New Releases 7/14/15

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Hardcovers

Battlesaurus: Rampage at Waterloo by Brian Falkner

Did you know that beasts called "saurs" were a part of everyday life in 1815 Europe? Did you know that Napoleon won the battle of Waterloo? Did you know that he did so by using a terrible secret weapon against the British and Prussians? Did you know that only one boy--the son of a magician--knows how to foil the would-be Emperor's plans at world-domination? It's all true. At least according to this head-spinning historical fantasy by adventure author Brian Falkner, just in time for the bicentennial of the battle that re-shaped Europe.

Bombs Away: The Hot War by Harry Turtledove

In his acclaimed novels of alternate history, Harry Turtledove has scrutinized the twisted soul of the twentieth century, from the forces that set World War I in motion to the rise of fascism in the decades that followed. Now, this masterly storyteller turns his eyes to the aftermath of World War II and asks: In an era of nuclear posturing, what if the Cold War had suddenly turned hot?

Bombs Away begins with President Harry Truman in desperate consultation with General Douglas MacArthur, whose control of the ground war in Korea has slipped disastrously away. MacArthur recognizes a stark reality: The U.S. military has been cut to the bone after victory over the Nazis—while China and the USSR have built up their forces. The only way to stop the Communist surge into the Korean Peninsula and save thousands of American lives is through a nuclear attack. MacArthur advocates a strike on Chinese targets in Manchuria. In actual history, Truman rejected his general’s advice; here, he does not. The miscalculation turns into a disaster when Truman fails to foresee Russia’s reaction.

Almost instantly, Stalin strikes U.S. allies in Europe and Great Britain. As the shock waves settle, the two superpowers are caught in a horrifying face-off. Will they attack each other directly with nuclear weapons? What countries will be caught in between?

The fateful global drama plays out through the experiences of ordinary people—from a British barmaid to a Ukrainian war veteran to a desperate American soldier alone behind enemy lines in Korea. For them, as well as Truman, Mao, and Stalin, the whole world has become a battleground. Strategic strikes lead to massive movements of ground troops. Cities are destroyed, economies ravaged. And on a planet under siege, the sounds and sights of nuclear bombs become a grim harbinger of a new reality: the struggle to survive man’s greatest madness.

Ink and Bone: The Great Library by Rachel Caine

In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When he inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn...

Rebel Mechanics: All is Fair in Love and Revolution by Shanna Swendson

It's 1888, and seventeen-year-old Verity Newton lands a job in New York as a governess to a wealthy leading family--but she quickly learns that the family has big secrets. Magisters have always ruled the colonies, but now an underground society of mechanics and engineers are developing non-magical sources of power via steam engines that they hope will help them gain freedom from British rule. The family Verity works for is magister--but it seems like the children's young guardian uncle is sympathetic to the rebel cause. As Verity falls for a charming rebel inventor and agrees to become a spy, she also becomes more and more enmeshed in the magister family's life. She soon realizes she's uniquely positioned to advance the cause--but to do so, she'll have to reveal her own dangerous secret.

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley

1883. Thaniel Steepleton returns home to his tiny London apartment to find a gold pocket watch on his pillow. Six months later, the mysterious timepiece saves his life, drawing him away from a blast that destroys Scotland Yard. At last, he goes in search of its maker, Keita Mori, a kind, lonely immigrant from Japan. Although Mori seems harmless, a chain of unexplainable events soon suggests he must be hiding something. When Grace Carrow, an Oxford physicist, unwittingly interferes, Thaniel is torn between opposing loyalties.

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street is a sweeping, atmospheric narrative that takes the reader on an unexpected journey through Victorian London, Japan as its civil war crumbles long-standing traditions, and beyond. Blending historical events with dazzling flights of fancy, it opens doors to a strange and magical past.

Paperbacks

Infinitum: Time Travel Noir by GMB Chomichuk

"With enough time, you can fix anything." The Infinitum are a future society of people and aliens displaced to our past. Special Investigator Nine works in The Paradox Bureau, an agency that polices the temporal diaspora and prevents crimes before they happen. Nine is sent on assignment to the 1940s (to the very place and time he was originally recruited) and must avoid altering his own past while investigating a seemingly unpreventable murder. Nine uncoils a temporal conspiracy at the heart of a militant separatist movement. Why would an organization dedicated to preventing murder before it happens cover up a series of grisly killings? Through the flash of rayguns and the half-light and the fog of a future-tainted 1940s, Nine pursues a killer while he avoids fouling the investigations of his own multiple selves.

The Mammoth Book of Dieselpunk edited by Sean Wallace

Dieselpunk is an aesthetic within steampunk that explores the decadence of the Roaring 20s, the excitement of the World's Fairs, and the dystopian struggle for survival of the World Wars. Dieselpunk keeps all the adventure and eccentric inventions of steampunk while blending a 20th century past with a fantastic future. In this new collection, Sean Wallace presents a new collection of exciting stories by established and upcoming steampunk authors.

Victorian Secret Collection 2014 TP by various

We proudly present another parade of priceless pulchritude, celebrating the finest, most daring damsels of our sensational steampunk showcases! Featuring fine favorites and nubile newcomers to please all palates!

E-Books

Murder in Jérusalem by Paul Leone

A murder mystery in a world next door. The year is 2015 AD. The Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem endures, strong and prosperous, after almost a millennium of Christian rule. In the grimy back alleys of the Holy City, a brutal murder and shady intrigue ensnare three very different people. The teacher - Sister Elixabeta. Idealistic, determined to see justice done... The detective - Metodius Öcal. Cynical, trying to make a difference... The prostitute - Ilisaba Karroum. World-weary, hoping to see another birthday... Will they make it through the sin-snarled streets of God's city?

To readers, authors and publishers...

Is your story going to be published in time for the next New Releases? Contact us at ahwupdate at gmail dot com.  We are looking for works of alternate history, counterfactual history, steampunk, historical fantasy, time travel or anything that warps history beyond our understanding.

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Matt Mitrovich is the founder and editor of Alternate History Weekly Update and a blogger on Amazing Stories. Check out his short fiction. When not writing he works as an attorney, enjoys life with his beautiful wife Alana and prepares for the inevitable zombie apocalypse. You can follow him on Facebook or Twitter.