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Editorial Content for Disquiet Gods: The Sun Eater, Book Six

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Stephen Hubbard

Crafting a review for a series now six books deep poses some challenges. First, you do not want to reveal any of the surprises from previous installments in case a newcomer stumbles upon the review. You also need to somehow appeal to those same readers that here we are, exploring the contents of DISQUIET GODS, but you absolutely should pick up the earlier novels and begin your journey properly. Read More

Teaser

The end is nigh. It has been nearly 200 years since Hadrian Marlowe assaulted the person of the Emperor and walked away from war. From his Empire. His duty. From the will and service of the eldritch being known only as the Quiet. The galaxy lies in the grip of a terrible plague, and worse, the Cielcin have overrun the realms of men. A messenger has come to Jadd, bearing a summons from the Sollan Emperor for the one-time hero. A summons, a pardon and a plea. HAPSIS, the Emperor’s secret first-contact intelligence organization, has located one of the dreadful Watchers, the immense, powerful beings worshipped by the Pale Cielcin. Called out of retirement and exile, the old hero --- accompanied by his daughter, Cassandra --- must race across the galaxy and against time to accomplish one last, impossible task: To kill a god.

Promo

The end is nigh. It has been nearly 200 years since Hadrian Marlowe assaulted the person of the Emperor and walked away from war. From his Empire. His duty. From the will and service of the eldritch being known only as the Quiet. The galaxy lies in the grip of a terrible plague, and worse, the Cielcin have overrun the realms of men. A messenger has come to Jadd, bearing a summons from the Sollan Emperor for the one-time hero. A summons, a pardon and a plea. HAPSIS, the Emperor’s secret first-contact intelligence organization, has located one of the dreadful Watchers, the immense, powerful beings worshipped by the Pale Cielcin. Called out of retirement and exile, the old hero --- accompanied by his daughter, Cassandra --- must race across the galaxy and against time to accomplish one last, impossible task: To kill a god.

About the Book

The sixth novel of the galaxy-spanning Sun Eater series merges the best of space opera and epic fantasy, as Hadrian Marlowe continues down a path that can only end in fire.

The end is nigh.

It has been nearly 200 years since Hadrian Marlowe assaulted the person of the Emperor and walked away from war. From his Empire. His duty. From the will and service of the eldritch being known only as the Quiet. The galaxy lies in the grip of a terrible plague, and worse, the Cielcin have overrun the realms of men.

A messenger has come to Jadd, bearing a summons from the Sollan Emperor for the one-time hero. A summons, a pardon and a plea. HAPSIS, the Emperor’s secret first-contact intelligence organization, has located one of the dreadful Watchers, the immense, powerful beings worshipped by the Pale Cielcin.

Called out of retirement and exile, the old hero --- accompanied by his daughter, Cassandra --- must race across the galaxy and against time to accomplish one last, impossible task:

To kill a god.

Editorial Content for Dark Dive

Book

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Ray Palen

Andrew Mayne may have started out as a magician, but over the past 13 years he has made magic on the pages of some of the finest, most intelligent thrillers out there. DARK DIVE is his fifth Underwater Investigation Unit novel, and it may be the most intense installment yet. Read More

Teaser

After the Underwater Investigation Unit’s disbandment, public outcry ushers Sloan McPherson and her partner, former navy diver Scott Hughes, back into the depths of crime solving. But Sloan’s return comes with a personal case. Longtime family friend Fred Stafford has disappeared. Left behind: his abandoned truck in the vicinity of an unmarked sinkhole and new findings that have Sloan second-guessing everything she thought she knew about the man. There are his gambling debts, his association with a treasure-hunting band of underwater cavern junkies called the Dive Rats, and a discovery in Stafford’s storage shed that raises the stakes even higher and plunges Sloan into an unfathomable mystery. As Sloan’s investigation unfolds, a tragic Florida cold case, local superstitions and a shocking conspiracy collide.

