Anthony Ryan Returns To Raven's Shadow Universe With "The Wolf's Call" (A Raven's Blade Novel)

When I read Anthony Ryan's Blood Song featuring Vaelin Al Sorna I instantly became a fan of the series and of the author himself. I was newly discovering new authors and series to read by then and it's one of the books that solidified my love for SFF and High Fantasy. I waited for every book in the trilogy and imagine how sad I was when it ended...

But that was then, now imagine how happy I am knowing new adventures are abound in this universe with a new duology called Raven's Blade. It starts with The Wolf's Call and continues some years after the events of Queen of Fire, the final book in the original Raven's Shadow trilogy.

Check out the official cover of The Wolf's Call by Anthony Ryan.

Synopsis

Anthony Ryan's debut novel Blood Song—the first book of the Raven's Shadow series—took the fantasy world by storm. Now, he returns to the world of this acclaimed series with The Wolf's Call, which begins a thrilling new story of razor-sharp action and epic adventure.

Peace never lasts.

Vaelin Al Sorna is a living legend, his name known across the Realm. It was his leadership that overthrew empires, his blade that won hard-fought battles - and his sacrifice that defeated an evil more terrifying than anything the world had ever seen. He won titles aplenty, only to cast aside his earned glory for a quiet life in the Realm's northern reaches.

Yet whispers have come from across the sea - rumours of an army called the Steel Horde, led by a man who believes himself a god. Vaelin has no wish to fight another war, but when he learns that Sherin, the woman he lost long ago, has fallen into the Horde's grasp, he resolves to confront this powerful new threat.

To this end, Vaelin travels to the realms of the Merchant Kings, a land ruled by honor and intrigue. There, as the drums of war thunder across kingdoms riven by conflict, Vaelin learns a terrible truth: that there are some battles that even he may not be strong enough to win.

The Wolf's Call by Anthony Ryan will be released on July 23, 2019.

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Cover Of Sun Eater # 2: 'Howling Dark' By Christopher Ruocchio May Be The Best Sequel Cover Of The Year

A while back I posted the cover of Howling Dark (UK Edition) by Christopher Ruocchio and it's nothing short of beautiful... But let me clarify this first: I still do believe that we should not judge a book by its cover. But! When I saw the US edition of said book I was left awed and breathless. It is so breathtaking and beautiful that I have to conclude it is this year's best sequel cover AFAIC!

Before I give you the cover I just would like to thank Kieran Yanner for the very astounding art. He took over from Sam Weber, who did the cover of the first book Empire of Silence. This new cover has certainly blown my expectations away and it definitely surpassed its predecessor by miles. Now, all I'm thinking about is how are they going to surpass this when the third book in the series comes out. Will they ever pull it off again? I really hope so.

Check out the unbelievably beautiful cover of Howling Dark by Christopher Ruocchio.

Synopsis

The second novel of the galaxy-spanning Sun Eater series merges the best of space opera and epic fantasy, as Hadrian Marlowe continues down a path that can only end in fire.

Hadrian Marlowe is lost.

For half a century, he has searched the farther suns for the lost planet of Vorgossos, hoping to find a way to contact the elusive alien Cielcin. He has not succeeded, and for years has wandered among the barbarian Normans as captain of a band of mercenaries.

Determined to make peace and bring an end to nearly four hundred years of war, Hadrian must venture beyond the security of the Sollan Empire and among the Extrasolarians who dwell between the stars. There, he will face not only the aliens he has come to offer peace, but contend with creatures that once were human, with traitors in his midst, and with a meeting that will bring him face to face with no less than the oldest enemy of mankind.

If he succeeds, he will usher in a peace unlike any in recorded history. If he fails...the galaxy will burn.

Howling Dark by Christopher Ruocchio will be released on July 2, 2019.

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Cover Reveals For Plenty Of Rick Riordan Presents Books, Including Books By Rebecca Roanhorse, J. C. Cervantes, And Kwame Mbalia

I, for one, used to grumble deep within me that Rick Riordan can't write fast enough (Sorry!). He writes a lot but the gap in waiting for his next book is excruciating. But now that many more authors are behind and in league with him, through his imprint Rick Riordan Presents, I cannot keep up with the many books that he and his allies have written for us.

Now I can barely swim to the surface of the ocean of these mythology-inspired novels that are surely great and fun to read. They offer me inside knowledge of the less represented mythologies around the world in the contemporary or futuristic settings -- what more could I ask for?

