December 2023 MBR The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

All the Hidden Paths
Foz Meadows
Tor Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
www.tor-forge.com
9781250829306, $29.99, HC, 528pp

https://www.amazon.com/All-Hidden-Paths-Tithenai-Chronicles/dp/1250829305

Synopsis: With the plot against them foiled and the city of Qi-Katai in safe hands, newlywed and tentative lovers Velasin and Caethari have just begun to test the waters of their relationship. But the wider political ramifications of their marriage are still playing out across two nations, and all too soon, they're summoned north to Tithena's capital city, Qi-Xihan, to present themselves to its monarch.

With Caethari newly invested as his grandmother's heir and Velasin's old ghosts gnawing at his heels, what little peace they've managed to find is swiftly put to the test. Cae's recent losses have left him racked with grief and guilt, while Vel struggles with the disconnect between instincts that have kept him safe in secrecy and what an open life requires of him now. Pursued by unknown assailants and with Qi-Xihan's court factions jockeying for power, Vel and Cae must use all the skills at their disposal to not only survive, but thrive.

Because there's more than one way to end an alliance, and more than one person who wants to see them fail -- and they will resort to murder if needed.

Critique: The sequel to Foz Meadows's "A Strange and Stubborn Endurance" and the second volume in the author's Tithenai Chronicles series, "All the Hidden Paths" is a sultry, political and romantic fantasy that explores gender, sexuality, identity, and self-worth. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and strongly recommended as an addition to community library Fantasy Fiction collections, "All The Hidden Paths" will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in action, adventure, romance, fantasy, and LGBTQ fiction.

Editorial Note: Foz Meadows (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foz_Meadows) is a queer Australian author, essayist, reviewer and poet. They have won two Best Fan Writer awards (a Hugo Award in 2019 and a Ditmar Award in 2017) for yelling on the internet, and have also received the Norma K. Hemming Award in 2018 for their queer Shakespearean novella, Coral Bones. Their essays, reviews, poetry and short fiction have appeared in various venues, including Uncanny, Apex Magazine, Goblin Fruit, HuffPost, and Strange Horizons.

Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement 1
Story by FUNA
Art by Touzai
Translated by Lukas Ruphys and revised by Kodansha USA
Kodansha
www.kodansha.com
9781647292102, $19.95 pbk / $7.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Another-World-Retirement-light/dp/1647292107

Synopsis: Mitsuha is your average teenage orphan - until one day she falls off a cliff, and finds herself in another world strangely akin to medieval Europe! Beset by wolves, she discovers she has the ability to travel freely between the two worlds, and decides to make a life for herself in both. Now all she needs to do is save up 80,000 gold coins for a comfortable retirement... Piece of cake, right?!

No matter how out of control things get, Mitsuha keeps her cool, turning every hurdle into a business opportunity. From shopkeeper to war hero to viscountess, her meteoric rise seems unstoppable - but with each success comes new obligations and new costs. Does every step up just take her further from her goal?

Critique: Adroitly translated into English, Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement 1 is the first volume in a Japanese fantasy series about Mitsuha, a teenaged orphan who discovers that she has the power to travel freely between two worlds - the modern-day present, and a mysterious land that resembles medieval Europe. Mitsuha decides to make a good life for herself in both worlds, and sets the goal of saving 80,000 gold coins for a comfortable retirement - but one challenge after another disrupts her plans! She steadily gains status as a shopkeeper, a war hero, and a viscountess, but each rise comes with greater obligations and expenses! Will Mitsuha ever achieve her dream of long-term financial stability? A lighthearted adventure enriched with a handful of black-and-white, manga-style illustrations, Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement 1 is a tongue-in-cheek take on the "isekai" ("ordinary person in another world") genre and just plain fun to read. Highly recommended! It should be noted for personal reading lists that Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement 1 is also available in a Kindle edition ($7.99).

The Bootlegger's Dance
Rosemary Jones
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839082511, $16.95, PB, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Bootleggers-Dance-Arkham-Horror-Novel/dp/1839082518

Synopsis: Raquel Malone Gutierrez is running away, although she won't admit that to herself. Suffering from hearing loss after an illness, the former music teacher wants to find a way to retain her independence, but only a wealthy relative offers any hope of that.

