2014 Wishlist — Abaddon Books/Solaris – Angry Robot – Strange Chemistry

The next two publishers I’m featuring on my 2014 Wishlist are Abaddon Books/Solaris, Angry Robot and Strange Chemistry. Solaris always knows how to surprise me with their books, they always have a special twist that make them extremely original and unexpected. Angry Robot has given me many wonderful book-hours and so has their Young Adult imprint Strange Chemistry. So what do they have in store for us in 2014 that I would particularly like to have?

Abaddon Books/Solaris

Heirs of the Demon King: Uprising – Sarah Cawkwell (June 5, 2014)

Mathias Eynon’s dreams were small. A dabbler in magic, he expected to live in obscurity in his home in the Welsh hills, not drawing attention to himself. But fate has other plans for him. It is the Year of Our Lord Fifteen Ninety, and a revolution is quietly brewing, here and further abroad. Richard V has overstayed his rule, some say; others whisper that the whole line of Demon Kings must be burned out. Mathias – son of a man executed for the practice of magic – is set to become a symbol, and a leader. And to do that, he needs champions. A wise woman sends him to the corners of the known world – to the frozen lands of the north, to the pirate-haunted ports of Spain, to the mountains of the German Empire, to the burning sands of the Holy Land – to bring back masters of the four magic arts. With Richard’s Witch Hunters on his heels, he sets out to gather his allies.

Why is this book on the Wishlist?

Magic, Kings and Quests. 3 words that sound like music to my ears. The synopsis for this book really caught my attention, because this is just the sort of book I love to read and I have to admit it’s been to long since I’ve read Historical Fantasy, though I absolutely love it. So this one definitely deserves a place on my list.

Once Upon a Time in Hell – Guy Adams (January 2, 2014)

Book two of The Heaven’s Gate Trilogy. A weird Western, a gun-toting, cigarrillo-chewing fantasy built from hangman’s rope and spent bullets.
“Heaven? Hell? There’s no difference. Angels,demons, we’re all a bit of both. This could be the most wondrous place you ever experience or so terrifying it makes you pray for death. Not that death would help you, of course; there’s no escape from here…”
Wormwood has appeared, and for twenty-four hours the gateway to the afterlife is wide open.But just because a door is open doesn’t mean you should step through it… Those who have travelled to reach the town are realising that the challenges they’ve already faced were nothing compared to what lies ahead. The afterlife has an agenda of its own, and with scheming on both sides of reality, the revelations to come may change the world forever.

Why is this book on the Wishlist?

I read the first book, ‘The Good, The Bad and The Infernal’ this year and really liked it. It was fun, crazy, weird and entertaining and I absolutely want to read the rest of the story.

The Ten Thousand – Paul Kearney (February 12, 2014)

On the world of Kuf, the Macht are a mystery,a seldom-seen people of extraordinary ferocity and discipline whose prowess on the battlefield is the stuff of legend. For centuries they have remained within the remote fastnesses of the Harukush Mountains. In the world beyond, the teeming races and peoples of Kuf have been united within the bounds of the Asurian Empire, which rules the known world, and is invincible. The Great King of Asuria can call up whole nations to the battlefield. His word is law.

But now the Great King’s brother means to take the throne by force, and in order to do so he has sought out the legend. He hires ten thousand mercenary warriors of the Macht, and leads them into the heart of the Empire.

Why is this book on the Wishlist?

Another Historical Fantasy! And one that sounds very promising indeed. It gives me a bit of a 30o and that other famous Roman legion I can’t quite recall the name of, feel. The cover only strengthens that feeling, it’s a cover that gives a very earthy, Roman battle feel. I like!

A Different Kingdom – Paul Kearney (February 12, 2014)

Michael Fay is a normal boy, living with his grandparents on their family farm in rural Ireland. In the woods – once thought safe and well-explored – there are wolves; and other, stranger things. He keeps them from his family, even his Aunt Rose, his closest friend, until the day he finds himself in the Other Place. There are wild people, and terrible monsters, and a girl called Cat.
When the wolves follow him from the Other Place to his family’s doorstep, Michael must choose between locking the doors and looking away – or following Cat on an adventure that may take an entire lifetime in the Other Place. He will become a man, and a warrior, and confront the Devil himself: the terrible Dark Horseman…

Why is this book on the Wishlist?

This book sounds interesting. A parallel universe sort of thing, with adventure, challenges and the Devil himself. I’m pretty curious how I will like this book.

Talus and the Frozen King – Graham Edwards (April 10, 2014)

A dead warrior king frozen in winter ice. Six grieving sons, each with his own reason to kill. Two weary travellers caught up in a web of suspicion and deceit.
In a time long before our own, wandering bard Talus and his companion Bran journey to the island realm of Creyak, where the king has been murdered. From clues scattered among the island’s mysterious barrows and stone circles, they begin their search for his killer. Nobody is above suspicion, from the king’s heir to the tribal shaman, from the woman steeped in herb-lore to the visiting warlord. And when death strikes again, Talus and Bran realise nothing is what it seems. Creyak is place of secrets and spirits, mystery and myth. It will take a clever man indeed to unravel the truth. The kind of man this ancient world has not seen before.

