Speculative Fiction - Best Recent Reads by Anne Keck

by Anne Keck
|
16 books
Science Fiction and Fantasy novels are plentiful these days - but I'm an author of the genres and a hard-to-please reader. I go through a lot of books and keep track of them all! While I have many DNFs, there are books where the authors smash it - and those are the ones that make my list. Kick back and enjoy!
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A Deadly Education

A Novel
Naomi Novik, 2020
All 3 books of Naomi Novik's Scholomance Series (this one plus The Last Graduate and The Golden Enclaves) are worth the price of admission!

When Women Were Dragons

A Novel
Kelly Barnhill, 2022
Feminism + Fantasy = Femfantasy? I think I just coined a new genre. Read 11/2022.

Shards of Honor

Lois McMaster Bujold, 2015
This is part of The Vorkosigan Saga, which is not written in order and there's no rhyme or reason to it, so I'll just recommend this one. Author nails the characters and situation. Read 5/2022.

This Is How You Lose the Time War

Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone, 2019
Innovative time travel book - there are so many of them, but this one stands out for lots of reasons. Read 8/2022.

The Library of the Unwritten

A. J. Hackwith, 2019
The idea that unwritten books reside in Hell, overseen by Hell's librarians - what's not to like? But the other 2 books in the trilogy were not for me. Read 4/2022.

The Midnight Library

A Novel
Matt Haig, 2020
This falls under my "Cozy Fantasy" category. Read 3/2022.

A Spindle Splintered

Alix E. Harrow, 2021
Wishing this novela presenting a new take on Sleeping Beauty was a full-blown novel. Read 7/2022.

Klara and the Sun

A novel
Kazuo Ishiguro, 2021
Very thought provoking with solid characterizations and voice. Read 9/2021.

Ocean's Echo Sneak Peek

Everina Maxwell, 2022
Nice characterizations and worldbuilding. I also liked Winter's Orbit, but this one is the better book. Read 12/2022.

Cinder

Book One of the Lunar Chronicles
Marissa Meyer, 2013
Cinderella is a cyborg in this YA retelling. While the story seemed too simplistic, it's stuck with me. Read 1/2023

Binti: The Complete Trilogy

Nnedi Okorafor, 2020
Nice trilogy with straighforward but interesting characters and concepts. Read 4/2022.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

V. E. Schwab, 2020
Making a deal with the devil never turns out well. Read 9/2022

The Path of Thorns

A.G. Slatter, 2022
What would happen if Jane Eyre met Dr. Frankenstein? Find out in this story written in first person, present tense, with interesting word choices. Read 8/2023.

An Ember in the Ashes

Sabaa Tahir, 2020
Another good YA Fantasy, though the others in the series didn't speak to me as much. Read 1/2023.

Fourth Wing

Rebecca Yarros, 2023
There's a reason this book stayed on the bestseller's list and took the Goodreads prize for Romantasy the first year the category was created. Second book is not as good - waiting for the 3rd. Read 11/2023.

Godkiller (The Fallen Gods Trilogy, Book 1)

Hannah Kaner, 2023
Nice debut Fantasy novel - the second one, Sunbringer, is out but I haven't read it yet. I've always like the idea that we create gods by our love and faith, rather than the other way around. This is a quest story which has nice worldbuilding and good characterizations.