[Kindle] Daily e-book deals of note

[Smoove_B]

What strange timing - The Last Wish: Introducing the Witcher is a $4 deal for Kindle today.

[Pyperkub]

They changed the name. Interesting (was The Sword of Destiny when I got it).

[Smoove_B]

The Sword of Destiny was the first book released in the United States, but it's not the first story in the series. At some point they re-branded and bundled together the actual first stories of the Witcher into "The Last Wish" and now market it as the true origin of the series.

[gilraen]

The Sword of Destiny was the first book released in the United States, but it's not the first story in the series. At some point they re-branded and bundled together the actual first stories of the Witcher into "The Last Wish" and now market it as the true origin of the series.

They don't "market" it as the first book - it *is* the first book the way the author intended it (the first story in The Last Wish, about Foltest and the striga, is the very first Witcher story from 1986). The Sword of Destiny is the 2nd book of short stories. Both books are meant to be read before you jump into full-length novels.

[jztemple2]

Amazon is having a one day sale on non-fiction.

[Smoove_B]

Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? by Bill McKibben is on sale for $3.99 today. It's a book that just came out, so I guess the price isn't quite "deep discount", but still pretty low:

Bill McKibben’s groundbreaking book The End of Nature -- issued in dozens of languages and long regarded as a classic -- was the first book to alert us to global warming. But the danger is broader than that: even as climate change shrinks the space where our civilization can exist, new technologies like artificial intelligence and robotics threaten to bleach away the variety of human experience.

Falter tells the story of these converging trends and of the ideological fervor that keeps us from bringing them under control. And then, drawing on McKibben’s experience in building 350.org, the first truly global citizens movement to combat climate change, it offers some possible ways out of the trap. We’re at a bleak moment in human history -- and we’ll either confront that bleakness or watch the civilization our forebears built slip away.

Falter is a powerful and sobering call to arms, to save not only our planet but also our humanity.

I read "The End of Nature" in college as part of a course - one that was likely fundamental to my overall development and likely career path, though I didn't know it at the time. It's a sobering book, though it did end on a high note. I'm not sure this new book does, but I share for those that aren't familiar with the great Bill McKibben.

[Smoove_B]

For those looking to remember better days, Dragons of Autumn Twilight (Dragonlance Chronicles Book 1) is a $1.99 Kindle deal for today:

Once merely creatures of legend, the dragons have returned to Krynn. But with their arrival comes the departure of the old gods—and all healing magic. As war threatens to engulf the land, a group of lifelong friends reunite for an adventure that will change their lives and shape their world forever . . .

When Tanis, Sturm, Caramon, Raistlin, Flint, and Tasslehoff see a woman use a blue crystal staff to heal a villager, they wonder if it's a sign the gods have not abandoned them after all. Fueled by this glimmer of hope, the Companions ban together to uncover the truth behind the gods' absence—though they aren't the only ones with an interest in the staff. The Seekers, a new religious order, wants the artifact for their own ends, believing it will help them replace the gods and overtake the continent of Ansalon. Now, the Companions must assume the unlikely roles of heroes if they hope to prevent the staff from falling into the hands of darkness.

36 years old!

[YellowKing]

I ADORED those Dragonlance books in high school.

I tried to read Dragons of Autumn Twilight maybe 10 years back and the writing was so bad it was cringe-worthy. I'm a little afraid to attempt it again, but I might go for it anyway. I recently started re-reading the first Drizzt trilogy, and I'm enjoying it a great deal.

[Defiant]

I loved the trilogy when I was young - one of the few fantasy series I read (I prefer stand alone books, because of the smaller commitment, and fantasy novels always seemed to be series). It also looks like the audiobook is only $3.50.

[Smoove_B]

...and on the opposite end of the spectrum, I offer up one of the single best books I've ever read regarding public health. It came out shortly after I graduated with a degree in public health and immediately after reading it, I'd realized just how much was left out of my formal schooling.

