World of Warcraft: Tides of Darkness
© Pocket Star Books
WARCRAFT
By: Pat FerraraDate: Monday, August 27, 2007
In breaking with tradition this week, a Pocket Star release has given me an excuse to spend most of my discourse on something I positively love: WARCRAFT.
Ever since playing a demo version of the original Warcraft (on a Shuckysoft shareware CD) at a friend’s house after school one day, I was hooked on the epic saga of war and conflict between the orcs and humans. Over the following years my love affair with Blizzard Entertainment continued as I matured right alongside their games; at age 15 I was teching to carriers in FFA Ladder games on Lost Temple, at age 16 my twin brother was making his summer living selling SOJ’s through Paypal, and at age 23 I’m still as giddy as a school girl for the announcement of Starcraft 2’s release date.
Yet in all that time my heart has stayed first and foremost in the realm of Azeroth. Every time I hear a “Yes m’lord” in a dimwitted tone or kill a harassing Blademaster with my Dust of Appearance, I quietly thank the uber-geeks at Blizzard for turning me towards geekdom. But anyone who’s anyone knows WARCRAFT is no longer just about games. From PC-based entertainment the franchise has extended to novels, clothing, trading card & board games, and even vocabulary-building manga.
Though its lore is only a scant 13 years old, WARCRAFT has already become the biggest fantasy franchise in the world and has attained a level of financial success that any other universe, in any media form, may never surpass.
To put the enormity of Blizzard’s megafranchise into perspective lets take a look at some numbers. As of March 2007 World of Warcraft’s subscriber base broke the 8.5 million mark after the release of Burning Crusade. Now even disregarding the profit accumulated from software sales (retail of around $50 for each) and setting a very modest average user fee of $10 per month (depending on country this fee varies from $13-20 per month), World of Warcraft alone generates $85 million dollars… per month.
Put another way the WARCRAFT franchise has evolved into an entity that generates $1.02 billion dollars each year. Not too shabby.
With numbers like that it’s no surprise WARCRAFT’s next target is the filmic medium, and with powerhouse Pro. Co. Legendary Pictures behind their big screen debut you know we’re in for one bitchin’ fantasy epic in 2009, but that’s a whole ‘nother discussion.
WARCRAFT’s novel line boasts no less than 8 full-length titles covering the breadth of Azeroth history from 10 millenia before the events of Warcraft to the years directly following the events of The Frozen Throne. While most of the titles are penned by bestselling fantasy author Richard A. Knaak, others are authored by bestseller Christie Golden and even Chris Metzen himself (one of Blizzard’s lead game designers). This week Star Trek & Warhammer novelist and game designer Aaron Rosenberg gets a handle on Warcraft’s lore to divulge Azeroth’s history as it unfolded in the Tides of Darkness expansion pack for WC2. But if you’re new to WARCRAFT fiction a great place to start is the Warcraft Archive, a collection of four different novels (Day of the Dragon, The Last Guardian, Of Blood and Honor, and Lord of the Clans), that is reasonably priced at around $10 on Amazon.
Rosenberg’s Tides of Darkness is by no means the only big release in this week’s stacked genre schedule: We’ve got lots of new releases in the Star Trek, Star Wars, and Malazan Book of the Fallen series as well as Paul Kemp’s latest and Eberron’s first hardcover release. Enjoy!
This Week’s Top Picks: The Man-Kzin Wars XI, Storm Dragon, Shadowstorm, Midnight’s Tide, Star Trek TNG: Resistance, Sons of the Oak, Star Wars: Inferno
New in Hardcover:
Storm Dragon, James Wyatt (Wizards of the Coast)
An epic tale of madness and magic! A war hero, his mind broken by the wonders he witnessed on his last mission for his nation, has spent years in the deepest, darkest prison in all the world. Wallowing in despair and ever on the verge of madness, he is caught by surprise when a band of strangers breaks him out. But his rescuers don't exactly have his best interests at heart. The magic relic that broke his once-brilliant mind may be the key to stopping worldwide destruction—and whether he lives or dies really doesn't concern them. Thus begins an adventure that will shake the fragile peace of the Five Nations and once again stoke the fires of war across the world of Eberron. The opener to The Draconic Propheciesseries.
