Martha Wells's Blog, page 92
February 1, 2016
Monday Raksura Things
I started today by spilling a cup of tea down the stairs, so that was fun.
* I've posted the first chapter excerpt of The Edge of Worlds on my web site, if you want a sneak peek.
And the book is now up for preorder in ebook on:
Amazon US, Barnes & Noble Nookbook, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Amazon France, Amazon Germany, Amazon Spain, and all other Amazons.
It should show up on Kobo and iBooks closer to the publication date on April 5.
* I'm about 85,000 words into the sequel, which now has a title: The Harbors of the Sun.
* And for Raksura Patreon people, the next snippet will be posted tomorrow. (Or late tonight)
* LJ won't let me link directly to it, but there is a Raksura wiki, The Three Worlds Traveler's Guide: http://www.marthawells.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
* I've posted the first chapter excerpt of The Edge of Worlds on my web site, if you want a sneak peek.
And the book is now up for preorder in ebook on:
Amazon US, Barnes & Noble Nookbook, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Amazon France, Amazon Germany, Amazon Spain, and all other Amazons.
It should show up on Kobo and iBooks closer to the publication date on April 5.
* I'm about 85,000 words into the sequel, which now has a title: The Harbors of the Sun.
* And for Raksura Patreon people, the next snippet will be posted tomorrow. (Or late tonight)
* LJ won't let me link directly to it, but there is a Raksura wiki, The Three Worlds Traveler's Guide: http://www.marthawells.com/wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page
January 29, 2016
Various Things
* Kobo is having a 50% off sale until Jan 31. Customers will be able to redeem 50% off of any title published by KWL using the promo code JAN1650 an unlimited number of times starting today
That should include: Between Worlds: the Collected Ile-Rien and Cineth Stories, Wheel of the Infinite, The Death of the Necromancer, City of Bones, and The Element of Fire.
* If you missed it, my Ile-Rien story "Night at the Opera" with Nicholas and Reynard is up on Podcastle, with a full cast reading: http://podcastle.org/2016/01/26/podcastle-400-giant-episode-night-at-the-opera/
* Hugo Nominations are open!
You are eligible to nominate if you have an attending or supporting membership for MidAmeriConII (the 2016 WorldCon), Sasquan (the 2015 Worldcon), or Worldcon 75 (the 2017 Worldcon) by January 31, 2015. The nomination period closes March 31, 2016 at at 11:59pm Pacific Daylight Time.
I'm not sure what all I'm nominating yet, though two will definitely be for The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson and short story "The Demon of Russet Street" by Jessica Reisman (which is online here: http://www.3lobedmag.com/issue27/3lbe27_story5.html )
* I will be doing a book signing for the new Raksura book The Edge of Worlds on Saturday, April 9, 2016 at 4:30 pm at Murder by the Book in Houston, TX. J. Kathleen Cheney will be there too signing her new fantasy Dreaming Death. You can contact the store to order autographed books and have them personalized during the signing, including the other Raksura books, Kathleen's Golden City trilogy, etc.
That should include: Between Worlds: the Collected Ile-Rien and Cineth Stories, Wheel of the Infinite, The Death of the Necromancer, City of Bones, and The Element of Fire.
* If you missed it, my Ile-Rien story "Night at the Opera" with Nicholas and Reynard is up on Podcastle, with a full cast reading: http://podcastle.org/2016/01/26/podcastle-400-giant-episode-night-at-the-opera/
* Hugo Nominations are open!
You are eligible to nominate if you have an attending or supporting membership for MidAmeriConII (the 2016 WorldCon), Sasquan (the 2015 Worldcon), or Worldcon 75 (the 2017 Worldcon) by January 31, 2015. The nomination period closes March 31, 2016 at at 11:59pm Pacific Daylight Time.
