Happy Friday, judges and juries! Today we’re doing a dive into some of the Nebula Award nominees, plus vampires, Black Panther, contemporary magic, and more.
This newsletter is sponsored by The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton. In a world where Beauty is a commodity only a few control, one Belle will learn the dark secrets behind her powers, and rise up to change the world.
Have you seen Black Panther yet? I have, and need to go see it at least once more in the theater (but hopefully more than that) — it’s incredibly lush, it has amazing actors, and it is downright revolutionary in so many ways. Cannot recommend highly enough. Bonus: we’re doing a giveaway to celebrate its release!
Where to start with Black Lightning: If, like me, you’re curious about the new CW superhero show but want a little background, Jessica has put together a primer.
Modern magic: Want some supernatural with your everyday world? Here’s a roundup of contemporary fantasies that fit the bill. (Cosign on Labyrinth Lost, Good Omens, Practical Magic, and Akata Witch!)
Less triggers, please: If, also like me, you sometimes need a break in your fiction from news-cycle-related plot points, I put together a reading list of SF/F that doesn’t include any sexual violence against female characters.
Or not: If, on the other hand, you would like some SF/F that comments directly on the current state of the world, there’s a list for that too.
Vampires, check: There’s a new Deborah Harkness novel coming, and it’s about vampires during the Revolutionary war.
Magic wand laser tag: I am SO READY for these interactive toy wands. Take my money immediately!
And a quick reminder: we’re running an Instagram giveaway and you could win $500 worth of the (gorgeous) Penguin Clothbound classics.
Today I’ve got a special reviews spotlight on the Nebula Award nominees for Novel in 2018! Not least because I’ve read and reviewed 5 of the 7, and my Book Riot compatriots covered the other two. I don’t know how the judges are going to call this one, and I don’t envy them — it’s an incredible pool.
Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly
Donnelly has written a spy thriller set in an alternate world, and I absolutely devoured it. (Technically this is speculative fiction, folks, as there is no magic.) I’ve been trying to come up with my elevator pitch, and keep getting stuck somewhere around “It’s like if The Great Gatsby and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy went through a wormhole and then had a baby.”
Cyril dePaul is a spy, and a louche one at that. His lover Aristide Makricosta is a smuggler, dealer, and cabaret emcee. Their arrangement involves them pretending they know nothing about each other’s real jobs while half-heartedly spying on each other, and also definitely not falling in love, not even a little. They live in Amberlough City, center of graft, whimsy, and liberalism. When Cyril falls into the hands of the conservative neighboring province’s spy forces, their relationship has to come to an end — but neither wants to let go. In the meantime, streetwise singer and small-time dealer Cordelia is just looking to keep herself in rent and food, but finds herself sucked into the darkest side of politics as the encroaching One State Party makes its move.
The plot is meticulously paced, as are the switches in POV (close third, in case that matters to you). The parallels to historical and current politics are obvious and, for some readers, perhaps a little on the nose. But what made this book such an incredible read for me were the character arcs. Cyril’s cynicism and self-interest; Aristide’s savvy and force of character; Cordelia’s political awakening; their interactions with the richly imagined and portrayed supporting cast, all held me from the first to the last page. Not to mention the ending! It hit me in the feelings place, I tell you what.
The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss
Theodora Goss typically writes lovely and rich fairytale short stories and poems. She’s one of my favorite short story writers. I briefly talked to her about her newest novel last year at a fairytale conference (because I’m the kind of person that goes to fairytale conferences, duh), and she told me with this novel she wanted to tell the stories of Victorian lit’s voiceless girls. The girl monsters, often doomed to die or remain unheard. So Mary Jekyll, Diana Hyde, Justine Frankenstein, Catherine Moreau, Beatrice Rappaccini all have a chance to tell their own stories in this novel. What’s not to love? Victorian classics retold from a feminist perspective, with empowered girl monsters? And a beautiful book cover? Sold.
– Margaret Kingsbury, Must-Read June Releases
Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory
Once upon a time, the Telemachuses were famous. With a telekinetic, a psychic, and a human lie detector in the family, they were a wonder to citizens and secret agents everywhere. But twenty years later, the family is disgraced and in shambles, trying desperately to make ends meet. A visit from an old friend at the CIA checking to see if they have any remaining powers seems to be a waste of time, but what the family doesn’t know is that one of the children has just discovered he has the ability to leave his body. This is a funny, heartfelt dysfunctional family comedy with a supernatural twist.
– Liberty Hardy, New Books newsletter
The Stone Sky by NK Jemisin (Broken Earth #3)
The Stone Sky is the jaw-dropping conclusion (literally, my jaw dropped) to the Broken Earth series and it’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a third installment.