Put to work in her aunt Nova's Kingsport dance hall, Raquel stumbles upon a mystery when her new hearing aids begin picking up conversations that no one else can hear. As Christmas draws closer, Raquel realizes the voice comes from a hunted man lost in time. Now she must do everything she can to free him before the monsters chasing him can catch up and break through.

Critique: A deftly blending of dark fantasy and historical mystery, "The Bootlegger's Dance" by Rosemary Jones is a simply riveting read from first page to last. A part of the Arkham Horror series from Aconyte Books, "The Bootlegger's Dance" is a welcome and recommended addition to personal and community library Fantasy/Horror collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Bootlegger's Dance" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).

Editorial Note: Rosemary Jones (https://aconytebooks.com/?authors=rosemary-jones) is an ardent collector of children's books, and a fan of talkies and silent movies. She is also the author of three bestselling novels in Dungeons & Dragons' Forgotten Realms setting, numerous novellas, short stories, and collaborations.

Assassin's Creed Mirage: Daughter of No One
Maria Lewis
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839082801, $16.95, PB, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Creed-Mirage-Daughter-One/dp/1839082801

Synopsis: Cairo, 824 - In the bowels of prison, escape is out of the question. The best Roshan can hope for is a quick death. She certainly doesn't expect a second chance offered by a cloaked stranger who says Roshan is exactly what they need: Someone who can disappear, who will do what needs to be done, someone expendable.

Granted her freedom, Roshan joins a crew of shady figures assembled to steal a mysterious object being transported along the Silk Road towards Persia. Roshan's otherworldly intuition proves vital as she fights to stay one step ahead of her backstabbing gang and survive the mission. For her employer holds the key to a world she can't begin to fathom: a world she might have been destined for all along.

Critique: All of the Assassin's Creed novels feature a fabulous mix of historical and fantasy action adventure. The latest addition to this simply outstanding series from Aconyte Books is "Assassin's Creed Mirage: Daughter of No One" by Maria Lewis. When Master Assassin Roshan's past is revealed, she joins a hunt along the Silk Road for a powerful lost artifact. A 'must' for the growing legions of Assassin's Creed fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95), "Assassin's Creed Mirage: Daughter of No One"" will prove an immediate and enduringly popular pick for personal reading lists and community library collections.

Editorial Note: Maria Lewis is an award-winning screenwriter, best-selling author and pop culture etymologist. She is the author of the internationally published Supernatural Sisters series of eight novels, which includes the Aurealis Award-winning The Witch Who Courted Death (Best Fantasy Novel), along with titles for Marvel (Mockingbird: Strike Out), Angry Robot (The Graveyard Shift) and Assassin's Creed (Mirage: Daughter Of No One). As a screenwriter, she has worked on projects for Netflix, AMC, Ubisoft, DC Comics, SBS, Nickelodeon, ABC and many more. She's the producer, host and writer of audio AWGIE and Aurealis Award-winning documentaries The Phantom Never Dies (about the first superhero) and Josie and the Podcats - about the 2001 cult film. Her directorial debut The House That Hungers premiered in 2023, based on her award-winning short story of the same name.

A Market of Dreams and Destiny
Trip Galley
Titan Books
https://titanbooks.com
9781803363684, $16.95, PB, 432pp

https://www.amazon.com/Market-Dreams-Destiny-Trip-Galey/dp/1803363681

Synopsis: Below Covent Garden lies the Untermarkt, where anything and everything has a price: a lover's first blush, a month of honesty, a wisp of fortune. As a child, Deri was sold to one of the Market's most powerful merchants. Now, after years of watchful servitude, Deri finally spots a chance to buy not only his freedom but also his place amongst the Market's elite when he stumbles into the path of a runaway princess desperate to sell her royal destiny.

But news of the missing princess and her wayward destiny spreads. Royal enforcers and Master Merchants alike are after it. Out maneuvering them all would all be hard enough had Deri not just also met the love of his life, a young man called Owain, whose employers are using the Market for their own nefarious schemes.

Deri soon finds that the price of selling the royal destiny, making a name for himself, and saving the man he loves is dear. The cost of it all might just change the destiny of London forever..

