The Enemy by Charlie Higson
reviewed by Dan Shade
Everyone over sixteen is catching an unknown disease that usually kills them. However, instead of dying or becoming brainless zombies, they become semi-brainless zombies stumbling around in packs, attacking children and eating them. Our story starts with a group of children battling a crowd of adults in a London, YMCA-type community recreation center where they have gone to scrounge food out of vending machines. Upon arrival, they discover the machines have been thrown into the pool. Not having seen a grown-up during their trek, the kids feel it's safe to enter the sickening water.

20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill
reviewed by Mario Guslandi
According to Mario, this is, without any doubt, one of the finest short story collections he has ever read, so much so as it comes from the pen of a newcomer, whose short fiction has appeared so far only in a bunch of genre magazines. Although the stories date back no farther than four years or so, it was high time to put them together in a single volume.

Wizard Sword by William Hill
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
Brin is an amnesic warrior hero with a living telepathic sword and a similarly telepathic miniature dragon sidekick. In a world straight out of a D&D campaign led by an inexperienced, not to say inept dungeon-master, the heroes go from encounter to encounter, seemingly invincible if perhaps temporarily delayed, conveniently healing themselves over and over again, while trying to save the last dimension dancer from being cloned into an army of super-soldiers by the evil Dark Lord (who incidentally is actually called the Dark Lord).

California Ghosting by William Hill
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
A novel with the promise of a haunted house and troublesome ghosts is just too tempting to pass up. A haunted luxury hotel, overlooking the wild Pacific, is staffed with only the best — living and dead — to cater to every whim of some rather whimsical guests. A perfect combination for murder.

The Magic Bicycle by William Hill
reviewed by Todd Richmond
When a young boy receives a wonderful gift, he must decide how to use it. Should he travel back in time and make some adjustments? Not to change all of history; just the small part of it that affects him...

FVZA: Federal Vampire And Zombie Agency, Book 1 by David Hine
reviewed by John Enzinas
Zombies and Vampires are real. There's a government department responsible for dealing with the problem in the USA. We are introduced to the founder of the organization who is about to be killed.

The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines
reviewed by Sherwood Smith
This first book of a projected three, it is centered around Cinderella. The story opens not long after the happy ending, when new Princess Danielle is trying to adjust to castle life, after a long stretch being a slave to her wicked stepmonster and her two horrible daughters. In short order, one of the stepsisters, Charlotte, turns up to try to kill Danielle. That's not as surprising as the fact that the formerly lazy, slovenly Charlotte has suddenly got access to some heavy-duty magic.

Goblin War by Jim C. Hines
reviewed by Sherwood Smith
Jig, the runty, nearsighted goblin hero of the previous adventures (Goblin Quest and Goblin Hero) is taken to war, even though no one, including Jig himself, thinks of him as much of a warrior... except that he's called Jig Dragonslayer because in a previous conflict between Jig and a dragon, it was the goblin who survived. And he did seem to outlive a host of other fierce enemies, from princes to pixies.

Goblin Hero by Jim C. Hines
reviewed by Sherwood Smith
Okay, so there's a call out for a great hero to come and do some vastly needed heroic deed-work. What have you got? A small, runty goblin who is nearsighted, haunted by a minor and totally forgotten god. A big, bone-headed goblin named Braf whose personality is limited. A fat, whiny goblin named Veka who is a reject even in the goblin world. A wizened, crabby, nasty old goblin named Grell who used to diaper goblin brats ...and assorted hobgoblins, ogres, dragons, snakes, and other monsters.

GoblinQuest by Jim C. Hines
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
Jig, a runty, nearsighted, cowardly and ugly goblin, finds himself leading an expeditionary force hell-bent on reclaiming a long lost artefact, the Rod of Creation, apparently hidden deep underground by a powerful Necromancer. Through all the dangers, both those from within (a possessed wizard, a gung-ho I've-got-something-to-prove warrior, a captive she-elf thief, and a tough as nails warrior-cartographer dwarf) and without the group (venomous lizard-fish, skeletal zombies, bats, dragons, hobgoblins, and a necromancer), Jig learns of courage, friendship, faith and what it really means to be a hero.

Hawkes Harbor by S.E. Hinton
reviewed by Sandy Auden
The story opens with a wonderful premise: a young man is admitted to a psychiatric hospital literally out of his mind. Dr. McDevitt is determined to discover what could have happened to an otherwise healthy twenty-year-old that could have driven him insane. Expecting a slowly unravelling plot concluding in a climactic revelation about the horror that caused such devastating trauma is a mistake. About a quarter the way through the novel it's revealed: Jamie was driven insane by a vampire.

