This review was first published by Booklist on March 15, 2016.

Kailen’s Twenty were legendary, undefeatable mercenaries present at some of the most important events in the history of the Old Kingdoms. Now, three decades after they disbanded, someone is killing them off, one by one. Set in a brutal world of subtle magic, clashing empires, and commercial interests, this is an impressive fantasy debut. Selby demonstrates the command of style, character, plotting, and world building of a seasoned author. The tale switches between the first-person perspectives of multiple characters, and Selby’s writing style changes appropriately. The nonchronological narrative is woven through with flashbacks. Selby creates a robust world that’s entirely believable, but he doesn’t get distracted showing it off. He lets the story live in this world in a deeply effective way. Snakewood has much in common with the work of Joe Abercrombie and should appeal to his fans. As a story about the violent world of warriors and magic, Snakewood is reminiscent of Matthew Stover’s Acts of Caine series, but without the science fiction elements.

This review was first published by Booklist on March 3, 2016.

Steele’s latest is many things: it’s a love letter to science fiction and the history of the genre, with cameos from many great writers and scenes set at several memorable historical events. It presents an original solution to a fundamental challenge of colonizing other star systems using ships that travel at sub–light speeds. It envisions a fascinating future for humanity in the galaxy, focused on the legacy of one particular family. But what makes Arkwright unique is that this isn’t a story about a colony ship traveling to a distant world. Rather, it’s the story of how such a ship gets built and launched in modern times. This novel fits well with Steele’s fascination with large-scale construction and engineering projects. It’s different from much of his other work in that it takes place predominantly on earth and a portion of it focuses on past history. Steele doesn’t manage to create a perfect marriage between all these threads, but his vision is engrossing, nonetheless.

This review was first published by Booklist on February 15, 2016.

A passionate romance. A brutal murder. A conspiracy that threatens war on a galactic scale. Bonesteel’s debut sets the stakes impressively high. Commander Elena Shaw is shocked when her lover is accused of murdering one of her crew, and things only get more strange when the murder is tied to a past tragedy. The first half of the novel is a murder-mystery romance. But in the second half, the story blossoms into something much bigger, and the book really comes into its own as a work of far-future military science fiction. The mystery is compelling, and the action is nicely paced and exciting, with well-rendered and believable characters. Bonesteel’s writing is nicely nuanced and allows room for humor. Marketing for the novel compares it to Lois McMaster Bujold, which is apt. The first half might make it a good fit for mainstream mystery or romance fans who want to try sf for the first time. The strong female protagonist lends it intrinsic appeal. There are some scenes of graphic sex and violence, so be warned. Overall, this is a highly entertaining tale and a promising start to a new series.