Betrayal of Trust: The Collapse of Global Public Health by Laurie Garrett is $3.99 today. It's an amazing well-researched (and documented) examination of public health systems (and their histories) around the globe. It was prophetic when I read it in 2000 and I can only imagine what a re-read would be like now. If you have even a passing interest in the subject material, I can't recommend it enough.

What do Russia, Zaire, Los Angeles, and--most likely--your community have in common? Each is woefully unprepared to deal with a major epidemic, whether it's caused by bioterrorism or by new or reemerging diseases resistant to antibiotics. After the publication of her critically acclaimed The Coming Plague, which looked at the reemergence of infectious diseases, Laurie Garrett decided to turn her highly honed reportorial skills to what she saw as the only solution--not medical technology, but public health. However, what she found in her travels was the collapse of public-health systems around the world, no comfort to a species purportedly sitting on a powder keg of disease. In Betrayal of Trust, Garrett exposes the shocking weaknesses in our medical system and the ramifications of a world suddenly much smaller, yet still far apart when it comes to wealth and attention to health.

With globalization, humans are more vulnerable to outbreaks from any part of the world; increasingly, the health of each nation depends on the health of all. Yet public health has been pushed down the list of priorities. In India, an outbreak of bubonic plague created international hysteria, ridiculous in an age when the plague can easily be treated with antibiotics--that is, if you have a public-health system in place. India, busy putting its newfound wealth elsewhere, didn't. In Zaire, the deadly Ebola virus broke out in a filthy and completely unequipped hospital, and would have kept up its rampage if the organization Doctors Without Borders hadn't stepped in, not with high-tech equipment or drugs, but with soap, protective gear, and clean water. Most of the world still doesn't have access to these basic public-health necessities. The 15 states of the former Soviet Union have seen the most astounding collapse in public health in the industrialized world. But during a cholera epidemic, officials refused to use the simple cure public-health workers have long relied on--oral rehydration therapy. Many of the problems in these nations can also be found in one degree or another in the U.S., where medical cures using expensive technology and drugs have been emphasized to the detriment of protecting human health. The result? More than 100,000 Americans die each year from infections caught in hospitals, and America has a disease safety net full of holes.

[Smoove_B]

I don't remember why I added it to my wishlist, but The Dragon's Path (The Dagger and the Coin series Book 1) is a Kindle $2.99 deal for an unknown period of time:

Marcus' hero days are behind him. He knows too well that even the smallest war still means somebody's death. When his men are impressed into a doomed army, staying out of a battle he wants no part of requires some unorthodox steps.

Cithrin is an orphan, ward of a banking house. Her job is to smuggle a nation's wealth across a war zone, hiding the gold from both sides. She knows the secret life of commerce like a second language, but the strategies of trade will not defend her from swords.

Geder, sole scion of a noble house, has more interest in philosophy than in swordplay. A poor excuse for a soldier, he is a pawn in these games. No one can predict what he will become.

Falling pebbles can start a landslide. A spat between the Free Cities and the Severed Throne is spiraling out of control. A new player rises from the depths of history, fanning the flames that will sweep the entire region onto The Dragon's Path -- the path to war.

[coopasonic]

When his men are impressed into a doomed army, staying out of a battle he wants no part of requires some unorthodox steps.

I've never seen that usage of impressed. If the language is that... I am not even sure what word to use here. Clunky isn't right.... anyway it's enough to scratch any interest I may have had.

[Isgrimnur]

Impressment is the term used for what a press game does, and a term usually not used in favor of 'shanghaied'.

[Ænima]

I don't remember why I added it to my wishlist, but The Dragon's Path (The Dagger and the Coin series Book 1) is a Kindle $2.99 deal for an unknown period of time:

Marcus' hero days are behind him. He knows too well that even the smallest war still means somebody's death. When his men are impressed into a doomed army, staying out of a battle he wants no part of requires some unorthodox steps.

Cithrin is an orphan, ward of a banking house. Her job is to smuggle a nation's wealth across a war zone, hiding the gold from both sides. She knows the secret life of commerce like a second language, but the strategies of trade will not defend her from swords.

