Hosted at Seasons of Reading by Michelle Miller, this month long look at science fiction and fantasy is still a new item on the literary roster here yet it's a great way to challenge yourself if this particular genre is one that you haven't tackled too much on a regular basis.
This year, my list of four titles happens to be all hardcover editions(two of which I won in a giveaway last year) and at least two of them are set in outer space, which is as about as sci-fi that you can get there!
That pair of books also happen to be the one that I received from VirtualCon, with Bonds of Brass by Emily Skrutskie where two fellow classmates at an intergalactic military academy go on the run after one of them is discovered to be the heir to the despotic empire that rules the galaxy.
As they seek sanctuary and allies, the reluctant prince and his protector face a good number of challenges, including that his royal family is responsible for the death of his companion's parents and home world. Can these obstacles be truly overcome to save the universe and make right those things that have gone wrong? This book is the first in a trilogy and I hope that I enjoy it enough to check out the next entry in the series.
Speaking of series, the other Virtual Con prize book also appears to be the first in a duology. Lora Beth Johnson's Goddess in the Machine is set in the year 3102, the last moment in time that Andromeda aka Andra expected to wake up in.
When she and her family went off to live on a new planet, Andra was told that her cryonic sleep would only be a hundred years but it turned out to be a thousand years later instead, with everyone she knew and loved being long gone.
In order to return to Earth, Andra teams up with Zhade, an exiled prince looking to boost his social status by exploiting the popular notion that she's an awakened deity meant to save their world. Will Andra be able to find home somewhere in the universe and maybe true love as well?
This does sound cool and since the second book(Devil in the Device) is due out later this summer, my timing for this story could be perfect:
For something a bit more down to earth, Mike Chen's We Could Be Heroes has a rather unlikely pair of friends as our leads. When Jamie recognizes Zoe at his memory loss support group meeting, it's not a sign of good things to come.
As it turns out, both of them woke up in unknown locations two years ago, each given only a one year apartment lease and a note that explains what their super powers are. Given such strangely similar circumstances, they decide to work together to achieve their goals-Jamie wants to steal enough money to retire to a remote island with his beloved cat Normal while Zoe just wants her memories back.
While Jamie is fine with using his mental powers to help Zoe, what he finds in her thoughts changes the game for both of them in more ways than one. I do love superhero themed novels and this story promises to be more than just an action packed adventure but also a powerful emotional journey well worth taking:
To make this TBR a true quartet, my last selection was The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang, the first in a trilogy that has been getting serious praise from critics and fans alike.
When orphan girl Rin passes the entrance exam to the Sinegard, the top military school in the Nikara Empire, no one was more surprised than she. Thrilled to be leaving a harsher than Cinderella life as well as being able to avoid an arranged and unwanted marriage, Rin is determined to make her mark but there is much against her.
Scorned by the student body, Rin works even harder to keep her spot yet her difficulties increase when she finds that she has a talent for shamanism, a powerful magic that is at best hard to control.
Gaining reluctant help from a teacher feared mad by others, Rin manages some grasp of her new found abilities only to learn that she has a connection with ancient gods thought to be long dead. Using that knowledge and sorcery skill is dangerous but with the Empire on the brink of another war, Rin may be their only chance at victory. Yet, what cost to her soul?
I am truly looking forward to this book as it's been awhile since I dived into an epic novel and series and this feels like the beginning of a beautiful book friendship:
Sci-Fi Summer begins on June 1 and ends on the 30th(there is a link to the sign up post in the second paragraph of this entry, if you'd like to join in the fun) and I hope that everyone involved with this seasonal challenge will enjoy their reading selections here.
I will be taking next week off , due to not only the Memorial Day weekend but my mom's birthday, which falls around the same time, and will see all of you in June soon. Science fiction and fantasy really do feel like summer time treats, whether it's a great book,movie, video game or song, which could combine for a great pop culture party indeed:
1 comment:
Enjoy the readathon. The books on your list all sounds good.
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