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Those who know me know that I read a lot. Pre-COVID I averaged 4-5 books a week, so I know a good book or book series when I see one.
So in that spirit, I wanted to share 10 of my recent favorite science fiction/fantasy books or series.
First on the list is Dan Simmons's incredible Hyperion Cantos series. On the world Hyperion beyond galactic law, seven pilgrims each with their own secrets travel to visit the ancient and mysterious Time Tombs. Waiting for them is one of the most horrific beings conceived of in Science Fiction, The Shrike, a blade-covered killing machine.
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This series is one of the most unique fantasy settings thick with African influences. The main character, Zélie is a maji, a once vibrant group that could use different types of magic depending on their personality (Burners, Reapers, etc.) hunted to near extinction by a vengeful and jealous king. In a desperate attempt to survive, Zélie attempts to bring magic back to her people and to all of Orisha.
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We enter the desert where djinn and magical creatures roam and a girl named Nahri is plucked from Cario into a new world and discovers that her connection to the legendary brass city, Daevabad runs deeper than she knows.
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Fans of Stranger Things, Dr Who, and 80's references galore will love this series by Mark Lawrence. 15-year old Nick Hayes is dying, but when a new girl named Mia joins their D&D group and a mysterious stranger offers a strange message Nick takes on the world to try and save the girl, and the day. Available through Kindle Unlimited as well!
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There are books that you read and then there are books that you experience. Marlon James Dark Star Trilogy is just that, an incredible gripping experience that centers around the main character, Tracker's search for a missing boy, and the incredible and rich world that seems to stop him at every turn.
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Seth Dickinson has created a stunning political thriller full of schemes, double agents, hidden motives, and betrayal set in a world influenced by 1800s Russia, among others. Protagonist Baru Cormorant is equally likable and will make you scream at the book at times.
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Old Man's War's premise is fairly simple: protagonist John Perry turns 75 and decides to join the military...in space. Scalzi builds an incredible and immersive world/series that expands well beyond the original story into a thrilling portrait of a society on the brink of collapse.
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For those super nerds, The Kingkiller Chronicle is right up there with Game of Thrones in terms of fans anxiously awaiting the next book. Patrick Rothfuss' has created an incredible fantasy tale told through one of the most unique framing stories written in the modern age. Kvothe tells his tale to a scribe in a bar, a tale that stretches far and wide (and as of yet is still unfinished).
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Jean le Flambeur had some influence on The Terminal Code. The world is rich and wild, part MMORPG part Willy Wonka. Protagonist Jean le Flambeur is broken out of prison by a girl named Mieli for one last heist with the offer to get his old powers and memories back.
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It was hard to pick just one of Samantha Shannon's novels. Her Bone Season series is also incredible. Priory is a massive stand-alone book, complete with dragons, secret mystical assassins, and dubious alchemists.
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