July 2023 MBR The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf

Witch King
Martha Wells
TorDotCom
c/o Tor/Forge Books
www.tor-forge.com
9781250826794, $28.99, HC, 432pp

https://www.amazon.com/Witch-King-Martha-Wells/dp/1250826799

Synopsis: After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai's magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well.

But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence?

Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions. -- He's not going to like the answers.

Critique: "Witch King" is author Martha Wells's first new fantasy in over a decade, and draws together her signature ability to create fascinating characters, a compelling action and adventure plot, all with an entertaining, memorable, and distinctive narrative storytelling style. While also readily available for the personal reading lists of dedicated fantasy fans in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99), "Witch King" is an extraordinary and unreservedly recommended addition to community library Fantasy Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Martha Wells (https://marthawells.com) has written many fantasy novels, including The Wizard Hunters, Wheel of the Infinite, the Books of the Raksura series (beginning with The Cloud Roads and ending with The Harbors of the Sun), and the Nebula-nominated The Death of the Necromancer, as well as YA fantasy novels, short stories, and nonfiction. Her New York Times and USA Today-bestselling Murderbot Diaries series has won the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and Alex Awards.

The Ghosts of Trappist
K. B. Wagers
Harper Voyager
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
www.harpercollins.com
9780063115163, $32.50, HC, 560pp

https://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Trappist-NeoG-3/dp/0063115166

Synopsis: NeoG (the Near-Earth Orbital Guard), is a diverse military force that patrols and protects the solar system, inspired by the real-life mission of the Coast Guard -- and the crew of Zuma's Ghost are under attack, and shocking truths are about to be exposed.

Ensign Nell "Sapphi" Zika has been working hard to get past her trauma, but the unnerving pleas for help she's hearing in the Verge and the song she can't get out of her head are making that increasingly difficult. As Zuma's Ghost gears up for a final run at the Boarding Games, their expert hacker is feeling anything but confident. Plus, her chief's robot dog, Doge, is acting weird (a computer problem she can't find an answer to) and the increasing number of missing freighters is putting everyone living on or stationed around Trappist on edge.

It doesn't help the NeoG's mission that Dread Treasure is sidelined from competing in the Boarding Games, and Commander D'Arcy Montaglione is stuck on the front lines of the mystery of the missing ships while also stuck in his own head. Never good at trusting people to begin with, he's struggling to piece together his new crew in the aftermath of a great betrayal, knowing this may be his final chance at command. The last thing he wants to do is prove his enemies right and end up getting shoved behind a desk and forgotten.

The easy answer to missing ships is pirates, but D'Arcy soon realizes the easiest answer is rarely the right one out in the vacuum of space. What's worse is that the actual pirates are scared of something out beyond the asteroid belt. Something that's been taking their ships too!

As the unknowns multiply and one of their mysterious enemies escalates by launching an attack on the NeoG itself, the Interceptor crews must brave both cyber and outer space to hunt down their foes, but no one is prepared for the truth that is revealed or the way it will shake the foundations of everything they believe about the universe.

Critique: A deftly crafted and original novel by K.B. Wagers, "The Ghosts of Trappist" is a fun read that will have a special appeal to science fiction fans with an interest in Space Opera/Colonization action/adventure stories. Memorable characters combine with a narrative driven plot with more twists, turns and surprises than a Disneyland roller coaster, "The Ghosts of Trappist" is unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "The Ghosts of Trappist" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $15.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212691086, $57.99, CD).

Editorial Note: K.B. Wagers (https://kbwagers.com) is the author of the Indranan and Farian War trilogies from Orbit Books and the NeoG Adventures from Harper Voyager. K.B. Wagers can be followed on Twitter @kbwagers and Instagram @midwaybrawler for political commentary, plant photos, and video game play-throughs.

Marvel Wastelanders: Star-Lord
Sarah Cawkwell
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839082276, $16.95, PB, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Marvel-Wastelanders-Star-Lord-Sarah-Cawkwell/dp/1839082275

Synopsis: In "Marvel Wastelanders: Star-Lord" by Sarah Cawkwell, Star-Lord and Rocket are a little older, a little slower, and a lot saltier than they were during their glory days. When they crash land in the desolate Midwest, they soon discover that Earth isn't what it used to be either, thirty years after Doctor Doom seized control and created his new domain: the Wastelands.

They aren't there by choice: the former Guardians are working for The Collector, who's sent them to find the Black Vortex (an ancient relic reported to yield cosmic powers) before the guillotine collars of their employer snap their necks. In the Wastelands, they encounter the ageless telepath Emma Frost, outlaw Ghost Riders, and the bloodthirsty Kraven the Hunter. Who will find the Black Vortex first and what will be the price of its power?

