Happy Friday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and I’ve got a couple more new releases for you and some fantasy sports book recommendations. I’ll admit that I’m not much of a sports fan myself, but I still find something to love in the sports competition framework in books — or more often manga. Hikaru no Go is probably one of my favorites. Just goes to show that you can use nearly anything as a framework for character drama, right? Have a great weekend, and stay safe out there, space pirates. I’ll see you on Tuesday!
Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here’s somewhere to start: NDN Collective and Jane’s Due Process.
Bookish Goods
The Dragon Soccer Ball by ChaosSoccerGear
I wasn’t sure what I was going to find when I went looking for sports-related fantasy stuff, but dang, this is one cool soccer ball. Goes right with a copy of Blazewrath Games. $100
New Releases
Where it Rains in Color by Denise Crittendon
The planet of Swazembi is a colorful utopia and vacation destination, a place built by descendants of the West African Dogon Tribe. But the peace of the world is shattered when a mysterious skin infection strikes its populace; it turns Lileala’s skin, which once glimmered like diamonds and coal, to scabs and scars. Worse, Lileala begins to hear voices. Desperate, she searches for a cure, and instead discovers a new power within herself.
A History of Fear by Luke Dumas
Grayson Hale is the most infamous murderer in Scotland, though he claims that he slaughtered his classmate at the behest of the Devil. When he is found hanged in his cell, he leaves behind a handwritten manuscript that tells the story of his fall from grace — and brings into question that perhaps the Devil did have some hand in all of this.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Since it’s World Cup season, how about some books about big sports events with a fantasy twist?
Blazewrath Games by Amparo Ortiz
The Blazewrath Games are the World Cup of dragons and riders, where 16 teams from across the world compete in an often-deadly relay. Lana Torres is a rider who much prefers dragons to people — but she dreams of representing Puerto Rico in their first Blazewrath. When a former sports superstar and a dragon who’s been cursed into human form start burning down dragon sanctuaries around the world unless the games get cancelled, Lana must navigate an international conspiracy that promises to be far more deadly than her favorite sport.
Ashlords by Scott Reintgen
The Races have come from centuries-long tradition, started when the first Ashlords were given phoenix horses by their gods. And any competition has its rules that can be bent almost to breaking — murder is disallowed, but breaking the bones of a rider or poisoning the alchemical ashes of a horse at night? Legal, and even encouraged as entertainment. Eleven riders will compete in this year’s Races, and three have more at stake than the rest. Will glory go to the daughter of a former champion, an entrant there only by grace of a scholarship, or a revolutionary’s son?
See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.