Books Received

The books listed here have been received by our UK reviews editor and are awaiting review in infinity plus. Thanks to all the publishers who have supported us!

Each book is listed with publishing details of the edition we have received; any comments in quotation marks are taken from the publishers' publicity materials and do not reflect any critical evaluation on the part of infinity plus. The status comments are aimed at our UK-based reviewers, to indicate whether the book is available (bear in mind, though, that this file is usually only updated once a week).

Review copies: please contact Keith Brooke (UK) or Paul Barnett (US) if you wish to send us review copies. We are interested in all professional genre publications, with an emphasis on written work over other media.

Books received

• Something of the Night by Paul Cave
  (Apex, £10.99, 386 pages, paperback, published 2006, received 21 March 2007.)
  "In a post-apocalyptic world in which the sun has been replaced by darkness, the few survivors have been forced underground to protect themselves from evil predators that roam the surface of the Earth in search of their preferred prey -- Man." [status: available]

• Cold Light of Day by Paul Cave
  (Apex, £9.99, 349 pages, paperback, published 2006, received 21 March 2007.)
  "Student Josh Sawyer's passionate encounter with Anna, a beautiful and mysterious young woman, was one that would change his life forever and thrust him into a horror nightmare of violence and bloodlust and force him to come to terms with Anna's deep, dark and terrifying secrets." [status: available]

• Eregon: Inheritance Book One by Christopher Paolini
  (Corgi, £6.99, 517 pages, paperback, first published 2002, this edition published 1 March 2007, received 13 March 2007.)
  "A wonderful, classical fantasy story of dragons, wizards and heroes that will appeal to both young and adult readers." [status: available]

• Eldest: Inheritance Book Two by Christopher Paolini
  (Corgi, £6.99, 677 pages, paperback, first published 2005, this edition published 1 March 2007, received 13 March 2007.)
  "Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire...But chaos and betrayal plague him at every turn, and Eragon isn't sure whom he can trust..." [status: available]

• The Wave Runners by Kai Meyer
  (Egmont Press, 374 pages, uncorrected book proof, will be available in paperback priced £5.99, first published 2003, this edition published 3 May 2007, received 13 March 2007.)
  "...evil forces are stirring in the Caribbean and when a demon from the sea kills Munk's parents, Jolly and Munk wonder if the creature was really after them...Featuring sea monsters, ghost ships and children who walk on water -- this first book in a new trilogy has all the ingredients of a rip-roaring read." [status: available]

• Everfree by Nick Sagan
  (Bantam Press, £6.99, 326 pages, paperback, published 2 April 2007, received 10 March 2007.)
  "As Everfree opens, a small group of 'posthumans' has survived the apocalyptic epidemic called Black Ep, a disease that has ravaged the world, leaving them in sole possession of the Earth. They are now in the process of waking thousands of men, women and children from cryonic stasis...People who remember power are waking up to a new world, and they do not intend to wait their turn. This begins Sagan's poignant story about the loss of innocence and the struggle to save civilisation against savagery and evil." [status: available]

• Death's Head: Book One of the Aux by David Gunn
  (Bantam Press, 368 pages, uncorrected book proof, will be available in hardback priced £12.99, published 7 May 2007, received 10 March 2007.)
  "The Violence is extreme, the death toll monumental, the sex dirty, the plot twists gut-wrenching, the action non-stop -- this is Death's Head, an explosively exciting debut fiction form a startlingly new talent." [status: available]

• The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski, translated by Danusia Stok
  (Gollancz, 261 pages, uncorrected book proof, will be available in hardback priced £18.99 and trade paperback priced £12.99, published April 2007, received 8 March 2007.)
  "Garalt, the witcher from Rivia, is stronger than mere mortals, with sorcerous powers at his command. His sole purpose: to destroy the monsters that plague the world...Andrzej Sapkowski is an international bestseller. Finally available in English...Published to tie in with a astounding new computer game, The Witcher." [status: available]

• Selling Out: Quantum Gravity Book Two by Justina Robson
  (Gollancz, 320 pages, uncorrected book proof, will be available in hardback priced £18.99 and trade paperback priced £10.99, published May 2007, received 8 March 2007.)
  "Lila Black is going to Hell...a mission to Hell is exactly what she needs. The heart of art, of pleasure, sensuality and politics, Daemonia is glorious and terrible. It's the sort of place where Lila really shouldn't be surprised to be on the receiving end of a host of proposals both to duels and marriage and an assassination attempt, but it seems Daemonia might be even more complicated than Lila thought..." [status: available]

• Black Man by Richard Morgan
  (Gollancz, 647 pages, uncorrected book proof, will be available in hardback priced £12.99 and trade paperback priced £10.99, published 17 May 2007, received 8 March 2007.)
  "And so begins a frantic man-hunt, a battle for survival, and a search for the truth about what was really done with the world's last soldiers. Black Man is an unstoppable SF thriller as well as a novel about prejudice, and the ramifications of playing with our genetic blueprint. It is about our capacity for violence, for deceit and for corruption." [status: available]

• Hunter's Moon by David Devereux
  (Gollancz, 192 pages, uncorrected book proof, will be available in hardback priced £18.99 and trade paperback priced £9.99, published 21 June 2007, received 8 March 2007.)
  "And so Jack found himself on the front line of a secret war, so bizarre, so terrifying that most people simply wouldn't believe it was possible...Jack's a very modern sort of magician -- trained in the magical arts, adept at exorcism but also a dab hand with a Heckler and Koch, skilled in unarmed combat and electronic surveillance..." [status: available]

• The Man With The Golden Torc: Secret Histories Book One by Simon R Green
  (Gollancz, 377 pages, uncorrected book proof, will be available in hardback priced £17.99 and trade paperback priced £10.99, published 17 May 2007, received 8 March 2007.)
  "The username's Bond, Shaman Bond. Licensed to kick supernatural arse. And Bond -- real name Eddie Drood -- comes from one of the oldest families in England, a family that has been protecting Humanity from the forces of darkness for more centuries than anyone can even remember..." [status: available]

• The Modern World by Steph Swainston
  (Gollancz, 367 pages, uncorrected book proof, will be available in hardback priced £9.99 and export trade paperback priced £10.99, published April 2007, received 8 March 2007.)
  "The Emperor San and his Circle of immortals lead the people of the Fourlands in their endless struggle against the terrifying alien insects that threaten to annihilate them. A war for survival has long become a grinding war of containment...The Fourlands suddenly faces a greater threat than ever before. Can the Circle survive the dawn of a new, modern world?" [status: available]

• The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds
  (Gollancz, 545 pages, uncorrected book proof, will be available in hardback priced £14.99 and export trade paperback priced £11.99, published 12 April 2007, received 8 March 2007.)
  "The Prefect: a rollercoaster ride through the dark and turbulent universe of Revelation Space; an interstellar thriller where nothing -- and no one -- is what they seem..." [status: available]

• Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock
  (Gollancz, £14.99, 296 pages, hardback, first published 1984, this edition published 15 February 2007, received 6 March 2007.)
  "First published over twenty years ago, Mythago Wood remains one of the major key novels in the history of fantasy writing. Now re-issued with a brand new jacket, it is ready to be re-discovered by all those who loved it the first time around, and those ready yet to be enchanted by this wonderful work of fiction." [status: available]

• Bone Song by John Meaney
  (Gollancz, £12.99, 346 pages, trade paperback, also available in hardback priced £18.99, published 15 March 2007, received 6 March 2007.)
  "Lieutenant Donal Riorden is a good cop. Good enough to find himself picked out for a job protecting a visiting opera diva. Not good enough to keep her alive. And now the bones are speaking to Donal. They know him now. He can feel them, He can taste their song. Donal needs to find out who wanted the diva dead. More importantly, he needs to find out who wants him dead." [status: with reviewer]

• Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan
  (Gollancz, £9.99, 327 pages, hardback, first published 2005, this edition published 25 February 2007, received 6 March 2007.)
  "Daughter of Xy, brought up to do her duty to her country, her king and her people...But the once-great kingdom of Xy is threatened by the Warlord and his barbarian Firelanders, and her brother Xymund is forced to surrender. The terms are fair...There is just one thing more: to ensure a true peace -- no pillaging, no looting, no rapine -- the Warlord has claimed tribute. He claims Xylara, Daughter of Xy, to be his Warprize..." [status: available]

• Into The Yellow and Other Stories by Barbara Davies
  (Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company, £8.95, 211 pages, paperback, published 2006, received 1 March 2007.)
  "Visit ancient Rome, lunar settlements, and alien worlds. Meet zombies and vampires, mermen, dragons and demons. Experience nano technology and watch history happen from a time machine. Barbara Davies explores the spectrum of speculative fiction in this collection of entertaining and thought-provoking stories." [status: available]

• The Lies of Locke Lamora: Book One of the Gentleman Bastard Sequence by Scott Lynch
  (Gollancz, £12.99, 504 pages, trade paperback, also available in hardback priced £18.99, published 1 June 2006, received 7 June 2006. Gollancz, £7.99, 537 pages, paperback, first published 2006, this edition published 1 February 2007, received 28 February 2007.)
  "The Lies of Locke Lamora is the first in a thrilling new fantasy series...a new cult fantasy hero in the making, a man who fails to live up to his awesome reputation as the Thorn of Camorr, an unbeaten swordsman and a champion for the poor -- he's part man, part myth and the rumours of his legendary status are simply not true." [status: with reviewer]