Critique: Essential reading for the legions of Guardian of the Galaxy fans, "Marvel Wastelanders: Star-Lord" is a welcome and fun read from first page to last. Another gem that continues to expand the Marvel Universe, "Marvel Wastelanders: Star-Lord" is highly recommended for community library Science Fiction collections and available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).

Editorial Note: Sarah Cawkwell is a sci-fi and fantasy writer based in the North East of England. Old enough to know better, she's still very much young enough not to care. She's been a writer for many years, and her published works include several novels and short stories within the Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 universes and an original alternate-history fantasy novel. There is a listing of her books at www.goodreads.com/author/list/4483467.Sarah_Cawkwell

Assassin's Creed: The Resurrection Plot
Kate Heartfield
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839082351, $16.95, PB, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Creed-Resurrection-Kate-Heartfield/dp/1839082356

Synopsis: Cairo, 1869. When a bomb goes off at the Khedivial Opera House celebrating the opening of the new Suez Canal, visiting Assassin Pierrette Arnaud investigates, only to uncover a plot to eradicate free will.

To her surprise, her old friend and teacher Simeon Price arrives in Egypt on the same trail, seven years after they allied to stop the Templars in London. But there's no time to reminisce as the Templars maneuver Europe and Africa like pieces on a chessboard, wreaking havoc on a global scale.

As Simeon and Pierrette race to stop further attacks, they unearth plans suggesting a mysterious tower is the key to the ultimate Templar takeover -- and with the puzzling Engine of History in their grasp, the Assassins might be outmatched at last.

Critique: The conspiracies of the Templars reverberate across nineteenth century Europe as they seize control of the future, and only the Brotherhood of Assassins can hold them back, in this globetrotting adventure from Assassin's Creed. Continuing and expanding the Assassin's Creed series, "The Resurrection Plot" by Kate Heartfield is a simply riveting read by an author with a full mastery of the genre and a highly recommended pick for personal reading lists and community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections.

Editorial Noe: Kate Heartfield (https://kateheartfield.com) is the Aurora Award-winning author Armed in her Fashion, and the bestselling The Embroidered Book, a historical fantasy novel. Her novellas, stories, and games have been finalists for the Nebula, Locus, Crawford, Sunburst and Aurora awards. A former journalist, Kate lives near Ottawa, Canada.

Three Oaths
Josh Reynolds
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839082313, $16.95, PB, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Three-Oaths-Legend-Rings-Novel/dp/1839082313

Synopsis: When a long-lost member of the Lion Clan, Itagawa Mosu, seemingly returns from the dead to claim the hand of his betrothed, it's up to Daidoji Shin to determine the truth of this miraculous reappearance. The Lion reluctantly permit Shin's involvement, even if they have to let him plan the wedding as part of his investigation. Shin must navigate dangerous political waters to discover if Mosu really is the man he claims to be, or is he a cleverly disguised imposter? It will take all of Shin's charm, wit, and flair to find out before the wedding begins. And the guests are already starting to arrive.

Critique: In "Three Oaths" by Josh Reynolds is the newest addition to the author's 'Legend of the Five Rings' series and finds the debonair samurai detective Daidoji Shin returning to once again solve a fresh mystery -- this one offers a surprise resurrection. Also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95) and an especially recommended pick for the reader list of anyone with an interest in historical fantasy, myth and legend set in Japan during the age of the samurai, "Three Oaths" will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community library Fantasy Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Josh Reynolds (https://joshuamreynolds.co.uk) is the author of over thirty novels and numerous short stories, including the wildly popular Warhammer: Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40,000.

Watch Dogs Legion: Cold Reboot
Robbie MacNiven
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839082238, $16.95, PB, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Watch-Dogs-Legion-Cold-Reboot/dp/1839082232

Synopsis: Freya Bauer's revolutionary fervor has dimmed with age, but just as she's about to hang up her DedSec mask, she's recruited for one last mission to Berlin -- and with her ex-husband of all people. Yet upon her arrival in Germany, a series of betrayals mean she's suddenly unable to distinguish between friends and foes.

Meanwhile, Freya's past has caught up with her in the form of a mysterious hitman determined to take out the Bauer family in London. However, if he can't immediately remove Freya from the board, her son might be the next best thing. Freya must navigate competing tech-gangs, reconcile with her ex, and save her son before everything she loves is destroyed.