The Hunter’s Blades Trilogy Gift Set, R.A. Salvatore (Wizards of the Coast)
Drizzt at his scimitar-slashing best! When Drizzt believes that his friends have been killed, trampled under the feet of a rampaging horde of orcs, the Hunter takes over and the already dangerous dark elf goes feral. Alone in the wilderness against an enemy that outnumbers him thousands to one, the lone drow is the most dangerous being in the unforgiving mountains of the frigid North. But is he as dangerous to himself, as he is to the orcs in his sights? This deluxe gift set includes the books The Thousand Orcs, The Lone Drow, and The Two Swords.
New in Paperback:
WoW: Tides of Darkness, Aaron Rosenberg (Pocket Star)
After killing the corrupt Warchief Blackhand, Orgrim Doomhammer was quick to seize control over the Orcish Horde. Now he is determined to conquer the rest of Azeroth so that his people will once again have a home of their own in the... Anduin Lothar, former Champion of Stormwind, has left his shattered homeland behind and led his people across the Great Sea to the shores of Lordaeron. There, with the aid of the noble King Terenas, he forges a mighty Alliance with the other human nations. But even that may not be enough to stop the Horde's merciless onslaught.
Elves, dwarves, and trolls enter the fray as the two emerging factions vie for dominance. Will the valiant Alliance prevail, or will the Horde's tide of darkness consume the last vestiges of freedom on Azeroth?
Shadowstorm, Paul S. Kemp (Wizards of the Coast)
The invasion of the arch-wizards is on! The archwizards of Shade Enclave have come out of the desert with a message of peace, and an act of war. Split by petty disputes and causeless feuds, the merchant realm of Sembia is wide open for invasion, and with no shortage of Sembians more than happy to sell out to the Shadovar, can only one man, even if that man is Erevis Cale, do anything to stop it? The middle volume of The Twilight War trilogy.
The Two Worlds, James P. Hogan (Baen Books)
Giant's Star: The aliens from Ganymede bought with them answers that forever changed human history. Finally, humans thought they comprehended their place in the universe – that is, until they learned of the Watchers in the stars. Now Earth finds itself in the middle of a power struggle between a benevolent alien empire and an off-shoot group of upstart humans who hate Earth more than any alien ever could. Entoverse: Jevlen is a rational society managed to perfection by immense super computer JEVEX – until now. Things are falling apart, people are changing, or being changed, and shutting down JEVEX doesn't help. The changed behave as if they are possessed by demons. Meanwhile in a nearby, completely different universe, rationality is creeping into a world where magic has always held sway. Logic, the magic of this world, is beginning to work! Cause is actually leading directly to effect! What's more, with the proper concentration and purity of mind, crossing over into a new, rational universe can be achieved. Jevlin is that destination, of course, and the collision is between not just worlds, but universes with completely opposing operating systems.
Star Trek TNG: Death in Winter, Michael Jan Friedman (Star Trek Books)
Long before Captain Jean-Luc Picard took command of the Starship Enterprise, he fell deeply and hopelessly in love with Doctor Beverly Crusher. Picard never acted on his feelings, yet he found a measure of contentment as Beverly's close friend, colleague, and daily breakfast partner.
When Doctor Crusher leaves to become the chief medical officer of Starfleet, the brightest light in Picard's life is taken from him. He has barely resigned himself to his loss when he learns that Beverly has been declared missing in action—and presumed dead. Kevratas is a bleak, frozen world on the far side of the Romulan Neutral Zone where the Federation has become the plague-ravaged natives' only real hope. Starfleet has no recourse but to send in another team… and Picard is the natural choice. Critical to the mission are two colleagues from his former command, the Starship Stargazer: Pug Joseph and Doctor Carter Greyhorse. Joseph is a man with a past to live down, and Greyhorse has served time for attempted murder. They are determined to succeed where the doctor failed. On the Romulan homeworld, meanwhile, the political vacuum created by the demise of Praetor Shinzon has been filled by Senator Tal'aura. But there are those who oppose her, including Commander Donatra and the warbirds under her command. So begins a desperate struggle—not only for the freedom of the long-oppressed Kevrata but also for the soul of the Romulan Star Empire. Before it's over, destinies will be forged and shattered, the Empire will be shaken to its ancient foundations, and Jean-Luc Picard's life will be changed...forever.
Storm of the Dead, Lisa Smedman (Wizards of the Coast)
Drow god vs. Drow god! When Lolth and Eilistraee, two drow goddesses, compete for control of the dark elves of Faerûn, more than just the drow are caught in the middle. Though the drow will survive their game, what's at stake is the very nature of what it means to be a dark elf. The second installment of The Lady Penitent series.
