Donald Maass Literary Agency

Library Journal: The universe is controlled by the Conversation, a hive of AI minds who refuse to let what’s left of humanity take it back. The planet of Dimmuborgir is mostly legend, hiding a secret superweapon that will make whoever controls it supremely powerful. The Dirty Dozen, a diverse mercenary group, was once feared throughout the universe, but 40 years ago their last mission ended in a tragedy that still binds them together, yet apart. Now Rita and Maya are bringing the Dozen back together—kicking, screaming, dying, reviving—for one last mission: to find the secret of Dimmuborgir before the sentient spaceships do. They also need to recover one of their own who’d been thought dead. But when you’re made of clone tissue, uploaded sequences, and modified tech, can you ever die? Filled with emotional trauma, some body horror, and abusive relationships, this can be a difficult read. Yet it’s enthralling too, as it mashes and blurs the lines separating human from machine; the commanding prose brings to mind Tamsyn Muir’s “Locked Tomb” trilogy. VERDICT Khaw’s (Hammers on Bone) first full-length novel is a sensory deluge of language and action that will sweep readers away in a flood of joyful, violent abandon.

Publishers Weekly: In gorgeous prose, Mohamed (Beneath the Rising) conjures a post–climate apocalypse future in which “the chain of knowledge and study” has broken and humanity “live[s] in the scattered links that remain.” With few resources left, survival hinges on collective collaboration. So when 19-year-old Reid receives an acceptance letter from a college many believe to be a myth, she’s equally elated and guilt-ridden: how can she leave her community and ailing mother for a place that may not even be real? Complicating her decision is the Cad, a “semi-sapient” fungal parasite that lives beneath her skin. It lies dormant for years before “going off,” and there’s no cure for it and no guarantee as to how it will affect those infected. As Reid argues with her mother about her future and navigates her changing relationship with her best friend, she begins to fear that the Cad is controlling her actions. Mohamed grounds her complex, chilling vision of the future in accessible human drama, keeping a tight focus on Reid’s difficult decision and the tension it creates in her relationships. It’s an impressive feat of worldbuilding made stronger by the sensitive, nuanced characters and urgent questions about what people owe to each other. This packs a punch.