Empire of IvoryBk. 4 of the Temeraire series - Naomi Novik((Also newly available after a long wait, this is the 4th book in a brilliant series that has vividly reimagined the time of the Napoleanic Wars. With dragons! Well done dragons as well, for that matter. Start with His Majesty’s Dragon.))Tragedy has struck His Majesty’s Aerial Corps, whose magnifi cent fl eet of fi ghting dragons and their human captains valiantly defend England’s shores against the encroaching armies of Napoleon Bonaparte. An

epidemic of unknown origin and no known cure is decimating the noble dragons’ ranks-forcing the hopelessly stricken into quarantine. Now only Temeraire and a pack of newly recruited dragons remain uninfected-and stand as the only means of an airborne defense against France’s ever bolder sorties.Bonaparte’s dragons are already harrowing Britain’s ships at sea. Only one recourse remains: Temeraire and his captain, Will Laurence, must take wing to Africa, whose shores may hold the cure to the mysterious and deadly contagion. On this mission there is no time to waste, and no telling what lies in store beyond the horizon or for those left behind to wait, hope, and hold the line. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Sword from Red IceBk 3 of The Sword of Shadows Trilogy - J.V. Jones((I don’t believe it... It’s fi nally released... Start with book 1 - A Cavern of Black Ice. It’s an awesome series, and this last book has been LONG awaited.))A thousand years ago, war shook the land. Now, chaos has erupted. Clans vie for dominance; dangerous, arrogant clan chiefs urge their followers into frenzied battles, killing each other and plotting the defeat of their rivals despite those

among them who seek unity. But for all the vicious contention among the clans, a darker threat comes from Spire Vanis, a city with a black heart of evil, whose rulers have long sought to control the clanholds. In the midst of the chaos, a few extraordinary people wrestle with personal demons: A born killer with only love and loyalty in his heart; a young woman whose mystical destiny is shrouded in her unknown past; a young man betrayed by his own brother; and a clanswoman who would do anything to save her folk. Each alone seeks only survival, but together they hold the keys to a world’s salvation. HARDCOVER - $43.95

Sword from Red Ice

Shop 11, 250 Elizabeth St; The Strand Arcade; Melbourne, VIC 3000

Tel: (03) 9663 4774; email: ai@ofscienceandswords.com.auwebsite: www.ofscienceandswords.com.au

October 2007

OPENING HOURS:Mon - Wed: 10am - 6pm; Thurs: 10am - 6:30pm; Fri: 10am - 7:30pm; Sat: 10am - 5pm

A Cavern of Black . It’s an awesome series, and this last book has been LONG awaited.))

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A War of GiftsA Novella from the Enderverse - Orson Scott CardOrson Scott Card offers a Christmas gift to his millions of fans with this short novel set during Ender’s first years at the Battle School where it is forbidden to celebrate religious holidays. The children come from many nations, many religions; while they are being trained for war, religious conflict between

them is not on the curriculum. But Dink Meeker, one of the older students, doesn’t see it that way. He thinks that giving gifts isn’t exactly a religious observation, and on Sinterklaas Day he tucks a present into another student’s shoe. This small act of rebellion sets off a battle royal between the students and the staff, but some surprising alliances form when Ender comes up against a new student, Zeck Morgan. The War over Santa Claus will force everyone to make a choice. HARDCOVER - $27.95

Odyssey - Jack McDevittTo boost waning interest in interstellar travel, a mission is sent into deep space to learn the truth about “moonriders,” the strange lights supposedly being seen in nearby systems. But Academy pilot Valentina Kouros and the team of the starship Salvator will soon discover that their odyssey is no mere public-relations ploy, for the moonriders are not a harmless phenomenon. They are very, very dangerous - in a way that no one could possibly have imagined. PAPERBACK - $16.95

1634: The Bavarian Crisis - Eric Flint & Virginia DemarceThe Thirty Years War continues to ravage 17th century Europe, but a new force is gathering power and influence: the Confederated Principalities of Europe, an alliance between Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, and the West Virginians from the 20th century led by Mike Stearns who were hurled centuries into the past by a mysterious cosmic accident.The CPE has the know-how of 20th century technology, but needs iron and steel to make the machines. The iron mines of the upper Palatinate were rendered inoperable by wartime damage, and American know-how is needed

on the spot to pump them out and get the metal flowing again-a mission that will prove more complicated than anyone expects. In the maelstrom that is Europe, even a 20th century copy of the “Encyclopedia Britannica” can precipitate a crisis, when readers learn of the 1640 Portuguese revolt, a crisis that will involve Naples as well. Another factor: Albanian exiles in Naples, inspired by the Americans, are plotting to recover lost Albanian turf, which will precipitate yet another crisis in the Balkans.This troubled century was full of revolutions and plans for more revolutions before the Americans arrived, and gave every would-be revolutionary an example of a revolution that succeeded. Europe is a pot coming to a boil, and Mike Stearns will have his hands full seeing that it doesn’t boil over on to Grantville and the CPE. HARDCOVER - $43.95

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The Commons - Matthew HughesFor 100,000 years, Old Earth’s Institute for Historical Inquiry has mapped the collective unconscious of the human race. They have encountered all the archetypal fi gures - the Wise Man and the Fool, the Destroyer and the Redeemer - the “usual suspects” that populate the myths and legends at the back of the human mind.And now young Guth Bandar suspects the collective unconscious has become aware of itself. Worse, it has an agenda. And worst of all, it can

force Bandar to go deep into the darkest forests of the mind, where the only escape from madness is death. PAPERBACK - $16.95

AudaciousBk. 5 of The Kris Longknife Series - Mike Shepherd((An awesome series for fans of military sci-fi heroines and Elizabeth Moon! Start with Mutineer.))You can’t keep a good woman down-Kris Longknife returns. Once again Kris fi nds herself caught in the crosshairs of unknown enemies who want her dead. Factions, both legitimate and underground, vie for control of the planet New Eden. And someone is taking advantage of the chaos to unleash a personal vendetta against Kris. PAPERBACK - $16.95

The Android’s Dream - John Scalzi((This is an awesome tale of hijinks, mayhem, and sheep of all shapes and sizes. If you’ve read Old Man’s War, you’ll like this as well. If you haven’t read Old Man’s War, then pick this up, and then Old Man’s War after. Both are awesome books, and both are thoroughly worthy of being read!))A human diplomat creates an interstellar incident when he kills an alien diplomat in a most...unusual...way. To avoid war, Earth’s government must fi nd an equally unusual object: A type of sheep (“The Android’s Dream”), used in the alien race’s coronation ceremony.

