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Fantasy and Science Fiction December 2017
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| The City of Brass by S.A. ChakrabortyHistorical Fantasy. When healer Nahri awakens a hostile ifrit during an exorcism, she also unwittingly summons Dara, a daeva (djinn) who -- recognizing her djinn heritage -- transports her from the streets of Ottoman Cairo to the fabled city of Daevabad, where her presence exacerbates tensions between full-blooded daeva and half-human shafits. This compelling debut, which draws on Middle Eastern history and folklore, plunges readers into a vividly drawn world of conflicted family loyalties and political intrigue. |
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| Jade City by Fonda LeeEpic Fantasy. In this action-packed series opener, Green Bone warriors use the magic-enhancing powers of jade to protect their island nation of Kekon and its capital, Janloon. But times are changing, as rival syndicates headed by the feuding Ayt and Kaul families go to extreme lengths to consolidate their power and gain control of the city. Detailed world-building and exciting martial-arts battles enhance this gritty crime drama, which takes place in an East Asia-inspired fantasy world. |
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| The Beautiful Ones: A Novel by Silvia Moreno-GarciaFantasy. During her Grand Season, debutante Antonina "Nina" Beaulieu, whose telekinesis embarrasses her aristocratic family, eschews suitable suitors in favor of charismatic entertainer Hector Auvray. But Hector still yearns for an old flame, Nina's cousin Valérie. Melodrama ensues as the three become embroiled in a love triangle. With its understated magic, atmospheric setting, and romantic intrigue, The Beautiful Ones may appeal to fans of Mary Robinette Kowal's Glamourist Histories or Silvia Izzo Hunter's Noctis Magicae series. |
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| Creatures of Will and Temper by Molly TanzerHistorical Fantasy. In this lush homage to Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, sisters Dorina and Evadne Gray travel to London to stay with their Uncle Basil, a painter mourning the death of his lover. Aesthete Dorina soon falls under the spell of Lady Henrietta Wotton, while fencing enthusiast Evadne finds a new salle and, with it, insight into London's occult circles. Readers who enjoy Creatures of Will and Temper's Victorian world of supernatural mysteries and secret societies may also enjoy Adam McOmber's The White Forest. |
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| Artemis by Andy WeirSF. Burdened by debt and hampered by poor job prospects, courier Jazz Bashara can't earn enough to get ahead in the (expensive) lunar city of Artemis -- even with a lucrative sideline in smuggling. So when a wealthy businessman makes her an offer she can't refuse, she doesn't. Hired to carry out an act of industrial sabotage, Jazz soon finds herself in over her head. Don't miss this fast-paced SF caper novel by the author of The Martian. |
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Books You May Have Missed
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| The Wanderers by Meg HowreySF. Private aerospace company Prime Space Systems Laboratory has selected three astronauts for its planned mission to Mars. As part of their training, Helen Kane, Sergei Kuznetsov, and Yoshihiro Tanaka take part in Eidolon, a 17-month mission simulation in the Utah desert that will test their physical and psychological fitness -- not to mention their relationships with the loved ones they've left behind. For another introspective literary SF novel about astronauts and their complicated personal lives, try Jaroslav Kalfar's Spaceman of Bohemia. |
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| The Stars are Legion by Kameron HurleySpace Opera. Amnesiac Zan is a prisoner, although her family insists that it's for her own good. They also claim that she represents their best hope for saving the Legion, their dying civilization of "world-ships." Yet Zan can't shake the feeling she's been here before, and that her family isn't really her family. Flawed characters and inventive world-building make this novel a good bet for fans of Iain M. Banks' Culture novels. |
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| Red Sister by Mark LawrenceFantasy. Sentenced to death for a crime she didn't commit, nine-year-old Nona receives a last-minute reprieve when the Abbess of the Convent of Sweet Mercy selects her as an apprentice. As Nona embarks on a grueling regimen known as "the Path", her unusual abilities come to light. If you enjoy this 1st book in the Book of the Ancestor series, (followed by Grey Sister), you may also want to check out Jay Kristoff's Nevernight Chronicle, which also features a young woman who joins a religious order dedicated to martial arts training. |
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| The End of the Day by Claire NorthContemporary Fantasy. As the Harbinger of Death, Charlie visits people before they die. Charlie, an ordinary bloke hired to do a very unusual job, enjoys his work but also wonders why he's been chosen. Unfolding in lyrical vignettes that build to a thought-provoking conclusion, this offbeat novel combines the premise of Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series and the gentle melancholy of Steven Sherril's Minotaur novels. |
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| The Collapsing Empire by John ScalziSpace Opera. The discovery of an extradimensional field known as the Flow made faster-than-light travel possible. Now, disruptions in the Flow threaten the stability of the Interdependency, a collection of human-colonized worlds that joined together to form a vast interstellar trade network. But while some are determined to prevent this catastrophe, others see opportunities for personal gain. This sprawling, intricately plotted novel by bestselling SF author John Scalzi is the opening installment of a planned series. |
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