Nineteen new urban fantasy (or rural fantasy or paranormal fantasy, if you will) novels hit the shelves in December. Look for series additions from, among others, Marlene Perez (Nyx Fortuna), Elle Jasper (Dark Ink Chronicles), Tessa Adams (Lone Star Witch), Gerry Bartlett (Glory St. Clair), Dakota Cassidy (Accidentally Friends), Larissa Ione (Lords of Deliverance), Jennifer Estep (Elemental Assassins), Cassie Alexander (Edie Spence), Molly Harper (Naked Werewolf), and Chuck Wendig (Miriam Black).
Fiction Affliction details releases in science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and “genre-benders.” Keep track of them all here.
Note: All title summaries are taken and/or summarized from copy provided by the publisher.
WEEK ONE
Dark Descent (Nyx Fortuna #2)—Marlene Perez (December 2, Orbit)
Nyx Fortuna is still reeling from Elizabeth’s betrayal, but Nyx’s cousin, Claire, has run away, and he has to find her and bring her back, or Elizabeth will suffer at the hands of his aunts, the three Fates. Claire has gone into the underworld of Minneapolis, where no one, not even the Fates, can follow. But Nyx must journey to a place where Hecate’s dark magic has Claire in her thrall. Saving his cousin means releasing Hecate from her underworld prison and perhaps fulfilling the prophesy foretelling the Fates.
Darklove (Dark Ink Chronicles #5)—Elle Jasper (December 3, Signet)
Utterly destroyed, or lost forever? This is the question that plagues Riley Poe. After her vampire lover, Eli Dupre, was seemingly murdered by a fallen angel, she receives word that he’s actually trapped in an alternate dimension, where hell on earth is revealed and dark forces reign. Riley’s been there before, and it nearly ripped her to pieces. But her efforts to find Eli are thwarted by a new foe: a powerful, unstoppable vampire is slaughtering humans. Riley knows how to handle a vamp, and with the WUP team by her side, she’s determined to take down the rogue. But what she finds rocks her to the core, as she discovers a startling connection between the slaughter and Eli, who might not be missing after all, and who might not be the same vampire she fell in love with.
Darkwalker (Nicolas Lenoir #1)—E.L. Tettensor (December 3, Roc)
Once a legendary police inspector, Nicolas Lenoir is now a disillusioned and broken man who spends his days going through the motions and his evenings drinking away the nightmares of his past. Ten years ago, Lenoir barely escaped the grasp of the Darkwalker, a vengeful spirit who demands a terrible toll on those who have offended the dead. The Darkwalker does not give up on his prey so easily, and Lenoir has always known his debt would come due one day. When Lenoir is assigned to a disturbing new case, he treats the job with his usual apathy, until his best informant, a street savvy orphan, is kidnapped. Lenoir will do anything catch the monster responsible for the crimes, even if it means walking willingly into the arms of his own doom.
Fireborn: A Dragonborn Novel—Toby Forward (December 3, Bloomsbury)
Young Adult. If magic sets the world on fire, something new is born from the flames. When an old, dying wizard steals magic from his young apprentice, Bee, he changes his own life and nearly destroys hers. But he also releases something new into the world, a wild magic that turns fields to flames and upsets the order of the world. It will take another apprentice, Cabbage, to find Bee and try to set the world right again. A breathtaking work of magic and suffering, friendship and transformation, and the new power that rises from the ashes of a terrible deed. (U.S.)
Flamebound (Lone Star Witch #2)—Tessa Adams (December 3, Signet)
After Xandra’s nasty run in with the Arcadian Council of Witches, where she was almost killed and her boyfriend, Declan, was almost framed for it, her plan is to lay low and figure out why its members would torment the people they are supposed to protect. Declan doesn’t feel so reticent. When violence erupts again, there’s no stopping him from pursuing revenge. When a council member is murdered in a fashion that screams dark magic, Declan claims someone else beat him to it. Xandra doesn’t want to believe he could commit such a brutal act, but she knows he has a dark side, one that his former love interest Tsura understands better than she ever will. With Tsura back in town, Xandra doesn’t know whom to trust. And a killer targeting witches and wizards is still at large.
Kicking It (Alex Craft #4.5)—edited by Faith Hunter and Kalayna Price (December 3, Roc)
Featuring stories by Faith Hunter, Kalayna Price, Rachel Caine, Chloe Neill, Rob Thurman, Shannon K. Butcher, Lucienne Diver, Chris Marie Green and Christina Henry. Rachel Caine has modern-day potions witches Holly and Andrew facing off against a firebrand politician who wears literally killer boots in a Texas-sized rodeo of trouble. Boot-loving Cadogan vampire Lindsey must team up with off-again, on-again vampire partner Luc when a woman from her past is targeted by supernaturals in Chloe Neill’s all-new adventure. Rob Thurman features Trixa Iktomi from her Trickster series dealing with magical vengeance and magical footwear.
