The Leaning Pile of Books is a feature where I talk about books I got over the last week – old or new, bought or received for review consideration. Since I hope you will find new books you’re interested in reading in these posts, I try to be as informative as possible. If I can find them, links to excerpts, author’s websites, and places where you can find more information on the book are included.

This week brought the three books in The Baskerville Affair series by Emma Jane Holloway. The books are listed in this post in order. The first two are available, and the third will be released on December 31. You can read excerpts from all three books in the series and some related stories on the author’s website. The stories are listed on that page with the books so you can see where they fit into the timeline, and that list includes information on which stories contain spoilers for other books.

A Study in Silks by Emma Jane Holloway

A Study in Silks (The Baskerville Affair #1) by Emma Jane Holloway

 

Evelina Cooper, the niece of the great Sherlock Holmes, is poised to enjoy her first Season in London Society. But there’s a murderer to deal with—not to mention missing automatons, a sorcerer, and a talking mouse.

In a Victorian era ruled by a council of ruthless steam barons, mechanical power is the real monarch and sorcery the demon enemy of the Empire. Nevertheless, the most coveted weapon is magic that can run machines—something Evelina has secretly mastered. But rather than making her fortune, her special talents could mean death or an eternity as a guest of Her Majesty’s secret laboratories. What’s a polite young lady to do but mind her manners and pray she’s never found out?

But then there’s that murder. As Sherlock Holmes’s niece, Evelina should be able to find the answers, but she has a lot to learn. And the first decision she has to make is whether to trust the handsome, clever rake who makes her breath come faster, or the dashing trick rider who would dare anything for her if she would only just ask.

A Study in Darkness by Emma Jane Holloway

A Study in Darkness (The Baskerville Affair #2) by Emma Jane Holloway

 

When a bomb goes off at 221B Baker Street, Evelina Cooper is thrown into her uncle Sherlock’s world of mystery and murder. But just when she thought it was safe to return to the ballroom, old, new, and even dead enemies are clamoring for a place on her dance card.

Before Evelina’s even unpacked her gowns for a country house party, an indiscretion puts her in the power of the ruthless Gold King, who recruits her as his spy. He knows her disreputable past and exiles her to the rank alleyways of Whitechapel with orders to unmask his foe.

As danger mounts, Evelina struggles between hiding her illegal magic and succumbing to the darker aspects of her power. One path keeps her secure; the other keeps her alive. For rebellion is brewing, a sorcerer wants her soul, and no one can protect her in the hunting grounds of Jack the Ripper.

A Study in Ashes by Emma Jane Holloway

A Study in Ashes (The Baskerville Affair #3) by Emma Jane Holloway

 

As part of her devil’s bargain with the industrial steam barons, Evelina Cooper is finally enrolled in the Ladies’ College of London. However, she’s attending as the Gold King’s pet magician, handcuffed and forbidden contact with even her closest relation, the detective Sherlock Holmes.

But Evelina’s problems are only part of a larger war. The Baskerville affair is finally coming to light, and the rebels are making their move to wrest power from the barons and restore it to Queen Victoria. Missing heirs and nightmare hounds are the order of the day—or at least that’s what Dr. Watson is telling the press.

But their plans are doomed unless Evelina escapes to unite her magic with the rebels’ machines—and even then her powers aren’t what they used to be. A sorcerer has awakened a dark hunger in Evelina’s soul, and only he can keep her from endangering them all. The only problem is . . . he’s dead.

Smugglivus

It’s that time of year again: the time when authors and bloggers share some of their favorite books of the year and most anticipated books coming the next year at The Book Smugglers! Today I’m over there discussing my three very favorite books I read this year and a few books coming out in 2014 that I’m looking forward to. While you’re over there, be sure to check out some of the other excellent recommendations and posts (and be prepared for your to-read pile to expand faster than you ever imagined it could!).

Today I have three anthologies with stories by great authors to give away: Dangerous Women, Twenty-First Century Science Fiction, and Year’s Best SF 18. The descriptions for each can be found below, and the giveaway details are at the end.

Dangerous Women

Dangerous Women edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois

All new and original to this volume, the 21 stories in Dangerous Women include work by twelve New York Times bestsellers, and seven stories set in the authors’ bestselling continuities—including a new “Outlander” story by Diana Gabaldon, a  tale of Harry Dresden’s world by Jim Butcher, a story from Lev Grossman set in the world of The Magicians, and a 35,000-word novella by George R. R. Martin about the Dance of the Dragons, the vast civil war that tore Westeros apart nearly two centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones.

Also included are original stories of dangerous women–heroines and villains alike–by Brandon Sanderson, Joe Abercrombie, Sherilynn Kenyon, Lawrence Block, Carrie Vaughn,  S. M. Stirling, Sharon Kay Penman, and many others.

Writes Gardner Dozois in his Introduction, “Here you’ll find no hapless victims who stand by whimpering in dread while the male hero fights the monster or clashes swords with the villain, and if you want to tie these women to the railroad tracks, you’ll find you have a real fight on your hands.  Instead, you will find sword-wielding women warriors, intrepid women fighter pilots and far-ranging spacewomen, deadly female serial killers, formidable female superheroes, sly and seductive femmes fatale, female wizards, hard-living Bad Girls, female bandits and rebels, embattled survivors in Post-Apocalyptic futures, female Private Investigators, stern female hanging judges, haughty queens who rule nations and whose jealousies and ambitions send thousands to grisly deaths, daring dragonriders, and many more.”

The Dangerous Women anthology contains following stories:
– Introduction by Gardner Dozois
– “Some Desperado” by Joe Abercrombie – A Red Country story
– “My Heart is Either Broken” by Megan Abbott
– “Nora’s Song” by Cecelia Holland
– “The Hands That Are Not There” by Melinda Snodgrass
– “Bombshells” by Jim Butcher – A Harry Dresden story
– “Raisa Stepanova” by Carrie Vaughn
– “Wrestling Jesus” by Joe R. Lansdale
– “Neighbors” by Megan Lindholm
– “I Know How to Pick ’Em” by Lawrence Block
– “Shadows For Silence in the Forests of Hell” by Brandon Sanderson
– “A Queen in Exile” by Sharon Kay Penman
– “The Girl in the Mirror” by Lev Grossman – A Magicians story
– “Second Arabesque, Very Slowly” by Nancy Kress
– “City Lazarus” by Diana Rowland
– “Virgins” by Diana Gabaldon – An Outlander story
– “Hell Hath No Fury” by Sherilynn Kenyon
– “Pronouncing Doom” by S.M. Stirling – An Emberverse story
– “Name the Beast” by Sam Sykes
– “Caretakers” by Pat Cadigan
– “Lies My Mother Told Me” by Caroline Spector – A Wild Cards story
– “The Princess and the Queen” by George R.R. Martin – A Song of Ice and Fire story

Twenty-First Century Science Fiction edited by David G. Hartwell and Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Twenty-First Century Science Fiction edited by David G. Hartwell and Patrick Nielsen Hayden

Twenty-First Century Science Fiction is an enormous anthology of short stories—close to 250,000 words—edited by two of the most prestigious and award-winning editors in the SF field and featuring recent stories from some of science fiction’s greatest up-and-coming authors.

David Hartwell and Patrick Nielsen Hayden have long been recognized as two of the most skilled and trusted arbiters of the field, but Twenty-First Century Science Fiction presents fans’ first opportunities to see what their considerable talents come up with together, and also to get a unique perspective on what’s coming next in the science fiction field.

The anthology includes authors ranging from bestselling and established favorites to incandescent new talents including Paolo Bacigalupi, Cory Doctorow, Catherynne M. Valente, John Scalzi, Jo Walton, Charles Stross, Elizabeth Bear, and Peter Watts, and the stories selected include winners and nominees of all of the science fiction field’s major awards.

One of Publishers Weekly‘s Best Science Fiction Books of 2013

Year's Best SF 18 edited by David G. Hartwell

Year’s Best SF 18 edited by David G. Hartwell

Once again, the finest short-form SF offerings of the year have been collected in a single volume.

With Year’s Best SF 18, acclaimed, award-winning editor and anthologist David G. Hartwell demonstrates the amazing depth and power of contemporary speculative fiction, showcasing astonishing short stories from some of science fiction’s most respected names as well as exciting new writers to watch. In this anthology, prepare to travel light years from the ordinary into a tomorrow at once breathtaking, frightening, and possible with some of the greatest tales of wonder published in 2012.

Giveaway Details

Courtesy of Tor, I have a set containing the three above anthologies to give away! This giveaway is open to those with a mailing address in the US or Canada.

Giveaway Rules: To be entered in the giveaway, fill out the form below OR send an email to kristen AT fantasybookscafe DOT com with the subject “Anthology Giveaway.” One entry per person and one winner will be randomly selected. Those from the US and Canada are eligible to win this giveaway. The giveaway will be open until the end of the day on Monday, December 30.

Please note email addresses will only be used for the purpose of contacting the winner. Once the giveaway is over all the emails will be deleted.

Good luck!

(Now that the giveaway has ended, the form has been removed.)

The Leaning Pile of Books is a feature where I talk about books I got over the last week – old or new, bought or received for review consideration. Since I hope you will find new books you’re interested in reading in these posts, I try to be as informative as possible. If I can find them, links to excerpts, author’s websites, and places where you can find more information on the book are included.

This week brought one of my most anticipated books of 2014, and I also bought (and read) a novella. Both of these are by New York Times bestselling authors who write awesome books.

Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan McGuire

Half-Off Ragnarok (InCryptid #3) by Seanan McGuire

The InCryptid universe is a fun place to visit, and I just love the Price family so I’m pretty excited about reading this one! Half-Off Ragnarok is primarily about Alex, the brother of Verity (the main character from the first two books). I already like his girlfriend from the plot description since she, like me, is fond of big cats.

Half-Off Ragnarok will be released on March 4, 2014 (mass market paperback, ebook). If you’re in the US, you can enter to win a copy on Goodreads through January 4.

The first two books in the series are Discount Armageddon and Midnight Blue-Light Special, respectively.

 

When Alex Price agreed to go to Ohio to oversee a basilisk breeding program and assist in the recovery of his psychic cousin, he didn’t expect people to start dropping dead. But bodies are cropping up at the zoo where he works, and his girlfriend—Shelby Tanner, an Australian zoologist with a fondness for big cats—is starting to get suspicious.

Worse yet, the bodies have all been turned partially to stone…

The third book in the InCryptid series takes us to a new location and a new member of the family, as Alex tries to balance life, work, and the strong desire not to become a piece of garden statuary. Old friends and new are on the scene, and danger lurks around every corner.

Of course, so do the talking mice.

Night of Cake & Puppets by Laini Taylor

Night of Cake and Puppets (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2.5) by Laini Taylor

If Laini Taylor writes a book, I will buy and read it—which I did soon after learning that the ebook set in the world of Daughter of Smoke and Bone was now available. It’s a novella about Zuzana and what happened when she decided to sweep Mik off his feet. I didn’t love it as much as the full-length novels, but it was definitely worth the $2.99 I spent on it.

Night of Cake and Puppets is also available as an audiobook. There’s some background information on the novella on the author’s website and an excerpt on Entertainment Weekly.

 

In this new stand-alone novella from New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor comes the story of a romantic, funny, and fantastical first date. In Night of Cake & Puppets, Taylor brings to life a night only hinted at in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone Trilogy–the magical first date of fan-favorites Zuzana and Mik. Told in alternating perspectives, it’s the perfect love story for fans of the series and new readers alike.

Petite though she may be, Zuzana is not known for timidity. Her best friend, Karou, calls her “rabid fairy,” her “voodoo eyes” are said to freeze blood, and even her older brother fears her wrath. But when it comes to the simple matter of talking to Mik, or “Violin Boy,” her courage deserts her. Now, enough is enough. Zuzana is determined to meet him, and she has a fistful of magic and a plan. It’s a wonderfully elaborate treasure hunt of a plan that will take Mik all over Prague on a cold winter’s night before finally leading him to the treasure: herself!

Violin Boy’s not going to know what hit him.

The Leaning Pile of Books is a feature where I talk about books I got over the last week – old or new, bought or received for review consideration. Since I hope you will find new books you’re interested in reading in these posts, I try to be as informative as possible. If I can find them, links to excerpts, author’s websites, and places where you can find more information on the book are included.

This week brought one ARC, an early Christmas present, and a few books I bought because I simply cannot resist the Black Friday sales at Book Outlet, to my husband’s dismay. (But… I bought all hardcovers and trade paperbacks and not a single book was more than $4.19! How can I not take advantage of this every year?! And I showed amazing restraint by only buying 4 books out of the 15 or so I was interested in!)

Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn

Troubled Waters (Elemental Blessings #1) by Sharon Shinn

I have heard that this particular book is excellent, and I’d like to read more by Sharon Shinn since I’ve only read Archangel—so when I found the hardcover on sale I snatched it up!

An excerpt from Troubled Waters is available on the author’s website. The second book in the series, Royal Airs, was just released last month.

 

The author of the Twelve Hours series welcomes readers to a new fantasy world, where the elements rule.

Zoe Ardelay receives astonishing and unwelcome news: she has been chosen to become the king’s fifth wife. Forced to go to the royal city, she manages to slip away and hide on the shores of the mighty river.

It’s there that Zoe realizes she is a coru prime ruled by the elemental sign of water. She must return to the palace, not as an unwilling bride for the king, but a woman with power in her own right. But as Zoe unlocks more of the mysteries of her blood—and the secrets of the royal family—she must decide how to use her great power to rise above the deceptions and intrigue of the royal court.

Blue Remembered Earth by Alastair Reynolds

Blue Remembered Earth (Poseidon’s Children #1) by Alastair Reynolds

I read Revelation Space and enjoyed it, and I thought this book sounded pretty interesting. An excerpt from Blue Remembered Earth can be read on the publisher’s website.

The second book in the series, On the Steel Breeze, was released in the UK earlier this year. It will be available in the US in June 2014.

 

One hundred and fifty years from now, Africa has become the world’s dominant technological and economic power. Crime, war, disease and poverty have been practically eliminated. The Moon and Mars are settled, and colonies stretch all the way out to the edge of the solar system. And Ocular, the largest scientific instrument in history, is about to make an epochal discovery…

Geoffrey Akinya wants only one thing: to be left in peace, so that he can continue his long-running studies into the elephants of the Amboseli basin. But Geoffrey’s family, which controls the vast Akinya business empire, has other plans for him. After the death of his grandmother Eunice—the erstwhile space explorer and entrepreneur—something awkward has come to light on the Moon, so Geoffrey is dispatched there to ensure the family name remains untarnished.

But the secrets Eunice died with are about to be revealed—secrets that could change everything…or tear this near utopia apart.

City of Dragons by Robin Hobb

City of Dragons (The Rain Wilds Chronicles #3) by Robin Hobb

Robin Hobb’s Farseer, Liveship Traders, and Tawny Man trilogies are some of my favorites (and I CAN’T WAIT for the first book in the upcoming Fitz and the Fool trilogy!) so I’m collecting the books in The Rain Wilds Chronicles even though I haven’t read the first one yet. The books in the series are as follows:

  1. The Dragon Keeper
  2. Dragon Haven
  3. City of Dragons
  4. Blood of Dragons

This is a completed series.

 

Once, dragons ruled the Rain Wilds, tended by privileged human servants known as Elderlings. But a series of cataclysmic eruptions nearly drove these magnificent creatures to extinction. Born weak and deformed, the last of their kind had one hope for survival: to return to their ancient city of Kelsingra. Accompanied by a disparate crew of untested young keepers, the dragons embarked on a harsh journey into the unknown along the toxic Rain Wild River. Battling starvation, a hostile climate, and treacherous enemies, dragons and humans began to forge magical connections, bonds that have wrought astonishing transformations for them all. And though Kelsingra is finally near, their odyssey has only begun.

Because of the swollen waters of the Rain Wild River, the lost city can be reached only by flight—a test of endurance and skill beyond the stunted dragons’ strength. Venturing across the swift-running river in tiny boats, the dragon scholar Alise and a handful of keepers discover a world far different from anything they have ever known or imagined. Immense, ornate structures of black stone veined with silver and lifelike stone statues line the silent, eerily empty streets. Yet what are the whispers they hear, the shadows of voices and bursts of light that flutter and are gone? And why do they feel as if eyes are watching them?

The dragons must plumb the depths of their ancestral memories to help them take flight and unlock the secrets buried in Kelsingra. But enemies driven by greed and dark desires are approaching. Time is running out, not only for the dragons but for their human keepers as well.

Star of the Morning by Lynn Kurland

Star of the Morning (Nine Kingdoms #1) by Lynn Kurland

I’ve heard some good things about this romantic fantasy trilogy and thought I’d give it a try. The second and third books are The Mage’s Daughter and Princess of the Sword. A second trilogy has been completed, and the second book in the third Nine Kingdoms trilogy is scheduled for release next year.

 

From the USA Today bestselling author comes the first in a magical romantic fantasy trilogy.

Darkness covers the north, since the black mage has begun his assault on the kingdom of Neroche. Legend has it that only the two magical swords held by Neroche’s king can defeat the mage. Now the fate of the Nine Kingdoms rests in the hands of a woman destined to wield one of those blades…

In this land of dragons and mages, warrior maids and magical swords, nothing is as it seems. And Morgan will find that the magic in her blood brings her troubles she cannot face with a sword-and a love more powerful than she has ever imagined.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

I have a mass market paperback copy of this that I bought at Borders and read years ago, and I had a lot of fun reading it. My husband got me a very nice hardcover edition with illustrations for Christmas (the wrapping paper had a huge rip in it so he let me open it early!).

 

Here William Goldman’s beloved story of Buttercup, Westley, and their fellow adventurers finally receives a beautiful illustrated treatment.

A tale of true love and high adventure, pirates, princesses, giants, miracles, fencing, and a frightening assortment of wild beasts—The Princess Bride is a modern storytelling classic.

As Florin and Guilder teeter on the verge of war, the reluctant Princess Buttercup is devastated by the loss of her true love, kidnapped by a mercenary and his henchman, rescued by a pirate, forced to marry Prince Humperdinck, and rescued once again by the very crew who absconded with her in the first place. In the course of this dazzling adventure, she’ll meet Vizzini—the criminal philosopher who’ll do anything for a bag of gold; Fezzik—the gentle giant; Inigo—the Spaniard whose steel thirsts for revenge; and Count Rugen—the evil mastermind behind it all. Foiling all their plans and jumping into their stories is Westley, Princess Buttercup’s one true love and a very good friend of a very dangerous pirate.

The Raven's Shadow by Elspeth Cooper

The Raven’s Shadow (The Wild Hunt #3) by Elspeth Cooper

The third book in The Wild Hunt series is currently available in the UK, and it will be released in the US in March 2014 (hardcover, ebook). Excerpts from each book in the series and a description of the upcoming fourth book, The Dragon House, are on the author’s website.

 

The Raven’s Shadow, the third book of Elspeth Cooper’s The Wild Hunt series finds war brewing on both sides of the Veil between the worlds.

The desert of Gimrael is aflame with violence, and in the far north an ancient hatred is about to spill over into the renewal of a war that, a thousand years ago, forged an empire. This time, it may shatter one.

Wrestling with his failing grip on the power of the Song, and still trying to come to terms with the horrifying events he witnessed in El Maqqam, Gair returns to the mainland with only one thing on his mind: vengeance. It may cost him his life, but when everything that he had to live for is being stripped away from him, that may be a fair price to pay.

Old friends and old foes converge in a battle of wills to stem the tide of the Nimrothi clans as they charge south to reclaim the lands lost in the Founding Wars. If they succeed, the rest of the empire may be their next target. And with the Wild Hunt at their head, the overstretched Imperial Army may not be enough to stop them.

The Leaning Pile of Books is a feature where I talk about books I got over the last week – old or new, bought or received for review consideration. Since I hope you will find new books you’re interested in reading in these posts, I try to be as informative as possible. If I can find them, links to excerpts, author’s websites, and places where you can find more information on the book are included.

Unlike last week’s post covering two weeks, this one is short and sweet! Two books showed up, one of which I already discussed in an earlier post:

Year's Best SF 18 edited by David G. Hartwell David

Year’s Best SF 18 edited by David Hartwell

Year’s Best SF 18, containing science fiction stories published in 2012, will be released on December 10 (hardcover, trade paperback, ebook). The only cover image I could find is not accurate since it lists an author who does not actually have a story in this book (my copy says “Pat Cadigan” where the image says “Elizabeth Bear”). Other authors with stories in this book include Megan Lindholm, Paul Cornell, Yoon Ha Lee, C. S. Friedman, Ken Liu, Gene Wolfe, Aliette de Bodard, and Bruce Sterling.

 

Once again, the finest short-form SF offerings of the year have been collected in a single volume.

With Year’s Best SF 18, acclaimed, award-winning editor and anthologist David G. Hartwell demonstrates the amazing depth and power of contemporary speculative fiction, showcasing astonishing short stories from some of science fiction’s most respected names as well as exciting new writers to watch. In this anthology, prepare to travel light years from the ordinary into a tomorrow at once breathtaking, frightening, and possible with some of the greatest tales of wonder published in 2012.