Plus, we review The Art of Top Cow
 
On the racks this week, surely to garner a lot of attention is Unbound.  Unbound collects the talents of Kim Harrison, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson, Jocelynn Drake, and Melissa Marr as these creators of vampire and monster slayers team-up for this highly anticipated collection of novellas.  The book will feature Harrison’s “Jenks”; a Patterson “Signs of the Zodiac” story; a tale from Drake’s Dak Day series; and a “Bones” novella from Frost.  This is certain to be a hit!

The whole female slayer/hunter has turned into quite a popular sub-genre in recent years. As evidence, Sherrilyn Kenyon’s “Bad Moon Rising” debuted at #1 on the N.U. Times Bestseller list when it was released a few weeks back.

Also this week we have a new Star Trek Deep Space Nine novel and Mike Resnick’s latest Justin Mallory fantasy/mystery, “Stalking the Dragon”.  So dig in!
 

New In Fantasy
 

Wolfbreed by S. A. Swann (Spectra Trade)  

In this captivating reinvention of the werewolf novel, S. A. Swann propels readers into the darkest days of the Middle Ages, weaving a rare blend of soaring romance, historical intrigue, paranormal thrills, and spiritual questioning to tell a story that forever changes those who hear it.  

When a monk inadvertently discovers a lair of werewolf young, he unleashes what will become the Church’s most powerful–and secret–weapon. Clandestinely raised by the Teutonic Order, these lupine creatures serve as instruments of God against pagan unbelievers. Trained to slip into villages cloaked in human form, they are all but unstoppable. Only one, called Lilly, has cunningly fled her brutal master. 

Uldolf is too young to remember the massacre eight years earlier that claimed his village, his arm, and his kin. But he knows the pain of loneliness. When he sees what appears to be a beautiful young woman, injured and cowering in the woods, he races to her aid. Uldolf and his adoptive family will do anything to protect the terrified girl, but the danger is greater than they can possibly imagine. For death is the only life Lilly has ever known–and if their humanity can’t pierce the darkness Lilly harbors in her soul, they’ll soon come to know it, too.  
 
Stalking the Dragon: A Fable of Tonight (John Justin Mallory Mystery) by Mike Resnick (Pyr Trade)  

It’s Valentine's Day and private detective John Justin Mallory is planning on closing up the office early and taking his partner, Col. Winnifred Carruthers, out to dinner, since he's sure no one else will do so. But before he can turn off the lights and lock the door, a panic-stricken Buffalo Bill Brody visits them. It seems that the Eastminster pet show is being held the next day, and his dragon, Fluffy, the heavy favorite, has been kidnapped.

Mallory's nocturnal hunt for the miniature dragon takes him to some of the stranger sections of this Manhattan—Greenwitch Village (which is right around the corner from Greenwich Village and is populated by witches and covens); a wax museum where figures of Humphrey Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre come alive; Gracie Mansion (which is haunted by the ghosts of former mayors); and the Bureau of Missing Creatures, a movie set where they're filming a PBS documentary on zombies and various other denizens of the Manhattan night. As Mallory follows the leads and hunts for clues, he comes up against one dead end after another. 

Along the way he meets a few old friends and enemies, and a host of strange new inhabitants of this otherworldly Manhattan . Aided by a strange goblin named Jeeves, Mallory has only one night to find a tiny dragon that's hidden somewhere in a city of seven million. 

The Keepers of Elenath by Amanda Bradburn (Tate Publishing)  

Evil is stirring in Elenath. A rapid chain of events: a righteous king's murder, a dark queen's seizure of the throne, and the stirring of ancient peoples opens a new chapter in Elenath's history. Dark powers seek to control all and a bare few stand against the sinister forces. At the center of the tempest lies Gwaeron, princess of Anirum. Secrets surround her true identity, and the strange gifts she is capable of are sought after by both sides of the silent war. Another evil haunting the land of Elenath ; sweeping from the northwestern wasteland to Anirum's eastern coast is the dreaded eves fornost. Hearts of human, elf, etel, and gnome will turnfor good or evil. And the worst is yet to come.  

Ice Land: A Novel by Betsy Tobin (Plume)  

Iceland, AD 1000

Freya knows that her people are doomed. Warned by the Fates of an impending disaster, she must embark on a journey to find a magnificent gold necklace, one said to possess the power to alter the course of history. But even as Freya travels deep into the mountains of Iceland , the country is on the brink of war. The new world order of Christianity is threatening the old ways of Iceland's people, and tangled amidst it all are two star-crossed lovers who destiny draws them together-even as their families are determined to tear them apart.  Infused with the rich history and mythology of Iceland , Betsy Tobin's sweeping novel is an epic adventure of forbidden love, lust, jealousy, faith and magical wonder set under the shadow of a smoldering volcano. 
 
