April 2023 MBR The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Blind Spots
Thomas Mullen
Minotaur Books
c/o St. Martin's Publishing Group
www.minotaurbooks.com
9781250842749, $27.99, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Blind-Spots-Thomas-Mullen/dp/1250842743

Synopsis: Seven years ago, everyone in the world went blind in a matter of months. Technology helped people adjust to the new normal, creating a device that approximates vision, downloading visual data directly to people's brains. But what happens when someone finds a way to hack it and change what people see?

Homicide detective Mark Owens has been on the force since before The Blinding. When a scientist is murdered, and the only witness insists the killer was blacked out of her vision, Owens doesn't believe her -- until a similar murder happens in front of him. With suspects ranging from tech billionaires to anti-modernity cultists (and with the bodies piling up) Owens must conduct an investigation in which he can't even trust his own eyes.

Critique: Seven years ago, everyone in the world went blind in a matter of months. Technology helped people adjust to the new normal, creating a device that approximates vision, downloading visual data directly to people's brains. But what happens when someone finds a way to hack it and change what people see?

Homicide detective Mark Owens has been on the force since before The Blinding. When a scientist is murdered, and the only witness insists the killer was blacked out of her vision, Owens doesn't believe her - until a similar murder happens in front of him. With suspects ranging from tech billionaires to anti-modernity cultists - and with the bodies piling up - Owens must conduct an investigation in which he can't even trust his own eyes.

Critique: With the publication of "Blind Sports", novelist Thomas Mullen combines an compelling science fiction crime story about one man's search for truth in a world of ubiquitous surveillance and calculated disinformation manipulating perceptions of reality that's all too recognizable in the technologies of today. Original, thought-provoking, riveting, "Blind Spots" is a thoroughly entertaining read and unreservedly recommended for community library collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of mystery buffs and science fiction fans that "Blind Spots" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99).

Editorial Note: Thomas Mullen (http://www.thomasmullen.net) is the author of several previous novels, including Darktown, an NPR Best Book of 2016, which was shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Southern Book Prize, the Indies Choice Book Award, and was nominated for or won prizes in France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The follow-up, Lightning Men, was named one of the Top Ten Crime Novels of 2017 by The New York Times and was shortlisted for a CWA Dagger Award. His debut, The Last Town on Earth, set during the 1918 flu pandemic, was named Best Debut Novel of 2006 by USA Today and was awarded the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for excellence in historical fiction.

Silver Sable: Payback
Cath Lauria
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
9781839082191, $16.95, PB, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Sable-Payback-Marvel-Heroines/dp/1839082194

Synopsis: Doctor Victor von Doom holds Symkaria in his despotic grip, selling its treasures to pay off the country's exorbitant debt. Yet patriotic heroine Silver Sable desires its freedom. Doom doesn't do favors, so he offers her a deal: track down the Clairvoyant (a device for seeing the future) and he'll erase her homeland's deficit.

Sable soon discovers she can't outwit someone who can predict her every move. She needs the help of someone wild and unpredictable. Someone like Black Cat. Together they must chase down the Clairvoyant's creator, pull off the ultimate Vegas heist, survive backstabbing exes, and outsmart one of the most powerful people on the planet. All they need now is a little bit of luck.

Critique: A fun read from cover to cover, "Silver Sable: Payback" is a 'must read' for the legions of Marvel Universe fans. While also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95), "Silver Sable: Payback" will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Science Fiction & Superhero Action/Adventure collections.

Editorial Note: Cath Lauria (https://aconytebooks.com/?authors=cath-lauria) is a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, suspense and romance fiction, and has a vast collection of beautiful edged weapons.

Karma of the Sun
Brandon Yin Kit Boey
CamCat Books
www.camcatpublishing.com
9780744307603, $25.99, HC, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Karma-Sun-Brandon-Ying-Boey/dp/0744307600/r

Synopsis: In the isolation of the Himalayas, the snows still fall, but they are tinged with the ash of a nuclear winter; the winds still blow, but they wail with the cries of ghosts. The seventh and final blast is near. As the world heaves its final breaths, the people of the Tibetan plateau (civilization's final survivors) are haunted by spirits and terrorized by warlords. Though the last of the seven prophesied cataclysms is at hand, young Karma searches for his father who had disappeared ten years earlier and was now presumed dead.

Driven by a yearning to see his father again before the end, and called by an eerie horn unheard by anyone else, Karma forges into the Himalayas and discovers that his father's disappearance may be linked to a mystical mountain said to connect the physical world with the spirit lands -- and a possible way to save their doomed future.

Critique: An inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "Karma of the Sun" by Brandon Ying Kit Boey is a 'must read' selection for all dedicated science fiction fans with an appreciation for deftly scripted a post-apocalypse action/adventure with more unexpected plot twists and turns than a roller-coaster. While available for personal reading lists in a paperback edition (9780744307627, $19.99) and a digital book format (Kindle, $6.49), "Karma of the Sun" will prove to be a prized and enduringly popular addition to community library Science Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Brandon Ying Kit Boey (www.BrandonYingKitBoey.com) writes speculative fiction and poetry. His work has been described as literary and atmospheric, often drawing from Asian cosmology and fantasy. His poems have been published in literary journals and anthologies, and he is also a writer of plays and short stories. He can be followed at: IG @boeybooks, and on Twitter @BrandonYKBoey

Claw Heart Mountain
David Oppegaard
CamCat Books
www.camcatpublishing.com
9780744307504, $25.99, HC, 320pp

https://www.amazon.com/Claw-Heart-Mountain-David-Oppegaard/dp

Synopsis: Imagine you are on the way to a remote mountain cabin with your friends. Upon arrival, you discover an abandoned armored van with fifteen million dollars on board. Would you take the money?

Nova and her friends answer with a resounding yes. Perhaps their answer would have been different had they known that a professional killer was already tracking down the money. Or that a legendary creature known as the Wraith roams the mountain, ravenous with hunger.

Thinking they're safe and anonymous, Nova and her friends divvy up the stolen cash, unaware who or what is after them, unaware that soon they will be fighting for their lives.

Critique: With a special appeal to fans of dark fantasy, horror fantasy, and the stuff of which scary movies are made, "Claw Heart Mountain" by David Oppegaard is an original, memorable, deftly crafted, and a bone deep chill of a novel from beginning to end. While highly recommended as an addition to community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Claw Heart Mountain" is also available in a paperback edition (9780744307528, $19.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.49).

Editorial Note: David Oppegaard (https://davidoppegaard.com) is the author of The Town Built on Sorrow, The Firebug of Balrog County, The Suicide Collectors, And the Hills Opened Up, and Wormwood, Nevada. He is also the author of the novella Breakneck Cove. David's work is a blend of horror, literary fiction, science fiction, and dark fantasy. He has been named a finalist for a Bram Stoker Award and a Minnesota Book Award

Waiqar
Robbie MacNiven
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
9781839082108, $16.95, PB, 352pp

https://aconytebooks.com/shop/waiqar-by-robbie-macniven

Synopsis: Waiqar, Lord of the Mistlands, is a necromancer of supreme power, arrogance, and skill. Driven by his hunger for absolute dominion, he has the whole of Terrinoth in his sights. But before he can raise his undead armies and march on the Baronies, his hold on the Mistlands must be complete. Waiqar's court is rife with scheming and deception, from corrupt vampires with plans to usurp him, to an apprentice harboring dark ambition of his own. As his enemies vie for power, Waiqar's own plans come to fruition. For power is hard won but easily lost, and the great necromancer has more to lose than anyone.

