Things are happening in the world of SFF. It looks great for TV and movie adaptations, awards are happening all over the place, and books are getting prettier by the day, if you ask me.
Quickie News
- Nerds of a Feather posted a review of Isaac Asimov's science fiction classic Foundation and as someone who grew to hate that series more and more with each book yet couldn't quite put into words all the reasons why, I found this review to be pure gold. Thank you, Clara Cohen, for such a thoughtful, funny, and most of all smart review!
- Subterranean Press, they of the gorgeous special editions, have a free ebook on offer. It's Goblins and Greatcoats by Travis Baldree.
- The Sword & Laser Podcast book pick for July is Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung, translated by Anton Hur.
Award News
We're putting all of this in one big news item, because award season is here and we have a ton of people to congratulate on their wins and nominations.
Nebula Awards
The winners of this year's Nebula Awards have been announced. Congratulations to all the amazing authors who received this award. Here are some of the winners, you can find all the categories here.
- Best Novel: Vajra Chandrasekera - The Saint of Bright Doors
- Best Novella: Ai Jiang - Linghun
- Best Novelette: Naomi Kritzer - The Year Without Sunshine
- Andre Norton (YA/MG): Moniquill Blackgoose - To Shape a Dragon's Breath
I am thrilled to see both Ai Jiang and Naomi Kritzer because both are super high up on my Hugo ballots, Kritzer even with the same novelette that won the Nebula. I was also quite impressed with Chandrasekera's novel. Congratulations!
Locus Awards
The winners for this year's Locus Awards have been announced. You can find all the winners behind the link. Here are some of the top categories:
- Best SF Novel: Martha Wells - System Collapse
- Best Fantasy Novel: Martha Wells - Witch King
- Best Horror Novel: T. Kingfisher - A House With Good Bones
- Best First Novel: Vajra Chandrasekera - The Saint of Bright Doors
- Best YA Novel: Charlie Jane Anders - Promises Greater Than Darkness
- Best Novella: T. Kingfisher - Thornhedge
If you feel that the repetition of few authors in several categories is a bit disappointing, you're not alone. As much as I adore Murderbot and anything T. Kingfisher writes, I would prefer if works by more different people had won. I also still have to give Witch King that second try after bouncing off it on my first.
It was predictable as the rest of the trilogy won in previous years, but I was so hoping that Divine Rivals would win over the Charlie Jane Anders book. Oh well, that trilogy is finished, at least, so next year can go to some other work.
Mythopoeic Award Finalists
A less talked about award that always ends up having really great finalists, this year's lineup sounds just as great as always, with a mix of well-known names, buzzy books, and ones that at least I have never heard of:
- Travis Baldree - Bookshops & Bonedust
- Becky Chambers - Monk & Robot Series
- Heather Fawcett - Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries
- Trip Galey - A Market of Dreams and Destiny
- David R. Slayton - Adam Binder trilogy
- Emma Törzs, Ink - Blood, Sister, Scribe
Of course, I loved the books by Travis Baldree, Heather Fawcett, Becky Chambers, and Emma Törzs. I did know of Trip Galey's novel and it has now climed up on the TBR a bit, but I didn't know at all about the Adam Bilder trilogy. It starts with the novel White Trash Warlock and that sounds silly enough to get me interested. Congratulations to all the wonderful finalists!
Nommo Award Finalists
Aaaand we have the finalists for the Nommo Awards, which honors speculative fiction works by Africans and which always has some really interesting works. Here are the finalists for Best Novel:
- Chikodili Emelumadu - Dazzling
- Wole Talabi - Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon
- Stephen Embleton - Bones and Runes
- Ukamaka Olisakwe - Don't Answer When They Call Your Name
- Eloghosa Osunde - Vagabonds!
- Suyi Davies Okungbowa - Warrior of the Wind
I'm not listing the Best Novella finalists here, but I am beyond thrilled that Moses Oye Utomi's brilliant (!!!) novella The Lies of the Ajungo is a finalist and I'm keeping all my fingers crossed for him.
Adaptation News
- House of the Dragon is back. Also, it has been renewed for a third season.
