The fourth book in Myke Cole’s Shadow Ops world, GEMINI CELL, is due out on January 27, 2015 from Ace Books. It begins a second trilogy separate from the first (and earlier in the timeline, if I recall correctly). Here’s the cover art by artist Larry Rostant:
Here’s the plot summary:
US Navy SEAL Jim Schweitzer is a consummate professional, a fierce warrior, and a hard man to kill. But when he sees something he was never meant to see on a covert mission gone bad, he finds himself – and his family – in the crosshairs. Nothing means more to Jim than protecting his loved ones, but when the enemy brings the battle to his front door, he is overwhelmed and taken down. It should be the end of the story. But Jim is raised from the dead by a sorcerer and recruited by a top secret unit dabbling in the occult, known only as the Gemini Cell. With powers he doesn’t understand, Jim is called back to duty – as the ultimate warrior. As he wrestles with a literal inner demon, Jim realises his new superiors are determined to use him for their own ends and keep him in the dark – especially about the fates of his wife and son…
What do you think of the cover? My first instinct was that it looked more like video game cover art than a fantasy novel, but once I read the plot summary, I get it–the need for the helmet, the armor, the spooky aura surrounding him. You need to protect the body and identity of your reanimated covert warrior. And, let’s be honest, a video-game-like cover might be a great way to attract new readers, and a standalone novel makes entry even easier.
But if I’m being super honest, I would have to admit that I’d buy any book put out by Myke Cole. The fact that I get to learn about the earliest stages of the magical reawakening is more than enough to get me to pre-order.
(HT: Aidan Moher of A Dribble of Ink and SF Signal)