Speculative Fiction

This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by Atria Books via Netgalley. A romance story across time mixed with traces of speculative fiction and fantasy, Amy Tordoff’s debut novel All We Have Is Time is an accessible story filled with interesting historical fiction snapshots spread over the course of four hundred years. Time-travelers and immortal beings are two common elements separately, but this book’s unorthodox cross of the two gives it a unique spin and for its characters, different repercussions from its genre’s norm. Easy to follow and generally fast-paced in nature, All We Have Is Time is a safe pick for historical romance readers, though those looking for a strong speculative fiction storyline or deeper introspective character work may find this book underwhelming and bland. Marketed for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, at first glance All We Have Is Time appears to fly too close to the sun with what is clearly one of its inspirations and at risk of being highly derivative. Both books feature a withdrawn female protagonist cursed by a fantasy being with immortality and walking through history a shadow of a person. Both books also feature a tragic…

A futuristic scifi, techno hacker speculative fiction, and queer retelling of the Great Gatsby is a concept I never would’ve considered and one that made me do a double take, but in Jay Gatsby’s own words per K.M. Fajardo’s author’s note, “why not”? Fajardo’s debut novel Local Heavens is a brilliantly crafted book that not only is wildly creative but is also a faithfully adapted love letter to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s original story. Modernized for the 21st century with a crazy genre-shift, this interpretation smartly capitalizes on all the best aspects of a retelling without being hindered by the typical drawbacks through careful artistic choices. Featuring beautifully poignant writing, excellent characterizations, and original storylines that work seamlessly with the original framework of events, Local Heavens is an amazing and unique read for both fans of the original book and new ones alike. “Though in this disquiet summer, a summer that pushed us forward into hedonistic apathy, Gatsby was the singular exception, flying over the dust and toils of our world on fire. Beyond that famous, corrupted name, he clung to a vestige of that old cosmic hope I’d readily believed did not exist anymore, his indestructible sincerity blossoming like an…

A reserved young woman whose future and purpose in life is already written and decided meets an inquisitive young man named whose life lacks direction and purpose. One lives in a world of mystical wonder while the other seeks to understand theirs through science and knowledge. Brought together by fate through a door masquerading as an entrance to a ramen shop, Hana and Kei set off into an ethereal world where choices, regrets, memories, and desires hold far greater purpose and influence. Dreamy, whimsical, and full of gorgeously crafted literary metaphors, Samantha Sotto Yambao’s Water Moon is a magical crossover fantasy and speculative fiction novel that is a unique and dreamy experience. Trained all her life to take over her father’s magical pawnshop, Hana Ishikawa’s world is one far different from the one we know of. Puddles are used as portals to other locations, visitors ride the wind on the melodies of songs, markets are perched high in the sky, and the Ishikawa pawnshop’s customers exchange not money, but past life choices. Each customer that finds themselves transported into the pawnshop finds themselves unconsciously drawn to the shop and is relieved of the burden, regret, and feelings associated with a…

The following review is based on a complimentary ARC provided by Atria Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Winston Churchill wrote that history is written by the victors but in Hayley Gelfuso’s debut novel The Book of Lost Hours, it’s not about who writes history but who can access and manipulate it. A cavernous sprawling expanse filled with shelves of books, the Time Space is a place entirely removed from linear time as we know it, full of history and people’s memories stored as books. Referred to as Timekeepers, those that can access this place shape history to match their vision by removing select memories from this space, wiping them from existence. Trapped in this timeless space since 1938, Lisavet Levy tries to save these memories deemed dangerous by salvaging and hiding them within her book until an American timekeeper Ernest Duquesne begins to take notice in 1949. Meanwhile in 1965, mourning the death of her Uncle Ernest, Amelia Duquesne is approached by a mysterious CIA agent named Moira who presents her a Time Space watch and tasks her with finding a mysterious book of memories Ernest had been searching for. Blending elements of speculative fiction, time…

Sometimes sweet, sometimes sour, but most often bitter-sweet and remorseful, Daria Lavelle’s debut novel Aftertaste is a heartfelt and unique speculative fiction novel featuring an amazing premise. Haunted by the aftertaste flavors of strangers’ loved ones and their associated memories, Kostya’s lasting grief and its close association with food is a concept that’s not only relatable but also a genius with endless potential. While primarily a speculative fiction and magical realism fantasy novel on paper, Aftertaste’s ambitious story crossovers into a variety of other genres such as a romance story, literary fiction with the Soviet immigration experience, and surprisingly a supernatural thriller; there’s something for everyone. But as expected for a novel focusing on the dearly departed and their loved one’s memories, Aftertaste is at its best during the quiet, poignant moments heightened by wonderful and touching introspective reflections. “Food could do that. It could tell stories. Not just cuisines or component parts, but histories-of the people who’d prepared the dishes, the way they evolved them over time, the way they made them theirs. Leaving behind a recipe was a way to be remembered and savored and loved even after you were gone. A way to live forever.” Emotions and…