Urban Fantasy Land

This list contains authors, titles, release dates, links to covers, and summaries of what urban fantasy has to offer this April. Information comes from Amazon.com, and we apologise in advance for any mistakes.

Mistakes on our 2008 release dates page: We originally listed the paperback of Marlene Perez’s Dead is the New Black’s release as 1st April. But apparently it’s been pushed back to 1st September. Also we accidentally listed the paperback of Marta Acosta’s Midnight Brunch’s release as 24th April. Actually, it was released on that date in 2007. Sorry for the confusion, y’all.

Ilona Andrews – Magic Burns – 1 Apr 2008 – paperback – Cover: As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels knows how waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta’s paramilitary clan of shape shifters, she quickly realizes much more is at stake. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug of war between two gods hoping for rebirth, and if Kate can’t stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive.

L A Banks – Bad Blood – 1 Apr 2008 – mass market paperback – Cover: Sasha Trudeau knows all about working beneath the shadows, back-alley deals, and things that go bump in the night. She also knows that the world is unaware of the existence of the paranormal — and that the government would like to keep it that way. As a highly trained Special Ops soldier, Sasha and her team are an elite group of individuals who are survivors of werewolf attacks, now trained to be loyal to only to each other and their government. But when she returns from a solo mission, she finds that her team has mysteriously gone missing. Shocking government conspiracies, double-dealing vampires, and a host of stunning revelations about who — and what — she really is are only just the beginning…

Jim Butcher – Small Favor – 1 Apr 2008 – hardcover – Cover: No one’s tried to kill Harry Dresden for almost an entire year, and his life finally seems to be calming down. For once, the future looks fairly bright. But the past casts one hell of a long shadow. An old bargain has placed Harry in debt to Mab, monarch of the Winter Court of the Sidhe, the Queen of Air and Darkness – and she’s calling in her marker. It’s a small favor he can’t refuse…one that will trap Harry Dresden between a nightmarish foe and an equally deadly ally, and one that will strain his skills – and loyalties – to their very limits. It figures. Everything was going too well to last…

Karen Chance – Embrace the Night – 1 Apr 2008 – paperback – Cover: Recently named the world’s chief clairvoyant, Cassandra Palmer still has a thorn in her side. As long as Cassie and a certain master vampire — the sizzling-hot Mircea — are magically bound to each other, her life will never be her own… The spell that binds them can only be broken with an incantation found in the Codex Merlini, an ancient grimoire. The Codex’s location has been lost in the present day, so Cassie will have to seek it out in the only place it can still be found — the past. But Cassie soon realizes the Codex has been lost for a reason. The book is rumored to contain some seriously dangerous spells, and retrieving it may help Cassie to deal with Mircea, but it could also endanger the world…

Stacia Kane – Personal Demons – 1 Apr 2008 – paperback – Cover: When psychological counselor Megan Chase promises listeners to her new radio call-in show she’ll slay their personal demons, they believe her. So do the personal demons. Megan doesn’t know she’s the only human alive without a personal demon on her shoulder. This, coupled with her psychic abilities, makes her a valuable weapon for any demon mob-like “family” lucky enough to gain her allegiance. It also makes her a serious threat not just to the personal demons, but to a soul-sucking Legion of Hell known as The Accuser. The Accuser already has an old score to settle with Megan, and sees this as the perfect time to do it. But Megan isn’t without allies as she’s plunged back into a world she forgot existed. A member of a competing demon family sees Megan as his ticket to power, and sets about both protecting and seducing her with devilish intensity. Can Megan, her new demon lover, a witch with poor social skills, and three cockney guard demons named Malleus, Maleficarum, and Spud defeat not only The Accuser, the personal demons, and the ghosts of Megan’s past, but the reporter who threatens to destroy Megan’s career as well?

Ekaterina Sedia et al – Paper Cities – 1 Apr 2008 – paperback – Cover: The city has always been a place of mystery, of magic, and wonder. In cities past, present, and future, in metropoli real and imagined, meet mutilated warrior-women, dead boys, mechanical dogs, escape artists and more. From the dizzying heights of rooftops and spires to the sinister secrets of underpasses and gutters, some of the most talented authors writing today will take you on a trip through the urban fantastic. Edited by Ekaterina Sedia. Twenty-one original stories from Forrest Aguirre, Barth Anderson, Steve Berman, Darin Bradley, Stephanie Campisi, Hal Duncan, Mike Jasper, Vylar Kaftan, Jay Lake, Paul Meloy, Richard Parks, Ben Peek, Cat Rambo, Jenn Reese, David Schwartz, Cat Sparks, Anna Tambour, Mark Teppo, Catherynne M. Valente, Greg van Eekhout, and Kaaron Warren.

