Esperanza
Trish J. MacGregor
Tor, Sep 14 2010, $24.99
ISBN 9780765326027

High in the Andes in Esperanza, Ecuador, two visiting Americans who never met before are stranded at an isolated bus station waiting who knows how long for the bus to arrive. FBI Agent Tess Livingston and Minneapolis journalism professor Ian Ritter chat as she wonders how she got here being on a case of international counterfeiters while he also ponders how he ended up in Peru when he was going to Galapagos Islands. While they wait they explore the town.

Shapeshifting spirit Dominica notices the pair and muses whose body of the two outsiders she will possess. When she begins her take over, Dominica is shocked to recognize each is a transitional soul of the nearly dead. These semi ghosts are dangerous to spirits like her and must be avoided, but she also finds them macabre and fascinating.

Esperanza is an exciting but strange supernatural thriller starring unnatural enemies. Ian and Tess struggle with their transformations as they try to understand the eternal war between good and evil. Although the time traveling sequences add complexity to the story line such as Ian trying to prevent singular atrocities that he knows will occur; these subplots also detract from the entertaining character driven paranormal triangle between the transitional souls and the spirit; the latter is fun to follow as the reader will want to know how it plays out.

Harriet Klausner

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).

End of Days
Max Turner
St. Martin’s Griffin, Sep 28 2010, $9.99
ISBN: 9780312592523

Vampires exist in the world hiding in the shadows and protected by the Underground, which consists of humans, vamps and Others who look out for the Undead trying to live a normal life. Dracula using an iron fist controls all vampires and insures the underground was serving its purpose. With his death, his minions are fighting for control with everyone concerned only with their personal well-being.

Dracula turned the child Zack Thomson because he believed he was the vampiric Messiah who would bring a new order to the species. The Elders detest child-vampires like Zack, his friend Charlie and his girlfriend Luna. At a rave, the vampires come to kill the trio, but a huge werewolf like creature, who kills vampires, chases them away and then goes after them. Zach and his friends search for the beast so they can kill it before the humans learn of its existence.

In the latest Night Runner teen urban fantasy thriller (see Night Runner), Zach must delay his alleged destiny of bringing order to the Underground by dealing with the creature they call Hyde. The heroic lead characters bring youthful courage as they try to do the right thing re the chosen one Zach, but prophecies are just visions lacking action plans with steps so the teen titans must fill the gap. Max Turner brings a fascinating premise to the vampire mythos that grips readers who root for Zach and his BFFs while anxiously waiting for the next entry in the saga.

Harriet Klausner

Emma and the Vampires
Jane Austen and Wayne Josephson
Sourcebooks, Aug 10 2010, $14.99
ISBN: 9781402241345

In Highbury, England blue blooded vampires live among the human residents with the latter unaware that some of local gentry are Undead. Daughter of an affluent widower, Emma is especially clueless even though she notices weird dental bites and black curtains, but never puts together another thought as to what that denotes. Instead Emma plays the town’s matchmaker until her BFF Harriet Smith declares her love for Mr. Knightly. Emma wants him unaware that his fangs are not due to poor teeth.

Everything changes when the vampires begin stalking and attacking the town’s girls. Not one to remain a spectator, Emma grabs a stake that she ties to her thigh and stalks the Undead.

With a nod to Steve Hockensmith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and a wink at Jane Austen, Wayne Josephson converts Emma into a vampire thriller with stakes and tea. Although everyone knows vampires exist, Emma is terrific as she goes from totally clueless to Regency Buffy like slayer. Although how the Highbury citizens failed to know the bluebloods were Undead is mindful of Los unable to see past Clark’s glasses (hypnotic glamour must be super powerful), readers will enjoy Mr. Josephus’ jocular biting of Emma.

Harriet Klausner

Eternal Kiss Of Darkness
Jeaniene Frost
Avon, Jul 27 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780061783166

Ancient Egyptian Master Vampire Mencheres believes his life is coming to an end. Ti protects those he cherishes from an in family civil war to replace him by designating Bones as his co-ruler; especially since he expects a life and death showdown with his enemy Radjedef.

In Chicago, Ghouls seemingly have trapped Mencheres, but mortal private investigator Kira Graceling saves his life; at least she thinks so when she courageously dives into the fight. Stunned by the mortal’s bravery, Mencheres finds himself dazzled by Kira who is attracted to him though fearful of the strange world she discovered when she jumped into his fight. However, as he now has a reason to live, he fears her distraction and attraction will kill both of them.

The second sidebar spin-off from the superb Night Huntress saga (see First Drop of Crimson) is a great urban fantasy as the Master vampire falls in love at an extremely bad time. Filled with action, as Mencheres tries to keep his beloved from becoming a pawn in the death match with his adversary a great risk to his existence, Jeaniene Frost continues to be one of the sub-genre’s top Master mages.

