Head below for the full list of fantasy titles heading your way in December! Keep track of all the new SFF releases here. All title summaries are taken and/or summarized from copy provided by the publisher. Release dates are subject to change.   December 5 The Dragons of Deepwood Fen (Holt #1) — Bradley P. Beaulieu (DAW) Lorelei Aurelius is the smartest inquisitor in the mountain city of Ancris. When a mysterious tip leads her to a clandestine meeting between the Church and the hated Red Knives‚ she uncovers a plot that threatens not only her home but the empire itself. The trail leads her to Rylan Holbrooke‚ a notorious thief posing as a dragon singer. Rylan came to Ancris to solve the very same mystery she stumbled onto. Knowing his incarceration could lead to the Red Knives’ achieving their goals‚ Lorelei makes a fateful decision: she frees him. Now branded as traitors‚ the two flee the city on dragonback. In the massive forest known as the Holt‚ they discover something terrible. The Red Knives are planning to awaken a powerful demigod in the holiest shrine in Ancris‚ and for some reason the Church is willing to allow it. It forces their return to Ancris‚ where the unlikely allies must rally the very people who’ve vowed to capture them before it’s too late. Protected Species — Charles E. Gannon (Baen) Caine Riordan and his self-styled “Crewe” have survived their first months on the planet they call Bactradgaria. They’ve overcome floods‚ dust storms‚ tornadoes‚ searing heat‚ bitter cold‚ desperate battles‚ and attacks by various strange species. However‚ their most desperate struggles have been against the wildly ferocious x’qao‚ for whom the pursuit and genocide of other beings is as much a sport as it is a strategy.Accordingly‚ Caine and his friends realize that if they are to endure‚ they must not merely survive but thrive. So far‚ they’ve done just that and made friends along the way. But a few scattered tribes and towns can’t defeat the x’qao and their vassals. To do that‚ humans must claw higher up the food chain… before they tumble off into extinction. All The Hidden Paths (Tithenai #2) — Foz Meadows (Tor Books) With the plot against them foiled and the city of Qi-Katai in safe hands‚ newlywed and tentative lovers Velasin and Caethari have just begun to test the waters of their relationship. But the wider political ramifications of their marriage are still playing out across two nations‚ and all too soon‚ they’re summoned north to Tithena’s capital city‚ Qi-Xihan‚ to present themselves to its monarch. With Caethari newly invested as his grandmother’s heir and Velasin’s old ghosts gnawing at his heels‚ what little peace they’ve managed to find is swiftly put to the test. Cae’s recent losses have left him racked with grief and guilt‚ while Vel struggles with the disconnect between instincts that have kept him safe in secrecy and what an open life requires of him now. Pursued by unknown assailants and with Qi-Xihan’s court factions jockeying for power‚ Vel and Cae must use all the skills at their disposal to not only survive‚ but thrive. Because there’s more than one way to end an alliance‚ and more than one person who wants to see them fail… and they will resort to murder if needed. A River of Golden Bones — A.K. Mulford (Harper Voyager) Twins Calla and Briar have spent their entire lives hiding from the powerful sorceress who destroyed their kingdom… and from the humans who don’t know they are Wolves. Each twin has their own purpose in life: Briar’s is to marry the prince of an ally pack and save the Golden Court. Calla’s purpose is to remain a secret‚ her twin’s shadow… the backup plan. No one knows who Calla truly is except for her childhood friend—and sister’s betrothed—the distractingly handsome Prince Grae. But when Calla and Briar journey out of hiding for Briar’s wedding‚ all of their well-made plans go awry. The evil sorceress is back with another sleeping curse for the last heir to the Golden Court. Calla must step out of the shadows to save their sister‚ their kingdom‚ and their own legacy. Continuing to hide as a human and denying who she truly is‚ Calla embarks on a quest across the realm‚ discovering a whole world she never knew existed. Outside the confines of rigid Wolf society‚ Calla begins to wonder: who could she be if she dared to try? Saevus Corax Gets Away With Murder (Corax #3) — K. J. Parker (Orbit) If you’re going to get ahead in the battlefield salvage business‚ you have to regard death as a means to an end. In other words‚ when the blood flows‚ so will the cash. Unfortunately‚ even though war is on the way‚ Saevus Corax has had enough. There are two things he has to do before he can enjoy his retirement: get away with one last score‚ and get away with murder. For someone who‚ ironically‚ tends to make a mess wherever he goes‚ leaving his affairs in order is going to be Saevus Corax’s biggest challenge yet.   