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Fantasy and Science Fiction January 2020
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A Hero Born by Yong JinWhat it is: A fantastical generational saga and kung fu epic, A Hero Born is the classic novel of its time, stretching from the Song Empire (China 1200 AD) to the appearance of a warlord whose name will endure for eternity: Genghis Khan. What happens: After his father--a devoted Song patriot--is murdered by the Jin empire, Guo Jing and his mother flee to the plains of Ghengis Khan and his people for refuge. For one day he must face his mortal enemy in battle in the Garden of the Drunken Immortals. Series alert: This is the debut title in the Legends of the Condor Heroes series. The second book in the series, A Bond Undone, will be published in March 2020.
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The Nightjar by Deborah HewittWhat it is: a stunning contemporary fantasy debut about another London, a magical world hidden behind the bustling modern city. What happens: Alice Wyndham has been plagued by visions of birds her whole life...until the mysterious Crowley reveals that Alice is an aviarist capable of seeing nightjars, magical birds that guard human souls. But a faction intent on annihilating magic users will stop at nothing to destroy the new aviarist. Peer praise: "I thoroughly enjoyed this. The compelling plot and original mythological elements kept me gripped. And here's to more from the author, as I need to see some of these mysteries resolved." --Genevieve Cogman, author of the Invisible Library series.
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| Anyone by Charles SouleWhat happens: An accidental scientific breakthrough sets off a seismic societal shift as consciousness-transfer (i.e. body swapping) becomes an integral part of life for many (but not all) people.
For fans of: the twisty, dual-timeline narrative of Blake Crouch's SF thriller Recursion.
Media buzz: a TV adaptation is already in the works, courtesy of the people who brought you Downton Abbey. |
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| Realm of Ash by Tasha SuriWhat it's about: After a lifetime of concealing the magic she inherited from her Amrithi mother, widowed Ambhan noblewoman Arwa must come to terms with her heritage while working with a disgraced Prince to lift a magical curse that afflicts the Empire.
Read it for: a quest carried out amid courtly intrigue, a tender romance, and an immersive setting inspired by India's Mughal empire.
Can you start here? Although this 2nd novel in the Books of Ambha series stands on its own, the story refers often to events that occurred in Empire of Sand (in which Arwa plays a supporting role). |
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| Dead Astronauts by Jeff VanderMeerWhat happens: a trio of time-traveling astronauts -- both alive and dead, human and not -- attempt to destroy a sinister corporate entity known as the Company across a dizzying array of realities.
Is it for you? Although Dead Astronauts shares a setting with Borne and The Strange Bird, this stand-alone novel takes a more experimental approach to its prose style and narrative structure.
Reviewers say: "a kaleidoscopic and fractured mosaic" (NPR). |
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| Westside by W.M. AkersA divided city: A 13-mile fence separates 1921 New York's affluent "Eastside" from the impoverished "Westside," where people disappear en masse while the landscape around them shifts.
An unusual detective: Gilda Carr, whose specialty is "tiny mysteries." Hired to locate a missing glove, Gilda follows a trail that leads to murder, corruption, and ancient magic.
Want a taste? "I answer the little questions...I solve the mysteries that spoil marriages, ruin friendships, and curdle joy. A murder is a dull thing. It simply ends a life. Tiny mysteries destroy us." |
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The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas What it's about: The granddaughter of a noted time-travel scientist is alarmed when she receives a mysterious newspaper clipping from the future reporting the murder of a woman who just may be her. Who might enjoy it: fans of Naomi Alderman's The Power and Margot Lee Shetterly's Hidden Figures. Reviewers say: " Intricately plotted . . . The story unfolds in a captivating way, and fascinating suggestions are made about the effects of time travel." -- Publisher's Weekly
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| The Wolves of Winter by Tyrell JohnsonIn a world... where the one-two punch of nuclear war and a global pandemic has brought about the apocalypse, 23-year-old Lynn McBride and her family establish a remote settlement in the Canadian Yukon.
What happens next: Lynn's hardscrabble but predictable life is upended by the unexpected arrival of Jax, a mysterious stranger pursued by a sinister quasi-governmental agency.
For fans of: post-apocalyptic wilderness survival stories such as Waubgeshig Rice's Moon of the Crusted Snow, Marcel Theroux's Far North or Beth Lewis' The Wolf Road. |
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| The Luminous Dead by Caitlin StarlingWhat it's about: Having lied about her credentials to secure a coveted slot on a cavern-mapping expedition, Gyre Price discovers that her employers haven't been entirely honest with her, either.
Nevertheless... Gyre's survival depends on her "topside" handler, Em, who reveals little about herself beyond her ability to control every aspect of Gyre's life-sustaining high-tech caving suit.
Is it for you? Part psychological thriller, part horror-tinged SF, this debut introduces a pair of flawed protagonists whose complicated relationship develops against a creepy, claustrophobic subterranean backdrop. |
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| Emily Eternal by M.G. WheatonWhat it is: a coming-of-age story narrated by Emily, an artificial consciousness created in a lab to help humans process trauma.
What happens: An inconvenient crush, an impending apocalypse, and a race against time to save humanity make Emily's job exponentially more difficult.
Read it for: a complex AI protagonist who embodies many of the ethical dilemmas surrounding the development of artificial intelligence. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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