Warhammer 40K: Star of Damocles, Andy Hoare (Games Workshop)
Rogue trader patriarch Lucian Gerrit and his family get swept up in an Imperial Crusade to track down and exterminate the alien tau. Having crossed the desolate area of space known as the Damocles Gulf, the fleet arrives on the borders of the tau empire. Can Gerrit's resourcefulness save the day when the Imperial forces find themselves outnumbered and outgunned, thousands of light years from home?
Splinter, Adam Roberts (Solaris Books)
Hector travels across America to visit his father on a ranch. He discovers that he has constructed a cult who await the impact of an asteroid. However, Hector is amazed when the section of Earth that the ranch is on suddenly breaks free from the rest of the planet during the collision. He struggles with his skepticism and acceptance of the fact that he is part of the remnants of the human race, on a splinter from the Earth.
Queen of the Orcs: Clan Daughter, Morgan Howell (Del Rey)
Enslaved by King Kregant’s army, Dar survived by befriending the fierce orcs who were also forced to serve. Now she has escaped–only to find that the price of freedom may be her destiny. Calling on her untried leadership abilities, Dar guides the surviving orc soldiers to the safety of their homeland–but the clan leaders refuse to accept her unless she can release their queen from Kregant’s fortress. Shaken by her growing gift for dark prophecy and a fate she feels unprepared to accept, Dar must infiltrate the very heart of the despot’s empire. There she will discover unexpected treachery and an ancient power that threatens the future of all.
Spellbinder, Melanie Rawn (Tor Books)
Holly McClure has it all: beauty, success, a great apartment in Manhattan, good friends, and a very sexy new boyfriend. And one more thing…a very rare magical talent. Holly is a witch. There is magic in the big city…literally. New York City has a small, and very discrete, population of witches and wizards and Holly is one of them, though she tries to keep magic out of her daily life. But trouble has come to the City, in the form of a black coven run by a murderous psychopath. And he wants Holly, for the power of her blood. The danger to Holly is extreme. Her passionate affair will be derailed by those who want to drain her for their own purposes, and her dearest friends will be put in peril of their lives. In the end it will be magic against magic, and Holly McClure will have to risk all for life and love.
Star Trek TNG: Resistance, J.M. Dillard (Star Trek Books)
The U.S.S. Enterprise is ready to rejoin the fleet. The body of the great starship—which managed to survive the deadly Romulan-Reman attack only with Data's ultimate sacrifice—has been restored. With the departure of first officer William Riker and ship's counselor Deanna Troi, Picard has to replace two of his most trusted advisors. A Vulcan is granted the commission of ship's counselor. Logical and pragmatic, T'Lana is a highly decorated member of Starfleet who served with distinction during the Dominion War. For his Number One, Captain Picard has only one candidate: Worf. The captain is looking forward to putting the shadows of war behind him, shaping his new crew, and returning at last to being an explorer. However, the Klingon refuses the promotion. And Picard senses that his new counselor does not approve of Worf. Starfleet hands the Enterprise a simple assignment perfect for a shakedown cruise. Picard is confident that this is all he needs to bring his crew together. Before the mission commences, the captain once again hears the song of the Borg Collective. Admiral Janeway is convinced that the Borg have been crushed and are no longer a threat. Picard knows that she is wrong, and if he doesn't act immediately, the entire Federation will be under the domination of its most oppressive enemy.
Sons of the Oak, David Farland (Tor Books)
Certain works of fantasy are immediately recognizable as monuments, towering above the rest of the category. Authors of those works, such as Stephen R. Donaldson, Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind, come immediately to mind. Add to that list David Farland, whose epic Runelords series continues now in Sons of the Oak. The story picks up eight years after the events of Lair of Bones and begins a new chapter in the Runelords saga focusing on Gaborn's son, Fallion. Gaborn, the Earth King, has been traveling far from his home, to strange and unknown places. While beyond the edge of the earth, he finally succumbs to the accelerated aging that comes from all of the endowments he has taken. His death is the signal for a revolution, an attack from the supernatural realms by immensely powerful immortal beings. These forces have discovered that Gaborn's son is the resurrection of an immortal, one whose potential power is so great that he might be able to reorder the entire universe. Fallion's enemies have decided that they must control him, and failing that, destroy him. He is only a child, but he is the heir to Gaborn's kingdom, and so must flee to the ends of the earth to avoid the destruction of all that Gaborn accomplished. Runelords, one of the mightiest of contemporary fantasy epics, continues in this second installment.
