Thirty-one new urban fantasies flood the shelves in March, including some long-awaited titles. Patricia Briggs is (finally) back with a new Alpha and Omega entry, Cat Adams has a new Blood Singer title, and Rob Thurman brings on a new Cal Leandros book. We have series additions from Elle Jasper, Mari Mancusi, Stacia Kane, Stacey Jay, and D.D. Barant, and a bookstore aisle full of new YA paranormals. And can a new series from Seanan McGuire that begins with a title like Discount Armageddon be anything but good?
Fiction Affliction details releases in science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and “genre-benders.” Keep track of them all here.
WEEK ONE
Fair Game (Alpha and Omega, Book 3), by Patricia Briggs (March 6, Ace)
When the FBI request a pack consultant on a serial killer case they’re following in Boston, Anna and Charles are sent in. They quickly realize that not only the last two victims were werewolves—all of them were.Someone is targeting their kind. And if Charles and Anna can’t get to the bottom of this mystery, they may be next.
Eventide (Dark Ink Chronicles, Book 3), by Elle Jasper (March 6, Signet)
Newly-bitten tattoo artist Riley Poe feels herself changing in unimaginable ways. Eli Dupre, her vampire lover, has seen the change in her and fears for her humanity. His rival, Victorian, tells her she must see the patriarch of the vampire cult that attacked her to save her soul. In the vampire cult’s fortress in Romania, Riley will face her worst fears—and the dark powers threatening to destroy her. And she’ll have to do the one thing she’s been determined not to do—put her trust in Eli.
The Drowning Girl, by Caitlin R. Kiernan (March 6, Roc)
India Morgan Phelps—Imp, to her friends—is schizophrenic. Struggling with her perceptions of reality, Imp must uncover the truth about her encounters with creatures out of myth—or from something far, far stranger.
And Blue Skies from Pain (The Fey and the Fallen, Book 2), by Stina Leicht (March 6, Night Shade)
It’s November of 1977: Born a Catholic in Northern Ireland, Liam, a former wheelman for the Provisional IRA, is only half mortal. His father is Bran, a puca—a shape-shifting, ghostlike creature—and a member of the ancient Fianna. Liam must dodge both the Royal Ulster Constabulary, who want him for the car bombing that killed Constable Haddock, and the Provisional IRA, who want him for the deaths of Eamon Walsh and several others found ripped apart in a burned down farmhouse. Fortunately for Liam, both groups think he’s dead. But the Militis Dei—a group of Roman Catholic priest-assassins, whose sole purpose is to dispose of fallen angels and demons—is very aware Liam is alive, and very aware of his parentage.
Soul Bound (Blood Coven, Book 7), by Mari Mancusi (March 6, Berkley)
Sunny McDonald and her vampire boyfriend Magnus are on the run, accused of treason and wanted alive—or undead. And her own twin sister is the slayer sent to track them down. As a rival slayer with a personal vendetta moves in, Rayne and Jareth know they must do something to stop her. So they embark on their most dangerous journey yet, deep beneath New York City and through the Gates of the Underworld. But when a greedy god demands the ultimate sacrifice, will Rayne be forced to choose between her sister and the vampire she loves? Young Adult.
Discount Armageddon, by Seanan McGuire (March 6, DAW)
Ghoulies. Ghosties. Long-legged beasties. Things that go bump in the night…The Price family has spent generations studying monsters, working to protect them from humanity—and humanity from them. Enter Verity Price. Despite being trained from birth as a cryptozoologist, she’d rather dance a tango than tangle with a demon, and is spending a year in Manhattan while she pursues her career in professional ballroom dance. Sounds pretty simple, right? It would be, if it weren’t for the talking mice, the telepathic mathematicians, the asbestos supermodels, and the trained monster-hunter sent by the Price family’s old enemies, the Covenant of St. George. Plus, cryptids are disappearing, strange lizard-men are appearing in the sewers, and someone’s spreading rumors about a dragon sleeping underneath the city. First in a new series.
Dead Is a Battlefield (Dead Is, Book 6), by Marlene Perez (March 6, Graphia)
Jessica Walsh is starting her freshman year at Nightshade High and trying to forget about the tragic events surrounding her brother’s graduation. She wants to have a normal high school experience. But that’s easier said than done in Nightshade. When a new boy shows up at school, the girls are infected with a case of seriously creepy crushes. But when their obsession turns to violence, Jessica and her friends start to wonder if there’s more going on than just a little friendly rivalry. Young Adult.
Embrace, by Jessica Shirvington (March 6, Sourcebooks Fire)
Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before. Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her. First in a new series. Young Adult.