• Emperor: Time's Tapestry Book One by Stephen Baxter
  (Orion, £10.99, 300 pages, trade paperback, also available in hardback priced £17.99, published 20 July 2006, received 7 July 2006. Gollancz, £7.99, 302 pages, paperback, first published 2006, this edition published 8 February 2007, received 28 February 2007.)
  "In this first novel, a young woman called Brica who lives on the cold northern edge of the Roman Empire, struggles through a painful labour. She suddenly begins talking latin, a language she has never even heard before, much less spoken. She has uttered a prophesy, one so powerful that if enacted will change the fate of the entire Roman Empire and the future it is set to shape." [status: available]

• Roadside Picnic: SF Masterworks 68 by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
  (Gollancz, £6.99, 145 pages, paperback, first published 1977, this edition published 8 February 2007, received 28 February 2007.)
  "Red Schuhart is a stalker, one of those misfits who are compelled, in spite of the extreme danger, to venture illegally into the Zone to collect the mysterious artefacts that the alein visitors left scattered around..." [status: available]

• The Bonehunters: a Tale of the Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson
  (Bantam Press, £20.00, 891 pages, hardback, published 6 March 2006, received 17 February 2006. Bantam £7.99, 1213 pages, paperback, first published 2006, this edition published 2 April 2007, received 23 February 2007.)
  "The Seven Cities Rebellion has been crushed and their commander slain. Now the battle-weary Malaz army faces one last rebel force, holed up in an ancient fortress. But this is a place of foreboding. For it was here that the Empire's greatest champion fell and a tide of Malazan blood was spilled." [status: available]

• Unicorns by Nigel Suckling
  (Facts, Figures & Fun, £5.99, 95 pages, hardback, published April 2007, received 20 February 2007.)
  "Renowned fantasy writer Nigel Suckling takes us through the history of the unicorn in myth and legend, throughout the world, revealing how the unicorn has established its place as a powerful figure over the past 2000 years." [status: available]

• Our Universe: An Introduction by Patrick Moore
  (Facts, Figures & Fun, £6.99, 127 pages, hardback, published April 2007, received 20 February 2007.)
  "Here Patrick Moore, the world's best-known astronomer, packs over 60 years of experience into this well-researched and entertaining pocket history of the hugely fascinating and popular science of astronomy." [status: available]

• Scales by Anthony G Williams
  (Authors OnLine, £not advised, 220 pages, signed paperback, published 2007, received 20 February 2007.)
  "A mysterious accident leaves Matt Johnson with massive burns. When he recovers months later, he is no longer entirely human. His search to discover what happened to him and his struggle to survive in a hostile world, lead to discoveries which threaten the existence of human civilisation. He has a chance to avert disaster, but time is running out..." [status: available]

• Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay
  (Simon & Schuster, £18.99, 416 pages, hardback, published 5 March 2007, received 16 February 2007.)
  "Ned Marriner is spending six weeks with his father in France, where the celebrated photographer is shooting Saint-Sauveur Cathedral in Aix-en-Provence...In this ancient place, where the borders between the living and the long-dead are blurred, Ned and his family are about to be drawn into a strange and haunting tale, as mythic figures from conflicts of long ago erupt into the present, changing -- and claiming -- lives." [status: available]

• Burning Tower by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
  (Orbit, £18.99, 430 pages, hardback, published April 2005, received 17 March 2005.Orbit, £8.99, 616 pages, paperback, first published 2005, this edition published 2007, received 14 February 2007.)
  "The fire god Yangin-Atep has retreated into myth, leaving the residents of Tep's Town unprotected for the first time in their history. But fires aren't the only danger the residents of Tep's Town are facing ... " [status: available]

• The Sum of All Men:The Runelords Book One by David Farland
  (Orbit, £7.99, 614 pages, paperback, first published 1998, this edition published 2007, received 14 February 2007.)
  "It is the eve of Hostenfest and effigies of the Earth King fill the streets...Far to the south -- but not far enough -- Raj Ahten, the Wolf Lord of Indhopal, moves through the land, his army destroying anything and anyone in his path...The Wolf Lord seems destined to bring all of humanity under his rule. Unless, after 2000 years, the Earth King should rise again..." [status: available]

• Wolf: The Runelords Book Two by David Farland
  (Orbit, £7.99, 678 pages, paperback, first published 1999, this edition published 2007, received 14 February 2007.)
  "Gaborn has managed to drive off Raj Ahten, but the Wolf Lord is far from defeated...Gaborn is about to discover that his enemy is far from the brutal conqueror he imagined him to be. It seems that Raj Ahten has a very good reason for what he does...and as they weaken each other's forces in battle, the armies of an ancient and implacable enemy issue forth from the very bowels of the Earth." [status: available]

• The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore
  (Orbit, £6.99, 326 pages, paperback, first published 1999, this edition published 2007, received 14 February 2007.)
  "The town psychiatrist has decided to switch everybody in Pine Cove, California, from their narmal antidepressants to placebos...Suddenly, morose Pine Cove turns libidinous and is hit by a mysterious crime wave, and a beleaguered constable has to fight off his own gonzo appetites to find out what's wrong and what, if anything, to do about it." [status: available]

• In the Earth Abides the Flame: Fire of Heaven Book Two by Russell Kirkpatrick
  (Orbit, £7.99, 526 pages, paperback, first published 2004, this edition published 2007, received 14 February 2007.)
  "When the arrival of a disturbing stranger ignites political and religious tensions, events escalate beyond control. Only one thing could unite a land wracked with such mistrust. But can it be found? Or is the Jugom Ark merely a legend?" [status: available]

• The Wishsong of Shannara: Book Three of the Shannara Series by Terry Brooks
  (Atom, £7.99, 566 pages, hardback, first published 1985, this edition published 2007, received 14 February 2005.)
  "The Ildach, ancient source of evil, has stirred to life, sending its foul Mord Wraiths to make war on all living things and bring about, at last, Mankind's destruction...Brin, daughter of Wil Ohmsford, has been born with the magic of the Wishsong, which alone can open a way to the Ildach..." [status: available]

• Last of the Wilds: Age of the Five Book Two by Trudi Canavan
  (Orbit, £12.99, 614 pages, hardback, first published 2006, this edition published 3 August 2006, received 3 July 2006. Orbit, £7.99, 614 pages, paperback, first published 2006, this edition published 2007, received 6 February 2007.)
  "The war between the Circlians and Pentadrians is over, but the cost has been high on both sides. Although the architect of the White's victory, Auraya has little cause for self-congratulation; her days are spent trying to reconcile the Dreamweavers and the priesthood, while her nights are filled with nightmares...Peace, it seems, must wait a little while yet." [status: available]

• Dead Man Rising by Lilith Saintcrow
  (Orbit, £6.99, 370 pages, paperback, published 2006, received 6 February 2007.)
  "Something is wrong in Saint City. Psions are dying. The cops can't catch the killer or find what connects the victims, leaving them with one option. They call in Dante Valentine..." [status: available]

• Smoke and Mirrors by Tanya Huff
  (Orbit, £6.99, 439 pages, paperback, first published 2005, this edition published 2006, received 6 February 2007.)
  "It begins in a haunted house. Tony, former street-kid protege of Henry Fitzroy has moved out of Fitzroy's home and is now a production assistant on TV show Darkest Night -- a fictional show about a vampire detective...but imagine Tony's surprise when he discovers that the location chosen for the shoot comes with its own special effects..." [status: available]

• Dragon Master: The Omnibus Edition by Chris Bunch
  (Orbit, £9.99, 850 pages, paperback, Storm of Wings first published 2002, Knighthood of the Dragon first published 2003, The Last Battle first published 2004, this omnibus edition published 2007, received 6 February 2007.)
  "When the uneasy peace of the three kingdoms is threatened by war, Hal's dream of riding dragons becomes reality. For this is a conflict like no other. For the first time, wild dragons have become living weapons, ridden by men of cold daring and ruthless ambition. And the greatest of them is Hal Kailas. Dragonmaster." [status: available]

• Traitor to the Blood by Barb and JC Hendee
  (Orbit, £6.99, 485 pages, paperback, published 2006, received 6 February 2007.)
  "Born a half-breed to an elven mother and a human father, Leesil was raised in the Warlands as an assassin, spy and slave for Lord Darmouth...But Leesil's mother trained him well, and he used his skills to escape...Now...Leesil returns to confront the sins of his past and uncover his parents' fate." [status: available]

• Lint by Steve Aylett
  (Snowbooks, £7.99, 182 pages, paperback, first published 2005, this edition published 15 March 2007, received 5 February 2007.)
  "Jeff Lint was the author of some of the strangest and most inventive satirical SF of the twentieth century...Aylett follows Lint through his Beat days; his immersion in pulp SF, psychedelia and resentment; his disastrous scripts for Star Trek and Patton; the controversies of The Caterer comic and the scariest cartoon ever aired; and his belated Hollywood success in the 1990s." [status: available]

• Bloodmind by Liz Williams
  (Tor, £10.99, 292 pages, trade paperback, published 16 February 2007, received 2 February 2007.)
  "...Darkland has spawned a rogue assassin, a female vitki killer known as Skinning Knife; despite their differences Vali and Eld decide to join forces to track down the vitki's most lethal weapon." [status: with reviewer]