I'm not sure what all I'm nominating yet, though two will definitely be for The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson and short story "The Demon of Russet Street" by Jessica Reisman (which is online here: http://www.3lobedmag.com/issue27/3lbe27_story5.html )
* I will be doing a book signing for the new Raksura book The Edge of Worlds on Saturday, April 9, 2016 at 4:30 pm at Murder by the Book in Houston, TX. J. Kathleen Cheney will be there too signing her new fantasy Dreaming Death. You can contact the store to order autographed books and have them personalized during the signing, including the other Raksura books, Kathleen's Golden City trilogy, etc.
January 26, 2016
Night at the Opera on Podcastle
My Ile-Rien story “Night at the Opera” with Nicholas and Reynard is up on Podcastle, with a full cast reading!
http://podcastle.org/2016/01/26/podcastle-400-giant-episode-night-at-the-opera/
Excerpt:
Reynard Morane was at his usual table in the Cafe Baudy, a somewhat risqué establishment built on a barge in the Deval Forest pleasure garden’s lake, when a beautiful man approached his table. This wasn’t an unusual occurrence, especially in this cafe, but this beautiful man was a stranger. He said, “Captain Morane?”
From his features and dark skin, the man was Parscian, a little younger than Reynard but not by much, tall and well-built, and dressed in an elegant but understated way which suggested some level of the upper class. The coat was too expensive for the man to be from a university. For some reason, Reynard attracted a high percentage of men of academic persuasions. “Yes.” Reynard smiled warmly. “Please join me.”
The man hesitated, then drew out the opposite chair. “A friend told me about you.”
“And which friend is this?” Reynard caught the waiter’s attention and lifted his brows. The waiter sized up the situation professionally, then went to the bar for a fresh bottle of wine and glasses.
“A man named Biendare.” The man lowered his voice. “I believe he is known in some circles as ‘Binny.’”
“Binny?” Reynard frowned. This was not encouraging. Binny was not someone who would have recommended Reynard for an assignation. At least not the kind of assignation Reynard had hoped for. Just to make certain, he said, “At the roasted nut kiosk on the Street of Flowers?”
“No, it was in March Street, at a wine bar that also sells fried fish.”
“Right.” Reynard sat up, adjusting his attitude from invitingly indolent to business-like and alert.
The waiter arrived at the table with the bottle and glasses. Reynard sighed and told him, “No.”
“No?” The waiter looked startled, then disappointed. “Oh. Coffee, perhaps?”
“Coffee,” Reynard agreed.
The man cast a puzzled look at the retreating waiter’s back, and Reynard admitted, “I was hoping it was an assignation.” He waved a hand. “It’s the Cafe Baudy, you know. There are often assignations.”
“Oh, yes, I...” The man obviously decided to drop that subject and pursue his objective. “My name is Amadel. I am the confidential secretary for the Lady Shankir-Clare. She needs assistance of a…particular sort.”
Reynard held up a hand for silence as the waiter approached. He waited until the coffee service had been arranged and the waiter departed, then said, “She’s being troubled by someone but feels unable to confide the details to the Prefecture?”
“Yes, exactly.” Amadel added cream to his cup with the relief of a man who had been searching everywhere for help and was finally in the right place.
…
http://podcastle.org/2016/01/26/podcastle-400-giant-episode-night-at-the-opera/
Excerpt:
Reynard Morane was at his usual table in the Cafe Baudy, a somewhat risqué establishment built on a barge in the Deval Forest pleasure garden’s lake, when a beautiful man approached his table. This wasn’t an unusual occurrence, especially in this cafe, but this beautiful man was a stranger. He said, “Captain Morane?”
From his features and dark skin, the man was Parscian, a little younger than Reynard but not by much, tall and well-built, and dressed in an elegant but understated way which suggested some level of the upper class. The coat was too expensive for the man to be from a university. For some reason, Reynard attracted a high percentage of men of academic persuasions. “Yes.” Reynard smiled warmly. “Please join me.”
The man hesitated, then drew out the opposite chair. “A friend told me about you.”
“And which friend is this?” Reynard caught the waiter’s attention and lifted his brows. The waiter sized up the situation professionally, then went to the bar for a fresh bottle of wine and glasses.
“A man named Biendare.” The man lowered his voice. “I believe he is known in some circles as ‘Binny.’”
