By Schism Rent Asunder
David Weber
Tor, Jul 2008, $25.95
ISBN 9780765315014

The military technology advances provided by android with a human brain Merlin Athrawes to King Cayleb II of Charis led to their naval slaughter of the forces of their neighbors sanctioned by the Church of God Awaiting at Darcos Sound and Armageddon Reef. Merlin hopes further victories against the corrupt beleaguered Church will ultimately allow mankind to soar off Safehold into space; currently banned by church doctrine as interfering with God’s way.

The nations who allied with the Church fear retaliation and know there is little they can do to prevent this since their fleets were destroyed. At the same time a stunned Church of God Awaiting considers declaring Charis as a heretic nation and demanding a holy war to be fought on land as the sea belongs to the renegade kingdom. Meanwhile Cayleb and his Archbishop consider making the religious schism official.

This great sequel (see OFF ARMAGEDDON REEF) has much less action than its exhilarating predecessor, but will be considered one of the best science fiction thrillers of the year. The key cast members seem fully developed, but what makes this superb thriller worth reading is how deep yet subtly the story line provides the audience with insight into how much the Renaissance changed the world.

Harriet Klausner

Blood Noir
Laurell K. Hamilton
Berkley, Jun 2008, $25.95
ISBN: 9780425222195

Jean-Claude’s pomme de sange Lycan Jason visits his master’s human servant vampire executioner and living vampire who feeds off of sex, Anita Blake to ask his friend to accompany him as his pretend lover when he visits his dying estranged father. Anita agrees when Jason informs her that his father refuses to speak to him not due to his lycanthropic condition, but because the older man believes his son is homosexual.

Jason and Anita arrive to find out that Keith Summerland, who looks like Jason’s twin, is getting married this weekend. Pretending affection in public Jason kisses Anita in front of a reporter causing a scandal in which other Masters consider grabbing the seemingly weakened Jean-Claude’s territory. To prevent this Jean-Claude will have to display anger in public and punish his errant servants.

Meanwhile first vampire Marmee Noir, the Mother of All Darkness and asleep for a millennium, is attracted to Anita’s powers. She strikes at Anita and Marmee Noir makes her have sex with two shapeshifters including a were-tiger. Anita feels another metaphysical tiger in her body. Jason and Anita still worry about an enraged vampire because Keith married the wife of the Master of the City; and the Master Vamp wants the interloper dead. The authorities fear for the lives of Jason and Anita while she also has to deal with Marmee Noir without the help of Jean-Claude

BLOOD NOIR is very different in tone than the previous books in the Anita Blake saga as the heroine for the most part costars with one man rather than her usual male queue. This allows the audience to see another side of the vampire slayer as she shows she can relate to a man with being in love with him; an extraordinary concept. Although well written, too many key unanswered questions involving Marmee Noir exist, which subtracts from an otherwise strong tale as Anita proves to herself she can enjoy without love sans guilt. Blake fans will appreciate how far the star goes for a friend.

Harriet Klausner

The Brass Bed
Jennifer Stevenson
Ballantine, May 2008, $6.99
ISBN: 9780345486684

Chicago is being overwhelmed by magic seemingly being blown everywhere. The mayor orders his subordinates to conceal what is going on insisting he fears a panic. Chicago Department of Consumer Services investigator Jewel Heiss is unhappy with her boss; with all the goings-one he assigns her to perform surveillance of his wife, who happens to be her best friend.

Her surveillance introduces Jewel to Clay Dawes, who claims his magical brass bed will cure all female sexual problems by simply taking a nap in it. Jewel is upset with the scoundrel who charges an exorbitant fee, but takes him up on his challenge of testing the bed free of charge as long as he is in it with her. However, his brass bed also contains an incubus cursed in the nineteenth century for being a crappy lover while a genie is turning the city into a magical mystery mayhem tour.

The speed is hectic from the onset, but fans of urban investigative romantic fantasies will hop onto THE BRASS BED for the wild ride. Though at times wordy, the lighthearted story line has a lot going on so it bewilders the audience as it does the investigative heroine; who must decide between sexual curse and sexual fraud; either way she wants to test first her hand (and a few other body parts).

Harriet Klausner

The Book of Summer
James F. David
Tor, Jun 2008, $6.99
ISBN: 9780765351470

God spoke to the Christians and gave his Chosen one a vision of a new world along with the science and technology to make it happen. He delivered on his promises and the Fellowship landed on America, which was not the world God granted them. Among the passengers are blacks who want to have a better lifestyle. They remained on planet America; when soldiers from earth arrived to eradicate them, the settlers defeated them. The blacks are the masters while the whites are the slaves.

