It’s the 1 of November, and with this week’s book releases we’re looking forward to the holiday season and looking back at some of the best science fiction and fantasy of the year.
Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun
4.5/5
Fake dating gets even more complicated than usual. Ellie Oliver agrees to marry Andrew, so he can receive his inheritance and she can get 10%, but first she has to pretend to be his fiance at Christmas with his family. It turns out that not only does Andrew still have feelings for his sister’s best friend, but Andrew’s sister Jack is the same woman Ellie fell in love with at Christmas the year before before things went wrong. It’s an incredibly messy situation that is handled so beautifully for a wonderful holiday romcom.
The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2022 edited by John Joseph Adams and Rebecca Roanhorse
4/5
This is a wonderfully curated selection of SFF short stories that I probably wouldn’t have managed to read otherwise. The stories cover a wide range from high fantasy to the paranormal to near future to deep space sci-fi. Many of the stories were sad, and it’s very easy to see the influence of covid-19 on the genre within these stories.
My favorites were The Pizza Boy by Meg Elison, The Red Mother by Elizabeth Bear, and Skinder’s Veil by Kelly Link.
A Restless Truth by Freya Marske
4/5
I loved this follow up to A Marvellous Light that follows Robin’s sister Maud in her search for the second piece of the Contract on a White Star Line ship after the woman guarding it is murdered. Along with a scandalous heiress, Lord Hawthorn, and a thief, she’ll have to find the stolen silver item without attracting the attention of murderous magicians onboard who are after the same thing. It took me longer to get into than the first book, but considering it starts off with a bang and a literal murder that might have more to do with me being in a bit of a reading slump the past few months than the book itself. And once I got into the mystery I was fully engaged in watching Maud, Violet, and Hawthorn solve it. I also appreciated the prominent secondary role Hawthorn played in this novel since he’s really growing on me. I think / hope the next book might follow Hawthorn and Ross which I would absolutely love. There was some serious tension between the two, so here’s hoping!
We’re also looking forward to checking out these book releases on November 1: Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall, Sir Callie and the Champions of Helston by Esme Symes-Smith, and How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers of these ARCs for the books for review.