Ten Releases To Pick Up In February

 Ten Anticipated Titles
for  February 2024


      Happy February. Many exciting new books are releasing this month. This list specifically is made up of adult Fantasy and Science Fiction titles ordered by release date.



The Tainted Cup

Publication Date: 02/06/24

Subjects: Detective Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Mystery & Crime

Series: Shadow of the Leviathon

Available at these retailers:

                               Description:


    In Daretana’s greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Even here at the Empire’s borders, where contagions abound and the blood of the leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death both terrifying and impossible.


Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all times and that she can solve impossible cases without even stepping outside the walls of her home.


At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana’s brilliance. Din is at turns scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superior—but as the case unfolds and he watches Ana’s mind leap from one startling deduction to the next, he must admit that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.


As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.



The Trials of Empire

by Richard Swan

Publication Date02/06/24

Subjects:  Dark Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction

Series: Empire of the Wolf

Proceeded By: The Tyranny of Faith

Available at these retailers:
Amazon           Barnes & Noble

Description:


THE TIME OF JUDGMENT IS AT HAND

The Empire of the Wolf is on its knees, but there's life in the great beast yet.

  To save it, Sir Konrad Vonvalt and Helena must look beyond its borders for allies - to the wolfmen of the southern plains, and the pagan clans in the north. But old grievances run deep, and both factions would benefit from the fall of Sova.

    Even these allies might not be enough. Their enemy, the zealot Bartholomew Claver, wields infernal powers bestowed on him by a mysterious demonic patron. If Vonvalt and Helena are to stand against him, they will need friends on both sides of the mortal plane—but such allegiances carry a heavy price.

    As the battlelines are drawn in both Sova and the afterlife, the final reckoning draws close. Here, at the beating heart of the Empire, the two-headed wolf will be reborn in a blaze of justice . . . or crushed beneath the shadow of tyranny.


A Vicious Game


Publication Date: 02/06/24

Subjects: Fantasy, LGBT Fiction, Women of Lore

Series: The Halfling Saga

Proceeded by: A Shadow Crown


Available at these retailers:

                         Description:

A new king is on the throne and the rebellion lies in ruins.

Keera spends her days drinking and her nights avoiding the strange dreams that have haunted her since she returned from the capital.

Keera’s family in Myrelinth won’t let her go without a fight. With new intelligence about the magical seals left behind by Keera’s ancient kin, the Light Fae, she rallies to face her demons and unleash the formidable powers she inherited from her people. But a shocking truth is hiding in plain sight, one with the power to unravel the entire rebellion...


 The Burning Land

Publication Date: 02/06/24

Subjects: Fantasy

Series: The Talmont Trilogy


Available at these retailers: 
                      
                           Description:

The Falcons are knights of the Vestal Order, pledged to use their powers to protect the Empire of Talmont from the cruel Vyr and the carnage they have unleashed upon the world.

When the Falcons take a Vyr alive, they go against the protocols of the Vestal Order and interrogate him. They are horrified to learn, if the Vyr speaks truly, that the Empire's worst enemy may not be the Vyr . . . but the Vestal Order itself.

Led by the charismatic Romara Challys, the Falcons go rogue, their quest for the truth taking them through burning forests, lost ruins and the uncanny traces of a dying race, desperate to find answers . . . before it's too late.

But the Vestal Order has no plans to let Challys and her knights succeed in their mission. With the greatest knight in history and an army of fanatics at their heels, the Falcons must evade capture and discover the truth as soon as possible. Because time is running out . . . for everyone.


The Blood Kingdom 

by Kate Cunningham

Publication Date: 02/08/24


Subjects: Adventure Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Romance, Sword & Savagery, Vampires


Series: The Blood Folk


Available at these retailers:
Amazon                 Barnes & Noble

Description:
    A dark omen.
    An ominous gift.

A chance encounter with a handsome stranger that no one else remembers.

Aurelia's life has always been dictated by court politics and the watchful eye of nobility. But the glamour of court life is an ever-tightening noose, one that will never allow her to marry the man she loves or question the decisions that are made for her future.

A predictable, monotonous future.

The only escape from the gilded cage surrounding her is in the books she pilfers from the library. Descriptions of places beyond the pristine palace walls. Stories of the monsters that prowled the Shades long ago. Tales of dark beings who possessed darker power and threatened to wipe out humanity. Creatures that have been dead for centuries, along with the magic that once ruled their world—if it ever existed at all.

But when Aurelia's father is murdered, the clues left behind will lead her into a world much older and much more dangerous than she ever could have imagined.


