The Further Adventures of BeoWulf - Champion of Middle Earth
© Carroll & Graf Publishing

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Beowulf, Star Wars/Star Trek Guides, & More

Welcome to the new site everyone for the Weekly Book Buzz’s first new edition on mania.com. I won’t waste your time with comments on the new design or site features because frankly, we’ve got too much to do with so many releases coming out this Tuesday. Time to shag ass and get down to the nitty-gritty! 

Caroll & Graf Publishing released a new Beowulf compilation today with the original text, four additional over-arching stories by some of the industries top fantasy writers (including Forgotten Realm’s Ed Greenwood and Blizzard Entertainment’s Jeff Grubb), and a piece on the influences of Beowulf throughout the centuries by editor Brian M. Thomsen. This is a timely release as two big screen adaptations of the thousand-year-old epic are due out in theatres next year. Didn’t know there were two Beowulf motion pictures in the works for 2007? Don’t feel bad, neither did I! Read more about it in the paperback section to get the full low-down.  

Glen Cook, of the Black Company series, debuts Tyranny of the Night on paperback: a story about a young Praman warrior who becomes Else the Godslayer after a chance encounter with a minor god of the Dark. Tor Books unleashes the third book of Gene Wolfe’s Soldier series on hardback with Soldier of Sidon. Renowned for the American fantasy classic The Book of the New Sun series, Wolfe delivers another page-turner that every fantasy fan should check out. 

Those of you who mentioned interest in a Star Trek Encyclopedia during October 17^th’s Book Buzz must settle for Jeff Ayer’s Voyages of Imagination: a 800-page behemoth of a guide on Star Trek fiction. Also, Random House Publishing Group unveiled a new color Star Wars alien guide titled, you guessed it, Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Alien Species.  

Acclaimed author Andre Norton, who died in March of 2005, returns from the grave to release two new novels with the help of a noted genre professional and her former protégé with the respective hardback release of A Taste of Magic and the paperback debut of Silver May Tarnish. 

In the supernatural mood to complement the holidays? Need a book to peruse on the porch in between sips of wine and trick-or-treaters? Just plain like vampires? Check out Wayne Bartlett & Flavia Idriceanu’s Legends of Blood: The Vampire in History and Myth or Suzy McKee Charnas’ horror collection Stagestruck Vampires: And Other Phantasms. 

There are lots of noteworthy fiction being released today, but in the words of Levar Burton, “Don’t take my word for it!” Special thanks to Kikstad for last weeks’ suggestion on streamlining the book headings. 
 

New in Hardcover: 

A Taste of Magic, Andre Norton & Jean Rabe (Tor Books) 

"The Green Ones favored me this day." Thus begins A Taste of Magic, the latest magical world creation by Andre Norton. Wisteria is magically attuned to the world around her. Her senses relish the tastes of magic that the wonders of nature offer. But the peacefulness of her backwoods existence is shattered when her village is attacked by the raiding force of the bellicose Lord Purvis, who leaves only this twenty-something magic wielder and an adolescent lass as the inadvertent survivors. Wisteria has pledged herself to a mission. Now she and her young ward must brave the wilds beyond their home in pursuit of the ravager who destroyed everyone near and dear to their hearts. The woman with the Taste of Magic now has a taste for vengeance, and the blood oath she has pledged must be satisfied with the life of Lord Purvis. Completed from the last notes Andre Norton wrote before she died, Jean Rabe weaves a new tale fresh off her Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms work. 

Hell's Gate of the Multiverse Series

© Baen Books

The Union of Arcana has expanded through the portals linking parallel universes for over a century and a half. In that time, its soldiers and sorcerers have laid claim to one uninhabited planet after another-all of them Earth. In the process, the Union has become the most powerful, most wealthy civilization in all of human history. But all of that is about to come to a screeching halt, for the Union's scouts have just discovered a new portal and on its far side lies a shattering revelation. Arcana is not alone after all. There is another human society, Sharona, which has also been exploring the Multiverse, and the first contact between them did not go well. Arcana is horrified by the alien weapons of its sudden opponents; weapons its sorcerers cannot explain or duplicate. Weapons based upon something called… science. But Sharona is equally horrified by Arcana's "magical" weapons. Neither side expected the confrontation. Both sides think the other fired first and no one on either side understands the "technology" of the other. But as the initial disastrous contact snowballs into all-out warfare, both sides can agree on one thing: the portal which brought them together is Hell's Gate itself! Book one of the new Multiverse series, this is one of the most interesting book synopsis I’ve read in a while. 

