The Leaning Pile of Books is a feature where I discuss books I got over the last week–old or new, bought or received in the mail for review consideration (usually unsolicited). 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.

Before getting to the most recent books in the mail, here are last week’s posts in case you missed either of them:

Into the Fire by Elizabeth Moon

Into the Fire (Vatta’s Peace #2) by Elizabeth Moon

The second book in Nebula Award–winning author Elizabeth Moon’s Vatta’s Peace series, which follows her Vatta’s War series, will be released on February 6 (hardcover, ebook). The publisher’s website has an excerpt from Cold Welcome, the first Vatta’s Peace novel.

Goodreads also currently has a US only giveaway of Into the Fire running through February 6.

 

In this new military sci-fi thriller from the Nebula Award–winning author of Cold Welcome, Admiral Kylara Vatta is back—with a vengeance.

Ky beats sabotage, betrayal, and the unforgiving elements to lead a ragtag group of crash survivors to safety on a remote arctic island. And she cheats death after uncovering secrets someone is hell-bent on protecting. But the worst is far from over when Ky discovers the headquarters of a vast conspiracy against her family and the heart of the planet’s government itself.

With their base of operations breached, the plotters have no choice but to gamble everything on an audacious throw of the dice. Even so, the odds are stacked against Ky. When her official report on the crash and its aftermath goes missing—along with the men and women she rescued—Ky realizes that her mysterious enemies are more powerful and dangerous than she imagined.

Now, targeted by faceless assassins, Ky and her family—along with her fiancé, Rafe—must battle to reclaim the upper hand and unmask the lethal cabal closing in on them with murderous intent.

Child of a Mad God by R. A. Salvatore

Child of a Mad God (A Tale of the Coven #1) by R. A. Salvatore

The first book in a new fantasy series by New York Times bestselling author R. A. Salvatore will be released on February 6 (hardcover, ebook, audiobook). Tor.com has an excerpt from Child of a Mad God.

 

From R. A. Salvatore, the legendary creator of Drizzt Do’Urden, comes the start of abrand new epic journey.

When Aoleyn loses her parents, she is left to fend for herself among a tribe of vicious barbarians. Bound by rigid traditions, she dreams of escaping to the world beyond her mountain home.

The only hope for achieving the kind of freedom she searches for is to learn how to wield the mysterious power used by the tribe’s coven known as the Song of Usgar. Thankfully, Aoleyn may be the strongest witch to have ever lived, but magic comes at price. Not only has her abilities caught the eye of the brutish warlord that leads the tribe, but the demon of the mountain hunts all who wield the Coven’s power, and Aoleyn’s talent has made her a beacon in the night.

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