Imager’s Intrigue
L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
Tor, Jul 20 2010, $27.99
ISBN: 9780765325624

Rhennthyl has come a long way since his time as an apprentice portrait artist when a fire unveiled his talent as an Imager. In L’Excelsis, Solidar he has become Captain, Third District of the Civil Patrol; Rhenn is also ranked as a Maitre D’Structure of Collegium Imago of Solidar; he has been married for five years to Sellora though they never sleep the night together due to his Imager nightmares that could burn down a room; and finally the pair has a delightful daughter Diestrya.

While war looms again between Ferrum and Jariola, an arsonist torched the grain warehouse of a Freeholder; the latest to be burned down almost all owned by Freeholders while High Holders seem suspiciously immune. Finally an explosion near Place D’Opera in the Second District left several dead including Factor Broussard D’Factorious and his family; who was the target of terrorists Workers for Justice. Commander Artois says be vigil. Rhenn is soon caught in the crosshairs as his work as an apprentice painter (see Imager) and as a liaison to the law (see Imager’s Challenge) makes him a target from a powerful adversary. This enemy knows Rhenn’s skills from their previous confrontations and needs to insure the Imaging Captain is neutralized to prevent his interference with a diabolical plot; killing him and his family is the only way to eliminate him.

The third Imager Portfolio is an exhilarating thriller that reads like a Victorian French fantasy, which stands alone, but is enhanced, by reading the previous two entries especially when the past comes home to roost. The story line is fast-paced while the locales are vivid; as expected from a former artist turned Imager. Readers will relish the latest entry as L.E. Modesitt, Jr. entertainingly ties the news together in a strong tale in which the hero knows he has come a long way, but learns how fast you can go in reverse.

Harriet Klausner

The Fuller Memorandum
Charles Stross
Ace, Jul 6 2010, $24.95
ISBN: 9780441018673

Needing to come in from the cold to update the paper work, demonologist Bob Howard is stunned when the top secret The Fuller Memorandum vanishes. As shocking, his dedicated boss Angleton, who could scare the sh*t out of God if there is one, also disappears at the same time. The management of Laundry assumes Angleton stole the highest classified dossier.

Bob knows he must go back into the field to find the missing Fuller memorandum and what happened to his boss. He soon runs into angry Russian espionage agents, even angrier demons, and the moronic cult followers of the Eater of Souls who if they raise the evil one they will learn life lesson 101 that when it comes to the malevolent; they owe no favors as they will dine on the followers before moving on to the rest of mankind.

The latest Laundry Files (see The Jennifer Morgue and The Atrocities Archives) is a terrific pull no punches paranormal espionage thriller as the action starts from the onset even with Howard musing about Jesus, Moses and the Dalai Lama in his usual irreverent scornful way. Fast-paced as Howard makes his inquires into the missing Fuller memorandum and his boss, and the lunatics who are trying to bring the end of the world to the world. Bod and Bourne never faced the adversaries Howard confronts; as he fears finding and not finding Angleton, and wants to avoid becoming the Eater of Souls’ dessert.

Harriet Klausner

Legacies
Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill
Tor, Jul 6 2010, $18.99
ISBN: 9780765327079

The car accident killed her entire family; only teenage Spirit White survived. She has little time to grieve and barely enough to heal as she is informed she will live at Oakhurst Academy where she will attend school.

Spirit is shocked to find Oakhurst is a school for orphans with magical skills. They are being trained to fight in a war against an alleged evil. As she makes friends with Burke, Lachlan, Muirin and Adelaide, Spirit begins to question the accident that left her an orphan and the intentions of those running Oakhurst Academy when it comes to the students who have no parental protection.

Putting aside the obvious comparison to Potter, the first Shadow Grail teen fantasy is an exciting thriller in which the locale, creepy Oakhurst Academy brings the freshness with its foreboding sort of gothic ambience. Spirit is a terrific lead protagonist while the rest of her inner circle of BFFs comes out of the DC Teen Titan handbook. Still with a bit of romance, a lot of suspense and a young adult investigation into missing students, teenage fans will want to attend the dances at eerie Oakhurst Academy.

Harriet Klausner

Close Contact
Katherine Allred
Eos, Jun 8 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780061672439

Genetically enhanced person Echo Adams is not a typical GEP. She was gifted with a rare Psi ability, which makes her perfect on her current diplomatic assignment as an emissary in the Alien Affairs office.

Echo is disturbed when she is ordered out of the office to perform field work; as she does not do stinky outdoor work; especially when others might shoot you. Still she is considered the only person capable of handling the powerful Daughter Stone of the Limantti species that has been stolen. Accompanied by Peri the dragon bird and using her Psi skills to follow the thieves’ trail leads Echo to Madrea; a planet in which the ruler has severed all relationships with the Federation and outlawed technology. Echo understands the mission is to retrieve the Daughter Stone, get out alive and not cause a King to ignite in fury. Her only hope of success is with Royal Commander Reynard.

