Coming Attractions: My Most Anticipated Novels of 2014

With the holidays at a close, and a pile of books that need to be read, I thought I'd list just a few of the upcoming releases that have me salivating in anticipation for their release. This is by no means an exhaustive list as I have left off novels that I couldn't find cover art for and releases in series where I am woefully behind. I plan on making a decided effort to catch up on a few authors that I've just discovered or have found my neglecting for newer shinier releases. Take a look and tell me if there is any upcoming novels you think should be added to my list in the comments below. 

Breach Zone by Myke Cole:

Coming Attractions: The Crimson Campaign by Brian McClellan

While I'm perhaps a bit late for the party, those who enjoyed Brian McClellan's Promise of Blood, will be pleased to see that cover art and the synopsis have been released by Orbit. Based on the strength of McClellan's debut, I'm already anxious to return to Tamas, Adamat, and Taniel's adventure and really hope that McClellan has some new POV characters to add to the mix.

The publisher's synopsis follows:

'The hounds at our heels will soon know we are lions'
Tamas's invasion of Kez ends in disaster when a Kez counter-offensive leaves him cut off behind enemy lines with only a fraction of his army, no supplies, and no hope of reinforcements. Drastically outnumbered and pursued by the enemy's best, he must lead his men on a reckless march through northern Kez to safety, and back over the mountains so that he can defend his country from an angry god. Tamas's invasion of Kez ends in disaster when a Kez counter-offensive leaves him cut off behind enemy lines with only a fraction of his army, no supplies, and no hope of reinforcements. Drastically outnumbered and pursued by the enemy's best, he must lead his men on a reckless march through northern Kez to safety, and back over the mountains so that he can defend his country from an angry god.

In Adro, Inspector Adamat only wants to rescue his wife. To do so he must track down and confront the evil Lord Vetas. He has questions for Vetas concerning his enigmatic master, but the answers might come too quickly.
With Tamas and his powder cabal presumed dead, Taniel Two-shot finds himself alongside the god-chef Mihali as the last line of defence against Kresimir's advancing army. Tamas's generals bicker among themselves, the brigades lose ground every day beneath the Kez onslaught, and Kresimir wants the head of the man who shot him in the eye.

I vastly enjoyed Promise of Blood, and strongly feel that McClellan is poised to join the ranks of authors like Weeks, Brett, and Cole who get better with each new release. The Crimson Campaign looks to be a step in that direction if the marketing materials are any indication.

Coming Attractions: Grimoire of the Lamb by Kevin Hearne

Fans of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid Chronicles, won't have to wait for the next installment to get their fix of Atticus O'Sullivan. Hearne is releasing a new novella that predated the opening of the series in Hounded. If this novella is half as good as the previous novella, Two Ravens and One Crow then fans will be treated to a further expansion to the world of the Iron Druid. The cover illustration and synopsis are provided below.

When he’s not vanquishing villainous gods or dodging demons, two-thousand-year-old Druid Atticus O’Sullivan can be found behind the counter of Third Eye Books and Herbs in modern-day Tempe, Arizona, literally minding his own business. But when an evil sorcerer—and amateur shoplifter—snatches an ancient Egyptian tome of black magic, The Grimoire of the Lamb, Atticus is not sheepish about pursuing him to the ends of the earth . . . or at least to the Land of the Pharaohs.

Unfortunately, Atticus already has enemies in Egypt—including cat goddess Bast, who wants her own book of mischief back from the Druid. In the streets of Cairo, she sends a feline phalanx after Atticus and his Irish wolfhound, Oberon. With fur still flying, Atticus must locate the sorcerer’s secret lair—where he will face killer crocodiles, spooky sarcophagi, and an ancient evil Egyptian who’s determined to order the sacrificial lamb special tonight.

So what say you, readers? Will you be pre-ordering Atticus' latest adventure?

Coming Attractions: Doctor Sleep & Joyland by Stephen King

I've been a Stephen King fan, since my freshman year of high school and have read every single thing he's published with the exception of one out of print novel. When I heard about his newest novel, Doctor Sleep, I was ecstatic. Few of King's novels are as beloved as The Shining and I can't wait to read the further adventures of Danny Torrence. The cover art and publisher's synopsis below seem to indicate that we might see a return to King's horror roots with this novel.

