Here's the June 2023 book list!

I'm going to drop a plug for my own book, Cosplay: A History, up at the top: if you're an Audible member, the book is on sale! It's marked down 50%, so it's around $9. Eunice Wong did the narration, and she did a fantastic job.

This month's books include stories of fantastical cities, future space empires, long-hidden crimes, and more. This list only covers the first half of the month: I'll have a second part coming in a couple of weeks. You can also find earlier lists via the Book List tag.

As always, links to Bookshop.org are affiliates, and we get a small percentage of sales through that to help with hosting on Ghost. You can also help support the newsletter by becoming a supporting subscriber.

Without further ado, here's 19 new science fiction and fantasy books to check out this month:

A Thousand Recipes for Revenge by Beth Cato (June 1st)

Beth Cato's latest novel follows Ada Garland who has a particular affinity for cooking and food. She once served the Five Gods and the Rulers of Verdania, but eventually fled after witnessing too much injustice and violent incidents there. For nearly two decades, she lived under an assumed identity as a rogue Chef, but after an assassin tracked her down, she's once again on the run.

Meanwhile, a princess named Solenn arrives at the court, and while there, finds that she shares some of Ada's gifts (and a bit more), and discovers that there's a plot afoot to murder her fiancé. The two eventually meet, and will be forced to pick sides in an upcoming confrontation.

All Sinners Bleed by S.A. Crosby (June 6th)

I've become a big fan of S.A. Crosby's thrillers over the last couple of years: Blacktop Wasteland was a high-octane ride of a father and former getaway driver trying to escape from his past as it catches up to him, while Razorblade Tears was a great revenge thriller that I couldn't put down. (I still need to read My Darkest Prayer).

His latest sounds excellent, following Titus Crown, a former FBI agent and now the first Black sheriff of Charon County, Virginia. It's been a quiet place for a couple of decades, but things are about to erupt: a year after a shooting in which a teacher is killed by a former student (and the student is killed by Crown's deputies), he discovers a deeper crime that's been lurking in the back roads of Charon, one that holds plenty of secrets for the county, and for Titus himself.

Stephen King reviewed the book in The New York Times, describing it as "a well-told novel of crime and detection," one that's set apart by its "unerring depiction of small-town rural life and the uneasy (and sometimes violent) interactions between Charon’s white and Black citizens."

The Combat Codes by Alexander Darwin (June 13th)

A horrific war left the world devastated, prompting nations to put aside massive weapons in favor of a class of skilled warriors known as the Grievar Knights, whose use would allow countries to settle their differences in hand-to-hand combat. Murray Pearson was one such knight until a catastrophic loss, and now, he's on the hunt for a replacement: one that he finds in the form of an orphan named Cego, who must first go through a grueling training regimen.

Publishers Weekly says "Darwin’s also adept at making blow-by-blow descriptions of bouts vivid and engaging, even for readers with little interest in the martial arts."

The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson (June 13th)

In this alternate history, a woman named Rin is a member of a circus troupe, the Circus of the Fantasticals, which has become home to a group of outcasts with special abilities. Rin's specialty is jumping through time, and she's been on the run from her ex-husband, who's been trying to keep her under his thumb, all while they sense the coming of the second World War.

Publishers Weekly says "fans of gentle, uplifting speculative fiction will find much to enjoy in this heartfelt celebration of difference."

Rhymer by Gregory Frost (June 6th)

For his latest novel (the first of a trilogy), Gregory Frost revisits the legend of Thomas the Rhymer, a Scottish bard who lived in the 13th century. In this tale, Thomas watched as his brother was kidnapped before his eyes by elves. As he investigates, he discovers that these creatures can also take human form, and have been working to replace people in prominent positions of power to take over the world. He's pulled into an alien world and has to rely on his wits and powers that he gains to escape.

The Memory of Animals by Claire Fuller (June 6th)

Humanity faces a devastating viral pandemic that deals out some horrific consequences: nerve loss, sensory damage, and death. When Neffy, a disgraced marine biologist, signs up for a trial of an experimental vaccine, she finds herself grouped with some other volunteers, Rachel, Leon, Yahiko, and Piper, each with their own troubled pasts.

Leon had been working on an experimental technology that allows its user to revisit memories, and Neffy gets drawn into revisiting her past while the world slides into chaos.

Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review, saying "Fuller’s intricately structured narrative makes great use of the Revisiting conceit, allowing Neffy’s history—including her love for an octopus she once cared for at an aquarium—to wrap itself around an increasingly nightmarish present, as Neffy uncovers secrets about the virus’s progression that other volunteers have been keeping from her."

