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Town Street 02 - by Sergey Musin

“Living comfortably seems like such a simple request,

But sit and try to be mindful,

And realize just how hard being comfortable can be.”

A lot of people consider kung fu movies to be a bit “extra.” Well, it does not get more extra than this. Honestly, count all the insane shit that happens in this single ninety second clip. It’s got it all: somersaults, a guy that has wind powers (?), darts, cloning, straight up flying and wigs.

The Water Temple - by Eddie Mendoza

“I cast myself into the stream,

Want as I did to stand firm within the tide,

But one would have seen me worn away,

While now my eyes may journey wide.”

Forest Temple - by Jeremy Fenske

“Courts of they eldritch souls of the twilight,

Twinkling beneath the emerald boughs always,

From snowy black pine to ever-raining grove,

Caring for mortals in ways unknown as care.”

The Descent of Monsters (The Tensorate Series)  (2018)

Y Yang continues to redefine the limits of silkpunk fantasy with their Tensorate novellas, which the New York Times lauded as “joyously wild.” In this third volume, an investigation into atrocities committed at a classified research facility threaten to expose secrets that the Protectorate will do anything to keep hidden

You are reading this because I am dead.

Something terrible happened at the Rewar Teng Institute of Experimental Methods. When the Tensorate’s investigators arrived, they found a sea of blood and bones as far as the eye could see. One of the institute’s experiments got loose, and its rage left no survivors. The investigators returned to the capital with few clues and two prisoners: the terrorist leader Sanao Akeha and a companion known only as Rider.

Investigator Chuwan faces a puzzle. What really happened at the institute? What drew the Machinists there? What are her superiors trying to cover up? And why does she feel as if her strange dreams are forcing her down a narrowing path she cannot escape?

by Neon Yang

Get it  now here

Neon Yang (they/them) is the author of the Tensorate series of novellas from Tor.Com Publishing (The Red Threads of Fortune, The Black Tides of Heaven, The Descent of Monsters and The Ascent to Godhood). Their work has been shortlisted for the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Lambda Literary and Locus awards, while the Tensorate novellas were a Tiptree honoree in 2018. They have over two dozen works of short fiction published in venues including Tor.com, Uncanny Magazine, Lightspeed, Clarkesworld, and Strange Horizons.

Neon attended the 2013 class of Clarion West, and received their MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia in 2016. In previous incarnations, they have been a molecular biologist, a writer for animation, comics and games, a science communicator, and a journalist for one of Singapore’s national papers.

Neon is currently based out of Singapore. They are queer and non-binary.

Adult SFF edition

High/Epic Fantasy

The Lies of Locke Lamora: heist fantasy following a band of misfits! It has morally gray characters, fun banter but heartwrenching moments and a pretty complex plot. It’s a classic to say “if you liked Six of Crows and want to try adult SFF try this” and it’s probably true. 

Kushiel’s Dart: a political fantasy tome loosely inspired by Europe in the Renaissance. Pretty heavy on romance and erotica (with BDSM elements) as it follows a courtesan navigating the political scene. It has an amazing female villain.

A Darker Shade of Magic: probably the easiest way to approach adult fantasy. It has multiple Londons and a pretty unique magic system and concept, plus a crossdressing thief, knives and great banter. 

The Poppy War: grimdark fantasy (TW: abuse, self harm, rape, drug abuse), inspired by Chinese history. It’s adult, but follows younger MCs and the unique blend of different historical periods/inspirations makes it extremely interesting. The characters are extremely fucked up in the best possible way, plus the use of shamanism is awesome.

The Sword of Kaigen: if you liked The Poppy War you could like this one. The Sword of Kaigen is an Asian-inspired militaristic fantasy, with elemental magic, a badass housewife dealing with her past and hiding a sword in her kitchen’s floor. It has interesting and nuanced family dynamics and a great reflection on propaganda and the use of narratives.

