Robots and Vamps

Starbound (Marsbound, book 2) by Joe Haldeman

Dust jacket summary: A New from the Hugo, Nebula, and John W. Campbell Award-winning author of Marsbound.

Carmen Dula and her husband have spent six years travelling to a distant solar system that is home to the enigmatic, powerful race known as “The Others,” in the hopes of finding enough common purpose between their species to forge a delicate truce.

By the time Carmen and her party return, fifty years have been consumed by relativity-and the Earthlings have not been idle, building a massive flotilla of warships to defend Earth against The Others. But The Others have more power than any could imagine-and they will brook no insolence from the upstart human race.

Arms-Commander (Recluce, book 16) by L E Modesitt, Jr

Dust jacket summary: “Arms-Commander” takes place ten years after the end of The Chaos Balance and tells the story of the legendary Saryn. The keep of Westwind, in the cold mountainous heights called the Roof of the World, is facing attack by the adjoining land of Gallos. Arthanos, son and heir to the ailing Prefect of Gallos, wishes to destroy Westwind because the idea of a land where women rule is total anathema to him. Saryn, Arms-Commander of Westwind, is dispatched to a neighbouring land, Lornth, to seek support against the Gallosians. In the background, the trading council of Suthya is secretly and informally allied with Gallos against Westwind and begins to bribe lord-holders in Lornth to foment rebellion and civil war. They hope to create such turmoil in Lornth that the weakened land will fall to Suthya. But Zeldyan, regent of Lornth, has problems in her family. To secure Zeldyan’s aid, Saryn must pledge her personal support – and any Westwind guard forces she can raise – to the defence of Zeldyan and her son. The fate of four lands, including Westwind, rests on Saryn’s actions.

Impact by Douglas Preston

Dust jacket summary: When Wyman Ford is called in to investigate the mysterious exit hole of a meteorite that amazingly passed straight through the earth, what he finds defies all that we know about our universe. There is an ancient structure buried deep in Voltaire Crater on Deimos, one of Mars’ moons. Sticking up from the structure is the unmistakable outline of a gun. It was built to monitor the solar system and destroy any intelligent life powerful enough to challenge it – but built by whom? A quick calculation of the orbit of Mars indicates that Deimos Crater will once again point at the earth in sixty hours. The final shot – the one that will destroy the earth – will come then. The end-game is at hand. Wyman Ford and a team of scientists must figure out how to destroy the alien doomsday weapon in the next sixty hours. Their only tools are what is already in orbit around Mars – the Orbiter, the Mars lander on the surface, and several smaller satellites orbiting the Red Planet. None of them carry anything remotely resembling a weapon. Sixty hours and counting.

The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny (Nightside, book 10) by Simon Green

Dust jacket summary: Things were going so well for P.I. John Taylor, that it was only a matter of time before everything hit the fan. Walker, the powerful, ever-present, neverto-be-trusted agent who runs the Nightside on behalf of The Authorities, is dying. And he wants John to be his successor-a job that comes with more baggage, and more enemies, than anyone can possibly imagine.

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Catalyst (Barque Cats, book 1) by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

Dust jacket summary: From the team of Anne McCaffrey (author of Dragonriders of Pern series) and Nebula Award-winning author Elizabeth Ann Scarborough comes a thrilling new science fiction tale featuring telepathic cats which are invaluable to the spacefarers who own them. Thomas’s Duchess – or Chessie, to those who love and depend on her services – is no ordinary cat. She’s a purebred Barque Cat, trained to patrol the ship on which she serves, sniffing out oxygen leaks and spotting other problems. But when a corrupt government announces it has found an epidemic that requires the impounding and possible destruction of animals cross the galaxy – Barque Cats included – two young people, a kitten, and a mysterious, powerful cat with a hidden agenda are all that stand between the galaxy’s animals and total destruction.

Iorich (Vlad Taltos, book 12) by Steven Brust

Dust jacket summary:

House Jhereg, Dragaera’s organized crime syndicate, is still hunting Vlad Taltos. There’s a big price on his head on Draegara City. Then he hears disturbing news. Aliera–longtime friend, sometime ally–has been arrested by the Empire on a charge of practicing elder sorcery, a capital crime.

