The 2016 Works We Loved Thread

The SF novel Morning Star by Pierce Brown, third of the Red Rising trilogy.

Wall of Storms, the sequel to Grace of Kings by Ken Liu. Reading the galley, btw, cuz I'm a cool guy and Saga is good about sending them out. Better than the first one (which I also thoroughly enjoy), a few of the same problems but I'm way into it.

The SF novel Sleeping Giants (Themis Files #1) by Sylvain Neuvel.

The fantasy novel The Last Mortal Bond (The Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne #3) by Brian Staveley.

A few I've enjoyed:

The Adventurer's Guide to Successful Escapes, by Wade Albert White - MG fantasy about a girl in a fantasy-trope world (with some technological twists) who accidentally activates a Rightful Heir quest that may save or destroy her world. Fun, fast-paced fantasy in the vein of Diana Wynne Jones's Dark Lord of Derkholm (or the also-hilarious Bad Unicorn by Platte F. Clarke); some of the humor approaches Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett levels. First of a series.

Arabella of Mars, by David D. Levine - In an alternate world where sailing ships ply the spaceways and English colonists have spread throughout the solar system, a Mars-born human girl is drug to London by her homesick mother... only to have to race back home to save her brother from a cousin's dastardly plot to steal the family fortune and their Martian plantation. A throwback adventure yarn, like Horatio Hornblower meets Edgar Rice Burroughs's Princess of Mars, plus many neat clockwork automatons in a subplot. The end's a trifle weak, but overall it's fun. First of a series.

Waking Fire, by Anthony Ryan - On a fantasy world, a corporation-run nation trades in drake blood "product": the processed blood of different species of drakes grants specific temporary abilities to one in a thousand humans who consume it, but the wild populations have been decimated and the domestic lines have grown weak. Long-forgotten rumors of an undiscovered fifth drake species, the White, now draw fresh attention as the need for new product grows more urgent. Three MCs become caught up in this quest and a larger, looming intercontinental war that may be fomented by external sources. An interesting concept with distinct characters and a nicely realized world, though the finale feels a little drawn out. First of a series.

YA, but still SF: Crooked Kingdom (sequel to Six of Crows) by Leigh Bardugo. BLOODY BRILLIANT.

I have a tendency to not read books in the year they were published (not intentional, just a long reading list), but I managed 4 this year! I pretty much enjoyed all of them to varying degrees and would recommend them. I'll link to the Goodreads page for each if anyone wants to read the synopsis for any of them, because lazy Effby doesn't want to type them out.

A Branch of Silver a Branch of Gold by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. J'adore! <33333

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken. A few personal gripes, but overall enjoyable, and WOW that ending! Must. Read. Next. Book!

Merchant of Alyss by Thomas Locke. Don't try to read this without reading the first book or confusion will ensue, but I will say that I enjoyed it more than the first book. Must. Read. Next. Book!!!

The Star Bell by Stephanie Ricker. Currently reading this one, but I can already say, j'adore again! I've loved all three "Cendrillon Cycle" stories this author has written. I really hope she does more. <3

The first two books of N.K. Jemisin's "The Broken Earth" trilogy: "The Fifth Season" and "The Obelisk Gate." I wish the third book was out already so I could dive right into it.

Another enjoyable, kick-ass YA Sci-fi book is Trisomy XXI by GA Minton!

Ready player one was an interesting read. A little cliche in parts, but the concept is what carries it through.

The fantasy novel City of Blades, by Robert Jackson Bennett. The Divine Cities #2. The first is City of Stairs.

Throwin' a couple decent 2016 MG works on the list before midnight:

The Wild Robot, by Peter Brown: A shipwreck sends a new robot adrift, washing up on the shore of an uninhabited island. Upon activation, "Roz" must use her adaptive programming to explore, finding a place among the animals as she learns their languages and ways.
This is a science fiction fable, a deceptively simple story with some intriguing concepts. I saw a few shades of Clifford D. Simak's classic City in the ways Roz helped the animals become more than their instincts. It's a quick read, something a little different.

Behind the Canvas, by Alexander Vance: An art-loving girl finds a boy watching her from inside paintings, eventually crossing into the world behind the canvas to help him escape an evil witch... or is he really the victim he claims to be?
An interesting idea, executed well, I found I got the most out of this story when I read it near my computer; I could look up the artists as she encountered their works, adding an extra dimension to the tale. Decent fun, with some beautiful moments.

RedDragoness said:

The first two books of N.K. Jemisin's "The Broken Earth" trilogy: "The Fifth Season" and "The Obelisk Gate." I wish the third book was out already so I could dive right into it.

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+1

The Obelisk Gate was fantastic.

PaulieS said:

Ready player one was an interesting read. A little cliche in parts, but the concept is what carries it through.

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I enjoyed this too! The entire concept is essentially "Nerd nostalgia will keep you reading" which worked on me 100%. Had great fun with this one.