“Binny?” Reynard frowned. This was not encouraging. Binny was not someone who would have recommended Reynard for an assignation. At least not the kind of assignation Reynard had hoped for. Just to make certain, he said, “At the roasted nut kiosk on the Street of Flowers?”
“No, it was in March Street, at a wine bar that also sells fried fish.”
“Right.” Reynard sat up, adjusting his attitude from invitingly indolent to business-like and alert.
The waiter arrived at the table with the bottle and glasses. Reynard sighed and told him, “No.”
“No?” The waiter looked startled, then disappointed. “Oh. Coffee, perhaps?”
“Coffee,” Reynard agreed.
The man cast a puzzled look at the retreating waiter’s back, and Reynard admitted, “I was hoping it was an assignation.” He waved a hand. “It’s the Cafe Baudy, you know. There are often assignations.”
“Oh, yes, I...” The man obviously decided to drop that subject and pursue his objective. “My name is Amadel. I am the confidential secretary for the Lady Shankir-Clare. She needs assistance of a…particular sort.”
Reynard held up a hand for silence as the waiter approached. He waited until the coffee service had been arranged and the waiter departed, then said, “She’s being troubled by someone but feels unable to confide the details to the Prefecture?”
“Yes, exactly.” Amadel added cream to his cup with the relief of a man who had been searching everywhere for help and was finally in the right place.
…
Tuesday
Books!
* The Incubus Job (Mission: Magic Book 1) by Diana Pharaoh Francis
So six years ago, Mallory Jade gave up killing. Now she’s a fixer. Got a problem with a demon? She can help. Infestation of pixies? She’s got you covered. Kidnapped by an undead lich? She’s on her way. Anything you need, so long as she doesn’t have to kill. It’s her one unbreakable rule.
* Free novella: The Bone Swans of Amandale by C.S.E. Cooney
* Western Shore by Juliet E. McKenna
Warlord Daish Kheda has been building political alliances, working to consolidate power over his new realm. Although he has saved his people from the twin evils of wizardry and dragons, he feels tainted by association with forbidden magic and fears he may bring great ill-fortune to his people. So Kheda resolves to once more join his Northern wizard allies in the hope of removing the dragon threat once and for all, and to seek whatever purification he can find. Only time can tell whether he will be condemned for his actions, or whether magic is less a sin than he was brought up to believe...
* Daughter of Blood by Helen Lowe
Malian of Night and Kalan, her trusted ally, are returning to the Wall of Night—but already it may be too late. The Wall is dangerously weakened, the Nine Houses of the Derai fractured by rivalry and hate. And now, the Darkswarm is rising...
Links
* Kate Elliott's Series on Worldbuilding
* Chuck Wendig: 25 More Hard Truths About Writing and Publishing
* The Incubus Job (Mission: Magic Book 1) by Diana Pharaoh Francis
So six years ago, Mallory Jade gave up killing. Now she’s a fixer. Got a problem with a demon? She can help. Infestation of pixies? She’s got you covered. Kidnapped by an undead lich? She’s on her way. Anything you need, so long as she doesn’t have to kill. It’s her one unbreakable rule.
* Free novella: The Bone Swans of Amandale by C.S.E. Cooney
* Western Shore by Juliet E. McKenna
Warlord Daish Kheda has been building political alliances, working to consolidate power over his new realm. Although he has saved his people from the twin evils of wizardry and dragons, he feels tainted by association with forbidden magic and fears he may bring great ill-fortune to his people. So Kheda resolves to once more join his Northern wizard allies in the hope of removing the dragon threat once and for all, and to seek whatever purification he can find. Only time can tell whether he will be condemned for his actions, or whether magic is less a sin than he was brought up to believe...
* Daughter of Blood by Helen Lowe
Malian of Night and Kalan, her trusted ally, are returning to the Wall of Night—but already it may be too late. The Wall is dangerously weakened, the Nine Houses of the Derai fractured by rivalry and hate. And now, the Darkswarm is rising...
