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 and one finished copy (both unsolicited, as is usually the case with books in the mail). I’m quite curious about the ARC after taking a look at it!

For reviews, I never did get my review up last week, BUT I finished it this weekend so it should be up next week! After I finish writing this post, I’m going to start on another.

On to this week’s books!

Ancillar yJustice by Ann Leckie

Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch #1) by Ann Leckie

This science fiction debut novel, the first book in a loose trilogy, will be released in trade paperback/ebook in October. I hadn’t heard of this one before it showed up, but I’m pretty intrigued by it now that I’ve looked at it a bit!

 

On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.

Breq is both more than she seems and less than she was. Years ago, she was the Justice of Toren–a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of corpse soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.

An act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with only one fragile human body. And only one purpose–to revenge herself on Anaander Mianaai, many-bodied, near-immortal Lord of the Radch.

Thieves' Quarry by D. B. Jackson

Thieves’ Quarry (Thieftaker Chronicles #2) by D. B. Jackson

The sequel to Thieftaker was released in hardcover/ebook earlier this month. The first three chapters can be read on the author’s website. (If you are unfamiliar with Thieftaker, the first three chapters from it are also available and my review of it is here.)

 

Boston, Province of Massachusetts Bay, September 28, 1768

Autumn has come to New England, and with it a new threat to the city of Boston. British naval ships have sailed into Boston Harbor bearing over a thousand of His Majesty King George III’s soldiers. After a summer of rioting and political unrest, the city is to be occupied.

Ethan Kaille, thieftaker and conjurer, is awakened early in the morning by a staggeringly powerful spell, a dark conjuring of unknown origin. Before long, he is approached by representatives of the Crown. It seems that every man aboard the HMS Graystone has died, though no one knows how or why. They know only that there is no sign of violence or illness. Ethan soon discovers that one soldier — a man who is known to have worked with Ethan’s beautiful and dangerous rival, Sephira Pryce — has escaped the fate of his comrades and is not among the Graystone’s dead. Is he the killer, or is there another conjurer loose in the city, possessed of power sufficient to kill so many with a single dark casting?

Ethan, the missing soldier, and Sephira Pryce and her henchmen all scour the city in search of a stolen treasure which seems to lie at the root of all that is happening. At the same time, though, Boston’s conjurers are under assault from the royal government as well as from the mysterious conjurer. Men are dying. Ethan is beaten, imprisoned, and attacked with dark spells.

And if he fails to unravel the mystery of what befell the Graystone, every conjurer in Boston will be hanged as a witch. Including him.

With 2013 barely past the halfway mark and many books coming out later this year that look interesting, it may seem a bit early to be talking about books in 2014. However, this is a book I’ve been excited about for a long time so I couldn’t resist mentioning it now that it has a cover and description!

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Katherine Addison is the pen name of Sarah Monette, the author of The Doctrine of Labyrinth series beginning with Melusine (followed by The Virtu, The Mirador, and Corambis, in that order). This is one of my favorite series of all time, a very dark, character-focused fantasy series featuring two tortured main protagonists with compelling voices. After reading the first book, I devoured the next two and waited impatiently for the final book. Ever since discovering The Goblin Emperor has a release date of April 1 next year, it has moved to the top of the list of books I most want to read in 2014.

About The Goblin Emperor:

A vividly imagined fantasy of court intrigue and dark magics in a steampunk-inflected world, by a brilliant young talent.

The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an “accident,” he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.

Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment.

Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend… and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne – or his life.

This exciting fantasy novel, set against the pageantry and color of a fascinating, unique world, is a memorable debut for a great new talent.

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 two ebooks received from contributing to the Kickstarter for one of them and two review copies. I did already discuss Cobweb Bride by Vera Nazarian, the book from the Kickstarter I backed, in one of these posts. Its official release date is tomorrow. I’m excited to read it, but I’m also going to wait until I’m a bit closer to caught up on my backlog of books to review to read it.

On the subject of reviews, I’m still working on one of The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord. I read the book around its release date earlier this year so I ended up rereading last week instead of writing much about it, but now I’m ready to write more so I am hoping to have that up next week.

On to the books!

The Duke in His Castle by Vera Nazarian

The Duke in His Castle by Vera Nazarian

In addition to Cobweb Bride, I got to select a second ebook as part of my Kickstarter reward and this is the one I picked. The Duke in His Castle, a nominee for the Nebula Award for Best Novella in 2008, is currently available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook.

