Fresh Meat: July 26-Aug 1 — 34 Speculative Fiction Releases

Posted July 28, 2015 by Carmel in Fresh Meat / 4 Comments

Urban Fantasy:

	Killing Pretty (Sandman Slim #7) by Richard Kadrey Urban Fantasy
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Sandman Slim investigates Death’s death in this hip, propulsive urban fantasy through a phantasmagoric LA rife with murder, mayhem, and magic. James Stark has met his share of demons and angels, on earth and beyond. Now, he’s come face to face with the one entity few care to meet: Death. Someone has tried to kill Death—ripping the heart right out of him—or rather the body he’s inhabiting. Death needs Sandman Slim’s help: he believes anyone who can beat Lucifer and the old gods at their own game is the only one who can solve his murder. Stark follows a sordid trail deep into LA’s subterranean world, from vampire-infested nightclubs to talent agencies specializing in mad ghosts, from Weimar Republic mystical societies to sleazy supernatural underground fight and sex clubs. Along the way he meets a mysterious girl—distinguished by a pair of graveyard eyes—as badass as Slim: she happens to be the only person who ever outwitted Death. But escaping her demise has had dire consequences for the rest of the world . . . and a few others. For years, Slim has been fighting cosmic forces bent on destroying Heaven, Hell, and Earth. This time, the battle is right here on the gritty streets of the City of Angels, where a very clever, very ballsy killer lies in wait.[/learn_more]

	Spider’s Trap (Elemental Assassin #13) by Jennifer Estep Urban Fantasy
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Keep your friends close but your enemies within stabbing distance. One important lesson I’ve learned in the assassination business is that to be the best you have to roll with the punches. Now that I’m queen of Ashland’s underworld—by default, not by choice—a lot more punches are being thrown my way. But I suppose that’s the price of victory for taking down some of the underworld’s top dogs. Good thing I have my Ice and Stone magic to help me survive my volatile new position. Just when I think things are finally settling down, someone tries to murder me during a hush-hush underworld meeting. But the real surprise is how strangely familiar my shadowy assailant seems to be. My job is to maintain order among killers, crooks, and thieves, and soon I’m embroiled in a bloody game where the ability to keep secrets could be the greatest superpower of all. My enemies have all sharpened their knives and laid their traps, waiting for me to fall. But this Spider weaves her own webs of death…[/learn_more]

	One Good Dragon Deserves Another (Heartstrikers #2) by Rachel Aaron Urban Fantasy
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]After barely escaping the machinations of his terrifying mother, two all knowing seers, and countless bloodthirsty siblings, the last thing Julius wants to see is another dragon. Unfortunately for him, the only thing more dangerous than being a useless Heartstriker is being a useful one, and now that he’s got an in with the Three Sisters, Julius has become a key pawn in Bethesda the Heartstriker’s gamble to put her clan on top. Refusal to play along with his mother’s plans means death, but there’s more going on than even Bethesda knows, and with Estella back in the game with a vengeance, Heartstriker futures disappearing, and Algonquin’s dragon hunter closing in, the stakes are higher than even a seer can calculate. But when his most powerful family members start dropping like flies, it falls to Julius to defend the clan that never respected him and prove that, sometimes, the world’s worst dragon is the best one to have on your side. [/learn_more]

	Old Dog, New Tricks (Black Dog #4) by Hailey Edwards Urban Fantasy
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]While Thierry is away, the Morrigan will play. Snatching the crown from her daughter-in-law’s head wasn’t the motherly thing to do, but Thierry doesn’t mind trading the throne in Faerie for the ratty couch in her Texas apartment. The old crow is welcome to it. But ruling one world is not enough. The Morrigan wants an all-access pass to the mortal realm too. An attack on the marshal’s office leaves Thierry shaken…and Shaw missing. Now the fight brewing since Thierry took up the Black Dog’s mantle has landed on her doorstep, and the only way to save the man she loves is to defend the title she never wanted. [/learn_more]