The Priory of the Orange Tree: high fantasy, featuring dragons, a F/F romance and pretty complex world building. The author reuses typical fantasy tropes and roles in a fresh way. Very readable in spite of its length.

Empire of Sand: inspired by Mughal India, this one focuses on culture and religion and has great slow burn romance (TW: abuse, slavery). It’s pretty slow paced, but the payoff is great. Also a good “YA crossover”.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms: first book in a companion novel trilogy, following a young woman who finds herself at the center of a vicious political struggle, as she’s suddenly become the heir to the throne. 

Black Sun: first book in a new series by Rebecca Roanhorse, inspired by pre-Columbian societies and cultures. It mainly focuses on religious and political conflicts. TW for abuse, mild body horror and suicide (not very graphic). Nice inclusion of lgbt rep across the whole cast + one of the main characters is blind. Great world building!

Historical Fantasy

The Night Circus: perfect transition from YA to Adult for a reader, The Night Circus is a gorgeous historical fantasy romance. The author’s writing is amazing, the descriptions and the subtlety of the main characters’ relationship are to die for.

The City of Brass: political/historical fantasy tome featuring Middle Eastern mythology. It follows younger MCs (honestly another series that could be a good way to approach adult SFF) and has great character growth throughout the series. The first book has some more trope-y elements, but the payoff is worth it. 

The Golem and The Djinni: historical fantasy (if you loved The Night Circus you could like this one), following two mythical creatures as they navigate New York in 1899. Slow burn romance, rich descriptions, fascinating combination of Jewish and Syrian folklore.

Gods of Jade and Shadow: a fantasy bildungsroman set in Mexico during the Jazz age. Another great way to approach adult SFF as it follows a young girl on a life changing adventure. It features Mayan mythology and a god slowly becoming human.

The Ghost Bride: set in Malaya in 1893, it follows the daughter of a ruined man as she receives the proposal to become a ghost bride. Lovely setting, rich in culture and extremely atmospheric.

The Bear and The Nightingale: a coming of age story inspired by Russian folklore. Another great way to start reading adult SFF: it’s very atmospheric and fairy tale-like. Also frost demons are better than men.

Queen of the Conquered: first book in a fantasy duology(?) set in an alternate version of the Caribbean at the time of Scandinavian colonisation. It follows Sigourney, a biracial woman (her mother was a slave, freed by her father) and the only islander who is allowed to own and use kraft and therefore has a position of privilege, which she constantly abuses, while telling herself she’s doing it for the islanders’ benefit. The book is hard to read, because the MC is no hero and her POV can be quite challenging to get through, but if you’re up for it I’d totally recommend this. (TW: slavery, abuse, death).

The Lions of Al-Rassan: this one has minimal fantasy elements, much like other Kay books, as it reads more like an alternate history. Using Moorish Spain as a template, it deals with the conflict between Jews, Muslims and Christians. Much like Under Heaven and most of his historical fantasy it shows common people being swept up in dramatic events. 

Urban Fantasy

The Divine Cities trilogy: starting with City of Stairs, it follows a female diplomat and spymaster(!!). The whole trilogy features an interesting discussion about godhood, religion, fanatism, politics, without ever being boring or preachy. It has complex and rich world building and a pretty compelling mystery.

Foundryside: heist fantasy following a thief as she’s hired to steal a powerful artifact that may change magical technology as she knows it. Also, slow burn F/F romance.

Jade City:  a wuxia inspired, gangster urban fantasy. Great family dynamics, very interesting political and economical subplots. 

One for My Enemy: sort of a modern Romeo and Juliet, but set in New York, starring two magical gangster families. The female characters are to die for.  

Trail of Lightning: inspired by Native mythology and the idea of subsequent worlds. It has a kickass MC and a good mix of original elements and typical UF tropes. You could like this if you liked the Kate Daniels series.

American Gods: a classic of the genre, pretty much brilliant in how it reuses old mythology in a modern setting.

