Best friends and sometimes bitter rivals, master vampire Eliseo Daisani and dragonlord Janx encounter a young woman who claims to be the daughter of the witch Baba Yaga. When her daughter apparently dies, Baba Yaga swears eternal enmity against both Eliseo and Janx. In places and times as far-flung as New York in the 1920s (“Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight”), gangland Chicago (“Chicago Bang Bang”), and the Summer of Love (“The Age of Aquarius”), the lives of Daisani, Janx, Daisani’s enigmatic associate Vanessa Grey, Margrit Knight (known as the Negotiator), and the nameless woman once known as Baba Yaga’s daughter intersect, creating a legacy destined to endure through the ages. These ten tales set in the world of Murphy’s Negotiator novels (Heart of Stone; House of Cards; Hands of Flame) come together to tell a larger story of rivalry and love.

VERDICT These elegantly written stories should appeal to those who want more Negotiator tales as well as to fans of vampire fiction and Russian folklore. — Library Journal

In this strong collection of 10 short stories, a mixture of reprints and originals, Murphy (Raven Calls) returns to the setting of her Negotiator trilogy. The spotlight is on two immortals: the dragon Janx and the vampire Eliseo Daisani. Both friends and enemies, they cross paths regularly over the centuries, often drawn to and influenced by women. “From Russia, with Love” features the titular powerful Russian witch; “Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight” brings in Susannah Stacey, a would-be vampire hunter in 1870s Chicago, and Vanessa Grey, Daisani’s long-lived assistant. Murphy plays with styles and tone, injecting a sense of myth into “From Russia, with Love,” evoking hard-boiled sensibilities with “Chicago Bang Bang,” and lacing other tales with mystery, romance, and action. Ranging from vignettes to novellas, these offerings grant glimpses of a much larger world, fleshing out its history and pleasing series fans. — Publishers Weekly

For more information check out the catalog entry at Subterranean Press.

Murphy’s seventh Walker Papers urban fantasy (after Spirit Dances) shakes things up nicely. Shaman Joanne Walker has resigned from the police force after being bitten by a werewolf. Feeling called to Ireland, Jo trades in romantic interest Mike Morrison and Seattle’s cityscape for her old pal Gary Muldoon and encounters with the Morrígan and wild banshees, slowly learning about her new werewolf abilities as she goes. Some fans might be frustrated that Jo and Mike are separated so soon after finally getting their romantic opportunity, but it’s a crafty decision on Murphy’s part, forcing Jo to focus on immediate threats and the continuing revelations about her heritage. A few twists lead to a cliffhanger ending to set up book eight. Fans of the series will enjoy this chapter, while new readers should be able to put together enough of the backstory to jump on board. –Publishers Weekly

Lara Jansen has an uncanny ability to know when the truth is being told (or not) and in this second half of the story, she continues to grow in power. Much less meek and subdued than she was at the beginning of her story, she embarks on a quest to rescue her lover, the Faerie prince Dafydd, from the Drowned Lands. Lara must face three trials if she wants to be given the opportunity to save Dafydd, and accompanied by Aerin, Dafydd’s childhood companion, she faces them with aplomb — only to find herself in the middle of a tragedy that is both thousands of years old and sadly modern at the same time.

Not only is this a compelling and fast-paced read from veteran writer Murphy, this novel also has a lot to say about women and their voices. Turning the usual inside out, in this book it’s the woman who saves the prince and redeems the land. Filled with thoughtful dialogue and witty banter, Wayfinder is a satisfying and well-written conclusion to a fantastic story that began with last year’s Truthseeker. –Romantic Times, 4 1/2 Stars!

The eagerly awaited return of Joanne Walker starts off with a bang in Murphy’s latest. Walker, who has started to embrace her shamanic powers, attends a dance performance with her boss Morrison. There’s a great deal of attendant sexual tension and, during the performance, Walker is so caught up in the magic of the performers that she transforms into a coyote. If that isn’t enough, in the middle of the performance, one of the dancers is magically attacked and killed. Walker begins the hunt for the killer, which leads her into situations she never expected–including accidentally transforming Morrison into a wolf and encountering a murderous werewolf. The adventure forces her to decide which path in life she wishes to fully embrace–cop or shaman. Readers will be thrilled to see Murphy’s return to the Walker Papers, and they won’t be disappointed. The author keeps the action fast-paced, Walker and Morrison’s repartee is fantastic (even when he’s a wolf), and the magic is exciting. If anything, it seems a little short, and readers will be left eager to see what happens next, both with Walker’s shamanic career and her ever-evolving relationship with Morrison.

