Fresh Meat: April 10 to 16 — 25 Speculative Fiction Releases

Posted April 12, 2016 by Carmel in Fresh Meat / 3 Comments

Paranormal Romance:

	Obsidian: Mating Fever (Dragon Horde #3) by Ronin Winters Paranormal Romance
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Descended from a long line of powerful psychics, from the minute Ash was born, she was promised as the future mate to the Dragon leader, and was to be raised as the next Lady of the Horde. However fate intervened, and the infant girl was taken away under cover of night. After decades of searching, Obsidian finally finds his Intended, but the woman before him is not what he expected. She’s tattooed and wild, rebellious and headstrong, and Obsidian can’t get her wicked tongue or even wickeder curves out of his mind. Ash might not be the image of the perfect mate, but could it be she’s perfect for him?[/learn_more]

	Aaron (Mating Fever: Rocked by the Bear #4) by V. Vaughn Paranormal Romance
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Olivia Dalton might have a little problem with control. She maintains a perfect GPA, has a flawless wardrobe and can bend people around her to fit her needs – until she meets the guy that throws her off beat with one glance. When the sexy drummer flashes his crooked smile her way, she comes undone at the seams and struggles to regain order. Fate has other ideas, making Olivia question everything she ever knew. Aaron Lindquist was drawn to the fiery redhead, Olivia the first time he laid eyes on her. Her good girl appearance didn’t fool him for a minute. One touch of her hand was all it took to make sparks fly between them. But as his polar opposite, Olivia refuses to let her animal out.[/learn_more]

	Dragon Fall (Mating Fever: Masters of the Flame #3) by Elsa Jade Paranormal Romance
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]As lord of the Nox Incendi dragons, Bale Dorado is supposed to protect his people within the exclusive Keep casino in Sin City, but the curse that plagues the clan has all but turned him to cold stone. Only by finding the powerful, burning heart of his treasure will he survive to lead them against a deadly magical threat to dragonkin. Instead, he finds himself falling for a wounded, delicate…virgin? Esme Montenegro fears everything about the broken, disfigured dragon lord—including her wild, feverish attraction to him. She too is falling…and if she can’t find her wings, they and all the Nox Incendi are doomed.[/learn_more]

	His Ruthless Bite (Scandals With Bite #4) by Brooklyn Ann Paranormal Romance
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]The Lord Vampire of Rochester doesn’t do a favor without a price. And now it’s time to collect. Gavin Drake, Baron of Darkwood is being pestered by nosy neighbors and matchmaking mothers of the mortal nobility. To escape their scrutiny, he concludes that it’s time to take a wife. After witnessing the young vampire Lenore’s loyalty to the Lord of London, he decides she is sufficient for the role. After surviving abuse from rogue vampires, Lenore Graves wants to help other women recover from their inner wounds. She befriends mesmerist John Elliotson and uses her vampire powers to aid him with his patients. When the Lord of London declares that Lenore is the price the Lord of Rochester demands for aiding him in battle, she is terrified. Will all of her hard work be destroyed by Ruthless Rochester? Yet she can’t suppress stirrings of desire at the memory of their potent encounter. After Gavin assures her that the marriage will be in name only, Lenore reluctantly accepts Gavin’s proposal. Determined to continue her work, she invites John Elliotson to Rochester. As they help women recover from traumas, Lenore explores her own inner turmoil and examines her attraction to her husband. Gavin realizes his marriage is a mistake. His new baroness’s involvement with the mesmerist is dangerous. He knows he should put a stop to Lenore’s antics— yet her tender heart is warming his own and tempting him to make her his bride in truth. As Lenore and Gavin’s relationship blossoms, the leader of a gang of rogue vampires embarks on a quest for vengeance against Gavin… using Lenore as his key.[/learn_more]

Science Fiction / Fantasy:

	Tainted (Soul Chronicles Series #1) by Morgan L. Busse Science Fiction
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]What Happens When Your Soul Dies? Kat Bloodmayne is one of the first women chosen to attend the Tower Academy of Sciences. But she carries a secret: she can twist the natural laws of science. She has no idea where this ability came from, only that every time she loses control and unleashes this power, it kills a part of her soul. If she doesn’t find a cure soon, her soul will die and she will become something else entirely. After a devastating personal loss, Stephen Grey leaves the World City Police Force to become a bounty hunter. He believes in justice and will stop at nothing to ensure criminals are caught and locked up. However, when Kat Bloodmayne shows up in his office seeking his help, his world is turned upside down. Together they search World City and beyond for a doctor who can cure Kat. But what they discover on the way goes beyond science and into the dark sphere of magic.[/learn_more]

	Thirst by Benjamin Warner Science Fiction
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]On a searing summer Friday, Eddie Chapman has been stuck for hours in a traffic jam. There are accidents along the highway, but ambulances and police are conspicuously absent. When he decides to abandon his car and run home, he sees that the trees along the edge of a stream have been burnt, and the water in the streambed is gone. Something is very wrong. When he arrives home, the power is out and there is no running water. The pipes everywhere, it seems, have gone dry. Eddie and his wife, Laura, find themselves thrust together with their neighbors while a sense of unease thickens in the stifling night air. [/learn_more]

	Bloodmage (The Battlemage Trilogy #2) by Stephen Aryan Fantasy
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]The people of Perizzi have survived the battlemage war, but their future is looking darker than ever. BYRNE is a Guardian of the Peace, investigating a series of murders in which the corpses were drained entirely of life. FRAY’s expertise with magic is needed to catch the killer, but working with the Guardians destroyed his father, years before. CHOSS, renowned as a fighter, must work for peace, to diffuse a war in the underworld that threatens to turn the streets red with rivers of blood. KATJA must use her skills as a spy to try to prevent a massacre that will topple two dynasties and destroy the fragile peace in the city for ever.[/learn_more]

	Masks and Shadows by Stephanie Burgis Fantasy
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]The year is 1779, and Carlo Morelli, the most renowned castrato singer in Europe, has been invited as an honored guest to Eszterháza Palace. With Carlo in Prince Nikolaus Esterházy’s carriage, ride a Prussian spy and one of the most notorious alchemists in the Habsburg Empire. Already at Eszterháza is Charlotte von Steinbeck, the very proper sister of Prince Nikolaus’s mistress. Charlotte has retreated to the countryside to mourn her husband’s death. Now, she must overcome the ingrained rules of her society in order to uncover the dangerous secrets lurking within the palace’s golden walls. Music, magic, and blackmail mingle in a plot to assassinate the Habsburg Emperor and Empress–a plot that can only be stopped if Carlo and Charlotte can see through the masks worn by everyone they meet.[/learn_more]

	Nobody’s Lady (Never Veil #2) by Amy McNulty Fantasy
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]For the first time in a thousand years, the men in Noll’s village possess the freedom to love whom they will. In order to give each man the chance to fully explore his feelings, the lord of the village decrees all marriages null and void until both spouses declare their love for one another and their desire to wed again. What many women think will be a simple matter becomes a source of village-wide tension as most men decide to leave their families and responsibilities behind. Rejected by the lord and ashamed of her part in the village’s history, Noll withdraws from her family and lives life as an independent woodcarver. This changes when her sister accuses her of hiding her former husband Jurij from her—and when Jurij eventually does ask to move in. Determined not to make the same mistakes, Noll decides to support her male friends through their new emotional experiences, but she’s soon caught up in a darker plot than she ever dared imagine possible from the men she thought she knew so well. And the lord for whom she still has feelings may be hiding the most frightening truth of them all. [/learn_more]

	A Shadow All of Light by Fred Chappell Fantasy
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Falco’s adventures coalesce into one overarching story of con men, monsters, ingenious detection, cats, and pirates. A wry humor leavens this fantastical concoction, and the style is as rich and textured as one would hope for from Chappell, a distinguished poet as well as a World Fantasy Award-winning fantasy writer.[/learn_more]