Stork Naked, Piers Anthony (Tor Books) 

In his 30th rollicking chronicle set in the enchanted Magic of Xanth series, Piers Anthony reveals unexplored new dimensions of his magical realm. Stork Naked tells the tale of Surprise Golem, an expectant mother who has just lost her brand-new baby! For in Xanth, little ones are actually delivered by storks! And the Stork assigned to deliver Surprise's eagerly awaited Bundle of Joy has inexplicably refused to surrender it, flying off instead through a hole in the fabric of reality. Now, to track down her offspring, Surprise must lead an ill-assorted assemblage of confederates on a desperate quest through dozens of different Xanths. But sinister, unseen forces are determined to stop her. And in order to find her child, Surprise may have to lose her heart. 

Soldier of Sidon of the Soldiers Series

© Tor Books

Latro forgets everything when he sleeps. Writing down his experiences every day and reading his journal anew each morning gives him a poignantly tenuous hold on himself, but his story's hold on readers is far more powerful indeed. The two previous novels, combined in Latro in the Mist (Soldier of the Mist and Soldier of Arete) are generally considered classics of contemporary fantasy. Latro now finds himself in Egypt, a land of singing girls and of spiteful and conniving deities. Without his memory, he is unsure of everything except for his desire to be free of the curse that causes him to forget. The visions Gene Wolfe conjures of the wonders of Egypt and of the adventures of Latro as he and his companions journey up the great Nile south into unknown or legendary territory are unique and compelling. Soldier of Sidon is a thrilling and magical fantasy novel and yet another masterpiece from Gene Wolfe. 

Legends of Blood: The Vampire in History and Myth, Wayne Bartlett & Flavia Idriceanu (Praeger Publishers) 

Of all the fictional monsters that have pierced society's collective consciousness, none has been so persistent or seductive as the vampire. Tales of the undead preying upon the blood of the living have survived in one form or another for thousands of years and across cultures. Legends of Blood traces this fascinating history from the myths of Ancient Greece and Egypt through the Gothic literature of 19th century Europe and up to present day, emphasizing how the tales of this alluring creature tap into humanity's most basic and primal fears. Wayne Bartlett and Flavia Idriceanu's highly readable yet impeccably researched book is a must-have for vampire enthusiasts and scholars alike. Drawing upon such sources as obscure and ancient myths, Romantic literature, and the novels of Anne Rice, Legends of Blood sheds new light on the pervasiveness of the vampire myth. Bartlett and Idriceanu illustrate the relationships that subsist between vampires and witchcraft, religion and sexuality, and show how the myth has adapted to the various intellectual trends of European history. Other topics include "real-life" vampirism such as the macabre tale of Elizabeth Bathory who murdered some 650 girls and bathed in their blood to restore her legendary beauty. 

The Android's Dream

© Tor Books

A human diplomat kills his alien counterpart. Earth is on the verge of war with a vastly superior alien race. A lone man races against time and a host of enemies to find the one object that can save our planet and our people from alien enslavement... A sheep. That's right, a sheep. And if you think that's the most surprising thing about this book, wait until you read Chapter One. Welcome to The Android's Dream. For Harry Creek, it's quickly becoming a nightmare. All he wants is to do his uncomplicated mid-level diplomatic job with Earth's State Department. But his past training and skills get him tapped to save the planet--and to protect pet store owner Robin Baker, whose own past holds the key to the whereabouts of that lost sheep. Doing both will take him from lava-strewn battlefields to alien halls of power. All in a day's work. Maybe it's time for a raise. Throw in two-timing freelance mercenaries, political lobbyists with megalomaniac tendencies, aliens on a religious quest, and an artificial intelligence with unusual backstory, and you've got more than just your usual science fiction adventure story. You can say that again; with rave reviews as an enthralling military SF novel with strong satirical undercurrents, The Android’s Dream may just be the trailblazer of a new niche that’s right up your alley. 
 