 

THE DUKE IN HIS CASTLE by Nebula Award-nominated author and award-winning artist Vera Nazarian is a dark, lush, erotic fantasy novella in the vein of Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast, with interior illustrations by the author. Rossian, the young Duke of Violet, wastes away in mad solitude, unable to leave the confines of his decadent castle grounds because of a mysterious invisible barrier…until a strange female intruder arrives at the castle bearing a box of bones.

The Darwin Elevator by Jason M. Hough

The Darwin Elevator (The Dire Earth Cycle #1) by Jason M. Hough

This science fiction novel by a debut author will be released in ebook and mass market paperback on July 30 in the US and July 26 in the UK. The next two books will be released in quick succession with The Exodus Towers in August and The Plague Force in September. Chapter One from The Darwin Elevator can be read on the author’s website.

 

Jason M. Hough’s pulse-pounding debut combines the drama, swagger, and vivid characters of Joss Whedon’s Firefly with the talent of sci-fi author John Scalzi.

In the mid-23rd century, Darwin, Australia, stands as the last human city on Earth. The world has succumbed to an alien plague, with most of the population transformed into mindless, savage creatures. The planet’s refugees flock to Darwin, where a space elevator—created by the architects of this apocalypse, the Builders—emits a plague-suppressing aura.

Skyler Luiken has a rare immunity to the plague. Backed by an international crew of fellow “immunes,” he leads missions into the dangerous wasteland beyond the aura’s edge to find the resources Darwin needs to stave off collapse. But when the Elevator starts to malfunction, Skyler is tapped—along with the brilliant scientist, Dr. Tania Sharma—to solve the mystery of the failing alien technology and save the ragged remnants of humanity.

Undead and Unsure by Mary Janice Davidson

Undead and Unsure (Undead #12) by Mary Janice Davidson

Undead and Unsure will be released in hardcover and ebook on August 6. The previous books in this New York Times bestselling series are as follows:

  1. Undead and Unwed (Read Chapter One)
  2. Undead and Unemployed
  3. Undead and Unappreciated
  4. Undead and Unreturnable
  5. Undead and Unpopular
  6. Undead and Uneasy
  7. Undead and Unworthy
  8. Undead and Unwelcome
  9. Undead and Unfinished
  10. Undead and Undermined
  11. Undead and Unstable
 

It’s no surprise to Betsy that her trip to Hell with her sister Laura landed them in hot water. Betsy isn’t exactly sorry she killed the Devil but it’s put Laura in a damnable position: assuming the role of Satan (she may not have the training but she looks great in red)—and in charge of billions of souls as she moves up in the world. Or is that down?

But Betsy herself is in an odd new position as well—that of being a responsible monarch suddenly in charge of all things more earth-bound: like her vampire husband Sinclair who has gone from relieved to ecstatic to downright reckless now that he can tolerate sunlight. And if Sinclair isn’t enough to contend with, Betsy’s best friend Jessica is in her sixth (and hopefully last) trimester. Considering she’s been pregnant for eighteen months, she’s become a veritable encyclopedia of what not to expect when you’re expecting. Oh, the horror…

And speaking of growing pains, Betsy and Sinclair’s adopted little BabyJon is finally starting to walk. And if the increasingly unpredictable toddler is anything like his extended family, precisely where he’s headed is anyone’s guess.

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.

I’m a day late—I blame the long weekend, the intense heat, a book I couldn’t put down until I finished it, and yesterday being my anniversary! The first of these books is an anniversary present from my husband (that I already started reading!) and the rest showed up in the mail.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

This short novel was recently released in hardcover and ebook. It was one of my most anticipated releases of this year, and I’ve heard it is wonderful. I’ve only read the first few chapters, but so far I’m enjoying it. An extract from The Ocean at the End of the Lane is available on The Guardian.

 

Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn’t thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she’d claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.

A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. It is a stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly’s wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.

Possession by Kat Richardson

Possession (Greywalker #8) by Kat Richardson

The eighth Greywalker book will be released in hardcover and ebook on August 6. Kat Richardson does have some appearances in Washington and Oregon as part of the book’s release:

University Bookstore in Seattle, Washington, at 7:00 PM on August 6

Powell’s in Beaverton, Oregon, at 7:00 PM on August 8

Seattle Mystery Bookshop in Seattle, Washington, at 12:00 PM on August 10

If you are a fan who would like a signed book by Kat Richardson but are unable to attend any of the above tours, her website does have some information on how to procure a signed copy of one of her books.

