Dear writers: Please be aware of ongoing scams by agent impersonators. Use extra caution with any unsolicited offers from agents. Reputable agents will not ask for upfront fees of any kind. For more information, look at sites such as Writer Beware (https://writerbeware.blog/). Please always check email addresses/spellings. All official emails from Donald Maass Literary Agency will come from an address that ends in @maassagency.com (2 A's, 2 S's in MAASS).

Deal: Kim Harrison

Oct 202023
 

New York Times bestselling author of The Hollows, Kim Harrison, sold FIRST CONTACT, TOTALITY, and EMERGENCE. With story roots born after the author witnessed the 2017 eclipse, the epic tale begins in the wake of a solar eclipse. A portal between our world and a paranormal realm opens—and a scientist’s life will never be the same, in this new thrilling serialized adventure: Eclipsed Evolution. Executive Editor Anne Sowards at Penguin Random House / Ace acquired rights via Jennifer Jackson. To be released back to back in April, May and June 2024.

Congratulations to Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey!

Oct 182023
 

THE DEAD TAKE THE A TRAIN by Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey makes the Barnes and Noble’s Best Books of 2023 list!

Julie is a coked-up, burnt-out thirty-year-old whose only retirement plan is dying early. She’s been trying to establish herself in the NYC magic scene, and she’ll work the most gruesome gigs, exorcize the nastiest demons, and make deals with the cruelest gods to claw her way to the top. But nothing can prepare her for the toughest job yet: when her best friend, Sarah, shows up at her door in need of help. Keeping Sarah safe becomes top priority.

Julie is desperate for a quick fix to break the dead-end grind and save her friend. But her power grab sets off a deadly chain of events that puts Sarah – and the entire world – directly in the path of annihilation.

The first explosive adventure in the Carrion City Duology, The Dead Take the A Train fuses Cassandra Khaw’s cosmic horror and Richard Kadrey’s gritty fantasy into a full-throttle thrill ride straight into New York’s magical underbelly.

Starred Review: The Olympian Affair by Jim Butcher

Oct 162023
 

Booklist: Two years after the events of The Aeronaut’s Windlass (2015), Spire Albion is hovering on the brink of war with Spire Aurora, which has been field-testing a powerful weapon that leaves no witnesses as to what could cause such complete destruction. Captain Mad Grimm and the crew of the privateer airship Predator manage to rescue some survivors of an attack on Albion territory—a tribe of kittens. But the felines refuse to identify the threat unless provided with a new home, which will require negotiations with the cats of Spire Albion. As that agreement is worked out, Predator is assigned to accompany a diplomatic delegation to Spire Olympia, where a summit between competing Spires is being held, a conclave to determine future trade patterns and ascertain alliances for the coming war. Grimm himself has been tasked with preventing any confrontations between Alex Bayard, the delegation’s deputy, and Aurora’s deadliest duelist. If he fails, his friend will die, and Albion will be deprived of allies as war is declared. Butcher’s fans will delight in the new characters and alternate Spires while enjoying favorites from the first book and will be eager for the next episode in the action-packed Cinder Spires series.

Review: System Collapse by Martha Wells

Oct 132023
 

Locus: The seventh of Martha Wells’s Murderbot long-form stories, System Collapse is a novel-length sequel to Network Effect, picking up within days of that novel’s conclusion. Murderbot fans are unlikely to be disappointed here: Wells is on form with the series’ trademark black humour, razor-sharp tension, Murderbot’s all-too-relatable interpersonal interactions, action, and high stakes.

But despite its action-adventure bones, System Collapse is a more low-key, introspective novel than many of the Murderbot stories have been so far. As is usual for Martha Wells’ work, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

If you haven’t read the Murderbot stories, I don’t advise starting here. But I do advise starting them: if you enjoy them, you’ll enjoy this one too.

Review: The Breakup Tour by Emily Wibberly & Austin Siegemund-Broka

Oct 122023
 

Booklist: In their third adult contemporary romance, following Never Vacation with Your Ex (2023), married writing duo Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka explore the relationship between a famous pop star and the man who inspired her greatest hit. Riley Wynn has finally attained mainstream success with her newest album and its lead single, but everyone thinks the song is about her famous ex-husband. Determined to reclaim the narrative, she asks her ex-college-boyfriend, Max Harcourt, to go public as its real inspiration. Max agrees only if he can come on tour with her band, and soon he and Riley realize there may be more than break-up songs in their future. Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka prove they are masters of the second-chance romance, getting the essentials just right—lingering chemistry, intense longing, and two people who have regrets about the past and one more chance to make it right. Max and Riley are believable as both romantic leads and fully formed characters with conflicting desires, and readers will laugh and swoon as they find their way back to each other through music.

