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Fantasy and Science Fiction May 2019
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| The Perfect Assassin by K.A. DooreWhat it's about: Just as 19-year-old Amastan Basbowen completes his five-year apprenticeship, the city of Ghadid outlaws the assassin trade. This leaves Amastan free to investigate when a city leader is murdered.
Why you might like it: This opening installment of the Chronicles of Ghadid series combines mystery, adventure, and light m/m romance.
For fans of: the atmospheric world-building of Tasha Suri's Empire of Sand; the well-developed assassin culture of R.J. Barker's Age of Assassins. |
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Perihelion summer
by Greg Egan
What it's about: Taraxippus is coming ; a black hole one-tenth the mass of the sun that will change the solar system forever. Matt and his friends board a mobile aquaculture rig, self-sustaining in food, power, and fresh water.
For fans of: Nnedi Okorafor, Neal Stephenson, William Gibson, and Louise Erdrich.
Reviewers say: "Egan's rapid-fire plot, full of convincing scientific detail, and his sympathetically drawn characters of various races and backgrounds make this a vivid commentary both on societies' stubborn refusal to face an environmental threat and individuals' determination to survive it." (Publishers Weekly)
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| The Light Brigade by Kameron HurleyIntroducing: Dietz, a stateless "ghoul"-turned-soldier fighting a for-profit war in which troops are deployed to far-off battlefields in the form of particles of light.
For fans of: Joe Haldeman's classic military SF novel The Forever War.
Want a taste? "I didn't think about what would happen after I signed up. Or who I would need to become. I thought the world was simple: good guys and bad guys, citizens and ghouls, corporate patriots and socialist slaves." |
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Delta-v
by Daniel Suarez
What it's about: A billionaire recruits a team of adventurers to launch the first mining operation in space—with the aim of kick-starting an entire off-world economy—but the team soon discovers the extreme risks they’ll be facing.
Why you might like it: Suarez is known for his technological thrillers, and here he adds science fiction elements to his signature style.
Reviewers call it: "A gripping and realistic near-future thriller." (Booklist)
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| A Memory Called Empire by Arkady MartineWhat it's about: Newly appointed ambassador Mahit Dzmare investigates the suspicious death of her predecessor while navigating political intrigue within the expansionist Teixcalaanli Empire.
Why you might like it: This debut by a Byzantine historian boasts an intricately layered, slowly unfolding plot as well as detailed depictions of alien cultures.
For fans of: Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch trilogy, Seth Dickinson's Masquerade series, or Katherine Addison's The Goblin Emperor. |
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| The Chaos Function by Jack SkillingsteadWhat happens: On assignment in Syria, American war correspondent Olivia Nikitas comes in contact with an artifact that enables her to change the past, putting her on a collision course with the Society, the self-appointed guardians of this mysterious technology.
For fans of: time travel-themed SF thrillers with apocalyptic overtones such as Tom Sweterlitsch's The Gone World or Alastair Reynolds' Permafrost. |
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| Brief Cases: More Stories from the Dresden Files by Jim ButcherStarring: Chicago wizard-for-hire Harry Dresden and his associates.
Includes: the Lovecraftian "Cold Case," baseball-themed "Curses" (featuring the Chicago Cubs), and "Zoo Day," a novella from the POV of minor characters Maggie and Mouse.
Should you start here? This collection is best for Dresden Files fans who are all caught up on the main series, which begins with Storm Front. |
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| Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin; illustrated by Doug WheatleyWhat it is: Book 1 of a two-volume history of the Targaryens, which recounts how the dragonlord dynasty came to Westeros.
Who it's for: Samwell Tarly, as well as ASOIAF completists interested in the fiery reign of Aegon the Conqueror.
Don't miss: 75 black-and-white illustrations depicting important events in the history of the Seven Kingdoms. |
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| The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss; illustrated by Nate TaylorWhat it is: a companion novella to the Kingkiller Chronicle that focuses on supporting character Auri, who dwells in the labyrinth-like Underthing.
Should you start here? Although Auri's adventures underground don't intersect with series protagonist Kvothe's storyline, newcomers will want to start with The Name of the Wind.
Reviewers say: The Slow Regard of Silent Things is "a charming, lyrical meditation on the meaning of home" (NPR). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Winfield, IL 60190
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