Invisible Fences
Norman Prentiss
Cemetery Dance, May 2010, $30.00
ISBN: 9781587671845

Nathan had an ordinary childhood until his half sister died; which plunged his mother into a depression that made her a recluse who could not leave the house nor throw anything out. Their home was covered with piles everywhere making it impossible to walk. Both his parents told him and his sister Pam cautionary tales that made each fear even crossing the street.

Nathan and Pam were in the woods near his best friend Aaron’s home. An accident occurs and Aaron falls into the overflowing creek and cannot get out. Neither of his two companions can swim, but both refuse to give up on rescuing Aaron. They come up with an idea, but as they leave the woods with their friend still in the water Aaron curses them. Later Nathan goes to visit Aaron; his friend’s brother beats him up.

Nathan and his family move to another state; where he grows up into a male “spinster”, afraid to take even the slightest chance. However, after his parents die, something from their warnings surfaces to challenge Nathan’s Invisible fences that allow no risks.

The child is the adult as the impressionable boy is frightened by his parents by their stories into fearing life. Nathan faces a supernatural essence that is a horror from his childhood; leaving readers to wonder if he psychologically created his demon. This is a chilling tale as Norman Prentiss provides a profound look at the child inside the adult whose fear is palpable while the audience wonders if it is externally real or internal psychosomatically real.

Harriet Klausner

In the Darkest Night
Patti O’Shea
Tor, Mar 30 2010, $6.99
ISBN 9780765361707

In Seattle, novice mage Farran hides from her family the Taireil and more so from the Gineal who want them dead. However, she knows she is fortunate to remain alive after Seth the demon attacked her. Farran needs help so she asks exiled Gineal Kel Andrews to keep her safe.

Kel has issues having barely survived being a tortured hostage. He sees Farran like a sister struggling against a world of maliciousness as he suffers nightmares from his captivity. As they fall in love, danger mounts from paranormal and human enemies, and almost as perilous their personal fears.

The latest Light Warrior romantic urban fantasy (see In the Midnight Shadows and Edge of Dawn) is a terrific action-packed thriller that opens with a powerful setting the background scene with references to Crest gel for instance to counter balance Seth. The story line is fast-paced throughout, but accelerates when the heroine faints at the doorstep of the hero. The sub-genre audience will be enthralled with Patti O’Shea’s latest Light Warrior battling In the Darkest Night.

Harriet Klausner

Incarceron
Catherine Fisher
Dial, Jan 26 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780803733961

Energy resources are severely depleted since the war occurred. To save what is left of civilization; Incarceron Prison was built to house dissidents, radicals and criminals. This was sealed up so no one can enter or leave. The idea led to a closed environment with excellent shelter, decent food and medical supplies so Incarceron would become a Utopia. Instead reality and the dream fail to match as the world became hell on earth.

Finn believes his visions are memories of a life outside the prisons. He wants to escape along with his oath brother Keiro, slave girl Attia, and sapient Gildas. On the Outside, time stopped and society has become medieval with advanced technology banned by the ruling Protocol. Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron is expected to marry the Queen’s son and heir Earl Casper; she does not want to marry him. She was to wed his half-brother Giles who died in a freak accident whom she wanted to wed. When evidence surfaces that Giles is alive and inside Incarceron, she vows to get to him at the risk of her life.

Readers will quickly understand why the London Times calls this the book of the year as the story line plays out on several Orwellian levels that hook diverse age groups. Incarceron is a huge prison with an internal caste system and incredible security. People are there for life to include newborns. Finn is a loyal person taking care of friends inside a horrible containment zone risking his life to do so. Claudia likewise does the same when she tries to breach the great prison to save her beloved. Catherine Fisher provides a powerful futuristic as if the Knights of the Round Table took the Journey to the Center of the Earth only to find a 1984 setting.

Harriet Klausner

Iorich
Steven Brust
Tor, Jan 5 2010, $24.95
ISBN: 9780765312082

In Draegara, the House Jhereg crime syndicate has placed a price on the head of Vlad Taltos, who has avoided the mob for several years. However, his skill at staying in hiding ends in a small village tavern when he overhears news that his friend Aliera e’Kieron was arrested by the Empire for practicing taboo elder sorcery. As Aliera never concealed her activity from anyone and no one cared including the Empress, Vlad wonders why now especially with Sethra Labode to testify against her. Apparently, Aliera is accused of trying to kill the Empress Zerika, betray the country to some foreign army, and released a demon inside the House of the Dragon.

Vlad knows all the reasons to mind his business starting and ending with being a foreigner who betrayed his House Jhereg. So he heads to the capital city Adrilhanka that he has avoided for several years to rescue Aliera to learn the real truth behind the incarceration of his friend accused of violating Imperial Articles of Indictment for Felonious Conduct even if it kills him to do so.

