The British Empire reigns supreme, and its young Queen Victoria has expanded her realm to St. Francisco, a bustling city of English lords and Chinese ghettos. St. Francisco is a jewel in the Empire's crown and as deeply embroiled in the conflict between the Arcane and Science as its sister city, London—a very dark and dangerous battle. Marcus Stenhill, Viscount of Westwood, stumbles upon that darkness when he encounters a pack of young bloods beating a man senseless. Westwood's duty and honor demand he save the man, but he's taken aback to discover the man is Robin Harris, a handsome young inventor indirectly responsible for the death of Marcus's father. Living in the shadows following a failed coup, Robin devotes his life to easing others' pain, even though his creations are considered mechanical abominations of magicks and science. Branded a deviant and a murderer, Robin expects the viscount to run as far as he can—and is amazed when Marcus reaches... Views: 15
Beauty and The Beast Hated and feared, magic was banished from the land. But now, freed from the spells of the wicked bloodmages, magic-both good and evil-returns. And Aren of Fallbrook feels her own power of sight strengthen and grow...Overcome by visions of mayhem and murder, Aren vows to save her village from the ruthless raiders who have descended upon it-and killed her family. With the return of wildlings to the hills and forests, she strikes a bargain with the Hob, a magical, human-like creature imbued with the power of the mountains. But the Hob is the last of his kind. And he will exact a heavy price to defend the village-a price Aren herself must pay...Review“[A] fun fantasy romance...There’s plenty of action, with battles against raiders and magical creatures, a bard who isn’t what he appears, and an evil mage—but there’s also plenty of humor, and some sweet moments of mischief and romance.”—Locus“I ran across Patricia Briggs—literally—at our local book store, while sorting through the shelves looking for another book. The cover art intrigued me, then I read the first page and went straight to the counter. This is a “Beauty and the Beast” story but unlike any I’ve ever read. Ms. Briggs blends adventure, romance, and innovative fantasy with a deft hand. Highly recommend this one to all my readers.”—S. L. Viehl, author of the Stardoc series“It is easy to like Patricia Briggs’s novels. Her books are perfect for a Friday evening or a late Sunday afternoon when you don’t want to have to work to enjoy your reading. Her books are clever, engaging, fast-moving and with plots that manage to be thought-provoking without being heavy-handed. A warning, however—make sure you don’t start the dinner cooking or the lawn watering before you curl up with one of her books, because you’ll end up with a burnt dinner and a soggy lawn and an enjoyable few hours lost in another world.”—Romantic SF & FantasyFrom the AuthorIf you've read any of my other books, you'll know that I like my worlds dark, and my characters tough and funny enough that the books don't really qualify as dark fantasy, The Hob's Bargain is no exception. I first started this book because I wanted to write an apocalyptic fantasy. Since I was reading Charles de Lint and Emma Bull's The War of the Oaks, I decided to set up my world with Northern European (primarily British and Gaelic) fey. Like most storytellers, though, I couldn't help but add my own 10 cents worth (especially to the Hob) -- so don't expect a Spenceresque fairy story. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Comments are welcome. My email is [email protected] -Patricia Briggs PS. Roadkill is my cat's name. Views: 15
Penzler Pick, June 2001: Ridley Pearson, who has written 14 previous books, many of them featuring his Seattle cop Lou Boldt, ups the ante in his latest thriller.Northern Union Railroad has been experiencing a series of accidents with their freight trains, but it is not until they find a freight car covered with blood that they call in outside help. Peter Tyler used to be a cop, until he nearly beat a black man to death and lost his badge. When he gets a second chance via an old friend at the National Transportation Safety Board, he drives a convertible through a snowstorm with the top down (he suffers from claustrophobia) to view the freight car. He arrives at the scene to discover that he will have to deal with Northern Union's own security officer, Nell Priest, a black woman who already knows Tyler's history.Meanwhile, Umberto Alvarez, the train wrecker, is systematically working his way towards his ultimate wreck, Northern's F.A.S.T. train, due to make its maiden... Views: 15
"Passionate Sage is [Ellis's] best book."—Judith Shulevitz, The New York Times Book Review A fresh look at this astute, likably quirky statesman, by the author of the Pulitzer Award-winning Founding Brothers and the National Book Award winning American Sphinx. "The most lovable and most laughable, the warmest and possibly the wisest of the founding fathers, John Adams knew himself as few men do and preserved his knowledge in a voluminous correspondence that still resonates. Ellis has used it with great skill and perception not only to bring us the man, warts and all, but more importantly to reveal his extraordinary insights into the problems confronting the founders that resonate today in the republic they created."—Edmund S. Morgan, Sterling Professor of History Emeritus, Yale University. Views: 15