	The Forgotten (Krewe of Hunters #16) by Heather Graham Paranormal Mystery
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Murdered by a dead man? A woman named Maria Gomez is murdered in Miami, apparently by her husband—who’d been presumed dead, slain by a crime boss. FBI agent Brett Cody can’t believe it; dead or alive, the man had loved his wife. He also can’t help feeling guilty, since he was responsible for protecting Miguel and Maria Gomez. A few miles away, Lara Mayhew has just begun working at a dolphin research facility. She loves her new job—until a dolphin brings her something unexpected from the deep. A human hand. More body parts show up, and when Brett looks into the situation, he discovers that the dismembered corpse is Miguel’s. Soon, rumors of crazed zombies abound in the Miami media, and the Krewe of Hunters, an elite FBI unit of paranormal investigators, is called in. Brett and Lara find themselves working with the Krewe—and working closely together. An elderly crime boss who’s losing his memory seems to be key to solving this case, but…there’s no motive. Unless Brett and Lara can uncover one in the Miami underworld. And that means they have to protect themselves. And each other.[/learn_more]

	The Fifth House of the Heart by Ben Tripp Urban Fantasy / Horror
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Filled with characters as menacing as they are memorable, this chilling twist on vampire fiction packs a punch in the bestselling tradition of ’Salem’s Lot by Stephen King. Asmodeus “Sax” Saxon-Tang, a vainglorious and well-established antiques dealer, has made a fortune over many years by globetrotting for the finest lost objects in the world. Only Sax knows the true secret to his success: at certain points of his life, he’s killed vampires for their priceless hoards of treasure. But now Sax’s past actions are quite literally coming back to haunt him, and the lives of those he holds most dear are in mortal danger. To counter this unnatural threat, and with the blessing of the Holy Roman Church, a cowardly but cunning Sax must travel across Europe in pursuit of incalculable evil—and immeasurable wealth—with a ragtag team of mercenaries and vampire killers to hunt a terrifying, ageless monster…one who is hunting Sax in turn. From author Ben Tripp, whose first horror novel Rise Again “raises the stakes so high that the book becomes nearly impossible to put down” (Cory Doctorow, author of Little Brother), The Fifth House of the Heart is a powerful story that will haunt you long after its final pages. [/learn_more]

Paranormal Romance:

	Dragon Fall (Black Dragons #1) by Katie MacAlister Paranormal Romance
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]YOU FLIRT WITH FIRE… For Aoife Dakar, seeing is believing-and she’s seen some extraordinary things. It’s too bad no one else believes that she witnessed a supernatural murder at an outdoor fair. Returning to the scene for proof, Aoife encounters a wise-cracking demon dog-and a gloriously naked man who can shift into a dragon and kiss like a god. Now thrust into a fantastical world that’s both exhilarating and terrifying, Aoife is about to learn just how hot a dragon’s fire burns. WHEN YOU DATE A DRAGON Kostya has no time for a human woman with endless questions, no matter how gorgeous or tempting she is. He must break the curse that has splintered the dragon clans before more of his kind die. But his powerful attraction to Aoife runs much deeper than the physical-and there may be more to her than even his sharp dragon eyes can see. To survive the coming battle for the fate of his race, he needs a mate of true heart and soul . . .[/learn_more]

	Bound to Darkness (Midnight Breed #13) by Lara Adrian Paranormal Romance
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Carys Chase is accustomed to making her own rules and letting her heart lead the way–no matter what anyone else has to say about it. A rare Breed female and a daywalker as well, headstrong, beautiful Carys is one of the most powerful of her kind. She lives passionately and loves without limits, especially when it comes to the lethal cage-fighting Breed warrior called Rune. Unbeatable in the ring, Rune exists in a brutal world of blood and bone and death. He’s made his share of enemies both in and out of the arena, and his secrets run as deep and turbulent as his past. A dangerous loner who has survived by his fists and fangs, Rune has never allowed anyone to get too close to him…until Carys. But when the bodies buried in his past rise up to threaten his present, Rune must choose between betraying Carys’s trust or putting her in the crosshairs of a battle neither of them can hope to win on their own.[/learn_more]

	Primal Heat Part 3 (Shadow Shifters #6) by A.C. Arthur Paranormal Romance
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]For six years, Nivea has been waiting for Eli-a supremely hot werejaguar-to take her in his arms, unleash his animal urges, and claim her as his mate. But once their passion is unleashed-in a reckless moment of pure unbridled lust-nothing can ever be the same…[/learn_more]

