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Fantasy and Science Fiction January 2023 |
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| Màgòdiz by Gabe CalderónIn a world... where war has wiped out most of the human population, those who remain live under the oppressive rule of the Madjideye and their brutal Enforcers.
Meet: storyteller A'tugwewinu, sole survivor of the Andwánikádjigan people, who mourns her murdered lover, Bèl; firekeeper Shkitagen and his partner, healer Nitawesi, who seek sanctuary; and Riordan Streetking, hunted by Elite Enforcer H-09761.
About the author: novelist and poet Gabe Calderón's work has appeared in the Lambda Literary Award-winning anthology Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction. |
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| The Stars Undying by Emery RobinWhat happens: To seize the throne from her sister, Altagracia Caviro Patramata, would-be ruler of Szayet, forges an alliance with military commander Matheus Ceirran of the Ceian Empire.
Why you might like it: Full of intrigue, this space opera is the 1st installment of the Empire Without End series, which draws inspiration from the reign of Cleopatra.
For fans of: Kate Elliott's Unconquerable Sun. |
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| The Djinn Falls in Love and Other Stories by Mahvesh Murad and Jared Shurin (editors)Contains: 22 stories about djinn by an all-star lineup of speculative fiction authors.
Contributors include: Amal El-Mohtar, Neil Gaiman, Saad Z. Hossain, Usman T. Malik, Nnedi Okorafor, K.J. Parker, Sami Shah, Kamila Shamsie, and Neon Yang.
You might also like: Usman T. Malik's Midnight Doorways, Ayesha Muzaffar's Jinnistan, or Saad Z. Hossain's Djinn City. |
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| A Fire Endless by Rebecca RossWhat it is: the sequel to A River Enchanted and the conclusion to the Elements of Cadence duology.
Read it for: well-drawn characters, both familiar and new; a magical island setting inspired by Scotland; and an inventive twist on Celtic folklore.
You might also like: Freda Warrington's Aetherial Tales series, Charles de Lint's Jack of Kinrowan novels. |
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| Age of Ash by Daniel AbrahamWhat it's about: In the ancient city of Kithamar, street thief Alys searches for her brother's murderer.
Read it for: sympathetic characters, immersive world-building, and a slowly unfurling mystery.
Series alert: Age of Ash marks the opening installment of the Kithamar series, which continues with Blade of Dream. |
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Over the Woodward Wall
by A. Deborah Baker
Introducing: Avery and Zib, two very different children from the same "very safe, very ordinary town" whose separate lives intersect when they find their way to a strange place known as the Up and Under.
Metafiction alert: Fans of Seanan McGuire's novel Middlegame may recall the children's book Over the Woodward Wall by A. Deborah Baker; now, using the Baker pseudonym, McGuire has made this fictional book a reality.
Series alert: Over the Woodward Wall kicks off the Up-and-Under series, which continues with Along the Saltwise Sea and the newly published Into the Windwracked Wilds.
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| Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby DixonStarring: Florida woman Georgie Carruthers, who escapes her alien captors -- only to be claimed by Vektal, a blue-skinned alien from the ice planet "Not-Hoth."
Book buzz: Originally self-published, this steamy BookTok fan favorite (the 1st novel in a 20-volume series) is now available in print.
You might also like: Cheryl Brooks' Cat Star Planet series; Ann Aguirre's Galactic Love series. |
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The First Sister
by Linden A. Lewis
Three Civilizations: the Icarii, a technologically advanced social democracy; the Geans, a nature-revering military theocracy; and the Asters, genetically modified humans despised by both Icarii and Geans.
Three people: First Sister, a Gean priestess abandoned by the man who promised to free her; Icarii duellist Lito sol Lucius, tasked with tracking down and executing his traitorous former partner; and Hiro val Akira, who explains their decision to defect in a letter to Lito.
Series alert: The First Sister kicks off the trilogy, which continues with The Second Rebel and the recently published finale, The Last Hero.
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| Shards of Earth by Adrian TchaikovskyWhat it's about: A century after the alien Architects destroy Earth, genetically modified supersoldier Idris Telemmier joins the crew of the salvage ship Vulture God and discovers a derelict craft containing some dangerous and in-demand cargo.
Series alert: Shards of Earth kicks off the Final Architecture series, which continues with Eyes of the Void and the forthcoming Lords of Uncreation.
Book buzz: This "dazzlingly suspenseful space opera" (Publishers Weekly) won the 2022 BSFA Award for Best Novel. |
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The Empress of Salt and Fortune
by Nghi Vo
What it's about: A young royal from the far north is sent south for a political marriage and is befriended by Rabbit, a handmaiden, sold by her parents to the palace for the lack of five baskets of dye, and gets more than she bargained for.
Reviewers say: "Equal parts love and rage, this masterfully told story is sure to impress" (Publishers Weekly).
Series alert: The Empress of Salt and Fortune kicks off the Singing Hills Cycle series, which continues with When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain and the newly released Into the Riverlands.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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