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Fantasy and Science Fiction April 2024 |
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| The Weavers of Alamaxa by Hadeer ElsbaiIn this sequel to The Daughters of Izdihar, a group of activists continues to fight for women's rights in a patriarchal society that would deny them full personhood. Inspired by Egyptian history, this conclusion to the Alamaxa duology boasts a "fully formed grounded setting, exhilarating magic, and all-too-real political machinations" (Kirkus Reviews). Read-alikes: Ausma Zehanat Khan's Khorasan Archives series; Saara El-Arifi's Final Strife trilogy. |
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| The Canopy Keepers by Veronica G. HenryFire chief Syrah Carthan, one of the human "topsiders" of Sequoia National Park, encounters the Rhiza, an underground secret society of "Keepers" that cares for the forest in this novel by the author of the Mambo Reina series. For fans of: Ali Shaw's The Trees; Sequoia Nagamatsu's How High We Go in the Dark; Richard Powers' The Overstory. |
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| A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. JensenMarked by the gods, Freya accepts her destiny as a shield maiden after she's sold to Jarl Snorri, who plans to use her power to increase his own and appoints his brooding son Bjorn to be her bodyguard. Inspired by Norse mythology, this steamy series opener boasts action-packed battles and angsty forbidden love. You might also like: Lilith Saintcrow's Black Land's Bane series; Aurora Ascher's Sanctuary of the Shadow; Elizabeth Bear's Edda of Burdens trilogy. |
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| The Mars House by Natasha PulleySet in the far-future Martian colony of Tharsis, this "exquisitely layered and entertaining" (Publishers Weekly) novel by Natasha Pulley (The Half Life of Valery K) explores the often fraught marriage of convenience between anti-immigrant politician Aubrey Gale and dancer January Stirling, a refugee from Earth. Read-alikes: R.W.W. Greene's The Light Years; Derek Kunsken's Venus Ascendant series. |
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| The Truth of the Aleke by Moses Ose UtomiWhen Aleke and the Cult of Tutu attack The City of Truth, 17-year-old Junior Peacekeeper Osi uses a sacred artifact known as the God's Eyes to fight back. The Truth of the Aleke is the 2nd book in the Forever Desert series, which takes place 500 years after the events of The Lies of the Ajungo. |
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| Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu BabalolaThis short story collection by British Nigerian writer Bolu Babalola (Honey and Spice) offers retellings of myths and folktales from various cultural traditions. You might also like: Aoko Matsuda's Where the Wild Ladies Are; Hanan al-Shaykh's One Thousand and One Nights; or Gemmarose Nethercott's Fifty Beasts to Break your Heart. |
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| The Kingdom of Sweets: A Novel of The Nutcracker by Erika JohansenOn the eve of their 17th birthday, twins Clara and Natasha receive gifts from their godfather that open a portal into the mysterious Kingdom of Sweets in this "beautifully twisted" (Library Journal) retelling of the Nutcracker by the author of the Queen of the Tearling series. Read-alikes: Gregory Maguire's Hiddensee; Kell Woods' After the Forest; Ava Reid's Juniper and Thorn. |
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| The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra KhawTwo refugees, a mermaid and a plague doctor, seek safety in the forest but instead encounter greater danger in this dark and often disturbing homage to Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid." This volume includes the related short story, "And In Our Daughters, We Find a Voice." You might also like: Aimee Ogden's Sun-Daughters, Sea Daughters; T. Kingfisher's Sworn Soldiers series; Jade Song's Chlorine. |
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| The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-GarciaAn unexpected visitor upends the sheltered life of Carlota Moreau, whose father, mad scientist Doctor Moreau, keeps her isolated on their estate in 1870s Yucatán, Mexico, along with the human-animal hybrid creatures he has created. Try this next: Daryl Gregory's The Album of Dr. Moreau. |
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| Arch-Conspirator by Veronica RothIn the post-apocalyptic settlement of Thebes, the human race survives by extracting ichor, or genetic material, from the dead and storing it in the Archive for future use. When Thebes' authoritarian ruler Kreon bans Antigone's deceased brothers' ichor from the Archive, the young woman rebels. Unfolding from multiple viewpoints, this SF retelling of Sophocles' Antigone offers "a heroine to root for, a despot to revile, and a thought-provoking ending" (Library Journal). |
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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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