Terciel & Elinor (Old Kingdom #6)

Terciel & Elinor by Garth Nix is the sixth installment in his Old Kingdom / Abhorsen series. 

Elinor was raised in Ancelstierre, south of the wall that block the magic of the Old Kingdom. Never in her childhood was magic even mentioned. 

Terciel was gathered by the current Abhorsen, Tizanael, from the orphanage he has live in since his parents and sister died. He will become the next Abhorsen in Waiting - learning all of the Charter magic needed to keep the dead in death and from coming back to the world to cause trouble. 

Their paths cross when a necromancer begins to summon the dead to attack Elinor. 

Nix has written this prequel, starring the parents of Sabriel, to the delight of his fans. What started out as the Abhorsen trilogy is one of my favorite fantasy series ever!

Nix, Garth. (2021). Terciel & Elinor. New York: Katherine Tegan Books.

Fleet of Knives (Embers of War #2)

Fleet of Knives by Gareth Powell is the second book in his science fiction series Embers of War. 

After making contact with a fleet of alien ships the Trouble Dog and crew or back to regular work - rescuing anyone who calls for help in the Human Generality. 

The latest call is from a ship that was somehow attacked in the higher levels of space - a place humans thought was empty.

Powell has created a unique space opera series that is a fun read for any fans of science fiction.

Powell, Gareth. (2019). Fleet of Knives. New York: Titan Books.

Fevered Star (Between Earth and Sky #2)

Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse is the second book in her Between Earth and Sky fantasy series set in the pre-Colombian Americas.

Naranpa, the former sun priest, is in the city below recovering from being de-throned right off of a cliff - an overthrow that saved her life. Everyone in the Sky Made Clans thinks her dead. 

The arrival of what appears to be the Crow God reborn is bringing pilgrims to the part of the city controlled by the Crows - in the hopes of seeing the Odo Sedoh again. Xiala, the Teek sea captian who brought that man to the city is one of them. 

Most of the city is in chaos. In other parts, factions are ready to take over the sky city. The 200-year-old peace has been broken by the attack of the Odo Sedoh. 

Roanhorse has created a dynamic series. If you like fantasy, this is a series for you!

Roanhorse, Rebecca. (2022). Fevered Star. New York: Saga Press.

The Diamond Eye

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn is yet another amazing historical novel from a great storyteller.

Mila Pavilchencko is a Ukrainian/Russian history student. Studying in Kiev and working in the library, she is trying to make her and her son's life better. 

At fifteen, Mila became a mother. A few years later, on one of the very rare days the father takes him for the day, Mila decides to become a mother and father so that they never need to see that man again. In preparation, she takes a course on marksmanship. The course does more than that, it gives Mila the skills to become a sniper. Something that is about to become a very important skill.

When Germany invades, Mila immediately signs up to fight. Unlike the US, Russia had no problem allowing women to serve in combat. As an already skilled sniper, Mila works her way up the ranks. 

Quinn has written a couple of books on real women who fought in World War II. This latest installment is every bit as mesmerizing. 

Quinn, Kate. (2022). The Diamond Eye. NY: William Morrow.

The Obelisk Gate (Broken Earth Trilogy #2)

The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemison is the second book in her Broken Earth trilogy. This second book takes place moments after the first ends.

Essun is in Castrima, a comm built in an underground geode - a place most people would never go given the instability of the Earth. But times change when a Season is upon them. The only goal is to survive.

Nassun is with her father. His plan is to find a rumor place where orogenes can be fixed. They are headed to the Arctics.

Essun is learing that there is something she can do using the obelisks in a chain or gate to affect the moon. What the moon is, she is not sure. No one has seen it for generations - since it was flung away from the Earth, making the Earth mad at humans and beginning the war.

Jemison is an amazing writer and storyteller. Each of the three books in this series won the Hugo Award. The Broken Earth trilogy rivals any fantasy written. I will be reading everything she writes in her career!

Jemison, NK. (2016). The Obelisk Gate. New York: Orbit.

A Sunlit Weapon (Maisie Dobbs #17)

A Sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear is her seventeenth book featuring detective and psychologist Maisie Dobbs. 

October 1942. ATA pilots ferry planes to bases and around the United Kingdom. These female pilots make sure the planes are where they need to be for the male pilots to use on bombing runs.

Jo Hardy is shot at while ferrying a plane to Biggin Hill. A friend a is later shot down in the same location. When Jo drives back to the area to investigate, she finds a US soldier tied up in an old barn. 

Hardy hires Maisie to find out who is shooting at the planes and why. When Maisie needs to interview the US soldier, she runs into both US bureaucracy and racism, as well as her husband's job. 

Maisie Dobbs is probably my favorite fictional character! Winspear is a wonderful writer who fills her books with accurate history, fully formed characters, intrigue and a real sense of being there. If you are a fan of history, mystery or just good writing, buy the first book in series today.

Winspear, Jacqueline. (2022). A Sunlit Weapon. New York: Harper.