Retellings

Spinning Silver: a very loose retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, with a gorgeous atmosphere. It mainly follows female characters from different social and economical backgrounds and reuses the original tale to challenge the antisemitic ideas around the role of the moneylander.

The Queens of Innis Lear: fantasy retelling of King Lear, very atmospheric and gorgeously written. Slow paced, but very satisfying build up, lots of backstabbing and miscommunication. (heads up though, one of the MCs is coded as aroace and I found the rep pretty bad on that. The book does feature casual bisexual rep though, which was great)

Lady Hotspur: genderbent retelling of Henry IV, set in the same world as The Queens of Innis Lear. Lesbian and bisexual rep. Heavy on political subplots, features ambitious women growing into their roles.

Deathless: sort of a retelling of Koschei the Deathless set in the first half of the 20th century. Brilliant reuse of Russian folklore to weave together politics and history. It does have pretty brutal descriptions of war, morally gray characters, unhealthy relationships and overall a lot of mindfuckery.

Space Opera

A Memory Called Empire: space opera inspired by the Mexica and middle period Byzantium. It focuses on topics like colonialism and the power of narratives and language. It has one of the best descriptions of what it’s like to live in between spaces I’ve ever read. Also very interesting political intrigue and has a slow burn F/F romance (and a poly relationship recalled through flashbacks).

Ninefox Gambit: a Korean-inspired space opera with a magic system based on math. It’s honestly quite convoluted and difficult to follow, but it also features some of the best political intrigue I’ve ever read. Plenty of lying, backstabbing and mind games. It also features lesbian and bisexual rep and an aroace side character (TW: mass shooting, sexual assault).

The Light Brigade: militaristic space opera set in a not-so-defined future in which corporations rule Earth and space in general. The book follows a newly enlisted soldier as they go through gruelling training and experience the side effects of being broken down into atoms to travel at the speed of light. It’s a heavy book, featuring raw descriptions of war, and quite difficult to follow (non-linear timelines…) but it’s also an amazing critique of capitalism and political propaganda (TW: death, mass shooting).

Gideon the Ninth: pretty much lesbian necromancers in space. Very loose world building, but a fun mystery full of banter. Can be quite confusing in the beginning, but a relatively easy and fun way to approach science fiction.

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet: character driven space opera featuring a found family journeying through space. A fun read, that also deals with topics such as sexuality and race. Quite easy to go through, as the world building and plot aren’t particularly complex themselves. Also features a F/F romance. 

Science Fiction-Fantasy that I can’t fit anywhere else

Vicious: college roommates put themselves through near-death experiences to obtain super powers, only everything goes wrong. Follows a great band of misfits (and pretty much everyone is morally gray).

Middlegame: a brilliant and complex tapestry of alternate timelines, following telepathically connected twins trying to escape the alchemist that wants to use them to obtain godhood (TW: attempted suicide).

Piranesi: the long awaited return of Susanna Clarke, Piranesi is an odd, mysterious book set in a house with infinite rooms and endless corridors, apparently inhabited by only two people. 

Bonus Novella recs: novellas are amazing and don’t sleep on them!

The Empress of Salt and Fortune: an Asian-inspired fantasy novella, it gives a voice to people usually silenced by history. It follows a cleric (non binary rep) as they chronicle the story of the late empress, retold through objects that she used in her life. It focuses on bonds between women and the power that lies in being unnoticed.  

The Black God’s Drums: an urban fantasy novella, based on Orisha mythology and set in an alternate, sort of steampunk, New Orleans. 

The Haunting of Tram Car 015: alternate steampunk Cairo populated by supernatural entities. It has a compelling mystery, starring a great lead.

This Is How You Lose the Time War: epistolary set during a time-travel war, F/F romance and gorgeous prose. 

The Citadel of Weeping Pearls: a novella set in the Xuya universe (a series of novellas/short stories set in a timeline where Asia became dominant, and where the space age has empires of Vietnamese and Chinese inspiration), but can be read as a standalone. It’s a space opera featuring a disappeared citadel and the complex relationship between the empress and her daughter as war threatens her empire.

