Fatal Error
F. Paul Wilson,
Tor, Oct 12 2010, $25.99
ISBN: 9780765322821

Repairman Jack feels like he is caught in some sort of cosmic middle between the Ally and the Otherness while also fearing that the Septimus Order united with the Kickers to kill the Lady in order enable the evil Otherness to enter earth reality. However, even as he resents being the bodyguard of the lady, Jack is caught in a local scenario when a desperate Munir Habib pleads with the mercenary to save his family.

The Septimus Order and their nefarious allies plan to shut down the Internet. Mr. Osala quietly encourages these cult terrorists to do so while he also prepares a newborn infected by the Otherness that he had abducted from the baby’s stunned mother Dawn Pickering to bring his prime adversary Jack to his knees.

The latest Repairman Jack thriller is a great refreshing entry in what consistently has been one of the best sagas over the past two decades (ancient history of Reagan was in the White House when he first appears). The story line is fast-paced and filled with twists as several of the mercenary adversaries seem to have united with a common cause that starts with his death. However though they have battled before and this is his penultimate tale, they still don’t know Jack.

Harriet Klausner

Factotum
D. M. Cornish
Putnam, Nov 11 2010, $19.99
ISBN: 9780399246401

A Foundling, Rossamund Bookchild wants to know something about his roots as currently his knowledge about his parents is zero. He leaves behind his home and in many ways his youth as he sets forth on an adventure to find out just who he is.

As he treks the Half-Continent, he faces danger but never quits his quest. As he continues his march, he faces frightening truths; of which the worst remains not knowing anything about who he is. Naimes Duchess in Waiting, Europe the monster hunter, “adopts” Rossamund as her Factotum and friend while teaching her protégé that evil comes in all shapes and forms including human packaging, but his quest for his identity has already aroused the long time dormant Monster Lords.

The third Foundling’s Tale (see Foundling and Lamplighter) is a great final fantasy as Rossamund learns more truth than he would prefer. Fast-paced with a sort of ancient feel to the vernacular and enhanced by drawings and maps, teen readers will want to join the Foundling and they aristocrat as they hunt monsters including people and seek clues to who Rossamund is especially since his search has awakened the most hideous lethal Monster Lords.

Harriet Klausner

The Wolf Age
James Enge
PYR, Oct 5, 2010, $17.00
ISBN 9781616142438

By nature an extreme pessimist who in spite of his adept skills knows he cannot live up to the legend of his father except when he is intoxicated. Enchanter Morlock Ambrosius wonders what else could go wrong as nothing seems to be going his way. In the werewolf city-state of Wuruyaaria, he figures he hit rock bottom when he is confined in a prison inside Vargulleion, a werewolf fortress. Morlock soon learns he has not bottomed out when he is forced to kill another inmate who attacked him.

His new cell mate is Rokhlenu the werewolf, whose life he once saved. They become friends watching each other’s back in the dangerous dungeons. However, Morlock also struggles with his sanity as the glass spike pounded into his head blocks his Sight leading to out of control paranoid rages. Working together, the pair escapes, but being on the outside in a city boiling over with angry werewolves divided in strife during an election year proves more dangerous than lock up.

Making last summer’s Tea Party look like tea partiers, The Wolf Age is an excellent political fantasy as James Enge paints balloting skewered by the sword and claw; making Wuruyaaria seem worse than 1850s Bleeding Kansas and that of 2008 violent Kenya. The taut story line is character driven by the honor of blood werewolf voters as democracy proves deadly. With morose Morlock as the guide (see Blood of Ambrose and This Crooked Way), readers will appreciate the dark, grim and gloomy portrayal of democracy.

Poisoned Kisses
Stephanie Draven
Harlequin Nocturne, Oct 1 2010, $5.25
ISBN: 9780373618453

“Poisoned Kisses”. The Underworld Nymph Kyra fears what her father Ares plans to do. Ares wants to use toxic blood to change a man into a deadly hydra. His choice is weapons dealer Marcos Kaisaris. Marcos believes he can save the world from the madness of weapons of mass destruction by arming the oppressed. Like her sire, Kyra seeks Marcos out with her plan being to kill him so her father cannot capture him. When they meet, Marcos’ tainted blood burns Kyra, costing her immortality. Still she refuses to quit although now she considers locking him away from her dad. In their second battle, they fall in love so she plans to keep him safe or die in the attempt.