- Susanna Clarke's amazing novel Piranesi will be adapted into a stop-motion picture and I can only imagine the wonderful fever dream we're going to get. This sounds really, really good. Now we only have to hope it actually gets made and nobody messes it up.
- There will be a TV show sequel to Stephen King's It called Welcome to Derry and I cannot imagine why or who would want this, but obviously I will watch it once it's out. It does help that Bill Skarsgård will play Pennywise again.
- Apple TV+ (still one of the worst names for a streaming service ever) adaptation of Hugh Howey's novel Wool, Silo, already has 4 seasons planned. We can expect the second season at the end of 2024 or in early 2025. I loved season 1, so I'm stoked.
- The Umbrella Academy is coming back for its fourth and final season, and we have a trailer, friends:
Books From the Future (or: Feed Your Wishlist)
Ai Jiang is prolific!
- A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang has a stunning cover and the author is getting all sorts of awards attention this year. Now we only have to wait until April 2025 for this book.
- The Martian Contingency, book four in the Lady Astronaut series by Mary Robinette Kowal, finally has a cover. I love it, I will devour the book as soon as it's out. That will be March 2025.
- And lastly, Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis will scratch that romantasy/cozy itch that many of us still seem to feel. We'll be getting this one in February 2025.
Exciting July Publications
Gah! Where did half the year go? It can't be July yet. Even though, if I do admit it is July, then that means all these pretties are closer to publication. And that's something to look forward to.
MEGAN BANNEN - THE UNDERMINING OF TWYLA AND FRANK (July 2nd)
I found the first book set in this world surprisingly fun and lovely, so naturally I'm going to get this one too. They are all standalones, just set in the world of Tanria.
The entire town of Eternity was shocked when widowed, middle-aged Twyla Banneker partnered up with her neighbor and best friend, Frank Ellis, to join the Tanrian Marshals. Eight years later, Twyla and Frank are still patrolling the dangerous land of Tanria, the former prison of the Old Gods.
Twyla might look like a small town mom who brings cheesy potatoes to funerals and whips up a batch of cookies for the school bake sale, but her rewarding career in law enforcement has been a welcome change from the domestic grind of mom life, despite the misgivings of her grown children.
Fortunately (or unfortunately) a recent decrease in on-the-job peril has made Twyla and Frank's job a lot safer ... and a lot less exciting. So when they discover the body of one of their fellow marshals covered in liquid glitter--and Frank finds himself the inadvertent foster dad to a baby dragon--they are more than happy to be back on the beat.
Soon, the friends wind up ensnared in a nefarious plot that goes far deeper than any lucrative Tanrian mineshaft. But as the danger closes in and Twyla and Frank's investigation becomes more complicated, so does their easy friendship. And Twyla starts to realize that her true soul mate might just be the person who has lived next door all along...
BENJAMIN LIAR - THE FAILURES (July 2nd)
This book hat me at "Neil Gaiman and N. K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy" and I don't really care about much else.
In an unparalleled blend of apocalyptic science fiction and epic fantasy akin to masterpieces like Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, N. K. Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy, and David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, debut author Benjamin Liar presents the first gripping installment of The Wanderlands trilogy. The vast machine-like expanse of the Wanderlands, crafted by long-lost gods, is teetering on the brink of eternal darkness. Amidst this decaying behemoth, a diverse group of heroes, driven by prophetic dreams, embark on a perilous journey. Their mission? To mend their crumbling world—or witness its irrevocable end.
Benjamin Liar masterfully weaves intricate tales across time and space. With unique world-building, this tale plunges readers into a mechanical planet-sized realm abandoned by its divine creators. It's a tale of second chances and redemption, for these heroes have once tried—and failed—to salvage their home. Now, they're presented with another shot at salvation or doom.
What sets The Failures apart is not just its genre-defying narrative but also its ingenious fusion of humor, charm, and profound depth. Liar's debut, though dark and twisted, sparkles with witty prose, keeping readers riveted and eager for more. As you traverse The Wanderlands, you'll uncover a multitude of interlinked stories, an intricate puzzle that begs to be pieced together. This is not just a book—it's a captivating experience.