On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and tween Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the “steam” that children with the “shining” produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant “shining” power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor Sleep.”

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of hyper-devoted readers of The Shining and wildly satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.

But wait, King also has a new release coming from Hard Case Crime, who published The Colorado Kid several years ago. The art and vague synopsis leave me cold, and I think Hard Case should probably consider giving more detail on their releases. But with a marquee name like King's they know the book will sell. Completists like me will definitely be forking over the funds regardless of the lack of details.

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever.

Which of the release from America's Master of Horror are you most excited about? Would more information on Joyland make your decision easier to make? Let us know, in the comments.

Coming Attractions: The Rose and the Thorn by Michael J. Sullivan

Fresh on the heels of the end of his Hollow World Kickstarter, Michael J. Sullivan has even more to crow about. Orbit has released the cover art and synopsis for the second of his Riyria prequel novels, The Rose and the Thorn. With the release of the first volume, The Crown Tower just around the bend, I'm excited to learn that the entire dualogy will be mine before years end. Fans of Royce and Hadrian are in for a good year, and Sullivan is yet again an author to watch.

Two thieves want answers. Riyria is born.

For more than a year Royce Melborn has tried to forget Gwen DeLancy, the woman who saved him and his partner Hadrian Blackwater from certain death. Unable to get her out of his mind, the two thieves return to Medford but receive a very different reception --- Gwen refuses to see them. The victim of abuse by a powerful noble, she suspects that Royce will ignore any danger in his desire for revenge. By turning the thieves away, Gwen hopes to once more protect them. What she doesn't realize is what the two are capable of --- but she's about to find out. 

So tell us, are you more excited by Sullivan's return to his fan-favorite stomping grounds, or his journey into new territory with Hollow World? 

Coming Attractions: The Tyrant's Law by Daniel Abraham

Daniel Abraham is one of the most prolific writers in speculative fiction. His partnership with Ty Franck under the pseudonym James S.A. Corey has produced the widely acclaimed Leviathan Wakes and Caliban's War, with the third volume Abaddon's Gates coming soon. The duo also have an upcoming Star Wars novel featuring Han Solo in the works as well. For those of you who prefer fantasy to science fiction, Abraham has The Dagger and the Coin series, which has been one of the best received new fantasy series in recent years. The cover and blurb for the third installment in this excellent series has just been released with a projected publication date of May 2013.

And here's the blurb:

The great war cannot be stopped. 

The tyrant Geder Palliako begins a conquest aimed at bringing peace to the world, though his resources are stretched too thin. When things go poorly, he finds a convenient target among the thirteen races and sparks a genocide. 

Clara Kalliam, freed by having fallen from grace, remakes herself as a "loyal traitor" and starts building an underground resistance movement that seeks to undermine Geder through those closest to him. 

Cithrin bel Sarcour is apprenticing in a city that's taken over by Antea, and uses her status as Geder's one-time lover to cover up an underground railroad smuggling refugees to safety. 

And Marcus Wester and Master Kit race against time and Geder Palliako's soldiers in an attempt to awaken a force that could change the fate of the world.

I haven't read The King's Blood yet, but this blurb is going to have me waiting at the mailbox for its arrival. It looks like 2013 might be Daniel Abraham's best year yet.

Coming Attractions: Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

Orbit has just released a first look at one of my most anticipated debuts of 2013. Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan is just the sort of tale that I am always on the prowl for. McClellan's novel has interesting premise, a mash-up of  firearms and sorcery, with a hearty dash of political intrigue and mystery. Add in the fantastic cover art, with an interesting twist on a genre trope and I'm practically salivating. With a blurb from Brent Weeks, whose The Blinding Knife has been my favorite release this year, I really have no choice but to give Promise of Blood a pass to the top of my most anticipated debut list. Check out the cover and blurb below. I've included Week's endorsement as well.

Field Marshal Tamas has staged a coup against the king of Adro. His powder mages have slaughtered the king’s Privileged cabal of sorcerers and the nobility has been rounded up to face the guillotine with their king. Tamas has brought revolution to his country in one bloody night to save his people and right the wrongs caused by the old regime. Yet his actions have far-reaching consequences of which no reasonable man could have conceived, and the king will prove the easiest obstacle to overcome in his quest to free Adro.

