New Release Tuesday in the Realms of Sci-Fi and Fantasy

Naamah's Curse by Jacqueline Carey
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In this sequel to 2009's Naamah's Kiss, Moirin, the devoted servant of a sex goddess, journeys across half of a fantasy version of Asia in search of her soulmate, Bao. In Tatar territory, she finds Bao... and his wife. His father-in-law, the Great Khan, is willing to go to great extremes to keep Bao and Moirin apart. Captured by the fanatic Patriarch of Riva, Moirin escapes to find that Bao has vanished again, this time headed toward the distant lair of the Spider Queen and her army of assassins. The romantic tale is marred by Moirin's narcissistic awareness that she is destined for a glorious fate that lesser mortals like Bao's jealous wife may only envy. Carey's storytelling ability is top-notch, however, and readers will applaud her willingness to resolve major plot threads in the middle book of a trilogy. (June)


Stories: All-New Tales by Neil Gaiman, Al Sarrantonio
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
This collection of 27 never-before published stories from an impressive cast—Roddy Doyle, Joyce Carol Oates, and Stuart O'Nan, among others—sets out to shift genre paradigms. The overarching theme is fantastic fiction, or fiction of the imagination, with fantasy being used in the most broad-sweeping sense rather than signaling the familiar commercial staples of elves, ghouls, and robots. Consequently, the collection's offerings run a wide gamut. In Joe Hill's Devil on the Staircase, an Italian boy commits a crime of passion and subsequently meets an emissary of Satan. In Jodi Picoult's Weights and Measures, a young couple who have just lost their daughter struggle to hold their marriage together as they both start noticing strange changes taking place. Chuck Palahniuk's The Loser features a college kid on acid as a contestant on a game show, and in Kurt Andersen's Human Intelligence, a geologist meets an explorer from another planet who has been studying humans for the past 1,600 years. The range of voices and subjects practically guarantees something for any reader, but the overall quality is frustratingly variable: most stories are good, some aren't, and few are exceptional. (June)

New Release Tuesday in the Realms of Fantasy and Sci-Fi

Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, Book 4) by Ilona Andrews

Product Description: Kate Daniels cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to deal with-especially if they involve Atlanta's shapeshifting community. And now there's a new player in town-a foe that may be too much for even Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family.


Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Allies by Christie Golden

Product Description: What began as a quest for truth has become a struggle for survival for Luke Skywalker and his son, Ben. They have used the secrets of the Mindwalkers to transcend their own bodies and speak with the spirits of the fallen, risking their very lives in the process. They have faced a team of Sith assassins and beaten the odds to destroy them. And now the death squad’s sole survivor, Sith apprentice Vestara Khai, has summoned an entire fleet of Sith frigates to engage the embattled father and son. But the dark warriors come bearing a surprising proposition that will bring Jedi and Sith together in an unprecedented alliance against an evil more ancient and alien than they can imagine.While the Skywalkers and their Sith allies set off on their joint mission into the treacherous web of black holes that is the Maw, Han and Leia Solo risk arrest and worse to aid the Jedi imprisoned back on Coruscant. Tyrannical Chief of State Natasi Daala has issued orders that will open a permanent schism between her government and the Jedi Order—a schism that could turn all Jedi into renegades and wanted criminals. But it is in the depths of the Maw that the future of the galaxy will be decided. For there the Skywalkers and their Sith allies will engage a true monster in battle, and Luke will come face-to-face with a staggering truth.


The White Road (Nightrunner) by Lynn Flewelling

Dissolute nobles, master spies, and the unlikeliest of heroes, Alec and Seregil have survived exile, treachery, and black magic. But the road that lies ahead is the most hazardous they’ve ever traveled. For with enemies on all sides, they must walk a narrow path between good and evil where one misstep might be their last. Having escaped death and slavery in Plenimar, Alec and Seregil want nothing more than to go back to their nightrunning life in Rhíminee. Instead they find themselves saddled with Sebrahn, a strange, alchemically created creature—the prophesied “child of no woman.” Its moon-white skin and frightening powers make Sebrahn a danger to all whom Alec and Seregil come into contact with, leaving them no choice but to learn more about Sebrahn’s true nature. With the help of trusted friends and Seregil’s clan, the duo set out to discover the truth about this living homunculus—a journey that can lead only to danger or death. For Seregil’s old nemesis Ulan í Sathil of Virèsse and Alec’s own long-lost kin are after them, intent on possessing both Alec and Sebrahn. On the run and hunted, Alec and his comrades must fight against time to accomplish their most personal mission ever.

