Category: Swords and Spaceships

Happy Friday, friends! Today we’re talking about Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews, webcomics, problematic faves, WorldCon, fairytales, and so much more.

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This newsletter is sponsored by Penguin Teen.

After her family is killed by corrupt warlord Aric Athair and his bloodthirsty army of Bullets, Caledonia Styx is left to chart her own course on the dangerous and deadly seas. She captains the Mors Navis, with a crew of girls and women just like her, who have lost their families and homes because of Aric. But when Caledonia’s best friend barely survives an attack thanks to help from a Bullet looking to defect, Caledonia finds herself questioning whether to let him join their crew. Is this boy the key to taking down Aric once and for all…or will he threaten everything the women have worked for?

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What does it mean to have more women in sci-fi? This contemplative piece unpacks a lot of stereotypes and internalized misogyny in the process of answering that question.

Bones for the win: A fan looks at the ways Star Trek: The Original Series combatted toxic masculinity, and makes a compelling case.

LET THERE BE GREAT REJOICING: we’re getting Avatar: The Last Airbender novels about Avatar Kyoshi!!!! All the muppet arms!!!!

Get more comics in your browser! I love SF/F webcomics, and this list just added a bunch more to my bookmarks folder.

Want a behind the scenes look at WorldCon 76? Alex gives the nitty gritty details on the business side of things (as well as the alt-right protest), which I always find fascinating.

I have a deep appreciation for the questions posed in this post about reconsidering problematic faves, and in particular would like to highlight this bit, which sums up so beautifully a feeling I’ve been struggling to articulate:
“I like and respect my friends better than I like the book, and I don’t feel comfortable reading a book that’s taking aim at my friends. It has lost its magic.”

Sometimes a fairytale is what you need, and we’ve got 50 retellings for kids that can scratch that itch.

I confess that I have not listened to this because it is OVER AN HOUR LONG, but if you’ve ever wanted N.K. Jemisin to tell you her world-building secrets, here’s your chance.

Which Weasley sibling are you? Take our quiz! (I am Charlie and I will be over here with my dragons.)

Reminder! Today (August 31) is the last day to enter the Recommended giveaway for 16 excellent books, which you should do right here.

Magic Triumphs (Kate Daniels #10) by Ilona Andrews

You might have heard me gush about the world-building in the Kate Daniels series on SFF Yeah, or name-drop them repeatedly while talking about other urban fantasy. In case you weren’t sure: I’m a fan. The last book in the series is out this week, and it gave me All The Feelings.

Before I get into some spoilers, let’s take a moment for my top two reasons this series is worth picking up. And while I’ve heard that the first book, Magic Bites, can be hard to get through for new readers, I’m here to assure you that it’s worth it.

1: It has one of my favorite world-building premises ever, and takes place in an alternate Atlanta in which the world is subject to period, unpredictable waves of magic. While the magic is down, your car and phones work but not your spells; while the magic is up, vice versa. There are vampires and shapeshifters and demons and gods roaming the world again, and humanity is having to relearn how to deal with the supernatural.

2: It has a heroine who not only kicks ass, but learns how to be a person. The Kate Daniels of Magic Bites is just barely a human being — she’s gruff, isolated, drinking too much, and basically only good at slicing things and people and things pretending to be people to bits with her sword. But as the series progresses, Kate also grows in important ways. She acquires friends and a family of choice; she makes peace with her traumatic childhood; she begins to own her power.

And now for mild series spoilers! Avert your eyes!!! 

If you’ve been following along with me, I’m happy to report that Magic Triumphs is as satisfying a finale as I could have hoped. The stakes could not be higher — the future of Kate’s son is at stake, the Oracles are having visions of blood and fire, and Roland is just waiting to take over Atlanta and then the rest of the world. Assassins are popping up around town, the populations of entire towns are disappearing overnight, and Kate just got a weird box of ashes with a flower on it. Also her son is manifesting some startling new abilities. Kate’s life is complicated; it must be Tuesday.

The full cast — plus some suprising-to-me reappearances — is on hand for this battle to end the war, and they’re fighting on two fronts. Can they defeat the new Big Bad as well as Roland? And what (or who) will they lose in the process? Magic Triumphs showcases the same bonds of loyalty, friendship, and love that have made the last few books such an absolute delight to read. Kate and her family of choice are Ride or Die for each other, and it makes my heart explode every time.

I finished this book, patted my face dry with a tissue, and then had to suppress the urge to reread the entire series immediately. (Instead I’ll be re-reading it one book at a time for the next 10 months, and I cannot wait.) And if you’re listening, Ilona Andrews? I don’t know if the ending was intended to launch a new series, but I am here for The Further Adventures of [Redacted] and [Redacted], please and thank you.

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.

Your fellow booknerd,
Jenn

Happy Tuesday, vampires and Vulcans! Today we’re talking about a new Spock, a novel adaptation of a song, an Asimov TV show, two exciting book releases, Bannerless by Carrie Vaughn, and more.

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This newsletter is sponsored by The 10th Anniversary edition of The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness.

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In recent adaptation news:

Y’all, I am both excited and terrified by the number of Ursula Le Guin adaptations in the works. Also, how is it possible that I’ve never read Nine Lives?! TO THE LIBRARY.