Captain Taniel Two-shot is a powder mage of considerable skill. Gunpowder makes him stronger and faster than other men. He can manipulate its properties to shoot out a man’s eye at twice the length of a battlefield. It makes him perfect for killing the old Privileged sorcerers with their destructive magic. One of those Privileged has escaped Tamas’ cull. The problem is, she’s stronger than any sorcerer Taniel has ever seen, and the mercenaries sent to help him track her are of dubious reliability.

When Adamat is summoned to the palace in the middle of the night, the last thing the veteran investigator expects is to arrive during a regime change. His new employer is none other than the man responsible for overthrowing the current government and he has some unfinished business with the king’s sorcerers. The dying Privileged cabal has left the Field Marshal with a riddle. It could be nothing, but Tamas does not like loose ends. Adamat knows from long experience that one doesn’t ask questions unless one is willing to learn–and believe–the answers. To add to his problems, the Field Marshal isn’t the only one interested in the answer to the dying sorcerers’ riddle. As enemies emerge from the shadows and the investigation takes a disturbing turn, Adamat must decide where his loyalties lie.

“Promise of Blood is a hugely promising debut. Guns, swords, and magic together? What more could you want? How about tense action, memorable characters, rising stakes, and cool, cool magic? Not only the finest flintlock fantasy I’ve read, but also the most fun. Brian McClellan is the real thing.”

–Brent Weeks, author of the Night Angel Trilogy

So who do I have to kill to get a review copy of this one?

Coming Attractions: Star Wars Universe

At New York Comic Con, Del Rey announced two new projects in the Star Wars universe. The first will tell a story that was first mentioned in A New Hope, but has remained a mystery ever since. The second sees a writer responsible for one of the most popular science fiction books released in recent years.

John Jackson Miller will tackle Kenobi, which details the Jedi’s master's life following  events of  Revenge of the Sith. Miller had the following to say about the project:

Kenobi is a sweeping story that’s part epic western, part high-stakes drama, part romance — but it’s all Star Wars, taking place in the early days of Obi-Wan’s exile to Tatooine. I’ve been working on this concept for years and the basics are pretty simple. The greatest hero in the galaxy faces his toughest challenge yet: He must stop being Obi-Wan — and learn to live as Ben.

The release date for Kenobi is  set for late 2013.

In other news, the third book in the upcoming “Rebels” standalone novels,  focusing on the principle characters in the original trilogy set between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, will feature Han Solo. The tale will be penned by James S. A. Corey, otherwise known as the writing duo of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. Corey's immensely popular space opera novels Leviathan Wakes and Caliban's War leave little doubt that this project will be one to watch for. 

Which of these upcoming additions to the mountain of Star Wars titles are you most looking forward to? 

Coming Attractions: The Crown Tower by Michael J. Sullivan

One of the more recent authors to be added to must read list is Michael J. Sullivan. His Riyria Revelations series published last year by Orbit was such a page turner that I finished all three volumes (which actually were omnibuses containing two novels each) in a two week spree. Sullivan's style of accessible sword and sorcery recalls all the best bits of genre legends like the late David Eddings while borrowing heavilly from the structure of genre television standouts like Battlestar Gallactica and Babylon 5. The Crown Tower begins a prequel cycle featuring the protagonists of The Riyria Revelations. I've missed Hadrian and Royce and can't wait to read them again.

And here's the blurb from the publisher:

Two men who hate each other. One impossible mission. A legend in the making.

Hadrian, a warrior with nothing to fight for is paired with a thieving assassin, Royce, with nothing to lose. Together they must steal a treasure that no one can reach. The Crown Tower is the impregnable remains of the grandest fortress ever built and home to the realm’s most prized possessions. But it isn’t gold or jewels that the old wizard is after, and if he can just keep them from killing each other, they just might do it.

August of 2013 can't get here soon enough.

