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Blog Posts from February 2021 (5)

February 2021 in Review

28 Feb, 2021

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February 2021

20 works reviewed. 12.5 by women (63%), 7.5 by men (38%), and 8 works by POC (40%)

Year to Date

42 works reviewed. 24.5 by women (58%), 16.5 by men (39%), one by an author whose gender is unknown (2%) and 17 works by POC (40%)

Grand Total to Date
1790 works reviewed. 1007 by women (56%), 747 by men (42%), 21 by non-binary authors (1%), 15 by gender unknown (1%), 496.75 by POC (28%)

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Books Received, February 20 — February 26

27 Feb, 2021

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The Compton Crook Award-winning author weaves her trademark blend of science fiction and dark humor in this dazzling story that continues the imaginative saga begun in Escaping Exodus, in which a society lives in the belly of a beast — and an entire civilization’s survival depends on a pair of uneasy allies who must come together for one epic battle.Nearly a thousand years removed from Earth, the remnants of humanity cling to existence inside giant, space faring creatures known as the Zenzee. Abused and exploited by humans for generations, these majestic animals nearly went extinct, but under the command of its newly minted ruler, Doka Kaleigh, life in the Parados I has flourished. Thanks to careful oversight and sacrifice by all of its crew, they are now on the brink of utopia, and yet Doka’s rivals feel threatened by that success. The Senate allowed Doka to lead their people believing he’d fail spectacularly — a disaster that would cement the legitimacy of their long-standing matriarchy. Despite vocal opposition and blatant attacks on his authority, Doka has continued to handle his position with grace and intelligence; he knows a single misstep means disaster. When a cataclysmic event on another Zenzee world forces Doka and his people to accept thousands of refugees, a culture clash erupts, revealing secrets from the past that could endanger their future. For Doka, the stakes are bigger and more personal than ever before — and could cost him his reign and his heart. He has fallen for the one woman he is forbidden to love: his wife, Seske. Doka and Seske must work closely together to sway the other Zenzee worlds to stop their cycles of destruction. But when they stumble upon a discovery that can transform their world, they know they must prepare to fight a battle where there can be no winners, only survivors. 

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Books Received, February 13 — February 19

20 Feb, 2021

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How close would you hold those you love, when the end comes? In a society where self-preservation is as much an art as a science, Norah and Arthur are learning how to co-exist in their new little world. Though they hardly know each other, everything seems to be going perfectly — from the home they’re building together to the ring on Norah’s finger. But survival in this world is a tricky thing, the air is thicker every day and illness creeps fast through the body. And the earth is becoming increasingly hostile to live in. Fortunately, Easton Grove is here for that in the form of a perfect little bundle to take home and harvest. You can live for as long as you keep it — or her — close.

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Books Received, February 6 — February 12

13 Feb, 2021

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Katherine Addison returns at last to the world of The Goblin Emperor with this stand-alone sequel.When the young half-goblin emperor Maia sought to learn who had killed his father and half-brothers, he turned to an obscure resident of his Court, a Prelate of Ulis and a Witness for the Dead. Thara Celehar found the truth, though it did him no good to discover it.Now Celehar lives in the city of Amalo, far from the Court though not exactly in exile. He has not escaped from politics, but his position gives him the ability to serve the common people of the city, which is his preference. He lives modestly, but his decency and fundamental honesty will not permit him to live quietly. 

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Books Received, January 30 — February 5

6 Feb, 2021

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It’s Eva Thorne’s 200th birthday.

But it’s not a celebration, more like a funeral. Eva lives in a world where the cure for aging and illness has been discovered and administered to every person on Earth. Only, there’s one big hitch. It turns out that very few people can handle immortality. So on their two hundredth birthday, they have to take a test. If they pass, they get to live forever. But if they fail, they must be euthanized.

Eva’s not an optimist. She’s pretty sure she’s going to fail her Centurial Assessment Test. For starters, almost nobody passes anymore. She’s seen the news stories. But more than that, Eva can tell that she’s already starting to slip mentally. Ever since the Escorts took her husband Owen away for his test and he never came back, she’s been chainsmoking cigarettes (they can’t kill her after all), binge drinking, and waiting for the Escorts to get it over with already.

Who wants to live forever if you have to do it alone?

Here’s the truth―Owen was her husband for over 170 years. He was her soulmate. Her lover. Her goofball best friend. Her partner in crime. Her everything. But on the way to her testing room, Eva glimpses a staffer who resembles her husband. 

Suddenly, she has to find out the truth about what happened to him. Suddenly, she has a reason to live. Did he pass his test? Does he get to live forever? Can Eva join him for this next part of their lives? Or is she destined to fail her test and be euthanized?

Now Eva must escape from the testing facility and find out if her husband passed his test―and what he’s been doing for the past six months. With the Escorts hunting her down, she kidnaps the staffer and drags him to the roof, discovering that it’s Owen―only he can’t remember her because they wiped his memory. When you pass your CAT test, you must leave your old life behind. Eva must now find a way for him to remember their life together or lose him forever to his new immortal existence.

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