Midkemia: The Chronicles of Pug by Raymond Feist

The world of Raymond Feist is beautifully depicted in Midkemia: The Chronicles of Pug (available from Harper Voyager £20) an illustrated deluxe compendium, complete with maps, character drawings, and first-person narrative text.

“‘In the first year of the reign of King Lyam conDoin, I, Pug of Crydee, magician to the royal court and cousin to the King by adoption, do take quill in hand and set forth this writ, that all may benefit from the knowledge I have gained…’ – Pug of Stardock

So begins the narrative account of Feist’s best-selling character, Pug of Stardock, for Midkemia Atlas. Part travel log/journal and part atlas, this visual compendium brings the world of Midkemia to illustrative life.

Starting at the Far Coast, the Pug, the hero of The Chaoswar Trilody, recounts his childhood, before he embarks on a journey that takes him to the Grey Towers, Sorcerer’s Isle, and Krondor. Pug also encounters several favourite characters and people along the way – including Jimmy and Locky, the Sauur, and Erik and Roo in Ravernburg.”

The Echo by James Smythe

The Echo by James Smythe, the sequel to The Explorer, is out next week from Harper Voyager (£16.99):

The disappearance of the spaceship Ishiguro twenty-three years ago devastated the global space program and set back exploration for a generation. Now, thanks to the tireless efforts of twin brothers Mira and Tomas Hyvonen, the program has been resurrected. Spearheading a new age of human discovery, the brothers also hope to solve the mystery behind the Ishiguro's disastrous mission.

Mira and Tomas are determined to make their trip successful. They have arranged everything down to the smallest detail. Nothing has been overlooked. They don't know that in space, the devil isn't always in the details ... and nothing goes according to plan.

The Wasteland Saga by Nick Cole

The Wasteland Saga by Nick Cole is an omnibus volume featuring The Old Man and the Wasteland, The Savage Boy and The Road is a River (Harper Voyager £9.99):

“Forty years after a devastating thermonuclear Armageddon, mankind has been reduced to salvaging the ruins of a broken world. In a style that’s part Hemingway and part Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, The Wasteland Saga chronicles the struggle of the Old Man, his granddaughter, and a mysterious boy as they try to survive the savage lands of this new American Dark Age.”

The Daylight War by Peter V Brett

Peter V Brett’s The Daylight War is out now from Harper Voyager (£8.99).

“Humanity has thirty days to prepare for the next demon attack, but one month is scarcely enough time to train a village to defend themselves, let alone an entire continent caught in the throes of civil war.

Arlen Bales understands the coreling threat better than anyone. Born ordinary, the demon plague has shaped him into a weapon so powerful he has been given the unwanted title of saviour, and attracted the attention of deadly enemies both above and below ground.

Unlike Arlen, Ahmann Jardir embraces the title of Deliverer. His strength resides not only in the legendary relics he carries, but also in the magic wielded by his first wife, Inevera, a cunning and powerful priestess whose allegiance even Jardir cannot be certain of.

Once Arlen and Jardir were like brothers. Now they are the bitterest of rivals. As humanity’s enemies prepare, the only two men capable of defeating them are divided against each other by the most deadly demons of all: those that lurk in the human heart.”

The Third Kingdom by Terry Goodkind

Terry Goodkind’s The Third Kingdom – a Richard and Kahlan novel – is due from Harper Voyager on 22 August (£20.00).

“The bloodthirsty Jit is dead, and against all odds Richard and Kahlan have survived. But a new menace has attacked them in the Dark Lands. Infected with the essence of death itself, robbed of his power as a war wizard, Richard must race against time to uncover and stop the infernal conspiracy assembling itself behind the wall far to the north. His friends and allies are already captives of this fell combination, and Kahlan, also touched by death's power, will die completely if Richard fails.

Bereft of magic, Richard has only his sword, his wits, his capacity for insight – and an extraordinary companion, the young Samantha, a healer just coming into her powers.”

Deep Space by Ian Douglas

Deep Space by Ian Douglas is published this coming week from Harper Voyager (£8.99).

