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Fantasy and Science Fiction November 2018
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| Kill the Queen: A Crown of Shards Novel by Jennifer EstepIntroducing: Everleigh "Evie" Blair, who's 17th in line for the throne of Bellona.
What happens: After one of her cousins massacres the rest of the royal family, Evie takes refuge at a gladiatorial school...where she'll begin her quest for revenge.
Author alert: Best known for her Elemental Assassin novels, urban fantasy writer Jennifer Estep ventures into epic fantasy in this 1st book in the Crown of Shards series. |
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| Salvation by Peter F. HamiltonIntroducing: the Assessment Team, dispatched to investigate an alien shipwreck (and its highly sensitive cargo) on a distant planet.
What sets it apart: Best known for his sprawling Commonwealth Universe, author Peter F. Hamilton builds a space-faring civilization from scratch in this opening installment of the Salvation Sequence.
For fans of: the Decameron-inspired structure of Dan Simmons' Hyperion, the child soldiers of Ender's Game, and the adventure novels of Clive Cussler. |
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| Time's Convert by Deborah HarknessThen: Eighteenth-century surgeon Marcus MacNeil joined the Continental Army, met vampire Matthew de Clermont, and took the plunge into immortality.
Now: Marcus is engaged to mortal Phoebe Taylor, who has agreed to undergo the dangerous transition to vampire prior to their marriage.
Spinoff alert: Fans of Deborah Harkness' All Souls Trilogy (beginning with A Discovery of Witches) will enjoy catching up with Matthew, Diana, and their precocious twins. |
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| Zero Sum Game by S.L. HuangWhat it's about: Mercenary Cas Russell's mathematical abilities are practically superpowers. Her kryptonite? Telepaths, who possess the power to throw off her calculations by warping her perceptions of reality.
Why you might like it: In addition to its intriguing antiheroine, this fast-paced SF thriller promises -- and delivers -- plenty of action.
Want a taste? "I trusted one person in the entire world. He was currently punching me in the face." |
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| The Stars Now Unclaimed by Drew WilliamsWhat happens: An agent of the Justified sect recruits gifted teens from worlds destroyed by the Pulse, attempting to stay ahead of rival sect Pax.
Read it for: a sarcastic lead, an action-packed plot, and detailed world-building.
Reviewers say: This 1st book in the Universe After series combines the "strong characterizations of Firefly, the space battles of The Expanse, and a tip of the motion scanner to Aliens" (Booklist). |
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City of Miracles: A Novel
by Robert Jackson Bennett
Fantasy. This concluding volume of the Divine Cities trilogy focuses on supporting character Sigrud je Harkvaldsson, who sets out on a quest and discovers a conspiracy. To say more would give away too much, but series fans will enjoy discovering the aging (but still lethal) warrior's hidden depths. To experience the full effect of this series' well-drawn characters, complex plot, and meticulous world-building, start with City of Stairs, followed by City of Blades.
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| Waypoint Kangaroo by Curtis C. ChenThe premise: More Maxwell Smart than James Bond, spy Kangaroo -- named for his extra-dimensional pouch that allows him to retrieve objects from other universes -- has bungled yet another mission, prompting his superiors to send him on a mandatory "vacation" to Mars aboard a luxury cruise ship.
What to expect: Spy-versus-spy action, a shipboard murder mystery, and a vast interplanetary conspiracy.
You might also like: With its snarky protagonist and futuristic tradecraft, this debut novel (and its sequel, Kangaroo Too) may appeal to fans of Charles Stross' Laundry Files. |
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A Darker Shade of Magic
by V.E. Schwab
Fantasy. Red London is rife with magic. Grey London has none at all. White London may soon destroy itself in its attempts to steal the powers of its rivals. (And Black London? Well, that city no longer exists except as a cautionary tale to magic abusers.) Traveling between these very different dimensions is Kell, ambassador for Red London's royal family. However, unbeknownst to his employers, he's also a smuggler, transporting forbidden artifacts from one world to the next. What happens when his illicit activities land him in serious trouble? This trilogy opener continues with A Gathering of Shadows and A Conjuring of Light.
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All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries
by Martha Wells
SF. "As a heartless killing machine, I was a terrible failure," confesses the AI narrator of this fast-paced SF adventure. After hacking its own governor module and overriding its programming, security droid "Murderbot" ends up saving lives instead of ending them -- but only because letting all the humans die would interfere with its favorite activity: binge-watching some 35,000 hours' worth of entertainment media. All Systems Red's snarky protagonist and suspenseful, action-packed plot should have readers eagerly anticipating future installments of the Murderbot Diaries.
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| At the Table of Wolves by Kay KenyonWhat it's about: At the end of the Great War came the "bloom" and, with it, paranormal abilities in the form of "Talents." Now it's 1936 and England is on the verge of war with Germany. Kim Tavistock's Talent, the "spill," causes others to confide their secrets to her, making her an ideal spy.
Try this next: For another WWII-era historical fantasy featuring espionage and super-powered individuals, try Ian Tregillis' Milkweed Triptych, which begins with Bitter Seeds. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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