To fi nd the sheep, the government turns to Harry Creek, ex-cop, war hero and hacker extraordinaire, who with the help of Brian Javna, a childhood friend turned artifi cial intelligence, scours the earth looking for the rare creature. And they fi nd it, in the unknowing form of Robin Baker, pet store owner, whose genes contain traces of the sheep DNA. But there are others with plans for the sheep as well: Mercenaries employed by the military. Adherents of a secret religion based on the writings of a 21st century science fi ction author. And alien races, eager to start a revolution on their home world and a war on Earth. To keep our planet from being enslaved, Harry will have to pull off the greatest diplomatic coup in history, a grand gambit that will take him from the halls of power to the lava-strewn battlefi elds of alien worlds. There’s only one chance to get it right, to save the life of Robin Baker - and to protect the future of humanity. PAPERBACK - $16.95

and sizes. If you’ve read haven’t read after. Both are awesome books, and both are thoroughly worthy of being read!))

((An awesome series for fans of military sci-fi heroines and Elizabeth Moon!

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Stardeep - Bruce R. CordellAll Kiril Duskmourn does is run away--from guilt, from her past, and from her responsibilities. But she can’t run any longer. She lost everything stopping the Traitor from loosing his unholy revolution, and now the bindings on his cell are weakening. She alone holds the key to his release or further imprisonment. But does she still have the strength of will and arm to make the right choice? PAPERBACK - $16.95

Sands of the SoulBk. 6 of the Gateway to Sembia series - Voronica Whitney-RobinsonThazienne Uskevren, the only legitimate daughter of the wealthy Uskevren family, has suffered blow after blow to her body and spirit. Even as she struggles to mend her fractured soul, Tazi finds herself on a journey that will take her far from the safety of Selgaunt and into the deadly heart of the Calim Desert. There the shifting sands hide an old foe, who holds the key to Tazi’s salvation - or the doom of Sembia. PAPERBACK - $16.95

The Orc KingBk. 1 of The Transitions Trilogy - R.A. SalvatoreAn uneasy peace between the dwarves of Mithral Hall and the orcs of the newly established Kingdom of Many-Arrows can’t last long. The orc tribes united under Obould begin to fight each other, and Bruenor is determined to finish the war that nearly killed him and almost destroyed everything he’s worked to build. But it will take more than swords and axes to bring a lasting peace to the Spine of the World. Powerful individuals on both sides may have to change the way they see each other. They may have to start to talk. But it won’t be easy. HARDCOVER - $43.95

Rise of the Seventh Moon Bk 3. of the Heirs of Ash - Rich WulfTo win a battle, a man must be prepared to sacrifice his life.To win peace, a man must be prepared to sacrifice much more.-- Ashrem d’Cannith Ashrem’s Legacy . . . a powerful relic of the Last War lost for ages. Now it is found. But will it bring about the world’s salvation or destruction? As the heirs of Ashrem struggle to gain control of the Legacy, the ultimate end to their quest

may be taken from them, as the great dragons of far Argonnessen enter the struggle. On a far distant shore, the fate of the world will be decided. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Just because it is not listed, doesn’t mean that we don’t have it...Looking for something in particular? Call us @ (03) 9663 4774, and ask. We’ll do our

best to get it for you!

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Lord of RuinA Tale of Malus Darkblade - Dan AbnettIn the world of Warhammer, no race is as cruel and treacherous as the dark elves, and no member of this race is more infamous than Malus Darkblade. Now that he has retrieved the five missing artefacts, Darkblade must return them to the daemon before the year is up. But can Tz’arkan be trusted to honour his part

of the bargain or will he try to trick Darkblade one last time? PAPERBACK - $16.95

ManslayerA Gotrek & Felix Novel - Nathan LongNow back in the Empire following their sojourn overseas, Gotrek and Felix head north, to aid the men of the Empire in their fight against the invading Chaos hordes. Stopping off in Nuln, they meet up with dwarf engineer Malakai Makaisson, who is helping the Imperial war effort by transporting cannons to the frontline on his airship, The Spirit of Grungni. After a series of nasty accidents, it becomes clear that saboteurs are at work - can our heroes find the villains in time to save the day? PAPERBACK - $16.95

Blackhearts: The Omnibus - Nathan LongUnder threat of death for their crimes, Reiner and his companions are forced to carry out the most desperate and suicidal secret missions, all for the good of the Empire. Chaos cultists, ratmen, dark elves, rogue army commanders and more - time and again the Blackhearts are pitted against impossible odds and survive - yet what they most what is their freedom. TRADE-PAPERBACK - $24.95

Descent of AngelsBk 6. of The Horus Heresy - Mitchel ScanlonThe next novel in the ground-breaking, bestselling series that tells the story of the Horus Heresy the civil war that nearly tore the human Imperium apart, ten thousand years ago. This novel explores the early history of the Dark Angels Legion and their Primarch Lion El’Johnson. When news of Horus’s treachery reaches Caliban, the loyalties of this proud and mysterious Legion are tested to the limit, wth tragic consequences. PAPERBACK - $16.95((If you’re interested in these, pick up Horus Rising. It’s the 1st book in this series that explores the past of the Warhammer 40k world, and explains and fills in a lot of the history. Admittedly, with each book being written by different authors, the quality does vary a little from book to book. But the actual story being told is one of galactic scope, with very well-fleshed out characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.))

