Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles
by Malka Older
The second in The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti series, Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles, by Malka Older comes out February 13. We will be discussing the first book in the series The Mimicking of Known Successes during our February Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Discussion Group. Although both books clock in around novella length they are packed with interesting world building and fun mysteries. Mossa is a detective while Pleiti is a professor who studies the classics, as in the classical way things were done on Earth and that the human’s who are now living in Space hope they may be able to return one day. Platforms built around Jupiter, a Gas Giant, as well as life on IO one of the moon’s is detailed in the story with clever details like a bunker home being referred to as a “Hobbit” style. Although a couple in their younger days, the two women, have only have become reunited after Mossa’s last case and the tentative attempts between them to develop their relationship further add another sweet element to the plot. I hope we will see more adventures starring the couple in the future.
Chilling Effect
by Valerie Valdes
Chilling Effect is the first in the three book trilogy by Valerie Valdes that revolves around a spunky Cuban Captain Eva Innocente and her rag tag crew of La Sirena Negra (the black mermaid). I haven’t read a lot of Space Opera incorporating Latin American influences and it was cool seeing how Valdes incorporated cultural details and Cuban idioms in the novel; my favorite is arroz con mango or mango with rice which Eva uses when she gets in sticky situations (they happen often enough she also uses it as her code word at one point in the story in answer to what her favorite food is). Much of the story revolves around her blood family causing dramatic situations for her found family of crew. In this story she also is being stalked by a creepy space emperor and has a slow burning romance with one of her fellow crew members whose species gives off different scents based on their emotions and thoughts, which Valdes uses to clever effect. There is a great deal of humor and heart in the novel and if you are looking for cozy Space Opera (a colony of space cats lives on board the ship) than check this one out. I look forward to also reading book two, Prime Deception, and book three, Fault Tolerance, in the series.
Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager
Hoboken Library Staff Picks 