The Chamber of Ten
Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon
Ballantine, Jul 27 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780553386561

As Venice is sinking under the sea, residents have already shut down the bottom floors of their homes. American archaeologist Geena Hodge and her assistant lover Nico Lombardi have gotten Italian government permission to save as much of the heritage from the encroaching Adriatic in what is the Bibliotheca project that has BBC filming praying not another Capone vault.

Digging in Piazza San Marco, Geena, assisted by Nico and some students, finds Petrarch’s library. Beyond the famous lost library, they uncover the fabled Chamber of Ten. However, nothing goes smoothly as the walls collapse allowing flood waters to inundate the chamber. Soon afterward Nico acts insane as he has become possessed by a Renaissance Era mage battling three evil immortals with the city at stake.

This is more an exciting thriller than a horror tale. The story line starts off as fast-paced as any tale this year and as vivid (with its dank damp picture of the city), but never quite keeps the accelerator at that incredible opening rate of speed. Still Readers will enjoy the Chamber of Ten as the archeologist and her team is caught up in the middle of a centuries old Magical war in which Venice is at stake.

Harriet Klausner

Lady Lazarus
Michele Lang
Tor, Aug 31 2010, $14.99
ISBN 9780765323170

In 1939 Budapest, Magda Lazarus is the eldest daughter of an eldest daughter whose lineage traces back to the ancient witch Ein Dor. Magda is the servant of Bathory the vampire. Fleeing Stalin’s wrath, a Russian Jew Zihad Juhuri pleads with Magda to help him obtain the Book of the Angel Raziel that only one who has returned from the dead like a Drinker can obtain. He fears the Nazis will obtain the greatest weapon, this biblical tome, ever known. At the same her sister Gisele the seer warns of a pandemic destruction of the Jews by the Nazi abomination.

Magda searches for the tome. On her quest she encounters a horde of diverse supernatural Nazi essences who want to prevent her from becoming the Lazarus witch who can reach the angel Raziel. As she gets closer to completing her mission that she hopes prevents the mass devastation her sibling predicts is coming, she meets and magically duels the King of Lies.

This is a fascinating WW II fantasy thriller that builds its mythos from mostly the Jewish lore sprinkled with some Hungarian and other Eastern Europe myths. The story line is fast-paced as time is running out on Magda while Nazis werewolves, demons, and worse assault her preferable to kill her permanently because she is a threat to their domination. Although the language can turn stilted in an archaic way, which in fairness brings realism with it, readers will enjoy the exhilarating tale of Magda trying to become the Lazarus in order to protect her family, her people and Europe in that order.

Harriet Klausner

The Word for World Is Forest
Ursula K. Le Guin
Tor, Jul 6 2010, $11.99
ISBN: 9780765324641

In the far future on the pristine world of New Tahiti is a wilderness Eden that Captain Davidson and other earthlings want to exploit for profit. He has already begun cutting down the trees. If it means the primitives die so be it as collateral damage often occurs when yumans conquer Mother Nature.

The native Athsheans are horrified over being massacred and enslaved. However, the vilest crime by the off-worlders is destroying the forest as their Word for World is Forest. Fearful of this new powerful God who is brutal on their former forest deity and on them, the Athsheans know there is little they can do but obey as violence is not in their make-up although Selver tries to lead an insurgency, which only further threatens his people’s way of life.

This book was published over thirty years ago; long before Avatar. The story line is fast-paced while using a science fiction base to make a case that the “White Man’s Burden” left Africa ruined and places like Tahiti devastated. Still relevant after all these decades, readers will appreciate Ursula Le Guin’s classic novella of bloodthirsty avaricious outsiders destroying a peaceful Eden for profit.

Harriet Klausner

A Wild Light
Marjorie M. Liu
Ace, Jul 27 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780441019014

Every year, demon hunter Maxine Kiss kills a zombie on her birthday; the anniversary day of her mom’s murder. In Seattle, this year Maxine wakes up in bed next to Grandfather Jack Meddle’s bloody corpse. She recalls nothing about the previous evening, not even Jack wishing her happy birthday. Maxine soon finds other gaps in her memory as she has no idea who her soul mate, the Lightbringer Grant is. Adding to her trepidations, her five demons residing as tattoos on her epidermis are mute. Her worst fear is that she gone dark and killed her beloved grandpa.