Critique: Another riveting fantasy novel in the Aconyte Books 'Decent: Legends of the Dark' series, "Waiqar" by Robbie MacNiven is highly recommended to the attention of all action/adventure heroic fantasy fans and a welcome and enduringly popular addition to community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections.

Editorial Note: Robbie MacNiven is an author and freelance journalist living in the Highlands of Scotland and currently enrolled as a student at the University of Edinburgh, studying History.

After They Came
Dan Harary
Genius Book Publishing
https://geniusbookpublishing.com
9781958727027, $22.95, PB, 340pp

https://www.amazon.com/After-They-Came-Dan-Harary/dp/1958727024

Synopsis: Jonathan Tuckerman, a Los Angeles man down on his luck and truly alone in life, decides to mark his 70th birthday by drowning himself in the Pacific Ocean. Instead, he inadvertently becomes the world's "Wonder Man" after a pair of extra-terrestrial visitors from the Pleiades interdimensional star system appear in a giant spacecraft, pluck him from the sea, and present him to the media and the world as their sole "Ambassador to Mankind".

Jonathan's life is dramatically transformed for the better as he works closely with the magnificent Tall White aliens Jorthon and Kalyssa to solve man's long-insurmountable problems.

Jorthon and Kalyssa aren't the only aliens visiting Earth, however. The Draconians, a long-hidden race of ancient (and sinister) extra-terrestrials, make their presence on Earth known, livid that Jonathan and the Tall Whites have received global accolades for their remarkable achievements. The Draconians and their heinous leader blame the Tall Whites (and God himself) for their miserable existence, as they decide to seek recognition, retribution, and revenge.

"After They Came" author Dan Harary takes the reader - indeed, the entire human race - on a wild ride through real UFO research and lore, global politics, climate change, religion, true love, a family reunion, and "the meaning of life itself," all set against the backdrop of unprecedented extra-terrestrial intervention and presenting unlimited possibilities for achieving global peace and prosperity -- dreams heretofore unattainable by man.

Critique: With a special appeal to science fiction fans interested in stories featuring UFOs, First Contact, and Alien Invasion themes, "After They Came", as an original, narrative driven, and memorable story of 'loneliness reversed, despair erased, and one man's wholly remarkable destiny fulfilled' is an especially and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated science fiction enthusiasts that "After They Came" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.99).

Editorial Note: Dan Harary (https://www.danhararyauthor.com) is best known for his 40-plus years of work in Hollywood as an Entertainment Industry Publicist and owner of the boutique Asbury PR Agency in Beverly Hills (www.asburypr.com) Dan is also the author of three other books: "Flirting with Fame", "Carrots", "My Paranormal Life: Supernational Stories from a Hollywood Insider". Dan is a longtime UFO Researcher and experienced three UFO sightings during his life, the first, with his father in 1970, remaining highly memorable. He is a longtime member of the MUFON/Los Angeles organization.

Quantum Radio
A. G. Riddle
www.agriddle.com
Head of Zeus
https://headofzeus.com/home
9781803281698, $24.95, HC, 416pp

https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Radio-Multiverse-G-Riddle/dp/1803281693

Synopsis: At CERN, a scientist has just made an incredible discovery - a breakthrough that may answer the deepest questions about human existence. But what he's found is far more dangerous than he ever imagined!

Dr. Tyson Klein is a quantum physicist who has dedicated his entire life to his research. At CERN, he analyses data generated by the Large Hadron Collider, the world's biggest and most powerful particle accelerator. Now, Ty believes he's found a pattern in its output. It looks like an organised data stream, being broadcast over what he calls a quantum radio.

Could it be a signal from another universe? A message sent from the future? Or something else entirely?

As Ty peels back the layers of his discovery, he learns that what he's found isn't what he thought it was. The encoded message is far more profound. It may alter our understanding of human existence and the universe.

But Ty is not the only one looking for it. Someone has been following his research for a long time. And they'll do anything to prevent him from unraveling what is being broadcast by the quantum radio. Because the first one to discover the truth may well control the future!