Geder, sole scion of a noble house, has more interest in philosophy than in swordplay. A poor excuse for a soldier, he is a pawn in these games. No one can predict what he will become.

Falling pebbles can start a landslide. A spat between the Free Cities and the Severed Throne is spiraling out of control. A new player rises from the depths of history, fanning the flames that will sweep the entire region onto The Dragon's Path -- the path to war.

This is a fairly epic fantasy quintet by one of the duo who wrote the Expanse. It’s quite good!

[Smoove_B]

Amazon is clearly going for some comfortable nostalgia - the first book of the Finer's Stone Trilogy (Azure Bonds) is a $1.99 daily Kindle deal:

Her name is Alias, and she is in big trouble.
She is a sell-sword, a warrior-for-hire, and an adventuress. She awoke with a series of twisting, magical blue sigils inscribed on her arms and no memory of where she got them.
Determined to learn the nature of the mysterious tattoo, Alias joins forces with an unlikely group of companions: the halfling bard, Ruskettle, the southern mage, Akabar, and the oddly silent lizard-man, Dragonbait. With their help, she discovers that the symbols hold the key to her very existence.
But those responsible for the sigils aren't keen on Alias's continued good health. And if the five evil masters find her first, she may discover all too soon their hideous secret.

The book was the inspiration for the SSI Gold Box game and the D&D module Curse of the Azure Bonds.

[Defiant]

You may want to check your mail, as I received a random "$5 credit towards a wish list title" from Amazon. Except the odd things are: 1) the kindle title I got the credit for was not in my wish list (it probably was in the past, though) and 2) I *already* bought the title in the past, so the credit is kind of useless to me (it doesn't seem to be useable on any other book).

[YellowKing]

Amazon is clearly going for some comfortable nostalgia - the first book of the Finer's Stone Trilogy (Azure Bonds) is a $1.99 daily Kindle deal:

Grabbed it. I'm on a huge D&D nostalgia kick after picking up that huge Drizzt Humble Bundle.

[El Guapo]

Amazon is clearly going for some comfortable nostalgia - the first book of the Finer's Stone Trilogy (Azure Bonds) is a $1.99 daily Kindle deal:

Grabbed it. I'm on a huge D&D nostalgia kick after picking up that huge Drizzt Humble Bundle.

I read a *ton* of those D&D books back in middle school / high school. I also remember giving a book report on Azure Bonds back in 8th grade.

I wonder why I wasn't cooler.

[Smoove_B]

I know it's been a deal before and I picked it up because YK recommended it. Having just read it a few months ago I can completely endorse Boy's Life by Robert McCammon as a $1.99 deal of the day.

An Alabama boy’s innocence is shaken by murder and madness in the 1960s South in this novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of Swan Song.

It’s 1964 in idyllic Zephyr, Alabama. People either work for the paper mill up the Tecumseh River, or for the local dairy. It’s a simple life, but it stirs the impressionable imagination of twelve-year-old aspiring writer Cory Mackenson. He’s certain he’s sensed spirits whispering in the churchyard. He’s heard of the weird bootleggers who lurk in the dark outside of town. He’s seen a flood leave Main Street crawling with snakes. Cory thrills to all of it as only a young boy can.

Then one morning, while accompanying his father on his milk route, he sees a car careen off the road and slowly sink into fathomless Saxon’s Lake. His father dives into the icy water to rescue the driver, and finds a beaten corpse, naked and handcuffed to the steering wheel—a copper wire tightened around the stranger’s neck. In time, the townsfolk seem to forget all about the unsolved murder. But Cory and his father can’t.

Their search for the truth is a journey into a world where innocence and evil collide. What lies before them is the stuff of fear and awe, magic and madness, fantasy and reality. As Cory wades into the deep end of Zephyr and all its mysteries, he’ll discover that while the pleasures of childish things fade away, growing up can be a strange and beautiful ride.

“Strongly echoing the childhood-elegies of King and Bradbury, and every bit their equal,” Boy’s Life, a winner of both the Bram Stoker and World Fantasy Awards, represents a brilliant blend of mystery and rich atmosphere, the finest work of one of today’s most accomplished writers (Kirkus Reviews).