Warhammer: Palace of the Plague Lord, C.L. Werner (Games Workshop)
The last warrior of a fierce Norse tribe sets out on a perilous quest deep into the Chaos Wastes, a land of magic and madness that lies far to the north of the world. Hideous monsters, ravenous daemons, even the landscape itself threaten him every step of the journey. What price must a mortal pay to steal the treasure of a god?
Man-Kzin Wars XI, Larry Niven (Baen Books)
The Kzin were the mightiest warriors in the galaxy, which they were wasting no time in conquering, one star system at a time. Then those feline lords of creation ran into those ridiculous weed-eating pacifistic apes who called themselves humans. And the catlike Kzin found they had their collective tail caught in a meat grinder. When the mighty Kzin moved in to take over the monkey-infested worlds, they got clobbered. The humans, with their underhanded monkey cunning, turned communications equipment and space drives into weapons that cut the dauntless Kzin heroes into ribbons. And then those underhanded humans gained a faster-than-light drive, and no amount of screaming and leaping could keep the Kzin from losing their first war in centuries of successful conquest. But you can't keep a good warcat down, and the Kzin have by no means given up. New weapons, new strategies, and new leaders: Here they come again and those monkey-boys from Earth had better watch their backs. Once again, it's howling time in Known Space!
Pale Death, Aimee & David Thurlo (Tor Books)
A string of gruesome deaths in the Shiprock area has attracted the attention of FBI agent Diane Lopez. The killer is unmistakably a vampire—but the only vampire Diane knows of is State Police officer Lee Nez. One of the good guys. The victims worked for a secret government lab that was studying a captured vampire, Stewart Tanner. Driven mad, Tanner broke free and took revenge on his tormenters. Now he’s threatening to kill a powerful judge unless the feds promise to leave him alone. Forced to use his supernatural abilities to track a vampire gone bad, Lee has trouble concealing his true nature from Dr. Victor Wayne, the researcher who captured Tanner in the first place. Lee knows that he has to find Tanner before the rogue vampire kills again. He also knows that there can be only one outcome when they meet. Either he, or Tanner, will die.
The Clan Corporate, Charles Stross (Tor Books)
Miriam Beckstein has gotten in touch with her roots and they have nearly strangled her. A young, hip, business journalist in Boston, she discovered (in The Family Trade) that her family comes from an alternate reality, that she is very well-connected, and that her family is too much like the mafia for comfort. In addition, starting with the fact that women are family property and required to breed more family members with the unique talent to walk between worlds, Miriam has tried to remain an outsider and her own woman. She started a profitable business in a third world she has discovered, outside the family reach (recounted in The Hidden Family). She fell in love with a distant relative, but he died saving her life. Now, however, in The Clan Corporate, Miriam may be overreaching. And if she gets caught, death or a fate worse is around the bend. There is, for instance, the brain-damaged son of the local king who needs a wife. But they'd never make her do that, would they? The third novel of the Merchant Princes series.
The Machine’s Child, Kage Baker (Tor Books)
Kage Baker's trademark series of SF adventure continues now in a direct sequel to The Life of the World to Come. Mendoza was banished long ago, to a prison lost in time where rebellious immortals are "dealt with." Now her past lovers: Alec, Nicholas, and Bell-Fairfax, are determined to rescue her, but first they must learn how to live together, because all three happen to be sharing Alec's body. What they find when they discover Mendoza is even worse than what they could imagined, and enough for them to decide to finally fight back against the Company.
Star Wars: Inferno, Troy Denning (Del Rey)
Luke Skywalker wanted to unify the Jedi order and bring peace to the universe. Instead his wife Mara lies dead at the hands of an unknown assassin, his wayward nephew Jacen has seized control of the Galactic Alliance, and the galaxy has exploded in all-out civil war. With Luke consumed by grief, Jacen Solo works quickly to consolidate his power and jumpstart his plan to take over the Jedi. Convinced he’s the only one who can save the galaxy, Jacen will do whatever it takes, even ambush his own parents. With the Rebel confederacy driving deep into the Core to attack Coruscant and the Jedi under siege, Luke must reassert his position. Only he can lead the Jedi through this crisis, but it means solving the toughest problem Luke’s ever faced. Does he fight alongside his nephew Jacen, a tyrant who’s illegally taken over the GA, or does he join the rebels to smash the Galactic Alliance he helped create? The sixth installment in the Legacy of the Force series.