Heroes at Risk by Moira J. Moore (Ace)  

Shield Lee Mallorough and her Source Shintaro Karish have returned to High Scape. ItÂ’s bad enough the townspeople are robbing tombs for ashes to use in ritualistic magic. It gets worse when they start to murder the living for their remains.  

Ariel by Steven R. Boyett (Ace)  

It’s been five years since the lights went out, cars stopped in the streets, and magical creatures began roaming Earth. Pete Garey survived the Change, trusting no one but himself until the day he met Ariel—a unicorn who brought new meaning and adventure to his life.  

Unbound by Kim Harrison, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson, Jocelynn Drake, and Melissa Marr (Eos)  

Not all hunters are bound by human laws . . . Revisiting the paranormal realms they've made famous in their wildly popular fiction, New York Times bestselling authors Kim Harrison, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson, and Jocelynn Drake—plus New York Times bestselling YA author Melissa Marr with her first adult supernatural thriller—unleash their full arsenal of dark talents, plunging us into the shadows where the supernatural stalk the unsuspecting . . . and every soul is a target.  Get ready for the ride of your life—because the wildest magic has just been unleashed . . . and evil is about to have its day.  


New In Science Fiction  


Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Never Ending Sacrifice by Una McCormack (Star Trek Books)  

A boy looks up. He sees a Cardassian's hand on his shoulder and knows that this is usually a prelude to a beating or, if he is fortunate enough, arrest. The boy knows how many disappeared during the Occupation of Bajor. So he does the one thing he can think of: he bites the Cardassian. Then the nightmare begins.

He is ripped from the family that took him in as an orphan, clothed him, fed him, always loved him unconditionally. And no matter how earnest, how caring the commander of Deep Space 9 is, the boy knows this is all a horrible mistake. How can someone from Starfleet judge him by what he looks like, not by what he is? He prays to the Prophets; he is Bajoran. They all keep telling him that the test proves the large Cardassian man is his father, that the other Cardassian -- that oily gul -- took him away from his father. But the boy keeps telling them that he is Bajoran, he only wants to go home with his father. So they send Rugal home -- to Cardassia.  

On the homeworld of the Cardassian Union where sacrifice and devotion to the state are surpassed only by the government's need to keep its people in check, one very lonely boy discovers that if he doesn't resist, his life -- like those of so many others -- will be added to the tally of the never-ending sacrifice.  

 

Bitter Angels by C. L. Anderson (Spectra)  

The Erasmus System is a sprawling realm of slavery, smugglers, spies—and constant, creeping decrepitude. Here everyone who is not part of the ruling Four Families is a slave of one kind or another. But the Guardians, a special-forces branch inside the United World Government for Earth, have deemed Erasmus a “hot spot.” Somehow, it is believed, this failing colony intends to launch a war upon the solar system.  

Ex-Field Commander Terese Drajeske, now a mother of three, has been called back to active duty and sent to Erasmus, ostensibly to investigate the murder of her colleague—and friend—Bianca Fayette. At first blush, the death defies explanation: Bianca was immortal. But beneath that single murder lies a twisted foundation of deceptions. Suddenly Terese is plunged into a vortex of shattered lives, endemic deceit, and one dreadful secret. In this society without hope, someone has put into motion a plan that will cast humanity into chaos. And Terese, who has given up her family and her sanity to prevent war, may be asked to make the ultimate sacrifice….  

New Battlestar Galactica Omnibus by Greg Pak (Dynamite Entertainment Graphic Novel)
 
Dynamite presents the first 15 issues of their acclaimed Battlestar Galactica series in one massive book! Overseen by series Producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick and set in-between episodes of SCI FI's Battlestar Galactica's second season, Dynamite Entertainment's New Battlestar Galactica features a powerful tale of survival and upheaval among the last remnants of the 12 Colonies of Man. As Adama and crew race to escape the Cylon threat and find a path to Earth, a new menace is uncovered among the fleet in the form of the "Returners." Holding a deadly secret to all aboard, these "Returners" have taken the forms of those long thought lost. Written by Greg Pak and illustrated by Nigel Raynor and Jonathan Lau, this edition features some ever-so-slight tweaks that the creators have meticulously restored, as well as bonus art material and a complete cover gallery.  


