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The Drowned Country by Emily Tesh
Even the Wild Man of Greenhollow can’t ignore a summons from his mother, when that mother is the indomitable Adela Silver, practical folklorist. Henry Silver does not relish what he’ll find in the grimy seaside town of Rothport, where once the ancient wood extended before it was drowned beneath the sea—a missing girl, a monster on the loose, or, worst of all, Tobias Finch, who loves him.
Why you should read it:This sequel to Silver in the Wood felt more like a snapshot than a novella, but I loved getting into Henry Silver's head and seeing him struggle with his impossible situation. The characters are delightful even when they are being willfully and obstinately wrong-headed with each other, and I very much enjoyed the story.
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The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
A young royal from the far north, is sent south for a political marriage in an empire reminiscent of imperial China. Her brothers are dead, her armies and their war mammoths long defeated and caged behind their borders. Alone and sometimes reviled, she must choose her allies carefully.
Rabbit, a handmaiden, sold by her parents to the palace for the lack of five baskets of dye, befriends the emperor’s lonely new wife and gets more than she bargained for.
Why you should read it: This novella feels almost epistolary, and I was blown away by how the format/framework of the story made it feel simultaneously like weighty distant history and up-close intimate storytelling. I was even more impressed by the vast scope of story in such a short book, and by the fact that this scope didn't sacrifice the vivid characters or powerful heart of the piece.
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The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
With no water, no air, and no native life, the planet Gora is unremarkable. The only thing it has going for it is a chance proximity to more popular worlds, making it a decent stopover for ships traveling between the wormholes that keep the Galactic Commons connected. If deep space is a highway, Gora is just your average truck stop.
One of the many establishments present is the Five-Hop One-Stop, a place where long-haul spacers can stretch their legs (if they have legs, that is), and pick up fuel, transit permits, and assorted supplies. The Five-Hop is run by an enterprising alien and her occasionally helpful child, who both work hard to provide a little piece of home to everyone passing through.
When a freak technological failure halts traffic to and from Gora, three strangers are thrown together at the Five-Hop. Grounded, and with nothing to do but wait, the trio — an exiled artist with an appointment to keep, a cargo runner at a personal crossroads, and a mysterious individual doing her best to help those on the fringes — are compelled to confront where they've been, where they might go, and what they might be to each other.
Why you should read it: This is the fourth book in a series I have otherwise not read, but it stands alone beautifully. I loved how strange and sweet and heartfelt the whole thing was, and the underpinnings of all this complicated intergalactic world building that make these characters so unique. The fact that not a single main character is human—and that none of them feel like stand-ins FOR human characters—was a delightful bonus. All-in-all a lovely read.
The Drowned Country by Emily Tesh
Even the Wild Man of Greenhollow can’t ignore a summons from his mother, when that mother is the indomitable Adela Silver, practical folklorist. Henry Silver does not relish what he’ll find in the grimy seaside town of Rothport, where once the ancient wood extended before it was drowned beneath the sea—a missing girl, a monster on the loose, or, worst of all, Tobias Finch, who loves him.
Why you should read it:This sequel to Silver in the Wood felt more like a snapshot than a novella, but I loved getting into Henry Silver's head and seeing him struggle with his impossible situation. The characters are delightful even when they are being willfully and obstinately wrong-headed with each other, and I very much enjoyed the story.
- — - — - — - — -
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
A young royal from the far north, is sent south for a political marriage in an empire reminiscent of imperial China. Her brothers are dead, her armies and their war mammoths long defeated and caged behind their borders. Alone and sometimes reviled, she must choose her allies carefully.
Rabbit, a handmaiden, sold by her parents to the palace for the lack of five baskets of dye, befriends the emperor’s lonely new wife and gets more than she bargained for.
Why you should read it: This novella feels almost epistolary, and I was blown away by how the format/framework of the story made it feel simultaneously like weighty distant history and up-close intimate storytelling. I was even more impressed by the vast scope of story in such a short book, and by the fact that this scope didn't sacrifice the vivid characters or powerful heart of the piece.
- — - — - — - — -
The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
With no water, no air, and no native life, the planet Gora is unremarkable. The only thing it has going for it is a chance proximity to more popular worlds, making it a decent stopover for ships traveling between the wormholes that keep the Galactic Commons connected. If deep space is a highway, Gora is just your average truck stop.
One of the many establishments present is the Five-Hop One-Stop, a place where long-haul spacers can stretch their legs (if they have legs, that is), and pick up fuel, transit permits, and assorted supplies. The Five-Hop is run by an enterprising alien and her occasionally helpful child, who both work hard to provide a little piece of home to everyone passing through.
When a freak technological failure halts traffic to and from Gora, three strangers are thrown together at the Five-Hop. Grounded, and with nothing to do but wait, the trio — an exiled artist with an appointment to keep, a cargo runner at a personal crossroads, and a mysterious individual doing her best to help those on the fringes — are compelled to confront where they've been, where they might go, and what they might be to each other.
Why you should read it: This is the fourth book in a series I have otherwise not read, but it stands alone beautifully. I loved how strange and sweet and heartfelt the whole thing was, and the underpinnings of all this complicated intergalactic world building that make these characters so unique. The fact that not a single main character is human—and that none of them feel like stand-ins FOR human characters—was a delightful bonus. All-in-all a lovely read.
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