Hitman: Enemy Within, William C. Dietz (Del Rey)
The clone assassin has been played long enough–now it’s more than a game. Bred to kill, Agent 47 is The Agency’s most valuable assassin. So when a competing murder-for-hire organization decides to destroy The Agency, the first person they target for elimination is Agent 47. Tasking someone to off the best hitman in the business is one thing; getting the job done is another. When the attempt falls short, Agent 47 is ordered to track down and kill the culprit who is feeding vital information about The Agency to its enemies. Agent 47 must follow a bloody trail halfway around the world, fight his way through the streets of Fez, Morocco, and battle slavers deep inside Chad. Then he will discover a shattering truth: If he fails at his mission, the price he’ll pay will be far greater than his own life…
Music to my Sorrow, Mercedes Lackey & Rosemary Edghill (Baen Books)
Eric Banyon, also known as Bedlam's Bard, managed to rescue his young brother Magnus from what seemed to be a killer demon (in Mad Maudlin), but now he must rescue Magnus again, this time from their tyrannical parents. Eric does not look forward to the battle, but is confident he can gain custody. His financial sources are virtually unlimited, his friend Ria Llewellyn heads the most high-powered law firm in New York, and in a pinch he and his friends can use to magic powers, even flummoxing a DNA test, it comes to that. What Eric does not know is that his parents are allied with the evangelist Billy Fairchild, who himself is a tool of the evil Unseleighe elves, who feed off human sorrow and suffering. Fairchild specializes in getting “bad” children to shape up, which is accomplished by letting a soulsucker-malevolent creature from the elf world-drain the victim of all talent, creativity, and will, leaving an obedient zombie husk behind. If Magnus and his friend Ace, who is also on the run from her twisted parents, fall into Fairchild's hands, they will join the Unseleighe's zombie ranks. And even Eric's bardic magic may not be enough to save them. A Bedlam’s Bard tale.
Crashing Paradise, Christopher Golden & Thomas E. Sniegoski (Ace Books)
The Legion of Doom is hell-bent on breaking into Eden, and they've got the perfect captive to help them: Eve, mother of all humanity-and all vampires. Only Doyle and the Menagerie can stop them from turning a blessed garden into a paradise lost. A Novel of the Menagerie.
Midnight’s Tide, Steven Erikson (Tor Books)
After decades of internecine warfare, the tribes of the Tiste Edur have at last united under the Warlock King of the Hiroth, There is peace—but it has been exacted at a terrible price: a pact made with a hidden power whose motives are the best suspect, at worst, deadly.To the south, the expansionist kingdom of Lether, eager to fulfill its long-prophesized renaissance as an Empire reborn, has enslved all its less-civilized neighbors with rapacious hunger. All, that is, save one—the Tiste Edur. And it must be only a matter of time before they too fall—either beneath the suffocating weight of gold, or by slaughter at the edge of a sword. Or so destiny has decreed. Yet as the two sides gather for a pivotal treaty neither truly wants, ancient forces are awakening. For the impending struggle between these two peoples is but a pale reflection of a far more profound, primal battle—a confrontation with the still-raw wound of an old betrayal and the craving for revenge at its seething heart. The fifth volume of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series.
Gaunt’s Ghost Omnibus: The Saint, Dan Abnett (Games Workshop)
This omnibus edition follows the second cycle of the Gaunt's Ghost stories in a collection called, "The Saint". It includes the four novels, Honour Guard, The Guns of Tanith, Straight Silver and Sabbat Martyr. The story arc follows the First & Only from warzone to warzone of the Chaos-infested Sabbats World system fighting enemies in many guises and shapes.
The Future is Unknown, James Valentine (Aladdin Books)
The adventure ends. In the third millennium, Jules is suddenly very popular, for reasons he doesn't really understand. He should be happy, but all he can think about is Theo. Are Jules and Gen ever going to see him again? Meanwhile, in the fifteenth billennium, Quincy Carter One has disappeared after the world witnessed his aborted attempt to undermine the entire structure of Time. Not only that, TimeJumping has been all but outlawed on the Two Planets. And Theo can't stop worrying about Jules and Gen -- and what Quincy may be planning, wherever (or whenever) he is. It's the thrilling conclusion of the TimeJumpers trilogy, and no one knows what's going to happen next. Or before. But that's what happens when you start fooling around with time.
