Even more SF/F books to check out in August

We've reached the middle of the month, which means its time for another rundown of the science fiction and fantasy books hitting stores this month. In case you missed it, here's the first list for August, and you can peruse other monthly lists by checking out the Book List tag.

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Here are 15 SF/F books coming out this month for you to check out:

The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma (August 29th)

The Ravani kingdom has long been ruled by a family imbued with the magical ability to control the Eternal Fire. The latest heir to the kingdom is Elena Aadya, who doesn't have that ability, and as her ascension to the throne approaches, she has to find a way to prove that she's worthy of the honor. Complicating matters is the arrival of an assassin who also lays claim to the throne, setting up a dangerous conflict between the two, one that might have ramifications for the rest of the world.

Kirkus Reviews says "this desert world is well developed, with the intricacies of a society, including religion, culture, and race, and the mythology of a phoenix rising supporting the themes of sacrifice, forgiveness, and resilience throughout each character’s point of view."

Jewish Futures: Science Fiction from the World's Oldest Diaspora, edited by Michael A Burstein  (August 7th)

This looks like an intriguing anthology: a survey of science fiction from the Jewish diaspora, a group with a rich history of storytelling. The book contains 16 stories from authors such as Harry Turtledove, Leah Cypess, Barbara Krasnoff, Steven H Silver, S.I. Rosenbaum & Abraham Josephine Reisman, and more.

Publishers Weekly says "these stories open diverse and challenging vistas for sci-fi fans—Jewish and gentile alike."

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas (August 15th)

A teenager named Nena lives on a farm on the Mexico-Texas border with her parents in the 1840s, and is all too familiar with the threats that they face from white settlers coming down from the North. But there's another monster lurking in the darkness, one that drains its prey of their blood, and something that had once attacked Nena nearly a decade ago, and her best friend Néstor has been haunted by the attack ever since.

When the US invades the territory in 1846, the two are brought together again, bringing back harsh memories and the reemergence of a threat that they thought that they'd put behind them.

I've started reading this, and I'm enjoying it so far. Writing for NPR,
Gabino Iglesias notes that "At once romance, horror, historical fiction, and an adventure narrative about war, Vampires of El Norte elegantly navigates a multiplicity of genres to deliver an engaging story that cements Cañas as one of the best new voices bridging the gap between romance and speculative fiction."

More Voices From the Radium Age edited by Joshua Glenn (August 1st)

I'm a big fan of Joshua Glenn's Radium Age project that he's been running with MIT Press, where he's been helping to reprint a number of early science fiction stories from early 20th century, accompanied by forewords by noted writers and scholars in the field. The latest in the series is an anthology of short fiction from authors like George C. Wallis, Algernon Blackwood, H.G. Wells, Abraham Merritt, and more.

In addition to this volume, there are two more installments that have come out: The Napoleon of Notting Hill by G.K. Chesterton (about a prankster named Auberon Quin, who becomes king and mandates that each London neighborhood turn into its own medieval state, which leads to some complications when one citizen becomes a military leader) and The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson (about a future where humans live underground and who come under attack from all manner of strange beings.)

The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle by T.L. Huchu (August 29th)

I enjoyed T.L. Huchu's Library of the Dead when I picked it up a while back, and this next installment of his Edinburgh Nights series looks like an intriguing read. An urban fantasy set in a post-climate change world, we follow ghostalker Ropa as she attends a magical conference for the Society of Skeptical Enquirers when an artifact goes missing, putting the entire castle that they're staying in on lockdown.

Publishers Weekly says "Ropa’s investigation is thrilling, but Huchu’s real skill lies in crafting a magical contemporary world that feels familiar yet filled with its own secrets, replete with analogous political situations and pop culture references that never feel out of place."

Dune Part One: The Photography by Chiabella James (August 15th)

I was a big fan of Denis Villeneuve's Dune, and while we wait for the next installment to drop later this year, there's a new behind the scenes book to tide us over: Dune Part One: The Photography. This is by photographer Chiabella James, and it comes with a preface by actor Rebecca Ferguson, a foreword by Tanya Lapointe (who wrote the fantastic The Art and Soul of Dune), and an afterword by Brian Herbert.

Cyberpunk 2077: No Coincidence by Rafał Kosik

Rafal Kosik spins out a story set in the same world as the video game Cyberpunk 2077 (which I still need to play), in which a group of strangers have launched a bold heist: they've stolen a shipping container from a miltech convoy. They've each been blackmailed into participating, and now, they have to overcome their differences and secrets in order to work together to pull off another job.

