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Fantasy and Science Fiction July 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. | |
Shorefall
by
Robert Jackson Bennett
What it is: the dramatic 2nd book in the Founders series, set three years after the events of Foundryside.
What happens: Sancia Grado and her associates prepare to bring the art of scriving, long reserved for society's elite, to the common people.
For fans of: the inventive magic system of Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy; the criminal camaraderie found in Scott Lynch's Gentleman Bastards novels.
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The Down Days by Ilze Hugo Welcome to: Sick City (formerly Cape Town), South Africa, where quarantined residents struggle to survive in the "Down Days" following a global pandemic.
Where you'll meet...taxi driver turned corpse collector Faith September, contraband dealer Sans, and orphaned Tomorrow, who's searching for her missing brother.
You might also like: Lauren Beukes' Moxyland or Nicky Drayden's The Prey of Gods, both of which follow ensemble casts through a vividly rendered near-future South Africa. | | Chaos Reigning by Jessie Mihalik What happens: Princess and spy Catarina von Hasenberg joins forces with bodyguard Alex Sterling on an undercover mission, which requires them to pose as a couple while attending an exclusive house party.
For fans of: Catherine Asaro's Skolian Empire series or K.B. Wagers' Indranan Wars series.
Series alert: Chaos Reigning is the 3rd book in the Consortium Rebellion series, after Polaris Rising and Aurora Blazing. | |
Blood of an Exile
by
Brian Naslund
What it's about: Exiled lord-turned-dragonslayer "Flawless" Silas Bershad has a chance to redeem himself by rescuing a kidnapped Almiran princess and assassinating the emperor of neighboring Baleria.
Why you might like it: This opening installment of the Dragons of Terra series boasts an action-packed plot, compelling (if not exactly sympathetic) characters, and an immersive setting.
You might also like: John Gwynne's Of Blood and Bone series, a similarly verging-on-grimdark fantasy where no character is safe.
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Burn-In: A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution by P.W. Singer and August Cole What it's about: Tasked with field-training her new AI partner, Tactical Autonomous Mobility System (TAMS), FBI special agent and counter-terrorism expert Lara Keegan uncovers a global conspiracy.
Why you might like it: This SF thriller offers a plausible vision of how automation may transform societies, plus plenty of well-researched technical detail.
Think: Isaac Asimov's The Caves of Steel by way of Tom Clancy.
eAvailability: This title is available as an ebook from elibraryNJ. | | The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith The library is open...and Claire, Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing, the place in Hell where all the unfinished stories reside, must track down an escaped Hero in search of its author.
Don't miss: former muse Brevity and demon Leto, who assist Claire in her quest as the group races to prevent a war between angels and demons.
For fans of: the adventure plot and world-building of Genevieve Cogman's Invisible Library series; the cosmology of Good Omens. | | The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow Introducing: January Scaller, who rebels against her wealthy and eccentric guardian by secretly exploring doorways to other realms with her companion Bad, a very good dog.
Want a taste? "There's only one way to run away from your own story, and that's to sneak into someone else's."
Does the dog die? No! It's all good! | | Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire Welcome to: Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children, an unorthodox boarding school for young people who’ve returned, often unwillingly, from journeys to fantasy realms.
What happens: New student Nancy longs to return to the Underworld, but when a killer starts stalking the school, she has to put aside her dreams of death to keep her friends alive.
What sets it apart: Asexual Nancy is just one of several LGBTQIA characters in this intriguing dark fantasy, the 1st in a series.
e-Availability: This title is available as a streaming eaudiobook from Hoopla Digital. | | The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern What happens: A mysterious book leads graduate student Zachary Ezra Rawlins on a magical quest to another world, hidden in plain sight.
Why you might like it: A puzzle box narrative and dreamlike prose distinguish this atmospheric novel by the author of The Night Circus.
Want a taste? "Zachary Ezra Rawlins stares at the miniature versions of the same symbols he once contemplated in an alleyway behind his mother's store and wonders how, exactly, he is supposed to continue a story he didn't know he was in."
e-Availability: This title is available as an ebook and a eaudiobook from Hoopla Digital. | | A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab A tale of four cities: Red London is rife with magic. Grey London has none at all. White London may soon destroy itself in its attempts to steal the powers of its rivals. And Black London? Well, that city no longer exists except as a cautionary tale to magic abusers.
Starring: Kell, an inter-dimensional royal ambassador with a sideline in smuggling; and Delilah, a cutpurse with piratical ambitions.
Series alert: This trilogy opener continues with A Gathering of Shadows and A Conjuring of Light.
e-Availability: This title is available as an ebook and an eaudiobook from elibraryNJ. | |
Contact your librarian for more great books!
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