NOTE: These are listed in no particular order...
1)
Title: The Dirty Streets of Heaven
Author: Tad Williams, 2012
Bobby Dollar is an angel—a real one. He knows a lot about
sin, and not just in his professional capacity as an advocate for souls caught
between Heaven and Hell. Bobby’s wrestling with a few deadly sins of his own—pride,
anger, even lust.
But his problems aren’t all his fault. Bobby can’t entirely trust his heavenly superiors, and he’s not too sure about any of his fellow earthbound angels either, especially the new kid that Heaven has dropped into their midst, a trainee angel who asks too many questions. And he sure as hell doesn’t trust the achingly gorgeous Countess of Cold Hands, a mysterious she-demon who seems to be the only one willing to tell him the truth.
When the souls of the recently departed start disappearing, catching both Heaven and Hell by surprise, things get bad very quickly for Bobby D. End-of-the-world bad. Beast of Revelations bad. Caught between the angry forces of Hell, the dangerous strategies of his own side, and a monstrous undead avenger that wants to rip his head off and suck out his soul, Bobby’s going to need all the friends he can get—in Heaven, on Earth, or anywhere else he can find them.
You’ve never met an angel like Bobby Dollar. And you’ve never read anything like The Dirty Streets of Heaven.
Brace yourself—the afterlife is weirder than you ever believed.
But his problems aren’t all his fault. Bobby can’t entirely trust his heavenly superiors, and he’s not too sure about any of his fellow earthbound angels either, especially the new kid that Heaven has dropped into their midst, a trainee angel who asks too many questions. And he sure as hell doesn’t trust the achingly gorgeous Countess of Cold Hands, a mysterious she-demon who seems to be the only one willing to tell him the truth.
When the souls of the recently departed start disappearing, catching both Heaven and Hell by surprise, things get bad very quickly for Bobby D. End-of-the-world bad. Beast of Revelations bad. Caught between the angry forces of Hell, the dangerous strategies of his own side, and a monstrous undead avenger that wants to rip his head off and suck out his soul, Bobby’s going to need all the friends he can get—in Heaven, on Earth, or anywhere else he can find them.
You’ve never met an angel like Bobby Dollar. And you’ve never read anything like The Dirty Streets of Heaven.
Brace yourself—the afterlife is weirder than you ever believed.
2)
Title: Angel Eyes
Author: Shannon Dittemore, 2012
Once you’ve seen, you can’t unsee. Everything changes when
you’ve looked at the world through . . .ANGEL EYES
Brielle’s a ballerina who went to the city to chase her dreams and found tragedy instead. She’s come home to shabby little Stratus, Oregon, to live with her grief and her guilt . . . and the incredible, numbing cold she can’t seem to shake.
Jake’s the new guy at school. The boy next door with burning hands and an unbelievable gift that targets him for corruption.
Something more than fate has brought them together. An evil bigger than both of them lurks in the shadows nearby, hiding in plain sight. Two angels stand guard, unsure what’s going to happen. And a beauty brighter than Jake or Brielle has ever seen is calling them to join the battle in a realm where all human choices start.
A realm that only angels and demons—and Brielle—can perceive.
3)
Title: The Fiddler's Gun
Author: A.S. Peterson, 2009
America is on the brink of war
with England, and Fin Button is about to come undone. She’s had it with
the dull life of the orphanage, and she’s ready to marry Peter and get
away from rules, chores, and a life looked after by the ever-watchful
Sister Hilde. But an unexpected friendship forms between Fin and the
fiddle-playing cook, Bartimaeus, which sets her on a course for
revolution.
With Bart’s beloved fiddle and haunting blunderbuss as her only possessions, Fin discovers her first taste of freedom as a sailor aboard the Rattlesnake. She’s hiding some dark secrets, but there are bigger problems for the crew—they are on the run from the Royal Navy, and whispers of mutiny are turning the captain into a tyrant.
When Fin finally returns home, will she find Peter still waiting, or will she find that she’s lost everything she once held dear?
With Bart’s beloved fiddle and haunting blunderbuss as her only possessions, Fin discovers her first taste of freedom as a sailor aboard the Rattlesnake. She’s hiding some dark secrets, but there are bigger problems for the crew—they are on the run from the Royal Navy, and whispers of mutiny are turning the captain into a tyrant.
When Fin finally returns home, will she find Peter still waiting, or will she find that she’s lost everything she once held dear?
4)
Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern, 2011
The circus arrives
without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when
yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is
an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is
called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.
Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.
Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.
5)
Title: Pray
Author: John Prescott, 2010
The year is 2016, and
America is no more. The United States, Canada, and Mexico now comprise a
single, unified front to the world: the North American Union. Implanted
ID chips are soon to become mandatory for every citizen of the NAU, and
Trez Sleighton, a disgruntled ex-Army officer, takes to the mountains
of Colorado to come to terms with the changing world—and his own hand in
the whole mess.
Then sounds the trumpet. Around the planet, people simply disappear.
