The Exile
Diana Gabaldon and Hoang Nguyen (Illustrator)
Del Rey, Sep 21 2010, $25.00
ISBN: 9780345505385

After being in exile from his beloved Scotland for seemingly forever, in 1743 Jamie Fraser is returning home though he knows the danger he will face in war torn Scotland. His godfather Murtagh will do what he can to keep Jamie safe because of a death pledge he made to the lad’s late parents, but he also knows British Captain Black Jack Randall has a large bounty for the head of Jamie.

Meanwhile the MacKenzie clan disputes the return of Jamie. The chieftain Jamie’s Uncle Colum, demands his nephew choose between death and fealty while war chieftain Uncle Dougal demands his death. However, strange, stubborn and beautiful Claire Randall appears out of nowhere; convoluting the return of the prodigal Scot. He saves her life and wants her as does his vicious enemy Randall. Murtagh believes she is an Old Ones’ envoy; Randall asserts she is a spy; the feuding uncles believe she is a danger; and Jamie offers his heart even knowing he has hers in spite of also believing she hides something critical from him.

This graphic rendition of the original Outlander saga is refreshed by Hoang Nguyen’s terrific pictures and told from Jamie’s side as opposed to the original mostly seen from the WWII displaced Claire. The story line is filled with action from the onset, but also lacks the time travel aspects that made the original haunting as the key elements of Claire’s husband is two centuries in the future while she falls in love with the enemy of her spouse’s ancestor remains in the background. Thus this leads to a strong historical saga that fans of the long running series. Readers will appreciate the well written return of the Exile in graphic form; newcomers will enjoy the work, but should start with the original novel (see The Outlander).

Land of the Burning Sands
Rachel Neumeier
Orbit, Jun 1 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780316072793

The Kingdom of Casmantium used griffins and the magic of fire to annex territory from its neighbor Feierabiand, but the subsequent war ended in abject defeat (see Lord of the Changing Winds). However, inside Casmantium, the loss has led to a power struggle as the fuming griffins have filled much of the void and are overtly hostile to the other sentient species especially the last surviving mage.

Convicted to a life of slavery Gereint Enseichen also believes the debacle has given him a chance to escape from his servitude. However, instead of freedom across the border, he finds himself caught in the middle of trying to prevent the griffins from turning the kingdom into a graveyard of burning sand as they are doing with the city of Melentser; ceded to them during the peace treaty. His mentor Amnachudran rescues Geraint from his botched plan; he and his wife send Gereint to Bredichboden to become an assistant to their brilliant absent minded scientist daughter Tehre. Back in his home city, the adventures continue as Gereint fears he will be caught while the King tries to save his throne.

While the griffins who starred in the first book take a bit of a respite, Gereint picks up the mantle of driving the story line as he tries to stay free. The story line is fast-paced from start to finish and the aftermath of a bitter defeat is made worse when everyone expected the glory of victory which is the vivid focus of this terrific fantasy. The middle Griffin Mage Trilogy thriller is a terrific entry as the action never stops coming while the cast is superb especially the convicted slave and the scientist.

Harriet Klausner

Lord of the Changing Winds
Rachel Neumeier
Orbit, May 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780316072786

In the land of Feierabiand in the woods by the small remote village of Minas Ford, teen Kes the healer gathers herbs, but stops to watch the beauty of the visiting griffins soaring through the sky before completing her chore. She rushes home to her worried sister farmer Tesme and their helper Jos as a horse River is about to give birth. With Kes’ aid, the siblings celebrate the birth of the foal when a stranger asks Kes for help.

Kes senses the man is different and somehow has ties to the griffins. Bering a healer who uses herbs she goes with him to attend to healing the griffins. As she assists them without herbs and communicates telepathically; a mage and diplomat escorted by soldiers arrive to investigate tales of griffins coming across the mountains from Casmantium.

The insight into the griffin culture owns the opening tale of the aptly titled The Griffin Mage saga; the humans even the heroic lead healer pale in comparison. The story line is an entertaining fantasy; however in spite of a map, the deployments of large forces including the griffins flying across the mountain range were difficult to envision what it took these various groups to accomplish their respective missions; that is a key reason exiting Iraq in an orderly manner takes time. Still this is the tale of the griffins soaring through the skies over Feierabiand and their healer learning their ways and more to help them to fly with the winds they brought with them.

