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Fantasy and Science Fiction January 2021
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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.
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The Effort
by Claire Holroyde
Is it For you? For readers of Station Eleven and Good Morning, Midnight.
What Happens: When dark comet UD3 was spotted near Jupiter’s orbit, its existence was largely ignored. But to individuals who knew better — scientists like Benjamin Schwartz, manager of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies — the threat this eight-kilometer comet posed to the survival of the human race was unthinkable. The 150-million-year reign of the dinosaurs ended when an asteroid impact generated more than a billiontimes the energy of an atomic bomb.
What would happen to Earth’s seven billion inhabitants if a similar event were allowed to occur?
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The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry
by C. M. Waggoner
What It's About: Hard-drinking petty thief Dellaria Wells is down on her luck in the city of Leiscourt--again. Then she sees a want ad for a female bodyguard, and she fast-talks her way into the high-paying job. Along with a team of other women, she's meant to protect a rich young lady from mysterious assassins. At first, Delly thinks the danger is exaggerated, but a series of attacks shows there's much to fear. Then she begins to fall for Winn, one of the other bodyguards, and the women team up against a mysterious, magical foe who seems to have allies everywhere.
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Gutter Child
by Jael Richardson
What It's About: Set in an imagined world in which the most vulnerable are forced to buy their freedom by working off their debt to society, Gutter Child uncovers a nation divided into the privileged Mainland and the policed Gutter. In this world, Elimina Dubois is one of only 100 babies taken from the Gutter and raised in the land of opportunity as part of a social experiment led by the Mainland government.
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| The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen ChoWhat happens: After bandits cause Guet Imm to lose her job at a coffeehouse, the nun-turned-waitress decides to join their crew, and discovers that there's more to her new companions than meets the eye.
Why you might like it: This lyrical wuxia-inspired novella by the author of the Sorcerer Royal series boasts a likable queer cast, a layered plot, and a humorous yet moving depiction of a chosen family in wartime.
You might also like: S.L. Huang's Burning Roses or Nghi Vo's The Empress of Salt and Fortune. |
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Space Opera
by Catherynne M. Valente
What it's about: “Glamrock messiah” Danesh Jalo is fighting for mankind’s continued existence -- by taking center stage in an intergalactic talent show bursting with glitter, lipstick, and rock and roll.
Reviewers say: An “endearing, razzle-dazzle love song about destiny, finding one’s true voice, and rockin’ the house down” --Publishers Weekly.
Is it for you? If you like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, David Bowie, or the Eurovision Song Contest, you'll like this humorous science fiction extravaganza.
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| The Sol Majestic by Ferrett SteinmetzStarring: itinerant teen philosopher Kenna, whose answer to the question "Why do you love food?" wins him a life-changing free dinner at The Sol Majestic, the galaxy's most renowned restaurant.
What happens: Kenna bonds with the staff, falls in love with a cute boy, escapes his parents' toxic belief system, and confronts a deep moral quandary while working to save the place he's come to call home.
Read it for: a heartwarming coming-of-age story, the diverse members of Kenna's found family, and mouthwatering descriptions of food. |
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Stardust
by Neil Gaiman
Life moves at a leisurely pace in the tiny town of Wall - named after the imposing stone barrier which separates the town from a grassy meadow. Here, young Tristran Thorn has lost his heart to the beautiful Victoria Forester and for the coveted prize of her hand, Tristran vows to retrieve a fallen star and deliver it to his beloved. It is an oath that sends him over the ancient wall and into a world that is dangerous and strange beyond imagining . . .
“Thrilling. . . . Stardust reads like a mix between L. Frank Baum, the Brothers Grimm, and a Tim Burton movie script.” -- Dallas Morning News
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Here and Now and Then
by Mike Chen
What It's About: Stranded for eighteen years since the 1990s, time-traveling agent Kin Stewart, suffering from memory loss, has started a new life, but when rescuers from the year 2142 finally arrive, he must choose between his current family and the one he left behind in the future.
What Critics Say About It: Heartfelt and thrilling… Chen’s concept is unique, and [his characters’] agony is deeply moving. Quick pacing, complex characters, and a fascinating premise.—Publishers Weekly, starred review
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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