In their wake, monsters of legend suddenly roam free to terrorize those who have been left behind. The legendary Nephilim, half-angels who struggle with their own demons, walk the earth in both darkness and light. The world’s most beloved celebrity, movie star Samouel Gallo, comes forward to make a long-awaited announcement that might mean world peace—or world damnation.
Meanwhile, a handful of the remaining citizens of the NAU feel the call to go west. Stricken by the loss of their loved ones, alienated by the inhumanity that has consumed their cities, these select few are moved by an inexplicable impulse to converge on a small town tucked away in the Rocky Mountains… a town most of them have never even heard about. As their paths turn toward Shaleford, CO, where Trez is struggling to understand an apocalyptic truth, the rest of the world waits to hear what tidings Samouel Gallo will bring. Is he the man of legend—a Bringer of Peace? Is he the archenemy of old? Is he… the Antichrist?
Open the pages of Pray and journey with those who set out to fight for their salvation as the world races to its horrific conclusion.
The Book of Revelation just got scarier.
Then sounds the trumpet. Around the planet, people simply disappear.
In their wake, monsters of legend suddenly roam free to terrorize those who have been left behind. The legendary Nephilim, half-angels who struggle with their own demons, walk the earth in both darkness and light. The world’s most beloved celebrity, movie star Samouel Gallo, comes forward to make a long-awaited announcement that might mean world peace—or world damnation.
Meanwhile, a handful of the remaining citizens of the NAU feel the call to go west. Stricken by the loss of their loved ones, alienated by the inhumanity that has consumed their cities, these select few are moved by an inexplicable impulse to converge on a small town tucked away in the Rocky Mountains… a town most of them have never even heard about. As their paths turn toward Shaleford, CO, where Trez is struggling to understand an apocalyptic truth, the rest of the world waits to hear what tidings Samouel Gallo will bring. Is he the man of legend—a Bringer of Peace? Is he the archenemy of old? Is he… the Antichrist?
Open the pages of Pray and journey with those who set out to fight for their salvation as the world races to its horrific conclusion.
The Book of Revelation just got scarier.
6)
Title: The Age of Apollyon
Author: Mark Carver, 2012
Notre-Dame Cathedral lies in ruins. The mangled corpses of the possessed
are scattered in the shadows beneath the pulverized Gothic towers. This
is the aftermath of the Manifestation....
Satan has revealed himself to the world, which falls trembling at his
feet. Religious genocide sweeps Europe and Asia, and the world's
greatest fortresses of faith are smashed to the ground. The New World
and Australia become safe havens for refugees fleeing Lucifer's wrath.
Heaven remains silent. The followers of Christ cry out: Where is God?
Patric Bourdon believes in himself. He claims to be a member of the
Church of Satan, but in reality, it is his own hedonism that drives him.
His zealous and pregnant fiancée waits patiently for him to "man up"
and take responsibility for his impending family, but the lure of drugs
and debauchery proves too strong....
Until Patric receives a command that he cannot refuse.
Tourec, his self-righteous half-brother, has begun a campaign of
terrorism against the forces of darkness. The Church of Satan is
paralyzed with fear as Tourec and his band of rogue assassins seek
vengeance for the evils that Lucifer has wrought upon the earth, and
Patric is commanded to seek out and neutralize his brother by any means
necessary....
Or his fiancée and unborn child shall perish.
A thrilling blend of action, horror, and tense family drama soaked in
ultra-bleak Gothic atmosphere and saturated with somber religious
iconography, THE AGE OF APOLLYON seeks not only to entertain, but also to illuminate the burning question of our time: why does God allow evil (and evil men) to rule the world?
7)
Title: Failstate
Author: John Otte, 2012
Why did Robin Laughlin (a.k.a. Failstate) think being a superhero on a
reality show would be a good idea? Things seemed so simple:
Win the
show, become an official, licensed hero. But with his brother, Ben
(a.k.a. Gauntlet) stealing America's heart, and with Rob's own powers
proving too unwieldy for TV, Failstate begins to wonder if he's going to
live up to the failure in his name. Until one of his friends and fellow
competitors is murdered. Robin vows to find the killer, and he sets out
on a very real quest to unmask the hidden villain.
Can Failstate find
justice? Or will his lunk of a big brother ruin everything-including
taking the girl who has stolen Rob's heart? Very soon, Failstate and
Gauntlet will come to blows. Which has been the villain's plan all
along.
8)
Title: Real Immortals
Author: John T. Montgomery, 2012
Since they were old enough to crawl, Stephen James and Leah Mitchell have been raised by Real Immortals. Their adopted parents were immensely powerful angelic beings chosen to protect humanity against the relentless threat of demonic destruction.
Chamuel is forced to choose between saving Stephen's life and defending his earthly home. His is taken prisoner by Legion, the most dangerous demon immortal on earth. His plan, to lure out and defeat the Archangel Michael in the ultimate battle of good vs. evil.
With the help of their friends, Stephen and Leah race to free his adopted father before it's too late. But Stephen's mysterious past is unexpectedly revealed and threatens to destroy everything they worked so hard to create.
