August 2023 MBR The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Ravening Deep
Tim Pratt
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839082412, $16.95, PB, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Ravening-Deep-Arkham-Horror-Novel/dp/1839082410

Synopsis: When dissolute fisherman Abel Davenport discovers an ancient temple in the deep ocean, he comes under the influence of a long dead god. In his attempts to restore the god's cult, Davenport unleashes a plague of twisted doppelgangers on Arkham.

Horrified by the consequences, Davenport realizes that he alone cannot stop the monsters from resurrecting the Ancient One. Sometimes the only way to end one cult is to start another... Teaming up with redeemed cultist Diana Stanley and notorious thief Ruby Standish is the first step.

The second is convincing Carl Sanford, the powerful leader of Arkham's Silver Twilight Lodge, to join their cause. Together they might be the only hope of averting a cataclysmic eldritch invasion.

Critique: Original and fascinating, "The Ravening Deep" by talented and award winning novelist Tim Pratt is an Arkham horror novel published by Aconyte Books. It is the type of Ancient Lost Gods themed horror story that fully measures up to the kind of tale that would be published in the Golden Age of science fiction & fantasy pulp magazines. While also available for the personal reading lists of dedicated action/adventure fantasy fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95), it is a highly recommended pick for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections.

Editorial Note: Tim Pratt (http://www.timpratt.org) is a Hugo Award-winning SF and fantasy author, and finalist for the World Fantasy, Sturgeon, Stoker, Mythopoeic, and Nebula Awards, among others. He is the author of over twenty novels, and scores of short stories. Since 2001 he has worked for Locus, the magazine of the science fiction and fantasy field, where he currently serves as senior editor.

Dreams of Fire
Davide Mana
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839082436, $16.95, PB, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Fire-Descent-Legends-Novel/dp/1839082437

Synopsis: Soldier. Dreamer. Exile. Dragon hybrid Vaerix has already lived an age in Terrinoth and seen more than their fair share of horror and hatred. Cast out for their strange ability to dream, Vaerix wanders the world in search of connection.

When an expedition to the volcanic Molten Heath offers Vaerix the chance to confront those who wronged them, they cannot resist the temptation. But there is more at stake than treasure and truth. There are powers here beyond comprehension, and everyone has their own game to play. The future of Terrinoth will be written in blood and flame.

Critique: A 'Descent: Legends of the Dark' novel and of special and particular appeal to readers with an interest in the Sword & Sorcery fantasy genre, "Dreams of Fire" by Davide Mana is a carefully crafted, original, and thoroughly fun read from cover to cover. While also available for personal reading list in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95), "Dreams of Fire" is a fantasy action/adventure novel that will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to Fantasy Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Davide Mana was born and raised in Turin, Italy, with brief stints in London, Bonn and Urbino, where he studied paleontology and geology. He currently lives in the wine hills of southern Piedmont, where he is a writer, translator and game designer. In his spare time, he cooks and listens to music, photographs the local feral cats, and collects old books. He also co-hosts a podcast about horror movies, called Paura & Delirio.

Mystic Pursuit: The Inner Realm
Erik Daniel Boudreau
https://edbbooks.com
Cosmic Egg Books
c/o Collective Ink Books
https://www.collectiveinkbooks.com
9781803410340, $18.95, PB, 288pp

https://www.amazon.com/Mystic-Pursuit-Inner-Realm-Novel/dp/1803410345

Synopsis: It was a world like our own, in an age lost to time. For millennia, humans co-existed peacefully with three distinct orders of sentient beings, the mystics, each helping to maintain universal balance by governing either life, matter or spiritual energy. Overseeing this grand orchestration was one solitary being, belonging to a sacred lineage all its own, the Voduss Grei -- the Gray Mystics.

Spurred by a premonition of the world's end at the hands of a rebellious human from a small seaside village, Noryssin, the last of the Gray Mystics, saw the village destroyed. The events from that night set off thirty years of chaos and discord among all beings. Lakos, one of the few human survivors from the tragedy, emerged with the singular goal of exacting revenge against not only the Voduss Grei but also all mystics.

Caught amid the conflict was Thayliss, a human who had spent the past three decades living among the Ohlinn, or spirit-mystics, as one of their own. Finding his once-peaceful life destroyed, and the only family he has ever known ripped from his grasp, Thayliss must try to stop Lakos from his plot to control all mystic orders and assume the throne of the Voduss Grei.

Critique: Original, carefully crafted, and a fun read from start to finish, "Mystic Pursuit" is the first volume in what promises to be an epic fantasy series author Erick Daniel Boudreau called 'The Inner Realm'. Leaving his readers looking eagerly toward the next title in this series, fantasy novelist Boudreau has a genuine mastery of the genre and "Mystic Pursuit" is an extraordinary and highly recommended pick for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated fantasy fans that "Mystic Pursuit" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49).

Editorial Note: Erik loves the challenge of creating a story and trying to bring it to life. From suspense/thrillers and epic fantasy to screenplays and even health/medical publications, he enjoys delving into a wide variety of different worlds. He lives just outside Vancouver, British Columbia, with his wife and daughter.

Baen Books
www.baen.com

https://www.amazon.com/Weltall-File-Gordian-Division/dp/1982192658

David Weber and Jacob Holo's The Weltall File (9781982192655, $28.00) is a Gordian Division novel of murder, political struggle, and investigation that juxtaposes death threats with detectives that struggle to solve a mystery and unfold who is actually telling the truth. As the conspiracy threatens to explode, Isaac Cho and Susan Cantrell find their partnership and own lives challenged by an impossible timeline and confrontations.

https://www.amazon.com/Live-Free-Troy-Rising-Book/dp/1439133328

John Ringo's Live Free or Die (9781082192709, $18.00) is an action-packed first contact story that tells of the unexpected grip of the Horvath that follow the peaceful alien traders, the Glatun. As the world struggles to understand these invaders and their disparate special interests, a hero is required to put the pieces of the puzzle together ... one able to confront alien and human special interests alike. That would be Tyler Vernon. And his own special interests come into play in a dangerous game that readers will find thoroughly action-packed, engrossing, and filled with satisfying twists and turns.

The Green Mage
Michael Simms
https://www.michaelsimms.info/home
Madville Publishing LLC
https://madvillepublishing.com
9781956440188, $21.95, PB, 324pp

https://www.amazon.com/Green-Mage-Chronicle-Dragonqueen-Trilogy/dp/1956440186

Synopsis: Norbert Oldfoot is a simple mage who makes his living traveling the Bekla River Road, selling trade goods, performing healing magic, and singing traditional songs of heroes. He becomes friends with Kerttu, a coppersmith who has developed a new alloy which is perfect for manufacturing swords.

When Kerttu is kidnaped by the evil Wizard Ludek, Kerttu's teenage daughter Tessia, a skilled hunter, recruits three friends, including Norbert, and sets out on a quest to find a legendary dragon who lives in the mountains. With the help of the dragon, Tessia plans to save her father.

Little do they know that in order to save Kerttu, they will first have to save the kingdom!

Critique: Original, deftly crafted, "The Green Mage: The First Chronicle of Tessia Dragonqueen" a fun and fascinating read from start to finish, and debuts novelist Michael Simms new heroic fantasy series 'The Talon Trilogy'. Populated throughout with interesting characters and unexpected plot twists, "The Green Mage" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly appreciated pick for personal reading lists of dedicated action/adventure fantasy fans and community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted that "The Green Mage" is also readily available from Madville Publishing in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.49).

Editorial Note: Michael Simms (https://www.michaelsimms.info/about) has worked as a squire and armorer to a Hungarian fencing master, stable hand, gardener, forager, estate agent, college teacher, editor, publisher, technical writer, lexicographer, political organizer, and literary impresario. He is also the author of seven collections of poetry and a textbook about poetry. In 2011 Simms was recognized by the Pennsylvania State Legislature for his contribution to the arts.

Becoming Crone
Lydia M. Hawke
https://www.lydiahawkebooks.com
Michem Publishing
https://www.overdrive.com/publishers/michem-publishing
9781989457085, $14.99, PB, 244pp

https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Crone-Lydia-M-Hawke/dp/1989457088

Synopsis: Claire Emerson is adrift. After a lifetime as a wife, mother, and grandma, she never saw divorce or loneliness coming and is desperate for some sense of purpose. But when her sixtieth birthday brings a snarky gargoyle, an annoyingly sexy wolf shifter, and an unknown magical calling, she thinks she's losing the only thing she has left -- her sanity.