Demons of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison (June 13th)

Kim Harrison returns to her Hollows series for installment #17, Demons of Good and Evil. A witch-born demon named Rachel Morgan knew that protecting Cincinatti's paranormal residents would be a problem, and while they've successfully fought off a demon trickster named Hodin, one of his friends, known as "The Mage", is still around. With Hodin out of the way, he's been hunting down Rachel's supporters. In order to survive and continue to protect those around her, she's going to have to turn to some unlikely partners for help.

Flight & Anchor by Nicole Kornher-Stace (June 13th)

In her novel 2021 novel Firebreak, Nicole Krnher-Stace introduced readers to a dystopian future where a handful of mega corporations have taken over the US and have been waging war against one another.

She's returned to this world with a new book, Flight & Anchor, a prequel that follows two characters, 06 and 22 as they escape from Stellaxis's headquarters, the only home they've ever known. As they adjust to living on their own, they begin to realize how the corporation manipulates the public in how they presenting their artificial humans as the perfect weapons.  

Publishers Weekly says that it's helpful to read Firebreak to get the most out of it, but that "it’s a fast-paced game of cat and mouse that will leave readers wanting more."

Translation State by Ann Leckie (June 6th)

I recently reread the first installment of Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch trilogy, Ancillary Justice. I read the book when it first came out a decade ago, and was blown away by it once again, finding that it was even more relevant and exciting than I'd remembered. (I now have to pick up Ancillary Sword, and Ancillary Mercy, and the standalone Provenance, all of which were just re-released with new, minimalist covers.)

Leckie has returned to this universe with a new book: Translation State, following a trio of characters: Qven, a translator created to help bridge the gap between humanity and the Presger, a dangerous alien civilization. As they begin to realize that the task that they've been created for isn't necessarily what they want to do with their lives, something that prompts them to flee. They meet Enae, a diplomat who's working to track down a fugitive who's been missing for two centuries, and Reet, a mechanic who's working to learn about his genetics to try and find out why he's so different from those around him.

Writing in Locus, Adrienne Martini says that "Leckie asks big questions about trauma, power, and secrets. She answers them, too. But, again, not always the way you’d expect her to."

Warchild by Karin Lowachee (May 31st)

Karin Lowachee's been one of my favorite authors for years: she contributed a story to my anthology War Stories, has written a whole bunch of excellent shorter stories, and anytime I see a new thing from her, it shoots right up to the top of the list.

She's recently republished her debut novel Warchild, now with a new cover, which join her other, recently-republished books Burndive, Cagebird, and a collection, Omake. The novel is about a child named Jos who's kidnapped by aliens fighting humanity and turned into a double-agent, and he has to figure out how to save himself. This book was incredibly influential on me: it's a fantastic space opera, one that I highly recommend.  

Psyche and Eros by Luna McNamara (June 13th)

Retellings of mythology seem to be on the rise lately: a new one comes from Luna McNamara, who takes a new look at the story of Eros and Psyche. Psyche of Mycenae has been prophesized to defeat a monster and accordingly, she's spent her youth learning how to fight with a sword and bow. Along the way, she runs afoul of Aphrodite, who dispatches Eros to curse her. The god of desire is reluctant to get into the affairs of humans, but ends up falling for the young warrior. As the Trojan War kicks off, the two will have to face off against some challenges, divine and otherwise.  

Fairy Tale Magazine says that "the book presents a passionate romance while exploring ideas of free choice, heroic action, human folly, and the curious life of the gods.

The Surviving Sky by Kritika H. Rao (June 13th)

In the distant future, humanity has come to reside in the clouds above a wrecked Earth. The floating cities are technological living wonders. Their makers, the Architects, with their abilities to control the plants that make up the floating cities, are class above everyone else. Iravan is one such architect, while his wife Ahilya is an archeologist who resents his abilities and wants to find a way for society to break free of the power that the architects hold over everyone else. When Iravan is accused of going too far, she's the only person he can go to for help, but she has motives of her own.

Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review, saying "Drawing deeply from Hindu mysticism, this heart-pounding cli-fi adventure will leave readers breathless."

SubOrbital 7 by John Shirley (June 6th)

Set in the near future, a team of soldiers are tasked with a routine hostage rescue mission in orbit. A team of scientists have been kidnapped by a terror group known as Thieves in Law, and as Lieutenant Art Burkett and his team retrieve the group, they find that the kidnappers aren't the only ones trying to get their hands on the scientists, and that the fate of the world might be at stake.

