Night of Knives
Ian C. Esslemont
Tor, May 2009, $25.95 (hardcover); $14.95 (trade)
ISBN: 0765323699 (hardcover); 0765323710 (trade)

Every generation the isle of Malaz suffers from the convergence of the Shadow Moon when the real world becomes a shadow to other realities and these other realities come as shadows to Malaz. Rumors fly that this time will include the unique returns of Malazan Emperor Kellanved and his master assassin Dancer; neither has been seen in ages. Surly the Mistress of the Imperial Assassin the Claw ruled over the empire and is not taking any chances of losing her power so has traveled to the island to insure Kellanved and Dancer do not return.

As the moon rises, islanders stay in doors hoping to remain safe from the evil invaders, demon-hounds, walking dead and even more dreaded others things. Wanting to leave Malaz, Kiska feels joining the Imperial Forces is her only exit; battle tested veteran Temper hides from his past with a new identity on Malaz. Neither believed in the myths, but soon both become embroiled in the encroaching malevolence when a corpse asks Kiska to deliver a message as the ancient power of the Shadow Moon has arisen.

Ian C. Esslemont collaborated with Steven Erikson to create the multiple cultures of the Malazan World (see Mr. Erikson’s Book of the Fallen saga). In NIGHT OF KNIVES, he extrapolates on the prologue to Mr. Erikson’s the Gardens of the Moon to create a rich history that in the Book of the Fallen becomes mythical history. Fans of Malazan will be stunned with this super dark fantasy as Mr. Esslemont stays true to the essence of the latter years’ saga while providing a terrific tale.

Harriet Klausner

The Betrayal
Pati Nagle
Ballantine, Mar 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780345503855

Eliani’s spirit was shattered when her beloved rejected her after their after cup bonding. Despondent and feeling like she wasted a year and a day, Eliani enlists as an Alpinon Guard warrior, one of the most dangerous jobs an aelven can accept as death is a typical outcome but that no longer matters to her. She vows no male will ever get her heart again except her father whom she has become his top aid.

Turisan leaves Glenwhollow feeling upbeat about life as he goes to deliver a message from his father to congratulate the daughter of a family friend on her election as governor. He journeys through the invigorating woodlands but realizes someone is following him, whom he identifies as an Alpinon Guard. However, instead of an assault, he is taken to Hightstone where he receives great honors.

When he and Eliani meet they are not just attracted to one another; they share the legendary mindspeech. Both are appalled and frightened yet euphoric. Neither realizes their paranormal connection as much as their respective heart ties will be the main hope when the outlawed exiled former aelven clan Darkshore led by the bloodsucking Queen Shalr are crossing the Ebon Mountains to reclaim more than their lost status; they come to conquer and dine on the blood of their once allies.

This is an exciting romantic fantasy starring two intriguing protagonists and a solid support cast who add societal depth to the aelven clans or the vampiric alben. The reactions to the mindspeech between Eliani and Turisan are terrific as each covets the link but also fears what is going on. Fans will appreciate Pati Nagle’s appropriately titled tale and look forward to me adventures in Alpinon and beyond.

Harriet Klausner

Forbidden Moon
Elysa Hendricks
ImaJinn, Mar 2009, $14.00
ISBN: 1933417218

Exiled from Dramon due to her father’s avaricious attempts to steal the throne, Laila DiSanti lives alone in the mountains distrusting everyone and killing slave raiders and bandits while rescuing good people who find themselves in trouble. She sells her services, but no one wants to buy them more than Pace Alastar, who lives in the magically hidden Andacor Valley where the residents are immortal due to crystals; they pay the price of no emotions or desires

When they meet, she believes his valley is a myth; he explains about the earthquake that led to the breaking of some of the crystals. However, the remaining crystals are failing and consequently the people are dying. Their only hope of surviving is with his daughter Aria who can return the crystals back to health, but left the valley when her mother decided to leave because immortality without feelings is like death.. Laila agrees to help him find Aria. On their quest, they meet dangerous foes including the mountains, but it is the attraction between them that is most lethal; as he begins to learn what immortality’s true price is, but to pay the fee of love means leaving his beloved as a widow.

Elysa Hendricks’s delightful updating of Shangri-La is a beautiful adult fairy tale filled with romance, danger form various sentient species, other obstacles, and a quest filled with spins and detours. Part of the tension comes from the romance as viewers of the final scenes of the classic Capra film The Lost Horizon will wonder if that is how this couple’s relationship will end. Filled with varying cultures, the return to the Hendricks Moon realm of crystals (see CRYSTAL MOON and SHADOW MOON) is a winner.

Harriet Klausner

Bloodline
Maggie Shayne
Mira, May 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780778326182

When Lilith awakens, she feels confused as to where she is, how she got there, and why she is nude. Although it is cold at dusk, she feels no discomfort except for her emotional bewilderment. Somehow she knows to walk to Ethan’s nearby ranch though she has no idea why that feels right or how she knows the property is near.