Rachel Vincent – Rogue – 1 Apr 2008 – mass market paperback – Cover: Okay, so cats don’t always land on their feet. I know that better than most. Since rejoining the Pride, I’ve made big decisions and even bigger mistakes: the kind paid for with innocent lives. As the first and only female enforcer, I have plenty to prove to my father, the Pride, and myself. And with murdered toms turning up in our territory, I’m working harder than ever, though I always find the energy for a little after-hours recreation with Marc, my partner both on and off duty. But not all my mistakes are behind me. We’re beginning to suspect that the dead are connected to a rash of missing human women, and that they can all be laid at my feet – two or four, take your pick. And one horrible indiscretion may yet cost me more than I can bear…

Kelley Armstrong – Personal Demon – 3rd Apr 2008 – hardcover – Cover: Half-demon tabloid reporter Hope Adams has a secret. Like full demons, she loves chaos. She thrives on it. She needs it. Most of the time, Hope feeds the hunger by helping the interracial council. But it’s never enough. So when Benicio Cortez offers her a job infiltrating a gang of young supernaturals, she thinks she’s found the perfect solution. Instead, she finds a tinderbox of greed, desire and ambition. And when it ignites, a world is going to explode.

Kim Harrison – Where Demons Dare – 8 Apr 2008 (UK edition of The Outlaw Demon Wails) – paperback – Cover: Having barely escaped being skewered by the criminal vampire overlord of Cincinnati, Rachel now has even bigger problems to contend with. The demon, Algaliarept, although banished back into the everafter has infected others of his kind with his interest in a witch who can channel demon magic. Rachel soon finds herself with not one but three hellions on her tail; and one of them is even crazier and more dangerous than all the fairy assassins, weres and vampires on the planet.

Richelle Mead – Frostbite – 10 Apr 2008 – paperback – Cover: Rose Hathaway’s got serious guy trouble. Her gorgeous tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason has a huge crush on her, and she keeps getting stuck in her best friend Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian. (So not cool). Then a massive Strigoi attack puts St. Vladimir’s on high alert, and the Academy crawls with Guardians – including the legendary Janine Hathaway…Rose’s formidable, long-absent mother. The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks. This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory. But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only provide the illusion of safety. When three students run away to strike back against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. Only this time, Rose – and her heart – are in more danger than she ever could have imagined…

Heather Brewer – Ninth Grade Slays – 17 Apr 2008 – hardcover – Cover: High school totally bites when you’re half human, half vampire. Freshman year sucks for Vlad Tod. Bullies still harass him. The photographer from the school newspaper is tailing him. And failing his studies could be deadly. A trip to Siberia gives “study abroad” a whole new meaning as Vlad connects with other vampires and advances his mind-control abilities, but will he return home with the skills to recognize a vampire slayer when he sees one? In this thrilling sequel to Eighth Grade Bites, Vlad must confront the secrets of the past and battle forces that once again threaten his life.

Rosemary Clement-Moore – Prom Dates from Hell – 22 Apr 2008 – paperback – Maggie Quinn knew high school was hell, but even she thinks the smell of brimstone was a little out of the ordinary. When she’s the only one to see that something supernatural is stalking the school’s ruling clique, it’s up to Maggie to channel her inner Nancy Drew and ferret out the origin of the ancient evil, before all Hell breaks loose at the Senior Prom.

Francesca Lia Block – Quakeland – 23 Apr 2008 – hardcover – After enduring from afar a seemingly endless series of outside worldwide disasters – including 9/11 and the Asian tsunami – while living in earthquake-prone Los Angeles, a bereft Katrina experiences deep inner longings for some sense of permanence, meaning, and intimacy. A preschool teacher contemplating the unsettling challenges of her mid-life, she finds solace in the company of her dear friend Grace, and conflict in the arms of a narcissistic yoga instructor, Jasper. In this intertwining series of emotionally charged stories, wistful characters weave together a dance of joy and sorrow, gain and loss, harmony and dissonance. Beautifully written, Quakeland speaks in a deeply stirring female voice to an unspoken sense of universal longing that seems quietly prevalent in these times. It is a brave, poetic work that acknowledges the pain and loss we live with every day, and offers hope – through art and through connection – of something more.