The first 7 books in the series are as follows:

  1. Greywalker (Excerpt)
  2. Poltergeist
  3. Underground
  4. Vanished
  5. Labyrinth
  6. Downpour
  7. Seawitch
 

Harper Blaine was your average small-time PI until she died—for two minutes. Now Harper is a Greywalker, treading the thin line between the living world and the paranormal realm. And she’s discovering that her new abilities are landing her all sorts of “strange” cases.

When a comatose woman suddenly wakes up and starts painting scenes she’s never witnessed, with a skill she’s never had, medical science has no explanation. As more bizarre phenomena manifest, even her doctors start to wonder if the woman may be possessed. Frustrated and frightened, the
patient’s sister reluctantly turns to Greywalker Harper Blaine to discover who—or what—is occupying her sister’s body.

As Harper digs into the case of apparent possession, she discovers other patients struck with the same mystifying afflictions and a disturbing connection to one of the most gruesome stories in Washington’s history…

Two Fronts by Harry Turtledove

Coup d’Etat and Two Fronts (The War That Came Early #4-#5) by Harry Turtledove

Two Fronts will be released in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook on July 23, and the previous book Coup d’Etat is being released in trade paperback on the same day. (The description of Coup d’Etat can be found in this post.)

Excerpts from both Coup d’Etat and Two Fronts can be found on the publisher’s website.

The previous books in the series are:

  1. Hitler’s War (Excerpt)
  2. West and East (Excerpt)
  3. The Big Switch (Excerpt)
 

In 1942, two nations switch sides—and World War II takes a horrifying new course.

In the real world, England and France allowed Adolf Hitler to gobble up the Sudetenland in 1938. Once Hitler finished dismembering Czechoslovakia, he was ready to go to war over Poland a year later. But Hitler had always been eager to seize Czechoslovakia, no matter the consequences. So what if England and France had stood up to the Nazis from the start, and not eleven months later? That is the question behind the War That Came Early series.

Four years later, the civil war in Spain drags on, even after General Franco’s death. The United States, still neutral in Europe, fights the Japanese in the Pacific. Russia and Germany go toe-to-toe in Eastern Europe—yet while Hitler stares east, not everything behind him is going as well as he would like. But nothing feeds ingenuity like the fear of losing. The Germans wheel out new tanks and planes, Japan deploys weapons of a very different sort against China, and the United States, England, and France do what they can to strengthen themselves against imminent danger.

Seen through the eyes of ordinary citizens caught in the maelstrom, this is a you-are-there chronicle of battle on land and sea and in the air. Here are terrifying bombing raids that shatter homes, businesses, and the rule of law. Here are commanders issuing orders that, once given, cannot be taken back. And here are the seeds of rebellion sown in blood-soaked soil.

In a war in which sides are switched and allies trust one another only slightly more than they trust their mortal enemies, Nazi Germany has yet to send its Jews to death camps, and dangerous new nationalist powers arise in Eastern Europe. From thrilling submarine battles to the horror of men fighting men and machines all through Europe, Two Fronts captures every aspect of a brilliantly reimagined conflict: the strategic, the political, and the personal force of leaders bending nations to their wills.

It’s hard to believe 2013 is halfway over! While I haven’t read quite as many books as I’d like, there are a few stand out titles that I want to discuss, especially since I’m behind on reviews and haven’t talked about how much I enjoyed many of these books here yet.

Favorite Books Published in 2013

Shattered Pillars by Elizabeth Bear

Not including reprint editions of older books, the second book in Elizabeth Bear’s Eternal Sky trilogy is easily my favorite book of 2013. Range of Ghosts was excellent with a fascinating setting, well-developed characters, and beautiful prose. I loved Shattered Pillars just as much, perhaps even more than the first book, and I think Eternal Sky may very well end up being my favorite of Elizabeth Bear’s series once it is complete.

River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay

River of Stars, set approximately 400 years after Under Heaven, is a sweeping fantasy based on China’s Song Dynasty. It follows the lives of some very compelling characters, and it’s also beautifully reflective with an emphasis on war, the power of words, the difference one person can make, and the growth of legends. It left an impression on me even after turning the final page and setting it aside.

Cold Steel by Kate Elliott

I loved Kate Elliott’s Spiritwalker trilogy, including the recently released conclusion Cold Steel. It’s one of those series with characters that I don’t ever want to stop reading about, but alas, it’s ended now and I’m going to miss Cat, Bee, Vai, and Rory.

The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord

Karen Lord’s second novel, The Best of All Possible Worlds, will certainly not be my last by her! I’m currently reviewing this and still sorting out what I think of it, but basically I had a great time reading it. It’s tragic but without becoming mired in hopelessness, and I loved the characters and exploring the planet of Cygnus Beta along with them. It also has the type of slowly building, not-overly-angsty romance I enjoy.