Critique: Of particular appeal to readers with an interest in techno-thriller science fiction stories, "Watch Dogs Legion: Cold Reboot" is a compulsive page turner of a read from cover to cover. As a novelist, Robbie MacNiven has a genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative driven and imaginative storytelling style that makes "Cold Reboot" such a fun and unreservedly recommended pick for personal and community library Science Fiction collections.

Editorial Note: Robbie MacNiven is lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy who has had over a dozen novels published in settings ranging from Marvel's X-Men, to Descent: Legends of the Dark, to Warhammer 40,000. Having completed a doctorate in Military History from the University of Edinburgh in 2020, he also possesses a keen interest in the past.

Mockingbird: Strike Out
Maria Lewis
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839082177, $16.95, PB, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Mockingbird-Strike-Marvel-Heroines-Novel/dp/1839082178

Synopsis: S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent and superspy Bobbi Morse needs to get out of LA. Like, yesterday!

With her painful divorce from Hawkeye still being hashed out, Bobbi could do with a new job to take her mind off the mind-numbing mediations. Luckily, an old friend and mentor of Bobbi's is missing, so a jaunt to the UK might be the perfect distraction.

What Bobbi isn't anticipating is having to team up with the snarky and handsome Lance Hunter, but her options are limited if she wants to solve this mystery. Someone is trying to recreate and weaponize the original Super-Soldier Serum which could spell global disaster.

To save the world, Bobbi will have to face her past, put her problems behind her, and let the Mockingbird take flight.

Critique: A part of the Marvel Heroines series, "Mockingbird: Strike Out" will delight the legions of Marvel Universe fans with another story of a strong female character that can hold here own in a world of superheroes, colorful villains, and would-be world conquerors. An original and fun read by novelist Maria Lewis, "Mockingbird: Strike Out" is a welcome addition to the growing library of Marvel Universe stories and a welcome addition to community library Science Fiction & Fantasy action/adventure collections. It should be noted that "Mockingbird: Strike Out" is also available for personal reading lists in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).

Editorial Note: Maria Lewis (https://www.marialewis.com.au) is a screenwriter, best-selling author, film curator and pop culture etymologist currently based in Australia. She has built an international reputation as a storyteller across a diverse range of mediums including the award-winning Supernatural Sisters series. In film and television space, she has worked on projects for Netflix, AMC, BBC, Ubisoft, DC Comics, ABC, Marvel and many more. She is also the writer, researcher, presenter and producer of audio documentaries Josie and the Podcatsand The Phantom Never Dies, about the world's first superhero.

The Massacre at Yellow Hill
C. S. Humble
Cemetery Dance Publications
132-B Industry Lane, Unit #7, Forest Hill, MD 21050
https://www.cemeterydance.com
9781587678912, $16.99, PB, 260pp

https://www.amazon.com/Massacre-at-Yellow-Hill/dp/1587678918

Synopsis: When George Miller is killed in the mines of Yellow Hill, his wife and children are left to try and piece their lives back together. Tabitha Miller, George's widow, is thrown into deeper chaos when she discovers that George's death had nothing to do with the cave's collapse, but was caused by some terrible predator deep within the earth. His death covered up by the mine's Proprietor-Jeremiah Hart.

In nearby Big Spring, freed slave-turned-occult bounty hunter Gilbert Ptolemy arrives with his adopted son in search of a murderous vampire. New revelations in Yellow Hill draw the duo toward the struggling Miller family, the strange mine, and the horrors lurking within.

The Miller and Ptolemy families are pitted against mundane and supernatural forces in this Weird West adventure by novelist C. S. Humble.

Critique: Family struggles, heart-stopping gunfights, and nightmare creatures from dark realms. "The Massacre at Yellow Hill" is an unique and extraordinary blending of western, vampire, and occult horror elements that result in a simply riveting read and an unreservedly recommended pick for community library fiction collections and the personal reading lists for readers with an interest in Western/Fantasy/Vampire books. It should be noted that C. S. Humble's "The Massacre at Yellow Hill" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $4.99).

Editorial Note: C. S. Humble (www.cshumble.com) is an award-winning American novelist and short story writer. His Twitter handle is @cshumble

The Phoenix Chase
Neil Kleid
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839082085, $16.95, PB, 352pp

https://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Chase-Marvel-School-Novel/dp/1839082089

Synopsis: Kid Omega's latest scheme to set up his own mutant school goes horribly awry when mysterious aliens called The Remaining kidnap his "students", demanding a rare Phoenix Egg (source of the awesome Phoenix Force) in exchange for their lives. Wildly out of his depth, Kid Omega turns to Cyclops for help. He gets a ride with space pirates the Starjammers, and someone more responsible: Cyclops' brother Alex "Havok" Summers. Their mission: rescue the students, recover the Egg, save the day. But it won't be easy. Galaxy-hopping sleuthing, heists, and action lead the X-Men to clues that reveal a monstrous plot using the Phoenix Egg to ultimately conquer the universe.