Doubletake (Cal Leandros, Book 7), by Rob Thurman (March 6, Roc)
Half-human/half-monster Cal Leandros knows that family is a pain. But now that pain belongs to his half-brother, Niko. Niko’s shady father is in town, and he needs a big favor. Even worse is the reunion being held by the devious Puck race—including Leandros’ friend Robin—featuring a lottery that no Puck wants to win.As Cal tries to keep both Niko and Robin from paying the ultimate price for their kin, a horrific reminder from Cal’s own past arrives to remind him that blood is thicker than water—and that’s why it’s so much more fun to spill.
WEEK TWO
The Isis Collar (Blood Singer, Book 4), by Cat Adams (March 13, Tor)
Celia Graves was once an ordinary human, but those days are long gone. Now she strives to maintain her sanity and her soul while juggling both vampire abilities and the powers of a Siren. Warned of a magical “bomb” at a local elementary school, Celia forces an evacuation. Oddly, the explosion seems to have no effect, puzzling both Celia and the FBI. Two weeks later, a strangely persistent bruise on Celia’s leg turns out to be the first sign of a magical zombie plague. Finding the source of the plague isn’t Celia’s only concern. Her alcoholic mother has broken out of prison on the Sirens’ island; her little sister’s ghost has possessed a young girl; and one of Celia’s boyfriends, a powerful mage, has disappeared.
Wide Open, by Deborah Coates (March 13, Tor)
When Sergeant Hallie Michaels comes back to South Dakota from Afghanistan on ten days’ compassionate leave, her sister Dell’s ghost is waiting at the airport. The sheriff says Dell’s death was suicide, but Hallie doesn’t believe it. Friends and family, mourning Dell’s loss, think Hallie’s letting her grief interfere with her judgment. The one person who seems willing to listen is the deputy sheriff, Boyd Davies, who shows up everywhere and helps when he doesn’t have to. As Hallie asks more questions, she attracts new ghosts, women who disappeared without a trace. Soon, someone’s trying to beat her up, burn down her father’s ranch, and stop her investigation.
The Savage Grace (The Dark Divine, Book 3), by Bree Despain (March 13, Egmont)
Wrestling with the werewolf curse pulsing deep inside of her, Grace Divine was finally able to find her brother, but it nearly cost her everything.With her boyfriend, Daniel, stuck in wolf form and Sirhan’s death approaching, time is running out for Grace to stop Caleb Kalbi and his gang of demons. If she fails, her family and hometown will perish. Everything rests on Grace’s shoulders. The final installment in The Dark Divine trilogy. Young Adult.
Spellbound (Hex Hall, Book 3), by Rachel Hawkins (March 13, Hyperion)
Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident. Young Adult.
Infamous (Chronicles of Nick, Book 3), by Sherrilyn Kenyon (March 13, St. Martin’s Griffin)
Go to school. Get good grades. Stay out of trouble. That’s the mandate for most kids. But Nick Gautier isn’t the average teenager. He’s a boy with a destiny not even he fully understands. And his first mandate is to stay alive while everyone, even his own father, tries to kill him. He is on the brink of becoming either the greatest hero mankind has ever known. Or he’ll be the one who ends the world. With enemies new and old gathering forces, he will have to call on every part of himself to fight or he’ll lose everyone he cares about. Young Adult.
Moonsong (The Vampire Diaries: The Hunters Book 2), by L.J. Smith (March 13, HarperTeen)
After escaping the horrors of the Dark Dimension, Elena can’t wait to attend Dalcrest College, the beautiful ivy-covered campus where her parents met. Life with Stefan is better than ever, and even Damon seems changed and is getting along with everyone. But moving away from Fell?s Church doesn?t mean she and her friends are free from danger. When students start to disappear from campus, suddenly every new acquaintance is a potential enemy. Then Elena uncovers a long-hidden secret, one that shocks her to the core, and realizes tragedy may be unavoidable. Young Adult.
The Compelled (The Vampire Diaries: Stefan’s Diaries, Book 6), by L.J. Smith, Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec (March 13, HarperTeen)
Stefan and Damon thought they knew evil. But nothing compares to Samuel, the ruthless vampire hell-bent on avenging Katherine’s death by destroying the Salvatore brothers. Reeling from Samuel’s latest attack, Stefan and Damon find help in the most unlikely of places—a secret coven of witches. Together they discover Samuel’s plan is more sinister than they ever could have imagined. Their only hope is to stop him before he secures the power to control humans and vampires alike. Young Adult.