• Darkland by Liz Williams
  (Tor, £6.99, 424 pages, paperback, first published 2006, this edition published 16 February 2007, received 2 February 2007.)
  "In the far-distant future Vali Hallsdottir, assassin for an organisation known as the Skald, is sent on a secret mission to the world of Nhem...Vali's journey takes her to Darkland, where sinister forces known as the vitki wreak havoc." [status: available]

• So Far, So Near by Matt Coward
  (Elastic Press, £5.99, 212 pages, paperback, published 1 February 2007, received 31 January 2007.)
  "Journey through these seventeen stories and unravel the mystery of dead ghosts, discover why fresh air is so clean, and understand why the Joke Squad is one of the busiest in the police force, whilst Coward's characters deal with infestations of horses, witches running call centres, and ponder the eternal question: If time travel is possible, then where are all the time travellers?" [status: available]

• Skaters, Trekkies and Cool Dudes: Book One of the Divine Cock-up Trilogy by Derek Lawrence
  (FrontList Books, £not advised, 229 pages, paperback, published 2006, received 29 January 2007.)
  "When God and Lucifer go missing and Heaven and Hell start to descend into chaos, the Joint Darkness & Light Emergency Committee decides that urgent action is needed..." [status: available]

• Scheherazade 29 edited by Elizabeth Counihan, co-edited by Deirdre Counihan
  (Scheherazade, £3.50, 60 pages, illustrated paperback magazine, published 2006, received 26 January 2007.)
  "For this, the penultimate issue of Scheherazade, at least in its present incarnation, we've piled the plate with goodies: some great stories and amazing illustrations by a host of new and seasoned writers and artists." [status: available]

• Vampire Apocalypse: A World Torn Asunder by Derek Gunn
  (Black Death Books, £not advised, 215 pages, signed paperback, published 2006, received 19 January 2007.)
  "The War is over and the Vampires have won. The drying up of the world's oil resources leads to the fabled End of Days...With communication between cities lost and attention turned inward, the vampires rise from the shadows where they have survived for centuries and sweep across the globe...In the midst of chaos, a small band of rebels lead a terrified existence..." [status: available]

• Residue by Andrew Hook
  (Halfcut Publications, £not advised, 130 pages, paperback, also available in limited edition illustrated hardback, £ not advised, published 2006, received 18 January 2007.)
  "Whether tracing a new father's regret in Tight or revealing a young boy's guilty secret in Double Cross, Hook never shies from examining the unflinching emotional close-ups effecting daily life." [status: available]

• Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris
  (Gollancz, £9.99, 263 pages, hardback, first published 2005, this edition published 15 January 2007, received 15 January 2007.)
  "Harper Connelly had a lucky escape when she was hit by lightening: she didn't die. But sometimes she wishes she had died, because the lightning strike left her with an unusual talent: she can find dead people -- and that's not always comfortable...Grave Sight is the first in a brand new venture called Gollancz Romancz, bringing the best in sexy crossover supernatural fiction for women who like their adventure and romance with that added bite!" [status: available]

• A Shout for the Dead: The Ascendants of Estorea Book Two by James Barclay
  (Gollancz, £12.99, 628 pages, trade paperback, published 15 January 2007, received 15 January 2007.)
  "In The Cry of the Newborn we were introduced to four teenagers, each of whom had nature at their command. They became pawns in the struggle of the Estorean Empire to survive...Now ten years have passed and Estorea is consumed by war and the four ascendants have chosen different sides in the conflict." [status: available]

• The Broken Kings: Book 3 of the Merlin Codex by Robert Holdstock
  (Gollancz, £14.99, 357 pages, hardback, also available in trade paperback, published 15 January 2007, received 15 January 2007.)
  "Concluding Robert Holdstock's Merlin Codex series, a fabulous tale of honour, vengeance and magic by one of the great fantasists of modern times...This is a journey that will take Merlin back in history, and to a fabled island of legend. Love is in the air. But at a price..." [status: available]

• The Mark of the Beast and Other Fantastical Tales: Fantasy Masterworks 50 by Rudyard Kipling
  (Gollancz, £7.99, 785 pages, paperback, this edition published 2006, received 12 January 2007.)
  "This Masterwork, edited by Stephen Jones, Britain's most accomplished and acclaimed anthologist, collects all Kipling's weird fiction for the first time; the stories range from traditional ghostly tales to psychological horror. This volume features a specially written introduction by Neil Gaiman." [status: available]

• Celtika and The Iron Grail by Robert Holdstock
  (Gollancz, £7.99 each 325 and 309 pages, paperback, Celtika first published 2001, The Iron Grail first published 2002, this edition published 2006, received 12 January 2007.)
  "The first two volumes of Robert Holdstock's The Merlin Codex, re-issued by Gollancz in a fantastic new cover design to accompany the release of the third and final volume, The Broken Kings. Long before King Arthur is born to rule England, the enchanter Merlin is caught up in a tangled web of magic and mayhem, treachery, truth and heady enchantment. This is superior fantasy from a master writer." [status: available]

• Battlestar Galactica by Jeffrey A Carver, based on the teleplay by Ronald D Moore and Christopher Eric James, based on a teleplay by Glen A Larson
  (Gollancz, £6.99, 336 pages, paperback, published 2006, received 12 January 2007.)
  "Battlestar Galactica electrified viewers and critics alike and was hailed as a landmark in sci-fi television. Here, for the first time, is the novel based on that exciting mini-series." [status: available]

• Mordant's Need by Stephen Donaldson
  (Gollancz, £15.99, 979 pages, trade paperback, The Mirror of Her Dreams first published 1986, A Man Rides Through first published 1987, this omnibus edition published January 2007, received 12 January 2007.)
  "The Land of Mordant: beset from without by armies and monsters and from within by plots, dissension and madness...a rich and finely textured novel by a master storyteller, a tale of love and lust, power and court politics, in a place where nothing is ever what it seems..." [status: available]

• Changelings: Book One of The Twins of Petaybee by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
  (Bantam Press, £17.99, 273 pages, hardback, published 9 September 2006, received 4 August 2006. Bantam, £6.99, 332 pages, paperback, first published 2006, this edition published 1 January 2007, received 11 January 2007.)
  "Yana and Sean are now the parents of twins, Ronan Born for Water Shongili and Murel Monster Slayer Shongili. Born of Petyabee, their destiny is deeply intertwined with the sentient planet that is their home." [status: available]

• Maelstrom: Book Two of the Twins of Petaybee by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Anne Scarborough
  (Bantam Press, £17.99, 237 pages, hardback, published 1 January 2007, received 11 January 2007.)
  "...While staying with Kushtaka they were told that the deep sea otters were not just otters but beings from outer space..." [status: available]

• Outdoors by Bailey Ferry
  (Windy House Publishing, £11.99, 315 pages, trade paperback, published 2006, received 11 January 2007.)
  "Colonist Achilles Jinn had never laughed, cried, experienced anger or compassion in his entire life. The occasion had not really arisen in his isolated, sterile environment and attempting anything spontaneous would undoubtedly have resulted in his mother's wrath. So why couldn't he stop thinking about Outdoors?" [status: available]

• Dalek I Loved You by Nick Griffiths
  (Gollancz, 261 pages, uncorrected book proof, will be available in hardback priced £12.99, published 19 April 2007, received 11 January 2007.)
  "Dalek I Loved You is the hilarious and touching memoir of a love affair, of a life lived with the Doctor. It is also an evocative memoir of a 1970s childhood, and (it gets worse) of being a teenager and a student in the 1980s and (wait for it) a music journalist in the 1990s." [status: available]

• The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction edited by George Mann
  (Solaris Books, 269 pages, uncorrected book proof, will be available in paperback priced £7.99, published 5 February 2007, received 20 November 2006.)
  "The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction is a short story anthology of the highest order, showcasing the talents of some of the world's greatest science fiction writers, including Peter F Hamilton, Stephen Baxter, Jay Lake and Greg Van Eekhout, Brian Aldiss, Eric Brown, Adam Roberts, Paul Di Filippo and Ian Watson...All stories are original to this collection and have never appeared in print before." [status: available]

• Deadstock by Jeffrey Thomas
  (Solaris Books, 263 pages, uncorrected book proof, will be available in paperback priced £7.99, published 5 February 2007, received 20 November 2006.)
  "Punktown, crime-ridden metropolis of the colony world, Oasis, is home to the scum of countless alien races. Stalking its mean streets is Jeremy Stake, the private detective with chameleon-like abilities he does not want and cannot control. There's his wealthy client, Fukuda, whose company makes synthetic life forms as playthings for the rich. Then there's Fukuda's beautiful teenage daughter, whose priceless one-of-a-kind living doll has been stolen..." [status: available]

• The Summoner: Book One of the Chronicles of the Necromancer by Gail Martin
  (Solaris Books, 381 pages, uncorrected book proof, will be available in paperback priced £7.99, published 5 February 2007, received 20 November 2006.)
  "The world of Prince Martris Drake is thrown into sudden chaos and disorder when his brother murders their father and seizes the throne...With only a handful of loyal colleagues to support him, he must seek retribution and restore his father's honour. But if the living are arrayed against him Martris must call on a different set of allies: the ranks of the dead." [status: available]