Benjamin Liar—writer, musician, filmmaker, and game designer—ventures into the literary world with The Failures as his first published novel. With accolades in music and short filmmaking, and a recent foray into virtual reality game design, Liar proves to be a multifaceted talent. Though his pseudonym might hint at deceit, one thing is certain: his storytelling prowess is undeniably genuine. Dive into this compelling epic, and lose yourself in the vastness of The Wanderlands.
O.O. SANGOYOMI - MASQUERADE (July 2nd)
I'm somewhat unsure about this Cinderella-ish tale, but the combination of setting and having a woman blacksmith as a protagonist kind of keep me interested. I might wait for some reviews before I get this one.
Set in a wonderfully reimagined 15th century West Africa, Masquerade is a dazzling, lyrical tale exploring the true cost of one woman's fight for freedom and self-discovery, and the lengths she'll go to secure her future.
Òdòdó's hometown of Timbuktu has been conquered by the the warrior king of Yorùbáland. Already shunned as social pariahs, living conditions for Òdòdó and the other women in her blacksmith guild grow even worse under Yorùbá rule.
Then Òdòdó is abducted. She is whisked across the Sahara to the capital city of Ṣàngótẹ̀, where she is shocked to discover that her kidnapper is none other than the vagrant who had visited her guild just days prior. But now that he is swathed in riches rather than rags, Òdòdó realizes he is not a vagrant at all; he is the warrior king, and he has chosen her to be his wife.
In a sudden change of fortune, Òdòdó soars to the very heights of society. But after a lifetime of subjugation, the power that saturates this world of battle and political savvy becomes too enticing to resist. As tensions with rival states grow, revealing elaborate schemes and enemies hidden in plain sight, Òdòdó must defy the cruel king she has been forced to wed by re-forging the shaky loyalties of the court in her favor, or risk losing everything—including her life.
Loosely based on the myth of Persephone, O.O. Sangoyomi's Masquerade takes you on a journey of epic power struggles and political intrigue that turn an entire region on its head.
ALEXANDRA ROWLAND - RUNNING CLOSE TO THE WIND (July 11th)
Set in the world of A Taste of Gold and Iron (which I adored) comes a lighter, quirkier love story featuring queer pirates and that's really all I need to know.
Infused with magic and romance, this sweeping fantasy adventure inspired by the legend of Mulan follows a young woman determined to choose her own destiny—even if that means going against everyone she loves.
The Three Kingdoms are at war, but Meilin's father refuses to answer the imperial draft. Trapped by his opium addiction, he plans to sell Meilin for her dowry. But when Meilin discovers her husband-to-be is another violent, ill-tempered man, she realizes that nothing will change for her unless she takes matters into her own hands.
The very next day, she disguises herself as a boy and enlists in her father's place.
In the army, Meilin's relentless hard work brings her recognition, friendship—and a growing closeness with Sky, a prince turned training partner. But has she simply exchanged one prison for another? As her kingdom barrels toward destruction, Meilin begins to have visions of a sea dragon spirit that offers her true power and freedom, but with a deadly price.
With the future of the Three Kingdoms hanging in the balance, Meilin will need to decide whom to trust—Sky, who inspires her loyalty and love; the sea dragon spirit, who has his own murky agenda; or an infuriating enemy prince who makes her question everything she once knew—about her kingdom and about her own heart.
K. X. SONG - THE NIGHT ENDS WITH FIRE (July 2nd)
Oh look, it's another Mulan retelling (cue eye roll). This honestly sounds a bit generic, but I do find it nice we're getting a lot of East Asian inspired fantasy books lately, so I'll just keep this here.
Eighteen-year-old Aihui Ying dreams of becoming a world-class engineer like her father, but after his sudden murder, her life falls apart. Left with only a journal of her father's engineering secrets and a jade pendant snatched from the assassin, a heartbroken Ying follows the trail to the capital and the prestigious Engineers Guild—a place that harbors her father's hidden past—determined to discover why anyone would threaten a man who ultimately chose a quiet life over fame and fortune.