Meet the newest Spock! Ethan Peck has joined the cast of Star Trek: Discovery to play our favorite half-Vulcan, and I would just like to say that the casting director did an excellent job matching Zachary Quinto’s jaw structure.

Hugo-nominated song “The Deep” (from the rap group Clipping, which includes Hamilton‘s Daveed Diggs [!!]) is going to become a novel written by Rivers Solomon (!!!). I have finally listened to the song and I could not be more on board with this plan.

Apple is developing a tv series based on Isaac Asimov’s Foundation books. I don’t quite know how to feel about this, since the source material is not my favorite, except that having Josh Friedman (who has worked on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Emerald City) attached means it should at least be interesting.

In the teaseriest of teases, the Wheel of Time showrunner shared a snippet of script. My brain instantly cast Toby Stephens as Tam al’Thor.

Book news and new releases:

The GORGEOUS cover for N.K. Jemisin’s forthcoming collection How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? has been revealed!

Rick Riordan’s imprint is producing an amazing list of fiction (Yoon Ha Lee has one coming in Spring 2019!!!) and they’re adding a book about La Llorona to that list.

2020 cannot come soon enough, I need this sentient cybernetic dragon novel immediately.

In exciting “out this week” news:

Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews, the last book in the Kate Daniels, series, IS OUT TODAAAAAAYYYYY :extremely muppet-arms:. I’ll be reviewing it in full on Friday, but spoiler: I loved it.

The Fall of Gondolin is also out today, for the Tolkien completists.

Today’s review looks at another vision of our potentially bleak future, except this one also gave me some warm fuzzies.

Bannerless by Carrie Vaughn

For a murder whodunnit post-apocalyptic novel that’s about population control, this book is refreshingly free of melodrama. It’s also the closest thing I’ve read to a “cozy” post-apocalypse, by which I mean that if you read for characters more than plot and/or prefer interpersonal arcs in speculative scenarios (think Becky Chambers or Ann Leckie) to plot pyrotechnics, you’re gonna love this one.

Bannerless is set in a future United States post-collapse, both economic and environmental. The surviving civilization along the Coast Road has tried to learn from humanity’s mistakes, and tightly regulates procreation. Upon reaching puberty, inhabitants of the settlements receive a birth control implant; to have children, they have to have formed a household of four adults and prove that they can support a child. Then and only then, they’re issued a single banner — basically a pass allowing for one child.

The story follows Enid, the closest thing to law enforcement this society has. Her job as Investigator is to, well, investigate and mediate, from disputes to missing persons to bannerless pregnancies to very rare cases of murder. A community requests an investigation into a suspicious death, and Enid and her partner head out to do their jobs. The book also gives us flashbacks to Enid’s youth, her first love, and her path to becoming an Investigator.

It’s a murder mystery; it’s a coming-of-age novel; it’s a look at how a ravaged society might try to solve the problems of the past; and it does all of these things without ever once feeling overblown or crowded. Enid is a clear-eyed, heartfelt narrator, and both the current and past plots have enough momentum to keep you turning the pages. It’s also one of the only post-apocalypse novels about population control and pregnancy I’ve read that includes queer people on the page, which highlights a real problem within the genre. And the ending in particular felt like a hug for both myself and the character, which we could all use from our fiction from time to time.

Both the sequel, The Wild Dead, and the prequel Where Would You Be Now? are available, and I’ve already put in my library request.

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.

May the wind be ever at your back,
Jenn

Happy Friday, geekfriends and nerdpals! We made it; good job all around. Today I’m reviewing Trail of Lightning by newly minted Hugo Award-winner Rebecca Roanhorse, and talking about V.E. Schwab’s Tolkien lecture, a forthcoming Moroccan-inspired fantasy, fantasy and food, robots of history, and much more.

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This newsletter is sponsored by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

In this heart-pounding finale of Elly Blake’s gorgeously written and action-packed Frostblood Saga, the fate of Frostbloods, Firebloods, and all of humanity is at stake.

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This is a week or so old at this point, but if you haven’t yet read V.E. Schwab’s Tolkien lecture about “doors” into reading, it’s great — not least because it starts off with her admitting she’s never read Tolkien! It’s a long-ish read, but one well worth your time, especially if you find yourself talking about and recommending SF/F on the regular.

When don’t we need more book recs about witches, I ask you? Here are 25 witchy reads from the YA side of the aisle.

Fantasy talk for your earholes: author Somaiya Daud did an audio-interview about her forthcoming debut novel, Mirage, which is high on my anticipated list! She talks about Moroccan history, the cultural importance of poetry, the interplay between science and religion, feminism, and a lot more in under 17 minutes!

Got a hankering for Kingkiller Chronicles read-alikes? We’ve got a list for that! Priya takes a lot of different angles here, so whatever your favorite part of Rothfuss’s epic is, she’s probably got a rec for you.

Nom nom nom: I love this round-up of readers’ thoughts on what fantasy foods like klah, roast beast, metheglin, subtraction stew, and more might taste like. (I now desperately need to make klah.)

Related! Here are nine food-focused fantasy books, to make you even hungrier.

If you want to spice up your weekend in one of the most morbid ways possible, here’s the list of necromancer romances that you didn’t know you needed.

