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| The Name of the Wind |
Elemental: Destiny's Embers Written by Bradley Wardell
eBook, 256 pages | Del Rey | Fiction - Fantasy; Games - Video & Electronic | $16.00 | August 24, 2010 | 978-0-345-51788-3 (0-345-51788-1)
At a frontier outpost on the fringes of the civilized world, an orphaned messenger named Xander witnesses the destruction of all he knows at the hands of the Fallen, the great enemy thought vanquished during the War of Magic.
Abruptly, Xander's life is changed forever. Now he must seek out an ancient artifact of legendary power in the hopes that it can stop the Fallen hordes from destroying the entire kingdom. Little does he realize that the hope of all mankind rests on his young shoulders, as powers of unimaginable might set out to stop him at all costs.
Aided by his friend Genica, a mysterious thief named Vreen, and a crafty Sion of unknown loyalty, Xander journeys into the heart of the world, where long-hidden secrets will be revealed that could shatter the delicate balance established by the great Cataclysm a thousand years earlier.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
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The Evolutionary Void Written by Peter F. Hamilton
eBook, 736 pages | Del Rey | Fiction - Science Fiction - Adventure | $28.00 | August 24, 2010 | 978-0-345-52301-3 (0-345-52301-6)
An innovator praised as one of the inventors of "the new space opera," Peter F. Hamilton has also been hailed as the heir of such golden-age giants as Heinlein and Asimov. His star-spanning sagas are distinguished by deft plotting, engaging characters, provocative explorations of science and society, and soaring imaginative reach. Now, in one of the most eagerly anticipated offerings of the year, Hamilton brings his acclaimed Void trilogy to a stunning close.
Exposed as the Second Dreamer, Araminta has become the target of a galaxywide search by government agent Paula Myo and the psychopath known as the Cat, along with others equally determined to prevent—or facilitate—the pilgrimage of the Living Dream cult into the heart of the Void. An indestructible microuniverse, the Void may contain paradise, as the cultists believe, but it is also a deadly threat. For the miraculous reality that exists inside its boundaries demands energy—energy drawn from everything outside those boundaries: from planets, stars, galaxies . . . from everything that lives.
Meanwhile, the parallel story of Edeard, the Waterwalker—as told through a series of addictive dreams communicated to the gaiasphere via Inigo, the First Dreamer—continues to unfold. But now the inspirational tale of this idealistic young man takes a darker and more troubling turn as he finds himself faced with powerful new enemies—and temptations more powerful still.
With time running out, a repentant Inigo must decide whether to release Edeard's final dream: a dream whose message is scarcely less dangerous than the pilgrimage promises to be. And Araminta must choose whether to run from her unwanted responsibilities or face them down, with no guarantee of success or survival. But all these choices may be for naught if the monomaniacal Ilanthe, leader of the breakaway Accelerator Faction, is able to enter the Void. For it is not paradise she seeks there, but dominion.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Bearers of the Black Staff Legends of Shannara
Hardcover, 368 pages | Del Rey | Fiction - Fantasy | $27.00 | August 24, 2010 | 978-0-345-48417-8 (0-345-48417-7)
Written by Terry Brooks
For more than three decades, New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks has ruled the epic fantasy realm with his legendary Shannara series. With each new novel the mythos has deepened, ever more fascinating characters have arisen, and increasingly breathtaking vistas of magical adventure have emerged. Now the evolution of one of imaginative fiction's most beloved worlds continues in the first book of the new series Legends of Shannara: Bearers of the Black Staff.
Five hundred years have passed since the devastating demon-led war that tore apart the United States, leaving nothing but scorched and poisoned ruins, and nearly exterminating humankind. Those who escaped the carnage and blight were led to sanctuary by the boy savior known as the Hawk—the gypsy morph. In an idyllic valley, its borders warded by powerful magic against the horrors beyond, humans, elves, and mutants alike found a place they believed would be their home forever.
But after five centuries, the unimaginable has come to pass: The cocoon of protective magic surrounding the valley has vanished. When Sider Ament, the only surviving descendant of the Knights of the Word, detects unknown predators stalking the valley, he fears the worst. And when Panterra Qu and Prue Liss, expert Trackers from the human village of Glensk Wood, find two of their own gruesomely killed, there can be no doubt: The once safe haven of generations has been laid bare and made vulnerable to whatever still lurks in the wasteland of the outside world.