Critique: Original, deftly crafted, compelling, and a fun read from start to finish, "A Market of Dreams and Destiny" will prove to be of special interest to fans of LGBTQ romance fantasy, action and adventure. Appropriate and highly recommended for community library Fantasy & LGBTQ Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "A Market of Dreams and Destiny" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $10.99).

Editorial Note: Trip Galey's interactive novel, Faerie's Bargain, was published in 2021 and is set in the same world as "A Market of Dreams and Desinty". Trip has degrees in English and Theatre, Shakespeare, Acting and Creative Writing. He works as a lecturer and was published in the Lambda, Ignyte and Locus award-nominated Glitter + Ashes: Queer Tales of A World That Wouldn't Die. He lives in London and can be found digitally at linktr.ee/tripgaley

The Silent Hand
Michael Mersault
Baen Books
www.baen.com
9781982192952, $18.00

https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Hand-Michael-Mersault/dp/198219295X

Fans of epic sci-fi such as Dune who eschew the length and depth of such writings, but celebrate their energy and complexity, will welcome the more succinct but equally vivid The Silence Hand. This is space adventure and world-building at its best as Michael Mersault creates a story of interstellar war, a street urchin who comes of age to become a lethal combat force, and a military confrontation that unleashes unexpected new powers that place Inga in the vortex of universe-altering events. The result is an epic story worthy of attention by any who look for vivid, immersive plots.

The City of Marble and Blood
Howard Andrew Jones
Baen Books
www.baen.com
9781982192945, $26.00

https://www.amazon.com/City-Marble-Blood-Chronicles-Hanuvar/dp/1982192941

The City of Marble and Blood by Howard Andrew Jones is the second epic production in the Chronicles of Hanuvar and is especially highly recommended for prior fans of the setting developed by Jones. Hanuvar is searching for the last of his people, who are scattered and in slavery. His solo quest to rescue them is accompanied by a range of old friends and resources, unlikely allies, and a formidable army of opposers to his journey that drives him into new avenues of confrontation and purpose in this story. Magic and military might clash as the army rises in this engrossing story.

More Than Honor
David Weber, David Drake, and S.M. Stirling, authors
David Weber, editor
Baen Books
www.baen.com
9781982192884, $26.00

https://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Honor-Worlds-Weber/dp/1982192887

David Weber works with David Drake and S.M. Stirling in More Than Honor which reissues the first book in the 'Honorverse' series, Worlds of Honor. Prior fans and newcomers alike will appreciate having this 24th anniversary edition which introduced the series, featuring stories set in the Honorverse and authored by a capable set of familiar names. Appearing for the first time in hardcover, this keepsake edition is an attractive recommendation.

Shield and Scepter
K.M. Warfield
https://kmwarfield.com
Creative James Media
www.creativejamesmedia.com
9781956183603, $16.99

https://www.amazon.com/Shield-Scepter-K-M-Warfield/dp/1956183604

Shield and Scepter is the second book in the Heroes of Avoch trilogy introduced with Scales & Stingers. It continues the story of Jinaari Althir, who has sworn to protect half-Fallen Thia Bransdottir from the prejudices and fears of those who would have her and her race exterminated. Here, the Daughter of Keroys is healing from her prior confrontations while Jinaari oversees her recovery and tackles his own.

Conflict continues to simmer over Cirrain, which is in a strategic location that makes it a desirable acquisition for other side, while the legacy of Alesso's betrayal of Thia still brings pain that the characters struggle with. As Thia grows into the power she harbors (but doesn't yet understand), Jinaari faces further tests of his vows, his relationship to her and the world, and values that have cultivated his heritage and dictate his actions. At the heart of controversy lies Adam, whom Jinaari considers "the brother of my choosing" despite the deadly secret that he has kept from them all.

The social and political currents that keep Jinaari on his toes are compelling features of this story, which attends to contrasting action and revelation on different levels as events unfold. What is real and what is illusion? This is just one of the challenges K.M. Warfield issues in the thrown-down gauntlet of events that comprise Shield and Scepter. Readers familiar with the relationships and complexity of the first story's struggle will welcome the expanded adversity and discoveries profiled in this sequel. While prior events are recapped in the course of the opening chapter, readers who have already absorbed the vibrant scenarios in Scales & Stingers will be in the optimum position to understand the growth that takes place in a host of characters whose roles have shifted between books.

