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Fantasy and Science Fiction June 2018
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| The Poppy War by R.F. KuangWhat it’s about: In this historical military fantasy, dark-skinned war orphan Rin surprises everyone when she aces the entrance exam for Sinegard, the most revered military academy in all of Nikan. Will her discovery that she has shamanic powers help her prove to herself and her classmates that she’s worthy of her place?
Why you might like it: Punctuated with mysticism, treachery, and martial arts, this debut novel (the (the first in a planned trilogy) is inspired by real events in 20th-century China. |
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The Soldier: Rise of Jain by Neal AsherWelcome to: the first book in British science fiction writer Neal Asher's new Polity-based trilogy, which contains a mind-melting plot filled with far-future technology, lethal weaponry, and bizarre alien creations. Introducing: Orlandine, a part-human, part-AI haiman, and Dragon, a mysterious, spaceship-sized alien entity, who are put in charge of an accretion disc, a solar system designed by the long-dead Jain race and swarming with living technology powerful enough to destroy entire civilizations.
What reviewers say: "With mind-blowing complexity, characters, and combat, Asher's work continues to combine the best of advanced cybertech and military SF." ~ Publisher's Weekly
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King of Ashes by Raymond E FeistWhat it's about: Drawing from events in medieval history and the legend of King Arthur, King of Ashes describes the events leading up to the war between five kings. Starring: two young men - an unknowing rightful heir to a throne and a brilliantly talented young swordsmith - discover that their fates, and that of their kingdom, are entwined, and whose choices will determine a world’s destiny. What reviewers say: "A delightful fantasy novel, full of simple magic, fighting, political intrigue, and religious strife.” ~ Booklist
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Blood Orbit by K. R. RichardsonIntroducing: Eric Matheson, an idealistic rookie cop trying to break free from his powerful family and Chief Investigating Forensic Officer Inspector J. P. Dillal, the first cybernetically enhanced investigator in the corrupt capital city of Gattis. Why you might like it: This SF police procedural pairs two very different investigators as they attempt to solve a mass murder, regardless of the consequences. The deeper they dig, the more dangerous the investigation becomes. But in a system where the cops enforce corporate will, instead of the law, the solution could expose Gattis's most shocking secrets and cost thousands of lives--including their own. Did you know: K.R. Richardson has also written the Greywalker Urban Fantasy series under the name Kat Richardson?
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| Song of Blood and Stone by L. PenelopeStarring: outcast Jasminda, thrown out of Elsira because of her gift of Earthsong; and injured spy Jack, whom Jasminda heals with her voice and then partners with to save her homeland.
Is it for you? This epic fantasy, which is inspired by Native American and African mythologies, is for readers who like stories with romantic elements.
You might also like: N.K. Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, which also features a strong-willed female heroine. |
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FranOne Way by S. J. MordenWhat it's about: Andy Weir's The Martian meets Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None in this edge-of-your-seat science fiction thriller about one man's fight for survival on a planet where everyone's a killer.
Starring: Frank Kittridge, who is serving a life sentence for murdering his son's drug dealer. When Frank is offered a deal by Xenosystems Operations, he jumps at the chance to help build the first permanent base on Mars with other convicts.
What happens: As the convicts set to work on the frozen wasteland of Mars, the accidents multiply, until Frank begins to suspect they might not be accidents at all . . . Soundbite: Eight astronauts. One killer. No way home.
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A Gathering of Ravens by Scott OdenIntroducing: Grimnir, last of the giants called kaunar, is on a mission for vengeance several centuries in the making against the Dane who killed his brother. What happens: Taking a young Christian woman hostage to be his guide, Grimnir embarks on a journey that takes him from the hinterlands of Denmark, where the wisdom of the ancient dwarves has given way to madness, to the war-torn heart of southern England; and thence to the green shores of Ireland and the Viking stronghold of Dubhlinn, where his enemy awaits. What reviewers say: "Oden mixes an exciting and vibrant narrative with a wealth of historical detail to bring Grimnir and his world to life, providing the reader with a satisfying and rewarding experience." ~Booklist
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What it's about: An apocalyptic future in which an epidemic dubbed the Forgetting robs large swaths of the world's population of their shadows and memories - causing them to work dangerous magic. Why you might like it: Like The Passage and Station Eleven, this haunting, thought-provoking, and beautiful novel explores fundamental questions of memory, connection, and what it means to be human in a world turned upside down. What reviewers say: "Shepherd's near-future debut flashes between the early days of the Forgetting epidemic and the current story of the characters trying to escape it. Eerie, dark, and compelling, this will not disappoint" fans of literary dystopian novels. ~ Booklist
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| The Last Days of New Paris: A Novella by China MiévilleWhat it’s about: In 1941, a surrealist bomb explodes in Nazi-occupied Paris. A year later, Parisians and Nazis are fighting for control of the city, now known as New Paris, while “manifs” -- physical realizations of surrealist paintings -- are loose on the streets, creating their own bizarre chaos.
Read it for: an imaginative coupling of art history and speculative fiction. What the reviews say: "The Last Days of New Paris is a brief vacation in alien latitudes, a midnight layover in an imaginary place." ~ NPR |
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Starring: recent college graduate and demon, Bailey Chen, and her an old high school friend, Zane, who hunt evil creatures by night with magically-mixed cocktails that grant the imbiber superpowers. Reviewers say: "This action-packed first novel serves smooth sips of new adult angst with a twist of humor." ~ Library Journal Why you might like it: Includes cocktail recipes!
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| Last Year by Robert Charles WilsonWhat it's about: Jesse Cullen lives in 1870s Ohio; the woman he loves is from the 21st century. Both are involved with the City of Futurity, a metropolis built by time travelers to give 19th-century tourists a (selective) glimpse of the future. However, the word on the street is that the portal connecting Futurity and the world of the time travelers is about to close forever.
You might also like: the time-travel classic The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. |
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| The Last Policeman by Ben H. WintersWhat it’s about: In just six months, Earth will be destroyed by an unavoidable asteroid. Although some people see little point in doing much of anything anymore, New Hampshire homicide detective Hank Palace doggedly keeps at it, hoping to bring a killer to justice.
Is it for you? For anyone looking for something a bit different, this police procedural science fiction story fits the bill perfectly.
Series alert: This is the intricately plotted first book in a trilogy, followed by Countdown City and World of Trouble. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Carrollton Public Library 1700 Keller Springs Road, Carrollton Texas 75006 4220 North Josey Lane, Carrollton Texas 75010 |
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