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Dancing with WerewolvesA Novel of Delilah Street: Paranormal InvestigatorCarole Nelson DouglasIt was the revelation of the millennium: witches, werewolves, vampires and other supernaturals are real. Fast-forward 13 years: TV reporter Delilah Street used to cover the small-town bogeyman beat back in Kansas, but now, in high-octane Las Vegas - which is run by a werewolf mob - she finds herself holding back the gates of Hell itself. But at least she has a hot new guy and one big bad wolfhound to help her out... PAPERRBACK - $16.95

Secret of the SlavesBk. 8 of the Rogue Angel series - Alex Archer((I’ve got no idea how he’s pumping these out so fast, but they are definitely entertaining stories!))When archaeologist Annja Creed is hired to find the lost city of Promise in Brazil, she is more than intrigued. Legends abound of a magical place where slaves were rumored to have discovered the secret to eternal youth and life.

But strangers are not welcome in Promise.Annja soon learns that the residents have gone to extreme lengths to guard their precious secret. Making her way from the steamy port of Belem to the brutal slums of Northeast Brazil, Annja faces unexpected peril, from poisoned arrows to Amazonian anacondas. As she navigates through a land where spirituality collides with the material world, Annja must distinguish between what is real and what is imagined for fear of making a wrong move. Because anyone or any”thing” could be her enemy.And she’s getting too close... PAPERBACK - $16.95

The Devil’s Right HandBk 3. of the Dante Valentine novels - Lilith Saintcrow((Now with all new covers! Ask for the 1st book if you like ass-kicking heroines whose only intention was to get an easy job, and then found herself in so much more trouble than she’d bargained for: Working for the Devil.))Dante Valentine, Necromancer and bounty hunter, just wants to be left alone. But the Devil has other ideas.The Prince wants Dante. And he wants her now. And Dante and her lover, Japhrimel, have no choice but to answer the Prince’s summons. And to fulfill a seemingly simple task: become the Devil’s Right Hand, hunt down four demons that have escaped from Hell, and earn His gratitude.It’s a shame that nothing is ever easy when it comes to the Devil. Because of course, he doesn’t tell Dante the whole truth: there is a rebellion brewing in Hell. And there is a good chance that Lucifer is about to be pushed off the throne.But Dante is getting really tired of being pushed around. And this time, she might be angry enough to take on the Devil himself... PAPERBACK - $16.95

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World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie WarMax Brooks“The end was near.” --Voices from the Zombie War The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched fi rst-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. “World War Z” is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years. Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the twelve-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide fi nally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle refl ects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War. Most of all, the book captures with haunting immediacy the human dimension of this epochal event. Facing the often raw and vivid nature of these personal accounts requires a degree of courage on the part of the reader, but the effort is invaluable because, as Mr. Brooks says in his introduction, “By excluding the human factor, aren’t we risking the kind of personal detachment from history that may, heaven forbid, lead us one day to repeat it? And in the end, isn’t the human factor the only true difference between us and the enemy we now refer to as ‘the living dead’?”

Note: Some of the numerical and factual material contained in this edition was previously published under the auspices of the United Nations Postwar Commission.Eyewitness reports from the fi rst truly global war:“I found ‘Patient Zero’ behind the locked door of an abandoned apartment across town. . . . His wrists and feet were bound with plastic packing twine. Although he’d rubbed off the skin around his bonds, there was no blood. There was also no blood on his other wounds. . . . He was writhing like an animal; a gag muffl ed his growls. At fi rst the villagers tried to hold me back. They warned me not to touch him, that he was ‘cursed.’ I shrugged them off and reached for my mask and gloves. The boy’s skin was . . . cold and gray . . . I could fi nd neither his heartbeat nor his pulse.” --Dr. Kwang Jingshu, Greater Chongqing, United Federation of China“’Shock and Awe’? Perfect name. . . . But what if the enemy can’t be shocked and awed? Not just won’t, but biologically can’t! That’s what happened that day outside New York City, that’s the failure that almost lost us the whole damn war. The fact that we couldn’t shock and awe Zack boomeranged right back in our faces and actually allowed Zack to shock and awe us! They’re not afraid! No matter what we do, no matter how many we kill, they will never, ever be afraid!” --Todd Wainio, former U.S. Army infantryman and veteran of the Battle of Yonkers. TRADE-PAPERBACK - $31.95

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched fi rst-hand experiences of

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Blood Engines - T.A. PrattMeet Marla Mason-smart, saucy, slightly wicked witch of the East Coast.... Sorcerer Marla Mason, small-time guardian of the city of Felport, has a big problem. A rival is preparing a powerful spell that could end Marla’s life-and, even worse, wreck her city. Marla’s only chance of survival is to boost her powers with the Cornerstone, a magical artifact hidden somewhere in San Francisco. But when she arrives there, Marla finds that the quest isn’t going to be quite as cut-and-dried as she expected...and that some of the people she needs to talk to are dead. It seems that San Francisco’s top sorcerers are having troubles of their own-a mysterious assailant has the city’s magical community in a panic, and the local talent is being (gruesomely) picked off one by one. With her partner-in-crime, Rondeau, Marla is soon racing against time through San Francisco’s alien streets, dodging poisonous frogs, murderous hummingbirds, cannibals, and a nasty vibe from the local witchery, who suspect that Marla herself may be behind the recent murders. And if Marla doesn’t figure out who is killing the city’s finest in time, she’ll be in danger of becoming a magical statistic herself... PAPERBACK - $16.95

