It’s a long, lonely month in the fins, fangs, and fur community, with only six new releases this month to keep you warm. But there’s still a variety of critters to love, from goblin warriors to master wizards to lion shifters. And what’s this about teen demons?
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
For the Love of a Goblin Warrior (Shadowlands #3), by Shona Husk (January 1, Sourcebooks Casablanca)
Centuries ago, Meryn was thought to be utterly lost, all traces of his soul given up to the ravening goblin horde. But with the curse that enslaved him now broken, he must once again learn to walk in the realm of men. Nurse Nadine Gilbert likes working the night shift to avoid her disturbing dreams, but her mysterious new patient looks hauntingly familiar. Meryn knows he doesn’t deserve a second chance, but Nadine brings out his long-buried human side. Telling her the truth about his violent past could destroy their fragile trust. Could she ever believe in the love of a Goblin Warrior?
WEEK TWO
Prince of Power (Chronicles of Yavn #2), by Elisabeth Staab (January 8, Sourcebooks)
Wizards and vampires have been mortal enemies since the beginning. Now Anton, son of the Wizard Master, has one last chance to steal the unique powers of the vampire king’s beautiful sister, Tyra…and then kill her. But when he meets Tyra face-to-face, everything changes….
Tyra will stop at nothing to defeat the wizards, until Anton saves her life and she suddenly sees an opportunity she never could have imagined. As the sparks ignite between them, together they could bring an end to the war that’s decimating their people, but only if they can find a way to trust each other….
WEEK THREE
Blood of the Sorceress (The Portal #3), by Maggie Shayne (January 22, Harlequin MIRA)
As an ancient king’s favorite harem slave, Lilia committed the worst of all possible crimes: loving another man. When the king discovered her treason, her lover was sentenced to lose his soul and linger in eternal imprisonment, and Lilia herself was executed alongside her sisters. While they reincarnated through countless lifetimes, she lingered alone between worlds for thousands of years, waiting for the moment to rescue her beloved Demetrius. That moment has come. Demetrius has broken free, but without his soul he has become an icy, uncaring cad. Somehow Lilia must convince him to reclaim his humanity or her life will be lost alongside his, both of them condemned to eternal damnation, eternal isolation, their love lost one final and irrevocable time.
Everbound (Everneath #2), by Brodi Ashton (January 22, Balzer + Bray)
Young Adult. Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity, a debt that should’ve been hers. Every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away. Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen, and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself. Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated, and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack, even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.
WEEK FOUR
’Til the World Ends: Dawn of EdenThistle and ThorneSun Storm (Blood of Eden #0.5) by Julie Kagawa, Ann Aguirre, and Karen Duvall (January 29, Harlequin Luna)
Dawn of Eden: The Red Lung, a virus determined to take out everything. Kylie, a doctor, witnesses endless suffering. Strange things are happening to the remains of the dead. She befriends Ben Archer, and wonders if a global pandemic is the least of her problems. Thistle & Thorne: A catastrophic spill turns the country into a chemical wasteland. For Mari Thistle, life is a constant struggle. To protect her family, Mari teams up with Thorne Goodman. They’ll face an evil plot that could destroy those on the outside for good. Sun Storm: After the biggest solar flares in history nearly destroy the planet, Sarah Daggot becomes a Kinetic. Sarah believes the Kinetics are destined to halt the final onslaught of the sun. She’ll vow to convince Ian Matthews up until the world ends.
Immortal Craving (Dark Dynasties #4), by Kendra Leigh Castle, (January 29, Forever)
Wild, uncontrollable, and powerful, the lion-shifting Rakshasa were hunted down by vicious rival vampires who feared their dark, magical abilities. Somehow one survived, and now, after centuries of hiding, Tasmin Singh reemerges as fierce and fearless as ever at the door of the Lilim queen, seeking answers, and sanctuary. The human best friend to a vampire queen, Bay Harper, traded her quiet, comfortable life for a world filled with immortal assassins, warring werewolves, and this hauntingly sexy shifter. Only Bay’s gentle touch can subdue Tasmin’s inner demons. But when a bloody struggle threatens to tear them apart, can Bay risk everything on her faith in him, or will his dark side be stronger than even their all-consuming desire?
Author Suzanne Johnson is a book geek with a fondness for a good dystopia. Her Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series is published by Tor Books. You can find Suzanne on Twitter and on her daily book blog, Preternatura.