Disguised as her brother, Ying manages to infiltrate the guild's male-only apprenticeship trial with the help of an unlikely ally—Aogiya Ye-yang, the taciturn eighth prince of the High Command. With her father's renown placing a target firmly on her back, Ying must stay one step ahead of her fellow competitors, the jealous guild masters, and the killer still hunting for her father's journal. Complicating everything is her increasingly tangled relationship with the prince, who may have mysterious plans of his own.
The secrets concealed within the guild can be as deadly as the weapons they build—and with her life and the future of her homeland at stake, Ying doesn't know who to trust. Can she avenge her father even if it means going against everything he stood for, or will she be next in the mastermind's line of fire?
JENN LYONS - THE SKY ON FIRE (July 9th)
I sadly still haven't read (not even begun) Jenn Lyon's epic fantasy series, starting with Ruin of Kings, but for some reason, I believe that this author will deliver dragons when the cover promises dragons. And I am in a particularly dragon-y mood.
From the acclaimed author of the Chorus of Dragons series, this propulsive new standalone fantasy is Dragonriders of Pern for a modern audience.
Enter a world ruled by dragons…
Anahrod lives only for survival, preferring to thrive in the jungles of the Deep with the titan drake she keeps by her side. When an adventuring party saves her from capture by the local warlord, Sicaryon, she is eager to return to her solitary life, but this is no ordinary rescue. Anahrod's past has caught up with her. And these cunning misfits intend to spirit her away to the cloud cities, where they need her help to steal from a dragon's hoard.
There's only one in the cloud cities, dragons rule, and the hoard in question belongs to the current regent, Neveranimas―and she wants Anahrod dead.
Fans of Naomi Novik's Temeraire series and Rebecca Yarros's The Fourth Wing will enjoy this page-turning adventure with conniving dragons, high-stakes intrigue, a daring heist, and a little bit of heat.
P. H. LOW - THESE DEATHLESS SHORES (July 9th)
This is one of my most anticipated books of the entire year. It's been so long since I read or saw a truly good Peter Pan retelling and my hopes are high that this book will be a new favorite. Please don't let me be wrong. 🙂
Gorgeous and devastating, P. H. Low's debut fantasy is a richly reimagined tale of Captain Hook's origin, a story of cruelty, magic, lost innocence, and the indelible power of stories.
Jordan was once a Lost Boy, convinced she would never grow up. Now, she's twenty-two and exiled to the real world, still suffering withdrawal from the addictive magic Dust of her childhood. With nothing left to lose, Jordan returns to the Island and its stories—of pirates and war and the heartlessness of youth—intent on facing Peter one last time, on her own terms.
If that makes her the villain…so be it.
LEV GROSSMAN - THE BRIGHT SWORD (July 16th)
Lev Grossman, of Magician fame, is back and he's bringing the King Arthur book I didn't know I wanted until I saw it. This sounds like so much fun and I can't wait to see what the oddballs of the Round Table have to say and which adventures they'll take us on.
A gifted young knight named Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a spot on the Round Table, only to find he's too late. The king died two weeks ago at the Battle of Camlann, leaving no heir, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table survive.
They aren't the heroes of legend, like Lancelot or Gawain. They're the oddballs of the Round Tables, from the edges of the stories, like Sir Palomides; the Saracen Knight; and Sir Dagonet, Arthur's fool, who was knighted as a joke. They're joined by Nimue, who was Merlin's apprentice until she turned on him and buried him under a hill. Together this ragtag fellowship will set out to rebuild Camelot in a world that has lost its balance.
But Arthur's death has revealed Britain's fault lines. God has abandoned it, and the fairies and monsters and old gods are returning, led by Arthur's half-sister Morgan le Fay. Kingdoms are turning on each other, warlords are laying siege to Camelot, and rival factions are forming around the disgraced Lancelot and the fallen Queen Guinevere. It is up to Collum and his companions to reclaim Excalibur, solve the mysteries of this ruined world and make it whole again. But before they can restore Camelot they'll have to learn the truth of why the lonely, brilliant King Arthur fell and lay to rest the ghosts of his troubled family and of Britain's dark past.