Publishers Weekly says: “A slick, darkly comic bad guy vs. Bad guy crime drama…an expertly choreographed death dance showcasing Maxim’s storytelling strengths: farce, blisteringly paced action, and memorably peculiar characters. At age 34, Adam Whistler wants out. But the service he performed for his government is not the kind they let you walk away from. To ensure his continued good health, Whistler has “borrowed” important documents from his boss, Felix Aubrey, a dangerous rogue and a very bad man to cross. But so is Adam Whistler, who learned the killing craft well under the tutelage of his father. Now, with a ticking time bomb on his hands, Whistler has been cast into a maelstrom of death and chaos. His continued existence may well depend on a group of assassins linked to the legendary Paul Bannerman, as well as his very own guardian angel. His gentle and beautiful lover, Claudia – clinically dead after being shot by Aubrey’s hired guns – has been sent back, she believes, by the storied “white light” to protect him. Whistler doubts it, of course, She does not. And she has the talents and powers to prove it.Amazon.com ReviewAdam Whistler can't remember how many people he's killed, but he's such a nice young man the reader isn't troubled by his murky past. Besides, the killings were legal, sort of. They were sanctioned by the federal drug czar and his minions, especially Adam's boss, Felix Aubrey, who turned the government's anti-drug forfeiture laws into a honey pot that sweetened his own bank account and those of his prominent friends, including many in the radical wing of the religious right. But as John R. Maxim's satirical mystery opens, Adam's fallen in love, and his deepening affair with Claudia, a young woman whose near-death experience convinced her she's been appointed his guardian angel, becomes the fulcrum of this taut, funny offshoot of Maxim's popular Bannerman series.Adam's father wants him to come into the family firm as a go-between lurking in the shadows of multinational business. But first he has to get Adam out from under his enemies, especially Aubrey, whose ledger (containing the records of his illegal search-and-seizure scam) Adam sequestered as insurance when he quit Aubrey's employ. The elder Whistler sends Adam and Claudia on a year-long sailing sabbatical to hide him from Aubrey's gang. But an assassination plot hatched by the Reconstructionists, a gang of religious zealots controlled by Aubrey, brings Adam and Claudia back into the eye of the storm. Adam has a couple of powerful weapons on his side: Claudia, who may not be an angel but definitely has acquired some heavenly powers since her brush with death, and the Bannerman operatives, whose skills and strategies will be familiar to Maxim's fans. The author's tongue is so firmly planted in his cheek that the satire may be lost on some readers, but they'll find plenty of action, superb pacing, and picaresque characters to keep them enthralled. --Jane AdamsFrom Publishers WeeklyExcept for himself and even he doesn't seem all that certain no one knows exactly how many people Adam Whistler has killed. Now, however, at age 34, Whistler, the star of Maxim's slick, darkly comic bad guy vs. bad guy crime drama, is tiring of all the contract hits. Besides, he thinks a lot of his victims are being killed so his employer, an obscure arm of the U.S. government, can seize their homes, boats, cars, etc. all under asset forfeiture laws meant for drug dealers. But it's not so easy to simply walk away from such jobs. Whistler's boss, Felix Aubry, isn't keen on having his operatives wandering around loose once they've gotten in so deep. Whistler leaves the business nonetheless, cruising the world in a boat with his beautiful girlfriend, Claudia, but he is uneasy with his new life. Claudia, however, has recently come through a near-death experience and seems to possess a sixth sense for danger: she assures Whistler that she's his guardian angel. In fact, she does save his life several times throughout their travels, yet when the pair sail from Antigua and dock in Hilton Head, the attacks get more serious, and Whistler has to fall back on his old killing ways. The extended finale, involving several players from the author's past books, is an expertly choreographed death dance showcasing Maxim's storytelling strengths: farce, blisteringly paced action and memorably peculiar characters. (Mar.) Forecast: Maxim (Mosaic; the Bannerman series), who's been writing top-grade thrillers for more than two decades, continues to be one of the form's best-kept secrets. He's in fine shape here, and word-of-mouth should attract more of the loyal readers he deserves. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 15
After a terrible virus ravages the planet, Carly, one of the few survivors, hides in her apartment in Juneau trying to survive the best she can, with occasional forays to gather food. She is discovered by Justin, an ex-soldier intent on making his way to Florida before winter. He convinces her to join him, and together they begin a journey through a nation laid to waste by the disaster. Challenges abound along the way, from the changing seasons to injury and shortage of supplies.