“In the vein of the hit television show Battlestar Galactica comes the fourth book in this action-packed, New York Times bestselling, science fiction series in which humankind is in a vast power struggle to bring down an evil empire.

20 years after the fragile truce with the Sh’daar, Koenig is now President of the USNA, and Gray is skipper of the CVS America … soon to be promoted to commander of the entire battle group, Koenig’s old position, and one which he might not be ready for.

The truce with the alien Sh’daar is unravelling as many predicted, and Humankind still knows little about them, or what they are.”

Kill City Blues by Richard Kadrey

Kill City Blues by Richard Kadrey is out next week (Harper Voyager £12.99):

“James Stark, aka Sandman Slim, has managed to get out of Hell, renounce his title as the new Lucifer, and settle back into life in LA. But he also lost the Qomrama Om Ya, an all-powerful weapon from the banished older gods. Older gods who are returning and searching for their lost power.

The hunt leads Stark to an abandoned shopping mall — a global shopping paradise infested with Lurkers and wretched bottom-feeding Sub Rosa families, squatters who have formed tight tribes to guard their tiny patches of retail wasteland. Somewhere in this kill zone is a dead man with the answers Stark needs. All Stark has to do is find the dead man, recover the artefact, and outwit and outrun the angry old gods — and natural-born killers — on his tail.

But not even Sandman Slim is infallible, and any mistakes will cost him dearly.”

Earth Star by Janet Edwards

Earth Star by Janet Edwards is out on 15 August (Harper Voyager £7.99):

“18-year-old Jarra has a lot to prove. After being awarded one of the military’s highest honours for her role in a daring rescue attempt, Jarra finds herself – and her Ape status – in the spotlight. Jarra is one of the unlucky few born with an immune system that cannot survive on other planets. Derided as an ‘ape’ – a ‘throwback’ – by the rest of the universe, Jarra is on a mission to prove that Earth Girls are just as good as anyone else.

Except now the planet she loves is under threat by what could be humanity’s first ever alien contact. Jarra’s bravery – and specialist knowledge – will once again be at the centre of the maelstrom, but will the rest of the universe consider Earth worth fighting for?”

New books -- round up

• Julianna Bagott - Fuse - Headline £ 12.99
• C Robert Cargill - Dreams and Shadows - Gollancz £14.99
• Lauren DeStefano - Fever - Harper Voyager £7.99

• Justin Gustainis - Play With Fire & Midnight at the Oasis - Solaris £7.99 (April 11th)
• Philip Mann - The Disestablishment of Paradise - Gollancz £14.99
• Chris Priestley - Through Dead Eyes - Bloomsbury £10.99 (March 14th) 

• Robert Silverberg - Tales of Majipoor - Gollancz £14.99
• John Wagner, Alan Grant, et al - Mean Team - 2000AD £13.99 (graphic novel/ March 14th)
• Ian Whates (ed) - Solaris Rising 2 - Solaris £7.99 (April 11th)

Sever by Lauren DeStefano

Sever by Lauren DeStefano is the final volume in The Chemical Garden trilogy (Harper  Voyager £9.99)

“Time is running out for Rhine. With less than three years left until the virus claims her life, Rhine is desperate for answers. Having escaped torment at Vaughn’s mansion, she finds respite in the dilapidated home of her husband’s uncle, an eccentric inventor who hates Vaughn almost as much as Rhine does.

Rhine’s determination to be reunited with her twin brother, Rowan, increases as each day brings terrifying revelations to light about his involvement in an underground resistance. She realizes must find him before he destroys the one thing they have left: hope.”

In this conclusion to The Chemical Garden trilogy, “…everything Rhine knows to be true will be irrevocably shattered. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future…”

Blood of Dragons by Robin Hobb

Blood of Dragons by Robin Hobb is the final instalment in the Rain Wild Chronicles – due next month (Harper Voyager £20.00).