Still Maxine needs to fill the holes in her head and get the “boys” communicating. She begins making inquiries and uncovers a potential calamity if not resolved yesterday; as the inner ring containing the demon horde inside is crumbling with Reaper Kings prepared to glean the harvest of souls.

The third Hunter Kiss urban fantasy (see The Iron Hunt and Darkness Calls) is a terrific entry that contains a powerful story line while also moving forward on the overarching theme. Readers will learn much about the heroine’s heritage as she investigates what happened to her and Jack. With a late great twist, fans will enjoy Marjorie M. Liu’s dark A Wild Light.

Harriet Klausner

Prospero in Hell
L. Jagi Lamplighter
Tor, Aug 2010, $25.99
ISBN 9780765319302

The immortal sorcerer Prospero remains missing (see Prospero Lost) ever since one of his plans backfired. He is lost in hell. He would be surprised and proud of his adult children as they have come together after years of estrangement.

However, even with this sudden sibling camaraderie, Prospero’s offspring must cope with the constant threat from the Three Shadowed Ones. These devious predators seek the magical artifacts held by Prospero’s offspring. The oldest Miranda tries to keep her brothers and sisters united, but they remain fractious while they grapple with a series of stunning shockers. Still she investigates what happened to her sire and learns somewhat of his life since the events of five centuries ago immortalized by that hack.

Following up on Prospero Lost, Miranda leads the title character’s offspring as they struggle to team up even as their immortal world seems to be heading to hell in a broken hand basket. Fast-paced throughout, fans will enjoy the sibling rivalry while wondering if Prospero will remain lost in hell forever. His centuries’ old children acting like battling little kids fail to get their act together; although Miranda is kicking butt for them to shape up now. L. Jagi Lamplighter provides another strong Tempest thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Blood Curse
Crystal-Rain Love
ImaJinn, Mar 2010, $14.00
ISBN: 9781933417059

Vampire hunter Aria Michaels a mortal has dreamed of the same man for years. Lately her nocturnal fantasies have become so heated; they feel real to her leaving her wet with desire. He is Aria’s hope in an ugly filled world in which demons devastate the realm and vampires struggle to prevent them from doing so.

Rialto Renaldi believes the prophecy of Hope is a child’s inane fantasy. He rejects the Blood Revelation, which claims a vampire and his true mate will bring forth a child that will become a light to counter the growing darkness; in his mind the world is beyond saving. Rialto’s mother knows in her heart that her son and Aria are the prophetic pair. However, they would be star-crossed lovers as she hunts his kind ever since a vampire killed her mother.

In spite of the author’s upbeat name, the world of Crystal-Rain Love to quote Marmalade in Reflections of My Life: “The world is a bad place … A terrible place to live” as this realm is dark and evil even with the light of love flickering to life. Fast-paced throughout starting with the iconic search for Poe’s cottage near Baltimore’s Inner Harbor the audience will enjoy the pair denying their feelings as she plans to use the star of her nocturnal dreams to enable her to hunt down her mother’s predator; and he wants to avoid the human his mom insists will fulfill the prophecy with him. This is an entertaining “Charm City” romantic urban fantasy as each will learn that there are much nastier things out there.

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

The Dragon Variation
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller
Baen, Jun 1 2010, $12.00
ISBN: 9781439133699

“Local Custom”. His Liad clan Korval demands trader Er Thom yos’Galan marry an acceptable bride and sire the heir. Duty comes before desire as he loves unacceptable earthling Anne Davis; whose linguistic research has led to adversaries wanting her dead. He goes to say goodbye but is stunned when he meets his son Shan. Instead he brings his beloved Anne and their hybrid son to his clan where his mom makes it clear the outsider is unwelcome.

