Jennifer Jackson – Literary Agent

Scenting the Dark

Kowal is primarily a puppeteer, and the sweetness so much puppetry conjures flavors her writing. And not just in “This Little Pig” and “Jaiden’s Weaver,” which would fit cozily into any good YA sf collection. The first, set in a near-future Iceland that has virtually banned fossil fuels, features a 17-year-old whose fondest dream, to drive a classic 1950s MG-TD, propels him into the workforce, where he meets with humiliation but also hope. A 13-year-old girl who cares not for horses but for “teddy bear spiders”—an endearing species that grows to ridable size on the Earth-colonized planet New Oregon—is the focus of Jaiden’s Weaver,” an endearing kid-and-critter exercise. Less YA friendly, “Some Other Day” resolves as warmly as those two, though what is resolved is very dire, indeed. In the remaining five, a dollop of acid sours any sweetness, either, as in the tense title story, immediately; as in “Just Right,” terminally; or, as in “Portrait of Ari,” just beyond the story’s last word. Lucid and engaging work from a probable rising star. –Booklist

First Lord’s Fury, Codex Alera, Book 6

The wait is finally over, as the incomparable Butcher gives salivating fans the piece-de-resistance of his Codex Alera series. The incredible journey of clever Tavi, from shepherd’s apprentice to last hope of the Realm, has been both thrilling and harrowing — not mention completely engrossing. In this finale, the blistering pace of warfare never falters and is split between character viewpoints, but the heart of the story remains the evolution of a singular young man. As heroes go, they don’t come better than Tavi! Bravo, Mr. Butcher! — Romantic Times, 4 1/2 Stars + Gold Medal

Sixty-One Nails

This book is magnificent in every way, it is an incredible work of fiction that draws you in from the very beginning and holds your undivided attention until the very last page, leaving you with a distinct feeling of loss knowing there are no further words to caress your grey matter. The protagonist is a much more everyday Joe than many writers choose to portray – divorced father of one, with an ex-wife he clearly doesn’t get on with, Naill and his life are not perfect and it’s these imperfections that ground the story. Combine this some very well researched real-world locations and you get a very believable story that you can’t help but relate to. Sixty One Nails is a novel I will remember for a very long time. 5***** — Science Fiction & Fantasy

Read the first chapter.

By the Mountain Bound

In this complex prequel to Hugo-winner Bear’s All the Windwracked Stars (2008), Ragnarok has already occurred, but the world must still be cleansed of the residue of the former realm. When immortal einherjar war-leader Strifbjorn rescues a strange woman from drowning, she claims to be the Lady, a long-awaited deity, and defeats Strifbjorn’s champion and lover, Mingan the Gray Wolf, to take command. The ensuing internal power struggles set the einherjar at odds while the Lady attempts to rally the community against a supposedly imminent attack by giants. Numerous fantasy authors adopt the tropes of Norse mythology, but Bear actively pursues them, channeling those myths directly rather than overlaying them on more familiar ones. The result demands much from readers, but repays it in vivid, sensual imagery of a wholly different world. –Publishers Weekly

Canticle (The Psalms of Isaak)

In the second Psalms of Isaak volume, civil war rages across the Named Lands. Following the annihilation of Windwir, an ancient metropolis preserving precious Old World knowledge, the Y’Zirite religious cult responsible for the city’s destruction reveals itself by assassinating the guests at a feast held by Gypsy King Rudolfo. As battle lines are drawn and new alliances are formed, other principals face their own struggles. Windwir survivor Neb seeks his fate in the Churning Wastes. Neb’s beloved, the Marsh Queen Winters, discovers Y’Zirite members among her people. Scholes adds new layers of mystery and intrigue while fleshing out the compelling characters of one of speculative fiction’s most spellbinding new sagas. — Booklist