This is a terific entry in the long running Taltos saga as the latest Vlad’s excellent adventure focuses on him landing in plenty of trouble; more tsuris than usual, which says a lot. His activities also stir up problems for everyone else within his circle including the female sorcerer he has come to rescue. Just another few days for Steven Brust’s superb tale as the hero, his friends, his enemies and especially the reader learn life’s critical meaning: “we are what we worry about.” And some of us worry through life.

Harriet Klausner

Impact
Douglas Preston
Forge, Jan 5 2010, $25.99
ISBN 9780765317681

College dropout turned waitress and amateur astronomer Abbey Straw believes she and her BFF Jackie saw a meteor crash near the Maine coast where she lives. The two young females agree to search the nearby barrier islands as Abbey using wave theory believes the meteor struck land. The plan is to sell the finds on E-Bay.

Meanwhile the president’s science adviser Stanton Lockwood III asks former CIA filed operative Wyman Ford to investigate the sudden flooding of radioactive gemstones in Cambodia. At about the same time Stanton makes his request that seems more like an order to Wyman,on the West Coast, just before he is murdered Professor Jason Freeman sends a classified file containing proof of abnormal gamma ray activity on Mars to mission technician Mark Corso of the National Propulsion Facility. Soon these three diverse scenarios converge with sixty hours to countdown impact.

This is an engaging science fiction thriller that hooks the audience from the moment Wyman begins his inquiry and never slows down as California, Maine and Cambodia hook up. The story line is fast-paced as fans will welcome the return of Wyman (see Blasphemy), but in many ways the brilliant slacker with her naive innocence makes the tale fresh.

Harriet Klausner

The Infernal City
Greg Keyes
Del Rey, Nov 24 2009, $14.00
ISBN: 9780345508010

At sea, the sailors feel the heaviness the water and look up to see floating in the air a big mountain wit the cone pointed downward with a beautiful city on top. The ship speeds to the docks to spread the word, but was given no credence until Annaig the young human female and Mere-Glim the sentient reptilian find themselves on the floating island of Umbriel. They had floated up there using the magical potion that Annaig had drank, but also has no way to turn them home in Limoth, which was once part of the Empire but now belongs to the An-Xileel due to the events of four decades ago during the Oblivion Crisis.

The island’s inhabitants find themselves on the south of Annaig’s world especially the High Lords while the lesser beings shall need to find food to stay alive. Annaig obtains a position as a cook and the Lord live her banquet meals. She uses a mechanical bird to send a message to try and get Prince Attrebus back to the Empire to rescue them get rid of Umbriel. To do so they need to travel through the inter-dimensional portals. It is not long before the people with various missions getting rid of Umbriel is next to impossible but it must be done before its evil destroys all life on the surface below its shadow.

Based on the Elder Scrolls video game, THE INFERNAL CITY occurs between the fourth and fifth game. Readers do not need to have played game four as the novel stands alone, but it helps to understand the events of four decades earlier that led to the current surface world. Annaig is the star of the tale as her ability to face up to challenges lead others to want to assist her; she makes friends with them though they are of a different sentient essence. Although at times the plotting feels like a game especially when Annaig gets in trouble, fans will enjoy Greg Keyes’ fine adaptation that stays true to the original saga yet brings fresh action-packed excitement on its own front.

Harriet Klausner

Immortal Wolf
Bonnie Vanak
Silhouette Nocturne, Oct 2009, $5.25
ISBN: 9780373618217

Leaving New Orleans for Tennessee, Draicon executioner Raphael Robichaux is assigned to kill the ancient shapeshifter Emily as her pack fears her because everyone she touches dies. However, Raphael is taken aback when he meets the female he must kill. Emily Burke is young and is his life mate.

Ignoring her pack’s insistence he do his job, Raphael chooses to investigate the deaths that has haunted this Draicon clan. On the other hand her pack is prepared to kill both of them if he fails to carry out his mission immediately as she has killed her father and her aunt in the past year. Raphael soon realizes she also possesses healing power instead of killing power. He begins to theorize that someone evil lurks in the background trying to prevent Emily from fulfilling an ancient shapeshifter prophesy.

Emily is a fascinating lead protagonist who believes she needs to die as her future is that of a hermit unable to touch anyone; the audience will think of Rogue of the X-Men. The urban romantic fantasy story line is fast-paced from the moment the executioner arrives and twists immediately as he knows he must kill his life mate, which will kill him too. Ironically she had been the bringer of life and he the destroyer, but now she apparently is the destroyer and he brings the hope of life. Fans will believe in the supernatural world of Bonnie Vanak as eastern Tennessee is home to the Burke Draicon clan.