And for my fellow lovers of a good “deep dive,” here’s a look at the history of robots in both science and fiction!

Are you ready to hear about a book that I keep re-classifying and re-comp’ing every time I talk about it? Here we go!

Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World) by Rebecca Roanhorse

Trigger warning: harm to children

Rebecca Roanhorse picked up two awards earlier this week: a Hugo for Best Short Story, and related but not-a-Hugo John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. On Tuesday we talked about the winning story, “Welcome to your Authentic Indian Experience (TM),” and now it’s time to talk about her debut novel Trail of Lightning. On Get Booked this week Amanda and I compared it to Mad Max and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I stand by both. Roanhorse has brought Navajo legends to life in a post-apocalyptic world with a monster-slaying, kick-ass heroine, and it is one of my favorite debuts — and favorite post-apocalyptic fantasies — of the year.

Maggie Hoskie is our gruff, broken, outcast main character. A brutal attack during her adolescence awoke dark powers in her, and she was apprenticed to an immortal monsterslayer just long enough to fall in love with him and then be abandoned by him. Quite understandably she’s been holed up in her trailer in a depressive funk, but then she’s summoned by a family to track down a small girl kidnapped by a supernatural creature of insane strength. This mission sends her headlong into a tangled web of evil-doing, betrayal, and violence — but it also might hold a way forward for her own mangled life. Along for the ride is the very suave Kai Arviso, a medicine man with his own secrets and powers, and the Trickster himself, Coyote.

Now let’s talk about the setting, because that’s as intricate and original as the plot! Huge coastal floods have reconfigured the geography of the United States, and the Navajo have physically and magically walled off their land from the rest of the country. The story takes our characters around Dinétah, and we get to meet several amazing supporting characters as well as see the geography unfold. I’ve been calling it a post-apocalypse, but it also has the feel of a Western as well as an urban fantasy; frontier cities, small villages, isolated dive bars, abandoned mines, we get them all.

I raced through this book, and already feel like I need to reread it. While it’s the first in a series, the main plot wraps up nicely, with just enough of a tease to get me psyched for the next book. If you like your fantasy dark, uncanny, and inclusive, get this book ASAP.

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.

Your fellow booknerd,
Jenn

Happy Tuesday, sorcerers and space cadets! Today’s newsletter is ALL HUGOS NEWS ALL THE TIME because I am not over my all-caps excitement about the winners yet! It will take at least a week probably!

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As part of Season 2 of our podcast series Annotated, we are giving away 10 of the best books about books of 2017. Go here to enter for a chance to win, or just click the image below:

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Congratulations to the 2018 Hugo Award Winners! I could not be more excited for the ones that I’ve read, and even some of the ones I haven’t! You can see the full list at that link, but the highlights are that women swept the awards, NK Jemisin won a historic third Hugo for the final book in the Broken Earth trilogy, and you can watch her incredible acceptance speech here.

Since I’ve reviewed three of the winners right here in this newsletter (*pats self on back*), I’m turning the rest of this edition over to past-me so you don’t have to go digging in your archives. Please enjoy: Jenn’s Guide to Hugo Winners of 2018!

 

Best Novel: The Stone Sky by NK Jemisin (Broken Earth #3)

Considering that The Obelisk Gate (Broken Earth #2) won the 2017 Hugo Award for Best Novel, likely no one is surprised that I’m recommending The Stone Sky. Hot off the presses and newly released as of this past Tuesday, it’s 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 devestated that the story has come to an end.

I’ll be rereading the whole series before long; for those of you who may have read The Obelisk Gate a while back I do recommend a reread. Jemisin does a solid job of providing context where she can without bogging down the narrative, but there were moments where I had to pause to try to remember certain previous characters and plot points. After all, it’s not as though a reread is a hardship. 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.

Best Novella: All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells

It only took a bajillion awards and the repeated insistence of various Book Riot Insiders for me to finally read All Systems Red, and I am happy to finally be on this bandwagon.

Despite the ominous name of the series, it’s surprisingly light on gore. All Systems Red follows the self-described Murderbot (technically a cyborg programmed to be a security guard) as it works to protect an exploratory team of humans on an uninhabited planet. This becomes very complicated when their comms go down, and dangers start to come from the least expected places. There are gun-battles, giant worms, and plots aplenty, but it’s ultimately more optimistic and fun than anything else — ideal summer reading.

It is a novella, so telling you much more about the story would be very spoilery. Instead, I will tell you that Wells envisions her AI character with wit and panache. Imagine if Spock and a computer had a painfully shy baby that just wanted to watch K-dramas all the time — that is Murderbot, more or less. Add to that the dynamics of the crew as they interact (or don’t) with their security bot and struggle to understand its personhood, and you’ve got a heartfelt, captivating story with great action and pacing. And there are sequels! Artificial Condition and Rogue Protocol are out now, and Exit Strategy will be out in October.

Best Short Story: “Welcome To Your Authentic Indian Experience (TM)” by Rebecca Roanhorse

Read this very important tweet from her acceptance speech.

Read the story online courtesy of Apex Magazine.

