Suvudu Universe

Stacking The Shelves and Mailbox Monday are a pair of weekly memes that are about sharing the books that came your way over the past week, and which you've added to your shelves - whether they be physical or virtual, borrowed or bought, or for pleasure or review.

Two new arrivals this week - the first a December sci-fi release, and the second a long-awaited indie follow-up.

The Fortress in Orion by Mike Resnick
Expected publication: December 2nd 2014 by Pyr

The Democracy is at war with the alien Traanskei Coalition. War hero Colonel Nathan Pretorius has a record of success on dangerous behind-enemy-lines missions, missions that usually leave him in the hospital. Now he's recruited for a near-impossible assignment that may well leave him dead.

At the cost of many lives, the Democracy has managed to clone and train General Michkag, one of the Traanskei's master strategists. Colonel Pretorius and a hand-picked team must kidnap the real Michkag if they can, assassinate him if they can't, but no matter which, put the clone in his place, where he will misdirect the enemy's forces and funnel vital information to the Democracy.

Against the odds, Pretorius, along with Cyborg Felix Ortega, computer expert Toni Levi, convict and contortionist Sally "Snake" Kowalski, the near-human empath Marlowe, the alien Gzychurlyx, and Madam Methuselah - the Dead Enders - must infiltrate the Fortress in Orion, accomplish their mission, and escape with their lives.

Spawn of Dyscrasia by S.E. Lindberg

Sharon died serving the undead. Will you take her place?

Dyscrasia Fiction™ explores the choices humans and their gods make as a disease corrupts their souls, shared blood, and creative energies.

Spawn of Dyscrasia follows Helen’s abrupt promotion from neophyte curer to Lord Echo’s personal healer, replacing her friend who died mysteriously. She struggles to keep Echo alive as contagious phantoms corrupt his soul. While Lord Lysis fights a sudden invasion from a grotesque army, Helen’s humanity is tested to its limits: she contacts the original source of dyscrasia, and emerges transformed…

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is another weekly meme, this time focused on what books are spending the most time in your hands and in your head, as opposed to what's been added to your shelf.

With a bit of a breather between scheduled release date reviews, thanks in large part to my vacation, I've been dabbling in several titles. I suspect a DNF shelf update will be coming soon, especially given my ghost tour commitments over the new 2 months, but there are the 2 that have hooked me:

• The Valhalla Prophecy: A Novel by Andy McDermott
I've been curious about the archaeological adventures of Nina Wilde & Eddie Chase, and so far I'm thoroughly enjoying my first literary encounter.

• It Waits Below by Eric Red
A sunken 19th centure treasure ship, a salvage operation, an alien lifeform, and modern day pirates - sounds like fun!


What's topping your shelves this week?