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Fantasy and Science Fiction March 2021
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| Dealbreaker by L.X. BeckettWhat it's about: Twenty years after the events of Gamechanger, pilot Frankie Barnes works for the Bootstrap Project to develop technology that will prove that humans are ready to become galactic citizens.
Why you might like it: This 2nd Bounceback novel is an optimistic, post-cyberpunk romp packed with shiny futuristic technologies, from autonomous AI to immersive VR to faster-than-light travel. |
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| We Could Be Heroes by Mike ChenThen: Jamie Sorenson and Zoe Wong woke up in empty apartments with superpowers, but no memories of their previous lives.
Now: Jamie, a bank robber, and Zoe, a vigilante crime-fighter, meet in a support group for people with memory loss and team up to find out what happened to them.
About the author: Mike Chen is the author of Here and Now and Then and A Beginning at the End. |
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| The Echo Wife by Sarah GaileyStarring: scientist Evelyn Caldwell and her illegal clone, Martine, who's now pregnant by Evelyn's estranged husband, Nathan.
But wait, there's more! The plot twists keep coming in this disturbing SF thriller, which takes readers inside some deeply dysfunctional relationships.
About the author: Sarah Gailey is the author of Magic for Liars and Upright Women Wanted. |
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| The Witch's Heart by Genevieve GornichecStarring: Angrboda, a witch who defies Odin, loves trickster god Loki, and bears three unusual children.
For fans of: Madeline Miller's Circe, Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology.
Want a taste? "Long ago when the gods were young and Asgard was new, there came a witch from the edge of the woods." |
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| Beneath the Keep: A Novel of the Tearling by Erika JohansenWhat it is: a prequel to the bestselling Queen of the Tearling trilogy, which examines life in the feudal Tearling Kingdom.
Featuring: Princess Elyssa, mother of series protagonist Kelsea; Lazarus, who will play an important role in events to come; and members of the nascent Blue Horizon rebel group.
Is it for you? Human misery abounds in the Tearling, including but not limited to slavery, child abuse, and human trafficking. |
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| Winter's Orbit by Everina MaxwellA marriage of convenience: To uphold a treaty, playboy Prince Kiem of the Empire of Iskat must wed the recently widowed Count Jainan of Thea, whose first husband died in suspicious circumstances.
Why you might like it: This character-driven space opera, originally published on Archive of Our Own as "The Course of Honour," maintains a tight focus on Kiem and Jainan's relationship.
For fans of: the blend of romance and political intrigue in Emily Skrutskie's Bonds of Brass. |
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| A History of What Comes Next by Sylvain NeuvelWhat it's about: Mia and Sarah are Kibsu, aliens that work in mother-daughter pairs to push humankind towards the goal of space exploration while avoiding the Trackers that threaten to undo their efforts.
Why you might like it: This well-researched series opener by the author of the Themis Files trilogy includes appearances by historical figures such as Wernher Von Braun and Sergei Korolev.
For fans of: the richly detailed alternate history of the Space Race presented in Mary Robinette Kowal's Lady Astronaut novels; the rival factions of Annalee Newitz's The Future of Another Timeline. |
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| Soulstar by C.L. PolkFinally! Aeland's hated Witchcraft Protection Act has been repealed, but there's a long way to go to right the wrongs of the past, which confined some witches to asylums while sending others into hiding.
Starring: Robin Thorpe, recently reunited with her long-imprisoned spouse, and community organizer Jacob Clark, who seeks voting rights for all.
Reviewers say: This conclusion to the Kingston Cycle (starting with Witchmark) "tightly braids the strands of the personal and the political in a fantasy world few will want to leave" (Booklist). |
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| The Mask Falling by Samantha ShannonThe situation: Escaping Britain for a safe house in Paris, dreamwalker Paige Mahoney and her Rephaite companion, Arcturus, work to build cross-channel alliances to take down the authoritarian Scion regime.
Read it for: a detailed dystopian setting, cloak-and-dagger intrigue, and new developments in a slow-burning, will-they-or-won't-they romance.
Can you start here? The Mask Falling is the 4th book in a planned seven-volume series and builds upon the foundation laid in previous installments; newcomers should start with The Bone Season. |
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| On Fragile Waves by E. Lily YuIntroducing: siblings Firuzeh and Nour, born in Kabul during wartime and raised on their parents' stories of Australia, a land of "No bombs. No checkpoints. No soldiers."
What sets it apart: Depicting the family's harrowing journey in dreamlike prose, this heartwrenching debut reads like a folktale but but offers no happy endings.
For fans of: the magical realist approach to migration and displacement in Mohsin Hamid's Exit West; the haunting and lyrical style of Rene Denfeld's The Enchanted. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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