Crucible of Empire
Eric Flint and K.D. Wentworth
Baen, Feb 7 2012, $7.99
ISBN: 9781451638042

A few years ago years ago the Jao invaders conquered the Earth (see The Course of Empire). The two species began forging a united kochan clan. Former resistance fighter Gabriel Tully commands Baker Company whose prime mission is to negotiate a peace between his former resistance allies and the Jao. He attends a briefing concerning the NGC 7293 nebula where three Krant vessels investigated strange data; they encountered hostility with the giant arachnid Ekhat species which ended with the enemy destroyed but the Krant ships not in much better shape.

Terra Governor Aille and Preceptor Ronz assign the Lexington to take Jao and humans to the sector where the Ekhat has violently surfaced and a third race was involved in the recent battle. Jao Captain Danner krinnu ava Terra commands the ship; but she is not in charge of the mission. Instead Wrot krinnu ava Terra runs the mission with Caitlin Kralik as the diplomat to deal with the unknown race and Tully and his unit enhanced by the Krant survivors provide military support against the Ekhat. His team destroys four Ekhat ships with a surviving vessel crippled in orbit around a star; only to learn the Lleix who the Jao assaulted in a previous encounter are on board.

As with the first science fiction “Empire” thriller, the sequel focuses on the species with a deep look at the Jao (especially on board the Lexington) and somewhat the Ekhat. The storyline also introduces a fourth sentient race with its own shtick. Although there is some reiterative commentary that slows down the outer space encounters, fans will enjoy traveling on the Lexington as the combined Jao-human crew go into combat and diplomacy.

Harriet Klausner

Lair of the Lion
Christine Feehan
Avon, Jan 31 2012, $7.99
ISBN: 9780062021359

The goal seems simple enough: rescuing her brother. Finding anyone capable of aiding her in his enormous duchy like pelazzo in the Alps is so formidable that everyone tells Isabella Vernaducci to go home. She has heard tales about the Don that strike fear in the hearts of the bravest souls, yet aristocratic Isabella obstinately continues her quest to find the enigmatic, more myth than man, Nicolai DeMarco.

When Isabella locates Nicolai (or perhaps it is more the other way around), she does not see the Don who allegedly controls the beasts to do his dirty work. Instead she sees a man haunted by a curse that the intrepid Isabella is determined to free Nicolai from it. When Nicolai offers to save her sibling on the condition she marry him, Isabella readily agrees as she knows she needs no stipulation to wed the Don. Still as she risks her life to save her tortured beloved, she wonders if she will ever gain his love even if she eliminates the beast that holds his soul.

More than just Christine Feehan fans will enjoy this reprint of a delightful paranormal romance as the rarely used early nineteenth century Alps setting (almost Gothic in nature), the intrepid heroine, and the tortured male protagonist come together in exciting fashion. Though readers will admire and question Isabella’s bravery at the same time, the audience will relish her efforts to emancipate the two men she cherishes from their respective “incarcerations”. Lair of the Lion is a wonderful novel that readers will appreciate if they set aside the time to luxuriate in a one sitting read.

Harriet Klausner

Seven Princes
John Fultz
Orbit, Jan 3 2012, $15.99
ISBN: 9780316187862

In the southern section of the High Realms overlooking the Cryptic Sea, King Trimesqua of Yaskatha leads the celebration of the Feast of Ascension. Elhathym the stranger arrives at court informing the monarch his time is over as he has come home to reclaim his city. Irate at this affront, the king splits the self-acclaimed sorcerer’s head. Not long after his men dispose of the corpse, the ancient necromancer returns and executes the ruler. Trimesqua’s teenage heir Prince D’zan escapes.

D’zan visits neighboring Mumbaza and Khyrei and realms beyond with a call for arms to kick the usurper off the throne before the sorcerer turns to their kingdoms. To the far north bordering on the Giantsland, King Vod of New Urudum suffers from dementia. His oldest son Prince Fangodel meets and betrays the naive D’zan while magical lethal assaults leave the kingdoms in chaos and peril. Unsure who to trust to help him on his quest, D’zan finds a possible ally in Fangodel’s youngest sibling Princess Sharadza while he and six other princes loosely align to combat the evil overwhelming the kingdoms.

The Seven Princes is an interesting quest fantasy that focuses on the intrigue and backstabbing between the ruling classes of the six kingdoms. The storyline is action-packed from the grim moment the necromancer offers to simply execute the King Trimesqua to keep the bloodshed down to one insignificant monarch and never slows down until the final confrontation between good and evil. The hero is an “assumed” coming of age protagonist, as readers never see his specific metamorphosis since he just matures with each new incident. Fans will want to tour the kingdoms with D’zan and his peers as their guides.