“Midnight Medusa”. As a child in war torn Bosnia, Renata saw first hand humanity’s cruelty. She escaped to New York City where she became a sculptor who made pieces of the war criminals she witnessed performing their horrific cleaning. Once she completed a work, the “model” died horrifically. The son of Ares, Damon kidnaps the artist and informs her who she is and why her art kills.

The romantic fantasy Poisoned Kisses is a terrific tale that grips the audience from the moment lead couple meet and never slows down as natural enemies fall in love. Readers also receive a wonderful romantic urban fantasy short story Midnight Kisses with a great paranormal twist though the lead couple is obviously less developed; this was previously an e-tale. With two offspring of Ares entries, Stephanie Draven provides fans with a joyous trip to “Mythica”.

Harriet Klausner

The Keepers
Heather Graham
Harlequin Nocturne, Oct 1 2010, $5.25
ISBN: 9780373618446

In New Orleans, Fiona MacDonald is one the Keeper sisters who watch over the city’s vampire, shapeshifter and a few unmentionables population though her focus is the bloodsuckers. Her job is to resolve conflict as quietly as possible and to insure the species behaves themselves so as to keep the humans ignorant that the otherworldly reside in their midst.

A serial killer who apparently is a rogue vampire strikes the city. The psychopath drinks blood dry of blond females before dumping their corpses on cemetery crypts. Fiona and vampire detective Jagger DeFarge work together to end an undead reign of terror while her Keeper peers and her siblings warn her not to trust a bloodsucker.

This exhilarating romantic urban fantasy is an otherworldly police procedural that grips the reader with Heather Graham’s vividly dark view of New Orleans. The story line is fast-paced and filled with twists. The investigation makes for an interesting paranormal whodunit in which the Keeper and the Vampire try to ignore their attraction as they are natural enemies and critically understand ending the fiend’s murderous terror supersedes all else.

Harriet Klausner

Hull Zero Three
Greg Bear
Orbit, Nov 22 2010, $19.95
ISBN: 9780316072816

Millenniums into the distant future, Sanjay wakes up without any memories. He has no idea who he is or how he got where he is. He also is confused by his guide, a small girl who seems aware of what is going on.

As he somewhat gets his bearing, Sanjay learns he is on a starship sailing through space. The vessel contains generations traveling to a new home, but he soon learns an internal dispute threatens the safety of the ship and its passengers at a time when they enter a dangerous supernovae sector. Sanjay is beginning to learn why he is awake during this crisis as he is not what he thought he was.

Hull Zero Three is a fun science fiction thriller that adds very little new to the generational ark in space sub-genre as the reader will know what follows in this frequently used theme (see the movie Pandorum and Baxter’s Ark). Still filled with non stop action and starring an intriguing confused hero and several support characters adding to his bewilderment by their divided commentary, fans will enjoy disasters strike the starship of Hull Zero Three.

Harriet Klausner

The Broken Kingdoms
N.K. Jemisin
Orbit, Nov 3 2010, $13.99
ISBN: 9780316043960

A decade ago in the city of Shadow, the world tree sprung up after an incredible amount of magic was released. Blind artist Oree works in the shade of the world tree by selling junk to tourists visiting the city to see the tee.

Oree conceals her real talent as a painter from everyone by drawing only inside her home. When she finds a homeless man living inside a muck bin, Oree feels sorry for him. She takes him to her home only to learn what happens to Good Samaritans. A God is murdered in plain sight and anyone who Oree cherishes is harmed forcing the artist to come out of the shadows of her house to defend those she cares about.