Harriet Klausner

The Evolutionary Void
Peter F. Hamilton
Del Rey, Aug 24 2010, $28.00
ISBN 9780345496577

Having become known as the Second Dreamer, Araminta fears everyone hunts her for their own purpose. She believes some want her dead and others want to use her; both for the same reason; her ability to provide a path into the timeless Void where many believe Eden exists while other think pandemic destruction will occur.

Ilanthe of the Accelerator Faction and the Living Dream cult want to control the gateway, which is Araminta so they can enter the Void. Others like Government Agent Myo search for Araminta fearing what she might unleash as the Void demands incredible energy from outside to feed it. Meanwhile Edeard the Waterwalker has fooled with time judiciously (in his mind that is) for his people, but his dreams that connect to the First Dreamer Inigo turn darker as he grieves loss caused by his maneuvers. Inigo via Edeard and Araminta via herself must make choices that will determine much of what is to come inside and outside the Void.

This is an extremely complex and somewhat convoluted science fiction thriller as the intensity and tautness mount towards a showdown that could alter the universe. With an underlying concept that even when the monumental universe is at stake, the fully developed key cast members bring personal agendas and plenty of baggage whether they are heroic or malevolent. Although, one must read the previous two books in the Void trilogy (see The Dreaming Void and The Temporal Void) to dive into the Void finale entry, fans of the saga will relish the entertaining ending.

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 Desert Spear
Peter V. Brett
Del Rey, Apr 13 2010, $26.00
ISBN: 9780345503817

Ahmann Jardir has united the Krasia desert tribes under his rule claiming he is the Shar’Dama Ka Deliverer who can destroy the night demons. He yields an ancient spear and wears a crown as old as his weapon as he leads his demon killing army towards the cities of the north.

Others also claim to be the legendary Shar’Dama Ka. In the north there is Arlen Bales although he insists he is not the Deliver, but the Warded Man; whose tattooed skin contains magical wards that devastate demonic opponents. These two charismatic leaders have arrived at critical juncture as humanity has all but lost the night to the demon hordes. Jardir and Arlen were brothers in arms, but are now opponents whose rivalry further divides the humans. Key supporters like Jardir’s ambitious psychic wife Inevera, Leesha the warding healer and Rojer the fiddler with the magical music struggle with who to support. This is a particular bad time to remain at odds as a new demonic breed has challenged the humans leaving those like Renna in dire straits.

The sequel to the Warded Man continues Jardir’s conquests though he seems heroic rather than brutal as he did in the first fantasy thanks in part to his Machiavellian wife coming across more villainous than him. Fast-paced and filled with tons of action as armies battle on the epic scale, The Desert Spear is an exhilarant saga even with romance including for the Wild Thing “as love is all around us, it’s everywhere we go” (the Troggs did have another hit). Readers will enjoy the second entry as the Deliver and the Warded Man are opponents at a time humanity cannot afford divertive internal strife.

Harriet Klausner

The Edge of Ruin
Melinda Snodgrass
Tor, Apr 13 2010, $27.99
ISBN: 9780765316462

In spite of his extremely wealthy background and his father’s disdain, Richard Oort joined the Albuquerque Police Department because he always wanted to become a cop. However, two months ago his reality shattered putting him over The Edge of reason when he found out there is a lot more out there in between heaven and hell. The Old Ones are breaching an interdimensional gate to gain access to earth and the rest of this universe by using mortals as expendable tools to commit violence.

When Lumina Enterprises CEO Prometheus became bound, Richard took over, but failed to persuade the American political leaders to act as people go insane and religious leaders inadvertently enable the Old Ones. Richard needs to rescue his predecessor to save mankind; so with his sister’s help leads a science charge at the gate against magical practitioners.

The middle Edge fantasy is a terrific tale that continues to cause the audience to reconsider values, belief systems and leaders (political, religious, and community). Although at times his dysfunctional relationship with his family, especially his father, overwhelms the plot, readers will relish this intelligent fast-paced thriller as Melinda Snodgrass will leave fans pondering what are the personal motives and agendas of our leaders, especially those claiming the high moral ground.

Harriet Klausner

El Borak and Other Desert Adventures
Robert E. Howard
Del Rey, Feb 2010, $$18.00
ISBN: 9780345505433

These thirteen tales consist of eight starring Francis “El Borak” Xavier Gordon, three headed by Kirby O’Donnell, one very short story led by Steve Clarney and one untitled other El Borak. The tales take place in Asia with the Irish-American heroes battling against the odds at a time when imperialistic Europe tries to retain control of India and Afghanistan, etc. Although the “Wild East entries are fun to read especially those of Texas gunslinger El Borak who risks his life repeatedly for his Asian friends, much of the background seems ancient; in fairness Depression Era rationalization of the world comes clear. Still Fans of Howard will appreciate the heroic escapades of the three expatriate Americans in a vividly described harsh desert and mountainous landscape; but especially the actions of El Borak who comes across as the most realistic and believable than the other two adventurers.

Harriet Klausner