To Be Taught, If Fortunate: an incredibly heartwarming and yet meaningful novella about research and the meaning of it. It’s the tale of 4 astronauts on a crowdfunded mission to explore space, to observe and report without conquering. It’s written in lovely prose and is very casual in its lgbt rep.

The Deep: very good novella set in an underwater society built by the descendants of African slave women that were tossed overboard. It’s not an easy read at all, as it deals with trauma, both personal and generational ones. 

Bonus short story collections recs

A Cathedral of Myth and Bone: 16 short stories featuring myth, legend and faith, that mainly focus on women reclaiming their agency. 

The Paper Menageries and Other Stories: features plenty of different fantasy and science fiction subgenres. The Paper Menagerie in particular is an extremely moving tale.

Conservation of Shadows: science fiction-fantasy short stories that focus on topics like colonisation and the role of art and language. 

Graphic Novel

The Horror of Hormak is one of the stories in Tevinter Nights, by John Epler. (And to repeat what I said in my longer review of the book, if he ever wants to change careers from cinematic designer to writer, he’d have my vote of confidence.)

A complete summary of the story below the cut. Spoiler warning, obviously:

Venus in Your Partner’s House

Other than synastry compatibility based off aspects, and of course planets and asteroids, astrology has much more depth in compatibility. In a synastry chart overlay, one person’s natal birth chart is layered on top of another person’s chart to show how your signs, planets, and houses work together. Especially where their planets are in your chart. It’s this that explains why rising signs are so important, you can still use this if you don’t know their time, but you’ll need to know at least one person’s time. You of course will have more understanding with both rising signs. The point is to see where their/your planet falls in your/their chart and the specific house, to see the influence it has on your relationship and bond. Remember to take both combinations of yours and theirs together. If you don’t know their rising and therefore their houses, look at their planets in your houses for now. These are the characteristic of their/your venus, in your/their house (where the qualities of Venus shine in your relationship):

Your Venus in their First

This may suggest that you guys have plenty in common, making your partner feel beautiful and confident. For the house person, it feels like they’ve met a good match when you two become invested in each other. The attraction for the house person is strong as for the Venus person, they’re spoiled by all things Venusian. It helps build confidence, as you guys will want to look like a power couple. The house person will be deeply attracted to them, especially if their Venus is close to their ascendant, and the problem is you may idealize the house person. You have to be careful because you guys may only like each other for how they look and how they look beside you. 

Your Venus in their Second 

With this overlay the house person will admire the Venus person not just physically like the first but also for who they are inside, in return they make the house person feel talented and appreciated. The house person will shower gifts and fortunes to the Venus person. In fact the Venus person will make them feel so talented, they can discover new income or have a material growth. Their materials start to blossom, it’s to the point that their creative energies can form and they can make money together. As long as the house person doesn’t have a lot of inflicted aspects to their Venus, then they won’t under appreciate the venus person.This is a really good place for Venus, not only will you prosper materialistically but physically. Romantically. You both will take out sensuality in each other, along with other desires. Little tip- don’t take the Venus person for granted or posses them too much. So yes, this may be a protective love after all.

Your Venus in their Third

This is such a communicative and blossoming match, there’s a possibility of love letters, and sultry words whispered in ears to become produced with this overlay. You guys respond to each other with grace and vitality. Communication is extremely important in a relationship and as this house is ruled by Gemini (a Mercury-ruled sign), and paired with Venus, you communicate with compassion and love. The problem is that you guys may act like a Libra mercury together, avoiding conflicts, as you guys rather keep things sweet. The Venus person will stimulate the house person’s mind, as they’ll make them feel appreciated as well. 

Your Venus in their Fourth

There’s a nurturing presence about Venus in here, after all it’s the house about home and family. Living together will be pleasant and you guys will feel a soul-level connection. Both of you can relate to each other in terms of the childhood, there will also be mutual love and an emotional connection flowing between you two. Both of you will have an aesthetically pleasing home together as well, and often tone down the “Wild” side of each other if you have it. They’ll want to spend lots of time with you at home. It calms the house person and steadies them. You guys find home with each other and are capable of having a harmonious life together. 