Why is this book on the Wishlist?

Beautiful cover! Also, I’m a big fan of detectives. I like all those series on tv and have enjoyed the occasional Fantasy Detective I’ve read, so this sounds like something I will really like.

Deadly Curiosities – Gail Z. Martin (July 3, 2014)

Welcome to Trifles & Folly, an antique and curio shop with a dark secret. Proprietor Cassidy Kincaide continues a family tradition begun in 1670 – acquiring and neutralizing dangerous supernatural items. It’s the perfect job for Cassidy, whose psychic gift lets her touch an object and know its history.

Together with her business partner Sorren, a 500-year-old vampire and former jewel thief, Cassidy makes it her business to get infernal objects off the market. When mundane antiques suddenly become magically malicious, it’s time for Cassidy and Sorren to get rid of these Deadly Curiosities before the bodies start piling up.

Why is this book on the Wishlist?

I’ve heard a lot of great things about Gail Z. Martin, so I’m curious about this book. Also, it seems like a refreshing story for me, after everything I’ve read this year.

The Fire Prince – Emily Gee (September 11, 2014)

The Seven Kingdoms are in the grip of an ancient and terrible blood curse. Thousands have died. Thousands more will die. Only one man can end the curse. The fugitive Osgaardan prince, Harkeld, is that man – whether he likes it or not. But the bounty on Harkeld’s head is high. He has outrun his father’s soldiers, but he can’t outrun the assassins who seek him – Fithians, trained in the art of killing. Even the Sentinel mages who guide and guard him are no match for Fithian steel. Faced with the ever-present threat of death, Harkeld must learn to use his fire magic. Or die. Meanwhile, dark plots are unfolding in Osgaard’s gold-tiled palace, snaring Princess Brigitta and those she loves. And in the eastern kingdoms, young orphan Jaumé journeys with a band of mysterious and dangerous fighters, heading north for a purpose he does not understand.

Why is this book on the Wishlist?

Sounds like a lot of books I’ve read/heard about, but curses and princes and mages always make me melt. This cover and synopsis have me enthralled and I want to know if this story can bring something new to a classic storyline.

Angry Robot

The Book of the Crowman – Joseph D’Lacey (March 6, 2014)

It is the Black Dawn, a time of environmental apocalypse, the earth wracked and dying.
It is the Bright Day, a time long generations hence, when a peace has descended across the world.
The search for the shadowy figure known only as the Crowman continues, as the Green Men prepare to rise up against the forces of the Ward.
The world has been condemned. Only Gordon Black and The Crowman can redeem it.

Why is this book on the Wishlist?

Oooh, I’m so excited about this one. The first book is still stuck in my mind sometimes. ‘Black Feathers’ was an excellent book! New, imaginative, orginial, dark, exciting. I can only hope this sequel will be just as good or even better.

Blades of the Old Empire – Anna Kashina (March 6, 2014)

Kara is a mercenary – a Diamond warrior, the best of the best, and a member of the notorious Majat Guild. When her tenure as protector to Prince Kythar comes to an end, custom dictates he accompany her back to her Guild to negotiate her continued protection.
But when they arrive they discover that the Prince’s sworn enemy, the Kaddim, have already paid the Guild to engage her services – to capture and hand over Kythar, himself.
A warrior brought up to respect both duty and honour, what happens when her sworn duty proves dishonourable?

Why is this book on the Wishlist?

Sounds extremely interesting, a true dilemma! I really want to see what Kara will decide and how she will handle this situation.

Peacemaker – Marianne de Pierres (May 1, 2014)

Virgin Jackson is the senior ranger in Birrimun Park – the world’s last natural landscape, overshadowed though it is by a sprawling coastal megacity. She maintains public safety and order in the park, but her bosses have brought out a hotshot cowboy to help her catch some drug runners who are affecting tourism. She senses the company is holding something back from her, and she’s not keen on working with an outsider like Nate Sixkiller.
When an imaginary animal from her troubled teenage years reappears, Virgin takes it to mean one of two things: a breakdown (hers!) or a warning. When the dead bodies start piling up around her and Nate, she decides on the latter.
Something terrible is about to happen in the park and Virgin and her new partner are standing in its path…

Why is this book on the Wishlist?

Gorgeous cover by Joey HiFi yet again! With a cover like that you can draw my attention time and time again. After reading the synopsis I want to know more about this book. Imaginary animals and bodies piling up? Tell me more!

Strange Chemistry

The Almost Girl – Amalie Howard (January, 2014)

Seventeen-year-old Riven comes from a world ravaged by a devastating android war, a parallel world to Earth.

