Wondering what to get that avid reader on your list?  Here’s my guide to the best 2011 has to offer in Science Fiction, Fantasy and Mystery.  It was a hard list to narrow down, but I promise the book worms on your list will not be disappointed!

The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett

This is an incredible first novel by Peter V. Brett that plunges the reader into a world where fear of the dark is not just for children anymore.   Corelings, demon-like creatures from the core of the earth, rise with the darkness each night, their only goal to kill all humankind.  The Warded Man richly detailed and sweeps the reader along with the characters through fear and loss, triumphs small and large, and most of all their driving need to change something in their world.  Book two in the series The Desert Spear is also available and amazing trumps the first book for detail and character development!  I recommend getting both books at the same time because when you reach the end of The Warded Man you’ll be reaching for The Desert Spear right away!

The Black Prism by Brent Weeks

Book one in the new Lightbringer series by bestselling author Brent Weeks, The Black Prism creates a unique new world where color is the magic of the realm.  The Black Prism is a rollercoaster of intrigues and plot twists that I dare even the most seasoned reader to predict!  Gavin, the all-powerful Prism, and his newly discovered bastard son Kip join a host of inimitable characters that will have you turning pages so fast you’ll swear it couldn’t possibly be 640 pages long. When you’ve finished The Black Prism and find yourself pulling out your hair realizing that book two is still months away, you can placate yourself with Brent’s first series The Night Angel Trilogy now available in a box set!  Check back to ComicsOnline soon to win a signed 1^st edition hardcover of The Black Prism!

The Vision Quest Series by Deborah M. Pratt

This young adult series is the first foray into science fiction/fantasy for author Deborah M. Pratt, former Co-Producer and writer for the TV series Quantum Leap.   The now three book series consists of TheAge of Light, The Odyssey, and The Secret of the Celians.  Set in the near future, where humans have just begun to rediscover powers that they had lost long ago.  To accompany the wonderfully written and engaging series, Deborah has created an interactive virtual world, encouraging her readers to create characters in the world, and going so far as to integrate some reader-created characters into her third book!  Enjoyable for young adults and adults alike, The Vision Quest Series is an inspiration for the future of humankind.  Check back with ComicsOnline soon to see my video interview with Deborah!  You can check out The Vision Quest Series virtual world at: http://www.thevisionquest.com/

Death’s Heretic by James L. Sutter

Written by James L. Sutter, co-creator of the Pathfinder RPG and Fiction Editor for Paizo Publishing, Death’s Heretic is James’s first full length novel.  Part of the Pathfinder Tales series, Death’s Heretic is the tale of Salim, who is reluctantly bound to the goddess of death and forced to hunt down those who would try to escape death.  James weaves a magnificent tale that transports the reader around the Pathfinder multiverse as Salim tries to unravel the mystery of a soul kidnapped between death and the afterlife.  If you enjoy Death’s Heretic (and you will!) be sure to check out some of the other Pathfinder Tales like Prince of Wolves by Dave Gross and Winter Witch by Elaine Cunningham.  Check back with ComicsOnline soon to win a signed 1^st edition of Death’s Heretic!

The Devil Colony by James Rollins

Bestselling author James Rollins newest Sigma Force novel The Devil Colony is a fast paced mystery that mixes American history with modern physics, tossing in some infighting between intelligence agencies and tensions between the American government and the Native Americans.  Throw in a greedy lust for gold just for good measure, and Sigma Force members Painter Crowe and Gray Pierce are in for the ride of their lives.  The Devil Colony is in my opinion the best of the Sigma Force series so far!  From the only author to plausibly comingle evolution and intelligent design (read The Black Order), The Devil Colony is a must read!