• Splinter by Adam Roberts
  (Solaris Books, pages unnumbered, unbound, uncorrected book proof, will be available in trade paperback priced $15.00, published summer 2007, received 20 November 2006.)
  "When Hector discovers his father has channelled the family fortune into a bizarre cult who await the imminent destruction of Earth, he is wracked by feelings of betrayal and doubt. Things change, however, the night an asteroid plummets from space and shatters the planet, leaving Hector and the remnants of the human race struggling for survival on a splinter of the Earth." [status: available]

• Desperate Moon: Three Collections by R Andrew Heidel, introduction by Harlan Ellison
  (PS Publishing, £25.00, 281 pages, numbered limited edition hardback, signed by R Andrew Heidel, also available as deluxe slipcased numbered limited edition hardback signed by R Andrew Heidel and Harlan Ellison priced £60.00, published September 2006, received 17 November 2006.)
  "The work of R Andrew Heidel is acclaimed by some of the greatest short fiction writers of our time. Both Ray Bradbury and Harlan Ellison have praised his skill at the craft of writing. Now Heidel tantalises the mind and spirit, invokes an otherworldly journey, and reaches into the darkness with Desperate Moon, Three Collections." [status: available]

• On The Overgrown Path by David Herter, introduction by John Clute
  (PS Publishing, £not advised, 120 pages, numbered limited edition paperback signed by David Herter, also available as numbered limited edition hardback signed by David Herter and John Clute, published September 2006, received 17 November 2006.)
  "It is set in the very heart if Europe, at a moment just subsequent to the terminal convulsions of World War One, somewhere between Prague and Vienna: between Zembla and Graustark, between the castle and the Wild Wood..." [status: available]

• Photocopies of Heaven by Maurice Suckling
  (Elastic Press, £5.99, 216 pages, paperback, published 1 November 2006, received 10 November 2006.)
  "In Maurice Suckling's debut collection slices of life react and interact against a consumerist background where expectations of what we are and where we should be going are frequently in conflict with reality." [status: available]

• What If Our World Is Their Heaven? The Final Conversations of Philip K Dick edited by Gwen Lee and Doris Elaine Sauter, foreword by Tim Powers
  (Duckworth, £7.99, 199 pages, paperback, published 2006, received 3 November 2006.)
  "In November of 1982, six months before Philip K Dick's death, journalist Gwen Lee recorded the first of several in-depth discussions with the author that spanned three months and are filled with the wit and aplomb characteristic of Dick's writing." [status: available]

• The Serrano Legacy: Omnibus 1 by Elizabeth Moon
  (Orbit, £10.99, 1096 pages, paperback, Hunting Party first published 1993, Sporting Chance first published 1994, Winning Colours first published 1995, this omnibus edition published 7 December 2006, received 2 November 2006.)
  "Heris Serano was destined for a life in the Regular Space Service -- until a treacherous superior officer forced her to resign her commission. This was the end of everything that gave her life meaning. But her new life aboard a rich old lady's space cruiser is nothing like she expected and she is soon fighting for her life." [status: available]

• The Sleepless Sands: The Earlyworks Press High Fantasy Challenge edited by Kay Green
  (Earlyworks, £7.50, 165 pages, paperback, published 2006, received 2 November 2006.)
  "'Please, no more magic sword romps,' they said 'Elves, dwarves and rustic spirits have had their day. High Fantasy has scraped the barrel clean, there is no more.' 'Prove them wrong!' we said, 'send us a new fantasy story or poem that feels as magical as one of the old favourites, but isn't just a rehash.'" [status: available]

• Electric Dragon by Patrick Wood
  (Scholastic children's Books, £4.99, 259 pages, paperback, first published 2002, this edition published 2005, received 2 November 2006.)
  "Orphaned Dushma lives in the arch of a railway viaduct. Officially a non-person, by law she should be in the workhouse...she's not only threatened by the law, but also by the elidra, the lethal, unpredictable electric dragons that guard the tunnels..." [status: available]

• Fireglass Machine by Patrick Wood
  (Scholastic Children's Books, £4.99, 521 pages, paperback, published 2005, received 2 November 2006.)
  "A machine is out of control beneath the streets of London, and this time the sacrifice is still to be made..." [status: available]

• Crown of Shadows: The Coldfire Trilogy Book Three by Celia Friedman
  (Orbit, £7.99, 472 pages, paperback, first published 1995, this edition published 7 December 2006, received 2 November 2006.)
  "Despite opposition from his Patriarch, warrior priest Damien Vryce again seeks the assistance of the immortal sorcerer Gerald Tarrant. Nothing short of the demon's absolute destruction will save mankind from its unholy influence...And no man has ever succeeded in killing one." [status: available]

• Evil for Evil: The Engineer Trilogy Book Two by K J Parker
  (Orbit, £12.99, 599 pages, paperback, published 7 December 2006, received 2 November 2006.)
  "They embarked on war for their own reasons, but as their war takes on a life of its own they find they've become components in their own machine. And the machine, it seems, has one purpose: to render evil for evil." [status: available]

• The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 19 edited by Gardner Dozois
  (Robinson, £9.99, 709 pages, paperback, published 9 November 2006, received 26 October 2006.)
  "Widely regarded as the benchmark anthology for every science fiction fan, this brilliant annual continues to uphold the series' standard of excellence with over two dozen stories from the previous year. This year's volume includes many bright young talents of science fiction, as well as a host of established masters." [status: available]

• Fat by Rob Grant
  (Gollancz, 320 pages, uncorrected book proof, will be available in hardback priced £9.99, published 26 December 2006, received 25 October 2006.)
  "Rob Grant's new novel is both an hilarious satire on our readiness to devour 'facts' and dodgy science along with our doughnuts and an unexpectedly moving story of the true cost of our obsession with how we look." [status: available]

• 100 Must-Read Science Fiction Novels by Stephen E Andrews and Nick Rennison, foreword by Christopher Priest
  (A & C Black, £5.99, 194 pages, small paperback, published November 2006, received 19 October 2006.)
  "From the popular Good Reading Guide comes a guide to some of the finest science fiction novels ever published. With 100 of the best titles fully reviewed, and a further 500 recommended, you'll quickly become an expert on the world of science fiction." [status: available]

• Ilario: The Lion's Eye by Mary Gentle
  (Gollancz, £14.99, 663 pages, trade paperback, also available in hardback priced £20.00, published 16 November 2006, received 19 October 2006.)
  "With Ash Mary Gentle redefined the genre of alternate history, blending pulse pounding adventure with a literary flair that wowed critics and readers alike. Now she has returned to that world with Ilario, a tale set 50 years earlier that draws readers deeper into the mystery and myth." [status: available]

• Terry Pratchett's The Hogfather: The Illustrated Screenplay by Vadim Jean and Terry Pratchett
  (Gollancz, £20.00, 250 pages, hardback, published 2 November 2006, received 13 October 2006.)
  "...featuring the full shooting script and lavishly illustrated with behind the scenes photographs, production stills, pre-production drawings, character sketches and illustrations form Pratchett's favourite artist Stephen Player." [status: available]

• Extended Play: The Elastic Book of Music edited by Gary Couzens, introduction by Jean-Jacques Burnel
  (Elastic Press, £6.99, 300 pages, paperback, published 1 November 2006, received 12 October 2006.)
  "Edited by Gary Couzens, and introduced by Strangler Jean-Jacques Burnel, the book contains short stories written around musical themes, combined with non-fiction pieces from musicians describing how literature has influenced their songwriting." [status: available]

• Winterbirth: The Godless World Book One by Brian Ruckley
  (Orbit, 537 pages, uncorrected book proof, will be available in trade paperback priced £12.99, published October 2006, received 1 October 2006.)
  "In a world of blood and ice, an uneasy truce exists between the human clans and the ancient races. But now the Clan of the Black Road is moving south from exile, and their arrival will herald a new age of war. Behind it all seems to be one man, whose desire for power will only be sated when he has achieved his ultimate goal: immortality." [status: available]

• Galactic North by Alastair Reynolds
  (Gollancz, £9.99, 343 pages, hardback, published 19 October 2006, received 1 October 2006.)
  "Galactic North, Alastair Reynolds' first collection: eight novellas and short stories, three brand-new for this volume; eight harrowing glimpses into the dark and turbulent universe of Revelation Space." [status: available]

• Erasmus Hobart and the Golden Arrow by Andrew Fish
  (UKA Press, £9.99, 192 pages, paperback, published 2006, received 22 September 2006.)
  "Was Robin Hood a great outlaw who dispensed justice like some kind of Sherwood pharmaceutical or was he, perhaps, just a man with a bow who happened to be in the wrong place when the Sheriff of Nottingham went on a law and order drive?" [status: available]

• Merlin Built Stonehenge by Bruce Bedlam
  (M-Y Books, £8.99, 325 pages, paperback, published 2005, received 22 September 2006.)
  "Join me on a journey that goes back in time and see how our ancestors worked together in unity and spirituality to create this wonderful Monument. It was for a reason; it was structural and had a purpose." [status: available]

• Polity Agent: The fourth agent Cormac novel by Neal Asher
  (Tor, £17.99, 487 pages, hardback, published 7 October 2006, received 15 September 2006.)
  "From 800 years in the future, a runcible gate is opened into the Polity and those coming through it have been sent specially to take the alien 'Maker' back to its home civilisation in the Small Magellanic cloud...From those refugees who get through, agent Cormac learns that the Maker civilisation has been destroyed by a pernicious virus known as the Jain technology...and a renegade attack ship, the King of Hearts, has encountered something very nasty outside the Polity itself." [status: available]