New in Paperback: 

The Further Adventures of BeoWulf - Champion of Middle Earth

© Carroll & Graf Publishing

The saga of Beowulf, the timeless warrior hero, is the earliest adventure chronicle from the English-speaking world, and one that still captivates audiences worldwide — two movies based on the epic are due out in 2007. However, The Further Adventures of Beowulf reveals that the story, as it’s handed down to us, can be seen as unfinished. In this revival of the classic legend, four new tales of the epic champion — written by best-selling authors of heroic fantasy Ed Greenwood, Jeff Grubb, Lynn Abbey, and Wolfgang Baur — are joined with a prose version of the original Beowulf text, revealing the adventures the hero undertakes beyond the original story’s close. In a series of dramatic interludes editor Brian M. Thomsen re-imagines the influence of the Beowulf epic on J.R.R. Tolkien, recounting how the Oxford don’s own vision of Middle Earth was shaped by it. In his introduction he also casts the Beowulf archetype as the true ancestor of modern-day monster slayers from Conan and Van Helsing to Buffy and Ripley, demonstrating by this fine collection what a profound influence the figure of Beowulf has had on pop culture today. Yea, curious about those movie references? Beowulf (2007) is under the reins of powerhouse director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Contact) and co-written by Neil Gaiman. Beowulf: Prince of the Geats (2007) is directed by newcomer Scott Wegener. Both are in post-production and I’m sure you can imagine which one I’m more looking forward to! 

The Magdalene Mandala, Michael Bradley (Manor House Publishing, Inc.) 

In a techno-survivalist tale of the Holy Grail as modern as tomorrow, dramatic revelations of true Christianity struggle for existence within the energy crisis of the New Millennium. Ruthless and sadistic forces, politically and religiously determined to suppress the West's genuine Christian legacy, desire only to destroy the damning evidence and those whose lives it has touched. An Exotic British linguist, an American ex-mercenary, their courageous French friends and their unsuspected Stewart allies vow to preserve the shocking secrets of a priceless parchment. Against all odds, they fight their way from Rennes-le-Château and Cathar-bloodied Carcassonne, fleeing along the beautiful Canal du Midi of southern France to reach hallowed Glastonbury in England. At stake? The survival of historical truth and the Western world's oldest religious heritage… and the lives of Marc Rennsalaer and the two women he loves. Who’s this Marc Rennsalaer and how does he get to love two women in the face of monogamist ideals? This book could be very interesting if it can step outside the over-exhausted premise spearheaded by Dan Brown and countless others. 

Voyages of Imagination

© Star Trek Books

Through four decades, five television series comprising over seven hundred episodes, ten feature films, and an animated series, fandom's thirst for more Star Trek stories has been unquenchable. From the earliest short-story adaptations by James Blish in the 1960s, followed by the first original Star Trek novels during the seventies, and on throughout the eighties, nineties, and into the twenty-first century, fiction has offered an unparalleled expansion of the rich Star Trek tapestry. But what is it that makes these books such a powerfully attractive creative outlet to some and a compelling way to experience the Star Trek mythos anew to others? Voyages of Imagination takes a look back on the first forty years of professionally published Star Trek fiction, revealing the personalities and sensibilities of many of the novels' imaginative contributors and offering an unprecedented glimpse into the creative processes, the growing pains, the risks, the innovations, the missteps, and the great strides taken in the books. 

The Well of Tears of The Crowthistle Chronicles

© Tor Books

The beautiful maiden Jewel is the center of her parent's joy. She is the embodiment of their true love and she has grown up surrounded by peace and love in abundance. Jewel's world cruelly shatters when her parents are suddenly killed and she and her uncle Eoin are forced to flee. Leaving the only home she has ever known, Jewel learns that her parents, caught in a tangle of a tragic prophecy, had hidden in the marshland for years to protect the secret knowledge that Jewel is the last of the line of the Janus Jaravhor, the dreaded sorcerer of Strang. That she might be the one person in the world who could unlock the mysterious Dome that is told to hold all of Janus's secrets. And that King Maolmordha now knows of her existence and will stop at nothing to find her. Pain and loss follow and Jewel must make her way alone. Rescued by a traveling band of Weathermasters, exalted magicians who control the heavens for the rich and powerful, she is taken to High Darioneth and is accepted into this tightly knit community. And not just accepted, but loved, for one of the young Weathermasters beheld her and his heart was lost. Jewel is left with the promise of true love and a powerful secret. But which path will she choose—and who will suffer if she makes the wrong choice? Book two of The Crowthistle Chronicles, The Well of Tears follows 2005’s The Iron Tree and precludes this November’s hardback release of book three: Weatherwitch. 

