Recs for SFF novels published 2023?

[schneefink]

I already have a ticket for Worldcon 2024 in Glasgow, I'm very excited. The last and only time I went to Worldcon before, in 2019, was a last-minute decision, but this time I know in advance, which means I'll be able to nominate and vote for the Hugo awards. And since I haven't been reading that many books recently I thought I'd pay more attention and pick SFF novels published in 2023. So far I've read the following: Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao, Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky, The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty, Witch King by Martha Wells, A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon, and Lords of Uncreation by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Hopefully I'll manage to write some actual reviews later (lmk if there's any you want to hear my thoughts about) but I enjoyed all of them, most of them very much, and I loved Lords of Uncreation.

Next I'm most likely going to read Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini because I just got that from the library, but I don't know what I should read after that. I'd love some recommendations! For books that already came out especially, but also for books that will come out later this year that you are looking forward to.

Comments

[naye]

Ohhh you can buy tickets already?!

[schneefink]

Yes! Prices will go up again in September so if you already know for sure that you want to go then buying them already if you can makes sense :)

[yhlee]

If you like cli-fi/sci-fi edging into haunted house/mystery/horror, Arkady Martine's Rose House?

[schneefink]

I liked the last spooky house story I read (Piranesi) so this sounds intriguing, thanks :)

[mecurtin]

To Shape a Dragon's Breath, by Moniquill Blackgoose. Not sure if YA? Widely recommended, including by me.

Some Desperate Glory, by Emily Tesh. Ending was a big WTF for me, worked for many others.

Translation State, by Ann Leckie. I loved it, fell flat for some others.

Of course we're all looking forward to System Collapse, the new Murderbot novel, in November. For Aug. 15th I've pre-ordered T. Kingfisher's Thornhedge and Labyrinth's Heart by M. A. Carrick.

[schneefink]

I didn't realize that we'll get more Murderbot this year already! Very exciting!
Thanks for the recs :) The library already has "Some Desperate Glory" so that is probably next on my list, and dragon riders are always intriguing.

[nonesensed]

Yay for Worldcon! Would love to hear what you have to say about Witch King (which I just got but haven't read) and Lords of Uncreation (which I'm thinking of reading since I loved the whole Children of Time trilogy) <3

Will have to double-check which books I've read that came out this year - still catching up on a loooong backlog of to-be-read books - but Labyrinth's Heart aka the final part of M. A. Carrick's Rook & Rose trilogy just came out and I'm dying to read it!!! So in case you haven't read that series yet, I highly recommend it!

[schneefink]

I haven't read that series yet, no, but it sounds interesting :)

I'll hopefully manage to put my thoughts together soon. "Witch King" is the kind of book that was really really good but that unfortunately meant that the one thing that didn't work for me stood out even more. And I do recommend the "Final Architecture" series now that it stuck the landing that well, I'm thinking of requesting it for Yuletide too :)

[primeideal]

Just gonna camp out here looking for more bingo recs >.>

Not necessarily "recs" so much as "stuff I've read that might fit:" Victory City (Salman Rushdie), the Brandon Sanderson secret projects ("Tress of the Emerald Sea" is the best of the three out so far, IMO), "Untethered Sky" (novella by Fonda Lee).

[schneefink]

Thanks! "Untethered Sky" sounds cool :)

[muccamukk]

I've read six or seven new books this year, but the only genre one is Witch King by Martha Wells, which I liked a lot, but you've already read. I'm looking forward to River Mumma by Zalika Reid-Benta, as well, which will be out later this month. I think there's the sequel to She Who Became the Sun, as well, forthcoming.

I've got a handful of novellas on my shelf I keep meaning to try.

[schneefink]

Thanks for the reminder, "He Who Drowned the World" is coming out this month, I forgot about that!

[merit]

I'm reading Witch King at the moment!

I've been a bit slower with my reading this year but for 2023 SFF reads I've enjoyed Scarlet by Genevieve Cogman and Dead Country by Max Gladstone. I'm looking forward to Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo (4th book in series of novellas) and A Season of Monstrous Conceptions by Lina Rather.

[schneefink]

Thanks for the recs, those sound intriguing! Can I read Dead Country without knowing any of the previous books set in that world?

[merit]

The author says you can - it has been a while since I've read any of the Craft Sequence books, so I'm not the best judge. If you're used to rapidly acquiring worldbuilding it probably should be fine since there's limited references to past events or otherwise Gladstone provides context within the story.

[cesy]

Ooh, I have been contemplating Worldcon, I may see you there!

[schneefink]

Fingers crossed, I'd love that :)