Links
* Kate Elliott's Series on Worldbuilding
* Chuck Wendig: 25 More Hard Truths About Writing and Publishing
January 25, 2016
The Very Weird Freaky Sunday
Okay, so if you saw on Facebook, you know we had a very strange time on Sunday.
We live at the back of a 60s-era cul-de-sac with four other houses. While we were still trying to sleep Sunday morning we realized that the next door neighbor's dogs had been barking for a while and there was a lot of light outside. But we thought it was some combination of a possum/the college students across the street leaving early for somewhere and having their car lights on. Then about 5:30 we realized there were at least seven, maybe more police and DPS cars outside and they were focused on the house next door.
We were really worried, but that neighbor is an older man who lives alone now that his wife has passed away. (He's had a really hard time because they had two sons, and several years ago one murdered two older women and is now in prison.) So we were afraid the house had been robbed or he had been murdered or some combination. After a bit some of the cars started to leave but they were still guarding the house, like it was a crime scene. One of the cops told us they were waiting for a search warrant to go in. By noon things had calmed down to the point where there was only two cars.
Then the SWAT van showed up. That was freaky enough, but then they knocked on the door and asked if they could look out our upstairs window. So we had a SWAT sniper in our upstairs bathroom for most of the afternoon.
They tried to get someone in the house to answer them, but there wasn't a peep. I think by that point they were figuring that nobody was inside. They brought a robot out (someone pointed out from he photo that it was a bomb-finding robot but it's a small town and there's only one robot) and used it to search the house, then the SWAT guys finally went in. No one was inside, which was a relief. Then our SWAT guy and all the others left, then the regular cops came back but eventually left. They told us they had finally located the neighbor and he was out of town for the weekend.
The whole thing took from about 5:30 in the morning to around 4:00 in the afternoon. I was starving because I ended up skipping lunch because I was too nervous. I don't think we were in any real danger. They had the access street blocked off, but we saw they did let two of the college students across the street go to their house when they came back.
We talked to a reporter afterward and she confirmed it was about this http://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Early-morning-police-chase-ends-in-crash-in-College-Station-366353651.html
All these pictures were taken from our living room or bedroom windows:
We live at the back of a 60s-era cul-de-sac with four other houses. While we were still trying to sleep Sunday morning we realized that the next door neighbor's dogs had been barking for a while and there was a lot of light outside. But we thought it was some combination of a possum/the college students across the street leaving early for somewhere and having their car lights on. Then about 5:30 we realized there were at least seven, maybe more police and DPS cars outside and they were focused on the house next door.
We were really worried, but that neighbor is an older man who lives alone now that his wife has passed away. (He's had a really hard time because they had two sons, and several years ago one murdered two older women and is now in prison.) So we were afraid the house had been robbed or he had been murdered or some combination. After a bit some of the cars started to leave but they were still guarding the house, like it was a crime scene. One of the cops told us they were waiting for a search warrant to go in. By noon things had calmed down to the point where there was only two cars.
Then the SWAT van showed up. That was freaky enough, but then they knocked on the door and asked if they could look out our upstairs window. So we had a SWAT sniper in our upstairs bathroom for most of the afternoon.
They tried to get someone in the house to answer them, but there wasn't a peep. I think by that point they were figuring that nobody was inside. They brought a robot out (someone pointed out from he photo that it was a bomb-finding robot but it's a small town and there's only one robot) and used it to search the house, then the SWAT guys finally went in. No one was inside, which was a relief. Then our SWAT guy and all the others left, then the regular cops came back but eventually left. They told us they had finally located the neighbor and he was out of town for the weekend.
The whole thing took from about 5:30 in the morning to around 4:00 in the afternoon. I was starving because I ended up skipping lunch because I was too nervous. I don't think we were in any real danger. They had the access street blocked off, but we saw they did let two of the college students across the street go to their house when they came back.
We talked to a reporter afterward and she confirmed it was about this http://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Early-morning-police-chase-ends-in-crash-in-College-Station-366353651.html
All these pictures were taken from our living room or bedroom windows:
January 19, 2016
Books! and other stuff
Sorry I haven't been keeping up with posting here. I've been both busy and lethargic.