Set in a near future in which virtual reality is commonplace, the story follows — well, you, since it’s told in second person. Your name is Jesse Turnblatt, and you’re a Vision Quest guide, making your living fulfilling the dreams of tourists (white ones in particular) by guiding them through an Authentic Indian Experience. When a customer shows up one day who wonʼt follow the script, you find that more than just your job is on the line.

Roanhorse packs a mean punch in a small package, tackling appropriation, identity, and the long-reaching consequences of colonialism with gallows humor and scalpel-sharp prose. Note: her debut novel, Trail of Lightning, was one of the books I finished this past weekend and a full (gushing) review is VERY SOON FORTHCOMING.

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.

Your fellow booknerd,
Jenn

Happy Friday, bards and Beyonders! Today we’re going to talk about (the lack of) diversity in speculative fiction publishing, celebrity D&D feuds, alien encounters, unicorns, and much more, and the review of the day is for Daughters of the Storm by Kim Wilkins. Allons-y!

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This newsletter is sponsored by Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley.

It’s late summer and war is raging. In this complex and dangerous time, a young French Canadian lieutenant is captured and billeted with a Long Island family, an unwilling and unwelcome guest. As he begins to pitch in with the never-ending household tasks and farm chores, Jean-Philippe de Sabran finds himself drawn to the daughter of the house. Slowly, Lydia Wilde comes to lean on Jean-Philippe, true soldier and gentleman, until their lives become inextricably intertwined. Legend has it that the forbidden love between Jean-Philippe and Lydia ended tragically, but centuries later, the clues they left behind slowly unveil the true story.

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Black writers are disproportionately rejected from the major publishing markets in speculative fiction, and there are numbers to prove it. If you’re a writer of color, this report is essential reading; if you’re a reader who wants to make your TBR as inclusive as possible, ditto. And I strongly urge you to look through Fireside magazine‘s back issues, if you love short fiction; they’re cheap and contain great work by both established and new authors! For example, Issue 43 (only $2) has stories from Kevin Hearne, Mikki Kendall, and Malka Older. Shout-out also to FIYAH, started by former Book Riot contributors Troy Wiggins and Justina Ireland (whose book Dread Nation I just got done gushing about).

In ridiculous news, this my favorite feud ever: Joe “I Play a Werewolf On TV” Mangianello has questioned Vin “The Last Witchhunter is Based on My D&D Character” Diesel’s D&D cred. I demand a live nerd-off!

Do you remember the worst witch? I sure do, and so does Annika, as evidenced by her witchy round-up.

The truth is out there! I love this round-up of all books alien-inclined, and extremely cosign the Octavia Butler, Ursula Le Guin, Cixin Liu, and Ted Chiang recommendations.

Need more lady love in your SF/F? We’ve got a post for that.

Ahoy! There’s also a pirate round-up, me hearties! Arrrrrr! (Related: National Talk Like a Pirate Day is approaching, and I can’t promise that I won’t take advantage of it.)

The Doctor is ALMOST in, and here are some books to tide you over while you await her arrival.

Need a feel-good rabbithole to fall down? Have the videos of the Matilda Challenge.

For even more feel-good-ness, have some unicorn bookmarks.

You’ve still got time to enter the Recommended giveaway! It’s for 16 great books, and it closes on August 31st.

Today I’ve got a meaty historical fantasy for you to sink your brain-teeth into.

Daughters of the Storm by Kim Wilkins

Trigger warning: self-harm, harm to children

It’s been a minute since I read a historical fantasy I enjoyed as much as Daughters of the Storm. Kim Wilkins is an Australian author of quite a few books, only a handful of which are available in the US currently. Let’s all read this one (and its sequel) so that more come our way, mmkay?

In this Nordic-inspired family saga, King Athelrick of Almissia has been laid low by a sudden brain fever and his second wife, Gudrun, is at her wits’ end trying to keep his illness a secret. When the king’s oldest daughter, a warrior named Bluebell, finds out that her father is sick and that she’s been kept in the dark, she summons her other four sisters back home and imprisons Gudrun, whom she distrusts completely. The sisters’ quest to cure their father — at any cost — makes up the bulk of this first in a series, and had me spellbound from start to finish.

It’s not often that you get complex sibling relationships on this level in epic fantasy, and I am here for it. Bluebell is pragmatic, stubborn, and just generally furious; Rose, the next oldest, has been married off for an alliance and is struggling with her role as mother, queen, and a woman with her own needs; Ash is terrified of her developing magical powers, but knows that she needs to use them for her family; and the teenaged twins, Ivy and Willow … What to say about the twins? Possibly the least traditionally likable, they were also immediately familiar to me. Ivy is boy-crazy and self-absorbed, while Willow is a zealot and an outsider, and both of them sent me back to my (highly uncomfortable, please let me never have to relive them) teen years.

And then of course there’s Gudrun’s son Wylm, the one male POV in the whole book, who is determined to carve out a destiny for himself no matter what it does to his stepsisters. But Wylm has his own sympathetic moments despite his (truly terrible) choices. And this is Wilkin’s genius — no one is a hero, but several characters are heroic in their own way. The complexities and intersections of their lives are beautifully rendered, as is the world they move through. And the ending, while clearly setting the stage for a second book, is extremely satisfying.

If you’re a fan of Hild by Nicola Griffith, Naomi Novik’s fairytale rewrites, sister stories, magic and politics, and great world-building, pick this one up.

