January’s genre fiction transported readers to an elite secret society searching for a gateway to the underworld, a mysterious city of people on a fictional planet, a world where lost items can be recovered, and a mother traversing worlds to find her abducted son.
HELL BENT BY LEIGH BARDUGO
4 starred reviews and an Indie Next pick!
“The plot is relentless and clever, and the writing is vivid, intelligent, and funny at just the right moments, but best of all are the complex characters, such as the four murderers, each with a backstory that makes it possible for the reader to trust them to enter hell and have the strength to leave again.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Adding in faculty members dying of unnatural causes, angry ghosts, and a blackmailing mob boss, makes for an exciting second installment in this hit series that mixes real New Haven history with a world of magic only Bardugo could imagine.”–Library Journal, starred review
“Bardugo doesn’t flinch from the dark sides of magic and human nature: everything requires sacrifice and everything has a price…This portrait of a survivor’s dogged determination to accomplish her goal will appeal to readers of dark academia, urban fantasy, and horror.”–Booklist, starred review
“The taut plot, often grisly magic, lavish scene-setting, and wry humor combine to make this just as un-put-downable as the first installment. Readers will be wowed.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review
THE TERRAFORMERS BY ANNALEE NEWITZ
3 starred reviews!
“Newitz (THE FUTURE OF ANOTHER TIMELINE) performs a staggering feat of revolutionary imagination in this hopeful space-opera built from three interconnected novellas…Newitz masterfully grapples with questions of embodiment and personhood, exploring the power of coalition and the impossibility of utopia under capitalism…this feels like a new frontier in science fiction.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Newitz has a true gift for exploring the tweaks, movements, and decisions that keep history moving forward centuries ahead, and for digging into weighty issues while maintaining light humor, a delightful queer sensibility, and pure moments of joy.”–Booklist, starred review
“An incredibly emotional and action-packed novel deftly taking on personhood, corporate ownership, and terraforming.”–Library Journal, starred review
LOST IN THE MOMENT AND FOUND BY SEANAN MCGUIRE
An Indie Next pick!
“The eighth book (after WHERE THE DROWNED GIRLS GO) of McGuire’s Wayward Children series is a haunting adventure about the loss of childhood innocence and ultimately, about finding strength and belonging.”–Library Journal, starred review
THE KEEPER’S SIX BY KATE ELLIOTT
“A rare standalone adventure from Elliott, this still manages to pack in an epic amount of worldbuilding. The conflicting goals of the smart, well-shaded cast produce believable confrontations that will appeal to those looking for mature, thoughtful conflict. Readers are sure to be impressed.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review
HELL BENT by Leigh Bardugo; 9781250313102; available now
THE TERRAFORMERS by Annalee Newitz; 9781250228017; 1/31/23
LOST IN THE MOMENT AND FOUND by Seanan McGuire; 9781250213631; available now
THE KEEPER’S SIX by Kate Elliott; 9781250769077; available now