Critique: Having a special appeal to fans of traditional, hard core science fiction and time travel adventure enthusiasts, "Quantum Radio" by novelist A. G. Riddle is original, entertaining, deftly crafted, and inherently fascinating read from first page to last. While strongly recommended, especially for community library Science Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated science fiction fans that "Quantum Radio" is also available in a paperback edition (9781803281704, $22.28) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.15).

Editorial Note: A.G. Riddle (www.agriddle.com) spent ten years starting and running internet companies before retiring to focus on his true passion: writing fiction. He is now an Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestselling author with nearly five million copies sold worldwide in twenty languages.

Hopeland
Ian McDonald
TOR Books
www.tor-forge.com
9780765375551, $30.99

https://www.amazon.com/Hopeland-Ian-McDonald/dp/0765375559

Hopeland is a highly recommended pick for sci-fi readers interested in stories of time travel and futuristic struggle. It presents the attempts of Raisa Hopeland to become the next electromancer of London, and the controversy her effort introduces as climate change and political interests vie for control. From journeys to hidden places to dialogues between those that move through time and special intentions to change the world and its possible futures, Ian McDonald builds a powerful saga that is hard to predict or put down. McDonald has long been influencing the sci-fi world, and his latest new effort doesn't disappoint. It's a thought-provoking journey that will linger in the reader's mind long after Hopeland's final struggle takes place.

Tides of Chaos
Christopher Bramley
www.christopherbramley.com
Sanctum Publishing
https://www.sanctumbooks.com
9780993127380, $42.99, HC, 752pp

https://www.amazon.com/Tides-Chaos-World-Christopher-Bramley/dp/099312738X

Synopsis: A dark force emerges in the ancient West as Eordeland tries to ignore the coming war. Darklings walk the earth once again, their holds on the chaos within men strengthening by the day.

The Dragons are restless. The Dwarves are not answering. The visions found in the Hall of Wyrms have yet to be understood, and the Nameless One lurks as inhuman creatures slaughter and defile throughout the lands.

The seemingly trivial task of deciphering Aldwyn's work to find the deeper threats behind the war has fallen to Karland and Xhera -- but Demons a continent away are not the only danger as other enemies also ride the rising tides of Chaos!

Their first journey saw the rise of legends. Their second may see the destruction of Eordeland... or even Anaria itself.

Critique: The second book in the impressive Kuln dark fantasy series, "Tides of Chaos" by Christopher Bramley is set in a detailed world of imagination, legend, magic, and adventure. A consistently riveting read from cover to cover, "Tides of Chaos" continues an inherently engaging read that is a 'must' for all dedicated action/adventure fantasy saga fans. While also available in a paperback edition (9780993127373, $21.99) and a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99), "Tides of Chaos" is unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections.

Editorial Note: British novelist Christopher Bramley (www.christopherbramley.com) is the author of the World of Kuln series, as well as other diverse stories, and also writes articles and books in both non-fiction and business.

The Serpent Calls
Christopher Bramley
www.christopherbramley.com
Sanctum Publishing
https://www.sanctumbooks.com
9780993127366, $36.99, HC, 558pp

https://www.amazon.com/Serpent-Calls-World-Kuln/dp/0993127363

Synopsis: War is coming as ancient creatures stir upon the face of Kuln, and the times grow dark. An ordinary boy reluctantly joins his mentor in an effort to find out what afflicts the lands, but time grows short. Chaos is growing -- and they are being hunted!

The realms are inexorably moving towards conflict. Forces of legend stir as the balance shifts. Eordeland itself trembles, and at the heart of the unrest moves a small group seeking answers, thrown together by circumstance. For Karland, the sights, experiences and beings he will encounter will change him forever. The darkness spreads, and the stakes could yet be higher than anyone imagined...

What will be their fate when The Serpent Calls?

Critique: The first book in a stunning new Fantasy trilogy by Christopher Bramley, "The Serpent Calls" set in a detailed world of imagination, legend, magic, and adventure. Original, fascinating, compelling, and featuring a narrative driven story telling style and a gifted imagination, "The Serpent Calls" will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in Epic Sword & Sorcery sagas. While especially recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated Dark Fantasy fans that "The Serpent Calls" is also available in a paperback edition (9780993127304, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $7.13).

Editorial Note: Christopher Bramley (www.christopherbramley.com) lives in the UK and is the author of the World of Kuln series, as well as other diverse stories, and also writes articles and books in non-fiction and business. He moonlights as a TEDx and conference speaker, coach, and consultant for executives and organizations in complexity, agility, resilience, and human learning. Chris is atypically autistic (ASD 1/2, with likely dyscalculia and occasional dyspraxia), and has differences in sensory and emotional input, as well as increased sensitivity in all of them, and annoyingly persistent imposter syndrome, so he sees different patterns and linkages in the world. He is very imperfect with a lot of his dreams ending up in his books. He can be followed on Twitter: @christopbramley

Love Like a Cephalopod
Cassondra Windwalker
Bayou Wolf Press
https://www.bayouwolfpress.com
9781737752561, $14.99, PB, 202pp

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Like-Cephalopod-Cassondra-Windwalker/dp/1737752565

Synopsis: Being an executioner for the state is exhausting, but after a lifetime of dispatching the criminal and the inconvenient, fifty-eight-year-old Grenda finds it does have its compensations. Her cat-sized dragon Bjartur and the dragon eggs she tends are all the friends and family she needs. Completely cut off from the outside world, she happily accepts the luxuries owed her status (including a pet octopus named Morrigan) without the faintest twinge of conscience or doubt.

All that changes when she encounters the most unexpected nemesis: a young refugee girl whom Grenda is incapable of executing. Against her will, Grenda finds herself shifting from killer to caretaker, risking her life to defy the state she's never questioned and help young Allora to freedom. Everything Grenda thinks she knows about her world, her life, and even her own identity cascades out of her control -- including the dragon-bond she holds dearer than life itself.

Critique: A deftly crafted dystopian novel that will have immense appeal to Science Fiction & Fantasy fans, "Love Like a Cephalopod" by Cassondra Windwalker is impressively original and features that kind of narrative driven storytelling style that, from first page to last, keeps and holds her reader's attention and just won't let go! While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that "Love Like a Cephalopod" is also readily available from Bayou Wolf Press in a digital book format (Kindle, $3.99).

Editorial Note: A gifted poet, eloquent essayist, and compelling novelist, Cassondra Windwalker, (https://www.pw.org/directory/writers/cassondra_windwalker) is presently writing full-time from the southern Alaskan coast. She enjoys hearing from readers via Twitter @WindwalkerWrite, Instagram @CassondraWindwalker, Facebook.

The Book of Azrael
Amber Nicole
Rose & Star Publishing
https://roseandstar.com
9781737706779, $33.99, HC, 470pp

https://www.amazon.com/Book-Azrael-Gods-Monsters/dp/1737706776

Synopsis: A thousand years ago, Dianna gave up her life in the deserts of Eoria to save her dying sister. She called upon anyone who would listen, not expecting a monster far worse than any nightmare to answer. Now she does what Kaden asks, even if that means securing an ancient relic from the very creatures that hunt her.

In the old world his name was Samkiel. In the new world it is Liam, but one title remains true throughout time. He is the World Ender, a myth to his enemies, a savior and King to those loyal to him. After the Gods War, he locked himself away, hiding from the world. He denied his crown and responsibilities, leaving the very ones who needed him most to deal with the fallout of the death of their homeworld. Now an attack on those he holds dear sends him back to the one realm he never wished to visit again and into the sights of an enemy he thought imprisoned eons ago.