• Already Dead by Charlie Huston
  (Orbit, 278, uncorrected book proof, will be available in paperback priced £6.99, published February 2007, received 8 September 2006.)
  "They live among us, slaves to the very condition that empowers them. They are the Vampyre, and their sole chance at survival lies in banding into Clans. Only Joe Pitt has gone his own way. The upside is freedom. The downside is that when trouble comes around he's on his own..." [status: available]

• Doctor Whom: E.T. Shoots and Leaves by A. R. R. R. Roberts
  (Gollancz, £8.99, 165 pages, hardback, published 21 September 2006, received 8 September 2006.)
  "Doctor Whom, the grammatically correct TimeLord (or should that be Time Lord? Or is it Timelord?) has come to save our universe from the terrors of sloppy syntax and bad grammar." [status: available]

• The Fate of the Fallen:Volume One of the Song of the Tears by Ian Irvine
  (Orbit, £12.99, 600 pages, trade paperback, published 7 September 2006, received 7 September 2006.)
  "After ten years of servitude, Nish is about to be released from the blackest prison of the maimed God-Emperor, Jal-Nish Hlar, his corrupt father...The only hope of overthrowing him lies in Nish, who the oppressed peoples of the world see as a messianic figure...Unfortunately Nish is powerless and without allies. But worse, his father wants Nish to become his lieutenant and become as corrupt as he is." [status: available]

• Destiny:Trinity Book Three by Fiona McIntosh
  (Orbit, £7.99, 598 pages, paperback, first published 2002, this edition published 6 October 2006, received 7 September 2006.)
  "The Paladin are reunited in the Heartwood and the Trinity is revealed at last. But what is the key that will unlock their power? The Land is in peril and without this knowledge they are helpless to save it." [status: available]

• Eastern Tide: Book Four of the Aldarbreshin Compass by Juliet E McKenna
  (Orbit, 8.99, 599 pages, paperback, published 6 October 2006, received 7 September 2006.)
  "The thrilling conclusion to the acclaimed Aldabreshin Compass sequence." [status: available]

• Black Sun Rising: The Coldfire Trilogy Book One by Celia Friedman
  (Orbit, £7.99, 538 pages, paperback, first published 2001, this edition published 6 October 2006, received 7 September 2006.)
  "More than a thousand years ago, Erna, a seismically active yet beautiful world, was settled by colonists form far-distant Earth. But the seemingly habitable planet was fraught with perils on one could have foretold..." [status: available]

• Crown of Stars: Volume Seven of Crown of Stars by Kate Elliott
  (Orbit, £8.99, 647 pages, paperback, first published March 2006, this edition published 6 October 2006, received 7 September 2006)
  "Cultures, religions and races are clashing in what will be the ultimate struggle for control of this strange new world." [status: available]

• Dreamsongs: Grrm a Rretrospective by George R R Martin
  (Gollancz, £20.00, 1185 pages, hardback, published 11 September 2006, received 7 September 2006.)
  "This massive collection features the very best of George R R Martin's short fiction from the last thirtysome years, a dazzling array of stories and screenplays...Dreamsongs contains author commentary and a forward by award-winning editor and writer Gardner Dozois." [status: available]

• Resplendent: Destiny's Children Book Four by Stephen Baxter
  (Gollancz, £12.99, 549 pages, trade paperback, also available in hardback priced £18.99, published 21 September 2006, received 5 September 2006.)
  "Resplendent is a collection of connected stories that inform and expand on the three novels of Destiny's Children...Here is mankind, evolved to meet new challenges and environments but still prey to humanity's old weaknesses..." [status: available]

• Terry Pratchett's Hogather Discworld Calendar 2007
  (Gollancz, £12.99, pages unnumbered, calendar, published 14 September 2006, received 1 September 2006.)
  "...the must-have gift for every Terry Pratchett fan as it features brilliant photographs from the up-coming Sky One adaptation of The Hogfather." [status: stocking filler for editor's son]

• Ankh-Morpork Post Office Handbook: The Discworld Diary 2007 by Terry Pratchett with Stephen Briggs and illustrated by Paul Kidby
  (Gollancz, £12.99, pages unnumbered, hardback, published 31 September 2006, received 1 September 2006.)
  "Discover how you send eggs through the Ankh-Morpork post, which size of envelope is banned and what happens when a snail eats your mail..." [status: available]

• Armageddon's Children: Every Legend Has a Beginning by Terry Brooks
  (Orbit, £18.99, 369 pages, hardback, published 7 September 2006, received 31 August 2006.)
  "Logan Tom and Angel Perez are the last two knights to stand against the forces of chaos. These two extraordinary people have the ability to resist the dark tide, and to them will fall twin tasks: to find and protect a very old and a very new magic. They are humanity's last hope." [status: available]

• Postscripts: Summer 2006 edited by Peter Crowther
  (PS Publishing, £6.00, 143 pages, paperback magazine, published 2006, received 31 August 2006.)
  "Jack Dann, Lucius Shepherd, Howard Waldrop, T M Wright and others." [status: available]

• Age of Misrule by Mark Chadbourn
  (Gollancz, £9.99, 1349 pages, paperback, World's End first published 1999, Darkest Hour first published 2000, Always Forever first published 2001, this edition published September 2001, received 31 August 2006.)
  "Collecting together the three spellbinding novels that make up the Age of Misrule series, the award-winning Mark Chadbourn delivers a stunning tale of fairytale and horror, a classic tale of good versus evil, dark versus light." [status:available]

• Transcendent: Destiny's Children Book Three by Stephen Baxter
  (Gollancz, £12.99, 489 pages, trade paperback, published 27 October 2005, received 13 October 2005. Gollancz, £6.99, 522 pages, paperback, first published 2005, this edition published September 2006, received 31 August 2006.)
  "Baxter concludes his most ambitious and widely praised sequence to date as we discover what became of the children of the Poole brothers from Coalescent ... This is at once a novel with a terrible warning about the post oil and post global warming world we will come to inhabit, and the vastly diverse species mankind will become in an impossibly distant future that is creeping ever closer." [status: available]

• Cry of the Newborn: The Ascendants of Estorea Book One by James Barclay
  (Gollancz, £12.99, 819 pages, trade paperback, published 20 October 2005, received 13 October 2005. Gollancz, £7.99, 819 pages, paperback, first published 2005, this edition published September 2006, received 31 August 2006.)
  "The creator of the best-selling Raven saga returns with a unique tale of magic entering a world unprepared for its arrival -- and the devastating consequences ... Prepare yourself for ten-times the action, ten-times the adventure and ten-times the magic as Barclay offers up the most ambitious and spectacular fantasy novel this year." [status: available]

• Lessek's Key:The Eldarn Sequence Book 2 by Robert Scott and Jay Gordon
  (Orion, £14.99, 509 pages, trade paperback, also available in hardback priced £18.99, published 17 August 2006, received 11 August 2006.)
  "Brimming with all the magic, thrills and grandeur of the novels of Stephen Donaldson and Terry Godkind, Lessek's Key is the thrilling continuation of one of the genre's most exciting new series." [status: available]

• The Fledging of Az Gabrielson by Jay Amory
  (Orion, £12.99, 347 pages, hardback, published 17 August 2006, received 11 August 2006.)
  "...a unique and spectacularly imaginative new fantasy for children and young adults -- beautifully written with engaging characters, a wonderful storyline and pertinent themes. It deals with every child's sense of feeling alone and isolated but also shows how one person can make a difference to the world." [status: available]

• Star Risk Book Four: The Dog From Hell by Chris Bunch
  (Orbit, £6.99, 307 pages, paperback, first published 2005, this edition published 7 September 2006, received 10 August 2006.)
  "While escorting a group of wild and privileged girls from a finishing school on Earth to one of the luxury worlds, the Star Risk Ltd. Team crosses paths with Cerebus Systems -- a huge, much-feared security firm that destroys its competition without a second thought..." [status: available]

• Revenge:Trinity Book Two by Fiona McIntosh
  (Orbit, £7.99, 533 pages, paperback, first published 2002, this edition published 7 September 2006, received 10 August 2006.)
  "Saved from death by a powerful act of Spiriting... Torkyn is forced to spread his resources thin...while he sets out on a dangerous mission to track down his enemy, Goth..." [status: available]

• Island of the Sequined Love Nun by Christopher Moore
  (Orbit, £6.99, 407 pages, paperback, first published 1997, this edition published 7 September 2006, received 10 August 2006.)
  "Our bumbling hero is Tucker Case, a hopeless geek trapped in a cool guy's body, who makes a living as a pilot for the Mary Jane Cosmetics Corporation. But when he demolishes his boss's pink plane during a drunken airborne liaison, Tuck must run for his life from Mary Jane's goons..." [status: available]

• Hood: King Raven Book One By Stephen R Lawhead
  (Atom, £12.99, 437 pages, hardback, published 3 August 2006, received 10 August 2006.)
  "Stephen Lawhead's first novel for younger readers is an extraordinary retelling of the Robin Hood legend, relocating it from Nottingham to the Welsh border." [status: available]