Critique: The latest Marvel 'School of X' novel that further expands the Marvel Universe world of the X-Men, "The Phoenix Chase" by Neil Kleid is a deftly scripted, original, fun and compelling read from cover to cover. While highly recommended for community library Science Fiction collections and the personal reading lists of all dedicated X-Men fans, it should be noted that "The Phoenix Chase" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95).

Editorial Note: Neil Kleid (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Kleid) is the Xeric Award winning graphic novelist who authored Ninety Candles, a novella about life, death, legacy and comics, and the acclaimed graphic novels Brownsville and The Big Kahn. He has written several comic books and graphic novels; adapted Jack London's novel Call of the Wild into sequentials for Penguin Books; did the opposite for the seminal Marvel Comics' storyline Spider-Man: Kraven's Last Hunt; and co-authored Powers: The Secret History of Deena Pilgrim, a novel based on the award-winning comic book series. Savor, his culinary adventure graphic novel with John Broglia and Frank Reynoso, was released by Dark Horse Comics.

Isle of the Undead
C. L. Werner
Aconyte Books
https://aconytebooks.com
c/o Simon & Schuster
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781839082139, $16.95, PB, 336pp

https://www.amazon.com/Isle-Undead-Zombicide-Black-Plague/dp/1839082135

Synopsis: The Zombie Black Plague's terrible toll never ends, unleashing a new wave of zombies with disastrous consequences. Low on hope, Knight Alaric von Mertz and his companions flee their crumbling sanctuary, and soon come under the unlikely wing of murderous pirates. There, they learn of a legendary artifact called Mournshroud that could destroy swathes of the undead, but to claim it they must defeat an evil sorceress on an isolated island. Guarded by a dragon! A knight's honor demands he defend his kingdom, no matter the cost. Yet, as the undead hordes close in on them, a familiar evil waits in the shadows, plotting revenge on Alaric and everything he holds dear.

Critique: Truly impressive, original, action packed, and zombie fan's delight, "Isle of the Undead" by veteran author C. L. Werner (who has a complete mastery of the genre) is particularly and whole heartedly commended addition to personal reading lists and community library Fantasy Fiction collections. It should be noted that "Isle of the Undead" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.95) from Aconyte Books.

Editorial Note: C. L. Werner is a voracious reader and prolific author. His many novels and short stories span the genres of fantasy and horror, and he has written for Warhammer's Age of Sigmar and Old World, Warhammer 40,000, Warmachine's Iron Kingdoms, and Mantic's Kings of War. (https://ageofsigmar.lexicanum.com/wiki/C._L._Werner)

Fractal Noise
Christopher Paolini
Tor Books
c/o Tor/Forge Books
www.tor-forge.com
9781250862488, $28.99, HC, 304pp

https://www.amazon.com/Fractal-Noise-Fractalverse-Christopher-Paolini/dp/1250862485

Synopsis: July 25th, 2234: The crew of the Adamura discovers the anomaly on the seemingly uninhabited planet Talos VII: a circular pit, 50 kilometers wide. Its curve not of nature, but design. Now, a small team must land and journey on foot across the surface to learn who built the hole and why. But they all carry the burdens of lives carved out on disparate colonies in the cruel cold of space. For some the mission is the dream of the lifetime, for others a risk not worth taking, and for one it is a desperate attempt to find meaning in an uncaring universe.

Each step they take toward the mysterious abyss is more punishing than the last. And the ghosts of their past follow.

Critique: "Fractal Noise" is the second volume of science fiction and fantasy author Christopher Paolini's "The Fractalverse" series. A deftly crafted, imaginative, impressively detailed, and original story, "Fractal Noise" is a solid pick for community library Science Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of the growing legions of Christopher Paolini fans that "Fractal Noise" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $14.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Macmillan Audio, 9781250871589, $$39.99, CD).

Editorial Note: Christopher Paolini (https://www.paolini.net) is also the author of the World of Eragon and the Fractalverse novel "To Sleep in a Sea of Stars".

