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Weekly Book Buzz: The Latest Elminster Novel from Wizards of the Coast
New Fantasy from Mercedes Lackey By
Tim Janson
August 03, 2010
Elminster Must Die!
© Wizards of the Coast
We lead this week with the latest novel from Wizards of the Coast featuring Elminster, the most well-known wizard of the Forgotten Realms. I’ll admit to having been a sucker for the Forgotten Realms novels ever since Darkwalker on Moonshae back in the late 1980s. Having been a big AD&D player at the time it was great to see a D&D world brought to life in novels and my love for the setting has diminished little over the years.
Also looking forward to reading George Mann’s “The Osiris Ritual.” Mann has become something of a master of the Steam Punk novel and I enjoyed his “Ghosts of Manhattan” a few months back.
Vanished: A Greywalker Novel Kat Richardson [Roc]
Why did Seattle investigator Harper Blaine-as opposed to others with near-death experiences-become a Greywalker? When Harper digs into her own past, she unearths some unpleasant truths about her father's early death as well as a mysterious puzzle. Forced by some very demanding vampires to take on an investigation in London, she soon discovers her present trouble sin England are entangled with her dark past back in Seattle-and her ultimate destiny as a Greywalker.
Total Eclipse (Weather Warden, Book 9) Rachel Caine [Roc]
Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin, her husband, the djinn David, and the Earth herself have been poisoned by a substance that destroys the magic that keeps the world alive. The poison is destabilizing the entire balance of power, bestowing magic upon those who have never had it, and removing it form those who need it. It's just a matter of time before the delicate balance of nature explodes into chaos-and doom.
The Questing Road Lyn McConchie [Tor Hardcover]
With the spirit and excitement that have thrilled readers for more than two decades, Lyn McConchie has crafted a totally original fantasy of two lands in deadly conflict.
Acolytes to a dark god have crossed the gulf between worlds to abduct an innocent tariling, not even a year old, dooming it to become a sacrifice in a ceremony that will unleash an army of supernatural creatures upon an unsuspecting kingdom.
Yoros and Kyrryl know that this is no mere animal, but to its own (felinoid) kind is a cherished child. With their warrior niece, Ashara, they follow its trail through a dimensional gate, little realizing their simple quest will become a desperate fight for survival in the middle of an all-out war. They can't know of the atrocities that decimated the plains tribes of the strange world beyond the gate. Nor can they know of the massive revenge that threatens an entire civilization. If they are to save themselves and their lost tariling, they must follow its magic through the unknown terrors of a bizarre world of alien creatures and mortal perils beyond their wildest imagining.
With the apocalyptic ceremony looming ever nearer, the trio of seekers find others who may help them -- or whose treachery could spell doom for them all. As mortal and supernatural armies mass and secret pacts reveal ancient evils, only one thing is certain: death follows their road, and their only hope is to cheat the gods that seem to curse them...
The Phoenix Transformed (The Enduring Flame) Mercedes Lackey [Tor]
In The Enduring Flame trilogy, Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory have given readers a new view of the complex and fascinating world they originally created for The Obsidian Trilogy. Jumping one thousand years in time, Lackey and Mallory have told the compelling story of Harrier Gillain, the first Knight-Mage in a thousand years; Tiercel Rolfort, the first High Mage in hundreds of years; and Shaiara, the young leader of a desert tribe who takes both boys under her wing but finds that she has a special affection for Harrier.
These three young people are their world’s main defense against the evil called up by the rogue Wild Mage, Bisochim. Bisochim’s conviction that he was restoring the balance was shattered the moment Ahairan took her first breath. Now, in The Phoenix Transformed, Bisochim joins forces with Harrier and Tiercel and the three mages search desperately for a way to destroy Ahairan as she sends her magical forces against them and the desert nomads under their protection.
With more than one twist in the telling, centering on a magic-plagued journey across a blistering desert, The Phoenix Transformed is the stunning conclusion to The Enduring Flame.
The Mark of Nerath: A Dungeons & Dragons Novel Bill Slavicsek [Wizards of the Coast]
It is a time of magic and monsters, a time when only a few scattered points of light glow with stubborn determination amid a rising tide of shadows. It is a time when only the bravest heroes dare tread the wild of the unknown…
About a century ago, the collapse of Nerath, the last empire of the world, ushered in a dark age that continues to this day, the peace and prosperity of the past seemingly lost forever. However, even those fabled days weren’t without a few blemishes. One of these was Emperor Magroth the First, a tyrant and a conqueror; cruel, ambitious, filled with delusions of grandeur and dreams of destiny, and more than a bit insane.
