Welcome to my latest Aconyte Books roundup, where I’m taking a look at a couple of brand new novels alongside a recap of the last couple of month’s releases. April brings with it a pair of brilliant-sounding new books – the latest Arkham Horror novel, and the first full KeyForge novel – which between them, if my maths is right (not a certainty), take the total number of published books from Aconyte up to 20! Huge congratulations to all the team at Aconyte for hitting this landmark, and doing it during a pandemic too! I say this every time, but if you haven’t yet taken the plunge and checked out some of the brilliant books Aconyte are publishing, I would really recommend you remedy that very soon…
As usual I’ll include the publisher’s synopsis for each of these books along with links out to the interviews I’ve done with the authors, to give an overview of what to expect from each one. I didn’t do one of these posts in March as there was only a single new novel, so in the recap section later on I’ll take a quick look back at the last couple of months of releases!
April’s releases
As usual, I’ll start by taking a look at this month’s two new novels. Aconyte continue to use a two-step publication schedule, with the global ebook and US paperback released first, followed by the UK paperback a little bit later, so here are the important dates for this month’s books:
- 13th April 2021: global ebook and US paperback
- 24th June 2021: UK paperback
Here’s the publisher’s synopsis for each book, along with links out to my author interview for each one.
KeyForge – The Qubit Zirconium by M Darusha Wehm
Wibble & Pplimz, the Crucible’s most unusual private investigators, must set off from their office in Hub City to clear the name of a former client. Along the way, their investigation broadens from a simple accusation of theft to include a missing person, a potential murder, and a highly unusual gem. Four interlinking incidents take them across the Crucible, as they attempt to solve the case. But there’s something more sinister lurking underneath: evidence of a secret society that aims to discover the power of the Architects, and forever change the nature of the Crucible itself.
If you haven’t already checked out the KeyForge short story anthology Tales From the Crucible then I would strongly recommend you give it a go – there’s something really refreshing about the bright, fun tone that these stories take. Sci-fi can get a bit dark and serious sometimes, so it’s nice to read lighter stories, and I’m expecting that tone to continue here with this full KeyForge novel. Given that it features an odd-couple pairing of alien detectives, the hunt for a missing gem and even a motorcycle made from flesh and bone…I think it’s a safe bet that this one is going to be fun!
Check out my interview with M Darusha Wehm about The Qubit Zirconium.
Arkham Horror – Litany of Dreams by Ari Marmell
The mysterious disappearance of a gifted student at Miskatonic University spurs his troubled roommate, Elliot Raslo, into an investigation of his own. But Elliot already struggles against the maddening allure of a ceaseless chant that only he can hear… When Elliot’s search converges with that of a Greenland Inuk’s hunt for a stolen relic, they are left with yet more questions. Could there be a connection between Elliot’s litany and the broken stone stele covered in antediluvian writings that had obsessed his friend? Learning the answers will draw them into the heart of a devilish plot to rebirth an ancient horror.
As I understand it, Aconyte are cleverly releasing their Arkham Horror books in two strands – one with more of a pulp adventure feel (including Wrath of N’Kai and Mask of Silver) and one focusing more on the dark, horror elements. Litany of Dreams joins The Last Ritual in this latter camp, and sounds like it’s going to be a fascinating take on the Lovecraft mythos!
Check out my interview with Ari Marmell about Litany of Dreams.
Recap on recent releases
Lots to talk about in this section, with three novels published over the previous couple of months along with a couple of other books now available in UK paperback. I’ve read – and loved – a couple of the recently-released novels, so as well as my hearty recommendation you can also find links to a couple of reviews below.
Released in March 2021 (UK paperback due 27th May):
Marvel: Xavier’s Institute – First Team by Robbie MacNiven
Released in February 2021 (UK paperbacks due 27th May):
Legend of the Five Rings – The Night Parade of 100 Demons by Marie Brennan
Descent: Journeys in the Dark – The Shield of Daqan by David Guymer
Out now in UK paperback:
Arkham Horror – Mask of Silver by Rosemary Jones
Marvel: Legends of Asgard – The Sword of Surtur by CL Werner
Coming in May
To finish off, let’s take a quick look at what’s coming next month – a pair of new Marvel prose novels, both featuring badass female characters. I’ve read one of these already and it’s brilliant!
- Marvel: Heroines – Elsa Bloodstone: Bequest by Cath Lauria – I hadn’t come across Elsa Bloodstone before, but having read this I can confirm that not only is it a lot of fun but this is a character I definitely want to read more about! Check out my review here.
- Marvel: Heroines – Rogue: Untouched by Alisa Kwitney – I always thought Rogue was one of the coolest X-Men, and I’m looking forward to learning more about her as a character in this novel.
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As usual, I hope this has been useful, and has maybe inspired you to give one of these cool new books a try. Whether you’re a fan of IP fiction already (Warhammer, Star Wars, Star Trek, whatever) or you just fancy some entertaining SFF or horror fun, I would really recommend you take a look at what Aconyte are doing!
I’d love to know what you think about this article, and whether there’s anything you would like to see more or less of in future. Likewise, whether you’ve read any Aconyte novels recently and want to chat about them! Let me know in the comments below, or find me on Twitter and say hi…
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