Ethan, who was falling in love with her when they were prisoners, informs Lilith that she like him is a vampire trained by the top secret CIA Division of Paranormal Investigations as a killing operative. Also like him, she escaped from the Farm, the DPI’s top-secret facility. DPI brass wants both brought in from the cold while Lilith feels an obsessive need to free others from the Farm.

This is a superb romantic fantasy thriller starring two likable legendary escapees struggling to survive as anyone who kills either of them becomes an instant legend and anyone who brings one of them in from the cold to the CIA owns the “farm”. The story line is fast-paced, but driven by the lead couple who knows the danger they confront especially if they try to assault the Farm. Maggie Shayne’s fans will relish this fun fantasy thriller as Lilith and Ethan fall in love while taking the fight to the DPI.

Harriet Klausner

Storm Glass
Maria V. Snyder
Mira, May 2009, $13.95
ISBN: 780778325642

In Sitia the Stormdancer clan is near panicked over some recent deadly incidents. An apparent diabolically clever traitor has killed some glassmakers and destroyed the glass orbs they were creating that is needed to catch elemental power. They know this unknown adversary must be stopped before the realm is devastated beyond recovery by the power of unabated torrents.

Master Magician Cowan assigns glassmaker and apprentice magician Opal Cowan to investigate the deadly incidents as he believes her two skills make her uniquely qualified to learn what is going on. The two males who seem interested in her, Kade the Stormdancer who grieves the death of his twin and Ulrick the glassmaker who is a long time friend, help her. None of them realize the peril they place themselves in from crafty foes; none of whom have any compunction with killing someone even a person they have known for years.

This is a terrific mystery fantasy told mostly by the unconfident Opal, who believes she is a failure due to her inability to expand her magical skills, which is ironic as she was a heroine in MAGIC STUDY. The action-packed story line is fast-paced, but character driven while the whodunit is fun to follow. Fans of the Study trilogy will enjoy returning to that world as Maria V. Snyder writes an entertaining coming of age simply superb fantasy whodunit.
Harriet Klausner

God Of Clocks
Alan Campbell
Bantam, Apr 2009, $25.00
ISBN: 9780553384185

The King of Hell Menoa appears on the brink of achieving what would have been universally thought of as impossible over the past eons. The god appears ready to take over Heaven and therefore the universe and recreate it in his image.

Perhaps the only potential meaningful opposition comes from Menoa’s half-brother Cospinol, but he has hurt his chances of usurping his sibling as he tries to boil out the life essence of mad angel Carnival. However, the fallen angel’s former allies keep seeking a miracle as humanity as we know it will be extinct if they fail. Assassin Rachel, blood-mage Mina, demon-dog Basilis, sop god Hasp and the ghost Dill turn desperately to whom they believe is the last prayer Sabor the god of clocks who controls time. Menoa sends his invincible arconites to kill the last insurgency, but finally aware of the urgency of stopping his half brother is Cospinol, who sends his top aid to destroy the breach that will release a zombie horde; however, he may be too late.

The exciting final tale of the Deepgate Codex fantasy (see SCAR NIGHT and IRON ANGEL) is a gruesome violent finish to a fine trilogy. The story line is fast-paced, filled with bloody action, and a sense of desperation. Adding to the overall feel of violence is none of the Gods care one iota about the lesser beings except as an energy source, which seems apropos for the war of the gods. Although the ending takes a plausible but Twilight Zone twist that supersedes too much history, fans of the saga will overall enjoy the GOD OF CLOCKS.

Harriet Klausner

Pleasure Dome
L.F. Hampton
ImaJinn, Mar 2009, $14.00
ISBN: 9781933417455

At thirty-eight years of age, Warship Captain Soledad Scott of the Icarus faces mandatory retirement. She travels to the Straits at the end of known space to visit the Pleasure Dome. Soledad is a maternity client who will be teamed up with a sex toy male with the DNA she wants for the sire who will make her pregnant. Due to worm-hole dyslexia, she misreads room 660 as 990; the hunk waiting in the wrong room is expecting a sterile female sex toy.

Sol acts as if half-breed Chakkra empath Commander Gabriel Merriweather is her sex toy and he acquiesces enjoying the role change. However, in the morning she learns of her mistake and sneaks out of his room. Most species believes that Chakkra are violent barbaric mercenaries who prefer to fight to the death than negotiate. The empath cannot forget Sol, but fears she will reject him because of the reputation for violence his Chakkra heritage has in spite of the irony that he works in the Diplomatic Corps. He uses his empath skills tring to find Sol but they fail him because his target is a tranq; a person with the ability to mute the emotions that empaths like Gabeare bombarded with. Still he is coming for the woman who ran away with his sperm and his heart.