Libraries and fantasy readers looking for exceptionally vivid sword and sorcery tales that simmer with excitement, strong character development, and spiritual and social conundrums that shake a world's foundations will find Shield and Scepter a coming-of-age story that holds the power to reach well beyond fantasy genre readers into general-interest hearts and minds.

A Seat for the Rabble
Ryan Schuette
www.RyanSchuette.com
Independently Published
9798988598602, $18.99

https://www.amazon.com/Seat-Rabble-King-Without-Crown/dp/B0CKNCDZXR

Readers of epic fantasy that look for multi-volume works in line with George R.R. Martin's Game of Throne series will find similar attraction to the complexity, depth, and characters in A Seat for the Rabble - but with a few notable differences. Yes, kingdoms are falling; as are leaders who are buckling under the dual challenges of relentless war and struggles that bring a community to its knees. Yes, royalty, rulers, and commoners are struggling for control and a revised way of life and making choices. But, within these trappings of epic politics and clashes lies a closer attention than is given by most genre writers to the elements of class and privilege which play deep and lasting roles.

Ryan Schuette considers the impact of choices that cross political and social lines to resonate with changes that shake many a foundation of purpose and perspective. Schuette also cultivates an atmosphere which pairs high-octane confrontations with deeper-level thinking, juxtaposing characters whose roles would initially seem to lead in set directions, but who find themselves placed in extraordinary situations that test their moral and ethical mettle. These realizations assume both big and small proportions, beginning with Sir Damien's task of dealing with one of his people's determination to commit murder: "...would a knight sworn to serve a lord kill one of his peasants over a half-mad horse - a creature doomed to die, anyway?"

Questions of noble and improper behavior and responses arise from this unlikely scenario to impart a sense of wry irony and humor into a serious situation: "Devan sprinted after Damien, likely trying to discourage him from violence. If so, the squire was nobler in this moment than the knight he served." These opening scenes compel not just because they trace a battle within forces presumably on the same side of greater conflict, but because they represent an early taste of the style and nature of a series of dilemmas that force all types of characters to deal with moral and ethical dilemmas well outside of their comfort zones and usual responses. Will an executioner's blade be wielded over the (perhaps-misguided) love of a horse? This opening leads into a series of life- and role-changing possibilities as a son disobeys his father king to enter into battle.

Jason Warchild, a son returned from two years of battle abroad, enters into a competition that could place him on the throne (if he survives) as disparate individuals make life-changing decisions that throw into uncertainty the careening trajectory of the larger world and their futures. The history, politics, and battles which blend into and support these realizations and confrontations meld with daily lives and influences to create an impeccably forceful juxtaposition of war and peace. From king killers and traitors to trials that evolve to test not just life, but love, Schuette's story lives up to its promise of 'epic' not just in its confrontations, but in a myriad of characters that pursue their dreams against all odds.

Like Game of Thrones, this is no simple scenario with easy (or, sometimes, even obvious) conclusions. It's also the opening half of a novel (despite being some 900 pages in length) that will continue later in An End to Kings. Books of this length typically suffer from a key flaw - the need for editing to bring the account into a more accessible form. However, it would be a grave disservice to apply such a touch to A Seat for the Rabble; for as it exists now, it's a multifaceted, wide-ranging story that succeeds in bringing a kingdom's politics and its varied classes of individual concerns to life. Not a word should be cut; not an action scene slashed for the sake of brevity or succinct reading. This makes A Seat for the Rabble a top pick for readers who enjoy complex kingdoms and political scenarios. These are powered by disparate individuals who are sometimes heroes, sometimes villains, and sometimes make cameo appearances, only to be cut in the early stages of their development. Chivalry is also alive and well as men and women interact with and change one another by their very goals and ambitions.

Libraries and epic fantasy enthusiasts seeking well-developed writing that explores a variety of special interests and reactions on different levels will find A Seat for the Rabble suitable not just for individual pursuit, but fantasy book club assignment and discussion.

