Science Fiction – Page 9

Love and conflict: Inherit the Stars by Tessa Elwood

Posted on December 7, 2015December 1, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Inherit the Stars, by Tessa Elwood (Dec. 2015, Running Press), $9.95, ISBN: 9780762458400

Recommended for ages 13+

Three interplanetary systems ruled by three royal families: Fane, Westlet, and Galton. Each family wants something the other families have, be it fuel, food, or other resources. Wren, the eldest daughter of the House of Fane, is on life support after a tragic accident off-world; Asa, the youngest daughter, scrambling to keep Wren on life support, takes her middle sister’s place in marriage to the House of Westlet.

There is political and familial intrigue aplenty in this story, with a budding romance set against this sci-fi tale. I kept thinking of Frank Herbert’s Dune, which seems to have influenced the familial/political plotting and counter-plotting. While this is the first part in a new science fiction duology, readers are dropped into the story without much origin or background, and it took me a little bit to get my sea legs as I read and tried to work my way into the story. I hope to see some richer background information in the next book.

Inherit the Stars takes place in a feudal society, with the view that marriage is primarily an arrangement. The main characters’ parents vacillate between apathy and concern for their children, but more likely, concern for their own standing. Asa meets her husband, Eagle, at their arranged wedding, but sees something in him that appeals to her, and their love develops fairly quickly. For this first book, eldest sister Wren exists primarily to set Asa’s plot in motion, but I hope that we learn more about her in future stories.

Inherit the Stars is a good example of the conflicts that arise when politics invades families’ personal lives. It’s light science fiction for readers who want to dip a toe into the sci-fi pool, but want something heavier on relationships and lighter on spaceships. Collections that could use some lighter sci-fi should add this one to their shelves.

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Steampunk, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

A Curse of Ash & Iron – YA with a little steampunk, a little fairy tale

Posted on December 5, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

A Curse of Ash & Iron, by Christine Norris (May 2015, Curiosity Quills Press), $16.99, ISBN: 978-1620078853

Recommended for ages 13+

Eleanor lost her mother when she was a child, and has been living under her evil stepmother’s thumb ever since. She’s a stranger to her beloved father; indeed, to everyone she once knew – her stepmother has managed to bewitch her so that no one will recognize her. Living as a servant in her own home and forced to wear a stranger’s face in public, Ellie is in for a bleak future until her childhood best friend, Ben Grimm, sees through the spell and recognizes her. Together, guided by a mysterious benefactor, Ellie may have a chance to regaining her life after all.

Heavily influenced by Cinderella, this steampunk fairy tale is great YA reading for girls who like a little steam power in their romance. Ellie isn’t a simpering, fainting Victorian heroine; she’s a smart, determined young woman who is darned angry about the way her life has gone, and she’s going to fight to get it all back. The evil stepmother is truly an awful human being – you’ll be waiting the entire book for a giant anvil to fall out of the sky and bean her, I promise you – and Ben, as the long-lost childhood friend, has his own subplot about his personal quest for independence that will put you firmly in his corner.

Great characters, steam and brass, and a familiar fairy tale feel to comfort you on days when you just want to be a kid again. A Curse of Ash & Iron is the book for your burgeoning steampunk collection. If your readers aren’t quite ready for Gail Carriger’s Finishing School assassins, they’ll love Ellie and her friends. Historical notes at the novel’s end will appeal to history buffs!

Author Christine Norris offers printable goodies on her website, along with some extra content geared toward librarians. Give her some love, she’s one of our tribe!

Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Teen

Fathomless – Lovecraft-inspired fantasy

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Fathomless (Redemption’s Heir, #2), by Anne M. Pillsworth (Oct. 2015, Tor Teen), $18.99, ISBN: 9780765335906

Recommended for ages 13+

The second book in Anne M. Pillsworth’s Lovecraft-inspired Redemption’s Heir series, Fathomless, picks up where Summoned leaves off. Sean, having learned his magical heritage, is studying magic with his friend, Eddy, and a new classmate, Daniel, who has secrets of his own. The last time Sean played around with magic, though, all hell broke loose – it turns out that HP Lovecraft was writing fiction based on some pretty real happenings – so his teachers are a bit worried about Sean’s desire to jump right back into spellcasting, especially when an ever darker branch on his family tree makes itself known.