More Perfect by Temi Oh (August 15th)

In the nearish future, people have access to a digital network called Panopticon, an social media platform in the form of an AR world. With that sort of access to London's population, the government has slowly crept in to make the network mandatory, creating more of a dystopian state.  

In her review for the Washington Post, Charlie Jane Anders says "Every time you think you know where “More Perfect” is heading, Oh makes you guess again. She expertly shows why people love being endlessly connected and how our technology can heal us, while slowly revealing the downside. Through it all, she finds time for a haunting love story and an exploration of trauma."

Forged by Blood by Ehigbor Okosun (August 8th)

Dèmi is trying to survive in the midst of an invasion of her homeland Ife. Her people, the magical Oluso, are being brutally murdered by the Ajes, and she has to stay under the radar with her mother while learning a terrifying form of blood magic.

When her mother is killed, she's spurred to vengeance: when the opportunity arises to kidnap an Aje prince, she jumps at the chance. But she discovers that she has more in common with her victim than she thought, and her mission becomes even more dangerous as she and her few allies work to gain a voice in a system designed to silence them, all while discovering some lost family secrets that tie in with her growing powers.

Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review, saying "Okosun’s elaborate worldbuilding is lavishly detailed and meticulously constructed, but it never feels overwhelming. The result is an impressive and refreshingly original page-turner that will leave readers eagerly awaiting the second volume."

Devil's Gun by Cat Rambo (August 29th)

In this sequel to Cat Rambo's novel You Sexy Thing, the crew of the titular ship are on the run from a pirate king, and the route they were planning on taking isn't working. While they're waiting for a fix, they do what they do best: set up a restaurant to serve the other waiting ships. Things start to go sideways when an archeologist shows up with a potential solution: a long-lost weapon that could help fend off the looming threat that is Tubal Last.

Publishers Weekly notes that "Rambo has a knack for conjuring extraterrestrial speech and thought patterns, the camaraderie between the crew is heartwarming, and the far-out foodie descriptions are wonderfully bizarre."

Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon by Wole Talabi (August 8th)

In this debut novel, Shigidi nightmare god in the Orisha spirit company who tolerates the prayers of those believers who still remain. When he meets a mysterious succubus named  Nneoma, he realizes that he has another path before him, and together, work to get away from the chains of godhood that bind him, while also contending with her past as they form a growing relationship.

Writing in Lightspeed Magazine, Aigner Loren Wilson says "with its blend of Nigerian mythology, anticapitalistic themes, and modern-day fantasy worldbuilding, the book is a must-read for fans of heisty fantasy thrill rides. Talabi’s writing style is engaging and immersive, and the book’s themes of revenge, self-discovery, and the power of belief are thought-provoking and timely."

Star Wars: Triple Zero by Karen Traviss (August 15th)

If asked what my top three favorite Star Wars novels are, one of my absolute favorites is Karen Traviss's first Republic Commando novel Hard Contact is near the top of that list. It's a great military science fiction novel that digs deep into the clones and their role in the Clone Wars. It was re-released earlier this year as part of the Essential Legends Collection, and it's now followed by its sequel Triple Zero, which follows the Omega Squad clones as they tackle a new Separatist threat on Coruscant, where they have to team up with their counterparts from Delta Squad.

Where Peace is Lost by Valerie Valdes (August 29th)

Kelana Gardavros was a soldier who lost everything in the war against the Pale empire, and is now a refugee living in an isolated solar system, hiding from enemies that would destroy worlds to eliminate her.

When a Pale war machine is abruptly reactivated, it poses a threat to Kel's new home, and she agrees to lead a pair of strangers to the machine to deactivate it, bringing about more dangers while the secrets that she holds might doom her and her friends.

Library Journal gave the book a starred review, saying "Terrific action sequences do not detract from the emotional arc that Kel follows as a war survivor. Valdes delivers with her epic worldbuilding and characterizations in this sharp and poignant novel."

Star Wars: Outbound Flight and Survivor's Quest by Timothy Zahn (August 15th)

Another entry on the Essential Legends Collection are Timothy Zahn's Outbound Flight and Survivor's Quest. These two books are set before and after Zahn's Thrawn trilogy. The first, Outbound Flight, follows the story of Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth, who set up an expedition into unknown space and ends up running into a familiar blue figure. In Survivor's Quest, Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade embark on a new quest to recover the remains of the Outbound Flight project and a Jedi artifact within.

That's all for tonight: I've got to get ready for the con tomorrow. Thanks as always for reading! Let me know what catches your eye from this batch of books, and what you've been reading lately.

Andrew