{"id":2736,"date":"2013-09-17T11:06:06","date_gmt":"2013-09-17T16:06:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/geekcurmudgeon\/?p=2736"},"modified":"2013-09-17T11:06:29","modified_gmt":"2013-09-17T16:06:29","slug":"books-received-11172013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/geekcurmudgeon\/2013\/09\/17\/books-received-11172013\/","title":{"rendered":"Books received 9\/17\/2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s take a quick look to see what\u2019s arrived at the Geek Compound.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Explorer: The Lost Islands<\/a>
\n<\/em><\/strong><\/h1>\n

Edited by Kazu Kibuishi<\/strong>
\n Cover by Kibuishi<\/strong><\/p>\n

Promo copy:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The highly anticipated second volume to the critically acclaimed Explorer series,\u00a0The Lost Islands\u00a0<\/i>is a collection of seven all-new stories written and illustrated by an award-winning roster of comics artists, with each story centered around the theme of hidden places. Edited by the\u00a0New York Times\u00a0<\/i>bestselling comics creator Kazu Kibuishi, this graphic anthology includes well-written, beautifully illustrated stories by Kazu (the Amulet series), Jason Caffoe (the Flight series), Raina Telgemeier (Drama\u00a0<\/i>and\u00a0Smile<\/i>), Dave Roman (the Astronaut Academy series), Jake Parker (the Missile Mouse series), Michel Gagn\u00e9 (The Saga of Rex<\/i>), Katie and Steven Shanahan (the Flight series), and up-and-coming new artist Chrystin Garland.<\/p>\n

The previous volume\u00a0Explorer: The Mystery Boxes<\/a>\u00a0<\/b><\/em>ranked among my\u00a0top ten graphic novels of 2012<\/a>.<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Explorer:
\n<\/b><\/span>Explorer: The Mystery Boxes<\/b>\u00a0edited by Kazu Kibuishi (Amulet)
\nKazu Kibuishi’s follow-up anthology to the award-winning\u00a0Flight<\/i><\/b>\u00a0series,\u00a0Explorer: The Mystery Boxes<\/b>\u00a0continues in much the same vein with an eclectic mix of beautiful stories geared toward readers of all ages. While the seven shorts, all centered around mysterious boxes, feature excellent art and superior storytelling, several of the tales excel. The creepy opening contribution “Under the Floorboards” by Emily Carroll, the clever “The Keeper’s Treasure” by Jason Caffoe, Rad Sechrist’s charming “The Butter Thief,” and Kibuishi’s foreboding “The Escape Option” showcase some of the best of the form.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

23 Years on Fire<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/h1>\n

by Joel Shepherd<\/strong>
\n Cover by Stephan Martiniere<\/strong><\/p>\n

Promo copy:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cassandra Kresnov–a highly advanced hunter-killer android–returns to face down a rogue government’s plot to eliminate free will<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Commander Cassandra Kresnov has her hands full. She must lead an assault against the Federation world of Pyeongwha, where a terrible sociological phenomenon has unleashed hell against the civilian population. Then she faces the threat from a portion of League space known as New Torah, in which a ruthless regime of surviving corporations are building new synthetic soldiers but taking the technology in alarming directions.<\/p>\n

On the Torahn world of Pantala, Sandy encounters betrayal, crisis, and conspiracy on a scale previously unimaginable. Most challenging of all, she also meets three young street kids who stir emotions in her she didn’t think she was capable of. Can the Federation’s most lethal killer afford unexpected sentiment? What will be the cost if she is forced to choose between them and her mission, not only to her cause, but to her soul?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Plague Forge<\/strong><\/em><\/a>
\nThe Dire Earth Cycle: Three<\/h1>\n

by Jason M. Hough<\/strong>
\n Cover by Christian McGrath<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0Promo copy:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Plague Forge<\/i>\u00a0delivers an unbeatable combination of knockout action and kick-ass characters as the secrets to the ultimate alien mystery from\u00a0The Darwin Elevator<\/i><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0The Exodus Towers<\/i><\/a>\u00a0are about to be unraveled.<\/b>
\n\u00a0<\/b>
\nThe hunt is on for the mysterious keys left by the alien Builders. While Skyler\u2019s team of immune scavengers scatters around the disease-ravaged globe in search of the artifacts, Skyler himself finds much more than he expected in the African desert, where he stumbles upon surprising Builder relics\u2014and thousands of bloodthirsty subhumans. From the slums and fortresses of Darwin to the jungles of Brazil and beyond, Skyler and company are in for a wild ride, jam-packed with daunting challenges, run-and-gun adventure, and unexpected betrayals\u2014all in a race against time to finally answer the great questions that have plagued humanity for decades: Who are the Builders, and what do they want with Earth?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A Study in Silks<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/h1>\n

by Emma Jane Holloway<\/strong>
\n Cover by Gene Mollica and David Stevenson<\/strong><\/p>\n