Project Chrysalis
Willard Joyce
Permuted Press
https://permutedpress.com
c/o Simon & Schuster (distribution)
https://www.simonandschuster.com
9781637585115, $18.00, PB, 272pp

https://www.amazon.com/Project-Chrysalis-Book-Transfigured-World/dp/163758511X

Synopsis: On Jenn's side of the city's impenetrable walls: power, military discipline, and unimaginable technology. On Mykol's: darkened streets, deteriorating infrastructure, and a tedious job prying haunted memories from the electronic devices of those long departed. When the orphan Jenn risks everything to learn about her hidden past and her father's possible connection to the world's collapse, she and Mykol discover a secret that binds them together while glimpsing the strange reality behind the all-powerful Thomas Gibson and his Provisional Authority. Their next desperate step is attempting to save humanity from what it has wrought.

Critique: A deftly crafted, original, post-apocalyptic, and dystopian science fiction novel, "Project Chrysalis" by novelist Willard Joyce offers a fascinating (if terrifying) story of how human technology might create a post-human world. It is also a story about what place love, family, and society could be like within such a post-global plague devastated world. While especially and unreservedly recommended for community library Science Fiction collections, it should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated science fiction fans that "Project Chrysalis" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

Editorial Note: Willard Joyce's work focuses on the intersection between humanity and technology, and the fertile realm where the two will meet.

Baen Books
www.baen.com

https://www.amazon.com/Wraithbound-Spiritbinder-Saga-Tim-Akers/dp/1982192550

Tim Akers's Wraithbound (9781982192556, $18.00) provides dark fantasy readers with a Spiritbinder saga which is replete in epic fantasy adventure and highly recommended both for prior Akers fans and newcomers to his works. This first book in a series follows the dreams of young Rae Kelthannis to become a stormbinder like his father, whose reputation experiences blows that cause the family to be banned to the edge of the Ordered World. Rae decides to defy his fathers orders and enter into his own effort to fulfill his destiny, but his inexperience leads him to become conjoined not with an air elemental that would lend him stormbinding powers, but a wraith with dangerous powers and unknown purposes. The adventure is tense, unpredictable, and thoroughly engrossing as Rae steps into his destiny and uncharted territory.

https://www.amazon.com/Escape-Orbit-2-Eccentric-Orbits/dp/1982192542

Escape Orbit: The Unknown Awaits by Patrick Chiles (9781982192549, $18.00) tells of a lost astronaut's return from space when his ship suddenly reappears five years later. How did he survive, and how can he continue to survive when his life support is running out? Jack's former crewmate Traci is determined to rescue him, but agencies with special interests in Jack's fate also become involved and a tangled situation emerges to test both of their lives.

Both of these new Baen Books science fiction titles are powerful adventure stories that lead characters to more closely examine their callings, efforts, and the mysterious forces that influence their futures, and deserve a place in any sci-fi library.

Stormless
Nick Stitle
https://www.nickstitle.com
Blazecrest Publishing
https://www.blazecrestpublishing.com
9798987896228, $32.95, HC, 512pp

https://www.amazon.com/Stormless-Nick-Stitle/dp/B0C47RJZR5

Synopsis: Auris is a place of storms and chaos where seven violent Tempests rule the land, wreaking havoc across the continent. Only the Summoners, bearers of powers not unlike those of the divine Tempests themselves, have the strength to stand against the tyranny of the storms. Society depends upon the enigmatic Summoner-empowering Crystals for survival... Yet when a Summoner bearing powers that should not exist appears on Arvendon's doorstep, the world begins spiraling into chaos.

Castien Varic, a common soldier, finds himself in the throes of a coming war. He embarks on a mission with the most legendary of Auris's Summoners, hoping to discover the truth behind the resurfacing of the Ancient Summoner.

Faelyn Titansworn, heir to the largest of Auris's empires and one of the most powerful Summoners in the world, finds himself lost in his father's shadow. When a conspiracy threatens to destroy all that he knows and loves, Faelyn takes it upon himself to save not just his kingdom, but all of Auris.

Asteros Silverglade bears the powers of a god. Two years in the past, he, along with five others of his Sect, uncover the hidden secrets that the world has tried to erase. Yet they soon learn that the mysteries of the baffling event known as the Vanishing (the war that somehow caused over half of Auris's Summoners to disappear without a trace) run far deeper than they could've ever imagined.

These three heroes walk the threads of fate, together weaving an epic tale of magic, war, love, and loss. Together these individuals will forever change Auris's future. Empires will shatter, Tempests will be Unbound, but destiny will prevail as these heroes face their fated ends.

