Kemi Ashing-Giwa

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of The Splinter in the Sky comes a pulse-pounding science fiction adventure following the daughter of rebel instigators and the heir of a power-drunk ruler who team up to save their empire...or destroy it in the process. Fen's world is crumbling. Newearth, a once-promising planet gifted by the all-powerful alien Makers, now suffers from failed terraforming, leaving its people on the brink of collapse. Fen has spent her life working as a mercenary bodyguard for a cunning magistrate, entangled in the politics of the empire that shattered her family. But then her fathers--her last remaining tether to hope--are executed by the ruthless Sovereign, who marks Fen for the same fate. With nothing left to lose, Fen escapes with a single map and an old quarterstaff, embarking on a dangerous quest to seek out the last remnants of her parents' rebellion. But the underground insurgents she finds may be even more dangerous than the Sovereign's army. At the center of it all stands Alekhai, the Sovereign's heir--a brutal, power-hungry force of destruction. Though he embodies everything Fen despises, his dangerous plans might be the empire's last chance at survival...or the final push to its doom. Perfect for fans of fast-paced dystopian adventures, intergalactic intrigue, and morally complex heroes, The King Must Die weaves an unforgettable story of rebellion, survival, and impossible choices. Will Fen save her world--or ensure its destruction?

From the USA TODAY bestselling author of The Splinter in the Sky comes a pulse-pounding science fiction adventure following the daughter of rebel instigators and the heir of a power-drunk ruler who team up to save their empire...or destroy it in the process. Fen's world is crumbling. Newearth, a once-promising planet gifted by the all-powerful alien Makers, now suffers from failed terraforming, leaving its people on the brink of collapse. Fen has spent her life working as a mercenary bodyguard for a cunning magistrate, entangled in the politics of the empire that shattered her family. But then her fathers--her last remaining tether to hope--are executed by the ruthless Sovereign, who marks Fen for the same fate. With nothing left to lose, Fen escapes with a single map and an old quarterstaff, embarking on a dangerous quest to seek out the last remnants of her parents' rebellion. But the underground insurgents she finds may be even more dangerous than the Sovereign's army. At the center of it all stands Alekhai, the Sovereign's heir--a brutal, power-hungry force of destruction. Though he embodies everything Fen despises, his dangerous plans might be the empire's last chance at survival...or the final push to its doom. Perfect for fans of fast-paced dystopian adventures, intergalactic intrigue, and morally complex heroes, The King Must Die weaves an unforgettable story of rebellion, survival, and impossible choices. Will Fen save her world--or ensure its destruction?

After fleeing her controlling and murderous family with her fiancée Vinh, Amara embarks on a colonisation project, New Belaforme, along with her childhood friend, Jesse. The planet, beautiful and lethal, produces the Gray, a “self-cleaning” mechanism that New Belaforme’s scientists are certain only attacks invasive organisms, consuming them. Humans have been careful to do nothing to call attention to themselves until a rival colony wakes the Gray. As Amara, Vinh, and Jesse work to carve out a new life together, each is haunted by past betrayals that surface, expounded by the need to survive the rival colony and the planet itself. There’s more than one way to be eaten alive.

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER A “breathtaking space opera” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) about a young tea expert who is taken as a political prisoner and recruited to spy on government officials—a role that may empower her to win back her nation’s independence—perfect for fans of N. K. Jemisin and Nnedi Okorafor. The dust may have just settled in the failed war of conquest between the Holy Vaalbaran Empire and the Ominirish Republic, but the last Emperor’s surrender means little to a lowly scribe like Enitan. All she wants is to quit her day job and expand her fledgling tea business. But when her lover is assassinated and her sibling is abducted by Imperial soldiers, Enitan abandons her idyllic plans and weaves her tea tray up through the heart of the Vaalbaran capital. There, she learns just how far she is willing to go to exact vengeance, free her sibling, and perhaps even secure her homeland’s freedom.

An unabridged collection spotlighting the best space adventures, alternate histories, and time travel stories published in 2022 by current and emerging masters of the science fiction genre, edited by Allan Kaster." The Lonely Time Traveler of Kentish Town" by Nadia Afifi-A Palestinian hires a time traveler to record his grandfather's meeting with one of Britain's most famous historical figures." The Sufficient Loss Protocol" by Kemi Ashing-Giwa-Hostile alien tech is discovered aboard a corporate spaceship." Kingsbury 1944" by Michael Cassutt-A chemist recalls working with an eccentric team of scientists at a munitions plant in Indiana during World War II." Of All the New Yorks in All the Worlds" by Indrapramit Das-Long-distance relationships are hard; those across timelines even more so." Boy in the Key of Forskaen" by Eric Del Carlo-An abandoned boy on an alien planet bonds with a discarded semi-organic spaceship." Bishop's Opening" by R. S. A. Garcia-The crew of a cargo spacecraft get caught up in the deadly court intrigue of a space-faring kingdom." An Expression of Silence" by Beth Goder-An explorer who struggles to interact with her crewmates tries to communicate with an alien." A Letter to Merlin" by Theodora Goss-Time travelers go to King Arthur's court to repair humanity's final timeline." Proof of Concept" by Auston Habershaw-An amorphous alien has amnesia on a spaceship full of hostile aliens." The Mercy of the Sandsea" by T. L. Huchu-An old sand marine faces down an assassin on a planet with sandseas." The Chronologist" by Ian R. MacLeod-A boy plots against the winds of time only to see his life unravel." The Beast of Tara" by Michael Swanwick-Scientists detect residual sounds from the past at Ireland's Lia F il (aka the Speaking Stone).

A diverse, exciting debut space opera about a young tea expert who is taken as a political prisoner and recruited to spy on government officials--a role that may empower her to win back her nation's independence--perfect for fans of N. K. Jemisin and Nnedi Okorafor. The dust may have just settled in the failed war of conquest between the Holy Vaalbaran Empire and the Ominirish Republic, but the last Emperor's surrender means little to a lowly scribe like Enitan. All she wants is to quit her day job and expand her fledgling tea business. But when her lover is assassinated and her sibling is abducted by Imperial soldiers, Enitan abandons her idyllic plans and weaves her tea tray up through the heart of the Vaalbaran capital. There, she will learn just how far she is willing to go to exact vengeance, free her sibling, and perhaps even secure her homeland's freedom.

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER A "breathtaking space opera" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) about a young tea expert who is taken as a political prisoner and recruited to spy on government officials--a role that may empower her to win back her nation's independence--perfect for fans of N. K. Jemisin and Nnedi Okorafor. The dust may have just settled in the failed war of conquest between the Holy Vaalbaran Empire and the Ominirish Republic, but the last Emperor's surrender means little to a lowly scribe like Enitan. All she wants is to quit her day job and expand her fledgling tea business. But when her lover is assassinated and her sibling is abducted by Imperial soldiers, Enitan abandons her idyllic plans and weaves her tea tray up through the heart of the Vaalbaran capital. There, she learns just how far she is willing to go to exact vengeance, free her sibling, and perhaps even secure her homeland's freedom.