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.

Your fellow booknerd,
Jenn

Happy Tuesday, shapeshifters and space pirates! Today we’ve got Star Wars book news, an Ursula Le Guin adaptation update, Twitter shenanigans, some very exciting new releases, and a review of Dread Nation by Justina Ireland.

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As part of Season 2 of our podcast series Annotated, we are giving away 10 of the best books about books of 2017. Go here to enter for a chance to win, or just click the image below:

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In recent adaptation news:

Ursula Le Guin’s The Telling is being adapted, and Rekha Sharma is going to star in it, and OMG SO EXCITED ALMOST CANNOT BREATHE. The Telling is a personal favorite (and not a bad starting place for Le Guin’s work, if you’re in the market).

The graphic novel adaptation of Octavia Butler’s Kindred did so well, the team is doing Parable of the Sower for their next project.

Ruby Rose has been cast as the canonically queer Batwoman, Kate Kane, and the backlash led her to leave Twitter for the time being.

The first photos from the TV adaptation of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina have been released! Hail Satan, for sure.

And in book news and releases:

We’re getting more big Star Wars books in 2019! I’m very here for Obi-Wan courtesy of Claudia Gray and Amidala via E.K. Johnston.

Deleted scenes from the Wheel of Time? Sure, why not. (Except it’s not canon.

Books I am particularly excited about that are out this week include:

Ball Lightning by Cixin Liu, which I have finally gotten my hands on; expect a review in the very near future!

The third book in Trudi Canavan’s Millenium’s Rule series is out, Successor’s Promise; I haven’t read these yet, but I burned through The Black Magician trilogy one vacation and loved them

Here is your reminder to enter our Recommended giveaway! It’s 16 books, some of them SF/F, all of them great.

And now for my favorite zombie novel of the year so far:

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

I’m a few months behind on reading this one, because that’s how long it took my hold to come through from the library. I’m happy to tell you all that that lengthy hold list is entirely justified: Dread Nation is a clever, engrossing, fast-paced zombie novel, and one that does double duty by taking on racism in the US.

Justina Ireland is a former Book Riot contributor, and I was pretty sure I was going to like this. I wasn’t prepared for how much, though. Ireland imagines what the Reconstruction era might have looked like if the Civil War was ended in part by a zombie outbreak. Jane, her teenaged main character, attends a finishing school right outside of Baltimore — but in addition to learning deportment, she’s also learning how to slay zombies. The school is made up entirely of colored girls, and is just one of many that mandate the training of Native and black citizens to protect white citizenry from the undead scourge.

Jane is good at what she does, but impatient with her life and the school as well. Raised by her mother with a real sense of self and an awareness of how others might treat her, she both speaks her mind and plays to stereotypes as the occasion calls for. Her practicality and her talent in combat serve her well — but not well enough. When she agrees to do a favor for a friend, she discovers a conspiracy aiming to conceal the extent of the zombie threat and to make the lives of persons of color even worse. And that conspiracy is none too keen on being brought to light…

Ireland takes care to give dimensions to all her characters, and Jane is a wry and compelling narrator. The plot takes several twists and turns, a couple of which blindsided me in the best possible way. Whether or not you’re a fan of YA novels, if you love zombie stories you should pick this one up — and join me in anxiously awaiting the sequel!

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.

May peace favor your sword,
Jenn

Happy Friday, mages and monsters! Today we’ve got a WorldCon update, must-read LGBT fantasy, reasons why you should date an SF/F lover, a review of Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce, and more.

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This newsletter is sponsored by Garrison Girl, an Attack on Titan novel, coming this August from Quirk Books.

Just in time for a new season of the hit anime, Quirk Books presents Garrison Girl, a new YA novel set in the universe of Attack on Titan. In a world where carnivorous giants threaten humanity’s survival, noble-born Rosalie Dumarque isn’t content to sit back and let others fight. After joining the ranks of the Wall Rose Garrison, she is thrust into a dangerous new world, where she must earn the respect of her fellow soldiers, tangle with corrupt officers, navigate a forbidden romance, and survive an attack from a colossal titan.

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If you’ve been following along at home, WorldCon’s programming has gotten an overhaul courtesy of a team led by Mary Robinette Kowal, and things are looking up.

Did you know that Lucille Ball was responsible for keeping Star Trek: TOS on the air? Because I sure didn’t! Yet another reason to admire the woman who gave us Vitameatavegamin.

I’ll buy it: according to a study, SF/F fans make good romantic partners. Specifically, they were unlikely to agree with unrealistic statements about relationships. (As a long-time romance fan, I would also like to point out that romance readers scored very well. Bodice rippers, indeed!)

Speaking of relationships! Here’s a 50 Must Reads list of LGBT fantasy, and I will meet you over by the holds shelf. (Personal cosigns on Dreadnought, Fifth Season, The Salt Roads, and, well, just lots of these.)

This article on women who play D&D online was both surprising and a bit heartening. I can’t wrap my head around the lack of harassment they report, having seen other what women in other corners of the internet are subjected to, but I’m incredibly glad to hear it.

Do you have questions about the Buffy reboot? There are six big ones in this post worth contemplating.

Plan a mental getaway with these escapist SFF reads; I could not agree more strongly with the book choices on this list!

