SFX Magazine: “This sets the tone for what’s to come: spiky, evocative, with a slightly manic gleam in its eye, Okorafor’s narrative approaches its subject from unexpected angles. …All human life is here, in other words, in its endless variety and strangeness.”
Publishers Weekly: The espionage potential of magical illusions sets the stage for Kowal’s fourth alternate-Regency caper (after Without a Summer). Lady Jane and Sir David Vincent, both accomplished at the art of spinning strands of magic into the sounds and images called “glamour,” leave England to visit Venice and Murano. Their plan is to work with Murano’s glassmakers, under the guise of visiting Vincent’s friend Lord Byron, and capture glamour in glass so that it can be moved from place to place. After their ship is attacked by “a Barbary corsair,” Vincent is injured and the pirates relieve the pair of their valuables. They arrive in Venice sans papers and discover Byron is away; their straits are dire. A banker offers lodging and monetary assistance, but their relief turns to dismay when they begin to suspect his motives. Jane and Vincent’s affectionate but never anachronistic relationship, and Kowal’s clever incorporation of period artifacts into the schemes, are of particular note.
Congratulations to Carolita Blythe on Revenge of a Not-So-Pretty Girl being selected as a Bank Street Best Book of 2014!
Girls who are pretty have a way of looking down their perfect noses at anyone they feel isn’t worthy of sharing the air with them. They have a way of making regular girls like me feel inferior for not winning the gene pool lottery. Tormenting them is my way of getting even.
Everyone knows that pretty equals mean, and Evelyn Ryder used to be a beautiful movie star—never mind that it was practically a lifetime ago. There’s no time limit on mean. So if you think I feel guilty about mugging her, think again.
But for something that should have been so simple, it sure went horribly wrong.
Kirkus: Combining history, magic and adventure, the book balances emotional depth with buoyant storytelling. Kowal continues her creative Regency-set Glamourist Histories series with a clever, captivating plot that culminates in a magical heist storyline. Before we get there, though, we are treated to a touching examination of a loving marriage under duress and the connections and collaborations these extraordinary partners must create and reaffirm with each other and those around them in order to thrive. Continue reading »
Polish rights to Anne Bishop’s MURDER OF CROWS, the second book in the Others series, to Initium via Prava I Prevodi in association with Jennifer Jackson.
Italian rights to Thea Harrison’s STORM’S HEART, Book 2 of the bestselling Elder Races series, to Fanucci, by Stefania Fietta at Agenzia Letteraria Internazionale, in association with Cameron McClure at on behalf of Amy Boggs.
Japanese rights to Mike Shepherd’s ENSIGN LONGKNIFE: AUDACIOUS, the 5th book in the New York Times bestselling military science fiction series, to Hayakawa by Kohei Hattori at the English Agency in association with Jennifer Jackson.
Audio rights to Steve Bein’s DISCIPLE OF THE WIND, Book 3 of the Fated Blades series, to Steve Feldberg at Audible, by Cameron McClure.
National Post: “Once more, Laukkanen scores one of the thrillers of the year. It will be difficult to top Kill Fee, but once more, I expect he will.”
Hugo Award winning author Mary Robinette Kowal’s untitled short story collection, to Paula Guran at Prime Books by Jennifer Jackson.
Publishers Weekly: Charbonneau concludes her dystopian Testing trilogy with this action-packed finale, which sees Cia Vale secretly tasked by the President of the United Commonwealth to remove the officials behind the lethal Testing process that has claimed so many young lives. Caught in an impossible situation, under constant surveillance, Cia must find allies among her classmates, never sure who she can trust. If she fails, the Testing will continue to destroy teenagers in the name of creating future leaders, while the rebellion against the government will likewise fail, betrayed by its leader. Continue reading »
Associated Press: “Kill Fee” works well as an in-depth police procedural and an insightful look at amorality and greed. Laukkanen employs the same strengths of brisk plotting and incisive character studies that he established in his first two novels.