Promo copy:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Evelina Cooper, the niece of the great Sherlock Holmes, is poised to enjoy her first Season in London Society. But there\u2019s a murderer to deal with\u2014not to mention missing automatons, a sorcerer, and a talking mouse.<\/b>
\n\u00a0<\/i><\/b>
\nIn a Victorian era ruled by a council of ruthless steam barons, mechanical power is the real monarch and sorcery the demon enemy of the Empire. Nevertheless, the most coveted weapon is magic that can run machines\u2014something Evelina has secretly mastered. But rather than making her fortune, her special talents could mean death or an eternity as a guest of Her Majesty\u2019s secret laboratories. What\u2019s a polite young lady to do but mind her manners and pray she\u2019s never found out?<\/p>\n

But then there\u2019s that murder. As Sherlock Holmes\u2019s niece, Evelina should be able to find the answers, but she has a lot to learn. And the first decision she has to make is whether to trust the handsome, clever rake who makes her breath come faster, or the dashing trick rider who would dare anything for her if she would only just ask.<\/p>\n

\"Pathfinder<\/p>\n

The Wizard’s Mask<\/em><\/strong><\/a>
\nPathfinder Tales\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n

by Ed Greenwood<\/strong>
\nCover by Lucas Graciano<\/strong><\/p>\n

Promo copy:<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the war-torn lands of Molthune and Nirmathas, where rebels fight an endless war of secession against an oppressive military government, the constant fighting can make for strange alliances. Such is the case for the man known only as the Masked, the victim of a magical curse that forces him to hide his face, and an escaped halfling slave woman named Tantaerra. Thrown together by chance, the two fugitives find themselves conscripted by both sides of the conflict and forced to search for a magical artifact that could help shift the balance of power and end the bloodshed for good. But in order to survive, the thieves will first need to learn to the one thing none of their adventures have taught them: how to trust each other. From New York Times bestselling author and legendary game designer Ed Greenwood comes a new adventure of magic, monsters, and unlikely friendships, set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Scroll of Years<\/em><\/a>
\nA Gaunt and Bone Novel\u00a0<\/strong><\/h1>\n

by Chris Willrich
\nCover by Kerem Beyit<\/strong><\/p>\n

Promo copy:<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s Brent Weeks meets China Mieville in this wildly imaginative fantasy debut featuring high action, elegant writing, and sword and sorcery with a Chinese flare.
\n<\/b>
\nPersimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone are a romantic couple and partners in crime. Persimmon is a poet from a well-to-do family, who found herself looking for adventure, while Imago is a thief in his ninth decade who is double-cursed, and his body has not aged in nearly seventy years. Together, their services and wanderlust have taken them into places better left unseen, and against odds best not spoken about. Now, they find themselves looking to get away, to the edge of the world, with Persimmon pregnant with their child, and the most feared duo of assassins hot on their trail. However, all is never what it seems, and a sordid adventure–complete with magic scrolls, gangs of thieves, and dragons both eastern and western–is at hand.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Antares<\/em><\/a>
\nEpisode 4<\/strong><\/h1>\n

by Leo<\/strong><\/p>\n

Promo copy:<\/strong><\/p>\n

On a distant alien world, a race against time and human stupidity.<\/p>\n

Kim\u2019s group, still stranded halfway across Antares, must get back to the base camp through a journey filled with deadly encounters. Meanwhile, at the base camp, a trip to the neighbouring planet\u2014source of the strange ray that vaporised Kim\u2019s daughter\u2014is being organised. The prospect of meeting an intelligent species, though, drives the religious fanatics in charge to clamp down on any person or activity deemed rebellious. As if a hostile world isn\u2019t enough, the colonists have brought their own worst enemy with them…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s take a quick look to see what\u2019s arrived at the Geek Compound. Explorer: The Lost Islands Edited by Kazu Kibuishi Cover by Kibuishi Promo copy: The highly anticipated second volume to the critically acclaimed Explorer series,\u00a0The Lost Islands\u00a0is a … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-comics"],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n