• Dragon's Fire by Anne and Todd McCaffrey
  (Bantam Press, £17.99, 366 pages, hardback, published 7 August 2006, received 4 August 2006.)
  "When Masterharper Zist takes over as Harper for Natalon's coal-mining camp, he takes with him his apprentice, the orphaned mute, Pellar, and Pellar's fire-lizard Chitter. Pellar has become a gifted tracker and Zist gives him his own mission -- to find out if the recent thefts of coal are the work of the Shunned..." [status: available]

• Dying Words by Shaun Hutson
  (Orbit, £17.99, 357 pages, hardback published 3 August 2006, received 1 August 2006.)
  "Can it be true that God demands a terrible price of those he has gifted with great creativity? Giacomo Cassano, little known mentor of Dante, thought so...Bestselling biographer Megan Hunter's new book about Cassano looks set to be as successful as her previous biographies of Caravaggio and Dante. As she embarks on a publicity tour, Megan finds her book attracting attention for the wrong reasons when her editor is found horrifically murdered..." [status: available]

• Unbecoming by Mike O'Driscoll
  (Elastic Press, £6.99, 246 pages, paperback, published 1 August 2006, received 25 July 2006.)
  "In these -- appropriately -- thirteen stories, Mike O'Driscoll plays with our imagination and expectations, subverting the horror genre whilst embracing its conventions. What results is a strongly brewed cocktail of terror: dark, dangerous and sometimes downright dirty..." [status: available]

• New Dreams for Old by Mike Resnick, introduced by Nancy Kress
  (Pyr, $15.00, 417 pages, trade paperback, published 2006, received 17 July 2006.)
  "New Dreams for Old is a collection of science fiction and fantasy stories by Mike Resnick, showing the depth and range that has not only made him a popular seller, but also placed him fourth (and climbing) on the all-time award list of all science fiction writers living and dead (as compiled by Locus.)" [status: available]

• Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore
  (Orbit, £6.99, 344 pages, paperback, first published 1995, this edition published 3 August 2006, received 3 July 2006.)
  "Jody never asks to become a vampire. But when she wakes up under a dumpster with a distinctly Nosferatuan thirst, she realises the decision has been made for her. Making the transition from the nine-to-five grind to an eternity of nocturnal prowlings is going to take some doing, however, and that's where Thomas C Flood fits in..." [status: available]

• Coyote Blue by Christopher Moore
  (Orbit, £6.99, 340 pages, paperback, first published 1994, this edition published 6 July 2006, received 3 July 2006.)
  "Discover the writer that Carl Hiaasen describes as 'a very sick man' - the missing link between Tom Holt and Neil Gaiman." [status: available]

• Star Risk Book Three: The Doublecross Program by Chris Bunch
  (Orbit, £6.99, 346 pages, paperback, first published 2004, this edition published 3 August 2006, received 3 July 2006.)
  "M'chel Riss and the Star Risk, Ltd team find themselves in the middle of a strange assignment: a staged bank robbery that involves putting money back in. But the job soon takes an even stranger turn when they get caught up in a full-fledged war over an addictive new consumer product..." [status: available]

• Betrayal: Trinity Book One by Fiona McIntosh
  (Orbit, £7.99, 521 pages, paperback, first published 2001, this edition published 3 August 2006, received 3 July 2006.)
  "In order to fulfil his destiny, Tor must leave his home to become apprentice to the royal physic...Aware of the magnitude of his powers but unsure to what end he is to use them, Tor embarks on a journey that will test his courage and his heart; a journey that can only end in triumph or betrayal." [status: available]

• Danse Macabre: An Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Novel by Laurell K Hamilton
  (Orbit, £12.99, 483 pages, hardback, first published 2006, this edition published 6 July 2006, received 3 July 2006.)
  "...as the days pass Anita finds herself less interested in vampire politics than in an ancient, more ordinary dread she shares with women down the ages; she may be pregnant. And if she is, whether the father is a vampire, a werewolf or someone else entirely, she knows full well that being a Federal Marshall, known for raising the dead and executing vampires, is no way to bring up a baby..." [status: available]

• The Dark Age: The Hounds of Avalon by Mark Chadbourn
  (Gollancz, £10.99, 374 pages, trade paperback, published 30 April 2005, received 21 April 2005. Gollancz, £6.99, 374 pages. Paperback, first published 2005, this edition published 8 June 2006, received 28 June 2006.)
  "Humanity's last chance lies with two friends, as different as night and day, but bound together by an awesome destiny -- Hunter: a warrior, a rake, an assassin; Hal: a lowly records clerk in a Government office. They must pierce a mystery surrounding the myths of King Arthur to find a dreaming hero who will ride out of the mists of legend to save the world." [status: available]
  

• The Zap Gun by Philip K Dick
  (Gollancz, £6.99, 252 pages, paperback, first published 1965, this edition published 8 June 2006, received 28 June 2006.)
  "...When the alien satellites appear in the sky and its clear that they aren't friendly, the world suddenly needs military might like never before. So, Wes-Bloc and Peep-East temporarily patch up their differences and Lars meets up with Lilo Popchev, his eastern counterpart, in the hope that they can create a weapon to save the world..." [status: available]

• Band of Gypsys by Gwyneth Jones
  (Gollancz, £10.99, 297 pages, trade paperback, published 20 May 2005, received 4 May 2005. Gollancz, £6.99, 297 pages, paperback, first published 2005, this edition published 8 June 2006, received 28 June 2006.)
  "Hard times and sweet music: scandal and betrayal for Ax as England embraces the fearsome new world order; the Rock and Roll Reich goes Country." [status: available]
  

• Life During Wartime: SF Masterworks 66 by Lucius Shepherd
  (Gollancz, £6.99, 418 pages, paperback, first published 1987, this edition published 8 June 2006, received 28 June 2006.)
  "While on R&R, a few miles from the rotting vegetation of the jungles of Guatamala and the endless, drug-fuelled dirty war there, David Mingolla meets the beautiful and enigmatic Debora and stumbles into a deadly psychic conflict where the mind is the ultimate weapon and there's no escape from thoughts that kill..." [status: available]

• Barry Trotter and the Shameless Parodies by Michael Gerber
  (Gollancz, £12.99, 573 pages, hardback, Barry Trotter and the Shameless Parody first published 2001, Barry Trotter and the Unnecessary Sequel first published 2003, Barry Trotter and the Dead Horse first published 2004, this omnibus edition first published 15 June 2006, received 28 June 2006.)
  

• Rainbow Bridge by Gwyneth Jones
  (Gollancz, £12.99, 374 pages, trade paperback, published 8 June 2006, received 29 June 2006.)
  "The codeword came to England in June. Only one man understood it, Ax Preston, Rock star warlord, leader of the English people, icon of the embattled techno-Utopians of Europe. And he decided to do nothing...In September the Chinese arrived and slaughtered the innocents...It's a vision of what might happen if China invaded England -- but not the China we know now " [status: available]

• What We Believe But Cannot Prove: Today's Leading Thinkers on Science in the Age of Certainty edited by John Brockman, introduction by Ian McEwan
  (Pocket Books, £7.99, 266 pages, paperback, first published 2005, this edition published 10 July 2006, received 28 June 2006.)
  "In this astounding book, the world's leading thinkers offer their candid views on subjects ranging from evolution to existence, life after death to the possibility of true love. " [status: with reviewer]

• Of Fire and Night: The Saga of Seven Suns Book Five by Kevin J Anderson
  (Simon & Schuster, £12.99, 708 pages, trade paperback, published 7 August 2006, received 26 June 2006.)
  "After many years of hardship and bravery, the human race faces its greatest challenge. The sweeping war between titanic races -- a conflict that has obliterated planets, extinguished entire stars, exterminated whole races -- is reaching its end game." [status: available]

• Rose of the World: Book Three of Fool's Gold by Jude Fisher
  (Simon & Schuster, £11.99, 675 pages, trade paperback, published 1 August 2005, received 13 July 2005. Simon & Schuster, £7.99, 676 pages, paperback, first published 2005, this edition published 3 July 2006, received 26 June 2006.)
  "Forces are gathering for a terrible war. North will fight South and all those caught in the vice of their passage will be crushed -- unless sanity prevails against all the odds and the guardianship of Elda is taken from the bloody hands of the warmongers and returned to those who truly care for it." [status: available]

• Bareback by Kit Whitfield
  (Jonathan Cape, £12.99, 367 pages, hardback, published 3 August 2006, received 23 June 2006.)
  "For those born feet-first, life is normal. Civil rights are enshrined in law, the world is a comfortable place, and every full moon night, you lock yourself in a secure room to fur up in peace. But for those born head-first, the damage done is more than just physical..." [status: available]

• The Illmoor Chronicles: The Shadewell Shenanigans by David Lee Stone
  (Hodder Children's Books, £5.99, 273 pages, paperback, first published 2005, this edition published 2005, received 20 June 2006.)
  "Groan Teethgrit and Gordo Goldaxe have looted one village too many, and now the Lords of Illmoor are baying for their blood. Can Duke Modeset, exiled Lord of Dullitch, devise a plan clever enough to topple the duo and Groan's equally reckless half-brother? Of course he can't, he's next to useless himself..." [status: available]

• The Illmoor Chronicles: The Dwellings Debacle by David Lee Stone
  (Hodder Children's Books, £5.99, 273 pages, paperback, first published 2005, this edition published 2006, received 20 June 2006.)
  "A dark enemy is about to make its presence felt in Dullitch...something even more twisted and evil than the citizens themselves. But for Enoch Dwellings, famed investigator, it's a golden opportunity to shine..." [status: available]

