January 11, 2022 – Locus online

Anderson, Kevin J .: Gods and Dragons

(Tor 978-1-250-30220-5, $ 29.99, 496 pages, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, January 11, 2022)

Epic fantasy novel, the third in the Wake the Dragon series. Nations that have been at war for a thousand years must set aside generations of hatred to form an alliance against a new and deadlier enemy.

Bedford, Jacey: The amber crown

(DAW 978-0-7564-1770-3, $ 20, 480pp, formats: paperback, ebook, Jan 11, 2022)

After a king is assassinated, the guard who is blamed must team up with the hitman and a witch receiving messages from the dead king, to find out who is really to blame for the king’s death.

Bell, Darcey: All that I want

(Simon & Schuster / Atria / Bestler 978-1-9821-7727-0, $ 17, 272pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audio, January 11, 2022)

Detective novel / thriller with horror elements. A young couple decides to renovate an old, rural mansion once used as a mental hospital, but Emma begins to wonder if it’s not haunted, as everyone blames pregnancy hormones.

Birmingham, John: Broken skies

(Penguin Random House / Del Rey 978-1-984820-55-6, $ 28.99, 480pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, January 11, 2022)

SF military space opera novel about interstellar warfare, second in the Cruel Stars series. After a group of “species purists” attacked a human with genetic or neural engineering, Earth barely survived. The motley crew who repelled the attack must now help rebuild civilization, while enemies old and new still threaten.

Flower, Amanda: Crimes and blankets

(The Quick Brown Fox / Crooked Lane 978-1-64385-596-7, $ 26.99, 304pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, January 1, 2022)

Fantastic novel, fifth in the Magical Bookshop series. Violet, the owner of the magic bookstore Charming Books, marries the police chief at a Christmas wedding, but a mysterious book collector is found dead at the reception.

Gala, Marcial: Call me Cassandra

(Macmillan / Farrar, Straus, Giroux 978-0-374-60201-7, $ 26, 224pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, January 11, 2022)

Novel with elements of fantasy / magical realism about an unsuitable boy in Cienfuegos, Cuba. The sensitive and intelligent young Rauli believes in three things: he was born in the wrong body, he is Cassandra of Troy reincarnated, and he will die in Angola at the age of 18. Translated from the Spanish by Anna Kushner.

Kirby, Gwen: Damn Cassandra Scie

(Penguin Random House / Penguin 9780143136620, $ 17, 288pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audio, Jan 11, 2022)

Collection of 21 stories about women reaching their breaking points, from Cassandra and witches refusing to be burned to radioactive cockroach warriors.

Laquais, Mercedes: Annie Oakley’s Silver Bullets

(DAW 978-0-756412173, $ 24.99, 288 pages, formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, January 11, 2022)

Fantastic novel, 16th in the Elemental Masters series. After Buffalo Bill temporarily hires a new sniper, who also happens to be an elemental airbender, Annie Oakley discovers that she and her husband Frank are magicians of rare ability.

Long, Meg: Cold at night, fast wolves

(St. Martin’s / Wednesday Books 978-1-250-78506-0, $ 18.99, 368 pages, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, January 11, 2022)

Young adult sci-fi novel reimagining the Iditarod dog sled race with a young woman hoping to escape her frozen planet, using a wolf in an infamous sled race.

Moore, Scotto: Battle of the Linguistic Mages

(Tordotcom 978-1-250-76772-1, $ 28.99, 448 pages, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, January 11, 2022)

Science fiction novel. Isobel’s skill at casting voice-based spells in medieval rave-themed virtual reality games Sparkle Dungeon earns her a job on the games, but she learns that a “conceptual storm” could destroy reality. (or at least California).

Offutt, Jason: The maize girl

(CamCat Books 978-0744304992, $ 24.99, 400pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, January 11, 2022)

Horror novel. As a child, Thomas Cavanaugh sees a fairy leading him through a cornfield to the Void, an encounter that marks him, until as a troubled young adult he returns to face the Void once and for all.

Parker, KJ: A practical guide to conquer the world

(Orbit US 978-0-316-49861-6, $ 17.99, 384 pages, formats: paperback, ebook, audio, January 11, 2022)

Fantastic novel, the third and final tome in The Siege series, set after the events of Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City.

Parrish, Rhonda, ed. : Trench coats, towers and trolls: cyberpunk fairy tales

(World Weaver Press 978-1-7340545-5-2, $ 15.95, 240 pages, formats: paperback, ebook, January 11, 2022)

Original anthology of twelve stories mixing fairy tales and cyberpunk. Authors include Laura VanArendonk Baugh, Angus McIntyre, Wendy Nikel, and Michael Teasdale.

Stross, Charles: Quantum of Nightmares

(Tordotcom 978-1-250-83937-4, $ 27.99, 368 pages, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, January 11, 2022)

Lovecraftian fantasy novel from the series New Management, a spin-off of the series Laundry Files. The new prime minister is a former Eldritch god, and people continue to develop strange powers.

Tan, Sue Lynn: Moon goddess girl

(Harper Voyager US 978-0-06-320905-3, $ 27.99, 507 pages, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, January 11, 2022)

Fantasy novel inspired by the legend of the Chinese moon goddess, Chang’e.

Vedder, Leslie: The bone rocket

(Penguin Random House / Razorbill 978-0-593-32582-7, $ 18.99, 416pp, formats: hardcover, ebook, audio, January 11, 2022)

Fantasy adventure novel with a genre focus for young adults. A young treasure hunter pricks his finger on a spindle of bone and accidentally awakens the spirit of Briar Rose, a prince under the spell of sleep.

Walters, Ron: Deep dive

(Angry Robot US 978-0-85766-926-1, $ 14.99, 400pp, formats: paperback, ebook, audio, January 11, 2022)

SF novel. A video game developer struggles to get a new VR game to work, but the first try knocks him unconscious – and when he wakes up, his daughters no longer exist.

Yanagiahara, Hanya: In Paradise