Young Adult / Middle Grade:

	A Fierce and Subtle Poison by Samantha Mabry Young Adult
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Everyone knows the legends about the cursed girl–Isabel, the one the señoras whisper about. They say she has green skin and grass for hair, and she feeds on the poisonous plants that fill her family’s Caribbean island garden. Some say she can grant wishes; some say her touch can kill. Seventeen-year-old Lucas lives on the mainland most of the year but spends summers with his hotel-developer father in Puerto Rico. He’s grown up hearing stories about the cursed girl, and he wants to believe in Isabel and her magic. When letters from Isabel begin mysteriously appearing in his room the same day his new girlfriend disappears, Lucas turns to Isabel for answers–and finds himself lured into her strange and enchanted world. But time is running out for the girl filled with poison, and the more entangled Lucas becomes with Isabel, the less certain he is of escaping with his own life. [/learn_more]

	Bloodtraitor (The Maeve’ra Trilogy #3) by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes Young Adult
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Malachi Obsidian has been his guild’s prophet ever since he was a child. Years ago, he envisioned a future in which his sister, Misha, ruled and the vampires’ empire was destroyed. His people have made many questionable decisions to keep their dream alive, and now Misha is finally on the verge of becoming queen of the serpiente, just as Malachi predicted. When a mercenary from the vampires’ inner circle proposes a daring plan to bring down the empire of Midnight once and for all, Malachi knows the shameful truth about Misha, but he must feign support for his unstable sister so his prophecy can be fulfilled. He must do it for his family, for his people—and for their freedom.[/learn_more]

	The Regional Office is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales Young Adult
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]In a world beset by amassing forces of darkness, one organization—the Regional Office—and its coterie of super-powered female assassins protects the globe from annihilation. At its helm, the mysterious Oyemi and her oracles seek out new recruits and root out evil plots. Then a prophecy suggests that someone from inside might bring about its downfall. And now, the Regional Office is under attack. Recruited by a defector from within, Rose is a young assassin leading the attack, eager to stretch into her powers and prove herself on her first mission. Defending the Regional Office is Sarah—who may or may not have a mechanical arm—fiercely devoted to the organization that took her in as a young woman in the wake of her mother’s sudden disappearance. On the day that the Regional Office is attacked, Rose’s and Sarah’s stories will overlap, their lives will collide, and the world as they know it just might end.[/learn_more]

	Strike (Hit #2) by Delilah S. Dawson Young Adult
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]The hit list was just the beginning. Time to strike back. After faking her own death to escape her term as an indentured assassin for Valor Savings Bank, Patsy is on the run with her boyfriend, Wyatt. All she wants to do is go home, but that’s never going to happen—not as long as Valor’s out to get her and the people she loves. Left with no good choices, Patsy’s only option is to meet with a mysterious group that calls itself the Citizens for Freedom. Led by the charismatic Leon Crane, the CFF seem like just what Patsy has been looking for. Leon promises that if she joins, she’ll finally get revenge on Valor for everything they’ve done to her—and for everything they’ve made her do. But Patsy knows the CFF has a few secrets of their own. One thing is certain: they’ll do absolutely anything to complete their mission, no matter who’s standing in their way. Even if it’s Patsy herself.[/learn_more]

	Love, Lattes and Angel (Mutants #3) by Sandra Cox Young Adult
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Some teens go to the Caribbean on spring break. Piper goes to save the world. Piper Dunn isn’t who you would call a normal teenager. For one thing, she doesn’t want anyone to know she was born with a blowhole. Even stranger, she has two love interests. Joel, a fellow dolphin-human hybrid, and Tyler, a human. It’s hard to choose when a mad scientist is hot on Piper’s trail. Worse, she’s trapped in the Bermuda Triangle. And . . . wait for it . . . Angel, her test-tube daughter, is apparently a real-deal reincarnation. It all adds up to an impossible situation, with happy endings all but lost at sea. Unless, of course, a voodoo high priestess casts a spell or two . . .[/learn_more]

