Found this in my newsletter archives, and I thought maybe you’d be interested in hearing about my favorite reads from 2019. (I found it interesting, at least).
Apparently I’d been on a reading kick involving space—as the top three most memorable sci-fi books I read that year all had some kind of space theme:
The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid
Brutal, fast-paced, and fascinating. A YA dystopia set in an oppressive space empire, where the main character was genetically engineered to be a “diabolic,” a personalized, deadly bodyguard. But after the empire outlaws diabolics, the main character, Nemesis, is hidden by the girl she bodyguards—until the best way for her to protect her charge is to take the girl’s place in the empire’s court. There’s a slightly frustrating romance, but quite a bit of intrigue and nail-biting plot to make up for those frustrations.
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
A YA adventure novel in space. With the looming shame of her father’s desertion constantly on Spensa’s shoulders, she’s the outcast of the colony. But she is determined to become a fighter pilot and fly among the stars with the best—thus casting aside the “coward” brand that stains her. But the odds are against her, at least until she befriends a surprisingly sentient old fighter ship abandoned in the caves. Now if she could just convince it to come out of hiding and stop being so focused on surveying the local mushrooms…
Salvage by Alexandra Duncan
YA social sci-fi, though not strictly dystopia (though it starts that way). At the beginning, you’ll probably want to strangle the opposing characters or throw the book across the room in frustration. But give it time, and it gets a lot better. This book is slower paced than the other reads, and there is a lot more emphasis on the social differences between the main character (raised in isolation on a very patriarchal merchant spaceship) and the future Mumbai on Earth where she ends up in exile. The world building is lovely, thoughtful, and fascinating, character relationships are heartwarming (the ones you don’t want to strangle), and it ends up being a story of empowerment and strength.
Overall, all three of these had their strengths and memorable moments, and you might enjoy them, too.
If you give them a try, I hope you like them. 🙂
What was the most memorable sci-fi book you read recently?
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I also write YA sci-fi and science fantasy!
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Happy reading and writing!
Stephanie Flint - Author and Artist 