Brooks, Terry - Running With the Demon : A Novel of Good and Evil Though Illinois teenager Nest Freemark looks like your average kid, she spends her free time in the woods asking her 6-inch pal Pick for advice in dodging the Demon and his creepy Feeders, spirits who gobble the souls of humans. Nest is also being tailed by John Ross, a shining Knight of the Word who wants to keep her from the Feeders' jaws. Meanwhile, in the real world that dominates the novel, Nest Freemark is being stalked by a handsome, evil classmate who she has rejected, and a pack of surly, insurgent striking steelworkers plot a bombing at the company's Fourth of July picnic. The boy and the bombers are unaware that they're being subconsciously manipulated by the Demon. There's something for everyone: gory monster attacks, a dread family secret, magical mind-game duels, even a (rather flat) teen-romance subplot. The setting has real grit and the countdown to the Independence Day bombing peps up the tale. Callander, Don - Marbleheart Marbleheart was a sleek, dark-furred sea otter. He'd rescued maidens, fought witches, even installed a new emperor on the Dragon Throne of Choin. But lately, Marbleheart's been bored. But all that's about to change. Card, Orson Scott - Heartfire : The Tales of Alvin Marker VPeggy is a Torch, able to see the fire burning in each person's heart. She can follow the paths of each person's future, and know each person's most intimate secrets. From the moment of Alvin Maker's birth, when the Unmaker first strove to kill him, she has protected him. Chilson, Robert - Black As Blood Uncle Albert was laid out in his coffin, dead as a doornail, and things were on a reasonably even keel. But then Uncle Albert sat up and accused Bernie of stealing his gold, and first of all Bernie didn't know what he was talking about, and second it took a considerable tussle to get Uncle Albert to lie down again, get his casket-lid fastened, and the coffin buried. But that wasn't the end of it--far from it. Clayton, Jo - Drum Calls The author of the bestselling Diadem series draws her newest web of magic and suspense ever tighter. The Drumbeats grow louder and more ominous. On Glandair and Iomard, two magically linked worlds, everyone is looking for Lyanz, the young Hero--including many who wish to do him harm. But he has been spirited away to a safe place where he can learn the skills a Hero needs and gather the followers for his final journey. Cook, Glen - She Is the Darkness In book 7, the Company is still reluctanty employed by the Taglian government, and still bent upon the destruction of Longshadow, the last of the Shadowmasters. Allied with Longshadow is the Howler, a crazed sorceror, and Mogaba and Blade, two soldiers with axes to grind. Also in the mix is the deranged Soulcatcher, a rogue force with an agenda only she understands; Narayan Singh, the leader of the strangler sect known as the Deceivers; and the Daughter of Night, the four-year-old daughter of Croaker and Lady whose soul has been stolen by the Goddess Kina. Davidson, Avram, Robert Silverberg (Editor), Grania Davis (Editor), Ray Bradbury (Afterword) - The Avram Davidson Treasury : A Tribute Collection (October 1998) (1999 Locus Award - Best Collection) ...may be the most satisfying short-story collection of the decade. Davidson (1923-1993), one of science fiction and fantasy's greatest writers, was "a master shaper of small stories," writes Alan Dean Foster in his introduction to "Or the Grasses Grow." Foster is joined in introducing the stories by dozens of extraordinary authors, including Ursula K. Le Guin, Gene Wolfe, William Gibson, Poul Anderson, and many others. Davidson was clearly adored, and often emulated, despite his reputation for being somewhat curmudgeonly. His mastery of language was exquisite, and his stories glittered like diamonds. Each of the 38 tales in this collection spanning five decades is a self-contained wonderland. One of the most famous (and most often plagiarized) short stories in science fiction appears here: "Or All the Seas with Oysters," tells of slightly sinister safety pin pupae, coat hanger larvae, and bicycle adults in a world where machines are more than they seem. Dunsany, Lord - The King of Elfland's Daughter (July 1999) The poetic style and sweeping grandeur of The King of Elfland's Daughter has made it one of the most beloved fantasy novels of our time, a masterpiece that influenced some of the greatest contemporary fantasists. The heartbreaking story of a marriage between a mortal man and an elf princess is a masterful tapestry of the fairy tale following the "happily ever after." Lord Dunsany was Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, the eighteenth baron of an ancient line. He hunted lions in Africa, taught English in Athens, fought in the Boer and Kaiserian wars, and was wounded in the service of his country. As senior peer of Ireland, he saw three sovereigns crowned at Westminster; part of the renaissance of Irish drama, he hobnobbed with Yeats and Synge and Lady Gregory during the great days of Dublin's Abbey Theatre. He was peer, sportsman, soldier, playwright, globe-trotter, and once chess champion