New science fiction and fantasy releases of April 28

I'm a day late with these new releases, but what a day it was. There are several that I want very badly, several that seem to have a lot of appeal for the young teenage boy, and several that I think my own eight year old might enjoy lots. Incidentally, is anyone enjoying these lists that I have been putting up? I'd like to know, because it takes a while to do them...and please, if anyone knows of any I missed, or got wrong, or what have you, let me know!

(nb: blurbs lifted shamelessly from Amazon because I have not read a single one of these yet).

The Awakening (Darkest Powers, Book 2), by Kelley Armstrong. This is the sequel to The Summoning, a truly gripping story. I can't wait to read this one.

Council of Evil (Villain.net), by Andy Briggs. Jake clicked on "a mysterious Web site, Villain.net, that let him download powers like radioactivity and laser vision. Now he’s a superpowered global fugitive wanted for theft, kidnapping, blackmail . . . and the pending destruction of the planet. Not bad for a fourteen-year-old."

The Eternal Smile: Three Stories, by Gene Luen Yang, illustrated by Derek Kirk Kim. Three graphic short stories, that intertwine: "In the first, a comic-fantasy adventure, a plucky young knight vanquishes monsters to win the princess’s love. In the second, a wacky cartoon spoof on Uncle Scrooge, a tycoon frog’s latest wealth-grabbing scheme leads him to create an entire religion around a mysterious smile in the sky. In the last, a lonely peon trapped in a humdrum working world falls prey to e-mail fraud." I haven't seen any buzz about this. Has there been any? It seems like it might be rather wonderful.

Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow, by James Rollins. "When a mysterious envelope arrives for Jake Ransom, he and his older sister, Kady, are plunged into a gripping chain of events. An artifact found by their parents—on the expedition from which they never returned—leads Jake and Kady to a strange world inhabited by a peculiar mix of long-lost civilizations, a world that may hold the key to their parents' disappearance."

Keyholders #2: The Other Side of Magic, by Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones. Sequel to This Side of Magic, this book (by the author of the Bailey School Kids series) is set in Morgantown, a town on the border between the real world and the magical world. "Natalie is surprised to learn from her neighbor, Mr. Leery, that her classmates Penny and Luke are apprentice Keyholders. A Keyholder’s job is to guard the border between the real world and the magical world. Natalie is even more surprised when she finds out that she could be a Keyholder too—if she forms a “link” with a rat named Buttercup. "

This looks like a series I might try on my eight-year old.


A Kiss in Time, by Alex Flinn, a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, from the prince's point of view--only the "prince" is a modern teenager...





The Princess and the Bear, by Mette Ivie Harrison. I am very eager to read this one, the sequel to The Princess and the Hound.






Radiant Darkness, by Emily Whitman. A re-telling of the story of Persephone, with a twist. I want it!






Rise of the Heroes (Hero.com), by Andy Briggs (two books in one day!). "Toby, Pete, Lorna, and Emily are just average kids—until they stumble upon a Web site called Hero.com and download powers that turn them into superheroes. At first, flying, teleporting, and shooting lasers from their eyes seems like nothing but fun. But when the supervillain Doc Tempest kidnaps Toby and Lorna’s mom, things take a darker turn. "

Sea Monsters and Other Delicacies (Awfully Beastly Business), by David Sinden, Matthew Morgan, and Guy Macdonald. "When a sea monster arrives at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Beasts, Ulf the werewolf must risk his life to save it. But the evil Baron Marackai is back -- and beasts are on the menu! Can Ulf stop the cruel Beast Feast before he ends up as a tasty dessert himself?" Another I might try on my son.

Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia, by Cindy Pon. "No one wanted Ai Ling. And deep down she is relieved—despite the dishonor she has brought upon her family—to be unbetrothed and free, not some stranger's subservient bride banished to the inner quarters. But now, something is after her. Something terrifying—a force she cannot comprehend. And as pieces of the puzzle start to fit together, Ai Ling begins to understand that her journey to the Palace of Fragrant Dreams isn't only a quest to find her beloved father but a venture with stakes larger than she could have imagined." Another that's on my list.

Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter, by R. J. Anderson, yet another one I want-- "one young faery—Knife—is determined to find out where her people's magic has gone and try to get it back. Unlike her sisters, Knife is fierce and independent. She's not afraid of anything—not the vicious crows, the strict Faery Queen, or the fascinating humans living nearby. But when Knife disobeys the Faery Queen and befriends a human named Paul, her quest becomes more dangerous than she realizes. Can Knife trust Paul to help, or has she brought the faeries even closer to the brink of destruction?"

The Last Apprentice: The Spook's Tale: And Other Horrors, by James Delaney. Another series for 9-12 year olds, that "follows the terrifying adventures of the Spook's apprentice, Thomas Ward." I think I might read this series before putting them into my eight-year old's tender hands...sounds scary!