New Procurements (Damn that is a tall pile)

Well. It has been a few weeks since I updated you all on the books sent me and those I purchased.  This batch only has one purchase pictured and rest were sent to me for review although I have one those on pre-order still.

A lot of your eyes are probably immediately drawn to that thick fellow near the middle. Yes, I have The Heroes and yes I am already done with it because I can't help myself when it comes to Abercrombie. However, my review won't come out for a while. I've always been in the camp that feels reviews shouldn't come out months before the book does. I don't mind a month early, but much before that is kinda of like trying to stuff the turkey before you've cut off the head. It will just annoy all parties involved. One book purchased, but not pictured is The Habitation of the Blessed, which sports a nice deckled edge.

Rather than list of the books like I normally do I'll just point out some of the highlights.  This doesn't mean I don't like the other books I'm simply strapped for time and will just mention the ones I'm most interested in. All of the below were sent to me for review unless otherwise mentioned.

Black Wings by Christina Henry - I've been getting a rash of Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance lately with all sorts of off putting covers.  I still try to do my diligence and check out the description because lord knows I've read plenty of good books with bad or misleading covers and this one certainly sounds like a decent fun little read.

As an Agent of Death, Madeline Black is responsible for escorting the souls of the dearly departed to the afterlife. It's a 24/7 job with a lousy benefits package.

Maddy's position may come with magical powers and an impressive wingspan, but it doesn't pay the bills. And then there are her infuriating boss, tenant woes, and a cranky, popcorn-loving gargoyle to contend with.

Things start looking up, though, when tall, dark, and handsome Gabriel Angeloscuro agrees to rent the empty apartment in Maddy's building. It's probably just a coincidence that as soon as he moves in demons appear on the front lawn. But when an unholy monster is unleashed upon the streets of Chicago, Maddy discovers powers she never knew she possessed. Powers linked to a family legacy of tarnished halos.

Powers that place her directly between the light of Heaven and the fires of Hell...

Of Masques and Martyrs by Christopher Golden - Ace is reissuing all of Golden's Peter Octavian series of vampire books with new covers, which I read and quite enjoyed years ago.  So I recommend grabbing a copy, but start with the first Of Saints and Shadows.

Usual Suspects edited by Carole Nelson Douglas - This is an original anthology of Urban Fantasy/Mystery stories.  I'll largely interested in the this for the Simon R. Green story.

First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher - As many of you know I'm a huge Dresden Files fan, but I've yet to read the Alera books despite having the first volume sitting on my shelf for nearly two years now.  This is book six so it will be sometime before I get around to it, but knowing Butcher once I start on the series I won't be able to help myself from devouring the rest. This is doubly true now that the series is complete. This is also the first so called "premium mass market" I've ever gotten.  I did notice his publisher has been reprinting the earlier books in this size as well.

Dragon's Deal by Robert Asprin and Jody Lynne Nye - The third and final Griffen McCandles book.  The series was being written solely by Asprin, but due to his untimely death a couple years back his Myth Adventures collaborator Nye finished it.  The first two books were quite a bit of all right, but it felt like Asprin was planning on doing more than a third book in the series given the world he setup.  Hopefully Nye can wrap this up well.

Right Hand Magic by Nancy Collins - This is another PR/UF book I wasn't sure about when it came through, but a quote from Simon R. Green made me look a little deeper. The mention of a strange neighborhood ala the Nightside might make me check this out.

Like most Manhattanites, aspiring artist Tate can't resist a good rental deal-even if it's in the city's strangest neighborhood, Golgotham, where for centuries werewolves, centaurs, and countless other creatures have roamed the streets.

Her new landlord is a sorcerer name Hexe, who is determined to build his reputation without using dark, left-hand magic. As Tate is drawn into Hexe's fascinating world, they both find that the right hand does not always know what the left hand is doing-and avoiding darkness is no easy trick...

The Wolf Age by James Enge - The Morlock series is another I have to give a better shot at given I bought the Blood of Ambrose and still haven't read despite loving Enge's story in Swords & Dark Magic. Gorgeous cover art and finishing on this one really help the package. Pyr has been stepping up their game on the cover finishing with working in more matte and foiling details.

I Love You More Than You Know: Essays by Jonathan Ames - The lone purchase in this batch is by the creator of HBO's Bored to Death, which is a can't miss show for me.  I hadn't realized Ames' has done so many books, but after coming across one the other day in an indie store I couldn't pass it up. I rarely leave an independent book store without purchasing something.

Man-Made Monsters by Dr. Bob Curran - This is a non-fiction mythology book from one of my favorite folklorists. I showed off the cover and another piece from the book the other day. It is fun to just flip through.

Thirteen Years Later by Jasper Kent - Kent's first book Twelve is near the top of my to read and review pile so I'm glad to have the historical vampire sequel waiting in the wings.

The King of Crags by Stephen Deas - This is the sequel to The Adamantine Palace, which I had some problems with, but from what I've heard a lot of those are cleared up in this volume. Its US release is still a few months off, but I plan on reading it closer to publication.

That's it for now.

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