The second Alien Affairs science fiction romance (see Close Encounters) is a jocular affair that satires the kick male butt heroine phenomena as this lead female prefers the air conditioned office in which choosing what to eat for lunch is an adventure rather than off planet field encounters of a deadly kind. Fast-paced, fans who enjoy a fun somewhat simplistic lampooning of the super heroine sub-genre will want to read Close Contact as Echo Adams is promised a lot, but nothing until the end is met; as her amusing asides throughout will attest.

Harriet Klausner

The Sleeping Beauty
Mercedes Lackey
Luna, Jul 1 2010, $24.95
ISBN: 9780373803156

Eltaria is an affluent kingdom that its neighbors covet favosr from. Especially of interest is the unmarried Princess Rosamund. Following the death of her mom the shepherdess turned monarch, all anticipate the magical Tradition should soon force her into some sort of fairy tale adventure with her own county’s aristocracy wanting to become her spouse and that of nearby nations hoping to work a pact through her marriage to one of their nobles.

Not long after her mom’s death, Princess Rosa flees from the royal huntsman charged with killing her. Seven dwarves rescue her, but she drinks a poisonous potion that puts her to sleep. Viking Prince Siegfried tries to kiss her awake as heroes do. However, Rosa’s fairy godmother (aside quote from my insightful nephew Jordan: “they don’t make fairy godmothers like they used to.”) throws out the Tradition book when she insists on a contest to win the still top catch in the area. Rosa agrees to the games between contenders to her hand, but insists on setting the rules of the events.

The fifth Five Hundred Kingdoms fairy tale romance is an amusing entertaining tale that obviously follows for the most part The Sleeping Beauty legend but also includes pieces from other fables as Mercedes Lackey spins the original into a refreshingly new Tradition. Fast-paced and very jocular, the plot lacks the passion of previous entries like The Snow Queen, but is still fun as the insider fairy tale puns and jokes mindful of Shrek (with a nod to Puss N Boots for instance) make for a lighthearted frolic; the Three Stooges being Siegfried, Leopold and Luna the unicorn with Rosa playing the straight woman.

Harriet Klausner

The Girls with Games of Blood
Alex Bledsoe
Tor, Jul 6 2010, $14.99
ISBN 9780765323842

He had survived for ages until 1915 when Baron Rudolfo Vladimir Zginski was staked through the heart. In 1975 pathologist Patricia Johnson withdraws the cross from the mummified corpse, which revives the dormant dead Continental vampire. In Memphis, when he meets some moronic young hippie vamps, he reluctantly takes the kids under his wings (see Blood Groove).

Mentoring vamps is not easy for a vowed misogynist; especially the push for gender and racial equality when he knows he is the superior breed due to his aristocratic heritage, sex and race, yet his sidekick is black Leonardo Jones. However, he has a new passion with the modern age and buys a 1973 Mustang from Zeb Crabtree while Jones wants to bite Zeb’s daughter, Clora. At the Ringside Club Rudolfo owns, his waitress Fauvette meets undead singer Patience Bolade who like her estranged sister Prudence thrives without drinking blood. Zeb wants to bring the battling sisters past their civil war fight to the modern age as he wants to taste both Bolade babes; unaware how nasty a baseball bat can be when it strikes the head of even a vampire when the hitter swings for the fences.

Not for everyone as the Baron may be sophisticate and suave, but he also is a malicious racist, nasty sexist and arrogant elitist. Starting with the opening profound one word profanity at the bar the story line is filled with gore, action, and gore as the Baron goes after sisters of the blood in an entertaining but over the top of the Smokey Mountains historical vampire tale.

Harriet Klausner

The Season of Risks
Susan Hubbard
Simon & Schuster, Jul 6 2010, $14.00
ISBN: 9781439183427

Ari Montero is a hybrid half vampire who played an instrumental part in finding her mother and bringing her back to her home where she reconnected with her family. Being a hybrid she has yet to find out what powers of a vampire she will eventually have. Like most of the Sanguinist sect of vampire, Ari and her family drink artificial blood; unlike the Colonists and Nebulists who see humans as chattel while the latter believes the species will become extinct.

Although Ari has the body of a fifteen years old, she is twenty-one and involved in a relationship with Senator Neal Cameron who as an independent has a real chance to be elected president; he also belongs to no sect. They keep their relationship quiet because of Ari’s official age. She allows Dr. Roche, a vampire, to inject her with the synthetic growth hormone Septinal. She soon looks like she is older, but someone shows her true birth certificate saying she is only fifteen to the media; destroying Cameron’s election chances. She is unaware that Roche is cloning people and inhabitant them with spirits. Ari and company bring Roche before COVE (Council of Vampire Ethics) to accuse him of illegal experiments but he turns the table around and accuses Ari and her family of heinous criminal activity. He insists they pulled the strings and defending themselves is not easy because they destroyed the evidence,.

