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Fantasy and Science Fiction May 2022
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| Atomic Anna by Rachel BarenbaumWhat it is: a time-hopping multigenerational family saga by the author of A Bend in the Stars.
Starring: Russian nuclear scientist Anna Berkova; her rebellious artist daughter, Molly, creator of the Atomic Anna comics; and Molly's daughter, Raisa, a math prodigy who must follow the clues in her mother's work to prevent a tragedy.
Read it for: complex mother-daughter relationships, an intricate tri-fold narrative, and well-researched Cold War history. |
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| Sweep of Stars by Maurice BroaddusWelcome to: Muungano, an Afrocentric space utopia that parted ways with O.E. (Original Earth) to spread across the stars.
Where you'll meet: community leader Amachi Adisa, who must make difficult decisions to ensure Muungano's survival; Fela Buhari, who commands a unit of elite soldiers in a distant conflict; and starship captain Stacia Chikeke, who makes a dangerous discovery.
Series alert: This intricately plotted space opera kicks off the Astra Black trilogy. |
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| Aspects by John M. Ford; with an introduction by Neil GaimanWhat it is: the final, never-before-published novel by the late John M. Ford (The Dragon Waiting), an intricate work of political fantasy.
Read it for: detailed and immersive world-building, elegant prose, and a tantalizing glimpse of what might have been.
Is it for you? Unfinished at the time of the author's death in 2006, the novel remains incomplete and may be most suitable for Ford's devoted fanbase. |
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In a Garden Burning Gold
by Rory Power
What it's about: Twins Rhea and Lexos have spent an eternity working with their father to keep control over the seasons, tides, stars and people but might face each other on the battlefield as an independence movement grows, putting the siblings at odds.
Reviewers say: "Power (Wilder Girls) constructs a world of magical families with layered secrets" (Library Journal).
For fans of: Samantha Shannon's The Priory of the Orange Tree and Sarah Durst's The Queen of Blood.
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| Spear by Nicola GriffithWhat it is: a "sparkling" (Booklist) gender-bent retelling of the Arthurian legend of Perceval by the author of Hild.
Starring: wilderness-born Peretur, who disguises herself as a man, sets out to join the court of King Artos at Caer Leon, and embarks on a quest for the Holy Grail.
You might also like: Alex Myers' The Story of Silence, Lucy Hollands' Sistersong, or the anthology Sword Stone Table: Old Legends, New Voices. |
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| Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca MayWhat happens: When Annie Mason returns to Crow Island to settle her late father's estate, she falls under the spell of the enigmatic Emmaline Delacroix.
Why you might like it: Set in the 1920s, this sapphic, magic-infused reimagining of The Great Gatsby offers Gothic atmosphere and occult intrigue.
You might also like: Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic books; Nghi Vo's The Chosen and The Beautiful. |
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Sea of Tranquility
by Emily St. John Mandel
What it's about: Hired to investigate the black-skied Night City, Detective Gaspery-Jacques Roberts discovers an anomaly in the North American Wilderness, where he encounters a strange group of individuals who have all glimpsed a chance to do something extraordinary that could disrupt the timeline of the universe.
Reviewers say: "Brilliantly combining imagery from science fiction and the current pandemic, Mandel grounds her rich metaphysical speculation in small, beautifully observed human moments" (Publishers Weekly).
For fans of: N.K. Jemisin's The Fifth Season and Samantha Shannon's The Bone Season.
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The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer
by Janelle Monáe, Yohanca Delgado, Eve L. Ewing, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Danny Lore, and Sheree Renée Thomas.
What it is: a highly anticipated anthology inspired by Janelle Monáe's Grammy-nominated album (and accompanying short film) Dirty Computer.
Why you might like it: An all-star line-up of co-authors -- including Alaya Dawn Johnson, Eve L. Ewing, and Sheree Renee Thomas -- joins Monáe in this "celebration of queer and Afrofuturist science fiction" (Publishers Weekly).
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| Fevered Star by Rebecca RoanhorseThe setting: the continent of Meridian, reeling in the aftermath of celestial events that shattered the Holy City of Tova.
The characters: Serapio, the blind avatar of the reborn Crow God; Xiala, the sea captain who loves him; Naranpa the Sun Priest, who must relearn everything she once knew; and Okoa, who, once again, has a crucial role to play in the events that unfold.
Series alert: Picking up where Black Sun left off, Fevered Star is the 2nd book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy, which draws inspiration from the many pre-contact Indigenous cultures of the Americas. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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