Hungry trees, interplanetary assassins, and galactic heirs star in exciting new sci-fi sagas. editors_picks

I don’t know about you, but at the end of the day, I love to escape into the future—even if it’s one involving bloodthirsty trees or interplanetary assassins.

In February, I showcased a handful of new fantasy series starting in 2020. Now we turn to new series in science fiction, penned by both veterans in the field and a newcomer with a space-faring tale of vengeance.

With COVID-19 impacting travel plans, these books’ publication dates may change as publishers move some books farther out into the future in the hopes that the authors will be able to tour at that time.









Now, Then, and Everywhen (Chronos Origins, book 1) by Rysa Walker Rysa Walker tackles the thorny plot device of time travel in her new Chronos Origins series. Luckily for readers, this is familiar territory for Walker, whose earlier books and short stories have embraced the mind-bending ramifications of people dodging in and out of the time line. Now, Then, and Everywhen begins with a time traveler wondering if a small mistake he made in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 1963 is going to bring down the fury of CHRONOS headquarters on his head. As more and more people from different eras start intersecting in the South during the 1960s, the ripple effect surges outward along time, drastically changing the world as they know it. (April 1, 2020)



Bonds of Brass (The Bloodright Trilogy, book 1) by Emily Skrutskie Two roommates at the Umber military academy couldn’t be more different. Ettian hates the Umber empire for invading his world. Gal is secretly the heir to the Umber empire. When an assassination attempt on Gal exposes his identity and forces both young men to flee the academy, Ettian has to figure out where politics and friendship (or more) intersect, and where his loyalties lie. Kevin Hearne says this about Bonds of Brass: “Fast ships, quick decisions, a new friend who likes to blow stuff up, and a love story with empires at stake: This story’s got it all.” (April 7, 2020)



The Book of Koli (The Rampart Trilogy, book 1) by M. R. Carey The author of The Girl with All the Gifts leaps forward into a chilling future, with events narrated by a young man named Koli. Generations ago, humanity decided to genetically modify plants and trees so that they could grow faster to outpace the effects of climate change. Now these fast-moving and hungry trees—and bushes, and seeds, and more—are among the enemies of the last holdouts of humanity. Carey is a master at giving old tropes a new twist, and he executes it perfectly in the postapocalyptic The Book of Koli, which will be followed in September by The Trials of Koli. (April 14, 2020)



Every Sky a Grave (The Ascendance series, book 1) by Jay Posey I loved Jay Posey’s Outriders series, which matched intelligence with action and heart. As soon as I saw this book was coming out, I hit the Preorder button. In Posey’s new sci-fi series starter, the galaxy is in a seeming state of near-utopia, as a powerful organization called the Ascendance uses Deep Language to keep the peace. When a newly minted assassin working for the Ascendance goes to a small planet to remove a forbidden strain of Deep Language, she discovers secrets that could change the universe. (July 7, 2020)



Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott I can’t do better than the publisher’s description of this book: “Take the brilliance and cunning courage of Princess Leia—add in a dazzling futuristic setting where pop culture and propaganda are one and the same—and hold on tight: This is the space opera you’ve been waiting for.” Elliott is the author of the Spiritwalker trilogy and the Black Wolves trilogy, and I'm looking forward to diving into this new series. (July 7, 2020)



Nophek Gloss (The Graven, book 1) by Essa Hansen Debut author Essa Hansen delivers an action-packed story of space-faring and revenge as a young man’s planet is destroyed and he vows vengeance on the killers. Joining forces with a mysterious spaceship and its alien crew, Caiden launches a quest that will change him forever. (November 17, 2020)

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