[YellowKing]

Thanks Smoove. I may pick that up for a re-read at some point. My tattered paperback copy has been long lost for a few years now.

[Z-Corn]

I've read probably 10 or 11 of Robert McCammon's books and I really liked all but one, Stinger.

That said, Boy's Life was my favorite.

[Smoove_B]

One of the Youtubers I watcher regularly was doing a feature on Weird West stuff, and he strongly recommended a series I'd never heard of - Merkabah Rider: High Planes Drifter - which just happens to be on sale for $0.99 on Kindle (I think for July). There's 3 more books in the series and they're all on sale for $3 (instead of $14 each) so I guess this might be a good time to get into them. What's the hook?

The last of an ancient order of Jewish mystics capable of extraplanar travel, The Merkabah Rider roams the demon haunted American West of 1879 in search of the renegade teacher who betrayed his enclave. But as the trail grows fresher, shadows gather, and The Hour Of The Incursion draws near... Four novella episodes in one book.

In a town hungry for blood, the Rider encounters a cult of Molech worshippers bent on human sacrifice('The Blood Libel'). A murderous, possessed gunman descends upon a mountain town, and only the Rider stands in his way ('Hell's Hired Gun'). A powerful ju ju man with powers rivalling the Rider's own holds a fledgling Mexican boomtown in his sway ('The Dust Devils'). Finally the Rider faces the Queen of Demons and a bordello full of antedelluvian succubi ('The Nightjar Women').

So yeah, insta-buy.

[Smoove_B]

In case you're thinking of hiding in a bunker (for some reason), this hit my radar today: Underground: A Human History of the Worlds Beneath Our Feet by Will Hunt is $1.99:

A fascinating look at the life and history—human and otherwise—of the world beneath our feet, Underground explores the strange relationship people have always had with the dark, hidden corners of the earth, simultaneously afraid of potential dangers and entranced by the possibility of unseen wonders. While Underground’s subterranean adventures through tunnels, catacombs, and other claustrophobia-inducing locales are worth the price of admission alone, it’s the voyages into topics that on the surface may appear wide-ranging—such as the biology of caves in South Dakota, the songlines of the Indigenous Australians, and the similarities between ancient dwellings in Turkey and ant nests—that upon closer inspection reveal a surprising degree of interconnectedness and ultimately take the book into uncharted territory. A captivating read, Underground is both informing and an invitation to further curiosity about the world around and under us all.

[Smoove_B]

There's a Sci-Fi and Fantasy promotion today (nothing that I haven't shared here before), but some random titles in my wishlist are also on sale:

The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian (Conan the Barbarian Book 1) by Robert E. Howard is $1.99 (no idea how long):

In a meteoric career that spanned a mere twelve years before his tragic suicide, Robert E. Howard single-handedly invented the genre that came to be called sword and sorcery. Collected in this volume, profusely illustrated by artist Mark Schultz, are Howard’s first thirteen Conan stories, appearing in their original versions–in some cases for the first time in more than seventy years–and in the order Howard wrote them. Along with classics of dark fantasy like “The Tower of the Elephant” and swashbuckling adventure like “Queen of the Black Coast,” The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian contains a wealth of material never before published in the United States, including the first submitted draft of Conan’s debut, “Phoenix on the Sword,” Howard’s synopses for “The Scarlet Citadel” and “Black Colossus,” and a map of Conan’s world drawn by the author himself.

Here are timeless tales featuring Conan the raw and dangerous youth, Conan the daring thief, Conan the swashbuckling pirate, and Conan the commander of armies. Here, too, is an unparalleled glimpse into the mind of a genius whose bold storytelling style has been imitated by many, yet equaled by none.