Now enemies older than time must put aside their differences and work together in hopes of saving both their world and every realm in between!

Critique: An original and compelling read from first page to last, "The Book of Azrael" by novelist Amber Nicole is an exceptional, riveting, and romantic dark fantasy saga with more plot twists and turns than a Disneyland roller-coaster. Having a special appeal to readers with an interest in folklore, mythology, and action/adventure fantasy, "The Book of Azrael" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of fantasy fans that "The Book of Azrael" is also available in a paperback edition (9781737706755, $20.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $2.99).

Editorial Note: Amber Nicole is an author who works full time helping animals as a vet assistant. When she isn't working she is dreaming of far off places with dragons, magic, and swords. She loves a good villain and plans to tell many stories showcasing them in the spotlight.

The Bridge to Magic
Alex Thornbury
https://alexthornbury.com
Shadow Lore Publishing
9780645497038, $34.99, HC, 420pp

https://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Magic-Sundered-Web/dp/0645497037

Synopsis: Elika is an orphan on Terren's streets who hates and fears the bridge that spans the great chasm to the Deadlands. Like everyone else, she clings to the hope that purging every lingering echo of magic from the world can stop the Blight.

Then she discovers that magic is hiding within her, and through her it seeks to enact the will of its own. Everything Elika knew about her past shatters, as long-buried secrets about her true birth emerge.

Accused of being a mage, many doubt her loyalties. Her gang turns against her. The one man she thought she could trust and love, abandons her. Elika must soon decide: Either destroy the magic inside her or cross the bridge to her own uncertain end. But what awaits them in the Deadlands where the enemy of mankind roams wild? Her future or her end?

Critique: A dystopian fantasy by Alex Thornbury, "The Bridge to Magic" is a gripping story of a life between two deaths and an impossible choice to make. It is also a story of finding hope, love and survival in a world where none seems possible. Original, compelling, and of particular appeal to readers with an interest in deftly written dark fantasy novels, "The Bridge to Magic" is especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated epic fantasy fans that "The Bridge to Magic" is also available in a paperback edition (9780645497007, $17.99) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).

Editorial Note: Alex Thornebury (https://alexthornbury.com/about) is an award-winning author. She grew up in Cheshire UK, and developed deep love of history and fantasy thanks to the many castles she visited as a child. Though she grew up to be an Alchemist by trade, she never stopped fantasizing about other worlds, dragons and epic battles. She has abandoned her Alchemy and potion making career, and is now a full time author. Her debut fantasy book, "The Bridge to Magic", has won the 2022 Royal Dragonfly book award for Science Fiction/Fantasy.

Love Chronicles of the Octopodes
Karen An-hwei Lee
https://karenanhweilee.com
Ellipsis Press
https://ellipsispress.com
9781940400105, $20.00, PB, 232pp

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Chronicles-Octopodes-Karen-hwei/dp/1940400104

Synopsis: With the publication of "Love Chronicles of the Octopodes", author and storyteller Karen An-hwei Lee presents a dystopic future of unregulated gene editing in which a woman named Emily wakes up on the wrong side of the universe as an octopus thanks to rogue "designer genes" run amok.

One of thousands of clones generated from a genetic code sequenced from a lock of hair saved from the original Emily Dickinson, the ersatz Emily resembles an octopus but harbors the soul of a human poet and navigates her life in a lagoon as a bumbling "rogue soul" enamored of black spice cake, botanical monographs, and gingerbread recipes, while romanced by personified moonlight.

Critique: Original, compelling, thought-provoking, entertaining, "Love Chronicles of the Octopodes" will have a special appeal to readers with an interest in genetic engineering and its possible consequences. "Love Chronicles of the Octopodes" is a unique and unreservedly recommended for the personal reading lists of dedicated science fiction fans, as well as community and academic library Science Fiction collections,

Editorial Note: Karen An-hwei Lee (https://karenanhweilee.com) is the author of the novels The Maze of Transparencies and Sonata in K. Several of her recent poetry collections are Duress (Cascade Books), Rose Is a Verb: Neo- Georgics (Slant Books), Phyla of Joy (Tupelo Press), and In Medias Res (Sarabande Books).