• The Baby Merchant by Kit Reed
  (Tor, $24.95, 334 pages, hardback, published June 2006, received 20 June 2006.)
  "When medicine fails you and you can't adopt, Tom Starbird's your man. Soft-spoken, as charming as he is efficient, the baby merchant will steal a child for you. For a price. If you pass his tests..." [status: with reviewer]

• A Stroke of Midnight by Laurell K Hamilton
  (Bantam Books, £6.99, 523 pages, paperback, first published 2004, this edition published 2005, received 20 June 2006.)
  "I am Meredith Gentry, PI. Others know me as Princess Meredith, heir to the darkest throne faerie has to offer... So reader beware, for herein lies the twilight world of Meredith Gentry, where the erotic and the exotic, the decadent and the deadly come together." [status: with reviewer]

• Orizon: The Flame of the White Sun by Mario Routi
  (Livani Publishing Organisation, £8.99, 398 pages, paperback, first published October 2003, this edition published 6 July 2006, received 16 June 2006.)
  "Told with vivid imagery, Orizon is an epic allegorical fantasy. It uniquely combines fairy-tale and adventure with mythology and romanticism permeated with deeper thoughts and insights." [status: available]

• Star Risk Book Two: The Scoundrel Worlds by Chris Bunch
  (Orbit, £6.99, 341 pages, paperback, first published 2003, this edition published 6 July 2006, received 12 June 2006.)
  "The mercenary team of Star Risk, Ltd has been hired to watch the latest Skyball tournament...closely. Two opposing worlds are neck and neck, and lately the game's been a real killer. Riots, murder, a madhouse for loyal fans. Its up to Star Risk to keep it galaxy friendly..." [status: available]

• King of Ayodhya: Book Six of the Ramayana by Ashok K Banker
  (Orbit, £8.99, 486 pages, paperback, published 1 June 2006, received 12 June 2006.)
  "Action, magic and intrigue combine in this sixth and final volume of the spectacular Ramayana, based on one of the world's oldest epics." [status: available]

• Smallville Omnibus One by Roger Stern, Alan Grant and Nancy Holder
  (Orbit, £7.99, 649 pages, paperback, Strange Visitors and Dragon first published 2002, Hauntings first published 2003, this omnibus edition published 6 July 2006, received 12 June 2006.)
  "Seventeen years ago a child from a distant planet fell to Earth in a lethal hail of meteors, and one sleepy town in Kansas was transformed forever..." [status: available]

• Smallville Omnibus Two by Dean Wesley Smith, Nancy Holder and Diana G Gallagher
  (Orbit, £7.99, 649 pages, paperback, Whodunnit first published 2003, Silence and Shadows first published 2004, this omnibus edition published 6 July 2006, received 12 June 2006.)
  "Smallville -- its not the town it was. Just ask the locals..." [status: available]

• The History of Science Fiction by Adam Roberts
  (Palgrave Macmillan, £60.00, 368 pages, hardback, published 2006, received 7 June 2006.)
  "The first comprehensive critical history of science fiction (SF) for thirty years, this book traces the origin and development of SF from Ancient Greece, via its rebirth in the seventeenth century, up to the present day." [status: with reviewer]

• Dark Tales: The Best New Horror and Speculative Fiction, Issue 8, Spring 2006 edited by Sean Jeffrey
  (Dark Tales, £3.50, 53 pages, paperback magazine, published spring 2006, received 2 June 2006.)
  "Short stories and an interview with a published author." [status: available]

• Hawkes Harbor by S E Hinton
  (Tor, £6.99, 251 pages, paperback, first published 2004, this edition published 2 June 2006, received 1 June 2006.)
  "An orphan and a bastard, Jamie grew up tough enough to handle almost anything. Taking to the sea, he found danger and adventure in exotic ports all over the world...But what he finds in the quiet seaside town of Hawkes Harbor is enough to drive him almost insane -- and change his life forever." [status: available]

• Cry Wolf: Ghost of Sijan by Doug Crill, illustrated by Daniel J Frey
  (Open Book Press, 80 pages, ring bound loose leaf, will be available as trade paperback priced $12.99, published June 2006, received 1 June 2006.)
  "The second novel of a four part graphic novel series...set in Chicago 1925. Kurt Angelo, private detective, becomes the reluctant hand of justice for the Ascended Ones." [status: available]

• More Than Life Itself by Joseph Nassise
  (Telos, £7.99, 74 pages, paperback, published 2006, received 30 May 2006.)
  "On a bright June morning, Sam Dalton's world suddenly crumbles as he learns that his four-year-old daughter, Jessica, has contracted a mysterious disease...A chance meeting with a terrifying bleeding-eyed vagrant offers a despairing Sam a possible solution...but at what price?" [status: available]

• The Ladder at the Bottom of the World by Terry Dartnall
  (Trantor Publications (publishers of Oceans of the Mind), 121+vi pages, US$6.99, ebook, April 2006.)
  Contains 31 of Terry Dartnall's best stories, with graphics by R&D Studios and an introduction by Robert Hood. "...imaginatively provocative ... in a very short space, with very few carefully chosen words, he creates a world that is vast and filled with awesome possibilities ... filled me with a sense of wonder and of wondrous pity." (Robert Hood, Introduction) [status: available]

• The Toyminator by Robert Rankin
  (Gollancz, 315 pages, uncorrected book proof, will be available in hardback priced £12.99 and trade paperback priced £10.99, published 2 August 2006, received 22 May 2006.)
  "Toys are dying and the police and authorities seem powerless so it once again falls on Private Eye Eddie Bear and his loyal sidekick Jack to save the day. But this time its not just the fate of Toy City that hangs in the balance, but all of mankind too..." [status: available]

• Across the Face of the World: Fire of Heaven Book One by Russell Kirkpatrick
  (Orbit, £7.99, 554 pages, paperback, first published 2002, this edition published 4 May 2006, received 11 May 2006.)
  "For two thousand years, Kannwar, the immortal Destroyer, has been planning revenge on the Most High. Cast out from Dona Mihst when he drank from the forbidden fountain of eternal life, his plans of vengeance are now nearing fruition -- and he will allow nothing to stand in his way..." [status: available]

• Broken by Kelley Armstrong
  (Orbit, £6.99, 444 pages, paperback, published 4 May 2006, received 11 May 2006.)
  "When the not entirely trustworthy half-demon Xavier calls in a favour, it seems easy enough -- steal Jack the Ripper's "From Hell" letter away from a Toronto collector who had himself stolen it from the British Police files. But nothing in the supernatural world is ever as simple as it seems..." [status: available]

• Working For the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow
  (Orbit, £6.99, 390 pages, paperback, published 1 June 2006, received 11 May 2006.)
  "Dante's a licensed Necromance. That's why the Devil hires her to kill Vardimal Santino, a fugitive demon. As Dante points out, Necromances don't kill people, they bring them back, or at least their ghosts. But turning down Lucifer isn't something you do if you want to stay alive..." [status: available]

• Star Risk by Chris Bunch
  (Orbit, £6.99, 340 pages, paperback, published 1 June 2006, received 11 May 2006.)
  "A mercenary outfit struggling for recognition, Star Risk has the required ragtag bunch of misfits, including an alien willing to invest his life savings in the company. Now if they can only succeed with their first mission: to spring a dangerous supersoldier trapped in a maximum security prison..." [status: available]

• The Va Dinci Cod by ARRR Roberts
  (Gollancz, £6.99, 180 pages, small hardback, published 30 April 2005, received 20 April 2005. Gollancz, £5.99, 180 pages, paperback, this edition published 11 May 2006)
  "Roberts, writing as Don Brine, weaves a story of dastardly murder, mysterious religious organisations and rehashed conspiracy theories into a story so preposterous that you may just believe it's true." [status: available]
  

• The Ascendancy Veil: Book Three of the Braided Path by Chris Wooding
  (Gollancz, £10.99, 374 pages, trade paperback, published 30 May 2005, received 4 May 2005. Gollancz, £6.99, 451 pages, paperback, first published 2005, this edition published 11 May 2006, received 5 May 2006.)
  "Fast paced and terrifying, this is a superb finale to one of the most exciting and original fantasy sagas in recent years. Wooding has created a true classic, filled with rich characters, deeply believable worlds and powerful storytelling in the grandest tradition." [status: available]
  

• Deathstalker by Simon R Green
  (Gollanz, £7.99, 571 pages, paperback, first published 1995, this edition published 11 May 2006, received 5 May 2006.)
  "Outlawing Owen Deathstalker could be the Iron Bitch's biggest mistake..." [status: available]
  

• Sci-Fi Movies: Facts, Figures & Fun by John Grant
  (FF&F, £5.99, 96 pages, hardback, published 2006, received 5 May 2006.)
  "Classic sci-fi movie or invasion of the giant turkey? Sci-Fi Movies surveys them all and is a must for any fan." [status: with reviewer]

• Trance Warriors: The Siege of Scarn by Robert C Auty
  (Apex, £8.99, 301 pages, paperback, published 2006, received 4 May 2006.)
  "Set in a fantasy world beset with chaos and warfare and inhabited by both good and malevolent characters, including elves and dwarves, this first book in the Trance Warriors saga follows the struggles of outlaw, Connor, as he becomes drawn into a battle between good and evil, part of his destiny from which there is no escape." [status: available]