Doomsday Book: A Novel (Oxford Time Travel) by Connie Willis is also $1.99 (no idea how long):

Connie Willis labored five years on this story of a history student in 2048 who is transported to an English village in the 14th century. The student arrives mistakenly on the eve of the onset of the Black Plague. Her dealings with a family of "contemps" in 1348 and with her historian cohorts lead to complications as the book unfolds into a surprisingly dark, deep conclusion. The book, which won Hugo and Nebula Awards, draws upon Willis' understanding of the universalities of human nature to explore the ageless issues of evil, suffering and the indomitable will of the human spirit.

[YellowKing]

You can also grab the complete Conan collection for $4.99: This is the one I have: Complete Conan the Barbarian

[hitbyambulance]

F. Scott Fitzgerald _The Curious Case of Benjamin Button_ free on Kindle today:

[Pyperkub]

F. Scott Fitzgerald _The Curious Case of Benjamin Button_ free on Kindle today:

Thanks! Grabbed it!

[YellowKing]

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke for $1.99. Really enjoyed this one.

[ImLawBoy]

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke for $1.99. Really enjoyed this one.

It's long and leisurely paced, but it's a good story. Definitely worth two bucks.

[Smoove_B]

Keeping people on their toes, Dragons of Spring Dawning (Book 3 of the Dragonlance Chronicles) is a $1.99 today. Book 1 was a daily deal on 5/20. Books 2 and 4 (as far as I know) haven't been daily deals, but of course I'll keep watching. Certainly not the pinnacle of literature, but good comfort reading.

[YellowKing]

Keeping people on their toes, Dragons of Spring Dawning (Book 3 of the Dragonlance Chronicles) is a $1.99 today. Book 1 was a daily deal on 5/20. Books 2 and 4 (as far as I know) haven't been daily deals, but of course I'll keep watching. Certainly not the pinnacle of literature, but good comfort reading.

I've come full circle on these. I read them voraciously in high school, then went through a phase in my 20s and early 30s when I tried to re-read them and thought they were complete garbage. Now I've gone back to loving them again. Agree - it's literary junk food, but these are stressful times so why not.

[Defiant]

Superhero comics aren't my thing, but in case anyone's interested: Apparently a lot of Black Panther comic books (single issues, not collections) are currently free on Comixology (and it looks like some or all are also free for Kindle, but it's harder to search for comic series there). It looks like there are scores of free issues.

[Smoove_B]

I'm guessing it's being done in recognition of the new show announced on Netflix, but The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth's Past Book 1) is a $2.99 deal currently. Not sure for how long; might be all of September.

[ImLawBoy]

Not Kindle, but free:

Spoiler:

The University of Michigan Press recently announced “Dialogues in Democracy,” a collection of 25 free-to-read books that illustrate the core tensions in American political culture—core tensions that erupt every four years during the presidential election. http://myumi.ch/dOXOj

These books are "free to read" for the rest of the year. I haven't read any of them, so I make no claims as to whether they're any good for not. I think you actually have to read them through a browser (although maybe there's an app out there), but they're free so quit yer bitchin'.

[Smoove_B]

Book #1 is now back to full price, but Book 2 of Remembrance of Earth's Past The Dark Forest is currently $2.99. Not sure if it ends today or this month. Given the deal on the first book, I wouldn't wait.

[Smoove_B]

Fire and Blood by GRRM is a $3.99 deal for today:

Centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones, House Targaryen—the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria—took up residence on Dragonstone. Fire & Blood begins their tale with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror, creator of the Iron Throne, and goes on to recount the generations of Targaryens who fought to hold that iconic seat, all the way up to the civil war that nearly tore their dynasty apart.

What really happened during the Dance of the Dragons? Why was it so deadly to visit Valyria after the Doom? What were Maegor the Cruel’s worst crimes? What was it like in Westeros when dragons ruled the skies? These are but a few of the questions answered in this essential chronicle, as related by a learned maester of the Citadel and featuring more than eighty all-new black-and-white illustrations by artist Doug Wheatley. Readers have glimpsed small parts of this narrative in such volumes as The World of Ice & Fire, but now, for the first time, the full tapestry of Targaryen history is revealed.