“The dragons and their motley crew of keepers (who are slowly turning into elegant Elderlings) have finally found the long lost city of Kelsingra where the mythical silver wells that the dragons need to survive supposedly exist. But the legendary city is shrouded in secrets and ancient memories trapped in stone and the wells are no where to be found. In a desperate attempt to unlock the whereabouts of the wells the keepers risk ‘memory walking’ — immersing oneself into the drug-like memories of long deceased Elderlings — to find clues necessary to their survival.

To make matters worse time is of the utmost importance because Tintaglia will not survive the wounds from her long sojourn to Kelsingra without silver. And if Tintaglia dies, she’ll take with her the ancient memories needed to survive and doom the group to extinction.”

The Daylight War by Peter V Brett

The Daylight War by Peter V Brett continues the fantasy series The Demon Cycle (Harper Voyager £18.99):

“On the night of a new moon all shadows deepen. Humanity has thirty days to prepare for the next demon attack, but one month is scarcely enough time to train a village to defend themselves, let alone an entire continent caught in the throes of civil war.

Arlen Bales understands the coreling threat better than anyone. Born ordinary, the demon plague has shaped him into a weapon so powerful he has been given the unwanted title of saviour, and attracted the attention of deadly enemies both above and below ground.

Unlike Arlen, Ahmann Jardir embraces the title of Deliverer. His strength resides not only in the legendary relics he carries, but also in the magic wielded by his first wife, Inevera, a cunning and powerful priestess whose allegiance even Jardir cannot be certain of.

Once Arlen and Jardir were like brothers. Now they are the bitterest of rivals. As humanity’s enemies prepare, the only two men capable of defeating them are divided against each other by the most deadly demons of all: those that lurk in the human heart.”

A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison

A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison is out this week from Harper Voyager (£7.99).

“Ritually murdered corpses are appearing across Cincinnati, terrifying amalgams of human and other.

Pulled in to help investigate by the I.S. and the FIB, former witch turned day-walking demon Rachel Morgan soon realises a horrifying truth: a human hate group is trying to create its own demons to destroy all Inderlanders, and to do so, it needs her blood.

She’s faced vampires, witches, werewolves, demons, and more, but humanity itself might be her toughest challenge yet.”

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima is the third volume in The Seven Realms Series (Harper Voyager £8.99):

“Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that he must save her, no matter what the cost. Nothing can prepare him for what he discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana’ Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han feels betrayed, but if he is to fulfil his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.

Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it — he’s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive — and even that might not be enough."

The Scrivener's Tale by Fiona McIntosh

Fiona McIntosh’s The Scrivener’s Tale is a standalone adventure moving from present-day Paris to medieval Morgravia (Harper Voyager £8.99):

“In the bookshops and cafes of present-day Paris, ex-psychologist Gabe Figaret is trying to put his shattered life back together. When another doctor, Reynard, asks him to help with a delusional female patient, Gabe is reluctant … until he meets her. At first Gabe thinks the woman, Angelina, is merely terrified of Reynard, but he quickly discovers she is not quite what she seems.

As his relationship with Angelina deepens, Gabe’s life in Paris becomes increasingly unstable. He senses a presence watching and following every move he makes, and yet he finds Angelina increasingly irresistible. When Angelina tells Gabe he must kill her and flee to a place she calls Morgravia, he is horrified. But then Angelina shows him that the cathedral he has dreamt about since childhood is real and exists in Morgravia.

Soon, Gabe’s world will be turned upside down, and he will learn shocking truths about who he is ... and who he can – or cannot – trust.”

The Daylight War by Peter V Brett

The Daylight War by Peter V Brett is book three in the Demon Cycle, due next month (Harper Voyager £18.99):

“Humanity is fighting back. Although the night still belongs to the demons that arise as the sun sets, new wards and weapons are giving those willing to fight in the darkness a chance to retaliate against their core-spawned enemies. But, as humanity is about to learn, not all monsters are confined to the dark.