Promo

After the Underwater Investigation Unit’s disbandment, public outcry ushers Sloan McPherson and her partner, former navy diver Scott Hughes, back into the depths of crime solving. But Sloan’s return comes with a personal case. Longtime family friend Fred Stafford has disappeared. Left behind: his abandoned truck in the vicinity of an unmarked sinkhole and new findings that have Sloan second-guessing everything she thought she knew about the man. There are his gambling debts, his association with a treasure-hunting band of underwater cavern junkies called the Dive Rats, and a discovery in Stafford’s storage shed that raises the stakes even higher and plunges Sloan into an unfathomable mystery. As Sloan’s investigation unfolds, a tragic Florida cold case, local superstitions and a shocking conspiracy collide.

About the Book

Searching for a missing diver takes a Florida detective on a deep-diving adventure in a gripping thriller by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of SEA CASTLE.

After the Underwater Investigation Unit’s disbandment, public outcry ushers Sloan McPherson and her partner, former navy diver Scott Hughes, back into the depths of crime solving. But Sloan’s return comes with a personal case.

Longtime family friend Fred Stafford has disappeared. Left behind: his abandoned truck in the vicinity of an unmarked sinkhole and new findings that have Sloan second-guessing everything she thought she knew about the man. There are his gambling debts, his association with a treasure-hunting band of underwater cavern junkies called the Dive Rats, and, most alarming of all, a discovery in Stafford’s storage shed that raises the stakes even higher and plunges Sloan into an unfathomable mystery.

As Sloan’s investigation unfolds, a tragic Florida cold case, local superstitions and a shocking conspiracy collide. For Sloan, finding Stafford and uncovering the buried secrets of the past soon drag her deeper into the dark unknown than she feared.

Audiobook available, read by Susannah Jones

Editorial Content for The Lies Among Us

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Pamela Kramer

Award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst opens her new novel, THE LIES AMONG US, with a bit of a shocker. We are taken aback as we meet Hannah, the first-person narrator, as she is nestled next to her mother's body inside her mother’s casket just before burial. That's our first clue that Hannah isn't a flesh-and-blood person. Hannah's mother has just died, leaving only Hannah's sister, Leah. Leah can't see or hear Hannah, so Hannah basically is alone for the first time in her life. Read More

Teaser

After her mother dies, Hannah doesn’t know how to exist without her. In fact, Hannah isn’t even certain that she does exist. No one seems to see or hear her, and she finds herself utterly alone. Grief-stricken and confused, Hannah sets out to find new purpose in life --- and answers about who (and what) she really is. Hannah’s only remaining family is her older sister, Leah. Yet even Leah doesn’t seem to notice her. And while Hannah can see and hear her sister, she also sees beautiful and terrible things that don’t --- or shouldn’t --- exist. She learns there’s much more to this world than meets the eye and struggles to make sense of it all. When Hannah sees Leah taking the same dangerous path that consumed their own mother --- where lies supplant reality --- she’s desperate to get through to her.

Promo

After her mother dies, Hannah doesn’t know how to exist without her. In fact, Hannah isn’t even certain that she does exist. No one seems to see or hear her, and she finds herself utterly alone. Grief-stricken and confused, Hannah sets out to find new purpose in life --- and answers about who (and what) she really is. Hannah’s only remaining family is her older sister, Leah. Yet even Leah doesn’t seem to notice her. And while Hannah can see and hear her sister, she also sees beautiful and terrible things that don’t --- or shouldn’t --- exist. She learns there’s much more to this world than meets the eye and struggles to make sense of it all. When Hannah sees Leah taking the same dangerous path that consumed their own mother --- where lies supplant reality --- she’s desperate to get through to her.

About the Book

From the award-winning author of THE BONE MAKER and THE LAKE HOUSE comes a haunting novel about sisterhood and grief, where difficult truths must contend with the corrosive power of unchecked lies.

After her mother dies, Hannah doesn’t know how to exist without her. Literally. In fact, Hannah isn't even certain that she does exist. No one seems to see or hear her, and she finds herself utterly alone. Grief-stricken and confused, her sense of self slowly slipping away, Hannah sets out to find new purpose in life --- and answers about who (and what) she really is.