During Magroth’s reign, rumors of necromancy and demon worship were rampant, but the truth was far worse. Thanks to deals he made, pacts he agreed to, and rituals he performed, death was not the end Emperor Magroth. Instead, a piece of him was drawn into the Shadowfell where he became the ruler of a domain of dead. From this vantage, the old king prepared for his return—and the new empire he would forge from the ruins of old.
Now Magroth has made a new deal with Orcus, the Demon Prince of Undeath, that frees him from his eternal prison for a year and a day. In that time, Magroth must re-establish his ancient kingdom while also accomplishing a series of terrible tasks for Orcus. To this end, Magroth’s plans intersect with two other threats that are rising in the world. Where these threats meet, the world shudders. And it falls to our heroes to keep the fragile lights of civilization burning for another day.
Labyrinth (Greywalker, Book 5) Kat Richardson [Roc Hardcover]
Harper Blaine was your average small-time P. I. until she died-for two minutes. Now she's a Greywalker, walking the line between the living world and the paranormal realm. There are others who know about her new powers-others with powerful tools and evil intentions, and now that the man who "killed" her has been murdered, the police are also paying close attention. That means Harper has to watch her step while searching for the ghost of her "killer"-who could be a valuable clue in the puzzle of Harper's past and her father's death, as well as a key to figuring out who's trying to manipulate her new powers and why. But with her growing powers pulling her into the Grey, Harper might not be able to come back out...
Elminster Must Die!: The Sage of Shadowdale (The Elminster Series) [Ed Greenwood Wizards of the Coast Hardcover]
Elminster Must Die! is the debut 4th edition appearance of one of the Forgotten Realms® world’s most iconic characters, written by the creator of the original Forgotten Realms campaign setting. An instant classic, and a must-read for every Realms fan.
When the goddess of magic was murdered, Elminster’s world shattered. Once the most powerful wizard in the world, immortal, beloved of the goddess of magic, and the bane of villainy, he is now a tired old man. He is powerful but mortal, and with all the enemies a man who makes a habit of saving the world tends to accumulate. To make matters worse, Elminster has needs—feeding powerful magic items to the Simbul, his lover, is the only thing that keeps her sane—but their increasingly risky collection leads his enemies right to him.
Black Swan Rising Lee Carroll [Tor TPB]
When New York City jewelry designer Garet James stumbles into a strange antiques shop in her neighborhood, her life is about to be turned upside down. John Dee, the enigmatic shopkeeper, commissions her to open a vintage silver box for a generous sum of money. Oddly, the symbol of a swan on the box exactly matches the ring given to her by her deceased mother. Garet can’t believe her luck and this eerie coincidence until she opens the box and otherworldly things start happening. . . .
That evening, the precious silver box is stolen. When Garet begins to investigate, she learns that she has been pulled into a prophecy that is hundreds of years old, and opening the box has unleashed an evil force onto the streets of Manhattan and the world at large. Gradually, Garet pieces together her true identity—one that her deceased mother desperately tried to protect her from. Generations of women in Garet’s family, including her beloved mother, suffered and died at the hands of this prevailing evil. Does Garet possess the power to reclaim the box and defeat this devastating force?
On her journey, she will meet the fey folk who walk unnoticed among humans and a sexy vampire who also happens to be a hedge fund manager that she can’t stop thinking about. But the fairies reveal a desire to overpower mere humans and the seductive vampire has the power to steal the life from her body. Whom can Garet trust to guide her? Using her newfound powers and sharp wit, Garet will muster everything she’s got to shut down the evil taking over her friends, family, New York City, and the world.
New in Sci-Fi
The Osiris Ritual George Mann [Tor Hardcover]
A steampunk mystery adventure featuring immortality, artifacts, and intrepid sleuths Sir Maurice Newbury and Miss Veronica Hobbes
Sir Maurice Newbury, Gentleman Investigator for the Crown, imagines life will be a little quieter after his dual successes solving The Affinity Bridge affair. But he hasn’t banked on his villainous predecessor, Knox, who is hell-bent on achieving immortality, not to mention a secret agent who isn’t quite what he seems....
