|
Fantasy and Science Fiction August 2018
|
|
|
|
| Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin HearneOnce upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, a hero, the Chosen One, was born . . . and so begins every fairy tale ever told.
This is not that fairy tale.
There is a Chosen One, but he is unlike any One who has ever been Chosened. And there is a faraway kingdom, but you have never been to a magical world quite like the land of Pell.
There, a plucky farm boy will find more than he’s bargained for on his quest to awaken the sleeping princess in her cursed tower. First there’s the Dark Lord, who wishes for the boy’s untimely death . . . and also very fine cheese. Then there’s a bard without a song in her heart but with a very adorable and fuzzy tail, an assassin who fears not the night but is terrified of chickens, and a mighty fighter more frightened of her sword than of her chain-mail bikini. This journey will lead to sinister umlauts, a trash-talking goat, the Dread Necromancer Steve, and a strange and wondrous journey to the most peculiar “happily ever after” that ever once-upon-a-timed. |
|
| The Robots of Gotham by Todd McAultyAfter long years of war, the United States has sued for peace, yielding to a brutal coalition of nations ruled by fascist machines. One quarter of the country is under foreign occupation. Manhattan has been annexed by a weird robot monarchy, and in Tennessee, a permanent peace is being delicately negotiated between the battered remnants of the U.S. government and an envoy of implacable machines.
Canadian businessman Barry Simcoe arrives in occupied Chicago days before his hotel is attacked by a rogue war machine. In the aftermath, he meets a dedicated Russian medic with the occupying army, and 19 Black Winter, a badly damaged robot. Together they stumble on a machine conspiracy to unleash a horrific plague—and learn that the fabled American resistance is not as extinct as everyone believes. Simcoe races against time to prevent the extermination of all life on the continent . . . and uncover a secret that America’s machine conquerors are desperate to keep hidden. |
|
|
Before the Storm
by Christie Golden
Azeroth is dying. The Horde and the Alliance defeated the demonic Burning Legion, but a dire catastrophe is unfolding deep below the surface of the world. There is a mortal wound in the heart of Azeroth, struck by the sword of the fallen titan Sargeras in a final act of cruelty.
For Anduin Wrynn, king of Stormwind, and Sylvanas Windrunner, warchief of the Horde and queen of the Forsaken, there is little time to rebuild what remains and even less to mourn what was lost. Azeroth’s devastating wound has revealed a mysterious material known as Azerite. In the right hands, this strange golden substance is capable of incredible feats of creation; in the wrong ones, it could bring forth unthinkable destruction.
As Alliance and Horde forces race to uncover the secrets of Azerite and heal the wounded world, Anduin enacts a desperate plan aimed at forging a lasting peace between the factions. Azerite jeopardizes the balance of power, and so Anduin must gain the trust of Sylvanas. But, as ever, the Dark Lady has her own machinations.
For peace to be possible, generations of bloodshed and hatred must be brought to an end. But there are truths that neither side is willing to accept and ambitions they are loath to relinquish. As Alliance and Horde alike grasp for the Azerite’s power, their simmering conflict threatens to reignite all-out war—a war that would spell doom for Azeroth.
|
|
|
The Calculating Stars
by Mary Robinette Kowal
On a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington D.C. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render the earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space, and requires a much larger share of humanity to take part in the process.
Elma York’s experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition’s attempts to put man on the moon, as a calculator. But with so many skilled and experienced women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn’t take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can’t go into space, too.
Elma’s drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions of society may not stand a chance against her.
|
|
Focus on: Speculative Thrillers
|
|
| Dark Matter: A Novel by Blake CrouchAn expert in quantum superposition who (reluctantly) traded research for teaching, physicist Jason Dessen sometimes wonders about the road not taken. Then he wakes up in a life that's not the one he remembers...
You might also like Peter Clines' The Fold or David Walton's Superposition, both of which feature ordinary men forced to contend with alternate realities. |
|
| The Eternal World by Christopher FarnsworthThen: In 1537, Spanish conquistador Simon de Oliveras and his men slaughtered the Water Clan of the Uzita in order to take control the Fountain of Youth.
Now: The Fountain's waters are drying up and immortal Simon, CEO of Conquest Biotech, hires David Robinton to reverse-engineer them.
Soon: Both men find themselves in over their heads as an old adversary of Simon's pursues supernatural vengeance. |
|
| Zero World by Jason M. HoughThanks to his brain implant, cyborg spy Peter Caswell conducts clandestine missions -- and immediately forgets what he's done. (Which could be a problem.)
This novel "smashes The Bourne Identity together with The End of Eternity to create a thrilling action rampage" (Publishers Weekly, starred review). |
|
| Touch by Claire NorthA mind-bending revenge thriller narrated by the enigmatic Kepler, who can inhabit other people's bodies and kill with a touch.
"The high stakes and breakneck pace of the plot will draw readers in" (Kirkus Reviews). |
|
| Change Agent by Daniel SuarezIntroducing Interpol agent Kenneth Durand, from the Genetic Crime Division, who's been injected with a DNA-altering "change agent" that transforms him into his nemesis: crime lord Marcus Wyckes.
On the run from his own men, Kenneth is willing to brave a risky back-alley reverse gene edit to get his life back.
Entertaining and high-tech, this futuristic thriller should please fans of the late Michael Crichton. |
|
Contact the Library for more great titles! |
|
|
|
|
|