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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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| The Blood Trials by N.E. DavenportWhat happens: Determined to avenge her grandfather's assassination at the hands of the Republic of Mareen's ruling Tribunal, Black warrior-in-training Ikenna pledges herself to the Praetorian Trials, a brutal initiation rite with a very low survival rate.
Is it for you? Blood and gore abound in this opening installment of the Blood Gift duology, which concludes with the forthcoming The Blood Gift.
For fans of: the strong-willed fighters and blood-soaked vengeance quests of Pierce Brown's Red Rising saga or Evan Winter's The Burning series. |
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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 Outside by Ada HoffmanStarring: Dr. Yasira Shien, branded a heretic by the Gods after the reactor she invented warps reality and destroys a space station.
Why you might like it: This trilogy opener, which blends space opera and cosmic horror, introduces an autistic heroine and takes place in a universe ruled by superintelligent AI and their post-human angels.
For fans of: Yoon Ha Lee's Machineries of Empire series, beginning with Ninefox Gambit. |
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| Northern Wrath by Thilde Kold HoldtWhat it is: the opening installment of the Hanged God trilogy, a
historical grimdark fantasy inspired by Norse mythology.
Read it for: a well-drawn ensemble cast; a detailed Viking Age setting; fiery, gore-drenched raids and battles; and a slow but steady march towards Ragnarok.
For fans of: John Gwynne's Bloodsworn saga. |
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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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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Atlantic County Library System | 40 Farragut Avenue, Mays Landing, NJ 08330
Phone: (609) 625-2776 | www.atlanticlibrary.org
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|  | Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson
Atlantic County Board of Commissioners, Maureen Kern, Chairwoman |
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