The Mermaid's Madness, by Jim C. Hines (DAW, 2009)

Once upon a time, there were three very special princesses. Each one inspired a fairy tale, and in each case, the facts were either exaggerated or outright fabricated. Even so, there remains an element of truth to Sleeping Beauty, Snow … Continue reading

The Stepsister Scheme, by Jim C. Hines (DAW, 2009)

Once upon a time, there was a young woman named Cinderella. Some stuff happened involving an evil stepmother, some nasty stepsisters, a glass slipper, and a prince. Cinderella and her prince fell in love, were married, and lived happily ever … Continue reading

Eyes Like Leaves, by Charles de Lint (Subterranean Press, 2009)

It all begins with a dream, a long-awaited summoning that calls the tree-wizard Tarn into action after ages of quiet waiting. Compelled by the god known as Hafarl the Summerlord to seek out those with the Summerlord’s blood in their … Continue reading

Beyond the Shadows, by Brent Weeks (Orbit, 2008)

The unthinkable has happened: the Godking of Khalidor is dead, slain in combat versus the legendary wetboy, Kylar Stern and the beautiful, treacherous Vi. Now the shattered kingdom of Cenaria has to put itself together again in the aftermath of … Continue reading

Shadow's Edge, by Brent Weeks (Orbit, 2008)

Cenaria has fallen to the ruthless Godking of Khalidor and his armies. The legendary wetboy, Durzo Blint, is dead at the hands of his apprentice Kylar Stern, who has since rejected the life of a killer for the quiet existence … Continue reading

The Way of Shadows, by Brent Weeks (Orbit, 2008)

In many ways, Cenaria is the cesspool of Midcyru, a realm of murderers, thieves, and opportunists perpetually threatened by other lands, the most dangerous of which is Khalidor, ruled by their merciless Godking. In Cenaria City, the worst spot of … Continue reading

Warrior Wisewoman, by Roby James (Norilana Books, 2008)

Meant in part as a science fiction companion to the long-running (and recently-resurrected) fantasy anthology series Sword and Sorceress, Warrior Wisewoman is . . . well, a complex creature, if one reads the note of explanation in the back. There, … Continue reading

Wicked Game, by Jeri Smith-Ready (Pocket Books, 2008)

Ciara Griffin spent most of her life as a con artist, helping herself to other peoples’ money, until her work started to eat away at her conscience. After one last big score, she retired from that life, and went back … Continue reading

The Edge of Reason, by Melinda Snodgrass (Tor, 2008)

There’s a saying: no good deed goes unpunished. Richard Oort, an Albequerque cop, is about to learn this the hard way, when his rescue of a teenage from from a group of inhuman attackers drags him into the middle of … Continue reading

The Devil You Know, by Jenna Black (Dell Spectra, 2008)

Freelance exorcist Morgan Kingsley has demon problems like she never expected. To her immense annoyance, she’s the unwitting host for Lugh, exiled king of the demons, who’s using her as a refuge while a power struggle in the Demon Realms … Continue reading