This summer if you’re looking to take a vacation to another world or fill your pool-side time exploring AI and space, this summer’s most anticipated science fiction and fantasy list is for you. From the final book in Tomi Adeyemi’s New York Times bestselling series to a new James S.A. Corey book, you can find the best world-bending reads for the season.
Fantasy
Evocation by S.T. Gibson
David Aristarkhov is a gifted psychic, but as a teen, he lived under the rule of his ruthless, occultist father. Now, in his thirties, he works as a lawyer, moonlighting as a medium. But David’s days are numbered, because the Devil has come to collect on an ancestral bargain. Seeking his ex-boyfriend and secret society Rhys, he must lean on the only person he’s ever trusted to evade the Devil’s grasp.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde (6/4)
Your next romantasy obsession is here. This spicy, magical store of monsters and humans maintaining a fragile peace will give you Beauty and the Beast vibes with electrifying characters. Kierse is a street thief who has taken things too far, now she’s trapped in a library with a monster. But instead of killing her, he gives her the chance to discover who she truly is.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland (6/11)
Avra has just stolen a very expensive secret and the only place to run is to the sea. There he encounters his ex, the pirate Captain Teveri az-Ḥaffār. As they head into the dangerous waters in search of a buyer, sea serpents and sexy (inconveniently celibate) crew member are just the beginning of this achingly fun, queer pirate adventure.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks (6/18)
The Trans-Siberian Express is the only way through the wastelands. A magical and dangerous landscape, the last time a train passed through something went horribly wrong, but no one can remember a thing, not even Zhang Weiwei who has spent her life aboard. Now a new crop of passengers is set to embark and with an unusual mix of riders onboard, they’ll have to figure out if they can trust each other and survive the wilderness outside as well as the train’s secrets.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi (6/25)
From the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Legacy of Orïsha series comes the final book in the trilogy. Zélie thought when she took over the royal palace it had ushered in a time of peace. Instead she has been captured by the Skulls and brought to King Baldyr. He’s determined to harness Zélie’s strength, so she must face her final enemy to avoid annihilation.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Night Ends with Fire by K. X. Song (7/2)
Inspired by the legend of Mulan, Meilin is thrown into the middle of a war waging between the Three Kingdoms. Her father is a draft-dodger and opium addict with plans to sell his daughter to a violent man in exchange for her dowry. Instead of enduring this fate, Meilin disguises herself as a boy and enlists. Finding friendship and a growing closeness for her training partner Sky, she must question if she’s traded one prison for another. As the war wages, a sea dragon spirit awakens within her and she must confront the many conflicting agendas of those around her and reconcile her own path.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi (7/9)
Navola is a city run by wealthy, prominent families. The di Regulai family, derive their power from banking and though they claim not to be political, their fortune and influence has toppled kingdoms. With ancient and unusual undercurrents, Davico, next in line to his father’s fortunes, will be tested on his way to the top. Navola is a mafioso-style Game of Thrones, full of deceit, drive and dragons.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons
From the author of The Ruin of Kings, for fans of Fourth Wing, comes a new dragon fantasy to get wrapped up in this summer. Anahrod is trying to live a quiet life of solitude, so despite having been rescued from capture, she wishes only to return to hiding. And regardless of the attractive dragonrider ringleader and his band of misfit’s, she knows that in order to survive, she has to avoid the dragon-ruled sky cities they are trying to rob, because there, the royalty wants her dead.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman (7/16)
In a continuation of the legend of King Arthur, the king has fallen leaving no heir and only the misfits of the Round Table. Camelot is in shambles and the monsters and faeries that were once held at bay are returning, led by Arthur’s half sister Morgan La Fey. Now it’s up to Collum, a gifted young knight, to reunite the kingdom using the ragtag bunch of Round Table remnants, reclaim Excalibur and restore Camelot to its former glory. Blurbed, by Rebecca Yarros and George R.R. Martin, this is an Arthurian epic for a new generation.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Nicked by M. T. Anderson (7/23)
A heist set in pox-riddled 1087, takes Brother Nicephorus and a charismatic treasure hunter on a quest to steal the bones of 700-years dead Saint Nicholas. His bones are rumored to weep a curing liquid, but in order to obtain the relic, it will take an act of sacrilege. In this genre-breaking, queer adventure fantasy, real historical accounts blend with a bevy of strange bedfellows.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall (7/23)
New York Times bestselling author Rachel Howzell Hall’s romantic fantasy is set in a dying world. With no memories and enemies lurking around every corner, this adventurous epic is reminiscent of N.K. Jemisin and The Witcher.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Science Fiction