	The Velocipede Races (Bikes in Space #1) by Emily June Street Young Adult
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Emmeline Escot knows that she was born to ride in Seren’s cutthroat velocipede races. The only problem: She’s female in a world where women lead tightly laced lives. Emmeline watches her twin brother gain success as a professional racing jockey while her own life grows increasingly narrow. Ever more stifled by rules, corsets, and her upcoming marriage of convenience to a brusque stranger, Emmy rebels—with stunning consequences. Can her dream to race survive scandal, scrutiny, and heartbreak?[/learn_more]

	Can You Keep a Secret? (Fear Street Relaunch #4) by R.L. Stine Young Adult
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Eddie and Emma are high school sweethearts from the wrong side of the tracks. Looking for an escape their dreary lives, they embark on an overnight camping trip in the Fear Street Woods with four friends. As Eddie is carving a heart into a tree, he and Emma discover a bag hidden in the trunk. A bag filled with hundred-dollar bills. Thousands of them. Should they take it? Should they leave the money there? The six teens agree to leave the bag where it is until it’s safe to use it. But when tragedy strikes Emma’s family, the temptation to skim some money off of the top becomes impossible to fight. There’s only one problem. When Emma returns to the woods, the bag of money is gone, and with it, the trust of six friends with a big secret.[/learn_more]

	Defender by Graham McNamee Young Adult
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]They call her Tiny, but Tyne Greer is six foot six, a high school basketball star who is hoping the game will be her ticket out of the slum. She lives in a run-down building called The Zoo, where her father is the superintendent. One day she discovers a crack in the wall of an abandoned basement room. And sealed up in the wall is a girl’s body. Horrified, she runs to get her dad. But after he goes to take a look, he comes back and tells Tyne that nothing’s there. No girl. No body. He tells her she must be seeing things in the dark. Tyne is sure it was real, though, and when she finds evidence that the body was moved from the hole in the wall, she knows the only one who could have done it is her father. But why? What is he hiding? Tyne’s search for answers uncovers a conspiracy of secrets and lies in her family. The closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes for her. Because some will do anything to bury the past…and keep her silent. [/learn_more]

	Waybound (The Books of Ore #2) by Cam Baity, Benny Zelkowicz Middle Grade
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Phoebe Plumm and Micah Tanner are a long way from home and entrenched in a struggle with no end in sight. The Foundry, an all-powerful company that profits off the living metal creatures of Mehk, is unleashing a wave of devastating attacks to crush the rebel army of mehkans known as the Covenant and capture Phoebe and Micah, dead or alive. But the Covenant believes that their ancient god, Makina, has chosen Phoebe for a sacred task: to seek the Occulyth, a mysterious object they hope can turn the tide against the Foundry. With her father gone, Phoebe’s once unshakable determination is broken, and while Micah tries to uphold the vow he made to protect her no matter the cost, their enemies are closing in and time is running out.[/learn_more]

	Treasure at Lure Lake by Shari L. Schwarz Middle Grade
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]I couldn’t believe what I saw: a map of a river next to a house and leading to a lake. Beside the lake was a tree, and beside the tree was an X. Bryce’s best-laid plans for a backpacking trip with his grandpa seem about to fall through. But when he finds a treasure map in his grandpa’s barn, he just knows it’s going to lead to something good. One thing is certain—no matter what the treasure map leads to, this is going to be the biggest adventure of Bryce’s life![/learn_more]

	Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard (Peter Nimble #2) by Jonathan Auxier Middle Grade
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]It’s been two years since Peter Nimble and Sir Tode rescued the kingdom of HazelPort. In that time, they have traveled far and wide in search of adventure. Now Peter and Sir Tode have been summoned by Professor Cake for a new mission: find a 12-year-old girl named Sophie Quire. Sophie knows little beyond the four walls of her father’s bookshop, where she works as a bookmender and dreams of leaving the confines of her city walls. But when a strange boy and his talking cat/horse companion show up searching for a rare and mysterious book, she finds herself pulled into an adventure beyond anything she has ever read. [/learn_more]

