July2017 Booklist 35 www.booklistonline.com
the war with the Acrasians. On top of all that,
there are more dangerous malorum free than
ever before, and the gates that have kept them
contained seem to be failing. Only Suvi,
Nels, and the seer Ilta can do what must be
done to bolster the failing wards, if they can
reach them in time. This volume continues
in the vein of its predecessor, with an entertaining blend of political intrigue, adventure,
and a cast of characters well worth getting to
know. It ends in a place that leaves one eagerly anticipating the sequel, while wrapping
up enough loose ends to be satisfying on its
own. —Regina Schroeder
The Clockwork Dynasty.
By Daniel H. Wilson.
Aug. 2017. 320p. Doubleday, $26.95 (9780385541787);
e-book, $13.99 (9780385541794).
The latest novel from the author of
Robopocalypse (2011) reveals the existence of an
ancient group (almost a race) of mechanical
beings who have lived among humans for
millennia. The avtomat—
the name is based on the
Russian word for automaton—can pass for humans,
and they will do anything
to keep their existence a
secret, but they have one
rather serious problem: they
do not know how they were
created, nor do they know how to recharge
their power source. When anthropologist
June Stefanov makes a startling discovery (a
mechanical doll containing something that
has never before been seen by human eyes),
she’s thrust into the middle of a deadly war
between opposing avtomat factions. Brilliantly conceived and executed, the novel is at least
as hypnotically compelling as Robopocalypse
and its sequel, Robogenesis (2014), and it’s
written with an elegance we haven’t seen from
the author until now. This is science fiction at
its best—thoughtful, challenging, beautifully
written, and astonishing. —David Pitt
An Echo of Things to Come.
By James Islington.
Aug. 2017. 704p. Orbit, $26 (9780316274111); e-book
(9780316274128).
Dark and destructive forces are smothering
Andarra piece by piece, as the newly empowered Gifted are learning to tap into “Essence”
to desperately stem the tide against them.
Caeden must struggle with his guilt and
despair over the murders in Desriel as well
as his own mysterious identity. He is deter-
mined to save his friends, but his shameful
secrets only serve to tighten the noose
around his own neck. Davian, meanwhile,
is using his magical “kan” to strengthen
the Boundary in order to prevent the hor-
rors that are leaking into their world. Asha
is pursuing the Shadows with her sharply
honed detective skills, but she has wandered
into a treacherous trap, and Wirr must play
his political game flawlessly or risk losing ev-
erything. This second book in the series does
not disappoint with its breathtaking plot,
twisted and barbaric battles, and devastating
betrayals. Reminiscent of Robert Jordan or
Brandon Sanderson, Islington’s writing is re-
freshingly fast paced, with a light and clever
touch. —Heather McCammond-Watts
A Fading Sun.
By Stephen Leigh.
July 2017. DAW, paper, $16 (9780756411213).
The Cateni are a conquered people, hiding
their traditions since the Mundoan Empire
overran their land three generations ago. This
is easier said than done for Voada Paorach,
who sees ghosts and helps them follow the
sun-path to the afterlife. She successfully
hides her ability well into her adult life until
the death of someone close forces her to reveal
it. A ghost named Moonshadow, who fought
against the original Mundoan invasion, has
been cast out of her home and torn from her
family. She leads Voada to Onglse, where the
Cateni still openly rebel against the Mundoans. Commander Altan Savas has been sent to
lead Emperor Pashtuk’s army in Albann; he
reluctantly leads the oppressing army to what
he expects, at best, to be a Pyrrhic victory on
Onglse. Voada and Moonshadow move that
battle to mainland Albann, where Altan is
forced to follow in an attempt to salvage the
Mundoan Empire’s hold over this conquered
land. Readers, who will detect a resemblance
to Ireland, Scotland, and England during the
Roman era, will eagerly anticipate the sequel.
—Frances Moritz
YA: Teen readers will enjoy this complex
fantasy world, especially the strong female
leads. RV.
The Massacre of Mankind: Sequel to The
War of the Worlds.
By Stephen Baxter.
Aug. 2017. 496p. Crown, $27 (9781524760120); e-book
(9781524760144).
Baxter’s sequel to Wells’ classic narrative of
a Martian invasion of Britain thwarted only
by bacterial infection chronicles the return
of the Martians in 1920, now armed with
a better understanding of their own vulner-abilities as well as humanity’s. The central
protagonist, Julie Elphinstone, the former
sister-in-law to Wells’ nameless narrator, now
known in Baxter’s story as Walter Jenkins, not
only witnesses the return of the Martians but
journeys much like Walter into the heart of a
Martian-occupied England. Baxter mixes his
rendering of a Martian invasion widely increased in scope and severity with an account
of an alternate world in which the “First Martian War” dramatically changed the history of
the early twentieth century. Although Baxter’s
sketches of alternate history can at times feel
a little incomplete and may not satisfy readers of that particular subgenre, The Massacre of
Mankind—with its more grounded approach
than other sequels to Wells’ original, such as
including scientific explanations for Martian
technology—should satisfy fans of both Baxter and Wells alike. —Alan Keep
The New Voices of Fantasy.
Ed. by Peter S. Beagle and Jacob
Weisman.
Aug. 2017. 336p. Tachyon, paper, $16.95
(9781616962579); e-book, $9.99 (9781616962586).
This collection brings together stories that,
according to coeditors Beagle and Weisman,
represent the new and evolving possibilities
for fantasy writing, par-
ticularly the sort of more
“literary” fantasy that ex-
ists between the boundaries
of genre and mainstream
fiction. The authors range
from slightly more estab-
lished names, such as Sofia
Samatar, to authors like
Alyssa Wong or E. Lily Yu, whose work so far
is only available in magazines or anthologies
such as this one. All of the stories here are
well worth a read, with each one presenting a
different way in which authors are exploring
and redefining the fantasy genre. Highlights
of the anthology include Wong’s “Hungry
Daughters of Starving Mothers,” a story of
a familial thirst for the ugliest thoughts and
desires; Yu’s “The Cartographer Wasps and
the Anarchist Bees,” a story that explores
politics and war in an insect world; and oth-
er stories ranging from brief fable-like pieces
to longer stories, such as Usman T. Malik’s
exploration of the ways a secret history of a
family unlocks the even more hidden history
of the universe. This anthology represents
some of the most exciting and interesting
work in the fantasy field today, and anyone
interested in the genre should read it imme-
diately. —Alan Keep
Swarm and Steel.
By Michael R. Fletcher.
Aug. 2017. 400p. Skyhorse/Talos, paper, $15.99
(9781940456898); e-book (9781940456911).
Imagine waking in an alley with no recollection of how you got there—or even who
you are. That is how Zerfall’s day starts. Left
to die by assassins, she awakens wounded
and unable to remember how she got to
where she is, let alone where her precious
sword has gone. She recalls being chased
by the assassins, who cut off her hand and
left her in this damaged state. With Zerfall’s
scabbard empty, she seeks revenge on those
that brought her to this end. She must bring
the false Church of Geisteskranken down to
its foundations. Meanwhile, the young Ba-samortuan barbarian Jateko has been kicked
out of his tribe for an accidental murder
committed out of fear. He comes across
Zerfall in the desert and is intent on saving
her from demise. Can Jateko grow enough
as a warrior to help Zerfall in her revenge?
Can Zerfall’s faith that she can bring down
the false Geisteskranken keep Jateko from
being the All Consuming god that his tribe
has prophesied? Fletcher’s latest grim-dark
novel will leave readers wanting the story to
continue. — Tiffany Austin