Very important: which Star Wars heroine are you? I got Rey so clearly this quiz is perfectly calibrated.

Reminder: enter our Recommended giveaway for 16 books, including Sabaa Tahir’s An Ember in the Ashes series, The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan, and more.

And now for a review of the 20th (!!) book in the Tortall universe that actually can stand on its own.

Tempests and Slaughter (The Numair Chronicles #1) by Tamora Pierce

I spent a bunch of last year doing an epic Tortall reread, just so that I would be ready in February to pick up Tempests and Slaughter. I actually did make it almost to the end of the reread, but the holidays hit when I was mid-way through the Protector of the Small books, and then everything went to hell. Which means I’ve only just managed to read this latest installment, which also starts a series of its own. Long-time Tortall readers, let’s talk; those who are new to Tortall, let me assure you that you can pick this up on its own.

Tempests gives us the school years of Numair, a.k.a. Arram Draper, first introduced in The Immortals quartet. I will refrain from giving spoilers about his adult years in this review but if you want to hear why I had mixed feelings going into this read, I talked about it a bit at the top of the show on this week’s Get Booked. Because these are canonical prequels for The Immortals, you don’t need to have read them! In fact, I think this could be a great entry point for the Tortall universe.

Arram is a highly gifted, but very insecure, young boy when he first starts his mage schooling in Carthak. When his teachers discover the extent of his untrained powers he gets fast-tracked, introducing him to the two other students who will become his best friends: the young royal Ozorne and a girl named Varice. While there’s plenty of foreshadowing of things to come, this book is mostly full of the kind of coming-of-age student hijinks that Pierce excels at. Whether it’s sneaking pets into the dorms, dealing with bullies, or flailing around in a first crush, the trio have each other’s backs. The grimness hinted at in the title shows up in Arram’s healer training — sent to a plague ward and to treat enslaved gladiators, his experiences reveal the dark underbelly of Carthak and its government. We know he’s destined for big things, and this is just the start of how he gets there.

The focus on a male main character is new for the Tortall books, and I am living for the idea that boys will find themselves drawn in via Arram. Fun, immersive, inclusive, and chock full of magic, Tempests and Slaughter comes recommended both for long-time fans and for those who want a great middle-grade fantasy read.

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.

May your sword be sharp and your tongue sharper,
Jenn

Hello elves and extraterrestrials, and welcome to the first installment of our new twice-a-week Swords and Spaceships edition! On Tuesdays going forward you can expect adaptation news, upcoming releases, and deals, while Friday will continue to bring interesting links from in and around the SF/F world. And, of course, two reviews a week; today’s is for Temper by Nicky Drayden. Engage!

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This newsletter is sponsored by Dynamite Entertainment and Skin & Earth Volume One by Lights.

Caught between romance and cults, gods and mortals, and just trying to find a good borscht, Enaia Jin is lead down a dark path by new lovers that reveal a twisted fantasy world and her own true nature.

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Let’s kick things off with some adaptation news:

Ken Liu’s stories have been optioned by AMC! This is fantastic news! And it also means that this trend of TV anthology series (Black Mirror, American Horror Story, Electric Dreams etc.) continues, and I’m really into it.

Daniel H. Wilson (whose Guardian Angels & Other Monsters I recently reviewed) dropped some big news about his story “Special Automatic,” which has been optioned. That was one of the most intense stories in the collection, and I’m very curious to see how it will translate. There’s also a Robopocalypse film update in there!

Harry Potter will be back in theaters in August for its 20th anniversary. (How is it 20 years already?!)

Where my Terminator fans at? This photo from the upcoming film have me FREAKING OUT, it’s everything I never knew I wanted. It also has me pondering a dive into the franchise’s books — but only if I can find one specifically about Sarah Connor.

There are updates regarding The Passage‘s TV adaptation, including that they plan on focusing on just the present-day timeline in the first season.

io9 did a deep dive into SF/F movies released in August, in honor of The Darkest Minds adaptation coming to theaters. Side note: Should I go see Darkest Minds? I haven’t read the books but this trailer makes me feel like the answer is yes.

If you need even more adaptation news, I recommend you bookmark this post from Tor.com.

And now: book news, new releases, and deals! 

Charlie Jane Anders has a new book coming! The City in the Middle of the Night will be out in February 2019, and you can check out the cover reveal.

Books coming out this week that I am particularly excited about:

Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells — the return of Murderbot!

The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2018, edited by Rich Horton, which includes a lot of great names: Yoon Ha Lee, Samuel Delaney, Charlie Jane Anders, and Kameron Hurley, bestill my heart.

Temper by Nicky Drayden, obviously; read more in the review below.

This month in ebook deals: Laline Paull’s The Bees (which inspired this flowchart of bugs in literature) is on sale for $1.99. Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge by Paul Krueger is on sale for $1.99, and it’s a fantastic summer read — full of magic alcohol-fueled hijinks. And for the most bang for your buck, Samuel Delaney’s epic Dhalgren (836 pages in print) is also $1.99.

Here’s your reminder to enter our Recommended giveaway, which includes several great SF/F titles.

Your Tuesday review is a science fantasy like no other:

Temper by Nicky Drayden

Trigger warning: sexual assault.