As Eddy and Sean become closer friends with Daniel, though, they find themselves mired deeper and deeper in magic and intrigue. Sean ultimately turns to Reverend Orne one more time for help – the same Reverend Orne who was responsible for Sean’s magical awakening and the fallout that followed. Family secrets and Lovecraftian beings abound in this continuing story, with plenty of intrigue and magic for everyone. If your teens have moved on from Harry Potter but haven’t dipped a toe into Lev Grossman’s The Magicians yet, this is the book for them. It’s Arkham without the mind-bending madness.

Sean is an interesting character. He’s a kid trying to figure out his place in the magical world, and he’s fully aware that the grownups in his life are either keeping things from him or holding him back. Eddy is a good sidekick – she’s more reasonable but isn’t above bending a rule or two to help her friends out, and Daniel’s the most intriguing character of all, with a family history shrouded in secrecy and magic and a conflicted relationship with both parents for very different reasons. I’d love to see a book focus on Daniel’s beginnings, maybe even a short story, along the lines of “Geldman’s Pharmacy”, set in the same world as the Redemption’s Heir adventures. (nudge, nudge)

A familiarity with HP Lovecraft isn’t necessary to enjoy this book, but reading the first book in the series is recommended. Definitely have some HP Lovecraft on hand for readers who want to learn more – his work is available for free via the H.P. Lovecraft Archive, and any library worth its salt will have at least one copy of his work.

Science Fiction, Steampunk, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

YA Book Blitz: The Viper and The Urchin!

Posted on August 25, 2015August 25, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Viper and the Urchin
by Celine Jeanjean
Release Date: July 27th 2015

Summary from Goodreads:

Being Damsport’s most elegant assassin is hard work. There’s tailoring to consider, devilish poisons to concoct, secret identities to maintain… But most importantly, Longinus has to keep his fear of blood hidden or his reputation will be ruined. So, when a scrawny urchin girl threatens to expose his phobia unless he teaches her swordsmanship, he has no choice but to comply.

It doesn’t take long for Rory to realise that her new trainer has more eccentricities than she has fleas. But she’ll put up with anything, no matter how frustrating, to become a swordswoman like her childhood hero.

What she’s not prepared for is a copycat assassin who seeks to replace Longinus, and who hires Rory’s old partner in crime to do away with her, as well. Rory and Longinus must set their differences aside and try to work together if they’re to stop the copycat. But darker forces than they realise are at play, and with time running out, the unlikely duo find themselves the last line of defence against a powerful enemy who seeks to bring Damsport to its knees.

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Celine Jeanjean is French, grew up in the UK and now lives in Hong Kong. That makes her a tad confused about where she is from. During her time in Asia she’s watched the sun rise over Angkor Wat, lost her shoes in Vietnam, and fallen off a bamboo raft in China. Celine writes stories that feature quirky characters and misfits, and her books are a mixture of steampunk, fantasy and humour.

Author Links:

photo iconfacebook-32x32_zps64a79d4a.png

GIVEAWAY: a Rafflecopter giveaway
//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

An excerpt from The Temple of Doubt

Posted on July 30, 2015July 28, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

I recently reviewed Anne Boles Levy’s sci-fi/fantasy YA novel, The Temple of Doubt. The book is about to hit shelves, and I’m able to bring you an excerpt… you know, to whet those appetites. Here you go:

“Brown snakes as thick as a man’s arm slid from branches on either side of our punt and into the water, where they writhed across the murky surface. The boat paused to avoid them and then skirted the narrow, spiked waterwood roots that poke above the water line. A pole wedged between several roots the puntsman couldn’t see, and he twisted it free.

I shared the narrow craft with Mami and S’ami and two guards to prod us along. It was a tight fit, and knees would knock at any unexpected turn of the craft. I wasn’t going to make good on my days-ago wish of throttling S’ami with my head scarf, but it did take effort not to wince whenever he looked my way. He was the only Azwan with us. The other Azwan and half the guards had remained behind in the expectation S’ami would die.

I’d forced myself to keep my head straight and not glance around, feverishly looking for Valeo. I hadn’t made up my mind whether I wanted him there nor not. I didn’t want anyone I knew, even slightly, to be out in the wilds with us. But I also didn’t want to die alone here without a single ally among the hulking Temple Guards. Who else besides Valeo would care even a little whether Mami and I made it back?”

You can buy The Temple of Doubt on August 4th. Check out the Sky Pony website to order your copy; while you’re at it, follow them on social media. They’ve got some great books coming out!