Rachel Caine – Ill Wind – 28 Apr 2008 (UK edition) – paperback – Cover: Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden. Usually all it takes is a wave of her hand to tame the most violent weather. But now Joanne is trying to outrun another kind of storm: accusations of corruption and murder. So she’s resorting to the very human tactic of running for her life… Her only hope is Lewis, the most powerful Warden of them all. Unfortunately, he’s also on the run from the World Council. It seems he’s stolen not one but three bottles of Djinn – making him the most wanted man on earth. And without Lewis, Joanne’s chances of surviving are as good as a snowball in – well, a place she may soon be headed. So she and her classic Mustang are racing hard to find him because there’s some bad weather closing in fast…

Keri Arthur – The Darkest Kiss – 29 Apr 2008 – mass market paperback – Cover: Riley Jenson hunts evildoers — and does it with a style all her own. With vamp blood coursing her through her veins, and a werewolf’s uncanny instinct for danger, Riley wears snakeskin stilettos and pure, in-your-face attitude when she plunges into her latest case: Hunting down a killer whose victims are high-society strumpets — and the rich and powerful men they’ve dated. But for Riley, the case takes a chilling turn when a second killer starts trailing mutilated bodies of his own: a crazed young vamp choosing victims from a past marked by tragedy. Riley knows she’s got the skill and cunning to catch two serial killers at once…until one of them strikes inside her own tight-knit clan – and a sexy beast of a vampire re-enters her life to aid in the hunt. His name is Quinn. He’s lived forever, shed blood and shared pleasure…and he’s the only man over whom Riley has absolutely no control…

Jenna Black – Hungers of the Heart – 29 Apr 2008 – mass market paperback – Cover: Drake is a Killer. Unlike the Guardians of the Night, Drake feeds on human blood, choosing victims who deserve to die. He also works with the Guardians to protect humans from other Killers. When Gabriel, the leader of the Baltimore Guardians, mysteriously disappears, Drake finds himself in charge of a small band of inexperienced fledgling vampires. But then a delegation of European Killers arrives in Baltimore hunting for Gabriel, and Drake must call on all the savagery of his sordid past to keep the Guardians in line — and to protect them from the delegation. Forced to confront a past he has tried so hard to outrun, Drake risks losing his humanity once and for all. His only hope is Faith, the French Seigneur’s concubine, who desperately needs his help to rescue her human sister from the Seigneur’s clutches. Will Drake be saved by love, or will he lose everything and become a Killer without a conscience?

Christine Feehan – Dark Magic – 29 Apr 2008 – mass market paperback – Cover: Young Savannah Dubrinsky was a mistress of illusion, a world-famous magician capable of mesmerizing millions. But there was one – Gregori, the Dark One – who held her in terrifying thrall. Whose cold silver eyes and heated sensuality sent shivers of danger, of desire, down her slender spine. With a dark magic all his own, Gregori – the implacable hunter, the legendary healer, the most powerful of Carpathian males – whispered in Savannah’s mind that he was her destiny. That she had been born to save his immortal soul. And now, here in New Orleans, the hour had finally come to claim her. To make her completely his. In a ritual as old as time…and as inescapable as eternity.

Jeaniene Frost – One Foot in the Grave – 29 Apr 2008 – mass market paperback – Cover: Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She’s still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind. Being around Bones awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline rush of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head – wanted: dead or half-alive – means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard Cat tries to keep things professional between them, she’ll find that desire lasts forever…and Bones won’t let her get away again.

Melissa Marr – Wicked Lovely – 29 Apr 2008 – paperback – Cover: Rule #3: Don’t stare at invisible faeries. Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty — especially if they learn of her Sight — and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens. Rule #2: Don’t speak to invisible faeries. Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer. Rule #1: Don’t ever attract their attention. But it’s too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost — regardless of her plans or desires. Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything. Faery intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in this 21st century faery tale.

Melissa Marr – Ink Exchange – 29 Apr 2008 – hardcover – Cover: Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance between the Faerie Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly-vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow. 17-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life. The tattoo does bring changes — not the kind that Leslie had dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faerie world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils.

Richard Matheson – What Dreams May Come – 29 Apr 2008 – mass market paperback – Cover: What happens to us after we die? Chris Nielsen had no idea, until an unexpected accident cut his life short, separating him from his beloved wife, Annie. Now Chris must discover the true nature of life after death. But even Heaven is not complete without Annie, and when tragedy threatens to divide them forever, Chris risks his very soul to save Annie from an eternity of despair.

C E Murphy – The Queen’s Bastard – 29 Apr 2008 – paperback – Cover: Sorry, can’t find a summary anywhere.

Mary E Pearson – The Adoration of Jenna Fox – 29 Apr 2008 – hardcover – Cover: Identity. Where does it lie? In a face? A voice? A bundled string of events we call a lifetime? Is it in our DNA, bone, flesh, ancestry? How do we define our identity, and is it a once and for all definition? Or is it always changing? Who am I? Can anyone ever know for sure just what it takes to be who we are? We all search for our place in this world and how we fit in, but for Jenna Fox that search reaches dark new dimensions when she wakes from a coma and can’t remember who she is. Worse, she doesn’t remember the people who claim to be her parents. There is something curious about them, about the house they all live in – in fact, curious describes her whole life, as she attempts to unlock the secrets of who she was, and who she has become. The Adoration of Jenna Fox is about Jenna’s search for identity, a quest as old as history, but as startling as the future. Review

Have a lovely day!

Tez Miller