Hannah’s only remaining family is her older sister, Leah. Yet even Leah doesn’t seem to notice her. And while Hannah can see and hear her sister, she also sees beautiful and terrible things that don’t --- or shouldn’t --- exist. She learns there’s much more to this world than meets the eye and struggles to make sense of it all.

When Hannah sees Leah taking the same dangerous path that consumed their own mother --- where lies supplant reality --- she’s desperate to get through to her. But facing difficult truths is harder than it looks.

Audiobook available, read by Soneela Nankani

Editorial Content for Glorious Exploits

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Norah Piehl

I confess that I was first drawn to Ferdia Lennon’s GLORIOUS EXPLOITS by its googly-eyed cover. Blending the serious with the silly, the ancient with the modern, I was intrigued by what I might find inside. That playful approach, with a serious undertone, does in fact mirror what readers will encounter in the pages of this debut novel. Read More

Teaser

On the island of Sicily amid the Peloponnesian War, the Syracusans have figured out what to do with the surviving Athenians who had the gall to invade their city: they’ve herded the sorry prisoners of war into a rock quarry and left them to rot. Looking for a way to pass the time, Lampo and Gelon, two unemployed potters, head down into the quarry to feed the Athenians if, and only if, they can manage a few choice lines from their great playwright Euripides. Before long, the two mates hatch a plan to direct a full-blown production of "Medea." But as opening night approaches, what started as a lark quickly sets in motion a series of extraordinary events. Our wayward heroes begin to realize that staging a play can be as dangerous as fighting a war, with all sorts of risks to life, limb and friendship.

Promo

On the island of Sicily amid the Peloponnesian War, the Syracusans have figured out what to do with the surviving Athenians who had the gall to invade their city: they’ve herded the sorry prisoners of war into a rock quarry and left them to rot. Looking for a way to pass the time, Lampo and Gelon, two unemployed potters, head down into the quarry to feed the Athenians if, and only if, they can manage a few choice lines from their great playwright Euripides. Before long, the two mates hatch a plan to direct a full-blown production of "Medea." But as opening night approaches, what started as a lark quickly sets in motion a series of extraordinary events. Our wayward heroes begin to realize that staging a play can be as dangerous as fighting a war, with all sorts of risks to life, limb and friendship.

About the Book

An utterly original celebration of that which binds humanity across battle lines and history.

On the island of Sicily amid the Peloponnesian War, the Syracusans have figured out what to do with the surviving Athenians who had the gall to invade their city: they’ve herded the sorry prisoners of war into a rock quarry and left them to rot. Looking for a way to pass the time, Lampo and Gelon, two unemployed potters with a soft spot for poetry and drink, head down into the quarry to feed the Athenians if, and only if, they can manage a few choice lines from their great playwright Euripides.

Before long, the two mates hatch a plan to direct a full-blown production of "Medea." After all, you can hate the people but love their art. But as opening night approaches, what started as a lark quickly sets in motion a series of extraordinary events and our wayward heroes begin to realize that staging a play can be as dangerous as fighting a war, with all sorts of risks to life, limb and friendship.

Told in a contemporary Irish voice and as riotously funny as it is deeply moving, GLORIOUS EXPLOITS is an unforgettable ode to the power of art in a time of war, brotherhood in a time of enmity and human will throughout the ages.

Audiobook available, read by Ferdia Lennon

Editorial Content for No Judgment: Essays

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Norah Piehl

It's a bit of a daunting prospect to embark on reviewing Lauren Oyler's collection of essays, NO JUDGMENT. For one thing, as the title suggests (more on that later), her book --- following her debut novel, FAKE ACCOUNTS --- explores, in large part, the very project of contemporary literary criticism. For another, now that I've read her essay "My Perfect Opinions" included in the volume, I know for a fact that she reads reviews of her work. And she's judging those as well. Read More

Teaser

Lauren Oyler has emerged as one of the most trenchant and influential critics of her generation, a talent whose judgments on works of literature have become notorious. But what is the significance of being a critic and consumer of media in today’s fraught environment? How do we understand ourselves, and each other, as space between the individual and the world seems to get smaller and smaller, and our opinions on books and movies seem to represent something essential about our souls? And, to put it bluntly, why should you care what she --- or anyone --- thinks? In her first collection of essays, Oyler writes about topics like the role of gossip in our exponentially communicative society, the rise and proliferation of autofiction, why we’re all so “vulnerable” these days, and her own anxiety.