This book is a bananapants shake with extra bananas on top — which I should have been expecting from the author of The Prey of Gods, but Temper goes even farther down the rabbithole of weird.

Set in an alternate Cape Town, South Africa, Temper introduces us to teenaged twins Auben and Kasim. Everyone in this world is a twin, and when they’re young the seven vices and virtues are divided between them. Auben got saddled with six vices and one virtue, while Kasim got the reverse — it’s a stacked deck, and it’s stacked against Auben. He makes the most of his vices (after all, why not?) until the day that he starts to hear a voice urging him to go farther, and be more evil, than he would have imagined by himself. And then there’s the blood lust…

This book is a little bit camp, a lot horror, a little sci-fi, and a bunch fantasy. Drayden invents a religion only to turn it inside out and back to front; she gives us twins who need each other to live but might destroy each other anyway; there is loads of body humor; and her world includes new genders, underground societies, flying librarians, and so much more.

This book is a rollercoaster from start to finish, not just in learning the world of the novel but in following the different characters. Good becomes bad, up becomes down, yes becomes no, and I was continually revising my opinions of and sympathies with the characters. There are no heroes here, and a whole lot of villains — but as we know, each villain is the hero of their own story, and Drayden wouldn’t have it any other way. If you love the feeling of having your brain shaken until it hurts, then pick this up immediately.

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.

Live long and prosper,
Jenn

Happy Friday, sirens and scriers! Today I’m reviewing The Descent of Monsters by J.Y. Yang and The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso, plus looking at the new Terminator, the witches of Discworld, under-hyped SFF, and more.

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Sponsored by Suicide Club by Rachel Heng. A novel about living. Published by Henry Holt & Co.

Lea Kirino is a “Lifer,” which means that a roll of the genetic dice has given her the potential to live forever—if she does everything right. After the return of her estranged father, Lea is drawn into the mysterious world of the Suicide Club, a network of powerful, rebellious individuals who reject society’s pursuit of immortality and choose to live—and die—on their own terms. Lea is forced to choose between a sanitized immortal existence and a short, bittersweet time with a man she has never really known but who is the only family she has left.

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As per last week’s review, the third Wayfarers book by Becky Chambers, Record of a Spaceborn Few, is out — and Tor.com is giving away the series so far! You should enter.

Speaking of giveaways! You should definitely enter our Recommended giveaway, which includes 16 books!

Linda Hamilton is back with a vengeance in these new photos from the new Terminator film, and I don’t know what to do with myself, I am SO EXCITED. *Inarticulate flailings ensue.*

You might not have these on your radar, but here are three upcoming books BR contributor Leah believes you should get excited about. I am very happy to cosign Rosewater by Tade Thompson, especially for the VanderMeer/Mieville/Beukes fans out there.

Did you learn life lessons from the witches of Discworld? Alice did, and this post makes me want to finally pick up these books. (I know, I know. Some day!)

Novellas have been around forever but they’re definitely getting more press these days, including in this piece from Wired. When novellas are available both digitally from my library and in physical form, I read way more of them — I can only hope that novella publishers continue to add to their distribution game, since the market is clearly here!

Your hoard, ahem, personal library probably needs some dragon bookends.

Today in reviews, we’ve got a monstrous investigation and an empire under attack.

The Descent of Monsters (Tensorate #3) by J.Y. Yang

In this dark third installment, the Tensorate series picks up where we left The Red Threads of Fortune, with the slaughter at the Rewar Teng Institute of Experimental Methods. The enormous beast may have been vanquished, but nothing has been resolved. What was going on at the Institute? Will Rider ever find who they’ve been looking for? And who is trying to cover this all up?

Descent of Monsters introduces a new player, Investigator Chuwan. She does her job, she does it by the book, and she does it well. The capture and interrogation of Sanao Akeha and Rider only adds more questions to the mix, and Chuwan must choose between finding the truth and doing what her superiors are telling her to do. Her decision leads her down a strange and winding path, in which even the answers she finds just lead to more questions.

Chuwan is a tart, prickly narrator (which I loved), and the switches in structure include letters and reports (which I also loved). After spending the first two books so closely tied to Sanao and Mokoya, it was fascinating to see them through a neutral pair of eyes. While I don’ think you can pick this up if you haven’t read the first two, I highly recommend doing just that. Yang continues to expand her world in exciting ways, playing with science, fantasy, and human nature, and I can’t wait to see where she takes us next.

The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso

I first heard about Melissa Caruso thanks to her excellent thread about sword-fighting in ballgowns. While I confess that I was a little disappointed that there weren’t duelling princesses in The Tethered Mage (although perhaps future installments?), there’s plenty to enjoy in this fantasy novel.

Set in European-esque cities (it read a bit like a mash-up of the Roman empire with Renaissance Italy to me), the story follows Amalia Cornaro, heir to a powerful countess. She’s bookish, a bit absent-minded, very well-meaning, and a little naive, none of which serves her well when she helps stop an out-of-control street urchin with fire magic and ends up bonded to the young woman, Zaira. Being a Falconer (i.e. the controller of a person with mage powers) puts her directly in the service of the Doge, which is a conflict of interest given her mother’s position at court, and definitely is going to interfere with her studies.