A Lick of FrostBk. 6 of the Meredith Gentry series - Laurell K. HamiltonThe dark Queen Andais has commanded Merry to attempt to conceive a child, an heir to succeed her on the throne. One by one, consorts have come to her bed to help save her claim - and her life. HARDCOVER - $43.95

Mistral’s KissBk. 5 of the Meredith Gentry series - Laurell K. HamiltonI am Princess Meredith, heir to a throne of faerie. My day job, once upon a time, was as a private detective in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, princess has now become a full-time occupation. My aunt, Queen Andais, will have it no other way. And so I am virtually a prisoner in faerie-trapped here with some of the realm’s most beautiful men to serve as my bodyguards... and my lovers. For I am compelled to conceive a child: an heir to succeed me on the throne. Yet after months of amazing sex with my consorts, there is still no baby. And no baby means no throne. The only certainty is death at the hands of my cousin Cel, or his followers, if I fail to conceive. Now Mistral, Queen Andais’s new captain of the guard, has come to my bed - defying her and risking her terrible wrath in doing so. But even she will hesitate to punish him in jealous rage, because our joining has reawakened old magic, mystical power so ancient that no one stands against it and survives. Not even my strongest and most favored: my Darkness and my Killing Frost. Not even Mistral himself, my Storm Lord. But because Mistral has helped to bring this magic forth, he may live another day. If I can reclaim control of the fey power that once was, there may be hope for me and my reign in faerie. I might yet quell the dark schemes and subterfuges surrounding me. Though shadows of obsession and conspiracy gather, I may survive. PAPERBACK - $16.95

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Once Bitten, Twice Shy - Jennifer RardinI’m Jaz Parks. My boss is Vayl, born in Romania in 1744. Died there too, at the hand of his vampire wife, Liliana. But that’s ancient history. For the moment Vayl works for the C.I.A. doing what he does best--assassination. And I help. You could say I’m an Assistant Assassin. But then I’d have to kick your ass.Our current assignment seemed easy. Get close to a Miami plastic surgeon named Assan, a charmer with ties to terrorism that run deeper than a buried body. Find out what he’s meeting with that can help him and his comrades bring America to her knees. And then close his beady little eyes forever. Why is it that nothing’s ever as easy as it seems? PAPERBACK - $16.95

Cybermancy Kelley McCulloughTo save his girlfriend’s webgoblin, Ravirn-a sorcerer with a shape-changing laptop-must brave Hell itself. Can he do it without corrupting the magical Internet-and without facing the Lord of the Dead himself? PAPERBACK - $16.95

Dog Days - John LevittFirst in a new urban fantasy series-with a bite as magical as its bark. Mason used to be an enforcer, ensuring that suspect magic practitioners stayed in line. But now he scrapes out a living playing guitar. Good thing he has Louie, his magical...well, let’s call him a dog. But there are some kinds of evil that even Louie can’t sniff out. And when Mason is attacked by a supernatural assailant, he’ll have to fall back on the one skill he’s mastered in music and magic - improvisation. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Earthquake Weather - Tim PowersA young woman possessed by a ghost has slain the Fisher King of the West, Scott Crane. Now, temporarily freed from the malevolent spirit, she seeks to restore the King to life and thwart the would-be usurper. But Crane’s body has been taken by his loyal servants to the magically protected home of Pete and Angelica Sullivan, where their adopted son, Koot Hoomie, is bleeding from a wound that will

not heal. Kootie is destined to be the next King, but he is only thirteen years old - too young, his mother thinks, to perform the rituals to assume the Kingship. But not too young, perhaps, to assist in reuniting Scott Crane’s body and spirit and restoring him to life. Earthquakes, fires, floods, and riots plague California. Powerful ghosts wander the cities, too strong for even the cleverest hunters. Only the restoration of the King can restore the balance, and it must be done soon. TRADE-PAPERBACK - $34.95

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Dark Moon DefenderBk. 3 of The Twelve Houses - Sharon ShinnIn this story of hidden magic and forbidden love, the King’s Rider Justin befriends Ellynor, a young novice at a convent-only to discover that she is a mystic being manipulated by the fanatical Daughters of the Pale Moon into hunting down and killing other mystics. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Wolf Who RulesBk. 2 of Tinker - Wen Spencer((Wen Spencer is an awesome story-teller. ALL of her books are worth reading!))Wolf Who Rules, the elven noble whose destiny is intertwined with Tinker, finds himself besieged from all sides. Viceroy and head of the Wind Clan, he had been able to guarantee the safety of everyone in his realm, but faced with an oni invasion, he has had to call in royal troops and relinquish his monopoly of Pittsburgh, which is now entirely stranded on Elfhome. He now struggles to keep the peace between the humans, the newly arrived Stone Clan, the royal forces, a set of oni dragons, the half-oni children who see themselves as human, and the tengu trying to escape their oni enslavement. Meanwhile, Tinker strives to solve the mystery of a growing discontinuity in Turtle Creek. She’s plagued with inexplicable nightmares that may hold the keys to Pittsburgh’s future. The only clue from the Queen’s oracle to help Tinker is a note with five English words on it: Follow the Yellow Brick Road. Oni, and dragons and tengu oh my! PAPERBACK - $16.95

The Merchant’s WarBk. 4 of The Merchant Princes - Charles StrossMiriam Beckstein is a young, hip, business journalist in Boston. She discovered in “The” “Family Trade” and “The Hidden Family” that her family came from an alternate reality, that she was very well-connected, and that her family was too much like the mafia for comfort. She found herself caught in a family trap in “The Clan Corporate” and betrothed to a brain-damaged prince, and then all hell broke

loose. Now, in “The Merchants’ War”, Miriam has escaped to yet another world and remains in hiding from both the Clan and their opponents. There is a nasty shooting war going on in the Gruinmarkt world of the Clan, and we know something that Miriam does not; something that she’s really going to hate - if she lives long enough to find out. HARDCOVER - $43.95

