New Books : 19 May 2020

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* Collins, Suzanne : The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
(Scholastic Press 978-1-338-63517-1, $27.99, 528pp, hardcover, May 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 19 May 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: B07V5KKSZT
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: B07V5QYVHG

Young adult SF novel in the Hunger Games series, set 64 years before the three books of that trilogy.
»Scholastic’s site has this order page with a very brief description.
»The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “A gripping mix of whipsaw plot twists and propulsive writing make this story’s complex issues—vulnerability and abuse, personal responsibility, and institutionalized power dynamics—vivid and personal.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Mihalik, Jessie : Chaos Reigning
(Harper Voyager 978-0062802422, $16.99, 416pp, trade paperback, May 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 19 May 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780062802439
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780063012714
• The Consortium Rebellion #3

SF novel, third in a series following Polaris Rising and Aurora Blazing (both 2019) about a space princess on the run who takes up with an outlaw soldier.
»HarperCollins’ site has this description with a sample an an audio excerpt.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Miller, Rowenna : Rule
(Orbit 978-0-316-47869-4, $16.99, 432pp, trade paperback, May 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 19 May 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780316478670
• The Unraveled Kingdom #3

Fantasy novel, third in a series following Torn (2018) and Fray (2019), about a seamstress who sews magic into clothing.
»Hachette’s site has this description.
»Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
»The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “Miller does not shy away from battle and bloodshed as the political conflict comes to a head, but also refreshingly portrays the intimate, personal impacts of sweeping social changes. Series fans will be pleased with this satisfying, sophisticated fantasy.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Nuttall, Christopher G. : Debt of Honor
(Amazon/47north 978-1542019569, $14.95, 431pp, trade paperback, May 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 19 May 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: B0814NHC9C
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 978-1799769590
• The Embers of War #1

SF space opera novel, first in a series, about the aftermath of a galactic war with the Theocracy.
»Amazon’s page has a description, and its “Look Inside” function provides previews.

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Swarup, Shubhangi : Latitudes of Longing
(One World 978-0-593-13255-5, $27, 320pp, hardcover, May 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 19 May 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: 9780593132579
• Audiobook ISBN [link to Amazon]: 9780593164686

Literary novel with fantasy elements, by a young Indian writer, telling interconnected stories about people and their relationships with the Earth.
»It was first published by HarperCollins Publishers India in 2018, and is published in the UK simultaneously with the US edition, by riverrun.
»Penguin Random House’s site has this description with an excerpt.
»The Publishers Weekly review concludes, “By integrating magical elements—talking glaciers and yetis appear—Swarup eschews conventional love stories to focus instead on many forms of desire, while the zigzagging across time and place. This offers beautiful depictions of humanity through a successfully experimental form.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Tchaikovsky, Adrian : Firewalkers
(Solaris 978-1-78108-848-7, $30, 208pp, hardcover, May 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Tue 19 May 2020
• Ebook ISBN [link to Amazon Kindle edition]: B084TBJ4HB

Short SF novel set in a future affected by climate change, as the wealthy flee Earth and the workers left behind include those who must repair the solar panels.
»This is being issued as a signed, limited-edition hardcover. Simon & Schuster’s site has this description with quotes from reviews.
»Amazon’s “Look Inside” function provides previews.
»Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Tchaikovsky sharply addresses the connection between class and climate, weaving pressing ethical questions into a thrilling adventure. This is a must-read for fans of dystopian and climate change fiction.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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* Wheeler, Lesley : Unbecoming
(Aqueduct Press 978-1-61976-167-4, $17.99, 248pp, trade paperback, May 2020)
• Nominal Publication Date: Fri 15 May 2020

Feminist fantasy novel about a middle-aged professor suffering hot flashes and a visiting poet who is charismatic but strange.
»Aqueduct’s site has this description with quotes from reviews and a PDF sample.
»Publishers Weekly gives it a starred review: “Wheeler’s prose is gorgeous and her characters are marvelously detailed. Cyn is by turns sarcastic and serious but always empathetic, and the mysterious Fee is surprisingly down-to-earth for all her arcane knowledge. Readers will be taken with this powerful and deeply satisfying tale.”

• Purchase this book from Amazon | Indiebound

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These listings are based on publisher schedules and availability on Amazon (rather than on confirmation of physical publication via purchase, review copies, or sightings in bookstores). Titles are listed only once they are published (with rare exception). We do not list galleys or advance reading copies. Page counts are based on publisher or Amazon listings, and typically only approximate the bibliographic page counts of finished books. * = first edition + = first US edition Date with publisher info is official publication month. ‘Nominal Publication Date’ is the day of publication, typically as indicated by Amazon.com.

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