Refusing to believe she's the powerful defender of humankind her so-called protectors claim, Claire attempts a return to her safe life, only to have her powers ignite when she's attacked by dark supernatural creatures. And without the training she was supposed to have received, she has no idea how she'll defeat sinister mages plotting her demise.

Can Claire overcome creaky joints and major hot flashes in time to save the world - and her own life?

Critique: "Becoming Crone" is the first volume in the new fantasy series 'The Crone Wars' by author Lydia M. Hawke. It's the story of a 60 year old woman who wanted a new purpose for herself now that her children were grown and had children of their own. Be careful what you wish for! Because what she got was dark magic and war. An original, fun, and deftly crafted action/adventure fantasy with a most unlikely hero, "Becoming Crone" is a great read and a welcome pick for personal and community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of all dedicated fantasy fans that "Becoming Crone" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).

Editorial Note: Lydia M. Hawke (https://www.lydiahawkebooks.com) is a Canadian writer possessed of both a light side and a dark one. On the dark side, she's the author of the Grigori Legacy, an apocalyptic urban fantasy series featuring a hard-as-nails cop caught up in the war between Heaven and Hell. In her lighter moments, she writes romances (contemporary and suspense) under the pseudonym of Linda Poitevin.

20 Moon Road: An Angel's Tale
Jody Sharpe
Independently Published
9780988562042, $2.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Moon-Angels-Tale-Mystic-Book-ebook/dp/B09W75ZMNC

20 Moon Road: An Angel's Tale adds the fifth book to Jody Sharpe's cozy urban fantasy series, continuing the theme of kindness, transformation, and interactions between angels and humans which formed the foundations of prior Mystic Bay stories.

In "20 Moon Road: An Angel's Tale", a wide cast of characters (and their animal companions) explore their relationships, town, and beliefs in a story that opens with the ongoing friendship between Madame Norma, the town's psychic, and the angel narrator, who knows that their friendship ties are enduring and will remain strong even after death.

From angelic community programs and interpersonal relationships to the history of a town that embodies God's promises and reflects a prosperity that comes from spiritual connections, Sharpe creates a compelling story powered by a writer's reflections of his town's characters and world and Madame Norma's thoughtful, ongoing influences on those who reside there.

Do angels come to children with special needs? In Mystic Bay, they do. As the truth emerges about the town's makeup, history, and mission, readers become immersed in a spiritual story of angels and beliefs that drive positive changes and kindness in the world and spread beyond the small town of angels.

Sharpe's Mystic Bay series embodies hope, belief, the power of conviction and angel influences, and the acts of kindness that lead humanity on a better, gentler path. 20 Moon Road's revelations of relationships with Madame Norma that changed lives and transformed beliefs through documented angel sightings by special needs children makes for a warm tale of revelation and discovery that explores guardian angels, lasting legacies, and blessings.

Libraries and readers looking for blends of fantasy and spiritual examination will welcome the Mystic Bay series as a whole and this latest addition in particular, which expands the nature, purposes, and insights of Mystic Bay upon the larger world outside its borders.

Combining Both Worlds
Kim Cousins
Resource Publications
c/o Wipf and Stock Publishers
https://wipfandstock.com
9781666767780, $33.00

https://www.amazon.com/Combining-Both-Worlds-Clashing-Kingdoms/dp/1666767786

Combining Both Worlds presents the third book in the Clashing Kingdoms series, and is especially recommended for prior followers. This audience will find the events, characters, and Christian themes further developed in a story replete with vivid action from the very beginning. Here, a "tigress-of-a-woman" is giving birth to a daughter when an earthquake of a different nature rips through the fabric of their lives.

As the story evolves, it turns out that the continuing earth tremors aren't the only things affecting the community of families and survivors. Also alive and fluid are movements to leave and bring God's word into the greater world.

Christian readers who have appreciated the presence of miracles and transformation in the previous books in the Clashing Kingdoms series will find that Combining Both Worlds unfolds a greater plan, depicting an ongoing war between Satan and God which plays out not just in communities, but in the hearts and minds of men. Here, the battlefield is not just physical, but mental and spiritual as the characters face struggles presented on different levels connected by an undercurrent of meaning that requires slow absorption of the events.