Delicate Toxins edited by John Hirschhorn-Smith
reviewed by Mario Guslandi
Hanns Heinz Ewers (1872-1943) was a renowned German author of weird and decadent fiction, whose work nowadays is largely forgotten and/or scarcely available because of his personal involvement with the Nazi party. UK-based Side Real Press, which is endeavoring to translate and reprint most of Ewers' work, has produced an elegant volume of original short stories by contemporary writers, inspired to the fiction and the cultural milieu of the German author.

The Janus Tree and Other Stories by Glen Hirshberg
reviewed by Christopher DeFilippis
For those in the know, a new horror collection from Glen Hirshberg is cause for hopeful anticipation. And this one delivers with a striking and enjoyable mix of stories that showcases his uniquely personable brand of horror, in which external menaces are eclipsed by the inner demons that drive our deepest fears. The unifying theme for all the stories is death: thwarting it, defying it, accepting it, transcending it -- a black narrative thread that he weaves in some unusual ways.

American Morons by Glen Hirshberg
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
Glen Hirshberg's strengths as a writer are his skill in creating a tangible atmosphere of dread -- in part by alienizing the everyday, revealing the horror that lurks behind even the most familiar things -- and his ability to make his stories seem larger than they are. More than many writers, he succeeds in creating characters who you believe have lives and histories that extend beyond the boundaries of the particular incident he has chosen to relate.

The Trokeville Way by Russell Hoban
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
Victoria found this book to pack a powerful, creepy punch. The discordant atmosphere of the puzzle-world is compellingly evoked, making this a fascinating and thoroughly worthwhile read.

Robin Hobb

The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
Messing with the timeline can drive a man insane. That's one of the lessons Richard Burton and several other characters learn as they are confronted with an apparition who, among his various crimes, asserts that the world they live in was never meant to be. That world is nineteenth century England, a world of coal-engine driven taxis, helicopter lounge chairs, and genetically engineered messenger pigeons that taunt and insult the message's sender and recipient.

The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
Taking inspiration from one of the most enduring mysteries of the Victorian age and weaving it into a tale of time travel and history unmade the novel includes appearances by many celebrities of the day like nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale, a very young Oscar Wilde, naturalist Charles Darwin, and the poet Algernon Swinburne. In lead role is the explorer and writer Sir Richard Francis Burton. Part steampunk, part alternate history, with a liberal dollop of detective thriller, it is a melting pot that has the potential to produce something tasty, or a nauseating mess.

Blackbird House by Alice Hoffman
reviewed by Amal El-Mohtar
In Cape Cod, there is a small farm compassing a small house, called Blackbird House. It's called that because of the white blackbird -- perhaps a ghost, perhaps not -- that has haunted the house since the eighteenth century. In it, people lose things; people who are lost find things; desire, love, heartbreak and fulfillment chase each other through the rafters and around the fields full of sweet peas, while the house witnesses and keeps their stories.

Curse of the Shamra by Barry Hoffman
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
At first glance, the peaceful Shamra would seem to have everything a society could want. Their time is spent at satisfying work, rest, and celebration. True, the bounds of tradition keep women from full participation, and the holy men are determined that nothing will change, but they know nothing of the danger creeping ever closer.

Judas Eyes by Barry Hoffman
reviewed by Lisa Dumond
It's the 3rd volume in this series and the lethal Shara Farris is back for another hunt. Her prey this time is a female killer as driven and deadly as Shara, but one she has mixed feelings about tracking down. A mysterious mental link between the two women will make the case both more challenging and more personal than any she has tackled yet. Shara is a bounty hunter, though; she has a job to do and a mission to fulfill.

Born Bad by Barry Hoffman
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
This novel tells the harrowing story of a string of suicides on the UPENN campus and the sociopath who is the instigator of the deaths. It is more than just your standard psychological thriller or a voyeuristic peek into dark realism; the novel is as much about the safety nets and support offered by the university as it is about the mystery. But, according to UPENN officials, the subject matter covered in the novel is too "sensitive" to publicize. So they chose to ban it.

Nina Kiriki Hoffman

The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman
reviewed by John Enzinas
Our hero is a 14-year-old boy who is the most deadly human in the world. Adopted into a monastery of fanatical warrior priests, he was trained from a very young age in the arts of combat. While there, his super-power which allowed him to predict and counter any other fighter appeared. Using his powers and genius like a sense of tactics (as well as a bunch of lucky breaks), he and his friends escape after discovering the festering evil that lies at the heart of the monastery.

Blood Is Thicker Than Water by W.A. Hoffman
reviewed by Alisa McCune
Amy Reilly has some very dangerous friends. Amy is unable to feel pleasure and as a result, experiences pain as pleasure. This little quirk has brought her to S&M and a very dangerous, degenerate vampire. Through help from an unknown source, Amy survives her encounter, but she is changed. Her sadistic vampire has marked her for death and is not happy she has survived.

