1) "Partials" by Dan Wells
Teens battle human extinction in a post-apocalyptic thriller.
In the year 2076, Kira Walker's one of the last humans. Eleven years prior, a war against genetically engineered humanoid weapons called Partials abruptly ended with the release of a weaponized virus that killed most humans. Kira is a medic intern working in the maternity ward, where, despite the doctors' best efforts, there has yet to be a single infant born with its parents' immunity. While the Senate attempts to prevent extinction through the Hope Act—legislation commanding all girls 18 or older to be pregnant or trying to conceive—quantity has not yielded a surviving infant, and the oppressive rule births a resistance movement, threatening their small civilization. Kira's determination to discover a way to save her species is intensified through her adopted sister's pregnancy. But with all human aspects of the virus thoroughly studied, Kira and a small band turn to a less orthodox way of gaining biological information—the immune Partials. Their covert mission starts a chain reaction, uncovering secrets revealed through political dealings, medical pathology and paramilitary action sequences. The rollercoaster plot takes precedence over character at times, and the generally realistic world occasionally strains credibility. The rushed ending promises a sequel, progressing the story enough that readers are certain to return.
A dark, wild ride. (Science fiction. 14 & up)
Part of a series-1 in 3. Other titles: Fragments and Ruins
2) "Unearthly" by Cynthia Hand
Part of a trilogy; other titles: Hallowed and Boundless
3) "The Water Wars" by Cameron Stracher
4) "A Discovery of Witches" by Deborah Harkness
Harry Potter meets Lestat de Lioncourt. Throw in a time machine, and you’ve got just about everything you need for a full-kit fantasy.
The protagonist is a witch. Her beau is a vampire. If you accept the argument that we’ve seen entirely too many of both kinds of characters in contemporary fiction, then you’re not alone. Yet, though Harkness seems to be arriving very late to a party that one hopes will soon break up, her debut novel has its merits; she writes well, for one thing, and, as a historian at the University of Southern California, she has a scholarly bent that plays out effectively here. Indeed, her tale opens in a library—and not just any library, but the Bodleian at Oxford, pride of England and the world. Diana Bishop is both tenured scholar and witch, and when her book-fetcher hauls up a medieval treatise on alchemy with “a faint, iridescent shimmer that seemed to be escaping from between the pages,” she knows what to do with it. Unfortunately, the library is crammed with other witches, some of malevolent intent, and Diana soon finds that books can be dangerous propositions. She’s a bit of a geek, and not shy of bragging, either, as when she trumpets the fact that she has “a prodigious, photographic memory” and could read and write before any of the other children of the coven could. Yet she blossoms, as befits a bodice-ripper no matter how learned, once neckbiter and renowned geneticist Matthew Clairmont enters the scene. He’s a smoothy, that one, “used to being the only active participant in a conversation,” smart and goal-oriented, and a valuable ally in the great mantomachy that follows—and besides, he’s a pretty good kisser, too. “It’s a vampire thing,” he modestly avers.
Part of a Trilogy: Shadow of Night and The Book of Life
5) "Five Flavors of Dumb" by Antony John
Piper--gutsy, savvy and, yes, deaf--has signed her way into a gig that promises a big, necessary payoff: manager of Dumb, Seattle’s Battle of the Bands winners. Seething with resentment and feelings of inadequacy after her parents raid her college account to pay for her baby sister’s cochlear implants, Piper is determined to shape both Dumb’s future and her own. Piper’s struggles and growth as a manager--she is initially hampered by lack of both experience with intra-band politics and knowledge about music--enjoy realistic treatment, as do her nuanced relationships with family members and the super-talented and adorable Ed Chen. As Piper learns about Seattle’s rock heroes (Cobain and Hendrix), she sees both the band Dumb could be if they would choose rocking over fighting and the person she will become once she truly owns her deafness. Making Piper the manager of a rock band never feels like a cheap trick (pardon the pun) because Piper is not A Great Deaf Character but a great character who is deaf. Complex characterizations, authentic dialogue and realistic ups-and-downs give this title chart-topping potential. (Fiction. YA)
6) "A Wicked Thing" by Rhiannon Thomas
A loose “Sleeping Beauty” retelling emphasizes political intrigue.
Aurora awakens from her 100-year sleep to a stranger’s kiss and an unstable kingdom. The bumbling, adorkable Prince Rodric is kind, but his parents, the austere, remote queen and seemingly jovial yet cruel king, both want to use Aurora and Rodric for their own purposes. The plodding pace produces a plot that primarily consists of Aurora’s observing problems and doing nothing. Everyone seems to believe Aurora will bring peace to the kingdom, but very little reason is given for this—a fact that may confuse thoughtful readers. At first, Aurora shows spirit by escaping from the castle at night, but these escapades are short-lived. She spends the remainder of the book feeling oppressed by expectations and bemoaning the fact that no one sees beyond her beauty. While Aurora’s frustration at being objectified is valid and understandable, her self-imposed lack of agency and constant complaining present her as petulant and indecisive—a beautiful, pale (a fact that is fetishized and harped on constantly) doll. Thomas plays fast and loose with elements of the fairy tale, making changes that would be understandable if they appeared to serve a higher purpose than plot convenience. The sluggish pace and dull protagonist may dissuade readers from continuing with what, given the ending, seems to be a planned series.
Uninspiring. (Fantasy. 14-18)
7) "Snow Like Ashes" by Sara Raasch
A carefully crafted fantasy grapples with intense issues.
In Primoria, the world protagonist Meira inhabits, there are eight kingdoms: four Seasons, in a perpetual state of the season they’re named for, and four Rhythms that cycle through all four. Meira is one of the remaining eight free Winterians: Sixteen years prior to the opening of the book, King Angra of Spring attacked Winter, slaying its queen, destroying its Royal Conduit (a locket used by a female ruler to magically aid her country) and enslaving the surviving Winterians. Attempting to reclaim half the locket, Meira is captured but almost instantly escapes due to quick thinking and her military training—a feat that Raasch makes surprisingly believable. Her complicated relationship with Mather, heir to the Winterian throne, is put on hold when Spring scouts follow her to camp and the refugees must flee to the Rhythm of Cordell—where Meira meets the instantly likable Prince Theron and discovers she’s very much a pawn in a bigger game. The dramatic twist toward the end is impressive both in its believability and its unpredictability. Unfortunately, Raasch’s world is racialized, and the heroic Winterians are pale and beautiful. While the villain is also fair-skinned, the choice to valorize whiteness is perhaps ill-considered given the fraught history of racial stereotyping in high fantasy.
This heavy high fantasy manages moments of humor and beauty for a satisfying read. (Fantasy. 12 & up)
The first book in a coming Trilogy.
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