JARED PECHACEK - THE WEST PASSAGE (July 16th)
Another book I've had my eye on for probably an entire year. "A palace the size of a city" was what caugt my attention, the synopsis made me rub my grabby hands in anticipation. This gives me Gormenghast vibes. The beautiful cover doesn't hurt either.
A palace the size of a city, ruled by giant Ladies of unknowable, eldritch origin. A land left to slow decay, drowning in the debris of generations. All this and more awaits you within The West Passage, a delightfully mysterious and intriguingly weird medieval fantasy unlike anything you've read before.
When the Guardian of the West Passage died in her bed, the women of Grey Tower fed her to the crows and went back to their chores. No successor was named as Guardian, no one took up the fallen blade; the West Passage went unguarded.
Now, snow blankets Grey in the height of summer. Rats erupt from beneath the earth, fleeing that which comes. Crops fail. Hunger looms. And none stand ready to face the Beast, stirring beneath the poisoned soil.
The fate of all who live in the palace hangs on narrow shoulders. The too-young Mother of Grey House sets out to fix the seasons. The unnamed apprentice of the deceased Grey Guardian goes to warn Black Tower. Both their paths cross the West Passage, the ancient byway of the Beast. On their journeys they will meet schoolteachers and beekeepers, miracles and monsters, and very, very big Ladies. None can say if they'll reach their destinations, but one thing is for the world is about to change.
KEANU REEVES, CHINA MIÉVILLE - THE BOOK OF ELSEWHERE (July 23rd)
It's coming, it's really coming! A new China Miéville book, set in the world of BRZRKR (which I haven't read at all and I hope that doesn't matter), co-written with Keanu Reeves. I have no idea what's coming, I don't even want to read the synopsis, I just want to hold this book and dive right in.
A mind-blowing epic from Keanu Reeves and China Miéville, unlike anything these two genre-bending pioneers have created before, inspired by the world of the BRZRKR comic books.
She said, We needed a tool. So I asked the gods.
There have always been whispers. Legends. The warrior who cannot be killed. Who's seen a thousand civilizations rise and fall. He has had many Unute, Child of Lightning, Death himself. These days, he's known simply as "B."
And he wants to be able to die.
In the present day, a U.S. black-ops group has promised him they can help with that. And all he needs to do is help them in return. But when an all-too-mortal soldier comes back to life, the impossible event ultimately points toward a force even more mysterious than B himself. One at least as strong. And one with a plan all its own.
In a collaboration that combines Miéville's singular style and creativity with Reeves's haunting and soul-stirring narrative, these two inimitable artists have created something utterly unique, sure to delight existing fans and to create scores of new ones.
INDIA HOLTON - THE ORNITHOLOGIST'S FIELD GUIDE TO LOVE (July 16th)
No, I haven't had enough of academic rivalries, cozy fantasies, and "enemies" to lovers yet, why do you ask?
Rival ornithologists hunt through England for a rare magical bird in this historical-fantasy rom-com reminiscent of Indiana Jones but with manners, tea, and helicopter parasols.
Beth Pickering is on the verge of finally capturing the rare deathwhistler bird when Professor Devon Lockley swoops in, capturing both her bird and her imagination like a villain. Albeit a handsome and charming villain, but that's beside the point. As someone highly educated in the ruthless discipline of ornithology, Beth knows trouble when she sees it, and she is determined to keep her distance from Devon.
For his part, Devon has never been more smitten than when he first set eyes on Professor Beth Pickering. She's so pretty, so polite, so capable of bringing down a fiery, deadly bird using only her wits. In other words, an angel. Devon understands he must not get close to her, however, since they're professional rivals.
When a competition to become Birder of the Year by capturing an endangered caladrius bird is announced, Beth and Devon are forced to team up to have any chance of winning. Now keeping their distance becomes a question of one bed or two. But they must take the risk, because fowl play is afoot, and they can't trust anyone else—for all may be fair in love and war, but this is ornithology.
