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Fantasy and Science Fiction October 2021 |
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| The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida CórdovaThe invitation: Montoya family matriarch Orquídea Divina summons her far-flung kin to their hometown of Four Rivers, writing, "I am dying. Come and collect your inheritance."
The fallout: Orquídea's dramatic exit from this world leaves cousins Rey, Marimar, and Tatinelly (along with Tatinelly's daughter, Rhiannon), in danger as they seek to uncover their grandmother's mysterious past.
Why you might like it: Infused with magical realism, this family saga is set in Ecuador and the United States, with parallel narratives that shift between past and present. |
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| Under the Whispering Door by TJ KluneWhat it is: a cozy and uplifting contemporary fantasy novel by the author of The House in the Cerulean Sea.
Starring: corporate lawyer Wallace Price, whose death prompts the realization that he hasn't really lived, and ferryman Hugo, who runs Charon's Crossing, a tea shop where departed souls wait to cross over.
For fans of: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig or Daisy Cooper's Rules for Living by Tamsin Keily. |
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| Shallow Waters by Anita KopaczWhat it is: a "riveting and heartbreaking" (Publishers Weekly) coming-of-age story that incorporates Yoruba folklore and the history of the African diaspora.
Starring: orisha Yemaya, who falls in love with fisherman Obatala, and -- after he is captured and enslaved -- embarks on a journey across the Atlantic to find him.
For fans of: Rivers Solomon's The Deep or Octavia Butler's Wild Seed. |
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| No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell TurnbullHere be monsters: In an event dubbed "the Fracture," supernatural beings come out of the shadows and reveal society to itself.
Read it for: a diverse ensemble cast, a kaleidoscopic narrative that unfolds in linked vignettes, and a powerful meditation on marginalization.
Series alert: This "beautifully fantastical and wondrously mundane" (NPR) work of speculative fiction by the author of The Lesson kicks off the Convergence Saga. |
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| Hex Life: Wicked New Tales of Witchery by Christopher Golden and Rachel Autumn DeeringWhat it is: a collection of 18 short stories about witches and witchcraft by an all-star lineup of writers including Kelley Armstrong, Chesya Burke, Rachel Caine, Tananarive Due, Kat Howard, Alma Katsu, and more.
Don't miss: Theodora Goss' fairy tale-inspired "How to Become a Witch Queen," a Shirley Jackson Award nominee.
Reviewers say: "Wickedness and white magic, edgy prose, and celebrated authors make this a magical volume" (Library Journal). |
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| The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. HarrowNew Salem, Massachusetts, 1893: estranged sisters Agnes Amaranth, Beatrice Belladonna, and James Juniper Eastwood reunite to reintroduce witchcraft to the world while advancing the cause of women's suffrage.
Why you might like it: This lyrical novel by the author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January evokes the language of folklore as it depicts the politics and cultural norms of its alternate 19th-century setting.
Want a taste? "There's no such thing as witches, but there used to be." |
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| The Year of the Witching by Alexis HendersonIntroducing: Immanuelle Moore, a biracial girl born out of wedlock to a woman accused of witchcraft, and considered "cursed" by the other members of the religious fundamentalist community of Bethel.
What happens: Immanuelle enters the forbidden Darkwood that surrounds Bethel and discovers her deceased mother's secrets, which threaten the patriarchal authority of her Church and its Prophet.
Series alert: This debut is the 1st book in the Bethel series. |
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| The Factory Witches of Lowell by C.S. MalerichLowell, Massachusetts, 1836: textile mill employees, led by labor organizer Judith Whittier and witch Hannah Pickering, strike for fair wages and better working conditions.
For fans of: Alix E. Harrow's The Once and Future Witches or C.L. Polk's Kingston Cycle, which begins with Witchmark.
Is it for you? Although this novel offers a compelling depiction of witchcraft and working class solidarity, its treatment of slavery is somewhat problematic. |
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| The Age of Witches by Louisa MorganThree witches: reluctant debutante Annis Allington; her social climbing, magic-wielding stepmother, Frances; and her great-aunt, healer Harriet Bishop, who's determined to save Annis from Frances' schemes.
For fans of: the strong female characters and Gilded Age setting of Ami McKay's The Witches of New York; the secret histories and magical power struggles of Paula Brackston's Shadow Chronicles.
Can you start here? Loosely linked to author Louisa Morgan's previous novels, A Secret History of Witches and The Witch's Kind, this book stands on its own. |
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