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Fantasy and Science Fiction April 2019
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| The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane AndersWhat it's about: The planet January boasts two politically opposed cities capable of sustaining human life -- and disgraced student Sophie is in neither of them, instead exiled in the wilderness among January's original inhabitants.
About the author: i09 cofounder Charlie Jane Anders made a splash with her debut, All the Birds in the Sky.
For fans of: Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness. |
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| The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha ShannonWhat it is: a lush epic fantasy saga by the author of The Bone Season.
Why you might like it: In addition to detailed world-building and an intricate plot, this standalone saga boasts a predominantly female cast of queens, mages, alchemists, warriors, assassins, and dragon riders.
You might also like: Sofia Samatar's The Winged Histories, another gynocentric fantasy novel told from the perspectives of LGBTQIA-diverse viewpoint characters. |
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| Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees BrennanWhat it is: a fantasy adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, in which light and dark magic divide a near-future New York City.
Introducing: dark side refugee Lucie Manette; her privileged boyfriend Ethan; and Ethan's dark magic-created doppelganger, Carwyn.
Want a taste? "Rich people think like that about slumming it, putting on other peoples' lives like a disguise at a party. It is fun only because they can cast off the mask at any time." |
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| Carnivalesque by Neil JordanWhat it's about: After a visit to a carnival leaves 14-year-old Dublin resident Andy trapped in a funhouse mirror, he takes the name Dany and adjusts to his new life -- while his reflection navigates the outside world.
For fans of: Keith Donoghue's The Stolen Child, another atmospheric modern-day changeling tale; John Connolly's The Book of Lost Things, which also presents a phantasmagorical coming-of-age story. |
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| Six Wakes by Mur LaffertyWhat it is: a locked-room mystery set aboard a generation ship crewed by clones.
Reviewers say: a "taut, nerve-tingling, interstellar murder mystery with a deeply human heart" (NPR).
For fans of: the psychological suspense of James Smythe's deep space-set Anomaly Quartet; the puzzle-box format of Adam Roberts' Jack Glass. |
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| Foe: A Novel by Iain ReidThe premise: Selected by lottery for a space settlement, rural farmer Junior prepares for his mission while his wife, Henrietta, receives a replacement in the form of Junior's doppelganger.
Why you might like it: This eerie near-future psychological thriller by the author of I'm Thinking of Ending Things emphasizes the complexities of human relationships over science and technology.
For fans of: the pull-the-rug-out-from-under-you twists of The Twilight Zone or Black Mirror. |
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The Raven Tower
by Ann Leckie
What it's about: Protecting the kingdom of Iraden is a god known as the Raven, whose chosen incarnation, or "Lease", gains great power in exchange for ritualistic self-sacrifice.
Why you might like it: compelling narration from unusual perspectives and a layered, leisurely paced approach to world-building add up to a thought-provoking and stylistically complex novel.
Author alert: Having won a slew of awards for her Imperial Radch space opera trilogy, author Ann Leckie now tackles epic fantasy.
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Contact your librarian for more great books! |
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