First:
I've posted the next Raksura snippet in the Patreon! If you're a Patreon person and didn't get the email, please check to make sure your subscription is okay. Patreon doesn't let people know when something's wrong, if your charge to your card didn't go through, etc.
https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2458567&ty=h
Second:
I'm past 75,000 words in the sequel to the next Raksura book The Edge of Worlds (which is coming out April 5.) Still trying to figure out a title.
Third:
* Warrior Women edited by Paula Guran
"Each story contains strength and compassion, even when the personal cost is high. The depictions of battle and trauma are rarely graphic, but they're as hard-hitting as the subject demands. This is a truly impressive accomplishment for Guran and her contributors." - Publishers Weekly (STARRED)
* The Seer's Choice by J. Kathleen Cheney
Genoveva Jardim's father was a monster—a defrocked priest who used his healer's gift to murder instead. Determined to make amends for the deaths her father brought to the Golden City, she turned her back on her life among the aristocracy. She's chosen to work for the Special Police, learning how to use the healer's gift she'd never even known she had. She wants to save lives instead of killing like her father.
* The Assassin's Mask by Sarah Zettel
Things are turning around for seventeen-year-old Peggy Fitzroy, a once-orphaned spy. Her father is back from the dead, and her unwanted engagement has been called off for good. But when a mysterious veiled woman shows up, Peggy uncovers a fresh slew of questions about her past, present, and future.
* Short Story: Queers Destory Fantasy Special Issue: Christopher Raven by Theodora Goss
* Short Story: Tor.com: Waters of Versailles by Kelly Robson
* Short Story: Tor.com: Variations on an Apple by Yoon Ha Lee
* Short Story: Tor.com: The Glass Galago by A.M. Dellamonica
* The Drowning Eyes by Emily Foster
When the Dragon Ships began to tear through the trade lanes and ravage coastal towns, the hopes of the arichipelago turned to the Windspeakers on Tash. The solemn weather-shapers with their eyes of stone can steal the breeze from raiders' sails and save the islands from their wrath. But the Windspeakers' magic has been stolen, and only their young apprentice Shina can bring their power back and save her people.
* Kingfisher by Patricia McKillip
In the new fantasy from the award-winning author of the Riddle-Master Trilogy, a young man comes of age amid family secrets and revelations, and transformative magic.
First:
I've posted the next Raksura snippet in the Patreon! If you're a Patreon person and didn't get the email, please check to make sure your subscription is okay. Patreon doesn't let people know when something's wrong, if your charge to your card didn't go through, etc.
https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2458567&ty=h
Second:
I'm past 75,000 words in the sequel to the next Raksura book The Edge of Worlds (which is coming out April 5.) Still trying to figure out a title.
Third:
* Warrior Women edited by Paula Guran
"Each story contains strength and compassion, even when the personal cost is high. The depictions of battle and trauma are rarely graphic, but they're as hard-hitting as the subject demands. This is a truly impressive accomplishment for Guran and her contributors." - Publishers Weekly (STARRED)
* The Seer's Choice by J. Kathleen Cheney
Genoveva Jardim's father was a monster—a defrocked priest who used his healer's gift to murder instead. Determined to make amends for the deaths her father brought to the Golden City, she turned her back on her life among the aristocracy. She's chosen to work for the Special Police, learning how to use the healer's gift she'd never even known she had. She wants to save lives instead of killing like her father.
* The Assassin's Mask by Sarah Zettel
Things are turning around for seventeen-year-old Peggy Fitzroy, a once-orphaned spy. Her father is back from the dead, and her unwanted engagement has been called off for good. But when a mysterious veiled woman shows up, Peggy uncovers a fresh slew of questions about her past, present, and future.