If Wishes Were Horses - Anne McCaffreyWhen their father is unexpectedly called to fight in a war, Tizra and her twin brother find their world is forever changed. Their mother, the village healer, enlists them to assist in caring for the refugees left wounded and homeless by the conflict. Inspired by her mother, Tizra learns never to surrender hope. PAPERBACK - $16.95

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The Phoenix UnchainedBk. 1 of The Enduring Flame - Mercedes Lackey & James MalloryAfter a thousand years of peace, much Magick has faded from the world. The Elves live far from humankind. There are no High Mages, and Wild Mages are seen only rarely. Bisochim, a powerful Wild Mage, is determined to reintroduce Darkness to the world, believing that it is out of Balance. Tiercel, a young Armethalian nobleman, is convinced that High Magic is not just philosophy. He attempts a spell - and draws the unwelcome attention of Bisochim. Tiercel survives Bisochim’s attack and begins

trying to turn himself into a High Mage. Next in line to be Harbormaster of Armethalieh, Harrier instead finds himself regularly saving Tyr’s life and meeting magickal people and creatures. To Harrier’s dismay, it seems that he must become a hero. In “The Phoenix Unchained,” Harrier and Tiercel begin a marvelous journey to uncover their destinies. Along the way, they meet a charming female centaur, several snooty Elves, and the most powerful dragon their world has ever known. HARDCOVER - $43.95

Evil for EvilBk. 2 of The Engineers Trilogy - K.J. ParkerThe engineer Ziani Vaatzes designed and built a war. Thousands died as a consequence of his elaborate plan. The civil servant Manuo Psellus took the decision that started the war. The very foundations of his world are now threatened. The ruler Duke Valens brought the war on himself. Now he must decide whether to sacrifice his country to save his people. They embarked on the war for their own reasons, but as it takes on a life of its own they find they’ve become components in their own machine. And the machine, it seems, has one purpose: to render evil for evil. PAPERBACK - $21.95

Devices & DesiresBk. 1 of The Engineers Trilogy - K.J. ParkerWhen an engineer is sentenced to death for a petty transgression of guild law, he flees the city, leaving behind his wife and daughter. Forced into exile, he seeks a terrible vengeance - one that will leave a trail of death and destruction in its wake.But he will not be able to achieve this by himself. He must draw up his plans using the blood of others...In a compelling tale of intrigue and injustice, K. J. Parker’s embittered hero takes up arms against his enemies, using the only weapons he has left

to him: his ingenuity and his passion - his devices and desires. PAPERBACK - $21.95

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DzurA Vlad Taltos Novel - Steven BrustIn which Vlad Taltos confronts the Left Hand of the Jhereg...and discovers the game has more players than he thought...Vlad Taltos, short-statured, short-lived human in an Empire of tall, long-lived Dragaerans, has always had to keep his wits about him. Long ago, he made a place for himself as a captain of the Jhereg, the noble house that runs the rackets in the great imperial city of Adrilankha. But love, revolution, betrayal, and revenge ensued, and for years now Vlad has

been a man on the run, struggling to stay a step ahead of the Jhereg who would kill him without hesitation. Now Vlad’s back in Adrilankha. The rackets he used to run are now under the control of the mysterious “Left Hand of the Jhereg” - a secretive cabal of women who report to no man. His ex-wife needs his help. His old enemies aren’t sure whether they want to kill him, or talk to him and then kill him. A goddess may be playing tricks with his memory. And the Great Weapon he’s carrying seems to have plans of its own... Picking up directly where “Issola” left off, “Dzur” gives us Vlad Taltos at his best - swashbuckling storytelling with a wry and gritty edge. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Dragon’s Teeth - James A. Hetley((If you missed it, the first book is called Dragon’s Eye.))Two unusual families-the shapeshifting Morgans and the Haskell witches-have maintained an uneasy alliance for generations. Now the vengeful spirit of a dark sorcerer will force them to unite once more-or turn against one another. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Fatal RevenantBk. 2 of The Last Chronicles of Thomas ConvenantStephen DonaldsonLinden Avery watches from a balcony while Thomas Covenant and her adopted son Jeremiah ride desperately toward Revelstone. But their reunion has vast consequences which she could not have foreseen. Transported deep into the Land’s past, she is forced to confront mysterious strangers, legendary heroes and ancient evils, and to stand alone against the malevolence of the Despiser’s minions.Abandoned in Garroting Deep, the most bloodthirsty of the Land’s long-dead forests, she determines to reshape reality in an attempt to end the Despiser’s evil and her son’s suffering.However, her purpose requires her to find Loric’s krill, a weapon abandoned among the Hills of Andelain

millennia ago. Attacked by enemies old and new, and harried by strange beings with ambiguous agendas, she strives toward Andelain. But the ravenous skurj are rising... HARDCOVER - $44.95

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Reiffen’s ChoiceBk. 1 of the Stoneways Trilogy - S.C. ButlerReiffen, only twelve years old, is the true heir to the thrones of both Wayland and Banking. He and his friends Avender and Ferris live in a magical world of talking animals, dwarves, and shape-shifting bears but... he lives with the shame of knowing that no one will ever let him rule these kingdoms, that their crowns will bring him nothing but betrayal and sorrow... and that he is powerless. Reiffen will have only a short life of child’s innocence, a brief respite from the trial of impossible adult responsibility, the trial of attempting to finish a task he can never complete.And then he is shown the nations of his world from the peak of a fortress drear and tempted with fame and fortune and his rightful place on the throne of great kingdoms - his kingdoms. He need only surrender his humanity; kill his loves and he would have his childhood fantasy.He would be granted great Black knowledge, more furious than anything he had ever imagined. He could desire justice... but would have to kill everything he loved to get it. His prayers would be answered... if only he would sacrifice everything he held dear. PAPERBACK - $16.95

A Companion to WolvesSarah Monette & Elizabeth BearA young nobleman, Isolfr, has been chosen to become a “wolfcarl - “a warrior who is bonded to a fighting wolf. Isolfr is deeply drawn to the wolves, and though as his father’s heir he can refuse the call, he chooses to go. The people of this wintry land depend on the wolfcarls to protect them from the threat of trolls and wyverns, though the supernatural creatures have not come in force for many years. Men are growing too confident.