Harriet Klausner

Dark Flame
Alyson Noel
St. Martin’s Griffin, Jun 22 2010, $17.99
ISBN: 9780312590970

With the new power of being an Immortal, Haven behaves like a child with a new toy. Her conversion places Haven and her friend Ever in strife as the former wants to irresponsibly show off her nouveau skills while the latter wants her to conceal them for fear of what exposure will cause to the Immortals.

Ever also tries to liberate Damen from her enemy Roman’s control. She attempts a very dark magical spell to free her eternal beloved from the curse. However, instead of unbinding Damen from Roman, her incantation binds her to her adversary. As Ever struggles to keep free from what she wrought onto herself, she pleads with Jude to help her as she risks all she cherishes; on the other hand Roman gleefully turns on the heat to bring the enervated female Evermore under his thumb.

The fourth Immortals young adult fantasy is a strong entry in a powerful series (see Shadowland and Blue Moon) although the heroine is not quite as feisty as she has been; part of that is psychological as she knows she erred. Fans of the saga will enjoy Ever’s latest adventure as she struggles to avoid surrendering her Immortal soul to the Dark Flame of her most loathed foe for ever more.

Harriet Klausner

Twice Bitten
Chloe Neill
NAL, Jul 2010, $15.00
ISBN: 9780451230645

Humans have recently learned that vampires live among mortals. Shapeshifters fear they will be next and debate how to handle what they anticipate will occur shortly.

In that regard to plan on the inevitable, Gabriel Keene, Apex of the North American Central shifters, has convened a conference of the packs to determine their best course of action. He also invites Cadogan House Sentinel Merit and master vampire Ethan Sullivan to attend as security as evidence is strong that an assassin is coming for him and terrorists plan on disrupting the convention. Though only a couple months since she was turned involuntarily, Merit takes her security work seriously, but has trouble focusing with arrogant Ethan nearby.

The third Chicagoland Vampires romantic urban fantasy) is an action-packed thriller that never slows down from its opening quick synopsis of the previous two biters (see Friday Night Bites and Some Girls Bite until the biting climax. The rookie vampire and her mentor (she would say tormentor) try to protect a leader of the other prominent paranormal species as many want to prevent an outing. Fans of the saga will fully relish Merit’s actions as she continues to adjust to her new life as an undead.

Harriet Klausner

Tongues of Serpents
Naomi Novik
Del Rey, Jul 13 2010, $25.00
ISBN 9780345496898

Considered traitors for saving French dragons from a deadly plague while his country is at war with France, English Captain Will Laurence and his Chinese-British dragon Temeraire are exiled to New South Wales. However, he never anticipated being embroiled in a local dispute over who should rule the colony.

The former royal governor wants back in control, while insurgents want to control the government. Both sides try to persuade Laurence and his dragon allies to support them. When a dragon egg is stolen, Laurence and Temeraire lead a quest to recover the egg; a dangerous trek over the Blue Mountains

The sixth Laurence-Temeraire thriller is much darker and less passionate than previous entries (see Victory of Eagles, His Majesty’s Dragon, Throne Of Jade, Black Powder War and Empire Of Ivory). The heroic pair works a grim landscape, but never gets close to the Aborigines; a missed opportunity to see how the natives and the dragon interact. Having Bligh of the Bounty fame adds a solid twist and Temeraire’s draconian outlook adds a fabulous perspective so that fans of the saga will enjoy the exile to Australia where in spite of their good intentions the dragon and his human get involved with a nasty dispute.

Harriet Klausner

Nights of Villjamur
Mark Charan Newton
Spectra, Jun 29 2010, $26.00
ISBN 9780345520845

As the ice continues to spread as forecasted decades ago across the Jamur Empire archipelago and when it became obvious the sun was dying, increasingly humans and others coming from all the islands take refuge in the ancient city of Villjamur. Some of the horde of thousands comes for more insidious reasons. Thus stability of leadership even if the top person is insane is critical at this time although some in power like Chancellor Urtica choose personal ambition over what is good for the island empire. When the mad emperor Jamur Johynn dies suddenly, placing his untested heir, his elder daughter Rika as the queen, Urtica plans to act to replace her with himself immediately. His strategy is to foster hatred of the desperate immigrants flocking the city before he leads a coup d’etat and an ethic cleansing of all outsiders.

As Rika sits on the throne precariously though sympathetic towards the plight of her people, her mentor Randur Esteyu advises and encourages her while her sister Eir supports her, but her council wants to use her for personal power. Meanwhile someone murders Councilor Ghuda leading to Inspector Rumex Jeryd a nonhuman rumel to investigate at a time the city and kingdom needs unity, not divisions and conspiracies plotting to overthrow the monarchy.