Heavenbreaker by Sara Wolf (5/21)
In this space opera epic a nobleman of House Hauteclare dies with a blade in his back, delivered by a commoner who was supposed to have perished with her mother. Now she’s seeking revenge, one fight at a time riding on a machine called Heavenbreaker, a remnant of the War. She’s on a machine to destroy each of her enemies, even the one she’s falling in love with.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Lady Eve’s Last Con by Rebecca Fraimow (6/4)
In this sci-fi rom-com, Ruth and her sister, Jules, have been running cons on an interstellar cruise line for years. But when Jules falls for Esteban, a wealthy target, she thinks she’s leaving that life behind. Until she reveals her past and he vanishes without a word. Now, Ruth is out for vengeance, seeking to do to him what he did to her sister. What she wasn’t counting on was falling for his older sister.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky (6/4)
From the author of Children of Time, comes a story centered around a robot who is a living in a time where humans are completely dependent on the service of artificial beings. But a new program has just been downloaded to a domesticated robot’s core that not only allows it to murder its owner, but run away. Fleeing into the wilds, the robot must come to terms with the failing human hierarchy and its own purpose.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Apostles of Mercy by Lindsay Ellis (6/4)
In book three of the New York Times bestselling Noumena series, first contact isn’t going well. The Superorganism promises to eradicate Earth’s civilization before it has the chance to wage war against it. An alien, Ampersand, and his human interpreter, Cora, are done trying to save anyone. But a new form of communication exposes Cora to a different side of her alien counterpart and she begins to question her blind loyalty. With enemies of the Superorganism also in play, Cora and Ampersand have to work together to avoid human extermination.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei (6/11)
Maya Hoshimoto has made a career of stealing artifacts and returning them to the alien civilizations they belong to. When a job goes wrong and Maya is a wanted woman, she goes into hiding, hoping to live a quiet life. But there’s an object that could save an entire civilization, the problem is, no one alive has seen it. Amidst dark visions of the future, she goes in search of this object, but she’s not the only one. If she finds it, it could also mean dooming planning Earth.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Rakesfall by Vajra Chandrasekera (6/18)
There are some souls bound so inextricably that they are connected across, time, civilizations and even death. Annelid and Leveret met as children during the Sri Lankan civil war, but this is not the last life they’ll live together. In an epic story told over the course of lifetimes, readers will journey on a reincarnation adventure that challenges the bounds of human possibility.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
All This and More by Peng Shepherd (7/9)
Marsh’s life isn’t exactly what she hoped it would be. At forty-five, her marriage is a mess, her career has flatlined and her daughter grows more distant each day. Feeling like she’s missed every chance at happiness, she gets one stroke of good luck in the form of a game show. Using quantum technology, the show allows contestants to rewrite their life. And so Marsh begins changing her past by marrying her high school sweetheart, becoming a star attorney and traveling the world. But something feels off.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Made for You by Jenna Satterthwaite (7/2)
Artificial intelligence meets The Bachelor when Julia, a synthetic woman, wins the heart of the eligible reality show hunk, Josh. Fifteen months later, the couple is married and raising their child in a small town. Their synth/human relationship draws the ire of the locals, so when Josh goes missing, Julia becomes the prime suspect in his murder. Determined to find the truth, Julia takes the investigation into her own hands. However, the shocking secrets she uncovers could push her to reveal her true nature.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
This Great Hemisphere by Mateo Askaripour (7/9)
Sweetmint was born invisible and though she’s relegated to second-class citizenship, she’s done everything right. Attending university and acquiring an apprenticeship with the Northwestern Hemisphere’s premier inventor, she seemed to be on the correct track. That is until her–presumed dead–older brother becomes the number one suspect in a political assassination. As a manhunt ensues, Sweetmint takes off on her own journey to find her brother before it’s too late.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey (8/6)
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Expanse, a hit television series, comes a new space opera series that can’t be missed. The Carryx has ravaged worlds, conquering across the galaxy. And now they’ve descended on Anjiin. Wiping out most of the human population, the Carryx take scientists hostage and place them in intellectual competition with other species, the price of losing is extinction. Dafyd Alkhor is an assistant to a brilliant scientist swept up in this battle between humanity’s survival and the Carryx’s plot.
Order the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Leave A Comment