Sentry

When Avram claims the throne of his late father, King Buchan, his cousin Geoffrey contests the throne, raising an army of blue-clad northern troops to send against his southern rival's gray-uniformed forces. Drawing upon his considerable knowledge of military history and his love of alternate realities, veteran sf and fantasy author Turtledove has crafted a fantasy spin on the Civil War. Demonstrating his talent for mixing genres, the author of Darkness Descending produces one more winner in the field of alternative military fantasy. A good choice for most fantasy collections.

It’s a routine Southern California day when former cop and sometime mercenary Joe Pike intervenes to break up the gang shakedown of a sandwich shop. The shop is run by Dru Rayne and her uncle, Wilson, two refugees from Katrina starting a new life. The chemistry between Pike and Dru is immediate, prompting him to keep an eye on the store; the gang leader, Venice Trece, will surely return to deliver revenge. But as Pike and his sidekick, private detective Elvis Cole, soon learn, nothing about Dru and Wilson adds up. Even as he’s negotiating a truce with the duplicitous leader of the gang, Pike learns that Dru is likely not the innocent she seems. The latest Pike novel is a testosterone-fueled caper with tough guys doing hard things to bad people, but it doesn’t pack the emotional wallop of Crais’ best work. High-Demand Backstory: Crais’ last Joe Pike novel reached number two on the New York Times best-seller list; longtime fans may find this one not quite up to the author’s high standards, but the demand will still be there.