The Price of Rebellion
Michael C. Bland
World Castle Publishing, LLC
https://www.worldcastlepublishing.net
9781960076748, $21.99 Hardcover/$15.99 Paper/$3.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Price-Rebellion-Trilogy/dp/1960076744

The second book in the dystopian sci-fi 'Price Of' trilogy, The Price of Rebellion, takes place in 2047, where Dray Quintero has discovered that America's leaders have been hijacked, replaced with talking heads whose technological implants are controlled by forces that would influence and drive all political and social events in the nation. Ironically, Dray's own innovative creation has proved the impetus for this takeover, placing him on the side of rebel forces that know the truth and are determined to take back power.

Dray has joined the Founding Fathers, just one of the forces participating in this struggle - but he has yet to feel he really knows or can trust them. This places him in the uncertain role of dodging two battling forces as he considers his own choices, the consequences of his decisions, and the recklessness and desperation involved in confronting The Agency, an enforcement group designed to assure, via enhanced Agents, that no one discovers that a coup happened in Washington. Dray's determination to take back the country by any means possible, even if it involves sacrificing his remaining family, translates to an epic series of confrontations in a world populated by bots, drones, and technological enhancements that translate to warfare conducted on a very different playing field than ever before.

As he and his companions travel the countryside honing in on their destination while sharpening the skills that will lead them either into disaster or success, readers receive a fast-paced, technology-driven story replete with issues of family ties and questions of living, dying, and possibilities that lie between them. Michael C. Bland provides a timeline of events as an introduction to this setting, but the meat of the action lies in the story's attention to psychological depth and detail as Dray contemplates his choices and makes difficult decisions that will affect not only the world, but his relationships.

Prior readers of Dray's journey, in particular, will find his ongoing dilemmas and how he seeks resolution to be thoroughly engrossing, featuring many twists and turns that will feel familiar to readers because of the dual nature of the recent pandemic years and the political and technological drives of modern times. It's no light fete to represent a futuristic encounter replete with flavors of present-day angst, but Bland accomplishes this with an attention to drama and detail that contrasts motivations for rebellion with new opportunities for collective action.

Readers will appreciate the high-octane action and dilemmas Dray continually fields and faces. Libraries and readers interested in dystopian stories of the future which juxtapose issues of genetic engineering, social and political power plays, and intrigue with a powerful attention to psychological depth and detail will find The Price of Rebellion stands surprisingly strongly on its own, and is highly recommended for readers who enjoy compelling futuristic stories of confrontation and change. It provides a supplemental story to the first book and concludes definitively, but portends new experiences to come in the final book of the trilogy.

The House Of Duquesne
Micah House
Independently Published
9781736508664, $26.95 Hardcover/$15.95 Paper

https://www.amazon.com/House-Duquesne-Micah/dp/1736508660

Micah House's The Blanchard Witches paranormal fantasy continues with the fourth book in the series, The House Of Duquesne. Newcomers will find it a stand-alone attraction that focuses on the 100-acre Blanchard family refuge, the legacies passed down by a group of witches, and secrets that were revealed in the last book which continue to impact them all. The changes experienced by this coven of Southern witches expand with further challenges when they move from their Alabama roots to Charleston to confront the D'Angelo family's own legacy and connections to past and present trials.

There is a reason for keeping some secrets hidden. As the family faces transformations in its internal and external relationships, minds are influenced and warped, love and menacing beasts confront one another, and moral and ethical questions about the cost of immortality and power rise to challenge family members to make different choices. As in his previous books, Micah House presents a gripping saga of family connections, uncommon powers, and equally strong adversity that often arises from unexpected encounters. The battles continue, as do the growth and revelations of various family members as they battle their own psyches and connections as well as outside influences.

Unlike many paranormal fantasies, House more closely attends to unfolding the psychological pressures and perceptions of power and influence that motivate families and individuals to employ their connections in new ways. Readers thus will enjoy a deeper level of psychic inspection that works on many levels, pairing riveting action and paranormal encounters with witches and werewolves in a powerful struggle over life and death.

Libraries and readers looking for books that rise above formula productions to reach out and grab thinking readers who enjoy vivid action and moral dilemmas will appreciate The House Of Duquesne's ability to depict a war that unfolds on many levels: "Fate was a dastardly jokester. It had dangled something real in their reach, then snatched it away. They were foes now - each aligned to their own. Inside that fleeting stare, the two men said their goodbyes to whatever they might have had and resigned themselves to their positions."