Promo

Lauren Oyler has emerged as one of the most trenchant and influential critics of her generation, a talent whose judgments on works of literature have become notorious. But what is the significance of being a critic and consumer of media in today’s fraught environment? How do we understand ourselves, and each other, as space between the individual and the world seems to get smaller and smaller, and our opinions on books and movies seem to represent something essential about our souls? And, to put it bluntly, why should you care what she --- or anyone --- thinks? In her first collection of essays, Oyler writes about topics like the role of gossip in our exponentially communicative society, the rise and proliferation of autofiction, why we’re all so “vulnerable” these days, and her own anxiety.

About the Book

From the national bestselling novelist and essayist, a groundbreaking collection of brand-new pieces about the role of cultural criticism in our ever-changing world.

In her writing for Harper’s, the London Review of Books, The New Yorker and elsewhere, Lauren Oyler has emerged as one of the most trenchant and influential critics of her generation, a talent whose judgments on works of literature --- whether celebratory or scarily harsh --- have become notorious. But what is the significance of being a critic and consumer of media in today’s fraught environment? How do we understand ourselves, and each other, as space between the individual and the world seems to get smaller and smaller, and our opinions on books and movies seem to represent something essential about our souls? And, to put it bluntly, why should you care what she --- or anyone --- thinks?

In this, her first collection of essays, Oyler writes with about topics like the role of gossip in our exponentially communicative society, the rise and proliferation of autofiction, why we’re all so “vulnerable” these days, and her own anxiety. In her singular prose --- sharp yet addictive, expansive yet personal --- she encapsulates the world we live and think in with precision and care, delivering a work of cultural criticism as only she can.

Bringing to mind the works of such iconic writers as Susan Sontag, Pauline Kael and Terry Castle, NO JUDGMENT is a testament to Lauren Oyler’s inimitable wit and her quest to understand how we shape the world through culture. It is a sparkling nonfiction debut from one of today’s most inventive thinkers.

Audiobook available, read by Lauren Oyler

Editorial Content for One in the Chamber

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Philip Zozzaro

He watched as the blood ran out of the Senator’s body. The macabre moment would be interrupted by the arrival of the authorities storming into the Senate chamber. Read More

Teaser

Cameron Leann is new to Washington, D.C. An Iowa farm boy without a penny to his name, Cam has joined a group of affluent junior staffers working for a powerful cohort of U.S. senators known as The Gang of Six. All of them have one thing in common: They hate their bosses. As they take up the rushed nomination of the first Black chief justice to the Supreme Court, Cam and his friends are plotting against them. But in the game of politics, one’s motivations are never as they seem --- especially true for Cam, the enigmatic figure at the center of it all. When a bombshell revelation threatens to sink the President's Supreme Court pick, the Gang of Six fractures, pitting senator against senator in a confirmation battle for the ages.

Promo

Cameron Leann is new to Washington, D.C. An Iowa farm boy without a penny to his name, Cam has joined a group of affluent junior staffers working for a powerful cohort of U.S. senators known as The Gang of Six. All of them have one thing in common: They hate their bosses. As they take up the rushed nomination of the first Black chief justice to the Supreme Court, Cam and his friends are plotting against them. But in the game of politics, one’s motivations are never as they seem --- especially true for Cam, the enigmatic figure at the center of it all. When a bombshell revelation threatens to sink the President's Supreme Court pick, the Gang of Six fractures, pitting senator against senator in a confirmation battle for the ages.

About the Book

On Capitol Hill, they work you to death.