Summer is a slave who is owned by Master Rice; though she abhors him she believes he will make her his concubine like he did with her mother. When Rice kills the man she loves, Summer runs off to a hiding place.. There she meets Rey Mann, who has traveled the world after twenty years of being alone on the other side. He hoped the Fellowship would return him from exile, but is unaware they are gone. He has encountered severe loneliness and endured horrific hardship until he meets Summer; he delivers her baby. When Summer is captured and taken to town for punishment, Rey goes to rescue her unintentionally starting a freedom revolt.

The sequel to JUDGMENT DAY is a fascinating racial bending reversal of the Antebellum South. Summer craves freedom and is willing to die to achieve it. Master Rice is a fully developed villain who is a product of his society as he nor his peers see his actions as evil; instead Summer is property to abuse and discard on a whim; his rage drives him over the edge as he wants the power his mother-in-law possesses. This is superb thriller filled with redemption and faith as some believe God has abandoned his children, but others strongly disagree.

Harriet Klausner

Bloodheir
Brian Ruckley
Orbit, Jun. 2008, $14.99
ISBN 9780316067706

Orisian has become the Thane of the Lannis Blood at a critical time with his people reeling from recent events (WINTERBIRTH); he is unsure of what to do to turn things around on their frozen land, but thirsts to save his people.

At the same time his friend Haig Prince Aewul leads a tremendous military force, but avarice and the thirst for glory could prove their undoing if not checked by rational thinking.

Their adversary Aeglyss seeks magical revenge on his enemies even as his thirst enables him to rise towards the top of the dangerous Black Road; he plans to bring the fight to Haig and Aewul before dispatching Orison.

The second Godless World epic fantasy is bloody grim as Brian Ruckley continues to vividly paint an extremely dark realm. The story line is fast-paced and filled with non- stop action that traverses much of the Godless World. Yet the key to this excellent fantasy is the cast as the three leaders play a deadly game of chess in which checkmate does not necessarily mean victory or defeat because cunning can change the rules of engagement. Orisian is especially fascinating as he understands war means death, destruction, and chaos with no true victors yet cannot prevent it from coming. Readers who enjoy a powerful enthralling fantasy thriller will appreciate Brian Ruckley’s aptly named BLOODHEIR.

Harriet Klausner

Because Your Vampire Said So
Michelle Bardsley
Signet, May 2008, $6.99
ISBN: 978045122869

In Broken Heart, Oklahoma, beautician Patsy Donahue struggles with being a single mom raising a teenage boy while also being recently converted to the undead life of a vampire. Her son Wilson is hard enough to cope with as he is at the age in which he fails to heed the basic advice of DON’T TALK BACK TO YOUR VAMPIRE even if she is your mom and finding blood more tasteful than chocolate is kind of difficult and strange, but not aging past forty works and her shop is loaded with repeat customers as the Lycan crowd have a lot of split hairs. However, Patsy and her paranormal peers are more anxious over the horde of ancients who have arrived in Broken Heart to prevent a prophecy from occurring; at least that is what they claim.

Gabriel the Lycan saves Patsy from a demon assault. He insists she is the one who will bring supernatural enemies, vampires and lycans together to battle the demons. She assumes he is handing her a male line, but likes his claim they are soul mates. Still fighting is not good for one’s nails yet Patsy turns lioness when her Wilson becomes a target.

The latest Broken Heart paranormal romantic fantasy is an extremely amusing chick lit tale as Patsy’s outlook on her parlor, the undead and other such ilk especially lycans and demons, and her loved ones make for a wonderful tale. Dripping not so much with blood but with passion and love, BECAUSE YOUR VAMPIRE SAID SO explores the trepidations of being a single parent with an offspring whose brain is fried by raging hormones at the same her hormones are raging wildly while she also has to ho hum save the town. Readers will appreciate her sarcastic asides and seek Michelle Bardsley’s previous single mom vampires soonest (see I’M THE VAMPIRE THAT’S WHY).

Harriet Klausner

Bring Down the Sun
Judith Tarr
Tor, Jun 2008, $22.95
ISBN 9780765303974

The flirtatious Polyxena knows she is a beauty and acts accordingly though that is not normal behavior of an acolyte of the Mother goddess. When Philip of Macedon meets the enticing playful Polyxena, he is enchanted by her beauty and her sexual lure. He calls her Myrtale the “crowned one” and pledges to make her his queen when he becomes king.

No longer using the name Polyxena, Myrtale ruthlessly uses her sexual appeal and her connection to the Mother goddess to further the ambitions of her now husband Philip. Her plan is to do likewise when her unborn son the heir is old enough. No one will stand in the way of Myrtale as she plots power and greatness for her family.

The power behind the throne of Philip is his ambitious cunning wife; that is the essence of this engaging biographical fictional account of the mother of Alexander the Great. The story line actually ends with the birth of Alexander; so expect a sequel when her son becomes the ruler and her ambition is as strong as ever. Although the opening sequence when she is still Polyxena pales next to her as Myrtale, fans will appreciate this deep look at a woman the history texts ignore, but proves as powerful in her way as her more famous husband and son.