of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. He wrote more than sixty books before his death in 1957 and influenced some of the greatest writers of our time including H. P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and Fritz Leiber. Farland, David - The RunelordsYoung Prince Gabon Val Orden of Mystarria is traveling in disguise on a journey to ask for the hand of the lovely Princess Iome of Sylvarresta when he and his warrior bodyguard spot a pair of assassins who have set their sights on the princess's father. The pair races to warn the king of the impending danger and realizes that more than the royal family is at risk--the very fate of the Earth is in jeopardy. Fenner, Cathy and Arnie Fenner (Editors) Spectrum 5 the Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art : Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art ((Paper)) (October 1998) (1998 Locus Award - Best Art Book) Featuring work originally created for book covers, comics, art galleries, and more, "Spectrum 5" includes a wide representation of international talent, plus profiles of renowned comic artist Will Eisner and fine artist James Bama, and the Year in Review by Arnie Fenner. 200 color illustrations. Forsyth, Kate - The Witches of EileananCeltic fantasy, prophecy, intrigue, a lost prince, and a young woman learning an outlawed magic. A strong first novel. Harlan, Thomas - The Shadow of Ararat (July 1999) In what would be A.D. 600 in our history, the Roman Empire still stands, supported by the twin pillars of the Legions and Thaumaturges of Rome. Now the Emperor of the West, the Augustus Galen Atreus, will come to the aid of the Emperor of the East, the Augustus Heraclius, to lift the siege of Constantinople and carry a great war to the very doorstep of the Shahanshah of Persia. It is a war that will be fought with armies both conventional and magical, with bright swords and the darkest necromantic sorceries. Heller, Carol - Sands of Kalaven : A Novel of Shunlar The divine oracle predicts ill for Shunlar and Ranth, young lovers who are on separate missions of discovery into their clouded, magic-filled pasts. Shunlar, who has dragon's blood coursing through her veins, is racked by frightening dreams--and though the stunning warrior is unaware of it, she now harbors strange and perilous new powers. Shunlar's path leads to the desert sands of Kalaven, where she will face an unexpected destiny. Jensen, Jan Lars - Shiva 3000 (July 1999) A magical narrative set in an India of the future, in which the gods of the Hindu pantheon walk the earth. Jan Lars Jensen weaves a magical, mythical narrative with a modern sensibility, present-future technology, and a dark humor strongly reminiscent of Terry Gilliam's Brazil and Time Bandits. Two quarreling friends travel across India together, following their very different destinies. Along the way, young Rakesh and the Royal Engineer, Vasant, encounter the giant god of wood, Jagannath, who carves a swath of destruction; the Pragmatic Monks, who live in a carved-out mountain and perform miracles of meditation; demon cranes, who reduce life to counting; battles where the weapons are spices; and numerous other wonders. This cinematic Sinbad dreamscape, filled with animate machines, airships of silk, and legends brought to life, evokes an ancient time but also points a finger at our modern age. Martin, George - R.R.A Clash of Kings by 1999 (February 1999) (Locus Awards - Best Fantasy Novel) The Seven Kingdoms have come apart. Joffrey, Queen Cersei's sadistic son, ascends the Iron Throne following the death of Robert Baratheon, the Usurper, who won it in battle. Queen Cersei's family, the Lannisters, fight to hold it for him. Both the dour Stannis and the charismatic Renly Baratheon, Robert's brothers, also seek the throne. Robb Stark, declared King in the North, battles to avenge his father's execution and retrieve his sister from Joffrey's court. Daenerys, the exiled last heir of the former ruling family, nurtures three dragons and seeks a way home. Meanwhile the Night's Watch, sworn to protect the realm from dangers north of the Wall, dwindle in numbers, even as barbarian forces gather and beings out of legend stalk the Haunted Forest. Sound complicated? It is, but fine writing makes this a thoroughly satisfying stew of dark magic, complex political intrigue, and horrific bloodshed. Rosenberg, Joel - The Silver Stone (Keepers of the Hidden Ways, No 2) The second in a series in which college students are transported to a magical realm, follows Ian Silverstein, Torrie Thorsen and their companions as they return to the mythical land of Tir Na Nog. Rusch, Kristine Kathryn - The Resistance : The Fourth Book of the Fey For a conquered people, a long-forgotten magic holds their only hope. Blue Isle's capital lies in ruins, leveled by the new invasion force of Fey. But to hold his conquest, Black King Rugad must capture his two half-Islander, half-Fey great-grandchildren: the fiery Arianna and the gentle Gift. For one of them will inherit the Black Throne, and Rugad will not rest until he owns them both, body and soul. Yet, in the wily and courageous Arianna, this legendary