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Fantasy and Science Fiction November 2019
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| Ninth House by Leigh BardugoThe offer: a full scholarship to Yale for Galaxy "Alex" Stern, a high school dropout with the rare ability to see ghosts.
The catch: Tasked with monitoring the university's secret societies, Alex soon discovers that the elite institution is often willing to turn a blind eye to their occult transgressions.
Is it for you? This adult fantasy novel by Grisha trilogy author Leigh Bardugo is grittier than her YA books and includes scenes of murder, child abuse, sexual assault, and self-harm. |
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| Gamechanger by L.X. BeckettIn the year 2101: Earth is finally in Bounceback mode, thanks to humanity's collective efforts to reverse the effects of climate change.
Starring: Pro gamer and public defender Cherub "Rubi" Whiting, who must defend her client, accused cyber-terrorist Luciano Pox against an impressive list of charges.
Why you might like it: This "cerebral fusion of science fiction, mystery, and apocalyptic thriller" (Kirkus Reviews) boasts impressively detailed world-buildng. |
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Seven blades in black
by Sam Sykes
"Sal, a once talented mage, thrives in a wasteland scarred by generations of magical warfare. Here, caught between two powerful empires, is where rogue magicians go to disappear, disgraced soldiers go to make their fortunes, fanatic machinists impose their perverted order, and zealous witch hunters cleanse the impure wherever they can find them. But Sal was betrayed by those she trusted most and is now in captivity, stripped of her magic and awaiting her execution on order of the Emperor himself. All shehas left is her vengeance, her will and her weapons"
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The women's war
by Jenna Glass
When a world-altering spell gives women the ability to control their own fertility, a disinherited princess and a powerless queen trigger changes in their patriarchal kingdoms before a caravan of exiles stumbles on a new source of women's magic.
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The Hod king
by Josiah Bancroft
After becoming separated from Voleta, Iren and Edith, Senlin investigates a plot in Pelphia where hods battle for public entertainment. By the author of Arm of the Sphinx. Original. 50,000 first printing
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Focus on: Alternative Histories
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| The Black God's Drums by P. Djèlí ClarkIntroducing: Jacqueline (a.k.a. Creeper), a teenager who lives on the streets of 1884 New Orleans and longs to see the world; and Oya, the orisha (Yoruba storm deity) who lives inside her.
What happens: After learning of a Confederate plot to win the ongoing Civil War with a weapon of mass destruction, Creeper seeks out Ann-Marie St. Augustine, captain of the smuggler airship Midnight Robber.
Why you might like it: With its majority black female cast and numerous LGBTQIA characters, The Black God's Drums is a rarity in Steampunk. |
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| That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. JohnstonThe sun never sets... on the British Empire, which has continued into the present day with a few crucial differences.
Such as? Computers match genetically compatible individuals, which is why Crown Princess Victoria-Margaret heads to Toronto for a summer of incognito freedom before she's assigned a consort. And then she falls for Helena, who's also expected to marry someone else.
Why you might like it: This thought-provoking YA alternate history novel offers an appealing blend of romance and speculative fiction. |
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| The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette KowalThe United States, 1952: After a meteorite strike imperils life on Earth, it should be all hands on deck. But as mathematician Elma York soon discovers, planning humanity's future in space is a privilege largely reserved for white men. Can she help change the culture?
Book buzz: Winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Awards, The Calculating Stars kicks off the Lady Astronaut series, which continues with The Fated Sky.
For fans of: Martha Ackmann's The Mercury 13, Margot Lee Shetterly's Hidden Figures, and other nonfiction books about the unsung heroines of the space race. |
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| Everfair by Nisi ShawlWhat happens: In 1885, a group of European socialists and African American missionaries establish a safe haven for black people in the Congo. However, the well-meaning benefactors of this multiracial, steam-powered utopia fail to recognize their own blind spots.
Inspired by: King Leopold II of Belgium's real-life reign of terror over the Congo Free State, as well as the American Colonization Society's founding of Liberia.
For fans of: Steven Barnes' Lion's Blood, another Afrocentric alternate history novel that examines colonialism. |
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| Bombs Away: The Hot War by Harry TurtledoveWhat if... the Korean War turned into World War III?
What happens: China's 1950 invasion of the Korean Peninsula leads to the United States dropping atomic bombs on Manchuria, which in turn prompts the USSR, which backs China, to strike U.S. allies.
Why you might like it: alternate history maestro Harry Turtledove explores the road almost taken in this well-researched 1st installment of the Hot War series, which continues with Fallout and Armistice. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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