Amalia, Zaira, and the very swoon-worthy Lieutenant Marcello find themselves at the heart of a sinister plot to tear apart the empire. Amalia, due to her privileged upbringing, genuinely believes that it and the Falcon system are a good thing, which more than once made me shake my head and say “Oh, sweet summer child!” to the book in my hands. Her rose-tinted glasses get knocked a bit askew thanks to some zingers from the rightfully cynical Zaira, although there’s clearly plenty more room for her to grow and learn. In the meantime, there’s action aplenty. Kidnappings! Poisoning! Double crosses! Triple crosses! Evil princes! And of course, magic!

If you’re looking for an escapist fantasy with a love story, court intrigue, magical hijinks, and strong female representation, pop this into your day-bag and enjoy.

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.

Your fellow booknerd,
Jenn

Happy Friday, fairfolk and farseers! Today I’m reviewing Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers and A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman, plus talking WorldCon shenanigans, poolside reading, the Buffy reboot, and more.

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This newsletter is sponsored by Tor.

Women are shining in every genre of speculative fiction, and it is no longer enough to say “Women are here.” Instead, #FearlessWomen everywhere are taking a stand to say “Women will
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This summer a new generation of #FearlessWomen are shaping new blockbuster worlds—and reshaping our own. Discover new novels from bestselling authors V. E. Schwab, Sherrilyn Kenyon, and Jacqueline Carey as well as titles from acclaimed and debut authors including Mary Robinette Kowal, Tessa Gratton, Sam Hawke, and Robyn Bennis. Join the conversation online with #FearlessWomen.

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WorldCon is less than a month away, and is redoing their entire program. Here’s what’s going on and why, courtesy of BR’s own Alex Acks. If you’ve got any interest in the inner workings of the SF/F world, are familiar with the Sad and Rabid Puppies of years past, and/or are curious about the future of SF/F events, this is very worth a read.

In nicer award news, here are the finalists for the World Fantasy Awards! I’m delighted to see a bunch of personal favorites on the list, and will have to bump a few others of these up on my TBR.

Need some poolside reading? Here are some YA SF/F recs, none of which I have read somehow and all of which I now need to check out.

A Buffy reboot is in the offing, and they’re casting a black lead actress, and have a black female show-runner. Response to this news has been Very Mixed, and I’m very curious to see what exactly “reboot” means in this case. This statement from showrunner Monica Owusu-Breen gives me hope!

The Discovery of Witches TV show finally has a US distributor, one which I find super confusing yet again. Sundance has a subscription service?!

If you need more space in your life, here are both true and fictional stories to scratch the itch.

Want to do a deep dive into the process of world-building? This roundtable discussion is fascinating, thorough, and features several authors whose works I love (Peng Shepherd! Tade Thompson! Malka Older!)

Today in reviews, we’ve got a generation ship reboot and fairytale retellings.

Record of a Spaceborn Few (Wayfarers #3) by Becky Chambers 

If I had to boil down the premises of each of the Wayfarers books into a single sentence, it would go like this:
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is about finding your family.
A Closed and Common Orbit is about finding yourself.
Record of a Spaceborn Few is about finding your place.

Record returns to an ensemble cast, like Long Way, but for the most part these characters don’t know each other. This time we get a deep dive into the Exodus Fleet, which was built to save humanity from a dying Earth. They took to the stars in generation ships looking for a new inhabitable planet, encountered the alien races of the Galactic Commons, and ended up never leaving their ships. Now they orbit around a sun gifted to them by the Harmagians, leading an insular and entirely space-based life.

The story explores the Exodans from various perspectives: a working mother, a young emigrant, an alien researching human cultures, a teenager looking for ways to rebel, and more. The Fleet is under threat from several directions including decreasing population, worn-out machinery, and internal disagreement over incorporating alien technologies. They’re also still recovering from a catastrophic accident that killed thousands. Each character must decide what change means to them, what traditions they hold dear, and how — and where — they want to spend their lives.

Both a meditation on mortality and a celebration of what it means to choose your life, Record of a Spaceborn Few adds new depth to Chambers’ world-building, a new take on the generation ship trope, and new characters to love.

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman

Disclosure: Anthology contributor Preeti Chhibber is a personal friend and a former Book Riot contributor.

My excitement for this collection to come out was immense, not just because a good friend was in it but because fairytales — especially fairytale retellings — are my jam. Add to that that this anthology explores Asian fairytales, which are much less familiar to me than European ones, and I was basically throwing my money at this. Friends, I regret nothing.

Like with any collection I have my favorites, and my favorites are many. Aswangs in NYC courtesy of Melissa de la Cruz, hungry ghosts in Arizona thanks to Alyssa Wong, shapeshifting sisters from Aliette de Bodard, a ghost-ridden MMORPG courtesy of E.C. Myers, and now I am running out of word-count so I will stop. There are compelling characters, subtle world-building, and above all thoughtful contemplation of what traditional stories might look like through a modern lens. Each story also comes with a brief writers’ statement about the original folktale and why they chose it to rework, which also means we can now fall down a rabbithole of reading the originals! Highly recommended for all fairytale fanatics, but in particular this needs to get into the hands of each and every teenager looking for themselves on the page.

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.

Wishing you a happily ever after (or at least a happy for today),
Jenn