‘Wise Man’ among books hitting shelves in 2011

A new year brings fresh hope for great books, and I have a few I’ve been looking forward to, none more so than Patrick Rothfuss’ “The Wise Man’s Fear,” the second installment in the epic fantasy trilogy called The Kingkiller Chronicle.

The first novel, “The Name of the Wind,” introduces readers to Kvothe who, as Lisa Kim Bach wrote in her review here in 2008, “as an obscure innkeeper, tells us his story as a brash and precocious youth thrust into homelessness and worse by the murders of his parents and all whom he held dear. ... He’s a hero, he’s a villain, he’s a boy alone overwhelmed by those who seek his pain for their own pleasure. And over it all are the shadows cast by the elusive Chandrian, the demons who kill to protect the secret of their existence.”

In “The Wise Man’s Fear,” Kvothe’s journey continues as he travels to Vintas, where he uncovers an assassination attempt and leads a group of mercenaries while attempting to find out the truth about the Chandrian and the death of his parents. The book comes out in March, so there’s still time to catch up. If you love fantasy, you have to read Rothfuss. (Check out his blog at www.patrickrothfuss.com/. He’s a funny guy.)

I might as well continue to let my fantasy-freak flag fly. Southern Nevada author Terry Goodkind returns to his Wizard’s First Rule series (yay!) with “The Omen Machine.” The wizard Zedd tries to figure out how to destroy a mysterious machine found hidden underground that issues a catastrophic omen involving Richard and Kahlan. This book hits stores in July.

Fans of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse can look for her latest adventure, “Dead Reckoning,” in May. And on the young adult front, Aprilynne Pike continues her faerie series in May with “Illusions,” following “Wings” and “Spells.” And in June, Lauren Kate returns with the latest installment in her fallen angel series, “Passion,” following “Fallen” and “Torment.”

Of course, there are a lot more highly anticipated novels coming soon. Readers can look for more from Jean M. Auel, Jodi Picoult and James Patterson, just to name a few. Here’s a brief list of some of the titles coming in the next few months. (Remember that publishing dates always can change.)

February
“When the Killing’s Done” by T.C. Boyle
“The Winter Ghosts” by Kate Mosse
“Gideon’s Sword” by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
“Treachery in Death” by J.D. Robb

March
“The Land of Painted Caves” by Jean M. Auel
“The Night Season “ by Chelsea Cain
“Live Wire” by Harlan Coben
“The Jungle” by Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul
“Mystery” by Jonathan Kellerman
“Invincible: The Chronicles of Nick” by Sherrilyn Kenyon
“The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party” by Alexander McCall Smith
“Toys” by James Patterson and Neil McMahon
“Sing You Home” by Jodi Picoult
“The Wise Man’s Fear” by Patrick Rothfuss
“Lover Unleashed” by J.R. Ward

April
“Hiss of Death” by Rita Mae Brown
“Ghost Story: A Novel of the Dresden Files” by Jim Butcher
“I’ll Walk Alone” by Mary Higgins Clark
“The Fifth Witness” by Michael Connelly
“Chasing Fire” by Nora Roberts
“44 Charles Street” by Danielle Steel

May
“Dead Reckoning” by Charlaine Harris
“10th Anniversary” by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
“Sixkill” by Robert B. Parker
“Illusions” by Aprilynne Pike

June
“Passion” by Lauren Kate
“The Devil Colony” by James Rollins

July
“The Omen Machine” by Terry Goodkind
“Forever” by Maggie Stiefvater