Burn the Ship (Pirates of New Earth series, Book 3)
Sarah Branson
www.sarahbranson.com
Sooner Started Press
9781957774060, $18.99 Paper/$1.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Burn-Ship-Pirates-New-Earth/dp/1957774061

Burn the Ship is the third book in the Pirates of the New Earth series begun in A Merry Life, continuing the saga of mother and pirate Kat, who made such a splash in the first book and continues her foray into uncharted territory here.

Unlike typical pirate stories, Burn the Ship assumes a cyberpunk overlay of dystopian angst as Kat juggles her duties. She faces the added task of serving justice to the world and eliminating human trafficking on Earth while serving dinner to her family and keeping her personal life intact and separate from the political and social issues that drive her to be a leader. Kat is, in short, a force to be reckoned with.

As an officer in the Bosch Pirate Force, she is charged with entering the fray of a blossoming threat while addressing both her family's needs and the ghosts from her past that continue to haunt her, affecting her choices and values. As powerful as the social and political turbulence Kat navigates are matters of the heart which keep redirecting her special interests from home to broader social and political issues.

Readers looking for rollicking rides through dystopian worlds that are replete in emotional currents and undercurrents will especially relish the confrontations that lead Kat to re-examine her closest connections in life. Mystery, high drama, and new opportunities for Kat blend into the kinds of conundrums that can destroy, shake, or build a family. How she chooses to navigate these disparate worlds makes for a powerful dystopian adventure story that will attract not only Kat's prior fans, but newcomers who like exceptionally powerful female protagonists who tackle the dual and concurrent challenges of family and freedom alike.

The new possibilities which emerge from Kat's actions and reflections promise to attract a wide audience with components of thriller, mystery, adventure, and women's literary inspections, as well as those reading the sci-fi genre it will be identified with.

Blow the Man Down (Pirates of New Earth series, Book 4)
Sarah Branson
www.sarahbranson.com
Sooner Started Press
9781957774107, $18.99 Paper/$1.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Blow-Man-Down-Pirates-Earth/dp/195777410X

Because Blow the Man Down is the fourth book concluding the Pirates of New Earth sci-fi series, it's recommended that readers have at least an initial familiarity with pirate mother Kat and her unusual pursuit of justice and family before joining her on her final adventure. Those with such background will already know of Kat's evolutionary process, conundrums, and special challenges in remaining true to both her mission to end human trafficking and meeting her family's needs.

Both pursuits continue in the year 2366, as Kat faces both the culmination of her life's pursuit and a new threat when her children are abducted. Torn by the blows to her heart's deepest desire, Kat's initial feeling that "the world is now in balance" shatters with each event that further proves she is not in as much control as she'd imagined. As events unfold, Kat faces threats even in places she'd formerly felt safe, and begins to wonder if she and her allies can ever defeat the storm that has driven both human trafficking on New Earth and the man who once enslaved her.

Sarah Branson builds a story that centers not just on Kat's strength, but the emotional currents and forces that buffet those around her. One such character is fellow former slave and survivor Carisa, who has adopted extraordinary measures and compromises in order to endure. As Kat begins to realize the real impact of past, present, and future decisions she must make about the course of her life and its pursuits, readers absorb a powerful crescendo of events that both challenge her convictions and solidify her life purpose.

Sarah Branson creates just the right special blend of action and discovery that keeps Kat growing, evolving, and challenged to do and be more. Women who look for characters that can serve as role models for adaptation and courage will find Kat's dilemmas and scenarios emotionally compelling, realistic, and educational.