With all the scope and grandeur of Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Fire & Blood is the the first volume of the definitive two-part history of the Targaryens, giving readers a whole new appreciation for the dynamic, often bloody, and always fascinating history of Westeros.

[YellowKing]

Humble Bundle has a huge R.A. Salvatore e-book bundle that you don't want to miss. It contains a slight overlap at the $1 tier with their previous Drizzt bundle, but otherwise includes a ton of new stuff. They are in PDF or EPUB format, but you can use a converter to convert .epub to .mobi and send them to your Kindle.

R.A. Salvatore Showcase Bundle

[Smoove_B]

One of the Youtubers I watcher regularly was doing a feature on Weird West stuff, and he strongly recommended a series I'd never heard of - Merkabah Rider: High Planes Drifter - which just happens to be on sale for $0.99 on Kindle (I think for July). There's 3 more books in the series and they're all on sale for $3 (instead of $14 each) so I guess this might be a good time to get into them. What's the hook?

The last of an ancient order of Jewish mystics capable of extraplanar travel, The Merkabah Rider roams the demon haunted American West of 1879 in search of the renegade teacher who betrayed his enclave. But as the trail grows fresher, shadows gather, and The Hour Of The Incursion draws near... Four novella episodes in one book.

In a town hungry for blood, the Rider encounters a cult of Molech worshippers bent on human sacrifice('The Blood Libel'). A murderous, possessed gunman descends upon a mountain town, and only the Rider stands in his way ('Hell's Hired Gun'). A powerful ju ju man with powers rivalling the Rider's own holds a fledgling Mexican boomtown in his sway ('The Dust Devils'). Finally the Rider faces the Queen of Demons and a bordello full of antedelluvian succubi ('The Nightjar Women').

So yeah, insta-buy.

This book was fantastic and it's still $0.99 - would strongly recommend. And because I'm currently on a weird-west kick, The Six Gun Tarot is a $2.99 deal for today (book 1 of 4, with #4 released earlier this month).

Six-Gun Tarot is the first book in the twisted weird west world of the Golgotha series by R.S. Belcher.
Nevada, 1869: Beyond the pitiless 40-Mile Desert lies Golgotha, a cattle town that hides more than its share of unnatural secrets. The sheriff bears the mark of the noose around his neck; some say he is a dead man whose time has not yet come. His half-human deputy is kin to coyotes. The mayor guards a hoard of mythical treasures. A banker's wife belongs to a secret order of assassins. And a shady saloon owner, whose fingers are in everyone's business, may know more about the town's true origins than he's letting on.

A haven for the blessed and the damned, Golgotha has known many strange events, but nothing like the primordial darkness stirring in the abandoned silver mine overlooking the town. Bleeding midnight, an ancient evil is spilling into the world, and unless the sheriff and his posse can saddle up in time, Golgotha will have seen its last dawn…and so will all of Creation.

R.S. Belcher's The Six-Gun Tarot is "an astonishing blend of first-rate steampunk fantasy and Western adventure." (Library Journal, Starred Review)

[Smoove_B]

I'm a huge fan of Demon in the Freezer and The Hot Zone, so I'm not sure how I missed Crisis in the Red Zone by Richard Preston from the summer of 2019, but it's a $2.99 deal for today:

Crisis in the Red Zone makes clear that the outbreak of 2013–2014 is a harbinger of further, more severe outbreaks, and of emerging viruses heretofore unimagined—in any country, on any continent. In our ever more interconnected world, with roads and towns cut deep into the jungles of equatorial Africa, viruses both familiar and undiscovered are being unleashed into more densely populated areas than ever before.

The more we discover about the virosphere, the more we realize its deadly potential. Crisis in the Red Zone is an exquisitely timely book, a stark warning of viral outbreaks to come.

Can you even imagine what a global virus outbreak would look like? I wonder how we'd deal with that, particularly in America.

[stessier]

NK Jemisin - The Inheritance Trilogy is on super sale for $2.99. I haven't read these, but I read the Broken Earth trilogy and really liked it and $3 for 3 books is a good bargain.