Together, Ament, the two young Trackers, and a daring Elf princess race to spread word of the encroaching danger—and spearhead plans to defend their ancestral home. But suspicion and hostility among their countrymen threaten to doom their efforts from within—while beyond the breached borders, a ruthless Troll army masses for invasion. And in the thick of it all, the last wielder of the black staff and its awesome magic must find a successor to carry on the fight against the cresting new wave of evil.
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Author says he will write one more book featuring the child criminal mastermind, and reveals rough storyline for his final adventure
The child genius Artemis Fowl, whose criminal schemes have powered seven children's novels to bestsellerdom since 2001, selling 20m books around the world, is under a sentence of execution. His creator, Eoin Colfer, has revealed to the Guardian that this summer's outing, The Atlantis Complex, will be his teenage mastermind's penultimate adventure.
"One more book, and then that'll be the end of that," he said. "He will be faced with a choice where he can be kind to somebody and he won't gain anything, or he can be unkind and he will find a million dollars in a suitcase, and he will choose the nice way, and that will be the end," he explained. "That's how I'm going to finish it, on a very simple choice."
The child mastermind has changed through the series, Colfer continued, from being "pretty much your standard bad guy ... kind of two dimensional", to someone with "a bit of a conscience". "He's gone from being this horrible bad guy to being more of a Robin Hood kind of guy, where he does commit crimes, but you feel they're kind of warranted," he said.
Like Peter Pan, Colfer explained, Fowl will put away the magic, the childish things, but he will also do something "that could be considered very human". "There's not going to be any huge battle, and going up the stairs to heaven, it's not going to be that kind of finish." he added. "There will be the big adventure, but the end will be in a little epilogue. End of story."
The manager of children's specialist bookshop Tales on Moon Lane, Georgina Hanratty, said she'd be disappointed to say goodbye to Artemis Fowl. "Artemis is one of our key series for 9-12 year olds," she said. "The combination of action and adventure, strong male and female lead characters and Eoin's brilliant humour make them perfect for a wide range of readers, and the feedback has always been fantastic." New titles are always "eagerly anticipated", with Fowl's inclusion in Puffin's 70th birthday celebrations showing "a big upturn in sales in the last couple of months as new readers discover the series". "I'd be sad to see him go," she concluded. "He's a really great character. But when it's over, it's over."
The author also admitted to a pang at bidding farewell to a character whom he said was inspired by a picture of his brother Donal dressed up in his Sunday best, and took on more and more of the characteristics of Colfer's own son. "I've grown fond of Artemis," Colfer said. "I'll be reluctant to leave that world."
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Dragongirl
Hardcover, 512 pages | Del Rey | Fiction - Science Fiction | $26.00 | July 27, 2010 | 978-0-345-49116-9 (0-345-49116-5)
Written by Todd J. McCaffrey
Young Fiona, rider of the gold queen Talenth, has returned from the past, where she and a group of dragons and riders fled so that the wounded could heal from their previous battles with Thread and the younger dragons could safely grow to fighting age. Gone only three days, yet aged more than three years, Fiona is no longer a child but a woman prepared to fight against the Thread that threatens to destroy her world.
Fiona's life takes a pivotal turn when a shocking tragedy thrusts her into a position of authority. Now she finds herself leading weyrfolk who have a hard time trusting a senior Weyrwoman who is both young and an outsider.
But even greater challenges lie ahead: Thread is falling and there are too few dragons to stem the tide. Many have died from the recent plague, and even with the influx of newly mature dragons from the past, the depleted fighting force is no match for the intensifying Threadfall. Fiona knows that something must be done, and what she proposes is daring and next to impossible. But if her plan succeeds, it just might save them all.
With a cast of familiar characters from previous Pern novels—including Lorana, who sacrificed her own queen dragon so that all the dragons of Pern would have a chance to survive, and Kindan, the harper Fiona has loved her whole life—Dragongirl is another triumph for Todd McCaffrey, and a riveting new chapter for the Dragonriders of Pern.
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