Harriet Klausner

Jane Vows Vengeance
Michael Thomas Ford
Ballantine, Feb 28 2012, $14.00
ISBN: 9780345513670

Living in Brakeston, New York as Jane Fairfax the owner of Flyleaf Books, Jane Austen agrees to marry Walter Fletcher. They plan their wedding, which proves difficult for Jane in a proof positive you legally exist photo ID era. Jane has no family to invite as they died two centuries ago and few friends. When Walter receives an invitation to tour the fine architect of Europe, he and Jane decide to marry in the Tower. An astonished Lord Byron gets her a passport through a zombie forger.

At the Tower, Jane is distracted by the appearances of the two lost princes. The ceremony is cancelled when Joshua Mobley, Jane’s husband of nine days over two centuries ago, arrives. Walter grudgingly accepts the wait until his fiancée can extradite herself from her nuptials. Jane wonders who told her vampire husband that she would be at the Tower. She also hears about Crispin’s Needle, an object that allegedly if stuck into a vampire’s heart turns them into a human with a soul. Jane searches the continent for the device while in London she is the prime suspect in a murder investigation.

The latest Jane the contemporary vampire tale is a witty satire that continues the spoofing of the Austen mania including the novels by Michael Thomas Ford (see Jane Goes Batty and Jane Bites Back). Jane’s sardonic self-deprecating sense of humor keeps her sane in a world that seems insane as she jumps from one crisis into another. With Lord Byron and Charlotte Bronte to help drive her crazy, Jane learns how complicated life for an undead who just wants to get married can be in a digital ID mania age.

Harriet Klausner

In The Lion’s Mouth
Michael Flynn
Tor, Jan 17 2012, $25.99
ISBN: 9780765322852

The galactic war between the Confederation of Central Worlds and the United League of the Periphery continues unabated. The ULP Kennel employ top secret Hounds to give them an edge in the hostilities while the CCW Lion’s Mouth use Shadow of the Names to strengthen their operations. Hounds and Shadows are enemy undercover operatives.

Thus when Ravn Olafsdottr the Shadow arrives at the stronghold of Bridget ban the Hound, she wonders why she would risk her life as both sides know to shoot first. Ravn explains to her adversary how she captured Bridget’s missing former lover Donovan buigh who the Hound has been searching for. Whereas Bridget understands captivity (see Up Jim River) and knows her daughter Mearana the harpist wants her to reconcile with Donovan, Ravn further says Donovan is in the middle of a potential civil war within the Lion’s Mouth.

The third far future outer space CCW-ULP thriller (see The January Dancer) is an entertaining tale uses “archaic” earth references as key elements in the multiple viewpoints. The theme is a civil war, but Michael Flynn keeps it fresh with twists, spins and nonlinear narration. With a nod to the author’s Firestar saga, fans will enjoy a trio In The Lion’s Mouth with Hounds and Shadows as our guides.

Harriet Klausner

Spirit Bound
Christine Feehan
Jove, Dec 27 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9780515149562

Jean-Claude La Roux stole a chip containing Russian top secrets. Stefan Prakenskii is assigned to retrieve the chip. He goes undercover at Sea Haven in order to be close to Judith Henderson; as La Roux obsesses over the local artist. Stefan has some doubts about his mission as he wonders if he is being set up as expendable bait to trap the allegedly dead La Roux since he now is tasked to watch over the woman instead of going after the chip.

While grieving the death of her brother at the hands of psychopath la Roux, Judith holds herself culpable for her sibling’s death. She has buried herself among her “sisters” with elemental magical powers. When Stefan and Judith meet, their attraction is powerful, but she fears for his life as her obsessed predator will kill anyone who gets close to her

The second Sisters of the Heart urban romantic fantasy (see Water Bound for Stefan’s brother Lev’s visit to Sea Haven) is an entertaining exciting undercover thriller. Fast-paced with a neat twist to the romantic subplot as obsession is the word, fans will appreciate this Prakenskii sibling’s encounter with love, magic and danger.

Harriet Klausner

Shadow City
Diana Pharaoh Francis
Pocket, Dec 27 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9781451613858

Giselle the witch bartered her magical slave Max to obtain a favor from Scooter the demi-god. Scooter sends Max the Warrior to the Shadow City on a mission to save his life by retrieving from a thief body parts stolen from him. There she must be careful or become enslaved to creatures worse than Giselle.

Alexander the Shadowblade warrior knows time is running out as an unthinkable evil act has birthed a Fury. He does not want to be named the Prime as he prays Max will return to her position. However, Alexander must combat the invincible lethal Fury before the raging creature destroys the covenstead.