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New Releases in the Realms of SciFi and Fantasy

This week's releases are a tribute to the popular series "Dr. Who", a mysterious humanoid alien who travels through time and space righting wrongs in "TARDIS" (acronym for Time and Relative Demensions in Space). This is such a fun series!

The Forgotten Army (Doctor Who) by Brian Minchin

'Let me tell you a story. Long ago, in the frozen Arctic wastes, an alien army landed. Only now, 10,000 years later, it isn't a story. And the army is ready to attack'. New York is one of the greatest cities on 21st century Earth...But what's going on in the Museum? And is that really a Woolly Mammoth rampaging down Broadway? An ordinary day becomes a time of terror, as the Doctor and Amy meet a new and deadly enemy. The vicious Army of the Vykoid are armed to the teeth and determined to enslave the human race, even though they're only seven centimetres high. With the Vykoid army swarming across Manhattan and sealing it from the world with a powerful alien force field, Amy has just 24 hours to find the Doctor and save the city. If she doesn't, the people of Manhattan will be taken to work in the doomed asteroid mines of the Vykoid home planet. But as time starts to run out, who can she trust? And how far will she have to go to free New York from the Forgotten Army? This is a thrilling, all new adventure featuring the Doctor and Amy, as played by Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.


Night of the Humans (Doctor Who) by David Llewellyn
'This is the Gyre - the most hostile environment in the galaxy'. 250,000 years' worth of junk is floating in deep space, home to the shipwrecked Sittuun, the carnivorous Sollogs, and worst of all - the Humans. The Doctor and Amy arrive on this terrifying world in the middle of an all-out frontier war between Sittuun and Humans, and the countdown has already started. There's a comet in the sky, and it's on a collision course with the Gyre...When the Doctor is kidnapped, it's up to Amy and 'galaxy-famous swashbuckler' Dirk Slipstream to save the day. But who is Slipstream, exactly? And what is he really doing here? This is a thrilling, all new adventure featuring the Doctor and Amy, as played by Matt Smith and Karen Gillan in the spectacular hit series from BBC Television.

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Worldbuilding Wednesday - Politics in the Making

As authors we make many decisions. The story, setting, characters all lie in our imaginations and storytelling. In traditional novels we may choose to set the story in the real world as we know it - or perhaps an alternative history to our world, however, in fantasy and science fiction we create not only our story but the story of the world in which our story takes place. There are many things to consider when we build worlds.

Government is but one element. There are many types of government we have experienced in our world through various cultures throughout the world throughout the years. When you consider worldbuilding for your story, what type of government will rule your world? Here are some possibilities to consider:




• Absolute Monarchy -- kingdom in which monarch has complete power


• Anarchy -- absence of government


• Aristocracy -- government by a wealthy, privileged minority or hereditary ruling class


• Caliphate -- government by Islamic civil and religious leader


• Civil Government -- government established by laws made by citizens or their representatives; nonmilitary, nonreligious authority


• Coalition Government -- temporary alliance of members of two or more parties to form governing majority


• Collective -- group or institution organized and run by all members equally


• Commonwealth -- government in which ultimate authority lies with people


• Constitutionalism -- government based on written constitutional principles


• Constitutional Monarchy -- government headed by monarch and regulated by constitution


• Democracy -- government by the people with majority rule exercised in periodic, free election of representatives


• Despotism -- government in which ruler exercise absolute power


• Dictatorship -- government in which absolute power rest with one person or a few


• Duarchy or duumvirate -- government by two equally powerful rulers


• Dyarchy -- dual responsibility shared by colonial government and native ministers


• Empire -- several territories, nations or peoples governed by single sovereign authority


• Fascism -- government based on establishing oppressive, one-part, centralized national regime

• Federal Government -- system in which political units surrender individual sovereignty to central authority, but retain designated powers


• Feudalism -- political system in Europe from 9th to 15th century in which lord owned all property worked by vassals


• Gerontocarcy -- rule by elders


• Gynecocracy -- government by women


• Hagiocracy -- government by group of persons believed to be holy


• Hierocracy -- rule by priest or clergy


• Isocracy -- government in which all individuals have equal political power


• Matriarchy -- government or monarchy in which power rests with females or descends through female line