The Gauntlet Runner
J. Scott Coatsworth
Water Dragon Publishing
www.waterdragonpublishing.com
9781962538015, $16.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Gauntlet-Runner-J-Scott-Coatsworth/dp/196253801X

The second book in the Tharassus Cycle series, The Gauntlet Runner, picks up the characters and themes of the first book and runs with them, further expanding upon the situation of Aik's love for his best friend, thief Raven. Another challenge is that Raven has just been kidnapped by a dragon. As Aik joins forces with Triya to find Raven and further the uncertain relationship between them, readers receive a gender-busting romp through domains of AIs, dragons, thieves, and devotees.

The story continues many of the foundations built in The Dragon Eater, crafting just as vigorous an adventure as its predecessor to add love and gender fluidity into the action-packed mix. It is recommended that audiences be familiar with the prior book in order to completely appreciate the developmental process that moves relationships and struggles into new arenas of realization in The Gauntlet Runner.

Moral and ethical issues continue to challenge Aik's chosen path ("How was he ever going to square being a guard with being in love with a thief?") as events force characters to confront their choices, from Silya's duties in her new role as Hencha Queen to a magical gauntlet that prevents Aik from his goal of reuniting with Raven. Even a mid-level guard such as Aik can prove powerful to others, although the lines between personal and professional interests blur repeatedly, forcing each character to reconsider their passions, values, and ambitions. Tharassas is also attacked on multiple levels involving physical forces and strange creatures, which lead to confrontations and struggles over not just ideals, but life itself.

These tides of geographic turbulence, magic, and personal interactions carry readers into a story where nothing is set in stone, little is predictable, and many seemingly-set actions and choices are called into question. As selfless action runs headlong into selfish choices, readers receive a thought-provoking story that flows well, builds additional complexity into the characters and scenarios presented in the first book, and represents the rich segue of characters and worlds worth not just saving, but loving. Libraries and readers seeking a strong companion volume to The Dragon Eater which also ends with the promise of more and a startling realization about one of the story's major players will find The Gauntlet Runner top-notch and compelling in both its character- and world-building creations and force.

The Dragon Eater
J. Scott Coatsworth
Water Dragon Publishing
www.waterdragonpublishing.com
9781959804277, $26.99 Hardcover/$16.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Eater-Tharassas-Cycle/dp/1959804286

The first book in the Tharassas Cycle sci-fi series, The Dragon Eater, introduces an unlikely team and dilemma when thief Raven inadvertently consumes a small dragon, only to find it sparks a transformation that changes not just his life, but the world. The story is replete with humor from its opening lines as AI Spin advises his boss:

Spin's voice echoed in his ear. "This is a bad idea, boss."

"Shush," Raven whispered to his familiar.

"Seriously, boss. I'm not from this world, and even I know it's a bad idea to steal from the sea master."

Though only he could hear Spin's voice, Raven wished the little silver ay-eye would just shut up. As His Exalted Thiefness deals with his familiar and a best friend and guardsman whose ex is a priestess who hates him, a series of events draw them all into surprising confrontations with aliens, artifacts, and adversity. J. Scott Coatsworth cultivates and hones a sense of ironic inspections that accompanies a series of world-changing, challenging experiences as Raven and his disparate team face forces beyond their ken.

The story unfolds with a riveting blend of action, unpredictable twists and turns, and characters whose own special interests too often conflict with the greater good of the world around them. As initiate Silya faces a revised future revolving around the Hencha Queen and individual members of the trio face the choice to be either a hero or a killer, readers become immersed in a story of alien discovery. This leads them through darkness to a spore mother whose domain and purpose in the heart of a mountain is set to transform the greater world.

Replete with scenarios of individual ambitions, evolutionary processes, and complicated transformations, The Dragon Eater sports a rare blend of fantasy, sci-fi, and humor that keeps its characters multifaceted and unpredictable. It's part of a series, so the open-ended conclusion leaves the door well ajar for more adventures and misadventures while addressing the main points of each character's concerns.