Critique: A unique and epic saga of a sword and sorcery style fantasy, "Stormless" is Book 1 of author Nick Stitle's 'The Stormless' series and a simply riveting read from first page to last. Of special note is the deftly embedding of such emotional factors on the part of the lead characters of 'depression, anxiety, and panic attacks' -- believable mental health issues given the stresses, strains, traumas, and assaults that must be dealt with in attempting to survive seemingly constant life or death conflicts. Original, entertaining, and leaving the reader looking anxiously toward the next volume in this simply outstanding series, "Stormless" is highly recommended for community library Epic Fantasy Fiction collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated fantasy action/adventure fans that "Stormless" is also available in a paperback edition (9798987896211, $17.99) and in digital book format (Kindle, $6.99).

Editorial Note: It is interesting to note that Nick Stitlies (https://www.nickstitle.com) is 17 years old and that "Stormless" is his debut as an author.

tales from the techpocalypse
Balthazar Westbrook III
Independently Published
9798218189525, $9.99, PB, 212pp

https://www.amazon.com/tales-techpocalypse-Balthazar-Westbrook-III/dp/B0C2S27826

Synopsis: The biggest and most profitable Big Tech company in human history, Magna Mega Corp, is the common thread across each tale, giving you an inside look at:

1. How it unleashes its latest invention - the Intuipet, a new device that AI-enables your dog and translates its thoughts to human speech - on the world, and what that means for humanity.

2. The impact the company has on society, from sending unlimited opioids by mail to algorithmically spreading the kind of misinformation that would radicalize your grandma via its social media division.

3. Its peculiar work environment, internal dysfunctions, morally flexible value systems, and diabolical business flywheel

Along the way, you'll meet clout-chasing celebrity organ donors, AI-enabled dogs who can do your taxes and make you cocktails, eccentric multi-billionaires who have lost complete touch with reality, social media influencers willing to do anything to keep their followers, and a new kind of artificial intelligence that might be more human than all of them put together.

Critique: B. Westbrook III is a new author and (mostly) a very good dog. "tales from the techpocalypse" is apparently his first book -- a brilliant satire in which AI-enabled dogs can speak in full sentences and get into Ivy League colleges! Wickedly funny, wildly fascinating, "tales from the techpocalypse" is a darkly funny and saterical portrait of Big Tech, our modern world, and the coming AI-enabled (and possibly canine-led) apocalypse". Combining humor, imagination, and science fiction, "tales from the techpocalypse" is recommended for community library collections. It should be noted for personal reading lists that "tales from the techpocalypse" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99).

The Coin
Anna M. Elias
https://www.annamelias.com
Independently Published
B0BY3KFDJJ, $4.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/Coin-Anna-M-Elias-ebook/dp/B0BY3KFDJJ

Prior fans of the metaphysical sci-fi saga The Vessels will find the journey continues seamlessly in Book Two, The Coin. It follows new Vessels Tal, Link, and Avani as they fulfill their purposes as hosts for spirits who work through them to correct wrongdoings of the past. Each holds a coin that gives them protection. But it also holds deadly potential to allow dark entities from the other side to get through, and so they face a major challenge from one vengeful spirit determined to wreck havoc.

The story opens with a rogue spirit tapping the life force of a Ugandian woman who feels it within her, but isn't aware of what it means. She only knows she is being overtaken on a deeper level than anything that's happened to her body or soul in her life. Whether that force is one of good or evil, remains to be seen. The rogue's difficulty in controlling non-vessel humans is apparent from the start. He needs something different.

Familiarity with the spirit journeys and setting of The Vessels will allow readers to extend the foundations created in the former book as the struggle evolves. The playing field of good and evil is not always even. These contrasts between the different entities are nicely drawn as future scenes explore the willing vessels that not only acknowledge, but accept their revised missions: "Like every other spirit Link had served, Teddy held no sense of animosity or bitterness. No matter how badly they'd been hurt in human life, the spirits were like bright, flickering torches that never went out."

The metaphysical struggles supplement sci-fi events and interpersonal relationships in a satisfying manner as the story assumes the countenance of a detective-style investigation, a thriller's embrace of nonstop action, and the possibilities of a paranormal environment in which humans and spirits not only interact, but intersect for a greater purpose than individual objectives alone.

Anna M. Elias does an outstanding job of melding the worlds of spirit and human affairs, developing personalities and purposes attuned to the magic of the coins, the efforts of Spirit Guards, and presence of evil powers that spill into human affairs. The result is a powerfully-rendered story that extends the milieu of The Vessels with a mystery and focus that holds the powerful attraction of forces that struggle on both sides of the coin.