TOBI OGUNDIRAN - IN THE SHADOW OF THE FALL (July 23rd)
The first in a novella duology (nice and short, I like it!), this sounds and looks really good, so I will most definitely check it out.
A cosmic war reignites and the fate of the orisha lie in the hands of an untried acolyte in this first entry of a new epic fantasy novella duology by Tobi Ogundiran, for fans of N. K. Jemisin and Suyi Davies Okungbowa.
" The novella of the year has arrived!" ―Mark Oshiro, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Ashâke is an acolyte in the temple of Ifa, yearning for the day she is made a priest and sent out into the world to serve the orisha. But of all the acolytes, she is the only one the orisha refuse to speak to. For years she has watched from the sidelines as peer after peer passes her by and ascends to full priesthood.
Desperate, Ashâke attempts to summon and trap an orisha―any orisha. Instead, she experiences a vision so terrible it draws the attention of a powerful enemy sect and thrusts Ashâke into the center of a centuries-old war that will shatter the very foundations of her world.
SARAH REES BRENNAN - LONG LIVE EVIL (July 30th)
I adooooored In Other Lands by Brennan and her latest sounds completely bonkers, but also like it could hide a deeper, more emotional side behind its ostentatiously humerous front. Anyway, I will not wait long to read this once it's out.
A TALE FOR EVERYONE WHO'S EVER FALLEN FOR THE VILLAIN…
When her whole life collapsed, Rae still had books. Dying, she seizes a second chance at living: a magical bargain that lets her enter the world of her favourite fantasy series.
She wakes in a castle on the edge of a hellish chasm, in a kingdom on the brink of war. Home to dangerous monsters, scheming courtiers and her favourite fictional character: the Once and Forever Emperor. He's impossibly alluring, as only fiction can be. And in this fantasy world, she discovers she's not the heroine, but the villainess in the Emperor's tale.
So be it. The wicked are better dressed, with better one-liners, even if they're doomed to bad ends. She assembles the wildly disparate villains of the story under her evil leadership, plotting to change their fate. But as the body count rises and the Emperor's fury increases, it seems Rae and her allies may not survive to see the final page.
This adult epic fantasy debut from Sarah Rees Brennan puts the reader in the villain's shoes, for an adventure that is both 'brilliant' (Holly Black) and 'supremely satisfying' (Leigh Bardugo). Expect a rogue's gallery of villains including an axe wielding maid, a shining knight with dark moods, a homicidal bodyguard, and a playboy spymaster with a golden heart and a filthy reputation.
News from the blog
I was super motivated in June, but it was a busy month. Family gatherings, birthday parties, getting back into exercising, organizing stuff for this year's holiday, and next year's wedding... things were a lot, so reading took a backseat. But I did manage to read more Hugo finalists as well as some books that I just felt like picking up. Which is the best combination, if you ask me. 🙂
What I read last month:
I love how the library changes my reading. I have some audiobooks on hold pretty much all the time, and while the Libby app gives you a general idea of how long the wait is, oftentimes a book will jump at you quite suddenly. I guess it's other people skipping or using the "deliver later" function. Anyway, I was more than fine with Sanderson's secret project #3 jumping right into my Hugo reading, because I was feeling a sense of fatigue creeping up and that book got me right out of any potential slump!
Currently reading:
- Shelley Parker-Chan - He Who Drowned the World
- Sen Lin Yu - Manacled
- T. Kingfisher - Paladin's Faith
- M. L. Wang - Sword of Kaigen
- TJ Klune - In the Lives of Puppets
At this point, we can make a game out of it to see how long I can possibly drag Manacled along with me. I have been feeling an itch to continue lately, so that's good. Now I just have to get thorugh the Hugo finalists first and then it's back to mood reading and bingeing a series if I feel like it.
I cheated on my Hugo reading because I just... needed a break. So obviously I went for a T. Kingfisher audiobook (it's great!) and joined the Sword & Laser book club late in the game in reading the chonker that is Sword of Kaigen (also great). I regret nothing.
Until next month: Stay safe, stay kind, and keep reading. 🙂
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