	The Mage of Trelian (Trelian #3) by Michelle Knudsen Middle Grade
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Apprentice mage Calen shocked everyone when he disappeared—apparently willingly—with Krelig, the incredibly powerful and evil mage intent on destroying the Magistatum and forcing the world to submit to his rule. Krelig believes Calen’s untapped magical power will be the key to his victory, and is training him to unlock his full potential. Calen is desperate to escape, but knows he must first learn as much as he can if there is to be any hope of defeating Krelig. Meanwhile, Trelian is at war, and Princess Meg has been training with her dragon to fight the enemy forces. She refuses to accept that her best friend, Calen, could really be a traitor, but she might be the only one. As the mages prepare for their own deadly battle, Calen must find a way to get back to Trelian to stop Krelig before it’s too late—if those he left behind will forgive and trust him enough to let him come home at all. [/learn_more]

	Island of Dragons (Unwanteds #7) by Lisa McMann Middle Grade
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Twins Alex and Aaron Stowe are put to the ultimate test to fulfill their destinies and save both Quill and Artimé from the deadliest enemy the cities have ever faced in the thrilling conclusion of the New York Times bestselling Unwanteds series, which Kirkus Reviews called “The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter.” Head mage Alexander Stowe and his friends successfully fended off the latest threat to their magical world of Artimé with the help of a surprise ally. But old enemies have secretly been plotting against them. Now Alex must lead his people in a final epic battle, one they can’t hope to win alone. Will Artimé finally know peace or will all they’ve fought for be destroyed forever?[/learn_more]

	Shadow Magic by Joshua Khan Middle Grade
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]Thorn, an outlaw’s son, wasn’t supposed to be a slave. He never should have run away from home, leaving his mother and siblings to fend for themselves. Now he’s been sold to Tyburn, an executioner, and they’re headed to Castle Gloom in Gehenna, the land of undead, where Thorn will probably be fed to a vampire. Lilith Shadow wasn’t supposed to be ruler of Gehenna. But on the terrible day her father, mother, and brother were killed, young Lily became the last surviving member of House Shadow, a long line of dark sorcerers. Her country is surrounded by enemies and the only way she can save it is by embracing her heritage and practicing the magic of the undead. But how can she when, as a girl, magic is forbidden to her? Just when it looks like Lily will have to leave her home forever, Thorn arrives at Castle Gloom. A sudden death brings them together, inspires them to break the rules, and leads them to soar to new heights in this fantasy with all the sparkle and luster of a starry night sky.[/learn_more]

	The Palace of Glass (The Forbidden Library #3) by Django Wexler Middle Grade
[learn_more caption=”Book Description”]For Alice, danger threatens from inside the library as well as out. Having figured out the role her master and uncle, Geryon, played in her father’s disappearance, Alice turns to Ending—the mysterious, magical giant feline and guardian of Geryon’s library—for a spell to incapacitate Geryon. But, like all cats, Ending is adept at keeping secrets and Alice doesn’t know the whole story. Once she traps Geryon with Ending’s spell, there’s no one to stop the other Readers from sending their apprentices to pillage Geryon’s library. As Alice prepares to face an impending attack from the combined might of the Readers, she gathers what forces she can—the apprentices she once thought might be her friends, the magical creatures imprisoned in Geryon’s library—not knowing who, if anyone, she can trust.[/learn_more]

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: April 2016, Fresh Meat

Pili from In Love With @pili28

This week my wallet gets a well deserved rest because although there are a pair of books I’m curious about, nothing I feel like I must buy right away!
Pili recently posted…COVER REVEAL: Unknown by Wendy Higgins!!!