• Slaughterman by Caroline Robinson
  (Apex, £4.99, 130 pages, paperback, published 2005, received 4 May 2006.)
  "Sydney Police are on high alert, as a cannibal serial killer is reported to have escaped the clutches of the New York Police and fled to Sydney, and, as a terrifying pattern of murders of young women begins in the city, their worst fears are confirmed. With very few clues and a sketchy suspect profile, it is down to Detective Guy John Shayd, aided by his psychic girlfriend and the Detective in charge of the case in the states, to track down their man before further atrocities are committed." [status: available]

• Reject World by Marco Bucciferro
  (Apex, £5.99, 158 pages, paperback, published 2004, received 4 May 2006.)
  "Inspired by the current world situation, blighted by wars and evil dictators, Reject World thrusts the hero of the story, Mark Angelo, into an alien world, one that he has been chosen to save from extinction." [status: available]

• The Waking by TM Jenkins
  (Macmillan, £12.99, 370 pages, hardback, published 19 May 2006, received 27 April 2006.)
  "Los Angeles, 2006: Dr Nate Sheehan is murdered in a parking lot. His wife, also a doctor, hopes to rescue at least part of him for cryogenic preservation, and performs an unprecedented operation... Based on accurate scientific research and an incredibly memorable cast of characters, this debut novel takes medical thriller writing to a whole new level, portraying a thought-provoking futuristic world which is uncomfortably close to home." [status: available]

• Envy of the Gods: Part One--If the Reward Were Right by Andrea Savitch
  (Bridgeway Books, $16.95, 316 pages, paperback, published March 2006, received 26 April 2006.)
  "This first book of the Envy of the Gods trilogy is set in the world of Raalek and chronicles the rise to power of Atan, Duke of Ishtba, and his indomitable wife, Raphela. Through their shared vision they seek to usher their world form a dark age into a golden era of ingenuity and equality." [status: available]

• Postscripts: Number 6, Spring 2006, edited by Peter Crowther
  (PS Publishing, £6, 143 pages, paperback magazine, also available in hardback priced £25, published Spring 2006, received 18 April 2006.)
  "Fiction from Juliet E McKenna, Matthew Hughes, Rhys Hughes, Zoran Zivkovic, Stephen Baxter, Garry Kilworth, Conrad Williams." [status: with reviewer]

• Christmas Inn by Gene Wolfe
  (PS Publishing, £not advised, 28 pages, paperback, published January 2006, received 18 April 2006.)
  "A short Christmas story." [status: available]

• Fine Cuts by Dennis Etchison, Introduction by Peter Atkins
  (PS Publishing, £25, 210 pages, signed (by Dennis Etchison), numbered, limited edition hardback, also available as signed (by Dennis Etchison and Peter Atkins), numbered, limited edition deluxe slipcased hardback priced £60, published March 2006, received 18 April 2006.)
  "Fine Cuts is a new collection of tales about Hollywood by a three-time winner of both the British Fantasy and World Fantasy Awards, in a volume destined to become a classic of modern horror." [status: available]

• The Wyrdest Link: Terry Pratchett's Discworld Quizbook by David Langford
  (Gollancz, £7.99, 289 pages, small hardback, first published 2002, this edition published 20 April 2006, received 13 April 2006.)
  "Published in collectible hardback format, and featuring an introduction by Mr. Pratchett himself, The Wyrdest Link features a plethora of brain teasing questions about the characters, places and events of the Discworld universe, as well as revealing a lot of its creator's cultural references, inspiration and background." [status: available]

• Sunstorm: A Time Odyssey Book Two by Arthur C Clarke and Stephen Baxter
  (Gollancz, £6.99, 330 pages, paperback, first published 2005, this edition published 13 April 2006, received 13 April 2006.)
  "2037. The sun flares. Thousands die. Suddenly our high-technology civilisation seems terribly vulnerable. We recover. We rebuild. But this is just the precursor. In April 2042, in just five years, the sun will flare once more..." [status: available]

• Rendezvous With Rama: SF Masterworks 65 by Arthur C Clarke
  (Gollancz, £6.99, 252 pages, paperback, first published 1973, this edition published 13 April 2006, received 13 April 2006.)
  "A perfect cylinder some fifty kilometers long, spinning rapidly, racing through space, Rama is a technological marvel, a mysterious and deeply enigmatic alien artefact. It is Mankind's first visitor from the stars and must be investigated..." [status: available]

• Star Wars Republic Commando: Triple Zero by Karen Traviss
  (Orbit, £6.99, 403 pages, paperback, first published 2006, this edition published May 2006, received 5 April 2006.)
  "Following the eruption of the bloody Clone Wars at the battle of Geonosis, both sides remain deadlocked in a stalemate that can be broken only by elite warriors like Omega Squad, clone commandos with terrifying skills and a lethal arsenal..." [status: available]

• The Thousandfold Thought: The Prince of Nothing Book Three by R Scott Bakker
  (Orbit, £12.99, 503 pages, trade paperback, first published 2006, this edition published May 2006, received 5 April 2006.)
  "The final reckoning is at hand. Faceless assassins will strike in the dead of night. Kings and emperors will fall. The sorcerous Schools will be unleashed. And Anasurimbor Kellhus will at last confront his father and the dread revelation of the Thousandfold Thought." [status: available]
  

• Star Wars Republic Commando: Hard Contact by Karen Traviss
  (Orbit, £6.99, 293 pages, paperback, first published 2004, this edition published April 2006, received 18 March 2006.)
  "As the Clone Wars rage, victory or defeat lies in the hands of elite squads that take on the toughest assignments in the galaxy -- stone-cold soldiers who go where no one else would, to do what no one else could..." [status: available]

• Engaging the Enemy: Book Three of Vatta's War by Elizabeth Moon
  (Orbit, £6.99, 455 pages, paperback, published April 2006, received 18 March 2006.)
  "Kylara Vatta has had to leave a glowing future as a military cadet far behind, and now carves out a living in the brutal cut-throat world of interplanetary trading. Her chosen way of life is tough but rewarding, and she thinks she is more than capable of holding her own. And so she is, until a threat emerges that nobody could have foreseen..." [status: available]

• Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore
  (Orbit, £6.99, 280 pages, paperback, first published 1992, this edition published April 2006, received 18 March 2006.)
  "Meet one of the most memorably mismatched pairs in the annals of literature. The good-looking one is one-hundred-year-old ex-seminarian and 'roads' scholar Travis O'Hearn. The green one is Catch, a demon with a nasty habit of eating most of the people he meets..." [status: with reviewer]

• Brainchild...a collection of artifacts
  (Omnibucket, £not advised, 64 pages, hand numbered limited edition trade paperback, published 2005, received 9 March 2006.)
  "This international collaboration of artists and writers is a full colour, 64-page, perfect-bound anthology with an undead theme, showcasing the work of some of the rising stars in this genre...It becomes evident as you read it that there is a subtle but definite progression to the book. A quiet order emerges as the tales and imagery go from reflections of initial shock and terror to determined resolve and adaptation." [status: available]

• Smoke and Shadows by Tanya Huff
  (Orbit, £6.99, 408 pages, paperback, first published 2004, this edition published March 2006, received 7 March 2006.)
  "It begins with a dead actor. Tony, a former street-kid-turned-wannabe producer, is working on a TV series about a vampire detective, when he discovers the dead body of a cast member...What's a guy to do but turn to royalty? Enter Tony's vampire friend Henry Fitzroy, illegitimate son of Henry VIII, who also knows a few things about what hides in the dark." [status: available]

• Shadowmarch by Tad Williams
  (Orbit, £17.99, 656 pages, hardback, published 4 November 2004, received 29 October 2004. Orbit, £7.99, 848 pages, paperback, this edition published March 2006, received 7 March 2006.)
  "At the uppermost edge of the northern kingdoms, its towers shrouded in mist, lies Southmarch Castle. For hundreds of years it has remained hidden from the affairs of empire. Now its isolation can protect it no more ... the blind king and the god-king seek to make war, and it is upon Southmarch that their armies advance..." [status: available]
  

• Dark Rain by Conor Corderoy
  (Macmillan New Writing, £12.99, 241 pages, hardback, published 7 April 2006, received 3 March 2006.)
  "It has been raining non-stop for forty years. Humans have destroyed the environment and the Earth is dying. In an attempt to escape the eternal rains, they built domes. They said there would be domes for everybody, but now one per cent -- the super rich Domers -- live in dry, high security luxury and the rest live out in the rain...But then the unthinkable happens: a murder in one of the domes..." [status: available]

• The Face In The Door and other stories by AR Yngve
  (CafePress.com, $16.38, 246 pages, paperback, January 2006. PDF version available for review.)
  "13 terrifying, macabre, fantastic tales! Previously published in Sweden, China, America and on the Internet, now collected for the first time." [status: available]

• The Destiny Mask by Martin Sketchley
  (Simon & Schuster, £10.99, 369 pages, trade paperback, published 4 April 2005, received 1 March 2005. Pocket Books, £6.99, 369 pages, paperback, first published 2005, this edition published 3 April 2006, received 24 February 2006.)
  "After the death of Vouriass Lycern, child-bearer to the Seriattic Royal Household, her twin sons, fathered by former Military Intelligence Officer Alexander Delgado, have grown up ignorant of their relationship ... " [status: available]
  

• Details of earlier books are available in the Books Received Archive.

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