“Scout’s Progress”. Clan Korval demands master pilot Daav yos Phelium marry a Liaden he dislikes; her feelings are mutual and her clan loathes his for hosting an earthling abomination. At the same time revered mathematician Aelliana Caylon needs to escape the ire of her jealous brother. When she obtains a ship playing the odds, she decides to learn to fly so she can escape. Daav trains the woman worshipped by pilots everywhere due to her life-saving modifications to the ven’Tura Piloting Tables.

“Conflict of Honors”. A decade ago the High Priestess of the Goddess declared teenage Priscilla Delacroix y Mendoza dead. Exiled, she until now she is the cargomaster on the Liaden vessel Daxflan. When she realizes that Captain Sav Rid Olanek has brought on board illegal drugs, she ignores it preferring not to get involved with anyone or anything. That fails to protect her as Olanek dumps her on a backwater planet with no funds and a revised history proclaiming her as a thief. Priscilla obtains help from Liaden Captain Shan yos’Galan of the Dutiful Passage. He teaches her to pilot while pursuing the Daxflan as he has a vendetta too; however Olanek has high level protection.

These first three exciting Liaden romantic science fictions tales contain similar story lines starring a woman unwanted except by a rogue Liaden pilot. Feeling in some ways like a Regency romantic suspense in outer space, fans will enjoy reading the opening acts in the Liaden Universe.

Harriet Klausner

The Frenzy Way
Gregory Lamberson
Medallion, Jun 2010, $15.95
ISBN: 9781605421070

Captain Anthony Mace is awakened at 4:40 AM and asked to go to a crime scene by one of his subordinates. When he arrives, he sees a room washed in blood, a body torn to shreds and partially eaten with the head missing. On the wall painted in blood is the word Skinwalker, an Indian term for a werewolf. Claw marks are on the victim’s safe and inside is a sword with a broken blade.

It is called the Blade of Salvation and was used by the Inquisition to kill so called werewolves because it is made of silver. On the hilt is an Inquisitor holding the sword with a decapitated victim nearby. Several more deaths occur all by the same perpetrator sending Manhattan into a panic. When one of Mace’s officers who invited the perp in her car is killed Mace’s mind rejects what his eyes see until he witnesses the predator kill another victim. He can no longer ignore the truth, but when he tells his superiors, they reject his belief; instead they suspend Mace and insist he undergo a psycho evaluation. With Mace out of the picture, the killing spree goes unabated.

The key to Gregory Lamberson’s terrific police procedural horror novel is that he makes his Manhattan seem genuine even with a supernatural species hiding in the shadows, as the older audience will be reminded of the panic during the Son of Sam serial killings. The Skinwalkers fear that if their clandestine existence becomes known to humans, genocide as occurred in Europe will happen here. With a strong culture to enhance the existence of the otherworldly race and a serial killer stalking and exterminating them, fans will relish a read down the wild side of The Frenzy Way.

Harriet Klausner

Saltation
Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Baen, Apr 13 2010, $24.00
ISBN 9781439133453

Theo Waitley grew up in the gentle scholarly world of Delgado. However, the half-Terran daughter of a Liaden pilot manages to enroll in pilot school. She proves incredibly adept at flying and even more incredibly inept at relationships.

When Theo landed her crippled plane on a mountain (see Fledgling) she gained fame and envy. Scout pilot Win Ton gives her a keepsake and himself though he is to marry a purebred Liaden. However she is soon caught in a “Nexus of Violence” as a target of off-worlders and others that endanger her schoolmates and the faculty. As she struggles to survive and avoid expulsion, she wonders whether to go humiliatingly home, become an aviator free lancer, or trek to her father’s clan to demand their help.

This is an interesting coming of age science fiction thriller that fans of Liaden will appreciate while newcomers will easily soar with the beleaguered heroine. Theo is a wonderful lead as a student with flying talent but is socially dysfunctional and educationally innumeracy. The audience will enjoy her escapades while new readers will be able to fly from the start, but to better understand how far Theo has come reading Fledgling provides the background.

Harriet Klausner