	Siren’s Call (Rainshadow #4) by Jayne Castle Paranormal Romance
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]In the alien catacombs of Rainshadow, there are creatures whose compelling songs lure the unwary to their death. That’s why Rafe Coppersmith, hired to clear out the catacombs for exploration, needs a music talent. He’s knows the perfect one, but she probably doesn’t want anything do with him… Ella Morgan had once fallen hard and fast for Rafe, but then he disappeared for months…and he’s not about to tell her why. Ella, too, has secrets that only her dust bunny knows. She’s not just a music talent, she’s a Siren: a paranormal singer capable of singing men to sleep—or to their deaths. But once on Rainshadow, Rafe and Ella will learn that surrendering to passion doesn’t come without risks—and fighting fire with fire only adds to the flame…[/learn_more]

	The Bride’s Curse by Glenys O’Connell Paranormal Romance
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Kelly Andrews’s store, Wedding Bliss, is the one-stop shop for all your matrimonial needs in Bar Harbor, Maine. But when three brides in a row return a gorgeous vintage wedding dress, claiming it is cursed, it’s definitely bad for business. Then Brett Atwell, the handsome nephew of the dress’s original owner, gets involved, and things go from bad to worse. Luckily, Kelly has a supernatural talent for communing with ghosts, and a mischievous spirit sends the two of them on a goose chase for a groom who went missing decades ago. Working together to get to the bottom of the mystery makes passions flare between Kelly and Brett. Will love get its due at long last?[/learn_more]

	Sentinels: Leopard Enchanted by Doranna Durgin Paranormal Romance
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Her sworn enemy…or her fearless protector? Ana Dikau is on a mission to gather information about Sentinel technician Ian Scott—the man she’s been deeply conditioned to fear. But Ana doesn’t know that the amulet she carries will slowly kill not only Ian but also every Sentinel with whom she comes in contact. Or that she shares a common bond with the Sentinel enemy. Ian Scott is a restless, brilliant man who takes the snow leopard when he shifts form. He knows that Ana is a puzzle he can’t resist. But he doesn’t realize she could cost him his heart—or even his life. For he’s soon working on what amounts to an epidemic among Sentinels. The only way to save his people is for the leopard to take control and work with the very woman he should despise…but cannot help desire.[/learn_more]

	Seduced by the Moon by Linda Thomas-Sundstrom Paranormal Romance
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Can blood ties be stronger than the passions that rule the heart? Skylar Donovan has come to her late father’s Colorado cabin to find answers to explain his death. Instead she meets a handsome forest ranger with a dark side. A stranger who is willing to protect her from an unknown assailant. A stranger who also appears in her dreams as something other than a man. He’s werewolf, and he satisfies Skylar Donovan like no mere man ever has. Gavin Harris was bitten by a monster in the hills he has sworn to protect and now searches for that beast. But his deadly mission unites him with a beautiful blonde bent on a search of her own. Neither is safe from the evil they’re stalking—but the forbidden lust that burns between them might be the greatest danger of all.[/learn_more]

	Baby’s Got Bite (Take It Like a Vamp #2) by Candace Havens Paranormal Romance
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Some consequences bite . . . big time. Bennett Langdon has a firm no-relationships policy. Still, it doesn’t stop her from hooking up with a super-sexy bad boy at her best friend’s wedding. After all, it’s only one night—what harm could it do? Ten weeks later, a pregnant Bennett has her answer… Linc Monahan can’t believe it. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He’s a werewolf, and shouldn’t be able to father a child with a human. Now Linc has to find some way to tell Bennett that not only do werewolves exist, but she’s about to have a baby with one. But when word of their surprise conception gets out, the fur hits the fan. There are people who don’t want this baby to be born—even if it means killing. Now Bennett and Linc aren’t just fighting each other . . . they’re fighting for their lives.[/learn_more]

Science Fiction / Fantasy:

	The Terrans (First Salik War #1) by Jean Johnson Science Fiction
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Jean Johnson’s first novel in an explosive new science fiction trilogy set in the world of the national bestselling Theirs Not to Reason Why series—set two-hundred years earlier, at the dawn of the First Salik War… Born into a political family and gifted with psychic abilities, Jacaranda MacKenzie has served as a border-watcher and even spent time as a representative on the United Planets Council. Now she just wants to spend her days in peace and quiet as a translator—but the universe has other plans… Humans have long known that they would encounter more alien species, and while those with precognitive abilities agree a terrible war is coming, they do not agree on who will save humanity—a psychic soldier or a politician. But Jackie is both. After she is pressured into rejoining the Space Force to forestall the impending calamity, Jackie makes an unsettling discovery. Their new enemy, the Salik, seem to be rather familiar with fighting Humans—as if their war against humanity had already begun… [/learn_more]

