New Hardcovers: Apr. 9-16, 2012

by Phil Foglio, Kaja Foglio
"Intrigue! Subterfuge! Circus Folk! In a time when the Industrial Revolution has escalated into all-out warfare, mad science rules the world... with mixed success. With the help of Krosp, Emperor of All Cats, Agatha has escaped from the massive airship known as Castle Wulfenbach. After crashing their escape dirigible, Agatha and Krosp fall in with Master Payne's Circus of Adventure, a traveling troupe of performers dedicated to staging Heterodyne shows-dramatizations of the exploits of Bill and Barry Heterodyne and their allies--who are unaware of Agatha's connection to the Heterodyne line. Pursued by the ruthless Baron Klaus Wulfenbach, his handsome son Gil, and their minions (not to mention Othar Tryggvassen, Gentleman Adventurer), Agatha hides in plain sight among the circus folk, servicing their clanks and proving herself adept in performing the role of Lucrezia Mongfish, nemesis to-and later wife of-Bill Heterodyne. She also begins training under Zeetha, swordmistress and princess of the lost city of Skifander. Together, Agatha, Krosp, and the performers travel across the treacherous wasteland of war-torn Europa, towards Mechanicsburg, and the ancestral home of the Heterodynes--Castle Heterodyne." Night Shade Books, 258 pages, Apr 10.

by John Birmingham
Without Warning. "When an inexplicable wave of energy slammed into North America, millions died. In the rest of the world, wars erupted, borders vanished, and the powerful lost their grip on power. Against this backdrop, with a conflicted U.S. president struggling to make momentous decisions in Seattle and a madman fomenting rebellion in Texas, three women are fighting their own battles—for survival, justice, and revenge. Special agent Caitlin Monroe moves stealthily through a South American jungle. Her target: a former French official now held prisoner by a ruthless despot. To free the prisoner, Caitlin will kill anyone who gets in her way. And then she will get the truth about how a master terrorist escaped a secret detention center in French Guadeloupe to strike a fatal blow in New York City." Del Rey, 544 pages, Apr 10.

by Sue Ann Jaffarian
Thorndike Press Large Print Mystery Series) [Large Print. "Who's murdering vampires in Los Angeles and throwing the bodies into the Dedhams' pool? Each victim has been branded, a distinct mark that is the calling card of femme fatale vampire Ann Hayes. The contemptuous undead beauty declares her innocence, but can the vampires believe her? Has Ann returned to reclaim Doug Dedham, whom she once loved? Or is she being framed? Complicating matters are Madison's burgeoning feelings for both sexy vampire Colin Reddy and fellow "beater" detective Mike Notchey. The stakes have never been higher as Madison and the vampires race to solve the mystery and stop the killer." Thorndike Press, 415 pages, Apr 10.

by Alicia K. Leppert
"Olivia's sad, solitary life in Seattle comes dangerously close to ending one fateful night, if not for a neighbor saving her in the nick of time. Curious about her mysterious rescuer, she seeks him out in hope of getting some answers, but instead finds something she never thought she'd have again." Cedar Fort, Inc., 320 pages, Apr 10.

by Mary Robinette Kowal
"This magic comes in the form of glamour, which allows talented users to form practically any illusion they can imagine. In the tumultuous months after Napoleon abdicates his throne, Jane and Vincent go to Belgium for their honeymoon. While there, the deposed emperor escapes his exile in Elba, throwing the continent into turmoil. With no easy way back to England, Jane and Vincent’s concerns turn from enjoying their honeymoon…to escaping it. Left with no outward salvation, Jane must persevere over her trying personal circumstances and use her glamour to rescue her husband from prison . . . and hopefully prevent her newly built marriage from getting stranded on the shoals of another country's war." Tor Books, 336 pages, Apr 10.

by Brian Evenson
"When you open your eyes things already seem to be happening without you. You don't know who you are and you don't remember where you've been. You know the world has changed, that a catastrophe has destroyed what used to exist before, but you can't remember exactly what did exist before. And you're paralyzed from the waist down apparently, but you don't remember that either. A man claiming to be your friend tells you your services are required. Something crucial has been stolen, but what he tells you about it doesn't quite add up. You've got to get it back or something bad is going to happen. And you've got to get it back fast, so they can freeze you again before your own time runs out." Tor Books, 256 pages, Apr 10.

by Eric Nylund
The Resisters #2 "Even as he trains to be a pilot for the Resisters, twelve-year-old Ethan Blackwood is still reeling from the news that aliens called the Ch'zar have taken over the world and put all the adults under their mind control. Now the Ch'zar mechanical bug armies are growing. The Resisters need more pilots like Ethan, kids who aren't afraid to think for themselves. Ethan knows just where the Ch'zar send troublemakers like that—to Sterling Reform School. Can Ethan find a way to break into Sterling and recruit new fighters before the enemy discovers the Resisters' underground base?" Random House Books for Young Readers, 320 pages, Apr 10.

by Seth Grahame-Smith
"They're an iconic part of history's most celebrated birth. But what do we really know about the Three Kings of the Nativity, besides the fact that they followed a star to Bethlehem bearing strange gifts? The Bible has little to say about this enigmatic trio. But leave it to Seth Grahame-Smith, the brilliant and twisted mind behind Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to take a little mystery, bend a little history, and weave an epic tale." Grand Central Publishing, 448 pages, Apr 10.

by Alaya Johnson
A Zephyr Hollis Novel. "It’s summer in the city and most vampires are drunk on the blood-based intoxicant Faust. The mayor has tied his political fortunes to legalizing the brew, but Zephyr Hollis has dedicated herself to the cause of Faust prohibition--at least when she isn’t knocking back sidecars in speakeasies. But the game changes when dozens of vampires end up in the city morgue after drinking Faust. Are they succumbing to natural causes, or have they been deliberately poisoned? When an anonymous tip convinces the police of her guilt, Zephyr has to save her reputation, her freedom and possibly her life. Someone is after her blood--and this time it isn’t a vampire." Thomas Dunne Books, 320 pages, Apr 10.

by Kurt Busiek, G. L. Lawrence, Tom Defalco, Roger Stern, Paul Lee (Illustrator), Terese Nielsen (Illustrator), Alexi Taylor (Illustrator), Greg Loundon (Illustrator)
"Join acclaimed tale-spinner Kurt Busiek as he weaves an intricate web of "lost" stories from Peter Parker's earliest days as the Amazing Spider-Man! Swing along with Spidey during a series of untold gems in which he encounters the likes of the Human Torch, Dr. Octopus, the Vulture, Sandman and more classic characters - along with some new ones like Batwing and Bluebird - on his way to becoming Marvel's premiere super hero! Collecting AMAZING FANTASY (1995) #16-18; UNTOLD TALES OF SPIDER-MAN #1-25, #-1, ANNUAL 1996-1997 and STRANGE ENCOUNTER; and material from AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #37." Marvel, 808 pages, Apr 11.