Emilo Flores

Living amongst the human population are transforming beings known as Lycans. They can transform to werewolves at any time, either by choice or when they are threatened. Most try to live normal human lives but there are a few out there bent on destroying the human race. The novel begins with three Lycan attacks aboard airplanes. Borrowing from the real-life events of 9/11, Percy’s novel is about what makes us human, and what happens when we let the primal part of ourselves out. As the bodies start piling up on both sides, humans and Lycans alike, one begins to wonder who the real monsters are. The U.S. government occupies the Lycan homeland to extract valuable uranium, while persecuting anyone that harbors the Lycan prion virus. It’s a novel about freedom, fear and what makes us human, or monsters. 

Hachette  $25.99.

Miéville’s newest work stars Shamus Yes ap Soorap, a teenage boy who has lost his parents and works on a moler train; that is, a train that hunts giant moles for meat and fur. It’s dangerous on the tracks of the Railsea, a land where cities are connected by thousands of miles of rails that have been around since anyone can remember. The soft earth is dangerous to anyone dwelling above ground, as you will be eaten alive by the myriad oversized creatures dwelling below. Shamus, or Sham as he is known by his friends, stumbles upon a treasure that will lead him and his friends across the farthest reaches of the Railsea and beyond. Miéville crafts a world unlike any other in this adventurous novel, which is part Moby Dick and part “Tremors” (yes, the Kevin Bacon movie). The descriptions are vivid and the action is non-stop as we look into a world where people are driven by obsession and a thirst for knowledge. Fans of Miéville will surely enjoy his latest, and for anyone who is new to him, this is a wonderful place to start.

Deputy U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens has a problem. He’s found the felon he’s looking for, but that man is missing both of his kidneys. As he figures out what happened, and who removed the criminal’s organs, Raylan begins putting together a series of seemingly unconnected events that aren’t so much about a mystery, but about the people involved. He discovers the truths behind a black market human organ business, as well as the murder of an out of work coal miner, and he manages to make a few friends along the way. In the end, Raylan’s adventures involve some kidney thieves, pot growers, a 21 year old poker playing girl, some seedy horsebreeders, and a cross-dressing gangster.

Fans of Elmore Leonard’s character Raylan (also seen in the hit television series “Justified”) will rejoice at this fast paced, witty novel. Leonard’s prose is at the top of his game in this novel; the way he makes his characters come to life with simple conversations is unparalleled. This book is great if you’re looking to get into some pulp-y material and also has elements of a hard-boiled novel and the intricacies of modern crime stories. A must read!

-- EF

Hell is a tough place for anybody, but for a betrayed magician, it's just the beginning. Stark, as he is known, has found a way out and is looking for revenge against the people who put him in Lucifer's hands. Gory, funny and all around awesome!