The wolfhealls are small, and the lords give them less respect than in former years. But the winter of Isolfr’s bonding, the trolls come down from the north in far greater numbers than before, and the holding’s complaisance gives way to terror in the dark. Isolfr, now bonded to a queen wolf, Viradechtis, must learn where his honor lies, and discover the lengths to which he will to go when it, and love for his wolf, drive him. HARDCOVER - $43.95

AerieBk. 4 of the Dragon Jousters - Mercedes LackeyKiron, the man who had once been a dragon-boy called Vetch, has united the dragon riders and managed to rid their world of both war and magical domination. But are the evil Magi really gone for good? As Kiron tries to build a new civilization at the site of an abandoned cliff dweller’s city, called Aerie, conflicts arise, and he soon realizes there is a vast conspiracy at work, which includes individuals who have infiltrated every walk of life-even his own family. Once the heads of the Magi, these conspirators are

determined to regain their sinister control. PAPERBACK - $16.95

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Postsingular - Rudy RuckerIt all begins next year in California. A maladjusted computer industry billionaire and a somewhat crazy US President initiate a radical transformation of the world through sentient nanotechnology; sort of the equivalent of biological artificial intelligence. At first they succeed, but their plans are reversed by Chu, an autistic boy. The next time it isn’t so easy to stop them. Most of the story takes place in a world after a heretofore unimaginable transformation, where

all the things look the same but all the people are different (they’re able to read each others’ minds, for starters). Travel to and from other nearby worlds in the quantum universe is possible, so now our world is visited by giant humanoids from another quantum universe, and some of them mean to tidy up the mess

The Sky People - S.M. StirlingIn the 1960s, the United States and the Soviet Union sent unmanned probes to Mars and Venus - and discovered worlds teeming with life. At that point, the “Space Race” was on in earnest.Now in 1988, Marc Vitrak has been assigned to Jamestown, the US-commonwealth base on Venus, near the great Venusian city of Karahown. Set in a countryside swarming with sabertooths and dinosaurs, Jamestown is home to a small band of American and allied scientist-adventurers.But there are flies in this ointment - and not only the Venusian dragonflies, with their yard-wide wings. The EastBlo has its own base at Cosmograd, in the highlands to the south, and relations are frosty. Meanwhile, at the western end of the continent, Teesa of the Cloud Mountain People leads her tribe in a conflict with the Neanderthal-like beastmen who have seized her folk’s sacred caves.Then an EastBloc shuttle crashes nearby, and the beastmen acquire new knowledge... and AK-47s! PAPERBACK - $16.95

One Day on Mars - Travis S. TaylorIt’s “24” on Mars: a nonstop futuristic thrill-ride, all in one day, through the critical events which were the breaking point for the underclass of Martian citizens and precipitated a revolution to break the Martian colonists free from the formidable Sol System government. The formerly red planet-now in danger of again becoming red, “blood” red-would never be the same, nor would the human race. It was one day that changed the course of history for the Solar System, raging from hand-to-hand combat to piloted armored mecha suits clashing to an enormous space battle, with dedicated heroes

on both sides of the conflict wondering if they were doing the right thing-and if they would live to see another day. And wondering, as well, if the spark of this new war, that would eventually reach across whole star systems, would bring them peace One Day on Mars. HARDCOVER - $43.95

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The Race for God - Brian HerbertGod, it turns out, lives on a planet in a distant galaxy. He invites an odd assortment of heathens to visit Him. Crammed into a small spaceship piloted by a slightly crazed bio-computer, each pilgrim is determined to be the fi rst to learn Gods secrets, in this novel by the son of Dune creator, Frank Herbert. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Nylon Angel; Code Noir; Crash DeluxeThe Parrish Plessis Novels - Marianne de Pierres((Well worth reading!))After inheriting a less-than-glorious empire within the Tert, Parrish Plessis-coup leader, bodyguard, and overall dangerous vixen-has her hands full, and her head even fuller.

She’s still under a blood debt to the Cabal Coomera. She’s trying to take care of the growing population of stray social castoffs who have come to her for protection. And the nasty high-tech parasite her treacherous ex-lover hit her with is about to turn her into something much less than human... PAPERBACKS - $16.95

Fleet of Worlds - Larry Niven & Edward M. LernerKirsten Quinn-Kovacs is among the best and brightest of her people. She gratefully serves the gentle race that rescued her ancestors from a dying starship, gave them a world, and nurtures them still. If only the Citizens knew where Kirsten’s people came from.... A chain reaction of supernovae at the galaxy’s core has unleashed a wave of lethal radiation that will sterilize the galaxy. The Citizens fl ee, taking their planets, the Fleet of Worlds, with them.Someone must scout ahead, and Kirsten and her crew eagerly

volunteer. Under the guiding eye of Nessus, their Citizen mentor, they explore for any possible dangers in the Fleet’s path - and uncover long-hidden truths that will shake the foundations of worlds. HARDCOVER - $43.95

- Marianne de Pierres

PatrimonyThe 2nd last book of the Pip & Flinx Adventures! - Alan Dean FosterWhen not helping Bran Tse-Mallory and the Eint Truzenzuzex save the galaxy, Flinx has spent much of his life wondering about the identity of his father. Now he’s traced his origins to the planet Gestalt, thanks to the dying words of a survivor from the Merliorare Society, a renegade eugenicist group. As if the native dangers of Gestalt weren’t enough, Flinx is also being hunted by an assassin hired by the mysterious Order of Null. Flinx and Pip will have to survive ambushes, accidents and a deadly feud between rival groups of philosophers before they eventually fi nd the information Flinx is after. HARDCOVER - $43.95