Cousins is particularly adept at capturing the interplay between physical and mental changes, employing a descriptive voice that both cements environment and connects it to the shifting internal and external worlds the characters face: "The Smoky Mountains seemed more scrunched together, like the folds in a closed accordion. This folding made their course more strenuous because their path became a relentless sequence of steep inclines and descents..." The journey is not conducted on a singular level, but is carried out over a period of time and place that embraces encounters with angels and cements its themes and progression with many footnoted Biblical references.

Christian readers who have both Biblical background and familiarity with the prior books in this series will find the blend of action and contemplative reaction in Combining Both Worlds to be an exquisite study in God's promises and the intersections of humanity and spiritual realms. Operating as a quasi-fantasy and a story of revelation and growth,

Combining Both Worlds is highly recommended for Christian libraries and fans of the previous series titles that will discover in this story of the end of days a promise of new spiritual beginnings.

Town of Angels Christmas
Jody Sharpe
Independently Published
9780988562028, $9.00 Paper/$2.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Town-Angels-Christmas-Animal-Rescue/dp/0988562022

While the fourth book in Jody Sharpe's Mystic Bay series should ideally be read by those who have enjoyed the prior books, this should not be considered a prerequisite for newcomers, who will find this urban fantasy story of holiday secrets to be compelling and freshly original.

The premise involves a town in California that is inhabited by angels, but opens with the new mission of Angel Kenneth Heart, charged with helping a homeless man in San Francisco. He can do this by transporting Walt to Bay Star Shelter in Mystic Bay, where he volunteers. There's more going on than an angel's do-good mission, however, because Mystic Bay also keeps its secret angels close, but faces changes and threats of exposure even as more need arrives in the form of horses that need rescuing before Christmas.

Jody Sharpe unfolds a wonderful saga that cements its plot with a first-person reflective story that builds the backdrop of Mystic bay in a seamless, compelling manner: "We angels let the humans live their lives and choose their days. We are just here living as humans experiencing friendship, and family life, guiding with the gentleness of persuasions. Once we come down to live as humans, we grow old with the rest of the folk. I guess I'm about forty something in human years, but over four hundred in angel years."

The ways angels move, operate, and help are profiled in a gentle story of secrets that must be kept at all costs, efforts that must be fostered towards man and animal alike, and challenges faced by guardian angels who find their missions more complicated than one would expect. The intersection of mystique and kindness evident throughout angel Ken's moves and the special interests of those who swirl around him creates a moving story that is especially perfect for holiday reading and filled with memorable moments.

It matters not if the reader is new to Jody Sharpe's magic or the allure of previous Mystic Bay books or is a prior fan. Both audiences will become immersed in the missions of angels and men and in the town that is a focal point for harboring kindness, discovery, and revelations of a spiritual and social nature. Libraries and readers looking for cozy urban fantasy reading and inviting stories of kindness, miracles, and God's work will find Town of Angels Christmas a fine invitation to consider the actions and efforts that transform lives, whether they be human or animal.

Baen Books
www.baen.com

These new books from Baen are top picks for libraries seeking solid sci-fi writings and plots that draw with a blend of strong characterization and swift action.

https://www.amazon.com/Salvage-Right-25-Liaden-Universe%C2%AE/dp/1982192682

Sharon Lee and Steve Miller's Salvage Right (9781982192686, $27.00) is another Laiden Universe novel that is especially recommended for prior readers of this universe-spanning scenario. The story of a malevolent intelligence of Tinsori Light, two Light Keepers who stand between it and its infection of the universe, and the failure of the Light and the keepers makes for a powerful struggle of special interests, new dangers, and forces that clash in an effort to control the universe.

https://www.amazon.com/Between-Princesses-Other-Jobs-Indrajit/dp/1982192690

D.J. Butler's Between Princesses and Other Jobs (9781982192693, $25.00) is an Indrajit and Fix tale that tells of the two partners' latest task. How can a failed monk and a poet also prove powerful in matters of the sword and heart? As stolen documents, shipwrecks, and a treasure hunt pits them against sorcerers and criminals, the world of Kish comes to life in a heady blend of intrigue and fantasy.

Both of these new titles from Baen Books are simply outstanding choices for discriminating libraries Science Fiction & Fantasy collections, as well as the personal reading lists of science fiction buffs and fantasy fans.

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Midwest Book Review