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Fantasy and Science Fiction March 2022 |
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| Light Years from Home by Mike ChenEach unhappy family... When their missing brother, Jakob, returns after a 15-year absence, claiming to have fought in an intergalactic war, estranged sisters Evie and Kass Shao must put aside their differences to help him evade the feds, who believe he's involved in terrorist activities.
Why you might like it: As with his previous novels, Here and Now and Then and A Beginning at the End, author Mike Chen takes a science fiction premise and uses it to explore complex interpersonal dynamics. |
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| Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon JamesWhat it is: a companion novel to Black Leopard, Red Wolf and the 2nd book in The Dark Star trilogy.
What it does: revisits, Rashomon-style, events of the first book from the perspective of Sogolon, the 177-year-old Moon Witch, while also delving into her rich and turbulent backstory.
Is it for you? Although this novel boasts the complex characterization, vivid world-building, and brutal violence of its predecessor, its tone, structure, and pacing differ significantly. |
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| The Thousand Eyes by A.K. LarkwoodStarring: assassin-spy Csorwe; her lover, the mage Shuthmili; and their frenemy and business partner, Tal Charossa.
What happens: Hired to track down an ancient relic, the trio accidentally resurrects a 3,000-year-old warrior and become embroiled in a power struggle between deities.
Reviewers say: This 2nd book in the Serpent Gates series, following The Unspoken Name, offers a "vibrant fantasy world of fickle gods, blood sacrifices, treachery, unswerving fidelity, and boundless love" (Booklist). |
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| Goliath by Tochi OnyebuchiWhite flight...to space: In the generations since the planet's most privileged abandoned a devastated Earth for the Space Colonies, those left behind have been salvaging the wreckage in order to eke out a precarious existence.
They're back! Now the descendants of the original Space Colonists are returning to gentrify New England, displacing residents and dismantling communities.
Why you might like it: This layered mosaic novel by the author of Riot Baby unfolds at a leisurely pace, lingering on evocative details, as it follows its diverse ensemble cast through a vividly depicted future America. |
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| The Employees: A Workplace Novel of the 22nd Century by Olga Ravn; translated from the Danish by Martin AitkenContains: the collected witness statements of the crew members of Six-Thousand Ship, detailing the strange events that unfold after they obtain some mysterious objects from the planet New Discovery.
Book buzz: Born of a collaboration between author Olga Ravn and artist Lea Guldditte Hestelund, this novel, recently translated into English, was shortlisted for the International Booker prize.
Want a taste? "Don't go into the second room. It's not nice in there. You've got the choice, you can make us go in your place. We've already been in there. You can still save yourselves." |
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| A River Enchanted by Rebecca RossWhat it's about: After years spent living on the mainland, bard Jack Tamerlaine returns to the Isle of Cadence, where he encounters his childhood nemesis, Adaira, who enlists him to help her investigate the disappearances of local girls.
Read it for: a magical island setting inspired by Scotland, an inventive twist on Celtic folklore, and not one but two love stories.
You might also like: Freda Warrington's Aetherial Tales series, Charles de Lint's Jack of Kinrowan novels. |
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| The Tiger Flu by Larissa LaiWelcome to: Saltwater City (formerly Vancouver, B.C.), a high-tech metropolis surrounded by slum-like quarantine rings established during the first wave of the "tiger flu" pandemic of 2145.
Where you'll meet: Kirilow Groudsel of the Grist Sisters, a community-in-exile of women who can reproduce asexually, and young Kora Ko, who may hold the key to their survival.
Is it for you? This Lambda Literary Award-winning novel pays homage to classic feminist SF while "exploring reproduction, lesbian separatism, and biopolitics" (Booklist). |
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| After the Flood by Kassandra MontagNorth America, 2031: climate change-induced sea-level rise, known as the Hundred Year Flood, has forced people to live on boats, or in high-elevation colonies.
What happens: Myra, accompanied by her seven-year-old daughter, Pearl, searches for her older daughter, Row, who's been kidnapped by Myra's husband.
For fans of: Cormac McCarthy's The Road, Anne Charnock's Bridge 108, or Alison Stine's Road Out of Winter. |
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| Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies OkungbowaWelcome to: the city of Bassa, the heart of an ancient and powerful empire built upon a rigid caste system in which skin color and ethnicity determine one's role in society.
Where you'll meet: "Shashi" (mixed-heritage) novitiate Danso, whose quest for forbidden knowledge takes him beyond the city; Esheme, Danso's unapologetically ambitious betrothed; and Lilong, a magic-wielding warrior from the Nameless Islands (which don't officially exist).
Series alert: Inspired by pre-colonial West Africa and featuring an all-Black cast, this "polyphonic" (Publishers Weekly) novel by the author of David Mogo, Godhunter is the 1st book in a planned trilogy. |
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| Black Sun by Rebecca RoanhorseThe setting: the continent of Meridian, and the Holy City of Tova, the site of a religious observance called the Convergence -- which, this year, coincides with an eclipse.
The characters: Xiala, the Teek ship's captain tasked with escorting a "harmless" passenger to Tova; Serapio, a blind Obregi man destined to become a god; idealistic Sun Priest Naranpa; and Okoa, who has a crucial role to play in the events that unfold.
Series alert: Black Sun kicks off the Between Earth and Sky trilogy, which draws inspiration from the many pre-contact Indigenous cultures of the Americas; book 2, Fevered Star, publishes later this year. |
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Contact your librarian for more 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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