Jennifer Jackson – Literary Agent

The Edge of Worlds by Martha Wells

“In the beginning of this new full-length entry in Wells’s Raksura series (following 2012’s The Siren Depths), the entire community of Indigo Cloud, home to a shape-shifting race called the Raksura, has a nightmare of their world being destroyed by their archenemies, the predatory Fell. To prevent that, Jade, Moon (her consort), and other Raksura must join a group of archaeologists from several races to investigate an ancient site that could destroy them all…When the Fell do show up and bring a new wrinkle to their characterization, the dramatic battles, tough decisions, and character dynamics shine through. Filtering the story mostly through the semi-outsider Moon, Wells overcomes pacing flaws to keep this series going strong with an imaginative world of engaging characters.” — Publishers Weekly

Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop

“VERDICT In Bishop’s fourth dark fantasy adventure (after Vision in Silver), the stakes have grown higher. There are plenty of parallels to draw between current events and Bishop’s alternate world, but it is the stories of the characters woven through the action that keep the books fresh. Vivid worldbuilding and myth creation are Bishop’s strengths, and this title is a welcome addition to the series.” — Library Journal

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson is one of the finalists for the 2016 Crawford Award, presented by the International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts.

Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop

“The conflict between Humans First and Last and the Others heats up in this fourth novel, with humans thinking they can “reclaim” more land for themselves and get rid of restrictions on travel between human settlements. HFL steps up their sometimes deadly harrassment of humans and businesses who don’t join their movement (not unlike the early days of the Nazi party). A big part of the problem is the humans are unaware that the Others aren’t fighting back seriously yet ­ they have to decide “how much human” they want to keep. Shapeshifter Simon Wolfgard and others of the Lakeside Courtyard are too fond of the human Meg, the Cassandra sangue or blood prophet, who runs their mailroom. Since she arrived, other humans have been brought into the Courtyard, and some of the Others fear becoming too human. The elementals are angry, though, and the expression of their anger ­ superstorms, tidal waves, and tornadoes ­ will be deadly. Humans could be facing extinction, and the HFL has no clue. There’s a big buildup, but not a lot of specific details about the real attack on humanity when it finally comes. Still, there’s a lot of death and destruction, even if Lakeside Courtyard manages to escape the worst of it. It all comes down to the magic of friendship, but when it’s elemental ponies (Tornado, Hurricane, etc.) and their riders involved, humans, vampires, shapeshifter puppies, and fortune-telling females need to be extra cautious, making a nice blend of scary and charming.” — Locus

The newly released 2015 Locus Recommended Reading List includes The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson, Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear, and Steles of the Sky by Elizabeth Bear, plus short fiction from Elizabeth Bear, Seth Dickinson, and Yoon Ha Lee!