YetiStomper Picks for September

September has at least one book for everyone or in my case too many books for me. There goes any hope I had of catching up on the reading list.

Dreadnought - Cherie Priest

Clockwork Century, Book 3. Priest's Boneshaker was the surprise hit of 2009 and she returns to the world for a third tale after the limited edition Subterranean Press novella, Clementine, completely sold out earlier this year. Focused on a different character within the same shared world, Dreadnought explores more of the steampunk setting that made Boneshaker such a hit. Originally, I thought Steampunk was a bit of a stillborn subgenre that was talked about more than it was actually published but Priest is showing the the Steampunk style is very much clanking along. (September 28th from Tor)

Tome of the Undergates (The Aeons' Gate, Book 1) - Sam Sykes

The Aeons' Gate, Book 1. The debut novel from Sam Sykes made a sizeable splash across the pond earlier this year and Pyr is helping us poor ignored Americans catch up on the newest names in fantasy. Anyone who follows Sykes on Twitter or his blog knows that he's irreverent, hilarious, and endlessly entertaining. [He may or may not comment here if I bait him enough]. TSykes imbues his fantasy adventure with that same wit, creating a debut novel that should entertain any genre fan. (September 7th from Pyr)

Antiphon - Ken Scholes

The Psalms of Isaak, Book 3. Although I'm not happy about the change in cover direction, there is no denying that The Psalms of Isaak is one of the best fantasy series running today. Rather than settling to be just another doorstop fantasy series, The Psalms of Isaak gives you a fantasy fix in a fast paced package. The series mixes science fiction and fantasy elements in a far future Earth that is for all intensive purposes unrecognizable from our own. Antiphon is the middle book in a planned five book series and should be indicative of the direction of the series as a whole. (September 14th from Tor)

An Artificial Night - Seanan McGuire

October Daye Novels, Book 3. In a publishing landscape where there are a million new Urban Fantasy books trying to capitalize on the success of Jim Butcher and Charlaine Harris, the one name I've heard again and again is Seanan McGuire. McGuire returns to the world of her half-fae heroine for a third adventure dealing with abducted children. (September 7th from DAW)

Twelve - Jasper Kent

The Danilov Quintet, Book 1.. Where Naomi Novik's Temeraire novels insert dragons into Napoleonic times, Jasper Kent returns to the same historical period with a vampiric twist and from a Russian perspective. Pyr continues its trend of importing well reviewed fiction from foreign markets with a blend of intense action and historical detail. Book Two, Thirteen Years Later is out in UK now and the series shows no signs of slowing down. (September 7th from Pyr)

The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack - Mark Hodder

Burton & Swinburne, Book 1. More Steampunk fun from Pyr. Hodder's new series puts real historical figures in fictitious but plausible situations. Assuming of course that time-travelers, werewolves, and demons are considered plausible in an alternate history which flawlessly integrates steampunk elements into a Victorian setting. (September 7th from Pyr)

Zero History - William Gibson

The Stormlight Archives, Book 1. In the third book of a loosely connected trilogy, Hollis Henry finds herself once again employed by the mysterious Bigend. Gibson is one of the most literary SF writers out there today. Even twenty plus years after the groundbreaking Neuromancer kick started the Cyberpunk genre, he is still providing commentary on the way that technology will shape our future. (September 7th from Putnam)

Monsters of Men - Patrick Ness

Chaos Walking, Book 3. August saw The Hunger Games trilogy come to a close. September sees the end to the Chaos Walking Trilogy, another excellent YA quasi-SF series that transcends age groups. Focusing on an apocalyptic world where women are all but extinct and men can read minds, Ness has constructed a trilogy that works on multiple levels. Early reviews label this as a strong finish but warn that newcomers may want to start with The Knife of Never Letting Go.  (September 28th from Candlewick)

Out of the Dark - David Weber

Untitled SF Vampire Series, Book 1. Humanity is all but powerless against a race of conquering aliens. The impending extinction of the human race is met with resistance from a surprising source - vampires who believe humanity is their prey alone. This is probably the most interesting and original premise for a story involving vampires, I've heard in recent years. Weber is a proven genre master and he writes books like Brett Favre retires so the series should move along at a quick pace. (September 28th from Tor)

The Fall - Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Strain Trilogy, Book 2. Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's continue their quest to reclaim the vampire as vicious bloodsucking monsters worth fearing with the 2nd book in The Strain trilogy. After the huge debut of The Strain last year, this series fell off the map somewhat but I expect to see a return to prominence with the second book and the planned movie treatment.   (September 21st from William Morrow)

Salute the Dark - Adrian Tchaikovsky

Shadows of the Apt, Book 4. Tchaikovsky's insect based fantasy series is as fun as Tchiakovsky is hard to spell. Fortunately, Salute the Dark continues the strong work Tchaikovsky has published so far, avoiding the typical stagnation that prolonged fantasy series typically experience. Unfortunately, Pyr is quickly reaching the end of Tchaikovsky's UK only backlist and soon us US fans will have to suffer the same wait as our British counterparts. (September 7th from Pyr)

Blameless - Gail Carriger

The Parasol Protectorate, Book 3. A combination of Urban Fantasy, Period Fiction, Steampunk and who knows what, Blameless is the latest entry in Carriger's well received Parasol Protectorate. Imagine if your favorite Urban Fantasy heroine lived in London a century or so ago and you'll only partially grasp the elements that Carriger successfully combines.  (September 1st from Orbit)

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YetiStomper Pick Of The Month: While I have to reserve judgement until after I get through the promising Out of the Dark, I have to go with the sure thing in Cherie Priest excellent Dreadnought. You aren't going to easily find a better combination of writing and world building. Plus zombies!

YetiStomper Debut Of The Month: I don't know if Tome of the Undergates still counts due to its UK release date earlier this year, but its still worthy of debut o' the month status. Sykes has a strong voice reminscient of the excellent Joe Abercrombie and although his debut isn't perfect, it shows that he has something worth saying.

YetiStomper Cover Of The Month: And which one of these covers is your favorite? I think it comes down  to Out of the Dark and Dreadnought again. While it's pretty close, the edge has to go to Weber's latest, considering the gorgeous artwork and the way the arrangement of the text plays of the title. Bonus points go to Putnam for the atypical cover of Zero History. It is trying something different but there is something about the contrast that just feels off to me. Worst has to go to the new style for Antiphon which is abandons the stellar paintings of Lamentation and Canticle and replaces it with way too much blue

Anyway, as always, if you are interested in more details regarding any of the above books, just click on through the Amazon links. I'm more interested in telling you why I recommended them rather than simply what the books are about. Let me know if there is anything I may have missed in the comments.

You can view previous installments of YetiStomper Picks here.