This review was first published by Booklist on January 1, 2022.

Expendables die. A lot. They’re people whose bodies and minds are stored and replicated as often as necessary. They do the deadly jobs that no one else can do. Mickey Barnes, an amateur historian and layabout, signed up to be an Expendable on a new colony ship to get away from some problems on his home planet. Now on his seventh incarnation, he’s left for dead on a mission on his new planet, but he survives—and now there are two of him. Duplicates aren’t allowed, though, so they need to hide their dual existence. And Mickey7 is the only one who knows that the local life-forms are sentient, and only he can avert an all-out war. Mickey7 is a fast-paced, character-driven, amusing romp of a tale. The concept is compelling and well developed, along with the backstory of how humanity spread out among the stars. Ashton crafts interesting characters and lets their relationships take center stage, and his world building is solid. This is an excellent choice for anyone who enjoys smart and funny science fiction.

This review was first published by Booklist on November 1, 2021.

**STARRED REVIEW** Leviathan Falls picks up where Tiamat’s Wrath (2019) left off: the Laconian Empire defeated, Teresa Duarte onboard the Rocinante with Holden and crew, and the ancient enemy of the gate builders seeking ways to destroy reality itself. The final installment of Corey’s Expanse series is its strongest yet. It’s a thrill ride of a tale, boasting the same kinetic momentum of the first book, with the highest possible stakes and profound emotional resonance. The story is masterfully paced and structured, filled to bursting with some of the genre’s best world building. One of the central themes is how individual selfishness sabotages the greater good. It’s easy to read this as a commentary on current real-world circumstances, but it is elevated into an exploration of universal truths. This book illustrates the greatest strength of speculative fiction: to imagine unique circumstances as strange mirrors to help us see ourselves more truly. Corey maintains an impressive balance between unflinching realism and hope, with no illusions about the myriad faults of humanity, but still holds a fundamental belief in the essential worthiness of people. This is a deeply satisfying and fitting conclusion to one of the best space opera series in many years.

This review was first published by Booklist on October 15, 2021.

In a fractured and violent world living in the aftermath of the long-ago downfall of a scientifically advanced civilization, the line between magic and technology, history and myth, is unclear; kingdoms vie for control of the Rill and the Wall; and ancient, world-spanning artifacts shape society. Dorilian Sordaneon, Highborn and bound to the Rill, comes of age in a dangerous time of knotty political intrigue and social unrest, where it’s hard to tell friend from enemy, and his destiny makes him a target for powerful forces. Two elements elevate this work above standard fare. First, it’s a character study at its heart, driven by the growth and evolving relationships of complex people, vibrant and varied, without any reduced to stereotypes of good or bad. Second, the mysteries of the Rill and the Wall are compelling and drive readers to explore this world more deeply. Stephens serves up a terrific first entry to a fascinating new series. Recommended for fans of politically complex epic fantasy in the vein of Game of Thrones or Joe Abercrombie.

This review was first published by Booklist on July 21, 2021.

The Near-Earth Orbital Guard Interceptor ship, Zuma’s Ghost, has a new commander: Nika Vagin, Jenks’ brother, returning from his stint with Intel, and a new ensign, Chae Ho-ki, from the Trappist colonies. The only problem: both of them have something to hide and it’s messing up the dynamics of the team. When Zuma’s Ghost is sent to the Trappist system, it becomes a target of a deep conspiracy to disrupt trade and reignite a war with Mars. Loyalties and relationships are tested in ways they might not survive, and a shocking tragedy strikes deep. This second entry in the NeoG series (after A Pale Light in the Black, 2020) packs an emotional gut punch. What makes Wagers’ work stand out in the field of military science fiction is how characters rely on forgiveness, kindness, and trust to solve challenges. They’re vulnerable, share their emotions, and rely on each other, and Wagers shows how this can be people’s greatest strength—a bracing contrast to the typical braggadocio of the genre. Their talent for creating characters readers care about is on full display.

This review was first published by Booklist on May 14, 2021.

Titanshade is wracked by a series of brutal murders, but the weird thing is, the perpetrators all confess and claim they were overtaken by inexplicable rage. The Barekusu, eldest of the Eight Families and originators of the Path, are in town for mysterious reasons. The biggest disco star on the planet is headlining a music festival out on the ice plains, financed by someone who has a grudge against Carter, whose mysterious new manna abilities continue to complicate things and whose personal life is still a mess. When a sinkhole in the middle of town unearths old mysteries, it leads down into the heat vents, where a shocking and dangerous truth lies at the heart of the city. Stout (Titan’s Day, 2020) continues to expand his world of the Carter Archives in fascinating directions, this time teasing a deep and unexpected history, hinting that not all is as it seems, leaving readers eager to know more. The conflict is less personal in this entry and the tone is more cerebral, but there’s still plenty of action and snark to satisfy fans.

This review was first published by Booklist on March 1, 2021.

Preservation Station doesn’t see very many murders. So when a dead human is found in an empty corridor, Murderbot wonders if GreyCris is finally making their next move on Dr. Mensah. To find out, they’ll need to work with Station Security on the investigation—which could prove problematic, as the head of Station Security doesn’t like having a rogue SecUnit onboard. Things get even more complicated when a group of passengers from a passing ship goes missing, systems start malfunctioning, and no one knows who’s behind it all. After the first full-length, standalone Murderbot novel (Network Effect, 2020), Wells returns to a shorter novella and the main plotline from the first four books in the series. The formula remains successful: fast-paced and action-packed, with plenty of sarcasm and plans that don’t work as intended. But maybe this time Murderbot is starting to find their place in their new home. Maybe they could even make a friend or two along the way. And maybe that’s not as horrible as it sounds. Another strong entry in a series fans adore.

This review was first published by Booklist on February 1, 2021.

Just as humankind was on the brink of reaching the stars, fueled by new biotechnology that conveys near-immortality, the Earth was almost destroyed by a nuclear holocaust. Now, a once-great corporation is clinging to power from its orbiting stations, an Earth-side alliance seeks to overthrow it, and a new kind of artificial life lurks in the dark, where nothing is as it seems. Rex is an addict of Glow—a nanotech drug—who can’t remember who he is. When he’s taken in by a sect of nuns who promise salvation, he finds himself in a conflict that could destroy all he holds dear, hunted by something not of this world. He must survive long enough to solve the mystery of his own identity. In Jordan’s impressive fiction debut, the action and pacing are taut, the characters well drawn, the conflict compelling, and the world he creates is fascinating and immersive in its detail. His world building is reminiscent of the best space opera mixed with the gritty, violent dystopia of cyberpunk. Recommended for fans of Alastair Reynolds and William Gibson.

This review was first published by Booklist on January 15, 2021.

When Joseph Bridgeman was a teenager, his younger sister, Amy, vanished while under his supervision. She was never found and the loss tore his family apart. Twenty years later, in the midst of crippling depression, a hypnotherapy session unlocks a strange new ability: Joe discovers he can travel back in time. If he can figure out how this power works, maybe he can save his sister. Time travel is used to tell an intimate, personal story here: a tale of grief and guilt and what a loving brother will do to heal the wounds of the past. But there are moral quandaries posed by changing history and Jones doesn’t shy from that. The novel, originally self-published in 2015, offers an ending that isn’t as neat and happy as readers might expect: there’s a cost to getting what you want. Jones’ version of time travel is compelling; though the mechanism remains secret, the rules of time travel are clear. It’s a compelling set up for the next in the Downstream Diaries series.