WEEK THREE
The Divide (The Secret Circle, Book 4), by L.J. Smith (March 20, HarperTeen)
For the first time since moving to New Salem, Cassie Blake feels normal. She’s dating her soul mate Adam and making new friends in town. But between the secret coven of witches she belongs to and the incredible power she holds within her, Cassie is leading a far from ordinary life. When tragedy strikes the Circle, Cassie realizes being extraordinary can be a curse. The Circle is being hunted by an unknown enemy—and anyone could be the next victim. Young Adult.
WEEK FOUR
Deliverance (Mortal Path, Book 3), by Dakota Banks (March 27, Harper Voyager)
A demon’s assassin for centuries, Maliha Crayne has gone rogue, determined to save a life for every one she’s destroyed in order to free herself from an eternity of enslavement, damnation, and torment. But as the powers that sustained her in the past fade, she is wary of trusting those closest to her—especially her lover, Jake. Then her closest friends begin to disappear. Worse still, a beautiful, Renaissance murderess is recruiting Maliha as her new assassin. Suddenly trapped in a moral no-man’s land, Maliha is damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t and time is rapidly running out.
Back from the Undead (The Bloodhound Files, Book 5), by D.D. Barant (March 27, St. Martin’s)
Her job description is the “tracking and apprehension of mentally-fractured killers.” What this really means in FBI profiler Jace Valchek’s brave new world—one in which only one percent of the population is human—is that a woman’s work is never done. And real is getting stranger every day Jace has been ripped from her reality by David Cassius, the vampire head of the NSA who needs her help in solving a series of murders of vampires and werewolves. An insane serial killer is a threat the NSA has no experience with. But Jace does. Stranded in a reality where Bela Lugosi is a bigger box office draw than Bruce Willis and every full moon is Mardi Gras, Jace must hunt down a fellow human before he brings the planet to the brink of madness.
Costume Not Included (To Hell and Back, Book 2), by Matthew Hughes (March 27, Angry Robot)
Chesney’s efforts to Save The Day and Win the Girl make slow progress. Meanwhile, Boss Greeley’s deal with the Devil makes him ever-stronger and untouchable, while the Reverend Hardacre digs deeper and finds that not everything in reality is quite what it seems.
Blood on the Bayou (Annabelle Lee, Book 2), by Stacey Jay (March 27, Pocket)
It’s only been three weeks since Annabelle helped solve the murder of Grace Beauchamp, and in the process, she discovered a secret world of invisible, magic-working people who have decided she might have what it takes to join their ranks. As best as she can determine, Annabelle’s attack by a group of fairies has infected her with paranormal ability she did not previously possess, including being able to mentally move objects and heal wounds. Her new abilities appear to have few negative side effects, aside from creepy dreams. But would that change if she stopped injecting herself with the mystery drug delivered to her by the even more mysterious Tucker, one of the Invisibles?
Sacrificial Magic (Downside Ghosts, Book 4), by Stacia Kane (March 27, Del Rey)
When Chess Putnam is ordered by an infamous crime boss—who also happens to be her drug dealer—to use her powers as a witch to solve a grisly murder involving dark magic, she knows she must rise to the challenge. Adding to the intensity: Chess’s boyfriend, Terrible, doesn’t trust her, and Lex, the son of a rival crime lord, is trying to reignite the sparks between him and Chess. Plus there’s the little matter of Chess’s real job as a ghost hunter for the Church of Real Truth, investigating reports of a haunting at a school in the heart of Downside. Someone seems to be taking a crash course in summoning the dead—and if Chess doesn’t watch her back, she may soon be joining their ranks.
Nightfall, by Stephen Leather (March 27, 47North)
“You are going to Hell, Jack Nightingale.” Those are the words that ended Jack Nightingale’s career as a negotiator with the Metropolitan Police. But two years later, when Nightingale is a struggling Private Eye, the words come back to haunt him. Nightingale discovers that he was adopted at birth and that his real father, a confirmed Satanist, sold Nightingale’s soul to a demon from Hell. And on his thirty-third birthday—just weeks away—the demon is coming to claim its prize. First in the Nightingale series. U.S. release.
Age of Aztec, by James Lovegrove (March 27, Solaris)
The date is 4 Jaguar 1 Monkey 1 House—November 25, 2012, by the old reckoning—and the Aztec Empire rules the world. The Aztecs’ reign is one of cruel and ruthless oppression, encompassing regular human sacrifice. In the jungle-infested city of London, one man defies them: the masked vigilante known as the Conquistador. Then the Conquistador is recruited to spearhead an uprising, and discovers a terrible truth about the Aztec and thier gods. The clock is ticking. Apocalypse looms, unless the Conquistador can help assassinate the mysterious, immortal Aztec emperor, the Great Speaker. But his mission is complicated by Mal Vaughn, a police detective who is on his trail, determined to bring him to justice.
