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Fantasy and Science Fiction July 2020
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The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison Starring: consulting detective Crow, an angel, and his (sort-of) human assistant Dr. J.H. Doyle, who solve mysteries together in an alternate Victorian London inhabited by supernatural beings.
For fans of: wingfic, Sherlockiana, and Ripperology.
About the author: Katherine Addison (the pen name of writer Sarah Monette) is the author of The Goblin Emperor. | |
Penric's travels
by
Lois McMaster Bujold
"Penric's Mission Learned Penric, a sorcerer and divine of the Bastard's Order, has faced danger and intrigue many times before. Now, he finds himself on his first covert diplomatic mission. Penric must travel across the sea to Cedona in an attempt to secure the services of the Cedonia General Arisaydia for the Duke of Adria. But nothing is as it seems. No sooner than he has arrived, Penric finds himself tossed into a dungeon. If Penric is to survive, he'll have to navigate treacherous politics-and his own feelings for the young widowed sister of the General. Mira's Last Dance Penric, suffering from injuries attained while escaping from the Cedonian dungeon in which he was imprisoned, must now guide General Arisaydia and his widowed sister, Nikys, acrossthe last hundred miles of hostile Cedonia to safety in the Duchy of Orbas. In the town of Sosie, the fugitive party encounters unexpected delays, and even more unexpected opportunities and hazards, as the courtesan Mira of Adria, one of the ten dead women whose imprints make up the personality of the chaos demon Desdemona, comes to the fore with her own special expertise. The Prisoner of Limnos Penric and Nikys have reached safety in the Duchy of Orbas when a secret letter from a friend brings frightening news: Nikys's mother has been taken hostage by her brother's enemies at the Cedonian imperial court and confined in a precarious island sanctuary. Now, Nikys, Penric, and Desdemona must infiltrate the hostile country once more, finding along the way that family relationships can be as unexpectedly challenging as any rescue scheme"
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The Last Human
by
Zack Jordan
Hiding her feared human identity while living among hundreds of alien species roaming the corridors of Watertower Station, a lone survivor struggles to understand why humans were destroyed, before a bounty hunter reveals harrowing truths.
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The Last Emperox
by
John Scalzi
What it is: the conclusion to the Interdependency trilogy, which began with The Collapsing Empire and The Consuming Fire.
What happens: Emperox Grayland II fends off usurpers while her lover, Lord Marce Claremont, works to prevent the collapse of the Flow, the mode of interstellar travel on which their society depends.
Reviewers say: This fast-moving political space opera is "punchy, plausible, and bittersweet; studded with zingers until the very last line" (Kirkus Reviews).
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Rule by Rowenna Miller What it is: The conclusion of the Unraveled Kingdom series, after Torn and Fray.
Starring: Sophie Balstrade, milliner, charm caster, and reluctant revolutionary, who fights for the Reformist side in Galitha's ongoing civil war alongside both her brother and her fiancé.
Read it for: a compelling heroine, an atmospheric setting reminiscent of Revolutionary France, weaponized magic, and copious political intrigue. | | The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith The library is open...and Claire, Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing, the place in Hell where all the unfinished stories reside, must track down an escaped Hero in search of its author.
Don't miss: former muse Brevity and demon Leto, who assist Claire in her quest as the group races to prevent a war between angels and demons.
For fans of: the adventure plot and world-building of Genevieve Cogman's Invisible Library series; the cosmology of Good Omens. | | The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow Introducing: January Scaller, who rebels against her wealthy and eccentric guardian by secretly exploring doorways to other realms with her companion Bad, a very good dog.
Want a taste? "There's only one way to run away from your own story, and that's to sneak into someone else's."
Does the dog die? No! It's all good! | | Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire Welcome to: Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children, an unorthodox boarding school for young people who’ve returned, often unwillingly, from journeys to fantasy realms.
What happens: New student Nancy longs to return to the Underworld, but when a killer starts stalking the school, she has to put aside her dreams of death to keep her friends alive.
What sets it apart: Asexual Nancy is just one of several LGBTQIA characters in this intriguing dark fantasy, the 1st in a series. | | The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern What happens: A mysterious book leads graduate student Zachary Ezra Rawlins on a magical quest to another world, hidden in plain sight.
Why you might like it: A puzzle box narrative and dreamlike prose distinguish this atmospheric novel by the author of The Night Circus.
Want a taste? "Zachary Ezra Rawlins stares at the miniature versions of the same symbols he once contemplated in an alleyway behind his mother's store and wonders how, exactly, he is supposed to continue a story he didn't know he was in." | | A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab A tale of four cities: 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.
Starring: Kell, an inter-dimensional royal ambassador with a sideline in smuggling; and Delilah, a cutpurse with piratical ambitions.
Series alert: This trilogy opener continues with A Gathering of Shadows and A Conjuring of Light. | |
Contact your librarian for more great books!
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