Death of a Darklord, Laurell K. Hamilton (Wizards of the Coast)
Laurell K. Hamilton's Ravenloft classic! Death of a Darklord focuses on a young woman who finds that she has a talent for magic in a land and a family unforgiving of such abilities. Her tragic attempts to redeem herself in the eyes of her family by aiding them on their quest to end the dark magic that has destroyed a neighboring town, makes for a gripping, terrifying read.
Burdens of Empire, C.J. Ryan (Spectra Books)
It’s the 33rd century, a time of unparalleled peace and prosperity, but on a far-flung planet, humanity’s reign may be about to end…. Alien terrorism, sectarian violence, armed insurgency–it was a police action on a backwater planet that many on Earth believed was a tragic mistake. Now the kidnapping of a human VIP has raised the political stakes to the breaking point. Enter the gorgeous and sexy Gloria VanDeen–ex-wife of the Emperor, media darling, and humanity’s favorite heroine. She’s been sent on a secret mission to extract the hostage and avoid a PR nightmare. But the situation on Denastri is a lot worse than reported Earthside. With violence escalating daily, and with an indigenous population whose customs and religion are a mystery, Gloria finds herself on the toughest assignment of her career. Now she’s faced with an enemy that may be even more dangerous than the assassins and fanatics of the alien insurgency: an army of freelance killers run by an Earth-based corporation motivated by pure greed.
Voyage of Slaves, Brian Jacques (Ace Books)
Adrift in the Mediterranean, Ben and his loyal dog Ned-cursed by an avenging angel to roam the earth forever-fall into the clutches of a slaver, and have no one to rely on but each other in their quest for freedom.
A Taste of Magic, Andre Norton & Jean Rabe (Tor Books)
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 pledge 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.
Lorwyn, Scott McGough & Cory Herndon (Wizards of the Coast)
Welcome to the new world of Magic: The Gathering! Elves live in a world of unforgiving perfection. It is survival of the fittest—and none but the most beautiful and deadly are allowed to survive. So when an elf warrior's horns are shattered and his flawless features lost, he knows it is a death sentence. What he can't remember is how it happened or why he should allow himself to be killed. Powerful and ancient magic is at work, and the elf will need to find friends fast before his fellow elves quiet him—permanently. Book one in the Lorwyn Cycle series.
The Lady of Serpents, Douglas Clegg (Penguin Group USA)
Hailed as the prophesied messiah of the vampyre, Aleric seemed destined for glory-until, like many of his brethren, he was captured by the sorceress Enora. Imprisoned, he is now forced to fight in the arena for her amusement. To end Enora's reign of terror, Aleric must escape and find the alchemist behind her power, though that may mean unleashing Pythia, the Lady of Serpents-Aleric's old enemy, the seductress who ended his mortal life. For she alone may hold the key to the survival not only of the vampyres, but also all of humankind. Book two of the Vampyricon series.
New in Audiobook:
The Elves of Cintra, Terry Brooks (Brilliance Audio Abridged)
Across the ruined landscape that is America - hopelessly poisoned, plague-ridden, burned, and besieged by demon armies bent on exterminating all mortal life - two pilgrims have been summoned to serve the embattled cause of good. Logan Tom has journeyed to desolate Seattle to protect a ragged band of street urchins and the being known as the gypsy morph, who is both mortal and magical, and destined to save mankind unless he is destroyed. Likewise, Angel Perez has her own quest, one that will take her from the wreckage of Los Angeles to a distant, secret place untouched by the horrors of the nationwide blight - a place where the race of Elves has dwelled since before man existed. But close behind these lone Knights of the Word swarm the ravening forces of the Void. As the menacing thunder of war drums heralds the arrival of the demons and their brutal minions in Seattle, the young survivors who call themselves the Ghosts are forced to brave the dangerous world of gangs, mutants, and worse to escape the invasion. And Logan Tom must infiltrate a refugee compound to rescue Hawk, the leader of the street urchins, who has yet to learn the truth about who and what he is. Meanwhile, Angel Perez has joined an equally urgent mission: to find the Ellcrys, a fabled talisman crucial to protecting the Elven realm against an influx of unspeakable evil from the dread dimension known as the Forbidding. But Angel and her Elven allies must beware - for a demon spy, with a monstrous creature at its command, walks among them. As the legions of darkness draw the noose tighter, and the time of confrontation draws near, those chosen to defend the soul of the world must draw their battle lines and prepare to fight with, and for, their lives. If they fail, humanity falls. Narrated by Phil Gigante.