	Redzone (Mutant Files #2) by William C. Dietz Science Fiction
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]The national bestselling author of the Legion of the Damned novels returns to his dark mutant world, where Police Detective Cassandra Lee is on the trail of a brutal murderer… The year is 2065, almost thirty years since a bioterrorist attack decimated the population. The world has been divided, and new nations have formed. Those mutated from exposure inhabit the red zones, while “norms” live in the green zones. In the nation of Pacifica, Los Angeles detective Cassandra Lee is in charge of investigating a disturbing case, tracking a cop killer dubbed the Bonebreaker. But strange new murders have occurred, falling outside the normal pattern and leaving Lee and her team wondering if the serial killer has become unpredictable—or if he’s no longer acting alone… To make matters worse, Lee’s attention is diverted after she receives a letter from her long-lost mother. Now she must venture into the red zone, a lawless land where might makes right—and where the biggest danger may be her own family.[/learn_more]

	Grunt Traitor (Task Force Ombra #2) by Weston Ochse Science Fiction
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]The breakout military SF series continues! Their spies were among us for years. They mapped our electrical infrastructure, learned our weaknesses, until finally they flipped the switch and threw us back into the Dark Ages. Only OMBRA and its battalions around the world seem capable of defending Earth from the next wave of attack—terraforming. But at what price can we gain our freedom from these yet to be identified aliens? They’re pushing the human race to the edge of extinction if we can’t find a way to change things. But what will we have to change? What will we humans become to survive this threat. This is a time for heroes. For killers. For Grunts. Benjamin Carter Mason will be asked this question over and over as he dives deep into the nasty heart of an alien transformed Los Angeles. And in the end, he might be the last person on Earth defending not just our lives, but our humanity.[/learn_more]

	The Fall by R.J. Pineiro Science Fiction
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Jack Taylor has always been an adrenaline junkie. As a federal contractor, he does dangerous jobs for the government that fall out of the realm of the SEALS and the Marines. And this next job is right up his alley. Jack has been assigned to test an orbital jump and if it works, the United States government will have a new strategy against enemy countries. Despite Jack’s soaring career, his personal life is in shambles. He and his wife Angela are both workaholics and are on the verge of getting a divorce. But the night before his jump, Jack and Angela begin to rekindle their romance and their relationship holds promise for repair. Then comes the day of Jack’s big jump. He doesn’t burn up like some predicted–instead, he hits the speed of sound and disappears. Jack wakes up in an alternate universe. One where he died during a mission five years earlier and where Angela is still madly in love with him. But in this world, his boss, Pete, has turned to the dark side, is working against him, and the government is now on his tail. Jack must return to his own world but the only way for him to do that is to perform another orbital jump. This time is more difficult though–no one wants to see him go. Jack’s adrenaline is contagious–The Fall will keep readers on the edges of their seats, waiting to find out what crazy stunt Jack will perform next and to learn the fate of this charming, daredevil hero.[/learn_more]

	The Conquering Dark (Crown & Key #3) by Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith Science Fiction / Steampunk
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]To avenge a centuries-old betrayal, Gaios is hell-bent on summoning the elemental forces of the earth to level London and bury Britain. The Crown and Key Society, a secret league consisting of a magician, an alchemist, and a monster-hunter, is the realm’s only hope—and to stop Gaios, they must gather their full strength and come together as a team, or the world will fall apart. But Simon Archer, the Crown and Key’s leader and the last living magician-scribe, has lost his powers. As Gaios searches for the Stone of Scone, which will give him destructive dominion over the land, monster-hunter Malcolm MacFarlane, alchemist extraordinaire Kate Anstruther, gadget geek Penny Carter, and Charlotte the werewolf scramble to reconnect Simon to his magic before the world as they know it is left forever in ruins.[/learn_more]