• Meritocracy -- government in which criterion for leadership is skill or intellectual achievement


• Monarchy -- government with absolute hereditary ruler who serves for life


• Ochlocracy -- rule by the multitude or mob


• Oligarchy -- government by small group of privileged individuals


• Pantisocracy -- utopia in which all members rule equally


• Parliamentary Government -- system in which executive (prime minister) is chosen by elected legislature (parliament) from among its members


• Patriarchy -- government or monarchy in which power rests with males or descends through male line


• Plutocracy -- government by the wealthy


• Principality -- state ruled by a prince, often part of larger state or empire


• Regency -- reign of non-monarch during youth or indisposition of monarch


• Republic -- government in which power is vested in elected representatives of citizenry


• Sovereignty -- political autonomy and freedom of state from outside authority


• Stratocracy -- government by the military


• Technocracy -- government run by experts and technicians


• Thearchy -- government based on divine sovereignty


• Theocracy -- government by church officials, who believe they have divine authority


• Timocracy -- government based on love of honor and military glory or on requisite ownership of property


• Totalitarianism -- authoritarian political system in which citizen is totally subject to will of state


• Triarchy -- government ruled jointly by three person; triumvirate


• Tyranny -- government by single absolute authority, especially one exercising oppressive power


• Unitary Government -- system in which power is held by single central source, and local governments are merely administrative agents, the opposite of federalism


• Welfare State -- system in which ultimate responsibility of government is well being of all citizens





Choosing how to run your country will have an obvious impact on every day life. Where will your imagination lead you and your story? Which system of government will you opt for in your world? Why? Think about the impact it will have one your storyline and how the storyline will depend on details such as this. It is mindboggling how much the change of one detail, such as government, can change your entire story.





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New Release Tuesday in the Realms of Fantasy and Sci-Fi

Born of Fire (A League Novel) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
In a universe where assassins make the law, everyone lives in fear—except for Syn. Born of an illicit scandal that once rocked a dynasty; he always knew how to survive on the bloodthirsty streets. But that was then, and the future is now…
Syn was raised as a tech-thief until his livelihood uncovered a truth that could end his life. He tried to destroy the evidence, and has been on the run ever since. Now trained as an assassin, he allows no one to threaten him. Ever. He is the darkness that swallows his enemies whole.

Shahara Dagan is the best bounty hunter in the universe. When Syn comes back on the radar, she’s the only one who can bring him to justice. There’s only one problem: Syn is a close family friend who’s helped out the Dagans countless times. But if she saves him, both of their lives will be on the line. Is Syn’s protection worth the risk? The only hope Shahara has is to find the evidence he buried long ago. Now it’s kill or be killed—and they, the predators, have just become the hunted…


Darkness Unleashed (Guardians of Eternity) by Alexandra Ivy
A scarred recluse, Jagr makes no secret of his disdain for others' company. But now, as a member of Chicago's powerful vampire clan, he has certain obligations to fulfill. The latest: track down a missing were pureblood and return her to her sister. The problem: Regan Garrett has no intention of complying. And though Jagr agreed not to harm an inch of this stubborn female's distractingly tempting body, he'll gladly kiss her into submission, awakening an urge he hasn't felt in years. Hell, in centuries...Regan vowed never to be at the mercy of another man. That goes double for arrogant, steel-muscled vampires with eyes of ice. All Regan wants is revenge against those who imprisoned her. She doesn't need an ally. She certainly doesn't need a mate. But soon Regan will have to choose - between a lust for vengeance, and a passion as dark and dangerous as the night...

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New Releases in the Realms of Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books

Here is this week's suggestion for new releases:

Fledgling (Liaden Universe Novel) by Sharon Lee (Author), Steve Miller (Author)
Product Description: Theo Waitley has lived all her young life on Delgado, a Safe World that is home to one of the galaxy's premier institutions of higher learning. Both Theo's mother, Kamele, and Kamele's onagrata Jen Sar Kiladi, are professors at the university, and they all live comfortably together, just like they have for all of Theo's life, in Jen Sar's house at the outskirts of town.
Suddenly, though, Theo's life changes. Kamele leaves Jen Sar and moves herself and Theo back into faculty housing, which is not what Theo is used to. Once settled back inside the Wall, Kamele becomes embroiled in faculty politics, and is appointed sub-chair of her department. Meanwhile, Theo, who has a notation in her file indicating that she is "physically challenged" has a series of misadventures, including pulling her best friend down on the belt-ride to class, and hurting a team mate during a scavage game.
With notes piling up in her file, Theo only wants to go “home,” to the house in the suburbs, and have everything just like it used to be.
Then, Kamele uncovers evidence of possible dishonest scholarship inside of her department. In order to clear the department, she and a team of senior professors must go off-world to perform a forensic document search. Theo hopes this will mean that she'll be left in the care of the man she calls “Father,” Professor Kiladi, and is horrified to learn that Kamele means to bring Theo with her!

Don't forget to check out the Destineers blog - it's back to school and the magical worlds!

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New Release Tuesday in the Realms of Sci-Fi and Fantasy

Dark Slayer by Christine Feehan (Author) best selling author of paranormal romances
Ivory-a rare Carpathian female-has been protected by her brothers for most of her life. But once she frees the mage Razvan from his prison cave, they must flee together, enemies of Carpathian hunters as well as vampires. Ivory senses that Razvan is more than he appears to be, and she vows to go against the entire Carpathian race to help him, risking both their lives in order to save their love.


Must Love Hellhounds by Ilona Andrews (Author), Charlaine Harris (Author), Nalini Singh (Author), Meljean Brook (Author)
Okay, I admit it, I selected this one strictly for its name…after all, who can resist those lovable Hellhounds?!?!

According to Amazon:
In these hound-eat-hound worlds, anything goes… and everything bites. Follow paranormal bodyguards Clovache and Batanya into LuciferÂ’s realm, where they encounter his fearsome four-legged pets, in Charlaine HarrisÂ’s The Britlingens Go to Hell. Seek out a traitor in the midst of a guild of non- lethal vampire trackers, one that intends to eradicate the entire species of bloodsuckers, in Nalini SinghÂ’s AngelsÂ’ Judgment. Find out why the giant three-headed dog that guards the gates of Hades has left the underworld for the real world—and whose scent heÂ’s following—in Ilona AndrewsÂ’s Magic Mourns. Embark on a perilous search for the kidnapped niece of a powerful vampire alongside her blind— and damn sexy—companion and a hellhound in Meljean BrookÂ’s Blind Spot.

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New Release Tuesday in the Realms of Sci-Fi and Fantasy

Anathem by Neal Stephenson (Author)
Product Description
For ten years Fraa Erasmas, a young avout, has lived in a cloistered sanctuary for mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers, protected from the corrupting influences of the outside world. But before the week is out, both the existence he abandoned and the one he embraced will stand poised on the brink of cataclysmic change—and Erasmas will become a major player in a drama that will determine the future of his world, as he follows his destiny to the most inhospitable corners of the planet . . . and beyond.

Anathem is the latest miraculous invention by the New York Times bestselling author of Cryptonomicon and The Baroque Cycle—a work of astonishing scope, intelligence, and imagination.

The Sword of the Lady: A Novel of the Change (Change Series) by S. M. Stirling (Author)
Described as “an epic of survival and rebirth” Rudi Mackenzie has journeyed far across the land that was once the United States of America, hoping to find the source of the world-altering event that has come to be known as The Change. His final destination is Nantucket, an island overrun with forest, inhabited by a mere two hundred people who claim to have been transported there from out of time.Only one odd stone house remains standing. Within it, Rudi finds a beautifully made sword waiting for him—and once he takes it up, nothing will ever be the same…

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Worldbuilding Wednesday

Fantasy is not an abandonment of logic – it is a reinvention of it with imagination fueling its life source. To make fantasy believable, you need to create an alternate structure of logic – a world that follows rules and has consequences when these rules are broken. For fantasy to truly work you need to have a logical structure within your world. Like science, it follows a pattern of consistencies within the knowledge of the world. Things don’t seem to happen randomly in a fantasy world – it is a land of cause and effect. Someone or something is always responsible. This is the logic behind all fantasy stories.

It is at the very core of how many of us are raised as children – we learn to believe in the happily ever afters, the characters like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy. We learn the fundamentals of “magical thinking”: “if you wish hard enough for something it can come true” and that the power of your thoughts and actions can make totally unrelated things come true: “step on a crack and you break your mother’s back” You are empowered.