The themes of transformation operate on spiritual, social, and psychological levels in a manner designed to attract a wide audience, from regular sci-fi and fantasy fans to readers of LGBTQ+ writings and the always-elusive forms of humor in sci-fi scenarios. Libraries seeking a series of adventures which test more than one character's role will find The Dragon Eater a fine opening series acquisition filled with satisfyingly surprisingly interactions between AIs, aliens, priestesses, and characters who shift between male and female genders.

Cogitatio
McKinley Aspen
Muse Literary
https://museliterary.com
9781960876249, $24.99 Hardcover/$9.99 Paper/$.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Cogitatio-Shadows-Wind-Book-Two/dp/1960876244

The second book in the urban fantasy series begun in Praesidium furthers the Shadows in the Wind story of Kathryn Beck, recruited from college into a top secret organization whose members sport supernatural powers and the ability to employ them purposefully. Former readers will well recall that Kathryn's strong personality and drive, enhanced by her own special supernatural gifts, made her a proactive, powerful force in the group. Cogitatio furthers these connections and objectives, following Kathryn on a dangerous mission that separates her from her supporting team, forcing her to address a sinister conspiracy virtually alone.

The opening prologue places her not in a position of power, however, but in jail in Alaska. How she arrived at that point and what she does with this special challenge forms the nexus of a story that excels in both tension and mystery as she butts heads with a criminal justice system that is theoretically on her side and finds herself fighting for other women as well as her own ultimate freedom. Not just her abilities, but her instinct and fighting nature make Kathryn the only logical choice for this mission. Ironically, they also make her the pivot point in a conflict which tests her strengths and perceptions of the world and her place in it.

As Kathryn uses her uncertain entrapment to probe what is really going on in Alaska, she uncovers new possibilities and dangers that build and then test her relationships with Pauline, Ashley, and other strong women who are also forced to consider options and new ways out of their predicaments. The thread of humor which runs through Kathryn's encounters offers a wry overlay of fun to the enlightenment process: "Was there a sign on my forehead: Come tell me about the pending disaster? At least I now knew the when and the where. All I needed was a way to stop it."

There can be no greater mission than that of serving and saving humanity itself, as Kathryn is forced to realize after a series of mishaps and dangerous encounters. The result is especially highly recommended for those looking at blends of paranormal and urban fantasy thrillers that test the boundaries of categorization to reach audiences who appreciate powerful female leaders and the conundrums that evolve around them. Libraries and readers seeking vivid blends of mystery and discovery will find that Cogitatio stands nicely alone, but is even stronger as a companion to Praesidium.

The Forcing
Paul E. Hardisty
Orenda Books
https://orendabooks.co.uk
9781914585555, $16.99, PB, 276pp

https://www.amazon.com/Forcing-MUST-READ-clarion-call-climate-change-thriller/dp/1914585550

Synopsis: Civilisation is collapsing.

Frustrated and angry after years of denial and inaction, in a last-ditch attempt to stave off disaster, a government of youth has taken power in North America, and a policy of institutionalized ageism has been introduced. All those older than the prescribed age are deemed responsible for the current state of the world, and are to be 'relocated', their property and assets confiscated.

David Ashworth, known by his friends and students as Teacher, and his wife May, find themselves among the thousands being moved to 'new accommodation' in the abandoned southern deserts - thrown together with a wealthy industrialist and his wife, a high court lawyer, two recent immigrants to America, and a hospital worker. Together, they must come to terms with their new lives in a land rendered unrecognizable.

As the terrible truth of their situation is revealed, lured by rumors of a tropical sanctuary where they can live in peace, they plan a perilous escape. But the world outside is more dangerous than they could ever have imagined. And for those who survive, nothing will ever be the same again.

Critique: Dystopian climate change based science fiction at its very best, "The Forcing" is a deftly crafted and compelling read that will hold a special interest for political suspense/thriller novels as well. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Forcing" is also readily available in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.15).

Editorial Note: Paul E. Hardisty (https://paulehardisty.wixsite.com/paulehardisty/bio) is a university professor and CEO of the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). The first four novels in his Claymore Straker series, The Abrupt Physics of Dying, The Evolution of Fear, Reconciliation for the Dead and Absolution all received great critical acclaim and The Abrupt Physics of Dying was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger and Telegraph Thriller of the Year. Paul is a sailor, a private pilot, keen outdoorsman, conservation volunteer, and lives in Western Australia.

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