Susan Hubbard’s wonderful vampire tale will appeal to fans of vampire lovers who love their vamps portrayed as another species most of whom are good and live like humans except at mealtimes. As a half human who is ignorant of what her extrasensory abilities will be since hybrids rarely exist, Ari must learn them while the heat is on. Her energy is invigorating as she discovers by trial and error what she can do. With a political sexual subplot that is very realistically portrayed, readers will enjoy Ari’s coming of age enthralling and riveting hybrid investigative urban fantasy.

Harriet Klausner

A Devil in the Details
K.A. Stewart
Roc, Jul 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780451463432

Jesse James Davidson has extraordinary fighting skills in the job he has chosen to do. Sometimes people make deals with a demon until they want to exchange for their souls and later decide the cost is too high. Jesse bets his soul that he can defeat the demon in a fight and so far he has won every bout. He got into the guardian profession when he risked his soul to rescue his younger brother.

His latest satisfied customer is the President of the United States. He gets a call from a potential client baseball giant Nelson Kidd who made a deal with a demon to restore his ability to be a champion baseball player. He took his team to the World Champions but now wants out of the deal. Jesse charges him a huge fee because he earns it to pay his medical bills from the fight with the demon. Two other champions Miguel and Guy have fallen off the radar and it is assumed they died. Both called the same number before they vanished and both tried but failed to log on to the guardian database. It looks like something is killing the guardians but Jesse has no time to investigate because he has a demon to fight. He is also staying away from Axel the demon who wants his soul and who apparently is stalking him.

K.A. Stewart is a welcome addition to the urban fantasy writers with a strong opening entry. Told in the first person by the laconic hero in a sardonic witty voice, readers get to know Jesse up front and in person. Flawed and courageous, Jesse risks eternity to help those who cut demonic deals although by doing so he shortens his lifespan because one day he will lose a fight.. A Devil in the Details is a dynamic debut.

Harriet Klausner

Shades of Gray
Jackie Kessler & Caitlin Kittredge
Bantam, Jun 22 2010, $16.00
ISBN: 9780553386325

In New Chicago, Jet and Iridium know their relationship is still changing. Once the pair was the best friends forever; soon afterward they became the best of enemies forever; recently out of desperation they teamed up to defeat the Night (see Black and White) though each believes this changes nothing between them.

However an unintended consequence of their victory over the rogue superhero is in destroying the brainwashing transmitting gizmo that controlled Squadron loyalty has posed a new threat. With no one pledged to Corps-Co any longer since the transmitter failure, the Squadron members are outraged, divided and confused. Extrahumans wants revenge while normal humans are turning catatonic as an old enemy of superheroes Everyman has surfaced with vengeance in mind. While Doctor Hypnotic has escaped incarceration using his mesmerizing power to cause further mayhem for everyone especially the former BFFs who still want to remain on the side of the law though that is increasingly turning impossible as their former allies, their enemies, even a dad, and the humans they pledge to protect are after them.

This is a great work of speculative fiction that rotates past and present through the viewpoints of various characters. Fast-paced with plenty of action as seemingly everyone residing in New Chicago wants to either kill or ate least kick the butts of Jet and Iridium. With a nod to The Watchmen, fans will relish the second Kessler-Kittredge superb superhero world as the heroines learn an inconvenient truth about the past and unintentional second and third order effects.

Harriet Klausner

Tracking the Tempest
Nicole Peeler
Orbit, Jul 1 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780316056571

In Rockabill, Maine hybrid Jane True struggles with learning she is half Selkie. She also tries to understand her new skill as a magic practitioner. However, Jane is also running out of time as purebreds detest Halflings; preferring the Selkie species to be perfectly pure. On the other hand Nell the gnome, Anyan the dog and Trill the kelpie train her on her new skills; though Jane thinks torture is a mire accurate description of their mentoring her.

Her beloved Ryu the vampire is on her side though he is in Boston on a homicide investigation. When she decides to visit her vampiric investigator, Jane never expected to become part of an inquiry he is making into Conleth the Halfling Ifrit, who escaped from a Dorchester lab that blew up right after he got out. Ryu thinks Conleth blew up the lab and has become a serial killer especially of Halflings, but Jane finds several other suspects who will not mind the murder of a nosy Halfling.

The latest Tempest urban fantasy (see Tempest Rising) is an excellent urban fantasy as the heat is on the heroine (and her lover) in Boston. The story line is fast-paced from the moment the heroine joins her “Impaler” lover in Boston and never slows down as the pair search for a paranormal serial killer. Readers will relish Tracking the Tempest as Jane seems truly to be in the eye of the perfect killer storm.

Harriet Klausner