Book Pimpin

Usually, I pimp without comment, preferring to let the books speak for themselves but, I must tell you, that I am so very excited to read the first two books on this week's list.  I read books one, two, and three in Rachel Aaron's Eli Monpress series last spring and just loved them.  This was one of those series where each book was better than the last and so when I saw on Goodreads that the next book would be out August 23, 2011, I was so friggin happy that I wouldn't have to wait more than a couple of months to get the next installment.  (When it comes to books, I can be a little... impatient.)  Turns out the Goodreads publication date was incorrect and I was left in limbo... until now.  The Spirit War will be out next June!  If you haven't been reading this series, go out and get yourself the first three books.  They are fun, exciting, adventurous capers with a strong ensemble cast.    

The second book that has me in a bit of a tiz is Kate Locke's God Save the Queen.  Locke also writes under the names Kathryn Smith and Kady Cross and made a big splash earlier this year with The Girl in the Steel Corset.  I was only vaguely aware of her writing until I had the pleasure of seeing her on a steampunk panel at the NY Comic Con.  She was incredibly entertaining and my interest ratched up a couple of notches.  Plus Queen Victoria is a vampire!  So check 'em out and make sure to take a gander at some more upcoming books after the jump.  

The Spirit War (The Legend of Eli Monpress, #4) by Rachel Aaron
Eli Monpress is vain. He's cocky. And he's a thief.
But he's a thief who has just seen his bounty topped and he's not happy about it. The bounty topper, as it turns out, is his best friend, bodyguard, and master swordsman, Josef. Who has been keeping secrets from Eli. Apparently, he's the only prince of a rather feisty country and his mother (a formidable queen who's every bit as driven and stubborn as he is) wants him to come home and do his duty, which means throwing over personal ambitions like proving he's the greatest swordsman who ever lived.
Family drama aside, Eli and Josef have their hands full. The Spirit Court has been usurped by the Council of Thrones and someone calling herself the Immortal Empress is staging a massive invasion. But it's not just politics --- the Immortal Empress has a specific target in mind: Eli Monpress, the greatest thief in the world.
Drops June 5, 2012


God Save the Queen (The Immortal Empire, #1)by Kate Locke
Queen Victoria rules with an immortal fist.
The undead matriarch of a Britain where the Aristocracy is made up of werewolves and vampires, where goblins live underground and mothers know better than to let their children out after dark. A world where being nobility means being infected with the Plague (side-effects include undeath), Hysteria is the popular affliction of the day, and leeches are considered a delicacy. And a world where technology lives side by side with magic. The year is 2012 and Pax Britannia still reigns. 
Xandra Vardan is a member of the elite Royal Guard, and it is her duty to protect the Aristocracy. But when her sister goes missing, Xandra will set out on a path that undermines everything she believed in and uncover a conspiracy that threatens to topple the empire. And she is the key-the prize in a very dangerous struggle.
Drops July 3, 2012



Devil's Punch (Corine Solomon, #4) by Ann Aguirre
The power swelled inside me, burning, hurting, but I let it center me. Pain means I'm still here, fighting. I envisioned it swelling in my hand in a seething rush, gathering, gathering, and then I sent it out on my resolve like a dark and winged thing riding the magickal wind. 
As a handler, Corine Solomon can touch any object and learn its history. Her power is a gift, but one that's thrown her life off track. The magical inheritance she received from her mother is dangerously powerful, and Corine has managed to mark herself as a black witch by dealing with demons to solve her problems.
Back home, Corine is trying to rebuild her pawnshop and her life with her ex Chance, despite the target on her back. But when the demons she provoked kidnap her best friend in retaliation, Corine puts everything on hold to save her. It's undoubtedly a trap, but Corine would do anything to save those she loves, even if it means sacrificing herself...
Drops April 3, 2012


The Slayer by Theresa Meyers
Brothers Winchester, Remington and Colt know the legends--they were trained from childhood to destroy demon predators, wielding the latest steam-powered gadgetry. It's a devil of a job. But sometimes your fate chooses you. . .
CHASING TROUBLE
Winn Jackson isn't interested in hunting nightmares across the Wild West--even if it's the family business. Unlike his rakehell brothers, Winn believes in rules. As sheriff of Bodie, California, he only shoots actual law breakers. That's what he's doing when he rescues the Contessa Drossenburg, Alexandra Porter, a lady with all the elegance of the Old World--grace, beauty and class. And then he sees her fangs.
Alexandra isn't just some bloodsucking damsel in distress, though. She's on a mission to save her people--and she's dead certain that Winn's family legacy is the only way. Luckily, aside from grace and class, she also has a stubborn streak a mile wide. So like it or not, Winn is going to come back with her to the mountains of Transylvania, and while he's at it, change his opinions about vampires, demon-hunting, and who exactly deserves shooting. And if she has her way, he's going to do his darnedest to save the world. . .
Drops April 1, 2012


Lies & Omens (Shadow Inquiries, #4) by Lyn Benedict
The Magicus Mundi is out of the closet and onto the evening news. Someone is stirring up the supernatural world against the mundane, and Sylvie may be the only one who can stop an all-out war between the two. That is, if she isn't already too late.
Drops April 24, 2012