Valley of the Soul, Tamara Siler-Jones (Spectra Books) 

In the mage wars, Dubric Byerly risked his life–and sacrificed the woman he loved–to catch magic’s darkest killers. Those battles are long over–and the monsters Dubric hunts these days are nothing more than men. Until now. A recent string of grisly crimes has Dubric and his pages scouring the countryside for clues that hint at the worst: that history’s most murderous mage has come to Faldorrah. As Dubric’s hunt leads from secrets locked behind sanatorium walls to a hidden cache of souls preserved in fluid, other lives are shaken: a young woman given a power she doesn’t want, a young man inheriting a legacy he can’t understand, and a father fighting for his memory of a daughter who may already be lost. In the hardscrabble village of Quarry Run, the dark ghosts of the past have come calling–and the battle for the future begins... 

Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Alien Species, Ann Margaret Lewis, et. al (Del Rey Publishing) 

Discover who’s who and what’s what in the Star Wars universe with this beautifully illustrated guide—now in full color for the first time. When it comes to extraterrestrial life-forms, there’s more to science fiction’s most famous galaxy than just Jawas, Wookiees, Ewoks, and Hutts. From the skylanes of Coruscant to the worlds of the Outer Rim, an untold number of species populate those planets far, far away. And if you confuse Gungans with Gamorreans, or don’t know a bantha from a tauntaun, you definitely need the in-depth data that only this revised, expanded, and updated guide can deliver. This comprehensive overview includes beings from all six of the classic movies—plus the novels, cartoon series, comics, and video games. It’s an even bigger cross section of species than what you’ll find in the Mos Eisley cantina. And each entry, from acklay to Zabrak, from amphibians to vacuum-breathers, features everything you need to know. 

The Tyranny of the Night of the Instrumentalities of the Night Series

© Tor Books

Welcome to the world of the Instrumentalities of the Night, where imps, demons, and dark gods rule in the spaces surrounding upstart humanity. At the edges of the world stand walls of ice which push slowly forward to reclaim the land for the night. And at the world's center, in the Holy Land where two great religions were born, are the Wells of Ihrain, the source of the greatest magics. Over the last century the Patriarchs of the West have demanded crusades to claim the Wells from the Pramans, the followers of the Written. Now an uneasy truce extends between the Pramans and the West, waiting for a spark to start the conflict anew. Then, on a mission in the Holy Land, the young Praman warrior Else is attacked by a creature of the Dark-in effect, a minor god. Too ignorant to know that he can never prevail over such a thing, he fights it and wins, and in so doing, sets the terrors of the night against him. As a reward for his success, Else is sent as a spy to the heart of the Patriarchy to direct their attention away from further ventures into the Holy Lands. But the Night rides with him, too, sending two of its once-human agents from the far north to assassinate him. Submerged in his role, he begins to doubt his faith, his country, even his family. As his mission careens out of control, he faces unanswerable questions about his future. It is said that God will know his own, but can one who has slain gods ever know forgiveness? Book one of the Instrumentalities of the Night series, Glen Cook delivers an addictive, engaging opener that fans and newcomers alike are sure to enjoy. Don’t miss this one. 

Trackers, Kathryn Mackel (Westbow Press) 

Book Two in The Birthright Project continues Niki and Brady's quest to reclaim God's birthright and stop the terrible destruction that ravages the world. Brady will no longer allow Ajoba to spin the shroud because of her disobedience, but the spindle won't work for anyone else in the camp. Arabah is still lost in the darkness and it's been more than six months since anyone heard from them. Timothy is trying to find a way to free Dawnray from Alroh's grasp, but he ends up a prisoner himself. And Barron Alrod has a new sorcerer, Kano, who is really a demon and is creating an even more terrifying army. Will the Birthright Project survive the forces that attack it from without and within or will the darkness manage to overtake them? 

Kris Longknife: Resolute, Mike Shepherd (Penguin Group USA) 

Kris Longknife is back—and ready for battle. Kris Longknife has been given her first independent command in the very remote system of Chance, an assignment that's as much exile as promotion. But Kris isn't on the job long when she captures pirates hiding the location of an uncharted and unpopulated planet of miraculous technology.  