	Soul of Smoke (Dragonsworn #1) by Caitlyn McFarland Fantasy
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]On a hike deep in the Rocky Mountains, Kai Monahan watches as a dozen dragons—actual freaking dragons—battle beneath a fat white moon. When one crashes nearly dead at her feet and transforms into a man, Kai does the only thing a decent person could: she grabs the nearest sword and saves his life. As the dragon/man, Rhys, recovers from the attack, a chance brush of skin against skin binds him inextricably to Kai. Becoming heartsworn to a human—especially such a compelling one—is the last thing Rhys wants. But with an ancient enemy gathering to pit dragons against humanity and his strength nearly depleted, Kai has just become the one thing Rhys needs. A complete bond will give him the strength to fight; a denied bond means certain death. Kai is terrified at the thought of allowing any dragon into her mind…or her heart. Accepting the heartswearing and staying with the dragons means sacrificing everything, and Kai must decide if her freedom is worth risking Rhys’s life—a life more crucial to the fate of humanity than she could possibly know.[/learn_more]

	The Dinosaur Lords (The Dinosaur Lords #1) by Victor Milán Fantasy
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]A world made by the Eight Creators on which to play out their games of passion and power, Paradise is a sprawling, diverse, often brutal place. Men and women live on Paradise as do dogs, cats, ferrets, goats, and horses. But dinosaurs predominate: wildlife, monsters, beasts of burden – and of war. Colossal planteaters like Brachiosaurus; terrifying meateaters like Allosaurus and the most feared of all, Tyrannosaurus rex. Giant lizards swim warm seas. Birds (some with teeth) share the sky with flying reptiles that range in size from batsized insectivores to majestic and deadly Dragons. Thus we are plunged into Victor Milán’s splendidly weird world of The Dinosaur Lords, a place that for all purposes mirrors 14th century Europe with its dynastic rivalries, religious wars, and byzantine politics…and the weapons of choice are dinosaurs. Where we have vast armies of dinosaur-mounted knights engaged in battle. And during the course of one of these epic battles, the enigmatic mercenary Dinosaur Lord Karyl Bogomirsky is defeated through betrayal and left for dead. He wakes, naked, wounded, partially amnesiac – and hunted. And embarks upon a journey that will shake his world. [/learn_more]

	Crooked by Austin Grossman Fantasy
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]AWARD-WINNING NOVELIST AUSTIN GROSSMAN REIMAGINES THE COLD WAR AS AN EPIC BATTLE AGAINST THE OCCULT WAGED BY THE ULTIMATE AMERICAN ANTIHERO–RICHARD NIXON. Richard Milhous Nixon lived one of the most improbable lives of the twentieth century. Our thirty-seventh president’s political career spanned the button-down fifties, the Mad Men sixties, and the turbulent seventies. He faced down the Russians, the Chinese, and ultimately his own government. The man went from political mastermind to a national joke, sobbing in the Oval Office, leaving us with one burning question: how could he have lost it all? Here for the first time is the tale told in his own words: the terrifying supernatural secret he stumbled upon as a young man, the truth behind the Cold War, and the truth behind the Watergate cover-up. What if our nation’s worst president was actually a pivotal figure caught in a desperate struggle between ordinary life and horrors from another reality? What if the man we call our worst president was, in truth, our greatest? In Crooked, Nixon finally reveals the secret history of modern American politics as only Austin Grossman could reimagine it. Combining Lovecraftian suspense, international intrigue, Russian honey traps, and a presidential marriage whose secrets and battles of attrition were their own heroic saga, Grossman’s novel is a masterwork of alternative history, equal parts mesmerizing character study and nail-biting Faustian thriller.[/learn_more]

	Heart of Tin (Dorothy Must Die #0.4) by Danielle Paige Fantasy
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Everyone knows the Tin Woodman as Dorothy’s lovable sidekick, the tin man who longed for a real heart to beat inside his tin chest. This digital original novella is the fourth installment in the prequel arc to the edgy and thrilling New York Times bestsellers Dorothy Must Die and The Wicked Will Rise, and tells what happened to the Tin Woodman after he got his wish. In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Wizard gave the Tin Woodman a heart, and all lived happily ever after—or so the story goes. But in Heart of Tin, the heart wants what the heart wants—and the Tin Woodman’s heart pines for Dorothy. The gift that the Wizard once bestowed on him turns twisted with longing. And when Dorothy returns to Oz with her own dark agenda, the Tin Woodman will do whatever it takes to help her rise to power—and to make her his.[/learn_more]