It doesn’t make sense. Everybody knows Aliera’s been dabbling in elder sorcery for ages. Why is the Empire down on her now? Why aren’t her powerful friends–Morrolan, Sethra, the Empress Zerika–coming to her rescue? And most to the point, why has she utterly refused to do anything about her own defense?

It would be idiotic of Vlad to jump into this situation. He’s a former Jhereg who betrayed the House. He’s an Easterner–small, weak, short-lived. He’s being searched for by the most remorseless killers in the world. Naturally, that’s exactly why he’s going to get completely involved…

The Domino Pattern (Frank Compton, book 4) by Timothy Zahn

Dust jacket summary: Frank Compton used to be an agent for the security forces of Earth, but that was a piece of cake compared to what he’s had to deal with working for the aliens who run the Quadrail, an interstellar transportation system connecting a dozen civilizations across the galaxy.

He’s been trying to end the domination of an alien lifeform called the Modhri. This enormously powerful creature wants to rule the galaxy by controlling the thoughts of all its citizens. It does so by having parts of itself ‘infect’ others on contact, and act as agents for it without them being aware they’re being manipulated. When Frank and his assistant Bayta journey to investigate a connection between the Modhri and the Filiaelians, they come up against a conspiracy on the Quadrail.

Passengers are being murdered.but something besides murder haunts the Quadrail. A plot is brewing that even the Modhri fears. And once again, Frank and Bayta may be the only ones who can stop it.

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Dust jacket summary: Love can be a dangerous thing….

Hanna simply wants to be loved. With a head plagued by hallucinations, a medicine cabinet full of pills, and a closet stuffed with frilly, violet dresses, Hanna’s tired of being the outcast, the weird girl, the freak. So she runs away to Portero, Texas in search of a new home.

But Portero is a stranger town than Hanna expects. As she tries to make a place for herself, she discovers dark secrets that would terrify any normal soul. Good thing for Hanna, she’s far from normal. As this crazy girl meets an even crazier town, only two things are certain: Anything can happen and no one is safe.

Erak’s Ransom (Ranger’s Apprentice, book 7) by John Flanagan

Dust jacket summary: When Erak, the Skandian Oberjarl, is taken hostage during a raid on the desert lands to the south of the Constant Sea, his second-in-command, Svengal, is sent to bring back a ransom for Erak’s release. Halt and Will must go with Svengal to deliver the ransom and secure Erak’s freedom, but a royal presence is needed too. The Princess Cassandra – or Evanlyn, as Will knows her – persuades her father to let her go with them. Horace and the Ranger Gilan round out the group to make sure that Evanlyn is well protected. But will violent sandstorms, warring tribes and danger at every turn keep them from reaching Erak in time? The seventh book takes us back to the final year of Will’s apprenticeship, before the events related in Books 5 and 6.

The Sorceress of Karres by Eric Flint and Dave Freer

Dust jacket summary: As Captain Pausert had often had occasion to observe, life just wasn’t fair! Hadn’t he (with the help of the notorious witches of Karres), after which, at the least, he deserved some time off. No such luck, though as the Empress herself sent him on a secret mission to stop the nanite plague, but an enemy had somehow convinced the Imperial Fleet that he was actually a wanted criminal, so after a battle leaving his ship in urgent need of repairs all three of them joined an interstellar traveling circus(don’t ask!) in order to sve the galaxy once again(as toldf in The Wizard of Karres).

Time for a vacation? Don’t be ridiculous-there’s a new urgent mission that has Captain Pausert’s name on it! This new novel finds the long-suffering Captain and the two young Karres witches-Goth who vows she will marry him when she grows up , and her younger sister The Leewit-being sent off to investigate mysterious and ominous events in the notorious Chaladoor region of space. Goth soon becomes aware that unknown but surely inimical forces are trackingthem, and in order to foil them she takes a desperate route to travel back in time and meet Pausert as a young boy. Meanwhile , the captain and the Leewit find themselves in the middle of their own desperate situation in the Chaladoor.

Whoever it was who said that a change was as good as a vacation never met any of the Witches of Karres-nor experienced their amazing talent for getting Captain Pausert into trouble.