Here are some of the upcoming titles from said imprint with their newly revealed fantastic covers.

Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

Synopsis

A seventh-grade girl and her brother, aided by various Navajo gods disguised as relatives, must stay one step ahead of a shape-shifting monster as they follow in the footsteps of the legendary Hero Twins to save their family.

Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse will be released on October 15, 2019.

The Fire Keeper by J. C. Cervantes

Synopsis

Zane Obispo's new life on a beautiful secluded tropical island, complete with his family and closest friends, should be perfect. But he can't control his newfound fire skills yet (inherited from his father, the Maya god Hurakan); there's a painful rift between him and his dog ever since she became a hell hound; and he doesn't know what to do with his feelings for Brooks. One day he discovers that by writing the book about his misadventures with the Maya gods, he unintentionally put other godborn children at risk. Unless Zane can find the godborns before the gods do, they will be killed. To make matters worse, Zane learns that Hurakan is scheduled to be executed. Zane knows he must rescue him, no matter the cost. Can he accomplish both tasks without the gods detecting him, or will he end up a permanent resident of the underworld? In this cleverly plotted sequel to The Storm Runner, the gang is back together again with spirited new characters, sneaky gods, unlikely alliances, and secrets darker than Zane could ever have imagined. Secrets that will change him forever.

The Fire Keeper by J. C. Cervantes will be released by September 17, 2019.

Tristan Strong Punches A Hole In The Sky by Kwame Mbalia

Synopsis

Pitched as an MG American Gods, the book stars a seventh-grade boy who accidentally creates a hole into the Midpass, a world where ancient African gods clash with gods of African-American legend. He must race to find Anansi, the Weaver, and repair the rip before the iron monsters wreaking havoc in the Midpass consume their world and ours.

Tristan Strong Punches A Hole In The Sky by Kwame Mbalia will be released someting in 2020.

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Cover Of 'The Girl Who Lived Twice' By David Lagercrantz Is Reminiscent Of Stieg Larsson's Original

The cover of The Girl Who Lived Twice by David Lagercrantz is hitting me real hard with nostalgia. Despite its difference in color scheme it greatly resembles that of Stieg Larsson's original Millennium Series novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Does the cover imply that this novel will wrap up everything, bringing us to where it all started? I feel like this will be the closing act of this arc, if not the entire series. If that is the case, do you think this novel will give the it a proper and satisfying ending?

Check out the cover of The Girl Who Lived Twice By David Lagercrantz.

Compare it with the cover of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.

Synopsis

The sixth Lisbeth Salander story--the crime-fiction phenomenon that has sold more than 90 million copies worldwide.

Book four in the series, The Girl in the Spider's Web, is now a major film from Sony Pictures starring Claire Foy.

The Girl Who Lived Twice by David Lagercrantz will be released on August 27, 2019.

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Cover Reveal: 'The Institute' By Stephen King

Stephen King is back to terrify the kids in all of us... He is a prolific writer, but I think he does not write fast enough for my liking. On the otherhand the good thing about the release of his next novel is it will be timely for my birthday this year. What a great treat indeed.

His next novel that will scare the shit out of us is titled The Institute. That's not really a chilling title, is it? But knowing King's style you will be up for a great surprise. Similaryly, don't be fooled by the not-so-harmful cover art, which you can see below.

Check out the cover of The Institute by Stephen King.

Synopsis

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King, the most riveting and unforgettable story of kids confronting evil since It—publishing just as the second part of It, the movie, lands in theaters.

In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis’s parents and load him into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes. Luke will wake up at The Institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there’s no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who got to this place the same way Luke did: Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery Dixon. They are all in Front Half. Others, Luke learns, graduated to Back Half, “like the roach motel,” Kalisha says. “You check in, but you don’t check out.”

In this most sinister of institutions, the director, Mrs. Sigsby, and her staff are ruthlessly dedicated to extracting from these children the force of their extranormal gifts. There are no scruples here. If you go along, you get tokens for the vending machines. If you don’t, punishment is brutal. As each new victim disappears to Back Half, Luke becomes more and more desperate to get out and get help. But no one has ever escaped from the Institute.

As psychically terrifying as Firestarter, and with the spectacular kid power of It, The Institute is Stephen King’s gut-wrenchingly dramatic story of good vs. evil in a world where the good guys don’t always win.

The Institute by Stephen King will be released on September 10, 2019.

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