December 12 Chains of the Earth (Ascension #3) – David Mealing (Orbit) The Divide separating the east from the west‚ the realms of death from the realms of life‚ has fallen. Sarine and her champions find themselves overwhelmed‚ assaulted on every side by swordsmen‚ assassins‚ and skinchangers infiltrating‚ killing‚ and twisting even their most loyal allies against them. Every victory hides a defeat‚ and yet there is still hope. If Sarine can learn the true nature of her powers‚ she can make a final stand against the Regnant‚ to challenge him and remove his death grip on the world’s heart. To find the truth‚ she must journey to a new continent and find new allies‚ rallying their strength‚ and wielding every strain of magic in the world in a final battle between life and death.   December 19 The Doom of Odin (Grimnir #3) — Scott Oden (St. Martin’s Press) For over a century‚ he has tracked the dragon‚ Níðhöggr—the Malice-Striker—from the shores of Lake Vänern‚ across the Baltic Sea‚ through Russia‚ and down into the Mediterranean; he has hounded the wyrm from Old Muscovy to Messina. And finally‚ to the Eternal City—to Rome‚ itself. And in Rome‚ on a cold November night in 1347 AD‚ on the ruined steps of Old St. Peter’s basilica‚ Grimnir’s saga comes crashing to an end. A crossbow bolt‚ loosed in terror‚ slays him out of hand. It is a mundane finale to a life spent hip-deep in bloodshed and slaughter‚ surrounded by steel and savagery and the sorcery of the Elder World.

As if the idea of being in space were not stressful enough on its own‚ here comes a new thriller that doubles down on the terror. Or triples‚ I guess‚ depending on your own personal stress-math. I.S.S. is about two groups of astronauts who are aboard the International Space Station when things go absolutely bugfuck haywire down on Earth. One thing I did not ever expect to see in a movie trailer is the little whistled bit from The Scorpions’ “Winds of Change” used to extremely creepy ends‚ so‚ hey‚ full credit to whoever chose the music here. This seems like a bit of a cousin to The Midnight Sky‚ in which George Clooney was hanging out alone in the Arctic after a worldwide disaster. (There were also some spacefolk in that one.) But this is way more stressful. And also somewhat frustrating: We’re still just pitting different sections of humanity against one another? We’re still obsessed with the false notion that people in terrible situations don’t cooperate? Is anyone else just really tired? That said‚ one thing in favor of I.S.S. is that it’s directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite‚ who made the extraordinary documentary Blackfish. The script is by Nick Shafir‚ and the excellent cast includes Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)‚ Chris Messina (Birds of Prey)‚ Pilou Asbaek (Game of Thrones)‚ John Gallagher Jr. (Westworld)‚ Costa Ronin (The Americans)‚ and Masha Mashkova. I.S.S. is in theaters January 19‚ 2024.

All seventeen-year-old Quill wants is a break from the family business. We’re thrilled to share an excerpt from Evergreen by Devin Greenlee‚ an urban fairytale about a dryad who risks immortality for love—out from Entangled Teen on January 16‚ 2024. All seventeen-year-old Quill wants is a break from the family business. Flowers‚ plants‚ the generations-old garden. What he wouldn’t give for a taste of the outside world. Normalcy. But his mom won’t let him out of the house‚ telling him he’s just not ready… All because he’s a dryad. Well‚ not just any dryad‚ but a male dryad—the first ever. And unlike everyone else in his family‚ he hasn’t a lick of magic. Just a shock of green hair‚ matching green eyes‚ and a growing frustration that there’s an entire world out there waiting to be discovered. Until the night when the outside world—specifically his new neighbor—discovers him. Liam Watson lives in a culture filled with electronics‚ mobile devices‚ and social media—where there is no magic or even the belief in it. And as much as Quill finds Liam irritating (he’s so cute it’s annoying)‚ he can’t help himself. Now Quill’s getting a taste of the outside world and of Liam… and he wants more. But all is not well in this magical‚ urban garden‚ and someone—or something—is changing the very essence of it. And wherever Quill goes‚ the danger grows…     “Listen to me‚” I say through gritted teeth‚ pointing at him and walking toward him. “I’ve had it. I’m done with all of it.” He’s taking steps backward on the creaking walkway‚ but I’m cornering him. “Take a fucking hint. Stay. Out. Of. My. House.” He stops in his tracks and his face twists in confusion. “What are you talking about? I’ve never been inside your house.” “Bullshit.” I’m so angry that my limbs are shaking. It’s almost hard to keep my balance‚ but my vision is zeroed on to him. “I know you crawled through my window the other night and you tried to do it again now.” “Wait‚ you think I broke in?” Buy it Now “Yeah‚ and you make a really shitty thief.” It’s taking all of my self-control to not scream at him. He holds