Silent Voices (Concrete Grove, Book 2), by Gary McMahon (March 27, Solaris)
Twenty years ago three young boys staggered out of an old building, tired and dirty yet otherwise unharmed. When Simon returns to the Concrete Grove to see his old friends, things once buried begin to claw their way back. Bad dreams take on physical form and walk the streets of the estate. A dark, patient entity is calling once again from the shadows, reaching out toward three terrified boys who have now grown into emotionally damaged men. Welcome back to the Concrete Grove. The place you can never really leave.
Fair Coin, by E.C. Myers (March 27, Pyr)
Sixteen-year-old Ephraim Scott is horrified when he comes home from school and finds his mother unconscious, clutching a bottle of pills. The reason for her suicide attempt is even more disturbing: she thought she’d identified Ephraim’s body at the hospital. Among his dead double’s belongings, Ephraim finds a strange coin that grants wishes. With a flick of his thumb, he can turn his alcoholic mother into a model parent and catch the eye of the girl he’s liked since second grade. But the coin doesn’t always change things for the better. And a bad flip can destroy other people’s lives as easily as it rebuilds his own. First in a new series. Young Adult.
Forgiven (The Demon Trappers, Book 3), by Jana Oliver (March 27, St. Martin’s Griffin)
The days are growing darker for 17-year-old demon trapper Riley Blackthorne. With her father’s reanimated body back safely, Beck barely speaking to her because of a certain hunky Fallen angel, and a freshly-made deal with Lucifer, she has enough on her hands. Though she bargained with Heaven to save his life, her ex-boyfriend Simon told the Vatican’s Demon Hunters that she’s working with Hell. So now she’s in hiding, at the top of everyone’s most-wanted list. But it’s becoming clear that this is bigger than Riley, and rapidly getting out of control: something sinister is happening in Atlanta—or someone. Riley fears the final war is coming, and it may be closer than anyone thinks. Young Adult.
Sins of the Son (Grigori Legacy, Book 2), by Linda Poitevin (March 27, Ace)
When homicide detective Alexandra Jarvis sees a photo of Seth Benjamin on a police bulletin, she knows Heaven’s plan to halt Armageddon has gone wrong. As the only mortal who knows of Seth’s true nature, only she can save him. Aramael was a hunter of Fallen Angels until a traitor forced him into earthly exile. Now, with no powers and only a faint memory of Alex, his mortal soulmate, he will stop at nothing to redeem himself—even if it means destroying Seth in the name of the Creator.
The Kingdom (Graveyard Queen, Book 2), by Amanda Stevens (March 23, Mira)
My name is Amelia Gray. They call me The Graveyard Queen. I’ve been commissioned to restore an old cemetery in Asher Falls, South Carolina, but I’m coming to think I have another purpose here. Why is there a cemetery at the bottom of Bell Lake? Why am I drawn time and again to a hidden grave I’ve discovered in the woods? Something is eating away at the soul of this town—this withering kingdom—and it will only be restored if I can uncover the truth.
Shadow’s Fall (Shadow World, Book 3), by Dianne Sylvan (March 27, Ace)
For three years, Miranda Grey-Solomon has kept her role as Vampire Queen of the South separate from her Grammy-winning music career. But now, her dual lives are starting to collide, threatening everything Miranda and David, her Prime, have worked for. The entire Signet Council has descended upon Austin for its ten-year summit, bringing with it Prime James Hart of the Northeast, a sworn enemy come to take his revenge on those who defied him. But Miranda and David receive an unexpected offer of help from David’s sire, an ancient and powerful vampire with knowledge that may be their salvation—or their doom.
The Rising (Department 19, Book 2), by Will Hill (March 29, HarperCollins)
Sixteen-year-old Jamie Carpenter’s life was violently upended when he was brought into Department 19, a classified government agency of vampire hunters that was formed to deal with a little problem—known as Dracula. But being the new recruit at the Department isn’t all weapons training and covert missions. Jamie’s own mother has been turned into a vampire—and now Jamie will stop at nothing to wreak revenge on her captors. Even if that means facing down Dracula himself. Young Adult.
Author Suzanne Johnson is a book geek with a fondness for a good dystopia. Her new urban fantasy series, scheduled to begin with the release of Royal Street on April 10 by Tor Books, is set in New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina. Find Suzanne on Twitter.
