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Fantasy and Science Fiction January 2019
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| City of Broken Magic by Mirah BolenderIntroducing: the Sweepers, the (downsized) emergency response unit that protects the city of Amicae from magical "infestations."
What happens: Apprentice Sweeper Laura struggles to learn the ropes of a difficult and dangerous job while dealing with a demanding boss.
For fans of: the industrialized fantasy setting of Max Gladstone's Craft novels, the inventive amulet-centered magical system of Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive. |
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Breach
by W. L Goodwater
What it's about: When a breach unexpectedly appears in an alternative-reality Berlin Wall made completely of magic, spies from both sides swarm to the city as World War III threatens to spark.
Reviewers say: "Goodwater’s debut is a fantastic alternate version of the Cold War era...Magic, espionage, and history combine in this thrilling, fast-paced fantasy." (Booklist)
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The fated sky
by Mary Robinette Kowal
What it's about: Noted "Lady Astronaut" Elma York joins the first exploratory mission to Mars, leaving behind her husband and delaying her chance to start a family, to embark on a historic, but potentially very dangerous three-year trip.
Series Alert: This is the sequel to The Calculating Stars.
Reviewers say: This is "a near-perfect combination of real-world issues set in an alternate universe. Highlighting the racial tensions of the early 1960s with a frantic race for space colonization, Kowal's deft writing is sf at its best." (Library Journal)
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| The Razor by J. Barton MitchellIntroducing: incarcerated engineer Marcus Flynn and disgraced former soldier James Maddox, both sent to a penal colony on the planet 11-H37.
What happens: When the already unstable planet becomes uninhabitable, the prisoners are left behind to die...or escape.
You might also like: Ann Aguirre's Perdition, whose incarcerated characters likewise form uneasy alliances as they fight their way out of brutal futuristic prisons. |
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The best American science fiction and fantasy 2018
by N. K. Jemisin
What it is: Boundary-pushing and experimental, this diverse selection of science fiction and fantasy stories illuminates what it means to be human and explores the ever-expanding and changing world of SFF today.
Reviewers say: "An almost unheard-of diversity of tales absolutely sing in this superlative anthology of short speculative stories. Encompassing a wide range of styles and perspectives, the book swings gracefully from thoughtful superhero SF... to nuanced horror based on Congolese mythology... to musings on the justice and the multiverse... without a single sour note." (Publishers Weekly)
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| Senlin Ascends by Josiah BancroftWhat it's about: For their honeymoon, schoolmaster Thomas Senlin takes his new bride Marya to the Tower of Babel. When they get separated, Thomas must ascend the Tower's "ringdoms" to get her back.
Is it for you? To its classic hero's journey, this allegorical fantasy adds intricate Kafka-esque scenarios and Steampunk-inflected world-building.
Series alert: Originally self-published, this debut is the 1st installment of a planned four-book series; book 2, Arm of the Sphinx, is available now. |
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| The Rule of Luck by Catherine CervenyWhat it's about: When Russian crime boss Alexei Petriv walks into her shop in Nairobi's Night Alley, tarot card reader Felicia Sevigny discovers that, like it or not, their fates are intertwined.
Why you might like it: Set in a 30th-century world in which a single world government has arisen in the wake of climate change, this debut blends action-packed SF adventure and steamy romance.
Series alert: The Rule of Luck is the 1st book in a trilogy that continues with The Chaos of Luck and The Game of Luck. |
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| What Should Be Wild by Julia FineMeet: Maisie Cothay, whose touch can kill the living and resurrect the dead. Raised by her anthropologist father, Maisie grows up in almost total isolation -- as well as total ignorance of her unusual family history.
Is it for you? Although the premise is reminiscent of TV's Pushing Daisies, the tone of this Gothic-tinged modern fairy tale is decidedly darker.
Want a taste? "Still, I killed my father three times before the age of eight, and caused the demise of over a dozen small animals." |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Winfield, IL 60190
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