Libraries and readers interested in works that dovetail metaphysical and spiritual questions with sci-fi settings and struggles between good and evil spirits will find The Coin essential for any collection seeing popularity with The Vessels and interested in taking the next step into a milieu marked by spiritual healing, forgiveness, and symbiotic relationships.

Hibernaculum
Anthony Doyle
Out-of-This-World Press/Devil's Party
www.devilspartypress.com
9781957224053, $TBA, PB, 248pp

https://www.amazon.com/Hibernaculum-Anthony-Doyle/dp/1957224053

Imagine sleeping through winter like a bear, emerging to new possibilities and life when times are better.

Hibernaculum posits a near future in which humans make this choice, entering into a sanctioned deep sleep that appeals to the infirm, the tired, and those who want to make room on the planet for the blossoming tide of humanity. Like other hibernating creatures, much of mankind has adopted the rituals of gorging on food and life before they enter this long sleep period: "By late fall, the feast is over, and heavy, heaving, jelly-fleshy men and women move slowly, think slowly, sit and wonder, slouch and doze, while raising buckets of water to their swollen faces. Lethargy. Twenty hours a day in front of the TV: reruns, reality shows, salmon documentaries, huntsman horror flicks. This is wind-down; counting down the light, as the darkness grows."

Anthony Doyle injects many reflective phrases about this unique time in humanity's life: "Time is chemical...Time is hormones, time is melatonin...Not all winters fall in winter." These contribute a deeper reflective atmosphere about this period in human history where individuals experience the Hibernaculum's dreams and nightmares in different ways. He injects writings that capture these observations, exploring disparate experiences from Jonah's Syndrome and the instability it brings dreamers, to those who reflect that a hibernation-based society may not bring the answers and solutions it promises: "I can't help thinking that this is too little too late. How many of these domes would it take to cut a real chunk out of the human ecological footprint? Is it just an expensive, stubborn act of desperation? Is hibernation, ironically, an attempt at a global wake-up call?"

The ecological, social, and psychological messages embedded in this world and the new choices offered by hibernation are thought-provoking and revealing as those newly awakened admit to different perceptions that were unintended results of the pursuit of new possibilities for humanity: "I don't think I came back out the same person. I'm not sure whether some of me is still unconscious, still down there in the underworld. Or perhaps a new part I didn't know existed followed me back up, like a shadow or a tethered ghost. Maybe I brought it back with me, from oblivion, and I haven't been able to integrate it yet. The result is a glitch. It seems I am on the blink."

Ultimately, readers who enter Hibernaculum with the characters, who come to realize that its promises may be empty and hold consequences they never saw coming, will find the story gripping, revealing, and frightening. The contrast between notes and experiences of those who navigate this world are exceptionally well done, and will lend to book club discussions and sci-fi reader delight.

Libraries and readers seeking a futuristic exploration which examines sleepers of the world and the social and political truths and realities that underlie their motivations will find Hibernaculum replete with a growing horror of realization that awakens, at the end, into a nightmare of manipulation and truth. It will leave readers thinking long after the story's final startling revelations.

Loy: In the Forests of the Mind
Todd David Gross
Sunlit Lane Productions
9781737942603, $17.99 Paper/$4.99 Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/LOY-forests-Todd-David-Gross-ebook/dp/B0C17DFG4Q

It is said that 'one door opens when another closes.' Such could apply to the events of Loy: In the Forests of the Mind, which opens with the scenario of a humanity of the future stripped of all its technological wonders, with people born blind until they hit puberty. This situation forces the remnants of humanity to build extraordinary senses before they evolve into adulthood and are granted the gift of vision, which serves as another layer augmenting reality rather than being the main sense that perceives and translates the world.

The story opens with an event that changes everything, prompting Daniel's decision to lead his family on an outing to a cave that winds up sheltering them from disaster. An edible plant feeds them, but in fact it does much more. It transforms them into survivors of this apocalypse.

Readers who anticipate the usual progression of apocalyptic events, rebuilding, and struggle will find that Loy operates on a less predictable, more metaphysical level as it follows the growth of a spiritual culture and what happens when it confronts an industrial force that threatens to tear down the physical and spiritual forces driving this new world.

Descriptions of this process of takeover and change provide vivid observations about the horror of change that arrives to once again transform the world: "A nearby meadow was invaded and tented. The muffled sounds sent a new sensation through the land. Garbled voices became prominent. That night, flickering points of firelight burned their way deep into the forest. The following day flat, stabbing sounds pierced the air as trees came under attack. Men with axes moved with unmerciful speed. An area that had stood and sounded together for a millennium vanished within days. In their absence lay an open, desolate sound. Each day this emptiness grew. Each day a dull ache spread further through the land."