	Perdita by Faith Gardner Fantasy
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Sure, Arielle won’t deny that she has a vivid, even wild, imagination. Sure, it sometimes runs away with her. And yes, it’s true that she never recovered from the drowning death of her older brother, Justin, ten years ago, when Arielle was a little child. She almost hopes that ghosts are real, so that she might see Justin again. But ever since the misty morning when Arielle stumbles on the macabre sight of the body of her sister Casey’s best friend, Perdita, being lifted from a nearby pond, ghostly images begin to appear to Arielle. Can they be Perdita, reaching out as speculation about her death ramps up from suicide to foul play? Perdita’s younger brother, Tex, is back from private school, and Arielle can’t get him off her mind, although he’s a beautiful boy with scary secrets. Worse yet, there’s no one to tell: big sister Casey’s off to college, and Arielle discovers her own sister’s cache of secret writings, along with a bizarre note from Perdita. What’s real? What’s fantasy? In a compelling tale that hurtles toward a stunning conclusion, the imprint of grief and the boundaries of human imagination are stretched to their limits.[/learn_more]

	Abomination by Gary Whitta Fantasy
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]He is England’s greatest knight, the man who saved the life of Alfred the Great and an entire kingdom from a Viking invasion. But when he is called back into service to combat a plague of monstrous beasts known as abominations, he meets a fate worse than death and is condemned to a life of anguish, solitude, and remorse. She is a fierce young warrior, raised among an elite order of knights. Driven by a dark secret from her past, she defies her controlling father and sets out on a dangerous quest to do what none before her ever have—hunt down and kill an abomination, alone. When a chance encounter sets these two against one another, an incredible twist of fate will lead them toward a salvation they never thought possible—and prove that the power of love, mercy, and forgiveness can shine a hopeful light even in history’s darkest age.[/learn_more]

	The Good, The Bad and The Smug by Tom Holt Fantasy
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]New Evil. Same as the Old Evil, but with better PR. Mordak isn’t bad, as far as goblin kings go, but when someone, or something, starts pumping gold into the human kingdoms it puts his rule into serious jeopardy. Suddenly he’s locked in an arms race with a species whose arms he once considered merely part of a calorie-controlled diet. Helped by an elf with a background in journalism and a masters degree in being really pleased with herself, Mordak sets out to discover what on earth (if indeed, that’s where he is) is going on. He knows that the truth is out there. If only he could remember where he put it.[/learn_more]

	Midian Unmade: Tales of Clive Barker’s Nightbreed by Anthology Fantasy / Horror
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Clive Barker’s Nightbreed has been controversial since the moment it was released in a version edited by the studio and roundly condemned by Barker, who wrote and directed the movie. A virtually instant cult film based on Barker’s novella Cabal, it was nominated for three Saturn Awards and won several prizes at European film festivals. Midian Unmade tells the stories of the Nightbreed after the fall of their city, Midian. Driven from their homes, their friends and family members slain before their eyes, the monsters become a mostly-hidden diaspora. Some are hunted; others, hunters. Some seek refuge. Others want revenge. Contributors include: Karl Alexander, author of the classic novel Time After Time; actor, writer, and director Amber Benson (Tara Maclay on Buffy the Vampire Slayer); New York Times bestselling author Nancy Holder; Hugo and John W. Campbell Award winner Seanan McGuire; Bram Stoker Award winner Weston Ochse; David J. Schow, winner of the World Fantasy Award and writer of the screenplay for The Crow; New York Times bestselling writer Stephen Woodworth; and many more—23 stories in all. With an introduction by Clive Barker, this is an outstanding collection of original horror short stories in a dazzling variety of styles.[/learn_more]

Young Adult:

	Every Last Breath (The Dark Elements #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout Young Adult
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Some loves will last ’til your dying breath Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust. Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction. Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell…[/learn_more]

	Oblivion (Nevermore #3) by Kelly Creagh Young Adult
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]This electrifying conclusion to the Nevermore trilogy takes one last trip to the dream world of Edgar Allan Poe to reveal the intertwined fates of Isobel and Varen. The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins? —Edgar Allan Poe The fine line between life and death blurred long ago for Isobel Lanley. After a deadly confrontation with Varen in the dreamworld, she’s terrified to return to that desolate and dangerous place. But when her nightmares resume, bleeding into reality, she is left with no choice. Varen’s darkness is catching up to her. To everything. Threatening to devour it all. Isobel fears for her world. For her sanity and Varen’s—especially after a fresh and devastating loss. To make matters worse, the ghostly demon Lilith wants Varen for her own, and she will do anything to keep him in her grasp—anything.[/learn_more]