warrior may have met his match. Fugitives in a wasted land, she and her father, Blue Isle's King Nicholas, plan the destruction of her ruthless great-grandfather. Schimel, Lawrence and Martin H. Greenberg (Editors) Camelot Fantastic From the drawing of Excalibur from the stone to the Knights of the Round Table, join popular fantasists Katharine Kerr, Brian Stableford, Tanya Huff, Rosemary Edghill, Michelle Sagara West, Ian McDowell, Fiona Patton, and more as they present original novelettes about King Arthur and his court in the legendary realm of Camelot! Silverberg, Robert - Legends : Short Novels by the Masters of Modern Fantasy (August 1998) (1999 Locus Awards - Best Anthology) Acclaimed writer and editor Robert Silverberg gathered 11 of the finest writers in fantasy to contribute to this collection of short novels. Each of the writers was asked to write a new story based on one of his or her most famous series, and the results are wonderful. From Stephen King's opening piece set in his popular Gunslinger universe to Robert Jordan's early look at his famed Wheel of Time saga, each of these stories is exceptionally well written and universally well told. The authors here include King, Jordan, and Silverberg himself, as well as Terry and Lyn Pratchett, Terry Goodkind, Orson Scott Card, Ursula K. Le Guin, Tad Williams, George R.R. Martin, Anne McCaffrey, and Raymond E. Feist. This is not only a great book in and of itself, but it's also a perfect way for fantasy fans to find new novels and authors to add to their "to read" lists. Silverberg, Robert - Lord Prestimion (August 1999) In Lord Prestimion, the hero Prestimion takes the throne as Coronal, coruler of Majipoor, a millennium before Lord Valentine's reign. His crowning follows the long, ruinous civil war to overthrow a usurping Coronal, a war now literally forgotten: Prestimion's sorcerers have imposed amnesia on the people of Majipoor in hope of preventing any further uprising. Such a memory wipe reeks of wrongness and seems to have caused the infectious plague of insanity. Meanwhile, one very bad man, who is a leading rebel and warmonger, recovers his memories and escapes to make new mischief. After various colorful, almost dream-like travelogues, the situation is saved--a little too easily?--by telepathic gadgetry. Snyder, Midori - The Innamorati Four companions, the "innamorati", journey across a richly imagined Renaissance Italy to meet at the front of the great labyrinth. Here, their adventures grow ever more baroque, comical, and magical, until they achieve the heart of the Maze--and, perhaps, their hearts' desire. Stackpole, Michael A. - Wolf and Raven (Shadowrun, No 32) A collection of short stories featuring Wolf and Raven two immensely popular characters first seen in the Shadowrun anthology, Into the Shadowrun. Wells, Martha - The Death of the NecromancerNicholas Valiarde, a nobleman and perhaps the greatest thief in the kingdom of Ile-Rien, where magic is a part of everyday life has gathered an unparalleled band of criminals, including a well-known actress, an ex-military officer, a hardened killer, and a sorcerer with a bad drug habit. Valiarde, in the guise of criminal overlord Donatien, is amassing a small fortune in gold and jewels with one purpose in mind: to take his revenge on Count Montesq, the man who leveled false charges of necromancy against Nicholas's beloved godfather Edouard, leading to Edouard's execution. But Nicholas's band of ne'er-do-wells isn't the only force stalking the dark streets of Vienne, and Nicholas is about to face a real necromancer in a battle whose outcome will affect all of Ile-Rien. Wells has created a fast-paced action-adventure story with a wonderful cast of characters and a twisting, turning plot that will keep you flipping pages well into the evening hours Williams, Tad - River of Blue Fire : Otherland Return to Otherland in River of Blue Fire, the second novel of Tad Williams' epic series. Otherland, a virtual reality universe where any fantasy can come true, is ruled by the unimaginable wealthy and ruthless power brokers known as The Grail Brotherhood. Constructed over two generations, consuming extraordinary amounts of money and lives, Otherland has begun to claim Earth's most valuable resource: its children. Now, in River of Blue Fire, the group of unlikely heroes who have taken up the challenge of this perilous and seductive realm are brought together briefly, only to be thrown into different worlds, split by mistrust, and stalked at every turn by the serial killer Dread and the mysterious Nemesis... Wilson, Robert Charles - DarwiniaIn 1912, the European continent and f the United Kingdom mysteriously vanished during the Miracle, replaced by an alien landscape known as Darwinia, appearing to be a slice of another Earth, one that diverged from ours millions of years ago on a separate evolutionary path. At age 14, Guilford Law witnessed the Miracle . A grown man now, he is determined to travel to Darwinia and explore its mysteries, enlisting as a photographer in the Finch expedition, which plans to steam up what was once the Rhine to penetrate the continent's hidden depths as far as possible.
