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Fantasy and Science Fiction June 2022 |
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Out of This World Book Club
Wednesday, July 6, 7pm
Nichols Library Program Room
"Embers of War" by Gareth Powell
The sentient warship Trouble Dog was built for violence, yet following a brutal war, she is disgusted by her role in a genocide. Stripped of her weaponry and seeking to atone, she joins the House of Reclamation, an organisation dedicated to rescuing ships in distress. When a civilian ship goes missing in a disputed system, Trouble Dog and her new crew of loners, captained by Sal Konstanz, are sent on a rescue mission. Meanwhile, light years away, intelligence officer Ashton Childe is tasked with locating the poet, Ona Sudak, who was aboard the missing spaceship. What Childe doesn't know is that Sudak is not the person she appears to be. A straightforward rescue turns into something far more dangerous, as Trouble Dog, Konstanz and Childe find themselves at the centre of a conflict that could engulf the entire galaxy. If she is to save her crew, Trouble Dog is going to have to remember how to fight...
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| The Stardust Thief by Chelsea AbdullahWelcome to...the city of Madinne, where jinn are hunted, trade in magical artifacts is forbidden, and Loulie al-Nazari, a.k.a. the Midnight Merchant, sells illegal relics with the help of her jinn bodyguard, Qadir.
Series alert: Drawing inspiration from the 1001 Nights, this debut by American Kuwaiti author Chelsea Abdullah kicks off the Sandsea trilogy.
For fans of: S.A. Chakraborty's Daevabad trilogy. |
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| Book of Night by Holly BlackIn a world...where Gloamists trade in shadows, bartender and (sort of) retired con artist Charlie Hall becomes embroiled in intrigue surrounding a missing book known as the Liber Noctis (Book of Night).
Is it for you? More similar in tone to the Curse Workers novels than to the Folk of the Air trilogy, YA author Holly Black's adult debut ends on a cliffhanger that may signal a sequel.
For fans of: Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House. |
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| All the Seas of the World by Guy Gavriel KayWhat it is: a richly detailed and immersive historical fantasy by Guy Gavriel Kay, featuring a large cast of characters that includes an assassin, a captured diplomat, and a spymaster.
Can you start here? Set in the alternate 15th-century Europe of A Brightness Long Ago and Children of Earth and Sky, this novel stands on its own, although familiarity with the previous books is helpful.
Reviewers say: "necessary sustenance for the starving reader" (Booklist). |
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| Nettle & Bone by T. KingfisherThree sisters: one dead, one wedded to a cruel prince, and the youngest, Marra, who leaves the convent to seek the aid of a dust-wife.
Three tasks: build a dog of bones, sew a cloak of nettles, and capture moonlight in a jar. If Marra succeeds, she may be able to kill the prince and save her remaining sister.
Three companions: Joining Marra in her eerie quest are a demon-possessed chicken, a fairy godmother, and a disgraced knight. |
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| The Discord of Gods by Jenn LyonsWhat it is: the eagerly anticipated conclusion of the five-volume Chorus of Dragons series, which began with The Ruin of Kings.
What's at stake: As immortal adversaries Relos Var, Vol Karoth, and the demon Xaltorath battle each other for control of the universe, it's up to our heroes to stop all three of them and save their world.
Read it for: inventive world-building, an intricately plotted and action-packed story that unfolds from multiple perspectives, and a large ensemble cast whose relationships evolve throughout the series. |
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| Seasonal Fears by Seanan McGuireIntroducing: Melanie and Harry, inseparable friends with an unusual destiny that they don't want but may not be able to escape.
Read it for: rich characterization, inventive and layered world-building, and a high-stakes quest-slash-competition.
Series alert: Set in the world of Middlegame but featuring a different cast and storyline, this "epic road-trip novel" (Booklist) is the 2nd book in the Alchemical Journeys series. |
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| Braking Day by Adam OyebanjiThe backstory: Born on the lower decks of the Archimedes, engineer-in-training Ravi Macleod prepares for Braking Day, when the generation ship begins its year-long descent to a planet orbiting Tau Ceti.
The problem: Ravi's investigation into a shipboard mystery -- one aided by his cousin Boz and her AI -- may jeopardize his already precarious standing among the crew.
Why you might like it: Layers of intrigue climax in "a series of jaw-dropping revelations" (Publishers Weekly) in this debut SF thriller, which boasts sympathetic characters and detailed world-building. |
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| Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi PatelWhat it is: a "mesmerizing" (Publishers Weekly) debut novel inspired by the infamous queen from the Ramayana.
Starring: Kaikeyi, the magic-wielding woman determined to gain power and exert control over her own life, even if that means defying the gods.
For fans of: Madeline Miller's Circe, Genevieve Gornichec's The Witch's Heart, or Christa Wolf's Medea. |
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| Siren Queen by Nghi VoWhat it is: An atmospheric historical fantasy by the author of The Chosen and The Beautiful.
Starring: Chinese American actress "Luli Wei," who makes a Faustian bargain to achieve stardom in 1930s Hollywood.
For fans of: Taylor Jenkins Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo or Amanda Koe Lee's Delayed Rays of a Star. |
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| City of Orange by David YoonIntroducing: a man who can't remember who he is, or what happened to him -- and the entire world.
What happens: As the unnamed narrator, injured and alone in a desolate landscape, focuses on survival, he attempts to piece together his own past. However, he may not like what he discovers.
For fans of: Peng Shepherd's The Book of M or Iain Read's Foe. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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