The Leaning Pile of Books

This week brought four books that were complete surprises, and three of them are ones I really, really want to read right now, making me sad that I'm not capable of reading eight books simultaneously (since there are about five other books I want to be reading now). Actually, I already had the ARC of one and just got the finished copy in the mail this time, but I'd prefer to read the finished version anyway.

As far as the next review goes, I haven't been able to make much progress since I've been working on another interview in my spare time instead. The questions are almost ready to go, though, so I should be able to get back to finishing that review soon.

Lady Lazarus by Michele Lang

This is the first book in a trilogy by the same name, and it is on sale on August 31. It was actually one of the books on my list to look for at Book Expo America, but I missed it. Then it was a "maybe" book since it looked a little iffy to me from the blurb, but after looking through the actual book and reading the first couple of lines, I now really want to read the rest:

I damned my soul in the summer of 1939. I did it for the noblest reasons, the best ones -- to save the people I loved; to make a terrible wrong turn right.

After reading this, I can't help but want to know about how she damned her soul and what these reasons for doing so are.

Dark Victory, the second book in the series, is scheduled for release in 2011.

With the romance of Twilight, the suspense of The Dresden Files, and the delicious thrills of True Blood, the enthralling saga of Magdalena Lazarus unfolds. Descended from the legendary witch of Ein Dor, she alone holds the power to summon the angel Raziel and stop Hitler and his supernatural minions from unleashing total war in Europe. The Nazis have fighters more fearsome than soldiers, weapons more terrifying than missiles, and allies that even they are afraid of SS werewolves; the demon Asmodel who possesses a willing Adolf Hitler, and other supernatural creatures all are literally hell-bent on preventing Magda from possessing the Book of Raziel, a magical text with the power to turn the tide against Hitler’s vast war machine.

Magda, young and rebellious, grew up in the cosmopolitan city of Budapest, unaware of her family’s heritage. When her mother dies, Magda--ready or not--is the Lazarus, who must face the evil that holds Europe in an iron grip. Unready to assume the mantle of her ancient birthright, but knowing that she must fight, she sets out across Europe searching for the Book. Magda is desperate enough to endanger her soul by summoning the avenging angel Raziel. When she sees him in the glory of his celestial presence, her heart is utterly, completely lost…

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Blameless by Gail Carriger

Blameless is the third book in the Parasol Protectorates series and it is supposed to be on sale August 31. I've been following this series ever since I got an ARC of the very first book, and I liked the second book even better than the first so I was very excited to open up a package and find this within. This should be fun!

I'm going to avoid posting the blurb for this one since it contains spoilers for both the first and second books. However, if you do want to read it, the blurbs for all three books are on this page on Gail Carriger's website.

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Hell's Horizon by Darren Shan

This is the second book in The City series following Procession of the Dead. It will be released in hardcover in January 2011.

In the City, The Cardinal rules, and Al Jeery is a loyal member of his personal guard. But when Al is pulled from his duties at Party Central to investigate a murder, an unexpected discovery leads him in a new direction, where his loyalties and beliefs will be severely tested.

Soon he is involved in a terrifying mystery that draws in the dead, the City's Incan forefathers, the imposing figure of The Cardinal, and the near-mythical assassin Paucar Wami.

Wami is a law unto himself, a shadowy, enigmatic figure who can apparently kill anyone he chooses without fear of punishment or retribution. And Al is about to find out that he has a lot more in common with Wami than he could ever have imagined...

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Cold Magic by Kate Elliott

This is the first book in a new series, The Spiritwalker trilogy. It is supposed to be released in September, but Kate Elliott recently mentioned on Twitter that it is already in stock at Amazon. As I mentioned the first time when I got an ARC of it, I really like the sound of this one and I've wanted to read something by Kate Elliott for a while now so I'm looking forward to it.

From one of the genre's finest writers comes a bold new epic fantasy in which science and magic are locked in a deadly struggle.

It is the dawn of a new age... The Industrial Revolution has begun, factories are springing up across the country, and new technologies are transforming in the cities. But the old ways do not die easy.

Cat and Bee are part of this revolution. Young women at college, learning of the science that will shape their future and ignorant of the magics that rule their families. But all of that will change when the Cold Mages come for Cat. New dangers lurk around every corner and hidden threats menace her every move. If blood can't be trusted, who can you trust?