Review: A Second Chance for Yesterday by R.A. Sinn

Oct 112023
 

Locus: 

“provocative, assured, compelling debut novel”

“The romance that develops between Myx and Nev is indicative of the nicely divided dual priorities by which Sinn contours the book. Not only is the techno-riddle given full prominence, but so is Nev’s whole familial and adult backstory. She ends up on a path to solve not only the Glitch, but also all the little glitches in her life. The knockout ending knots off both threads nicely.”

“As with so much classic SF, that’s the glory of this suspenseful, fast-moving tale: the ratiocinative human mind pitted against the existential whirlpool of the cosmos.”

Review: It Takes Monsters by Mandy McHugh

Oct 102023
 

Booklist: McHugh’s dark, disturbing, and twisty sophomore thriller (after Chloe Cates Is Missing, 2022) features rich and privileged characters that readers will love to hate. When Victoria Tate’s husband, Warren, steals her family’s company out from under her and begins to control her life, she decides she is done with him. This time, he has gone too far, and she will not be told what to do. Victoria plans the perfect murder, but someone knows her intentions and beats her to it. After Warren’s gruesome death, Victoria becomes the focus of an investigation into a crime of which she is innocent. Taunted by cryptic texts from someone named X, Victoria must figure out who set her up before she loses everything. As a true-crime aficionado, she relies on her vast knowledge and attempts to solve the mystery herself. McHugh’s biting sarcasm and witty humor take center stage in this fast-paced domestic-suspense story full of secrets, lies, and betrayals.

Review: The Olympian Affair by Jim Butcher

Oct 052023
 

Library Journal: The Spires have kept humanity safe from the dangers of the surface of the world, but now war looms between Spires Albion and Aurora, as other Spires must begin to choose sides to ensure their survival. A trade summit at Spire Olympia is the opportunity for Lord Albion, the Spirearch, to secure the alliances needed to hold off Aurora, and he sends Captain Grimm and his airship, the AMS Predator, to support the diplomatic mission. When Aurora’s Armada reveals a secret weapon that can destroy entire Spires, it will take diplomacy, duels, and incredible skill to align the Spires with Albion—if it is not already too late. Multiple points of view from established and new characters widen the worldbuilding. With eight years between books, fans will enjoy reconnecting with the characters through a reread of the first book, yet new readers can also read this as a stand-alone. VERDICT Butcher’s long-awaited sequel to The Aeronaut’s Windlass is an exciting epic fantasy, set in the sky and filled with airships, magic, and the connections of blood and found family.

Review: The Breakup Tour by Emily & Austin Siegemund-Broka

Oct 042023
 

Library Journal: Riley Winn is one of the biggest names in music after her breakup album becomes an instant hit. The world thinks the lead single from the album is about her ex-husband, but it is actually about her college flame, Max Harcourt, whom she hasn’t seen in a decade. Riley decides to reclaim the narrative by asking Max if he will play in her tour band. Max loves music, but he decided to give up his dream of playing professionally to take over his family’s business. While he is happy enough with his decision, he sees the opportunity to perform with Riley as a chance to prove to himself that he made the correct decision to let go of his musical aspirations, and of her. Riley and Max have to work out the awkwardness of playing together again, but as they find their rhythm, they realize that the spark is still there—along with another chance for a future together. VERDICT Fans of Taylor Swift and author Bridget Morrissey will especially enjoy this emotional second-chance romance from married writing duo Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka (Do I Know You?).

Congratulations to Tamsyn Muir!

Oct 022023
 

Nona the Ninth coverNONA THE NINTH rings in as #45 as a USA Today Bestseller!

Her city is under siege.

The zombies are coming back.

And all Nona wants is a birthday party.

In many ways, Nona is like other people. She lives with her family, has a job at her local school, and loves walks on the beach and meeting new dogs. But Nona’s not like other people. Six months ago she woke up in a stranger’s body, and she’s afraid she might have to give it back.

The whole city is falling to pieces. A monstrous blue sphere hangs on the horizon, ready to tear the planet apart. Blood of Eden forces have surrounded the last Cohort facility and wait for the Emperor Undying to come calling. Their leaders want Nona to be the weapon that will save them from the Nine Houses. Nona would prefer to live an ordinary life with the people she loves, with Pyrrha and Camilla and Palamedes, but she also knows that nothing lasts forever.

And each night, Nona dreams of a woman with a skull-painted face…

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