February 2011 Releases

Done with January 2011 Releases? Here are February’s releases. To see further into the future, check my Reading Wishlist.

[REVIEW] Kiss of Death – P. D. Martin

P. D. Martin
Kiss of Death (Sophie Anderson, Book 5)
Harlequin Mira (US: 1st August 2010); Pan Macmillan (AU: 1st October 2010)
Buy (US) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

With two puncture wounds in her neck, an exsanguinated corpse was likely the victim of vampires…or people who think they are. FBI profiler Sophie Anderson works with the LAPD to investigate the case, and she’s a little too eager to unofficially go undercover, infiltrating the mysterious After Dark group. She’s been struggling to understand her own psi abilities, so maybe that’s why she wants to spend more time with the leader…

This is the fifth novel in the Sophie Anderson series. I’d already read the first two novels, skipped the third (features one of my most disliked tropes), and haven’t yet got my mitts on the fourth. The original Australian trade paperback edition mistakenly labelled Kiss of Death as a “thriller” on the front cover, but I’d put it under the catch-all genre of crime or, more specifically, procedurals. (The thriller element kicks in at least halfway into the novel.) The Aussie mass market paperback cover has wisely removed the “thriller” label, but I’m including this note in case you acquire the earlier version.

It’s never really concluded whether the vampires really are supernatural, or if they suffer from porphyria and/or Renfield’s syndrome. I’d love to read more about these medical/psychological conditions, so hopefully future authors of vampire fiction will continue to explore the science.

While the research and investigation are fascinating, I can’t connect with the characters. As a psychological expert, you’d expect Sophie to know better, to smell a rat, to not fall for a New Religious Movement leader. She shouldn’t be so easily charmed. As soon as we encounter him, Anton Ward’s a sleaze, and thus I don’t get the attraction. Quite possibly the idea that he could share more details of Sophie’s psi abilities could explain the appeal, but only partially. But generally speaking, in fiction alpha males tend to be douchebags, so I never understand their appeal. But I’m likely in the minority, so my opinion doesn’t count 😉

August 2010 Releases

Done with July 2010 Releases? Here are August 2010 Releases. To see further into the future, check Reading Wishlist.

May 2010 Releases

Done with April 2010 Releases? Here are May 2010 Releases. To see further into the future, check Reading Wishlist.

April 2010 Releases

Done with March 2010 Releases? Here are April 2010 Releases. To look into the future, check Reading Wishlist.

[COVER ART] Jes Battis’s INHUMAN RESOURCES & Rachel Caine’s KISS OF DEATH (UK)

US cover for Jes Battis’s Inhuman Resources. Think Timothy Lantz made the art. I see an angel, and Tess’s outfit coordinates rather well with the background. Good times! Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

The second image is the UK cover for Rachel Caine’s Kiss of Death. Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

YA Releases – 2010 & Beyond

C. A. Moulton called out for a list of 2010 & 2011 YA fantasy fiction, but my list here contains other YA subgenres, too 😉 These are only the ones with known release dates – those without are on my Reading Wishlist. Release dates can and probably will change in the lead-up to the books’ publication. Some are re-releases, international editions, etc. Of course, I don’t list every single book – only the ones that I’ve heard of and am interested in.

ANN AGUIRRE – Razorland – Dec 2010
KELLEY ARMSTRONG – The Reckoning – 27 Apr 2010/6 May 2010
JENNIFER LYNN BARNES – Raised by Wolves – 8 Jun 2010
HOLLY BLACK – White Cat – 4 May 2010/17 Jun 2010/1 May 2011
S. A. BODEEN – The Gardener – 25 May 2010
RACHEL CAINE – Kiss of Death – 3 May 2010/4 May 2010
KRISTIN CAST et al – Kisses from Hell – 8 Aug 2010
CASSANDRA CLARE – The Clockwork Angel – 1 Sep 2010/14 Sep 2010
ANDREA CREMER – Nightshade – 14 Oct 2010
HEATHER DAVIS – The Clearing – 15 Mar 2010/12 Apr 2010
KAT FALLS – Dark Life – 29 Apr 2010/1 May 2010
CATHERINE FISHER – Incarceron – 26 Jan 2010
BECCA FITZPATRICK – Crescendo – 2010
AMY GARVEY – Cold Kiss – 2011
TERI HALL – The Line – 4 Mar 2010/9 Mar 2010
STACEY JAY – Undead Much? – 21 Jan 2010/26 Jan 2010
STACEY JAY – My So-Called Death – 1 Mar 2010/1 Apr 2010
CARRIE JONES – Captivate – 5 Jan 2010/5 Apr 2010
KELLY KEATON – Darkness Becomes Her – 2011
JACKIE MORSE KESSLER – Hunger – 11 Aug 2010
JACKIE MORSE KESSLER – Rage – 2011
KAREN KINCY – Other – 1 Jul 2010
GEMMA MALLEY – The Returners – 1 Feb 2010/2 Mar 2010
RICHELLE MEAD – Spirit Bound – 18 May 2010
JACKSON PEARCE – Sisters Red – 3 Jun 2010/7 Jun 2010
SUSAN BETH PFEFFER – This World We Live In – 4 Mar 2010/1 Apr 2010/3 May 2010
CARRIE RYAN – The Dead-Tossed Waves – 9 Mar 2010/8 Apr 2010/1 Mar 2011
JERI SMITH-READY – Shade – 4 May 2010/18 May 2010
MARIA V. SNYDER – Inside Out – 1 Apr 2010
LILI ST. CROW – Jealousy – 29 Jul 2010/3 Aug 2010
MAGGIE STIEFVATER – Linger – 20 Jul 2010
JESSICA VERDAY – The Haunted – 31 Aug 2010
ROBIN WASSERMAN – Wired – 14 Sep 2010

[COVER ART] Keri Arthur’s MOON SWORN & Rachel Caine’s KISS OF DEATH

Apologies if these have already been plastered all over the blogosphere – I’m out of touch with the community, so I don’t know if they’ve been pimped yet.

Anyhoo, US covers for Keri Arthur’s Moon Sworn and Rachel Caine’s Kiss of Death. Enjoy.