{"id":3062,"date":"2014-05-11T17:35:22","date_gmt":"2014-05-11T22:35:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/geekcurmudgeon\/?p=3062"},"modified":"2014-05-11T17:35:22","modified_gmt":"2014-05-11T22:35:22","slug":"books-received-5112014-del-rey-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revolutionsf.com\/revblogs\/geekcurmudgeon\/2014\/05\/11\/books-received-5112014-del-rey-edition\/","title":{"rendered":"Books received 5\/11\/2014 Del Rey edition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s take\u00a0a quick look to see what\u2019s arrived at the Geek Compound.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Best of Connie Willis<\/a><\/em><\/strong>
\n Award-Winning Stories<\/strong><\/h1>\n

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

Few authors have had careers as successful as that of Connie Willis. Inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame and recently awarded the title of Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Willis is still going strong. Her smart, heartfelt fiction runs the gamut from screwball comedy to profound tragedy, combining dazzling plot twists, cutting-edge science, and unforgettable characters.<\/p>\n

From a near future mourning the extinction of dogs to an alternate history in which invading aliens were defeated by none other than Emily Dickinson; from a madcap convention of bumbling quantum physicists in Hollywood to a London whose Underground has become a storehouse of intangible memories both foul and fair\u2014here are the greatest stories of one of the greatest writers working in any genre today.<\/p>\n

All ten of the stories gathered here are Hugo or Nebula award winners\u2014some even have the distinction of winning both. With a new Introduction by the author and personal afterwords to each story\u2014plus a special look at three of Willis\u2019s unique public speeches\u2014this is unquestionably the collection of the season, a book that every Connie Willis fan will treasure, and, to those unfamiliar with her work, the perfect introduction to one of the most accomplished and best-loved writers of our time.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"download\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Last Orders<\/a>
\nThe War That Came Early<\/em><\/strong><\/h1>\n

by Harry Turtledove<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

History is changed by one small act.<\/b><\/p>\n

In an extraordinary saga of nations locked in war, master storyteller Harry Turtledove tells the story of World War II, which begins over Czechoslovakia rather than Poland, eleven months earlier than it really came. Now we have the final installment in Turtledove\u2019s landmark World War II series.<\/p>\n

Hitler\u2019s Plan A was to win in a hurry, striking hard and deep into France. There was no Plan B. Now the war grinds on. Countries have been forced into strange alliances. The Nazis fortify thin lines with Hungarian and Romanian troops. England, finding its footing after the suspicious death of Winston Churchill and a coup d\u2019\u00e9tat, fights back in Europe and on the seas of the North Atlantic. Jews fight on both sides of the war\u2014in secret in German uniform, openly in Spain, France, and Russia. Into the standoff come new killing tools, from tanks to bazookas. In the Pacific, Japan prepares bombs filled with macabre biological concoctions to be dropped on Hawaii.<\/p>\n

For the U.S., the only enemy is Japan, as there has been no casus belli for America in Europe. Then Hitler becomes desperate and declares war on the United States. But is it too late? His own people are rising up in revolt. The German military may have to put down the violence, even perhaps bomb its own cities.<\/p>\n

In this epic drama, real men and women are shaped by the carnage, and their individual acts in turn shape history.<\/p>\n

Drawing on the gritty, personal reality of war and on a cast of unforgettable characters, Harry Turtledove has written an alternate history that intrigues, fascinates, and astounds.<\/p>\n

\"download<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0Half a King<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

by Joe Abercrombie<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

\u201cA fast-paced tale of betrayal and revenge that grabbed me from page 1 and refused to let go.\u201d\u2014George R. R. Martin
\n<\/b>
\n\u201cI swore an oath to avenge the death of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath.\u201d<\/i>
\n\u00a0<\/i>
\nPrince Yarvi has vowed to regain a throne he never wanted. But first he must survive cruelty, chains, and the bitter waters of the Shattered Sea. And he must do it all with only one good hand.<\/p>\n

The deceived will become the deceiver.<\/b>
\n\u00a0<\/b>
\nBorn a weakling in the eyes of his father, Yarvi is alone in a world where a strong arm and a cold heart rule. He cannot grip a shield or swing an axe, so he must sharpen his mind to a deadly edge.<\/p>\n

The betrayed will become the betrayer.<\/b>
\n\u00a0<\/b>
\nGathering a strange fellowship of the outcast and the lost, he finds they can do more to help him become the man he needs to be than any court of nobles could.<\/p>\n

Will the usurped become the usurper?<\/b>
\n\u00a0<\/b>
\nBut even with loyal friends at his side, Yarvi finds his path may end as it began\u2014in twists, and traps, and tragedy.<\/p>\n

\"download<\/a><\/p>\n

Shattered<\/a>
\nThe Iron Druid Chronicles<\/strong><\/em><\/h1>\n

by Kevin Hearne<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

Acclaimed author Kevin Hearne makes his hardcover debut with the new novel in his epic urban fantasy series starring the unforgettable Atticus O\u2019Sullivan.<\/b>
\n\u00a0<\/b>
\nFor nearly two thousand years, only one Druid has walked the Earth\u2014Atticus O\u2019Sullivan, the Iron Druid, whose sharp wit and sharp sword have kept him alive as he\u2019s been pursued by a pantheon of hostile deities. Now he\u2019s got company.<\/p>\n

Atticus\u2019s apprentice Granuaile is at last a full Druid herself. What\u2019s more, Atticus has defrosted an archdruid long ago frozen in time, a father figure (of sorts) who now goes by the modern equivalent of his old Irish name: Owen Kennedy.<\/p>\n

And Owen has some catching up to do.<\/p>\n

Atticus takes pleasure in the role reversal, as the student is now the teacher. Between busting Atticus\u2019s chops and trying to fathom a cell phone, Owen must also learn English. For Atticus, the jury\u2019s still out on whether the wily old coot will be an asset in the epic battle with Norse god Loki\u2014or merely a pain in the arse.<\/p>\n

But Atticus isn\u2019t the only one with daddy issues. Granuaile faces a great challenge: to exorcise a sorcerer\u2019s spirit that is possessing her father in India. Even with the help of the witch Laksha, Granuaile may be facing a crushing defeat.<\/p>\n

As the trio of Druids deals with pestilence-spreading demons, bacon-loving yeti, fierce flying foxes, and frenzied Fae, they\u2019re hoping that this time, three\u2019s a charm.<\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s take\u00a0a quick look to see what\u2019s arrived at the Geek Compound. The Best of Connie Willis Award-Winning Stories Promo copy: Few authors have had careers as successful as that of Connie Willis. Inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of … 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":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n