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Fantasy and Science Fiction April 2023 |
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| Antimatter Blues by Edward AshtonWhat it is: the sequel to Mickey7, in which the retired Expendable must negotiate with aliens to recover the fuel source on which the colony's survival depends.
For fans of: Andy Weir's Artemis or Martha Wells' Murderbot Diaries.
Should you start here? Because Antimatter Blues' plot references events from the previous novel, you'll want to start at the beginning (or wait for director Bong Joon-ho's upcoming film adaptation of Mickey7). |
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| The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon ChakrabortyOne last job: Retired pirate and single mother Amina al-Sirafi reluctantly agrees to search for the kidnapped granddaughter of a wealthy woman with ties to Amina's past.
Getting the band back together: Amina rounds up the remaining members of her old crew and embarks on a rescue mission -- but, of course, there's more to the job than she's been told.
Series alert: This swashbuckling novel by the author of the Daevabad trilogy is the 1st book in a planned trilogy that draws inspiration from the seafaring cultures of the 12th-century Indian Ocean. |
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| Rubicon by J.S. DewesWhat happens: Resurrected for the 96th time and assigned to a shadowy special forces unit, Sergeant Adrienne Valero must deal with a suddenly sentient virtual intelligence (VI) as she battles enemy Mechans.
Why you might like it: This standalone novel by the author of the Divide series offers action-packed military science fiction with sympathetic characters.
For fans of: the indestructible soldiers of Kameron Hurley's The Light Brigade or John Scalzi's Old Man's War series. |
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| Dead Country by Max GladstoneWhat it is: the opening installment of the Craft Wars series, a spin-off of author Max Gladstone's Craft Sequence.
Starring: Craftswoman Tara Abernathy, who returns to the hometown that cast her out, only to discover that she must now defend it from enemies; and Tara's accidental apprentice, Dawn, a girl with powerful and uncontrolled magic.
Can you start here? Yes! Knowledge of Tara's previous exploits is not necessary to follow the events of Dead Country. |
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| The Foreign Exchange by Veronica G. HenryStarring: Vodou priestess and amateur sleuth Mambo Reina Dumond, who works as a healer in New Orleans' French Quarter when she's not solving crimes.
What happens: In this 2nd book in the Mambo Reina series (after The Quarter Storm), a client's request for help with a financial matter soon turns into a murder investigation.
For fans of: New Orleans-set contemporary fantasies such as Alex Jennings' The Ballad of Perilous Graves or Bryan Camp's Crescent City novels. |
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| The God of Endings by Jakki HollandIntroducing: vampire Collette LeSange, an immortal artist whose quiet life as a preschool teacher in 1980s upstate New York comes crashing down when her past finally catches up to her.
Why you might like it: Collette's first-person narrative spans 150 years, covering her 1830s childhood, her World War II resistance activities, and her 20th-century brush with Satanic Panic.
For fans of: V.E. Schwab's The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, or Traci L. Slatton's Immortal. |
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| The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka OlderWhat it's about: Investigator Mossa's latest case involves a return to her alma mater, Jupiter's Valdegeld University, where her success will depend on convincing Pleiti, her ex-girlfriend, to assist her inquiries.
Read it for: a classic mystery feel, a detecting duo reminiscent of Holmes and Watson, and evocative world-building.
For fans of: Mary Robinette Kowal's The Spare Man or Dorothy L. Sayers' Gaudy Night. |
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| Bitter Medicine by Mia TsaiStarring: calligrapher Elle Mei, a descendant of the Chinese god of medicine, currently hiding from the brother who wants to kill her and steal her magic; and her favorite customer, half-elf Agent Luc Villois, whose latest assignment may get Elle and her entire family killed.
Read it for: an inventive mash-up of xianxia tropes and European mythology, a fast-paced romantic adventure plot, and a diverse cast of well-drawn characters. |
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| The Lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose UtomiThe premise: "There is no water in the City of Lies," which leads the City to strike a costly bargain with the Ajungo Empire: in exchange for this precious resource, citizens 13 and older must forfeit their tongues.
What happens: To save his dying mother, 12-year-old Tutu ventures into the Forever Desert on an impossible quest and finds unexpected allies.
Series alert: This "mesmerizing debut novella" (Publishers Weekly) is the 1st book in the Forever Desert series. |
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| The Foxglove King by Hannah WhittenIntroducing: Lore, a young woman who escaped from a subterranean cult and now works as a poison-runner on the streets of Dellaire while concealing her forbidden Mortem, or death magic, from the authorities.
What happens: Captured by the Presque Mort, who serve the Sainted King, Lore must spy on the king's heir, Sun Prince Bastian, with the aid of her assigned bodyguard Gabe, a disgraced monk.
Why you might like it: This opening installment of the Nightshade Kingdom series offers courtly intrigue, a sinister state religion, and a complex love triangle. |
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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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