Civil war ravages the north and south, battles fought between those who should be working together. It is up to Arlen – the Painted Man – and Jardir – the self-proclaimed Shar’Dama Ka, the Deliverer – to put aside their differences and bring their people to terms if they are to have any chance of saving their civilisation from demon-rule.”

The Explorer by James Smythe

There is no turning back in James Smythe’s The Explorer (Harper Voyager hardcover £12.99):

“When journalist Cormac Easton is selected to document the first manned mission into deep space, he dreams of securing his place in history as one of humanity’s great explorers. But in space, nothing goes according to plan.

The crew wake from hypersleep to discover their captain dead in his allegedly fail-proof safety pod. They mourn, and Cormac sends a beautifully written eulogy back to Earth. The word from ground control is unequivocal: no matter what happens, the mission must continue. But as the body count begins to rise, Cormac finds himself alone and spiralling towards his own inevitable death … unless he can do something to stop it.”

Heaven to Wundang by Kylie Chan

The third book in the Journey to Wundang urban fantasy series – based on ancient Chinese mythology – is published next month: Heaven to Wundang by Kylie Chan (Harper Voyager £8.99):

“The demons that could control stones and elementals have been defeated, but the most powerful of Simon Wong’s associates still remains – the one who can create almost undetectable copies of humans and Shen. This demon has allied with Kitty Kwok and together they plot to trap Emma and Simone in a web of copies.

Wudang Mountain is enveloped by dark foreboding as Xuan Wu begins to reappear – sometimes human, sometimes turtle, but always without memory. Emma and Simone must race from Hong Kong to Hanoi as they try to rescue Xuan Wu before the demons capture him.”

Initiate’s Trial by Janny Wurts

Initiate’s Trial by Janny Wurts (Harper Voyager £8.99) is the first book of Sword of the Canon, and the ninth in the Wars of Light and Shadow series.

“Betrayed and double-crossed, Arithon s'Ffalenn is held captive by the Order of the Koriathain. The desperate Fellowship Sorcerers have gambled the weal of Athera and forced through the perilous bargain that spared him, as the last Prince of Rathain, and their sole hope of unity. To suspend the Prime Matriarch's decree of execution, Arithon lives only to battle Marak's horde of free wraiths, unleashed one by one from the shielding grip of the star wards.
But on the day the last wraith is redeemed, the inflexible terms sealed by Dakar's oath of debt will come to be forfeit…

Against a world backdrop, in which the Religion of Light has undergone schism, the zealot True Sect's canon grips Tysan, its high priesthood stands consumed by its thwarted ambition: to conquer Havish, last crown bastion and backbone of order that secures the terms of Paravian survival. Now Lord Mayor of Etarra, Lysaer s'Ilessid must fight the pull of the Mistwraith's curse, and battle for sanity to uphold his just ethic. Another young defender will stand at his side, newly sworn by the Sorcerer's auspices.

As Arithon's life once again becomes the fulcrum that shifts the game board, Elaira's choice might save or break the unstable future; while at large and answerable to no mortal law, Davien and the dragon that holds his service throw in the wild card no one predicts…”

Chasing Magic by Stacia Kane

Chasing Magic by Stacia Kane – the fifth volume in the Downside Ghosts series – see is published by HarperVoyager (£7.99).

“Magic-wielding Churchwitch and secret addict Chess Putnam knows better than anyone just how high a price people are willing to pay for a chemical rush. But when someone with money to burn and a penchant for black magic starts tampering with Downside’s drug supply, Chess realizes that the unlucky customers are paying with their souls – and taking the innocent with them, as the magic-infused speed compels them to kill in the most gruesome ways possible.

As if the streets weren’t scary enough, the looming war between the two men in her life explodes, taking even more casualties and putting Chess squarely in the middle. Downside could become a literal ghost town if Chess doesn’t find a way to stop both the war and the dark wave of death-magic, and the only way to do that is to use both her addiction and her power to enter the spell and chase the magic all the way back to its malevolent source. Too bad that doing so will probably kill Chess – if the war doesn’t first destroy the man who’s become her reason for living.”