up his hands. “Quill‚ I hate to break it to you‚ but I’m not a criminal and your house reeks of flowers. I’m allergic. Honestly‚ I was closing your window because the smell keeps getting into mine. Except I didn’t want to be rude the first time I met you.” I stop moving and narrow my eyes as my thoughts freeze. That’s one thing I never expected. “You’re allergic to flowers?” “Horribly. My eyes were burning out of my skull. You would’ve heard me coughing and sneezing way before I could make it out of your room.” I pause. It doesn’t make sense. The tension in my chest relaxes. “But if it wasn’t you‚ who was—” Suddenly the fire escape jolts‚ and my hands clutch the railing as it breaks off of the brick wall. An instantaneous jolt of panic rushes through my body as I grip the bar‚ holding on for dear life. Holy fuck‚ this cannot be happening right now. My feet slip from beneath me‚ falling to one knee as the metal digs into my leg. Pain shoots through my shin.   After all these years of wear and tear‚ this much weight finally made it give way. The whole walkway swings to the side‚ throwing me to my knees. I scramble to get my balance‚ but my fear is making me flail. I roll and slide to the edge where I climbed out of my room‚ holding onto anything I can get my hands on. I’m thinking as fast as I can for a way to save myself‚ but I can’t process fast enough to make a plan. I’m just reacting as quickly as I can‚ breath catching in my throat. I get my grip on the metal right as I’m about to fall off the second story. The scaffolding halts‚ leaving me dangling above the ground. “Quill! Are you okay?” Liam shouts. I can’t see him‚ but I hear his footsteps edging toward me. “I’m gonna fall!” My breath is rasping and I’m desperately looking for some way‚ any way‚ to get back up. Please dear nature‚ this can’t be how it ends. I’m twenty feet off the ground with nothing but hard concrete below me. Holy shit‚ I’m gonna fall and break my neck. He appears above me and reaches down. “Grab my hand!” My sweaty hands are slipping. If I let go right now‚ I don’t know if I can hang on. I don’t even know if he’s strong enough to pull me back up. My pulse is racing and my muscles are losing strength more and more by the second. I will fall if I don’t at least try to reach for him. As soon as I let go to take hold of him‚ the bar holding me up breaks. He manages to catch my arm just in time. “Hold on to me!” Liam says‚ gripping my hand as tight as he can. My skin is stretching as it presses against his. His muscles feel like they’re doing everything they can to pull me up‚ but he’s shaking. I don’t think he can do it. He’s trying to save me‚ and it’s gonna end up pulling us both over the edge. I’m not worried for myself anymore—I’m worried for him. It doesn’t last long‚ though. More screeching and cracking metal rings through the night. The railing he’s clinging to comes unhinged‚ and we go flying toward the pavement‚ panels of steel tumbling after.   Excerpted from Evergreen‚ copyright © 2024 by Devin Greenlee.

Fortnite is known for collaborations‚ and throughout the game’s existence‚ we’ve seen some incredible ones‚ but none‚ such as the new Peter Griffin one. We’re going to run over where to find the iconic TV star within Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1. Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1: How to Find Peter Griffin Peter Griffin has finally made his way into Fortnite‚ and the Family Guy figurehead has long been rumored to be appearing in Fortnite‚ but now we have within the battle pass‚ alongside an NPC on the map. The new Chapter 5 map has loads of POIs for players to land at‚ and some of these offer NPC bosses for players to eliminate to obtain their mythic weapon and vault keycard. Peter Griffin is one of these bosses and will drop ‘Peter Griffin’s Mythic Hammer Pump Shotgun’ for players fortunate enough to eliminate him‚ alongside the noted keycard or medallion. To find Peter on the Fortnite island in Chapter 5 Season 1‚ p...

Playing Diablo 4 can be fun in a lot of ways. If you’re playing with a group of players or with people you met online‚ the action RPG can be super engaging. You can have an easier time playing on the higher World Tiers to collect things like the Godslayer Crown. However‚ for some reason‚ Blizzard Entertainment makes it hard to play in groups. We’ll show you the best ways to find party members in Diablo 4‚ so follow along. Diablo 4: How to find party members There are a few ways to do this‚ and each method is quite easy to accomplish. So‚ if you’re struggling to find members to play with at a party‚ keep this guide handy. Find a Clan Clans are what I think are the best way to find players online to play with. You can find clans that can do all sorts of things. If you’re planning on playing the PVP section‚ you easily find a clan that regularly participates in those events. On top of that‚ some clans may have numerous members most of which will be asking ...

