Sponsored by The Frozen Crown by Greta Kelly
Askia became heir to the Frozen Crown of Seravesh because of her devotion to her people. But that won’t be enough to save them from the mad emperor of the Roven Empire, who has unleashed a horde of invading soldiers. As the enemy advances, she turns to Emperor Armaan of Vishir for help. But in his glittering court, where secrets are worth more than gold, Askia fears one false step with expose her true nature. For Askia is a witch gifted with magical abilities, knowledge that in the wrong hands would not only destroy her life, but her people as well.
Happy Friday, shipmates! Just two days and we’ll have gotten through the first month of 2021. Is it me, or is the progression of time feeling slightly more normal in recent days? Might just be me. It’s Alex, and I’ve got some angry books for you this week, as well as links and news. Stay safe out there, shipmates, and I’ll talk to you on Tuesday when the Book Flood comes!
I love this short SF comedy video by Jeff Wright.
Let’s make 2021 better than 2020. A good place to start? The Okra Project and blacklivesmatter.carrd.co
News and Views
USPS is going to have Star Wars droids stamps!
The Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction is now online!
Brent Spiner talks with SyFy Wire about his fictional autobiography, Fan Fiction.
On the heels of dropping their lawsuit, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have announced a new Dragonlance trilogy.
17 iconic fashion moments in SFF
Tor.com has revealed the cover for the omnibus of Neon Yang’s The Tensorate Series.
Young People Read Old Hugo Finalists
An oral history of The Emperor’s New Groove
First photos have been released from Netflix’s Shadow and Bone. It looks AMAZING.
Emma Caulfield sees “Dotties” in the fandom
See you in 110 hours–Babylon 5 is on HBO Max and it’s remastered.
Haggis… In… [Almost] SPAAAAAAAAAAAAACE
On Book Riot
This week’s SFF Yeah! is about the most anticipated series of 2021.
We’ve got a giveaway for Wings of Ebony by J. Elle, just for Canadians! This month you can also enter to win $100 to the bookstore of your choice, a 1-year Kindle Unlimited Subscription, or your own library cart.
Free Association Friday
I just finished reading Lore by Alexandra Bracken and it was a fun urban fantasy ride with a cool Greek mythology gimmick. But the thing that really struck me about this book is the way the main character, Melora, is so angry. And while there are plenty of angry heroines (and far more angry heroes) in fiction, a lot of times the stories really focus on anger as a force that destroys the person who feels it and those around them. It’s more rare to hit on the nuance that anger can also be rocket fuel for change. In Lore, there’s no doubt about the destructive power of anger, and the effect it has on Melora’s life–but it also powers her through the changes she has to make to herself and the world.
What about some other books that examine the positive power of anger? (I must quickly mention here Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro, which is definitely not SFF, but it is very much about this concept. Full disclosure: Mark and I have the same agent.)
Zero Sum Game by S.L. Huang
Cas Russell can use mathematics like a magic superpower to dodge bullets. But after having her memories screwed with and her life manipulated, she is rightfully mad as hell by the time she gets to Null Set. That anger powers her to Fight Crime–and fix the problem she herself caused by crushing her last enemies.
Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callender
The islands of Hans Lollik have been ravaged by colonizers, with families murdered and the survivors subjugated. The anger that comes from that pain drives one woman to try exact her revenge by way of the trhone, and in its sequel King of the Rising, powers former slave Loren to lead a revolution.
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
Navajo monster hunter Maggie Hoskie has a lot of reasons to be really mad at the world. She’s been given that anger by a lot of betrayal and a lot of death around her, and it’s been used to manipulate her. But it powers her into being almost unstoppable, both in pursuing revenge and pursuing justice.
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
The Fifth Season starts with an act of destructive anger, when Essun’s husband beats their son to death because he reveals he has the powers of an Orogene, someone who can manipulate seismic energies. It’s set in a world built upon injustice and iniquity, shaped by the rage of the Earth itself at what has been done to it. But Essun and many of the other characters use both their grief and the accompanying anger at what has been done to them to ultimately forge a better world–even if at great cost.
See you, space pirates. If you’d like to know more about my secret plans to dominate the seas and skies, you can catch me over at my personal site.