* Short Story: Queers Destory Fantasy Special Issue: Christopher Raven by Theodora Goss
* Short Story: Tor.com: Waters of Versailles by Kelly Robson
* Short Story: Tor.com: Variations on an Apple by Yoon Ha Lee
* Short Story: Tor.com: The Glass Galago by A.M. Dellamonica
* The Drowning Eyes by Emily Foster
When the Dragon Ships began to tear through the trade lanes and ravage coastal towns, the hopes of the arichipelago turned to the Windspeakers on Tash. The solemn weather-shapers with their eyes of stone can steal the breeze from raiders' sails and save the islands from their wrath. But the Windspeakers' magic has been stolen, and only their young apprentice Shina can bring their power back and save her people.
* Kingfisher by Patricia McKillip
In the new fantasy from the award-winning author of the Riddle-Master Trilogy, a young man comes of age amid family secrets and revelations, and transformative magic.
January 12, 2016
Patreon Note
If you're a Patreon person and didn't get an email last week with the new Raksura snippet (a Jade and Balm story), log in to make sure your subscription is okay. Apparently Patreon doesn't tell you if something's wrong, it just quietly unsubscribes you.
https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2458567&ty=h
https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2458567&ty=h
January 8, 2016
Late holiday post
Christmas was a lot of fun. We had a friend come to stay with us, and two more friends come into town for Christmas dinner.
I made a bigger dinner this year than I ever had before, and it turned out really well, which I was very proud of. I made the roast leg of lamb again, with gravy, mushrooms in a wine sauce, the Moroccan carrots from this recipe, collard greens with leek, bacon, and garlic, curry potatoes, and Yorkshire puddings. I'd never done Yorkshire pudding before so that was a tense moment but it worked just like it was supposed to. Also one friend brought a delicious Yule Log cake from l'Madeline in Houston for dessert.
Two of my friends helped a lot, first with helping prep the giant pile of produce at 9:00 am Christmas morning, and then at the end, when the lamb was suddenly done twenty minutes early and the gravy, the carrots, and the Yorkshire pudding all needed to be done simultaneously. (The reason I like collard greens as a Christmas vegetable is that it takes about two hours for them to cook but they don't need a lot of attention once they start, and they can be done early in the day because the longer they sit in their braising liquid the better they taste.)
And there was a lot of food but it all got eaten. We had enough leftovers for open lamb and gravy sandwiches over the weekend, and on Monday I combined the last of the lamb, gravy, and potatoes for a hash and we finished off the last of the vegetables when another friend came over to watch the Doctor Who Christmas special.
Other news: I loved Star Wars. I love Rey and Finn and Poe. Love, love, love.
Here's a few food photos:
I made a bigger dinner this year than I ever had before, and it turned out really well, which I was very proud of. I made the roast leg of lamb again, with gravy, mushrooms in a wine sauce, the Moroccan carrots from this recipe, collard greens with leek, bacon, and garlic, curry potatoes, and Yorkshire puddings. I'd never done Yorkshire pudding before so that was a tense moment but it worked just like it was supposed to. Also one friend brought a delicious Yule Log cake from l'Madeline in Houston for dessert.
Two of my friends helped a lot, first with helping prep the giant pile of produce at 9:00 am Christmas morning, and then at the end, when the lamb was suddenly done twenty minutes early and the gravy, the carrots, and the Yorkshire pudding all needed to be done simultaneously. (The reason I like collard greens as a Christmas vegetable is that it takes about two hours for them to cook but they don't need a lot of attention once they start, and they can be done early in the day because the longer they sit in their braising liquid the better they taste.)
And there was a lot of food but it all got eaten. We had enough leftovers for open lamb and gravy sandwiches over the weekend, and on Monday I combined the last of the lamb, gravy, and potatoes for a hash and we finished off the last of the vegetables when another friend came over to watch the Doctor Who Christmas special.
Other news: I loved Star Wars. I love Rey and Finn and Poe. Love, love, love.
