Happy Tuesday, shipmates! It’s Alex, and I’ve got a couple of new releases for you to peruse, and a few more SFF books by trans authors that you might like to check out, since it’s Pride Month! I hope y’all had a really great weekend. We’re still in the great time of year here in Colorado where it’s not really hot out yet, but you can feel the summer coming–great weather for getting outside and walking while you listen to an audiobook, say. (My favorite!) Stay safe out there, space pirates, and I’ll see you on Friday!
Let’s make the world a better place, together. Here’s somewhere to start: NDN Collective and Jane’s Due Process.
Science Fiction Fragrances by DandyLionsCreations
Here’s a set of unique scents inspired by Star Trek, Star Wars, or Firefly that come in little roll-on bottles. Geekery actually smells pretty nice, actually. $14
New Releases
Empress Crowned in Red by Ciannon Smart
With the Doyenne dead and the thrown ready for the taking, two women will decide its fate. Iraya has had the first measure of her revenge, but her magic is now unfettered and she must free Aiyca and become the empress her people need. Jazmyne should be the next Doyenne, but with her mother overthrown, her people aren’t ready to just give the crown to her without a fight. And then a new enemy who has been waiting in the shadows for a decade will strike them both down and take what is rightfully theirs. Sequel to Witches Steeped in Gold.
Relic and Ruin by Wendii McIver
In a world held in balance between Necromancers and Reapers, the Laheys are a family that has since time immemorial been tasked with keeping the balance between the two. Nyx was born to be a Necromancer but raised as a Reaper, and now she must find her own identity even as she hunts down murderous creatures. During one hunt, she runs into the mysterious Erebus, a dead man who can turn into a raven, who wants the memories of his past back–and the key to his past has ended up in Nyx’s hands.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Continuing on for Pride Month, I wanted to bring you a few more books by trans authors!
The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis
The “Good Luck Girls” were sold to a “welcome house” as children, the bodies branded with cursed markings to trap them in this life they do not want. Aster, Violet, Tansy, Mallow, and Clementine have become closer than sisters, looking out for each other. And when Clementine accidentally murders a man, they all resolve to escape together–and have revenge on the country that has used them all.
Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
To escape damnation, violin prodigy Shizuka Satomi must convince seven other violin prodigies to sell their souls to the Devil in exchange for success. She’s only one shy of her goal and has her eye on the woman who will fulfill it: a young, trans runaway named Katrina Nguyen, who has the wild talent that could make anyone weep. But when Shizuka meets a retired starship captain during a coffee date, she finds herself re-evaluating everything.
Stealing Thunder by Alina Boyden
You should not be surprised to see this book on this list, considering I wrote an entire newsletter not long after I came out about how much I love it. Razia Khan was once raised to be a crown prince, but she was born with the soul of a woman and ran away so she could become her true self. Among the other hijras of Bikampur, she has a new family of sisters, and she’s become the finest dancer of her dera. And then one day, she catches the eye of the prince of Bikampur… and falls in love with him in return.
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.