A Legion General, she is the right hand of the young Prince of Neospes. In Neospes, she has everything: rank, responsibility and respect. But when Prince Cale sends her away to find his long-lost brother, Caden, who has been spirited back to modern day Earth, Riven finds herself in uncharted territory.

Thrown out of her comfort zone but with the mindset of a soldier and in a race against time to bring Caden home, Riven has to learn how to be a girl in a realm that is the opposite of what she knows.

Will Riven be able to find the strength to defy her very nature? Or will she become the monstrous soldier she was destined to be?

Why is this book on the Wishlist?

This one has been on my radar for a while, not just because of the amazing cover, but also because of the summary. Parallel worlds alway get my undivided attention and someone from that world having to live on ours? Sounds like a thrilling story to me!

Shadowplay – Laura Lam (January, 2014)

The circus lies behind Micah Grey in dust and ashes.

He and the white clown, Drystan, take refuge with the once-great magician, Jasper Maske. When Maske agrees to teach them his trade, his embittered rival challenges them to a duel which could decide all of their fates. People also hunt both Micah and the person he was before the circus–the runaway daughter of a noble family. And Micah discovers there is magic and power in the world, far beyond the card tricks and illusions he’s perfecting…

A tale of phantom wings, a clockwork hand, and the delicate unfurling of new love, Shadowplay continues Micah Grey’s extraordinary journey.

Why is this book on the Wishlist?

I just finished Pantomime last week and I really loved it. A review of that one will be up on the book before the end of the year and there I’ll tell you all about this awesome book. Needless to say I want to read the second book! Pantomime ended quite explosively and I want to know where Micah will end up next.

The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare – M.G. Buehrlen (March, 2014)

For as long as 17-year-old Alex Wayfare can remember, she has had visions of the past. Visions that make her feel like she’s really on a ship bound for America, living in Jamestown during the Starving Time, or riding the original Ferris wheel at the World’s Fair.

But these brushes with history pull her from her daily life without warning, sometimes leaving her with strange lasting effects and wounds she can’t explain. Trying to excuse away the aftereffects has booked her more time in the principal’s office than in any of her classes and a permanent place at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Alex is desperate to find out what her visions mean and get rid of them.

It isn’t until she meets Porter, a stranger who knows more than should be possible about her, that she learns the truth: Her visions aren’t really visions. Alex is a Descender – capable of traveling back in time by accessing Limbo, the space between Life and Afterlife. Alex is one soul with fifty-six past lives, fifty-six histories.

Fifty-six lifetimes to explore: the prospect is irresistible to Alex, especially when the same mysterious boy with soulful blue eyes keeps showing up in each of them. But the more she descends, the more it becomes apparent that someone doesn’t want Alex to travel again. Ever.

And will stop at nothing to make this life her last.

Why is this book on the Wishlist?

Time travel. It’s been too long since I’ve read a good book about time travel. So I’m really excited about this one.

Stolen Songbird – Danielle Jensen (April, 2014)

For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.

But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.

As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever.

Why is this book on the Wishlist?

I got the cover for this one in my mailbox a few weeks ago and though it is quite a cliché cover for a YA book, I really really like it. Also, I really want to see how the author will bring forth the trolls, because there’s a lot that could go wrong there, but it sounds really promising.

The Wizard’s Promise – Cassandra Rose Clarke (May, 2014)

All Hanna Euli wants is to become a proper witch – but unfortunately, she’s stuck as an apprentice to a grumpy fisherman. When their boat gets caught up in a mysterious storm and blown wildly off course, Hanna finds herself further away from home than she’s ever been before.

As she tries to get back, she learns there may be more to her apprentice master than she realized, especially when a mysterious, beautiful, and very non-human boy begins following her through the ocean, claiming that he needs Hanna’s help.

Why is this book on the Wishlist?

Witches are another part of the Fantasy genre I’ve read less about this year, so I welcome every opportunity to add a Witch book to my list. Stranding with a boat with your apprentice master and discovering something more about him … I want to read more!

Essence – Lisa Ann O’Kane (June, 2014)

Neutrality is the key to longevity.

This motto has governed 17-year-old Autumn’s life in the mid-21st-century Centrist cult, which believes that expressing emotions leads to Essence drain and premature death.

But Autumn’s younger brother’s death casts her faith into question. While sprinting through a park in violation of Centrist teachings, she encounters Ryder Stone, an Outsider who claims Essence drain is nothing more than a Centrist scare tactic. She agrees to join his Community, a utopia of adrenaline junkies living in the abandoned remains of Yosemite National Park.

Autumn learns about sex, drugs, and living life to the fullest. But as she discovers dark secrets beneath the Community’s perfect exterior, she realises that this illusion of paradise could be shattered…

Why is this book on the Wishlist?

Utopia of adrenaline junkies, heh 😀 Sounds great! Also, I always like reading about a character experiencing something entirely new. It’s interesting to see how the author changes her/his character along the way.

 

 

Missed the first part of my 2014 Wishlist, with books from Pyr and Jo Fletcher Books? Click here!