Magical thinking presumes that an object that represents an object controls it and that there is power in words. This is often a basic building block in the power of magic through fantasy.

Every great fantasy is built on a logic system that may seem silly in a rational “real” world – but it is still consistent and complete and works for your fantasy realm. If, for example, dogs talked in your fantasy world it would be equally logical that cats could talk as well. If saying specific magical words can make fantastical things happen, it only stands to reason that mispronouncing the magical words can have disastrous results. Fantasy works by its own rules – but it does have rules. You can set the rules in any manner you like, but once set you have to consistently follow them or the premise of your world will collapse around you; you will lose credibility and lose the trust of your readers.

The realms of both science fiction and fantasy can take you anywhere – it is limited only by your own imagination – taking you to worlds that don’t exist outside your own creation. Both realms require that you strictly follow whatever rules you put into place and the structures of believability you construct. The difference is science fiction is rooted in the logic of the physical universe while fantasy is rooted in the logic of your personal universe.

As novelists we often create our own micro-worlds, even outside the realms of fantasy and science fiction. We are, after all working in a fictitious world or city or town with fictitious characters and the basics still apply. You must follow the rules that are in place or there will be consequences and chaos. This is a reality that transcends genres. We are all world builders in our own right and we gladly welcome our readers into the worlds of our stories. How do you world build? What elements do you bring into your world – do you like working with small towns and a close view of your characters lives or do you prefer settings in a large bustling city? What is the personality of your world?

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New Release Tuesday in the Worlds of Sci-Fi and Fantasy

Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Abyss by Troy Denning (Author)
Here is another exciting installment of the epic Star Wars series. The Amazon description states: Following a trail of clues across the galaxy, Luke Skywalker continues his quest to find the reasons behind Jacen Solo’s dark downfall and to win redemption for the Jedi Order. Sojourning among the mysterious Aing-Tii monks has left Luke and his son Ben with no real answers, only the suspicion that the revelations they seek lie in the forbidden reaches of the distant Maw Cluster. There, hidden from the galaxy in a labyrinth of black holes, dwell the Mind Walkers: those whose power to transcend their bodies and be one with the Force is as seductive and intoxicating as it is potentially fatal. But it may be Luke’s only path to the truth.

Meanwhile, on Coruscant, the war of wills between Galactic Alliance Chief of State Natasi Daala and the Jedi Order is escalating. Outraged over the carbonite freezing of young Jedi Knights Valin and Jysella Horn after their inexplicable mental breakdowns, the Jedi are determined to defy Daala’s martial tactics, override Council Master Kenth Hamner’s wavering leadership, and deal on their own terms with the epidemic of madness preying on their ranks. As Han and Leia Solo, along with their daughter Jaina, join the fight to protect more stricken Knights from arrest, Jedi healers race to find a cure for the rapidly spreading affliction. But none of them realize the blaster barrel is already swinging in their direction–and Chief Daala is about to pull the trigger.

Nor do Luke and Ben, deep in the Maw Cluster and pushing their Force abilities beyond known limits, realize how close they are–to the Sith strike squad bent on exterminating the Skywalkers, to a nexus of dark-side energy unprecedented in its power and its hunger, and to an explosive confrontation between opposing wielders of the Force from which only one Master–good or evil–can emerge alive.

A Princess of Landover by Terry Brooks (Author)
Okay. I am a huge Terry Brooks fan and I can’t wait to get my hands on this one! Amazon describes it as: After fourteen years, New York Times bestselling fantasy master Terry Brooks has returned to the magic kingdom of Landover. The remarkable realm of dragons, demons, wizards, and wonders that wove an irresistible spell in five classic novels throws open its gates at long last for a brand-new adventure featuring a dazzling cast of characters and creatures.

Ben Holiday, Chicago lawyer and mere mortal turned monarch of enchanted Landover, has grappled with scheming barons, fire-breathing beasts, diabolical conjurers, and extremely wicked witches. None of whom have prepared him for the most daunting of challengers–a teenage daughter. Sent by Ben and his beloved sylph bride, Willow, to an exclusive girls’ prep school, headstrong (and half-magical) Mistaya Holiday has found life in the natural world a less than perfect fit. And when her latest rebellious antics get her indefinitely suspended, she’s determined to resume her real education–learning sorcery from court wizard Questor Thews–whether her parents like it or not.

