April releases

April isn't the busiest month in term of Fantasy releases but it will give us time to check that backlog. My spotlight for the month consist of "merrier" books than the actual trend of Grim and Dark Epic Fantasy.

From my coming up in 2014 post earlier this year, you'll notice that Sam Sykes' The City Stained Red was pushed back to August and Richard Ford's The Shattered Crown was released last month.

For the readers interested in tie-ins, Patrick Weekes (author of The Palace Job, my review should be up soon) is also releasing a book set in the Dragon Age video game world, Dragon Age : The Masked Empire on April 8th.

What will you read this month?

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The Goblin Emperor

Katherine Addison

April 1st

A vividly imagined fantasy of court intrigue and dark magics in a steampunk-inflected world, by a brilliant young talent. 

The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an "accident," he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir. 

Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment. 

Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend... and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne – or his life.

This exciting fantasy novel, set against the pageantry and color of a fascinating, unique world, is a memorable debut for a great new talent.

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Steles of the Sky

Eternal Sky book 3

Elizabeth Bear

April 8th

Re Temur, legitimate heir to his grandfather’s Khaganate, has finally raised his banner and declared himself at war with his usurping uncle. With his companions—the Wizard Samarkar, the Cho-tse Hrahima, and the silent monk Brother Hsiung—he must make his way to Dragon Lake to gather in his army of followers. But Temur’s enemies are not idle; the leader of the Nameless Assassins, who has shattered the peace of the Steppe, has struck at Temur’s uncle already. To the south, in the Rasan empire, plague rages. To the east, the great city of Asmaracanda has burned, and the Uthman Caliph is deposed. All the world seems to be on fire, and who knows if even the beloved son of the Eternal Sky can save it?