Harriet Klausner

Immortal
V.K. Forrest
Kensington, Dec 2009, $15.00
ISBN: 9780758217189

The Kahill Sept was cursed by God because they refused to give up their pagan ways, rejecting the message of Christianity given to them by St.Patrick. They said they will never give up teirpaganism and their lust for power and blood. God gave them what they deserved turning them into vampires who have a continuous life cycle. They die of old age only to return as fourteen years old three days later. When they came to the New World they were given a chance to repent and if they chose God and help guard humanity He would lift the curse.

Now they live in Clare Point, Delaware where they watch over God’s children; killing those monsters whom the authorities cannot touch. The human teen tourist Colin Meding is drained dry of blood by a female vampire after they had sex. Fin Kahill is spending the summer as a deputy and watching over his twin Regan, a recovering addict. He is trying to also solve the vampire murder while enjoying his relationship with visting tourist Elena Ruffino who with her family is in town on a vacationt. She is interested in Fin like he is with her. As more murders occur, Fin gets closer to uncovering the identity of the serial killer but also fears what he is learning about his beloved Italian soulmate.

This saga is one of the best vampire series on the market as V.K. Forrest consistently provides super tales. The UNDYING Kahill clan repents their sins and God gives them a chance for ETERNAL redemption, but they must obey his commandments including thou shall not drink human blood. Someone is obviously breaking that commandment. Still the Kahill clan has hope; something none of their species typically have. Ironically as Fin dreams of dying and moving on to heaven, he also finds love on earth. With a terrific police procedural supernatural hunt and a wonderful apparently bittersweet romance, fans will want to rush into the IMMORTAL romantic fantasy realm of this terrific author.

Harriet Klausner

Imager’s Challenge
L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
Tor, Oct 2009, $27.99
ISBN 9780765321268

The imager Rhennthyl has become a Maitre D’Aspect and named Liaison to the Civic Patrol of L’Excelsis by the Collegium. However his new Commander Artois is outraged with what he considers an affront and instead of going undercover to uncover seditious magical practicers, cheats and frauds among the elite as the Director of security operations Master Dichartyn envisioned, he is assigned street patrol in the worst sector.

As he works the streets serendipitously, Rhenn thought the Collegium would provide him with direction; instead they seem to want to avoid him. In fact as he makes progress on cases, the Collegium snubs him. When his inquiry leads to a High Holder with a personal grudge against Rhenn, the Collegium ignores his plea for backing. Ethical yet not suicidal, Rhenn considers his options, but ultimately refuses to back off though he knows challenging the aristocratic family without support could prove dangerous.

The Second Book of the Imager Portfolio (see IMAGER) is a fascinating political police procedural fantasy in which the secret use of magic rules. The story line at times turns reflective as Rhenn thoughtfully evaluates his options when no one in authority supports his findings. Although his reflections are insightful and timely into the abuse of power by omission and disregard, that also slows down the tale. Still IMAGER’S CHALLENGE is a deep look at the politics of neglect with timely connections to today’s world.

Harriet Klausner

Indigo Springs
A.M. Dellamonica
Tor, Oct 27 2009, $14.99
ISBN 9780765319470

In Indigo Springs, Oregon, Astrid Letherwood like most if not all the other residents assumed her father was a drunken bum. With his death, she learns the truth about her dad; he was an underground magic practitioner who created “chantment” magical objects that he gave to people he felt deserved a slight edge. He told nobody, allegedly not even his daughter, who was actually his apprentice but remembers nothing about magic since he died. He knew the witch finders stalk everyone with their burn at the stakes first and ask the charred corpse questions second.

However he was unable to keep Astrid safe as the government has incarcerated her although they improved her prison to a comfortable cage. Roche and his agents have her under arrest for kidnapping and murder. The latest inquisitioner is hostage negotiator Will Forest who actually gets Astrid to reveal a bit of what she knows, but she recalls nothing of value. Family friend Sahara Knox arrives and taps into the blue fluid vitagua that flows underneath her dad’s home and is the source of magic. Unlike Letherwood who felt magic should do no harm, she employs violence turning people and animals into monsters as she wants the underground magic rebellion to come out into the open.

This is a super psychological suspense suburban fantasy starring a great bewildered lead protagonist who is center to all the goings on. Her confusion purposely leaves the story line somewhat hazy as her latest interrogator tries to get at the truth but is different from previous inquisitioners as he is first a hostage negotiator while the others were enforcers using any means. Sahara complicates a complex character driven thriller that uses the questioning of an alleged convict to establish the delightful Dellamonica domain.

Harriet Klausner