Also see:

Urban Shaman (The Walker Papers, Book 1)

Thunderbird Falls (The Walker Papers, Book 2)

Coyote Dreams (The Walker Papers, Book 3)

Walking Dead (The Walker Papers, Book 4)

Demon Hunts (Walker Papers, Book 5)

Truthseeker is the first half of a duology, and it’s a charming and fast-paced novel from veteran fantasist Murphy. Featuring a contemporary setting with a fantastical twist, there are no dark demons or vampires here: just a faerie prince, a practical-minded young woman with the knack of knowing the truth and a compelling story that will leave you wanting more.

Summary:
Lara Jansen is a quiet young woman serving an apprentice-ship at a bespoke tailoring firm in Boston when she is swept into the middle of a war in Faerie. Blessed­or cursed­with the ability to tell when people are telling the truth, she encounters Dafydd ap Caerwynn (faerie prince and hapless weatherman) and her life changes forever when he asks her to solve his brother’s murder. Outside of her comfort zone, Lara agrees to help and she steps through the doorway into Faerie, where things and time aren’t always what they seem.

Romantic Times, 4 Stars

The much-anticipated sequel to The Queen’s Bastard (2008) won’t disappoint patient readers willing to dedicate time and thought to the myriad political machinations in the weighty first nine-tenths of the book. Belinda Primrose, back in Aulun, is finally recognized after saving the navy from the Gallin Armada while being mistaken for the Madonna. Javier de Castille’s witch-power is deemed a gift from God by the Pappas, allowing him latitude to use it as he wars against Aulun, attempting to bring it back into the ecumenical fold. Battles, marriages, assassinations, changes of allegiance, and political intrigue strip the protagonists down to their cores as they lose everything and gain something else. With secrets of Belinda’s and Javier’s true beginnings revealed, Belinda reevaluates her fealty to an alien queen lurking in space and her responsibilities to the world into which she was born. Readers will have to await future installments of the Inheritors’ Cycle to know how it all finally comes out. –Booklist

In Murphy’s crisply written sequel to 2008’s alternate history The Queen’s Bastard, aliens known as the Heseth, the people of the sun, have visited Earth in what would be our 16th century, but the supernatural elements are limited to the occasional use of magical abilities. The plot is more focused on the struggle for power in Echon (Europe), which features familiar rivalries between Aulun (England), Gallin (France) and the Prussian Confederation. As political tensions heat up, Belinda, the witchfire-wielding assassin and illegitimate daughter of Aulun’s Queen Lorraine, faces relationship problems with Javier de Castille, prince of Essandia (Spain) and Gallin, and with her overbearing mother. Murphy tends toward long discussions of war, succession and various attempts by the Heseth to influence human development, mostly balanced by clever intrigue and raw, explicit sex scenes. –Publishers Weekly

Fiction:Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Author of The Queen’s Bastard and other fantasy novels C. E. Murphy’s TRUTHSEEKER and WAYFINDER, contemporary paranormal fantasies, to Betsy Mitchell at Del Rey, by Jennifer Jackson of the Donald Maass Literary Agency

Lawyer Margrit Knight is one of the few humans aware of New York City’s otherworldy denizens; known as the Negotiator among the Old Races who dwell behind the scenes, she calls upon her allies, a fallen dragon and her vampire employer, when her gargoyle lover is kidnapped and placed on trial by his “peers.” While wrapping up many loose ends, the concluding volume of Murphy’s Negotiator trilogy (Heart of Stone; House of Cards) leaves open the possibility of future explorations into an urban fantasy that brings some unusual creatures, such as gargoyles, djinn, and selkies, into the modern world. Margrit is a gutsy, resourceful heroine who can walk a fine line between the paranormal and the real world. A good choice for most libraries, with particular appeal to fans of Charles de Lint and Jim Butcher.

***

Heart of Stone (The Negotiator, Book 1)
House of Cards (The Negotiator, Book 2)