Harriet Klausner

The Betrayal
Kathleen O’Neal Geer and W. Michael Geer
Forge, Jun 2008, $24.95
ISBN: 9780765315465

The Ecumenical Council of Nicea met in 325 AD to decide what texts go into the New Testament codifying the Scriptures of Christianity. The Council was convened under the auspices of the Emperor Constantine who demanded a definitive version of Jesus’ life that will in turn solidify his rule. He orders people who know the truth including members of the church killed and heretics defined as such by him burned.

At the Monastery of St. Stephen the Martyr in Egypt, Romans order the monks to burn the texts. They poison the food killing almost a hundred monks, but three survive because they were overlooked having been in an obscure section of the church. Barnabas the scholar grabs as many books as he and the others can carry. He escapes with the help of former Roman aide to Constantine Cyrus and the newest monk Zarathan and the beautiful Kalay. The Romans pursue the trio wanting to capture Cyrus and kill the others. Barnabas takes them to the secret cave of his mentor who provides the fleeing trio with a map that leads to the greatest treasure of all.

This captivating biographical fictional account about the life of Jesus does not fit the official Church doctrine as the Geers draw a different conclusion than the Nicea Council did. The authors make a case for a radically dissimilar interpretation of the events and the personality of Jesus; insisting that three plus centuries later the victors rewrote the history. Those who objected to the True Church tenet were declared heretics and subject to torture to gain confessions and ultimately burned at the stake (still relevant today). THE BETRAYAL is a terrific thought provoking historiographic action thriller that delves into the life of Jesus by focusing on those who wrote the doctrine in the fourth century.

Harriet Klausner

Books of the South: Tales of the Black Company
Glen Cook
Tor, Jun 2008, $15.95
ISBN: 9780765320667

“Shadow Games”. The Black Company took heavy losses at the battle of the Tower of Charm. Croaker leads what is left of his comrades in arms on a quest to find the lost Annals in order to bring it to the free companies’ birth city Khatovar that may not exist outside of ancient history or perhaps mythos. The expedition is dangerous from the natural predators, but they must deal with shadowmaster wizards who believe humans are expendable at a time the squad still hurts.

“Dreams of Steel”. Following another devastating battle at Degajore, Croaker is missing and probably dead. A former brutal wizard-empress, Lady is in charge of those members of the Black Company that escaped the city’s death trap. She struggles to rally her force as they must make a desperate attack on the seemingly invincible shadowmaster wizards.

“The Silver Spike”. As much of the Black Company survivors trek south in search of legendary Khatovar, some depart. Darling rejects Raven, who becomes bitter and an alcoholic until Philodendron Case begins to help him. Darling and Silent return to their underground haven. Others are also in retreat and hiding.

This omnibus contains books 4-6 and is a natural follow-up to the first omnibus reprint (see CHRONICLES OF THE BLACK COMPANY containing the first three tales - The Black Company, Shadows Linger, and The White Rose). The fine military fantasy saga holds up well through books 4 and 5 and the twists appear plausible as Glen Cook provides the full impact of war on people. However, the Omnibus edition enhances flaws as Lady seems to have the same command voice as Croaker that is blatantly obvious when reading Shadow Games and Dreams of Steel and The Silver Spike is a fascinating sidebar tying up some dangling threads, but feels out of place (though it is my personal favorite). Still the Black Company remains strong military fantasy.

Harriet Klausner

Aurelia
Anne Osterlund
Speak, Apr 2008, $8.99
ISBN: 9780142405796

Most if not all of the people in Tyalt envy Princess Aurelia, heir to the throne; however, ironically Aurelia envies her countrymen. She knows being a royal means pampering, but also connotes responsibility to her country. Aurelia dreams of marrying for love not state with some husband who wants to be the next tyrant; while her father the king expects her to marry whomever he chooses makes the best political deal for Tyalt. She would like to travel the countryside free to explore without bodyguards every step of the way and without fear of embarrassing the throne.

However someone wants the heir removed. After a failed attempt on her life, the King enforces her protection and assigns the son of his former top operator, Robert to investigate the assassination attempt. Robert and Aurelia have been friends forever, but both hide their feelings for one another. However, Aurelia is not going to remain cloistered nor wait for her unknown adversary to try again. She feels only she can save herself so she risks her crown, her love, and her life to do so.

This is an exciting young adult historical fiction that cleverly uses references to anchor time (“The Age of Reason”) and place (other neighboring kingdoms) as Anne Osterlund enlighteningly avoids dumbing down by treating her audience with respect in regards to their intelligence. The courageous princess wants more out of life than tedious nobles fawning at her feet at boring parties. She soon learns that sometimes you get what you wish for when several assassination attempts occur. However, that just makes her even braver. Readers will appreciate Princess Aurelia’s rude awakening to the downside of royalty.

Harriet Klausner