Melanie

Golden Son

September 28, 2023 by Melanie

“Fast-paced, gripping, well-written—the sort of book you cannot put down.”—Terry Brooks, New York Times bestselling author of The Sword of Shannara

Golden Son (Red Rising Series Book 2)

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Red Rising hit the ground running and wasted no time becoming a sensation. Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR, BUZZFEED, AND BOOKLIST • “Gripping . . . On virtually every level, this is a sequel that hates sequels—a perfect fit for a hero who already defies the tropes. [Grade:] A”—Entertainment Weekly

As a Red, Darrow grew up working the mines deep beneath the surface of Mars, enduring backbreaking labor while dreaming of the better future he was building for his descendants. But the Society he faithfully served was built on lies. Darrow’s kind have been betrayed and denied by their elitist masters, the Golds—and their only path to liberation is revolution. And so Darrow sacrifices himself in the name of the greater good for which Eo, his true love and inspiration, laid down her own life. He becomes a Gold, infiltrating their privileged realm so that he can destroy it from within.

A lamb among wolves in a cruel world, Darrow finds friendship, respect, and even love—but also the wrath of powerful rivals. To wage and win the war that will change humankind’s destiny, Darrow must confront the treachery arrayed against him, overcome his all-too-human desire for retribution—and strive not for violent revolt but a hopeful rebirth. Though the road ahead is fraught with danger and deceit, Darrow must choose to follow Eo’s principles of love and justice to free his people.

He must live for more.

Praise for Golden Son

“Stirring . . . Comparisons to The Hunger Games and Game of Thrones series are inevitable, for this tale has elements of both.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Brown writes layered, flawed characters . . . but plot is his most breathtaking strength. . . . Every action seems to flow into the next.”—NPR

Don’t miss any of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising Saga:
RED RISING • GOLDEN SON • MORNING STAR • IRON GOLD • DARK AGE

Project Hail Mary: A Novel

September 22, 2023 by Melanie Leave a Comment

“Two worlds in peril, a competent (but flawed and human) man, a competent alien, unending scientific puzzles to unravel, with humanity itself at risk, this one has everything fans of old school SF (like me) love. If you like a lot of science in your science fiction, Andy Weir is the writer for you.”—George R. R. Martin, New York Times bestselling author of A Game of Thrones

Project Hail Mary: A Novel

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of The Martian, a lone astronaut must save the earth from disaster in this “propulsive” (Entertainment Weekly), cinematic thriller full of suspense, humor, and fascinating science—in development as a major motion picture starring Ryan Gosling.

“An epic story of redemption, discovery and cool speculative sci-fi.”—USA Today

“If you loved The Martian, you’ll go crazy for Weir’s latest.”—The Washington Post

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission—and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?

An irresistible interstellar adventure as only Andy Weir could deliver, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian—while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.

The Handmaid’s Tale

September 16, 2023 by Melanie

“A novel that brilliantly illuminates some of the darker interconnections between politics and sex…just as the world of Orwell’s 1984 gripped our imaginations, so will the world of Atwood’s handmaid!” ~ Washington Post Book World

The Handmaid’s Tale

Now a Hulu Original Series

The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its images and its forecast. Set in the near future, it describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead, a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by reverting to, and going beyond, the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. The regime takes the Book of Genesis absolutely at its word, with bizarre consequences for the women and men in its population.

The story is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate Handmaids under the new social order. In condensed but eloquent prose, by turns cool-eyed, tender, despairing, passionate, and wry, she reveals to us the dark corners behind the establishment’s calm facade, as certain tendencies now in existence are carried to their logical conclusions. The Handmaid’s Tale is funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing. It is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and a tour de force. It is Margaret Atwood at her best.

The Space Between Worlds

September 10, 2023 by Melanie Leave a Comment

When I started this book, I was intrigued by the ancient/future civilization that could traverse hundreds of alternate worlds. I wanted more science and technology and instead was swept away by the very familiar dichotomy of rich versus poor, black versus white, educated versus street smart. A delicious and soul searching trip into how society molds people and how tiny changes in life make all the difference. You MUST read this one because it has so much relevance to our current world. – Amazon Review

The Space Between Worlds

NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS’ CHOICE • An outsider who can travel between worlds discovers a secret that threatens the very fabric of the multiverse in this stunning debut, a powerful examination of identity, privilege, and belonging.