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

The Temple of Doubt brings fantasy, magic, and a struggle with faith

Posted on July 12, 2015July 11, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Temple of Doubt, by Anne Boles Levy (Aug. 2015, Sky Pony Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781632204271

Recommended for ages 13+

A falling star crashes into the marshes on a planet called Kuldor and a young woman’s life is forever changed. Fifteen year-old Hadara is the wilder child of her parents’ two daughters, the “natural” to her younger sister’s “pious”. Living under a strict religious rule, where medicine is heresy and only magic provided by their god, Nihil, is acceptable, Hadara longs to join her mother, who clandestinely gathers herbs and plants to keep handy for quiet requests.

The star brings religious leaders and soldiers to Port Sapphire, where Hadara and her family live. The leaders insist that a demon inhabits the star, and they must go into the marshes to retrieve it: and Hadara and her mother are pressed into service to lead them there. Hadara, whose faith has already been tested by the priests and the soldiers’ presence, finds herself chafing under the continued requests put upon her and the behaviors she witnesses, but this is only the beginning. The things she will discover on her journey will throw everything she’s ever been taught to believe into chaos. Is she strong enough to emerge unscathed?

The Temple of Doubt is sci-fi/fantasy, but readers will find many parallels to our current religious and socio-political climate today. The reliance on a deity to heal – but only if you have enough faith – versus faith in medicine and nature; the right of the religious right to tread wherever they feel is necessary to root out evil, and the struggle of a young woman dealing with coming of age and questioning her faith and beliefs are all very familiar scenarios that will draw readers into Ms. Levy’s story.

There is a great deal of world-building that will appeal to some readers, but may not catch reluctant or struggling readers. Focus on the teenage aspects of the story – rebellion, frustration, sibling rivalry, and questioning – to spark a lively booktalk. The Temple of Doubt an interesting first book in a series that should appeal to sci-fi and fantasy readers.

Animal Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Intermediate, Middle Grade, Steampunk

Tailwands – Epic Animal Fantasy for your younger readers!

Posted on July 8, 2015July 6, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

I don’t normally review standalone comic book issues here at MomReadIt – that’s the purview of my WhatchaReading writing, really – but I had to talk about Tailwands, which is putting out its second issue shortly. It’s great animal fiction, it’s an epic tale, and it’s perfect for young readers who are in the mood for fun, clean, epic fantasy storytelling.

I’ve written reviews for both issue 1 and issue 2 over at WhatchaReading. There is a subscriber exclusive, if your kids like the books, so you don’t have to chase them down. Hand these books to your younger readers, and tuck in with them – you’re in for a great adventure.

Horror, Post-apocalyptic/Dystopian, Science Fiction, Teen, Young Adult/New Adult

Scott Sigler’s Alive is a tense mix of speculative fiction, mystery, and horror. Read it!

Posted on July 2, 2015July 2, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Alive, by Scott Sigler (Jul 2015, Del Rey/Spectra), $18, ISBN: 9780553393101

Recommended for ages 13+

“I open my eyes to darkness. Total darkness. I hear my own breathing, but nothing else. I lift my head . . . it thumps against something solid and unmoving. There is a board right in front of my face. No, not a board . . . a lid.”

A teenage girl wakes up in what she perceives to be a coffin. She breaks out, and liberates the other kids from their coffins- but not everyone is alive. No one has any memory of who they are, where they come from, or how they got where they are. The only clue to anything about them lies in the engraved names at the end of each coffin: an initial and last name. M. Savage, the first girl to wake up, finds herself leading a group of teens through the unknown environment, in search of answers and freedom, but can they survive the horrors they witness… or one another?

If you’ve never read Scott Sigler before, you are in for a treat, my friends. I discovered his book, Infected, years ago thanks to a horror podcast I used to listen to. This is the first YA by Sigler I’ve read, and trust me – you’re going to need to grit your teeth and brace yourself for this ride.

What I love about Scott Sigler is his masterful way of taking a group of people and showing conflict. It’s set off by one thing, but it’s never really about that one thing, is it? You throw a group of hormonal teenagers into the insanity of waking up with no memory and no clue as to where they are, you’ve got some interesting issues on your hands. Sigler’s your man. I can’t go into too much of the story, because I really don’t want spoilers in any way, shape, or form to put you off of this book, but think about the kids in your life, and then imagine tossing them into the craziest situation you can imagine. You’ve got layers and layers of issues, personalities, and conflicts that will come to the fore. The best horror lies not with the monsters under your bed, but the horror we inflict on one another, and we all know and remember that children can be pretty cruel.

