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Fantasy and Science Fiction July 2020
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A Brightness Long Ago
by
Guy Gavriel Kay
What happens: Elderly courtier Guidanio Cerra recounts how his life changed forever after a fateful encounter with assassin Adria Ripoli. His story, and hers, intertwine with other people's perspectives on the event.
Read it for: an evocative setting inspired by Renaissance Italy, and a richly detailed tapestry of a narrative that explores the ripple effects of individual actions and choices.
Want a taste? "It was interesting, I suppose it still is, how vicious men can take power and be accepted, supported by those they govern, if they bring with them a measure of peace."
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The Down Days by Ilze Hugo Welcome to: Sick City (formerly Cape Town), South Africa, where quarantined residents struggle to survive in the "Down Days" following a global pandemic.
Where you'll meet...taxi driver turned corpse collector Faith September, contraband dealer Sans, and orphaned Tomorrow, who's searching for her missing brother.
You might also like: Lauren Beukes' Moxyland or Nicky Drayden's The Prey of Gods, both of which follow ensemble casts through a vividly rendered near-future South Africa. | |
88 Names
by
Matt Ruff
On the internet, nobody knows you're a...dictator? At least, that's what Sherpa, Inc. founder John Chu is starting to suspect about his newest client, who's paying John a LOT of money to guide him through a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG).
Why you might like it: a diverse cast of well-drawn characters and an unflinching look at the more unsavory side of online gaming culture distinguish this SF thriller by the author of Bad Monkeys.
For fans of: Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, Ernest Clines' Ready Player One.
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The Kingdom of Liars by Nick Martell What happens: Michael Kingman, the son of a traitor, seeks the truth behind his father's disgrace...and ends up following in his footsteps.
For fans of: the vengeance-obsessed protagonist of Mark Lawrence's Broken Empire series, the magic system of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn novels, or the narrative structure of Jenn Lyons' The Ruin of Kings.
Series alert: The Kingdom of Liars kicks off the Legend of the Mercenary Kings series. | |
A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe
by
Alex White
Meet: Pan Galactic Racing Federation superstar Nilah Brio and con artist Elizabeth "Boots" Elsworth.
What happens: As their pursuers close in on them, Nilah and Boots are rescued by the salvage ship Capricious, where they encounter the captain Boots once double-crossed. Awkward.
Read it for: compelling characters, breakneck pacing and an action-packed plot, plus futuristic technology powered by magic.
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Burn-In: A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution by P.W. Singer and August Cole What it's about: Tasked with field-training her new AI partner, Tactical Autonomous Mobility System (TAMS), FBI special agent and counter-terrorism expert Lara Keegan uncovers a global conspiracy.
Why you might like it: This SF thriller offers a plausible vision of how automation may transform societies, plus plenty of well-researched technical detail.
Think: Isaac Asimov's The Caves of Steel by way of Tom Clancy. | | 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. | |
A Blink of the Screen: Collected Shorter Fiction
by
Terry Pratchett
What it is: a short story collection by the late (and much-missed) Terry Pratchett.
Contains: several Discworld stories, as well as an assortment of other pieces, all with commentary from the author.
Don't miss: "The Hades Business," written when Pratchett was just 13 (it got published); "The Ankh-Morpork National Anthem."
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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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Mary Riley Styles Public Library 601 S. Oak St. [Temporary Location] Falls Church, Virginia 22046 703-248-5030 (TTY 711)www.fallschurchva.gov/library |
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