In the Night Garden, Catherynne Valente (Spectra Books) 

Every once in a great while a book comes along that reminds us of the magic spell that stories can cast over us–to dazzle, entertain, and enlighten. Welcome to the Arabian Nights for our time–a lush and fantastical epic guaranteed to spirit you away from the very first page… Secreted away in a garden, a lonely girl spins stories to warm a curious prince: peculiar feats and unspeakable fates that loop through each other and back again to meet in the tapestry of her voice. Inked on her eyelids, each twisting, tattooed tale is a piece in the puzzle of the girl’s own hidden history. And what tales she tells! Tales of shape-shifting witches and wild horsewomen, heron kings and beast princesses, snake gods, dog monks, and living stars–each story more strange and fantastic than the one that came before. From ill-tempered “mermaid” to fastidious Beast, nothing is ever quite what it seems in these ever-shifting tales–even, and especially, their teller. Adorned with illustrations by the legendary Michael Kaluta, Valente’s enchanting lyrical fantasy offers a breathtaking reinvention of the untold myths and dark fairy tales that shape our dreams. And just when you think you’ve come to the end, you realize the adventure has only begun… Book one of The Orphan’s Tales series. 

War of the Worlds: New Millenium, Douglas Niles (Tor Books) 

Imagine if H.G.Wells’ Martians launched their attack tomorrow. First there was the mysterious loss of contact with the Mars probe. Then a few flashes of light detected via telescope on the planet's surface, and several pieces of undefined space debris traveled through space and fell to earth. And thus the War of the Worlds began. From an isolated farmhouse in rural Wisconsin to the mall in Washington D.C., our world had becomes a battlefield against the alien intruders from Mars whose superior weapons and defenses dwarfed the Pentagon's latest weaponry. By order of the President, scientists and soldiers pooled resources and inspiration to overcome a threat that appeared bent on our annihilation, while all across the land brave and bold Americans waged their own efforts of resistance against the Martian menace. At stake not just the dominion of Earth, but mankind's own survival. Inspired by the H.G.Wells masterwork War of the Worlds and updated with the technothriller technology of today, Douglas Niles has written a contemporary novel of alien invasion that successfully combines the genres of Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle with Tom Clancy and Larry Bond. 

Stagestruck Vampires: And Other Phantasms, Suzy McKee Charnas (Tachyon Publications) 

Themes of transgression, eroticism, and violence thread through this retrospective collection of short stories and essays. A psychotherapist falls under the spell of her vampire patient in "Unicorn Tapestry" and in "Beauty and the Opera or the Phantom Beast," an evil maestro finds redemption in his lovely pupil, and additional essays "Art Is Long" and "The Stagestruck Vampire" offer autobiographical reflections on the art of writing. Combining lush prose with a biting wit, this terrifying collection will appeal to fans of fantasy, romance, horror, and character-driven suspense. 

Silver May Tarnish, Andre Norton & Lyn McConchie (Tor Books) 

The Dales of Andre Norton's Witch World have endured wars, natural disasters, the predations of strange creatures, and treachery. None loves the land as well as Lorcan, orphaned at birth, who has sought his birthright for as long as he can remember. Exiled from his native land when it was invaded by Alizon, he spent his youth in Paltendale where he was treated as an outsider, especially by Hogeth, an heir of that dale, who resented Lorcan's presence when both were still young men. When he came of age, Lorcan left to seek his own destiny. Since then, he has fought valiantly to rid the Dales of the Alizon invaders, but not even his efforts can prevent the deaths of many people, and the destruction of many keeps and garths. The war now over, he has survived, but so have those who would plunder the lands of the survivors. And among the plundering bandits is his nemesis from Paltendale, now more bitter and determined to vanquish Lorcan. During his travels Lorcan has joined with five blank shields, who, fighting together for common cause, become his boon companions. But Hogeth now leads marauders across the dales, destroying what they cannot rightfully have, and there will be no peace in the dales until Lorcan and Hogeth settle their old, bitter score. 

Seeker, Jack McDevitt (Penguin Group USA) 

Thousands of years after an entire colony mysteriously disappears, antiquities dealer Alex Benedict comes into possession of a cup that seems to be from the Seeker, one of the colony's ships. Investigating the provenance of the cup, Alex and his assistant Chase follow a deadly trail to the Seeker-strangely adrift in a system barren of habitable worlds. But their discovery raises more questions than it answers, drawing Alex and Chase into the very heart of danger. 