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The Third Lynx - Timothy Zahn((This guy’s a great author, and his books are all worth reading. The 1st book is called Night Train to Rigel.))Former government agent Frank Compton foiled a plot to enslave the galaxy in “Night Train to Rigel”. But the Modhri, an ancient telepathically linked intelligence, has walkers, unwilling hosts that can be anywhere, anything...and anyone. And Compton is the only man who knows how to fight them, as they wage a secret war against the galactic civilizations linked by the Quadrail, the only means of intra-

galactic transit. Accompanied by Bayta, a woman with strange ties to the robot-like Spiders who run the Quadrail, and dogged by special agent Morse who suspects him of murder, Compton races the Modhri from station to station to acquire a set of valuable sculptures from a long-dead civilization. What the Modhri wants with them is anybody’s guess, but if Compton can’t outwit it, the whole galaxy will find out the hard way. HARDCOVER - $43.95

Halo: Contact Harvest - Joseph Staten((The Halo trilogy is now complete. But there are still many tales to be told, including the First Contact between the humans and the Convenant. This is how it began...))It is the year 2524. Harvest is a peaceful, prosperous farming colony on the very edge of human-controlled space. But we have trespassed on holy ground - strayed into the path of an aggressive alien empire known as the Covenant. What begins as a chance encounter between an alien privateer

and a human freighter catapults mankind into a struggle for its very existence. But humanity is also locked in a bitter civil war known as the Insurrection. So the survival of Harvest’s citizens falls to a squad of battle-weary UNSC Marines and their inexperienced colonial militia trainees. In this unlikely group of heroes, one stands above the rest... a young Marine staff sergeant named Avery Johnson. TRADE-PAPERBACK - $31.95

The Clone AllianceBk. 3 of The Clone Republic - Steven L. Kent((A greatly entertaining and exciting series, the first book is called The Clone Republic and is a great yarn to enjoy.))Rogue clone Wayson Harris is stranded on a frontier planet-until a rebel offensive puts him back in the uniform of a U.A. Marine, once again leading a strike against the enemy. But the rebels have a powerful ally no one could have imagined. PAPERBACK - $16.95

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((I’ve only just picked up the Star Wars books again. As far as I’m concerned, the peak of the Star Wars extended universe was and still is Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire trilogy.That having been said, for the first time in a long time, the Legacy of the Force series has interested me and kept me reading. It drives a wedge within the Skywalker and Solo families, and also looks at a very very different sort of universe that has a full-fledged group of Jedi tasked with another civil war. And the heart-wrenching steps that some of the Jedi need to take to ensure galaxy-wide peace. Well worth reading for any Star Wars fan. Betrayal is the first book in the new series and is available now in PAPERBACK for $16.95))

Star Wars: Death Star - Michael Reaves & Steve PerryThe Death Star’s name says it all, with bone-chilling accuracy. It is a virtual world unto itself-equipped with uncanny power for a singularly brutal purpose: to obliterate entire planets in the blink of an eye. Its annihilation of the planet Alderaan, at the merciless command of Grand Moff Tarkin, lives in infamy. And its own ultimate destruction, at the hands of Luke Skywalker, is the stuff of legend. But what is the whole story, and who are the players, behind the creation of this world-killing satellite of doom? The near extermination of the Jedi order cleared the way for Palpatine-power-hungry Senator and Sith Lord-to seize control of the Republic, declare himself Emperor, and usher in a fearsome, totalitarian regime. But even with the dreaded Darth Vader enforcing Palpatine’s sinister will, the threat of rebellion still looms. And the Emperor knows that only abject fear-and the ability to punish dissent with devastating consequences-can ensure his unchallenged control of the galaxy. Enter ambitious and ruthless government official Wilhuff Tarkin, architect of the Emperor’s terrifying dream come true. From inception to completion, construction of the unprecedented Death Star is awash in the intrigues, hidden agendas, unexpected revelations, and daring gambits of those involved on every level. The brightest minds and boldest egos, the most ambitious and corrupt, the desperate and the devious, all have a stake in the Death Star-and its potential to control the fate of the galaxy. Soldiers and slaves, loyalists and Rebels, spies and avengers, the innocent and the evil-all their paths and fates will cross and intertwine as the DeathStar moves from its maiden voyage to its final showdown. And a shadowy chapter of Star Wars history is stunningly illuminated in a thrilling, unforgettable adventure. HARDCOVER - $43.95

Aliens: Steel Egg - John ShirleySomeone on Earth knew about the aliens. Someone battled them, and survived. Before Ripley, there was a first encounter. Aliens and humans have fought before! When a human spaceship discovers a vast egg-shaped vessel in Saturn’s orbit, the crew powers in to investigate. Thinking the ship might contain usable metal for Earth, they force their way aboard. Three teams split up to explore the ship. Already the aliens

have awoken. The first of all the battles unfolds. PAPERBACK - $16.95

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Soarer’s ChoiceBk. 6 of The Corean Chronicles - L.E. Modesitt Jr.The civilization of the Alectors, which has farmed and developed all life on Corus to produce sustaining life force for their vampiric civilization, must move wholesale from one planet to another every few thousand years as it exhausts the life force of another world. This time, two worlds have been prepared, and the time is at hand for the great move. And Corus is the looking like the loser, to be abandoned by the civilizing forces of the government of Alectors, but used as a dumping ground for malcontents and others who don’t make the cut to move on to a richer new world. This neither bodes well for the future of human civilization, nor for the honest Alector’s such as Dainyl, trying to hold everything together, as all systems are failing. But the mysterious Ancients, the Soarers, are a force to be reckoned with, and they may hold a powerful and destructive trump card. PAPERBACK - $16.95