If you’re as excited about LEGO Fortnite as we are‚ the first thing you’ll likely want to know is if it is free to play. Let me answer that for you in this guide. Does LEGO Fortnite cost money to play? LEGO Fortnite is a completely free to play game. Unlike Fortnite Save the World which is a sandbox survival tower defense version of Fortnite that requires you to buy it to play it‚ LEGO Fortnite is following Fortnite’s example and staying free to play. Related: All LEGO Fortnite skins‚ explained As far as we know‚ LEGO Fortnite‚ Rocket Racing‚ and Fortnite Festival are all stand alone free to play games coming to Fortnite. Personally‚ I’m most excited to play LEGO Fortnite because LEGO is awesome and I want to see what kind of survival crafting game Epic Games cooked up. The question on my mind is whether LEGO Fortnite will have its own Battle Pass. My current guess is that it won’t‚ and neither will Rocket Racing or...

I’m a big fan of LEGO games; some of my fondest gaming memories are playing split-screen couch co-op LEGO Indiana Jones 2‚ LEGO Lord of the Rings‚ and LEGO Marvel Super Heroes with my brother. Will we be able to play LEGO Fortnite split-screen co-op? Does LEGO Fortnite have couch co-op split-screen? The cool thing about Fortnite is that it does already support split-screen co-op. You can only play two-player Fortnite split-screen‚ can only play Battle Royale Duos‚ Trios‚ or Squads‚ and can only play split-screen on PlayStation 4‚ PlayStation 5‚ Xbox One‚ and Xbox Series X|S. That said‚ since Fortnite already supports split-screen couch co-op‚ I’d imagine LEGO Fortnite can have couch co-op split-screen‚ too. Related: Is LEGO Fortnite free to play? If you go to the LEGO Fortnite main page and scroll to the bottom‚ you’ll see a list of FAQs. From now until December 7‚ all of the FAQ answers are vague and point to more being revealed ...

Despite looking a lot more dangerous than a lot of monsters in Lethal Company‚ Spore Lizard is one of the easiest enemies to deal with. In Lethal Company‚ only looking dangerous does not make a monster terrifying. Spore Lizard is the best example of this‚ as these absurd-looking creatures are actually some of the sweetest monsters that you’ll meet. In this guide‚ we will tell you everything you need to know about Spore Lizard in Lethal Company. What is Spore Lizard in Lethal Company Image: Lethal Company Wiki Spore Lizard is a harmless creature with a low danger level in Lethal Company. You will find this creature in different areas inside the facilities. They are crawlers with four legs and a very big mouth. Spore Lizards are very large which makes them look very scary as an opponent. However‚ these creatures are completely harmless and will not attack you unless they have a very specific reason. Spore Lizards are typically terrified b...

In a nationally televised face-off‚ Govs. Ron DeSantis‚ R-Fla.‚ and Gavin Newsom‚ D-Calif.‚ on Thursday night debated‚ among other things‚ whether school libraries should carry explicit content on their shelves. When two high-profile state officials spar over an issue on prime-time TV‚ policies related to that issue are likely to be a topic for other state lawmakers when they go back into session in January.  Researchers at The Heritage Foundation have found that books depicting sex acts and promoting the ambiguous ideas of “gender” are‚ in fact‚ landing in school libraries. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation.) Educators have a responsibility to present students with accurate‚ age-appropriate material‚ and teachers should discuss the teaching of personal topics‚ such as sex‚ with parents before talking with students about them. On sex education‚ some states such as Arizona have opt-in and opt-out policies‚ where educators must get express permission from parents before students take sex-education classes‚ but most states only have opt-out rules that allow parents to remove their child from a sex-education class after parents discover what their child is learning. Florida’s State Board of Education took a proactive step last year and prohibited the teaching of “gender‚” a loose term that defies a clear biological definition‚ in grades 4 through 12. (State law already prohibited the teaching in K-3.) But what about student access to library books? State policymakers trying to protect children from content deemed inappropriate for different grade levels should consider what books students can scan at the checkout desk. Officials should design policies that do not allow school board members to “ban” a book only because the board disagrees with it. School board members’ and teachers’ priority should be to consider whether material is age appropriate and create processes by which educators can work alongside parents to decide the books librarians keep in stock. The South Carolina State Board of Education is considering a regulation that would help parents and teachers as they choose the instructional materials used in schools‚ including library books. The regulation states that teachers and school boards must determine whether library books are “age and developmentally appropriate” and “educationally suitable” for South Carolina students. School district officials must post a list of all the library books available in district schools on their websites‚ helping to make school materials more transparent for moms and dads. As school personnel choose instructional