	I Am Number Four: Rebel Allies (Lorien Legacies: The Lost Files #10-12) by Pittacus Lore Young Adult
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]I Am Number Four: The Lost Files: Rebel Allies is a collection of three thrilling stories by Pittacus Lore. Originally published as the e-novellas The Fugitive, The Navigator, and The Guard, now, for the first time ever, they are together in one print volume. The Fugitive follows Mark James as he tries to track down Sarah Hart, evade the Mogadorians and the FBI, and discover the identity of the mysterious blogger he knows only as GUARD. The Navigator reveals the truth about the crew of the two Loric spaceships who escaped to Earth and shows what happened to the pilots after they arrived and parted ways with the Garde. The Guard tells the story of the hacker who has been aiding the Lorien survivors from the shadows for years. She’s determined to defeat the Mogs—and she just found her secret weapon. You know the truth about the Mogadorians’ invasion of Earth and the Garde who will do anything to defeat them—yet there is still so much to learn. The stories in Rebel Allies will help you get the answers you seek, but they will not help you stop the coming war. Only the Garde can save our planet. But they are not alone. . . . [/learn_more]

	Half a War (Shattered Sea #3) by Joe Abercrombie Young Adult / Fantasy
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Words are weapons. Princess Skara has seen all she loved made blood and ashes. She is left with only words. But the right words can be as deadly as any blade. If she is to reclaim her birthright, she must conquer her fears and sharpen her wits to a lethal edge. Only half a war is fought with swords. The deeply cunning Father Yarvi has walked a long road from crippled slave to king’s minister. He has made allies of old foes and stitched together an uneasy peace. But now the ruthless Grandmother Wexen has raised the greatest army since the elves made war on God, and put Bright Yilling at its head—a man who worships only Death. Sometimes one must fight evil with evil. Some—like Thorn Bathu and the sword-bearer Raith—are born to fight, perhaps to die. Others—like Brand the smith and Koll the wood-carver—would rather stand in the light. But when Mother War spreads her irons wings, she may cast the whole Shattered Sea into darkness.[/learn_more]

	Lost (Shipwreck Island #2) by S.A. Bodeen Middle Grade
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Sarah Robinson and her family are shipwrecked on a remote and mysterious island. Their food is running out, and their fear is escalating-there is no sign of rescue. The mysterious girl they found unconscious at the beach is healing, and what she tells them about the strange island and especially about someone called the Keeper has the family on edge. When Sarah’s dad and Marco’s younger brother go missing, the mystery becomes dangerous. Now, it’s a matter of life and death. Now, the family is truly lost.[/learn_more]

	The Accidental Afterlife of Thomas Marsden by Emma Trevayne Middle Grade
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]What if you found your own grave and it wasn’t empty? Grave robbing is a messy business. A bad business. And for Thomas Marsden, on what was previously an unremarkable spring night in London, it becomes a very spooky business. For lying in an unmarked grave and half covered with dirt is a boy the spitting image of Thomas himself. This is only the first clue that something very strange is happening. Others follow, but it is a fortune-teller’s frightened screams that lead Thomas into a strange world of spiritualists, death, and faery folk. Faery folk with whom Thomas’s life is bizarrely linked. Faery folk who need his help. Desperate to unearth the truth about himself and where he comes from, Thomas is about to discover magic, ritual, and the uncanny truth that sometimes the things that make a boy ordinary are what make him extraordinary.[/learn_more]

	The Magnificent Lizzie Brown and the Fairy Child (The Magnificent Lizzie Brown #4) by Vicki Lockwood Middle Grade
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Another adventure awaits as The Magnificent Lizzie Brown travels up to the green hills of Scotland, where legends of mystical creatures abound. At the circuss premiere performance, a wealthy, young orphaned girl becomes enthralled by the magic of the big top. After the heiress tries to runaway from home to join the performers on their journeys, her uncle tells her to forget about such silly things. But soon after, the girl vanishes. Has she run away again, or, as some of the locals claim, have fairies spirited her away forever? Only Lizzie and her friends can find the girl and sort fact from fantasy.[/learn_more]

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Carmel

Owner, designer and main blogger behind Rabid Reads. Avid book reader, snowboard bunny, video gamer and Supernatural fan. I love all things paranormal, werewolves especially. Oh, and I’m Canadian, eh!

Tags: Fresh Meat, July 2015

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