And other survivors.
Some are friendly, some are malicious, and some have minds destroyed by the virus. They can only depend on each other, and Carly finds her perceptions challenged by what it takes to live in this brutal new world.
This is the story of their journey to find a place to begin a new life, and a home in each other. Views: 15
Amazon.com ReviewIt takes a lot of guts to write a novel about William Shakespeare, and Sarah A. Hoyt has what it takes. The deed inherently invites comparison, and of course Ill Met by Moonlight falls short of the work of the greatest writer in the English language. However, the prose is solid; the story lines are involving, tough-minded, and sexually charged; the characters are interesting and sympathetic; and echoes of Shakespeare's work ring through the novel. If you like good fantastic fiction, you will enjoy Hoyt's debut novel. If the idea of turning Shakespeare into a character in a book bothers you, or if you don't like fictional explanations of where a real person got his inspiration or ideas, then steer clear.Young schoolteacher Will Shakespeare, struggling to support his new wife and baby daughter, is not entirely surprised to come home and discover they are missing. Believing his wife has returned to her family, he ventures into Arden Forest, heading for her village--and beholds a fine palace where no dwelling should be, with dancing lords and ladies of unearthly beauty, and his own dear wife dancing with them. He believes he is dreaming, until an impossibly beautiful young noblewoman steps forth to converse with him--and kiss him. The Dark Lady will help Will rescue his captive wife and child--if he will aid her in a soul-damning plot to kill the fairy king. --Cynthia WardFrom Publishers Weekly"To be or not to be?" This is a conundrum posed not by the immortal Bard of Avon but, in newcomer Hoyt's quirky novel, by Quicksilver, heir proper to the Elven Realms Above the Air and Beneath the Hills of Avalon. William Shakespeare, who has yet to begin his career as a playwright, suffers a terrible personal blow when Sylvanus, evil king of the Elven realm, kidnaps his new wife, Nan, and their baby, Susannah. The young Shakespeare vows to get them back, but just how he'll go about it he doesn't know. Enter Quicksilver, the elf who was tricked out of his inheritance by his brother, Sylvanus. In the form of the Dark Lady (Shakespeare's supposed muse), Quicksilver allies himself with Shakespeare to bring about the downfall of Sylvanus and return Nan and Susannah to Will. Much treachery, romance and elvish behavior follow. Hoyt's Will Shakespeare makes an engaging main character, and the book generally romps along as a straightforward fantasy. Numerous references to the plays and a number of direct quotations mixed in with the text add to the fun. In her epilogue, the author discusses her sources and makes a plausible case, given the meager evidence, for assuming that the playwright was happily married. This is a literate first novel with the promise of good things to come. (Oct. 9)Forecast: The Pre-Raphaelite blonde on the jacket scarcely fits the image of the Dark Lady, but she does serve to signal that this is a quality item with crossover appeal to Shakespeare fans.Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Views: 14
The sequel to LESSONS FOR A WEREWOLF WARRIOR - continuing the crazy adventures of Boo, werewolf and hero-in-the making. Ages: 8 - 12 Boo's back ... in another crazy adventure of Heroes, dinosaurs and the most fearsome weapon in the universes ... the zombie sausage. Boojum Bark, werewolf puppy and would-be-Hero, is about to do what no other Hero has done before - go into the scariest universe of them all, the Ghastly Otherwhen, rescue his mum and come back alive. And he'll need help from his friends: mysterious Yesterday, gorgeous Princess Princess Sunbeam Caresse of Pewké, Mug the down-to-earth zombie, and Squeak the warrior mouse. But the Ghastly Otherwhen isn't what Boo expects! And his friends start acting strangely, too ... What is the bond between Yesterday and her dinosaurs? And why won't she let Boo rescue her from slavery? Can Mug really be as dumb as he looks, or is it a clever zombie disguise? And could Princess Princess be an actual Hero underneath her cowardly... Views: 14
Mills & Boon Desire series delivers powerful, passionate romances…*He woke up naked and in bed with his boss's sister... After being caught in a compromising position, Russ Logan was forced into a shotgun engagement to Lynn McCall. At first, the iron hearted, solitary ranch foreman resisted...until he realized that this provocative spitfire who'd relinquished her virtue to him was most likely pregnant with his child! Beautiful, independent Lynn wasn't keen on a marriage based on duty and knew better than to get involved with the most arrogant, irritating...and sexiest man she'd ever known. But when Russ branded her with his kisses, Lynn forgot their engagement was only to protect her reputation, and began hoping that she was the woman he could truly love.... Views: 14
