Friday, January 6, 2017

Promising Sci-fi, horror & Fantasy - December 2016

There are only two books on the list for the last month of 2016. Yes, you heard me right, only 2 books. It is such a month.
But, fortunately or unfortunately I missed a bunch of books from November on that month's list (seriously what the hell was I doing), and I have mentioned them here.

"The Knife Slipped" by Erlc Stanley Gardner
THE LOST DETECTIVE NOVEL
BY THE CREATOR OF PERRY MASON!
At the time of his death, Erle Stanley Gardner was the best-selling American author of the 20th century, and world famous as the creator of crusading attorney Perry Mason. Gardner also created the hardboiled detective team of Cool and Lam, stars of 29 novels published between 1939 and 1970—and one that’s never been published until now.
Lost for more than 75 years, THE KNIFE SLIPPED was meant to be the second book in the series but got shelved when Gardner’s publisher objected to (among other things) Bertha Cool’s tendency to "talk tough, swear, smoke cigarettes, and try to gyp people." But this tale of adultery and corruption, of double-crosses and triple identities —however shocking for 1939—shines today as a glorious present from the past, a return to the heyday of private eyes and shady dames, of powerful criminals, crooked cops, blazing dialogue, and delicious plot twists.
Donald Lam has never been cooler—not even when played by Frank Sinatra on the U.S. Steel Hour of Mystery in 1946. Bertha Cool has never been tougher. And Erle Stanley Gardner has never been better.


[ New book from Hard Case Crime, and a never before published pulp from a great author, seems like a must read to me. ]

"Fabius Bile: Primogenitor" by Joshua Reynolds
Exiled into the depths of the Eye of Terror for his dark deeds, former Emperor's Children Apothecary Fabius is drawn back to the Imperium in search of a secret that could be the key to saving his misbegotten life…
He is known by many names - Clonelord, Manflayer, Primogenitor. He is the epitome of deceit and perversion, and feared by man and monster alike. Once the Chief Apothecary of the Emperor's Children, the madman known as Fabius Bile possesses a knowledge of genetic manipulation second to none. Now a renegade among renegades, he is loathed by those he once called brother, and even the most degraded of Chaos Space Marines fear his name. Exiled for his dark experiments, Bile has retreated deep into the Eye of Terror, leaving a trail of twisted abominations in his wake. But when a former student brings word of the ultimate prize for the taking, Bile is unable to resist being drawn once more into the cauldron of war. For in seizing this prize, Fabius Bile might yet discover the one secret his has been unable to unlock... the secret which will prevent his inevitable doom.
It's the start of a brand new series of twisted tales from the mind of an author for whom depraved antiheroes are his bread and butter. And Fabius' vile experiments and complete lack of morality make for a deeply entertaining – albeit monstrously disturbing – tale.


[ Joshua Reynolds tells the tale of the chaos space marine Fabius Bile, count me in, I say. ] 
 

HERE ARE THE BOOKS I MISSED FROM NOVEMBER (SILLY ME!)
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"Wrath" by John Gwynne
Events are coming to a climax in the Banished Lands, as the war reaches new heights. King Nathair has taken control of the fortress at Drassil and three of the Seven Treasures are in his possession. And together with Calidus and his ally Queen Rhin, Nathair will do anything to obtain the remaining Treasures. With all seven under his command, he can open a portal to the Otherworld. Then Asroth and his demon-horde will finally break into the Banished Lands and become flesh.
Meanwhile Corban has been taken prisoner by the Jotun, warrior giants who ride their enormous bears into battle. His warband scattered, Corban must make new allies if he hopes to survive. But can he bond with competing factions of warlike giants? Somehow he must, if he's to counter the threat Nathair represents.
His life hangs in the balance - and with it, the fate of the Banished Lands.
 


"Warden of  The Blade" by David Annandale
Castellan Crowe of the Grey Knights bears a heavy burden – to carry the cursed Blade of Antwyr, a weapon imbued with dark power. For the first time, discover the origins of this dread task and why only Crowe can be the one to carry it out.
Castellan Crowe, Brotherhood Champion of the Purifier order of the Grey Knights, bears a heavy burden – to be the warden of the dread Blade of Antwyr. Its malevolent voice is forever in his head, trying to crack his resolve, urging him to unleash a power he must never use. The toll is terrible, and how long before the incorruptible Crowe is at last defeated? His harrowing task first began at Sandava II… Under the command of Castellan Gavallan, Crowe and his brother Purifiers bring purging flame to a daemonic incursion that threatens to consume the world. What awaits them is more insidious and more powerful than they imagine, and they must reckon too with the machinations of the Blade, as it seeks to destroy its guardian and drown the galaxy in blood.
It's a fascinating look at a compelling character, showcasing the duality of the purest of souls as he contends with the corrupting power of an artefact that could damn him and all he holds dear to utter ruination.


"The Beheading" by Guy Haley
The war is over and mankind is saved. But when war ends, politics takes over, and one man realises that the High Lords who nearly doomed the entire Imperium must be culled. It is time for the Beheading to begin…
Across the length and breadth of the galaxy, humankind celebrates its salvation, and relishes the prospect of a return to peace. But the war against the orks has riven the political bedrock of the Imperium, exposing its rotten core. One man, one powerful man, decides he has the solution, and launches a campaign of destruction so terrible that thousands of years later his actions will still be viewed with horror.
Throughout the series, the political machinations have been as fascinating and compelling as the all-out action – and now it's time for that to take centre stage as assassination and plotting takes over from brutal combat.
 


"The Master of Mankind" by Aaron Dembski-Bowden
As war splits the galaxy, the Emperor toils in the vaults beneath His Palace. But his great work is in peril, with the forces of Chaos closing in…
While Horus’ rebellion burns across the galaxy, a very different kind of war rages beneath the Imperial Palace. The ‘Ten Thousand’ Custodian Guard, along with the Sisters of Silence and the Mechanicum forces of Fabricator General Kane, fight to control the nexus points of the ancient eldar webway that lie closest to Terra, infested by daemonic entities after Magnus the Red’s intrusion. But with traitor legionaries and corrupted Battle Titans now counted among the forces of Chaos, the noose around the Throneworld is tightening, and none but the Emperor Himself can hope to prevail.
At last, the secrets of the Emperor's project beneath the Palace will be revealed, and you'll get a closer look at the Emperor Himself than ever before
 



[ So I missed four books last month. Three from black library promising great stuff from old series' and old favorite authors of mine. The other one is the last book of the critically acclaimed 'The Faithful and The Fallen' series by John Gwynne. All should be very fun reads indeed. ]  

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