Sister Mine by Nalo Hopkinson

I was pretty excited to read this after hearing Nalo Hopkinson’s praises sung over at DarkCargo and I ended up enjoying it very much. The main protagonist, Makeda, was born into a legendary family, but her twin sister inherited all the magic. I loved the fantasy aspects of this story, plus I enjoyed reading about Makeda’s struggles. She’s a very sympathetic protagonist who cares for her sister but also feels left out since she doesn’t have her gifts or fit in with the rest of the family.

Favorite Books Published Before 2013

A Taste of Blood Wine by Freda Warrington

Freda Warrington is quickly becoming one of my very favorite authors, and A Taste of Blood Wine is my favorite book I’ve read this year. This is a reprint of the first book in the Blood Wine Sequence, a vampire series originally published in the 1990s. I loved the slightly-post World War I setting, the characters, the drama, the mythology, the writing, the obsessive can’t-put-it-down reading experience that was much like the obsession between Charlotte and Karl—I loved everything about this book!

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

The Seven Realms series is one of the best young adult fantasy series I have read (of course, I say this having not quite finished it yet since I am saving book 4 for a time when I just desperately need a good book). The Gray Wolf Throne is the third book, following The Demon King and The Exiled Queen. Cinda Williams Chima is a masterful storyteller with a knack for creating tension. Even when I suspect I know what is going to happen, I cannot wait to see it all play out. Also, I adore both main characters, the princess heir Raisa and the charismatic thief Han. Reading The Gray Wolf Throne made me extremely happy.

Author I Need To Read More By

Immersion by Aliette de Bodard On a Red Station Drifting by Aliette de Bodard

In the course of reading the Hugo nominees for short stories and novellas, I read two science fiction stories by Aliette de Bodard: the short story “Immersion” and the novella “On a Red Station, Drifting.” Both are set in the same universe and both are very enjoyable with an intriguing setting and a focus on characterization. The biggest thing I took away from my Hugo reading is that I really should pick up a copy of Servant of the Underworld sometime— and anything else Aliette de Bodard writes in the future.

What are your favorite books read in 2013 so far? Have you discovered any new-to-you, must-read authors?

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.

Oh happy week! It’s a short work week, and the first book on this list of books received this week is one that seems like a good long weekend read to me. I’m glad my husband managed to save it from the rain!

For reviews, I’m working on a review of The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord (a great book!) now that the Zenn Scarlett review is up. I will probably write about some of my favorite books I’ve read during the first half of this year as well.

On to the books!

The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch

The Republic of Thieves (Gentleman Bastards #3) by Scott Lynch

There was much rejoicing about reading this one since I loved the first two books! I’m planning to start reading it as soon as I finish the book I’m reading now.

The Republic of Thieves, which follows The Lies of Locke Lamora and Red Seas Under Red Skies, will be released in hardcover/ebook in October. Excerpts from the first two books in the series and a preview from the upcoming third book can be found on the author’s website.

The plot description below does contain SPOILERS for the end of Red Seas Under Red Skies.

 

 

Having pulled off the greatest heist of their career, Locke and his trusted partner in thievery, Jean, have escaped with a tidy fortune. But Locke’s body is paying the price. Poisoned by an enemy from his past, he is slowly dying. And no physiker or alchemist can help him. Yet just as the end is near, a mysterious Bondsmagi offers Locke an opportunity that will either save him – or finish him off once and for all.

Magi political elections are imminent, and the factions are in need of a pawn. If Locke agrees to play the role, sorcery will be used to purge the venom from his body – though the process will be so excruciating he may well wish for death. Locke is opposed, but two factors cause his will to crumble: Jean’s imploring – and the Bondsmagi’s mention of a woman from Locke’s past . . . Sabetha. The love of his life. His equal in skill and wit. And now his greatest rival.

Locke was smitten with Sabetha from his first glimpse of her as a young fellow-orphan and thief-in-training. But after a tumultuous courtship, Sabetha broke away. Now they will reunite in yet another clash of wills. For faced with his one and only match in both love and trickery, Locke must choose whether to fight Sabetha – or to woo her. It is a decision on which both their lives may depend.