This is a sizzling, energizing science fiction romance that takes place far into the future vividly described by L.F. Hampton to the point that readers will believe they are at the Pleasure Dome. The heroine is a brave combat veteran who displays vulnerability once she embarks on her first post-retirement deployment. Gabe is her wonderful counterpart showing the same leadership caring qualities along with a liability (in his mind) of being half-breed Chakkra. Together they bring to readers a pleasurable romantic outer space thriller.

Harriet Klausner

The Empress Of Mars
Kage Baker
Tor, May 12 2009, $25.95
ISBN: 0765318903

After terraforming a moon colony into a mega profit, the British based Aerean Company has done likewise on Mars. However, unlike the great success on the moon, the Martian project has run into financial trouble as the profits have not been anywhere near the projections. Unable to retain the current workforce, Aerean downsizes many of the colonists, who have no alternatives once they are terminated.

Those unemployed must create work like Mary Griffith did as owner and brew-master of the only bar on the forth planet from the sun, The Empress of Mars. Others do likewise as Cochevelou forms an agricultural cooperative and Crosley establishes a casino-dental clinic. Others residing in the Martian Motel must find work as life on the aptly named Angry Red Planet for those discarded by the company is to generate a profit making cottage industry or die; Darwin is proving to be right as most of the stranded survivors know big business, Great Britain and mega religion except perhaps to the Ephesian Goddess worshippers are irrelevant.

With the Company taking a needed R&R, Kage Baker provides an intriguing look at a cast of outcasts struggling to survive, but those who do so throw away social convention (as defined by Aeran Company and Great Britain) in order to apply unconventional means. Rebellion seems impossible as the fired employees have no major market to buy weapons (this is not the Mexican cartels crossing into the United States and ironically applying their second amendment rights). The prime players have differing personalities yet share in common courage to make it; their mantra ought to be if I can make it on Mars I can make it anywhere even Manhattan. With a vast history hinted at like Luna terraforming and Great Britain winning the space race, fans will enjoy toasting these unlikely champions with a beer at the Empress of Mars.

Harriet Klausner

The Demon’s Librarian
Lilith Saintcrow
ImaJinn, Mar 2009, $14.00
ISBN: 9781933417448

She is the librarian in Jericho City who found a secret room filled with books of magical instructions and information. When Francesca “Chess” Barnes sees a demon eating a child, she vows to do something about that. She reads the books written by the founder of the Order, an organization pledged to keep humans safe. Chess learns spells including casting a demon out and owns a magic knife called Fang that can kill hell’s spawn, which she uses to eliminate one of these ugly amoral creatures.

Two men claiming to be from the Order arrive and ask if the founder of the Order’s library is in her library and she denies it. They smell the use of sorcery and Paul the Malik,, a human mage with magical powers, and Ryan, the Drakul half demon, which makes him a second class citizen in the Order, are in the front line war with the demons. Ryan follows Chess while Paul turns to another human he believes is using magic. Ryan realizes that Chess is using magic, but is much more as a Golden almost pure Phoenicus practitioner who if she attains her full potential will be able to kill even the almost invincible demonic High Ones. To his shock, Ryan falls in love with Chess, which may be the only reason she might survive as a traitor inside the Order knowing who she is wants to give her to the Inkani demons as a sacrifice for a rare rite.

The outwardly prim and proper (and underpaid) librarian gets down and dirty when she realizes the lethal threat to schools kids as her library is a battle zone between the paranormal and the normal. Ryan is the more intriguing character as he always assumed he was tainted with bad blood and the Order enforced his lack of self esteem (outside of his fighting demons); but Chess soothes the troubled beast through love. Lilith Saintcrow has written an enjoyable romantic urban fantasy in which the book world will agree don’t mess with THE DEMON’S LIBRARIAN as she silences the evil ones.

Harriet Klausner

Dangerous Ties
Devyn Quinn, Jodi Lynn Copeland and Anya Howard
Kensington Aphrodisia, Apr 2009, $12.95
ISBN: 9780758228741

“Personal Possessions” by Devyn Quinn. During a drug deal, Nikki is shot. When she awakens she is in bed naked with nude hunk Jackson who welcomes her to his Helle.

“Captive Heat,” by Jodi Lynn Copeland. The explosion knocked Leia out. When she regains consciousness she finds herself naked and tied down by vines in the underground abode of Sebastian. He plans to wakes up naked, underground and bound with vines as Leia’s captor teaches her acceptance as he explores her sensual boundaries

“Liaison” by Anya Howard. Marcel tries to keep his beloved Carina safe from the ancient vampire using a magic collar; while the villagers, as they for ages, perform sexual rites to restrain the evil that resides in their monastery.

These three romantic fantasy novellas are dark well written heated thrillers, but not for everyone as the hunks in the Quinn and Copeland tales teeter on the line between mutually accepted bondage and abuse; on the other hand that also makes them seem plausible as they somewhat remain in character even when they find a love mate. This also leaves the Howard entry different as the lead male is a pure hero fighting a pure evil over the woman he cherishes. Sub-genre fans will enjoy the DANGEROUS TIES that bound the lead characters to one another.

Harriet Klausner