But back home in Landover, Mistaya’s frustrated father is just as determined that the precocious princess learn some responsibility, and he declares her grounded until she successfully refurbishes the long-forsaken royal library. Mortified by the prospect of salvaging a king’s ransom in moldy books–and horrified by word that repulsive local nobleman Lord Laphroig seeks to marry her–Mistaya decides that the only way to run her own life is to run away from home.

So begins an eventful odyssey peppered with a formidable dragon, recalcitrant gnomes, an inscrutable magic cat, a handsome librarian, a sinister sorcerer, and more than a few narrow escapes as fate draws Landover’s intrepid princess to the last place she expected to go, and into the thick of a mystery that will put her mettle to the test–and might bring the kingdom to its knees.

Which will prove to be the more popular selection this week? A galaxy far, far away filled with the adventures of Star Wars or the fantastical return to Terry Brooks realm of Landover?

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New Release Tuesday

Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress, Book 4) by Jeaniene Frost (Author)
If you are not familiar with the work of Jeaniene Frost…I strongly suggest you run, not walk, to your nearest bookstore, library, or reading room and pick up any of her work. This is the fourth book in this Floridian Author’s series and I can’t wait!

Here’s the blurb:

Her deadly dreams leave her in grave danger.

Since half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her undead lover Bones met six years ago, they've fought against the rogue undead, battled a vengeful Master vampire, and pledged their devotion with a blood bond. Now it's time for a vacation. But their hopes for a perfect Paris holiday are dashed when Cat awakes one night in terror. She's having visions of a vampire named Gregor who's more powerful than Bones and has ties to her past that even Cat herself didn't know about.

Gregor believes Cat is his and he won't stop until he has her. As the battle begins between the vamp who haunts her nightmares and the one who holds her heart, only Cat can break Gregor's hold over her. She'll need all the power she can summon in order to bring down the baddest bloodsucker she's ever faced . . . even if getting that power will result in an early grave.

Sounds intriguing…!

Daniel X: Watch the Skies by James Patterson (Author), Ned Rust (Author)

The very name of the author – James Patterson – lets you know this will be a great read! Ok…he is another of my favorites, what can I say?

Here’s the blurb:

All's quiet in the small town of Holliswood, the television sets a-glow in every home. But not all is as perfect as it seems.

A terrifying outlaw has just arrived in town, with the goal of throwing it into chaos--and filming the pandemonium for the fellas back home.

Only one person can stop him and his thugs from destroying the city and everyone living there. Daniel X assembles an all-star team of his own creation, but not even he could imagine the enormity of this made-for-TV-villain's powers.

This seriously looks like a great week for new releases in the world of fantasy sci-fi!

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New Release Tuesday

In celebration of New Release Tuesday, I would like to introduce you to the books being released today on Amazon.com in the Fantasy and Sci-Fi genres.

New Releases in Fantasy and Sci-Fi May 19, 2009


Monster Manual 2: A 4th Edition D&D Core Rulebook (D&D Supplement)(Hardcover)
by Rob Heinsoo (Author), Chris Sims (Author)
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Hundreds of old and new monsters for your 4th edition D&D(R) game!

This core rulebook presents hundreds of monsters for your D&D campaign. Classic monsters such as centaurs and frost giants make their first 4th edition appearance here. In addition, this book includes scores of new monsters to challenge characters of heroic, paragon, and epic levels.

Product Details
Hardcover: 224 pages
Published: Wizards of the Coast (May 19, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0786951017
Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds





Jedi Academy Training Manual (Star Wars Roleplaying Game) (Hardcover)
by Rodney Thompson (Author)

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
"So, you wish to learn the ways of the Force..."

Written as the ultimate Jedi training manual, The Jedi Academy: Training Manual game supplement reveals the secrets of the Jedi across all eras of the Star Wars saga, from the earliest days of the Old Republic to the Dark Times and the reemergence of the Jedi Order after the fall of the Galactic Empire. It gives players exciting new talents, feats, Force powers, and equipment for their Jedi characters. It also elaborates on the known Jedi fighting styles and provides new ways to build your character around a particular fighting style.

