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Fantasy and Science Fiction August 2020
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The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty What it is: the conclusion to the Daevabad trilogy, after The City of Brass and The Kingdom of Copper.
Starring: exiled prince Ali, healer Nahri (in 18th-century Cairo), and daeva Dara (in Daevabad), who once again become caught up in a maelstrom of magic, political intrigue, and family drama.
Media buzz: Director Edgar Wright is adapting the trilogy for a forthcoming Netflix series. | | Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott What it is: a sweeping, action-packed space opera inspired by the life of Alexander the Great.
Starring: 20-year-old Princess Sun, daughter of Queen-Marshal Eirene of the Republic of Chaonia; who, aided by her loyal Companions, must dodge assassination attempts while battling the Phene Empire.
Why you might like it: The novel's diverse ensemble cast includes multiple narrators, who provide different perspectives on the action (copious) and intrigue (thorny). | | Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson What it is: a noirish triptych set in an alternate pre-WWII New York City, following three complex characters and their intertwined fates.
Starring: Phyllis, a mob boss' assassin; Devajyoti ("Dev"), her former lover; and Tamara, a dancer and fortune teller. All three have a supernatural ability known as "the hands," which only people of color possess.
Reviewers say: "a sad, lovely, and blood-soaked song of a book" (Kirkus Reviews). | | The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal 1963: Astronaut Nicole Wargin arrives at the fledgling lunar colony of Artemis, where she must investigate possible infiltration of the International Aerospace Coalition (IAC) by a terrorist group.
Why you might like it: This alternate history of the Space Race focuses as much on the inner lives of its well-drawn characters as it does on creating plausible technology and geopolitical tensions.
What about... Elma York, heroine of previous installments of the award-winning Lady Astronaut series? The Relentless Moon's plot runs parallel to the events of The Fated Sky, which places Elma on Mars during Nicole's adventures. | | Or What You Will by Jo Walton What it's about: Trapped in the "bone cave" of a dying writer's mind, the unnamed narrator, a character in most of her books, recounts their shared life while plotting to save them both from mortality.
Why you might like it: This witty, poignant metafictional novel by the author of My Real Children is rife with literary allusions ranging from Shakespeare to the Book of Taliesin.
Want a taste? "You may not even be born yet, or you may never come into existence. You are the reader, always and only." | | Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden In a world... where humans colonize and exploit the body cavities of massive interstellar creatures, privileged Seske Kaleigh and "beast-worker"-turned-revolutionary Adalla bond as they work to save their matriarchal polygamous society from impending catastrophe.
For fans of: the woman-centric society of Kameron Hurley's The Stars are Legion, the Afrofuturist take on generation ships in Rivers Solomon's An Unkindness of Ghosts. | | Stars Uncharted by S.K. Dunstall Introducing: Nika Rik Terri, a body modification artist on the run from dangerous people; engineer-turned-spy Josune Arriola; and Captain Hammond Roystan, who may know the source of a rare element.
Why you might like it: Twists and turns abound, and no one is quite what they seem in this fast-paced, action-packed series opener (followed by Stars Beyond).
For fans of: spacefaring capers in the vein of Alex White's Salvagers series, Mike Brooks' Keiko novels, or R.E. Stearns' Barbary Station books. | | How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason Starring: Princess Rory, the first daughter born to the royal Thorne family in ten generations, cursed with "always knowing the truth."
What happens: her father is assassinated, her brother's birth upends the succession, and her mother arranges for her to wed the prince of a distant planet.
Reviewers say: "part space opera, part Sleeping Beauty retelling, part feminist battle cry, and part send up of The Princess Bride" (Library Journal). | | Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio Introducing: Hadrian Marlowe, whose epic saga begins with his rejection of the path laid out for him by his noble family, a choice with world-altering repercussions.
Think: Frank Herbert's Dune meets Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles, with a dash of Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga.
Series alert: This opening volume of the Sun Eater series continues with Howling Dark and the forthcoming Demon in White. | | There Before the Chaos by K.B. Wagers Starring: Hailimi "Hail" Bristol, the former gunrunner, current Empress of Indrana, and reluctant diplomat who must prevent a war between two civilizations that don't really want peace.
Why you might like it: Reminiscent of C.J. Cherryh's Foreigner series, this spinoff of the author's Indranan War trilogy offers a compelling blend of action and interstellar intrigue.
Take note: This 1st installment of the Farian War series ends on a cliffhanger, which is resolved in book 2, Down Among the Dead. | |
Contact your librarian for more great books!
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