Would Stephen even want to know his real mother after being forced to live without her his entire life?
9)
Title: Illusion
Author: Frank Peretti, 2012
Dane and Mandy, a
popular magic act for forty years, are tragically separated by a car
wreck that claims Mandy's life--or so everyone thinks. Even as Dane
mourns and tries to rebuild his life without her, Mandy, supposedly
dead, awakes in the present as the nineteen-year-old she was in 1970.
Distraught and disoriented in what to her is the future, she is confined
to a mental ward until she discovers a magical ability to pass
invisibly through time and space to escape. Alone in a strange world,
she uses her mysterious powers to eke out a living, performing magic on
the streets and in a quaint coffee shop. Hoping to discover an exciting
new talent, Dane ventures into the coffee shop and is transfixed by the
magic he sees, illusions that even he, a seasoned professional, cannot
explain. But more than anything, he is emotionally devastated by this
teenager who has never met him, doesn't know him, is certainly not in
love with him, but is in every respect identical to the young beauty he
first met and married some forty years earlier.
They begin a furtive relationship as mentor and protegee, but even as Dane tries to sort out who she really is and she tries to understand why she is drawn to him, they are watched by secretive interests who not only possess the answers to Mandy's powers and misplacement in time but also the roguish ability to decide what will become of her.
They begin a furtive relationship as mentor and protegee, but even as Dane tries to sort out who she really is and she tries to understand why she is drawn to him, they are watched by secretive interests who not only possess the answers to Mandy's powers and misplacement in time but also the roguish ability to decide what will become of her.
10)
Authors: Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee, 2011
New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker teams with Tosca Lee to create this gripping thriller set in a desolate future.
Many years have passed since civilization's brush with apocalypse. The world's greatest threats have all been silenced. There is no anger, no hatred, no war. There is only perfect peace... and fear. But a terrible secret has been closely guarded for centuries: Every single soul walking the earth, though in appearance totally normal, is actually dead, long ago genetically stripped of true humanity.
Fleeing pursuit, with only moments to live, a young man named Rom stumbles into possession of a vial of blood and a piece of cryptic writing. When consumed, the blood will bring him back to life. When decoded, the message will lead him on a perilous journey that will require him to abandon everything he has ever known and awaken humanity to the transforming power of true life and love.
But the blood will also resurrect hatred, ambition, and greed.
Set in a terrifying, medieval future, where grim pageantry masks death, this tale of dark desires and staggering stakes peels back the layers of the heart for all who dare to take the ride.
Many years have passed since civilization's brush with apocalypse. The world's greatest threats have all been silenced. There is no anger, no hatred, no war. There is only perfect peace... and fear. But a terrible secret has been closely guarded for centuries: Every single soul walking the earth, though in appearance totally normal, is actually dead, long ago genetically stripped of true humanity.
Fleeing pursuit, with only moments to live, a young man named Rom stumbles into possession of a vial of blood and a piece of cryptic writing. When consumed, the blood will bring him back to life. When decoded, the message will lead him on a perilous journey that will require him to abandon everything he has ever known and awaken humanity to the transforming power of true life and love.
But the blood will also resurrect hatred, ambition, and greed.
Set in a terrifying, medieval future, where grim pageantry masks death, this tale of dark desires and staggering stakes peels back the layers of the heart for all who dare to take the ride.
11)
Title: Daughter of Light
Author: Morgan Busse, 2012
What is that mark? As the Shadonae rise in the west and war threatens the north, a young woman discovers she is not human . . .
Rowen Mar finds a strange mark on her hand, and she is banished from her village as a witch. She covers the mark with a leather glove and seeks sanctuary in the White City. She lives in fear that if she touches another person, the power inside her will trigger again, a terrifying power that allows her to see the darkness inside the human heart . . .
But the mark is a summons, and those called cannot hide forever. For the salvation of her people lies within her hand.
Rowen Mar finds a strange mark on her hand, and she is banished from her village as a witch. She covers the mark with a leather glove and seeks sanctuary in the White City. She lives in fear that if she touches another person, the power inside her will trigger again, a terrifying power that allows her to see the darkness inside the human heart . . .
But the mark is a summons, and those called cannot hide forever. For the salvation of her people lies within her hand.
See any that catch your eye? Any on this list that you plan to read?
Oooo! I haven't even SEEN some of the these. Several are on my list--Night Circus, Forbidden, Illusion--but I'm adding the others, especially Daughter of Light and Fiddler's Gun. THANKS, Julian!
ReplyDeleteNo problem! I just added a review of "Daughter of Light" to my blog last week, which author Morgan Busse was kind enough to post on her Facebook page. Lots of exciting books to read this summer! :)
DeleteMany thanks for this list, Julian. I am currently reading Illusion and what a great book it is...
ReplyDeleteGreat, Chuck! Frank Peretti is one of my favorites. Many of his books are awesome! I've also read Daughter of Light and it, too, was fantastic!
ReplyDelete