The second Inheritance fantasy is a terrific tale held together by the fascinating Oree who has come a long way in the decade that has passed since the events of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. Oree is super as she defends weaker people from bullies in a realm that believes only the strong survive. Although The Broken Kingdoms can stand alone as a deep character driven thriller, fans will want to read its excellent predecessor The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms as a great fantasy opening act but also to see how far the intrepid reclusive blind artist has come to be a champion of the downtrodden as she can see the Distance.

Harriet Klausner

Cryoburn
Lois Bujold
Baen, Oct 19 2010, $25.00
ISBN: 9781439133941

Residents of the planet Kibou-daini believe strongly in putting off death preferably forever. At the direction of Barrayaran Emperor Gregor to investigate the planet’s cryo-corporations, Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan arrives on the planet to attend a cryonics conference. However, he is a few days on the orb when someone drugs the interplanetary diplomat. Miles escapes from his wannabe kidnappers, but his mind is hazy from whatever was given to him.

Jin Sato rescues a dazed Miles. Jin’s mother led a cryo reform movement until she was declared incompetent and frozen. Living amidst the impoverish masses, Jin runs a cline for the poor. As Miles learns about the cryo war over heirs and inheritance, he begins to meet the natives inside and outside of frozen coffins.

This is a great addition to the Vorkosigan diplomatic science fiction thrillers. Following regal orders, the hero investigates a convoluted series of events that appear only loosely tied by a cryo theme. Vorkosigan finally connects the dots only leading to greater peril; by those who do not want to come in from the cold. Simply put, Cryoburn is a timely super entry as the Imperial Auditor uncovers the stunning truth and he also learns Diplomatic Immunity will not keep him alive.

Harriet Klausner

Wolfsbane
Patricia Briggs
Ace, Nov 2 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780441019540

A year has passed since Geoffrey ae’Magi died, but his impact still lingers. Aralorn learns her father, the Lyon of Lambshold, has recently died. Although the shapeshfting mercenary has been away from home for over a decade, she returns home to honor her aristocratic father. She and Wolf travel to Reth to say goodbye to her father.

However, in Reth, Aralorn and Wolf are stunned with what greets them. Her dad is sort of dead and sort of not dead. They investigate what happened to her sire. What they find out has both panicking as evidence mounts that Geoffrey ae’Magi lives and her father is spellbound by an evil sorcery trying to trap Aralorn.

Wolfsbane is a delightful follow-up to the exhilarating Masques. Aralorn is terrific as she learns the lesson you can’t go home even for a funeral as nothing is the same as she remembers it. Wolf matures considerable as he starts to reconcile his past with his present especially his need for a long term relationship with his beloved companion. Although the well written story line is somewhat typical of the genre, fantasy readers will enjoy Patricia Briggs’ wonderful tale due to the stunned lead couple finding the last thing they (and fans) expected when they go to her hometown.

Harriet Klausner

Ghost Town
Rachel Caine
NAL, Oct 26 2010, $17.99
ISBN: 9780451231611

A very old vampire Amalie founded Morganville, Texas as a refugee where vampires and humans can live together, but the Undead are at the top of the food chain. After a battle, the safeguards that protect the vampires are broken and humans can leave the town with their memories intact because the machine hooked to a brain was destroyed.

Myrnin the semi-sane vampire who built the first bio machine has to reconstruct a new one from scratch. His assistant Claire refuses to use a brain to power the gizmo, but she helps her boss create one. The problem is that the machine is making humans and vampires forget the last three years of their lives. Myrnin’s password protects the machine so Claire can’t unplug it. Although she is human, Claire feels strongly she must find a way to pull the plug before Morganville is destroyed.

Rachel Caine’s latest Morganville vampire thriller is awesome as the Undead are held in check by Amelia’s rules until the machine breaks down leading to a leadership challenge of the matriarch. However although that is powerful theme enabling fans to look closely at what happens to a culture when a key control fails, the action focuses more on the traditional vampire stalking humans for psychological reasons. Young adult fans will enjoy this entry and the entire series as this time local vampire civilization loses a primary restrictive barrier leading to over indulgence.

Harriet Klausner