Real Vampires Know Size Matters (Glory St. Clair #10)—Gerry Bartlett (December 3, Berkley Trade)
Just when curvaceous vampire Glory St. Clair has her life semi-on track, a woman from her longtime lover Jeremiah Campbell’s past steamrolls into town on a mission to win him back. Normally Glory wouldn’t feel threatened by a mortal with amorous intentions, but Jerry’s ex just happens to be a beautiful voodoo priestess with evil spirits at her beck and call-and a serious lack of conscience when it comes to getting what she wants. With her mother in the picture now, desperate to get Glory up to Olympus, Glory has her hands full. This time not even her new powers may be enough to help Glory cook up a solution that will help her keep the man she loves.
Something More Than Night—Ian Tregillis (December 3, Tor)
Somebody has murdered the angel Gabriel. Worse, the Jericho Trumpet has gone missing, putting Heaven on the brink of a truly cosmic crisis. But the twisty plot that unfolds from the murder investigation leads to something much bigger: a con job one billion years in the making. A small band of angels has decided to break out of heaven, but they need a human patsy to make their plan work. Much of the story is told from the point of view of Bayliss, a cynical fallen angel who has modeled himself on Philip Marlowe. The yarn he spins follows the progression of a Marlowe novel, the mysterious dame who needs his help, getting grilled by the bulls, finding a stiff, getting slipped a mickey. Angels and gunsels, dames with eyes like fire, and a grand maguffin.
The Accidental Werewolf 2: Something About Harry (Accidentally Friends #8)—Dakota Cassidy (December 3, Berkley Trade)
Accountant Harry Ralph Emerson has always been a by-the-numbers kind of guy. When he finds himself trapped at work sprouting an obscene amount of hair, he knows his odds for maintaining normalcy are none. Harry goes through the OOPS, Out in the Open Paranormal Support, checklist and comes to a conclusion: He’s turning into a werewolf. Werewolf Mara Flaherty has long carried a torch for Pack Cosmetics’s accountant, even after her attempt to seduce him went down in flames. When her sister-in-law, Marty, shows up to handle Harry’s OOPS emergency, she tasks Mara with showing the hirsute hottie the ropes. Mara knows Harry’s condition is a result of her lab experiment gone wrong, and the object of her affection is about to give her a piece of his mind.
WEEK TWO
Jane Yellowrock World Companion—Faith Hunter (December 10, InterMix)
The gritty, sexy, and thrilling New Orleans of the Jane Yellowrock novels is about to be exposed in a whole new way. Filled with brand new, original content, this guide is a must-have for any fan. Delve into the history of the characters in the series, including the vampire clans. Get better acquainted with Jane’s inner Beast with her in-depth guide to humanity. Relive all the action with an essential timeline of Jane’s exploits as a vampire slayer and a comprehensive glossary of terms. Plus, includes an exclusive sneak peek of the next Jane Yellowrock novel. (Digital)
Sin City Goddess—Barbra Annino (December 10, Thomas & Mercer)
Tisiphone loves spending her days playing poker in the underworld, far away from mortals and all the trouble they cause, and all the terrible mistakes they make. Her sister Alecto has vanished in Las Vegas, and the gods of Olympus believe only Tisi can find her and bring her back. They force her to partner up with a mortal: recently deceased FBI agent Archer Mays. With all these challenges, how can a Fury keep her temper? Tisi and Archer battle danger, demons, and even their simmering attraction to one another, until a sinister plot unfolds that could devastate humans and gods alike. Tisiphone must set everything right within a few days, or find herself trapped in the mortal world she despises, forever.
WEEK THREE
Brazen (Otherworld Stories #13.1)—Kelley Armstrong (December 15, Subterranean Press)
Nick Sorrentino knows everyone in the supernatural world considers him the Pack’s playboy, the pretty but not very useful werewolf whose only reputation involves his amorous exploits. Usually, Nick couldn’t care less what anyone outside the Pack thinks of him. But when it affects his hunt for Malcolm Danvers, a psychotic bogeyman from the Pack’s past, it matters. Necessity forces Nick to team up with mercenary half-demon Vanessa Callas to run Malcolm to ground in Detroit. Together, they discover Malcolm is more deadly than ever. And he wants to play. It’s time for Nick to prove he’s not just a lover. He’s a fighter.
