Jennifer Jackson – Literary Agent

Brief Cases by Jim Butcher

“This entertaining collection assembles 11 reprints and one brand new novella, all set in the world of Butcher’s popular Chicago-based wizard PI, Harry Dresden (last seen in 2014’s Skin Game). In a trio of lighthearted Bigfoot-centric stories, Harry helps out an erudite Sasquatch named River Shoulders on behalf of his half-human son, Irwin. In “Bombshells,” Harry’s apprentice, the quick-thinking Molly Carpenter, goes up against a powerful foe (while wearing a little black dress, no less), and in “Even Hand,” Harry’s sworn enemy, dapper crime boss John Marcone, takes drastic steps to protect an innocent child. The Wild West–set crowd-pleaser “A Fistful of Warlocks” features White Council Warden Anastasia Luccio, who teams up with Wyatt Earp to put a stop to some very dark deeds. The standout is the tender original novella, “Zoo Day,” in which Harry takes his 10-year-old daughter, Maggie, to the zoo. First they encounter a young warlock in need of Harry’s help, and then Maggie is attacked by a group of haunts.” — Publishers Weekly

Revenant Gun by Yoon Ha Lee

“Revenant Gun is a fast, gripping story. Its shifting viewpoints – all seeing some part of the picture, none with a complete view or good insight into other people’s motivations – and potential for betrayals make it feel complex and demanding. At base, though, it’s a thriller crossed with a story about learning to live with consequences you didn’t choose. It’s a story in part about mortality: it holds a contrast between someone who wants to die and someone who wants to never die, and the costs, to oneself or to others, of taking those desires to extremes. Jedao, like Cheris, is an extremely compelling character – as is, somewhat to my surprise, the robot servitor Hemiole, whose naiveté and determination make an interesting comparison with the other, more jaded characters.

I really enjoyed Revenant Gun, and I sincerely hope that Lee has the opportunity to write many more novels. This is excellent space opera, and I wish there were more like it.” — Locus

Brief Cases by Jim Butcher debuts at #5 on the New York Times hardcover bestsellers list!

It also debuts at #8 on USA Today‘s bestseller list!

Congratulations, Jim!

Brief Cases by Jim Butcher

“In a collection that follows Side Jobs, 12 stories, including a trio of Bigfoot tales and the never-before-published “Zoo Day,” star wizard Harry Dresden and his associates once again. John Marcone shows that even criminals have rules when he defends those seeking shelter with him in “Even Hand.” Apprentice Molly Carpenter learns WWHD—What Would Harry Do?—as she searches for vampire Thomas Roth in “Bombshells,” then uncovers the truth of her new role as the Winter Lady in “Cold Case.” It’s been four years since the last full Dresden novel (Skin Game) was released, so readers will become reacquainted with Dresden’s gritty wit, the Chicago setting, and the not-so-happy endings typical of these urban fantasy tales. Butcher shows there is a dark side, even to those considered heroes. And while these pieces will be familiar to those already acquainted with the series, as many have been previously published, newbies meeting the author’s iconic protagonists for the first time will not be too lost within these pages. VERDICT: Butcher’s die-hard fans, along with short story fantasy enthusiasts, will find this compilation irresistible.” — Library Journal

The Calculating Stars (Book 1 of the Lady Astronaut duology) by Mary Robinette Kowal

“Kowal’s outstanding prequel to her Hugo-winning novelette “The Lady Astronaut of Mars” shows the alternate history that created a mid-20th-century Mars colony. In 1952, mathematician and pilot Elma York is on vacation with her rocket scientist husband, Nathaniel, when a meteor strikes Chesapeake Bay, obliterating most of the East Coast. Elma quickly realizes that this is an extinction event, and that the only option for humanity’s survival is off-world colonization. In a compelling parallel to our own history, Elma, who is Jewish, fights to have women of all races and backgrounds included in the burgeoning space program, squaring off against patriarchal attitudes, her own anxiety, and an adversary from her past service as a war pilot. Kowal explores a wide range of issues-including religion, grief, survivor’s guilt, mental health, racism, misogyny, and globalism-without sermonising or subsuming the characters and plot. Elma’s struggles with her own prejudices and relationships, including her relationship with herself, provide a captivating human center to the apocalyptic background. Readers will thrill to the story of this “lady astronaut” and eagerly anticipate the promised sequels.” — Publishers Weekly, Starred Review