Your Venus in their Fifth 

With the nature of the fifth house, Venus tends to live happily here. The house person adores the Venus person and will always try to give excitement and fun in the Venus person’s life; after all this is a fire house. There will be lots of fun, romance, and enjoyment flowing between you two. You guys help each other express yourselves and become more creative. There’s playfulness and flirtatious behavior here, it’s very affectionate. It adds warmth unless one of the Natal chart struggles with that. There’s a sexual and romantic attraction between you two, you guys tend to enjoy when pursuing each other. It adds some comfort to express yourselves in a more “loving” way. Since this house also views children, you guys may even want children together. This is a really, really nice place for Venus to be in because Venus blossoms here. 

Your Venus in their Sixth 

The Venus person will almost act like a Virgo Venus, trying to help the house person a lot. Especially in routines, health, and other improvements. You both find pleasure in doing daily activities together, working together, and even doing chores together. It adds harmony and love in being teammates together, which also makes sense because this is the house explaining the workplace too. In fact, you guys may have met each other at work. The sign in which Venus is in may show where the Venus person assist the house person. Even though the house of work habits and health sounds a little useless for Venus to be in, it’s not. The house person can feel supported and someone who has similar ideas about diet and exercise, you guys help each other a lot and make each other be able to build a life together. It builds stability. 

Your Venus in their Seventh     

The house person feels like the Venus person is their ideal partner, after all this is the 2nd place Venus is at home in. Love, appreciation, and support flows between you guys peacefully. If you guys don’t have hard aspects, this can help build a long-term relationship; both of you treat each other equally and the house person can very much so see a life with you. You both will take the relationship seriously. The chemistry clicks between you two as you guys have harmony perfuming your relationship since you guys tend to have the same views about love and relationships. The Venus person has an area in which to discover their love nature more. It’s overall a very beneficial place for Venus and a healthy place too, it builds a sense of adoration. 

Your Venus in their Eighth 

Both of you find each other alluring, magnetic, and mysterious; The attraction is most likely not one-sided, you both feel it. It’s intoxicating and almost obsessive even possessive. Especially for the house person and perhaps the Venus person (depending what sign their Venus is in). The sex will be very mixed between the axis of Taurus-Scorpio, it’s emotionally and physically bonded. Very intense, passionate, sensual, and lusty. Both of you can open up to each other in a ways you guys never thought you’d be able to. It can be very overwhelming at times but you guys can trust each other with your dark secrets and share a physical sense of yourselves that is endearing. 

Your Venus in their Ninth 

Love is a constant adventure together, sharing some of the same ideals and beliefs. There’s a lot of honesty between you two as you guys help each other to grow and expand, it’s very supportive. The Venus person feels the same and will stay interested with the house person. As I’ve said with the house overlay series a lot with this house, you guys will enjoy traveling together. The house person will feel like the Venus person is lucky to them and might actually be. It’s a very nice place for Venus to be in because it constantly grows.

Your Venus in their Tenth 

This relationship may be very public as you guys make each other look good, the house person really adores the Venus person as well. You both tend to glamour your relationship, possibly idealizing the relationship even to your own eyes which can go wrong. If the Venus person is a women, the house person “will admire you and treat you like a goddess.” You both are highly supportive of each other and tend to help each other a lot in each other’s careers. 

Your Venus in their Eleventh 

This is really nice for not only love, but even friendship. The two of you get along so well that fun and communication fits in really nice. The problem is the house person may see the Venus person only like a friend, but nonetheless like a best friend. This can either add to the romance or lessen it, it depends on the house person. You both may have met by a circle of friends and are even capable of being affectionate in front of your friends, your friends can see the chemistry. Try to see if there are other overlays or aspects that bring more passion and so forth. 

Your Venus in their Twelfth