Ahh, summer. There’s a lot to do, a lot of fun to be had… and a lot of it cuts down on reading time. So when you’re at the beach, or camping, or playing pickleball, or visiting an amusement park, or whatever you’re doing when the weather is nice, here are eight slim science fiction and fantasy novels that you can read in one sitting between activities. (Don’t try to read over a cup of tea, though. You’ll throw up.)
once and once again by Roshni Chokshi
If fairy tales are your favorite flavor of fantasy, choose this fun one! Prince Ambrose and Princess Imelda’s wedding has lost its magic – but it’s not their fault. Their love has been taken by a witch, in exchange for saving them from the curse placed on them. To get their love back, they must go on a dangerous magical quest. But is it worth it?
dead cat tailed killer By P.Jelly Clark
It is a thrilling dark fantasy about assassins and honor. Even the Eviscerator is a professional assassin who skillfully performs every task assigned to her. But when a task hits too close to home, she fails to complete it. Now she is running away from the people she used to work with while trying to understand everything. (FYI, there are no dead cats in this book. They just liked the name.)
On a red station, flowing by Eliette de Bodard
In this thought-provoking work of science fiction, the sentient Prosper station has guarded its human connections for years. But when war breaks out, most of the humans go off to fight, while war refugee stations fill up. Station mistress Quyen and the respected ancestor must work to keep the station from collapsing due to the tension as everyone waits for peace to return to the Dai Viet Empire.
every heart a door By Seanan McGuire
This is the beginning of such a fun fantasy series! There are eleven books available (with another coming in January), so you can fill your time with a variety of stories. They all revolve around portals and the children who fell through them, whether they come back and never want to go again or are desperate to return to their imaginary lives. This first story is about a boarding school for children who cannot accept that they are home and that bad things happen under its roof.
swords and spaceships
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elderly caste by Adrian Tchaikovsky
And it’s more exciting science fiction! It’s about an anthropologist on a remote planet who is there to observe the inhabitants, not help them. But people on the planet think he is a wizard, and when they are terrorized by what they believe to be a monster, he must decide whether he will interfere with their lives and jeopardize their studies.
a taste of Honey By Kai Ashante Wilson
This is technically the second book in the series, but I read it without thinking and I loved it. It follows Aqib BGM Sadiki, the son of the Master of Beasts, who has fallen in love with Lucrio, a visiting Dalukan soldier. It’s a royal scandal waiting to happen, and the two must find a way to make their love work despite such scrutiny and rejection.
chrysalids by John Wyndham
Why not celebrate your summer vacation with a classic novel about nuclear war? Come on, it’s going to be fun! It is about a group of religious fanatics, after a devastating nuclear attack, who judge humans who show even the slightest sign of being different and expel them from society. It’s a bitter, philosophical examination of genetics, religion, and being critical of others. (No, really, it’s good for the holidays! Or if you prefer killer plants, try his longer novel day of the triffids.)
black tide of heaven by neon yang
Finally, I have this classic historical fantasy about siblings Mokoya and Akeha, who were raised in a monastery. Their mother is the protector of their land, and they are required to give it to her. Mokoya and Akeha both grow up with special powers and must decide what they want to do with their lives and which side of the coming rebellion they want to support. This is a fascinating, supernatural fantasy, with a twin novel that is equally excellent, red threads of fate, And can be read before or after it.
Okay, Star Bitches, now take the knowledge you’ve learned here today and use it for good, not evil. If you want to learn more about books, I talk about books nonstop (when I’m not reading them), and you can hear me saying lots of adjectives about them on the Book Riot Podcast. All the books! and on Instagram.
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