Mild spoilers for the series follow, so if you want zero plot discussion just go ahead and get yourself all three books and start reading!
The Obelisk Gate left Nassun and Essun finally aware of each other’s location and powers, but many miles apart. The stone eater factions have revealed their goals, and now the fate of the world is hanging in the balance. While The Stone Sky takes us forward to the moment of truth, it also takes us back in time and reveals more history of the Guardians, the obelisks, and the sundering of the Moon. If you’ve been wanting a deeper look at the history of this world, you will be delighted; Jemisin balances the plotline that began in The Fifth Season with a new past narrative that is just as compelling as any other thread we’ve had throughout the series — and there have been many. The conclusion had me white-knuckling my way through the final chapters, and devastated that the story has come to an end. Jemisin’s best, most complex series to date, Broken Earth has reached the top five in my personal list of favorite series, and it will take a hell of a lot to dethrone it.
Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty
This is a locked-room mystery, except it’s a locked spaceship and it’s mid-space flight crewed by clones!
Six Wakes is a page-turner and then some. The ship’s crew, all of whom have criminal pasts, wake up 25 years into a colonization mission to find themselves — Their previous selves? Past selves? They are clones, selfhood become weird — floating around, very dead. Very messily dead. Some were stabbed, someone was hanged, someone else was stabbed and poisoned, and none of them have any memory of what happened. The only surviving crew member, the captain, is in a coma and not telling. What follows is both a whodunit, a look at the backstory of our protagonists, and a highly detailed imagining of what the legality surrounding clones could come to look like. Six Wakes is engrossing and thoroughly satisfying, and Lafferty succeeds at both laying down a mystery and creating a stand-alone sci-fi novel.
Jade City by Fonda Lee
Jade City is an Asian The Godfather plus magic, and the first installment in a trilogy that is off to a page-turning, action-packed start.
Kekon is the only source of “bioreactive” jade, a stone that grants the right wearer supernatural abilities. Only some people can harness the powers of jade, and the Green Bone warriors-turned-mobsters that do are feared, respected, and unofficially run the country. The grown Kaul siblings are each doing their best to make a life — Hilo and Lan as the newest leaders of the family and operation, and Shae as a person an entirely separate from her family’s activities. But when the other major clan starts pushing into the Kaul’s territory, Lan’s negotiating skill and level head might not be enough to keep the peace. In the meantime, other nations around the world are developing drugs to help them create their own jade-sensitive warriors. Can peace be maintained, and at what cost? It’s not just the fate of the clans that rides on the outcome — it’s the fate of the jade trade and the country itself.
Lee has created a rich second world that feels familiar enough to be comprehensible, but different enough to house its magical system — she wrote about the process here. The family interactions are complex and emotionally resonant; the fights are well-paced and gorily entertaining; in short, Jade City delivers on its promises. And the ending! Just enough resolution to keep me from throwing the book across the room, just enough questions unanswered to have me eagerly awaiting the next installment.
Autonomous by Annalee Newitz
This is a story about artificial intelligence, submarine pirates, and Big Pharma. It’s also about human trafficking, gender perceptions, and what choice looks like in constrained circumstances. There’s a lot going on here, and Newitz doesn’t shy away from asking provocative questions or creating ambiguous situations. Which wasn’t a surprise to me, knowing her work; Newitz is the co-founder of io9, along with Charlie Jane Anders, and when I interviewed her for our Recommended podcast ambiguity in particular was on her mind.
The story follows two main narrative threads. Jack, our submarine pirate, has made it her life’s work to create open-source drugs for people who can’t afford the patented, Big Pharmacy-controlled ones. She’s also not above selling some for recreational use as well as medicinal, to help fund her operations. When a batch of a new productivity drug she sold starts claiming victims, she has to do her best to put things to right. On her trail are Eliasz, an operative hired by the pharmaceutical company, and his robot colleague Paladin. As they work together, Paladin — whose sentience is never in question — becomes increasingly confused and increasingly engaged by his relationship with Eliasz.
Each character introduced throughout the novel is working through a major trauma or life moment, and I found my sympathies morphing and changing with each new revelation. Characters I thought I despised suddenly became not only relatable but important to me, and some I thought I completely understood became much more complicated. And then there’s the actual (and very action- and gore-packed) plot! There’s nothing straightforward about Autonomous, but there’s a lot to enjoy and a lot to ponder.
And that’s a wrap! You can find all of the books recommended in this newsletter on a handy Goodreads shelf. If you’re interested in more science fiction and fantasy talk, you can catch me and my co-host Sharifah on the SFF Yeah! podcast. For many many more book recommendations you can find me on the Get Booked podcast with the inimitable Amanda.
Don’t forget to pack your towel,
Jenn