Kris Longknife: Intrepid, by Mike Shepherd (Ace, 2008)

The infamous Princess Kristine Longknife of Wardhaven is, surprisingly enough, bored. Sure, she has her very own warship, disguised as a merchant vessel, laden with scientists and researchers intent on exploring beyond the rim of human space, but she’s a … Continue reading

The Flaxen Femme Fatale, by John Zakour (DAW, 2009)

Good news: No one has managed to kill Zachary Nixon Johnson, the last freelance P.I. on Earth yet. Bad news: It’s still early. That’s about how you can sum up any day for our hero. And when a mysterious woman … Continue reading

Countdown, by Michelle Maddox (Shomi, 2008)

Kira has been eking out a passable existence as a thief and pickpocket ever since the brutal murder of her family when she was in her teens. Occasionally using her psychic ability to “read” people, she picks her targets carefully. … Continue reading

Agent to the Stars, by John Scalzi (Tor, 2008)

The good news: There’s intelligent life out there, and they’ve come to Earth to meet us. They’re friendly, and eager to get to know us. The bad news: They resemble gelatinous cubes, and communicate amongst themselves by means of odor. … Continue reading

The Final Sacrifice, by Patricia Bray (Bantam Spectra, 2009)

Following the untimely deaths of the rest of the royal family, only Prince Lucius remained to be crowned emperor of Ikaria. Now Lucius reigns supreme over a land that could crack apart at any moment, thanks to the high-level rivalries … Continue reading

The Automatic Detective, by A. Lee Martinez (Tor, 2008)

Mack Megaton isn’t your average joe on the street. He’s actually a reprogrammed robot built for destruction and world domination who, upon gaining free will, gave up his creator’s megalomanical ways and has gone straight, earning his citizenship one day … Continue reading

Star Wars: Street of Shadows, by Michael Reaves (Del Rey, 2008)

In the bloody, violent days following the implementation of Order 66, the Jedi have been slaughtered, their temples burned, their fellowship broken by the newly-formed Empire, with the Emperor’s protégé, Darth Vader, tracking down those few to survive and escape. … Continue reading