Sunday, February 24, 2013

Books in the Mail (W/E 2013-02-23)

Just two review books arrived this week, but both authors’ last names begin with the letter B. Go figure.

The Straits of Galahesh (The Lays of Anuskaya Book Two) by Bradley P. Beaulieu (Night Shade Books e-book/Trade Paperback 04/17/2012) – Beaulieu is doing something quite interesting with this series, he’s taken the rights back and is self-publishing e-versions of the first two as well as the final installment The Flames of Shadam Khoreh which publishes this summer. I’ve been wanting to read these books for a while now and I’ve got more reason to read them with book three publishing in a few months. (Also, Brad is one of the two guys who runs the excellent Speculate SF! Podcast.)

West of the Grand Duchy of Anuskaya lies the Empire of Yrstanla, the Motherland. The Empire has lived at peace with Anuskaya for generations, but with political turmoil brewing and the wasting disease still rampant, opportunists from the mainland have begun to set their sights on the Grand Duchy, seeking to expand their empire.

Five years have passed since Prince Nikandr, heir to the scepter of Khalakovo, was tasked with finding Nasim, the child prodigy behind a deadly summoning that led to a grand clash between the armies of man and elder elemental spirits. Today, that boy has grown into a young man driven to understand his past – and the darkness from which Nikandr awakened him. Nikandr’s lover, Atiana, has become a Matra, casting her spirit forth to explore, influence, and protect the Grand Duchy. But when the Al-Aqim, long thought lost to the past, return to the islands and threaten to bring about indaraqiram – a change that means certain destruction for both the Landed and the Landless – bitter enemies must become allies and stand against their horrific plans.

Can the Grand Duchy be saved? The answer lies hidden within the Straits of Galahesh…


Bloodfire Quest (The Dark Legacy of Shannara #2) by Terry Brooks (Del Rey Hardcover 03/12/2013) – It’s been quite some time since I read and enjoyed a Terry Brooks novel, but Aidan’s review of the first installment in this latest series, as well as this one specifically, has me seriously considering giving Mr. Brooks another try.

From New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks comes the second thrilling novel in a brand-new trilogy—The Dark Legacy of Shannara!

The quest for the missing Elfstones has gone badly awry. The Druid Order has been decimated, and its surviving leader and her followers are trapped inside the Forbidding—the hellish dimension that imprisons the most dangerous creatures banished from the Four Lands. But now the powerful magic barrier that surrounds the Forbidding is crumbling, and an evil horde is poised to break free . . . unless one young Druid is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.



3 comments:

Cursed Armada said...

I've had my eye on Beaulieu for a while now... The synopsis for his new desert series sounds really cool too. It's not number 1 on my TBR list, but it's up there!

Bob/Sally said...

Interesting move on Beaulieu's part . . . I'm curious as to why he's taken such a step, especially when it seems the series has been a success. Didn't realize book 3 was coming soon, so I need to catch up.

RobB said...

I'll be reading Brad's series, at least the first book, sooner than later I think.

NightShade has had problems in the past, aside from what Brad posted. Shame because Night Shade was publishing some really interesting books.