This is a Worldbuilders blog.
Third time’s a charm folks. Here’s the third and final blog full of books from DAW. We’ve got stuff from some big-name authors. Both ARCs and some hardcover sets.
Share and Enjoy.
- An ARC of The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams.
From Publishers Weekly, “Travel into another dimension is a popular fantasy ploy, but rarely accomplished with such humor, terror and even logic as in this stand-alone by bestseller Williams.”
- An ARC of Crown of Shadows by C.S. Friedman.
“Truly one of the great voices of speculative fiction, C.S. Friedman winds up her highly original Coldfire trilogy in brilliant fashion in CROWN OF SHADOWS… The sheer imaginative genius, not to mention incredible power, of Ms. Friedman’s formidable storytelling gift is indescribable-you simply just have to experience it.” -Romantic Times Magazine
A stunning novel, it combines good historical world-building, vampires, religion, and transcendence in a tale that is both entertaining and cathartic… A feast for those who like their fantasies dark, and as emotionally heady as a rich, red wine.” -Locus
- A set of the first two books in the Magister Trilogy, Feast of Souls and Wings of Wrath by C.S. Friedman.
“C.S. Friedman makes fantastic things-and frightening things-seem very real. Her characters are people, not just place-holders, and the worlds she creates are tangible as a live feed from the battlefront of a crash-landing in a savage and unfamiliar wilderness. She also writes bright, clear prose taht can shine like gemstones or cut like broken glass. If you haven’t read her work you need to do something about that right now.” – Tad Williams
- An ARC of Owlknight by Mercedes Lackey & Larry Dixon.
From Library Journal, “Continuing the tale begun in Owlflight and Owlsight, Lackey’s latest novel set in the world of Valdemar exhibits the author’s characteristic attention to detail and character development. This welcome addition to the series belongs in most fantasy collections.”
- An ARC of Brightly Burning by Mercedes Lackey.
From Library Journal, “In the latest in her popular Valdemar series, Lackey combines the intensity of a young man’s agonized coming of age with a tale of love, honor, and sacrifice. Essential for series fans, this title belongs in most fantasy collections.”
- An ARC of Flights of Fantasy, edited by Mercedes Lackey.
SFsite reviewer Georges T. Dodds says, “Flights of Fantasy contains 10 original tales of birds of prey (plus one about crows) ranging from humorous to dark fantasy. There are tales of falconry, Native American tribal totem birds, Arthurian reincarnations, along with stubborn princesses and nasty sorcerers. There is also a novella by Mercedes Lackey which further develops one of the neglected characters of her recent novel, Black Swan […] If you are a fantasy reader and bird-lover — in particular of birds of prey — you will likely enjoy much of the material in Flights of Fantasy.”
- An ARC of Joust by Mercedes Lackey.
From Publishers Weekly, “This uplifting tale, which contains a valuable lesson or two on the virtues of hard work, is a must-read for dragon lovers in particular and for fantasy fans in general.”
- An ARC of The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey.
From Library Journal, “Basing her latest fantasy on the tragic ballet Swan Lake, Lackey adds her own embellishments and interpretations to provide the story with a new ending.”
- A hardcover copy of Starfinder by John Marco.
From sffworld, “If the richness of the world and pacing are the best qualities of the book, these two come together quite strongly in the climax of the novel. Gods and men fighting in fantastical ships with magic and humanity’s freedom at stake – sure, a small encapsulation, but Marco builds to it quite well and the payoff is solid.”
- An ARC of The Eyes of God by John Marco.
“This epic fantasy novel, first in a brand new series, is a well-crafted addition to a much-beloved genre. The book’s characters are well-drawn, and although the plot is fairly dense, the story moves along at a smart pace…the author creates a compelling and entertaining read.” – Voya
- A hardcover set of John Marco‘s trilogy: The Eyes of God; The Devil’s Armor; and The Sword of Angels.
“Mr. Marco has delivered an epic fantasy with heart and pathos. His characters are flawed and believable, wholly sympathetic to the reader. He paints a landscape of palace grandeur and desert desolation where magic is a reality and winning a battle is not winning the war.” – Romantic Times
- An ARC of Sorcery Rising by Jude Fisher.
From Publishers Weekly, “Jude Fisher inaugurates his Fool’s Gold series with Sorcery Rising, the story of a rebellious young knife maker’s adventures at the great Allfair, held yearly in the shadow of a sacred rock that her people, the Eyrans, call Sur’s Castle, and the Istrians (their former enemies) call Falla’s Rock. Though Katla Aransen’s boldness in climbing the mount puts her in grave danger, old feuds and strange sorcery seem equally threatening in a tale that asks as many questions as it answers.”
- A hardcover set of the Jude Fisher‘s trilogy Fool’s Gold: Sorcery Rising, Wild Magic, and The Rose of the World.
From Booklist *Starred Review* “The nerve-wracking, intoxicating conclusion of the Fool’s Gold series is the fabulous, multilayered, poetic story of a world, full of complex, painfully real, endearingly vulnerable characters, on the very brink of either enlightenment or extinction.”
- A hardcover copy of The Collected Short Fiction of C.J. Cherryh.
From Booklist, “This massive and valuable collection reprints all of Cherryh’s short fiction, beginning with the contents of two out-of-print theme collections […] Cherryh crafts even less impressive stories well enough to verify her reputation for brilliance and versatility.”
- An ARC of Chanur’s Legacy by C.J. Cherryh.
From Publishers Weekly, “In the fifth entry in her chronicles of the Chanur clan, space-faring members of a catlike alien race called the hani, Cherryh includes more humor than previously while demonstrating a remarkable ability to imagine alien psychologies.”
- ARCs of Precursor and Defender by C.J. Cherryh.
From the Booklist review of Defender: “This excellent and intelligent book by one of sf’s most powerful imaginations sports a plot that is always complex, occasionally convoluted, and seldom independent of that of Precursor, to which it is the direct sequel, continuing another of Cherryh’s sagas of human-alien interaction. Like its predecessor, it is a good read, too.”
- A hardcover copy of Regenesis by C.J. Cherryh.
From the Publishers Weekly Starred Review, “The long-awaited, intricate sequel to Cherryh’s Hugo-winning Cyteen (1989) brings events full circle. […] Complex and rich, with beautifully rounded characters, this novel can stand alone, but will delight fans of Cyteen with extra layers of meaning that resonate between old and new.”
This is the third blog with DAW’s donations to the fundraiser. You can find the first one HERE and the second one HERE.
Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win hundreds of books like these: some signed, some limited edition, some out of print. Plus there’s the whole helping make the world a better place thing. That’s nice too.
And don’t forget, I’m matching 50% of all donations made. So why not head over to my page at Team Heifer and chip in. Trust me. You’ll feel great afterward.
Or, if you want to go back to the main page for Worldbuilders you can click HERE.
As always, with thanks to our sponsor, Subterranean Press.