Coming Attractions: NOS4R2 by Joe Hill

Joe Hill is one of my favorite authors who isn't specifically a fantasy author. His novels Heart Shaped Box and Horns are both astonishingly visceral and thought-provoking reads. His soon to be completed series of graphic novels Locke and Key are second only to Neil Gaiman's legendary Sandman series. So when I saw the cover art for his upcoming novel NOS4R2, I had to share. So take a peek, and if you aren't reading Joe Hill yet, go directly to your local book seller and give him a shot.

Coming Attractions: The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

If you mash steampunk, young adult fiction, and the incredible imagination of Brandon Sanderson what do you get? Apparently you get Sanderson's next full length novel due for release some time in 2013. Brandon's publisher, Tor has released the following cover art and blurb for what sounds like something completely different for the epic fantasy mainstay. 

"The Rithmatist is an epic fantasy set in an alternate version of our world—a world in which life in the American Isles is threatened by the attacks of mysterious creatures known as Wild Chalklings. Chalklings are two-dimensional drawings that can be infused with life by Rithmatists and it is the job of the Rithmatists to keep the Wild Chalkings at bay. 

You may wonder how a two-dimensional drawing could possibly be a threat. Here’s the answer: Wild Chalklings scurry across the ground like scorpions or land piranhas, and bite chunks out of your feet. At which point you fall to the ground and they swarm you. Enough said.

The Rithmatist is about a 14-year-old kid named Joel who wants desperately to be a Rithmatist. But he wasn’t Chosen, so he doesn’t have the ability to bring chalklings or Rithmatic lines to life. All he can do is watch as The Rithmatist students at Armedius Academy learn the mystical art that he would give anything to practice. Then Rithmatist students start disappearing, kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving only trails of blood. Joel’s professor asks him to help investigate—putting Joel and his friend Melody on the trail of a discovery that could change Rithmatics—and their world—forever…."

Are you intrigued enough by the concept to delve into this story? Or is Sanderson's track record for excellent enough to guarantee your purchase. I know, I'll be checking it out.

Coming Attractions: Red Country by Joe Abercrombie

I both love and fear Joe Abercrombie. Abercrombie's fiction is populated by morally repugnant and chaotically violent characters who nevertheless manage to be relatable in a way that makes me question my own moral fiber. So with trepidation and longing, I bring you an excerpt from Abercrombie's upcoming novel Red Country. Give it a read, and if you live under a rock and have yet to be converted to the ever growing cult of Joe's fans, I'm sure this small yet bloody morsel will send you to your local bookseller to grab a copy of The Blade Itself. Click on the link below the image to be sent hurtling through the interwebs to the excerpt. Enjoy.

Red Country Excerpt

Coming Attractions: Cold Days by Jim Butcher

Fans of the Dresden Files, need not wait much longer. With Roc announcing a November 27th release for Jim Butcher's Cold Days, it looks like this fall with be full of highly anticipated books. I know I'll be in line to pick this one up on release day myself. Unless ROC wants to send me a review copy before then.

Coming Attractions: Fortress Frontier by Myke Cole

I've been anxious for the sequel to Myke Cole's excellent military fantasy debut since reading Control Point early this year. The cover for the next book in the Shadow Ops series has been making the rounds recently and I thought I'd share it. My review of Control Point will follow soon.

And here is the blurb. It appears that our cast is growing and perhaps we'll have a new point of view character as well.

The Great Reawakening did not come quietly. Across the country and in every nation, people began to develop terrifying powers—summoning storms, raising the dead, and setting everything they touch ablaze. Overnight the rules changed... but not for everyone.

Colonel Alan Bookbinder is an army bureaucrat whose worst war wound is a paper-cut. But after he develops magical powers, he is torn from everything he knows and thrown onto the front-lines.

Drafted into the Supernatural Operations Corps in a new and dangerous world, Bookbinder finds himself in command of Forward Operating Base Frontier—cut off, surrounded by monsters, and on the brink of being overrun.

Now, he must find the will to lead the people of FOB Frontier out of hell, even if the one hope of salvation lies in teaming up with the man whose own magical powers put the base in such grave danger in the first place—Oscar Britton, public enemy number one...

With a projected release date in early 2013, Fortress Frontier is definitely a contender for my top after Christmas purchases. Do yourself a favor and read Control Point now, so you can pick this one up as soon as it hits the stands.