Libraries that choose Blow the Man Down should consider the series as a whole. Each book builds another piece of Kat's character and world. Together, the series books create a world both realistic and thoroughly absorbing. Book clubs interested in stories of proactive women who confront new lessons about their convictions and power in life will find many discussion points sparked by not just Blow the Man Down, but the series as a whole.

New Dragon Soaring
G.S. Carline
Dancing Corgi Press
9781943654253, $19.95 Paper/$.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/New-Dragon-Soaring-Shadows-Book/dp/1943654255

New Dragon Soaring is the third book in the Dragon Shadows series featuring dragons, girl pirates, and curses. In this book, Lisette de Lille and Tristen de Rocco have a young daughter, Alara. The kidnapping of their child by a Ruhee, a vengeful women obsessed with Rocco, separates the couple and leads them into different discoveries as each strives to find their baby.

Between the events which led to Alara's birth in the aftermath of battle to the specter of a savior turned deadly force because of a love that takes a dark turn as author G.S. Carline paints a compelling story replete with twists and turns that both serves as a standalone tale and enhances the prior series novels.

Exploring moon and blood dragons and how they differ to the yet-unexplored powers her new daughter may exhibit, the story provides a satisfying blend of quest and discovery that involves readers of all ages in a special tale of combat and revelation. Carline is especially adept at portraying the different kinds of growth each character experiences both individually and as part of a couple.

Embedded within Rocco's lessons on transformation from dragon to man and back, for example, are instructions on everything from relationships to parenting choices. The strength of New Dragon Soaring doesn't just lie in a quest or the uncovering of personal power, but in the discoveries surrounding transmitting this power and these lessons to new generations. There is plenty of struggle, battle scenes, and interpersonal interactions between good and not-so-good forces, but Carline takes the time to examine the psychological influences on all choices, making the characters believable and compelling.

Libraries and reads looking for action-packed sword-and-sorcery fantasies that take the extra step in explaining the growth of power and connections will find New Dragon Soaring a sterling example of a series book that holds equally powerful appeal to prior readers as well as newcomers.

Scales and Stingers
K. M. Warfield
https://kmwarfield.com
Creative James Media
http://creativejamesmedia.com
9781956183726, $12.99 Paper/$4.99 ebook

https://www.amazon.com/Scales-Stingers-K-M-Warfield/dp/1956183728

Sword and sorcery fantasy readers seeking epic and memorable stories will find Scales and Stingers, the first in the Heroes of Avoch series, to be a compelling introduction to a world in which half breed Thia Bransdottir is shunned. Her father's protection vanishes upon his death, and she is slated for religious work in a cloister, but her story doesn't end here.

Jinaari Althir is sworn to protect Thia throughout her life no matter where she goes. Her unwillingness to trust anyone after her father is killed leads her to wonder about everyone in her life - even those seemingly charged with protecting a half-Fallen like herself. Thia has never run from anything. Does this make her courageous? As she comes to know Adam and a host of people that swirl around her, some with special interests and some with their own preservation in mind, Thia discovers innate abilities she'd never considered. These are brought to the forefront both by new challenges and those who observe her closely. It's not in Thia to quit - or to make friends. She must learn different ways of reacting to life and adversity if she is to not just rise above her heritage as half-Fallen, but embrace its strengths.

K. M. Warfield crafts a story that is compelling as different characters deal with banishment, shame, courage, and unexpected strengths. From warlocks and unusual homecomings to secrets that bind a disparate group of friends, Warfield's ability to build a story based on changing political and social environments creates a tale that's hard to put down. Perhaps Thia's greatest lesson isn't just to learn to trust others and herself. It's to know how to oppose and guide the forces at work in her kingdom: "Wisdom isn't telling someone what they should do, it's showing them the support they need to make the decision themselves."

Libraries looking for introductory series titles in sword and sorcery fantasy arenas will find the character-building moments in Scales and Stingers to be vivid draws that nicely juxtapose social action and dilemmas with individual struggles.

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