Product Details
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast (May 19, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0786951833
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds



Victory of Eagles (Temeraire) (Mass Market Paperback)
by Naomi Novik (Author)
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Naomi Novik continues her alternate history of the Napoleonic wars in this fifth adventure featuring British Capt. William Laurence and his faithful celestial dragon, Temeraire. Picking up after Empire of Ivory, a disgraced Laurence has been convicted of treason, sentenced to a prison ship and is only one step away from the hangman's noose. Temeraire is relegated to a breeding area in Wales along with other dragons viewed as past their prime. When Bonaparte invades England, Laurence and Temeraire are soon free to fly and fight for king and country. Vance fully inhabits Novik's vividly realized fantasy world. His battle scenes are exciting as he describes all the intricate fighting tactics without sacrificing the thrills. With keen vocal characterizations, he portrays a wide variety of individuals, both human and nonhuman, with the dialogue between Temeraire and some snobbish, older dragons singularly entertaining. A Del Rey hardcover (Reviews, May 19). (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Review
“Invigorating . . . filled with spectacle . . . Naomi Novik has not sounded a wrong note yet in this sweeping, lustrous saga. . . . [This is] a glorious series whose future status as a genre classic is now assured.”—SF Reviews

“Engrossing . . . sheer page-turning excitement.”—Booklist

“Dragonslayer meets Master and Commander.”—Entertainment Weekly

Product Details:
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Del Rey (May 19, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0345512253
Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 7 ounces



No Prisoners (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) (Paperback)
by Karen Traviss (Author)
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
The Clone Wars rage on. As insurgent Separatists fight furiously to wrest control of the galaxy from the Republic, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine cunningly manipulates both sides for his own sinister purposes.

Torrent Company’s Captain Rex agrees to temporarily relieve Anakin Skywalker of Ahsoka, his ubiquitous–and insatiably curious–Padawan, by bringing her along on a routine three-day shakedown cruise aboard Captain Gilad Pellaeon’s newly refitted assault ship. But the training run becomes an active–and dangerous–rescue mission when Republic undercover agent Hallena Devis goes missing in the middle of a Separatist invasion.

Dispatched to a distant world to aid a local dictator facing a revolution, Hallena finds herself surrounded by angry freedom fighters and questioning the Republic’s methods–and motives. Summoned to rescue the missing operative who is also his secret love, Pellaeon–sworn to protect the Republic over all–is torn between duty and desire. And Ahsoka, sent in with Rex and six untested clone troopers to extract Hallena, encounters a new and different Jedi philosophy, which shakes the foundation of her upbringing to the core. As danger and intrigue intensify, the loyalties and convictions of all involved will be tested. . . .

Product Details: Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: LucasBooks (May 19, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0345508997
Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 8 ounces



Flinx Transcendent: A Pip & Flinx Adventure (Hardcover)by Alan Dean Foster (Author)
Editorial Reviews
Review
Praise for Alan Dean Foster’s Pip & Flinx series:

“An entertaining, imaginative adventure with a likable protagonist.”
—Library Journal

“Entertaining . . . Foster knows how to spin a yarn.”
—Starlog


From the Hardcover edition.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Review
Praise for Alan Dean Foster’s Pip & Flinx series:

“An entertaining, imaginative adventure with a likable protagonist.”
—Library Journal

“Entertaining . . . Foster knows how to spin a yarn.”
—Starlog

Product Details:
Hardcover: 416 Pages
Publisher: Del Rey (May 19, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0345496072
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds




Order 66 (Star Wars: Republic Commando) (Mass Market Paperback)
by Karen Traviss (Author)
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
The Clone Wars rage to their bloody climax. Treachery reigns. Treason takes courage. Commandos, Jedi, and the entire Galactic Republic must face the end of life as they know it . . . and the dreaded dawn of a new empire.

Even as the Clone Wars are about to reach an explosive climax, no one knows whether victory will favor the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) or the Separatists. But no matter who wins, the stakes are highest for elite Special Ops clones like the Republic Commandos in Omega and Delta squads–and the notorious renegade Advance Recon Commando troopers known as Null ARCs. And now even the deadliest weapon may not be powerful enough to defeat the real menace: the apocalyptic horror to be unleashed when Palpatine utters the chilling words The time has come. Execute Order 66. Translation: The Jedi have tried to stage a coup, and all must be shot on sight.

With their faith in the Republic and their loyalty to their Jedi allies put to the ultimate test, how will the men of Omega and Delta squads react to the most infamous command in galactic history?

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 496 Pages
Publisher: LucasBooks (May 19, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN 978-0345513854
Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces


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