materials and books for use in classrooms and libraries‚ they must review the materials’ “academic or educational rigor” and “educational significance‚” as well as the materials’ “validity‚ accuracy‚ objectivity‚ currency‚ and appropriateness‚” and whether a particular item is of high quality. Parents can file a complaint against a book or set of materials with which they disagree‚ but individuals must show in their complaint that they have read or viewed the book or media they are requesting be removed. School board members must consider any complaints in a public meeting and decide whether the books or media being considered meet the “rigor” and “accuracy” criteria described in the regulation. Lawmakers in Florida and Georgia adopted similar provisions in 2022‚ and Texas officials did so earlier this year. Florida’s new law contains provisions that require school districts to make the selection process for instructional materials open to the public‚ while Georgia’s law creates a process by which parents can object to certain materials. For the last two years‚ Oklahoma policymakers have considered proposals that define the ways in which educators would select age-appropriate materials. Newsom may call such proposals “book banning‚” but most of the books that groups such as PEN America claim are banned are still readily available on school library shelves. Lawmakers concerned with rigor and accuracy in schools are not “banning” quality material. They are doing their due diligence to protect children from explicit content and keep parents involved in schools. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Lawmakers Are Checking on School Libraries. Here’s What Parents Need to Know. appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A Hunter Biden business entity tied to China made direct monthly payments to Joe Biden in the months leading up to the former vice president’s announcement that he would run for president in 2020‚ according to newly released subpoenaed bank records from the House Oversight and Accountability Committee.  The monthly payments came from Owasco PC‚ which Hunter Biden set up as a business entity. Biden‚ the president’s 53-year-old son‚ is under federal investigation for using Owasco PC’s corporate account to commit alleged tax crimes. Owasco PC has links to Chinese energy company CEFC‚ where the younger Biden was a partner.  This is at least the third example of a direct payment to Joe Biden that stems from a family-owned business entity. What appears to be different here is that the payments came directly from a Biden company. Two previous payments appeared to filter indirectly through the president’s ounger brother‚ James Biden.  Owasco-JoeBiden-PaymentsDownload House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer‚ R-Ky.‚ noted in a video statement that the president previously claimed there was an “absolute wall” between his official government duties and his family’s business; claimed his family didn’t receive money from China; and claimed he didn’t talk to his son about his business dealings. On each‚ Comer said‚ “This was a lie.” ?BREAKING?Hunter Biden’s business entity‚ Owasco PC‚ made direct monthly payments to Joe Biden. The bank records don't lie.Owasco PC received payments from Chinese-state linked companies &; other shady entities. Joe Biden knew &; benefitted from his family's business schemes. pic.twitter.com/MfvtA4yEZU— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) December 4‚ 2023 “Now‚ Hunter Biden’s legal team and the White House’s media allies claim Hunter’s corporate entities never made payments directly to Joe Biden‚” Comer said. “We can officially add this latest talking point to the list of lies.” “Today‚ the House Oversight Committee is releasing subpoenaed bank records that show Hunter Biden’s business entity‚ Owasco PC‚ made direct monthly payments to Joe Biden‚” the Kentucky Republican said. “This wasn’t a payment from Hunter Biden’s personal account but an account for his corporation that received payments from China and other shady corners of the world‚” Comer added. The oversight panel is one of three House committees leading an impeachment inquiry into the senior Biden’s activities for evidence of influence peddling. The committee subpoenaed the financial records of Hunter Biden and of James Biden in September. OwascoSubpoenasDownload The House-obtained records show that Hunter Biden’s business account‚ Owasco PC‚ received payments from companies linked to Communist China and from other foreign nationals and companies. Records released by the committee show one monthly payment in September 2018 for $1‚380. Also that year‚ James Biden wrote two separate checks to Joe Biden for $200‚000 and $40‚000‚ respectively. The checks were marked as “loan repayments‚” but Comer’s committee has tied the payments directly to Biden family business transactions.  An FBI confidential informant said in a formal document that executives from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid a $5 million bribe to Joe Biden and another $5 million to Hunter Biden in 2016 when Biden was still Barack Obama’s vice president.  While he was vice president‚ Biden met with or communicated with several of his son’s business partners‚ records show. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Bank Records Show China-Linked Company Made Direct Payments to Joe Biden appeared first on The Daily Signal.