Swords and Spaceships for November 13: 2021 Wish List

Princess Thanh is coming home at long last after years of being a hostage in the country of Ephteria. But she’s haunted by memories of her first romance—and the possibly magical fire that almost destroyed the Ephterian palace where she was held. Since she knows the Ephterians so well, she’s thrust into the role of diplomat… which puts her back into the mix with that lost love of hers—who wants too much from both Thanh, and her home. And always, the fire is calling.

In a 14th century China ruled by the Mongols, a girl and her brother are given opposite fates. For him, glory. For her, nothingness. But when their family is killed by bandits, it’s the boy who dies of despair, and the girl takes her brother’s identity and enters a monastery—and soon she will have the chance to claim his fate of greatness..

A vengeful princess wrongfully exiled by her despotic brother. A powerful priestess with a secret past who wants only to save her family. They meet in the decaying, ruined temple that is the site of the princess’s exile. Their fates and hearts will be intertwined—and they will change the destiny of an empire.

Danso is a disillusioned scholar who would like to escape his rigid life and obligations. He gets his chance when a skin-changing warrior named Lilong, who has magic that shouldn’t exist and is from a place that supposedly doesn’t exist, shows up in his barn. Wrapped up in a conspiracy they can only unravel together, Danso and Lilong set out on a journey to reveal history and magic that has too long been hidden.

I know I’ve mentioned this one a couple of times, and my enthusiasm remains undiminished. Former conductors in the Underground Railroad have settled in Philadelphia after the Civil War, and now they solve the murders and mysteries that the white authorities won’t touch.

The Five-Hop One-Stop is basically a galactic truck stop that orbits the uninhabitable planet of Gora, a place where travelers can pause between wormholes. But when wormhole traffic is suddenly halted, three strangers are thrown together at this unassuming place, and they have a chance to really learn who they are and where they’re going.

The aliens that have been nibbling at the edges of human–particularly Teixcalaanli–space have made their presence known, and they can neither be negotiated with nor destroyed. With no other options, Fleet Captain Nine Hibiscus makes one last attempt at diplomacy, calling in Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass. (Full disclosure: Arkady and I have the same agent.)