       The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles


Publication Date: 02/13/24

Subjects: Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Mystery, Space Exploration

Series: The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti


Available at these retailers:
Amazon                 Barnes & Noble


Description:
Mossa has returned to Valdegeld on a missing person’s case, for which she’ll once again need Pleiti’s insight. Seventeen students and staff members have disappeared from Valdegeld University—yet no one has noticed. The answers to this case may lie on the moon of Io—Mossa’s home—and the history of Jupiter’s original settlements during humanity's exodus from Earth.

But Pleiti’s faith in her life’s work as a scholar of the past has grown precarious, and this new case threatens to further destabilize her dreams for humanity’s future, as well as her own.


 Angolin 


Publication Date: 02/13/24

Subjects: Sci-Fi, Military & Space Adventures,
 Space Exploration


Available at these retailers:
Amazon                 Barnes & Noble


Description:

A hidden people not so hidden anymore.

The Hidden Realm of Angolin has existed in peaceful isolation for centuries, but that’s about to change. The enemy across the Abyss has discovered them and is intent on conquest. Lieutenant Dharmen Tate has a great love for his homeland and a greater understanding of its position in the world. When he discovers a plot by fellow officers to join the enemy and overthrow Angolin, he and his colleagues spring into action to defend the Hidden Realm from its foes—those without, and those within. The ensuing struggle magnifies Angolin’s vulnerability and exposes the collusion of a growing body of its citizens, signifying an uncertain and bloody future.


A Flame in the North



Publication Date: 02/13/24


Subjects: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction

Series: Black Land’s Bane

Available at these retailers:
Amazon                 Barnes & Noble


Description:

The Black Land is a myth: Centuries have passed since that Great Enemy was slain. Yet old fears linger, and on the longest night of the year, people in the South still light ritual bonfires to banish the dark.

In her village, this duty falls to Solveig, a girl favored by the gods with powerful fire magic. But when her brother kills a Northern lord’s son during the ritual, it is Sol who faces punishment, by being weregild—part hostage, part guest—in the North for a year and a day.

As she journeys to her captivity, Sol starts to realize that the Black Land is no myth. The forests teem with foul beasts. Her travel companions are not what they seem, and their plans for her magic are shrouded in secrecy.

With only her loyal shieldmaiden and her own wits to rely upon, Sol must learn to master her powers and wrest control of her fate. For the Black Land’s army stirs, ready to cover the world in darkness—unless Sol can find the courage to stop it.


Sun of Blood and Ruin



Publication Date: 02/20/24


Subjects: Historical Fantasy, Alternate History, Romance

Series: Sun of Blood and Ruin

Available at these retailers:
Amazon                 Barnes & Noble


Description:

A new legend begins…

In sixteenth-century New Spain, witchcraft is punishable by death, indigenous temples were destroyed, and tales of mythical creatures that once roamed the land became whispers in the night. Hidden behind a mask, Pantera uses her magic and legendary swordplay skills to fight the tyranny of Spanish rule.

To all who know her, Leonora de las Casas Tlazohtzin never leaves the palace and is promised to the heir of the Spanish throne. The respectable, law-abiding Lady Leonora faints at the sight of blood and would rather be caught dead than meddle in court affairs.

No one suspects that Leonora and Pantera are the same person. Leonora’s charade is tragically good, and with magic running through her veins, she is nearly invincible. Nearly. Despite her mastery, she is destined to die young in battle, as predicted by a seer.

When an ancient prophecy of destruction threatens to come true, Leonora—and therefore Pantera—is forced to decide: surrender the mask or fight to the end. Knowing she is doomed to a short life, she is tempted to take the former option. But the legendary Pantera is destined for more than an early grave, and once she discovers the truth of her origins, not even death will stop her.


Fathomfolk


Publication Date: 02/27/24

Subjects: Adventure Fantasy

Series: The Drowned World

Available at these retailers:
Amazon                 Barnes & Noble


Description:

Welcome to Tiankawi - shining pearl of human civilization and a safe haven for those fleeing civil unrest. Or at least, that's how it first appears. But in the semi-flooded city, humans are, quite literally, on top: peering down from shining towers and aerial walkways on the fathomfolk - sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappas - who live in the polluted waters below.

For half-siren Mira, promotion to captain of the border guard means an opportunity to help her downtrodden people. But if earning the trust and respect of her human colleagues wasn't hard enough, everything Mira has worked towards is put in jeopardy when Nami, a know-it-all water dragon and fathomfolk princess - is exiled to the city, under Mira’s watch. When extremists sabotage a city festival, violence erupts, as does the clampdown on fathomfolk rights. Both Nami and Mira must decide if the cost of change is worth paying, or if Tiankawi should be left to drown.




Comments