Havoc, Jack Du Brul (Brilliance Audio Abridged)
On a stormy night in 1937, the German zeppelin Hindenburg cuts through the clouds over rural New Jersey. On board, a madman has traveled across the Atlantic bearing a safe holding a secret so terrible that it may change the course of history. His efforts to protect his cargo have led him to commit murder, but the most dangerous part of the journey still remains-the arrival at Lakehurst Naval Air Station. In a moment of clear thinking, the murderer throws the safe overboard, thinking that he will return for it later. The conflagration at landing destroys that plan and the safe recedes into history. Seven decades later, mining engineer Philip Mercer is in the Central African Republic searching for a precious metal used in the manufacture of cell phones. In the face of a mounting civil war, Mercer tries to help local villagers escape from rebel forces. Along the way, he meets up with Cali Stone, an attractive field researcher for the CDC. This particular village suffers from one of the highest rates of cancer in the world. All that saves them from execution at the hands of the rebel troops is the intervention of an unknown military force. Once back in the states, Mercer's detective work leads him to the long-lost safe and the cryptic letter inside: Dear Albert, I believe I have succeeded. The element you seek does exist in nature. This letter launches Mercer on the most spectacular adventure of his career, one that will leave a nation in flames and a city in ruin, and reveal the truth behind three thousand years of legend. Narrated by J. Charles.
Dark Possession, Christine Feehan (Brilliance Audio Unabridged)
Manolito De La Cruz knew he was dangerously close to turning into a vampire. The last thing he expected after being called back to his Carpathian homeland by Prince Mikhail was to catch the scent of his destined lifemate in MaryAnn Delaney. MaryAnn is human, but she knows all too well the overwhelmingly aggressive instincts of Carpathian males. And they’re not exactly the kind of men she’d prefer to be bound to for life. A dedicated counselor for battered women, MaryAnn has a fulfilling life with no room for someone like Manolito, born and bred in the Carpathian Mountains, a law unto himself. But when MaryAnn agrees to go to South America to offer guidance to a brutalized young woman, she has no idea of the trap that awaits her in the sweltering thick of the jungle. She has been lured there by Manolito himself, who has seductive plans for the unaware, irresistibly human female. Once there, she will be his. Once his, she never will be released. He is her lover, her predator, her lifemate. She is his dark possession… Narrated by Phil Gigante and Jane Brown.
Dance of the Gods, Nora Roberts (Brilliance Audio Abridged)
Raised in a family of demon hunters, Blair Murphy has her own personal demons to fight - the father who trained, then abandoned her, and the fiancé who walked out on her after learning what she is. Now she finds herself training a sorcerer from 12th century Ireland, a witch from modern day New York, a scholar and a shape changer from the mythical land of Geall, while trying to keep herself from staking the sixth of their circle and host: a vampire sired by Lilith, the vampire queen they've been charged with defeating on Samhain. No stranger to butt-kicking, Blair finds herself taking a good whipping when it comes to that handsome and flirtatious Geallian, Larkin. And a couple of run-ins with Lilith's right-hand gal gives Blair more than she reckoned for, mentally and physically. But will she be able to stay afloat long enough to defeat Lilith's loyal in pre-battle bouts? Or will she find herself falling for the one thing she vowed never to give in to again? If the vampires don't do her in, Larkin is certainly up to the task. The second novel in the Circle Trilogy, narrated by Dick Hill.
Darkfever, Karen Marie Moning (Brilliance Audio Abridged)
MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens. When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed–a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae… As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands… Narrated by Joyce Bean.
Alright folks that’s it for this week’s edition of the Buzz. Check back next Monday for all the latest info on current sci fi, fantasy, and horror releases. Questions or comments? Hit me up at Pferrara.mania@gmail.com.
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Though it's profit is sharply rising from their MMORPG revenue, I believe Harry Potter is the biggest fantasy franchise to date (A 2007 Forbes.com consensus estimated it's worth at $4 billion)