Although the plot starts just a bit faster than the encroaching ice age, Mark Charan Newton creates his world of human and nonhuman; once set (just under a third of the way), the fantasy thriller turns into a police procedural that grips the audience. The cast is solid whether they are human, banshee, rumel or other; but the key player, the dying sun fed ice never feels as if it threatens to destroy all life. Still this is an entertaining tale as death squads initially sent by Johynn and now employed by Urtica use eradication to solve problems though sometimes the dead come back.

Harriet Klausner

Spooky Little Girl
Laurie Notaro
Villard, Apr 2010, $14.00
ISBN: 9780345510976

Lucy Fisher was looking forward to her vacation in Hawaii, hocking her life to be able to go. The dream vacation was a disappointment. When she comes home, she finds her possessions all over the lawn as her fiancé Martin tossed them randomly out the door. Bad comes in three as Lucy learns when her boss accuses her of trying to steal money and drugs before firing her. A stunned Lucy moves in with her sister Alice.

On her way to the unemployment office, Lucy learns what bad luck really is when a bus runs her over. Now she is a student at Ghost School where if she completes her assignment she will move into the State of after-death. Lucy diligently applies herself as she wants to go back to earth not so much as to haunt her former fiancé, but to learn why he kicked her to the curb and why no one, not even her sister or the bus driver attended her funeral. Only Tulip seems to miss her.

This clever paranormal chick lit is a fun tale though the serio-comic story line never turns as profound as it could have been; opting more for a winking jocularity that in some ways will remind readers of the movie Over her Dead Body. The beleaguered heroine is likable so that fans will root for her as grandma has made living in the State of the dead precarious for both of them and Lucy knows you only get one chance at it.

Harriet Klausner

Marked
Elisabeth Naughton
Love Spell, Apr 27, 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780505528223

When her grandmother succumbed to cancer, waitress Acacia “Casey” Simopolus felt all alone as she has no known blood relative left in the world. She becomes afraid when she notices some of the same symptoms in her.

A migraine drives Casey from her work as a waitress at a strip joint. Driving home, she intervenes when large animals assault a male human. Casey helps the victim, Theron, who heals rapidly from the injuries he received during the attack. Theron conceals from his angel that he is a guardian from Argolea, who protects his world from the evil ones trying to destroy it. He also hides his mission from her. His dying King Leonidas sent him to bring Casey to his world in order to save the ailing heir Princess Isadora. Attracted to the earthling, Theron fears he must choose between sacrificing his soul mate or his people, as Princess Isadora lives if Casey dies and dies if Casey lives.

The latest Eternal Guardians Greek mythos romantic fantasy (see Stolen Fury and Stolen Seduction) is an incredible tale starring a complex woman and a convoluted confused champion who understands first hand Prometheus’ options as doing the right thing is not simple or easy. Readers will enjoy this entry that focuses on loyalty and love in relationships as Theron must choose between his need and that of his people.

Harriet Klausner

Destroyer of Worlds
Larry Niven and Edward M. Lerner
Tor, Nov 2009, $25.99
ISBN: 9780765322050

By 2670 those who predicted the explosion at the galactic core remain in flight. Humans and their allies the Puppeteers are desperately leaving the destruction expanding rapidly dead zone in a mass exodus.

However, at the same time of the mass flight, a third species the Pak also tries to escape after their world Pakhome was destroyed. Pak operative Thssthfok will do whatever it takes to save his species. He and others raid frightened worlds to steal supplies leaving pandemic corpses behind. When a distress signal from Gw’ot reaches the leadership the human-Puppeteer alliance, agent Sigmund Ausfaller accompanied by Baedeker investigates as an unmarked vessel heads towards the fleeing armada. Reluctantly Sigmund works with the Gw’oth to learn who is inside the ship, but he distrusts his new allies more than the Pak as he understands the ruthlessness of the latter but not science above all else of the former.

Destroyer of Worlds is kind of having Gulliver fleeing amidst the Batttlestar Galactica crowd. A decade since the Juggler of Worlds, the mass exodus is in full swing, but enemies exist causing havoc at a time when chaos does not need deadly outsiders to create more of it. Obviously for fans of the Known Space universe who will fully relish the prequel saga of the Puppeteers and humans running from the core meltdown but newcomers will be lost in space.

Harriet Klausner