The latest Horngate Witches thriller (see Bitter Night and Crimson Wind) is a great entry due to the actions and reactions of the lead characters. Mad Max is the original Revenge heroine who loathes her masters and their biddings while fulfilling their demands but risking her life to do the right thing ethically to keep the innocent safe. Alexander is great as he is in a role he detests, but morally has no choice. Readers will relish this strong urban fantasy.

Harriet Klausner

Vamplayers
Rusty Fischer
Medallion, Feb 1 2012, $9.95
ISBN: 9781605424491

After being bitten by a vile vicious vampire, the good Savior vampires save Lily Fielding by preventing an infection from destroying her town. They enroll Lilly in the Afterlife Academy of Exceptionally Dark Arts. The lowest of the food chain as a Sister, Lily dreams of becoming a Savior.

Two decades later, the tyro graduates Is still a Sister. Her assignment along with her classmates Alice and Cara are to identify the Vamplayer and the female he plans to victimize in order to make friends with the latter before the former can take control of the target. The three Sisters covet becoming a Savior though this mission is not expected to bring them closer as this is a minor task in Raven Roost, North Carolina in which a blog entry sends them to the Nightshed Conservatory for exceptional Girls and Boys. Lily thinks the intended mark is Bianca and the Vamplayer is Tristan; her two Sisters hook up with the endangered student. However, routine proves a false assumption when the two Sisters are tempted by a super bad Vamplayer with plans to convert the school and villagers to be slaves, and Lily the Third Sister is occupied by her attraction to Zander.

Teenage fans of Rachel Caine and Rachel Caine will appreciate the fresh Fischer vampire mythos. Lily is courageous and foolish, which leads to readers wondering whether she can triumph over the evilest Vamplayer she has ever confronted and worse her heart. Vamplayer is a fun paranormal thriller.

Harriet Klausner

All That Bleeds
Kimberly Frost
Berkley, Jan 3 2012, $7.99
ISBN: 9780425245804

The demonic slaughter occurs at the Arts & Innovation Benefit held at the House of North. Body guard Mr. Clark takes his charge, Alissa the last heiress muse to a safe location, but she insists they return to rescue the human hostages. He refuses saying unless the Etherlin Council president Dimitri Xanakis orders him to do so she will remain safe. Mr. Clark reminds her that the damned cannot resist the smell of the blood of a muse like she is. Furthermore he blames the ventala hybrid vampires for failing to kill the demon in Varden. Merrick the ventala arrives and easily kills Corthus the demon, who had slaughtered many. Over Mr. Clark’s objection, Alissa thanks Merrick.

Five years later, Alissa and Merrick remain attracted to one another, but each knows that is taboo. However, everything changes when someone abducts the muse and removes her from the safety of the House. Merrick vows to use every tool in heaven, hell and earth to rescue the forbidden female he has loved since she bravely shook his hand after he killed Corthus.

The first Etherlin romantic fantasy is a terrific ultra dark (due to constant violence that lives up to the title as even demons bleed) thriller. The vivid story line is action-packed but it is the forbidden relationship between the muse and the ventala that is at the heart of Kimberley Frost’s turn from the lighthearted frolics of the Southern Witch saga to this dark tale.

Harriet Klausner

The Thirteen Hallows
Michael Scott and Colette Freedman
Tor, Dec 6 2011, $24.99
ISBN: 9780765328526

Twentyish Londoner, Sarah Miller hates her life. Her tedious job goes nowhere, but she cannot afford to quit as Sarah supports her widowed mom while living together.

Having heard of the murder of her long time friend Millie and an apparent Good Samaritan, septuagenarian Judith Walker fears what the old man warned them seven decades ago not to bring the Hallows together is happening. Millie, Tommy, Georgie, Nina and Bea have been tortured and murdered for the artifacts they protected as Keepers. She expects to be next as she possesses Dyrnwyn, the broken sword of Rhydderch. She proves right when Skinner assaults her. However, Sarah intervenes and between them they batter her mugger. She pleads with Sarah to deliver her Hallow sword to her American nephew, Owen. The Dark Man is furious with his first setback, but takes his fight to Sarah with a gas leak explosion. He will soon realize she is not just a minor irritant as an angry Sarah with Owen at her side prepare to fight the evil Dark Man and his malevolent mistress while the cops seek her and the Yank for questioning in a string of murders.

As Nicholas Flamel takes a deserving respite, Michael Scott and Colette Freedman provide a strong exhilarating urban fantasy. This tale is fast-paced from the moment Judith defends herself and never slows down and fans will enjoy the adventures of the newly drafted Keepers against an amoral psychopath with paranormal powers and no compunctions to use them. Filled with twists and a vile villain, readers will enjoy touring London with Sarah and Owen as their guides.

Harriet Klausner