New Science Fiction: April

The United States of Europe, the new nation formed by an alliance between the Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus and the West Virginians hurled back in time by a cosmic accident, the Ring of Fire is beset by enemies on all sides. The U.S.E. needs a reliable source of opiates for those wounded in action, as well as other goods not available in Europe. The Prime Minister of the U.S.E., Mike Stearns, sends a mission to the Mughal Empire of India with the aim of securing a trade deal with the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan.

In this dramatic epic fantasy set in the same world as the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, Staveley (The Last Mortal Bond) explores the relationship between love and death. Acolyte Pyrre is determined to pass her trial and become a full-fledged priestess of Ananshael, the god of death. To do this, she has to kill seven people in 14 days, including “the one who made your mind and body sing with love.”Pyrre struggles to define love and understand what it means to serve her god. Lush, evocative descriptions sharpen the setting, which recalls Southeast Asia. Visceral action scenes and memorable characters bring this tale to life.