The Blood Artists by Chuck Hogan
reviewed by Chris Donner
This book reminded Chris of his first read through of Stephen King's The Stand. There is an epic battle within these pages, and anyone who passes the book by simply because of its rather disappointing cover would be making a mistake.

Outward Bound by James P. Hogan
reviewed by Rich Horton
Linc Marani makes money by acting as collection muscle for a local thug, and his only ambition is to advance up the ladder of crime. He's arrested and he's sentenced to the labour camps. But he's offered an alternative: an entré into a mysterious program, with the promise he can quit at any time.

Enemies by Lee Hogan
reviewed by Cindy Lynn Speer
Belarus was a beautiful planet. Hard in the winter, true, but in the summer it was a jewel. A perfect place for Andrei Mironenko to set up his new Russia, filled with people of all faiths, who adhered to the Bill of Rights with the same devotion they used when reading their holy books. At least, until the Enemy came.

Belarus by Lee Hogan
reviewed by Donna McMahon
Andrei Mironenko, a member of one of the powerful families that controls the galactic Republic, is fulfilling the dream of his 337-year lifetime as he leads a fleet of colony ships to settle the newly terraformed planet Belarus. Also fulfilling her career dreams is world engineer Tally Korsakova, but Tally is worried by the abandoned alien spaceships orbiting Belarus. Although the damaged hulks are 20,000 years old, Tally isn't sure their alien builders are dead. Perhaps they will return. Or perhaps the aliens, shielded by an advanced technology, are hiding somewhere on Belarus....

Robert Holdstock

The High City by Cecelia Holland
reviewed by Matthew Hughes
In The Soul Thief, the author introduced Corban Loosestrife, an Irishman whose witchy twin sister, Mav, was raped and carried off by Viking raiders, prompting him to go looking for her. The series has grown into a multi-generational saga and now, in the fifth and latest volume, The High City, we're following Raef, Mav's fey and fated son. He has worked his way downriver from Kiev and across the Black Sea just in time to be shipwrecked off Byzantium. Raef is a perpetual outsider, marked not only by being conceived in rape but by the not-always-helpful magic powers he has inherited from his mother.

The Soul Thief by Cecilia Holland
reviewed by Cindy Lynn Speer
Corban and Mav are twins, one soul in two bodies. She is the stronger, the favourite child of their unforgiving warrior farmer of a father. When Corban refuses to offer his sword to the High King, his father kicks him out of the house. Mav follows Corban into the forest, and promises to speak to their father when his temper cools. She goes home while her brother sleeps in the woods, her second sight teasing her with images of coming danger. It is not enough to warn her. Vikings come that very night, pillage and burn the homestead, kill the men and children, and take the women for slaves.

Supping With Panthers by Tom Holland
reviewed by Kim Fawcett
Sleeping too well at night? Plagued by sweet dreams? Well, here's a book to cure you. It reads like a nightmare -- dark, twisted, frightening, and surreal. Don't say you weren't warned.

Attis by Tom Holland
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
The author has taken characters from Roman history and faithfully recreated a portion of their lives but in a Rome with cars, fax machines, labour unrest, and archaeological digs. This Rome and its people remind one of the sort of lost souls and urban neighbourhoods in recent movies such as Trainspotting and The Crying Game.

Deliver Us From Evil by Tom Holland
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
Having suffered a fatal overdose of vampire fiction in the late 80s, Victoria tries to steer clear of the genre. But she colun't resist this vampire extravaganza set during the Restoration period in England.

The Sleeper in the Sands by Tom Holland
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
This is a book that would stand well, both stylistically and in terms of quality, on a bookshelf among the early classics of fantasy and horror based around ancient Egypt. His books have the stamp of the great British adventure and horror writers of the late 19th-early 20th century.

Babymouse: Dragonslayer by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
reviewed by Charlene Brusso
Babymouse is an engaging kid with big dreams that tend to carry her away at the most inopportune times. Then there's her school, with all its low-level "Lord of the Flies" annoyances, from pop quizzes to bad cafeteria food. She also has to contend with an off-screen narrator who never slacks off when it comes to pointing out her mistakes -- usually in the most sarcastic tone possible. Now Babymouse is off on an epic journey of fantastical proportions.

The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn by Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
This is a story of adventure and mystery, set in 18th century Japan. Seikei, the young son of a tea salesman, dreams of becoming a samurai, but given his social standing, he cannot. Seikei witnesses a strange manifestation at the Tokaido Inn, and is later deputized by Judge Ooka (a Japanese Sherlock Holmes) to help find the stolen ruby Lord Hakuseki, the samurai, had been planning to present to the shogun.