New in Horror  


Retribution (Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles, Book 5) by Jeanne C. Stein (Ace)  

With her partner out of town, her family abroad, and her mentor estranged, newly-turned vampire Anna Strong is keeping a low profile. But now young vampires are turning up dead, completely drained of their life force. And though Anna wants to say no when Williams, her former teacher and now leader of a supernatural enforcement squad, asks for her help, she can’t. But soon, she’ll wish she did.  

 
Dark Entries by Ian Rankin (Vertigo Graphic Novel)  

HELLBLAZER's John Constantine must become part of HAUNTED PALACE -- a closed-set reality game-show (think BIG BROTHER or SCI-FI's new reality show, ESTATE OF PANIC) in order to deal with a supernatural murder of one of the contestants. He enters as a 'surprise' contestant and meets the other participants, learning that they all have secrets and that one of them must be 'channeling' poltergeists and/or be the murderer.  However, John soon learns that he is in fact in a game-show which is being broadcast only to the denizens of Hell, who have chosen him to be the next contestant. Now he has to figure out who's the killer but also how to escape with his own soul in one piece.  
 

Damnable by Hank Schwaeble (Jove)  

After being disgraced and wrongly imprisoned, special military operative Jake Hatcher finds himself standing watch against an unimaginable threat to humanity. For he’s about to discover that the streets of New York City have become a secret battleground between forces he cannot comprehend.  

Werewolf By Night: In The Blood (Marvel Comics Graphic Novel)  

For 28 days of the month, Jack Russell leads a normal life. He's got a beautiful wife and a baby on the way. He's the picture of happiness. On day 29, however, he turns into an uncontrollable, bloodthirsty monster. But as the saying goes, the best-laid plans of wolves and men... Collects Dead of Night: Featuring Werewolf By Night #1-4.  

 
New in Non-Fiction  

 
Haunted Hollywood : Tinseltown Terrors, Filmdom Phantoms, and Movieland Mayhem by Tom Ogden (Globe Pequot)  

Hollywood. Film capital of the world. Haunted Hollywood brings together twenty-five stories that capture both the spirit—and the spirits—of Tinseltown. These tales concern historic landmarks, theaters, watering holes, hotels, and houses that are haunted by movie stars, television personalities, and other celebrities. You will be shivering in your seat as you read about all these and more: 

• Film siren Jean Harlow died at only twenty-six, but many believe she's still “living” in her old home outside Beverly Hills .  
• Elke Sommer, the German-born actress and artist, is convinced a  ghost saved her life by waking her after her house caught fire. Who's to say?
• John Wayne has ridden off into the Final Sunset, but he apparently  misses his private yacht. He's been known to come aboard from time to time. . .

Reviews
 
The Art of Top Cow  (Top Cow Hardcover)

Ever since the Top Cow imprint was founded in 1992, it has earned a reputation of having some of the most outstanding art in comics, sometimes to the detriment of its stories, if you listen to some critics.  That audacious artistic legacy is on display in this handsome hardcover, coffee-table sized offering from Top Cow.  In over 350 sumptuous pages, the finest Top Cow artists and their work are on display.

The book begins with a look at the characters who make up the Top Cow shared universe including Witchblade, The Darkness, Cyberforce, The Magdelena, Hunter-Killer, and Weapon Zero.  These include various images from covers, galleries, and interior works.  Each work is noted with where the piece first appeared as well as the artist(s) credits.  Leading things off is the Witchblade work of the Micheal Turner who left this world all too soon and all too young just over a year ago.  Other notable Witchblade artists include Francis Manapul, Frank Cho, Josepth Michael Linsner, Stjepan Seijic, and Top Cow Founder Marc Silvestri.  Several of the pieces throughout the book give a side-by-side comparison to the black and white/pencil and color versions of the piece.  There’s also previously unseen sketch work of some of the Top Cow characters such as early concept designs of the Cyber Force team.

I can’t think of any other studio or imprint that’s done more to highlight breathtakingly beautiful female characters than Top Cow and the examples are here for all to see from David Finch’s striking android Aphrodite IX to the Holy Warrior Magdalena to Kenneth Rocafort’s exquisitely stylish Madame Mirage.  The book also features art from titles outside the shared Top Cow universe including Wanted, Impaler, Common Grounds, The Freshmen, Pilot Season, and much more.   

The book is printed on high quality, thick glossy stock and is perfect for the collector.  It even comes with a Marc Silvestri Witchblade print that can be removed.  The only weakness is that it assumes the reader is familiar with the various characters.  I short introduction to each would have helped.  Well worth $50 but can be had at places like Amazon.com for much less.

Grade A-