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Fantasy and Science Fiction September 2020
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The Angel of the Crows
by Katherine Addison
Starring: consulting detective Crow, an angel, and his (sort-of) human assistant Dr. J.H. Doyle, who solve mysteries together in an alternate Victorian London inhabited by supernatural beings.
For fans of: wingfic, Sherlockiana, and Ripperology.
About the author: Katherine Addison (the pen name of writer Sarah Monette) is the author of The Goblin Emperor.
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The Empire of Gold
by S.A. Chakraborty
What it is: the conclusion to the Daevabad trilogy, after The City of Brass and The Kingdom of Copper.
Starring: exiled prince Ali, healer Nahri (in 18th-century Cairo), and daeva Dara (in Daevabad), who once again become caught up in a maelstrom of magic, political intrigue, and family drama.
Media buzz: Director Edgar Wright is adapting the trilogy for a forthcoming Netflix series.
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The Relentless Moon
by Mary Robinette Kowal
1963: Astronaut Nicole Wargin arrives at the fledgling lunar colony of Artemis, where she must investigate possible infiltration of the International Aerospace Coalition (IAC) by a terrorist group.
Why you might like it: This alternate history of the Space Race focuses as much on the inner lives of its well-drawn characters as it does on creating plausible technology and geopolitical tensions.
What about... Elma York, heroine of previous installments of the award-winning Lady Astronaut series? The Relentless Moon's plot runs parallel to the events of The Fated Sky, which places Elma on Mars during Nicole's adventures.
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| The First Sister by Linden A. LewisThree Civilizations: the Icarii, a technologically advanced social democracy; the Geans, a nature-revering military theocracy; and the Asters, genetically modified humans despised by both Icarii and Geans.
Three people: First Sister, a Gean priestess abandoned by the man who promised to free her; Icarii duellist Lito sol Lucius, tasked with tracking down and executing his traitorous former partner; and Hiro val Akira, who explains their decision to defect in a letter to Lito.
Series alert: this sweeping, often swashbuckling debut is the 1st book in a planned trilogy. |
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| All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane AndersThen: magic user Patricia Delfine and science geek Laurence Armstead become friends, their bond a shield against school bullies.
Now: They reunite as adults in San Francisco, where Laurence is an engineer and Patricia is a witch. Both are trying to save a world on the brink of destruction, but will their efforts do more harm than good?
Why you might like it: Set in a pre-Apocalyptic world that pits technology and magic against each other, this fantastical coming-of-age story is also a moving meditation on friendship and belonging. |
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Ninth House
by Leigh Bardugo
The offer: a full scholarship to Yale for Galaxy "Alex" Stern, a high school dropout with the rare ability to see ghosts.
The catch: Tasked with monitoring the university's secret societies, Alex soon discovers that the elite institution is often willing to turn a blind eye to their occult transgressions.
Is it for you? This adult fantasy novel by Grisha trilogy author Leigh Bardugo is grittier than her YA books and includes scenes of murder, child abuse, sexual assault, and self-harm.
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Kill the Queen: A Crown of Shards Novel
by Jennifer Estep
Introducing: Everleigh "Evie" Blair, who's 17th in line for the throne of Bellona.
What happens: After one of her cousins massacres the rest of the royal family, Evie takes refuge at a gladiatorial school...where she'll begin her quest for revenge.
Author alert: Best known for her Elemental Assassin novels, urban fantasy writer Jennifer Estep ventures into epic fantasy in this 1st book in the Crown of Shards series.
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| The Magicians by Lev GrossmanIntroducing: High-school senior Quentin Coldwater, who has just been accepted to the exclusive Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy.
What happens: Practicing magic turns out to be far less glamorous -- and much more dangerous -- than it sounds. (Especially once Quentin learns that the fantasy series that inspired him to become a magician is not exactly fiction).
Media buzz: This series opener and its sequels, The Magician King and The Magician's Land, serve as the source material for the television series of the same name. |
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Every Heart a Doorway
by Seanan McGuire
Dark Fantasy. Recently returned from the Underworld, where she was the Lord of the Dead's beloved, Nancy has no desire to stay at Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children. Established to help young people who have journeyed to other realms and returned home to find that their former lives no longer fit, this highly unorthodox boarding school is supposed to be a sanctuary for girls like Nancy. However, when a killer starts stalking its hallowed halls, stealing pieces of the students' souls, Nancy must put aside her dreams of death and keep her peers alive.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Michigan City Public Library 100 E. 4th Street Michigan City, Indiana 46360 219-873-3044mclib.org/ |
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