Cameron Leann is new to Washington, D.C. An Iowa farm boy without a penny to his name, Cam has joined a group of affluent junior staffers working for a powerful cohort of U.S. senators known as The Gang of Six. Liz Frost, the group’s charismatic leader, teases and strings Cam along as he grows increasingly infatuated with her. Heir to a political dynasty, Randy Lancaster pushes Cam to his limits with his penchant for booze, drugs and meaningless flings. Charlie James, Liz’s linebacker boyfriend, keeps Cam at a distance, eyeing the newcomer with suspicion.

All of them have one thing in common: they hate their bosses.

As the Gang of Six takes up the rushed nomination of the first Black chief justice to the Supreme Court, Cam and his friends are plotting against them. But in the game of politics, one’s motivations are never as they seem --- especially true for Cam, the enigmatic figure at the center of it all.

When a bombshell revelation threatens to sink the President's Supreme Court pick, the Gang of Six fractures, pitting senator against senator in a confirmation battle for the ages. Alliances shift with the wind. Everyone is lying to everyone. And on Election Night, one senator will end up dead.

Audiobook available, read by Zion Jang

Editorial Content for This Fresh Existence: Heart Teachings from Bhikkhuni Dhammananda

Reviewer (text)

Barbara Bamberger Scott

As Cindy Rasicot vividly recalls in THIS FRESH EXISTENCE, her rapport with the revered Buddhist nun Bhikkhuni Dhammananda led her to explore new avenues of inner and outward contemplation. Read More

Teaser

Bhikkhuni Dhammananda defied convention to become the first woman fully ordained in the Thai Theravada Buddhist tradition. Dubbed “Rebel Monk” by the Thai press, she faced enormous opposition from the media, the public and senior orthodox Thai monks. She has given a fresh existence to the ancient tradition. American author Cindy Rasicot became her student and disciple in 2005. This compelling book tells the story of Venerable Dhammananda’s remarkable path from TV personality, author, academic, wife and mother to ordained bhikkhuni. Cindy Rasicot writes beautifully of their relationship and shares Bhikkhuni Dhammananda’s gentle wisdom and direct insights about how to live a more powerful and compassionate life.

Promo

Bhikkhuni Dhammananda defied convention to become the first woman fully ordained in the Thai Theravada Buddhist tradition. Dubbed “Rebel Monk” by the Thai press, she faced enormous opposition from the media, the public and senior orthodox Thai monks. She has given a fresh existence to the ancient tradition. American author Cindy Rasicot became her student and disciple in 2005. This compelling book tells the story of Venerable Dhammananda’s remarkable path from TV personality, author, academic, wife and mother to ordained bhikkhuni. Cindy Rasicot writes beautifully of their relationship and shares Bhikkhuni Dhammananda’s gentle wisdom and direct insights about how to live a more powerful and compassionate life.

About the Book

Bhikkhuni Dhammananda defied convention to become the first woman fully ordained in the Thai Theravada Buddhist tradition. Dubbed “Rebel Monk” by the Thai press, she faced enormous opposition from the media, the public and senior orthodox Thai monks. She has given a fresh existence to the ancient tradition.

American author Cindy Rasicot became her student and disciple in 2005. This compelling book tells the story of Venerable Dhammananda’s remarkable path from TV personality, author, academic, wife and mother to ordained bhikkhuni. Cindy Rasicot writes beautifully of their relationship and shares Bhikkhuni Dhammananda’s gentle wisdom and direct insights about how to live a more powerful and compassionate life.

What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan

April 2024

I love reading true crime books, and I have been known to go down the rabbit hole on many a Netflix true crime series. (Oddly, I do not gravitate to true crime podcasts.) So it probably is not surprising that crime fiction in this vein will call my name. WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA? by Dervla McTiernan drew me in from the description.

Nina and her boyfriend, Simon, head off to his family’s 400-acre estate in Vermont for spring break. Now, mind you, this property is located in the same state as the palatial home of Simon’s family. Yes, we are talking that kind of family money. Nina and Simon spend the day climbing, which they both enjoy. But something happens on one of the climbs that worries Nina.

Leigh Bardugo, author of The Familiar

In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to improve the family's social position.

Which of the following nonfiction titles releasing in April have you read or do you plan to read? Please check all that apply.

April 12, 2024, 569 voters