Reaver (Lords of Deliverance #5)—Larissa Ione (December 17, Grand Central)
Reaver is an angel with a past, a record, and a less-than-heavenly attitude. Powerful enough to fight alongside the fiercest battle angels, and crazy enough to risk his wings on a one-way mission to hell, he’s agreed to go where no angel has ever gone before, to steal the most seductive and dangerous prize of Satan himself. Harvester is one of the Fallen, a once-heroic angel who sacrificed her wings to work as an undercover agent in hell. But now her cover has been blown, and she’s been doomed to an eternity of agonizing torture. Even if Reaver can snatch her away from Satan’s lair, even if they can fight their way out of the underworld’s darkest depths, there is one thing Harvester can never escape: her newfound thirst for an angel’s blood.
WEEK FOUR
The Spider (Elemental Assassin #10)—Jennifer Estep (December 24, Pocket Books)
Ten years ago. I remember like it was yesterday. The night I, Gin Blanco, truly became the Spider. Killing people is what I do best, especially now that I’ve honed my Ice and Stone magic. But back then, I had yet to learn one very important rule: arrogance will get you, every single time. This particular job seemed simple: murder a crooked building contractor with ties to ruthless Fire elemental Mab Monroe. My mentor, Fletcher Lane, had some misgivings, but I was certain that I had the situation under control, right up until I exposed my weaknesses to a merciless opponent who exploited every single one of them. There’s a reason assassins aren’t supposed to feel anything. Luckily, a knife to the heart can fix that problem, especially when I’m the one wielding it.
Deadshifted (Edie Spence #4)—Cassie Alexander (December 31, St. Martin’s)
Edie Spence just wanted a vacation. A nice, relaxing, stress free, non-adventure away from the craziness that’s dominated her life since becoming a nurse for paranormal creatures. But from the start, her trip on the Maraschino, a cruise ship bound for Hawaii, has been anything but stress free, especially when Edie’s boyfriend Asher recognizes someone he used to know. Someone from his not-so-nice past. With their lives in the balance, will Edie and Asher be able to save their growing family or will this adventure be their end?
How to Run With a Naked Werewolf (Naked Werewolf #3)—Molly Harper (December 31, Pocket Books)
Anna Moder has just witnessed a shooting, seen her car pulverized, and rescued a wounded stranger only to discover he’s really a werewolf. Lycanthropes don’t faze Anna. Doctoring a wolf pack outside Grundy, Alaska, is the closest thing to home life she’s known in years. Hitching a ride to Anchorage with long-absent pack member Caleb Graham, that’s a risk. Caleb employs his lupine tracking abilities as a not quite legal bounty hunter. She’d like to stay far, far away from anybody with connections to the law. Caleb seems determined to keep her close. Are his intentions noble, or is he working a more predatory angle? Anna’s been dreaming of returning to a semi-normal life, but now she’s experiencing a strange new urge, to join Caleb in running with the wolves.
The Cormorant (Miriam Black #3)—Chuck Wendig (December 31, Angry Robot)
Miriam is on the road again, having transitioned from “thief” to “killer”. Hired by a wealthy businessman, she heads down to Florida to practice the one thing she’s good at, but in her vision she sees him die by another’s hand and on the wall written in blood is a message just for Miriam. She’s expected…
The Grendel Affair (SPI Files #1)—Lisa Shearin (December 31, Ace)
When I moved to New York to become a journalist, I never imagined that snagging a job at a seedy tabloid would change my career path from trashy reporter to undercover agent. I’m Makenna Fraser, a Seer for SPI. I can see through any disguise, shield, or spell that a paranormal pest can come up with. I track down creatures and my partner, Ian Byrne, takes them out. Our cases are generally routine, but a sickle-wielding serial killer has been prowling the city’s subway tunnels. The fiend in question, a descendant of Grendel, shares his ancestor’s hatred of parties, revelry, and drunkards. With New Year’s Eve in Times Square only two days away, we need to bag him quickly. If we don’t find him, and the organization behind him—midnight, our secret’s out and everyone’s time is up.
The Sharpest Blade (Shadow Reader #3)—Sandy Williams (December 31, Ace)
McKenzie Lewis’s ability to read the shadows has put her, and those she loves, in harm’s way. After ten years of turmoil, the life McKenzie has always longed for may finally be within her grasp. No one is swinging a sword at her head or asking her to track the fae, and she finally has a regular, albeit boring, job. But when a ruthless enemy strikes against her friends, McKenzie abandons her attempt at normalcy and rushes back to the Realm. With the fae she loves and the fae she’s tied to pulling her in different directions, McKenzie must uncover the truth behind the war and accept the painful sacrifices that must be made to end it. Armed with dangerous secrets and with powerful allies at her side, her actions will either rip the Realm apart, or save it.
Author Suzanne Johnson is a book geek with a fondness for a good dystopia. Her Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series continued this fall with the release of Elysian Fields. You can find Suzanne on Facebook and on her daily speculative fiction blog, Preternatura.