Orphans of Chaos, John C. Wright (Tor Books)

Wright's new fantasy is a tale about five orphans raised in a strict British boarding school who begin to discover that they may not be human beings. The students at the school do not age, while the world around them does. The children begin to make sinister discoveries about themselves. Amelia is apparently a fourth-dimensional being; Victor is a synthetic man who can control the molecular arrangement of matter around him; Vanity can find secret passageways through solid walls where none had previously been; Colin is a psychic; Quentin is a warlock. Each power comes from a different paradigm or view of the inexplicable universe: and they should not be able to co-exist under the same laws of nature. Why is it that they can? The orphans have been kidnapped from their true parents, robbed of their powers, and raised in ignorance by super-beings no more human than they are: pagan gods or fairy-queens, Cyclopes, sea-monsters, witches, or things even stranger than this. The children must experiment with, and learn to control, their strange abilities in order to escape their captors.

The Knights Templars & The Key of Solomon The King, A. Bothwell-Gosse & S. Liddle MacGregor Mathers (Tor Books) 

The Knights Templars and The Key of Solomon the King are two separate texts, containing secrets of speculative matters, which have fueled many modern conspiracies with tendrils reaching from the Vatican to the Founding Fathers. The Knights Templars: Rising from an original band of nine pious warriors to an army of Christian knights 15,000 strong, these holy warriors wielded power both on the battlefields of Palestine and in the courts of Europe throughout the Middle Ages, and beyond until political forces forced them underground into a secret society whose reach has extended across oceans and whose influence continues, though in secret, throughout the modern era. The Key of Solomon The King: The most famous grimoire of Western civilization as translated and edited by MacGregor Mathers, founder of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.  "The Key" is the seminal text of the studies of Solomon the King whose angelic and divine tutor imparted unto him not just the wisdom of the ages of man on earth, but other matters of arcana of an otherworldly nature. Together these reissued texts provide insight into many of today's most widely speculated conspiracies.

Heir of Autumn, Giles Carwynn & Todd Fahnestock (Eos Books) 

Introducing a major new talent, this riveting fantasy debut brings alive a richly imagined tale of brutal combat, sexual intrigue, and sinister magic in a world where one must always struggle to survive. A bastion of freedom and justice in a brutal world, the city-state of Ohndarien is ruled by the Children of the Seasons, four brave men and women tested before the awesome Heartstone and sworn to place the needs of others before their own. When Brophy, the Heir of Autumn, is falsely accused of murder, the city-state falls to treachery and deceit. Exiled to an enemy kingdom, Brophy's only chance for survival lies in the deadly gladiatorial game of Nine Squares and the uncertain favors of its beautiful queen. Meanwhile, enslaved by the brutal perfidy of her master, the young courtesan Shara must face her deepest fears and darkest desires if she is to free herself from the web of foul sorcery that ensnares her magic and her very soul. But as Ohndarien fights for justice, evil powers, lost for centuries, wake in the wilderness, and an ancient terror walks the world again. 

Agnes Quill: An Anthology of Mystery, Dave Roman (SLG Publishing) 

Agnes Quill is the story of a teenage detective, the haunted city she lives in, the strange cases she solves and the ghosts who help, hinder or just plain annoy her. Set in Legerdemain - a congested, fog-filled, cobblestone-paved Victorian city built around a cemetery the size of Central Park - Agnes' adventures include confrontations with trapped spirits, cursed souls, possessed relatives, disappearing pets, decapitated scientists, ambitious zombies and a mess of other supernatural oddities. 

1812: The Rivers of War, Eric Flint (Random House Publishing Group) 

In the War of 1812, U.S. troops are battling the British on the Canadian border, even as a fierce fight is being waged against the Creek followers of the Indian leader Tecumseh and his brother, known as The Prophet. In Europe, Napoleon Bonaparte's war has become a losing proposition, and the British are only months away from unleashing a frightening assault on Washington itself. Fateful choices are being made in the corridors of power and on the American frontier. As Andrew Jackson, backed by Cherokee warriors, leads a fierce attack on the Creek tribes, his young republic will soon need every citizen soldier it can find. What if-at this critical moment-bonds were forged between men of different races and tribes? What if the Cherokee clans were able to muster an integrated front, and the U.S. government faced a united Indian nation bolstered by escaping slaves, freed men of color, and even influential white allies? Through the remarkable adventures of men who were really there-men of mixed race, mixed emotions, and a singular purpose-The Rivers of War carries us in this new direction, brilliantly transforming an extraordinary chapter of American history. 

Phew, that’ll do it for this week guys. Have fun perusing the new site and its boatload of interactive functions but be sure to make your way back here next week for the buzz on all the new sci fi, fantasy, and horror book releases. Questions or comments? Hit me up at PFerrara.mania@gmail.com.