Reserved for the CatBk. 5 of The Elemental Masters - Mercedes LackeyIn 1910, in an alternate London, a penniless young dancer is visited by a cat who communicates with her mind to mind. Though she is certain she must be going mad, she is desperate enough to follow the cat’s advice and impersonates a famous Russian ballerina. The cat, it turns out, is actually an Elemental Earth Spirit, and leads her to minor stardom. Meanwhile, the real Russian ballerina has fallen victim to an evil troll who

takes over her body and kills her patrons, drinking their life essences in order to strengthen his powers. And soon, the troll focuses his dark attentions on the young dancer... HARDCOVER - $43.95

The Ladies of Grace Adieu - Susanna Clarke((By the way, if you haven’t read Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, you really really have to. It’s almost written in old english, and does a very good job of invoking a sense of belonging in that time and magical version of our world... Definitely worth reading.))From the author of the award-winning, internationally bestselling “Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell,” an enchanting collection of stories. Set in versions of England that bear an uncanny resemblance to the world of Strange and

Norrell, these stories are brimming with all the ingredients of good fairy tales: petulant princesses, vengeful owls, ladies who pass their time in embroidering terrible fates, endless paths in deep, dark woods, and houses that never appear the same way twice. Their heroines and heroes include the Duke of Wellington, a conceited Regency clergyman, an eighteenth-century Jewish doctor, Mary, Queen of Scots, Jonathan Strange, and the Raven King himself. “The Ladies of Grace Adieu” is the perfect introduction to a world where charm is always tempered by eerieness, and picaresque comedy is always darkened by the disturbing shadow of Faerie. TRADE-PAPERBACK - $29.95

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Lure - Bill NapierAt first, the blizzard of sub-nuclear particles seemed random. But soon a pattern emerges that could only have come from an alien intelligence far more advanced than our own. Now it’ s up to Irish mathematician Tom Petrie to decode these messages and unlock their secret - one that is believed to contain an unimaginable technological breakthrough, and has the power to change the course of human history... unless the world’ s superpowers succeed in suppressing the truth. Can Petrie and his team unmask the message’ s true intent while evading those who aim to crush its extraordinary revelations? A desperate race against time - and through space - is about to begin... PAPERBACK - $16.95

Horizons - Mary RosenblumAhni Huang is hunting for her brother’s killer. As a class 9 empath with advanced biogenetic augmentations, she has complete mental and physical control of her body, and can read other people’s intentions before they can even think them. Ahni soon finds though, that there are deceptions behind deceptions, and in the middle of it lies the fate of her brother. Earth is in the midst of a political struggle between the World Council, which governs humankind, and the Platforms, which

orbit high above Earth. On the Platform New York Up, “upsider” life is different. They have their own culture, values, and ambitions - and now they want their independence from Earth. One upsider leader, Dane Nilson, is determined to accomplish this goal, but he has a secret, one that could condemn him to death. When Ahni stumbles upon Dane during her quest for vengeance, her fate becomes inextricably linked to his. Together they must delve beyond the intrigue and manipulative schemes to get to the core of truth; a truth that will shape the future of the Platforms and shatter any preconceived notions of what defines the human race. PAPERBACK - $16.95

God’s Demon - Wayne BarlowLucifer’s War, which damned legions of angels to Hell, is an ancient and bitter memory shrouded in the smoke and ash of the Inferno. The Fallen, those banished demons who escaped the full wrath of Heaven, have established a limitless and oppressive kingdom within the fiery confines of Hell. Lucifer has not been seen since the Fall and the mantle of rulership has been passed to the horrific Prince Beelzebub, the Lord of the Flies. The Demons Major, Heaven’s former warriors, have become the ruling class. They are the equivalent to landed lords, each owing allegiance to the de facto ruler of Hell. They reign over their fiefdoms, tormenting the damned souls and adding to their wealth. One Demon Major, however, who has not forgotten his former life in Heaven. The powerful Lord Sargatanas is restless. For millennia Sargatanas has ruled dutifully but unenthusiastically, building his city, Adamantinarx, into the model of an Infernal metropolis. But he has never forgotten what he lost in the Fall - proximity to God. He is sickened by what he has become. Now, with a small event--a confrontation with one of the damned souls--he makes a decision that will reverberate through every being in Hell. Sargatanas decides to attempt the impossible, to rebel, to endeavor to go Home and bring with him “anyone” who chooses to follow... be they demon or soul. He will stake everything on this chance for redemption. HARDCOVER - $43.95

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The Sunrise Lands - S.M. Stirling((This is the 1st book in a sequel trilogy to the Dies the Fire trilogy. That dealth with a time when all sources of power and electrical technology, and even fi re itself, seemed to act the way that they used to, and the face of the world was changed. A great post-apocalyptic story.))A generation has passed since The Change that rendered technology inoperable around the world, and western Oregon has fi nally achieved a degree of peace. But a new threat has risen in Paradise Valley,

Wyoming. A man known as The Prophet presides over the Church Universal and Triumphant, teaching his followers to continue God’s work by destroying the remnants of technological civilization they encounter-and those who dare use them. Rudi Mackenzie, son and heir of the mystic Juniper, must journey with seven friends across a continent in chaos to the Sunrise Lands to solve the riddle of what destroyed a civilization. And as the friends journey farther into the interior, enemies may be within their own band as well as outside it... HARDCOVER - $43.95

Halting State - Charles StrossIn the year 2018, Sergeant Sue Smith of the Edinburgh constabulary is called in on a special case. A daring bank robbery has taken place at Hayek Associates, a dot-com startup company that’s just been fl oated on the London stock exchange. The suspects are a band of marauding orcs, with a dragon in tow for fi re support, and the bank is located within the virtual reality land of Avalon Four. For Smith, the investigation seems pointless. But she soon realizes that the virtual world may have a devastating effect in the real one-and that someone is about to launch an attack upon both... HARDCOVER - $43.95

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