As an author, Todd David Gross paints a richer story of endings and beginnings than most dystopian or apocalyptic sci-fi, embedding these scenarios with spiritual and metaphysical components that capture the disparate approaches to life that each sector of humanity represents. As shocking discoveries are made about these invaders and what they truly represent ("They kill their own kind!"), underlying messages about ecology, Spirit, darkness and light lead readers on as much a philosophical and intellectual journey as one of entertainment and discovery.

Different experiences drive characters that represent shifting realizations and realities, from a shaman driven from his home to both discover and lead his people to truth, to a mother struggling to protect her sensitive and extraordinarily blessed child, whose pain evolves into hope and strength. As these disparate lives intersect, questions of connections between nature and humanity and a tunnel that leads to evolution and transformation come to light that brings readers into a milieu filled with new possibilities and discoveries.

Gross is especially adept at contrasting the changing natures of individuals and communities forced outside their comfort zones and into situations that test not just their perceptions of the world, but their choices in either engaging with or altering it.

Libraries and readers interested in apocalyptic sci-fi may at first think that the nature and setting of Loy: In the Forests of the Mind portends the usual read about physical struggles and adaptations, but the greater joy of this story lies in its mental and spiritual explorations. Sci-fi fans seeking higher-level thinking from their futuristic reading will find Loy: In the Forests of the Mind not just thought-provoking, but well suited to book club discussions.

Topics range from the challenges of transformation and risk-taking to the bonds between people and paradigm-changing encounters with contemporary issues the world faces today, from diversity and inclusion to ecological awareness and global exploitation's impacts.

Baen Books
www.baen.com

These new Baen Books titles are top recommendations for sci-fi collections looking for lasting library lending choices.

https://www.amazon.com/Tower-Silence-Saga-Forgotten-Warrior/dp/1982193204

Larry Correia's Tower of Silence (9781982192532, $24.00) charts a spreading war as conflict rages across the land from the Great Extermination, which seeks to eliminate the casteless, who pin their hopes on fallen Protector Ashok Vadal, who is a prisoner seemingly far from helping his people. Chaos, coups, and political struggles involve humans and demons in a war that seemingly has no end or possibility of winning as warrior Vadal taps his inner resources to find strength under impossible conditions. Fans of sword-and-sorcery or military sci-fi will find plenty to love, here.

https://www.amazon.com/Ross-248-Project-Johnson/dp/1982192623

Les Johnson and Ken Roy edit The Ross 248 Project (9781982192624, $18.00), which contains original stories by D.J. Butler, Patrick Chiles, K.S. Daniels and more. Many sci-fi scenarios cover travel to other stars. Just as many recount the discoveries, over the journey. But, in this book, the real challenge arrives in the process of converting worlds to support humans -- especially when it comes to red dwarf star Ross 248, which presents special mysteries and challenges to those who would reside under a red sun. The diversity of challenges and scenarios depicted in this adventure will appeal to anyone interested in the process of colonization, adaptation, and overcoming obstacles to life.

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Magic-Simon-R-Green/dp/1982192615

Simon R. Green's For Love of Magic (9781982192617, $25.00) follows the rise of magic in a world of science and logic, presenting character Jack Daimon as the keeper of secrets, charged with protecting present-world perceptions from the knowledge of a supernatural force operating under them. Here, jack investigates the disappearances in the Tate Museum which are related to a peculiar painting. As he engages in a mystery aided by art expert Amanda Fielding, who has her own agenda, a time-traveling adventure evolves which will appeal to sci-fi enthusiasts of magic, time travel, and alternate realities, which are all fueled by a thought-provoking mystery.

https://www.amazon.com/Rhymer-1-Gregory-Frost/dp/1982192666

Gregory Frost's Rhymer (9781982192662, $25.00) is a powerful blend of folklore and time-travel adventure that follows multi-named hero True Thomas and his efforts to remain a hero as he battles forces of evil that traverse time and require his ongoing identities as a champion of humanity. As medieval Thomas moves through extraordinary realizations and developing purpose, readers are brought into the first book in a trilogy which portends much action and many revelations. The bow to legendary figures who are reconfigured in this fantasy scenario is original and creatively fun.

All of these Baen Book science fiction titles are top picks that fans and community libraries will find popular and wide-ranging.

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