Books Received in June 2018

Many thanks as always to the publishers who send me books for review.

Medusa Uploaded by Emily Devenport - I bought a copy of this right when it came out in May as I was so excited to read it. You can read my review of it here. While it wasn't quite what I was expecting it was a fantastic book. If you like generation ships and assassins, this is the SF for you.

My name is Oichi Angelis, and I am a worm.

They see me every day. They consider me harmless. And that's the trick, isn't it?
A generation starship can hide many secrets. When an Executive clan suspects Oichi of insurgency and discreetly shoves her out an airlock, one of those secrets finds and rescues her.

Officially dead, Oichi begins to rebalance power one assassination at a time and uncovers the shocking truth behind the generation starship and the Executive clans.

Lady Mechanika vol 4: The Clockwork Assassin by Joe Benitez and M. M. Chen - I've enjoyed all of the Lady Mechanika graphic novels. I love the artwork and the light mysteries are a bonus. My review of volume 4 is here.

When a series of brutal murders linked to Mr. Lewis' past leads DetectiveInspector Singh to Lady Mechanika's doorstep, the Inspector is finally forced toconsider: is Lady Mechanika a crime-fighting hero or a cold blooded killer?

In the Region of the Summer Stars by Stephen Lawhead - Lawhead's an author who's been on my radar for years and yet I've never read his books. With good time management that will change soon.

Ravaged by barbarian Scálda forces, the last hope for Eirlandia lies with the island's warring tribes.

Wrongly cast out of his tribe, Conor, the first-born son of the Celtic king, embarks on a dangerous mission to prove his innocence.

What he discovers will change Eirlandia forever. For the Scálda have captured the mystical Fae to use as an ultimate weapon.

And Conor's own people have joined in the invasion.

The Furnace by Prentis Rollins - I started reading this today. So far it reminds me of Alan Moore's V for Vendetta and Watchmen in style and political/social commentary. Out July 10th.

One decision. Thousands of lives ruined. Can someone ever repent for the sins of their past?

When Professor Walton Honderich was a young grad student, he participated in a government prison program and committed an act that led to the death of his friend, the brilliant physicist Marc Lepore, and resulted in unimaginable torment for an entire class of people across the United States.

Twenty years later, now an insecure father slipping into alcoholism, Walton struggles against the ghosts that haunt him in a futuristic New York City.

With full-color art and a dark, compelling work of psychological suspense and a cutting-edge critique of our increasingly technological world, The Furnace speaks fluently to the terrifying scope of the surveillance state, the dangerous allure of legacy, and the hope of redemption despite our flaws.

A Gift of Griffins by V. M. Escalada - I greatly enjoyed book 1 of this duology and will post my review of book 2 on its publication date, August 7th.

The second book in the Faraman Prophecy epic fantasy series returns to a world of military might and magical Talents as Kerida Nast continues the quest to save her nation.

Kerida Nast and her companions have succeeded in finding Jerek Brightwing, the new Luqs of Farama, and uniting him with a part of his Battle Wings, but not all their problems have been solved. Farama is still in the hands of the Halian invaders and their Shekayrin, and it's going to take magical as well as military strength to overcome them.

Unexpected help comes from Bakura, the Princess Imperial of the Halians, whose Gifts have been suppressed. As the Voice of her brother the Sky Emperor she has some political power over the Halian military, and she will use it to aid the Faramans, if Kerida can free her from what she sees as a prison. But whether Kerida can help the princess remains to be seen. If she succeeds, Bakura may prove their salvation. But should Kerida fail, all may be lost....

Vox by Christina Dalcher - Weirdly enough while it's one of my favourite subgenres, I don't actually end up liking many dystopian novels. The way things are going with regards to politics, dystopian futures are looking less fictional these days so I've not been reading as many lately. But this one sounds fascinating. The synopsis reminds me of Laura Bynum's Veracity, which I actually enjoyed. Out August 21st.

Set in a United States in which half the population has been silenced, Vox is the
harrowing, unforgettable story of what one woman will do to protect herself and her daughter.

On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed more than one hundred words per day, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial. This can't happen here. Not in America. Not to her.

This is just the beginning...
Soon women are not permitted to hold jobs. Girls are not taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words each day, but now women have only one hundred to make themselves heard.

...not the end.

For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice.