Congratulations to Jay Lake, who has scored a triple nomination for this year’s Endeavour Award!
Last Plane to Heaven by Jay Lake (Tor Books)
Metatropolis by Jay Lake and Ken Scholes (WordFire Press)
Our Lady of the Islands by Shannon Page and Jay Lake (Per Aspera Press)
The 2015 Award will be the sixteenth year for the Endeavour. The winner will be announced November 20, 2015, at OryCon, Oregon’s major science fiction convention.
The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson
“Dickinson’s debut, the start of a trilogy set in an impressively well-crafted fantasy world, is assured and impressive. After the island nation of Taranoke is conquered by the far-flung Empire of Masks, its culture and traditions are suppressed in favor of the empire’s rigid structure. Baru Cormorant, a young native woman, vows to do whatever it takes to rise to power within the so-called Masquerade so that she might someday free her people. At school, Baru is dubbed a savant; when she’s 18, she’s appointed to serve as Imperial Accountant for one of the Empire’s most troublesome regions, the country of Aurdwynn. There, Baru engages in a dangerous economic game against the empire and the quarrelsome dukes of Aurdwynn, always keeping to her own agenda while repressing her innermost longings, including her desires for other women. When her manipulations force the dukes into all-out revolution, she must pick a side and risk everything. Readers will share every one of Baru’s strong, suppressed emotions. Dickinson’s worldbuilding is ambitious and his language deviously subtle; both are seductive in their complexity. He combines social engineering, economic trickery, and coldhearted pseudoscientific theories to weave a compelling, utterly surprising narrative that keeps readers guessing until the end.” — Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
Balm of Gilead by Adina Senft
“Sarah and Henry stand front and center as the side stories of Pris’ romance, Joe and Simon’s return from Colorado, and shy Amanda’s dangerous escapade with rebellious Jesse keep Whinburg Township on its toes. Readers will be pleased and relieved when this intense romance is resolved and Henry accepts that his heart’s desire was beside him all along.
Sarah continues to struggle with her feelings for Henry, and she prays that he will soon acknowledge that he is truly Amish in his heart. Meanwhile, Henry tries to focus his attention on his pottery and his engagement to Ginny. But the temptation to solve Ginny’s financial problems by participating in a reality show makes him see their relationship in a new light.” — RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 stars
Congratulations to Jay Lake, whose Last Plane to Heaven: The Final Collection has won the 2015 Locus Award for Best Collection! His daughter accepted the award on his behalf at the awards ceremony on June 27th in Seattle.
I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest
“In her first novel for young adults, Cherie Priest (Boneshaker) introduces Libby Deaton and May Harper, who unite to create the comics character Princess X. The story quickly becomes a gripping mystery after Libby mysteriously disappears and May becomes obsessed with finding her…In a clever innovation, Priest seamlessly integrates Kali Ciesemier’s comics within the prose narrative. Each new episode of Princess X reveals further clues and a terrifying reality for their creator. Ciesemier’s portrait of Princess X achieves a sense of both anxiety and bravery. Priest demonstrates that creative teamwork of the kind shared by Libby and May leads to an intimate knowledge of one’s collaborator.” — Shelf Awareness, Starred Review