Library Journal praised the book, saying "The beauty of Shirley’s novel comes from its laser-focused attention to military tactics, which helps to sell its squad-level action. Its haunting near-future setting reads like a story that could be happening right now, giving the text a healthy dose of realism."

The Endless Vessel by Charles Soule (June 6th)

I wrote about a Kickstarter project that Charles Soule had launched a while back for a companion novel to his latest book, The Endless Vessel. The book is now out: it's set in the nearish future after a plague has settled over the world, one in which the afflicted are caught in a deep depression. As the world has slowly begun to grind to a halt, a scientist named Lily Barnes has been working to keep moving forward when everything seems hopeless. Everything changes when she encounters a piece of technology that might help solve the world's problems, which sets her on a journey across the world to unlock its secrets.

Publishers Weekly called the book "hugely entertaining" and says "Rich characters and a full-throttle plot, plus a solid finale, elevate this page-turner. It's a winner."

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs (May 30th)

This one's come highly recommended to me: two estranged half-sisters, Joanna and Esther are part of a family that has guarded a collection of magical books for centuries. These books unlock all sorts of powers, and in the wrong hands, can be dangerous. The two sisters have separated: Esther fled to Antarctica after her mother was killed, while Joanna remains at the family's rural home in Vermont, where she's been studying the books in her possession.

When their father opens a book and dies, the two must come back together and figure out what happened in order to save the family library, and discover along the way a much greater magical world that their parents kept hidden from them.

Kirkus Reviews gave the book a starred review, saying "Esther and Joanna’s complicated but loving relationship is wonderfully rendered, and Törzs pulls off such an expert series of twists that readers would be advised to cancel their plans until they get to the end."

The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni (June 13th)

After an accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury, Mike Brink discovers that he's now able to look at and solve puzzles in new ways, even while the injury leaves him unable to connect with others.

Things change when he meets a woman convicted of murder: she hasn't spoken since her arrest, but when she draws a puzzle that might be the clue to unlock the details of her crime, Brink takes a look, only to find more to the story than meets the eye, secrets that go back centuries and which might involve the fate and future of humanity and the universe.

Many Worlds: Or, the Simulacra edited by Cadwell Turnbull and Josh Eure (June 13th)

This is one project that I've had my eye on for a while: a couple of years ago, Cadwell Turnbull (Author of the fantastic No Gods, No Monsters and The Lesson) set up a cooperative, shared-world writing project called Many Worlds, which includes stories from authors such as Justin C. Key, M. Darusha Wehm, Elizabeth (Betsy) Aoki, Smriti Ravindra, and others.

This anthology brings together those stories, featuring strange tales of Earth's unexpected transformation, missing people, unknown creatures, and quite a bit more.

Publishers Weekly gave the book a starred review, saying "Taken as a whole, this exhibits the best of shared-world writing: diverse settings and distinctive voices grounded in a core worldbuilding concept that, in this case, provokes both paranoia and wonder."

Savage Crowns by Matthew Wallace (June 13th)

Matthew Wallace closes out his Savage Rebellion trilogy (preceded by Savage Legion and Savage Bounty) with Savage Crowns. The war for the nation of Crache has started, with Evie, the people's general leading a revolution, getting captured by the Skrian, the nation's army. Meanwhile, Crache leader Dyeawan, who's risen from a meager upbringing as a street orphan, has to contend with a coup within the city, something that could topple her from her throne if she doesn't act quickly.

As the war heats up, both Evie and Dyeawan will meet on the battlefield, and will have to find a common goal for the future of their country before they destroy themselves.

Girlfriend on Mars by Deborah Willis (June 13th)

In the near future, Amber Kivinen has a chance to go to Mars, IF she wins a reality competition to join MarsNow, a project sponsored by a billionaire, with two seats reserved for the contest's winners. As she joins a multinational group of contestants, her boyfriend Kevin has been enjoying an aimless life until Amber leaves him for this new opportunity, leading him to deal with the fallout as she rockets to worldwide fame.

Kirkus Reviews says "Part disaffected-slacker rom-com, part social satire, part wistful end-of-the-world eulogy for ordinary, unscripted love, this novel veers close to the kind of wearying cynicism and late-stage capitalist master-villainy that would make its conceit feel familiar. Yet again and again the novel saves itself from this fate by the very real hope at the heart of its main characters’ binary orbit around each other."

That's all for today: thanks for your patience on this list. I'm hoping to get back to a normal tempo soon. As always, let me know what catches your eye, and what you've been reading lately.

Andrew