Through Stone and Sea (Noble Dead, book eight) by Barb Hendee and J C Hendee

Dust jacket summary: The new national bestselling Noble Dead story arc is “another must read series” (Book Spot Central).

Wynn journeys to the mountain stronghold of the dwarves in search of the “Stonewalkers,” an unknown sect supposedly in possession of important ancient texts. But in her obsession to understand these writings, she will find more puzzles and questions buried in secrets old and new-along with an enemy she thought destroyed…

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Hastur Lord (Darkover) by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J Ross

Dust jacket summary: A never-before-published fantasy novel set in Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover universe.

The world of Darkover, a unique, isolated, and protected world, has long avoided becoming part of the technologically advanced Terran Empire. But things are about to change. Regis Hastur, lord of the most powerful of the seven Domains in Darkover, learns that the Empire is about to become a Federation, and is extending an invitation for all of the worlds to join. While the offer seems tempting to his people, Regis knows that Darkover would become little more than a military base, used for its unique planetary position, and will be sapped of its resources. He must now stop at nothing to save his world.

Brain Thief by Alexander Jablokov

Dust jacket summary: Alexander Jablokov returns to science fiction with his best book ever. Bernal Haydon-Rumi, executive assistant to a funder of eccentric projects, drops by his boss’ house on the way home from a business trip. By the next morning, he’s been knocked out, his wealthy socialite boss Muriel has stolen a car and vanished, and the Al designed for planetary exploration that she’s been funding turns out to be odder than it should be. In figuring out what’s going on, Bernal has to deal with an anti-Al activist toting a handmade electronic arsenal, a local serial killer, a drug dealer with a business problem, a cryonic therapist stalked by past mistakes – and someone who specifically wants Bernal dead.

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

Dust jacket summary: Restless souls and empty hearts

Brooklyn can’t sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe’s ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn’t Lucca visiting her dreams.

Nico can’t stop. He’s always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca’s ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they’re being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

Bone Magic (Sisters of the Moon) by Yasmine Galenorn

Dust jacket summary: The New York Times bestselling author of Demon Mistress returns with a new sensual Otherworld paranormal…

Another equinox is here, and life’s getting more tumultuous for the D’Artigo sisters. Smoky, the dragon of Camille’s dreams, must choose between his family and her. Plus, the sisters can’t locate the new demon general in town. And Camille’s summoned to Otherworld, thinking she’ll reunite with her long-lost soul mate Trillian. But once there, she must undergo a drastic ritual that will forever change her and those she loves.

Inked by Karen Chance, Marjorie M. Liu, Yasmine Galenorn, Eileen Wilks

Dust jacket summary: Four of today’s hottest urban fantasy writers together for the first time!

From today’s most provocative authors come four tales of urban fantasy and paranormal romance exploring body art that is more than it seems-in a world of magic and mayhem that always leaves its mark.

This captivating tattoo theme surrounds each author’s popular characters and worlds: Karen Chance’s war mage Lia de Croissets, Marjorie M. Liu’s demon-hunter Maxine Kiss, Yasmine Galenorn’s Otherworld Intelligence Agency operative Camille D’Artigo, and Eileen Wilk’s Lupi world.

Come Hell or High Water: A Broken Heart Novel (Broken Heart Vampires) by Michele Bardsley

Dust jacket summary: The newest paranormal romance in the national bestselling broken heart series

Everybody makes mistakes-and my first one was named Connor, a heart- stealing Scottish hottie. I thought our night together was the beautiful beginning to a love story, which turned out to be my second mistake. I, Phoebe Allen, lifelong Broken Heart resident and vampire, am now mated to a half-demon.

Thankfully Phoebe’s four-year-old son Danny is safely away at Disneyworld with his human father. Because Phoebe’s right in the middle of major paranormal drama, helping Connor and his rag-tag group of friends retrieve part of an ancient talisman in order to ward off Connor’s vicious stepmother, an uber-demon named Lilith. Phoebe swears she isn’t falling for any of Connor’s demon charm. But still, he’s willing to do anything to protect her and prevent demons from storming into Broken Heart. And her undead heart can’t resist a bad boy with identity issues…

They protect Chicago from demons, vamps, and dark magic users. It’s too bad Lily doesn’t have powers of her own to help. At least, none that she’s discovered yet…