How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
Charles Yu
Pantheon, Sep 7 2010, $25.00
ISBN:9780307379207

In Minor Universe 31, time travel is a way of life as is paradoxes caused by someone tinkering with the past. Time technician Charles Yu fixes the stupid actions of those wanting change without comprehending the consequences. He councils these idiots, but does so calmly even when he tries to pacify his harried boss Phil.

Yu visits his mother, who is trapped in a life of one-hour in which she prepares dinner infinitely. He still seeks his father who invented the machines that enable time travel, but vanished while testing his gizmos. Accompanied by TAMMY the operating system with Yu’s personality (to include a lack of self-worth) and Ed the imaginary ontological canine, he continues his personal quest to meet and talk with his dad; having gained hope by a book he will one day author, How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe.

This is an intriguing time travel science fiction tale starring a stay out of trouble extremist (think of Columbus in most of the movie Zombieland) who as a bureaucrat quietly rectifies the mistakes of others while searching for his lost dad to have a father-son chat. The story line feels like a Moebius series of loops so is difficult to follow yet quite fun to do so. Although the climax is abrupt and seemingly out of character for the safety only lead protagonist, SF fans who enjoy something radically different will want to read Charles Yu’s escapades in time and space.

Harriet Klausner

Harvest Moon
Mercedes Lackey, Michelle Sagara, Cameron Haley
Luna, Oct 1 2010, $17.95
ISBN: 9780373803224

“A Tangled Web” by Mercedes Lackey. At. Mt Olympus, Thanatos kidnaps Brunnhilde in the opening ploy of a scheme to enable his master Hades to capture Persephone. Ever since he met her (see The Sleeping Beauty) Leopold is not one to sit idly by when Brunnhilde is in danger.

“Cast in Moonlight” by Michelle Sagara. In Elantra, teenage Kaylin Neya joins the hawks as she works her first case.

“Retribution” by Cameron Haley. Enforcer Domino Riley killed her rival for the position she now holds in accordance with Mob Rules, but an otherworldly hit man is coming after her also in accordance with Mob Rules.

These are three fine fantasies that fans of the respective authors especially will enjoy as Mercedes Lackey provides a Five Hundred Kingdom’s entry; Michelle Sagara contributes an Elantra saga; and Cameron Haley an Underworld tale.

Harriet Klausner

The House On Durrow Street
Galen Beckett
Bantam, Sep 28 2010, $16.00
ISBN: 9780553807592

Saving her country Altania and having married the mage Mr. Quent, the witch Ivy and her sisters have been welcomed back by the aristocracy (see The Magicians and Mrs. Quent). She and her siblings establish a residence in the mysterious house inherited from their late father on Darrow Street.

However, all is not quite idyllic in Ivy’s world as she feels pulled by two conflicting natures. First she is a witch married to a magician and that is hard to ignore. Then there is her place in high society. Though both have some inclusiveness, mostly they are exclusive. All those woes come across as nothing compared with learning the secrets of The House on Durrow Street before raging rogue magicians cause further havoc throughout the land.

This is a terrific dark fantasy in which magic feels genuine due mostly from the interesting eccentric support cast and the title abode. The heroine is a fabulous lead protagonist who readers will like and root for as she works the enigma of what she and her sisters inherited. Galen Beckett obviously had fun writing the second Mrs. Quent quirky fantasy.

Harriet Klausner

Haunted Legends
Ellen Datlow and Nick Mamaras
Tor, Sep 14 2010, $27.99
ISBN: 9780765323002

These twenty regional ghost stories based on local legends around the world make up a spirited fun anthology that will have readers keeping the lights on for two or three weeks. All the entries are fabulous with perhaps the best of the lot being the final contribution by Joe Lansdale, “The Folding Man” and the haunting (starring Stalin’s ruthless henchman Beria) “Tin Cans” by Ekaterina Sedia. Also excellent are Fiji based “That Girl” by Kaaron Warren, the Japanese located “15 Panels Depicting the Sadness of the Baku and the Jotai” by Catherynne M. Valente, and “Return to Mariabronn” by Gary A. Braunbeck. Whether it be “Akbar” by Kit Reed in India, a “Knickerbocker Holiday” by Richard Bowes in Hudson Valley New York or vampires in Rhode Island As Red as Red” by Caitlin R. Kiernan, this is a super diverse collection.

Harriet Klausner

He is Legend: An Anthology Celebrating Richard Matheson
Christopher Conlon
Tor, Sep 2010, $25.99
ISBN: 9780765326133

Christopher Conlon brings together fifteen highly regarded authors to pay homage to He Is Legend Richard Matheson. The concept is simply to have each participating writer contribute a work tied to a Matheson masterpiece to create a companion short story. The best entries are those that bring a fresh venue to the original story; for instance, “Throttle” by Joe Hill and his dad Stephen King based on Duel (think of the Spielberg film) Recalled by F. Paul Wilson based on The Distributor. The other tales range from I Am Legend, Hell House, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and Somewhere in Time. Although some rehash the original, all are well written as this anthology affirms that Mr. Matheson is in deed a legend.

Harriet Klausner

Healer’s Choice
Jory Strong
Berkley, Sep 7 2010, $15.00
ISBN: 9780425236536

Rebekka spends a lot time healing patrons and employees of the shapeshifter brothels a place where she was born and loosely raised. Her unique skill is to save a shapeshifter caught trapped between their two forms. However, by doing this, the victim must choose one shape because the cure includes no more shapeshifting between the beast and the human forms.

Aryck the Jaguar were enforcer learns of Rebekka’s healing skills. To prevent a tragedy of five cubs dying from a man-made plague, he searches for her to bring her back to Were held territory to help the ailing youngsters. It is a place where humans and half-breeds are not allowed. Attracted to each other, Rebekka agrees to help, but both soon realize the plague is the first step in a larger genocide plan.