WINNER OF THE COMPTON CROOK AWARD • FINALIST FOR THE LOCUS AWARD • “Gorgeous writing, mind-bending world-building, razor-sharp social commentary, and a main character who demands your attention—and your allegiance.”—Rob Hart, author of The Warehouse

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • Library Journal • Book Riot

Multiverse travel is finally possible, but there’s just one catch: No one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying—from disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn’t outrun. Cara’s life has been cut short on 372 worlds in total.

On this dystopian Earth, however, Cara has survived. Identified as an outlier and therefore a perfect candidate for multiverse travel, Cara is plucked from the dirt of the wastelands. Now what once made her marginalized has finally become an unexpected source of power. She has a nice apartment on the lower levels of the wealthy and walled-off Wiley City. She works—and shamelessly flirts—with her enticing yet aloof handler, Dell, as the two women collect off-world data for the Eldridge Institute. She even occasionally leaves the city to visit her family in the wastes, though she struggles to feel at home in either place. So long as she can keep her head down and avoid trouble, Cara is on a sure path to citizenship and security.

But trouble finds Cara when one of her eight remaining doppelgängers dies under mysterious circumstances, plunging her into a new world with an old secret. What she discovers will connect her past and her future in ways she could have never imagined—and reveal her own role in a plot that endangers not just her world but the entire multiverse.

“Clever characters, surprise twists, plenty of action, and a plot that highlights social and racial inequities in astute prose.”—Library Journal (starred review)

Winter World

September 4, 2023 by Melanie

Editors’ pick: Riddle excels in mixing speculative technology with crises that resonate today, and the oft-mentioned comparisons to Michael Crichton are well-earned.”—Adrian Liang, Amazon Editor

Winter World
(The Long Winter Trilogy Book 1)

A new ice age…
and a shocking discovery…
will change humanity forever.

From the Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author with over FOUR MILLION COPIES sold worldwide comes an epic novel with an unforgettable twist.

* Longlisted for the Wilbur Smith Award for best published novel. *

In the near future, a new ice age has begun.

Humanity stands on the brink of extinction.

Desperate for answers, scientists send probes into the solar system to take readings. Near Mars, they identify a mysterious object moving toward the Sun. Is it the cause of the ice age? Or could it be humanity’s only hope of survival?

With time running out, NASA launches a mission to make contact. But the object isn’t what anyone thought. In the dark of space, alone, the team makes a discovery that will change the course of human history—and possibly end it.

Filled with real science and fascinating details, Winter World is that unique blend of fact and fiction that could completely change how you see our planet—and humanity’s future. For those intrepid souls starting this bestselling trilogy, be warned: you may well be up late into the night turning the pages.

Praise for A.G. Riddle

“…reads like a superior collaboration between Dan Brown and Michael Crichton.”
—The Guardian on Pandemic

“I finished the book fast because I just couldn’t wait…”
—WIRED GeekDad on Departure

“This is apocalyptic sci-fi at its best.”
—Daily Mail on The Solar War

An Extended Look at Winter World

Each month, Earth grows colder.

Snow falls in summer. Glaciers trample cities across North America, Europe, and Asia. The new ice age shows no signs of stopping.

Chaos erupts.

Around the world, people abandon their homes and flock to regions where they can survive. Nations prepare to go to war for the world’s last habitable zones.

Scientists search the cause of the new ice age. They send probes into the solar system to collect readings. Near Mars, a probe finds a mysterious object, drifting toward the Sun. Is it responsible for the new ice age? Or is it merely an observer? Or neither? Could it be a relic from a long-extinct civilization? One thing is certain: investigating the object is humanity’s best hope of survival.

As the ice age claims more lives and the world slides into anarchy, an international consortium launches a mission into space to make contact. But the first contact mission doesn’t go as planned. What the crew discovers out there is beyond anyone’s imagination.

Two members of the first contact mission may hold the keys to humanity’s salvation.

Dr. Emma Matthews is the commander aboard the International Space Station. For months, she has watched the world below freeze and civilization unravel. The headlines tell only half of the story. The messages from her sister tell the rest, of a world witnessing mass migrations, fighting for survival, struggling to provide a future for their children. When a catastrophe strikes the ISS, Emma faces her own fight for survival.

Dr. James Sinclair is one of the greatest scientists alive. A mind before his time. Years ago, he invented something with the potential to change the world—an invention that would upset the balance of power in the world forever. Fearing that change, his enemies sent him to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. But with humanity’s future at stake, NASA asks him to join the first contact mission. His expertise is vital to the mission’s success—and to saving Emma. With the clock ticking down to humanity’s final days on Earth, James makes a decision that will change his life forever and may determine the fate of the entire human race.

Available in Kindle eBook, Audible audiobook, print, and Kindle Unlimited.