Here's a few food photos:
January 6, 2016
Quickie Book Post
New Books
* Barsk: the Elephants' Graveyard by Lawrence Schoen
The Sixth Sense meets Planet of the Apes in a moving science fiction novel set so far in the future, humanity is gone and forgotten in Lawrence M. Schoen's Barsk: The Elephants' Graveyard
* Rules of Conflict (The Jani Kilian Chronicles Book 2) by Kristine Smith
After eighteen years, Captain Jani Kilian's life as a fugitive has ended. Captured by the Service, she now faces court martial. It will surely lead to her execution. But relations with the idomeni have deteriorated. Jani's knowledge of that alien race and her friendship with Nema, their ambassador, earn her a reprieve. And if she is able to help stabilize the crisis, she may be in line for a pardon.
* Downfall Tide by Alexis Glynn Latner
It has been twenty-four years since Planet Green was colonized by the starship Aeon. In that time much has changed, thanks to unremitting hard work by the first generation of astronauts, scientists and explorers. They have built the beginning of a new civilization on that distant world with its ocean-covered hurricane moon. Unknown to them and their children, everything is about to change.
* Fantasy Medley 3
The third installment in Yanni Kuznia's much lauded anthology series is in stock and shipping. A Fantasy Medley 3 shows off the talents of Jacqueline Carey, Kevin Hearne, Laura Bickle, and Aliette de Bodard, with suitably wonderful dust jacket art by J. K. Drummond.
* C.S.E. Cooney's album The Headless Bride is now available on Bandcamp
News of Me:
Podcastle will be doing a full cast recording of "Night at the Opera," the Reynard and Nicholas story from Between Worlds: the Collected Ile-Rien and Cineth Stories. It's scheduled to air on January 26.
* Barsk: the Elephants' Graveyard by Lawrence Schoen
The Sixth Sense meets Planet of the Apes in a moving science fiction novel set so far in the future, humanity is gone and forgotten in Lawrence M. Schoen's Barsk: The Elephants' Graveyard
* Rules of Conflict (The Jani Kilian Chronicles Book 2) by Kristine Smith
After eighteen years, Captain Jani Kilian's life as a fugitive has ended. Captured by the Service, she now faces court martial. It will surely lead to her execution. But relations with the idomeni have deteriorated. Jani's knowledge of that alien race and her friendship with Nema, their ambassador, earn her a reprieve. And if she is able to help stabilize the crisis, she may be in line for a pardon.
* Downfall Tide by Alexis Glynn Latner
It has been twenty-four years since Planet Green was colonized by the starship Aeon. In that time much has changed, thanks to unremitting hard work by the first generation of astronauts, scientists and explorers. They have built the beginning of a new civilization on that distant world with its ocean-covered hurricane moon. Unknown to them and their children, everything is about to change.
* Fantasy Medley 3
The third installment in Yanni Kuznia's much lauded anthology series is in stock and shipping. A Fantasy Medley 3 shows off the talents of Jacqueline Carey, Kevin Hearne, Laura Bickle, and Aliette de Bodard, with suitably wonderful dust jacket art by J. K. Drummond.
* C.S.E. Cooney's album The Headless Bride is now available on Bandcamp
News of Me:
Podcastle will be doing a full cast recording of "Night at the Opera," the Reynard and Nicholas story from Between Worlds: the Collected Ile-Rien and Cineth Stories. It's scheduled to air on January 26.
December 30, 2015
Books I really liked this year
I didn't get a ton of reading done because I've been really busy writing, plus I didn't have much money for new books so was relying heavily on the public library. (So some of these didn't necessarily come out this year, but this is when I read them.) But here's some favorites:
Crimson Angel by Barbara Hambly
New book in the Benjamin January series, about a black surgeon/musician in 18th cent New Orleans, solving mysteries. This was excellent, and this is one of my favorite mystery series ever.
The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord
A proud and reserved alien society finds its homeland destroyed in an unprovoked act of aggression, and the survivors have no choice but to reach out to the indigenous humanoids of their adopted world, to whom they are distantly related. They wish to preserve their cherished way of life but come to discover that in order to preserve their culture, they may have to change it forever. This book is a lot more fun than this description makes it sound. I absolutely loved it and rec it to everybody.
Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials by Ovidia Yu
Also a rec for the whole Aunty Lee series. Rosie "Aunty" Lee, the feisty widow and amateur sleuth and proprietor of Singapore's best-loved home-cooking restaurant, is back in another delectable, witty mystery involving scandal and murder among the city's elite
The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
Malaya, 1893 Li Lan, the daughter of a genteel but bankrupt Chinese family, has few prospects. But fate intervenes when she receives a proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family. They want her to become a ghost bride for the family's only son, who died under mysterious circumstances. Rarely practiced, ghost marriages are often meant to placate a restless spirit. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a comfortable home for the rest of her days, but at what cost? This was a great adventure fantasy novel, and I hope the author writes more books.
The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor
This was awesome. But Phoenix's escape, and her destruction of Tower 7, is just the beginning of her story. Before her story ends, Phoenix will travel from the United States to Africa and back, changing the entire course of humanity's future.
Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold
I got the ARC from Baen, and loved it. Three years after her famous husband's death, Cordelia Vorkosigan, widowed Vicereine of Sergyar, stands ready to spin her life in a new direction. Oliver Jole, Admiral, Sergyar Fleet, finds himself caught up in her web of plans in ways he’d never imagined, bringing him to an unexpected crossroads in his career.
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
I got to read the ARC way early and give it a blurb, but it came out this year so I'm including it. I said "This is an intense, exciting novel, where survival is always on the line, set in a fascinating, original and dangerous world with an intriguing mystery at the heart of it. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!"
The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson
The worldbuilding and magic in this absolutely blew me away. It should win all the awards. Since leaving his homeland, the earthbound demigod Demane has been labeled a sorcerer. With his ancestors' artifacts in hand, the Sorcerer follows the Captain, a beautiful man with song for a voice and hair that drinks the sunlight.
Crimson Angel by Barbara Hambly
New book in the Benjamin January series, about a black surgeon/musician in 18th cent New Orleans, solving mysteries. This was excellent, and this is one of my favorite mystery series ever.
The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord
A proud and reserved alien society finds its homeland destroyed in an unprovoked act of aggression, and the survivors have no choice but to reach out to the indigenous humanoids of their adopted world, to whom they are distantly related. They wish to preserve their cherished way of life but come to discover that in order to preserve their culture, they may have to change it forever. This book is a lot more fun than this description makes it sound. I absolutely loved it and rec it to everybody.
Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials by Ovidia Yu
Also a rec for the whole Aunty Lee series. Rosie "Aunty" Lee, the feisty widow and amateur sleuth and proprietor of Singapore's best-loved home-cooking restaurant, is back in another delectable, witty mystery involving scandal and murder among the city's elite
The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
Malaya, 1893 Li Lan, the daughter of a genteel but bankrupt Chinese family, has few prospects. But fate intervenes when she receives a proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family. They want her to become a ghost bride for the family's only son, who died under mysterious circumstances. Rarely practiced, ghost marriages are often meant to placate a restless spirit. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a comfortable home for the rest of her days, but at what cost? This was a great adventure fantasy novel, and I hope the author writes more books.
The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor
This was awesome. But Phoenix's escape, and her destruction of Tower 7, is just the beginning of her story. Before her story ends, Phoenix will travel from the United States to Africa and back, changing the entire course of humanity's future.
Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold
I got the ARC from Baen, and loved it. Three years after her famous husband's death, Cordelia Vorkosigan, widowed Vicereine of Sergyar, stands ready to spin her life in a new direction. Oliver Jole, Admiral, Sergyar Fleet, finds himself caught up in her web of plans in ways he’d never imagined, bringing him to an unexpected crossroads in his career.
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
I got to read the ARC way early and give it a blurb, but it came out this year so I'm including it. I said "This is an intense, exciting novel, where survival is always on the line, set in a fascinating, original and dangerous world with an intriguing mystery at the heart of it. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!"
The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson
The worldbuilding and magic in this absolutely blew me away. It should win all the awards. Since leaving his homeland, the earthbound demigod Demane has been labeled a sorcerer. With his ancestors' artifacts in hand, the Sorcerer follows the Captain, a beautiful man with song for a voice and hair that drinks the sunlight.