This is a Strong post-apocalyptic urban fantasy as a race war seems imminent in a world torn apart by de facto violence. As in Ghostland, the story line is action-packed but it is the profound look at the purebreds and mixed breeds that make this a powerful tale. Star-crossed lovers, Rebekka knows she is an expendable pawn in a world gone mad in which long dead ancestors punish their descendents for crossing taboo lines as the healer is doing yet she knows she has no choice.

Harriet Klausner

The High King of Montival
S.M. Stirling
Roc, Sep 7 2010, $25.95
ISBN: 9780451463524

It has been a quarter of a century since the world was plunged into darkness with electricity and electronic based technology failing. People formed communities to keep safe as mankind returns to the Middle Ages standard of living and society. Rudi Mackenzie traveled from Montival (parts of Oregon and Washington State) to Nantucket where he found the Sword of Lady in the World. He drew it out just like Arthur did Excalibur and it granted him mystical powers that enabled Rudi to become the ruler Artos of Montival when he gets home.

Getting back is just as different as people of different communities look at them at as the enemy. Rudi and his allies have to trust their numbers and strength in the wrecks that was once cities to make better time and fight off groups that want to rule Montival like the leads of Boise and Corwin and the Cutters soldiers of the Church Universal and Triumphant. While back home, the various groups that make up Montival are fighting to maintain their way of life against well trained warriors.

When Rudi takes control of the Sword (see Sword of the Lady), he needed to adapt to a new radical change again while also rallying various groups, many of whom he fought against just a few months ago as the evil enemy threatens their well-being. The High King of Montival is filled with plenty of action, intrigue and a touch of romance. Readers will muse over whether magic or a neo branch of physics has entered the world and what it means as S.M. Stirling provides another fabulous post-apocalyptic thriller to his Change saga (see The Scourge of God and The Sunrise Lands).

Harriet Klausner

Hellfire
Kate Douglas
Zebra, Sep 1 2010, $6.99
ISBN: 9781420110005

For his role in the escape of the former demon Dax and the human Eddy Marks from a Lemurian prison, Alton the son of the ruling Chancellor, was sentenced to death. He would have preferred to have persuaded his father and the Council of Nine of the long term danger to their world by the increased demon activity, but does not rue his choice even if he dies for it. His action against the demon horde activated his crystal sword HellFire, converting it from a seemingly inanimate though actually dormant to an intelligent speaking species.

Alton also admits he is attracted to the human Ginny Jones, who is passionate about life; unlike females of his species. He sent her to safety to Sedona using hypnosis, but has learned a new portal has allowed demons to invade earth possessing animals. With Ginny at his side and hellfire as his weapon he fights the demons, which is the easier task than persuading the Council of Nine that not just earth is endangered as Lemuria is the obvious next stop once the evil ones defeat the humans.

The latest DemonSlayers romantic fantasy (see DemonFire and the novella Crystal Dreams in Nocturne) is an enjoyable thriller that continues the few rebellious Lemurians risking their lives to save humanity from the invading demon horde. The matching of Alton and Ginny is fabulous as he assumes her being female she will be dainty like those of his race, but instead she kicks demon butt. Though somewhat similar to DemonFire in tone, readers will enjoy HellFire as the war of the worlds continues on battlefield earth.

Harriet Klausner

Hero
Cheryl Brooks
Sourcebooks, Aug 1 2010, $7.99
www.sourcebooks.com
ISBN: 9781402229411

Since his brother Tychar found his soul mate (see Rogue), Trag the Zetithian is depressed though he feels great for his sibling as he wants the same thing for himself. An outlaw on many planets, he is careful even when he offers to pay for sex; his talent insures he never has to remit any money as women find him to be the sexual encounter of a lifetime. Still he dreams of meeting a female especially from his now destroyed species, but fears no soulmate exists for him. He is especially despondent when he is with his few surviving male brethren (including his brother) as each has found their females.

Micayla leaves her home world of Earth for the first time in her life. She feels lonely but accepts a truism that men or women don’t turn her on and that somehow she is different than her family and friends. That changes in an instant gut changing observation of the back of a stranger who she finds desiring. However, when she meets the hunk who she wants, instead of jumping Trag’s bones as her inclination screams inside her, she rips his skin off blaming him for her unwanted desire.

While the overarching story line involving the pandemic destruction of a race and their planet moves forward with insight into who committed the atrocity, the latest Zetithian science fiction romance also contains the most powerful Cat Stars Chronicles coupling to date. That says a lot as previous tales like Fugitive, Rogue, and Slave are excellent. Readers will relish this pairing of two of the universe’s loneliest people; as Micayla makes Trag dance the Macarena to snare his soulmate.

Harriet Klausner

Heiress to a Curse
Zandria Munson
Harlequin Nocturne, Aug 2010, $5.25
ISBN: 9780373618415

In the sixteenth century in Romania, a witch placed a curse on the Drakon family that turn each one into gargoyles. Centuries later Marius Drakon knows he is next to change unless he can earn the trust of the witch’s descendent and then kill her.

Twenty-nine days remain before his conversion. Marius meets reporter Alexandra and knows he must make her believe in him before he murders her. There is only one problem, he is attracted to her. She is working a child abduction case in which he joins her. When she learns who he is and what he must do, she is heartbroken as she loves him. As they trust in their love, they fight off his family who see her death as redemption and seek another way to overcome the curse.

This is a great romantic urban fantasy due to the apparent star-crossed lovers as each understands the curse. The first Hearts of Stone story line is fast-paced from the moment they meet and never slows down as his days tick away. Readers will need to set aside time for this fabulous thriller as Zandria Munson provides a strong tale that means little if any nocturnal sleep.

Harriet Klausner