The Executioner's Heart by George Mann

The Executioner’s Heart (Newbury & Hobbes #4) by George Mann

This fourth book in a steampunk mystery series about Sir Maurice Newbury and Miss Veronica Hobbes will be released in hardcover/ebook on July 9. It’s supposed to be a stand alone book, but the previous books are The Affinity Bridge, The Osiris Ritual, and The Immortality Engine. An excerpt from The Executioner’s Heart can be read on tor.com, and some short stories related to the series can be read on the author’s website.

I’ve heard pretty good things about this series, and it sounds like fun!

 

A serial killer is loose on the streets of London, murdering apparently random members of the gentry with violent abandon. The corpses are each found with their chest cavities cracked open and their hearts removed. Charles Bainbridge, Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard, suspects an occult significance to the crimes and brings Newbury and Veronica in to investigate.

Fiendish Schemes by K. W. Jeter

Fiendish Schemes by K. W. Jeter

This stand alone sequel to Infernal Devices will be released in hardcover/trade paperback/ebook in October.

 

In 1986 K. W. Jeter coined the term “steampunk,” applying it to his first Victorian-era science fiction alternate-history adventure. At last he has returned with Fiendish Schemes, a tale of George Dower, son of the inventor of Infernal Devices, who has been in new self-imposed exile…accumulating debts.

The world Dower left when he went into hiding was significantly simpler than the new, steam-powered Victorian London, a mad whirl of civilization filled with gadgets and gears in the least expected places. After accepting congratulations for his late father’s grandest invention—a walking, steam-powered lighthouse—Dower is enticed by the prospect of financial gain into a web of intrigue with ominously mysterious players who have nefarious plans of which he can only guess.

If he can locate and make his father’s Vox Universalis work as it was intended, his future, he is promised, is assured. But his efforts are confounded by the strange Vicar Stonebrake, who promises him aid, but is more interested in converting sentient whales to Christianity—and making money—than in helping George. Drugged, arrested, and interrogated by men, women, and the steam-powered Prime Minister, Dower is trapped in a maelstrom of secrets, corruption, and schemes that threaten to drown him in the chaos of this mad new world.

Before the Fall by Francis Knight

Before the Fall (Rojan Dizon #2) by Francis Knight

Before the Fall is the sequel to Knight’s debut, Fade to Black, which was just released earlier this year. It will be released in trade paperback/ebook on June 18. The third book in the trilogy, Last to Rise, is scheduled for release in November. An excerpt from Before the Fall can be read on the publisher’s website.

An excerpt from Fade to Black is also available on the publisher’s website, and my review of this book is here.

 

MAHALA IS A CITY OF CONTRASTS: LIGHT AND DARK. HOPE AND DESPAIR.
Rojan Dizon just wants to keep his head down. But his worst nightmare is around the corner.

With the destruction of their power source, his city is in crisis: riots are breaking out, mages are being murdered, and the city is divided. But Rojan’s hunt for the killers will make him responsible for all-out anarchy. Either that, or an all-out war.

And there’s nothing Rojan hates more than being responsible.

The fantastic follow-up to FADE TO BLACK!

Blood of the Lamb by Sam Cabot

Blood of the Lamb: A Novel of Secrets by Sam Cabot (Carlos Dews and S. J. Rozan)

Blood of the Lamb will be released in hardcover/ebook/audiobook on August 6. A short excerpt is available on the publisher’s website.

 

The Historian meets The Da Vinci Code in this exhilarating supernatural thriller set in Rome. Rival groups are searching for a document that holds a secret that could shatter the Catholic Church.

While in Rome, American Jesuit priest Thomas Kelly is called upon to reclaim a centuries-old document stolen from the Vatican. An enigmatic letter leads him to the work of a 19th century poet, where Thomas discovers cryptic messages that might lead to the missing manuscript. His search is unexpectedly entwined with that of Italian art historian Livia Pietro, who tells him that destructive forces are threatening to expose the document’s contents. As they’re relentlessly chased through the heart of Rome by mysterious men who quickly demonstrate they would cross any line to obtain the document for themselves, it becomes clear to Livia and Thomas that the pages hold a deep, devastating, long-buried truth. Livia, though, has a secret of her own: she and her People are vampires. But all this pales in light of the Secret that Thomas and Livia discover together—a revelation more stunning than either could have imagined.

Sam Cabot is a pseudonym for:

S.J. Rozan is the author of many critically acclaimed novels and short stories which have won crime fiction’s greatest honors, including the Edgar, Shamus, Anthony, Macavity, and Nero awards. Born and raised in the Bronx, Rozan now lives in lower Manhattan.

Carlos Dews is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of English Language and Literature at John Cabot University where he directs the Institute for Creative Writing and Literary Translation. He lives in Rome, Italy.