Apr 092021
 

Library Journal: Preservation Station was supposed to be a low threat-assessment, but the SecUnit named Murderbot finds itself standing in front of a dead body, facing a mysterious murder. Mensah asks Murderbot to help investigate the death and find out if GrayCris was involved, even though both sides have little trust for each other. Murderbot attempts to work with Senior Officer Indah and her agents, but identifying the dead is the least of their problems. Deceptions and more deaths lead them to smuggling secrets that could expose Preservation to more problems, so of course Murderbot will have to help the humans deal with it. Except this murderer may be as smart as Murderbot, or—Murderbot would never admit—even smarter. Wells’s (Network Effect) flair for balancing Murderbot’s at-length internal monologues with its external voice and decisive actions creates a main character who is addictive. VERDICT Back in novella form for a sixth outing, Murderbot continues to bring intelligence and acerbic commentary on humanity to the forefront.

Apr 052021
 

Booklist: In Drayden’s Escaping Exodus series, humans carve out lives in the bodies of space creatures called the Zenzee, capturing a new home whenever an old one wears out. In the first volume ( Escaping Exodus, 2019), the matriarchal, polyamorous society realized their Zenzee had consciousness, and committed to respecting and restoring their world as much as possible, living with minimum negative impact. This second volume starts with now-ruler Doka and his wife, Seske, fighting for this new reality, which has made many unhappy, leading to political stagnation. Meanwhile, they are uncovering new secrets and issues that introduce even more turbulence. Drayden’s novel trades off humor with dark reality, connecting this sf world to our own questions of cooperation, gender inequality, and, most of all, our relationship to our planet. While some major plot points or character developments can feel rushed, Escaping Exodus: Symbiosis is, at its core, rooted in a fascinating world that presents intriguing questions to its readers, as well as driven, complex, and often queer characters.

Mar 312021
 

Chinese rights to James Scott Bell’s SUPER STRUCTURE, to China Renmin University Press in a renewal, by Yijhen Lee at The Grayhawk Agency, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Donald Maass.

Czech rights to Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka’s WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE, to Albatros Media by Milena Kaplarevic at Prava I Prevodi, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier.

Danish rights to Nnedi Okorafor’s AKATA WITCH, to Delphiki, by Philip Sane at The Lennart Sane Agency on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Donald Maass.

Danish rights to Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka’s TIME OF OUR LIVES, to Palatium, by Philip Sane and Elin Rydner at Lennart Sane Agency, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier.

Japanese rights to New York Times bestselling author Tamsyn Muir’s GIDEON THE NINTH, the first book in the Locked Tomb trilogy, to Hayakawa, by Kohei Hattori at the English Agency (Japan) Ltd. in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Polish rights to Robert McCamon’s BOY’S LIFE, SWAN SONG, USHER’S PASSING and THE LISTENER, to Vesper, in a four-book deal, by Milena Kaplarevic at Prava i Prevodi on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Cameron McClure.

Turkish rights to New York Times bestselling author Tamsyn Muir’s HARROW THE NINTH, the second book in the Locked Tomb trilogy, and also PRINCESS FLORALINDA AND THE FORTY-FLIGHT TOWER, to Ithaki, by Merve Öngen at ONK Agency in association with Michael Curry for Jennifer Jackson.

Turkish rights to Brent Weeks’s THE BURNING WHITE, to Ithaki, by Merve Ongen at ONK Agency, on behalf of Katie Shea Boutillier for Donald Maass.

Mar 302021
 

Caught between who she is…and who she was.

Lauren Nolt hasn’t forgiven the Amish community of Lancaster County for shunning her parents. But returning as a successful Englischer working for large developers is just what she needs to get a promotion and give her parents the life they deserve. Coming face-to-face with her childhood bully, Amish widower Adam Hershberger, is the last thing she wants. Yet when her world’s shaken by a shocking discovery, Adam’s the only one she can confide in…

Adam’s never forgiven himself for the part he played in Lauren’s past, nor what drove him to do it. But as developers threaten his great-grossdawdi’s farm, she’s the only one who can help. And with his little girl determined to bring him and Lauren together at every turn, keeping his distance is impossible. Now they must learn to trust each other—even as their secret feelings grow stronger. But is love enough to bridge the gap between their very different worlds?

Mar 262021
 

Library Journal: As a member of the Sisterhood of Aytrium, Elfreda Raughn is part of a magical bloodline that preceded her, from her mother to her grandmother and generations back. But it is the same bloodline that forces Elfreda into eventual pregnancy and unavoidable death. Hoping for a way to escape her fate, Elfreda finds a mysterious group, those who believe the power of the Sisterhood has gone too far. Acting as their spy, Elfreda infiltrates a world of opulence and cunning, as drought and rationing affects the rest of Aytrium. With her closest friends by her side, Elfreda discovers that freedom could come at great cost, for the Sisterhood has made many sacrifices to keep its power, and Elfreda could find she is the next to pay. Systemic power structures built on the back of a dead god, ritualistic cannibalism, and magical disease are balanced with emotional themes of love and regret.

VERDICT Hall’s (The Border Keeper) solid worldbuilding and strong prose create an utterly gripping novel that blends the boundaries of horror and fantasy.

Mar 192021
 

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison inked a four-book, world rights agreement with Anne Sowards at Ace Books. Jennifer Jackson at the Donald Maass Literary Agency brokered the deal.

Two of these books continue Harrison’s Hollows series – the first to release will be the sixteenth installment in the series, TROUBLE WITH THE CURSED, currently scheduled for Summer 2022 with a sequel to follow. The remaining books will launch a new series that, Ace said, “follows a woman who cleans up the bad luck left behind after magic has been cast.” The first installment of the new series, THREE KINDS OF LUCKY, is set for Fall 2023.

In 2020 Harrison made a triumphant return to her Hollows series with AMERICAN DEMON, and readers were thrilled to continue the adventures of witch-born demon Rachel Morgan through an alternate United States where humans and supernatural beings exist side-by-side. AMERICAN DEMON was met with glowing reviews and became an instant New York Times  and Publishers Weekly bestseller. The fifteenth book in the series, MILLION DOLLAR DEMON, will release this June.

Mar 182021
 

Congratulations to all our DMLA authors who have been nominated for 2020 Nebula Awards!

Novel

  • The Midnight Bargain, C.L. Polk (Erewhon)
  • Network Effect, Martha Wells (Tordotcom)

Andre Norton Award

  • Elatsoe, Darcie Little Badger (Levine Querido)