Alive needs to be on your teen space bookshelves, and MAN, the stories that can come out of a book talk featuring this book are legion. The book hits stores on July 14th, but there’s a serialized podcast to get you all riled up until then.

Check out Scott Sigler’s author website for more information about his books, including the Infected trilogy.

Science Fiction, Teen, Uncategorized, Young Adult/New Adult

Edge of Forever – a murder mystery travels through time

Posted on June 29, 2015June 28, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

The Edge of Forever, by Melissa Hurst (2015, Sky Horse) $14.99, ISBN: 978-1-63220-424-0

Recommended for ages 12+

In 2146, a group of teens takes a school trip back in time to observe a crucial point in history. Bridger, a 17 year-old boy in the class, sees his father in the crowd – but his father’s dead. Before Bridger loses track of his dad, he receives a cryptic message to prevent a murder in another time.

In 2013, 16 year-old Alora lives with her Aunt Grace and has so many questions about the family who abandoned her to Grace’s care 11 years earlier. Alora knows her aunt knows more than she’s letting on, and Alora is determined to find out what’s going on – but she’s also desperate to find out why she blacks out and wakes up in a different place.

Bridger time shifts to 2013 to carry out his father’s mission, but his determination to stay uninvolved in events that could change the timestream is challenged when he meets Alora – who happens to be the object of his mission.

Edge of Forever is a good sci-fi story, with interesting and conflicted characters and a strong plot and subplot. There are conspiracies and plot twists throughout the story to keep readers on their toes, and you will cringe every time you realize that Bridger is about to corrupt the time stream (the Trekkie in me yelled, “Don’t violate the Prime Directive!” at least three times).

There are moments that readers may need to go back and re-read – there are a lot of threads to keep sorted here – but when is that a bad thing? I’m interested in whether or not we’re getting a sequel, because I need to know more about some of the characters that were introduced. Everyone here has the potential for deep storytelling, making this book a hot choice for summer reading and book club chats.

The Edge of Forever is Melissa Hurst’s first book. You can check out her author site to follow her on social media, read her blog, and check out some interviews and guest posts from the Edge of Forever blog tour.

Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Steampunk, Tween Reads, Uncategorized

Mysteries of Cove, Book 1: Fires of Invention – a new sci-fi/steampunk adventure for middle graders!

Posted on June 25, 2015June 24, 2015 by Rosemary Kiladitis

Mysteries of Cove, Book 1: Fires of Invention, by J. Scott Savage (Sept. 2015, Shadow Mountain Publishing), $17.99, ISBN: 978-1629720920

Recommended for ages 10-14

Steampunk meets dragons in this new sci-fi series from author J. Scott Savage! Trenton is a young teen living in the city of Cove – a city created over a century before by a civilization fleeing environmental destruction. He’s got a knack for anything mechanical, but in the city of Cove, technology, creativity, and inventing are against the law. In fact, to call someone an inventor is akin to being cursed with the worst of slurs. Kallista Babbage is also a teen living in Cove. The daughter of a notorious inventor, Leo Babbage, who died in an explosion caused by his own creativity, has been scapegoated by Cove leadership as proof of the dangers of technology and forward thinking.

Trenton discovers strange pieces of tools hidden in Cove, which leads him to Kallista. Could these tools be part of a secret message to Kallista from her father? Working together, Trenton and Kallista follow the clues Babbage left behind; on the way, they uncover all of Cove’s secrets. But will the leaders of Cove allow them to share what they’ve learned, or imprison them for retraining?

The Cove series reminds me very much of the City of Ember series in that it involves a teen boy and girl, living in a hidden city because of an environmental cataclysm, and discovering the truth about the city’s history. The sci-fi twist that we get in the last third of the book is a pleasant surprise and will perk readers up as they head into the first book’s conclusion. There’s a lot of storytelling here, with in-depth character development, and plenty of action and adventure.

I’d include this book in a maker collection to spur imaginations and – GASP – creativity!

J. Scott Savage is the author of the hugely popular Case File 13 series. You can follow him on Twitter @jscottsavage, or visit his author site to check out his blog and learn more about author visits.

Salt Lake City readers, want a shot at being in the book trailer? Details are on the Shadow Mountain Facebook page! They’ll be shooting the Fires of Invention trailer on Thursday, July 2nd, in Salt Lake City, and you and a friend can enter to win spots as extras! Like and Share the Shadow Mountain Facebook post, and check out the rules. Open only to US residents. Not affiliated with Facebook or MomReadIt. The trailer will be shown at SLC Comic Con and will be a lot of fun to make!