So continues an adventure quite unlike any other, a thrilling steampunk mystery and the second in the series of Newbury & Hobbes investigations.
Shades of Gray: A Sholan Alliance Novel Lisanne Norman [DAW]
A new alliance has formed among the feline Sholans, the humans, and the Valtegan Primes. Determinedto retake the Valtegan planet that is the seat of the empire, the alliance seeks to reinstate the rightful heir to the throne and restore peace in the galaxy. Branded as a traitor by his own people, Sholan telepath and warrior Kusac must join forces with a former enemy, but now they have become true allies in the campaign to reclaim the empire-or die trying.
Dream Called Time: A Stardoc Novel S.L. Viehl [Roc]
Dispatched to investigate an unidentified ship that has emerged from a mysterious rift in space, Cherijo discovers technology far more advanced than anything she's ever seen. Before she can unravel the alien ship's mystery, Cherijo's own ship is sucked into the rift and transported through time. Unless she can find a way to reopen the rift, they will remain trapped in another time. And Cherijo will never see her family-which she's only just been reunited with-again...
Children No More (Jon & Lobo Series) Mark L. Van Name [Baen Hardcover]
No child should ever be a soldier. Jon Moore knew that better than most, having learned to fight to survive before he’d hit puberty. So when a former comrade, Alissa Lim, asks for his help in rescuing a group of children pressed into service by rebels on a planet no one cares to save, he agrees. Only later does he realize he’s signed up to do far more than he’d ever imagined. Jon’s commitment hurtles him and Lobo, the hyper-intelligent assault vehicle who is his only real friend, into confrontations with the horrors the children have experienced and with a dark chapter from his past.
New in Horror
Haunted Cemeteries: Creepy Crypts, Spine-Tingling Spirits, and Midnight Mayhem Tom Ogden (Globe Pequot)
Haunted Cemeteries exhumes more than two dozen stories of some of the most actively haunted graveyards from around the world—including the sordid account of a Florida grave robber, accusations of witchcraft and voodoo, and reports of a vampire or two. Tom Ogden, author of four other books in the Haunted series, also includes a “Ghost Hunter’s Guide to Graveyards” providing information for readers who wish to visit the haunted cemeteries and other sites . . . if they dare.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Undead Don Borchert [Tor TPB]
In the tradition of the blockbuster sensation Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Tor is proud to offer up The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Undead. Taking the original coming of age classic, Don Borchart has inflicted it with a taste of the macabre, as the world has been overrun by a Zombie epidemic that in the South has been dubbed "Zum." Where in the original text you would find Tom Sawyer duping his friends into whitewatching the fence, now in that same scene, Tom and his friends sharpen the edges of the fence to ward off Zombie approaches. Where Tom Sawyer doesn't have to fake his dealth, just merely pretends to be a Zum. The murderous Injun' Joe is the first of the rising self-realized zombies, who know what they are and are even more vicious for it.
This twist on the Mark Twain classic is sure to appear both to young readers who are exposed to this through school, horror readers who love a good Zombie tale, and those of use who grew up with Mark Twain's loveable characters. The book will be illustrated with key scenes from the original tale, now with Zombie injection.
Reviews
Pray for Dawn (Dark Days, Book 4) Jocelynn Drake [Eos]
Pray for Dawn is the four in Drake’s Dark Days urban fantasy series and unfortunately a change of pace the series drags this one down below the quality of the previous entries. While the first three books were told through the point of view of the Nightwalker Mira, this book is told from the POV of the vampire hunter Danaus. The change is more than a little jarring once you’ve become accustomed to a certain flow. Mira and Danaus—vampire and vampire slayer—who should be natural enemies, must join forces to prevent the annihilation of their separate races. Danaus is trying to solve the murder of a senator’s daughter that had supernatural elements to it. Most disturbing is that murder threatens to expose the existence of paranormal beings to the public.
This had the feel of a book that was either rushed or was a rough draft in certain parts. Danaus, especially in the first half of the book, is frankly a little boring and not strong enough of a character to be the focal point of the story. Tack on the fact that a good portion of the book is wasted on the investigation of the murder when Danaus already knows who the killer is. Huh? The attempts to retcon Danaus’ background came off as clumsy and forced.
This one was very strange. It just seems so rough like it was an outline that someone else finished. Grade C-
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