!

The Serpent and The Dead by Anna Stephens - Out 20/1 from Aconyte Books £12.99 paperback £7.99 Kindle eBook

 Brunnhilde the Valkyrie, the fearsome Asgardian warrior entrusted with conveying worthy souls to the heroes’ afterlife, stalks a battlefield finding only empty husks. Yet the souls are not already in Valhalla, or the lesser afterworlds – they have vanished. She enlists the aid of the valiant Lady Sif, and together they scour Asgard for answers. Rumors abound of towns being attacked by a horde of soldiers who cannot be killed. Someone is building an immortal army and stealing Asgardian souls… A worthy challenge for two of Asgard’s mightiest champions!

We are off to Asgard Marvel style in this tale of the Valkyrie, Lady Sif  and fighting. Sounds fun!

Seven Mercies by Laura Lam and Elizabeth May – Out 20/1 from Gollancz £20 hardcover £9.99 Kindle eBook

 After an ambush leaves the Novantae resistance in tatters, the survivors scatter across the galaxy. Wanted by two great empires, the bounty on any rebel's head is enough to make a captor filthy rich. And the Seven Devils? Biggest score of them all.

The Devils take refuge on Fortuna where Ariadne gets a message with unimaginable consequences: the Oracle has gone rogue. In a planned coup against the Empire's new ruler, the AI has developed a way of mass programming citizens into mindless drones. The Oracle's demand is simple: it wants its daughter Ariadne back at any cost.

Time for an Impossible to Infiltrate mission: high chance of death, low chance of success. The Devils will have to use their unique skills, no matter the sacrifice, even if that means teaming up with old enemies. Their plan? Get to the heart of the Empire. Destroy the Oracle. Burn it all to the ground.

I still need to catch up on Seven Devils the first in this SF series but I am very keen to read this from these two authors

The Light of the Midnight Stars by Rena Rossiter – Out 20/1 from orbit £9.9 9 paperback £2.99 Kindle eBook

 This is how a fairy tale begins . . .

Deep in the Hungarian woods, the sacred magic of King Solomon lives on in his descendants. Gathering under the midnight stars, they perform small miracles and none are more gifted than the great Rabbi Isaac and his three daughters.

Hannah, bookish and calm, can coax plants to grow even when the weather is bitterly cold. Sarah, defiant and strong, can control the impulsive nature of fire. And Levana, the fey one, can read the path of the stars to decipher their secrets.

But darkness is creeping across Europe, threatening the lives of every Jewish person in every village. Each sister will have to make an impossible choice in an effort to survive - and change the fate of their family forever.

Doesn’t this sound a perfect folk tale for January? Now soon in paperback and I’m glad I get a chance to investigate this world being explored.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan – Out 20/1 from Harper Voyager - £14.99 Hardcover £8.99 Kindle e-Book

 A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess.

A young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm, setting her on a dangerous path where those she loves are not the only ones at risk…

Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the powerful Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when her magic flares and her existence is discovered, Xingyin is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.

Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to train in the Crown Prince’s service, learning to master archery and magic, despite the passion which flames between her and the emperor’s son.

To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies, across the earth and skies.

But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream —striking a dangerous bargain, where she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.

The start to a duology I was haring great things about all the way last year. Archery, immortals and magic – enough said!!

More temptings in two weeks but if you think you have something to talk about use the comments below!